There seemed to be deer everywhere I looked this week: in my neighborhood, where I ran, and where I stopped on the way to visit my mom — deer sightings three days in a row. Despite all the sightings, the only photo I took was not even worth sharing. Y’all know what deer look like.
I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and enjoying running with some more comfortable weather towards the end of the week; not in the beginning, though!
Workouts update
- Monday: Yoga AM (20 min), Dogwalk, SB WU (5 min), 3ish TM miles, Yoga PM (20 min)
- Tuesday: Dogwalk, Yoga AM (20 min), Walking with Weights (25 min), Yoga PM (20 Min)
- Wednesday: Yoga AM (20 min), Dogwalk, filmed Yoga videos (1 hour)
- Thursday: Yoga (20 min), 7 mile LSD, Yoga PM (20 Min)
- Friday: Yoga AM (20 minutes), Short walk/hikes, climbed Fire Tower @ Catskill Visitor Center, Yoga PM (20 min)
- Saturday: Dogwalk, Filmed Yoga Videos (60 min) <== rest day
- Sunday: Yoga (20 min), 3 easy miles + strides last mile, ST of some sort (25 min)
Running Mileage: 13 (NC)
PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike
Running Update
Monday intention: Speed play
Words matter. Doesn’t speed play sound better than speed work? Stupid hot humid day and needed to get Bandit out for a short walk so treadmill it was. A 90s? speed/hills run, which was okay but I didn’t like it as much as the one last week. I sometimes wonder where they get their playlists — I often don’t know any of the songs even from the decades I am familiar with, so picking a workout with motivating music can be tough.
Thursday intention: find the joy (and birds)
Another great run where I saw Great Blue Herons and some deer (after seeing an unusual deer in the neighborhood on a walk with Bandit the day before). I bumped from 5 to 7 miles and everything went well. There was just a bit of a cluster at the end, because there was a huge group of young girls running there too — and it seemed all their parents had come to pick them up from the small parking lot at the same time. I was happy I had the same spot by the dam to myself to relax in (minus all the girls) at the end of my run.
Sunday intention: easy with a slight kick the last mile
There’s a different trail on the river that’s a bit closer to home. It’s a very lovely space, but also very short — perfect for today’s 3 miles with perfect weather. I threw in strides the last mile and that certainly helped that mile’s pace. Then I relaxed on a bench near the river (after stretching): eating my post run snack, journaling, and sketching.
Favorites of the week
The weather. While it started out very hot and humid, the week ended with some beautiful fall like weather. Yes, I’d like a bit more Summer, but it was great running weather towards the end of the week!
A day trip to see my mom. I climbed my second firetower, although the views from this one were just okay. In a couple of weeks I have to go for a few days and onboard yet another temporary aide while her regular aide gets more dental work done.
Last week’s Yin Yoga practice (you can find it here) is now officially my most viewed video so far. No idea why — certainly not because of the thumbnail! — but grateful.
ICYMI: We moving off of chest & shoulders and onto the posterior chain with this simple four pose practice. Practice with me here, August is going to be all about finding your edge — an important principle in Yin Yoga and running. I also have a brief introduction to the subtle body here.
Coming up on Friday: Friday I’m not quite sure yet. Perhaps some interesting facts about Vitamin D — stuff I’ve only recently learned!
Chocolaterunsjudy 
Ha – the image for your yoga video is marvellous! Love the view from the fire tower, too – and the view OF the fire tower. Always like stuff like that. Not much running for me this week as we had another blasted heatwave. I can see clouds starting now so hopefully the rain will come tomorrow and I can get running properly again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Fingers crossed your heatwave ends. They are not fun.
LikeLike
Nice photos this week! We have a family of deer that basically live in our backyard. They are super cute and never bother me however, they do eat all of our flowers! My husband has tried every kind of spray there is and nothing keeps them away
LikeLiked by 1 person
Have you you tried sprinling the flowers with cayenne? It’s worked for us after trying everything else.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We don’t have deep woods near us, & the first 10 years we never saw deer in our neighborhood. There’s plenty of areas nearby with deer & unfortunately they are plentiful near the highways I drive back & forth to my mom.
LikeLike
That first photo is stunning! Glad the heat subsided for you a bit this week. It’s cooled off here as well. Bittersweet for sure!
LikeLiked by 1 person
This cool down is very pleasant! Great running weather.
LikeLike
Fire tower climbs are my favorite yet I haven’t done any in a long time. I think the views are better in the fall.
Unfortunately I really hate deer. I see them every day and they destroy all our plants.
Yesterday was the best day for a king run and it was just a walk day. Sigh.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought today was great for running too.
I wouldn’t really recommend that fire tower. There was another one in the vicinity & the employee in the cab said that one is really nice. But it’s a 4 mile hike & I just don’t have enough time for that.
LikeLike
Your Monday clouds picture is spectacular! It looks like a cool crisp day, but I suspect it was still very hot and humid up there on Monday like it was here. I’ve never climbed a fire tower – not sure I’ve even seen one that was accessible for climbing. The view from the top makes it worth it, though.
LikeLike
Monday was the treadmill! It was in the 90s & very humid! The humidity had broken by Thursday when I took the cloud photo — thank goodness!
I had never climbed a fire tower before this year. They do scare me a little. I think mainly because they’re narrow & steep. But the view from the top can be amazing! There are quite a few in the mountains around here, although none of them are super close. That was more than an hour away.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow Judy- those are some great photos you captured this week! The clouds- so pretty! Thanks for sharing.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You’re welcome! After the beginning of the week it cooled down a lot, thankfully!
LikeLike
I came face to face with a deer on my run today. I don’t know who was more shocked-he or I! I enjoyed watching him bound away, white tail in the air.
Looks like you had beautiful weather this week!
LikeLiked by 1 person
After the beginning of the week we did have some great weather. SO hot & humid on Monday!
I once had a deer run with me a little ways on a run. By a path not far from the city! We don’t get them in our neighborhood (usually) but there are plenty around the area.
LikeLike
Those are some gorgeous deer-free photos. 😉 Wendy seems to be able to get good deer photos, but between Scooby and the time it takes me to get my phone out, I rarely do.
I don’t think I’ve climbed a fire tower, although it’s possible I did as a kid at camp.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wendy gets amazing deer shots! I think her phone has a much better telephoto lens. Mine is still relatively old even though it was a big upgrade for me.
I never climbed a fire tower at camp! I don’t think I would have done it. I was not at all an athletic kid.
LikeLike
Such beautiful photos!
I keep joking with my husband that we have stealth deer – this is the first summer I haven’t seen any, but I know that they’re around because they’re treating my shade garden like a salad bar LOL!
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s the rabbits that have a tendency to mow through things in our yard, but we don’t have a lot of landscaping. The pines tend to kill anything we try to plant — or they’re not dog friendly.
LikeLike
There was a trail race I did a few times (I don’t think the race exists anymore) on a nature preserve, and there was a fire tower alongside the course. If you chose to climb it (it was only three stories tall, so not very challenging or scary), you’d get a mark on your hand to redeem for a prize after finishing. Go big or go home, right? I almost always have to snap a pic of the lake when I do my weekly bike path rides. The sun sparkling and shining on the water is ALWAYS a beautiful sight!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Water + sun = life! I’m not sure I’d stop to climb during a race but I can definitely see you doing it!
LikeLike
Love the photos that you took last week – so pretty!
That’s so funny about the deer! I actually saw 3 yesterday behind my house – they were just enjoying all the trees and plants and munching away, lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
As much as I like seeing deer I’m glad they’re not in the backyard. Might not end so well for Bandit, LOL!
LikeLike
I love the reflection of clouds on water. I’m not a big fan of heights so I’ve only climbed maybe one fire tower before. I just saw a deer on a run last weekend. Someone had stopped on the trail with his dog and I also stopped to see why, then I saw the deer. With all of the building going on around here, they’re losing more and more of their homes so it’s sad really.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree it is sad about the loss of habitat for wildlife. But . . . there are SO many deer at the same time!
LikeLike
I’m not afraid of heights, but something about that picture of the fire tower made me nervous! I’ve never climbed one.
Beautiful pictures as always! I’m glad your weather cooled down- and I hope it stays nice for you this week.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It’s heated up again. But it will cool down in a few days.
LikeLike