Exhaling, for Now: 8/16 – 22 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 29 Comments

It was another stressful week in a month full of stressful weeks — but I knew it would be going into it. Activity was hard, but I did my best, which wasn’t half bad.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and moving through learning and bringing my mom home.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (30 min), 2 mile recovery run, Dogwalk, PB Cardio Walk (25 min)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (30 min), 5 miles long-er run, Dogwalk x 2 (AM/PM), PB Walking with Weights (25 min)
  • Wednesday: Yoga (30 min), 1.5ish TM miles, Dogwalk
  • Thursday: Yoga (40 minutes), Soul Stroll, PM Walk
  • Friday: Yoga (40 min), Walk
  • Saturday: Yoga (40 min), Dogwalk, PB ST (25 min)
  • Sunday:  Yoga (40 min), Dogwalk, PB Boosted Walk (25 min)

Running Mileage: 8 (-3)


PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike

Running Update

Don’t know what this weed is but it sure is happy

Monday Intention: recover
The pace was about right for recovery, and consistent (for the 2 miles). As seems the norm for me, V02 ticked up a point (after coming down a point for yesterday’s long run). Beautiful morning to run; I would have expected to be faster with cooler temps, but yesterday was very busy in addition to the long run and that was just fine.

Fall is coming as the hibiscus sheds its flowers

Tuesday Intention: more miles easy
Despite temps in the high 60sF with plenty of humidity, it didn’t feel too bad — not with the soft Summer drizzle and a pleasant breeze. I was tired, though, from 3 days running in a row, two of them long-er runs. Bringing my mom home and plenty of rain the forecast, plus a course over the weekend, meant I had little time to run this week.

So far the Achilles is not acting up despite back to back running days — just a slight awareness after this run.

Wednesday Intention: recover again
I wanted 2 miles. I wanted the treadmill to be fixed. Sadly, neither happened. So I got around 1.5 miles gradually slowing to a walking pace. After walking Bandit in the holy humidity after this run, I was glad I didn’t run outside — I would have been a real sweaty mess instead of just a sweaty mess, and I was heading down to pick up and bring my mom home (and yes, of course, I still showered after).

Fall is REALLY coming (at my mom’s)

Favorites of the week
Despite spending most of my time indoors helping my mom, I still managed to get in a lot of walking and had no trouble meeting and exceeding my daily step goal. Doesn’t hurt that she’s not an early riser. She does have a live-in aide, for now, but I was still helping out a lot.

My current situation . . .

I had signed up to take the RRCA Level 1 Coaching course a few months ago. Little did I know what a difficult week this would already be! So.much.information in a short time. No, I don’t really plan to coach anyone, it was more for my own information; the fact that you can know take it online meant no travel and no extra $$ for meals and hotels.

Obviously I won’t be commenting much on blogs today

GWY Yin Yoga for the Whole Back Body

ICYMI: Even if you have no desire to do this Yin Yoga practice that will help strengthen your whole Posterior Chain (and you should do it!), you still need to check it out here — to see me having to do child’s post sitting on top of Bandit! Seriously, I couldn’t stop laughing! I also have a short vlog to help you think about anything you’ve let go of that you need to bring back into your life here.

Coming up on Tuesday: Interested in a plant based protein bar that won’t weigh you down? Check out my review of Mezcla Bars.  On Friday it’s time to join Marcia @ Marciashealthyslice to get some runfessions off my chest.

Walkway over the Hudson:

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 15 Comments

5 Things to Know Before You Go

If you ever find yourself in Poughkeepsie, NY, this is the thing to do. Seriously, there isn’t really that much in Poughkeepsie (where I grew up), although it does give you easy access to things like:

  • FDR Library
  • Vanderbilt Mansion
  • Minnewaska State Park
  • Rhinebeck, Saugerties, Woodstock (all cute towns)
bfitfivefriday

I’m linking up with My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Runs with Pugs, Zenaida and Run Laugh Eat Pie for Fit Five Friday. Today I’m sharing 5 things to know before you go to the Walkway over the Hudson.

Once you get over the Hudson — zero shade. But a breeze (which might not be a great thing sometimes!)

1: There’s no shade
Zip, zero, nada. Plus it’s high up, which means it gets hotter up there. I happened to visit it on a perfect day — but we’d been with Lola & Chester a couple of times, I believe — we didn’t get very far.

2: It’s windy up there, too
There wasn’t a whole lot of wind the day I visited, but up there? Yes, there was. I had to hold onto my hat the entire walk — and take it off so it wouldn’t sail away when I took photos. Take #1 & #2 into consideration if you want to run across it.

3: It’s concrete
Initially when I thought about visiting it, I thought I’d run across it. Concrete is just about the hardest surface to run on. I decided to pass on the run and just walk over, although if you choose to run you’ll have plenty of company.

It’s not long, but it connects to the rail trail plus you have awesome Hudson River views as well as a great view of the Mid Hudson Bridge

4: The walkway is about 1 1/4 mile long but . . .
. . . there are small areas on either side with restrooms, water fountains, and some food trucks. According to my watch it was about 1.5 mile one way. It does connect directly to the Hudson Rail Trail on the Highland side, so you might use those 1.5 miles as a long warmup and cool down before running on the more shaded, paved rail trail.

5: You can take your dog, but . . .
. . . as I said, it’s concrete. That concrete can get very hot on warm days. Too hot for most dog’s paws. Which is part of why I’d never walked the entire walkway before. There was one self-watering dog bowl on one end, which is nice (no idea if it’s always there).

Bonus Tip: Where to Park
If you park on the Highland side, you have immediate access to the Rail Trail, too. The address to park there is 87 Haviland Road, Highland NY 12528 — it’s in the town of Lloyd (no, you can’t make that stuff up!).

If you park on the Poughkeepsie side, I recommend 61 Parker Avenue. There’s a dirt lot right there that’s free, and there’s a paved lot just a little bit up that you pay for ($5 for 4 hours in 2021). We have actually parked on both side on different trips. I recommend going earlier, because on nice days those parking lots fill up quickly!

Final Thoughts
I’m really happy that I finally got to walk the whole Walkway. I grew up here, but of course the Walkway wasn’t built until 2009 (although it was previously a railroad bridge, built in 1889, which burnt down in 1974 — I have no memory of that, but I was only 12 at the time).

It’s a great view of the Mid Hudson Bridge, which always says home to me when I drive over it. It reminds me a lot of the James D. Pfluger Pedestrian and Bicycle Bridge in Austin (which was built in 2001).

The big difference is the size of the water bodies the two bridges span. The Austin bridge spans Ladybird “Lake” (which will always be Town Lake to me), while the Walkway goes over the Hudson River — to me Ladybird Lake reminds me of a creek, not a lake, because the Hudson River near Poughkeepsie is the river I grew up with. I’ve also been to it closer to the source of the Hudson River, where it’s much smaller.

There’s a FAQ here to visit if you ever decide to walk across the Walkway

Have you ever heard of the Walkway over the Hudson?

Does this sound like somewhere you’d like to visit/run? Quite frankly there isn’t much else going on in Poughkeepsie.

What if I ________ in a race?

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 20 Comments

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Runners invest so much time and energy in training for their races that it’s completely understandable when we start to get worried about something going wrong before or during the race.

You know what? Sometimes it will. Sometimes that race will totally suck, and other times you’ll dig deep and come out smiling.

What if I’m last?
I have never come in last in a race, although I have definitely been DFL (dead frickin’ last) at some point in some races. You know what? Someone is going to be last. I’ve even heard of races where they really throw a party for the last person to cross the finish line — but let’s face it, that’s the exception.

I did one race that ran out of medals (even though I wasn’t even close to being the last runner, long story).

I have done races where there’s really slim pickings for food at the end. Generally because the public has partaken, and I’m towards the BOTP. One memorable race they ran out of the promised chocolate milk straight from the cows — it was a farm — yes, I know chocolate milk doesn’t come straight from cows. The point is you can’t depend on getting what the faster finishers get — although again, that is not always the case.

Most races have runners and walkers and if you’re running, chances are pretty good that the walkers will be finishing after you. Although I have been passed by race walkers in races.

My worst race, the one where I was injured and had to walk by mile ten, my most painful and almost slowest race ever — a small one, in fact — guess what? I still wasn’t last.

So what if you’re last? Did you do your best? Did you cross the finish line like all the other runners? You earned your medal. You have nowhere to go but up.

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What if I get sick during the race?
It’s only happened to me once, knock on wood. I’ve definitely had races where I didn’t feel great, felt run down in fact, but only one where I had to make a stop to use a portapotty urgently.  I actually had to run quite a few miles while really needing that portapotty.

Endorphins are a wonderful thing. I finished the race. It is still, in fact, my half PR despite that stop. I couldn’t eat much for a few days after, which really sucks while you’re on vacation and have just run a half, but I survived.

The worst that can happen is that you’ll DNF (did not finish). Be kind to yourself. There’s always another race. Know when it’s time to throw in the towel.

In my case the race was a point to point we had to be bussed to and from, so it’s not like I could just easily go back to the hotel. I was lucky to get a ride with a kind stranger, and luckily I wasn’t feeling that bad at that point (endorphins, again!).

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What if I choose the wrong clothes?
It happens. Maybe that raincoat wasn’t such a great idea even if it was rainy. Maybe you ran half a race holding onto your hat so it didn’t blow away. Maybe it was supposed to be cool and suddenly got hot — or hot and suddenly got cold.

My best advice is to lay out several different outfits no matter what the forecast, so even if it changes overnight (it definitely can), you can quickly change outfits on the fly. If you’re traveling to the race — do the same thing. Take it from me!

Final Thoughts
When it comes to racing, there are a lot of What Ifs. Most of them you just can’t control.

What if it’s suddenly hot on race day (wish I had a nickel for the many times that’s happened to me). What if there’s a Nor’easter (yup, been there, ran in that). What if I get lost — so far I’ve been lucky on that one. What if I can’t find the start — well, I had one race where I did find the start, but I had to run to it because I thought it was somewhere else. So many What Ifs in racing.

What was your best race experience when things went wrong?
How do you overcome your own What Ifs?
Have you ever actually been DFL?

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Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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It’s Alive! Or is it?: 8/9 – 15 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 29 Comments

It was mostly a brutally hot and humid week, and most of my running (well, about half) was spent on the revived treadmill. Most early mornings found me walking Bandit.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and still recovering, this time from the colonoscopy, the stress, and the heat wave.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Colonoscopy, Lots of rest, Short PM Dogwalk (because he pretty much refused to walk without me that morning)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk x 2 (AM/PM)
  • Wednesday: Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk, 2 TM miles easy, PB Walking with Weights (25 min), Yoga (20 min), Dogwalk
  • Thursday: Yoga (30 minutes), 3ish TM miles easy (a little easier than planned),  PB ST (25 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Friday: Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk x 2 AM/ PM, Yoga (50 min)
  • Saturday:Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk x 2 AM/ PM, Yoga (50 min)
  • Sunday:  Yoga (20 min), 6 mile longish run, Dogwalk (probably), Yoga (probably)

Running Mileage: 11 (NC)


PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike

Running Update

Wednesday Intention: just run easy
My first run in about four days, 3 days post colonoscopy, very little food for a day before, day of, and day after . . . yeah, all I wanted to do was get in a couple of miles. It was stupid hot so I hopped on the fixed treadmill, which apparently wasn’t quite fixed.

First I forgot to hit the button my Garmin. Then after a bit suddenly it got very loud. Mr. Judy said the incline was fixed but it wasn’t. At the end suddenly the pace was was way off (like too slow). Mr. Judy was going to recalibrate it after I finished, but suddenly it was okay!?! Whatever, I got in a couple of miles more or less.

Thursday Intention: give the mill another chance
Nope, it still wasn’t fixed. Same thing — it would get loud, and then it would slow down so much I could walk even though it was set at an easy run pace. I stopped twice to recalibrate it, which meant it seemed normal for 5 minutes, then slowly slowed down. It was definitely frustraing.

Mr. Judy worked on it again. We’ll see.

Took a while to find pretty flowers today

Sunday Intention: go longer again
The heat wave finally broke yesterday, and this morning was lovely, which was good because I slept late for me, and got out that way later than planned. It was one of those solo runs I really needed to get lost in my own thoughts. The late Summer hum of cicadas and crickets was soothing.

At one point I thought the person in front of me had lost some food (I called out you dropped something but no response), so I sped up to get it and give it to her — although it wasn’t hers! It was a partially eaten package of Cheez-Its. So weird!

Not from today, but this is what we’ll see at lunch since it’s finally cool enough to eat out on the deck again!

Favorites of the week
Between the colonoscopy, and the stress of finding an aide for my mom (still up in the air as I type) — well, let’s just say this week ended being not as restful as I’d hoped. You know it’s not great if a colonoscopy was almost the high point of your week (the clean bill of health, that is — no polyps).

At some point next week I should be bringing my mom home and staying a couple of nights. No idea right now which day it will actually happen. It’s supposed to be Tuesday.

GWY 3 Poses for Glute Activation

ICYMI: I have a great, short glute activation video every runner can try. My Achilles seems to like it a lot!. Check it out here. I also have a short vlog on where your Gluteus Medius is here, and 5 reasons you need glute activation here.

Coming up on Tuesday: We all have fears when it comes to racing. I’ve got a post on a few and why you don’t really need to fear those things.  On Friday I’m sharing 5 tips to know if you ever find yourself in Highland or Poughkeepsie NY and want to walk across the Hudson River.

5 Ways to Get Through Stressful Times

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 20 Comments

bcopingwithstresstitle

The simple fact that my mom is in rehab is stressful enough. Add in the travel back and forth, the packing and unpacking, trying to cram in the things I usually do in half a week (sometimes). Yeah, you might say it’s been a wee bit stressful.

bfitfivefriday

I’m linking up with My First 5K and More, Running With Attitude, Runs with Pugs, Zenaida and Run Laugh Eat Pie for Fit Five Friday. Today I’m sharing 5 I’m coping with that stress.

1: Be Kind to Yourself
If you’re going through a time where you need to do a lot of caretaking, you’re going to have less time to do the things you enjoy. Or even need to do! Don’t sweat the small stuff, as they say. This too shall pass. 

2: No seriously, take care of you!
I have to say it: yes, you do need to take care of yourself so that you can take care of others. That may look very, very different from your usual self care though. You just won’t have the time — and maybe not the energy. Do the best you can, and let the stuff that doesn’t really matter go. Who really needs a perfectly clean house anyway?

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3: Download some exercise videos
If you use an app that allows you to download videos so you can practice them offline, do it. You never know when you might not have access to Wifi, or you may not want to use up all your data. Knowing that you can do something will help alleviate the stress of how/when you’ll get your workouts in. Obviously if all you do is run, you might not need this advice.

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4: Bring some healthy food with you
That might mean just some healthy snacks or it might mean bring meals with you. I do both. I am lucky to stay at my sister’s house and have access to a microwave and refrigerator. Even so you will no doubt be in situations where you don’t have healthy options. Eating healthy meals and snacks will help you to stay healthy and cope better with whatever life throws at you.

5: Meditate
I can hear it now: I can’t meditate. I can’t turn off my thoughts. The point of meditation isn’t to turn off your thoughts, though. It’s basically to detach from them so you are able to remain calmer no matter what rabbit hole your thoughts are trying to take you down. The more you do it, the more you’ll be able to drop into a calmer place quickly.

Seriously can’t meditate? Just take 10 deep breaths when you feel like you can’t take it anymore. Notice how you feel once you’re done. Repeat as necessary.

Final Thoughts
No one gets through life without stressful times. There are simple ways to cope, though.

What helps you through stressful times?

What tips would you add?

I Tried It: ChillPal Gaiter

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 18 Comments

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When I did some research for things to help you cool down on the run, I came across the Chillpal Cooling Gaiter (Amazon Affiliate link here). I knew I had to try it!

I love my cooling towels but . . .
I do love my cooling towels. It always shocks me that the vast majority of runners shun them. Are they perfect? No! Do they help? Yes! At least in my humble opinion. I like that they knot around your neck, so you have the choice about how tight or loose they fit.

What I don’t love? The way they have a tendency to drip water all over your top, no matter how well you wring it out, because the ends hang down onto your chest. Great for wiping the sweat off of your neck and or head, but not so great sporting the saturated top look.

How does it work?
You just thoroughly wet the gaiter, and then wring it so the extra water comes out. It works by cooling as the water evaporates off of the gaiter.

This was after I had finished my run — it was still wet!

Did the gaiter deliver?
It’s always hard to judge — would I have felt hotter without the gaiter? Who knows?! I tested the gaiter out on a warm and very humid morning. It was still quite wet (and cool) by the time I was done with my 3 mile run plus meeting up with Mr. Judy to finish up Bandit’s walk (about another half mile or so).

My cooling towels definitely help — but I don’t think they stay wet as long. Because it’s a gaiter, you can’t tighten it around your neck as you would with a towel, although I guess how tight it is depends on your neck size. It still gets your top a little weight, but nowhere wet as it did when I used a cooling towel. I found it to be more comfortable than a cooling towel, too.

The Chillpal Gaiter comes in four different colors and only costs $9.97.

Final Thoughts
I’ve only used it once so far, but I do think I prefer the gaiter to my cooling towels. I think it would be useful on hikes, too (hmmm, do they make a doggy sized one?). I wonder if the moisture attracts more bugs? I’m not sure. The gnats were bothering me just a little on this run, but nothing terrible and it’s that time of year.

You can try your own Chillpal here! (Amazon affiliate link). If you do, let me know your thoughts.

Do you wish there was a way to feel more comfortable running in heat & humidity? 

Have you tried something that helps you on those hot & humid runs? 

What’s your best beat the heat tip? 

btuesdaytopics

Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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Calm Before the Storm?: 8/2 – 8 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 35 Comments

It was a much needed week at home. I hate that my mom is alone, but we all talk to her every day, and friends call, too. so she’s somewhat busy with calls, PT, and OT.

bwrd

I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and recovering from recent events — until I am able to visit again, or my mom goes home, whichever comes first.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (30 min), 3 miles easy, PB Walking with Weights (35 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (50 min), Short Hike, Dogwalk
  • Wednesday: Yoga (40 min), 6 mile “long” run, PB Standing Abs (25 min), Yoga (20 min), Dogwalk
  • Thursday: Yoga (30 minutes), 2 mile recovery run, Dogwalk, PB ST (25 min), Yoga (20 min), Dogwalk
  • Friday: Yoga (20 min), Dogwalk, Filmed Yoga Video (30 min), Swim (25 min), Dogwalk
  • Saturday: Yoga (30 min), Dogwalk, PB ST (25 min)
  • Sunday:  Yoga, Dogwalk, time to rest!

Running Mileage: 11 (NC)


PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike

Running Update

I wonder how pine needles end up in perfect little circles like this

Monday Intention: just run
Today was a great day to run. The first mile was slow, but the second two miles were noticeably faster, which doesn’t mean they were fast. I did enjoy relaxing more before this run because the morning was cool & cloudy.

It says color the canal (because it’s the Erie Canal back there)

Wednesday Intention: maybe try for a faster turnover
It looked like it would slowly heat up over the next few days, so I took advantage of cooler weather to get in my longish run. I tried to work on turnover (sometimes) without actually trying to go faster. It wasn’t fast, but it was a bit faster and didn’t feel quite as hard as last week’s 6 miles.

My intuition said I should go up the big hill this time. So glad I did! Who knew they’d painted the shelter?

Plus I tackled the really big hill for the first time in a long time!

Neighbor’s flower patch — weird location but pretty

Thursday Intention: easy recovery
Not much trouble keeping it easy this morning. A true recovery run. Still negative splits, though.

Yes, there was a LOT of rain in July & it is showing up with disgusting fungus everywhere

Favorites of the week
We went eagle hunting one morning, but alas they didn’t come out for us. We heard a couple of days later that a walker at those trails found a dead eagle. Glad it wasn’t us.

So.Much.Better

Yup, my first haircut in a year and half. Before this every time I turned over in bed I literally had to lift my head up and move my hair out of the way. It’s always shorter than I want it (the cut makes it curl more), but it’ll grow out. Too much, no doubt.

The mom update: we now have a potential release date: 8/17. So of course now we’re scrambling to find an aide, which they are now recommending, even though we had already started the process. One place needs a 2 week notice. Yeah, well, tell it to the rehab. Wish us luck.

Although the hip is healing well, she has other physical issues that have worsened throughout this ordeal. Plus she continues to eat very little and lose weight.

Not a favorite, and might be TMI if you’re squeamish, I also have my first colonoscopy tomorrow. Because why not? Not like I have a lot on my plate, LOL. And yes this should have happened long ago. Both Mr. Judy & I have/had our first colonoscopies this year.

The rehab just opened for visits again, but obviously I can’t go right now. Hopefully sometime next week.

gwy 3 leg stretches

ICYMI: These are the exact three stretches I do after (almost) every run. It takes less than 15 minutes. Check it out here.

Coming up on Tuesday: You know I had to try the cooling gaiter I wrote about in this post here. On Tuesday I’m sharing my thoughts on how well it worked. It’s also no secret I’ve had a stressful month. On Friday I’m sharing 5 tips to make it through the stressful times.

THE Book on Stress: Tea/coffee Date August 2021

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 27 Comments

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Thanks,  Coco and Deborah, I’m still drinking my hot chocolate (whether it’s cold or hot outside!) and I still have some unusual animal sightings in the neighborhood.

In the “big” rain we got at least 4 more mason jars full!

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you before Summer really kicked in, we got some amazing rain harvests. We had the tub we use to bathe Bandit out and got way more than pictured above. I’m still using it for the indoor plants! We had to stop due to the warmer, more humid weather, but I’ll be back at it in the Fall.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you Lola (aka the seedling our vet sent us after her passing) was going strong. We planted her. I was going to take a photo and . . . apparently the rabbits got at her. All her leaves were gone. This is the fourth seedling the vet has sent us and none of them has made it! I don’t have the heart to tell the vet.

When a neighbor not too far away said she’d seen a raccoon, that clinched it. We don’t know, but we think it was a raccoon. How’d it climb up there?

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell the interesting animal sightings in the neighborhood continue. Albie stops by a few times a week, usually. We chatted with a neighbor recently and she had great photos of an eagle in the neighborhood.

Remember a while ago I was sure I saw a young eagle in the trees across the road? Well, I’m even more sure that the very large bird I saw in our neighbor’s yard the other day was also a young eagle (no white head), but alas he flew away before I could even try to get photos.

Then there was the somewhat large pawprints on the side of our deck. Can’t quite figure out what those might be — it’s off the second floor and has no stairs to it.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you that supposedly the ability to curl your tongue is a genetic thing. I can’t do it. Yet both my brother and sister can. I would think I was adopted except I very clearly do take after my Dad’s side.

If we were enjoying tea/coffee . . .
I’d tell you I never did get to tell you about the chat I had with the runner when we were hiking a few weeks ago. He used to own a shoe store here long ago, and was very involved in racing. He had advice for runners (he no longer runs though): don’t run too hard. If you’re doing 800s, for instance, don’t go out so hard that you’re slowing down in the last few repeats.

He also recommended the book The Stress of Life, by Hans Selye (Amazon Affiliate Link here). I haven’t yet bought it, but right now, maybe I should! You can probably get it cheaper on Ebay or look through the used books available at Amazon.

Can you curl your tongue? 

Have you been noticing unusual animals in your neighborhood? 

Do you think running easier might be beneficial to you?

Also linking up with:

bfitfivefriday

Food for thought: July 2021

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 22 Comments

To keep the body in good health is a duty . . . otherwise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear.
— Buddha

I see it all the time: people saying eat what you want because if you don’t you’re going to regret that you didn’t enjoy yourself. I’m not trying to tell anyone how to live their lives, but I know that if I ate what I wanted, it would look something like this: chocolate, cookies, grilled cheese, french toast, brownies, croissants . . .

Do I eat these things? Of course I do. Sometimes. One thing I’ve gotten very clear on, watching my parents age — I don’t want to age like that. There are many things out of our control, but eating is generally not one of them.

The above quote from Buddha really spoke to me. Then there’s Hippocrates: let food be thy medicine.

Just food for thought, is all

Getting in scheduled runs
I had been thinking of taking a week off running when we went on our hiking vacation — because I’d be hiking for a few days, not that I planned any crazy difficult hikes. The vacation didn’t happen, but I did end up taking the week off of running anyway, due to my mom’s fall and subsequent surgery. My Achilles liked that anyway. I will be going back and forth a lot for I don’t know how long, so I’ll be happy with whatever I can get in.

Grade Earned:  A for Effort

Recording my runs
I have veered off course here again . . . seriously, I need to start using my planner again because it helps me to keep focused. It’s a broken record, folks!

Grade Earned: C

Dynamic Warmup
I have a really short dynamic warmup. I’m pretty religious about doing it, too.

Grade Earned: A

Foam Rolling
I take some of my balls with me to my sister’s. There may have been a day here and there where it didn’t get done due to time, but overall I know it makes my body feel good so I just do it.

Grade Earned: A

Sometimes you do need a treat. Enjoy every bite & I sure did! It’s nice to share though (most of the time).

Nutrition
Still struggling with what will help me take off a few pounds. I have tried to limit frozen foods (too high in sodium), and try to make most of my own meals. On the other hand, there have been a lot of days while in the hospital (no cafeteria, no car) or rehab (car, but still can’t eat inside and don’t want to spend $$ on restaurants) where my lunch was a protein bar and that’s about it. Sometimes the dinners weren’t great either, but again, mostly out of my control. I do bring healthy food with me, but I’m just using an insulated backpack so space is limited.

Grade Earned: B+ (for trying)

Not as much hiking as we’d planned; Mr. Judy might be happy about that!

Cross Training
Yoga, a couple of hikes, walking around rehab & hospital, lots of Pahla B (see her YouTube Channel here — my savior!), a bit of swimming when I can.

Grade Earned: A+ again for effort

July 2021  gets  . . . 
. . . an A. Life definitely handed me lemons and I did my best to juggle them.

July Goals:

  • Shorter/Recovery runs after harder runs. Y/N. Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It just depends what’s going on with my week. Or sometimes if my treadmill is running . . . 
  • ST 3 x week. Y/N.  I did the best I could. Luckily my niece keeps a set of weights at my sister’s, because I wasn’t about to drag mine (a multi-weight set) down. I always packed resistance bands, too.
  • A project with a friend. Y/N. We got started but haven’t been able to meet up for follow ups yet.
  • A few Yoga teaching opportunities. Y/N. I still haven’t met with the person who won the free Yoga class — it’s done, but again, it’s a time thing — she’s been incredibly patient, thankfully. Unfortunately I was not able to teach the other class I’d volunteered for.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up.. Y. Weight is somewhat steady, but it needs to go down. I keep playing around with things, trying to figure out what I need to do.

Which leads me to August Goals:

  • Run 3 x week. Some weeks it may not happen. I can run at my sister’s — I have in the past — but right now I just haven’t been feeling it. I do other exercise in the morning  when I’m there.
  • ST 2 x week. I may be able to get in 3 x week sometimes. Better to aim low right now.
  • A project with a friend. I would like to meet with her at least once in August, but I realize it just might not happen right now.
  • A no guilt getaway. I hope, anyway. We have plans to go see some friends in ME at the end of August. Originally I thought we’d stay over somewhere going and coming, but now I’m leaning towards shortening it just a bit — I guess it depends on what sort of progress my mom has made by then. I’m also not quite sure about this as my mom might be going home around that time.
  • Continue to try to eat intuitively — unless the weight starts to creep up. It’s always a goal, of course. I’ve just been at a plateau at a higher weight than I’d like. I want to continue to try to limit frozen foods (when possible) and maybe it’s time to downsize some portions, too, while I’m not running as much.

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Linking up with Zenaida Arroyo and Kim @ Kookyrunner

This week I am also joining up with the new Runners’ Roundup linkup.

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Settling In: 7/26 – 8/1 WRD

~ Chocolaterunsjudy ~ 35 Comments

Despite a somewhat hectic week, I managed to get in a fair amount of activity. Looks like I’ll be home for a while, so things will settle down for a bit, although it sucks for my Mom.

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I’m joining Kim @ Kimrunsonthefly and Deborah @ Confessionsofamotherrunner, and staying active and still exploring while supporting my family.

Workouts update

  • Monday: Yoga (20 min), 3 miles easy, 3 miles easy, PB Walk + Toning (30 min)
  • Tuesday: Yoga (40 min), Dogwalk, PB Cardio (25 min) — this was supposed to be a recovery run. Due to time and walking Bandit while it was still cool, I was going to run on the mill. It stopped and wouldn’t budge. We’ll see if Mr. Judy can work his magic again (he thinks he can). Thank you for being there Pahla B!
  • Wednesday: Yoga (60 min), 4 mile walk over the Hudson, PB Cardio + ST (25 min)
  • Thursday: Yoga (40 minutes), 6 mile “long” run, Yoga (20 min)
  • Friday: Yoga (20 min), 2 recovery miles, Dogwalk, PB ST (25 min), Yoga (20 min)
  • Saturday: Yoga (40 min), Walking with friends (4 miles)
  • Sunday:  Yoga, Dogwalk, time to rest!

Running Mileage: 11 (+1)


PB = Killer B
TM = Treadmill
WU = warmup
CD = cooldown
SB = Stationary Bike

Running Update

The fog this morning caught my interest

Monday Intention: just run
Another slog, but a slightly interesting slog. After some nice cool, low humidity days last week, the humidity came back with a vengeance on Sunday. The first two miles were pretty slow. No worries, right now it’s just about running when I can. The last mile? A whole minute faster. I did consciously try to pick up the pace, but I was surprised by this.

Not too bad considering it was taken through my windshield. He was posing for me!

Thursday Intention: go longer but easy
When Summer gives you a cool morning, you run with it — although by the time I finished this run, it was 70 with a touch of humidity. Still not bad. The pace was completely all over the place again. I was surprised my legs didn’t feel heavy with a fair amount of movement the day before, plus the drive home — but they didn’t. I did start to tire out the last couple of miles.

Dewdrops on flowers always make me smile. There’s a song title in there!

Friday Intention: easy recovery
Due to a short downpour when I had planned to go out, this run ended up being a bit later (and therefore a bit warmer). I definitely kept it easy, and I think it definitely qualified as a recovery run. 

For some reason my V02 had dropped a point the day before. My HR seemed normal and the pace seemed relatively normal too. Doesn’t really matter, but I just wondered why. Maybe my Garmin though I was running too hard? It nudged up a point on this very slow recovery run. Things that make you go hmmmmm.

I think we need a walkway over the Hudson, too!

Favorites of the week
It was a very hot 90F the day I went down to my sister’s, but with a storm that night the next day was absolutely perfection for heading out to the Walkway over the Hudson — and it’s just minutes from my sister’s house.

My mom generally does much better in the afternoon than the morning, plus she usually has PT in the morning anyway — so unlike before, when I literally spent hours with her, I had some free time.

The meeting with the social worker for my mom was generally good news. She’s on track to go home in a few weeks (potentially) — they actually think she won’t need an aide, although that makes me a bit nervous (PA at the Orthopedist had a different opinion on that). The big problem is her lack of appetite and the fact she’s lost almost 10 lbs since she broke her hip.

She also had an appointment with the orthopedist, and she’s apparently healing well. On the other hand she has another UTI (she had one in the hospital, too) and they are closed to visitors again because someone tested positive for COVID.

Mama duck & ducklings big & small coming in for food, but I had nothing to give them

Ending on a lighter note, I did walk a bit with some of the people in the running group yesterday. I thought I might run tomorrow, but my body is saying that isn’t such a great idea after all — it wants a rest day. It was an intense week and I got in plenty of exercise!

So the lighter note is the Mama Duck above. The larger ducklings swam right over to us. She immediately swam over, too, no doubt to make sure they didn’t get into trouble, plus wanting a handout. Then the smaller ducklings swam towards us. I felt badly we had no food for them, although you’re not supposed to feed them anyway.

ICYMI: Need some help with getting a good night’s sleep? I’ve got you covered with a simple 15 minute Yin Yoga practice. Check it out here. There are also two short vlogs that go with this practice, explaining the benefits of forward folds and twists and another that includes the journaling prompts from the above practice:  here and here.

Coming up on Tuesday: I’m wrapping up July. On Friday it’s time to enjoy some hot chocolate (or your beverage of choice) and catch up on what’s been going on in our lives.