Last Friday, I closed out the work week with an awesome 6 mile run along a tow path near my office. I enjoyed it so much I decided to do it again last night. 7 miles of the most beautiful and fragrant scenery…
you know me and my honeysuckles….
My favorite view of the eve
I stopped a ton to take pics and kept it fairly slow and easy. As usual, it really boosted my mood.
The ivy and “fuzzy” looking stuff on this tree made me feel like I was in a fairy tale jungle
cutest little cottage near the rose garden
Ironically I stopped at these flowers that are called “carefree spirit” 🙂
I almost don’t want to ever run on the streets of my neighborhood anymore because it just doesn’t compare.
tried to get a running shadow.
seriously…the reflection of the trees in the water….so beautiful.
That’s me….always a little off-centered
Boom, long run done and stress sweated out.
I stopped at Dunkin Donuts for a refreshing iced coffee to re-hydrate and then I relaxed the rest of the night with my boy staring at me.
You were gone so long i’m just gonna stare at you so you won’t have the heart to leave me again
This morning I took the doodle to the vet for some regularly shots and checkup and he got a clean bill of health. Now he’s “reclining”.
Happy Saturday! I treated myself to 8 trail miles today! That’s right. I say treated because normally I’d just run out my door and around the neighborhood for a mundane view but I felt the need for fresher air and scenery.
Hello scenery
After having such a nice hike with dogs last Sunday I knew I wanted to go back to the same park for this run. It’s 5 minutes from Mr. SOTSS house and there’s a nice variety of technical trails and wider, loose gravel paths. I ran the first mile on one of the more technical trails but with ice and snow I walked a lot of it so I kept to the loose gravel paths for the last 7 miles. I took it nice and slow and just enjoyed getting lost in the forrest. I listened to music but kept it low enough that I could hear the sound of my footsteps too. There’s something really peaceful about that sound when it’s quiet otherwise.
My hamstring felt a little tight as I approached mile 7 but nothing major. it’s really been wonderful to being running lower mileage and hurting less. Nothing but love for today’s run…
And this might just be the last time I run with snow on the ground and Spring is approaching fast!
Other than my run I’ve just been spending time on Mr. SOTSS’ sofa with lots of dogs.
I worked from home all last week and will be doing so for the next 3 weeks which is great because not only am I more in control of scheduling stuff like haircuts, workouts, dental appointments etc. but I’ve had some extra time to get some cleaning projects done as well. And Duncan has had tons of time to look cute for pictures because obviously I wasn’t taking enough already.
Cute pose 1,974,301
On Wednesday I was done with my work by 3pm so I decided to clean out my overstuffed running gear drawer. I painstakingly said goodbye to some race shirts but not the memories.
I even cooked for myself this week which hardly ever happens.
Pepper Steak!
And yesterday after seeing my friend’s post about how much she enjoyed her rebounding (trampoline) class, I dusted off mine and was excited to see that my Garmin tracks steps while I’m bouncing. I hadn’t used it in quite some time. I bought it for myself for Christmas a few years back but eventually it got dis-assembled and stored upstairs out of sight and out of mind.
Weeee!
My living room is now my home office and my home gym!
All the necessities for a home gym/office….laptop, coffee, dog, couch, trampoline, medicine ball, kettle bell, foam roller, (not in the pic are also free weights, resistance bands and a jump rope)
Part of my plan while working from home all these consecutive weeks is to get a routine in place for all things healthy including strength and cross-training. Voila! I’m literally staring at the equipment now so hopefully it’ll force me to want to use it.
This morning I wanted to get in a longish run of 7 miles. I have been running solo a whole lot so I decided to join the New York Road Runner’s Open Run that they hold every Saturday at 9 a.m.
It’s a 3 mile run that is mostly on trails. I knew it would be a great catalyst to get me going and then I could cover another 4 miles on my own.
Trails….just what I needed!
I averaged 10:10 for the first 3 miles and 10:54 for the entire 7….I slowed down a lot around mile 5. Since I have no time goals for my Spring races it really doesn’t matter but it did feel good to see so may miles in the 10s.
Happy post run smile and crow’s feet and laugh lines too…=)
7 miles done
And now it’s time for some stretching and chores. Then I’m off to Mr. SOTSS’ house for the remainder of the weekend. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be unseasonably warm and I’m sure we’ll be taking the dogs somewhere fun.
Have a great weekend! Do you prefer solo running or running with groups? Or both?
Do you like to cook?
Do you have a hard time letting go of things like race shirts?
How’s it going? I enjoyed a lazy, rainy Sunday morning with my favorites….coffee and Duncan.
Then, the sun came out and it was 61 degrees (in January!) so I figured that was a sign I needed to go for a run.
sweating way too much for a winter run.
I almost had a dilemma with my Garmin Vivofit. The wristband broke. But then I remembered it came with 2 size bands. I went through my junk drawer and found the box and sure enough the smaller band was still in there (2 years later! pays to be a packrat sometimes). It just fits my wrist.
I worked from home on Thursday and Friday which was great because it meant spending extra time with the doodle and also getting in some running in the afternoon.
The face I wake up to every morning.
working from home looks like this
lunch break!
On Friday, I offered to take my dad to pick up his car at the mechanic which is over an hour away, so I let Duncan come for the ride for company.
Yesterday I finally attended another one of New York Road Runner’s “Open Run” events. They hold these every Saturday at 9am and it’s free. I’m hardly ever around on Saturday mornings but yesterday I had absolutely no plans so I figured what the heck. It’s a 3 mile course and they time you the old fashioned way…..with a stop watch. =) Best part was that they were hosting MulchFest at the park too…all the disposed Christmas trees being mulched left the most amazing aroma! Plus, it’s always nice to meet up with other runners who are local and the course is mostly trails—but just loose gravel trails—not “tree root and other obstacles to avoid” trails which is really nice because I’m just too accident prone for the latter. Later on in the day I took Duncan for a walk along another trail system at a different park which I always forget about.
the blue trail
New places to sniff
I’m going to try and do some more trail running this year and I’ll definitely be going back to both parks on a regular basis….especially on weekends when I have the luxury of time. I can’t believe how many miles of trails there are:
I came over to my brother and sister-in-law’s house to hang out and have dinner and now we’re watching House Hunters on HGTV. It’s one of my favorite shows.
wild and crazy night. 2 sleeping dogs, a sleeping brother. Oh and my SIL and I are playing Words With Friends while sitting right next to each other. =)
Ugh, weekend is just about over. Hope you had a lovely weekend.
Anyone prefer trail running over road running or treadmill running?
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