About Me

Thursday, October 31, 2019

Chatting over chai


Holy Brrrr, Batman!

Didn't we just recently celebrate Autumn's arrival? The leaves had finally started turning, the air was cool and crisp, the rain had finally stopped....and now we're entertaining sub-freezing temps and wind. And, already, there's some of that white stuff on the ground.

I don't mind the change of seasons. After all, it's pretty inevitable that's it's gonna happen anyways. In fact, I kind of embrace the various nuances of each season...but that doesn't mean I'm in any big hurry for Winter to arrive.

Anyways, I've been slamming the hot beverages 'round the clock to try to keep warm. Speaking of hot beverages, what would you be drinking if we were gathered 'round a cozy table? Care to join me? What would you share, if we were chatting over coffee?

There's plenty that I would share...

Okay, remember the hornet's nest that had taken up residence (apparently for most of the summer) over our driveway? We got it taken down this week and it's currently now residing in our garage. I believe there's no living inhabitants remaining inside, but we'll give it a few more days of sub-freezing temps to solidify that theory. I do plan on displaying it inside, probably in our sun room, because it's quite an artistic masterpiece!

Next, there's some exciting news with the family! The Pennsylvania daughter is officially back in Iowa! She (and her boyfriend) made the long drive to Iowa on Wednesday. The new house is in possession and she will officially report to her office on Monday morning (she's been working her new job remotely for the past several weeks). To have our three kids all within an hour's drive from our house is pretty sweet.

I gotta say, the timing of Halloween was immaculate, falling four days post-marathon. A bunch of us at work dressed up as cowgals, which meant donning a hat. After three days of very limited activity, by Thursday, I was ready for a post-marathon run. My hair was due for washing, but I didn't want to "waste" a shampoo/conditioner session before said run (which would be happening after work)...so wearing the cowboy hat was a perfect disguise for the pseudo-icky hair.
you don't want to see what's under that hat...
Later, with temps a bit warmer (and much sunnier), I met up with Barb after work...you know, for a #5at5PM. It still was cold, but we opted to run five (1-mile) laps around the lake, so we had some shelter from the chilly wind. This 5-miler brought my October miles to 116, and my year-to-date total to 882. Although I have come close a few times, I've never passed the 1,000 mile mark in a calendar year, but this may be the year it finally happens. Stay tuned...

You all probably know I ran a marathon this past weekend. Not just any marathon, but the Marine Corps Marathon  (sorry, but I never get tired of saying that LOL). Although the race was tough, mainly due to the nasty weather, I am feeling really good about the whole ordeal, both mentally and physically. I would have loved a much better finish time; after all, my training (and recent races) indicated I'd finish a good 40-50 minutes faster. But, battling rain for the better part of 18 miles really took a toll on me. I also had several incidental stops (potty breaks, fuel packet malfunctions, first aid tent, iPhone probs), which accounted for a good chunk of those extra minutes past my desired time. I also walked a lot in the final four miles. That said, running a marathon is not an easy undertaking. I'm grateful for the ability to not only cross each finish line, but for having the grit and endurance to persevere when things get tough. Thankfully, each marathon has been easier to recover from than all the previous ones...I'm pretty grateful for that, too.
feeling good, feeling fine following the marathon
Finally, let me just say that running friends are the best (like we didn't already know, right?). While in DC, I had the chance to reunite with some friends (and meet a couple of new ones). Even though we don't live in close proximity, we certainly have a fantastic bond. I am truly blessed!
With Debbie
(L-R) Alexis, Timika, Deborah, Rachel, Coco, myself and Julie
         Anyways, those are a few things I'd share with you if we were having coffee.

How about you? Do you have anything you'd like to tell us? Have you already had a taste of Winter?
Ever procrastinated washing your hair until AFTER an afternoon run?

Since it's the first weekend of the month, I'm linking this with Deborah and Coco for the Ultimate Coffee Date.
The Ultimate Coffee Date

I'm also linking this with Meranda and Lacey for the Friday with Fairytales and Fitness link-up. 

 

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37 comments:

  1. I could not go out in public without washing my hair after a run. It's just too sweaty! I am so glad I got to see you last weekend. Those conditions were no joke but you powered through. No snow here, thank goodness!

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    1. Most of our snow has melted (knocking on wood), but the temps are still bordering on freezing. I'm hoping the leaves can hang on for a few more days...

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  2. I don't mind snow, but I do mind mostly skipping fall and going right to winter, especially because winter will hang around now til probably June. How great to have all of your kiddos local!

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    1. I don't feel like we've really had much of a fall season...September was rainy and October was so cold and windy (and I was tapering, so I stayed inside more than usual).

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  3. We're due for our first snow tomorrow sigh. I can't stand having dirty hair, and I've definitely used a hair wash as an incentive to get a run done.

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    1. I have dry hair, so I can pull off dirty/sweaty hair a little easier than some people...that's not necessarily a good thing, though.

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  4. Oh my you kept the hornet's nest!? So glad that you are feeling so good this week and recovery is going well. Happy weekend and thanks for linking up

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    1. Of course, I kept the hornet's nest! It's actually pretty neat...I'm amazed at how all those hornets could make it!

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  5. Congratulations on completing the marathon, great work!

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    1. Thank you ;-) It was my ninth marathon, and definitely one of the hardest races ever.

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  6. no no not ready for winter. I would do the same about the hair.

    I hope I recover as quickly as you did. Who knows.

    I think I will have better weather. For that I am grateful since I don't plan to run another.

    13.1 is enough of a challenge.

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    1. Well, my first couple marathons took a lot longer to recover from. I'm running a lot more now, and my body is used to the wear and tear, and I'm a lot more conscious of the recovery.

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  7. Good job getting back to the run so fast! That was a brutal marathon for you. Love the Cowgal costume!

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    1. Thanks! I've taken it easy this week, and feel "mostly recovered." I know I'm not completely recovered, but I know I'm rested enough for some easy running.

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  8. It is always fun meeting up with runner friends. I did that in Chicago a few weeks ago. Congrats again on your Marine Corp. Marathon! I heard the weather was brutal. You are awesome!

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  9. Way to get back out there and run after MCM. I am actually so glad I didn't have a time goal in mind for that race. Because we hoped to run with our friend, our goal was just to finish. I definitely wasn't trained to do a speedy race, so I wasn't too disappointed with my time.

    Seeing that hornet's nest makes my toes curl! Ewww!!!! It's pretty, but just think of all those bugs. Yuck!

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    1. I had such mixed feeling running with a finish time in mind because I really wanted to just enjoy the race course and not focus on anything else. But, with my recent races, I couldn't help be a little hopeful things would go better...until all that rain showed up LOL

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  10. Oh my gosh that hornet's nest is crazy!!

    So fun that you got to meet up with so many runner friends - we need to catch up in 2020!

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  11. That's so exciting that your daughter completed her move! I know you must be thrilled to have her living closer to you :)

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    1. It's gonna be so nice having her back in the area. It hasn't completely sunk in yet ;-)

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  12. I both plan my runs around when I need to wash my hair and plan washing my hair around my runs. It sort of depends on what else I have going on... Can I wash my hair and pull it into a wet ponytail or do I need to take the time to blow it out and then flat iron it? LOL

    We had a huge hornets' nest on the back of our house this summer, but our pest guy tore it down and into a million pieces. Hornets were swarming everywhere as he poked the beast while spraying hornet spray toward them. I watched from the safety of inside our house, thankful that he knew what he was doing! He actually seemed to be enjoying himself like it was a challenge he could conquer!

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    1. If we had discovered this nest earlier, we might have elected to have it taken care of...but I didn't notice it until a month ago. Given the fact we hadn't seen any hornets near the house, we decided to just leave it be for the remainder of the "season" (until a hard frost would take of the inhabitants for us). The research I did told me the queen wouldn't return, so the nest would be abandoned anyways...why not preserve it? ;-)

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  13. Nice to have all the kids close to home. I keep hoping that my boys stay nearby as well!

    Glad to hear that you're feeling better about your marathon. Sounds like it was tough conditions to run in! I can't help but wonder if only you hadn't run that half the week before maybe you would have had fresher legs and come closer to your goal time...oh well, that's water under the bridge, right? :p

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    1. I honestly think all of my exhaustion (in the final miles) wasn't due to my legs, but to the physical demands (in general) of running through all the rain. It was a serious mental game, as well, fighting the frustration of the weather on the one day when it really mattered most.

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  14. so happy for you that the PA daughter is back in IA!! We haven't gotten too cold here in NL, but I am riding to work with my gloves on as it's quite chilly in the mornings. Mostly we just have rain now for about 2 months. Yay? haha!

    so I'll tell you something that you might think "ick" but I only wash my hair once a week. Really. and I do it with a vegan shampoo bar from LUSH. I don't use anything in my hair with silicones or sulphates. I DO co-wash my hair though, that is, I "wash" it probably every 2 days with conditioner (also without "stuff"). and on the days I don't do anything I spray it with cold water so I'm not looking like a wild child when I leave the house.

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    1. There's nothing "ick" about that LOL Sounds like you're using quality products! I have dry skin (and a very dry scalp), so I don't have oily hair to deal with...I can go easily 3-4 days between shampooing if need be. I do use a lot of hair spray (ahem, flat hair probs LOL), so there's a lot of product build-up if I go too long...

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  15. You are an epic marathon runner. And yes, I've left my shower and hair wash then ended up running in the afternoon before - but I do work from home so don't feel bad about it! Your hornets' nest is amazing, I'd display it, too (although my husband would probably move out if I did something like that!).

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    1. ha ha...the hubby thinks the nest is cool. We've had people tell us we could sell it if we wanted to turn some quick money LOL

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  16. I swear it's all about the hair for me when running. Actually, my hair looks really great when washed . . . and then I run. Winter is kinder to it with the beanies, but thankfully, we're not there yet.

    Eww! on the hornet's nest. We've had a couple of really massive ones taken down over the years, and I can assure you, I just want it far, far away, active or not!

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    1. I am always playing the "to wash or not to wash" game with my hair, and it's usually the running that affects how things play out. If I know I'm going to do a decent length run (like my 5-milers), I will put off washing a day so I can let my hair get all icky on the run (the next morning) and THEN wash it afterwards.

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  17. It's still hard for me to accept the fact that it's already November--where's the time gone?! Great job on the Marine Corps Marathon--especially through all that rain!!

    I've absolutely procrastinated with washing hair--not for a run, but definitely for workouts that I know are coming up later in the day. :P Saving water!

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    1. I do the same...I put off washing the hair, for all workouts (not just running).

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  18. Ya'll clean up nicely! It's great that all your kiddos are back and close by. I'm very fortunate to have my parents only a few minutes away.

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    1. My parents are like a 2-minute drive from my house, and that's from door-to-door LOL

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  19. Our temps dipped this week. Into the 50s. I had to wear gloves on my morning run (because Raynaud's), but it was heavenly. We will be slightly warmer this week, but that's ok.

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