About Me

Thursday, April 6, 2023

A This & That Coffee Chat


(sigh)

It seems like it was just a few days ago we were gathered over our beverages of choice, chatting about this and that. How is it that we are already into April? Like, a solid WEEK into April, nonetheless! Time sure flies when you're having fun, huh!

I'm still on my hazelnut cappuccino kick, so that's what I'd be sipping. 

How about you? What would  be in your cup (or mug, or stein, LOL). Any news to share?

If you don't mind, I'll get this chat sesh started...

If we were chatting, I'd begin with a brief summary of my March fitness antics. Since I spent the bulk of the winter rehabbing a grumpy glute and a high-maintenance hamstring, my running mileage has been on the conservative spectrum. March's 69-mile count was my highest running mileage of 2023, so that's a big accomplishment (January had 52 and February had 55)...though still a good 15-20 short of my "usual" monthly mileage (under ideal conditions). Walking was decent with 63 total miles. Biking took a bit of a hit, but I had a couple different weeks of "tapering," where I scaled-back the activity in prepping for races: Leprechaun Chase 10K (March 4th), Fight for Air Climb (March 26th) and last weekend's Cherry Blossom 10-Mile.   


Speaking of the Cherry Blossom, those 10 miles in Washington, DC were pretty epic!  Not only did the race reward me with a course PR, Garmin also alerted me that it was my longest documented run (since I'd gotten that particular watch, back in July). And, it turns out, there also was a 15K badge up for grabs (for the month of April). Things that make you go Hmmm...


I know I whine about the Iowa weather, pretty much every week. Well, we have a nice 10-day forecast coming our way! After making it through a few days of (near) winter-like temps (and brutal wind, again), Momma N is finally showing us some mercy!


Care to hear about the latest, in terms of my house plants? Me second Christmas cactus is blooming again as well (the other one started blooming about a month ago). And, about this amaryllis bulb...I'd gotten it, on sale, around Christmas last year (in 2021). I assumed it had bloomed and was entering its dormant stage (hence the sale price). It had lost all its leaves, and was looking pretty pathetic, but there still was a little bit of green at the tip of the bulb. About a week ago, a shoot appeared and was about 3-4 inches tall when I left for DC (last Friday). When I got back, on Monday, that short little shoot had grown almost an entire 12 inches, and now there's a second shoot coming out of the bulb as well. Apparently, the sunroom, where I have most of my plants residing, is the perfect place for such botanical miracles (my orchid, the one that's blooming for the third time, lives in the same sunroom).


Finally, I'd tell you about a dilemma that I'm wrestling with. A few years ago (November of 2017), I was chatting with a gal, while waiting to board a plane to Las Vegas for the Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon. She told me she was the race director of the Kewash Trail Half Marathon, in Washington, Iowa, and encouraged me to check it out someday. Well, this race usually falls on the same weekend as the Drake Road Races Half Marathon (in Des Moines), so I have never been able to do it. This year, though, the Kewash is the weekend after Drake, so I am torn. I didn't realize the two races were on different weekends until just this week, and now the registration is $85 due to the close proximity of the race date. UGH. Admittedly, I'm a little leery of doing back-to-back half marathons, but I have done half marathons both the weekend before and after a full marathon without issue. So, should I pay the $85 and just go for it? It will probably be a few more years before the April dates (and weekends) align so perfectly again... 


Anyways, those are a few things I'd share if we were gathering for a chit chat session. I've had the floor long enough, so it's your turn...

What would you want to share? Did your March play out nicely? Any luck with house plants blooming (and then re-blooming) much sooner than expected? Would you take advantage of a much-longed-for race, the weekend after a tough hilly race?

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


I'm also linking this with MichelleReneeDarleneJenn and Zenaida for the Fit Five Friday Link-up.


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26 comments:

  1. My Christmas Cactus blooms from November to now.. Pretty sure this is the last hurrah for it this year, but it makes me happy. I took home my mom's Amaryllis from this year, which has a couple of shoots, but not sure I'll get another bloom out of that one.

    We have 80s forecast for next week! We moved here 14 years ago in April, and it was actually quite hot that day. FB keeps reminding me of all the snow we've had in April over the years, but I don't think that's going to happen this year.

    Knowing you, you'll sign up for the trail half! Good luck.

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    1. Yes, I'm leaning towards to doing the trail half ;-) It's almost like the racing gods worked some magic to make it happen (?). I'm really excited to see this Amaryllis bloom!

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  2. We have a Christmas cactus but I don't think we've ever got blooms that big!
    You should do the race just for the experience since it's finally not on the same weekend as your Drake race.
    Have a great Easter weekend and enjoy that weather!

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  3. Glad to hear CB10 was a great race for you! I am so looking forward to this coming week of nicer weather! FInally!

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    1. Yes, we definitely have earned some decent weather in the Midwest!

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  4. Oooh, a trail race! Sounds like a very cool experience you don't want to miss! I think you should do it- as you said, it might be a while before the dates line up like this again.
    I'm glad your glute and hammy are feeling better, and I'm excited for you spring weather, finally! Your favorite season is coming up.

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    1. Yes, indeed! My summer isn't too far off in the distance ;-)

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  5. Woo hoo happy spring! And a whole 3 days of it too!!!!!

    My vote is that if you WANT to do both races, you should do both races!!!!

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    1. I'm thinking I will just bite the bullet and do both races. The Kewash has been on my bucket list for far too long!

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  6. Your sunroom is definitely offering some nice mojo! It funny I do great with my gardens, but can't work the same magic with houseplants. Given that it is unlikely that the race weekends will align like this again any time soon I say go for it and enjoy the experience :)

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    1. I have had a lot of luck with these houseplants in recent months, for which I'm quite grateful.

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  7. Those races are tempting but for me... I'm afraid to overdo... who knows until it's too late.

    Don't worry... you are very fit but if not, there's always next year.

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    1. Well, next year may not work with the races' schedules. I think one is always the "fourth" Sunday and the other is the "last" Saturday (or something like that), and usually those both land on the same weekend, LOL.

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  8. The thing I love about Amaryllis bulbs is the surprise of not knowing the flower color until it blooms. I've sometimes had the buds shoot up and bloom like yours is doing, but usually mine get leaves before the buds. A few times, I've had a bulb bloom twice in one year, but it's rare.

    As you know, trail races and road races are very different and we approach them differently. This sounds like an opportunity that might not come around again anytime soon so I think you should go for it. Treat one of the two as a training run and you should be fine as long as you listen to your body. Have fun!

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    1. This is my first experience with the Amaryllis bulbs. I have another that I got at the same time...it's had one remaining leaf for the longest time, but appears to have a shoot forming as well. This is exciting!

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  9. Why don't you do the trail half instead of the Drake races? You always do those and it might be fun to do something new...just saying. I think you know what I would do, lol

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    1. Well, I've been registered for Drake since before Christmas and have a huge loyalty to the race. The Kewash isn't a true "over the river and through the woods" type of trail, but is on part of rail trail (some crushed limestone and some paved). The odds are ever in my favor of just doing both ;-)

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  10. I say seize the day with back-to-back races and just take it easy during the second one if you need to. Like you said, you’ll never know when you’ll have the opportunity again.

    Love the Christmas cactus. All my orchids are dormant right now.

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    1. Ha! Seize the day, indeed! That seems to be the consensus ;-)

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  11. great stats for March Kim! as for plants I was just commenting to Ron how dead a few of ours are.. we want to be plant people, truly, but are just not very good at it. If I were you I would just go for the Kewash. You can always do one for "fun" and the other as a more serious race.

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    1. I used to have upwards of 40 houseplants (before kids), but I can barely keep up with the 10 or so I have now. The ones in the sunroom are the easiest because they are where I can easily see them (right off of my kitchen), so they don't get forgotten.

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  12. I say do both races. You know you want to. :-) I am excited about the warmer weather too. Looking forward to running in a shirt/tank top and shorts.

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  13. I would absolutely do both races! That sounds so fun! Listen. I have a plant in my house that I am trying to keep alive until Easter for my mother, and it is not going great. Sigh.

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    1. I'm probably going to do both races...I mean, it's meant to be ;-)

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