School, run, shop, haircut, work

Sums up my day today....run ~ 3 miles around downtown and picked up a delicious loaf of rosemary sourdough bread and three homegrown tomatoes

Ran Today!

Ran this morning after class - still pretty hot and humid even at 10am. Ran a 3 mile loop around the perimeter of downtown, stopped at my friend's barber shop for a quick water break and ended my run in the market area so I could do some produce shopping.....corn, gala apples, eggplant, hot peppers, squash, sweet potatoes and a succulent plant for my kitchen garden window.
Will study and do chores the rest of the day, working the rest of the week after classes, will run Wed., Thurs., Friday and a long run Sunday. The half marathon is coming up soon!

Day of Rest ?

Had planned a long run today with Linda but both of us had immediate tasks to attend to so the run was cancelled. Ninety plus temperatures today will also make running pretty miserable. I spent the morning doing the usual household chores and cooked one of my favorite breakfasts when I have a slow paced morning. Husband off on his regular Sunday morning golf game.... OK, more about my favorite breakfast dish - I have been vegetarian since I was 30 (one of those turning thirty years old resolutions). I do eat eggs, cheese and some dairy products so that makes me a lacto-ovo-vegetarian if anyone is interested. For this yummy breakfast, gently boil one unpeeled potato for each serving in a covered pot until you can prick the potato easily with a fork but not until the potato is soft and falling apart.If you happen to have a left over baked potato from dinner last night you can use that - you just skip the boiling part and go right to the skillet part below. While the potato is boiling, chop up garlic, onion, green or red pepper and heat some olive oil in a skillet. Warm the oil to a medium temperature, add the chopped veggies and saute them until they are soft. Cut the cooked potato into medium sized chunks and add to the veggies in the skillet. Stir them around and turn up the heat if you like your potatoes a little crunchy. When the potatoes are done to your liking, break one egg over the mixture and stir around until the egg is done. You may also add fresh herbs and cheese if you like. I added fresh home grown basil to my mix. Scoop onto a plate and enjoy - this is my adaptation of southern fried potatoes. Eat this and you'll have a full, happy tummy for most of the day!



After breakfast, I worked on the raised garden bed my husband made last week. The soil is the usual hard as a rock Southwest Virginia clay so I will be working on enriching this soil throughout this fall. I grew up with regular gardening chores that I didn't mind much of the time and have had some sort of garden most everywhere I've lived. I have a degree in horticulture that I completed in my early 20s but found that employment in that profession was unreliable and seasonal. That knowledge has certainly come in handy over the years as a hobbyist gardener and landscaper. Today I added topsoil to the bed and mulched leaves and grass clippings from the lawn. I also compost all the kitchen food waste in a bin I have in the corner of the backyard and will add that early next spring. I hope for beautiful tomatoes, squash, peppers and berbs next year.



As I finished up my work on the raised bed I noticed Virginia the cat in the grass close by - oh, the life of a cat!

First Week of School Finished

Ran ~5 miles along river yesterday after class, took a nap afterwards and worked 3p - 11p. In bed by 12:30 am, up by 5:30a to teach basic life suport review 7a - 4p, back home for a nap, cook dinner and spend a little time with husband, back to work tomorrow for 12 hours. Looking forward to a long, hard run Sunday...school is fine BTW

Sometimes I Wish I Were a Cat

Home from work at midnight last night, up at 6a to eat breakfast, read newspaper, do a load of laundry, attend class 8a - 9:15a, run 5 miles along river, back home to eat lunch, start load of dishes in dishwasher, fuss over feeling poorly husband, shower and dress and to work to teach 2p - 7p, stop at grocery store on way home, cook dinner....sometimes I wish...

Figuring It All Out...

First day of classes this morning then ran ~3 miles along the perimeter of downtown. My friend who owns a barber shop along my running loop will keep a bottle of water in her fridge for me - I told her to expect me most Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Telling people helps me keep the commitment to run!

Feels Like the End of Summer for Me...

Slept in this morning and then took a nap after lunch - recovery hard today after the 12 miles yesterday. Took some aspirin and drank extra fluids and finally the aches in the legs and feet subsided by midafternoon. The aches seemed normal fatigue type pain not injury pain but I listened to my body and had a slow start to the day. Once up and about went downtown to wander around and pick up some of the last peaches of this year's harvest.
Tomorrow I start back to school to study respiratory therapy - need a change after being a RN for 20 years. Classes in the morning and then working evening shift so will run after class. I'm up to the challenge to making it all work and keeping focused on the priorities in my life - my health, my husband and my running....it will work out.

Back to Serious Running

After three 12hour+ shifts at the hospital and one day to recover and catch up on chores I was ready for some serious running. The half marathon September 9 is looking mighty close! I started the morning meeting the women's training group organized by the Star City Striders in preparation for the annual Women's 5k run held the first of October. The group was about evenly split walkers, run/walkers, and runners. I joined the run/walk group to help mentor them and fell into conversation with a young women who had ran cross country in high school and wanted to start running again to improve her health. She set the pace and we ran/walked for ~2 miles and meet up with the rest of the group. The plan is to meet every Saturday morning at various sites and the goal is for everyone to finish the 5k at their own pace.



After finishing up there, I drove out to the reservoir to meet Linda and trail run. We run/walked 10 miles at a 15 minute/mile pace as the temperatures climbed into a rather uncomfortable mid 80s. We have two more long runs planned before September 9 and will do shorter runs together or separately as schedules permit. Many runners, hikers and bikers out today - both the cove and the greenway along the river are such treasures in the valley.

Key West Pics - Absolutely No Running Content!

Fabulous Key West sunsets - people stop whatever they're doing to head to the water to celebrate the end of another great day in paradise...

Hen and chicks scratching around for food near Mallory Square

Proof that I really did knit while poolside in Key West!

Back to Training for the Half Marathon

Meet Linda for a long fitness walk and catch up time since we haven't seen each other since I came back from vacation. A comfortable morning with temperatures in the 60s but quickly climbing into the 80s as we set out. Maintaining a fitness walk pace of 15 minutes/mile we traveled along the Roanoke River Greenway for 3 miles and then headed up Mill Mountain. Mill Mountain is a local landmark with a children's zoo and a huge neon star at the top therefore giving Roanoke the nickname "Star City of the South". The old road leading up the mountain is blocked to through traffic and several stately old homes are on the lower portion of the tree lined road.

One of the two archways on the road up the mountain - I remember riding up this road and through these archways as a child. The ride up was as exciting as the zoo to me when I was a child.

The star overlook is a must see for vistors to the area (there is a well maintained road leading to the zoo and star connecting to the Blue Ridge Parkway). This is also a popular destination for a romantic interlude.

Roanoke is a beautiful large town/small city located in a valley surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Blue Ridge Parkway and the Appalachian Trail are nearby. Jogging back down the mountain we discussed our upcoming half marathon(me)and marathon (Linda) at Douthat State Park in September . This is my first half marathon and my goal is to finish on my feet. We're claiming 9 miles for this fitness walk with some bursts of running. Serious trail running coming up this Saturday - stay tuned. I will spend the rest of the afternoon labeling some books for my other passion Bookcrossing !!

Creatures in the back yard

Looked up from my reading when I heard a squirrel angrily fussing perched on the fence, just below him Virginia the cat was chewing on grass....think maybe the squirrel was talking to the cat? Back to my reading and time to put away the camera...

Warning : Minimal Running Content

Once a week or so, I like to have an at home day where I do not move the cars - gives me a chance to catch up around the home and reduce car exhaust emissions. Today is one of those days. First, I made a batch of roasted pepper basil pesto with the basil picked from my little garden. Pesto is incredibly easy to make - fresh basil , garlic, olive oil and other veggies if you like. Marinated artichokes are also good to add in the mix. I just root around in my fridge to see what I have to add. Put the ingredients together in a blender ( I use a little Black and Decker chopper), blend to a thick consistency and you're done. I spoon the pesto into a ziplock bag and freeze - thawing and pouring out what I need and refreezing the rest until the next time. Freezing is simple and the pesto is wonderful to mix with pasta for a quick, delicious meal. I grate fresh parmesan cheese over the pesto just before I sit down to eat. Pine nuts are generally added to pesto but I am not so fond of them so I just don't bother. Secondly, I finshed a little pink sweater I knitted for a friend's child. I worked on this sweater poolside while on vacation in Key West and also knitted in the airport on the way back home. I was able to carry my knitting needles in my carry on backpack - wondered if I could do that but seemed to be no problem at all. Hard to imagine knitting needles being used as weapons but just never know ..... Plan to read the rest of the day....Will run along the river greenway tomorrow and then back to work for 3 consecutive 12 hours shifts - will run again Friday and Saturday.

Back Home

Two short flight delays due to stormy weather but no other problems getting back - an indication of a great vacation/holiday is that you are happy, rested and ready to face work again! I'll always dream about living in Key West but I believe it's best left a dream - expensive place to live, always hot and what about those storms....can keep that calm, unhurried KW attitude and grow tropical plants on my back patio as reminders.....here's what was greeting me at home... my "special needs"cat Virginia we rescued from the local SPCA (her special needs are she needs a lot of attention), a beautiful sunflower growing in the midst of my basil patch compliments of a local squirrel, and fresh cherry tomatoes picked from my little city garden..... just like the t shirt saids, "Life is good."

Yes, I Do Smile When I Run!

Last day in Key West and I plan a quick run this morning. Official pictures from the race now on southernmostrunners.com and yes I was smiling in the heat!

5k performance in hot,humid,wonderful Key West

Ran the Cast Guard 5k in ~34 minutes and grateful for that time! Soaked in sweat by the time I ran 1/2 mile on the hot, flat asphalt - one aid station with cold water at the 1 mile mark. Course was a out and back so hit the aid station twice - drinking some of the water and pouring the rest on my shirt in an effort to cool down as suggested by Jeff Galloway in his books on running. Not wearing a ball cap (use plenty of sunscreen on the face!) and wearing wicking fabric clothing makes a difference. I now have the tshirt to prove I've run in Key West!

Running in Key West Paradise

Just ran ~4 miles south on Whitehead and back north on Duval. Back to the resort for rest beachside - temps in the upper 90s!

Turtle Pace

Saw this turtle in our backyard this morning as I was putting on my shoes. Was he predicting the pace I'd struggle with today? By the time Linda and I started our run at 8:15 the temperature was already in the upper 80s. No need to discuss pace times today - let's just say we made it eight miles and leave it at that! My husband and I are headed to KW tomorrow and sounds like Linda is going to work out in air conditioned comfort until this heat wave passes!