No long run today....

My plan was to have a long 7 - 10 mile run today - well, it didn't happen. I had a 35 minute run in my neighborhood this evening after spending the day with my husband looking at land and running errands. Not a bad way to spend a day! I'll get back to the running Monday after class - I work a 12 hour shift tomorrow.
Drove around the New River Valley along Claytor Lake and the New River looking for a small plot of land to use as a weekend retreat. The New River is unique in that it is one of the only two rivers in the world to flow from south to north; the other being the Nile. We both want something secluded and with some sort of water access. Happened upon a beautiful little cabin along Claytor Lake - reminded me of a slightly updated version of the cabin where Thomas Rain Crowe lived while writing the journals that later became the basis of his marvelous book "Zoro's Field - My Life in the Appalachian Woods".
I'm blessed to live in such a beautiful part of the world and have experienced such Appalachian ways as cooking and heating on a woodstove, growing most all the food we put on the table and knowing (and have used) the word "stob".
Probably not quite ready to buy that cabin in the woods but my what a wonderful day....

Postscript: Finished a sweater for a coworker's grandson - ready to go to sleep now.

What was I thinking???

Agreed to work a 12 hour night shift last night - 7p - 7a. I worked nights for six years and have always had the wonderful ability to nap wherever, whenever. I had a four hour nap yesterday before the shift but goodness, I forgot how lousy I'd feel today! Came home, slept for a couple hours and then wide awake so decided to get up and do a few chores and nap again later. Husband running errands and playing a little golf so house is quiet....needless to say no running for me today....will run a long one tomorrow.....

.....zzzzzzzzzzzz......

Beautiful Fall Day

First day of fall is Saturday but certainly feels like it today - highs in 60s with lows tonight in the 40s. I potted up my basil plants and one lonely fennel and put them on the back stoop hoping to prolong their life. This is the basil after I cut it back again - the freshly cut basil is resting in a vase in my garden window. I've had great luck with keeping basil this way - it's like hydroponic gardening.....





Ran 4 miles around and through downtown after class - lower temperatures and breeze were heavenly! Discovered a new bathroom/water stop - the bathroom at the public library.

First test in the respiratory therapy program tomorrow...

Good morning ...for a Monday

To class and then back home to catch up on homework and chores before going to work at 3p. The lettuce seeds I planted a few weeks ago are coming up nicely and are even recognizable as tiny lettuce leaves. Put together a wonderful fresh lunch - whole wheat pasta and fresh tomatoes. Here's the recipe for my pasta dish


-Halved cherry tomatoes
-Chopped fresh basil
-Crushed garlic
-Olive oil
-Kosher salt

Add these ingredients together and mash gently with a potato masher or some other similar tool. Let the flavors merge for an hour or more. Serve over pasta and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese if you like. The amounts of each ingredient are dependent on your taste....yum!

Seemed Like All Uphill

Ran the Uptown/Downtown Rocky Mount 5k this morning - beautiful scenery and friendly people but wow what a hilly course! The children's fun runs are wonderful to watch and all the children receive an award.

I did a little better than last year but not as good as I hoped for receiving a second place medal in my age division but then I'm pretty sure there were only two of us in that category - oh well! I enjoy this race because it begins/ends at the farmers' market and I like picking up produce there. The market is small but the quality of the produce is great and is homegrown unlike some of the produce on the Roanoke Market.

After the run had a great cup of cappucino at Edible Vibe - also purchased a bottle of delicious homemade Thai peanut ginger dressing and vegetable chips. I like using the dressing as a marinade for tofu and to add to stir fry veggies. I plan to have both these meals later this week. Indulged myself in a little clothes shopping for a pair of casual black pants at J&J Fashions - much of their styles are not my taste (no scrubs or running gear here) but they carry several styles of women's jeans that flatter a real woman's body and do not look matronly.

Back to Roanoke to stop at the market for a little more shopping and a quick lunch with friends at Trio - good, healthy succotach wrap and a cold beverage. Cooking green beans with red potatoes,corn on the cob and a steak (!) for my husband. Yes, I am vegetarian but I don't particularly mind cooking meat - would rather not but I don't think I'll be converting my husband to a vegetarian diet anytime soon.

Back to my running plan, will do a 3-4 mile run downtown Monday or Wednesday, long run Thursday and Saturday, and run the Rocky Mount course again Friday when I pick up my hemmed pants. Will treat myself to lunch at Edible Vibe as well!

Training for the next Half Marathon

Went to class and meet Linda for a run over part of the Star City Half Marathon course and then over the 3 mile Wiley Drive loop. All together ~ 7 miles - plan on one long run (10+ miles) and 2 shorter runs weekly. Plan on running the Star City course every other week as my long run. That's my plan and I'm aiming to stick to it!

Resting Up a Little

Working as usual but having two days off from classes so have the time to catch up on rest and other hobbies. Raining on and off so I have a great excuse for staying inside today .... have seen three movies the past few days - each regarding some aspect of the maternal-child bond. Daughter from Danang, Rabbit Proof Fence, and The Story of the Weeping Camel are all thoughtful, beautiful movies - I recommend all three. I must quote a line from The Story of the Weeping Camel - the young boys arrive back from a camel ride into the town and the youngest asks his father for a TV and the grandfather said, " What do you want with that devil...you would spend all your time inside watching the glass images..." Back to running tomorrow - have another half marathon in November and the More Marathon in March! Oh my, did I just now really say that??