Week in Review (February 11 - February 17)

Tuesday (13,128 steps) - Peloton and Olive walk before going to work in the office. Did the StairMaster and a full body strength workout. 

Walked Olive after work. 

Wednesday (21,786 steps) - Olive walk before going to work. It was in the single digits, so I actually RAN ON THE TREADMILL for the first time in over 6 years since I had a hill workout to do. Really annoying that my watch and treadmill are SO FAR OFF on distance even though I swear I calibrated a year or so ago before I got my treadmill desk. Anyway, I was watching Yellowjackets while running and I had to to hill sprints of 60 seconds and while they were faster every time, they were horrible. And I know this isn't right and why does the machine not track elevation gain??? HATE THE TREADMILL.

Took Olive for a walk and then Ben and I went to 4 Noses for "Mean Girls" trivia. We were shockingly horrible at it, which was disappointing since we have both seen the movie a jillion times. Handmaid's Tale!

Thursday (12,742 steps) - Peloton before clocking in for work. Took Ariel to coffee and THEN had the brilliant idea to go to North Table with Olive since I had a vert goal again. It was only in the 30s, but with the sun out it was SO GREAT.

She was REALLY slow going up the fire road, but once we are alone on the mesa she did a lot better. Quite a nice afternoon!

Did my strength video after getting home. Olive walk after work, did a few deliveries and Handmaid's Tale!

Friday (14,680 steps) - Walked Olive in her new, festive Lambchop outfit before going to work. 

Since I had multiple appointments, she couldn't go to work. But I was still festive in my headband!

Ben and I went to 4 Noses for a beer (just one for me) since it was our 5 year engagement-aversary (and it seemed appropriate to go back to where we got engaged).

Saturday (36,557 steps) - Took Olive for a walk and then headed to Dirty Biz for our long run. Supposedly it was supposed to be in the 30s for a high, and it wasn't supposed to snow until after lunch. I had mapped out 18 miles and off we went. Well, as typical for my long runs lately, this was fairly awful. Tired and crampy.

I felt better after using the bathroom and off we went. It was UNBELIEVABLY foggy out.

We both put in headphones after about an hour, which helped a bit. Picture of us cold, but not freezing to death. Yet.

We crossed highway 93 for the add-on part for the additional mileage and I stopped to use the bathroom. I came out about 45 seconds later and it was like someone shook a snow globe. We made the call to go back across the highway and do the regular size loop (which normally is about 14.5 miles). IT WAS HORRIBLE. The first 20 or so minutes after we started back up the wind picked up and we were getting pelted in the face by graupel and now. I could barely see because so much snow was going into my eyeballs. Proof of conditions:

We ran in near whiteout conditions for about an hour. The snow did let up a bit, but by now we were both frozen and cold. This was NOT fun.

Seriously - we are on the brink of frostbite or something here.

Since we hadn't done a "real" Valentine's Day celebration, we headed to The Stillery for a burger and mac and cheese. Glad we discovered this place in Phoenix - so good! We went to 4 Noses for a beer before going home to shower and spent the rest of the day on the couch.

Sunday (27,069 steps) - Unable to sleep in, I think I was still up by 7. Lounged around a bit, took Olive for a walk and then we went back up to Dirty Biz area. It was still decently chilly, but the sun was out for the run, so it was a billion times better. For not really any snow predicted, there was quite a bit on the ground.

4 Noses for a snack and a beer. I do like the skewer truck, and I had just found out that he rotates the meats and sides and was really happy for sweet potatoes.

Stopped at Costco on the way home to pick up a pizza and a handful of groceries. Took Olive for a walk and did a yoga video. Handmaid's Tale.

Monday (17,252 steps) - Work from home. Another day where the weather was a lie. Took Olive for a walk to gauge how cold it was. By the time I got back home and changed for my run it started snowing. COME ON. Headed out towards the lake and saw the coyote again. Got pelted again with snow - NOT FUN.

I did test out my new Patagonia rain jacket and it good news - it's waterproof! Bad news, it wasn't super warm. I also finally wore my Black Diamond Overmitts, and they are pretty great! My mittens stayed warm, but my hands kept sweating - the overmitts might just be a good layer for 200s when it's night and I'm slow and freezing. So anyway, the run was not fun, but I got it done. Took a hot shower and then I was fine. I had planned to do some driving, but it was a slow night of decent offers so I just went home. 

Stats:

• 143,214 steps
• 36.82 miles run
• 15.18 miles walked
• 55 minutes of cardio
• 65 minutes of strength

Week in Review (February 16 - February 22)

Tuesday (24,478 steps) - After yesterday's brutal wind I didn't even want to THINK about running outside (even if it wasn't windy). For the first time in ages I suffered through running 7 miles in the basement inferno. And "suffer" is a pretty accurate way to describe this run. I was slow, it was hot, I was tired, NOT fun. Although I did get in a few more episodes of "Breaking Bad" (re-watching before I start "Better Call Saul"). After work we had a cookie booth. All girls showed up, so even though it was pretty busy, A's share was just under 50 boxes. Tokyo Joe's for dinner.
Wednesday (21,772 steps) - 5 terrible miles. My calves are tight, I haven't been sleeping well. My arm is so sore from where I got my depo shot that I actually had woken up in the middle of the night in extreme pain. Ugh. I guess this is what happens after weeks of "good" running? Blah.

But so pretty!!

After work we headed down to run club. Did a short run with Heather and A and then A sold cookies again.

Pretty exciting that I won one of the raffles and got a discounted entry to a cross country race - now, I just need to put together a team?
Thursday (13,920 steps) - I had 6 miles on schedule and I opted to skip the run because I've been feeling so crappy for the last week. I slept a little bit later and did a yoga/pilates video instead. The evening was spent trying to figure out how to solve a Girl Scout camp registration catastrophe.
Friday (22,896 steps) - All week long the wind has been unbearable. I didn't even bother to check what the weather was like when I got up, I just sucked it up and did 6 miles in the basement inferno. After work we had YET ANOTHER cookie booth. My new Roost teammate, Kate, met up with us at the booth so she could borrow my singlet. A and I went to dinner at HuHot and it was blissfully quiet so we didn't have to wait forever to get food (just the check).
Saturday (33,907 steps) - Long run day with Runners Edge and Heather. And by "long," we were both happy that we "only" had 14 on schedule. Unfortunately my legs were dead tired and I had crampy calves most of the run. Lakewood is also hillier than I remember. Always enjoy running with Heather, so it wasn't all bad.

Stopped at Einstein's to pick up brunch (seems to be a new tradition) and headed home to relax a bit before the Roost launch meeting. TONS of new faces on the team this year. I also won a week rental of Elevated Legs, which I cannot wait for. After we picked up our gear a group of us went to Crazy Mountain brewery, a new sponsor for our team this year. Such a fun night with everyone!

Sunday (16,781 steps) - Of course the one day I can sleep in, I don't. We made omelettes and pancakes for breakfast and then went to Target to do our grocery shopping. A joined me on a 3 mile run by the lake so she could test out her new Garmin. It was a bit windy, but FINALLY the sun was out!!

First, of probably many, A "Garmin" pictures

After lunch, we baked some red velvet brownies and then SHOCKINGLY, we had another cookie booth. We went over to Jessa's again for a viewing of the Walking Dead.
Monday (26,010 steps) - I only had 4 miles on schedule, but after looking at the forecast for the next few days I decided to swap my 4 with Tuesday's 8 (since we have more snow coming). Legs a tad tired, but it was honestly the best run that I've had in weeks.

A mile in... Super early, super moon

About 5 miles in - moon set!

7 miles in and a gorgeous sunrise!

I actually did a short yoga video when I was done (need to get in the habit of doing this ALL THE TIME). Began the run looking at the full moon and ended it with yet another gorgeous Colorado sunrise. After work? COOKIE BOOTH OF COURSE. The best part about the booth? It put A over her goal of 750 boxes!! We picked up Tokyo Joe's for dinner.

Stats:

• 159,764 steps
• Miles Run - 46.0 (with no races??)
• No cross training
• 32 minutes of strength/stretching

Everything Else

• As you can see, the miles were all there. But a lot of them were not good. Luckily the short trail run I did with A on Sunday seemed to "reset" everything. The training plan I am on is fairly high mileage and I hate to get burned out so early in it!
• Cookies!! A is super pumped that she hit her goal. We still have FIVE cookie booths left, but the pressure is now off. If she gets to 1000 boxes, it will save me another $60 for her camp. As for camp, she got into a pretty cool one, it's called "Girl v. Zombie" and is a survival camp where they teach self-defense, how to make a disaster kit, etc. Looking forward to hearing about it when she gets back (IN JULY).
• One of my Colfax relay buddies submitted pictures from the race for an article in the "Denver Business Journal" - and turns out, they liked mine.

Week in Review (January 5 - January 11)

Tuesday (17,349 steps) - Had a short day at work so that I could pick A up at the airport!! Man I missed this kid. We headed to Cheesecake Factory for dinner to celebrate her return and my work-aversary.

Wednesday (17,954 steps) - Got up early (but not as early as I would have liked) and did a 2.5 mile run. It was slow going, but I wanted to get in another outside run before the snow hit later in the week. Got to see a beautiful sunrise, which is always nice.

After work we went to run club. It's always awesome to see everyone, and this time was extra exciting because A won one of the raffles! We went to dinner with Heather afterwards at Noodles & Company.

Thursday (17,441 steps) - No motivation to get up. Again. I think I was severely sleep deprived after ATY because I have just been exhausted! Did a hilly 3+ mile treadmill run during lunch.

A and I had a fantastic low-key evening, watching "The Princess Bride." I was surprised she enjoyed it, I thought she would be too young to really appreciate it. Of course she missed a ton of the jokes.
Friday (18,160 steps) - 3.5 miles on the treadmill during lunch. I picked up A after school, and upon arriving at home we discovered there was something wrong with Robin Sparkles! Her right eye was oozing puss and she could barely open it. We called our regular vet and they weren't open, so we headed to Animal Urgent Care (yes, this is a thing). We were seen right away, and after an exam the conclusion was either conjunctivitis or an abscessed tooth. Unfortunately, they didn't have kitty dental x-ray equipment so we would need to follow-up with our vet ASAP. They did give her some antibiotics and ointment for her eye. So that was fun. My boss had given us a gift card for Olive Garden, and since I wasn't in the mood to cook, we went. I a glass of wine and lasagna - and we took home chocolate cake for dessert.
Saturday (28,702) - On the internet, it said the vet was open at 8 am on Saturday. We opted to just get there right when they opened and see if they could squeeze us in. Turns out, they are only open EVERY OTHER SATURDAY (this not being one of them), so I had to make a few phone calls to see if someone else could see her. We were able to get an appointment for the afternoon. I met up with Heather around 10:30 for a run. I had planned on attempting a recreation of a run I did last fall, but I got confused, so we ended up doing Big Dry Creek. All but about a half mile was snow-packed. It was sunny out and warm, and neither of us fell. A great run!

Heather, A and I went to get lunch at the Mexican restaurant by our house. AWESOME way to recover. So good! We took Robin to the vet, where she was examined (again) and had some blood work done. We made another appointment for Monday for her to have x-rays and get any teeth pulled (if necessary).
Sunday (19,642 steps) - A really chilly run in the morning. I'm never going to survive running outside when it gets REALLY cold.

A and I made breakfast burritos for breakfast, and then we headed to the rec center to go swimming. I spent a lot of time in the sauna, but we did have a great time in the "lazy river" - now that we have a rec pass it's really inexpensive to go. Headed home for a quick shower before meeting up with Heather for glow miniature golf.

We were waiting for some jackets to get embroidered with our team logo, so we went to the Yard House for a late afternoon snack and drink. They have the best happy hour! For only $7, we got a full size buffalo chicken pizza that we all shared.
Monday (17,142 steps) - Did a loop around the neighborhood, and once again, it was FREAKING COLD. I felt fairly strong on this run and didn't have to walk up the hill that normally kills me.

Too early for a sunrise pic so here is a pic of my shadow, lol

Got ready in time to get Robin Sparkles to the vet for her appointment. After work, we picked her up. Turns out, her teeth was mostly fine, and they only had to pull one. That one tooth, however, was not on the side of her mouth where her eye was all gross and her face swollen. They cannot figure out WHY her eye was like that. Oh, and they also found a tape worm (ew ew ew), so MORE meds. They couldn't figure out how she ended up with THAT either, since she is an exclusively indoor cat, and we don't have a dog (or fleas). They thought she might have had it before we adopted her, since we have only had her about four months.

Stats

• 136,390 steps
• 27.4 miles run
• No cross training (although running in the snow feels like it!)
• 10 minutes of strength/stretching (I'm getting back into it...)

Everything Else

• Obviously, spent a lot of the weekend dealing with a sick kitty. And dealing with (in my opinion) INSANE people who think that for the amount of money I spent getting her better I could have "gotten rid of her and gotten a new cat." WTF. I can't believe there are really people that think like that???
• My brake light came on over the weekend. I thought FOR SURE with all the work I've had done on my car I had replaced brakes recently. And I had. In March. But only the rear brakes. I called to get a quote for front brakes and it is close to $600??? Apparently Mini Coopers use some super special "high performance" brakes that supposedly last longer, but you replace rotors and pads every time. Still seems insane and expensive. Geez. January shaping up to be a very expensive month!!
• A found out she was selected to be in the spelling bee again! We will study the word list a bit more this time and hopefully she will make it past the first round...

Week in Review (October 13 - October 19)

Tuesday (21,366 steps) - Cardio intervals and cool down. The first few sets of these seemed as tiring to me as HIIT. Either that or I am just incredibly out of shape? How are all of these still so challenging? It would seem to me that at some point these should get easier. Went to the gym and ran 3.5 (pretty damn great) miles. Wish more runs were like that and wish I had more time.

A has had a stomach ache the last few days. She fell asleep on the couch when I was in the shower - which mean I had the opportunity to watch the premiere of the Walking Dead. Maybe it's just me, but I didn't care for this episode much. Flashing between color and black and white and the fact I cannot remember half the characters.
Wednesday (19,998 steps) - Warm up, HIIT and abs, cool down. Holy crap. This was one of the only videos I have ever done that didn't have a water break. HIIT is so humbling... 20 seconds? Heck yeah I could do that! (Over and over and over??) Womp. I got a call from A that she wasn't feeling well so I left work early to pick her up. It was kind of nice to have an evening just vegging, even if it was only because A was sick.
Thursday (22,089 steps) - Cardio kickboxing, which I think is kind of a waste of time. I used to take the turbo kickboxing class at the gym and THAT felt like a good workout. These are some confusing moves that I don't feel like I have down very well. At least I'm up early and moving? A was still not feeling well so we skipped the gym and I did three miles in the basement inferno.
Friday (20,996 steps) - Warm up, total body strength, cool down. This was a longer set of videos - over 35 minutes. But HURRAY for some weights finally!! I don't know what I could have possibly done earlier in the week for my shoulders to be so sore, but man, ow. A got invited to join an environmental club at school and their first meeting was this morning - an HOUR earlier than she normally has to be at school. So that was fun. I drove over to Golden to join A at the Sock Hop she was attending with her Girl Scout troop. She still wasn't feeling well so she spent a lot of the time sitting down, but she did join in for a bit of dancing (but not eating).

Saturday (16,090 steps) - Sadly I seem incapable of sleeping in. I did not manage to stay in bed past 7. Womp. Sat around watching TV and simmering some food in the crock pot.

Pork, green chile, bell pepper, red pepper, onion, jalapeno and carrots

A said she was feeling up to a run, so we jogged around on the path behind our house. It was HOT (like 70).

Then we went to Target and picked up groceries. Got home and baked blueberry struesel muffins and a pumpkin cake and loaf of bread.

WHO AM I. I took A over a friend's house to spend the night and then I popped into Carrie's birthday party for a few hours before heading home.
Sunday (35,141 steps) - Denver RnR half marathon.

I picked up A and was relieved to hear that she was feeling a lot better - good enough to actually eat lunch! We hit up Qdoba and then napped on the couch before heading to the Wild West Ranch to meet up with her Girl Scout troop for a horseback riding lesson. A had confided in me that she was terrified of riding a horse, but after being paired with an advanced student and trying it out she had a lot of fun.

More TV watching before early bed. Long weekend.
Monday (17,076 steps) - Thankfully NOT a HIIT video. Lower body strength and pilates was a great video for me to recover from RnR. For the first time in ages, I was actually sore after a race. SO WEIRD. After work I met up with A at Skate City for yet another Girl Scout event - a skate party for Juliette Gordon Low's birthday. Don't ask how the two are related.

A of course in the plaid pants

A had been given dinner, but I had not, so I stopped and got  Tokyo Joe's before heading home. I haven't been there in ages, and it was DELICIOUS.

Stats

• 152,756 steps
• 25.7 miles run
• 81 minutes of cross training (HIIT/cardio)
• 63 minutes of strength/stretching

Everything Else

• So, turns out that my main attorney is "giving me" his standing desk! I asked him when he wanted it back (since I am the last in line to try it out) and he said he was going to bring in a different one. So I have been using it all week. Some days I stand more than others, but I have to say that I really like it!
• A was sick with some kind of yuck/funk all week. Literally an entire week of not feeling great and not really eating. Not fun for anyone.