October 2020 Monthly Running Challange

Ran in the fog this morning. My legs felt like logs for the last 2 miles and I'm hoping it's just a today thing. Onward.

October Miles: 33.0
Space Race Miles: 221.86 (26.64 miles to go!)

Oh Look! If I could run a marathon, I'd be finished. LOL!!!!

October Goal: 100 Miles

10/1: 6.24 miles
10/4: 11.02 miles
10/6: 6.22 miles
10/7: 6.22 miles
10/8: 6.23 miles



35.93/100 miles completed for October

1095.87/1000 miles for Run the Year Team Pavement Pounders

I ran another 10K today and it was another really good run. I have been enjoying the nice fall weather so much. I think it is even supposed to be nicer next week. This week the temps were in the low to mid 60's and I think we are supposed to have 50's next week. With all the stress I've had lately having good running weather has been so helpful for my mental state.

I tried to keep today's run fairly easy and ended up running a moderately easy pace again at 10:18 mi/min which is exactly the same as my pace yesterday. My training plan called for a tempo run today, but since I ran a 10K on Tuesday at race pace I am calling that run my speed work for the week. I forgot to mention yesterday that I saw a skunk. I was running past a fenced yard and I saw movement near the fence. I thought it was probably a cat since there are so many stray cats around, but then I thought no, it was just my shadow. But as I looked closer I realized it was a skunk running along the edge of the fence. He had his tail straight up in the air too. I think he was actually running away from me. But he didn't spray. I've noticed that I sometimes smell skunks and I sometimes see skunks, but I never see them when I smell them (unless I see a dead skunk that was hit by a car) and I have never smelled a live skunk that I've seen. I certainly hope to keep it that way.

Thanks for the congrats/good wishes on my new job @quilteryoyo @Faebert @TheMrWobbly @Scott6255 @Avidkeo @shanaber and anyone else I might have missed. I'm really starting to get excited about it. @Scott6255 If I walk out my front door and head west the office is just slightly more than a mile from my house. I usually run by there when I do my long runs. I go home for lunch and I am seriously considering walking home for lunch sometimes on nice days instead of driving. Of course being Texas it is often too hot for me to walk at noon so I'll have to see. @Avidkeo I like getting up early to exercise too. Especially since it is usually so hot here. But I'm already setting my alarm for 4:40 am. I'm not sure if I want to get up earlier than that. But maybe if I got up at 4:15 and cut my yoga to 15-20 minutes instead of 25-30 minutes. Or I may just get up at my usual time and do yoga during my lunch break or after work. Since I have to be there 30 minutes earlier cutting out the 30 minutes of yoga makes a lot of sense.

@Teresa502 So far I've been really impressed with Garmin's customer service. This summer my garmin that I've had for over 2 years quit vibrating. I contacted them and asked if there was any way to fix it and they said just send it in and we'll send a replacement. No questions about how long I'd had it or anything. And I got the replacement pretty quickly too. Tht was really nice of them to let you keep the old one until after your race. I hope you get yours back quickly too.

@Mari33a I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. I bt the stents will help a lot and it's good that they caught the prostate cancer early. I know how hard that is though. Many hugs and prayers. I hope you get to take your vacation too.

@marisap2010 Sorry you had such a bad day yesterday. I hope it gets better. Hugs!

Oh and in other good news, I got an email from the RD for my HM that is scheduled for 11/7. So far we are still on!




2020 races:
11/7/20: Run for 57th AHC Half Marathon

@kgirlhart Glad the skunk didn't spray. They normally try to run away and not spray since that is their only defense and it takes them a while to regenerate. Of course, the adults know how to control themselves and not spray it all at once. Still, they prefer not to, so I too hope you never have to experience that.

I had the appointment with the cardio vascular surgeon today. We did decide to go ahead and do the surgery. But, before they can schedule it, I have to have a cardiac workup to make sure there isn't anything else going on with the heart that would make the surgery more risky or that would need to be fixed while they are in there.

I haven't seen a cardiologist in years, so he sent a consult to one of the cardiologists in his building. They were to call me for an appointment.

We had 3 hours to kill while waiting for my dad's VA appointments, so went to the local mall to see if I could find some clothes that fit. We hadn't been there but about 15 minutes when I got a phone call from the cardiologist's office. He wanted to see me today, if possible. So, left the mall and went back to his office.

I did see him and he said that based on my records and having talked to Dr. Palazzo, that he agreed I should have the surgery to fix the aneurysm. I have to have a heart catheterization to make sure there are no blockages. He said, "I can do that on Monday, if that is okay." So, I go Monday for the cath. Have to be there at 10 and the procedure will be around 12. I should be able to come home after a couple of hours.

I won't be able to drive for 3 - 4 days and no running or picking up anything heavy for a week. Once the surgeon gets the results, he will schedule the aneurysm repair. So, still don't know when that will be, but things are moving forward.

Dad's appointments went well. He got the stitches out from where he had a basal cell cancer removed and then saw his cardiologist. Seems the change in medications they did the last time worked - he hasn't had any AFib episodes since the change.

@Avidkeo I have a pair of Pastor Vincent socks too! It’s so many little things, for me it’s thinking about how pace affects dewpoint. I know for some here it’s a water pack. Amazing how someone you never met face to face can have such a far reaching influence!

I did 7 miles running and 3.6 walking yesterday, then my usual grocery trot 5k today while my husband shopped. Yesterday’s run was my longest since being injured, October’s goal is to get back to regular 8 mile runs since that seems to be a sweet spot for me. I feel as stiff and tired today as if I ran a half marathon, it’s ridiculous!

Wednesday was a beautiful day, ran on the Greenline despite all the people. It still doesn’t feel perfectly safe but I am losing my mind running my neighborhood, so hopefully it will be okay since it’s outdoors and most people pass quickly.

There is a road closed behind the church on the Greenline and I realized I had never been back there, so we explored it as part of our walk. It is a fully paved but rapidly decaying two lane road, blocked off now and only accessible from the houses which back onto it. It goes right up to ECS and I am 99% certain from the litter we stumbled upon the place where all the students from ECS high school throw secret beer parties. Random fact: ECS, aka Evangelical Christian School, today occupies the exact footprint of the farm owned by my great-great-grandfather in 1880. It’s interesting thinking that my ancestors would have ridden horses and driven wagons on the path I run on!

Also: found a weird tree! Anyone from a place with citrus fruit will probably laugh at me but I’m from Tennessee and had no idea citrus trees could have thorns. Mature fruit was golf-ball sized, yellowish orange, perfectly round, slightly fuzzy. We took one home and looked it up and we have a Chinese bitter orange tree, one of the few citrus trees which is hardy in our zone. Fruit is full of seeds, tastes not bitter at all actually - sort of like a cross between a lemon and an orange. And the skin of the fruit smells amazing! Like a floral perfume.

Hi, former runner here trying to get back into a running routine. Starting with 30 for October. If I run more than 30 minutes my heel hurts so hoping for 10 miles per week spread over a 3 runs per week.

Trying to lose a few pounds at the same time - got a new boyfriend a couple of months and quickly gained 5 pounds - drinking wine and cooking together is fun but catching up with me!

1009-5k, total-10.6k goal-100k

Short shakeout run before work. Got up nearly an hour after my alarm. Felt slow and sluggish starting out, got better as run progressed. Won't be running long this week, the air quality has gone to the dogs and I'll be working through the weekend anyway.

I think I came moderately close to becoming a jogger this morning - there's this secluded length of the river I run along and this morning when I got there there were police tapes and a rookie standing middle of the route who told me to "go run somewhere else please". Not far away there were a bunch of people in police or fire department uniforms standing by the side of the water looking in. Now had I not overslept...

@Avidkeo Congrats! Fingers crossed everything works out.
@rheddmobile I had to look that one up - turns out these trees are pretty common in Northern China. People don't usually eat the fruit, but traditional Chinese medicine uses it quite a bit.
@katharmonic LOL at the vending machine story. Thanks for making my day.
@quilteryoyo Good luck on Monday! Will be thinking of you.
@ContraryMaryMary That looks awesome. How do you plan to store/display them?
@tracydvt Welcome! If it's plantar fasciitis, heel dips might help.

Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts. Let’s just say I am not a fan of people who don’t work in mental health, who don’t even work at my prison, try to dictate how we need to diagnose/treat clients because of their own political agenda. 😡

Got home on time last night, but only got in one mile and a little bit of strength training.

TGIF.

@Camaramandy648 Thank you so much. That made me tear up just a little. I AM feeling fine, physically. The thing about aneurysms is that there are no symptoms. I am getting a little nervous and second guessing the fact that I didn't do more research on alternative doctors/hospitals. I'm just no good at that sort of thing. I tend to trust that if someone is a cardiac surgeon that they know what they are doing. I did check this surgeon out and there are no disciplinary or malpractice items associated with him and he has a 4.5 star rating, which is the equal to the best I have seen when I did the little research I have. No one has 5 stars. That's where I am right now. I just need to get it done so I can quit worrying and get on with the work of recuperating. AND, I do have the best friends and family and neighbor's around, so am not worrying about needing anything. My best friend is taking off work to be with my mom and dad to make sure they know what is going on when I have the surgery. (She took off work yesterday and went with us to see the doctor.) I have another friend/neighbor who is going to go with us on Monday, so she doesn't have to take off work too much. He lives in Nashville, but is up to take care of his mom every other week. This is his week. He is going to have her grandson stay an extra day with her so he can be with me. My church family will do anything I need also. So, on that front, and with all of the support on here, I think I will be okay.

Good luck with the coach. It sounds like he will be good for you. Competing may be in your future. Who knows? You could try it out and if you don't like it, you don't have to continue.

So I woke suddenly to the sound of dogs barking like crazy and my husband rushing through the bedroom. "Oh no!" I pried my eyes open and caught a whiff of something. "Oh no!"

Our furr-ocious dogs had cornered a young skunk in the carport, next to our bedroom. I flail around, trying to find something to put on quickly while Hubby corrals the stinky pups. We deposit them into the bathroom and shut the door. Hubby has to finish putting on his uniform and then leaves for duty. I down a cup of coffee and start researching skunk spray remedies. After bathing both dogs in homemade anti-skunk stuff and then doggy shampoo, grabbing a bite to eat, and bathing myself, I rushed out the door to get to my office.

Needless to say, I did not run this morning. Maybe I'll get a chance this afternoon? Who knows what my crazy life has in store? Some of it depends on how Hurricane Delta influences our weather.