JANUARY 2024 Monthly Running Challenge

Beautiful quilts @polskagirl01! I love the original design appliqué quilt. They are all beautiful but the color and design of that one speak to me. Years ago we made several trips to the Amish country in PA and were fortunate to become friends with a couple there who had a daughter the same age as our daughter. Over the years Nancy has designed and made several quilts for us including one that the girls designed with hearts and teddy bears. I was talking to my oncologist about a quilt a friend made me for treatment days and he said in India (like in Poland) quilting is not something they are familiar with. He asked why I thought they were so good at keeping us warm and as I replied all the technical reasons I could think of (layers of fabric and batting, etc.) when he interrupted me and said he was pretty sure it was just all the love that went into making them. I think he was right!
Can't wait to see pictures of your new and improved immersion tank. Hang in there with the no sugar plan. I think it takes a while for your body to make the changes and start using up the fat in your body instead of converting the sugar.

Happy Birthday @Mari33a! I hope you have a wonderful trip to Dublin and some good running while you are there!
@kgirlhart - Have you tried using one of those UV lights (SAD light)? When my daughter 1st moved to Seattle she got one and found it really helped her. I hope you can get in a few runs while the weather is nice.
@quilteryoyo - Sending you big hugs. You have definitely been in my thoughts. I hope you can get some sleep and let some of that stress go.
@martaindale - Your easy pace has gotten so fast! You are doing so well with just good consistent running to your plan! Glad your kid found some new things to try! Do they cook? I know it helped my daughter to expand her food horizons when she started cooking some of the entrees and getting to control what went into the dishes and how they were prepared.
@AlphaHowls - you continue to amaze me that you can run so far while suffering with gout in your knee.
@yirara - the only issue I have had with my feet specifically over all the years has been a stress fracture in the 2nd with metatarsal and very early on a torn plantar fasciitis. I do agree with @ContraryMaryMary that finding the shoes and socks that work for you is most important. Once I had that sorted I have not had any other foot issues.

I am glad to see so many of you who have had such cold weather to now have a break and some warmer weather. We hit 80 today and it was super windy but like @chris_in_cal said the last few days, after all the rain, were lovely. I didn't get out today or yesterday but I was able to get out Wednesday and Thursday after the rain. The oncologist cleared me to run if I felt up to it so of course I had to give it a try as soon as possible (the next day 😁). I went on my normal neighborhood walking route, not wanting to try going any longer yet. I walked the 1st and last 0.5 mile for warmup/cooldown. Then ran the straights and walked the cul-de-sacs trying not to overdo it. It wasn't fast and it was hard. My legs felt fatigued but otherwise felt great! Hobbes was very confused but seemed to enjoy it too. On Thursday we went out for a repeat but my legs were really tired so I ended up not going quite as far. I am planning to get out tomorrow morning before the football playoffs start (and before it gets too hot - can't believe I am saying that in January!). The first part of this next week is supposed to be nice and then rain is due again. I have exceeded my nominal 20 mile goal and I may even hit 25 or 30 depending how I am feeling.

shanaber wrote: »

Beautiful quilts @polskagirl01! I love the original design appliqué quilt. They are all beautiful but the color and design of that one speak to me. Years ago we made several trips to the Amish country in PA and were fortunate to become friends with a couple there who had a daughter the same age as our daughter. Over the years Nancy has designed and made several quilts for us including one that the girls designed with hearts and teddy bears. I was talking to my oncologist about a quilt a friend made me for treatment days and he said in India (like in Poland) quilting is not something they are familiar with. He asked why I thought they were so good at keeping us warm and as I replied all the technical reasons I could think of (layers of fabric and batting, etc.) when he interrupted me and said he was pretty sure it was just all the love that went into making them. I think he was right!
Can't wait to see pictures of your new and improved immersion tank. Hang in there with the no sugar plan. I think it takes a while for your body to make the changes and start using up the fat in your body instead of converting the sugar.

It's definitely the love! Curling up in a quilt is like getting a hug from the person who made it for you.

I agree it can take some time to adapt to changes to more healthy eating. I had been stress-eating and grief-eating SO much junk, so it feels good even just mentally to know I'm not currently doing that and have some control over part of my health (even if I can't see a difference). And to be clear, weight loss is not my priority right now, but if the CICO math says it should be happening, and it's not, well that's a bit frustrating. I'll continue cheering on my body to do it's job of healing, and will log this week just out of curiosity. I'll even start today - my planned day to go over calorie allowance. The most aggressive MFP goal calls for 1200 calories 😳, so that's what my diary shows as goal, but I played around with it, and anything under 1900 should still result in at least a slow loss, and my planned overage day today is within that. We'll see how it goes and what I can observe about my current eating habits.

New tub (with a "frost-safe" plant from a friend as decoration)! As you will see the weather is not exactly cooperating. Kids are off to winter camp for the week, and husband has a work trip coming up, so I'll have some time to myself! Looking forward to [hopefully] lots of relaxing and encouraging healing in my body.

Morning all.
Got in 7K/4.36 (at 09'52 pace)

Happy back-to-the-grind Day everyone! 😊

@shanaber Yay for getting to run!
My kid is learning to cook a little. Simple stuff. Mostly they aren't interested in anything that takes too much time. The biggest factor is their ADHD. A lot of people with ADHD have hyper fixation on certain foods then eat them so much they can't eat them at all for a very long time. They can also have lots of weird aversions to textures, mouth feel, etc that change from time to time. And they forget to eat or don't realize they are hungry. It's a powerful combo and they have expressed multiple times over the years that they wish we just didn't need to eat at all to survive. They really view it as a chore, something I totally don't get. I love earing food, cooking it, the creative process, the whole thing.

martaindale wrote: »

My kid is learning to cook a little. Simple stuff. Mostly they aren't interested in anything that takes too much time.

Watching the joy with which my Grandfather made delicious toast was a most cherished childhood experience. He'd slather it with butter and sling it across the table to the newspaper I'd been examining. I'd silently crunch away and read, as he started preparation for the next round.

Now that is simple cooking.

I ran 3 miles at our local park at lunch today. The temperature was 32 and it was windy. We had some snow flurries earlier this morning but they didn't amount to anything.

Thanks for setting up February @AlphaHowls!

I may try to crank out 22 miles on Wednesday to make my goal...or not. Looks like I'll get my runs total in this month (13.) Next month's goal will probably be much more obtainable.

I talked with my boss today, and I'm going to start taking time to do longer mid-day runs on Monday and Wednesday, that's good. I'll be able to more time and miles in.

January Running Goal: 13 runs,50 miles

1. Jan 3 -1.2 miles
2. Jan 6 -1.06 miles
3. Jan 8 -1.15 miles
4. Jan 11-2.48 miles
5. Jan 13-2.48 miles
6. Jan 15-1.78 miles
7. Jan 17-2.47 miles
8. Jan 19-2.73 miles
9. Jan 21-3.24 miles
10. Jan 24-2.15 miles
11. Jan 26-3.08 miles

Current: 12 runs, 27.25 miles[/quote]