As of May 2, the day after I ran a 45:46 at the Longhorn 10K (close to three minutes faster than last week's Round-Up 10K), here's how the garden looks. Tonight we had a salad made with the arugula from that row closest to the camera.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Sunday, April 25, 2010
More Squash Blossoms
As of April 25, here's how things look a day after I got 2nd in my age group at the Texas Round Up 10K.
I'm enjoying running from the house with a destination in mind. Lately it's been to meet my peeps Dan-O, Larry, Bob, Donald, Sarah, and Tom downtown at the Rock do a run with them, then run back to the house. But I decided to go ahead and register for the Round Up and run the approximately 7 miles to the starting area, do the run as hard as I could, then meet Ken and his training group for breakfast.
The Round Up is a tough, hilly 10K course. The weather was just about flawless. A little warm, maybe, because I found myself very happy that there was so much shade along the way.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
First Squash Blossom
This is how the garden looks as of April 18. When I got back from yesterday's run I noticed we had our first squash blossom, although it's not open this morning. Everything's a little bit dirty because we had a torrential rain early last night.
During the rainstorm we were out at Emma Long park so Ken, some guys from his ultra group, and the Loop 30K organizers could mark the trail for today's race. Two groups of three course markers headed out in opposite directions to mark the 10K course. We knew rain was coming, so we arranged for Carolyn and me to each drive to the top of the course to meet the markers halfway and drive them back. Minutes after everyone set out, the skies opened up and poured buckets and buckets. I mean, thunder, lighning, wind...holy guacamole! Carolyn and I parked up on the high road and waited out the rain. When it finally stopped we wandered down to the halfway point, just a few yards off the high road. Soon we heard voices. Happy voices! The first group to arrive was Ruth, Alison, and Gabe, and they were soaked and all smiling. Soon after, Ken, David, and Brandon joined us from the opposite direction. They were all smiling, too!
As for my favorite course marker, he was out there at 4:00 on Saturday morning to BEGIN the marking, then again at 6:30 on Saturday evening to FINISH the marking, then again at 4:00 on Sunday morning to DO the run. The group got in two 10K loops before the race itself started at 7:00, then three more loops for a total of 50K, or 30-ish miles. Rogue Austin should be well represented at Leadville!
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Garden 2010
Last year the garden was amazing! I had extra motivation because I wanted the place to look good for Ken's graduation party. I wished I had kept up with the progress, so this is my attempt to do it this year. As of April 11, this is how it looks.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Angel's Home from the Hospital
We brought Angel home late Thursday afternoon. She had a quiet night. I think she felt pretty rotten and she was still trying to shake off all the medication and sedation she'd been under.
She has a huge and scary looking incision on her neck. It's gotta be over 6 inches long! And there's lots of swelling and bruising so it looks wicked painful. Here's her picture. Poor little thing!
She has a huge and scary looking incision on her neck. It's gotta be over 6 inches long! And there's lots of swelling and bruising so it looks wicked painful. Here's her picture. Poor little thing!
I used a vacation day to stay home with her on Friday. I have to feed her small gobs of canned food by hand every hour or so for the first few days to be sure she keeps the food down. She definitely has an appetite so that's a very good sign.
From here on I need to work her up to three cans of food a day and keep an eye out for things like lethargy, coughing, loss of appetite, which could be signs of the biggest risk from here on: pneumonia. You gotta know that ever time she clears her throat I'm freaking out!!
Sunday update...
She seems to be feeling better, but she's doing a little coughing and trying to clear her throat. It's hard to imagine having half your larynx permanently open.
She's eating well and she's had some water, but not much. I'm still freaking out every time she coughs or hacks.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Quatro! Quince! Si!!
I’m on the Austin Marathon Pace Team again this year. I’m pacing 4:15 with the Dan-O. Last year, and the year before, the Dan-O and I placed second in the pacer competition for pace accuracy. I’m thinking this has gotta be our year to place first.
On Saturday’s run, the Dan-O decided we needed to have a theme for our pace. He suggested a “put the hammer down” theme. We’d carry hammers – toy hammers, I begged – and pretend to dramatically throw them down at significant places along the course. We just need to turn a fuel belt into a tool belt and we have our theme for ‘09!
In our first year our theme came to us in the last half mile. As we came around the Capitol, Dan was hollering at anybody and everybody around us. “Come on, RUN!” “We’re almost there!” “Don’t let us catch you!” A Spanish-speaking runner started running along with us hollering “Quatro… Quince…SI!” (four fifteen, yes!) with great feeling, over and over until we figured out what he was saying. So the three of us ran along together hollering “Quatro…Quince…SI!” all the way down Congress Ave. to the finish line.
We acquired a theme last year, too. Some spectators react when a pace group comes by. Usually they’ll cheer extra loud. And spectators often move around the course from place to place. Last year there was a guy who cheered us at three different places along the course by hollering “Four fifteen! I like my sausage lean!” It wasn’t until we were recounting the whole race ordeal that Dan and I each remembered hearing it several times. Since then I’ve wondered if he made up little rhymes for other pace groups. “Three thirty! Your socks are dirty!”, “Three forty! Lordy, Lordy!” “Four hour! Light the Tower!” Whatever.
But before the marathon, I gotta get some miles in. We have the RunTex 20-Miler on Sunday and, having been such a slacker since December 7, I have a feeling it’s going to hurt.
On Saturday’s run, the Dan-O decided we needed to have a theme for our pace. He suggested a “put the hammer down” theme. We’d carry hammers – toy hammers, I begged – and pretend to dramatically throw them down at significant places along the course. We just need to turn a fuel belt into a tool belt and we have our theme for ‘09!
In our first year our theme came to us in the last half mile. As we came around the Capitol, Dan was hollering at anybody and everybody around us. “Come on, RUN!” “We’re almost there!” “Don’t let us catch you!” A Spanish-speaking runner started running along with us hollering “Quatro… Quince…SI!” (four fifteen, yes!) with great feeling, over and over until we figured out what he was saying. So the three of us ran along together hollering “Quatro…Quince…SI!” all the way down Congress Ave. to the finish line.
We acquired a theme last year, too. Some spectators react when a pace group comes by. Usually they’ll cheer extra loud. And spectators often move around the course from place to place. Last year there was a guy who cheered us at three different places along the course by hollering “Four fifteen! I like my sausage lean!” It wasn’t until we were recounting the whole race ordeal that Dan and I each remembered hearing it several times. Since then I’ve wondered if he made up little rhymes for other pace groups. “Three thirty! Your socks are dirty!”, “Three forty! Lordy, Lordy!” “Four hour! Light the Tower!” Whatever.
But before the marathon, I gotta get some miles in. We have the RunTex 20-Miler on Sunday and, having been such a slacker since December 7, I have a feeling it’s going to hurt.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
No Team Rogue for a While
Team Rogue has started without me. It’s okay. I’m just plain burnt. I’m not going to improve as a runner unless I commit to doing some real core strengthening and overall flexibility work. So, that’s the plan. As soon as Angel is recovered I’ll focus on core work and yoga and stay engaged with Rogue by going to the Monday night classes. I have a nice setup at work that allows me to do a little bit of stretching during the day, and I’ll take advantage of it.
Ken is planning to run Boston. I’m not. I had promised the Dan-O that if he qualified I’d run with him. But I’m backing out and I feel pretty rotten about it. He’s being a good sport about it and it feels like a huge weight lifted off me to know that, after Austin, I’m off the hook for a while. I’ll feel completely off the hook if Adam qualifies at Austin. That way the Dan-O will have a runnin’ buddy for sure, although the Dan-O is never at a loss for runnin’ buddies so I don’t know why I’d be so concerned!
Ken is planning to run Boston. I’m not. I had promised the Dan-O that if he qualified I’d run with him. But I’m backing out and I feel pretty rotten about it. He’s being a good sport about it and it feels like a huge weight lifted off me to know that, after Austin, I’m off the hook for a while. I’ll feel completely off the hook if Adam qualifies at Austin. That way the Dan-O will have a runnin’ buddy for sure, although the Dan-O is never at a loss for runnin’ buddies so I don’t know why I’d be so concerned!
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