Tale of the Traveling Treadmill

Once upon a time I decided my parents needed a treadmill.  I was in college at the time and suggested they buy one so they could use it to get healthier and I could also use it when I came home on the weekends (keep in mind this was before my marathon days).  My sales tactic must have worked because they bought one!  I think I used it a handful of times, as did my parents before it was doomed for a life of solitude in their basement.

I'm not exactly sure of the details but I'm sure it had something to do with my parents' getting sick of looking at it, gathering dust.  They were about to get rid of it when my brother offered to take it.  It relocated to his basement where I know both he and his wife used it occasionally.  Heck, I even used it once at their house when I was training for some race and was babysitting my niece.  I think I knocked out a few miles after I put her to bed for the night.

When The Pilot and I bought the new house and had a basement large enough to accommodate some workout equipment, I started thinking about where we could find a treadmill on the cheap so I could avoid paying for a gym membership for the winter months (when it's too dark for me to workout outside before or after work).  I remembered the last time I was in my brother's basement, the treadmill had some kids' toys sitting on it.  Ah....  Hey big brother?!  How about you let me take that off your hands.  Think about how much extra space you would have in your man cave toy room basement.

And so the treadmill, all million pounds of it, made the trek back to this side of town.  I think at this point it has more miles on it from riding around in the car than it does from actual use.  Hopefully I can change that.  Despite its age, it still seems to work.  It's pretty noisy and I think the backlight on the display is burnt out because it's really hard to see the pace/distance, etc. but that's ok.  I usually cover up the display with a towel anyways.  If I don't, I stare at it and it's like watching paint dry.  Sloooooow.

So it's been in the basement for several weeks now but up until recently, I was still getting most of my workouts in outside.  But now its dark by the time I get home from work so it's time to get into a routine of hitting the dreadmill.  I don't typically mind cold weather but I have a strong dislike of rain so the treadmill will also come in handy when it's just too darn wet to be outside.

That is what I realized that running/walking on a treadmill in a basement is a lot like being locked in a cell.  Not that I've ever been in a cell but check out my view from the treadmill:

Remind you of a jail cell?  

Wow.  This is 100 times more boring than the treadmills at the gym.  At least at the gym you can eavesdrop on your neighbors.  To make it worse, we don't have a TV hooked up in the basement yet.  There was ONE outlet in the basement (other than for the washer and dryer) and it was being used for the treadmill.  And it is on the opposite wall from where we have a TV and DVD player set up.  Hopefully in the next couple of weeks my dad will be able to come over and run more outlets throughout the basement to solve this problem.  At least then I could watch some TV instead of staring at the sky out that tiny window or at the concrete wall.

In the meantime I'm stuck with listening to my iPod and being constantly reminded that my playlists suck in terms of motivating me to move more.  I'm now soliciting song suggestions!  Anything to keep me on that treadmill for 30+ minutes at a time and moving faster than a 16 minute mile.  And go.....


And in unrelated but crazy cat lady news, I have started an all out war of keeping one of the cats from removing the Christmas tree skirt to build forts with.  She's the devil in a furry package.  And if you happen to be at my house, please don't judge us by the amount of cat fur on the tree skirt (or any surface really).  I am losing this war.

I think they are trying to kill me

Why hello there blog!  Sorry to have neglected you over the last few weeks...months.  I keep telling myself that its a sign that I'm too busy living my life.  Or something like that.  But the blog is also an outlet to put it all out there.  If not, I tend to over analyze life.  In the middle of the night.  Not cool.

My blog tagline is "random thoughts from a slow moving endurance athlete."  So let's talk about that.  Despite the lack of blogging, I have in fact been getting my sweat on lately.  And The Pilot has been getting in on the fun.  Now before your mind goes in the gutter., I'm talking about working out together.  The Pilot has joined me for a couple walks/runs/shuffles and it's been fun to spend time together that doesn't involve multiple trips to the hardware store (the "adventures in moving" continue.).

We did a 4 mile walk a couple weeks ago, then last weekend he joined me for a 5 mile run/walk.  We got some fresh air and saw some bison on that one!  On Thanksgiving morning we headed out the front door and enjoyed 3 miles together before stuffing our faces (as much as a vegetarian can on that carnivorous holiday).  We even managed to lock ourselves out of the house in the process.  Let's just say that The Pilot was very thankful to live just 3 miles from his in-laws, who happen to have a copy of our house key.  :)

Over the weekend I was scheduled for 7 miles which was a little bit too much for The Pilot.  Plus, I wanted to try to run more and The Pilot's knees don't take to running so much.  He stayed home to study (you want your pilots to know their stuff don't ya?) while I hit the trails.  I was planning to stay close to home but after some Facebook stalking, I realized some buddies would be out getting in some miles.  And so I invited myself to join them (It will be no surprise if they STOP posting their training plans in advance).

What started as a 7 miler turned into 8.14 miles because it was just so nice out and my body seemed to be cooperating.   Here is what went down.

My friends Kim and Sam really pushed me yesterday while my so-called friends, Lisa and Mary tried to kill me.  End of story.

Not really.  You can see in the splits below that I was hanging with Kim and Sam for my first two miles.  They are crazy fast walkers and sometimes walk the same pace I usually run. I was huffing and puffing to keep up with them but held on for nearly 2 miles.  I then turned back to meet with more friends who are training for Goofy (I tried to warn them) and who were on day 2 of their long miles.  They had 18 on their schedule and I decided to try to join them for at least a mile (I have to be honest.  It was mostly for social reasons, not really because I wanted to try to run faster.).

Look what happened at mile 4.  10:38?  You betcha I was sucking wind and seeing stars.  I stayed with them for a mile when I cried uncle and dropped off.  Lucky for me though, they stopped just ahead of me when they ran into Kim and Sam and I was able to catch back up.  They took off again and by then my heart rate had calmed down from "you might need medical assistance" to "slightly jacked up" so I decided to try to run a little longer with them.  I made it about a half of a mile before I was dying again and dropped off to walk.  Then it happened again.  They ran into some other purple people on the trail and had stopped to say hello (see what I mean about wanting to run for social reasons??) so I once again caught up to them.  The heart rate cooperated enough to let me run with then for one final time before it was time for me to turn around (or else I would have gotten sucked into an 18 miler than than 8).

After I turned back around to finish up my workout, I went with a run .75 mi, walk .5 mi.  It seemed to work and it turned out that I was able to keep my average pace pretty decent considering the crazy heart rate and stops and starts.  In all, it was a great workout and I'm glad I made the trek to turn it into a social workout rather than heading out on my own.  I know for a fact that I couldn't have fun a 10:38 mile if I was by myself.  I'm not even sure that I would have wanted to....running is for crazy people. ;)

Time Suck

I know I'm pretty late to the bandwagon but I finally got on Pinterest.  And it has proven to be an even greater time suck than Facebook.  I could probably lose HOURS of my life looking at random things.  I even have myself convinced I NEED a sewing machine for Christmas (are you reading this PILOT??).

After two failed Pinterest recipes, I finally had a success.  Ironically, the success wasn't an edible recipe.  I made floor cleaner! 

The new house has dark wood laminate floors on the first floor.  They show every single cat hair, leaf and speck of dust as well as every spot and streak from the Swiffer Wet Jet.  I found a DIY "miracle" cleaner on Pinterest that seemed to work wonders specifically on wood laminate.  I figured it was worth a shot.

I also purchased the Rubbermaid Reveal which is like the Wet Jet but with a reusable pad and a bottle to use your own cleaner. 

 It was easy and I only ended up needed to purchase the essential oils since we had everything else.  Here is the slightly modified recipe I used (I eliminated the orange essential oil):

• 1 cup water
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1 cup alcohol
• 2-3 drops dish soap (I used Seventh Generations dish soap)
• 5 drops lavender essential oil
• 3 drops peppermint essential oil

I poured everything directly into the bottle that came with the Reveal, shook it up and started mopping.  Finally, after 5 months in the new house, the first floor floors actually look clean!   No more streaks!

And so the Pinterest addiction continues. 

You Come Here Often?

Hey baby, you come here often?

I was a little late leaving my office the other day and The Pilot was going to be landing a few minutes later.  My office is right across the street from the airport so I decided to surprise him.

Usually when he lands, I get a text stating something along the lines of "Cbus" (meaning he's on the ground and I should see him in about an hour), "on the bus" (meaning he's on his way to his car and I will see him in about 50 minutes) or "leaving the lot" (meaning he's in the car and about to head home and I have 30-45 minutes before I see him).

So this time I sent a text to tell him to text me when he was leaving the plane.  I figured he would assume I was trying to gauge what time he'd be home so I could start dinner.  He was deadheading (riding in the back of the plane) and I got a text that the plane had parked.  Due to the delay though, he got my request after his text so he called to tell me he was walking up the jetway.  I debated on whether to answer or not because I was standing just outside of the terminal and it was noisy.  I thought for sure that would give me away.  I answered anyways and told him I'd see him soon.  I hung up as I bust into giggles. Of course I would see him soon.  Very soon. I am HORRIBLE at surprises.

So there I stood with the other families and friends waiting to pick up loved ones.  Has anyone seen Love Actually?  The opening and closing scenes of that movie make me cry every.time.  The first time I saw the movie, I was living in Florida, 1,200 miles from everyone I loved.  I had just returned to FL after spending some time in Ohio with family.  When my mom dropped me off at the airport, we caused a scene.  Both of us were crying.  I didn't want to leave and she didn't want me to go.  Then I went and saw Love Actually with my roommate in FL and cried at those scenes.  There is something about watching people say hello and goodbye to people at airports that is very emotional.

And then I married a pilot.

I watched as people greeted their loved ones and waited for The Pilot to make his way through the terminal...and tried not to get weepy.  Cheese ball.

I finally saw him, chatting with two of the flight attendants whom he had just spent the past 4 days with.  I know I was grinning like an idiot.  As he got closer, I knew he didn't see me.  Of course he wouldn't.  He spends days in airports, dodging travelers who aren't paying attention.  So just as he was about to pass me, I stepped beside him and matched his pace.  He looked at me all creeped out (he later told me he was wondering why some lady was walking so close to him), looked away and then looked back.  Ah ha!  He recognized me, smiled and introduced me to his crew.  

He later shared with me that the FAs thought he was getting the "princess treatment."  Apparently the airline industry calls it the princess treatment when a crew members gets dropped off/picked up at the airport by a significant other.  They quickly realized it wasn't like that as The Pilot got on the employee bus with them and explained that (my words) his wife is a cheese ball, works across the street from the airport and decided to surprise him.

As we parted ways to go to our respective cars, he was still smiling.  It was a very brief interaction but that smile alone was worth the $3 I paid to park.

Race weekend

This weekend is the Columbus Marathon.  I'm getting really excited.  I'll be coaching the race instead of racing which means I could do anywhere from 13 to 20 miles.  I basically start with my fastest walkers and then start dropping back to pick up some others.  Eventually I end up cutting the course (as a coach, we are allowed and we aren't wearing timing chips), usually through an alley or side street, in order to catch back up with the faster group.  Rinse and repeat over and over until your last participant crosses the finish line.

With race weekend coming up though, its a little bittersweet.  It means it is the end of another training season with Team in Training.  This team has been training since May.  I have a couple participants who had never walked a mile before and this weekend they will complete their first 1/2 marathon.  It's like sending a kid to kindergarten.  You teach them all you can, hope they are ready and send them off into the world with their name taped to their shirt.  :)

Best wishes to everyone racing in Columbus (and anywhere else!).  Also, congrats to everyone who completed the Nike Women's Marathon benefiting The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  Our chapter had an AMAZING team finish that race in San Francisco last weekend.  So proud of all of them!!

Be Nice to Me: Part III (Bonus: I got a good cookie)

I previously blogged Be Nice to Me parts one and two.  And on Wednesday I finally made time to donate blood again.  It's been waaaaay too long.  I'm still struggling to get on a schedule to donate.  The challenge is usually my training schedule.  It's hard to donate while training for a race because I end up feeling run down for a couple days.   But despite having the Columbus Marathon coming up in just over a week (I'm coaching), I had some time to kill before a meeting so I stopped into the local Red Cross.

Normally it's a really quick process.  You answer the questions, they poke you, drain you, feed you a cookie and you are off.  Normally I'm in an out in less than 45 minutes.  Which is why I figured I could easily pop in, donate and get to my meeting with plenty of time to spare.

I warned the nurse that my veins are tricky to find and pointed right to where they were able to find one at my last donation.  She went right for it...got in and then nothing.  It wouldn't bleed.  She called over another person to help.  And then they called the charge nurse over.  I don't know why I don't just ask for the charge nurse from the start but anyways.  She told me it wasn't cooperating and ask if I wanted to try the other arm.  Sure.  I was already there and still had plenty of time.  Besides, it really doesn't hurt that much for those weenies out there who are cringing right now just reading this. ;)

The charge nurse was finally able to find one on the side/top (?) of my elbow on the other arm.  She stuck me quick but then that poor vein didn't want to give it up either.  They re-positioned my arm and got it going but it took forever.  Normally it's a matter of minutes to fill up the bag but I think this was one drip at a time!

While I waited, the charge nurse told me this incredibly bizarre story about how her family rescues possums. For real.  They usually nurse them to health and release them but they actually have one as a pet.  It lives in the house, wanders around.  It's house broken apparently.  I'm an animal lover but I tend to draw the line with rodent-type pets.  She was a really sweet woman.  You can definitely tell she has a big heart for animals...of all kinds.  They have a goat, lots of cats, dogs, a hedge hog and "whatever else the kids drag home."  :)

By the time I gave my pint and they were patching me up, I was running really tight on time to get to my meeting.  Usually I feel fine right after I donate.  I sit in the canteen, have some water and it the road.  Well because they had so much trouble, they wanted me to sit a little longer and ice my arm.  Crap!  I did as I was told though and enjoyed my free cookies.  (It turned out that was my dinner.  Sigh.)

Waiting....

When I absolutely had no time to spare, I thanked the volunteer in the canteen (it was the same old lady who was there the first time I blogged about the donation) and bolted.  But not before collecting my free t-shirt.

I don't really need to be bribed to donate blood but I can always use an extra t-shirt.  They also do raffles each month.  When you donate, you are entered into the monthly raffle.  I actually won once!  I got a free Kindle last year.  Unfortunately I already have a Nook and didn't really need a Kindle also.  But fortunately I was able to donate it to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to raffle off.  Hopefully that was legal.  One blood related organization donating to another, right??

The sticker says "I Gave Blood Today....and I got a good cookie."  :)

Warning.....generally light-hearted blog post is about to take a serious turn.

Recently a friend from college had a very premature baby (somewhere around the 26 week mark I think) and posted a thank you on FB to those who donate blood because it had saved her little girl several times over already.  There are a lot of situations in life when I feel like I am at a loss of what to say or do.  This was one of those times.  Same as earlier in the week when I was at calling hours for a friend's dad who lost his battle with a blood cancer.  There isn't much I can say or do directly to help my friends through what they are going through.  What I can do though is donate blood.  I can donate time/money to organizations that are making strides towards finding cures for cancer.  And you can too.  Don't just sit there and let it happen.  DO SOMETHING.

The reason

So the blog has taken a hiatus if you haven't noticed.  I've noticed that a lot actually with the other blogs I follow.  Summer is a busy time, plus my blog is never going to be taking priority over my "real life."  I've been busy living life lately....and busy hauling dirt and mulch.  Besides coaching with TNT (our races are this month!!), we've been doing "a little" landscaping at the new house....

Front Yard Before:

 Front Yard Before:

Side Yard Before:

Other Side Yard Before:

Front Yard After:

Front Yard After:

Side Yard After:

Other Side Yard After:

We weren't planning to do all of this at once...or even this year.  But they delivered a lot more dirt than we ordered so we just kept creating flower beds.  Then those beds needed plants...and then mulch.  I'm glad that project is finished.  That was some seriously hard work.  

Two of the major work days occurred after I completed 13+ miles in the morning and then came home to play in the dirt....this is one reason I didn't participate in any of the local Mud Runs.  Why pay to play in the dirt somewhere else when I've already paid to have dirt delivered to my house and I can play at home.   I'm telling myself that all this work/working out gives me the right to overindulge in Halloween candy.  Don't judge.