Monday
First day at new job. Basically just orientation, with lots of paperwork. No run, but I biked there and back: 15 mi.
Tuesday
Flying to India. No workout.
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday, July 28, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
21 July - 27 July (TX)
Monday
Took a train to my parents' place. Lazed around and played a lot of tetris. In the evening I rode around for about 30 min on my dad's bike, mostly just to figure out what I needed to adjust (move the seat forward), get used to the bike, get somewhat familiar with the area, etc.
Tuesday
22 mi ride in the morning. The roads were all FM roads through the beautiful northeast Texas countryside. I saw countless horses and cows, plus some rabbits and other critters. Route is on the right sidebar. Borrowed my dad's bike, helmet, gloves, and jersey, plus my mom's bike shorts. So, while nothing quite fit perfectly, it was my first bike ride with mostly legit bike gear. I've got to say, those jersey pockets are insanely useful. Why don't all shirts have pockets like that?
Wednesday
Feeling exhausted today, so I decided to take off. Made chow mein for dinner, which was well received.
Thursday
5 m run.
Friday
2.5 mi run. I didn't time myself or anything, but it felt fast.
Saturday
Bike ride with my dad. Same route as tuesday, but clockwise (22 mi). I struggled a bit on the hills.. it could have been a number of things, but I think I'm going to blame it on the trip to a super tasty German restaurant the night before. Mmmm, beer...
Sunday
Flew back to Chicago. 2 mile run in the evening, plus a bit of lifting. I wanted to run longer, but I went too soon after eating dinner and got a bad stomachache. Nervous about work tomorrow.
Took a train to my parents' place. Lazed around and played a lot of tetris. In the evening I rode around for about 30 min on my dad's bike, mostly just to figure out what I needed to adjust (move the seat forward), get used to the bike, get somewhat familiar with the area, etc.
Tuesday
22 mi ride in the morning. The roads were all FM roads through the beautiful northeast Texas countryside. I saw countless horses and cows, plus some rabbits and other critters. Route is on the right sidebar. Borrowed my dad's bike, helmet, gloves, and jersey, plus my mom's bike shorts. So, while nothing quite fit perfectly, it was my first bike ride with mostly legit bike gear. I've got to say, those jersey pockets are insanely useful. Why don't all shirts have pockets like that?
Wednesday
Feeling exhausted today, so I decided to take off. Made chow mein for dinner, which was well received.
Thursday
5 m run.
Friday
2.5 mi run. I didn't time myself or anything, but it felt fast.
Saturday
Bike ride with my dad. Same route as tuesday, but clockwise (22 mi). I struggled a bit on the hills.. it could have been a number of things, but I think I'm going to blame it on the trip to a super tasty German restaurant the night before. Mmmm, beer...
Sunday
Flew back to Chicago. 2 mile run in the evening, plus a bit of lifting. I wanted to run longer, but I went too soon after eating dinner and got a bad stomachache. Nervous about work tomorrow.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
14 June - 20 June (TX)
Monday
Rest day. Drove to TX.
Tuesday
Rest day. Lazed around. Tried to buy some shoes but failed.
Wednesday
2 mi easy run, at night (still hot). Found some free weights in the garage and lifted a bit. Highlight of my day: I found a great running store here in Fort Worth. I got an asics motion control shoe and Charlie got another mizuno.
Thursday
3 mi run. hot. biscuits and gravy for dinner.
Friday
2 mi run in the morning. drove to lubbock.
Saturday
Was going to do cross training today, but I couldn't do much but run so I decided to take a rest day. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
Sunday
Wanted to do a long run, but didn't have internet or a watch or anything, so I just ran for a while in one direction and then came back. Ended up being 3.5 mi... not quite long enough. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
Rest day. Drove to TX.
Tuesday
Rest day. Lazed around. Tried to buy some shoes but failed.
Wednesday
2 mi easy run, at night (still hot). Found some free weights in the garage and lifted a bit. Highlight of my day: I found a great running store here in Fort Worth. I got an asics motion control shoe and Charlie got another mizuno.
Thursday
3 mi run. hot. biscuits and gravy for dinner.
Friday
2 mi run in the morning. drove to lubbock.
Saturday
Was going to do cross training today, but I couldn't do much but run so I decided to take a rest day. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
Sunday
Wanted to do a long run, but didn't have internet or a watch or anything, so I just ran for a while in one direction and then came back. Ended up being 3.5 mi... not quite long enough. Biscuits and gravy for breakfast.
Friday, July 11, 2008
7 June - 13 June (IL)
Monday
3 mi run. It was pouring rain outside so I did this on the treadmill. Felt pretty good.
Tuesday
Rest day, so no run. However, we did bike to downtown, around to a couple of different places, and back home, for a total of ~18 mi.
Wednesday
2 mi run. iirc, I came back and did some weights afterwards.
Thursday
3 mi run. I felt good today because I stepped outside and thought, "Ahh.. it's hot.. this run is going to suck," but it actually went really well! Maybe I'm getting used to the heat a little bit. Weights in the evening, as I watched part of stage 6 on TV.
I think we officially moved in completely today. We unpacked the last of our stuff and got IL drivers licenses. Wow what a surprisingly great experience that was! I looked up the address of the DMV online, and I figured we'd go downtown and spend several hours at least... but we went through in less than an hour! And what's better, unlike CA and TX, they print out your new ID and give it to you right away.
As we were leaving, we saw a blood donation center, and since this week we can finally give blood again (1 year and 1 wk ago we were in malaria-prone areas of Mexico) we decided to drop in. Charlie gave blood like the manly man he his; unfortunately I had to bail. So I apparently have really small veins that are hard to find. Every time I give blood or get an IV, the nurse makes some comment about this. She does, however, always manage to find one. At this clinic though... so the lady spends a long time trying to find a vein in my left arm, and eventually decides to go for one in the middle. By this time my arm is already pretty uncomfortable from the tourniquet, but you know, whatever.. there's a little discomfort involved in giving blood, right? Anyway she gets the needle and stabs it in there... no blood. She pulls back and tries again... still nothing. She literally digs around in my arm for about 30 seconds (felt like forever), my arm is totally numb, and eventually I say, "let's just try the other arm... please?" She pulls out and tourniquets the right arm and starts feeling around. After a little while she locates something, calls a coworker over for a second opinion and asks--and I quote--"Do you think this one will hold?" Okay... the other lady feels it. "Oh yeah, if you can get it then it should be fine. Do you think you can get it?" My nurse turns to me and asks if I want to just come back later and try again on the left arm, as I had casually suggested earlier. I figure, if I have no confidence in her anymore, and she has no confidence in getting that right arm... I'll just say I'm coming back "next week" (I'll be in TX next week). Oh, and as a last painful reminder to never come back to this place again, she manages to wipe the alcohol swab right over my puncture wound as she's cleaning up. Gee, thanks lady.. you're so thoughtful.
Friday
1.5 mi run
Saturday
No run, did some biking instead. I went up north to deposit graduation $$ in an ATM, and then downtown to check out the main CPL library. Worked out to be about 20 miles. I got some audio books for the trip down to TX, plus Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. Perhaps by coincidence, someone had left a prayer card in the book. It reminded me of those billboards in Kansas and Oklahoma that are placed right in front of a porn shop and say "JESUS LOVES PORNOGRAPHY KILLS" or whatever. Not that Alison Bechdel qualifies as pornography...
Sunday
4 mi run with some weights afterwards. watched ricco kick ass on a mountain stage. finally starting to feel like i'm back in shape
3 mi run. It was pouring rain outside so I did this on the treadmill. Felt pretty good.
Tuesday
Rest day, so no run. However, we did bike to downtown, around to a couple of different places, and back home, for a total of ~18 mi.
Wednesday
2 mi run. iirc, I came back and did some weights afterwards.
Thursday
3 mi run. I felt good today because I stepped outside and thought, "Ahh.. it's hot.. this run is going to suck," but it actually went really well! Maybe I'm getting used to the heat a little bit. Weights in the evening, as I watched part of stage 6 on TV.
I think we officially moved in completely today. We unpacked the last of our stuff and got IL drivers licenses. Wow what a surprisingly great experience that was! I looked up the address of the DMV online, and I figured we'd go downtown and spend several hours at least... but we went through in less than an hour! And what's better, unlike CA and TX, they print out your new ID and give it to you right away.
As we were leaving, we saw a blood donation center, and since this week we can finally give blood again (1 year and 1 wk ago we were in malaria-prone areas of Mexico) we decided to drop in. Charlie gave blood like the manly man he his; unfortunately I had to bail. So I apparently have really small veins that are hard to find. Every time I give blood or get an IV, the nurse makes some comment about this. She does, however, always manage to find one. At this clinic though... so the lady spends a long time trying to find a vein in my left arm, and eventually decides to go for one in the middle. By this time my arm is already pretty uncomfortable from the tourniquet, but you know, whatever.. there's a little discomfort involved in giving blood, right? Anyway she gets the needle and stabs it in there... no blood. She pulls back and tries again... still nothing. She literally digs around in my arm for about 30 seconds (felt like forever), my arm is totally numb, and eventually I say, "let's just try the other arm... please?" She pulls out and tourniquets the right arm and starts feeling around. After a little while she locates something, calls a coworker over for a second opinion and asks--and I quote--"Do you think this one will hold?" Okay... the other lady feels it. "Oh yeah, if you can get it then it should be fine. Do you think you can get it?" My nurse turns to me and asks if I want to just come back later and try again on the left arm, as I had casually suggested earlier. I figure, if I have no confidence in her anymore, and she has no confidence in getting that right arm... I'll just say I'm coming back "next week" (I'll be in TX next week). Oh, and as a last painful reminder to never come back to this place again, she manages to wipe the alcohol swab right over my puncture wound as she's cleaning up. Gee, thanks lady.. you're so thoughtful.
Friday
1.5 mi run
Saturday
No run, did some biking instead. I went up north to deposit graduation $$ in an ATM, and then downtown to check out the main CPL library. Worked out to be about 20 miles. I got some audio books for the trip down to TX, plus Fun Home by Alison Bechdel. Perhaps by coincidence, someone had left a prayer card in the book. It reminded me of those billboards in Kansas and Oklahoma that are placed right in front of a porn shop and say "JESUS LOVES PORNOGRAPHY KILLS" or whatever. Not that Alison Bechdel qualifies as pornography...
Sunday
4 mi run with some weights afterwards. watched ricco kick ass on a mountain stage. finally starting to feel like i'm back in shape
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
30 June - 6 July
Monday
rest day. also, anniversary #2.
Tuesday
rest day.
Wednesday
1.5 mi around the park. hot. Charlie did 1.5 @ 10:40 (1st .5 mi at 3:15, avg 7:07 pace)
Thursday
3 mi run up along the lake. VERY strong headwind going out! Much better than the heat, though.
Charlie's parents were in town and we walked 6+ mi around downtown, since with the fireworks it was impossible to drive and even all the buses were stopped. We got pizza at Giordano's for the 3rd time since we've been here... Charlie got some pasta with alfredo sauce, which I thought tasted strange and couldn't quite put my finger on it... until I realized it tasted like gravy. Either that or MSG. Anyway, stick to the pizza if you go there.
Friday
Nice 1.5 mi run around the neighborhood. It was just after I woke up so I was pretty tight, but I kept up a good cadence to make up for my pitiful stride. Throughout the park there were lots of people already staking out spots to grill and hang out for lunch/dinner. It surprised me at first until I remembered that everyone around here is in an apartment and doesn't have a backyard.
Charlie and I went out to Aurora to visit a friend of ours who was having a 4th of July party. Lots of fun, too many sweets...
Weights in the evening.
Saturday
Beautiful day! We biked down to the south end of the lake shore trail, then back up north past 51st for a while, then back home. Total of about 14 miles.
I think later this week we'll probably go all the way north and back, which is ~30 mi. I'm pretty sure our legs are up for it, though I don't know if we'll have chafing or other comfort issues, considering we don't have bike shorts or jerseys, and we haven't ever tried a lot of mileage on our current seats. I guess if it all goes horribly wrong we can just take a bus back.
Sunday
rest.
rest day. also, anniversary #2.
Tuesday
rest day.
Wednesday
1.5 mi around the park. hot. Charlie did 1.5 @ 10:40 (1st .5 mi at 3:15, avg 7:07 pace)
Thursday
3 mi run up along the lake. VERY strong headwind going out! Much better than the heat, though.
Charlie's parents were in town and we walked 6+ mi around downtown, since with the fireworks it was impossible to drive and even all the buses were stopped. We got pizza at Giordano's for the 3rd time since we've been here... Charlie got some pasta with alfredo sauce, which I thought tasted strange and couldn't quite put my finger on it... until I realized it tasted like gravy. Either that or MSG. Anyway, stick to the pizza if you go there.
Friday
Nice 1.5 mi run around the neighborhood. It was just after I woke up so I was pretty tight, but I kept up a good cadence to make up for my pitiful stride. Throughout the park there were lots of people already staking out spots to grill and hang out for lunch/dinner. It surprised me at first until I remembered that everyone around here is in an apartment and doesn't have a backyard.
Charlie and I went out to Aurora to visit a friend of ours who was having a 4th of July party. Lots of fun, too many sweets...
Weights in the evening.
Saturday
Beautiful day! We biked down to the south end of the lake shore trail, then back up north past 51st for a while, then back home. Total of about 14 miles.
I think later this week we'll probably go all the way north and back, which is ~30 mi. I'm pretty sure our legs are up for it, though I don't know if we'll have chafing or other comfort issues, considering we don't have bike shorts or jerseys, and we haven't ever tried a lot of mileage on our current seats. I guess if it all goes horribly wrong we can just take a bus back.
Sunday
rest.
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