May, 2009:

Corn Chronicles (Part II)

It’s time for the weekly corn chronicles – and this week, we discover who made the cut & who didn’t. (It’s all American Idol style. Or maybe reverse Biggest Loser style – biggest grower! Who will wear the corn silk crown first??)

After hearing your requests last week, I went ahead & named all the corns. I had 55 corn plants. The first 52 all had alphabetical names (26 boys then 26 girls). The last three were named: Beer, Gin and Wine.

So, let’s go to the pictures (unfortunately, I don’t have photos of the last three rows, and they mysteriously disappeared from my camera!

Adam, Brad, Cody, Darwin, Eric, Fred, Greg & Howard

Row 2: Ichabod, James, Kevin, Larry, Mike, Nevil & Odin

Row 3: Peter, Quentin, Robert, Steve, Terry, Ullyses, Victor, Walter & Xava

Row 4: Yuri, Zachary, Amy, Barb, Carrie, Daphne, Erika, Francine

Row 5: Greta, Havi, Isabelle, Jackie, Kelly, Lisa, Meredith

Row 6: Nora, Ophelia, Petra, Quentina, Roberta, Sarah, Tina

Row 7: Ursula, Veronica, Wilhelmina, Yvonne, Zara, Beer, Gin & Wine

After carefully evaluating each for its distance from the other corns (a minimum of 8 inches from its neighbors was required) and its size, I had to cull the corn. I am left now, with only 30 corn plants – and there are two corns (Veronica & Wilhelmina, I believe) that will be battling it out for the one remaining spot!

The remaining corns:

From right to left, bottom to top (I’m quirky):

Row 1: Brad, Darwin, Greg
Row 2: Ichabod, James, Larry, Nevil
Row 3: Robert, Ulysses, Victor, Xava
Row 4: Yuri, Amy, Carrie, Daphne, Francine
Row 5: Greta, Havi, Isabelle, Kelly, Meredith
Row 6: Nora, Petra, Roberta, Meredith
Row 7: Veronica, Wilhelmina, Yvonne, Zara & Gin.

They are an average of 4 inches tall this week (at least the ones I kept are), and have learned their first word: “No!”

In other garden news, after the initial despair, I now have 10 zucchini plants growing, and am loathe to pull any up because I begged them to grow so much! I hope all my local peeps like zucchini. My early pea crop is blooming, and we are eating fresh spinach & lettuce almost every night! The radishes are nearly done for the year already (although I may replant in early fall).

By this time next week, my garden will be 100% planted. (Unless I decide the brussels sprouts are a lost cause & plant something else in that row – any ideas? What do you/would you grow?)

Quick Question – Advice Please!

May 21st, 2009

by gazelle.

11 comments

I ran Tuesday morning (3.5 miles) and this morning (4.5 miles). Both runs were HARD. My legs feel like lead – so heavy & slow. This morning, my pace was about 12 minute miles, which is sloooooooowwwww for me on a level course (even my first mile, which is mostly downhill, clocked in at 11 minutes).

And now for the question, in two parts

1. Do you think this lead-legs is from a) the increase in other activities in the last week (biking + swimming), b) the fact that I ran my ass off in a half-marathon just under two weeks ago, or c) something else altogether

and

2. Since I do have a 20K trail race Sunday that I would like to finish without wanting to kill myself at the end, what do you think I should do with the next few days leading up to the race? I had planned

Today: morning run (done) & afternoon yoga
Friday: 6 mile run to & from pool, with swimming (about 1500 yds)
Saturday: 10 mile bike ride

I’m not worried about racing the 20K – it’s my first at that distance (so automatic PR) and it’s a trail race, so my goal was just to finish strong & have fun. But, since my 4.5 miles this morning sucked pretty hard, I’m not sure at this point that I could finish strong & happy….thoughts? advice?

Thanks in advance (brew review & corn chronicles this afternoon).

Mid-week update

May 20th, 2009

by gazelle.

6 comments

I’ve been busy at work this week, and have rules about internets at home during the week (I get caught up & then push my bedtime back, then I’m cranky!), so posting is light.

However, I did want to let you know that so far, training plan is working.

I skipped my Monday night run (FLEXIBILITY) because it was eleventy-billion degrees when I got home, and instead headed out Tuesday at about 6:30 instead. Tuesday evening, the architect & I went for a bike ride. We spent the first 20 minutes in the grocery store parking lot working on my shifting & turning skills, then went for a leisurely ride through our neighborhood. It wasn’t so much a speed workout or anything, but it was nice. (It was very nice that it wasn’t a speed workout, because all my sports bras were in the dryer, so I was stuck with a regular bra & a shelf tank – that wouldn’t have held up under any kind of stress.)

This morning, I hauled my ass out of bed at 5ish & headed to the pool. It was nice again today – I did 5 sets again, but skipped kicks (saving my legs for the trail run tonight, also I hate kicking), and ended up with 1,500 yds in just under 45 minutes (I took 60-90 second breaks between each set).

After work, I’m headed out for a trail run – last one before this weekend’s 20K. I’m hoping it goes better than last Friday’s! And, speaking of last Friday (Brew Review + Corn Chronicles tomorrow – OH the anticipation!), I headed out for a 10 mile trail run on Wildwood trail. My big goal for 2009 is to run the entire 30+ miles of the trail, although not in one go, obviously. Last time I ran this section, when I looked at the map later, it seemed that I had been about 1/4 mile away from the end of that section (and the end of the trail), and the whole run was about 10 miles or so (out & back), so I thought – what the hell! I can totally run an extra half mile!

So, I ran & I ran. And although Leo doesn’t track mileage on these kind of runs (too many trees – he told me at the end that I’d run 1.5 miles in 1 hr 17 minutes or something like that), he does track time, and I know that I run an average 12 minute mile on the trails. And then, I kept running. And now, I was approaching about 72 minutes in, and still no end of the trail. So, did I turn around & vow to do it again some day when I wasn’t still a bit sore from a half marathon the weekend before?

ha ha ha ha ha ha

Of course not! I was determined! So, I ran faster. On the muddy, muddy trails. And finally, I got to the end of the trail.

The edge of the photo is blurry because I am so hot & sweaty & dead that I smeared my sweat all over my camera. ENJOY!

Now, I was dead, and just about 75 minutes MINIMUM away from my car. So, I called the architect. NO SIGNAL! So, I texted the architect. And one of my 5,000,000 texts went through. And he texted back (just as I was about to suck it up & turn around) that he would come get me. YAY!

So, I started running down the road. And it was sucky (also a weird guy in a car followed me for awhile – he was driving behind me as slow as I was running – weird – made me think I should start remembering my pepper spray for solo trail runs). Running on asphalt in trail shoes hurts.

But at least it was pretty!

That's Mt. St. Helens, and if the camera on my phone was better, you'd be able to see Mt. Ranier poking up to the left.

So, the architect fetched me (because he’s the awesomest EVER), and I went home & died. Then, I got better, took a shower, and went out for beers! YAY!

May 18 – May 24 Training Plan + 5/11-5/17 Recap

May 18th, 2009

by gazelle.

19 comments

Last Week’s Plan

Monday: Easy recovery run: 2-3 miles, no time goals; push-ups – I ran 3 miles in 32 minutes; didn’t do the push-ups

Tuesday: Speed work; 4-5 Yasso 800s - I was still hurting, so skipped the speed work & instead did some nothing (REST!)

Wednesday: AM swim; PM bike – I made my swim 1,250 yds in 40 minutes; definitely need to get speedier. It was hailing when I got home, so I didn’t bike

Thursday: AM crazy weights; PM yoga – I skipped weights, did the yoga

Friday: noon trail run; pushups & abs – I did the trail run – 7.5 miles – and there’s a blog post about that coming up. No push-ups & abs because I am lazy & cannot take 15 minutes to do arms & abs. LAZY!

Saturday: 10 mile run – Saturday did not go well. I did not run. I did, however, get my 10 mile bike in as a make-up for Wednesday’s skipped bike.

Sunday: rest – I gardened for 3 hours, including weeding, digging up bamboo, digging holes in the ground & planting more stuff.

So – I ran only 1/3 of my planned miles for the week, and will not hit 100 in May, I don’t think (I’m only at 29 for the month so far!), but I think I’m okay with that. I’m going to ramp things up again in June, but since I’m starting my tri- training, I think I’m going to take it easy on the running until I get adjusted. I have been so hungry lately!

I really, really, really need to be lifting weights though. That is the only thing I feel really bad about skipping last week! However, it’s just not realistic for me to get to the gym by 6 more than once a week, so I’m working on a new plan. I’d actually really like to just get into a home routine, so that is my goal for this week.

This Week’s Plan

Monday: Easy 3 miles

Tuesday: 60 minute bike ride

Wednesday: AM swim; PM trail run

Thursday: yoga

Friday: Easy 5 miles; swim

Saturday: 60 minute bike ride

Sunday: 20K trail race (I will post later this week about my trail race goals).

Other – push-ups at least TWICE! Weights – TWICE! Abs – THREE TIMES!

My other basic plan is to just listen to my body & not get carried away. Last week I added in two new activities that I haven’t previously been doing (the swim & bike) and this week I’m doing each twice instead of the once of last week, I am just going to try really hard to be aware & not overdo it – which is what I did last week. Right now, mileage isn’t as important as it will be later, and I need to remember that! My next two races are 20 K & 1/2 marathon, so I know that I’m prepared for those distances – no need to get all crazy, right? RIGHT!

PORN!!

May 15th, 2009

by gazelle.

19 comments

Today, it’s all about me. My favorite pair of wedges (which are just over 2 years old & only cost $10, dammit) are on their last legs (mine, as a matter of fact). Therefore, I am allowed to buy a new pair. And, since you guys did so well with the voting last time, I thought I’d ask your opinion. Please vote on the following. (And remember, if you buy a sweet pair of shoes, email me the pic at gazellesoncrack at gmail, and I’ll post them. And make up a cool story about them, unless you tell me the real story!)

And now – to the shoes!

Pair 1: