I wouldn't say this week was a bust because I did exercise it was just incredibly frustrating. I went for a long run on Monday and hurt my foot AGAIN. I chatted with my co-worker about it and he told me I needed to do ankle strengthening exercises becuase I am overcompensating for weak ankles. Great.

On Tuesday I skipped my usual bike ride in exchange for a 2.5 hour hike in Eagle Creek. It was a beautiful day for a hike and it cleared my head. Wednesday I was supposed to run and bike but I choose to sleep in that morning forgetting that it was going to be 95 that day and really couldn't do anything after work. I did swim on Thursday and on Friday I biked. So, I guess it wasn't *that* bad. I just felt like a slacker for most of the week. Work has gotten into frantic mode now so the stress of that doesn't help.

I start brick training next week which means I have to get up a lot earlier on Wednesdays for a while. Oh well, at least it will be cooler next week.

My training schedule gives me an "easy" week every 4th week so my muscles have a little time to relax and "heal." This was my "easy" week and boy did I need it. I worked out really hard the week before and was pretty tired when week 8 came around. Work was stressful last week and I had a bad day on Tuesday so I didn't do my bike ride but I didn't care. The rest of the week was fine and my run times are getting better. The usual route that used to take a half an hour now takes less time. Which means I have to run longer but it's all good.

Ian and I went to the Recycled Arts Festival today and I saw a woman there wearing a shirt that is given to people who complete the Portland Triathlon. We chatted about the race and how much she enjoyed it and how good it felt to cross the finish line. It made me excited and wanting to cross the finish line, too. I still haven't gotten around to registering for the race. I should do that.

Next week goes back to normal times and then I start brick training the week after. I originally thought I started brick training next week but I still have time. Yay!

Facebook and .. yes.. Twitter... are taking up most of my blogging time. I don't really "tweet" that much. I have it so I can read Neil Gaiman and Scott Simon's tweets. Scott's short essay on his mentor who recently passed away made me cry. But I'm a geek. Onward to pictures!!!

( Trees, ducks, porches )

I am supposed to go for a 50-minute run today but I just can't work up the energy or motivation to do it. Instead, I'm going to go for a hike to clear my head and try to find the plot again. A two hour hike is a good replacement for not running. Well, it is in my book.

I kicked ass this week on my exercise regime to make up for my slacking the week before. I ran well and biked well and am proud of myself. I went on a 70 minute bike ride yesterday and figured I biked about 14 miles or so. I would like to get better at biking but that would mean having to get a new bike. My mountain bike is just too clunky for racing. Oh well. Maybe when I win the PowerBall.

Next week is an "easy" week and then it gets hard again. I start brick training after the "easy" week and do that for 7 weeks. Ugh. Well, at least I'll have thighs of doom when I finish.

We had an unintentionally busy weekend full of concerts and parades. I like those weekends.

We spent Saturday evening with the Portland Gay Men's Chorus. My co-worker (he was playing in the orchestra) got me comp tickets to the season finale and they brought out Susannah Mars to sing a few Broadway tunes. We enjoyed hearing the menfolk sing There's Nothing Like A Dame. After the show we hit the Kennedy School for drinks and came home and crashed. We stayed up way past our bedtime.

( Click for Pride pictures! One NSFW )

So, that was my adventure. I hope you enjoyed yourself. I did.

This week was a bust. I exercised but not enough. Work was stressful and my schedule didn't allow for me to exercise as much as I should. Yeah, I could have gotten up earlier and exercised but I chose to sleep instead. I had one night where I didn't get to sleep until around 1 a.m. and another where my brain would NOT shut off.

My default reaction would be to beat myself up over this but I'm not. I have recognized that I will have good weeks and bad weeks. Next week will be better. I'm learning to identify bad behavior patterns that stress me out and learning how to make them go away.

I didn't run today but I did stand for 2.5 hours watching the pride parade and I walked and walked in downtown Portland. I was going to run when I got home from the parade but I'm too tired.

Next week, I'll kick ass. I promise.

A couple of weeks ago my mom sent me some copies of the stories I wrote in my high school newsletter. It hit a raw nerve with me for a couple of reasons - mostly because I hated high school and I don't want to be a teenager again. I thought I was such a great writer in high school and having to read those stories again made me cringe. What is so great about being a teenager? Yeah, being an adult can suck but I like it. I like having a house and not having a curfew and sleeping as late as I want. Paying the mortgage can suck but so did puberty. So, for me, I'd rather be an adult. If I had to pick a time period, I'd like to live during the 20's and 30's so I could wear the costumes and drink in speakeasies and gin joints.

Yesterday I was feeling ambitious and ran a few hills during my 40-minute run. Today I am sore. I swam this morning and my muscles creaked. The jacuzzi helped a little but it'll be interesting when I run this afternoon. If you hear the sound of aching muscles coming by way of the Pacific NW, it'll be me.

Last week blew by like the squall that blew through town Thursday night. I took a couple of pictures of misc. things. ( You know you like Misc. Things )

That's all I have to report. I read another good book last week and it really made me think. If I get ambitious, I'll write a book report.

This afternoon's run completes Week 5 of my Tri-Training. I had a few days where I didn't do the full time of what was expected (minus 2 or 5 minutes, Mom!) but I made up for it by doing extra minutes on other events. My energy was up this week and so was my enthusiasm. I had a few days where I got home or got up and didn't feel like doing anything but I did it anyway. I run and bike hills on my longer run days and it seems to be helping.

I've been finding that that it is all about finding new bike and run routes and keeping it interesting. After this triathlon in August, I need to find something else to train for otherwise I just won't get get out of bed in the morning. The weather today was dark and grey and my energy and desire to exercise was low. I realized, as I tried to psych myself up for a run, that I go through the same arguments with myself in the winter when it's dark and I have no energy.

Next week is hard and the week after will be hard and then week 8 will be an "easy" week before the times get bumped up again and I have to 7 weeks of brick training.

Ugh.

That's such a lame question. Of course I'd choose Grendel. Sheesh!

This week was supposed to be an easy week before everything kicks into "high gear" and I start biking and running longer. Monday and Tuesday I didn't follow the "schedule" because of the holiday but I made up for it by biking 16 miles on Tuesday and hiking for an hour and a half on Monday.

The rest of the week I followed the schedule and just went through the motions. I did everything but w/o emotion or drive. I was tired all week and didn't have much energy. Part of the problem was my period started and the other was that I wasn't eating enough. It was hot, well, hot for here, and it zapped my energy and appetite. Next week will be better.

I haven't been a very good blogger as of late. I would love to tell you I was off slaying dragons and writing the great American Novel, but alas, I was not. I've just been busy flitting off here and there and taking side trips.

Last weekend my plan was not to do much except to lounge around the house and enjoy the 3-day weekend. I did a little lounging but not as much as I would have liked. I did have a good weekend, though.

( Clikenzie!! )

One of the (many) things about me that drives arkham4269 crazy, is that I don't like to do the same thing over and over. I don't like eating at the same restaurant all the time and I don't like to go to the same pub. I like finding New Things and going on adventures. My inability to sit still has allowed us to find many interesting people, places, and things. When it comes to exercising (especially running) I HATE using the same route. If I'm on the same route I know how many minutes or miles I have left and I feel like I'm trudging through the day's activity. This week I found a few new running routes that also helped me find some new bike routes. This week's Podrunner podcast was intervals and I was able to time my mile which is good because my time has decreased. Woot!

I had to chat with my co-worker, Ken, about my muscles still being stiff and he told me to do more dynamic stretching. This is stretching while you move instead of sitting on your living room floor and stretching. It made a HUGE difference and my runs were much easier last week. I still need to find a yoga class but I can't find anything that doesn't charge an arm and a leg.

This week I didn't run or swim yesterday but figured an hour and a half hike (with hills!) made up for it. Today we're going on a long bike ride and having a picnic.

The cafe owners next to my work have a dog named Molly they sometimes bring with them on weekends. Molly is a cute little pug and I have a picture of her somewhere. I've been watching Molly for the past hour and she's pacing and getting impatient. She keeps jumping into the plants and watching for her owners. I think she has to pee.

Anyway, I feel a bit like Molly right now. Except I don't have to pee. I have about 4 hours until my 3-day weekend starts and I'm getting impatient. Work hasn't been as busy as I thought it would be which makes it more annoying. Yes, I have projects and will get to them but I'd rather be outside playing.

Until then, I will blog. It has been a decent weekend here in the river city. We found out that one of my favorite moorage tenants died two weeks ago. Al was from New Jersey and told it like it is. Often times he would come into our office and say, "Can you believe what those fucking Republicans are doing!?" He was a proud Obama supporter and would stick his head in the door and say "Obama! Obama!" and run away. His son has a boat with us and beamed when we talked about how much we liked Al. In the 8-plus years I have worked here, we've had many tenants die but Al's death really shook me. I will miss him.

In happier news, this weekend looks to be peaceful. I want to get a hike in and maybe a side trip to Powell's. I really need some down time to read and veg. I got a nice rose from Cork that's made with tempranillo grapes. We're eating grilled flesh with friends tomorrow and I'm making my co-worker's famous potato salad. YUM!

Why does LJ spell check think the word Obama is not a word? Is it a seekrit Russian plot to take over the U.S.?

The clouds are moving in and the wind is picking up. I'd say the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees in the past hour. It's a nice end to a busy weekend.

( Haircuts, flowers, exciting small Oregon towns )

This morning's run completes Week Two of my training. This week I exercised to the sounds of cranky muscles and achy joints. My bike time increased to 40 minutes and my run time stayed the same. My body wasn't into it but I pushed through it anyway and completed all my days. Today's run sucked until I got home and realized I had jogged 5 miles. The combination of pollen in the air and a legs that weren't into the run didn't help much. But I did it and I'm proud.

Next week is the same as this last week. Run 30 mins, bike 40 mins, and swim 30 mins. I need to start doing yoga twice week and stretching more. My muscles are too stiff.

A real post with pictures will be posted later.

So, the network here at work is down which means we can't get anything done which means I'm pretending to work and updating my blog.

It was a good week here in the river city. My office is being remodeled and we have temporary digs until the job is done. It's nice to be able to look at the river and boats instead of a parking lot but it's not nice living out of a box. Not a big deal, really, I'm looking forward to the "new" office.

I tasted some lovely new pinot noirs at Cork last week. They had a good selction to taste from the inexpensive to the not expensive but out of my budget range. They were quite tasty and I can't wait to buy some.

We spent Sunday afternoon at my co-worker's house celebrating he and his partner's 20th anniversary. It's a good thing they can't get married because such a long relationship is sure to destroy my marriage. At any time. *rolls eyes* We had way too much fun and I got to bond with my hairdresser. Someone at the party convinced him to give me a break on a cut and highlights so next week I'll hopefully have high-lit hair. Woot! I'll take pictures.

I ran and swam yesterday and the run was easier than last week so that was good. The swim is still kinda difficult but I'm getting there.

I have no pictures to share this week. I could take a picture of my "new office" view but it's not that exciting.

This is the first entry of my "tri-blog". It's mostly for me to look back on and see what I did and how I can improve. If the idea of exercising gives you hives, then move along. Nothing to see here.

After my 30-minute run this morning I will have completed Week 1 of my triathlon training. I exercise 6 days a week and rest 1. For those of you who are groaning, it's really not that bad. The program I'm doing doesn't kill you right away and has you lead up to the longer, harder, runs and bikes. I get an "easy" week at the halfway point and then it increases the intensity. I did really well this week considering I was a slug the week before and only exercised once. I have two a week where I have to bike and run on the same day but everything else is just one "event" per day.

I ran and biked on Wednesday and my legs were not happy when I ran. Part of the problem was that I sat at work all day and didn't do much so my legs were a bit sore. I'm going to have to incorporate some yoga into my routine so that stops happening. I might even have to get a massage every so often.

So, Week 1 was a success. I'm supposed to have Friday's off but I was really sore on Thursday and decided not to swim that morning. I'm enjoying having a reason to get up in the morning instead of trying to convince myself that I need to go exercise "just because." I might have to plan more races throughout the year so I don't fall back on bad habits.

So, this morning I went to the gym and rode the exercise bike for 30 minutes. After my workout I showered and put some lotion on my face (not looking at what it was) and went about my day. I put makeup on when I got home and everything was fine.

I got to work and went about organzing my "new" office. An 80 year old man came in and wanted to rent a space for his RV so I helped him. He asked me if I had been out partying last night and I gave him a look and said, "No." Then he told me about back in the day in Idaho you would give a woman some nice flowers and ask her what she likes and try to get to know her that way. Any man who beat up a woman would be given a warning and if they did it again the local menfolk would teach that man a lesson. I sat there looking bewildered and wondered if maybe he had gone insane, but I laughed and told him I agreed with him. He finished his business and left the building. I was still confused about where that speech came from but had other things to deal with.

During my lunch hour, I visited the women's "loo" and saw that my face and especially my eyes were puffy and swolen. Apparently I had a reaction to the lotion I put on my face and didn't know.

Apparently Mr. Idaho thought I had been beaten up. Nice.

Happy belated Beltane everyone!

I have a grocery list with items that are waiting to be crossed off. I have to take a shower. I should probably get dressed after said shower but all I feel motivated to do is sit here and read the interwebs.

I had a nice week that was busy but didn't feel too rushed. We had a party for my old boss at a co-worker's house and we sat around and ate good food and chatted about old cars. It was a nice night and we all soaked in the Vitamin D and complained about our white skin. Our Events Coordinator won the prize for the lilliest of all lily-white skin. I didn't take pictures.

Friday evening we wandered around the Uptown Village area of downtown Vancouver for First Friday. The artists didn't rock my world but I'm hoping it'll get better. It was fun just to be outside and enjoying ourselves. We ate dinner at La Bodega and came home. Work was too busy yesterday and I had a lot to get done. Our office is being remodeled next week which means we had to box everything up and move stuff to our new and exciting temporary location. They are supposed to be moving the network stuff and our computers today. I keep waiting for a call asking what goes to where and if they can get my password. Ugh.

Today I have to buy groceries and then it's off to spirit_dragon's house for belated Beltane fun. I'm making a salad and a clafoutis if I can find some cherries.

I start triathlon training tomorrow. I'll post more about that later.

I saw this bumpersticker on a car parked outside of New Seasons. I had to take a picture.