It’s been a rather rough week in paradise. You remember the song right? Reunited and it feels so good? The agony of being separated from my beloved coach, my refrigerator and my music was almost worth the wonderful reunions. It’s been a roller coaster week for sure, and I’m ready to leave it behind and get ready for my upcoming ski/snowboard weekend with the family!
WEEK OF JANUARY 19, 2015
RUNNING: I have been reunited with my coach and it’s fan-tas-tic! Coach Rocket Scientist (CRS) has come back to me and with a vengeance! Her scarcasm is as sharp as ever. When we were going back and forth about my goal pace for my first marathon in April, she suggested an 8:15. Um, say what now? I came back with at least an 8:00 and then decided I really want to pull off at least a 7:40 seeing as I will try for flat 7’s in NYC. This was her response:
“Shall I let you mull some more…? Maybe a 6:40 pace? 5? Anyone for 3?”
And that’s why I love her. And, don’t tempt me with the 6:40. In the meantime, I’ve been running my little butt off and loving every minute. Except most of the treadmill minutes…
Total running mileage: 37.2
Running almost 15 miles with two of my BRFs, with this view, is why I run!
CYCLING: You didn’t think she was going to let me get away without cycling did you? I’m still enjoying my Tuesday class and then adding in at least one other cycling day.
Total cycling mileage: 47
Being on the bike trainer really isn’t THAT bad…
SWIMMING: I’ve had some pretty cool workouts prescribed for the water. I’m also becoming fluent in swim speak, and can even make sense out of this: MS: 2 x (10 x 50, 30″ RI) Exactly.
Total yards: 3,650
STRENGTH TRAINING: I’m adding this in to keep me honest. In addition to the physical therapy exercises I have, I need to throw in some running related strength training in order for my aging body to remain uninjured. In case you missed it last week, this is what I’ve been doing:
FUEL: Besides making all the desserts with Jen at Cookies, Cupcakes and Cardio, I had this delicious number for lunch at one of my favorite local places – Nature’s Grocer. It was as fabulous as it sounds and much needed to replenish my body after a 40 minute run followed immediately by a 40 minute swim session!
RACING: This happened:
Oh I accept. I accept your challenge NYC – bring it on!!!…right after I run New Jersey in April. Ok, so not right after but you know what I mean. Anyway, I accept!
THINGS I LOVE: Our annual ski trip to Vermont! It’s coming up quickly and everyone is getting excited. I hope the weather is at least tolerable. That’s all I’m asking for – just tolerable.
THINGS I HATE: My six year-old refrigerator dying out of the clear blue and then replacing it with one I hate.
I woke up to melted ice cream in my fridge last Wednesday and so began the saga of throwing out all the food in the freezer (good-bye Kashi pizzas!) and putting the rest in coolers on our back deck, all before 8:30am:
Just like camping!…and you know how much I love that.
I then had to take both boys with me to shop for a new one after being told that the compressor on the old one was beyond repair. Did I mention this fridge was only 6 years old? You suck Amana. You suck real bad.
So after trying to listen intently to the salesman about the differences between fridges, the sizes, the capacity, blah, blah, blah (all while my kids were running in between the aisles of appliances) I chose one. It was delivered the very next day and that’s when I noticed the labeling:
I mean have you ever seen this??? I know what the hell they are for! What did I get, the display model? And NO, they don’t come off. The labels are etched in the glass. I mean, what the hell are you going to put in there? Socks?
MUSIC: What’s this? All I can listen to on my iPod is Serial! Can someone please just tell me if Adnan did it? Or at least tell me if they figure this whole thing out? Is Jay lying? I mean clearly he’s lying about some things but if this case doesn’t have a clear murderer at the end, I don’t know what I’m going to do! I guess I’ll be back to listening to music.
Exactly!
TV: Have you seen Backstrom? You know, the new show with the guy from The Office (Rainn Wilson) in it? I was skeptical too but my husband and I decided to give it 5 minutes. We were pleasantly surprised at it’s dry humor awesomeness. Give it a chance, you won’t be sorry!
BOOKS: So I decided to read American Sniper after hearing Bradley Cooper interviewed on Howard Stern. The book is always better then the movie so I wanted to read it before seeing it. Also because I get to the movies about once every six years or so.
When I first started reading the book, I honestly thought it was horrible. Truly. Then I read this part:
“I’ve lived the literal meaning of ‘land of the free’ and ‘home of the brave.’ It’s not corny for me. I feel it in my heart. I feel it in my chest. Even at a ball game, when someone talks during the anthem or doesn’t take off his hat, it pisses me off. I’m not one to be quiet about it either.”
That definitely made me stop and think. I’ve heard a lot of National Anthems before race starts and I can’t say I’ve been reverent during all of them. I will be from now on.
The jury is still out on the book since I’m only halfway through it.
RANDOM QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “They all suck equally” – Refrigerator repair man when asked if there’s a particular brand he would recommend.
How was your week?
How old is your fridge?
What are you reading, watching and listening to?
Still smiling about those refrigerator labels and really can’t fathom what they think you would put in the fridge that would necessitate those at all. As for the book, American Sniper wasn’t sure about it myself and now may have to add on my list as right now I am reading The Boston Girl, but down the road might be a great choice. So thanks, Allie 😉
Right??? Crazy.
I’ll have to check out The Boston Girl. Thanks for the recommendation!
Just too much good stuff to comment on! YAY for coach! Yay for NYC! OH MY GOSH YUM for that Grilled Cheese, and YAY for strength training! Hope this week is just as wonderful for you my friend!
Thanks so much Tina!! This week is starting off horribly. Right now we’re bracing for a blizzard that is supposed to dump upwards of 30 inches of snow!!! Yikes!
Ha, that fridge. The one that gets me are the gallon sized storage areas. Who needs to have that labeled?!
I’m glad your week was pretty good. Congrats on taking the plunge into the NYCM. I did that in 2013 and had a great time.
Exactly! None of it needs to be labeled!! I’ll put whatever I want there and it’s actually NOT gallons of anything.
You’ll have to give me some insider tips on NYCM 🙂
Whew!! I need to take a breather after reading all of that 🙂 my refrigerator is approximately 4 years old as I bought it when we purchased our house. I could never ever deal with labels. It would drive me crazy because sometimes I put stuff where I want because I am a rebel like that!! So happy you have reunited with CRS. Somehow when I read her sarcasm I heard “bueller?” At the end hahaha
Not telling you a thing about serial.
I am currently reading the divergent series watching girls, American idol, the good wife and helllllllloooooooo SCANDAL comes back this week!!
I totally missed the Scandal boat but with this impending blizzard, I may have my chance to catch-up!…That is of course if I finish Serial 🙂
I so feel you on finding time for both PT exercises and strength work–I make it happen but it’s such a PITA. Why can’t running be simple?! And love that you are putting in monster time in the pool. So good for you!
Serial! I finished yesterday and my son binged on it Fri/Sat so we’ve been discussing it. I want Adnan to be innocent, but I just don’t think he is. I do think he had a crappy trial and so much went wrong. I want that DNA testing and I want the Asia affidavit. I can’t let it all go, though!!
EXACTLY!!!! I agree with so much of what you said but I haven’t finished it yet…it’s just so, so interesting but I want there to be a “smoking gun!”
Lol’ing at the fridge, I mean it is kinda helpful and I like labeling (:
It’s actually not as bad with stuff in there because it’s not as noticeable but I don’t have what matches the labels either. I’m such a rebel.
Your coach sounds fantastic. And you are going to rock this marathon. Congrats on getting into NYC, too!! Maybe your spring training posts will help motivate me to get my mileage back up!
We can motivate each other!! Right now I’m bracing for this epic blizzard and sulking about not being able to run for the next couple days. You would think I would have a treadmill by now…
I just finished reading Little Big Lies and I loved it! I was so addicted!
I can’t believe your fridge went kaput! So sad. We have a little sign on our fridge that says “fruit” and “vegetables” but we didn’t get to pick out our fridge since it came with our apartment. I don’t know why they do that!
I actually don’t mind the “fruit and vegetables” one – the small one on each drawer – the one in the picture is in addition to those!!! It’s nutty.
I downloaded Little Big Lies. I figured I’m going to have some reading time when this blizzard hits!
american sniper the movie was amazingly difficult and hard to take while being exactly the quote you mention above-you felt that in the entire movie, seriously thank God for those men and women. I have to say the fridge guys quote is awesome, I’m so stealing that! Enjoy all the fresh powder!!!
That message is the one that really struck me though out the book. As you well know, it’s so, so different living in the North. I don’t think we’re quite as immersed in the military mindset and what these people do everyday. It’s a pretty good wake-up call.
The repair guy was a hoot.
Nice job on your week of running. If you figure out how to master the 3-minute mile for 26.2 miles, let me know 😉 I just pinned your strength training workout. I am doing a lot more strength training this year since my mileage is lower and have been really enjoying it. I also just saw American Sniper on Saturday night. We really enjoyed it. Have an awesome week ahead, and stop by tomorrow for my week-in-review link-up so you can share your awesome week each week with everyone! xo
Thanks for telling me about the link-up! I will definitely join in.
Love that you pinned the workout – let me know how your body likes it 🙂
I seriously need to come by you to do my next long run….I could use some company on my long runs!!!!!
I was just at Lowe’s yesterday to get a new deep freezer and I was totally coveting the fridges. Mine came with my house and I have no idea how old it is, but I want a new one :). By the way, I hate going to home improvement stores! I want everything I see while I stand around and wait for hours to get help :). I think they do that on purpose!!!
I am off for a run in the snow “http://milesandblessings.com 🙂
I hope you had a great snowy run! Right after a good snow, when the sun is out, is just the best time to run. I so wish we could run together! The miles would FLY by! And I know what you mean about home improvement stores!! I wanted to buy an “extra” freezer while we were there 🙂
It was a very pretty run. It snowed giant flakes on me for the last 3 miles :). I am seeing all these crazy warnings about the snow headed east! Are you in an area that is going to get hit hard? We have not had an extra freezer since we moved here and I NEED one! My freezer is stuffed!
Oh yeah – we’re in the eye of the storm! So far we have about 12 inches and 30+ mph winds. We’re supposed to get about 12 more inches before all is said and done. Good times.
My week was pretty good. That really sucks that your refrigerator shit the bed like that. I hate it when an appliance goes like that because it is never cheap to replace it. I have a Kitchen Aid refrigerator that is about 18 years old. I don’t know how it’s been running that long but I’m good with it. That lettering is pretty obnoxious. Socks yes but just make sure they have the L & R’s on them because then you would be totally confused. We watched Backstrom and I loved it but the hubs is on the fence about it!
That is funny about Backstrom! I’m glad at least you and I are on the same page:-)
My aunt has had her fridge since 1993 and wants it to die but it just won’t. It’s so cliche but they really don’t make them like they used to!
Big boo to the 6 year old fridge going out!!! What is with all the labeling – it’s like L & R on socks!
Chris really wants to see American Sniper but I don’t know if I can do it – military movies cause me a lot of stress. I love that he talked about the respect for the National Anthem – it amazes me how rude people are all the time and how many people don’t even know the song. (one of my pet peeves:)
CRS is funny with her beginning pace and her comeback to you – I know that you will easily run all 7:xx maybe even faster!!!
She’s a funny one…keeps me on my toes 🙂
I hear you on the movie. I get totally stressed out too but I really want to see it. That passage in the book really had an impact on me. I will absolutely be paying attention from now on!
I really want to read American Sniper too. I have to say, after being in the military and my husband still in the military I get very upset when people talk or don’t take hats off during the National Anthem. Women are the biggest culprits. I think they think only men are supposed to take hats off….no way. Everyone should take them off. One of my biggest pet peeves. Ok, off my high horse 🙂
I have to confess that I never take off my hat. I won’t let that happen again!!
😉
Last week was busy! That stinks about the fridge – they really don’t make things the way they used to. Ours is about going but we are holding out until the last possible minute. I didn’t realize American Sniper was a book. I am reading Think and Grow Rich!
HA! I love that you are reading that book!!
When you go to buy a new fridge do not get an Amana!
Woohoo, NYC!
The fridge labels made me laugh. Like, out loud. It’s not a toy refrigerator, people!
Have fun in Vermont!
Right!!! Thanks Alison.
hahaha “They all suck equally.” I could say that about so many different things. I am sorry to hear about your fridge and those labels would drive me batty! Serial is addictive and now I want to read the American Sniper book too. And come on Allie – you can totally run 6:40 in NYC. And hey! I can read that swim set!!
Oh another one fluent in swim! I like it 🙂
I’m glad YOU think I can do 6:40 for NYC but 7’s will be more then enough for me to try and handle!!
NYC!!! Woo Hoo! I’m still excited. 🙂 Those labels would make me return that fridge. It’s better if you don’t hear anything about Serial – but tell me you’ve watched the SNL Serial skit?? It won’t give anything away and it’s hysterical (and spot on). I love your strength training routine, I approve whole-heartedly.
If I could have without going though another huge hassle, I would have returned the fridge ASAP. It’s not as bad now that I have stuff in it, but still…
I have NOT seen that skit! Must Google now…
I finished Serial…I won’t give anything away but feel free to message me when you’re done! And now that I read Carly’s comment above, I’m googling the SNL skit right now..
Oh I will definitely message you. I think we need a whole chat room about this…
I’m laughing about “they all suck equally.” Well.. gee. Doesn’t anything out there work well? And I love how bossy your fridge is – telling you where to put things.
Sad about the kashi pizzas from the old one!
It IS so bossy! Where does it get off? And yes, I was very sad about my beloved pizzas. I have to go to a completely different store (25 min away) to get them.