Frankenstorm

As of Monday 10/29 - Over the course of 4 hours, Kevin and I have been able to 

• Amass a nice reserve of water for us and Barley
• Fit in a shopping trip for other vitals such as Starbucks frappuccino (gotta get coffee somehow!) and batteries 
• Make fresh popcorn and get other food supplies
• Get all the blow-away-able stuff secured or brought inside (well, I hope so)
• Strategically place candles throughout the house
• Put away the kiddos toys or other items that would be a nice tripping hazard in the pitch black
• Do laundry and put away the laundry
• Do all the dishes
• Run 3 miles (on the treadmill)
• Eat dinner
• Get the kids to bed
• Get the bathrooms cleaned
• Charge all essential items (and some non-essential, but nice to haves)

It's amazing how a time crunch can motivate and focus you! It's starting to snow/rain and the wind gusts are really picking up. Luckily we still have power, but we'll see how long that lasts....

Until next time...

Stay safe and dry!

UPDATE: Tuesday 10/30 - We were lucky and really didn't get hit with much. It rained a lot and was windy, but we didn't even lose power! Now the temperatures have dropped enough that it's gently snowing. Now we have enough bottled water to supply our next race. Kevin mentioned that if he ever runs into the local weatherman, he wants to throw all the D batteries and water that we purchased at him. :) I guess we will be better prepared for the next weather storm...which is likely to be a blizzard!

Welcome to October!

By the time I actually post this, it's closer to the end of October, but I started it closer to the beginning....The beginning of October also means the end for a few things. Namely, the end of Maddie's first soccer season and our CSA. Both had a good run and we are looking forward to when they begin again next year!

Week 18 - Cabbage, Onions (white and red), Garlic, Potatoes, and Acorn Squash

The last picture for our CSA. We got some heartier vegetables this time that should keep for a while. It was a great experience and we will certainly sign up again next year!

Maddie probably had one of her best games for the last game. It was a completely miserable morning...cold, windy, and rainy. Luckily, the other team only had 3 kids (it's 3 v 3), so we played shortened quarters and had a shorter half. Most of the season, Maddie didn't want to kick the ball in the middle of play. A prime example was when one of her teammates threw in the ball to her and she just stepped aside and let it go out of bounds. During the last game, she was more involved in play and seemed to have more fun. It was a fun experience and we look forward to next year!

Coach Kevin directing the kids to their goal

The end of the last game

Maddie and Coach Dad

It was a chilly last game!

Orange Smiles!

 The kids have finally decided what to be for Halloween (I think). Miles is going to be a train conductor and Maddie is going to be a ballerina. Miles costume was easy enough and he doesn't seem to have a strong opinion on what he is. Mad, however, has changed her mind quite a few times. First it was Ariel, then it was a princess (what she was last year), there was something else, then she has decided on a ballerina. Luckily, she came upon this idea because she has a crazy white, purple, and black tutu. I will just have to get some ribbon to make her ballet shoes, find a leotard (or something similar), and put her hair in a bun and we should be good to go!

We finally made it to Vale Wood Farms Pumpkin Patch days. The kids had a great time seeing the animals, running through the maze and down the slide, and picking out their pumpkins. We will be carving 2 pumpkins and painting a few pumpkins. It's always a fun time, but if you missed it, you will have to wait until next year!

Milkmen Maddie and Miles - I guess I can only get 1 picture with each having their eyes open!

Playing in the corn box. Luckily they didn't learn from the other kids and dump the corn on themselves!

One of my running goals for 2012 was to break 1000 miles. I realized late last year, that I was close to doing so, but ended up at 985 miles. As of Oct 11, I hit 1000.5 miles! The number continues to climb, but I have smashed the total miles that I ran last year. I ran my longest training run last weekend of 20 miles. From here on out it's taper time. I was supposed to go 16 miles over the weekend, but since I was still recovering from being sick, I was happy with my 12 (although VERY tired by the end). 

Week 13
Day 1 (M) - 3.00 miles in 27:35
Day 2 (T) - Rest Day
Day 3 (W) - 6 miles in 50:45 - 1 mile warmup, then 4 miles up tempo, and 1 mile cooldown
Day 4 (T) - 4 miles in 38:30 on the treadmill, I can never run fast on the treadmill. Something just gets in my head!
Day 5 (F) - Rest Day
Day 6 (S) - 14.0 miles in 2:10:00 - got this one in early in the morning on a slightly rainy day before Mad's last soccer game
Day 7 (S) - Rest Day

Weekly Total - 27.65 miles

Week 14
Day 1 (M) - 3.02 Miles in 26:52
Day 2 (T) - 9.28 miles in 1:19:15 - Negative Split run and longest week night run! First 4 miles in 34:55 (8:44/mile), second 4 miles in 33:58 (8:30/mile), last 1.28 miles in 10:22 (8:04/mile)
Day 3 (W) - Rest Day
Day 4 (T) - 4.52 miles in 39:42 around Town
Day 5 (F) - 3.11 miles in 27:36, easing up before the big one tomorrow!
Day 6 (S) - 20 miles in 3:05:31 - I had to go into work prior to running, which may have been a good thing since it allowed me time to have a good breakfast and be properly fueled for the run. I had company and a lot of encouragement from Maureen, Meghan, and Sarah. I certainly couldn't have got through the run without their help!
Day 7 (S) - A well earned rest day!

Weekly total - 39.93 miles

Week 15
Day 1 (M) - Additional Rest Day since my knee was bugging me a bit
Day 2 (T) - Really sick, no run
Day 3 (W) - Still sick, so still no run
Day 4 (T) - Still recovering, luckily this was the first day of running I really missed
Day 5 (F) - 2 miles on the Treadmill in 20:54 - I took it slow since I had a bad cough and was still getting over being sick
Day 6 (S) - 11.70 miles in 1:55:34 - Took it nice and slow since I still had a cough and wasn't feeling 100%. I was hoping to get 13, but my body told me to be done and I listened
Day 7 (S) - Rest Day

Weekly Total - 13.70 miles (Target was 26), so I was a little shy, but hopefully the sickness will be long gone before the Marathon in 3 weeks....GASP!!

Until next time....hopefully I get 1 or 2 posts in before the marathon!

It is officially fall

Ok, so the official day was a week ago. It was on a run earlier in the week that it felt, smelled, and looked like fall. This is definitely one of the best times to run.

The soccer season is winding down. I think Mad enjoyed meeting new people and running up and down the field. She did not really like kicking the ball. Makes playing soccer a little difficult, but she is only 4. So there is more time to develop into a World Cup and/or Olympic Gold Medalist. :) Ha.

Two weeks ago Kevin and former teammates from SFU/SFC participated in Reach the Beach, NH. They were one of the last teams to start, but were the first team across the finish line! The guys won the relay in 19:44:59, averaging 5:50/mile. The full set of results are here.

Winning Team - SFCMXC

Miles came down with hand, foot, and mouth the same day Kevin was leaving for NH. Since he was contagious, he couldn't go to daycare, so I had to take time off to stay home with the kids. It was nice to spend the extra time with them and I used that as the response to my mom guilt since I felt I wasn't getting to spend enough time with them. We did a scavenger hunt, colored, played a few games, watched a movie, and made our own pizzas! We had a fun weekend, but were happy with Kev/Daddy came home!

Finding a rectangle on the scavenger hunt

Miles adding the sauce to the pizzas

Maddie adding cheese to the pizzas

 I can't say we have been doing much more than working, running, and spending the little remaining time with the kids. This past weekend was PotatoFest in downtown Ebensburg. The beautiful day meant it was completely packed. The kids enjoyed the potato patch where they could play games, do crafts, and most importantly get balloons! It didn't take too long for Miles' sword and Maddie's flower to pop, but they got to enjoy them for a little while. We also got to enjoy fried pierogies, sweet potato fries, and kettle corn. 

Kevin also spent some time at SFU for the annual XC meet. It wasn't quite the reunion it is with the guys (since most did RTB and couldn't make it), but it was a beautiful day for those who did attend. 

There is only one more week for our CSA. We certainly have enjoyed the various produce that we received each week. It enabled us to try new vegetables and new foods. We look forward to next year and hope the growing season will be just as plentiful!

Week 15 - Celery, Garlic, Jalapenos, Parsley, Potatoes, Red Onions, Sweet Red Peppers, Tomatoes, Yellow Beans, and Head Lettuce

Week 16 - Basil, Bell Peppers, Cabbage, Eggplant, Garlic, Onions, Potatoes, Salad Mix, and Spaghetti Squash

Week 17 - Hot Banana Peppers, Butternut Squash, Garlic, Leeks, Onions, Potatoes, Red Cabbage, Salad Mix, Sweet Peppers, and Green Beans

Ah running, I do enjoy the time we spend together, but I think I'll need a break come November 11th! For the month of September, I ran my highest total ever - 160.25 miles. Today (Sunday 9/30) was supposed to be a rest day, but I was 0.4 miles shy of 160. So I went out and ran 0.65 miles just to hit that mileage. This past few weeks have been a high mileage week, an "easy" week, and another high mileage week. Luckily, my 19 miler went really well. My 20 miler is in 2 weeks, so here's hoping it goes just as well.

Kevin dialed back the mileage after RTB, when he actually caculates his mileage in the past few weeks, then I'll report what he has run!

A look at the past few weeks:
Week 10
Day 1 (M) -Rest Day
Day 2 (T) - 8.01 miles in 1:07:34 this was negative split with the second 4 miles faster than the first
Day 3 (W) - 3.0 miles in 25:08 at CC track
Day 4 (T) - 3.53 miles in 33:29 with Sarah
Day 5 (F) - 4.0 miles in 36:38 on the treadmill...this was an interval workout while home with the kids
Day 6 (S) - 18.0 miles in 2:41:25 on the Ghost Town Trail while my Dad biked. Ran this a little too fast and I think it hurt my hamstring...
Day 7 (S) - Rest Day

Total mileage for the week - 36.54

Week 11

Day 1 (M) -3.53 miles in 31:19 on GTT
Day 2 (T) - 6.82 miles in 59:11 around Crestwood - this was a miserable and soggy day and I didn't want to venture onto New Germany Road
Day 3 (W) - Rest Day
Day 4 (T) - 6.59 miles in 56:13 on GTT - a 2 x 2 mile up tempo run
Day 5 (F) - 3.02 miles in 26:31
Day 6 (S) - 13.06 miles in 2:01:43, I ended up cutting the run 1 mile short because my hamstrings hurt
Day 7 (S) - Rest Day

Total mileage for the week - 33.02




Week 12

Day 1 (M) -Additional rest day for my hamstrings
Day 2 (T) - 8.04 miles in 1:13:59, slow and steady is the name of the game this week
Day 3 (W) - 3.01 miles in 28:30 on the treadmill
Day 4 (T) - 5.51 miles in 49:28 - hill repeats on a soggy day
Day 5 (F) - 3.25 miles in 31:43 on the treadmill
Day 6 (S) - 19.07 miles in 3:02:49, felt pretty good for the whole run
Day 7 (S) - 0.65 miles in 5:46...had to break 160 miles for the month!

Total mileage for the week - 39.53

Until next time...

Hmmm....

I have been trying to update the blog weekly, but lately that hasn't really happened. There just seems to be so much we need to do that I don't have the time to sit in front of the computer. It's not necessarily a bad thing, it's just reality.

I can't think of anything real extraordinary from the last two weeks, we have just been living life. I got to enjoy a longer Labor Day weekend because I took an extra day off. That Friday, our neighbors in the back left corner decided to clear out the lot beside them. For a long time, an old man had used the lot to grow trees, shrubs, and grass. We're not really sure what the point was, but it did help make our backyard very private. Well, over the course of the day, that privacy was lost. It appears that the new owners are going to build something in the lot, we just aren't really sure what. At this point, we are going to see what they will be doing before deciding what we are going to do.

We did get to spend Sunday of Labor Day weekend at the cabin. The weather held out and it was really nice just to sit outside and relax. 

The woods around the cabin are perfect for fern growth!

A fire perfect to make smores!

Luckily over last weekend, Mad's soccer game was cancelled. It was pouring down rain and there was a threat of severe storms, so they ended up cancelling the games. It was nice to have the extra time to get stuff down. Plus I had been called into work at 4 AM, so I was a bit tired.

We are getting to the end of the "summer" vegetables in our box for the CSA. This past week was the last for corn. It was nice to get corn every week this summer, but Butler County sweet corn is still by far the best! In the coming weeks we are supposed to start getting more of the fall and winter vegetables. 

Week 13 Box which contained - corn, eggplant, green beans, lettuce, onions, hot and sweet peppers,  plum tomatoes, potatoes, saladette tomatoes, and tomatoes

Week 14 Box which contained - basil, beans, corn, eggplant, garlic, green beans, lettuce, onions, carmen sweet peppers, plum tomatoes,  saladette tomatoes, and tomatoes

Training for the marathon continues to go well. The past two weeks were week 8 and 9 for training. Kevin and I are both on an 18 week training program, so we are half way there. So far the training has been good with minimal upsets and really bad runs. Hopefully the second half is much of the same. I'll certainly be getting into the longest runs I have ever completed!

Week 8 - Lighter Week in mileage, I needed this too!

Day 1 (M) - Fun Workout - Kevin and I played some basketball in the driveway. I beat him at HORSE. :)

Day 2 (T) - 4.09 miles in 36:36 with Sandy

Day 3 (W) - 5.13 miles in 43:55 with mid 3 miles at "race pace" not that I really know what my race pace will be yet and the 3 miles were probably faster than race pace

Day 4 (R) - 3.5 miles in 33:11 with Sarah

Day 5 (F) - 4.00 miles in 35:42 on the dreadmill. This was a disasterous attempt at a 7 mile run since the girl child kept coming to talk to me every few minutes

Day 6 (S) - Rest Day

Day 7 (S) - 14.56 miles in 2:16:38 - the Lemon Drop Loop - let me just say, it's a heck of a climb up Lemon Drop Road through the golf course. Always feels good to conquer those runs!

Week 9 - Back to higher mileage. It looks like temperatures will drop after this week, YEAH!

Day 1 (M) - Rest Day...after the run yesterday, this was much enjoyed

Day 2 (T) - 3 miles in 26:24 on the dread

Day 3 (W) - 7.07 miles in 58:01 mostly on the track. This included a warm-up and cool down. The workout was 4 x 1 mile with 0.25 mile recovery.

Day 4 (T) - 3 miles in 27:44 on the dread, my legs were tired from the workout the night before

Day 5 (F) - 6.07 miles in 51:54 around town...it was hot!

Day 6 (S) - Rest day... I was happy to have the day off since I got called into work at 4 AM

Day 7 (S) - 17.46 miles in 2:43:23 - the same Lemon Drop Loop as the week before, but this time I started from home and added running through Emerald Estates. 

Kevin tapered a bit in week 9 since he is running a 200 mile relay - Reach the Beach NH - with his SFU teammates next weekend. I am going to have to figure out running an 18 mile long run and something to do with the kiddos. Don't think I can run up and down my street for nearly 3 hours! Anyway, in week 8 Kev ran 62 miles, including the same Lemon Drop Loop (he started from home). In week 9 he ran 56 miles. 

This will be an interesting week with Kevin being away for part and getting in all my miles. Luckily, my parents are awesome and will be able to help me out over the weekend. The weather really changed on Saturday after the storms moved through. The cooler temps are a welcome change from the hot and humid days of summer. 

Have a wonderful week...or two!

Where did the past 2 weeks go?

Really? I am trying to do 1 post a week and I couldn't manage that last week. Two weeks ago was a blur since I worked a lot and late. Of course I can't complain too much since I ended up taking Thursday off to spend time with the kiddos. 

A tea party with the kids and Baabaa

This was the first week of soccer. Kevin is the coach and does really well with the kids. There are 5 kids on the team. Two girls and 3 (maybe) boys who are all 4. He is still working on getting them to understand that you can't use your hands. There are 2 more practices this week and the first game is next Saturday. They are certainly entertaining and fun to watch.

Mad shooting on goal

Another delicious box for the CSA this week. The Asian eggplant is long and skinny. We made eggplant parm again. I think we have eaten more eggplant in the last few weeks than in the last few years. With all the veggies and all the running, Kevin (and a little me) have really been craving carbs. 

Week 11

Basil

Bell Peppers (Sunset)

Cabbage

Corn

Eggplant (Asian)

Garlic

Onion

Saladette Tomatoes

Tomatoes

Green Beans

Not too much to say about my running this week. I got in it when I could find the time. My long run went really well!

Day 1 (M) - 7.04 miles in 59:29 - just a simple run around town
Day 2 (T) - Rest Day forced by too much craziness!
Day 3 (W) - 3.00 miles in 24:20 on CC track
Day 4 (T) - 5.73 miles in 52:31 - hill workout up the hill from CC to Highland
Day 5 (F) - Rest Day! Needed after a crazy week!
Day 6 (S) - EARC day at Canoe Creek - 4.08 miles around the lake on the trails in 41:26
Day 7 (S) - GREAT run on GTT from Twin Rocks up to near RT 219 and back. 15.0 miles in 2:12:07 with the mid 7 at race pace averaging 8:32 min/mile...which is faster than I was thinking, but I felt really good. Plus when the surroundings look like this, it's hard to not enjoy the run!

That put me at 34.85 miles run in a total time of 5:09:53.

Ghost Town Trail at Twin Rocks

The next week was also a blur with soccer and running again. The kids seemed to respond better at practice and were excited for their first game. Maddie's team did well and the game went better than expected. By the end of the game, they picked up on what they were supposed to do and the "goal" of the game.

Mad dribbling the ball up the field

Dad showing Maddie how to do a throw-in

Miles bugging out at the playground during Mad's practice

It was week 12 for our CSA.  Lots of tomatoes this week. Plus a variety of colors of sweet peppers. The red peppers are especially delicious. And more eggplant...this time I made Baba Ghanoush. We picked up fresh pitas from our favorite Greek restaurant to go with it. It was quite tasty and a nice change from eggplant parm. 

Week 12

Corn
Eggplant
Leeks
Peppers –Red & Sweet Banana
Red Cabbage
Saladette Tomatoes
Tomatoes
Broccoli

It was a busy week and my mileage was upped. I also got in my longest run ever - 16 miles. I am looking forward to a slightly dialed back week next week! 

Day 1 (M) - Rest day after a hard 15 miles the day before

Day 2 (T) - 3.48 miles in 29:34 - run home from Maddie's soccer practice from Revloc Park on the GTT

Day 3 (W) - 3 mile tempo run with warm-up and cooldown for a total of 5.51 miles in 45:50

Day 4 (R) - 3.57 miles in 30:50 - run home from soccer again

Day 5 (F) - 7.64 miles in 1:06:19 - missed this run on Monday, so put it in Friday. It was HOT out...

Day 6 (S) - 16.0 miles in 2:27:33 - the final 4-5 miles with Sarah...so much easier when running with people!

Day 7 (S) - A much needed rest day!

I ended up with a total of 36.2 miles last week in a time of 5:18:11. If you look at the 7 day period of Sunday to Saturday I ran a total of 51.20 miles! I don't have Kevin's mileage for the past 2 weeks. If I don't publish tonight...it won't happen! 

We also made the decision to purchase a treadmill to help with our training. It's the Sole F80 and hopefully we will decide this was a wise decision!! We also got a new toy to go with the treadmill, the new iPad! It's a lot of fun to play with and the kiddos are really enjoying all the games that they can play.

Fun with Photobooth!

This week is a little more free time there are no longer soccer practices since the games have started. We are hoping to get caught up on things around the house and look forward to a extended Labor Day weekend!

Have a wonderful week!

Out with the old and in with the new

The 2012 Summer Olympics come to an end today. The USA men in the marathon this morning were a little disappointing. Meb Keflezighi finished in 4th, but Ryan Hall and Abdi Abdirahman both dropped out. I guess we all have our bad races, but it's a shame that they couldn't have finished even if they didn't have a chance to win. We really enjoyed watching most of the events (synchro swimming and rhythmic gymnastics were lost on both Kevin and I), but it will be good to free up some time and get to bed at more normal hours! We are definitely looking forward to Rio in 2016. 

As such an exciting 2+ weeks of sports comes to a close, we will be beginning a new chapter of sports in the Doyle house. Mad is starting U5 soccer! She will be coached by her dad and is really looking forward to it. The team starts practice this week with games starting on August 25th. This should be interesting! I should have some pictures to post next week.

It was week 10 for our CSA. The new item this week was cantaloupe and it was delicious! We are finding ourselves eating many more salads and vegetable side dishes this summer and it's delicious. It has been fun to try all the new and different items. 

Week 10

Cantaloupe
Corn
Eggplant
Green Peppers
Head Lettuce
Kohlrabi
Parsley
Saladette Tomatoes
Squash
Tomatoes

It is week 5 of marathon training. I had another 4 day week, but the mileage increased slightly. I'll add in an additional day of running next week, so the mileage will continue to increase. Kevin has also continued to increase his mileage and hit 62 miles in the 6 days he ran. Here's what my training looked like - 

Day 1 (M) - 7 miles negative pace in 3 mile, 3 mile, and 1 mile segments. I hit the splits I wanted on a nice hilly route. The first 3 miles were at 8:48/mile pace, the second 3 were at 8:24/mile pace, and the last mile was in 8:11/mile pace.

Day 2 (T) - Cross Training by doing a Nike Training App workout that consisted of lunges, squats, pushups, ab work, and other strength exercises. I was so sore for the next 2 days!

Day 3 (W) - Easy 6 miles in 52:12 minutes

Day 4 (R) - 3.2 miles in 28:00 minutes plus 8 strides

Day 5 (F) - Rest Day

Day 6 (S) - 14.02 miles in 2:08:50...the weather was so much better than the week before, nice and cool and fall-like.

Day 7 (S) - Rest Day

Did you remember to check out the Perseid Meteor shower over the weekend? We didn't last too long on Saturday night (the peak was between midnight and 6 am), but saw many meteors. Kevin even saw 2 this morning when he went out for his run. Have a wonderful week!

Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without. ~Confucius

We enjoyed watching all the Olympic coverage this week. I gave up on not knowing the outcome to many races/events prior to watching the prime time coverage. It didn't spoil watching the coverage though. One of the big races we were able to actually see live was the Men's 10,000 meters. If you happened to have missed that race, you really should check out the highlights here. Did you know that Galen Rupp is the first American Male to win a medal in the 10,000 since Billy Mills in 1964? Here is a clip from that race in 1964...love the enthusiasm of the announcers.

I ended up working overnight from Thursday to Friday and was home most of the day on Friday. I got to watch the prelims for the Women's 100 m dash. In the prelims, women who hadn't met the Olympic standards were allowed to race if they were the only woman to represent their country. Really they didn't have a chance to medal, but a few where the first woman to represent her country in the Olympics EVER. On Sunday we watched the Women's Marathon. It was great to see Desiree Devila start the race even with her injury, but she could only make it 2+ miles. Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher finished 10th and 11th on a day with the Olympic record was broken. The weather was all over the map for the race. It was fun to watch and we look forward to the Men's race.

The kiddos are really enjoying all the events of the Olympics. It's sweet when Mad asks if the runners are as fast as Mommy and Daddy. She is not afraid to tell you what she thinks about everything. The list of "Maddisms" is quickly growing. She is an awesome helper around the house. Miles is very into doing everything himself..."me do, me do" is a pretty frequent sentence out of his mouth. This includes picking out his clothes in the morning. The shirt is always a choo choo shirt if one is available. The shorts are usually what is available and there have been some interesting color combinations. Along with wanting to do everything himself he can be really stubborn and won't change for anything. 

It was week 9 for our CSA. Two new items this week were green beans and beets. The beans were just amazing raw. We roasted the beets and made beet, goat cheese, and pine nut sandwiches.

Week 9

Basil

Cabbage

Corn

Cucumbers

Green Peppers

Head Lettuce

Jalapeno Peppers

Squash

Tomatoes

Green Beans

Red Beets

As the title of this post would indicate, this was also a week about music. In this case, live music. On Friday night, JD Eicher and the goodnights played at PenEben Park in Ebensburg. The bassist in the band is one of Kevin's cousins (on the right below in all black). They play some covers, but most are original songs that are awesome. We really enjoy when they come to Eburg.

On Saturday night, we went to the (now annual) Clark's concert at the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum. It's a nice night out without the kids with all our friends. Despite a period of a little rain, it was a great show and fun night out. 

It is now week 4 of marathon training. The mileage was pretty consistent with the past few weeks, but I only ran 4 days instead of 5. The mileage will continue to increase this week as well. Kevin ended up getting in 60 miles last week. He also ran one fewer day than the previous week. Here's what my training looked like - 

Day 1 (M) - Fun workout; I set up an obstacle course around the backyard that the kids and I completed. We ran threw tires (ones I drew on the driveway), ran around trees, did jumping jacks, did situps, went under saw horses and over stepping stools, and to the finish. It was quite a fun workout.

Day 2 (T) - 6 miles in 58:31

Day 3 (W) - 2 x 1.5 mile workout, with 1 mile warmup and cooldown; the 1.5 miles were in 11:17 and 11:00

Day 4 (R) - Rest day - I need to start working in some cross training, but didn't have time this day

Day 5 (F) - 3.35 easy miles in 29:40

Day 6 (S) - 13.02 Long run in 2:01:19; it was hot and humid. I ran with Sandy on the trail for some shade, but the heat definitely got to me. I needed to finish strong and my last 3 miles were faster, but it was very tough and I was a bit out of it for mile 12.

Day 7 (S) - Rest Day

Enjoy the last week of the Olympics!

Bum, bum, bah bum, bum....

Ah, the iconic beats and horns for the Olympic Fanfare. There is something about that song and sound that I absolutely love. Yeah, I am an Olympics-aholic. I love watching all the events and hearing all the stories about the athletes. Kevin isn't a huge fan of the events that are determined by judges, but I will watch them all. So, for the next two weeks the Olympic coverage will be all that is on TV. When track and field (or athletics) starts on August 3rd...we will be glued to the TV! 


Unfortunately, we learned today that Desiree Devila will not be able to compete in the marathon in London due to an injury. It is always great to see runners that Kevin has a connection to competing at the highest levels. We'll still be cheering on the USA runners. This year, we'll also be cheering for Reid Coolsaet from Canada in the Men's Marathon. He was one of the groomsmen, along with Kevin, in a wedding for friends of ours. Plus, Kevin did run races against him years ago.


It was week 8 of the CSA and we got one of my favorites in the box - sweet corn! We also got eggplant this week. I used that and the zukes to make a vegetable lasagna where the veggies replaces the noodles. I also made my own sauce for the lasagna. It was a whole lot of work, but incredibly good. Maybe I'll make it again if we get more...but I'd also be ok with making eggplant parmesan too. 

WEEK 8
Carmen Peppers (sweet Italian) 
Corn 
Cucumbers 
Eggplant 
Head Lettuce 
Red Onions  
Salad Mix 
Squash 
Tomatoes














It was a good week of training. My mileage is picking up with longer workouts and weekend long runs. I ended up doing my long run at the Run with the Deer Fly 15k trail run. It was an incredibly challenging run, but a lot of fun! Here is a link to the race from my Garmin. I don't think it quite does the course justice. I tacked on a little at the end to bring my daily total to 10.60 miles instead of 11. 


Day 1 (M) - 5.04 miles in 43:22, mid 3 miles @ faster 
Day 2 (T) - 3.53 miles in 31:39, plus 8 striders up my road
Day 3 (W) - 6 miles in 50:38 with negatives splits for 2 mile segments - 1st 2: 17:34, 2nd 2: 16:41, 3rd 2: 16:21
Day 4 (R) - Off day due to thunderstorms in the morning and evening
Day 5 (F) -  3.13 miles in 26:22
Day 6 (S) - Rest Day with a walk with Maddie & watching Kev/Dad win the 5K
Day 7 (S) - Run with the Deer Flies 15K in 1:35:47, plus a little extra


That brings the total this week to 28.3 miles in 4:18:50. Kevin also got in a good week. His long run yesterday consisted of running 9ish miles, winning the Homecoming 5K (and a pie!), and then running another 5 miles to finish the day at 17 miles. For the week he ended up running 53.5 miles.


Enjoy watching the Summer Olympics! We certainly will be.

Another year older

A highlight (for me anyway) of the past week was my birthday. It's hard to believe that I am 32. I had an enjoyable day, even if I had to go to work. Kevin and the kids treated me very well. It started with beautiful flowers the day before my birthday and ended with a delicious dinner of Paella (we did throw out the clams that didn't open).

We tried to go to an Altoona Curve game on Thursday, but it ended up being rained out. It's been so dry all summer and the one night we actually make plans, it rains. Figures. We'll try for another game.


It was week 7 for our CSA. We definitely have a surplus of squash and tomatoes. We grew cilantro in one of our pots at home, so I made salsa with that and the fresh local tomatoes, garlic, hot peppers, onions, and limes (not local).

Week 7

Cabbage 
Cucumbers (or as Kev referred to it, a Ucumber)
Green Peppers 
Hot Banana Peppers (yellow) 
Kale 
Onions – red and white 
Squash 
Tomatoes 
Shell Peas












This was week 2 for marathon training. My workout on Wednesday ended up getting moved to Friday due to thunderstorms. Contrary to popular belief, we aren't completely crazy when it comes to running. There are some times we won't be out or have the kids outside! The start of my long run on Saturday was tough, but I made it through. My runs/workouts for the week - 

Day 1 (M) - 5.02 miles in 43:07

Day 2 (T) - 3.06 miles in 27:10

Day 3 (W) - Off day due to thunderstorms, should have done some XT, but didn't get to it

Day 4 (R) - 3.17 miles in 32:07 with Sarah

Day 5 (F) - 6.07 miles in 51:13; 3 x 1 mile - mile 1: 7:52, mile 2: 7:37, mile 3: 7:33

Day 6 (S) - 12.11 miles in 1:49:36 - last three miles with some friends and it was a great way to end the run

Day 7 (S) - Rest day!

This gave me a total of 29.43 miles for the week in 4:23:13. Kevin finished the week with 59 miles (in 6 days), which included running 26 miles on Saturday and Sunday alone. Ok, so maybe he is crazy!


Enjoy the cooler weather while it lasts!