Spring cleaning...'bout time I dusted off this blog!

What have I been up to lately in addition to ignoring this blog?

Breaking 1:45 in a half marathon last weekend, that's what!

And completing my 20-mile trail race in late February (though with less impressive results, IMO).

The Psycho Wyco 20 miler...well, I did it but I lost a little love for the trail-racing process.  What a great race day - late February and 60s and sunny with no precip in the preceding weeks?  Great conditions!  All of my worry over inclement weather gear was for nothing.  Good thing I procrastinated the purchase of any...still procrastinating in fact. 

The first 10-mile lap went well.  The few wet/muddy parts were no match for my new Balega socks which saved the day with such a dry, cushioned ride.  On the second lap of the race, I lost a little interest.   I was lonely and I felt as though I were just pounding out miles in single-file in packs of random strangers along a 10-mile lap.  Maybe I was just too familiar with the course, having run those same trails while training?  I don't know.  Just not as fun as I expected, though I can't really complain about a beautiful day in a beautiful park.  Really not every day can be magical run-nirvana, but it can still be a great day, and it was.  Also, I have never seen better aid stations or support crews.  I felt well taken care of -- a truly top-notch production, which is standard for the Trail Nerds. 

Also, I love the hoodie and super cool race medal with a spinning tornado!

Hoodies for everyone!

I did take this trail race opportunity to eat real food while running.  I hate gagging down gels and I get real sick of stuffing little bags of gummy candy in my sports bra, which is a sweaty tacky mess by the time I want a lickie/chewie.  The night before the Psycho Wyco i made some frozen peanut butter energy balls (no recipe needed, just scavenged ingredients from my tiny kitchen) which D loved and tested thoroughly.  I am not much for peanut butter, but with ground oats, pretzels, dates, honey, and just a little peanut butter to bind it all in little balls, I had a nice compact treat for me on the trail (and for D at the aid stations).  Of course, the aid stations were so well stocked that I would've been fine (and likely overstuffed) even without my homemade fuel.  Still, it was a fun project and I'm glad these treats provided a more palatable alternative to normal race "foods."  And as a bonus, I suffered no GI emergencies as a result.  That can be a real issue for me and hence why a lot of my training is on treadmill or in vicinity of facilities. Bummer indeed.  Pun intended, bien sur.  At this point I think I just need to get some bentyl. 

After trail running so much this winter, I missed the almighty road race.  I know, I know, it's a completely different gestalt but I am in love with asphalt's ability to test my training and my mettle and really challenge the clock.  I do not reach that happy I-can-barely-hold-on-to-this-pace-and-yet-here-I-am-holding-it-while-the-miles-whiz-by feeling while on the trails.  For me, the trails are pure fun/playtime and that's the mindset I should've embraced at the Psycho Wyco.  The road?  Well, that's where I see if my horsies can still take the age group. 

Last weekend I ran the Ray-Pec Lucky 13.1 Half Marathon in Peculiar, MO.  How could I pass up a race in a town with such a cool name?  Actually, after the 20 miler I felt trained up and ready for a nice road race half and the most convenient one happened to be sponsored by the Raymore-Peculiar High School cross country team.  The price was right, and my training was right and the weather cooperated too - gorgeous 55 degrees and light rain.  Perfect recipe for me to break the 8:00 pace, which I finally did after years of banging my head in the wall about it.  Nice that my time allowed to me win the age group, but the two ladies who finished overall ahead of me were like for reals light years beyond.  Maybe one day, that'll be me, when I drop 10 pounds and find a less all-encompassing job and stop knitting, and cease watching Acorn TV while eating Cheetos...lol...NEVER is more like it :)


The chip-timed course started at the high school with a lap around the track and then departs into the rolling hills of farm country.  It ends with the same lap around the track and at the end there is mac and cheese, fruit, raffle prizes, and an "old as dirt" cake for the 72-year old gentleman who was this year's most senior participant.  I hope that's me someday.  He finished in the low 2H area I believe.  Dang.  There is also a 5K race option.  The turn around was along the same course as the 13.1.  Some real quick kiddos out there, in both the 5K and the half!

The high school sports teams provided nice aid stations along the out-and-back course.  It's always refreshing to see high schoolers acting so courteously and with such pride in their school and community.  Man do I feel old having written that!  Anyway, I felt like Peculiar would be a nice place to live and raise a family (or chickens and dogs, also known as "family" in my world) not to mention a nice place to break 1:45.  

Remember all this blather?  Well I tossed training plans out the window long ago in order to de-regulate a little.  My go-to workouts have been like this:

• Long runs of ~10 miles or so at a chill pace.  Boring but necessary for endurance.
• Speed work: 6 or 7 miles of warm up mile/ half on 3:30 or faster, half mile at 4:00 or faster x 4 or 5 sets/cool down mile.  These are my favorite days.
• Tempo runs, done properly. Embraced, but not beloved.
• Hilly runs of about 5 miles done for mental fortitude. 

In other recent events, work is going well.  I got promoted, so that's cool.  In my free time I have been knitting a lot and tried using cotton yarn for the first time.  What was I waiting for?  It's lovely to touch.  It feels solid and American and resilient and doesn't stretch :).  I'm currently working on a washrag for the dog.  Yes I know, a hand-knit washrag for my dog.  It's just that she likes being lathered in the bath, and I don't want to use our hand-towels on her.  She abhors having water poured over her and yet loves to be scrubbed, so for $1.77 in Walmart cotton yarn I will aid in her bathtime compliance while keeping D happy that we don't share bath towels with a floor-licker (The dog.  Not me).  Long-haired short-legged dogs in muddy Kansas spring get bathed, often.  So it goes. 

Easter is around the corner and I am ready for Spring....though yesterday it snowed!  My neglected bulbs have prospered and popped up in huge patches and are unfettered by the chill so we enjoy some lovely blooms.   

I have two trips to Texas coming up (one for work and one for a wedding/follow on 10K, but as a workaholic they will both be mega-fun of course).  Unfortunately my medical mission trip to Haiti for April was cancelled.  I'm bummed and annoyingly out some $$ but it wasn't meant to be.  I am frustrated as I feel like I could have made a difference there -- yes, in a small way, but so important to me (and how I view my professional and moral responsibilities) and to the orphans we planned to treat.

Yesterday D and I finally had the chance to eat Korean food at Hyundai Korean restaurant in Leavenworth.  Boy oh boy -- good authentic bibimbap.  The restaurant appearance may dissuade you but be not afraid, the food is top notch and took us back to all the time we spent in Korea.  The huge portions may intimidate you (D couldn't even finish his) but be sure to make room for kimchi and all the little banchan sides that accompany your meal.  Prices completely reasonable.  

We love bibimbap in all forms but I suspect we will have it hot-pot style next time.  They also feature my other favorites of standard Korean fare- jap chae, bulgogi, khalbi.  Luckily I am going to take some leave to Korea this fall to visit friends, and for now this restaurant makes me miss them a little less.  The building is redolent with the scent of the land of the morning calm which I think crucial to any amazing Korean dining experience.  

We also enjoyed browsing in the attached Asian market.  I picked up some jasmine tea from China and wanted to grab piles of sweets too but Easter is next weekend and we have a pastel candy explosion in our house right now.  It's for Easter baskets for my coworkers, I swear!!

 In other news, I got my bangs back.  Finally feel like myself again.  The Division finally made its way into our home so D feels like himself again now too.

Happy Easter and enjoy your spring running.  I am looking forward to longer days, and sweat and shorts.  Sending lots of love your way:

So...yeah...maybe I was having a rough last mile and D suffered the wrath...SR-71s for everyone!!  Carefully displayed without any other witnesses of course.  This remains a favorite photo of his and may or may not grace the fridge at home :)

Christmas time and other favorite things

We've had some lovely days here...

 

 
...and done some Christmas preparation at Fulk's Tree Farm where I caught this 4-footer white pine, last Saturday after we ran the muddy North Ridge in Weston:

 

And Nugget even followed the rules, as much as she would've liked to become one of Santa's Lil' Helpers:

 
The tree lights sure brighten the entire tiny house:

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here!

I've been indulging in the Acorn TV subscription free trial on Amazon now that we cancelled Netflix...does anyone else watch Doc Martin and imagine living in his perfect village?  I sure do...though I'd rather he not be my GP!  The way I see it, trade the Missouri River for the cliffs of Cornwall, and there you are, Leavenworth is Kansas' version of Portwenn.
 
Among other unbearable quaintnesses, we've a tea shop walking distance from home, next to a knitting shop, yoga studio, various restaurants and bars, and cupcake shop.  How this small town supports such enterprises is a mystery to me, but I won't complain.  D and I support local shops frequently, and hope lots of others do too.  We don't just buy twee nonsense in town -- our title company is downtown, our major appliances all came from Dolsberry Appliance and local contractors did all the work on our house, apart from the 150 feet of privacy fence that D built by hand in 2 weeks, after work and on weekends.
 
Last week, after our office Christmas party at Ten Penny restaurant, some galpal workmates and I walked a few blocks to The Queen's Pantry as we delayed our return to the office...how had I missed this wonderful place before?

The entryway is full of delicate china tea sets, displayed amid all sorts of treats and sweets from the UK.  Further back, an entire wall of shelves houses large jars of tea, with canister samples for sniffing each and every blend (which I did, tyvm). There is of course a corner set aside with Styrofoam cups and thermos for tasting the day's featured tea.  Boxed teas are available too, and just about any tea-cessory you'd like - cozies, towels, balls, jams, marmalades, tea cakes, fruit slices, sugar tongs.  I even spied Marmite and Colman's mustard for those of us who prefer our treats savory. 

The teas are grouped by red/black/white/green with some set-aside novelty blends featuring additions like marshmallow and chocolate chips...which I really don't like in my tea at all, but might tickle the palate for others.

Can we take a moment to talk about tea?

I have lots, of all sorts.  My ol' reliables are Yorkshire Gold, Darjeeling and Lady Grey.  I like spiced teas in the colder months, like Twining's Christmas Tea and of course Constant Comment.  Green tea is nice at work late in the afternoon when I wish to avoid too much caffeine.  I've convinced myself that it aids digestion, and it reminds me of all the time I spent in Japan and Korea years ago.

Lately I've been warding off the evening chill with the tisanes I just purchased from Queen's Pantry.  My favorites are Lemon Souffle Rooibos (creamy and lemony just as it's named) and a highly aromatic Men's Herbal Brew (yeah, yeah, so maybe I call it Men's Urkelgrue) which tastes mostly of anise, lemongrass, ginger with a pleasant cardamom (or pepper?) bite, nestled in a base of rooibos as well.  Isn't it funny and sad that after all these years I can pretty much quote every episode of the Office by heart?

And here is me not starting down the path of discussing gender-specific tea (fairly, they do sell a Women's Herbal Brew) so all you SJW can have a nice cuppa and calm down right about now!

I've enjoyed red teas for years and the new ones I picked up are pleasant excursions from the typical vanilla-dominated blends.  The rooibos are not truly teas, and have no caffeine, so I allow myself to drink these teas by the pot!

Only 938709858364+ more teas remaining from Queen's Pantry for me to try...


A tea Snellen!  I love it so much I can't bear to use it as a tea towel yet!

Though I haven't visited the Leavenworth Yoga Co-op or yarn shop (for fear of overdosing on downward dogs and skeins of merino) we've ordered cakes from Karma Cakes on several occasions.  I declare them the best bakery in town and at reasonable prices, too.  You can't go wrong with a bake shop that decorates freshly-baked cupcakes with not just homemade frostings but cookies and candies too.

If you don't have a local tea shop, feel free to support mine and order online!

After all these tea parties I've been having, D and I cure our cabin fever and run the trails in Wyandotte County Park weekly as we prepare for the Psycho Wyco.  It's lovely to run in the chilly rain and just yesterday in the late afternoon, after work, I tested out some more variations of my winter gear plan.  I wore shorts (yes! this was a good move), my old trail shoes, a base-layer long sleeve shirt with zippered collar, a looser, fleecier middle layer with thumb-holes, and a light zippered jacket.  For 40 degrees in mild rain and minor winds, with the addition of a hat (the one I'm wearing in my tree-catching picture) it was perfect.  We ran one of the hilliest and muddiest segments of the race path yesterday and I could moderate my temperature well with zipping/unzipping/donning/doffing.  Learning has occurred!

Today we are off of work for the rest of the day and planning to run some errands before heading to midnight mass.  I'm not sure where we will run today.  D got called in to work at 1 am this morning and so I'm trying hard not to wake him. 

Tomorrow is Christmas brunch out with friends. 

It's a lovely day here, as long as I stay away from streaming news and thinking about work too much.

The sadness of the whole world weighs heavily, but Christmas gives us all hope that maybe this won't always be so.  I'm ever thankful for the blessings in my life and I wish the same to you.

A Merry Christmas to you and yours!


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Inclement weather gear test 1...of many, it seems

Among the so many things for which I am thankful, I got to try out my bad/wet/cold/snowy/rainy running gear yesterday. 

The first real day of cold and wet Kansas winter weather started Thanksgiving morning, at almost exactly the moment we left our house to walk Nugget.  Not 100 yards from home, the soft rain turned cold and fierce as westerlies gusted and chilled us to the bone.  The rest of our walk became a run and Nugget, Eskimo fur and all, willingly complied with an abbreviated walk.

We waited all day for the weather to improve so that we could run outside.  It didn't! 

Instead I drove to Weston for a quick 5K with the hope that the trees would shelter the running path from the rain and more forceful blusters.    I plan on running the Psychowyco in February, so why not try out my cold/wet weather plan starting now?  I figured. 

February weather around here could be anything, so I'd best prepare!

Well, my plan sucks.  My "rain jacket" is apparently only a wind breaker.  My running tights are seemingly water-absorbent, practically sponges!  Not so nice on a cold day.  Luckily I have enough flesh on my thighs that they rarely get cold.  My thermal Under Armor turtleneck overheated me.  The turtleneck part felt like a garrote, and I wished I'd worn instead a shirt with a zippered collar or even just a short sleeve shirt.  Cheapie knit drug-store throwaway gloves?  Dual purpose...if you want the dual purposes of keeping your fingers wet and extra cold.  My hat - fleece beanie (an old PT hat)  kept my hair dry, but I was too hot a mile in and taking it off left my scalp to suffer an ice-mop of hair.  I need something breathable yet water repellent.  So, limited luck yesterday.  I wish I'd worn my running sleeves, a short sleeve shirt, and an actual rain jacket (I don't have one).  The leg sponges at least prevented water from dripping into my shoes, but a more technical/evaporative fabric would be nice. 

If I'd been out longer than a 5K, my feet would've been soaked and frozen, but that's not usually bothersome to me.  On a side note, I do look forward to a new pair of trail shoes.  My old ones are torn and tread-bare and won't hold up much longer.  I want to branch completely away from the Mizuno family and see if I am happier in a Saucony trail shoe, just like I am for my daily runners (the Kinvara 6).  I committed to the Kinvara 6 even more and bought a second pair last week ($79.99 - a great discount!) while in DC.  I did go for a half size larger which I think is a better fit for thicker winter socks.  I am exceptionally pleased so far.

Anyway, thank you Kansas for the upcoming opportunities to try out winter running gear over and over again!

I retuned home from Weston a soggy chilled mess and prepared for our Thanksgiving dinner, planned at a friend's home.  D does not involve himself in the kitchen much so he snuggled up to finish The Man in the High Castle and I made a walnut cranberry pumpkin seed salad, which seems so insufficient, and so to compensate we brought lots of wine.  And a hostess gift of our halibut, sure, it's not customary, but it is darn well received! 

I hate when a dinner party host says to "bring nothing but your appetite!" because then I am left to scramble and demonstrate not only my lack of creativity but also precisely how poor a cook I am.  My friend is tres gourmet and I ogled the Viking appliances as I helped her/got in the way in the kitchen.  This was our first gluten-free Thanksgiving experience and it was awesome!  It doesn't hurt that my friend is an amazing chef who's been dealing with true celiac for years, but I could not tell that any of the items were gluten-free and we ate too much of everything, exactly as one is supposed to do.

Today it's even colder and the overnight freezing rain sealed our cars, steps, porch in a slick glaze.  Nugget slipped down the back staircase as she scurried out for her morning pee-pee, no worse for the tumble, but we don't plan on going many places today just in case the roads stay icy.  Well, we rarely venture out on Black Friday anyway.

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving and is ready for winter running season with at least a little more luck/preparation than I! :)

Wyco Lake Park Trail Run: Veteran's Day Fantastic 4 Miler

Poppies for remembrance!  Allow me to remember citing the source, here

 It's that most beautiful time of the year - fall- when mornings in east Kansas are chilly but full of sun and skies still baby blue.  There was a crunchy frost on the grass (and windshield!) this morning when D and I left home for the Trailnerds' Veteran's Day Fantastic 4-miler at Wyandotte County Lake Park.

Here we go!

 We've run with this troupe before at the saucy Mrs Robinson Romp 10K in March.  Today the Trailnerds again held a fabulous event.  The part we liked best is how the race is fuss-free and still so organized.  Registration is a breeze, the course is well-marked, the participants (human and canine) well-mannered, and the spectators full of cheer AND cowbell.  I like that these trail races are intended for runners of all abilities and ages:  young kids, older kids, middle-aged kids, and some kids who might even be members of the AARP.

The special event today was Veteran's (and public servants) Day.  For any EMS, police, fire department, current/former military, the race was FREE!  For all others, just $15!

To me the very spirit of America is that of intrepid volunteerism, which our public servants live out each day, no matter the austerity or dire nature of the situation.

Why not toast to them and those we remember with a 4-mile run?

Today's course started in the trails of the northeast corner of the Wyandotte County Lake, following the curves and the hills surrounding the reservoir.  Though the park is just one hill from I-435, it feels a quiet and peaceful world away.

View of the trail - from across the lake

View down the spillway

 D and I are same-day registration kind of people.  We arrived about 3 minutes before the start (still up for debate is who's to blame for our late departure...hint: it's not me) but we had just enough time to register and sprint to the start line.

The one thing I don't like about running (or riding) on hilly single-track is getting stuck behind a long line of runners.  It's a dicey maneuver to pass people (no matter how much verbal warning you provide) and I tripped a few times, losing footing on the shaky, slick, muddy hillsides, amid roots and rocks of all sizes.  Fallen leaves and dappled sunshine further obscured a clear view of the footpath, so I was glad I wore my old trail shoes.  Oh woe is me, to run on a perfect day in a beautiful place....

Immediately after taking this picture, D asked if I wanted my thighs in the frame....(????)

I guess he'll let me know how comfortable the couch is in the morning

Just like last time, we eagerly anticipate the race photos.  D likes to do silly poses and mostly I wonder, "there was a race photographer?  He didn't capture my snot rocket, did he?"

Many thanks to the Trailnerds volunteers, again part of why America is just so great.

I just haven't felt like being here so I've been other places

There's this daily routine I have - I've had it for years - and unfortunately of late it rarely includes appearing on this blog.  I'm fond of the routine, so I'll spare you any false promises to post more frequently.  Aren't we all spread thinly enough as it is?

I surprised myself and found that after nearly a year here in Kansas, I still love my job.  I'm so thankful for it.

We took a week trip up to Alaska in August, full of bike riding, hiking, and fishing of course.

Lost Lake, we found you

  

He smiles because I'm the one wearing the backpack

I snuggled with this sassy innkeeper:

And we caught our limit in halibut:

Heavier than it looks!

Not as heavy as it looks!

 As always, Alaska is a great trip.  A few years ago we wrote a big check in return for a nice piece of paper saying we own a few acres of the Last Frontier, but recently over late-morning weekend coffee talk we dramatize our retirement fears and I wonder if we should sell.  I love Alaska, but I worry about the costs as well as the perceived intellectual exodus from our beloved 49th state.  It pains me to write that, but in a few years, the Army won't be dictating where we live, and I don't want to make anything less than the perfect choice, now that we'll finally have one.  

Kachemak Bay...who would not be happy here?

 During my summer blog sabbatical I ran a few local races here and there, though I failed to make the 10-miler team (again!).  At such a slow pace, I'd be embarrassed if that time had qualified.  There's always next year.  The summer bothered and exhausted me (not just due to the heat) so I have 0 feelings to report about my running performance or lack thereof.  

In other news, I don't wear Mizuno Wave Riders (or Mizunos at all) anymore, and I am blissfully in love with the Saucony Kinvara 6.  I tried them on fully expecting to hate the 4mm drop, but it feels natural and easy.  I love the price, too, a full $20 less than my last pair of Wave Riders (18s). 

To break up the routine, D and I took a 2-day trip to Denver a few weeks ago.  Our loyalty to Southwest Airlines has paid off and we cashed in our stockpiled miles for free tickets and with our impossible 47000 hotel points our trip came to a grand total of $70 for a rental car, food, entertainment.  With keen budgeting like that, we might get to retire after all!  For old times' sake we attended the Dave Mathews Concert at Fiddlers' Green (Is it called that again?  Still?) and I sniffed peevishly in an effort to avoid the expected wafts of cannabinoid fog.  It's not a scent I enjoy and to head off any questions, yes, it's virtually impossible to pop hot on a urine drug screen via passive exposure.  At the expense of revealing my curmudgeonliness, I find Dave Mathews really tedious, especially live....what with the THC and patchouli-soaked fans and endless cacophonous recapitulation...it's no surprise then that my favorite part of the trip was our visit to the Denver Botanic Gardens. 

Before we arrived at the Gardens, we enjoyed the surrounding "moneyed hipster" neighborhood, where we stopped for lunch at Chef Zorba's.  I would eat there again and again!  D let me have the seat facing the window, and I annoyed him no end with my distracting questions, directed both to myself and behind his back: Does everyone here ride bicycles?  I drawled enviously at the passing Denverites, lean, healthy, full of nature, sun, kale, kefir, whatever.  Who are these people walking all these dogs?  I wondered, missing Nugget, cooped up at overnight camp.  Where are all these Vespas going? I asked of the steady stream of men, motoring down the road - hair thinning and bellies bethickened - adorning the aqua-blue scooters, zip zip. 

The DBG Offshoots Café is a treat and we enjoyed after-gyro raspberry lemonade.  We accidentally invaded no fewer than three beautiful wedding receptions, and excitedly floated from garden to greenhouse to pond.  D's favorite part?  The bonsai garden, hidden behind a corner of the Japanese tea garden. Among kare-san-sui paths, the bonsai garden displayed trees and shrubs native to the western prairie yet cultivated and "training" in bonsai pattern.  I never before knew of the tethers and fine wires pulling and tugging the tiny tree limbs, but now I am in awe of the time and orthodontia required for this art of bonsai.  Unlike D's discriminating tastes, I am a sucker for the bounty and ease of the perennial garden.  I left a little sad that we don't have the energy to recreate the intricate abundance of the Botanic Gardens at our home in Kansas, but it's only 600 miles down I-70 so we can return pretty easily on a future vacation.  I am sure we will.

In other news, I finally finished my Rustic X console table (inspired by Ana White).  It proudly holds our keys and odds/ends and TV.  It's a tad uneven, so it fits perfectly in the house:
 

Next up?!  Back to work, to running, and to a cedar-topped kitchen island, unfinished, awaiting a rainy day in my "workshop."  

Here's hoping you are well and wonderful, now and when I check in next!

WYCO Mrs Robinson Romp

Last weekend D and I ran our first trail run here in Kansas, the Mrs Robinson Romp!

He tends to have a little more fun with these things (race photography) than I do.  I was not aware of this at the time!  I have to channel all my mental energy into preventing photographic evidence of excessive thigh jiggle.  He is not concerned about such.

We ran the first 5K together and then we parted ways so I could finish the 10K loop, which, by all accounts, including my own, was steep, STEEP!!  The Trailnerds throw a lovely and low-key trail race and we will sign up for more of their events again.  I liked that pups are welcome, for a lower entry fee, and receive their own bib and race number.  Nervous Nuggie is not trail-compliant, and though the photos would have been cute, D expressed no desire to ruck a squirmy 25 pound dog for five kilometers.

Race morning was our first trip to Wyandotte County Lake Park.  We didn't have much time to explore, but we promised that after the trail race, we'd add this park to our weekend rotation.

We returned yesterday to ride road bikes around the park periphery and discover other amenities- an off-leash dog park, archery range, a many-tentacled lake stocked with trout.  The road around the reservoir (~7 miles, we guessed) suffers a lot of vehicle traffic, but if we'd cycled earlier in the day it may not have been so busy.  Still, the speed limit is 20 mph so it's far safer than some of the wider rural roads in this part of the state.

Other weekend events - spring cleaning.  Sourdough starter starting.  Raised beds for the garden, ahem, "garden."  As we approach retirement, I've become more budget-minded and earth-friendly than ever.  I decided that we could save money, reduce waste, and improve our health this spring in a few simple ways, mostly by cooking more, reducing our "wants," and growing more vegetables.

We value our time and the freedom to make life decisions unhampered by monetary compensation.  D is closer to retirement than I - but we've focused on changing our lifestyle and recognize that retirement from work can be sooner than we thought, if we can live in a decidedly less consumerist way.  Sure, maybe I just read too much Thoreau growing up, but we have a small home, shockingly small (623 sq ft!), considering we are two grown-up professionals with lots of stuff ("beware any enterprise that requires new clothes" - LOL I say, looking at the burgeoning closet D and I share).  We eat out far too often still, but due to the proximity of our home to downtown, we can walk the dog while we pick up takeout - saving gas, while reducing our stress and exercising the pupup!) and I cook more frequently.  My work hours allow me to start the slow cooker early in the morning before I leave, and by lunchtime, D can come home to a waiting hot meal instead of spending $15.  He likes to eat away from his desk as a mid-day mental health break and I'd never insist he brown-bag at work - he deserves the respite from the office and I know Nugget likes having a mid-day potty break. Though not in the trendy (or spendy) side of town, we picked a home close to work for these reasons exactly!

I joined the local library and though I still purchase quite a few professional journals and texts, I won't purchase any pleasure reading books - not with great apps like OverDrive or the generous renewal periods for hardcopy printed material.  My library also hosts a lot of free events both on weekends and weeknights - everything from How to Grow Your Own Food to a history of the Banana Wars and possibly even Grow Your Own Bananas.  I even walk to/from the library these days because my limited carrying capacity prevents me from ambitiously checking out too many books!

Certain expenditures are unavoidable, and for years at a time, we've had to run two separate households because we were living in different places, and of course, we bought lots of plane tickets.  Those high-spending times are past (for now) but we have to prepare ourselves in case we find ourselves separated again.

I know there are super savers out there, and estimable budgeteers as well, and I am not yet one - but I'm starting now because I don't want to find myself tied to a certain minimum paycheck in order to meet my standard of living.  The freeing idea to live simply, to be happy with less, means I am free to earn less and live more.

I made this raised bed last week to provide a cozy home for radishes, jalapenos, cucumbers, red bell peppers, dill, and beans.  I love gardening and though we have half an acre, it's clay.  Solid clay.  And hilly.  I made this raised bed to fit within our chain-linked dog run.  This keeps the neighborhood critters at bay.  Close to the house, it's a little warmer than other spots in the yard, and also sheltered from the wind, but has great southern exposure.  I planned that the stair railing could be used as a trellis.

Ta-Dah! I did something and it didn't suck completely!

It's roughly 2' x 4' and about 12" high.  I cut three 1" x 6" (8') into the panels and then screwed then into the corner 2"x2", which are each 14" long.  I used some old 1 1/2" screws, and the wood came from Home Depot, for about $18.00 total.  Now I don't know much about these things, but I don't think that a 1" x 6" is actually 1" by 6", it seems a little less, but on this manner of project, it doesn't matter at all.  I stained with what we had leftover from the fence and then nestled it into the slope of the dog run.

Veggie house

It took about an hour, start to finish.  D came out to monitor my progress midway and was impressed...which surprised me...

Is this what he expected?

Weston Bluffs Trail

Sunday afternoon Amon-Ra unleashed an unseasonable treat on this little corner of eastern Kansas.  The sun shone, the birds chirped, and it really did smell like earthy early spring.  I think temps almost reached 70F!

I celebrated yesterday by crossing the wide Missouri River and running a 6.5 mile roundtrip Weston Bluffs Trail at Weston Bend State Park.  The trail is a straight shot between two small towns on the outskirts of the state park- Beverly in the south, and Weston, at the trail's northern terminus.  I parked in the middle, and started from within the park, first heading south and then turning north.  The trail rolls along the south-coursing river, parallel to train tracks (frighteningly close to the train tracks in fact!).  To the south from the park trailhead, the path is pea gravel and sand.  To the north, it's paved. 

Afterwards, I took all these pictures...of another trail nearby.   

Sometimes I take Nugget to this park for a walk, and sometimes D and I run the hills on the paved bike path.  I think our trail loops and out-and-backs have covered almost every path option in the park.

A hidden gem, just 10 minutes from home.  

 
State Parks are a treasure! 

Today the weather remembered it's still February and I zip up my fleece outer jacket and leave for work in the dark. 

Happy running!

Mizuno Wave Ascend 7 trail shoes and why I love them

I am normally a devotee of the Mizuno Wave Rider, but I saw these on sale from Running Warehouse, and with an upcoming trail race (Desert Dash 10K) I thought a trail shoe would be a nice addition to my collection.

Fresh out of the box!

I was right-- these trail shoes saved my cankles from certain destruction during the rocky race.

These have a fit true to the rest of the Mizuno family.  The fit, of course, being the reason I buy them.

Sure, they are a little heavier than the Wave Riders, but that's to be expected.

I wore them for the very first time, no break-in, during my 10K and I had no problems with them.  No blisters, no hotspots, and I couldn't even identify any areas where the shoe was causing any irritation to my feet whatsoever.  To me, that's the start of a meaningful shoe relationship! 

And now, with a light dusting of "trail" on 'em

 On my trail run I felt like I had a good stable grip on the trail without the feeling of lugging gravel and mud with me.

These were also sturdy enough that my nail-less index toe felt protected from rocks and roots and gullies, which is not as true for my Wave Rider 16s what with their meshie-mesh construction.

My favorite feature?

The lack of dog-doo-doo crevice in the sole:

No free rides here!

In my Wave Riders, I seem to attract dog poop to hide out in there.  Gravitationally.  Yuck.

That's gravel, not a tooth, I promise!

 It's nice to have a diverse pair of shoes for trail runs.  Yes, the stability and larger base makes a difference.  I was never really a believer until I tried this trail-specific shoe.

Color scheme?  Very much to my liking.  Better, in fact, than the color choices available for the Wave Rider 16.  But that's just me, and I eschew light colors whenever possible.

In other news, I have been sick the past few days. I blame a bad salad I ate (even though it was delicious!).  I am so frustrated at not being able to run, nay, do anything of value other than vomit, but I'll try my legs out today.  

My personal generalized rule for sickness and running?  If it's above the neck, running = ok.  Anywhere below the neck, nah...better to take a day or three off.

Even so, today I'm sticking with a treadmill run, for safety's sake.  Also, it was 36 degrees outside last I checked, so yeah...indoors it is.

On Sunday I plan to watch the San Antonio RNR marathon.  I didn't register, but I'm going to cheer from the sidelines and support a classmate with cerebral palsy who is running the half!  I've never watched a race before and I can't wait to see how it is for the RNR series.  I have mixed feelings about a for-profit race organization but this may give me a glimpse into the hype, all the better to make my own judgment!

Who wears trail shoes and who doesn't?  It's taken me a good 10 years, but I'm sold on the idea, thanks to the Chihuahuan Desert and the Wave Ascend 7!