I bought new underwear

So I didn’t actually mean to stop blogging for a year and a half, I just sort of ran out of things to say. But I bought new underwear this week and it seemed like a good time to come back here and tell you about it.

I had not bought underwear for myself since around the time my first child was born (if you’re new here, just over seven years). I actually stopped wearing underwear during my first pregnancy because I gained so much weight they no longer fit me, and then I just sort of got used to it. (I still wear them to sleep in, fyi.)

But even my sleeping undies were getting pretty threadbare and when I needed another $14 to get the free shipping for my Amazon purchase (no I don’t have Prime, eat me), I thought it might be a good time to treat myself.

These are the ones I bought (no that is not an affiliate link) and they are great.

If you are friends with me on Instagram, you’ll already know I have done other things beside purchase underwear, but mostly the same old shit. I run around with the fam. I do races. I don’t shower or clean my house enough.

Last year, I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis in my left knee (cartilage loss, basically) so I am supposed to go easy on it but I honestly probably don’t. My knee swelled up all sicklike a couple of times and once I had the fluid drained (30 cc!), and I’ve also had a couple of cortisone shots (yeah, yeah I know) but I haven’t had it blow up in a while so I hope that means I’m taking better care of it.

The kids wanted to watch, okay?

In spite of that, I had a couple of really good races last year, and I updated my Races page if you care to check them all out, but most notably (to me, anyway) I ran a 23:00 5k and a 1:53 half marathon. I’ve done a couple of trail half marathons that both went poorly.

That was the least muddy part of the entire course.

I would like to start writing again because I feel like my brain’s grown a little mushy and I enjoyed the connection I had with my internet friends. But I’ll probably be infrequent and uninteresting as usual.

So what’s been going on with you? ❤

Winter here kind of sucks

 

JULY miles

Hi there! I’m back with another uninspiring running update!

Total miles: 95 miles – 14 more than June! Still can’t crack 100 but I’m getting closer.

Days running: 20 – one more days than last month.

Longest run: 9 miles on July 8. I’m starting to think about fall half marathon training and doing longer runs again, but…yeah. I’m not there yet. Procrastination!

Runs on the treadmill: ELEVEN. It’s been hot.

Races: None. Next race is the Hops n Flip Flops 5k August 19. There’s gonna be beer.

Group runs: One I think? With my mom’s running group.

Best run: I think my favorite was that 9 miler. Not the fastest, but the weather was nicer. I also had a decent six last Saturday when the weather was cooler and I managed a faster finish. My last mile was around 8:50.

Worst run: I had a not-great run on the Prairie Path near Chicago. There was a bathroom situation and I barely made it to the CitGo in time. I guess the run was okay after that.

This is what you’re missing if you don’t follow me on Instagram.

#300milesofsummer update: 179 miles since June 1; 131 since the official beginning of summer. (If you’re confused, my running group is doing a summer mileage challenge that began June 1, but the official beginning of summer was June 21 so I’m keeping track of both because I’m a dork like that.

I haven’t been posting weekly running recaps because I’ve just been doing basic ass runs on the treadmill and barely hitting 20 miles a week, but if I do anything noteworthy, I’ll be sure to let you know.

 

running week of 7/3

Monday: OFF/traveling
Tuesday: Weights. After a week of all running and no lifting, I was actually eager to get back in the weight room. So I did every damn thing in there and then I was sore for two days.
Wednesday: 5 @ 9:50. This run sucked. It was in the 80s and super humid and (TANGENT) my cute new top from Target got soaked. It’s a C9 Champion with Duo Dry+™ technology that allegedly wicks moisture BUT IT DOES NOT WICK MOISTURE. I actually ran home to change my shirt before picking my kids up from the gym childcare because the stupid thing was dripping. Literally DRIPPING. I ran in it again today on the treadmill, thinking that I wouldn’t sweat quite as much but it just got soaked again. I even left a crappy review at Target.com because I was so annoyed. The top was 16 bucks so it didn’t break me but I definitely won’t be buying any more athletic tops from Target.
Thursday: 3 @ 8:37. Fed up with the heat, I ran 5×400 inside on the treadmill @ 1:52, 1:51, 1:50, 1:49, 1:48. I could never hit those numbers outside, but it felt pretty good on the treadmill.
Friday: Weights + treadmill 3 @ 9:09. Faster finish! Last mile in 8:37.
Saturday: 9 @ 10:24. I ran 5 easy miles with a couple of people from my moms running group but as I was heading to my car afterward, I felt unfulfilled so I ran another 4 by myself @ 9:20ish.
Sunday: OFF

TOTAL: 20 miles

And not a drop of moisture was wicked that day.

June recap

I was hoping to get closer to 100 miles in June but LOL NOPE that didn’t happen.

Total miles: 81.7 miles – not as many as I wanted, but about as many I was capable of. It’s been a fairly mild summer here – we had the A/C off all week before we left for New Mexico – but June was still unbearably humid more often than not. On more than a couple of days, I intended to run longer but quit at only 4 or 5.

Days running: 19 – same as last month.

Longest run: 8 miles on June 25. I’m not training for anything right now so weekend long runs have been either casual or nonexistent.

Runs on the treadmill: Three, some shorter ones on my lifting days.

Races: None. Next race is in August.

Group runs: None

Best run: During that brief respite from the heat, I did a passable tempo with three miles at 8:43, 8:44, 8:31.

Worst run: I had a 4 miler June 13 that sucked pretty hard. It was really hot and I didn’t get up early enough and I was a wreck when I finished. #300milesofsummer update: 104 miles since June 1; 56 miles since the official beginning of summer. (If you’re confused, my running group is doing a mileage challenge that began June 1 even though summer didn’t really start until June 21. Moreover, my kids go back to school in two weeks so I’m in denial that it’s going to be hot af for at least two more months.)

Eating and drinking in Albuquerque, Bernalillo and Santa Fe

So, we do do other things in New Mexico besides eat and drink. There’s a fantastic zoo, botanic garden, biopark, aquarium and children’s garden, and there are a thousand places to hike. For a visitor- and family-friendly excursion, ride the Sandia Peak tram, or if you’re up for a challenge, hike the La Luz trail.* If you really hate yourself, hike UP it. And if you really, REALLY hate yourself, the 52nd Annual La Luz Trail Race is August 6. If you’re willing to drive a little, head west to Acoma Pueblo or north to Jemez Springs. But this post is just about eating and drinking.

I didn’t take photos of everything I ate because…yeah, obnoxious. Here are the ones I remembered to photograph. Beware: You can’t order an alcoholic drink before 11 a.m. on Sundays in New Mexico. (And no packaged liquor before noon.) I know, it’s really stupid.

La Cumbre Elevated IPA. La Cumbre means “the top.” Get it? This was at my parents’ place outside of Albuquerque, near Bernalillo. We were treated to a brilliant sunset which was unfortunately, courtesy of several wildfires burning in Arizona and elsewhere. 😦

Important side note: we rode the train to Santa so we stayed near the hotel, but if you have transportation (or don’t mind springing for a Lyft) there are a lot of great places that are farther from the Plaza and less touristy/pricey.

Burgers and beers at Santa Fe Bite. Another Elevated IPA. It’s good. I drank a lot of it. This place is casual and affordable** and served up THE best green chile cheese burger I have ever had in my life. We ate on the patio mid-afternoon on a Thursday so there was no wait.

Margaritas on the rooftop Bell Tower at the La Fonda Hotel. (Which I can’t say without thinking of Napoleon Dynamite.) (Disclosure: My parents bought us a night at this hotel as a gift…AND KEPT THE KIDS FOR US WOOOO! It’s not a place we could otherwise afford but if you’re interested in staying there and are similarly not wealthy, look at non-peak seasons and check for discounts online. I cannot say enough good things about the hotel.) This was a pretty freaking good margarita, but honestly I’m accustomed to having the 27-ounce mind erasers (at half the price) at our local Mexican joint so I drained this one in about five minutes. Happy hour is from 12-3 and guests receive a $2 coupon at check-in. Discounted, I think the drink was 8 or 9 bucks. 

Beer and nachos on the patio at Del Charrrrro. After the monster burgers we had at lunch, neither of us had much of an appetite, so we split a plate of nachos and I had a Double White from Albuquerque’s Marble Brewery. (The husband’s NM staple is the Santa Fe pale ale.) This place is casual and affordable.**

Vodka tonics at Evangelo’s. Great local hangout for live music and not touristy or overpriced. We heard a great classic rock/blues band in the bar upstairs. The kids start playing metal downstairs around 10 p.m. CASH ONLY.

Bloody Mary and Huevos Oaxacas (pronounced “weh-vohs wah-hah-cahs”) at La Plazuela at La Fonda. Again, pretty pricey, but if you’re looking for really fancy-ass shit in Santa Fe, this is the place to go. I had my heart set on a Bloody Mary and this was the only place within walking distance that served them at 9 a.m. And holy shit, the food was was good. Note: the Bloody Mary wasn’t on their breakfast menu but the bar was open so we asked, and we received.Right before we got on the train back to Bernalillo, we stopped into Second Street Brewery at the Santa Fe Railyard and I quickly drained a Red and Yellow Armadillo IPA (9.2% ABV) and brought a half-growler of the Diploid IPA with me. MOAR HUEVOS at The Range Cafe in Bernalillo. This place is casual but kinda pricey. BUT, the portions are enormous so you could easily share. The kids’ breakfast came with four pancakes, and they split it.

We also ate at Old Town Pizza Parlor (sorry no pics!) after our zoo excursion, and we had a fantastic Kitchen Sink pizza complete with green chile. They also have a kid-friendly buffet.

We also met some friends at the Kactus Brewery in Bernalillo. It’s a small kid-friendly joint with a rustic patio, live music and chickens out back. I had the cream stout and the IPA and both were good. I didn’t eat anything but the food looked fantastic.

That’s it!

*Just a warning, the restaurant at Sandia Peak is closed (actually completely gone) so there’s currently nowhere to eat or drink at the summit– a picnic or snacks and definitely water is recommended. For an incredibly detailed and comprehensive guide to Sandia hiking, check out my friend Mike’s book, Sandia Mountain Hiking Guide. A new edition with updated maps is coming soon!

And please be careful!

**For Santa Fe, “affordable” is like a few bucks more than I’d consider affordable anywhere else. Gentrification + tourism is a son of a bitch.

running, NM hills edition (week of 6/26)

We were in New Mexico visiting my folks Wednesday – Monday so I “got” to run some proper hills. It was also 90+ degrees every day I was there so none of these runs were all that remarkable except for the fact that I did them at all. On top of that, the kids’ sleep always gets totally fucked when we travel from Eastern to Mountain time so none of  us ever really sleep that great. Last week was also sort of noteworthy because I ran six days in a row (including Sunday 6/25) and I never do that.

Monday: 5 @ 9:05 – a tempoish thing? Warmup mile, 8:47, 8:46, 8:38, cool down mile.
Tuesday: 3 @ 9:38. Weights day plus a run so a little slower but I still managed a teeny bit faster finish.
Wednesday: 3 @ 9:41 in New Mexico, after flying around all morning and with a 171 ft elevation gain so I felt like 9:40s weren’t half bad.
Thursday: 4 @ 10:08. Another hilly one, 296 ft elevation gain.
Friday: 3 @ 9:26, yup more hills.
Saturday: OFF.
Sunday:4 @ 10:06.

Total: 22ish miles

#300milesofsummer update: 81.7 miles in June, 37 miles since the official beginning of summer.

What’s next

At some point I will probably do a June recap for me and anyone else who is actually reading this. We also went on sort of an eating/drinking tour of Albuquerque and Santa Fe and I might actually blog about that too!

 

running week of 6/19

Monday: Weights + treadmill 3 @ 9:31 – fast finish
Tuesday: 5 @ 9:28. This was the first progression I’d run in weeks and although I felt sluggish, I was pleased with the finish. 10:14, 9:39, 9:17, 9:10, 8:43. The weather has been more mild lately which obviously helps immensely.
Wednesday: weights + treadmill 4×400 @ 1:51, 1:49, 1:46, 1:43 (2:30 recovery jogs) for a total of 2.5 miles. Really happy with that last 400– much faster than if I’d done it outside.
Thursday: 5 @ 9:48. Fourth running day in a row so I know it’d be slower.
Friday: OFF
Saturday: OFF – we had Codie’s 3rd birthday party at a park and it was so freaking cute! I mostly keep my kids off the blog these days but I posted a few pics on instagram.
Sunday: 7.8 @ 9:43. I’m just starting to do long(ish) runs again after stopping for a few weeks during 5k training, so my longer runs are a lot slower, but on Sunday the weather cooperated and I was able to pull off a faster finish (well, like 9:15). But my legs felt fresh and strong, like I could have kept going. (After the previous week’s long run my legs were trashed and I was exhausted for the rest of the day.)

Total: 23ish miles

#300milesofsummer update: 68.7 miles so far in June and 20 miles since the *actual* start of summer. I need to up my game if I actually want to make it to 300!

running week of 6/12

Last week was kinda rough! I was coming back from an illness, plus we traveled so I didn’t get a lot of running in and the runs I did do were lackluster. Oh, and the weather was godawful.

Monday: Weights + treadmill 2 @ 9:28
Tuesday: 4 @ 10:11. This run was supposed to be longer and faster but it was unbearably hot outside and I quit early.
Wednesday: OFF. We traveled a couple of hours north to Monticello. Indiana where there’s a small lake and water/amusement park. We stayed in a darling cottage on the water and sat on the deck every night after the kids went to bed. The amusement and water park is small, but inexpensive and close to home and the kids had a blast. Also because we went during the week, there were NO LINES.
Thursday: 4 @ 9:50. Again, hot as balls with the added fun of a hangover.
Friday: OFF
Saturday: 10 @ 10:20. Back home and another painful run in 80 degree heat and humidity. I sweat gallons and enjoyed myself very little.
Sunday: OFF

Total: 20 miles

#300milesofsummer update: 40.2 miles in June.

running week of 6/5

I was still sick early last week but finally felt decent enough to run again (twice!) on Wednesday, aka #OMGGLOBALRUNNINGDAY

Both runs totally sucked but it still felt nice to be out of the house and moving again. We went on some short walks while we were sick because just staying indoors and doing nothing for a week would have driven us all batshit, but we did watch a looooot of movies.

Monday: SICK
Tuesday: SICK
Wednesday: SORTA SICK, NEVERTHELESS AM 6 @ 10:01 + PM 4 @ 9:46 stroller run at a free summer fun run right down the street that I just couldn’t pass up. (I took Codie with me but Kenz wanted to stay home with dad.)
Thursday: weights (VERY abbreviated routine of abs and some assisted chin ups and dips) + 3 @ 10:01 because last week I loved 10:01 apparently.
Friday: Off
Saturday: 7.22 @ 10:23. I pretty much knew this run was going to suck because I haven’t done a long run in a while AAAAND I didn’t get out until it was 80 degrees because both of my kids (aka my alarm clocks) slept in for once. But there’s a new path that connects to a really fantastic new running trail near my house and I wanted to see if I could reach the trail. It’s about three miles from my house to the trail and the path that connects to it is paved except for a stretch of about a mile that’s still dirt (but should be completed soon!) For those of you who don’t live in a walk/run-friendly area, you understand how thrilled I am to finally have a nice, safe place to go that doesn’t require running down busy highways or waiting to cross countless intersections.

Yeah, no fucking shade whatsoever but beggars can’t be choosers I guess.

Sunday: OFF. I briefly considered running but it was even hotter Sunday than Saturday and my presencewas needed in the backyard.

#hotdogsorlegs

Total: 20ish

Not bad for only three days of running!

#300milesofsummer update: 20 miles since June 1. For us purists who don’t start summer until June 21, the count is still at zero. 😀

300 miles of summer

I thought since I’m not really training for anything, a summer challenge would be a fun way to stay motivated. I was going to call this 500 miles of summer after that dumb movie, but I decided I can’t possibly run 500 miles in three months, so 300 it is.

The Solstice is not until June 21, but one of my running groups is doing a challenge during the “meteorological” summer which is June 1-August 31? Whatever. It’s zero for me right now either way. 

I don’t have a fun branded graphic for my summer running challenge but here’s a meme I made for a friend’s birthday recently.

We can easily repurpose this thing into a running graphic!

Good.