Iron Girls and Other Weekend Fun

What a fun weekend! What an ATHLETIC weekend! My weekend was filled with walking, running, biking and kayaking. And watching my son's football game, which was not terribly strenuous for me. :)

Iron Girls (with Jen from Runner Maybe)

My daughter Alli (center) and Jen and I did the Seattle Iron Girl 5K on Sunday morning. This was Alli's (and mine, too) second 5K. We were hoping we would shatter our last 5K time, but we can say happily that we did run much more of the course than the last 5K. Alli and I have agreed to practice running on the street more often, since she struggles more with the street run than she does the treadmill. Today our time was 48:48...our Snoqualmie Railroad Days 5K time was 49:19. We will keep working on it! I am very proud of my Bug, who has spent a lot of time working on her health and fitness this summer. My favorite part is that she asked, while at today's event, if we can run this one every year. And tonight, she has had me scouring the  internet looking for upcoming races to run, as well. She said she'd like to have events scheduled so she has something in mind while she trains. You have no idea how proud I am of this girl. :)

The Iron Girl was a very fun event. Jen picked us up bright and early, but I was a complete slacker and I made her wait while I made our PB&Js, my tea, and rode my bike around the block. The bike ride was at my massage therapist's recommendation, because I am still battling knee pain when I run and it is a real buzzkill. I had been planning to be UP AND READY when Jen got there, but I confess, I was really exhausted from a bike ride in the midday heat on Saturday, and I crapped out early on Saturday night, expecting to get up early Sunday morning.

And theeeeennnnnn...after we got our bibs and swag bags at the event, the line for baggage check was huge and Jen ran back to our car to store the bags! (I can picture Jen starting to get mad as she reads this...HEY, YEAH, YOU SLACKER, she's thinking...) Alli and I checked out the goody tables.

We ran the first mile, then alternated walking and running, letting Alli decide what pace we'd keep. Jen challenged Alli to run between garbage cans and walk between the next pair, or run a minute, walk a minute. Alli did great and was very happy to have the finish line in her sights!

Alli with her very cool finisher's medal.

Unfortunately, my knee did not "not hurt" but it wasn't too bad. It's fairly sore tonight. I am pretty bummed. :( I am beginning to think that I may be a cyclist rather than a runner, but honestly, I would rather be a runner. Oh well, we'll see how it goes. I'm going to try acupuncture, too, and I suppose it is time to see the doctor. At least it doesn't hurt when I'm not running - it really is a muscle thing, not a joint thing. But it bums me out.

The weekend had other big events, too. I rode my bike to my son's football game on Saturday. This was a big deal because it was my first long ride on city streets! I was nervous but not overly nervous. It ended up being no big deal. I was too busy dying over the big hills at the beginning, middle and end of my trip to worry about the sweet relief of being struck by a car and put out of my gasping-for-breath misery, haha. The ride was 5.4 miles each way, but I get bonus points for hills and traffic congestion. :)

On Thursday after work, I needed to take my good bike into the shop for a tune-up. I had the brilliant idea to  Kim made me ride my bike to the bike shop, so I could either ride it home for a quick repair, or walk home if I needed to leave it overnight. Well, I needed to leave it over the weekend, so I walked home. And when I say I live (and bike) around hills - I kid you not. I chose this hill to walk home because it was such a challenge. Can you believe the bike shop hosts bike races up this hill??

Taken from the HALF-WAY point up the hill.

There's my athletic weekend. Now a quick update on the man-front. There are no men. Bah. I went out with Retired Navy on Friday night, and we did have a lovely time. That man is a catch - the full stinking man package. However. He is a big guy - not hugely big, but big so you notice he's a big guy. But what killed it for me was his labored breathing. I had noticed it during our first date, and had noticed him blotting sweat from his face, but I chalked it up to nerves and sitting in the sun on the patio. But on Friday night when I was close to him, I was really struck by how heavily and laboriously he was breathing. And he made some comment about how "they had gone into his heart two times" (I am thinking angioplasty) and I just thought about it. I asked him something about how he gets exercise with how much time he spends on the road. He basically said that he does not. I'm thinking, dammit, you are 47 and they've "gone into" your heart twice and you are still seriously overweight and your breathing just sounds downright unhealthy.

Okay. I freely admit that I am in the full throes of a health and exercise kick right now. Maybe just an exercise kick, because I've also noticed I am basically living on Jimmy Dean sausage right now, haha. You remember the scene in Rosemary's Baby where she's eating the meat? I'm like the anti-vegetarian these days. I believe it is all the exercise, it is making me crazy-crave protein.

'Cept mine is Jimmy Dean, not raw. But lots of it.

Anyway - fitness kick. And I'm not trying to be a fitness snob. But FINALLY, I *get* it on those men's profiles where they say they really want an active woman...I am having such a blast being able to do all this. I want a man who will do it with me (that's what she said). And I sat there with Retired Navy, thinking, "wow, you are so much of everything I want in a man," and he was very clearly into me...and I just told him no. Oh, bummer. I want a man who looks good on paper and in reality. And as much as I would like a boyfriend - I want the right boyfriend. I'm much better off going it alone than with the wrong guy.

And to prove it, well, here I am with the three eligible men I spent the afternoon kayaking with today. (Okay, truth serum - the hottie on the left is married but he is so incredibly cute, we will pretend he is single, haha. He's like Zoolander says, "Really, really ridiculously good looking." 

This was not bad company for an afternoon on the lake.

Aren't they fun?? I am in a meetup.com singles group and the man on the right hosted a kayaking trip this afternoon. It was very short notice, but he provided the boats and gear. Only four of us were able to make it, and DARN IT ALL, I was the only woman who could make it! WHAT A BLAST! And I have to say, it didn't suck when I went to wade in the lake to get in the boat (we had two doubles) and the man on the right said, "Oh no, I got you..." and picked me up and carried me out to the boat. Because yes, men can carry me now. I have been carried by three men this summer, haha. I'll let you do the math on that one - I can't keep these guys straight any more. :)

What a fun weekend. Life is good.