Nancy Toby: Run Big!

2011 Goofy Challenge completed!

2011-01-11T10:16:00.002-05:00

TOBY, NANCY 53

Half marathon chip time: 3:32:07
20773/21953 overall, 11507/12403 women, 815/916 AG

Full marathon chip time: 6:46:17
12696/13522 overall, 5715/6267 women, 379/427 AG

Total: 10:08:24

16:00 slower than 5 years ago, but I’ll take it, I was surprised to finish!

Goofy's coming!

2010-12-23T08:16:00.001-05:00

Marathon Bib#: 14335

Half Marathon Bib#: 30773

Track runners here!

Rehoboth Marathon December 11, 2010

2010-12-12T16:34:00.015-05:00

My 11th marathon. Surprisingly scenic and varied course for the third running of the Rehoboth Beach Seashore Marathonin Delaware, and good running weather this year (35-45*F, no wind). Early start by the beachfront pavilion in the center of Rehoboth, Delaware began our day. Training buddy Dave rode along and brought his bike to act as on-course support for my first marathon in four years.

Pre-race meals (that worked well!): Dinner - Chinese dumplings, crab rangoon, egg foo yung, with lots of sodium. Breakfast - Greek yogurt, honey, cooked brown rice.

Race day weather: Great for running, 35*F at 7AM start by the beach, up to 48*F, almost zero wind. Very cold for Dave on the bike, though!

The course went through a small beachfront park and burned off about 5 miles through town, then headed out to a long lollipop out-and back. About 3 miles on a cinder trail that was superb, then through Lewes and past the Cape May Ferry to the halfway point. Then a 5-mile loop in Cape Henlopen Park, out at mile 18, then back towards the start.

On course: Kept fluid/gel intake very low, just a half Dixie cup of water or Gatorade at each stop and half a gel now and then. Only got stomach cramps when I chugged some Gatorade late in the course after I felt quite thirsty. Dave got me a cup of coffee with milk and sugar that was PERFECTAMUNDO. I think I was a bit dehydated at the end, that may not work so well in hotter temperatures but was fine in cold weather.

Tried to pace myself by keeping the heart rate under about 165 for the first half (~2:57) but then it was pushing up toward 170 before I slowed it down in Cape Henlopen Park. Three portapotty breaks are shown by the big dips in the graph, as well as 2 or 3 smaller dips for sock adjustment/shoe retying. I'm still doing some weird torquing thing with my right leg when I'm tired which twists my sock and makes my vastus lateralis vastly sore. I had a couple brief calf cramps toward the end when I took an odd step, for which I took one Endurolyte, but that was all (which may have helped my stomach too).

Overall heart rate ended up at 164 average, which I think shows a pretty strong race effort in high Zone 4 for me (about 88% of MaxHR). I just wish I could get a faster pace out of that effort level, but it is what it is.

The last 10k was TOUGH. Dave was good about not heckling me too much when I told him this was all I could do. I don't know if I would have gotten through it without his help!

I had signs of osteoarthritis in my knees in 2002 when I had a bone scan and I think 8 more years of aging have not done them any good. I was wearing knee straps but I was still getting daggers in my knees at every shuffling 15 min/mile step. I jogged as much as I could but broke down into walking numerous times, but convinced myself that it didn't hurt any less and resumed shuffling again. I'm going to purchase some OTC neoprene knee wraps and test them out in training in advance of Goofy in 4 weeks.

One other small change, I wore an iPod shuffle to a race for the first time and listened to music for about 1/4 of the course, otherwise left it off. That helped my motivation at times (especially toward the end when the course was becoming empty) and didn't seem to affect my tempo other than helping to maintain it a little more consistently - I just have to get a more inspirational/upbeat music lineup for races.

Times are not posted yet but I crossed the finish line in 6:29:26 watch time, slightly slower than my average of my first 10 marathons (6:22:11). Chalk it up to a long training day!

Even though the aid stations were becoming abandoned in the last 8 miles (well ahead of the 7-hour cutoff pace), they were still well-stocked. The course was excellent, scenic, flat (a few very small rollers at Cape Henlopen Park), about 1/2 off-street with 5-6 miles on a well-groomed cinder trail. I'd definitely do the half marathon here another time (that included most of the nice cinder trail stretch).

Recovery: My knees hurt a LOT all day after the race and had some soft tissue swelling the next day, very painful bending my right knee. Definitely not optimal.

Summary: A finish is always better than a DNF. Lessons have been learned, body has been tested, 26.2 training miles are in the Bank of Marathon. Goofy Challenge is 4 weeks away.

619 finishers:

606/619 overall NANCY TOBY F50-54 6:28:59 AG: 20/20 WOMEN: 198/207

PS: Great to have Dave on the course - thanks again! - and to see Michele briefly before and after. Always more fun with friends around!

Goofy approacheth

2010-12-09T12:43:00.001-05:00

Yes, I’m going back to Walt Disney World in 2011 for the Goofy Challenge once again with my friend Jeanne and training buddy Dave.

Half marathon January 8, 2011 bibs: Nancy: 30773 & Jeanne: 46138

Marathon January 9, 2011 bibs: Nancy: 14335 & jeanne: 16474

Runner tracker information should be posted on the Disney Marathon race website shortly before race day. I’d expect to be crossing the starting line mats at about 6:00 AM EST each day.

My only goal is to beat my 2006 times:

2006 Half marathon FINISH Chip Time: 3:14:35

2006 Marathon FINISH Chip time 6:37:49

2006 Total: 9:52:24

This Saturday is a training marathon in Rehoboth, Delaware. I’ll be happy with a strong finish, as opposed to the debacle of the Philadelphia Marathon-turned-half a few weeks ago that I couldn’t even bring myself to write about!

Racing schedule

2010-11-30T11:16:00.001-05:00

I was keeping my race schedule on Facebook for a while and neglected to keep it here. But then that service was de-linked to Facebook so now it’s in limbo. Copying it here for now:

2010-05-29 Chestertown Ten Miler 2:01:15

2010-06-20 Dawson's 10k (A/S) 1:15:20

2010-06-27 Chestertown Dragonfly Sprint Tri 2:01:56

2010-08-01 Dog Days 8k (A/S) 1:00:00

2010-08-29 Annapolis Ten Miler 2:09:30

2010-10-23 St. Michaels Sports Boosters 5k (3.2m) 32:10

2010-11-21 Philadelphia Half Marathon (#43) 3:08:35

2010-12-11 Rehoboth Marathon (#11), DE in 12 days

2011-01-08 Goofy Challenge Half Marathon @ WDW (#44HM?) in 40 days

2011-01-09 Goofy Challenge Marathon @ WDW (#11) in 41 days

2011-03-26 National (Half?) Marathon (#45), Washington DC in 117 days

Chestertown Dragonfly Sprint Triathlon

2010-06-27T18:55:00.004-04:00

Swim half mile: 19:44.50 (2:14/100 yards) (non-wetsuit)
T1: 3:57.65
Bike 17.1 miles: 58:52.55 (17.4 mph average)
T2: 1:58.80
Run 3.1 miles: 36:53.15 (11:53 min/mile pace)

Total: 2:01:26.65

2/2 Athenas (all ages)

Water temp was 84 degrees, ambient temp was 94 degrees, humidity was 47%.

So my transitions were pretty sluggish for a sprint, but my paces during each leg were about what I expected or better. Between the bike and run only one person passed me, and I passed a bunch on the bike.

That was indeed fun, glad to have a triathlon where I can sleep in my own bed and also be finished on course by 10:30AM! All through each leg I was thinking how nice it was to have the shorter distances!!

Definitely a nice race - lovely swim! - and one I'll do again!

~~~~~~~~~

Results are posted here.

I would have been 6th out of 9 in women 50-59 (I was 2nd out of 2 in the Athena division to a 32-year-old Athena), and 5th in the bike leg. 39th out of 49 women overall.

Back of the mid-pack - I'll take it, considering I had virtually zero swim or bike training since November! Now maybe I should start working on those sprint tri skills, eh?

Chestertown Ten Miler

2010-06-04T08:00:00.006-04:00

Not sure why, but I've never done this race before. It was a nice discovery, realizing that it was a quick drive there on lovely country roads to the town. I drove up with Training Buddy Dave and parked at the local school, and picked up the shuttle for this lovely waterfront park. I heard there were about 800 runners in 2 races.

There was light rain at the start which dissipated about halfway through the run. The race itself was along small rural roads through the countryside - after the simultaneous 5k split off at their turnaround it was a lovely quiet run.

Clock crossing the finish line said about 2:02:30

Watch time 2:01:15

Official time 2:00:38

I enjoyed it enough that I signed up for an upcoming sprint triathlon and half marathon starting from the same park.

In other race planning news, I've started keeping a list of my upcoming races in my Facebook sidebar. A nice little feature to have there as a reminder of what I'm training for!

Goofy again

2010-04-28T09:21:00.004-04:00

I just signed up for the 2011 edition of the Goofy Challenge to earn another set of these fine medals - the same back-to-back half marathon and marathon that I completed back in 2006.

I need those big challenging goals to keep me going in my training - but it has to be a goal that I look forward to as being FUN, not one that I dread!

Goofy is fun. And a challenge.

My personal challenge this time around: beat 9 hours for 39.3 miles. (My total last time was 9:52:24).

Not sure yet if I'll do the Dopey and also sign up for the 5k on Friday. We'll see how the travel plans shape up for it.

Anyone else?

2010 Oxford Day 10k

2010-04-25T14:54:00.004-04:00

Last year on a hot day: 1:05:15. This year at a similar effort on a lovely cool day: 1:08:23. 11:01 min/mile pace. I'm entering my final tragic decline, I fear. ;-)

12/16 in age group females 50-59 (75%)

122/154 overall (79%)

Results

It's time to get back to some heavier-duty training. I note that last year's smaller number of races did not help my speed any!

Time to finally figure out my race calendar for the year! OK, I've got my sidebar caught up with completed races, at least. Here we go again!

2010 Cherry Pit 10-miler

2010-04-11T14:58:00.004-04:00

387 runners this year on a counter-clockwise course. I finished in the back:

373 Nancy Toby 52 23/24 F 2:01:08 12:07

On a clockwise course in 2007 I ran this race in 1:48:52. Getting 13 minutes slower over 10 miles is not the correct direction to be moving!

RR: 2010 B&A Half Marathon

2010-03-07T15:07:00.001-05:00

Half Marathon #41 done! (But who's counting?) I think this is my 5th or 6th run in this particular event.

Perfect weather and great swag (embroidered and silk-screened canvas luggage, attractive navy-blue LS tech shirt, nice medal) at the B&A marathon and half marathon today in Severna Park, Maryland.

My training buddy Dave and I had been signed up for the full marathon, but with the crazy record-beating snowy winter we had, neither of us got in enough mileage to survive a full marathon in good shape. Fortunately this race allows last-minute transfers to the half.

The race runs mostly on a fairly level, straight asphalted rail-trail with the exception of a mile or two on concrete roads at the hilly turnarounds. The weather was perfect - 40s, full sun, and no wind.

My course PR was set about 3 years ago when Dave and Chuck paced me and pushed me the whole way, with a 2:26:38 finish. This time Dave ran with me at much slower pace until about mile 10, which was very helpful in keeping my pace consistent and steady. Then he ran off to finish up a faster 25-minute final 5k. I still maintained the pace for another mile when *TWANG!* suddenly my 2nd toenail of my left foot ripped and consequently hurt like a mofo. I had to stop to retie my shoelaces so the toes wouldn't hit the end of the shoe, and walked a short ways, and said many cusswords.

Still, I managed to limp-jog a couple more miles even more slowly and make it to the finish line by 2:34:56 by my watch.

Well, 8 minutes off my course PR for 13.1 miles is certainly not super-speedy even by my standards, but I still handily beat my goal for today of a 12 min/mile pace. I don't think I lost as much fitness over the winter as I had feared, and I think I'm in reasonable shape to start the season again.

Here we go....

Whoops. I just found my old blog post where I ran this same course in 2:24, unpaced, in 2008. I've got some serious work to do. Or else I'm aging very quickly. Or that silly toenail slowed me down more than I thought. Oh well, it is what it is....

Sledding

2010-02-20T13:04:00.000-05:00

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Did Facebook kill the blog?

2010-02-20T09:10:00.002-05:00

It seems to have killed this one! I'll still post occasional race reports when I race again (if the SNOW ever melts) and photos from time to time, but I seem to have ground to a slow halt on writing actual articles on this blog.

See you on Facebook!

IMG00329.jpg

2010-02-09T15:27:00.000-05:00

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Starting to snow

2010-01-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

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Yum

2010-01-17T14:50:00.000-05:00

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Wintering geese

2010-01-14T13:00:00.000-05:00

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Snow bunnies

2009-12-22T14:19:00.000-05:00

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Best Sports Endurance Blog of 2009?

2009-12-21T18:07:00.002-05:00

DC Rainmaker has my vote.

No, he didn't even pay me for this.

But he's a fast, dedicated triathlete that trains hard and he makes a mean cupcake. And he's a nice guy to boot.

You should vote for him too.

Coming up

2009-12-15T09:24:00.003-05:00

I'm still working on my 2010 race calendar. Probably it will emphasize running events of a half marathon and less, cycling time trials, and some sprint triathlons. But it's all up in the air, except this one:

Save the date: April 10, 2010 Dorchester County YMCA Crab Half Marathon & 5K Event Cambridge, Maryland

Early discounted registration until December 31st. Registration available at:

http://www.active.com/running/cambridge-md/dorchester-crab-run-half-marathon-and-5k-2010

Contact: dorchestercrabrun@yahoo.com with any questions.

Climbing backwards

2009-11-29T15:08:00.000-05:00

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Mission accomplished 5:23am

2009-11-27T05:28:00.001-05:00

Checked out of our local Target by 5:23 am with a 32 inch LCD TV, DVD player, new Tinkerbell DVD, crock pot and 2 pink jackets for the girls for $313 - and got a $10 gift card back. Yeah, it was worth getting up a little early and even standing in the cold rain for a while! But the weather outside is nasty enough that I think I'll skip the local 5k/10k and stay home in front of the fireplace today with the family.

The other side of town

2009-11-26T16:09:00.000-05:00

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Clouds over harbor

2009-11-26T15:53:00.001-05:00

Walking off some turkey....
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First fire

2009-11-20T17:22:00.000-05:00

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Monkey

2009-11-16T20:12:00.000-05:00

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B2B Half Ironman race report

2009-11-12T14:52:00.008-05:00

This was something like my 100th race since I got back off the couch in 2000. Not exactly, I've lost count, but that's close enough.

I had a fabulous weekend spending time with friends in Wilmington, NC, and sharing time with them and marveling at their fabulous performances (particularly Iron Holly's first Ironman finish and Training Buddy Dave's massive 12:57 iron PR and Shawn's first half iron finish) was the real highlight of the weekend. I'll only tell my own race story here for brevity, and let them tell their own stories - and just put this one in writing so that I can refer to it in the future.

Setup: Most of the day before was spent on getting ready for the race - a practice swim, checking out the two swim start areas, attending the expo, racking bikes, etc. Very time-consuming, difficult logistics for this particular race without any sherpas along.

Summary: Post-race I'm ambivalent about my performance - it was originally supposed to be the full iron distance, but fortunately (much to my relief) I was able to drop down to the half Ironman since my training wasn't going well. The swim and the first half of the bike were fantastic, but I lost a lot of steam on the second half of the bike and never found my stride during the run.

SWIM 1.2 miles

We were concerned about the cold water temps but that turned out NOT to be a factor with a long-sleeved wetsuit. Got up too early - about 4:00 AM for an 8:50 race start - so that took a little energy out of me to start.

The swim was fantastically current-aided and as soon as we started this weak swimmer felt like Dara Freaking Torres. I felt amazingly comfortable the entire way. I'd sight for a buoy 200 yards away, put my head down and in a few strokes I was there and sighting for the next. Local resident Ron Steve had given superb advice and I stayed completely out of the fray and in the center of the channel in the strongest current. Sighted on the tall building at the exit, I climbed up the ladder with some assistance, stopped my watch, and trotted toward transition.

Watch time at water exit: 32:56* (1:33/100 yards) (faster time than my Olympic swim PR!)
Chip swim time (after showering and ~100 yard run): 34:25* (136/163 women)

T1

I trotted the whole way through this very long transition - kind of fun at the time going between two rows of applauding fans like I was in the Tour de France! The T1 bags were located by the bikes and NOT by the changing tents for the half Ironman triathletes, so it didn't really work for us unless we wanted to add considerable distance and effort on our transition. And I didn't. So I pulled on bike shorts over my thin wet running shorts (and got considerable chafing from later, unfortunately). Had to take a little extra time to stuff wetsuits into the bag, too, and a very long trot out on bike cleats to the exit.

Watch T1: 10:11 (swim exit to bike exit)
Calc T1: 8:42 (estimated from timing mat to timing mat)

BIKE 56 miles

Once we got through some tricky roads exiting T1 and through town (lots of cars going in and out of business entrances at unmonitored intersections) we got out onto nice flat roads. A 12-mile section down the Interstate was delightful - fast and easy (speed often well into the 20s) on smooth straight concrete. Then off on a 4-lane highway. Turning off of that onto a rural road I took a wrong turn when the volunteers didn't direct us, but they yelled at me and I stopped and turned around. By that time I was getting chafed and achy and irritable. Down some rural roads for an out-and-back, and then a very long sluggish stretch straight into the wind on the homeward leg. That was slow, particularly on the final two huge bridges going into transition.

My hydration and electrolyte intake was pretty normal for training rides - 3 to 4 bottles with Motor Tabs, 2 Poptarts, a bag of margarita Clif Bloks, and a couple electrolyte capsules. I overdressed a bit with a windbreaker jacket, which I ended up tying around my waist the 2nd half of the bike. Should have just worn armwarmers with my tri-top.

Chip bike + T1: 3:36:24 (122/160)
Calc bike: 3:28:42
Odometer average speed: 16.1 mph
Calc average speed: 16.1 mph

T2

Fairly uneventful. My rack spot was all the way at the end of transition so I had my 2nd long run with bike cleats on. The transition bags were at the rack spot in loose dirt and gravel, and the changing tents were back about 100 yards, so it made no sense to go back to use them. Quickly put on a dry clean shirt and stuffed my bike gear in the bag. I forgot to take off my bike shorts and had to take them off outside of transition and throw them over the fence.

T2 Chip time 4:54 (114/157)

RUN 13.1 miles

Coming out of T2 I was 9:11 into a PR (compared to Eagleman 2007). But that all went away extremely quickly. My first 3 miles up and over the huge bridges were shuffling and slow, and I never was able to pick up my stride. Then at Mile 4 suddenly my left quad locked up quickly enough to make me stumble, so I quickly switched to Damage Control Mode and took some more electrolytes. My muscles remained twitchy and uncomfortable-to-painful for the rest of the run, so I just hung on and completed it the best way I knew how, alternating running and walking, grazing on grapes and oranges and getting Coke at the frequent aid stations. I think this was my 40th half marathon run in a race. It's always a great thing to see friendly familiar faces out on the course, and with the full Ironman going on at the same time I had lots of fun opportunities to greet friends on the way back to the finish.

Run: Chip time 3:17:54 (148/156)

TOTAL

My 5th half Ironman, 2nd fastest (for events with a full swim)
Finish: 7:33:36
13/16 women 50-54 who finished swim, 13/15 finishers
142/163 women who finished swim

Fun day. But I can do better. Onward.

Beach 2 Battleship half iron triathlon: times

2009-11-10T10:35:00.006-05:00

I finished! There were some issues with the timing mats so the official splits were messed up, so I spent some time with my watch times to get estimates:

SWIM 1.2 miles (PR! that doesn't really count*)
Watch time at water exit: 32:56* (1:33/100 yards)
Chip swim time (after showering and ~100 yard run): 34:25* (136/163)
*incredibly current-assisted

T1
Watch t1: 10:11 (swim exit to bike exit)
Calc t1: 8:42 (estimated from timing mat to timing mat)

BIKE 56 miles
Chip bike + t1: 3:36:24 (122/160)
Calc bike: 3:28:42
Odometer average speed: 16.1 mph
Calc average speed: 16.1 mph

T2: Chip time 4:54 (114/157)

RUN 13.1 miles
Run: Chip time 3:17:54 (148/156)

TOTAL
Finish: 7:33:36
13/16 women 50-54 who finished swim, 13/15 finishers
142/163 women who finished swim

Aside: I think this was my 40th half marathon race run, but my count is a little fuzzy.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-01T07:54:00.001-05:00

The girls wanted to wear the same costumes as last year - with the addition of new light-up scepters, tiaras (which Elisabeth refused to wear), and princess shoes (that didn't quite make it into this photo).

Saint Michaels Sports Boosters 5k

2009-10-24T17:18:00.002-04:00

Teensy tiny local race that goes past my house. No mile markers, forgot my Garmin, no one to pace off of. Coughing and side stitch after being ill for 3 weeks.

BUT this "plodder" didn't walk!! That's a victory for today!

30:14 at the line.

I have the winter to take off 2:15 to get a new PR.

1:09 slower than this course last year, but it was warmer and more humid today. Hmm, but then again I was bouncing back from being sick then too! Oh well, this seems to be a habit. I still won my AG (50 to death; out of maybe 3 women in the AG who didn't walk it) and got a $20 gift certificate to the local Christmas Store!

Then I had to go rescue my training buddy Dave who got a flat on his bike and didn't have the stuff to fix it after flatting a spare tube.... and I also smashed my ankle in the garage entry door, bleeding on my socks. Silliness.

The old tree is gone

2009-10-22T11:38:00.000-04:00

Cutting it down today. House to follow. Sad.
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My harbor in autumn

2009-10-21T13:31:00.000-04:00

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Recommended bike storage

2009-10-06T10:00:00.005-04:00

I just installed four of these in my garage to hang my bikes from the wall and they seem to work great!!!

Also known as Gladiator Vertical Bike Hook (a Whirlpool product) - Google that if the link doesn't work.

Pretty simple to install the suspending bar (rigid plastic, but sturdier than a board; just screw into the wall studs) and the hooks just snap into it. You can also buy and hang other kinds of hooks and baskets for shoes, helmets, etc., off the same bar.

Not much more expensive than buying boards and c-hooks, and better built for the job, plus neater in appearance.

Recommended!! Someone could even put these into apartment walls if they had wooden studs and spackle over the holes without too much damage when moving out.

Our new closets

2009-09-30T17:37:00.000-04:00

These shelves, baskets, and hanging rods were installed today in our bedroom closets. Pretty exciting after living out of a suitcase on the floor for a few months!
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I switched

2009-09-28T17:11:00.003-04:00

Thank you so much for the feedback, everyone. I really do appreciate you taking the time to consider my dilemma and think it through with me.

I have confirmed my switch to the half-iron distance at Beach 2 Battleship triathlon on November 7, 2009.

I do apologize to those who have already donated to the Challenged Athletes Foundation that I won't be completing the full distance this time around - I'm sorry to disappoint you. I hope that those who have pledged find it in their heart to still consider a donation to this extremely worthwhile charity: https://www.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=156947&supid=237467547

My training had not shown the volume nor the results in improving my endurance or speed that I had hoped this year. I realized during the Chesapeakeman Aqua Velo last Saturday (when I stopped after one 1.2-mile loop of the swim and one 66-mile bike loop) that my body wasn't cooperating well enough for a strong iron-distance finish, and consequently my heart just wasn't in it. I felt a huge sense of relief when I learned that Setup Events would very kindly allow me to change to the half.

I'm feeling a greatly renewed sense of enthusiasm in completing my training for the 70.3 distance in Wilmington on November 7, and look forward to a strong race performance there at distances my body is much better trained to handle with the training time I have been able to invest.

Thanks again for all your faith in me and your feedback! I'm very content with this decision and I'm looking forward to race day and being able to cheer on my Ironman friends over the finish line that night!

The Return of Chesapeakeman

2009-09-23T10:41:00.004-04:00

Holly and I are doing the Chesapeakeman iron-distance aqua velo on Saturday, in training for Beach 2 Battleship iron-distance triathlon in November. (Swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles.) Weather forecast (*knock on wood, obeisance to the Tri Gods*) looks near-perfect: Cloudy. Highs in the upper 60s and lows in the low 60s.

I just cleaned up my bike Buttercup, checked her all out (yes, the new red tires look fine), took off the behind-the-seat chandelier bottle holder for race day, and restocked the under-seat-pack. She looks ready to rumble.

Predictions? I haven't done a huge amount of swimming this year, but instead of an extra-long mid-river point-to-point, it's a 2-lap course in a shallow protected cove this time around. Shouldn't be too bad.

Of course I'd like to beat my 2006 times:
SWIM 2.4 miles: 1:52:11 (2:39/100 yards) (8/11 women)
SWIM TO BIKE TRANSITION: 11:51 (10/11 women)
BIKE 112 miles: 6:58:50 (16.0 mph average)(8/11 women)
FINISH: 9:02:51 (10/11 women)

Let's say for 2009 goals:
SWIM 2.4 miles: 1:45:00 (my typical pool pace would give me about 1:48 for 2.4 miles)
SWIM TO BIKE TRANSITION: 10:00 (try not to collapse in a chair and start chatting this time) BIKE 112 miles: 6:48:00 (16.5 mph average)
FINISH: 8:43:00

Not sure I can do that, I've been slow lately! Race day will tell the story!

I've got a few friends doing the full - the plan is to slap on my running shoes and go out on the run course after I finish to the first mile marker and back just to test my legs and warm down and see if I can spot them.

Any last-minute recommendations for me?

SSDD

2009-09-18T11:39:00.000-04:00

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Vanishing landscape

2009-09-16T13:08:00.000-04:00

My town just issued a building permit for a house right where this majestic tree stands. Criminal! Three lots down from our house.
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Galloping girl

2009-09-05T18:32:00.000-04:00

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2009 Annapolis Ten Miler

2009-08-30T14:55:00.006-04:00

Back again at this classic race today (my 4th time, I think?) with 5,499 of my closest friends. Usually it's insufferably hot and humid but we were fortunate to have temperatures and humidities both in the low 70s today.

Watch time: 1:58:32/Garmin time: 1:58:40
Official chip time: 1:58:24 (11:50 min/mile pace)
Previous best on this challenging course: 2:01:24 (2005)

So exactly a 3-minute course PR. I'll take it! The entire 3 minutes can be accounted for by not walking up ANY hills this time (for the first time on this course), and indeed, there are several tough ones. I did walk for a short while several times at water stops, just to gulp down some water, but limited it to just as long as necessary to drink-and-go.

Still a long way off my ten mile PR (different course, cold weather, 2007): 1:48:52

On the final hill on the Severn River bridge, there was an overweight teenage boy really struggling and I started badgering him to get up the hill: "C'mon! We're going to run up this hill! Count to twenty and we'll be there! Lift up your chin and you can breathe easier! Use your arms! Look, just run to that flag and we're done!"

Mostly it helped take my mind off myself, of course, but it kept me going!

He did great. I passed him later but found him after the finish line and shook his hand and congratulated him.

I felt strong the whole race, very positive mentally, and got a great technical long-sleeved running shirt at the finish line that I'll wear often. Also nice to see some old friends at the start and on course!

A good day for running, and a solid training run in the bank!

Bad plan

2009-08-22T10:27:00.001-04:00

Don't start a century on tread like this. Like I did. (I'll blame starting in a thunderstorm for not noticing it.)
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Whoops!

2009-08-22T10:21:00.000-04:00

Century didn't quite go as planned today. After the thunderstorms let up, I got in 35 miles at a EZ 16 mph pace but then my worn-out bad tires had their revenge. Went flat on the road and then wouldn't hold air. Bah! Bagged it for today and caught a ride back to the start. Ride another day (after I put on the new tires, duh!)

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Elisabeth

2009-08-16T20:32:00.000-04:00

She says "Can we go home tomorrow?"

Me: "Why?"

E: "I want to go home."

Me: "This is where we live now! This is our home!"

E: "This is not home. This is the New House."

Can't put anything past her.
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Neavitt landing

2009-08-08T10:20:00.000-04:00

Mile 36 of today's ride
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Woo hoo it's done!

2009-08-07T12:58:00.001-04:00

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What they catch where we swim

2009-08-01T09:31:00.000-04:00

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Not much blogging going on here.

2009-07-28T21:06:00.004-04:00

Sorry so quiet! I've been:

Driving kids to summer day camp and back, which ended last Friday
Following the Tour de France on my other blog and Twitter, which ended last Sunday
Doing some training but (of course) never quite enough (as you can see in the sidebar)
Breaking in my new Adamo saddle, which I like but which is taking a long time to get accustomed to
NOT racing, haven't done any races since a slow half marathon in April (they tend to take too much time out of my training anyway)
Trying to figure out how to get in my training at all now that the kids are not in camp until school starts August 25th
Getting the new house ready to move into (STILL remodeling, will post some photos when there's something actually completed to show. Today's excitement was starting the new garbage pickup service over there)
Getting the old house ready to move out of (YES, we have a great offer on the table, but have to finish up all the final details of fixing up the old house)
Putting up random links and interesting things on Facebook lately instead of here on the blog like I used to

That's all for now!

Osprey babies are getting big!

2009-07-25T08:37:00.000-04:00

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Piebald squirrel

2009-07-13T10:32:00.000-04:00

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Clouds

2009-07-09T14:13:00.000-04:00

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Easy, fellah

2009-07-09T13:57:00.000-04:00

Startled this handsome gentleman on my run
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Herons

2009-07-08T14:04:00.000-04:00

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Festivities

2009-07-03T18:40:00.003-04:00

My husband took this cell phone photo late this afternoon of all the boats moored out in the nearby Miles River in anticipation of tonight's firework display.

Mommy turtle

2009-07-03T08:28:00.000-04:00

Back again in our driveway
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Counters

2009-07-02T18:46:00.003-04:00

Our new countertops were installed today - sand-colored laminate. We'll probably replace them with stone in five years or so but for right now it saved us several thousand dollars that we're spending on other things! I think it looks great, anyway. We're hoping the whole job will be finished within a couple more weeks. However, I just gave the contractor another job today - installing marble flooring in our half bath and a couple new toilets. It's always something!

Solo training camp

2009-06-30T18:34:00.007-04:00

The girls are in day camp from 9-4 M-F this week, so I'm trying to get some increased training volume in a solo training camp by myself. (The slight glitch in this is that my new Adamo bike saddle arrived Monday, and it's going to take me a few more miles than I expected to get accustomed to totally new pressure points. I'll post a review soon).

Here are my completed workouts (I'll update this and add as I do them):

MONDAY
SWIM 0:44 0.99 mi 44:47 min/mile 396 cal
BIKE 1:02 17.29 mi 16.7 mph 691 cal
Painted 1 laundry room, grouted cracks in driveway, filled 1 rotten windowsill with wood putty.

TUESDAY
SWIM 0:49 1.10 mi 44:12 min/mile 440 cal
BIKE 2:36 40.80 mi 15.7 mph 1632 cal (slow and sluggish)
Also spent too much time adjusting the bike seat, putting on the behind-the-seat water bottle cages for summer long rides, etc.

WEDNESDAY
SWIM 0:42 0.96 mi 43:47 min/mile 384 cal
RUN 2:07 8.30 mi 15:18 min/mile 830 cal (call it heat acclimatization training - hot and slow)

THURSDAY
RUN 0:60 5.00 mi 11:54 min/mile 500 cal
BIKE 1:19 20.07 mi 15.2 mph 802.8 cal

FRIDAY
BIKE 2:13 35.20 mi 15.9 mph 1408 cal (cut it short, had intended 50-70 miles)

SATURDAY
RUN 0:49 4.24 mi 11:30 min/mi 424 cal

Plus some walking that I won't count! Whew!

Baby bunny

2009-06-30T07:23:00.001-04:00

Eating up all my grass. Punk!
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Vacation

2009-06-26T18:21:00.003-04:00

I didn't take many photos last week when we rented a house at the Outer Banks in North Carolina, but here are a couple that make me smile:

IMG00176.jpg

2009-06-26T09:21:00.001-04:00

Group of 7-8 deer on my run route today
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New cabinets

2009-06-23T12:35:00.007-04:00

Still being installed, and no appliances nor countertops in place, but at least it's progress!

Here is the "before" photo of that stove area in the center. We are keeping the same stove, in the same location (only it will have a microwave above it instead of the vent hood), but that's all that remains of the original kitchen and layout:

Bad photo, but at least you can get the gist of the 2-sided glass cabinets between the sunroom and the kitchen:

This is about the same view, before remodeling (nothing in this photo is still in place other than the doorway I'm shooting the photo through). The new dishwasher is going approximately in the same place as the old one that is barely visible on the right far side.

Starting Over

2009-06-21T19:31:00.009-04:00

Here we go again. I have 24 weeks in this year's log and 20 weeks to Ironman, more or less.

Averages per week this year:

Swim: 334 yards (zero for fully 20 of those weeks, since I never got meds to swim in the indoor pools, and I would get sick without them. Fortunately outdoor pools seem okay so far.)
Bike: 29.8 miles (better than I had thought!)
Run: 10.6 miles (fairly average for me).

Hmm. Compared to this time in 2006, when I was preparing for Ironman Florida (which I DNFd halfway through the run), that's about 2975 fewer yards swimming per week, 19.4 fewer bike miles per week, and 4.8 fewer run miles per week. That's not good! But my paces are faster now and my body weight lower, so that's in my favor. And while I'm 3 years older, I've also got 3 more years of base training and triathlon experience.

Now I need to gradually bring up the swim total within a week by about, oh, roughly 10X - 20X, the bike by about 4X-6X, and the run by about 2X. Not in every week, though, the overall weekly averages in the next 24 weeks will be somewhat less since I'll focus more heavily on single disciplines each week.

Bring it on.

Home again!

2009-06-21T11:44:00.005-04:00

Home again from vacation! Yay! I'll post some photos when I find my camera (buried somewhere in unpacked luggage, I hope).

Major events of this week:

* My birthday! My math says it's my 52nd, but that can't possibly be right.

* Summer day camp starts! Hurrah!

* MORE work on both houses proceeds, slowly. Photos to come, also. Two sets of beautiful upper cabinets are now installed in my new kitchen and 3/4 of the beautiful floor. It's still going to be several weeks until moving day. The old house is listed for sale and we've had a few looky-loos so far.

* 20 weeks to Beach 2 Battleship iron-distance triathlon means that SERIOUS tri-training begins this week! I'm using a modified ontri.com free canned training program, which looks good, along with logging my workouts there. They have a "friends" function, though I'm not sure exactly what the friends thing does.

* I just ordered one of these funny-looking bike saddles. It's my only hope for riding long distances without being in serious, serious, SERIOUS discomfort after 2-3 hours. Nothing else has worked, and I've tried everything. Everything. And yes, red is fast.

Hot tub

2009-06-19T09:47:00.000-04:00

The girls are loving it! Yes, we have the temp turned down so they don't cook. But maybe we'll get one at home one of these days!
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At the beach!

2009-06-12T19:03:00.000-04:00

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New carpet

2009-06-10T13:41:00.001-04:00

In the middle of carpet installation today throughout the new house (everything outside of the remodeled area and bathrooms). This is in the girls' bedroom, but the color goes very well with the tan, yellow, and brown shades I've used for the walls throughout the rest of the house. Sure beats faded 80s dusty rose.

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Swimming at Claiborne

2009-06-08T17:56:00.004-04:00

My training partner Dave and I did another short open water swim this morning at Claiborne, Maryland. There's a sleepy village which many years ago used to host a bustling ferry terminus. These days there are more ospreys and crabs than people.

You might be able to see a flag in the middle ground which showed the wind to be 8 or 9 mph. The water had a bit more chop than I would like, but the temperatures were pleasant enough and there is no sign of the sea nettles yet. We did, however, pause to let a very large swimming snapping turtle go on his way. Since it's completely open to the west it can get a lot of wind coming off the bay and a lot of chop, making swimming there a bit of a challenge. Plus it's only deep enough to swim there when the tide is out - otherwise it's only hip height out to a half mile offshore. Today that allowed me to stand up and rest and take a breather whenever I felt like it!

The crescent-shaped bay is just to the south of the "A" on the map below, on the east side of the Chesapeake Bay.

Blowup pool

2009-06-07T14:27:00.000-04:00

I don't think I could fit an Endless Pool in it, but we're enjoying the new back yard before we have even moved in!
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Don't like

2009-06-07T09:43:00.001-04:00

"Race Day Packet Pickup (each) : $10.00"

Oh well, won't be registering for that race either.

New floor

2009-06-05T14:28:00.001-04:00

Finally the floor installation begins!
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Update: VERY glad to see our new flooring finally going in! It's Bruce "Butter Rum" prefinished 3/4 inch oak. Can't wait until it's done!

New blinds

2009-06-05T14:27:00.002-04:00

Just installed these in living room
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Update: They are great shades! I'm very happy with them. I got them on sale online at JCPenney (Spencer II Roman Shades), about $50 per shade with shipping - they have a sheer portion and a heavier room-darkening portion (in lots of colors and a few patterns, this is called "Sienna Scroll" in a very rich-looking fabric). I'll probably use them alone for a long time and then put drapes on top of them, or maybe just a valance. VERY easy to install, I was surprised!

Birthday festivities

2009-06-03T08:35:00.004-04:00

I had hoped to have a real backyard birthday party this year, but that idea got dropped when the remodel wasn't anywhere near finished. But we ended up with several fun days of celebrating six years with my girls anyway!

Starting with the ever-popular rainbow cupcakes with buttercream frosting (48 of them took me all afternoon to make). I think I need to find information somewhere on "How to Frost Cupcakes".

I brought them to school on Monday to help fuel the kids for their outdoor "Field Day" which is lots of fun.

We had our own outing at our private beach cove on Saturday which was great! Too bad the jellyfish will arrive soon.

Swimming at Claiborne

2009-05-30T13:41:00.000-04:00

Had a lovely swim here this morning so I brought the girls back for some fun
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Catherine is satisfied

2009-05-29T16:06:00.004-04:00

. . . with the color of their new room. (Lucky thing, because it was a single mis-mixed gallon that I picked up at a huge discount). Just finished painting this today - one room and 2 bathrooms to go! Plus miles of trim to get the white semi-gloss treatment.

Before and after, interior painting

2009-05-28T19:51:00.004-04:00

Definitely a work in progress, but here are some photos of the interior painting I've been doing. All the carpet is going to be replaced in a week or so, so I haven't done the baseboards yet either because they'll probably get torn up in the process.

Before and after, from upstairs hall:

Before and after, upstairs bathroom:

Before and after, living room (looking toward front door and through to dining room on left):

Bring on the new carpet!

Ironman branding FAIL

2009-05-26T16:31:00.003-04:00

I took this photo in our local Target today. I think it's conclusive evidence that Ironman has jumped the shark.

Zoo day

2009-05-21T18:09:00.003-04:00

Today I took a break from the house and training and had a fun day with the kindergarteners and pre-K kids at the zoo. We all had a great time! They took much more interest in the various animals than they did on our field trip there last year.

The cutest part was when we came up to the American Bison on display and Catherine exclaimed, "MOM! It has an EGG!"

Cycling and sheetrocking

2009-05-16T11:50:00.006-04:00

Started out today very early with a great 48-mile bike ride. I was pleased with the pace, 16.9 mph average, and to crack 100 miles for this week. That's a good start to the long haul to Beach to Battleship iron-distance triathlon in six months from now! Time to start cranking up that volume!

Things at the new house are coming along, very gradually. Here's one of the upstairs bedrooms that I just finished painting - except for touchups (the trim needs a second coat), baseboard, and doors. We just had the whole house measured for new carpeting - that's still the old nasty stuff on the floor. Hopefully we'll have the new stuff installed within a week to 10 days, but I have a lot of painting to finish first.

"Before" with dingy old flat white paint (one coat over the wallboard and trim will do ya):

"After" with fresh warm tan paint (Kilz Casual Colors Dusty Orange), new bright white flat paint on the ceiling, and white semigloss on the trim (and begone with the fake removeable plastic window mullions):

The big remodeling project is coming along! They're right in the middle of doing the sheetrocking and plastering now. When they complete that, we move on to painting, flooring, and installation of cabinets and appliances! Then it's moving day!

Ariel bathroom done

2009-05-11T14:34:00.000-04:00

One room down, many to go!!! (Thanks for your shopping help, Shawn!)
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Early ride on Mothers Day

2009-05-10T07:49:00.001-04:00

My training buddy Dave at a pitstop at Claiborne landing on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay. Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

Never criticize Ironman management

2009-05-08T08:10:00.002-04:00

For if you do, you may be summarily booted out of their WTC race.

http://smaryka.blogspot.com/2009/05/ive-been-kicked-out-of-ironman-uk.html

Because they can. Anything is possible!

Sheesh!

Makeup

2009-05-07T15:37:00.000-04:00

One never knows how Catherine is going to emerge from the bathroom.
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Drying the sails

2009-05-06T09:44:00.000-04:00

Another dreary gray day, but at least no rain yet. This is my harbor view along my standard running route.

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Poison ivy

2009-05-04T09:55:00.005-04:00

I spent a while this morning chopping out poison ivy at the rear of our new property.

Some of the vines were thicker than my wrist.

See all those luxuriant leaves up in the tree? Uhhh, it's a pine tree. Those are ALL poison ivy leaves.

Ahhh, much better. I only chopped out the vines and leaves to head-height, the rest of it is going to have to die on the tree because it's too high to pull down. Notice I also chopped through some miserable stinking English ivy on the shed in the background too.

Rainbow cupcakes

2009-05-03T15:46:00.006-04:00

Inspired by the rainbow cake made at Omnomicon, we attempted to make rainbow cupcakes today by the same method - just to see if it would work. The hardest part was finding the concentrated gel food colorings, but I finally located them at the largest grocery store in our area. Then the fun began with 6 bowls of colored cake batter (just using a standard cake mix):

Dropped in rainbow order into the center of cupcake thingies:

The final batter appearance:

The view after baking:

And much to our surprise, slicing one open revealed a perfect inverted rainbow! Hurrah! (Now I wonder how it would look with uncolored batter to start and end the rainbow so it would have white in the middle instead of the solid purple center):

The most important part of cleanup is having an assistant standing by to lick the frosting off the beaters:

Two monkeys

2009-04-30T13:27:00.000-04:00

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Wall and half-wall

2009-04-28T10:44:00.000-04:00

Looking from the fireplace toward where the new kitchen will go in. The old fridge is in the approximate spot where the new one will go. A counter-height bar will extend to the right from the vertical post in the foreground.
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Half wall framed

2009-04-28T10:36:00.000-04:00

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10k for Bari

2009-04-25T10:39:00.002-04:00

Today I ran my local Oxford Day 10k for my Israeli triathlete friend Bari, who was unable to run hers due to the death of her mother-in-law. So Bari, credit yourself with another 10k in your race log.

Unfortunately the humidity really knocked Bari for a loop today and she was only able to slog around the course in a sweaty dripping 1:05:15 (10:31 min/mile pace). Those desert-dwellers just can't take it, can they? They're so evaporation-dependent. Here on the Eastern Shore we laugh at evaporation.

Ugly faded carpet gone!

2009-04-21T09:38:00.000-04:00

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Installed the new header

2009-04-20T13:48:00.000-04:00

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Building our new pantry

2009-04-20T13:47:00.000-04:00

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In midstream

2009-04-18T14:24:00.007-04:00

I haven't done much swim-bike-run to speak of this week, but I've worked on the house 3+ hours each day. Call it upper-body cross-training camp. It must be some level of exertion, because every day my hands and shoulders are sore, and I was down to my lowest weight of the year this morning!

Things are progressing! After much spackling (two quart tubs worth) and sanding and wall prep, I've finally begun the real painting fun. This will be an "Ariel" bathroom for the girls when I'm done, but here's a "before" shot:

And here's midway:

I started preparing another upstairs room for painting by removing the outlet covers and came across this big nest of disgusting. They're teensy ants, fortunately, and not termites - and shortly after this shot all the soldiers died horrible but mercifully quick deaths from an overdose of Raid.

Things are progressing outside, too - finally got most of the bushes chopped down from 12 years of overgrowth and I'm gradually whipping the place into shape. The Bradford pear blossoms have just passed. I still have to decide what to do with that little raised garden in the foreground that formerly featured a broken birdbath and was formerly edged with attractive rotting wood. The enormous oak on the right will come into its leaves very soon and nicely shade the house in midday all summer.

Morning from the farm market

2009-04-18T10:17:00.000-04:00

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The house is bigger

2009-04-15T16:24:00.005-04:00

Well, it's not actually bigger, but it's starting to FEEL more spacious and open already. I love it! Well, more accurately, I love envisioning what it can be when it's all done.

Today I went on a shopping spree and bought a dishwasher, a refrigerator, a microwave, and an in-sink garbage disposal. Whee! Fortunately I learned of a 10% off coupon for Lowes (at your post office too, inside the change-of-address moving packets).

And oh yeah, today I locked the keys in the house for the first time. Whoops. Fortunately I found a sneaky way in. There's nothing really to lock up yet except numerous full cans of interior paint, soon to be half-empty cans of interior paint.

The new kitchen, gutted

2009-04-14T20:30:00.010-04:00

The gutting began today! We're combining three small rooms (family room from where this shot was taken, sunroom through the sliding door at the left, and kitchen behind the wall to the right).

View at the end of today with the sliding door (which will be removed) to the left, kitchen to the right.

The original view of the kitchen interior a few months ago (before we bid on the house):

Almost the same view today:

Turning around in almost the opposite direction, the original small kitchen closet and inexplicable nook to the right of it. The open doorway to the family room is to the right of that.

Today, starting the process of combining the closet and nook into one larger pantry closet:

Turning slightly right, the former area that held the kitchen table, and shelves for the little TV they apparently watched during meals:

Today, minus the little TV shelf, and the walls and cabinets and window too:

Spackling

2009-04-14T18:02:00.005-04:00

The renovations are beginning! This is the part that I've been working on for a couple of days. There are settling cracks all over the house that aren't serious, in nearly every room, but that should have been patched (and re-patched) some time since 1985. Well, they're getting it now. This is above the front entranceway at the landing of the stairs. Before:

And a preliminary after shot, below - I'll be painting these walls some time in the next month, perhaps a nice toasty orangey-tan-brown color (whatever you call that). Cinnamon? Only not nearly that dark.

It's starting!

2009-04-14T13:04:00.000-04:00

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Swimming technique

2009-04-14T10:26:00.002-04:00

Here is a great resource for you analytical visual learners out there who are working on improving your swimming strokes.

The Star-Mangled Banner

2009-04-13T19:06:00.003-04:00

While the girls were taking a bath tonight Catherine was trying to recall "a new song about a flag" that she had learned at school and sing it for me. Somehow I managed to decipher what she was trying to sing from: "O'er the rainbows we watched were so gallantly streaming!"

I was drying her off after the bath and trying to explain: "That's a very important song, Catherine! And it was written by someone called Francis Scott Key, when he was on a boat not very far from here. . . ."

"Mom, do I look like Cleopatra with the towel wrapped around me?"

(Sigh.) "Yes, dear. Just like Cleopatra."

Eastertime

2009-04-12T15:46:00.005-04:00

That's Catherine buried in the Bunny's tummy below:

Coloring eggs at home (the first time I dared to have those open dishes of dye around the girls!):