Give Not Into Temptation ...

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Days Run: 190 Nancy's 2014 Mileage: 950.7 Elly's 2014 Mileage: 358.8 Money Found For Food Bank: $0.87

I have to admit I am blown away that this is the last day of November!! It most definitely did not feel like this month was wrapping up with the recent warm weather including the precise window of time I was out running this morning which made my choices of what to wear most regrettable. However, an hour after running, I was outside and was freezing from a very sudden, and very steep, temperature plunge! Where was that when I was out there getting all hot and stuff? *sigh* ...

That I was overly warm during the run caused my brain to get all loopy and make me want to cut corners. Three different times, I considered cutting out a loop or other off-shoot, all of which are small but add up. Every time, though, I reminded myself I'd want the mileage later, so I should just carry on.

I was even highly temped at my last opportunity to bail on part of the run because guess whose path I crossed while I was heading to my finish!?!

My chariot awaited if I so chose ...

He was heading toward the pick-up spot, and, not knowing my route, he asked if I had much more to go or if I just wanted to get in. I didn't have that much more to go. But, again, it was enough that I didn't want to lose it. So, I declined and said I'd see him in a little bit.

Here's the funniest thing about that last umph: Along that stretch alone, I found 49 cents of today's 55. Yup, I would have missed out on all of it. How crazy is that?

In other crazy numbers, I would like to note I am just under the 50 mile mark to hit the 2014 1,000-mile goal! I also must note that today's number is adjusted to match the math I'm keeping track of on paper and by hand (double checked daily with the calculator) versus the in-my-head math I have been doing in the tally. I periodically check myself to make sure it's accurate. The last adjustment I had to make reduced my miles, so that was a huge bummer. This one gave me a few back. I like this kind of adjustment much better. Good ol' antiquated methods working out!

With that, I have some little friends staring at me ...

They're anxiously awaiting their placements on the Snoopy tree, so I must tend to that! Enjoy the start of your week and the start of the new month, and I'll check in after the morning run!

And, So It Begins ...

Things are very right in the world when
the M&M garland goes up!

Happy Saturday!!! Is everyone finished digesting Thanksgiving?! I think I'm close! I actually did a good job not overdoing it on Thanksgiving itself, but then we planned a fun, thematic meal to have while cheering on a favorite football team, and, well, this kid went to bed full! It happens sometimes, does it not?! If you're not digesting, are you recovering from Black Friday shopping? Or, did you skip it entirely like I did and sleep?! No matter what started your morning, I hope it was good!

I have thoroughly enjoyed another day of not running although I am looking forward to some kind of outing tomorrow. Today has been far from restful as we get the different spaces cleared, cleaned and ready to receive our personal forest of Christmas Trees (yay!). I admit I'm worn out, and it's only mid-afternoon! So much for running for preparing me for such tasks ...!

I did decide one thing this year with regard to getting the decorations out. It's this (and, it's genius, so pay close attention. Ready?): Only one or two boxes of decorations can come out at a time. When one is emptied and put back in the storage room, only then can another come out. Ahhhhh ... that'll save a lot of angst on my part. I hate when almost all of the living space looks like our storage room blew up and spit everything out where I'm simply trying to walk. It only took about 20 years to come up with this strategy, so I hope you took good notes.

With that, it's back to it!! Enjoy the rest of your holiday weekend, and I'll see you after the morning run!

The Recap!

The annual Charlie Brown
Thanksgiving meal that we have
for lunch. Because it's awesome.

Happy Friday and post-Thanksgiving feasting!! I hope yours was a great one spending it exactly the way you wanted!! Ours was super-duper! I enjoyed exchanging messages and phone calls and cooking the normal stuff while Pit Crew #2 and Aaron got into making some new stuff and playing games and watching Home Alone ... all of the things that come together to make our Thanksgiving what we've come to love! And, of course, all of that came after our family morning run! Here's how our fourth go at the Turkey Trax went down!!

I woke up with a start around 5 a.m. because I had a sudden panic that our turkey -- which was on our deck swimming in its brine in a cooler -- had refrozen because it was so cold overnight. I woke up Aaron (because shouldn't he have to check on such things?), he got up to confirm the turkey was just fine, and I think he went back to sleep. In the meantime, I not only didn't really go back to sleep, but I also realized I'd thrown away the directions for cooking the raw pie I'd bought. I wasn't too worried about it, but it did keep my mind buzzing enough that I didn't get back to a good sleep. That's the best way ever to start a morning of a run! But, ready or not, it was soon time to head out!

Fortunately, when we arrived at the start, it didn't feel as cold as the temperature read which was right at 30 degrees. (That particular chill was reserved for the end of the run when we were all sweaty. Fun!) There weren't as many people dressed in festive wear as I've seen in the past, but there were some fun ones like ...

... and ...

... and, these ladies that were getting a jump on the upcoming holiday ...

And, of course:

Let's get a better view of Aaron's hat, shall we?

And, how could I resist showing off these two?!

While prowling around the start, we saw and chatted with a couple of people we know. I have to say that the atmosphere of this run is among the friendliest. Everyone is simply in a good mood and not taking it particularly seriously. And, if they are, I'm not hanging with them anyway while they talk time and focus on winning one of the age group prizes:

I'll bake my own pie, thanks. That is, if I
can figure out workable directions. hahaha

Finally, it was time to get to the start, but not before our annual pre-race selfie!

It just has to be done!

As we were walking, PC#2 and I were talking about (which is another way of saying making fun of) the selfies we recently watched Josh Duggar take on an episode of 19 Kids and Counting because he's always in the foreground holding the camera way up high capturing the rest of the people small in the background. So, of course, we had to try it:

Seeing as I cut Aaron's head off, I concede this technique requires more than I have to give. You take this round, Josh Duggar!

So, here's part of the view from the starting line:

Note the dude in the rainbow unicorn hat, upper left. I would
like to add that that guy was fast ... must have been his
rainbow magic ...

And, here's Pit Crew #3 and I hunkered down to let everyone around us block the wind:

And, here's what we saw when we took off!

Who starts a race up a hill? Most races
around here do, and there's not much that
can be done about it. But, still!

There's Aaron almost at the summit of the start's hill!

We decided we were the homies, and Aaron was the home slice.
We're cool like that.

With the minor exception of that first little incline, this was a really good course and one none of us had before run. We were surprised the venue had changed from the previous years, but, with this course, we approved. I'm sure that pleases race organizers near and far.

ANYWAY, the four of us commit to hanging together, and we found our groove pretty early on. We also found this before the first mile:


This little girl rocked that pie hat.

Funny story about being at this point: PC#2 noted, "I don't think they really marked the route with mile markers this time," to which I responded, "That's because we've not yet gone a mile," to which she responded, "WHAT?!" Keeping in mind she's a pretty natural athlete and can go-go-go when she has time to train-train-train, this was really quite funny. And, it just goes to show how long a mile can feel to anybody.

Just before wrapping this whole thing up, I found this!

If it's there to find, there's a good chance
I'm going to do so! I can thank my friend,
parking meter back there, for this!

In no time, we wrapped it up!

And, in no time, the boys found the post-race food!

PC#2 and I each had a bite, but these
didn't hit the spot.

Correction: They did not hit the girls' spot!

We hung around the finish for just a bit, but, then that post-race chill set it, and it was time to leave!! But, not before our finish line selfie!

There it is! The 2014 installment of Turkey Trax ... that run that's often advertised as "Work off your dinner before you eat it," which is a complete load of crap but fun to laugh about!

In the middle of the Turkey Trax route, I even said to myself, "Yeah, I'm really over this running thing for a few days!" And, so it shall be with another rest from running day tomorrow! The day is sure to be full, though, because it's time to decorate!! See you tomorrow ...

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Days Run: 189 Nancy's 2014 Mileage: 942.6 Elly's 2014 Mileage: 358.8 Money Found For Food Bank: $0.32

From out family to yours ...

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We'll race recap tomorrow on a day set aside for digesting, not for running. hahahahaha

Be happy today!! Happy Thanksgiving!

Virtual Turkey Trottin'!!

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Days Run: 188 Nancy's 2014 Mileage: 939.5 Elly's 2014 Mileage: 358.8 Money Found For Food Bank: $0.31

What a day! What a day!! And, the great part of it actually started yesterday when my Virtual Running Partner Extraordinaire, Mary Kate, was here!! YAHOO!!

Her travels with her family for Thanksgiving paid off big-time for me because I was along the route!! Our visit was twice as sweet as it was long, and I loved every minute of it!! And, what a great pre-kick off to our virtual run this morning!! Yes, she was here, but she also hit the road, so even though we were together, there was no running together. Besides, doesn't that just cut into talk time? It's so much higher quality of conversation when having it in a chair as opposed to while running. Just sayin'.

This morning, we were together in spirit ... and, on the phone!

The starting phone call is a must.
We're about ready to hit it!!

I was very excited to tell her about the snow we were getting
because it wasn't happening where she was.

Oh, and that turkey on a stick? I made those for us. It seemed absolutely necessary to carry one while running. Because it was. I gave Mary Kate hers yesterday, and she seemed genuinely enthused about it. She's used to me, so it came as no real surprise to receive something like that, too.

Thanks to Google images, I found a turkey running. You have
to have a turkey running when doing these things. (Oh, and
that isn't Elly's bandana; it's my pillow case. I had to find a
reason to use more of that fabric because it's awesome.)

Okay, anyway, we said our hellos and our good lucks and our call-you-when-I-finish jabber, took a quick selfie with my Pit Crew Chief and biggest fan ...

... and, off we went! The snow was really starting to come down as soon as I started. It was awesome ... so pretty!!!

It was also really quite wet, so I figured the camera should stay safe in its plastic bag in my pocket until the snow let up. I'd already gotten it kind of wet because the combination of carrying the stick and wearing a hat deluded me into thinking I was actually under an umbrella. For real. The next thing I knew, I was all, "Oh, crap, wet camera," and I reached into my pocket to get the plastic bag ... that was no longer there. DRAT! Fortunately, I found it upon a quick U-turn:

Finding it saved Aaron a frantic phone call to come bring me
another one ...

Except for the fact that one of my shoes finally gave in to the moisture by Mile 2 (and was totally saturated ... and, cold ... by the end), I was really quite warm and dry the entire way. It was fortunate that I was running on fresh snow because it allowed for a bit of grip. Any area where the snow had already been touched was slick. Yay for being up and out early in the game! That way, I could enjoy a lot of the scenery ...

Indeed, that is my turkey on a stick on the left. I used it to wave
at a handful of people in their cars. They did not wave back.

Along the way, I thought about Mary Kate and her husband who were out running 'with' me and hoping they were enjoying themselves. By the picture, I'd say, apparently, they were!

He totally cracks me up!!

Mary Kate sent me a great picture of her running showing a really cool scene, but Picasa is having a really big attitude about uploading it. Her coolness clearly broke it. I'll share it later if we can figure it out because I really like it, and she's awesome.

I enjoyed my outing, too, being out in the snow (often with my mouth open and tongue out just enough to catch hundreds of snowflakes -- perhaps why people wouldn't wave at me ...), being more entertained than annoyed by my foot getting wetter and wetter, finding 31 total cents to restart the Food Bank fund (yahoo!!) and giggling to myself that if it weren't for the fabulous turkey medal, I likely would not have gone 6 miles again until after the New Year. Sometimes, I need the bling to push me farther. It's a guilty running pleasure; I make no apologies.

Before I knew it, this run was a wrap!

Indeed, the medal is different from the one
eating the pie. It's a long story, but I knew
it before I entered. So, no harm, no ...
wait for it ... foul.

Aaron met me to present the medal and to get us bagels (sweeeeeet ...)

An everythingy-everything bagel, please. And, yes, that is
exactly how we order it because, sometimes, the everything
falls off and it's more of a little-bit-of-stuff bagel. And,
that's no good. They're used to us, too. Except when we get a
new person which is when we get the look ... They learn.

While we were waiting, Aaron noted the snow on my hat:

I would periodically hit my hat with my turkey stick, and snow
would slide off in front of my face like it does in front of a
window on your house.

With bagels from here and fruit-n-yogurt parfaits from McDonald's in hand, I got the call from Mary Kate!! This is probably my all-time favorite running call from her, too, as she explained with no apology the following: They did not go the full 10K distance and either weren't sure exactly how far they did go, or they really didn't care. They had to stop and look up directions as to where they were to go at one point, and the elevation of some of the hills they unexpectedly encountered was not what they were especially used to. Put all of that together, and this couple ran the run they decided would work for them, and that was that. She sounded happy, I got a huge kick out of it, and we both (all three!) had a great morning!

As. It. Should. Be.

Whatever the distance was, we all finished!

This lady rocks!!

I got off the phone from laughing with her to being greeted by my young Crewers and, of course, my retired-of-training-duties trainer:


Not much went as would have been expected for any of us this morning, but I think it turned about better than we could have planned as it seemed to work for all of us, too!! Thank you again, Mary Kate and Chad, for a great run and for inspiring me to keep going, and, to my Crew who all play their own parts in making me better!

And, tomorrow? The whole family is in it together!! We will all check in after the morning run!

Donation Day 2014

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Days Run: 187 Nancy's 2014 Mileage: 933.5 Elly's 2014 Mileage: 358.8 Money Found For Food Bank: $63.64

It's Food Bank Donation Day!!! YAHOO!!! I love this day!! I have to be honest that I don't really love the process of counting it all out because it is so amazingly gross, BUT it's so amazingly worth it!

Because I ran yesterday and have two runs planned for tomorrow and Thursday, I normally wouldn't run today. But, it being Donation Day, I had to give the streets one more whirl! Even though the wind was so snippy that my face felt numb when I finished my three miles, I was glad I went because I found six more cents! Add that to the adjustment I had to make for the grand total (as I missed a bit in the year-long tally), and this year's donation is $63.64!!! Whuuuuuuuuuuttt ?!? It's just sitting around out there!!! Well, until I see it ... then, it goes in one of a number of Snoopy receptacles 'til donating!

Here's the basic breakdown. In round numbers, I had ...

• $12 in pennies
• $4 in nickels
• $22 in dimes
• $22 in quarters
• $2 in dollar coins
• $1 in paper money
• + 64 cents in change that didn't add up to a whole number when divided into categories

Let the $22 in quarters sink in for a sec ...!! That's the one that gets me because they're so much easier to hear when they hit the ground than the others!!

We also keep a jar for money Aaron and I find when just walking around ... or, checking vending machines ... or, having Aaron pull over at an intersection because I just saw a coin in the middle of it ...

Yes. We found the folding money, too. All of it.

That total was $52.83!!

All together, today's donation was $116.47 which translates into just a bit more than 1,740 meals the Food Bank can provide!!

One thousand seven hundred forty. HOLY. MOLY. That's worth breaking pace or otherwise looking a little like a fool any day!!!

We got our donations together including money the young Crewers squirrel away every week to donate, and off we went!

I also scoured the pantry this year to see if we had any food to donate while we were there. In that small bag is the jar of gravy I bought for Thanksgiving. Yes, I said jar of gravy. We also have stuffing as well as mashed potatoes out of a box because it's tasty and easy. Don't judge. Anyway, I don't like gravy and don't eat it, but Aaron and Pit Crew #2 do (and approved of said jar of gravy last year. Surprised me, too.). They're worth more than a jar of gravy, but that's all I've managed to come up with until I recently came across a make-ahead gravy recipe that actually sounded tasty even to this non-gravy eater. So, I threw caution to the wind and donated the 'backup plan.' Thursday could be interesting ...

 

We all made our donations, and the collection staff could not have been more enthused. Even more fun is that some of the staff are consistent at this site, and they've been watching the young Crewers grow up. One of the staff members wanted to hear the story behind the bags of money while another offered home made brownies and magic cookie bars. We also got a free sample of sushi from the nearby grocery store:

I'm just sayin' that most of the family was not really hungry for dinner by the time we left the donation site.

Can I tell you how much I enjoy our annual trek to the donation site? It's a fun family affair with a big benefit behind it. I'm so very thankful we are able to give it and aren't in need of it. So thankful.

Our jar on the counter already has another 12 cents in it, by the way. And, I don't know if tomorrow's route is going to provide a start to the running finds, but, I'm excited to find out! Even more exciting is that tomorrow is our virtual 10K ... that's right! You know exactly who is joining me on the phone and from a distance!!! She and I will see you after the morning run!!!

I Think I've Been Had ...

Today’s Numbers: Nancy's Days Run: 186 Nancy's 2014 Mileage: 930.5 Elly's 2014 Mileage: 358.8 Money Found For Food Bank: $62.26

We started plucking the turkey last
night ... no countdown involved, just
tasty feather eating!

Helllllloooooooo MONDAY!!! Not only is it Monday, but it's the Monday before Thanksgiving!! YAHOO!!! Growing up, Christmas was my favorite holiday (duh), but, as an adult, Thanksgiving is my favorite!! For us, we're pretty short on the hustle and bustle and very long in the chillin' and playing, so the whole focus is on how awesome everything is! SWEET!!

We have to get to Thursday first, though! And, to kick off the week, I headed out for a run. It was super-windy making the 32 degree temperature feel not-so-much like 32, but it worked. I ran my route, found money, said hello to people who did or did not say hello back ... you know, typical run.

But, that's not the real story of the day. Rather, it's this: You know how I mentioned yesterday that Elly seems to have pulled a chest muscle or something else that is making it difficult for her to bend her head all the way to the floor (hence, the makeshift dish lifts for her food and water)? Well, after a day of feeling really sorry for her, by last night, I began to think I'm being had. Check this out:

Yes, she is doing exactly what it looks like she's doing. She licks the carpet all the time. We really don't know why. I also don't know why she couldn't get her head down to eat, but she had no problem reaching the floor to lick ...

Oh, yes, it went on for a while ...

Interesting how she was so fixated on making sure there was nothing -- or, something?! -- to lick under the blanket that her injury did not deter her!

"What."

That she had trouble getting to her food in the morning was totally legit as I watched the whole thing including how she was trying to spread her front legs apart to the point that her head would lower. But, the carpet-licking-capades in the evening were inexplicable, so I spent the rest of the night calling her a big faker.

She's better but not good yet today, by the way. If this is what she did to herself a few years ago, it'll take a handful of weeks to heal. That or she's doing an awesome job pretending so she doesn't have to exercise ...

Okay. Tomorrow. I'm going to give a spin to 3 miles as one last hurrah before donating the stash of cash in the evening, so that's the plan there! This week is full of really good stuff, so stay tuned to see what unfolds!! We'll start with checking in after the morning run ...!

Perfect Start

'Tis the season to ask this question: If you see this on a box that has been mailed to you ...

... what movie do you think of?!

(Intended answer: A Christmas Story ... The dad receives a prize he won in a contest, and it's marked FRAGILE. He studies it before saying, "Fra -- gee -- lay ... 'must be Italian." It makes us laugh every. single. time. And, t-minus about a week before we break that movie out for multiple viewings!)

Anyway ... I had not yet decided whether or not this was going to be a morning to run when I went to bed last night. I weighed the pros and cons, and the verdict seemed six of one, half a dozen of the other, so I decided to let the morning just happen. If I got up early enough and with enough energy, then I'd run. If I slept in, so be it.

Option number two is what happened, and it was exactly the way it should have been. So many mornings, I use running to get myself going. And, then there are other mornings that let me know I need to stop and refuel ... ahhhhh ...

Elly's not breathing such sighs of relief these days. Unfortunately, I think Friday's outing irritated everything she's been healing up and then some. She was moping around here for most of yesterday, and, this morning, she still wasn't quite right. Then, I saw her work on eating her breakfast, and she was having a difficult time lowering her head all the way down. We've been through this one with her before: straining a chest muscle. ARGH!

Such a condition requires elevating the food and water bowls
for at least a week. Good thing Lizzy's there to supervise.

I can't seem to get it right for her these days. And, while I'm not even sure Friday's run is what aggravated this, I have to put it in the realm of possibilities. I'm thinking Elly is going to be on one-mile walks through the end of the year, then we'll just start her over from the beginning! Poor puppy ...

"Most days, it's really not hard being me. Then, there are those
I like to call the 'other' days ... *sigh* ..."

I'm ready to hunker down into a cozy evening just chillin', how 'bout you?! Wrap up your weekend exactly the way you want, and I'll see you after the morning run!