Wednesday Workout Update?

This is week two, deux, dos, due, twee, zwei, dalawang, of no running for me. I'm a little bored, (as evidenced by my discovery of Google Translate) and I'm getting impatient with my EXTREME MAKEOVER: ANKLE EDITION. And it's only Wednesday!!! Argh. The only thing I've done for a workout is to pedal my life away on the recumbent bike at the gym. One time I didn't even read the book I brought - I just listened to my "long, long run" playlist and pretended that I was out running. I'm going back to the gym today with the intention of pedaling for an hour, and then I'm going to approach the weight machines and do a little upper body workout. Lori was kind enough to send me some of her upper body workouts, as I can't remember anything I used to do when I worked out with Brad and Linda. Hey - that's why I liked going there...I didn't have to do any thinking! So I'm putting it out there - I will go to the scary weight machines and I won't let them intimidate me (much).

I've been trying to ice my ankle a lot, and the most comfortable place to do that is on the bed. As soon as I get settled, Paco and Henry (our scaredy cat who normally lives under the bed during the day), hop on top of me. It's quite the scene with everyone competing for my attention while simultaneously growling and meowing at each other.

Paco is actually laying on my leg, pressing the ice pack into my ankle (I get bonus points for that, right?), while Henry is purring and drooling...I have to keep him away from my netbook lest he gets the keyboard wet!Different day, same situation...I was sitting up this time, with my computer on the white pillow.

Extreme closeup - Henners.

Extreme closeup - Paco.

Well. That was exciting, wasn't it? I actually have one running event to tell you about - last Saturday was the final benchmark run for my running club. The full group ran 21 miles and the half group ran 12. All in preparation for Austin. Since I couldn't run, I helped out with the aid stations. While it was good to see a long run from the other side, and I'm glad I was able to help, I still wish I was one of the runners. Are you tired of my whining yet? ;)

Slightly ghetto aid station - and yes, I was bundled up like Nanook of the North!

Here we are at mile 7 - behind the Kroger. This was the turnaround point for the halfs, and I wanted so badly to yell out "turn around - you are going the wrong way!" but everyone did, in fact, turn around when they were supposed to. Just as well - it probably was only funny to me anyway. Side note: I mentioned to Jeff that we looked like the people who sell puppies at various parking lots around town every weekend. Then Coach Joni and her husband Rand showed up with their bulldog. I swear, just a few minutes later Animal Control pulled up and questioned Rand! Too funny - we really DID look like we were selling puppies!

After all of the runners had come through, we moved on to another part of the route - because of the jig jags, this aid station covered miles 10, 12 and 15 for the marathon group. We were there for quite a while. It was at a dead end in a newer neighborhood - they were carving out a road just beyond where we were, but there was still a lot of brush. All of sudden, we saw a little deer come out of the brush, cross the dirt where the road will be, and go into the brush on the other side. Then came another, and another...it was just a trail of baby deer and their mamas - so neat to see! Hard to believe that many deer are living so close to suburbia, but I guess suburbia is expanding into their land.

I so wanted to be out there running with them. Even at mile 15, when the fulls had just run up and down a hill and were all looking beat down, I wanted to be running. (of course, I would have been done before then, because I would have only run 12 miles) Most of the half group had finished and left by the time we were done with that aid station, but we went back to the park and waited for the fulls to come in. I have to hand it to them - that was a long time to be running, and it was tough, but everyone finished strong and I know they will do great for the big race in Austin. I just hope I get to be there, too.

***Just a note on the stickers - the 20 have all been asked for, and are going out in today's mail. Hope everyone who gets one likes it!