Heat waves are unbearable if you're an adult. I think as a kid I was pretty immune to the high temperatures. We could tell if it was in the low 90s from humidity, but at a certain point above 96 or so, heat feels like heat.   [it probably should be noted, I grew up in farming country during the 80s drought, it's not like we had a lot of humidity anyway!].  These last two weeks we've had high 90s, low 100s days. Last weekend I stayed inside most of the time.  I did my long run on Saturday, up at 4:30 and it was foggy/humid and out I went, attempting to knock out 12, but I only got a tad over 10 in.  I was pretty spent, the humidity backed off by around 7, at which time I was already whipped.  Back home I got some Cyotmax in and stretched, then headed to the local Jaycees 5K for the 4th of July fundraiser.. . . That's right, I didn't get my 12 in that was my goal and I was going to do the other 3.1 I had planned for the day (15 was total mileage goal, but many folks say time running is just as important if not more, than distance--if you can't get your total distance in, but your time was on target or over for what you anticipated spending, i..e don't over strain the body).

Since I preregistered for the event, I showed up about twenty minutes before start time. . .and wondered where the heck everyone was!!! Wow. what a community let-down. ONLY 24 people registered/showed up for this event! There were more people at it three years ago when it was raining!  Considering we often have a few hundred show up for other races in the area, I was shocked. shocked. shocked shocked.

As we gathered at the top of the hill/starting area, another woman came up to peak a look at my age category and then apologized for thinking I was in her age bracket. Ah, funny thing, I have more gray hair than many people, and since it is primarily at my temples I have given up on coloring the gray, it's not like I have some 'here and there' in my hair. I had my hair pulled up in a clip, plus a visor for the sun/sweat and she felt sooooo bad. No worries at all! I've got more gray hair than my siblings combined (and I'm the youngest!).  Since I'd already gone out for my long race and was whipped, I did not expect/anticipate anything happening this day for the 5K. I did a few walking breaks on some of the hills (straight concrete, in the sun, with heat/humidity). I felt like I was being a little lazy out there, but still trying to not overwork my body that had a long run earlier in the day.  I finished in about four minutes slower than my fastest 5K time. I was good with it. It was faster than my out and back 'easy' run time.  Surprisingly, I was the ONLY person in my age group, and so, when I finished fourth from the bottom, I was surprised to see my name line containing 1/1 for age group! [the woman who asked my age at the beginning of the race, she was the only one in her age group too]. What they say is true. I'm faster than those who didn't finish, didn't show up, didn't registered, or stayed home!  I have my first [and probably only] age medal win! LOL.

The Mike, meanwhile, was pedaling crazy in the hot heat of midwest Nebraska at a bike race in the 'sandhills" of Nebraska . . .completely forgot that term that mom would say when I was growing up, until i saw pictures of the race. Oooh, I felt like a bad wife, not being able to mention that term to him before.  He finished third over all, about 16 hours of pedaling and he said it was the toughest ride he's done, even if he's done mileage longer than that before.  The race organizer volunteered a spot for the Mike in an a/c room Saturday night (instead of the KOA camp again). Thanks to the race organizer for being kind (plus, all the other people who bailed on the race and were staying with him had already headed home).


in case you're not aware, this is a new stamp the US Post Office released this year (kid's bike, road/touring bike, road/tour de france bike, and BMX bike--no mountain bike the guy at the USPS didn't think that was funny, but the guy behind me did!)

After my race, I came home and made this not so fabulous looking omelet.  I made another the next day that was fluffy, perfect, but didn't take time to take a picture--this is regularly what it looks like. Organic eggs from . . .the organic store, ham, spinach, a little cheese, basil and oregano from the deck planter garden, and stopped with  just a little cheese (I'm cutting back).


Saturday was a lazying around kind of day, according to the cat who was missing her human. Unable to catch up on my Runner's World due the ten pound paperweight.

I made lasagna for Mike's welcome home meal.  I figured he'd still be hungry from burning all those calories on Saturday --I was right, though envious that he ate at Runza two days in a row. . . no GF options there :-( I miss the fold over Runza sandwiches. Runza is a hamburger joint, but their original sandwich is an all bread enclosed sandwich with ground beef, onion and apparently cabbage, but I don't think one would really know that unless you were told. Anyway, they're not GF and I miss them.

Sunday night was Lasagna. GF noodles with a jar of sauce. I normally make my own sauce, but I wasn't heating up the house with humidity from simmering sauce all day long, and the last of my homemade meatballs I found in the freezer (half sausage, half beef, some GF breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, onion).

Monday we had a fillet of salmon with carrots for a side.  I cooked the salmon in a foil packet with lemon, oregano and some basil.  In a skillet, I browned some about 1/2T of butter, then added some white wine and  lemon juice, along with some dill at the end. This went over both the salmon and the carrots.

(left overs for lunch, then Tuesday night I had GF pizza from Mama Mimi's take n bake. They had a buy one, get one free option --GF was $2 for the "free")
Last night Mike emptied the refrigerator and we made this:

Since we weren't all that hungry on the 4th from snacking on veggies and leftover items, we had the hamburger to cook up.  Hamburger cooked with onion, layered over spinach and mixed greens salad, tomato sliced/diced, Wholly Guacamole, a little rice that was in the fridge, and a small amount of cheese.YUM, with tortilla chips on the side.

Hopefully you all had a safe and fabulous Fourth of July (Unless you were in San Diego and missed out on the fireworks there!).

I was catching up on some blog reading today and laughed when I came to Beyond Fatigue, Pain & ACTN3's recent post.  He writes, "If you're like me, you probably plan your vacation destinations based upon the quality of nearby trail running spots. " 


People laugh at the Mike and me, okay, they chuckle, because we'll do exercise/training/racing on our vacations.  We've gone to Leadville, CO several years for vacation for the 100mile bike race for The Mike. We even picked which island to see in the fine state of Hawai'i based upon which one had a 5k or 10k for me to do.  This winter, we're heading to California for a  trail race for me, my first as of now, and I'm worried for the mountain/hills/climbing. . .and I won the entry from this man's blog. Yup, we're planning a vacation around a $70 race entry ;-)     Just look at his blog's photo and tell me that doesn't inspire you to at least try!