Running Around Blizzards

Last Friday night we had a snowstorm that lasted well into Saturday. Tonight, Tuesday, we are expecting a blizzard that will last overnight and most of tomorrow. The training schedule which I have been following has me running three days a week with a day between runs for recovery, and I've also been running an extra day to accommodate our friends who want to train together on Saturdays, (M,W,F & Sat).

With the impending weather last week I ran on Monday, Wednesday, and then Thursday, anticipating no training on Friday or Saturday. Friday was clear enough once I got off work after all, so I did get my fourth run in. Saturday there was no finding the road under the two feet of snow, so I was glad to have gotten my days in already.

Now that we have a second snow event within one week, I ran yesterday- Monday- and again today, since the weather hasn't yet arrived. The snowplows have done a masterful job of clearing the roads from Saturday's storm, and they are clean and mostly dry, with occasional areas of slush. The snow is at least two feet deep on either side of the road up here on our hill, and the sun was shining gloriously bright yesterday. It was still shining this morning but in the past couple of hours the sky has begun to darken... the blizzard is most definitely on it's way.

The Road. Beautiful, isn't it?

I feel so much better knowing that my first two days of Week 4 are accomplished. This week the routine is a 5 minute warm-up walk followed by a 3 minute run, 90 second walk, 5 minute run, 2 1/2 minute walk, 3 minute run, 90 second walk and finishing with a 5 minute run and 5 minute cool-down walk. I'm not going to say that it was easy, that second 5 minute run sure got long, but I wasn't as aware of difficulty with my breathing this time. Once I'm finished with each run I come inside to stretch, and I suddenly realized that I was getting a lot more out of the stretching than I usually do. My forehead was pressed right down on my knee and I wasn't dying! I went to a real running store a couple of weeks ago to get the right pair of shoes for me- with some evaluation by the experts there, and I give them credit for reducing the aches and pains that were accompanying my running before.

The Shoes

Seeing improvement like that is certainly encouraging. Realizing that I am making a point to get outdoors even with snow on the ground is giving me hope that I can do this after all. The discipline required to actually train for an event may not be beyond my grasp, and if I can do this, I can accomplish other goals as well.

There are way too many "I"s in this post... Only one more.

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."
(-Philippians 4:10-13)

Surviving the Snowpocalypse!

Nearing the end of last week we began hearing dire predictions for a Winter storm that was heading our way from the South. I believe that makes it a 'Nor'easter". By Friday afternoon people were in a panic, clearing the grocery store shelves, gassing up their vehicles, and generally making South Floridians facing a hurricane look sane. I had gone to the store on Thursday and worked on Friday until 2, so I was determined not to go back to the store but head straight home once I was finished.

Kate did have to work, (at the grocery store) and Jim worked as well, so he picked her up on his way home. Bekah was supposed to work at Fridays, so, since the sky wasn't falling by 4:30 she went on in, using our All-Wheel Drive vehicle.

At about 5:30 the first flakes began to appear, and we were making soup and falafels for dinner. It took a while for the storm to really get moving, but when we were texting Bekah to tell her to get off work and come home NOW, it was another hour before she was released. By then she was rather nervous about driving in the dark with the weather, but she has nerves of steel so we told her to go ahead and come on home.

Our hill, you must understand, gets difficult to climb once the roads get too bad. We knew that they were still passable with the car she was using, provided she came up a certain road. If she didn't come home Friday, we wouldn't see her until Sunday, because the snow was forecast to continue for almost 24 hours. She gritted her teeth, took a hold of the wheel, and made it home safely. What a relief. With all of our darlings safe under our roof, we tucked ourselves in for a long Winter nap.

In the morning I crawled out of bed and took a look out the window. Snow was steadily falling in the quiet dawn, and there was no discernible difference from yard to driveway to road to neighbor's yard across the street. Pure, undefiled snow, as far as I could see. And continuing to fall...

Just gorgeous,... and deep! (Look at the bench to the right)

The situation clearly called for action. So I gave everyone a wake up holler and dashed downstairs to make pancakes! Once fed, the crew suited up for battle and attacked the snow with shovels, at least 2 feet deep on the front porch, back porch, and driveway. Before long our neighbor Keith brought up his Kubota tractor for Jim to use to clear our driveway- what a blessing indeed! With two feet of snow already blanketing the driveway, and more falling, it begins to look like a futile task. Even with the borrowed machinery it took Jim and Isaac 4 1/2 hours to finish up.

Isaac and Jim in their mission to dig us out...

Now this will help!

The storm has passed, all is quiet and calm.

Vali enjoyed herself immensely outside once she figured out where the steps to the deck were. Jumping and leaping through all of that chest-deep snow was the best fun she'd had in a long time. So much fun, in fact, that she needed to barf her entire breakfast on the carpet before laying down for a quick nap.

Indoors we had a cozy fire going in the fireplace and Kate and Bekah helped me with household cleaning while I also cooked and baked. A hearty spaghetti lunch was just what the diggers needed, and warm fresh bread from the oven is simply aromatherapy and absolutely delightful on a cold day. Later in the evening, once we were all recovered from our labors, we made pretzels from an Auntie Anne's kit- yum- and played a new game that Jim got the family for Christmas; You've Been Sentenced.

Warm and yummy.

Erin prepares to twist.

Words fail me...

"You've Been Sentenced"

Game night is so much fun...

Oh, what in the world?
Erin is a master of justification... and confusion.

All in all, I'd say we had a spectacular weekend.

And they're calling for more snow on Tuesday night- yee-haw!

The Forecast

It may snow tonight. Lately the temperatures have certainly been cold enough, and now we are again looking at a forecast of snow continuing into the morning hours. I'm wondering how this will affect my training schedule? (a thought that has only recently begun to cross my mind...)

See, we don't own a treadmill, so the running that I've been doing has been happening outdoors. I never, NEVER, never thought that I could walk, much less run, outside when it is as cold as we've been experiencing. Yet, it has been dry, so I've laced up the shoes, pulled on the warm gear, and gone out the door three days a week at least. Nobody is more surprised than me, believe me.

But tomorrow will be different. I will be given so many excuses to stay inside where it is dry and warm. Snow on the ground, muck on the road, slippery footing...

On Monday I was actually able to go for my run on the trails at Gring's Mill, not far from where I work. The sun was shining brilliantly and I was all alone as I walked and ran. The intervals for this week are 90 seconds of running, 90 seconds of walking, then 3 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking- repeat. Just me and the birds as I listened to the music podcast with the audio cues for when to change from running to walking and back again. I'm still working on controlling my breathing, and had to watch my footing more carefully, but it was a neat time out there and I look forward to the warmer weeks to come when I can do it again.

Every single day our neighbors with the Husky go up and down our street for their exercise. First Mike takes the dog for a run, then Carole goes for her walk- sometimes twice. Rain or shine, miserably cold or terribly hot, they're out there. Of course, if Mike falls frozen on the side of the road he has the dog to save him...

(Here is where I will not mention that taking Vali for a run would be a really bad idea... she's nightmare on a leash.)

But I suppose that even without a sled dog to save me I can get out there. After all, our group run with mike and Sharon and the kids on Saturday was accomplished in 18 degrees... What's a little snow?!

If I survive this, April will be easy!

"...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."
(-Hebrews 12:1-3)

How Did We Get There?

I was going to do a bit of venting about the fracas at dinner tonight, but then my son meekly knocked on my door and came in to apologize, so, never mind.

When I cook beans for dinner I'm really not out to ruin his evening, but somehow it often does. We told him, as he sat there on the verge of a mental and emotional breakdown over his bowl, that someday he might have a girlfriend who's a lousy cook, but he would need to be able to choke down whatever she makes in order not to hurt her feelings. His response?

"I'm allowed to have a girlfriend?!"

Oh boy...

W2D3

Today dawned sunny, but cooold. So very cold. The mid-twenties warmed into the mid-thirties by noon and I figured that if I was going to run at all, I had better get going before I talked myself out of it. For the program I'm supposed to run three days a week, with a recovery day in between. My week begins on Saturday, when we go run with our friends, so Monday and Wednesday are the next two days. Friday I'll be taking an easy day out on the road instead of going for too long between runs. Trying to keep the self-discipline going- it's part of the point.

I have some new running gear that I was eager to try anyway, so I donned my insulated pants; three layers on top; headphones running to the nifty pocket on the sleeve holding my phone/music player which was playing a podcast of music and audio cues for my intervals; hat and gloves to finish the warmth; and out I went!

Today was Week 2, Day 3, which means that after a five minute brisk walk I ran 90 second intervals with 2 minute walks in between. As I ran the music helped to keep me upbeat and not pay so much attention to the snow flurries that were hitting me in the face. Having the intervals given to me by the audio helped a lot, instead of carrying the kitchen timer and re-setting it every time.

So 25 minutes later I finished my final run and walked out a five minute cool-down before getting back inside for some slow stretches. Funny, but the house hadn't seemed so very warm when I left it for my run.

Frozen face and drippy nose aren't so bad really. I got out there on a day that I'd much rather have stayed indoors and pushed through to the end of my run with no cheating. Yes, there are physical benefits to be sure, but the knowledge that I actually accomplished this run today feels better than anything else right now.

Jerusalem House of Kabob!

Since we moved to the Reading area, we have passed a unique looking establishment every time we drive to church, or really anyplace toward the city. Not far from the local Islamic Center of Reading, there is a halal grocery on one street corner, and diagonally across the intersection, the Jerusalem House of Kabob, combined with the Holyland Market, as announced by the giant yellow on red banner across the front of the store. We are adventurous eaters, and enjoy travel, so we figured that a dinnertime in the Holyland might be fun.

Music straight from the Middle East played as we entered the store. As we perused the shelves of the market, Jim saw many products that he had seen in the grocery stores in Dubai. Almost everything had the name written in Arabic first, with English added as well. Smells of olive oil, garlic and exotic spices emanated from the "restaurant" side of the store. Perusing the menu, Jim felt right back in Dubai as we read off the choices. The girls quizzed the owner on the vegetarian-friendly offerings and were assured that the falafel was the way to go. Jim chose the beef kabob platter and I went with a chicken kabob sandwich. Isaac wasn't so sure; no order for him.

While we waited for our dinner we chose a few items from the market shelves. A Turkish coffee that Jim remembered, boxed falafel mix, Lebanese olive oil, aromatic Basmati rice. Once out food arrived we said a blessing and tucked in.

Oh. Yum.

The girls' eyes opened wide as they tasted the wonderful flavors of their falafels wrapped in pita and seasoned with a delicious tahini sauce. Jim's beef tempted our cautious Isaac and my chicken was marvelous. I'm sure we were a sight to behold as we exclaimed over the wonderful meal and shared tastes. Jim had ordered a red lentil curry soup that was heavenly, and quickly shared around the table. The hummus was the best that I have ever, ever had, and did not last long at all.

I have a feeling we'll be stopping in more often now.

Photos

Just wanted to share real quick some photos from the past week...

Erin loving on Milo in the basement. She had clipped his claws earlier, which may account for the look on his freaked-out face.

Still in the basement, Isaac pauses from his ping-pong practice for a shot.
Beautiful reflection at Gring's Mill. I'm not familiar enough with this park along the river, but I plan to be back for more photos and maybe a run once the pathways dry up.

Chicken under a brick, cover recipe from Bon Appetit, September 2009. Yum. I changed it up slightly, adding chopped fresh sage at the point of cooking in the pan, and a drizzle of honey as it went into the oven and when I turned it. Oh baby. And it's beautiful too!

Jim.
Dinner guests, Ross and Margaret Anne, with their precious new baby, joined us for the chicken on Wednesday.

Mary Claire, absolutely precious.

And her sweet Mommy too.

That's all for now. I plan to get out this weekend for some shots that I've wanted to take around town. A little more purposeful, a little more involved. We'll see!

Decisions, Decisions.

I am not one to make "New Year Resolutions". Yet, the beginning of each New Year is ushered in in the midst of a holiday break from school with the kids home, a lot of non-routine activity, and reflections on the past year as it ends. Once the kids resume school and the decorations are put away, it is natural that some changes take place. There is an initial shuffling about of activities and priorities as we try to find where exactly the balancing point is.

We therefore have a few changes to our life that will be put to the test in the coming months to see which will last and become part of the norm, and which will pass on to the graveyard of good intentions.

I have already mentioned here my involvement in the Camera Club and my hope to improve my photographic knowledge and skills. I will be putting some of what I have learned to use with my film camera as well. Follow through once the images are captured will be a challenge as I don't want to simply dump them into the black hole of my external hard drives, only to linger in unfinished obscurity. I need to get printed and copied to disk those that are worth keeping, and eliminate those that aren't.

I have also mentioned the girls' dietary shift to vegetarianism. We are still figuring out how to better accommodate that. I'm thinking that they could plan at least one or two meals a week that will be entirely veggie, and I can use the many resources that I have already at hand to increase the variety of meat-free dishes that are served at each meal. This is still a work in progress.

Through the inspiration of a friend in Florida, some of our family have begun training to run in a 5K race in the Spring. Following a program called the Couch 2 5K running plan, which is designed to take couch potatoes to a 5K run in 9 weeks, we are entering our second week of training tomorrow. Another family from church are joining us in the understanding that a little accountability helps us to keep to the schedule and aim for our goals.

Our most important goal this year, indeed, ever, is to train our children in the ways of the Lord. We have been able since the beginning of the school year to maintain a routine of family devotions each morning before the kids go to school. This has been working well, for the most part, but we seem to have compressed our time with a lack of discipline about waking up in the morning and losing our focus on the importance of our family worship. We are attempting to renew that focus and re-invigorate our devotional time with emphasizing how very vital it is to each of us and our relationship with our Heavenly Father, as well as our family relationship one to another.

Along similar lines, my own personal piety is always in need of improvement. I am still attempting to finish my reading of Calvin's Institutes. I had hoped by now to be moving on to Jonathon Edwards, yet that shall have to wait. I'm pretty sure that finishing Edwards in a year would require being stranded on a deserted island with his books, but I digress.

So there it is. Personally, and corporately, the goals and desires that have developed for myself and our family in the past weeks. Let's see if we can truly incorporate them into our lives this year.