Chocoholic Frolic

Ran this chocolate fun run in St. Paul on Sunday with my daughter-in-law, it was beautiful, cold, sunny day and a quick 5K was perfect with lots of yummy chocolate during and after, a cute hoodie and a chocolate colored bag. 26+ minutes, I prefer longer distances but it was fun to do a race with someone and not have to wait for them or them for you.

First full week of HBBC..........

As usual I have had a very active week, with pretty poor eating. I need to take the time to shop and prep so the week goes more smoothly. Then to add to the bad eating, my kids came to visit and we snacked and had wine. Love to see them but have never really figured out how to stay on track when guests come or holidays or any other excuse I can think of. Maybe Accountability Monday will help.

Accountability Monday

11/17 - Rest day
11/18 - 60 min. Core Class, this is really fun and goes fast, major DOMS by Wednesday.
11/19 - Trail run 6.6 miles
11/20 - Long run 8 miles S/B 9 but my Garmin went dead and I was tired
11/21 - Did a bunch of RTF mini workouts on youtube 30 min
11/22 - 5 mile hike with breaks for bodyweight exercises, fun to do on the trail with a light dusting of snow.
11/23 - Deer season opener in these parts, took the pup for a 20 minute walk down the drive and back.

Can't find the camera so no pics :(

Random

I haven't written in so long so I am going to just write this morning. It has been a month since my marathon and I have to tell you it is kind of a let down, I am back to running 20 miles a week and signed up for the Polar Dash on January 1. Looking forward to doing that new distance 14 miles in the cold and snow!

I started doing a little strength workout Betty Rocker 30 day Challenge my legs are killing me, guess I needed something other than running. Signed up for 2 workouts, Core at our local WITC and the 2013 HBBC challenge, check it out, you can sign up through the link on the right. That should get me through the holidays with little to no weight gain.

As always I am trail running 3 days a week with one short run on the road, We ran a new singletrack trail on Sunday and I can't wait to go back. It's part of the CAMBA Trails called Gravity Cavity, fun, fun, fun!

Marathon Training - Week 7

I went to a writers workshop last Friday and the instructor wrote her book by blogging. I really love to read blogs and would also like to write a memoir which is what the workshop was about. I am having a tough time getting into the blogging routine so am going to blog daily just about daily thoughts and activities. 

The workshop was given by Redberry Books of Cable, WI and featured Laurie Hertzel who wrote News To Me, a memoir about her time at the Duluth News-Tribune. I really want to write about my 16 years running a resort, it's funny, exhausting and sometimes sad. So anyways the suggestion was to write daily about your day so here I am.

Tomorrow is week 7 of Marathon training for the Birkie Trail Marathon in September, it is going to be hot, humid and buggy on the trail but we have 13 miles to run there are 6-8 of us doing different distances. I am getting my water ready, picking out my lightest clothes and looking through my gu and shot blocks. We are going to start around 6:30 am and hopefully will be done by 9. Trail running is slowwww!

I plan on carrying 2 handhelds of water, one with Cytomax(first time I have tried this), 2nd bottle with Nunn which I run with all the time, some shot blocks and 1 packet #9 Gel chocolate(new to me)

Training has gone well and expect tomorrow to go smoothly. This will be my first marathon and if anyone is reading, any advice would be appreciated.

See you on the trail!

Day 1 of the HBBC

After a killer ski hill workout on Sunday today, was the beginning of the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge Really did not feel like working out but nothing like a Challenge to get you going! I did 15 minutes upper body weights and 15 min of the WOW from the challenge and 1 1/2 hours of raking. Grrrr. To tired to even eat, but I did get in the suggested fruits and veggies.

Tuesday will be better, off to the bark park with Addy!

Chick-uamegon 10K recap

The quest for a race every month has come to the this, a rainy crappy Saturday in November. Left Hayward with thunder and lightning and an entire bag of clothes not knowing what to expect from the wet, cold day.
Picked my mom up at the Backroads coffee and drove the hour up to Ashland, where the weather was a little better but Lake Superior was rolling dark and cool looking.
We went to bib pick up along with 256 women, most of them in pink, costumes, full make up and sparkle skirts, so fun. They were giving an award for the most blingy costume.
They ran out of shirts and promised they would be in the mail, I wouldn't normally care except for these were very cute pink hoodies!

They called for the 10K runners to line up at the start and at the same time a icy, rain came in with a east wind! brrrr, we were all soaked by the time the gun went off, but off we went, the run went away from the lake and rained on and off the whole race, I did actually warm up enough to unzip my jacket a little and lose the gloves. It was all men at the waterstops and road crossings, so a very cute, organized run. I finished 24th out of 64, 55, minutes, the rest were either walkers or 5K's.

Good snacks afterward and a women's expo going on next door. 

I didn't get a picture, but my Tootie was good enough to show off my tiara and medal!

5 for 50

My 5 half-marathons in my 50th year was a great success! It is a success because I finished them all and I am not hurt. As the racing season comes to a close I find myself cranky and thinking what next??

The weather is cold, all I can think of is eating, it seems every year ends the same. My running becomes non-existent, I half heartily do some exercise videos, blah, blah, blah. So beginning tomorrow I am going to write out a plan. I joined up  Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge that should help me through the holidays and then hopefully there will be snow and I can ski and snow shoe my way through a northern Wisconsin winter!

Check out the challenge and if you do decide to join tell them I sent you!

Enough with the being such a downer, I got my 5 miles in today, though I can't seem to get a handle on my eating! I just downloaded Lose It on my IPhone and will start food journaling tomorrow. So there is alway tomorrow right, I really should not complain, I could be in the misery that is out east. Those poor people, hope it gets better for them soon!

Women's Magazine Half Marathon - Bloomington, MN

Well we all made the trip from Hayward, WI, to do this inaugural half marathon. The attraction? and all women's run for an all women's running/sking group. I have to say it was a well run tough course. The goodies included a somewhat dangerous medal of the state of Minnesota!

 

They have a nice removable charm in the center than you can put on a necklace. The technical shirt was nice. The course was very hilly and the humidity that morning has hell! 

Anyone else do the WMHM, I guess they are all over the country. 

My Review

Originally submitted at lucy

Novelty Propel Tank II

By vtimber from Hayward, WI on 8/2/2012

 

5out of 5

Sizing: Feels true to size

Pros: Lightweight, Stylish, Breathable, Comfortable, Dries Quickly

Best Uses: Running, Warm Weather

Describe Yourself: Avid Athlete

Was this a gift?: No

First experience with Lucy products, it was all good.

(legalese)

Mini-Triathlon

Well after spending the last 7 days trying to talk myself out of doing this annual fun event, I shoved my bike in the car and picked my best swimming/running clothes and got myself to the park on time. I am so glad I did what fun! Swimming is so hard when you are not used to it, just as running 2 miles is tough for a non-runner. Anyways this mini-tri consisted of a 100 yd swim, 6 mile bike and 2 mile run with 20 female participants. A beautiful 64 degree morning in the northwoods of Wisconsin.  To end a perfect morning a relaxing stop at the Moose Lips coffee shop for coffee and a warm scone with the wonderful Ski & Tea sisters.

Half Marathon

Love this photo from the Garry Bjorkland's half marathon that I completed this month. I really love that distance but feel compelled to complete a full marathon for various reasons. It seems daunting but after reading so many running blogs I know I can do it!

Fall beauty and the end of another season.

As the leaves fall and the fishing gets good, the kids have all gone home and the resort takes on a quiet, relaxed pace. Most visitors are couples or fishing groups that don't want anything more than to enjoy the quiet, wet a line and soak in the beauty of the fall colors.

This morning the trees glowed as the sun came up. I know I have seen that before but it never ceases to amaze me. As I finished up some e-mails and fooled around with a SLOW computer, I got ready for work. My boring, brain cell killing part-time job that thankfully will be over this month. I have let a lot of stuff slide at the resort and I am looking forward to getting back to it.

That is about it for today, as we say here at Virgin Timber Resort, stop and listen to the quiet...

Spring Training

At this point the winter is getting a little old up this way, I like it to get cold, stay cold and snow, snow, snow! This week was the dreaded spring thaw, the end to snowmobiling and an increase in stress at the Birkie office with just 10 days to get through until the big cross country ski race.

I signed up for a few races this week, trying to get a little motivation to run in this strange weather. I had to drive down my driveway to get to to the road to run, it was solid ice, but the road was good and I ran my regular 4 miler, it was only about 10 degrees and sunny.

The resort was quiet this weekend, we had two cabins full, some cross country skiers, and 2 ice fishermen. The fisherman I think mostly partied, did catch a few rock bass?? So the panfish were uncooperative.
Sunday is a chill day, stay in watch some of the Daytonna 500, there is a snowstorm coming so probably won't run until tomorrow.

It has been 2 days since the Birkie Trail Run, half-marathon and I am finally putting my feet up. I have a nasty blister on the side of my big toe and since I will be running another half on October 9th I am trying to get it to break so it can heal. The trail run was a blast, all the long training runs this summer really paid off. My next half will be the Whistlestop in Ashland, WI on an old railroad bed, the surface is crushed limestone which is also very friendly to run on. It usually is freezing with a little snow but sunny and a tad warmer by the finish. They have good eats and beer at the finish.

Snowstorm

After 13 years I still haven't figured out how to train in the winter. I have spared no expense to stay warm and dry but something always keeps me from walking out the door! Christmas Eve morning and I am watching a snowstorm roll through our area, pretty sure the only exercise I'm going to get is shoveling. My last run was last Sunday a 30 minute dash across Moose Lake to make sure all the slush was gone. I had cross country skied both Friday and Saturday and both ankles were slightly swollen?? crappy boots or bad technique not sure which. The rest of the week was taken over with Christmas shopping and getting the resort ready for guests. They are supposed to arrive on the 25th, hopefully the storm won't keep them home. So what is my plan to get my 2-3 runs in this winter? anyone with any suggestions? I think I will cut myself some slack over the holidays and try to get in 2 runs, 2 skis and 2 video workouts by the 1st of the year. Thankfully there is always a January 1 to start over on...

Winter has officially arrived here in NW Wisconsin. I have been running up here for 13 winters and I still have trouble dressing, I have been spending endless hours on the net reading about layering and shopping for the "perfect" jacket. Haven't bought anything yet but have most of my Christmas shopping done.

I haven't run in a few days, this time of year so many other more important things to do, like "Cookie Day". Bake 15 different kinds of cookies with the women in your family and drink lots of wine and Capt. As my new daughter-in-law says this is better than Christmas!

I did have two great training days last week, Thursday a nice long slow run and Friday speed work on the Birkie trail with the Ski & Tea ladies. This week with all the new snow will start the cross country ski season. Now I don't ski but I am going to learn I have lessons lined up for the next 2 Saturdays, figured I should be a skier by Christmas...

Made it to day 9 of the Wisconsin Deer hunt with 2 runs and a Friday Turkey Trot. This was no ordinary trot but was done on the hills of Telemark Resort in Cable, WI. When I say hills I mean downhill ski trails. Not sure how far we trotted, ran, walked & hiked, but all those were required because of the steepness of the hills. My time was 25 min, 26 sec., no I did not win nor did I get a prize, but 4 fast women did and congrats to them because it was tough!
As for the resort the hunters dwindled down to just one left today, still out in the woods. It is finally starting to look a little winter like with a trace of snow and near freezing temps, I really love this time of year, especially for running.

Early Sunday morning.

It's the first Sunday of Wisconsin's 9 day deer gun season, so as a runner I am confined to the resort unless I care to dress in blaze orange which isn't exactly my best color, plus the sound of high powered rifles make me jumpy.I live and work in one of the most beautiful parts of the country. the Chequamegon National Forest. As part of my resort ownership I also have a bar which of course I also have to work. That is what resort ownership is work, work & work. I have many guests and friends that are somewhat disturbed by my running alone up here in the Northwoods and they are always advising me on the latest wild animal sighting, ugh. Well last night in the bar it was about a Cougar sighting just a 1/2 mile down the road and of course on my regular running route. I of course laughed it off. I refuse to be afraid, because If I can't run outside, it would be really bad, running is my stress release, my religion. where I write and where a I clear my head. My friends also said that cougars can't distinguish between animals and humans and they chase anything, not quite sure I believe that but if anyone knows that for a fact let me know. I did google Cougars in Wisconsin and of course they have been sighted but not in my county and are often mistaken for large bobcats, which I have seen and actually hit one with my car this summer, oops. So I am going to go with that theory because I am not afraid of bobcats.
Back to the hunting, we have around 20 hunters here at the resort this week and as far as I can tell they haven't shot anything yet, so the deer are winning. I love the deer but get that we need a hunting season and I do enjoy venison but am always happy to see the deer that survive the hunt.
That's all for now.
Stacey