sidebar | life and training 9.25-10.1

Trials and tribulations. That is the theme for our final few months of 2023.

First of all, how in the everlong fuck is it October? Insanity. I do not want the rest of our resident year to speed through its tenure and move along into the crypt – it seems unfair how quickly life slides by with barely a notice most of the time. Plus, a new month means I need to sort through another quarry of receipts and file them away. Sigh.

October isn’t really bending our way right now, even though we’re only a full day in. I’ll say a bit less than I’d like considering I respect J’s privacy, but I’ll allow for a short breakdown of what’s transpiring. Last week J’s dad was hospitalized with extreme weakness, and exams conducted for those symptoms brought to view a mass on his liver that the doctors suspect is cancer. His strength is improving from whatever infection transpired (he had Covid a month or so ago and was recently diagnosed with long Covid, though another illness seemed afoot as well) but the concern hereforth is the potentially malignant tumor.

So, these next several weeks are riddled with uncertainty. Our annual trip to visit my sister around Thanksgiving probably will have to be forfeited. I’m at peace with that potential, really. J is in and out helping his parents, I’m at home trying to maintain my routine with working and FMG and, between all that, ensuring J and his mom have plenty of meal preps to tide them through the constant back and forth. Plus, lending my mom whatever I can to help her through her current struggles.

I feel like we’re wobbling on a teeter-totter with a loose screw. Attempting balance, but not quite able to find it without some up and down rocking.

Getting older, and hence parents aging as well, brings with it the inevitabilities of mortality, of compromised independence. I don’t think anyone likes dwelling on these bleaker facts of life, but they are, indeed, facts. Avoidance is easy for awhile, but when the pace picks up to urgency, some forethought, I’m finding, is far more beneficial than turning a blind eye and pretending nothing bad can ever happen. Like in running: be on the defensive, not the offensive, so you’re ready if something heavy comes barreling towards you.

All I gotta say is: thank God for October baseball. The sport is a needed comfort and distraction at the moment. We watched closely the Wild Card races and, to our chagrin, the Rays will play the Rangers for the three-game faceoff. Meaning, the Ass-tros won the division. Fuckers. We’re attending the game Tuesday afternoon, which basically means I have to fly from work like my pants are on fire to get home, get ready, and do a quick recipe write-up before heading out to St. Pete.

So, a positive spark in a tough-to-process cycle of days and weeks.

Anyone else attending MLB playoff matches? Who are you supporting?

My running continues to amp up, some of it due to emotion, and some of it due to the practicality of getting my legs used to higher mileage for Napa Valley Marathon training. I have one more month of “fun running” before I’ll start inserting more structure into my training. I think I’m going to draw up a cute training plan in my bullet journal to map out long runs, workouts, and gym sessions. Sometimes that manual creation helps inspire me to stick to my guns rather than get lazy and deviate.

Our weather, too, is supposed to mellow out this week. A welcome reprieve. The weekend was rotten until about Sunday night, then the wind picked up significantly, the clouds tumbled over, and the temps started to calm into the lower 70s. Not exactly traditional ~autumn~ but certainly indicative of Florida Fall’s attempted comeback. Here’s hoping.

Hug your people. Hug someone who needs it. Being human sucks, but we’re a collective, and no one is immune to some measure of hurt and barely anyone is undeserving of a kind word and a gentle hand.

And, some funnies never hurt, either.

The Fuck We Cooking This Week?

…A savory autumnal pizza.

…Pumpkin muffins!

…A cheesy shrimp appetizer for gameday.

…Cozy vegetarian chili.

A Few Things I’m Digging

Wine…Tried out the Tailor Made Cabernet Sauvignon and their Pinot Noir, both are pretty solid options. Not exactly sure of availability outside of Florida (only ever seen it at Publix), but if you can find it, I’d give it a whirl.

Pumpkin bars…So hyped I finally found the Natures Bakery Pumpkin Fig Bars! These are super tasty now that I’ve recovered my liking for them after using the brand for marathon training a couple years ago.

Shops and Wish List

Fashion

Target…I heard Target Circle Week is impending, so I’m eyeing a few things just in case they’re part of the deals. Love this sweater dress and off shoulder crop. Looking at these corduroy jeans, crewneck cropped sweater vest (love the braided detailing), mock turtleneck pullover sweater, chunky wrap sweater, and yoo these sequined shoes are so interesting but I don’t know I’d ever wear them.

Skincare & Wellness

Trader Joe’s…Been seeing a lot of to-do about their new Honey Hydration day + night cream combo. Might be worth trying since the products I’ve used from there are typically really nice.

Kitchen & Dining

Williams-Sonoma…These fall cutters and the cakelet pan are precious, perfect for any of your October baking desires.

Week in Training

Monday, 9.25: 8.03 miles, 11:19 pace

Not an unpleasant morning, I felt like I was choking on air though thanks to whatever allergen likes to plague me year round nowadays.

Tuesday, 9.26: 4.07 miles, 11:04 pace + 35 minute full body

Surprised by the pace of this run, but I did feel pretty good considering.

Strength:

• 4 x 12 alt curtsy lunge 60#
• 3 x 15 ea. balanced pull apart 20#
• 2 x 8/2 x 10 narrow press 30/25#
• 4 x 12 alt. lunge 60#
• 4 x 15 sumo squat 60#
• 4 x 9 mid row 70#
• Core work

Wednesday, 9.27: 4.22 miles, 10:25 pace + 2.2 miles, 11:22 pace

Two runs because it turned out to be a very stressful day and I needed to burn off some energy. First run was a surprisingly decent progression speed workout: ran 1.5 miles increasing pace every .25 miles or so and ducked down into the low 8s, first time I’ve done that in awhile! Second run was easy on the treadmill talking to J while he awaited lab results for his dad, who was in the hospital that morning.

Thursday, 9.28: 4.22 miles, 11:09 pace + 35 minute full body

Woohoo, another afternoon gym! Think I’m getting used to this little routine.

Strength:

• 4 x 10 ea. balanced row 30#
• 4 x 10 triceps ext. 40#
• 5 x 12 deadlift 80#
• 4 x 12 plie squat 70#
• 4 x 8 ea. OH triceps ext 20#
• 3 x 16 walking lunge 40#
• Core work

Friday, 9.29: 6.08 miles, 11:21 pace

Breezy morning, saw my running pal, and felt okay for the most part. All the street lights were out in my neighborhood, which I kinda liked, and the moon was extra spooky behind the hazy clouds.

Saturday, 9.30: 10.14 miles, 11:38 pace + 10 minute mobility

Guess I need to drink half a bottle of a cabernet sauvignon prior to a long run in order to ensure that it’s decent. Very soupy out, 77 dew point, but the breeze was nice and there was a good amount of other runners out and about, including my friend.

Sunday, 10.1: 4.08 mile walk (1:02:00)

Total running mileage: 39