I am still smiling from yesterday evening–first, a very exciting basketball game, and then some great local bluegrass music.
Today we’ve had a gorgeous day for being outdoors–working in the yard, and giving the car a good wash and wax. It was also perfect for meeting today’s Janathonrequirement. I did a jog to the grocery store and walked back home with my trolley of groceries, 3 miles total. Tomorrow morning I visit the podiatrist.
Last night and this morning, I also experimented with bread recipes. I tried combining this no-knead bread recipe with this recipe for whole wheat potato bread. The results were quite encouraging. I have to tweak it to get it just right, and when I do, I’ll post what worked.
My daily runs are short, but I’m noticing improvement in my core and posture, from making it a daily event thanks to the holiday running streak and now Janathon. The yoga stretches are surely contributing to that as well. Today was a mile run and 15 minutes of yoga. The ankle that I think I mildly sprained last week is still painfully weak for the first few steps of my run. I’m starting to think that will go on for awhile.
Tonight I’ll enjoy a live bluegrass band in one of our local cafes. It’s a rare treat for me.
The Janathonroutine continued with another yoga session and a mile run. I foresee a longer run in my weekend, as we are predicted to have sun and unseasonably warm temps. I’m ready!
Mosaic artists have covered a lot of different objects in their tile work, right? But I’ve always heard you should never mosaic tile a sink. I got this design idea from all of the pictures of watercolor quilts I’d been admiring. I knew I’d never get one of the quilts made, so this took its place. This sink was old and damaged, so I decided to give the mosaic a try. If it didn’t work out, no big deal, because the sink would have to be replaced anyway. After nearly finishing the project, I realized I’d used unsanded grout when I should have used sanded. So I tore the mosaic off and redid it with sanded grout. That was about 12 years ago. Today was the first ‘major’ repair. I replaced a little tile that popped out of place. Is it good for another 12 years? We’ll see.
To clean it I use spray liquid cleaner, baking soda, and a brush, then pat it dry with a terry cloth.
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For Janathon, I did my mile run and 15 minutes of yoga, focusing on Achilles stretches. The ankle is still tender when I take my first few running steps. Then it loosens up and all is good. Weather is getting back to normal January temperatures, thank goodness. The polar vortex has moved on.
I love beating the elements, even for a short run.
Yesterday’s run was in below-zero windchill, and 2 inches of new snow. I went to a new level of layering. I wore my insulated coveralls that I normally keep in the car for emergencies. They look something like this, but navy blue. No frills, no special features for runners, and not the slightest bit girly…all of which gives me some new sewing ideas. *grin*
The coveralls would have been too warm for a long run, but my usual winter running tights would not have provided enough protection from the windchill, even on a short run. So I really had no choice but to wear the coveralls. I wore my usual cap, neck gator, and Bear Hands, and opted for screw shoes. I stayed on the main road that had been mostly cleared of snow, but was slick with a thin layer of snowpack. The screw shoes were great for traction, once again.
The windchill was so cold that my forehead froze, even through my fleece cap. I tried to keep my cap pulled way down to my eyes, and my neck gator way up to the bottom of my eyes, and around the back of my cap. I really needed a windbreaker hood that I could pull down tight around my head and face.
The Bear Hands were great. My hands were toasty warm.
This is getting old, going through all of this layering and equipping for the elements, all for a one mile run. So I tried to stay out longer this time. I managed 1.5 miles before deciding that the exposure to my forehead was going to become unsafe. So that was the limiting factor on this run.
Another quick mile yesterday, taking advantage of sun and relatively mild temps in the morning, before we plunged back into the deep freeze.
Amazingly, there are still remnants of the Christmas snow fort.
Then I attended a basketball game, in the same athletic complex where in college I used to run 30-60 minutes, 7 days a week, to keep my sanity as a student.
Today’s run will be in snow and sub-zero windchills. I’d like to do a 3.5 mile loop, but if I can’t adequately protect against the windchill, I’ll have to cut back to a mile. I’m really ready for a longer run. Darn this polar vortex–whatever that is. And to think we are just on an outer band of the vortex.
There is a big window in my house that on the coldest days, reminds me that I really need to replace it with something more energy-efficient.
This will likely be my regular Janathonworkout, considering my current issues. Last night when I did my mile, it was a balmy 41F with 8mph wind, and mostly dry pavement. Definitely not bad running conditions for January. It would have been great conditions for 3 to 5 miles, were I not trying to give my foot a chance to strong again. I finished my run to this song; wishing I could keep going at least one more mile.
Yesterday’s workout was not a run, but yoga from Priscilla’s Yoga Stretches, which I hope to work back into my morning routine as it once was. I’m already feeling the effects in my legs and torso. Hopefully it will result in better posture for running, sitting and standing, which I’ve let become atrocious. Her stretching workout airs here on PBS every morning at 6am. Her workouts are packaged into 15-minute segments, which is perfect.
And then came the visit to the GP to confirm a preliminary diagnosis of Morton’s Neuroma in my right foot. And so begins my own personal journey to see what it will take to keep running. At the moment, I’m not really worried; just need to work through this. There will be a short run today, in the bitter windchill and an inch of snow. In ten days, a consultation with a podiatrist.
By Neil Young. Here is one of his songs to play while reading on if you choose.
I’ve never known very much about Neil, and have always had the idea that not many other people do either, and that he’s wanted it that way. So now he’s written this memoir; clearly his own words, and on his own terms; not according to any formula. If you want a straight chronological story, this book may drive you crazy. I didn’t mind it a bit. He used a stream-of-consciousness writing style, where he mostly compartmentalized stories into short chapters, but jumped from then to now and back, and to future goals, with the change of a short chapter or sometimes only a paragraph break.
He wrote about his goals for his Pure Tone/Pono listening technology. I’m dying to experience it. My years of running with ear buds has given me some tinnitus that may impact the experience, but I still want to hear the sound he is describing.
He wrote about his cars and his love for cars. I remember when his Lincvolt was a project being constructed near my home, which was very cool. But sadly, he doesn’t have positive things to say about that part of the project.
He had a nice way of writing about his family. Whether I was reading something positive or heartbreaking about his family, his way of telling it made me not afraid to read on.
He wrote a lot about his bands Crazy Horse, Buffalo Springfield, Crosby Stills Nash & Young, and his earliest days as a musician. He wrote about bandmates, managers and producers. He described writing several of his most well-known songs, and sometimes provided back stories to them. He wrote about living and creating music in Laurel Canyon. He included a photo of the Laurel Canyon cabin he lived in when he wrote “Expecting to Fly.” That is the song of his that touches me the most.
My biggest and maybe my only beef…is with the book’s front cover photo. But first, about the back cover photo: It is real, and wonderful, and by Linda McCartney. His eyes, expression and features are captivating. When I think of Neil Young, that is the way I’ve always seen him in my mind. Then there is the cover photo; taken recently, head looking down, and partially shielded with a hat; no eyes showing at all, let alone eye contact, and then there is a prop; a card tucked into the hat band, that says, “Hippie Dream.” A little too contrived for me. No, make that way too contrived. Unless I missed the point, or the back story, which is certainly possible.
The book is almost 500 pages long. I enjoyed it from start to finish.
Thanks very much to my runner friend and fellow CSNY fan, Gary, for passing the book along to me. I’m passing it on to my twentysomething-musician-nephew, who didn’t realize Neil was the ‘Young’ in CSNY. He’s very much looking forward to the read.
Yesterday’s run was short and meant to cover the Janathonrequirement but not damage my tender ankle. I went out after dark, wearing my reflector vest. There was a bitter cold wind, and it was snowing those mean little dry flakes that don’t accumulate but swirl around in the streets and parking lots. Windchill was 5F/-15C. Ankle did okay, but was a little stiff and tender. I think it will be mostly back to normal in another day or so.
This is getting old, going through all of this layering and equipping for the elements, all for a one mile run. So I tried to stay out longer this time. I managed 1.5 miles before deciding that the exposure to my forehead was going to become unsafe. So that was the limiting factor on this run.
run | sew | read 