Wow!!   You have had a pretty fantastic weekend!!  Congrats on both runs.   I don't think I'd ever survive all the mud - I'd end up killing myself in some horrendous accident!  And what a great way to end today's race - strong competition and a hug at the end!  It's perfect. Definitely a lot to be proud of.  🎉🎉🎉

I actually had some pretty good sales both days - so I was  happy about that.  Most of the people who come are very nice - some require a lot more work than others - but as long as they treat me like I'm human, I'm good.  And the weather has warmed up nicely - it feels so good to ALMOST be able to wear short sleeves.  How was the Risotto?  I'm sure it was fabulous! 

I hope your week goes as well as your weekend.   I'm trying to get better on the elliptical, hoping in the end it will make me a stronger runner - we'll see!  Have a great start to your week. 

Muddy seems to be the word of the week!   I am sure both runs will be fabulous!  Just enjoy every minute.   The temps have warmed up nicely here (hence the mud!).  I spent all day yesterday cleaning - washed floors on my hands and knees.  Within 5 minutes of me being done my sweet little dog Annie had mud everywhere.   Not her fault....there is mud everywhere.  Just frustrating.  Risotto sounds yummy - I have never made it before but have to give it a try!  Please send some here!  😎  I am working both Saturday and Sunday - hopefully it will be busy.   Let me know how you do on your runs.  I will live vicariously through you for my running.  I miss it!

Hi!  Oh yes - I hate coming home to a dirty house - or cooking a  nice dinner in a dirty house.  The key to being a peace in my brain is to have things nice and clean.  It's not always easy to have all the closets, etc done at the same time.....it's a work in progress!  lol  Oh yes - you can smell Spring in the air!  It's pretty cold here today - still below freezing - but I think we will be following your trend a few days later - it's supposed to warm up to right around what you have right now.  (I think that's around 57F.)   Looking forward to it - but NOT to the mud my dog brings in!  lol 

Hi Andy!  Thanks for checking in - I love the chats!  I worked both Saturday and Sunday - and will be working again tomorrow to sub for one of the girls who just had surgery.  But that's okay - it's good to be out with people.  You have been doing so awesome with your running - you should NEVER sweat your times - they are all good - even the slower ones.   And yes, I know what you mean about the slow run feeling good.  Sometimes I think it somehow helps!   It sounds like you had a nice mix of things this weekend.   I have been back to a 7 day workout schedule alternating with strength one day and elliptical the next.   I have to say that doing the cardio again is very helpful for me - I have a love/hate relationship - not LOVING the elliptical but it's definitely helping.  I still can't go "all out" on the elliptical - hamstring feels it if I go too crazy - so trying to work hard enough to make some progress, but not too hard to aggravate the hamstring.  I just want to RUN!  Tonight I am going to sing with a new chorale group - excited but nervous!  Today I need to get some laundry done and some cleaning done around the house - amazing how just 2 days away makes a difference.  lol   I hope you have a great week of work.  I'm sure you'll fit a good run in there.    You are due for a visit to the cat house!  😎

Hi - you still had a good time for your 10k!  Congrats.  I am extremely jealous.  I keep telling myself that by doing the elliptical and strength training, I am helping myself to be a better runner when I can run again.....but I'm getting very impatient.   It's not looking good for me to run the Women's 5k at the end of May - but I'm not giving up hope.    I hope you're having a good week! 

Good morning!  Wow - you are definitely back in your groove!  Nice run!  And hopefully even though it was muddy, hoping it wasn't raining during your run.  As I sit here drinking my first cup of coffee of the morning and read what you've done today and I'm feeling a bit lazy.  lol  I have the day off from work but soon I will get my strength workout done (it takes me about an hour), do some cleanup around the house, and then we are going to dinner with my niece and her husband to one of my fav Italian restaurants.   Back to work tomorrow but only one day - and I will attempt 35 minutes on the elliptical.  I don't know why but I'd rather run 8 miles on my treadmill than do 30 minutes on the elliptical - for whatever reason, the elliptical seems so much harder to me.  BUT I'm done whining about not being able to run - trying to embrace what good things the elliptical can do for me as I heel.  I went to see my nutritionist/health coach on Monday, and it appears I've gained a little fat and 4 pounds over the holidays!  Absolutely unacceptable for me so I'm working on it (except for tonight's dinner!).  🤣

Have a great weekend - you're off to a great start! 

Hi Andy - I will definitely check out some of the other songs! 

We've had pretty nice weather the past few days - but a wintery mix is coming in tomorrow, and possible snow on Sunday into Monday.   But the later it gets, it doesn't last as long.

Good luck on your runs this weekend!  I know you will do awesome! 

Wow - you are on a roll!  Congrats on yesterday's 10k, and today's run, too!  I'm assuming the temps are NOT that warm - a COLD rain is the worst!  The last race I ran was in the pouring rain - it was miserable but I was glad I did it.  Today is the last of my work days for this week - and I actually have next weekend off! 

Well I have to admit - you had me curious so I just listened to a little Volbeat - of course I had never heard of them.  Definitely some pretty awesome music to run with!  Love the guitar solos - and the drumming seems pretty awesome too.   I love so many different kinds of music (except rap).  I particularly love good harmonies.  Love discovering a song where the bass has a totally different melody and it somehow just makes the song even better. 

Anyway - congrats on your weekend of awesome runs!   Off to work I go! 

Good morning again - I can't believe I did this - but I wrote the following note to YOU last night but actually typed it on my wall by mistake, not yours - so I'll paste it here. 

Hi!  It is a "balmy" 29 degrees here tonight!  Almost seems like summer!  (Slight exaggeration there.)   Love your organization!  I'm like that, too.  Especially on work days - have to get up early to get my workout done, get lunch ready and everything done before I sit down with breakfast and relax.   I need a couple hours so make sure to get up early!  I'm thinking of maybe getting an appt with my ortho doctor to see if he would send me to a physical therapist (I think that would be a "physio" for you).   I know there's not a lot you can do for hamstring - but last time they did some deep tissue hot massage - maybe that will help.   I'm too old to have to take this much time away from running. 

Hi - you are on fire!!  Did you have to do a specific course or could you run wherever you wanted?  I'm going to try the elliptical today without doing the treadmill and see if it still hurts as much tomorrow.  It doesn't make sense to me that walking on a treadmill bothers my hamstring more than the elliptical - but what do I know?    You will kill it on Saturday - I have no doubt!  Hopefully it won't rain.