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| Guacamole Hostas grow so well in the shade! |
It was a race free weekend for me. It is a shame because the weather Saturday morning was IDEAL. The closest race was 80 miles away and it just wasn't worth the drive. I did go out for a 5 mile progression run that I felt really good about. The afternoon was spent getting some things finally accomplished in the back yard.
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| A refreshing color of blue! |
PoPo and I attended a casual outdoor cocktail party Saturday evening and I'll admit that a slow 6 mile run was about all I could handle Sunday morning {too much fun - wink wink}. It was already near 80 degrees when I started out so I kept mostly to the path in our shady neighborhood park. However, there was a gnat reunion in progress and I came home covered in them. I'm sure I inhaled my share as well. Too bad you can't absorb protein through your lungs!
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| Sweet Potato vines make beautiful pots or baskets. |
My marathon training (yikes and yippee) will not start for a while. My plan is to not do anything crazy, no extra long runs. This month I will focus on getting rested, healthy and finding good strengthening exercises -- especially for my hips. {Darn you, old lady hip pain.} I do have a couple of local, short-distance races on the May calendar.
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| If you lay on our deck, this is what you see. |
I'm still very much aware of Buford (my blister) but thankfully he is not nearly as painful (oh look, another P word). There is so much damaged skin that has still got to come off. Hurry up and go away!
I know many of you were racing this weekend and I can't wait to hear about it!
Do you have any hip strengthening exercises you swear by?
Please visit Tara the gracious host of the Weekend Update as well as all participating bloggers.
Please visit Tara the gracious host of the Weekend Update as well as all participating bloggers.
Have a great month relaxing. I'm sure it feels weird not having a wkend to race. But you deserve it. Enjoy the spring weather!
ReplyDeleteI'll try. It is a bit of a foreign concept for me. The weather is incredible. I may get out my bike!
DeleteRacing is about to wind down here in the south. It seems funny to hear my northern blogger buddies talking about how their racing season is getting started. I always kept my calendar clear from May to September because I tolerate the heat and humidity about as well as you do!
ReplyDeleteIt is so weird to know people are just getting started. I'm glad I'm not alone, but some people don't seem affected at all. So green-eyed jealous of that! I've got to focus on WHAT I can do WHEN I can do it.
DeletePretty hosta! Mine are just starting to pop up. For once our weather was glorious as well. 80 degrees in Chicago is always something to celebrate. I think you and I will commence marathon training pretty close together. Yay!
ReplyDeleteHostas are always such a pretty surprise because you forget about them when they die over the winter. Which full are you doing? Do you use a specific plan?
DeleteDon;t you just love it when the sky is blue and the pool is sparkling? Ours is finally warming up and I hope to be getting in by Wednesday or Thursday this week, probably after a run! I think is is nice to have a break between training cycles. I just had two weeks off after my marathon and was excited to run an easy 6 miles with some girls yesterday.
ReplyDeleteTaking the plunge is the best thing after a hot summer run!
DeleteI think your plan until marathon training starts is a good one. So excited about your marathons!!! And it's so true about gnats. I come home with 30 of them plastered to me every time it's humid.
ReplyDeleteThese gnats were so tiny you couldn't really see them swarming. I'm a little overwhelmed. Once I can start training, I think I'll be ok.
DeleteThe plants and pool look so refreshing! The weather WAS perfect this weekend - I volunteered at a race I usually run and the temptation to buy someone else's bib at the last minute almost did me in! BUT...volunteering was awesome! So excited for your marathon training - definitely enjoy some short runs until it kicks into full gear!
ReplyDeleteIt's going to be hard not to jump in and start training early. I need to play it smart!
DeleteLove those colors! so refreshing!
ReplyDeleteI'm taking it easy now too. I want to fully recover before I start marathon training this summer. My go to hip exercises are clamshells, supermans, monster walks (with resistance band), and my nemesis, pistol squats...I'll be doing lots of those over the next couple of weeks.
I'm not sure about the pistol squats. I'll have to look that one up. Thanks for the exercises! I guess I'll start training mid June.
DeleteWhat beautiful colors!!! I raced on Sunday, and am in full marathon training as well (Grandma's marathon in June). I've been doing yoga and foam rolling which seems to help my hips and ITB. Have a great week!!!!!
ReplyDeleteI looked at grandmas, but a little too late. That would have been so appropriate for my first marathon! I swear by my foam roller for ITB! Must do.
DeleteNo race. I'm surprised. Only kidding! If I got a foot transplant maybe I'll tackle the 26.2 distance. For now, I living through you.
ReplyDeleteIf only there would have been one closer. LOL. Disney is still available in case you decide to take the plunge too.
Deletelook at all that green! Those plants are looking good! Mine I think have made it 4 weeks now so I am getting excited with the thoughts of fresh something! :) May sounds like it will be a wonderful month! Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteLime or "spring" green is my favorite color. I love watching plants grow and bloom.
DeleteYour hosta is so pretty. I use to have them all in my flower bed, mine had the white in them, they would come up every year then someone got happy with the weedeater and cut them before they were fully bloomed out and well they don't come up anymore. :( I got in a 6 mile run at the beach this weekend but I truly am missing half marathons, like a lot! I don't have any hip exercises to offer you, but I'd search for yoga stretches for the hip area, it might help. Have a great week H!
ReplyDeleteWe have so much shade and I have lots of different varieties. Guacamole is my favorite. I miss the half too, but I admit I'm still tired. I'm working on that. I bet the beach was great this weekend!
DeleteAww, I'm so glad you had such a colorful weekend, H! The weather was just delightful here, as well; not too many more of these before it's just HOT. So, here are some links to the exercises my PT has me do for hips/glutes and they have worked miracles: http://www.mytpi.com/exercises/#x-walks; http://www.mytpi.com/exercises/#duck_walks; http://www.mytpi.com/exercises/#frog_leg_bridges. Take care of yourself! Thank you for linking up with the blog today; hope your Monday is going well.
ReplyDeleteYes, we are speeding (racing - ha) toward HOT unfortunately. Thanks so much for the exercise links! I'm going to try these for sure.
DeleteI'm so excited to see all the green everywhere - its such a BOLD green.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure with summer, it'll sizzle to brown soon enough :(
Yes I love the spring greens. I should retake these pictures in August. You are right. Everything will turn brown in the heat.
DeleteI've done the halves so I fully expect it will be awesome. I think that's why I just clicked that button without a lot of thought. Ha!
ReplyDeleteWe're getting those gnat reunions here too, and there's a cluster on the path from one of the parking lots at work. Thankfully the area where I live doesn't have them yet, but there is a creek in the neighboring complex.
ReplyDeleteI really didn't notice them when I was running on the road, so it must have been the creek in the park. They were itty bitty little things!
DeleteYour hostas and your pool look much nicer, clearer and brighter than mine - gorgeous!! Sounds like a really nice and relaxing weekend.
ReplyDeleteYou might not know that I am a fitness trainer and I post workout videos on YouTube. I have a few lower body/hip/glute workouts that you might like if you wanna check them out: http://www.YouTube.com/user/PahlaB1
Yes. I forgot! (Duh). Thank you so very much for the reminder.
DeleteI think its a smart idea to give your body a little rest this month with nothing too crazy :) especially after all the races you have done so far. May be just whatthe body needs before you start pushing higher miles on it:) i am jealous of the pool I wish I had one of those:)
ReplyDeleteIt's actually hard to rest. I feel pressure to start training already. I guess because I know I have a lot of it to go through. Patience is not one of my strong points.
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