Skating in the sun

I woke up surrounded by sunlight. Dark and heavy curtains were still drawn from the night before, but they were clearly no match for the sunshine. My plants love it. To be honest, so do I.

Pumpkin maple oatmeal muffin
(with text)

I haven't decided against a southern holiday next month. The offer is still there. For now, I get my vitamin D kicks in cold weather excursions outdoors. This morning I revelled in the beauty of strong sunlight, blue sky and clear ice. The cold spell will break soon. This could be my final skate of the season!

Still February. Still freezing.

Goal set! I have set my heart on a fall marathon. Yay! Only thing left to do is train through the summer heat. Nothing to it...yeeeaaaah.

This morning I fumbled through a run on the treadmill. In these temperatures it's a blessing to be able to run indoors...but we are charged mentally for the service. I'm sure I've complained before (repeatedly) about this aspect of treadmill training. It just means you have to make your own fun, even if said fun amounts to what I am about to describe.

Today, I listened to podcasts and watched life unfold on the other side of the floor-to-ceiling windows of the gym. I saw people walking their dogs, and a tiny dog scramble frantically across the top of a snowbank. Noticed a mother and child playfully hide from each other behind snowbanks as though it weren't minus kajillion degrees outside.

I thought I deserved a break and also something fresh, so for dinner I cooked a potful of Pasta with Creamy Pumpkin Sauce. Added a bunch of broccoli. Danced a little jig in my head because I was able to hold back from eating it all, thereby reserving a portion to enjoy for lunch tomorrow. 

Plus, I accidentally threw too much garlic into the dish, which will make my breath grossly irritating to those around me. Such serendipity. Could life possibly provide more than two thumbs up?

Today: 15 km

Total weekly mileage: 33 km

A pressing issue

Fish tacos are insanely delicious. The two I enjoyed tonite were assembled from Sunday's leftovers. Both fish and wraps had to be reheated. Added some mashed avo, coleslaw and white pepper. Lime squeeze for a drippy layer of tang. Insane.

 

I've discovered a machine at my gym that is going to be my new bf - the seated shoulder press. It's a twist on the regular seated press in that the hard metal bars are gone, replaced with plastic handles like skipping rope, the plastic kind. The handles make the pressing up motion more difficult because they're wicked unstable. I haven't done presses in forever so I'm also weak! Could barely lurch through the first set of 10 lbs! I want to see that measley number grow.

Ran for about 7km, then some machines including the presses. Three sets of 8. It was the final stop for me for the evening and I could do no more. Tender shoulders tomorrow.

Blueberry muffins

Who doesn't love a blueberry muffin hot from the oven? 

Whether you need a healthy snack or a delicious one, blueberry muffins are pretty great. Indulgent but not hedonistic unless you're into the butter scene (like me).

I had to use up some bran, so I rounded up frozen berries and milled flax, threw it in the oven and called it a day. 

Actually I called it dinner!  And then went for a skate. Brrr.

Lucky 13

I'm getting back in touch with a dear old friend, the Sunday long run. This friend is a big fan of outdoor adventures but those are hard to get excited about in these temperatures. This phase of winter is rancorous and repellant. 

I speak only for myself but I can't be the only one who thinks that way because the gym was crowded on the weekends until just last week when the chaotic vibe loosened up. Fewer people on the machines and more lockers available in the change room. One explanation could be that the snowbirds have flown to warmer places. If that's the case, the place will return to zoo city soon enough. Another possibility is that people have dropped interest in maintaining their memberships, and their ambition to see their new year's resolution through to the end, and returned to sleeping in on Sundays. Or maybe people are tougher than me and have taken up running on the canal! I definitely know that last option to be true.

So I was able to score a treadmill for 13k this morning without keeping anyone waiting for my machine. There was no lineup. Having broken the long run seal - it's been ages since a distance longer than 10k, maybe since my October half - it hopefully won't be long until I see some progress and the long runs lengthen like summer days. I definitely see a fall marathon in my future, maybe even someplace far away....

Festibiere d'hiver