November Recap

Just in time for Christmas! Really been slack about blogging lately.

Swim: 6600 yards, 2 swims
Bike: 8.8 miles, 1 ride
Run: 54.8 miles, 9 rides, 1 race
Strength: 2 times
Yoga: once

Wow, I really thought I swam more than that. Work has been crazy planning stuff for 2018 so I haven't been able to make the noon practices, which are my favorite. Actually, I thought I ran and rode more than that too. November saw the start of official marathon training the weekend after my last race of the year (City of Oaks 10k). I missed the 12 mile long run thanks to the Thanksgiving weekend, but the rest of the month was pretty regular. Clearly I need more cross training in December, and the 21st is a difficult time to realize this.

I didn't write up a big Thanksgiving post either, but there is a lot that I'm grateful for. Family, a wonderful job, living in a fun city, you name it. This year has been so much better than 2016 was, while still being pretty terrible by most standards.

Here's some of the fun we got to have in November:

The magical "flying" race photo where both feet are off of the ground!!

Sunny day driving with the top down

Snuggle time with my sweet Ella

Lofting board and new tiny sawhorses! Starting to work on the next boat

Kelley and I had our 19th wedding anniversary

We started a massive kitchen remodel

Ella and I built a guillotine for a school project

The rabbit bit through the power cord of my laptop, I had to crimp it back together! Nerd alert

Thanksgiving was wonderful at home with my big family

Got the Christmas tree up!

And Ella got to put the topper on (she's also well over 5' tall now)

rippin down plaster, Bane style

I did some electrical work on that wall too

Replaced the floor underneath the old refrigerator location

with new flooring that is almost an exact match! freaky cool

And I framed up for some new cabinets at the end of the month

November really was a good month. I was busy, there was always something interesting going on. Between the holiday and this kitchen remodel and the start of marathon training it was kind of a blur. This kitchen remodel is getting huge!

2017 City of Oaks 10k

On 11/5/2017 I made a triumphant return to running races at the City of Oaks. My company sponsors the afterparty so I got a discounted entry fee, and when the emails came in I jumped on it. Ok, so triumphant might be a bit of a stretch. I'm still very overweight, it wasn't going to be fast, and I had no idea what the arthritis would let me get away with. In 2016 I ran the full marathon here, and that has remained my last marathon.

Packet pickup was smooth the day before, I had no problems getting up and getting to the starting line, parking was easy and I made my way to the starting line with a few nerves starting to kick in.

at packet pickup

Big crowd ahead of me

bigger crowd behind me!

Ready to run? it's a little chilly

NC State's bell tower served as the start/finish line area

The course at City of Oaks is beautiful. It winds through downtown, into Cameron Village, then back around to campus. Short, sweet, plenty of steep but short hills, and very scenic. The full marathon course gets lots of time on the greenways as well, but the 10k course didn't come anywhere close to that.

My only real hope (not even calling it a goal) was to break an hour, and sure enough I finished in 57:31, a 9:16/mile pace. Mostly it just felt good to get back out there and be among the crazies again.

Finally at the finish line

at 8:30 am, bud light is actually a breakfast beer

This is still a great race and I'm really glad I got out there for it. My last race of 2017 gives me hope that I can return to marathons again next year.