magic.

The Roseville skating center is surrounded by evergreens lit with white Christmas lights. I've never have been much of a skater, but the lights drew me in tonight and I stopped to take a closer look. I had never notice the rinks or the lights; it looked like Christmas and I suddenly want to take up hockey or figure skating. Skating at the rink, surrounded by lights must be peaceful, almost surreal. One might say magical.

Scenes like this one fall onto my list of favorite things. Christmas lights, fireworks, winter sunrises and summer sunsets all deserve a little bit more of my time. If I was a writer, or if I had any writing talent whatsoever, I would attempt to describe why these top the list. I am far from either.

i miss blogging

It's been awhile since I've written. my blog is neglected. I suppose I was crabby about the lack of running so I gave up on updating? I don't really remember...all I know is I feel the need to write....

I was trying to figure out how many miles I had on a pair of running shoes, but I couldn't remember when I bought them. I logged on to check the date on the post that I wrote about my fall running shoes.
(I think I'm addicted) I bought two more pairs of running shoes on black friday. My front closet looks slightly rediculous. Kind of like a running shoe store.

ankle update

not broken...slightly "fractured." I went to the doctor yesterday and they took some x-ways. I have small chunk of bone floating around my ankle. They think that when I tore one of the ligaments, it pulled a little piece of bone off with it. Gross.

My ankle looks disgusting, I should post pictures. I have this great black and blue patterns across the entire left side of my left foot. It is also still pretty swollen and still hurts alot. I also over compensated when I dragged myself home yesterday and I managed to pull my hip-flexer on my "good" leg. This makes me crabby. Incredibly crabby.

grrr.

The presidential debate was incredibly boring...so scripted that I couldn't even watch. Their assessment of how to fix the "economic crisis" was incredibly dummed down. They speak to what the American people want to hear and what they will understand (pretty much nothing). People need to understand how the market works and what caused the crisis.

Frustrating.

it's not so great to be so focused.

In January 2000, I was 15 and was looking forward to attending nationals for the first time. I had just qualified in the 200br via the US Open two months prior. My excitement translated into extreme focus in the pool. Christmas break for high school swimmers meant 2 weeks of intense doubles. It was where we conquered 20,000yd days and 6,000 IMs and whatever other crazy sets my coach could think up. I got sick over that break...but not sick enough to take a break. I kept swimming, staying focused on nationals. The "cold" never went away, it developed into a deep cough, and then a fever.

The rule at my house was, "If you're well enough to swim, you're well enough to go to school." (I suppose my parents knew how much I liked to swim.) When the fever arrived, I finally took a day off and slept on the couch for about 6 hrs. The next day, I woke up feeling much better and without a fever. I (of course) went to school, swam the entire workout and did dryland. The next day, the fever was back in full gear and my mom forced me to a doctor. "Pneumonia" the doctor announced...I had a severe case of pneumonia. "No swimming for at least two weeks" is all I heard. I cried, tickets were booked, nationals were in early March.

I have an incredible ability to remain focus and achieve my goals. However, I often do not know when to stop, or when I am pushing to hard. I get "tunnel vision." I am sitting here typing, with a servery sprained or fractured ankle. I initially rolled my ankle two Saturdays ago while on a run. It wasn't an awful sprain, it bruised a little and I walked with a slight limp. I took a day off on Sunday, ran 4 on Monday took another couple days off..biked excessively, and then ran another 7 on the following Sunday. It wasn't perfect but I could run without feeling any pain.

Monday I did 5 miles and then the following Tuesday, I decided to run down the dirt path in the middle of summitt ave. I re-rolled the ankle at about mile 3. I walked it off for a block and then finished run with another 3 and rolled the ankle again, right at the end of the run. I ran another 5 on Friday and thought things were back to normal. Saturday (yesterday) I did 10 and it felt great. I started limping a bit at the end, but it wasn't awful.

So today, my plan was to run another 10, so I could be sure to hit my planned 36 miles for the week. I was about 20 minutes into my run when I hit an acorn and went down hard. Really hard. I swore alot and then starting crying because it of how much it hurt. I was about 2.5 miles away from my house in the middle of the woods. I stood in the same spot for about 10 minutes trying to figure out what to do. I couldn't put any weight on the ankle. I considered crawling and then decided I just had to suck it up and started the limp/hop all the way home. Several people asked if I was ok (one lady even offered to carry me). It took me over an hour and a half to walk the 2.5 miles home. It was frustrating, I was in the woods, so even if I did call someone, they wouldn't be able to drive to where I was.

I am worried that the initial roll was really a hairline fracture, and this was the run that made it crack. I can not put any weight on my foot and have been literally crawling around my house for the last four hours. It is extremely black and blue and huge and throbbing.

Did I go to far? Should I let it rest longer? Obviously, the answer is yes and I am hating myself for it. I was too concerned about staying on track to hit 60 mpw in November. Stupid. Stupid!

I also just remembered I have viconen in my medicine cabinet! whohoo!

what can brown do for you?

For the second time in a row, I brought a rather unfortunate looking outfit to work. Today my theme was: What can brown do for you? I pretty much looked like the little guy to the left. Well except, no hat, and not quite as cute. I really should try my clothes on before I throw them in the backpack and head off to work. I suppose I could stop throwing together outfits at 5am as well. That might help too.

I went to yoga tonight and yikes! I am one tight girl...as in, I have lost quite a bit of flexibility. Usually Yoga classes are incredibly boring, but I enjoyed the instructor tonight. She added just enough sarcasm in with her "be kind to your body" quotes that I didn't want to run screaming out of the room by the end of the hour. It's amazing what a little sarcasm can do. Next I need to find a pilates class to fit into my schedule. Pilates is generally a little more bearable then yoga. :o)

a cutting edge sunday

I have a headache. A bad headache and it's been around since noon. No, I'm not hung over, I'm just addicted to coffee. I finally made myself a cup of Folgers Gourmet Dark Roast and am feeling better already (Side note: I found this mocha almond fudge creamer that is amazing). I should have thought of this earlier. Hopefully it won't keep me up late.


IAnyway, back to the title of the post, A Cutting Edge Sunday. I'm being lazy and am watching Doug Dorsey and Kate Mosely (sp?) take the ice. What a great movie!

1 of 4

http://www.census-online.us/search/RUESS,ABIGAIL

According to the 2007 US Census,

"There are 4 persons in the U.S. with LastName=RUESS and FirstName=ABIGAIL" Not to be self centered or anything...hahaha. Actually, it's kind of creepy. It is also way past my bed time. G'nite.

fall tv review

greys is awful. awful. so not worth watching.

fall!

two things I have been looking forward to this fall:

1. The 35 W bridge opens Thursday!!!!








2. My neighborhood rainbow has been remodeled and is expected to open in October. whoohoo!

I had more, but I can't remember. I will add later....

the list

i have a list of things to do...

it is not getting any shorter. I am dreading the list. dreading!

my house needs to be cleaned.

weekend review

My body hurts from square lake half this weekend.

Results: 5:04:45 4th Female OA
Swim: 26:05 (1:15)
Bike: 2:36:24 (21.5!)
Run: 1:59:12 (9:02)

Must learn to run. Currently in recovery mode (aka being useless).

I like this race, specifically the bike - hilly with two loops. The run is extremely challenging, rolling hills with almost no flats. This year it rained during miles four through nine. And by rain, I mean downpour. I forgot how wicked hard the last three miles were. Perhaps if I had run any hills this summer, I would have been able to go under 5 hrs.

Today I drove to Madison and picked up my 2009 IM entry. I guess it was crazy to drive there and back, but at least I knew I was guaranteed a spot (I chalk this up to being 'risk adverse'). I also like to think that standing an hour in the rain for registration was part of the whole IM experience. Maybe not, since they opened online registration after all. Oh well, the drive was kind-of relaxing. I haven't been to Madison in awhile and it brought back memories of family trips to Noahs Ark and the Capital to see the giant christmas tree. I stopped at the Culvers in Tomah just for old times.

Other random news:

Amy is moving to Oahu in October. I'm so excited for her! I love that she has the guts to take a job in a city that so far from the midwest. She is going to have so many great adventures. :o) I am already looking into flights so I can go visit. I am also a sad she a leaving, I am going to miss her!

I'm not completely adjusted to the idea that Bekah is married. Her new last name has been showing up now and then and it still looks weird. Her marriage has slightly adjusted my perception of marriage in general. I'm not sure why, or even if I can articulate what changed. It just has...moving on....

Fall TV has started. Currently watching One Tree Hill. (see above: being useless)

side note: I just stood up...more core work is neccessary.

shoe inventory

This fall/winter I plan to dramatically increase mpw. In order to prevent injuries I plan on rotating a couple pair of shoes. Currently I'm running in:



1. Asics GT 1130
RW Review: This update boasts a redesigned upper that improves the shoe's overall fit. The eye row, where the laces run through the upper, has been shifted back from the forefoot to provide more toe room and reduce the chance of irritation where the shoe flexes. Also, an additional section of foam in the collar helps hold the shoe snugly around the ankle. The 1130 controls overpronation with a plastic midfoot bridge and a firm foam post on the inside of the midsole. Recommended for runners with normal to high arches looking for a good price on a great everyday trainer.

Specs:

• Shoe Type: Stability
• Midsole Characteristics: plastic midfoot bridge to prevent overpronation
• Weight: 10 oz.
• Foot Biomechanics: Overpronation

2. Brooks Adrenaline GTS 7

RW Review: The latest Adrenaline hasn't changed a lot--but that's a good thing. One subtle improvement: Brooks repositioned the upper overlays farther back to better support the midfoot. This gives the shoe a cleaner look and roomier feel. Also, the midsole features a new foam that's designed to be more durable. RW lab tests showed the shoe to be the firmest in the guide, so we recommend it for bigger runners with normal arches who need a stable, trustworthy shoe.

Specs:

• Shoe Type: Stability
• Midsole Characteristics: New, durable foam
• Weight: 10 oz.
• Foot Biomechanics: Neutral

3. Saucony Grid Fastwitch 2 Endurance


RW Review: Fast Witch? – is actually two racing shoes: the Speed and the Endurance. The Endurance gets a small medial post. Both shoes have a lightweight version of the firm's GRID cushioning system in the rearfoot, and the Speed has GRID Return in the midfoot. The shoe's outsoles differ: the Speed has a low-profile carbon rubber sole, while the Endurance gets thicker blown rubber. So, is one better than the other? That'll depend on personal preference. The Speed offers a firm, responsive ride and there's little difference in stability despite the lack of posting. For our money, though, the Endurance is the pick of the pair. It's one of those shoes that feels like a pair of racing slippers: comfortable, yet wonderfully responsive. Saucony isn't known for its racers, but that deserves to change with the Fastwitch. The Endurance in particular is a gem.

Specs:

• Shoe Type: Performance
• Midsole Characteristics: Dual Density Compression Molded EVA
• Weight: 7.8 oz.
• Foot Biomechanics: Neutral

ooo...pretty....

after seven years, two replace hard drives and a smashed screen...i retired the gateway laptop.

my new wide screen dell is great and looks so very shiny.

LOVING it!

middle of august...

I can't believe it is already aug. 14. I am not ready for fall. What happen to summer? The days are getting shorter and colder. On the other hand, I am looking forward to not working excessively in the fall in winter. I am envisioning long runs and even longer bike rides.

The Olympics are severely hurting my sleeping pattern. Swimming doesn't ever start until 9:00/9:30 CST. How am I suppose to go to bed right when they are starting?!

Lately, I've been excessively anti-social. I don't think I've returned a phone call in about a week. (apologizes for this). Sometimes I am just plain selfish and I want to stick to my routine and not leave my comfort zone. It seems to take so much energy to be social. This extreme introvert in me, is a little scary. Usually I tell myself I'm just "independent;" this is an exageration.

The women who lives across the hall is about 45 years old, lives alone and generally seems pretty anti-social. She also drives a Toyota Corolla that looks exactly like mine. Sometimes I worry that I will become her - old and lonely, still driving a corolla and still living in this condo complex.

I guess I'm just not worried enough to do anything about it.

strange

just had a weird day at work. weird.

perfection

just checked the weekend weather forecast:

Saturday - sunny and 83
Sunday - partly sunny and 83

could it be any better?

yes! I finally got around to grinding my Kona coffee beans and am currently drinking my 100% Kona coffee. mmmm delicious!

on a completely unrelated note, I was listening to cities97 on the way home from work yesterday. Oak says "...and that was the latest from Augustana, "Sweet and Low." I thought I heard him incorrectly, would a group really name a song after the zero calorie sweetener? So I looked it up: http://www.augustanamusic.com/ Yes, apparently someone would and did. I wonder if it was a joke.

i think i love my laptop

My laptop is a Gateway ______. I really have no idea what model it is...or if Gateway even has different models. I assume they do. Anyway, it is about 6 years old (I've had it since freshman year of college). The hard drive has been replaced at least once...maybe twice. I'm not really sure. Despite being so old, it is pretty fast and it does everything I need it to...wireless Internet, microsoft word and excel. It even has all the songs I downloaded to itunes in 2003 and pictures from 2002. My laptop rarely stays on my desk in my office. Instead, it tend to spend alot of time on my kitchen table and on the floor of living room.

About two months ago I was walking in the dark in my cycling shoes and I accidentally stepped on the my laptop. I smashed the pixels in the screen and now I have this dark cycling shoe print on the right side of my screen. Unfortunately It has grown since the incident and covers about 3 square inches of my screen. It is annoying to say the least. I could buy a new screen, but is it really worth it? I think I will have to get a new laptop very soon. I am excited for a new laptop...not so excited to shell out the cash.

lactic acid and gu

so I just finished racing holt and was not very happy with my results:

swim -12:36
I found out at about 7:00am that the water was 72 degrees and the elite wave was not allowed to wear wetsuits. I did the swim in bike shorts and a tri top and felt like I was doing that "fun" relay where you have to swim in a man's dress shirt and shoes. Yuck! I also was not aggressive enough on the start and got stuck behind some slower swimmers. I should have been under 11:00!

bike - 56:15
I think this about an average of 22 mph. Not too shabby. I thought I could hit 55min - so this was pretty darn close. I was passed by about 3 women on a gear west train with about 3 miles to go. There was definitely some serious drafting happening. Someone on the train yelled something about it's not a three lane bike course when they passed. WTF does that mean? Apparently I was doing something wrong when I was trying to avoid drafting.

run - 41:15
Ooo ow. Yes, that is about 7:45 pace. Yikes! I know I have been running faster than that! Significantly faster! I was really thirsty when I was driving home so I grabbed the water bottle that was still on my bike. There was a little less than half a bottle of Gatorade left. This means I drank less than 100 calories during the race. Although the race was on the shorter side...I should have at least finished the bottle or eat the gu that I had taped to my top tube. Espeically since I had had eaten my breakfast, a granola bar and grapes, at about 5:30am. Not eating during the race was a bad idea and my run split shows it.

9OA ---> >:- (

I also did not warm down when I was done. I tried to take a nap but my legs feel like shit! There is still an excessive about of lactate in them. I think I will go for a long run this evening...after I watch a movie.

FOX News @ 9

Yes. I go to bed extremely early and have to watch the 9:00 news. Lately, I have tuned into Fox 9 for the nightly news. Although I do not consider myself a "news junkie" I like to think I am up to date on the latest news...and well...I've always been a little obsessive about watching the weather.

I saw Robyn Robinson and Jeff Passolt at the state fair about 2 years ago and was not impressed. In fact I was completely turned off by their live performance. Their live broadcast was the opposite of classy. After watching them for about 30 minutes I decided I would never again support their broadcast.

Let's not forget Fox 9 was responsible for that "story" on underage athletes drinking at the U of M. It was BRILLANT journalism.

So here I am...stuck with Robyn and Jeff.

The upside is their weather guys, Ian Leonard and Mr. Marler are halfway decent.

oops.

i crashed again.

so today I dropped my car off at Progressive Auto Care for it's regular oil change. I had this brilliant plan to bike home from the shop, shower, bike back and then head out to my 3:30 haircut appointment. I dropped off the car, hopped on my trusty Trek and made it about 4 blocks from my house when I flatted. Not cool. Especially since I had just flatted last Tuesday. I decided that since I was so close to home I would ride the rest of the way on the flat and fix it at home. (The wheel had a little air left in it). I made it about 2 more blocks and then turned right.

Turning right on the flat was not a good idea. When I turned, my tire was forced to twist off my rim and run right into the brake. Even though I was only moving at about 10 mph, the sudden stop threw me from the bike and into the road. I now have two larger patches of road rash on my right leg and I also managed to tear the bike shorts.

I also had to walk back to Progressive to pick up my car...It felt like a 30 min walk of shame all the way down Laurpenter. I think I was still bleeding. :o(

now off to brits for wind-independence!

what to blog?

Since I started thinking about bringing the blog back, I have had many "ooo, I should blog about that" moments. Most recently, I have considered discussing:

• why my ice cubes never come of the tray perfectly
• the fact that I have over 20 spoons and only 6 knives in my silverware drawer
• how non-generic chicken breast cooks much better than generic chicken breast on the George Foreman
• how I discovered that I have been growing mold in water bottles
• the difference between unsalted and salted butter (and my strong preference toward the latter)

Obviously, all very important topics, that I will touch on at a later date :o).

I had an interesting conversation with Kate over the weekend about "doing what you love." She told me that she had taken two sewing classes because she had found that she really liked to sew. We started to discuss how we [our swimming class] are starting to discover "hobbies" and are realizing that our interests vary quite a bit. In a way, we are rediscovering ourselves.

When I was in high school (and in college) and was filling out applications, the "hobbies/interest" line item always tripped me up. I could never articulate an appropriate answer other than swimming. Sure, there was always the generic reading or music answer, but like I said...generic. At the same time, writing "swimming" seemed incorrect. At that point in my life, swimming was not just a hobby or interest, I was much too serious about it for that. It was who I was, almost like a job or a responsibility, and also something that I had sacrificed quite a bit for.

Like Kate, I am starting to realize what I really enjoy doing and am rediscovering my hobbies and interests. I am realizing that when I have a free weekend, I will most likely be outside. I am also realizing that I am very attached to that "get the heart rate up" feeling. "Training" is something I enjoy.

I have this great memory of eating pb crackers, in a navy blue swimsuit, while on our porch in Madison. My navy blue swim suit would absorb the sunlight, dry my suit, and warm me up so much that the heat would eventually force me inside. In high school I loved the three hour Saturdays in the summer when I would get the "post work-out chills." We always seemed to end 3 hour Saturdays with 175's, or 75's, or some other variation that left us in the middle of the pool after every other repeat. It is the middle of the pool that I remember best. The sun would be incredibly warm, and my arms and legs would feel heavy like weights, but the water would feel perfect and cool against my skin. I would bob up in down between repeats just to experience the temperature difference. In college there were very few time when I had that "this is why I love this" feeling about swimming. Hawaii, however, would always remind me. The majority of the people on the team seemed to dread Hawaii training trips. I lived for the feeling of exhaustion and swimming "on empty." I don't think you can ever fully appreciate a beach until you have laid on it feeling exhausted. Your body will thank you.

This whole discussion on "doing what you love" made me realize why I refuse to consider triathlon as anything more than a hobby, even despite the number of hours I dedicate toward it. At some unknown point (somewhere in high school) swimming moved out of the hobby/interest genre and into the job/responsibility genre. I used to live for swim practice and training in high school, but once I started to sacrificing anything and everything for it, it became a burden. I am afraid to lose the that edge with triathlon - that love of sport that allows you to push yourself a little bit further. I want my enjoyment of this sport to last my lifetime - not just the next five years.

People I bike with and others have suggested that I join a bike team for interval training or that I run hills (or run more in general ...hahaha). What is the rush and why now? I know what I could to do become faster and to become "more successful." In fact, this is one of the main reasons, I don't think that I take the sport seriously. If I took it seriously, there are several things I would change about my training plan. Right now, I am enjoying my program the way it is and where I am at in life.

In fact, I believe that I am "doing what I love." :o)

"they need to install escalators or something...."

small rant...

I went to the Taste of MN for the very first time yesterday. As I was walking down the stairs to Harriet Island, I heard a rather large women gasping as she walked up the stairs, "they need to install escalators or something." I almost said something...almost. If you can not walk up two flights of stairs then there is something seriously wrong with your fitness level. What makes the situation even more absurd, is that none of her friends seemed to think this was an odd suggestion.

About 33% of adult males and 35% of adult women were obese in 2005-2006 (msnbc.com). For a 5'7' women to be considered obese (my height), she would have to weigh just over 190lbs!!!! How have we become so fat?

The food at the Taste of MN has definitely contributed to the problem; the majority of the food was fried and contained massive amouts of sugur. I almost gaged when I walked past a women chowing down on a an "Elephant Ear," a large friend donut, covered in powered sugar.

When I see, or hear things like the above, I always have this urge to step in, say something, make a scene...but I never have. This is especially true at the grocery store. When I see the amount of junk that is in people's cart, I want to stop and ask them how their diet is going, and if they really need 4 bags of chips and 3 gallons of ice cream. I have also considered just removing items from someones cart while they aren't looking. Mostly, I just want to educate people on their food choices. Does the average consumer realize what a balanced diet is?!?

Yes, I realize I'm "judging," but it is about time people stop being 'nice' about this issue and avoiding difficult conversations. Obesity is a serious health issue and should not be regarded as a social taboo.

ok. rant over for now.

other news:

le tour has started!

http://www.letour.fr/indexus.html

Happy 4th of July!

as my description says, I decided to resurrect "the blog." I'm surprised it still exists!

YAY! This is by far my favorite holiday. Why it is the best:

1. It is always warm and sunny. I am currently blogging from the sunny spot on my patio with my swim suit on and itunes playing in the background. What could be better?

2. It always smells good. My neighbors have already started up the bbq. No idea what they are cooking but it smells GREAT!

3. Fireworks. I'm not sure why I think they are so fun to watch, but every year I get excited for the big show.

4. Food. As mentioned above, it smells great. I particularly love watermelon and had some for breakfast this morning.

5. No work. Although the new job is great, I would rather be sitting outside in a swimsuit than in my cube.


Other great things this year include:

• Trials - Always entertaining to watch/follow online.
• Weather - is PERFECT this year. 78 sunny w/ a breeze.
• My neighbor (the one grilling) just fell off his chair. I think he broke it (yes, this is hilarious!)

On a more serious note, I have f'ed my left knee. When I was racing in rochester I twisted/sprained it comoing out of the first lap of the swim. I finished the swim, and attempted the bike (mostly in a small gear) I tried about .5 mile of the run and then decided to stop. The medic on site said the knee was sprained/strained and to give it some time off. I pulled monday morning and it was feeling a little better so I did my usual tuesday night brick (35/6). It was feeling fine (well, except stairs) at this point so I swam Wednesday morning and did a short 3-4 miler in the afternoon. I ended up walking the last half mile or so 'cause it started to hurt again. I woke up thursday morning and WTF I couldn't put weight on it. Soo...I pulled again ...and plan on taking today off and swimming sat/sunday. =(

I'm extremely frustrated; I am not very good at sitting still and I wanted to do some serious milage this weekend.