Endurance check in for Spring/Summer 2023

[Vantreesta]

Hello! My dad will be here tmrw so I'm working on getting ready for that. I doubt I will do much exercise beyond dog walks or check in while he's here so just wanted to do a quickie today. I'll be cleaning and putting up whatever Halloween decorations I can before he gets here tmrw afternoon.

Last wknd we went to the big WI Ren Fest. We had a great time even though it was super hot. We had planned to do more while there since it's 5+ hours away but the heat just made us decide to come home and skip doing the fest a second day or hiking. We did go to Spirit Halloween while we were there. I love that store so much! But I admit, it's more fun when I'm alone. I'm frustrated that I can't put anything in my cart on their website though.

The heat has finally broken here and it has been in the 60s the last couple days and blessedly cloudy. I love it! Yesterday I went for a 3.5 mi walk while my 4Runner was in for an oil change and then came home and walked a little over a mile with Cyric. I had over 21000 steps yesterday by the time we did our other walks too. It looks like warm with a chance of rain on Saturday so I'm really hoping there's no rain delay at the Twins game!

Have a great couple weeks!



I love dressing up on Halloween. I'm just a big kid! I'll be pulling out all my Halloween shirts soon, although they stillhave to alternate with my Twins shirts.

[Sissy B]

I ordered online from Spirit Halloween one time a few years ago - never again. It took forever to get my order. They had the items in store before my order came.

It’s still hot here. Our highs are still going to be in the 90s for at least the next 10 days.

DD is going to add a day at Universal to the beginning of our Disney trip next month so we can go to Halloween Horror Nights and go through the Stranger Things Haunted House. Have I been working out and preparing for this trip? No, I have not. I’m still looking forward to it though.

DH went back to work today. He’s on day shift this set and then he’ll go back up to stay with DD for the next home football weekend on the 15th. Then DD and I are going to spend the weekend of the 23rd at the condo (DH will be on night shift that set). It’s the big Arts Festival in town that weekend. And we’re going to try and go to at least one of the college baseball team’s scrimmages while we’re there.

I ran some errands today and went grocery shopping. I got the dogs some new Bark Box Halloween toys at Target today. I’ll put them up until Halloween, but if you wait until the last minute to buy them, they’ll be gone.

[Vantreesta]

Sounds like you're keeping plenty busy! That's great that you and your daughter get to do so much together. I'm excited for you guys for your Disney trip!

I want to run to Target, Lowe's and Dollar Tree again. I've finally started watching DIYs on YouTube again. I really should start rewatching old ones the beginning of August to get in creative mode! As it is I likely won't get a lot of things made again. Oh well. I've been cleaning today but keep getting sidetracked with decorating. I bought plush trick or treat bags from the dollar store and filled them with sheets and pillowcases then used safey pins to close the tops after tucking the handles inside. They make the cutest and cheap pillows! Granted they may not work for usable pillows but for decoration I love them!

Thanks for the heads up on Spirit Halloween. I was hoping to save myself the temptation by not going again since I shouldn't spend a ton but I'll just make another stop somewhere. The one we went to the other day didn't have the Sam planter, at least not that I saw. But I also spent less time bc I knew hubby was ready to get back to the hotel.

[Sissy B]

I just ordered the Wednesday Addams Pop with her cello and the Enid Sinclair Pop from Funko to add to my Halloween display. I’m so excited! And my Hocus Pocus 2 Sanderson Sister Pops have finally shipped. I still need to put out my pumpkins and some other decorations on the the hearth. And I want to go to Target and Spirit Halloween again when I get a chance. There’s a Spirit close to the Target I go to. I also want to check out Aldi and see what they have right now.

After Bible study yesterday morning I went grocery shopping. I have a Butter Chicken recipe in the Crockpot that I’m trying today. It smells heavenly so I hope it’s good. And I went this morning and ordered from cookies from the local bakery for DH & DD to take to the tailgate Saturday night. DH will pick them up on his way when he leaves on Friday. I’m ready for it to cool off, I want to make chili.

I hope you’re enjoying your time with your dad.

[Pratima]

Popping in to say hi! I don't know if I consider myself an endurance athlete--sticking with mostly 10K or less these days although I've done some longer hikes.

I'm currently training for the Lululemon 10K being held in November here. Earlier this year I was mostly doing Caroline Girvan YouTube workouts and walking and hiking. As it got hotter, the walks and hikes dropped off for a while, though I did go to the gym and use the elliptical

Then a friend started training for a half-marathon and I started meeting her. We always run intervals--two minutes run, one walk--and so far I've done up to 4.5 miles.

I'm likely in perimenopause and feeling the effects of the hormones, like weight gain around my midsection. I feel like the running really helps. So, I'm sticking with it and shorter weight workouts. The Lululemon app (I got a free trial) includes a training plan for the 10K with decent weight, yoga, and mobility workouts so I'm doing that, as well as the new Shapes workouts from Les Mills.

Vantreesta, glad to see you still here! How are you these days?

Sissy, I need to read through and meet you. I'm in AZ, and lead a local chapter of a mom's run group. I've been on VF since when it was purely text-based (1997ish?) and always seem to find myself back here eventually.

[Vantreesta]

Sissy, it would be fun to exchange Halloween pics! I went to our Aldi last week and they didn't have anything. I started on my village on Sunday and have it mostly done now. But that's pretty much all I have up. Dad and I are binge watching 24. He and my mom watched when it was on but I've never watched it. We finished season 1 today and got 1/4 way through season 2. How did the chicken turn out?

Pratima, it's so good to see you! I've been wondering how you're doing. How is your family doing? Is your husband putting up all the outside Halloween decorations this year? Things are pretty good here, other than being inconsistent with my workouts. My dad has been here a little over a week and will be here for another so I am just enjoying hanging out with him. Do you ever hear from Alison, Daphne or the others? I was going to do two 10k trail races this fall but I was just stressing myself out too much trying to fit everything in so I decided to skip them. We've been busy with Ren Fests. Hope you're able to be around more!

I'm hoping to get back to at least some workouts in a week and more consistent in October.

[Pratima]

Sissy, where do you live? My family is going to CA in a couple of weeks for fall break. We'll spend a few days in San Diego, and then go to LA to stay with DH's cousin and see Universal. I haven't been there since I was really young. Debating whether the Halloween Nights is worth it. My kids are 12 and 14.

DH said today he's going to start prepping for Halloween decorating. He got a storage unit last year and moved a lot of our Halloween and Christmas decorations into it. We have a BIG garage and a TON of decorations. The past couple of years, he didn't do much. And my kids weren't even here--both trick or treated with friends--so I don't know how this year will go.

Vantreesta, I've only "seen" Alison on Facebook and Instagram. She has a cooking account on IG that's fun! Haven't really seen the others. My dad passed away last year and we sold his house early this year, so no reason to go back to GA and see Gail, unfortunately.

I am all over the place with workouts too. I have a general plan I'd like to stick to--2 days run, one day hike, three days weights--but the fatigue is getting in the way. I swear it's like I've never worked out before! I get tired and sore. Probably need new running shoes too.

Still, I'm hanging in there. I'm even thinking I'll take a set of weights to San Diego with me for break. Since we're driving, I might as well.

[Sissy B]

Pratima - I live on the Gulf Coast. DD and I are taking a Mother/Daughter trip and going to Universal Orlando and then Walt Disney World. Originally we were just going to Disney, but she added the day at Universal so we could go to Halloween Horror Nights and go through the Stranger Things house. I didn’t watch Stranger Things until last summer, but I am a huge fan. We’re also going to go to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party - twice. She did the Disney College Program in 2019 so she has gone to Mickey’s Halloween party several times, but I never have. And this will be our first time doing a Halloween Horror Night at Universal. Our trip is less than 3 weeks away now.

Vantreesta - Are you on Instagram? I’m sissy_bp21 - I keep a pictorial diary there and that’s where I post my holiday pictures, pictures of my dogs, food, travel, books I read, etc. My account is private, but if you let me know your user name I’ll be glad to add you if you send a follow request. All I found at Aldi was a 2 quart pumpkin casserole dish. The Slow Cooker Butter Chicken was good.

I going up to the condo tomorrow and DD will be driving over after she gets off work (she’s working a half day). We’re going to the Arts Festival and a baseball scrimmage game on Saturday.

All my Halloween Pops have been delivered - the Wednesday Pops came today - so those are set up now. And I ordered the Eddie Munson & Demogorgon Halloween scenes from Walgreens yesterday and they shipped yesterday so they should be here in a few days. I still need to set up all my pumpkins on the hearth.

I still need to get back on track with my workouts. I’m not really an endurance athlete, but I had been following this check-in for a while prior to joining because I have a Concept 2 rower. I have debated signing up for the Hydrow app, but I’m not using my rower enough right now to justify the expense. I get on and row for a few minutes here and there every once in a while, but nothing consistent right now. Same with my kettlebells and weights. I’ll do a few swings with my kettlebells or a few upper body exercises with my dumbbells, but again, nothing on a regular basis. I broke a bone in my hand in May 2019 and since then I have had a hard time getting back on track. Covid and having to stay home in 2020 didn’t help either. I’m basically back to being a beginner, and that’s discouraging. But I will get back on track.

[Sissy B]

I’m not taking weights with me to Florida but I will be doing a lot of walking because DD wants to rope drop and then stay until the parks close. We have park hopper tickets. We’re driving down on a Saturday - it’s an 8 hour drive and we lose an hour when we change time zones from central to eastern - and Sunday we’re spending the day at Universal and going to Halloween Horror Nights. We’ll be in Disney Monday-Thursday and we’ll drive home on Friday. We’re going to the MNSSHP on Monday night and Thursday night, ending in Hollywood Studios Tuesday night and the Magic Kingdom on Wednesday night to see Happily Ever After and the fireworks. It’s also the Food & Wine Festival in Epcot.

[Pratima]

Sissy, I love Stranger Things! My DH has made a ton of stuff for Halloween and we usually put out a whole bunch. Our block used to have a little outdoor potluck to hand out candy but now everyone has moved and the people left here have really young kids. I don't know what we'll do this year. DH put most of his stuff in storage and I suspect he won't be dying to schlepp it all out.

FWIW I love rowing. I have a Proform that i use with the iFit app. I feel like it can be peaceful or strenous, though somehow I can't do more than about 20 minutes of straight rowing. I really like the row/weight circuits. I use the Peloton app (my brother has a bike) and there's row workouts on there now too.

My biggest challenge lately is I'm tired and take forever to recover. I've been doing a ton of reading on perimenopause and am taking a pile of supplements. No idea if any of it is helping but I guess it's pretty soon. The most ridiculous thing lately is that I'll be utterly exhausted from morning to dinnertime. I go to bed and then can't sleep. My friend called it "wired tired." I don't feel too different from before but that gradual drift to sleep seems to take WAY longer.

For workouts, I've started doing Define and Align and mixing in the Les Mills Shapes and Lindsay Brin's old workouts occasionally. I'm doing pretty well getting in 2 runs a week but anything longer than 4 miles seems out of reach for now.

We're heading to CA Saturday and I am looking forward to a change! It's still 106 degrees for the high here today.