Thursday, September 1, 2011

My encounter with a COW, the usual life and training, and a pretty cool contest!

So, I haven't posted in EONS. Did I spell that wrong? Probably, and I'm much too lazy to simply google the word and fix it. I know, this is totally out of character for me..I'm usually so professional and such.

Had quite a fun little experience at work today. I work in a dental office that is located somewhat in the country next to a large farm. We aren't completely remote and it's a very busy office. I had to open the window in the op I work in today because I was actually too cold with the AC on. (I don't have AC in my house and I'm accustomed to 80 degrees not 48 degrees which is the temperature in the office. There are WAY too many menopausal women working here and our patients actually ask for blankets- no lie.) OK-back to my story. I am leaning over my little patient attempting to put sealants on her teeth when I hear a bit of a noise that makes me turn my head. What do I see?? Well, nothing out of the ordinary, just a COW sticking it's head in my window. NOT KIDDING!! A BIG flippin' COW with it's head sticking RIGHT in my window. I may or may not have yelped and my coworker came in my room and we were about dying laughing and making all these noises trying to get the cow to move but it just stayed put. I took the air/water syringe and started firing through the window in hopes it would turn and run but apparently it was a HOT cow and enjoyed the cool shower because it would NOT move. Pretty soon, all the patients in the waiting room and all of the employees were up in my room looking at this cow. One of the hygienists and I decided we somehow had to get it away from the window as perhaps it's a bit of a problem if a cow decides to trample one of the patients on their way out..... We ended up outside with both of us trying to chase this cow off the lawn and back into the pasture across the road. We were seriously running and shouting and chasing and I have honestly NEVER laughed harder in my life than watching Paula do her "Bessie" call. Moving on......

Life:

*Ryan made the volleyball team. She is the libero for the A team and had her first game tonight which I had to miss because of the cow. Not really, I would have missed it anyway.

*Max had a big tournament in the cities last weekend. They televised his game on Saturday night and then later archived it online so he has been able to see himself play. He scored the first goal, a really nice one, and the announcers made such a big deal out of it and his face practically cracks from smiling when he watches this OVER and OVER and OVER.


*Reese is going to run a cross country mile next Thursday. It is being held on the golf course. She ran a mile tonight on gravel with my Garmin in 6:40 and she hasn't been running much. She's 10, I think she's a ROCKSTAR (I'm her mother-I would think she was a ROCKSTAR if this was 9:40)

*It is Joe's 40th birthday next month, the week after my marathon. I feel like I should be planning a party or something. I'm thinking more along the lines of 4 couples and dinner but maybe this is boring for a 40th. I'm also thinking a short getaway for the 2 of us would be in order. You know because he's turning 40, not because I just ran a marathon and think I should reward myself with a few days on a beach sipping margaritas:)

*Max's birthday is on Saturday. He will be 8. I have an 8th grader and my baby is 8 years old. I'm almost 36... I'm asking for a sweatshirt with a built in collar and some songbirds on the front for my birthday. Seems fitting.

Training:

So, I've been away from blogworld a bit here. I ended up with a glute problem after a long run a while ago. This resulted in a 10 day break from running which abruptly ended when I felt I had reached the MAXIMUM allowable time off for my sanity.... When I'm NOT running, my mojo for blogging goes down the tubes a bit unfortunately.... Many of you know this from my tiny 4 month hiatus during my stress fracture last year....Anyway, I am now back at it fighting to make up lost ground while still fighting some annoying discomfort. My marathon is in 4 and 1/2 weeks. I have greatly modified my training plan since starting back, my mileage is down, and even easy pace has been SLOWER than I would like. I've also been really fighting some mental demons and obsessing about lost fitness which surely hasn't helped. Tuesday, I had a bit of a reward however as I met up with a speedy friend for a tempo run of sorts. Decided on the 10K loop in town and pulled out this:


Really hard effort. Race effort actually and the reward of completing it was just as good as that of a race. My PITA was definitely there but dulled some with the fact that I loaded up on ibuprofen for this run. I don't need lectures here. I almost never take this running and I know the risks of masking pain etc. I NEEDED a good run however and for this day it was worth it. I'm two days "ibuprofen sober" now and I took an unscheduled rest day after this run.

Tomorrow I'm attempting 6 mile repeats@10K+5 seconds which is somewhere around 6:50 for me. Planning for a long run of 20+ on Sunday. Praying my body cooperates here.

SO-one last IMPORTANT thing!!!

My dear friend Amanda@Runninghood sent me this a few weeks ago. It was created JUST FOR ME by her amAZingly talented mother Cher Odum. I was EXTREMELY touched that his was done for me and furthermore I just LOVE it!!! This lady really has a special special gift and she's developed some new really fantastic work specifically geared toward runners and athletes!!! Check out Amanda's blog for a fun contest and a chance to get your hands on some PERSONALIZED professional art!!!


OK-I know there are some BIG races this weekend. I have several that I've been keeping tabs on and will get around personally to wish you good luck in the morning!! SO much to catch up on here!



21 comments:

Amanda@runninghood said...

6 mile repeats tomorrow and then 20 miles...gosh, this sounds so foreign to me right now when I'm not really training hard for something. Dang! Inspiring though. I'm not going to lecture you...I think I might have already given as close to an Amanda Lecture as they come with my "What does AM think about this?" ha haha....totally just passed it to her because if wise ol' AM is supportive of you and your Ibuprofen/pushing through the PITA situation then it MUST be legit...too legit to quit! ha! You do know that when I say too legit to quit that I'm quoting some words to a song from probably the 80's by MC hammer or something and not just saying that you are too legit to quit but you are. run. ON. Sentence!!! :)
6:40 mile as a trial and 10 years old!! Gosh, that girl is amazing!! And Max...I can just see him with his BIG proud smile! :) So cool.
Again, great 10k here. So great. 4 1/2 weeks...praying that that PITA stays at shore and lets you run away!
Thanks for the shout out. I think it will be a fun contest if people take the time to be creative. I added another option.
Oh, and the COW! Almost forgot (I'm doing all of this comment from memory and not looking back so I'm going from the most recent in my memory)...what a different world! Seriously just when I feel so close to you like you're just my neighbor on the phone, you throw something like this out there and I realize just how far away we live. ha ha! A cow?! too funny! I suppose that might happen in Oregon too but just not near any dental offices near me. Love it!! Love your writing voice as always. Makes me laugh.

Amanda@runninghood said...

holy comment. yikes. I should have saved half of that for e-mail but I guess I was just excited that you were back in blog land.

XLMIC said...

Man, I wish you had gotten a pic of that big ol' cow head in the window! That sounds totally HILARIOUS!

I am so sorry to hear of your glute woes. I hope things just keep getting better and better. I did a little of that ibu magic at Hood to Coast. I never ever do it. It made a massive difference. I was surprised :P

Your kids are just incredible... as incredible as their mama! And I hate it when people start saying ANYthing in their 30's is old and worthy of a senior sweater. Dude... I am almost FIFTY.

Christie said...

You cow story is freaking funny!!! The joys of living outside of the city. Good news on the running front... I bet those 10 days were pure hell. I was off for a bit too and my outlook on life was so negative. Strange how much running effects us. oh..and you have rockstar children! You should be a very proud mamma:)

Anonymous said...

Moo!

Teamarcia said...

What no cow pic? Hilarious! I'm sure she needed dentalwork--or cooling...
Sorry about the glute. It does mess with us mentally doesn't it? I'm right there with you.
Love the art!

Julie D. said...

HAAA!! Love the cow story. I might actually enjoy the dentist if there was potential for a cow to stick it's head in the window! Girl, I had to laugh on the "ibuprofen sober"...i've been masking some pain for sanity's sake (tendonitis in my ankle) and I've yet to go ibuprofen sober. some days, you just have to do whatever it takes. I think i'm starting to pay for it though, and I've got to pull the plug and actually start resting....after my half on sunday. ;) What a confidence building tempo run! Hang in there. By the way, your daughter running a 6:40 mile on gravel? Like mother like daughter. SOOO awesome.

Jill said...

Hey girlie....
First, thanks for the email about my daughter and your situation, it made me feel good to know I wasn't alone. This is sort of why I don't get too too close to people, I always feel like I get hurt...better to just sit on the couch, watch Lifetime tv, eat nachos and drink margaritas!! :)

Ok, now on to the post...

I seriously am going to get a job as a dental assistant; the stories you share make me green with envy. My job and was never fun. Ever. I told kids all day, "Pant waistbands do not belong at your knees, pull them up ... and stop making out in the hallways!" Having grown up in Iowa and my grandma owning a creamery, I have a very strong affection for cows, I'd probably have had to take that one home and put a little fan in his pen!!

Congrats to Max at his tournament, that is awesome. I love how he loves to replay that special moment...my boys do that a lot!!

Very cool about Reese, too...she gets that speediness from her momma for sure and I know you are going to have a blast at her cross country meets...I suspect you won't be able to speak for a few days after, you'll have screamed your lungs out!!

Have a fantastic weekend with the party planning for Joe :) and your awesome runs!! Think about slow me plodding through 14 miles at a pathetic 10:30 pace ... and think of a race we can do together next year, in the spring hopefully, when your kiddos aren't overbooked with hockey, ok!?!? That'll give you something to think about for 20 miles :).

xo

Jen @ Run for Anna said...

Welcome back to blog world! Seriously, every one of your posts brings a smile to my face. :)

Ana-Maria RunTriLive said...

Reese - wow! So impressed with her! She will most likely run a sub 6:30 in the race! Congrats to Ryan! And Max, yes, you should post the link for that video! Awesome!

I've said it before, and will say it again! You coped SO WELL with your injury, and I think you are tougher mentally for it! Laughing at Amanda's comment...see why I don't post my training log on line?

You know how I feel about injuries. If there is not a SF, all lights are green. I would do exactly what you are doing right now. Running comes with risks and you can stop for every pain. I felt pain in every bone of my legs on Wed and Thursday after that HM/10K long tempo. I ran through it all yesterday and am fine today. This might come bite me, but so what, I am doing what I think I should do.

Take that vacay with Joe, yes, absolutely!

Will finish that email today:)

Raina said...

You have WAY too much fun at work. All you needed was the cow day with an extraction, and wha-lah! Perfect distraction for the patients. :)
I would be requesting a blanket in there too.

That speed day just ROCKED. I hope you are floating around on a little cloud after that one. No lectures here about IBU...We know ourselves best and I am sure you know when to stop taking it & when to use it.

Max is just RAD. That's all I can say. And Reese is going to be one FAST girl! I know where she gets it :)

Have a great weekend!

Raina said...

Forgot to say that the art is WAY cool. :) Nice pic of YOU !

Happy Feet 26.2 said...

welcome back! I've been out of blog land recently, but love to check in to find fascinating stories such as "the cow encounter" LOVE IT!

Yay Ryan! I LOVED volleyball in middle and high school (college - not so much) Good Luck to Reese - run like ya Mama!

Yes, a trip sounds perfect. I say go for that, for the birthday celebration!

I KNOW EXACTLY what you mean when you say "I needed a good run" sometimes you just have to do it. Hope the training goes well this week.

Lindsay said...

are you entering the art contest? you could put your creation in that frame of strangers you have hanging in your house. at least you'd finally get rid of the stranger models...

i think a post-marathon, erm, birthday trip is a great idea. and more monogamous than a 4-way swinging party.

Julie said...

Hi Jenn,
Girl you are so damn fast!! You always amaze me:) So here we are the summer is almost over...school is about to start and we will have snow on the ground before we know it! Just kidding..about the snow:) I am glad your running is going well!

Britt @ Chicago Runner Girl said...

So I could just picture this whole cow situation, and it sounds like a scene out of a comedy flick. That is too funny!

Holy tempo lady, way to crank out some speedy miles after your time nursing the glute. I hate setbacks and recovery, it totally messes with my mind and I too think I lose fitness when in reality I don't always know that this is true. Oh the silly tricks that our mind plays on us. You are a fiercely strong woman and you will recover, when you feel mentally defeated just know that I think that you are AWESOME and that I have much adoration for you!

Nicole W. said...

Oh my gosh.....I can totally imagine the Cow in the window! that sounds like something out of a comedy! I wish so badly you had taken a picture of your face right next to the cows face in the window!!! HEElarious!!
Okay...I had to read twice to see if I was reading incorrectly...6:40 mile? at 10yrs old? seriously? you might perhaps have a running prodigy on your hands my lady. Very exciting! I want to meet this girl! I secretly hope that my love of running will rub off on one of my girls and they will love it as much as i do:)
I can't believe you have a marathon in 4.5wks...wow. it seems like you JUST ran yours...time is going by so fast. can't wait to hear about that! and hey...that tempo run was awesome!!! great job!

Nicole W. said...

p.s hope your butt gets better soon;)

ajh said...

That cow story is just too funny. I live in the land of cows and I have never seen a cow at my dentists office. Love all the stories about your kids! That smile Max has is great!

Katie said...

Amazing 10K workout! And really love the cow story too. You should have taken some video. You could have added some crazy commentary about "when cows attack in the workplace."

Hope your injury keeps getting better!

Julie said...

Hi Jenn!! You will find me under Rieland Kaiser:)

I will have to fill you in on all of the new drama in my life.

Take care lady!