Mileage

Over the last few months, my miles have ebbed and flowed: a few consistent weeks of training leading up to the Bear Water Run, a few quiet running weeks around our move and Twin Cities Marathon volunteering. Now that we've settled into our house, I'm feeling ready to be more consistent again, and the cooler days are actually helping with that: I balance morning runs with a few miles over the lunch hour again, which I don't do in warmer weather.

I also signed up for the Minneapolis Running 2014 holiday challenge, with different mileage levels ranging from 12 miles per week to 31 miles per week over the next few months. With no race goal or training plan right now, I really appreciate the tracking mechanism to log miles and be accountable. I'm aiming for 18 miles per week to practice consistency and maintaining a good base through the winter.

I loved today's run, which was great both when I was looking up at the clouds...

...and when I looked down and saw a discarded Halloween craft project:

I'm looking forward to more miles in the weeks ahead.

Morning overlook

I scrambled out for a short run this morning. My favorite part of today's route? No question: this view.

Today's clouds: a survey

Sometimes, lately, the clouds are marvelous all day long.

Mornings like these

This spring, I had settled into a running routine that worked well for me: 20-30 miles per week, mostly completed over my lunch hour with the exception of one longer run on Saturdays. I took a cutback week a couple of weeks ago because I got the chance to try out a couple of lunchtime fitness classes (pilates and a different yoga class). After that, suddenly, it was way too warm for a midday run without my face being bright red for the rest of the afternoon.

It's time, I realized, to get back to morning running.

I considered this morning to be a test run, since my Saturday miles are usually morning ones anyway (albeit later in the morning, earlier in the spring). I had forgotten how still the neighborhoods are in the early morning, save for a few people out walking their dogs. An hour or two later, the playgrounds and garage sales and neighborhood baseball games and lawnmowers were in motion. But during my run, the city was quiet.

And, of course, the morning clouds:

By the time I got home, the clouds had burned off completely. The sky changes so fast in the early daylight.

A peek at the neighborhood

A big tulip patch next to a stop sign, leaving me wishing that every intersection included tulips:



A halo around the sun spotted on this morning's sun, reminding me of a winter sun dog:

A big sky with puffy spring clouds on an evening walk:

The prettiest blossoms, which I was ready to call crabapple or regular apple but may very well be something else entirely (input welcome):



A few raindrops during a chilly week:

And lots more leaves (and even some lilac buds) emerging with each passing day:

A new skyline view

This evening I was over in Minneapolis for a meeting, and I squeezed in a run before the meeting. I looped around Dinkytown and part of the University of Minnesota, and on a whim I ran up a trail to the Witch's Hat Water Tower in Prospect Park.

You can only go all the way up once a year (and I do believe I'll mark my calendar), but even the view from the water tower's base was striking:

I liked this new-to-me peek at the Minneapolis skyline.

Morning clouds

I typically carry my camera with me for about half of my running mileage, but it has accompanied me more than usual lately. I think it's because I find the changeover to this new season so striking: buds on the trees, stronger sunlight (and more sunlight), rain instead of snow. (It's hard to believe that a week ago today I was snowshoeing.)

Because I'm running a long (long for me right now) trail race tomorrow morning, I wanted to squeeze a few miles in before work so I could rest this evening. (I usually take a rest day two days before a race or longer run and then run a few gentle miles the day before.)

The sky was beautiful and unusual as the sunrise interacted with all kinds of clouds: purple rain clouds in one direction, wispy cirrus clouds against deep blue skies in another.

And guess what? Less than an hour later, it was raining.

September sky

I really almost pressed snooze today. Good thing I decided it would be best to get up and totter around for a few easy miles - I got to see the best clouds!

Sidenote: a bunch of dudes outside a coffee shop totally busted me taking a picture of the clouds. I looked ridiculous. From across the street, they asked me to send them the picture and I said, "Aren't those clouds cool?!"

Anyway, this was my view from the other direction:

My first September sunrise of the year is in the books. I have mixed feelings about the sunrises getting later (the upside being that I get to see more of them), but I do love running at this time of year.

Wild clouds

Yesterday's rain turned into today's thunderstorms, and once they rolled through over my corner of town this evening, they left behind wild clouds:

The weekend wasn't a washout by any stretch, though. My family headed north to celebrate my dad's birthday, ducking most of the precipitation in the process. Later this week, I will tell you all about our trip.

Hope your weekend was great!

Marvelous Monday: Week 17

Oh, my. Back when I was trying not to grouch endlessly about the long winter, a wise friend pointed out how glorious it would be when spring finally did arrive. And oh, she was right! It's the third consecutive day of 70 degrees or more, and it is just wonderful. Lots of good time out in the world this weekend for me: a book club party that was marvelously themed after the book we read (The Night Circus), baseball games outside, long walks in the sun that left a certain sweater-wearing dog all tired out.

So, some marvelous things to begin the workweek:

1) I love weeks that start with a Sunday family dinner. Yesterday morning I assembled the beloved pulled pork in the crockpot and baked the lemon blueberry marble cake my mom had requested after seeing it on Pinterest. When I got back later in the afternoon, I assembled the taco accessories (my personal favorite was cooking onions way down in the cast iron for the first time) and put the rest of the cake together.

We celebrated my dear mom's birthday:

It's just too bad Wish doesn't really get along with my family or feel comfortable with them, you know?

2) In addition to the marvelous temperatures this weekend, I forgot how marvelous the clouds are in the warmer months. Big, puffy white spring clouds!!

3) Book report: Last week I previewed that my Kindle library loan of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks was just about to expire, and I only got about halfway through before that happened. (Cry!) But then I looked it up in the library catalog again and there was no waiting list for another copy! It's back on!

4) This week includes the start of May, and that month includes a visit from Ellie.

5) I bought a Crowd Cut offer for a kayaking/canoeing/paddleboarding company - I think the same one from my family's kayaking adventure a couple of years ago - and cannot wait to get out on the lakes at least once this summer.

What is marvelous about your week or weekend, Reader? Any reading recommendations for when I finally finish The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks? Did you spend time outside this weekend?

Midday

Typical Thursday

You know, looking at clouds...

...dogs wearing a visor...

...dogs eating said visor...

All in a day's work on a Thursday at Miles and Laurel.

More soon, including a Target Field trip recap! Good night!

Clouds, clouds!

Sky report

Five cloud photos!?  Is it too good to be true?

Yes, I was on the prowl this week. But to be fair, there was a lot to see:

This week was a whole hodgepodge of weather: hot, stormy, cool, and windy. I think this means that conditions are especially ripe for good clouds as each front blows through.  This weekend, the heat returns. I will be out and about - running, volunteering at an event and hopefully visiting a farmer's market - and rest assured, Reader, I will keep my eye on the skies for more.

Dare I say that summer clouds are my favorites?  No! I could never choose.

When it rains, it pours

I couldn't resist.

Post one picture of clouds, and I get on an uncontrollable cloud kick.

I think today was this spring's first daytime rollicking thunderstorm.  A big flash of yellow and red on the radar swept across the state and piled heavy rain on my city. I stayed inside for that part. I went outside to run an errand afterward, and I saw the most magnificent clouds as the storm rolled eastward.

The rain had puddled up everywhere and the grass and leaves were thick with green.

Tis the season for thunderstorms - they're in the forecast every day through the weekend - and I do love to watch that sky.

First day of real fall?

It's the noon hour in St. Paul and the temperature is a crisp 54 degrees.  That's a number for which I would've plunged into very serious credit card debt during any number of 80-degree 5 a.m. runs this summer, and yes, it sure feels nice.  My town will spring back to September 70s soon, and it is still sunny enough for the flora in my backyard.  The other morning, I noticed this sweet little pal peeking into my window.  (The flower, not anything creepy that you're missing.)

As mentioned in an earlier post, I will focus on how lovely the current conditions are instead of the season toward which we are barreling.  

Here are some cosas I love about fall:

1) Fall food.  On Monday night, I made my Moosewood vegetarian chili recipe for the first time since winter (or at least early spring), probably because Josh and I crush this meal with such ferocity during the cold months that we get tired of it by April.  It also would taste strange in the summer because it's so classic fall-and-winter.  I just looked at the link and realize my printed recipe must have cut off the line about bell pepper, so if you don't like bell peppers, no sweat!  My friend Molly made this for a winter party she hosted a few years ago and I have been hooked on it ever since.  Moosewood recipes in general are a slam dunk in our home.

Here is an ugly picture of what the recipe looks like mid-process.  It gets a lot thicker by the time it's ready to serve:

 

Although I recently threw a minor tantrum about the dwindling supply of nice strawberries for my morning cereal, it is fun to explore new fall-appropriate recipes (hi, Crockpot!) with fall-appropriate foods.

Goodbye (or see you later) to staples like this:

But hi to my long-lost friend, the butternut squash!  And sweet potatoes galore!  The Moosewood black bean and sweet potato burrito is another gem that has hiding since spring.

2) Fall skies.  I've got no problem slipping a cloud photo into this post!  Smooth!

3) Back to school and the start of my child's college search.  No, Reader, you didn't miss any important news or updates. I would say I was surprised myself to open a letter last night addressed like this:

Choose your punch line: 

1) It seems presumptuous to schedule my nonexistent and thus not-college-bound child and I for an educational group presentation. 

2) I hope this company did not count us in its projections.

3) My, the college search starts early these days.  

Good heavens!

It's 9-10-11!

Let's take a mini-break from the trip recaps, shall we?  

I've regaled you about the wedding festivities and Half Moon Bay, but Reader, I still want to tell you about our day in San Francisco. It's coming!  After that, I promise to resume normal blogging topics such as dogs, caprese salads, my impending marathon, and other assorted malarkey.

For now, take a deep breath, kick back your feet, and enjoy another cloud picture.  This time, it's from 38,000 feet!

 

Yes, I was That Passenger. I peeked out the window on the flight home and, much to Josh's chagrin, I couldn't resist digging out my camera for a snapshot.  It's a cloud photo, from a totally different vantage point!  Never fear: I snapped the photo subtly and with solemn dignity.

I will basking in the remnants of summer sun this weekend, with highs in the 80s through Monday before fall swoops in with a 65-degree high on Tuesday.  Whoa!  Happy weekend and go Rocky Top!

Good morning!

Hi, readers!  I'm planning a longer post for later, but I had to check in and share a cloud picture with you in case you are feeling in desperate need of cloud pictures.  I know it's catching on with at least one reader because I received the following text message last week:

7:51: Perfect sky picture morn

And it was.  I had noticed it when I was running that morning and thought the exact same thing but didn't have my camera.  BOO!  Yesterday morning, I did, though.  I had to take this snapshot because the white parts of the clouds looked almost metallic, like glittery silver or gold but white.  I risked life and limb for this shot because I was photographing these clouds from the middle of a coffee shop's parking lot, thus standing in the way between people and their morning coffee.  I live dangerously.  Here's the view from my neighborhood:

Later, Josh and I went to a nearby pub to celebrate my brother's birthday.  Look how excited my brother is about celebrating a quarter century of life!

A crew of his friends were there, and my sister and her friend joined us, too.  My sister has been 21 for seven months, but six of them were spent in Africa and Europe, so this was the first time all three of us have assembled at an establishment of the 21+ variety.  

Weird...but wonderful.  In a few weeks, all three of us will be living within two miles of each other in St. Paul.  I feel lucky.