A Week at Lewey Lake

We rented a cabin on Lewey Lake in the Adirondacks this past week. One of the amazing things about where we live, is that we are less than 2 hours away from the Adirondack Park.
Lewey is a small lake just south of Indian Lake. I had some trepidation about this vacation, because in my snobbery, I was worried that it couldn't compare to a week on the Cape. It was not a week on the Cape, but it was great in it's own right.

First, was the fact that we were able to bring Cammie with us. She had a fantastic time. She joined us for almost every outing and adventure that we took for the week. She spent hours on the beach with us, and nights by the fire.
We had opportunities to kayak and canoe several times. Mack and Jack both love to kayak, as do I. They both put a great deal of effort into learning how to paddle and steer this week. I think that Mack is almost ready to tackle a single kayak in calm water.

Shayna was with us for a few days.

The cabin sat on top of a hill. We walked across a beautiful field and were at the small sandy beach. The kids were able to play with a tube in the water, and they loved it!

On Thursday, we went for a short hike to Auger Falls. This is listed in several hiking books a s a child friendly hike, and it proved to be worth the walk.
After our trip to the falls, we were lead back to the car by our Forest Ninjas.

All together, it was a great week!
On a side a note, not much training happened this week!

Melissa Etheridge- Fearless Love

Last night Kevin and I went to the Opening night of Melissa Etheridge's "Fearless Love" tour.

Let me preface this post by saying that I'm not a musician. I'm just a huge fan who has some thoughts about the show.

Here in Albany, Melissa fans will ask each other, "What's the first show you went to?" If you answer, "Saratoga Winners", You are considered a true fan. I'm not saying I agree with it, but it is what it is.

And, I can proudly tell you that I was at Saratoga Winners that night in 1987! I've seen her half a dozen times since then, but have skipped her shows the last few times she's been in town.

Kevin has never been to a Melissa Show. And, in fact, hasn't been to any "rock concert" (as he endearingly referred to it) since about 1990.

Okay-the show. I love the Palace. I love that there were more men than ever at this show, and that they weren't getting vibed out by most of the women.Which is amazing, since the first show I went to, there were about 3 guys there, and one of them almost got beat up for bumping into someone.

She didn't have an opening act. Just had some really funky music playing, with video of nature scenes in the background. It didn't really cut it for me. And it didn't get any one in the balcony up and on their feet by the time she hit the stage.

She opened with Fearless Love and went to Miss California. I have to admit, that if I hadn't heard an interview with her on NPR, I would never have realized that Miss California is a political statement.

She played through most of the Fearless Love album. She completely rocked the house with "Indiana", and I'm not sure she anticipated the audience response to that song. It was one of the few times during the show that I felt she was really connected to us, and completely in the moment.

She told us a few times that she's okay. I didn't particularly believe her. She was not her usual playful self. She didn't have stories between the songs, to keep us connected and engaged. It seemed that she was just moving through the set list. On one of her older songs (going blank on which one) she actually started with the second verse. She caught herself and kind of laughed- but the Melissa I've seen in the past would have really played that up.

At the end, she did "Bring me some Water: and "Like the Way I do", along with a couple of her other older songs. That got the audience going, but she never got us up on our feet. Of course, that might have something to do with the fact that much of the audience was my age or older, and that no one wanted to stand all night in 100 degree weather. Or, that so many people were trying to "capture the moment" on their iphones, that they weren't actually enjoying the moment as it was occurring.

I'm glad I went. Her voice and talent remain an incredible force to be reckoned with. She plays that Ovation so effortlessly, it tricks you into thinking it's easy.I felt like she needed us last night, that she was drawing on us for strength and comfort. And you know what. I'm happy to give back to her. She's certainly pulled me through many heartaches over the years.

Jack's Fourth Birthday!

My little guy turned four today! It's been a super fun day for all of us. I'll tell the story primarily through pictures.

6:30 AM- Gift opening time.
Shayna gave him a singing card, that started the day off with all of us laughing.
Mack gave him a baseball bat and glove.

11 AM- Taking part in the 9th annual Hospice Community Walk.
12 PM- The Refrigerators were on stage entertaining the walkers. The kids were thrilled to see Daddy play.
4PM- friends were over for birthday cake and ice cream.


It's been a great day. Jack was asleep by 6:30 tonight. Tomorrow we have part two of the celebrations planned. We're heading up to the lake for the day. Stay tuned for more photos.

Week in Review, and New Goals

I met almost all of last weeks goals! I missed the third bike ride due to weather and the need for new brakes on my van.

So, here's the break down of how my week went:

Sunday: Bike 25 minutes-Done
Monday: Swim 17 minutes. Pool run 15 minutes- Done-did a 17 min swim/20 min pool run/ 30 min walk
Tuesday: walk/run 20 minutes-done. 22 min walk
Wednesday: Bike- Krumkill rd (hills)- rained all day. SO I did 30 minutes on the trainer.
Thursday: Swim 20 minutes-Made Thursday a rest day. On friday I did 15 min swim and a 20 min pool run.
Saturday: Bike Long ride. Missed.. Rain and car issues prevented this ride.

Over all, I'm pretty happy with the effort of last week. I have no way of gauging if I'm made much progress. Every time I want to slow down, I think of the first hill on the NC bike course. That usually keeps me going.

Looking ahead, here's the plan for this coming week:

3 Rides: 1 trainer, 1 hills, 1 long
2 pool runs
2 swims

I'm not quite sure how I'll fit it all in,because Kevin is gigging on 3 nights this week. But I'll try my best.
-Peace.

Registration Complete!

I took a few minutes this morning and signed up for the Northern Columbia Tri

There's no going back now!

A Tri Goal

I've been on the fence about my tri goals for this year. I've been hesitant to sign up for anything, because of the foot issues. Usually, by this time of the year, I've signed up for at least one race, and have been actively following a training plan. Well, it's June 7th, and not a single race organization has got a dime out of me.
Fleet Feet of Albany hasn't made any profit off me in months. No new shoes. No new tri shorts, no Chocolate GU's....nothing.

It's time for me to do my part and help our economy along.

I was out for a walk this morning. Yes, I've become one of those early morning walker women.been reduced to morning walks. I miss my morning runs. But, I digress.

I was walking this morning. Thinking about the races I've been considering. Thinking about what I really want my goal to be. And, I realized, I don't want to sit on the bench this season. I want to be on the course. Specifically, I want to be on the course for the Northern Columbia Tri. How do I make that happen? The answer is amazingly simple.

I focus on the bike leg. It's so simple, I don't know why I didn't think of it before. I've been so focused on getting the clearance to run, that I neglected the biking option. Focusing on the bike leg is a beautiful thing! So, starting this week I'll be biking 3 times a week. My training week will be built around the 3 bikes: 1 long, 1 Hill workout, and 1 random with no focus but to build time in the saddle.

As of yesterday, there are 8 weeks until the race.
Here is this weeks plan:
Sunday: Bike 25 minutes
Monday: Swim 17 minutes. Pool run 15 minutes
Tuesday: walk/run 20 minutes
Wednesday: Bike- Krumkill rd (hills)
Thursday: Swim 20 minutes
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Bike Long ride

Get ready for some Tri focused posts!

Life has Been Busy

So, what has kept me away from the blog?
Hmmm. First, there is end of the school year chaos to be contended with. Shayna came home from New Paltz a couple of weeks ago. We love that she is home, but the transition always requires some time and attention. Mack has had field trips and concerts, and still has homework. Jack is lovable Jack, rolling along with everything that comes his way.
Then, there is the weather! We've had gorgeous weather here! The pool has been open since the first week of May, and we've been using it. The kids have been in almost daily for the past 2 weeks!
Third, Kevin's schedule and the affects that has on the rest of the family. His school year hasn't ended yet. SO, he continues to have teaching responsibilities. On top of that, he's been gigging extensively. Sometimes 3 or 4 gigs a week. That's a lot of time to be out of the house. And, a huge amount of tasks thrown on to my list, in addition to all the things I do in a normal week.
Finally, my foot. Geeze Louise, will this ever get resolved! I had an MRI done 2 weeks ago, and met with Doc H. this past Friday. The stress fracture has healed. However, the MRI found a second issue that neither of us were expecting. I have bruising of the Talus bone, with significant swelling.

I didn't associate the pain as radiating from that point, but once Doc H. saw the report, he indicated it makes sense that the nerve pain is stemming from that swelling.
So, I was instructed to go buy new shoes for work- most of mine have a strap across the top of the foot that is probably irritating everything. And, again I was told no running (except in the pool) for 2 weeks. Frustrating, to say the least.

But hey....I still have AQUA JOGGING! I try to say it with enthusiasm... sort of the AA philosophy of "fake it til you make it." I'll let you know if it works.

Things that Made me Happy this weekend:

1. Reading the Sunday paper on my back porch.
2. Celebrating birthdays.
3. Gardening with Mack and Jack.
4. Finding a great new children's book.
5. Talking to my sister.
6. An outside bike ride.
7. Hearing Mack say, "Mommy, will you go for a bike ride with me?"
8. Hearing Jack say, "Mommy, will you go for a run with me?"
9. Hearing Shayna say, "I'm coming home this weekend."
10. Watching my Dad play with his grandchildren.
11. Hearing Kevin play his sax.
12. A walk with my Mom.
13. A trip to the flower market- with my closest friend.

I have to admit, it's been a pretty awesome weekend. How about you?

I Did It!

I went to the Y tonight with the intention of swimming and doing 20 minutes on the elliptical. But, when I got there, they were having a synchronized swim practice. Ughh! that is the most annoying thing to have to deal with. So, I opted out of the swim.

Went straight upstairs to the elliptical and did that for 15 minutes. I stopped to take a minute and assess how my foot was feeling. It felt great.

At that point, my determination kicked in, and I moved to a treadmill.

You guessed it...I ran!

Okay, it was a 5 minute warm up walk. 4 minute run. 3 min walk. 3 minute run. 3 min walk 2 min run. Then a 2 minute cool down.
22 minutes all together. 9 minutes of running. Which is just under a mile at the pace I was going!

This morning, I feel great!