I love people.

Linda and I swam at the Parkwood Y today, and I had the following encounter with an extremely cranky old woman who was water-walking in the lane next to me when I got in. (I want to emphasize that she was in the lane next to me--we weren't even sharing.)

Ms. Cranky: Are you going to be splashing a lot?
My inner monologue: Yes, my goggles, noseplug, swim cap, and I are here to raise some hell at 7:15 in the morning.
My outer dialogue: Um, not excessively or on purpose.
Ms. Cranky: Well, stay on the other side of the lane because I don't like to be splashed.
My inner monologue: Lady, it's a POOL! What's wrong with you?
My outer dialogue: Um...uh, okay.

I recounted the story for Linda when she got there, and apparently Ms. Cranky also had a problem with how Linda handled her towel in the locker room. And do you want to know what Ms. Cranky was doing as we were leaving? She was clipping her toenails in the locker room. Apparently that does qualify as proper pool etiquette.

Plans and Playlists

So here's my plan for the week. Runs are from the "official" plan, and I filled in other stuff where it fit.

Wednesday--off.
Thursday--5 mile run (I'll have to do treadmill because it lists specific paces); weights if I have time.
Friday--hour swim.
Saturday--7 mile run.
Sunday--half hour swim; stability ball DVD.
Monday--spinning and weights.
Tuesday--2 mile easy run; yoga or abs.

I also tweaked the playlist I made the other day, and I think this one will work out nicely:

Let the River Run- Carly Simon
The Way We Get By- Spoon
Brother Love's Travelin' Salvation Show- Neil Diamond (Shush, it's a guilty pleasure.)
Pump it Up- Elvis Costello
Reach for the Sky- Social Distortion
Shame on You- Indigo Girls
Runnin' Down a Dream- Tom Petty
Tipping Point- Langhorne Slim
The Distance- Cake
Scared Song- Brothers Creeggan
Radio Nowhere- Bruce Springsteen
Eight Easy Steps- Alanis Morissette
Up Around the Bend- Creedence Clearwater Revival
The Warrior's Code- Dropkick Murphys
Candyman- Christina Aguilera (Yep, another guilty pleasure.)
Firefly Ride- Ingram Hill
Great Escape- Guster
Beautiful Stranger- Madonna
Banditos- The Refreshments
Lala- Ashlee Simpson (...and one last guilty pleasure.)
Falling for the First Time- Barenaked Ladies
Going Home with You- The Alternate Routes
Next to the Last Romantic- Josh Ritter

Things I learned this weekend...

1. I need to remember to wear a hat and/or sunscreen when I run outside. I didn't do any serious damage, but my cheeks and arms are a little pink.
2. The playground at the elementary school in my neighborhood is a great place to stretch. The monkey bars are perfect when I need to hold on to something to keep my balance. Walking through the wet grass and mulch in my good shoes made me twitch a little, though. ;-)
3. I finally managed to get the hang of making my quads do the work when I'm riding Thor. I don't know when or how it finally clicked, but I was definitely doing it (and keeping my heels down most of the time!) when I rode on Saturday. :)
   

I did seven miles this morning accompanied by a brand new playlist, and it was fabulous. (Linda and Kathy--I'd be happy to make copies for you, but I should warn you that I was a little less careful about lyrics on this one. It's not too horrifying, but I wouldn't play it around kids or easily offended grownups.) My schedule calls for cross-training tomorrow (spinning class!) and two miles on Tuesday. It also calls for tempo runs and speedwork in the future, which I need to figure out. I can obviously do it on a treadmill (ick!), but I'm not sure how to change/gauge my pace on my own. I'm hoping to sneak in a little reading time tomorrow afternoon to see what I can learn.

Since it's difficult to take pictures of myself running, I now present some photo documentation of my culinary exploits today.

Date and flax muffins--I made these with some freshly-ground multigrain (buckwheat, spelt, and one other kind of grain that I can't remember right now) flour that I got from the Okemos farmers market on Saturday, and the only added fat is the ground flaxseed. (Other ingredients are egg beaters, lowfat buttermilk, molasses, and spices.) I got the recipe from the sports nutrition book I've been reading, and I was pretty pleased with them. I was nervous because they look a little like hockey pucks, but they taste good and were surprisingly moist. Next time, I'm going to use dried cherries or cranberries in place of the dates, though.















Peach-glazed barbecue pork chops--I made the glaze myself (thank you, Cooking Light). It has peaches, chardonnay, white wine vinegar, molasses, chili powder, paprika, and a couple of other ingredients). I had it with steamed asparagus and sweet potatoes that I wrapped in foil and "baked" on the grill (the potatoes were done by the time I put the pork chops on, though):

...and we're off!

I think it's only fitting that my first post should be one announcing that I've put my money where my mouth is and officially registered for the Capital City River Run. I start my formal training plan Monday.

It's so on!