Monday, June 2, 2014

Gimme a Break Monday

Howdy there, cowpokes!  In order to obscure the innocent (come on, they hang out with me, they don't need protecting), I have decided to name my friends after types of tea.  Also, this post is fairly long.  I have a lot to blather about this morning, apparently.

Saturday morning, Scottish Morn and I participated in the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation "Great Strides" 5K walk in San Francisco.  As was entirely typical for a morning in SF, it was damp and chilly, and my Raynaud's kicked in with a vengeance.  Spirits were high, however, and we began our brisk walk.  I ran a bit to help raise my core temperature, and finally, with the aid of a hot-air hand dryer, returned circulation to my fingers.  At the halfway point, Fort Point, I looked up and beheld the nearness of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Now, I'd never walked across the GG bridge before, simply because getting there is a PITA, what with driving across the entire city, trying to find parking, dealing with the tourists, etc.  There it was, so very, very close.  So Scottish Morn and I decided to be rebels, ditch the 5K for the time being, and find a way up to the bridge.  Despite a number of rerouted trails, we blazed our way up the hill for 1/2 mile to the foggy, traffic-laden bridge.  Walking across was lovely, on the one hand, with amazing views of the bay, surfers, birds, even a frisky sea lion.  On the other hand, it was noisy with all the cars driving by right next to one, so I plan on bringing ear plugs for any further bridge walking adventures.

We blazed our way to the other side (Marin County!), made a quick pit stop, and retraced our steps across the bridge, down the hill, and back to the Great Strides starting point.  They were just finishing packing up everything, but I don't think we missed anything important.  :)  All told, it was 2 hours and 10 minutes of walking, and Scottish Morn mapped the route at around 7 miles.

Then, yesterday morning, as part of my continuing mission to train for that 12K, I went for my long run.  1.3 miles walk over to the park, 1 mile hike up the trail, 5 miles run (twice around the loop, and then an extra back and forth to get an additional mile), 1 mile hike back down the trail, and 1.3 miles walk home.  The 5 miles run (with, as I recall, four instances of briefly slowing to a brisk walk in order to catch my breath on hills) took 54:20, which is all right by me at this point.  I'd certainly like to be faster come race day, and I expect I will be.

Once home, I had about 10 minutes to jump in the shower, gather my things for dance, and then drive up to the studio for a folklorico dress rehearsal.  We ran the routine 6 or 7 times, making some fine adjustments ahead of Saturday's performance.  The costume fits fine, they found a pair of white shoes that fit well enough for the show (they're size 8 1/2, so a little snug), and I need to put together an outrageous hair piece to match the other ladies.  So one night this week I'll have to make a trip to the craft store to find whatever yarn vaguely matches my hair color.

Then I spent the rest of the afternoon cleaning my house.  This fellow, PG Tips, with whom I had enjoyed two pleasant dates, was coming over for dinner.  While not a mess, the house needed some general summer cleaning.  I made potato salad, Shakshuka, and a fresh green salad with radishes.  He brought a Sauvignon blanc, and the harvest of his kumquat and blueberry plants: 4 kumquats and 11 berries.  Everything was delicious, and PG Tips was very good company, so I had a lovely evening.

Considering just how sore my legs were, and the fact that I was so tired that I was in bed with the lights out a little after 9 pm last night, I decided that this morning would be a rest day from the gym.  I'll be back in tomorrow morning as usual.

Here's how I made the potato salad:
5 med red or yellow potatoes, boiled
2 oz chevre
1/4 C yogurt
1/4-1/2 C chopped fresh dill (according to your tastes)
salt and pepper

While the potatoes are still hot, cut into bite-sized pieces without burning your fingers, and toss in a bowl with the chevre, to melt the cheese and coat everything.  Mix in the yogurt and dill, and season to taste with salt and pepper.  4-5 side dish servings.

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