This picture is of Little Tova modeling her favorite outfit from the school clothes shopping that we did - yes, the scarf was a must have, and yes, it has sparkles. I'm so envious of kids clothes.She was here for 10 days and it was magical - for the first time in years it actually felt like summer time while we were in AZ (probably the first time ever for us). There's something about spending the whole day in your bathing suit, swimming for 5 hours, eating outside (in the misters, fan, and shade) diving for rings at the bottom of the pool, and playing freeze tag that just makes it summer time.
It's also funny how the little queues that we get from the universe changes our rhythm and has us thinking of the next season. We went school shopping, she went home, and she starts school on Monday. That means it's fall.
The sun is starting to rise later here, which means it's back to the gym and my glorious summer outside is over - so it's now fall.
Here's the thing. I've found myself thinking about sweaters, and Christmas, and being cold in the mornings - yet nothing has physically changed from last week. I'm still getting up at the same time. It's still in the 100's every day, it's still exactly 79 degrees in my house - just like it has been all summer - and yet I found myself putting on a hoodie this morning because I was "cold". Why? I have no idea. I also started looking through my desktop pictures for something with fall leaves. Eileen - it's still actually August. And hot. And not remotely autumn like.
I just think it's interesting how these small changes can changed the way that I'm thinking about the environment that is exactly the same.
Anyway, going back to the gym has been weird because it doesn't feel weird. It's like I didn't spend the last 5 months outside. The same treadmill, the same bike, the same shows on, the same people trying to pick other people up. It does give me a chance to focus more on training specifics, but I'm still waffling with where I want to take my training this winter and in the spring.
I still definitely definitely want to do the XTerra Offroad Tri in May, yet I haven't been out on my bike and in the mountains in well over a month. I've been on the bike, but just on the canals. I need tog get back to pemberton - maybe for Labor Day. The hard thing is that not doing PBR in October and not being able to find another offroad race, nevermind a good offroad race, means that I'm sucking wind with the offroad training.
I have been running South Mountain, but I also can't seem to find a trail race anywhere around for the rest of the year either. So I'm just going to have to step up my weekend outdoor training, and get good mileage done indoors during the week.
I haven't been swimming at all - unless you count the diving for pool rings. Lady Tiara is going to be doing the fall splash and dash, and I'd like to do it - but I looked at the distances, and the swim distances are fairly long - 1000 m and then a couple of K running. I need to do some research on temperature of the lake and whether or not I need a wetsuit, and then I need to find some cojones and actually get in there.
Since I can't seem to find a race that meets any of my needs - I've been looking at the following races for the rest of the year - none of these are guarantees at this point.
- Grasshopper Bridge for Children's Hospital - 9/26 This is the Miracle Girl race that we will probably do, but probably walk most of it because Lilac's family likes to go, and none of them run consistently.
- Run for Congo Women - 9/27 I swear would it be so hard for them to make this race gramatically correct? It should be Congolese. Anyway, it's only a 5K this year (last year it was 10) and although it's the day after Grasshopper Bridge, since we'll be sloughing and I really like the home grown roots of this race, I'll probably do both. It doesn't hurt that J will be in Boston this weekend.
- Ghosts/Goblins 5k - Oct 31 - Might be interesting. I just want a race in Oct, and aside from the weekend I'm gone there's not much out there.
- World Run Day/Run Against Domestic Violence - 11/8 I want to do the Run Against Domestic Violence with my girl who has experienced it and is still struggling to get out of the marriage. We say every year that we're going to do this race, but for some reason there's always a horrible dust storm or something that prevents it. This year we're going. It's also World Run Day, and I can sign up for taht, get a t-shirt and run wherever I want - like the other race.
- Iron Girl - 11/15 - Since this is not the GOTR race for the fall season I might be able to run it - though I've crossed out the 10 miler at this point. I know that Lilac had visions of our hubbys dressed in pink and waiving sparkly signs for us. I'd like to do this one.
- Mesa Mi Amigo's Turkey Trot - 11/26 - Best race of the year. I'll be there, and then I'll get to eat whatever I want for Thanksgiving dinner.
- Fiesta Bowl 5K - 12/6 - This will be mandatory since it's the GOTR race this year.
We'll see how it all irons out!
