Gettin in done in Napa

A good friend is one who will do a quick workout with you first thing in the morning. We've rented a small house in Napa with a gated entry so Lisa and I got creative on today's workout. Several sprints up a long driveway did the trick today. 15 minutes of this for 1 mile. A maintenance mile is better than nothing!

Working out and Exploring in Vegas

Working out while on vacation can be tricky sometimes. When I am gone for a weekend I will usually just take a couple of rest days unless I'm at some place where I just can't resist a hike or run, or great yoga class. But travels of more than 4 days require a workout. 4 days is about the max I will go without doing anything, not even anything I consider a recovery workout, like an easy walk, yoga or swim. But 4 days usually doesn't go by unless I am sick. Even through all 3 of my pregnancies I worked out; I can't help it, I just feel better when I do.

This week I am gone for a full week so I've got to do something. Well, Las Vegas isn't exactly the most runner friendly town. It's all concrete and full of people clogging the sidewalks so you are constantly dodging traffic! This morning I got up early when JIm left for his meeting and the first thing I did was trek all the way up and down the stairs just to get the blood pumping. Then I hit the streets for over an hour of walking. I jogged quickly when there were any stairs or incline but the power walk was plenty.

My final stop was to check out the hottest new restaurant in town, Giada's. Reservations are required for dinner and have to be made two months out so I stopped in for a quick coffee and may go back for lunch.

I walked back to the hotel and climbed the 15 flights of stairs three more times and was sweating buckets when I finished! 30 minutes of core and yoga in the room after is all I need for today.

So don't let a vacation interfere with your workouts; running or walking is the best way to explore a city and don't forget to use the stairs!

Photo both at Giada's restaurant is fun to do while waiting. There was no wait for breakfast around 9:30 am and they also take walkins for lunch. 

Roxanne's first Triathlon!!

Celebrating our finish with champagne and brunch!!

Roxanne is actually reading the rules of the sport of triathlon!

I have been very bad about blogging so will try to play catch up! Most of you know that Roxanne has been my running partner for the last couple of years and this summer I talked her into try a triathlon! 

With only two weeks before the event, we signed up for a sprint Tri. 500 yd swim, 12 mile bike and a 5k run! Roxanne is a swimmer and has become a good runner even though she still claims to hate it but was scared to death on the bike!

She over came her fears in this race! I took her out to the site a couple of times to practice on the dam which would help her learn to shift on hills but she was too nervous to actually ride on the race course, so we did a few training rides at lake Hefner which is flat but going around twice for 18 miles at least gave her the confidence that she could complete the distance!

She had lots of questions for my Tri friends about transition set up and she is so anal it was funny to see her place everything perfectly in their spot for the race. Her biggest problems is she can't stand to have dirty, sandy feet coming up the beach from the swim so she takes extra time to wipe down before putting on her bike shoes! She came out of the water a few minutes ahead of me as expected but I was surprised to still see her in transition when I got there (because she's so picky) but she headed out on the bike as I was coming in off the swim. I really thought I would catch her quickly but she had no fear that day and I did not catch her until after the turnaround! We had not planned to stay together as it's kind of hard to do that on the bike anyway, so at that point we each raced on our own!

I was so proud as she crossed that finish line and I honestly think she finds these events more fun than just long runs, so hopefully next summer I can talk her into doing more!!

Master yogi Jim.

Jim went to yoga without me again this evening. We usually go together but I taught a class there earlier today and just didn't feel like getting out again besides I've been doing laundry all day. Sam moves back for 2nd year of college so I'm giving him a treat and doing his laundry and cooking his favorite meal. I'm also not complaining,just reflecting, laughing and hopeful for the future.

When we were first married I worked full time and squeezed in workouts on my lunch hour or took the kids to a gym nursery. Jim worked hard and also lifted weights or played basketball and soccer. I started doing yoga but Jim wasn't into it. Fine. I was busy raising kids and racing, running, and teaching yoga. This went on for 15 years. 

Now our kids are grown and we started cycling together some since Jim doesn't run. We tried golf too but that did not work! I had been bugging Jim for years to get off that boring bike trainer in the winter and join me in yoga. One day he said okay!

So this year Jim finally came to a yoga class with me and was hooked. It's been 6 months now and as everyone knows he is now a "master yogi". 

So why am I hopeful? Almost 31 years of marriage and change is possible! Who knows, maybe he will even start doing the laundry someday:)

Master yogi Jim striking Tree pose in Canada!

Home practice!!!!

Piles of laundry:)

30 day yoga challenge!

I have been practicing yoga for 17 years and teaching for 15 but 2013 began with a 30 day yoga challenge at Soul Yoga, Oklahoma City. At first I was reluctant, I mean, I teach a little, and also try to practice on my own at home even though we all know how that usually ends up. While in downdog instead of feeling bliss all I can see are dustbunnies on the floor, so I usually cut my home practice short and move on to something "productive". Getting to the studio was the key! We had 35 days to get in the 30 classes, and I was on track to hit it in 30 when a migraine put me out for two days, but no matter!  We did it! I never dreaded going to the studio, I craved it! My practice has gotten stronger and my body feels better than ever even as I increase my running miles as I train for my first marathon in 16 years! Bring on the next challenge!

Another middle of the night hot flash and wide awake, so what better time begin my blog, right? I've been talking about starting a blog for almost a year, after my mother died 11 months ago and just this week actually set it up. Thinking of the name of my blog took some time too and it came to me the other night in another fit of insomnia. Jenniferuns is 51 begins to define who I am as obviously, that is my age, for now, at least and yes, I am a runner-have been since age 9, when I was plucked off the playground in Temple Hills, Maryland and my parents signed me up for the Cavellettes Track Club, of Pringe Georges County Maryland. It's probably the best thing my parents ever did for me.

So, will my blog be about my running? Yes, of course, but it will be more than that as well. I'm also a wife of 30 years, mother of 3 grown children, yogini, sister, daughter to a father I have never been close to, former bulimic, avid reader, music lover, wanna be gardener and cook, just to name a few!

It's now 5:38 am, I've been up for an hour, coffee in hand, will put on my compression tights in a few and meet a friend for a 14 mile run this morning and another friend this afternoon to hit some garage sales! It's Friday!