Training Log Archive: vmeyer

Yesterday, I took the day off, and I spent a good part of the day replacing the kitchen faucet. Success! Only blood drawn wasn't from that project, but from unpacking the new shower door from the shipping crate. OK, I didn't take off with the intention of replacing the kitchen faucet, but after discovering water damage below the sink, it was the right thing to do. Sadly, the old sink looks quite shabby compared to the new, very glamorous faucet, but I will walk away from that for now.

Today, I intended to work in the basement, printing maps, doing laundry, and organizing. Well, it is now after 7:30, and I am just starting the map printing, and the only laundry I did was throw a load from last night into the dryer, and I haven't organized one single thing!

So, what did I do with my time instead, you ask? Feeling quite proud of my plumbing prowess yesterday, despite the colorful bruising on my breast bone, I decided to replace the toilet in the basement, since it was horribly stained, and it was rocking quite a bit...well, after three trips to HD, besides the initial one to a plumbing store, I don't have the toilet in. It was a series of This Old House scenes - shut off valve to toilet doesn't turn, vintage flange is broken, new flange doesn't have anything to be screwed to, etc.

My brother, Claude, helped me sort out using Sharkbite to redo the shut off valve, after even my best effort didn't loosen it for traditional replacement. Flange was easy, but then I needed something to hold the new flange in place, and this required drilling into the concrete floor. Last trip to HD was the best (to Duke St location vs. Seven Corners) perhaps since it was after the witching hour, and a wonderful gentleman escorted me through getting something to keep the sewer gases and/or rats out of the house until the new toilet is FINALLY installed, and also took me several aisles over to review my concrete anchor choices.

Back home...need to drill into the concrete...a job for another day, and after purchasing the proper drill. Still less then a plumber (barely), and I enjoyed the experience of figuring things out.

C • Impressive. 1

TaDa! Finished off the month the way I started it, in the pool. Thank you to everyone for all of your support. It means a lot to me.

I thought of my mom today, and these pictures I discovered on my camera a couple of weeks ago. They were on the camera hard drive, not the memory card, so I hadn't downloaded them. These are a pleasing reminder of my mom, especially the dollhouse room with bear run.


And, there were many family arrangements like these bears throughout the house.

C • Yay 10

Same strategy as yesterday...in the door, change clothes, ignore the cookies, run. Not a blazing pace, but it was 30 minutes of something resembling non-walking. Felt so smooth, like I was a real runner. Win!

Was able to leave work early since I worked over yesterday. Took all of the suspense out of the afternoon/evening by immediately changing into bike shorts and out the door I went. The MTB was perfect for the wet pavement and slightly misty conditions, and the brakes didn't squeal at all.

It is 8:17, and I am not wanting to get my 30 in today. Not too late yet, but I am torn between wanting to continue to Friday, and not wanting to get sweaty at this point in the evening. Lots of other reasons that prevented me getting out today, but one is not that I am totally exhausted from the last two weekends of driving back and forth to NY/NH, along with the events themselves. I am putting this here to remind myself of that.

C • OK, Valerie, sometime betwe... 8

C • Miscellaneous 6

and out the door I go. Was going to loop around the neighbor oval which measures 6/10 of a mile, but the lights were on at the track, so I headed down there. Ran continuously more than I have in a very long time, and while it wasn't super speedy, it was an honest effort.

Finished off the 30 with walking. Tried to do a few step repeats, but my knees objected a bit.

Will swim or bike tomorrow. Will not skip lunch or work 1.25 hours overtime.

Streak alive - usual craziness before relay starting at 12, but with a nudge or two from the results team, I kitted up and took a spin around campus and a bit beyond. Hilly and windy, but so good to get something in before the long ride home.

Photo credit unknown

Finished just as the relay started, and that's when it occurred to me that we hadn't put the start time into the computer. A minor issue, and all went well.

Thanks to a crack download crew which included Alli (seated), Sandy (barely visible), and Amy (standing), as well as Lex (not shown), who now knows more than she ever wanted to. However, I couldn't/wouldn't have done it if I had to share the space with anyone else but Ed.
Photo courtesy of Dave Yee.

I like these two sides of Valerie:
Photo courtesy of Dave Yee.

Pink hair may be a good look for me!
Photo courtesy of Dave Yee.