Lazy W Marie

Carpeing all the diems in semi-rural Oklahoma...xoxo

motivation monday: october wrap up

Hello, and happy Monday! Today I am posting a recap of my October running, mostly for my own records and to distill what went great and where I need some work. Overall I met my (extremely simple) goals. If any of this is useful to you, then Happy Motivation Monday!! If you have some advice for any parts of it, feel free to share. Thanks for reading, friends. 

Most Exciting Workout:

Of so many great workouts this month, it was hard to choose a favorite. But Sunday, Oct 14th is it. That morning I ran a mildly fasted (I had eaten well the day before, just no breakfast) and spontaneous half marathon all by myself, at a pretty smooth pace (9:38 average). I didn’t set out to run that long, but it felt great! Every mile felt better and better, and I had some spare time, so eventually, I just went for it. It’s far from my ultimate time goal for 13.1, but considering I did this with no breakfast and no hydration or calories along the way, I’m excited. It gets me thinking of what is possible when I am properly fueled. And I had gobs of energy all day after that! It’s crazy. Adaptions are happening.

Worst Day:

I tried running on the very first day of Shark Week* this month, and I paid the price. My other symptoms had been so mellow leading up to “Day One,” I thought surely a 6- or 7-mile easy day was possible. But I struggled through 2.5 then walked another 1.5 while talking myself out of a pity party. Ha. It’s fine. I went home and poured my limited physical energy into other things and counted my blessings that a difficult run was the worst of my health challenges. Then I moved on with my life.

Longest Run:

Wednesday, Oct 24th: 15 even at Lake Hefner, with Mickey bicycling beside me. This was actually my longest run in several months, and I was pleasantly surprised by not only a steady pace (9:46 average) but by the fact that I was not really tired afterward. Nor was I the least bit sore the next day. Like, overall, it felt just like an average 8/easy day. Big thanks and high fives to my friend for keeping me company!! The miles went by happily, and I got to hear so many great stories about his life. I hope we do that together more often! 

Fastest Overall Run:

Early on Sunday the 21st I surprised myself by running a little over 8 miles at an average pace of 8:47. For me, that is pretty snappy. I rode endorphins the whole rest of that fine day, which we spent driving Klaus up Route 66 and doing a little hike, just the three of us. Then we had a very special dinner with our Sperrys, and my heart was so full. (My trick that day was knowing that I only had about an hour to run, so I just crammed as many miles in as possible, then rounded it out to 8, ha!) 

Special Meals Worth Sharing Because Food is Fuel:

I continue to favor my weird “warm breakfast salad” over cold protein smoothies for post-run nutrition. Chilly mornings just beg for something cozy, you know? It’s oats cooked with spinach and zuchinni, topped with two eggs. Bam. Love it.

I am also loving big, crisp apples and roasted peanuts, chicken breast sandwiches for lunch, and veggie-heavy soups and pasta dishes at night. Some roasted veggies with sticky rice is great the night before long runs. Yes to gorgeous salad bars, always, and salads at home get topped with warm stuff like roasted acorn squash and mixed with kale for substance.

I cannot seem to eat enough eggs and peanuts the past few weeks. I do not understand why. Oh! And crepes. Jessica invited me over for brunch one day, and along with the most beautiful salad ever, she made us a big platter of warm, thick, chewy, eggy crepes. So perfect and delicious. We opted for savory over sweet that day. I am so proud of her and her cooking confidence and artistry.

Horrible Mistake I Will Never Make Again:

Last Monday evening we were out at a costumed event later than expected and just decided to grab some late dinner at Taco Bell. Taco Bell, friends, around 9:45 p.m. This is not my life.

I ate one of those “power bowls” with steak and some tortilla chips with very very very spicy homemade salsa. It was all delicious, but I had let myself get too hungry. I slept okay then early the next morning tried to run with my speedy friend Sheila.  It was not fun. My meal was not digested yet. I had to cut the miles short and walk back to my car. Dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb LOL! 

Fresh Running Lesson:

Vertical Oscillation had already been on my mind when I ran with Mickey that day at Lake Hefner. While bicycling behind me, he observed that with each stride I circled up too much (think, Tigger the bouncing tiger, or maybe an elliptical machine instead of straight-forward motion). Mickey offered a couple of form suggestions, which I tried. Immediately my posture streamlined and my next couple of sprints were at my max speed without any extra effort. It just clicked. Amazing! I practiced the toe-roll for several days after that and think it is helping me waste less energy. Thanks, Mickey!

Weather Considerations:

From heavy rain all month to a surprise tornado one day and constant temperature swings, our autumn weather has kept local runners guessing. I braved the treadmill just a few times, enough to see that my boredom endurance is abysmal, haha. I have some serious mind callousing to do, you guys.

Anyway, I am so thankful to have met my October goal with so many days that could have gone very differently. And the season change has been breathtaking to watch. I am not at all complaining. Oklahoma has not seen this much color and such high water levels in many years, and the early morning skies, my gosh. I am in love with it all. Just incredibly thankful that so many miles were enjoyed outdoors, which is my favorite.

Little Extras Still Happening?

Yes, mostly. All month I did the dynamic warm-ups faithfully, and I stretched a little after each run, but maybe not enough. I grabbed 8 baby weightlifting days and about as many yoga sessions, but I could be more disciplined with that. Some core work and deep stretching in the evenings are probably in order, too. It’s just a matter of finding sustainable habits.  

Total Miles: 223.1

These miles were mostly easy effort, long run pace, super relaxing, and happy! My October goal was 220, just 10% up from September. It felt pretty effortless, so I am thrilled.

Well over half of my miles were past this exact tree. I watched it change colors every week. So beautiful!

What’s Next? My goals for November are to:

  • keep my energy way up and my discomforts way down so I can enjoy a month of both running and holiday festivity
  • eat more mindfully, not like I am in a panic all the time, ha!
  • run 180 miles (a little step back) including two hard Hansons workouts per week
  • lift somewhat heavier and more often (maybe every 3 days)
  • yoga yoga yoga yoga yoga

I am super curious how much progress I’ll see from strength training and coordination drills. After that, I will be a stone’s throw from my “Run the Year” goal of 2,018. Wahoo!! 

What’s new in your fitness and wellness universe?

 

*Shark Week, for this blog’s purposes, shall always refer to a woman’s natural reproductive monthly cycle. And “Day One” is the worst day for me. I feel like you knew that already. But thanks for following the asterisk.

daybreak today and the happy residue of our friday night gathering

Around 7:15 this morning Klaus and I went outside to feed everyone breakfast and to bear witness to daybreak. The inky black sky and diamond moon an hour earlier had whispered promises of an exceptional display, and we were not disappointed.

The eastern sky cracked open and gushed Technicolor all over the farm. All over the prairie grasses and wildflowers, the pine trees and blackjacks and zinnias and eerily decaying summer vines. Something I’ll never capture in a snapshot. That molten energy rushed through the treetops, scattered leaves both downhill and up, and transformed the pond into a pink and orange looking glass. The already dazzling crazy quilt of autumn leaves was for several moments downright metallic. Glittered. And still, the sun was just rising, barely.

 

Almost forty five minutes later, as I sat outside scribbling this in my notebook, broad gashes of light were streaming across the treetops and aiming west, downhill, and straight through me. It was all bold and direct, no longer diffused.  

Everyone around here seems to agree that this year’s autumn transformation has been a special one. We should probably thank the lush, mild summer and gentle cool down for that. The forests and gardens have been changing daily, hourly sometimes, like a twisting handheld kaleidoscope where each leaf is a chunk of tinted glass reflecting against so many connecting mirrors.

I want my eyes and my heart to be mirrors for all of it. I want to always remember how beautiful Oklahoma was in October of 2018.

One day soon we will wake up for our usual routines and see that the trees are bare and the ground is frozen. On that day we’ll find the beauty of course, but it will be different. For now, for today, we will soak up the color and thrumming life and all of this glorious transformation energy. And we’ll count it all joy because it’s so easy. It’s so available to us.

Last night four friends joined us at the farm for a cozy dinner and to finally discuss The Book of Joy. It was a small, organic mix of deeply thinking, tender, feeling people who had either already enjoyed the book or who were interested in it based on piecemeal reviews I had been posting on Facebook for months.

The Book of Joy is just so nourishing, you guys. I highly recommend this slim, straightforward work to people of every religion, every background, every station in life. And I strongly suggest you buy a copy to keep forever; because it seems to be the kind of book that you might read (or at least skim and review) at different times in life and each time glean new wisdom.

Our intimate discussion last night was everything my soul needed. I felt absolute Love in the midst of us all, and my brain kept sparking and coming to life every time someone shared their insights. The fact that my husband was there for it all and a strong part of the dialogue is a brand new joy for me. 

I have tried to make people aware that the ultimate source of happiness is simply a healthy body and a warm heart. ~Dalai Lama

Soon, in addition to so much great material from the book, I want us to explore Ubuntu, the African expression for humanity. “We become persons through other people.” It’s the notion that connectedness is part of our human design, our nature. The idea that we function best when we find other people and live in actual community. Especially as the holiday season opens wide, I would love to really internalize this concept.

Togetherness, intimacy, connection, community.

Daybreak for our hearts and minds and bodies and spirits. Eye candy and nourishment, both. Improving our perspectives and staying aware and very very present. Yes to all of it.

I am beyond excited to continue this dialogue with my husband and our friends and their loved ones, and also with my sister Angela and maybe our adult children, as well as with our friend Kiran, who is Hindu. The diversity of our favorite humans is as mesmerizing as Oklahoma’s autumn display right now.

“The way you see the world,
the meaning you give to what you witness,
changes the way you feel.”
~Jinpa
XOXOXOXO

friday 5 at the farm: busy, happy, thankful week

Last weekend was a long one for us, four days of much needed deep refreshment, and this work week that wraps up today has been solid. It was solid, happy, productive, and good in many ways. Last week’s extended recharge has been put to good use. Here are some headlines from the Lazy W!

001 Dad’s Birthday!

My Dear Ol’ Dad turned 61 this week, and last night we all gathered at home for his requested dinner of, “ribeyes and hot fudge sundaes.”  Yum! I took exactly zero photos because we were having so much fun and my hands were always full. My sister Angela and I shopped and cooked dinner, then seven of us (all adults this time, which is rare) sat around the dining room table talking about DNA testing, conspiracy theories, some wild family history, and more. Everything. We feasted on food and love and excellent conversation. Jessica drove over, too, and we all had such a great time. Laugh upon laugh upon laugh! Happiest of birthdays, Dad, we love you so much!

002 Batmobile Progress

This morning, between meetings and court and who knows what else at the Commish, Handsome stole some time at a very cool Oklahoma City business to help blow the “bubbles” that will crown the Batmobile. And he invited me last minute to watch! So I dropped everything at the farm and drove to town. I haven’t told you much about this project yet, but I will soon.

Short version: It’s a fun and labor-intensive old-car restoration that will play a big role in our community outreach hopes and dreams. And it becomes more fun and exciting every week. When I say “bubbles” and “Batmobile” in the same sentence, do you picture exactly what I’m talking about? Cool.

003 Halloween Vibes

Thanks to an attic full of Halloween decorations and some pumpkin fun with friends last Saturday night, our house is festooned with all the seasonal details. We love it. And we are living our best hide-pounce-scream-recover life, too, especially after dark. So fun. Even the gardens are in on the spooky mood, and I take every opportunity to walk around the farm in galoshes and sweaters.

004 Aprons & Organization

Domestically, I have been working steadily to empty drawers and closets, purge, reorder, clean, and hold space everywhere I can find a bit of congestion. I crave space physically and emotionally. It feels amazing, like the best precursor to nesting. It’s that deep-breathing, roll-your-shoulders kind of private survey I like to do just as the seasons really trade. It feels great, and every day I find new things to do around here.

This afternoon my plate was clear enough to sew two fun apron designs that have been swimming in my head. (This one is for a very special local podcaster!)

005 Fat, Fuzzy Horses

In keeping with the season change, our farm-ily is fattened up and beginning to retain a certain amount of fluff and fuzz. It’s definitely time. The horses are eating all the hay I offer them (so much), and the chickens are feasting on more than the usual amount of herbs, rose hips, and grass clippings, plus all the average fare. Fingers crossed that they soon decided to lay some eggs.

Okay, that’s our little sum up from the week. Approximately one million other things happened, too, because life is full and beautiful. If our internet cooperates, I’ll have a post up sometime Saturday about what I’ve been reading, watching, and listening to. Good stuff.

Happy weekend!

Redeem the Time
Even the Weird Days & Moments
XOXOXOXO

 

 

 

 

friday 5 at the farm: highlights from the week

Five Stories & Memories Worth Keeping from Labor Day Week, 2018:

#1 Nourished

We welcomed September with a Polish feast at our beloved Sperrys’ home.

Pierogis (first for me!), kielbasa, sauerkraut, a big crunchy green salad, and then dessert…

Dessert may not have been authentically Polish, but I guarantee nobody cared. It was called “Banoffee Pie,” and it has changed our lives.

It’s a prebaked pie shell filled with slices of banana, which are drowned in a sea of homemade caramel, and all of it is then topped with a thick cloud of homemade whipped cream, and then some grated dark chocolate because Kellie loves us a lot. I googled the recipe and discovered that sometimes they are made on a shortbread crust, which I am sure is delicious as well. We ate it fresh that night with Kellie and Mickey; then we nibbled leftovers greedily for two full days. It’s one of those desserts that gets better with a little time in the refrigerator. Yum!

Evenings with the Sperrys are so great. We always eat well, which is sharing a meal, which is different than just grabbing a bite with someone. We laugh a ton. And we have deep and meandering, free-form conversations about anything and everything, all four of us. It’s pretty great.

Complete with so many pup cuddles, too. We are in love with their three dogs. This time, after dinner we joined them for a walk around the block. Don’t you love it when your friendships begin to include not just the big, orchestrated events but also the simpler pleasures and routines in life? 

#2 Season of Transition

Pool Season 2018 has been winding down. Every week, we have tried to spend as much time out there as possible. Whether we were in the thick of a tropical heat wave or hunkering down beneath more heavy rain, the pool has been surprisingly comfortable. But those temperature swings and the growing algae are making it all unmanageable. So Labor Day Week is very likely pool closing week at the W.

We are thankful to have been swimming for so many consecutive months this year. It’s been a lot of fun, especially with Bill the Rodeo Inflata-Bull. Ha! In fact, on Wednesday afternoon Jess (our youngest) brought a friend to the farm. They had a pretty entertaining competition over who could stay on longest. It seems there is a technique to not just staying on, but also to the getting on in the first place. If Summer 2019 includes more chlorine rodeo fun, we may have to agree upon a scoring system.  

P.S. I often tell the kids when I snap photos of them visiting the farm, that I will not share the photos online, haha! This is really tragic because they are all gorgeous kids and always take such fun and interesting photos! Anyway.  Please enjoy, instead, a photo of our dinner table garden bouquet and Jessica’s homemade pumpkin pie. Absolutely delicious! She altered the recipe in a few ways, and everyone loved it! 

#3 Back to Work

Having enjoyed so much time off together in August, this first week of Septemeber, although slightly shortened thanks to Labor Day, felt weird without Handsome at home.

The shift in weather definitely enhanced the overall feeling of a new season. It’s almost like back to school, although those particular autumn routines are far in our household’s past. Each “workday” for me this week has been packed with productivity, and my energy has been good and steady. I am noticing that Virgo draw toward deep cleaning and lots of order. I just miss our late lunches and easy afternoons, chilling together. xoxo It was another very good staycation. 

#4 Wet, Unfueled Run & God’s Timing

I had planned on a 12 mile run for early this morning. I ate a good dinner Thursday night and slept well. Unfortunately, we woke up to not just the predicted rain, but flash flood warnings. I normally would eat a bite of peanut butter toast or something before a run that long, but given the time crunch, I decided to just get to the trail asap and grab as many miles as possible, then see what the day might hold. (Treadmill finish is always an option.)

I ran and ran, giving thanks for the excellent glycogen stores from last night’s chicken and broccoli-rice, clicking off one mile at a time. The rain stayed soft and gentle, with lots of black clouds but no lightning and no floods. So I kept running. Eventually, I hit 9 miles at that easy pace then got really tired and really hungry, haha. Then the asphalt got slippery, so all of that together meant that I slowed down quite a bit. The morning finished with exactly 11 miles, injury free, ha! 

This story is worth remembering because YES we can do more than we are prepared to do and because YES if God’s timing can be trusted with the big miracles in life, then surely His timing can also be trusted with little things. One mile at a time.

#5 Thoughts on Loop

I almost cannot stop thinking about a few topics:

  • Adaptogens and adaptation, not just in health and fitness but in all areas of life. Humans are so adaptable! 
  • Will I ever be able to grow zucchini again without squash bugs making me crazy? (spoiler alert, unlikely)
  • The fine line between prayer and meditation and how slow-paced running is definitely related
  • The movie Interstellar (which I haven’t seen in a couple of years but the themes are always with me)
  • Granola, mostly pumpkin infused with lots of coconut, nuts & seeds, and dark chocolate
  • Exactly what to plant in the two big rubber troughs flanking the barn mural

Regarding those trough planters in the above photo: I have some ideas but would love your suggestions! They are both filled almost to the top with well rotted manure, they get eastern exposure, and they are some of the first things you see before parking your car along the gravel drive. I would love some ideas for year round liveliness or at least seasonal color. Thanks!!

Bonus Content:

Friends, we have a few huge miracles brewing, from several areas of life. We have for so many months asked for prayer, and we appreciate every single one.

Now we are in a season of giving thanks. Giving thanks for the present moment, for the hope that keeps us moving, and for the ever increasing evidence that God is working behind the scenes in supernatural ways.

Please keep it up! And please know that we are thrilled to send you Love and pray for you every time you need it. Just let me know.

Tomorrow is Jocelyn’s 23rd birthday. I am so happy and so grateful, I keep catching myself giggling and weeping over it all. 

God is good. Life is beautiful. The whole adventure is just amazing.

Happy September!! Talk again soon!

XOXOXOXO

early autumn, mid morning, deep bliss

The wooden deck is still damp from last night’s rainstorm. The surrounding gardens and lawns are soaked too, and newly vibrant. Single oak leaves and twigs with two or three leaves still attached litter everything, a cheerful seasonal confetti. A long, branching strand of Virgina Creeper clinging to the old brick smokehouse is autumn colored finally, boasting as much red and rust in its flat, serrated leaves as summertime’s leathery green. 

The oak trees are getting the same idea, finding their oranges and browns slowly in dots and splotches and fading, bleeding edges. Although many of those leaves won’t fall, it’s nice to see them change.

Midmorning sunlight cuts across the space, dissecting the shade garden and illuminating hydrangea blooms, both the violet, velvety ones and the dried, sepia colored ones. Faded zinnias are left in darkness.

He is lighting and stirring the bonfire now. Smoke from the torched, oily pine branches jets upward, and the cold sunlight plays games with that too.

I love the opposite temperatures. Chills and breezes crawling up my spine and flesh-shrinking heat on my face. Sunglasses do a poor job of shielding me from either the heat or the smoke. 

Some of the pansies and cabbages are still heavy from rain, still diamond studded. Their colors especially vivid. I cannot resist taking multiple snapshots of them. None of them are good. The real thing always shrugs off the imitations.

Ashes fall over us. Kittens scramble around new pallet decking. Logs crackle and collapse then pop again as the bonfire gains strength. 

All of this puts us somewhere between breakfast and lunchtime. Also somewhere between summer and fall. Not a day for working, no plans for extravagance. Just a good, deep breath of opposites and comfort and steady transformation.

XOXOXOXO