Lazy W Marie

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

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friday 5 at the farm: reasons sitting still is the best

Howdy from the couch. I am bed-ridden all weekend and under strict “limited mobility” orders all of the next week due to this annoying ankle injury.

Since it’s Friday, how about we enjoy a Friday 5 at the Farm? Let’s list the top five most awesome things about being forced to sit still when you have three million tons of energy and the entire weekend is about to be drenched in perfect, springlike weather. Ready? Okay.

  1. Uuum…
  2. Wait, no…
  3. ((crickets))
  4. yawn!
  5. (bangs head against wall behind her)

anyone

Well, this list is stupid.

Truly, on the bright side, I am looking forward to some face time with loved ones tomorrow, some extended hours reading excellent books, long cuddly movie nights, and also time to write and sew next week while Handsome is at the Commish. Not such a tragedy, I guess. Annoying. Not tragic.

Hope you have a fabulous weekend!

Run while you can!
XOXOXOXO

 

vlogging the prompt “in a perfect world”

Happy Wednesday! I am taking another stab at vlogging this week, linking up again with Mama Kat and answering a handful of “In a Perfect World” questions. This little exercise was particularly fun because it got me thinking about how close to perfect my life already is. I do walk around feeling incredibly grateful, but when asked that famous Law of Attraction question, “What is it you WANT?” I was pleasantly surprised to see that already life is bringing many of my wishes straight to my lap. Some of them are in the form of opportunities which I have to tend myself; and some of them rely on outside forces and move more slowly than others, but that’s okay. Often the best things take a lot of time. I have no desire to rush them.

https://youtu.be/FALOHfsR9Ug

Also, let’s celebrate this awesome freeze frame. I mean. That’s attractive, folks. You are welcome.

Around the 1:41 mark, I mention an old SNL skit featuring the prosecution for the OJ Simpson trial. “I-swear-to-god-I’ll-cut-my-bangs!!” if you remember this joke and get this reference, please let me know. You have the power to help me feel so normal and culturally relevant.

art

Carry on, and have a lovely day!! I am off to scoop manure into the compost heap and try to find a grey paint color that will pull together our rustic pine bedroom furniture with all the artwork I crave upstairs.

In a perfect world maybe we would realize how perfect the world already is.
XOXOXOXO

marathon monday: week 4 complete

Hey friends! As I jam out a quick little running update, I see an email sitting half-read that reminds me the OKC Memorial is only 100 days away. Well, less than that now, because that email has probably been languishing since before the weekend. Less than 100 days to prepare for the most fun 26.2 miles of the year!

Truly, you guys, I am excited. Three years ago I was excited to run my first half marathon with my little brother and our nephew (our nephew ran the full). Two years ago I was over the moon to accomplish my first full. And last year, of course, the Crying Games. This year? My goal is to finish really strong and possibly even under four hours. That’s what I’m busy working on, at least.

In order to work safely toward my sub-four goal, I have been following the Hal Higdon Advanced One Marathon Training Plan. Not at all because I regard myself as an “advanced” runner; just because I am more than comfortable with the long distances and feel ready to incorporate structured speed workouts. Last year I just sort of blindly cried out to the Universe, “I’d love to be faster!” then crossed my fingers and went on a stupid diet and hoped for the best. Things didn’t go so great, so this year let’s hope that an actual plan and more measured approach will yield some results.

So far so good. I just completed week four of the plan, and here are the boring details:

Monday: 3 miles outside in the back field, at an easy pace, followed by weights and staying active all day around the W.
Tuesday: 6 miles at an easy pace, again outside at the farm, again followed by staying active. (Easy pace this week started around 10:20.)
Wednesday: 3 miles of sprint/walk intervals on my treadmill, then 30 minutes on the elliptical to cool down. Thought I was going to die. My ribs felt like they had ignited into little black and red flames. Sprinting at a 6:30-7 min pace is HAAAAARD.
Thursday: Busy day! Between chores, housework, and my first day teaching a gardening class, I grabbed 2 quick miles outside at a pace I refer to as “Stress Relief.” It was twenty minutes of bliss.
Friday: Long run! This was something I looked forward to all week, much more fun than shorter speed sessions, haha. I ran 12 miles at my favorite little loop in Harrah at an average pace of 9:12. This was surprising because it felt much easier than that, you know? Like, luxuriously slow? I had a lot of energy left but needed to get home, or I might have kept running. I was happy to realize that after just a few days of speed work and rest my legs and lungs were better conditioned. Zero soreness the next day. Awesome.
Saturday: Ran 6 miles outside at the farm, again at that accidental 9 minute pace!! I wasn’t even trying for this; it was just natural and happy. So, yeah, that felt cool.
Sunday: Rest day. Handsome and I actually took a little road trip then later went to a Thunder basketball game in OKC, so my legs barely moved at all on Sunday.

small town Oklahoma
small town Oklahoma

Having more or less skipped over the first two weeks of the plan in favor of Handsome’s stay-cation and the remnants of holiday cheer, really what I just shared was my second week of consistent running, not my fourth. 32 miles total, and I feel better than ever. My pace is back up to where it was before the autumn recess. My jeans fit better. My tummy is flattened out. I feel generally good. Just overall energetic and strong. Bonus points: I am sleeping like a baby for 7-9 hours per night. That is unheard of! And I am doing this with no sleep aids of any kind. Maybe a big mug of chamomile tea here and there, that’s it.

Thanks for checking in and enduring another running conversation! I feel happy to be on a good path and will soon have lots of health and wellness things to share that are more than just miles. Stuff like book reviews, recipes, interviews, and online resources. Hope to see you again for some of that.

Are you signed up for any of the Memorial events? What training program have you chosen?

Run While You Can
XOXOXOXO

 

friday 5 at the farm: lies I tell myself

Hopefully I am not alone in these untruths. Let me know, okay?

Also- Happy Friday! What do you have planned?

Lie #1: The Grocery Store I will just run in for five minutes. All we need is coffee, spinach, and butter. 

Lie #2: Sticks and Stones I don’t care what people think of me. And gossip doesn’t hurt at all.

Lie #3: Tex Mex Health Kick I can eat all the chips and salsa I want and still wear skinny jeans.

Lie #4: Housework I am 100% caught up on ironing and dusting.

Lie #5: The Future is Certain. Solid as a Rock.  We know exactly what life will look like a month, six months, and a year from now. We know how the turnpike construction will affect things, specifically.

Literally not even kidding. I went in for three things.
Literally not even kidding. I went in for three things.

Five lies. I tell myself this stuff all the time to get through the day. Or through the weeks and months. As silly as lies are, and as uncomfortable as the corresponding truths really are, the bottom lines are still pretty wonderful. Let’s focus on that instead:

Truth #1: We have all the food we need and a gorgeous menu ready to go at the farm. Plenty for friends to visit, too. Eating with our people? That’s our favorite. We are blessed to be healthy and well fed.

Truth #2: Living with a tender heart can actually be beautiful, no matter how much it hurts to be hurt. It opens us up to richer experiences and deeper relationships. Totally worth the risk. More importantly, being hurt by others reminds us to be more careful with others.

Truth #3: Tex Mex really should be its own food group. Actually, forget it. I don’t want to be however skinny I would be in a life without tortilla chips. So this is all positive. Never mind about this lie. : )

Truth #4: Our house is pretty clean. And we have enough of everything from day to day. And I will be caught up eventually. Not being perfectly caught up means that daily life is quite full and quite interesting lately. For this I am very grateful. Also, my miles running is up to date for the first time in a while and I am in the BEST MOOD. This is worth having dusty baseboards.

Truth #5: While we do not know exactly what life will look like in the future (and really, have we ever known?) we can trust with total calm that life will be okay. That we will be okay. Change is inevitable, faith matters, and sometimes having the controls taken out of our hands is good.
That said, please keep us in your prayers that we make the best decisions possible and stay happy, that God sort of sheds light and miracles all over this turnpike situation. And sign the petition to halt it if you are so inclined. As my husband wrote last night on Facebook, “If you have ever come to the farm and loved being here please sign this (petition) and share with your friends. Oklahoma needs to retain some of the wild lands; we don’t need highways running to nowhere. Life as we know it will completely change if something doesn’t stop.” Well, friends, you who read this blog are friends of the Lazy W even if you have never walked these nine acres with us. We sure appreciate your good thoughts. We will face a long series of heart breaking decisions if this turnpike comes to pass.

STILL, yes, faith and trust. Life is beautiful. God is good.

What lies do you tell yourself to get through the day? What’s on tap for your weekend?

We are running miles, building fence, watching movies, reading books, and cuddling our animals like there’s no tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping. As always.
XOXOXOXO

 

first literary saturday post of 2016

Happy Literary Saturday, friends! On this first such installment of 2016 I have a brief book review to share as well as a small collection of internet offerings from this past week. Hopefully you groove some of it. As always please share in comments what treasures you have found to read lately.

Cold Fear by Rick Mofina: OH MY GOSH THIS WAS GOOD! 5/5 stars from me. Highly recommend. I gobbled up this little feast believing it to be fiction then discovered it’s actually a piece of true crime, perhaps interpreted a bit but still based on a true story. (I adore true crime and am not ashamed.) Cold Fear is a missing persons story set in the Rocky Mountains and deals with all kinds of intense family dynamics. So gripping. As for the writing, imagine a thick braid. But not just an ordinary braid or even an elegant French braid; imagine one of those intricate fishtail braids you see in little girls’ hair on Pinterest. Skinny, well woven, metallic strands pulled from opposing directions at just the right moment so that this incredible masterpiece if eventually finished, and every detail comes from somewhere. Nothing is wasted. Everything connects. I can’t say anything more!! Go read this book under a heavy blanket with a flashlight and call me when you’re done. You can borrow my dog if you’re scared.

cold fear book cover

Lora the Crazy Running Girl is quitting soda, and she offers some smart strategies in this article. Also, I am on a personal mission to convince her to come run the OKC Memorial Marathon “with” me in April, and by “with” of course I just mean “also,” haha, because she is quite swift. Add some positive peer pressure, okay?

12 Foods Happy People Eat. I am basically a very happy person, and I eat plenty. I approve of this list. Only the maca root is unfamiliar to me, though I have heard recently from a friend who swears by it.

Once again Sandy the Reluctant Entertainer shares in one post food for the body and food for the soul. I cannot WAIT to try this turkey lasagna soup, and her wisdom about hospitality in the midst of big changes is very well received. As Handsome and I squint our eyes and try to peer into the future through all this foggy turnpike business, it’s nice to remember that Love and friendship will follow us anywhere. We just have to keep opening our doors.

How about 31 of the most beautiful sentences in literature? I know. So good. I salivate over well crafted sentences. 

dandelion fluff

 

One of this world’s sweetest blogging couples is having their first baby!!! Sincerest congratulations to Ashley and Brent over at Domestic Fashionista. Since they are far away on the west coast, let’s figure out how to throw them an internet baby shower.

Refunk My Junk: I am a big fan of everything Alison does, and this newest coffee table project is no exception. So fresh and pretty! Check out her unorthodox methods and drool over all that springtime living room color. She has me fully cured of all things Christmas. If you are local, you may want to know that she is hosting a big junk sale next weekend. 

The next thing cracked open from my book shelf is My Life On the Run by Bart Yasso. I’ve read passages from it these past several months since meeting him at the race in Lawton, but it warrants a cover-to-cover examination as marathon training kicks off. I have already found myself laughing out loud. Really good read, even if running is not your thing. 

Klaus my most excellent reading buddy...xoxo
Klaus my most excellent reading buddy…xoxo

Okay. Now I am off to play in the fresh snow and get some exercise. We have dinner plans tonight with two of the funnest couples we know, then perhaps a Making of a Murderer binge watch. Have your tried it yet? No spoilers please!

Your turn! Tell me stuff. Tell me all the reading things. Thanks for stopping in, friends. Enjoy your Saturday!

“There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you….
In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other;
only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches
when you can savor belonging to yourself.
~Ruth Stout
XOXOXOXO