Anniversary Weekend Part 2: Caverns, Bird Knob Hike, and Wine-Tasting

Posted on April 15, 2014 by Catherine @ A Two Storey Home

Day two of our anniversary weekend in the mountains (you can check out the day one recap here) began with coffee-sipping on the porch of our cabin.

We could hear a stream rushing somewhere in the woods below and a rooster crowing somewhere in the distance, but there were very few sounds beyond that. This cabin was the epitome of seclusion, and it was awesome.

After a leisurely breakfast and a quick dip in the hot tub, we drove into Luray to check out Luray Caverns. They were pretty cool–it is amazing how it all was formed–but after a while it all kind of looks the same to me. Andrew, on the other hand, my rock-loving mine engineer, was geeking out the whole time, and that was fun to watch. There’s basically one rule in the caverns: don’t touch the rocks (the oil from our skin breaks them down). We saw one guy in our group sneakily reach out and touch a rock with his finger; Andrew shook his head, and under his breath said, “Exhibit some self-control, buddy.” 😀

After our caverning adventure we stopped for lunch at this wonderful restaurant called Gathering Grounds. It’s a coffee/sandwich shop with delicious food…and gluten-free options! In a little mountain town like Luray, we weren’t sure how well-versed the restaurants would be in food allergies, but they were incredibly accommodating. They even had a few GF pastries available for dessert. Andrew finished his meal with a giant peanut butter cookie and was a very happy camper. 😀 If you find yourself in Luray, check out Gathering Grounds!

We spent a little time exploring Main Street and letting our food digest, then we drove back into the mountains for our second hike of the weekend: Bird Knob. Our criteria for choosing this hike were 1. good views (always) and 2. shorter distance… something less strenuous and time consuming than our crazy hike from the day before. While the Bird Knob hike is 8 miles if you do the entire thing, the overlooks are only 1.5 miles into the hike, so we could make it a 3 miler if needed.

I made certain to pack enough water for this hike, but I didn’t pay much attention to the elevation chart. My thought process: “Three miles? That’s an evening stroll around the neighborhood.” Wrong, wrong, wrong. The entirety of the 1.5 miles to the overlook was uphill, and parts of it were annoyingly steep. It probably wouldn’t have been as difficult if our legs weren’t sore from our hike the previous day. As we neared the top Andrew said, “Next time I choose the hikes.” 😉

As usual, the views made it all worthwhile:

We hiked about a mile beyond this, then turned around and made our way back down the mountain.

Back at the cabin we grilled some steaks, poured a couple of drinks, and watched the sun set.

Gender role reversal: Andrew with a fruity mixed drink, Catherine with a dark stout 😉

We concluded our weekend with some wine tasting on Sunday on our drive back to Richmond. We stopped at Barboursville Vineyards, which is an Italian-owned winery, made to look like an old Tuscan farmhouse. The wine was pretty good–none of them tasted as much like grape juice as I want wine to taste–but the scenery was beautiful:

The weekend was simultaneously relaxing and exhausting. It was so great to get away and be in the mountains, but we (I) picked some tough hikes 😀 Regardless, we were very thankful for the opportunity to celebrate two years of marriage!

-Beach or mountains? Andrew and I discussed this Saturday; he picked the beach, I picked the mountains (but ask me again when I’m at the beach this summer ;-))
-Have you been to any caverns (Luray or other)? What did you think? Are you a rock-toucher/rule-breaker?

Anniversary Weekend Part 1: Hiking Strickler Knob

Posted on April 14, 2014 by Catherine @ A Two Storey Home

Today marks two years that Andrew and I have been married! We celebrated this weekend with a getaway to a cute mountain cabin in Luray, Virginia. The trip was both awesome and exhausting, filled with hiking and exploring the area.

Friday morning we drove straight from Richmond to the base of our first hike–Strickler Knob–with plans to check into the cabin that evening. I’d like to give this section of the post a special title based on our (my) experience:

Pack More Water Than You Think You Need

Strickler Knob is about a 9.5-mile hike with an incredible 360 degree view at the top of the mountain. Now, 9.5 miles is a pretty long hike, and the reviews I read rated it 5 out of 6 in terms of difficulty, but for some reason I was not taking that thing seriously before we started. I only packed one 24-oz water bottle, and that turned out to be a dangerous mistake.

About ten minutes into the hike, the trail turns very steeply downhill–the kind of downhill that isn’t fun at all–so steep that after .6 mile, when the trail finally started going uphill, it felt relaxing. During that section all I could think was, “This is going to be terrible on the way back…” And it was…but more on that soon. 🙂

The entire hike was beautiful; there was a stream, rock scrambling, and these views at the top:

Amazing.

The return trip is where it became painful. The temperature was hotter than expected, and with no leaves on the trees yet, there was very little shade. I’d consumed all of my water, and Andrew refilled my bottle with half of his second bottle (so by being under-prepared, I endangered both of us). In addition to being dehydrated, rationing water meant that I had only eaten a few bites of my sandwich when we stopped for lunch–with a dry mouth it was tough to swallow. All around, I did not have enough fuel in my system.

For most of the return trip I felt okay. We even ran a few downhill sections! And then we reached the bottom of that d**n hill that I knew was going to be terrible from the start. Friends, I am in good shape. Cardiovascularly I can go the distance; the muscles in my legs are strong. After 8.5 miles, however, with not quite enough water or food, this ascent was not pretty. I had to stop and rest–and not just rest, but sit down–every .05 miles. That’s roughly every minute, maybe two on that terrain. I’ve certainly felt tired on hikes before, but this was the first time I’d ever thought, “I cannot make it to the top of this hill. How am I going to do this? I’m going to have to camp here.” Andrew said he was preparing himself to have to carry me. It was awful.

And then after a grueling .6 mile, we reached flat ground…and I turned around and cursed the mountainside.

With adequate fuel, it would have been a tough hike, but with only 4.5 cups of water over that distance, it was almost more than I could take. I was thankful to have Andrew there to encourage me and share his water! Anytime you go into the woods, pack more water than you think you need.

After completing the hike, we made our way to the cabin.

Isn’t it cute?? We refueled with dinner cooked on the grill, then relaxed in the hot tub 😀

Despite the dehydration, it was a great day. I’d like to tackle that hike again with better preparation…the views are worth it!

I will post about the rest of the weekend tomorrow, but for now…

Happy anniversary to the love of my life! 😀

April Challenge: Week 1

Posted on April 9, 2014 by Catherine @ A Two Storey Home

Last week Andrew and I began a month-long fitness challenge, with the goal of “spring cleaning” our habits and getting into better shape. Here’s a recap of our goals:

–Start getting ready for bed by 10 PM
-Plan lunches and snacks for the week, and make sure we have all necessary ingredients
-After dinner, only snack if actually hungry
-Complete at least 4 cardiovascular workouts each week
-Complete at least 1 yoga + 2 weight-lifting workouts each week

Over all, we did really well! Here’s what our week looked like in terms of these goals:

-We’ve been getting ready for bed by 10 PM on week nights, and sometimes earlier! I can feel a noticeable difference in how I feel in the morning. Check.

-When possible, we’ve planned lunches and snacks. I was traveling Wednesday-Saturday of last week, which meant eating out a lot or having meals prepared by someone else. I did the best I could with what was there (also, I may have ordered a slice of cheesecake after dinner on the company tab…). Thankfully, many restaurants now have a list of healthy options, so it’s easier to make healthy choices! (Normally I don’t necessarily order off the “healthy” menu–I order what I’m in the mood for–but it’s a different story when we’re going out to eat every night, plus lunches while traveling.) Andrew continues to pack his lunches most days like a champ.

-Andrew is the after dinner snacker, and he has been doing really well this week. When he is hungry in the evenings, he’s been snacking on raw veggies and hummus. Go, Andrew!

-Fitness. Here’s what we did:
*Andrew: run/walk (1), yoga (2), gardening (3 & 4), body sculpt class (5), walk (6), elliptical (7)
*Catherine: walk (1), weight circuits (2), run/walk (3), weight circuit (4), walk (5), run (6), weight circuit (7), walk (8)

Total cardio workouts: 4 (Andrew), 5 (Catherine)
Total weight lifting/yoga workouts: 3 (Andrew), 3 (Catherine)

Fitness goals…Check.

For Andrew, gardening this week counts as cardio and weights, as he was working up a sweat doing some serious digging, tilling, and carrying heavy bags of dirt around. You know, just another day at Two Storey Farms.

Also, the “run/walk” that’s listed for both us of has kind of a funny story. On April 1, day one of this challenge, we finished dinner, and Andrew suggested we go for a walk. While we were getting ready I said, “What if we walk to get ice cream/Italian ice?” So we started the two mile walk to our favorite dessert place. A minute into the walk Andrew said, “Let’s run so we can get there faster!” So we ran for ice cream and ate it on the walk home. Four miles in the bank. 😀

The other funny exercise-related incident this week was related to the body sculpt class Andrew attended. I was still out of town at that point, and he’d told me the night before that he was going, so I texted him Saturday afternoon to see how the class went. He said, “It was like, ‘Which one of these things is not like the others?’ All women… mostly moms.” He saw a friend from church in the class who assured him that there’s usually at least one other guy! I’m still so proud of him for sticking it out. 😀

For anyone who’s interested, this is the weight-lifting/body weight workout I’ve been doing this week:

If you move from one exercise to the next with no break, it takes about 10 minutes per series (30 to do it three times), and it’s a pretty good little workout! You can always adjust the reps or weight you use as needed. I plan to change it up next week so my muscles don’t get too used to one workout, but it’s been serving me well.

So far I don’t feel super different (except being more well-rested), but I think part of that is having been out of town for four days and getting off track food-wise. I am confident that we are making healthy choices most of the time, and I am excited to see how the rest of the month goes!

-Have you ever literally run for ice cream or some other type of food?
–Have you ever been the only person of your gender in a group exercise class?

Road Trippin’ in a Van + Travel Snacks

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Catherine @ A Two Storey Home

Today my coworkers and I drove up to Ohio for a work conference. Last week, this is the conversation I had with Andrew regarding the trip:

Catherine: Just a reminder, we leave Wednesday for that conference in Ohio.
Andrew: Oh, yeah. Do you need me to take you to the airport?
Catherine: Oh, no! We are driving the church van.
Andrew: Your driving to Ohio??

Oh, yes. We spent 10 hours a 15-passenger van and traveled in three different states today, but we arrived in one piece. 😀

We will be away from home for four days (including travel days), and in the spirit of setting myself up to make healthy choices, I packed plenty of snacks for the time away. We’ll eat breakfasts at the hotel, lunches at the conference, and dinners out at restaurants, and while I’m sure the food will be excellent, you just never know what the produce situation will be. And four days with insufficient produce sounds like a headache to me.

I packed:

~Bananas
~Clementines
~GoGo Squeez Fast Fruit
~Trail Mix
~Almond milk
~Energy bars (not pictured)

For traveling I love having “pre-packaged” fruit like bananas and clementines that can be thrown in a bag without any special preparation. I was excited to find the Fast Fruits too–they’re essentially pureed fruit in a pouch!

Additionally I packed my running shoes and scoped out the hotel fitness center situation (there is a gym!), plus found some “do anywhere” workouts that I can do in the hotel room. Preparation leads to healthier decisions.

After we arrived this evening we settled into our rooms, went out to dinner (our travel meals were pretty good today–Cracker Barrel and Outback Steakhouse, both of which have quality, healthy options!), then turned in for the night. I am glad to be out of the van and looking forward to the conference starting tomorrow (Thursday)!

-What food do you pack when traveling?

-What tips do you have for working out on the road?

Spring Cleaning Our Healthy Habits

Posted on April 1, 2014 by Catherine @ A Two Storey Home

This weekend Andrew and I cleaned out the closet in our bedroom. Our closet is wonderfully huge–it could probably fit two queen-sized beds foot-to-foot with some walking room–which I love, but it also means there’s great potential for huge messes. Generally speaking, Andrew is a lot neater than I am. His side of the closet had a few articles of clothing scattered on the floor, some drawers open, and some shoes out of place, but nothing that couldn’t be straightened in 15 or 20 minutes. My side of the closet looked like a suitcase had thrown up its contents after I’d packed for a month-long trip. Cleaning it involved multiple hours of sorting, folding, trashing, and Goodwill-ing.

Epic, mostly clean closet. With my wedding dress hanging on the left. 😀

Also this weekend Andrew and I discussed doing some type of wellness challenge during the month of April to get ourselves in better shape. As we examined our exercise and eating habits, we realized that our current routine is pretty good…when we actually stick to the routine. Our lifestyle doesn’t need a complete overhaul, like what I had to do on my side of the closet Sunday, but rather a dusting off of our healthy habits, more akin to straightening Andrew’s side of the closet. <Phew.>

So how do we stick to the routine? A crucial part of maintaining healthy habits for me is planning ahead. I know what I need to do, and I have this great idea in my head that I will get up early each morning to workout, pack a healthy lunch, and go to bed early at night. If I am not intentional about planning ahead, however, this is what ends up happening:

We stay up late one night watching one more episode of whatever on Netflix. I wake up too tired to workout in the morning, reset my alarm, and tell myself I’ll go for a run when I get home from work (it will be warmer then, anyway.) I go to work, but run out of time/forget to pack a lunch–I’ll just grab a big salad around noon. Noon arrives, and I’m in the middle of something, so I delay going out. Around 2:00 I finally decide I can’t put off lunch any longer, and by this point I am starving, so I end up buying something greasy/fried/cheesy/etc. (The later in the day it is, the more unhealthy my lunch will be.) When I arrive home after work, I’m tired and have a stomach ache because I ate such a crappy lunch, so instead of going for a run I park myself on the couch, telling myself that Andrew and I can go to the gym after dinner. We don’t, but instead watch a few more episodes of whatever on Netflix, once again staying up too late…

Can anyone relate to that? I consider myself a fairly healthy person; I know what good eating and exercise habits look like, and I still fall into that trap if I fail to plan ahead. In light of that, our “spring cleaning” involves committing to some guidelines that will set us up to make healthier decisions, and recommitting to some fitness goals. By doing it together, we can hold each other accountable and encourage one another to get our butts of the couch more often. 🙂

Here are our goals and guidelines for the month of April:

Spring Cleaning Our Healthy Habits

~Start getting ready for bed by 10 PM.

~Plan lunches and snacks for the week, and make sure we have all necessary ingredients

~After dinner, only snack if actually hungry

~Complete at least 4 cardiovascular workouts each week

~Complete at least 1 yoga + 2 weight-lifting workouts each week

What are are NOT doing: counting calories, restricting what we eat in any way, or trying to lose weight. Again, we both know how to eat well and have a desire to do so; if we are proactive with lunches, they will be healthy, so we don’t feel the need to dictate what exactly we’ll eat. Plus, we don’t believe in deprivation. My weight hangs out in the same 5-lb range no matter what I do, and Andrew’s is pretty steady as well. Body fat, on the other hand, we’d both like to lower a bit. We did weigh-in this morning, and while we are not super concerned with the actual numbers, I am curious to see if there will be any changes at the end of the month!

Andrew
Starting weight: X
Starting body fat %: Y

Catherine
Starting weight: A
Starting body fat %: B

(Unsatisfying, I know. 😉 All numbers fall in to the “healthy” range.)

I will give progress reports each week on Wednesday or Thursday–and because there are 30 days in April, but only 28 days in 4 weeks, we’ll have two freebie days in there somewhere. 🙂

The first major challenge for me will be this week, as I am traveling for a work conference Wednesday-Saturday! I won’t have to think about packing lunches, but I will have to find time to workout. (This will also be a major challenge for Andrew, who won’t have me there to drag him to the gym. :-D)

We are looking forward to embarking on our “spring cleaning” , and even more so looking forward to feeling better, stronger, and healthier by the end of the month!

-What are your wellness goals for the spring?
-How do you set yourself up to make healthier decisions throughout the day?

Mountain Biking at Dutch Gap

Posted on March 24, 2014 by Catherine @ A Two Storey Home

Well, it seems the warm weather we had Saturday was just another spring teaser, as it is very likely to snow again tomorrow. I feel certain that even the greatest snow lovers in Virginia are over it by now. <Sigh.>

Andrew and I enjoyed the nice weather while we could; on Saturday we packed up our bikes and drove to the Dutch Gap Conservation Area, a park not too far from home.

The park has a 4.5 mile trail that runs around a pond, with lots of spur trails that we rode down as well. We didn’t ride super fast or super far, but it was a very enjoyable afternoon! We spent about two hours exploring the area and enjoying the outdoors.

At one point we took some photos with the self-timer on my camera…

In case you were wondering, jumping photos are incredibly difficult to capture with a self-timer. 🙂

We did have a pretty good laugh at my expense at the beginning of our trek: Andrew’s sister, Jenny, gave us the water bottles seen in the bike photo above for Christmas. My previous water bottle was a Camelbak. As we were getting set up…

Me: I can’t quite figure out this water bottle.

Andrew: What do you mean?

Me: I don’t know how hard to bite the straw part. Sometimes hardly any water comes out, and sometimes it flows freely, but I can’t figure out the right way to do it.

Andrew: You don’t have to bite it at all. It’s just a straw.

Oops. 😀 We laughed.

The rest of our weekend was filled with doing some odds and ends around the house, watching Robin Hood: Men in Tights on Netflix (I loved this movie as a kid, and it was exponentially funnier as an adult, :-D) and watching basketball (my March Madness bracket is pretty much done, by the way). Speaking of basketball–and backtracking because I’ve been very undisciplined about blogging lately–the basketball team that Andrew and my brother, Ross, play for won their championship game on Thursday!

So proud of these guys 😀

The medal is now hanging from our mantle, of course.

Have a great Monday, everyone!

-What was the highlight of your weekend?
–Did you fill out a bracket for the NCAA tournament? Are more than two of your teams still alive?

10-K Training: Making It Count

Posted on February 19, 2014 by Catherine @ A Two Storey Home

I don’t race as often as many runners I know, so I feel a lot of pressure to make it count when I do. If I’m not going to race a certain distance again for another year, I need that PR. Last year I won a 4-year battle with the Monument Avenue 10-K to break 50 minutes, finishing in 49 minutes flat. (You can read that race recap here.) The race is set for March 29 this year, and while I will be content to shave even seconds off my time, I’ve set a goal to run it in 48 minutes.

Ambitious? Maybe. Possible? Yes.

With just over five weeks until race day, I am getting serious about training. To avoid injury, I only ever run three days a week, usually M/W/F. Typically when training for a longer distance (or no race in particular), my weekly routine includes one speed workout (either a tempo run or intervals), one long run (with “long” being relative to what I am training for), and one mid-distance, mid-speed run. However, after looking at various training plans, and considering that I am aiming for speed, I decided that I really need to make my running days count. Here’s my weekly training schedule for the next five weeks:

Monday: Tempo Run (30-50 minutes)
Tuesday: Weights + Cardio Cross Training
Wednesday: Intervals (mile, 800, or 400 repeats) + yoga
Thursday: Weights + Cardio Cross Training
Friday: Long Run
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Weights

I’m including both a tempo run and an interval workout each week to get my body accustomed to running faster. Here’s my tempo run from Monday:

Is it still a tempo run if you don’t run one pace the entire time? I like adding in a couple of half-mile faster spurts to avoid getting bored–plus, 7.7 mph feels easy when you’re coming down from 8.0 mph. 😉 It was a great workout, regardless.

I am pumped about the race and training and all that it entails! After work today I am heading to a local high school track to do some 400 m repeats…wish me luck!

-What are you training for right now?
–How may speed workouts do you do each week?

Running: When Dogs Bite

Posted on February 8, 2014 by Catherine @ A Two Storey Home

I experienced a running first yesterday: a dog bit me.

I was running on a semi-major road near my house, and I saw the dog and its owners (or more likely owner + friend) up ahead on the same sidewalk. As we approached one another, I could see that the dog–a mutt, maybe 40-50lb–was very excited, so I slowed to a walk and tried to give it as much space as possible. The dog was barking, and the owner pulled the leash a little tighter, and just as we passed each other, the dog lunged and grabbed hold of my thigh with its teeth.

“Oh my gosh! Did he bite you?? Did he bite you??”

“Yeah, yeah, he bit me!”

“Are you okay?? I’m so sorry! He’s had all his shots! I can give you my contact information and am happy to pay any medical bills! He’s a puppy, and he just doesn’t do very well!”

“It’s okay; I’m okay. Thank you. I’m sure a band-aid will cover it. It’s okay! It happens!”

It happened so fast, and I was wearing running tights (now ripped), so I couldn’t see the extent of the damage. It definitely hurt, but it was also cold, so I knew my skin was more sensitive. It was just a very surprising situation, and I didn’t think through my reaction.

I tried to resume running, crossing the street into a neighborhood, and immediately was met with a lot of pain in my leg. I investigated as best I could without pulling down my pants in public, and the one gash I could see was not pretty. I can’t promise that I didn’t utter a few four-letter words. From there I hobbled home, not quite crying, but definitely whimpering.

24 hours later–Tilt your computer screen as needed to get the full color-effect of that bruise 😉

After inspecting the wound, I sent a picture to Andrew, my mom, and a couple of friends in the medical field, and they all urged me to go to the doctor just to get it checked out. Friends, that was a funny telephone call:

“Hi, I’m a patient of Dr. So-and-So. Um, I just got bitten by a dog. Is that something she could take a look at today?

They were able to to see me right away, and said it looked all right, and it was time for me to get a tetanus shot anyway. They gave me the shot and some heavy-duty antibiotic cream, and sent me home. The left side of my body–my leg where I was bitten, and my arm where I got the shot–is super sore today, so I am going to take it easy for a few days, but otherwise, I think I will be all right.

After the incident, I did some research to learn what one is supposed to do if bitten by a dog. If you happen to find yourself in a similar situation, here’s what to do:

To avoid the bite:
-Slow your run to a walk so you are less threatening.
-Don’t stare, but keep the dog in site.
-Walk in the opposite direction of the dog.

After being bitten:
-If the owner is present, take the contact info! (I am kicking myself for not doing this!)
-Apply basic first-aid: wash the area with soap and water, apply antibiotic ointment and sterile bandage.
-Go to the doctor. Just in case. I know it’s a pain, but why risk it?
-If you took contact information, ask for proof of up-to-date vaccinations for dog.
-Report the incident to animal control.

Stay safe out there, friends!

-Have you ever been bitten by a dog while a running? How bad was it, and what did you do?

Warm Days in February + Homemade Baked Beans

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Catherine @ A Two Storey Home

Looking out my window now at the cold, gray rain, it’s hard to believe that yesterday was uncharacteristically warm and sunny for February. Andrew and I took advantage of the beautiful day by heading to a park for a walk.

The lake, which had clearly been frozen solid, was beginning to thaw, and it was beautiful. I loved watching the ducks waddle from the ice into the water. 🙂 We spent about 45 minutes walking around the trails and the lake, and it was a much-welcomed change of scenery from the gym workouts we’ve been doing lately due to the cold weather!

Crazy Eyes: we got ’em

As we were heading back to the car, we ran into one of the girls in the youth group that I work with. Naturally, Andrew decided to throw a snowball at her and her friend.

Sorry, Brooke; it’s never a fair fight with that guy. 😉

Later in the evening, we went to our friends Evan and Kristina’s house to watch the Super Bowl with friends. I had decided to make baked beans (from scratch) in the Crock Pot to bring as our contribution. Despite the fact that I’d started cooking them at 8:30 AM, they were still not quite done nine hours later, so we brought the whole Crock Pot to the party to allow them more cooking time. 😀

Navy beans (soaked over night and rinsed) + bacon + brown sugar + molasses + Dijon mustard + salt + pepper + onion powder + water

The flavor was really good, but they never got quite soft enough. Any advice from more experienced Crock Pot users? Is that just the texture of beans that don’t come from a can? I’d love to give them another shot… once we finish the half-gallon of this batch still left in our fridge. 😉

Have a great Monday!

-What was your favorite Super Bowl snack/dish from last night?
-If you had a warm day yesterday like us, how did you spend it?
-What’s the best thing you did this weekend?

Andrew at the Gym and Other Gym Things

Posted on January 31, 2014 by Catherine @ A Two Storey Home

Happy Friday, everyone!

Last night Andrew and I hit the gym right after work. I don’t typically work out in the evening–the gym is the most crowded, and my flexible schedule allows me to go other times–but Andrew does, and he asked me that morning if we could go.

As soon as we walked in, Andrew realized he’d left his lock at home (which is kind of amazing considering there have been at least three incidents in the last month in which Andrew has been on his way out the door to the gym and said, “I can’t find my lock… I think I left it on the locker the last time I was at the gym.” He’s been right every time. He just locks it back up like it’s high school :-D). Without a lock, Andrew decided to give me his stuff to put in my locker. He disrobed in the hallway and gave me his sweatpants, sweatshirt and big winter coat–I looked like I was carrying a full load of laundry into the locker room, friends. 😉

Anyway, I met him back out in the main exercise room and hopped on an Elliptical beside him (he was biking at this point.) I wanted to do a little cardio warm up before lifting weights, and Andrew was just killing time until a treadmill opened. After about 5 or 10 minutes, a treadmill in the row in front of us opened. Andrew got off his bike, went to wipe it down while the treadmill user did the same for his equipment, and just as Andrew was walking toward it, a girl swooped in and took that treadmill! The nerve! (I’m kidding, she had no idea; she saw an open treadmill in a very crowded gym.) After a few more minutes, he was on another treadmill, and I hit up the weight area.

At this point, I saw an opportunity. I always feel a little bit funny taking pictures, especially selfies, in the gym, and Andrew would NEVER agree to me taking a photo of him at the gym. While I was doing the leg press, however, I realized I could take a sneaky shot of both of us. My feet + Andrew huffing away on the right. Heh heh heh. (Yes, it’s the little things. :-D)

After I’d lifted all the weights I cared to lift for the night, I hopped on the treadmill next to Andrew to do a cool down walk. I glanced over at his dashboard to see how fast he was running, as I am in the bad habit of doing (earlier in January when I was recovering from being really sick, I went to the gym with the firm plan of running 3 miles at a 6.0 (10 min/mile pace) just to help myself ease back into exercise. The girl next to me was someone I knew from high school, and I saw that she was running at an 8.0-9.0 and had been for a few miles already. Competition kicked in, and “The Club Can’t Handle Me” came on my iphone, and I thought, “Yeah, the club can’t even handle me right now,” as I foolishly upped my pace to an 8.0. I maintained this for about a mile, then had to walk because… I was still getting over the flu. It wore me out for the rest of the day. Lesson learned: listening to and honoring your body trumps competition and pride.) Anyway, I looked at Andrew’s stats and saw that he, my I-hate-running-but-sometimes-do-it-because-it’s-good-for-me husband, was running a 7:30 mile pace and had been doing it for quite a few miles! I know he has the advantage of long legs and male body composition, but I just didn’t know he could run that fast for that long! There was no time to get competitive at that point, but I think I’m going to have to up my running game and challenge him to a ~~duel~~ race in a couple of months. I don’t see any other option.

Thanks for reading my ramblings. 🙂 Have a great weekend!

-Do you look at how fast other people are running/pedaling/ellipticaling next to you at the gym? Does it ever cause you to alter your own speed?
–Do you take pictures at the gym? How do you do it without feeling awkward?
-Are you and your significant other competitive when it comes to fitness things?

A Two Storey Home

Where Marriage and Healthy Living Meet

Category Archives: Fitness