Week 6 training log

mileage: 25 miles! i missed my goal by 5 or 6 miles this week, but i'm feeling good. i had 3 days this week where I had to run faster and i did! anyway, this past Sunday i did the Lifetime indoor tri in maple grove with my sister. it was soooo much fun. i totally want to do another one. for anyone who is intimidated about doing an outdoor triathlon I would recommend doing an indoor one. It's safe and non-threatening.

Anyway, after the indoor tri me and my sister had a bite to eat at Noodles and then let our imaginations run wild at JoAnn Fabrics. she has a nice recap of the day on the Wiela-Blog.

here are the results (i'm c.wood and sister is c.wieland): http://www.lifetimefitness.com/events/indoor-tri/race-results.cfm?intResultsIndoorTriLocationId=27&intIndoorTriLocationId=27

cw

Easter 2008

Mom

Jillian and Calvin

josh and carolyn

hanging out with fully bellies

warm fuzzies

no recap of the wknd. curt took care of this on his blog. but if you are looking for a possible worthy movie rental...check out Into the Wild. Based on a true story, a young man ventures into the wilderness of Alaska to figure out things...he rejects all societal norms like money, social class, material possessions, and image to explore freedom and true happiness. there are moments that are uncomfortable and moments filled with warm fuzzies.

speaking of warm fuzzies...my favorite part of the day is coming home. It's nice to chill out and eat with my sweetie.

week 5 training log

good week. having extra time to rest was nice due to spring break. utilized ibuprofen and a rolling stick to relieve achy muscles.

Week 5 mileage: 31 miles...includes a 13 mile long run at a 9:27 min/mile pace followed by a dreadful 6.5 mile recovery run the next day. exposure to pain during training is good i suppose. it prepares you for what lies ahead!

Into the Wild

curt has provided an update of what we have been up to lately. check it out on his blog.

for happiness to be real, it must be shared...quote from "into the wild".

Happy Easter

Happy Easter from Curt and Christine Wood.

The anti-hipsters

It's a bummer when things become a trend. Even though I like the eco-friendly color scheme of browns, greens, and blues...those hues are overly used. Different color schemes that I like that are not hipster yet: orange/gray, ruby red/baby blue, monochromatic greys/whites/ivories.

red and blue

monochromatic greys and whites

orange and grey

Vietnamese Restaurants

Here is a list of vietnamese restaurants we have visited:

1. Jasmine's Deli (mpls)
2. Quang Deli (mpls)
3. Cam Ranh Bay (eden prairie)
4. Mai Village (st. paul)
5. Pho 83 (shakopee)

All are appetizing. I think we would go back for another visit to all of them. Mai Village has an impressive decor which includes a pond with real fish and a walking bridge. The food is average to good. We visited Pho 83 last night with my mom, dad, Carolyn, Josh, Calvin, and Jillian. The food was good, but there was some miscommunication with the service staff.

D.I.N.K.S.

nate, nikki, and claire stopped over for a relaxing visit last night. Claire is precious. She entertained us with her ABCs, pooping sounds, silliness, and healthy appetite. It was fun to experience things through her eyes. Don't be surprised if she learns to write her name in a few months! Her ability to focus and concentrate is amazing. anyway, we are excited to see how Claire's family will grow and evolve. Good things will come their way!

the newlyweds have definitely discussed kids. we are going to stay true to the plan to wait. with age comes wisdom and patience. more wisdom and patience can only help with raising a child.

in the mean time we are enjoying being DINKS (dual income no kids). it gives us time, spontaneity, flexibility, and mobility in all aspects of life. we will be ready to have kids when we have seriously thought these things through: the impact on friend and family relationships, the financial impact, readiness to parent for the next 21 years...having a kid isn't all fun and games.

also, i would need to start praying for courage. i am wimpy. the thought of the delivery alone makes me queasy cheesy.

Being Green and Lacking Nothing

waiting for dinner at Pei Wei

Gripping fortune cookie with chopsticks at Pei Wei

Magazine section at Barnes and Noble

Reading at Barnes and Noble

My Shoe

Happy St. Patrick's Day! It's a good day. Feeling extra grateful for a whole lot of things. Easter is just around the corner! Lots to celebrate!

Week 4 Training Log

Total Mileage: 29 miles. Includes a 3 mile hill run, 5.5 mile run @ marathon pace, and 12 mile long run @ 9:34 min/mile pace.

Helpful training assistants: Icy Hot (icy to dull the pain and hot to relax it away), ibuprofen, Sprite, and the Mpls Chain of Lakes

Sunday's long run was pleasant. Went at a slower more comfy pace.

On to Week 5 of training!

A party for the babies

It would be fun to get all of the babies together this summer!?! Yes? No? Maybe? Just an idea. Maybe the wknd of the triathlon?!?!?!

Satisfying

We went to Jasmine's Deli for dinner. The worker seemed extra peculiar tonight. Something about him seemed a bit off. I think he was trying to be sarcastic with the customers. The portions tonight were smaller too, maybe from the struggling economy and cost of food? Instead of getting a heaping amount of noodles, I got a portion the size of a fist. They tried to mask the disparity with lots of lettuce and bean sprouts. Still good though. I felt like a rabbit. Speaking of rabbits, I think the neighborhood rabbits helped us out by eating the last remains of our pumpkin that I got from Nikki way back in October. It had an interesting transformation from fall, winter, and into early spring. On occasion I got a kick out of kicking it to see what would happen. Poor little pumpkin.

I think I found my new favorite movie theatre. The Landmark on 50th and France in Edina. Tonight we were there to see the film called The Counterfeiters. It was a beautiful film although more suited for a more mature audience as it takes place in a Nazi concentration camp. Of course we experienced a level of discomfort while watching it. I want to do something, but feel helpless. So I wonder and contemplate.

spring break and specialness

Happy Friday! This friday is extra special because I am on spring break. Not too much to report other than that. Our days lately have been ordinary, simple, and plain ole good. No complaints here. Time to celebrate the arrival of spring. Go spring weather and all of it's goodness!

Plans for spring break:
1. Breathe deeply
2. Get a massage
3. Nap
4. Mix up some chemicals for our labs after break
5. Run like an idiot
6. Read
7. Visit Curt at work

On Buffets

Still forming an opinion on buffets. There is always an inner dilemma. the endless options can cause a bit of confusion. Do I eat my money's worth? or just eat what my stomach can handle? and my eyes are always bigger than my stomach. it seems like a no win situation. you go in looking for a bargain, but walk out feeling a bit...unsettled?

i think we prefer portion controlled meals at normal prices. this way you don't walk out feeling guilty from over indulging or under indulging (if that's even a word).

Recent Schedule

A day in the life of Christine:
Alarm clock goes off: 5:40 am
At school by : 7:30 am
Leave school by : 4:00 pm
Arrive home: 5:00 pm (snack, check email, blogs)
Prepare dinner: 5:30 pm
Workout: 6:00 pm
Eat dinner: 7:00 pm
Bed time: 9:35 pm

A day in the life of Curt:
Alarm clock goes off: 5:40 am
Morning workout: anywhere from 6-9 am
At work by: 10 am
Leave work by: 6 pm
Arrive home: 6:30 pm
Eat dinner: 7:00 pm
Bed time: 9:35 pm

Week 3 training log

Week 3 miles: 15. 75 miles. Goal was 30 miles. Only running was during the week which included a 4 mile tempo run on thursday. Took Saturday and Sunday off due to slight physical and extreme mental fatigue. feeling okay about this decision. doing this for a few years gives me confidence to gauge limitations...needed to back off a bit.

area of concern: left shin
goals met: maintaining stretching regimen and put in good runs during the week
goals for week 4: get back on training, nurse sore areas,
things excited about: running outside in shorts today. put in a good 7.50 miles so far this week. the extended amount of daylight during the evening. yippee.

A dark day in Gopher Men's B-Ball History

March madness has always been a fun time for sport enthusiasts. High school state tourneys for basketball and hockey...along with the NCAA basketball tournament. I still remember staying up 15 years ago to watch the classic Apple Valley vs. Duluth East hockey game that went into numerous overtimes with David Spehar being the scrappy star of the tournment. Yes...there seems to be a buzz in the air.

It was about this time in March 10 years ago when allegations were leaked to the Pioneer Press and MN Daily (student paper) that someone was paid $3000 to write papers and complete assignments for some stars on the men's b-ball time. Talk about the timing...the team was about to play in their 1st round game of the tournament. What I remember most was the gloomy mood on campus. Major dissapointment. Embarrassment. Shock. Self-imposed sanctions by President Yudof and NCAA sanctions on the team and Coach Haskins were severe but simply the right thing to do.

Some possible lessons learned by everyone: some people do get away with cheating. but when it's exposed that a high profile team has compromised on academic integrity...the consequences are tough and unfriendly.

I would say that most people approved of Yudof's course of action with the team. Time has passed. The team image is now improved and morale is good with Coach Tubby. Go Gophers!

it's friday!

we wish you a happy friday. it's been a good and interesting week for us. Curt has been keeping busy with business at Gear West. Christine is recovering from her sensory overload with the happenings at school. There is lots to learn about the family structure or culture of a society just by observing kids in a school.

spring is just around the corner! with daylight savings this weekend it just feels like things are on the up and up! time to dig out the shorts and sandals!

Once: Falling Slowly

This weekend we saw 3 movies: Gone Baby Gone, Vantage Point, and Once. We, especially me, fell in love with Once. It's a semi-musical based in Dublin. The songs are amazing. The movie is amazing too. One of the songs won an Oscar. Check out the performance by the two actors/musicians. Be inspired!

Week 2 Training Update

I know it's still too early yet, but all of this marathon training is like a parallel to my development as human being. It's a journey with lots of ups and downs.

Thoughts on week 2: I'm in a routine now. Not quite enjoyable. Feeling a bit worn down, tired. This week demanded some mental toughness. My right calf is a bit tender, my right thigh is fatigued.

Mileage for this week: 27 miles (includes a 5 mile tempo run and a 10.5 mile long run at a 8:57 pace). Saturday's long run seemed hard. Windy, cold, and icy conditions. Sunday's 5 mile recovery run turned out to be a situation where I wanted to push the pace and I did. It's a vicious mental game. I should have taken it easy. Goals for week 3: Find the pleasure in training, be grateful, and be more committed during the week.

the end.

Addiction to Girl Scout Cookies and Knowledge

on friday 3 boxes of girl scout cookies were delivered to my classroom by a fellow teacher, mom of a girl scout who I ordered cookies from. thin mints, peanut butter patties, and carmel delights...mmmm.

I am super grateful for where I am at. I'm content, but careful not to settle for mediocrity. It's so interesting. Thoughts about theology, living out a faith in a postmodern world, feeding into personal creativity, and relationships and love are starting to come more into focus.

I had some time on Saturday to meet up with my friend Regina. I attended part of a discussion led by an author of a book that is about to be published. He's a former Bethel Seminary professor now living in Norway. Anyway, a lot was spoken about food, sex, and money. Most of what was shared I simply took in and am in the process of processing. It takes me awhile to figure out what to do with information. It's like I have to send it through so many of my personal filters before I can confidently do something with it.

Anyway, on a somewhat related tangent...I like it when people are authentic. I like it when people share opinions even if it may be offensive...as the listener sometimes we have to investigate the deeper layers and ask more questions to understand. I think it's possible to speak truth when both speaker and listener understand that there is shared commitment to preserving each other's inner being.