Bye bye 2024

All and all, not a bad year I have to say (politics aside), sorry to see it go, but hopefully next year will be a good one too! I ended the year with a mock 200 at the beach. It was a beautiful day out today, sunny and in the low 50's, with no wind. A group of us decided to meet at the lake, and since the weather was so nice I really wanted to get in a practice swim. 

It took forever for us to all get put together and organized/arranged, and because it was so hot out I was actually roasting in my swim robe. I finally was like, "OK, I'm going" and headed in. The water was about 39, so warmer than it was the last couple dips, and felt brisk but not too bad. I walked in up to my waist, took a breath, and went for it. It took me about 35 breaths before my face felt OK, but I kept at it and swam without stopping. Coming back I saw all my friends in the water, but I was the only one who was really swimming. In total it took me about 7 minutes to do the 200 ish (which, again, is more than 5 minutes). When I finished everyone was like "nice job" and clapping, which made me feel really good. My hands were freezing, so I got out and stuck them in some warm water. Warm up wasn't bad at all because it was so nice out, and I ate like a pig because tomorrow I'm going to have to start a diet again :P

Tonight I'm headed out to do yoga again, very excited to welcome the new year in a zen way, and my favorite yoga instructor is teaching, so that will be really great!

I've been recovering my couch, and got a bit carried away with it. I meant to just do the cushions, but I did the math wrong in the store and wound up with 3x the material that I needed (feet/yards, meh), so now I'm recovering the entire thing. It's kind of slow going, but I'm pretty happy with the results so far, and the couch really needed it! I realized that it's almost 25 years old. I guess I could get a new one, but I like this one a lot, it's held up pretty well, and I remember it being really hard to get in the door, so I might not be able to get it out! 

First Ski of the season

Today it was forecast to be beautiful out - sunny and in the low 30's. Seemed like a perfect day to get in my first ski of the season! I woke up on my own at 6:30 am and lay in bed vacillating about if I wanted to go or not, but then I looked at the weather for the rest of staycation, and decided that today had to be the day. I was kind of nervous that everyone else would come to the same decision and it would be super crowded, but it wasn't!

I decided to go to nashoba for just two hours. I was the first one on the lift and I had the mountain to myself for the first 15 minutes - it was awesome! By the time I left at 11:15 there were a lot more people there, but it never got to the point where there was a lift line or anything.

I mostly did the blue squares (which I feel like are like greens at most places) and I felt really good on them. The first run or two I felt a little nervous, but I soon got my confidence up and was going a lot faster. For the last 4 runs I decided to try out the black diamond (which I feel like are blues at most places) and they went pretty well. There were a couple spots where I was going a little fast and had to do some zig zagging, but for the most part I was fine. 

The one thing that I don't like about nashoba is that their lifts are slow and the hill is just straight down, so you spend a lot of time on the lift, even if there's no line. But, it's so close and easy to get to, and convenient, I think it was well worth it.

39 degrees

The water at the lake is back up to 39! I met a friend today for a swim and was just going to do a dip, with gloves and no face in the water, but when I got there the water was so calm and it was really sunny and nice out, I thought it would be a shame to waste perfect swim conditions with just a dip. So, after a little back and forth in my head I decided to do another mock-200. I walked into the water, got up past my waist, and really questioned my judgement, but then I went for it and it wasn't that bad. I did have to remind myself to breathe through it for the first lap, and I had to slow down to catch my breath because I was really sucking wind, but other than that it was much easier than the last swim just a few days ago. When I got out of the water my hands were cold, but not as freezing as they've been. I was only in for about 7 minutes (which is more than the 5 minutes you are allowed for the 200 at the swim fest) and so it wasn't too difficult to warm up and there was no after drop. Getting my face in the water has been hard, but it does seem do-able. I think the secret is not wearing gloves so that I'm more focused on how cold my hands are, as opposed to my face.

200 meters at 37

It's stay-cation! Yay! I'm super happy to be off work for the next 9 days, and lounging about feeling all hygge. It's also a good time to get into winter swim fest training full force. I met a few friends at the lake today for a practice run, and was super excited that it went well!

We met at the beach at 2, which turned out to be a perfect time because the sun was just coming out from behind clouds. It's been so cold out, but today it was a little warmer, finally, at 34. With the sun out it felt quite delightful! I really wanted to do a test run of the 200 and prove to myself that I could do it, so that's what I did. I didn't wear gloves or booties, and I was determined to keep my face in the water. We walked in to waist deep, which is how deep the platform is at the swim fest, and at a count of three just went for it. It was so cold! But I counted my strokes and just reminded myself to breathe through it, and I did fine. I think the fact that I wasn't wearing gloves made a difference because I was so focused on how cold my hands were that I didn't even think about my face. I did have to work to regulate my breathing, especially on the first length. Once I got to the turn-around point I reminded myself I was a quarter of the way, and just kept going. The only time I stopped was when my friend and I ran into each other, which is totally legit. And that was just a pause. I was definitely not swimming super fast, but I felt strong and had no troubles completing the swim. But after I finished I also didn't want to hang out in the lake - I got right out and stuck my hands in some hot water and got dressed. According to my watch it was 37, and I was in for 9 minutes.

I'm quite happy with that! Definitely going to try to get in some more practice runs while I'm on vacation.

38 and a good day of climbing

Today it was 17 degrees, but felt like 5 with the wind, so of course when someone said they wanted to go for a dip I was all in. I got there and was like "what am I crazy?" I didn't even want to get out of the car. But, I had said I was going, and once we got out of the wind it wasn't as bad - the sun was out and it definitely felt like at least 17. Anyhow, it was a short swim, I actually walked in instead of diving, wore booties (to protect my feet when walking) and gloves (because my hands have been so cold!). It was pretty choppy again, and I stayed in for 5 minutes. After swimming I took my gloves off and dropped them on the ground where they froze, we actually had to pour tea on them to get them to thaw out so I could pick them up! My watch said that the water was 38 - I'm sure my friend's stuff would say 37, so I'm calling it 37/38, but really 38. 

After I met a friend at the climbing gym. It was pretty cold there too, and on the way out I saw that the heat was at 64, which isn't warm. But I still had a pretty good climbing day! I started with a 5.7 and 5.8 on auto belay. Then I did a 5.9 and then a 5.10b, 5.10a and 5.10c - the 5.10a I did clean! It was all slab and balance, plus foot combos, and really seemed much easier than a 10, but that's what it said, and I'm going with it! There was a 5.10c on autobelay, which I think I could have done if I wasn't on autobelay - super pinchy but I got half way up before I needed to work on it. Which I couldn't on autobelay. And then I did ione more 5.9. I felt much more in the zone that I have been feeling, so I guess I'm getting into the groove a little again. Also, I've been doing a little weight lifting and I think its helping.

Below 40!

It's been really cold out the last couple days (today is 17 with wind chill) and so the lake is finally below 40. We met up at the dock for a quick dip - it was so cold out, I didn't even want to be outside with all my clothes and layers on, and I wasn't sure I was going to go in until I actually dove in. One of my friends captured the image above right after I dove in :)

Anyhow, my watch said it was 39, and my friend's thermometer said 38, and it was cold! I wore my thin gloves and stayed in for only 5 minutes, but after it wasn't so hard to warm up. The thing that was killer was the wind. The water was pretty choppy and outside of the water, getting changed was so difficult. It is the solstice today, excited for the days to get longer. We had about 2 inches of snow yesterday - I hope we get more this winter! 

41 Degrees

I met a friend at the lake today for a swim. I feel like I really need to do some acclimatizing for the race in February, and need to get in some swimming whenever possible. So, we did four laps of our 75 yard swim, though I feel like they were a little short of the full 75 yards. But still, more than the 200. For the first length I got my face in the water for about 10 breaths, then had to swim breast stroke for a little bit, then got my face back in. The second length I got my face in and was able to breathe through it, and do the entire thing face in. Same for the third and fourth, which felt a little ice cream headache-y, but not bad. We were in the water for about 10 minutes. I did wear my gloves, but the thinner ones. After I definitely had a little after drop, but it wasn't bad. There's a little over 2 months before the swim, so plenty of time to prep.

Yesterday I went to the Y and actually ran a mile on the treadmill! I set it to a 12 minute mile, so it wasn't that hard. I forgot my phone and headphones, so I had nothing to listen to but my own dark thoughts. I think if I had a podcast or something I could have run for a half hour. Something to consider. Oh, and my watch said I was running a 10.26 minute mile, which I am 100% sure was not correct, so not sure what to do with that.

Winter swim training

It's time to start getting serious about training for the winter swim festival. I went to the beach today at lunch with the idea of swimming a quarter mile, but only managed about 200 feet, most of it with my head out of the water. The water was 40 and my face was freezing! I even had gloves on - not promising. I have a lighter week this week and vacation next week, so I think I should be able to get to the beach for a swim most days and hopefully get back on track. 

Ashram Vacation

I had to use a jet blue credit that I had from buying a ticket to the wrong city (dope) for a conference, so I decided that it would be good to go on a December vacation because it's so dark now, and January is busy at work. Also, since I went this week I got to miss the holiday parties at work :) I went back and forth about where to go, and in the end decided that I really wanted something that was a short and easy flight, allowed me to do yoga, and wasn't horribly expensive for lodging. I've known about this ashram in the bahamas for a while, and decided that it would be a perfect time to go there - so that's what I did!

The place is on paradise island, which is really beautiful! Unfortunately, for most of my trip it was cloudy and windy, which was sad. But, the first day was perfect. I got there a little before noon, and since the forecast for the rest of the week wasn't that good, I spent the entire day outside, including a few hours on the beach. I was kind of laughing at myself because the water was 78 degrees, and I was all "it's a little chilly," but I guess it's all about what you are expecting. 

Their schedule is pretty much exactly the same every day, and I learned that it's exactly the same at all the ashrams, with yoga at 4 pm. And, the yoga class is exactly the same each time. Which was nice for the three days that I went, but I think I wouldn't love it if it was always exactly the same. Anyhow, on the first day we were able to do yoga on a platform right by the beach, and it was amazing - you could hear the water and the sun was a perfect temperature, and there were these beautiful pine trees swaying above me. It's a long class - about two hours, so towards the end the sun set and the sky was gorgeous. So perfect. After they had a pretty tasty veg dinner, and I ate with a couple of friendly people. I had gotten up at 4 am that day, so I was pretty exhausted after that, and sat in a hammock and read a book until bedtime.

When I woke up the next day the clouds were so thick in the sky, and you could hear the wind. The water was really wavy, and it didn't seem like swimming was a good idea. One thing about the ashram is that they don't have coffee (which I knew, and smuggled in some instant, and there was water to make coffee with). The first full day, though, I decided to walk up the beach to this resort that has a starbucks - such a bad yogi, but it was delicious. I brought my book with me, and sat outside enjoying my coffee and reading, and before I knew it I had missed breakfast at the ashram. So, I stayed at the resort and got lunch, and then walked around and looked at their dolphins and hammerhead sharks and went shopping and was a total tourist. I stayed for a good part of the day, and then went back for yoga, dinner, and the evening program.

In the morning and evening they have a 30 minute silent meditation followed by chanting and then a talk from different people. I actually kind of liked the meditation, it was a really cool feeling to sit in silence with so many other people. The leader suggested repeating "oom" on every out breath, and I tried to do that to keep my mind from wandering. Not 100% successfully, but not 100% unsuccessfully either. There was a program on designing the life you want which was pretty good - I've been thinking about retirement a lot lately (how did I get to be the age where I'm thinking about retirement??) and what I want to do for my encore career, and it was cool to spend some time with others in reflection. I've been thinking about food - growing it, cooking it, and helping people experiencing food insecurity. I don't know what that would look like, but it's definitely on my mind.

The second night I couldn't sleep - the bed was actually pretty uncomfortable and the sheets were old and thin and kind of wrinkly, and I finally wrapped myself up in my beach blanket and towel, and fell asleep around 4 am. The next day I slept in, snuck my coffee on the beach, had brunch at 10, finished my book, did the designing your life workshop, yoga, dinner, and more meditating and thinking about life. It was pretty chill and I felt refreshed and reenergized about life. But also like I wanted to go home to my cozy bed, cats, and life. Which I did the next morning. So, for me three days was the perfect visit length. 

Definitely not a luxury vacation, but I wasn't expecting it to be. Also, I did feel a little like I took it for granted - I've been lucky to be able to travel whenever I want lately, but maybe I need to take a little time off from traveling so I can appreciate it again? Or maybe not - it sounds like jet blue is going to be flying to Madrid soon, and I've been wanting to go back there, and then walk the camino. So, we'll see....

Middlesex Fells Skyline Trail

I really wanted to get in a hike for Thanksgiving weekend, but it snowed up in New Hampshire, and today was going to be pretty cold. I decided I don't always have to go on a long drive for my long hike, and went to the Middlesex Fells with the goal of completing the Skyline Trail. Which is what I did.

I often start out to hike the Skyline trail, but the once I get going I decide to make it a little shorter, or to take the reservoir trail back or cut off the pine hill overlook bit. So, I decided to park in the Shepfold (amazingly got parking with no issues!) and go clockwise to the view first, then around the reservoir where it's not really possible to turn back. I also thought I remembered that this direction got the harder part finished first. It was a good call, because by the end I kind of wanted to bail, but there isn't any way to, so I stuck it out and finished the loop.

It was about 37 degrees out, but with the wind felt a little colder. I wore my purple ninja hoodie, a t-shirt and little puff, and then some athleta tights and gloves. The skyline trail basically goes over every single little bit of elevation in the park, trying to get as much gain as possible. So, I warmed up quickly and took off my gloves, and then jacket. It was a beautiful day out and there were a bunch of other hikers, trail runners and dogs enjoying the trails, and the first bit went quickly. I got to the one viewpoint on the hike, and there was this woman who I think was blessing a guy - it was hard to tell exactly what was going on because she was talking in Portuguese (I think) and I felt a little bit like I was intruding, so I just took a quick look at the view and continued. From there you kind of circle back to get to the bottom of the reservoir, and then head up the other side.

I looked at all trails before I left, and it said the hike was 7.7 miles, with about 950 feet of elevation gain, and looking at my watch at that point it said that I had already gotten over 500 feet of elevation gain, which I was kind of excited about because that's a big part of the work. After a bit, though, I started to question my watch, and I looked at all trails, which said I'd done half the elevation gain. Weird - I have to figure out what's up with that. In the end my watch said I went 8.19 miles with 1651 feet of elevation gain. I'm going to have to do some googling on this.

The other side of the reservoir has trails that get pretty close to the road, and then go by a dam and feel like they are in someone's back yard. This is an area where I used to get lost a lot, but now with all trails and better trail markers, is much easier to navigate. In the end I got back to my car in 3 hours and 40 minutes and felt pretty good about it!

My plan had been to go for a swim after, and do a practice for the 200 meters. But, I was kind of cold from all the time outside and decided that I would just go jump in and bop around for 5 minutes instead. Which is what I did. 

When I got to the docks, I ran into Santa in the parking lot! He has a regular gig at one of the boat clubs, and they take pick him up from the docks with a pontoon boat, bring him across the water, and then bring him back to his truck at the end. Which I know because I ran into him there once before. I have good Santa luck. He was very gracious and took a picture with me, even though he had already taken off his belt, and must have been ready to head home.

After, I questioned my decisions about going into the water. It was freezing! I think my watch said 44, but I can't be sure because I couldn't get it to stop, and so it averaged in time in the car with the heat blasting. I think it didn't recognize my fingers because they were so cold - I finally remembered that I have siri, and asked her to stop the activity. I will have to remember that for the future. I had my first real after drop of the season, and shivered in the car the whole drive home! 

All and all a good day of exercise, and it was really nice to finish and be so close to home.