Failed Fit: Fitness Free Weekend?

By Jess

Another year has passed, marked by another birthday. If you recall, last year's birthday was a monumental one (Read about it HERE) but this year just wasn't that big of a deal (though Facebook sure makes you feel like it's a big deal, doesn't it?).

Instead of a "big-to-do", we decided to head to the cabin for a quiet weekend away.

I'm trying really hard to stick to my plan of FULL recovery before running again, but it was tempting to run up at the cabin. The weather was perfect, the fall foliage was gorgeous, and I was itching to put on my Brooks Adrenalines and head out for a few miles!

Instead, brisk walking was the name of the game. Matilda appreciated it.

{Also..there was some log climbing??!?!} 

So, it's true. There wasn't a lot of fitness this weekend. 

So, what was there, then? What's there to do other than fitness?

Board Games!
 Well, there was some cribbage. I won- not to rub it in or anything...

Cuddling:

Matilda insisted on helping me with my cribbage game. She's a 45 pound lap dog!

Comfort Food! 

There was some spicy mac'n'cheese casserole (with about 1,000 calories per serving of cheese...)

{Thanks Dusters for the perfect birthday meal for this Wisconsin girl!}

Birthday presents! 

There was some present opening...Thanks to my wonderful family for the great gifts!

 

More Walking! 

A second brisk walk...

Upper Body work!

Some canoeing gave me a bit of an upper body workout.

The lake was so still and clear- gorgeous!

Hurdles!

The D-man did some fishing, and Matilda worked on her agility/hurdling skills.

It was a lovely weekend, and I think it did me some good mentally to allow myself the opportunity to spend time with Dusters and Matilda with no running. There was no pressure to squeeze in a run. There was no obligation to get up early to beat the heat for a run. We actually SLEPT IN (true story!), and slowed things down a pace or two for the whole weekend.

I think by the end of these two weeks, I'll be mentally and physically ready to run.

But until then, those Brooks Adrenalines will wait patiently by the front door!

Fits Do Race (P)Reviews: Maple Leaf 1/2

By: LL
Since my husband and I will be in La Crosse, Wisconsin for the city's annual Oktoberfest celebration (rolling of the Golden Keg anyone??), I decided that it would be fun to run the Maple Leaf Half Marathon that coincides with the event.

In doing some research of the race, it appears that it is a fairly small race - only 1400 total in the four races offered in 2011 (13.1, 5, 5k and a 1 mile fun run). However, knowing La Crosse fairly well, I believe that this will be one of the most scenic races that I have run - comparable to the Twin Cities Marathon.

The "website" lacks good details (not sure when the expo might be or if there is a gear check), but at least I found some information through www.halfmarathons.net, which says that the route "takes runners along some of the city's most scenic streets, as the half marathon starts and finishes in Riverside Park overlooking the mighty Mississippi River, and also takes runners over a bridge that crosses the Black River, and features views of Lake Onalaska in the middle portion of the race's 13.1-mile course [...] Runners in the half marathon start their race at 7:00 a.m. at the park, and follow what is basically a long, out-and-back route." The bluff city of Wisconsin is normally very beautiful and this time of year will likely make this route, even though I will see it all twice, the perfect fall race.

Here is one of the only photos that I could find of the race from previous years:

{Gotten love the dude in his high school singlet [Logan] out front}

Due to the annual Oktoberfest Maple Leaf parade that is also held that day, runners must finish in less than 2 hours and 45 minutes, which seems pretty standard, maybe a tad quicker than other half marathons. And, unfortunately it appears that there is no medal and that the shirts will be lacking (cotton perhaps).

Either way, I think that it will be a fun race and definitely a good start to a weekend of good ol' German "merrymaking" in a town that has been doing it right since 1961!

{Permanent Oktoberfest grounds in La Crosse, WI}