Trails for Two

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:
Heh. You're not the first person to ask what that conditioning level would have meant for a marathon. I've wondered myself. I didn't do anything resembling speedwork, so that would have affected things, but if I had... I bet it would have been a PR-level of fitness. BQ? Eh. Who knows.

Tip: Turn off the alarm but set the HR for instant reading and make it as big as possible. Keep an eye on it as you run. Give yourself a couple of bpm cushion but be prepared to slow down or even walk if the HR goes beyond that range. For instance, I targeted 138 bpm. If my HR crept up to 142, I'd slow down as much as I could. If it touched 145, I'd walk until my HR fell to about 132 and then started running again. It takes a LOT of discipline to do it, and it's kind of humiliating -- I once couldn't keep up with a race walker -- but it does work over time.

I would start with a walking warmup of 5 minutes, then slowly build up my HR until I hit the one-mile mark, never passing the HR target, THEN I'd start the actual test, after I was warmed up. So a 5-mile test really meant 6 miles of running.

Having a friend who is good at holding a pace can help. I had a good friend who would run with me on some of those, and it was nice. 

We might make it outside... if it ever stops raining. Sheesh. This has been a really wet winter on this side of the mountains.

Thanks again for the input.  I'm not going to get in a hurry to see if I can get up to the track and give it a try but I am curious.

If you have excess rain please send it our way.  We're currently at 87% of average for both precipitation and snowpack and that's not nearly enough to dig us out of the multi-year drought we find ourselves in.  The irrigation water allotments were only 75% in 2019 and dropped to 60% in 2020.  I don't picture a scenario where we will get more than 50% this year.  The reservoir is going to battle to be over 50% full at the start of irrigation season and the instream flows are also very low.  Kevin has been able to find land to lease so that we can transfer the water to our farmland and keep our high value crops watered but it's expensive.  

Take care...

Ooo! Water wheeling! When I was covering agriculture in Northern California back in the early 90s, that was a hugely controversial thing. The big story was when some guy bought a half acre parcel next to a canal, installed a well that could produce enough water to irrigate hundreds of acres, and was preparing to "wheel" his water through the canal to urban purchasers downstream. He was mighty ticked off when I wrote a story about it and the whole thing fell apart.

Let's hope we keep getting more rain and snow at higher elevations. We've gotten a lot of rain on the west side, but a lot of the rain has been in warmer atmospheric river types of systems that doesn't put down much snow at higher elevations.

Mark B wrote:

Ooo! Water wheeling! When I was covering agriculture in Northern California back in the early 90s, that was a hugely controversial thing. The big story was when some guy bought a half acre parcel next to a canal, installed a well that could produce enough water to irrigate hundreds of acres, and was preparing to "wheel" his water through the canal to urban purchasers downstream. He was mighty ticked off when I wrote a story about it and the whole thing fell apart.

Let's hope we keep getting more rain and snow at higher elevations. We've gotten a lot of rain on the west side, but a lot of the rain has been in warmer atmospheric river types of systems that doesn't put down much snow at higher elevations.

Oh...that would raise some eyebrows wouldn't it!!  North Unit Irrigation District is one of the most junior water right holders in Oregon.  Which means we get cut off first in the case of a water shortage.  But we are also known as one of the most efficient irrigation districts in the country.  We're allotted a certain quantity of water per acre at the beginning of the season based on estimated supply.  We can have it delivered to any parcel of land within the district so we can concentrate our water usage on the most productive land and/or highest value crops.  

So I played yesterday.  As I was working my way through my 5 mile "easy effort" run I noticed that as usual my HR was drifting upward even though I was slowing my pace.  So...I switched my watch from the pace screen to the HR screen and tried to slow to a pace where I could maintain a 140 HR.  It took some time to get there but I was successful...until I hit any of the many rollers on my route.  Then this morning I went for a brisk walk to the paper box and turned my Vivosport on.  Interesting to see that my HR was steady at 100 until I headed up the 25' "hill" near my turnaround point.  It shot up to 118 and then dropped just as quickly as I headed back down the hill.  Looks like your suggestion about running a MAF test on the school track is a good one!

Have a great weekend.

Good grief! I haven't posted in a month?!? 

Gosh, where to begin? We had a long lead-up into a heck of a snowstorm from the same huge weather system that put Doug in the deep freeze, capped off with an ice storm that did a lot of damage to the south of us in Oregon but only a moderate amount of damage here.

At the same time, a tendency to snore that I have developed over the past year or two finally drove me to the doctor's office to see if I'd developed a nasal polyp or something after a sinus infection I had a couple of years ago. I'd never snored before, and it is driving my bedmate batty. 

Long story short: Doc noticed that I've gained some weight (ugh) and noted that when he crosses a certain weight threshold, he snores like a buzzsaw, but below the threshold, he's as quiet as a church mouse. He suggested I drop 10 pounds and see if that helps, and start using those breathe-right strips. (It doesn't appear to be a sleep apnea sort of thing, but if this approach doesn't work, a sleep study is probably in my future.)

All this happened just as the weather turned and we ended up with some very nice meteorological spring weather. Which gave me no excuse to avoid walking to work every day so far this week! It's about 1.85 miles one way, or 3.7 miles a day total. The first day was a little rough, but it's been getting progressively better. My total for this week is 14.8 miles. I'm hoping that this, and cutting back on snack and evening libations will let the weight come back down and hopefully turn down the volume in my sinuses. 

I know they say the lord works in mysterious ways, but I never dreamed that snoring would get me off my butt and outside moving again.

On the health front, I'm happy to report that Alita finally got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. She and her coworkers have been working with unmasked, non-socially distant special ed high school students since September, so getting this extra protection is a very big deal for all of them. (Our governor had put educators farther back in line until Tuesday, when the president asked governors to give them higher priority to get more students back in the classroom. She had her appointment within 5 minutes of when I saw the governor press release announcing he had given in, and she got her shot the next day.) She gets her second dose in three weeks. I'll get mine eventually (I'm technically an essential worker disseminating critical information.), but to be honest, picking up something she might pick up at work is my biggest risk, so protecting her also protects me.

Good to hear you're active again.  Doesn't matter what motivated you to get moving...you're moving and that's what counts.  Did I ever share that it was a day of ice skating on our irrigation pond with the neighbor kids that got me moving in January 2007.  I was soooooo sore the next morning that I could hardly get out of bed.  I vowed to make some changes so that I would be able to enjoy my grandkids.  What started out as a plan to do 1 5K (couch to 5K training plan) turned into a love for running...

Good to hear that Alita was able to get her vaccination.  I'm sure that's comforting for both of you.

How's Alec doing?

Now get out there and go for a walk...

nkrichards wrote:Good to hear you're active again.  Doesn't matter what motivated you to get moving...you're moving and that's what counts.  Did I ever share that it was a day of ice skating on our irrigation pond with the neighbor kids that got me moving in January 2007.  I was soooooo sore the next morning that I could hardly get out of bed.  I vowed to make some changes so that I would be able to enjoy my grandkids.  What started out as a plan to do 1 5K (couch to 5K training plan) turned into a love for running...

Good to hear that Alita was able to get her vaccination.  I'm sure that's comforting for both of you.

How's Alec doing?

Now get out there and go for a walk...

Hi, Nancy. Alec is doing fine over in Pullman. He went on a hike with a group of friends this weekend and had some slip-and-slide experiences on old snow, which sounds kind of fun but probably wasn't. He seems to be doing well, though he regularly asks for fresh photos of the cats. (Of his parents, not so much.)

It's very nice to have one shot in Alita at this point. She'll get shot No. 2 in a couple more weeks. That will really be time for celebration.

I'm hoping that motion proves as tantalizing for me as it did for you. I've walked to work two days so far this week. I have to drive in tomorrow so I can drive to an appointment, but I should be back walking Thursday and Friday.



Of course, views like this on my walk home last night provide some pretty strong motivation to keep at it. 

Mark B wrote:Good grief! I haven't posted in a month?!? 

Gosh, where to begin? We had a long lead-up into a heck of a snowstorm from the same huge weather system that put Doug in the deep freeze, capped off with an ice storm that did a lot of damage to the south of us in Oregon but only a moderate amount of damage here.

At the same time, a tendency to snore that I have developed over the past year or two finally drove me to the doctor's office to see if I'd developed a nasal polyp or something after a sinus infection I had a couple of years ago. I'd never snored before, and it is driving my bedmate batty. 

Long story short: Doc noticed that I've gained some weight (ugh) and noted that when he crosses a certain weight threshold, he snores like a buzzsaw, but below the threshold, he's as quiet as a church mouse. He suggested I drop 10 pounds and see if that helps, and start using those breathe-right strips. (It doesn't appear to be a sleep apnea sort of thing, but if this approach doesn't work, a sleep study is probably in my future.)

All this happened just as the weather turned and we ended up with some very nice meteorological spring weather. Which gave me no excuse to avoid walking to work every day so far this week! It's about 1.85 miles one way, or 3.7 miles a day total. The first day was a little rough, but it's been getting progressively better. My total for this week is 14.8 miles. I'm hoping that this, and cutting back on snack and evening libations will let the weight come back down and hopefully turn down the volume in my sinuses. 

I know they say the lord works in mysterious ways, but I never dreamed that snoring would get me off my butt and outside moving again.

On the health front, I'm happy to report that Alita finally got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. She and her coworkers have been working with unmasked, non-socially distant special ed high school students since September, so getting this extra protection is a very big deal for all of them. (Our governor had put educators farther back in line until Tuesday, when the president asked governors to give them higher priority to get more students back in the classroom. She had her appointment within 5 minutes of when I saw the governor press release announcing he had given in, and she got her shot the next day.) She gets her second dose in three weeks. I'll get mine eventually (I'm technically an essential worker disseminating critical information.), but to be honest, picking up something she might pick up at work is my biggest risk, so protecting her also protects me.

Sleep apnea can be easily treated with the CPAP or BiPAP machine, after the sleep study.  It purrs quietly.  The mask is the wild card for both vanity and adapting to it.  I got the one that I could get out of the quickest, not because I didn't like it.  To hell with vanity.  The mask below is a reasonable picture of what I wear.  I've worn one since 1996.  Genetic in my family.  My skinny brother has it.  He chose the surgical option because he travels and didn't want to carry the box, which were bigger back then.  There was also the vanity that led to surgery, as well.

My case is much worse than yours.  Sleep studies aren't bad.  Like getting hooked up for an EEG and told to go to sleep while they record.  After a couple of hours, they will ask you to put on the hose and mask to record how you respond to the machine.  Then they wake you up, ask how you are and did, then kick you out.  Slam dunk.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Good grief! I haven't posted in a month?!? 

Gosh, where to begin? We had a long lead-up into a heck of a snowstorm from the same huge weather system that put Doug in the deep freeze, capped off with an ice storm that did a lot of damage to the south of us in Oregon but only a moderate amount of damage here.

At the same time, a tendency to snore that I have developed over the past year or two finally drove me to the doctor's office to see if I'd developed a nasal polyp or something after a sinus infection I had a couple of years ago. I'd never snored before, and it is driving my bedmate batty. 

Long story short: Doc noticed that I've gained some weight (ugh) and noted that when he crosses a certain weight threshold, he snores like a buzzsaw, but below the threshold, he's as quiet as a church mouse. He suggested I drop 10 pounds and see if that helps, and start using those breathe-right strips. (It doesn't appear to be a sleep apnea sort of thing, but if this approach doesn't work, a sleep study is probably in my future.)

All this happened just as the weather turned and we ended up with some very nice meteorological spring weather. Which gave me no excuse to avoid walking to work every day so far this week! It's about 1.85 miles one way, or 3.7 miles a day total. The first day was a little rough, but it's been getting progressively better. My total for this week is 14.8 miles. I'm hoping that this, and cutting back on snack and evening libations will let the weight come back down and hopefully turn down the volume in my sinuses. 

I know they say the lord works in mysterious ways, but I never dreamed that snoring would get me off my butt and outside moving again.

On the health front, I'm happy to report that Alita finally got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. She and her coworkers have been working with unmasked, non-socially distant special ed high school students since September, so getting this extra protection is a very big deal for all of them. (Our governor had put educators farther back in line until Tuesday, when the president asked governors to give them higher priority to get more students back in the classroom. She had her appointment within 5 minutes of when I saw the governor press release announcing he had given in, and she got her shot the next day.) She gets her second dose in three weeks. I'll get mine eventually (I'm technically an essential worker disseminating critical information.), but to be honest, picking up something she might pick up at work is my biggest risk, so protecting her also protects me.

Sleep apnea can be easily treated with the CPAP or BiPAP machine, after the sleep study.  It purrs quietly.  The mask is the wild card for both vanity and adapting to it.  I got the one that I could get out of the quickest, not because I didn't like it.  To hell with vanity.  The mask below is a reasonable picture of what I wear.  I've worn one since 1996.  Genetic in my family.  My skinny brother has it.  He chose the surgical option because he travels and didn't want to carry the box, which were bigger back then.  There was also the vanity that led to surgery, as well.

My case is much worse than yours.  Sleep studies aren't bad.  Like getting hooked up for an EEG and told to go to sleep while they record.  After a couple of hours, they will ask you to put on the hose and mask to record how you respond to the machine.  Then they wake you up, ask how you are and did, then kick you out.  Slam dunk.

Wow, that's quite a get-up. Can you actually sleep with it on? Looks uncomfortable.

I'm hoping that losing weight and judicious use of those BreatheRight strips will help. I really don't think I have sleep apnea, and I don't think my doctor, does, either. The situation has improved just with the strips, which don't do anything for apnea, they say. 

It's going to take a little time for stepped-up walking commutes to do their thing. I did four days for two weeks and was only able to do it twice this week, thanks to crappy weather. and a day where I had to work from home. Hopefully we'll get better conditions once spring rolls in. At least warmer rain.

Mark B wrote:

It's going to take a little time for stepped-up walking commutes to do their thing. I did four days for two weeks and was only able to do it twice this week, thanks to crappy weather. and a day where I had to work from home. Hopefully we'll get better conditions once spring rolls in. At least warmer rain.

Two days is better than none...

I'm learning two things from my coach.  

1. She sees EVERYTHING that registers on my Garmin...both my running watch and my fitness watch.  
   
2. Blustery winds are not an excuse to skip or even postpone a run.  "Someone is running in those conditions somewhere and you can't choose the weather on race day."  She did allow me to change my schedule and do my easy run a day early on my rest day so I wouldn't have a run scheduled the first day of carrot planting.  She's more agreeable to making exceptions for work and family than she is to "excuses".  
   

I heard it's raining in Sandy today so I'm sure you're getting wet as well. But it's the weekend so you're excused.

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

It's going to take a little time for stepped-up walking commutes to do their thing. I did four days for two weeks and was only able to do it twice this week, thanks to crappy weather. and a day where I had to work from home. Hopefully we'll get better conditions once spring rolls in. At least warmer rain.

Two days is better than none...

I'm learning two things from my coach.  

1. She sees EVERYTHING that registers on my Garmin...both my running watch and my fitness watch.  
   
2. Blustery winds are not an excuse to skip or even postpone a run.  "Someone is running in those conditions somewhere and you can't choose the weather on race day."  She did allow me to change my schedule and do my easy run a day early on my rest day so I wouldn't have a run scheduled the first day of carrot planting.  She's more agreeable to making exceptions for work and family than she is to "excuses".  
   

I heard it's raining in Sandy today so I'm sure you're getting wet as well. But it's the weekend so you're excused.

I think your coach is very wise. When I was training for a race, I'd go out in pretty much anything but glaze ice. I'd call it "adventure running" -- which worked pretty well psychologically except for that one time I accidentally ended up hypothermic... 

It's trickier to apply that same approach to walking to work. It's one thing to go out and get obliterated by the weather and head back to the barn for dry clothes and hot shower and another to sit at your desk for hours with wet pants. I do have rain gear, though, so one of these days I may just try my luck. Until then, I'm somewhat at the mercy of the elements.

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Good grief! I haven't posted in a month?!? 

Gosh, where to begin? We had a long lead-up into a heck of a snowstorm from the same huge weather system that put Doug in the deep freeze, capped off with an ice storm that did a lot of damage to the south of us in Oregon but only a moderate amount of damage here.

At the same time, a tendency to snore that I have developed over the past year or two finally drove me to the doctor's office to see if I'd developed a nasal polyp or something after a sinus infection I had a couple of years ago. I'd never snored before, and it is driving my bedmate batty. 

Long story short: Doc noticed that I've gained some weight (ugh) and noted that when he crosses a certain weight threshold, he snores like a buzzsaw, but below the threshold, he's as quiet as a church mouse. He suggested I drop 10 pounds and see if that helps, and start using those breathe-right strips. (It doesn't appear to be a sleep apnea sort of thing, but if this approach doesn't work, a sleep study is probably in my future.)

All this happened just as the weather turned and we ended up with some very nice meteorological spring weather. Which gave me no excuse to avoid walking to work every day so far this week! It's about 1.85 miles one way, or 3.7 miles a day total. The first day was a little rough, but it's been getting progressively better. My total for this week is 14.8 miles. I'm hoping that this, and cutting back on snack and evening libations will let the weight come back down and hopefully turn down the volume in my sinuses. 

I know they say the lord works in mysterious ways, but I never dreamed that snoring would get me off my butt and outside moving again.

On the health front, I'm happy to report that Alita finally got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. She and her coworkers have been working with unmasked, non-socially distant special ed high school students since September, so getting this extra protection is a very big deal for all of them. (Our governor had put educators farther back in line until Tuesday, when the president asked governors to give them higher priority to get more students back in the classroom. She had her appointment within 5 minutes of when I saw the governor press release announcing he had given in, and she got her shot the next day.) She gets her second dose in three weeks. I'll get mine eventually (I'm technically an essential worker disseminating critical information.), but to be honest, picking up something she might pick up at work is my biggest risk, so protecting her also protects me.

Sleep apnea can be easily treated with the CPAP or BiPAP machine, after the sleep study.  It purrs quietly.  The mask is the wild card for both vanity and adapting to it.  I got the one that I could get out of the quickest, not because I didn't like it.  To hell with vanity.  The mask below is a reasonable picture of what I wear.  I've worn one since 1996.  Genetic in my family.  My skinny brother has it.  He chose the surgical option because he travels and didn't want to carry the box, which were bigger back then.  There was also the vanity that led to surgery, as well.

My case is much worse than yours.  Sleep studies aren't bad.  Like getting hooked up for an EEG and told to go to sleep while they record.  After a couple of hours, they will ask you to put on the hose and mask to record how you respond to the machine.  Then they wake you up, ask how you are and did, then kick you out.  Slam dunk.

Wow, that's quite a get-up. Can you actually sleep with it on? Looks uncomfortable.

I'm hoping that losing weight and judicious use of those BreatheRight strips will help. I really don't think I have sleep apnea, and I don't think my doctor, does, either. The situation has improved just with the strips, which don't do anything for apnea, they say. 

It's going to take a little time for stepped-up walking commutes to do their thing. I did four days for two weeks and was only able to do it twice this week, thanks to crappy weather. and a day where I had to work from home. Hopefully we'll get better conditions once spring rolls in. At least warmer rain.

It's very flexible.  This photo doesn't have the nasal canula.  
The BreatheRight strips only opens up the nose.  The apnea involves the soft palate.  Example...open your mouth.  close off the air passage way with the back of your tongue.  Now, open it slowly as you breathe in.  The soft palate is flapping off your tongue, hence making the noise.  Sleep apnea.

You think the above set up is bad, look below at what hasn't changed in 25 years, which is why I opted for a quick release style, like a baseball cap.


If your sleep is really bad, the first option is a piece of cake.  The motor is quiet, but Alita will be the judge of that.

During our winter storm on Valentines Day, I ended up sleeping in a chair to allow a little more air in, than sleeping in the bed flat.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:Good grief! I haven't posted in a month?!? 

Gosh, where to begin? We had a long lead-up into a heck of a snowstorm from the same huge weather system that put Doug in the deep freeze, capped off with an ice storm that did a lot of damage to the south of us in Oregon but only a moderate amount of damage here.

At the same time, a tendency to snore that I have developed over the past year or two finally drove me to the doctor's office to see if I'd developed a nasal polyp or something after a sinus infection I had a couple of years ago. I'd never snored before, and it is driving my bedmate batty. 

Long story short: Doc noticed that I've gained some weight (ugh) and noted that when he crosses a certain weight threshold, he snores like a buzzsaw, but below the threshold, he's as quiet as a church mouse. He suggested I drop 10 pounds and see if that helps, and start using those breathe-right strips. (It doesn't appear to be a sleep apnea sort of thing, but if this approach doesn't work, a sleep study is probably in my future.)

All this happened just as the weather turned and we ended up with some very nice meteorological spring weather. Which gave me no excuse to avoid walking to work every day so far this week! It's about 1.85 miles one way, or 3.7 miles a day total. The first day was a little rough, but it's been getting progressively better. My total for this week is 14.8 miles. I'm hoping that this, and cutting back on snack and evening libations will let the weight come back down and hopefully turn down the volume in my sinuses. 

I know they say the lord works in mysterious ways, but I never dreamed that snoring would get me off my butt and outside moving again.

On the health front, I'm happy to report that Alita finally got her first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. She and her coworkers have been working with unmasked, non-socially distant special ed high school students since September, so getting this extra protection is a very big deal for all of them. (Our governor had put educators farther back in line until Tuesday, when the president asked governors to give them higher priority to get more students back in the classroom. She had her appointment within 5 minutes of when I saw the governor press release announcing he had given in, and she got her shot the next day.) She gets her second dose in three weeks. I'll get mine eventually (I'm technically an essential worker disseminating critical information.), but to be honest, picking up something she might pick up at work is my biggest risk, so protecting her also protects me.

Sleep apnea can be easily treated with the CPAP or BiPAP machine, after the sleep study.  It purrs quietly.  The mask is the wild card for both vanity and adapting to it.  I got the one that I could get out of the quickest, not because I didn't like it.  To hell with vanity.  The mask below is a reasonable picture of what I wear.  I've worn one since 1996.  Genetic in my family.  My skinny brother has it.  He chose the surgical option because he travels and didn't want to carry the box, which were bigger back then.  There was also the vanity that led to surgery, as well.

My case is much worse than yours.  Sleep studies aren't bad.  Like getting hooked up for an EEG and told to go to sleep while they record.  After a couple of hours, they will ask you to put on the hose and mask to record how you respond to the machine.  Then they wake you up, ask how you are and did, then kick you out.  Slam dunk.

Wow, that's quite a get-up. Can you actually sleep with it on? Looks uncomfortable.

I'm hoping that losing weight and judicious use of those BreatheRight strips will help. I really don't think I have sleep apnea, and I don't think my doctor, does, either. The situation has improved just with the strips, which don't do anything for apnea, they say. 

It's going to take a little time for stepped-up walking commutes to do their thing. I did four days for two weeks and was only able to do it twice this week, thanks to crappy weather. and a day where I had to work from home. Hopefully we'll get better conditions once spring rolls in. At least warmer rain.

It's very flexible.  This photo doesn't have the nasal canula.  
The BreatheRight strips only opens up the nose.  The apnea involves the soft palate.  Example...open your mouth.  close off the air passage way with the back of your tongue.  Now, open it slowly as you breathe in.  The soft palate is flapping off your tongue, hence making the noise.  Sleep apnea.

You think the above set up is bad, look below at what hasn't changed in 25 years, which is why I opted for a quick release style, like a baseball cap.


If your sleep is really bad, the first option is a piece of cake.  The motor is quiet, but Alita will be the judge of that.

During our winter storm on Valentines Day, I ended up sleeping in a chair to allow a little more air in, than sleeping in the bed flat.

That multi-strap job looks ... uncomfortable. 

The BreatheRight strips seem to be doing the job, mostly. Which isn't a huge surprise. The doc had asked me a key question when we were talking, whether I would have known I snored if someone hadn't told me about it. I said no. I also never woke up gasping for air. And when I plugged either nostril and inhaled sharply for him, my nasal air passage collapsed. It doesn't collapse when I breathe in gently. Which all makes this seem more like a sinus thing than a soft palate thing. If these strips and losing weight helps, I'm fine with that. Though it's been a journey finding a strip that doesn't rip the skin off my nose when I take it off. Owie.

Thanks for the Strava follows, and now I owe you an explanation as to why you haven't, you know, seen anything on it lately.

I got on a list from a pharmacy to get leftover COVID vaccine, but I have to be able to get there in 45 minutes from the phone call in order to qualify. So that means I really need a car, which means walking to work is out. Not that I've received a call. I'm losing confidence that this strategy is going to pay off, but... if I walk, the odds of them calling probably go up exponentially, right? Gah.

On the upside, Alita is now fully vaccinated. She had a sore arm and popped a fever for a couple of hours about a day after getting the second shot. But that was more a "Whoa! What the heck?!?" sort of issue than anything problematic. Her being protected eliminates one big potential infection vector for me, so that's a good thing.

Mark B wrote:
That multi-strap job looks ... uncomfortable. 

The BreatheRight strips seem to be doing the job, mostly. Which isn't a huge surprise. The doc had asked me a key question when we were talking, whether I would have known I snored if someone hadn't told me about it. I said no. I also never woke up gasping for air. And when I plugged either nostril and inhaled sharply for him, my nasal air passage collapsed. It doesn't collapse when I breathe in gently. Which all makes this seem more like a sinus thing than a soft palate thing. If these strips and losing weight helps, I'm fine with that. Though it's been a journey finding a strip that doesn't rip the skin off my nose when I take it off. Owie.

Thanks for the Strava follows, and now I owe you an explanation as to why you haven't, you know, seen anything on it lately.

I got on a list from a pharmacy to get leftover COVID vaccine, but I have to be able to get there in 45 minutes from the phone call in order to qualify. So that means I really need a car, which means walking to work is out. Not that I've received a call. I'm losing confidence that this strategy is going to pay off, but... if I walk, the odds of them calling probably go up exponentially, right? Gah.

On the upside, Alita is now fully vaccinated. She had a sore arm and popped a fever for a couple of hours about a day after getting the second shot. But that was more a "Whoa! What the heck?!?" sort of issue than anything problematic. Her being protected eliminates one big potential infection vector for me, so that's a good thing.

You have an excused absence from Stava while you wait for your vaccination call but we expect you to be much more consistent after that.  

Got my first shot on Monday!

I wasn't sure if I'd feel bad, so I went a couple of days after that driving, just in case. I felt a little bad, kinda hungover, so that was probably a good idea. I still felt a little off yesterday but forced myself to do it anyway, since it was a nice day... and I'm glad I did.

My next challenge is figuring out how to tote a laptop to and from work. We're changing up our computer system, which means the laptops. That'll be helpful for our IT folks and our remote workers, but it means I'll eventually need to haul the machine to and from work. I tried a messenger bag yesterday, but that put all the weight on one shoulder. That got old fast. So I'll need to find a good backpack. Luckily (?) there are are about three kajillion types out there.

Congrats on successfully locating and receiving your first vaccination.  From what I hear you're automatically eligible for the second appointment once you get the first.

Happy shopping...there are so many choices out there.  Katie has an awesome backpack with a nice spot for her laptop...but I tried to buy one and can't find it.  They seem to always discontinue to best products.

And thanks for the kudos on Strava.

A good week walking last week.

18.64 miles total over five days. I was starting to feel it a bit later in the week put pushed through.

Got my second Pfizer dose yesterday, so no walking yesterday and today. But woot! Second dose! 

Hoping to resume walking tomorrow.

nkrichards wrote:They seem to always discontinue to best products.

Isn't that always the way? It's nuts.

Update: Got my second dose Monday, and I had relatively mild side effects. (A weird metal taste in my mouth for a while, which was ... weird, but documented.)

I drove to work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but felt up to walking today. It was nice to get moving again.

Mark B wrote:Update: Got my second dose Monday, and I had relatively mild side effects. (A weird metal taste in my mouth for a while, which was ... weird, but documented.)

I drove to work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but felt up to walking today. It was nice to get moving again.

Good to hear the side effects weren't to serious.

Enjoy your daily walks...you sure have a nice route to/from work.

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:Update: Got my second dose Monday, and I had relatively mild side effects. (A weird metal taste in my mouth for a while, which was ... weird, but documented.)

I drove to work Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday but felt up to walking today. It was nice to get moving again.

Good to hear the side effects weren't to serious.

Enjoy your daily walks...you sure have a nice route to/from work.

The view is great, and it makes a great motivator. I've been two for two this week, and I'm walking today, too. I could tell my body was trying to find itself yesterday, with some success, in getting long-dormant muscles to wake up and start to engage. I was able to turn my brain off, too, like I do when I run sometimes. That internal quiet ... ah. So nice.

how's the Boy Wonder?

ounce wrote:how's the Boy Wonder?

Doing fine. Walking a lot around campus. Getting ready for finals. Fun! 

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:how's the Boy Wonder?

Doing fine. Walking a lot around campus. Getting ready for finals. Fun! 

Good to hear he's still walking.  Is he enjoying his independence?  Cooking healthy?

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:how's the Boy Wonder?

Doing fine. Walking a lot around campus. Getting ready for finals. Fun! 

Good to hear he's still walking.  Is he enjoying his independence?  Cooking healthy?

He was eating pretty healthy, though mostly through the dorm food service. He seemed to enjoy his independence, and he wants to go back to the dorms next year, though he's trying to see if he can get somebody to go in with on an apartment.

We picked him up earlier this month once he was done with finals. He had a really good term, despite a ridiculous course load - five As, one B+. Impressive!

Back home, I gave up my home office again, but the cats are happy. (We're happy to have him, too, of course...)

My walking got interrupted last week after I got a weird bug for a few days. Feeling better now, though.

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:how's the Boy Wonder?

Doing fine. Walking a lot around campus. Getting ready for finals. Fun! 

Good to hear he's still walking.  Is he enjoying his independence?  Cooking healthy?

He was eating pretty healthy, though mostly through the dorm food service. He seemed to enjoy his independence, and he wants to go back to the dorms next year, though he's trying to see if he can get somebody to go in with on an apartment.

We picked him up earlier this month once he was done with finals. He had a really good term, despite a ridiculous course load - five As, one B+. Impressive!

Back home, I gave up my home office again, but the cats are happy. (We're happy to have him, too, of course...)

My walking got interrupted last week after I got a weird bug for a few days. Feeling better now, though.

So the bug has settled in for the Summer?

And what's up with that boy?  He ruined a 3.0 GPA for the semester with 5 A's.  Kids these days.

ounce wrote:

Mark B wrote:

nkrichards wrote:

Mark B wrote:

ounce wrote:how's the Boy Wonder?

Doing fine. Walking a lot around campus. Getting ready for finals. Fun! 

Good to hear he's still walking.  Is he enjoying his independence?  Cooking healthy?

He was eating pretty healthy, though mostly through the dorm food service. He seemed to enjoy his independence, and he wants to go back to the dorms next year, though he's trying to see if he can get somebody to go in with on an apartment.

We picked him up earlier this month once he was done with finals. He had a really good term, despite a ridiculous course load - five As, one B+. Impressive!

Back home, I gave up my home office again, but the cats are happy. (We're happy to have him, too, of course...)

My walking got interrupted last week after I got a weird bug for a few days. Feeling better now, though.

So the bug has settled in for the Summer?

And what's up with that boy?  He ruined a 3.0 GPA for the semester with 5 A's.  Kids these days.

The bug has been giving my guts some issues since last week, but I'm hoping that things are finally settling down. Kind of annoying.

And I know, right? He takes a ridiculously high class load and has his best grades yet? Kid's a glutton for punishment. Must take after his parents.