Cross training with Curb-Found Treasure!

So yesterday was my rest day.  Unfortunately I am finding that I really don't like having days of no exercise.  Maybe it's because I am staring at calories on my phone whenever I eat, or maybe it is simply knowing I'm not doing anything - but either way I have become one of those people who is driven batty by doing no exercising. I also feel bleh if I do NOTHING.

[caption id="attachment_1420" align="alignleft" width="270" caption="My Daughter Demonstrating our Elliptical"][/caption]

Last night I ended up staying late due to its being a board meeting night, and was headed out not to long after - due to it being cub-scout night.  I decided to tackle the elliptical for a simple 20 minute window.  Now there is a short background story on this elliptical.  I have a tendency to notice when my neighbors put big things out on garbage day, and also to consider whether or not it should have a place in my house. (My wife insists these things must take place after dark however..)  Well, we lost some fantastic neighbors about a month ago and in the process of their moving out some things appeared at the curb.  A never-before-used elliptical was too good to pass up.  This treasure still had the plastic covering over the display!  Now it isn't a high-end elliptical, but I thought it would be a fantastic tool to see if a good one was something my wife and I should pick up.  This one has multiple reviews on walmart.com, that mostly point out it has a short stride length.  As my wife is only 5' tall, this isn't a bad thing!

End of last week and week end in review!

So this has been a wonderful weekend (yes, I know it's now Tuesday.. I've been busy!!!)  As I mentioned in my last posting - my brother-in-law was in town up until friday morning.  Ignoring their very existence, I started thursday with a 5 mile run outside in the BEAUTIFUL 55 degree weather.  (Mile 1: 8:19, Mile 2: 8:24, Mile 3: 8:28, Mile 4: 8:46, Mile 5:7:55.) I made up for my solitary run - by bringing both families up to  Tunkhannock Falls in Ithaca, NY.  We had a nice picnic lunch, and then headed up the trail to the falls.

As usual, I had someone stop me and ask me about my Vibram FiveFingers - don't get these if you don't like talking to random strangers!  I shared with her the wonder that is the VFFs, and she told me the "upper rim" trail was fantastic to run -about a 4 mile loop.  I thanked her for that information, and it is added on my "to-do" list this

[caption id="attachment_1347" align="alignright" width="300" caption="The Family at the lowerfalls - at Tunkhannock Falls"][/caption]

summer for sure!  I really want to get into more trail running. 

The kids (both theirs and ours) were definitely impressed by the falls - and how could you not be?  Even the little ones at the beginning of the trail are gorgeous to watch/listen too.

When my niece/nephew come back in the summer we promised they could play in the water.

Ran 5 Miles... In a dashing new blue coat.

After my wonderful day of rest - I headed out last night to do a run between 3 and 5 miles.   Like many runners, this almost always means that the 5 mile mark was the goal! (Well, except after a day of drinking.. then it is going to be the lower number).  I was bound and determined to NOT do it in 8 minutes/mile, as I felt I had been abusing my poor under-used muscles enough!