Spa Day, Snow Day

Spa Day....

Friday was crazy busy even though it's supposed to be my day off. It started with a 7:15 am Kinesis workout at 5 Focus. We worked on core strength and endurance. And man did I work!! I knew I was gonna be feelin' it later but it was good! I needed something like that to kick my butt into action and get the day going! The only downside was my trainer was up in arms about the state of the Democratic party and how Hilary should be nominated and how mean and nasty the Obama people were (news to me) and blah blah blah. I saw shirts for sale at the Ballard Farmers Market today that had a drawing of Barak Obama on them and the words "Come Together". I thought about buying and wearing one to my next session, but I was afraid she'd really work my butt off. Don't you just love politics?

After the workout, I headed back home for a quick breather and something to eat and then headed up to Capitol Hill for a Mayan Abdominal massage. I have been having tightness in my right side of the hip, on the abdomen near where one of the incisions was. I've always had trouble on that side with a kinked up psoas muscle, probably stemming from my scoliosis. When Laura has been stretching me, a lot of times my pelvis is torqued and it's possible that scarring is contributing to that. She recommended a therapist, Megan, who specializes in abdominal massage. Most of Megan's clients are dealing with fertility problems but she also deals with other problems of the pelvic area. So I thought I'd give it a shot and go for a free intro session.

We started off with an intake, and while my feet soaked in a warm herbal foot bath, I drank the most amazing herbal tea I've ever had! She blends it herself - she should sell it but she doesn't have time. Anyway, after that, I got prepped and on the table and she went to work on my back first. She managed to get it in line fairly fast (I look like I have two backs - a small and a large side) - her approach was to work on my tailbone. It was a bit painful at first but then it settled down nicely. After some great massage, in which I fantasized about peanut butter and jelly tortilla wraps (yeah, that tea was workin' good!), I flipped over and she worked the front. She was able to locate the troubled spots and work them down to a quiet roar. The whole massage was a little under two hours and I felt deeply relaxed. I have at least two, maybe three more sessions, and we'll see how my body responds to it. I wish I could have gone home and continued the relaxation but I had a client at 1 so I had to hurry home and make that PBJ wrap. It went well with a cold glass of soy milk. Yum!

I met my client at Greenlake and our lesson was in and out of the CC and in and out of the hail and rain. We had a good time and afterwards we went to the Derby Salon to get pedicures. She had mentioned she had an appointment and I asked about the place. I don't usually get pedicures unless I really can't get the mud out of my toes myself. In the end, I decided to go too and got my toenails painted clear, but painted nonetheless. They look so pretty! And clean too! Just in time for me to run in mud and snow the next day!

Snow Day...

Saturday Tracy, Chris, and Laura S. and I went to Cougar for a very short and sweet run. We got there about 7:30 and there was a good dusting of snow on the ground. It was a nice winter scene, except it's spring!

Tres Amigos ready to run

We set out from the Sky Country trailhead and headed to the north end of the park. Along the way we saw skunk cabbage poking through the snow and a regular winter scene.

looks like we're gonna have a cold winter - or summer?

As we climbed higher it got snowier and soon snow was coming down like it was December or January instead of late April. Weird weather indeed. The run was over too soon and we were back at the car.

all done for now

The Seattle Running Company van was parked next to my car and I couldn't resist getting this photo taken by Laura S.

Look - we match!

Soon we were back in the city and off to our separate lives. I didn't feel the least spent which was good since next up is Capitol Peak 55K - or 51.6K since it got shortened this year.

Winter continued to happen and in the worst of it, some of my neighbors and I completed our little project, hanging buckets to hold crossing flags at 38th and Stone and 36th and Stone. Geoff took photos (I don't have them) and we all got a big feel-good out of it. Our first customer came at 38th, pushing a baby stroller, while we set up the ones at 36th. Very cool! Next time you are in our neighborhood and need to cross Stone Way, use a flag! Thanks to Bastyr Clinic and Morgan's Plumbing for donating money and goods!

Now - will spring please show up before it's summer! Geez!