A GOOD WEEKEND

I think everyone groans on a Sunday evening when it is time to think about Monday and going back to work. Mondays are hard no matter what but they are especially hard after you have a fantastic weekend!

No, we didn't go anywhere exotic or special. We just stayed around the house but it all started Friday evening with the local concert in the park and just spiraled into a fun weekend of laughter, good times and giggles with the girls.

Saturday I woke up with every intention of going for a run along the Ridge Loop of Death (the 7 mile trail right near my house). For the past month or two, I have been battling low iron stores. I am not anemic, but my iron is on the low and my ferritin (the thing that carries and distributes iron throughout your body) is severely low. A typical range is 18 to 150 ng/ml and my level is less than 5 right now. Yeah, that's pretty low and explains my total exhaustion these last few months. However, I have been battling it lately with two doses of iron daily (one liquid and one pill) and finally, after many weeks, I felt pretty strong on my run! I still get tired pretty easily, but my body felt strong when I woke up like I was ready to tackle the Ridge Loop of Death.

Leaving my house, nice and shady...

 

For this run, you start out on pavement (on my street), hit some trails, then a bike trail, then some sidewalk and then you cross a main street and start your way up a fire road that is a pretty killer hill. I am super excited to report that I ran from the bottom to the top without stopping! This is a huge accomplishment for me. Usually, I am running with TiggerT, Pigeon or even Mommy On the Run and chatting up a storm. Hmmm, perhaps not talking at all and focusing on moving up the hill is the secret!

 

Yup, ran that whole hill!

 

The rest of the trail is more fire road that is all dirt but very exposed (so HOT). You wind around Serrano in El Dorado Hills with some nice views of Folsom Lake on your right (or behind you) and some massive homes on your left.

 

That little line way out in the distance is the bike trail portion

 

About to head up hill again!

 

I ran up this second hill most of the way too. I was just feeling really strong in my legs and my lungs (finally! it has been too long!).

 

At one point you get dumped into Serrano by the golf course and you have to run on some street (past massive homes) until you find the trail head again. It was here that I decided to try and do a timer with my camera...

 

Um, yea the "2" on the camera means seconds, not minutes. Ooops!

 

That home over my left shoulder was just finished.

I thought it was going to be the golf club house. Nope, it is some one's mansion home.

 

Anyway the rest of the run was somewhat uneventful. I ran into a nice man who warned me about a rattlesnake being on the trail (you see them often here). I didn't see any turkeys (thank goodness) and I made it home in good time!

 

Stretching on my driveway

 

When I arrived home both the girls and Vans were up and done with breakfast. The Peanut and I had to get ready to drive down to Sacramento where we were getting our hair done at my old salon. The Peanut's hair was super long and I didn't want to take her to the Lollicuts place for kids because they just spray her hair with water and cut. She's been swimming a ton this summer and really needed a deep shampoo and condition.

 

She was awesome. She was a little nervous about sitting back in the chair but with me holding her hand, she did great.

 

Getting 2.5 inches off her hair!

 

ta-da! Shorter hair (so much easier)

 

She got some fro-yo for being so awesome.

 

After the beauty make-over session, we headed home. Vans had arranged to have a babysitter come over and watch the girls so that he and I could have a date night (with some friends) which involved wine tasting!

 

Wine tasting AND supporting the local

chapter of Canine Companion for Independence

 

First date night in 8 months!! Woo hoo!

 

Sunday I went for a shorter four mile run. I didn't feel quite as strong (too much wine?) but it felt good to get out. We also had some pool time as a family.

 

Big Sister showing Little Sister

how to be a good "swimmer"

 

We even did some errands. Vans had to go to REI to look at some stuff. The girls disappeared for a bit and when I went looking for them .... this is what I found ... I totally caught them in the act!

 

Big Sister tortures Little Sister

 

Overall all, I say it was a great weekend. It may seem like we did a lot or maybe not, but we were together and everyone was in a pretty happy mood most of the weekend. I love weekends like these!

I am going to try and run as much as I possibly can this month. Most of my runs may end up being the Ridge Loop of Death but I don't mind. I just hope I keep getting stronger!