Progress is not linear, but hard work is cumulative: May recap

May 2020 in review

Total running mileage for the month:  47.5

• April 27-May 3:  0.75
• May 4-10:  3.2
• May 11-17:  0.75
• May 18-24: 17.7
• May 25-31: 25.3

I have been updating this post on progress/lack of progress with my hip.

Total biking mileage for the month:  1068.6 - monthly bike mileage PR, despite a low final week

• April 27-May 3:  258 
• May 4-10:  320.4 
• May 11-17:  286.6 
• May 18-24: 250.5
• May 25-31: 90.1 - I learned the meaning of the phrase "saddle sore" this week

Homeschool life

Workouts:
Biking:  Lots of Peloton classes on the spin bike!
Strength Training/PT Exercises:  1:27, 1:42, 1:51, 1:27, 1:18
Yoga:  1:00, 1:00, 1:00, 1:00, 1:40 - in general 3 x 20 minute classes is my happy place here!
Long Runs:  My long run is currently 5 miles...

Am I doing this bike by something photo thing right?

Long Rides:

• May 2 - 52.1 miles, which I tried to follow up with 40 miles on May 3, but due to a major thunderstorm settled for 37.
• May 10 - 50.2 miles
• May 16 - 60.2 miles, including riding through a lot of standing and slightly moving water on the roads!  It rained all week, including storms right before and after this ride, and everything was flooded.  I only got sprinkled on for a few minutes during the ride, yet finished soaked due to riding through so much water.  Also a good way to smell terrible!  This was the longest I'd biked in a long time, and the farthest I've ever gone solo at that point - I did the Gorilla Metric Century (100K/62.2 miles) in 2007 and the MS 150 (100 miles Saturday + 50 miles Sunday) in 2002. Those were both group rides and I didn't really train for them, so I think the only way I made that 100 miles was because we stopped every 10 miles at a rest stop and it took FOREVER, and I'm very stubborn about stuff like that.  I definitely remember wanting to get in the SAG vehicle very, very badly though!
• May 17 - 50.3 miles, for a double long ride weekend.  I felt really strong on the bike this weekend and had no limits on my time because I was home alone!
• May 23 - 73.2 miles for the second farthest I've ever biked (the farthest solo).  I did 41 miles on my road bike, but my handlebars that had been needing tightening came completely loose around 36 (I didn't have the correct size hex wrench to tighten them).  I made it back home being very careful, then hopped on the spin bike planning at least 29 more.  I ended up doing 32 more!  Conveniently enough, my parents were en route to visit and the previous day I'd asked my dad to bring his hex wrench set, so my bike was back in commission that afternoon.  May 24 I ran/walked 4 then rode 40, and I was feeling the 73!

See how I made the 1st day of 6th grade
sign into the last day of 6th grade? Hah!
Also note mowing clothes, unbrushed hair, etc.

The pajamas on the couch shot was her idea

Running/Fitness Highlights:

• You can read the recent hip issue updates here.  I am back to running a little bit!
• I tried to do a long ride on Saturday, May 9 but my gear shifters went out and I headed home on what was effectively a single speed bike at that point.  The same thing had happened about a month before, and the bike shop told me that next time it happened I'd need new gear shifters, which run about $350 for my road bike.  Since I'm *hoping* to return to real running soon, I was also hoping the shifters would make it until then, because if past behavior is any predictor, I won't touch my road bike once I'm full-fledged running training.  I took my bike into the shop that day, but they couldn't fix it for a week and a half, and I really didn't want to leave it there and give up riding outside for that long.  The guy at the shop told me I might try using Tri-Flow on it, so after a trip to Ace Hardware and 15 minutes spent watching YouTube videos, I temporarily fixed my own gear shifters!  I'm not mechanical at all, so I was really proud of myself - even more than when I put my bike's chain back on myself during a ride last month (this reoccured on May 17).  Then I got to ride long on Sunday, May 10!  And, yes, I do know that if I'd have bought the new gear shifters I'd have immediately been able to run full time that same day, hah.

Life Highlights:

• The world, including my job, began re-opening.  In May I worked partially on-site and partially from home.
• On Mother's Day I drove Albani to my in-laws' to spend 2 weeks at Camp Grandparent before her YMCA summer camp began on May 26.
• Albani finished 6th grade remotely on May 22.
• We had an awesome broccoli and cauliflower crop.  Our spinach didn't do so well this year.
• My parents came to visit over Memorial Day weekend.  We mainly stayed at home, but we did a drive-through animal safari that ended up being really fun.  Luckily Albani left with all of her fingers intact!

Many, many hours of stitching went into this!

Many, many hours were spent with these two

My mom sent me awesome fruit for Mother's Day

When a cat actually uses something that was purchased for them

We harvested this much broccoli every 2-3 days
for a few weeks!

Bandit chilling by some berry blooms

Bandit helping with smashing the garden

One cauliflower harvest, with roller for size perspective!

When a cat actually uses something that was purchased
for them, part 2 (or, Deep Thoughts with Nugget)

Cauliflower harvest!

Monopoly with Grandma

The walk through part of the animal safari

They aren't kidding when they say the animals stick their
heads in your car windows!

Nugget loves his grandparents

Books this month:

• Before I Let You Go by Kelly Rimmer
• Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
• The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
• Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
• Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
• Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris
• 84K by Claire North
• After Us by Amber Hart
• Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
• The Identicals by Elin Hilderbrand
• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen
• The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
• The Cactus by Sarah Haywood

Note:  It turns out that beating my 100 books for the year goal is not going to be very challenging!

Theme for the month:  
Umm.........