A week and half of out of town work outs....

So, I started my new job and I went to Seattle for the last week and half for training. I found out I was staying at the Clarion which was fine with me because it had a lap pool....
Until, I got there and found out that they took the pool out What!???? So, they could make a dinning area for the cont. breakfast. Oh well, so I don't pack a suit next time or my buoy.
Then I get to the fitness center and they had reduced it and gotten rid of the weights machine! Double jeop. So, I make amends and switch off static exercises (Thanks Ben) in my room with alt. running on a tread mill and elliptical and reclined (yuck) bike.
I was lucky that the staff opened the gym for me anytime I wanted it. It was not supposed to open until 6am but, I had meetings early and it took too much time to dress and clean up before having to drive to the office in a town I'm not familiar with.
All in all I did good. I only overslept 1 day and made that up in the evening with a brick workout. The staff always looked at me oddly in the am and between night to day shift I think they thought I was crazy. I only had one person ask about my M-Dot necklace and as I was talking to them about ironman and it's components you could see the look of horror, wonder and Thank Goodness I'm not as stupid as you for doing that on their face. It, was hilarious.
For whatever reason the last treadmill run was good but, when I went to get in the car my hip/ lower back went out (Damn) So, I had to take it easy for a couple days before flying home that Friday (the 21st).
When I went back Sunday I was fine to run Monday but, am a little tender. Jay had a 40Th birthday while I was gone and thanks to a few friend Steve A. and Michael B. aka C Bear. Jay had a few birthday congrats sent to him. Thanks guys. And I texted Jay throughout the day 40 in all to keep his spirits up. Came home Wed. and crashed hard that night I had intended on going to the annual Turkey Trot at Monito Park but, I fell back to sleep after I turned off my alarm. So, I missed it! I am really not happy about that because it's the first one I've missed in 6 years. My trainer was counting on me being there and I was not. In a way it was good because I woke up with a cold today Black Friday so I think all the flying just wore me out.
Oh, well....
Hope you all had a great turkey day I did. I made a low carb turkey day dinner and dessert. My mom came to spend the day with us. Jay worked that day but, got home early for a change and we had a great dinner. I love celebrating the way we do, we have a prayer of thanks then as dinner goes someone speaks up and talks about what they are thankful for and then the whole table goes round and adds in their feelings of thankfulness. It's one of those real fun things we do. It warms your heart and can bring back floods of memories fun and happy times, remembering those who are no longer with us and those we no longer communicate with but, remember in our hearts.
It usually ends up in a laugh fest and with my mom it seems to always be at Ryan's expense he spends a lot of time blushing and laughing though and we all get in on it including Ryan.
We Start Evenings and Mornings with Martin this Thursday! I can't wait or maybe I can the first ones really kick butt, then they just get harder. But, the payback is ten fold and the reward is coffee later and usually breakfast (my most favorite meal of the day). that happens on Sundays I'm not sure what the evenings will bring other than a totally spent body ready for hard sleep.
Well, I am going to sign off with this. I am thankful for the ability to be home with my family, the health we have, a roof over our heads, the heat to keep us warm, running water to bath in and freedom to talk how I like, go where and when I feel like, the opportunity to express myself without persecution, the feeling of safety and security no matter the time of day, the blessing of electricity to read any book I like, The love of my family and my canine companions, the ability to move and enjoy the great adventers of life.
I hope you all can reflect on the things you're happy for. I challenge you this we do this every other year. All of us write down what we are thank full for on that Thanksgiving Day, What we look forward to in the next two years. Then we seal them up and put them away and we open them and one person whose name is drawn reads the letters after dinner so we can all reflect on what we have done and see where we are for that time. It's fun, we used to do it each year but, it became status quo so we changed it up and I can't wait till next years!
Till next time
Michelle