Week...Weekend Update

Ok, so it was a hectic week with some highs and lows...here goes. I had to work out of town for a few days last week. I was sad to leave my family, but excited about working out in the hotel gym, catching up on some sleep and networking with work peeps. Networking, check. Workouts, um not so much. Sleep? Somehow less than when I am at home?! I was gone most of Tuesday through Thursday and back at work Friday felt like trying to squeeze in Tuesday-Thursday into one day. Amazingly stress-FULL, but rewarding. I haven't been putting in many extra hours in my new temporary position, but plugging in just 1 extra hour really made me feel committed and thankfully, productive too.

After a long week (for my hubby alone with the kids) I had a mini vacation planned for Saturday, thanks for taking one for the team honey. A girlfriend I played basketball with high school and in college was sorority sisters with, with invited me to a wine tasting weekend in Napa. Then Sunday I enjoyed becoming a member of our local zoo and hanging out with my family and other not so wild animals. Saturday there were about 18 of us and about half were sorority sisters. No we were not a winery's worst nightmare, there was enough going on at each winery that we didn't look like a large party of drunk women. I must say Napa/Healdsburg knows how to host an event. For $20 we tasted all we wanted, ate gourmet polenta, breads, cheeses, tapenade, grass fed beef stew, vegetable rice pilaf, perfectly prepared rib-eye steak, chili, chocolate and the list goes on. No need for lunch on this wine tour, the wineries definitely had those bases covered.

We stayed with a sister's parents who after a lovely day of wine barrel tasting, had a long table set in their backyard and dinner ready when we arrived. Fresh Guacamole, Salsa Verde, Ribs, Carne Asada, Chicken, Rice, Beans, Chips, Salsa, barbecued mushroom caps, salted meats ante pasta style and more open bottles of wine than I can count. It was scene straight out of a movie. Good times, Good times. I got an amazing nights sleep that night, like 12 hours. Wow did I need a catch up day. On this trip I discovered new grape varietals, the joys of white chocolate and expanded my list of favorite cheeses. Comte is now on the list and Mt. Tam Triple cream has worked its way up the list from top 5 to top 3. White chocolate is great, but I enjoy it for what it is, not what it claims to be. White chocolate I maintain is not really chocolate, it is just something delicious with a shared name. I bought a few really nice bottles and I look forward to enjoying them over the next couple of years. Like me, wine is something that gets better with age. Wine, Cheese and Chocolate are expensive things to enjoy...so are swimming, biking and running, just check the registration fees, clothing and necessary accessories and equipment.

On the subject of athletics I picked up my new Delta Tri Club technical shirt, visor and pull over sweatshirt. I also got the new running skirt/capri combo and tri swim suit from skirtsports I ordered last week. I picked up my DTC stuff at a swim workout I was not participating in...I should be doing Master's swim as part of my weekly routine. I need to spend more time training in general, I have literally not run a single step since the 8K over a week ago, ok wait I did a 5 minute warm up with my personal trainer last week. I am severely undertrained for this weekends trail 1/2 marathon. It is on beautiful trails so I figure a 13.1 mile hike, should I have to walk the entire thing, is still a nice way to spend a Sunday. I am hoping to run at least half of the run, maybe not all at once, but overall. I have been so busy I still haven't gotten fitted for a Tri bike or bought a bike trainer. Good news is a good bike trainer is on sale at the bike shop across the street from my personal trainer. I went there tonight, but they were already closed. I have a personal trainer appt. tomorrow early enough that I can hit the bike shop after, kid free and hopefully motivated to get on track. I keep talking the talk, but need to step up walking the walk.

Ok, I feel like this post is long enough so Swim, Bike, Run....EAT, DRINK and have fun!