<p>DadII: Congratulations. Be patient. It’s frustrating when the weight loss slows, but slow and steady is good when it comes to weight loss.</p>
<p>MOWC: Your streak is amazing! </p>
<p>Good week for me–trained each day. Spinning yesterday and power class (weights) today. Plan on hiking with two friends on Saturday. IDad: You’re right to go hiking today. My friends and I are going to try and do one of the less-traveled trails on Mt. Monadnock, but weather may not cooperate. Hurricane is supposed to be coming up the coast.</p>
<p>Have you picked out the trails yet? I almost went back to Monadnock today, but I just didn’t have it in me. That hike kicked my butt, in part because I really wasn’t expecting it to be as steep as it was.</p>
<p>Today’s hike was fantastic! Too bad I can’t post any photos. 5.5 miles. I did it last time in 5 hours 19 minutes. Today was 4 hours 44 minutes. I did the reverse direction with the steepest bits on the climb up this time. Some good rock scrambling.</p>
<p>Felt really good up and down. These moderate hikes are right in my wheelhouse now. The first time I did this loop I was really hurtin’ by the time I made it back to the car. Much better today. </p>
<p>Sprained ankle just waiting to happen with the rocks and roots on the trail buried in a layer of leaves. Fortunately, I managed to stay upright. No twisted ankles, but the leaves do make the rocks slippery. This was the hike that made me go get hiking boots. Much easier with some real footwear instead of trail runners. I was “chicked” by a young woman going up Monadnock last week in Vibram 5-Fingers. Yikes. Better her than me! Between the sharp rocks and the mud, that can’t be pleasant.</p>
<p>The cooler weather is a big help on the uphill climbs, plus I’ve learned how to slow it down and pace myself. My peak heart rate today was only 84% of my max. </p>
<p>It was in the low 50s when I started out. Not a cloud in the sky. I started out in a short sleeve shirt under my new [Nike</a> running long sleeve](<a href=“http://a1.zassets.com/images/z/1/8/6/9/0/5/1869055-p-4x.jpg]Nike”>http://a1.zassets.com/images/z/1/8/6/9/0/5/1869055-p-4x.jpg). I don’t know how these would be for running, but they are perfect for hiking. They are like a brushed heather cotton t-shirt material, but 100% polyester. Very soft, with a little warmth. About half way up when it started to get steep, I took the long sleeve 1/2 zip off and hiked in short sleeves. Once I reached the first summit, I put it back on and wore it for the rest of the day – the down hill is not so sweaty!</p>
<p>Cool, idad, can’t wait for your YouTube slide show with hike photos. Re: Nike shirt. That shirt would be too hot for me to wear for running, but it does look like a great hiking shirt.</p>
<p>Ran 4 miles on the hotel’s dreadmill, which was a newer LifeFitness machine, so it was not so bad. Skipped pretty much every carb for breakfast except the fruit.</p>
<p>On my last run, since it was 45 degrees outside and the rain had just stopped and looked like it might start again at any time, I made use of a cute new water resistant hoodie. It was nice and snuggly, a touch on the warm side. When I started out I thought I might roast, but really it was pretty comfortable.</p>
<p>I have a jacket that’s good for that temp but not when it rains. It gets very soggy. Not ideal, lol.</p>
<p>Just a quick comment. I’m on the West Coast, and I realize communication styles frequently differ in different parts of the country, as well as from person to person. If I pay you a compliment I’m probably actually paying you a compliment.</p>
<p>I’m struggling this week (not surprising). Those mornings are just so dark… I got out (finally) for 2 miles this morning. I’m headed for about a 27 mile week instead of 40, which is fine for the week after a marathon, but it feels strange. I just don’t have any motivation except to keep the Stupid Streak going. Worrying about my daughter (and glad it isn’t me) heading to DC for her goal marathon- Marine Corps. I hope the storm waits until they are finished. (thank you, God, that my race happened last weekend…)</p>
<p>Went to a great fashion show/women’s event at our local Fleet Feet last night. This store is very involved in the community and does a lot. There is a group of women called Black Girls Run and they were well represented last night and served as models for some of the clothing. It was awesome, because these were REAL bodies and showed that the athletic clothes can work on larger women with, um, booties. These ladies were ROCKING the clothes! We got some discounts and champagne/cranberry juice and sweets. It was fun.</p>
<p>MOfWC, that’s really cool - real people modeling athletic clothes, not the skinny twiggis featured in online pictures. I’d love to see that kind of a fashioin show. Good luck to your D, hopefully, the weather will treat her kindly.</p>
<p>Back at home, finally. The weather sucks, to say the least, so it looks like it will be another treadmill run for me tonight.</p>
<p>Speaking of damage to the wallet, I need to shop for new running bras, since a couple of my favorite Shock Absorbers simply fell apart. Those were the original ones, peddled by Anna-what’s-her-last-name-tennis-player, purchased at Victoria’s Secret, so I did get my money’s worth.</p>
<p>My daughter does her athletic clothing shopping at lululemon in Philadelphia. The store has a practice of partnering with area fitness centers and gyms to model new clothing on lululemon’s local store websites. My daughter, who is a personal trainer and spinning instructor, was asked to model a new line of clothing. I told her that when lululemon comes out with a new line for men, she and I could do a father-daughter lululemon modeling session to cut across generational boundaries and her only response was “Eww”. :)</p>
<p>BB, just be comfortable with your own body. If you’re healthy, quit worrying about who’s slimmer than you. You can make insinuations all you like, but that won’t make you more comfortable in your own skin.</p>
<p>Deborah, I’m more than comfortable in my body, thank you, which by American standards is considered an XS (M-L in Europe and quite possibly in Asia). Sorry that my message did not come across as intended. This is a product designed for masses, not the 1-percenters of fashion (think Gucci etc. wearers). The bra in the picture comes in all sizes, XS to XL (size 16). I am 100% positive that the cute, skinny teen in XS shown in the picture is not reperesentative of the average buyer, so thank goodness for the fashion shows like the one mentioned by MOfWC.</p>
<p>Michael- Lulu has great men’s clothing, too ($$$$). My husband likes it a lot, which is great for me since I can get away with more time in the store!</p>
5.5 miles. I did it last time in 5 hours 19 minutes. Today was 4 hours 44 minutes. I did the reverse direction with the steepest bits on the climb up this time. Some good rock scrambling.</p>
Overrepresented in marketing, no doubt.</p>
I was talking about those twiggy-style models with no real muscles who cannot lift a 3-lb dumbbell. 
Not a perfect example, but close enough: [Someone</a> please feed her!!!](<a href=“![http://a1.zassets.com/images/z/1/8/6/9/0/5/1869055-p-4x.jpg]Nike](http://a1.zassets.com/images/z/1/8/6/9/0/5/1869055-p-4x.jpg%5DNike){kind=link}
![http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91dqrq30M3L._SL1500_.jpg]crazy](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/91dqrq30M3L._SL1500_.jpg%5Dcrazy){kind=link}
