MOWC, I would love to have a tandem to ride with my daughter. If we practiced enough and got good at the technique, the synergy would be phenomenal. Plus I wouldn’t have the daddy anxiety that I have when we are riding singles on the road. She may be 26 and an accomplished athlete, but I don’t think I’ll ever stop being over protective lol!
'Kodiak “protein packed power cakes” mix at our Target '- we love that stuff- I put in a little semisweet choc chips and it is wonderful. Got D2 hooked on it she found it also at target in NYC. We originally found it at Costco.
I dutifully mixed up two servings of SuperStarch protein in a stainless steel thermos for my hike. Drank the first half as I was getting out of the car and them promptly left the thermos in the car rather than sticking it in my backpack. I had gone just far enough when I discovered it that turning around and going back made no sense. So no second serving at the two hour mark of a four hour hike. Fortunately, I had salted almonds and copious water!
“My newest Hokas arrived today and are a blinding coral color- very cool! I guess they get to go for a walk tomorrow morning…”
Details, please! 
Sounds like an awesome purchase.
I discovered that the heat makes my feet swell so much, I need a shoe at least half size bigger than my current size 9 Hokas! So 6pm shopping is in the plans for tonight.
5 mile trail mostly walk, little run.
Idad, I’ll brag with you about our absolutely gorgeous Northern Michigan weather. This is why we live here. 75 and sunny, warm days, cool nights that you need a jacket to sit outside. The ever present Mosquitos are even cooperating.
We have a couple around here who are always on their tandem. I give her props, I know he is a crazy biker and she’s out there with him. Me, I’m a chicken on the pretty flat bike trail. My husband just got a carbon fiber mountain bike which he wants to ride all the time. Somehow I feel less nervous when he’s on the trails than on the road bike so I’m happy with this purchase.
Mosquitos don’t bother me. I slather up in 100% DEET. Made the mistake of setting the spray bottle on my rear bumper while I was rubbing it into my arms last week. The bottom of the spray bottle was wet with DEET and it blistered the paint on my car bumper.Oh well. I’m sure it’s perfectly safe on my skin…
Idad, human skin is an amazing organ. It can take a lot of beating, unlike car paint.
Ordered some men’s Hokas from 6pm. They (theoretically) should be wider than women’s. That’s what I do with Brooks Pures; the only thing is that I miss out on cool colors.
Hoka Clifton 2s.
Yeah. I don’t seem to have suffered any ill effects of slathering in DEET. I do like to wash it off as soon as possible…
I took a two-hour hike with friends this afternoon, and it was a glorious day for a hike. When we were done, we all checked our various devices (Fitbits and iPhones) and came up with four different numbers for how far we walked.
Everything I’ve read indicates that 100% DEET doesn’t work better, it just lasts longer.
So there’s probably no reason to use higher than 15-20% DEET unless you will be out for 10+ hours. I know it’s a relatively safe chemical, but I’d still rather use the smallest concentration necessary to do the job.
Clifton 2 - nice. I got me a couple of Huakas. Mr. B will go ballistic when he sees yet another box on the porch. He hates crushing the boxes from my online shopping efforts for recycling. 
Yeah, the hi-test DEET doesn’t work better, just holds up better and keeps working with hours of sweating. 100% DEET is very oily and tends to stay on the skin for a long time.
I’m typically out for 3 to 7 hours hiking, so longevity is definitely an issue. There are occasional times and places where I would literally get eaten alive without good insect repellent. I find that 100% DEET is reliably good for 4 hours of hiking. Longer than 4 hours and I usually need a booster spritz.
I think I got my first ever bug bite a couple weeks ago. Five hours since applying DEET, late in the afternoon in a boggy area. I literally had a swarm of mosquitos around me when I stopped. I got one bite on my leg. First time I’ve ever been bitten by a skeeter or by the dreaded black flies in the spring.
I use it pretty sparingly. A little goes a long way.
Happy 4th of July to all! Went out early this morning for a 4.75 mile walk. We’re off to a BBQ later today, so I wanted to try to burn off some calories ahead of time. Cool and cloudy here at the moment.
Humidity is picking up here again - late start this morning - a very unpleasant 5.5 miles. My legs felt good after yesterday, feeling more confident. I was having some serious “why am I doing this again” but think I’ve successfully banished those thoughts.
Enjoy the day, everyone! Happy 4th!
Had a nice run this morning (in my new Hokas) before it got hot. We’ll be walking to the fireworks tonight.
We are back - indoors for now too hot outside even in early morning. treadmill and bike slow 1.5 hours watching last tango in halifax.
12 miles, 8:35 pace. Felt good but a whole year older!! Turning 39 is not for wimps. 
Yes, 39 is the hardest year. That’s why we have to keep repeating it!
Happy birthday!