Welcome home! It sounds like a great trip.
Deb, welcome home! It sounds like you had a ton of fun! I guarantee that you will drop a few pounds in the coming week. Transatlantic flights wreck human bodies and make them retain water. I once “lost” almost 7 pounds in a couple if days! Unbelievable, but true.
Welcome back, deb922! So glad you had a great trip.
Michael, good news to hear the worst of the cramping did not recur.
Bunsen, that wind storm sounds a real fright! Thank goodness you caught a break and avoided the long power outage and damage. DD did not have problems but reiterated your comments about the wind.
Gertrude, I have had problems with my second and third toes. The new socks, the Balegas so highly recommended here, are thicker and the compression seems to keep my toes where they belong a little better than the cotton socks I’ve been using.
We have not had the wind, but we’re still waiting for the cool front to reach us–it’s raining now. Went out this morning for a slow run/jog and managed 6.5 miles. When I got home, I looked at the weather to find it was 84 degrees. Too sticky warm for this body! I am glad I was able to complete the distance. We had a great time at husband’s event the other night. Considering it was catered for thousands, the food was really outstanding, ranging from the light appetizers and salads of lobster kabobs, truffled beef, kale and collards, to the rich and delicious lamb, shrimp and grits, buttered and curried chicken, mixed beans; to desserts running the spectrum from fruit, miniature chocolate truffle bundts, to frozen Mickey ice cream bars. We took small portions and walked a ton–just happy with minimal guilt 
At the race expo last weekend they had a buy 3 get one free special on Balega. I got some more.
I would like to go to parties with PlantMom. Sounds incredible! Deb, I want to hear more about your trip.
I picked up my Thanksgiving turkey today. I can tell you it looks nothing like a Butterball. I think I need to read up on proper preparation techniques.
I’m glad everyone likes the Balegas so much! I can really tell a difference. My favorites!
Did anyone see this? Thoughts?
I bought more Balega for me and bought my kids each a pair - if they don’t like them, I’ll take them! (great stocking stuffers!!!)
OK, I’m sold! I need to order some Balegas ASAP!
Here’s my take on the shoe article - and I think it applies to all sorts of athletic gear. At the top of the price echelon, you are paying for the “latest and greatest” technology even though “yesterday’s” technology may be perfectly fine for your needs, particularly given how technological advances trickle down to lower price points as newer technology gets integrated into model lines. In the world of biking, for example, as the top component kits get newer technology, what had been the “newest” technology that it was designed with two years earlier gets integrated into the model a step below at a lower price point. So the lower price point stuff is really as good as the top price point stuff was 2 years earlier, which everyone raved about then. And the reality is that very often, you hit a point of diminishing returns where in terms of specs and metrics the newer stuff is “better” but in terms of actual field usage, who cares, the older stuff works just as well. What you also get at the top of the price range is often a lighter product and since we are all weight weenies, we know that if that shoe or helmet is lighter, it must be better and will enable us to perform better. Not. Again, point of diminishing returns. And finally, there’s style and color. Ya gotta pay if you want to be a fashionista with this year’s styles and colors and as we all know, it’s really all about being seen and looking cool ;).
In my world, I buy Campagnolo Record or Shimano Dura Ace components for my bikes, the top of those companies’ lines. Functionally, I’d be just as happy with Chorus or Ultegra. I buy $240 helmets that do not protect my head any better than a $35 helmet and while the $240 helmet is noticeably lighter, it’s not like the $35 helmet is a brick. I do it because I’m a techno weight weenie and I’ve convinced myself that there’s value to spending the extra bucks - and I get all my cycling stuff at 20% above dealer cost from my local bike shop :).
You summed that up so well. You can pay for latest and greatest but last year’s model is still likely pretty great as well.
Q: is this the largest/longest thread in CC history? I saw today it had, for me, 8.5k unread.
Happy reading :).
You’ve got some catching up to do, Lergnom! Don’t know if it’s largest/longest, but certainly my favorite!
If you could jump on a treadmill while you’re reading those 8.5k posts, that would be REALLY GOOD!!!
We welcome and enjoy all levels of D/E/W!!! We’re biased of course, but this group ROCKS!!!
What’s kinda cool is to pick some of your favorite posters who have been around for a long time and do a search for their posts. Reading what they’ve posted over the years, often from the very beginnings of their fitness journeries, can be very inspirational.
Only 8.5 out of 46.6? Not bad!!
Gertrude – yes, I have the LoseIt app. I used it pretty religiously for a while, but it, too, gets to be a pain, IMO. (I’m probably just lazy.)
BB – good news about the power! We put in a whole-house generator when we built the new house at the beach. We don’t necessarily lose power on a regular basis, but when it goes off (due to a storm or some such), it’s usually for several days.
sabaray – interesting article about running shoes. Am I the only one completely offended by this comment? “'What Skechers are doing great is that they don’t do the really high premium running shoes,” Andersen says. “They are the running shoe brand for moms.’”
Think I’ll run around the corner to my neighborhood running store to buy a trial pair of Balega socks!
Yesterday’s exercise included wrestling the pup into the car to go to the groomer. She’s only 28 pounds, but if measured in wriggle/pound, she’s off the charts! Oh, I also walked to my Book Club meeting last night!
That’s a ridiculous thing to write about Skechers since the top US runner wears and reps them! The article missed on that one.
There are several kinds of Balegas. I generally love ke the Comfort one (something like that) which is more cushioned, but also like the thinner ones.
That’s interesting. I never would have known that. I think of Skechers as a “play/pseudo fashion” brand, not a real athletic shoe. But what do I know.
I think of Skechers as Meb’s shoes! He would be surprised to know he’s a mom.
I have several pairs of the Balega “Hidden Comfort” socks as well as the “V-tech Enduro No Show”. Both are extremely comfortable.
Pilates mat this morning which was tough, but finished with foam rolling, which was great. Glad Friday is here.
I’m with PG - I never knew Sketchers to be a “real” athletic shoe.
I’m thrilled for Friday too! Really just want to call work a wrap after today and skip any work next week!