Dates: 11/21/22 – 11/27/22
Training Week: 3?
Miles: 14.5 walking

Commentary: On Monday the cat and I went for our morning walk not long after I got up. It became our ritual during this trip, and I enjoyed it a lot. Watching her follow me is just too cute. Then we hit the road, and headed to St. George. Being us, we took the long way through Zion National Park. Even though the place was a zoo, we stopped at the visitor center so I could buy a magnet.

Our friends in St. George are more like family, and finally arriving at their house felt so good. Sharon loves to walk, and we went for an afternoon “stroll” before dinner. She walks so fast that it almost felt like jogging would have been easier on me, which is why I love walking with her. Even though we kept a fast pace, my purple toe didn’t bother me too much.

As I was putting on my socks Tuesday morning, I noticed how much bigger the purple toe was compared to its left counterpart. The size difference worried me a wee, so I turned to Dr. Interwebs for advice. The condition of my purple toe is formally known as subungual hematoma. Medical treatment should be sought if symptoms are intense or last more than a couple of days.

Since I have been avoiding strength training and running due to my purple toe, I finally went to urgent care on Tuesday afternoon. The doc took this hot needle tool thing and carefully poked a hole in my toenail. The darn thing was so swollen the needle never even hit the nailbed, and I didn’t feel a thing. A bunch of fluid oozed out the toe instantly felt better. Doc said with the fluid relieved there’s even a chance the toenail will reattach and I won’t lose it! Hot dog!

Wednesday morning I finally managed to do a strength workout. It felt good to get back into it. Then my friend and I picked up our packets for the Gobbler 5k, which happened to be at a running store. ‘Tis the time of year for sales, so I bought a new pair of Lone Peaks for 20% off! Afterwards her and I did some laps around the shopping center to get some steps in.

One of the reasons I love my friend is she is active, so when we visit she doesn’t let me be a slug all day. She and I are also strangely alike. So much so that I consider her a sister. It’s pretty wonderful.

We all got up early on Thanksgiving to get to the Gobbler 5k on time. It was a chilly morning, and my feet were frozen by the time we started. My friend doesn’t run, so we walked the 5k, which was fine by me. That evening we did as most Americans across the country did – we stuffed our faces. Friends, family, food, and feasting, what more could I ask for?

Friday was another lazy day except for a 4.5-mile walk. We also stuffed our faces again because leftovers. I absolutely adore my friends, so come Saturday it was so hard to leave. They also know how busy I usually am, so they went out of their way to make sure I had a relaxing week. I got choked up a bit when I hugged and thanked Sharon for letting me be a slug on their couch most of the week. Also, it was snowing in Idaho Falls. After spending a week with blue skies and temps in the high 50s I had zero desire to see snow.

Since we weren’t in a hurry to leave, we didn’t hit the road until almost 4pm. We still managed to get home before midnight, but you want to know what didn’t happen before midnight? Getting in my 7,000 steps! I was 132 steps short when the clock struck 12 and my watch started on a whole new day. There goes my streak. Again. Sigh.

At 6:30am on Sunday I woke up startled, thinking it was Monday morning and I was going to be late for an online meeting. I quickly realized it was Sunday, but at that point, I was wide awake. I got myself out of bed and shoveled our driveway and sidewalk. Yes, I bitch about the snow a lot, but I really do love it, especially shoveling it. First of all, it’s a good workout. Second, it is immensely satisfying to see the concrete appear where snow once was. I know, I’m weird.

I spent the rest of the day doing odds and ends around the house. As usual, I intended to run or bike and do yoga, but I did not. I did get Christmas cards ordered though! And now to mentally prepare myself for going back to work tomorrow…

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