Productivity Despite It All (AKA Happy Memorial Day Weekend!)

Saturday, early AM, I didn't feel like heading out for my run, so I took E's car to be detailed to remove the colors sticking to the silver paint as a result of me oh-so-gracefully backing into not one, but two poles (one red, one yellow). It looks almost as good as new.

Finally, after much procrastination on the running front (including filing everything on my desk, laundry, and some work), I admitted that I didn't really want to run, so E and I fit in a 16.5 mile bike ride on our local trails, which left me quite sore. My plan to substitute an easy bike ride for my run ended up being a much better use of time with E (and a better workout) than I had planned.

Saturday evening, we rolled into Santa Cruz just as the crowds were leaving and enjoyed a delicious home-cooked meal at E2 and P's, including 4 of our plant's artichokes.

Sunday morning, E2 and I headed out to do a 10 mile run in the Forest of Nicene Marks. But, of course, our plans were complicated by the crowds from the Santa Cruz Blues Festival. So, eventually, we just parked at the beach and ran into town, into the park, and limited our actual distance in the forest to get in a 10 mile out-and-back. When we finished at noon, we were proud of ourselves -- it was the furthest either of us had run in quite a while, and it included more than a mile of elevation change. I think we'll both survive the half in a couple of weeks despite our general lazy approach to training.

When we finished our run, the sky was still overcast and grey -- it looked like it would be a pea-soup day. But, the weather surprised us and the fog dissolved into a bright blue. All four of us sat in the sun and enjoyed beverages and food on the deck at The Crow's Nest Grill. We must have spent almost 2 hours snacking, drinking, talking, and watching the waves crash on the sand in front of the cliffs while the boats, the volley-ball games, and the beachy folks went by. It was a perfectly Californian day.

The rest of the day was appropriately lazy, with nothing but grocery shopping for the week, cooking dinner, reading, and more laundry.

And today? Well, today, I had big plans -- a 9:30 AM yoga class. I woke at 8:15, dressed, enjoyed some coffee, and set out on the leisurely 1 mile walk to downtown. Unfortunately, at the intersection of the two main streets that define the east end of downtown, I realized that it was 1 mile to the *beginning* of downtown, but that I still had another 0.5 miles 'til the yoga studio. After waiting for an eternity for the walk sign, I sprinted the 0.56 miles but opened the door to an empty lobby with a clock reading 9:33. I listened for a moment and could hear the soothing voice of the instructor leading people through the flow. If I entered, I'd interrupt the class and the wonderful calm she had already established.

So, I walked home.

And, in keeping with the theme of the weekend, I'm now procrastinating on the yoga front. I could plan to go to a different class today, or I could do one of my DVDs. But, I've got some other good stuff on tap for today -- some work I owe some clients, a wine pick up at the wine store, a trip to good will, more laundry, and a pedicure and facial.

So, maybe, maybe if I *really* motivate, I'll fit in a yoga DVD before the trip to the spa. But, the great thing about this morning's mis-hap is that even if I don't, I already fit in 3 miles, including some unplanned speed work.

I hope you also fit in some relaxing (and oddly productive) procrastination on your holiday weekend as well.