I’ve been out-of-town for a week and had a great time with friends.

I also got to go visit the city I love and hang out with Kara even if I didn’t take any pictures.  But trust me the food was so cool and amazing and the company was even better.  Even my long day in Boston for meetings and computer surgery was great because I got to spend time with some good friends from seminary.  Sorry no pictures because I was too busy having fun.



But somehow I can’t help but think after this trip something is missing.  Here’s a picture that might help you figure out what…

After a great run today.

Any guesses?  Look closely and I’m sure you’ll see what only took me seconds to see.  Nope it’s not the nasty sweat marks around my brace on my cool new Under Armour shirt.  Nor is it the fact that my hair won’t stay back and makes me look like a rooster.  Perhaps a comparison shot will help…

My first 5K post surgery.

Notice the difference.  Not the race number or do-rag.  THE WATCH!  More specifically my Polar F6 Heart Rate Monitor Watch in pink.  It is the heart and soul of my workouts letting me know if my ticker is pumping hard enough to get a great workout and how many calories I burn during said workout.  That pretty pink beauty did not make the trip back to Massachusetts with us.



You see we had to leave at 6am to make the 3.5 hour drive from NY to Boston on Thursday morning for another meeting and my little friend got left on the sink where I took it off the night before from working out.    I never forget things and this trip I forgot two (I also forgot to pack a tie for Hunni for this week). I’m losing my packing skills apparently.



Good news is that the hotel will overnight it to me by FedEx.  Bad news is I have to wait until Monday when the secretary will be in to ship it.  So until then my wrist feels a bit naked when I run.  I’ve gotten so used to having the feedback my HRM gives me for each workout that without it I am so confused.  How many calories did I burn, how long exactly was the time of my run, how many calories did I burn for the week.  All unknowns to me at this point.  Sure the treadmill works with my HRM but it’s just not the same.  I seem to have an unnatural attachment to that little pink watch.



But I must admit I am kind of bummed that the hotel found it.  You see as I tore apart my house and luggage looking for my watch today before the gym I had a dream.  A dream involving number 90 of my 101 in 1001 days.  I was picturing buying a Garmin Forerunner to replace my “lost” HRM.  The chest strap is no good without the watch and the cost difference wasn’t too bad.  But to be fiscally responsible I called the hotel and felt a mix of relief and sorrow when they said they had my watch.  I guess my Garmin will have to wait for a later date.  First I need to pay for race entry fees and padded bike shorts for the summer.  But Garmin shall be mine eventually.



So until my watch arrives on Tuesday I’ll be guessing at my calories burned and trying to believe the HRM on the treadmill.  But like Gloria Gaynor I will survive at least for a few days.  And I will jump for joy when the FedEx man arrives on Tuesday.  I may even jump into his arms…okay maybe not but I’ll be pretty happy.  Then it will be back to business as usual.



What can’t you live without for exercise?

How about checking out :

From Zero to SixtyI challenged myself maintain workouts through November and December by putting my money where my mouth is. I’ll be frank…I knew something would give ... Happy Candy Day!My adult candy tastes are a bit different than my youth. We handed out a ton of candy on October 28th at our church ... Prepping for the Day1. Outfit selection: Meetings or job for day. Plan accordingly. Saves morning rifling through closet, matching accessories, and leaving a pile of clothes on ... Working Out with FriendsWhen asked, I’d say I prefer working out alone. It was hard to mesh schedule with friends so I learned to workout alone. My ...