Hurricane Season
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Monthly Archives: September 2009
Picking Up the Pace
After flaking on my 6 mile run on Saturday due to rain, I made up for it on Sunday. A panic sudden realization about the fast approaching races on the horizon seemed to be exactly what I needed to kick my badunkadunk into gear. I set a goal for Sunday to finish under an hour and made my goal. :-)
6 miles
Time 1:00
Ave Pace 10:00
Also feeling a little unprepared for the races, Tiffany and I met this morning to run 3 miles. Since we’re trying to improve our pace, we tried to run a little faster. I’m really proud of our results. We are slowly improving.
3 miles
Time 29:50
Ave Pace 9:37
Tomorrow, Tiffany and I are planning to work on sprints. Our BFF Hal recommends 6 x 400. I have never done real sprint work, so this should be interesting. I typically try to finish the last quarter mile run strong or I’ll sprint for a quarter mile in the middle of my run. I’m curious to see how I perform for each individual lap according to my virtual coach, Garmin.
Thursday, I will do another 3 mile run and some strengthening exercises. Then, later in the morning, I’m heading to Anna Maria Island for our Second Annual Moms on the Go Mommy Getaway. I can’t wait to sneak away with 14 of the greatest mommy friends! I’m looking forward to some sunset runs along the beach and then kicking back with a few beer by the pool and on the beach. As long as I can keep from binge drinking I should be ready for early morning runs!
A Woman’s Work
Just for the record, I don’t do sad songs and I am not a crier.
Whenever I am feeling sad, under-weather or depressed, I listen to up-beat songs to lift my spirits. I select songs that empower me rather than cause me to wallow in self-pity. I swallow sad feelings and regurgitate happy thoughts.
But since there are themes to September’s Musical Monday selections, I am forced to pick a sad song and for me, there is simply no sadder song than Kate Bush’s A Woman’s Work. Her voice is as haunting as the lyrics in the song and moves me to my core. It twists my stomach and crushes my heart. Honestly, when I hear this song and attempt utter the lyrics I can’t help but do the ugly cry.
My emotional reaction to this song is caused by the images that are brought to mind from the film, She’s Having a Baby. I first heard this song back in 1989 as the music accompaniment to the scene where Kevin Bacon learns the news about his wife’s emergency c-section. The scene and the music broke my heart and for years, I couldn’t watch this scene without tearing up. Now, as a wife and a mom, I find myself crying even harder.
And as if it couldn’t get any worse, I found Kate Bush’s music video on You Tube. I don’t remember ever seeing this video back in the day. As if the sad movie scene wasn’t bad enough, I began bawling over a ridiculous melodramatic music video.
This song is a true heartbreaker. And yes, I’m PMSing, but that isn’t the point. The song is SAD. I swear.
Raining Buckets
These days, I am a glutton for punishment. Yesterday was the second Friday in a row that I chose to run in the late morning heat. Fortunately, a heavy overcast offered the occasional breeze but I still believe the heat and humidity made me delirious.
My run felt strong and my pace felt fast, but I swear, the heat caused me to hallucinate because I really didn’t perform any better than the day before as my virtual running coach Garmin would tell me later.
As I’ve already stated, the heat messed with my mind. After the first mile, I ran along a dead end street in my neighborhood. This little half mile road to nowhere follows along a cypress swap and is great for practicing sprints. As I started to sprint, I noticed something lying in the road, which looked like a person. In the distance, I could barely make out what appeared to be tennis shoes and a blue shirt and this collapsed person had his head propped up on the curb like a pillow.
I came to a dead halt about a tenth of a mile into my sprint. I had to help this person, but I was too scared to run down there alone to offer my assistance. I turned and ran back to the main boulevard to flag down a car. Cars ignored me, but then they probably thought, “It’s just that crazy dancing runner again.”
Then, I spotted a friend riding his bike and I called out to him.
“I need your help. Do you have a cell phone? There’s a person collapsed down there. ”
“Are you serious?” he replied. “Are you sure?”
“No, I’m too scared to run down there by myself.”
To humor a hysterical panicked woman, he rode to the end to investigate the situation. He circled around and reported his findings.
“It’s just a barrel of trash that has spilled.”
Like I said, the heat caused me to hallucinate.
3.10 miles
Time 30:29
Ave Pace 9:50
This morning, Tiffany and I were supposed to run 6 miles with the Striders today, but that never quite happened due to some nasty rain.
It really is raining buckets and barrels here.
One Nation Under God, Indivisible
Eight years ago, we were a nation divided. Bush served in the Oval Office and eight months after being sworn in, some Americans still resented his appointment to the presidency by the Supreme Court as they believed democracy had not been allowed to run its full course.
On September 11, 2001, President Bush read to second graders at Emma E. Booker Elementary, which appeared as an opportunity to push his own education agenda. Some educators resented his visit to this Sarasota school, but most Florida schools tuned in to the televised event and watched with respect.
Story time ended abruptly when White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card informed President Bush that a second plane had flown into the WTC.
Over the next few days, a nation divided became one again through a tragedy. We put aside our hate and bi-partisan politics as we watched the dust and rubble clear away and prayed for the families affected by the horrific events.
Eight years later, we’ve become a nation divided split by party lines once again, a divided nation full of hate on both sides of the aisle. Eight years later, we are a nation crumbling from within.
Today, as we remember the most terrifying events on American soil, let us also remember how we put aside our hate of a president and our fellow Americans and together found patriotism and unity through it all.
“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” – Abraham Lincoln
Hoop Day Hooplah
Yesterday, Wednesday, September 9, was no ordinary hump day due to World Hoop Day, a day that promotes healthy living while bringing joy to children impoverished places.
Taken from the World Hoop Day site:
Since 2006, World Hoop Day has been dedicated to bringing dance, exercise and toy hoops to under-privileged children living in extreme poverty and underdeveloped neighborhoods of our world. Founded by Annie O’Keeffe, her husband, Kevin, and friend Stefan Pildes, World Hoop Day is a not-for-profit organization that uses a community-based, grass roots approach to provide one-of-a-kind “hula” hoops. The durable, adult-sized hoops can be used their entire life as a simple and effective way to bring joy to an otherwise devastating situation.
Such a charitable act and fun pastime couldn’t slip by without the proper hoopla it deserves! Therefore, this week’s Five Minutes for Fitness focuses on hula hoops.
“Hooping”, a head-to-toe work-out that offers many great health and fitness benefits, tones and strengthens your waist, hips and knees while increasing your flexibility and fitness level. By hooping your arms or legs, you can also tone specific areas other than you waist and hips. With each swing of the hoop, you learn to develop and control the coordination of your body movement.
With the hooping trend circling the world, there seems to be a growing trend for weighted hoops, which are heavier than traditional toy hoops. Although according to Edward R. Laskowski, M.D., co-director of the Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine Center and a professor at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine,
There’s little research on the effects of weighted hula hoops. Any type of hula hooping can be an aerobic activity, especially if you’re able to hoop for 10 minutes or longer at a time. You can use weighted hula hoops or traditional hula hoops as part of an overall fitness program or simply as a fun way to burn calories or add variety to your workout routine.
B. Hopkins of the Associated Content states,
For an aerobic workout, keep the hoop spinning for three, ten minute sets. On average, fitness instructors state that hula hooping can burn up to 100 calories in ten minutes. A 30 minute hula hoop routine has also been equated to burn approximately the same amount of calories as a medium impact aerobic class.
Generally, a hoop weighing one to pounds about 32 to 45 in diameter is all that is necessary for this hip slimming hula hoop. Indoors or outdoors in good or bad weather, you can find time for this fun fitness and even ring the kids in on the fun. Plus, you have to love a work-out that doesn’t cost an arm or leg unless you choose to work those areas, of course. Then, delayed onset pain may be the price of your new fitness routine.
Getting Down to Bizniz
“Half Marathon training officially begins tomorrow. Bring it on,” read my running mommy friend’s status update on Facebook.
Her status update startled me like a loud buzzing alarm clock waking me from a sound sleep.
What the?! What half marathon?! Which half marathon is twelve weeks away?!
Is the Women’s half only 12 weeks away?
I opened my Outlook calendar to count the number of weeks until the Women’s Half on November 22. Counting this Sunday, the race is only 11 weeks away.
ELEVEN WEEKS!
Holy pacing, Batman! I need to get back into the game!
I thanked Laura for the reminder and the motivating update to help me focus and rev up my training again. I downloaded Hal Higdon’s Intermediate Half Marathon Training Plan, posted it on my fridge and e-mailed a copy to Tiffany with the subject line “we are so screwed” to prepare her as well. Considering that Tiffany and I ran 6 miles last Saturday albeit pathetic at best, we still attempted it and it starts us right where we should be according to my almighty Hal.
The upside to this sudden and urgent desire to get training again will also get me on track with the Longleaf Triathlon International Relay, which is only 6 weeks away. As the runner on the relay team, I need to finish a 10K in less than 50 minutes to place at least third according to last year’s stats. And for the simple fact that my team is relying on me, I need to pick up the pace for sure. Then, there’s also the Race for the Cure 10K in 3 weeks, which will provide me with an opportunity to determine how I will perform at Longleaf.
So this morning, I jumped out of bed at 6:00 a.m. to run 3 miles. No more lying in and complaining about time off from my injury, the dark, allergies, asthma, my DH’s new schedule or my kid’s school schedule! It’s time to get serious and down to bizniz! With that, I decided to run my “race pace” in the dark.
3.16 miles
Time 30:54
Ave Pace 9:47
Not exactly my race pace, but it’s an improvement from Monday’s run. I’ll run another 3 miles tomorrow morning and then, Tiffany and I will go for 6 miles again this Saturday with the Striders.
Old Timey Blogging
Laboring Strides
The three-day holiday weekend provided an extra day of working hard with my new Strider friends. On Saturday, Tiffany and I met the Striders and attempted 6 miles again this week, however, with too many weeks off between our 6 mile runs, this week’s attempt seemed to be the worst attempt yet.
6 miles
Time 1:17:45
Pace 12:57
Early Monday morning, we met our Strider friends once again for a short but yet, still pathetic 3 miles.
3.10 miles
Time 34:15
Pace 11:02
Prior to joining the Striders, several runner friends shared with me the benefits of belonging to running club and recommended that I find one. Now that I have found the Striders, I understand why. It’s not just about meeting other runners and looking for people to pace with. It’s about the support and the bonds you develop with each “stride”. It’s about the connections you make on and off the trails. It’s about the encouragement and praise for each achievement, big or small.
About 6 weeks ago, the Striders hosted a “Summer Stroll”, a potluck dinner event for the members and their families. Like typical Strider fashion, the food was fabulous although the company was even better. Also at this event, we recognized the July Birthdays and yours truly was serenaded and given her very own sweet treat, which I had to split three ways, of course. My girls enjoyed meeting my new running friends, but they loved the desserts even more.
My Fizzling Four
I read somewhere that it takes two weeks for every one week you miss of a work-out. Given that logic and the fact that I was out of play for 3 weeks due to some nasty bruised ribs, it will take me 6 weeks to catch back up to where I was before my spill and boy, does it ever feel like it will take me that long.
Last week, I seemed to be a bit better about getting up for my runs before my family woke. I was on fire. Back to school and back into routine and it felt good. I felt balanced again.
Not so much this week, because I’ve had a really hard time getting out of bed. I’ve been working out and running, just not during the dark hours like I did last week.
This morning, I couldn’t get out of bed once again, but I was determined to run. Typically, if I don’t run in the wee hours of the morning, then I just do another work-out, like kickboxing or boot camp stuff. But this morning, I really wanted to run. I needed to run and by golly I was going to do just that! So, what if it was 9:30? I can handle the heat.
Or so I thought…
About a mile into my run, I thought I was going to pass out from the heat. Plus, my asthma was kicking because I forgot to take a few puffs from my inhaler before running. All that wheezing caused me to get a cramp in my side and I needed to walk A LOT. At least my feet and knees felt great, thanks to my new shoes!
What was I thinking? I know better than running that late in the morning in the Florida heat. I think all the wonderful tweets about fabulous fall weather on Twitter have confused me and I’ve forgotten that I live in the subtropics where no signs of fall ever grace our pretty palm trees.
Despite the heat and the wheezing, I finished 4 miles, but oh Lord, was my time sad. Really, it was. I’m not even going to post my stats because I am too embarrassed.
What’s that? You won’t judge. You’re here to support me, you say? All right then, I post them, but you have to promise not to laugh.
4 miles
Time 41:51
Ave Pace 10:28
I told you I walked a lot. O.K., so my stats are not that bad. Hey! You promised you wouldn’t laugh!
