March Runs Completed

Well, I made it through March with no injuries. Yahoo! 29 Days to go till the 1/2 Marathon- [In Eugene, Oregon] but I feel like I could run it today. Will this enthusiasm increase as the days go by?
Today I am the MASTER [runner] of the house.




Graph from BreakingTheTape

Round Friend

If you dont already have a fitness ball, get one! They come is various sizes, colors and names. [See below.] Some even come with sand inside so they are heavier to lift and they won't roll away.
I've used mine for years now and it has become my friend.

Activities that include my round pal:
Lay over it and do push ups.
Position my legs on it - bent - then do sit ups.
Leg squats - holding it parallel to the ground.
Lie over top of it and roll about the room.
Or just fly.
Sit on it at my desk.
Bounce it and shoot baskets.

[Other names for this ball - exercise ball, gym ball, pilates ball, sports ball, stability ball, therapy ball, yoga ball, balance ball, or body ball.]
Ready to get on the ball?

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End Place

Finished. I stop here and stretch. Weeds and tall grasses grow
along the ragged guardrail. Staring out at the field I feel fortunate.
A distant train draws near and whistles... Open spaces are getting harder to find as subdivisions mysteriously appear overnight.
Last week, I covertly planted a handful of flower seeds near the posts. [Seeds I harvested from my garden last year.] If they germinate and bloom I shall be proud of my Guerilla planting.

How to Be An Explorer Of the World

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The Course

The ABCs and running series:
Today's topic "The Course"
Path, route, trail - whatever your want to call it - it's the journey we take each time we lace up our runners.
Most runners I know have a route already in mind. I've yet to encounter a runner who just wanders out the door with no destination in mind. [Any Zen runners out there?]
We used to just check park trail signs or do a ride about in car or bike - calculating the miles by setting the odometer. Now, it has become a fine science using modern gadgets. You can buy an upscale pedometer (Nike+iPod) or a large wristwatch by Garmin that uses GPS tracking technology. It beams your location to satellites that hover invisibly overhead. This tracking option is also available for your cell phone if it has GPS capability.

"The GPS system is made up of 24 military satellites circling the earth at an altitude of 11,000 miles."

You can even gmap your run in with several programs. I like this one at usatf. But I found when the mileage was biked out - I was running further than mapped. [A good thing - I guess.]

Course profiles:

Training
I like to use pre-measured routes so I know my exact time. I head to the local school track or marked pathways in the park. [Avoid traffic!] I sometime reverse the direction - just to keep sharp. [Why are so many of the school tracks fenced up? To discourage bums from training for a 1 mile record?]
Vacation
When traveling - choosing a place to run before the morning is of utmost importance. [Yes, I need to run - even while on vacation.]
It is sometime helpful to call the Hotel's concierge to see if they know of any local run sites.
Here's an example of courses I've tested: parking lot towers, golf courses, a cemetery, secret levees, beaches, and the Texas outback.
Race
It is always smart to peruse the map offered when you register for a race. I remember one run in California; we followed the leader down the wrong street. All Hell broke loose when we realized we had been taken off course. I don't usually pre-run race routes. I like to keep them fresh and exciting.

So for us that feel the need to monitor every footstep planning the run is less of a hassle. Maps can reveal places to discover... courses we have yet to encounter.

I feel we are all islands - in a common sea. - Anne Morrow Lindbergh
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What Do You Sleep In?

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Site Review

The Final Sprint website - a recommended website with lots of information for active people.

Here's why:
It has reviews on new products.
Plays pod-cast interviews. (my fav)
Mixes in a few famous track star updates.
Quotes for the day.
And you can e-mail them with suggestion for topics.

What I don't like, but is inevitable, in this world of en·tre·pre·neur·i·al·ism, is the blinky advertising.
--
In one of their recent articles, about cold fluid consumption, they suggested that unless it's really HOT out or you're perspiring profusely - you only need to take in fluids during events that last more than 90 minutes. I thought it was every 20 mins... I did reluctantly stop at a water fountain yesterday at the 6.5 mile mark - not because I was thirsty but thought it was a good idea. When do you take water breaks?

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What Makes You Click?

I love this quote by the horror master Stephen King.

"It's a reactive thing, like a Geiger counter; you click whenever you come close to whatever you were built to do."

When we are caught up in our daily repetitive tasks; we forget to pay attention to what makes us click. Although some folks are fortunate enough to always be doing what turns them on, most of us need to pay attention.
Today, Im going to explore how I react to my environment.

Things I know that make me click:

• Working with Photoshop


• Running (most days)


• Creating collages


• Dancing (been awhile)


• Exploring the outdoors


• Creating a fabulous meal


• Visiting historic places


• Digging in the dirt

What makes you click?

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Black Toenail

The ABCs and running series:
Today's topic "BLACK TOENAIL"
Explicit images of blackened toenails are not very appealing but that's what I endured scanning for info about runner's BLACK TOENAIL.
I've been fortunate enough not to fall victim of this unattractive running injury. [I was involved in a one mishap -> big toe bushwhacked by a full can of paint.]
The proper name for Black toenail is a Subungual (under the nail or hoof) Hematoma (filled with blood).
Causes including everything from improper shoe size, running down hill, sweaty thick socks to abnormal toe lengths...
Galloway, who has had many black toenails, assumes every runner training for a marathon will eventually get one.

Management

• buy a shoe with at least half an inch toe room. [That's why I wear 9s and Shaquille O'Neal wears 21 EEEs!]


• lace-up, so your foot does not slide forward.


• wear expensive socks made from wicking materials.


• grease toes with vaseline.


• foot baths with epsom salts.


• if toe really hurts (an 8 on the 1-10 scale) go see a doctor to have the pressure released.


• not recommended! - drill a hole in your nail with a sterile needle.


• this procedure done by Dennis.


• preventative measure - buy one of these on eBay - Shoe-Fitting Fluoroscope.

And if your toe falls off?
Donate it to Dawson City, for a "Sour-Toe Cocktail!"

Girls’ Weightlifting

She weighs over twice as much as me - Jessica Reynolds, age 17 and 261 pounds. She has reached stardom by lifting a 210-pound barbell over her head. She broke the state record (Florida) for girls weightlifting in her category. You see her complete this task near the end of this video. The coach was gushing on what an accomplishment for her team. But to congratulate a girl weighing of 261 pounds is absurd. Yes, some of her weight is muscle for sure but in the video clip - fat was quite obvious...
Sadly, on my neighborhood run today, I saw only two kids outside. They were playing basketball.

[GO DUCKS]

Dream Runs

There are a few dream races I would like to enter before my journey is over.

Crater Lake Rim Run
If you ever had the chance to visit this magical place you would understand why it attracts millions of visitors. A stage of unpasteurized nature that makes you feel like a nomad traveling back through earth's remote past. The race includes a marathon, a 13 miler and a 6.7 mile run. They only take 500 entries so you have to register early. Notably, the altitudes range from 5,980 to 7,850 feet above sea level!

Bay to Breakers
The Bay to Breakers Run in San Francisco is a mix of funky types and runners. It's a 12k run that takes you over the Golden Gate Bridge - sans the traffic! I think I would intentionally run slow under the suspension towers- so I could listen to the wind and memorize the view. This year the race is held in the 3rd week of April. I wonder where everyone parks???

I, Runner

It feels great to have that 8 mile marker behind me! Fast forward to the 13 mile marker! I feel mentally confident I can complete a ½ marathon. The question is, "will my body continue to perform?
I checked out the registration list for the Eugene Marathon last night. It has a handy search tool that allows you to peek into other cities and see who has entered.

Plenty of runners:

• 5 from New York


• 4 from Houston Texas


• 2 from Billings Montana


• 7 from Chicago Illinois


• 4 from Sacramento California


• 3 from Tampa Florida


• 5 from Calgary Alberta


• 4 from Vancouver British Columbia (My old stomping grounds.)


• 1 from Boston

And over 600 from Eugene.

The ABC's and Running

Starting this Monday (and every Monday) The ABC's and running. A series of noteworthy topics about running. As the weeks flow in alphabetical order, suggestions for topics would be appreciated.
Just send me an email.
Today's topic: AIR

Air is a mix of 21% oxygen, 78% nitrogen,
and approximately 1% other gases.

All around us -> Air. We inhale and exhale the invisible, usually unconscious of its existence. Without air we would not be running.
Our body's ability to take oxygen out of the air we breathe and utilize it for energy is remarkable. The process starts in the lungs where millions of tiny sacs called alveoli exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide. (We are aerobic organisms.) The hemoglobin in our bloodstream picks up the oxygen and delivers it to the cells for energy.
The human body cannot store oxygen so luckily we live in a huge ocean of air.
For the freshest air, plan your next run in a forest
where trees (by Photosynthesis) can remove CO2 and release O2! Now that's a good thing.

I love the smell of air after a hard rain ~

"Both unfit and fit people breathe about the same amount of air in and out during heavy exercise." - Runner's World Trivia

How Do You Feel?

Running With A Cellphone

With rain coming down in steady waves, the probability of getting drenched was %99.9 But I like to run before my day begins so I headed out. I carried my cell phone with me; partly as an experiment but also for safety - I was a lone female runner by the river.
Carrying this extra item wasn't too difficult. I held it in a water proof (Neoprene) case to keep it dry. Despite the rain; I was able to take a few quick pathway pictures. (Accidently deleted a few too!) But I'm confident now I will be able to carry it with me when I run the Half-marathon allowing me to capture pictures of the event.
(And maybe a few pics of Olympic hopefuls.)

What it must be like to walk on water -> (Action Poetry of BILLY COLLINS)

Winning Isn’t Everything?

Competing With Yourself - a worthwhile article to ponder.

"The needs and desires that inspire us to compete with ourselves, are entirely personal and thus far more complex."

I compete with myself - not with other runners. {For they are better/ younger/ and faster.}
When I'm ready, I look up my time on last year's race bib. I silently say, "I can do better than this!" or "I should be happy if I preserve this pace." Never good enough. I need a way to ease out of self-competition as it is a no win situation.
I can still run and that should be enough!
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift."
- Steve Prefontaine
A few more wise words:
Ahh the competitive bit...maybe its something for the youth to enjoy...they are the seed bearers...for now i enjoy not being measured, not being expected of...and will quietly progress with joy...love and harmony...
- Wind Eater

DST

"Take the breath of the new dawn and make it part of you. It will give you strength."
Hopi Saying

Thanks to government issued Daylight Savings time - in 7 days, I will have to get up earlier to seize this moment.
~
Other areas that employ DST

"Be A Happy Runner"

+5 -------------------------0---------------------------- -5

Using the Bergland Scale of + 5 to -5, I was about a -1 this morning before my run and a +1 after. Yeah, a slight rise in blissfulness but no cloud nine. In his article - "BE A HAPPY RUNNER" (Runners World) he claims that the more positive thinking you do - the more positive neural pathways you cultivate. This can lead to more pleasurable runs. I'm not convinced...An influx of neurochemicals (runner's high) can only do so much.
I didn't get enough sleep last night - coffee did help. And I was able to run a fast 1 mile TT, just 10 seconds off my PR but I did not feel happy or energetic.

"As the root from which the newer brain grew, the emotional areas are intertwined via myriad connection circuits to all part of the neocortex. This gives the emotional centers immense power to influence the functioning of the rest of the brain including its centers for thought." Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence

I could have recited a myriad of positive phrases this morning... but I guess my pilot was preoccupied....

World Record Anyone?

Note this up-coming event in Reno, Nevada - run on a treadmill for 7 days!
I can hardly fathom this work-out; but the reward (if you win) is getting your name published the Guinness Book of Records.
I can tolerate maybe 40 minutes on a treadmill before my mind delves into mysterious places. I envision a gerbil on a treadmill and I'm that hapless gerbil. Then I start to wonder what I must look like...What would prehistoric humans think? All that energy expended with no destination.
But if your interested in entering, here are the abbreviated rules:

- A standard treadmill exercise fitness machine.
- It is not permitted to lean on the "handle-bar".
- Must be open to the general public for the duration of the attempt.
- Rest breaks may be taken but they are included within the time.
- Two timekeepers should time the attempt with highly accurate stopwatches.
- A calibration certificate for the treadmill.

So not only have you become a gerbil, you now have an audience that will authenticate your behavior. Good luck!

Note leaf from Stickytag

Half-marathon Getting Closer

Well 2 months down and 2 to go till the Half-marathon.
And so far no injury.

Some actions I employ to keep the long run agreeable:

1. Get off the road; travel in ditches and over front lawns.


2. Listen to the FM for variety. (I should uploading some podcasts I like.)


3. Focus on the white line - feel its smoothness.


4. Focal point - the halfway mark, give or take a block.


5. Take inventory of the environment.


6. Play a kick-ass tune for the final leg.


7. Self-massage after stretching. (See below.)

Rocking the Calf
Sitting on floor with knee bent, place hands on either side of the big part of your calf, then firmly toss the muscles back and forth. The faster the better. Feels great!

Graph from Breaking The Tape