Figure Eight

Quality of Run: Flat tire
Route: Figure Eight
Total Miles: 4.66
Type of Workout: Compulsory
Feel Good Stretch: Superman
Ku:
raining...
apparently worms
can't swim

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Pear Blossom Run

All the arrangements are made - dog in kennel, Hotel reserved, new Nikes, for the 10 mile Pear Blossom run!
It takes place in April; just 3 short weeks before the Eugene Half-marathon event. Crazy? Noway – it has actually revved up my current training. They posted last years results and there were only about 30 in my old age category. That is incentive to finish in the top 10. (There were a total of 989 runners last year.)
The 10 mile is a new race distance for me. But I can easily incorporate it into one of my training runs. Perfect!
I’m looking forward to the travel also – Medford is about 25 miles north of the California border. So I expect sunny skies!!!

Race Logo:

EVERYONE'S A WINNER!

Anyone else entered in a new race this year?

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Are You Connected?

“Centuries ago, Western culture lost its focus on the interconnectedness between the body and the mind or spirit, and how each has the power to affect the other.”
The older I get, the more in tune I’ve become with my body. Somehow, when I was young, I lost the mind - body connection. I could easily ignore, pain, tiredness, hunger, etc. and still carry on. It was like being in survival mode - the ability to adapt was to disconnect!
Now, I take special attention to what my body is saying.
Running - I feel a twinge between my shoulder blades, I stop, pull my arms upwards and stretch.
Tired in the afternoon - I curl up with a book for 20 minutes.

The body gives out all sorts of messages - if you just listen.
However don't be fooled by your mind. It is a very clever entity...OOO you’re so tired - OK, I’ll just head home. Or OOO just one more chocolate - no one is looking! These are thoughts you should ignore ;}

Are you connected?

Around the Blogosphere

Matt provides a formula to find your VO2 using heart rate and activity.
Michael has completed marathon #3 (12 months - 12 Marathons) despite unwanted bedfellows.

Have a great Monday!

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Run Like a Zebra

The name "zebra" comes from the Old Portuguese
word zevra which means "wild ass".



Have a great Day!
Graphics - bunnycakes

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Seated Groin Stretch

This week’s theme at Runner's Lounge TIaRT is.... If I could only do one stretch to help my running, I would continue to do an inner thigh stretch.
I'm not a happy runner when I have back pain.

As you can see in the above image, there are powerful upper thigh muscles connected deep within pelvic girdle. You don't want these muscles to tighten up and pull. Trust me; pelvic imbalance can lead to very unpleasant back pain.

Seated Groin Stretch
(Also caused the butterfly or frog stretch.)

I've been doing this stretch since the beginning of time. It is one of my - prevent lower back pain moves.
I sit on a small pillow with my legs brought up in front. Heel to heel. Then gently let the knees relax down toward the floor. Don't push them down! I usually massage my feet at the same time. If I have time, I lean forward, keeping my back straight – this accentuates the stretch. You can really feel it in the groin, lower back and gluteus maximus!

Anatomy image from Get Body Smart – A wondrous site!
Stretching for Runners - Running Stretch Descriptions
Thanks FS for taking my picture :0

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Ode to The Truffle

On Sunday I participated in the Annual Truffle Shuffle race where everyone entered gets a BIG Chocolate truffle. Thus inspired this Ode:



Ode to The Truffle

The decadant Truffle – creamy & rich.
Milk chocolate or dark with a strawberry twist
Replenish our stride as we savor this wish.
Last year’s race I scored two - I couldn’t resist!
Alas, my heart races for more…
Those mammoth truffle smiles
Well worth running four miles!

- > Actual runners dressed up as Truffles


Truffles courtesy Euphoria Chocolate Company

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Keeping Track

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young." - Henry Ford

My attempt to learn something new everyday for personal growth has fallen by the wayside. It's not that I don’t learn things - I just don't keep track of it all. Perhaps by using these icons I can categorize what I've absorbed throughout the day.

Friday, February 06, 2009

Learning from The Feeling Good Handbook - it's therapeutic to write down your destructive thoughts and analyze them. “The first principle of cognitive therapy is that all your moods are created by your "cognitions," or thoughts.” Think about sad stuff – feel sad.

Listened to an MP3 podcast from PhilospersNotes on Authentic Happiness.(Ideas from a book written by Dr. Seligman.) Thinking positively graces everything we do. We all have strengths - find them!




With another race tomorrow, I check my race bibs for my PRs. This year I'm not going to beat myself up over my time. And ACCEPT it as part of being a runner. BUT I’m not going to stop trying. Re-reading Matt's post - Never Satisfied. Where he explores the "spirit of discontent."

What are you learning today?

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One Day Food Diary

As a vegetarian and runner for many years – I get used to this question.

“Where do you get your protein?”

Here is an example of what I eat over a typical day.


Grand total: 63 grams of Non-animal based protein.
I need around 54 grams a day
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Protein Boost Previous post
Trader Joes Beef-less Strips
Yves Veggie Deli
Thanks Vegan Bits for spreading the word!

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100 Meter Run - Almost!

100 yd = 91.44 m

Like a steam engine, he heaved, puffing down the field to the end zone for a touchdown. [It helps when you have just intercepted the ball.]
James Harrison ran the entire field – a Super bowl record!
As he languished on the ground for a few minutes in the end field, I wondered what he was thinking about. “How fast did I run that 100 meters?” or “I was one lucky SOB to make that play!” ;0
Whatever, it was astonishing to me, that James Harrison could run that fast down the entire length of the field. This bulky guy is 6-0 tall and weighs 242 lbs. His thighs are probably the size of my waist. Though, I did notice, after the play - on the sidelines, he was puffing away on an oxygen mask…

"Those last couple of yards was probably tougher than anything I've gone through my life," Harrison said.

List of the fastest 100 meter runners. [Think less than 10 seconds.)

Above image from YouTube Clip [Harrison #92]

Have a great Monday - recover.

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