Day 9 - Trient via the Fenetre d'Arpette

Starting from the Relais d’Arpette gave us a head start on what was billed as a tough day. A few groups left ahead of us but the trail was fairly empty since most people would be coming up from Champex. The path meandered through scrubby woodland then boulders covered in grass and I made a comfort stop off the path while there was still some tree cover. Unfortunately I chose a spot in the middle of the route used by a herd of cows, fortunately they ring bells so you know they’re coming.

We were expecting a long uphill, and eventually we reached a boulder field where te going was much tougher. There were lots of big reaches to get to the top of the next boulder, sometimes needing hands as well, and not forgetting there was a bg pack on my back to haul behind me. It’s just as well I have long legs.

The path was marked with the usual red and white pain flashes but it was a lot less clear than usual, and at one point Bill took what seemed to be the obvious path round some dodgy boulders – it wasn’t the right one. I had followed him up part of the way before I saw the next paint marks and there were two French girls following me. We managed to backtrack without too much difficulty but Bill had to do some ‘interesting’ scrambling back down to meet the path higher up.

When we thought we were about halfway up the boulders, the top looked fairly close but it was hard to judge the scale and a French guy with an altimeter told us there was still 600m to climb – over an hour then. Eventually the boulders gave way to loose grit covered in a light sprinkling of scrubby grass and from there it was a nasty, slippy, zig-zagging climb to the top. When we got to the col we watched others coming up and everybody looked both tired and relieved as they reached the top. There wasn’t a lot of room to sit around on the top but we found a couple of comfortable enough rocks while we let the crowd move on so we could take some photos.

The view down the other side was much more open than the way we had come, with spectacular views of the Trient glacier, but it was still hard work going down the rocky, gritty path, frequently making way for other groups coming the other way. After about an hour we reached a big flat boulder, warmed by the sun, that was perfect for a lunch stop and the path got easier after that.

When we got down to the Refuge de Glacier, we took the path for la Peuty because we had booked in the Relais de Mont Blanc in Trient, effectively cutting off the bit of the TMB via the Col de Forclaz. It was good path and track to Trient, which has a community bunker under the church built in 1992 (I’m not sure what it protects against). The Relais actually seems to be gite, shop, post office and everything else for the village and it looks a bit like it may have been a decent hotel at one time. Now it was a bit shabby but comfy and we managed to get a good hot shower just before two huge parties arrived.

I felt knackered; it had been a really tiring day with a steep ascent and descent over difficult terrain and my feet felt hammered despite the gel pads. We had a choice of meals again and we opted for cheese and tomato fondue (this was the last night in Switzerland) which came with a barrel-load of little boiled potatoes to eat it with. Because we had a room, we didn’t hang around long a the table after dinner and I don’t think I managed to read a full page of my book before I fell asleep.

Tuesday

Hi All -

Well, in case you were wondering – I am still out here in cyber space. It’s been nearly two weeks (I think??) since my last post. Oops. In the last two weeks I have made sure to get life back on track. I’ve been making time to exercise every day and I’ve been eating well, too (which was not that hard to do since I have been doing it for a long time!) The last two weeks were all about finding some sort of time in my schedule to make time to run or go to the gym at least four days a week. With the long commute, trying to make time to sleep, getting things done around the house and having some sort of ‘life’ out side of all of this, the blog was one of the things to fall to the way side.

So, today I’m back! I took photos of lunch and dinner and I can tell you all about my weird breakfast But before that I thought I would let you all know about a dinner I made a few days ago. For my mom’s birthday I made another one of Jacque’s recipes… the little shrimp casseroles. I love this recipe!! It was a little labor intensive, just because I had to shell and de-vain the shrimp, but after that it was soooo easy. It turned out really well, and I cannot wait to make it again. Click here for the recipe.

My mom, sister and I all really enjoyed the shrimp casserole, along with a glass of pinot grigio.

The day after cooking the shrimp meal, I met my friend Danielle for a great yoga class at Eyes on the World Yoga studio in Providence. We took a mellow yoga class, which is one of their versions of vinyasa. It is a 90 minute class and it is really relaxing. We are going again this Saturday morning and I am really looking forward to it.

Over the past two weeks I have been running about three days a week, and doing my usual 2 1/2 mile walk at lunch about three days a week, too. We have been pretty lucky in that we have been having a great month of September – it has been beautiful weather and I have taken advantage of it as much as possible by running outside in the park. In order to do this, I have to wake up at 5:45 in the morning (and be on the road by 6:15) to get to work early so that I can be back home by 5:30 to get 45 minutes of daylight to run in.

Back to my day today. I took the train to work, which is a nice treat on Tuesdays (and sometimes Wednesdays) because I get to sleep in until 6:30 I got to work at 8:30 this morning, and dove right in to my work day. I was not hungry for breakfast, but at 9 o’clock I ate half of the peanut butter and jam sandwich I had packed for lunch just to get something in my tummy for “breakfast”. I had packed a Greek yogurt with flax, PB2 and granola for breakfast, but I just was not feeling it – but I saved it for tomorrow’s breakfast.

For lunch I walked to ABP and made a salad with mixed greens (spinach and romaine) with green beans, mushrooms, cucs, tomatoes, carrots and croutons. Along with the salad I had a pomegranate seltzer and the other half of my peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread.

Tonight, unfortunately, there was no time for the gym or running. But I am glad that I walked 2 1/2 miles (a mile at lunch and a bit over a mile and a half getting to and from the train) I got off the train tonight at 6:40 and had to run errands until about 8 o’clock tonight. After running around for over an hour, I was a bit hungry for dinner. Thankfully I had something already prepared… whole wheat pasta, TJ’s tomato and garlic sauce (reduced sodium of course!) a small bread stick (100 calories) and two of mom’s homemade meat balls. This dinner really hit the spot.

OK, so that is a wrap. I am off to prep for tomorrow’s early morning. See you all soon!

Apple iPod Shuffle (3rd Generation)

Why take a good thing and make it worse?

At least for us runners.

I have a second generation shuffle and have for quite some time. Well- let me try again. I have had SEVERAL second generation shuffles and love them. (More on why I have had several at the end of this post).

Recently Apple announced their release of the third generation shuffle. It is  a little smaller (but really, was the second generation too big?), and the controls are attached to the head phones.

I didn’t buy one of these, but my brother won one and I quickly asked to borrow it to see how I liked it.

I clipped it to my shorts, ran the wires up my shirt and stuck the ear buds in my ears. I always run the wires up my shirt to avoid having wires everywhere as I am running. I also tuck the extra slack into the band of my pants. I don’t like anything flapping around when I run. Everything was normal until… I needed the controls. I rarely run with the music turned up loud. Most of the time the volume is set to really low (so I can hear the birds) and the music is turned completely OFF when I get to running near roads.

This turned out to be a problem. The wires was under my shirt. When I wanted to change a song or adjust the volume, I had to either reach up my shirt (which I sure is awesome for all the men watching) or I had to fumble around the outside of my shirt trying to figure out the controls.

Either way, it’s not very cute.

I can only hope that Apple fixes this little (HUGE) problem so the running community can be happy again.

The good news is that Apple still has their refurbished second generation on their website and they start at only $39. So, snatch one (or two or three) up before they are gone.

Now, on to why I have several iPod shuffles.

I wash them. Not on purpose, but they do get washed  and dried on occasion. They are clipped to my running shorts and sometimes I forget to unclip them and into the washing machine they go.

The bad thing is that they do not recover from this treatment. Once your shuffle has been washed and dried, there is no coming back. So that is why I have had several. Don’t do the same to yours, especially since we soon won’t be able to replace them.

Oh the injuries that never go away..

I posted a few weeks ago about how my cross country season wasn’t going as well as I hoped.

Well, after taking two weeks off of running, my first day back today was less that spectacular. Basically I could only run about 2.5 miles and had to stop. My achilles tendonitis is now affecting not only my ankle but also my knee. With one week left of cross country it’s safe to say I’m done. My plan now is to rest my body and let it heal itself and then I will start building my mileage back up.

Too bad I only got to run in one race this season

Metro's Noida, Badarpur lines running late

Metro’s Noida, Badarpur lines running late
TNN 25 September 2009, 12:08pm IST

NEW DELHI: For the first time in its history, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) has missed a deadline for a project. Its new line to Noida will
open only in the first week of December, as against the August-end deadline. Also, the Badarpur line on which the Zamrudpur collapse took place is running five months behind schedule.

DMRC managing director E Sreedharan, on Friday, said that the Noida line will be commissioned only after overcrowding on the existing lines is tackled and seven additional trains are ready for use. “The first line to be commissioned now is the 15-km Yamuna Bank-Noida stretch which will be opened at one go. We need minimum seven trains that will be available by the end of November. During this period, we will strengthen 11 cantilever pillars on the line,” said Sreedharan.

The next on the priority list is the 7-km Yamuna Bank-Anand Vihar line which will open end of December 2009 or early January 2010, depending on the availability of trains. The Inderlok-Mundka link will be completed before that, in November 2009, after which trial runs for standard gauge trains being introduced on the system for the first time will start. This line will be opened by end of January or February 2010.

The next section to start will link other NCR township, Gurgaon, to Delhi. This line will be opened in two parts, with the elevated Qutub Minar-Gurgaon section slated to open in March 2010 and Central Secretariat-Qutub Minar part in July 2010. The civil structures are nearing completion and work on station finishing and fitments has started.

“The Central Secretariat-Badarpur line got two months behind schedule on account of the Zamrudpur accident. Now, there is a further delay of three months. DMRC hopes to make up the delay and open the line in August 2010,” said Sreedharan.

The last line to be opened before the Commonwealth Games in October 2010 will be the Airport Express Line in September 2010. At present, civil works are almost complete and the concessionaire has started installing systems.

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Rejoice in Hope, Be Patient in Suffering, Persevere in Prayer

A friend of mine, Grace, e-mailed me to see how I was, and my response to her ended up being a lot more convoluted than her initial question, so it became the basis of my next blog.  Let this be a lesson to my friends who innocently ask me a seemingly innocuous question, perhaps even attempting to just making a conversation, that there is a risk that I will actually give you a much longer response than you bargained for.

A few nights ago, I cracked open the bible without a particular destination in mind, and came across this verse:

“Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer” - Romans 12:12

Regardless of your religious inclination, it sounds like a universally applicable statement, no?  As it is with many bible verses, it sounds good when you read it, but as you ponder these words, you realized that these suggestions/recommendations/commands are much more difficult to follow in times of trial.

Rejoicing in (with) hope when you can not find a job that you want is frustrating; and doubt easily creeps in.  Not to mention that once you get your hopes up, it feels devastating when things don’t work out as it did for me with the job I really wanted at Consumer Reports.  You feel like you want to tone down your hope a bit, so that the let down is not so severe.  As you experience more disappointment, it becomes more difficult to hope, never mind rejoicing.  So is it possible for me to rejoice in hope?  To do so will take a great deal of trust in God.

I think each of us experiences disappointment or anger that affects our ability to trust God at some point in our lives.  For me, my recent unemployment has been one of the most difficult challenges I have experienced in my life, and it has been a struggle to continue to place my trust in God.  I am not just talking about saying it, but truly feeling it in your heart.  I am reminded of great religious monks like St. Francis of Assisi or Thomas Merton struggling with their own faith, and I am encouraged that my lack of trust in God can be a part and parcel of our faith struggle in our real life context that will ultimately strengthen my relationship with God.

I want to believe that each job opportunity lost is not my last, and that I need to have faith that God will continue to provide other opportunities.  To have this faith, I suppose Romans verse is stating that I need to be patient in my suffering, and persevere in my prayer.

Patient in suffering…this is something that I am not very good at.  Patience has never been my strongest virtue, and frankly speaking, in our modern work life where expediency is valued, patience is not always touted nor practiced.  On the other hand, you hear the story of Job (guy from the Book of Job) and you pray that God would never push me to that level of suffering.  I mean, there is suffering, and then there is Job’s suffering.  For me going almost a year without a job (work, not the biblical person…ironic) is suffering enough.

On the other hand, I have to admit that the 10 months have not all been suffering.  I had a great summer, spending quality time with the kids, training for a marathon, finally taking steps to start that Non-Profit organization I have been dreaming about…  Additionally, our situation has challenged and enabled my wife and I to reach new levels of closeness that can only come from struggling through difficult trials together.  We have food, a nice home, enough money to still live comfortably… But, what if we have to deplete our savings, or can’t contribute to college or retirement fund?

There is a woman in my neighborhood who recently got divorced, and her son was in my son’s grade.  He did not show up for class this year, and it turns out that her husband had lost his job, stopped paying the mortgage to their home, and managed to take all of their savings.  Her husband has been acting very unstably which was quite disconcerting for this woman, and worse yet, made it impossible for his kids to stay in our school.  The wife had to move to her mom’s house out of state, just so that she can save the money she gets from her part time job to feed her family and survive.  She has been struggling through her situation for the past 2 years, and it has gotten worse this year.  This, to me, is suffering.  She is in a complete survival mode.

I try really hard to not compare my situation with anyone else’s because I believe that there is no need to diminish one person’s suffering in comparison to another’s.  However, I can’t help feeling that my suffering is really not in the same league as many people who are truly fighting for daily survival.  Then I worry that maybe God will push me to greater depths of suffering, like with Job, until I take a deep breather and remind myself to think about my understanding of God.  What image do I have of God?

The image of God I have is the all embracing mother who only wants the best for her son (a la the book “The Shack”).  I choose to believe that the God is not the cause of these calamities, but quite the contrary, God is there to hold us up when we are down.  It is not God’s will to cause suffering in our lives, but to ease our burdens, if I can only truly place my trust in God and have faith that God will be faithful to me.

This brings me to my final point about persevering in prayer.  I have not been very good about praying, but why do I have to pray?  I mean, shouldn’t God know what I need and take care of it if God truly loves me?

I remind myself that once again God is like that loving parent who wants to be in a close relationship with me, and wants to envelop me in her love and care.  However, to have this relationship, I need to be in a dialog with God.  It is like any other relationship; to make it work, I have to have communication.

I think I often make the mistake of thinking of prayer as the time when I ask God to help me or others I am praying about.  I am not always good about just being “in conversation” with God, which means I have to spend some time listening to what God may have to say to me.  This is where running has been helpful for me.  I have made a conscious decision to put aside at least one or two days a week of easy runs when I will not be focused on training, but on being in dialog with God; being able to listen to God.

I think persevering in prayer just means that I just need to seek a closer relationship with God, when I most need God’s presence in my life.

Love,

HJ, the Spiritual Runner

Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer

2 miles

Yesterday Riley and I went for a run and went about two miles.  We did a run/walk, but the running was for 5+ minutes, and the walking was more for Riley than it was for me.  It felt GREAT to be out for a run.  I am in better shape than I thought.  I thought I would be starting all over since my last run was in December.  I was thinking I’d be jogging for 30 seconds, walking for a minute to recover and repeat.  But no.   I was able to run. 

I don’t know when I’ll get out for another run, maybe next Saturday or Sunday morning.  Nate isn’t big enough for the jogging stroller, and his current stroller wasn’t made for speed.  I’m not sure I can get out for a run before work, so a run once a week is going to have to be enough for now.

Chapeau To James Bowthorpe for his Round The World Record, he beat the Scot Mark Beaumont's record by 20 da

  September 19, 2009 James Bowthorpe becomes the fastest cyclist to circle the globe

Helen Nugent  

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He has survived an ambush in Iran, a collision with a wombat in Australia, food poisoning in India and tendonitis in both ankles. But the fastest man to pedal around the globe believes it was all worth it.

When James Bowthorpe cycles into Hyde Park, Central London, this afternoon he will have completed an 18,000-mile bike ride across 20 countries in less than six months, beating the world record by 20 days.

Last night, as he completed the final leg, he told The Times: “The best thing about the trip was the people. I’ve been shown some amazing kindness – I’ve had free meals and clothes and bike maintenance. The mechanic at Bullmoose Brothers in Kentucky gave me the cranks off his own bike when mine failed. “There have been some idiots but not many – the person who threw a kebab at me out of their car window somewhere in Western Australia definitely isn’t getting an invite to the welcome-home party.”

Although Mr Bowthorpe, 32, is proud of his achievement, beating the record set last year by the Scottish cyclist Mark Beaumont was not uppermost in his mind. After watching his grandfather suffer with Parkinson’s disease, raising money for research into the condition was his main priority.

Related Links

• Modern quests missing the ‘Wow!’ factor

• Cyclist takes on world trip in his front room

• Cycling round the globe in 150 days

Before he embarked on his challenge in March, Mr Bowthorpe, from Balham, South London, signed up with What’s Driving Parkinson’s, a research clinic at King’s College Hospital in London. “To raise enough money I knew I would have to do something really tough,” he said. So far he has accumulated £55,000 out of a £1.8 million target.

“I’m looking forward to applying the same persistence that got me round the world on two wheels to the task of raising more cash for WDP’s research.” Although Mr Bowthorpe was clocking up to 150 miles a day by the end of his trip, his “leisurely” pace was more than 100 miles each day. Not even a severe bout of food poisoning in India could stop him: on a day when he could eat no food he managed to cover 132 miles.

It has been an incredible journey. When Mr Bowthorpe set out from Hyde Park on March 29, he knew to expect wind, rain, temperatures of 40C (104F) and fearsome headwinds. He anticipated treacherous terrain in countries as diverse as Ukraine, Turkey, Malaysia and Canada. But nothing could have prepared him for flying kebabs or bandits in Iran.

A wombat was less easy to avoid. “Everyone thinks ooh, wombats, they sound cute, and when the Australians warned me to look out for them at night, I laughed them off. Sure enough, I hit one going downhill at speed into a town called Eden. They’re massive, it was like hitting a brick wall. My bike folded up and I went flying over the handlebars.

“The wombat ran off and I limped into town, luckily with only scratches and bruises.”

The wombat did not figure on his list of bad memories.“The worst things have been headwinds, they’re so demoralising,” he said. “Illness is hard to deal with on such a tight schedule. I got very low after I left India and I was so sick that I couldn’t leave my Thai hotel room for five days. I thought I might have to give up. And I was almost kidnapped in Iran.”

Described by Mr Bowthorpe as “the worst half-hour of my life”, as he left a small Iranian town after dark he was confronted by five men in a car who followed him for three miles.

“I was going quickly and managed to swerve out of the way as they tried to grab me off the bike,” He wrote on his blog. “There was other traffic on the road which might have made them hesitate. They were soon back alongside, edging me off the road.

The principal grabber had moved to the front passenger seat and was leaning out of the window shouting: ‘Passport! Passport!’”

Thankfully, two teenagers came to Mr Bowthorpe’s aid and called a friend from the Iranian Army. “His name was Abdullah and he explained that the people in the car would at least attack me and take my bike, passport, everything. He ran his finger across his throat, who knows?”

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He has survived an ambush in Iran, a collision with a wombat in Australia, food poisoning in India and tendonitis in both ankles. But the fastest man to pedal around the globe believes it was all worth it.

When James Bowthorpe cycles into Hyde Park, Central London, this afternoon he will have completed an 18,000-mile bike ride across 20 countries in less than six months, beating the world record by 20 days.

Last night, as he completed the final leg, he told The Times: “The best thing about the trip was the people. I’ve been shown some amazing kindness – I’ve had free meals and clothes and bike maintenance. The mechanic at Bullmoose Brothers in Kentucky gave me the cranks off his own bike when mine failed. “There have been some idiots but not many – the person who threw a kebab at me out of their car window somewhere in Western Australia definitely isn’t getting an invite to the welcome-home party.”

Although Mr Bowthorpe, 32, is proud of his achievement, beating the record set last year by the Scottish cyclist Mark Beaumont was not uppermost in his mind. After watching his grandfather suffer with Parkinson’s disease, raising money for research into the condition was his main priority.

Related Links

• Modern quests missing the ‘Wow!’ factor

• Cyclist takes on world trip in his front room

• Cycling round the globe in 150 days

Before he embarked on his challenge in March, Mr Bowthorpe, from Balham, South London, signed up with What’s Driving Parkinson’s, a research clinic at King’s College Hospital in London. “To raise enough money I knew I would have to do something really tough,” he said. So far he has accumulated £55,000 out of a £1.8 million target.

“I’m looking forward to applying the same persistence that got me round the world on two wheels to the task of raising more cash for WDP’s research.” Although Mr Bowthorpe was clocking up to 150 miles a day by the end of his trip, his “leisurely” pace was more than 100 miles each day. Not even a severe bout of food poisoning in India could stop him: on a day when he could eat no food he managed to cover 132 miles.

It has been an incredible journey. When Mr Bowthorpe set out from Hyde Park on March 29, he knew to expect wind, rain, temperatures of 40C (104F) and fearsome headwinds. He anticipated treacherous terrain in countries as diverse as Ukraine, Turkey, Malaysia and Canada. But nothing could have prepared him for flying kebabs or bandits in Iran.

A wombat was less easy to avoid. “Everyone thinks ooh, wombats, they sound cute, and when the Australians warned me to look out for them at night, I laughed them off. Sure enough, I hit one going downhill at speed into a town called Eden. They’re massive, it was like hitting a brick wall. My bike folded up and I went flying over the handlebars.

“The wombat ran off and I limped into town, luckily with only scratches and bruises.”

The wombat did not figure on his list of bad memories.“The worst things have been headwinds, they’re so demoralising,” he said. “Illness is hard to deal with on such a tight schedule. I got very low after I left India and I was so sick that I couldn’t leave my Thai hotel room for five days. I thought I might have to give up. And I was almost kidnapped in Iran.”

Described by Mr Bowthorpe as “the worst half-hour of my life”, as he left a small Iranian town after dark he was confronted by five men in a car who followed him for three miles.

“I was going quickly and managed to swerve out of the way as they tried to grab me off the bike,” He wrote on his blog. “There was other traffic on the road which might have made them hesitate. They were soon back alongside, edging me off the road.

The principal grabber had moved to the front passenger seat and was leaning out of the window shouting: ‘Passport! Passport!’”

Thankfully, two teenagers came to Mr Bowthorpe’s aid and called a friend from the Iranian Army. “His name was Abdullah and he explained that the people in the car would at least attack me and take my bike, passport, everything. He ran his finger across his throat, who knows?”

7th Gabriel's Symphony 12-Hour Multi-Sport Celebration in Memory of Gabriel

We couldn’t be more grateful with the success of this year’s Gabriel’s Symphony.  Our tagline has always been “Making Children’s Lives Better.”  And we definitely achieved that with this event in more ways than one–even the adults were happy!

Our usual events went by quickly, Fun Runs, SuperTrikids Aquathlon and Triathlon, Pinay In Action All Womens Tri, Corporate and Individual Relays….  and this year we had some new additions, including the CareWell Bikes For Hope wherein we raffled off a Giant OCR Bike, an IRONMAN Distance Relay, and Demonstrations in Swimming and Table Tennis by Visually Impaired Children (they were amazing, by the way!).

Maiqui Dayrit, who is always our top individual fundraiser, raised close to P280,000.00 for doing his annual Ironman Distance Triathlon! He is a rockstar. He did it in a time of 11:33 too!!!  Well within 12hours.

Thank you so much to all the participants who supported the cause.  You have really made a huge difference in a child’s life!!! http://gabrielsymphony.com/gabriel/gabrielarticle.php?recordID=3

Thanks to Andie Lagman, Paolo Sauler, and Celda Santos for the pictures.

Me Preparando Para o Circuito Vênus!

Pois é, o Circuito Vênus vai ser minha primeira provinha de 5 km!

Pra quem não sabe, é um circuito só para mulheres, com direito a kit com camisetas com strass da nike e tudo mais.

Vai ser no dia 15 de Novembro, as 8h da manhã no Jockey, e as corredoras podem optar pelos circuitos de 5k ou 10k.

Meu treinamento tá indo, não tão bem como eu esperava, ainda preciso mudar alguns hábitos pra melhorar!

E pra quem se interessar, o site é www.circuitovenus.com.br

Ainda dá tempo de se inscrever, e além do kit fofo, ainda inclui massagens, aulas de yoga e palestras de beleza e cuidados com o corpo!

Hoje por exemplo, superei alguns limites, saí correndo e falei “vou até quase morrer” hahaha!

E fiquei satisfeita! Teve uma música que me ajudou muito, é um belo de um combustível, quem quiser, a música é “Everyday I Love You Less and Less – Kaiser Chiefs” muito boa!

Tenho várias musicas que tirei da revista Runner’s e de alguns sites e blogs de corrida, depois posto uma playlist boa pra quem tiver interesse!

Por hoje é só folks!

Boa sexta-feira! Bebam com moderação!

Temptation is a Bastard

Yesterday morning Interval training and it was good. As boring as it sounds, sprinting down the 100m side of a rugby oval and then walking along the try line is actually really really good. I felt brilliant and vitalised…best day at work and the most amazing day in sales.

So last night everything had been tracking well for a good week of weight loss…..and then the beers started. But the beers werent the problem it was the loss of control over my appetite that took over and i had a bowl of pasta. And when i got up this morning and looked at wht the daily intake was of kilojoules and sugars and fats, it was more than my entire days intake.

Sufficed to say it was not even cut down by a third by my early morning run. Holy shit i was devastated today.

So for me this week its the loss of caring that has got me into trouble, but i have also rekindled my love of running and i WILL run this weight off.

No, no, no!

I have been freezing old in my office all day long and now I’m at home feeling a little sniffly. I DO NOT WANT TO GET SICK.

Or should I say I WILL NOT GET SICK! There, now we’re good.

So, breakfast this morning was some 5 grain cereal with peanut butter and banana. Sorry I’m so repetitive this week, I’m certainly not tired of anything yet

Snacked on some more nuts, surprise! Ha ha.

Lunch was something I hadn’t had in a while which is always fun! Sweet potato with black beans

It’s like Halloween on a plate!

This is so very plain and yet so very tasty. I do not need or want to put anything else on it. Yum.

Today, I did have some tea and chocolate! I’ve deemed it the perfect after lunch treat. Peppermint tea especially.

Afternoon snack was another regular this week:

Which provided the perfect fuel for my workout today!

We did 1 mile on the treadmill since it has been raining here ALL DAY LONG with no signs of stopping any time soon (so we’ll likely be on the TM tomorrow too, boo).

We did 1:1 walk/run intervals because it just seemed hard to run today. But I did 1 mile in 15 minutes and felt good about it.

Then we hit up the weight room and did some chest presses on the bench, which today hit a milestone for me – 20 LB DUMBBELLS BABY! So cool.

We also did squats, back extensions, flyes, seated rows, and lots o’ abs. Three sets of each exercise and we were spent.

Dinner was leftover falafel with veggies. Just one more serving to go – wish I had some more hummus though, that’s all it’s missing.

And I have to say, I was SO PROUD of Josh for trying something new himself. Josh is very much a meat man and when he made me a grocery list this week, it had both hamburgers and ground beef on it. Nuh uh, I said.

So I asked him to sub out one for turkey. Because really, no one needs to eat that much red meat. So he agreed to try TURKEY BURGERS!

He just ate one by the way – this is also an improvement. I am so proud of him!

After dinner, I was still a bit hungry so I had a piece of whole wheat toast dry. Who knew dry toast could be so perfect? I like keeping things simple these days.

I’d better get off here, blow my nose and go take some Vitamin C. I also believe I’ll hit the hay early tonight.

Take care of yourself, stay healthy!

Hoping And Declaring

My interview went fantastic!  Despite my best efforts to stay low key about it, I am very hopeful and excited for the possibility.  They said that as soon as I walked out on Tuesday last week, that they knew they wanted me back for a 2nd interview.  I will know by next week.  I might be devastated if I don’t get it, but I guess that is the risk to take in feeling the hope.  Besides, I am not so good at stuffing my emotions like I once was.  I am finding it far more painful to stuff them than to simply allow them to be.  Weird, eh? (yeah I live close to Canada and intentionally say, eh…as opposed to “huh”.)  It used to be nothing to stuff them.  In fact, I did it without knowing I was stuffing them.

In other news, I am struggling with getting out there and being focused on my running.  Sure part of me is just excited to ride a lot before it gets too cold to, but I can’t neglect the running either.   So, I think I am going to do a 5 K race on Oct 4th.  That will get me motivated to run, knowing that I can do a 5 K so there is no excuse to not run the whole thing.

Then, here is the big declaration!  I am going to do a 10K on Thanksgiving Day.  A local bank sponsors the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot which precedes the Thanksgiving Day Parade!  I am gonna do it!  Then for the first time in my life, despite growing up in the Detroit area, I am going to watch the parade live and in person!!  Perhaps I will get my brother and nephew to run the 5K together!

I have no idea what it will take to train for a 10K.  I wonder if I can even do it…and yet I know I will do whatever it takes to do my best.  Is it just more of the same…running lots and all the time?  Is it speed/sprint stuff?  Jason!!!  Would love your thoughts on this since you run Ultra’s!!  I know a 10K is nothing to you, but hey…you started at this level at some time in your running madness!!

South Caldwell Cross Country

Coach Fuller

I was cross country coach at South Caldwell High School for 16 years. I now enjoy going to the meet as a fan. I am proud of the program at South. I still get excited looking for the maroon and white jersys coming out of the woods. It was nice to be outside today after a week of bad weather. The temperature was a little hot for the runners but pretty nice for watchiing.

“It’s at the borders of pain and suffering that the men are separated from the boys.”
– Emil Zatopek

Run #14

I just sat upright in bed, realizing as I thought about walking to the bus tomorrow morning that I never wrote about the exercise my legs got today. Since I also never got to write a diary entry – I’ve been composing those each morning(ish) for a fortnight or so – this day would be a disaster for self-discipline without this post, which I’m touch-typing in the dark.

So: I did 5.25 this afternoon – deliberately matching the distance I did on that last commute – before rushing up to shower and rushing out the door to pick up milk, pick up edible art, and meet a friend for dinner and a movie and cartoons at her place. In expanding ye olde high-school-era loop, I made a point of eliminating the local arteries in favor of neighborhood roads near the center of town; that route should even get better without my intervention, if the yellow flags along Feura Bush really indicate that by Halloween I’ll reach sidewalks sooner than ever.

P.S. In relation to that last link, Romanian looks really uncanny to me, as I know neither Italian nor any Slavic language and I didn’t expect to see them mixed.

Technical TV difficulties

Good evening friends! Right now I should be watching the new 90210 but that channel decided to go all wonky here and they are showing “The Golden Age of Country” infomercial…what?!

Anyway, no big deal, perhaps it is God’s way of telling me not to waste time on television, ha ha. I hardly watch anything now, so why not just stop it all?

For breakfast this morning, I had a nice bowl of 5 grain cereal with peanut butter and a sliced banana. Perfection.

I’m so excited I figured out that close-up setting on my camera, I can tell a big difference in my pictures now

Mid-morning, I skipped my walk (busy and rainy out) but snacked on some more soy yogurt, just plain this time.

This was pretty good but I like the strawberry better. I still have four more to eat before September 29th so expect to see these a lot!

Before lunch, I hit the gym for another workout with my girl Farrah. First, we ran a mile outside (sweaty and humid) that was totally awesome…I told her “I must’ve eaten my Wheaties today” because it was the best one mile run I’d had in a while. I felt fast and it felt easy. I think I’m getting the hang of this again.

Afterwards, we came back in and did lots of weights, focusing mainly on triceps with a bunch of bicep, shoulder and lat exercises worked in. We also did a few ab moves too. I love how our workout is different almost every time!

For lunch, I had leftover tofu from last night (left) and leftover Baba Ghanouj with pita from Sunday’s lunch at Zaytun’s (right). So so good.

I think I’ve died and gone to Heaven!

Lunch was definitely my favorite meal of the day…or was it?

Later in the afternoon I had some tea and some mixed nuts that totally escaped the camera, oops!

After work, I was supposed to meet my friend Candy for a walk but she had to cancel due to injury. I hope she heals soon, she said she should be good to go in a couple of days.

But it worked in our favor because right at about 7:00, when we would’ve been a mile from home, a huge rain/thunderstorm rolled through. Thank you Lord for lookin’ out

For dinner, I decided to try something I’d never made at home before:

I picked up this box over the weekend for $2.99 at Kroger. It seemed a little high at first but it was totally worth it because I have three more servings in my fridge for the rest of the week!

I followed the instructions on the box for broiling instead of frying because that just made more sense to me. I’m not a fryer!

My plate with some leftover red potatoes from dinner last night. Would you believe there are still more left than this? I definitely bought too many at the store this weekend

Dipped the falafel in hummus and the potatoes in organic ketchup. It really doesn’t get much better than that. The falafel was good, just a bit dry, I think I could’ve added more water to the mix. But they were still delicious and I had to pack the leftovers away before I ate them all…just kidding.

I did some household chores in a jiff because I thought I had to hurry to watch 90210 at 8:00 but since it never came on, I’m free to just relax the rest of the night. Along with some tea and dark chocolate.

Here is the chocolate I eat. It’s vegan and pretty low in sugar. And this box has lasted me forever, totally worth it. One “coin” has 30 calories and one is usually enough for me…bonus!

I might hit the hay early and try to get in a run before work? We’ll see! Hoping it’s not raining at 6 a.m. tomorrow

Good night all!

...PG is back...

I woke up to the soft knocking on my door. I grope for the light switch on the wall, with eyes still adjusting to the light, I crack open my bedroom door and saw Joy standing there, asking me if I’m going out for a run. Yes, was my short reply and shut the door quickly and noiselessly.

I overslept again. I heard my alarm buzz off fifteen minutes earlier but I opted to sleep in until Joy intervened. I showered and dressed in a hurry. This will be my first day of going back to running since the DSOS run. I was feeling a bit apprehensive.

It was almost 5 AM when we arrived at the track. A lot of people  were already there. Since the announcement of the Cebu Marathon for next year, there’s a noticeable increase of running enthusiasts that frequents the track now.

It feels good to be back on my usual hangout. My foot does not hurt that much anymore. I had  a good time doing my run. Plus, I signed up for a 5K race this weekend so I really need to get back in my element. I tried not to think so much about my earlier 10K performance.

I was reminded by this phrase I heard from  last Saturday’s running clinic I attended, “Run your own race.” And I will try to remember it again come this weekend. I have decided to do away with putting so much emphasis on my time and comparing myself to the other faster runners. This time I will enjoy myself and from time to time, stop to smell the roses.

Wobble on Panda.

The 5th 14-Day Cycle

Days 1-4:

After a nice day of rest, I was ready to get back at it on Friday morning.  Rich had met me up at my place in Holmdel, and we went for an easy 75-minutes through the Nature Trails.  It was one of the first runs that I began to feel the change in weather.  Autumn is on its way, and it can not come a second too soon. Rich and I took the run fairly easy, discussing what the weekend plans were – a workout consisting of 2k repeats and a solid long run of 2:20-2:30.

On Saturday morning I headed over to RBR around 8AM solo, and did a 20-minute warm-up around the nearby parks.  The planned workout for the day was 2k, 1k, 500 x 3.  The rest in between the intervals was 60-seconds, and 2-minutes in between each set.  The idea was to run the 2k’s around 5:30 pace, the 1k’s around 5:20 pace, and the 500’s in around 5:00 minute pace – nothing too difficult, but the rest was the key to the workout.

The workout went as follows:

First Set: 2k: 6:41(5:24 for mile), 1K: 3:18, 500m: 1:30

Second Set: 2k: 6:37 (5:20 for mile), 1k: 3:15, 500m: 1:30

Third Set: 2k 6:30 (5:15 for mile), 1k 3:10, 500m:1:28

Over all the workout went really well.  I couldn’t really get into a groove, but I was still able to hit well under the marks Rich had set out.  The pace wasn’t anything crazy, but like I said earlier, the rest, or lack of rest, is really what made the workout.  After a long cool down with the old man, I actually headed out later Saturday afternoon with Rich down at Shark River park to get in an extra 5-miles on the day.

As for Sunday, I knew the start of the run was going to be somewhat pedestrian since I got in around 18 the day before.  Since I haven’t gotten much over 2:20 for the long run this far, and the upcoming workout in Newport next Sunday, Rich had told me to go  in between 2:20-:30, which essentially means 2:30.  Pat and Pete met me at 8:30, and I had company for just about 2-hours of the run.  I snagged my iPod for the last 30-minutes and finished up at 2:30, which I figured to be about 23 miles or so.

I wasn’t all too happy to see Monday for the obvious reasons, but I was really happy to be able to run in the cold this morning.  I figured today would be a good day to recover from the past two days of 18 and 23, so I headed out to do a 12-mile road loop around Holmdel with a couple of hills in it – nothing too tough.

After the first couple of days of the 5th cycle, I am really satisfied with my build-up thus far.  I feel a lot better at this point in my training this year as opposed to ‘08.  I am able to handle a fairly significant increase in mileage this year, and more importantly, I am able to run quality workouts while still consistently getting in 100+ miles a week.

Total Mileage for the current cycle (4 Days): 65

Total Mileage for the build-up: 867

- Craig

brace yourselves

It’s a little known fact that Paula Radcliffe and I share a pre-running ritual. We like to get up, get our children off to school, then stop at the roadside cafe for a bacon roll and a delicious polystyrene cup of builder’s tea. Then we pop into Ikea for a bit of shopping with our friends, followed by a healthy lemon and ginger tea (very good for the energy levels) and a slice of Dime cake. Then, and only then, do we head home for our daily training.

Yes. I did say training. It’s official, I have dusted off the trainers (and removed a fine layer of dog hair and fluff from the treadmill) and this afternoon, fuelled by cake-made-from-chocolate-bars, I ran. Shuffled, really. Gosh it’s sweaty, this running business, isn’t it? I ran and walked for a mile and a bit, whilst watching Strictly Come Dancing on tv. There was an awful lot more walking than running, and my face looked like a very red thing when I was finished, but it’s a start. Only another 24 and a bit miles and I’d have done a marathon. If Eddie Izzard can do 43 marathons in 52 days with only 5 weeks of training, I can run one with 7 months. Just keep your fingers crossed, everyone, that there are no more back problems, chest infections, holidays or other excitements. From now on it’s serious.

tease

hey guys!

the race went pretty well today not stellar but not horrendous.  my finish time was 1 hour and 52 minutes.  which is a time i would be pretty happy with if i didn’t have to run double today’s distance in two months at about a 15 second per mile faster pace.  EEK!

i want to give you guys a blow by blow but the good pictures from this morning are on my dad’s camera and he’s going to send them to me later tonight or tomorrow sometime so until then just know…i took a picture with some running celebs!  AHHH!  STAY TUNED!

good night till then though

savor sunday

Good Morning Sunshines!!!!

Its beautiful here in MI this morning!

I naturally awoke at about 8:15 this morning, not real sure why, but i ran with it and have been up since.

Last night posed to be a very unproductive, so today has to be the complete opposite!

1. Work at 11
2. Run 8 miles
3. Study
4. Study
5. Study

I’m sure alot can sympathize with numbers 3,4,5

After din last night I was stuffed, but for some reason i still felt like i could eat.  That is what happens when you have lunch at 12 and then go the rest of the day without eating next to nothing.  Note to self. don’t do that again!  I popped some poppycorn and twass delish!

Then i had the grand idea to try out these Champion Chip Cookies from my Newman’s Loot.  Sissy tried them before me, so i had to see what all the talk was about!

all i can say….FAN FREAKINTASTIC AMAZING! These were not little but not big.

The flavor was AMAZING! So chocolatey and soooooo good!  Best cookie EVER!

what you see here is not even close to what i ate.  x’s that by a trillion atleast.  I went MEGA MEGA overboard, but honestly i’m not thinin in the past, and only am thinking forward.  Chocolate chip cookies aren’t going to kill me in the long run.  I have hang nails that will probably kill me first hahaha

Anyways though….i got to bed pretty early, i was tired and my eyes were giving me troubles, so i called it a night!

I’m gonna go pour myself some coffee and eat breakfast soon, then its off to work in a short while!

Savor Sunday!

BYE!

...the running clinic...

Since the advent of the “running fever”,  a lot of people are getting acquainted to running. There are some that who haven’t take up running as a sport are now so into it that they can’t wait for the next race to come. Running clubs are form to gather those who have the same passion for the said sport and to reach out those people who are interested and are sure to benefit from belonging in one. Running clinics are held to serve as a learning experience for those runners, veterans and newbies alike.  It is a  venue for the veteran runners to share their experiences and advice to the newbies, and in return, the newbie runners can ask questions and learn a thing or two in the process. When I read blogs of runners, especially those from Manila, I can’t help but feel a little bit envious, when they blog about the running clinics they have attended, that were sponsored by various organizations there. So the announcement of the first ever running clinic here in Cebu was very much welcome.

The announcement of the first ever full marathon to be held here in Cebu next year created a sort of frenzy in the running community. There’s an increase in the  number of people who now frequents Abellana’s oval track. Let’s not count those runner athletes who regularly go there for their training. The line-up of races during Sundays is a delight for the running aficionados out there. Anyone who religiously join the said races  can attest to that fact.

When I chanced upon MF’s blog one day, I saw her post about the Running Clinic to be sponsored by CERC, plus, it’s free. Joy immediately called the number indicated and registered our names.

John Pages

A lot of people attended the event. The seminar was divided into two parts. The first part was the lecture and the next was the open forum. Four people from CERC were tasked to speak. The first speaker, John Pages, talked about what does it take to run a full marathon. He went on saying that anyone can run a marathon, of course, after months and years of training and preparation.

Meyrick Jacalan discussed about the importance of finding the right shoes  for an individual’s foot type. He also touched on the topic about the proper running apparel that somehow contributes also to your overall running performance. What you wear when you run is a factor to your running success. Companies like Nike and Adidas, to name a few, have addressed this increasing need of runners. Now you have a plethora of choices when it comes to running garb. Bottom line is, you wear what suits you. Proper running form and the proper pre- and post-run stretching routines were also discussed.

The third speaker, Millette Chiongbian, talked about the dreaded phrase in running jargon and that is “hitting the wall” during the course of your running a marathon which usually occurs on the 32KM mark. That does sound ominous. She also talked about the proper nutrition and diet for someone who intends on running a marathon. She made mention about glycogen levels stored in our body and why we need to stock on it during long runs and especially, during a marathon.

The last speaker, Frederic Chiongbian, bring up about injury, that always plagues every runner. Prevention is always the best cure. Common sense plays a vital part too, to prevent injury.

Let’s talk about…INJURY.

A lively interaction during the open forum followed the discussion. Participants posed their questions to the speakers and other elite runners and likewise members of CERC. A number of concerns were raised during the open forum. Someone asked about when and how to carbo-load. Another pointed out if there are any safety tips or guidelines for runners to follow when they’re out on the streets, running. Navigating our streets can be tricky and runners should always impose it on themselves to be on the lookout for any signs of danger.

open forum

It was my first time to attend a running clinic and I must say, it is a pleasant  experience to be in the company of people whom you shared the same zeal for running.

Let’s start training now.

P90X + School = .. read to find out.

Wellll, P90X and school are hardly compatible.  Or maybe I’m just making excuses.  But when you live in a university dorm, with no where for a chin up bar.  The routines can be very difficult.  As a result – the foundation of this blog is shifting to a running routine.

My coach says I need to do minimum 30 mins of cardio/day because I’m out of shape.  It sucks to hear that – BUT, it’s yet another sign something needs to be done about my chub.  So, here’s to starting fresh, on a new path, that’s more compatible with my lifestyle.

I will continue with weigh ins (I will refresh that page so I can start from scratch) and will be eating healthy too.  I’ll stick to daily blogs or so, just to keep people updated.

Dan: Lesson 1

Behold: The power of STICKS to convey something that remotely looks like a person – perhaps in motion – !

Action Within a Drawing

Don't forget your hat! = = - - -

 

Some races you shouldn't win.

 

This ball is returning from a trip to the mesosphere.

 

This must be someone on Em's side of the family...

 

Someone catch that paper! - and recycle it.

Action Within a Panel

One of them is happy about the ball...

 

Classic.

 

Who brings a gun to a rock fight?

Rest days are brilliant....

unless you eat and drink too much.  For shame, we had a works do last night and I went out for a burger and a pint with some colleagues.  A few pints later and the buffet was served, I’d told myself to be strong and resist temptation but alas the lure of deep fried scampi and chicken nuggets was too strong.  Damn you deep fried goodies, damn you to hell.

Still, I’ll be hitting the road tonight to I’ll make sure and push myself extra hard a little bit.

Wish me luck, I’ll need it.

A quick update

Just wanted to let you know where I’ve been all day!

To begin with, T and I met in law school after our first year.  In May, we graduated.  In July, we took the bar.  Last week, we found out that we passed the bar, and today, we drove to our state capital to be sworn in.  We were up at 4:30 this morning because we had to be there by 8:30, and it’s a 2.5 hour drive from here to there.  So, we drove there, had our little ceremony, got our law licenses, and went to lunch with my future in-laws.  Then we drove back, and I crashed on the bed for an hour or so.

Needless to say, I haven’t worked out today, though I did do a cute wedding DIY project tonight.  I promise to blog about it tomorrow, but I’m just too exhausted to upload pictures and whatnot tonight.

Tomorrow I’m planning on some very light cardio (maybe the elliptical) since it’s the day before race day.  I’ll also be picking up my race packet at the running shop.  I am seriously debating new running shoes.  No, I can’t really afford them right now, but the quarter-sized blisters on my feet are telling me that it’s a sunk cost and I might as well just get better shoes now.  My old, blister-causing running shoes are only two months old, but I will still be able to comfortably wear them as regular sneakers all fall/winter.  They are just not up to distance running right now, and I really want to start working on becoming a better runner.  What would you do?

Lessons from the Life of Nehemiah: Should I Run?

One day I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was shut in at his home. He said, “Let us meet in the house of God, inside the temple, and let us close the temple doors, because men are coming to kill you-by night they are coming to kill you.”

But I said, “Should a man like me run away? Or should one like me go into the temple to save his life? I will not go!” I realized that God had not sent him, but that he had prophesied against me because Tobiah and Sanballat had hired him.

He had been hired to intimidate me so that I would commit a sin by doing this, and then they would give me a bad name to discredit me.       Nehemiah 6:10-13

By this point, Sanballat and his forces had become desperate. With only the city’s gates left to be hung, if they did not stop the Jewish builders soon, Jerusalem’s defenses would be completed.

In order to deceive Nehemiah, Sanballat hired a false prophet named Shemaiah. Shemaiah told Nehemiah that he needed to hide in the temple because men were coming to kill him.

Nehemiah, however, saw through the false prophet’s ploy and refused to be intimidated. “Should a man like me run?” he asked Shemaiah. “Should I try to save my life by hiding in the temple?”

With the last attempt of their enemies foiled, Nehemiah and his men quickly finished their work on the walls.

The questions asked by Nehemiah in his response to the false prophet are directly applicable to your life today. Maybe, like Nehemiah, you find yourself in a situation where everything in you wants to take flight and run away.

Whether it is a horribly troubled relationship that only seems to be getting worse or a painful situation in your local church, even though you know God has placed you there, you still want to run away. In my own experience I have found that once the enemy gets a person on the run, it is difficult for him to ever stop running again.

Typically, if that person can be run out of one church, it becomes even easier for the enemy to run him out of his next church. It is no different in your relationships; once the enemy of your soul learns how to manipulate you through fear, you will be running for the rest of your life, unless you turn around and face him through the power of God’s Word.

Nehemiah’s next question may be even more important to you than his first one.

Should you go into the church to save your life? Although this question may seem strange, it probably captures one of the major needs in the church of the Western world today.

Many Christians simply see the church as a place where their lives and the lives of those they love can be saved. Whether it is hearing the message of Jesus as Savior and Lord or learning the principles of child-rearing, their local church has become a place of refuge from the wicked, cruel world around them.

Although the church is obviously an instrument of salvation, many Christians refuse to see it as anything beyond that. Tragically, this view of church life has produced a generation of Christians who are more interested in escaping form the world than transforming the world.

From Christian cruises to Christian television, believers have settled for the creation of their own culture instead of penetrating the dark culture that surrounds them.

If history is any indicator, the Christian counter-culture of which we are so proud will eventually digress into spiritual ghettos.

Unless you and I, like Nehemiah, are willing to stand and build what God has called us to build, the cities and nations we love so much will die.

© Copyright 2005 by Jim Laffoon

A Little Preppy

Details:

Blue Button Up – NY&C

Jewelry – Payless

Argyle Cardigan – Gap

White Belt – NY&C

White Pants – NY&C

Shoes aka Cotton Candy – Jessica Simpson via TJ Maxx

Today’s outfit was quite a bit preppy. Although, maybe since I broke the fashion “rule” of no white after Labor Day, it is less preppy. I doubt that though. I think what makes this outfit very me, is the shoes. I was shopping with my friend L at TJ Maxx one day before class while we were waiting for E and she wasn’t sure about the shoes. I loved how bright they were and that they had the cork heel, so I purchased them anyway. They really were too cheap to pass up and honestly who doesn’t need a pair of bright pink heels. These shoes don’t get a ton of wear, partly because they are not the most comfortable and the other part is that they give me a summer vibe and while I can still get away with that right now, I don’t know for how much longer. I do wear peep toes in the winter (again that is probably a fashion no-no) but the cloth material and the cork heel make me pause to wear these later in the season. I also want to say that I did not wear these white pants to work wrinkley, I didn’t get a chance to take pictures this morning and so after all day sitting and standing they were wrinkled in the picture.

I went running tonight – check it out here.

Ok, off to go make yummy yummy cookies! Pumpkin and Chocolate Chip, two of my favorite kinds of cookies.

Water Station, Any Questions?

Water Station @ 2009 LA Marathon

This is how long a typical water station during the 2009 Los Angeles Marathon. This was supposed to accommodate 12,000 runners for the Marathon distance. If there are 5,000-6,000 registered runners for the Marathon and other side-event races, then, at least, one half of this water station would be a typical water station for our Road Races in the country.

Any questions?

Punch the Clock

Last week’s totals:

Total miles: 76.4

Time spent running: 10 hours 28 minutes 55 seconds

Average pace: 8:14/mi

I’m cutting back a bit this week in preparation for the Philadelphia Distance Run on Sunday. My original plan was to continue with my normal mileage right up until Friday, take a rest day then and follow it up with just a few miles on Saturday. Four, maybe five. However, on my run this morning I had a nagging pain in my right posterior tibial tendon. This is a problem area for me; I’ve dealt with tendinitis there twice in the past year. The pain isn’t severe, but I think that it might be smart to take an extra day off and rest tomorrow if it’s even remotely sore in the morning. It’s frustrating to confront this in the week before an important race, but I’m confident that I can get it under control. As I said, it’s a relatively minor pain. I just don’t want it to escalate.

That’s all I’ve got for now. I’ll post something more substantial tomorrow or Thursday; my mind is strangely empty at the moment!

Triathletes try bilateral breathing..

I am increasingly being asked to lead triathlete specific base training sessions that incorporate core strength training as well as discipline specific speed and agility training. I am having a great time leading these sessions to individual triathlete clubs and groups of seriously dedicated triathletes. As I work with the groups, I learn more and more about the specific needs of triathletes and where the loop holes are within their training.

Whilst I incorporate some swim specific drills within my sessions, I seldom delve deeply into the realm of swimming coaching as I not a swimming coach.  I came across this bi lateral breathing link whilst researching imbalances that may occur within a triathletes body, to simply explain a swimmer will typically favour one side of their body to breath in on when performing freestyle/front crawl. The action of taking a breath and rotating the body repeatedly on one and the same side can lead to an imbalance in upper body muscular developement which could affect overall swim performance negatively as well as potentially hindering the bike and run legs of a triathlon.

Training to breath bilaterally (on both sides) will overtime work to re balance any imbalanced upper body musculatures.

Most triathletes are looking to shave off precious minutes and seconds from their race time as well as manage to get through several months of a punishing training schedule. This link below offered me some basic and insightful information on training for the swim leg of your triathlon.

Click here for your bilateral breathing link..

Train Hard!

Rachel Benton

Personal Training

Bedford, UK

info@rachelbenton.co.uk

www.rachelbenton.co.uk

Running Octubre

Running Octubre

Por Daniel Arellano

Estamos ad portas de octubre, mes donde se vienen importantes competencias de running. Te informamos en este post sobre lo que se viene en este deporte.

Corrida Solidaria BBVA: Se llevará a cabo el domingo 27 de septiembre. Las inscripciones están abiertas y tienen un costo de $4000. Todo lo recaudado va en ayuda del Hogar de Cristo. Existen dos circuitos, de 5 y 10 ksm. Ojo, que solo son 3500 cupos, y al día en que se escribe este artículo solo quedan 854, así que a inscribirse pronto.

Brooks Running Tour: Aún existen cupos para esta carrera de 9 kms que se llevará a cabo el sábado 3 de octubre en la comuna de Vitacura. Esta forma parte del circuito de carreras que Brooks ha organizado durante este año 2009.

Full Marathon 2009: Esta competencia será en Viña del Mar el domingo 4 de Octubre y está abierta a los fondistas nacionales tanto profesionales como amateurs. El costo de la inscripción es de $5000 y solo son 1000 cupos. La distancia es de 10km.

Corrida por la Vida: Si, además de correr, deseas ayudar, te invito a inscribirte en una nueva versión de la Corrida por la Vida, organizada por la Fundación Yo Mujer, que ayuda a las mujeres que han sufrido cancer de mamas. La corrida tiene circuitos de 5 y 10 kms, será en la comuna de Providencia y el costo de la inscripción es de $3000, los que irán en ayuda de la Fundación

Maratón Bío Bío: Se llevará a cabo el 18 de Octubre en la ciudad de Concepción, en circuitos de 10, 21 y 42 kms. Las inscripciones ya se encuentran abiertas, para los interesados en participar.

Nike 10K: Debe ser el evento (o uno de los eventos) de running más esperados de la temporada (junto con la Maratón de Santiago). Les cuento que al día de hoy (14 de septiembre), ya se acabaron los cupos de hombres y quedan algunos para mujeres. Si alguien se quiere inscribir debe esperar hasta el 24 de septiembre, así que atentos ya que los cupos que queden se van a agotar muy rápido. La corrida es el domingo 18 de Octubre.

Enlaces:

Corrida BBVA

Corrida Brooks

Full Marathon 2009

Corrida Por la Vida 2009

Maratón Bío Bío

Nike 10K

cereal and wine

I can’t figure out if this is a joke or not. Either way, the guy should be locked up for his own good. It’s “What wine pairs with cereal”

Personally, I don’t think he’s gone far enough. Has he considered the possibilities inherent in Coco Pops with Guiness? Scotch and Nutri-grain? Tequila corn-flakes shots?

The imagination boggles.

Running

None as yet, but I plan a little run tonight.

Health

I have my operation tomorrow morning. As you can see, I am resolutely pretending not to think about it, so it will all go away.

Seeking Advice on Exercise Logs

For about 8 years, I’ve kept track of my running mileage in an Excel workbook.  Before that, I was logging things in a Claris Works Spreadsheet for a couple years, and before that I had a couple years of paper logs.

The Excel workbook has worked well because it’s functionality has evolved as far as I have been willing to push it.  But for a while I’ve felt that its development has stagnated and it has grown unwieldy.

Now that I’ve been benched from running for 4 months (more on that later), I’d like to explore other exercise tracking options that are more amenable to cross training.

Features I’d like:

• Accessible anywhere (i.e. on the web).
• Can accommodate different sorts of workouts (running, biking, weight lifting, pickup frisbee, etc.).
• Exportable to spreadsheets or database files.
• Nice graphical data and meta-data summaries with easily adjustable parameters.
• Easy to track peripheral data such as gear (e.g. shoe mileage) and routes (possibly with maps).
• It would be awesome if there were some kind of API or other method that allowed me to import my running logs from the last 8 years into the system, but I think that may be asking too much.
• Social networking would be nice, but not necessary.

A couple friends (thanks Z and G) suggested Daily Mile.  I’m happy with that but it would be nice if it could track strength training as well.  Does anyone have other suggestions?

THE 10 RULES OF WEIGHT LOSS

Nutritionist Nancy Clark shares 10 tips all runners should know if they want to drop some pounds PUBLISHED 03/05/2008

1. To lose 10 pounds of body fat a year, you need to eat 100 calories less per day. Cutting too many calories from your daily intake will sap your energy level and increase your hunger, making you more susceptible to splurging on high-calorie foods.

2. Don’t skip breakfast. Eat within two hours of waking.

3. In fact, eat more breakfast than you think you should. Trade in some of your dinner calories for more calories at breakfast.

4. Don’t allow yourself to get hungry. Eat at least every four hours, and split a meal in half to make sure you properly fuel up pre- and postrun. For example, eat part of your breakfast before your morning run (a banana) and the rest of your breakfast afterward (a bagel with peanut butter).

5. Eat at least three kinds of food each meal from these four categories: breads, cereals, and grains; fruits and vegetables; low-fat dairy and soy; and lean meats, fish, and nuts. Breads, cereals, and grains should be the foundation of each meal, with protein as an accompaniment.

6. Shoot for a gradual loss of body fat. You’re more likely to put the weight back on (and more) if you drop weight too quickly.

7. Liquid calories add up fast and can lead to weight gain. Minimize the amount of sodas, juices, store-bought smoothies, sports drinks, coffee drinks, and alcohol you consume.

8. Eat closer to the earth, enjoying fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Minimize the amount of processed foods you eat; they tend to offer less fiber and are less satiating.

9. If you can’t resist fast food, ask for nutritional information before you make your choices (or check in advance via restaurant Web sites). Avoid any menu items with the words “fried,” “crispy,” and “special sauce,” which are guaranteed to be high calorie.

10. Remember that the calories in the energy bars, sports drinks, and gels you consume during a run add up, even though you’re running. Consume them only as needed.

JonathanFit

[Via http://jonathanfit.wordpress.com]

11 miles, check!

Last night, after a bedtime snack of cookies + milk, I hit the sheets. However, a pesky mosquito made its presence known and around 2am my sleep was interrupted. After fumbling for some Benadryl and closing my window, I was able to get back to bed. My alarm beeped at 7:30am and I woke up to have the usual coffee. For my pre-run breakfast I went with a banana, peanut butter, and a luna bar.

I only had about 1.5 hours to digest before starting to run, so I was a little nervous but my stomach ended up feeling fine. Alma and I hit the road for a warm-up (about 4 miles for me) and then it was time to line up at the start. Exciting news: Kara Goucher happened to be running in the park and stopped by the starting line to say hello. Love her!

Hmm, running fast is hard when you’re out of shape. I’m not going to lie – this felt really TOUGH. After a summer of only very easy running and cross-training, I was sucking wind by the end of my 4 fast miles. But, with any luck my hamstring/piriformis/IT band will keep cooperating and next time will be a little easier.

The breakdown:

4 mile warm-up with Alma and then Ani.

“Fitness Mind, Body, Spirit” 4 mile race in Central Park in 31:19 (7:49/pace).

1st mile: 8:00

2nd mile: 7:38

3rd mile: 8:16 (hills)

4th mile: 7:25

3 mile cooldown

Despite some twinges, my right leg felt good! Actually, my legs felt fresh and quick, but the rest of me wanted to die by the end of the race. I had that tight, heavy feeling in my chest for most of the run and then felt kind of woozy after I finished. Yikes. I started feeling better after some water and fruit juice (loved the big pieces of fruit in this!)

I was happy with this effort though, I feel like my road to recovery has been a long one (going on 9 months…) and I’m just SO excited to be running without pain. Wahoo! Also, 11 miles is the most I’ve run since April

Alma and I ran home (~3 miles) and then I promptly collapsed on the floor. Haha, well not really, but I was tired!

Goodies from the race:

Post-run meal:

Leftover potato soup with olive oil and red pepper flakes, Ezekiel sprouted grain toast with laughing cow cheese and hummus, and some Kashi crackers with more hummus. Mmm, carbs.

After a few hours of room re-organizing (my Ikea desk is now put together correctly!), I was hungry again. Mmm, how about a delicious yogurt mess?

• 3/4 cup 2% greek yogurt
• chopped apple
• 2-3 Tbs peanut butter
• chocolate chips
• honey

Perfection.

Later on in the afternoon, I got the urge to bake. Stay tuned for the results of my herb pizza dough.

Around 8pm, I came home from a walk to the delicious smell of Alma’s peanut butter pasta. I filled my bowl with arugula and then topped it with the yummy pasta-veggie-tofu-peanut dish. It was so good that I had to go back for a second bowl. My appetite was on fire today!

Best part of my day: I met 3 blog readers at the race this morning. Hello to Laura, Ada, and Courtney! You were all so sweet, thanks for introducing yourselves

New York readers: Would you be interested in a meet-up at some point this fall? Maybe we could go for a run in the Park or get some yummy food. Leave a comment or shoot me an email if you’d be interested!

[Via http://runnerskitchen.wordpress.com]

Running: Representative honours for club's runners

Dumfries runner Paul Hart will be taking part in a muscle burning, energy sapping 100k endurance race next week.

The long distance runner has been called up to represent Scotland in the Commonwealth Mountain and Ultra Distance Championships.

Paul joins a team of Scots from across the country to take part in the event taking place next Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Paul will be taking part in the 100k race at Keswick in Cumbria, on Saturday.

Paul Hart has already enjoyed success in the 100k format, winning a silver medal in the 2008 Scottish 100k championships.

And his running mate at Dumfries Running Club, Marcus Scotney, has been selected to run for England in the same event.

Dumfries and Galloway Standard

[Via http://dumfriessportsclub.co.uk]

Overcoming a Binge-Purge-Urge

Is that it? Is that how it feels like? Really? Is it that easy?

So here is my day and how I made it NOT to binge and NOT to purge and to OVERCOME the urge.

I got up early, I started my day at Starbucks and had a Soy Chai and a Very Berry Coffeecake. A conscious choice. Not the most healthy food, not the most unhealthy neither, simply something I felt like eating. I enjoyed it very much, sitting on the porch at Starbucks, checking my email, browsing the web a bit and having a cigarette. The only one in a few days and the only one for a few days. I just felt like it.

So, I went to the Department, prepared class and went over to the other building to teach.

I love teaching. I love it. It is so much fun and so fulfilling. I have some really smart kids sitting in there and they really make me stun. It shows me how great the human being is and how complex we are indeed, too.

After teaching I had to carry like 40 notebooks back… It was a hassle. I had an earlier lunch break than usually, simply because I was hungry. I did not really have time, but I took my time. I even did not bother about thinking about the pile of work waiting for me. I had a good conversation with a colleague and then had to see one of my profs. Good indeed, too. I remembered that I can do it. I felt good about what I was doing. I saw the light at the end glimming for a second. Long enough to lighten my day.

I had a snack after class and went on with my work. Finished it at 4.30 and decided to keep on working.

My mom called in between and I got home at like 7pm. Finally. Still exhausted.

I had a good dinner: salad, grain bread with deli turkey and goat cheese.

BUT….

then I would eat a bit Haribo. Bad idea. I began counting calories, I started feeling bad about the, well, two handfull of candy treats… and I thought, well I could binge and purge it all…

BUT…

it was not me thinking that. It was Bulimia. She was getting louder and louder, and then her friend joined it. The one who controls my starving. He (I don’t know why it’s a male friend), well he was being very sarcastic. Telling me how proud he was that I starved in the past, that I did really good on those days, but that this was wrong, that I am ruining it all. “Can’t you feel your pants getting tighter?” “Can’t you see the fat on your body?”

Yes, certainly I could. Certainly. I still can.

BUT…

For the sake of my life, I fucking don’t care.

I don’t care as long as I can feel myself, my emotions, me being alive.

In fact my dear friends made me walk to the kitchen about 10 times. Back and forth – forth and back. I opened the fridge. No real easy binge foods. I opened the freezer. No real easy binge foods either. I opened the boards. Nope…

Ok, there were some foods I could turn into binge foods. I had sugar. I had condiments. I had butter and salt and all that…

You can steal from your roommates food.

Ok, no. That was enough. I left the kitchen.

That’s not what I want.

I walked around a bit. Very lost. Confused. But then slowly my spirit came back.

And here I am watching a movie. I drank a diet coke. I usually don’t because it makes me feel bloated. And I feel that way, but I don’t care, because I am just proud I defeated that urge. I did it. And I will in the future. This is not equal the control I was exercising in terms of counting on a number on the scale, counting calories or minutes running or exercising. It was all about being conscious about what I do. Not numbing myself out, but standing through the pain.

It is a great feeling to be strong.

It really is. And Bulimia and this stupid starving friend are fighting now on their own, accusing each other for failing, for being weaker than my consciousness. haha, fuck you!

[Via http://graceismyname.wordpress.com]

Cop throws boy out of running train

TNN 11 September 2009, 03:23am IST

MUZAFFARPUR: Shahabuddin (14) was seriously injured when he was pushed out of a running train near Kurhani railway station in Bihar on Friday.

Reason: he failed to pay an amount to a cop for unauthorized travelling.

The boy has received multiple injuries in his legs and hands. He was somehow brought to Sadar Hospital in Muzaffarpur from where he was referred to S K Medical College Hospital. Hospital sources said Shahabuddin’s one leg had been amputated.

Superintendent of Railway Police (SRP) Amit Lodha suspected the hand of an Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable in the incident. He said if the incident was found to be true, strick action would be initiated against the constable. There was no Government Railway Police escort in the train at that time, the SRP said.

Shahabuddin was going to Muzaffarpur from Bhagwanpur by Gwalior Mail to attend school there. When the train reached near Bangra railway level-crossing, a policeman suspected to be an RPF constable, demanded a large amount as fine from him. When Shahabudddin expressed his inability to pay the amount, he was thrown out of the running train.

The GRP was collecting further details of the incident. But no RPF officer could be contacted for his version.

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[Via http://railwayjob.wordpress.com]

under the loud quest

Loud is the quest for stimulation,

prize seeking run from truth,

and peace left behind in this race to catch the high–

beloved sits along the curb,

waiting at the roadside.

Fast goes chase for the buzz,

memory of her smile,

and speed satisfies only instants,

only rocket’s thunder drowning out her quiet love.

Quick goes the hunter for the merry drink,

a stupor sought in flashing lights,

and loud might be glitter with the shouts,

still her silent conversation continues while ignored–

i’ve run this endless game to ironical surprise,

beloved always my cheerleader,

my mission’s treasured prize.

[Via http://poetryproject2009.wordpress.com]

Sightjogging: Netzatlethen-Redakteure testen die Strecken in München

Mitte Juli haben wir hier auf diesem Blog das Sightjogging-Angebot vom carathotel München und vom hotelmüller München vorgestellt (den Artikel zum Nachlesen finden Sie hier).

Von den Hotels aus bieten wir zwei verschiedene Strecken an: Rund um die Theresienwiese (in 9 Tagen direkt mit einem Besuch des Oktoberfests zu verbinden) und entlang der Isar. Vor Ort liegt für die Gäste ein Flyer mit den Karten und Streckenbeschreibungen im praktischen Hosentaschen-Format aus. Das Ganze gibt es auch zum Anschauen und herunterladen auf der Webseite der Hotels (>> Sightjogging carathotel München).

Redakteure von www.netzathleten.de haben die Strecken jetzt getestet und für gut befunden. Den Erfahrungsbericht gibt es hier.

Gruppenfoto der Netzathleten vor dem carathotel München

© Foto: Derk Hoberg

[Via http://blog.carat-hotel.de]

up north

No i haven’t left, Just wearin my fav sweatshirt

Another hump day is almost behind us! YIPPIE

Earlier this evening i was occupying my time with doing Sewing class homework.  check it out. I’ve had to cut out sample swatches….i found out that i’m not so good at this.  is this a sign??

Before i forget….Diva received this todayThe amazing people at PopChips sent me over some samples of their “never fried. never baked” goodies!!! With the chips i also received a cool chip clip and a coupon book! So EXCITED Can’t wait to dig into these puppies.  Make sure to check out their website for further info! Thanks again popchips!

Time to continue.

Momma and i decided to make a side dish of ROASTED brussels.  We preheated the oven to 400 degrees.  while we waited we put the brussels in a plastic baggie and sprayed them with EVOO an some Salt and pepper and shacked the crap outta it. Put them right into a roasting pan…..

and alas…..we got this! roasted veggies are to die for!  They were amazing….Jenna made some tonight too!!!! Get it girl! add probs another bowl full an you’ll get what i really ate!  i coulda ate the entire thing

a while later (i had dinner in stages tonight)  I made a quick sandwich

• TJ’s WW pita
• chicken breast (left over from last night)

added some lettuce and mustard and called it dinner

On my half marathon training for the day it was a 3 mile run or cross train.  I chose to cross train because my knee was bothering me all day.  So momma and i got on our bikes, and rode around the neighborhood!  it was so nice, well except the bugs, protein for later i guess…tehehe

I snacked on this peach when i got home….look at the size of this puppie…

Ok babes…..time to get ready for tomorrow, another lonnnnng day! Hope you sleep well…

o and in case you didn’t know…FALL is coming.

GOODNIGHT!

[Via http://saladdiva.wordpress.com]

All the Food I've Eaten

I think that all the food I have eaten in these past three months since I got home from Germany has finally converted itself into energy. Or something. I don’t know what.

I went to bed at 12:30. Took forever to fall asleep. Woke up at 2. Went back to sleep. Woke up at 6:30. Went for a run. I had so much energy…it was weird. Admittedly, my run was more of a walk–I was gone for 40 minutes or so, but I probably only ran for about 10 minutes of all that. I walked briskly though, when I wasn’t running. 10 minutes isn’t that bad for not running since June though (and even then I only went about twice.)

My run woke me up completely, and after showering and getting dressed, I decided to make pancakes for the sleeping L and E.

Mmmm I didn’t eat any though, since they were normal pancakes and not gluten free. Ah well. Actually, L and E didn’t eat any either. E, even though he’s a guy, apparently wasn’t hungry, and L doesn’t like to eat that sort of thing in the morning and wasn’t hungry either. She ate a banana. The pancakes got put in the freezer, but have no fear–I do believe that they will get eaten at some point.

For my breakfast, I had a bowl of yogourt mixed with grapes, dried apricots, craisins, chopped almonds, jee’s knees pbu (peanut butter, almond milk and honey all whizzed up together until thick and creamy) and cinnamon. It was quite delish. Definitely not enough calories, especially after not eating enough yesterday plus going for a run this morning but… that’s just the way it’s gonna work right now. I just can’t eat more. Well, stomach-wise, I could. But, psychologically, I can’t, if you know what I mean.

After brekkie, L and I headed out to do a million errands. We ended up getting a ton of stuff done, including booking Jee in for a hair appointment

[hair is getting freakishly long... starting to get the skater boy effect... ugh.]

at the Aveda Hair and Make Up Institute of Victoria for Thursday, but part way through our errands it became apparent that my run had done more than just wake me up. Apparently I somehow injured my left groin/inner thigh/hip flexor region. And the back of my left knee. It killed to walk and so I ended up limping around the city for the afternoon, and it’s just starting to feel a bit better after 2 advils and a hot pack application. I guess I shouldn’t jump right back into things too fast…

L wasn’t hungry all day and I really don’t like eating when no one else is eating, especially if it means that I will have consumed more calories than the other person, so I ate an apple around 3. I know. I should have eaten more. I had even packed some trail mix…

[one medjool date, one smushed up rice cracker, a few raw peanuts, a few raw cashews, 5 raw almonds, a few carob chips]

…in my purse because I knew that I should eat food during the day but.. I just couldn’t bring myself to eat anything other than the apple I had brought.

Anyways, we got back home around 6pm, and had dinner shortly after. Dinner for L was a piece of toast with pb and jam, cucumber, carrots, and dip. She later had a (fairly large) mug of sweetened chocolate almond milk, and two massive cookies I had made her earlier in the week (they’re around 280-ish each). Dinner for me was grated zucchini topped with salsa and cottage cheese, plus some baby carrots dipped in more salsa on the side and a peach. I also ate, periodically throughout the evening, some grapes, a couple of rice cakes, one with a wedge of Laughing Cow Lite, and my baggy of trail mix. Plus a couple spoonfuls of jee’s knee’s pbu. And some carob chips because I needed something sweet. I think I’ve made it to 1200. Erm… and why did I just detail to you all that I ate today and all that L ate today? I don’t know.

I found it hard to eat properly as I knew I was supposed to, when L didn’t truly eat until we had gotten home after all our errands.

Anyways, I should probably get some sleep now since I’m going to a bikram yoga class at 9:30 tomorrow morning, and have to leave here at quarter to nine. Although, if this morning is anything to judge by, I might have more than enough time to get ready in the morning.

Take care everyone

p.s. an extra shout out to Karina who needs a little bit of extra advice and support right now

[Via http://glambaa.wordpress.com]

Day #11, 12, 13 & 14 training

Labor Day threw me off. Just got caught up in all the free time and got too tired at the end of the day to blog much. My sincerest apologies to my two readers!!

Day 11 – REST (love my day of REST!!)

Day 12 – 4 mile run

My 4 mile run went extraordinarily well. I extended the length of my runs and shortened the length of my walks. So I ran 1:15 minute runs and walked :45 second walks. No problem baby!! It felt so good! I did add quite a bit of stretching this week. Whenever I could remember, I’d just stretch out the calves. I think it made a difference. As well, I’ve been much more careful about my diet, ensuring I’m getting an adequate amount of protein as a vegetarian, sodium, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.

Day 13 – Stretch & Strengthen (also Labor Day and so because I’ve been working so hard these last few weeks, I’ve decided to give myself another day of REST. Hopefully you’ve picked up on the humor there because I was layed off in June. I’ve been working hard LOOKING for a job!)

Day 14 – 3.5 mile run

Had another great run! I lengthened my run/walk times again. I had 1:30 minute runs and :30 second walks. Troy was happy with my strategy and encouraged me to do more of the same. I had a little bit of discomfort on the lower part of my left calf, north of the ankle, and again Troy thinks it was more nerve related. He had Heather, his “fellow” in training (that’s not an insult, that’s what they call them), manipulate my calf in a stretch. Check out the bruises the brute inflicted.

Calf bruises

How am I supposed to walk the catwalk with Heidi Klum with those bruises on my legs?!! Thank God for makeup. I should sue her ass, Heather not Heidi.

Auf Wiedersehen.

[Via http://allthingsana.wordpress.com]

Pushing the pace

Forgot my shorts today so I wore my dress pants to the track. The weather was overcast and very humid. By the time I finished, the shirt and pants were soaked with sweat.

Leg still hurt but I wanted to go fast. Today’s run was broken into five simple parts: Warmup. Fast. Jog. Fast. Cooldown. The cooldown part was cut short because of the leg pain.

During an injury, one perhaps should take it easy. But is that true? Too many slow runs may not be the best way to recover. When one runs the same way over and over, muscles may get overused. I don’t know if a fast run uses different muscles from those in a slow run; but hopefully it does. Anyway, going fast once in a while feels good and that’s all that matters.

Heavy rain came down about an hour after I finished. Lucky it didn’t come sooner.

[Via http://aeroppon.wordpress.com]

Training #2

Saturday (9/5) 8am: 2miles with Team Challenge.

Today (9/7) 12noon: 5 miles on treadmill, 8/8:15 pace

Here to Serve

Evidence

Along with several other Team Challenge members and CCFA supporters I volunteered at the Oak Brook Half Marathon this morning. My assignment: water stop at mile 9.7. We had water, Gatorade, and energy gel packs. Being labor day I did have a slight regret for choosing to get up at 5am rather than sleep in and wake up sans alarm. However, I really enjoyed myself!

The Crew at Mile 9.7!!!

I really want to give credit to these runners. Out of 2,000 participants, only one was outwardly grumpy. There were, of course, a few people who seemed a bit harried as they came around the corner and past our tables, but that happens. 9.7 miles is a long way! Even longer when you consider there are more than 3 miles left to go!

I felt really excited about running in Las Vegas when I got home. After some play time with my pups, I ran 5 miles on the treadmill at the gym. I have made a string of bad food decisions over the last 3 days so the treadmill was a far friendlier option today as I would be able to stop and/or get to the restroom easily. Aside from a few aches it was good training run.

Here are some more pictures from Oak Brook. Happy Labor Day!

Running makes one thirsty.

*Annabelle

[Via http://starlessmedia.wordpress.com]

NCAA Football: SJSU at USC 09 Sept 05

(Photo by Ric Tapia / Icon SMI)

Trojan’s QB Matt Barkley (7) celebrates after beat San Jose State 56-3 during the NCAA game between the San Jose State Spartans and the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA.

CLICK ON THE LINK FOR MORE PHOTOS

I Love College Football! The action, fans, cheerleaders and emotion is amazing. Here are some more of my photos from my first game of the season as USC rolls over SJSU 56-3.

(Photo by Ric Tapia / Icon SMI)

Trojan’s QB Matt Barkley (7) rolls out looking to pass.

(Photo by Ric Tapia / Icon SMI)

Trojan’s Stafon Johnson (13) celebrates after scoring a touchdown.

(Photo by Ric Tapia / Icon SMI)

Trojan’s Jurrell Casey (91) tackles Spartan Patrick Perry (21).

(Photo by Ric Tapia / Icon SMI)

Taylor Mays (2) yells.

(Photo by Ric Tapia / Icon SMI)

USC’s Anthony McCoy (86) fumbles the ball.

(Photo by Ric Tapia / Icon SMI)

USC’s Damian Williams (18) does his best Reggie Bush impression.

(Photo by Ric Tapia / Icon SMI)

USC’s Ryan McMahon (49) gets held up at the line of scrimmage.

(Photo by Ric Tapia / Icon SMI)

USC’s offense huddles up during the NCAA game between the San Jose State Spartans and the USC Trojans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles, CA.

www.tapiaphoto.com

[Via http://tapiaphoto.wordpress.com]