Reasons to Run

Distance: 3.0 miles   Time: 36:15 min    Partly Cloudy 8:30 pm
Temperature: 85 °F    Humidity: 63%      Pressure: 30.05 inches (falling)

Sometimes I run because the alarm went off and it is time to get up and do that. Sometimes I run after work and teaching and I enjoy the movement after being inside all day. Often on Saturdays I run because the sun is shining and I live where other people vacation. I run to breathe, I run to get out of my head, I run to pray and think. I run ‘cause I’m happy, or sad, or lonely, or frustrated or excited. I run cause I feel fat and board or skinny and energetic. Sometimes I just run.

Today I ran because BOYS ARE ETERNALLY DUMB!!! I want to poke all of their eyes out.

1) Don’t get snippy with me at work ‘cause you can’t do it and I can and you need my help when you don’t want it!

2) I miss my best friend at work because he doesn’t work there anymore….NOW WORK SUCKS!!

3) I am unhappy with my dart throwing partner at work just because he wasn’t there all week…..he got a vacation. (Note: he didn’t do anything I just was board all week)

4) Don’t tell me you “Thought that was the plan for Friday” when you made a HUGE deal about being busy all weekend, including Friday!! I know perfectly well it was supposed to be Thursday!!

5) If you are a liberal SHUT UP!! If you are a conservative SHUT UP!! I’m tired of all of it!! Is there any other subject when it isn’t football season!! How ‘bout them Rays?!?!
(Note:I have not yet recovered from the last presidential race at work)

Well that is all I have to say. Boys are eternally dumb!! (I know we are probably eternally crazy but that is only to them and they are DUMB!!)

I went to the bookstore tonight and bought a book on my assigned reading list and now I am going to go try to hide for the weekend and read it.

Running Crazy!! (‘cause they made me this way!!)

This does get easier....RIGHT?!?!

Distance: 1.5 miles    Time: 16:50 min    Dawn 6:00 am
Temperature: 79 °F   Humidity: 89%      Pressure: 30.00 inches (rising)

Ok I was up again in time to run before work. This has to get easier at some point. It was easier last Thursday than it was today but I'm glad it's done for the day. It does make it easier to not have to think about when I eat and what I eat before I run. My tummy is funny about eating and running, always has been. In high school during track season I had to be careful what I picked in the lunch line….not always an easy task. Lunch was always far enough from running time after school that timing wasn’t a big deal but spaghetti day was a sad because it was one of my favorites but I didn’t dare if it was a long workout day.

In fact it is my turn to make dinner for “family dinner night” And I have some well loved stragglers joining us as well so with a larger crowd I think I will fix Magnetbabe’s Pomodo sauce. YUMMY!!

Longest Run and Fire!!

Distance: 2.27 miles   Time: 27:44 min    Partly Cloudy10:00 am
Temperature: 81 °F    Humidity: 63%      Pressure: 30.00 inches (rising)

Yesterday went well. I ran all 3.5 miles. I did take a small rest break when I had to stop at two larger stoplights. I stopped the watch once and waited an extra light cycle at one of them. So the time is how long I was running but still for a half mile increase it’s not so bad.

So pictures were requested from Thrusday Nights fun…Here ya go….


This one they are fanning out the water to make the shield and are pushing back the fire shooting straight out at them from a pipe to reach a valve to shut it off. The valve isn't really the one to shut it off but they have to get that far for the exercise.


Notice that the cone of water causes the fire to be drawn into the center of the cone so the fire is right up to the end of the nozzle of the hose. The first firefighter is on the other side of the water with the nozzle in his hands.


Look how close the fire gets!! HOW COOL IS THAT!!!


Then they had a gas canister up against a short wall (like the outside of a building) and the flame was shooting straight up. One line had a hose with the shield the other side had a straight steam for the sword (you can see it best in this one)


Then when they advanced they changed the sword to another shield and got right up onto the fire. Notice how they are deflecting the fire up so that the gas doesn't ignite till it is higher up. They then moved forward till they were almost to the canister.

I had a lot of fun, and between two of the exercises my friend came over and he looked like a great big kid in a candy store and was happier than I had seen him in months. I think he likes his new career choice.

Ooooo….Fire Pretty!!

Wednesday
Distance: 3.0 miles   Time: 39:24 min    Inside 10:00 pm
Temperature: ?? °F    Humidity: ??%      Pressure: ??.?? inches

Thursday
Distance: 1.58 miles  Time: 17:33 min    Clear 6:00 am
Temperature: 75 °F    Humidity: 89%      Pressure: 30.08 inches (rising)

Working with my new theory that I decide the day before when I will run, I figured the best time to do a distance at the end of my limit was not first thing in the morning. So after I worked yesterday and then taught a lab at the community college I went for a run. Note the 10:00pm start time. It went surprisingly well. I had a treadmill with a TV attached and ESPN Wednesday Night Baseball!! I didn't even know I was running. I never thought I would enjoy a treadmill soooo much.

Half way through my run I pushed the pause button for like 30 seconds to take a drink. (I can't do that well while running and outside I don't care if I make a mess but inside I needed to stop before I showed the world I was a slob) The lady next to me had been walking there for a few minutes already. She looked over and said....”Did you just run the whole 20min?” I said I had but I was only half done I'm not very fast. She was impressed. So I started again but my new friend and I continued to chat. While I ran and she walked. That was cool. She asked me how I could run so long. I pointed out that other people run much longer, but that I had started a year ago running for 5 minutes and walking 5 minutes and that very very slowly I upped that till I was running a mile and now up to 3 but that was about all I had done. She said she had joined the gym 3 weeks ago and was up to walking for 15 minutes at 3mph. I told her to keep at it. When she got to 12 min she said she was going to see if she could run. She upped her speed and ran for about 45 seconds. I told her it was a start. Next time a little less speed and if she could keep her balance then letting go would make running easier using her arms. She tried again at 16 min and went a whole minute. (I was right about the letting go) I don't know if she will ever do it again and before she runs toooo far she really needs to look into a better sports bra and runners instead of cross trainers. (I didn’t tell her that. She will figure it out soon enough I’m sure.) But I remembered being there. That was a long time ago. But only like a year ago.

Then I went home and looking at my planner for today realized that I have evening plans so I have to run in the morning. So that means that I ran 3 miles, drove home, fell into bed, got up, ran 1.5 miles, and came to work. (I must be crazy!!)

My plans are....really cool!! A good friend of mine is in the fire academy through the same college where I teach. They have a "Night Burn" where they use gas to "burn" a building and practice putting it out with a technique called "sword and shield" (They use a mist to shield them from the heat and help suppress the fire and a stream of water to spray more directly, the sword) which is ironic for this friend on soooo many levels, but I digress. Anyway they are allowed to invite people to this to watch. I get to go!! The pyro in me is very excited, even though nothing will actually burn.

Running with flaming marshmallows…on a sharp stick....now that might be fun!!

ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzz...........

Distance: 1.5 miles     Time: 19:15 min     Dawn 5:55 am*
Temperature: 75 °F    Humidity: 92%      Pressure: 30.07 inches (rising) 

Ok…I did it…I got my ass out of bed and ran in the morning*. It wasn’t too bad. Other than the fact that my feet were wet from the dew in the grass and I really need to look into that pair of gills for breathing. That isn’t a typo for the humidity. That is what happens when the dew point is only 3 °F below the current temperature. It’s not that bad when the trade off is 75 °F to run in but after only a mile and a half I was soaked.

Here is the plan as it stands now. I want to run more….but the space-time continuum just does not seem to be cooperating with the 26 hour day theory I came up with. So each week I am going to plan my runs for the week. Each day I will finalize my schedule for the next day and decide when I will run. IF like today I cannot find a time to schedule the run then I guess I better to hurry off to bed so I can get up early to get the run in early. I don’t sleep too late but mornings are an untapped resource for time in my world.

So far it is working 100%!! (granted one data point isn’t much of a trend line but I’m trying to be positive)

Wake up!! RUN!!

(* Note to Big Feet: I was up early like I promised!! Drive Safe to NY)

New 'Neakers!!!

Distance: 2.33 miles  Time: 30:14 min    Mostly Cloudy 1:30 pm
Temperature: 87 °F    Humidity: 51%      Pressure: 30.05 inches (falling) 

I bought new shoes on Saturday!!

I   L O V E   N E W   S H O E S ! ! !  

Really, I’m a nut!! But I love them. I have a shoe cycle you see. The oldest pair is for yard work, then the second pair is for everyday. (note that I wear sneakers every day!!) and the new pair is for running. When the everyday’s get worn out (holes in the toes or flat bottoms so I slip in the rain etc…) they become yard shoes and I buy new runners. That way the runners never “wear out” and I don’t have to pay attention to the miles on my shoes. At least not yet. So I loved my runners so I am happy that I get to wear them all the time and now I have brand new runners!! And I love them. I even get the treat of wearing them all day for the first couple days to get my feets used to them. Only for 2 days, then I am good about wearing them only for running!!

Well Sunday’s run was in the new shoes!! I LOVE THEM!! I was going to go 2.6 rather than 2.3 (I knew the measurements of the USF trail), but I was getting a little bit of soreness in my shins and knees. This is typical for me with new shoes so I didn’t up the mileage from the last run, but at least I didn’t drop either, and I am not sore or stiff at all so they should be just fine from now on.

New Runners!!! YEA!!!

Shocking....I know....

I know that everyone is just shocked by this revelation!! I am what I am!!

Thanks to GirlGoyle for the fun!!

However, while I do play flag with the boys every football season....I own a PS2 not an XBox.

You Are Boyish Sexy

You're the kind of girl who gets along with all the boys Whether it's holding your own in a game of touch football... Or kicking some major butt while playing Xbox. You hang with the guys easily, while still keeping your girly sexiness.

What Kind of Sexy Are You?

Two for one

Tuesday
Distance: 2.27 miles  Time: 27:44 min    Partly Cloudy 6:00 pm
Temperature: 81 °F    Humidity: 63%      Pressure: 29.88 inches (falling)

Sunday
Distance: 1.33 miles  Time: 12:55 min    Partly Cloudy 11:00 am
Temperature: 83 °F    Humidity: 61%      Pressure: 29.95 inches (holding)

I never got around to updating for the run on Sunday so I will update both runs now.

Sunday was nice but as there were other physical activities planned with the guys I only ran once around the trail at USF. That was probably a good idea since after playing with the guys I had T-rex arms and wouldn’t have been in any sort of shape to use them for running after.

Today I had a client cancel their tutoring session so I used my free hour to get in the run. IT WAS HOT!!! Also the wind was at 17mph with gusts to 27 mph (Thanks Alberto!!). That made it harder but it felt good while I was running. Now that I have stopped I am soaking wet!! But I did to two and a quarter straight through with out stopping or walking at all. I seem to do well mentally with increases of a quarter mile. It might take me forever to get to 5 miles but at least it’s better then the mental monkey on my back. I figure when I run more miles at a time it will be easier to increase by more because it will be a smaller percentage. If I jump even by a half mile right now that’s a 25% increase!! I know I run too many numbers in my head….if it has numbers I analyze them. (Did I mention I was nutz?!?!)

Running against the wind!!

Tropical Update

....we are fine...everything's fine here... how are you? :)

We will have to see how the neighbors to the north do in the panhandle but the bay area is no worse for wear for the most part. Rain and some good gusts. More moss in my yard than on my trees. That sort of thing.

This is going to be a long season!!

I really prefer Baseball Season

Distance: 3.1 miles   Time: ??:?? min    Sunny 10:00 am
Temperature: 87 °F    Humidity: 48%      Pressure: 29.95 inches (falling) 

June 1st was the start of Hurricane season. I have never gone hunting for one but I hear it’s a good time. (I know that was terrible….sorry) Here it is the 10th and we have our first TD. That’s Tropical Depression for all you non-hurricane involved people. SO???!!! It is forecast to head straight for the gulf coast of FL. SHOCKING I know. This early in the season it isn’t likely to make it up to Hurricane status. (of course now that I have said that….SHUT UP RGFL) We really need the rain so hopefully that is what we get from this TD.

Today I went for a 3 mile run. Well that was the plan. I haven’t been very consistent lately and tropical season is never good for consistent outdoor activities without a VERY flexible schedule. I really need to get that treadmill….

The three turned into running 2 and then walking home with spurts of feeling guilty and also not liking how slow walking is and wanting to get home so I ran some more. That’s ok I hadn’t run more than 2 miles in quite a while, so I did make it that far. I think it is time to make a plan to run….and a plan for how to keep the plan. I know this is becoming a theme with me. “I’m going to make a plan….” “Missed the plan…” Blah blah blah but life has settled down a (very) little so I will try again. Someday I will have all kinds of time. I hope I still like to run at the age of 92! Part of the problem is….I think….that I had a goal to work for to do the two 5k’s a while back so I worked up to them so I could do them. I am going to have to find a local anything I guess to work for. Maybe even a few months away and a little longer. Hmmmm…..

Also I started this to get into better shape. So far it has worked but along with the level off in running has come a leveling off in weight loss. I have been stuck at –30 lbs. The break was good to keep things in perspective and not become tooooo obsessed with everything, but now a little hard work wouldn’t hurt. Just not losing ground is not working for me anymore. I am ready to try improving again….

Running to improve

Get out of my HEAD!!!

Distance: 2.13 miles  Time: 26:14 min    Sunny 12:00 pm
Temperature: 84 °F    Humidity: 60%      Pressure: 29.86 inches (holding) 

I went for a run this morning. I really needed to get out of my head!! So I didn’t plan on a set distance but just to go till my brain had stopped thinking tooooo much. So I got to about 2mi and felt good so that was the stop. I went to the park near my house. One of my favorites. And played Red Hot Chili Peppers – Stadium Arcadium. All of this did the job!! I got out of my own head and could be more productive the rest of the day. This is part of the stress release that happens to runners.

The guy who runs around the park backwards was there again. Not unusual for a weekend day. Today he was just getting started when I got there so I saw some of the other activates that I had not witnessed before. He did a handstand facing a light pole with one toe of his shoes on the pole. Then he scissored the other leg out to ~45 degrees and back really fast. Then after a min or so dropped the leg beside the pole to ~90 degrees then switched feet on the pole and did the other leg. Very interesting. Finally he stretched with both feet on the pole by twisting his body. Note this whole time he didn’t come down from the handstand till after he had done the twists. THEN he ran around the park backwards. I don’t think I could have held myself up in the handstand that long let alone wiggle all over in the time I was trying not to fall on my head. This guy becomes more and more entertaining every time.

My mind is racing!! (now If my feet would just work as well as my brain….)