Run Baby Run

You watch TV HOW?!?!

2007-08-07T13:22:00.000-04:00

Ok...so a couple of times in the past people have asked me what I mean by downloading my TV shows. "You mean you watch them from the web site for the network?"....No I mean I download them and watch them off line at my leisure. :)

Well wonderful wonderful LifeHacker has posted twice in the last couple days about how I do this.

(If you already know about BitTorrents you don't have to keep going...)

lifehacker.com - a beginners guide to BitTorrent

lifehacker.com - an intermediate guide to BitTorrent

Enjoy and I hope it helps.

Hi my name is RunnerGirlFL and...

2007-07-03T22:26:00.000-04:00

I’m a bookaholic

No really!! I think I have a problem.

you: Ya THINK?!?! Only ONE?!?!
me: Yeah yeah whatever

I love my LibraryThing (see the books on my sidebar) and I have neglected it some lately so I decided to make sure it was updated. Well…I hadn’t neglected it as much as I thought. Most of my “last batch” was in there. I just hadn’t stamped them with my “From the Library of J. Kalajian” stamp yet. That means I added them when I was at work one day.

So as I added the newest and a few from that last batch and stamped them all and got the rest of the books in my bedroom in the list that just hadn’t been added I looked through my collection. Now well over 100 strong, and those are just the ones I have entered!! There are many that I haven’t even started with still on the main bookshelves in the extra room.

What did I notice as I entered these books? Well that I have a problem!! There are several (Like 1..2..Many) that I have not read and yet I buy more. And then didn’t read all of them and bought still more!!

What is wrong with me?!?!

So…I need your help dear readers…I’m going to keep reading the ones I have and not buy more (or too many more) till I have finished these. SO…if you see me…ask me what I’m reading now, or what I’m reading next.

I’m tempted to make a huge unruly pile in my bedroom that I have to read before I can put them away. The mess alone ought to make me insane…or give me an excuse to make a bigger mess…(Let’s hope it’s the first?...I think)

What is your trick for reading what you already own?

Well I better go read something. Check out the LibraryThing and post if you have one so I can see what we like in common. I’ll dig my way out from under these books eventually but in the mean time if you see new books added they are probably just not in the LibraryThing yet since I’m still updating. (Mostly School Texts and Gaming books aren’t in yet…And may or may not get added.)

P.S. Don't worry I pre-ordered the Harry Potter so I still get that...It's already a done deal.

Wow I could write for Disney

2007-06-29T13:34:00.000-04:00

I stole this from MB

Mingle² - Online Dating

Sorry if I'm not scandalous enough for y'all. ;)

Sometimes they do the right things for the right reasons...

2007-06-20T11:48:00.000-04:00

I know I haven't posted much lately but this I felt was very important to share. I love OutBack Steak House and I have always thought it was really cool that they started here in Tampa. For the most part they seem to be a good company and do a lot for the community. Here is where they did even more.

My friend Cherish is serving a year in Iraq as a firefighter. The bases over there don't use our military for firefighting duties. They hire firefighters from back here for "tours" over there. She and some of the others also volunteer at the "Hospital/Clinic" what ever it is that the wounded come back to. This was part of what she posted to her blog the other day:

Lets start with my steak dinner. I had the best meal I have ever had in my life last Sunday. Outback steak house did a tour through the middle east stopping at a few bases in Kuwait, Afgan, and Iraq. We were lucky enough to be one of those bases. We were so excited the week before, like kids waiting to go to Disney. That Sunday was supposed to be a down day for us, but we were busy until 2:30pm and then found out at 2:45 that we had to sit stand by for outback at 3pm. We all though “great, just great.” This meant that we had to sit next to the grill at make sure nothing caught on fire. 5 hours in the sun, next to the grill…..
It didn’t end up being as bad as we had expected. The Outback guys were really cool. They brought along a few cute chicks to serve desert and stuff, the guys (and soldiers) really liked that. The Outback reps told us that Out back has done this before for the soldiers, and everyone helping over here. They don’t advertise it all at because it is not intended to be a promotion. They footed the bill for everything. Yeah Out back. They practically set up their whole menu here. The brought everything, even their own oil for the bloomin onions. It was absolutely the best thing I have ever eaten in my life. There were a few perks for having to stand by at the grill. We helped cook some of the steaks, so in turn we got to cook our own…. To perfection. One of the reps is the owner of Carrabas in Tallahassee so I will be paying that restaurant a visit next time I am up there. The crews worked for two weeks straight busting their tales to bring us as much of home as possible. We gave them some of our shirts and patches.

I had not heard about this at all here in Tampa!! Sometimes they really do the right things for the right reasons. Yea OutBack!! I think I'll go buy a steak!!

8 Radom Things...

2007-05-24T18:18:00.000-04:00

MagnetBabe is playing my letter game so I am going to play her 8 random facts game. I agree with her that it is hard to pick 8 things that are not already in my 100 things list….which as you know I cheated on anyway.

Eight random facts:

1.) I have a 55 gallon fish tank with 3 fish in it. 1 stripy banjo catfish, 1 neon, and 1 white angelfish. They have lots of swimming room. I have tried to buy other fish…they die. I don’t know why. These three have lived in there a long time.

2.) I seem to startle easily. But I (almost) always think it’s funny so it’s ok. As long as it’s not done to be mean. I tried to go shooting with some friends years ago. I thought I would like it. I’m noisy myself. I jumped every time a gun went off. IT’S A SHOOTING RANGE…LOTS OF GUNS GO OFF. I did get tired of that pretty quickly.

3.) I LOVE seafood!! I like crab, fish, shrimp, lobster, all of it. Not sooooo much for the raw stuff. Salmon with a blackberry sauce is my signature dish. It has 4 ingredients and takes 15-ish minutes to make. YUM!! (Everyone has LOVED it so far)

4.) I have mixed feelings on meeting my blogger friends. I have thought it would be cool to be your real friends. Then I’m like but it’s nice that these people and I can be complete strangers and still be friends. Does something change if you meet your penpal? I never had one. I do have “regular” friends that read and it’s kinda weird because then you talk about it twice…sorta.

5.) I see the question sometimes on blogs and memes “where do you see yourself in 10 years” and this makes me think sometimes. I have NO idea!! I didn’t have any Idea 10 years ago so I cannot imagine what 10 more would do. I knew where I was 10 years ago wasn’t permanent I knew the relationship wasn’t I knew the job wasn’t. I know 10 years ago I wasn’t very happy. I knew I wanted lots of things…they aren’t any of the things I have now. However I wouldn’t give up any of them. I wouldn’t give up FireGuy, my house, my kittens, my friends that I have made since then. I really now have a home in Tampa and I wouldn’t change that. 10 years ago I hadn’t been here very long and didn’t know if I was staying. But who knows maybe in 10 years I will live somewhere else and love it or maybe I will still be here loving it.

6.) The only think I hate about teaching is giving tests!! I have to sit still and be quiet. I am not very good at either activity. I either take a book to read or I take my lap top in and surf the net or blog or IM with friends while the students pull their hair out. Hehehe

7.) I want to be a paleontologist. If I won the lottery I would go back and get a degree in that from somewhere...I don't want to dig in Alaska or anything I just want to think about Dinosaurs all day long.

8.) I can’t go to bed if it’s noisy. Not because I can’t sleep through noise but because I am the biggest 4 year old on the planet and I can’t sleep for fear I am missing something. Remember when you were little your parents put you to bed and were really quiet in the other room till you were asleep. THEN they and their friends could have more fun. Yeah…that’s me. Good thing I can out last people most of the time. (Just try to keep up at a theme park!!)

Ok that’s 8. And it must make up for the sorta cheating ones in the 100 list. So I’m supposed to tag 8 people. If you have a blog and you haven’t done this and you have read it…then tag you are it. (If ya want to)

Brought to You By the Letter H and the Number 10!!

2007-05-17T17:30:00.000-04:00

The letter H

Ok so here is another game from Bre the fabulous...I like her games. She gave me the letter H. Comment that you want a letter and I will give you one. Then list 10 things you love that begin with that letter.

(too bad that Cookie Cookie Cookie Cookie Cookie starts with C)

1. Handsome Fireguys (Like you didn't think I would figure out how to put him on my list) :)

2. House Cats - Again like my kitties wouldn't make the list somehow

3. Holidays (vacations, National ones, days off...what ever YIPPEE!!)

4. Hardcover books - Ok, again I'm being creative...it's fun this way Paperbacks are good too...Books are good. My Mother never thought she would hear this when I was a kid. Check out my Library Thing on the sidebar. :)

5. Home Team - Because it's root root root for the home team if they don't win it's a shame. *Note* this doesn't have to be baseball...home team football, arena football, hockey, what ever will do just fine (Go Rays, Go Bolts, Go Bucs, Go Bulls, Go Strom)

6. Halloween - I know it's a holiday but this is my favorite one AND it starts with H!!

7. House - specifically MY house. I love my house!! And now there are new couches on their way to MY house. :) Yippee

8. Humming Birds - I think they are cute!! I want a pretty glass feeder to go on my porch of my house.

9. Helicopters - They are COOL!! I would like to ride in one someday!!

10. Hoodie sweatshirts, Heffelumps, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers w/ cheese...

That was entertainment enough for me today....

How ‘bout this weather!!

2007-05-07T17:31:00.000-04:00

I hope those of you up North are finally having some nice weather. The Fabulous Bre seems to be doing well enough with highs in the 70’s. The lows are a little low for me.

And JustRun in CO seems to be a bit chilly!! But not too bad…It doesn’t look like she needs her winter coat to run and her built in snot catchers.

However, MagnetBabe, E.B. and I are having Phenomenal weather today. And I’m sure we are all stuck in the same boat….that being stuck inside!!

I WANNA GO OUTSIDE AND PLAY!!!

I was outside this weekend. I went garage sale shopping with a friend. Found a few things too. One of those fireplace sets with the little brush and shovel and poker an stand and all for $15, and some wooden bowls ($.25 ea.) Then SCA stuff yesterday outside too. However it was a little warm. Now nothing like it’s going to be in a month but a little warm. I wouldn’t comment on yesterdays warmness except that yesterday evening it rained and cooled off just a little bit, so today is FANTASTIC!!! And now I’m inside!!

Humph!!

Someone should be outside playing baseball in this weather!! It should be me!!

Actually FireGuy wanted to go out tonight and picked a little place here in town called the Front Porch. Which is what they have, a BIG front porch. It should be a perfect evening to sit outside on said porch. Good choice FireGuy (The food is great too – Little local place with really good food if you come to TPA you should try it)

Then it will be home to watch Heroes!! (Save the cheerleader!! Save the world!!)

The Mighty and The Humble

2007-05-02T20:00:00.000-04:00

I met some new people, a couple, this weekend at an SCA event. He had moved into Florida 2 years ago and brought her into the group. I met her first in the bathroom with her daughter, who had a cast on her leg. It was red fiberglass with a black fiberglass stripe. Well any one who knows me knows that if I needed a cast and I could have two colors it would be a red and black cast!!. So I told her that was the coolest cast I had ever seen. (It really was)

Throughout the day I got to know this lady a little bit and FireGuy got to know her boyfriend. Both were very nice people and seemed a lot of fun. We all ended up at the same table at dinner. They had a good time and asked us to join them in their camp later to hang out. We had a good time too and accepted the offer. I counter offered when they invited us to join them and I invited them to FireGuy’s Bible study the next morning. They said they were not sure if they could make it they had a lot of packing, but they were interested maybe the next time when they could plan ahead better.

Word was passed to me that she wanted to call me but did not have my number and sent hers along to get to me. I called her and she said she was so sorry they were not able to make it Sunday morning but she really liked FireGuy and I and wanted to know if he would be having a Bible study at the next event. I let her know details and we began to chat...Between the event and the phone call this is what I know:

The first part of the conversation she talked about how they had a good time with us and how great we were and how great her boyfriend was. Some other chatting about the other people we knew and she said how much she liked this or that about each of them. She had something nice to say about every one of them. Then I got asking more about her...

Ok...so this lady has two cute little girls. One has a cast as I said before. She did not break anything it is to help her muscle grow long by keeping her foot straight. She is on seizure medication and has already had 5 (yes I said FIVE) brain surgeries!! (That kid didn’t look a day over 8 or 9 to me. The younger one is doing better…she has only had to have one brain surgery! No Kidding!! Also about 2.5 years ago this lady lost her husband. To cancer. They found out on a Wednesday and he was dead on Sunday. She was still in shock that she had been told the oldest was going to have her 5th brain surgery when he died and she alone still had to go through her little girl going under the knife a couple moths later. I said “How did you do it?” She said simply…”Humor and faith.” She said she didn’t have a choice she had to keep going. She had to raise those girls. I told her that had a rough year and I know you just have to keep going but I can not imagine having to keep going like that. She said she knew what I meant. SHE knew what I meant?!?! When she was in the hospital with her daughter she would see parents with kids who would not make it the night. She would talk with them and hold them and cry with them because she knew she was better off... her girl would live, so she could keep going.

I do not know if I could do it. I hope that I could. I had a rough year last year but nothing like her world.

Some days you meet someone you just cannot believe. I think I might have a new friend.

All right I’ve had enough!!

2007-05-02T15:03:00.000-04:00

I’m white. I’m a straight female. I’m fairly conservative but not blindly. I’m a Christian. I’m educated. And I WORK for a living!

Someone needs to TOLERATE ME!!

Sorry having one of those weeks!!

Ever have one? I just needed to get that out!!

My Interview...

2007-04-18T14:35:00.000-04:00

I actually volunteered for one of the meme’s. I am being interviewed by the Fabulous Bre of Win or Lose We Go Shopping. Here are her 5 questions for me:

1. How did you and FireGuy first meet?

FireGuy and met first near the beginning of 2000 and he and I have been friends since about 2001. He was Prince Charming…or was that a charming Prince? He is a member of the SCA (The medieval reenactment group I have been telling you about) and when I met him he was currently the Prince. I was new and he was really nice to me. Since he is local and the group is fairly close we got to be friends. About a year ago we found ourselves both in need of a new best friend to pal around with and started hanging out regularly…the rest is history.

2. Tupperware parties or Mary Kay parties?

I’m sure it comes as no surprise that I’m not too girly so I’m going with Tupperware…practical anyway. However, I really like those PartyLite candle parties. I have to limit my attendance or I will buy more than I make!!

3. Who was your very first best friend? Are you still close?

Stephanie S. We met about the 2nd grade when our little brothers became friends in pre-school. It was nice for our parents because they could take turns hosting the sleep over no sibling got left out and the other set of parents had a night off. Stephanie and I grew apart in middle school. We had different interests and didn’t end up with any classes together. She is an artist/photographer now I think. However, her brother was the best man at my brother’s wedding. They are still best friends even though they live many States away. I think that is the coolest.

Not to slight anyone I feel I must now state that my longest friend is Laura. We have been friends since 1987. We can not speek for months and pick up tomorrow like we chatted yesterday. We don’t live in the same town so this does happen…I have to go e-mail her now.

I must also state that my closest friend currently is Magnet Babe. She started me reading blogs (see #5) and is one of the best people on the planet!! Between her and FireGuy I always have someone to talk to about anything and support with everything.

(I have other great friends please do not think the rest of them are any less loved, I gave some highlights)

4. Who is your biggest celebrity crush?

Hmmm…..I have had many over the years…Knight Rider (Shhh don’t tell), MacGyver, Fox Moulder, Captin Malcom Reynolds (Firefly), but currently…hmmm….I don’t think I have a current one. I think I’m too stupid into FireGuy to find another one. (Sappy, I know)

5. What is your favorite part of blogging?

Seriously…It’s reading everyone else’s stuff. Really only blog to be allowed to read your stuff. Ok not quite but I feel obligated to post to “give back” in our blogging friendship.

Ok there you have it…Thank you Bre for 5 good questions. Not too deep not too fluffy. I hope everyone knows a little more about me. I thought this was fun.!! Now if you want me to interview you here is how this game is played…

* Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me!”
* I will respond by e-mailing you five questions. I get to pick them, and you have to answer them all.
* You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
* You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
* When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

That’s it! I hope you had fun too.

Worky Work Busy Bee!!

2007-04-09T13:58:00.000-04:00

The last couple weeks have been crazy. Other than the week I was down for the count being sick things just haven’t stopped. I had planned to use that week to catch up but at least I didn't miss the other weekends being sick. It seems like every night after work and teaching there is yet another project that needs to be done. Go here and help with this go there and help someone learn how to do that.

Now it’s my turn!! I have some projects and I’m gonna get a chance to work on them this weekend. I’m going to get up early tomorrow and either run before work or after depending on if FireGuy wants to go with me or not. Or maybe I’ll just go in the morning at the gym because it has now been a few weeks again after being sick and I will be sucking wind so since the first one back is the worst maybe I’ll go suffer by myself. :)

This weekend I would like to hang the light fixture I got awhile back for the bathroom and I need to borrow my friends lawn mower and do the yard. I think this will feel great to get done. I have felt really behind around the house.

I got better

2007-03-27T10:56:00.000-04:00

So now I’m mostly fine. Thank you all for wishing me better. Fire guy was the best and took good care of me. He didn’t want me driving anywhere I didn’t have to and he made sure I got everything I needed. The only thing is that I’m still tired. That and the antibiotics seem to make my brain not function right. Which doesn’t completely make sence but since I haven’t taken the pain meds in a few days the goofy brain things have to be that…or just being tired I suppose.

Thanks for wishing me better!! It worked!!

My Tummy Hurts

2007-03-24T09:18:00.000-04:00

So Wednesday morning my tummy was not super happy but come lunchtime I was hungry so I had a Turkey Sandwich with lettuce tomato and mayo…pretty benign I thought. But my tummy hurt. So I didn’t eat any more. I drank stuff and my tummy hurt. DAMN!! This happened once before, 5 years ago. I have diverticulitis. So the only way to get it taken care of is to get antibiotics…and the only way to get them is to go to the E.R. so they can give me a Cat Scan and come up with the same answer.

4:15pm – arrive at the E.R. at St. Joseph's in Tampa (St. Joes is a good hospital)
5:15pm – called to the nurse’s station to take my temperature and sent across the hall to pee and have blood taken
1:10am – called to the back to be seen.

YES!! I’m not kidding!! I waited 9 hours!! I would have left but they told me that since I had seen the nurse and they had taken the blood to do the lab work I would be charged. So if I came back in the morning when they were less busy I would have not only started over but I would have to pay the $200 co-pay TWICE!!

The girl taking my blood missed the first vain and had to try again. (Granted I was dehydrated)

The first nurse put the IV in my hand but to have a Cat Scan you have to have a bigger vain so they can put the contrast in under pressure and don’t blow your vain so they had to put another one in my arm.

The Second nurse who put the one in my arm took 10 min to be sure of where she was putting it. Poking the same HUGE vain in my arm with her finger so she could feel it and then wiping it again with the alcohol pad. Poke poke…wipe, poke poke wipe. I wish I was exaggerating. I’m not. Then she put the IV through the vain anyway and had to pull it part way out again to line up to go down the vein. There is an ugly bruise on that arm from all the holes.

Then the lab said my blood sugar was 36 and so they had to keep sticking my finger to be sure I wasn’t in insulin shock. HELLO!! I haven’t eaten in 40 hours and I’m not slurring my speech and now that you gave me contrast for the Cat Scan in Gatorade my blood sugar is fine…SHOCKING!!

In the end guess what…I have diverticulitis…

I KNOW…Hook up the IV Antibiotics so I can get them in me, give me the scripts and let me the heck outta here!!

I was allowed to go home at 8:30am. I spent less time in the bed of the E.R. than in the chairs in the waiting area.

Now my tummy doesn’t hurt. The antibiotics are working and I’ll have to take the oral ones for a week or so and other than I was kinda tired yesterday so I took it easy, everything is back to normal. Of course all of this means I haven’t run again since Tuesday and won’t for a few more days. (Fire guy threatened to duct tape me down if I didn’t rest properly) Loki is the best kitten on the planet. He always watches out for everyone. He has been on my lap or next to me in bed the entire time, and hasn’t lept on my tummy or attacked my feet once. If they would have let him he would have been the kitten used in the Cat Scan. As it was I think they must have had some strange cat do it. ;)

Next time I go to Tampa General.

Home Again!!

2007-03-21T09:48:00.000-04:00

I am home and I am safe!! I have some small bruises and one large one. Its par for the course.

Ok here is the long version…

The Society for Creative Anachronism or (SCA) is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe.

Anacronism - a·nach·ro·nism [uh-nak-ruh-niz-uhm]–noun

1. something or someone that is not in its correct historical or chronological time, esp. a thing or person that belongs to an earlier time: The sword is an anachronism in modern warfare.
2. an error in chronology in which a person, object, event, etc., is assigned a date or period other than the correct one: To assign Michelangelo to the 14th century is an anachronism.

So we are out of place and time when we go to these events.

There is dancing, singing, fencing, weaving, cooking, sewing, and of course heavy weapons fighting. We put on real armor and use wooden swords (they really did too…didn’t want to kill your knights practicing ya know) and play full contact fighting!!

The regional groups a split into Kingdoms and local groups are Shires and Baronies. Gulf Wars is a war each year between the Kingdom of Ansteorra and the Kingdom of Trimaris.

Ansteorra is effectively Texas and Oklahoma. Trimaris is most of Florida, Panama, Antarctica, and the Mars. Ok…Really we have some service people who went to Panama and Antarctica and claimed them for us and since there aren’t many people there the lands stuck. Mars….yeah we really got that. One of our people sent a Trimaris sticker on the Mars rover, he works for NASA.

We all meet in the middle in Lumberton, Mississippi and have a big war. A war with no enemies. And at the end of the week it is always declared a tie. (But we really did kick butt this year!!) and so it must be fought again next year. We compete in Arts and Sciences, Heavy Weapons, Volunteer points (things gotta get done somehow), light weapons (rapier etc), equestrian, and live weapons (archery and thrown at proper targets of course).

During the rest of the year we take part in much smaller events where any of the above activities may be available at the event depending on facilities, time of year, theme of event etc.

So….How did it go…well I only took part in the Heavy Weapons portions of the war. Trimaris was victorious in the Ravine Battle, the Town Battle, the Bridge Battle, the Field Battle, and the Fort Battle. YEA!! Our house!!!

Here is a picture of me at the fort battle. I am in the blue with the belt on the left. I am shielding an archer who is beside me and doesn’t show up in the picture. The army has lined up beside us and is ready to charge the sally ports and walls of the fort. HOW COOL IS THAT!!

I’ll try to post more pictures as they become available from people returning from War.

For those who would like more information www.sca.org is the best starting point. Then look for your local kingdom and that will direct you to your local group. Or e-mail me and I will tell you all about it.

Last night I went for a 3.6 mile run with FireGuy and it went pretty well. I was sore from war and that made it hard but my knee held up just fine. All the walking from last week did it a lot of good. So we are now going to start scheduling regular runs since the world has settled back down….for now.

Long needed update and explanation…

2007-03-07T09:08:00.000-05:00

First of all the knee update is good. I haven’t had much trouble with it for a week or so even though every attempt to schedule a run has not worked out. FireGuy has been sick with a head and chest cold and so previously scheduled runs during the week with him turned into just hanging out and running to grab cough medicine. I know I could run without him but if it’s at night I need to go to the gym and then it’s in the wrong direction from checking in on him. The weekends have ended up suddenly SUPER cold or rainy or both and I have been trying to be a big baby and not make the first run on my funny knee when it is cold and hard to warm up. So there we go.

I will run again. And this break has been both good and bad. After the Marathon I thought I would never miss this ever. Now I do. I let the new semester start without a running plan in place and so now I have to make the room. And I will. I promise…..BUT FIRST!!!….

Next week is Gulf Wars!! For those of you following my other activities this is the big event of the year for us. It is a week long event with the SCA – the medieval reenactment group that I have told y’all about. There are “Battles” of all kinds. There is Equestrian, Rapier, Arts, and of course the heavy weapons fighting that I have told you I participate in!!

This is a picture of one of the big battles this is fought in a ravine in a capture and hold the flag sort of situation.

Here is everyone getting ready for the fort battle. We are listening to safty rules and the instructions. Everything is much safer than it looks

Here are some of the “Nobility” hanging out probably before court. I have no idea what is off to the right that they are all looking at.

There are classes on all kinds of stuff like actually spinning your own wool and fibers with a hand dropped spindle (took that class one year) and costuming classes, calligraphy, black smithing, almost anything. Food is cooked, dances are held, parties that go all night. And shopping till the cows come home. Lords and Ladies everywhere and all being nice to each other and having a good time. (Ever want to be treated like a princess?)

For those of you wondering what we look like when we are all dressed up I don’t have too many pictures but here is one taken at a weekend event recently. There was a tournament and FireGuy won. He gets to hold the Trident for a year. That is the prize. Next year he will run the tournament and pass the Trident on to the new winner. A friend, DG, of ours won a second tourney that day and with his prizes came the toy trident he is holding here. They were comparing…tridents…. I’m the one in the middle laughing at them both. (FireGuy on left DG on the right)

So there ya have it. This is what I’m getting ready for. It really is a lot of fun and I can’t wait to go. Also all in all it is a rather inexpensive vacation.

We will return to you to our regularly scheduled running blog after the War.
(maybe I'll have pictures from this first)

Never to busy for you...but busy!!

2007-02-26T09:02:00.000-05:00

Once again I have 1.0 x 10^6 things to do and 2 weeks to do them!!

How do I do this?!?!

So here is the short version….

No running…yet

  <whisper>

knee feeling much better…don’t let it hear me say that

</whisper>

Girl Scout Cookies are AWSOME!! (how do I forget that every year?!?!)

Ok…sorry so short back to a gazillion things!!

Miss you I’ll be back soon!! I promise.

Kittens Day 2007

2007-02-15T14:31:00.000-05:00

Last year MagnetBabe declared February 15th blog about your cat day. Well she seems to have decided to crusade for underprivileged cats and she blogs about her “extended” cat family all the time. (Much to my entertainment)

Last year I posted about my three kittens. They are the cutest ones in the whole world ya know. So this year I thought I would update the status of all of them.

Loki is still in charge. He still chases Freya around the house every night and licks Saga on the head. He is still a pumpkin head most of the time who will drool when you pet him.

Freya has learned to love Saga and still tries to get fed more than the allotted 2 times a day. She is still the most beautiful stripy cat with her green eyes and her charcoal fur with black stripes.

Saga is still just a little bug as she is the smallest of the three. She did grow out of her racing stripes that ran down her back and they turned racing spots. She is the hunter of shoelaces and loser of everything under the couch. If you can’t find it and it could possibly fit under the couch you can bet it is there.

Due to the three of them breaking stuff last year I am down one dragon snow globe, 2 Christmas ornaments and 2 flower vases. This didn’t pose a problem till the dozen roses for Valentines day. They are in a drinking glass…but still the most beautiful flowers I have ever gotten.

So…there ya go…those are my kittens this year. This picture was taken quite a while ago Saga is bigger than that now but she is still the smallest.

Valentines Day

2007-02-14T08:30:00.001-05:00

Ok…so because I have to teach at the Community College tonight FireGuy and I did Valentines Day yesterday. Mostly. I say mostly because I actually got my present the day before since he couldn’t wait. (Not that it hadn’t been killing me to give him his) He got me a book I wanted. I had gotten him a funny t-shirt that really fit. Both were mostly inside information sort of gifts which is what made them so much fun. Last night he took me to dinner. He showed up with 12 roses and a card. We went to Red Lobster for Dinner. Then we went back to my house and hung out watched a little TV till he went home. It was the best Valentines ever!!

Since I get out late tonight we were just going to hang out at home. I am inspired by Bre’s list today and think we should watch the greatest movie ever….What movie? The Princess Bride of course. Don’t worry he already knows it’s the best movie ever!!

Happy Valentines Day everyone!!

Make it fun

In the Planning Stages

2007-02-06T09:49:00.000-05:00

New plan. The knee has been behaving perfectly for about 2 days. A change in shoes and taking Glucosamine/Chondroitin seems to made the biggest difference. Another day or two and I’m gonna run. Otherwise in another day or two I’m gonna be crazy(er).

Tonight I don’t teach at the college and I would consider running but I seem to have caught a small version of the plague!! Headache, low low fever, weird feeling throat thing and yesterday my nose ran. That means another couple days to make sure I don’t run sick.

So speaking of plans…Valentines day… I have to teach that night. If you can’t do Valentines day on V-day when do you do it? The day before? Late that night? The weekend before or after?

Any Ideas? I haven’t had Valentine on Valentine’s Day in a long time…

(NOTE: Unlike Bre’s students I think this is a fun holiday and not a BIG HUGE DEAL!!)

365 Days

2007-01-29T10:57:00.000-05:00

Lots of things have changed in a year. If you told me this is what it would be like a year ago I would not have believed you.

Randy passed away one year ago today. There is a post from that morning on this blog. I didn’t know it was his last day. I knew I would be soon.

There was a close circle around Randy, and a lot has happened with in that circle. One couple broke up….another one started, a third couple got married. One left the group to move on in life. Some in the circle have gone from Graduate Student to Ph.D. Candidate. One finished the Ph.D. Another finished the Masters. One ran (most of) a marathon. There was another go-round of Birthdays and Holidays.

Life goes on I guess. Things change. Things happen when they happen for a reason. This year has really shown me that.

Throughout the year there were many times when we all knew someone was missing. He would have been there for the Masters and Ph.D. defenses. He would have been there to play video games with the one in the break up. He would have been there to congratulate the marriage of the couple. He would have been there…

Randy…know that you are terribly missed!

GO COLTS!!

2007-01-22T11:11:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a lot of fun. Some friends of FireGuy got married on Saturday and the wedding and reception were a lot of fun. Also we got to see a lot of people who live a little further away (North GA) that don’t get to visit very often. It was a group of friends that hadn’t hung out all in one place together in a long time. Lots of “remember that one time…” stories.

Unfortunately my knee is still not super happy and the heels I wore to the wedding (yes I wore heels) didn’t help any. Grrrrr!

Then yesterday….I don’t think I have ever rooted so hard for a team that wasn’t mine. YEA COLTS! They did a good job with the comeback and made that one of the best games to watch ever! Go Tony D!

Also since there was some time got FireGuy to help me put Christmas decorations up into the attic. They had been boxed up in totes for weeks but it is so much easier to have one person on the ladder and one person putting boxes up. Now that they are out of my way maybe my house can get a little cleaner.

Only 5 x 10^6 things left to do!

Back to Normal? (if it was ever normal)

2007-01-16T10:06:00.000-05:00

Distance: 4.6 miles   Time: Eternity     P. Cloudy 7:00 pm
Temp: 71 °F     Humidity: 46%      Pressure: 30:14 inches (holding)

So….For the first run in over a week it went well enough. FireGuy and I got a late start at ~7pm. They are always late starts. No matter how early we try, we can not ever seem to eat before 8pm, so it was close to that by the time we got to dinner last night after the run.

I’m a little sore today. My left calf is unhappy and my right knee was stiff when I woke up but that seemed to work itself out quickly. I’m sure these are just left over marathon issues that are healing and not new stuff.

So the holidays are over. I almost have the house back in order. I have projects to work on, the semester has started, and I have applied for a full time position at the College where I teach night classes. Next up fliers for my private tutoring.

Yea GATORS!! For soundly beating Ohio!! This made me very happy. It was the best football I got to watch all season!! FireGuy and I went to watch the game at a sports bar with the football guys that we haven’t seen nearly enough this football season.

So far I’m rooting for the Colts for the Super Bowl. I wanted NO to beat the Eagles (Sorry Bre) and they did, so that was good. As for the other games….well, FireGuy described them as watching two mules fighting over a turnip….might be interesting but he didn’t care which mule got the turnip. We ended up rooting for the Bears because we didn’t like the crap the announcers were giving Rex. He may not be a stellar QB but he wasn’t as bad as they were picking on!! So we were glad they one too.

Ok….So there is the Post Holiday catch-up…. Now back to your regularly scheduled posting.

Marathon Recap

2007-01-09T09:54:00.000-05:00

Mile 1.5 – First Water stop out of power aid!! This was to continue through out the race Approximately every water stop would be out of power aid IF they had anything to drink at all.

Mile 9 – First food stop….NO FOOD!! Nothing!! Should have been bananas and Oranges.

Mile 13.5 – No water, No PowerAde and second food stop….you guessed it….NO food!

~ Mile 14 – 15 No water again…promise next stop will have water…(Next stop had only water)

Mile 16+ - Third Food stop…..NO FOOD!! Nothing!! No Power Aid and No Cups so they just kinda poured the water on/in us.

Mile 19 – Fourth and final food stop…I got ½ a banana.

Mile 20.2 – Made the mark and didn’t get swept. Now my legs are so cramped I have to stop at first aid for “bio-freeze” and I made the sweep so I’m safe to stop. Oh…and First Aid…all out of Tylenol and ibuprofen.

Gee wonder why my muscles are cramping since mile 16 – could it be that there was nothing with electrolytes in it for most of the race?!?! Nah…

Mile 21 – Extra last minute added sweep. Less than a mile from the last one. I stopped to put on muscle rub and there for was behind. Got swept. Done. No Mickey Ears Medal.

N O T H A P P Y ! ! ! Not with me....Not with Disney.

That's all I'm going to say about that.

That being said TNT raised over 5.7 MILLION dollars for the Leukemia & Lymphoma society for this even alone!!

YEA TNT!!

YIPPIE 2007!! *

2007-01-04T18:37:00.000-05:00

Well here we begin another year. 2006....not the best year for my record books so I will not be so very very unhappy to see it go. It's all here on this blog so we need not beat that horse anymore. Too bad too....I liked all the round numbers...but then I really like to write 7's too. (I know I'm weird...I also really like Z)

2007 - I'm starting it with a Marathon...what more can I say. If I finish it will be a good start to the year. I leave tomorrow...wish me luck. I haven't packed a thing.

Well I better pack and clean the house and take out the trash. (Don't want the place to stink when I get back on Monday...that would not a good thing in '07.)

Stay tuned for post marathon information!!

*(see MB...not much more to say than that)

Maybe Someday

2006-12-28T09:21:00.000-05:00

My father passed away early yesterday morning. He was 61. He had liver cancer and then cancer in his lungs and esophagus. Since many of us who read each other's blogs have done some endurance event or another for a cure cancer type organization I wanted to let everyone know why I wasn't posting.

The funeral will be in a few days and then a couple days after that I leave for my Marathon. 2006 is almost over and I feel some how that I have come full circle.

Maybe someday all of these runs and 3-days and triathlons and marathons and dragonboats will be enough. Until then everyone keep praying and keep running, walking paddling, peddling or what ever it is you do to raise money and awareness. We might be gaining but we haven't won yet.

Maybe someday....

Merry Christmas!!

2006-12-25T15:40:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone!! I'm running around today having a great time and yummy food and fun with Family and Wheeeeee!!!!

Somehow no one was crazy today!!!

Just wanted to stop and tell all of you Merry Christmas!! Hope you are having a wonderful day too!!

SWF seeking WISP

2006-12-20T13:18:00.000-05:00

First... I ran some...my leg hurts...I think I strained something What ever I'm over all these over use issues!! I run or I don't! Whatever! Come what may!

Now....In about 2 days I'm going to tell roadrunner to hit the road!! Here for all public using google to search for Road-Runner.....

ROADRUNNER in Tampa.... SUCKS ROCKS!!

Yesterday I went to the Sprint store and bought this:

Funny....I bought it and the service started right away. I went home and stuck in a CD and it loaded software. Then I plugged the device in, made a phone call to activate it and VIOLA I was on line!!

It's a little slower than Cable but it is still pretty fast and I can use it anywhere!!! It goes with me like a cell phone!! And it works!! Now IF at home it is HALF as reliable as RR was then I'm doing great!!

YIPPEE!!

It took about 3 hrs to download a 1 hr show when it used to take ~1 hr but since I set it and go to bed this was just fine with me!!

YEA!! I can still watch TV online AND I can get e-mail again.

NOTE: Watch for e-mails announcing the changing any of the RR e-mail addresses.

RunnerGirlFL@gmail.com will stay the same.

Internet Woes

2006-12-11T16:00:00.000-05:00

Distance:~10        Time: ??:?? min    sunny  8:30 am
Temperature: 55 °F    Humidity: 82%      Pressure: 30.41 inches (rising)

Ok…so 10 miles after a light week of getting back in after last weeks being a little sick. I ran all of it except a few min when I saw some friends on a walk and walked with them. I hadn’t seen one of them in AGES!! It wasn’t even a quarter mile so I’m not too worried about it and it was in mile 2 so it wasn’t really much of an endurance rest.

Shins : Unhappy
Weather : very nice…unless you stop running
New shorts : Loved ‘em (they were on clearance)

Now…for today’s RANT!! I HATE ROAD RUNNER!! I wish anyone ANYONE else would come along and give me an internet connection!! My modem is dead….D-E-A-D DEAD! I call them and tell them something is wrong. They say it’s the modem so either I can schedule a technician to come out in a couple days and sit around and wait for him….but not on Sunday, or I can take the modem into one of their locations. Well the first time I can do that will be tomorrow!! This is stupid!! I had to wait days for them to come out to fix me last time and then they didn’t fix it and it was another couple days till they showed up to fix what they had “Fixed” the first time!!

Ok I’m done. But if you wonder why I fell off the planet…BLAME ROADRUNNER!! Lucky for them there isn’t a new episode of Heroes tonight or I would be very unhappy that I couldn’t download it!! 

I think I might feel better now….

I will be off to give finals tonight!! My students LOVE me…..(Not really)

Wednesday Morning Silliness

2006-12-06T08:18:00.000-05:00

From my turtle type friend....

You are cordially invited to the wedding of

Runnergirl the Mighty
~and~
Orlando Bloom

December 9, 2029 at 6 pm

Location: The hospital

'What will your wedding invitation look like?'
(QuizGalaxy.com)

Well anyway at least I know someday someone will marry me, even if it is in 23 years and 3 days. I wonder why we are in the hospital?!?! Maybe they have a very nice arboretum. Ohhh hospital food for the reception...can't get better than that!!

JR, Bre, GG....there is hope for all of us!!!

Oooo....Legolas. (I really prefer Aragorn.)

Favorite Things

2006-12-04T13:01:00.000-05:00

So this weekend I didn't run my second 16 miles. I ran a fever on Friday and Saturday. Very low but a fever none the less. Lucy the Doctor said it was best if I didn't run and Mommy the Nurse said see how you feel but don't push it.

So when I woke up on Sunday with an icky tummy and figured that was that.

Thanks FireGuy for the plague!! (Gotta blame it on someone and he doesn't read blogs..hehe)

Therefore I'm lacking content, in leu of any real updates I thought I would share a review of the things that have become staples for me on this path to a marathon:

Brooks Shoes - Finally a pair that I like and in the brand I like most!!

WrightSocks - Again this is the answer to my blister issue!! Yippee

BodyGlide - this is the most useful invention since...um...SNEAKERS!!

UnderArmor – these are my favorite shirts. Long and short sleeves!! For sure my favorite! Not the scary tight ones the soft ones that fit like t-shirts. And I buy the mens so they look like regular t-shirts rather than workout shirts. In the Humid summer when it’s hot they dry quickly to keep you cool. In the winter they dry quickly to keep you from being cold and wet!! The long sleeves aren’t too heavy so when you warm up you aren’t miserable in sleeves.

Cheap Shorts – I’m sure there are people who swear by a fancy pair of running shorts. I think they were on sale at that discount store I don’t care for (that isn’t Target) a long time ago and they are fast drying and have the lining built in!! They are Starter brand and I really really like them!!

G-Shock – this isn’t really running equipment but I love my watch. It is set every night by the atomic clock and has a solar cell to recharge the battery on the face and it has a stop watch! Good enough for me! (Not to mention it’s red and black.. always a plus in my book)

Polorized Sunglasses – We get rain every afternoon on the coast of FL in the summer for just long enough to make the humidity stupid high and the glare on the roads blinding. These are a must. Also running on Bayshore Blvd. is better with the glare off the water cut.

Zen Nano Plus – MP3 player. When not running with FireGuy and making up silly games (Nuh uh, Uh huh, Nuh uh forever, Uh huh infinity) I gotta take the tunes!!

So….What are your favorite things? Did I leave anything out?

Now where did we leave off? Oh yeah...

2006-11-27T10:27:00.000-05:00

Wednesday we ran 3 miles on Bay Shore. I got out of work at 1pm so that was a good time, and it is cool enough to run in the middle of the day. FireGuy came over after his regular weights workout and we ran before I went off to teach for the night.

Thursday, FireGuy has a tradition of always running on Thanksgiving so that works out well. We ran in the morning. 5 miles. This run felt a bit like work but then I haven't been able to run consistently enough to do 3 days in a row in a while. My shin is starting to hurt a little bit so I decided to take Friday and Saturday off before the 16 on Sunday.

Sunday - 16 down. now an 18 and a 20 then taper off and then the marathon!! I didn't run the whole way. But I completed the distance. It got to a point where my legs just cramped up. I'm sure not running last weekend didn't help. So I would walk till the cramps left and run again. I was very careful to run twice as far as each walk. There are benches on Bay Shore and I could keep track of the ratio.

Maybe I have hit my limit and this is how it will go. Maybe not. I will try with the 18 again this weekend. I'm ok with that. Running most of the 13 two weeks ago is more than I thought I would ever run. My goal was to finish. I am still above a pace that will get me swept on the day of the Marathon and I still seem to be in line to finish under 6 hours. I have to finish in under 7 to not get swept. I will try to run as much as I can and with running this week back on track maybe the 18 won't be as bad. Or it might but I'll get it all by running. Either way I'm ok with all of this. I can now run 5 miles on a regular basis and longer once in a while and that is the fitness level I would like to maintain.

One last thing. I'm really going to do a marathon, and this is honor of Randy. The deadline is coming up quick. Anyone who wants to sponsor me and has been just waiting a little bit may want to get that sort of thing in. You can sponsor me at my Team in Training page or you can send me a check made out to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. If you need my address e-mail me at runnergirlfl@gmail.com.

Here I am….

2006-11-21T13:17:00.000-05:00

Did you miss me? I’m fine. I took the weekend off. I didn’t mean to but it happened. I’ll probably be sorry this weekend but right now I have NO regrets! My blisters have healed, the new socks are keeping them from reforming so far. I’m scared to wear any other socks but I only have two pairs of the “Wright socks” I guess I better do some laundry to get those socks clean!! Or washing in the bathroom sink.

So Today I ran 3+ at the gym this morning. The current plan is:

Wednesday night: run with FireGuy, the 3.6 mile loop,

Thursday morning: 4.6 or so

Thursday after the run: off to Venice to be with the “Old folks at home” – Sorry Florida Joke. To se the family. My little brother and favorite sister-in-law will be down for the big T!

Friday afternoon/eve: Maybe back in time to run with FireGuy or I’ll go to the gym…or I’ll run in Venice if the schedule determines that.

Saturday: off!! Try to get hose stuff done. Like decorating for Christmas and starting on Christmas cards!!

Sunday: the long run…what ever the schedule says (~15-16 I think…EEP!)

Today’s run was fine!! With the break my shins didn’t hurt at all and the blisters are gone and the shoes felt great. FINALLY!!

Run like a turkey!!

Great American Teach-In 2006

2006-11-16T10:39:00.000-05:00

Distance:~3        Time: ??:?? min    inside 8:30 pm
Temperature: ?? °F    Humidity: ??%      Pressure: ??.?? inches (falling)

So another pair of shoes, another short run. These were the best yet, but still made my feet cramp in a mile or so. So…I changed to my regular shoes and finished another 2 but when your feet are already in cramps it’s useless. However…there is good news…

THE NEW SOCKS WORKED!!

I didn’t wear Band-Aids at all to start and see what happened and they didn’t even start to rub and hurt! YEA!!

On Friday I go to the Physical Therapist and I am going to walk in with all the shoes….well not the first pair but the last two pairs for sure.

Yesterday I helped with the Great American Teach-In here in town. It is a day when you can volunteer to talk to kids in a school and tell them about what you do or your hobby or information you want to get out to them. I told elementary students about being a Physicist. Well the 1st and 2nd grades I told about being a Scientist. How to be a scientist, YES Girls can do this too, No you don’t have to go to an expensive fancy school. USF next door is doing important research, etc. (USF is next door…in fact the elementary school is on USF’s campus and they do a lot of work together) I brought in a little demo where you shine a light down into a soda can with a hole in the side near the bottom and you can see the light bounce inside the stream of water. It worked pretty well, I know because there were lots of Oooo's.

They also had visitors who teach the Computer Classes at the Library, a LADY firefighter (I know her….SHE ROCKS!!) and those were just the people I know. They were talking about people with animals, people teaching them how to eat right, people explaining exercise science…. maybe I want to sit in on that one.

Overall it was a lot of fun!! I’m really glad I got to do it.

As a side note, while looking for information on the Great American Teach - In to explain it to someone I came across this page trying to encourage people to go teach this to the kids. Hmmmm.... interesting what you find on the internet. Thanks, but I'll stick to Physics

HALF WAY!!!

2006-11-14T14:11:00.000-05:00

Distance: 13 miles    Time: 2H:59M        7:30 am
Temperature: 57 °F    Humidity: 70%      Pressure: 30:05 inches (rising)

13 miles yesterday!! It took me as long to run 13 as it took Lance to run the whole marathon!! Oh well I guess if I had ridden a bike all over Europe for days on end faster than any one else year after year I could do my first marathon in under 3 hours too.

So…I’m halfway. The Blisters are maybe getting a little better. I still got blisters but they seem to be taking longer to generate and smaller when they do. There was an attempt at 6 miles on Friday but when my blisters were ugly fast that was abandoned at about 2 miles. I was not happy but over the weekend they dried up more and I made the much longer run. This is the most frustrating part because I don’t know how I will ever do 26.2 when I can’t do 3 some days…then I turn around and do 13?!?!

The shin splints are a dull shadow of what they used to be. This is great, and my knees don’t hurt at all. Now if I could just the feet to behave?!?! Next try is the 2 layer socks…I have to find a store that has them. The running store I go to didn’t.

I am supposed to also run on softer ground. Wow this is much harder said than done. First…my feet hurt worse on the rougher terrain of grass….not that rough I KNOW! Also I seem so clumsy on grass…Does anyone know how to get used to this?

GirlGoyle -
http://www.lifehacker.com/software/bittorrent/beginners-guide-to-bittorrent-212309.php
e-mail me and I'll give you more info and links...runnergirlfl@gmail.com

Internet Down Again!

2006-11-09T12:38:00.000-05:00

Distance: 5.6 miles   Time: ??? min       9:00 pm
Temperature: 66 °F    Humidity: 70%      Pressure: 29:83 inches (holding)

These 5.6 mile runs are getting easier. Using the mole skin on my feet they didn’t start to make blisters till the last mile. (Yes new blisters anyway) But it was nice to run almost all the way with no pain. The shin is good the knees are good. All good!!

Ok…so RoadRunner is down again at my home!! I don’t know why. It isn’t my system, it isn’t my network, it’s them. I don’t like THEM. Not even a little bit. I’m trying not to Hate people….but they are a corporate entity…hmmm…ok I HATE THEM!! So all week I have been trying to read e-mail online from random places. Grrrrr

I can not even download the TV shoes I watch!! What will I do if I get behind in my favorite shows? I normally don’t watch much TV, but this season there are some new ones. I watch:

Heroes – Shocking I know that I would like a Science Fiction type show about Heroes that ends up almost being a live action comic book as implied by the show…Save the chearleader…Save the World!!

Friday Night Lights – This is another new show this season and again shocking that I like a show about sports. Specifically football! So far this show seems pretty cool.

ER – This has been a staple for years. There have been complete seasons of television where this was the only thing I watched. (well...and sports)

Rescue Me – It’s a show about firemen…guess who got me to watch this?!?! Anyway it’s on over the summer when the “regular” season shows are in re-runs so it is easy to have time for one show in the summer.

Two and a Half Men – This is really the only comedy I catch semi-regularly now that there is no friends. It’s cute.

That’s about it. I like to have a heart attack once a week watching the Buccaneers almost win/lose during football season, and I’ll watch what I catch during Baseball season till the Fall Classic…oh and the little league World Series…I LOVE the little league World Series!! Saturday Morning Cartoons get turned on if I am not out of town on the weekend but they are mostly on in the background till I leave the house to do something fun!!

I was told I would like Jerhico…I’ll have to check into that.

That’s 3 hours a week with a little more during football season and a little less in the summer. That’s not too bad.

No I don’t have cable…I do not see the need when I am never home. If I miss it I down load it.

What do you watch?

Hamburger Feet!

2006-11-06T10:03:00.000-05:00

Distance: 12+ miles     Time: infinity       fair 9:00 am
Temperature: 71°F    Humidity: 57     Pressure: 30:25 inches (rising)

Shoes: I started the long run on Sunday with the second pair of new shoes. They did ok with my legs but my feet started to cramp so I ran back to the truck and put on the old ones…(Brought them with this time) Cramps went away. So I am tempted to buy the same shoes I have but the PT guy didn’t like them because they over correct. Well if that’s what works?!?! So I will wait to talk to him.

Feet: I have hamburger feet!! Socks don’t help! I tried blister pads by Band-Aid. The blisters are sneaky. They don’t form under the pad….they from AROUND the pad. Today I bought mole skin padding that you can cut to the size you need. I think I will just make them big enough to wrap around my whole foot. They just need a chance at healing. There are blisters over blisters that have blisters under them. (Yes, it’s gross)

Running: The good news is that other than the shins are acting up a little after this large milage and the blisters for the most part I am now running mostly pain free. The shins don't hurt alot durring the run and my knees don't hurt at all so my legs and back and shoulders are in much better shape after these long runs.

Forever v Infinity: Well the infinity’s have it. I told FireGuy that he did get one vote for forever even if I do think Bre might be biased towards a fireguy no matter what…(He did think your line was great) He responded with the very adult reply of “Nuh-Uh Forever!” Eh what can ya do….(except reply “Uh-huh Infinity!” of course)

The 12+ this weekend went ok…not great. I felt worse because of the blisters and with out knowing it I must have run a little different so my left leg is over used in the wrong way and the muscles are sore in a funny way. In that way that makes pushing the clutch make me not happy. It will be ok in 24 hours it’s just sore.

So that is your friendly Monday morning update.

Infinity : Beyond Forever…

2006-11-02T09:16:00.000-05:00

Distance: 5.6 miles     Time: ~70 min       fair 9:30 pm
Temperature: 73 °F    Humidity: 94%      Pressure: 29:98 inches (rising)

Last night I wore my previous sneakers with the orthodics and everything was fine. In fact it went really well. 5.6 miles with NO pain. Near the end my knees were telling me they were tired, but there was no pain when I stopped either. Well unless you count the blisters on the arches of my feet but I just need more Band-Aids I guess.

It was very humid last night, and the run felt like it took for ever even though we made pretty good time. Much better than previous times. FireGuy said “We used to be done by 10 why are we finishing so late?” I replied “Maybe because we were running half as far?” He said “That would be it” I never would have thought that I would be running 5 – 6 miles at a time and just laughing and joking the whole way. Last night’s run even contained a long battle of Nu-uh, Uh-huh, Nu-uh Forever, Uh-huh Infinity.

So here is the great question of the ages….

Which is bigger Forever or Infinity?

I think it’s Infinity because Infinity is beyond Forever since it includes both the entire space and time continuums. Forever is only the expanse of time.

FireGuy says Forever is bigger because it’s “to Infinity and Beyond!!” (In his best Buzz Lightyear voice, of course)

So What do y’all think? Forever or Infinity?

Sneaker Disaster!!

2006-11-01T10:23:00.000-05:00

ACK!! Something is wrong with the new sneakers!! I have never had this happen before. I bought the new shoes, and put the orthodics in them, and wore them all the time for a couple days. Like I always do with new shoes. Then yesterday FireGuy and I went for a run. The shoes were like lead weights!! We weren’t a quarter mile down the road and my thigh muscles were already burning!! I felt like such a wimp but I knew something was NOT RIGHT!! So I did the first part of the loop that is a little more than a mile and went back to the truck to wait for FireGuy to finish the run. By the time I got back to the truck my calves and the muscles in my feet were hurting as well!! So today I am back in the last pair that I had and the new ones are going back!! I have had to get used to new shoes before but I have never had a problem like that. I ran in the orthodics on the long run the other day so they aren’t the cause. If they AND these shoes are the problem then it’s the shoes that have to be fixed.

Other than that Halloween was too much fun. We grabbed lunch after the run, had to stop to buy a video game, had to test out the new game (of course) and then to my house to carve pumpkins and hand out candy to kids!! I’ll post pumpkin pictures tomorrow. They were really cool!

6 Band-Aids!!

2006-10-30T15:47:00.001-05:00

Everyone hurry up and invest in J&J. I’m going to make the stock go up single handedly with my Band-Aid consumption.

2 toes, and two on the big ones on EACH arch.

Other than this new development the orthodics are fantastic!! I hope they continue to be. I had to go buy new shoes too. OH DARN!! You know I just HATED to have to do that. The Physical Therepist that they sent me to for the shin splints said that now my shoes overcorrected and a cushioned shoe would be better. Well if I MUST buy new sneakers…

NEW ‘NEAKERS!! EEEEeeeeeEEEEE!

The 8+ miles on Sunday went very well. My knees started to hurt a bit during the last mile but I was strong all the way. No super slow back hurting leg aching last 3 miles like before. I’m sure my back and legs are getting stronger but also my knees didn’t start hurting. When they did hurt it was more like when I get a new pair of shoes and I’m adjusting. I hope that is the case.

Well whether because I’m getting used to these long runs or because of the shoes I ran the 8 and change in 1.5 hours. That is a whole lot better than the 9 in two hours I had done before!!

It really was nice to have a long run that didn’t hurt.

Oh yeah...Stopping still hurts. Nothing to be done for that I guess.

100 Things

2006-10-26T18:33:00.000-04:00

It seems to be a tradition that people for their 100th post do one of these sort of lists, and who am I to mess with tradition. So here are 100 things about me…How many did you already know? (I didn't know some of them...I guess you do learn something knew every day.)

1) The only things that make me scream like a little girl are Roaches. And in FL we grow them BIG.

2) Halloween is my favorite holiday.

3) I will not eat the meat of an animal off of it’s skeleton It’s a thing with me.

4) My favorite Muppet Show skit is the one with the birds on a wire singing Abba’s “Take a Chance On Me”

5) I come from a long proud line of smart asses.

6) I lettered in Track in High School.

7) I did not pass Physics II with Calculus the first time I took it in College….Now I teach that class. Funny that!

8) My favorite color is Red.

9) I am the keeper of the 3 cutest kitties ever!! (but then I might be biased)

10) I have a brown belt in Shotokan Karate.

11) One of my favorite songs is the HEY! Song….if I hear it most likely someone scored a touch down, hit a home run or scored a goal in hockey.

12) I am a patent researcher by day.

13) I took my toys apart as a kid...I usually got them back together.

14) My dolls got taken off the shelf in my room once a year….to dust the shelf.

15) I love animals!

16) I live in my jeans and sneakers.

17) There is nothing I love more than buying new sneakers.

18) I can play the trumpet

19) And the piano.

20) I was a band geek.

21) I buy outfits that are on the mannequin or the model in the catalog….someone paid a lot of money for a fashion designer to figure out that outfit so that it is fashionable and matches and I don’t want to bother to do it….I would rather do Calculus…..no really.

22) I draw stick figures….that’s my extent of artistic design ability.

23) I can make anything if you design it.

24) I like Rock (Hard, Classic, Alternative, Metal)

25) And Classical Music.

26) For the most part I do not care for Country Music, POP or Rap.

27) I dated two guys named John with the same birthday.

28) I love living in FL…I live where other people vacation.

29) I don’t even know how to do snow…seen it once!

30) I raised bunny rabbits as a kid.

31) My pet peeve is girls who use their boobs to get their way…you know what I mean.

32) I can tune up my truck and do the brakes my self.

33) I have a baby brother…who is bigger than me.

34) When my mom brought him home from the hospital I asked if we could give him back.

35) I remember almost everything…and I hate it.

36) I always print with big and small capital letters.

37) I love birthdays…everybody’s birthday.

38) My favorite Christmas carol is “O Holy Night!” (I like lots of others too)

39) I like our National Anthem.

40) I think it’s the best part of going to a sporting event.

41) I can sing Amazing Grace to the tune of both “Gilligan’s Island” and “House of the Rising Sun.”

42) I don’t like Orange or Yellow.

43) I’m finding 100 things difficult and I’m not half way yet.

44) I’m a techno geek .

45) I play D&D.

46) I own too many books…and yet I buy more…what is wrong with me?!?!

47) I own my own home and I love it!!

48) I was born in Florida.

49) I fell out of a tree when I was 6 and broke my arm.

50) I still climb trees.

51) I am the only brown eyed grandchild on my Mother’s side.

52) I apparently have a high pain tolerance.

53) I’m noisy.

54) I watch cartoons on Saturday Morning…when I can.

55) I am perpetually 4 years old.

56) I like to run…most of the time.

57) Today my favorite song is Hard to Concentrate by the Red Hot Chili Peppers….I’m sure it will change tomorrow.

58) I’m a ½” taller than my father.

59) I don’t like peppers.

60) I make a really good salsa (it has tequila in it…just a little bit)

61) Other than the salsa I don’t cook with more than 3 ingredients or 2 – 3 steps.

62) I could swim like a fish by the time I was 2.

63) I can ride a bike with no hands.

64) I can still do a cartwheel. (Mostly)

65) I was a girl scout when I was little

66) I snuck the boys who lived across the street into the house when my Mother wasn’t home to…*GASP!!* ….order pizza and drink milk and ruin our dinners after playing basketball in the rain. Shhhhh don’t tell….

67) I don’t like coffee

68) One of my favorite web sites is Lifehacker.com

69) I got a birthday cake shaped like a ghost with eyes that were lit so they glowed when I was a kid. It was my favorite birthday cake

70) I love real Christmas trees.

71) I’m a Buccaneers fan

72) I’m a USF Bulls fan

73) I’m a Devil Rays fan

74) I’m a Lightning fan

75) I’m a Storm fan

76) Ok I’m stalling

77) I take part in a medieval reenactment group

78) I believe that grace begets grace

79) I have several really good friends…In this way I am extremely Blessed.

80) I have a huge fish tank

81) I had turtles…they live a long time

82) I think graveyards for the most part are a waste of good real estate

83) And a source of torture when parents drag kids to look at the head stones of dead relatives

84) The Road Runner is my favorite

85) Spiderman is my favorite

86) I am beginning to believe that there are not 100 interesting things about me…I don’t think it bothers me

87) I have always owned a stick shift…even my 1985 Trans Am was a 5 – speed

88) I love long sleeved T-shirts under short sleeved t-shirts when the weather is cold. (yes in FL that is all cold is)

89) I haven’t started to lie about my age. I’m now 34

90) I think I might at 40….or not. I don’t think I care.

91) I rode my bike to the beach every day after school for years.

92) I have never gone to a High School Reunion

93) I might go to the next one…maybe

94) Red Velvet cake is my favorite…with the cream cheese frosting of course.

95) Aspertame gives me wicked headaches.

96) I couldn’t throw out my childhood stuffed animals so I donated them to a fire station so they could all go off to noble little lives helping children who were scared and had lost everything.

97) Every room in my house is a different color

98) I still know the name of every teacher I had in school K – 12.

99) I think this list was almost harder than my Masters Degree

100) I’m done

(yes I might have cheated….deal with it. They were things about me)

Crappy Morning!!

2006-10-26T17:57:00.000-04:00

I went to the gym to run this morning. I had been giving my shin a break with the orthodics on their way and the anti-inflamitories working. Also some family stuff on Monday night made for a couple of not great days with lots of phone calls. So with things settled down a little I went to run at the gym early this morning. Ok…I’m tired….all the time. Maybe tonight I can get to bed early, not likely but I’ll try, 1and that may help and Sunday should be an easy day for me so maybe I will be less tired next week but this last couple weeks I have been very tired.

So I get up and check my e-mail and there is an e-mail from a student of mine. Trying to pull crap!! First thing in the morning!! He needs special accommodations on an exam. I gave his test to the testing center. He had to work and didn’t take the test before the test center closed. Then somehow this is my fault….go figure! So now he gets the test late. I am not opposed to someone needing the accommodations provided by the testing center. However….if you don’t know when the center is open…this is not my problem. If you ask me when it will be there and then when you don’t go when it’s there…this is not my problem. Add to this that my sympathy factor drops by an order of magnitude when you FELL ASLEEP during my review for the exam.

You have messed with the wrong instructor. I now have a log starting with Monday when he showed up for class but slept through the review. My log will go to the Student Disability Services office for his file. And from now on he will have a scheduled test time and a time limit on his exam. If he is not there….not my problem.

I have a friend who says that sometimes with him NICE is mistaken for WEAK. I know what he means.

Tread lightly.

I Have the Answer!!

2006-10-20T12:30:00.001-04:00

Distance: 11.3 miles   Time: 2h:24min   fair 7:00 am
Temperature: 83 °F    Humidity: 72%      Pressure: ??:?? inches

I have the secret….People who run marathons are crazy. At some point here I may become part of their collective and be assimilated. If that happens and I deny ever having posted this than you all should feel privileged to have read it while you could.

There is a whole new world of hurt out there beyond 10 miles. No really…new rubbing spots…you can’t know to put the glide stuff on to protect ahead of time if they have never rubbed before and now they rubbed for over 11 miles. I got cold….on the run….I started getting cold!! I am soaked with sweat till my hair, IN A BRAID, down my back is fully wet like I just got out of the shower and I was COLD. And then there is the usual knees, feet, muscles, shoulders, back sort of hurts that are always on longer runs. (The new orthodics should help the knees too) Ok…all of this is just part of running or at least part of running farther than ever before. And it hurt. And some of it should get better. At some point I hope that 10-ish miles won’t but I don’t think that at this time I could ever imagine 26.2 not hurting like this along the way and I am sure it will be worse.

That being said….I finished the 11.3 and then I did the most painful thing ever….

I STOPPED RUNNING!!!

This is why marathoners run that far. After they pass 10 miles it hurts more to stop than to keep going!!! REALLY!! It was amazing!! I could not have started again but I could not believe I had stopped. It hurt more to stop and walk. That is it….I now have the answer for all of you who said….HOW CAN YOU RUN THAT FAR?!?! Well once you run the 10 miles you might as well keep going!!

Running in a whole new world!!

Post - Doctor Update

2006-10-19T16:29:00.000-04:00

Ok so the doctor said I have...TA DAH!! Shin Splints. Shocking I know. She thinks it is because, when she had me walk barefoot, she found that I am ....

wait for it...

A FLAT FOOTED, PIDGEN TOED, OVER PRONATOR!!!

Told ya!

She said I over pronate more on my right foot so even though I seem run straight with motion control shoes I probably didn't stand a chance. :) So she prescribed orthodics to be made to put in my running shoes...nice soft ones she said, an anti-inflammatory that I should take 2 times a day, and physical therapy to give me some stretches and exercises. She did take x-rays and there are no stress fractures at this time. That is good news. So I go back to her in 4 weeks having done all of these things and we will see if they are better. If not she wants to do a bone density scan but she thinks this is all I need.

The Good News is I don’t have to stop running!! YEA!!

So I went this afternoon and had molds of my feets taken for the orthodics and set up an appointment for next Friday to see the PT person. I’ve never been such a problem before with so many follow up things!! I go to the doctor….they give me a prescription….I fill it…the green snot goes away. Really this is more than I’ve had to bother with. I am glad that it is all fixable and will stop hurting very soon.

The orthodics should be ready in a couple days. So I’ll most likely go next Friday and try them on (in) my shoes and they will fix any little things and I’ll be on my way.

Tomorrow I run 11 - 12 miles then I race out of town for the weekend. So I will tell you now that I will post on Monday!!

Have a good weekend!!

Going to the Doctor...

2006-10-18T09:57:00.000-04:00

Distance: 4.0 miles   Time: ~48 min   fair 6:30 pm
Temperature: 80 °F    Humidity: 71%      Pressure: 29:91 inches (holding)

Well another run done this week, just one more tonight. Then Thursday night off and the long run on Friday before I go out of town for the weekend. It’s 11 –12 miles this time. ACK!! Well, every step, right?

I finally broke down. I have an appointment tomorrow with a sports medicine doctor about the shin splints too. They are at the University and see many of the athletes so I’m hoping they understand the “I’m not stopping” theory. Of course as soon as I made the appointment my shin started to feel much better and didn’t hurt at all during last night’s run. Not even at the beginning. Of course it might have been that the Vitamin I that I took a half hour before worked, but I have tried that before and it hadn’t worked that well yet. I’m sure Friday’s run will not help but at least I can get to the doc before that. We will see. It figures that it is feeling good yesterday and today.

Running with no pain…when I need to tell the Doctor about it!!

Every Single one of Them

2006-10-17T09:14:00.000-04:00

Distance: 4.6 miles   Time: ??? min   fair 9:30 pm
Temperature: 78 °F    Humidity: 54%      Pressure: 30:00 inches (rising)

These 4-5 miles are getting easier and easier. Whoda Thunk? FireGuy and I were just saying the other day that after the marathon a continuing plan of 5 mile regular runs during the week with “long” 10 miles on the weekends nice idea. I think that may be do-able. 10 miles is still too long for me to be comfortable right now but it will get easier as the 15 and 20 mile marks come and go.

When I started this I wasn’t sure I would run the whole thing. The TNT group has you split into full and half marathon groups and then further into walkers and runners. We were told at the beginning that running didn’t have to mean every step just more running that walking. I figured that I would start training to run as if I would run the whole thing and when I couldn’t I would walk. I’m doing better than I thought. We will see after the long run this Friday Morning, but I might just run this whole silly distance. :)

A friend of mine who went into the Army as an officer at the end of the summer was one of the first to sponsor me. His e-mail came with the comment that I better run every F*ing step of the marathon. I said I would do my best. It was nice when he was in town for the first time last week to tell him that I was up to every step of 9 miles. He replied “Every F*ing Step”! :) Boys are funny. I know he’s a smart ass but then that seems to be a trend with my friends. I hope I can tell ArmyO that I ran every step after January 7th.

Running Every F*ing Step

Runner Girl the Mighty

2006-10-16T13:33:00.000-04:00

I have started a readers guide to this blog. the link is to the right marked

"Runner Girl The Mighty (What in the world am I talking about?!?!)"

Now maybe you can figure out what all this fighter/Mideval stuff is.

I hope to have pictures soon....

Anyway, I hope it helps. You cannot comment there but here is fine that is just up for continual reference.

I also started a "My Favorites:" list below spot the tiger. Feel free to read some of the back posts that I seem to have put more effort into. ;)

Just slowly updating stuff as I get to it.

Thanks for Reading!!

Friday Morning Run

2006-10-15T11:35:00.000-04:00

So Friday Morning was 5 miles. It went very well. My shin ached the entire way so I think I’m going to have to break down and get that looked at. Any advice on how to find a doctor that specializes in runners. I don’t want to be told…you should stop running.

FireGuy and I are both going to a Halloween party and so we were trying to do costumes together. So this weekend I’m sewing a Darth Vader and Princess Leia costumes. Both Magnetbabe and Lisabetta have requested pictures so I will post some I promise.

Sorry the update is short but I’m out of town next weekend so I have to get this sewing done!!

It's gonna be a long day

2006-10-11T07:59:00.000-04:00

The weather is fantastic!! Highs in the 80’s, lows in the 60’s. Running is something that can now be done with out gills!!

Stretching more and then stretching even more before you run seems to help a whole lot!! My shins still hurt, however no more than they did when 3 miles was a really long run. I’m trying the little exercises that one of the guys taught me after the team training the other day maybe they will help soon.

Last night was 3.6 miles. FireGuy and I ran a loop that he had mapped out a long time ago, and we moved along at a good clip. We then went to meet friends for dinner, and were running late from the run. Good thing they are very understanding of all of this Marathon Craziness.

Tonight after work is teaching and I think I have my evaluation tonight. GACK! I hate that. My boss, who really is great, comes in and sits in my class. BLECH!! I mean he is a good guy…still makes me icky that he’s in the class. I can teach to a bunch of people I know don’t know but when it’s someone who knows!!! I’m a mess. Isn’t that silly. Anyway he has only done this one other time to me in the 3 years I have been at the Community College and I think he is supposed to do it once a year. So…maybe I should be happy I dodged it this long. Then off to the gym to run, FireGuy has to study.

Long way to go today...

Stupid Internet

2006-10-07T21:47:00.000-04:00

Well I have run twice since I have been able to get online. In fact as I sit and write this in Word the cable modem has puked yet again and I might not even get this up. So assuming you do actually see this post….

Wednesday’s run was done on Thursday and went just fine. I met FireGuy at his place and we ran at his end of town. 3 miles.

Today was the long run. It was the scheduled 9 miles. So this time I did it knowing that was how far I ran. I hope they don’t tell me this week that I really ran 12 miles. I feel better than I did the first time at this distance but it was still hard. My knees and foot didn’t hurt. Also the coach was riding a bike to be able to go between all of us. He rode slowly behind me for a little while trying to figure out why I have shin splints. He suggested that I try making sure my feet don’t slap especially my right one. Sure enough when I run concentrating on rolling off of my heels the pain was much less in my shins. It was well over half way before he suggested this so it was kinda hard to remember to keep doing it and to do it since I was tired, but when the pain came back a little I would remember. I’m sure it will be easier to remember if I practice during the shorter runs this week.

Another guy in the group suggested some little stretches and exercises for the shins. I really appreciate all the suggestions. I will try all the suggestions and have no idea which ones are working and which aren’t but at this point I don’t care. As long as something, anything, helps.

Well that’s it for now folks. Monday is Leif Erickson (Columbus) day and I’m off from the day job. I just have to teach in the evening. So I scheduled the cable guy to come between 8 am and 11 am. Then maybe I can post when I should.

I hate Road Runner sometimes.

How to make me useless...

2006-10-03T13:03:00.000-04:00

Distance: 4.0 miles   Time: ~52 min   fair 9:30 pm
Temperature: 82 °F    Humidity: 56%      Pressure: 30:10 inches (rising)

4 miles…YEA!! My foot was stiff after but the stretching it before I run seems to be helping sooooo much.

I’m feeling very behind this week. (too much video gaming this weekend) FireGuy suggested we play one of the PS2 games I have. A two player dungeon type game. He is proving to be a great video game adventure partner. (Not everyone seems to do this well together)

I don't own the latest Tomb Raider, my other favorite type of game, because I will lose my mind playing it till it is done. (It's one player so I would be just lost to the world)

All that aside, video games have always proven to be an inexpensive distraction. I think this is a good idea with the holidays on the way. I'll have more money for Christmas presents if I stay home and play video games. (esp. when I buy them online used or wholesale...amazon rocks)

Maybe after running a marathon I will look a little more like Lara Croft....with out the fake lips and all. :)

I need to get to bed earlier….

A week later!!

2006-10-01T09:34:00.000-04:00

I strained something in my right foot on that long run last weekend. SOoooo….I was good. It was very hard but I did it. I stayed down all week. I don’t just mean I didn’t run. I mean I stayed put most of the week.

Finally…yesterday I ran. I went for a little over 3 miles. My foot was tight again at about 2 and I didn’t quite make three when it started to hurt. So I walked the rest of the way. That helped it didn’t hurt to walk but it was tight and a little sore the rest of the day. Today it is a little twingy but still better than earlier in the week so I think it’s getting better slowly.

Today is a rest day on the schedule and I will take advantage of it. I will stay put on the couch to get work done (I hate stay put!!) Then 4 miles easy tomorrow, I should be able to do that…right?!?! (I hope)

Just Run suggested being the stretching queen!! I have been trying that and it has already seemed to help. I feel better when I can’t run and the day after I started taking a few min here and there to stretch a little my foot started making a larger improvement. Wow, were my legs tight when I hadn’t run in a few days!!

My mother is worried about my foot and all of this training.

Mom: “I hope all of this marathon stuff isn’t killing you”

Me: “at least I have a spleen”

So all of those of you worried I promise I will not go so far as to play 2 - 3 quarters of NFL football with a ruptured spleen!!

Good luck to Chris Simms for a speedy recovery.

Bucs are off this week so you don’t have to hear me call them stupid, and a new QB for the season will be determined this week I think.

Gotta stretch and then hurry to stay put!!

Rally Post!! (because some days I need one)

2006-09-28T09:38:00.000-04:00

If we are marked to die, we are enow
To do our country loss; and if to live
The fewer men, the greater share of honor.
Gods will! I prey the, wish not one man more.
By Jove, I am not covetous for gold,
Nor care I who doth feed upon my cost;
It yearns me not if men my garments wear;
Such outward things dwell not in my desires.
But if it be a sin to covet honour,
Then I am the most offending soul alive.
No, faith my coz wish not a man from England.
God’s peace! I would not lose so great an honor
As one man more methinks would share from me
For the best hope I have. O, do not wish one more!
Rather proclaim it, Westmoreland, through my host,
That he which has no stomach to this fight,
Let him depart; his passport shall be made,
and crowns for convoy put into his purse;
We would not die in that man’s company
That fears his fellowship to die with us.
This day is called the feast of Crispian.
He that out lives this day, and comes safe home,
Will stand a tip-toe when this day is named,
And rouse him at the name of Crispian.
He that shall live this day and see old age,
Will yearly on the vigil feast his neighbors,
and say ‘Tomorrow is Saint Crispian.’
Then will he strip his sleeves and show his scars,
And say ‘These wounds I had on Crispin’s Day.’
Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot,
But he will remember, with advantages,
What feats he did that day. Then shall our names
Familiar in his mouth as household words-
Harry the King, Bedford and Exeter
Warwick and Talbot, Salisbury and Gloucester-
Be in his flowing cup freshly remembered.
This lesson shall the good man teach his son;
And Crispin Crispain shall ne’er go by,
From this day to the ending of the world,
But we in it shall be remembered-
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today who sheds his blood with me
Shall be my brother; be he near so vile,
this day shall gentle his condition;
And gentlemen in England now abed
Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,
And hold their manhoods cheep
whilst any speaks
that fought with us
upon St. Crispins day.

-Henery V, Act 4, Scene 3

Um....yeah....ok...Correction

2006-09-25T23:30:00.000-04:00

Minor update to the last post. The TNT coach mis-measured/added the miles the other day. I got an e-mail saying he didn't mean to but we actually ran more like 9 miles...

9 MILES!! I checked the route with the USA Track & Field page and found it to be over 8.7 miles. I'm in for a little rounding.

Yippee!! 9 MILES!!! I guess I don't have to worry about the 9 mile run scheduled for the weekend after this. :)

Thanks everyone for your encouragement....I really appreciate it.

7 MILES!!!

2006-09-24T17:33:00.000-04:00

 Distance: 7.0 miles   Time: infinity min    sunny 7:00 pm
Temperature: 76 °F    Humidity: 79%      Pressure: 30.06 inches rising

Holy Crap!! 7 Miles….who’da thunk? Ok…a few thoughts:

After 4-ish I just kept going…it stopped being quiet so hard
After 5 miles my left knee hurt but it was just tired
After all 7 I had to call people….They think I’m nuts
My right foot hurts a lot….but that may be from mopping the floor later that day. It’s better today.
This pain thing is getting old. But the new distance thing is pretty cool!!
I’m still tired.

Two of my aunts on my Dad’s side were in town this weekend and we had lunch today. It was nice enough to eat outside at a local restaurant. It was a very nice visit, and made all the cleaning and mopping yesterday worth it. 

This was a nice quiet weekend…not that I’m complaining, every once in a while I need one.

Catching up….finally!!

Lament Summer...Exult Fall

2006-09-21T11:05:00.000-04:00

Distance: 4 miles     Time: < 1 hour    Dark 9:30 pm
Temperature: 76 °F    Humidity: 54%      Pressure: 29.92 inches (rising)

Well that’s it folks….summer is just about done. While I don’t think yesterday will be the last day we break 90 °F this year, as if on cue the temperature broke late yesterday. The high was 94 °F yesterday. Today it is supposed to be 88 °F. For those of you who have been keeping track that has been the temperature when I run hours after dark at 9:00 pm. Last night almost felt chilly by comparison and the humidity was nothing!!

I love summer, baseball, warm sun on my face, wicked thunderstorms while I’m in bed with a good book, the raining on this side of the street and dry on that side craziness, green everywhere like you wouldn't believe, walking into a nice cool home after being outside when it is so hot, feeling like a big slacking lizard in the tropics, and of course frozen margarita/rum tropical drinks that are necessary outside at night.

Soon it will feel and smell like October. (Funny, that happens when it is approaching October) and summer will be done, but that's ok, because....FALL is my favorite time of year!! HALLOWEEN is just around the corner!! Football every weekend!! Baseball playoffs and The World Series (Go! Twins....My Rays and Braves are not looking good for making it this year so I'm in for MB's team) Start of hockey season, LONG SLEEVE T-SHIRTS!! Tailgating on the weekends, eating dinner outside on my porch with friends, the windows open, smell of the last of the thunderstorms of the season. Pumpkins and ghosts and bats and ghoulies. My birthday is in October along with a whole group of friends….that is always a great week!! All outdoor activities will get easier when you don’t need gills.

Don't get me wrong....I LOVE Summer!! but right now

  I   C A N ’ T   W A I T ! ! !

Running Late (at night and for dinner)

2006-09-19T08:20:00.000-04:00

Distance: >2 miles     Time: 25:22 min    Dark 9:45 pm
Temperature: 83 °F    Humidity: 72%      Pressure: 29.99 inches (rising)

Everything seems to be good. The hip behaved last night for all two plus miles so tonight’s run is the scheduled 4. I hate running so stupid late but that is when I can so that is when I do. It is easier to breath than during most of the day but wow am I whooped by the time I get started.

Here are some of my observations training for a marathon so far…

* I am cold all the time!! If I’m not doing physical activity (or sitting in the sun at the football game) then I’m cold!!

* I’m hungry all the time!! If I’m cold I’m hungry. Well it sure seems that way. I knew running more would mean I needed to eat some more but I had also hoped for some weight loss along the way. I’m sure it is coming with the increase in mileage but man I’m hungry. And I’m eating more but not really gaining so that is good. At least I eat better.

* Everything else is easier. Hmmmmm…..funny that. Suddenly all the other activities and housework is not so hard. This is a really nice side effect.

* Vitamin B and Caffeine are my friends. (not to mention Vitamin I and Naproxin Sodium)

* I can’t wait for the next distance to be no big deal. Right now 3 miles is no problem, but the Monkey is on my back for breaking 5. It used to be a mile, then two wasn’t so bad but the monkey was there again for three. Four was do-able after three even if it isn’t easy yet, but that ole Monkey is sitting there for 5. I’ve got his number this weekend but its still kinda weird how this works.

* It is funny how thinking about, scheduling, getting ready for, packing for, etc….running has taken over so many other things I used to do. None of which were as good for me. I watch less TV. I eat better…can’t run if you eat crap…makes your tummy hurt. The laundry gets done more often….I need clean workout clothes.

* It has gotten easier and easier to say “sorry I can’t make it till (insert time), I have to run.” People are starting to get the hang of this, and are really quite supportive.

Hey Gwenhwfyr I might be a little late to dinner tonight….I have to run 4 miles!!

Hope it's nothing!!

2006-09-18T12:50:00.000-04:00

Wednesday night it rained so running turned into yummy steak salads at Mimi’s restaurant with Vicky the waitress that is all about putting carrot bread on the table along with the muffins that come with the meals and then packing away extra carrot bread for a take home bag and then packing up the huge muffins to take home too. I think FireGuy ends up with like three more meals when we leave. It’s kinda funny.

Friday morning’s run went well. Faster than the previous two 3 mile runs 34:17. Yea!!

Then Sat!! NO GOOD!! ALL BAD!! I over slept so everything was started in a frazzle! Then, at a little over three miles, I must have stepped wrong. Something went very wrong!! My left hip HURT at the joint. I made it till ~4.5 and finally FireGuy told me to sit and he would finish to go get the truck to pick me up. My hip ached the rest of the day. I tried to be good but it was a busy day. Yesterday it was just a little “funny” but overall it was much better. Today it feels fine but I’m going to be careful today and I’m glad one of my classes I’m giving a test so I can sit. Then just 2-3 miles tonight. I’m not happy that I didn’t get the scheduled 6 miles in on Saturday. I’m going to e-mail the coach (or maybe I should just call) and see what he thinks but I hope this is only a one day setback.

Weekend update: Friday was movies with friends that turned into Mellow Mushroom Pizza instead…YUM!! Then Saturday, the run, USF v UCF Football game in Orlando, (Go Bulls!!) , Mexican for dinner and then Compas_Rose’s birthday where I got to hang out with lots of cool people, and Sunday morning was Frisbee with Lunchbox (who did me a huge favor…Thanks!!), and later watching Ladder 49!! Overall a good weekend!! (we won’t even begin to discuss the Bucs!)

Running….Gently!!

Hurry they're gaining!!

2006-09-13T08:57:00.000-04:00

Distance: 3 miles     Time: 36:07 min    Cloudy 6:30 pm
Temperature: 80 °F    Humidity: 81%      Pressure: 29.96 inches (rising)

Last night’s run went very well. Bayshore Blvd is very nice and a great place to run. FireGuy and I look at the boats and the edge of the bay off on the horizon and it’s just nice to look at, we catch up on the last couple days, how’s school, how’s work etc…and talk about plans…mostly silly pirate get away plans. (We park at the pirate ship that invades Tampa every year) or Viking invasion plans. (Shocking I know)

We make up games…we ran out in this amount of time and ended up “behind enemy lines” and have to get back to the pirate ship before it sails away. (We didn’t quite make it….I slowed down)

Or how close to Lumberton, MS can you sail a boat (a Viking long ship to be specific) from Gulfport, MS? How long does it take to sail from Tampa to Gulfport? Do you know how to sail? ‘Cause I don’t!! And I’m NOT rowing to Mississippi.

Anyone who knows me will attest that I am 4 years old and I’m always in for playing pretend….and FireGuy is just as silly as I am. (Maybe even sillier)

Last night we ran 1.5miles out and back….and guess what…We got away!!

Running to stay ahead of the pirates!!

Stupid Bucs!!

2006-09-10T18:23:00.001-04:00

60 min timed run = over 4 miles!! That is farther and longer than I had run before. The shin splints are attempting to show up again but I think I’ll be ok. I have started right away with some OTC anti-inflammatories and ice packs. And the during the week runs don’t really get much longer it is mostly the weekend ones that do so if they aren’t too bothered by what I’m doing during the week they should rest enough to handle the weekends. That is my theory anyway. Today’s run was tough. It was noon, it was humid because it was about to rain, and it was longer than I had gone before. But here I am on the other side!!

Last night the USF Bulls were victorious over FL International U. The tailgating was fantastic. (Strongbow cider on TAP!! YUM) and getting to know new friends a little better.

Today however….Not so good for the Buccaneers. Not a great start to the season guys!! You have to show up for the game!!

Time to start dinner!!

Eating to run!!

FOOTBALL!! YIPPEE!!!

2006-09-09T09:44:00.001-04:00

Ok….all the runs for the week are in! Thursday night’s class went late so I ran that run yesterday morning. Now I just have to get through tomorrow morning’s run and I will have had a very successful week.

A sorta lost friend had a housewarming party this evening. It was a whole a lot of fun to reconnect with some old friends I haven’t seen in a long time. I didn’t realize how much I missed some of them till we were all in the same room like we used to be. More than once was “remember the time that” or “That one time” It was nice

Today……it begins….one of my two favorite seasons….

F O O T B A L L S E A S O N ! ! !

USF is home this week so tailgating and then the game…. This is with some new people to hang out with and new friends to make. Tailgating is a good time for that and food always tastes better outside!! Then tromp off to the stadium and GO BULLS!!!

On Sunday it’ll be GO BUCS!! 1:00 game more fun!! I haven’t heard too much from the football group yet but I’m sure we will come up with a plan. Oh and a run on Sunday.

Gotta run!! Have a good weekend!!

Run away and don't look back!!!! (at beta)

2006-09-06T23:30:00.000-04:00

Distance: 2.63 miles    Time: 35:00 min    inside 9:30 pm
Temperature: cool °F    Humidity: ??%    Pressure: ??.?? inches (?)

The run tonight went better but it’s hard to tell since I ran at the gym. It’s always easier there with the cooler dryer air. FireGuy has a test tomorrow so I was on my own tonight. He promised to be back to running tomorrow.

So here is the update:

B L O G G E R
B E T A
S U C K S ! ! !

And they don’t even know it. I sent them an e-mail telling them I want to go back…they said they can’t. But they hope I like my new features…. Yeah right….I love ‘em. So much that I want to GO BACK!!!

I had almost no problems with my old template in blogger….now I lost that, started again and can’t edit the HTML yet so it looks like Sh*t!!

They tell me all of you can comment on my blog….and it’s just not true. So what fun is this?

Please feel free to keep in touch at my e-mail at RunnerGirlFL@gmail.com. And as soon as blogger gets ther heads out of their a$$ I’ll let ya know!!

Thanks for reading

Running around and no one to tell it to…

Sleepy....very sleepy

2006-09-06T07:59:00.000-04:00

Distance: >2 miles       Time: 36:00 min    Dark 9-ish pm
Temperature: 82 °F    Humidity: 69%      Pressure: 29.95 inches (rising)

Last night’s run was good. Not great, but good. FireGuy’s watch has the count down timer that is best for these runs of time rather than distance. Well, I guess I didn’t explain the plan correctly because we didn’t turn around at one point and just ran out. That made for a long walk back. It was nice out last night so it wasn’t so bad but it made for a late night.

The weekend was a lot of fun. Another SCA event. Usually at these events I go to bed at the very small digits of the morning and get up before they get to double digits. This weekend was no exception. Saturday lasted till 4 am Sunday morning and then I was up again at 8 am ready for the day. Then home on Sunday evening….like midnight. I think I fell asleep about 2 am. I had a lot of fun catching up with friends I hadn’t seen in a little while and getting to know some new ones better….(Hi BatGirl!!)

Well, here we go another week has started and I cannot tell you how glad I am that it is a short one!! Lots of new projects seem to have made their way onto my plate in the last couple days. I really need to sort them out and I need some time…This weekend should be good for that. Maybe this weekend I will rest a little bit. Nahhh……

Yesterday was my first draft as the Commish for our fantacy football league at work. I had scheduled the draft at 5:30 so that a few of us could draft after work and help one of the new people who had never done a computer draft before. Well because it was easier everyone stayed…well except the guy who didn’t check if he had all his plugin’s installed and then couldn’t get on at draft time to draft. (there is one in every draft) It was a lot of fun.

My fund raising is going pretty well. I need to make another large push and that is included in the projects that need to be sorted out but it’s moving along at least. For those of you who have donated....Thank you So much. For those of you who havent....please consider this worthy organization. I'll run a marathon for a $1 mile....how bout $26 to fight blood cancers!!

Today is another long one with the Work, Teach, Run Bed theory in place. ;)

Still running along….

Later and later...

2006-08-29T11:14:00.000-04:00

Distance: >2 miles       Time: 26:00 min    Dark 9-ish pm
Temperature: 83 °F    Humidity: 74%      Pressure: 29.94 inches (rising)

Last night's run was late. I to prefer to run outside so it is nice to have someone to run with since I really should not run alone in the dark. I would have to go to the gym instead and that is not as much fun.

The usual path is a fairly well list busy street with a wide shoulder and a wide sidewalk in so it is pretty far from the cars. It wasn’t as humid last night as it has been. A sign of the impending storm most likely. It gets a little dryer just before a good tropical system comes along. Last night was 26 minutes and we got almost as far as the 30 minute run the other day so that is good. Faster now will only help later.

Today is a rest day so YEA!! I also do not have to teach tonight. YEA again!! I thought it would be better to have a run on a day I’m not teaching and then get a rest day on a night I teach. Then I would not have to go go go, but now that I am here I think I like the idea of only one work responsibility today and then family dinner tonight. I slept in a (very) little bit and hopefully I can get things done tonight with out feeling so rushed.

Not-so-RunnerGirlFL <-- and enjoying it!!

First Team Training

2006-08-28T08:15:00.000-04:00

Distance: ~4 miles     Time: 45:00 min    Cloudy 7:30 am
Temperature: 79 °F    Humidity: 94%      Pressure: 29.98 inches (rising)

Saturday morning was the first team training run for the TNT group. We all met at a park and ran down Bayshore Blvd. Which, as its name implies, runs along the bay. There is a nice wide paved uninterrupted path about 5 mile long that follows the shore of the bay, since there can be no intersections crossing it or cars would end up not running so well. It’s a nice run overlooking the bay and you can see the downtown Tampa skyline from a distance (the best way to see most downtown’s in my opinion.)

The other people were really nice. Some seem more interested in making friends. Some came with friends already. It is obvious that many of them are farther along in this distance thing than me, but I am proud to say that I was the only “back of the pack”-er that ran the whole way, and I wasn’t the last one. How ever some of them thought it was cleaver of me to notice that if we were doing a time of running not a distance than if I’m last when I turned around at half way through the time….I was now in the lead. I said that it was my strategy. I don’t think they completely believed me….Oh well.

Tonight is running after class with FireGuy and then again on Wednesday and Thursday. The weekend calls for a run on Saturday but since I’m out of town this weekend I’m not sure what I’m going to do but I will probably run it on Friday before I leave.

For those of you keeping track of my crazy life….

Thursday night was a surprise party for FireGuy complete with a Bytor party game. (When Bytor comes up with a party game….it is rarely safe) This one included lighting small wooden bird houses on fire with torch fuel and putting them out with little squirt hoses. Get it…a fire party game. When the last house didn’t go out….what did the 4, yes FOUR firefighters do!?!?! They played soccer with it!! Oh well….my house is only 80 years old and made of wood after all!!! Silly Firepeople. (they are not all guys) My neighbors already think I’m weird…what’s a little fire soccer in the front yard. (Note the ground was still very wet from the afternoon thunderstorm just hours earlier)

Friday was a little quieter. It was all rainy so I ran errands, cleaned the house from the party, and then hung out with FireGuy in the evening.

Saturday was the training then my Mommy came up to see some projects I had done around the house and took me to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory. YUM!! I got the Godiva chocolate cheesecake YUM!! Later was watching the pre-season Bucs game with the Football guys* at one of THEIR houses (note my house didn’t get wrecked again on Saturday….hehehe….and also note the football guys* are mostly the same group in the gaming guys*)

Sunday was the usual mix of Fighter Practice and geeking out Gaming with the gaming guys*. This is again at my house but doesn’t usually wreck the house as no beer is involved and the mess stays contained to a dining room table which has to be cleaned off before the game and is clean when they leave since they take their stuff with them. (usually actually helps the clutter factor of the table)

Today is work, teaching, running, bed.

Running around till I get a chance at a nap!! HA!

*First the term guys in my blog denotes a group of people not just boys….however most groups are predominately male in my world. There are girls besides me in both the football group and gaming group. Second most of these groups overlap significantly. The Fire people are all fighters and the gaming group mostly is too. The gaming group is mostly the football group too. Need a map yet?!?!

Sad Sad Day!!

2006-08-24T10:01:00.000-04:00

Dear Pluto,

I’m sorry to hear about your recent loss of title. This was not fair!! So you orbit a little differently, and cockeyed. So you are mostly made of Ice. I still love you.

I would rather 12 planets than 8. They didn’t ask me. I’m sure they have their reasons, and now there are guidelines for planets but they should have grandfathered you in. You have proudly held that title for many years.

I loathe that at some point I will have to hear children rattle off our Sun's beloved planetary satellites and you will not be among them.

You will always be a planet to me you captured little wandering ice ball you.

Love,
RunnerGirlFL

Distance:2.4 miles  Time: 30:00 min    dark 8:30 pm
Temperature: 81 °F    Humidity: 89%      Pressure: 29.97 inches (holding)

Don't get cocky!!

2006-08-23T13:28:00.000-04:00

Distance:???              Time: 20:00 min    Partly cloudy 6:00 pm
Temperature: 87 °F    Humidity: 67%      Pressure: 30.06 inches (falling)

I spoke too soon yesterday when I said 20 min was easy. It should have been. I had a little trouble with the 20 minutes, when I shouldn’t have. I hadn’t run all week and it got me. A nice stitch for a little over half way. I did finish so that is the important part. Running with FireGuy is going to be fun. We started out a little fast for me (my fault…I’m never good at picking a pace) and I think I should have drank more all day but he was good about pushing when the stitch hurt with out making me want to kick him in the shins.

School starts today and I am teaching Physics w/ Calc II and the Lab. After work I have to go teach the class tonight and then off to do the run.

Start out a little slower, drink lots of water, Run Run Run.

And so it begins….

2006-08-22T07:39:00.000-04:00

Today is the first run on the schedule for the marathon training. 20 min. Not so bad. Really easy actually but this is probably a good thing since I did not run over the busy weekend and I was taking it easy before that because of the shin splints. I’m really excited that the schedule doesn’t go further than I can already run until well into September. That should allow me to get used to the running 4 –5 days a week easier and hopefully not aggravate the shins.

The weekend was busy. School starts this week and I am not prepared to teach my classes. I always feel that way so I’m sure I'll be fine but that doesn’t make me feel less hassled right now. Friday I went to WDW Animal Kingdom with a friend and had the best time. We got to the park at 9:30 (it opened at 9) when it closed at 6pm we hopped the bus to Epcot. My best friend from high school arranged super secret fireworks viewing for us. THEY WERE RIGHT OVER OUR HEADS!! (YEA Epcot security Managers!!) Then we found out that Epcot was staying open till 12am. Yea!! more time for fun!! We didn’t pull out of the parking lot till well after midnight!! Then the drive back to Tampa. It was a fantastic day!! Then Bucs game on Saturday (It's only pre-season, It's only preseason) then Fighter practice Sunday morning and geeking out with the guys that night to game.

I need to stop having quite soooooo much fun on the weekends or I’m never going to catch up!!

And away I go…..

Best Saturday Ever!!!

2006-08-13T11:43:00.000-04:00

Distance: 3.0 miles   Time: 39:30 min    partly cloudy 10:00 am
Temperature: 91 °F    Humidity: 60%      Pressure: 30.02 inches

Well today went well. Not stellar but well. I walked ad few times but I am very sore from an SCA event yesterday. We fought for like an hour straight…fight, get hit, line up and fight again. Always fun!! Then we went swimming. Again wrestling with the boys in the pool is fun but more work. I also made a new friend. She was really cool, and wants to come up to Tampa to fight at our practice on the weekends. We got to talking after throwing the football in the pool. Also her son decided I was his new best friend. He came up to me at dinner, put his little hands on my shoulders and asked me to go outside to the swings to play. Very CUTE!! I think I have a new boy friend. Hehehe I must have dazzled him with dunking him in the pool. One of my longtime football buddies with the two cutest kids on the planet had them there too and his daughter and I were the two headed monster. She was on my shoulders with TWO water guns and I was at water level able to splash. We chased down and tormented everyone in the pool. And the kids made sure it was ok if this year when they come to visit their father they will be allowed to watch football at my house again. I told them they could come anytime they were in town and we all watch football. (we always watch football – I am soooooo glad it is football season)

All of this makes trying to run with the top half of your body suffering from T-Rex arms much harder.

I’m getting very excited to meet the Team next weekend and find out my schedule. I am worried it will be too hard so I am really trying to not miss any of my runs this week.

When I told my BRAND NEW Fire Fighter friend (he did pass those tests as I knew he would – State Certified and everything) about the marathon he said that he wanted to run it with me. He won’t be able to do the fundraising part due to EMT school (needs that to still get a job) but he wants to run the race with me!! And run with me to help to get ready. We are still working out the details of weather signing up for the race will work or not, but even if it doesn’t it was a really nice offer….very supportive!!

Running to get ready for more Running!!

Ready, Set......FUNDRAISE!!! FIGHT LEUKEMIA!!! GO!! GO!! GO!!

2006-08-08T22:40:00.000-04:00

Distance: 3.0 miles   Time: 37:13 min    partly cloudy 6:00 pm
Temperature: 91 °F    Humidity: 56%      Pressure: 30.02 inches

Holy Cow!! What have I gotten my self into?!?!

I’m going to run a marathon….that’s right a M A R A T H O N ! ! !

2 6 . 2 M I L E S ! ! !

Alright, so here is the deal!! I went to the informational meeting for Team in Training the other day to see what I needed to build up my distance to in order to start training. Found out that they wanted you to be able to run about 2 -3 miles. Well since my longest is more than that and my average is between that….I SIGNED UP!!!

So I have a fundraising goal of $2300. Please go to my Team in Training page and sponsor me!! If everyone donates $26 dollars (That a deal at a dollar a mile folks) then I’ll be at my goal in no time!! PLEASE!!

If you want to link to this post as well to send your readers this way feel free....or pass the link above to my TNT web page on to anyone who would like to join in the fight against Blood Cancers. The more people I talk to the more people I know who have been touched by these diseases.

Click on the Team in Training banner also. This is a fantastic organization that I really believe in.

And Stay tuned!! I meet my coach and the other people on my “TEAM” on Aug. 19th. Then the real fun will begin!! I need all the cheering I can get!!

Running to end Blood Cancers!! Running for Randy!!

Quick Report

2006-08-05T12:55:00.000-04:00

Distance: 2.2 miles   Time: 28:17 min    Sunny 12:00 pm
Temperature: 82 °F    Humidity: 84%      Pressure: 30.03 inches (holding)

What kind of idiot runs at noon in Florida!! And for the record I did not believe the weather.com site with the 82 °F till I got home and looked at the outside thermometer. It said about the same so I guess it is true. I ran now because we are supposed to have more thunderstorms this afternoon so I wanted to be sure to get in some running. I did not try to run fast and in fact walked plenty to not over do also my shin hurts from the 2 miles earlier this week. I HATE THIS!! I want to continue to go often so I’m trying to take them all easy since it seems to be less the distance that I run and more the frequency that I run that make the shin hurt.

I am working on some changes here to the running schedule so stay tuned.

Running to live better….I hope.

Friends

2006-08-01T08:51:00.000-04:00

Distance: 2.0 miles   Time: 23:00:16 min   5:15 am
Temperature: 80 °F    Humidity: 79%      Pressure: 30:10 inches (holding)

I got some disappointing news yesterday. During my run this morning I did a lot of thinking. This is what I came up with, I will write this to put it down and get it out of my head…and then I will let it go:

Dear Friends,

Yes, all of you, you know who you are. We use this title of friend for a lot of different reasons.

I say “My friend _____ at work.” These are not really people I would ever do anything with outside of work. Nothing wrong with them we just aren’t really really friends. It is just easier than saying “This guy I work with who I hang out with while I’m there and throw darts with instead of getting anything productive done…”

However, when I truly give that title free and clear this is what you can expect of me:

I will pick you up if you fall.
I will make fun of you if you do something dumb. (I expect the same)
I will be proud of you if you complete your goals, no matter how big or small.
I will be happy for you at every milestone in your life, graduations, weddings, births.
I will be at your side if you are sick.
I will give you a hug if you are hurt or sad. Go ahead fall apart on my shoulder.
I have been called fiercely defensive of my friends. I think this is one of the greatest compliments I have ever received, I offer you this as well.
I will come when you call.
I will stand with you when you need support.
I will hold you up when you can stand no longer.
I will keep your secrets. (I have learned the value of this one over the years)
I will listen and then…
I will offer suggestions if you want them or sympathy if not.

I will deny you nothing that is within my power to give you, all I have is yours.

What do I expect from you? Well that is the question now isn’t it…. I would like to say I expect nothing but I found out that was not true.

I do not expect you do defend me, I do expect you to not add to the fire.
I expect to trust you not to lie to me or about me.
I expect to not be tossed aside when you are finished with me.

That is it. Not so hard is it? Do not be disappointed when you have not stood up to any one of those expectations when I can no longer give you this title. You made me cry. So now I’m done. Sorry (no, not really, you did this not me). I’m done.

Now all my cards are on the table. The ball is in your court. It is your play. Just let me know.

Your Friend,

JK/RunnerGirlFL/Bryndís

*Sorry for the rant but nothing hurts me more in this world than to have someone throw away that title. Thanks for reading. My Friend says it is good to write about these things sometimes....she is very smart.

One More Distraction

2006-07-26T09:01:00.000-04:00

Ok…so I haven’t posted because I haven’t run. I did catch that cold and so I have been trying to be good. I was going to run yesterday, I was feeling “well enough” but I got guilt tripped out of it. (you can't go running till you are better...yes I can...you shouldn't...I'll be fine...I wish you wouldn't....FINE!!) GRRrrrr….we won’t go there right now.

In the mean time the boys at work entertain me…..

Silly Boy: (yelling from the other office) HEY RunnerGirl!! RUNNER GIRL!!

RGFL: WHAT!?!?!

SB: (Still yelling….God forbid they come to me) It’s official you are the commish!!

RGFL: WHAT?!?! (Now I’m going into the other office)

SB: We have elected you commissioner of the fantasy football league this year!

RGFL: I wondered if we were going to play this year with J not working here anymore.

SB: Yeah but since he is gone we need a new commissioner so you’re the new commish. It’s going to be a live draft. We will go to the pub and draft one day after work and drink beer.

RGFL: (I have no problem with beer and football in the same activity) Ok! That sounds good

SB: Ok set up the league…or maybe we should do it on paper.

RGFL: PAPER!?!?! Who plays on paper anymore?!?! No way!! I’m not commish if it’s not on the net.

SB: Ok have it your way…

What follows is a discussion of who has priority to play in the league based on prevous years of play and time in the office…not to mention the all tooooo important coolness factor.

Boy2: How ‘bout JC.

SB & RGFL: Nah he never plays

SB: What about….(etc… till we have a list that we can get 10 people from)

So some people rise to power…others have it thrust upon them while they are quietly working in the next office. This may be the last time they let me play in the FFL. Wish me luck!! Yet another distraction…

Look for me to run tomorrow and Friday.

Week in Review

2006-07-23T13:08:00.000-04:00

Saturday 7/15:
Distance: 1.5 miles   Time: 18:00 min    in side 4:00 pm
Temperature: ?? °F    Humidity: ??%      Pressure: ??.?? inches

Wednesday 7/19:
Distance: 2.0 miles   Speed: ~5.2 mph    in side 7:00 pm
Temperature: ?? °F    Humidity: ??%      Pressure: ??.?? inches 

Saturday 7/22:
Distance: 1.1 miles   Time: ???          mostly cloudy 8:00 pm
Temperature: 82 °F    Humidity: 83%      Pressure: 29.93 inches

Well as I promised here is my catch up post. Lemme explain….no, there is too much. Lemme sum up….

1. Congrats to the newly titled Dr. S. for successfully defending his Ph.D. I’m proud of you.

2. My friend at the fire academy is doing well but has the “Big Final” coming and he is “Big test” worried. I know he will do fine. But you have to respect the all or nothing type tests.

3. The semester is done and I really need to get the last of the labs graded and files completed and grades in. BLECH!!

4. As the semester ends my tutoring business picks up…everyone needs help for the finals ya know.

5. I now seem to also have a cold!! I hate colds in the summer. They are the worst!!

Ok so for now on I’ll try really hard to keep up.

Running to catch up.

Something to Read

2006-07-19T22:38:00.000-04:00

Life sometimes hands you distractions...some large, some small, some good, some bad. I have run a couple of times and not posted. I will I promise. Probably on Friday. I have to sit around in my house in the morning and wait for the termite guy to come to spot treat. Until then....by request....here is something to read:

www.lifehacker.com

Look up:

the google text message thing,

and shirt folding trick.

If you are a computer geek there is a lot for you. If you like tech toys there is stuff for you too.

Enjoy....I'll be back in a few days....more or less distracted is yet to be seen.

Gotta Run...

One More Day!!

2006-07-12T09:17:00.000-04:00

I have not run since last Thursday.

I did not get to make a new distance attempt to run 4 mi on Saturday, I did not run it Sunday to make it up. I did not run on Monday because that throws everything else off for the week. I didn’t run 2mi yesterday morning as I would have, and I won’t attempt the 4 mi tonight instead of the 3 mi that I was originally planning.

I do hope to run the 2 mi that I would normally run tomorrow. That is a good ease into it distance after a week. Then attempt the 4 mi on this Saturday.

My shoulders are tight, my head is spinning, and my new ‘neakers are lonely.

Is it possible to gain 100lbs by not running for a week?

I had a schedule change last Saturday due to a friend needing a ride after dropping of his truck at the shop. Same friend has suggested that I not run and take a break rather than my theory to just ignore the shin splints. Grrrr….I’m finally able to up my distances and now I should take a break?!?!….Grrrr. (Note: said friend can already run 5 miles at a time.) So when my friend found out that I missed my launch window for my run on Saturday he said he felt bad, for about 3 seconds, then he said he didn’t want me to run anyway so he didn’t feel so bad. Now, add that to the fact that yesterday’s normal short run was scrapped a long time ago for a one day scheduling conflict and I figured I might as well take the week break and wait till Thursday to run.

Oh yeah….The same friend put a nice bruise on my other leg Sunday at fighter practice. Thanks Buddy, now both legs feel beaten. (It’s all part of the game….It’s just funny he did it)

To be completely honest….my right leg feels much better. I think it might have helped to take a break. Shhhh don’t tell my friend. (Remember: He is a boy….and boys are eternally dumb)

ONE MORE DAY!!….Then…..RUNNING!!!!

(For those who don’t know….Fighter practice: Full contact medieval martial art combat with armor and sticks….yes you get hit, no there is no weight classes, yes it’s co-ed, yes the boys hit hard.)

One is Silver And The Other Gold

2006-07-07T09:41:00.000-04:00

Distance: 2.0 miles   Time: 22:43 min    Inside 8:30 pm
Temperature: ?? °F    Humidity: ??%      Pressure: ??:?? inches (falling)

This was a pretty good run. I would have written about it last night along with several other plans to get things done I had, but a friend called and since we are terrible about keeping up (we talk about every 4- 6 months or so) we were up till 2:45 in the morning. She is my best friend from high school and while now we do not talk as often as we should and we don’t know most of each others friends, we have some people who overlap and we know the names of those others. We keep track of parents and talk about our domestic projects….she is doing this to her property…I am doing that to the house. It’s nice to catch up and we get off the phone after hours of conversation promising that we will keep in touch more often…..and we will, for a little while….then we get busy. We talk in July for her birthday….(She still has her call coming later this month) and we talk in October for mine. We never forget that. We often go to the same event in March. In between….it’s hit or miss, but when we hook up again, it’s like we just picked up our favorite book right where we left off.

Then there are newer friends. Also with birthday’s in July….Happy Birthday MagnetBabe!! I’m having lunch with her today. We met in grad school….many years after high school (like 11 for me) We lunch most weeks when one or the other of us doesn’t have people in town or when we are not out traveling our selves. She helped me move into my home and comes to my super bowl parties. I got a phone call the morning after she got engaged and I could not be more excited for her and her fiancé. I suppose in 11 years we too may call a couple times a year on birthdays or holidays. We will pick up where we left off each time like it was yesterday. But for now….I have a lunch date for my friends Birthday.

Yea!! Birthdays!!

(Shhhh...Iknow this post really wasn't about running but I think I have shin splints in my right leg and that is why I have been sooooo sore, but I'm not admitting that out loud... then I'll have to deal with it)

Good Bye Sue

2006-07-05T22:27:00.000-04:00

Another Wednesday and another long run. This was easier than the other 3 miles in the gym. My right shin is still not super happy but here I sit with ice on it as I type.

Today would have been an ordinary day. Just a regular day after a holiday. Go to work, then to teach at the CC then to the gym for my run. Just as planned. But this morning I got a text message. Ms. Sue Wolf had passed away last night at 7:30. It was no longer a regular day.

Sue was the office manager at the USF Physics Department since the beginning of time. (Although she was not that old) I didn’t know the department with out her. She was there when I got there as an undergrad and there when I left with my Masters. She used to set up Friday happy hours, and played one season on our softball team. (got an ugly bruise on her shin from a ball with a bad hop) Sue ran that department, she was queen bee. If your professor said this and your graduate advisor said that….the truth was what Sue said.

A couple months ago Sue was diagnosed with cancer and was told it was already too late. Much of what happened after that was kept private out of respect for her and her family. She loved them very much and somehow took even more care of them than she did of us if that was possible. Sue was a force of nature at the university and she will be terribly missed.

It was an honor to have known someone who worked as hard and cared as much as Sue did.

Distance: 3.0 miles   Time: 36:54 min    Indoors 8:30 am
Temperature: ?? °F    Humidity: ??%      Pressure: ??.?? inches

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

2006-07-04T09:13:00.000-04:00

Distance: 1.5 miles   Time: 16:34 min    Partly Cloudy 8:30 am
Temperature: 80 °F    Humidity: 86%      Pressure: 30.15 inches (falling)

YEA!! It’s the fourth of July!! One of my favorite holidays!! (Halloween is my very favorite) Here are a few past 4th of July highlinghts….

July 4, 2006 – I am going to go see Superman Returns on the IMAX in 3-D. (I haven’t seen it yet so don’t ruin it for me

July 4, 2005 – Cook out with Randy and then movies on the couch. It was a nice quiet fourth and lazy day off (Big party to attend was on the 3rd)

July 4, 2004 – I took a weekend trip to Charlotte, NC to see the little brother and his wife. We had a great time. Cookout, Baseball, Fireworks what more could you want, and those were just the activities on the fourth. (If you ever get to Carowinds Theme Park I highly recommend the BORG Assimilator!!! It’s like flying)

July 4, 2001 – Went to a party as the Designated Driver and came home with a KITTEN!! Really!!! Loki was a party favor from a fourth of July party. Thanks to J and K for encouraging me to take him home!! I’ll never forgive you two. Everything nice I ever had has been broken.

There have also been several years where the party has been at two houses and I just hopped between them. One was at the home of some friends from the Physics Department, including a July 3rd party last year. And the other at the home of one of my baseball buddies!! These parties always begat endless stories of the people in attendance, usually a burning monkey, and fire breathing.

Grrrrrrr!!!!

2006-07-01T16:20:00.000-04:00

Distance: Grrrr miles   Time: Grrr min    Partly Cloudy 8:30 am
Temperature: 82 °F    Humidity: 80%      Pressure: 30.18 inches (falling)

Well, I have apparently hit my limit. Last week I ran every run. This upped my weekly mileage from 2-3/week to 9.5 miles. I was doing well and went out on Tuesday for the 1.5 in the morning and missed Wednesday’s 3 mile but did it instead of 1.5 on Thursday. Well yesterday I went to TGI Friday’s and had to walk a few steps to sit at the table behind the bar. My shins HURT!! I had no Idea. Well this morning I got the full Idea!! I think while I am sleeping someone is coming into my room and beating my shins with a baseball bat!! I started my 3 miles this morning and had to turn around and walk back after about a mile. Not just my shins but my right knee too!! I must be over compensating or something. I can’t cross my legs with out the pressure hurting my right knee and shin. Today’s run was short but at least it was something. The next scheduled run is a short one on Tuesday morning. I will take lots of ibuprofen and put ice on my leg till then. Wish me luck.

It’s just frustrating because none of the runs were that bad. I just upped the number of times I got out a week. And I was really enjoying it. (even if it was hard to get up for the mornings) I’m sure I just need to get used to the extra miles.

Sitting now to run later….

Reasons to Run

2006-06-29T22:58:00.000-04:00

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?!?!

2006-06-27T07:55:00.000-04:00

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!!

2006-06-25T10:10:00.000-04:00

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!!

2006-06-22T08:37:00.000-04:00

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...........

2006-06-20T08:07:00.000-04:00

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!!!

2006-06-19T10:43:00.000-04:00

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....

2006-06-15T08:09:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-13T18:53:00.000-04:00

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

2006-06-13T10:16:00.000-04:00

....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

2006-06-10T13:36:00.000-04:00

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!!!

2006-06-04T17:06:00.000-04:00

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….)

Toooo Much FUN!!!

2006-05-30T09:03:00.000-04:00

Distance: 1.3 miles       Time:??? min        Partly Cloudy 12:00 pm
Temperature: 90 °F    Humidity: 55%      Pressure: 30.06 inches (holding)

FUN!! Magnetbabe, Big Feet, Mother of Big Feet and I went for a run/walk. BF and I ran and MoBF and MB walked the trail at USF. It was very nice. It was however very hot. Summer is here even if we do have like 22 days to go before it is official!! With the heat index it felt like 96 degrees. It’s not even JUNE!! Soon thunderstorm season will be here and that will help some but then it just keeps getting hotter and more humid anyway!!

The run was fun and then lunch afterwards with the ladies was a blast!! Mmmmm Chicken Philly with buffalo sauce….YUM!!

The rest of my long weekend was fun too. An event in the Ocala National Forest with lots of friends, Kaine and Michelle’s wedding on Sunday then GameWorks after to play video games with the guys, the run on Monday, and later that evening a movie with friends where then even more show up than you think are coming!! We saw Over the Hedge. Toooooo cute!!!

Running to the next fun activity….

Playing Catchup

2006-05-23T08:16:00.000-04:00

I know I’m getting behind. That happens at the beginning of every semester. Lucky for me I only have to teach a lab two nights a week. Yea!! A little free time!! So….here is the quick update:

Sunday’s run went well my ankle was fine and since I did some other training activities with the guys first I only ran the trail once. Then I was pooped!!

Last night I got nothing done because the guys next door fed me leftovers from their big family dinner and gave me expensive beer. Finally I walked home at 10:30. YUM!! But lazy me got nothing done.

At least I took the video back to the store first and won’t have late fees.  One small bit of control in my life….I didn’t get video late fees. Sometimes you have to take what you can get.

Tag I'm it

Where’d ya go?!?!

2006-05-21T00:32:00.000-04:00

I have found myself….see I’m right here!! Did ya miss me??

I know I usually update about a Friday run. That got sidetracked till maybe (I repeat maybe) Sunday morning. I fell on Wednesday in a hole!! A size 6 ½ swallowing hole and twisted my ankle. It’s not bad. Not even go to the doctor bad, just frustrating when I push my clutch bad. Well I know better, so, darn it, I will wait. Today the ankle barely bothered me and I did quite a bit of walking the mall with friends looking for a dress for a wedding I have to attend next weekend. So…maybe tomorrow morning. I’m going to get dressed and go…if I go very far is yet to be seen because I know better than to push a minor injury to make it a chronic minor injury. Just ask the tendonitis in my elbow that will not let me train for that black belt. Hope for a post soon. I am sure it will just be another day or so.

Just call me hop-along runner

Loki - Norse God of Trouble and Mischief

2006-05-17T09:23:00.000-04:00

The sick kitten update is that yesterday morning Loki came to breakfast moving a little slow but he did not have a fever. Then yesterday afternoon when I got home from work he was right inside the front door waiting for me exactly where he belongs. He is back to his loveable ole trouble makin’ self.

Sick Kitty

2006-05-15T19:09:00.000-04:00

Distance: 2.0 miles   Time: 22:19 min    Partly Cloudy 5:45 pm
Temperature: 81 °F    Humidity: 54%      Pressure: 29.94 inches (rising)

I got an unexpected run in today. I stayed home sick from work today. No, no I’m not sick and I didn’t play hooky…exactly. I had to stay home because when I fed the three cutest kitties this morning Loki did not come for breakfast!! I finally found him in the second bedroom under the bed. After I dragged him out and took his temperature (105°F) it was official, I was calling in. I got an early appointment at the vet who sent me home with an antibiotic to keep him from getting any secondary infections and told me it was the kitty flu and if he wasn’t better in a few days bring him back.

So….I got in a run. 2 miles and I ran the whole way and it was a decent time for me!!

Back to taking care of Loki…

Nice Day, Nice Run

2006-05-13T16:33:00.000-04:00

Distance: 1.33 miles  Time: 15:33 min    Partly Cloudy 5:00 pm
Temperature: 78 °F    Humidity: 35%      Pressure: 29.88 inches (falling)

I ran the trail at USF yesterday. The whole thing. For the first time in quite a while I felt really good when I was running again. It was beautiful out again and I was really lucky. We have started to get a little rain in the afternoons and earlier this week it was much more humid. On Thursday I was throwing the football with a friend and I felt so winded because it was so humid. I’ll get used to it again during the summer but those first couple days are hard.

I went hunting again for a treadmill this afternoon. There were not any this week at the “thrift stores” and the Flyer did not have anything this week either. I looked at Craigslist (thanks GG and MB for the referral) they were not quiet what I was looking for but I will keep checking back. So that is the treadmill update….

I also realized the other day that I did not update what happened to the Draft Day Dash I was going to run. I had not sent in my registration when I found out that was the weekend my brother and his wife were coming so it was just better if I was not wiped out from a run while they were here. Trust me we got enough work done for multiple runs.

I guess with the end of the semester and all the other stuff going on this year I am feeling rather out of control. This is always a problem for crazy control freaks, which I am. So I am going to try to take control of my running a little more now that I am running more comfortably again. I have to get control of something in my life and this seems like one of the better things to start with.

Running out of control!!!

Under 11!!!

2006-05-07T12:39:00.000-04:00

Distance: 1.0 miles   Time: 10:54 min    Sunny 11:00 am
Temperature: 81 °F    Humidity: 59%      Pressure: 30.00 inches (falling)

Today’s run was at the park near my home. I was going to run farther but I started out so strong and was really doing well that I wanted to see how well I could do one mile. I normally don’t time things other than to keep long term track. I post them for each run but don’t actually compare them day to day. Today however I was going so fast (well for slow little me anyway) that I decided not to back off, but to try to finish a really strong mile and I was under 11min!! That’s a big deal for me!! So while I cut the run short I really pushed for a hard mile. It’ll all come out in the wash I guess.

Also, yesterday I went “hunting” (that is what one of the guys calls shopping) for a used treadmill yesterday. I found a really nice one at the Salvation Army. The kind you see at the gym, that you do not sound like a baby elephant on and, is all cushy under the belt. I got them to plug it in for me and was running along just about convinced this was the best deal ever and, even though it was a little big, I could make it work. I stepped off the belt and shut it off when I remembered I had not checked that the incline feature worked. Well, good thing I was off the belt because when I turned it back on it went FULL SPEED!!! None of the controls responded and we had to shut it off at the switch. Then I could not get it to start again. The incline would go up and down but the belt refused to start. I guess that it was just not meant to be. Oh well. It was a little too big for my rooms anyway and a lot of money at $150 to not be sure it was going to keep working, even though it was probably at least a $2,000 machine. (I have been pricing new ones too) I know I can get a cheaper one on another weekend at Salvation Army or GoodWill or out of the paper so I will just keep looking. It does not have to be as nice as that either as it is just to supplement running outside, which I prefer.

However, hurricane season and thunderstorm season are on the way….and the hurricanes never come during the week when you could stay home from work and hide inside in a nice warm bed. They always come to ruin the weekend when you could be out for a nice long run. Then again….I’ll most likely lose power anyway have to run in circles around my dining room table….that I will not be able to get to because all the porch furniture will be there.

Well the good news is…

Starting to run a little faster…who’da thunk

Some times you just have to schedule a tummy ache

2006-05-03T19:11:00.000-04:00

Distance: 2.2 miles   Time: 31:22 min    Partly cloudy 6:00 pm
Temperature: 79 °F    Humidity: 57%      Pressure: 30.07 inches (holding)

It was such a nice day outside today that during my break today I scheduled a tummy ache for 4:30 this afternoon. That way I got home before the afternoon rush. I took my time changing clothes and waiting for the temps to cool a little bit….then I took advantage of this time of year in Florida. This is the longest distance lately but I never intended to run straight through. I just wanted to keep my heart rate up for a full half hour or so. I ran for several minutes then walked for two then ran again. It is a fantastic day!! YEA!!...

Now since it was so fantastic I need to water my lawn because that means it didn’t rain.

|: Run, run, run, walk, run, run, run, walk :|

Thanks MB!!

2006-05-01T13:43:00.000-04:00

Thanks to Magnetbabe for my new running buddy....the little tiger on the side bar of this page. :)

I had to have one too

Let the craziness begin...

2006-04-29T08:56:00.000-04:00

Distance: 1.3 miles   Time: ??:?? min    Partly cloudy 6:00 pm
Temperature: 83 °F    Humidity: 27%      Pressure: 30.00inches(holding)

The day was fantastic. The humidity was so low!! I tutored inside all day except for lunch with magnetbabe and we realized too late that would should have taken our lunch to go and eaten outside. Why does food always taste better outside? So when I finished with my last tutoring client I couldn’t get to the trail fast enough and yet I laid down on a bench in the shade outside the library just to be outside before the craziness begins.

The craziness is my family!! Not one of them alone is crazy but at a pack they are nuts. My brother and his wife (no sister-in-law jokes…I really have the best one) are coming to FL from NC, They get passed amongst parents this afternoon and end up with my Dad and his wife here in Tampa for dinner. Then tag I’m it. I entertain them for the night and Sunday we do a “project.” In this case It will be to remove an unwanted fence in my yard. Then Mom and her husband come to pick them up and have dinner tomorrow evening!!

The house is sooooooo not ready so I guess running is out for the rest of the weekend. I’m really glad I made yesterdays a good one.

I CAN’T WAIT!!!! ARE THEY HERE YET!!!!

Ran yesterday…run again on Tuesday.

*This all sounds like a perfectly reasonable plan but it took 1.5 weeks of endless phone calls and e-mails to arrange. This is plan #345,792