My Muse

Grad School Math

2011-11-15T22:12:00.006-05:00

I take that back. I don't think I have the grad school blues. School is actually the easiest way to feel successful right now. It is unbelieveably easy. I barely study. I get good grades. I wrote 4 papers in 4 weeks, and then just showed up to present. The only thing that mattered was whether I cited peer-reviewed journals, and for the most part, I did.

I am surrounded by students who have easier lives. They have a short commute to school and home. They get off at 3-4 p.m. in the afternoon and then they go home to refresh themselves before coming to school. I commute 3 hours a day - on non-school days. I don't want to think about how much time I spend in a car on schooldays.

I work 8-12 hours a day and I still feel that I am drowining in the deep water. And then I contemplate trying to take 2 classes next semester and trying to add a 4 hours of studying every night to that schedule, with more on the weekends. Everyday, I wake up and think about how I'm going to finish and everyday it's the one question I can't answer. To be fair, next semester I'm taking an online class and a Saturday class, but I'll still need to actually study, unlike this semester. I also know I'll need to take at least 2 more semesters of 2 classes to gradute in the next 1.5-2 years. I try to balance and accommodate eveyone else's needs and then I wonder how I'm ever going to meet my own.

Let's do the grad school math:

10 hours work - and I still feel as though I'm drowning
3 hours commute on a non-school day. 4.5 hours on a school day.
3-4 hours of studying each night for 2 classes. No weekend work despite the work buildup!!
2 hours get up and care for son
1 hour eat/talk to spouse
= 19-20 hour day

Grad School Blues

2011-09-11T19:15:00.004-04:00

I always compare grad school to running a marathon. Right now I'm at the half-marathon mark. Halfway through. The point where it doesn't get any easier--and there's still 13.1 more miles to go. It will be a long, slow journey. This year, I've committed to taking just one class so that I wouldn't be so busy during my youngest child's last year of high school. And then there's the new job, which doesn't leave as much time for going to school.

I finally got an idea for an area that I would like to explore, if I were taking an independent study. I developed a research question from reading the textbook before class started, which I scribbled on an envelope. This is my last elective, and I'd been eagerly anticipating it since I registered last spring. Given the subject matter, I envisioned learning about best practices in developing marketing messages. I visualized an interactive assignment around personal selling.

But all the hope, dreams, and excitement were crushed when I read the syllabus. The entire class revolves around writing 4 papers (just one more than the undergrad students taking the class), and completing a group assignment. The topic is interesting--but the syllabus completely uninspiring. It's only the first class and I'm already making plans to work ahead so that I can get this class over with. I've got the grad school blues. And I'm piled higher and deeper.

So Much Change

2011-08-07T19:50:00.002-04:00

My entire multisport life has been a complete wash. In the past, I've been able to get back to multisport during the summer and use the time away from grad school to get back into shape. But this year, I've been swept away with a busy new job, grad school, and then a work-related summer conference. I signed up for three races - two before I took the position - and I think I'm going to forego all of them.

There have been some highlights. My husband and I and our youngest son took a weekend trip to Snow Hill, Maryland. The highlight was cycling from Snow Hill to Berlin. It was 50 miles roundtrip, but for the most part, the miles were easy because the terrain was flat. We followed parts of the Seagull Century route, which made me want to do the Seagull Century. The only difficult part was heading back at the end of the day when we were tired and facing a strong headwind.

Our kid and a friend cycled to Ocean City, accompanyed by a girl who asked if they needed "a partner in crime." She was an experienced cyclist who took a water pack and had clipless pedals, so I though she was a good match. Their journey was longer, and they also faced the headwind. It was an awesome, enjoyable trip--something that I put together at the spur of the moment, and thoroughly enjoyed. Sometimes the weekend trips are the best.

For the most part, I spent the summer trying to get back into running, but never quite doing it. I'd eat an ice cream cone and read the latest issue of Runners World. But I'm still trying to get back into running, and I hope to succeed, even as the school year begins. I have no vision of racing....right now. I simply want to stay in shape, enjoy the stress relief, and get some semblance of worklife balance. I actually feel grumpy if I can't get a bike ride in during the weekend. And there's never a time when I see a cyclist pass me in D.C. that I don't wish that I was riding my bike. This effect is only intensified when I see someone riding clipless.

It doesn't help that my husband has an ankle injury. He's been to an othopod, PT and had xrays and an MRI. But he's still experiencing pain and injury that affect his everyday life. We have another appointment coming up, and I'm crossing my fingers that we'll get some better answers.

Philadelphia Half Marathon: The 13.1 mile fun run

2010-11-24T13:46:00.006-05:00

This is a half-marathon that almost didn't happen.

I signed up for this race because it was the day after my association's annual convention ended, and I thought it might be fun. I also realized that it was a late-season race that was well into my grad school semester, which might make training challenging--and it was. I fell down on my training in the face of multiple school projects, and I really debated whether I should run the race because I felt seriously undertrained. Then, of course, there were some benefits to being undertrained, as some of the aches and pains that I'd been experiencing faded away. But there was another unanticpated challenge: walking about 3 miles for three days in the convention center with professional footwear. My feet were really sore and felt like they were developing blisters and my legs felt like they were developing shin splints.

My husband came up to Philly and we enjoyed ourselves, carbo loading at a nice Italian place. Frankly, I think he just enjoyed spending some quality time with me! He ran the Rothman 8K the day before, the first run after the Marine Corps Marathon several weeks earlier. They started the race by playing the theme song to Rocky, which got my husband off to a really fast start and a PR.

My race was the next day. I still couldn't believe I was going to run 13.1 miles! The race was an opportunity to upgrade my winter running attire and I had a new Sport Hill top that was both cute and very practical with a zippered pocket in the back.

We headed over to the race start in darkness and I walked around and warmed up and then got into the corral. This was the largest race I've ever been in, and somehow it never dawned on me how long it would take for my race to get started--I didn't cross the starting line until a half hour after the gun went off. The sun was up now and it was a beautiful cold fall day.

My whole goal was to keep running until mile 10. I knew that if I could get to that point without major pain, I could finish. I started conservatively, setting an easy pace.

I've run the Baltimore half-marathon twice, so to me, despite what the race elevation chart said, the course seemed flat except for a 2-mile stretch between miles 8 and 10 which was pretty much a long uphill climb. People started walking, but I was determined to power through and keep on running.

I really enjoyed running through the streets of Philadelphia and seeing all of the homes and businesses in the different neighborhoods. The crowds were very supportive. Around mile 6, I felt like eating a Shot Block, but decided to wait, but at mile 7 my hand reached in my back pocket. I had another at mile 8. Then, at mile 9-10 there was Gu. I normally hate the taste and texture of gels, but decided to try it. The vanilla Gu wasn't that bad. I washed it down with a sip of water or gatorade at every stop. By the time I got to the band playing at mile 10 in Fairmount Park, I was amped up on all the Shot Blocks, gel, and gatorade and I was feeling pretty good.

I decided it was time to play the passing game and began to pass people as I headed to the finish. And at about mile 12, I was really ready for the race to be over and began looking for the place where the marathoners split from the half marathoners. At the very end of the race, we headed out of the park and back into the city toward the finish line and I was done.

The whole race was really well organized. After the finish line, runners went into a chute where they received post-race food and drinks and could pick up their bags, and there were no lines.

I finished about 3 minutes slower than a previous HM on a much hillier course. I was really glad that I ran the race. Sometimes, just being in the game is what counts.

The Highs and Lows of Multisport

2010-08-15T10:40:00.011-04:00

My goal was to get back into a regular fitness routine before the semester started because its so much easier to maintain a fitness routine and add academics to it, than the other way around. I didn't race this summer because I didn't want any comparison between this year and last, when I had a stellar season. Instead, I picked out two events in August that were more about fun and less about competition.

Purple Swim

This year, Purple Swim in Baltimore offered both one and two mile swims (and participants could swim both events for a total of three miles), so I signed up for the one-mile swim. The event raises money for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network and I wanted to donate in honor of my co-worker Kate Thaxton who died of pancreatic cancer on June 6, 2010. She was 37 years old. I didn't know Kate that well, but followed her battle with cancer through news from co-workers and her blog. A lot of people will give you the big blowoff, but not Kate. She welcomed everyone in her life and when I sent a friend request on Facebook, she accepted.

In pictures of the event from the previous year, I noticed that about half of the participants were wearing wetsuits. I'd gotten a new wetsuit as a birthday present from my husband, and of course I wanted the occasion to wear it. I worried that the wetsuit wouldn't fit right because I'd lost several pounds earlier this year, but a friend said that unless I was planning to break an Olympic record, the suit would fit fine. Everyone encouraged me to try it out, but I felt self-conscious. Finally, on the last night of practice before the swim, I brought the wetsuit and tried it on. No one batted an eye. An experienced triathlete walked into the changing room while I was wriggling into the wetsuit, but to my relief, said nothing. The suit fit fine. It made swimming easy because it kept the whole body buoyant, and all I had to do was move my arms and kick a bit. The buoyancy was a drawback, however, because it made it more difficult to do breaststroke which I use to orient myself in open water.

In the end, I never wore the wetsuit. The air temperature quickly pushed into the upper 80s and the water was warm, and it just seemed to warm to be encased in neoprene. Only about a fourth of the swimmers wore wetsuits.

The swim went great. I'd been warned of a current that made swimming slow, so I decided to wear a watch so that if I seemed to get bogged down while swimming against a current, I could look at the watch and remind myself that I was still moving along. But the event organizer changed the course this year and we rounded buoys, making a 4-sided figure. I loved approaching one buoy, going around it, sighting the next and swimming towards it. This made the swim go fast and broke it down into several goals that I could meet and exceed.

My husband asked me if I had any particular strategies for the swim. I confess that I had none. I don't have an abundance of open water experience. My goal was not to get too winged out by anything: the taste or feel of the water, the plant life, and accidental contact. My major goal was to get into a swimming groove and keep up a strong stroke while using my sighthing skills. And, for the most part, I did this and felt that I gave a good effort. I'm typically a mid-pack athlete, and I was a wee bit disappointed to find myself in the bottom fourth of the swimmers for the 1 mile swim, with a time of 44:22.

My son brought his girlfriend and they swam in the water afterward and we all enjoyed a picnic lunch. We watched the two mile swimmers come in, and then we watched the dogs swim. It was a perfect day.

Eat a Peach Ride

The following Saturday, I headed up to Westminster for the Eat a Peach ride. It was a day that started out bad, and got worse. I was driving on the highway halfway to the Caroll County Agricultural Center when I noticed another car with a bike rack and spotted the spotted the seatpouch, which carries extra tire tubes, CO2, and the like. That's when I remembered that I'd forgotten to put my seat bag back on my bike after washing it last weekend. If my tire popped, I'd be entirely dependent on the SAG wagon to get to me. I couldn't believe I'd made such a stupid mistake.

The event was much bigger than I'd imagined and when I got there shortly after 7 a.m., there already were plenty of bikers parked on the grass. By the time I'd gotten my number, clarification about the flag system of marking the route, and my gear organized, it was 8 a.m. when I set out.

The ride started out good and I proceeded down Salem Bottom Road out of the town of Westminster. There were many rolling hills and I was encouraged by my ability to get up the hills. When I was confused about which direction to take, I got out my map, but others came up behind me and we figured out the way.

Things began to change when I turned onto Rt. 26 Liberty Road. I wasn't seeing as many yellow flags on the side of the road and when I passed a sign saying that I was in the next county, I began to have more doubts. My bike computer showed 14 miles and my cue sheet told me to take a turn at the 12 mile mark. I circled back, but then saw two riders going the way I'd been going, so I circled back to follow them, thinking that they couldn't be wrong. Soon, all three of us were having the same doubts.

Miraculously, a SAG wagon pulled up within minutes to steer us back to the course. We took a shortcut back to the route by going up Buffalo Road (part of the century and 40-mile route) and then taking a left to Barnes Road. Getting lost rattled me. I'd gone 2-3 miles out of my way and I was a bit more tired than I wanted to be on a hilly route this early in the ride. I rode along with the two other riders, a young couple who were strong riders, until we got to the rest stop at the 18 mile mark, which was a welcome sight. The ride promised two rest stops, but I hadn't seen the first. It really didn't matter, though because I and most other riders brought snacks.

After this, I caught up to a rider who was a strong, young dude with attire indicating that he was with a local cycling club. We were on very narrow country roads now. Many of the roads were not well marked and we were dependent on sighting flags to guide the way.

In one bad moment, I found myself on a very steep, short hill right before Sams Creek Road. I'd made a tactical mistake and was in a gear that was too high. I lacked the strength to get up the hill and couldn't get out of my clips, so I avoluntarily tipped my bike so I could walk up the hill. The other rider didn't look back, but didn't leave. I skinned my knee, but promptly got back on the bike.

Several miles later, the young dude popped his tire. I was planning to wait, but he pulled out a spare tube, said that he had the SAG number and walked away. I rode onward and was lonelier than I wanted to be on a group ride. The scenery was beautiful and at one point, I was on a cliffhanger road overlooking open farmland, rolls of grass, and big open sky. I rode past cows in pastures and a crumbling barn. The middle part of the ride didn't have as many hills. But that changed toward the end.

At about the 28 mile mark, I spotted a stone near the side of the road near a turn on the route, got off my bike, and decided that I needed a snack and gobbled down almost an entire bag of energy chews. A rider with zip wheels flew past me up the hill. Not me. I began to walk some of the steeper hills. The younger dude who'd stopped to change his tire caught up to me and passed me as I walked.

We got close to the end, speeding down a hill toward a stoplight at the intersection of Rt. 27--only to see that the route heads straight upwards on a huge hill. Wicked!! The stronger riders rode up the hill, but there were a good number of people--including me--who walked up the hill.

I was glad to reach the finish. I enjoyed the post race food and some conversation. Then I went into the agricultural center to the Eat a Peach festival and bought some pear bread, red raspberry jam, and an old fashioned kitchen towel that hangs over the oven handle. Of course, I helped myself to several ripe, juicy peaches!!

Then I went home and shed a few tears. I've never been disappointed in my performance in an event, and this was a first. I was disappointed that I tipped my bike and disappointed that I'd walked the hills. My future goals involve riding hilly routes, and I couldn't even get through 33+ miles of hills. Most likely, I need a deeper base with cycling, more hill climbing experience, and better technique. But I also thought back to where I started and I've come a long way. For my first triathlon, I specifically chose one that was flat and wimped out of signing up for a triathlon held in Carroll county after driving the bike course. I've come a good distance--but I have a ways to go.

* * *

I'm in better shape now, and in an endorphin rush, I'm fighting the urge to sign up for a Big Event. I read an article in The Washington Post magazine about someone who has a busy job as a project manager for a big highway construction project. She recently completed an Ironman. She gives me the inspiration that a busy life doesn't necessarily preclude big athletic goals. For me, only time will tell as I balance schoolwork with the desire to maintain a base over the winter.

* * *

Here are some hill climbing tips that I'll be thinking about on my next ride:

Hill Climbing Technique

Gear selection is important—this comes with experience. Experienced cyclists shift gears all the time to achieve the right cadence, about 70-80 rpm. Some athletes use a higher or lower cadence. Get into a good rhythm!
Get into rhythm at bottom of hill and gain momentum. Don’t attack too hard. Get into a good pace—don’t get anaerobic. Get into your groove. Hit the sweet spot. When you bog down, shift gears or stand up.
Sitting is the most efficient way to climb—scoot back in the saddle to use your hamstrings or glutes. Then scoot forward to give those muscles a rest. Shift position frequently, especially on longer hills. Can sit at a 45 degree angle or sit more upright to use different muscles.
Don’t tense up--drop your shoulders. Relax your jaw. Wiggle your fingers. Synchronize our breathing. Place your hands on the top of the bars. Push your stomach out. Hands are relaxed so you don’t waste energy. The more still you are, the less energy you use.
Pedal with an ankeling style—pull back on the 6 to 9 o’clock part of the stroke.
Stand up—don’t lose momentum. When one pedal goes down, shift your weight onto it and pop up. Standing is less efficient, but important because you generate more power. Stand when the pitch gets steeper. Let gravity work for you. Feel like you’re standing out of a chair. Pull up on your handlebars. Then resume seated position; go get back into your grove.
Pick up the pace during the last 20% of the hill as you crest the hill and get over the top. Recover only when you go down.

IT TAKES PRACTICE!

Tips compiled from videos by Troy Jacobson and Bill Strickland

IG Dress Rehearsal

2010-07-31T21:21:00.007-04:00

Every, once a year, Columbia Triathlon Association hosts an IronGirl dress rehearsal and allows people to do a practice swim in the lake. I didn't get into the race this year because registration closed unexpectedly quickly - just a day or so after it opened. I volunteered this year as a swim buddy, to swim with someone who might be hesitant or unsure about the swim. Frankly, I was just looking for an excuse to swim in the lake for some open water swim practice.

I admit I had a preconceived notion of who might request a swim buddy. To my surprise, I was matched with someone who was slightly younger than I who was thin and fit. She explained that she was doing IG as a relay with two other women, and I envied the friendships that made it possible. She wanted to do the swim because she wanted the "full experience." I knew she might be thinking about doing the full race herself one day.

The similarities between us were uncanny. We had the same name. She wore a swimsuit that is almost exactly the same as mine. She had tri shorts that are nearly the same as a pair I have.

As we walked toward the water preparing to get in, I saw her jaw quiver. Was she cold? Or was she scared? I wasn't sure.

In the water, she and I swam side by side. I tried to position myself close to her so that other swimmers wouldn't make contact. I wasn't too sure what to say during the swim, so I pointed out the scenery and offered a few tips. She swam with her head above the water at all times. She swam slow...but then she would surge and I knew that she was strong and fit.

When she got out she was crying. She'd been more scared than she let on and these were tears of joy that she had overcome a fear.

I was haunted by what I didn't tell her: She's a strong swimmer. All she needs is a little more experience and a lot more confidence. But which Susan are we talking about?

The Tipping Point

2010-06-07T18:28:00.008-04:00

Although I haven't read the book by Malcolm Gladwell, this blog post is not so much about the spread of ideas as it is about making a decision--and then re-examining that decision in detail and truly deciding that the path taken is the best one.

In my last post, I was seriously thinking about changing graduate programs. I originally was admitted, but not matriculated, into two local MBA programs. Ultimately, I chose a master's in management program. Three weeks into the program, I learned that my preferred degree specialization in marketing was discontinued, so I chose another specialization...only to realize that it wasn't the best fit. The only option to continue with the program would be to pursue an "individualized" specialization--or to switch to another program that offered the preferred specialization.

The programs came calling. An acceptance offer into a grad program gives candidates a year to matriculate--and programs sent out a reminder before the year came to a close. Once again, I made an Excel spreadsheet. The programs that were on top of the list were those that would allow me to transfer at least some credits. I compared the credits-to-degree, cost-to-degree, and time-to-degree. I examined the accreditation and analyzed the curriculum at each program. I debated the relative merits of a local program versus a distance-learning online program. And I read articles such as this one. There are never any right answers to such decisions--all programs have their strengths and weaknesses and any would be a good choice. It is more about making the right choice for myself.

I prepared an application to a school, contacted two references, and once again rounded up my transcripts.

On a whim, I once again looked up possible classes that could be taken to complete the degree and then searched to see if they were offered in fall. I found a class in public relations and one in non-profit marketing and fundraising. Both fit my schedule perfectly. And both were interesting and relevant. This was the tipping point in my decision.

I decided that the best program was the one in which I am enrolled. Why?

I believe this degree program covers many business topics in MBA programs (exceptions: statistics/math, law, and operations management).
I believe this program will provide me with a well-rounded education (in comparison to an MBA program that offers 5 classes in marketing; 3 general MBA courses, plus undegrad prerequisites).
I believe that my current program will provide me with relevant coursework that will strengthen my background.
I believe the courses in this program will be more fun, interesting, and relevant.
I will have the benefit of classroom instruction that allows me to have a teacher to explain concepts. I might be able to complete courses online, when offered.
The current program can be completed by December 2012 (sooner or later, depending on circumstances) given the completion of 4 classes annually. This allows me to complete the degree around the same time my second child finishes high school.
The degree program is affordable. It is half the cost of the least-expensive business degree.

Most importantly, I would hate to take on a degree program that is so extensive and has so many credits to complete the program that I don't finish. I know all too well that life can happen. I was once about to enter a graduate program. I was in my twenties. And then I got pregnant. I decided to work to support my child and nearly four years later I had a second child. I was satisfied with my job and busy raising my children...but I always wanted to complete my education. At different points in time, I wanted to go in different directions and it was difficult to determine the direction my education should take. I did several different educational pursuits, such as taking continuing education courses and earning the CAE, but what I really wanted was to go to grad school.

Finally, the time is right. I hope that I've made the right decision about my academic program. Most of all, I hope I finish.

Milestone

2010-05-05T21:34:00.003-04:00

I finally did it. I went back to the swim team.

I got injured last fall and got busy with grad school and decided to take time off. But the stress of school and lack of sports did me in. All fall, I looked out the window and thought about the leavees turning color on my favorite trail. Then I'd munch on a bag of chips while completing a paper.

At the end of the semester after a long layoff and the addition of a few pounds, I tried to get back into my exercise routine around December and January. I thought about returning to the swim team. I'd pack up my swim bag and put my contact lenses in and tell myself that this was the night I'd return. But then I thought about how slow I'd swim and how humiliated I'd be with my complete lack of fitness, and I just couldn't do it.

I got involved in the biggest loser program at work, met my goal of losing a few pounds, and aced another grad class. I'm now at my "race weight," but still without a fitness base. I've had time to accept reality.

Going back was just as I envisioned. I walked up to the slowest lane, got in, and warmed up. I then realized that I couldn't swim more 100 yards without tiring. I couldn't swim more than 200 yards without a foot cramp. Well, at least my arms are still functional and I did most of the workout with a pull bouy. I called it quits 45 minutes later after trying to kick again and getting more foot cramps. I probably did less than 900 yards.

The one good thing was that everyone was nice and welcoming, regardless of my complete and total lack of fitness.

What are my goals? I don't have any. It feels really weird, but I have no big athletic goals. No race lineup. I signed my husband up for his second marathon, but I knew I'd never have time to train for a marathon, so I didn't sign myself up. Hubby ran a 10K, I stayed home and did homework.

My only goal is to find a new balance between work, grad school, family, and fitness (not necessarily in that order!). And this juggling act may be my biggest challenge yet. I know I'll have to scale down my athletic goals. Maybe I can rebuild a base. And then maybe I can dream.

My New Ride

2010-04-28T16:57:00.003-04:00

I'm going to take this blog back to its humble beginnings and talk about some of the things got this bog started in the first place...swimming, cycling, and running. After a long layoff and an ITB injury, I've been slowly trying to get back to the triad, but it's been tough with grad school. When push comes to shove, what will win out? A) sleep, B) homework, C) exercise. (This is a multiple guess question.)

The one thing that I have been enjoying is my weekend rides. My big 2009 Christmast present was a new Specialized Dolce with a compact crank. The picture above was from my first spring ride with the new bike. I feared that my feet would get stuck in the clipless pedals and I would fall in a heap and scratch the bike. Didn't happen! Although I spent little time on the trainer, my feet are at peace with the pedals. I'm having a lot of fun with the newfangled bike, playing with the brakes and the shifters on the handlebars.

I enjoy the anticipation of the rides and investigate new cycling routes on www.mapmyride.com. So what if I'm totally out of shape? If I want to dress up like a cycling fashionista and cruise around the block on the weekend, that should be encouraged. The scenery and the stress relief are priceless.

Lost

2010-04-04T20:12:00.011-04:00

Is is dark where you are?

Can you count the stars where you are?

Are you lost where you are?

--Howie Day, Longest Night

Do you ever feel like it's dark and you're lost an unable to look up at the stars to navigate a path through life? I feel like this a lot these days.

I can't figure out my assignment. I know not where I'm going with school. Should I follow my head and stay with my current program with its shorter time-to-degree? But is this program really right for me? Or, should I follow my heart? Should I try to transfer to the program that I rejected? The one with the longer time-to-degree that I keep looking back at over my shoulder?

I'll take a break from that puzzling assignment that I'm stuck on to edit this post to be more revealing and less cryptic. And I welcome suggestions for this situation, dear readers (if anyone reads this).

Last fall I entered a 39-credit master's in management program. Although I never said it on my application, I intended to specialize in marketing. Three weeks after entering the program, I found out that my intended specialization was discontinued. I decided to make lemon aide and choose to stay in the program, with a different specialization.

I'm now taking the first online class in that specialization and I love it a little too much. My advisor warned, "these classes are condensed...the material is taught at a higher level." I find that the higher-level material is stimulating, the condensed time period is manageable, and the students are more mature. While I like the class, but I'm still unsure whether the specialization is right for me. My goal in this journey is to gain knowledge that will be marketable in the workforce. And if the specialization is not right, then the degree looses its value and my time, money, and effort are not well invested.

I made a decision and I take responsibility for that, but I also feel that I am not entirely to blame as I got caught up in a circumstance I never anticipated. Of course I wonder whether I should have faced my fears gone into the MBA program that I turned down with much reluctance. Of course I feel that I should have made different decisions at different junctures.

I've tried very hard to make lemon aide, but it's not tasting good. As I complete 9 credits, I know that I'm crossing the Rubicon, that point of no return. If I go further, I will have too many credits to transfer---and I may very well be at that point now.

What are the options?

Remain in my current program: Choose between my current specialization ... or the "individualized specialization" (read = just choose 4 classes of interest)
Choose an MBA program. Choose between a program that will allow me to transfer some credits ... or no credits. Choose between an online program ...or a traditional program.

Maybe some day I'll look to the heavens and see a constellation that will guide me. For now, I'll get back to that homework that's puzzling me.

And here's a truely corny conclusion to this post, my fortune cookie: "You have an important new business development shaping up."

Howie Day 2010 tour

2010-02-25T12:32:00.010-05:00

So many things have been influenced by a single vacation.

When I was in Colorado, I rented a Ford Escape (which may be our next car!!) and Ryan and I spent a lot of time driving to places that he liked or that he'd been camping the summer before. Naturally, Ryan needed some tunes to listen to while driving and he put in a CD by Howie Day called "Stop All the World Now." I'd look at the mountains all around and listen to the music of Howie Day.

Immediately after I came home, I went out and bought all the Howie Day's CDs I could find. I went back to the grind of my hour-long commute, listening to Howie's music...visualizing the Colorado mountains and thinking about Ryan.

Not too long after that, I learned that Howie Day was coming to the Birchmere in Alexandria, Va. Watching him play and create the music is just as interesting as listening to his music. It's fascinating to see him hit the electric guitar to create a percussion sound, then use the effects pedals to loop the sound, while playing the guitar. He'll layer the looped sections for a complex and interwoven sound. And his live concerts give him the opportunity to jam and experiment with songs.

Howie Day is in his 20s and I worried that he'd attract a younger crowd and I'd be a middle-aged standout among a crowd of teens and twenties. But I needn't have worried. When we got to the Birchmere I found people of all ages wearing anything and everything. There were the cute twentysomething couples who sat next to us that I envied and the white-haired gentleman a few tables over. The Birchmere features a bar with a sculpture of a gentleman playing a harmonica, and the main room has a chandelier.

In listenig to the concert, I decided to try the hearing aid along with the cochlear implant. I'll come out and say it...This year marks my seventh year with the CI and I'm no longer a hearing aid user. But I dug it out and bought some batteries. At first, I was reminded of everything I dislike about the hearing aid: the feedback and the ill-fitting earmold that didn't bother me nearly so much as when I was wearing it all the time. I decided to wear the hearing aid turned off for a few hours to get used to wearing it, and then turned it on. The acoustic sound gives me a nice bass boost, mainly because that's all I can hear with a hearing aid. The devices have very different and imabalanced sound, but by the end of the concert, I was enjoying the two devices together, and this may be the best (and only) opportunity I have in this life for binaural hearing. Music is best enjoyed in stereo. Of course, you knew that all along...but I'm a late bloomer.

The most surprising thing was that I could understand the lyrics better live than on the CD, even though I'd listed to it many times. The stage lighting made the microphone cast a shadow on his mouth, so lipreading was impossible. My mind kept telling me that I shouldn't be able to understand the lyrics--lyrics were always someting that were nice, but that I counldn't make out unless I memorized the song. But I realized that I was understandng much more of the lyrics and I told my mind to just enjoy them, and so I did. And when Howie Day sang our favorite song, my husband reached over for my hand.

I now have every CD made by Howie Day. I listen to the music and visualize the mountains of Colorado.

I miss you Ryan.

I love you.

Crested Butte 2010

2010-01-18T13:06:00.012-05:00

Crested Butte luxury homes.

Ryan skiing along Slate River Road near Crested Butte. In the summer he camps in the valley below. We went for sushi afterward and Ryan said it was a perfect day.

Ryan and Josh at the Crested Butte Chamber of Commerce bust stop on the way to the mountain. There is a free bus that travels from Gunnison to Crested Butte and hitchhiking is allowed.

Ryan goes of a jump at DC Park and Pipe at the top of Painter Boy.

Ryan skiing down the mountain. He was teaching himself to ski backwards as I was learning how to ski forward.

I am afraid of everything.

I was terrified of the prospect of skiing. I didn't know how I would get down the bunny hill. I couldn't fathom skiing for five days. I worried that I would be too cold. I worried that I wouldn't have enough to do during the nine-day vacation. This must be the reason most of my outdoor adventures do not go any further than the pages of Outdoor magazine, which I subscribe to in order to have an active fantasy life. Every year, I have a strong urge to cross country ski around the end of December. Then, I add up the cost of the trip on an Excel spreadsheet and worry that the drive might be hazardous, and quietly wait for the urge to pass. But this year, I was going to have the ski vacation of a lifetime.

I got some $150 ski pants on sale for $75 online in the middle of summer. Then I bought some inexpensive ski gloves, socks and sock liners and a balaclava while Christmas shopping. I took along my winter running gear. I was all set.

It was a wonderful, relaxing time and I can totally understand why Ryan goes to school at Western State College of Colorado. The streets are wide and cars drive slowly, and there's a bike lane. In between Gunnison and Crested Butte, there's a sign that says "bicycles for the next 26 miles." And wherever you look off into the distance around the town--north, south, east, west--there are mountains all around. He took me to all of his favorite camping and fishing spots during the summer. We went cross country skiing on Slate River road near Crested Butte. The scenery was breathtaking. I kept thinking that I would pay big bucks to go to a fancy cross country ski resort to see this view--but it was free. No trail fee was required because this was a dirt road through a state forest that was a cross country ski trail in the winter. People and their dogs cross country skied, and backcountry snowmobilers passed us. We must have skied about 10 miles that day. The trip back was hard and I was tired, but I kept quiet because I didn't want to complain about anything. We topped off the first day of the year by eating at a fancy sushi place.

The next day, I went downhill skiing the very first time. It took me a long time to even ski down to the bunny hill. And it takes a long time to get used to the ski lift. But somehow I got down the slope the first time. I skied once when I was a teenager and then watched e-How videos from the folks at Grisham, Oregon, so I had a vague idea of what to do. Ryan was a pretty patient teacher. He gave me pointers going down the hill. When we were at the bottom, he demonstrated specific skills, and after a day or so, I was doing carving turns. I graduated to Houston, and then went on some of the other green runs.

The highlight was going down the Mineral Point run without falling. I loved going back and forth down the little valley, but the top part, with its steep hill winged me out. At last, I mastered the slope going down to the lift.

Not too longer after my trip, my second son went to a local mountain to snowboard with friends. I knew he'd pick it up easily because he also skateboards and surfs, and he came back a "triple board athlete." Now he wants me to go skiing with him. I have the distinct feeling I'm going to be getting into winter sports!!!!!!

But nothing compares to the Colorado Rockies with real snow, blue skies against white aspens, friendly people, and powder days where people take off the morning to ski. There are the late afternoons where the sun shines on the mountains before sunset.

Yin and Yang

2009-11-07T19:32:00.003-05:00

This picture is courtesy of Race Pace Bicycles. I just had to post this because it reminds me of all of those summer bike rides. There's a spot on the Iron Girl course that goes past cornfields... but not the cows. Thanks for the memories.

Taco Soup

2009-10-13T18:42:00.005-04:00

Every fall as the weather turns cooler and we get busy with sports, school, and work, I bring out the crockpot. I have several cookbooks full of crockpot recipes, but this one apparently is my claim to fame--a crockpot meal my kid actually likes. Combine everything in the crockpot in the morning before work and enjoy when you come home.

Taco Soup
Source: Better Homes and Gardens: Slow Cooker Stews

Prep: 15 min.
Cook: 3 or 6 hours

Makes 8 servings

1 lb. lean ground beef
1 15-oz. can black-eyed peas, undrained
1 15-oz. can black beans, undrained
1 15-oz can chili beans with chili gravy, undrained
1 15-oz. can garbanzo beans, undrained
1 14.5-oz. can Mexican style stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 11-oz. can whole kernel corn with sweet peppers, undrained
1 1 1/4-oz. pkg. taco seasoning mix

Tortilla chips (optional)

1. In large skillet, cook ground beef until brown. Drain off fat. Transfer meat to 3 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker. Stir in black-eyed peas, black beans, chili beans with chili gravy, garbanzo beans, tomatoes, corn, and taco seasoning mix.

2. Cover and cook on low-heat setting for 6 to 8 hours or on high-heat setting for 3 or 4 hours. If desired, serve with sour cream and tortilla chips.

For more recipes, try "Oh What a Tangled Kitchen" by Hobey, a triathlete and knitter, at http://hobeysrecipes.blogspot.com/ I baked the zuchinni bread for several different office events, and got a lot of compliments on the recipe each time.

Baltimore Half-Marathon 2009

2009-10-11T09:32:00.019-04:00

This was my second Baltimore Half Marathon. The race went a lot better than I thought it would. I love the big city marathon and the celebration of running, and I love the fact that I can be there to participate in it. The half marathon is great because the marathoners pass the half marathon going down to Fort McHenry at the 9 mile mark, and we get to see the elites run past. Then, by the time we take off, we get to see the runners coming back up at the 13 mile mark, so there are marathon runners going both ways and the half marathoners just getting started, huge crowds and a band playing. Great!

The weather threatened rain, and I was afraid there would be a shower before we took off, leaving everyone soggy. However, the rain came just as the half-marathoners took off and the event organizers assured us that it would "keep us cool." Yeah, right. However, it wasn't too bad because it was a light drizzle and not a hard, soaking rain.

I started out, just trying to get into my groove with running. Last year, I stuck to a 4 min run/1 min walk ratio, but this year I was stronger and was able to run all of the way. I was anxious to get to Patterson Park, where the half and full marathoners merge. I looked at the backs of the marathoners and noticed that I was near the 4:00 and 4:15 pacing groups. This was a lot better than last year, when I was near the 5:00 pace group. Patterson Park also has a big cheering section and a band playing, so this is a very great, uplifiting point.

Then we head up through the East Side of Baltimore. This highlight here was seeing a section of town the looked like it had been revitalized in the past year, which was nice to see. It's weird running through this section of town because there are very few cars, even on roads that allow parking. This is in sharp contrast to the Patterson Park section of town just a few blocks to the south. That section is completely parked up and lined with cars. I see the boarded up houses and realize that is why there are no cars. Even where there are people living in the houses, there a few cars. Police are on every corner in this section of town, but they are absent along the course in other sections, such as the well-to-do neighborhood around Johns Hopkins University.

Then, I passed the 6 mile mark and looked at my watch 1:10, a minute faster than my 10K time. I'll take it. I felt that I'd been running leisurely, so that was encouraging. I tried to run the hills "mindfully" slowing down and using the same level of effort and then speeding up a bit on the top of the hills. I made my way up to Clifton Park and Lake Montebello, another favorite section of the race. I followed my race plan and tried to run faster around this flat section.

This year, I noticed the Gel station. I've known about it in the past, but was never able to find the gels. It really didn't matter, however, because I just don't like gels, try as I might. Instead, I came up with a great idea this year. I wore my race number on my shirt so that I was visible. Underneath, I wore my race belt with an expandable pouch loosely around my waist, with the pouch in the back. Inside, I was able to put a few necessities: my keys, money, and pain relievers in a plastic bag, in which I could place my cochlear implant processor if there was a hard rain. I also carried a shot block and even though I wasn't hungry or tired, I decided to take two pieces of the shot block around mile 7. This was one of the the best ideas I had all day.

I went onward. There were a few more hills before the final miles of the race when it goes downhill. These hills were the hardest for me because by this point, I was tired of hills. I could feel myself slowing down and I was just trying to stay on pace. I felt myself rally around mile 10, thanks to the great idea of taking some shot blocks. I tried to go a bit faster. Last year, I crashed and burned around mile 10-11, but this time I was a bit stronger toward the end of the race. At mile 10, I looked at my watch and saw 1:59, just under two hours. I wanted a 2:30 PR, but I knew it might not be possible. In the last few miles, I was more aware of my surroundings than I was last year when I turned inward due to fatigue.

I took a handful of gummy bears at the infamous gummy bear station around mile 11. However, this was not the smartest move for me. At this point, I was breathing harder, and it was difficult to chew the gummy bears. I think it would have helped to take just a few gummy bears and to just focus on my running, since I think it takes about a half-hour for energy to kick in from any food intake.

I headed toward the finish. I had several instances of accidental elbowing. It could be that I was still with the 4:00 to 4:15 or even 4:30 marathon finishers, which is a popular finish time, and there were many runners being crowded into one lane of the road. This was mildly irritating.

Finally....I got near the stadium and tried to rally toward the finish line. And it was all over. I managed to PR by 4 minutes after all and came in with a time of 2:34:37 and an average pace of 11:49. Not what I wanted, but not bad. Last year, I averaged a 12:06 minute mile, most likely due to the slow finish.

My husband finished the marathon in 6:28:39.

Post-Race Letdown
I am now experiencing the post-race letdown. I went into the race injured after fully realizing that I had an ITBS injury the first week of the taper. During my longest run, the supported course run, my entire left leg hurt at mile 10 and I hadn't been able to keep running. I went into the race not knowing if I could even finish. The best idea I had was to get an ITBS strap the day before the race. I credit the strap for keeping me in the race. I could feel the soreness, and there were several moments when it really flared up and I had my doubts. But I was able to keep running relatively comfortably the entire race. But the race produced an ITB flareup and I found that when I removed the strap right after the race, the inflammation prevented me from walking, so I put the strap back on.

For right now, I'm hanging up my spurs for a long layoff due to injury. I envision massage, a visit to an orthopod/physiatrist, and a short course of PT in my future. From what I read, ITBS is an injury that lingers.

While I wished my husband well and made the day as special as possible by asking my son to make a poster for his father, I wished I had done the marathon.

As an aside...I'll be happy to take the credit for training my husband for the marathon, even though I've never done one myself. I talked to him about getting his base up when he signed up for a marathon without one. When he neglected to pick a training plan, I picked one out for him. I solved his sweat issue, his wardrobe issue, and his chafing issue. I got him a massage at a critical juncture and massaged him myself other times. I talked to him about his posture. I talked to him about having three plans for race day: Plan A "blessed by the gods," Plan B "most likely reality," and Plan C "doomsday scenario." When he experienced "marathon taper madness," I helped him understand what he was going through. And then, I wished him a great race, and told him I'd be proud, no matter what. Hubby surpassed everyone's expectations. We never thought he'd make it to the starting line...or the finish line. He surprised us all and came home a champion.

To Baltimore, Reluctantly

2009-10-09T06:10:00.016-04:00

I'm going to try to write a paper today, so I'm try to briefly journal before getting to my main project.

The story of my life this fall is about how the best-laid plans fall apart. I entered graduate school--a goal I've had for 19 years--and am taking 6 credits of grad classes, more than I've ever taken on before. I applied to three programs (2 MBA programs, one master's in management) and was accepted into all three. I decided to enter the master's in management program because it would mean less time to degree, but the opportunity cost was the logistical difficulties of commuting to class. In contrast, the MBA programs offered a great deal of logistical convenience, but the opportunity cost was a 4-5 year time to degree (assuming summers off for triathlon and some R&R). In the end, however, I was reluctant to sign on to a 4-5 year project.

Although I never said anything on my graduate admissions essay, I read the program's brochures and the web site and envisioned myself specializing in marketing, as marketing and communications are related disciplines. Imagine my surprise when, 30 days later, the graduate catalog was revised and the marketing specialization disappeared. When I asked about it, I was told that it was being phased out and I would be unable to specialize in marketing. What a bitter disappointment.

Should I try to talk with someone to see if an exception can be made? Are any of the other specializations even relevant? Or, should I just live with in and do an "individualized specialization" or the eclectic approach? Should I reapply to my second-choice MBA program, knowing that my classes would likely not transfer? What about math demands of the program, given my tenuous relationship with X and Y? Should I apply to an online school and enjoy the greater convenience, with a less prestigious degree? These are just a few of the questions going through my mind. For right now, I'm trying to get through the semester and then think about the best option.

The half marathon is another case of great plans falling apart. I had a wonderful tri season last summer and felt stronger than before and invincible. But when I did the final Baltimore marathon supported course run, I could barely run 10 miles. In the final mile or so, my left leg started hurting and I found it difficult to keep running. What's with that? Did the hills sap my strength? It was only after I went into the taper and my left leg hurt after 7 miles that it dawned on me: ITB friction syndrome. And only then did I remember all of those 9, 10, and 11 mile runs without any problem.

So, I'm not ready to run the race I planned to run. In fact, the only reason that I'm going to Baltimore at all is because my husband is going to run the marathon. My husband, who scolded me before my first triathlon that I was "overly worried" is now extremely preoccupied with his marathon.

The one good thing is that I suddenly found my favorite running book under my nightstand right before the race, John Bingham's "Marathoning for Mortals." Bingham encourages us to set our own goals, strategies, and objectives (although I find these somewhat confusing).

My goal now is simply to complete the race.

Plan A--The "blessed by the gods" strategy is to PR in the race. This was my original goal.

Plan B--To run the entire race without stopping.

Plan C--To run 10 miles and then to adopt and walk/run ratio that will get me to the finish line.

Ideally, I'll start out slow and keep a good, but steady pace. My strategy on the hills will be as Coach Jenny explains is to run them mindfully, using the same effort level as I go up the hill, even though it may mean a slower pace. I want to run faster around Lake Montebello, which is two miles of flat land, to make up for the slowness on the hills. After that, my strategy will be to keep running to the finish line.

Later today, I'll go get a ITB strap, which might help reduce some of the friction. I'll pin my race number to my shirt and then wear my race belt. This way, I can take a few tylenol and also some snack bags for my implant processor in the event that it gets really wet. I'll also get some trash bags, as there is a 50% chance of showers when the marathoners take off. I'm planning to wear my "dress up" :) shorts, and last year's race shirt. I'll also wear my yellow bike jacket (or maybe another windbreaker) just to keep the rain off a little bit. It will be fairly warm, and the chance of showers decreases as the morning goes on. I'll bring some of my textbooks to read while Tim finishes the marathon, and I can take shelter in Pickles Pub and maybe figure out a few other nearby haunts.

More IronGirl Photos

2009-10-05T21:12:00.004-04:00

I am already thinking about next summer...

IronGirl 2009

2009-08-24T21:10:00.013-04:00

Transition at dawn. I figured out how to pump up my tires in the dark...although I could have waited and done this last.
Lusy, our very relaxed dog, enjoyed IronGirl.

Damon Foreman and Chuck play at the IG post-race party. Damon taught our oldest son how to play guitar and Chuck taught our youngest son.

Bike transition. I have yet to find a pair of shorts that work with my thighs....sigh...I guess I'll just have to upgrade my wardrobe!!

I was so happy I started crying at the finish. Thanks, Tim, for sharing my special day.

Swim = 0.62 miles at 26:19
Bike = 17.5 miles at 1:13:10
Run = 3.4 miles at 36:14

I wanted to do this race for two years, but after the big day I felt speechless. Everything was wonderful. It's a local race and there is a lot of community support leading up to the event, which draws a lot of first-time triathletes. For me, it was my third triathlon, but it was my longest and largest event on a more challenging course. The local triathlon club had an IronGirls program which had an introductory meeting and then workshops throughout the summer. I enjoyed these because I was able to pick up some new tips each time, and it's nice to learn from people, instead of Internet bulletin boards. I especially enjoyed the workshop on transitions, which turned into "transitions and everything you wanted to know about IronGirl." The open water swim at Sandy Point Park was my first and got me thinking about the 1 mile Bay Swim, which is held nearby. I also gleaned a few tips from the Bike 101 workshop, but many other things I already learned on my own intuitively or through trial and error.

The Columbia Triathlon Association and the Howard County Parks host a pre-event bike/swim and it's the one day of the year that they let people swim in the lake. I took the day off and did the entire course. During the swim, I got a water up my nose feeling and a sore neck, which probably came from that panicky feeling of not being able to see where you're going. I made it a point to relax my breathing as much as I could during the race.

I didn't follow a training plan, as I'm somewhat compulsive and sometimes become too involved with a plan. I went to work early and tried to get home early and tried to fit in as many workouts as I could, weather permitting, and I also knew where I wanted to be in terms of mileage. I tried to bike the IronGirl course as much as possible.

The biggest challenge, and one of the hardest things I've done, was making the switch to clipless pedals. Shortly after the Howard Life 75K bike ride, I took my bike and my shoes into my local bike shop and had Shimano SLP pedals put on. I knew I would fall and the first fall I expected. But then I toppled over twice in a week. To top it off, my swim coach's workouts were killing me, as I came back to the team after a layoff of several months. I felt battered, bruised, and disouraged. My co-workers looked at my knees and wondered why I needed clipless pedals. My family watched me fall and thought the pedals were dangerous. In reality, falls with clipless pedals can't always be avoided because the unexpected may happen, and it's not alway possible to unclip in time to prevent a fall. And during each of my falls, that's what happened. But my confidence took a tumble and got weirded out. I felt anxious with my feet clipped in and worried about being able to unclip.

It helped to talk about it with other people. Of course, everyone thinks that their brand of clipless pedal is the absolute easiest to get out of. One person suggested that I ride around Gateway drive and practice clipping in and out whenever I came to a driveway. This was a great suggestion and helped a lot. I'd circle around the loop in an industrial park until I rode 20 miles, and for most of those mile, I'd clip in and out every time I came to a driveway, practicing different ways to clip out. A co-worker who'd done several centuries, told me that she didn't clip in when riding through traffic. Instead, she'd wait until the came to a less congested area and then clip in. This helped me to think about clipless pedals as a tool that I could use as needed, and I didn't feel obliged to clip in at all times, especially when riding on busy streets or sometimes when going up steep hills. After a while, I saw the value in the pedals, especially on the hills. I love passing people on the hills, especially people with expensive bikes and an expensive cleat and shoe setup.

Race Day

The most intimidating thing about the race was the sheer size.

Surfing Folly Beach 2009

2009-08-12T05:10:00.032-04:00

This year, we did our beach week at Folly Beach, near Charleston, South Carolina. We've been to beaches all along the east coast, and so far, we think Folly Beach is the best. This is a great little laid back surfing town. Unlike other beaches, all types of beach recreation is allowed, all day long--skimboarding, tossing a football in or out of the water, surfing, body boarding, bocce ball, making sand castles, beach volleyball.

View from the 9th floor of the hotel. Dogs were allowed at the hotel! We saw a lot of families and dogs there. And there was a Lost Dog Cafe where dogs are allowed to eat with their owners outside and water dishes for dogs are at the entrance. The locals say that if a dog is lost, it will tun up at the Lost Dog Cafe because they feed the stray dogs.

We at a lot of good food, including this meal at a restaurant and the end of the fishing pier. I enjoyed the southern cooking and any time I saw fried green tomatoes on the menu, I ordered it, thinking of the movie Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe.

My son's goal this summer was to learn how to surf. We got him an (almost) new surf board at Ocean Surf.

Going out to meet the waves.

Getting up....

Tim didn't think Jesse would get up...but he got up on the second or third try! Getting up on a surfboard involves doing a push up.

Waiting for a wave on a calm day...

Riding the wave!

Falling off the board at the end of a wave! Jesse also discovered how to bend down, grab the board, and jump off for a gentler landing.

A favorite skimboarding photo...

My son got himself a new, professional model skimboard. He says it makes a big difference.

Waxing his surfboard in the surf. The wax is waterproof and he carries it in his pocket.

We gave our sunburned skin a brief break and went on a speedboat tour.

Morris Island lighthouse. The lighthouse used to be on land, but the land wasn't protected with any kind of barrier, and eventually it eroded and now the lighthouse is in the sea. It's being restored. I rode my bike on Ashley drive up and down the island (about 5 miles). On one of these rides, I discovered that you can see the lightouse from one end of the island (the map on the web link shows the proximity of the light house from E. Ashley Avenue).

The Cooper River Bridge, which connects Charleston to Mount Pleasant. The bridge was designed to withstand hurricanes and a magnitude 7 earthquake, as there are fault lines around South Carolina. The lights on the cables are also dimmed during sea turtle nesting season.

Charleston harbor...

Manassas Mini Tri 2009

2009-06-08T20:16:00.008-04:00

Last year, my husband came along to watch me do this race which was my first tri ever, and this year he came to participate in his first tri ever.

I got him some off-brand tri shorts online at a big discount from REI and suggested that he could just pull on a running shirt for the bike and run. He got himself a bike helmet and I found one of my race belts.

I had breakfast of one packet of oatmeal and a smoothie and a few sips of coffee, loaded the bikes on the car, and rounded up my gear and we were off. There was an early morning fog that settled over everything and it was cooler than expected at about 60 degrees. It was only after the race was over that the sun came out and the day warmed up.

There were a lot more people doing this race than last year, including a lot of kids, many of whom were seeded first in the swim.

Swim
250 yards snake swim in a pool
I looked at my time for last year and seeded myself generously at 7 minutes. I haven't been swimming since February and only recently rejoined the swim team. The coach's workouts, designed to prepare team members for an upcoming ironman and the Bay swim, have been killing me and I've been barely able to keep up which is discouraging. Here in the pool, however, seeding myself generously had a tremendous psychological advantage: I began speeding up and passing people one after another. I came in at 5:02, a few seconds faster than last year. I was pleased, especially with my lack of swimming compared to last spring.

Bike
4 miles
I came in at 18:13...several minutes faster than last year and I was really happy to see this. I recently added clipless pedals to my bike and I've been building my confidence and rebuilding my mileage with the new pedals. I was gratified to pass a few folks.

Run
1.5 miles
Hubby didn't like the course, and I could see why. The entire race occurs on roads, paths, and sidewalks outside the George Mason University Freedom Aquatic Center. I felt like a rat in a maze on the running route, going around the building, turning this way and that, backtracking, and finally heading to the finish line. I followed the runner ahead of me, then passed her. But at the end of the race, she came up from behind and charged toward the finish line along with a few other folks. I held back when I saw a little girl join her mom for the finish. I came in at 14:03--about two minutes slower than last year.

My overall time was 37:17, a few minutes faster than last year, which made me pleased. I came in 4th in my age group out of 15.

Immediately afterwards, I asked him if he liked it. He said, "NO!"

In the car an hour later, he asked me about the various distances for triathlon.

The next day when the results were in he said, "Let's do this again next year." He says he's thinking about a sprint.

SUCCESS!!

The Complete Dummies Guide to Changing a Flat Bike Tire

2009-05-31T19:52:00.008-04:00

All too often many instructional books or videos omit important information because the author or creator has mastered the skill and done the task countless times and forgets to include the truly obvious things that confound newbies.

This is the way it is for me with changing a bike tire.

I was venturing out into the world today on my first longer ride with clipless pedals when I felt my tire go over something and then felt that ominous bumpy feeling. And once again, looking down, I confirmed my suspicions: My tire was flat.

Unlike that ride last year when I had no cue as to how to remove my rear tire, I am now an advanced newbie! I removed my rear wheel (hint: You should put the bike in the lowest gear and loosen the rear brakes first).

Then I whip out my tire levers, spare bike tire, and CO2 cartridge. I was in a residential neighborhood and a guy mowing his lawn stops by and asks if I'm far from home and if I know what I'm doing. I reply that I'm not far from home and I try to act like I know what I'm doing. I even think I remember what to do from watching YouTube videos.

I remember that one must insert the tire levers into the tire bead. (Hint: First let ALL AIR OUT of the tire. Then, go around the rim and push the bead with your thumbs, making it easier to remove.)

But in the process, I break both tire leavers and get frustrated. I call my husband, but we're not having a good day, so I decide that I'll get my own self home. I prepare myself for a long walk and a slow ride....but then I remember the CO2 cartridge and put it into the tire. This gives me enough air to get halfway home. Then, I proceed to do a slow ride home.

* * *

After watching more YouTube videos and analyzing the situation I realize what went wrong. Most videos and other instructions neglect to show a close up picture of HOW TO INSERT THE TIRE LEVER!!!! Start near a spoke. The curved part of the lever hooks under the tire bead. The little hook at the bottom hooks around the spoke. Did I mention that all air must be out of the tire before you start??!!!

Below are some good YouTube videos on how to fix a flat tire:

Here are step-by-step instructions from eHow.

Glad this occurred on a ride around the neighborhood, rather than a long out-and-back ride. Now, I'm truly ready to venture out into the world. After all that, did I mention that I did fine with clipless pedals? :)

Clipless Pedals

2009-05-17T19:41:00.012-04:00

You click your right foot in
and twist it right out
You click your left foot in
and twist it right out
You click booth feet in and turn them all around
That's what it's all about!

Right after the Howard Life TriColumbia 75K ride, I decided the time was right for clipless pedals. One Friday afternoon, I walked into the bike store with my bike and shoes and announced that I was going clipless.

I researched various pedal systems online and took note of what others use. In the end, I chose a Shimano SPD double-sided pedal system because I liked the idea of recessed cleats that I could walk in when I got off the bike. In a sense, I made the choice of pedal systems a while back when I got mountain bike shoes.

The store installed them for free and then mounted my bike on the trainer so I could try them out. Everyone standing nearby in the store had a story about falling off, which really inspired confidence, and they suggested that I practice in a parking lot. The store staff person told me that the hardest part was to know where the cleat was without looking down. It would be easiest to get my foot out of the pedal at the bottom of the cycle, he said, although I could exit at any point. I had a hard time detaching my foot from the cleat, and the staff person loosened the tension. After that it was much easier.

After a few tries in the store, I headed to the parking lot of a nearby elementary school. I clicked both feet in. "This is great!" I thought. And then when I couldn't get the second foot out, I fell, coming down hard on the bar of the bike and skinning my elbow.

As I recuperated from the fall, I naturally did some Internet searching on the subject and asked for some helpful tips. Here are my favorites:

* Practice on the trainer. Click in. Click out. Do it 100 times. Or, put your bike in front of the TV and clip in and out while watching TV for the evening. Build that mind-foot connection so that you can clip out when you think of it. Like twisting a doorknob before opening the door. Hint: I find that it helps to press down a bit and then rotate your foot out.

* Practice in a large, flat parking lot. Clip in only one foot at at time and practice alternating your feet. Then practice clipping in and out with both feet. You do not always have to be clipped into the pedals.

Some favorite web sites:
* Mountain Bike Clipless Tips from Cool Biking Zone

* Learn How to Ride Clipless Pedals from Cycling Shoes Online

Some helpful YouTube videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZmwHqcFlOI4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqrmhIDulU0

Today, I practiced in the morning on the trainer, and then rode around in a nice big flat parking lot. I tried one foot, then the other. Then both. I didn't fall once. And I'm crossing my fingers.

Postscripts

On the weekdays, I once again alternate running with cycling and each session, I make it a goal to clip in and out 100 times, alternating feet, going fast and slow, and pushing big gears and small. All this while watching Fuel TV which gives me an interesting perspective into the youth counterculture of extreme sports.

On Memorial Day weekend, I drove my bike to an industrial/office area which features a lot of large parking lots. I started out in the parking lot, practicing with my pedals. Then I drove around the 2-mile loop a number of times and then practiced with some stoplights. Another successful ride. I can't wait to go on longer rides again.

A New Kind of Pain at the Pump: Credit Card Fraud

2009-05-13T20:58:00.004-04:00

I am by nature a very routine person.

Today, I left for work. As soon as I got in the car, I remembered that I was down to a quarter tank and needed to fill my tank up. So I made the trip over to my favorite gas station at the local village center. I've been going to this gas station for years because it's easy to get into--not like the other gas station closer to my house where you need to squeeze past parked trucks and perform some complicated driving maneuvers to get into an open space at the pump. At my favorite station, I drove right up to the same pump I always go to and then swiped my credit card into the machine.

And that's how I became a victim of credit card fraud.

As I was driving to work, my husband received an automated phone call from the bank saying that my credit card account had been flagged for fraudulent purchases. He sent me an e-mail asking me to go online and check my account, saying that there was a problem with it. When I went online, I had trouble getting into the account to check it, so I wrote down the number and called the bank.

I was asked if I made any Internet purchases that morning, and I said no. I was asked if I'd used the card, and I was prompted to recalled the gas purchase on the way to work. I was told that several small purchases were made on the card to test it, and then Internet purchases were made. The fraud was detected and the card was shut down within an hour of the purchase. I'll receive paperwork to erase the fraudulent purchases, and I hope it will not be too much of a hassle to rectify this.

I couldn't believe that the gas station had stolen my credit card information. I've been going to this gas station for years, and I plan to take this up with the gas station manager tomorrow.

Card Skimming
Out of curiosity, I did a search on Google and found out that what happened to me is part of a growing problem. The majority of credit card fraud occurs at gas stations (61.6%) and drug stores (14.3%), according to a Google summary of a Science Direct pay-per-view article.

At gas stations, thieves can install small skimming devices at the gas pump that are hard to detect which steal credit card and debit card data, According to an article in USA Today. The skimmed credit card data is then used to create duplicate credit cards that are used at the victim's expense. The theives will "test" the card with several small charges, and if the account holder doesn't shut off the card, much larger purchases are made, according to David Loshin's blog. Banks and credit card companies use algorithms to flag cards with suspicious purchases and card activity.

Some police departments are trying to place sticker seals on the pumps that gas station employees check daily...that's if the gas station employees aren't the cause of the problem. Other gas stations now require customers to enter their ZIP code, according to a story in The Boston Globe, because a thief is not likely to know the ZIP code for the card. This may be an especially effective deterrent in suburban locations where there are several ZIP codes in close proximity. I recall being asked to enter my ZIP code at another local gas station, but not this one.

TriColumbia Howard Life 75K bike ride

2009-04-29T20:11:00.004-04:00

Cycling is my weakest link in the swim-bike-run triad and I signed up for this this non-competitive, recreational 65K ride in hopes that it would motivate me to improve a weakness. When I stopped cycling outdoors in the fall, the furthest I'd gone was just under 20 miles. I Googled up a kilometers to miles converter and found that 65K was 40 miles, and with assurance and advice from others that it was a reasonable stretch, I signed up before the early bird deadline in January.

Two weeks before the event, I went to the Web site and pulled up the map of the route which said it was 47 miles. What!!!??? I did the kilometers-to-miles conversion which showed that 65K was 40 miles. Then I did a miles-to-kilometers conversion and entered 47 miles which was 75K. A week later, the event organizers also figured it out and put up a correction on the web site. I'd managed to do several 30-mile rides and to build up my long rides to 35 miles, but the route was now nearly 50 miles!!! This was 12 miles longer than anticipated, which would take me about another hour to complete. I went into a major panic.

I almost backed out. I thought about doing a shorter route...after all, nobody would really know which route I signed up for and which one I actually did. To top it all off, a week before the ride my knee was talking to me in a way that I didn't like.

Spring always seems to be a stressful time for me, and this spring has been particularly difficult. My husband is unemployed. My oldest son faced challenges. The IEP team for my youngest son couldn't even agree on a meeting date...let alone an IEP. I took on a time-consuming, challenging project. The unexpected expenses piled up: My son decided to go to the ER for pinkeye and then accidentally burned his laptop, and my husband smashed his car. Some days I just couldn't get motivated to get up. Some days I woke up early, filled with worry. My midweek workouts became inconsistent in the weeks leading up to the ride and I think that contributed to the knee issue.

To my credit, I'd tried out everything. I sampled energy snacks to ensure that they agreed with my stomach. I'd worn my new sunglasses and tried out chamois cream. I ordered an inexpensive long-sleeve jersey and knickers, but the weather turned out to be warmer than originally projected, and I decided that this was a problem that could be solved with a credit card. I walked into my local bike shop and bought a cute short-sleeve jersey (on sale) and some arm warmers (also on sale). I also made a smart decision to mount a second water bottle cage on the bike and filled one bottle with Gatorade and one with water.

I kept to myself before the event started because I felt self-conscious about my old bike. But nobody really cared. And then we were off to a leisurely start. I stayed toward the back and rode at an easy pace. The entire route was rolling hills, but the hilliest part occurred before the aid station at the local middle school. I overheard people saying that the route was beautiful, and they were right. The route goes past mansions that are selling for $1+ million, even in this economy. The grass was really lush and green. I rode alone for a while, except for being passed by "ride leaders," experienced cyclists that came whizzing as they checked to see that all was well along the route. There was only one part in which I got confused, and when I stopped to study the map, another group came up alongside me. I joined them as we rode down another section of Route 99, which goes past farms where the fields have not yet been planted. By now, the soreness in my knee had spread to a muscle across my upper thigh and to my hip, but I pedaled onward.

The route was in the shape of a spade, and we turned south, preparing to join the part of the route where we began, when the group came upon Fosters Country Store. Although normally closed on Sundays, the even organizers arranged for it to be open, and there would be no charge for anything in the store, although donations were welcome. I stopped and enjoyed an energy snack and conversation, but I was getting tired and sore, and mindful that a body in motion stays in motion, I didn't want to rest too long so I head out after some others who quickly sped off in the distance. I pedaled on alone, heading back along familiar territory when another group caught up to me.

This time, I was determined not to get dropped as we headed back into town toward the finish. Never mind my sore leg. Never mind the stop lights that separated us. I caught up to them and hung on. The desire to keep up with the pack helped me get through those last few miles...they brought me home!!!

My next project will be clipless pedals. Hear the crashing sound??

This I Believe

2009-04-07T19:51:00.003-04:00

Someone posted a link to NPR's show, This I Believe, on their Facebook page. I found the essay, "I Am Still the Greatest" by Muhammad Ali so inspiring and I wanted to share. It's also available on podcast--and we'll see if I can get the hang of downloading and listening to a podcast.

There seems to be a theme here of posting inspirational videos and web sites, and maybe its a reflection that I need inspiration and hope. I keep running, but now it seems that I'm just running to keep up, and running to stay in place.

An Inspiring Video

2009-04-02T17:33:00.003-04:00

An extraodinary Thai commercial from Pantene about a musician, who happens to be deaf.

Enjoy and be inspired!

Waiting on the World to Change

2009-03-17T21:13:00.007-04:00

I used to tease my son about John Mayer's song, "Waiting on the World to Change." I believed that the song is symbolic of the passiveness of his generation--a generation that is passively waiting on the world to change, rather than taking action to change the world as our generation did. We didn't wait for the world to change, we protested the war. When it came to this war, our generation protested again, while the younger generation waited for the world to change.

But with the economy, I can totally relate to the lyrics. I feel powerless to change the world in the face of a global recession. I am simply waiting on the world to change...waiting for the stock market to rebound...waiting for people to get jobs--and waiting for my husband to get a job.

Here's a link to the Deaf interpretation of the song by the Deaf Performing Artists Network. Yeah, D/deaf people have been waiting for the world to change for a long time and while we've taken action, such as Deaf President Now, and there are the obvious accomplishments of D/deaf people, which are pictured in the video, we're still waiting on societal attitudinal change which is long overdue.

Despite the overt bias against cochlear implants and the omission of oral deaf people in portraying our collective heritage, it's still a great video with a powerful message.

Watch it now!!!

Group Ride

2009-03-07T20:29:00.012-05:00

The weekend started out with my co-worker asking me as she was heading out of the office if a long bike ride was scheduled for my weekend.

I asked her how she knew. A member of the swim team was coordinating a bike ride and this is the first time I planned on going. The co-worker mentioned the forecast for 70 degree weather, and she was right on target in knowing what inspired the ride.

March howled in with a snowstorm on Monday morning that brought two feet of snow. I awoke with a headache. After calling into work and realizing that I could use my leave and take the day off, I gulped down some Tylenol and pulled the covers over my head, beginning a desultory week of lapsed training.

The week ended feeling like summer. I couldn't believe the air could feel so warm with snow on the ground. When I dressed for the ride, I ran up and down the stairs more than five times trying to figure out what to wear. I traded my long sleeve shirt and fleece sleeveless vest for a short sleeve shirt and my bright yellow jacket. I ditched the idea of wearing my light tights and my cycling jersey which is bright yellow but shows off every bulge in my middle-age body. But I piled it all in the car, just in case.

I warned the person coordinating the ride that I was a slow cyclist and the farthest I'd gone was 20 miles. I took my place at the back of the pack and expected to get dropped five minutes into the ride. But it didn't happen. I managed to hang on. It was also, I learned, a no-drop ride and people stopped and waited for stragglers to catch up because even strong riders could get stuck waiting for a traffic light to change. Everyone looked out for each other. At one point, a rider fell at an intersection because she couldn't unclip her pedals (which didn't exactly make me anxious to graduate to clipless), and I waited for her. I think she was really hurting after that, but she finished the ride, even after I'd assumed that she'd turned back.

I knew about the route because it was popular with the local tri club, which has Saturday morning rides along this road, but I'd never done it. It's a beautiful ride that goes past suburbs and then meanders past farmland where fields are covered with straw this time of year. There's horses grazing near old barns and a hint of manure in the air. If I was riding by myself, I would have gone slower and just taken in all the scenery.

One of the advantages to a group ride is that it challenges you to go faster, out of your comfort zone. I learned a lot just by observing the group norms as well as the customs, such as making the hand signal for slowing down if one was unexpectedly slowing. Riding in the back of the pack has its advantages because I was also able to learn a lot just by observing the more experienced cyclists. What kinds of gearing might they be using on a hill, based on their leg speed? Why was it that they were able to go faster downhill (as well as uphill)? I watched their body positioning, leg speed, and how they clipped and unclipped.

The route is a series of rolling hills, and the low point on the ride was a hill that decimated me. Just before the turnaround point, I dismounted and walked up the hill for a bit. Another cyclist asked if I wanted to stop for a breathing break. I was panting like a puppy dog. I have half the mind to go back and do this route on my own, just to master that hill. The ride back was easier. Either I'd gotten my second wind or we were going slower, and I finished the 22 mile ride comfortably with energy in the tank.

The most difficult challenge for me was my bicycle. I have a vintage bike from my college years, and everyone else has an expensive, modern bike. I saw people glance at my bike, but tactfully say nothing. A bit like driving an old Volkswagen Beetle while everyone else drives a BMW, Porsche, or Jaguar. Part of me doesn't mind driving an old Beatle...but at the same time, I felt like a pauper. I'm very thrifty when it comes to spending money on a hobby, and most of my clothing is inexpensive and so are most of my bike parts. The shoes and seat came from eBay. The aerobars are new; I know they're overkill, but I like them mostly for looks and for practice, not because I'm actually fast and hope to gain more speed through an aerodynamic position. When I mentioned the bike situation to my family, my 15-year-old summed it up astutely and said, "Mom, we offered to buy you a new bike when the economy was better, but you refused." There's no easy solution to this dilemma, and no new bike in the forecast.

Well, in defense of my bike Delilah (named after the song, "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White Ts and suited to her pastel colors), I just got a call from my bike shop which said that nothing needed to be replaced during the recent tune-up. "A quality bike like that will just run and run," the mechanic said. She's about 21 years old and still going strong.

Overall, a really nice ride.

Slowly, But Surely

2009-03-01T18:48:00.008-05:00

The thing I'm most thankful for is just staying upbeat. I finally got back into a training routine at the end of January. Training is going along slowly, but surely, which is a good way for things to go. I'm training with fingers crossed as I build up for my spring races. I signed up for a long ride in effort to improve my cycling skills. I wanted to sign up for a spring half marathon, but I knew I didn't have a good base from which to train, so I scrapped that idea in favor of a slightly shorter summer race. I'm looking forward to both, and I have my eyes on several other summer races, but I'm trying to cut back on my multisport expenses so I'm limiting myself to nearby races that don't require travel.

My mornings alternate between spinning with Troy or running. Cycling and running seem to go together like peas and carrots in the way that they complement one another. One midweek run is a slow and easy run-walk and the other spicy speedwork.

On the weekends, I'm slowly building up my long run by 1/2 mile at a time. I feel stronger now, and I've abandoned the run-walk strategy for now. Instead, I try to run slow and keep on running. I have a new Garmin--a Christmas gift from my husband and something I never thought I'd have in real life--which is set to show the average pace. This is a wonderful tool for helping me maintain a particular pace during a long run, such as a 12 or 13 minute mile. I'm gradually trying to incorporate an itty bitty core workout, as I really notice that my core muscles are weaker now than last fall when I did core workouts once or twice a week. The biggest loss is my husband as my running partner. I miss him running alongside me on longer runs, even if he did wear an iPod and start singing along.

In the evenings, I'm going to trade swimming for studying as I'm working toward an academic goal. Right now, I'm not at all sure about the outcome. The more I study, the worse I seem to do. The only thing that keeps me going is the thought that this is the last shot at pursuing an academic goal--and even if I fail, I want to go down trying.

My older son is having a rebuilding semester. He likes his apartment and his friends come to visit. He's spending every last dime on the slopes, although I wish he would stay out of Teocalli Bowl and the double-black diamond runs. My youngest is very popular and thinks about Woodward all of the time.

2009-02-07T15:44:00.013-05:00

"Your journey began from a single point. You travel in a straight line; sometimes the slope may be steep and the distance seems far, but you you are at midpoint. The endpoint is in sight."
---Bob Miller

Maybe someday I'll be able to calculate the slope of this line.

But for now, I had a really nice Saturday morning run twice around Elkhorn and into the woods. It's an unseasonally warm spring day that started out cool in the morning when I ran, and then got up into the 50s! The lake was mostly frozen and there were about three flocks of birds in various parts of the lake that had patches of open water. I always think of winter as a dormant, silent time, but there was a lot more bird call than I thought. At one point, people stood watching an entire flock of birds fly noisily overhead. Then, I saw a blue jay in a bush. The run went well and I ran the whole 4.5 miles without walk breaks, keeping pace by listening to my breathing.

On Sunday, it was 61 degrees--a breath of spring in February!!!! I took my bike off the trainer and went for a 19.5 mile ride. There was a really strong blow-me-over 22 mph wind, especially at the beginning of the ride. To avoid the combination of a strong wind and big hills, I began to do the route out of order and backwards, first heading over into the Clemens Crossing and Hickory Ridge neighborhoods and expanding my route a bit. Then I headed down onto the hilly, scenic part of the route. Except for one long steep incline hill, I could swear the route is easier in this direction and that's why I see so many cyclists heading in the opposite way when I go down this route. I saw probably half a dozen cyclists and two dozen motorcyclists as well as people in cars, just getting out and enjoying the beautiful unseasonably warm afternoon. At the end of the ride, I felt like I could have gone further but I headed back. I was sore yesterday after the run and I'm anticipating a case of Monday morning DOMS, but I don't care.

Graduation

2009-02-03T08:10:00.008-05:00

This is a blast from the past. I came across my older son's high school graduation photos on my computer, and I wanted to post them for the memories.

Informal shots after graduation. Ryan saw his grandmother for the second, or maybe third, time in his life. Probably won't see her again for a long time.

I did the tourist thing and took Grandma down to the mall in Washington, DC where we went to the Museum of Natural History. There was a wonderful exhibit of tropical butterflies. The exhibit is a glass enclosure that people can enter to spend time looking at the butterflies and plants.

There was fruit on posts for the butterflies, and information cards that so that people could identify the butterfly and its native country.

Grandma looks at the butterflies.

We watched my youngest son play a lacross game, although the game was rained out shortly after the photo was taken.

Penguin Pace 2009

2009-02-01T10:49:00.004-05:00

I had no idea how I'd do in this race because I've barely been training--and I mean barely--but I shaved a few seconds off my time on a hilly course so I was reasonably satisfied, although I keep wishing I was in better shape. The only consistent training has been in the last two weeks in which I've been alternating treadmill running and cycling dates with Troy Jacobson, whose workout killed me the first time I did it. It will be two or three more weeks before I know whether the consistency actually sticks.

Penguin Pace is one of my favorite local races because they give out a great t-shirt. I love it when races give you a moisture management shirt that you can actually wear while training. This shirt is my base layer for my winter training outfit, so I wear it all the time. The race sells out each year and is known for it's catered sit-down breakfast. But this year, a water pipe broke in the senior center where the event is held, so they moved the breakfast to a nearby middle school and handed out bag breakfasts. Not quite the same...but a nice way to start the day. I'll go cook my Super Bowl chili now.

Alley Loop
I know I shouldn't keep using the Internet as a tool for fantasy, as a way to find information, photos, and videos about other places, activities, and events in which I'll probably never get to participate...but I do this a lot lately. This weekend in Crested Butte, the Colorado town near where my son goes to school, they had the Alley Loop Nordic Marathon. There are actually many distances from 1.5K, 3K, 5K (hey I could be doing a xc ski race instead of a running race), 10k, 21K, and 42K. The event is billed as "Crested Butte's largest costume party." All of the races start in the small town near the nordic center and wind through the streets and alleys of the town before heading out onto the trails surrounding the town.

Just to help us all visualize, I found a video of the finish which shows the quaint town:

Baltimore Examiner Closing

2009-01-31T07:05:00.002-05:00

Less than three years after its launch as the city's second daily newspaper, The Baltimore Examiner is shutting down, a victim of slower-than-expected ad sales.

Employees of the free tabloid were informed of the closure Thursday morning. The Examiner will publish its last issue on Sunday, Feb. 15. About 90 people will lose their jobs, said Jim Monaghan, a spokesman for Clarity Media Group, the paper's Denver-based parent company.

"We had good people there. We thought we had a good paper," Monaghan said. "It's a disappointment that it didn't work out."

Clarity, owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, also publishes Examiner papers in Washington and San Francisco. Ryan McKibben, Clarity's CEO, told Baltimore staffers that the company expected "strong revenue synergies" between the Baltimore and Washington papers, but those did not materialize.

Clarity had been searching for a buyer for the Baltimore paper for months, McKibben said.
"We didn't get the depth of national advertising that we would have liked. We thought, with the combination of two markets, we would have been able to do that," Monaghan said. "After 30 months of trying, it became clear during the current recession that advertising is not increasing."

The announcement "came as a complete surprise" in the newsroom.

Skiing The Butte

2009-01-20T21:19:00.010-05:00

My son took these awesome photos! Part of me worries about my son doing intermediate runs on his third or fourth time skiing. After all, I am his mom and it's my job to worry about everything. But another part of me admires his bravery in tryng new things. Before he moved out to Colorado, my son never went downhill skiing or rock climbing. Now, he's trying all of these things, and last I heard, he was contemplating ice climbing.

The photo above was taken at the top of the Silver Queen express lift--the highest place on the mountain where you can take photos.

This photo looks over the town of Mt. Creseted Butte at the base of the mountain in the foreground, and then the town of Crested Butte. There are a few scattered homes that are not a part of the town...they're actually mansions.

He keeps telling me that the sky is very blue in Colorado because there's less pollution, and you can see a lot of stars at night. Before he moved out there, he never talked about the color of the sky.

There are a lot of warning signs for black diamond trails. My son assures me that he hasn't tried those yet!! He also plans to get a helmet.

He went down the Silver Queen Road to Forest Queen, both intermediate trails.

I know these pictures are his invitation to me.

Musings for the New Year

2009-01-09T16:17:00.012-05:00

For anyone who wants to know what I do at master's swimming, just take a look! The group is temporarily crowded into a very small pool, so we're focusing on stroke and the coach is videotaping team members and critiquing our stokes. It was really neat. I have a hard time finding myself on the video--despite watching it several times!! I'm the one with the great stroke, right? Nope, I need to work on keeping my head level with the water at my hairline, which should help me breathe more efficiently. (There may have been complaints about posting the video to YouTube, and if that happens, it will disappear from this blog.)

It's a new year and it's time for some goal setting. After my half marathon, I fell off the bandwagon with all three sports. I worked out periodically during the week, always trying to get back into a routine, but never achieving my goal. At night, I just wanted to go to bed and pull the covers over my head, and there were days I did that. I came to realize the value of going to swim practice and engaging in an endorphin-producing activity with people that seemed happy. Sometimes the good mood even rubbed off on me, even if just for a little while.

My son came back from college for winter break and with both kids home, I took the last two weeks of the year off for a blissful time of relaxing with family, sleeping, eating, watching R-rated movies (I could have lived without) and playing Monopoly (my oldest son became very strategic with the game). My husband and I ran together down our favorite trail, taking our first steps to getting our base back...

Hubby decided that a marathon is on his Bucket List (although I think he's too young to have one). Maybe it was watching me to a half marathon....maybe it was watching the marathoners, run, walk, and crawl to the finish line...or maybe it was the movie and the New Year...but he says that he needs to do the marathon this year.

He's been running for two years; however, he isn't consistent in the days/miles he runs per week and the most he's ever run is 15 miles per week. The longest race he's ever done is a 10K. When I posted his background info to an e-mail discussion group, wondering if perhaps a marathon was a crazy proposition, all I received were words of encouragement. The marathoners who responded said that if he trains consistently and builds a decent base, he can do it. Of course, if he gets serious, I'll be thinking about it too.

I have a lot of big goals this year with sports and studying. And as I try to regroup and rebuild, I hope my son does too. This should be an interesting year, and we'll see how it goes!

Three Cups of Tea

2008-12-22T20:31:00.017-05:00

One of the things I really enjoy is reading and discussing books, so I've participated in our office book club. Participants democratically vote for one of several books, and then discuss it over a potluck lunch. Many of these books I would have never read if not for the book club, and many books deal with other cultures, which is reflected in our potluck lunch. Previous books included The Zookeeper's Wife (Diane Ackerman), Loving Frank (Nancy Horan), Unaccoustomed Earth (Jhumpa Lahiri), and Dreams of My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance (Barack Obama). I didn't actually read the last book because during the elections, I believe in keeping politics separate from the workplace. However, the elections were over when the book discussion occured and I was piqued.

In search of an uplifting book with a happy ending, our book club chose Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. I read parts of this book while I was sick over Thanksgiving, and was inspired to sip tea while reading. I later bought Chai tea, which is often mentioned in the book.

Greg Mortenson was born in Minnesota to parents who were Lutheran missionaries and spent the first 15 years of his life near the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. He is fluent in Swahili, English, Pashtu, and Urdu. His father co-founded the Kilimajaro Christian Medical Center, a teaching hospital, and his mother, Jerene, founded the International School Moshi.

On July 24, 1992, Mortenson’s younger sister, Christa, died from a massive seizure after a lifelong struggle with epilepsy. To honor his sister, Mortenson climbed K2, the world's second highest mountain on the Karakoram range, which sits between Pakistan and China. There, at the 28,250 ft summit, he planned to bury his sister's necklace.

But Mortenson never reached the summit. After spending 70 days on the mountain, Greg and three other climbers interrupted their ascent to complete a 75-hour lifesaving rescue of another climber. The rescue depleted Mortenson's strength, and exhausted and weakend, he mistakenly wandered into the village of Korphe, where he was nursed back to health.

While recovering, Mortenson asked to see the village school and was shown a meeting place where children wrote out their lessons in the dirt with sticks. Mortenson made a vow that would prove to be a turning point in his life when he promised to return the the village with funds to build a school.

So, Mortenson returned to California and took a job in his profession as an emergency room nurse, living out of his car and pounding out more than 500 letters, first on a typewriter and then on a computer, to raise money for a school. I never could make sense of Mortenson's desperate financial situation from reading the book, as nursing has been a shortage profession for quite some time, and as such, is a financially rewarding profession. Mortenson's luck turned when he met Jean Hoerni, a former mountain climber and Silicon Valley pioneer, who funded that first school.

Much of the book details the challenges in building that first school. Unlike other books that describe humanitarian efforts, such as Josh Swiller's The Unheard: A Memoir of Deafness and Africa about his work with the Peace Corps, one of the crucial underpinnings of Mortenson's success is his willingness to learn about other cultures and adopt their practices without foisting information about American culture. In the Muslim culture of Pakistan, Mortenson communicates his respect for Islam and kneels toward Mecca to pray alongside his hosts.

Another crticial factor in his favors is his ability to identify "culture brokers" along his journey who sympathize with his goals and help him navigate the local culture and customs to help Mortenson achieve his objectives. In Rwalpindi, his host patientely and skillfully barters for building supplies for his first school while Mortenson sits through endless cups of tea needed to conduct business. It is only when he lacks a "culture broker" that trouble ensues, such as a kidnapping in the Northwest Frontier Province tribal areas of Pakistan.

Another strength is Mortenson's willingness to work with local tribal leaders within the customs of their society. He accepts a setback when the village leaders announce that they must first build a bridge instead of a school. Mortenson is forced to return to California with nothing concrete accomplished to engage in another round of fundraising.

The success of that first school in Korphe ultimately led to the founding of the non-profit Central Asia Institute with its mission to build schools in the remote, rural regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, where few opportunities for education exist, especially for girls.

In my own mind, one litmus test of a biographical/autobiographical novel is its honesty. It is human nature to want to project successes, while glossing over unflattering aspects of our characters and our lives. Unlike Michael Phelp's Beneath the Surface which puts a creative spin on unflattering chapters of his life like his DUI, Three Cups of Tea presents an honest—and balanced—view of Mortenson's accomplishments and his character. I was often in awe of his everyday acts of bravery: crossing a tightrope bridge with rushing water below and three heavy people wobbling the rope behind him; going on a hunt for an ibex mountain goat over glaciars while wearing only tennis shoes stuffed with straw; traveling on the back of bumpy truck rides while practically boucing off the truck, over the edge of the mountain below. Yet it also presents a view of his homelife and the sascraficial amount of time he poured into CAI at the expense of his wife, children -- and even regular sleep.

Mortenson’s approach hinges on a simple idea: that by building schools and helping to promote education—particularly for girls—support for the Taliban and other extremists eventually will dry up. While this goal is laudable and I fully support his efforts to promote education, I feel that Mortenson softpedals the cultural forces particularly in Pakistan's rural and remote areas that leave girls without an education, without the opprtunity to exercise choice and determination in their lives, and even without the chance to live.

This is a culture in which male children are favored over female children and from birth, boys are given more food than their sisters. A girl's father and later her husband exercise control over her, and spousal abuse is common. Tribal customs include arranged marriage and honor killings. It is telling when a young woman approaches Mortenson to ask for tuition for higher education, that Mortenson hands the tuition money to the girl's father. The village elders think it odd that Mortenson asks girls their dreams, which shows their support for the education of girls.

The $3.7 million non-profit 501(c)3 CAI organization is still largely the work of Mortenson, with only eight U.S. staff members. None of the schools founded by CAI are self-supporting, and according to the organization's 2006 tax statements, a handful of schools had no girls enrolled. Although the effort is still young, I would have liked to have a better sense of the results that his organization has achieved in educating girls beyond anecdotal reports in the book. How many female students went on to higher education? How long did girls remain in school compared to boys? What did these students accomplish with their education?

It is a fascinating book to read and offers a great deal of insight into world events. I'm looking forward to the shape and direction our book discussion takes and its effect on my own views. The next book we'll read is The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb. I've read Lamb's two previous novels, She's Come Undone and I Know This Much is True and I'm looking forward to beginning his recently released 752-page novel.

Crested Butte Cross Country Skiing

2008-12-02T17:25:00.008-05:00

One of the neat things about Western State College is that they have a Wilderness Pursuits program that lets students do various types of outdoor activities like rock climbing, mountain biking, hiking, and camping -- for very little cost. This Saturday, they have cross country skiing for $15, which includes all equipment, lunch, instruction, and transportation. What a deal!

Of course, this is the time of year that my xc ski dreams begin. I've gone cross country skiing only once or twice, but every year I wish I could go again. One of my favorite vacations was a trip to Devil's Thumb Ranch. From looking at the web site, the resort seems to be expanded and upgraded from what I remember years ago. I don't remember any of the cabins as being that fancy and I certainly don't remember any spa. But the food was excellent and very natural, with brown eggs included in the breakfast buffet. Of course, I always order the most exotic thing on the menu. We went on a sleigh ride one afternoon where the hosts cooked s'mores and hot chocolate over a fire. Our kids would pet the horses in the field outside the cabin. I remember ice scating at night.

The first time we went cross country skiing, my husband and younger kid kept falling down and didn't enjoy it (although I dont' understand how you can possibly fall while cross country skiing because you just glide along), but my older son and I got the hang of it easily. My older son wanted to go skiing one night, but it was dark and there was snow falling and I was afraid we wouldn't find our way back, so we agreed to go out one more time on our last day there. My kids think it's lame, I still have the ski tag from that trip on my winter jacket.

Wish you were there!

Going for a Ride

2008-11-16T16:59:00.005-05:00

Bike rides have been the highlight of my fall and the one thing I look forward to every Sunday. I've fallen off the bandwagon with everything else. I haven't run more than twice since the half-marathon, and I just returned to the swim team.

My Sundays got better four weeks ago when I decided that I was bored with my easier route. I decided that I didn't care about what I'd feel like on Monday. I decided that I was going to ride my "super hill" route -- a route that is both challenging with three hills on one road alone (they don't call it Murray Hill for nothing) and rewarding with bucolic views of a cow pasture, a horse center, fall foliage, and less-traveled roads. Then http://www.mapmyride.com/ became a frequently visited site as I searched for the favorite routes of other cyclists and created routes of my own as I sought to gradually extend my route.

Today was the first blustery fall ride with temps in the mid-40s and a strong headwind that made it feel much cooler and made pedaling a challenge. Every cyclist I passed waved "hi!"

I hope the weather holds because with cycling, I know where I'm going.

Gunnison, Colorado

2008-11-15T22:16:00.001-05:00

Here's to wishing I was there, and knowing that I probably won't be. I think I finally understand what's so great about this place.

Inspiration

2008-11-08T11:17:00.011-05:00

Created with Inspiration, one of my favorite programs for note-taking. SLP Barbara Ehren uses Inspiration to create diagrams to tell her audience what she's going to talk about before launching into a presentation, which I think is a great way to teach and present. This vision was inspired by her closing keynote address at the 2003 Schools Conference.

Inner Truth Scarf

2008-10-25T17:23:00.013-04:00

These days, I just want to sit and knit, so I'm making an Inner Truth scarf by Laura Andersson. The pattern no longer seems to be publicly available on the Internet, so I won't print it here. The original pattern was made with a 100% cashmere aran yarn, which is hard to find, so I'm using the Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran yarn, a soft blend of wool, microfiber, and cashmere (that's machine washable) on size 10 needles. The grey color makes the scarf androgynous and suitable for any member of the family, like my husband and I who both want to wear it. I really like the horseshoe cable pattern with the smaller cables inside.

Here's a like to a better photo on Flickr.

The pattern calls for a left twist stitch on the opposite side of the scarf (you can see it right next to the seed stitch boarder), which is meant to provide some design interest on the wrong side.

For the longest time, I could never figure out how to make a left twist, and of course, I didn't want to ask anyone. Finally....I thought of YouTube!! And sure enough, I found a video to teach me how to do this stitch. YouTube is a patient teacher and doesn't complain if you need to repeat more than once.

The video shows that the first stitch is dropped, but when I tried it, I kept pulling out that stitch. I find it helpful to hold the first stitch between my thumb and forefinger as I knit into the back of the next stitch.

I'm enjoying the scarf, which has enough twists and turns to keep me interested, but I have the urge to knit a sweater next.

Swimming in the Fridge

2008-10-21T07:31:00.005-04:00

It seems like whenever something really good happens to me, then something really bad happens. I am now in the middle of a family crisis that won't be resolved for a while. Of course I've developed stress-related back pain and a slobbery cold. I went to a swim meet on Saturday in effort to get my mind off of the entire situation, as if I could think of anything else. But when I came back, it took a turn for the worse. Please say a prayer for the entire family.

I was so very much on the fence about whether to go to this meet at all, but my husband encouraged me to do so. About a half-hour before the online registration system closed, I signed up. Because I'd signed up so late, I thought for sure that I wouldn't get picked for a relay, which didn't bother me this time. Wrong! The coach must have put the relay teams together immediately after the registration system closed and found my name there. The relay was actually the highlight of the day. If I'm reading the results right, I swam a very fast 100 free. Because I have not been swimming regularly and because of my life events, I chose two shorter events, thinking that it would be easier. I swam a 50 breast for the first time which turned out reasonable, but then I swam a 50 free after the relay and was 4 seconds slower than my previous time. I'm not sure why. My entry and turn was pretty good, my stroke was better, and I didn't breathe too much.

Several other things worked out well at this meet and I achieved my goal of being more independent. The online entry system generated a meet program that was e-mailed to all participants in advance of the meet. The PA system and room acoustics were good and with the printed program, it was easy to follow along and know when I needed to be on deck. I walked up to the starters before the meet, introduced myself and explained that I'm deaf and requested a visual signal, which was no problem. They made a note of my events and my request and the visual signal helped me dive right in! Another highlight was when my coach teased me about my hearing loss. When we were lined up for the relay, he was there encouraging the two teams. "Did you hear what they said?" he asked me. I said no -- and realized the joke was on me. Of course he knew that I couldn't hear anything at all.

One of the best things about being on the swim team is the inspirational people I meet. Before the meet, I began chatting with a women who mentioned that she was swimming "unattached," meaning that she wasn't affiliated with a particular team. She'd swum years ago when she was in college, and now that here children were off in college themselves, she was taking up swimming again at two local pools. I was amazed. I wouldn't have been brave enough to navigate through an entire swim meet unless I had a team to be with. I hope she joins up to a team.

The meet was held at a pool with the room temperature of a refrigerator. Before long, I realized that everyone was cold, not just me. One team member came prepared with a fleece jacket to wear in between events, but noted that he's been to other meets at this location. The locker rooms had cold, clammy concrete floors and the only saving grace was the steamy, hot showers.

Baltimore Half-Marathon

2008-10-11T18:20:00.010-04:00

Everything about the half-marathon was perfect.

This year, I did packet pickup and learned how to drive to the stadium using the official directions to reach the parking lot. It sounds silly but for years, I looked at the stadium map and the directions, but I could never figure it out. One big reason I wanted my husband to do the race with me was so that he could drive. This year, I finally figured out how to get there.

Last year, we left the house later and wound up scrambling for a parking spot after the roads closed, making it to the starting line with only 5 mins. to spare. This time, I made a detailed agenda because my husband would be doing the 5K and I would be doing the half-marathon. The agenda called for leaving the house earlier and we arrived at the stadium in plenty of time for parking.

Every single race (with the exception of the kid's fun run) was sold out this year. We watched the marathoners take off. First there were walkers, then wheelchair athletes, then the marathoners. I was surprised to see so many people scrambling to get in line at the last minute, but the sendoff was beautiful with confetti in the air.

Next, my husband took off with the 5K runners. The race starts off with a hill and I know he was really nervous about that hill. His strategy was to go out fast, rather than get stuck behind a mass of slow-moving people. It worked--too well. He hit mile 1 at 9 minutes, but then found himself out of energy for the rest of the race, which goes downhill. The route was also changed this year, which confused Tim and foiled his finish line strategy. Still, he had a great race and PR of 31:10--this is faster than my best time of 31:40!! He achieved his goal of being faster than I am.

Then, I headed over to the half-marathon start line which was about a half-mile away. I really had to go to the bathroom bad, and I was so grateful when I ducked into the Sheraton on the way and asked where the bathroom was, they directed me to it instead of making a fuss because I wasn't staying there. Of course, the next time I wanted to go, I got into the porta potty line like everyone else. The half-marathon begins at mile 13 of the marathon and I watched the marathoners go past on their way to Fort McHenry, and by the time we were ready to take off a little less than an hour later, the marathoners were coming back from FortMcHenry and passing us! Very impressive.

The day was the perfect temparature. In previous years, it's been in the 40s in the early morning, but it running clothes it felt like standing outside in the middle of winter in underwear. Today, the temperature was probably in the 50s in the early morning. Warm enough to stand outside and feel cool, but not cold. I hate being cold, so I put on two old long-sleeve shirts that I planned to discard, avoiding additional lines at the baggage check. Before the half-marathon start, the day was warming up nicely and I left my shirts near the start.

I still couldn't believe I was going to run 13.1 miles. But soon enough, confetti was released into the air and we started and headed past Johns Hopkins to Patterson Park. At the southwest corner of the park, we merged with the marathoners. As we went northward along the length of the park, there were actually two lanes, one for half-marathoners and one for marathoners, probably to ensure a gradual transition. But then the lane ended and we were all together. It was both inspiring and humbling to be running alongside people who had already run 16 miles, when were were only getting started with our race after three miles.

We ran northward through the dilapidated neighborhood in the east side of Baltimore. I've never seen so many boarded up houses. But people sat on their doorstep and watched and clapped and rang cowbells. Little kids gave runners a "high five." It made me feel really special. I reached mile 5 at about approximately 58 minutes, a bit off my projected time, and I hit mile 6 around 1:11, which is my 10K time on a flatter course. I was doing good. My right knee hurt, of course, but this went away as I went onward. I trained using a 4/1 run-walk ratio and now used it consistently throughout the race. Using a run-walk ratio was the smartest thing I ever did in training.

From about mile 5 to 10 the race is essentially one long climb....through the east side of Baltimore. Then runners come on Clifton Park which is pretty and then the beautiful Lake Montebello neighborhood. At the lake, there was a band playing and as I rounded the lake, I could hear strains of "I love rock 'n roll!" I loved it when neighborhoods play music. I never listen to music when I'm running, but I can see why so many people do because it's so motivational. The lake was beautiful and so was the older, established neighborhood around it. When I hit the 10 mile mark, I'd been running for nearly 2 hours. My hips began to feel sore, as they had during my longest run, so I'd expected this.

Then I came to the famous gummy bear station at 28th and Guilford when several volunteers stand around with silver platters with gummy bears. I let out a "ohhhhhhhh" and grabbed a handful. It was wonderful to put the little bears into my mouth one by one and chew them as I chugged along. By now, not only did my hips hurt, but everything below my hips were sore. The irony in all this was that my foot was fine--or at least it wasn't talking any louder than anything else below the waist.

The last 3 miles of the race are downhill, as the runners head south from the Johns Hopkins University campus to the finish. Before the race, I thought I would just coast through those last downhill miles. WRONG!!! I completely failed to consider how physically and psychologically difficult those last 3 miles can be--downhill or not. The hills had taken a lot out of me and I slowed to a shuffle. At times, I felt like my right leg was going to give out under me, and I slowed to a walk break, but never for more than a minute. Finally, it hurt too much to run, walk, then run again, so I just kept running very slowly. I was so very grateful for all of the spectators clapping, cheering, and playing music. Even if I wasn't visully aware of my surroundings in my fatigue, I could hear spectators say things like "just keep moving." And I did. I'm pleased with my race, satisfied with my time, but less than thrilled with the slow, shuffling finish.

And then I hit the finish line in 2:38:10 and it was all over. This race concludes a season of firsts for me.

I like this video and now I can totally relate--even if I didn't do a full marathon!

On to Baltimore

2008-10-08T17:14:00.020-04:00

I'm getting ready to run the Baltimore Half-Marathon on Saturday. This has been a year in the making and a testament to the notion that sometimes failure can lead to bigger and better things. Last year, I got injured trying to train for my first half-marathon. True, injury isn't personal failure, but when I set a goal, I like to achieve it, and I was upset when I didn't. But the injury led to swimming in the morning. And as I swam with two arms and one leg at first and watched the sun rise outside the window of the pool, I thought that maybe I should join the master's swim team. The triathlon seed had already been planted in my mind from a serendipitous combination of events, and I gradually began building up a base in three sports. I knew deep down that a stronger base was what I needed for the half marathon.

I used the same training plan this year from John Bingham's book, Marathoning for Mortals. (No, it's not a free plan online; you have to buy the book.) I really like his brand of good common sense. But this time around, I took the plan and made several modifications to suit my tastes:

Walk/Run plan--I scaled back and used this plan, and all of my runs are built around some type of walk/run ratio. However, I've modified the ratios in the plans to suit my preferences, and my brainpower, as I find a ratio based on a 5- or 10-minute interval is easier to work with. My mid-week runs focus on my favorite run/walk 7/3 ratio, and later 8/2. I did some long runs based on the 3/2 ratio in the plan, but later I went to a 4/1 ratio and latched onto that.
Mid-week treadmill runs--I read that it's easier on the knees, so all of my mid-week runs were on the treadmill instead of outdoors, which was challenging when I began the program in summer when it was light out in the morning and in the mid-70 degrees in the afternoon. The runs were time-based, and I modified the plan so that these runs approximated the longer time called for in the "run half marathon" plan.
Interval workouts--I don't really know what's properly considered an "interval" as I'm not all that familiar with running terminology or speedwork. the plan called for a moderate run + form strides. But I switched to an "interval" run in which I alternate running-walking a slower and faster level on my treadmill, using a ratio that suits my mood. Later, for the last minute or two, I used an even faster level.
Centennial Park long runs--I didn't do any hill work, but I knew the race course is hilly, so I did all of my long runs (with the exception of recovery week runs) on the hilly IronGirl route.
Swimming and cycling--each week, I've done two workouts with the swim team and I tried to go cycling on Sundays, but then my knee hurt on Mondays, so I quit cycling for a while.
Core workouts--my goal was to do 2-3 core workouts a week, but I find them really boring and slacked off.
Massage--I went to a really great masseuse who I highly recommend!! This is probably the most selfish, frivilous expenditure I've ever made, but I enjoyed every single minute. Even without telling her the exact spot that I’m sore, she’ll find it and massage it.

At heart, though, I’m a complete wimp. I like working out, but I hate the soreness. Even so, I cancelled a few appointments when things were going well and subsequently had a few cases of Monday Morning DOMS. After working out on the weekend, I'd waddle into work and take the elevator--right up to the second floor. It's silly. Of course as I continue to run, I’ve discovered other favorite home remedies, like foam rolling, self-massage, icing, hot Epsom salt baths, and cold water baths after a long run.

Instead of a public training blog, I kept a private journal, but I was grateful to be able to compare how I was feeling this year with what I wrote last year on my blog. I knew exactly at what point in the training program that I crashed and burned last year, and as the weeks went by, I began to get increasingly optimistic...and excited.

Of course, there were challenges...like the week my migraine stole my motivation...and moments of utter and complete stupidity...like when I inadvertently gave myself frostnip with my ice pack....and technical challenges...like when I bought a new Nike+iPod sensor, then had to buy a whole new system to get it to work, but then I lost a sensor on the run, so it worked out OK...and injury...I developed tendinitis on the top of my right foot during the taper. I iced and took ibuferin. I didn't swim last week for various reasons, and then when I went back to swimming this week, I re-injured the area and now it's worse than before, which concerns me. I fully expect that my foot will be talking to me several miles in the race. I've heard that everything hurts more in the taper, but this is getting ridiculous. Every part of my body that's ever bothered me is now making itself announced. I woke up this morning with a sore back....from sleeping??!!!! Hear me whine and see me foam roll!!!

But things could be worse. Earlier this week, the weather called for light rain. Now, it's changed to sun. Thousands of runners must have done a dance for the sun gods!

Whatever happens Saturday, I am going to try to be pleased with the outcome.

11 miles

2008-09-20T19:24:00.003-04:00

Today, I did the longest run I've ever done...11 miles in 2 hours. I'd been looking forward to this run for a long time. I ran the IronGirl route twice, then ran another lap around the park. The run was supposed to be a 10 miler, but I knew the route was longer and I wanted to stary on my feet for 2 hours. I've been using a run/walk ratio of 4/1 and not only is this easier on my body, it doesn't slow me down at all. When I compare my long runs this year to similar runs last year, I find that I'm running just as fast, if not faster. The temperature was cooler, around the mid-60s and it feels like fall weather is starting to come on. I'm training with fingers crossed...and I'll see how it goes!

Off To College, All Too Soon

2008-09-02T14:47:00.014-04:00

Photos courtesy of Western State College of Colorado

My son left for college at Western State College of Colorado on August 12. With the high cost of gas, it was prohibitive in time and expense to drive out there, so he took just one duffel bag of clothes, a guitar, and a carryon and flew out to spend a few days with his grandparents in Denver. Afterwards, my son and his cousin drove up to Gunnison where he has a house that his parents bought him which he shares with roommates. Then my son moved into the dorms and started college life.

My son spent the entire summer loafing and complaining that he couldn't get a job because he'd have to ride his bike to work and he'd "get all sweaty." But when he got to Gunnison, he borrowed his cousin's bike to explore the town, and then went to the used sporting goods store and bought his own bike for $25, which he rides everywhere. After sitting on the couch all summer, he started hiking and fishing and seems to enjoy the outdoors and the Colorado mountains.

The first few days after he left went by quickly. All to soon, my husband decided to clean and re-arrange my son's room. After all, the dog kept sniffing for crumbs and food wrappers under the bed. Then, hubby hung up his diploma and other certificates of accomplishment. The room is cleaner than it;s ever been in years...and the door stays closed. My younger son is thrilled that the bathroom is clean and he is the only child in the house.

Not a day goes by when I don't miss him or think about him ... or not-so-surreptitiously check his campus e-mail. I text him ... and wait for his calls. During the first week or two in college, he said "I love you" more than he'd said in the past four years. But as his college life picks up pace, the calls are a bit less frequent. Yesterday, he said he was thrilled to get an A on his first English paper. After not studying during his entire senior year in high school, his study habits are shocking. Of course, he wants us to send money.

I can't believe my son went off to college already!

Sometimes You Need A Bottle of Wine

2008-08-04T18:51:00.006-04:00

In the Susquehanna Valley of Pennsylvania there’s the Shade Mountain Vinyards along Route 104 in Middleburg. This winding, rural road also has a number of neat local attractions. Then we turned onto Route 45 which is known as an artisan's trail, a motorcycle route (and we saw a lot of them!) and goes through a state forest.

I so wanted to visit this winery and thought about how romantic it would be to stop at this quaint place and how nice it would be to have a bottle of local wine for dinner. But it was not to be.

Sometimes the things you want are simple and inexpensive. And the things that are romantic are so easy to do…like stopping to see the sights instead of rushing by. Or taking time out of a busy Saturday to talk. Right now, I just wish to catch my breath after a month of travel, but life keeps speeding along.

Camp Woodward

2008-08-02T20:24:00.008-04:00

My kid is back from a week at Camp Woodward - the place for skateboarders, BMX bikers, BMX freestyle, inline skating, snowboarding, cheerleaders.

The camp is surrounded by farmland and the mountains of Pennsylvania, and along route 104 we could see Amish buggies and cyclists. The camp has everything an X-games kid could want. Indoor and outdoor ramps...

A pool ... horse stables ... go-carts ... and a video game arcade

His camp counselor was on the Dew tour and is sponsored. My son learned a lot and most of the kids were nice. There were kids from as far away as Australia and Scotland, and they were really good.

He and his friend weren't the best ones there, but he learned a lot. He showed us some of the skills he learned...

I hope he wants to go back next year. If he does, I'm thinking of staying and the lodge.

3Sports Triathlon

2008-07-20T16:03:00.016-04:00

This race marks my first distance event ever.

Picking the race was a challenge. I wanted a pool start, which would be logistically simpler, and the bike course had to be relatively flat. My summer consists of two conferences, a family vacation, a son's graduation and then going off to college and another son's camps. This made for a logistical challenge. I didn't want to commit to IronGirl, the race to which I was emotionally attached, because my son was going off to college around that time and I wasn't sure there would be a time conflict. And before I could figure out my schedule, the race sold out. Total bummer!! After researching just about every race in the vicinity, I picked 3Sports Triathlon in Richmond, VA because it met all of my criteria. But I fretted that doing a major race after a vacation and just days before a business conference was unwise.

In the weeks leading up to the race, I couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Unlike the disappointing injury before what would have been my first half marathon, I wasn't injured. True, I woke up one morning on vacation with the outside of my knee hurting, but I'd done a big brick, run, and bike ride in the preceding days. It was a week from the race and I decided that I was done training and would do a major taper. All I did was go to one swim practice. I was ready to go.

About 1.5 weeks prior to the race, I took a tip from a member of the swim team, and did a bike-run brick the approximate length of the race course. This simulated the fatigue of the run and boosted my confidence.

I made the race into a mother-son trip with my 18-year-old son who has been pestering me to drive the car all summer and let him drive. Of course, I put up with him fiddling with the radio before every major exit and playing the music loud. But the simple overnight trip gave us the chance to talk. I found out that he wants to be a beach lifeguard, as he thinks it's the perfect, easy summer job. But I enjoyed listening to him sing, and discussing the lyrics to his favorite songs, and just talking with him. He doesn't want to do a triathlon, but even more important, he thanked me for brining him and had a good time.

I was so VERY nervous about the race. I did not think that I could do this. I worried that I hadn't trained enough. I had a lot of ambivalence and even thought of backing out of the race. I thought that I'd lost my mind to think that I could do a triathlon. What was I thinking when I got this big idea a year ago to do a triathlon??

Before the race, I visualized each part of the race and strategies I could use. I also researched some positive affirmations to tell myself throughout the race, which was a great strategy.

Here's the transition area. I got there later than I wanted to and had to move quickly to set up. I really liked the way the bike and run exits were market. That made it really easy.

Photo courtesy of Citadel1980 on Flickr

Soon, I was waiting nevrously outside the pool area for the race to begin.

Photo courtesy of Citadel1980 on Flickr

Swim - sharks rule
300 meters - 6:58
I seeded myself too fast. I gave them an honest time, but this psyched me out completely. If I do another pool start race, I'll add a minute or two to my estimated time. I tried to be courteous and let the faster people pass me. Knowing that the two toughest events are coming up, I tend to look at the swim as a refreshing warmup.

Exiting the pool...

T1 - 2:47
I'd actually practiced my transition the night before, working on assembling myself from head to toe. However, in the heat of the moment, I worked from toe to head. Someone gave me a great tip on how to roll up your socks and stick them in your shoe and this helped, as did having speed laces for my bike shoes. I decided to wear the bike shoes because I wanted to reduce the numb foot problem, which still bothers me.

Bike - going it alone
12 miles - 46:13
I had envisioned riding in a group, but my biggest surprise was that for most of the bike course, I didn't see many people. I drove the course the night before and I could see that it was relatively flat, with a few very gently rolling hills and some incline-type hills. This was much easier terrain than I'd been practicing on, which was a major confidence booster.

T2 - 2:30

Run - splat!
5K - 34:02
This was an out and back course. I was tired by this time and the run seemed to go on forever. My goal was to run to the turnaround point before walking, but I began walking and running before then. As I ran back, I suddenly went SPLAT as I tripped and fell on the sidewalk. I don't know whether I tripped on the sidewalk - or just my own feet! This gave me skinned knees and hands, an embarrassing moment, and a pesky injury. I'll have to remember to pick up my feet while running, even if I'm tired.

Finally at the finish line!

Photo courtesy of Citadel1980 on Flickr

My goal for the race was to finish and come in with a respectable time. I came in at 1:32:28, and while happy, I felt that I could have been faster. This race was the perfect first-timer event.

I have the urge to sign up for another triathlon. In 2009, it will be IronGirl or bust!

Women's Distance Festival 5K

2008-07-07T20:00:00.004-04:00

I wanted to do this race for several years, after volunteering at another race and hearing someone comment that this was a fun race to run. Yesterday was the first time I got the chance to do it. Last year I was injured and the previous year I was on vacation. And the volunteer was right -- it's a fun race.

I wasn't really sure how I'd do in the race because when I woke up, my muscles were sore from gardening the day before. I did my at-home stretching exercices and then used the foam roller. When I got there, I did some stretching and then a short jog. And pretty soon we were off. I tried to hit my chrono button on my watch at the starting line, but the starting line wasn't clearly marked so I wasn't sure if I passed it or not. The course was really flat, except for one small hill. I know I started out fast, and I was surprised to see my 1 mile time, but I thought that had to be wrong...at 2 miles, I was still doing good but slowing down. I felt like I was really slow and dragging...but my surprise was the finish line clock which showed that I was coming in for my fastest 5K ever. I'm happy, but deep down inside, I still feel that I could have pushed myself more.

I think I need some positive affirmations during races. Something besides, "I'm tired. I'm in the middle of the pack...Where's the finish line?" My goal will be to think of some positive affirmations to tell myself during my next race.

Overall, a really fun race. They served watermellon after the race, which is the perfect post-race food. I never feel like eating after I run hard and races with a lavish post-race buffet make me feel like it's a waste. The watermellon was cool, juicy, and perfect on this hot and humid day. I chatted with a few other women, and it was a nice time.

Above: I always look like a grumpy old lady in race photos. I'm wearing my "girly" outfit with a running skirt for this all-woman race.

Going Home Again

2008-06-30T22:12:00.018-04:00

I went back home to Milwaukee, Wisconsin for a conference. When I got to the hotel, the first thing I did--instead of heading over to the conference--was go straight down Wisconsin Ave to the lakefront. Many things look the same as they did when I left about 18 years ago, but there are some changes. There's a new addition to the art center that I learned was built in 2000 (see the white building above). There's also some other buildings in that area, and the whole lakefront looks more manicured and built that I remember it. As another photo above shows, there are restaurants along the Milwaukee river, although it's still as brown as ever.

I passed the bank where I once got chewed out for parking my bike there. The irony is that there are now two bike racks in front of the building. I don't know if riding my bike more is making me more aware of cyclists, but it seemed that every five minutes in the late afternoon I saw a cyclist going by down Grand Ave. The streets are wider and even during rush hour, the traffic is not too congested, so it's easier to cycle downtown. It seemed that a new generation of broke college students were riding their bikes, just as I did. Some had old beat up bicycles, but some had new modern bicycles (hmmm.....), while I'm riding the same bike I rode in Milwaukee years ago. The street names on all of the buses that went by were familiar.

I stopped at the Grand Ave mall and ate a gyro. Most people cannot figure out how to eat a gyro with any dignity and avoid eating them. Should one pick it up and eat it, or use a fork and knife to cut the meat? My boyfriend would order a gyro right along with me, and that's how I knew we were compatible. There was a Greek restaurant on Oakland avenue that served gyros piled high with lamb meat, and we liked to go there. I typically spent only $10 - $12 on food -- for the week. But on this day, I spent about $6 on lunch.

The conference closed with a Summerfest Party, and I hooked up with a group and went down to the lakefront for the music festival. The others walked to one end of the festival, and then back. I went with them, covered in memories that I tried to push to the back of my mind. Everything looked pretty much the same, although the festival has grown up. There's no charging into the main stage for a concert and there are more bathrooms. But the people watching is still pretty interesting! Then, much to my disappointment, everyone wanted to leave right away.

I kept bursting into tears as I walked around, homesick for the town I'd left so many years ago. I think when I was younger, I was anxious to leave and start a new life in the Washington, DC area, and I left under ambivalent conditions. Now that my oldest son is 18 and grown, I thought about the life and town that I'd left and almost wanted to come back.

Fortunately, when the plane landed in Maryland, I stepped back into the life I've made for myself and everything was as usual.

Woo Hoo for my Sister

2008-06-23T20:55:00.003-04:00

She says, "I did the Lake Pflugerville Tri (500 meter swim, 14 mile bike, and 3 mile run) and I got 5 th place in my age group! (out of 20)…..not too bad! To break it down even more, I beat the 1 st place woman (in my age group) in the swim! And I got 4 th place the run! My total time was 1:33. (one hour 33 minutes)"

Here's to a super talented sister! Way to go!!

Dew Tour

2008-06-23T20:47:00.008-04:00

My kid took these photos! His dad, who's a journalist, got him a press pass to the AST Dew Tour and he went with a staff photographer who gave him some tips. The result: Great photos and an up close and personal look at the BMX bikers. Awesome!!

Manassas Mini Tri 2008

2008-06-15T10:55:00.029-04:00

At first, I wasn't even going to do this race and instead go right to a sprint -- but I'm soooooo glad I did! I was inspired to do so because I'd read reports about other beginners starting with a super sprint. I'm really glad this series is held, because it's the perfect introduction to a triathlon, which is what it's designed to be, and for others, a great way to start the season. The distances were not intimidating at all:
250 yard swim
4 mile bike
1.4 mile run.

The race was an excellent opportunity to round up my gear and go! I was sooooo excited and nervous about the race, much, much more than I thought I would be!! I used a checklist given to me by a member of the swim team to round up my gear the night before. I fretted that I might forget something, but I didn't. Everything was just perfect. With three disciplines and two transitions, I worried that I would forget to do something, but I didn't. Well, I almost forgot to get bodymarked, but my helpful husband who came along reminded me. The pettiest things confounded me. I couldn't figure out how to get the race number on the race belt until I saw someone else do it. Once the race got underway, everything more or less fell into place.

Swim 5:18
I was seeded at the beginning of the race, and was the 36th person in the water (out of about 280). I found it really challenging to get in the water and go. Unlike a swim meet, we had no opportunity to warm up in the water and I had to get in and start swimming fast. The snake swim format of touching the wall on both sides of the lane marker plays into my bad habits. When given the opportunity, I'll hold onto the wall and take a few breaths. This gives me the opportunity to rest as people bunch up in the middle of the swim...but then we spread out, so it went well.

As I swam, I couldn't help but think that the swim team was great preparation. The race was almost like swim practice in which there's the intimacy of having 7 co-ed people in a lane and all the splashing that ensues. The swim team is also a great introduction to swimming as a contact sport as I sometimes accidentally hit other people and they accidentally hit me. Nobody complains. In the race, there was one guy tapping my toes, and of course I tried to swim faster, but I thought he should just back off a bit.

T1
Took really long....way too long. The transition times weren't reported, but it can be surmised from the overall time. I wore my crocs into the pool area and put my cochlear implant processor in them. A friend suggested that I put them near where I come out of the pool, but since I couldn't tell where I'd come out, I had to ask permission to walk across the pool and get it. I also expected this transition to be lengthy because I spent time putting on my socks and tying my shoes and generally assembling myself. Should I put on the race belt now, or later? I clipped and unclipped the belt. Sunglasses on or off? Let me decide. Next time, I'll make a plan and stick with it to avoid making all of these decisions mid-race.

Bike 21:18:00
Flat and fast, but for me very slow. Cycling is my weakest area and many people who were next to me in the swim passed me. I'll have to work on this. As I came back into transition, I also remembered to put my bike in lowest gear to generate leg turnover for the run.

T2
Much faster because I simplified things by using my running shoes for the entire race. But for the most part, the race was an opportunity to experiment and try things that I might do in the future.

Run 12:56
I started out behind a 61-year-old gentleman -- the oldest person in the race -- although I didn't stay behind him. I was surprised by how tired I was at the end of the short-distance race.

And then in 39:32 minutes, it was all over. I finished in the middle of the pack in my age group. I had a great time!

A sherbet green bike is really easy to find in transition!

First Brick

2008-06-07T11:41:00.004-04:00

I did my first brick today by cycling 2 miles to my favorite park, running 2 miles on the trail, and then cycling 2 miles back home, and then running a short distance around the neighborhood. The shorter distances suited me fine, and I could see that the repetition of the final run was helpful, as that's where I felt the slowest on a morning that was heating up quickly. On the trail, I could also see a lot of other folks had the same idea of getting their runs in early before the heat came on.

Cycling back home, there's a long, steep hill and a sign prohibiting truckers with heavy loads. All last summer, I could never make it up that hill and always wound up walking halfway up. Today, I had no problem getting up the hill. And as LeftRightRepeat says, this is a small victory!

Discouraged

2008-06-03T19:02:00.010-04:00

I've avoided posting this for a while....but I'm feeling really discouraged about all three sports. Back in April, a sore right arm after a swim workout evolved into a rotator cuff injury. It's not bad, but it's June and I've done all the right things and it's just not gone. I also got sick a lot in April, so I took two weeks off. When I tried to go back to things, my knee started to talk to me in a way that I didn't like. Of course, it's all on one side of my body. Now I'm trying to come back from another two weeks off due to injury/schedule, and I don't know if it will be a success.

I'm going to a chiropractor who cracks my back and my neck only because I didn't want to go to an orthopod and inevitably get referred off to a PT. My insurance only allows five sessions of PT and I'd rather save it for a bigger injury. Don't know if the chiropractor is doing any good, but the one nice thing about him is that he's patient with people like me who read the Internet too much and worry. "If it were that, you'd feel this...so it's not that."

When I was last swam with the team, it wasn't an encouraging night. I come, I swim, and I go. Sometimes I feel as though I'm on the outside looking in, listening to everyone tell their stories when I have none of my own.

Sometimes I feel that three sports means triple the injuries. It's the story of my middle-aged athletic life: I had a grand vision, I tried to train sensibly, but then I always wind up injured. I'm worried that my season will be over even before it begins.

I'd sit on my couch, but I wake up before my alarm clock goes off and think about swimming, biking, and running. I like all three flavors of stress-reliever.

The Accidental Gardener

2008-05-24T18:19:00.018-04:00

I'm an accidental gardener. I never have any confidence in my ability to keep anything alive, so I buy a small perennial and plant it, never thinking that it will survive and grow, then I forget the name of the plant. Several years later, I have a big, beautiful, and nameless plant.

Here's to horticultural naming. I'm posting pictures and names of my plants so that I can remember what's there, particularly in the early spring when I have the urge to plant and no idea of what I already have.

This is my three-year-old peony. This year, I sprayed them in time to get rid of the bugs so they could bloom. I can't wait for them to be in full bloom.

A front view of my garden. Last year, someone -- who won't be named -- decided to prune the azalea foundation bushes in front of the railing. The problem is that azaleas can't be pruned and the bushes promptly died. Now, there's an empty space and a large root system underground, so I'm trying to think of what to plant in the back. Perhaps daylilies or some small azaleas would be a good choice.

In the front (left to right) catnip plant that reproduced to the center of the garden, in front is a small lavender plant, some groundcover that has little purple trumpet-like flowers that bloom in the spring. Along the front boarder, there are blue baloonflower plants. Next to that is thyme, chives in bloom with lavender flowers, an oregano plant, rosemary, and tarragon (I think), and in back of that is a flowering plant. Then there a big continuously blooming lavender plant.

My peonies are in front. Near the front along the sidewalk are some parsley plants and a yellow callalily, which just began blooming last summer. There are the old blooms of spring bulbs, a foxglove, two basil plants, and a nameless flowering plant. There are several plants with pink carnation-like flowers. I planted one last summer and like it so much I got more of the same this year.

The flowers give color to the garden, and the herbs are in my salad from spring to fall.

Cheers for Oscar Pistorius!

2008-05-16T15:14:00.002-04:00

I think that athletes with and without disabilities should be able to compete together.

Amputee Sprinter to Compete for Spot on S. Africa Olympic Team
Double-amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius will be allowed to compete for a spot on the South African Olympic team after a sport regulatory body ruled today that his carbon-fiber prosthetic limbs do not give him an advantage over other runners.

May Madness

2008-05-13T15:40:00.003-04:00

It's May and I'm losing my mind. I could write this same post every year at this time. May is the time when the world wakes up and decides that something needs to be done before June comes and summer sets in and everyone goes on vacation. May is IEP season, in which I have the pleasure of trying to negotiate a reasonable IEP for my son after trying to gain compliance with the current plan. IEPs never get any easier, any less stressful--or any less expensive to try to obtain a free, appropriate public education. May is the time when I take on a volunteer project that's enjoyable, but a little more time-consuming than originally anticipated. It's a time when I discover through casual conversation that my husband, who was tasked with handling the college funding process, didn't have a clue as to what to do. May is at time when paperwork piles up and my task list grows longer.

Venturing Into Open Water, Right in the Neighborhood Pool

2008-05-02T20:58:00.007-04:00

We've been tackling the open water...right in the swimming pool at swim practice. One night we learned how to sight a target, a skill needed to swim a straight line in open water where you can't see underwater. Last night we built on our skills by swimming around a buoy. We combined lane dividers and broke into groups. The coach jumped in with a big mesh bag filled with pull buoys and held them in place. Then the group sprinted off, simulating the water orgy of a mass start, and swam around the buoy. The coach probably got clobbered by the crowd. Then the group moved into the next section of the pool and sprinted from one end of the pool to the other, simulating the experience of swimming in a pack with people tapping your feet the whole time. I probably should have tried to spot the person beside me as an aid in pacing and alignment.

I was going to take a workshop to learn these skills...someday....when I was ready. The team is practicing for the bay swim, but I'm not venturing into open water at any point in the near future. But I really appreciate the coach taking the time to teach the team these skills.

Clyde's 10K 2008

2008-04-21T12:23:00.005-04:00

It was our day--and it wasn't our day after all.

This year, I decided to volunteer for the race and was assigned to help with packet pickup on race day, starting at 6:30 a.m. For some reason, I was nervous about doing this for such a large race and recruited another volunteer--my husband. But the procedure for packet pickup was really easy. Participants looked up their bib number and then gave it to the volunteers, who would hand them their packet. Then they went to the next group of tables and asked for a race shirt. The race was sold-out at 1,500 people, so where was no race day registration, making it even more logistically simple.

My biggest surprised was meeting the race director, who I never expected to me as I assumed he'd be too busy doing other things. But there he was, helping to set up tables in the pre-dawn hours and instructing volunteers on what needed to be done. Throughout the entire morning he was here and there, attending to the myriad of details in running one of the largest local races. He took the time to answer questions and speak with each volunteer and never seemed rushed. He was very classy.

I also enjoyed talking to other runners and hearing stories from other races that they'd been in. One person had do the JFK 50-miler three times!! He was one person I wished he had talked more about his achievements and war stories on that trail, but he was very modest. One tradition that runners have is to wear shirts from other races, and I enjoyed seeing the shirts from a variety of races, including some that I'd like to enter someday.

In the midst of volunteering, I'd forgotten to take a bathroom break, and when registration closed 15 minutes before the start, the lines were just too long to get there. That made me grumpy!! Last year, the race took place in torrential rain, but this year, it was overcast and cool with a nice breeze and the rain held off long enough to complete the race.

The night before the race, Tim wanted to drive the course so that he could see where the hills were, which turned out to be a great idea. I had a clear idea of the course and all of the mile markers. I ran the race, knocking off one mile after another, passing people along the way. To take my mind off of everything else, I tried to focus on my breathing. After volunteering, I think I had more appreciation for all of the volunteers out there on the course handing out water, and especially, clapping and cheering at strategic points, such as at the top of a long hill.

I finished in exactly the same time as I did last year, right down to the second. I came away disappointed, as I'd secretly hoped to improve my time. The race capped off a week on my couch, with the exception of a two-mile run. I had an arm injury and didn't swim. Then my training was foiled with my usual spring scheduling problem. I have no motivation to get up in the pre-dawn hours and run on my treadmill when I know it's going to be 70 degrees and sunny later that day. But when the afternoon comes, other obligations steal away the time I'd planned to run or bike.

After the race, I suddenly plunged into a feverish sickness and my husband and I took to our bed for the rest of the day, he with his computer and frozen vegetable ice bags and me with Tylenol and cough drops. I hope to be well and get back to my usual training schedule!

To My Sister: You Go Girl!!!

2008-04-10T19:15:00.008-04:00

I sent my coach's report of the swim meet around to my family, as that's the kind of things moms and other folks like to read.

My sister e-mailed back and says that she is also swimming, biking, and running and is thinking of trying a triathlon. Isn't that weird? My sister and I almost never talk to each other--we haven't had any contact in more than a year, and we're practically estranged. And now--separated by 1,500 miles, three states, and a lack of communication--we happen to be doing the same three sports???!!! Is it coincidence, or something more? Is it hereditary, or the environment? Or...is there something devine that bonds sisters?

So often I've wondered why I'm doing this. Now I know. I hope this triad of sports brings us closer together, but I'm also realistic.

To my sister: YOU GO GIRL!!! I hope you try a tri!!

Above: My younger sister (at left) and I growing up in Wisconsin, where we had a suburban home on an acre of land. My mom made the outfits, as you can tell.

Success!

2008-04-06T13:13:00.003-04:00

Just a short note to say that after my beleagured bike ride a few weeks ago, I succeeded in doing the whole 17-mile route! Whoohoo!!! I can't believe I did it! And of course, by observing the speedy male cyclists passing me, I was able to pick up some tips. I topped the weekend off with a 6-mile run, so I think I'll be ready for the 10K in two weeks.

17 Again...or Not

2008-03-30T12:11:00.013-04:00

I swam my first master's swim meet, the first meet since high school. The meet was the season finale which was held at the U.S. Naval Academy. I was curious to see the swim facilities at the academy, and pool was really nice and crystal clear.

Before the meet, I finally got up the nerve to put on my new racing suit. The suit I'd been wearing, while pretty, wasn't made for speed swimming and had very little give in the torso. The new suit had been on my dresser for a month, but practice after practice went by and I couldn't bring myself to wear it. There are no "kindest cut" racing suits for the middle-aged figure--although I think there should be! Every suit I put on looked horrible, highlighting some figure flaw or risking overexposure. Finally, I realized that my mind was what needed to change. Of course, all of my teammates noticed the suit right away and complimented it, while I stammered something about getting up the nerve to wear the suit.

At the meet, I showed up punctually and started my warmup. After swimming a few laps, I began to use the blocks to start. To my horror, every single time I dove in, my goggles fell off or they came apart at the nose bridge. Panicked, I sought the assistance of my coach and one of the really experienced swimmers on the team. They tightened my goggle straps to a migraine-inducing tightness and suggested that I wear my swim cap over the goggles, pulled down over my forehead. Before the meet, I wanted to practice diving off the blocks, but was afraid to ask and say that I'd developed a mental complex about the starting block. After a few more dives, I was somewhat more comfortable and managed to keep most of the water out of my goggles, which was a small reassurance.

I swam the 50 free in 37:90 and thought I did alright, although I could feel myself slow down perceptibly over the last few yards. Afterwards, my coach came by and corrected my stroke and I was glad to hear it. However, I knew that I was getting distracted by the starting bock, my goggles, the competition, and I wasn't really focused on my stroke as much as I could. There's one member of the team who gives stroke pointers to everyone. He has an uncanny ability to just glance at someone in the water and tell how their stroke could be improved, and he spent a lot of time helping a teammate with her stroke at the meet. I learn a lot just by listening to him and watching him coach other swimmers, and I later learned that he had swum on the national team in the Philippines.

After that, I swam a relay with the team. I think I must have been picked for the relay just because I showed up early, not because of any actual talent that I might contribute. The mixed relay paired men and women, and I and another inexperienced swimmer were paired with more experienced, faster swimmers on the team. We came in last. But even some of the faster swimmers on the team got washed away by the competition.

Before the meet, I hit my longtime goal of being able to do flip turns again. I started practicing them when I swam by myself, but when I began practicing with the team, I felt so distracted by all of the people swimming close together in the lane that I didn't want to flip. But after the realization that I was spending too much time hanging onto the wall taking a few breaths, I pressured myself to flip again, and I did, most of the time. I was able to flip in competition, but during the relay I flipped too soon and nearly missed the wall.

At the meet, the most amazing event was seeing one of the team's coaches swim the 200 yd fly. I marveled at his aerobic capacity to stay underwater for half of the length of the pool before surfacing, and then he breathed only every other stroke. The team stroke sage explained that in staying underwater and going deep and coming up actually propelled him when he began swimming.

Next, I swam the 100 free in 1:24 and then the 200 free in 3:10. I'd been ambivalent about signing up for the 200 free--an event which combines both speed and endurance in equal measures--but wanted a third event and decided to sign up. I regretted it, as I was tired at this point and really dragging. By the time I finished, all of my competition had gotten out of the water. Very discouraging.

The swim meet was all about everything that I couldn't do in high school, and the events that I signed up for were the ones I couldn't swim back then. At that time, my event was the 500 free but now I don't want to touch it. I went out for the swim team, not because I was fast swimmer, but because I moved to a new town where my favorite sport, the one that I was actually good at--synchronized swimming--wasn't available. I'd been lap swimming in the morning and after being challenged by my high school guidance counselor who happened to coach the team, I decided to move on to speed swimming. I believe the coach put me in the 500 free because I was slower, but could endure. It was the event that nobody else on the team wanted to do. In high school, you do what the coach tells you to, but now, I can swim whatever events I want. If I do another meet, I'll focus on shorter events, maybe 50 free, 50 breast, and 100 free. Thankfully, I've forgotten all of my times so everything seems almost new to me now.

So many things have changed since high school. I've had five great years with the cochlear implant, and I enjoy the conversation that swirls around me in the locker room and talking to my teammates. What could I hear in high school? Not much.

But the thing that hasn't changed is that without modern technology, I'm still deaf in the water. In high school, someone tapped my ankle to start me so that I could get off the bock. But now, I want to be more independent. So for my first event, I started off the block myself, just by watching what other people were doing. I was gratified that I could start independently, although in reality the independence is probably costing me precious seconds and I'm probably the last one off the block and in the water. At the end of the meet, an official told me that I could use an arm signal to start, if I wanted.

The meet motivated me to get in the water and focus on my swimming! My goals are to work harder in practice, not just survive practice as I've been doing. I also want to focus on improving my stroke, and to focus on being focused in competition, without environment distracting me from my stroke and my swimming. I also want to be more independent in getting myself down to the deck for my events. My reward is two new swim caps, building a collection just as I'd wished.

If At First You Don't Succeed...

2008-03-23T10:38:00.019-04:00

No laughing allowed as you read this post!!! Today, I was going to participate in a weekly Saturday morning bike ride organized by a local women's bicycle store and I was really looking forward to it. But then I began to have doubts and psych out. I see people with very expensive bicycles at the YMCA for a trainer workout and they look so incredibly fast. What if these people showed up for the ride? I'd never done the course before and hadn't even gone that far.

I decided that I would do the course by myself first, building up my confidence. I got up early Saturday morning, anticipating my ride. It was one of those spring days where I wished it was warmer than it actually was. As I set out, the wind tore through my long sleeve shirt and light jacket and through my light gloves, making the tips of my fingers hurt.

The route started out at the local park, and turned on a road past some government buildings. Then it goes past a new housing development, with homes starting at just under $1 million. Suddenly, there was the scent of cow manure and I found myself in the middle of farmland that I never knew existed in this suburban area. As I ride along, I could see white flakes drifting down. Snowflakes in late March with the temperature in the mid-40s!!?? My hands gradually warmed up...but then I heard a popping sound. Was that what I thought it was? Yep, it was. Five minutes later I could no longer ignore the bumpy ride cased by a rear flat.

I got off and walked up the hills, riding only when it was flat. I didn't want a small problem to become a bigger, more expensive problem by wrecking the tire and the bicycle rim. About 10 cyclists saw me on this well-known bike route, and each one asked "Are you OK?" I said that I was, but it was kind of a neat group of people that would express concern. I read somewhere that one should take a cell phone, ID and credit card on a long ride, and bringing the cell phone was the one smart thing I did. I called my husband who eventually came and got me.

The bike is now in the shop for the week, and I asked the friendly folks to show me how to take off the rear tire so I can change it myself next time. Guess I'll be getting that small seat bag, CO2 cartridges, and spare tube that I'd been putting off purchasing.

The day ended with another dose of discouragement as I drove the bike route for a race I was thinking about entering. It's a challenging course and I don't think I'm going to be able to get up the hills. Trying to find a race has been logistically challenging. Three conferences, a family vacation, and two overnight camps for one kid and another graduating and going off to college in the span of 12 weeks make for a very busy summer. Each weekend this summer, I'll be doing one of the above or prepping for one of the above. Guess I'll have to go back to the drawing board with this.

Above: You wouldn't believe the number of people who are unloading their vintage Centurion bicycles from the 1980s on eBay. Just for kicks, I set up an alert and here's one that looks like mine. In making repairs and adding parts, I've decided to preserve the retro look, like an old Volkswagen Beatle.

Sunday Run

2008-03-16T20:00:00.009-04:00

I had a really nice run with my husband today. But it didn't start out being that way. It was a cool, drizzly morning that makes one have second thoughts about running. My husband proposed running from Patuxent Branch, around Lake Elkhorn and back, a 6-mile route. I wasn't really quite up to 6 miles yet, so I wanted to walk quite a bit.

My husband started out fast, and then midway through the run, he had a neat idea. He suggested that we run from bridge to bridge, and then walk a bit. Apparently, he doesn't like to run over bridges, and the walking part was fine with me. It turned out to be a really enjoyable run. I like running side-by-side with him, even if he listens to his iPod and then starts singing along! At the end of the run, the sun came out and raindrops hung from the branches, glistening with sunlight.

The run capped off a weekend that started with a Saturday morning 1,300 yd swim that included two 400m time trials, to get a seed time for a race I'm thinking about entering. It was a really warm, spring day, so I got in a 9-mile bike ride in the afternoon, and topped it off with my core routine. Then I did the run on Sunday and an abbreviated core routine. Afterwards, I was just pooped! When I look back at previous posts, I realize that I'm slower to hit milestones this year, like a 6-mile run, but at the same time, I feel stronger and things seem easier.

Small Wonder

2008-02-29T12:48:00.004-05:00

Our computer networks are down at work, so I'll take a moment to tell you about a small victory: I swam an entire workout last night without one of my dreaded foot cramps!!!!! Since I've started swimming with the team in January, I've had an arch cramp on the bottom of my right foot (the leg that always whines) every single practice. The same time. Without fail. If I'm lucky, the foot cramp comes later in practice, when it's winding down and then I can pretty much bag the workout. Sometimes I can swim though it for several challenging laps, but then I'll kick harder with the other foot and get a cramp in that one. Sometimes my toes will cramp, but not my feet...how weird is that?

I've asked a co-worker and searched the Internet for solutions. So far, I've tried pulling out a sports drink and sipping that as an afternoon beverage for hydration. Of course, if I down a sports drink right before practice, that leads to other problems. I also strongly suspect this is a relaxation issue. I'll try to gradually ease into kicking during warmup and really focus on keeping my feet and legs relaxed. After all, I'm a person who felt the beginnings of a foot cramp after a really sad funeral. I hope for I can have more cramp-free workouts. Swimming is one of the nicest things that's happened to me lately.

What's Next?

2008-02-20T12:29:00.007-05:00

After learning the results of the CAE exam, I was suddenly left without any Big Hairy Audacious Goals -- BHAGs -- and a lot of free time. I feel adrift, unable to decide what to do next or formulate any concrete plans for the next Big Thing. Should I go to graduate school? Am I really ready to commit to the life of an adult grad student for the next 3-4 years? Which program should I go into? Will a degree in mid-life really pay off? I find myself looking at other areas of my life wondering if there are other directions in which I would like to go.

It's winter, and as usual, I feel like hibernating. The one thing I've been doing a lot of is rest. I hit the sack at an early hour and I no longer need two alarm clocks to get up. I've finished a cable knit scarf (I'll post pictures soon) and am now working on a lace scarf for those days that aren't so cold. Scarves are nice show-off items!! I ordered all of the supplies for an afghan and let my kid pick out the pattern. He was so impressed by the cables on the scarf that he choose an easy cable pattern.

I've been spending a lot of time with my son and his homework and I know that the spring sports season is around the corner, about a month away. I feel that this focus is the right one.

Running, cycling, and swimming are all going well. Right now my focus is on getting into a routine and sticking to it. Tuesdays and Thursdays are double-workout days with running in the morning and swimming in the evening. Wednesdays are bike days. My weekday workouts are sandwiched by rest days on Mondays and Fridays. Saturday is a long run, and Sunday is a long bike day with stretch and strengthen thrown in both days for the sake of convenience. I'm very slowly building my base, and although I'm never quite satisfied with it, I know that patience is a virtue.

I'm eyeballing several races, but can't even decide what to pick! I had my heart set on IronGirl, but with my son going off to college around that time, I didn't want to commit to a race in which there might be a schedule conflict. I did my research and picked out another early summer race that seemed nearby, simple, and shorter -- but very hilly -- but I now realize that schedule may not be an issue. I hope that I can be guided in making some decisions.

Thilled To Be CAE

2008-01-25T11:58:00.000-05:00

I secretly hoped and prayed that I might pass the CAE exam, but told everyone else -- and myself -- that I didn't think I would pass. But I passed the test!!!! I keep reading the notification letter over and over, just to confirm.

I am thilled to be CAE. This is a major career accomplishment.

Fast Fish

2008-01-12T17:28:00.000-05:00

I've joined the master's swim team. This is my first formal foray into swimming since the high school swim team more than 25 years ago!!

It's very different for me because previously I've done all of my training alone and it's very different swimming with a group of people. At my other pool, there was one person to a lane, or at most two, and very little splashing. Once, I accidentally touched someone and she looked offended and found another lane.

This group is the complete opposite. There's about six lanes to the pool and about five or so people in each lane. An older gentleman behind me tapped my feet several times when he got too close. Definitely a high-contact group. It was all I could do to keep up with the frothy kick-foam of the swimmer ahead of me. It's challenging because I'd prefer to do the drills slower than they're swimming them so that I can focus on the stroke details. I'm also weak at just about every stroke except freestyle, as I haven't really practiced these a lot in the last few months. Overall, I'm a reasonable swimmer -- and I've met my match.

I really like the challenge. They have different groups: A (fastest; longer workout), B+ and B (faster; longer workout), and C (slower; shorter workout). The first night I swam with the B group. These fishies are fast!! I was so very glad that I'd worked up to swimming 2,000 yards in close to an hour because that is what the B group seemed to do. The second night I swam with the C group, just to try it out. I was the fastest swimmer in that group. But it also seemed like a good fit because I'm only used to swimming once a week and I didn't want to suddenly double my swim yardage. So, for the next several weeks, I plan on swimming with both the B and C groups on alternating days.

I was really nervous before each practice. I worried that ... I'd suddenly forget how to swim. Or, I'd sink to the bottom of the pool. Sort of like my first job when I was worried that I'd walk into the office without any clothes on!! Each day for the first year or so, I'd check to see that I had clothes on before I walked into the office. At the pool, once I got into the water everything was fine.

Another big concern was my hearing loss. I told the coaches that I'm deaf. I felt that if the coaches provided leadership in demonstrating acceptance, than others would follow the lead. Before I joined the team, I had a strange premonition that one of the coaches would know sign language. This turned out to be true! One of the coaches is a certified perofessional interpreter. He signs really fast, and my comprehension is not that great. I have a very vague idea of what we'll be doing next, and then I try to follow along. I worried that my speechreading skills would not be that great, since I don't rely on speechreading that much now that I have the implant. This also turned out to be an unfounded worry. I was able to speechread my teammates discussing the upcoming exercise and in conversation. Not only will I be able to improve my swimming skills, I'll be able to improve my communication skills.

I was also a little worried about the cochlear implant. It looks like a hearing aid, but then there's the magnet that sticks to the side of the head over the swim cap, which is quite a different look. I decided that I was going to wear the cochlear implant around others right away so that they could get used to seeing it. This didn't seem to overtly faze anyone. I'll be trying to experiment with ways that I can get to know other people and converse with them while I have my implant on, since it's much easier to follow a conversation.

I pray that everything continues to go well.

My So Called Scarf

2007-12-31T13:34:00.000-05:00

Although I stopped knitting for much of 2007, this scarf is the result of my vacation knitting. I began this last year around this time and finished it a year later. Be sure to click on the photo for a larger picture of the really beautiful stitch. It is knit with ImagiKnit Manos del Uruguay yarn that is variated in both color and thickness using a pattern for My So Called Scarf. I originally got the idea from the International Scarf Exchange which has a list of links on the right-hand side for some truely beautiful scarf patterns. I knit this straight from the pattern, but after I finished the scarf, I realized that YouTube has a helpful video for mastering this stitch. Would have been nice to have this when I started!

People have commented that the bindoff allows the scarf to flare out at the ends. With this in mind, I cast on tightly. For the bindoff, I got some of the smallest knitting needles I could find, about a size 4, and knit one row of the pattern stitch and then did a bindoff stitch. It worked perfectly and I have a nice tight bindoff.

Right now, I'm working on a very simple knit-while-you-watch-TV pattern using really thick yarn that had been sitting in my stash. As soon as I saw the pattern, I knew this was the perfect yarn to use. Soon, I'll have a thick and warm warp around the neck scarf, perfect for winter mornings. More knitting projects to come!

Acceptance Letters

2007-12-28T13:32:00.000-05:00

After weekends of filling out college applications and follow-up phone calls, standing over my son and making dire threats about what would happen if he didn't complete his essays, and all those worries that he wouldn't get into any college ... Ryan was accepted at Frostburg State University, Western State College of Colorado, and McDaniel College (which surprised me because I didn't even think I had completed that application!!!). I have no idea which school he'll ultimately pick, but I'm so gratified that he has a choice of schools to attend. Acceptance letters mean a lot to parents.

And now FAFSA season begins.

Dare I Dream?

2007-12-17T13:37:00.001-05:00

When I wrote the "Rebuilding" post back in November, I wasn't feeling positive about running and wanted to quit. So I started to play mind games with myself. One trick was to write a blog post that was positive to give myself positive throughts to rally around. Another strategy was based on what Jenny Hadfield wrote:

"Follow the three-week rule. Practice patience. Being a runner takes time. It takes 21 days to create a new habit. Running regularly will become a habit over time. A body that is active, will want to stay active. A body that is inactive will want to stay inactive. The first 3 weeks is the most challenging."

After reading this, I decided to wait 21 days before I quit running to get in the habit again and rebuild. If I felt like quitting, I could write that in my log -- in big bold letters if need be. Of course, if there was anything actually enjoyable about the run, I had to write that. Pretty soon, there were more entries about enjoyable moments than not.

As the result, I didn't give up and I didn't quit. It's still challenging around this time of year to go out on cold, dark, windy days and watch the steam rise from my breath in the light of my headlamp. Some days my motivation seems to be gone with the daylight. I'm truely just getting back into running and have an itty bitty teeny weeny very small recreational base from which to build. Swimming is going along well, and I'm swimming 1,000 yards to a mile. Cycling is still my weakest link and I can barely spin in lowest gear for any length of time.

Dare I dream?

Photo courtesy of Steven Glass, Colorado Runner

It's Over

2007-12-07T16:07:00.001-05:00

We were all told that nobody knows how they did at the end of the exam, and I certainly find this to be true. I can see that I'll have fun tormenting myself about this over in the coming weeks as I remember questions and my responses and wonder if I answered them correctly. I'm not expecting to pass. 'Twas the weeks before Christmas and visions of scantron sheets with red slashes dance through my mind. My mentor for the exam suggested that if I didn't pass, I should hit the books and try again during the next exam, stating that the material would still be fresh in my mind. If I choose that option, I'll take this goal underground.

I keep a running long, and I almost wish I'd kept a studying log because I'm curious as to just how many hours I've spent studying in preparation for this exam. The one good thing is that it's over.

Farewell to 10801 in Pictures

2007-11-29T19:49:00.000-05:00

Farewell graffiti

Outside of building

Packing crates piled high

My desk

Trees

Courtyard

Rebuilding

2007-11-15T12:03:00.000-05:00

I haven't been running regularly at all, except for going out on the weekends with my husband. I've introduced him to my favorite trail which is a path through the woods where the leaves are turning color. I only run 2 miles now, so that means that I follow him for a mile, and then walk while he goes to the turnaround point and comes back, at which point I follow him again. I like the feeling of running and gliding along with a thick carpet of leaves beneath my feet. That's the enjoyable part.

Getting back into running regularly on the weekdays has been a huge challenge. I think I'm going about it all wrong. I finally Googled up articles on returning to running after injury, and I now believe the best way to do this is to start by walking 30 minutes with a 5 minute run, gradually increasing the length of the running portion, and then increasing the run to walk ratio, until I'm running 30 minutes. This should take about 4 weeks. I'll see how this works out.

Just to make it more challenging, my treadmill broke. This means no indoor running in the comfort of my basement, even if I'm staring at my insulation. I've been getting up in the wee predawn hours to jog outside, armed with a headlamp and dressed warmly, although the temperatures keep dropping. My biggest surprise is that I'm not the only one stirring at this hour. I see about three other cars warming up and getting ready to go to work.

Right now, swimming is the best thing that I've got going. It always makes me feel like a million, like running used to. After swimming, I'll get in the car and drive to work in bumper-to-bumper traffic, and it won't bother me. Ohmmmmmmm! I actually decided to cut back on swimming and gradually build up. I'll warm up, then swim about 800 yards working on my flip turns. Then I'll do another 500 free at a very relaxed pace, almost a cooldown, until I've been in the water for 40 minutes or so.

I'm reaching to the finish line with CAE studying. I've got one more domain to tackle and a final exam with my online course. I also need to produce notes for my study group on D10. After that, I'll begin taking practice tests and reviewing everything as I head for the finish line.

With the half marathon, I was completely unprepared for any alternate outcomes. But with the CAE exam, I've met *more* than a half dozen people who didn't pass the test the first time around--really bright people--and I'm mentally prepared for either outcome. And as I head into the final stretch, I have this feeling that 2008 is going to be redemption year -- the year that I try to accomplish what I don't accomplish in 2007.

Cleared

2007-11-07T08:28:00.000-05:00

I was told I had knee arthritis -- until I actually had x-rays taken and they came back clean. Turns out it was simply an overuse injury. That's the good news. Not having joint problems is really a very good thing.

Doesn't change anything else though.

Inspirational Link of the Day

2007-10-23T17:25:00.000-04:00

Triathlete leaves competitors, self-pity behind

I hope the day comes when we talk about an individual's accomplishments first and their disability second.

Another Countdown

2007-10-21T14:47:00.000-04:00

Kyrie Eleison
Down the road that I must travel
Kyrie Eleison
Through the darkness of the night
Kyrie Eleison
Where I'm going will you follow

--Mr. Mister

I'm knocking off domain after domain as I count down the weeks until the CAE exam on Dec. 7. I'm a little burned out on studying, which is one of my latest challenges. My study group is one of the things that keeps me going. The actual group meeting is simply a review for me as I get an outline of a domain I've already studied. I also know from talking to other people that I've done far more studying than most, being the perfectionistic individual that I am. But then again, I can't imagine just getting started in studying for this test with the sheer amount of specific information that must be kept in mind.

Things are getting a little crazy. I have an IEP meeting coming up for one kid, and the other decided he wants to join the Marines. We're a passionately anti-war family and we're hoping that he doesn't just go down to the recruiter's office and enlists the day he turns 18. My other hobby is completing college applications in hopes that he actually goes to college.

My exercise life has been practically non-existent. I haven't run regularly since the end of September. Then I took a week off from all exercise before and after the race. Now I'm having a hard time getting going again. For the first time since I started running 1.5 years ago, I've contemplated quitting. I took so much time off that I feel like my base is gone, which is discouraging. My PT said that I could do "two miles" and I didn't bother to ask whether that was each time or once a week. Part of me feels like going out on a run to see the leaves turning colors as the season changes. Another part of me feels like curling up on my couch with a twinkie, soda ... and my books. I want the stress relief and the endorphins, but I'm frustrated with my leg aching and having to start over again.

I'm having a hard time explaining to my co-workers what I've been doing during the weekend after they talk about their social events. I usually spend most of my weekends with my nose in a book. At heart, I am a book nerd who thinks that the printed word can tell us everything about the world. Perhaps I should say that I spend a lot of time with my buddies (the Association Law Handbook and Professional Practices in Association Management, not to mention a few others) and I had some fast times (flipping note cards to review key terms and topics), then during a pensive moment, I did some writing (to take notes). I'm even thinking of this as trying on the life of an adult grad student.

And then there are my nefarious distractions. I've discovered that YouTube has all of my favorite '80s videos. I grew up with beginning of MTV, but this is better than that! I can watch my favorite video anytime, without waiting for it to come on, and I can play it five times in a row!! It's amusing to see another generation figure out the Kyrie Eleison means "Lord, have mercy" and it's spoken three times during the Catholic mass, as Richard Page does at the beginning of the song.

Baltimore 5K

2007-10-13T18:31:00.000-04:00

I really wanted to be in Baltimore on Oct. 13 and I couldn't believe how excited my husband and I were about the race. I love the feel, the excitement, and the crowds in a big-city race. The weather was perfect. It was warmer than last year, about 47 degrees which was cool, but not cold.

We almost didn't make it. My logistics called for leaving the house at 7 a.m. for a half-hour drive into Baltimore with 15 minutes to park and walk to the starting line. This would give us 45 minutes before the start of the race to stretch, go to the bathroom, and watch the marathoners take off. But hubby decided to take a different road into Baltimore, and this cost us a stress-filled and argumentative 30+ minutes. The roads were closing and cars formed a single file line which snaked slowly into the stadium parking area which was filled to capacity. I honestly thought we'd never get to the starting line at all. But in the nick of time we found a parking spot and sprinted over to the starting line with just 10 minutes to spare. We swear we'll leave the house earlier next year and watch our stress management!

And we took off. Both of us found it easier this year now that we knew the course and what to expect. The Baltimore course is known for its hills, and the 5K race heads uphill for the first mile or so. I tried to think of it as a long incline, which I prefer to steep hills. I hit mile 1 at 12 minutes, as I did last year. Then the rest of the course went downhill, and I was able to speed up. I felt pretty good, considering that I hadn't run at all for several weeks since the injury and I took the last week off completely to rest a sore muscle on the side of my leg. As I was heading toward the finish line I got a right side stitch, so I tried to deal with it. The biggest hazard on the course was potholes and sewer covers and I nearly turned my ankle on one, but then a running angel caught my elbow and asked if I was OK. I replied that I was, but never said thank you. Thank you!

I came in at 31:40 -- a personal record for me!! It was a really great day and I was happy to be there and happy to be in the running.

My goal now is base, base, base!!!! I need a stronger base and a higher level of fitness to get to the next step.

Dreaming Big Dreams

2007-10-04T08:54:00.000-04:00

It was a very experiential season that came, and went, and never really got off the ground. I didn't do many shorter races this year, preferring to focus on the half-marathon, and I deferred that because of the knee injury due to osteoarthritis, a byproduct of a car accident a decade ago. I was most surprised to learn that I didn't do anything wrong in my training that might have caused the injury. My biggest mistake may have been not taking enough time off to recuperate from the first injury before starting the HM plan. So much for self-castigation and flagellation! But I do believe now that there is value in keeping a training log and recording all injuries -- and developing a rating system that will note whether this was a small ache versus real pain. It's up to you to do your own research and analysis and present that information in the process of trying to determine what went wrong.

I tend to think that if I do all of the right things, everything will turn out right. I followed the training plan closely and tried to do everything to keep injury at bay. But sometimes things just happen for no reason. Or, maybe we don't understand the reason at the time.

So...as I take a break from running for a while to rest and recuperate, I'm trying to turn greater attention to other things. I find myself dreaming big dreams -- for next season. This comforts and inspires me. And I do want another season, and that is my motivation.

Week 11: Crash and Burn

2007-09-21T18:08:00.000-04:00

I made an appointment with my sports doc after my knee hurt in the swimming pool, which was too freaky for me. Then I went on a great recovery weekend run and a Tuesday morning 60 min. run and felt fine. So, I canceled the appointment.

On Thursday, I got on the treadmill and my knee hurt, so I began to experiment with solutions. I tried a longer warmup. Wearing my knee strap, then taking it off. Finally, 40 minutes later, I gave up. And then I couldn't go up and down the stairs or get up from a sitting position without knee pain. I knew I was in trouble. I've been limping around ever since and walking up the stairs with one foot. I'm back on my sports doc's calendar in two weeks.

I don't know whether to cry or scream. I spent months preparing for the half-marathon and now I don't know if it's in my future. I can't help but feeling that I'm being smited. Every time I run 8 miles, I get injured. I can't understand what I did wrong and why this happened.

What I do know is that I'll be cross-training until I can see the doctor, and then I'll make a decision about the race and any future sports participation. But it's hard to keep it from my thoughts as I move from sadness to frustration to self-castigation and maybe finally to acceptance. The endorphins will come in handy! I am so glad that this is a busy time of year and that I have the CAE pursuit, family, and work to take my mind off of this.

Week 10: Keep on Going

2007-09-14T14:55:00.000-04:00

Due to time constraints and declining daylight, I finally took my training indoors to the pre-dawn hours. Don't even ask me how early I'm working out. And looking at my basement insulation for an hour is really interesting. This is going to take a lot of discipline - and a second cup of coffee for the drive to work. It's also strange because in the afternoon while driving my kid to soccer or tutor, I look at the runners and cyclists going by and think about running. Then I realize that I already did my run.

The highlight of my week was going to the local aquatics center for a Friday morning swim workout. I figure I can come in a little later on Fridays because typically I put in more hours earlier in the week, and I always wind up staying later to wrap up the week. After a search of local indoor pools, I found a pool where the water is warm and the membership is cheap!!! There's an open lane, a nice hot tub, and a swim suit dryer. What more could I want?

Otherwise, things are going along. Work is so so. I fall asleep while reading. I got the answer wrong on this week's scenario question. My knees hurt in the swimming pool!!!?? I wake up with a sore throat. I feel like I lack discipline half the time. Just keep on going. And keep on going. Because then when an easy 6 mile run comes along on a perfect early fall day ... or my kid gets in a chatty mood and decides to tell me everything about his day ... I can enjoy it even more.

Week 9: Facing Fears

2007-09-08T11:03:00.000-04:00

It's getting darker earlier and it's difficult get in a run unless I can out there around 6:30 p.m., which is challenging because I run on the days my kid has tutor. Even though I say I'm going to use the treadmill, I haven't done so yet. I hate the thought of spending so many months training on the treadmill...but I also hate running in the dark.

My knees began to ache after Thursday's run. I had a long run of 8 miles scheduled on Saturday and I was almost afraid to run. I seriously contemplated taking the day as a cycle or rest day. Then, I decided to jog a bit in front of my house, just to see how my legs felt. Convinced that they felt alright, I went to the park. I did the IronGirl route x2 running slow and taking a lot of walk breaks, especially in the first few miles around the first lap, just as the experts suggest. I even took some stretching breaks. Once I warmed up, I began to feel OK and my pace picked up. Toward the end, felt tired and my joints felt tired. I topped it all off with a cold water bath. We'll see how I feel tomorrow.

On Sunday, I went for a short bike ride because the outdoor pools closed, and I have no access to the pool for now. It was a really nice, perfect ride on a late-summer morning and the traffic was really light. My new bike shorts feel really comfy! But later, my joints and achilles tendon just felt sore, particularly after sitting down. It's as if my body starts to lock up when I sit down and don't move. It could be that my body just isn't used to the mileage. But when I feel like this, I start to seriously doubt whether I'll make it to the starting line.

This week I've been struggling with a particularly difficult domain on planning, evaluation and research, and I've been having a hard time putting all of the information together and wrapping my mind around it. Sometimes, the vocabulary seems to be used in different ways.

At the beginning of the online class, I made a graphic organizer using the Inspiration program that contains my affirmations, as suggested. Now, as the going gets tough, I'm learning the importance of affirmations.

Week 8: Slacking Off

2007-09-01T20:47:00.000-04:00

This week called for:
50 minutes run-easy
40 minutes cycle
50 minutes run-form
4 mile long run
30 minutes swim

It's on of my last recovery weeks before the program peaks and I've been really taking it easy with everything. I ran super slow and cycled lazily. None of my runs were stupendous. During one run, I forgot my knee supporter and hoped that I wouldn't re-injure myself. During the other I couldn't seem to get going...and the day before the long run I ate sushi and for some reason it didn't sit right, which is anomaly for me, and I had stomach cramps for the entire morning.

The week ended with a mediocre 30-minute swim that I cut short when my knee felt funny. Then, I stubbed my pinky toe on something that my kid didn't pick up in his room and bruised my toe. Ouch.

The nicest part of the week was cycling. I decided to head down to my favorite park and cycle down the paved pathway. Definitely a must-do route. Later that week, I decided to return to that trail to enjoy the holiday. It was a fun ride and I had a nice endorphin high the rest of the day.

Being on a training program has its advantages and disadvantages as I tend to get a little obsessed with minutes and miles and doing everything according to plan. I'm getting a little nervous and wondering whether I can really make it through to race day as the program peaks. I just hope my body holds together. The half-marathon is on a very hilly course and just looking at the elevation map is making me nervous. Luckily, the 10 miler falls on the day of a supported course run, so if all goes well it will settle my nerves. I was concerned about the amount of time all of the training was taking, especially with everything else going on, but I realized it's not going to be too much more than what I'm doing now.

Week 7: Shifting Gears

2007-08-22T13:37:00.000-04:00

So far, everything is going good with my workouts, and I don't feel so sore. But let's wait for the end of the week for the final judgement on that.

When I was cycling yesterday, I focused on sitting in the seat and shifting gears so that I wasn't pushing a high/hard gear going up hills or an incline or pedaling with no resistance on the downhills. I'm practicing the coordination needed to for gear shifting with both hands and I haven't quite got it down yet. This was one of those serendipitous discoveries that I made that my web search later showed was the right thing to do.

I'll be shifting gears in other ways. For my online class, we’re supposed to read anywhere from 75-178 pages a week and the instructor suggested that class participants to allow 6 hours a week for reading. Hahahahahah. I've never thought of myself as a slow reader, but it always takes me longer to read, process, and remember material. I am so very thankful now that I spent the summer reading, highlighting, and taking notes on most of these texts. If I had to read everything beginning now, I would drown. My focus will be on reviewing and remembering, rather than just trying to do a first read. I'm frustrated, though, because we did a practice test and I'm still had difficulty with many questions--even those that were more fact-based. And then there's the questions based on the reading and I can't recall where I read it. Yikes. It's not enough to read something and vaguely remember it because the test involves knowing details. One also has to know what is on a particular form--and what is NOT on that form.

The class is going to take a lot of time, and I think that as a compromise, beginning in September I'm going to move my running back to the treadmill in the predawn hours. It takes less time to go from my bed to the treadmill, and it frees up valuable time in the late afternoon and early evening.

Week 7 went out without event. I went for a 7 mile long run on Saturday, but ended up doing about 7.75 miles because I miscalculated the distance around the park when using the IronGirl route and making a complete circle. Lesson learned: it's actually closer to 8 miles and this knowledge will come in handy for my two 8 mile runs coming right up. All seems well on the running front.

IronGirl Triathlon

2007-08-20T07:22:00.000-04:00

I wanted to learn more about triathlon, so at the last minute, I decided to volunteer for the IronGirl Triathlon. This was the most volunteer-friendly race I have ever participated in. Everyone was so nice, and willing to answer questions and explain things. I was amazed at both the oldest and the youngest athletes. I didn't expect to see people in their 70s doing a triathlon, nor did I expect to see 13-year-olds competing. My kids couldn't do that. It was interesting to see the whole event, what people were wearing, their equipment, and how they approached transition. Although it was a very long volunteer commitment, the entire event was very well run and a truly great experience.

Week 6: Yin and Yang

2007-08-15T15:07:00.000-04:00

The week started out good with an easy 40 minute run with generous walk breaks. I swear, it doesn't make that much difference in time if I take walk breaks. My knee has been good, for the most part. I was working at home, so I took the opportunity to run at about 7 a.m. in the park. It always amazes me the number of people running in the park on a weekday, during rush hour when most people are commuting to work. There's some equipment sitting in the middle of the lake, but I never took much notice of it before. Today, I saw the equipment in action and realized that the algae is periodically removed from the lake.

This week, I did three workouts--run, bike, and run--on consecutive days. The whole thing is making me incredibly sore, and I'm a bit discouraged. I took Saturday off due to muscle soreness, skipped the swim workout, and then closed the week by running on Sunday (after volunteering at IronGirl). I'm also frustrated with wearing the knee band, which seems to help prevent knee soreness on longer runs. When people see me at the end of a workout with that band on, more than once I've been asked "Are you OK?" Yes, I'm OK!

I'm trying to figure out how to juggle all of the workouts so that I can complete everything without falling apart. I believe that the developers of the training plan envisioned that people were going to be doing a very leisurely bike ride or a very slow swim on their cross training days. Instead, I'm able to bring some conditioning to both sports and I'm an experienced swimmer, so I may be doing these workouts at a greater intensity and overdoing my crosstraining. Maybe juggling days will help and watching the overall intensity level of crosstraining will help. Maybe, just maybe, my body might adapt someday.

Phase I of my CAE prep came to a close. This weekend, I didn't do any real reading; instead, I'm reviewing my flash cards prior to my online class starting. I think I'll also go back and tackle the new edition of PPAM and take notes on the marketing book. Every time I turn around, I find a new book that's recommended reading, and now a book on core competencies in professional development is recommended reading before ASAE's course. I quickly ordered it and I'll tackle it when it arrives on my doorstep.

I think I finally comprehend the meaning of studying and running. To my understanding, it's like yin and yang -- the equal and opposing forces of mental and physical that when combined in proportion can complement and counterbalance each other to bring about an equilibrium to life.

Week 5: The Mist on the Water

2007-08-10T07:50:00.000-04:00

Training has not been spectacular. I began the week with a stretch & strengthen session. A heat wave this week made it difficult to exercise. On Tuesday, I did a 40 min run at a conversational pace - I truly felt that I was running in slow motion, at the rate of a fast walk. Even with very generous walk breaks to avoid the hills near my home, I ran about 12 mins/mile. This should be my long run pace. My knee felt a bit sore at the end of the run and my thigh muscles felt a bit sore that night, probably because of the previous day's stretch and strengthen.

Cycling is easier in the heat because it creates a breeze and there's the feeling of propelling oneself through the air. I went out longer than I should have, but in the middle of the ride, I got one of my foot cramps in my left foot with waves of pain, so I stopped to walk it off in a nearby neighborhood. My legs were sore afterward, especially around the right knee.

Thursday, my knees felt sore after sitting for a long time at work, and I didn't like the way my knees were talking to me, so I took the day off of running and used the time to study. The lesson learned this week is to back off and not overtrain; otherwise, I'll never make it to race day.

Right now is the countdown before my distance learning class begins. It was suggested that we read three books--one about employment law, marketing, and financial statements--prior to starting the class, so I'm trying to get through these. Then, the plan is to go back and read and take notes on any chapters I missed in the other books. I also need to schedule a regular time to review the flash cards, perhaps during breakfast, tutor time, and the last hour before bed when I'm tired and falling asleep while reading.

Friday night I ran at one of my favorite haunts, and I like going back to the park periodically so I can see the ecosystem as it goes through seasonal changes. The one thing that I'm going right is that I'm running slowly at a conversational pace, taking generous walk breaks, and kinesthetically establishing a long run pace. This makes running very easy. Still, at the end of the run, my legs felt sore.

I wanted to keep my weekend schedule the same, so I got up an ran on Saturday morning. Once again, I ran slowly at a conversational pace and took walk breaks. Even so, my time is only a minute slower at 12 min/mile. At the end of this run, my right knee was sore. I hope I didn't overdo.

I went earlier trying to beat the heat, but it was a cool summer day that made me think of the coming fall season. The lake was like glass. Sunlight was shinning on the mist on the water. As time went on, the mist largely disappeared, but when I left, I could see traces of the mist that I've seen before. At first, I thought the mist was due to the different air/water temperatures, but now I think that maybe there's mist was on the lake every morning -- it's a reward for getting up early for a run.

Week 4: Twists and Turns

2007-08-05T22:28:00.000-04:00

I'm busy navigating twists and turns on both the running front and the CAE front.

After I spent most of the spring reading and taking notes on two books that are key CAE literature, they came out with new editions! One book doesn't seem to have a great deal of change. But the other book, a collection of topics on association management, has several new chapters, different authors on familiar topics providing updated information as well as a slightly format that features questions at the end of each chapter. I'll be dealing with this in the fall as I go through my online class. Right now, I just want to read/skim all of the books before the class begins. I have several other entire books to read. This should keep me busy.

On the running front, week three flowed into week 4 because I realized that I'd wind up a week short on the training program. Rule number one: Always begin your training program by writing down the weeks and calendar dates. I'd been too lazy to do this before now. But it wasn't a big problem because week 4 was the same as the preceeding week, except that the long run was 5 miles instead of 4 miles.

On Saturday, I tried to get to the park as early as possible in order to beat the heat. Everybody was there! It was like a big fitness party, which provided plenty of opportunity for great people watching. Member of the local running club were running around and a lot of cyclists gathered in groups for a ride. As I left, people were parked on the grass and some cars had kayacks on the roof.

The run went well and I was huffing and puffing along. In my zeal to try to get back into shape, I ran a very consistent 11 min/mile pace, which was good but way too fast. This is my race pace. My long run pace should be a conversational pace of 12:30-13 mins/mile. I'll have to focus on my mantra of "no need for speed" even if everyone seems to be blazing by while I'm waddling along. I also used my fuel belt, which seemed to work well. My knee was fine during the run, but when I got home after the run and began doing household chores, my right knee felt stiff and I had trouble bending it while walking down the stairs. I iced it and the stiffness resolved, but this is worrisome. I also ordred a knee support which I'm going to be experimenting with.

In looking at the IronGirl Triathlon course map, which will be held in the same park in two weeks, I realized that I could extend my route around the lake from 2.4 miles to 3.4 miles by going down a different trail that winds around a baseball diamond. I'll have to try that. The map also helped me discover the route that all the cyclists may be using.

I closed out the week with a 40 min. swim, once again trying to use the low-impact sport to re-build my aerobic fitness. I swam at a moderate/fast pace for about 25 mins., using the rest of the time to warm up or cool down.

Weeks 2-3: A Snake in the Path

2007-07-31T19:44:00.000-04:00

Week 2 of the half-marathon training program was spent at Myrtle Beach. The entire vacation was superlative in every way. The weather was 86 degrees and sunny every day. The beach was the best that I've ever been at. The water was warm, like a bathtub, and the waves were not too intense, until the late afternoon. The beach is extremely well lifeguarded, so I felt very safe. The hotel had a tiki bar with live music every afternoon, which could be heard on the beach and in the pools. We spent 3 days on the beach, and by then we were sunburned and friend. Then we decided to take a day away from the beach to visit Alligator Adventure and Boardwalk on the Beach, which had 100 shops and a the feel of a Disney theme park with its theme decor. My youngest son went off to a wizard adventure with his dad, while I shopped with my older son. Later, we all went to Ripley's Aquarium. You wouldn't think that Ripley had an aquarium, but it was excellent. The highlight of the aquarium was the "Dangerour Reef." To design the reef, most of the building was a giant fish tank with a glass tunnel at the bottom so that visitors could look up and see the sharks teeth as they swam over the tunnel. Every tank was clean and spotless and all of the fish, with the exeption of one or two, looked extremely healthy. We spent one more day on the beach, and then topped it off with a visit to a local water park, which was nice, but not all that great in comparison to some of the water parks that we've been to. The only downside was the drive, which was purported to be about 8 hours on TripTiks, but actually stretched to 11-12 hours with traffic jams, bathroom breaks, and food stops.

I'm still struggling to come back from injury and run in the humid heat. My training plan this week called for two 30 minute runs and a long run of 2 miles, which was accomplish by running and walking. At the hotel, I also took advantage of the workout room to cross train with the elliptical maching, exercise bike, and weights.

Week 3

My week calls for two 30 minute runs, one with 4 quick strides, and a long run of 4 miles. Two days will be spent cross training, and if I'm really good, I'll stretch and strengthen. A highlight of the week so far is that I took the longest bike ride ever for cross training--40 minutes. So far, no soreness or injury. Bike riding in the head is actually easier because there's the wind and the feeling of movement. But then, my bike tire went flat. I'll have to remember to get that fixed.

Today is the first run, and it's a steamy hot 93 degree day and I feel like wilting. I feel lazy like the alligator in the picture and I can't get motivated to run at all. I ran with generous walk breaks and I feel so discouraged and out of shape. All winter I'm running and trying to warm up and I can't wait for summer, but now I'm wishing for cooler weather.

But today was a rare back to nature exprience. As I was about to set out on my favorite trail, I saw a snake in the path. I walked up to it, wondering if it was poisonous or even alive, but then tought better than to cross it's path and I decided to head down another path, thinking that I could see any snakes more easily by running on a paved pathway. As I turned around, I could see it slither across the path. It was alive after all. As I ran down the alternate path, I saw a mother deer and a baby cross the path. I stopped at a distance and let them cross. On the way back, I saw a possum or beaver or otter-like animal. I also ran by a grazing deer. They must not be afraid of humans.

I've got to get back to studying! My husband has a terrible cold, and I hope I don't get another!!

Half-Marathon Plan, Week 1

2007-07-18T08:13:00.000-04:00

I am so utterly discouraged. I signed up for a marathon/half-marathon program offered by my local running club. I was really looking forward to this. But now I'm wondering what I got myself into. I'm trying to recover from a knee injury and I've been fighting a cold this week after traveling.

The program kicked off on a hot day and with a dew point of 50%. I thought they'd probably have water because it was offered during other club programs, but they expected everyone to bring their own and of course I forgot to bring water. Then they had everyone run 4 miles--without any stretching. Perhaps they figured that everyone stretched beforehand or this was somehow unnecessary. It was the absolute worst 4 miles I have ever run in my life. I finished dead last.

I felt like my son. He's training for the football team and absolutely hates running because it's boring and he think's he'll loose weight (haha). The first time he did sprints he threw up. The second time, he laid down at the end. He said it was the hardest thing he ever did and he felt like he was in the military. I wanted to lay down during this run or just quit.

At the conclusion of the session, they handed me a half-marathon program that included a lot more miles and a lot longer runs sooner in the program than I was thinking of doing. After my knee injury, I've revised my goals downward and I'm planning to follow the "Run Half Marathon" program in John Bingham's book "Marathoning for Mortals." This program starts out conservatively and ramps up slowly. I pray that I don't re-injure my knee after that run.

I thought this was a program for beginners, but it turns out that everyone has been running for several years and many participants have run several marathons and are looking to improve their time. Prior to signing up, I even e-mailed and asked if this was appropriate, and was encouraged to register for the program. Now I'm wondering why they don't have a program specifically geared to first timers.

I feel so utterly discouraged and demoralized. Now, I am thinking about quitting.

Pittsburgh Triathlon
This experience comes on the heels of a really nice run. I traveled to Pittsburgh for a conference and the hotel had a a route developed by Runner's World. I was naturally hesitant to run early in the morning on an unfamiliar route in an urban area, but a co-worker did it and thought it was safe.

On the last day of the conference I headed out at 6 a.m. and ran along the banks of the Allegheny River. As I was running along, I saw two people with wetsuits get out of the river. I thought they were triathletes enjoying an Sunday morning open water swim. I was right! And that wasn't all. Soon, I came upon the transition area of the Pittsburgh Triathlon. I stopped to ask the volunteer questions, and we chatted about the temperature of the water as he patiently answered my newbie questions. It was the highlight of my day. I recently stumbled upon Meagan Timney's blog, "I Tri Therefore I Am," and if I didn't know better, I'd think it was a sign.

After all that, I ran back to the hotel quickly, and best of all, my knee was fine and I felt like I was back in the running.

A Perfect Downfall

2007-06-29T22:35:00.000-04:00

I'm a perfectionist by nature. I want to be perfect in everything I do, and so I tend to overdo things. And true to form, I approach running the same way. I ran and increased my mileage...and then I overdid it. When I look back, I did everything wrong: I ran too many hills and ran on too many banked roads, increased mileage too fast and too soon, and ran too many days of the week with no cross-training or strength training.

Now I'm injured. My right knee aches and so does my achilles tendon. Of course it's always the right leg. At first I tried to crosstrain by swimming, but that seemed to aggravate the injury rather than help it. My bicycle seems to be calling out to me from the garage for cross training, but that never worked out well before because it only aggravated my achilles, so I'm wondering why I have this particular urge. Over the years, I've learned to pay attention to my urges because they lead to some nice things. So, I got a new bike seat that's softer and may be more easy to adapt to.

So, I've retreated to my couch and computer, surfing the net and trying to find the cure, wondering when this is going to go away. I feel so stupid. And restless. And worried. I'm planning to take two weeks off. Then I want to get on my half-marathon training plan and I'm fervently hoping that I can get through this without injury. I blame it on the stupidity for running that last long run...but I'm hoping I'll reach that distance once again, and this time I'll be able to run strong. I hope that I'll be able to learn how to train sensibly.

The good news is that while my running is languishing, my CAE studying is pickiing up!

Running Through Summer

2007-06-09T20:04:00.000-04:00

Now summer's here and the weather is really beginning to get hot. I added another run to my mid-week repetoire so that I'm running about 3 miles x 3 days a week. However, I can seldom have a "perfect week." Sometimes life just gets in the way of running and I wind up skipping a workout. If I do workout, then one run is usually very easy, with many walk breaks. I'm also back to increasing my long runs on the weekend. Last week I did 7 miles, and this week I did 8 miles--a record for me!!!!! My running schedule happened to coincide with my church's Run/Walk for Tanzania, which gave me some friendly people to run with at the park where I typically run. It was a real treat to run with other people. I went 4 laps around the lake. There are two duck families and it's been fun to watch the baby ducks grow up week by week as I jog around the park. It takes me about 1.5 hours to run 7-8 miles, and my husband got me a fuel belt, which I'm sure will come in handy.

I've been wanting to get back to my CAE studying and really put some serious time into this effort. But life keeps happeing. There's a board committee project that was more time-consuming than anticipated. The need to prep for an IEP meeting. My advocate quitting. Getting behind at work. A difficult author. Traveling for the holidays. Kids sports and tutor. It seem like I have less and less time for everything. I used to take classes at my local community college in preparation for a master's degree. Now, I can't figure out how I did it all. Maybe it was because I slept less. I remember during one summer class, I was more tired and fell asleep at every boring meeting and at church on Sunday. Maybe it was sheer determination. Where did the time and motivation go? The only fortuitious thing was that I planned out a study guide that called for spending 3 weeks on each area of focus. After all the distraction, I'm still on schedule. I haven't taken notes on all the chapters, as I wanted, but perhaps I can read everything once over before fall. Maybe I can put the piece into place again as I run through summer and the warm weeks fly by.

Sring is Here

2007-04-29T16:26:00.000-04:00

Ran 4 miles today around Lake Elkhorn. Spring has finally come to Maryland and the ducks have fuzzy green babies. One duck family has three and another duck family has six babies. There's also an area of the lake near the bridge that is home to a lot of turtles!

I ran the first lap around the park very slowly with my husband. He always says he's going to take up running, but only does it on the weekend and wonders why he's not in shape.

I haven't been running a lot lately, prior to the Future Leaders conference this weekend. Everybody around me was sick: my kid was sick, my co-worker was sick, and my boss was sick. I just wanted to rest up before the conference and not get sick, as traveling when you're sick is misery. Hopefully, I'll be able to get back on schedule and buildup again...

Clyde's 10K

2007-04-15T18:15:00.000-04:00

I almost didn't run this race. The temperatures were in the low 40s and it was pouring rain the whole time. I hate rain. It's one of my least favorite weather conditions, and I've never even run in the rain before. I did all my pre-race preparations and then decided to go and sit in my car in the parking lot, and then make a decision about heading to the starting line. I decided to wear my capris shortly before leaving the house, as I didn't want to look unseasonal. But I decided to bring along my tights, just in case. As I sat in the car I could see many runners in tights, and I make a last-minute decision to put on my tights in the car. Nobody saw that, right?! It was the best decision I made. The tights saved the day! They kept my leg muscles warm and I didn't even feel the rain. I love my tights.

But the rain came pouring down. And when it did, I just closed my eyes and turned inward. After a desultory start, I actually began to wake up as the race went on. Three miles went by easily. I paced myself by a woman and her daughters that were running together, but there were two hills in the race, which were actually long inclines, and I lost speed as my pacers gained ground. After mile five, I couldn't believe that the race was coming to an end, and I tried to pick up the pace as I got to the finish line. I caught up to my pacers and tried to pass, but then my CI fell off and I had to stop and mess with it. I'll have to get an earmold made so this doesn't happen again. I came in strong for a finish in 1:08:26.30, which was OK. But most of all, I made it through the 10K easily and I discovered that I like this distance.

It wasn't until afterward that I really felt the effects of the rain and the cold as I began shivering. I never realized that my husband had been at the finish line cheering me on until he caught up with me at the restaurant that sponsored the race. It was really sweet of him to come out to see me on such a miserable day.

I finally jump-started my CAE studying by approaching it like a training plan for the half-marathon. Using the state association study guide as a template, I made up a plan for the next 21 weeks, outlining the number of weeks I'd spend on each of 10 domains. I'm gaining ground on each of two goals.

Christmas in April

2007-04-07T19:46:00.000-04:00

Global warming is here. We had snow in April!!!! The grass is green, the daffodils are blooming, the trees are budding...and the temperature dropped into the 20s overnight and it snowed! I went out for my Saturday morning long run, and by the time I finished, it melted. I ran in Centennial park, which is becoming one of my favorite places to run because it has a longer 2.4 mile path that circles the park. There are a lot of red winged black birds and red birds that may be summer tanagers. All of the birds, ducks, and rabbits are very tame.

I Need a Muse

2007-04-06T08:12:00.000-04:00

I titled my blog "My Muse" because I so often need a muse, which is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "a source of inspriation...a guiding genius...and any of the nine sister goddesses in Greek mythology presiding over song and poetry and arts and sciences."

I just feel stressed these days. There's only 24 hours in a weekend, and never enough time to get everything done. I need a muse to help me write. I need a muse to help me tackle the incredible amount of busywork and paperwork that life involves.

I'm finding it difficul to make the transition from the treadmill in the morning to running outdoors in the afternoon when my kid is at sports or tutor because so many things can happen that will take away the time I planned to run. While I really enjoyed increasing my long runs, I felt like a "weekend warrier" because I was sore for a day or two afterward. On the treadmill, I tend to walk-run, but outdoors, I tend to want to run most of the way, so that's an increase in intensity. My new goal is to add an additional mid-week workouit and slowly build up my mid-week mileage to 9-10 miles over time. Later, I'll put it all together and then once again increasing my long runs.

I'm in a slump with my CAE studying ever since I finished the online course early and then promptly burned out. I need to set up a plan for steady reading and studying, similar to the way I've done for my running buildup. I feel like I don't want this bad enough to study consistently.

I need a muse to give me inspiration in life.

The Birds Outside the Window

2007-04-03T07:43:00.000-04:00

I wasn't going to post about my cochlear implant, but it's part of my experience. I've had the CI for four years now, which makes me an "old timer," but even so, I still have some CI moments. Here are some I'd like to share....

Sometimes at work I hear new sounds, either because of processor reprogramming or serendipity. At work, my cube is several feet from a window, and this spring I've begun to hear the birds outside, which I don't remember hearing before in the nine years I've work for this organization. I couldn't believe I was hearing the soft, high-pitched sound of birdcall from inside the building.

I like to ask co-workers about new sounds that I'm hearing, but I've learned to be careful because sometimes they think I'm crazy. After all, how would you feel if a fourtysomething person came up to you and asked about the sound of birds, which you've taken for granted your whole life? People don't realize that having a CI is an ongoing experience that brings new discoveries, even four years later. But this time I picked a safe person to ask, and she responded to my questions with an e-mail describing when and why one might hear birds.

The same thing happened at my home. I heard a low-pitched noise while sitting at the kitchen table that I hadn't noticed before and turned to ask my kid. It turns out that the ice maker periodically makes ice.

Even though I rarely talk about the cochlear implant with others anymore, it's something I always enjoy -- and never take for granted. No matter how difficult the listening situation, I'm always able to keep my spirits up and see it positively because I know how poorly I would have performed in that same situation without the implant. And there isn't ever a time when I come out of a movie theater that I'm not grateful to have this.

No Need for Speed

2007-03-04T16:05:00.000-05:00

At right is a view of a recent winter snow from my backyard. Snow is rather rare in Maryland so I wanted to take pictures, and this time it melted the next day.

I was doing a recovery run last weekend around Lake Elkhorn and I had a variety of aches and pains that don't usually happen. I sensed that I was running too fast, especially for a shorter recovery run. When I got home, I realized that I had just run at my 5K race pace! When I ran the numbers in the Runner's World training calculator, it showed that based on my typical 5K race pace of 34 mins., my long runs should be at 13 min/mile. It will take me about 1:11 to finish that upcoming 10K and I'll finish the half-marathon in 2:36.

My running mantra is going to be the title of John Bingham's column and book, "No Need for Speed." This week I ran 6.5 miles without any walk breaks. I purposely tried to run slow, as if I were going in slow motion. The third lap around the lake was still a bit difficult and at the end my hips ached a bit, but whenever the going got tough, I reminded myself that there's no need for speed and tried to slow down and keep going at an easy pace. Even so, I'm still going faster than the recommended 13 mins.

This weekend spring was in the air and the temperature got up to 60 degrees! I broke out my tights and jacket. It was a beautiful day and a lot of people took a break from Saturday chores to enjoy the nice weather. A woman from church came up to me and asked me if I'd been running at Lake Elkhorn and said that she was there and didn't recognize me. No matter, I told her. One of my biggest joys in my life with a cochlear implant is hearing people say "hi" to me as I run by. I think of all the times when I didn't have the cochlear implant or wore a hearing aid and didn't hear anybody saying anything--how rude it must have seemed when I didn't say "hi" back to them.

A big "hi" and "good morning" to everyone that passes me in the park! You make my day!!