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.
Saturday, November 7, 2009
Yin and Yang
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.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Taco Soup
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.
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.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Baltimore Half-Marathon 2009
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.
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.
Friday, October 9, 2009
To Baltimore, Reluctantly
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.
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.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
IronGirl 2009
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.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Surfing Folly Beach 2009
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... 
Monday, June 8, 2009
Manassas Mini Tri 2009
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!!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
The Complete Dummies Guide to Changing a Flat Bike Tire
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? :)
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? :)
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Clipless Pedals
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.
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.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
A New Kind of Pain at the Pump: Credit Card Fraud
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
TriColumbia Howard Life 75K bike ride
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??
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??
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
This I Believe
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.
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.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
An Inspiring Video
An extraodinary Thai commercial from Pantene about a musician, who happens to be deaf.
Enjoy and be inspired!
Enjoy and be inspired!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Waiting on the World to Change
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!!!
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!!!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Group Ride
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.
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.
Overall, a really nice ride.
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Slowly, But Surely
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.
Saturday, February 7, 2009
"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.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Graduation
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.
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.Sunday, February 1, 2009
Penguin Pace 2009
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:
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:
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Baltimore Examiner Closing
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Skiing The Butte
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.
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