Joe Cocker - Feelin alright

1-29-12 Woohoo!  Week 1 of 18 is done and it all was fun and easy.  No aches and pains. The ony thing I can complain about is the wind today.  Normally I would have my "long run" on Saturday, but this week I switched my Saturday and Sunday because I went to Athens, Ohio on Saturday for Matthew & Carson's last collegiate performance with Viking Magic for this season.  I hope they want to do this again next year because we all had so much fun. We made some new friends, saw a few college campuses that we wouldn't otherwise have gone to see. (ar at least not for about 8 more years).  Yesterday was Ohio University in Athens.  Great game & great performance.  The bobcats won against Ball State.  It came down to a 1 point game in the end.  Several of us went to the PigSkin for lunch afterwards.  One of our friends has a son and daughter that go to OU and their daughter works at the PigSkin.  Coincidentally, her daughter knows 2 boys that have Chase connections.  ONe boy has already secured a job in IT at Chase working for a good friend of mine, the other is the son of a friend of mine that I have worked with at Chase since the old Bank One days and my job managing the Ohio Child Support Payment Central division of the bank. 

As you travel southest in Ohio, the landscape changes dramatically and it is very beautiful.   The Hocking Hills, Hocking River, Wayne National forest, all beautiful areas.  we decided on our drive that we need to [plan a weekend in Hocking Hills.  They have many cabin rental int he area, lots of fun for hiking, fishing, biking, etc. 

Today was supposed to snow, it did not.  I bought YakTrax yesterday so I would be prepared for snow on the ground because I needed to run 6 miles today.  Oh well, at least I have them now for whenever it does snow.  I ran 6 miles through my neighborhood and Big Bear Farms across Powell road.  It was really windy.  I don't know how windy but there were white caps on the water at the golf course and as I ran past a small lake with a big center foiuntain, I got a blast of the water sprayed in my face, so that is windy.  As I am writing this, my wind chime outside is going crazy.  The first three miles I ran uphill with the wind at my back.  Not too bad and I was looking forward to the run home because it would basically be a downhill run.  Crap, I forgot about the wind.  I was running straight in to the wind.  My pace was almost 2 minutes slower on the way home because of the wind.

Feelin' alright

Not feelin' too good myself

Feelin' alright

Not feelin' too good myself

Love that song, not sure what it means, a little contradictory I think.  Anyway, decided this was my song for today because I was really feeling alright as I ran my 6 miles.  This is a long distance for me to run.  I once ran 7 miles, this past summer and felt like a cripple later because I had not really ramped up to 7, just started running one day and kept on going, kind of like Forrest Gump.  Today felt good though.  There really is value in training and ramping up to a running distance.  next week I will run 7 miles for my long day.  The following week I go back down to 5 miles and then after that it really starts taking off.  I am very excited about this.

Bachman Turner Overdrive - Taking Care of Business

1-26-12  We had freezing rain this morning so I did not run out side.  What a crappy day and what a disappointment.  The good news is that I am back in the swing of things and feeling good, no mysterious unexplained pain, no numb foot, all is well.  I have devised a work schedule that I think is going to work.  I have mapped out which days I will work from home so that I can run in the morning and which days I can leave early and run in the afternoon.  Given that many of my work commitments are the same from week to week, having a set schedule will leave no room for "having to figure it out" each week.  When I first started thinking about doing this, I really was doubtful that I could find the time.  I really don't like to run the minute I get up, like at 5am.  The Arimidex that I take for cancer treatment has a side effect that makes you feel old and makes it really hard to walk first thing when you get up.  I literally have to hold the stair railing and sort of lower myself down one step at a time to get coffee.  Sometimes, I even shower to loosen up my body even when I am going to work out, I just need to hot water. Since I am old anyway, then add medicine that makes you feel old on top of that, I feel like I am about 20 years older than I am when I first get out of bed.  It takes a little while.  So, being able to have a few cups of coffee, get the kids off to school and then run at 7:30 am as opposed to 5:00 am is really helpful (which is what I would have to do to run in the morning and  actually go to the office by 8:00am).

I ran 3 miles today on the treadmill in my basement.  I hate doing any more than about a mile on a treadmill because I get so bored.  It is in the basement, nothing to look at.  The volume of my TV does not go loud enough to hear the TV over the sound of the treadmill (it is almost an antique TV, I took a picture to show the side view, this is not a flat screen, lol!).  I am actually very proud of my clever answer to this today!  I took my Nook, strapped it to the treadmill with a shoelace and voila!  I watched Arrested Development on Netflix while running.  It worked pretty well!

 



I started watching Arrested Development many years ago, not when it was actually on TV, but I had rented it from Blockbuster and used to watch it when I ran on the treadmill, back when the volume on my antique TV worked a lot better.  I always thought it was hilarious.  When I loaded Netflix to my Nook last week and realized I could get TV shows, there was no question about what I wanted to watch.  Today I watched the fist 2 episodes.  The 2nd episode is where they burn the banana stand.  While they are watching it burn to the ground, the song Taking Care of Business is played.  It just made me laugh so hard.

I also realized after a while, why Tobias looks so familiar.  He is David Cross, Uncle Ian from the Alvin and the Chipmunk movie.  That actor is so good at playing a total moron, idiot, loser, misfit.  I love it

when he keeps going in to the shower so that he can cry/wail about his terrible acting / tryout experiences without having anyone in the family hear him.  I just love him.

When you get up every morning from the alarm clock's warning take the 8:15 into the city......there's a whistle up above and people pushin, people shovin......Taking care of business, every day, taking care of busienss every way....

Bachman Turner Overdrive, totally reminds me of High school.  Pam Bacon and Karen Climie. Terri Lobdell singing on the fireplace hearth with candle sticks for microphones.

Simon and Garfunkel - Sounds of Silence

1-25-12 Day 2!  Ran early today because I have late meetings at the office.  It was about 30 degrees with no wind, so very pleasant.  I am glad that I got my run in early, feels good to not have to worry about whether I will fit it in, or rather, how I will fit it in.

Exactly 3 miles today, mostly on the golf course.  It is so beautiful and peaceful there.  I saw deer again, took another picture.  It is very hilly and I even stopped and walked up one hill, it was straight up!  If I had my garmin I would know what the elevation increase was.  but that is another story.  Last night when I finsihed my run, my battery life ont he garmin was about 70%.  12 hours later it was totally dead.  Seems it used to last longer, I hope it is not dying.

Hello darkness my old friend, I've come to talk with you again.  Because a vision slowly creeping, Left its seeds while I was sleeping, and the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains,  within the sound of silence.....

It is so quiet on the golf course.  No cars, no barking dogs, no other people, just the sound of silence.  The only living creatures that I saw were three deer and one rabbit.  I didn't even hear any squawking birds! well, maybe that was because of my headphones and my friend Pandora.

Electric Light Orchestra - Hold On Tight To Your Dreams

1-24-12 Today is the first day of my official 18 week training.  I had a crazy day at work and all my plans to leave a little early were foiled.  I did run though!  The nice thing is that it is staying light a little later every day.  Sunset was at 5:41, not too bad.  I literally ran into a group of deer.  I thought a big dog was leaping towards me and then realized what it was and saw several of them.  wow!  I did cross the raod because I just felt too close to them and they are bigger than me. 

I took a couple of pictures and then continued my run.  One of the deer looked very uncomfortable when I was aiming my camera/phone at her.  Do you suppose the Bambi stories have been passed down through the generations?  How else would this deer know to be uncomfortable when she saw a human aiming at her???

I ran 3 miles today.  Felt good.

Hold on tight to your dream, hold on tight to your dream.  when you see the shadows falling, when you hear that cold wind calling, hold on tight to your dream.

 - Well that is what I am doing, not gonna let it go.  Marathon, here I come!

Bob Dylan - Quinn the Eskimo

1-23-12  I have not been very good at my training in the last week.  I have two issues.  The first is that I went out of town twice.  I need to find a way to ensure that I run when I travel.  It is hard and I have to be more disciplined.  The second issue is that once I get out of my routine, I lose momentum and getting back in the game is harder.  I need to fix this too.  In the last week, I have run on the treadmill a couple of times and I have ridden my bike a few times, but never on the days planned or for the disctance planned so I am not even going to write them down here.  I start my 18 weeks of training this week so it is time to get very serious.

Today is Monday and this is my rest day.  I am going to buy a running jacket.  I have been looking and waiting until I get my bonus, which gets deposited tonight, yeah!  Not having a proper jacket has not been that big of a deal since we have had such mild weather this winter, but I still think that winter is still going to come.

But when Quinn the Eskimo get here, everybody going to jump for joy - Come all without, come all within, you'll not see nothing like the Mighty Quinn

I was driving my boys to school this morning and I wanted to play some Aerosmith for them.  They had seen Steven Tyler sing the national anthem last night for the Ravens/Patriots game and they thought he was just awful and they asked why he tries to look like a girl.  Who knows, but this morning I wanted them to hear a good old Aerosmith song.  I plugged Aerosmith in to Pandora and we listened to one of their songs, then Guns and Roses came on.  The song they were singing was an old Bob Dylan song (go figure, Guns n roses / Bob Dylan, yeah that's a likley match).  They wanted to know who Bob Dylan was, so I plugged in Bob Dylan.  I was really surprised to hear "Quinn the Eskimo".  I never knew that he had written and recorded this.  I really remember this song from Gary Pucket and the Union Gap (up north at the Kettlewells house).  Anyway, something about "when Quinn the Eskimo get here" resonated with me and I decided that Quinn the Eskimo is the runner in me. And maybe the jumping for joy is me too.  I always thought about my family and those that have run marathons and thought, what the heck.  How could anyone do that?  Never thought I'd have the desire, but now I really do!!! I know, wierd, but this is it.  I did google the song and there are all kinds of opinions about who Quinn the Eskimo is, everything from Jesus to an acid dealer to a nursery rhyme.  So I guess I can add one more interpretation to the mix.  (also important, the lyrics are a bit off grammatically, that was not me, it was Bob Dylan-'get' and 'everybody' should be plural; not and nothing should NOT be in the same sentence, but far be it from me to correct Bob Dylan's work)

The serious training has to start this week.

Straight No Chaser - I'm Yours/Somewhere Over the Rainbow

1/12/12 - I took the day off from work and worked from 7:30 - 12:00 noon.  I gotta stop doing that!

I ran three miles today, not very good.  My left leg hurt and felt tired.  My left foot felt numb.  Same old problem I have been having since I broke my foot a few years ago.  I really need to talk to someone and find out what to do.  I probably need some exercises, probably should have PT a few years ago when I did this.

I love this group "Straight No Chaser" such great harmonizing.  It just makes you want to sing and skip (not that I skip very often).

From Somewhere over the rainbow, "Someday I'll wish upon a star and wake up where the clouds are far behind me.
Where troubles melt like lemon drops away above the chimney tops that's where you'll find me.  Somewhere over the rainbow way up high, there's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby.  Somewhere over the rainbow skies are blue, and the dreams that you dare to dream really do come true."

From I'm Yours, "I've been spending way too long checking my tongue in the mirror and bending over backwards just to try to see it clearer but my breath fogged up the glass and so I drew a new face and laughed.  I guess what I'm saying is there ain't no better reason to rid yourself of vanity and just go with the seasons.  It's what we aim to do our name is our virtue".

Jonathon Edwards - Sunshine

1/11/12 - Great day for running.  I have totally screwed up my Garmin by messing around with settings and trying to set up intervals for run/walk.  It is so bad I can't even get it so that I can operate the watch for a run.  I had to toally ditch it today and use my phone and my new Run Keeper, which by the way I really like.  I also noticed today that they start sending you congratulatory emails on your workout and offer you the opportunity to upgrade to RunKeeper Elite for a $4.99 per month or $19.99 annual fee.  I don't think so.

I ran 3.11 miles through the new part of Wedgewood today.  Lots of dogs on that route.  All have electronic collars but it is always a bit unnerving when a dog comes barreling at you  and you are not sure if it is going to stop or not.  No pain today, but I did take some ibuprofen this morning because yesterday was a bit tough.

Sunshine (Go Away Today) - My run Keeper plays lists from my iPod, if you turn that feature on.  This morning it played Sunshine go away today, don't feel much like dancing.  some man's come he's trying to run my life, don't know what he's asking.....  I thought this was an appropriate political song for today given that we had the Iowa Caucus last week and the New Hampshire primary last night.  some of my favorite quotes from last night's speeches:  Romney said "this president wakes up every morning, looks out across America and is proud to announce, it could be worse"
Referring to Romney, Paul said "he certainly had a clear-cut victory, but we're nibbling at his heels," Huntsman said about his third place finish ""Ladies and gentlemen, I think we're in the hunt!  I'd say third place is a ticket to ride", interesting spin.  Anyway, have always loved that Sunshine song.  Embarrassed to say that I sang it for years and never paid attention to the lyrics.  A couple of years ago my husband mentioned it being about Nixon and VietNam, I really didn't have a clue.

Helen Reddy - I am Woman

1/10/12 - A new week.  I want to be able to set alarms for my intervals of walk/run.  I know you can do this on the garmin and I tried to set that up last night, but then it occurred to me, that no matter whether I succeeded or not, I'll never hear the beeps because I always run with earphones and music.  I emailed Kai and Hannah last night.  Option 1, buy the GymBoss, $19.95 at amazon.  I was about to do that and then I got a response from Hannah.  RunKeeper is an iPhone app that is free and can track your runs, intervals, etc.  In fact, it is amazing that we spend all this money on Garmins when you can get GPS tracking apps for free.

Ran 3.08 miles today.  It was 52 degrees and sunny.  My left foot felt numb and my left calf felt very tired.  This is a repeating thing that has happened since I broke my foot a couple of years ago.  Hmmm...what to do?

Oh yes I am wise, But it's wisdom born of pain, Yes, I've paid the price, But look how much I gained, If I have to, I can do anything

I am strong (strong)

I am invincible (invincible)

I am woman

This is one of those songs that I am sure I have sung at weddings with my sisters (the other is We Are Family-Sisters Sledge).  It is old and goofy, but I can still belt it out and feel really great while doing that.  gotta love anything that makes you feel good.

Stephen King - 11/22/63

1/8/12 - Today is my cross train day so I rode my recumbent cycle.  Good thing since I 'suffered' two injuries at the grocery store this morning.  Just yesterday I was thinking about how great I am feeling, no shin splints, no pain to speak of and making a mental note that I need to be careful and not get injured.  Like, don't run down the stairs in high heels and trip and break your foot like I did a couple of years ago.  Who would have thought the grocery store would be a breeding ground for injury?  Ha-ha!   My excuse? I was a bit rushed.  Last night the cat had an accident on our bed.  She has never done this, so I am thinking something is wrong.  But, before I knew that.....I put on my jammies and crawled in to bed, planning to watch the Lions, 2nd half loss :(  Little did I know that the Lions were the worst of my worries.  My bed felt strangely damp.  I started feeling around with my hand and it was damp, of course on my side, not Bob's.   I leaned over to sniff the area, Jesus!  I got out of bed fast.  The good news?  a few years ago, when my boys were little and still crawled in bed with us from time to time, I purchased a really nice mattress pad that is leak proof, so that mattress is good.  So what does all of this have to do with injuries at the grocery store?  Well, our comforter is too big for the washing machine so I had to go to a laundromat today.  I didn't want to hang out there so I decided I would put the comforter in the washer, race to Kroger to do my shopping and be back at the laundromat 25 minutes later.    I always seem to have accidents when I am rushing.  I went to the milk cooler and pulled the door open.  There was a clear plastic rack suction cupped to the outside of the door and it whacked me in the forehead.  I have a bump and a nice bruise there.  Then in the parking lot, I put my groceries in the car and while trying to maneuver the cart away from my car and in to the cart parking lot, I rammed it in to the back of my leg and have a gash right across my Achilles tendon and a swollen bruised heel.  I was pretty sure it was bleeding but had to get back to the laundromat and had dark knee high socks on so I couldn't see any blood and figured I'd check it out later.  What a freaking klutz.  Oh well, tomorrow is my rest day so I should be good to go by Tuesday :)  And my comforter is clean.

I rode 11 miles on my bike.  My kids were playing Madden on their X Box and not much more to say about the whole experience.

11/22/63 - I am reading the latest Stephen King book.  I read while on my cycle in the basement.  I am about 500 pages in to a 700 page story about a man that goes back in time from 2011 to the sixties to try and change history, to prevent Kennedy's assassination.  History doesn't like to be changed, so there are a lot of interesting things that happen.  Great book, I love Stephen King!



The Cars - Here She comes Again

1/7/12  Today I completed the running part of my preliminary week 1 training.  Woohoo!  It was another gorgeous day and I am getting spoiled by this weather.  The forecast says we'll have this for all of next week too.  It is Saturday which makes finding time to run so easy.  I spent about an hour drinking coffee, reading and hanging out on the couch with Matthew and Carson while Bob went to the gym.  We have no plans for this weekend which is perfect after the last couple of weeks through Christmas and New Years.

I ran 5.3 miles today, plan was for 5.  I thought I had mapped my route well but it appeared that I was going to end up a half mile short of my plan as I got close to home, so I looped back through part of the run and then it took me further than I intended.  The good news is I felt great and felt like I could easily have done 6 miles.  Not so scary after all.

Here She Comes Again - Such a fun song - "You're always dancing down the street with your suede blue eyes, and every new boy that you meet, he doesn't know the real surprise".  All the clapping at the beginning of the song just makes you want to bounce a little higher and step a little further when you run.  Listen to it again if you haven't lately.

Willie Nelson - The Unclouded Day

1/6/12 - What a great day to be outside!  Its Friday, unusually warm and I finished my three days in a row of 3 miles per day.  Feeling great about that.   I love to check things off of lists.  When I make lists, I will even add something that I have already completed (if it is related to my list) just so I can check it off.  I can't wait to check off this week when it is done, yeah!!!

It was 57 degrees and sunny.  Had a great run.   I tried to run on the cart path of our golf course a few days ago and it was icy in many spots.  I guess I forgot that while the streets are salted and have no ice, they do not salt the cart paths.  Today I figured it was a safe bet that the ice had melted.  It was absolutely gorgeous out there.  I was hoping to see deer, but probably the wrong time of day. I see them a lot in the early morning.

The Unclouded Day - "Oh they tell me of a land where no storm clouds rise, oh they tell me of an uncloudy day".  The guys that wrote that song had to be thinking about the day I saw today!

The Who - I Can See for Miles

1/5/12 - I have decided that running after work can be a risky plan.  I know myself too well and know that often times I don't leave work when I planned to.  Something comes up!  Its the nature of what I do.  I really pushed today to get home and out the door by 4:30 to run.  But I did it!  I also checked the sunrise and sunset times for January and February.  It is going to get easier soon.  But wait!  Just as the sun stays out longer, so will my runs gets longer, ha-ha, so it will all work hand in hand :).

What a beautiful afternoon.  It was about 45 degrees and sunny, although the sun was setting, so most of the time I was running in shaded areas.  I ran around Campden Lakes and passed several people out with dogs and baby buggies.  I really felt good and felt like I had a bounce in my step, a good feeling.  I also like having a planned, written down in my planner, distance.  Normally I set out to run 2,3 or 4 miles but then my mind starts telling me that I really should go further, so then I start changing my plan and if I don't meet my altered plan then I have this mental issue that I have failed my goal!  What a bunch of crap. I really like the freedom from my mind game that having a planned distance gives me.  I felt obligated to run 3 miles and only 3 miles, don't want to deviate from the PLAN.  I don't know that I will feel the same way when my planned distance is 18 miles, but time will tell.

I mentioned yesterday that my sister Kai is the one that got me going on this.  My other sister, Julie is also running.  Like me, she has not done this long of a race before.  The three of us ran a race together once before.  We got t-shirts that said "I Ran the Ruether".  It was a 5K and it was to celebrate the opening of a new stretch of I-696 in Detroit/Southfield area in December of 1989.  My Dad ran too.  Kai and dad did a great job.  Julie and I limped along, finished and then hurt for a couple of days.  I remember having to use the stairway railing to lower myself down the stairs at my parents house the next day, for a 5K!!! 

"I Can see for Miles" and miles and miles and miles.....not really, or at least not in my neighborhood.  But I envision that I will see for miles and miles and run for miles and miles in the next few months, so this song seemed fitting for today!

Queen - Fat Bottom Girls

1/4/12 - I will call today my official start of my training for the Bayshore Marathon on Memorial Day weekend 2012.  This is my first marathon, sure hope I make it.  I am going to write this as if someone is reading it, whether I decide to share or not. This way, I am accountable to someone, even if that someone is non-existent.  I am lucky to have the greatest supporter in the world, my sister Kai.  I would not be doing this if she hadn't given me the gentle nudge, and more importantly, had the confidence that I could do it!

I have always felt like I didn't accomplish anything big in life.   Yes, I have a great job and yes, I am raising two wonderful children, but......  I know my family and friends would dispute this.  It is important to me that I do this and prove to myself that I can accomplish something that requires determination, perserverance, guts, desire, pain and a quest for self pride.  I very well may be a "one and done" marathoner, and that would be just fine with me!!!  :)

Ran 3.15 miles today in 33 degree, windy, but sunny weather.  I need a proper running jacket.  Right now I am using a fairly heavy fleece jacket and I just start sweating within 1/2 mile.  All in all it was a good run, I am ready to get moving with this training.

Fat bottom Girls is a favorite song of mine.  I do not have a fat bottom, but just the visual of these fat bottom girls getting on their bikes and riding, gave me the push to get out the door today.

They actually have a statue of Freddie Mercury in Montruex, Switzerland erected by his father and  Montserrat Caballé, an operatic performer who did a duet with Freddie "Barcelona" in 1988.

Wouldn't my little boys love to have these Lego guys?  Queen.  I am betting Freddie et al. didn't have Legos, but then why not, I guess they were kids once.

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