Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Gordon Lightfoot - Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

5-23-12  I was supposed to run 4 miles today, per the taper plan.  I only ran 3.  My right hip is still hurting a lot.  After I ran, I talked to Kai.  After talking to her, I decided that it is time to totally rest.  I think running anymore is likely doing more damage and I need to just focus on Saturday at this point.  I really cannot imagine running 26 miles with this pain in my hip joint.  I can hardly handle it for 3 miles, obviously since I stopped short of the 4 miles I had planned.
skirt
my shirt is purple
Target socks
We also talked about what to pack.  I am going to wear a running skirt and a sleeveless shirt.  I think they are most comfortable.  I'll take my compression socks, not sure if I will wear them.  I can decide later.  Kai said to bring an old t-shirt, something I can wear at the start, if it is chilly and then discard along the route.  They pick up all the things left along the route and donate to charity.  Kai also said to get a pair of knee socks at Target that I can wear on my arms (you cut holes for hands/fingers).  I will bring my hydration belt.  I know that there is water and Gatorade all along the route and there will be GU available, but I like to have my own stuff.  I need Chapstick, I need my phone so I can take some pictures, I need at least one water bottle so I can take a drink or take some Advil when I decide to do so, even if I am not near a water station.  Maybe it is mental, but I like to have my own stuff when I need or want it.
I am still very unsure that I can really do this.  I am still so disappointed that I missed my targets for training.  I never got past 16 miles which means I am going to try and pack on another 10 miles further than I have ever done.  Maybe I shouldn't look at it that way, maybe the overall strength is more important than the actual distance in a single run.  I don't really know.  On the other hand, a month ago, I wasn't even sure if I'd be running at all, so I guess I should be thankful that I have come back as far as I have.
Summer 2003 at Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes
I am excited about going to Michigan.  Matthew and Carson have not seen the Great Lakes since they were infants, about 9 years ago this summer, and of course they don't remember that.  We stayed in Traverse City at a hotel very close to where we will be this weekend. We also climbed the sand dunes with the boys in Baby Bjorn carriers.  We are planning to go to the sand dunes on Sunday after the race.  I don't think I'll be climbing the dunes, but I know the boys will love it.

I listened to Gordon Lightfoot today.  He always reminds me of Michigan because of his song, The Wreck of The Edmund Fitzgerald.  November 1975, Lake Superior.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they called 'Gitche Gumee'
The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead
When the skies of November turn gloomy

With a load of iron ore twenty-six thousand tons more
Than the Edmund Fitzgerald weighed empty.
That big ship and true was a bone to be chewed
When the gales of November came early.

The ship was the pride of the American side
Coming back from some mill in Wisconsin
As the big freighters go, it was bigger than most
With a crew and good captain well seasoned

Concluding some terms with a couple of steel firms
When they left fully loaded for Cleveland
And later that night when the ship's bell rang
Could it be the north wind they'd been feelin'?

The wind in the wires made a tattle-tale sound
And a wave broke over the railing
And every man knew, as the captain did too,
T'was the witch of November come stealin'.

The dawn came late and the breakfast had to wait
When the Gales of November came slashin'.
When afternoon came it was freezin' rain
In the face of a hurricane west wind.

When suppertime came, the old cook came on deck sayin'.
Fellas, it's too rough to feed ya.
At Seven P.M. a main hatchway caved in, he said
Fellas, it's been good t'know ya

The captain wired in he had water comin' in
And the good ship and crew was in peril.
And later that night when his lights went outta sight
Came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Does any one know where the love of God goes
When the waves turn the minutes to hours?
The searchers all say they'd have made Whitefish Bay
If they'd put fifteen more miles behind her.

They might have split up or they might have capsized;
May have broke deep and took water.
And all that remains is the faces and the names
Of the wives and the sons and the daughters.

Lake Huron rolls, Superior sings
In the rooms of her ice-water mansion.
Old Michigan steams like a young man's dreams;
The islands and bays are for sportsmen.

And farther below Lake Ontario
Takes in what Lake Erie can send her,
And the iron boats go as the mariners all know
With the Gales of November remembered.

In a musty old hall in Detroit they prayed,
In the Maritime Sailors' Cathedral.
The church bell chimed till it rang twenty-nine times
For each man on the Edmund Fitzgerald.

The legend lives on from the Chippewa on down
Of the big lake they call 'Gitche Gumee'.
Superior, they said, never gives up her dead
When the gales of November come early!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Glen Campbell - The Impossible Dream

don't worry be happy!
5-22-12  Winding down now.  Ran 3 miles tonight, per the taper plan, 4 tomorrow and 2 Thursday, then nothing until Saturday (well except 6+ hours in the car).  At this point I am looking forward to getting ready for my second marathon. (meaning that when I do this again, I'll know what to expect) There is an element of the unknown that is both exciting and very scary.  I have gone from not being able to sleep a week ago to not worrying any more.  It is what it is.  I have derived that attitude from a compilation of all these facts.....I want to finish the marathon.  I have not run further than 16 miles at any one time.  I have become a stronger runner.  A short run used to be 2 miles.  A long run used to be 5 miles.  A short run is now 5 miles.  A midway long run is 10 miles.  A long run is 15 miles.  My average pace would have me finishing the race in 5 hours.  My average pace leaves me one hour of play (if you don't finish in 6 hours, technically you didn't finish).  If I finished 20 miles at a 12 minute pace that would be 4 hours.  If I walked the next 6.2 miles at a 15 minute pace (which is a fast walk) that would 1.55 hours.   Mathematically, I could walk quite a bit, but fast.   I don't have to finish.  I can get on a  bus or something to get back if I am really in pain, so.......all those things considered, why worry?

the true meaning of a piggy back ride
I just took the boys up to bed.  When they were much younger, bob and I would always give them piggy back rides upstairs.  I have done that in at least a year, maybe two.  when I did, I always had to hold the stair railing and sort of pull myself up.  Tonight Matthew asked me to give him a piggy back ride.  I laughed (sort of how I laughed at Kai when she she suggested I do the FULL marathon).  Then I said, okay, I'll carry you from the kitchen to the bottom of the stairs, hop on.  So then we went to the bottom of the stairs and for whatever reason, I decided to carry him up.  I was shocked.  I carried him up the stairs, didn't have to hold on to the stair railing or anything.,  Then of course, you know what comes next, Carson!  I carried him and that was even easier.  Matthew weighs 69 pounds and Carson weighs 60 pounds.  The reason I am writing this is  just to make a point.  My legs are so much stronger!!!!

I got Kai's and my bib numbers today and sent them to Dad.  We start at 7:00 am.  If I know my Mom (and I think I do) she'll be up at the crack of dawn tracking us.  Unfortunately, when we start at 7:00 am, it will be 2:00 am in Hawaii. If she gets up at 7:00, we should be almost done!!!!  or crawling to an aid station!
The Impossible Dream has been recorded by many and I am betting most do not know it was record by Glen Campbell, but it was.  The original recording in Man of LaMancha was done by Richard Kiley.  (little tidbit for Jack Robinson, Kiley played Paddy in the Thornbirds television miniseries)  It was also recorded by Andy Williams in a Honda ad and by Jim Nabors who definitely has a big voice.  I was listening to Glen Campbell's greatest hits today and heard this.  Made me almost get choked up and teary eyed.  This is truly an impossible dream for me, certainly achievable, but dreamed to be impossible.  Time will tell the outcome.

To dream ... the impossible dream ...
To fight ... the unbeatable foe ...
To bear ... with unbearable sorrow ...
To run ... where the brave dare not go ...
To right ... the unrightable wrong ...
To love ... pure and chaste from afar ...
To try ... when your arms are too weary ...  (or your freakin legs)
To reach ... the unreachable star ...

This is my quest, to follow that star ...
No matter how hopeless, no matter how far ...
To fight for the right, without question or pause ...
To be willing to march into Hell, for a Heavenly cause ...   (it could feel like Hell)

And I know if I'll only be true, to this glorious quest,
That my heart will lie will lie peaceful and calm,
when I'm laid to my rest ...
And the world will be better for this:
That one man, scorned and covered with scars,
Still strove, with his last ounce of courage,
To reach ... the unreachable star ...

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Smashmouth - I'm a Believer

Poppies in bloom
My fluffy peonies
5-20-12  One week from now I will be done.  That feels good.  I even thought about this yesterday afternoon, that I would be done.  I have decided to stop worrying.  If I don't finish, that is okay.  I have worked hard, become a much stronger runner, had fun doing it and plan to continue running at pretty much what I have been doing during training. (without the stress).  I hope to finish and mathematically, I can finish in under 6 hours even with some level of walking, which I will likely need to do.  I have to remember to stretch, get a good night's sleep, take some advil (very important) and just try to enjoy it.  I ran 8 miles today, which was the plan for the taper runing schedule.  It wasn't that great.  I had a pain in my right hip from the start.  I talked to Bob about it.  He said I might have degenrative joint disease, or it could be just strained.  He showed me a strectching exercise for this. I think exercises and Advil will help.
My favorite peonies finally bloomed
Kai has a friend who had two beach rooms at the Grand Traverse that she is not going to use.  She had the hotel hold them for Kai and me.  I talked to them yesterday, canceled my origignal room with Expedia and reserved the beachfront room, right next to Kai's.  When I originally booked my room, the only thing left was the jacuzzi room with one King bed.  It was more expensive, but I had to take it.  I had planned on having the boys sleep on the floor in sleeping bags.  Now our new room costs less, is on the beach and has two Queen beds.  Much better.
Here is a picture of the course.  The red line shows the maration, starting at the bottom, going 13 miles out and then back.  the half marathoners are bused out to the point and they run the second half of the course back to the start.  Blue is the spectator route.  Green dots are 'potties' and red + marks are aid stations.   (might get to know those well).

I'm a Believer is a song done by the Monkees.  Smashmouth also recorded it and I love their rendition of this song.   Much more energetic.  Could also be due to the fact that I love the Shrek movies and this was a big song in the first Shrek movie.  If you have never listened to this rendition, you absolutely have to!!!  Very energizing!
I thought love was
Only true in fairy tales
Meant for someone else
But not for me
Love was out to get to me
That's the way it seems
Disappointment haunted
All my dreams

And then I saw her face
Now I'm a believer
Not a trace
Of doubt in my mind
I'm in love
I'm a believer
I couldn't leave her
If I tried

I thought love was
More or less a given thing
The more I gave the less
I got, oh yeah
What's the use in trying
All you get is pain
When I wanted sunshine                 
I got rain





Friday, May 18, 2012

Jr. Walker & The All Stars (I'm a) Road Runner


One World Trade center
...a robin feathering her nest
 has very little time to rest
5-18-12  I have officially started the taper (although you might say I have been tapering for a month).  I am also officially nervous about next weekend.  Today I ran 3 miles, no big deal.  I felt good, ran around Campden Lakes, the very first run I ever took with my husband, some 14 years ago.  I did see a robin as I left my driveway, gathering things for her nest.  I just got back from New York last night, just one night.  I started a new job!  I started working in the Mortgage Banking business a year ago May.  I have enjoyed what I have done, but I feel like I came in to make a difference in how some particular work is executed, I have made changes and improvements have been shown and now it is status quo.  I got a call from a guy that I had known back during my merger days.  My company had purchased a package for loan originations from a well known company in that market and they are working to implement this package.  Lots of problems have arisen and they were looking for someone to come in and lend some expertise managing a large program, someone that has dome large cross bank programs before, such as the mergers.  It sounded like a big challenge and a lot of fun so I said yes and Thursday was my first day.  Went to New York for an all day walk through of the system.


I have been having trouble sleeping.  I lay awake at night scared about the marathon.  I started this with such determination and enthusiasm.  I followed the training plan, to the tee!  Then I fell.  That was upsetting more than anything, not a big setback.  But then I had this terrible shin pain which turned out to be bad shin splints.  I have had shin splints before (or what I thought was shin splints) and I was fine in a day.  This was different.  I literally couldn't walk.  I had trouble getting from my car to my office.  It was so bad for many days.  Anyway, this was a set back I hadn't counted on.  So now, here I am, a few short days from the race and I didn't finish the training.  I never got to 18 miles, let alone 20 miles.  Kai tells me I am ready and it will be okay.  I don't know and I keep worrying about this over and over. 

Money, who needs it?
Just to live my life free and easy
Put the toothbrush in my hand
And let me be travelin', man
'Cause I'm a roadrunner, baby
I'm a roadrunner, baby
Can't stay in one place too long
I'm a roadrunner, baby
Mess with me and I'll be gone
You can love me if you wanna
But I do declare
If I get restless
I've gotta move somewhere
I'm a roadrunner, baby
Can't find my home (no!)
And I love the life I live
And I'm gonna live the life I love
Roadrunner, baby
Don't a-want no woman
Just have me bound
Got to be free, baby
To roam around
All my life I've been like this
If you love me, it's your own risk
When the dust hit my shoes
I got the urge to move
Said, I'm a roadrunner, baby
Just keep on, keepin' on
Yeah!
And I live the life I love
And I'm gonna love the life I live
Yes, I'm a roadrunner, baby.


Tuesday, May 15, 2012

10,000 Maniacs - These are days

5-15-12  Thirteen painful miles today.  I was really trying to go 16 or 18 miles but didn't make it.  I think there were several things wrong.   First, I waited too late to get started and it was hot.  I started about 10:00, and it was about 65 but the temp went up to 75 quickly.  Second, I didn't eat any breakfast.  All I had was a granola bar at about 7:00am.  Third, I chose a route near my house that was very hilly.  There is a new park that just opened.  It is on a piece of property along Riverside Drive where there used to be a bait, tackle and beer carry out store.  Never went in the place.  Never really had the need plus it looked dingy.  A lady owned the store and one day, she shot and killed one of her employees, a 17 year old boy who was also a father and engaged.  I wanted to run to the park which is about 5 miles away and then run back, adding a few detours along the way.  I had hoped there was some sort of memorial to the boy, but there wasn't anything that I saw.  The park is named after some guy named, Thaddeus Kosciuszko.

The Bait Store, long a thorn in the side of the tiny community's notoriously uptight zoning commission, has been razed to make way for parkland. A house on the property will be demolished soon, said Dublin spokeswoman Cristie Keller-Wilt.
The store at Hard Road and Riverside Drive had run-ins with Dublin officials over U-Hauls from its rental business parked in its lot, but gained the most notoriety in May 2000, when store owner Carol Finkes fatally shot teenage clerk James Coyan III inside the store.
Finkes was found guilty in 2001 of aggravated murder and tampering with evidence and is serving 20 years to life at the Ohio Reformatory for Women in Marysville. The Bait Store went into receivership following the killing and later closed.
Dublin City Council agreed in March to buy the property for $1.9 million to develop into parkland. The city hopes to finalize plans for the site next month as part of its 2006 capital improvement package.

So that was in 2006, now in 2012, the park has opened.  Here is the background.
Kosciuszko's Land Grant Turned into Public Park

The City of Dublin, Ohio has officially opened "Thaddeus Kosciuszko Park" on a portion of the land that was awarded to this Polish-American hero for serving in the Continental Army. The 35-acre park truns along Hard Road from Scioto High School to Riverside Drive.

When local resident Deborah Solove realized that she was living near a portion of Kosciuszko's former lands that had been taken from his estate, she talked with the city's Director of Parks & Open Space, Fred Hahn. Hahn said that he had never heard of Kosciuszko, "So I went down to the Dublin public library and checked out a book called The Peasant Prince by this guy named Alex Storozynski and really became fascinated with the life and times of Kosciuszko."

This kicked off a process by the City Council to set aside a portion of this land to be named Thaddeus Kosciuszko Park, which today includes a series of educational signs regarding Thaddeus Kosciuszko, as well as 1.7 miles of trails, fishing ponds and a gazebo.

"Years ago, this land was taken away from Kosciuszko," Solove said. "Now, the city of Dublin gave it back."

Anyway, there are steep hills on the trails in the park.  The park is also close to the Scioto River so that naturally means that I am running downhill toward the river bank and then up and down the trails and then back up to the main roads and my route home.  I looked at my Garmin
my view from the park bench where
I stretched and found a second wind
Dashboard to see what my average elevation gain is when I run in my neighborhood or over at the Olentangy trail.  My average gain is somewhere between 27 and 98 feet. My elevation gain on this day was 419 feet!  No wonder I was wiped out.  I started heading back for home sooner than planned, very disappointed.  How can I even think about running 26.2 miles if I can't run 16 or 18?  At about 9 miles, I got a text from Kai, she said "Can't wait to hear how your run went.  You can do it.  Don't talk yourself out of it."  Okay, so that gave me a extra ounce of motivation and I turned back to take a loop around another lake.  Decided to sit down at a park bench and stretch and then keep going.  I made it four more miles, better than going straight home, but I was really beat.  My left hip was hurting, my right shin was starting to hurt, I was hungry and thirsty.  My feet even hurt on the bottoms.  When I got home, I couldn't get in the house fast enough to drink.  I had a Gator Ade brand chocolate recovery drink and then a Sobe flavored water.  I went to take a shower and felt whoozie standing.  I just didn't feel right.  30 minutes later I was in the car on my way to school to pick the boys up for a doctor appointment and forgot food!!

In the early part of my run, I went through Emerald fields, an area in Dublin with large athletic fields, baseball diamonds and playgrounds for kids.  There is a pond there with huge, loud bullfrogs.  I had to stop and listen for a minute, I love that sound.  I also saw some birds that I am not familiar with.  I got some pictures, not that good but they were so beautiful and there were several of them.  I am pretty sure that they were Red Winged Blackbirds based on pictures and reading I have since done about their habitat.  I think this is the bird that I saw.

10,000 Maniacs is a band that I am pretty sure I first heard when I was with my brother Chris.  I don't mean in concert, just at his house or somewhere and he had it on his iPod, we didn't have iPhones yet.  Natalie Merchant is great, I love her music.  I have her Unplugged CD and love every song on it, but this is the one that I chose as my favorite for today.  Similar to the words in the song, these days that I have been training are surely days that I'll always remember.  I am blessed and lucky to be able to do this.  I don't know if I'll finish the marathon, but I will try.  And if I don't finish, I will know that I did the best I could given the circumstances, injuries and all.  Maybe I'll do another and have more wisdom and experience.  Who knows.  Kai always says that I should listen to my legs.  I think that is the same thing said in this song. "See the signs and know their meaning".  Probably not what Natalie meant, but this is their meaning for me.

These are the days
These are days you’ll remember
Never before and never since, I promise
Will the whole world be warm as this
And as you feel it,
You’ll know it’s true
That you are blessed and lucky
It’s true that you
Are touched by something
That will grow and bloom in you
These are days that you’ll remember
When May is rushing over you
With desire to be part of the miracles
You see in every hour
You’ll know it’s true
That you are blessed and lucky
It’s true that you are touched
By something that will grow and bloom in you
These are days
These are the days you might fill
With laughter until you break
These days you might feel
A shaft of light
Make its way across your face
And when you do
Then you’ll know how it was meant to be
See the signs and know their meaning
It's true
Then you’ll know how it was meant to be
Hear the signs and know they’re speaking
To you, to you

Friday, May 11, 2012

Bob Seger - Beautiful Loser

5-11-12  Short run today, 3.5 miles.  It was hot and I was tired and my legs just felt tired.  I am going to do a really long run on Sunday so I decided a short run was a good idea so I can rest my muscles for Sunday.  Today was a really beautiful day, sunny warm, the bluest sky I have seen lately.  I took a tiny detour out on feather island just to snap a picture.  I am starting to get stressed about this marathon.




When I was in college, I worked part time at the Michigan National Bank of Detroit.  I was a teller, eventually head teller.   Back then we had passbook savings where your actual record of money was entered by hand into a book and the teller initialed and stamped it with the date.  One of our customers was Bob Seger.  I like to follow rules and I took my job seriously.  I can remember ladies that came in wearing their mink coats and wanted to cash a check but no funds int he account.  No can do!  That didn't go over well.  One time bob Seger came in and wanted to withdraw some money from his passbook savings account.  When a customer wanted to do that, you had to verify their signature.  Even though it was Bob Seger and I knew that, I made him go through the process.  I had him sign the withdrawal slip and then I went to verify on the microfiche machine that it was him.  All the other tellers were laughing at me.  Oh well.  I actually got complimented by his manager, Punch Andrews, for having done this.   From what I can tell, Punch is still in business and has his offices on Purdy Street in Birmingham Michigan. 

I listened to a little Bob Seger today.  Beautiful Loser is one of my favorites of his.
I think the first time I ever saw Bob Seger was at the Birmingham Palladium, now long gone (only open 1969-1971).  Found some artwork from concert posters at the Palladium.

He wants to dream like a young man
With the wisdom of an old man.
He wants his home and security,
He wants to live like a sailor at sea.
Beautiful loser, where you gonna fall?
You realize you just don't need it all.

He's your oldest and your best friend,
If you need him, he'll be there again.
He's always willing to be second best,
A perfect lodger, a perfect guest.
Beautiful loser, read it on the wall
And realize, you just don't need it all.
...you can't have it all, you can't have it all,
Oh, oh, ... Can't have it all.

He'll never make any enemies,
He won't complain if he's caught in a freeze.
He'll always ask, he'll always say please.


Beautiful loser, never take it all
'Cause it's easier, faster when you fall,
You just don't need it all
Oh, oh, ... You just don't need it all.

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Anna Nalick - Breathe(2AM)

Shamrock
5-8-12  Still feeling good!  I ran 8.5 miles today and it was great.  I felt good the entire run, no aches or pains, no feeling tired, just a pleasurable run.  Can't ask for much more than that.  I ran past a couple of golf courses today.  There are actually 6 golf courses within a 2 mile radius of where I live, so I am usually running by a golf course.  I live in Wedgewood, across Powell Road is Shamrock Golf Course.  The Zoo has a golf course called Safari, then there are the two courses at Muirfield.  They have a course for their members and then the championship course that is used for the Memorial Tournament every Memorial Day.  Just a little ways up Sawmill Road is the Kinsale Country Club.
Kinsale
I took the day off from work, primarily because one of my very dearest friends from my years in Ohio, lost her father this past week.  I wanted to be able to attend the mass for her Dad today without having to worry about getting back to the office.  She has been such a tremendous friend over the years and I wanted to be there for her today.  She deserves lots of goodness right now. This afternoon, I took some time for myself to run some more so that I can get closer to my goal, hopefully.  For the first time in probably years, I did not turn on my computer for work and actually took the whole day off (I did check email for work a few times on my iPhone, but still this was a breakthrough for me).  I usually take vacation days and work for at least 2-4 hours of the day before I go do something else that I had planned.

I know absolutely zilch about Anna Nalick.  This song was on my "Songs from SI" collection that my friend Tom made for me.




2 AM and she calls me 'cause I'm still awake,
"Can you help me unravel my latest mistake?,
I don't love him. Winter just wasn't my season"
Yeah we walk through the doors, so accusing their eyes
Like they have any right at all to criticize,
Hypocrites. You're all here for the very same reason

'Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button, girl.
So cradle your head in your hands
And breathe... just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe

May he turned 21 on the base at Fort Bliss
"Just a day" he said down to the flask in his fist,
"Ain't been sober, since maybe October of last year."
Here in town you can tell he's been down for a while,
But, my God, it's so beautiful when the boy smiles,
Wanna hold him. Maybe I'll just sing about it.

Cause you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table.
No one can find the rewind button, boys,
So cradle your head in your hands,
And breathe... just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe

There's a light at each end of this tunnel,
You shout 'cause you're just as far in as you'll ever be out
And these mistakes you've made, you'll just make them again
If you'd only try turning around.

some air is not so good to breathe

2 AM and I'm still awake, writing a song
If I get it all down on paper, it's no longer inside of me,
Threatening the life it belongs to
And I feel like I'm naked in front of the crowd
Cause these words are my diary, screaming out loud
And I know that you'll use them, however you want to

But you can't jump the track, we're like cars on a cable,
And life's like an hourglass, glued to the table
No one can find the rewind button now
Sing it if you understand.
and breathe, just breathe
woah breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe,
Oh breathe, just breathe.