Adele - Set fire to the Rain

5-7-12  Ran 3 miles today.  I was pretty sore from the weekend run and bike ride.  The good thing is that my soreness was not in my shins, it was in the front of my thighs.  Just good old fashioned pain from a little over working muscles that rested too long.  I would not call that injury, but normal exercise/recovery process.  Yeah!  I have done a bit of reading about the recovery process.  This is interesting:

Muscles are among the most metabolically active tissues in our body. They are always trying to tailor their structural and functional properties to the level and type of use they experience. However, when the amount of use or level of stress on a muscle is too great, the fibers that make up the muscle are damaged. When this happens, the cells that make up muscle fibers degenerate and are replaced by new muscle cells. This process is known as the degeneration-regeneration cycle.
Following physical damage to muscle cells in training, degeneration begins with what is known as the inflammatory process. During this stage, various enzymes and immune cells known as macrophages serve as scavengers that gobble up the cellular debris left behind from muscle trauma and consequent muscle-cell death.

During the degeneration-regeneration cycle, almost all cellular structures are affected, representing a so-called dismantling period. This process begins within hours of the initial insult to the muscles trained.

This is so good, I must stop watching
the soaps and start running again!

The next step in the degeneration-regeneration cycle may be the most important. This is known as the proliferative phase. During this phase, skeletal muscle satellite cells begin to appear along the periphery of damaged muscle fibers. These satellite cells represent a muscle population of stem cells that will eventually differentiate into new muscle tissue.
What makes these cells unique is that their proliferation is brought about specifically by muscle trauma. As muscle satellite cells continue to proliferate and align themselves along the outer margins of the damaged muscle fibers, regeneration moves forward and new muscle-fiber proteins are synthesized.
This process continues until the damaged muscle fibers are completely regenerated.
The benefits of this complex process are numerous. When looking at muscle-cell regrowth in sedentary muscles, the muscle fibers seem to regenerate in a random orientation and remain relatively immature.
However, if the muscle fibers are cyclically exposed to various loads of stress and tension, they become well aligned, take up greater amounts of amino acids and synthesize more proteins. Other physiological benefits to training include an increase in intracellular mitochondria (the powerhouses of the cell), the number of capillaries, total blood flow and total oxygen-consumption capacity, leading to a profound rise in muscle metabolic activity. These increases yield a more well-developed and fatigue-resistant muscle.

I like using the word "insult" to describe the damage done to the muscles.  It does feel quite like an insult that my body has done this to me after all my hard work!   I also found it interesting to read the science behind why you go through exercise, pain, recovery, stronger muscles.  It makes sense.

I also went to see my oncologist today.  This is a routine appointment every 6 months.  He has prescribed Arimidex (Anastrazole) for 5 years (3.5 years done at this point).  The severity of breast cancer is increased by estrogen which causes hyperplasia and differentiation at estrogen receptor sites.  Anastrozole works by inhibiting the synthesis of estrogen, so basically a hormone blocker.(studies show that it reduces recurrence by 40%)  A side effect of Arimidex is that it causes bone loss.  I had a bone density test after 2.5 years on this drug and I have mild osteoporosis in my hips.  None of that is new information.  However, when I was seeing Dr. Kourlas, I did mention my training and my marathon.  He said that this is really good for my osteoporosis.  It should help in the process to build new bone mass.  Good!  He also reminded me that the damage done by the Arimidex reverses when I stop taking it.  In the meantime, I take Actonel to try and counterbalance what the Arimidex is doing.  I guess the good news is that those are the only two drugs I take.   (well except for my friend Advil)

I didn't get out to run until 4:00 pm and it was too hot.  The next couple of days are going to be a little cooler, hopefully storm free.  We had a lot of rain and storms late in the day today.  I was fixing dinner and it suddenly got really dark a couple of hours early.  Walked outside just in time to hear a loud crack of thunder.  I love storms, as long as I am not in the car on the highway!  Usually when we have tornado warnings, the whole family goes to the basement and I can't help myself from going upstairs and out on the front sidewalk a few times to see what the skies are looking like.  I usually see my neighbor across the street doing the same thing.  Last night was just thunderstorms and flooding, no tornadoes.

I first heard of Adele when I watched part of the Grammy's.  I am sure that I have heard her music before, but I didn't really know anything about her.  She has won multiple Grammy's and numerous mentions in the Guinness Book of world records: She is the first artist to sell more than 3 million copies of an album in a year in the UK, the first living artist to achieve the feat of two top five hits in both the UK Official Singles Chart and the Official Albums Chart simultaneously since the Beatles in 1964, the first artist in history to lead the Billboard 200 concurrently with three Billboard Hot 100 number ones, and the list goes on.   She also broke the record for the longest number 1 album by a woman in Billboard history, beating the record formerly held by Whitney Houston's soundtrack The Bodyguard.  (with 21 non-consecutive weeks at number 1 in the US) She has a unique and beautiful voice.

Set Fire to the Rain is one of her songs that I like.  All of her songs are 'love songs' so I'm not saying I related to these lyrics, I just like the music and her voice.

I let it fall, my heart,
And as it fell you rose to claim it
It was dark and I was over
Until you kissed my lips and you saved me

My hands, they're strong
But my knees were far too weak,
To stand in your arms
Without falling to your feet

But there's a side to you
That I never knew, never knew.
All the things you'd say
They were never true, never true,
And the games you play
You would always win, always win.

[Chorus:]
But I set fire to the rain,
Watched it pour as I touched your face,
Well, it burned while I cried
'Cause I heard it screaming out your name, your name!

Van Morrison - Bright Side of the Raod

5-5-12  Ran 10 miles today, getting better and stronger.  Many years ago, I ran a good run on Thanksgiving Day.  I listened to a Van Morrison song called the Bright side of the Road.  At that point in my life, some things weren't going too well for me and this song really picked me up.  I have listened to it a LOT over the years, always makes me feel good.  Today, I really feel like I am back on the Bright Side of the Road!  Yeah!

I ran today on the Olentangy Trail.  It was cloudy and a bit foggy on the lake this morning.  the weather was perfect for running, 65 and cloudy, no sun.  funny how your perspective of good weather and bad weather changes when you want to run a long distance vs. maybe wanting to go to the pool!  I have decided that I no longer need to look for other trails.  When you have a good thing, don't go looking for anything else.  Reminds me of a Dorothy quote "if I ever go looking for my heart's desire again, I won't look any further than my own back yard. Because if it isn't there, I never really lost it to begin with!"  Why did I ever go looking for another trail.  All of my bad stuff started when I went to that trail in Westerville!!!  Today, I felt great.  No issues at all.  I wore my compression sleeves on both legs.  I did buy the bright pink ones.  I thought about black and that looks too geeky, like men wearing black knee socks with shorts on.  I thought about white, but that looks too orthopedic.  Pink makes a statement, can't be mistaken for orthopedic or for geeky.  Simply says, I am having too much fun with my 55 year old legs and shins.

Today was so entertaining.  I saw all kinds of people.  I saw a couple that looked like they needed rest, they both had a Tim Horton's cup of coffee and they both had a cigarette in their hand and they looked like they just got out of bed and probably too soon.  Next, I saw two men that had huge beer guts, gray t-shirts to cover their guts and each had a cigar hanging out of their mouths.  They looked like they maybe had too much to drink last night, but they seemed content with their cigar. ( this is on a biking/running trail, think you'd see athletic type people here) I also saw a guy with a bike that had a platform on the front that had a large cooler attached.  It was metal and really looked like a part of an ice cream truck.  He had his whole family with him, several kids.  I also saw MANY people with fake mustaches on their faces.  What's up with that???  I had to laugh, passed at least 200 people with these mustaches.  One lady, had a bright yellow mustache.  I also saw one woman with a black velvet dress and lace collar on a bicycle and a guy with a dress shirt, vest and top hat, all riding bikes.  Then the best of the day, I saw two woman with birds on their hands.  I actually stopped running for this!  Who wouldn't?  I asked if I could take their pictures and they seemed a bit reluctant, but then I told them what I am doing (training for a marathon and writing a blog) and why I would want their picture and they agreed.  They take these beautiful birds on walks.  they have harnesses that fit beneath the wings and then around the chest area, very comfortable.  The birds love the fresh air.  Very nice ladies, I enjoyed talking to them.
Today was the Cap City Marathon.  I expected the trail to be pretty empty, thinking everyone would be at the race.  What I didn't know was that there was a cycling event on the trail, called Market to Market.  The ride was from the Hills Market in Worthington to the North Market in the Arena district, right by downtown.  They have this ride very year and have a theme.  This year's theme is "Mustaches & Monocles" meant to be an historic theme in honor of our bicentennial.  I only found this out when I finished my run and there was a table set up with information about the cycling event.

Here is my Van Morrison song that I really enjoy listening to often.

From the dark end of the street, baby
To the bright side of the road
We'll be lovers, lovers once again
On the bright side of the road

Little baby take my hand
You can help me share this load
From the dark end of the street
To the bright side of the road

And into this life we're born
Baby, sometimes we don't know why
And it goes by so, oh so fast
It's like the twinkling of an eye

Let's enjoy it while we can
Little darlin' come along
Take my hand into that sunny land
On the bright side of the road

Yeah, into this life we're born
Sometimes we don't know why
It seems to go by so terribly fast
In the the twinkling of an eye

Let's enjoy it while we can
Oh my lover come along
From the dark end of the street
To the bright side of the road

From the dark and lonely street
To the bright side of the road
We'll be lovers once again
On the bright side of the road

Jim Croce - You Don't Mess Around With Jim

I love my backyard!

5-4-12  5 Miles today, yeah!!!  I have been so scared to start running, afraid of getting hurt again.  Today I ran 5 miles, no pain.  The biggest discomfort I had was the heat.  I had to work and didn't get out to run until noon.  It was 85 degrees and sunny at that point.  I was only running 5 miles so I didn't take my hydration belt.  Mistake.  Five miles for me is one hour.  One hour in 85 degree sunny weather, means you ought to be taking a drink of water.  I was feeling pretty dehydrated by the time I finished.   Losing my spunk, so to speak.  But the good news is NO SHIN PAIN!

Top right image looks like
 how I strike my foot.

I went to the physical therapist this morning.  She videoed me running on the treadmill.  Here is what I learned.   First, I cross over my feet when I land.  The right foot crosses over a lot more than the left.  She said that it is pretty hard to change that and she doesn't think that is causing the shin problems.  Second, I strike totally on my heel when I land.  So what does that mean?   Well.. think about taking baby steps, you are walking or running pretty much flat footed.  Then, think about taking really long steps, as you reach your foot way out in front of you, your heel is the first thing to touch the ground.  That is what is meant by 'heel strike'.  Now, put your leg out in front of you and flex your foot backwards so that your toes are pointing towards your knee.  Feel how tight your shin muscle is.  When you run with a long stride, you strike more on your heel and your shin takes the brunt of the impact.  There you have it!  While looking at the video of me running (thankfully she targeted just below the butt, mostly legs) she could count how many steps I take per minute of running.  I am running with a cadence of 156 beats per minute.  Ideal is upwards of 180 beats per minute.  Net message is, shorter strides mean more steps per minute which means less of a strike on the heel, more of a flat footed strike, taking the impact off of the shin.  WOW, that is so counter intuitive to me.  I am a short person.  I have always been convinced that I am a slow runner because I have to work harder, take more steps to achieve the same distance as a taller person.  I always thought that I should be taking longer strides to gain more distance, thereby making me more equal with a tall person that naturally moves more distance per stride due to their longer legs.  Now I am all messed up!

Anyway, I worked with her on the treadmill running at the same pace but with more steps per minute.  She has an app on her phone that I used to keep time, called a metronome.  I asked her if that was similar to the metronome that is used on a piano to keep time.  She had no clue what that was.  But actually if you look for a metronome app on you iPhone, most of them will have a picture of the triangular metronome that you use with a piano.  (she must not have ever had piano lessons)  Anyway, it just click click clicks away and you step in time to that.  She told me there are play lists you can get that have the same cadence, will have to check that out.

I used to love Jim Croce and then had sort of forgotten about him for years.  Then, when Natalie was about 7 and Emma was about 5, Chris asked me to come to Hawaii and help him while Melissa went to France with her parents and sisters.  I jumped at the opportunity.  I got the girls off to school each day and then went to the beach, not a bad job for a week.  Chris played Jim Croce while I was there and so it always reminds me of my brother.  This song is just a classic Croce song.  (only second to Big Bad Leroy Brown)

Uptown got it's hustlers
The Bowery got it's bums
42nd Street got Big Jim Walker
He's a pool-shootin' son of a gun
Yeah, he big and dumb as a man can come
But he stronger than a country Ox
And when the bad folks all get together at night
You know they all call big Jim "Boss", just because
And they say

You don't tug on Superman's cape
You don't spit into the wind
You don't pull the mask off that old Lone Ranger
And you don't mess around with Jim

Well outta south Alabama came a country boy
He say I'm lookin' for a man named Jim
I am a pool-shootin' boy
My name is Willie McCoy
But down home they call me Slim
Yeah I'm lookin' for the king of 42nd Street
He drivin' a drop top Cadillac

John Mayer - Why Georgia

5-2-12  Running again! I went to my first physical therapy appointment on Monday morning.  It went really well.  I learned some exercises that are really important to loosen and strengthen muscles.  Funny thing is that the exercises are the exact same ones that I used to do back when I was going to a personal trainer many years ago.  I also learned the same things Kai has been telling me that your hips and core are so important.  If you don't have a strong core and strong hip muscles then the muscles in your lower legs take more of a beating every time you pound the pavement.  She told me that my soleus muscle in my right calf is really tight and I need to work on stretching that.  So until the next visit she gave me  the following exercises to do at home; side lying leg lifts, standing soleus stretch, double leg heel raises, toe raises, and bridges.  She did ultrasound on my shin and also did some deep massaging of the same area.  On Friday they will video me running on a treadmill with a camera that attaches to a laptop and then she will analyze the way I run to see if there is anything I need to change.  She also told me that I could try to start running again but to keep it short at first and close to home.  Go in loops around where I live so I am never too far from home if I start to have problems.  I ran today, only 1.5 miles but wanted to make sure I was going to feel okay afterwards before I start ramping up the distance.  My plan is to run again in the morning before work, probably another shortish distance and then take t from there.  My shin still hurts a little but no where near as bad as last week.  I could hardly walk last week.  I had trouble making it from my car to the building at work!

I don't know what to do about the marathon or what the best plan is to try and ramp back up to the distance that I was running quickly!  I may google that and see what is said about recovering from an injury and getting back up to speed.  I know I can't run 20 miles this weekend which is where I should be.  I don't even want to try for fear that I would just put myself right back where I was a week ago.

My peony bush, that I showed a few weeks ago as it just started sprouting out of the ground, is in full bloom.  This usually blooms closer to Memorial Day.  This year is just all messed up.  I have covered this plant several times when we had frost warnings because it brings me such joy each spring and I would be crushed if it froze and didn't bloom. That did happen a couple of years ago.  I even take pictures of this plant every spring, they look the same, lol.  This is actually two different plants, that I planted together.  The other section of the bush is still in large buds, will probably bloom next week and I'll post those too, they are very different and exotic looking.

I really like this John Mayer song.  I love the music but the lyrics are good too, for a 20 something that thinks they should know by now what their life is meant to be about!  Oh what they don't really know at that age.


I am driving up 85 in the
Kind of morning that lasts all afternoon
Just stuck inside the gloom
4 more exits to my apartment but
I am tempted to keep the car in drive
And leave it all behind

Cause I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life

Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Am I living it right?
Why, why Georgia, why?

I rent a room and I fill the spaces with
Wood in places to make it feel like home
But all I feel's alone
It might be a quarter life crisis
Or just the stirring in my soul

Either way I wonder sometimes
About the outcome
Of a still verdictless life

So what, so I've got a smile on
But it's hiding the quiet superstitions in my head
Don't believe me
Don't believe me
When I say I've got it down

Everybody is just a stranger but
That's the danger in going my own way
I guess it's the price I have to pay
Still "everything happens for a reason"
Is no reason not to ask myself

Bob Marley - Everything's Gonna Be All right

4-25-12  I am feeling better and everything little thing is gonna be alright!  I know that , now that I am out of my funk that lasted a few days.  I don't know if I will be running the marathon on May 26, but I do know that I'll be running again and things are going to keep moving forward.

So, Monday I checked with my insurance company to see what an MRI would cost.  Approximately $1000 and for that type of service, not provided by my primary physician, year but provided by an in service provider, I have 90% coverage after I meet my $1500 deductible or $3000 per family deductible.  None of us go to the doctor except the kids for well care visits which are counted differently.  Net story, I have spent $00.00 towards my deductible (I guess that should be viewed as good because that implies I am healthy).  The MRI would be paid totally out of pocket.  The $1000 question, do I need this or is there an alternate route to go.  At the time I was struggling over this, I was honestly pretty depressed.  Monday was a bad day for me.  I went to the office but wished I had worked at home because I kept getting all teared up over this crap.  I talked to Mom, talked to Teresa, texted with Kai, texted with Bob.  I finally made a decision that I would move up my appointment with the Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Gittins and see what he would recommend.  The doctor that I had seen over the weekend is a partner of Gittins, but that doctor does shoulders. 

In the meantime, my pain has not subsided.  It sort of feels better when I rest for a while, but then when I start walking, it comes right back.  Driving the car makes it worse with the motion of flexing your foot back and forth as you apply the brake.  I also work in a very large building. I do a lot of walking from the parking lot to the building and then once inside, from one wing to another to go to different meetings.  Our CEO described the building that I work in like taking the Empire State Building and laying it on its side.  Here is what Wikipedia says about it:

"The facility—¼ mile from end to end—houses approximately 10,000 employees in a space equal in square footage to the Empire State Building. It is the largest JPMorgan Chase & Co. facility in the world, and is also the second largest flat office building in the United States, second only to The Pentagon, from which the McCoy Center has borrowed its way-finding system."

This is not me, but this is what I looked like

 when I broke my foot in 2009 and had to use

this contraption and my crutches, in the snow!

I work at the farthest point north in this building.  If I have a meeting at the other end, I really have to allow about 10 minutes of time to walk there, take the stairs (3 story building) and then find the conference room based on a numbering system that makes no sense.  This is why I had to rent that "roll about" 3 years ago when I broke my foot.  I tried to maneuver through this building for a week on crutches before I gave up and got the rolling knee apparatus.

Today I saw Dr. Gittins, same doctor that took care of me when I broke my foot.  I really like him.  He said this.....My xray does not show any stress fracture, but they never do when you first have the injury.  (I knew that).  He examined my leg and said that based on what he saw, he would treat this as a sprain or shin splint.  He said that he could feel some swelling and some temperature changes in the muscle in my leg as he moved his hands up and down my lower leg, which is indicative of swelling and inflammation. ( I think I got all of that right).  We talked about my training, and he wanted to know how far I had gotten, when the Marathon was, etc.  He said that he'd use this approach to treating me.

1.) Treat as if I have a sprain or shin splint.  Use ice cups to give ice therapy.  This is different than putting an ice pack in a towel and icing a muscle.
2.) Get me in physical therapy 3 times a week to help get me back to running faster
3.)  Put me in a compression sock which gives me some stability but doesn't totally immobilize the ankle.  (I think the immobilizing of the ankle, i.e. boot, would have made it harder to get back to running)g
4.)  Cross train heavily!  He said I have come so far, don't lose the momentum and conditioning that I have achieved.  Swim, bike or do upper body training.  Don't slow down!  I like that idea!!!!
5.)  Xray again in 2 weeks.  If this is a stress fracture, he would expect to start to see the healing, which is what shows up in an xray.

I feel a thousand times better already!!  The compression sock really helps, I feel less pain when I walk. I called Bob on the way home and asked him to but paper cups, needed for the ice cup therapy.  As I said at the start of this message, I don't know today whether I'll make the marathon, but I do know this.  I will be in Traverse City for the marathon, run or not.  I will do everything I can between now and then to help me get back to running.  If I can't run the marathon in Traverse City, its in my blood now and I will do a marathon this year.  Maybe Columbus.  I dont' know, one day at a time.

Since I felt pretty good about my appointment and the doctors optimism about my getting back to running quickly, I decided it was time to celebrate.  I went to Anderson's and bought a bag of Mary Janes, my favorite candy!

Gotta love a carefree world and life with Bob Marley.  I didn't even hear this song today but for some reason it came to mind and I think it is the approach I need to take.  Lighten up a bit!!!  I didn't copy in the whole song because it is so repetitive.  Not much depth in the lyrics. 

"Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right.
"Don't worry about a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

Rise up this mornin',
Smiled with the risin' sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin' sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin', ("This is my message to you-ou-ou:")
Singin': "Don't worry 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right."
Singin': "Don't worry (don't worry) 'bout a thing,
'Cause every little thing gonna be all right!"

Smash Mouth - All Star

4-22-12  34 days until Bayshore and I am not doing well and I am pretty upset about it.  I have worked so hard at this and have come so far.  I started getting really bad shin pain in my right leg a couple of days after I fell last weekend.  I really have no idea if it is even related.  It is my right leg.  I have had problems with shin splints for years but it was always in my left leg.  This does feel like really bad shin splints though.  I iced my leg a lot over the last few days and it was feeling perfect yesterday when I got up.  Yeah!  I was really glad about that.  Yesterday it was raining and windy and really cold.  The forecast for Sunday was no rain, no wind and a high of 50, low around 42 in the morning.  I decided yesterday that I would run on Sunday.  Yesterday afternoon, I got in the car to go to Blick's Art Supply and Whole Foods.  I drove 5 miles down Sawmill Road, lot of traffic, lots of stopping and starting.  When I got out of my car at Blick's, I had intense pain in my right shin!  What the heck?  As I was driving home, I realized that the motion of putting my foot on and off the brake was aggravating my leg.  Just that short amount of time and my leg was all messed up.  I got up this morning and it hurt just a tiny bit.  I got ready to run and less than a 1/2 mile from home it started hurting so much that I had to go home.  I walked home and took some Advil.  Bob thinks I have a stress fracture and I should get it x-rayed.  I don't think it is a stress fracture, but I have no issue with going to a doctor and getting an x-ray.  I am getting pretty stressed myself.  I am roughly 2 weeks behind now on my increase of mileage with only 5 weeks to go.  I guess if this isn't a serious injury, I'll find a way to get back on track.  If it is a bad injury, then I am screwed.

As I said before, I really think it is shin splints.  I just did some reading about them, and it sounds like what I have.  Found this helpful in reading:

Prevention: If you experience shin pain when running, it may be because of weak anterior tibalis muscles, which are on the front side of your lower leg. This muscle is responsible for flexing the foot upward and, because it's often underdeveloped in non-runners, you may experience shin pain if you're new to running or you increase your distance too quickly. Do these toe raises and heel raises a few times a week to develop the muscle and prevent shin splints.

I also watched a video (Jonathon E. Stewart, About.com) on how to prevent and how to treat shin splints.  Pretty basic stuff but the guy was quirky.  When he talked about wearing the proper footwear, he finished this part by saying "so remember to think twice before taking a spin in your favorite strappy shoes or sandals, it only takes a pop top to blow out a flip flop!".  then when he was talking about stretching he said it wouldn't hurt to "air dry your toes with the alphabet a couple of times a day".  I don't even know what that one means.

Carson knocked that kid down!

7 hours later....I went to Carson's soccer game this afternoon.  One of Buzz's partners, RJ Nowinski has 2 boys that are on Carson's team.  I asked RJ about the boys' Mom, Erin.  She ran in the Boston Marathon Monday.  Apparently she passed out and of course then wasn't able to finish.  I don't know the details, but feel so bad for her.  I know she worked hard for this and we had exchanged messages Sunday night and she was optimistic.  While talking to RJ and his wife Candace, I mentioned my marathon and problem.  RJ said I really should rule out a stress fracture.  He said he'd take me to his office right after the game.  We did go to his office.  They are opened on the weekend for urgent care visits.  He had my leg x-rayed.  He could not see anything, but said that it is rare to be able to see a stress fracture on an xray.  Usually you will see them much later as they heal when you can see the calcification.  He said that I need an MRI.  The scheduling lady will call me tomorrow.  He told me to wear the boot that I have from when I broke my foot.  He said it will do nothing to speed the healing, but will provide stability and comfort.  I have not worn it yet.  He also said that if I have a stress fracture, I will not be running a marathon in May.  This has not been a good day.

Enough crying and feeling sorry for myself.  This morning I really wanted to get hyped up for a good run.  We spent a lot of this weekend watching the Shrek movies.  I love those movies.  There are a few songs done by Smash Mouth that I really like from his movie.  Not sure I ever heard these songs (by Smash Mouth) before this movie, but you know how it is when you first hear a song in a movie, it just sticks with you that much faster than if you heard it on the radio.  I decided last night that I would download these songs to my phone to listen to them today.  All Star was meant to pump me up for a great run today!  Hey now you're a rock star!!!  ( well maybe not after all)

Shrek Cast!

Somebody once told me the world is gonna roll me
I ain't the sharpest tool in the shed
She was looking kind of dumb with her finger and her thumb
In the shape of an "L" on her forehead

Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb

So much to do so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow

Hey now you're an All Star get your game on, go play
Hey now you're a Rock Star get the show on get paid
And all that glitters is gold
Only shooting stars break the mold
It's a cool place and they say it gets colder
You're bundled up now but wait 'til you get older
But the meteor men beg to differ
Judging by the hole in the satellite picture

Smash Mouth

The ice we skate is getting pretty thin
The waters getting warm so you might as well swim
My world's on fire how about yours
That's the way I like it and I'll never get bored

Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas
I need to get myself away from this place
I said yep what a concept
I could use a little fuel myself
And we could all use a little change
Well the years start coming and they don't stop coming
Fed to the rules and I hit the ground running
Didn't make sense not to live for fun
Your brain gets smart but your head gets dumb
So much to do so much to see
So what's wrong with taking the back streets
You'll never know if you don't go
You'll never shine if you don't glow
 Smash Mouth is not my usual kind of band but I like some of their work.  In addition to All Star they have a recording of the Monkees, I'm a Believer and the Beatles, Getting Better.  They also played at a Gumby birthday party, gotta love that!

Dan Fogelberg - Run for the Roses

4-20-12  Starting my ramp back up to where I should be at this stage in the training.  I feel like I am a couple of weeks behind.  I need to catch up but I want to do it right.  I don't want to move too quickly and feel the pain and consequences.  I ran 4 miles today and it was okay but my toe started swelling and my shin was hurting.  More ice tonight. I am not exactly sure how I will spread my miles over the next 2 weeks, but I have to be ready to run 20 miles on May 5.  If I can meet that goal, then I will start feeling better about my training.  Right now I feel like I have had a few setbacks and not feeling particularly good about it.

Ran around the golf course today, it is so beautiful right now!  There is some new construction at the entrance to our neighborhood.  I have no idea what it is.  I hope it is a restaurant and not something boring like a Jiffy Lube or something like that!  The weather was beautiful today.  Temps in the seventies and rain expected this evening.  Right now it is 9:30 at night and the rain predicted for 4:00 pm has not started yet.  The skies looked like rain before it got dark.  My worry at this point is that they said the rain would start early evening, rain all night and be done around noon tomorrow.  My plan is to run at noon.  I hope this isn't going to start later and rain all day!  If so I may have to do a treadmill run.

Matthew

Carson

We have had a lot of fun in the last few days with the new basketball hoop and the balls from Mom and Dad.  When I got home from my run tonight the boys were shooting hoops so I have to include a couple of shots of them.




I know I am a few weeks early for the Kentucky Derby, but i was listening to this song today and I just really like it.  The Kentucky Derby is 14 days away and it is the day that I'll be running 20 miles with Kai.  It is also my Mother's birthday and it is obviously (if you speak any Spanish) Cinco de Mayo.  Maybe Kai and I can have some tacos and margaritas, or some Mint Juleps after we run.

Born in the valley
And raised in the trees
Of Western Kentucky
On wobbly knees
With mama beside you
To help you along
You'll soon be a growing up strong.

All the long, lazy mornings
In pastures of green
The sun on your withers
The wind in your mane
Could never prepare you
For what lies ahead
The run for the roses so red --

And it's run for the roses
As fast as you can
Your fate is delivered
Your moment's at hand
It's the chance of a lifetime
In a lifetime of chance
And it's high time you joined
In the dance
It's high time you joined
In the dance --

From sire to sire
It's born in the blood
The fire of a mare
And the strength of a stud
It's breeding and it's training
And it's something unknown
That drives you and carries you home.

And it's run for the roses
As fast as you can
Your fate is delivered
Your moment's at hand
It's the chance of a lifetime
In a lifetime of chance
And it's high time you joined
In the dance
It's high time you joined
In the dance --