Run Log: March 2014

Today is warm. (50)  Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer. (60).  I NEED this!  I waited until after lunch to run today ~ just so I could NOT BE COLD!  I still ran in capris and a long sleeve light shirt ~ the wind was still blowing ~ but I was not cold.  It felt marvelous.
This month:  Run Club met a few times (2 that I can recall) {run club is me & Cheryl}  Dodd & I ran early morning in DC {that was cold}  I signed up for a 1/2 marathon and the Red Bird Run.  & The 10 Mile Drop before I complete another run log.  I'm ready for racing & running in warmth.

March’s Totals:

97.32 miles for the month {only 13.42 miles from doubling my Jan-Feb effort}
208.06 miles for the year 

287.35 miles for my bright blue Brooks ~ getting on in mileage, but still cushy ~ dirty, but cushy

1 mile swimming

60 miles biking

Still taking the Kickboxing class on Monday & Yoga Wednesday & Sunday.  Need to start more swimming.

Training for: 10 Mile Drop on April 13 & Lake Health Half Marathon {Hill, Yeah} on June 15

My WEIGHT:  OOPS ~ lots of Girl Scout Cookies & those evil Marshmallow Treat Oreos have me back at 136.4 pounds...Pants still fit well, so that's not much motivation to quit eating the cookies. AND I've got two more boxes of GS cookies...and graham crackers spread with Hazelnut Spread & Marshmallow Fluff...that's so very good.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month: 10.04...ready for that 10 Mile Drop
Favorite place to run this month: MMS down Dayton to 84 to 528 to Middle Ridge to MMS...Run Club 5 miler
# of books I read this month: one...and a half.  Had the one I started last month taken away on page 528...really a 700+ page book...I can't read that in 3 weeks during the school year.
Monthly mileage record: 155.46 ~ August 2013!  WOW
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.2 ~ October 13, 2013 ~ Northern Ohio Marathon
Toenail color:  Fresh French Manicure ~ just bought more white & pink at the Wal-Mart

PR's:
5K: 22:45 (Rabbit Run 10/30/11~ but I think it was a short course)
10K: 52:02 (Cleveland 5/15/11)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:47:35 (Cleveland Half 5/19/2013)
marathon: 4:01:04 (Northern Ohio Marathon 10/13/2013)

#7 This is Where I Leave You

One of the books in my "it's going to be a movie, you better read the book" pile.  #7 is Jonathan Tropper's This is Where I Leave You.  It is a sorry tale about dysfunctional people from a dysfunctional family attempting to live together while they sit Shiva for their dead father.  The characters are likable even with their all-too-human flaws.  The unfaithful wives, the druggie brother, the angry older brother, the overbearing mother...and then SPOILER ALERT there's the ending that is NOT an ending.  I hate it when books don't wrap it up.  I was told that this is the first of a yet-to-be-written sequel...so that makes it a little better ~ but the ending was dissapointing.

Quotes & Words

p82 ~ cataclysmically

    relating to or denoting a violent nateral event

p182 ~ there's always a last time.  If you could remember every last time, you'd never stop grieving.

p 265 ~ nomenclature

   the devising or choosing of names for things

p286 ~ That's the thing about life; everythign feels so permanent, but you can disappear in an instant.

p328 ~ Life is huge, but it can turn on a dime.

fl: "Dad is dead," Wendy says offhandedly, like it's happened before, like it happens everyday.  ll: Tomorrow is anybody's guess.  I've got a baby girl on the way, a borrowed Porsche, and fourteen grand in a shopping bag.  Anything can happen.

Catching up

Jen & I show off our Ohio Glasses

Well, I haven't blogged in a while...not because stuff hasn't been happening...but I've been pretty lazy with my "free time"
Back in the beginning of March, I accompanied the 7th graders to Columbus ~ for the abbreviated version of the former Ohio Tour.  We left early in the morning & saw some sites in C'bus.  We were so very lucky that it was in the 50's for the day...great weather considering the winter we've had!

<===I'm rather into the selfies ~ as I'm tired of never being in the pictures ~ and I AM that far behind the times.  Lori & I rode the best bus (as always).  Erin and I had a blast on the roller coaster machine!  And I drank a cup of sugar ~ it tasted amazing.

The Ghost was active in the house during the month of March ~ {come to think of it, however, Fonzi has stopped nipping at the air in the family room...} BUT: one night Mike & I were watching TV when we hear an abrupt crash of something from the front room.  We just look at each other...and I make Mike go check it out {certainly checking out strange noises is a blue job}  SOMEHOW the music stand, which is NOT in the least bit loose, had lost its tilt & all the music folders crashed to the floor.  Strange happening, for sure ~ ghostly activity? maybe.

JB over Al's left shoulder

Patrick came home from Cincy on spring break & JB went to NYC with the band on that Wednesday.  He had a great trip, with very little sleep.  But what do you expect from a TV celebrity?

The band made the Today Show ~ with a big blue banner in the window & lots of face time both in the window & during an outdoor segment.  It was great to see my boy on my TV from the Big Apple.
We picked him up Sunday morning & he crashed on the couch...didn't even wake when Fonzi licked his face.

The Monday before the DC trip, we went to the dealership to look at new cars & found this adorably red Chevy Equinox ~ 2013 with 2800 miles on it.  Couldn't pass it up ~ so I bought it.  My lovable 2003 Yukon has 215,000 miles on it ~ and it's hard to give it up ~ but I'm glad I did.  Mike did all the leg work while I was in DC ~ so all I had to do was go sign papers & drive it home on Saturday.  He's the best ever ~ because I know it was a pain and a lot of leg work to get the loan.  Thanks, honey.

 My selfie tour of our nation's capitol.  The White House.  The Capitol Building. The bus.  The Lincoln Memorial.  The Jefferson Memorial.  FRD Memorial.  MLK Memorial {we don't konw what Julie is doing}
This trip is always filled.  Filled with fun, tired, anxiety, annoyance, laughter, yelling, lost kids, found kids, sleepy kids, happy kids, grumpy adults, slap-happy adults, history, rememberance, memories...and a reminder that I really enjoy what I do for a living.  I will not be able to hear Frozen's famous song, "Let It Go" without thinking of this trip.

My most favorite selfie: Me, Dodd & JFK

And that brings us to a week of Spring Break.  Here's the view of our backyard this morning:

I AM TIRED OF WINTER

Run Log February 2014

I'm tired of the cold & I'm tired of running on a treadmill.  I NEED 35°!  That will feel like a HEAT WAVE ~ this morning it was -9° when I drove to school.  I'd rather run outside...but I just couldn't make myself bundle up & go this week.  But that treadmill is killing my running spirit.  BORING BORING BORING
which leads to my COMPLAINING COMPLAINING COMPLAINING
The annual YMCA triathlon started this week & I have one more week to get in all the miles.  To recap...26.2 running, 112 cycling, 2 swimming.  Two weeks to get the gold.  {and, of course, I must get the gold}
My sincere hope:  The next Running log has me writing about more outdoor runs with sunshine & friends and closer to 80 miles...by the next running log I will have gone on two class trips, sent JB to NYC with the band & had Patrick home for spring break.  March will be a good month.

February’s Totals:

64.41 miles for the month 
110.74 miles for the year 

190.03 miles for my bright blue Brooks ~ that now have a spot right in the middle of the toe box on the right shoe?  Kinda looks like a really washed out drop of blood ~ don't mess with me

3.3 miles swimming

52 miles biking

I'm also taking a kickboxing class on Monday & a yoga class on Wednesday.  I'm really becoming a big fan of yoga.  I think it's the best thing to pair up with running.  & how can you not like a class where you LAY DOWN AND RELAX for the last 10 minutes...and it's considered EXERCISE.  It's having your cake & eating it too.

Training for: 10 Mile Drop on April 13

My WEIGHT:  Hey, I'm down two pounds as compared to last month: 134.8.  I quit tracking calories...trying to eat healthy & get enough calories...and some of those calories came from the donut I ate at the staff meeting on Tuesday...and the donut I ate at the sped meeting today. {both chocolate frosted with sprinkles...fun & yummy}  I bet I won't be able to say I'm down two pounds at the end of March if two donuts a week keeps up.

Some interesting facts:

Longest run this month: 7.69 ~ all the roads {most more than once} around Parkway
Favorite place to run this month: I've run Parkway & I've run the treadmill at the YMCA.  Neither is a favorite...even tho they both have been at one time.
# of bags of Candy Cane Kisses left in my cabinet: GONE
# of books I read this month: three ~ just started the next one...and I think I drooled on my Kindle last night while reading the first page {Sue Fulton swore it was the best book she's read since The Help...so I don't think it was the book}
Monthly mileage record: 155.46 ~ August 2013!  WOW
Highest mileage ever-at-one-time:  26.2 ~ October 13, 2013 ~ Northern Ohio Marathon
Toenail color:  Fresh French Manicure ~ just took off the dark red...it was so chipped, it was embarrassing

PR's:
5K: 22:45 (Rabbit Run 10/30/11~ but I think it was a short course)
10K: 52:02 (Cleveland 5/15/11)
10-miler: 1:21:29 (Hermes Cleveland 10-miler 4/28/12)
half-marathon: 1:47:35 (Cleveland Half 5/19/2013)
marathon: 4:01:04 (Northern Ohio Marathon 10/13/2013)

#6 The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

What a well written and interesting documentary-style book.   #6 is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot.  Henrietta was a poor black woman ~ who married her cousin, {who gave her HPV & syphilis & who knows what else}, who lived in poverty & had 5 children, one who was committed to The Hospital for the Negro Insane.  A very hard life to be sure.  She died a very painful death from cervical cancer, but before she died, the scientists at Johns Hopkins Hospital took a sample of that tumor.  A cell sample that is still alive today.  An amazing concept, really.  Those cells have been used by researchers to find a vaccine for polio, cures for cancers, help map DNA, and much more that I really can't understand.  This is the story of the woman and her family and a human part of the debate of scientific ethics.  The most poignant commentary; here is a woman whose cells are a main part of so many medical miracles ~ yet her family can't afford health insurance.  Interesting, maddening, and often kooky.  I'm glad I read it.

Quotes:
p? {location 242} ~ "If you pretty up how people spoke and change the things they said, that's dishonest.  It's taking away their lives, their experiences, and their selves."  {a Lacks relative speaking about how Rebecca should write the interviews given by the family.}

p9 ~ Yeah, that's right, my mother name was Henrietta Lacks, she died in 1951, John Hopkins took her cells and them cells are still livin today, still multiplyin, still growing and spreadin if you don't keep em frozen.  Science calls her HeLa and she's all over the world in medical facilities, in all the computers and the Internet everywhere.

fl: There's a photo on my wall of a woman I've never met, its left corner torn and patched together with tape.  ll: "But maybe I'll come back as some HeLa cells like my mother, that way we can do good together out there in the world."  She paused and nodded again.  "I think I'd like that."
 

quotes

I've come across two great quotes today...
1 ~ from an email advertisement for SkirtSports {my favorite & most expensive running wear}

 "I run because the road's a damn good listener." ~ {that's from Gina, according to the ad}  True Story!

2 ~ From the February 2014 Runner's World magazine, the story Runner, Interrupted (the story of a super fast Kenyan who lost both of his feet to frostbite), page82

“No matter the size of a tree, it can never be called a forest.” ~  Marko Cheseto

I'm getting to read my Runner's World magazines because I have to get 112 miles done on the bike for the YMCA triathlon...the bike sucks, but it's a great time to read :)

and another one

Snow Day #9 * NINE ~ 

That's almost TWO WEEKS of snow days.  We really may be going to school well into June.  Who knows what's going to happen with the governor & his request for a few more days...and the union is never going to get around to a decision on this Blizzard Bag stuff.  There is some stress as today was to be my professional IEP writing day...with a meeting tomorrow that I'm only 95% ready for & a meeting next week, totally unprepared & another meeting the first week of March, again, totally unprepared.  I'm trying not to stress...but I see a very late night in my future.
But today I will clean the house & watch a few episodes of Breaking Bad.  I will enjoy this snow day ~ as I will be making it up with work in the future.

A Valentine's story.  My sweet & thoughtful husband left me a little box of chocolate & a card on my driver's seat on Valentine's Day.  {Friday}  On Saturday I left for my trip to Cincinnati.  On Sunday I returned.  On Monday I went to eat a piece of chocolate.  I opened the box & there was ONE PIECE left.  Apparently the ownership on a box of Valentine's chocolate is limited to Valentine's Day.  After that, it is fair game.
Be warned.