SUMMERSPRING RUN

Wow. Today I ran my long run on the same route as last week's Winterspring Run.

Today I'm calling it "Summerspring Run."

Nearly 50* warmer than on this day last week. 75*F today.

No snow falling. None left on the ground. Winter-dried grass, in a few places blackened from fires started by trains yesterday. Homes were endangered but not harmed.

Last week, daffodil leaves poked through the snow. Today, the daffodils are blooming.

Last week, I heard robins and redwing blackbirds. Today, added to those lovely songs were the songs of spring peepers. Now, THAT is a song I love hearing.

Last week, Journey cavorted through the roadside snow. Today, she swam in cold farm ponds to cool off.

Last week, people were shoveling their driveways. Today, they were plowing their fields.

Last week, I ran fast to get home out of the cold sooner. Today I ran slowly so as no to overheat in the unaccustomed summer temperature.

Last week, I finished my run covered with snow. Today, I finished covered with salt from my sweat.

Last week our bathroom pipes were frozen and I walked to the bath house for a long hot shower to get warm. Today, a shower only lukewarm to cool down.

Last week, I came home to a home fragrant with the stomach-warming spicy chili cooking in the crockpot. Today, hamburgers and potato salad and cold beer.

Last week, 12 miles, or a little less, just under 2 hours. Today, 14 miles, almost 2 and a half hours.

Both with the same afterglow.... tired, hungry, happy.

This is amazing.

SUPERNANNY BLEW THIS ONE....

Monday nights I generally spend the evening at the home of our young campground managers, caring for their 8-month-old son while they go out. With not much to do, I've taken to watching Supernanny, and I'm often impressed with her solutions to critical family problems.

Last night's show featured a family with a rebellious, disrespectful teen boy, a girl about 5 years old who kept getting up at night and coming to her parents' bed, and a 14-month-old girl who was still nursing at the breast. This "prolonged" nursing was treated as just one more out-of-control issue in this out-of-control family.

The first 2 kids' behaviors I agree are problematic; the nursing toddler? Sounds normal to me. My friends and I, in the 70's and 80's, all nursed our kids until they were two or so. So do a lot of mothers. But the promo clip briefly showed the child nursing, then slurping sloppily from a sippy cup, featured Supernanny saying the child clung to Mum like a koala, and the voice-over saying, "Get that kid a bottle!"

Which Supernanny proceeded to do. Asked the mom why she was still breastfeeding and got the kid on the bottle within days.

I object on several grounds:

• Supernanny (who has no children) is misinformed about what's normal. In much of the world, as well as in many circles in North America, nursing is continued into the second or third year as a matter of course. It's a fallacy that nursing is just for little babies, and an expert as current as Supernanny ought to be savvy to this. I was appalled at her ignorance.



• Abrupt weaning such as was carried out in this case is emotionally traumatic to both parties and is unhealthy for the mother. She continues to produce milk, which causes engorgement and swelling, and ensuing pain and possibly infection.



• I disagree with having weaned the child to a bottle. If she's young enough to need a bottle, she's young enough to continue nursing. Weaning a cup-cabable child to a bottle seems pointless, and reduces breastfeeding to a mere "where the milk comes from," without considering the many emotional, social, and health benefits to the child of continuing to nurse when both she and the mother are willing.



• The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends that breastfeeding continue for at least the first 12 months of life.
  
  
• It was none of her business. The mother had not expressed any discomfort about her nursing daughter.



As children grow, their naturally-growing interests and abilities gradually replace nursing times. If the mother feels it is time to stop, one of the advantages of having the child a little older is that mom can explain and reason a little bit: "I think we should save nursing for bedtime. Let's just cuddle and read a book."




I think the mother and child could have been taught some "nursing manners" -- the when, where, and how of their nursing relationship could have been pulled off more esthetically. The child nursed whenever and wherever she wished, and the mother was not discreet in the process. This is, perhaps, one of the behaviors that gives longer breastfeeding a bad name.




Supernanny skillfully and effectively showed the mother how to demand respect from her older son without showing any disrespect for him. She offered good suggestions for teaching the other little girl to sleep in her own bed.




But she blew it on the breastfeeding issue.

THINGS YOU DON'T SEE EVERY DAY

Either someone was still hungry after dinner, or that was mighty fine Hamburger Helper.

That's milk on the road. Milk. I saw liquid sloshing out of what looked like a milk truck, from the joining between the two tank sections as he made a right turn. When I rode up to it, yup, it was a milk truck, and that was milk. You can see my tracks where I rode through it. There was no way I could catch up to him and tell him, "Hey, pal, your milk's leaking."



....as a lady once said to me once in the grocery store. At the time I had a baby about 4 months old in the kiddie seat in the cart, and this lady came up to me, tapped me on the shoulder, and said, "Excuse me, ma'am, your milk's leaking." I gasped and looked down at my chest, covering my shirt with my hands. Somewhat flustered, she pointed to the floor underneath my cart and said, "No, I mean, in your cart, your milk jug's leaking."
_____________

Bike ride on which I saw these things:
30 miles, 2:16, SHORTS AND SHORT-SLEEVED JERSEY!! Spring will come!!

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A BLOG?

So, you've got all these blog links in your sidebar, or in your Bloglines feeds.

What makes you like these blogs?

People with the same interests? (That's a big one... considering the size of the Tri-Blog Alliance including its official and unofficial members.)

Do you like training details? Race reports?

A variety of topics, including sketches of personal lives, current-news commentaries, heated discussions, humor? (I vote big for humor but can't seem to get the hang of producing it myself.)

Short posts? Long and detailed? Photos?

When you visit a blog, what keeps you coming back?

JUNK MILES?

Remember the term "junk miles?" Miles you run that don't accomplish anything? I think I just ran 8 of them. Or rather, ran 5 and walked 3.

It was one of those runs where you keep on going figuring it has to get better.

It didn't. After feeling like I was flying day before yesterday, today I had cement legs. And finally, a mile after my turnaround and 3 miles from home, I said "The heck with it" and walked it in.

My legs feel stiff and my Achilles tendons are sore again. I thought I was over my (very short) cold but my throat is scratchy now. I'm tired. I just want to go to sleep.

What, now I ask you what, did those miles accomplish for me? I should have turned around after the first 15 minutes.

8 miles, 1:40 -- first 4, 41:26; second 4, nearly an hour.

WINTERSPRING RUN

Falling snow.

Light breeze -- cold going into it, toasty warm going with it.

Wet roads. Robins. Redwing blackbirds fill the air with their chirpy buzz.

Leaves of daffodils and tulips show through the deepening snow cover.

Quiet farm road. Weatherbeaten sheds.

A lone black cow drinks from a pond, misty through the foggy snow.

No camera.

Maple buds.

Silent solitude but for falling snow and the echo of a dog barking.

Wood smoke curls from chimneys.

Hills.

Pink fleece top with icy snow-covered front.

Companion dog with slush-frozen underside, gambols through covered grass.

She tosses up tufts of the fun white stuff.

Almost 12 miles. Under 2 hours.

Done.

Now I am cold.

Hot shower.

Warm clothes.

Now I'm sweating.

Dinner is in the crock pot.

Smells wonderful.

I'm hungry.

I'm tired.

I'm happy.

WHOA !!!!!!

Check out my banner!!! I did it myself!! HTML-disadvantaged me! Hardly any mistakes in it! Whooo!!!

BLOGGER MAKES ME MAD.

Lately, when I try to leave a comment on a blog, about half the time Blogger will not let me see the verification code I'm supposed to replicate to verify my veracity. All I get is a little red X in a little black box. I'm thinking where I'd like to send that red X, by Fed-Ex.

RETRO RAMBLER 3.8

I'll let you know how I do. I think the race info on the website is funny, so I'm sharing it with y'all.

Mar 3, 2007 Retro Ramble 3.8 Miler
War Memorial Building, Jim Barnett Park, Winchester, VA. Who can ever forget Boy George, The A-Team, Cabbage Patch Dolls, and Parachute Pants? Unfortunately, not us, so come celebrate the 80's by wearing your favorite 80's attire and answering 80's trivia questions!

Directions: From Winchester: Hey, you should know how to get there, bucko! The War Memorial building is located near the outdoor pool. From Beryville & East: Follow Rt. 7 into Winchester. Turn left onto S. Pleasant Valley Rd. Turn left at first light onto Cork St. Take first right into the park on Maple St. Take first left and the War Memorial Bldg. is on your right.

I can't remember what I was wearing in the 80's, except jeans, sweatshirts, and running togs, so I'm just wearing my running clothes. I don't even have a race shirt from the 80's -- wore 'em out or cut 'em up to make a quilt (which I haven't yet.)

____________
Update:
Bleah. Last night and this morning I've felt like I was getting sick. On the course I felt my can of Slim-Fast and my pint of coffee the whole time. Heart-rate was nuts. I walked the hills and some of the flats. My rival for third place in the 50-59 overall winter standings passed me -- we've been passing rights to the 3rd-place title back and forth like France and Germany claiming Alsace-Lorraine. My time was 37:47.

I did, however, win a can of Repel Sportsman bug repellent in the 80's Trivia Contest, for knowing that "Meathead" was Archie Bunker's nickname for his son-in-law. I consider "All in the Family" more 70's than 80's but the instigators of this are only about 40, so they remember it from the 80's.

I couldn't identify my "name that tune," which blew their minds. I said, "I didn't listen to my children's music," and the MC said, "This was the 80's," like, it was back when everyone was growing up. Like I said, I didn't listen to my children's music. I recognized the song but couldn't identify it.

I feel crappy. I'm going back to bed. My whole chest feels tired.

ON TODAY'S RIDE

Beautiful day.... almost 60*F. A little on the windy side... 15mph gusting to 30, but I love biking again. Especially with countryside views like this.

Details: 24 miles... 7 miles farther than last time. With my new saddle, no sore sit-bones.

 

5K race tomorrow!

THE HOUSE BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

THE HOUSE BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

--- Sam Walter Foss

There are hermit souls that live withdrawn
In the place of their self-content;
There are souls like stars, that dwell apart,
In a fellowless firmament;
There are pioneer souls that blaze the paths
Where highways never ran-
But let me live by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
Where the race of men go by-
The men who are good and the men who are bad,
As good and as bad as I.
I would not sit in the scorner's seat
Nor hurl the cynic's ban-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I see from my house by the side of the road
By the side of the highway of life,
The men who press with the ardor of hope,
The men who are faint with the strife,
But I turn not away from their smiles and tears,
Both parts of an infinite plan-
Let me live in a house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.
I know there are brook-gladdened meadows ahead,
And mountains of wearisome height;
That the road passes on through the long afternoon
And stretches away to the night.
And still I rejoice when the travelers rejoice
And weep with the strangers that moan,
Nor live in my house by the side of the road
Like a man who dwells alone.
Let me live in my house by the side of the road,
Where the race of men go by-
They are good, they are bad, they are weak, they are strong,
Wise, foolish - so am I.
Then why should I sit in the scorner's seat,
Or hurl the cynic's ban?
Let me live in my house by the side of the road
And be a friend to man.

MAJOR THREADS SCORE!!!

 

WHOA!!!! Our neighbor, another full-time RV'er work-camper, is leaving and moving on to the next gig, and she's downsizing her stuff,and gave me a DOWN JACKET!! LONDON FOG!! I've made it through the chilly (some single digits F*) Norther Virginia winter with just my jean jacket and my IMFL microfiber jacket. Whoo! I have NEVER had a down jacket before!

And fleece-lined jeans! Gap! I have never bought jeans from Gap, nor have I ever had lined jeans.

We'll be landing in the White Mountains of New Hampshire early in May. I've been on a "Backpacking the White Mountains" website that warns hikers to have WARM clothes, even in "warm" weather. I'm ready!!

SNACK ATTACK

What is this monster that drives me to the fridge and cupboards almost every evening? Yesterday I posted about good good self-talk to steer away from eating that goes against my purposes. Then, after that great 10-mile run, stayed up too late fooling with my sidebar and that's when I started eating stupid stuff. Seems like staying up past tired and eating past full go hand in hand. Almost always, when I mess up my food plan, it's late in the evening when I'm tired. Maybe going to bed earlier is the key?

MEET MY GRANDKIDS

Gracie, 8

Collin, 11

Abbie, 4

I'm putting them in my sidebar; they kept coming out too large when I downloaded them from Photobucket, so I'm introducing them here, then copying them to my sidebar from here, which should make them smaller. I hope. I'm still feeling my way with HTML issues....

RUNNING WITH PLANES

What a gorgeous day to run. I set out to do 9 miles, but felt good and did 10.

I kept seeing huge military cargo planes, probably C-130's, flying close by, flying low, all on the same flight path. I saw no less than 7 of these lumbering oxes (oxen?) during my run. Flying so low that they nearly grazed the treetops on the ridge, and as the first one I saw disappeared behind the mountain, I waited for an explosion, but none came.

It made me think of our son Jon, who flew in C-130's as navigator and electronics technician during his service in the U.S. Coast Guard in Hawaii. They did search and rescue, border patrol, and a lot of training, like flying in loops returning to the station, buzzing the runway without touching down, and climbing again, with a heavy load of fuel. Maybe that's what these planes were doing.

I also thought of Jon as I came to an unfamiliar intersection (farther along on this road than I've been before), which offered me a choice of Miller Road or Pitcock Lane. Naturally, I would take Pitcock Lane just anyway, because... well, just because. But I also took it because it reminded me of Jon: sometimes he flew with a female pilot who was offended by the word "cockpit." When she was aboard, they had to say "flight deck."

Stats: 10.1 miles

1:40:19..... 9:56 pace! Yay!! Click on my trainng link in my sidebar to see the gooey details.

WHAT I TELL MYSELF (or wish I would...)(or wish I'd listen to...)

So I've been hovering about 5-7 pounds over what I weighed at IMFL, which was a good 10 pounds over what would have made me a lot more comfortable that day, and 15 pounds over what would have been ideal. Obviously, things have gone downhill (maybe because of the subtraction of two of my regular endurance sports.)

But it's not just about the activity.... I just plain like to eat too much.

Except, sometimes I eat too much when I don't really like to, and eat when I don't really want to .... and, sometimes, even stuff I don't really like.

Now, over the months (and years) I have developed certain items of self-talk which, if I were another person talking to me, and watching me, would probably influence a change in whether I do or do not eat the food in question at the moment in question.

• Which would I rather do: eat this (or eat more of this), or qualify for Boston?
• Later on, will I be sorry I did not eat this? (Unless it's a needed meal, or a rare opportunity to taste something I may never get again, or enjoy something I rarely have, the answer is "No.")
• Will I be sorry I did eat this? (Usually the answer is obvious.)
• Does this add to or detract from my overall health, nutrition, fitness, and progress toward your goals?
• If it detracts, is it worth it in the long run? (Only if it's an unusual opportunity to taste something unique or magnificent.)
• Would Julie Berg eat this now?
• Would I eat this now if I were toeing the line my BQ in 12 hours?
• Am I hungry?
• And finally.... will I starve to death or be unable to carry on, if I don't eat now?

No one ever starved to death between meals, or between dinner and bedtime, or dinner and breakfast.

I..... WEEENNNT........

BIKING !!!!!

Saturday after my 4-mile race, I felt great. The weather was nice. I started thinking, I should clean up my bike and start biking when March comes. I went out again and thought, boy, it feels good out here --- I'm going biking TODAY!!



They say you don't forget how to ride a bike, but I had to rewire some brain circuits to remember which levers worked which gears which direction.


I rode 17 miles, about an hour and 10 minutes. Tights, thin tech shirt, longsleeved t-shirt, nylon wind shirt, bike gloves with regular gloves underneath, earmuffs, helmet. On the return trip into the wind, the cold whistled into my helmet vents and gave me an ice-cream headache, but other than that I was not cold. Temp was 45*F, wind about 10mph.


This was the first time I have even had the remotest desire to get on my bike since IMFL. And it wasn't remote desire.... it was very present and very strong. I WANTED TO RIDE MY BIKE!

I've got a new saddle, a Serfa Tri-W Women's. I needed one last fall. I saw this one in the Local Bike Shop, and pondered the risks and benefits of doing IMFL with a saddle I wasn't used to, or on one that was worn out and giving me pain. I used the old one.

Then my mother conspired by phone with my husband to get me a gift card to the LBS for Christmas, and this is what I got, putting it in layaway with her gift and bailing it out later with part of a paycheck. I thought at the time, hmm, I must be thinking about getting back on my bike sometime.

Also during this winter, I took a 3-session class in bike-maintenance and repair at the same LBS (just $5 a session, a steal!) and thought... I must be thinking about getting back on my bike sometime.

I didn't expect "sometime" to hit so suddenly, so strongly, and so irresistably. In fact, I wanted to go again today, but I worked all morning, work again starting at 5, and had to do laundry in between, bummer. I took Journey for a short mile-long jog instead. Tomorrow is supposed to be even nicer, but I'm scheduled for upping my "long" run to 9 miles.

TriSaraTops posted today about the new swimsuit she got from SwimOutlet.com, and I went to the site and thought, maybe this payday..... Does that mean I might be thinking about getting back in the water sometime? Or just that I need bodysuits to wear running and biking, and they ruined my favorite Catalina ones by "improving" them with bulky foam bra cups?

Either way.... I need a new swimsuit for all purposes. I cleaned out clutter this winter and THREW OUT my tri-swimsuits with bike-padding. I expect to do tri's again, and may even do another Ironman to celebrate the year I turn 60 (5 years from now), but in the meantime I have PISD (Post Ironman Stress Disorder) and have no triathlons on my docket.

I'm scheduling a weekly bike ride into my training now as cross-training. And because I want to again, finally.

VICKIE

Hey, folks, drop by and see Vickie -- she needs hugs.

It Doesn't Exist Anymore (or if it does, it's been modified or doesn't work....)

Geek Girl posted a really funny treatise on things she loves that get discontinued. It rang a bell with a whole lot of followers, including me! I started to write a comment ten yards long, but decided to borrow her thread (I'll give it back when I'm done) and list some things I used to like that I can't get anymore.

Geek Girl said Hanes Sports Bras. Yeah. My favorite was Bestform, a nice, inexpensive, easy stretchy pullover number that was enough for me and didn't rub or blister. Until they went and put HOOKS in the back. I DON'T WANT HOOKS IN MY SPORTS BRA!! Probably they did this to make them easier to get off.... I don't like getting trapped in my sports bra, but I don't like hooks in the back even more.

And I liked Catalina one-piece swimsuits, $24.95 at Wal-Mart, $9.95 on sale. Simple, easy, with inner shelf bra that wasn't really more than a liner. Now Catalina has gone and put cumbersome FOAM BRA CUPS in these suits. Someone caught on that I was doing honest-to-goodness athletic swimming in these, and that I also wore them with shorts over them for running and even biking, with no need for other under- or over-wear. Can't have that... I think the sport companies ganged up to ruin my suits so I'd have to buy running singlets, bike jerseys, and sport bras (and then they "improved" the ones I liked by putting hooks in the back.)

And things stop working. I can't click on links in my email. It makes my computer freeze up. However, I can RIGHT-click on them and then click "Open" or "Copy Shortcut" and get into the page.

As of my last trip through some of my favorite blogs, I can't just click on "Post a Comment" either. Gotta RIGHT-click it, then click "Open."

This is my husband getting into the conspiracy. He thinks I spend too much time on the computer. He's sabotaging me. Abbie's CPR on my computer was not successful.

I loved Coty's Muguet des Bois perfume (pronounced "mew-gay day bwah," for those not up on their French), used it for years, and then it disappeared. I just did a search. Bingo! Found it! Oops, nope..... out of stock. Like, forever, probably, although you can click "Notify me when in stock." I'll do that. (If I can click on it. So far, internet buttons have been OK, except for the "Post a Comment" one.)

At least I know I'm not the only one this happens to. Things being discontinued or changed or "improved" and just not being the thing I liked anymore.

OK, Geek Girl, thanks for letting me use your thread, I'm returning it now :-)

"PREDICT-YOUR-TIME" 4-MILER

Whew. This was one of the Shenandoah Valley Runners Club's Winter Series races. The course description called it "very hilly, rolling and extremely challenging."

I predicted 45:00.
I ran 37:58.

That's 9:30 miles, on hills that were, in fact, quite challenging (I wouldn't say "extremely"), and against a 12mph wind much of the way. 25*F. I need 9:45 miles to run a marathon in 4:15. I just may be able to pull this off.

No watches were permitted so I couldn't gauge how I was doing. The finish clock was turned around backwards so the official who told you your time could see it, but you couldn't, as you were coming down the home stretch. Pretty neat.

People who came closest to guessing their times (closest was 00:02 off) got prizes.

I wasn't even in the running.... :-) 7:02 under my predicted time!

However, I was told later on that I am third in my AG in total points for the Winter Series races and if I don't slip back out of that place I will get a shirt at the Awards Banquet in March. Nifty!! Makes me want to absolutely get to the rest of the winter races and give 'em my all!

WINTER IN WINCHESTER

THE NEW TEMPLATE TOOLS

Has anyone updated their template capabilities with the new system? In order to upgrade, you lose changes you've already made, although Blogger says they keep it available for re-access. Has anyone tried this? Were you able to retrieve features you wanted to include? I'm scared to try, but it sounds like template-editing would be a whole lot easier with the new system.

Any comments?

GRACE IN MOTION

Our 8-year old granddaughter Gracie recently participated with her Ohio gymnastics team at the Chicago Style Meet -- the largest women's invitational meet in the world.

Gracie told me there were 7 countries represented. She was so excited to be there with so many other athletes at all levels of competition -- just like when we go to a big marathon or triathlon. She loved the expo and bought some new leotards.

Gracie competes at level 4 of 10 (10 being elite.) In individual competition, there were 44 international athletes at this level.

Among the 44, Gracie was 10th overall, and THIRD on her floor exercise with a score of 9.1.

Wow!!

Against The Wind

Whew. When I went out for my 4-mile "easy" run, wind was 22mph gusting to 39. I headed into it all the way out, then ran a 2-minute negative split with the tailwind.

I'm still nursing my sore left Achilles tendon along. Right one is much better but the left one is still sensitive. It's not bad enough to keep me off the road, just ouchy enough to know I still need to work on it.

There's a high wind warning for tonight.... 35mph gusting to 55. Ew. Hope our camper doesn't blow away....
-------------------
Update: It's 11p.m. now and wind here in Winchester, VA, is blowing at 39mph (63km/hr) gusting to 50mph (80km/hr). Yeah, our trailer's rockin'.....

THAT'S MY BOY (again)

Maybe the reason I want to post links and photos (that's him in the front)of my son Jon doing what he does, is because what he does is dangerous and I want to be sure I keep him.

Jon prefers being scheduled as a firefighter to being on as a paramedic. In a 24-hour shift, the fire trucks get called out many times; the ambulance, usually only a couple of times, and even then the ride to the hospital is so short that he hasn't much opportunity to practice his skills, to do what he does. He finds it more challenging to be on the fire trucks.

I don't feel conscious of worrying about him, but I think I do. Every time I hear of a firefighter being injured or killed somewhere.... I can't keep it from crossing my mind.

BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA

Wow. I didn't know what to expect from this movie, since the TV previews show only the magical fantasy. I wondered if the movie tells "the rest of the story," and it does.

This is a very stirring film. I was impressed with the book when my children had it, thought it should be a movie, and was excited to see it had been released. It is one of the very few movies I've seen that actually does justice to the book that spawned it.

If you have kids, be forearmed that, along with scary monsters, there are school bullies, parental favoritism, and, later in the film, the shocking death of a child. All of these issues are dealt with sensitively, intelligently, and in a way that fosters growth not only in the characters but in the viewers.

I loved it.