So Far So Good, and Reasons to Keep Moving

I rested which actually means did nothing but eat, sleep, rest, for two weeks.  In two weeks time added to the time I was just worn out from too much life issues when
exercise was sporadic at best, I got weak.  My muscles were weaker, looked smaller.  I will make a judgement from my experience, that it doesn't take long to lose tone and strength as we age.   In past reading, I remember that muscle memory will bring you back up to baseline, but you must move.  Light exercise, walking at first for a few days, then Ben decided I was ready to do a faster walk\ slow jog on Sunday, with him.  I did well enough to complete a circle around our new neighborhood, after a day visiting with my grand kids.  I did not hold up as well playing I noticed.  I tired out quick for me.  So I decided Ben may be right.  I survived, felt pretty good for rest of the day, but tuckered out early.  After a good nights sleep, I am tired today.  Noticeably tired, but that only means I need to walk more today.  Or at least try.  I can feel parts of my legs that are sore and have not been used in a while.  The safest way to do this is to balance rest with activity.  After I get my Monday chores done, I plan a walk, a hot shower and an afternoon nap.  On the mend again, also for now, means on the road again.  I will not give in to weakness.  I continue to strive to be the strongest and best I can be for today.

A visit with this doctor will keep you running!  

Slowing Down But Not Stopping!

Some of you know that selling house, moving, moving again, travel and a huge race to run took its toll on me.  I have been limping along figuratively and trying to bounce back to where I was but it is not working yet.  I have had a hoarse or no voice since end of June.  It comes and goes, seems worse when I am tired out, but I have not felt like I had a cold or allergies.  I ignored it, and ignored it, and ignored some more......but a very observant friend who would call me regularly kept asking me "Whats wrong with your voice?"   She did this so many times, eventually I heard the message.  I have stopped running, but still walking.  If I quit moving, it will not help.  I have gotten more rest and regular afternoon naps or rest times, and will have an MRI of the brain today and some other tests to follow.  My doctor wants to be sure it is not anything of concern.  I am not singing in the shower, singing to the radio in the car (both hobbies I do enjoy!) and I have been resting my voice and not talking most of day.  If I stay home its not a problem.  No one to talk to helps.  But my voice is best first thing when I wake up, and worsens through the day.  The reason I post this blog entry today is not because I stopped running after the Senior Games.  Its not because I did not score a medal.  It is not because I don't want to run.  I feel like I can't and I should not be trying right now.  Several times I have preached about listening to your body.  I get in trouble when I don't.  I am still walking as I said, and try to be as active during the day as I can be.  I did trek over to Houston so spend the weekend with my son Mike, wife Kristen and my granddaughters and grandson, even though Gigi did not feel like whooping it up as usual, I did love the giggles, the kisses and hugs and moments together.

 Instead of going shopping at the mall with these bundles of energy, I brought some surprises and I did some online back to school shopping with Ava, who just started first grade.  She did not seem to mind not going to the stores to shop, but seemed happy to pick from pictures on my cellphone.  And she knows that she and "mommy" will be surprised when the boxes come to the door in the next week or so.
I am also writing about this so those of you who have looked to me for inspiration to just keep going to better fitness, will not stop or feel I am no longer focused on health and wellness, after the biggest race of my life.  I need your inspiration right now to keep on moving.  I do not need to get weak again and have to struggle to keep my strength.  Keep walking or running, whatever you do best.  Let others know you are still carrying on, rain or shine, and it will keep me in the game too!  If I don't blog about running, its cause i am not able to.  I will try to blog about walks, healthy living, and rest.  I will not blog about ailments and what is wrong with me.  My focus will be what is right with me, and if there are long lapses of time, its cause I am doing the best I can.  Thats all any one can do!  Exercise, rest, fun and therapy can come in many forms!  Enjoy each day!

Top 10 Reasons Running Haters Run Anyway

I read.  I read a lot.  I read recently, that if you ask people what they think about running, apparently you can divide the population into two distinct groups.  The lovers and the haters.  The interesting fact that I gleaned from this was that even though many people say they hate running, continue to make it a regular part of their lives.  Why?????  That sounds crazy to many of you, but it makes a lot of sense in retrospect.

The benefits of running are many.  Most people start walking and then running in an attempt to lose weight or tone legs.  Running is just fast walking.  Once a walker gets faster and stronger, many times they will think, "hey, I would get done faster if I did a little running too"  And then it goes from there.  The truth is that walking and running strongly contributes to winning many personal wealth battles, and enhances overall health in many ways.  The top 10 I have come across:

1) Whether you win a race or just finish them, you are on track to winning the battle of the bulge.  60% of runners run for weight control.

2) Prevent muscle and bone loss.  Even thin people get sagging and wrinkles if they don't exercise due to muscle loss and loss of muscle tone as we age.  Weight bearing exercise and running helps this and also prevention of bone loss.  Human Growth Hormone levels elevate as well.  These taper as we age, and this is why celebrities have injected this in themselves to hold off aging.  Running does this naturally.  It also slows aging on the inside of our bodies too.

3) Fights Disease.  Running helps with increasing elasticity of blood vessels, decreasing blood pressure, decreases incidence of diabetes just to mention a few benefits.

4) Increases lung capacity and oxygen to all parts of the body.  It increases the immune system, by increasing white blood cell production, decrease risk of blood clots, and also increases the HDL levels, or good cholesterol.

5) Runners report a new level of self confidence, self esteem.

6) Stress Release.

7) Helps brain focus and builds mental determination.  The regular increased oxygenation to the blood and stress relief must also be considered as healthy for our aging neurons.

8) Runners High-- yep, that natural feel good, relaxed feeling of endorphin release that strenuous activity brings.  It keeps you going back for more.

9) Balance and Coordination improve.  These are things that also naturally decline with age and can cause injury.  This is important.

10) No fancy equipment is required.  Decent shoes, comfy clothes based on the weather and a safe place.  Meeting people who walk or run, and joining races and fun runs for charity a social bonus!

Out I go for a long fast walk and a few slow jogs!

Running in A Heat Wave, And Not Lose Focus

I have been reminded more than a bit, that I have been slacking on the blog.  Working on the house we will inhabit has occupied my time.  I have hit the gym a few times though for aerobic activity as I have had plenty of manual labor.  Friends have fallen off track too since my hiatus, and my friend Norma got after me for some motivation to get back on track with habit forming exercise and healthy eating.  We need to be less hard on ourselves, with weeks of 90 to 100 and above temps.

 Exercise in hot weather is important but so is avoiding heat stroke.   It is the main reason we have not had enough  running lately.  Ben and I are looking for a race to plan for coming up soon, so it will nudge us to get back to the road.  The 100 degree plus temps have not been helping. i have had a run or two on a tread mill, but not the same to me.  Personally I don't enjoy the tread mill, but its the only option in this heat.  This is the hard time to train if you live in the south.  Exertion outside when the temperature is higher than your body's and with high humidity is dangerous at any age.  Your body can not cool off.  Its that simple.   The tread mill is a moving track, that does not give the same feeling as you propelling along a track or road, but with this kind of heat it is all you can do.  I have been 2 miles on the tread mill and another 6 to 10 on the stationary bike, when not working on our move.  My focus has been back to proper nutrition as well.  While traveling and moving, we fell back into fast food and take out more than ever.  So, back to the basics of eating less processed and more wholesome choices is again in style at our house.  I took a few pics of recent examples to share ideas.   Figuring out what to fix for meals and stay healthy is some days more challenging than a race.  You don't always have the time to go to the store and browse what looks fresh and healthy to get ideas for meals.
In the first picture is an example of a healthy summery breakfast
Fresh blackberries, blueberries, watermelon and peaches, with two soft boiled eggs and a slice of whole grain toast.  Proper feeding of our bodies, adequate sleep
and exercise makes the body perform best.  Lets try to get back on that track!

I Have Had To Stop Running- Pushing Too Hard Can Slow You Down

I have been in a bit of denial.  Actually, a lot of it.  The build up for  the big race, moving out of a house, into another then again into an interim apartment, travel across the country in time to run in the biggest 5K held only every two years, and then back to adjust to a new apartment, preparing for and then presenting data in a Houston Tax Protest Hearing, then unpacking, cleaning and settling new home three hours away, just thinking about it is exhausting.  I wasn't sleeping well at night, and I had no time for naps.  My life became a terribly run on sentence.  It was like a train on the tracks hurtling forward without a brake.  My life became a marathon and I now feel every punishing mile.

 I can say proudly " I did it all and did it well" but that does not make me feel any better today.  I tried to function like I have not been  challenged physically and mentally, like I am not a vintage person with a physical and mental limit.  That is until I hit that limit, tried to push beyond it, and now am back to where the common activities of daily living are exhausting.  I have no energy to run errands, let alone run.  I have tried, and had to stop.  I tried to run yesterday.  I had to stop.  I had to admit defeat, for now.  After just trying I had to go lay down and rest.  Complete exhaustion set in.  It feels like I am too tired to beathe when I push too far.  I have taken more steps backwards now than I can bear to consider.
 I feel weak.  I feel mentally and physically spent.  I did this to myself, with the help of life and my sense of duty and need to accomplish.  I am not 30 any more.  I have limits and exceeded them, so now I am paying for it.

Running was a way I felt strong.  I felt free and like I was really alive.  I felt a sense of accomplishment without having to concentrate or remember.  I could put on music I love and enjoy natural surroundings, fresh air, sunshine, and the freedom of the open road.  Until I tried to expend enormous amounts of brain and body energy tackling our life changes and demands.  It feels like failure.

All stressors of life, work, effort needs to be balanced with adequate food, fuel and rest.  The older person, older runner, needs more rest.  I know now I did not take enough recovery time after each event.  Selling house, preparing for move, moving, unpacking and settling, training to run, travel to Senior Games, running that race, etc, my life became a run on sentence.  Until I hit the wall.

Time for me to unplug, take a deep breath and plan my days again.  I need to get back on the routine. I need to have a walk every day.  That is healing.  I need more rest, and that means a good nap every day, at the same time.  I need to eat only healthy unprocessed foods.  I need to drink more water, and wait.  I will feel better, it just takes longer.  My body will respond.  It has before.  Each time I get myself to this point, I swear to myself I will not over do again, that I have learned my lesson.  This is a constant struggle.  Find your balance.  Know your limits.  Take best care of yourself first.  Then get on with what brings joy to your life.

The Motivation Of Other Runners

I have gone quiet but not away!  Since the Senior Games, the necessities of life have intruded on our recreation and leisure time.  I have prepared for and won a Protest Tax Hearing in Harris County which was way too much brain overwork for me.  Several days before and after, I had a drive to College Station to take care of repairs and prep new house there for living.  Ben had to stay behind and cure pestilence and disease, so I was on my own with fighting bureaucracy and cardboard boxes.  This new home project is just 2 1/2 yrs old, but has some serious wear and tear on floors and ice maker and freezer gaskets, think frost and snow in a Texas Summer!  In addition,
we still have mountains of cardboard boxes with miscellaneous things I am beginning to think we should live without!  Time for more purging!  We are both at the stage in life where less is more, except apparently for light bulbs.  I discovered Ben has a collection of light bulbs that should take care of us forever.  I have been working my brain, arms, shoulders, back way too much lately.  Today is the first day of the rest of our running careers.  My brain and body still function better with consistency and routine.  Never being a routine driven person in the past, it still puzzles me, but one important exercise in brain (re) training is routine.  Wake up at same time, eat at same times, afternoon snooze or rest at same time, etc.... and yes, I do feel better.   The piece that has been missing most has been the exercise part.  Ben has been waiting for me to come back, so we can jump start our running for fun program.  He is sleeping in right now, but I am planning his reentry to the world of the run.

In the mid to high 90's with high humidity, we are going to be  mostly inside.  If I can get him motivated early enough my plan is to warm up, run a mile or so outside on the track, go inside then to run another mile on the smaller inside track,  or hop on the tread mills that are designed for going "the distance".  These are more forgiving, easier on the joints for distance run.  Today will be for distance, a moderate steady pace.  After this I would usually spend 15 or 20 minutes on the rowing machine.  Not for awhile will I be doing that.  My upper body has had more than enough strenuous working out lately!  Its time to get back on the run, and a friend has helped point me back in the fast track!

Lisa

An excited shout out to Lisa Weidt Heller.  Lisa grew up one street over from me, and she has started a running career already successful in completing other 5Ks and weight loss.  On Saturday, Lisa ran the Chick-Fil-A 5K in Hagerstown MD,  winning the third place Grand Masters Division with a super time of 33:18.  Way to go Lisa!!!!!    I think Lisa has done a great job!!
Another shout out to my sister in law, Patty Hull for completing a walk 4.85miles!  Patty has also completed a Ridge Race, and an ALS Fun Run event!  So much motivation to encourage each other and keep going!  

Amazing Statistics

For many reasons, this was not the most enjoyable race for me but it was the most satisfying, the most humbling, the most inspiring and most memorable.

The Games are still going on, but Ben had to get back to work, and I too had business and moving issues to take care of, so we came back early.

After the last post, I sat down to reflect on a few of the  people I met at the National Senior Games.  The first athlete I met was at the airport.  She introduced her self as an 80-84 y.o 5K contestant from Georgia.  She had her husband, son and daughter in law with her, and her grandchildren and more family joining to cheer her on race day.  I checked the results and there she was.  Andrea Harrison of Newnan Georgia, won Bronze for a 3rd place finish of 12:18 min per mile pace for a time of 38:13.  The bright smile and the "yellow shoes" I was told to look for on race day!

The second person who impressed me was "Peter", who said he was 88 and  from Mississippi, but qualified in Florida.  I checked the mens stats for that era and I found him.  I knew he took first as I saw his medal ceremony.  Peter Miazza, of Madison, MS set a 10:24 mi/min pace for a time of 32:16.  I wondered if this was a record time for this age group.  It seems impossible for an 88 year old male to be able to run that fast.  The NSOG record for 85 to 89 was set in 20021, @ 27:54.  Unbelievable.

I also wondered if the record for my age group was set this time, as I vaguely remember that the times of this Senior Games was faster than last in 2013.  It was faster, but not a record.  The 60-64 5K record was sent in 2009 at 19:55.  The record for men 60-64 was sent in 1989 @ 17:27.  Having run this one, I am so in awe of these people who don't let a number stop them from being their best.

The friends who took time from busy lives to drive to where we were staying and spend time sharing history and catching up, meant a lot too.  As we age, its more important to keep connected with others, and support each other in life.  Really nothing much else comes close to being of importance in the big picture.  Life and the aging that comes along with it, is filled with challenges, illnesses, situations, pitfalls and potholes.  Helping each other along the way, even if just by telling someone they mattered to you at one time in life, and you still care about them is a very healing pastime.  We need to continue to support each other on this journey.  We should try to make each day special in some way, and caring about our fellow man is top of the list.  

Recap Of The Biggest Race

We arrived pretty tired and a bit sick to Minneapolis, but the energy of the event kept us going.  The day before the race, we went to the Minnesota Fairgrounds and mapped out the route.

 The plan was to run it as a slow training run,

to familiarize ourselves with a double out and back complex route.  After running a mile, I was out of breath, coughing, so I told Ben he could keep running, but I would prefer to walk for today, and hope for a rain delay to Tuesday.  The forecast was terrible, and I would have loved an extra day to rest up from double moves and travel, to feel well to run but it was not to be.  The term "rain date" apparently only referred to lightening strikes, and then with a 30 min. delay after each strike before starting the race.  We saw that it was going to be a race up and down hills comparable to 6.5 stories in a downpour and with lots of water covered areas.  I think I still would have done fairly well, but I did not enjoy this run for several reasons.  1) I was pretty exhausted from separating household items into short term, mid term and long term living arrangements.  It was very complicated.  2) We actually orchestrated and assisted in moving our living accommodations 4 times in 5 days, then traveling to Houston to fly out.  I had a headache, sore throat and upset stomach up to and including racetime and for several days afterwards.  Not what you want to feel in perfect weather.  Pretty nasty in cold wet downpour.  It had tapered off by the time I finished the race, at 29.03 minutes.  3) Just a minute before the starting gun went off, I was told if I did not want to be disqualified I should take off my headset and turn off the program on my cell phone.  The woman said depending on my time, they may not care, but according to rules, I could be disqualified.  OK, so I had our car key in my sports bra, cutting into my sternum; I now had my soaked cell phone and case attached to my upper right arm, and also my headset tucked in my shorts.  The real problem for me?  I pace to music.  I had not read all the fine details of the games rules, and apparently the committee could if you did very well, consider you may have had professional coaching help being piped into your ears instead of golden oldies.  Looking around I did not see anyone else with music apparatus.  Music is what makes running enjoyable for me.  I love to run to oldies hits.  No matter what I did time wise, I want to be in the books for running this race.  I did not want any reason to be disqualified!  I did not know what pace I started off, but I was ahead of Ben.  Looking back, I know I must have started out too fast for my physical condition that day.  I learned from Tim our running coach, that when you are not watching your pace by technology, 99% of people run faster than they think they are.  I was trying to keep pace with two other women who also had lavender cards pinned to their backs.  Lavender was 60 to 64 age group.  I am usually either ahead or in pace with fast "middle aged" females....these two were easily keeping me chasing them.  It was ok and I was close behind them until awhile after the two mile sign.  A crowd and photographers that were at the summit of the largest hill was yelling and cheering everyone on, encouraging you to give it all you got, because the finish was just ahead...so I did pick up my pace, feeling a bit short of breath and panting, but I nailed that hill and put everything I had out there, only to find around the corner there was at least a block and 1/2 left with hills to go!  That last bit was so hard, but unlike a few of my cohorts, I did not walk, I kept running, and averaged I think it was close to 9.23 per mile.   Having a virus, being really exhausted from moving and travel, I was pretty happy with how i did.  My husband pulled in front of me after the big hill.  Many others were ahead of me too, but I did finish strong.  I took 17th place our of 24, 66 of 117 females, and 171 of 257 of the fastest group of people 50 and up. It was by far not my best day out, but the biggest race and the biggest event I have competed in.  First place was taken by a long distance runner, at an unbelievable time of 21 minutes plus a few seconds.  The previous National Record was 22mins +  I bet it will be the new record.  Amazing !  The first one is in the books.  We learned a lot!

Immediately after the race I felt pretty tight in my lungs, dizzy and nauseated.  I found a bench and laid down for a minute or two and felt much better once I could catch my breath.  Once I got up, I saw a couple and a vintage man walking my way.   "Jeff" told me his friend Peter, was 88 and just finished the 5K.  Peter was looking pale, and shaky.  A tall gray haired man who did not look 88 or even close, was wandering around a bit, saying " I think I am gonna go down".....  The nurse in me came out, and my focus was on Peter.

 Jeff said to him to just keep walking like he always does after finishing, adding that he and his wife cannot believe his ability and they follow as many of his races as possible.   Peter said a second time he felt like he was going to go down, when I caught his arm and said, hey, a few minutes ago when I finished, I felt the same way.  A few minutes on the wooden bench, and I felt much better.  I usually walk till I recover too, but I felt pretty bad so I tried it and it really seemed to help.  I was thinking, if this 6 foot man faints and falls,  he's gonna get hurt.  I lead him to the bench and helped him recline on it.  He did not perk right up, so I asked him if he minded if I check his pulse.  He was at 200 beats per minute initially and after about four minutes he was back to 120, and steady.  His color was better, and he sat up.  I got talking with the group, and found that Peter had been a family friend and the young couple love to travel with him as his support team.  They are amazed with his ability, at his age.  He took first of the male, 85 to 89.  He too had not started running until later in life, and found that he could compete at an advanced age.
 During this time, my husband I saw across the street waving his hands at me to get my attention.  I was having a nice visit with this group of new friends, and waved back.  He waved more vigorously, and pointed to a water bottle, so I assumed he thought I needed water, and I suggested Peter get some too.  Crossing the street, a young man with a huge camera came up to me, said to me, "Is this you???" as he pulled out of his pocket a copy of the Jim Melaro Olean Times' Herald photo and article.  I was stunned.  I asked him if he were from Olean, hopefully!  He was not but is a Minneapolis reporter, who was assigned to write a follow up on the OTH article.  I was still so surprised, it seemed surreal.  Ben came over and said he was waiting in line for water when he heard a loudspeaker blurt out, " Is there a Kathy Hull here?"  several times.  He walked up to the announcing booth and said," I am not sure how or why, but I think you may be looking for my wife.!'   He was told a reporter was trying to find me after the race.  Matt had graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in journalism.  I did not ever get an answer as to how he had been given the OTH article.  He said his style was just to follow us around for awhile and get a feeling of us and our experience.  He would decide what and how to write it later.  He took a few candid shots of us together, but he never said he had gotten any along the route.

When the Senior Games Daily News came out the next day, we had forgotten about the informal unlikely interview.  Ben was reading and said " Hey, you have to see this!  Look you are on the front page!  "  The article brought tears to his eyes.  He and I both tend to try to forget and put behind us the dark days, way too many of them.  But it is a part of our history.   It is no longer the dominant theme any more.  We have forged ahead, together, denying that anything can slow or stop us.  Its not true of course, but events like that have such a strong effect on you, that you must choose to live in that moment, hang on to it, let it command what you do or don't do, or try to run as far and as fast from it as possible.  Thats why we run, and we run together!  So much heartfelt thanks to everyone who has helped me get this far.....the doctors, nurses, therapists, friends, family.  I wouldn't be here, and Ben would not be where he is today with me.  We are so appreciative.  Enjoy something about each day.  Move forward and leave the bad stuff behind.  Walk or run to a better future.   CS Lewis was right!

Extreme Crossfit and Four Days To 2015 Games

 We have moved four times in 5 days, no exaggeration necessary.  We thinned belongings and organized. We separated long term storage and short term storage, and set aside race necessities.  What could possibly go wrong?  For starters, a bank screwed up and postponed closing on our house 3 times.  This messes with Atlas Moving schedule, possible storage needs, and our closing on new house.  Anything else go awry?  Well, the apartment we need locally for now 4 months was not ready to move in when it was implied it would ready.  So, switch gears and find pet friendly hotel reservation for a few days, arrange change of plans for local  short term storage. Call out the friends and favors.  So yes, we packed and moved with Atlas, drove to College Station immediately to receive movers unload and our unpacking.  Move ourselves with help of wonderfully gracious friends into storage after separating out what we need in short term for ourselves and our very fearful and upset pets.  Into the hotel I move all I could cram in my car including kitties while Ben worked.  When we saw yet another delay on acquiring apartment keys, we decided to keep hotel room for one more day to ease the next phase.  Hotel manager on duty determined if we stayed we would have to move across hotel to another room, as ours was "promised and reserved" to another incoming guest.  OMG!  This place did not seem to be full.   We cannot fathom another move, doing the kitty grab and stuff into carriers, not one more time.  Irritated, we decide to get up in the am at 5, go borrow my friend Debra's truck again and do the next move fast ourselves before the late checkout time they gave us.   Leaving kitties hiding in room, we left before sunrise, and began our loading our stored furniture into the truck, up and down stairs the day we removed this batch from house.  In less than one hour, up and down the hall of the storage place, pushing carts, lifting, tugging, jumping up into truck and back down ramp, we learned first hand what Crossfit training must be like.  I am not sure how long the training sessions generally are, but we put in a good 5 hours of it before the day was done.  We drove to new apartment, and of course no one would open the door.  It was a little early, but they had told us the manager comes in at 7:30 since they left early day before and did not make our keys. We would be able to get our keys at 7:30, first thing they said.    NICE.  We went to Starbucks, had breakfast drove back.  Still not gonna let us in so we sat in the large lovely rocking chairs on the front porch of the building and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  OK now at this point I am not nice, so I send Ben in to collect our keys when they door unlocked at 8:30 and I rocked away.
The problem is, we had the clock ticking.  The truck was full, the car crammed,  ATT coming at 9am to install, had to be out of hotel,  Ben had to be to work by 11 am.  Kitties did not cooperate of course.  More Crossfit and Aerobic fun!
We got into security gate to front of apartment, and we unloaded truck in an hour and 1/2 piling stuff up outside door to conserve time.
Ben left me at apartment to haul our stuff from outside the door, into the apartment alone, while he drove the truck back to drop off, get his car and go collect kitties back at hotel.  Molly was by now entrenched under the hotel bed, and was not budging.  Ben thus had to totally disassemble the king size bed, grab  Molly, be scratched up his arms, and stuff her into the carrier.  Emily cooperated.  Ben's arms looks like he tried to do himself in unsuccessfully.  He brings them to apartment, drops them off, ATT arrives so he has to go back alone to clear our short term necessities into the car.  Races back to apartment soaking wet and speaking a foreign language of sorts, and heads in to take a shower and get to work only 30 minutes late......yep, no shower curtain.  We totally forgot.  I convince him baths are nice and showers overrated, when lathered up his face and neck with Dawn, splashed water on his face, dried off with paper towels and asked me where his clean scrubs were.  I don't know.  He can't find them anywhere.  Suddenly I recall starting a load of perceived "dirty laundry" and washer had just stopped.  I opened the washing machine and I see socks, underwear and blue scrubs.  I asked him if he thinks he may have put clean pair into laundry bag.......yep!  So he went to work and put on pair he kept there in case of blood splatter.  Wowsa!  Only an hour late.  For this of you who know him, he is never late, hates keeping patients waiting.  Just sort of adds to the whole moving experience.  He has a job he can't take time off to move.  So I lug and tug the rest of stuff inside, Norma brings me a fabulous salad from Navrovsky's, and I have to run out to the gate with my clicker to let her in, as no one gave me a code to use yet.  When Laura brought my frig contents I had stashed at her house, I had to make the trek to the gate with my umbrella this time, as in every life a little rain or a lot in this case, does fall.  We ordered take out Indian food at TAZ on the way to Target in search of the every necessary shower curtain, and planned on passing out.  In case you think this is every possible detail of our days, rest assured it is not.  We had many more bumps and potholes in the road that one day we will laugh about, and maybe share, but not now.  Unless you have moved that many times in that many days out of house into storage, into short term storage, out of short term, into hotel, out of hotel into apartment.....  you cannot appreciate the magnitude of our past week, with work and training to get in the way.  Oh, and last night I found on my door a notice that our apartment is due pest control treatment today.  I must have all my cabinets empty ( I just cleaned and put our stuff in them!) and all pets must be contained and or removed from premises while the "treatment" occurs Hahaha.  This could not have been done BEFORE we moved in?  No. No Way. Not gonna happen note is on my door and deadbolts are in place.  You can wait four months and then do it.  Our stuff is still everywhere and the kitties are not getting wrangled or going car cruising again today.  NOPE>  And 4 days to the biggest race of my life.

SO, I am calling the past week CROSSFIT.  We need to rest and get miles in and then rest again before race day.  It sounds mathematically impossible.  Today I ran slow 2 miles this morning, just to show my sore, tired muscles they still know how to.  I am going to rest.  Later this evening I am going to run 2 more slow miles with Ben after work.  Tomorrow we are going to both run 3 to 4 miles with a touch of speed work just to wake up the legs and lungs.  Saturday we rest, i.e. travel to Minneapolis, and check in to the Games and check out the race route, and  have a long slow run, just a tune up.  Sunday we rest.  Monday at 8 am the adrenaline will kick in and we will do the best we can do.  Thats what its all about.
I will post the events.

Focus and Staying Strong

Ben and I got emails from The  Texas National Senior Games inviting us to join them in the Parade of States, a newly reinstated tradition. Since we qualified in Louisiana, we had been waiting to receive notice which team we would be considered a part of.   We were told the attire was to be denim shirts.  Those who have participated previously will have the NSOG Texas Logo embroidered on them.  First timers will not.  This is all new to us.  Although we live in Texas, neither of us currently owns denim shirts.  Really.  I am not running out to buy them, as the parade happens on the evening of July 10.  With so much going on in our lives, we planned on being home the night of the 8th, unless by some miracle one of us places or medals.  Then the travel plans would be changed.  I assume the mall of America would have denim shirts if we end up needing them!

After  we close on two homes and a lot we also sold recently, packing up our belongings for storage and the attending a tax appraisal hearing in Houston,  Ben will also be  working a full week before moving into a local apartment.    Then we will head to Houston to fly out on July 4.  That gives us one day to scope out the course and acclimate before our race on the 6th.  When we tried for this Bucket List event, we did not know Ben would be changing job paths, our land would sell finally and need to be moving right before the games.  This is a test of mental and physical strength for us.   Running is so much mental as physical.  Commitment and goals are needed to get to your personal best.  The greatest challenge right now is the focus on what is necessary, which hurdles are necessary, and which ones you can run around instead of over.  I know what I want to do.  I know what I need to do.  I have a lot of family and friends supporting me to set my personal best at this upcoming event.  I am doing my best.

This is a crazy overloaded week.  Fitting in the training runs will take more mental focus than physical work.  Running helps me get my mind off things and relax.  When I am done, I feel accomplished and like I can take on anything.  Bring it on!

How The Bar(re) Jumpstarted My Speed Work

I run, I cycle, I walk, I row, at least 3 days a week.  So far since June 1st I have logged in more than 25 miles.  I have not tried to push myself or go all out yet, trying to safeguard against injury.  However, I still think altogether, I am pretty fit.  I am on target with pace, compared to how i trained for the NASA race at the Johnson Space Center this spring.  Why then does one Barre class kick my butt?  Cross training like this is difficult.  Misty uses some of the Tabata technique of doing difficult activity for short periods of time, with brief rest in between sets.  This is powerful.  If I am this tight and sore today, I waited too long to get back to the barre.  This class uses literally all your muscles.  I feel strain in my arms, rib area, abs, shoulders, not just quads.  Today I am working, but otherwise taking a rest day.  I don't attribute this to just the barre class although it was strenuous.

"Two a days.'.....are better known am and pm workouts for football teams.  Yesterday I in addition ran for 1/2 mile on a tread mill then another 2miles of speed work on the indoor track.   I did splits of 8.3 min per mile pace  and instead of walking for recovery periods, I ran at a 9.5min/mi pace.  I plan to rest and allow my muscles to recover today before adding on miles.  Next week will be 4 mi/day, build up to 5 at a decent pace.  I plan to rest the two days before the race, so that means my workout program will end July 3.  Then my preparation and adrenalin will be in charge.

A high school friend passed away recently, who has been one of my encouragers.  Walkin' William, Billy Karl had told me to keep on going.  He could walk but he could not run, and for me to give them hell!  I will do that Billy, I will do!

20 days and Counting....

A Tropical Storm is settling in on my outdoor track, so we are heading indoors to workout for this week it seems.    We had not planned on this glitch of weather either!

Today I started my run, and the track was filled with walkers and runners.  It was really good to see so many taking advantage of fresh air and motion.  Maybe the weather forecast helped encourage people to get there walking or running in before the downpours come.  It was 81 degrees and 90% humidity with a moderate wind.  All was going well with a goal of having a steady pace for a 5 mile run when my phone started ringing.  It was business, and several of them, that I needed to stop and take the calls although a bit breathless.  How do you then switch gears again, and return to running?  I needed to change my expectations to get a meaningful workout in with the race date coming up fast.  Instead of my plan of 5 miles today, I decided to speed up into speed work.  After catching my breath, taking care of the calls, I used the distraction as a recovery time of slow run, and then ran as hard as I could for a straightaway, following up with a slow run pace for recovery.  This allowed me to take the calls I needed, arrange the things related to our move timely and also get speed work in at the same time.  My speed segments averaged close to 8.3 min/mile.  This was not all out speed, just a chance to awaken the fast twitch muscle fibers, and prepare them for the tune up I have planned.  We are currently on track to move and be ready.  We will move into temporary digs, and then head to Minneapolis/St Paul.  This is also not ideal, but adversity is part of the challenge and life.  Adversity, tough times make us stronger.  Mental strength and core strength kick into play when the race begins.  So much of running is mind over matter, at least to get you started.  Beginning is always the toughest part.  I am so happy when someone comes up to me like today, to tell me they see me running, and find it motivational.  I feel better when I get my run in, first thing in the morning.  It just sets the pace of the day better!

My entries are getting fewer and less material, as the closer to my move and my biggest race ever approaches.  I will check in with brief updates and blog about the experiences as they happen in Minnesota.  Thanks for hanging in with me!

Know Your Strengths And Your Limits.

Yesterday was a rest day.  I still had lots to do as far as getting ready to move, so the rest again was from running, not from work altogether.   I have been tired lately, more so than usual.  I told him I felt like I had had a recovery set back.  I tried to process and do too much and my head started to feel like a shaken snow globe again, and foggy.  It is very upsetting to feel that way.  It hurts to think, literally, at some point.  I went to see my Doctor yesterday, and he told me that he thinks I found my limits.  When life gets too crazy, instead of trying to do everything that comes your way and juggle events like I did a few years back, he says I need to back off, take more down time, and delegate the rest to my husband.  People who see me think I look the same as always.  No one but Ben knows when I say it hurts to think, or I cannot process anymore, that I really really mean it.  If I take on too much, my head feels bad, it has a buzzing, shaken felling  inside and my ears roar too.   After a day or so of "too much"  I don't sleep at night well either.  It had a cumulative effect.  Stress is bad for me.   If I am going to feel well enough to race in a few weeks, I need to listen to his advice.  I need to plan the day out, keep to my routine which helps guard against over stimulation of the brain, and get the afternoon nap or rest in, and be in bed to sleep by 10 pm.  Its what has worked best to retrain my brain.  When I asked if this would too get better and go away completely one day, I was told, "lets look at the glass being half full.  You have had two severe brain injuries.  You are alive, when you could have easily not survived either time.  You know you are here; you know you have limitations and are aware of all that goes on around you.   Let's not worry about what does feel right and work to get back to where you feel the best again.  No going backward allowed.   If resting your brain, or zoning out as you call it makes you feel better, so what?!  Thats what you do.  If you say no, I can't handle that bit of business for you now, you will need to wait for my husband to be available, if no one listens and heeds that, don't give in.  Distance yourself from things that contribute to your brain being overwhelmed.  You are so lucky to be here.  You may continue to get to where you can adjust and handle stress and hectic schedules, but if you don't so what?  You need to avoid them and there's nothing wrong with that at all."

The reason I write about this is because many people who have not had  a traumatic brain injury or a a subarachnoid hemorrhage have other trials in life that can get them down or make them feel less than 100%.  We all strive to be our best, and on any given day our best may not be what it once was.  If we are still alive, aware of our surroundings, and other wise enjoying life, it should not  bring us down.  Tomorrow will be better I hope.  The lesson is to learn what is not good for us, and avoid if we can or modify if it cannot be avoided.  I do not want to go back to how I felt the first year of recovery, , and a few days of it got my attention.  If I don't return calls timely or seem to be flying or running under the radar, please don't take it personally.  I (or in fact others in you life) may be trying the best they can to stay sound and well.

My cross training for today was 40 minutes, level 8 on a stationary bike, 20 minutes level 7 on a stair master, 30 crunches, bicep curls, shoulder presses and then I stopped.  I weeded, swept up the storm mess - leaves and flowers around the patio, took the pool water to be tested, and did some house work.  i met some friends for lunch on my Wednesday Lunch Group where we can decompress a bit, and am now going to take a nap, before heading out to our quarterly accounting meeting late this afternoon.  If I feel brain tired, I am sending Ben and not going.  Thats what my doctor was telling me yesterday.  I listened.  I will miss him once we move.  He is a smart man, a good friend, and a great doctor.

Doing My Homework for Smart Training

Now that I have a copy of the race map, I am planning out how I will attack the course in advance.  Those runners who live close can actually now be out training on the exact course.  I do not have that advantage, so I am going to try to plan out how I will run in in my head.  For the mature runner, it is not advisable to push your speed on turns.  It magnifies the pressure on the aging joints.  This course has a lot of curves and sharp turns.  Familiarizing myself with those turns and the straightaways, I am currently of the mindset that I may be able to maximize my performance by planning my increased pace for the straight parts of the course in advance.  Of course on race day with adrenalin, and the highest level of competition I have ever encountered, the planning evaporate when the starting gun sounds.  But, since I am not an elite runner, and have not been running for more than a handful of years, at this point, I need to be smart and use strategy to help me plan and over come the race day jitters.

My guesstimate is that the elevation is about 100 feet less than the run around Cuba Lake, in about the same climate.  The graph looks to me like the race starts on higher ground, the first mile is a gradual down hill, with a slight rise at about mile 1.5, then declines to level before the climb to the finish line.  Because of the terrain I live in, I will need to start adding hill climbs on the tread mill to give myself a chance to be the best prepared I can be.  The New Orleans Qualifier had several climbs with one at end of race with a sudden downhill to the cross the finish line.  At that point, I understood why they chose the levees along the Mississippi for the race course!  Makes it a bit more taxing to say the least.  Today's a cross train day............ maybe I will run up and down stairs!

Motivation for Today......

Due to the hot steamy weather, it is necessary for us to get in our training runs early in the day or late.  We could run inside on a short track, or on a tread mill but that is not going to help as much on an outdoor road race.  Trying to get myself psyched up to hit the trail this morning, I went online to the National Senior Games website to send a question in regarding the Athlete Packets we are supposed to be receiving by mail and have not yet!  It is less than a month until we are boarding the plane for Minneapolis, and want to be sure we are all set to run.   When I logged into the site, this is what I found!

The elevation map is comforting!  Living here, our training is reasonably flat terrain.  I expect humidity, and hope for cooler early morning temps than we have here that time of year.  

What I did not anticipate, is on one page of the roster, I recognized names of at least 4 elite runners are unfortunately ones with birthdates falling into my bracket.  Two of them have existing National Record times!  That is discouraging for a few moments, but then, I am lacing up and getting out there.  I plan to do my best, and my best that day I hope will be a personal best time FOR ME, regardless of the type of competition I will be up against.  

This is but one page of entrants!  Its going to be a HUGE race by numbers.  Another boost for me is this will not only be the biggest competitive event for me to run in, but the biggest race by far in participants, and everyone who runs has met the timing criteria in qualifiers.  At this moment I feel slightly out of my league!  I best get out to the track before it gets much hotter today!  I have to try!  

Oh No A Setback! Training Update

I have been developing a sore throat, low grade fever and headache.  I will need to take a few days more off hard training!  Moving tasks, horrific storms forcing me inside, and now I have a virus.  Hopefully more rest will take care of this disappointing annoyance, and By June 1 I can get my training back on track!

Weather Or Not, I Need to Get Moving!

Literally, I need to get ready to move and also to move!  How do you sell, pack up your house, move into an apartment and a new house at the same time as you are training for the biggest race in your life?  Not easily.  This is where the past training and runs will be helpful.  I have not wanted to start the serious build up with speed work yet.  I don't want to peak at the wrong time!  It is a gradual process.  I have postponed the acceleration the past week due to the terrible storms we Texans have endured, and the fact that I need to have our belongings sorted, separated and packed for Atlas Moving Company to tend to in 2 weeks.  When planning on the Senior Games, I did not plan on this move, at this time.

The last few days have been very productive as far as our move goes.  I have sorted, tossed, donated, sold, organized and packed.  I have spent time with people who are important to my time here in many ways.  When you are seriously ill, you find out who your real friends are.  You find out who really cares about you, when you can do nothing for them at all.  The few that hang in for the long haul, they will be held in a special place in my heart forever.  They know who they are.  They are also among those who cheer me on now.  It means so much to me, when those who saw me struggling now see me moving forward, doing something not everyone gets a chance to do.  I am not an elite runner, nor am I a past Olympian, but I pledge to take care of my home and move to support my husbands career choice even if it means less time to train.  The storms we have been hit with have not helped at all either, but yet I feel confident.  I know what I have to do.  I know I have to start to get more involved in the training if I am going to have the best race I can have.

I am not going to have as much time to train as I had planned.  But thats ok.  I have been working hard in other ways, to clear the path to get back on and get running.  Today I was supposed to do a 5mile run.  I had to put that off.  Getting ready for the moving van, and taking care of business issues were pressing.  By the time I got to where I felt ok to stop working for today, it was time to start dinner.  This is reminding me of how hard it is for the working people with life challenges to find time to train or work out.   I did manage to ride 6 miles on the stationary bike and do 5 mins of squats yesterday.  My plan now is to get as much done before June 1st and then start training in earnest for one month, move or no move.  Currently the plan is to be out of our home June 23 for the most part and move into our interim apartment, then I will drive to the new home on June 25 to meet the moving van and unload and settle what we are taking.  If all goes well, we will only need to keep our stuff in "storage" for 1 or 2 days, and if thats the case, they may leave our belongings on the truck until delivery.  Other wise it constitutes two moves!  One into van then into storage warehouse, and Two back into van and to the new house.  Two moves, two times the price.  Ah, now some of you see why we have been paring down and running fast to get our things in order.  I have until Monday to finish up the bulk of the tasks.   Monday will signal the training plan on a daily basis to build up speed, stamina and confidence.  I am tired enough and have a sore throat tonight I am going light on posting pictures.  Yes, I need rest and to get back into the pace!

Trudging Ahead, Weather Or Not!

I use the term " trudging" but it feels more like swimming lately.  We have had so much rain and thankfully the drought is over, but with the rain has been bad storms and incredible humidity.  This does not make for great outdoor training in Southeast Texas.  I found a sunset run preferable to running when the sun is out.  Early or not, sun with the humidity makes an unpleasant run.  Today, I was able to head out at around 8am, and run on the outdoor track I prefer.  It has much shade, and is the crushed granite that is easier on joints, so I managed to get in a 2.5 mile run at a 9min/mile pace average.  When I felt overheated, I walked into the Wellness Center, and finished the additional mile that I was aiming for on the indoor track.  AHHHH air conditioning!  This is how I got through last summers training runs.  It is necessary to be acclimated to some heat and humidity.  Minneapolis in July can have some warmth and humidity too.  I checked today the average temps for Minneapolis in July.  Accuweather.com indicated that the first week in July the temperature highs ranting from high 70s to low 80s.  The low temps average low 60s.  That sounds heavenly to me today, but depending on the weather the morning of the race (8am) and the wind or elevation of the route, the you must consider that the weather can be your nemesis, and you must train for it.  Todays NIKE training goal was to do 3miles.  I did 3.5, and plan a stationary bike ride this afternoon, and Barre Class tomorrow. Time to ramp up the miles and the muscle strength.  My aim for now until mid June is conditioning.  Mid June until race day, my focus will be speed work at the 4 mile mark.  My thought is that if I can maintain my goal training speed at 4 miles, the 3.1 on race day will not be out of my reach to be competitive.

Hydration is key as well.  I have downed a gatorade, and bottle of water.  Twice what I would drink in cooler days.  Hydration and nutrition is from now to race day also part of the program.  Before we eat anything, we stop and think about what our training bodies need nutritionally.   Breakfast before the run today was a banana.  Potassium is an important electrolyte sweating depletes.  Post run protein food was a Greek yogurt.  14 grams of protein, and calcium which is necessary for bones, muscle functioning and metabolism.   Mindful eating can't help but be good for us!

The Training Program Begins

Having been getting a house ready to sell, making crazy life changing decisions rapidly, intermittent traveling blended with rest, stress and running has not made for good race prep.  I am only one day into the Nike the program,  and no matter what life puts in the path, I am determined to  stay on target.  53 days until the biggest race of my life.  The program is just a formal nudge.  I know what I have to do.  So does Ben.  It actually started 1st week of 8 to race Monday, with Cross Train.  We were house hunting and traveling, so the cross training we did is not ideal.  Yesterday was a scheduled day of rest.  Today is supposed to be a 3 mile run, according to NIKE, but due to our crazy schedule and recent inability to maintain our usual maintenance runs, we decided to head out for a slow longer run.  From now on, we are staying on track. 

At 75 degrees, and nearly 100% humidity  Ben and I headed out this morning after coffee and yogurt, for a slow start off run, longer than 3 miles.  A run to slowly program the body for increased endurance.  No speed work.  Just a slow ramp up to the race pace.  Planning helps to be sure you do not peak too soon or at the wrong time.  It is hard sometimes to rein yourself in, as the medal race is never far from your mind.  It is so important to prevent injury as you are training.  Thats why I really prefer to do training runs alone.  I don't feel the need to keep pace with anyone, if I feel a need to slow down or feel like an extra burst of speed I can do that.  I run by how I feel.  My husband runs by his experience in training for races over his lifetime.  It all works, but individuality needs to be considered for the best outcome.   I wanted to slow to a walk after 4 miles today as I felt an unusually tight area in my left quad.  I had done about 15 mins of Yoga and stretched a bit before we headed out, so this surprised me, but looking back, I have had lots of tightness and tension in my back lately.  The leg bones connected to the hip bone, etc.....

The rain had stopped, but the air was so heavy, it was hard to enjoy the run.  What I did enjoy was seeing the wild blackberries ripening, and the wild grapes covered with small bright green unripened fruit.  Along the lake and ponds we saw momma ducks rounding up their babies so that was the enjoyment today.  

 It does feel good to finally be taking the steps closer to the National Senior Games.  

Last chance for rest.......

I am sure a few of you are wondering if I went off the grid......in fact after selling a house, finding a temporary place to call home until we figure out what we will call home next, I did take a few days to  do nothing but recover.

A few people have asked how I am going to train in earnest for the upcoming big road race.  A few days of rest, and then I prefer to train alone.  I know what I need to do, and I prefer to listen to my body, and follow good health principles while keeping strong.   With a 5K road race it is a long 3.1 mile sprint.  Pace is as important as the toned twitch muscle fibers.  Slow twitch (type1) muscles help enable a lower intensity, higher endurance movements such as distance running, while fast twitch muscles (type 2) fatigue faster, but are used in more powerful movements such as sprinting.  For Marathon, train your slow twitch muscle fibers.  For 5k, you need some slow, but more fast twitch muscle fiber power for speed.  Learning to balance pace begins the "road dance".

Many friends have wished me luck on my " Marathon" and I usually correct them.  It is not a marathon in the true sense of the word.  I began my running with the 5K, thinking that was a good place for me to start, and I found that I am a sprinter at heart, and I loved the distance for speed.  It is challenging in that if you go all out a the start, you will be "finished" before it is over.   My aha moment was at a 5K in Tampa before my inter cranial  bleed when I met a friend that runs with me every time out. "Morton" presented on my running scene, after I was intent on a prize on a cold damp early morning around Tampa Bay.  I realized they were not going to award prizes for the age groups, but for the first 3 men and women to cross the finish line.  As a competitive 50 something year old, it fired up something in me and I went all out.  So far out, that I set a personal best time, even though the last 8 yards or so seemed incredibly long and nauseatingly hypoxic and felt like slow motion.  At the time, the 24 mins was a huge accomplishment for me, no medal was given for it, and I had begun a journey with "Morton" to take home instead as my souvenir.  Morton's Neuroma is a common annoyance of runners.  It is a painful condition that effects the ball of the foot (my left) most often in the area between the third and fourth toes.  It begins feeling like you have a small pebble in your shoe.  It involves a thickening of the nerves leading to your toes, can and often causes sharp burning pain in the ball of the foot.  Switching shoes can help.  Some companies sell pads to tuck under the ball of the foot in your shoe.  What helped me most was cortizone injection.    I was concerned I may have caused a stress fracture in my foot and when the pain did not go away, I sought out a great podiatrist.  Dr. Neil Burrell in Beaumont.  This was not the first doc I had seen for this , but this injection session was a miracle for me.  This latest injection hardly hurt going in, and the relief has lasted so long, I can't remember the month I had the appointment.  It was 2014, I think!  That damn memory!!  But the pain is all but a memory now.

Running hard on concrete is not the best for the body.  Thats why my choice of running surfaces is a crushed granite track.  My friend " Morton" is a reminder for me of the importance of pace.  That race I nearly didn't finish cause of my lack of pace control   Since then, I have learned to pace.  My pace is my pace that is comfortable to me.  I can breathe, I feel fine when I finish.  That is my usual training pace.  I have it easily between 9 to 10 min/mile for 3 to 5 miles.  I put in a few speed training spots ( where I run as fast as I can from one point on the track to another, then slow back to training speed to recover.  When I catch my breath, I do another.  I can tell where I am pace wise by checking my iPhone Nike program, or listen to the verbal cues via the earphones.  At a steady 9 min mile I know I cannot medal in the Games.   I know I need to be as close to an 7 to 8 min mile pace to have a chance.  I am realistic.   Running a 5K in 22 mins. is not on my horizon.  I will be a winner if I finish, meet or beat my personal best, and if by chance the luck, conditions are in my favor, may have a chance at the top 5.  My Nike Prep Program starts on Monday, with intense training up until the few days before the race.  But in the mean time, I have allowed myself a chance to recharge and rest up.  Next week begins the ramp up to the race.  Rest is part of the training.  This will be another challenge, as to terms of our home sale, we must be out for buyers needs two weeks before the race.  We agreed as another buyer may not come by in this market in our current neighborhood.  We will rent until after the race.  Too much change, too much stress not good for the race, and we have planned on this for too long to walk away.  This will challenge our brains to stay focused, stay relaxed and be our personal best!

How Does Yoga Help Runners Run Better?

If your muscles are tight, you are much more prone to injury.  If you are a type  A runner and you just can't be still, you may think yoga is just sitting on the floor meditating.  Stretching is very important after you run or work out, and Yoga is a way of getting your work out in and lots of stretching at the same time.  Golfers do yoga to relax and tone the back muscles.  It works to the runners advantage as well.

* It helps reduce lactic acid which is produced when carbs are broken down by the body to supply your muscles with energy, and it is formed in the muscles using oxygen.  When you increase your active exertion intensity, your body is using its fast twitch muscle fibers which use more carbs and  produce more lactic acid.  Deep yoga stretches help the sore muscles relax and recover.

* Practicing Yoga helps with detoxification and improved blood  circulation of the body.  Deep slow breathing combined with stretches brings fresh oxygen to the cells you have been using to help rejuvenate them and  put more spring in your next run steps.

*  It tones and strengthens muscles.  Some poses require you to hold a contracted position for at least one minute.  Your own body weight is shifted to different areas during poses.  This tones muscles and builds endurance and core strength which improves your running.

Head to the mat for some yoga cross training and you will see and feel the benefits.  With 2 months until the Senior Games, I am incorporating it weekly. Sorry no new pictures.  I am on the road!   Namaste!

People who get in your way in life.

Why do people have to try to take advantage of others?  Why do people think its ok?  Why do people think the golden rule applies only to those dealing with them?  You know who I mean.  The bullies in life.  They push and push until you finally push back or explode.  What makes them think they don't have to follow the rules, or human decency?  Why are they so special they can exploit others and not have trouble sleeping at night?

People are flawed.  We all are.  Some are just more so than others.   Take unfair advantage of no one. Play fair.  Deal fairly.  Respect others property, person and space.  This has not much to do with running, but yet running is how I personally deal with those in my space that don't respect others or me for that matter.  Money is not the end all folks.  You can't take it with you and it can't buy you peace, happiness;  hearses don't have luggage racks, and trying to cheat someone out of something for personal gain is just plain despicable.  Have some self respect people who do this!  You are embarrassing yourself and any good you may have done previously in your life.

You don't want what I am selling?  Take a hike!

Priorities For Masters Running As Time Goes On

I have been reading articles on running as we age, and have come across a few more words of wisdom to share.  Whether you are on a running or walking program, it all applies.

Learn to appreciate your successes, recognizing that your running years are limited.  But Running remains a life long sport.  As long as you can move your feet at whatever speed, you can run.  But successful running with advancing age requires you to revise your expectations with regard to racing and training.  This does not mean to give up trying to win, but to focus on your own personal best, either in time or mileage.

Make allowances for every year of aging.  It may take longer to ramp up to race mode than it did when you were 30.  Expect it and plan for it.  Allow more rest days after hard training.

Become an expert, paying attention to your need for rest , recovery, as no single formula works for everyone.

Take advantage of established fitness, to maintain performance with less effort.  Thats where I stand right now.  2 months out of my biggest race yet, I am in the maintain mode, so I have less time and trouble amping up for racing.  I have to "pace" myself to stay as strong as I can without injury.  This is where todays work out came in.

I went to Yoga with my favorite Yogi, Angi Walker.  Its an all over stretching, posturing, breathing, focusing using your own body weight as resistance.   Downward Facing Dog stretches the hamstrings.  The warrior poses strengthen the quads and knees.  Stretches and poses increase circulation to all the muscles in the body.  I walked in with a stiff sore back, and a bit stressed.  I came out, calm, relaxed, flexible and with less back discomfort and tight muscles.  An hour of Yoga is great cross training, strengthening and stress relief; well worth the $10 admission fee.   Many runners use it regularly.  As its getting hotter here in Southeast Texas, I plan to  do a bit more of Yoga, Pilates and Tabata inside in the AC for training in May, along with running days of steady pace for 4 miles.  My plan currently for June is similar, except the first two weeks I will be running at least 5 miles during training run days with some speed work.  The last two weeks I will begin to taper off, and have a few days rest before the race.  No matter what happens, it will be the best I can do when race day arrives.

Being Flexible Helps Me to Adjust To Stress

Its 5:30 am and I am up, wide awake, with a big day ahead.  Fueling up is the first most important task ahead.  Spoon sized shredded wheat, skim milk, and berries are the choice to start today off right.  Oh, and don't forget the coffee!   What could be possibly wrong here? Well for one thing, after I just polished off my cereal, I remembered I am supposed to be fasting for my six month lab work.  Eating before having labs drawn can alter the true results.  However if I have been eating well and exercising since my last doctor appointment, I should be well within the normal range.  Thats what I hope for anyway! But I will need to reschedule.  That memory thing!
 Today should be a long comfortable paced run for me.  Also,  I have had a bit more stress in my life lately, and as a result, have not been as relaxed or rested.  The afternoon nap has been hit or miss lately with all the business I have had to take care of.   I wake up early with a lot on my mind and some very tight, strained muscles in my neck and back.  I cannot relax them, have tried heat, stretches and  Bengay, with no real relief.  So, after my run,  I am meeting my favorite massage therapist, Erin, for some TLC.  Deep tissue massage helps me a lot.  I have not sought her out for this in a few months, but it is catching up with me.  Professional athletes get them after games.  Some vintage runners swear by them, and get them after every race or after hard training sessions.  Erin incorporates deep tissue massage with some hot stones and stretching.  In her "spare" time, she also teaches Yoga.  She is a very popular and busy lady!   I am looking forward to the relief.  After a deep tissue massage, it is advised to go home, take it easy and drink lots of water.  My hope is the massage will help with the over tight muscles and then when I do run next, I will be more efficient and comfortable.  Running with super tight muscles increases your chance of injury.   No time for down time right now!  My "bucket list" run is two months plus a few days away.  How do you keep life from interfering with your exercise plan to be more healthy?

Exercise is more important during stressful times in life than any other time.  This is usually when we are overwhelmed by change, situations, work that we tend to retreat to rest, but if your body is tense and you are holding in anxiety, taking to the sofa with a soft blanket and the remote control is the opposite of what will really rest and relax you.
Meditation or prayer helps to calm the brain and the nervous system.  In Yoga I think they call it to recenter yourself.  Inner peace can be a wonderful place to find in yourself when life gets crazy.  I have been occupied with prepping our now too large" empty nester" home to sell, trying to determine where we will live next, what is important to take, how much to down size.  Yes, this is another common and anticipated time in the over 50 crowd.  Prior to my inter cranial
 bleed I would have enjoyed the challenge.  Lately, I have been tested and found that change is not feeling good to me.  With what feels like too many things to think about and do, I have had more muscle spasms, more roaring in my ears and head. But race or not, training or not, post head trauma or not, it is time for this change in our lives. The most difficult thing for me to do still, is not running.  Running is mindless.  I can zone out and feel relaxed and accomplished when I complete my mileage for the day.  Thinking and communication over complicated issues is now my nemesis.  My CPU/brain  needs to be unplugged and rested more frequently with all this change coming into our lives.  I accept the challenge of finding time to get my tasks done, run my training schedule as planned, at least one rest/nap per day somehow, because I know I will feel better, and my life depends on it.

A tranquil spot along my run