tummy bump...

Lesson learned...

Running shorts have a draw string tie at the waist that does nothing if your shorts fit. I end up just tying it to keep it out of the way. I should have removed it. The knot of the tie was pressed firmly up against my stomach about 3 inches below my belly button. Yes...I have a high belly button. Anyway, this constant pressure on the knot was the culprit. The bump under my skin was like the knot you get from a hard bump. The only difference was that there was no bruise. I went to the doctor, just in case and that is all it was.

Lesson learned...pull out those draw strings!

Another lesson...smile at the finish line because your picture is being taken! All the shots of me crossing were rather serious.

First 1/2 at the Rock n Roll Half Marathon in Virginia Beach

So, I did it! I ran my first 1/2 marathon today.

It was a great run.

I ran it in 2:45:46, which is faster than I expected!

Now I'm sitting here with an ice pack on my stomach. We think it's a hernia, but will get it checked out tomorrow. I noticed it about 2 hours after the race. I thought it was just from the tie of my shorts that pushed up against that area, but now I'm thinking hernia.

Anyway...all in all a great day!

Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon Virginia Beach

Just a few more days and I can say that I've run a 1/2 marathon!

I'm excited and not too nervous. I know that Saturday night will be a long night!

Tapper Week - pre-Half Marathon -Virginia Beach Rock n Roll 1/2

I'm running my first half marathon on Sunday here in Virginia Beach. I hear it's a lot of fun. I can't wait. We have Earl coming this way, but I hear it'll be on its way out of here by Friday....I hope I hope!

So, this week I'm supposed to run 3 miles today...thinking of heading out soon...then walk 1.5 miles on Wednesday...then the big race on Sunday! I missed about 3 weeks of training because we were going to go to my husband's HS Reunion, but he decided he didn't want to go. He wasn't "feeling it." The day after he told me that, I was back to training. I didn't stop running thankfully, but I stopped my long runs at under 6 miles. That first weekend, though, I did a run/walk of 11 miles. That'll be good enough. I'll be run/walking the race while listening to great music and enjoying the camaraderie.

After that, I have signed up for the Susan G. Komen For the Cure's 5K, The Wicked 10K and Virginia is for Lovers 14K. I don't race, but it sure feels nice to be in the upper half of the list of my age group.

Anyway...off I go...

Sun porch at night

It's so peaceful sitting here in the evening
Crickets are chirping
Ducks are quacking

A dog is barking in the distance
The peaceful sound of the night
It takes me to a calmer place

When I'm stressed I come here
I sit still while the night lives around me
Bathing me in the night sounds

why

why do we let things get us upset

why over small stuff do we act then regret

why do we need to attempt to explain

why when on a reaction to the puddle from rain

why does it bruise the ego when it's not the intent

why to the evening does it make such a dent

why do we hardly show any compassion

why do we put out love on ration

why do we argue over the small stuff

why do we act as if we are so gruff

why don't we just love

Run/Walk Intervals

I seem to have hit a wall and I needed a way to get past the 5 mile mark in my training. I've been reading about Run/Walk Interval running and decided to give it a go today. I find it hard to run/walk because then I feel like a beginner again. I needed to get past that and I think I did today.

I ran my 3 miles running 4 minutes/walk 1 minute and my time improved! I usually average about 11 mph, but today I walked/ran 3 miles in 30 minutes. That's a 10 minute mile! I was pushing it at 4 minutes at that pace, I may do the 3/1 that was recommended for an 11 mile runner like me.

Everyone is a mirror, especially the irritating ones.

Do you know someone that you just don't like very much?

Do they do things that annoy you?

I do.

My point, is not how I have to get along with someone that rubs me the wrong way.

My point it that I am learning about myself.

When someone is irritating you, look in the mirror.

Now, you may not have the extreme behavior like this other person.

Usually, though, you have some essence of the behaviors that you can't seem to stand.

Because of this person in my life, I now see the traits that I want to change in me.

Droid X

I love my Droid X! I find I'm not on my laptop as much now, though. My Droid X is my mini computer and there are only a few things that my Droid can't do. For some reason, I can't create a post here on my Droid X. I'm hoping that the 2.2 update will fix that issue. I also can't view some Youtube videos and that too should be fixed with the update.

Check out the Droid X, although I read that they are backordered until August 4.

http://www.verizonwireless.com:80/b2c/store/controller?item=phoneFirst&action=viewPhoneDetail&selectedPhoneId=5369

ok...so I may not be running my first 1/2 marathon in September. The Rock 'n Roll is set for Labor Day weekend and so is my husband's 30 year high school reunion.

I found this out after I'd already registered, paid and started training. So, my husband thought that my run was more important and his high school reunion and wanted to be there while I ran my first 1/2. Sweet man, huh?

On my birthday, on our nice romantic walk on the beach, we talked about his reunion and my run. I decided that his reunion is much more important than the run. Half marathons are scheduled many times a year. If not this one, then another and I told that to my husband. So, I think we are going to the reunion.

I'll keep you posted...

Yesterday's run....
....was not good. I did only 4 miles and it was not an easy run. It was about 85 degrees out, but felt hotter because of the humidity. I really needed to start earlier. As it turned out, I started my run at 8am after not sleeping well. I've not been sleeping well lately either. Menopause? I think that is part of it. I was way too tired to run tonight too and tomorrow we are supposed to get thunder showers. I may be running on the treadmill this week. I'm hoping that this weekend I'll be able to break through the 6 mile mark. The route to the beach was nicer than running a circle around the neighborhood. It's nice to have the beach as my destination, but it's all in my head and I know it. I need to not think about breaking through the 6 mile mark. It makes it sound like it is a hard thing to do, which in turn I believe and that makes it harder then it has to be.

Six Mile Run...

The farthest I've run is in an 8K earlier this year. I find myself not looking forward to the six mile run that I have scheduled in my training. It was scheduled for this morning, but because I missed a run this week and ran Monday and yesterday, running 6 miles today didn't seem like a good idea. I've pushed it out to tomorrow and hopefully the thunder showers that were expected today, will not push out to tomorrow also. That would mean 6 miles on the treadmill, which would be very boring! I need a nice small flat screen TV on the wall in front of my treadmill. I wonder if there are running DVDs that have nice outside scenery that I would see on a country or city run. That would be cool. I have talked about wanting a small flat screen just for this purpose and my birthday is on Wednesday, so we'll see.

I'm hoping once I push through this 6 miles, that I'll see that it's not as bad as I'm anticipating. It would be nice to be on a more scenic run, so I'm thinking that I'll run to the beach like last weekend. That's 5 miles, then I'll run a mile along the beach. Maybe with the ocean view during the sixth mile, I won't think about how I've never run more than 5 miles before.

I just need to push through.

New vs. Old...as in blogger editors...

I've not blogged for a while and when I decide to blog, my editor remained in thinking mode with it's circling thinker swirling around. I went to blogger help and saw that there is an updated editor. I seem to have already it checked to use it, although, I don't remember opting for it. I changed the setting to use the old editor, and here I am able to create a blog once again.


It is amazing the anger I read in one second try post to the help area. I'm mean...get a life! You know, this is a free service. I do think that someone should get back to the woman. I don't exactly know if it's a woman, but in the part that I read, it sounded like a woman.


So, you may ask, what does a woman sound like. Actually, it depends on my mood. If I had read that same post yesterday, I may have thought it a man's post. It's all perception....my perception. I think I'll answer her...or his...blog and suggest using the old editor until the new one is fixed.

I actually like the old editor...why change it??
See ya...

Today's training run...
This morning there was no argument.  This morning, I just slept through my run. Guess I needed the sleep.  When I got home, my buyers remorse due to a treadmill purchase just at the end of Winter, has finally passed.  I did my 3 mile training run with nice AC, a ceiling fan and the fan on the treadmill, while outside it was 96 degrees combined with high humidity.  I wasn't about to run outside when my Weather Bug put out a Heat Advisory.

One more run for this week's training on Saturday.  I'm thinking the beach.  I'll be there for Hands Across the Sand, so maybe a nice 4 mile run, then a dip in the ocean, then get in line and hold hands.

"Hands Across the Sand is a movement made of people of all walks of life and crosses political affiliations. This movement is not about politics; it is about protection of our coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife, and fishing industry.  Let us share our knowledge, energies and passion for protecting all of the above from the devastating effects of oil drilling." 

http://www.handsacrossthesand.com/

Your beach has it too...

• Go to your beach on June 26 at 11 AM in your time zone.
• Form lines in the sand and at 12:00, join hands.

The image is powerful, the message is simple.  NO to Offshore Oil Drilling, YES to Clean Energy.

Week 1 training...

I ran Monday morning after arguing with myself...."Get up!"..."Sleep in"...."Get up and run!"...."I don't wanna!"..."Get up!"..."Ok...ok...I'm not sleeping anyway.  You won't let me sleep!"  So, I got up and ran just under my goal of 3 miles.  Just under because I thought my route was 3 miles and it was 2.88.  I came home and logged in my training book and saw that my next run goal was 5 miles.  I psyched myself up for a five mile run today and had the same argument with myself.  I won the argument and ran just about 4 miles, under my 5 mile goal.  I came home a little disappointed that I had not gotten up earlier so that I could keep to my 5 mile goal and get to work on time.  When I went to log my run, I noticed that I'd logged my Monday run in week 5!!  Today's run was only supposed to be 3 miles!  I did feel better, but I would have enjoyed my run more knowing it was only to be an easy 3 mile run.  I run again tomorrow...another 3 mile run and then Saturday, a 4 mile run.  That will complete my week 1 of my 1/2 marathon training.

Shades of feeling my age

Monday morning I started my first week of training for the Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon and about a mile and a quarter into what was feeling like a really good run, my upper back tweaked out on me. It felt like a stitch in my side, but behind my left shoulder blade. I know this pain and although I started this with 'shades of feeling my age,' this pain was a frequent visitor in my 20s and 30s.

After my massage last month, where my massage therapist stood on the table and used her feet, my upper back was out of sorts.  Workable...runnable, but still uncomfortable.  We traveled to California for a visit and a wedding...I ran twice on the trip and ran when I returned.  So, the pain was not too bad. I decided to go to a Chiropractor, though, since it was not relieving as I would have liked.  He did not adjust that first visit, so this new pain was not caused by that visit.  On Sunday, my husband and I went into cleaning mode and I believe I wasn't careful and over did it.  So, the next morning, on my run, my over worked back tweaked out.  Hmmm...I wonder if it was because I wore running shoe rather then my Vibrams??

So, here I sit, icing every hour.  I went for an adjustment yesterday and will go again tomorrow.  It is somewhat better.  My new chiropractor even called me today to see how I was doing.

So, here I sit looking at my new running shoes and wanting to run, but knowing I should not...not yet.

I'll be a week late in starting my training, but that's ok...all will be well.

Happy Day!!  One of the blogs I follow is Abby Sunderland's.  She was considered 'lost at sea' yesterday and was found today!!  Alive and well!!  Yipee!!!

Yep...that's her and her sail boat.  I'm thinking that was taken from the Airbus that flew out to find her.  The rescue ships are on their way.  She is a brave and very mature young woman.

I have pain in my neck and back and my chiropractor couldn't get me in till Monday?!?  Well, I have been thinking about going to my neighbor's chiropractor and this gave me an opportunity to do so with less guilt.

I'm way too faithful.  Does my current doc have all the stuff this new one has?  No.  If he did, why didn't he use them on me?  I surely could have benefited from the muscle stimulator and ultrasound....and those roller traction beds.  Anyway...this new guy has all the cool stuff!

And they got me in tomorrow without an issue!

so..I paid my $110 to run 13.1 miles!!!  

It'll be my 3rd race.  Not that I'm racing anyone.  I just want to finish and it would be nice to in the top half of the women in my age group. 


I've been running a year and I really enjoy it.  Some days it's harder than other days.  


I decided to register yesterday after looking at the training schedules for a 1/2 marathon. 


It's actually not too different from my recent running schedule.  The biggest difference is on the weekend long runs.  The mileage increase weekly until the race.  So, I went for it.  My actual training starts next week and lasts for 12 weeks ending on the 1/2 Marathon Race day at the Virginia Beach Rock 'n' Roll 1/2 Marathon.

Brakes...and WTF???
I'm not a car person at all....that said...

I took a short 6 hour drive up to PA to see my oldest son and daughter-in-law Mother's Day weekend.  The last hour on the way home, I heard a familiar sound.  I've had my brake pads worn before, so I know the sound metal to metal makes, but what my husband pulled away from the front passenger side brake was worst than I thought.  Notice the top right side?  The pad is completely gone and the metal is scrape up.

Here's the side view..no pad at all!!!

Now...compared to a new brake pad...

WOW!!!

I had my brakes done in CA before I drove cross country from CA 3 years ago, but were they really done?  I didn't hear a squeak or scrape...until last Sunday.

My husband is playing mechanic after his day job.  I have a very talented hubby...with very dirty hands...  Thanks Mike!