National Bike Month

Reminder: May is national bike month.
Let's celebrate bikes as valid transportation.
Use your voice in your community, let your local government know
that bicycles have the right to Share The Road.

Getting warm

Mid 80s already but only bothers me on the ride home.
Mornings are fabulous just pushing 70 degrees.
I do love Florida weather.

kept the 2mile challenge intact today

I needed to go to the store today, grabbed my pack and off I went. As I got close to the shopping center, I noticed a shortcut path the kids use and I tried it... great little footpath :-) The shortcut leads to the fast food alley and wally world. I was able to avoid one of the intersections that is so tricky going to the store. The trip took no more time than it would have with a car. My only complaint is I grabbed the wrong backpack... the pack was a softshell pack and when I put boxes in it I got poked in the back all the way home (10-15 minutes not long) -- I need to go through my packs and figure out which ones are best for the bike. I have a rear rack, maybe I could add wire baskets -- it is a thought. I figure since I am willing to ride nearly 7 miles to work there is no reason not to do most of my errands by bike either.

13.54 miles

Yep, that's what my Garmin Forerunner says today. My round trip was not any sort of speed demon time but I loved it! I found a route that's not too bad -- there's only one intersection that I find intimidating to navigate. There is one turn that is very close to a large grocery store, near the post office and the new, big Walmart -- traffic here is a bit dicey at 5pm. I will continue to look at my options --- perhaps I can find a route even better. Distance isn't the main priority -- finding the 'safest' path between the two points is the most important issue to me. I like riding the back roads -- the residential areas, less traffic and more to see. I don't care for the roads jammed with traffic and unpleasantness. The roads I prefer have the lower speed limits, less traffic, and even trees!!!

6.8 miles one way

That's what the map said - my first bike commute of 2011. The morning temperature of 38 almost kept me off the bike. I am glad I didn't chicken out. It was a great ride. The morning segment was much better than the return ride. Has been awhile seen my last commute by bike and my confidence level in traffic needs to rebuild. All in all a great start to finding my "zenonabike" again.

I am a bit sore this morning - this week I am riding every other day to reacclimatize my muscles to this activity. After a couple weeks, I will add the other days of the workweek to my bike commuting. I think this is a doable plan. I do need to review my gear tonight - possibly need to order a different pennies for carrying my stuff. Seemed awkward yesterday the way I had everything packed...

my fingers must have been broken...

Here it is nearly 10 weeks since my last entry. Have I been that busy? Nope... just super lazy. My running has eased off a bunch, in December I did a lazy marathon on gym treadmill but not much else during the break from this blog. NO excuses... I just haven't done anything. Once again, I am trying to get my rear in gear. I know that exercise, eating right and getting fit is THE right thing to do... so why do I have such a tough time sticking with it?

Leftovers again... not!

My family challenged me today -- similar to Food Network's "Chopped" program I am given certain ingredients and challenged to produce something tasty, creative and with nice presentation... ;-)

The challenge today -- using Thanksgiving dinner leftovers make 5 dishes, one dish must be dessert. I had to use dishes from our Thanksgiving dinner which were Turkey, green bean casserole, Jiffy corn casserole, dressing, apple pie and sweet potato pie. I could use my pantry and any other leftovers in the fridge. The family was thrilled with the results:

Green Bean Casserole soup, Penne pasta with mushroom turkey sauce, corn and cranberry "souffle", stuffing muffins and last homemade vanilla ice cream with caramelized apples.

The soup was a huge hit, I had dried onion soup mix in the cupboard,
after creating the broth I pulsed the leftover green bean casserole a few times in food processor then added to the onion soup broth, I let it simmer a good while.

The turkey pasta could have used more seasoning but it was well received anyway. The stuffing muffins were not the most creative use of dressing but I admit I was a bit stumped on that item. The corn casserole transformation was another dish that drew rave reviews. The Jiffy corn casserole has a cornbread texture so I added applesauce, another can of creamed corn, a very healthy cupful of cranberry sauce and pour this into ramekins and baked in water bath pan. Everyone really liked this one!

The last conversion was using leftover apple pie (discarding the crust) and sauteing in brown sugar caramel, finishing with pecans. Just so happened I had some homemade vanilla ice cream in the freezer (any leftovers were allowed!) Perfect dessert!

Note: As I was editing this post, I returned to the kitchen for a cup of coffee, I see the ingredients for breakfast have already been placed by the coffeepot! My family is apparently really enjoying these culinary challenges!

culinary adventures -- apple pie

My contribution to the Thanksgiving feast tomorrow includes apple pie. Used all Granny Smith apples and the traditional apple pie recipe found in the "How to Cook Everything" I decided I wanted to go all-out with presentation and used an cookie cutter shape on the top crust. I think it turned out pretty decent. Now I just have to cross my fingers and hope it tastes as good as it looks.

Finished Livestrong 5k

Well, I finished the Nike Livestrong Beach 5k in Destin October 2nd. My time was 43:28. Certainly not my best time... I have been beating on myself the last few days over this run. Once again I re-did the couch to 5k program (Actually I used the 5k101 training)But I made a few mistakes leading up to this race. The week prior to the race I had a business trip and skipped running for 5 days. Also, I pushed myself way too hard... at the last 1/2 mile of the race I was concerned I might throw up with my stomach seizing up so much. After sharing my disappointment, it was suggested I should go back to a run/walk ratio to build up my 'base'. Sounds like a plan, my next race is the Run for the Bay in Apalachicola, FL on the 23rd this month. Today is scheduled run day -- I will try the galloway method of run/walk ratio until the next race. I will also pay better attention to my nutrition and hydration especially the week of the race.
I will not give up!

Here we go again...

After another period away from the exercise routine, I am back at it again. I have recharged my mp3 player - loaded up my gym bag and I am ready to hit the pavement with new running shoes. Exercise and fitness is so important, and yet once again I allowed my motivation to wane. Sticking with it is THE hardest part to me, the running is hard, the weight training is hard but the dedication to keep at it day after day is the HARDEST. I have no excuse, I just stopped doing it. Nike has the motto, JuSt Do It -- that's it, just do it. That's what I have to remind myself - just do it. Each morning, I need to push myself out of bed and just do it... either go running, hit the weights, ride my bike whatever IT is -- just do it.

Enough of the laziness, etc. To get fit requires effort -- I really want to be healthy and strong, therefore, I must "just do it" I am done kicking myself for sitting on my butt, The process to fitness is one day at a time. Patience and determination are key components of any program, I am strong-minded - I have proven this many times in the past, now is the time to prove it again. Just do it :-)

Bike Shops...

Today I visited a couple Baltimore bike shops -- Joe's Bike Shop and Broadway cycles. Both shops were great. Talked with one guy at Joe's and I told him how impressed I was of the commuters in Baltimore. (Especially the fixed gear folks) I even picked up a T-shirt to add to my collection. I did a basic internet search on cycling in Baltimore and discovered there are several cycling groups online... no surprised after seeing so people on bikes. In my quick search I also discovered several biking trails in this area also. This can be quite the place to be if bikes are your thing. Although I find it sad that Maryland doesn't have a 3-foot law whereas Florida does...and I don't quite get the 'sharrows' (lanes with bike graphic intended to remind motorists to "share the road") but I still say if bike commuting is viable here, then viable most anywhere.

I am impressed...

Vacationing in Baltimore, Maryland this week and I am so impressed with the bicycle commuters I have seen here. I am really amazed with the single-speed bikes I see all over town. Lots of clips / at home I rarely see anyone with clips on their pedals. Baltimore is not the "flatlands" like most of Florida. Seeing people commute in the conditions of a city like this, I am further convinced in the viability of full-time bike commuting. Between the volume of traffic, noise and air quality of downtown Baltimore I don't know how these folks do it but there are more than a few folks who ride full-time.

Local magazine called the "Urbanite" even had an article this week discussing the city's first full-time bike & pedestrian planner, Nate Evans. An avid cyclist, the article has him riding a cruiser bike wearing a necktie and using messenger-style bag. I haven't seen anyone using panniers yet -- and only a few bikes with rear racks. Many of the bikes have been single-speed or road bikes...
today I actually saw two mountain bikes one being a sturdy (and heavy) Huffy. (I even saw a fella on a folding bike this morning huffing and puffing up Charles Street downtown) Some hearty souls these riders are, in my humble opinion.




I can't wait to get home and pedal forth.

My Trusty Steed Awaits...

Looking so forlorn, my bike awaits my return so we may head back into the asphalt jungle. Today is bike-to-work day and once again my morning ride was glorious. The afternoon is proving to be a bit of a scorcher but that's ok. I know the ride is not that long and I can take a shower once I arrive home.

Gradually, my cycling legs (and bum) return to form after a lengthy absence from the bike commuting. Living in Florida, I really have no excuse for not riding. Yes, it can get hot but only really hot when standing still, when moving it's not so bad. The trick is to keep moving, unfortunately, there are several traffic signals between work and home... sometimes I can time it and not have to come to a complete stop - other times I find myself with my feet on the asphalt feeling the waves of heat rising up. No matter, it is worth it every time I successfully complete the commute. Many people ride much further and I am grateful for the ability to keep moving forward.

Rolling, Rolling

Beautiful commute today... very little wind this morning. Very quiet - almost no traffic. Just getting my legs going took up the morning, the ride back was hot! Wearing my Garmin 305 I could really look at the ride and see how it went. My speed wasn't that great, but that's ok. Just really felt great to ride. As long as I kept the fluids going, the heat is doable. There are a couple intersections that are a bit nerve-racking but just staying focused and aware helps here.

bike to work week

This is Bike-to-Work week! My bike is ready to go... my pannier is almost loaded. I am so excited!

The last few months I have spent so much time devoted to my running training and my cycling has suffered. With the oil spill crisis, I am reminded how important it is to be less dependent on gas & oil. The distance from my home to my job is only 7 miles, there is no reason I can't commute by bike. My bike is well-suited for the commute... the only thing I want to do is change to stronger tires (like armadillos)to limit the number of flats. With this week, I am re-committed to commuting by bike as often as I possibly can. Cycling is how I got in shape originally after I quit smoking. There is such freedom with self-powered two-wheel transportation. I am not ready to go completely car-free but I can certainly make car trips rare occurrences.

LiveStrong

getting in the groove... and staying there

My cold last weekend threw a full monkey wrench into my training... coughing so much left me sore and shortness in my breath. Running is hard enough when I can breathe... actually, I think my breathing is one of the issues I have with my running. I am going to try focusing on my breathing more when I run and see if I can get a better rhythm going between my feet and my lungs. An entire week has gone by not running and I have a race in two weeks.

This weekend I got to see some of the athletes competing in the Gulf Coast Triathlon... now that is a race! 1.2 miles swim followed by 56 mile bike ride and then finished off with a 13.1 mile run. Looking at some of the competitors you could see a lot of time is spent training -- some of the racers just look like everyday Joes. One of my long-term goals is to complete a triathlon but not so lofty as the GCT. I am aiming for a sprint or possibly an Olympic distance.

Some days I feel as if I barely treading water, my training progress seems so minimal and this really frustrates me. I have finally managed one of my goals, the fitness run time. It took 2 years to achieve this goal, taking so long to get this far has been excruciating -- so many setbacks, little things like chest colds -- sprained ankles mixed with days "I don't wanna"... mornings I couldn't get my butt out of bed. I am aiming forward again, my next goal is to maintain 30 minutes at a steady run. I know I can run 30 minutes but not yet consistently. So now my plan is to strive for that magic 30 minutes. Once I can hold this time, I will start adding time to my daily runs. Eventually, I want to be manage an hour running. I believe then I can complete a 10k run.

My plan: a daily journal, alternate running with cycling, add resistance training and eat well! I have got to get a grip on my weakness for chocolate and sugary treats.

Happy Mother's Day... Live Strong.

Relay for Life...

Today is the start of the Relay for Life in Panama City. Our library has been an active participant of this event for many years now. A previous library director is a cancer survivor and there are several people on staff who are cancer survivors. The American Cancer Society promotes cancer research and awareness, the Relay is one of the fund-raising efforts used to support ACS. Practically everyone is affected by cancer today, if not directly certainly someone close is directly affected by some form of cancer. Early detection is key to the survival rates. Even if there is no family history of cancer, cancer is still a possibility for anyone. Treatment options have improved over the years, research continues to offer higher success rates. Support your local Relay for Life -- find a team and join or support a team. Each Relay is an 18 hour event beginning on Friday afternoon and ending Saturday morning. Team members take turns walking the track throught the event. Some teams walk the entire 18 hours! One year I remember someone running (yes, running) from beginning to end. Unbelievable! He took 15 minute breaks I think every couple hours. What an inspiration!

I DID IT!

I finally passed the fitness run! My age group goal is a 1.5 mile run of 19:30 and today I finished in 18:45! I am so happy, only took 4 tries. Tenacity IS the way to success... I have kept at it, running 4x a week and sticking with it... just not giving up. Running is hard, but I am so proud of finally accomplishing this! This so rocks!

Rabbit Run today

The saga of the turtle continues...

Well, I finished another 5k today. The Rabbit Run in downtown Panama City is part of the Junior Service fundraising efforts for groups such as Girls on the Run of Bay County, After School Assistance Program (ASAP), and JSL Child Service Center clothing distribution program. The weather was absolutely close to perfect. Low 70's with hint of breeze (which kicked up at the end) -- the course goes alongside the bay near the Panama City Marina... was nice watching the birds, in the shallow waters on the shore.

My time was decent enough, over 3 minutes faster than my last race the March for Misty 5k in Freeport, FL on March 27th and a good 5 minutes faster than the killer Run for Babies on March 13th. So three races in 4 weeks. Really not bad considering the sprained ankle injury on mile 1 February 13th at the Mardi Gras 5k in St Andrews.

I had a new playlist of songs on my mp3 player -- the song "sober" by pink had me moving pretty good as did the "rocking to the beat" by the Black-eyed Peas. I also included couple Michael Jackson tunes, overall the set worked pretty well but I need to add few more tunes. On the way home I heard "we got the beat" by the Go-Go's and that would be a great song in my running playlist. Some of the oldies have the kind of beat that inspires me as I struggle to post a decent race time. At the end I don't even hear the music as I really kick it hard the last few yards across the finish line -- I wish I could run that fast longer --- I would no longer be a turtle :-)

Live Life, LiveStrong...

Run for Babies 5K

This was a challenging race! The winds were averaging close to 20 mph throughout the event. The course was pretty decent (except for the section by the fuel depot - strong chemical odor) but the winds made it wicked hard! I was very surprised to learn I placed 3rd in my age group. I won a ribbon -- more bling! I felt so beat up when I crossed the finish line. Waiting for our times to be announced was tough -- thank goodness my young friend, Stephen (6ft tall and 19) graciously stood in front of me as a windbreak. I am so glad to finish this race... now I am sufficiently motivated to keep training for the next race in April.

This race was so hard I could not maintain the running pace -- I ended up walking a lot. Tomorrow I will not run, but Monday I get back in the groove towards maintaining the 30 minute continuous run. The Couch to 5k program really works, and it is possible to back up in the program if there are any setbacks. My sprained ankle was exactly one month ago. I restarted the C25k at week 4 two weeks ago getting ready for today's race. My ankle did not give me any trouble but my endurance is waaaaay off. I know as I keep going with the training I will recover my strength.