Next race...?

Trying to decide what will be my next race, only a few dog-friendly races in our area --- I think my next race may have to be solo. Cherokee is a decent running partner, he is patiently waiting for me to get faster. :-)

Looking...looking....
Eureka!

I have found it! Our next race is...
the Anchors Away 6k trail run at Conservation park in Panama City Beach on June 23rd. I called the event organizer and asked if the dog could run with me and they said OK!
So... now we have a goal -- only 3 weeks away. A 6k is 3.728 miles and we average the 3 mile distance pretty consistently (just not quickly yet) -- we will pick it up a little on our morning runs until race day. I know Cherokee will love the trail as the asphalt of the city streets can be hard on his paws. The last race had a couple

segments with some really rough street surfaces, I worried about this and tried to keep him on the grass as much as possible. He 'heels' on the right always so I will run closer to the edge when the asphalt gets 'ugly' if there is not too much debris on the edges of the road. I have discovered the streets can be dangerous places on foot and on the bike. The sheer volume of glass and trash can cause havoc on bike tires, running shoes and pup paws. Amazing what people throw out onto the road... but that's a topic for another day.

Furry Friends 5k

Cherokee and I participated in the Furry Friends 5k April 28th, this was a fundraiser for local humane society.

As a team, we did much better in our time -- 41.10 not bad! Still did not place in our age group, but that's ok too. The reasons we run include health % fitness (for human and dog!) Also, giving Cherokee a job helps him to stay happier. The races are for my competitive spirit. :-) I am not really competing against the other runners...
I just want to improve my 5k time.
I am still waffling on the idea of going after longer distances like 10k, 1/2 marathons, and full marathons.
I believe I can train up to longer races, I just need to find the kick to my butt to DO IT.

Signed up for another 5k with the dog

Run with the dogs 5k in Destin, FL 3/17 (St Patrick's day - must wear green!) I got a kick out of the registration - dog with runner or dog with walker... Dog gets top billing :-)

Any time I have an actual defined goal or destination I seem to do better staying focused on my overall exercise program. This race is close enough to see the end of the tunnel - yet far enough in the distance so I can pick up more weeks of training.

The last race the dog & I ran was in August and that was brutal - hot & humid! I believe in supporting a local humane society but this race is very difficult - maybe if we can stay focused in our training we might do it again... Time will tell. Cherokee in his fur coat found the heat really tough to handle.

*Update clock time was 45:09 for our run (did not place in our age group) - we were slow but the race was huge! Lots of distractions, but Cherokee did great!

2012 a new year and new goals...

This year has begun and my goals are more solid than ever. The first day of 2012 was a run day, the dog & I did our bit and even with the humidity I felt good in 2.5 miles. My goals in 2012 include pushing myself to a solid sustained run through the 5k distance and then increasing the distance to the 10k run. I signed up for 500 miles in 2012 - this averages out to 9.6 miles per week. To reach this goal I need to push harder where 3 miles becomes my average run adding more more miles to the point of 4-5 miles becoming the challenge run on the weekends. I CAN do this. Happy 2012!

Running with dog...

The newest member of the family & I are getting acquainted with early morning runs. Cherokee is approximately 3 years old and appears to be pure Golden Retriever. He loves people, so perhaps not my defender but is becoming a fine companion in the wee early minutes of the day. Running is hard work for me and I find at first light is the best time for me. Running is not difficult for Cherokee but he seems content to go at my pace. I am actually hoping to improve my speed with a 4-legged partner. We are registered to run in a Paws in the Park 5k at the end of August - should be fun.

Thank you Mother Nature...

The weather has been near-perfect for Bike-to-Work wee. A bit windy Monday & Wednesday on the ride home, otherwise fabulous! Temps have been amazing - staying with highs in the low 70's in May! This is practically unheard of in Florida... the forecast says all returns to normal next week with highs approaching 90. This short reprieve was indeed welcomed.

The quest to find the best commuting route continues... So far it looks as if I will need to different routes between the arrival and departures. The morning ride is very quiet but the afternoon is a very different experience. The return ride tends to be packed with aggresive adn impatient drivers. (Note: the distractions of phone calls, texting, etc I see everyday and yes-- these drivers are dangerous!) I prefer to share the road but 5 o'clock is not bike-friendly here. I have discovered a MUP I can use for the most stressful part of my ride home. Taking the MUP is 'safer' except for the vehicles using the side streets. The path is usually fairly often by pedestrians and joggers so drivers are getting used to the idea there may be traffic on the path.

Bike to work week

Monday's ride to work was fabulous! Unbelievable cold front mid-May in Florida gave us temps in low 50s -wow! The morning commute was quiet and brisk, little traffic throughout the route. Pleasant in every way... Felt glorious when I arrived. The ride home was a bit challenging with a headwind most of the way. The temp was a lovely 72 and the ride was ok except I noticed my rear needed some air and then I discovered my pump was missing a vital component - the fitting to go on tire valve. Fortunately, I wasn't REALLY low on air and could get home. Can't understand what happened to my pump, I have another small pump to use until I replace or find missing part.

I keep looking at potential routes, the morning ride is always pleasant but the afternoons can be stressful with all the traffic. My route yesterday is primarily residential but there is a 1/4 mile section that gets tense for me. Too many people are too distracted while driving... Phones, testing, radios, etc... And this section is a connector for two larger highways. So I keep trying... I know one thing is certain - I am visible, I always wear either super bright yellow, safety orange or Hi-viz green. If folks wouldn't pass me so close I would be thrilled!

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.