She left me in the dust....

Saturday, September 15, 2012

My granddaughter and I ran a 5k last night. She had friends watching her at the finish line and she wanted to show them "how good she can run". In the past whenever I ran with her, she always started out too fast and then ended up walking most of the last mile. So, I worked with her and kept her from that fast start.

The route was an out and back, so I told her after we turned around she could go ahead of of me because our friends would be at the finish line. As soon as we hit that 2 mile marker, off she went. She beat her previous time and came in at 34:04.

I was not able to catch her that last mile and I came in at 34:51 - it was not my best time, but it was one of the best runs I have done so far. The route must have been near water treatment facility because it smelt like sewer. It was nauseating. I had to cover my nose where the smell was strongest. That made it a bit unpleasant.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LIV2RIDE 9/16/2012 9:20PM

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ROSALIEESTHER 9/16/2012 4:16AM

Awesome for both of you to run together. You two are good for one another! Report Inappropriate Comment

BECKYANNE1 9/15/2012 4:35PM

When I run around our lake, I get to have that smell too. Some days it's not bad, other days it's horrible. Report Inappropriate Comment

JUSTDOINGIT101 9/15/2012 3:51PM

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Food Addiction: The Perils of Processed Foods

Friday, September 14, 2012

While I was thinking about what I wanted to blog about this morning and surfing the web, I came across a comment by my daughter on Facebook where she said, "We don't eat processed foods." Now, know what she eats, I had to think to myself, "No processed foods, really?" Her cupboards are full of processed foods such as Mac-n-cheese, dried noodles, canned goods, etc. I then realized that we often forget that a processed food is one that has been removed from its natural state.

Every time I cook a food I am processing it. However, there are foods on the grocery shelf that are highly processes and no longer resemble the food item anymore and are devoid of nutrients and full of other stuff that is not normally found in nature.

Unfortunately, that stuff often tastes good to many people. I know for a fact that it did years ago when I was eating the highly processes convenience foods. In fact, I had no problem eating more than I should have with some of those so-called foods. Now why is that?

Below is a link to an article that I thinks explains it better than I could...
thefoodfarce.com/2010/06/16/food-add
iction-the-perils-of-processed-foods-i
n-america%E2%80%99s-diet/

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

DS9KIE 9/24/2012 11:27PM

grea blog Report Inappropriate Comment

CHRISTINASP 9/14/2012 2:45PM

That was a very nice article, thank you for sharing. Maybe we should invent a separate term, like 'HOME-processed' vs 'FACTORY-processed'? ;) Report Inappropriate Comment

BOOKWORM27S 9/14/2012 12:58PM

Great blog! Thank you for the link. Report Inappropriate Comment

LIV2RIDE 9/14/2012 9:26AM

My sister said the same thing, "basically all foods are processed unless you eat them raw". Yeah that is true but I find when I process them they don't have all the chemicals that commercially processed foods have. I personally am focusing on whole foods and trying to limit commercially processed foods as much as possible. I still struggle with certain products but I'm working on it. Unless you are a raw vegan I think it's pretty impossible to eat completely unprocessed foods when there are things like nut butter and hummus out there. LOL Report Inappropriate Comment

Countdown to the end of the 5k season

Thursday, September 13, 2012

I have 3 5k's left to do that I have signed up for this year. Last year, I wanted to run a sub30 5k and put forth a huge effort to to attain that goal. The closest I got to it was 30:23. Next week, I'll be running that same route.

Last winter, I decided to enter a half marathon and I spent the winter and spring training for distance rather than speed and this year I noticed that my times for the 5k's have been slower than than when I first started running a few years ago. Of course I am older now, 54 years.

I do not count the slower times as a failure because I am still out there running. As a matter of fact, this was a season of firsts for me: first half marathon, first half of a half trail run and first slowest time ever for a 5k.

The beginning of the season had some warm weather that made it difficult to train for speed. Anyway, that is my excuse and I am sticking with it for now

Truthfully, I think I am slower because I did not have that desire to push myself for achieving that sub30 5k. In the beginning of the season the weather was hotter and more humid than usual. It seemed like it got hot too soon and I was not accustomed to it and I really did not care to run a sub30. I just determined a time at the start and then tried to beat that time. Plus, I have not focused on cross training on the non-running days and that I believe is making a huge difference in my times.

So, I have three more races to run, (unless I find some other local ones), and have no great expectations. I am going to get what I trained for. However, I am hoping to be pleasantly surprised at my time across the finish line.

My daughter wants to do the turkey run again this year. I am hoping to include my granddaughter and even want to train together. There is a program called 5k101 from runningmatemedia, coached by Todd Lange that I am hoping to talk them into using so we can all run the same. I think it's be so awesome for the three of us to cross the finish line together.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LIV2RIDE 9/13/2012 9:45AM

What a fantastic year or being active and being with your family. It's funny how those number goals go. When we set them we are all excited and ready to conquer the world. Then things happen and that's ok. You still did AMAZING and your Granddaughter had a blast right there beside you. Some things are just more important that how fast you run 5k. Report Inappropriate Comment

FARRAH511 9/13/2012 9:11AM

Congratulations!!! you're AWESOME!!! -:¦:- ´¨¨)) -:¦:- ¸.•´ .•´¨¨)) ((¸¸.•´ ..•´ - -:¦:- -:¦:- ((¸¸.•´* Farrah -:¦:- Report Inappropriate Comment

NICHOLE_4 9/13/2012 8:59AM

I am doing my first 5k this weekend in Chicago....I am really excited and scared. I am hoping that I can run the entire race...not sure I can do that! But it's my goal Report Inappropriate Comment

Oh man, another mistake!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Mistake! Failure! Slip-up! Oops! Falling off the wagon! Getting off track! Whatever you want to call it , we all have those moments when we do not do what we know we ought to be doing. Making mistakes is inevitable; it will happen despite our good intentions. So, how do you handle it? In other words, how do you react to the mistakes that you make?

Today, I was searching the internet for a particular coffee brand because one of my granddaughter's half-sibling's school is having a coffee fundraiser. In my search for the brand they are going to sell, I came across the newsletter for the school, Stride Academy, and found a little tidbit how to deal with mistakes when they happen. The idea is to learn form the mistake.

When students in one particular teacher's classroom makes mistakes she has the student write down 2 things:
1. What was the mistake?
2. What can you learn for making that mistake?
She then has the student throw away that piece of paper with the mistake and focus on what was learned from making that mistake.
(http://www.strideacademy.org/files/500.
pdf)

What wonderful advice! Throw away the mistake and focus on the learning from making it.

Don't focus on the past; move forward!

Awesome advice!

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

ROSALIEESTHER 9/14/2012 4:37AM

I love this! And for me it's important to really get the message that mistakes (any mistake - mine, my husband's, my sister's,my parents - anyone's can be learned from. And most importantly -I news to learn to move on! Thank you very much! Report Inappropriate Comment

MSANITAL 9/11/2012 8:08PM

Thanks for shearing it was great advise Report Inappropriate Comment

KYLIESCHELLE 9/11/2012 11:11AM

That's a great tool to use. Thanks! Report Inappropriate Comment

YOHANNAJACOB 9/11/2012 9:57AM

like it. I can see a few post-it hitting the bin in the near future :) Report Inappropriate Comment

What a joy!

Sunday, September 09, 2012

I ran 2 miles with my granddaughter tonight. It was a good run we finished in less than 24 minutes. She had it in her mind that she wanted to run the whole way. She almost did it, but we had to stop and listen because we heard something come running toward us from the woods. Thankfully, it was two squirrels and I think they were more scared than we were when they saw us. Then she had to stop and tie her shoes a couple of times. But, then, those kind of stops don't really count, do they?

The purpose of our run was that after our warm-up (1 mile) we would pick up the pace for 20 seconds then sprint for 10 seconds then jog for 2 minutes and repeat.

She ran well and I had to stay focused to keep pace with her. However, she is a fast starter and I have to keep reminding her that she needs to start out slower so she will be able to finish strong. As we were nearing the end of our run she wanted to run to the finish line and since she is a lot younger than I am I told her to go for it. And off she went, and I was huffing and puffing trying not to let the gap get too big.

My granddaughter is 10 years old and has run a couple of races and I think she really wants to "place" because she always asks, "What if I win?" I always tell her if she finishes and ran the best that she can run on that day, then she wins.

She was excited about her time, under 24 minutes. Her 5k time was 34:36 and I am not sure if she understands that the 24 minute time tonight was for 2 miles, not 3.1.

We will be running a 5k this Friday. I am so excited that she is interested in running with me. My 3 year old grandson likes to run with me also.

  

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

LOPEYP 9/10/2012 6:57PM

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MISSLISA1973 9/10/2012 12:59AM

It is so great that you are teaching them healthy life lessons so young. Report Inappropriate Comment

SUNPANTHER 9/10/2012 12:01AM

How wonderful! My 7yr old son went down to the park with me, last week, at night. With our torches we ran and played and exercised for 30 minutes. I was so happy that he was there with me, and egging me on. He was so happy that Mama was finally doing something physical with him. I hope to register for a 5k in December, and I'm hoping that he'll run with me. Thanks for posting and being so motivating! Report Inappropriate Comment

SILLYLILME 9/9/2012 11:47PM

Oh those are such wonderful memories you are giving her. What a great story. Thank you so much for sharing! Report Inappropriate Comment