tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67439512178310062132023-11-16T00:29:59.603-06:00It's 80% mentalThis blog will track my progress towards having 80% confidence in all that I do. It will document barriers that I face towards my goals and how mentally...I push through.BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-10235108651031752282013-01-20T18:28:00.000-06:002013-01-20T18:28:13.889-06:00Starting Over...Again....Well, here I go again on this journey...hopefully wiser and more consistent with blogging.<br />
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Becoming a "runner" or any type of athlete is truly as much of a mental journey as it is a physical one. I really needed the break from who I had turned into as an athlete as I didn't respect myself or the sport all that much anymore and just needed a break. I was able to successfully complete the Chicago marathon according my standards, which included getting from the start line to the finish line without causing any serious damage to any part of my body. I did not make it within the stated time limit according to the marathon program. Nor did I make it to the finish while the roads were still closed, or while the finish line was still open, or while there were finisher medals to be had, but I made it there. I tried my hardest to keep a smile on my face and push forward to achieve my own set personal limitations. When you find yourself walking a marathon and spending a lot of quality time within your own head there is a lot of time for self-reflection and discovery. I was so thankful that my friend Suzanne, who also completed the marathon successfully on that day, had already agreed that a much needed running break was to follow on the next day. So what has happened since October 7, 2012.....<br />
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Strength training....<br />
It is amazing who little strength I have throughout the muscles of my body. Fortunately, I have had the opportunity to work on this throughout the past 3 months. It has been really nice to change up the workout routine. This really was sparked by my physical therapy that I endured from April 2012 through November 2012 after basically shredding both muscles that make up my right calf from over-training and trying to do much because I felt like I should have been able to. I had so many different stretching and strengthening exercises to complete everyday that it would take me an hour to an hour and a half every day just to get through my home physical therapy program. During my 3 month running hiatus, as I have been trying to build up strength I think...wow, why on Earth didn't someone tell me to do this when I first began trying to develop into a runner 6 years ago! Then I have to stop myself and say...no....You are responsible for YOU! It is so easy to pass the blame when we don't get what we want, achieve what we want, be who we want, but to quote Michael Jackson it all starts with "the man in the mirror".<br />
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Job focus....<br />
I get reviewed during the fall 2013 semester to determine if I am "fit" for continued employment at the University. This whole process is quite stressful. Academic professionals have to meet criteria within 3 areas: Research, Teaching, and Community Service. Research is primarily measured on how many publications you have out there. This has been my primary focus during this running break. I have 3 manuscripts now under review out there now hoping that they go through the process successfully. Teaching is measured by student feedback....this is always scary to some degree...why students are asked their opinion only once and right before finals is beyond me....and Community service is measured on what you yourself report. This is disappointing as community service is probably my biggest strength. I have taken a step back from this for 2013. I realized that I give up way too much of my time and have a tendency to over-commit myself. Most of the time to things or people who would never do anything to help me out in return. This has got to shift. I have got to learn to put myself and what is truly important to me first. I have some very special people in my life and relationships with those people should not be sacrificed because of community service activities.<br />
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Health focus....<br />
I have been so fortunate to find a team of physicians that truly understand and want to treat persons with severe headaches and migraines. I have been part of a headache clinic now for 3 months. It is unbelievable how much the frequency of my severe headaches has declined! I am on daily and preventative medications, with emergency medications specifically for migraines. It is unreal to be able to go 7-10 days without anytime of a headache at all. It is a whole new life and quality of life for me. I don't even know how to put into words how the last 20 some odd years of my life have been like having some kind of headache 5 out of 7 days a week to now having long stretching without an inkling of a headache. The downside to this...when I do have a bad one, it is extremely bad....but it usually passes within 48 hours. I can only hope that with the help of the medical professionals that this can continue to improve over time.<br />
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Am I a runner?....<br />
Honestly I really don't know...I have had so many physical and mental hurdles. Yes, I have made a lot of accomplishments. Yes, I have many finisher medals that I have earned. Yes, I get out there and move. Yes, I have lots of apparel and shoes that are termed "running'. It is a term that I still don't associate myself with. As I am getting back on the cardio-wagon with my new medical regime I am faced with new and different challenges. My legs aren't hurting, my shoes fit right, I know how to dress for the weather, but my heart rate is through the roof, and my asthma seems to constantly flare up. I am on a mission to get healthy! Whether this means I become the ultimate race walker and not a "runner" so be it. I just want to be healthy and have fun and laugh. I don't care about being a maniac or fanatic or potato or road runner or groupie or in crowd or whatever. I want to be around people who have fun and laugh and support me and who I can support. This is where I am starting. As I finished my 4 miles today in one hour six minutes and thirty seconds I thought to myself "Man, don't post that time it's so excruciating slow!" Then I wanted to slap myself and thought screw you all who thinks it's slow it's me...and I did it! and I kept my heart rate below 160 to get it all done. I'm not doing it for "you", I'm doing it for me. That's why I didn't meet up with a group. That's why I'm not training for anything. I'm training for me to be healthy and that's it. That's where I'm starting! If you want to join me I love company! But please don't push me. Please don't tell me what I've done in the past. Lord knows I don't want my past thrown back at me. I am proud of myself for my accomplishments but I am living and doing for the here and now. That's all I can do. <br />
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So I'm lacing up my shoes one day at a time. One mile at a time. One adventure at a time. Yes on a treadmill. No, not a dreadmill. Why did it get that name? It's a training tool. I need it to help me keep a regulated heart rate. I need it to get me to the distance I need and is safe for me. But somehow it has a bad rap in the "running" community. I appreciate all support tools and mechanisms I can get. I love outdoors. I can't wait until I feel confident and comfortable to move my workout regime to that atmosphere again, but right now I have to grow in my health and well being.<br />
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It was a big debate whether to do this blog entry or not, but as I spent that 1:06:30 on the treadmill today the words I felt I should include just poured through my head, and I thought I need to document this for myself. If you want to read it swell. If you are offended...well...I don't know what to tell you. <br />
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I am just sharing my story for that one person who may need to feel inspired to be okay with him or her self! Do what YOU need, not what others tell you you need.<br />
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I will do my best to share my journey on this go round. The mental aspect of fitness has got to be the hardest part....BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-41236480872323594532012-08-26T13:23:00.003-05:002012-08-26T13:23:42.263-05:00Home Office Makeover!I decided to undertake a home renovation project this past summer. I have many articles I need to work on and get published in order to stay marketable. So I decided that I would make over my home office. I used to refer to the office space as the "Knotty Pines" room. Here are the before pictures.<br />
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I knew that I wanted to get rid of the wood feel of the room, but I knew demo'ing the wood panels would be way out of my comfort zone, so I asked around for ideas. My friend Allyson told me about spackling the seams and lots of primer. Little did I know. It took three coats of spackle and tape (and my dad still thinks it may crack, and he just might be right). Here is the spackling, priming, and texturing process.<br />
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This whole process took me about 4 weeks to complete. Then it was time to add color.<br />
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I chose an orangish color because it is said to promote energy and creativity. Since I hope to get lots done, I thought it was appropriate. I then ordered carpet and while I was waiting for it to come in and be installed, my dad installed crown molding and cut out the baseboard.<br />
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I was so excited how it was coming all together. Then it was time for new carpet.<br />
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Then it was time to screw in the baseboards to complete the room. Thanks again to my dad.<br />
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I am very proud of how the room has turned out. I can't wait to add in furniture. Of course, I want to get a new desk and accessories for the room, but they will have to wait. I am going to enjoy all of the effort that I put into making this part of the house truly mine!<br /><br />
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<br />BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-43326786282798121212012-06-24T15:49:00.001-05:002012-06-24T15:49:45.123-05:00Chicago Week 1 TrainingWhere on Earth did this past week go? <br />
<br />
I was pretty active during this past week. I attended water pilates on Tuesday, and then did a 3-mile walk Tuesday evening. On Wednesday evening I went to Aqua Boot camp, it was awesome. It was nice to change it up. On Thursday, I had physical therapy in the morning and finally had a right calf that had some flexibility. This has been 7 weeks in the making and attending physical therapy twice a week for an hour each time. After my PT appointment, I had Boca's agility class, well on one of the tight turns I would up buckling from my right hip flexor and was in quite a bit of pain all day. Fortunately, Thursday is currently a "rest day", but I could not do anything. Boca and I had his obedience class on Thursday evening, and Boca was a champ despite my leg pain. Then Friday, I did an H2O Power Hour class, and it was an absolute blast too! My neighbor is selling many items, and I bought her treadmill. My good friend Pat and his stepson Josh were so kind to come over Friday evening and move it from my neighbor's house to mine. So on Saturday, I did my 3-miles on the treadmill. It is going to take some getting used to. I am still trying to stick to speed walking, however the better my legs get feeling, the more I think I should push it and attempt to run some again. I am so torn, but I figure I will try things as I continue to heal and get better.<br />
<br />
Today, I completed a 9-mile jaunt. I have learned that starting each one of my scheduled distances with a 5- minute warm-up has really helped me both mentally and physically. It slows down my overall average pace, but who the heck cares. Today, however, I was toast after 7 miles, but got all 9 of them done. After my 5- minute warm-up, I did the first mile doing 1 minute walk/ 1 minute run intervals. My pace for that mile was still only 13:18, but my legs and ankles felt good so I will take it.<br />
<br />
My home project is continuing to come along. I didn't get up all the trim as I had hoped for the week, but got 90% of it done. Also began the demolition of taking down the crown molding. I believe putting the new crown molding up will be a complete pain in the butt, but I have to say that I really think the room is coming along. I can't believe this coming week is the last week in June, but I am glad that I have taken my time and done things right and well so that the room will stay looking good for a period of time.<br />
<br />
SO....where does that leave me? I am not real sure :). I will begin week 2 of Chicago Marathon training. I will continue working on the home office project. I need to buckle down with my academic work, I have still been slacking on that. I need to work on putting together a presentation that I am scheduled to give at the end of July during this upcoming week, since it has to be uploaded by July 9th. <br />
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I am going to leave off personal goals for this week, as this is the last week of the month that I have designated as "mine". I will get back to setting personal goals next weekend.<br />
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Until then, wishing everyone a great week!BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-12898594717223074782012-06-18T19:27:00.001-05:002012-06-18T19:27:08.903-05:00Running Behind...Well the title of this week's entry is so fitting. I am a day and a half delayed in my normal blog entry timing. I took Sunday to add color to the home office walls and celebrate Father's day with my incredible dad. So I guess the good news based off of that information is accomplished some of my personal goals for the week. Here is what I set for myeslf:<br />
<br />
<br />
Goal 1: Get back to writing down what I eat<br />
Goal 2: Cook a great dinner meal at home one night<br />
Goal 3: Workout at least 30 minutes 4 days of the week<br />
Goal 4: Get to writing that manuscript<br />
Goal 5: Work on getting more of the spackling done<br />
<br />
I am going to comment on these in somewhat random order. Obviously if I was working on adding color to the walls of the home office, that means I got not just "more of the spackling done", but got it all done. I think my total spent on spackle was around $150. That's just crazy. I think it looks pretty decent considering what I had to start with. Once I get the room complete then I will add pictures to my blog to share the process. So, I am very proud of the amount of progress that I made on that silly room during this past week.<br />
<br />
I also got my workouts in during the week. I have started my "race walking" training this week. I got in a class of step aerobics, miles on the treadmill, miles on the river, and some aquajogging this week. I also got in some miles on the bike on Sunday (which technically would count towards this week had I gotten my blog entry done on Sunday as I usually do). <br />
<br />
I have been more consistently tracking what I eat this week, but it has not been 100%. I am not sure what my deal is with that. I have maintained my no sugar, no fried food lifestyle. I really don't crave sugar that much any more. The only thing that gets me from time to time is ice cream. It's getting to be the hot days of summer and I really want the occasional ice cream cone. The fried food is not challenging EXCEPT for going out to eat Mexican food. I really love fajitas and there is nothing in fajitas that is fried, but it's the chips and salsa that sit on the table prior to eating the yummy food that is so tempting to me. I think when June is over, I need to really evaluate why it is I want the chips and salsa so much. I have felt very empowered to have the determination and will power to say no and not have a single chip. I wish I could report that the number on the scale has been dropping like a ton of bricks but it really has not been. That is so frustrating to me. <br />
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I have officially started my outline for my next manuscript. I have started working on the concrete information in documenting the methodology and organizing articles that support the concept behind the research. I really have to get on the ball with this goal as time is just ticking by. These articles aren't going to write and publish themselves. And if I don't get after it, I will be up for review at my job and be up a creek without a paddle, not having enough peer-reviewed publications to maintain my job. It is true what they say in tenure positions: publish or perish. <br />
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As far as cooking a great dinner meal at home one night, well I made chicken sausage and sweet potato fries (baked in the oven of course). It was quite delicious. Not so sure if it counts as a great meal or not, but I thought it was good and it was filling.<br />
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I find it so hard to believe that there are only 12 short days left in June. I have really enjoyed taking a true break from going into the office. I had to go into work today to meet with some students about their research projects. I think having the break from the office made me prouder of them for pushing through and finding their way. It opened my eyes that maybe in some small way I am an enabler. I try to help too much to make students successful. In reality, if I would just lay low a little these students will step up to the plate and do a great job. I have to keep the faith that I am a good teacher, and that I have valuable things to add to the profession and not push so hard. It will happen if it is meant to be. <br />
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So this will be a shorter week for me, so going to limit the number of goals I have:<br />
<br />
1) get all the trim up in the home office (with my dad's help)<br />
2) start my training for the Chicago marathon and get the 9-mile speed walk in on Sunday<br />
3) begin actual writing of the manuscript<br />
4) write down a compliment to myself each day (that is not about Boca)<br />
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Hoping everyone has a wonderful rest of the week. BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-6563260453475875142012-06-11T09:58:00.000-05:002012-06-11T09:58:10.743-05:00Home Renovation, Tulsa Tough, and Getting off trackWow week 3. It was a very busy week in my household. This week consisted of a large project related to the home office makeover. Removing an old door, discovering there was a second door, removing the second door and installing a new door that leads to the driveway. I was thankful my parents returned from their Florida stay to help with the labor and knowledge to get this done. The sad news is that none of the painting or spackling got done. All efforts were put on getting the door situation taken care of.<br />
<br />
I had several personal goals throughout the past week. I was successful in some, and not so much in others.<br />
<br />
Goal 1: get all of the creases in the home office spackled and taped and the 2nd coat of primer on all of the walls<br />
<br />
Well, as I stated this did not happen. I did get a first coat of primer on all of the walls. This goal was moved to this upcoming week because the door project absorbed so much time.<br />
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Goal 2: continue the no sugar and no fried foods<br />
<br />
This is going well! I have to say that after riding 40 miles in the Tulsa Tough Grandfondo ride on Saturday I really wanted to delve into a yummy sno cone, and debated eating some yummy nachos made on delicious fried chips, but I did not! I let my power of health win out during this time. I utilized Stinger wafers made with honey sugars and dried pineapple as my "fuel" during my bike riding. These tools worked well for me. I have finally gotten to the point where when offered a cookie I don't long to eat just one bite any longer. I mean I am sure they still taste absolutely delicious, but at this point I need to put my health first. I greatly wish the weight was just melting off which it is not, but it gives me mental strength that I am making good choices throughout each and every day....<br />
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Goal 3: document what I eat<br />
<br />
I did great on this through Friday. Tulsa Tough came along, and endurance events just throw me off of my whole game. This is something I am going to really have to work on as I begin to think of marathon training in just a week or so..<br />
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Goal 4: attend 2 group fitness classes at the Y<br />
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I went to yoga! I went to one class during the day, and one in the evening. I really enjoyed the one during the day as it really focused on stretching and posture. The Thursday evening class was more focused on working the muscles and building strength. Both classes were good. I definitely need to work on muscle flexibility. I'd like to do a couple more classes throughout this upcoming week, but I have bizarre appointments spread out during the days. So we will see. <br />
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Goal 5: aquajog at least once for at least 45 minutes<br />
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I am really sad to report that I did not get this done this past week! Some of the reason was because of the house project and the times I had available. The other reason is because my physical therapist taped my quads on Thursday to help me on Saturday and I didn't want to risk the tape coming off on Friday.<br />
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Goal 6: begin e-reading manuscript for vocabulary acquisition<br />
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Well....this goal wasn't a complete fail. I worked on pulling up research articles to provide the introduction and support for the study my friend and I completed. I just have to find a couple of days to get into a writing zone. I could use a couple of rainy days to get this done. I am hoping it won't take me too long once I get started, I just need to get started.<br />
<br />
<br />
So, looks like I'm at about 50% for accomplishing personal goals this week. The house project really absorbed a lot more time than I had planned throughout the week. I have to share that I enjoyed participating in Tulsa Tough! Even it was "just" the 40 mile ride on Saturday. It is tough...super hilly and it gets warm quick. It really pumped me up to start training for the Hotter than Hell Hundred in August. I was proud of myself for playing it smart and not riding on Sunday with how sore my quads got on Saturday.<br />
<br />
So now to determine my personal goals for this next week:<br />
<br />
Goal 1: Get back to writing down what I eat<br />
Goal 2: Cook a great dinner meal at home one night<br />
Goal 3: Workout at least 30 minutes 4 days of the week<br />
Goal 4: Get to writing that manuscript<br />
Goal 5: Work on getting more of the spackling done<br />
<br />
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Hope everyone has a fantastic week! Can't believe it's already the middle of June.BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-28859854936259326212012-06-03T12:41:00.003-05:002012-06-03T12:41:52.870-05:00Getting on Track!!Well week 2 has passed, and I did well with my stated goals. <br />
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Goal 1: Cardio activities for at least 30 minutes 3 days<br />
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I accomplished this goal through power-walking and joining the YWCA. I walked for at least 30 minutes on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday. I then got "off the wagon" a little while I worked on my home renovation project. Then on Saturday I joined the YWCA and did 45 minutes of aquajogging in the pool. I also got in a lot of "cross training" while working on the home office makeover project.<br />
<br />
Goal 2: Document what I eat<br />
This really makes such a positive impact for me. It keeps me accountable for everything I put in my mouth. It also gives me some accountability that I am being good to me. It also helps me to really focus on whether I am truly hungry or attempting to avoid something, or trying to console my stress level. Of course this is much easier for me to do during the summer when I am not on contract with TU. I have been really trying to eat more at home too. It's amazing how much you can consume when at a restaurant, even if you order a simple salad. I bought a cool little contraption at bed, bath and beyond that let's me take 2 tbsp of my own salad dressing with me. I think this is a huge saving grace as it allows me to know exactly what is in the salad dressing and how many calories of salad dressing I have eaten.<br />
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Goal 3: Starting June 1, no fried foods for the month of June or sugar<br />
Thus far there have only been 2 days in June and this is going well. I lost 5.6 pounds during the month of May. I think this is due in part to the fact that I did my best to cut sugar out of my diet. I wish that I was one of those people that when I cut out sugar I would drop 10-20 pounds, but I am not. It gives me a little self-confidence that I'm not eating a horrid diet, or I do think that would have been the case. I am hoping that removing the "fried" from my diet will help me get rid of another 5-6 pounds during the month of June. Of course, who knows if it's the above 2 goals that will accomplish this result or removing fried food, but I think I am worth giving it a try. I teaching in my class that it is silly "To expect significant results without significant change". I have adopted this motto in regard to my weight and well-being.<br />
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Goal 4: Empty the home office, vacuum and get the wood paneling washed<br />
I got all of this done, and have been way ahead of schedule. So far I have cleaned out the room, washed all of the paneling, and applied the first coat of primer to 3/4 of the walls. I have spackled many of the creases between the wood slats. It is quite the undertaking. I am really hopeful that it will turn out great, and become a great room in the house. <br />
<br />
<br />
So where does this all leave me now? Good question. I am going to schedule myself to do 2 group fitness classes at the Y during this next week as well as go aquajogging at least once for 45 minutes. I must continue to document what I eat. I have found that with my new eating habits, I make more "short" trips to the grocery store to buy fresh fruits. I love that it is watermelon season! I ate a half of watermelon all on my own during this past week as well as an entire carton of strawberries. There really is nothing quite as tasty as cold watermelon after a workout outside during the summer. <br />
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I am really feeling more centered and full of positive energy. Again, this could be in part due to the fact that I am not on contract with TU. I am however working, just not at work which is making a huge difference. It's been a rough week professionally this past week. So finding a happy place about my career choice and job is critical. I actually have to include a work related task on my to do list for this next week. <br />
<br />
So what are my weekly goals? Here ya go:<br />
<br />
1) get all of the creases in the home office spackled and taped and the 2nd coat of primer on all of the walls<br />
2) continue the no sugar and no fried foods<br />
3) document what I eat<br />
4) attend 2 group fitness classes at the Y<br />
5) aquajog at least once for at least 45 minutes<br />
6) begin e-reading manuscript for vocabulary acquisition<br />
<br />
Hope you all have a fantastic week!BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-15961440852068504442012-05-27T07:42:00.001-05:002012-05-27T07:42:14.146-05:00Finding Drive & MotivationWell week 1 has passed. I am not sure what happened this week where I found myself too busy to take care of me. I can blame a lot of things, and make a lot of excuses, but the fact of the matter is that I did not put me, my goals, and my health first. The winds have been blowing here like nobody's business. As a result, my allergies are completely enraged. I have actually avoided doing many things outside this past week because of allergy headaches, and having a scratchy throat. It is my goal to find a way to motivate myself to either 1)join a gym to get in cardio when the weather is bad or 2) suck it up and go out and do it anyway. For the 3 years 10 months (holy cow can't believe it will be 4 years in July!!), that I have lived here in Oklahoma, I have gotten my runs in 90% of the time regardless of weather conditions. But, I really burned out of always training for something. So when I decided I was going to take a training break, I let some of that determination go as well.<br />
<br />
I have been really trying to work on my weight and healthy eating. I am now 27 days without sugar, high fructose corn syrup, or "fake" sugars as much as possible. I still have been eating bread products, and salad dressings and things that I know contain sugar, but have really been reading labels and becoming much more aware at how many products out there contain sugar. I wish I could say that this change has resulted in a huge weight loss, but unfortunately it has not. I believe I will only be down about 5 pounds for the entire month once it ends. However, this does not make me want to jump back into eating all of these sugary foods. People have asked me about my energy level and if I can tell a difference and things along those lines. I think my energy level is about the same as anyone else. There are 2 areas where I have noticed a difference and I am contributing it to sugar: sleep patterns & mood. Of course the better and more consistent sleep pattern may actually be what is impacting my mood. But I feel more "stable" in my mood. I don't feel as responsive, or maybe reactive is a better word, to negative comments or people. I am not as emotional. I just feel more in control of my own head. Of course that could also be due to the fact that I am not working this summer. Don't get me wrong, I have tons of work I am doing on research related activities, and things that are required for me to keep my job, but since I am not paid to teach or advise or conduct research during the summer, I am avoiding my work office. Students don't really get this, because every other faculty member in my department does get paid to be there over the summer, however I do not. So I have done well trying to set my boundary of "no pay, no work". It's really not that unreasonable, but it is indeed challenging with email and texting and everything else today.<br />
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I have decided to take on a June "house renovation" product. It would seem I am going to be here in Tulsa for at least another 2 years, because of how promotion and tenure works in academia, and in actuality will more likely than not be 4 years. In response to my working at home on research and writing, I am going to overhaul my home office. It currently has real wood paneling, and brick, and some awful windows. I have had some good friends give me tips and advice on what to do with the paneling to make it look great, so I am going to give it a go. I am a little worried about how much window replacement will be, but definitely want to look into it. The windows in the office are quite ugly. I started moving all of the office stuff out to "Boca's" room, and will start by washing all of the walls. I think it will give me some good cross-training.<br />
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So for this next week here are my personal goals:<br />
1) cardio activities for at least 30 minutes 3 days<br />
2) document what I eat<br />
3) starting June 1, no fried foods for the month of June or sugar<br />
4) empty the home office, vacuum and get the wood paneling washed<br />
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Have a great week everyone.BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-27471719603866015582012-05-20T09:40:00.001-05:002012-05-20T09:40:35.974-05:00Starting AnewI decided that it is again time to start documenting my goals and outcomes for all who desire to see. This blog was created in order track progress towards a life of better fitness. I have definitely lost sight of that over the past couple of years. So today I wish to start anew (if that is at all possible). First however, for my own record and your knowledge let me attempt to recap all of the running adventures I have had, since I ran my first 5k in April of 2007.<br />
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<u>Half Marathons:</u><br />
Waddel and Reed Half, Kansas City, MO October 2007<br />
Lawrence, KS April 2009<br />
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon Oklahoma City, OK, April 2009 <br />
Albequerque, NM September 2009<br />
American Discovery Trail, Colorado Springs, CO September 2009<br />
Edinborough Half, Edinborough, Scotland May 2010<br />
Women's Half Marathon, Nashville, TN September 2010<br />
Mother Road Half Marathon, Joplin, MO October 2010 <br />
Philadelphia Half, Philadelphia, PA November 2010 <br />
Kansas Half Marathon, Lawrence, KS, April 2011<br />
Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, Oklahoma City, OK 2011<br />
Wounded Warrior Half Dallas, TX June 2011<br />
Hottest Half, Dallas TX July 2011<br />
Summer Sizzler Half, Dallas TX August 2011<br />
Disney Half Marathon, Orlando, FL January 2012<br />
Joplin Memorial Run, Joplin, MO May 2012 <br />
<br />
<u>Full Marathons:</u><br />
Athens Marathon, Athens, Greece November 2009<br />
Disney Marathon, Orlando, FL January 2010 <br />
Route 66 Marathon, Tulsa, OK November 2011 <br />
Disney Marathon, Orlando, FL January 2012<br />
<br />
Little Rock Marathon, Little Rock, Arkansas March 2012<br />
<br />
<u>Ultra Marathon: </u><br />
Pumkin Holler Hunderd 50K, Tahlequah, OK October 2011<br />
<br />
It's pretty interesting to share, that I have had to go look at race medals to determine what runs I have done. When attempting to list my half marathons, I was able to recall 13, but knew that I had completed more than that.<br />
<br />
Anyway, I digress. I never realized how internally competitive I am. I grew with a brother who seemed to just naturally excel at everything he attempted. He was able to not take school too seriously, make lots of friends that seemed genuine, and be athletic and successful in anything of his choosing. I think watching this example, really caused and continues to cause me too much self-doubt.<br />
<br />
I titled my blog, so eloquently 3 years ago in it's conception. It's 80% mental. Although this was referring to running specifically at the time, I believe that this is true for so many different aspects of life. I have always been a very cognitive person. I am always thinking. So much so, that there was a point that a physician prescribed me medication to take to basically "turn my brain off" so that I could sleep better. I am one of those people who constantly worries and tries to plan the next step. Now don't get me wrong, I can be laid back and go with the flow if I know that is the expectation.<br />
<br />
Lately, I have been allowing myself to have inner reflectivity. I have tried to take things that cause me pain and sorrow out of my life. I have to admit that after my run yesterday in the Joplin Memorial Run, I feel that running has become one of those things too. I really feel the pull to quit all together, but know that for my health that is not an option. I do however, think I need a break from running group drama, and get back to walking which is something I have always loved.<br />
<br />
I think I allowed myself to get caught up in the peer pressure, and desire to please, and to fit in, and that's how I have done all the crazy things above. Yes, they are accomplishments, but of the entire list there are probably only 3 that I really have positive feelings and great memories of. The rest are just check marks. Me, trying to prove myself to others, that I am good enough to be deemed a runner. Yesterday, I started the run in the "Walkers" section. I actually had a friend take a picture and made a joke about it. Why? Why is there such a negative connotation to "Go Walkers" rather than "Go Runners"? Why did I allow myself to think, "oh goodness, I don't want to be 'just a walker'"?<br />
<br />
I have found myself going down the same path in bicycle riding. I have always loved just riding my bike and being outdoors. Now, I have this pull to go faster, do more, go longer miles. Why? To keep up with the Jones', whomever they might be. I have got to stop this cycle. I originally signed up to ride Tulsa Tough this year, and I think I am going to drop from doing the whole thing. I have got to get myself in a healthy state of mind, before I can go do such group events that might influence my mind set.<br />
<br />
If it is truly 80% mental, then I am only about 20% in a good place today. That is something that I can control and work towards, rather than following Einstein's rule of insanity: doing the same thing (running) and expecting different results (be more accepted).BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-64857233108451887512011-04-18T08:35:00.034-05:002011-04-18T22:09:08.601-05:00Half #10...Who woulda thought??TCBG (The Charlie Brown Gang) made a trip to Lawrence, KS on April 16, 2011 and conquered either the half marathon or the 5K on April 17, 2011. My good friend <a href="http://www.trailzombie.blogspot.com">Ken Childress</a> (AKA Pig Pen) already posted a great blog about the run itself, but I thought I would post about the adventure. <br /><br />First, everyone is asking how on earth we all became "TCBG". Here's the story to the best of my recollection:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LGXtG2WTZjRSLU1RttHkYqanz7keorRIKE91VSPOD_PgAIuDvC7u-83P5M8Ngwf0YtsWE1cruPLBVVc1p0b3HZiWPOoR8gLUi000Nw6iHQ1a6UpnD5xszfsZi5SmTGhdyLu26as91D4/s1600/IMG_0789.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2LGXtG2WTZjRSLU1RttHkYqanz7keorRIKE91VSPOD_PgAIuDvC7u-83P5M8Ngwf0YtsWE1cruPLBVVc1p0b3HZiWPOoR8gLUi000Nw6iHQ1a6UpnD5xszfsZi5SmTGhdyLu26as91D4/s200/IMG_0789.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596918118025723426" /></a><br /><br />As you have read before Pat and I began kind of running together back a couple of weeks before the Tulsa Run 15K, which takes place in late October. Pat has a tendency to "milk" his woes when someone pushes him to his true capabilities. So I would always say "poor Pat", which then got shortened to PP. Pat wasn't too fond of PP, but said that his mom always called him that. So then I thought you can be Peppermint Patty!! This is how it all began. I originally wanted to be Sally because it starts with S like Sandra, but Pat said I wasn't as sweet and kinda as Sally...okay he didn't really say that, but he said I fit Lucy much better. And since Lucy is the one that sets up her booth "The Doctor is In," and I'm still very proud of finishing my degree I have owned the nickname "Lucy".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9QyS0zgRXE8mO7PvbXcXC6X8Yywh3mgj-MBwWiU2lZipol8Q3UanRtLdjUahAH4tKJmtB_f8u2pks7EixuZJuDKqZVfEIeLBq5slZ5qhrK9XVWSoFMh-9NIkcP65OxQzZsD9hMvdEtA/s1600/IMG_0806.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip9QyS0zgRXE8mO7PvbXcXC6X8Yywh3mgj-MBwWiU2lZipol8Q3UanRtLdjUahAH4tKJmtB_f8u2pks7EixuZJuDKqZVfEIeLBq5slZ5qhrK9XVWSoFMh-9NIkcP65OxQzZsD9hMvdEtA/s320/IMG_0806.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596923146617657010" /></a><br /><br />When Dana started running with us, in our Elite Covert Running Group, we had to give her an appropriate TCBG nickname...since she is such a sweet caring person, we immediately dubbed her "Sally". Once Lawrence was close, we knew we needed to find good nicknames for Ken and Paula. Everyone has to admit that "Pig Pen" is extremely appropriate for TZ, as he is the trail zombie who would rather play on the dirty trails any day of the week. With Paula, we wanted to pick someone who hung with Peppermint Patty, so we named her "Marcie," who is Peppermint Patty's best friend and affectionately calls Peppermint Pat "Sir". I doubt we will be hearing Paula call Pat "Sir" but you get the idea :). <br /><br />Okay, so our adventure begins at my house at 8:30 Saturday April 16, 2011. Pat has major control issues with cars and driving so he "volunteered" to drive and since the 5 of us could all fit in his car alright we let him. I have a tendency to get car sick, so Dana and Ken bought me my own steering wheel so I could be a "front seat driver". <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqdAlE_AWyzUXZhpthaAk52azesYOnvw912922Y6OSs63CMSxg7t8-unZ96Ot-WjgtcYgbw_QmK3dbyS4oUCAxNXQrSQPufI6JLsCEyHJ2mT_y8QjYMu0hTHpOYGWtukwJqVV9VrMSMc/s1600/steering+wheel.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 98px; height: 130px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqdAlE_AWyzUXZhpthaAk52azesYOnvw912922Y6OSs63CMSxg7t8-unZ96Ot-WjgtcYgbw_QmK3dbyS4oUCAxNXQrSQPufI6JLsCEyHJ2mT_y8QjYMu0hTHpOYGWtukwJqVV9VrMSMc/s320/steering+wheel.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596925967208721490" /></a><br /><br />I had great fun with my new toy. I let Pat borrow it while he let me drive his car around different parts of Lawrence. We made it to just north of Owasso and it was time to get some coffee and fill up the tank of gasoline so we could make the entire way to Lawrence.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayYD5KFuZcgF-f2qlsh1Ljv918UFcsA3pFi00wm-Bbyu6sIu5CXA__XnWWuUCtFrDB_jzO17Klt5ZnMJ6AqndfzB6yNSl9rNx5awNm2M_8bh0aQuQ5l0Y1ffT9QU1q47YIa-LXYHpHcc/s1600/P4160101.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayYD5KFuZcgF-f2qlsh1Ljv918UFcsA3pFi00wm-Bbyu6sIu5CXA__XnWWuUCtFrDB_jzO17Klt5ZnMJ6AqndfzB6yNSl9rNx5awNm2M_8bh0aQuQ5l0Y1ffT9QU1q47YIa-LXYHpHcc/s320/P4160101.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596926996002721842" /></a><br /><br />We made a couple of other potty stops on the way up, but for the most part we just trekked on up to get to the home of the Jayhawks. Once we got to Lawrence we went to my all time favorite Mexican restaurant, El Mezcal. It was so super yummy!! After that we went and checked into our hotel and headed off to pick up our race packets. Pat was now officially the keeper of a half marathon race number and chip.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGC6HbYFWWsgN0mx7zDACDiHwYrkEPqGMGamByAC9dxboA4cl39Pgt27fWElasu4O7Txu0VvojLfwOLBmQsaE_X6etp4nkd38AvWh1wVTqHEcHYqVvIkzJbzXi8o5oguVNndr4wSRU0wk/s1600/IMG_1179.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGC6HbYFWWsgN0mx7zDACDiHwYrkEPqGMGamByAC9dxboA4cl39Pgt27fWElasu4O7Txu0VvojLfwOLBmQsaE_X6etp4nkd38AvWh1wVTqHEcHYqVvIkzJbzXi8o5oguVNndr4wSRU0wk/s320/IMG_1179.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596930537350963954" /></a><br /><br />After that it was time for a tour of Lawrence! You can't go to Lawrence, KS without visiting the Phog Allen Field House.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80JQIW7leX1y8c5m5GPT7ZQWc_xmwGSNnO14lXCcRkXntKmsRo4nlVwA7_1RwhVl-hbgUCspjypQZLnUCIqUce3_lzY6tV0oc1S0Vr0YF0DsWT3dtlfsUu0-Ni2JkTHQ7j3pEmQxvBQ0/s1600/P4160104.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg80JQIW7leX1y8c5m5GPT7ZQWc_xmwGSNnO14lXCcRkXntKmsRo4nlVwA7_1RwhVl-hbgUCspjypQZLnUCIqUce3_lzY6tV0oc1S0Vr0YF0DsWT3dtlfsUu0-Ni2JkTHQ7j3pEmQxvBQ0/s320/P4160104.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596931013614524482" /></a><br /><br />I took a close-up picture of the gang with the statue of James Naismith:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IjgqG8NH4qwpMkUJ9ylqxU5fGYWLJBNGXUFLY1VCCU2n0PxeFOssTfi-QB_SPxWsN_U2Gnsy0K59PMD2tmDI-JQeJPpR2C6yRFuWa1ZhiqeLgzhEB_jHX7HhWUgtyXOQlmbvTLUsLIE/s1600/P4160103.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6IjgqG8NH4qwpMkUJ9ylqxU5fGYWLJBNGXUFLY1VCCU2n0PxeFOssTfi-QB_SPxWsN_U2Gnsy0K59PMD2tmDI-JQeJPpR2C6yRFuWa1ZhiqeLgzhEB_jHX7HhWUgtyXOQlmbvTLUsLIE/s320/P4160103.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596931250800720418" /></a><br /><br />We visited the Booth Athletic Museum...amazing stuff in there:<br /><br />The original "Pay Heed" sign..there is still one in the Field House<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9SsouV1M0K5tn9Z7vKBmoFzAp6uiVxVI_I9v6H2a_zNrBpTHO6Zi6bSYryvZeyeglUc06_CkTzg-mkgM15su4Uu86KobqMedae9L4DN8Fps_9nW_B6ieh_fA37QewnLPxrjFLsGlgUE/s1600/P4160106.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm9SsouV1M0K5tn9Z7vKBmoFzAp6uiVxVI_I9v6H2a_zNrBpTHO6Zi6bSYryvZeyeglUc06_CkTzg-mkgM15su4Uu86KobqMedae9L4DN8Fps_9nW_B6ieh_fA37QewnLPxrjFLsGlgUE/s400/P4160106.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596931577579499730" /></a><br /><br />What Marcus Morris' locker looks like:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRCHd2i7Fqtm5UIiSDTAbONMDreGWQ4Fefol30U_dtQld9VdEM8Nwl-k1beWCinWTAKLCq_ZtYxomoeDxEW9KZzuIjWzF4cVYHCIRFa6wIND4ClZb2H5cdhhR1dQsRkMAcOvzkeKUJIE/s1600/marcusmorrislocker.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghRCHd2i7Fqtm5UIiSDTAbONMDreGWQ4Fefol30U_dtQld9VdEM8Nwl-k1beWCinWTAKLCq_ZtYxomoeDxEW9KZzuIjWzF4cVYHCIRFa6wIND4ClZb2H5cdhhR1dQsRkMAcOvzkeKUJIE/s320/marcusmorrislocker.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596931857398146946" /></a><br /><br />The Original Jayhawk mascot costume:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLbY1CWAdJFNjzMubco9IfsAXsa-aXpPDTN-Kyomp0vF4BWqoiE7ZjW-mjTucuoMVVedxarN5R75F_R6qHiiVFsKkx3GW5uDOGqvebmoql-p3b0JeKi47MjPwtPnBsRt1nXAGHgdtE3A/s1600/P4160105.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglLbY1CWAdJFNjzMubco9IfsAXsa-aXpPDTN-Kyomp0vF4BWqoiE7ZjW-mjTucuoMVVedxarN5R75F_R6qHiiVFsKkx3GW5uDOGqvebmoql-p3b0JeKi47MjPwtPnBsRt1nXAGHgdtE3A/s320/P4160105.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596932056582780290" /></a><br /><br />The had hand prints, foot prints, and "wing spans" of some former KU basketball players, it's quite amazing how big these guys and gals are:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3pzcO0YmO0IsoLrs4r2BsJ9QSbCJcNphkancNBE3jQqIfzgfLUzjtmYk9MY5tfENOJAwNEWCTu-LiKaQ-oNECnCxKJNGk7cc6Pf9lhfXpQm9sNfpAWKjzSxbOM7Xy-PCfD8kZI5MLkc/s1600/P4160109.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji3pzcO0YmO0IsoLrs4r2BsJ9QSbCJcNphkancNBE3jQqIfzgfLUzjtmYk9MY5tfENOJAwNEWCTu-LiKaQ-oNECnCxKJNGk7cc6Pf9lhfXpQm9sNfpAWKjzSxbOM7Xy-PCfD8kZI5MLkc/s320/P4160109.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596933268348273330" /></a><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiIRa_VzSu6Dy7cqS4MdjtdgOobByC-Cd5isFopSJfuVi6KS7_y-UG1hkvuOA_4klk7ivgs7qolD1uWNhrpwj-hjyeEZ4xTIfXnxyg1KINUw01tOIxGLWb8DfX1xwKuhEGWyCSeaEMfU/s1600/P4160110.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiIRa_VzSu6Dy7cqS4MdjtdgOobByC-Cd5isFopSJfuVi6KS7_y-UG1hkvuOA_4klk7ivgs7qolD1uWNhrpwj-hjyeEZ4xTIfXnxyg1KINUw01tOIxGLWb8DfX1xwKuhEGWyCSeaEMfU/s320/P4160110.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596933427127153154" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-zAH9NTJ4wx24HBcwVr7Cs0nch8u2PY3dL44jcWk1OwB-z6POlMgF2t_8dIKpBTw4R99QE-gGJ1Q69u44yswgadhUwfHoqKxDkQBtCFDThjlXjQf0HggOvXldMFZbkjqzuOse5OrnRM/s1600/P4160111.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA-zAH9NTJ4wx24HBcwVr7Cs0nch8u2PY3dL44jcWk1OwB-z6POlMgF2t_8dIKpBTw4R99QE-gGJ1Q69u44yswgadhUwfHoqKxDkQBtCFDThjlXjQf0HggOvXldMFZbkjqzuOse5OrnRM/s320/P4160111.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596933583180824658" /></a><br /><br /><br />TZ once caught a fish "This Big"!!<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhLXHBp5Q7HY-mdMQHyyhMvcf1G1jrO9TjsDaM2sRfvGz3himERtVrZzWSQFAhSuKIyxc2pl9TMCLtb1UV5PCsMk0JuZAV8oleTA8lnSZPz8lHpaxulD9x3d2xq05VZquCrPlh2EtSDM/s1600/P4160112.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWhLXHBp5Q7HY-mdMQHyyhMvcf1G1jrO9TjsDaM2sRfvGz3himERtVrZzWSQFAhSuKIyxc2pl9TMCLtb1UV5PCsMk0JuZAV8oleTA8lnSZPz8lHpaxulD9x3d2xq05VZquCrPlh2EtSDM/s320/P4160112.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596933747438003458" /></a><br /><br /><br />And of course the National Basketball Championship Trophies:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh243XHkzarmuwqzGFclxIaDNf9EsRymVrpv9HNv4G9Bdbvuwn6saXH9-_0j7GU0Ww-NpkgyghAIc7wHygPmFVGF6l_uPDgtUGQFYftfzVwn3pAqSjMCyvNrtxCLVkX1vj8XgozXRO2uIs/s1600/P4160107.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh243XHkzarmuwqzGFclxIaDNf9EsRymVrpv9HNv4G9Bdbvuwn6saXH9-_0j7GU0Ww-NpkgyghAIc7wHygPmFVGF6l_uPDgtUGQFYftfzVwn3pAqSjMCyvNrtxCLVkX1vj8XgozXRO2uIs/s400/P4160107.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596932390318032530" /></a><br /><br />After looking around the Museum, I took the gang to the place where I got married: The Lawrence Visitor Center. It is still a very beautiful place, and we even got to witness one of the freight trains passing through. There are about 100 trains that pass through Lawrence every day. We decided to get a picture with all of us in it:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzJqn4O7U_-HzufmFtZoK27Uwmen9IT-XvSXo_aeRbff5yrD6pyhWWDxdmeoTYn6TYSQeK8CcuXoiHOkbcJiU1j_qfMvV4eHdAvd2YpkCdXMgyKIhLJgAMu_uX_rCgBuJcDQwtf3zdXQ/s1600/P4160114.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihzJqn4O7U_-HzufmFtZoK27Uwmen9IT-XvSXo_aeRbff5yrD6pyhWWDxdmeoTYn6TYSQeK8CcuXoiHOkbcJiU1j_qfMvV4eHdAvd2YpkCdXMgyKIhLJgAMu_uX_rCgBuJcDQwtf3zdXQ/s400/P4160114.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596932921874219618" /></a><br /><br />Then we went to Downtown Lawrence. Downtown Lawrence is just a great place to hang out. We went and visited Sunflower Bike Shop, Jocks Nitch, a T-shirt shop (I don't remember the name), Wyldeberry Wines (I highly recommend the Elderberry Sweet Wine), and Brown's Shoe Store. Then I decided to take the gang to see where Boca was born and meet Boca's family. So we took a trip to Ozawkie, KS (TATUR Dave) has family here too. It was great fun. Here's Boca's canine mom and dad:<br /><br />Dad "Lovey"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHG5Wd7WjVLpbgTqHG8EzG0QTKvU707jN81C0O0TMXPE4uoCQM_7sKiKVFrP-kbTWw_AMhMZM8vT8MuMd1Gdk5zJs3IwS4rkYMhXDjQpJRmAYSD9W5rtWviMXrGRdfuw1THGa_cig6oo/s1600/IMG_1181.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDHG5Wd7WjVLpbgTqHG8EzG0QTKvU707jN81C0O0TMXPE4uoCQM_7sKiKVFrP-kbTWw_AMhMZM8vT8MuMd1Gdk5zJs3IwS4rkYMhXDjQpJRmAYSD9W5rtWviMXrGRdfuw1THGa_cig6oo/s320/IMG_1181.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596934786314062658" /></a><br /><br />Mom "Mocha"<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRyl3IqaANTz9tkOtnbKB1CXr_jwdvDP-nAvzMMirTRrFbJvnuWssZCOMW541e5BOwCeR1T9IHA_vTilL9pE1BiU_ywON7AqRv2O14Svzg58EmW5BYxxKlaYHvDoQUxvDEalL7Gq2S8U/s1600/IMG_1186.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRRyl3IqaANTz9tkOtnbKB1CXr_jwdvDP-nAvzMMirTRrFbJvnuWssZCOMW541e5BOwCeR1T9IHA_vTilL9pE1BiU_ywON7AqRv2O14Svzg58EmW5BYxxKlaYHvDoQUxvDEalL7Gq2S8U/s320/IMG_1186.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596934989240772402" /></a><br /><br />Then it was time to get some dinner. We went to a Lawrence favorite Italian restaurant: Paisano's. One of the 2 high schools was having their prom, so we were worried we would have a long wait, the 25 minutes the hostess told us, turned out only to be like 5 minutes. It was great. They have the best bread sticks anywhere!!! I was trying to get a picture of Ken and Dana, they tried to do a kissy face picture, but I snapped just after the kiss..Dana's face was just too priceless not to post it:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVo77cHpoPQj3WVjn5jax5rVK57JuHe9atOOtkjMcuWUt0Abj5U432SeGBkf2ZdLLkQM1mIEJYSxXuAe1V6eaXxTFrY8jwWBeKj4iwiQuzmkJ9QGFd23DC8M46IApwfO-VGudSKvX9v4/s1600/P4160117.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNVo77cHpoPQj3WVjn5jax5rVK57JuHe9atOOtkjMcuWUt0Abj5U432SeGBkf2ZdLLkQM1mIEJYSxXuAe1V6eaXxTFrY8jwWBeKj4iwiQuzmkJ9QGFd23DC8M46IApwfO-VGudSKvX9v4/s320/P4160117.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596935610935617234" /></a><br /><br />So of course I was nice and took a second one:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4u2Ttw_NC6_6uPtmUNXelTOJwmZLkVYgJjGSaKFlb2qNGzgUn1wbt_kAG4xGdJpmcI-QCJUNlpvHhcgSSJjSST1gOLGoXs8PWQaPXBJs7o-uhReIn2gw2AijrvgQ15yQarCXRAElS7g/s1600/P4160119.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG4u2Ttw_NC6_6uPtmUNXelTOJwmZLkVYgJjGSaKFlb2qNGzgUn1wbt_kAG4xGdJpmcI-QCJUNlpvHhcgSSJjSST1gOLGoXs8PWQaPXBJs7o-uhReIn2gw2AijrvgQ15yQarCXRAElS7g/s320/P4160119.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596935766748118066" /></a><br /><br />Then I captured Pat and Paula as well:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXYajo9bnt49Hqr_uB75sr0lAvR3YreNmgVzZ7lsEIpTjZ6TBGIe7oCdyy2kvUYFP11VrvcZduszfhlc3kGMeRHaltrrtIxCbyZ3k4gh3cvLtOIFt2xCgbigrSl1t1cn4GpkHbhQ-Qr8/s1600/P4160120.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoXYajo9bnt49Hqr_uB75sr0lAvR3YreNmgVzZ7lsEIpTjZ6TBGIe7oCdyy2kvUYFP11VrvcZduszfhlc3kGMeRHaltrrtIxCbyZ3k4gh3cvLtOIFt2xCgbigrSl1t1cn4GpkHbhQ-Qr8/s320/P4160120.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596935918070077090" /></a><br /><br />The rest of the TCBG had calamari as an appetizer it seemed to work well for all of them as a prerace food:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrd5qnV6TYOLU7gNR3nFCxUPOSorZ6jk6q6c_nnjM5S9ZCqzaZr2ldDNhuJT3zPEje-7SvQwEMKmNmrn643M-QbyHlNGRLhra-sj7w5jqPw8oa3yxPtFHwvt9wS-R3xbTjYOdQkJLLwI/s1600/P4160121.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrd5qnV6TYOLU7gNR3nFCxUPOSorZ6jk6q6c_nnjM5S9ZCqzaZr2ldDNhuJT3zPEje-7SvQwEMKmNmrn643M-QbyHlNGRLhra-sj7w5jqPw8oa3yxPtFHwvt9wS-R3xbTjYOdQkJLLwI/s320/P4160121.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596936123579951218" /></a><br /><br />Then it was back to the hotel for some rest. I slept great! Race morning was great! A little chilly but perfect. Here are the Race photos I have to share: TZ has a much more detailed report on the run itself.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5P_HSLf1rAr5p2WNqygoVuFRZX8nXUQ8zNuqsuKbeiX0P3NLH8VfbjVUoeOhwwVJ3nxH6pxzhkjNKLxD27ClY7ZPoV2fa-KdJZDJ5vJ59b6AP3CmA3dXCWJ5FzswOchAklJ9jLDt_38/s1600/IMG_1192.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid5P_HSLf1rAr5p2WNqygoVuFRZX8nXUQ8zNuqsuKbeiX0P3NLH8VfbjVUoeOhwwVJ3nxH6pxzhkjNKLxD27ClY7ZPoV2fa-KdJZDJ5vJ59b6AP3CmA3dXCWJ5FzswOchAklJ9jLDt_38/s320/IMG_1192.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596936443825725282" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KqQYHJREfPjTJZ4qrgWg8ywDwyf3PREaX_AE0gf-p9A9uq4-IZ-gh8h69mMYNcCCSXad6FdxFLVWc6lBrgWWy813ouirU3Up6S9x3IaNbKFjBtWXf0ux7kfQcu_JhYC8xuwt_2dEX2s/s1600/IMG_1194.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0KqQYHJREfPjTJZ4qrgWg8ywDwyf3PREaX_AE0gf-p9A9uq4-IZ-gh8h69mMYNcCCSXad6FdxFLVWc6lBrgWWy813ouirU3Up6S9x3IaNbKFjBtWXf0ux7kfQcu_JhYC8xuwt_2dEX2s/s320/IMG_1194.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596938026131534018" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEN4zka98gDtyjMj6o9LiP82mWekRyhv_5XadTwxmlSBQ7IFBjYJyMCIjmjGwrquoI1qCKGTB8xufMFoPZz2Z63xFgqIjdCLYKYKXrQJx-x9sMx8EPb037FYi7ztfQxomTsFu4GELgbE/s1600/IMG_1196.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 238px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBEN4zka98gDtyjMj6o9LiP82mWekRyhv_5XadTwxmlSBQ7IFBjYJyMCIjmjGwrquoI1qCKGTB8xufMFoPZz2Z63xFgqIjdCLYKYKXrQJx-x9sMx8EPb037FYi7ztfQxomTsFu4GELgbE/s320/IMG_1196.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596936620214421202" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkB5phfkQ3jT-j5vVClHb0l_7_17XaYQuSSlJpcaO_BExf3CBtboWfTzk0IKaicEluEymnDKBweIrGbHq7VZaoZTZsacq9mf40ONxzkEwO3o2ULFyPnvWmZQU_pzVQDwRkKrj7cug32c/s1600/IMG_1197.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFkB5phfkQ3jT-j5vVClHb0l_7_17XaYQuSSlJpcaO_BExf3CBtboWfTzk0IKaicEluEymnDKBweIrGbHq7VZaoZTZsacq9mf40ONxzkEwO3o2ULFyPnvWmZQU_pzVQDwRkKrj7cug32c/s320/IMG_1197.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596936727403532962" /></a><br /><br />At the end of the run with one of my favorite Lawrence buddies Krista!! It was her 2nd half!!<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDX3VeT0NWgMPhnix8pnQUzE8u84kAtfARRCAn5rHVjdiBQSI4C8eXpx0NQW4H1rI6R2yuDsXQyqU4hfObRmS8J6RDJTqaKYpp8C0cCQpI_I5s4gyZa2j6a6Llm289vwFUBi6t_779sg/s1600/meandkristalawrencehalf"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZDX3VeT0NWgMPhnix8pnQUzE8u84kAtfARRCAn5rHVjdiBQSI4C8eXpx0NQW4H1rI6R2yuDsXQyqU4hfObRmS8J6RDJTqaKYpp8C0cCQpI_I5s4gyZa2j6a6Llm289vwFUBi6t_779sg/s400/meandkristalawrencehalf" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5597125693943395106" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Once the run was completed, we headed back to the hotel, took showers, ate at Culvers Frozen Custard: Home of the Butterburger, and hit the road. Here are 2 pictures to commemorate the ride home:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19lsOFCxio-Nk_YvdSl1EgVIBMMlcjHphwzJEyZTxLyugs0J-BgGu8YM4YlPCEZCmz9MQ09NKdp9rQ8VGcIXV9vb3QmaXm1ryakKyHPOz55L_pTVhbn_jYNlQhrRwgzDik_ZhcHZhUPc/s1600/IMG_1200.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg19lsOFCxio-Nk_YvdSl1EgVIBMMlcjHphwzJEyZTxLyugs0J-BgGu8YM4YlPCEZCmz9MQ09NKdp9rQ8VGcIXV9vb3QmaXm1ryakKyHPOz55L_pTVhbn_jYNlQhrRwgzDik_ZhcHZhUPc/s320/IMG_1200.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596938606409120994" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwVQr6io2NPBhHHD14pXRK07Z-4HCsAjm4KCaoVWo6qrBq0PuHzm0QZupV9zj_U6wql12l6PSQv9jU0Ka2aiSkrjUNHy-A73PrNmxLV83HCGWs46HQwiz3vM3w9ckCTNMaljtt6-Bn1I/s1600/IMG_1201.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwVQr6io2NPBhHHD14pXRK07Z-4HCsAjm4KCaoVWo6qrBq0PuHzm0QZupV9zj_U6wql12l6PSQv9jU0Ka2aiSkrjUNHy-A73PrNmxLV83HCGWs46HQwiz3vM3w9ckCTNMaljtt6-Bn1I/s320/IMG_1201.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596938692830718082" /></a><br /><br />I never would have thought 4 years ago when I began running that I would get to the point that I could say I've completed 10 half-marathons, but I have indeed done so. This trip was not at all about it being my 10th half, but rather an opportunity to do something that I enjoy doing with friends that also enjoy doing the same thing...all in the name of fun and good times!!BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-41070734705824667532010-11-23T07:40:00.003-06:002010-11-23T07:58:43.670-06:003 1/2 marathons in 3 months..DONEI have successfully completed all my planned 1/2 marathons for the fall season. This past Sunday November, 21, 2010 I finished my third of three planned halves in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This gives me a total of 6 states I have run a half marathon in: Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, New Mexico, Colorado, and Pennsylvania. I have also run full in Florida (Disney). <br /><br />There were 27,000 participants for the Philadelphia 1/2 and full marathons. The 2 events started together in wave style format. So although the race 'started" at 7:00 AM, I didn't hear the horn go off for my heat until 7:30. It was a very energized crowd. This was a beautiful run, and really it could not have been better weather. It was around 38 at 7, and warmed up to around 55 during the day. There was a very slight breeze and it was nice and sunny. <br /><br />How did I wind up doing the Philadelphia half?? Well I am a member of the American Speech-Language Hearing Association, and there is a national conference every year that takes place the week before Thanksgiving. This year the convention was taking place in Philadelphia. I had 2 graduate students who completed research and were accepted to be presenters. As their mentor this means that TU would pay for my trip to go as well. My colleague then told me they had their run on Sunday. So then I weighed the pros and cons of flying home late Saturday night and running the Route 66 in Tulsa with my run group, or taking a chance and running the 1/2 in Philadelphia and staying there one extra day. So I decided to try Philly. <br /><br />I had psyched myself up that the course was going to be very hilly. I think I just associated Pennsylvania with the Appalachian Mountains. After putting over 20,000 steps on my pedometer Thursday, Friday and Saturday between conference sessions and sight seeing, I knew that it was going to be a pretty flat course. This made me feel more calm and relaxed. Here's a little about the course:<br /><br />It started right by the Rocky statue at the Museum of Art. It was amazing it was very well organized and didn't feel like a herd of cattle in their given corrals dazed and confused. Everyone was very helpful and I had no problems finding my back of the pack starting area. At each wave send off they played the theme from Rocky. I managed to drop my driver's license at the start while I was getting my phone out of my pouch to take some pictures. I randomly here a lady yelling my name...I was so confused. So finally I"m like I'm right here...well she had found my license. So kind.<br /><br />We headed down Ben Franklin Blvd...a very busy and well traveled street..they had closed the whole thing for this event...it's 6 lanes wide. Talk about having plenty of room to move and navigate through people. We headed through the "downtown" district..lots of hotels, by the Love statue, around a fountain, by Reading Market, by the National Constitution Center, the Liberty Bell, and Independence Hall. This got us all the way to the Delaware River...we then followed the river for a bit then headed back towards the Museum of Art. On the way back we went by China Town, "Jeweler's District", the Philadelphia Zoo...a large park I don't remember the name of and finally onto a road very similar to Riverside in Tulsa. It followed the Delaware River and led back to the Museum of Art. <br /><br />This was my worst 1/2 marathon ever. The course was fantastic, and the weather was great. I just wasn't mentally or physically in the game. At about mile 6, I had really bad stomach pains. Every time I tried to run, I thought I would hurl. So I decided to try to walk my quick walk pace, that didn't last long because then my knee that had been giving me a few issues started feeling not so good. So at about mile 7, I decided to approach the run as a walking tour of parts of Philly that I hadn't yet seen. My finish time was around 3:18. I was very glad to have finished. The crowd at the finish line had to be around at least 5000 people. I would highly recommend this run to anyone. Although in November the conditions in Philly, I would imagine would be quite variable. It was a nice flat fast course, with only 1 pretty noteworthy hill that had a huge reward downhill on the other side. <br /><br />I am now going to take a running hiatus. Don't get me wrong I'm still gonna head out and run/walk, walk/walk, who knows. I am ready to be out of "training" mode for a bit.BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-13018148987194583412010-08-08T09:32:00.003-05:002010-08-08T11:30:59.464-05:00A 5K PR and Terrible Run All TogetherI have no pictures to contribute to this entry, so just bear with me.<br /><br />I decided to participate in the Route 66 "Double" challenge on August 7th. This event involved completing a 5K and a Quarter marathon back-to-back. Not back-to-back days but as soon as you cross the finish line of the 5K you then proceed immediately to the start line of the quarter marathon. So in total the distance would be 9.65 miles. I was game. My half marathon training group was scheduled to do 7 miles for the training run that day, and well I have a half marathon coming up in September and need to make sure I am ready to give that my best shot.<br /><br />Well....then I got myself in trouble in the mental game. I tried to tell myself over and over it was just a 10 miles training run (that would be a little short). One of my dear friends lost their daughter earlier in the week and the Celebration of her life was scheduled for 10 AM on the same day. The 5K started at 7:30. It was very important for me to be at the life Celebration of Lilian Grace as I had been privileged enough to meet her in person and hang out with her and watch some Nick Jr. So Friday night my head got to spinning around whether I should bail out of the event entirely, run just the 5K, run just the Quarter. So I was calculating times in my head. I decided that I would complete the Double, because I think Lily would have been okay with that. <br /><br />So, I tried to do the "right" thing Friday night. I ate a well balanced meal with a few extra carbs. I went to bed around 9:15 to try to get a good night's sleep. However, going to bed and going to sleep are 2 different things. I tossed and turned and tossed and turned. I couldn't get my brain to shut off. I was thinking a lot about Lily. I was thinking that the last time I did an official timed 5K was about 18 months ago. I was thinking about what I thought I could do if I was having a great run day. I was thinking, thinking, thinking. I finally went to sleep around 11:30ish, only to wake up around 1:15AM having a panic attack. My stomach was churning itself inside out, my head was throbbing, I was sweating and cold, I was a mess. So I got out of bed, took some medicine for my anxiety and got comfy in the recliner in the living room to try to get some sleep. I was able to rest for a bit and then go lie back down in bed without feeling like I was going to vomit at any time. The alarm went off at 4:50 so I could go meet up with the Optimists who were doing the regular training run. It was a very short night, and I was still a bit squimish and not feeling quite right. I woke up making the decision that I would shoot for a 5K PR. My previous 5K personal record was 37:04. I knew that I was becoming a better runner. So again WRONG mind game to play!!<br /><br />I had fun sending off the Optimists that met with the training groups. It was then time to head to the start/finish area of the Rt 66 Double event. I enjoyed seeing all the people that were getting ready to complete their first 5K. My mood had perked up and I was like let's go! I saw some of the Optimists that were going to do the Quarter. They were pretty nervous and excited. I was pretty nervous and excited too. Then it was time, the gun went off. I was off with my trusty Gym Boss beeper. I decided to do a 2/1 for the first mile (to warm up) and then try to do a 3/1 for the rest of the 5K to go for that PR. Well I did what I tell everyone not to do (fortunately I caught myself) but I took off with everyone...started my Garmin..started my Gymboss...and then kept running through the beeps that were telling me it was time for a walk break. Finally about a 1/2 mile in, I was like "Sandra you need to run this like you train...listen to the beeper...get on the plan..." So I begin walking at the next beep. I alternated from a 2/1 to 3/1 after every walk minute. I was feeling good, I was feeling strong. It was great to see some familiar faces at the water stops. As I turned the corner and saw the finish line, I then saw a whole slew of Runners World friends cheering everyone on ....I was in great spirits...I knew my time was going to be decent. As I neared the finish line, I noticed the clock had just clicked to 36 minutes...I was stoked..I knew that I was about midway through the pack and I was going to beat my PR! It was a great feeling. I crossed the finish line, stopped my Garmin and hit the reset button without even looking at the time. I was then told to walk around the tents to get to the start of the Quarter. This is when everything went downhill for me....<br /><br />As I was walking through the tents to get to the Quarter marathon start, I realized I really didn't want to do it. I mean I did, but I knew that I gave a lot of effort on the 5K and that getting through the Quarter was going to be a challenge. My mental status won over my physical abilities. I should have been able to complete that quarter even after the 5K without a lot of struggle. I mentally planned to do a 1/1 interval on the quarter because I knew I was going to try to run the 5K hard. I couldn't do it. Okay, yes physically I could, but mentally I couldn't. I started worrying about not making it to Lily's Celebration. I started worrying about being an embarrassment to my group. I started letting myself getting into my own head. It is somewhat ironic that at the 1/2 mile mark of the quarter (the same spot I realized I needed to stop running on the 5K) I made the decision that I was going to walk the quarter as fast as I could. I let the mental game get in the way of physical abilities. So I ran parts of the quarter here and there, but it was lousy. I feel lousy about my performance. They didn't have any more medals by the time I finished, I was like very appropriate, because my effort on the event wasn't really worthy of a medal. <br /><br />As the title of my blog indicates, Running is 80% mental...and that mental game kicked my butt on the quarter. I am glad that I got a new PR for a 5K (official posted time: 35:59), but if I should have stopped there instead of doing that horrible quarter....BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-42542369480765844902010-07-27T22:05:00.008-05:002010-07-27T22:31:04.128-05:00Half Marathon TrainingI am having so much fun being a run leader for a half marathon group training for the Route 66 half marathon that will take place in Tulsa in November. I named the group "The Optimists: We're half full".<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvkHv-e6Sfcgz3x0dPlTn5OxAQCAKgz7Nmw89EWNjDi4PqErPsCvlzY7AHZ_X9dCLDofVwZ7GH_uz95tjm2mAJc8S-AcdMmQUfZvS_my5d4QoUKWNNPji4AfFC6Q7jfy10YcvffyxdMU/s1600/optimist.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 274px; height: 184px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvkHv-e6Sfcgz3x0dPlTn5OxAQCAKgz7Nmw89EWNjDi4PqErPsCvlzY7AHZ_X9dCLDofVwZ7GH_uz95tjm2mAJc8S-AcdMmQUfZvS_my5d4QoUKWNNPji4AfFC6Q7jfy10YcvffyxdMU/s400/optimist.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498788394303128882" /></a><br /><br />As my blog title indicates, I really believe that getting through an event is 80% mental. I am truly trying to inspire through the power of positive thinking during runs. It has helped me tremendously. I battle the mental monster in many different aspects of life. I am trying to take control of my mental state during runs. The people that make up The Optimists have been wonderful! <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl808sczEt2H6zCF60AYIycbNLcFluIkCA6-EujVQ_tmv4zZt22z87BxoNTGpPelPt7X19W8EOAnUZmGhyphenhyphenUxaeSMTbBD42sFgVHrnvQsq3IjEx89cpbkoBjSw647pLkLz9DgrZ3lKDPw/s1600/P7170007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisl808sczEt2H6zCF60AYIycbNLcFluIkCA6-EujVQ_tmv4zZt22z87BxoNTGpPelPt7X19W8EOAnUZmGhyphenhyphenUxaeSMTbBD42sFgVHrnvQsq3IjEx89cpbkoBjSw647pLkLz9DgrZ3lKDPw/s400/P7170007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498790509110522690" /></a><br /><br />I am continuing to work on my interval running. It is still working quite well for me. I have been able to keep my average pace under the 12:30/mile for the majority of my runs. I am hoping to be at a really solid 3/1 or 4/1 (run/walk) interval setup for the fall half marathons. I have had several of the Optimists join me in my interval running on Saturday mornings and it has been quite nice to have the company. It has been so humid that running has been quite a chore. We are going from days of feeling like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yBIfiT0bMCCgFbFetZkmQNbXdTSWS-DGHEXnoFqelx4DMuGFAJlvxxZvYdkn0OmFoCxrs3Al8x-QEC2ehHQrN_wJjCKq6mmNiTZ5oT4DxDgviAoMzkreh2a1dJBnKr_AikBfI1_-r48/s1600/animated.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4yBIfiT0bMCCgFbFetZkmQNbXdTSWS-DGHEXnoFqelx4DMuGFAJlvxxZvYdkn0OmFoCxrs3Al8x-QEC2ehHQrN_wJjCKq6mmNiTZ5oT4DxDgviAoMzkreh2a1dJBnKr_AikBfI1_-r48/s400/animated.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498791500149864274" /></a><br /><br />To having days that feel like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9pDGH8Jt5YONDnf7CO1lph71Su8gQmxMJwIdQZVLQsPLi6oJq_LwR3IXSjdGUy2EfoAPKPjGF_dhBZGs_TCjj_GGqKKIGQnwmAY5Ko1HKSB29sHb4rfloQ83vgmWE4yYuoj66FgrpYA/s1600/homerunner.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 262px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT9pDGH8Jt5YONDnf7CO1lph71Su8gQmxMJwIdQZVLQsPLi6oJq_LwR3IXSjdGUy2EfoAPKPjGF_dhBZGs_TCjj_GGqKKIGQnwmAY5Ko1HKSB29sHb4rfloQ83vgmWE4yYuoj66FgrpYA/s400/homerunner.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498791682368647010" /></a><br /><br />I am definitely having more Homer days than the eager beaver runner. However, I have been doing this running thing long enough that I know that to run through this awful summer heat and humidity has a payoff in the fall when things cool off and the humidity dissipates. It has been very important to hydrate with plenty of water. I have been a diligent run leader and make sure that I encourage everyone to stop at all the water stops along our routes.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJwuVjBZ7B9g7i5x8I5DjnUf3izWq1n_qzOHGVM9J-uBRB3LjovsC2zm2c8bEM0_XQTBOKJqx_6td4F9yqx9SdCmYgcGZJ8ZNEcDBY6f_X1Hl98AIHPl60VOg9Tz55pyFhbS7CScLrGI/s1600/P7170008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirJwuVjBZ7B9g7i5x8I5DjnUf3izWq1n_qzOHGVM9J-uBRB3LjovsC2zm2c8bEM0_XQTBOKJqx_6td4F9yqx9SdCmYgcGZJ8ZNEcDBY6f_X1Hl98AIHPl60VOg9Tz55pyFhbS7CScLrGI/s400/P7170008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498792829234078978" /></a><br /><br />We are starting to incorporate some hills into our Saturday routes. I have actually found the challenge of them fun and exciting. I think it is partly due to the fact that I am still in a good running place. So even if the hills seem like this:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_xHBmo8QYaeO8ZPzBJTtFQe0MWbxGyzyo0FTOrGghbRL3TX3IWuMWgN97j0ogWmWIzdkSr5CII5p9UTc7UMluSgK-avCzTPpVkNRVDgS3Wp1UqktFdW2cLZbtmOCRE2CxFzCq6l6ryg/s1600/runhills.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 239px; height: 211px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9_xHBmo8QYaeO8ZPzBJTtFQe0MWbxGyzyo0FTOrGghbRL3TX3IWuMWgN97j0ogWmWIzdkSr5CII5p9UTc7UMluSgK-avCzTPpVkNRVDgS3Wp1UqktFdW2cLZbtmOCRE2CxFzCq6l6ryg/s400/runhills.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5498793362566428914" /></a><br /><br />Remember that it still just takes one step at a time to get to the top of the hill. Of course anyone that wants to use my method of conquering the hills is welcome...I like to chant (sometimes aloud and sometimes in my head) "I love the hills they work my butt"! It makes me smile and keep on moving forward.<br /><br />I have 3 half marathons planned for this fall, and hope that they will all be at a 2:45 time or better. The first one will be in Nashville, TN: the Womens' half marathon on September 25th. So my training will continue and I hope that it will continue to be fun and successfulBOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-71305851511837348822010-06-20T08:15:00.009-05:002010-06-20T08:49:58.084-05:00Free Wheel 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgrkfhXR351Fnwxym_TsgatK5EmKltdspwQ332bFr_LT8ihLx_8UhpPx_DW80XrC_tCo7jbO7d0jdGT-bXwx-1cnpHrNp1wjhoxlCxo1fCmeuqa9rwGCGHJxiV_ePXzZhyphenhyphenHXYJKiRbEw/s1600/P6120007.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFgrkfhXR351Fnwxym_TsgatK5EmKltdspwQ332bFr_LT8ihLx_8UhpPx_DW80XrC_tCo7jbO7d0jdGT-bXwx-1cnpHrNp1wjhoxlCxo1fCmeuqa9rwGCGHJxiV_ePXzZhyphenhyphenHXYJKiRbEw/s400/P6120007.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484844860501098562" /></a><br /><br /><br />On Saturday June 12th, Sue and I packed up our bikes and headed off to Hugo, OK to begin our adventure of the 32nd running of the Oklahoma Free Wheel bike ride event from the south Oklahoma border to north Oklahoma border. I posted updates on each day on facebook, and I am going to copy and paste them here and then add the information about the last 2 days of riding. <br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5Id3X2KJuXTdJoC-W6H3BjXJ-NbCwbAy3EZoVs1vuNovujHn4WLbixjbJJWD3Mo4E2UMhtTOZufDGvffkYP7feCudhqmJDVo3lwKMcN2zTXK3jOrH2Z33VegbsqNAfMwLih-6R9CeaE/s1600/P6120001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR5Id3X2KJuXTdJoC-W6H3BjXJ-NbCwbAy3EZoVs1vuNovujHn4WLbixjbJJWD3Mo4E2UMhtTOZufDGvffkYP7feCudhqmJDVo3lwKMcN2zTXK3jOrH2Z33VegbsqNAfMwLih-6R9CeaE/s400/P6120001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484844213014256082" /></a><br /><br />Free Wheel is an absolute adventure. Sue Marlof and I arrived in Hugo Ok on Saturday morning around 10:30 am. It took us both a litle while to acclimate, process and adjust to the while concept of Free Wheel. After about an hour and half we figured out our tent wasn't going to be ready for several hours. We knew we wanted to make the extra ride to make it into the Texas border. So we put on our bike clothes and headed out for the first ride. It was listed as only an 11 mile out and 11 miles back. It had a few hills but the worst part was a couple mile stretch that we were on a well traveled highway. It was a little tricky, but we managed. Once we made it back into Hugo we were both famished. We decided to eat at a local cafe place that was just across from where we would be camping. We walked in and the food looked absolutely delicious. We were so excited. The food was Great, but it took about 45 minutes from when we ordered to when we got our food. Oh well it was dinner. We then found out that our tent was set up around 5 so we set up our home. Then we set up chairs from the Shuttle Guy and found a semi shady spot. We met two nice guys, Steve and Brok who are a father and son riding Free Wheel together. Steve has ridden it before but this will be Brok's first ride. "Tent city" really does become a quick little family. We went to the nightly meeting and learned some of the ins and outs of how free wheel works and that "start time" is typically around 6:30 am and there is typically breakfast served starting at 4:30 am. This kinda changed our plan of action. We set the alarm for 5 am and decided to try to leave with the mass exodus. When they say mass exodus they mean like the 50 people out of the 900 that wanted to be part of the "mass exodus". So funny. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbXG2BgE9bgHHHoeZhYBphzJNKK5tfoPkz-TxbY6Whr5aiw-filI_ZdKr8HQ1BBFDSwlA_YkfIrwi45WMdTJQM5y8b_jGgscxN1GaQO28VR3vFISSTKETsBkmgUH0wHr73k_UdLFki_U/s1600/P6120008.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqbXG2BgE9bgHHHoeZhYBphzJNKK5tfoPkz-TxbY6Whr5aiw-filI_ZdKr8HQ1BBFDSwlA_YkfIrwi45WMdTJQM5y8b_jGgscxN1GaQO28VR3vFISSTKETsBkmgUH0wHr73k_UdLFki_U/s400/P6120008.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484845378725102610" /></a><br /><br /><br />Neither Sue nor I slept very well. There were many people who snored in tent city but Sue and I were fortunate enough to have one in front of us and one next to us. The good news is that only one would snore at a time. Therefore we had persisent snoring. We quickly understood why they recommended bringing ear plugs. We ate breakfast. It was not great but it was calories and food. Our first ride was scheduled to be 55 miles. We made the mass exodus and were on our way at about 6:35am. We quickly realized why they start so early. It was almost cool and pleasant until aroun 8:15 am. The first 10 miles went by so quickly and we were cruising around 15 mph. We enjoyed the fruit stop and ventured on our way. During the 2nd 10 miles. We saw the biggest road kill beaver ever. That then prompted our let's count how many different road kill animals we see on our journey. Throughout the ride we saw: beaver, deer, racoon, and snakes. The ride went pretty well. We made it to camp at 11:55. We made sure to stop at all water and rest stops and stopped to have lunch. It was a good ride. It was very hit. We heard at camp that the tempertature was 95 with a heat index in the 100's. It was hard to get cool and comfortable, but we tried to make the best of it. We took showers in the shower truck, which would be awesome to have at the mud run, grabbed our chairs and found a shady place to hang out under. We talked with Dale and sine lady from Houston. Tried to take a nap in the chairs bit I could not get comfortable. We hopped on our bikes and headed into town to get to the cafeteria for dinner. They served Indian tacos. It was pretty good. We then biked back to camp, went to the nightly meeting and called it a night early. I slept great. Of course I took some mesa to help and put my iPod in. Was out like a light until about 4:50 am.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aZDoGXETtJw7MEnSqZbEb5-JUX0KEOWnfG77Tk5IH5P0JkWnm6sBQtg34RhHrGaAX0Q9ym6qRowQnQqxydBqdEmytmfrwqyIsZlZXoWZceID4eC78ynGehGDvNBrSQd2kJdgDxhA48A/s1600/P6140036.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6aZDoGXETtJw7MEnSqZbEb5-JUX0KEOWnfG77Tk5IH5P0JkWnm6sBQtg34RhHrGaAX0Q9ym6qRowQnQqxydBqdEmytmfrwqyIsZlZXoWZceID4eC78ynGehGDvNBrSQd2kJdgDxhA48A/s400/P6140036.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484846460148158034" /></a><br /><br />Sue and I got up this morning again at 5. We were on Our bikes by 6:15. Stopped at a convience store for some beeakfast and headed out for the 65 mile ride. The first 25-30 miles of the ride today weren't bad at all. It consisted of mostly rolling hills. However I don't know what mile it was but we started our trek through the Ouchita forest/mountain range. There were 3 awful awful uphills, but we were rewarded with 3 awesome downhill. Lunch was at about mile 45. I was so grateful for 40 minutes off the bike. Then we ventured on to Heavener where we are now. As I type this we are getting good rain storms with thunder and lightning. We were told there would be 50-60 mile per hour winds. Sue and I are in our tent hanging out and just keying whatever happens happen. We are scheduled to do another 65 mile ride tomorrow to Muldrow. We hear it's supposed to rain during the day. That may not be fun. We have the alarm set for 5 and we will see what happens.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13qMoTanQzdKOavShg9RWCtf9mB0V3QZIbt_jBPaUylxyX9TTzxPN3N__4SnjTGLGEBEzZAXYHgYJsXx7e-G_wCvwmNMkCv4FR19abtDfiwQV0V9SI6kpGQjode_DuLuseiUAzNkZzqY/s1600/P6130014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj13qMoTanQzdKOavShg9RWCtf9mB0V3QZIbt_jBPaUylxyX9TTzxPN3N__4SnjTGLGEBEzZAXYHgYJsXx7e-G_wCvwmNMkCv4FR19abtDfiwQV0V9SI6kpGQjode_DuLuseiUAzNkZzqY/s400/P6130014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484845664054809282" /></a><br /><br />We awoke to a morning filled with showers. It rained all through the night. They had told us in camp that it was anticipated that we would experience 50-60 mph winds, so everyone in tent city was freaking out. Not Sue and I though. We were almost giddy. Seriously laughing way too hard about the comments we heard from people in tents around us. I quickly fell asleep to the sound of the pouring rain and slept the best I have since I've been a camper. However when the alarm went off at 5 I could still hear rain drops on the tent. Sue and I had no real plan in this situatio. So we looked at the radar on my handy dandy iPhone and decided to wait an extra half an hour before we got moving. Well that lasted. Whole 5 minutes and we were both just like okay let's get dressed and see what happens. Well we were almost on schedule when we got in the line for breakfast. When it was our turn to eat they were almost out of everything. We each got 1 pancake and a few scrambled eggs. Not really a whole lot to go 65 miles on but we made do. We hit the road at about 7 rather than our usual 6:30. It was almost chilly when we got started. The first bank thermometer we rode past said 73. It was a beautiful morning when the rain stopped and there was a slight breeze. It stayed nice until about 10.30 or so this morning. The ride today was relativley flat and easy. The only rough part was the roads. I know everyone will be shocked but they were full of potholes or semi-trucks. We made really decent time considering it was our 4th consecutive day of riding. We made it to camp around 1:45. It was rather warm and toasty at camp. The thermometer on the bank in Muldrow read 94. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMXhEmDn-yzONozp6_Y-x7uddkkJC33H5jumFZs7OqwU6GLMZwopIP57p8MXWfXiYCOceVBQjQeWnK9tEaAvz0Jo65sMgN8hE8Zx0b6KLupbu60YQvKfEl_b7VamfuYg6hEgYrzA01Qc/s1600/P6140029.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMXhEmDn-yzONozp6_Y-x7uddkkJC33H5jumFZs7OqwU6GLMZwopIP57p8MXWfXiYCOceVBQjQeWnK9tEaAvz0Jo65sMgN8hE8Zx0b6KLupbu60YQvKfEl_b7VamfuYg6hEgYrzA01Qc/s400/P6140029.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484846174074447730" /></a><br /><br /><br />After being in camp for a very short time we decided to be adventurous and crazy and do the optional 20 mile out and back to cross into Arkansas. This was probably not our wisest of decisions. During this 1:45 period, I decided to cry out all my emotional stress from the past 6 years. I really needed to cry like my works was ending because I am at a new stage, a new road. This trip on free wheel has allowed me to disconnect from so many things and really put a lot of perspective on other things. All you do on the rides is think. You can chose to think about the hills, the sounds on your bike, the things you see in the environment, the people in your life, the goals in your life, etc. Speaking of things in your environment. I'm not sure i've mentioned all the road kill we've seen. So here's our complete list including today:<br /><br />Skunk<br />Opposum<br />Baby black bear<br />Worms<br />Dragonfly<br />Beaver<br />Deer<br />Cat<br />Raccoon<br />Squirrel<br />Hawk<br />Some big black bird<br />Armadillo<br />Armadillo with a beer can<br /><br />I think that covers everything we have encountered thus far. This is disgusting but I can almost tell you what kind of roadkikl it is by the smell alone. I digress. So I have been thinking about my whole life my relationships with people, my friendships with people, the type of friend I want to be. I have thought about my relationships with my family, I have thought about my abitlity as a teacher, I have thought about my abilities as a speech language pathologist. I have thought about my marriage and divorce. I have thought about my life in Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma. I have thought lots and lots. Today between the heat, the 200 some odd miles on a bike in the past 4 days, my leg fatigue, and the many thoughts I was due for an emotional breakdown. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCeVko5nOOOkKK-hbs0a60gqAqt-jNs9HZE7_YoQo7vvuHkxZN9CwDdMpL__G4atpb5lOvyCAj6D6GuwgV5qa94pws16XaONJmfhI12mQqsmY1sfo_T88NlB5oKR6cQ6JRMagt7hQCrY/s1600/P6150042.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCeVko5nOOOkKK-hbs0a60gqAqt-jNs9HZE7_YoQo7vvuHkxZN9CwDdMpL__G4atpb5lOvyCAj6D6GuwgV5qa94pws16XaONJmfhI12mQqsmY1sfo_T88NlB5oKR6cQ6JRMagt7hQCrY/s400/P6150042.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484846899160453746" /></a><br /><br />Tomorrow we ride to Talequah. Word in tent city is that it's the hardest ride ever in Free Wheel history. Sue and I are choosing to ignore the rumors and tackle the ride the same we have every other day 1 mike at a time. I anticipate I will be walking some hills tomorrow because my quads are shot, but who knows what tomorrow will bring. It's a scheduled 62 mike ride. 3 mikes shorter than these last two days. Oh boy. Wish us luck and send good vibes our way!!<br /><br />Oh where to begin. I really wish I would have had the energy to write about day 4 yesterday, be ause even after 1 day the badness of it has already lessened. But I will do my best to recap. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSme0HTCvV96Nf3nEi-RyPzsOHXriZPY6o7VMGuMdwXstn53zWjSO0C9DTz8_2_cAsIhWgOR3c184MNhbf_3O3wB4gVX2FrROkst-zKquLoue7obyA9YRcQm0qZcPEmx_9Vos1U615Ww/s1600/P6180059.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSme0HTCvV96Nf3nEi-RyPzsOHXriZPY6o7VMGuMdwXstn53zWjSO0C9DTz8_2_cAsIhWgOR3c184MNhbf_3O3wB4gVX2FrROkst-zKquLoue7obyA9YRcQm0qZcPEmx_9Vos1U615Ww/s400/P6180059.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484848102572878002" /></a><br /><br />Day 4 ( which for Sue and I was actually day 5 of consecutively being on the bike) had been hyped up by the Free Wheel officials and those in camp as the possible most difficult Free Wheel ride day ever. We left the Mukdrow camp at about 6:00 with the intention of stopping at a convienence store for breakfast. We have gone to a couple of the planned breakfasts but it has not been worth the money. So, anyway, we ate our breakfast at the store and were on our merry way. Well the legacy of the day and all the hype came to fruition at mile 1.6. We had a relatively steep and forever climbing hill out of Muldrow. Seriously I think it was about .6 miles long. It was torture and we were literally dripping in sweat at 6:45 in the morning 2.3 mikes into the day. The course did not get any better from there. If anyone remembers the zingo from bells then they can somewhat picture the 65 mike route. There were some good downhills but to get down them you have to go up them. So we went down and up and down and up all day. We climbed 5400 ft over the course of the day. I have honestly never had so much pain and shaking in my quad muscles in my life. To compound my issues. I was told I have Riders Palsy in my left palm. I have just tingling in my left middle finger. I have been told by many out here that it's because I'm putting so much pressure on my ulnar nerve and that I needed different bike gloves that had better support at the base of your fingers before your palm. I had also been told there was a bike store in talequah close to where Speedwheel was taking place. So imagine riding the Zingo path about 50 times on a bike trying to hold on to your handlebars to get yourself up a hill and having pain all in your arms and fingers. That was me. When Sue and I arrived to camp at around 3:15 we were just spent. Sue's parents came into town and they went out to dinner. I went and had all you can eat spagettin in the high school cafeteria and then decided to catch the shuttle to head down to watch Speedwheel and find the bike shop. I found some gloves with extra ulnar nerve support and thought well I will get these and try them. Then I went and sat on the curb and watched the bike races. Then much to my surprise I see Kristin Bunch walking along the sidewalk so I text her and when the course was clear I went over and gave her a big hug. It was so great to see a friendly face!! We sat on the bleachers and watched the masters race and during the race out of nowhere appears Ken Childress, Bobby Michaels. Deborah Gulley, and Susan Michaels. They had alll coordinated to come into Talequah to surprise me. It was so touching and so awesome. It was just one day before I was feeling very low and alone in the world. I owe those 5 people a lot. It was such a morale booster after such a hard days ride. Such great people. I did feel bad they wanted to go eat dinner and I just wanted to go to be. 9:00 is pretty much get in the tent wind down and be asleep by 10 time. So they drove me to camp. Saw tent city visited our #92 tent and I sent them on their way and was asleep in probably 20 minutes. <br /><br />This morning, the start of day 5 or 6 depending how you are counting, we were up and out of the tent by 5:45. We decided to head down the road to the first convenient store which was said ti be 9 miles down the road. I had a rough morning in that I could t find things and forgot things and was like just forget let's go. Today was Sues day to have a rough day. She felt rather nauseous and out of it until about mile 28 when we hit a fun rest stop. Today's course was so easy compared to yesterdays. We cruised all day at about a 12 mph pace which given our mileage I thought it was pretty good. I stayed in food spirits most of the day and we cruised into camp around 12:15 ish. We stayed At the lunch stop in Salina for quite a while because it was cool and we had fun visiting with people. Sues husband came to Pryor today and I am so grateful he did. My Garmin died at 2.5 miles out. I had tried to charge I the previous day and it didn't. It would say it was charging then be blank. I took the charger with me on the ride thinking I'd the lunch stop had an outlet I would charge it. Well the lunch stop did have an outlet but my garmin would not charge. When we got to camp j was asking around If anyone would let me use their charger. People thought I was nuts I'm sure, but finally this man named Marion said he would let me use his. Another techy kinda guy looked mine all over and said he thought it was my USB cable and not the cradle. So Mario. Let me use his USB and guess what?!!?! It worked. So John took me to 3 different places to find. USB 2.0 cable and I am happy to report my garmin is fully charged and ready to go tomorrow. We hear tommorrow's 65 mile day is a lot like today. Maybe a hill or two here and there a lot of flat or gradual and some rough road. I will be so glad when tomorrows ride is done. They have a special dinner and concert for us tomorrow in Miami. Bring it on. <br /><br /><br />Roadkill update:<br />We saw the following before yesterday I just forgot them:<br />Frog<br />Turtle<br />Snake<br /><br />Since yesterday we can add:<br />Butterfly<br />Wild pig(boar). No I'm not kidding!!<br /><br />Good night all and thanks for the support and encouragement!!!<br /><br /><br />The last 2 days of riding Free Wheel are somewhat a blur. The ride on Friday on was a great ride. It was the last 65 mile ride. We were told Thursday night that we would have a 10-15 mph wind out of the south. The crowd cheered loudly. It really turned out to be true. Even on the hills it felt like the south wind was pushing us up the hills. Sue and I averaged 13.5 mph over the course of the day on this ride. It was mainly flat. There were a few decent climbs during the day, but overall it was an excellent day of riding for me. I didn't even have much pain from the saddle or in my legs. My biggest issue during this ride was chafing. I have never experienced such horrible chaffing. I have heard runners talk about it, but never really experienced it to the point that you thought you might bleed to death because areas were chafed so badly. I think the pain and discomfort from the chafing helped to keep me distracted from everything else. I was in really good spirits for most of the day during this ride. We arrived to the camp in Miami, which was on the campus of NEO. We again got to camp on a football field. Thank goodness that wind was around, if you could find some shade, it didn't feel too awful hot. At one point, I really thought Sue and I were going to get to go to Braum's (everyone had been talking about it all during the day), but when we learned the shower truck was really about 1/4 mile away from our tent, and we thought about when dinner was going to be served, we opted out of Braum's. The dinner that was provided free (only free meal on Free Wheel) was excellent. There were several choices of meat and sides and desserts. Unfortunately, my body was so hot and the entire system wasn't sure how it was working, I didn't really eat much. We then hopped on a shuttle and went to the Coleman theater in Miami, OK. If you ever get a chance to go into this theater you need to go, it is a breath-taking theater. They brought in a Bluegrass band for a concert for all the people with Free Wheel, it was amazing and so much fun. It was nice to sit in the cool air conditioning, but when we made it back out to our campsite it felt that much hotter. During the night on Friday night, both mine and Sue's fan batteries died. It was the worst night's sleep I got since the first night. <br /><br />Saturday morning came quickly, Sue and I were up and moving at 4:45 am. We headed and ate some breakfast (apple turnover for me, yummm), got all our gear together, and were headed out for our last ride by 6:05 am. We had a scheduled 38 or so miles, but had heard that it was going to be quite a hilly day. We were also told that we would have 3 rest stops. It was a much more relaxed riding day. It was obvious that most people were taking the pace a little slower and sharing stories along the ride and just taking it all in. We were fortunate to see most of the people that we had met along the ride and spent time with at some point during the day on Saturday. It was a little sad knowing that good-bye would be coming. However, I was so ready to be done. At the end of the day, and the week, Sue and I managed to bike in 5 states in 8 days. We took the optional trips to the Texas border, the Arkansas border, the Kansas border, through Oklahoma, and obviously through Missouri to get to Joplin. <br /><br />Today, Sunday, my body is pretty physically drained. The most fascinating part to me is that the most sore part of my body is my hands. My hands are extremely cramped and sore, I can barely hold a pencil to write. I am glad to be home. I feel that I have a clear head, and a better grasp on my life. We'll see how long that lasts.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDifF_J7M9a8jgRM8odVjWBrFW0nyzG-vdyy3x9qPhSWmdwdN9CQtt4wPOJGoGFKRHrfzlHqTXhuJeK7MfSmayF_uIc1_8ZgUlIW05-B7qt3vWA-iF70YjIpHbd5JHK0Ae4aDbKZt-5hw/s1600/P6190088.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDifF_J7M9a8jgRM8odVjWBrFW0nyzG-vdyy3x9qPhSWmdwdN9CQtt4wPOJGoGFKRHrfzlHqTXhuJeK7MfSmayF_uIc1_8ZgUlIW05-B7qt3vWA-iF70YjIpHbd5JHK0Ae4aDbKZt-5hw/s400/P6190088.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484852653215812914" /></a>BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-72262639812101440882010-06-07T09:00:00.004-05:002010-06-07T09:04:57.654-05:00Tulsa Tough<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJdTjnEefvnCOkS2kcR1xa_YkN6785uQslBk5GqrIKYLHV0yybP77ILAilEiGiKLRzmV2w7BPz1Q0bK4MljsTOuiVkJawVWRy-_xMett5Bcivm88PGwf-mx5trLyQSnhpAPjNnbrlKV8/s1600/P6050002.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDJdTjnEefvnCOkS2kcR1xa_YkN6785uQslBk5GqrIKYLHV0yybP77ILAilEiGiKLRzmV2w7BPz1Q0bK4MljsTOuiVkJawVWRy-_xMett5Bcivm88PGwf-mx5trLyQSnhpAPjNnbrlKV8/s400/P6050002.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480032109696872546" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br />Well it was a weekend packed with bike riding. Tulsa Tough was in town. It was made up of some fantastic bicycle racing with some "fun" rides and the 8 mile Tulsa Townie Ride. In preparation for the Oklahoma Free Wheel, I decided to participate in the 100k (62.4 mile) fun ride on Saturday and the 50K (31.2 mile) ride on Sunday as well as the Tulsa Townie that some of my friends were also going to do. This would give me over 100 miles on my bike for the weekend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-OSHdi1AQCvixCa5G5Qqpoy3CMjGrl8sc5QTgwOlL62SyeWExj2VOr25l-JCxy0nRU2pbrdr58qCcKN29tCWePln5thg1-lHEkUus2HkejpV9B5sWMuthrrLZGZHhZRCmNIDXerRDik/s1600/P6050001.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-OSHdi1AQCvixCa5G5Qqpoy3CMjGrl8sc5QTgwOlL62SyeWExj2VOr25l-JCxy0nRU2pbrdr58qCcKN29tCWePln5thg1-lHEkUus2HkejpV9B5sWMuthrrLZGZHhZRCmNIDXerRDik/s400/P6050001.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480031949368119506" /></a><br /><br />It was quite hot on Saturday, but fortunately I had Sue and Jodi to whine to, and with about how hot the day was. Jodi successfully completed the 50K on Saturday and Sue and I got through the 100K.<br /><br />Sunday morning had a nice cloud cover, and a little bit stronger wind. Both days were challenging and fun. One more leisurely ride before Free Wheel starts next Saturday...<br />OH Goodness.....BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-9834052083584621732010-05-30T19:30:00.007-05:002010-05-30T19:47:54.836-05:00Cardio-ManiaWow have I been busy lately...<br /><br />I recently took a trip to Edinburgh Scotland. I have been in a really good running place lately and was really hoping to break my PR in a half marathon, which was 2:51 and change. I was successful. I ran the Scotland Half Marathon in 2:45:30. That is an average of 12:30 min/mil. I utilized the 1/1 run/walk interval method that I have been using for quite a while. I thought I would post my mile splits, just to show that it works. You don't have to run the whole thing to have a good finish.<br /><br />Mile 1: 12:10<br />Mile 2: 12:16<br />Mile 3: 11:55 (yes you read that right)<br />Mile 4: 11:54 (how about that for consistency)<br />Mile 5: 12:18<br />Mile 6: 12:32<br />Mile 7: 12:23<br />Mile 8: 12:18<br />Mile 9: 12:27<br />Mile 10: 13:04 (yup the slow steady incline)<br />Mile 11: 12:48<br />Mile 12: 13:28 (yeah i was getting tired, no excuse, but..)<br />Mile 13: 13:02<br />the .1: 2: 50 (My garmin actually registered it as .23)<br /><br />I guess you could say that Scotland agreed with me:<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wkphc6HZiGJsdPnPdDQS8cZDYKmrkUmonAzuwkL7Us2ZR9Tf7Dgpm9QCU29jOBj3-8cKHSh-JmUU2igmIuZg1d4U0c14L863bwCoHPYCPxvWMDZQxzvYjStUhx7I4h0cCklyiFs3Yho/s1600/P5220110.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2wkphc6HZiGJsdPnPdDQS8cZDYKmrkUmonAzuwkL7Us2ZR9Tf7Dgpm9QCU29jOBj3-8cKHSh-JmUU2igmIuZg1d4U0c14L863bwCoHPYCPxvWMDZQxzvYjStUhx7I4h0cCklyiFs3Yho/s400/P5220110.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477227029204179122" /></a><br /><br />It was an absolutely fantastic trip. I had a great time. I got to hang out with great friends. I got to see amazing things and sites...it was incredible.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WcHSX4_B-vIwJCSY6AlxveDFVlriFWpYsGLMqE2Z62jtBY2JlJkzAD12y8jab-8C6uy4sBmfKUulzAurceyRYhogPJyVIss1HL-6djQiQkU85pjmiaiBXl1rGfRENsAfovYC3BVjWJ8/s1600/P5210094.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0WcHSX4_B-vIwJCSY6AlxveDFVlriFWpYsGLMqE2Z62jtBY2JlJkzAD12y8jab-8C6uy4sBmfKUulzAurceyRYhogPJyVIss1HL-6djQiQkU85pjmiaiBXl1rGfRENsAfovYC3BVjWJ8/s400/P5210094.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477227899683817714" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsP1i-AywIXC27Jbzy7Ux6FMWRNr_Knwso5bvBQlVcgpF7_IuUyf_sTkjpsSCh-2grhbzht5YQ_x2MzOwW8lm23SisMpfJRTpTVIqyIhT86o3pG_XeYgKtTkycM0R2krw36C_eMqNpkOs/s1600/P5220160.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsP1i-AywIXC27Jbzy7Ux6FMWRNr_Knwso5bvBQlVcgpF7_IuUyf_sTkjpsSCh-2grhbzht5YQ_x2MzOwW8lm23SisMpfJRTpTVIqyIhT86o3pG_XeYgKtTkycM0R2krw36C_eMqNpkOs/s400/P5220160.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477228150779381682" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlfEie7cnSycAvfESlvfvpGsyMGCcauvp4gI_AaqsHHHlyaULe-Tr53ewulx452KfzttXcE1zqQstfP8_HDzRJA4StN2EVa19NoTF7A4LGI4oorM8vqdn4srG_s63lCrwHT3BBIxUoZE/s1600/P5240186.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIlfEie7cnSycAvfESlvfvpGsyMGCcauvp4gI_AaqsHHHlyaULe-Tr53ewulx452KfzttXcE1zqQstfP8_HDzRJA4StN2EVa19NoTF7A4LGI4oorM8vqdn4srG_s63lCrwHT3BBIxUoZE/s400/P5240186.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477228593740243138" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiky0uYqMT84ilW3sHIprp9oyDMiwK7HRIjGZRFAVNhM-WPmLU7MVmp3L346p-R_SLPpShyINvHwxemAoG0NiOOYoYKLfuSGVDuYF0tRuFOs8lk9PfscNpc2d7TwbwKsgH-EYLvLMZO9Pk/s1600/P5250316.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiky0uYqMT84ilW3sHIprp9oyDMiwK7HRIjGZRFAVNhM-WPmLU7MVmp3L346p-R_SLPpShyINvHwxemAoG0NiOOYoYKLfuSGVDuYF0tRuFOs8lk9PfscNpc2d7TwbwKsgH-EYLvLMZO9Pk/s400/P5250316.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477229025333737042" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_TthcgBacfzlT7wbxCO_4rZRJ0znaah8Ko3PZNDaYK8YnPtkOXuHFvC2Txq2s7hhskoZ_49pLSg69scyfQRbDkqVI5gjtsqGMkdVOun44KzPu0H-n-ubQlW-PvUfmzfZQQJAsp4YEbA/s1600/P5250331.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz_TthcgBacfzlT7wbxCO_4rZRJ0znaah8Ko3PZNDaYK8YnPtkOXuHFvC2Txq2s7hhskoZ_49pLSg69scyfQRbDkqVI5gjtsqGMkdVOun44KzPu0H-n-ubQlW-PvUfmzfZQQJAsp4YEbA/s400/P5250331.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477229398730752018" /></a><br /><br />Now what? I know you are dying to know what's next for Dr. Sandra Wright...<br /><br />I am 2 weeks out from participating in the Oklahoma Free Wheel. I completed my longest bike ride to date: 70 miles. I am very happy to report that I am still able to stand and sit..my tail bone is a little tender but not excruciatingly sore as I anticipated. I averaged about 11.6 mph pace on the bike over the distance, which I was okay with. I am excited to participate in Tulsa Tough next weekend and then it's off to Hugo Oklahoma for the border (TX) to border (MO) ride.BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-74863447525298801582010-05-18T07:43:00.008-05:002010-05-18T08:10:41.094-05:00A New Chapter Begins<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__Sc10BrQGF3lgOWWVPv1IgxNBuhQ3y564hVYCnpBnquDtMRkOF0Ljn8_qNVFdX5Osgl4ME_JnKszrZEnw1DR51ATO1JWWSGbAqUpfkrQw7bIrwGtpLteQUGw3VvxtJfODWz6EqsHmNw/s1600/P5150024.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 337px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi__Sc10BrQGF3lgOWWVPv1IgxNBuhQ3y564hVYCnpBnquDtMRkOF0Ljn8_qNVFdX5Osgl4ME_JnKszrZEnw1DR51ATO1JWWSGbAqUpfkrQw7bIrwGtpLteQUGw3VvxtJfODWz6EqsHmNw/s400/P5150024.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472590318030888082" /></a><br /><br />Well I am now officially an alumnus of the University of Kansas. I think graduating with my Doctorate of Philosophy in Speech-Language Pathology from the 5th ranked program in the U.S. will always be a point of pride for me. It is honestly the hardest thing I have ever ever done. I owe a lot to my mentor Jane Wegner, who although she is the one who pushed me, she is also the one who helped me develop a vision of what type of speech pathologist and teacher I want to be.<br /><br />So, now what? Well that's a good question. I will stay in my job at the University of Tulsa. My title has changed from "Instructor" to "Assistant Professor". I get to begin the climb to tenure, which means that I have to publish articles and present at conferences. So although the stress load goes away, I still have quite a bit of responsibility. I also really hope to revamp my teaching style. I know that it is impossible to please all students, but I really hate getting back negative comments from them. I know that during this past year I know that it has been rough to be one of my students. This summer's plan is to overhaul the 4 classes I teach during the Fall semester. I just want to make sure that teaching is fun for me and my students stay engaged. I just have to embrace what Tulsa has to offer and quit comparing the program to KU. I need to advocate for change in areas that will truly impact the students education, and let everything else go.<br /><br />Running: Well, I am off to Scotland later this week, as a graduation present to myself to complete the half marathon. I have stuck by my "no more fulls for 2010" motto and have been in a great running place. It is so different to run for fun, and not as a stress relief. Don't get me wrong it still really helps even with the little stressors of life, but I am so much lighter without the pressure of finishing my dissertation on my shoulders. I am excited to possibly be a run leader for a half marathon group training for the Route 66 half marathon in Tulsa in November. It is so nice to be in a happy running place, and really enjoying getting out there. I am still using the Galloway method of run a minute followed by walk a minute. Although in Scotland I do believe I am going to run 2 minutes and walk a minute. It works well for me. My average pace using this method has been right around 12:00 min/mile, which is great for me. I am so proud of my running accomplishments, I actually used my running shoes as a template to decorate my graduation cap. My hat got a lot of points, gestures, and comments throughout graduation weekend. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTL_Ep9Ega4SZqlBbdtuY-FJuwF-MryVt_Jc39m7OJpE0577p8-FdE3bREoH-PpCY0epp1HtziL1WI4otxghfuP3L6qjDNN5qK4yMKaL_BRYbAUeTvcYzP0kmnlC5ZiiPQox8AXmgniSs/s1600/P5150010.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTL_Ep9Ega4SZqlBbdtuY-FJuwF-MryVt_Jc39m7OJpE0577p8-FdE3bREoH-PpCY0epp1HtziL1WI4otxghfuP3L6qjDNN5qK4yMKaL_BRYbAUeTvcYzP0kmnlC5ZiiPQox8AXmgniSs/s400/P5150010.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472592616945203954" /></a><br /><br />Personal: Well I feel like myself again. I am still working on trying to find better ways to deal with all of my different emotions. However, I feel like i am enjoying life, and living positively. I am trying to mend relationships that I really messed up during the past 6 years. One thing that is absolutely impossible to describe or explain is the emotional strain of the Ph.D. process. I am sure that is how I wound up divorced, but I am trying to live with no regrets. It is a very difficult thing to do. I thank all of my dear dear friends that have stuck by me, listened to me, let me yell at them, ran with me, traveled with me, talked to me, were honest with me, encouraged me, and just helped me out. I do need to thank my parents as well. I believe they were quite proud of me during graduation weekend. I was able to grab a stranger and get a family picture during graduation weekend.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_ud1yhk-uIpJ63Q5aa2zrGoendOVyrmnHm7sos5hxCH5JeVi69yqUbCieOaJJ97wjEiD5YQFLW7VW2xfjLySFoKrV_Gu_k4V26xU1u9NfyWeGks1lvneyU-sCOpOFpdawWJSYkMQN5I/s1600/P5150017.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2_ud1yhk-uIpJ63Q5aa2zrGoendOVyrmnHm7sos5hxCH5JeVi69yqUbCieOaJJ97wjEiD5YQFLW7VW2xfjLySFoKrV_Gu_k4V26xU1u9NfyWeGks1lvneyU-sCOpOFpdawWJSYkMQN5I/s400/P5150017.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472593668140123170" /></a><br /><br />I am constantly thinking of 2 families that are dealing with so much on their plates, and handling everything with such strength I am in admiration. The first family is the <a href="http://www.nate8303.blogspot.com">Russell's</a>, where Nate a 6 1/2 year old boy with Spinal Muscular Atrophy passed away in late April. Nate taught me so much about how to be a good speech pathologist and listening to the needs of even a child who could communicate through vocalizations and his eyes with an eyegaze communication system in such amazing ways. His parents and younger brother are some absolutely amazing people who I just look at with awe. The second family is that of the <a href="http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/liliangracewhitten/journal">Whitten's</a>, who have a beautiful daughter Lillian Grace who is battling for each and every day of life. Chrissy and Michael have demonstrated such strength and trust in God, that they are cherishing each and every day that their "Warrior Princess" is here on earth with them. My thoughts and prayers to both of these families, whom I admire.<br /><br />Now, I thought I would also post some of my other pictures from graduation weekend at KU.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk79AMcb2jjFQgQvyycELnmY-xbUFRbLu2aiif5UUJUkSjONfF2MreG5fABj0LxrvQkxyVSQxzuaIvrOqePYEK1unUyKMQRlqL_vSTvju9dWC-ZYuoUNdsz02hBJjUMjPLgqiNkVLOLnw/s1600/P5160045.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 350px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk79AMcb2jjFQgQvyycELnmY-xbUFRbLu2aiif5UUJUkSjONfF2MreG5fABj0LxrvQkxyVSQxzuaIvrOqePYEK1unUyKMQRlqL_vSTvju9dWC-ZYuoUNdsz02hBJjUMjPLgqiNkVLOLnw/s400/P5160045.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472595829046206946" /></a><br /><br />Dr. Debby Daniels <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsD6ynkgvkbBW1hoxNHcyUcqPzkzMDFzke_2KJZd677P8Nq63vHG4up5br3dsQF2LifD3kVdufKr3ujnzhtN6_ywiFZoSbZ0YMSUtt61AxWy-NjfYNE9tpewrNv1mcMRLr89moICuPV4/s1600/P5160050.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 290px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEsD6ynkgvkbBW1hoxNHcyUcqPzkzMDFzke_2KJZd677P8Nq63vHG4up5br3dsQF2LifD3kVdufKr3ujnzhtN6_ywiFZoSbZ0YMSUtt61AxWy-NjfYNE9tpewrNv1mcMRLr89moICuPV4/s400/P5160050.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472596158860437154" /></a><br /><br />He is telling you, yup I am Dr. Boca now....<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlXQa0f5fmGDJE4Fd9RpeEkQSf367puyMyYCaUdFpXnZ_jhKQLwlzZcz_4t-iFagbcGKN0hHhCET_XJedUwAUBDFWdFzj8wakR-b-NOnN07TY-617jXI1FZJQHOy7c6oDp4A5kkPGjYM/s1600/P5160056.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGlXQa0f5fmGDJE4Fd9RpeEkQSf367puyMyYCaUdFpXnZ_jhKQLwlzZcz_4t-iFagbcGKN0hHhCET_XJedUwAUBDFWdFzj8wakR-b-NOnN07TY-617jXI1FZJQHOy7c6oDp4A5kkPGjYM/s400/P5160056.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472596418409008994" /></a><br /><br />We just happened to have run into Baby Jay as I was taking Boca for a walk around campus before he had to hang out in the car during the graduation ceremony.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgul_nPOV7MEWB2j-fWlVSk5_FhFlBP6N2CCne3Aiw6rUa_3ynAig9t_E-j06IBrmHe2UtV_FPY0NyneKq1TEXOwwF_XK9Jqs-TXE7q1X2aijhYWTP260sswVX2hs0Y3b8bmaQYLsGOZoE/s1600/P5160057.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgul_nPOV7MEWB2j-fWlVSk5_FhFlBP6N2CCne3Aiw6rUa_3ynAig9t_E-j06IBrmHe2UtV_FPY0NyneKq1TEXOwwF_XK9Jqs-TXE7q1X2aijhYWTP260sswVX2hs0Y3b8bmaQYLsGOZoE/s400/P5160057.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5472596683464699506" /></a><br /><br />Even Baby Jay was swooning over Boca..BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-57505754087331684862010-04-09T07:54:00.006-05:002010-04-09T08:08:32.358-05:00Yes you can call me Doctor...Well April 7, 2010 was a life altering day for me. I defended my dissertation. The last major hoop required to finish the Doctorate of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. I began my Ph.D. program in speech language pathology in August of 2004. Six years...it has been a very long haul and I have had so much life change in that 6 year time, it's hard to believe I finally got within the finish line. My dissertation was on "Improving the Social Communication Competence of Augmentative and Alternative Communication Users". I enjoyed conducting my research and getting to meet some really awesome people. Before the big day, I contacted several friends and people that I knew who had gone through the defense experience. I was told that even though 3 hours were allotted for the defense, that most lasted only half that. I put together a presentation that would last between 45 and 60 minutes. I guess either my topic was extremely interesting, or my committee wanted to stall getting back to their regular schedule, or I did not put together things very clearly, but I was fortunate enough to get to hang out with my committee for 2 1/2 hours. Truly a growing experience and nothing really in life I can compare it to. I tried to take several photos throughout the day to document the process, but after I was told I passed, my brain literally turned to mush so I don't have many good pictures of after, but oh well. <br /><br />Left the hotel around 7 AM. Trying to keep my goofiness about myself and keep the nerves calm, so decided to take a crazy picture acting like I was shaking all over. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05XzE6LHTg43f385lYJpZbouuGRPESXhatDHCKO3SZ1ccKx0VywNs3J78EosFEwYXouGY9A-pbYG91aJU_BErIKn8Fr_pDoPE3OJY33zVswXCkgcW_hHbzLksx1qz-hK8xumAMGueXmI/s1600/P4070012.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05XzE6LHTg43f385lYJpZbouuGRPESXhatDHCKO3SZ1ccKx0VywNs3J78EosFEwYXouGY9A-pbYG91aJU_BErIKn8Fr_pDoPE3OJY33zVswXCkgcW_hHbzLksx1qz-hK8xumAMGueXmI/s400/P4070012.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458122195207109298" /></a><br /><br /><br />This is my title slide and I was ready to go by about 7:45. My presentation began at 9AM.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSWzLbgpONSJ5RSbH_SHYgpfgEw7MCQPYWZCdbgzZ4tXRqfk5WjzdCkyWg8oLpzxwhWIlU1t7SZMuRq4UIgF_YbxiP3mR7tw_odBTGa0t3VshBvWOTU1PR0IWOBTRGfHlgtfmcfWRtU0/s1600/P4070014.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOSWzLbgpONSJ5RSbH_SHYgpfgEw7MCQPYWZCdbgzZ4tXRqfk5WjzdCkyWg8oLpzxwhWIlU1t7SZMuRq4UIgF_YbxiP3mR7tw_odBTGa0t3VshBvWOTU1PR0IWOBTRGfHlgtfmcfWRtU0/s400/P4070014.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458121939726311474" /></a><br /><br /><br />I went through all my slides and videos before everyone got there to make sure they all worked and showed up on the screen.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfDN41lzeVX_GnIdfrsyNkKTbaMhl_CkYS2xjDQ6VZY7kH5JXF446Nc6pd__tonNqSKnCuLi0mG_duOx4rbuNzvvjSTNH7GXtLIctbA-VOciApwoUb__GhOXGBiyxZxuV5-lcu6N8fTs/s1600/P4070019.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYfDN41lzeVX_GnIdfrsyNkKTbaMhl_CkYS2xjDQ6VZY7kH5JXF446Nc6pd__tonNqSKnCuLi0mG_duOx4rbuNzvvjSTNH7GXtLIctbA-VOciApwoUb__GhOXGBiyxZxuV5-lcu6N8fTs/s400/P4070019.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458121533472377506" /></a><br /><br /><br />The people that had control over whether I passed my dissertation defense or not. My committee. From left to right: Dr. Ed Auer, Dr. Hugh Catts, Dr. Jane Wegner, Dr. Debby Daniels, and Dr. Michael Wehmeyer. Overall a great group of people and brilliant minds. I was questioned for an hour and 21 minutes after giving a 55 minute presentation. It was a long 2 1/2 hours...<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHr1HtBtDcQ-mMVBHa9kUwwC4bDxywDR97EWkWT8Pyq2vhW64ZfsxHTWMSeVOKX2oPK_ItA4ab0QLewbqfoOzdOVhukUqT2h9CfFu8by22hs7gpsj0Bc8ViQCb6HcxtuPOhyTNTkkDj-I/s1600/P4070021.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHr1HtBtDcQ-mMVBHa9kUwwC4bDxywDR97EWkWT8Pyq2vhW64ZfsxHTWMSeVOKX2oPK_ItA4ab0QLewbqfoOzdOVhukUqT2h9CfFu8by22hs7gpsj0Bc8ViQCb6HcxtuPOhyTNTkkDj-I/s400/P4070021.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458121133446126258" /></a><br /><br /><br />Of course after every grueling experience, there should be a chance to eat lunch with lots of friends...they brought in mexican food from my favorite place, El Mezcal in Lawrence, KS.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwtbt1-t6I6B8M5yshT5bo3r3DhAPRieMaG_lcPPAI1cHI1wGyaG3px0Hdvuepp-izLmGT97gevdxzW5Pk_QDCvmzIrPiVlQ-TM-W37RWJ3qO8265FHy_hUWDKPr2JaLHDzic39YNAFU/s1600/P4070023.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBwtbt1-t6I6B8M5yshT5bo3r3DhAPRieMaG_lcPPAI1cHI1wGyaG3px0Hdvuepp-izLmGT97gevdxzW5Pk_QDCvmzIrPiVlQ-TM-W37RWJ3qO8265FHy_hUWDKPr2JaLHDzic39YNAFU/s400/P4070023.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5458120758452847554" /></a>BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-3134502265595207562010-03-21T19:41:00.002-05:002010-03-21T20:30:16.910-05:00Sandra's "interesting" (according to TZ) Life updateIt has been a long time since I generated a blog entry. So much has happened and is about to happen. I think i will attempt to organize this blog by life roles: health, school life, personal life...I know had you on the edge of your seat doesn't it.<br /><br />HEALTH<br />Well my running has significantly decreased. I successfully completed the 3 marathons I signed up for: Athens, Greece, Route 66 in Tulsa, and Disney. None of the marathons went the way I anticipated, but I did indeed finish all 3 within the time limit I was given, so I guess that is a success. I decided after Disney that I am going to cut back to half marathons for a while. Since I made that decision I have decided that I will take part in my Oklahoma City Marathon Relay team (I'm doing a 10K leg), I will hopefully be up to doing the Edinburgh Scotland half marathon at the end of May and then I think I'm hanging up my "event" running shoes for a bit. During the month of February, I was put in an immobility boot for my left Achilles tendon. An MRI showed that I had 3 micro-tears in it as well as some fluid build up. So this was the start of my decreased running. I have been back at pounding the pavement for about 2 weeks, I still have quite a bit of soreness and discomfort in my left Achilles so I am having to keep my distances relatively short and slow. In some ways it's frustrating, because running has helped me deal with a lot of stress in the last couple of years (wait til the school live part), but in others i was relieved because I really don't feel like I am achieving the running goals I would like. When I was told to wear an immobility boot, I was given the okay to swim and bike. So I rejoined my gym membership at TU to ride the stationary bike (yeah it's too cold to bike outside). I mentioned to Sue, a great OT who has helped me grow so much as a speech path, that I could bike and should train for the Oklahoma Freewheel. She became excited and said that she has always wanted to do the Freewheel, so we decided to start training with the Tulsa Bicycle Club on March 14th. I, of course did not go out today because of the slush on the roads..not a die hard biker yet. Sue and I are riding bikes on Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays. At least that is the plan. Biking really is so much easier than running. So my overall physical health is getting by. I made a big decision on March 1st regarding my physical health. I have battled being overweight pretty much since hitting 13 years old. I work with several people who had done the HCG diet and had great success. I have debated it for a long time, but you really get to take in very few calories (500) a day. I was extremely worried about being able to keep up my running regime and doing this diet. Well, once I found myself in the immobility boot, I decided it was a sign and time to try to do something about my weight. So on March 1st, I got my first of 6 HCG/B-Compex infusions. I am 3 weeks in and have lost 21 pounds. Running is extremely fatiguing and getting more than 4 miles in is quite a task, but I am pleased with the weight loss. I have 3 more infusions to get and am hoping to lose a total of at least 30 pounds before it is said and done. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SCHOOL LIFE</span><br />I am very excited that my life as a student will soon be over hopefully. I am scheduled to defend my dissertation on Wednesday, April 7 at 9AM. I really am in disbelief that the date is only 2 1/2 weeks away. I have sent my final draft of my dissertation to my mentor for one last review before sending it out to my other 4 dissertation committee members. My actual defense is marked out for 3 hours (I hear it's usually more like an hour and a half, but you never know). It is something that is open to the public. At this point in time, I am not too nervous about my presentation part. I think I am a decent presenter. I am a little nervous about the questions my committee members might ask. One thing I really hate, and really unnerves me is to feel stupid. I will do the best I can do and that is all I can do. It has taken me 6 years to reach this point. I have been a college student for 12 years...how ridiculous is that. The little known fact about me though is that as a college sophomore I was put on academic probation and actually released from my admission at the university. I have had to work very hard to get to where I am today. Many people think I have just coasted through my education, and every day has been a battle. I think one of my character strengths of perseverance will be demonstrated if I can pass this final test and become Dr. I am not one for labels so my students will still call me Sandra, but knowing that I have accomplished such a difficult feat, makes me feel proud.<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />PERSONAL LIFE</span><br />My mental health has been a little unstable I guess you could say since the whole Greece marathon. I have several character flaws but some that pop up repeatedly. I have a very hard time processing things, especially big life events. Running my first marathon, and traveling overseas for the first time in 15 years, I think count as big life events. I guess I am still trying to figure out what happened to some of the "friendships" that existed before going there, but yet seemed to really get cracked while being there. I have been feeling quite a bit of heartache, but know that dealing with things you cannot change will help me to grow as a person. I have also had some excitement with finally having some time to do some improvements on the home I bought back in November. I have been able to paint my kitchen a bright blue and my living room a warm tan. I hope to be able to paint my hallway, bedroom and bathroom soon as well. It has helped me to feel like a true home owner a positive way. It also made for something great to do in this fun spring snow storm we have had this weekend. St. Patrick's day was a horrible day for me though. It's supposed to be a day of luck for the Irish and I am 1/2 Irish, but I guess the 1/2 English side took over. My dog Balto wound up gone after I left the house for 2 hours for a bike ride. I am 98% certain someone took him from my back yard. He is such a timid dog and cowers if someone yells or jumps at him. He is the 2nd dog to magically "diappear" out of my back yard, the first being Bobby and Susan's dog Kiwi after I left for Greece. It has made me completely paranoid about my dog Boca. The only comfort I have is that Boca will run from anyone who chases him, including me...and if he makes it in the house he will be safe. It is so terrible to have to live in fear of a dognapper. I honestly don't know how anyone deals with a kidnapping of their child. So it was a traumatic event for me, again I don't process things well all the time. I am very sad about his disappearance but I am smart enough to know that someone probably took him to sell him because they are desperate for money. The only thing that gives me any peace is that if someone pays money for him, then they will provide him a good home. <br /><br />I am getting through each day one day at a time. I am trying to live and learn and move forward. It is extremely mentally difficult for me, but all I can do is try...BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-24571890205458015772009-12-19T21:28:00.003-06:002009-12-19T21:58:53.108-06:00marathon #3 is just 3 weeks awayWell, I figure it is time for a personal blog update. Life has been quite the whirlwind since my last entry on November 17th. Since that entry I completed marathon #2, the Route 66 Marathon here in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Doing your first 2 marathons 2 weeks apart, well it's a little nuts, but it did qualify me for Marathon Maniacs. I am now indeed an official maniac. I am Marathon Maniac #1996.<br /><br />But I digress...my "original" pick for my first marathon the Walt Disney World marathon is coming up on January 10th. I signed up for this marathon the day after it was ran in 2009 and made the decision, along with my New Year's Resolution to run at least 500 miles, that I would indeed attempt a marathon and thought why not do it at the "Happiest Place on Earth". Now that it is just 3 weeks away, I am feeling quite nervous about it.<br /><br />After completing the Greece marathon, I really wasn't sure I ever wanted to do another one, ever.... seriously. I know what you're thinking, everyone says that. However, I really meant it. There are many many many underlying things that occurred on my Greece trip that really doing the marathon 30 minutes slower than I thought I would, well it was just another piece that seemed to fall apart for me. I have taken the last 4-5 weeks and tried to reconcile my own thoughts and feelings about that entire trip and all the aspects of my life that it affected and move forward.<br /><br />When I got back to the states and regrouped somewhat, the Route 66 marathon was just around the corner. In my mind I kept telling myself that I was trained and could do it. In my mind, I had chalked it up as the possibility to run the marathon I thought I was capable of in Greece. So I semi-coerced Bobby into signing up with me on the day before the marathon, and there we were 2 weeks after Greece, at the starting line of the route 66 marathon. I have left out a few small details...the Wednesday before the Route 66 marathon, I got some horrible sinus crude. I was having to use my inhaler quite a bit, and personally felt like I was keeping Puffs in business. I went to the health clinic at TU and the doctor there kind blew me off. One thing most people know about me, is I am very good at diagnosing my own illnesses. So I did the resourceful thing and called my allergist and he was nice enough to call me in a Z-pack and give me an antibiotic booster (I swear this is the most painful shot ever, except maybe a spinal tap). So, I was really in no condition health wise to run anything, no less the full marathon, but heck that wasn't gonna stop me. So back to the starting line....<br /><br />It was so incredible to be a part of the Route 66 run, with all of the people from Runners World just everywhere on the course cheering people on, just everywhere. It was just amazing! I have to spend a special shout out to my friends Susan,Candace and Lisa. I saw them at mile 12. I lost Bobby at around mile 8-9, because I had no energy and felt so nauseous I just didn't know how i was gonna go on. At mile 12 when I saw my friends I told them I was getting in the car with them because I was done. Susan reminded me how much money I spent to do the silly run and I needed to keep going, and I did. I walked the entire last 15 miles. I met up with a guy named Jean from Illinois and he kept me company until about mile 24. It was awesome to finish the Route 66 with all my friends at the finish line and just knowing I didn't quit. <br /><br />So that brings me to today. Today was my last 'recommended' double digit training run for the Walt Disney Marathon. One of my big fears in Disney is that I will be out there by myself. The other 2 marathons I have had Bobby there with me at the start. So all during this past week, I worked on coaching myself that I could go out and run by myself and it would be okay. I had several people offer to put in miles with me on my last long run, but instead decided I needed to figure out if I was going to be able to do it on my own. So I set the alarm for 5:30 AM trying to plan on getting in 5-7 miles before my regular Runners World group met, and then 7 with the group, and then just needing another 2-4 on my own. The alarm went off this morning, and I had almost convinced myself that I would ignore it and figure out a weekday to get in my last long run, then I acknowledged that was ridiculous got up threw on the running clothes and headed to Veteran's park. I started my run this morning feeling nervous and anxious at 6 AM. Within my first couple of miles, I had truly found my "happy place", I was loving focusing on the songs on my ipod. I was loving the fact that I was letting my brain process all the different feelings/emotions I was having about all different people, things, and events. Before I knew it I was already crossing the Pedestrian Bridge for the first go round...this means I had about 3 1/2 miles already done. As I headed out on the Midland Valley Trail, it was still quite dark (I had my headlamp for safety). My head lamp was casting all kinds of interesting shadows so I was playing games with myself about what the different shadows could be and voila before I knew it I was crossing 18th street. I couldn't believe how well the run was going. I looked at my watch at that point and realized I would have time to actually get in 7 miles before the group met. I was feeling so proud of myself for just moving forward and feeling so at ease. I got my 7 done and met up with the group at 7:45. The hardest part of my whole adventure this morning was the waiting around to start running again. The temperatures weren't too bad this morning, but standing around in my own sweat made me quite chilly. I told Bobby to go on without me because I didn't know how much I would slow down, well I really wasn't too far behind him the whole time. It helped me to again feel good about my adventure. After we got back to the starting point, I had just the "short loop" left, Bobby was kind enough to ask if I wanted company, but I declined. I needed to finish what I had started, and I did. I completed 16.25 miles by myself and wasn't too worse for the wear. <br /><br />So, long story well long...I will pack my bags, running clothes included, and head to Disney on January 5th to complete my 3rd marathon in 3 months. How bad can it be?BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-41251486727694296762009-11-17T07:08:00.011-06:002009-11-17T07:32:31.348-06:00Marathon FinisherI am really a marathon finisher. It still seems pretty surreal. The entire adventure to Greece was quite overwhelming and emotional for me. I am so thankful I went. I really pushed myself out of my comfort zone. I have a hard time with travel anxiety, and of course then there was anxiety about running/completing my first marathon. I was so fortunate to have Bobby around since we had done all of our long training runs together. It was great to have so many friends around in Greece as well. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88xX3DWzdB9PBiiTlXoHuR3UnZpSHMRwfpulbs5pFIM3ORkcYvdhkODj-oj_6n_EjX_XDpsxUzxY2jtLxkHf6F6LkhIo1DrE-Mj6AC3n0Vx58aBR9mKcMihSN-h9Hj6pY_zlSAlF-3Jo/s1600/ACAT1537.jpeg.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 104px; height: 157px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh88xX3DWzdB9PBiiTlXoHuR3UnZpSHMRwfpulbs5pFIM3ORkcYvdhkODj-oj_6n_EjX_XDpsxUzxY2jtLxkHf6F6LkhIo1DrE-Mj6AC3n0Vx58aBR9mKcMihSN-h9Hj6pY_zlSAlF-3Jo/s320/ACAT1537.jpeg.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405060001384202978" border="0" /></a><br />Marathon morning started very early. There were several of us who decided to take the "Power Walker" start. This meant that start time was 7 AM. Doesn't seem so bad right? Well in order to take the 7 AM start you had to be at the finish line by 5:30 to get on the bus to the start in Marathonas. Since the public transportation system in Athens didn't start until 5 AM we scheduled for taxis to meet us at 4:30 to make sure we had plenty of time. My marathon morning started at about 3:30 AM with the onset of a pretty nasty migraine (I think just stress induced). The bus ride up to the start was a little touch and go as migraines often make me very nauseous.<br /><br />Once we arrived at Marathonas there was an awesome Olympic torch, some music playing, and of course some damp conditions. There was a chance of rain after all.<br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxOpODdvQUEdF43xdQJX-qJ-jJYqbcNeP3uGugtcmHKcQZOhTU-163cluQscN5O-VOTS-09_U24td2Y6DMX8alCwm59EYYOXXzLnoHmkQzGwgGZdKMNKCQC7IcEX8Klzm1z6Om_Qx-e4/s1600/16345_1273142593679_1383341372_30784280_5071422_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSxOpODdvQUEdF43xdQJX-qJ-jJYqbcNeP3uGugtcmHKcQZOhTU-163cluQscN5O-VOTS-09_U24td2Y6DMX8alCwm59EYYOXXzLnoHmkQzGwgGZdKMNKCQC7IcEX8Klzm1z6Om_Qx-e4/s320/16345_1273142593679_1383341372_30784280_5071422_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405061657095629650" border="0" /></a><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnV1t7nvqo6xetpXgx8glTCxorzX1isR_yPRKJZpAyOSwUIckeKWU7qol3uEHfWxswucJVM6zx0fH2YG99lXezvgCOnm-ElI97iuJe4QwBtfe3M_5tkVRvD5OxA_kA4tnMTHOGJ14_t4/s1600/16345_1273142553678_1383341372_30784279_1164538_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqnV1t7nvqo6xetpXgx8glTCxorzX1isR_yPRKJZpAyOSwUIckeKWU7qol3uEHfWxswucJVM6zx0fH2YG99lXezvgCOnm-ElI97iuJe4QwBtfe3M_5tkVRvD5OxA_kA4tnMTHOGJ14_t4/s320/16345_1273142553678_1383341372_30784279_1164538_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405062079267266818" border="0" /></a><br /><br />At 6:45 AM there was a nice clap of thunder and some lightning off in the distance and then yup...it rained. And rained. And rained. Those of us that took the "Power Walker" start got to run in the rain for about the first 3 hours of the run. Fortunately the outside temperature was about 20 degrees Celsius, so it wasn't too cold of a rain. I started the run using the Galloway 1/1 method. I had Bobby and Chrissy hanging with me so we were laughing at the rain and just taking it all in. At mile 9, Chrissy had to stop for a potty break and Bobby needed to fill up his water bottle. I figured they would both catch back up with me quickly. I didn't see Chrissy again until about the 24 kilometer marking and Bobby reappeared around the 34 kilometer mark. It was an extremely hilly course. I have preferred to use the term "mountainous" to hilly to describe the elevation changes along the route. The finish of the course however made the whole experience worth it. Getting to run into the original Olympic stadium with the Olympic rings and the great stands and the crowd...it was awe inspiring. It was so great to experience everything with Bobby and Chrissy. Our finish time was 6:31:08, but it wasn't about the time...it was about the finish, and the experience of a lifetime.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsa-04AL7ySqpUq9Ny87-bN08n1pjToZ0wKyfk-J_NSzwNzAOSJGjNjoTckN_XljrH9TFed4Y3NCg26HP-dS4avKdNjw2VGqra-53sL9_-xCRMI9wqe1qYJyS80EeAmDndDXa9FSZR2IE/s1600/16345_1273142713682_1383341372_30784283_1657294_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsa-04AL7ySqpUq9Ny87-bN08n1pjToZ0wKyfk-J_NSzwNzAOSJGjNjoTckN_XljrH9TFed4Y3NCg26HP-dS4avKdNjw2VGqra-53sL9_-xCRMI9wqe1qYJyS80EeAmDndDXa9FSZR2IE/s320/16345_1273142713682_1383341372_30784283_1657294_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405064080527899138" border="0" /></a><br /><br />The day following the marathon, we took an awesome day cruise. It was awesome just to rest, relax, and enjoy the day.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqnGeLOFu10CIqqjwUFhX_fG9EwKWOv7fFzDe7P5mrm9uzbu1VFeXKqTcdU1QxFum5rGKnmLXpZCEXAp9SXH2rM12u57WtSIQCNMuJrYP38eXAKttWBlU_hEQ3HSCwUUb1ECDDS_Xd0A/s1600/16345_1273142833685_1383341372_30784286_4860659_n.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibqnGeLOFu10CIqqjwUFhX_fG9EwKWOv7fFzDe7P5mrm9uzbu1VFeXKqTcdU1QxFum5rGKnmLXpZCEXAp9SXH2rM12u57WtSIQCNMuJrYP38eXAKttWBlU_hEQ3HSCwUUb1ECDDS_Xd0A/s320/16345_1273142833685_1383341372_30784286_4860659_n.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5405064456750537842" border="0" /></a><br /><br />What's next? <br /><br />Well, I am signed up to do the Disney Marathon on January 10th, 2010. I am looking forward to it. I may attempt the Route 66 run (full or half). Then I think i will venture to Scotland in May for another overseas adventure.BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-43860694345984508402009-10-24T21:15:00.003-05:002009-10-25T14:10:55.697-05:00Long Run Trainings are Over...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZD7bj9j9AGpHmPscQwlKNi_6Bz7IRPgb3Yx0MxPZ2cQkDsvqCSrADPjIjPlJjwZrfIMxvd5N1afPq9zy5O06ivlqUEm12MvacwCBVmxD2U38nW4czoJ6MDa5b6G1CPIQvo7b_wWy-DA0/s1600-h/PA242050.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZD7bj9j9AGpHmPscQwlKNi_6Bz7IRPgb3Yx0MxPZ2cQkDsvqCSrADPjIjPlJjwZrfIMxvd5N1afPq9zy5O06ivlqUEm12MvacwCBVmxD2U38nW4czoJ6MDa5b6G1CPIQvo7b_wWy-DA0/s320/PA242050.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396616799719051634" border="0" /></a><br />I can not believe that I completed the last long run of my marathon training for this session today. A whole whopping 22 miles. It was fairly decent going until around mile 18, then I let the mental game win. We had a good plan when the day started. We began at 5:30 despite the fact that the other groups weren't starting until 6:45...we had much further to go than anyone else. So we broke up our 22 miles into a 6 mile out and back, the 8 mile loop that all groups were doing, and an 8 mile kinda out and back and kinda loop. I felt great during the first 6 miles. We had some of our dear friends Jason, Lisa, Ronit, and Tom come out and join us bright and early to get their miles in as well. We made it back to Veteran's park just in time to say hello to the 26Dot2 Marathuners (our group) and head out for our 8 mile jaunt with everyone. The 8 miles didn't go too badly either. We maintained a decent pace for our first 14 miles and stayed in good spirits. When we went to head out for our last 8 mile loop/out-and-back I let the mental game get the best of me. I started to focus on how far I had left to go and could not snap my head out of it. We spent the first 2 miles of the last 8 trying to decide exactly which route would be the most tolerable and enjoyable, so it went fair. When mile 18 showed up, all I could focus on was the fact that I couldn't breathe, and my hip hurt. The last 4 miles were completed at a steady walk, but most importantly at the end of the day all 22 miles were completed.<br /><br />I hope that 2 weeks from tomorrow, I will be able to update my blog to state that I am a marathon finisher. I am starting to get geared up for the trip and the whole adventure. I am also starting to feel the nerves already, gotta make sure to keep everything balanced and in check. I am fairly certain that TZ snapped some pretty good "thank goodness this is over" pictures, so if he posts them, I will swipe them and add 1 or 2 to the blog entry.<br /><br />Wish me luck!! What a lifetime adventure story this will be forever and ever....<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDfsf62gXXSnZj_x64hqb5dE2iJJpZE5QLLvzeM5KdIfndKhZDsBMEjEMDASONNVf7X5qPUqyN-fDwmBXUz5IYxC9jFIfTOvfZaaIFvf1IwoDBRVRyhcssLlZ-IyEEOYdTEY7Hf7Mh1Y/s1600-h/PA242049.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfDfsf62gXXSnZj_x64hqb5dE2iJJpZE5QLLvzeM5KdIfndKhZDsBMEjEMDASONNVf7X5qPUqyN-fDwmBXUz5IYxC9jFIfTOvfZaaIFvf1IwoDBRVRyhcssLlZ-IyEEOYdTEY7Hf7Mh1Y/s320/PA242049.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5396616903158435346" border="0" /></a>BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-37172170142815316642009-10-13T07:19:00.003-05:002009-10-13T07:30:42.591-05:00Trying a New StrategyWow a lot has happened since my last blog entry. I won't try to recap it all. I will just share my new "running technique" that is really helping me to believe that finishing a marathon is truly in my cards. Bobby and I ran the Albuquerque half marathon behind several groups doing the "Galloway" method. They were running 1 minute and walking 1 minute. We played leap frog with them until about mile 9 or so, when our "run" could not keep up with their run/walk pattern. We thought, okay let's try this run/walk thing, but at that point our legs were already spent. So, I purchased a couple of the Galloway books (www.jeffgalloway.com), and felt encouraged by what I read. Then Bobby shared, that he ordered the interval timer so we didn't have to keep checking our watches to try the 1/1 method. Our first Thursday night run when he got his timer, we did 4 miles in a quicker time than I had done 4 miles in a long long time. I am not setting any speed goals, but I was amazed at how good I felt overall...didn't feel like dying or anything along the way. So we decided this would be the new approach. I of course, wanted my own timer, since I plan on taking the early start for the Greece marathon and don't want anyone else feel obligated to go early. So I got the bright pink one. Here's a photo of what my new best friend looks like:<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeYUt2Rrvjxy8bp8UCqEeaLuQ1dRizgtBsifQtMNQHOwKqedj-ND2obn5rSdVS7st_-Nw2VGWfLdiEJQRRahxKuyA0cwyTUR4AkqQsna7j0KRew7j5izi-LYGx1aceazAjdiKsukfr4U/s1600-h/gymboss_r2_c1New.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 264px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqeYUt2Rrvjxy8bp8UCqEeaLuQ1dRizgtBsifQtMNQHOwKqedj-ND2obn5rSdVS7st_-Nw2VGWfLdiEJQRRahxKuyA0cwyTUR4AkqQsna7j0KRew7j5izi-LYGx1aceazAjdiKsukfr4U/s320/gymboss_r2_c1New.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5392059387130770578" border="0" /></a>It has really been working well for me. Bobby and I missed our regular Saturday long run, cuz we were in KS crewing for our friends running the 50 mile/100 mile Heartland run. You can read all about that adventure on<a href="http://trailzombie.blogspot.com/"> Trail Zombie's</a> or <a href="http://i-want-to-run-a-marathun.blogspot.com/">Bobby's</a> blog. So we went out for a 10-mile weekday run, even though we were both still dragging a little from our 40 some odd hours of awakeness over the weekend. Here were our splits using the 1/1 method the entire way:<br /><br />Mile 0-1: 13:38 (sometimes it's so hard to get started)<br />Mile 1-2: 13:13<br />Mile 2-3: 12:44<br />Mile 3-4: 13:09<br />Mile 4-5: 13:23<br />Mile 5-6: 13:06<br />Mile 6-7: 13:15<br />Mile 7-8: 13:26<br />Mile 8-9: 13:18<br />Mile 9-10: 13:51 (including walking up part of that darn turkey mountain hill back to the parking lot)<br />Mile 10-10.15: 2:38<br /><br />I am so encouraged by the consistency of our miles while doing this technique. It will be interesting to see how it works out for me on the 22 mile run in a couple weeks.<br /><br />Anyone that wants to try this out is more than welcome to hang out with me and/or Bobby!! We are both big believers...BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-63483196273395025732009-09-03T23:43:00.003-05:002009-09-03T23:53:12.768-05:00An Adventure AwaitsWell, I decided to join the Crazy Train and head to do a double half marathon weekend for Labor Day. My training for the full marathon in Greece in November has been hilly, both figuratively and literally. So far my longest run has been 14 miles. I did well for the first 10 1/2 miles of that run then totally hit the wall with a bang. I have been dealing with some hip and ankle issues. thanks to Dr. Zoellner and his great chiropractic techniques my hip has been feeling great. Even after 14 miles. Now he is working on tweaking my ankle.<br /><br />I really had no intention of running any big events until Greece, but found out some friends were going to Albuquerque and then Colorado Springs to complete two marathons back to back over Labor Day weekend. Well of course my good buddy Roman hyped it up and talked how there were 1/2 marathons at the events as well. So I thought about it and looked up the runs. Looked like fun. I haven't ever been to New Mexico or Colorado and why not? <br /><br />I also spent all summer working on my degree and starting the private practice, so I figure I need a break from Oklahoma and all the madness.<br /><br />I head out on Saturday...I hope that these 1/2's will be a confidence boost for the upcoming full in Greece. This will be my first time to travel just for the purpose of running. I am really looking forward to getting to see another part of the country and hanging out with my running friends.BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-24138715142591769322009-08-10T21:12:00.003-05:002009-08-10T21:31:13.853-05:00I have been on a whirlwind of training highs and lows. I have been doing my best to keep a positive attitude and be proud of myself for continuing to get out there and put one foot in front of the other.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifocBrtkJf1zvjXr_BVIOI8wwhJmfVcEaZqfWcNhEFcBayDaWXPzJOEl77VshdiPT687Kc44mJMFbi99QD5F73kehmB1-OFPxEndyc8TCXxvww5jKJNqbAjTBvPDEhSNO7PvITAqTuVsw/s1600-h/IMG_0109.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifocBrtkJf1zvjXr_BVIOI8wwhJmfVcEaZqfWcNhEFcBayDaWXPzJOEl77VshdiPT687Kc44mJMFbi99QD5F73kehmB1-OFPxEndyc8TCXxvww5jKJNqbAjTBvPDEhSNO7PvITAqTuVsw/s320/IMG_0109.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5368524279385699282" border="0" /></a>A couple of Saturday's ago I did 8 miles in my training for the Greece Marathon in November. I ran with Bobby, or I should say Bobby was nice enough to run with me. Bobby and I have spent a lot of time on the long training runs together. This 8 mile run was my best run in a long long long long time...I felt great...didn't take any walk breaks except for the water stops. I felt strong and in really good spirits. It was really an uplifting run...then comes this past Saturday's attempt at a 12 miler. I have been having some pain in my right hip again. Finally bucked up last week to visit Dr. Z and see if I can't get my hip right...although I think the treatments are helping...he showed me a better running technique to use my hip flexors and glutes to the maximum...I feel sore. I was told to lay off last Tuesday so I walked. On Thursday, I had a decent run. I was feeling pretty good about doing the 12 on Saturday, but at mile 5 my hip really started bothering me. A smart person would have turned around then and cut it to 10 or even had someone come pick them up, but nope...I continued to get all 12. STUPID!!! I have never experienced so much physical pain on or after a run as I did that Saturday. I did have fun hanging with Roman and Bobby. We decided to trek through the new Riverside trail between 56th and 75th. <br /><br />I also got some new shoes last week, but really am not sure that I like them at all. I am having such a hard time with shoes lately...oh well...will keep on trying...BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6743951217831006213.post-76709514454693845472009-06-07T12:59:00.006-05:002009-06-07T13:17:00.010-05:00Let the Marathon Training BeginSaturday marked the official beginning of Fall Marathon/Half-Marathon/Tulsa Run/5K training. I feel so honored to have been chosen to be a fellow run leader with <a href="http://i-want-to-run-a-marathun.blogspot.com/">Bobby Michaels</a> for a Beginning Marathon training group. Our group name is 26Dot2 Marathuners! We have an awesome group of runners. I personally am a little nervous about being a run leader, because I myself have not completed a marathon, yet. However, I love to cheer for and encourage people that are out there making the attempt and having fun pounding the pavement. So I hope I can take the role of cheerleader and encourager. I also love being paired with Bobby has he has inspired me so much to this point.<br /><br />After everyone said their name, I asked everyone to say their name again with their favorite color. I can do pretty well at remember attributes about people and can usually learn names by association. I think I have about 1/2 of the group committed to memory, but hope to get the other 1/2 by next week. We all headed out to do a 5 mile loop. I was a little worried about being able to do all 5 miles, but I got them done. It wasn't too awful of a time considering I haven't been running longer than 3 for a month.<br /><br />After the run, I went and supported my dad's entry at a car show in Sapulpa. Here are some pictures of him with his car that he has put a lot of blood and sweat in to.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwT6PC5bHpszEV0Hm-CdnrRyYpYp7ZMpUF5ccerUVVif9W5MTaTlNPfa8mA1YV_WZpp-4YgJRqFmgozHaanwv7ahIic_FyLN2rjha0GFZWJJOC1wumCkf2lOdZB4uKIcopUm44r9Z-xt8/s1600-h/PICT0196.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwT6PC5bHpszEV0Hm-CdnrRyYpYp7ZMpUF5ccerUVVif9W5MTaTlNPfa8mA1YV_WZpp-4YgJRqFmgozHaanwv7ahIic_FyLN2rjha0GFZWJJOC1wumCkf2lOdZB4uKIcopUm44r9Z-xt8/s400/PICT0196.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344649369376965346" border="0" /></a>For those of you that are really into cars too, here is what it looked like as you approached. In my family, we (primarily my brother and I) refer to this car as the sleigh...<br /><br /><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-frsFu8uS1bCq_854qXX7CviGqxr33gPxy_6Q1QZZzHgSqTHXfESX7elEa0o_G2cyu5bVNYgUO835kpFFhbF3PCDNrrKJbOmUocb3rfM6LgdaelXb57F679N8X1Ii_nKbO3VaDQlMrZQ/s1600-h/PICT0195.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-frsFu8uS1bCq_854qXX7CviGqxr33gPxy_6Q1QZZzHgSqTHXfESX7elEa0o_G2cyu5bVNYgUO835kpFFhbF3PCDNrrKJbOmUocb3rfM6LgdaelXb57F679N8X1Ii_nKbO3VaDQlMrZQ/s400/PICT0195.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5344649682270938738" border="0" /></a>The weather Saturday was great, and it was nice to veg out outside and not have to do a whole lot.<br /><br />I decided on Thursday once I got the all clear to run from the doctor to sign up for the Estim8ur. I signed up for the 4 mile run. I have to admit that I looked up Bobby's guessed time and added 4 minutes and a little, knowing that Bobby is pretty consistent and I would be slower because we were running 5 miles on Saturday. It was a nice morning for a run. It was great that the Estim8ur started at 7 to beat some of the sun/heat/humidity. The air was a little thick but I relaxed pretty quicklky knowing that i had guessed a relatively slow time (14min/mil). As I climbed up the rocks from part of the trail portion of the route, Roman was nice enough to cheer me to the finish. He provided some humor by commenting that I wanted to look good at the finish, I joked and told him that I didn't look good when I started. He then had a quick reply of "well then you'll have improvement". It made me laugh and gave me the push to run all the way up the hill and around the pavillion. As I turned the corner, I saw the race clock it read 57:10. At first I was a little bummed, I had guessed 56:20. Then I hear Brian make an announcment that the top 10 were all within a minute of their time. I realized that I had indeed guessed within a minute of when I finished. At the end of the day I would up placing 9th female in the 4 mile run. I was so excited. I'm never top 10 in any running event. I still just run events for fun, but it was a nice self-esteem boost to do so well in this event.<br /><br />Thanks Brian, Ken, Kathy, and the rest of the TATURS for the Estim8ur!!BOCAhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03746452084269676138noreply@blogger.com2