I have to apologize if this is boring, but heck...its my blog so deal.
Saturday was a somewhat rest day with a nice relaxing 5 mile walk downtown with my friend Lorraine. We shopped and had coffee, stopped in at the finish line of the Big Dam Bridge 100 mile bike race which was finishing up downtown. It was too early for much to be going on down there yet so we moved on.
Sitting downtown and having coffee in a semi outdoor cafe downtown and having great conversation is a wonderful way to start a Saturday.
After that I got back home and walked Frisco for a long time. We started around the block then saw a sign for an estate sale and followed that. It was about a mile off our course but that was fine. I had no other plans for the afternoon.
We got to the house and it was a ranch style home on Leatrice. I entered through the garage where some folks were sitting with a cash box and some others wondering around picking up and examining items, putting them down, turning and asking questions....
seeing nothing of interest in the garage I entered the home.
It was probably built in the late 70's early 80's. Wood paneling covered the walls, and there was thick brown carpeting covering the floors. The kitchen was completely vintage...it had not been remodeled or even painted since the house was built I assume. Dark wood cabinets, linoleum floors. old appliances. This house most likely belonged to an elderly couple who raised their children here, who had either recently passed or moved to assisted living. Time moved on around them and they, unknowingly, let the house slip back in time as well. Probably the liked the look of it and had no care to change it. The children had no care to keep the house, remodel the house or update it. It stood stuck in time and the items for sale were mostly worthless sentimental items standing as witness to the homes forgotten state. Record albums, teapots, plant hangers made of macrame and wicker. Some broken accordion doors. a few dishes that everybody's grandmother had, salt and pepper shakers, old tools. The once loved and used articles now exposed and held up for strangers to pilfer through. What a sad way to go.
Estate sales are sad . Yesterday these items were a families possessions and memories, now they will go to whomever will give a buck fifty for a stack of books.
Needless to say I bought nothing. I did not see the need to carry any of this into the future with me. So it stayed in the house. Frisco and I carried on with our walk.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Wonderful Weekend of running
I had an absolutely wonderful weekend of running. Not so much that I logged a lot of miles, but that they were good quality pain free miles.
Friday morning I ran in my neighborhood for the first time in months. It was so lovely getting back to my hilly Midtown runs.
I live in an older area of Little Rock called Midtown. It's a relatively new designation. About 20 years ago, this part of town was considered "West" Little Rock. I remember driving to the shopping center I now live across the street from when I was a kid and thinking I was so far away from home. I lived in North Little Rock at the time and the drive from my neighborhood to this dentist seemed like quite a haul at the time. The area looked so nice and upscale...It was quite an experience. Now I live across the street in a new development neighborhood. Funny how things work out.
It was referred to as West Little Rock because it was the sub urban area west of downtown, south of the really wealth old money homes. It was developed in the 1970's and 80's, mostly ranch style homes with some colonials mixed in. Some of the homes date back to the 1950's in the northern eastern end of the area. If you go further east the homes date back to the 20's 30's through 1950's.
Now, west little Rock is much further west. In the 1990's development began to sprawl even further west. New McMansions went up fueled by the housing boom of the 90's . New neighborhoods with winding streets, pie shaped lots and cul de sacs were created to make absolute most efficient use of every scrap of land that was not a drainage creek or too steep to build on. We never saw anything like it. Not a tree was left uncut and the lots were sodded and minimal standard drainage was snaked through the new "wealthy" housing developments. I was working in Engineering at the water department at the time thinking, who is purchasing these homes, most way over $100,000 ...now that seemed like tons of money at the time. Some homes were going for half a mil in the elevated areas with nice views of Chenal Mountain.
So, west went west and old west is now Midtown..which I LOVE. there is shopping, everywhere grocery stores and coffee shops withing walking distance. A mall withing a mile of my house. The area is busy which I love. I am a city person.
It is also very hilly. When I run my neighborhood it is a hill workout. So getting back to this run was such a nice change. I love being able to step out my front door and get a five mile hill workout. I can run to the heights if I want, Hillcrest is only a couple miles away.
I'm a Lucky Girl!
Friday morning I ran in my neighborhood for the first time in months. It was so lovely getting back to my hilly Midtown runs.
I live in an older area of Little Rock called Midtown. It's a relatively new designation. About 20 years ago, this part of town was considered "West" Little Rock. I remember driving to the shopping center I now live across the street from when I was a kid and thinking I was so far away from home. I lived in North Little Rock at the time and the drive from my neighborhood to this dentist seemed like quite a haul at the time. The area looked so nice and upscale...It was quite an experience. Now I live across the street in a new development neighborhood. Funny how things work out.
It was referred to as West Little Rock because it was the sub urban area west of downtown, south of the really wealth old money homes. It was developed in the 1970's and 80's, mostly ranch style homes with some colonials mixed in. Some of the homes date back to the 1950's in the northern eastern end of the area. If you go further east the homes date back to the 20's 30's through 1950's.
Now, west little Rock is much further west. In the 1990's development began to sprawl even further west. New McMansions went up fueled by the housing boom of the 90's . New neighborhoods with winding streets, pie shaped lots and cul de sacs were created to make absolute most efficient use of every scrap of land that was not a drainage creek or too steep to build on. We never saw anything like it. Not a tree was left uncut and the lots were sodded and minimal standard drainage was snaked through the new "wealthy" housing developments. I was working in Engineering at the water department at the time thinking, who is purchasing these homes, most way over $100,000 ...now that seemed like tons of money at the time. Some homes were going for half a mil in the elevated areas with nice views of Chenal Mountain.
So, west went west and old west is now Midtown..which I LOVE. there is shopping, everywhere grocery stores and coffee shops withing walking distance. A mall withing a mile of my house. The area is busy which I love. I am a city person.
It is also very hilly. When I run my neighborhood it is a hill workout. So getting back to this run was such a nice change. I love being able to step out my front door and get a five mile hill workout. I can run to the heights if I want, Hillcrest is only a couple miles away.
I'm a Lucky Girl!
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Just a little set-back
As I posted earlier in my blog. My running addiction came about due to weight loss, and finding an efficient exercise method to burn calories. My research always came to running. It works better than walking because you can simply get more miles in during a work out. I have heard that a mile is a mile when it comes to calorie burn, although, I feel running up hills burns more calories than running on flat.
So I hover around 115 on my weight, at least I did for a long time. I figured the weight increase from 110 to 115 was normal for someone running 30 miles to 40 miles per week due to muscle gain and needing to have more calories to run.
Recently I got on a scale that said 123....yes....123...Ok, I never ever ever approved a 123....
How did this happen? This can't happen. I'm not liking this at all!
This was yesterday...and I will not forget this because I wanted to cry.
So I have decided to, for the next two weeks put forth a concerted effort to reduce my calorie intake as much as possible and still maintain my running. I want to lose 5 lbs before the end of October.
I plan to go high protein because that seems to keep me satisfied longer. I purchased a carton of Egg Beaters, some fat free cheese and bacon bits and that was my breakfast this morning. I got a head start by keeping my calorie intake under 1500, today I hope to be around 1200....
I'm pulling out all the stops, using all the tricks and playing all my cards. I cannot let the weight creep back on me. Cannot....I have worked too hard and done too much to get to where I am.
I will win this battle....
So I hover around 115 on my weight, at least I did for a long time. I figured the weight increase from 110 to 115 was normal for someone running 30 miles to 40 miles per week due to muscle gain and needing to have more calories to run.
Recently I got on a scale that said 123....yes....123...Ok, I never ever ever approved a 123....
How did this happen? This can't happen. I'm not liking this at all!
This was yesterday...and I will not forget this because I wanted to cry.
So I have decided to, for the next two weeks put forth a concerted effort to reduce my calorie intake as much as possible and still maintain my running. I want to lose 5 lbs before the end of October.
I plan to go high protein because that seems to keep me satisfied longer. I purchased a carton of Egg Beaters, some fat free cheese and bacon bits and that was my breakfast this morning. I got a head start by keeping my calorie intake under 1500, today I hope to be around 1200....
I'm pulling out all the stops, using all the tricks and playing all my cards. I cannot let the weight creep back on me. Cannot....I have worked too hard and done too much to get to where I am.
I will win this battle....
Monday, September 10, 2012
The Do Wacka Do
My alarm went off at 3:30am on Saturday morning. Yes, this is normal for me.
I got up and turned on the weather channel to get a sense of things outside. It was 65 degrees in Western OK, I got up, showered and got dressed in my LuLulemon Pacesetter skirt, and swiftly running shirt, packed my gear and luggage into the car, chatting with the early morning cleaning staff and desk attendant at the hotel. Fortunately it was not to windy outside.
I checked out of my hotel and drove the half hour to Erick's Sandy Sanders Wildlife management area. Of course I was there way ahead of schedule and the organizers had not yet come out with the bibs yet. I could tell this was going to be a laid back event since the start finish was not even assembled yet. I talked to a few volunteers who had arrived early and since I had gotten there before any body else, I had my pick of the parking. Some runners had driven out the night before and slept in their cars, and they had not begun to stir yet.
The temperature was dropping, a cold front was moving in and the mercury had dropped three degrees in the last hour and I was shivering standing out side so I decided to wait in my car for more activity to develop.
I ate half of a peanut butter sandwich while I waited, I had my camel back ready and an back-up bladder in my ice chest, and tried not to fall asleep!
Finally more cars started to pile in and as 6:30 approached I was seeing people congregate around the port-a- johns. I decided to go and take advantage of one of those before getting in line.
Finally 6:50 rolls around and I decide to mosey to the start line and the organizers were just setting up the start line area, I gave a little chuckle at how completely laid back this event was. Volunteers were in good spirits and not in any hurry at all. Everybody was friendly and having a good time. I chatted with a girl who was doing the 25K as we waited and finally the race director made is announcements. A humorous course description, warnings about snakes and wildlife and then the customary shooting of the rifle. The person who comes from the farthest location gets to shoot the start rifle. Then we were off.
The course started nice enough. The usual crowding and adrenaline induced way-to-optimistic pace setting. I took the opportunity on a couple up hills to walk and let the speedys go around me. Don't want to be around the chatty speedy folks and was finally running in peace on the red and silver colored trail. The trails were some-what smooth with occasional crevasse, no large rocks to speak of. all in all very runnable. There were some places the gypsum layer was exposed and revealed an almost smooth covering on the road that looked like it was laid in by hand. There was a lot of dust, cactus, short scruffy trees, but no shade. After about 30 minutes of running the sun blazed over the bluffs and I slipped my sunglasses off my head and over my eyes.
We ran on into the bluffs and canyons, there were large outcrops of gypsum and mica that streaked within the layers of red dirt and dust. One patch of trail glittered with mica as we ran over it.
There were about 3 significant climbs that lead up the sides of canyons we navigated, with the reward of expansive mountain views of the western Oklahoma landscape. We were exhausted, but it was well worth the effort.
The second loop was way more challenging than the first. Of course. The hills seemed hillier, the ground seemed looser and the cacti seemed pricklier! But I was helped out at the end by a runner who was no more eager to bound up the hills than I was and we walked, ran and talked together for the last 8 miles or so.
I also created a lot of new friends, Dianne Bolton, the sparkle skirt woman, Chris , and Mouhmed, a very enthusiastic Palestine transplant from Minnesota/Jacksonville. It was a Lot of Fun!
I finished the 4th female out of 6 female finishers, 7 hours and 36 minutes, 15 or so minutes better than my War Eagle performance. I got 2nd in my age division!
My trip was a success. I thoroughly enjoyed the town, the run, the after party, and my traveling and shopping before and after. It was a wonderful and peaceful trip,
I drove back to OKC after the race, checked into my hotel there, showered and located a sushi restaurant. Scarfed some tuna, salmon and rice, sipped hot tea and updated my Facebook page.
After that I slept really really well, and headed home the next day. I'm so happy to be a runner!
The Do Wacka Do
I got up and turned on the weather channel to get a sense of things outside. It was 65 degrees in Western OK, I got up, showered and got dressed in my LuLulemon Pacesetter skirt, and swiftly running shirt, packed my gear and luggage into the car, chatting with the early morning cleaning staff and desk attendant at the hotel. Fortunately it was not to windy outside.
I checked out of my hotel and drove the half hour to Erick's Sandy Sanders Wildlife management area. Of course I was there way ahead of schedule and the organizers had not yet come out with the bibs yet. I could tell this was going to be a laid back event since the start finish was not even assembled yet. I talked to a few volunteers who had arrived early and since I had gotten there before any body else, I had my pick of the parking. Some runners had driven out the night before and slept in their cars, and they had not begun to stir yet.
The temperature was dropping, a cold front was moving in and the mercury had dropped three degrees in the last hour and I was shivering standing out side so I decided to wait in my car for more activity to develop.
I ate half of a peanut butter sandwich while I waited, I had my camel back ready and an back-up bladder in my ice chest, and tried not to fall asleep!
Finally more cars started to pile in and as 6:30 approached I was seeing people congregate around the port-a- johns. I decided to go and take advantage of one of those before getting in line.
Finally 6:50 rolls around and I decide to mosey to the start line and the organizers were just setting up the start line area, I gave a little chuckle at how completely laid back this event was. Volunteers were in good spirits and not in any hurry at all. Everybody was friendly and having a good time. I chatted with a girl who was doing the 25K as we waited and finally the race director made is announcements. A humorous course description, warnings about snakes and wildlife and then the customary shooting of the rifle. The person who comes from the farthest location gets to shoot the start rifle. Then we were off.
The course started nice enough. The usual crowding and adrenaline induced way-to-optimistic pace setting. I took the opportunity on a couple up hills to walk and let the speedys go around me. Don't want to be around the chatty speedy folks and was finally running in peace on the red and silver colored trail. The trails were some-what smooth with occasional crevasse, no large rocks to speak of. all in all very runnable. There were some places the gypsum layer was exposed and revealed an almost smooth covering on the road that looked like it was laid in by hand. There was a lot of dust, cactus, short scruffy trees, but no shade. After about 30 minutes of running the sun blazed over the bluffs and I slipped my sunglasses off my head and over my eyes.
We ran on into the bluffs and canyons, there were large outcrops of gypsum and mica that streaked within the layers of red dirt and dust. One patch of trail glittered with mica as we ran over it.
There were about 3 significant climbs that lead up the sides of canyons we navigated, with the reward of expansive mountain views of the western Oklahoma landscape. We were exhausted, but it was well worth the effort.
The second loop was way more challenging than the first. Of course. The hills seemed hillier, the ground seemed looser and the cacti seemed pricklier! But I was helped out at the end by a runner who was no more eager to bound up the hills than I was and we walked, ran and talked together for the last 8 miles or so.
I also created a lot of new friends, Dianne Bolton, the sparkle skirt woman, Chris , and Mouhmed, a very enthusiastic Palestine transplant from Minnesota/Jacksonville. It was a Lot of Fun!
I finished the 4th female out of 6 female finishers, 7 hours and 36 minutes, 15 or so minutes better than my War Eagle performance. I got 2nd in my age division!
My trip was a success. I thoroughly enjoyed the town, the run, the after party, and my traveling and shopping before and after. It was a wonderful and peaceful trip,
I drove back to OKC after the race, checked into my hotel there, showered and located a sushi restaurant. Scarfed some tuna, salmon and rice, sipped hot tea and updated my Facebook page.
After that I slept really really well, and headed home the next day. I'm so happy to be a runner!
The Do Wacka Do
Wow! Great Weekend!
I have to hand it to the folks in Erick Oklahoma, they put on a really nice race! I also have to completely rejoice in the fact that two days post run, I'm having no knee pain and hardly no PF pain. I can say that after running and climbing over 31 miles of gravely, fragmented bluffs and buttes in the Breaks of OK I'm healed. Now I just need to stay this way.
I have to say driving to Erick OK was a snap. I started very early from Little Rock, so I could get the bulk of the driving in before the sun got really high in the sky. I was in Ft Smith before I knew it and stopped for gas. I was apprehensive about keeping my car fueled because I had never driven I-40 that far west before. I know what to expect driving on I-30, but this one was newer to me. It was a welcome change however. I crossed the OK border and onto OK City. I stopped for another bathroom/gas break before I went into OK City and navigated the highway interchanges and traffic I had to pass by pretty easily. Before I knew it I was back in open country again west of OK City.
At this point I was expecting it to get really long and boring, but I was pleasantly surprised by the towns and interesting landscape, massive windmills, pasture land and geology. I also absolutely had to stop at the Cherokee trading post to shop. I pulled in and of course took photos of the 40 foot wooden Indian statue towering over the parking lot, posted to Facebook. of course....
The store was impressive, feasting me to beautiful handmade pottery that was wayyy to expensive and lovely silver hand inlaid jewelry. I finally settle on an adorable pair of coral stone and silver turtle earrings made by the Zuni tribe.
After my shopping I was off to Sayre, where my hotel was. I took an early exit and ended up driving through downtown Sayre, saw City Hall and the court house. I continued on through the town and found the hotel, checked in, dumped my bags in my room, and immediately sought out food. Since I saw nothing of culinary interest in Sayre, I just went across the street to the Denny's for lunch., so I could get on the road to Erick fairly quickly.
In Erick, I took the Roger Miller Memorial Highway to downtown and ran smack dab into Historic Route 66, found the Museum and went inside. The ladies at the packet pick up were extremely nice and I looked around the museum. After that (on the suggestion of the organizers at the museum) I decided to drive down to the Sandy Sanders WMA to see where I would be going in the morning and I'm glad I did. I got an idea of exactly how far it was going to be and how long it was going to take me. It was quite a drive, I'm happy I did it and only made one wrong turn. After viewing the start finish location I stopped at an old cemetery I saw on the way down and took some photos. It was peaceful and sunny, with a brisk breeze, I love days like this! I spent about an hour in the cemetery just reading headstones and wondering what life was like and what those individuals saw during their years. One ladies life spanned almost 100 years from the late 1800's to 1979. Many headstones were of lives cut very short,as either infants or small children, a reminder of how harsh life could be in the Mid west in the late 1800's .
After spending some time with the dead, I went onto to visit the living! I was told about a shop in Erick that was a locally owned staple of the community. Oleta's , was a small yet overly stuffed gift shop with everything from beannie babies to cooking appliances. purses candles, scarves, jewelry, pot holders, pots and pans, and dishes. She was wedding shower central and had one in the works with gifts to choose from and gifts chosen and already gift wrapped waiting to be delivered to the shower. As I was shopping two ladies walked in for shower gifts. Oleta pointed them to the table stating that it was not mandatory they choose from the table, but those were on the regestry. A UPS man came and delivered packages and Oleta was buzzing on the phone about incoming orders. I'm sure if there was anything you needed in Erick Oklahoma, Oleta could get it for you. She lead me around the store, modeled a scarf, and told me about new and sale items. I purchased a scarf and a candle.
After that I headed back to Sayre to get a good nights rest before the Do Wacka Do!.....
I have to say driving to Erick OK was a snap. I started very early from Little Rock, so I could get the bulk of the driving in before the sun got really high in the sky. I was in Ft Smith before I knew it and stopped for gas. I was apprehensive about keeping my car fueled because I had never driven I-40 that far west before. I know what to expect driving on I-30, but this one was newer to me. It was a welcome change however. I crossed the OK border and onto OK City. I stopped for another bathroom/gas break before I went into OK City and navigated the highway interchanges and traffic I had to pass by pretty easily. Before I knew it I was back in open country again west of OK City.
At this point I was expecting it to get really long and boring, but I was pleasantly surprised by the towns and interesting landscape, massive windmills, pasture land and geology. I also absolutely had to stop at the Cherokee trading post to shop. I pulled in and of course took photos of the 40 foot wooden Indian statue towering over the parking lot, posted to Facebook. of course....
The store was impressive, feasting me to beautiful handmade pottery that was wayyy to expensive and lovely silver hand inlaid jewelry. I finally settle on an adorable pair of coral stone and silver turtle earrings made by the Zuni tribe.
After my shopping I was off to Sayre, where my hotel was. I took an early exit and ended up driving through downtown Sayre, saw City Hall and the court house. I continued on through the town and found the hotel, checked in, dumped my bags in my room, and immediately sought out food. Since I saw nothing of culinary interest in Sayre, I just went across the street to the Denny's for lunch., so I could get on the road to Erick fairly quickly.
In Erick, I took the Roger Miller Memorial Highway to downtown and ran smack dab into Historic Route 66, found the Museum and went inside. The ladies at the packet pick up were extremely nice and I looked around the museum. After that (on the suggestion of the organizers at the museum) I decided to drive down to the Sandy Sanders WMA to see where I would be going in the morning and I'm glad I did. I got an idea of exactly how far it was going to be and how long it was going to take me. It was quite a drive, I'm happy I did it and only made one wrong turn. After viewing the start finish location I stopped at an old cemetery I saw on the way down and took some photos. It was peaceful and sunny, with a brisk breeze, I love days like this! I spent about an hour in the cemetery just reading headstones and wondering what life was like and what those individuals saw during their years. One ladies life spanned almost 100 years from the late 1800's to 1979. Many headstones were of lives cut very short,as either infants or small children, a reminder of how harsh life could be in the Mid west in the late 1800's .
After spending some time with the dead, I went onto to visit the living! I was told about a shop in Erick that was a locally owned staple of the community. Oleta's , was a small yet overly stuffed gift shop with everything from beannie babies to cooking appliances. purses candles, scarves, jewelry, pot holders, pots and pans, and dishes. She was wedding shower central and had one in the works with gifts to choose from and gifts chosen and already gift wrapped waiting to be delivered to the shower. As I was shopping two ladies walked in for shower gifts. Oleta pointed them to the table stating that it was not mandatory they choose from the table, but those were on the regestry. A UPS man came and delivered packages and Oleta was buzzing on the phone about incoming orders. I'm sure if there was anything you needed in Erick Oklahoma, Oleta could get it for you. She lead me around the store, modeled a scarf, and told me about new and sale items. I purchased a scarf and a candle.
After that I headed back to Sayre to get a good nights rest before the Do Wacka Do!.....
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
On another new product!
Its called ZipFizz and its great for promoting hydration on the every day. I would not recommend it for race day as it has fizz in it! :)
http://zipfizz.com/ml/http://zipfizz.com/ml/
Yes and you will totally look like the guy on the webpage if you drink it. lol! It's tasty, I have had the orange and grape and mixed them with 32 oz of water for day to day hydration.
enjoy!
http://zipfizz.com/ml/http://zipfizz.com/ml/
Yes and you will totally look like the guy on the webpage if you drink it. lol! It's tasty, I have had the orange and grape and mixed them with 32 oz of water for day to day hydration.
enjoy!
So its not long until I embark...
on my next running adventure. The drive will not be bad. Just about 7 hours or so, two hours past OK city. I'm excited about it. I'm taking a mini vacation to run a 50K.
I will be sure and post along the way and hopefully keep my blog updated. Since it wont be a long trip I don't know how much posting I'll do. Right now I'm in preparation, mental that is. Making shopping lists and deciding what I'm going to wear. What food I'm going to take for pre race. Looking for good places to eat post race.
I'm not getting into specifics because it's too close to the event and I don't want to jinx myself! :)
Loves!
I will be sure and post along the way and hopefully keep my blog updated. Since it wont be a long trip I don't know how much posting I'll do. Right now I'm in preparation, mental that is. Making shopping lists and deciding what I'm going to wear. What food I'm going to take for pre race. Looking for good places to eat post race.
I'm not getting into specifics because it's too close to the event and I don't want to jinx myself! :)
Loves!
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