and then there's this

Whoohoo!!

 

 

 

De-Motivating Run

Well, that’s a first.  I’ve had un-motivating runs, but never one that was DE-motivating. 

 

My plan this past Saturday was to run 8.5 miles.  I ate and hydrated properly the day before, and prepped as normal the morning of my run.  Off I went to the park – all’s well so far.  Put on my assortment of gear – gloves, earbuds, ear muffs – and off I went.  Not 5 minutes into the run my ear muffs start slipping and sliding.  They are the spring loaded kind that you wear so they wrap from the back of your head around your ears.   I end up F**king with them for the next 3 miles.  Finally I’d had enough and headed back to the car.  The worse the equipment problem got, the more distracted I was.  UGH!

 

My ears are extremely sensitive to cold, so this was a game killer for me.  I do believe there was loud swearing along the way … and I was irritable for several hours afterward.  Not only was I feeling pissy, I was questioning my ability to complete any long runs, ever.  I started thinking I’ve just been fooling myself.  As I said, very de-motivating run.

 

I decided to try a little retail therapy and headed to the running store for a moisture wicking ear wrap, and also found a nice Brooks running vest on the seasonal clearance rack!

 

Not one to let a bad day ruin it all, I’m headed out again tonight for a short 3 miler - then we’ll attempt the 8.5 miles again on Friday.

 

 

 

 

Random race photos - not always a good thing.

Long Runs

On Christmas Eve I ran my longest training run – 7 miles.  Using the run/walk method, with 4 minute run/1 minute walk intervals, I finished with a pace just over 11 minutes per mile.  Something happened to me that day, almost like a switch being turned on.  I started thinking that a half-marathon was completely doable. 

 

Prior to that, a half-marathon was a pipe dream.  I had no reason to believe that I could ever complete such a thing, at least not with a respectable time.  Something about running half of a Half …

 

Tomorrow is my next long training run, 8.5 miles!  I’ll complete this at the park along the river, same place as the 7 mile run.  It’s a great place during daylight hours.  Not a lot of traffic, well established run/bike paths, scenery, and other runners and walkers.   I don’t have to plan my route here either.  I start at the parking lot and run until my RunKeeper app tells me I’ve gone ½ way, then I turn around - simple.

 

Speaking of the RunKeeper app, I love that thing.  It’s a free App for my iPhone, and has been so valuable in my training.  I use an armband for the phone, and set the RunKeeper to give me the interval cues.  My music of choice plays in the background, and the nice RunKeeper lady tells me when it’s time for an interval change.  She updates me on my current pace, how far I’ve run, etc.  Great training partner!  During my last 5K race, I set the app to a ‘target pace’ update, instead of the interval training.  That nice RunKeeper lady gave me frequent feedback on how far I’d run and what my pace was, as compared to my target pace – super helpful.

 

The RunKeeper website also tracks my training history and provides motivating feedback.  Here’s the chart that tracks my per mile pace.  You can see that all those practice runs are working, as my speed gradually increases.

 

 

 

Back to the long runs … they require a little more planning than my short runs during the week.  I have a gear belt that Jim got me that holds extra energy chews, along with chapstick, Kleenex, car key, ID, etc.  For the 8.5 mile run tomorrow, I’ll be carrying fluids.  I found a water bottle at the running store with an easy hand grip feature.  The bottle is in my hand, but is attached by a strap so I don’t have to concentrate on actually holding it.  I found this better than having a water bottle on my gear belt, bouncing around.   I also have some pre-run activities that I go through to get ready.  I try and drink at least 16 ounces of water before my run along with some coffee, 2 hours before is ideal, so bathroom stops are minimized.  J   I also have some energy bars that I made and keep in the freezer.  Nuts, dried fruits, peanut butter, brown sugar, oats, rice krispy cereal – they are yummy and give me just the energy I need for the long run.

 

I’m a little nervous, as I was for the 7 mile run, but am confident that I can do this. 

 

The timing chip from my first REAL race

I am a runner.

 

Never in my life did I think I would be saying that.  So how did I get here? 

 

In June 2011, I was approached by several friends to participate in a 5K “family fun run” inside the Disneyland Resort, as part of the Tinkerbell Half Marathon weekend.   Well, I hemmed and hawed and debated … then finally registered.   We were going to walk the 5K, just fast enough to stay within the time limits, and participate as volunteers for the half-marathon event.   Sounds like fun!

 

The backstory here (and the reason I hemmed and hawed) is I had a real mental block on anything to do with running.  When I was a member of the US Marine Corps, running was part of the job.  You had to take a physical fitness test every year, and there were run times that were expected.  The faster you ran, the higher your physical fitness test (PFT) score.  The higher your PFT score, the higher your composite score as a Marine.  This composite score is used for promotions.  So basically, your job and paycheck depended on running.  That took any fun out of it that I might have found.

 

Fast forward to 2011 … after 20+ years of NOT running.  In August I went on a Saturday morning ‘fast-walk’ to see how I would do.  Well, my fast walk hurt!  My shins were killing me.  Out of frustration, I broke into a slow jog.  The pain went away immediately, and I continued to jog for a minute or two.  More walking and small jog intervals until I got home.  Of the 3 miles that I recorded that day, maybe ½ mile was jogging.  I started to slowly increase the jog intervals until I’d reached a 50/50 split with walking.  Then I discovered Jeff Galloway and his Run-Walk-Run method.  After some brief research, I knew this was the running method for me.  The more I’ve worked at it, the more I’ve enjoyed the results.  I’ve been following his program ever since and my last long run was 7 miles, with a per-mile pace of just over 11 minutes! 

 

I’ve enjoyed the process, and the runs, so much that I’ve participated in three 5K races now, and registered for the Disneyland Half-Marathon in September.  

 

While the Half-Marathon is certainly my distance goal, the race that means the most to me is the Marine Corps Marathon 10K.  What better race could there be for this patriotic veteran than through the streets of our nation’s capital, with Marines in uniform cheering you on.  And the finish line?  The Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, VA.  I’m already filled with emotion – I’m sure I’ll be a running blubbering fool that day.   J

 

I have many races that I’m thinking about.  I’d like to try a 10K this March, then perhaps a Half in May or June, just to see if I can do it prior to the Disneyland Half. 

 

I don’t see an end to this.  I’ve already achieved health benefits and physical conditioning, which I wouldn’t otherwise.  And there is a special satisfaction that comes when you cross that finish line!

 

Yes, I AM a runner!

 

 

 

Text Conversation with My Adult Son

Son:  do you have planet earth on DVD?

Me:   Blu Ray

Son:  Ahhh!!  Can I borrow it?

Me:   Sure.  That’s an odd one to borrow

Son:  What?  I love planet earth.  Do you have the lame ripley version or the David Attenborough one?

Me:   BBC/Attenborough … of course

Son:  Sick.  Can I come over?

Me:   Ya

 

 

 

11 weeks - now a teenager?

How is it that the little guy can become a teenager while I'm away?  I was only gone for 8 days, and he's changed so much!   He's bigger, his beard is filling out, and his weight is increasing.

9 weeks - growing like a weed!

Today marks 9 weeks with Hiss.  He is growing very fast now, eating a lot, and starting to shed again.

Next weekend will be the first time I have to leave him.  My son and I are headed for Florida for a week, so my husband will have to take care of Hiss.  I've instructed him on feeding crickets, salad, and mealworms.  Hopefully things will go okay - for both of them!

Breakfast

I thought we were going to shed again today, so I setup the video camera to try and capture the event.  No such luck ... but I did catch Hiss eating his morning salad and fruit.

Sending off a quick note to his dragon friends ...

8 Week Update

Wow - can't believe it's been 8 weeks.  I've learned so much, and Hiss has changed so much!

I've got some great comparison photos that give you an idea of how much bigger he's gotten. 

Here he is the first weekend I brought him home.  He was leaning up against the "chimney" on his hiding cave.  He was so scrawny - skinny gut and little legs.

And here we are, 8 weeks later, in that exact same spot.  Makes the hiding cave look so small. 

His head and tail are starting to dull in color, which means another shedding is coming.  He's starting to develop all the details of an adult dragon - the spikes around his head and body and the very textured skin. 

I'll be trying more fruits over the next few months, as the weather warms and there are more options in the grocery store.  Mango is supposed to be good, along with  seedless strawberries.  He loved the kiwi so much, I'm sure these other fruits will be just as popular.

7 weeks - getting bigger and starting to hang out

Another really great week with Hiss.  He shed all his torso skin the other day, so the growth has started again.  He seems to be getting bigger everyday.  This week he really enjoyed his greens, along with finally discovering kiwi.

I've started handling him a lot more.  I take him out the terrarium nearly every night.  On the weekend we go for walks around the house.  Today we hung out together while I played video games.  He sat on my lap for about 30 minutes.  Would have stayed longer but I needed to get up.



I'm really pleased with how his colors are developing.  I was worried about losing the orange tint, but it seems to be increasing slightly.  And the dark browns he had when he was very little are now a lighter shade, with a hint of green in some areas.

The Dragon breeder that I met in Portland tells me that the orange should become more prominent. 

6 weeks - time for new digs!

Yes, it's been 6 weeks since Hiss came home with me from the pet store.  He's nearly doubled in size, eats like a horse, and is completing his second shed.  Every time I look at him, he's bigger!

Today was a big day.  We went from the modified half-size terrarium, to a full-size luxury condo.  A little confused at first, he's now loving the extra running room.

Here are some before and after shots.

This week he finally started eating his salad.  My routine is to chop his salad in the morning and give it to him after he eats his morning crickets.  He eats the salad during the day when nobody is home and he gets hungry.  Then more crickets for dinner.

Here are a few other pictures to share.  In the first he is displaying some of his beard.  The second is a lizard point of view.

Doing Okay

I went to a Reptile Expo in Portland yesterday.  Wasn't looking to buy anything, but did want to see dragons of varying ages, and wanted to discuss some concerns I had with people who know about such things.

First, the Expo itself.  I was expecting an abundance of tattoo's and piercings.  Is that terrible that I thought that?  Something about the pet snake culture that leads me to that image.  Turned out, as these things almost always do, that it wasn't as 'odd' as I'd imagined.  Well, except for the large woman walking around with a snake draped on her shoulders.

What was unexpected was the number of snakes that were for sale.  Snakes by far outnumbered any other type of reptile.  Next behind snakes were crested gecko's.  Bearded Dragons were hard to find.  While it's an easy first reptile, it's not a big deal for most experienced reptile owners. 

There were enough dragons of different ages/sizes for me to be able to compare my little guy.  I found a really personable vendor who talked to me about some of my concerns.  Turns out we are doing just fine, and maybe better than a lot of new owners because I have done so much research.

I came away from the expo feeling good about how I'm raising my little Hiss.

Here's a few pictures to show the change in his size over the past 5 weeks.

A second shed, and a big scare!

Yes, I had a bit of a scare today.  I walked into Hiss's room this afternoon, and something seemed wrong.  For some reason, he looked agitated, irritated ...

He was opening and closing his mouth rapidly, and puffing out his throat.  At first I thought maybe I had startled him, and he was exhibiting defensive behavior.  So I started talking to him.  That didn't make a difference. 

Then his body started to expand, like it was being filled with air.  This is when I came close to 'pet panic'.  His body deflated, but he still seemed upset.  Then the freakiest thing happened.  He closed his eyes, and his head started to expand.  His eyes bulged and he looked like he was a balloon! 

A few minutes later he started rubbing his head on his basking tree.  Then it happened - a big piece of skin came loose.  His neck, chin, and top of his head was shedding.

I missed the shedding process last time.  Came home and the skin was all over the terrarium.  Now that I've seen what he goes through, I think I'd like to miss the next shed.  Freaky!!

Couple of weeks ago I saw an item advertised called a reptile hammock.  I looked for pictures of one, and when I saw how it was used, I decided to make my own.  Here is Hiss enjoying his hammock.



Hiss - 3 week update

Well, it's been 3 weeks since Hiss moved in.  I've increased his food portions, and he's certainly accepted the increase!   Here are 'first day' and '3 week' pictures.  See that gut?!?  His back legs are getting thicker/stronger, and his tail is thicker and longer.

Sir Hiss - December 18, 2010

Sir Hiss - January 8, 2011

We continue to bond.  I gave him a bath this morning to get rid of the rest of the shed skin.  He didn't try to leave after only a few minutes like he has been.   Speaking of 'the shed', I expected to see big sheets of skin ... but it was like his skin exploded!  I came home one night and there were bits of shed skin everywhere!   The picture below shows all the skin bits in the background. 

Hiss, with his shed skin all over the carpet

He continues to enjoy kale, along with his crickets and mealworms.  Tomorrow I'm going to try baby peas.

Cricket Update

Well, the bulk shipment didn’t go so well this first time out.  

I called on the same day I placed the order and had them hold the shipment because we were having an unexpected cold snap.  Somehow, someone at the cricket supplier thought that the weather broke a bit and they shipped the crickets on Monday, without any confirmation with me.   The weather did get warmer, but only for a day.  When I got home last night, after UPS had delivered the package, about 2/3 of the crickets were dead.  

I e:mailed them last night, and called again this morning.   They checked and agreed that the order should NOT have been sent.  They will wait for the weather to break again and send another shipment, no additional charge to me.  

Fortunately, there were about 100-150 crickets that survived.  I’ve put them in my DIY cricket container, with food and ‘water’.  There should be enough to get through the next week or so.  

This morning I gave Hiss 12 crickets for breakfast – double what he is used to getting from me.  He ate every single one and looked fat and happy!

Oh, by the way, he shed the rest of his body skin yesterday.  When I got home last night, there were little pieces of skin everywhere!  Fortunately his coloring hasn’t changed much with this first shed.  I’m hoping that some of his orange coloring will stay into adulthood.

 

The crickets are coming!

Yes, the temperature finally warmed enough that the cricket supplier in Georgia could ship my box of 500 crickets. 

In preparation, I bought a 50 qt. rubbermaid container, and have collected egg cartons and toilet paper rolls from around the house and garbage.  These are good as it gives all the crickets a place to stand, instead of standing on each other. 

This morning I found the soldering iron in the garage and used it to melt a bunch of small holes in the lid of the container.  The crickets will be safely contained, but won't sufficate.  I already had cricket food and 'cricket water'.  You shouldn't give them real water, as they will drown.  Cricket water is a gel that satisfies their needs, without risk of drowning. 

I guess I'm ready for the crickets to arrive, and Hiss will have a feast tonight!