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Tuesday, August 31, 2010

One Last Heat Wave?

Just when I thought we were ready for cooler fall temperatures and comfortable running weather, I get surprised and see 90s in the forecast again.

Assuming it gets as hot as expected, we will do what we did that one week in early July - run the "bermuda triangle" with extension loop. That will keep us close to Mr. Mister ('hey soul sister!') and close to drink breaks. You get to pick your pace and the number of loops you do and everyone will stay relatively close together, stay mostly in the shade, and hopefully stay upright.

Since we are slightly out of practice with the heat again, be careful the next couple days, especially for you folks doing your long runs.

Reminder that tomorrow night is this years TRY night at the fair. Anyone interested in going can text me for a meet-up plan.

I think that's it. In mid-September I'm hoping for a fun week or two at TRY, so I am looking for suggestions on what to do to change things up?

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

End of August Flurry

Tonight is the same as always this summer: choose your own adventure run.

Some upcoming "events" in chronological order:
Tonight- Katie has requested we go to Tully's on 7th North Street for a rare post TRY outing. Since Katie has been on the DL for a while there is nothing that will brighten her day more than eating with some sweaty runners! And tonight is a fund raising night, so a portion of the bill will go to a charity - her church, I believe. :-) For the non-runners amongst us, plan on meeting at Tully's at 6:40.

Saturday- A new, unique local race. Join me and almost TRYer Kerri at the Manlius Mile. It's a mile race, starting at 9:30 on Saturday morning. (Registration is earlier.) Looks like it is about half on roads and about half on a "trail" that I can't imagine being very trail like...but maybe? Since I'm out of shape, I'm tempted to do this, because how hard can it be to race for a mile? It's cheap (relative to 'normal' races) at $12/$15 and all proceeds go to charity in memory of a local runner. I suppose its expensive on a per mile basis but "High quality" t-shirts are given to all registered runners! For LMCO runners, this is a Federated Fund supported event, so you doing this will mean another $25 going to the charity. So, free money! (Kind of.)

Next Wednesday - TRY night at the Fair. There are some interesting free concerts at the fair again this year, but none more interesting (to me) than Lady Antebellum. Wednesday, September 1st, join me in what could go down as the most people ever "attending" a free concert at Chevy Court. Supposedly there is no show at the grandstand that night and with the popularity of "Lady A" in both the country and pop circles, it could be a packed house. For you men who have no interest in country music, think of it this way -- tons and tons of horny women thinking overly romantic thoughts and drinking wine slushies. How can that be a bad thing?

I suppose I would like to know if I should expect to see you at Manlius Mile on Saturday or the TRY night at the fair next Wednesday. (That is, let me know if you will be there, no need to let me know if you will not be there.) We can figure out where to meet once I know who to expect.

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Doggy Days

I'm sick of August. Or perhaps August is sick of me? Either way, it's the same-ol', same ol'. I'm not in a mood to think.

With Kelly gone for business travel, who's going to step up and lead us tonight? It might be boys night out? Uh-oh. We seem to have lost all our women? (And our women are our stars!)

For the opposite of boys night out -- there is a race on Saturday that several TRYers have done before and enjoyed: The Willow Bay 5K for Women. So, if you are feeling your woman power, enjoy a unique local race where you don't need to worry about boys and their boy cooties.

That's it. Weather forecast looks good.


Tuesday, August 10, 2010

The Pain Train

I might have to turn the reigns over to someone more motivational...or someone doing more running. As it is, I'm in permanent recovery mode and not doing a good job of rallying the troops in the midst of my personal fitness struggles.

My random thought for this week:
There have been an inappropriately large number of TRY injuries this year. If we count everyone that has ever had something to do with TRY (running on Tuesdays, helping with Relay for life, doing a couple other miscellaneous things), there may be up to 40 people that could be considered TRYers.

Going back to the very end of last year, I know TRYers who have had foot surgery, heel surgery, knee surgeries, and other random surgeries. (I can think of 5 separate surgeries.) I also know of sprained ankles, sprained knees, sore knees, sore shins, broken bikes, pulled hamstrings, pulled pork, you name it. (At least another 5 people limited by more than the run of the mill injuries.)

So, while I would hope all these problems are all a bad coincidence, it would seem that there has been as much recovery time for people as their has been normal training time. Recovery can get very frustrating...and two Tuesdays ago I was once again annoyed at my poor and painful performance running. Then, as often happens at the Liverpool park -- when I'm finishing or finished with a lousy run and feeling sorry for myself, God puts me in my place. As I was standing there, frustrated with my sore left leg, I look in the parking lot and see a guy 'walking' towards the park on crutches. With no left leg at all. So, in the midst of my self-loathing, God sent an amputee to remind me what I have to be thankful for. (In the past it's been someone in a wheel chair, or one of "Jerry's Kids" with arm braces to walk, or someone with obvious mental disabilities being led around by a helper. Whatever the messenger -- it's happened more often than I can remember.)

For everyone having a tough time running this year:
Remember that running just for the fun of it is a blessing. And running pain free is doubly so. :-)

That's all I have. Just a reminder that we still have it better than we tend to realize that we do.

Tonight:
Choose your own adventure for your intervals/steady run. Same as always.

For Ally:
Yes, I fully realize that my injury and lack of recovery 7+ weeks later is my own fault. In no way was todays post meant to deny that. (I figured I would save you the email.)

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Volunteering and Fun Race Opportunity on Saturday

For the life of me, I can't figure out why people keep telling me about the Mad Cow 5K coming up on Saturday morning? But they do. But they do.

Due to continued references to the race, I looked into it and it sounds like a hoof-stomping good time. It's a rather small race (about 150 people last year) and is a fund raiser for the Madison County Community Action Partnership. The race is in Nelson, just a bit east of Cazenovia.

I called around and found out that they do not have any cow bells for sale or for giving! That just doesn't seem right. Considering that I'm just an individual person, who does not have a race named after cows, and I have over 200 bells! In order to right this wrong, I offered my bells for their race and they accepted. (There is no beating my bells!) So, on Saturday morning I will be selling my various cow bells. At a minimum it should make the race more entertaining and they agreed to split the proceeds. So, half of the sales will be donated to their CAP and half of the sales I'll be able to donate to the American Cancer Society.

I'm looking for a willing assistant or two. I have one extra cow hat for someone to wear. Depending on if I have help or not, I'll be running in the race in my Boilermaker cow costume. But at a minimum I'll be ringing bells and attempting to make the morning more fun. I will be there by 7 but the race doesn't start until 9. Registration closes at 8:30 and is $25.

Please let me know if you would like to help (or if you will be there running). For those of you who did the Relay For Life this year and want to bring your fancy bells to cheer people on...that would be great too. There would be no more appropriate race for those bells. And they aren't going to ring themselves.


The hat and bells:

P.S. For those who haven't seen or heard of my bell sales, please let me know if you would like to buy any. (The bells were donated by an anonymous philanthropist, so all $5 get donated to ACS for general sales.)

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

TRY Internet Stalking


Tonight:
Meet at the park. Chit-chat. Decide what you want to do. (I apologize but the disorganization continues.) Last week the diligent folks did 1/4 mile intervals, so after checking with them, we'll see if they are up for 1/2 mile intervals to give them a change.

More importantly:
It's (overdue) time for the "TRYers at the Boilermaker" internet stalking, made possible by the enablers at brightroom.com!

This year I attempted to grab the nicest photos though...nothing embarrassing except for mine. I think I got all the TRYers...if I missed someone let me know and I'll add them in.

Katie, leading the way and looking classy as always. (That is one fast woman!)


Kelly, looking almost peaceful. (That's just annoying, Kelly! Please exert yourself next year.)


Kerri. Either this will encourage her to make it to TRY or will scare her away...why don't people like stalkers? It takes a lot of dedication and commitment. Why isn't that more welcomed in society?


Scott got sick of hearing my cowbell for 7 miles and blew my doors in.

Mark. Well, this is understandable, because with a bib like that, you have to party like it's nineteen-ninety-nine. (This one cracked me up. Well done Mark.)

It's Terry and his bleeding nipple of power + 2. (Yeah, like anyone would want to guard that closely in a basketball game. That is how you create separation from the defense, right there.)


Gerega-ga being shy for once. Not one close-up that showed up on his default page. And I'm waaaay to lazy to look through thousands and thousands of photos to find any others in the lost and found. (Just noticed while proofreading, that the lead guy is one of those crazy barefoot runners. I've read some articles and I could understand that humans are intended to run that way, so maybe it is better. But how can you run down random roads like that...seems like you step on something sharp/painful several times along the way.)


And Christine. Hasn't been around TRY for a long time, but she's at the park some and does do stuff with friend of TRY Patricia's group.