Sunday, September 28, 2008

A great day to be a Philadelphia sports fan

















Yesterday was an outstanding day for Philly folks. Bro and I went to the final NHL game ever to be played in the Spectrum, the Flyers' old arena and the site of too many memories to list -- two Flyers championships, a Sixers championship, concerts, concerts, and more concerts, Disney shows with my cousins when they were very young... the list goes on and on.

















As you can see, our seats were amazing: 11th row, between the red line and the blue line.

One of the highlights of the game -- for me, anyway -- was watching my favorite player, Mike Richards, receive his captain shirt in front of the fans and 11 of the past 15 Flyer captains.

















Our new captain lived up to expectations, scoring not one but TWO shorthanded goals.

The game ended in a 4-2 win for my Flyboys, some tears of nostalgia, and a very hoarse throat. :) (Pre-season, schmee season. Doesn't matter to me; I'm going to cheer for my team no matter what the date is.)

















After the game, bro and I got our picture taken in front of the ice for the last time.

















Last night, I watched most of the Phillies game as they won the NL East for the second consecutive year. And tonight, my Eagles will crush Da Bears! A very good weekend to be a Philly sports fan, indeed.

Monday edit: Stupid #%&< Eagles! :|

Thursday, September 25, 2008

Song lyrics

Similar to my favorite songs post, here are some lyrics that speak to me. Some make me unbelievably sad, most make me happy, and all are meaningful in some way. They are listed in no particular order.

"When I was crazy, I thought you were great." - It's All I Can Do, The Cars

"Celebrate we will, for life is short but sweet for certain." - Two-Step, Dave Matthews Band

"Then it comes to be that the soothing light at the end of your tunnel is just a freight train coming your way." - No Leaf Clover, Metallica

"Across the field you see the sky ripped open. See the rain come through the gaping wound, pounding on the women and children who run into the arms of America." - Bullet the Blue Sky, U2

"Sweetness, I was only joking when I said I'd like to mash every tooth in your head. Sweetness, I was only joking when I said by rights you should be bludgeoned in your bed." - Bigmouth Strikes Again, The Smiths

"F**k you, I won't do what you tell me!" - Killing in the Name, Rage Against the Machine

"All I ever wanted, all I ever needed, is here in my arms." - Enjoy the Silence, Depeche Mode

"You're gonna have to face it you're a scum and a douchebag." - 11 year-old Phoebe's interpretation of Addicted to Love, Robert Palmer, circa 1986 :)

"I've tried that love thing for the last time." - Nobody's Supposed to Be Here, Deborah Cox

"It's a beautiful day. Don't let it get away." - Beautiful Day, U2

"I always wonder why people try to hurt me. No happiness in their own lives, so they act by all their jealousy." - U Don't Know Me, Armand Van Helden

"There's a club if you'd like to go. You could meet someone who really loves you. So you go and you stand on your own, and you leave on your own, and you go home and you cry and you want to die." - How Soon Is Now?, The Smiths

"Strangelove - strange highs and strange lows. Strangelove - that's how my love goes." - Strangelove, Depeche Mode

"I know someday you'll have a beautiful life. I know you'll be a star in someone else's sky, but why, why, why can't it be mine?" - Black, Pearl Jam

Tuesday, September 23, 2008

A timely reminder

Thank you to my cousin Jen, who sent this via email yesterday. The timing could not be more perfect.

1. What did I learn last week? – If you have trouble answering this question, it’s time for a change. It doesn’t matter how old you are; you should learn something new every week.


2. What was my greatest accomplishment over the past week? – Reflecting on your accomplishments is a healthy way to raise self confidence and contentment. It’s also an effective way to track your progress.


3. Which moment from last week was the most memorable and why? – It may open up your mind to new passions and goals or simple pastimes worth revisiting.


4. What is the number one thing I need to accomplish this week? – Everything else is secondary and should be treated as such. Nevertheless, this question will also shine light on other noteworthy tasks.


5. What can I do right now to make the week less stressful? – Set reminders in your calendar, get your laundry done, fill the car with gas… organize yourself.


6. What have I struggled with in the past that might also affect the upcoming week? – The idea here is to learn from your struggles and better equip yourself for future encounters.


7. What was last week’s biggest time sink? – Steer clear of this in the future. Set up physical barriers against distractions if you have to.


8. Am I carrying any excess baggage into the week that can be dropped? – Physical clutter, mental clutter… eliminate the unnecessary so the necessary may shine bright.


9. What have I been avoiding that needs to get done? – Pencil in a time to get these things done. For any 2-minute or less tasks, consider scheduling them first thing Monday morning.


10. What opportunities are still on the table? – If it’s still available and you want it, make a concrete plan to go after it this week.


11. Is there anyone I’ve been meaning to talk to?– Regular communication can solve problems before they fester. Always keep an open line of communication to those around you.


12. Is there anyone that deserves a big Thank You? – Take time each week to thank the people who have helped you. Your kind gesture will not go unnoticed.


13. How can I help someone else this coming week? – The easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want. If you help them, they will remember you when you need help.


14. What are my top 3 goals for the next 3 years? – You’ll never make any progress in life if you don’t set realistic goals for yourself.


15. Have any of my recent actions moved me closer to my goals? – If the answer is no, something needs to change.


16. What’s the next step for each goal? – Knowing the next step is the key to accomplishing the whole.


17. What am I looking forward to during the upcoming week? – The answer can act as a great source of motivation. If nothing exists, schedule something to look forward to.


18. What are my fears? – Consciously address your fears each week and slowly work on resolving them. It’s all about taking baby steps.


19. What am I most grateful for? – It’s a smart way to keep things in perspective and something you should never lose sight of.


20. If I knew I only had one week to live, who would I spend my time with? – Another helpful reminder… Life is short. Spend more time with the people you care about.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

PR at PDR!

This morning was the Philadelphia Distance Run, my first time doing a race local runners, including IronHubby, rave about. I was hoping to do a 1:55, which would be almost a 5 minute PR over November's Philly Half (1:58:58). On Friday, I printed and laminated a pace card that would keep me at an 8:45 pace, or 1:54:37 total time.

My running partners for the morning were Jen J. and Janeen M. We met bright and early at the Rodin Museum and hurried over to the HUGEMONGOUS porta-potty lines. And waited. And waited. And waited! Sheesh! :)

Once we were finally through the line, we ran over to the start and couldn't even get in the corral due to the crowds... so our start was a bit delayed. No biggie. Thank goodness for chip time! My stomach was in knots all last night and all morning, and my cold has come back with a vengeance, but I was confident that I'd be OK for the race.

Here are our splits. I missed a few of the mile markers, as you'll soon see.

9:33 (so crowded!)
8:40
8:44
ummmm
yeah, missed that one too
26:13! (that's for miles 4-6, for an 8:44 average pace)
8:51 (got a bit crowded again)
8:34
8:38
8:39
8:41
8:33
8:05 (explanation below)
:48

So, mile 13. As I got closer and closer to the finish, my stomach got worse and worse. I tried to put it out of my mind, but finally around mile 12.25 I had to zip into a portapotty. Major GI distress. Ugh. I turned my watch off while I was in there and turned it back on as soon as I was done... and then I RACED the rest of that mile to get back on pace.

CHIP TIME 1:55:07
WATCH TIME 1:54:04

Huge thanks to Janeen and especially Jen for their outstanding company, witty banter, laughs, and great support this morning. I couldn't have done it without them!

Kudos also to Heather for her PR! Way to go, girlie!!!

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Favorite songs

Music is a huge part of my life. The right song can transport me to another time in my life, lift (or lower) my mood, and remind me of people and places in my past. A former boss once called me Alexis "Tunes Are My Life" Insert-Last-Name-Here, and she wasn't too far off the mark.

Because music is so important to me, I love sharing it with loved ones. I enjoy making CDs and picking the perfect songs for that person, whether it's because the lyrics are meaningful or appropriate, or the song means a lot to me and I want to share it with him or her, or it's just a song that I think they may not know but will like.

At work we were talking about our favorite ten songs. That's nearly impossible for me. How do I pick just 10 songs? I can't even narrow down my top 10 U2 songs, much less my top 10 everything songs.

I'll try, though.

10. California Dreamin', The Mamas and the Papas. This song takes me back to junior year of college when I spent one semester in Southern California. Lots of great memories and a very significant semester for me in terms of personal growth, as it was the longest I've ever been away from my family and friends.

9. Night Fire Dance, Andreas Vollenweider. My ultimate mellow out tune. It calms me and lifts my mood every time.

8. Love and Peace or Else, U2. Great theme, great kick at the end, and UNBELIEVABLE live. The best song on the last tour by far. Very powerful.

7. Late in the Evening, Paul Simon. Something about this song makes me really happy. I love the Latin influence at the end. I love the lyrics. I can listen to this song over and over and over without getting sick of it.

6. Go, Pearl Jam. I have to hear this song before every race I do. It pumps me up like no other song or pre-race ritual can. I even sing it to myself during my races when I need a pick-me-up.

5. Kiss, Prince. How can you hear this song and NOT sing and dance? I hear it and picture myself in my car with Mom, dancing and singing at the top of our lungs while we're driving up the NJ Turnpike to New York.

4. How Soon Is Now?, The Smiths. So dark. So moody. So depressing. I love it.

3. Black, Pearl Jam. I cry every single time I hear this song. Involuntary tears.

2. Where the Streets Have No Name, U2. This song was playing as I crossed the finish line of my first (and only) marathon. Bono was there for me when I needed him most. Another song that makes me cry uncontrollably.

1. Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles. I love its optimism and hopefulness. This song simply makes me happy. And that's why it will always be #1.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Oh, and everyone needs to get off my case

I am NOT emaciated.

I am NOT too skinny.

I am NOT anorexic.

I am NOT a toothpick. (Yes, I heard that one this morning.)

I do NOT need a sandwich!!!!

I'm sick

Not this week! Not 6 days before a half marathon! Ack!!!

I have a sore throat, swollen glands, and a sniffly nose.

This sucks a$$.

Bleh.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Olympic 5K Race Report

So my race was a good news/bad news scenario. I really wanted a new PR (anything faster than 23:59), and I've been working hard to get there. I thought today was the day, despite the heat. I tried to hydrate really well before the race... and hydrated a little too much! No fewer than 3 trips to the potty before the race! Oops.

It was a small field. Maybe 125-150 people? Not sure. I have no clue how to guestimate crowd sizes.

THE BAD
The volunteer at one of the turns didn't realize we were supposed to stay on the sidewalk, rather than on the street. As a result, mile 2 was long by .07 (a girl I talked to at the finish had a Garmin). Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, but when you're gunning for a PR it makes a big difference. So no PR for me today, even though I was on pace to get one. My time was 24:26 according to my watch, which is a 7:43 pace for 3.17 miles. That detour cost me a good 30 seconds.

THE GOOD
I really shouldn't complain too much because I was.........

.
.
.
.
.
.


are you ready for this??

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

1st female and 17th overall!!!!

(I told you it was a small race.) :)

Thursday, September 11, 2008

9/11
















7 years. Wow. For my generation, 9/11 was our JFK moment. You know... "Where were you when the towers were hit?" Everyone remembers exactly where they were, what they were doing, how they learned about it. I even remember what I was wearing that day. (Black wide leg pants, crisp white wraparound Kenneth Cole shirt with cufflinks.)

That was probably the worst day of my life, not only because of the horror that unfolded before all of us on live television, but also because there was a 12 hour delay from when I got an email from my brother saying, "I'm OK, leaving work now" at 10 a.m. to when I finally talked to him on the phone at 10:45 p.m. and knew he'd made it home to Brooklyn safely. Not knowing where he was all day or if he was safe was absolutely the most terrifying, gut-wrenching experience I've ever had.

About 6 weeks after 9/11, I traveled to New York for a Halloween party, U2 concert, and get-togethers with my brother and some friends and family. Had I not met IronHubby shortly thereafter, that weekend would have changed my life. I sobbed all the way home (talk about a difficult drive down the NJ Turnpike). I immediately started looking for jobs in New York. I was so moved that I was ready to pack it all up and start again in the Big Apple.

I still regret not doing it. I think I could have convinced IronHubby to move. Maybe I still can... who knows.

Another 4 weeks after that trip, I again traveled to New York as part of the Children of the Heroes program. We had collected thousands of new toys, books, and other holiday gifts for the kids of the firefighters and police officers who had died running into the Towers on 9/11.

The fires were still smoldering at that point. The smell still lingered. The memories were still too fresh. I had another breakdown, right in the middle of the sidewalk near Ground Zero.

Here are a few of the pictures I took that day.





















And one picture that was taken of me with some new friends.

















If you're so inclined, say a prayer today for those we lost and for those they left behind. We can't change the past, but we can ensure that their memory lives on in our hearts.

God bless America.

Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Good news/bad news

THE GOOD
My speedwork went well last night. I really enjoy my track workouts. I know it sounds sick, but it's true.

Because I'm doing a 5K Saturday morning, I did short intervals last night. 6x400 and 4x100.

The 400s were:
1:32 (too fast!)
1:36
1:35
1:36
1:38
1:37

The 100s were by feel only, since the track was unmarked. I just ran the straights and walked the curves:
:17
:17
:17
:17

Damn, I'm good. :)

THE BAD
On the way home, I became VIOLENTLY ill. I mean, I almost had to stop at a neighbor's house because I didn't think I'd make it to my own. (The neighbor's house was about 6-7 doors down from my house! That's how quickly it came on and how awful I felt.)

I was sick as a dog for the rest of the night. I managed to eat 2 pieces of toast for dinner at about 9:30 - the first time I thought I could handle putting anything in my mouth - and I went to bed shortly after that.

I'm very weak today and pretty much completely dehydrated. Hopefully, someone can sub my classes at the Y tonight. I don't think 2 hours of aerobics - boot camp and advanced step - is in my best interest tonight...

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

This cracked me up

My cousin Michele sent a chain email of updated proverbs, sayings, etc. This one in particular struck my funnybone.

Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead.
Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow.
Do not walk beside me either. Just pretty much leave me alone.


Love. It!

Monday, September 8, 2008

Tom Petty was right

The waiting really is the hardest part.

I'm a very impatient person. VERY. I hate waiting, I hate not knowing, and I hate uncertainty. I like things in black and white. Gray is way out of my comfort zone. And fuzzy? Fuggedaboudit. I go nuts. I want to know everything I need to know. Now.

Sometimes I wish I were psychic. From everything I've read about cognitive abilities, they can sometimes be more of a curse than a blessing. I'm willing to take that chance, however. I want to look into a crystal ball and see the future so that I know I'm on the right path, making the right decisions.

So if anyone can help me out, I'd really appreciate it. :)

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Revenge of Quadzilla!






















(Doesn't it look like I just ran a mile in 6:16? HA! I wish!)

Here's another, this one of our friend Joe. Whose quads are more ripped? Hmmm...
























Edited to add a photo of IronHubby, the original QUADZILLA.

























I still maintain that my legs are the best! :D

The sleep gods are conspiring against me

I've been averaging probably 4 hours of sleep a night recently (possibly less this past weekend, for a variety of reasons). Last night I slept relatively well, waking up only 3 times during the night. My alarm went off at 5:20 so I could feed all the critters, get dressed, and get myself to the Y to meet Laura S, my favoritest client ever. While I was standing in the kitchen, I thought I heard IronHubby call my name from the top of the stairs so I walked over to see if he was indeed standing there. I couldn't see a thing, but he must have either seen me or sensed my presence because he told me my phone had been going off.

Yup, you guessed it. Laura wasn't feeling well and asked to reschedule.

Crud! An extra hour of sleep wasted.

The only good news is that it gave me time to ice my knee. That's right, I torqued my knee last night in my second class. To be honest, it hurt a tiny bit Tuesday during my second run -- I ran 2.5 miles to the Y, worked out there, and then ran 2.5 home -- but it wasn't at all debilitating or worrisome. Last night was another story, however. I actually had to stop, sit down on my step, and just talk them through the final choreography. What's weird is that it didn't hurt AT ALL during the first class, in which we did tons of plyometrics and leg stuff. But halfway through my step class I felt it and lowered my step to 6" instead of 8" high, and later in the class when we finally put all the choreo together I screamed in pain and just sat down.

I iced it twice last night and was hoping that would magically take care of it, but this morning it's still very tender and sore.

[Insert curse words of your choice here. Chances are I've said them all in the past 11 hours. Even when I was sleeping.] :)

Maybe the sleep gods and the knee gods are in cahoots.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

A new career??

Last night I attended a meeting for an upcoming fundraiser. Before we started, I chatted briefly with one of the area's premier runners (seriously, I'm intimidated just standing near her!) about Run 4 Mike's Kids, how well it went, and a 5K she's involved with in November. She mentioned that she also is not using the local race director, and we got to talking about how much of the registration fees he keeps for all the 90+ races he puts on each year. It's appalling to me that folks think they are donating money to a charity, when in reality only about 30% of the registration fees actually go to the cause from what I've heard. I said, "I just want someone to start another company to compete with him."

This morning as I replayed the conversation in my head, I thought to myself, "Why not me?" And why not, really? I mean, obviously I don't NEED to put anything else on my plate right now... but this is something I enjoy doing and have a great deal of passion for. Would I get rich doing it? Probably not. Would it have to be part-time in addition to my real job, my classes, personal training, etc? Probably yes. Would it be worth it? The jury's still out. But it's certainly worth exploring, at the very least.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Run 4 Mike's Kids - success on several levels

I have a newfound respect for race directors. (Well, most of them anyway. Local folks will know what/who I'm talking about.) :)

You have no idea how much work goes into a race until you're on the planning end of one. Sponsors, permits, mile markers, timing equipment, volunteers, food, prizes, advertising, clean up... The list is endless. Hug your race director today. I'm serious!

The inaugural Run 4 Mike's Kids was a great success, especially considering we planned it in less than a month. I believe we had 110 runners from about age 11 to 60+. The weather was glorious, and despite a few glitches the race went off really well.

My personal goal was to beat 32 minutes for a sub 8 average pace. (That was my goal even before the poll a few weeks ago. You guys just helped confirm it.) I started off way too fast because I stupidly was trying to keep up with someone I had no business trying to keep up with, and I wasted a good bit of energy cheering for people during mile 3 because I could see them after the turnaround. But otherwise, I was pleased.

My splits were ugly (see reasons listed above):

7:30 (too fast!)
7:48 (more like it)
8:04 (ack! shut up and run, Theia!)
7:44 (perfection!)

Total time, according to my watch, was 31:06. YES!

Many, many thanks to Jimmy W for suggesting the race and for being such a great leader in helping to plan it, the committee of Matt O, Joe L, Andrea L, Michelle N, and Mike M who worked so hard the past few weeks to organize everything, the volunteers who woke up so early on a holiday to help out, and of course the 110 runners who entrusted us with their workouts.

This was the first Run 4 Mike's Kids, but it certainly was not the last.