Weird Random Questions
I’m just going to dive right in- how do you feel about the Pledge of Allegiance? My daughter has a little situation at school. Every day at the beginning of first period, the students are asked to stand while the Pledge is recited. The students don’t have to SAY the Pledge (they can if they want to) but they are expected to stand. My daughter has decided that she’s not comfortable with the Pledge, and won’t be standing from now on. Since they have a revolving schedule, she has a different teacher for first period every day. Some teachers don’t seem to care; one asked her to stand but when she said no, didn’t press it; and another teacher said students can stay seated if they have a “good reason.” Only one teacher strongly objects, and told my daughter that if she wants to sit for the Pledge, she needs to bring a note from home. Sigh. Why didn’t she just ask my daughter for her reasons? She has some good ones- (with liberty and justice “for all”- really?) So I had to write a note giving her permission to stay seated. (Please, please let this year end quickly and without further incident… we’re so ready to move on.) I guess there is something odd about the Pledge of Allegiance. It almost seems… un-American to impose it on little kids. I will say that I like the Star Spangled Banner. The words are beautiful, and I get a nice patriotic feeling when I hear it. National Anthem- yes. Pledge- no. What do you think? The second weird and random question is on a completely different subject. If you had to choose one, would you rather be blind or deaf? I know, neither. But if you HAD to choose. My son and I would choose deaf. To me this seems like an obvious choice. Vision is much more important! For one thing, you would still be able to run and walk on your own. I know vision-impaired people run with guides, but I wouldn’t want to be dependent on that. And it’s not only running- it just seems like you would be able to lead a more independent life (plus being blind would be kind of scary- I always think about that when I get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.) My son and I were astonished that my husband said he would choose blind- WHY??? I thought he must be insane, but then just the other day this topic came up with my daughter, and she said she would choose blind as well. When I asked her why, she said “You would still be able to hear music, and hear people talking.” And then I realized- my daughter and husband are both extroverts; my son and I are introverts. Do you think there’s a correlation? Extroverts would choose being blind over deaf, because being able to hear would give them more of a connection to other people. Introverts would choose deaf- we don’t need the social interaction as much (and think how much reading you could get done without all the noisy interruptions!). I’ll end this by saying, I’m really grateful that I have all my senses. How about you- introvert or extrovert? Blind or deaf? If your daughter didn’t want to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance at school, would you support that?
Weekly Rundown- Recovery Weeks Are Hard
Sigh. I’ve turned into a walking cliche. The week before my race I was convinced my foot was injured, and this week I’ve succumbed to the post-race blues. But I managed to carry on, more or less. Thanks as always to Kim and Deborah for hosting the Weekly Rundown! Let’s get started… Sunday I woke up the day after the race with sore quads and sore ankles. I had twisted the right one pretty badly so I knew that would be sore, but my left ankle was sore as well. I’m not sure if I twisted it and just didn’t remember, or if it was just sore from the uneven terrain. I thought about doing a recovery walk, but never got past the thinking stage. I spent my time eating and relaxing- it was a really nice day. Monday Okay, now I definitely need a recovery walk. But when I started walking I realized how sore my ankles really were. And it wasn’t just around the ankles, but all the way up the outside of both shins (the peroneal muscles.). I walked for half an hour, but couldn’t work up much speed. It was a moderate stroll! Then, when I got to work, my very first client of the day brought me these: She didn’t even know I ran a race! She was just bringing them because I’m on my feet all day and she thought they would feel good. What are the odds of THAT??? I put them on right away and wore them all day. Tuesday Another walk in the morning, and the ankles are starting to feel better. My normal routine is to go to the gym after work on Tuesdays but on this day I went to Starbucks instead. I sat outside and sipped an oatmilk latte. Life is good! Wednesday Hmmm. It feels good to have a day off and have nothing to do. Or does it? My race recaps are written (Part 1 and Part 2), I’ve unpacked all my gear and put everything away… it’s really over. Sob! Life has no meaning. As my husband says, “Whenever I’m feeling down, I know I’m a good candidate for the gym.” Yes! Off to the gym! I did my usual upper body workout- there was no need to modify anything, and it felt good. After that I had several errands, including going to the library to pick up my holds: I’m so excited! Must finish the book I’m reading so I can dive into this ASAP. Thursday A 2 mile run! It felt… meh. My ankles felt almost normal, but I was happy to stop at 2 miles. Friday I heard on a podcast that dead bugs are better for runners than sit ups. I can’t remember why, but okay! I did this Caroline Girvan Advent Series workout, Dumbbell Deadbug Abs. It was only 12 minutes, but I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t want to run again, or do lower body strength… I’m so confused. Saturday 3 mile run! I meant to do it before work, but I stayed up way too late Friday night reading my book (oops) so I ended up doing it after work, and it was 90 degrees. Other than that, it felt pretty good. Sunday On tap for today…. oh, I don’t know! I’m still confused- I’ll be happy to get back to a more regular schedule. I want to start focusing more on lower body strength and some speed work, but I think it might be a little too soon. Next week! Do you ever feel down after a race, or do you enjoy recovery weeks? Do you wear compression socks for recovery? – I normally have an aversion to anything tight pressing against me (you may have noticed a theme- shoes, shirts…) so I wouldn’t normally wear them. But on Monday they felt good!
Race Photo Runfessions
I’ve given up trying to figure out if months are going by fast or slow. Time seems to have no meaning, but at least I know if it’s time for Marcia’s “Runfessional,” it must be the last Friday of the month. Thank you, Marcia! To begin with, did you know I ran a 50k last weekend? Hahahahaha… just kidding. I’m pretty sure EVERYONE knows that by now, and most of you are wondering when I’ll be able to move on. Not so fast! Race photos are in, and there are a couple of me that are…. interesting. There I am in the white hat! It’s funny, because I have no recollection of running with this many people. This must have been very near the beginning of the race. Now, let’s have a little talk about my “favorite” body part. I’ve never had a flat stomach, not even when I was young. Having kids didn’t help, and then menopause was the crowning blow. It was also right around menopause that the heat started to bother me, and one thing I realized drives me absolutely berserk on a hot day is having fabric touching my stomach. I know- it’s weird. But if I run in just a sports bra or crop top, I literally feel like it’s at least ten degrees cooler. At first I was self-conscious about my stomach, but comfort won out, and now I usually don’t think about it. But I runfess that it bothered me when I saw these race photos. I had such a great experience- and now I’m going to be depressed about my stomach??? Yesterday Janae of Hungry Runner Girl shared her instagram reel, Wear the Shorts, to encourage women to wear shorts in warm weather. She says, “We are the paintbrushes, creating amazing things and experiences with our lives… Not the artwork that sits there doing nothing just to be looked at.” Okay… wear the crop top! Now let’s look at my finish line picture. There I am with Calf Guy! I feel bad for him because this was the only photo of him at the finish line- it really wasn’t his day. I, on the other hand, look pretty good! The camera even caught my stomach at a flattering angle. But wait… Remember how I said I used Desitin to prevent chafing between my legs? Well, it’s very thick, greasy… and white. Apparently it shows up nicely on black clothing! ARRRRRG! This would be such a great picture, if only I didn’t have a huge, noticeable Desitin stain on my crotch. Sigh! I can’t win. At first I was bummed there weren’t any other pictures of me on the course… but maybe it’s a good thing. These were enough for one race. Have you had any race photo fails? Do you avoid wearing certain clothing when you exercise because of how your body looks? – I think I would have when I was younger. The older I get, the less I care!
Dunes 50K Race Recap, Part 2
Before I start, I want to say that I had tears in my eyes while reading the comments from yesterday’s post. This race was incredibly important to me, and I really felt like everyone appreciated that, and was truly happy for my successful outcome. You guys are the best. Now for part 2! Yesterday’s post told the general story of my day; today I’m going to talk about my gear and fueling, with some closing thoughts about the race. There were seven aid stations along the race course, stocked with water, electrolyte drink, soda, fruit, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pretzels, potato chips, pickles, and salt tablets. I elected to carry most of my own fuel- I thought I would supplement what I had with the aid station offerings, but it turned out the only thing I took from the aid stations was water, Coke, and lots and lots of ice. I even carried my own salt tablets, because I wanted to take one every hour and I didn’t want to rely on the aid stations for those. Everyone had to carry a water bottle, which would be refilled at every aid station. I used my Orange Mud single bottle hydration vest. I also have a double bottle vest, but it isn’t as comfortable as this one. During the two longest stretches between aid stations I did run out of water, but I still think this single bottle vest was the right choice. If the aid stations were any further apart, I would have needed the double bottle vest. This was a “cupless” event. In order to avoid plastic cups, we were all given a little cup in our race packets. They can be squashed down to fit into a pocket, or clipped onto a vest. If we wanted a drink at an aid station other than water in our water bottle, we were supposed to use these. I used this cup for my Coke, and now I’ll always think of it as my Coke cup. I also used this Nathan waist belt. It has two roomy pockets- I put my phone in the back one, and my salt tablets and some gels in the front. That way I could easily reach in and grab a salt tablet when I needed it. I also have a zippered side pocket in my shorts, where I stored more fuel. I didn’t feel it during the race, but afterwards I realized the things in that pocket rubbed against my thigh and caused some chafing- but it wasn’t a big deal. On that subject, I used Squirrel’s Nut Butter in all the usual chafing spots, plus all over my shoulders to prevent chafing from my hydration vest. And maybe this is TMI, but I used Desitin between my legs- it’s so thick and greasy, one application was all it took and I was chafe-free for the day. On the way to the race I ate oatmeal, and when I got there I slowly sipped (and finished) 24 ounces of water mixed with LMNT. I felt like I started the race with the right amount of calories, hydration, and electrolytes. For fuel during the race, I ate a lot of gels! All gels work well for me, so I used Gu because that’s what they sell at the sporting goods store near where I work. I had several caffeinated ones and several un-caffeinated. I also used the Trader Joe’s Frooze Balls, which are mostly made of dates. And I ate a package of Clif bloks, which are basically like gels but in a more solid, chewy form. I actually thought I would be eating more regular food from the aid stations, but I was so sweaty and sandy, somehow eating a sandwich just seemed too daunting. Gels are easy. I was aiming for around 200 calories an hour, but by the end my math was getting hazy. I drank a cup of Coke at each of the last three aid stations, and how many calories is that? 100 per cup? I have no idea. I just kept eating whenever I felt a little hungry, and it was in the last four miles that I ate that packet of Clif Bloks. So my nutrition could have been a little more precise, but luckily what I did worked. I think I got in the right amount of calories and caffeine. And water, and salt- one salt tablet every hour, I made sure of that. So, what do I wish I had done differently? Possibly, worn trail shoes. I ran in my regular New Balance 880s. I didn’t think trail shoes were necessary for Florida trails, but now I’m re-thinking that! Both my ankles were sore the next day (especially my right one, which I twisted pretty hard) and probably trail shoes would have given me more stability. And, since this was such a sandy race, some people wore gaiters to keep the sand out of their shoes. I did have a lot of sand in my shoes towards the end. It wasn’t causing me any blisters, I just would have been more comfortable without the sand. But I didn’t want to take my shoes off and have to put them back on again, because I had them laced perfectly (not too loose or too tight) and I didn’t want to mess that up, given my recent foot issues. I have to give a HUGE shoutout to race directors, Andre and Ludi of Down to Run. I heard them interviewed on the Florida Trail Runners podcast last year (which is how I heard about the race) and you can tell this race is their pride and joy. They’re passionate about Florida, trail running, and Jonathan Dickinson State Park, where the race is held. They truly want every runner to be safe and have an amazing experience. To make sure no one got lost, they put out 1000 trail markings. ONE THOUSAND. Any time there was a choice