My Recent Running Fears

Due to recent events both in the news and to people I know, I am hesitant to run alone or on busy roads.  Thank God I am not training for a race at the moment and am approaching the time of the year when I return to the gym for workouts rather than run/bike/blade along the nearby roads.

 

First, there was the incident in the South Side of Pittsburgh where an enraged motorist slashed a cyclist who may have accidentally cut him off.

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-city/s-side-bicyclist-stabbed-in-road-rage-incident-652272/

 

Then, there was the reported incident in North Park (where I frequently run and bike) where a female teenage runner was apparently attacked.

 

http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/neighborhoods-north/police-investigate-possible-north-park-attack-652730/

 

And finally, my neighbor in the Lakeside trailerhood was hit by a car while running near her home in North Carolina and life-flighted to the nearest hospital.  We are still waiting to hear her condition.

 

I already try to follow the running rules of the road.  Don't run at twilight or after dark unless wearing reflectors.  Don't run alone at these times either.  Don't run in unsafe areas alone.  Don't listen to an iPod while running on the road.

 

Now, I think I'm more cautious and a little scared...

 

 



Tis A Gift of Pinterest

I love giving presents, especially creative ones.  Thanks to Pinterest, I am not presented with a wealth of affordable and heartfelt gift ideas.  Before Pinterest I wasn't too bad either but now it's like a door has been opened to a whole new world of gifting possibilities.

 

Due to the fact that some of my readers are going to be recipients of these gifts in the coming weeks I can't release all of the details.  However, I will try to give at least a glimpse of my gifting projects.  After the birthdays, weddings and births happen, I hope to make a full post for each gift.

 

I'm pretty excited about each and everyone of these gifts and I think that each one will provide the recipient with something special and memorable, whether to celebrate an upcoming nuptial, new family member or milestone birthday.

 

The best idea I think I've found so far is what Meg and I will be making for my mom.  Hopefully, it will all work out and she will appreciate it, which I think she will.  Like I said, that will be a post in itself after her birthday in October.

 

 

Stay tuned...



Fitness Pro? Not!

Last week, I switched gyms and me being the fitness nut that I am took advantage of the free fitness consultation offered for new members. 

 

After meeting with the trainer, I was surprised to hear that I was just barely of average fitness.  Say what?  I run three miles two or three times a week and circuit the other days.  I ran a half-marathon in May (granted I'm not a fast runner but I did it).

 

The test consisted of five sections: BMI, flexibility, cardio, strength and endurance.  As the trainer explained the steps, I thought to myself that this sounded relatively easy.  It was actually too but my results apparently weren't good enough.

 

First, I failed the BMI.  I'm overweight.  Lovely.  I actually knew that and wasn't surprised I failed that.  I hate BMI.  It doesn't take into account muscle mass, which I know I have a lot of and the trainer agreed because I had my muscle mass tested.  Strike 1.

 

Second, to my surprise I got the highest level possible on flexibility.  This was the one section I thought I would fail instantly.  The test was reminiscent of elementary school V-sit and reach, which I was terrible at.  I've improved.  I stretched 23 inches.  Props for that one I suppose.

 

Third, I completed the cardio, which was a piece of cake.  Walk at a three percent incline at 4.5 miles per hour for five minutes.  Nothing.  Luck was still on my side because I passed that section too.  It was probably all my walk and run training.

 

Fourth, I had my strength tested.  I lift weights fairly often and never really thought that I could fail this but I did.  Apparently you are supposed to be able to lift 80-85 percent of your body weight.  I probably could do that in my lower body but my upper body only managed to chest press a measily 85 pounds.  Strike two.

 

Finally, the last part was endurance.  Stupid me thought I had this one in the bag too.  I ran a half-marathon.  That takes endurance.  Wrong again.  You had to do as many sit-ups as possible in a minute. I'm a cruch girl.  I hate sit-ups...always have, always will.  I failed miserably at 24.

 

With that being said I walked out of the gym on Friday a bit speechless but motivated to improve my poor fitness level.  I'm not discouraged though.  I feel healthy and my doctor says I'm healthy, so isn't that what really matters.  I'll never be a size two.  I realize that.  Yes, I'd like to lose a few pounds but in my case I think losing a few inches may be more realistic.  It's probably the first time in my life that I can honestly say I'm happy with my body, so I'll take it and continue what I'm doing.

 

Not everyone is an athlete.  Not everyone is a model.  I'm an average girl and I'll just strive to improve my average fitness.

 

 

Happy Grandparents Day!

If I could offer one piece of advice today on Grandparents Day, tell your grandparents you love them.  Hug them.  Call them.  Spend time with them even if its going to their house for lunch.  Trust me they'll appreciate it and you'll be happy you did because when they are gone it leaves an awful hole in your heart.  Nothing can replace the love of a grandparent.  So, if you are lucky enough to still have your grandparents, treasure them.

I was blessed to have three amazing grandparents and I'd like to think that the fourth, my paternal grandfather, would have also held a special place in my heart if he would have lived to meet his grandchildren.  And as the first granddaughter on both sides, I also held a special place in their hearts.

I had such wonderful relationships with my grandparents.

My grandpa taught me how to fish.  He taught me how to play tennis.  He paid for me to learn to sail.  Together we made a dollhouse and he refinished the most beautiful dollhouse for my sisters and I.  I thought I would dance with him at my wedding.

My Grandma Grace loved her grandchildren unconditionally.  She called us her CHARMS (our initials spelled it).  She called me Serenity.  I loved discussing books with her and she would have been so proud that I had become a librarian.  Sadly, she didn't live to see me graduate from college.

My Grandma Kay could have been my best friend if we had grown up in the same era.  She wrote me every week when I didn't live here.  We loved talking about our favorite shows, Gilmore Girls and Sex and the City.  We went for Chinese all the time.  Her unexpected death felt like I lost all three at the same time.

Like I said, if you still have your grandparents - tell them you love them as much as you can.  I didn't do it enough.  I didn't hug them enough.  And now I miss them still to this day more than anything in the world.

I wish my grandpa and Grandma Grace would have seen me receive my Master's.  I wish all three could have met my boyfriend.  There is so much I want to tell them and never will.  So, please treasure your grandparents, they are a true gift from God.

"And He will raise you up on eagle's wings,
Bear you on the breath of dawn,
Make you to shine like the sun,
And hold you in the palm of His Hand."

The early bird does catch the worm.

Way back in May at the Pittsburgh Marathon Expo, I visited to the Great Race booth to get information.  I decided to wait to see who I would be running with so that I could do the 2 for deal.

 

Then in July I got my reminder email and after determining that I would most likely be running by myself I decided to wait.  That was the cheapskate in me talking.  Wait until after vacation to register I thought.

 

So, at the beginning of the week I excitedly went on the Great Race to website to register only to find out that registration had been capped.  Capped at 15,000!!  A month before the race!!  And I lost my opportunity to run my second 10K.  I was very disappointed.

 

Thinking that my training was a waste, I moped for a day or two before I realized later in that week that I had received in email on Monday or Tuesday from the Pittsburgh Marathon seeking volunteers for upcoming races.  The Great Race was one of them and all volunteers received a free registration for the Half-Marathon.

 

Perfect, I thought.  I will register to volunteer and then I can run for free.  I was excited again and thought that I could now continue training and focus more on the half rather than the 10K.  Well, luck isn't my friend this week.  The only race that still needed volunteers was Toronto Marathon.  No running the Great Race.  No volunteering at the Great Race.  I learned my lesson.

 

The early bird does catch the worm.

 

 

It's OK though.  I am going to keep running.  I am definitely doing the half and I am registering the day registration opens.  I'm not missing out again.  I guess that's how I know that I'm still new at this whole runner thing.  I didn't realize how quickly an event fills up especially a month out.  Next year I won't make the same mistake.

Turning off the tube...

Hi! My name is Carrie and I'm a recovering TV junkie.

We all know I very rarely watch TV - every now and then I catch an episode of Parenthood or a rerun of the Golden Girls.  However, I would much rather read a book, watch a movie or socialize with my family and friends.

So, that's why I am shocked at the amount of TV I have watched in the last five weeks.  It's more TV than I've probably watched in the last 10 years combined!

First, there was the Olympics and I swear I didn't leave the couch for two weeks.  My boyfriend, cousins and I went to a bar and I had to watch it there.  I couldn't relax and socialize until I made sure that Michael Phelps was on a nearby TV.  It did motivate me even more though to run faster, swim harder and slam that tennis ball with more power.

Thought I would leave my comfortable spot on the couch by mid August - wrong - hello Shark Week!  I couldn't miss watching people getting limbs ripped off in a live version of Jaws.  I was busy this week so I didn't spend as much time watching the waters of nearby oceans get bloody.  Too bad...

Then I did take a little bit of a respite to vacation at Lakeside where I watched absolutely no television but kept my head buried deep in book.

I came home from the lake to more TV.  As if the Olympics and Shark Week weren't distractions enough, the Republican National Convention and Democratic National Convention are an even bigger interruption in my life.  If I was at home, I was watching the convention - glued to PBS, especially intent on hearing Ann Romney, Dr. Jill Biden and Michelle Obama.  I'm disappointed that I missed Jimmy Carter but I can't completely adjust my life for TV.  I'm bipartisan and a political junkie who absolutely loves the speeches and glimpses of famous politicians.

And now tonight...Stand Up 2 Cancer.  I try to watch it every year. I've donated a few years.  It's a fabulous and inspiring event.  We all know someone that has been affected by cancer.  Watch it if you never have.

Starting tomorrow though, the TV is going to remain off probably until ABC Family's 25 Days of Christmas.  I've had enough.  I'm ready to get back to my books.  I'm ready to watch some episodes of Downton Abbey.  I'm ready to reconnect with my friends and family.

And so folks, I'm turning off the tube.

The First Day of School

Every year around this time I always get sad that I'm not going back to school.  I miss the excitement of going school shopping and buying new highlighters, pens, Post-It notes, etc.  I honestly can't say I had these same emotions when I was in school but there is just something about fall that makes me want to go buy school supplies.  That's one thing I definitely don't need to buy though because when I was in grad school, I went overboard with pens and Post-Its and notecards and now I'm still using all of it at work.  So, for all of you going back to school, enjoy it and those of us that aren't, make a freshly sharpened bouquet of pencils as in You've Got Mail.