Thursday, August 27, 2009

Penny For Your Thoughts

...It's more like my two cents

Miscellaneous blab:

Summer has finally arrived in Southern California and we're all complaining how hot it is! I know we're rather spoiled here, but guess what? It is hot! When it gets into the 90s on the coast, which is usually the coolest place to be, it's in the 100s everywhere else. I sought refuge in the air conditioned gym to do my "track" workout*.

Brief gym rant:
To the woman next to me on the treadmill at the gym: Get off your damn cell phone! Even with an iPod plugged into my ears and Nickleback's "Burn It To The Ground" is blasting away, I can still hear your conversation! ("But I love you more... but I love you even more... but I love you more than that"...) PS: Ease up on dousing your entire body in vanilla scented cologne. I wanted to pass out. After my 10 minute warm up on the treadmill next to vanilla cell phone diva, I switched to another treadmill.

I would like to see more run events with chipped timing. After the 4 mile Fire Run on Sunday, I turned off my GPS after I made it out of the finishing corrals, giving me extra time and distance, and it came out to about a 9:02 minute mile. Technically, I finished under a 9 minute mile, probably about an 8:55 minute mile. When the results were first posted I was given a 9:06 minute mile. I just rechecked my results and I now have a 9:07 minute mile finishing at 36:25. I know it's a few seconds, but when you're looking for PR's and improvements every second counts. I think I've blogged about this before, but with so many more people running, the margin for error in manual time recording goes up. Can someone explain to me how much more complicated is it to come into the here and now and have all races chipped? If it's expense, I'd love to be given the option to have a timing chip and pay a few extra bucks for it.

I have an appointment with radiology and my endocrinologist scheduled for next month. These appointments include a DEXA scan (bone density testing) and a mammogram. I'm not quite sure if the endocrinologist is going to order more follow up tests, as he did last year. Good times ahead...

Popsicles, lemonade, and Propel are being inhaled at an alarming rate my house as I type...

Cupcakes. I need to hit up a bakery. There's no way I'm baking anything right now. I just want one and I'll be fine. It just takes one to get the craving out of my sytem.

Photo from Women's Day

My friend Rich, the guy who ran with me at the Fire Run 4 miler, has been seen at my blog before. A few years ago I made him a pirate (Jack Sparrow) costume coat:


My brother will be in town for a few days. I've invited him to run with us and the track club on Saturday morning. It should be interesting. He's one of those uber fast types with a whole lot of energy.

Mel of Tall Mom On The Run is having a giveaway for her 200th blogpost. The swag is a Pearl Izumi running shorts. Go on over and enter and please mention that I (Irene of Magazine Smiles) sent you!

Sunday's song:
Like A Virgin - Madonna - Barbie2be

PEACE


*It was too hot to run outside on an actual track, so I used the virtual track on the computer readout of the treadmill instead.

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Yes, it's hot! I love the evening runs though, gorgeous nights! Sounds like you're going to have a fun weekend and happy cupcake hunting, cupcakes are the best!
Stay cool,
meg

Jo Lynn said...

Did you say cupcake? Yup, that's all I got from your whole post. Cupcake!!!!!

Mel-2nd Chances said...

i have yet to run a race that isn't chip timed, but would be frustrated by errors like that too! Good luck with all the tests!

Mel -Tall Mom on the Run said...

UGH I would be UPSET with no chip time...the only excuse is mini fun runs that cost $10 or less :)

Thanks for the plug!!

Cupcakes, oh I love me some cupcakes.

And crafty lady with the costume.

Anne said...

I think it is the expense that prevents more "locally grown" races from adopting the chip method. What I don't understand is the for-profit companies that have the money to invest and just don't.

See you and your brother tomorrow in PB!!

IzzyBubbles said...

Ugh, I think there is maybe ONE local race I've ever done in this area that had chip timing. It just hasn't caught on here, I don't think the running community is quite big enough yet. Boo. I'm with you on that all the way.

Cupcakes sound really good right now...but I can never stop with just one!

Glenn Jones said...

I think that they should just charge $5 more to cover chip timing. There may be some issues with the race management company (or lack of one) - I can see where they may not have the equipment to chip time. But, there must be a bunch of race management companies out there!

And has it been hot or what! I live close tot he ocean (1mile) so I don;t even have A/C. Never thought about it, but maybe that's why I'm so tired these days - sleeping at night has been a challenge.

Best of luck at the doc!

Blasé said...

I did a blog about cell phones. Irks me to the max!

Miss Rachel said...

So what kind of cupcake did you end up having? Was it a vanilla cell phone cupcake? ;-)

Someone once told me that September is the hottest month in the San Diego area - is that true? We had some awful, sticky humid weather here the last week or so, but now it has finally cooled off. Of course, it's still humid (it's raining), but at least it's not hot. Stay cool.

peter said...

Ahh, Rick's my kinda guy. Millers stands clear. Your rant about the gym was hilarious. Never using a treadmill, I had no idea it was such a jungle in there.

Deene said...

to annoyances at the gym with cell phone "it would be nice to just beam her a text "shut up and run".

Aka Alice said...

Yeah...Kathy Loper doesn't do chip timing at any of their events. I tend to do fewer and fewer of those. You know how much I think they were off on MY time...GAH!

Hear, hear on the vanilla-cellphone chick! Hate that too.