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.

Like A Virgin

Activity: Run - Fire Run 4 Miler
Date: 08/23/09 08:38 AM
Distance: 4.05 miles
Time: 0:36:37
Speed:6.6 mph
Pace: 9' 02 min/mile
Calories: 391

(I did not turn off my gps right away. Had this been a chipped run my minute per mile average would have been in the eights)


Another run for the books!

I am THIS close to where I was before the whole hip/femur fracture debacle. I did this same run in 2005 (It used to be the Moondoggie's Race) and finished that 2005 race in 35:42, at a 8:55m/m pace.

Here's this year's results:

630 IRENE M 1029 50 9/47 F 36:22 9:06

I'll take it!

I wasn't going for guts and glory. I was running this particular event keep in sync with the whole race scene before it became a distant memory.

Many of my friends used this run as a recoup run from their AFC Half marathon last week. I don't have pictures, but I met up with AKA Alice and the Heffers, and met blogger Lisa of Discovering the Meaning of Stonehenge. Since I was wearing one of my SDTC tech t's, one of the guys in charge of membership for the track club came up to me and introduced himself and mentioned that he tries to meet as many track club members as possible. I can't remember his name, perhaps it was the couple of post run beers that made my memory a little fuzzy.

In addition, my friend Rich ran his very first run event ever. Yes, he WAS a race virgin. He runs, but had never run in an event before. Now he's asking about future 5ks. I knew he'd get hooked. I'm sure he'll eventually get his wife to at least go along for the ride to cheer him on if he decides to do more races. He finished soon after I did with a time of 36:45 - 9:12 pace.

Michael did not attend today's race because he's whooping it up in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico at a bachelor's party weekend... He returns later today.

I didn't bring my camera, and I didn't think to get pre run photos with AKA Alice or Lisa with my cell phone, but AKA Alice did get a picture of the three of us, so I hope she posts it soon. :) I did get a couple of cell phone shots at the PB Bar & Grill with our post run beers:

Rich feeling pretty good about his first time. Cheers!

Me feeling pretty good after the first beer and a breakfast burrito. Oh yeah, and feeling pretty good about my run, too.

EDIT:
This just in... While I was enjoying my beer, the Heffers and Lisa were chatting it up with the local news!


Yesterday's song:
Fire - Jimi Hendrix
PEACE

Fire

Guess what I'll be doing Sunday morning?

Wednesday's song:
Your Possible Pasts - Pink Floyd

PEACE

Your Possible Pasts

Sunday's song:
Half - Soundgarden

PEACE