Wednesday, March 30, 2011
RunKeeper
First before I talk about RunKeeper...a big huge THANK YOU to my Dad for all the running gear. I now have a running top, leggings, and two running skirts. It's too cold and wet to give the skirts a go, but they fit perfect, look good, feel good and I can't wait to run in them. I ran tonight, only 2 miles as the wind and rain at Chambers was just too much, but I gave the leggings and the top a spin and both fit great and worked well. There is something to be said for quality cloths that fit perfect. They move with my body and feel really good. Thank you so much. I could have gotten along without them, but it is so very nice to have good running gear! Now on to RunKeeper. I found out about this program through facebook, I looked into it and found that not only can I access it through the computer, but there is also a free android and/or IPhone app and I was sold! I downloaded it to my phone and used it for the first time last night. It uses the phones GPS to track distance and time, it gives updates about every 6ish minutes as to how far I have gone and what my pace is. It also has coaching options...let it know you are training for a 5k in 5 weeks and every run it will tell you how far and hard to run every run up to the race. The coach will tell you during the run what intervals to do etc. It then uploads it from your phone to facebook, or twitter as well as a couple of other programs. It also keeps your activity history on the website. What a great way to keep track of my mileage! And it doesn't just track running, you can let it know you are walking, using an elliptic machine, bicycling and on and on. The only snag I ran into is that the sky was really overcast tonight and I couldn't get a good GPS reading, so it did not track my run as I was running. But, I happen to know that run one way is exactly a mile, so it was easy for me to track it myself and then enter my mileage and time manually when I got home. So far I'm totally in love with this program!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Dodgeball Champs
That's right Dodgie Style won the Championship! Finally, after two seasons of getting oh so close we finally did it!
Leading up to the finals I was so excited, but then I got sick. I was having so much trouble breathing that I had decided I wouldn't play, but was going to go and watch and support the team. However, Michelle threw her back out and couldn't play, so in order to have the 2 girl minimum that is required I didn't really have a choice. Kaleena and I held it down for the ladies playing back to back matches without a break. (Each game is 20 minutes long and you play as many matches in 20 minutes that you can. A match is over when you get everyone on the other team out.)
Thankfully we were in pretty good shape heading into the playoffs as we had a first round bye because we were in 2nd place. I was thankful we only had to play one game to get to the finals and not 2!
Our first game went down to the wire and was tied at the end of regulation. Into a 2 minute OT we go and at the end we were able to hold on for the win and head into the championship game.
We were excited to see that our favorite team actually beat the 1st place team, so we got to play Wonderballs for the championship. They are competitive, play us pretty close, but are also a lot of fun and joke around with us. Again this was a close game and we were tied at the end of regulation. Bring on the 2 minute OT and once again we pull out the win to bring home the trophy!
We sort of felt like this season was our time, and it feels really good that we pulled it all together and won it all. It would be hard to pick an MVP as we truly played as a team and each person had star moments throughout both games. I'm so proud of Dodgie Style for working together, having fun, and playing competitively.
Leading up to the finals I was so excited, but then I got sick. I was having so much trouble breathing that I had decided I wouldn't play, but was going to go and watch and support the team. However, Michelle threw her back out and couldn't play, so in order to have the 2 girl minimum that is required I didn't really have a choice. Kaleena and I held it down for the ladies playing back to back matches without a break. (Each game is 20 minutes long and you play as many matches in 20 minutes that you can. A match is over when you get everyone on the other team out.)
Thankfully we were in pretty good shape heading into the playoffs as we had a first round bye because we were in 2nd place. I was thankful we only had to play one game to get to the finals and not 2!
Our first game went down to the wire and was tied at the end of regulation. Into a 2 minute OT we go and at the end we were able to hold on for the win and head into the championship game.
We were excited to see that our favorite team actually beat the 1st place team, so we got to play Wonderballs for the championship. They are competitive, play us pretty close, but are also a lot of fun and joke around with us. Again this was a close game and we were tied at the end of regulation. Bring on the 2 minute OT and once again we pull out the win to bring home the trophy!
We sort of felt like this season was our time, and it feels really good that we pulled it all together and won it all. It would be hard to pick an MVP as we truly played as a team and each person had star moments throughout both games. I'm so proud of Dodgie Style for working together, having fun, and playing competitively.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
So Very Proud
This last Saturday my sister, her husband, and their two oldest, Emma - 8 and Sophie - 6, ran a 5K trail run in the mud and rain with multiple creek crossings.
Having started running recently and just finishing my 2nd 5K I can't tell you how proud I am of Emma and Sophie! They both set personal best times, and won age division medals. I'm certain they would run circles around me.
Keep running girls!
Emma and Sophie.
My sister and Sophie covered in mud!
Having started running recently and just finishing my 2nd 5K I can't tell you how proud I am of Emma and Sophie! They both set personal best times, and won age division medals. I'm certain they would run circles around me.
Keep running girls!
Emma and Sophie. 
My sister and Sophie covered in mud!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Sick
Not much to blog as of late as we have both been sick. I finally gave in and have been home so far this week. Mark is busy getting ready for his road trip with Josh, and I'm just trying to rest and feel better by tomorrow for Dodgeball playoffs!
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
March Madness Is Here
March Madness makes me homesick and it makes me miss HS!
It was handy having my Mom work in the library because I could drop in between classes, take long bathroom breaks, leave class early, arrive late and sometimes just skip so that I could sit in the AV room and watch basketball.
More specifically track how Duke was doing. Back then it was all about Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, and back-to-back tournament titles. And decorating one of the counselors office in Duke blue and white even though she hated Duke. Fun times, and I miss it every March.
Thankfully everyone in my office likes March Madness as well, so we all fill out brackets, put our money in and track the games all day long.
Go DUKE!!
It was handy having my Mom work in the library because I could drop in between classes, take long bathroom breaks, leave class early, arrive late and sometimes just skip so that I could sit in the AV room and watch basketball.
More specifically track how Duke was doing. Back then it was all about Bobby Hurley, Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, and back-to-back tournament titles. And decorating one of the counselors office in Duke blue and white even though she hated Duke. Fun times, and I miss it every March.
Thankfully everyone in my office likes March Madness as well, so we all fill out brackets, put our money in and track the games all day long.
Go DUKE!!
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Race Report
Stats: total runners - 1,607, finished 547 in 29.45. The goal was to finish in under 30 and we did it.
It was not easy though. Had this been my first race I wouldn't do another one, and it's probably a good thing I'm already registered for the next one otherwise I'm not sure when/if I would want to do it again.
I tried something different food wise this time and it backfired! Because I had been having issues with leg cramps all week I started eating a banana a day for the last week. I spaced it out a quarter of a banana with each meal, so that I wouldn't get a huge dose of potassium in one shot. (potassium gives me almost instant migraines.) By Friday I was feeling like I was on the verge of a headache, but my legs were feeling better, so I went ahead and had another banana.
I think where I got into trouble was having a clif bar for breakfast race morning. Clif bars have a lot of potassium in them, but what I ate last time before a race didn't work well for me, so I was determined to give clif bars a try. At first everything was fine. I felt great, was totally ready for the race to start. Michelle and I were strategic about where we were starting and staying to the left so we didn't get stuck behind slower people.
Things continued to go pretty well after the race started. There was a bit of an incline at the very start, but we faced worse in our last race so won't worried about it...however the pace was pretty fast! We were up the hill much quicker than I thought we would be, but we were still feeling pretty good, and even though we commented to each other that it was a fast pace we felt good and kept at it.
Things started going wrong for me after we passed the 2 mile mark though. I think all the potassium from the week finally caught up with me and my head was killing me. As a life long migraine sufferer I'm pretty used to them and it takes a LOT of pain to scare me...but this one scared me. It hurt so bad that it felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head, and I started having waves of blackness wash over me. I literally thought I was going to pass out on the course I felt horrible.
I was so irritated because I could see the 3 mile marker, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't make it to 3 miles let alone finish. Two things kept me going. 1. Michelle. She is a great running partner and I didn't want to pass out on her and ruin the race for her. 2. My sister. I have read many post-race blogs about what she has gone through running marathons and what you go through physically and mentally. I know that she has run with injuries and that in the course of a marathon hits multiple walls that she has to push through in order to finish.
So that is what I did. When I started to panic and feel like I was going to start crying I had a little talk with myself and reminded myself that no matter how bad I was hurting it was almost over, I took a few deep breaths and told Michelle that I was not going to be able to push at the end like we had planned on and she was fine with that.
That lasted until I saw what the time was on the clock at the finish. Michelle's last comment to me right before the race started was that she would be disappointed if she saw 30 minutes on the clock when we finished. I saw that the clock was at 29:35 and I looked at her and said we have to push if we are going to finish in under 30, so we did. we picked it up and finished in under 30 minutes. I literally wanted to lay down in the pouring rain and die my head hurt so bad. I had the chills and was shaking. Easily the worst I have felt running by far.
We were pretty excited leading up to this race. Our first race had been a trail run, first year the run had been done and no timing chips. Our run today was paved so our time should be faster, is a very organized run with cool shirts, and we had timing chips. We were so looking forward to it and we had been training regularly, so really thought our time would be faster...not sure how much faster, but I thought we would beat our last time by a couple minutes at least not just one.
The time doesn't bother me though...what bothers me is that I'm having such a hard time figuring out the whole food thing and how to balance what I need vs what won't give me migraines. Next time I'm going with oatmeal and a little bit of dried fruit before the race and will bring a few bites of clif bar for right before the race. Because I still need some potassium to help with the cramping and if I eat two hours before like is recommended I need a little bit of an energy boost to get me through.
I'm glad this one is over...spending the day lounging on the couch, re-hydrating and resting. My legs are sore and my head is till not feeling all that great.
It was not easy though. Had this been my first race I wouldn't do another one, and it's probably a good thing I'm already registered for the next one otherwise I'm not sure when/if I would want to do it again.
I tried something different food wise this time and it backfired! Because I had been having issues with leg cramps all week I started eating a banana a day for the last week. I spaced it out a quarter of a banana with each meal, so that I wouldn't get a huge dose of potassium in one shot. (potassium gives me almost instant migraines.) By Friday I was feeling like I was on the verge of a headache, but my legs were feeling better, so I went ahead and had another banana.
I think where I got into trouble was having a clif bar for breakfast race morning. Clif bars have a lot of potassium in them, but what I ate last time before a race didn't work well for me, so I was determined to give clif bars a try. At first everything was fine. I felt great, was totally ready for the race to start. Michelle and I were strategic about where we were starting and staying to the left so we didn't get stuck behind slower people.
Things continued to go pretty well after the race started. There was a bit of an incline at the very start, but we faced worse in our last race so won't worried about it...however the pace was pretty fast! We were up the hill much quicker than I thought we would be, but we were still feeling pretty good, and even though we commented to each other that it was a fast pace we felt good and kept at it.
Things started going wrong for me after we passed the 2 mile mark though. I think all the potassium from the week finally caught up with me and my head was killing me. As a life long migraine sufferer I'm pretty used to them and it takes a LOT of pain to scare me...but this one scared me. It hurt so bad that it felt like my eyes were going to pop out of my head, and I started having waves of blackness wash over me. I literally thought I was going to pass out on the course I felt horrible.
I was so irritated because I could see the 3 mile marker, but I was pretty sure I wouldn't make it to 3 miles let alone finish. Two things kept me going. 1. Michelle. She is a great running partner and I didn't want to pass out on her and ruin the race for her. 2. My sister. I have read many post-race blogs about what she has gone through running marathons and what you go through physically and mentally. I know that she has run with injuries and that in the course of a marathon hits multiple walls that she has to push through in order to finish.
So that is what I did. When I started to panic and feel like I was going to start crying I had a little talk with myself and reminded myself that no matter how bad I was hurting it was almost over, I took a few deep breaths and told Michelle that I was not going to be able to push at the end like we had planned on and she was fine with that.
That lasted until I saw what the time was on the clock at the finish. Michelle's last comment to me right before the race started was that she would be disappointed if she saw 30 minutes on the clock when we finished. I saw that the clock was at 29:35 and I looked at her and said we have to push if we are going to finish in under 30, so we did. we picked it up and finished in under 30 minutes. I literally wanted to lay down in the pouring rain and die my head hurt so bad. I had the chills and was shaking. Easily the worst I have felt running by far.
We were pretty excited leading up to this race. Our first race had been a trail run, first year the run had been done and no timing chips. Our run today was paved so our time should be faster, is a very organized run with cool shirts, and we had timing chips. We were so looking forward to it and we had been training regularly, so really thought our time would be faster...not sure how much faster, but I thought we would beat our last time by a couple minutes at least not just one.
The time doesn't bother me though...what bothers me is that I'm having such a hard time figuring out the whole food thing and how to balance what I need vs what won't give me migraines. Next time I'm going with oatmeal and a little bit of dried fruit before the race and will bring a few bites of clif bar for right before the race. Because I still need some potassium to help with the cramping and if I eat two hours before like is recommended I need a little bit of an energy boost to get me through.
I'm glad this one is over...spending the day lounging on the couch, re-hydrating and resting. My legs are sore and my head is till not feeling all that great.
Friday, March 11, 2011
Race Day Tomorrow
My second 5k is tomorrow! I am looking forward to it. This will be the opposite of the first one I did as the first one was a trail run with a couple of good hill climbs. This one is flat, paved, and we have official timing chips. I'm excited to see how I do.
A little anxious as I have been having leg cramps since Friday the 4th, thanks to the master Zumba class I took! I have been eating a half a banana a day and stretching like mad, but my hamstrings are not happy and they are letting me know about it.
My plan for tomorrow, a banana for breakfast and a half a clif bar in my pocket just in case I need one during the race. The two combine are a lot of potassium, so I hope it helps the legs but does not give me a migraine. Oh the balancing act!
Leg cramps aside I really am excited and looking forward to it.
A little anxious as I have been having leg cramps since Friday the 4th, thanks to the master Zumba class I took! I have been eating a half a banana a day and stretching like mad, but my hamstrings are not happy and they are letting me know about it.
My plan for tomorrow, a banana for breakfast and a half a clif bar in my pocket just in case I need one during the race. The two combine are a lot of potassium, so I hope it helps the legs but does not give me a migraine. Oh the balancing act!
Leg cramps aside I really am excited and looking forward to it.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
IRB Meeting
I guess before talking about the IRB meeting maybe I should update everyone on what the IRB is and my involvement. Not sure I have posted about it at all.
IRB is short for Internal Review Board. IRB's exist for one purpose and one purpose only...to protect the rights of "subjects" or rather humans that participate in research study.
There are a TON of laws and regulations that protect subjects, and there are even more laws involved when children, prisoners, employees of the research institute and pregnant women are involved.
38 test proving that I know all the laws and regulations later and I am a certified member of the MultiCare IRB. We meet once a month and make sure that ALL research studies conducted at or through MultiCare are done so in compliance with all the laws and regulations that uphold subject rights.
It is a lot of work, but worth it! I love seeing behind the curtain so to speak. I get to see what advances are being made in medicine almost before they are made and I love it. We approved some really cool studies last night and tabled one that needs a little bit more work, but when it does get approved could have a huge impact across the country. (Sorry for not being specific about what the studies are...confidentiality agreements and all.)
I will never have the scientific mind needed to be a researcher (volunteering with the ACS made me realize that all the "cool" stuff happens because of research) and that makes me crazy because research is where it's at as far as medical advances and improvements are concerned. But, this is one small way that I can be involved in research at a level that is appropriate for me.
Last nights meeting was a particularly long one. There were a lot of very complicated new studies that needed review and approval. A couple of them brought up one issue after another that needed to be addressed. No matter how draining it is, it is so worth it! it makes me feel good to know that patients that were terminal before may potentially have a life saving option now.
Pretty Cool!!!
IRB is short for Internal Review Board. IRB's exist for one purpose and one purpose only...to protect the rights of "subjects" or rather humans that participate in research study.
There are a TON of laws and regulations that protect subjects, and there are even more laws involved when children, prisoners, employees of the research institute and pregnant women are involved.
38 test proving that I know all the laws and regulations later and I am a certified member of the MultiCare IRB. We meet once a month and make sure that ALL research studies conducted at or through MultiCare are done so in compliance with all the laws and regulations that uphold subject rights.
It is a lot of work, but worth it! I love seeing behind the curtain so to speak. I get to see what advances are being made in medicine almost before they are made and I love it. We approved some really cool studies last night and tabled one that needs a little bit more work, but when it does get approved could have a huge impact across the country. (Sorry for not being specific about what the studies are...confidentiality agreements and all.)
I will never have the scientific mind needed to be a researcher (volunteering with the ACS made me realize that all the "cool" stuff happens because of research) and that makes me crazy because research is where it's at as far as medical advances and improvements are concerned. But, this is one small way that I can be involved in research at a level that is appropriate for me.
Last nights meeting was a particularly long one. There were a lot of very complicated new studies that needed review and approval. A couple of them brought up one issue after another that needed to be addressed. No matter how draining it is, it is so worth it! it makes me feel good to know that patients that were terminal before may potentially have a life saving option now.
Pretty Cool!!!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Running Issue #2
Running issue #2: CLOTHING
I have been looking at a lot of running clothing options and most of them seem to be shorts, running skirts, cropped pants, and full length pants (very tight pants!).
First off…what do people wear under their running bottoms of choice? Because, I will tell you that wearing my normal underwear under my yoga pants while running has not always been very comfortable! Chafing has happened in places I didn’t know it could happen. Enough said. But, not all bottoms have underwear built in and I care about things like pantie lines, and that severally limits what underwear I'm willing to wear, so what the heck do people do?
Second…I’m running in the cold, rain, snow, and wind so running shorts, skirts, and cropped pants don’t really work most of the time around here, and I have yet to find long running pants that are not spandex tight! Now I have no problem going to the gym or on a run fresh out of bed with zero make-up, bed head, and sweat my ass off and not give a crap about how I look. But, I have my limits and tight ass spandex is one of them…no one looks good in that!
On the flip side I realize that loose clothing is bad because again chafing can becomes an issue, so what is a girl to do?
Everything else I’m pretty good on. Outerwear, shoes, socks, tops, sports bra’s I have all that figured out, it’s just the bottoms and what does or doesn’t go underneath them that I’m tripping up on.
I may trip up on the workout related laundry now and then as well. Between the Y and running I may have had to put on a not totally dry sports bra or yoga pants a time or two because of not staying on top of the laundry!
I have been looking at a lot of running clothing options and most of them seem to be shorts, running skirts, cropped pants, and full length pants (very tight pants!).
First off…what do people wear under their running bottoms of choice? Because, I will tell you that wearing my normal underwear under my yoga pants while running has not always been very comfortable! Chafing has happened in places I didn’t know it could happen. Enough said. But, not all bottoms have underwear built in and I care about things like pantie lines, and that severally limits what underwear I'm willing to wear, so what the heck do people do?
Second…I’m running in the cold, rain, snow, and wind so running shorts, skirts, and cropped pants don’t really work most of the time around here, and I have yet to find long running pants that are not spandex tight! Now I have no problem going to the gym or on a run fresh out of bed with zero make-up, bed head, and sweat my ass off and not give a crap about how I look. But, I have my limits and tight ass spandex is one of them…no one looks good in that!
On the flip side I realize that loose clothing is bad because again chafing can becomes an issue, so what is a girl to do?
Everything else I’m pretty good on. Outerwear, shoes, socks, tops, sports bra’s I have all that figured out, it’s just the bottoms and what does or doesn’t go underneath them that I’m tripping up on.
I may trip up on the workout related laundry now and then as well. Between the Y and running I may have had to put on a not totally dry sports bra or yoga pants a time or two because of not staying on top of the laundry!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
What Do You Know For Sure?
This edition is prompted by some serious frustration for Mark and I, but the situation does make me realize that:
Sometimes the right decision is the hardest one to make.
There will come a point in life (maybe many points in life) that a person has to look outside of themselves and realize that personal wants, desires, and motivation are not a good enough reason to make decisions that are not in the best interest of those they profess to love and care about.
If only others would know this for sure as well, and live by it...the world would be a better place.
Sometimes the right decision is the hardest one to make.
There will come a point in life (maybe many points in life) that a person has to look outside of themselves and realize that personal wants, desires, and motivation are not a good enough reason to make decisions that are not in the best interest of those they profess to love and care about.
If only others would know this for sure as well, and live by it...the world would be a better place.
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