Toots and Sally Ride Again

Deep Thoughts

Toots — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 02:57:03 +0000

They say it’s all “mind over matter”…but how do you know your mind hasn’t gone off the deep end?

They say it’s all ”mental”…but how do you know you haven’t ”gone mental” yourself???

What possessed to run my 5 miler this afternoon in 97 degree weather (101 degrees with the heat index)??? Either I’ve gone mental or I’ve just completely lost my mind….

The voices in my head.

Toots — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:07:27 +0000

“A runner’s head is a scary place to be, and becoming your own psychologist may be grounds for a malpractice claim.” -Marty Jerome. Ok…so I’m off to do my 9 miler…yes, right now, at 8pm. Hoping for a blissful run…let’s … Continue reading →

The DU and a Q for U

Lumpy — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 02:16:53 +0000

The Minneapolis Duathlon is tomorrow morning. Yet another event I did not train well for. I think this is my last.

Last event that I do not train well for that is…the tide is changing.

That said, I have a lovely 18 mile bicycle portion of the race to look forward to on my relay team. Given the weather forecast, that works out to 9 miles south, into a 20-30mph headwind and then 9 miles north with a 20-30mph tailwind. I’m not sure I like that arrangement…even reversed. Oh well…

And now, a thought provoking question for you, loyal readers.

You know how you get 4 saftey pins in your packet to bin your race number on, right? Good. And they always come 3 strung onto the 4th pin to keep them together, right? Yeah, exactly.

And now the Q: WHO DOES THAT? Are they somehow automagically manufactured that way? Does some lowly race volunteer(s) have to string thousands of them as punishment for their failed water stop the year before? Or are they purchased that way by the race, thereby subsidizing the $2/day wages of from poverty stricken foreign child laborer?

Things to consider.

Ideal Sports Bra Has Not Been Invented

Lumpy — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 15:54:10 +0000

I came across this article online and thought I would share it for all the TAS women out there:

Phys Ed: The Right Kind of Sports Bra

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth in England and other schools recently attached reflective markers to the breasts of a group of female runners and had the women jog along a track while wearing various types of bras or forgoing breast support. The researchers charted the trajectories of the women’s breasts, using infrared cameras. The track was also equipped with a force platform to measure the force of each runner’s foot strikes.

…

Unfortunately, no such foam-padded crop-top-style compression bra is yet on the market. So barring creating your own with a tight crop top and some pads, the best advice that scientists currently can offer to women hoping to corral their breasts during exercise is more commonsensical than high-tech. Find a sports bra that “feels supportive,” Ms. White said.

Maybe we should start a company…

I have to take a leave… (potty mouth alert!)

Sally — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 04:08:11 +0000

Since I am trying to live honestly, I want to share with you all (and not on Facebook!) that I’m going to an inpatient treatment facility to help me get my shit together. I am not quite getting over all the deaths over the last 8 years and it’s affecting my whole life. I want to run and can’t, I don’t want to go to work, I just have apathy, in general. When I think about all of my losses, I think I should have done this 3 years ago. No one is supposed to grieve for 8 years, so in some respects I think I am the strongest mother fucker that ever walked this goddamn planet. Otherwise, I feel weak, tired, depressed, worn down, and listless. I take such joy in the small moments, but they’re not getting me through, and concentrating on the little things like puzzles and dog walks are not working anymore. I guess I’m doing this post because I hope that if any of you have anything at all like this going on, you know you’re not alone, and that there is help out there. My insurance is amazing and everyone that I talked to on the phone, from a trusted co-worker, to human resources, to the insurance company, to the facility I’m going to have been fucking amazing. I feel really lucky to live in a time like this, where I have all of these amazing resources. This whole situation has made me get back in touch with my mom, with whom I have not spoken in about 7 years. Healing is starting. Not so much with my brother, but he’s a completely different issue for me.

So, if you read this, if you come across it in two weeks, when you get around to reading TAS, here’s where I am, and I’m glad you are willing to read it. I’m looking forward to some quiet and some hard emotional work, but I’m scared to death to not have My Fuzz around me for their peace and silliness. I don’t want to spend (possibly) a month healing myself, when they are not there to help me, as they have been. Stay in touch with Lumpy. I’m a little worried about what my depression and grieving has done to him.

Love you all. Don’t know when I can be back.

Healing yourself is connected with healing others.
– Yoko Ono

Live your life from your heart. Share from your heart. And your story will touch and heal people’s souls.
– Melody Beattie

A lot of people say they want to get out of pain, and I’m sure that’s true, but they aren’t willing to make healing a high priority. They aren’t willing to look inside to see the source of their pain in order to deal with it.
– Lindsay Wagner

Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.
– Helen Keller

***I apologize for the preponderance of quotes. I feel like they all are saying something special to me right now.

Guinness almost pooped on a frog.

Sally — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 04:34:33 +0000

Catchy, yeah???? Well, we went for a non trail run in Hyland, since dogs can only run on paved trails now in Hyland Reserve…bummer. We’ve seen many cheaters, but I want to choose the high road; I miss so much about the runs we did at Hyland, but I don’t want to be that jerk who ignores the rules…oh…ick…ack…Guinness rolling…hey…let’s go…hey…stop fracking rolling………… hello to a new type of trail running…our girl will no longer be involved in Hyland. I’ve very, very sad.

**Addition/edit** She really did almost poop on a frog, but the frog was wise enough to jump out of the way in time. It was disgustingly funny. Oh, and the frog was really cool looking, and right after that I saw an osprey!

I guess I should have shrouded the last post in a new post.

Sally — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:16:23 +0000

um, G surprised. She ran, she panted, she wanted to get in the water, she wanted to unload a furload of crap. The part that surprised me is that she started running in FRONT of me!!!!!! It’s way too hot … Continue reading →

Running I’m not.

Aunt I. Hill — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:50:28 +0000

There, I said it.

Since the broken toe/foot cramp onslaught, I have not ventured out even for a frisky walk. When I don’t wear orthopaedic-like shoes, my foot feels like a manatee flipper. When I do wear what my sister refers to as “granny shoes”, I’m okay. What with it being summer and all, the Tevas that I’m used to wearing are not cutting it. Any suggestion? Chacos? Keens?

But, I have been biking home from work a lot, and grabbing an evening ride when I can. Fattie-the-Boyfriend and I did a 130-miler last weekend along the very dull Lake Woebegon and Central Lakes trails. More soybeans and feed mills than I’ve ever seen in my life. Three days of chafing. Three days of sweat. Three days of gas station and bar food. On the third day, Fattie asked aloud “I wonder if I just stuck this bike seat up my rectum, would that be more comfortable?” You see, Fattie lost a pair of bike shorts in the move and only had one pair for the trip.

So we shall see. Will my foot ever feel like a real foot again? Does this mean the end of my 10K attempts? Should I break down and get one of those scooter things?

What is the best trick/lesson/thing

Sally — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 00:58:39 +0000

you have learned to help you run, or just about running?

One of my top five is that Guinness has taught me how to sprint downhill. We started running trail a long time ago, but when we moved here, I decided to go for it with her, accepting that I might fall. It’s cool as hell to be going at full tilt, downhill.

What about you?

Missed Claudia

Sally — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 04:53:12 +0000

We were supposed to run sprints. I missed it. There’s a long, convoluted reason why that I will be jerk enough not to supply here. in place of that…TRFKAS and I and her daughter ran a 5k. It was fun, but WAY HOT. UGLY HOT. I was on the verge of overheating (puking, pooping, light-headedness…) when I finished, however, Team Julio (TRFKAS + daughter) seemed to have done just fine. I am attempting to get my head wrapped around running again and being social. Further reports to be seen…………………