This post is dedicated to my good friend Jo. Here's the story:
Jo and I met in college. We were computer science majors at University of Michigan - Flint, and had many good times and laughs in college. (I will not tell you what year it was! ;) ) Well, life happened and we drifted apart. Fast forward to 2004, when I get an email from Jo. She'd been looking for me for years and finally found me. Since then we've been back in touch constantly. The cool thing about our reunion has been that it never felt weird or awkward, it felt like we just were on pause for a few years and picked it right back up. Of course our lives were different and we'd both grown up, but our talking and laughter has not changed one bit.
One of the other really cool things about Jo is that she is a runner. I mean a REAL runner. This weekend, she completed her first Marathon. She's been running the Crim for years and now this. She's been struggling with injury also, but she pushed through and completed this monumental goal. A marathon is really nothing I have an interest in, I'm more of a short distance girl, but I have a lot of respect for the amount of training she has put into this.
Since I picked up my running shoes again in 2005, we have a new thing in common! She's been one of my main motivators in getting me back in running shape. I don't think I'll ever be the runner she is, but I do push my self more and more because of her coaching.
You might call her my Master Po, or better yet, my Master Jo.
Ok, so what I'm about to tell you next may have you thinking "Did you say all those nice things about her so she wouldn't kick your ass?" And the answer is no, her marathon just happen to coincide with this and I really wanted to post a tribute to her on here.
I've been telling her for like a month that I'm gonna run a 5 k. Which I really am. It's not like I don't have the ability. I need to get in an official time because she's been coaching me in getting faster. Anyway, this was another weekend I was supposed to run. Actually I should be there right now, but I decided not to go for several reasons. (My excuses are weather, allergy and bodily function related, that's all you need to know!) So, don't be mad at me Jo, because I WILL run in one soon, it'll just have to wait until after the triathlon next week.
On a good note, I biked 12 miles on Friday, 30 miles on Saturday and 45 on Sunday. I actually feel great physically, so that is NOT one of my many excuses!
So I salute you Master Jo! Congratulations on your great achievement. And about my 5K...
Don't hate the player, hate the game!!
Monday, May 26, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Today's ride
This morning Tim and I went out for a ride near Ortonville State Recreation area. Why Ortonville you ask? Well, June 22nd, I'm doing an Olympic Distance Triathlon Relay with my cousin (swimmer) and my friend (runner) and I am doing the bike portion, which is a 26 mile course.
The course description says that the course will "kick your ass", but I didn't find it too bad except for two hills. One of course was at the 25 mile mark so it was tough, the other one was about 16 miles in. The rest of the hills were long and gradual, and a fair amount of false flats (it goes through a lot of farm lands and through the cute little town of Hadley).
But I averaged 16 miles an hour and it took me 1:40. I think I can do it between 1:20 & 1:30 (probably closer to the 1:30 mark), so I'll be training hard to bump up that time. We didn't really push it, so I was pretty happy with my time overall
Oh and it was a gorgeous day for a bike ride.
The course description says that the course will "kick your ass", but I didn't find it too bad except for two hills. One of course was at the 25 mile mark so it was tough, the other one was about 16 miles in. The rest of the hills were long and gradual, and a fair amount of false flats (it goes through a lot of farm lands and through the cute little town of Hadley).
But I averaged 16 miles an hour and it took me 1:40. I think I can do it between 1:20 & 1:30 (probably closer to the 1:30 mark), so I'll be training hard to bump up that time. We didn't really push it, so I was pretty happy with my time overall
Oh and it was a gorgeous day for a bike ride.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Running
Today I went for a run on a new route around my neighborhood.
Normally I run inside my neighborhood, but this one takes me out onto some of the surrounding and fairly busy roads, one being M-59. I am trying to increase my distance, so this is my first attempt at a 4 mile route, and I really don't like doing loops (because I have a hard time making myself do them), so I wanted something different.
I had a good run, 4.3 miles in 45 minutes, so I'm happy and I feel good.
Then I get a message from my cousin this morning on my voice mail: "Um yeah, it's 6:11 am and I'm on M-59 on my way to work, and I see this hot brunette running on M-59 between Prestwick Village and Livingston road with a reflector vest on. I mean she's totally hot, but kind of an idiot for running on M-59. Do you know her?"
Then I talked to her and explained that I was only on M-59 for 2 minutes and the shoulder is very wide there (a car width), so I am totally safe. She was impressed that I had the forethought to put the reflector vest on, running on busy roads, so I think she kinda approves now, not sure.
I just thought that a) her message was funny, b) It's so nice of her to be concerned about me and c) it was such a coincidence that she saw me when I was only on the road for 2 minutes and it was my first time!
Anyway, it was a good run. Next run: 5 miles.
Normally I run inside my neighborhood, but this one takes me out onto some of the surrounding and fairly busy roads, one being M-59. I am trying to increase my distance, so this is my first attempt at a 4 mile route, and I really don't like doing loops (because I have a hard time making myself do them), so I wanted something different.
I had a good run, 4.3 miles in 45 minutes, so I'm happy and I feel good.
Then I get a message from my cousin this morning on my voice mail: "Um yeah, it's 6:11 am and I'm on M-59 on my way to work, and I see this hot brunette running on M-59 between Prestwick Village and Livingston road with a reflector vest on. I mean she's totally hot, but kind of an idiot for running on M-59. Do you know her?"
Then I talked to her and explained that I was only on M-59 for 2 minutes and the shoulder is very wide there (a car width), so I am totally safe. She was impressed that I had the forethought to put the reflector vest on, running on busy roads, so I think she kinda approves now, not sure.
I just thought that a) her message was funny, b) It's so nice of her to be concerned about me and c) it was such a coincidence that she saw me when I was only on the road for 2 minutes and it was my first time!
Anyway, it was a good run. Next run: 5 miles.
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Work out news
It's Tuesday and here's what I've done for the week so far:
Sunday - 35 mile bike ride
30 miles of 15 mph pace, and a 5 mile leisurely ride. I'm still having a little drama with the clip in shoes, but trying to work through it. And I didn't fall until the 5 mile ride, when I was standing still at an intersection. Only some minor bruising, a little road rash and a bruised ego. ;)
Monday - 1000M swim speed work, 20 mile bike ride
Nothing too noteworthy here, except I'm feeling better in the pool and it was friggin windy out.
Tuesday - 3 mile run speed work, 1000M swim
Increasing distance on the speed segments, and it's not totally killing me... yet!
Good week so far!
Sunday - 35 mile bike ride
30 miles of 15 mph pace, and a 5 mile leisurely ride. I'm still having a little drama with the clip in shoes, but trying to work through it. And I didn't fall until the 5 mile ride, when I was standing still at an intersection. Only some minor bruising, a little road rash and a bruised ego. ;)
Monday - 1000M swim speed work, 20 mile bike ride
Nothing too noteworthy here, except I'm feeling better in the pool and it was friggin windy out.
Tuesday - 3 mile run speed work, 1000M swim
Increasing distance on the speed segments, and it's not totally killing me... yet!
Good week so far!
Perseverance
This post is another dedication to Patti, my favorite cousin.
I won't go on this time, however, about how awesome she is, because we already know that! But this time, I want to talk about her character. She's been struggling with a knee injury ALL winter. It has squashed many of her plans for the summer. HOWEVER, she moves on despite of this. She's always planning around and figuring out how to keep moving forward even though she's in pain.
In addition to all the physical qualities that athletes have like strength, endurance, agility, above all else, I believe perseverance is number one. This makes Patti a strong athlete.
Dictionary.com has the following definition of perseverance:
1. Steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.
—Synonyms 1. doggedness, steadfastness. Perseverance, persistence, tenacity, pertinacity imply resolute and unyielding holding on in following a course of action. Perseverance commonly suggests activity maintained in spite of difficulties or steadfast and long-continued application: Endurance and perseverance combined to win in the end. It is regularly used in a favorable sense. persistence in a belief; Tenacity, with the original meaning of adhesiveness, as of glue, is a dogged and determined holding on. Whether used literally or figuratively it has favorable implications: a bulldog quality of tenacity; the tenacity of one's memory. Pertinacity, unlike its related word, is used chiefly in an unfavorable sense, that of over insistent tenacity: the pertinacity of the social climber.
All of these things and more describe her tenacious nature, which I am learning through osmosis.
I won't go on this time, however, about how awesome she is, because we already know that! But this time, I want to talk about her character. She's been struggling with a knee injury ALL winter. It has squashed many of her plans for the summer. HOWEVER, she moves on despite of this. She's always planning around and figuring out how to keep moving forward even though she's in pain.
In addition to all the physical qualities that athletes have like strength, endurance, agility, above all else, I believe perseverance is number one. This makes Patti a strong athlete.
Dictionary.com has the following definition of perseverance:
1. Steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., esp. in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.
—Synonyms 1. doggedness, steadfastness. Perseverance, persistence, tenacity, pertinacity imply resolute and unyielding holding on in following a course of action. Perseverance commonly suggests activity maintained in spite of difficulties or steadfast and long-continued application: Endurance and perseverance combined to win in the end. It is regularly used in a favorable sense. persistence in a belief; Tenacity, with the original meaning of adhesiveness, as of glue, is a dogged and determined holding on. Whether used literally or figuratively it has favorable implications: a bulldog quality of tenacity; the tenacity of one's memory. Pertinacity, unlike its related word, is used chiefly in an unfavorable sense, that of over insistent tenacity: the pertinacity of the social climber.
All of these things and more describe her tenacious nature, which I am learning through osmosis.
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