Ten Thousand Drops of Sweat!

Last Sunday night, I was sitting in my hotel room at the outset of my family's week at the Marco Island Marriott. Marco Island, on the extreme southwestern corner of Florida, is the largest of the "Ten Thousand Islands." There are actually a few hundred islands; someone has counted.

The good news is I did keep my promise to myself to maintain an exercise plan. I ran three times and went to the nicely equipped workout room twice to ride the exercise bike. Here are a few observations:

1) 8:30 a.m. is not early enough to "escape the heat" on Marco Island in July!
2) The chocolate croissants at the Cafe San Marco taste amazing as a post-run snack.
3) Most of the planning around an hour long run during this vacation involved hydration -- stashing water bottles in trees; stopping mid-run at 7-11 for Gatorade, and wondering just how toxic the "non potable irrigation water" was!
4) Venturing anywhere inland is directly correlated with being hotter due to the lack of beachside breezes.
5) The city fathers (and mothers I guess) of Marco Island who put a water fountain (complete with a doggie-height spout) halfway through one of my runs are GENIUSES!!

Will the runs I took on this trip get me any closer to running faster 5K's? I think I at least held my ground. I do know that, just like a regular workday here in Tallahassee, most days that start off with a run end up being better days in general!

Yep, I sweated at least 10,000 drops on these runs. That's okay; I had plenty of options for hydration as the day wore on and the beautiful sunsets filled the sky.

There's another island to run in the future: Roosevelt Island when Tenley and I are in New York in October! (I got this idea from a post at http://runemployed.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/running-roosevelt-island/)

I'll "run" into you next week, readers!

Racing to Marco Island

There will be no races for me this week, and a brief blog post.

As our family (plus my niece Elizabeth) settles in for a week at Marco Island (thanks to Wayne's participation in the Environmental Permitting Summer School), my trip out of the Last Banana Club involves keeping up with my exercise program from a new venue, the Marco Island Marriott Resort. That's why sweat is still running down my back after a foray to the fitness center at 9:45 p.m.

I ventured back to intervals last Tuesday. After six months of working toward my goal of "faster 5K's," my time has not budged much. I even got the "early bird" start at Thursday night track so people didn't have to be around till 10 p.m. while I finished the 5K.

But as I told someone recently, my mood is a whole lot better. Now it's time to pair that happy elevated mood with some marked improvement in race times.

This week will not be a step backwards for me. I have a beautiful beachfront at my disposal, and a determination to get up early and run before the heat descends; after all, I can nap poolside later.

Each of the three children on this trip with us asked "Are we there yet?" at some point on the long drive today. This runner isn't "there yet" for the goal of breaking 30 minutes (or 40) for the 5K. But I have a plan, the support of my friends, family, and Gulf Winds supporters, and determination. This is one trip is that going to be "running" through my spirit for miles to come.

Gettin' Greeks (and Me) In the Streets 5K

Rather than a "LBC" (Last Banana Club) report, this post would more appropriately be called "LWC" (Last Water Club). When I completed today's "Gettin' Greeks in the Streets" 5K, I hopefully put my cup under the cooler's spout and got ....... nada. There was a container of Sunny Delight on the table, though, so it did the trick.

It was a relief to arrive at the FSU Union Green and discover:
1) there was a race going on! (my friend Rob famously arrived at another campus race in February 2009 only to discover that the race had been cancelled due to drizzle)
2) I was not the only non-college student there. I still think at 44 I elevated the average age by my presence alone, but some GWTC stalwarts (Gary Droze, Margrete Deckert, Jamie Joanos, Fran McLean, Fred Deckert with his trusty camera) were there too.

The pre-race instructions had been a little odd. Pre-registration had closed on 7/1/09, and the instructions said that race day registration would be from 8-9 with the race starting at 9:30. By the time registration closed at 9, the organizers decided that it was futile to wait until 9:30 and announced "starting in 5 minutes." Gary somehow managed to talk them into 10 minutes, and I ran to the parking garage to put on my running shoes. When the organizer was about to yell "go!" a couple of us were trying to point out that some people were still arriving but the .... um ..... Greeks were already in the Streets.

This was not the day to break 40 minutes. Gotta keep working toward that goal (intervals here I come).

Even though I did not make progress toward my time-related goal, no day is a complete loss when you have the opportunity to circumnavigate the campus that holds your happy college memories; share time with running friends; and burn some calories.

My original title of this post was: I didn't have a great time but I had a great time. I wish there had been a better turnout and that the Boys and Girls Clubs of Tallahassee (the designated charity) had netted more proceeds, but no day is a complete loss that starts with a run with friends!

"At Least I Didn't Finish Last"

Tonight's "LBC" (Last Banana Club) report is not about me. Maybe the "Little Banana Club" because it is about Wayne Kevin.

Seven years ago, when Tenley was "between" dance and whatever the next pasttime would be, she was briefly involved in running. When I took her out to the Gulf Winds Summer Track series, I didn't know what to do with three year old Wayne so I ..... took him along. Tenley went on to gymnastics (and dance) (and cheerleading) but Wayne and I are still "at the track."

Children are so unique in what motivates them. I have evolved over years of parenting to come to terms with the fact that my parental idea of what a child's goal should be, what should motivate them, or what will make a child feel good about him or herself differs wildly from the child's ideas.

I don't know if Wayne will ever set any kind of records. I don't know if he'll be running next week, next month, or next year (of course I still hope!). What I do know is that in the three Red Hills Kids Triathlons he has done, and yesterday's Freedom Springs Kids Triathlon, I saw determination in his eyes. And when he said, "at least I didn't finish last," that was as satisfactory to me as a first place finish.

One of my friends whose child was participating said she was going to take video next year of all the parents whose behavior was less than sportsmanlike and show it on a big screen so they would see for themselves that when you verbally berate a child who is putting together a 100 yard swim/3 mile bike/1 mile run for not doing it fast enough, that child may shave seconds off of their time but the parent is undermining something far more enduring: a child's sense of wonder at the things their body and mind can do.

So this week, when a child in your life wants to spend their time in a way that diverges from your vision of what will make them happy, take a moment to put aside your adult expectations and see things from their perspective. You might be surprised at the things you'll "tri" together.

My Ride to the St. George Island Sizzler Race

First, a small piece of business. After ruminating about it, I am going to write regularly (i.e., after each race and maybe in between) about my progress toward the goal of getting out of the "last banana" club. The "LBC" is what I call that anemic looking collection of snacks left for those of us who routinely finish 5K's "toward the end." Other hallmarks of LBC's are: 1) you have on at least one occasion overheard the law enforcement escorts at the rear of the race radioing to their counterparts, "Yeah, I've got the last one here," 2) You have ever received a "snail" award for finishing last in a race, and 3) you are well, well acquainted with the runners/walkers who begin the race ahead of the pack due to being elderly or otherwise at a "speed" handicap. I think the most important thing about running is ........ being there. But after years of bad (if any) bananas and the dregs of the water/gatorade coolers, I want out! I have a goal of completing a 5K in under 30 minutes, a goal I set for myself at the beginning of 2009. Six months into it, I have to admit I'll need to break 40 first!

Which gets me to the St. George Island Sizzler race, held last night (June 27). Last week, when our family was vacationing at St. George, I did a practice run of the course. Choosing to do this at noon (because I had slept in) when the heat index was around 110 degrees was hardly the right choice! But the practice session did help me familiarize myself with the course. It almost helped me familiarize myself with complete strangers, who I contemplated approaching for water! It took me about an hour to do the course since I had to walk half of it in the heat, so it was pretty clear that the "real" race last night would probably not be the time I broke 40 minutes.

A different complication arose as I prepared to leave for the race, however. My son, who was scheduled to run the 1 mile, started giving signs of backing out. No one I had approached about sharing a ride over ended up being available. At around 3:00 as I was preparing to go, and trying to come to terms with my sadness about Wayne Kevin not joining me, my husband said, "gee, what if the three of us go?" I'l be clear: As long as Wayne Kevin was out of the picture, I was pretty happy about four hours in the car to myself, just me and my audiobook, but I wasn't happy about the round trip through isolated areas, and traveling late at night fighting fatigue. So I originally said, "Gee thanks nice idea," while I was assuming I was still flying solo. Then a variety of things kicked in -- we figured out we could make arrangements for my daughter to get a ride back from the mall to our house, which eliminated one complication -- and my son said to his father, "yeah, if you're going I'll go." And inwardly I started getting pretty happy about finally having an opportunity to share a little of my running world with my spouse, and just to have some family-ish time spontaneously.

On the ride over, I was able to relax and stay hydrated without worrying about driving. When we arrived at SGI, my husband stationed himself at a table at Harry A's (site of the post race party, where tables were PRIME real estate). My son ran his mile and secured his third kids Grand Prix race of the year:

I fortunately figured out the 5K was starting early and had enough time to glimpse Wayne Kevin going into Harry A's to meet his dad, then embarked on my race. The temperature was MUCH better than it had been the previous week, the company was great (I enjoyed my midrace conversation with Katy Johnston), the family hosing us down at the 2 mile mark ROCKED, and the lady who dumped cold water down my back right before the finish was a savior (where the heck was she LAST week?!). My prediction was right: it was not the week to break 30 or even 40 (my time was around 44:30).:

The official LBC status for the SGI Sizzler race was:

If the measurement was bananas, the term "bananas" would have to be replaced for this race by yummy seafood boil, oysters, and black beans. There was plenty left even for us back of the packers. If it were the traditional post race spread, I imagine it would have been a "last" or "no" bananas race.

But there was something much more edifying to me at the end of the race: family support and a ride home.

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Obama - The Historic Journey - My Friends Cast Their Votes!

What is your first childhood awareness of the presidency? For me, it had something to do with the "casualties" count in Vietnam, followed by Watergate. My children are growing up with different presidents, certainly, but with differently "packaged" Presidents and a program called "Kids Voting" that teaches them about the electrion process. When http://www.momcentral.com/ invited me to join the blog tour for Obama - The Historic Journey, I wondered if this book had a place in my children's 24/7 media - infused world.

My youngest voter (my son, Wayne, 9) looked at the table of contents and said, "we need to turn to page 17." The chapter titled, "A Skinny Kid With a Funny Name" appealed to him. Subsequently, we discussed the fact that Obama's favorite tv show is Sportscenter and discussed President Lincoln's Bible which was used during the inauguration. It was when we started exploring the page of children's letters to President Obama and their drawings of him that my son was most interested -- we almost missed the bus due to our absorption! When I asked Wayne what he would say in a letter to President Obama, I learned that he had spent what attention he was going to spend on this book.

When my daughter (Tenley, 12) didn't want to read the book in the midst of "last week of school" euphoria, I asked my friend Yasmine (13) to look it over for me. Yasmine just completed 8th grade, and had a "platform" of comments for this book.

What Yasmine liked best: That Barack Obama is the first African-American to become president. She wished, though, that he had shared more about his close childhood friends. She also would have preferred more details about why he chose to run for president instead of the preponderance of pictures.

Something that Yasmine learned that she did not know about Barack Obama: That he went to Harvard Law School, that he spread his mother's ashes in the river, that he liked to play basketball in his spare time, and that his favorite food is chili.

Yasmine shared a few additional comments that intrigued her about this book: Malia was born in 1998 -- my brother Christopher was born the same year! Sasha was born in 2001 -- my other brother Dezmon was also born in 2001!

Here's a picture of Yasmine, Christopher, and Dezmon:


Lastly, I "polled" my friend Ann, who homeschools her son, Alex (8) about the book. She said that she "particularly liked the quotes throughout the book, the stories including the first lady and their daughters, and the pictures of the President and suggestions made by children at the end of the book." She would "veto" the fact that President Obama was a smoker, though.



And here's my vote. I enjoyed the summary this book provided me, an adult reader. It covers a lot of territory in a fairly simple way. Of course, I am the reader who found the section in "The Audacity of Hope" where Senator Obama (in Washington for a crucial vote) is urgently called by his wife (in Chicago) and reminded to bring ant traps home -- it appears the Obama home was being infested -- one of the most interesting. So maybe what appealed to me was the "little things" that even a world leader has to contend with, and that he and his family may have in common with mine.


This book has features that appeal to children of various ages. The pictures appeal to the younger children, and the text is valued by older children who are motivated to read about the topic. As a mom, I would find it slightly more approachable if it were "throw it in the backpack" size. Instead, it is more "I need to check this out for my book report" or "coffee table" size.


All in all, however, I would cast my vote for this book. More importantly, I cast my vote for any reading material that encourages kids to be involved in creating the world in which they will grow up. As Frances Moore Lappe said, "Every aspect of our lives is, in a sense, a vote for the kind of world we want to live in." Kids and adults (like Wayne, Yasmine, Alex, and Ann) who are willing to learn more about our leaders, whether they agree or disagree with their politics, are voting for the kind of world I want to live in!

It's a new verb: Let's "10-10-10" That!

My friends at momcentral.com sent me a copy of Suzy Welch's new book, 10-10-10, as part of a "blog tour." Those of you who know me know I will read pretty much anything, and it's gravy to get a free book as part of the deal. I often apply to go on blog tours, and remember thinking, "Sure, I'll read something that gives me new tools to manage my life."

From the cover of the book, Suzy smiles up at me, stylishly coiffed and in trendy heels. I started reading the book a couple weeks before the deadline, and found that I kept picking it up instead of my book club book (Witches of Eastwick), which I was really supposed to finish before my 10-10-10 deadline.

Then the book kept creeping into my conversations, and since the concept is really easy to grasp, played a crucial role in a mother/father/daughter conversation about 12-year old choices. Deciding what to do with the next year of her life put my daughter in a quandary -- separating from this year's activity and group of like-minded friends meant breaking the news to sponsors and teachers. Although the goal for next year (hint, it involves pom poms) is something exquisitely appealing, telling this year's "people" was abysmally NOT appealing. Somewhere in the midst of all the screaming, tears, and angst, came the eye of the storm. How will you feel about this decision in 10 minutes (awful!! more sobs!!); 10 months (happy, satisfied); 10 years (heck, I'll be 22, 7th grade will be a dim memory). For a few relatively tranquil moments, we let Suzy's idea drive, and somehow our familial emotional car stayed within the lines.

My friend is purchasing this book for his daughter and his wife. Every day at work I seemed to have some observation from the book that was germane to the office chit chat. The idea of "escalating commitment," the "psychological drive to cling to 'investments' even when they're clearly not working," particularly hit home. In a two week period where I figured out what the "redpill" is (thanks, Scott Ginsberg) and continued trying to figure out how to be more "here" for my children in the eight years they'll still be home with me, this idea in particular took root.

I also enjoy the examples of people's experiences using 10-10-10, which admittedly is not an idea that originated with Suzy. The book goes back and forth between somewhat theoretical ideas (i.e., escalating commitment) and "real life" examples I can relate to (such as Suzy's business trip to Hawaii where here kids broke free from hula camp and graced her with their presence as she was speaking to a room full of suited insurance execs).

I'm not done with this book, and I don't think it's done with me.

Here are a couple of resources related to this post:

http://www.momcentral.com/

http://www.suzywelch101010.com/

www.hellomynameisscott.com