If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough. Meister Eckhart

     May your Thanksgiving Holiday be healthy, happy, safe, and filled with gratitude.

If you want to take the island, burn your boats.

     This is a continuation of yesterday's blog about setting big freaking scary goals. One other suggestion from Matt Frazier, of  "No Meat Athlete" fame......If you want to take the island, burn your boats.
     I'm more of the type to keep things on the down low.  I hedge my bets.  I'd rather not fail publicly. I just quietly go about doing whatever I plan.
     He suggests that by doing that, you fail before you start....that it is okay to fail, and to fail publicly. You learn from failure.  It is much better to be a doer than a watcher....a competitor than a spectator.
     He suggests telling everyone your goals.  Tell friends, family, Facebook.  Take  risks. Burn your boats.

"If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough"

     I recently read the book "No Meat Athlete,' by Matt Frazier.  He covers three main topics:  exercise, a plant-based diet, and "setting big freaking scary goals."  It was that third item that intrigued me, and evidently also most people who came to listen to him speak on his book tour.
     It is that 3rd topic that I have been considering as I start to set my goals for 2014.  No one ever tells you to set big freaking scary goals.  The advice usually is to set small manageable achievable ones.
     Matt Frazier suggests setting big goals, but putting a time-table on them.  For example, what do you hope to accomplish in twelve months, in five years, ten years?

     Running is one of my goals for next year.....specifically, improvement in speed.  I'm really tired of being the slowest turtle out there, even though I know that a mile is a mile, whether run at 7 minutes or 12 minutes.  Runner and author Joan Ullyot says that, "No matter what your age when you start running, you can expect about ten years of improvement.  That's how long it takes to learn the game."  Based on that, I have possibly seven years left to improve if I work at it.

     I watched the Hawaii Ironman Championship this week.  It is available on YouTube.  I love watching this race, even though I have no desire to ever try it.  Athlete Harriet Anderson, aged 78, completed it....the oldest woman to finish.  She has run this race 20+ times!  I cannot even imagine swimming, biking, and running for 17 hours straight. That is inspiration.
 
     So, I will be thinking about setting small goals for next year, and maybe dreaming about bigger ones in the next 5-10 years.  Will you be joining me?

To Balter

     It is bitterly cold and icy. It is a day to play music and "balter" around, (which scares my dog a little when I do it).





Here are a couple of interesting health links.  The first reports on research revealing how to possibly add sixteen years to your life.
http://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/new-research-shows-ultra-marathons-could-add-16-years-to-your-life/story-fnii5sms-1226763742845

The second is a well-written post from an athlete suffering from the disease of obesity.  It is easy to forget that obesity is a disease, and that it never ever goes away.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/tony-posnanski/obesity-disease_b_4303347.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living

          shared from Intelligence is sexy

I could use a hug.

     Today is Globally Organized Hug A Runner Day-2013.


                                    shared from  Slow is the New Fast

Incredible story

     I just read Bret Dunlop's story.  If you have the time, please read.  You will not regret it.  He is impressive.  He is answering questions this week on the Runnersworld.com website, "ask me anything."

http://www.runnersworld.com/ru...-it-changed-his-life

ttp://www.runnersworld.com/ph...broken-a-photo-essay


     And if you need just a but more inspiration in your day, watch this video.

                         
                                         (email subscribers go to blog to view video)

Me on a treadmill

     Treadmill weather approaches.  This is me on a treadmill.  Have a happy weekend.

                               
                             (email subscribers to my blog need to go to blog to view video)

Overtraining Signs and Symptoms

     Here is a brief but helpful listing of the signs and symptoms of overtraining.  It is good to know what to look for.  I'm not training for anything right now, but have begun running regularly again and hope to build a stronger base for next year.  I've experienced 5 of the below symptoms this past year.

Understand the early warning signs of overtraining/overreaching (too much anaerobic exercise, too much total stress, or both), and slow down before you are forced down from injury and/or illness.

• Morning resting HR greater than 10% of normal – you may be getting sick; you’re overreaching in your training. Heart rate info here.
• Dizzy or lightheaded upon standing up – you’re blood pressure is dropping because your endocrine system is fatigued
• Cravings for sugar and/or salt – your body is running off sugar more than fat and you’re losing too much salt from all the stress
• Persistent sore throat – low antioxidant level from too much free radical damage from training too hard
• General aches and pain, relieved by exercising – you’re getting a cortisol rush, that’s not good over time
• Eyes sensitive to light – those pupils are constricting rather than dilating because your nervous system is all jacked-up
• Irritability – you’re a pain in the ass because your blood sugar is a mess
• Lack of desire to exercise – you’re burning out from all the training
• Insomnia, or waking up in the middle of the night – you’re getting a cortisol surge in the middle of the night when those levels should be very low
• Frequent night time urination (>1 time) – your hormones are under so much stress they’re not able to rest during the time they should be
• Limb twitching or jumping while falling asleep – like the sensitive eyes, your nervous system is all jacked-up
• PMS: cramping, back pain, over-emotional, breast tenderness, fatigue – I’m not going there (haha!) – More on PMS at my other site – click here.
• Eye lid spasms – “functional blepharospasm” – from mineral imbalances in your body, depleted from excess training
• Burning and/or blood shot eyes – from vitamin deficiencies, primarily B2 (riboflavin) from overtraining
• Ankles “easily turn” – those muscles and ligaments of your ankle are very susceptible to stress; next is foot, heel, or knee pain

http://sock-doc.com/2011/02/warning-signs-symptoms-of-overtraining/


"A garden is never so good as it will be next year." ---Thomas Cooper
          (This applies to running and probably most things in life, as well.)

Exercise is medicine....So is tea.

     Do you remember Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the physician who introduced the concept of, and coined the term, "Aerobics"  back in 1968?  At age 82, he is still going strong.  His prescription for us all is exercise.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nancy-brown/exercise-medicine_b_4235230.html?utm_hp_ref=healthy-living

     Here is an article which summarizes research showing the many benefits of tea.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/268509.php

     Finally, here is a link to the article about the 5 year old who ran a half marathon last weekend.  I only wish I could run as fast.
http://www.runnersworld.com/races/5-year-old-completes-half-marathon-in-22225?cm_mmc=Facebook-_-RunnersWorld-_-Content-News-_-5YOHalfMarathon


Happy Tuesday
---"Make it so"---Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard)

Thank a Veteran today.

     



   

Put on your big girl panties and choose life. L'chayim.

     I found this on Facebook this week and liked it.


     Coincidentally, I happened to go to Church today.  The sermon ended with "Put on your big-boy pants and choose life." (Paraphrasing God talking to Abraham)
     Shalom.

Every woman understands this.....

                           Shared from Women's Running Community - WRC

I'm so glad it is not just me.

Real food....

      Click on the link below for simple tips on how to change the way you look at food and the food industry:
http://thechalkboardmag.com/food-industry-insights-with-real-food-evangelist-robyn-obrien

     The FDA has finally taken the first steps toward eliminating Trans Fats by removing them from the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Cardiology/Prevention/42780?isalert=1&uun=g523196d321R5642310u&utm_source=breaking-news&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking-news&xid=NL_breakingnews_2013-11-07

http://sportsgeezer.com/2013/three-disturbing-facts-about-trans-fats/



                       shared from Women's Running Community - WRC

"When I first started running, I was so embarrassed I'd walk when cars passed me. I'd pretend I was looking at the flowers." - Joan Benoit Samuelson

You've gotta love Joanie......

New York Road Runners (NYRR)

At 56, Joan Benoit Samuelson’s New York City Marathon time of 2:57:13 was not only good enough to win her age group in the 2013 ING New York City Marathon by more than 12 minutes, it also would have won the 50-54 and 45-49 age groups.

It was a fitting display for someone inducted last Thursday into the New York Road Runners (NYRR) Hall of Fame in a ceremony at which Samuelson said of running in NYC: “I’ve gutted it out here numerous times.”

http://www.nyrr.org/newsroom/nyrr-news-service/samuelson’s-25713-nothing-to-sneeze-at

      I went to my run group last night.  I had skipped last week as I really, really hate the dark and the cold.  Last night was the dreaded one mile time trial.  Eight weeks ago I did the trial in 11:10.  This time I did it in 10:49.  Yay.  Still the slowest (and oldest) one out there, but I'm making progress.  Three others run just a few seconds faster than me, so I'm not alone.  This is a great way to learn to pace myself.
     It was cold, but dry, and my headlamp works great.  I didn't trip and fall on any sidewalk cracks at least.
(how's your back, Mom?)

Your fitness age

     Here is an easy way to calculate your fitness age.  Researchers at the University of Science and Technology in Trondheim did research that confirmed that VO2 max is a good indicator of fitness.  They built an algorithm for determining your VO2 max and fitness age.
     My fitness age is 46.  It could be better, but I will take it as a starting point.

Here is the easy on-line calculator:
http://www.ntnu.edu/cerg/vo2max

Here is the article:
http://sportsgeezer.com/2013/how-to-find-your-fitness-age/

We'll really miss you Mrs. K.

                         

     Bart says farewell to Marcia Wallace on the Simpsons.

The times they are a-changin

     I admit to watching, with interest, what other people have in their grocery carts. In my defense, there isn't much else to do when waiting in line.  Last week I was behind an elderly gentleman who bought several bags of deli meats and deli cheese along with 4 cases of soda.....nothing else.  Hopefully that wasn't his week's menu, but it looked like it might have been.
     Friday I went to a girl's night out at a local restaurant known for their burgers. It is the first time I've done that in years.  There were ten of us there celebrating someone's birthday.  It surprised me to see that only one person ordered a drink....everyone else had water with lemon.  It also surprised me to see that nine of us ordered gardenburgers, (one with lettuce wrap, no bread); one ordered a salad only; and two ordered sides of unlimited broccoli instead of unlimited fries, and those getting the fries got sweet potato fries which are marginally better for you.  Maybe some American's are changing what they eat for the better!
     Now, probably you are thinking that everyone there was older, like me, (a bunch of old biddies), or a runner, but that wasn't the case.  Everyone else was in the 30 to 45 year-old range and only 2 others are runners.  I think the times they are a-changing.
     In other regards, I did show my age.  Much of the conversation centered on 1980s heavy-metal bands as everyone else are big fans of that genre and of the local band scene; however my heart still beats in time to the music of the sixties. That's my excuse for my musical ignorance, and I'm sticking to it.


                                     

Bipolar Runner's photo

     Today is the NYC Marathon!  Good luck to everyone and be safe out there.