Why run?

                                                         

                                                                          Run The Edge's photo.

A little fall of rain....and hail.

     The rest of the country seems to have been getting a lot of rainfall, but we haven't had any here...until today.  We've had a couple of showers and some hail.  I had procrastinated with mowing my lawn and planting flowers, intending to do it today.  I guess another day will have to do.
     Meanwhile, this song from "Les Miserables" has been going through my mind all day.  And rain will make the flowers grow.

                      Why does rain make us so melancholy?
                      (email subscribers, go to my blog to view the video)

Finding healthful food in the supermarket.

     Here is a great article from the New York Times discussing how  nutrition is being bred out of our foods, and a few things you can shop for in the supermarket to help change that  ( New York Times, ).  

     Shop for bright colors,   Cook with blue, purple or red cornmeal.  Get corn with deep yellow kernels, not white.  In the greens section, buy arugula which is still similar to its wild ancestor.  Use lots of fresh herbs and scallions.  Try purple potatoes rather than russets.  


       

     I have been trying to do this.  I really like fresh parley or cilantro and arugula mixed with other greens in salad. Purple potatoes, when I can get them in season, are wonderful.  I go for deep, rich colors.  I've tried buying dandelion greens.  They are bitter, but are good mixed with other greens in salad.  I haven't learned to love them quite yet but keep trying them when I can find them in the store.
     It is now summer, therefore, salad season so this is timely advice from the New York Times.

Vegan humor

     I thought this was cute.




                     shared from http://www.vegsource.com/jess-parsons/normal-vegans-are-you-for-real.html

A thought for your holiday weekend....Bash a few walls!

Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The trouble-makers. The round heads in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status-quo. You can quote them. Disagree with them. Glorify, or vilify them. But the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world Are the ones who do.

                                                                                               Apple Computer

“

When you grow up you tend to get told the world is the way it is and your life is just to live your life inside the world. Try not to bash into the walls too much. Try to have a nice family life, have fun, save a little money. That’s a very limited life. Life can be much broader once you discover one simple fact, and that is - everything around you that you call life, was made up by people that were no smarter than you. And you can change it, you can influence it, you can build your own things that other people can use. The minute that you understand that you can poke life and actually something will, you know if you push in, something will pop out the other side, that you can change it, you can mold it. That’s maybe the most important thing. It’s to shake off this erroneous notion that life is there and you’re just gonna live in it, versus embrace it, change it, improve it, make your mark upon it. I think that’s very important and however you learn that, once you learn it, you’ll want to change life and make it better, cause it’s kind of messed up, in a lot of ways. Once you learn that, you’ll never be the same again.[6]                                                                                                                                                 Steve Jobs             I am reading the book, "Whole", by T. Colin Campbell.  I am just a few chapters in.  He talks about science functioning within a paradigm these days, and that real science, and real scientists break through the paradigm to a new one.  The problem is that scientists don't want to "bash into the walls too much,"  Their funding and careers depend on maintaining the status quo.

”

A Dad's appreciation of the labor of birth

     Here is something funny to start your weekend.  Two Dad's undergo labor simulation to understand what their wives went through.  Email subscribers need to head to the blog to view.

“We're all bozos on the bus, so might as well sit back and enjoy the ride.” ― Wavy Gravy

                                                  shared from Hippie Peace Freaks

We all have unknown depths.

 
  
                                 

                                           Be the change you want to see in the world

Finished, time for a well-deserved rest.

     Today was my toughest race ever, but I finished!  Next time, hopefully all injuries will be healed and I can train appropriately and get faster.  Apparently you need functional hamstrings to be able to run well.  Who knew?  I finished 52nd out of 74 in my age group. I would like to do better next time, plus I want to keep earning the bling, which, for me, is the whole point.

     The race started with a run through the Denver zoo.  There weren't too many animals out that early on a Sunday morning, but as we ran past the rhino, he was doing laps around the lake in his enclosure.  He must have been inspired by the runners.  The elephant just watched us like we were crazy, however.

Kaiser Permanente Colfax 1/2 marathon.

     So today is the day.  I got up at 3:45 although I have been awake since 2:00.  Will leave at 4:45 and drive to my daughter's house.  She is kind enough to drop me off close to the race by 6, plus pet-sit for me during the morning.  Thanks so much Kate!  Then I'll walk to the race, find the lengthy lines for the porta-potties, and be at the starting line by 7.  I wish I wasn't injured and that running didn't hurt, but there is always next time.  All I have to do today is finish.  Fear the Turtle!


                                                        I <3 to run



                                         

                                                                      Hippie Peace Freaks

Swim out of your little pond...

     The race expo yesterday at Mile High Stadium was crazy, cramped, crowded.  The interstate was bumper to bumper, stop and go.  They make us go there to pick up our race bibs.  I would pay them good money to just mail it to me, let me stay home, and save half a day of my life.
     The race itself has no parking available.  Haven't decided what to do about that yet.  I know other people coming from a different part of the city that are carpooling and getting there 4 hours early, to camp out in their cars.  I am questioning why I am doing this....the race itself will be the easy part.  Logistics....not so much.


     I watched the finale of "The Office."  It wasn't my favorite TV show at times over the years, but Dean liked it, so we always watched it and I kept it up.  The final episode was very well done.  It wrapped things up well and treated all the characters with respect.  I even shed some tears.

PS, It is well known to my family that I hate (fear) to drive in heavy traffic or to unfamiliar places.  It is difficult for me to swim out of my little pond.  Siri has become my best friend! She tells awful jokes, though.


  Swim out of your little pond.    Rumi

I Love This.

     It has been a busy week.  I am still trying to get over my most recent running injury two weeks ago.  Every time I increase my mileage, I seem to get injured, and it happens shortly before a race. I have been reading some books on running for older runners.  It looks like I will need to run a little less and cross-train more.  I generally walk the dog as cross training, but it seems that isn't enough.  I have been doing a lot of stretching recently, too.  I still haven't found an appropriate training plan for myself. I may have to write my own.
      I have a race on Sunday, so I'll just see how it goes and maybe walk a lot of it if necessary. Keep your fingers crossed for me.  I'm off to the expo this afternoon.
      These two thoughts should help keep me going:

Wednesday....news update day.

     Have you ever wondered if your dog gets a runner's high when running with you.  It appears that they do.  This article was shared from www.sportsgeezer.com.

Does Your Dog Get A Runner’s High? Woof!

If you run with your dog, does your dog get as high as you do? The short answer is “woof,” meaning “yes, that does seem to be the case.” Researchers at the University of Arizona attempted to find out by measuring the amount of endocannabinoids, which our bodies produce after intense aerobic exercise, and which are believed to be the cause of runner’s high, (and yes, they are the same chemicals that are found in marijuana), after both dogs and humans did 30 minutes of brisk exercise on a treadmill.  A University of Arizona news release reports that anthropologist (and runner) David Raichlen found that blood samples for both humans and dogs showed a significant increase in levels of the happy-making chemicals. They “rocked in the blood after a brisk run” said Raichlen, who also noted that the humans reported being much happier after the exercise.



     Have you been reading about the CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) in bees?  It was first noted in 2006 and has only gotten worse since then.  It has gotten bad enough to threaten our food supply.  New studies show that a class of pesticides called neonicotinoids may be partialially responsible.   This has led to bans in Europe, but not in the US.  Maybe we can all move to Europe to eat?
http://www.diseaseproof.com/archives/news-devastating-bee-losses-threaten-the-food-supply.html


     Here is a good article for physicians from the Permanente Journal.  It suggests plant-based diet as a first-line treatment for the chronic illnesses of obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and their complications.
http://www.thepermanentejournal.org/issues/2013/spring/5117-nutrition.html

I may have to try this...

12 exercises in 7 minutes and I'd be done.  I like the sound of this.  I can handle 7 minutes a day, right?  I am sharing this from www.sportsgeezer.com.

12 Exercises, 7 Minutes, You’re Done

MAY 12, 2013 9:02 AM 0 COMMENTS

Share This:

• TWITTER
• FACEBOOK
• DELICIOUS
• DIGG
• STUMBLE
• REDDIT

Subscribe:

• NEWSLETTER

Author:

Art Jahnke

Tags:

exerciseFitnessworkout

Yes Virginia, there is such a thing as a seven-minute workout, one that is endorsed by such authoritative experts as  Chris Jordan, director of exercise physiology at the Human Performance Institute in Orlando. As Gretchen Reynolds reports in the New York Times, Jordan’s research is explained in an article in the May-June issue of the American College of Sports Medicine’s Health & Fitness Journal, whose practical application comes in the form of 12 exercises that require only a wall, a chair, and yes, your body weight. Jordan recommends that the exercises below be performed for 30 seconds, with 10 seconds of transition time between bouts. Total time for the entire circuit workout is approximately 7 minutes. The circuit can be repeated 2 to 3 times.Click here for a gallery of images of the exercises.

1. Jumping jacks Total body

2. Wall sit Lower body

3. Push-up Upper body

4. Abdominal crunch Core

5. Step-up onto chair Total body

6. Squat Lower body

7. Triceps dip on chair Upper body

8. Plank Core

9. High knees/running in place Total body

10. Lunge Lower body

11. Push-up and rotation Upper body

12. Side plank Core

Happy Mother's Day to my Mom and to all Mom's...

     Today is the 99th official celebration of Mother's Day.  I wish you a beautiful one.  I have always loved the following quote because it feels so very true:

"Making the decision to have a child is momentous.  It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."---Elizabeth Stone



     I also love this.  I don't have a cat-"child" but do have a dog-"child."

                                   shared from Nothing but Kitty CATS

"The dog was created specially for children. He is the god of frolic."---Henry Ward Beecher

     I had company a few weeks ago....my daughter's friends...who stayed with me.  Here is a picture of my dog Charleigh with Aelwen.  Charleigh loved, loved, loved Aelwen as she isn't used to having children around.  In the second picture, Charleigh was actually leashed in the back of the car but was still doing her absolute best to crawl over the seats to be next to Aelwen.

 "Labradors are lousy watchdogs.  they usually bark when a stranger is about,  but it is an expression of unmitigated joy at the chance to meet somebody new, not a warning."---Norman Strung


     Here is a cute KissCam video to start your weekend .  (email subscribers need to go to the blog to view video).  Have a great weekend and don't ever ignore a KissCam.

Don't you love it?

                 

                                                                     Hippie Peace Freaks

The turtles are so me.  I will never have speed.  I am finally admitting that I have peaked at very slow,  but I can still hope for endurance.  That is my goal. So I tell myeself:

                            Dare to be different

It is gray and damp here...the dampness is a nice change for Colorado.  I'm off to train service dogs and run errands...good indoor activities.

The pendulum swings back.

     Here is an interesting medical journal article which surmises that the medical benefits of sun exposure outweigh the disadvantages.  Sun exposure causes production of nitric oxide which lowers blood pressure and can help prevent heart attacks and strokes.  The nitric oxide production is separate from the production of vitamin D.  The risks of hypertension, stroke, and heart disease are higher than the risks of skin cancer.

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/260247.php

Here's to the fire within..

     I lost my mojo last week.  Mojo is defined as an amulet, charm, or magic spell;  the art of casting magic spells; or an uncanny personal power or influence.  For me, it means motivation, which equates with the third definition of personal power or influence.  My personal power left me mojo-less.  I didn't exercise like I should have, didn't eat as well as I should, and didn't accomplish anything....a wasted week of my life. Today starts a new week and I am going to work to get that fire back.
   
"Sky Above Me, Earth Below Me, Fire Within Me"

     I wondered where the above quote came from  It turns out it is from a video-game...Skyrim.... in which the player assumes the role of a dragonborn, a rare human with the soul of a dragon. That appeals to me.  I'd love to have the soul of a dragon to restore my fire within.  I'm working on it.


     I  

Equal pay for equal work.

     We all recognize unfairness and want equal pay for equal work, as these capuchin monkeys demonstrate. (email subscribers need to go to the blog to view video)

"You want a physicist to speak at your funeral."

You want a physicist to speak at your funeral. You want the physicist to talk to your grieving family about the conservation of energy, so they will understand that your energy has not died. You want the physicist to remind your sobbing mother about the first law of thermodynamics; that no energy gets created in the universe, and none is destroyed. You want your mother to know that all your energy, every vibration, every Btu of heat, every wave of every particle that was her beloved child remains with her in this world. You want the physicist to tell your weeping father that amid energies of the cosmos, you gave as good as you got.

And at one point you'd hope that the physicist would step down from the pulpit and walk to your brokenhearted spouse there in the pew and tell him that all the photons that ever bounced off your face, all the particles whose paths were interrupted by your smile, by the touch of your hair, hundreds of trillions of particles, have raced off like children, their ways forever changed by you. And as your widow rocks in the arms of a loving family, may the physicist let her know that all the photons that bounced from you were gathered in the particle detectors that are her eyes, that those photons created within her constellations of electromagnetically charged neurons whose energy will go on forever.

And the physicist will remind the congregation of how much of all our energy is given off as heat. There may be a few fanning themselves with their programs as he says it. And he will tell them that the warmth that flowed through you in life is still here, still part of all that we are, even as we who mourn continue the heat of our own lives.

And you'll want the physicist to explain to those who loved you that they need not have faith; indeed, they should not have faith. Let them know that they can measure, that scientists have measured precisely the conservation of energy and found it accurate, verifiable and consistent across space and time. You can hope your family will examine the evidence and satisfy themselves that the science is sound and that they'll be comforted to know your energy's still around. According to the law of the conservation of energy, not a bit of you is gone; you're just less orderly. Amen.

-Aaron Freeman.
                     


                       shared from I fucking love science

Pretty isn't it.

It has been snowing all day.  Here is a 6 PM update of our Mayday weather.  We may get another 1-3 inches.  If you look closely you can see a deer in front of the house across the way, and another by where the fences meet.

May Day in Colorado

     We woke up to snow today,  May 1.  4-8 inches more are expected during the day. Here is a picture of my flowerbeds and where May flowers should be.  Charleigh is bored already, and an idiot robin keeps flapping at my windows making her crazier.  It will be a long, cold day.
   

I made a quick trip to the grocery store yesterday before the storm and saw this troll doll car.  What do you think.......cute or creepy?  It just goes to show you are never too old to play with troll dolls.

PS, more signs of a bored dog.  She was on the bed and discovered her own image in the bathroom mirror. She proceeded to bark and growl at herself for 5 minutes until I made her move.