Alarm, Coffee, Run, Repeat

Have you ever become so happily and mindlessly dependent on something and then had it go completely wrong and you have to revert to plan B really fast? Today was that kind of a day. I have so much work to finish and my laptop decided to lose it’s webcam, external microphones and my fingerprint reader that stores all of my passwords. It’s like, since Tuesday, the peripheral hardware on my 6 month old machine have flown the coop. AAAARRRRRGGGHHH. So, I am going for a run and am going to call HP support tomorrow and they will either tell me how to get them back or this pig is going in a box and I am getting it fixed. A run is definitely needed. Colin, my son is going with me. If you have any gnarly tech debacles to share, please do. I feel very alone in my angst right now. Computers are not as friendly as running shoes! Stacy

Yesterday was the America’s Finest City Half Marathon and I mentioned to several people--my husband, my kids, my dad, my best friends, and myself—that I was not going to be setting any land speed records and not to expect me at the finish line any sooner than two and a half hours or longer. There is a strict three hour time limit for the event and I knew I could beat that but was not expecting nor did I necessarily train for anything faster. The weather wasn’t going to make it any easier, either. At Cabrillo National Monument, where the race started, it was 70 degrees and 99% humidity with clear skies. We, all 8200 of us, were sitting on curbs, on benches, drinking tons of water and trying to stay cool. Training on our vacation to Lake Havasu in high temps and high humidity was a definite benefit! Standing around, waiting to start with over 8000 of my closest friends made it a slow start but I had lots of time to get my Garmin ready, my music ready, and get my legs moving…ten minutes

When your parents encouraged you to do new things like play an instrument, ride your bicycle, play a sport, or simply dig a hole in the sand, sometimes you would take it to an extreme and they would say something along the lines of, “I have created a monster.” I am now guilty of such said act. My oldest has decided to take up running, with me. I am delighted but with trepidations. He is so excited about running that he wants to run all the time, in any heat, at any time of the day. He runs on the treadmill and then goes outside to do take laps around our 40 foot diameter driveway. I think it’s a phase but then he started talking about how fast he wants to run at school and when we get to go run together in the morning…outside! I am taking him for a run today, in a little bit, after I have already put in 6 miles because I am only two days from my half marathon. How far will he go? I know at some point he is going to say, “Why are we going so slow?” and my only response will be, “Becaus

I decided to become a teacher out of necessity. I needed to graduate from college before I turned 30; however, my original goal of an engineering degree seemed too daunting a task for a naïve and frustrated 21 year old. So teaching became my plan B and I have not regretted a day of it since starting to teach in 1996. And then I had kids…I know, I know, I am going to sound a bit like an old housewife from the 50’s but the difference is, living where I do, what I am about to dream up as my perfect world makes sense, to me anyway! With summer coming to an end (not the temperature, just the days), I always reflect on what I would love too really be doing when Labor Day rolls around. So, in a perfect world, what I would like: I would like to get up with the sun and run. I would like to get my kids up for school, feed them breakfast in a non rushed manner and then walk them to their bus stop—or better yet, ride bikes to school with them. I would like to come home, clean my house and work in

Ok, so I am not sure how fast your feet will be and I make no claim to have created a list that will have you finishing a 1/2 marathon in under 2 hours but the songs I am about to list help me get into a rhythm and stay there for awhile. I have arranged them in no particular order and I have them playing on shuffle on either my iPod or my mp3 player. And still, some days, I run to just the sound of my own two feet, that is, when I am lucky enough to get off the hamster mill and run outside. I hope you find at least a few of these tunes valuable investments for your running dollar. Burn it to the Ground—Nickelback Something in your Mouth—Nickelback If Today was Your Last Day—Nickelback Gotta Be Somebody—Nickelback Re Education (through labor)—Rise Against Satellite—Rise Against Collapse (Post Amerika)—Rise Against The Dirt Whispered—Rise Against Make It Stop (September’s chldren)—Rise Against Famous Last Words—My Chemical Romance Disenchanted—My Chemical Romance This is How I Disappear