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Thank you for all they years of following One Foot In Reality.

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Running in 2011 - The Year of the Knee

After a lot of thought I have decided to move some of best of my old posts from Aging Runnah and A Runnah’s Story blogs, primarily the old reviews, maybe a few of the better posts and race reports that I have written over the years. I have a feeling that at some point, my WordPress.com blogs are simply going to go away and I want to still be able to go back and read some of the stuff I wrote.
If you are reading this blog post, that is why it is has been re-posted here.

Originally posted on: Dec 31, 2011

The Knee of the Year! :-)

This is the first time in a long time that I get to recap my running year and it feels good to look back and say that I have run again.

However, there was one single thing that dominated my life this year - My Right Knee.

The pain leading up to surgery, recovering from surgery, my eventual return to running and how the knee continues to improve, really has been the one thing that has stolen the show all year-long.

I wish that the year had been more about running and racing than about that damn knee, but that is what 2012 will be about.

January to May 17

When 2011 started it sure as hell didn't look like I would ever run again and it would be a question of when, not if I needed surgery and how bad the surgery would be - up to and including a possible knee replacement. The first prognosis was that dire. My Ortho had ordered no running when left him in September and I followed that advice - well most of the time.

In spite of the Doctor's "orders" every so often, when I was out walking Bennie in the mornings, I would try to run a little ways to see if I could or not. I was hoping against hope that some miraculous event had occurred overnight and that my knee would suddenly be healed.

Unfortunately, the answer every time was a resounding NO - it just hurt too much to run and the pain while walking was progressively getting worse. By the end of March I was having such a difficult time just walking that I resorted to walking with a cane. About that time I finally figured out that the surgery would take place sooner and started the process to get it taken care of.

May 17th

This was the day that I dreaded and made the long walk into the Hospital, not knowing what would happen during the scheduled Arthroscopic Exploratory Surgery. At this point we didn't know what the Surgeon would actually find as I went under I remember squeezing TheWife's hand.

Fortunately when I came to, TheWife was right there and was smiling. The surgery had been successful and what had gone on was damaged cartilage not degenerative bone as they had first thought!

I would keep my own knee for a lot longer!

Phew that was a big relief.

Recovery from the surgery, while it wasn't easy, was not as bad as the pain I had been in for several months before the surgery. I pushed hard and PT told me I was crazy and I agreed, but kept pushing.

I wanted - no needed to run again. The Ortho was rather anti-running and told me not to even try until he saw me later in June.

June 15th to July 14

First Run - I ran a freaking 1/2 mile! I made it without stopping around Howard Circle.

I was a runnah again!

Let me tell you I was scared as hell before that run. I knew that it would hurt. It was stupid, but I had to do it. I had to know if I would be able to run again or not.

Oh yeah I basically retired on June 17th, which has allowed me to focus a lot more on my recovery and return to being a helluva lot more healthy.

The Doc saw me on June 26th and he gave me a ration of crap about starting to run again without his permission. He flat-out told me that I shouldn't ever run again, to do so would just re-injure all the work he had done.

I just smiled and told him, I was running and would continue to run. He gave me that look like "you dare to disobey my orders" that Doctors give you when you basically ignore what they "tell" you to do. That is a whole different rant though.

That is what I did - ignored his "orders" to not run.

My physical therapist was a lot more supportive, being a runner herself, but told me that I would probably at some point that summer have to shut it down to let things heal a bit more and that it would be 9 to 12 months before it would be healed as much as it was going to heal.

For the next month I ran 1-2 miles a day and walked a lot.  Too much it turned out, the knee wasn't quite ready for what I wanted to do yet. I tried to come back too soon and I didn't want to damage it in any way.

July 15th to August 15th

Shut it Down time. The more I ran the more the knee started to hurt and swell. I may be stubborn and stoopid, but I do know when to stop and give the body a bit more time to heal up.  During that time I needed to let the knee heal up a little more and did a lot of walking, stretching and band work - only an occasional short run to check things out.

August 15th to October 15th

Started running every other day 1-2 miles. I purposely didn't wear a watch or keep a log of what I was doing. That way I wouldn't be competing with myself to do better than the day or week before. It worked. I have no idea of how much or how fast I ran during that period, but I know that the knee started to feel better and I was running. I added a few runs in the log here or there, but not too many.

October 31st

I had run up to 3 miles a day for a couple of weeks and felt good, so I decided to start timing and logging my runs again. The knee wasn't 100% but it was doing really great, so it was time to go to the next level.

I also decided that I was going to keep my running log in a blog, to create a sense of public accountability. So I created "A Veteran Runner" and later changed it to "A Veteran Runnah" in honor of being a native Maineiac, for many of us who do not pronounce "er" at the end of many words and instead have an "ah" sound :-).

I ran a lot more than I have in a long time ending up with 82.6 miles for the month with a runs up to 6.0 miles.  I was settling into a 9:00 to 10:00 per mile pace for most runs and was enjoying what I was doing immensely.

After talking with a lot of people I decided that I was going to put my Running Log on my "One Foot In Reality" Blog instead of having a separate running blog. Fairly quickly running related posts took over as the primary focus of "One Foot In Reality" and by the end of November I needed to decide whether to change the focus of "OFIR" to running or use "A Veteran Runnah" for running related blogging.

At the same time I began to get connected with the online Running and Fitness communities on Twitter, Google+ and Facebook. It is a community that I was missing, after having been a part of the #edchat, #spedchat community for so long and the #runchat #fitblog #runnerds #runners all were passionate about running and fitness.

I decided 3 days before December began to start using "A Veteran Runnah" as my running blog and had to get it ready to go live in that short amount of time. I figured that my blog stats would take a huge hit as a result of doing that. I really didn't think AVR would take off like it has, but in the course of a month "A Veteran Runnah" has taken over as my primary blog.

I have even gone to using @VetRunnah as my primary Twitter handle, it just seems right for me and if I have a "Brand" that would be it. Although I have only been posting to "A Veteran Runnah" since December 1st (I did import old running related posts from "OFIR"), it definitely is my most successful blog in that short amount of time.

December 10th

I was selected to be a FitFluential Ambassador, which will give me opportunities to look into other streams of income that were not available to me before. That in addition to meeting a lot of really great people who are passionate about fitness and more than a couple of runners has made being a part of FitFluential a really great experience - Thank you Kelly and Danielle.

December 12th

I made a video of me running and saw how badly my running form sucked (ask me how I really feel about that video). As a result of that video, I really started to focus on correcting my penguin running style that I had developed over the years. As part of this form correction I have read Chi Running and watched a bunch of videos from them, PRS and others on how to improve my form.

Changing something you have done for several years is hard as hell, but I strongly believe that it will be worth it in the end and help to cut the number running related aches/pains and injuries. So that has been a big focus the last 2 weeks of December.

Bad JuJu

I did get caught up in trying a running streak and pushing too far/fast and had to back off a bit in mid December, sometimes I just get caught up in what I think I can do versus what I should be doing :-).

No I didn't run any races in 2011, 2010, 2009 or 2008.

That will change in 2012.

Final Stats
I knew that I forgot to put something in here.  Here are my final 2011 Stats. The one I am the most proud of is the 26 pounds that I lost - basically since 6/17/11 when I retired.  The other one that jumps out at me was the 100 miles for December, I honestly didn't think that I would get that many miles until March or April, so I am a lot ahead of schedule.

The reality is that

being able to run again was very important to me. During this forced layoff I discovered that Running is a part of who I am and what I am. When I wasn't able to run for such a long time because of the knee - I learned how much I really missed it.

I have created a new blog with a focus that I am very passionate about and found a community of wonderfully supportive people who want to help you succeed in your goals and kick you in the ass when you need it.

Yes I made mistakes in my return to running, but at the same time the things I did were more of the testing to see what I could do, versus the stoopid kind where you keep going even after you know you should be stopping.

Looking back

The first part of 2011 was pretty rough, but the last couple of months have been pretty damn good. I am glad that 2011 is ending, because 2012 has so much to look forward to - both in my running and the other parts of my life.

I do want to say thank you and I love you to TheWife, without her support a lot of this year would have been a damn site more difficult.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Looking Back at My 2011 Goals

After a lot of thought I have decided to move some of best of my old posts from Aging Runnah blog, primarily the old reviews, maybe a few of the better posts and race reports that I have written over the years. I have a feeling that at some point, my WordPress.com blogs are simply going to go away and I want to still be able to go back and read some of the stuff I wrote.

If you are reading this blog post, that is why it is has been re-posted here.

Originally posted on: December 29, 2011

Every year I go back and see how I did on my previous year goals and the outcomes.
#1  Determine whether or not I want to remain in Special Education as a teacher.
"This is something that I do every summer - take a good long look at the job I am presently in and decide whether or not to stay.  It is very stressful being a Special Educator for a variety of reasons (which I have documented in other blog posts) and I have to determine if that stress is still worth it to me or not.
I won't make any rash decisions or anything like that, but I will look at whether I am still enjoying my chosen profession and make my decisions during July of this year.  If I do decide to no longer be a Special Education teacher, I do plan/want to remain in education in some capacity, preferably in Education Technology or some other role.  Time will tell."
This one was pretty easy to measure - I retired. The biggest reasons I left teaching were:
  • 1) My health - teaching is a very stressful profession - the stress was negatively affecting my health,
  • 2) teaching is a very jealous mistress with your time and
  • 3) the final straw was that I no longer enjoyed the artificial requirements of standardized testing and Special Education paperwork (CYA more than helpful) - whole books have been written these two things so I won't get into them.
The bottom line was that teaching stopped being fun and there were not enough "aha" moments to sustain me.

#2  Enjoy writing more at "One Foot In Reality".  "Writing about what I do for my day job (Special Education) was getting very tedious for me - it was just too much of something. I needed to be able to take off my Special Education hat much more than I was.  Changing my blog's primary focus to doing reviews on software/web applications is something that I always wanted to do, but in the past always thought "who am I" and there are so many other people out there already doing that, who would want to read what I have to say?  If I don't do this now, I am not following one of my dreams and giving it a chance to see where it leads me.  I am very passionate about using technology and believe that I have some unique perspectives on how software/web applications are or can be used, so we will see how this change pans out."
  • "One Foot In Reality" is no longer my primary blog and I found a niche/focus that I really am enjoying - Running. I plan to include some of the technology stuff into "A Veteran Runnah" at times, but my focus and passion as I have discovered is more related to running than technology. I am writing a lot more, just not at "One Foot In Reality".  I am following my dreams and running/fitness are a part of those dreams.
#3  Prepare for a reduced income over the course of the next couple of years.  "I have a feeling that education is going to go through some tumultuous times over the next few years in the State of Maine and throughout the Country.  I am still at the bottom of all the lists and am probably in a better position weather the storm than some others, but at the same time it doesn't hurt to learn to live on a reduced income.  This goes well with my last year's goals of being less materialistic and more self-sufficient.  Hey who knows, maybe I will decide to leave teaching, become a freelance writer and finish writing the book that I have started and stopped so many times."
  • When I retired in June this one smacked me right upside the head. Going from a pretty decent wage to a small fixed income has meant some major changes in how we do things. We have been relatively modest for many years, and we have no bills other than normal monthly bills, so that was a big help. Now I can't just go out and buy a new pair of running shoes (as much as I want to try the VFF's) or the newest running clothes.
I am more willing to try my hand at other revenue streams (now that I need to) and was selected as a FitFluential Ambassador.  In the past I didn't worry so much about monetizing my blogs, now if I can without annoying readers, I will do that. However, I will not just whore myself out, for the sake of extra dollars. I have to look in the mirror and now I like who is looking back at me.
#4 Get myself back in reasonable shape.  "My knee is balky at best, but it doesn't bother when I lift weights or use a recumbent bicycle at the gym.  There are some lower body exercises I will have to stay away from, but other than that I don't have any limitations other than what I can do.  My definition of reasonable will be walking over 1,000 miles (logged), getting my weight back to 170 or lower (lower is better) and not having the doctor bug me too much when I visit him in May."
  • I am going to break the 170 pound barrier soon and am running over 20 miles a week. I consider myself back in "reasonable" shape. However, I am not satisfied with this and now plan to work on being in excellent shape. I now have the time and desire to do.
The knee finally got so bad that in April I went to my PCP and Ortho Surgeon to get knee surgery done. Initially the diagnosis was a degenerative bone disease and I was looking at a replacement. The doc wanted to do exploratory arthroscopic surgery first to actually see what was wrong. Turns out it was not degenerative, but cartilage damage.
It took a while to mostly recover (my PT said full recovery is between 9-12 months), but I am back to running - something that I was told I would NEVER do again. Stubborn old bastard aren't I. :-) Seriously, I love running and it is a part of who I am and I am so glad that I can do it again.
#5 Let go of things that I can't control. "I have a difficult time with this, I want to do so much, but I have come to learn that I can't fix or help in every situation.  Sometimes you just have let it go and move on.  Don Quixote is not my alias but I have the belief that Don will ride again, but just not as often."
  • I have done a lot better with this try to let things just roll off me, instead of taking up arms over things I can't change.  Don Quixote attempted to ride a couple of times during from January to June, but I was able to trip him up as he was mounting his steed and voicing his opinions.
#6 Be positive as possible in all my personal and professional relationships. "This is a carry-over from last year and believe that it helped to look at this every so often.  If I am positive good things happen and relationships improve, it is when I get negative...well we all know what happens then."
  • I have become much more positive since I have been able to run again. Running for me and many others, gives me time to help think through issues, relax a lot more and have a much more positive outlook on life around me.  I had dwelt on the negatives of having knee surgery and waited until I had no choice, it really turned out so much better than anyone (including the doctor) expected.
It often pays to look for that silver lining in those storm clouds.
I often wonder if I had been able to run the last six months as a teacher, if things would have bothered me as much as they did towards the end - I will never know.
#7  Say "no" and mean it.  "Often I say yes to things that I can't accomplish or don't really want to do, but say I will because of who is asking or some other reason.  Saying no is not part of my usual "can do" attitude, but with the demands of home, work and other things I like to do, taking on even more is not something that I want or should do.  This will be something that I do more often this year - just say no."
  • This is one thing that I did very well in my last six months as a teacher and have been better at since I retired. If taking on something is not what I really want to do, unless there is no way around it, I have said no several times.
It is hard for me to say "no" because I want to be a nice guy and be known as someone "can do" attitude, but I have finally learned that I can not be all things to everyone, do everything that others want and still lead the life that I want.
At the same time being able to say "no" and mean it can be very self-empowering.
#8  Take the Google Certified Trainer series of tests and finish them by the end of April break.  "I started going through the trainings last summer and completed them, but just haven't taken the tests.  Completing this would be good resume material, if I need it and will help me gain more self-confidence that I do know something about what I am doing with technology other than in my own mind."
  • Did all of the studying, went through the prep work, but never took the certification exams = NOPE.  Now this certification does not mean as much to me, so I will probably not do it, unless something changes drastically.
#9  Attend one of the #edcamps in the area.  "I really love to meet the people that are in my Personal Learning Network and see them face to face.  I have come to rely on my PLN for ideas, support and comments to help me improve as an educator.  I plan to continue to participate in the #chats that are on Twitter and MLTI webinars whenever it is convenient to do so, but they are on the calendar as probable, not definite."
  • I attended EdCamp Boston at Microsoft's NERD Center last May. It was so great to meet and talk face-to-face with many of the people that I had talked with on Twitter #edchat & #spedchat. I was in the final decision-making stages of staying or retiring and attending this event was a positive reason to stay a teacher. The EdCamps are a great way to learn a lot about teaching and education, as well as meeting many of those people you communicate with via social media.
#10 Make sure that I stop and smell the roses.  "I get so wrapped up in getting school work done, trying to figure out how to interest my students, playing with the computer, participating in #chats, webinars and all the other things that happen my day-to-day world that I forget to stop and just enjoy my life.  I need to remember I have a life beyond school/education or my laptop and need to enjoy that part of my life more.  The work-life balance that I sometimes forget about."
  • Since I have retired, this is something that I take much more seriously. I try to finish my morning coffee, eat a good breakfast, read my email, gReader and answer any comments on the blog. Then I start in on a blog post instead of rushing around with my head cut off. I am lucky that I can do this but at the same time I chose to simplify my life and as a result can stop and smell the roses more.
When school was in session, teachers do not have a work-life balance. As a teacher your life revolves around the needs of the school and your students - in most cases your family and personal life take a second fiddle. I know many don't believe that, but to be a good teacher, it is the way it is.
I am enjoying my life now more than I ever have in the past!
Those are how I did on my 10 goals from last year.  I would like to believe that I have made progress in all but one and that one, is not as important to me as it once was.
The reality is that retiring has changed my outlook on many things and my priorities are different now than they were in June.
How did you do on your 2011 goals?  Did you meet them or did things change for you during the year?

Book Review - Chi Running

After a lot of thought I have decided to move some of best of my old posts from Aging Runnah and A Runnah’s Story blogs, primarily the old reviews, maybe a few of the better posts and race reports that I have written over the years. I have a feeling that at some point, my WordPress.com blogs are simply going to go away and I want to still be able to go back and read some of the stuff I wrote.

If you are reading this blog post, that is why it is has been re-posted here.

Originally posted on: December 29, 2011

I just finished my first reading (but not last) of Chi Running by Danny and Katherine Dreyer. Which I got as one of those Christmas presents I choose while browsing (err shopping) at the Maine Running Company in Portland, but TheWife paid for and wraps for you to get later.
Why would I want a book on Chi Running when I have run for - well let's just put it this way a long damn time? Quite simply I watched myself run in a video I took earlier in the month and let's just say that my form sucks.
After seeing myself in action, I did some research on different ways to improve my form and Chi Running was one of three methods that really interested me.
So how was the Chi Running the book?
The Good
Chi Running had some great ideas that I want to add into my running:
  • I can see the importance of the 4 Chi Skills and know that I need to go back and really work on using them:
  • Focusing
  • Body Sensing
  • Breathing
  • Relaxation
  • the idea that correct posture is very important to better running form
  • getting everything moving in the same direction - forward. i.e. my feet instead of running with my feet at about 45 degree angles have them as straight as possible
  • keeping my arms at 90 degree angle and not cross my body
  • creating a column
  • using gravity to propel you - I haven't got this down yet, but think I am close
  • having a lean to help gravity propel you and changing the lean to change your speed.
  • I am very intrigued by his method of going uphill and want to try that out
  • back in the early 80's I was introduced to the metronome method of running and used it for a while, so I understand its usefulness to maintain a certain turnover rate, just do it when no one else is running with you.
  • his ideas on how to avoid or aid in healing certain injuries warrants a closer look
I have just touched on a few things that really jumped out at me, the book has a wealth of knowledge, that I believe I will find very useful when I can wrap my head around all the information that it has about changing to Chi Running.
Scratching my head
  • Some of the terminology had me scratching my head, which left me frustrated and overwhelmed that I wasn't understanding what they were trying to say especially in Chapters 4 & 5.
  • How to level my pelvis is still escaping me
  • I still don't have a clue what peeling your foot off the ground really means or how to implement it. I think it means lift your foot straight up or something like that - once I get this piece a lot of the others will fall into place.
  • Some other things I just had trouble wrapping my head around should be clearer when I go back through and do more than just read that section.
It almost seems as though just enough information is given to really make you want to go buy the CD that is a companion to the book or attend one of their running workshops. The book attempts to spell out how to begin Chi Running, but in a couple of sections I did get frustrated and overwhelmed with the information being presented and voiced that on Twitter.
Some Chi Running advocates graciously provide links and watching videos of people using Chi Running on YouTube explained a few of the areas I was really having difficulty with. One time through the book, does not give me a lot of confidence that I could completely implement Chi Running to my running yet and the Dryers warn you in the book that you will probably not be able to after only reading the book once and that it will take time to fully implement Chi Running.
I completely agree with that warning and that there is simply too much information being presented to understand Chi Running after one time through their book. It will take a lot of time and effort to completely get a handle on the changes the you will need to do to become proficient in Chi Running.
Need to attend Chi Running Training
When I was complaining about being overwhelmed on Twitter by what was in Chapters 4 and 5, the biggest suggestion that I got on Twitter was that "I should go to one of their full days sessions" and after that I would really understand the power of Chi Running.
Unfortunately, as great a suggestion as this might be and as much as I might want to go to an all day sessions someplace - that is not an option for two reasons,
  1. there are not any local Chi Running training sessions going on in my area that I could find in the near future and travelling is not an option. One of the disadvantages of living up heah in Maine is that we are kind of off the beaten track for a lot of things.
  2. the costs associated with one are simply not in the budget for the foreseeable future.
Re - Read Important Sections
Hopefully after I have gone through the book's sections that give you the action instructions a few more times and practiced the drills, I will understand better what they are talking about and will be able to make the changes as I go along.
If I decide that Chi Running is what I am looking for in how to change my running form, I will end up buying the CD and when I have some extra cash someday, I will try to find a training session within a days drive to attend. Until then I will muddle along through the book a few more times and watch YouTube videos to help me understand what it is trying to tell me.
Change isn't easy
Changing a running form that you have had for several years is not going to be easy and I don't expect it to be. I expect to work hard learning how to run with a better form/style and that I probably won't get "it" overnight. At the same time I have to wonder a little, if I am overwhelmed now by some of the terminology or expectations that you need more "stuff" to understand the practice of Chi Running, will Chi Running meet my expectations of K.I.S.S.
Worth It
I think that Chi Running has a lot of potential to help me become a better runner and I am looking forward to learning more about Chi Running - it has certainly piqued my interest.
With the little knowledge that I have gained in reading and underlining the book once through, I am starting to consciously run differently than I did before reading the book. I know that I am attempting to use some of the techniques described in the book while running and while I haven't gotten the knack of how to do circular feet yet - I am making positive progress.
Chi Running is worth looking into a lot further, if you are looking to change your running form. I won't say it will be for everyone, but it is definitely worth reading the book to see how it meshes with your expectations.
FTC Disclaimer: I have not been provided any compensation or free samples of products as part of this review, they are simply my thoughts on something that I have purchased .

Thursday, December 15, 2011

The Complete Book of Running - A Review

After a lot of thought I have decided to move some of best of my old posts from Aging Runnah blog, primarily the old reviews, maybe a few of the better posts and race reports that I have written over the years. I have a feeling that at some point, my WordPress.com blogs are simply going to go away and I want to still be able to go back and read some of the stuff I wrote.

If you are reading this blog post, that is why it is has been re-posted here.

Originally posted on: December 15, 2011

Cover of "The Complete Book of Running"
Something that I have wanted to do for a while now is go back and re-read some of the books that made a difference in my life as a runner, in addition to reading new ones that might make me a better runnah. I know of at least a couple of books that are under the tree, so I have a couple of weeks to re-read some of the old ones that I have kept over the years.
The first book I ever read on running was James E. Fixx's "The Complete Book of Running" which was published in 1977 and I originally read sometime in the fall of 1978. I picked up picked up my present copy of this book at a book sale and put it out in the garage as "one" of those books you want to keep but don't need it in the book case.
When I read "The Complete Book of Running" the first time, I was just going out and running without any idea of what I was doing other than just running. I give this book a lot of credit for helping me to become a better runner and avoid/correct some mistakes I had made up until then. Especially the idea that I had to run "balls to the wall" all the time when I would run, instead of hard/easy training.
Based on all of that, I thought re-reading "The Complete Book of Running" would be a good place to start my running re-reading running adventures (seemed appropriate).
So how did the re-read go.
Actually I read "The Complete Book of Running" in about 3 days. It is a very easy read and is not a very technical "how to run" book. CBR was written for beginning runners and surprisingly a lot of what he wrote back then, is pertinent today, though there were a few things I disagreed with, but that is not the point of this quick review.
There have been a lot of different reviews and thoughts throughout the years on the value of this book to the running community, especially once you are no longer a beginning runner. Personally, I feel it really wasn't all that bad and he had some thoughts about running that I still share.
Surprisingly he recommended (pg 135) shoes with practically no heel, that are flexible, not too soft cushioning - which sounds more than a little like today's more minimal shoe movement. Although he wasn't as concerned about weight, but those old Asics Tigers he was wearing on the cover were not heavy weight shoes).
I chuckled more than a couple of times during his chapter on The Mythology of the Woman Runner - my how times have changed :-). I do remember running cross-country in high school and that Kim Tweedie was the first female cross-country runner at our school (around 1973) and the shit she went through just to be allowed to run with "the guys". No it was a lot different for women runners back then, we have come a long way in that respect.

A good reminder

One of the biggest things I enjoyed about re-reading the book was being reminded that even the great runners back then ran more as a part-time thing, than their livelihood. Most of them had full-time jobs and sandwiched running in when they could around their job. Not something that elite runners of this day and age have to worry about with sponsorships and such. I wonder how much faster people like Bill Rogers, Frank Shorter, Amby Burfoot and others would have been if they had the advantages of today's runners and being able to focus on being better runners, without the distractions of needing a job to support themselves.
I really enjoyed re-reading the chapters where Fixx interviewed people like: Bill Rogers, Joe Henderson, Dr. George Sheehan and the chapter on the Boston Marathon. I really think this book is the one that made me always want to run "Boston" and yes it is on my Running Bucket List

Running instead of Jogging

I guess that this book is part of where my belief that running is running no matter what pace you run at, not jogging came from. On page xvii of the forward Fixx has in footnote form the following"
We may as well dispose of a question of definition right now. Although some would argue the point, there is no particular speed at which jogging turns into running. If you feel that you're running, no matter how slow you're going, no one can say you're not. For purposes of the present discussion, therefore, it's all referred to as running, no matter what the speed.
I guess there was a little Karma involved with me finding this quote this week, in light of my post on Labeling - Runner or Jogger Does It Really Matter? :-)

Worth the Time

Going back and re-reading "The Complete Book of Running" was well worth the time, not so much from any hidden gems on training or running, but more for bringing back to me many of the names, and ideas that are associated with the 70's & 80's running boom and bringing back a lot of memories from those days.
Next book up on the re-read list is "Running the Lydiard" Way by Arthur Lydiard which came out in 1978 and I read it shortly after reading "The Complete Book of Running".

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

My Six Rules for Running in Winter Weather

After a lot of thought I have decided to move some of best of my old posts from Aging Runnah and A Runnah’s Story blogs, primarily the old reviews, maybe a few of the better posts and race reports that I have written over the years. I have a feeling that at some point, my WordPress.com blogs are simply going to go away and I want to still be able to go back and read some of the stuff I wrote.

If you are reading this blog post, that is why it is has been re-posted here.

Originally posted on: December 7, 2011

I know so many others have written about this topic lately, why do we need yet another running in cold weather post in the blogosphere?

You never know when you say something in a slightly different way, that somebody remembers the next time they go outside for their winter run.

Here are my rules for that may make your winter running routine a little safer.

First rule - of winter running (when it gets colder) - NO COTTON! Save cotton clothes for lounging around the house after you get done running in front of the fireplace. That means no cotton socks, briefs, t-shirts, etc., they rob you of your body heat once you start sweating and they get wet. This means you will get colder faster.

Second rule - Slow down, if the weather is crappy, don't try for a PR and land on your heinie or get yourself injured because you were going too fast for the conditions. Tendons and muscles are not nearly as elastic in cold weather and sooner or later you will slip, slide and go boom, which could result in an injury and time away from running.

Third rule - Be seen! Dress in bright colors that contrast with the environment you are running in. Wear reflective gear, if you are running in dawn, dusk or dark conditions and carry a flashlight/headlamp.

Fourth rule - Bring your cell phone if you have one. Getting rescued is a lot easier this way.

Fifth rule - Use shorter courses and do more laps. Hell yes it is a lot more boring to do laps, but if the weather is nasty, suddenly gets worse or it is really cold, it is better to be safe and only have a short distance to get back home, than it is to be a long ways away and take a chance on something bad happening. Also you are more likely to have injuries in the winter - slipping, falling, getting splashed by cars, feet getting wet, etc., so think about shorter courses and more laps, until the weather improves.

Don't over estimate your current running abilities during the winter, if anything be very conservative, Mother Nature is a cruel mistress and doesn't treat those who believe they are more prepared or fitter than they really are nicely.

Sixth rule - Cars/Trucks Win. Even if you have the right of way, being dead or injured is not worth being right. As we know in bad weather, vehicles respond differently than they do on bright sunny days on dry pavement. Metal wins when it impacts flesh and bones. Your heirs will not appreciate the doctor bills or the funeral costs. Even if you do survive the impact, you won't be running for a while. Remember this when you are running in the winter, even if you have the right of way, yield it for your own safety.

Those are my personal rules for running in the Winter - I try to follow them, but usually forget the cell phone and once in a while will wear a cotton t-shirt and really regret it when it gets soaked and I get friggin cold while running - I do that one at least a couple of times during the winter running season.

No - none of these rules apply if you are running on a treadmill in a 70 degree room.

Where did I dream up all this stuff?

I have read a lot of books, magazines and yes blogs that give a lot of helpful insight into winter running and this is a summation of all the stuff that I learned.

I have been running for a long time (40+ years) who is from Maine, lived in New England most of my life and have made most of the mistakes that you can make while running during the winter. While gaining this experience I was extremely lucky on more than a couple of occasions that I wasn't seriously injured or worse - especially learning that yield to vehicles lesson.

Running outside in the Winter is not that bad once you are outside, getting out the door is usually the biggest hurdle, so as they say have fun and do it. However, there are days that it is better to just take a rest day and stay inside where it is warm, so use your common sense and be safe.

Do you have any additional rules for running during the winter that I missed or you believe should have been included?

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Running, Dogs and Trails - Part 2

After a lot of thought I have decided to move some of best of my old posts from Aging Runnah and A Runnah’s Story blogs, primarily the old reviews, maybe a few of the better posts and race reports that I have written over the years. I have a feeling that at some point, my WordPress.com blogs are simply going to go away and I want to still be able to go back and read some of the stuff I wrote.

If you are reading this blog post, that is why it is has been re-posted here.

Originally posted on: November 29, 2011

In my Running, Dogs and Trail - Part 1, I discussed meeting dogs on the trail, when running or walking and offered up some observations and tips.

This post is from the other perspective having a dog with me, while walking or running on a trail and then encountering runners, hikers or walkers on trails.

Yes I have a dog and yes I walk him on trails and eventually plan to run with him on trails. However, unlike some of the characterizations in my first post, I would like to believe that I am fairly considerate of others who use the trail also.

Trail Rules for my Dog

These are the rules I try to follow when I walk my dog on a trail:

  • Don't leave dog poop on the trail, we carry bags with us to clean it up with. I know how I feel when I step in dog poop, it pisses me off.
  • I keep my dog on a leash at all times. Not because he is a vicious, but because I know that he will run, bark, jump up on people and not obey my commands well enough to be off the leash.

    Actually we use a double-system collar and harness - he can be a Houdini and escape just one of them. Bennie is a Jack Russell Terrier with an extremely short attention span, who is very inquisitive and with a mind of his own. Other dogs might mind better, but it is best to leash a dog when approaching stranger or when being overtaken by other trail users.
  • If possible I move off the trail when I see someone coming or catching up to us, warn them that my dog will probably bark and lunge at them, and allow them to go by, while holding onto my dog's collar and the other hand on his rump forcing him to sit-down.
  • If someone asks to pet my dog and I think it is okay (I have told some people I would prefer they didn't - just a feeling, but I go with them). I firmly have a hold of his collar and have my hand on his rump while he is sitting down and ask them to move in slowly to pet him, while I am talking calmly to Bennie.
  • I wait until the other people are at least 10 feet away before continuing our walk.

What Can the Runner/Walker Do

As a runner or walker what can you do to make this brief meeting both safe and enjoyable.

Just because you are panting and stomping your feet into the trail, doesn't mean that a dog or the owner know you are coming up behind them. If they are immersed in thought or looking off the trail at a gorgeous scene, looking at some other critter or otherwise occupied, they might not see or hear you coming towards them.

When you notice that they are not looking back at you and moving to leash or take a hold of their dog, there is a pretty good chance they do know you are there.

Warn Me You are There!

If that is the case and you suddenly are only yards away from them when the dog notices you, most people and their dogs will be startled and the dog(s) will probably bark and lunge at you.

The owner will have much more difficult time reacting appropriately to your presence.

Then you get pissed because the dog is barking and lunging at you, that you were slowed down, had to go around them or that in their state of surprise might have been said something rather unflattering to you.

So when running or hiking please warn people with dogs that you are coming up on them for your own safety, if you don't see or hear them getting their dogs ready for you to go past them.

Ask before attempting to touch or pet any dog, you might not like the results if you don't.

Don't Be an Ass

Really you don't need to be an ass, just because someone is on the trail with a dog. Most of the trails are public and open for all to enjoy appropriately.

If you start yelling at the owner, telling them to get to f#$* out of the way, acting all impatient and important, while they are trying to restrain or move their dog, it only makes the situation worse. The dog(s) will pick up on their stress level and start to get stressed as well, which will cause even more delays.

Most dog owners will not purposely delay you, but if you are acting like a jerk, it is much easier for them to be a jerk too.

Dogs Not on a Leash or Aggressive

If you see that a dog is not on a leash watch it carefully, if it starts moving towards you, or stops and starts growling or barking at you. Stop running and give the owner a chance to get their dog leashed or restrained before you start running by. At this point I recommend you go into a defensive posture and ask, then tell the owner to ensure that their dog is leashed if they haven't attempted to so by that time. It is okay to talk to the owner to find out what they are doing and which direction is best to get around them.

I don't care how fast you think you are, you are not going to outrun a dog, unless it is an ankle biter and then they run faster than you think, so don't just keep running.

If you keep running, the dog might think you are playing, attacking us or you will activate their hunting instincts and they will chase after you. None of which is what you or the owner want to have happen.

Yes I know that it is a pain in the ass to stop while the owner gets their dog under control, but if you do stop for a few seconds there will be less problems and issues for both of you and you will be able to start enjoying your run again sooner.

You wouldn't step in front of a car with a green light, you might get hurt.A dog growling and barking aggressively is definitely a red light and you need to stop running until the situation is safe to proceed.

Most dogs believe they are protecting their humans from you. For some reason you smell wrong to them? If that is the case take a defensive posture and wait to see what the dog and the dog's owner is doing, it is better to be a little patient than get bit. Then move on as soon possible.

Part of the Family

Dog owners do not consider their dogs to be vicious attack dogs, they are their family pets and a part of the family, a companion that they know and love.

The owners often honestly don't understand why you are intimidated, concerned or a little afraid of their sweet little Cujo - be aware of that. In their eyes, they see the sweet cuddly little furball that sits in their lap or by their feet, not the snarling, growling, red-eyed demon from hell that you see.

The reality is that

I understand that coming up on a dog while on a trail might be an inconvenience to you. You might have to break stride or having wait a minute while the owner gets their dog out of your way. Stop and think I am a runner also and the person you are meeting on the trail might be a runner too.

Ninety-five percent of the time, most people I have met on the trails are great and share my interests in being outside with or without my dog.

To that other five percent that thankfully I don't run into you very often. Get off your high horse, show a little patience and respect for others who you are sharing the trail with. You may be the center of your universe, but you are not the center of mine or my dog's.

Final thoughts

If you have are a dog owner on a trail - keep it on a leash when people are around (many times there are leash laws and dogs are required to be on a leash - just follow the laws in place) and then restrain your dog while the rest of us go by.

If you are a runner or hiker - show a little patience, while the owner is restraining or leashing a dog, so you can go by.

We all have the right to use the public multi-use trails around us for hiking, walking, trail running and yes even walking our dogs. However, we need to treat each other with respect when meeting each other on those trails.

Dog owners, what is your advice for runners or hikers who meet you on the trail that I didn't mention above.

Monday, November 28, 2011

Running, Dogs and Trails - Part 1

After a lot of thought I have decided to move some of best of my old posts from Aging Runnah and A Runnah’s Story blogs, primarily the old reviews, maybe a few of the better posts and race reports that I have written over the years. I have a feeling that at some point, my WordPress.com blogs are simply going to go away and I want to still be able to go back and read some of the stuff I wrote.

If you are reading this blog post, that is why it is has been re-posted here.

Originally posted on: November 28, 2011

Image by FlyinPhotography via Flickr

Yesterday I was out running a local trail system and had a dog encounter and to be very honest it bothered me - a lot. So I have decided to do a two-part series on Running, Dogs and Trails and this is the first one from the runner's perspective.

This is sort of an open letter to dog owners from a trail runner, hiker and walker about dogs and trails, with a few tips for when you encounter dogs on the trail.

I have been a dog owner, who runs with his dog on the trails quite often in the local area and I have been an avid trail runner, hiker, and trail walker for a long time. However, it seems that over the past few years some dog owner's attitudes towards other people who are sharing the trail with them and their dog(s) are changing and it is not a positive change.

Several times I/we have been on trails and suddenly hear and see a dog running free and coming towards us. We usually yell "Hello" to alert the dog's owners that someone else is on the trail.

At that point we invariably hear the famous words "Oh don't worry, my dog is friendly".

Oh really!

Then why is your dog's body language aggressive, the fur on the nape of its neck is raised, it is growling at me and its lips are curled back so I can see its fangs - the damn thing looks more like Cujo than that "friendly" pet that the owner is talking about.

As the owner gets closer, the dog finally responds to multiple voice commands and runs back wagging its tail - saying "see I protected you from those strangers". You then get to hear all the excuses and apologies, but a dog is going to protect its humans from strangers, you are not part of their pack.

Yes 90% of the dogs I meet on trails are friendly and wouldn't hurt you, but sooner than later you will meet that dog that isn't friendly and is running loose and sees you and it starts towards you.

What do you do?

So what do you do when you suddenly come up on a dog like that?

Don't run away or keep running towards their owner(s), from what I have read and been told, this triggers the hunter instincts in a dog and by running you have signalled that you are prey or are afraid of it.

Not a good thing for a strange dog to be thinking about you.

Personally, when I see a dog running loose on a trail - I immediately stop, stop my timing device, step off the trail, yell a hello to the owner and politely ask them to leash or hold their dog until I am by them.

Then I wait to see what the dog's owners are doing and keep a really close watch on the dog, not moving any more than I have to, until we get things figured out. Loosing a little bit of time is a lot better than loosing a lot of time or having holes that bleed in my skin.

I do not crouch down and I do not try to maintain eye contact with the dog, but I definitely keep close track of what it is doing and am looking around for trees go up quickly or branches/rocks for other purposes.

I don't get all freaked out and yell and scream, but act calm and in control of the situation. Otherwise the situation can quickly get out of hand and bad things can happen that could have been avoided if you stay calm.

When trying to get the owners attention, I try not to sound pissed, peeved or anything other than friendly or neutral.

However, if the dog has an aggressive posture or isn't stopping on my loud command to it to "STOP" or "SIT DOWN", I have been know to yell out "get your fucking dog - now" quite loudly as a kind of warning to them that I feel threatened by their dog.

I only do this in situations where I feel very threatened by their dog and at that point I really don't care if I piss them off.

After all their dog is their responsibility and it is their responsibility to keep you safe from their dog on a public trail.

Position Yourself for Safety

When I first see a strange dog, I also stand sideways to the dog with my dominant hand back as a strange dog or human approaches, at this point in my life, I don't even think about it, I just do it automatically.

Example: I am left-handed, so I stand with my right arm exposed to the dog. If the dog does attack, this stance provides a good stable base, I will be harder to knock down and not expose myself unnecessarily (stomach, privates, etc.) to the dog. It also puts me in position to side kick the dog and fend it off with my right arm and attack with my left. Hopefully, this is just a precautionary position and not one that you have to defend yourself from.

While I am talking with the owners, I am watching to see if they have control of the dog, is the dog taking an aggressive stance and are they continuing to walk by you or motioning for you to go by them.

Be Nice!

It doesn't hurt to be friendly to other people on the trail, after all most of them are really out there to enjoy the freedoms of the trails, just like you are. They have brought their dog along to enjoy some freedom as well. So I am polite as possible and wait to see what they are doing, say our Hello's and start walking or running slowly again, ensuring that the dog is not coming after me.

Being nice even if they are not, helps to resolve a lot of problems before they get out of hand - don't get into a pissing contest out in the woods, nothing good will come of it. It is better to let it go and move on than stay in a situation that will have no winners.

Adamant about leashing

However, I am fairly adamant about the leash/restraining a dog until I go past, especially with the bigger dogs, when they haven't been responsive to the owners voice commands immediately.

Sometimes you know when a dog is safe, other times you just can't tell, better to be safe than sorry.

Why am I adamant about asking someone put their dog on a leash. Especially when the owner says that the dog is so friendly?

First - most communities and States do have a leash law or that the dog must be under the person's control, the trails are public and I have as much right to be on the trail safely as the other people who have their dogs with them do.

Second - I don't trust dogs, I am not scared of dogs (I have been around them my whole life), but they can be unpredictable and I have been bitten a few times by those "friendly" dogs.

Third - I will defend myself and if the owner does nothing or very little to prevent their dog from doing it and it will be painful (probably for me more than anything), but a dog might get injured if it attacks me.
Pissing some people off

For some reason or other, a request to leash or hold their dog, seems to totally piss off some people.

Unfortunately, I have been getting this response, a lot more lately than I used to? Well at least it seems that way too me.

They get their knickers all in a knot, become very curt and either have some unnecessary remark or glare at you like you are being completely unreasonable by asking that they leash or restrain their dog, until you have gone by.

I don't understand why, maybe it is the way I am asking or my voice tone is curt, or could it be that I am inconveniencing them by my being on the trail too? Who knows, maybe they have other issues and are taking out their anger on me, it doesn't really matter to me - that is their problem not mine.

However, when I request for someone to leash or restrain their dog I am doing it for my safety, not to inconvenience them or judge their dog as being violent. I have had to many bad experiences with unleashed and leashed dogs.

Basically, I do not want to be bitten again.

The reality is that

Being attacked by a dog wandering on the trail probably won't happen, but at the same time aggressive dogs can really ruin your day out on the trail. They get the old adrenaline pumping and when the owners are unresponsive to your need to be safe, it pisses you off. It only takes a couple of seconds to snap a leash back on or hold your dog until someone goes by, that way we can all enjoy the trail together safely.

Dog owners if you see a runner or hiker/walker coming up and you have let your dogs run free on the trail, as a courtesy to others, please call your dog back and either leash or hold them until the runner/hiker/walker has gone by. That way we all can be civil to each other and enjoy being outside on the trails together.

It comes down to showing respect to others who share the trail with you.

I think what I said yesterday pretty much sums up my feelings on this issue:

I am a dog owner and I don't mind people having their dogs with them on trails, but just because a dog is friendly to people it knows, doesn't mean it will be to strangers it is meeting on a trail somewhere.

Dogs are territorial and protective of their people.

If they are on a public trail they either need to respond well to voice command or be on a leash. I hate it when I feel threatened by a dog especially one that is well over a 100 pounds and could put a bad hurtin on you if it decided to attack.

What are your experiences when meeting un-leashed dogs on trails? Any words of wisdsom or helpful hints that I missed that o.

Next post will be about obnoxious runners, hikers or walkers when I am walking my dog on trails.

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Why Did I Leave Teaching? - Looking Back

After a lot of thought I have decided to move some of best of my old posts from Aging Runnah and A Runnah’s Story blogs, primarily the old reviews, maybe a few of the better posts and race reports that I have written over the years. I have a feeling that at some point, my WordPress.com blogs are simply going to go away and I want to still be able to go back and read some of the stuff I wrote.
If you are reading this blog post, that is why it is has been re-posted here.
Originally posted on: November 6, 2011Xcountry school photoWhat is the biggest difference that I have noticed since I left teaching on June 17, 2011,
How tired and drained I was - emotionally, mentally and physically. You know the feeiling of always being tired, Stressed and Out of Shape.
You just don't realize how beat down, tired, stressed out and out of shape that you are, when you are out there working. Putting in all those hours to have the money for the lifestyle you have chosen. When you are in the middle of the doing, you don't realize what the "rat race" takes out of you, it has become just the way it is.
For many years I combatted the tiredness and everything else, by exercising (mostly as a runner), which helped most of the time. I usually went to the gym or ran, but a fall off a roof in 2008 and in February 2010 a knee injury restricted my physical activity a great deal.
As the knee deteriorated, so did my health and desire to exercise - if something hurts (a lot) you just don't enjoy doing it.After going through the standards of care continuum over the course of the summer of 2010. The doctor originally diagnosed me with something really bad as far as knees go in September 2010. School had just started when I got the diagnosis, so I delayed surgery until May 2011, when I couldn't stand it anymore.
Yes I got fat (over 200 pounds on a spindly 5'7" frame) and didn't do a lot to working-out that last year, which didn't help matters at all.
Most days after getting home from work (I usually got there early and left late), I would sit in my easy chair, the dog would leap up and sit in my lap and we would fall asleep for 30-45 minutes until supper was ready.
After doing the dinner time chores I would sit down and watch sports channels for an hour or so then start working on whatever had been brought home from work, that needed to get done or planned for.
Then once I got all or at least most of the work that I had brought home done, I would then participate in #chats on subjects that I was interested in on Twitter or watch/participate in the numerous online webinars, all in the guise that these were making me better at my profession.I did this most nights, weekends, school breaks, when I should have been resting or recuperating. What all these extra hours I did I thought was making me more effective in my profession.
The truth is as I look back those activities were taking my down-time away from me and I was living my job 12-14 hours a day.  I was not giving myself time to rest.
All Jobs Have Stress
All jobs have stressful parts and after a while, constantly eating adrenaline burgers, does something to you. In my final year I always seemed to be sick a great deal more than in the past, having that constant headache or just feeling blaaahhhh all the time.
Add those to not being able to sleep after going to bed, tossing and turning thinking about what happened that day, dreading what was going to happen the next day or trying to think of a way to reach a student. Then getting up at 5:00 A.M., commuting 30 minutes to work, no matter how bad you felt most of the time and feeling guilty when you stayed home sick - because "you should have gone in."
My wife was starting to get worried about me, she was saying that I always had a "gray look" to go along with being tired all of the time. I kept pooh poohing her concerns, but looking back, however, they were signs of how stressed out and tired I was at the time, all the time.
TheWife had gone through her own battles with health and work. Due to some very similar circumstances she had retired in November 2009 and the difference in her was very evident and definitely positive. We talked a lot last spring about what was important in life to us and the kind of lifestyle that we wanted to live. After all the talking we decided to wait and see what the result of my surgery was in May before making any final decisions.
Luckily when the doctor got in there to look around at the knee, it was only some damaged cartilage and an easy repair job. It was a big relief, I still had my own knee! That helped make our decision a lot easier, if it had been more than a simple repair job, I would have stuck around for the medical benefits that I would have needed.
Based on everything that was going on, our conversations, the direction that my former profession was heading (which was vastly different than what I believe in) and how work was affecting my health, we decided to give full retirement for both of us a try.
Which meant there would be some of changes to our lifestyle based on a vastly reduced income, we would be going from above average in combined income to below poverty level in less than 2 years. Our saving grace was that we didn't have any bills, beyond the typical monthly expenses. No mortgage, no credit card balances, no car payments, a little bit of savings, none of what is part and parcel of the typical American consumer.
As you can tell TheWife is a very smart and frugal woman, otherwise we would not have been able to even think about retirement, much less be able to do it.
Resignation and Retirement
I submitted my resignation on June 1st and began to dream about what I would be doing in retirement.The last 17 days of teaching went by like a blur and I really don't remember a lot about those last few days, except that I was still recovering from my surgery, doing physical therapy and trying my best to leave on a high note and I had to tell my 7th graders that I wouldn't be coming back for their 8th grade year - which was kind of tough.
I must have done something right, there were two others who were retiring as educators and even though I was not retiring as an educator and had only been at the school for 2 years, they included me as the third person in the retirement celebrations.August 17th was the effective date of my resignation, but school let out on June 17th for summer break and that was when I effectively stopped working for someone else's clock and became retired.
It didn't mean because I retired that I sat on my ass and did nothing. That isn't and wouldn't be me, I was busier than ever and seemed to never have time to go many places or do things beyond the yard.  No I was very busy, but it was a different kind of busy than I was used to. I was in charge of my schedule, no clock to beat and freedom to choose what I did that day.
Remarkable Changes
The changes since that date are nothing less than remarkable!
While the knee is not 100% and probably never will be and I have accepted that, but hold out hope that the therapist was correct in telling me it would take 8-12 months to be able to run pain-free. I have begun to walk, hike and yes run again - a certain amount of sucking it up is necessary, but worth it. I am now running/jogging 2-3 miles 4-5 days a week - not very fast, but I am doing it.
I also have taken an interest in gardening, now that I have the time for it and doing a little meatball carpentry on the side.  These are activities that I enjoy and which get me outside much more than I was and I know that I am much healthier now.
I also have a secret weapon in the war to fitness, a Jack Russell Terrier called Bennie Bean, he is a 5 mile a day dog. If he doesn't walk 5 miles a day, he is just too full of energy to be around. Needless to say between TheWife, Stepdaughter #1 and myself he gets his 5 miles a day.
Almost 20 pounds have gone away in the past 5 months, without drastically changing how I eat (I was eating 80% healthy food before this - thanks to TheWife) - yes I know that I still eat too many things made with sugar and I like my chips (TheWife is a great cook and baker), but I don't over-indulge too often (keeping things reasonable is what I try for) and when I do pig-out, I don't stress out about it.
We don't eat a lot of processed food and our garden provides us with veggies and greens (still) and it is comforting to know what has been put on them. Basically, I just try to do a little better each day.
I no longer fall asleep, in the middle of every afternoon, like I did almost every day for the first 3 months I was home, when I would fall asleep for an hour or two and the afternoon would be gone. That tired all the time feeling is finally leaving me, but even after 5 months, there are some days that it comes back and I just have to stop and rest for a while. Thankfully those times are becoming fewer and fewer and farther in between instances.
Didn't Realize
I really didn't realize how run down and stressed out I had become, until I started to slow down, exercise more and get outside a lot more. No I read somewhere (I wish that I had kept it) that it takes 6-12 months after you stop working to get rid of the collective stress and tiredness you body bottles up inside. I didn't think that your body can "store" that crap, but after the past 5 months, I tend to believe it a lot more than I did before - not a true convert yet, but definitely gone from a disbeliever, to being a lot more open to the idea.
The Correct Decision
For us, the decision to retire has been the correct one.

We don't have the monthly retirement income that the "experts" say is enough, but we think it will be enough for us. If it isn't, then part-time jobs are easier to find than full-time ones with benefits, so I really believe that we will be just fine as long as there are no big ticket items that have to be gotten for a while.
The big question I have been asked is "Would I do it again?"
After all I had job security, was pretty well respected in my profession and making decent money. The answer comes to me very quickly. Yes I would do it again, the time was right and you know something. I haven't really thought all that much about going back to teaching or trying to find another position in education.
I don't really miss the stress and everything that goes along with teaching in today's classroom. If I did I really believe that that my health would be a lot worse than it is right now and how stressed out I would be feeling - not worth it to me, I like being healthy.
That is simply because I am enjoying the life that I have right now too much and time is much more my own than it has ever been, but that is a different post.
For me retirement was the correct choice.
We all age and will die, but how we live is our choice.
By the way, the other day.
TheWife was commenting that I no longer have that gray pallor about me and I just look more healthy.  So I guess this retirement thing is working.
Now if I could only look like George Clooney, naw I am very happy with who I am - warts and all.


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Download food monster: the biggest, baddest, yummiest vegan food app!

Food Monster - Recipes

Smoky Butternut Squash Mac ‘n Cheese [Vegan]

If you enjoy recipes like this, we highly recommend downloading the Food Monster App, it's available for both Android and iPhone and has free and paid versions. The app is loaded with thousands of allergy-friendly & vegan recipes/cooking tips, has hundreds of search filters and features like bookmarking, meal plans and more! The app shows you how having diet/health/food preferences can be full of delicious abundance rather than restrictions!

This recipe for mac and cheese takes butternut squash and turns it into a creamy, cheesy sauce. A bit of smokiness added to the sauce transforms takes it to the next level.

Smoky Butternut Squash Mac n Cheese [Vegan]

For the Pasta:

  • 16-ounce package of pasta of your choice-
  • Half of an onion, small dice
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, rehydrated and chopped
  • 1/2 cup organic frozen peas
  • 2 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, roughly chopped
  • Parsley, for garnish (optional)

For the Sauce:

  • Half of a large butternut squash
  • 1 tablespoon chickpea miso
  • 2 teaspoon brown rice vinegar
  • Lemon juice, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
  • 1 medium garlic clove, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon lapsang souchong tea (or few drops of liquid smoke)

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the ends off the butternut squash, and cut it in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and save for future roasting or discard. Rub the inside with a tablespoon of avocado oil and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, cut side down. Roast the squash for about 30 minutes, or until easily pierced with fork.
  2. While the squash half is roasting, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. be sure not to overcook but leave al dente, as you will be baking it in the oven for a few more minutes.
  3. Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chopped onion and saute on low heat until the onions are caramelized, being careful not to burn them.
  4. To make the tea, boil 1/2 cup of water and add the tea, steep for 5 min and strain.
  5. Once squash is cooked and cooled for a few minutes, scoop out the flesh and add to blender. Add the tea, miso, brown rice vinegar, garlic, and nutritional yeast, and blend until smooth. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Add the sauce to the pot of pasta, along with the peas, onions, and sun-dried tomatoes. Mix well and add the mac and cheese to a baking dish.
  6. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Sprinkle the sunflower seeds on top of the mac and cheese and bake for approximately 10 minutes.
  7. Optional: put the oven on broil for the last 2-3 minutes to get a nice browning on the sunflower seeds. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!

Nutritional Information

Total Calories: 2,482 | Total Carbs: 454 g | Total Fat: 59 g | Total Protein: 89 g | Total Sodium: 693 mg | Total Sugar: 29 g

Simple, vibrant whole foods plant-based recipes. Alena Grahn is the founder of Red Nail Green Veggies blog, which celebrates whole, plant-based foods. The recipes you will find here are simple, fun, and most importantly full of nutrients that will have you feeling and looking your best! Alena is a newly married 20- something living in NYC and documenting culinary adventures in her teeny tiny Manhattan kitchen.

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So I went over to check on my community garden yesterday and found that my Roma tomatoes plants had gone crazy over the last week! I ended up coming home with this…

The only thing I could think to do with so many tomatoes was make homemade marinara sauce from scratch and freeze it. I ended up putting together a simple, classic recipe (below) and it was the freshest, tastiest marinara I’ve ever had. With fresh locally-grown tomatoes plentiful at farmers’ markets anywhere in the northern hemisphere this time of year, this is the perfect time to make a huge batch and freeze it for pasta sauces and homemade pizzas throughout the year. You’ll be glad you did.

In other news, VEGAN CHEESE!

If you’re wondering where I’ve been lately, well, I’ve been locked away in One Ingredient HQ toiling away on something really exciting… A few months ago I set out with the ambitious goal of creating vegan cheeses that look, taste, and act like real cheese – i.e. the parmesan should be solid enough to be grated, the mozzarella should make a firm stretchy ball, and you should be able to use them any way you would normally use that type of cheese. Most of all, they should have the same flavors and mouthfeel that all of us vegans are missing in current non-dairy cheeses. I’m happy to report that this project has been going extremely well. I’ve created a creamy mozzarella that is stretchy and sliceable, but melty in the oven. I’ve also developed a parmesan with beautiful aged flavors that is firm enough to be grated onto pasta or shaved onto a Caesar salad.

Seriously, I think these cheese recipes are going to be a game-changer for vegans – they already have been for me. They’re the closest thing I’ve ever tasted to dairy-based cheese and they’re extremely easy to make at home (i.e. no culturing or aging). So, I’m putting together a cool new eBook with recipes for 5 varieties of vegan cheese, along with a ton of recipes that you can make with these cheeses. That should be ready sometime in September and I’ll be sharing much more details as they’re available. For now, here’s a quick sneak-preview of a Margherita pizza made with slices of the melty mozzarella, as well as the best cheesy parmesan garlic bread I’ve ever had.

Now, back to this awesome marinara sauce!

Makes: two 24-oz jars

  • 8-9 cups Roma or San Marzano tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1.5 teaspoons dried oregano
  • 3 tablespoons fresh basil
  • 1 chili pepper (optional)

NOTE: if you just want to make one jar of sauce, the recipe can easily be cut in half.

Step One

To start, the tomatoes need to be peeled. This seems like a dreadful job, but it isn’t that bad with this broiling technique… Grab about 8+ cups, by volume, worth of tomatoes (take your best guess, the exact amounts aren’t super important here, as the flavors can be adjusted later on). Rinse them, cut out the stem and then slice in half. Place face-down in a pan or baking sheet with edges (to catch the water released from the tomatoes when heated) and then move them to your oven’s broiler until the skins are wrinkly but just before they start to char. Let them cool slightly, then simply pinch off the skin from each tomato. It’s that easy.

Note: to prevent your sauce from becoming too watery, make sure to drain out all the water that was released during broiling, and also give them a gentle smash with a spatula (careful, they’re hot) to wring out any excess water before adding the tomatoes to the sauce.

Step Two

While the tomatoes are broiling, begin warming your largest skillet over medium-high heat with a drizzle of olive oil and throw in about 6 garlic cloves, loosely-chopped. Then, when the tomatoes have been peeled and drained, throw them into the pan along with a teaspoon of salt, a few tablespoons of minced basil leaves, 1+ teaspoon of dried oregano (and/or any other Italian spices that seem exciting to you, like thyme). You can optionally include a diced chili or tablespoon of red pepper flakes to add some heat. Let these simmer and break down over medium-low heat for a full hour, checking/stirring once or twice.

Step Three

After an hour, the sauce will have broken down quite a bit, but it will still be too chunky, so transfer the sauce to a blender and pulse a few times for “chunky” sauce, and a few more times for totally smooth sauce. (Alternatively, you can use an immersion blender, if you have one, to puree the sauce right in the pan.) Then return the sauce to the pan and continue to simmer for at least another hour – time is essential for the acidic taste in the tomatoes to dissipate and the flavors to meld together. At this point, give the sauce a taste and feel free to adjust the salt or herbs to your liking. If the sauce has the right consistency, it’s done. Still a little too thin? Give it another 30 minutes of simmering to reduce/thicken even further.

The sauce can be used immediately or stored in refrigerated mason jars for a week. You can also freeze the sauce in zip-top bags (once cooled), muffin tins, or tupperware containers and simply thaw in a saucepan as needed.


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Monte Carlo

A night in Monte Carlo back in November, for this beauty!

Wearing our one off piece, in a ‘raspberry red full sleeved lace & pretty chiffon flowing skirt’ available in a UK6.

Night at The Roundhouse

I thought a bit of background might be good for your blog.  Thanks so much again.

‘A very special evening at The Roundhouse last night raising money for The Children’s Trust who support children suffering from brain injuries and Skill Force who work with ex service members to teach young people self esteem and leadership skills.  It was a superb evening surrounded by inspiring people and their very personal stories of resilience and achievement.’

Our stunning clients are wearing an ‘off the shoulder, sweetheart neckline, form fitting fishtail black dress’ and a a ‘red/orange metallic hi-low hem style gown’

Black available in a UK10/12/14/18

Red available in a UK8/10/12

Black Tie Event

Liz went to a black tie event in Cheshire, back in October.

She is wearing our purple sequin, low back, side slit, ankle length dress.

Purple Sequin Sparkle

Here’s another satisfied client, Lucy,  wearing our long side split, low back, all over sequin purple dress, to her event a couple of weeks ago.

Pretty in Red

This looker of a lady is wearing our favourite silk, tight fitting, deep red cocktail dress to a dinner.

Classic design, yet very elegant and ladylike, just like our Alex.


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Sunday , February 25 2018

Prettier Nails :Tag

How to Have Stronger, Prettier Nails

How to Have Stronger, Prettier Nails?

Fingernails play a significant role on the overall appearance and can leave a great impression about a person. There are numerous tips about taking care of fingernails, but many of them are just plain false. For instance, when you see a recipe for nails to grow faster, know that it is a scam because nails grow at a fixed rate. However, there are secrets to have stronger nails that don’t break easily and look gorgeous. Have a peak at the following tips for healthy looking nails: 8. Get Biotin Supplements Brittle nails are problematic for anyone who would like to enjoy a nice manicure. Thankfully, biotin supplements, a kind of vitamin B supplements, work on strengthening nails, allowing them to …

Read More »


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Refracking is the new fracking

Mike Groll Photo

The technique itself is nothing new. Oil crews across the world have been schooled on its simple principles for generations: Identify aging, low-output wells and hit them with a blast of sand and water to bolster the flow of crude. The idea originated somewhere in the plains of the American Midwest, back in the 1950s.

But as today’s engineers start applying the procedure to the horizontal wells that went up during the fracking boom that swept across U.S. shale fields over the past decade, something more powerful, more financially rewarding is happening.

The short life span of these wells, long thought to be perhaps the single biggest weakness of the shale industry, is being stretched out. Early evidence of the effects of restimulation suggests that the fields could actually contain enough reserves to last about 50 years, according to a calculation based on Wood Mackenzie Ltd and ITG Investment Research data.

Peak Shale Oil

America’s tight-oil production is set to peak in 2020, based on U.S. forecasts, but a technique known as refracking could keep output booming for longer by increasing the yield from old wells.

The risks abound — from inadvertently siphoning oil from an adjacent well to ruining a whole reservoir — and the sample size so far isn’t big enough to be conclusive, but oil giants like Marathon Oil Corp. and ConocoPhillips aren’t waiting to incorporate refracking into their shale operations.

The Octofrac

Mike Vincent, a well-completion engineer who teaches the technique to industry workers, said he’s been overwhelmed by the sudden interest in the class. He even had to abandon plans he had been making to spend a week fly-fishing in the Rocky Mountains over the summer. “I’m booked every week teaching refrack classes out to November,” said Vincent, who runs a Denver-based firm called Insight Consulting. “It’s amazing how much passion there is.”

Years of working on traditional wells have shown that they can be restimulated multiple times, Vincent said. In the industry’s lingo, a well that has been blasted five times is a “Cinco de Fraco.” Eight times gets you an “Octofrac.” When done right, the procedure not only boosts the flow of crude, but can also increase the estimate of reserves held in the well. Vincent said it’s common to see oil recovery climb 60 percent or more.

“I’ve seen a well get 10 fracs through the same perfs, and it appears that we’re adding reserves every time,” he said.

100,000 Wells

A study by Bloomberg Intelligence of about 80 wells that were originally tapped in North Dakota’s Bakken formation in 2008 or 2009 and then refracked again years later shows a clear pickup in output. The wells on average produced more than 30 percent more oil in the month after the refrack than they did after the original completion, according to analysts William Foiles and Peter Pulikkan.

Second Time’s a Charm

A Bloomberg Intelligence analysis of wells blasted with hydraulic fracturing fluids for a second time, known as refracking, revealed initial production rates more than 30 percent higher than the original.

Many Risks

The process to refrack a well isn’t that different than the original frac. Water, sand and other chemicals are pushed down the well, beyond the previously tapped areas, to create new fissures or to re-open clefts in the rocks that have closed.

It’s easy for things to go wrong. If poorly executed, the maneuver could take oil from the producing zones of other wells, or worse yet, ruin a reservoir. Then there’s the concern that some industry analysts have that a refrack only accelerates the flow without increasing the actual total output over the life of the well. EOG is among the drillers that remain reluctant to start using the procedure.

Refracking is still in its “early days,” said Robin Mann, global leader of the resource evaluation and advisory group in Deloitte LLP’s Houston office. “There’s always a risk you’re going to damage the reservoir or create interference between wells.”

‘Compelling Prize’

But in an industry that is desperately trying to cut expenses after oil fell below $60 a barrel from over $100 a year ago, the technique’s low cost has great appeal. Because the first step in the fracking process is already done — the drilling of the wellbore — the outlay is just a fraction of the $8 million or so it costs to tap a new well.

West Texas Intermediate for August delivery added 69 cents to $53.22 a barrel in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange at 9:16 a.m. London time.

Sanchez Energy Corp., a Houston-based oil producer, expects to spend between $1 million to $1.5 million per well when it starts carrying out its first horizontal-well refracks later this year.

The extra oil and gas it will pull out from each one as a result, meanwhile, could have a value, when measured in today’s dollars, of as much as $2.5 million, according to Chris Heinson, the company’s senior vice president and chief operating officer.

“It’s a compelling prize,” Heinson said in an interview last month. “There were a large number of wells out there that we know were originally completed with something that we could do better today. That’s really exciting.”

The complete version of the original article
available here: Bloomberg – Refracking is the new fracking

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    Bloomberg Business delivers business and markets news, data, analysis, and video to the world, featuring stories from Businessweek and Bloomberg News

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