TGIF Foto Friday = Fishin'!

My boys went fishing for the first time last month with their grandpa, my dad.  My oldest caught 5 fish,  including a 2-lb. bass and my youngest caught one.  They had a wonderful time with their "papa."  I just hope they don't expect me to take them fishing every weekend now...

The Nature of Success

Take 4 minutes and watch this video -


http://www.natureofsuccessmovie.com/

(Please note that the link ends with a promotion for the company..........this is simply their way to promote their own material, but in no way am I suggesting or promoting the recommendation that you subscribe to or purchase any products, nor are you required to view the material.)

I love the running pics and many of the quotes included. Two of my faves --

"Wisdom is knowing the right path to take... integrity is taking it." - M. H. McKee

"May it be said, when the sun sets on your life...many of your dreams came true, and....you made the difference in the lives of others."


Running Update
Ran 7 miles this morning, 5 at Tempo pace of 9:30....my first half marathon is in 3 weeks and while my ultimate goal is to finish, I would like to see if I can maintain a 10 min pace throughout the run....two more weekend long runs until race day should tell me more about my expected pace....
***btw, thanks to everyone for all the Garmin advice, I have a 205 ordered, I really don't think I'll use the heart rate monitor....Wal Mart had them on sale for $150 and I had a couple gift cards so I really only had to pay $22 out of pocket....I hope to have it early next week to try it out a little before the OKC Half.....

Running Update and Garmin Advice

Running Update
Per my training plan I needed to run 3 easy miles on Monday, but my original plan was to put it off until Tuesday and get an extra rest day in.....However, the weather was forecasting a record low of 20 degrees Mon night, which would mean an ultra chilly run Tues AM, so I ran Monday evening after work and before our small group......

I wanted to get a quick run in, and it was quick, my fastest 3 miler yet I think--25:10........Even though I was supposed to do 3 easy miles, I think I had some pent up energy from sitting at a desk all day and felt like pushing the pace.....first mile--8, second in 830, third in 840, I was pretty winded on that third mile....I know this is not fast for many of you, but this is much faster than my regular pace...for some reason I felt like pushing it, despite what my training plan said...I have a rest day today and then need to get in an 8 mile tempo run tomorrow.....

Garmin Update--
I was very close to getting a Garmin yesterday. Wal Mart has the 205 pretty cheap, and from what I can tell the only difference between the 205 and the 305 is the heart rate monitor, and I don't think I'd use that anyway. It would probably end up in a desk drawer somewhere. I am also looking on ebay, craigslist and some runner forums. Can any of you speak to the the 205? Do you like it? Any other advantages for the 305 versus the 205?

Happy Easter Week everyone!

The Wild West Still Lives, Evidently.....

My wife works part time at a children's resale consignment shop. This weekend they had their Christmas party for the staff and their spouses. (yes, I know it is April, but they were very busy around Christmas time)....anyway, we went to a place called the Prairie Rose Chuckwagon Supper.....I had never been before even though it's just about 20 minutes outside of town. I have to say up front that I did not know that there was such a niche as western style or cowboy music or what not, but apparently there is. We were greeted when we drove in by cowboys and indians on horseback who helped us park our car. We took a ride in a wagon pulled by horses, sipped on lemonade and watched Roy Rogers movies while we waited for the dinner bell to ring. We browsed around in the Mercantile and gawked at all the western themed items on the walls. The food was good old fashioned barbecue, all you can eat, served by cowboys, or at least people dressed up like cowboys. They threw the biscuits from across the room if you wanted more and served seconds to you out of buckets. I felt like I had been transported to the old west. Everyone was wearing cowboy hats, chaps, and bandanas. There was the Happy Trails Theater, and the Hoppalong Cassidy Cowboy Museum. There were a lot of mementos of John Wayne and other cowboy heroes. After supper we listened to Western Swing music by a few different acts. By the way, the place was packed, probably 250 people, and we were among the youngest people there. The average age had to be about 65. You could see in the eyes of the older crowd that they were loving this cowboy stuff and western music. Many of them commented that this was the music they grew up with, and the things that brought back fond memories. It was sweet seeing one after another older couple get up and dance to the music, reminiscing about music from their past. (by the way,one song they did was "Ghost Riders in the Sky," and I was totally reminded of the scene in Blues Brothers when Jim Belushi and Dan Ackroyd sang "Rawhide" over and over again behind chicken wire at that country bar)

It was a fun evening out. Here are a few pics....

Here we are at the dinner table...yes, that is a cow hide on the wall behind us...there were probably about 20 saddles on the walls too as decoration.....

This guys name is Johnny Western......

I thought these signs were funny....

Yes, the Duke still reigns apparently......

Running Update....

I ran 5 miles 4 times this week, 20 miles total....it was my "easy" week, with no tempo runs or speedwork...even my long run wasn't very long....I am feeling a twinge of pain in my foot so am going to take tomorrow off, maybe the day after too......also I am very excited that I have the green light from my wife to get a Garmin. Woo-hoo! I am shopping around, so if any of you bloggers has one for sale, let me know. Doubt that I will go for the 405 because of the cost...most likely I'll get a 305.....not in a rush, but it would be cool to have it by the end of April for my OKC Half.....

By the way, it was extreeeemly windy again, like 30-40 mph wind, and snow is in the forecast again for tomorrow....seriously, what is up with this weather?????

Edited to include yet another giveaway --

Happy Runner is having a giveaway, check it out here

Teaching Your Kids to Be a Runner......

I was listening to The Extra Mile podcast this past week and one of the runners mentioned that on his "Bucket List" of runs to do was to run a half-marathon or marathon with each of his kids.

That got me to thinking, "will my kids become runners?" I mean, they are young now, and they like to run. Even through the house. Chasing each other. Knocking over lamps and stuff. And they run outside at play. Through flower gardens even. But running comes so naturally to young kids that they don’t even care that it’s good for them. They just know that they have to move fast to squeeze the most out of every day.

My kids becomming runners is not really the goal. I just want them learn to live healthy lives, including exercise and eating right. Running is, in my opinion, just a great way to become fit and stay fit.

So here are some ideas that I plan to implement over the next 5 to 10 years in hopes that they might catch the running bug:

• While they are still young (6 and 8), play games that have running in them, like freeze tag or duck, duck, goose....


• Continue to encourage them to be involved in sports that have a running component, like soccer, baseball, etc


• Invite them to take a run with me, even if it's just around the block, and even if they are on their bikes at first.


• Take walks with them, which can often include little "race you to the telephone pole" activities.


• Make sure they have good shoes for running...even if they like other types of shoes (skateboarder-type shoes are popular with one of my sons), make sure they have athletic running shoes around and available.


• Take them to a race that I'm running so they can experience the event, and teach them how to cheer for the racers (maybe with a cowbell or noisemaker).


• Get them signed up for a Kids run (1 K or 1 mile to start), maybe even run a race alongside of them if needed.


• Set the example by continuing to run regularly and participating in local races both as a runner and a spectator.


• Take them to a local track meet at a junior high or high school. Help them gain a vision for seeing themselves as a runner someday too.


• Teach them about the benefits of running, and include the benefits of eating right with it.

These were some of my ideas, I'd love to hear any ideas you have on the topic. Maybe you were raised in a running family, or maybe you've raised a runner already. What are your suggestions?

Mid Day Distraction

maybe this is one of aron's dogs dreaming about all those runs she is taking them on.......


your caption?

Does Exercise Reduce Stress?

( I got a lot of this from an article, but I can't remember where......)

We've all heard of "walking off" tension, or "blowing off steam" at the gym. But does working out really relieve stress?  The answer is yes — for reasons both physical and psychological, immediate and long-term. Once you get the scoop on the impact it can have, you might just want to run out and work up a sweat! Here are some of the ways exercise can help your state of mind:
1. It's a Great Release
First of all, physical activity uses up the flood of extra energy that's biologically hard-wired into our stress response — designed to fuel our ancestors through fight-or-flight situations like getting chased by a bear. Today, "we're worrying about more complex survival issues," points out biofeedback expert Dr. Andrew Elmore, "but our bodies react in the same reflexive way by releasing all this energy, which in the modern world we call anxiety. If I worry about paying the rent and my heart starts pounding, it doesn't help me pay the rent. Exercise is a way of using that energy — even if it doesn't solve your problems — to make your body stronger, to burn calories, which is a good thing."
2. It Provides a "High"
But that's just the tip of the chill-out iceberg. Exercise can be a system-wide "quick fix" to help counteract the physical effects of the stress response. "Aerobic exercise increases the body's production of natural, morphine-like painkillers called endorphins," says Dr. Christian VanDenBerg, Director of the Executive Health Program at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida. "And physical activity does a lot of metabolic things that are beneficial. It also improves your brain's oxygen supply."
3. It Reduces Tension
Even less aerobic forms of physical activity, such as simple stretching, can relax the body and release stress. "One way we store tension is by habitually contracting our muscles," explains Cathy Calderon, director of the Shambhala Yoga and Dance Center. "Stretching helps release that tension, and the nervous system starts to send calming messages to the body. If you're sitting at a computer all day, lift up your arms and stretch your shoulders; do a couple of head rolls. You will release so much built-up tension in the neck and shoulders."
4. It Clears Your Mind
Working out also offers psychic benefits. "One of the best reducers of stress is a sense of confidence," points out psychologist Dr. Fred Luskin of the Stanford Forgiveness Project. "And you can get through a stressful situation with a lot more confidence if you know you can go for a run afterward." Exercise provides a "time-out" that can be crucial to getting some perspective on your worries. "A major point of working out is that you get to focus on something outside your normal realm of problems," observes Doug Firestone, director of the Aikido of Westchester dojo in New York. "If someone's trying to throw you down on the aikido mat, it's hard to let your mind wander to anything else."
5. It Gives You Strength
In the long run, regular physical activity is one of your body's best defenses against the wear and tear of chronic stress. From lowering your blood pressure and heart rate to invigorating your immune system, exercise "simply strengthens the resiliency of your body's systems so they can handle stress better," Dr. Luskin says. "It takes more to challenge the equilibrium of a fit person than a couch potato." In other words, the stronger and healthier you are, the better you can deal with whatever life throws your way.

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Win $100!

Chicrunner is hosting a great giveaway--$100 towards some new shoes....check it out!

Win a Goodie Bag!

Run to Finish has another sweet little giveaway--you can win here!