Runners 101

In the most recent Track Shack Events Guide, which features the Track Shack Running Series (I'm a FANATIC because I just signed up for the 7 events from August 2011 to March 2012!), there was a Runners 101 article. I thought it'd be a good review for myself and something fun to share with those who are interested in or just getting into running.

 

Here are some of the points from the article along with my two cents:

• register early - as the race date nears, the registration fee increases
• start training early - too often folks are turned off to running because they raced without the proper preparation; if you allow time to work up your endurance to 4 miles for your first 5K (3.1 miles), then the 3.1 miles will seem like a breeze!
• ask a friend to register with you - there is huge power in the buddy system, plus it's more fun to participate in a running event with friends!
• pick up your packet early - the packet contains various pieces of information (race route map, bib number, etc.); a lot of times - but not always - races allow day-of-race packet pick-up, but I strongly recommend picking up your packet early to review the materials and not be rushed the morning of the race
• set a (realistic) goal - if it's your first race, aim to finish; next time you race that distance, aim to better your race time
• stretch, ibuprofen and ice/heat - anytime after a hard workout or race you need to baby your muscles; stretch them, pop some anti-inflammatories, and ICE! Icing works miracles! On the other hand, my mom swears by heat therapy (read: soaking in the hot tub with her legs on a jet). Other folks swear that alternating heat and ice works best - find what works well for you.
• repeat - registering for another race gives you a goal to work towards. I can testify that spending money on all that registration keeps me motivated to stick to my training, which leads to fun races, which keeps me happy and healthy! 

For more information about running - including information about your first race, vocabulary, etiquette, and nutrition - check out the Track Shack's Runner 101 website!

June & July Races

I'm really excited about my summer 5K races! I am signed up for these two fun races:

The Fighting Hunger 5K on Saturday, 25 June 2011! As the name shows, this race benefits those facing hunger. Funds go to support providing meals!

The Watermelon 5K Let Freedom Run 5K on Monday, 4 July 2011! This race supports Treats for Troops. The idea is all in the name here, too. Unfortunately shipping costs are keeping the treats from being sent ot the troops (watch the ABC Action News video here). To fight this, at the Watermelon 5K runners are asked to bring a 1-gallon zip-lock bag filled with either food or non-perishable items (shampoo, socks, etc.) and a dollar bill; this dollar will allow the 1-pound bag of treats to be shipped. Pretty cool idea.

If you have served and know these needs first hand, please comment on what is most desired! My starter list is chapstick, chocolate, socks, razors and more chocolate.

Let me know if you plan to run either of these races - I would love to meet up with you before/afterwards!

Pay It Forward Day

Today is Pay It Forward Day. If you're unfamiliar with the phrase, you should check out the movie entitled "Pay It Forward." Excellent movie; even better concept.

Today is meant to spark inspiration in people to do something nice for three people. The idea is that they would, in response to your kindness, "pay it forward" to three other people. And so on!

Today I did these three nice things for people:

1. I sent a colleague, Bill McNamee, a thank you note through a system at work that allows me to notify his manager that I sent the note. The thank you note was to thank and recognize Bill for the tremendous help he's provided me in becoming accustomed to a system we use at work called Unity.

2. Bought an ice skating package for a friend (includes entry, skate rental, popcorn and a pop).

3. Chipped a few dollars for the next guy at Jimmy John's.

Lately

Alzheimer's Association Memory Walk at Lake Eola, downtown Orlando, FL
Last week's walk was a blast! I was happy to raise $150 to support the Alzheimer's Association. Heidi and I ended up missing the puppy costume contest due to lack of event organization, but it was still great fun. I really enjoyed letting people say hello to Heidi, who did super well - even with the little ones, and the older ones who likely suffered from some degree of Alzheimer's. Saturday was for you, Grandma.

Halloween at Wall Street, downtown, Orlando, FL
I dressed up as a black cat and went out with Jessica, her friend, Heather and her boyfriend. It was great fun to check out all the costumes. Typical Halloween, minus all the drinking.

Completed October Challenge with a 100% Success Rate
So proud of myself! Thanks to all who supported me!

New Nike+ Challenge
I'm doing a the Walt Disney World Half Marathon on 8 January 2011. I start my training (a Nike+ plan) this week. I'm cross-training with yoga and cycling.

Devoting Time to Etsy Shop: amara | 86
Ramping up for the holiday season. Christmas tree skirts, Christmas stocking sets, and the best-selling 13" MacBook sleeve. Let me know if you have a need; I am accepting custom orders.

Finished The Hunger Games Trilogy
Loved it. The new Harry Potter?

Family News
          Mom - also training for the half marathon in January; we're running it together! Hoping to beat 2 hours!
          Dad -keeping busy; went to do some target practice with Grandpa tonight.
          Chucky - he's never been happier! He's LOVING BUD/S! Pray for him as Hell Week approaches.
          Sam - he's never been happier, either! He LOVES college life and his new wrestling family!
          Heidi - just a few weeks shy of her first birthday. I'm having a party for her at the dog park this Sunday. She's hit that obstinate "teenager" phase with some destruction, but overall she's doing great!
          Ashes - surviving Heidi and being super affectionate when I read in bed at night.

Last Call to Support AAMW

Fund-raising for the Alzheimer's Association's Memory Walk is wrapping up soon, and I wanted to put up another blog asking you to consider donating to the cause. If you'd like to support me in my fund-raising efforts, please visit this website: http://mworlando2010.kintera.org/forimogene. 

For motivation, Kay Redington, CEO of the Alzheimer's Association, shared this video:

http://abcnews.go.com/WN/alzheimers-disease-caregivers-families-struggle-cope/story?id=11920353

Cheers!

PS - I'm making head-way on Heidi's costume! Can't wait to share photos! This walk is going to be a great time!

How You Help the Alz Assoc.

I received the following from the Alzheimer's Association for my participation in the Memory Walk fundraising. (So far I've raised $150! Thank you for your support!) I wanted to share with you the note because it outlines how your support helps those affected by Alzheimer's.

You’ve heard it before, and it’s true: The funds raised through Memory Walk^® benefit the care, support and research efforts of the Alzheimer’s Association. But what does that mean?

The Alzheimer’s Association is the leading voluntary health organization in Alzheimer care and support, with more then 70 chapters nationwide for care consultation, information and referral; education and support programs. The organization has been part of every major advance in Alzheimer research and public policy.

Here are some specific ways your dollars may go to work:

$50 – 24/7 Helpline 

Provides reliable information and support during three crisis calls.

$100 – Safety programs 

Supports two people in MedicAlert® + Alzheimer's Association Safe Return®, a 24-hour response service for wandering 

and medical emergencies.

$300 – Help from a care consultant 

Provides availability of an Alzheimer care consultant who can aid a caregiver in distress during the middle of the night.

Your financial support helps us to provide these services, and allows us to continue research efforts that may lead to a cure.

For more information about the work of the Alzheimer’s Association, visit http://www.alz.org/.

Sincerely,

Alzheimer’s Association

Alz Assoc. Memory Walk

I got an email from work, Lockheed Martin, inviting me to participate in the Alzheimer Association's Memory Walk on Saturday, 30 October 2010. My grandmother, Imogene Baugher, suffers from advanced Alzheimer's, so immediately this was something I wanted to support. My fundraising goal is $100. An added bonus: the walk not only allows dogs but has a Halloween Costume for them! I'm going to take a shot at sewing my first puppy costume for Heidi.

If you would like to support me in my fundraising, please make donations at this website:http://mworlando2010.kintera.org/forimogene

Here is the website for more information about the cause: http://mworlando2010.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=347884&lis=1&kntae347884=9807FEB4FC534D3E9ECD0EF002B0A9FD

Thank you,

Amanda

http://mworlando2010.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=347884&supid=304448552

I Hope I Survive August

I hope I survive August. Many of you who know me know that I keep busy, but that is normal for this girl. No big deal. To give you a feel of how busy August will be: August is so busy it seems overwhelming even to me!

As of today, here is what I have going on this month:

• Reading:
• Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (11 August 2010)
• The Hunger Games (July 2010)
• Harry Potter and the Sorceror's Stone (dropped)
• Knitting Night with girl-friends (tonight!)
• Turkish Dinner at Bosphorus Lounge with book club friends (this Friday!) (moved to September)
• Sand Volleyball and Cookout at Matt's (this Saturday!)
• 5th Annual Moss Park 5K (this Saturday, but I'm thinking of skipping this since I've not been training... kind of forgot about this race...) (skipped)
• Eat Pray Love movie night with girl-friends (13 August 2010)
• Heather's Birthday Party (21 August 2010)
• Homeless Children's Birthday Party with Jessica and her volunteer group (have to work instead)
• Lockheed Martin ISLDP Leadership Development Conference I (I will be in Lansdowne, VA from 16-20 August)
• The August Book Club (for The Hunger Games)
• Kristin visits for a long weekend! (we're super excited to experience The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, a girls' night in and a night downtown!)
• Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring movie night (10 August 2010)
• My class(es) for Penn State begin (23 August 2010)
• Church with Kayelee & Chelsea on Sundays (22 August 2010)
• Brunch with Kayelee & Chelsea to discuss our upcoming Bible study group! (22 August 2010)

Shew! It was tiring just blogging all of that!

Can you believe that in addition to all of that I am working on putting together a karaoke night with the book club and also a Euchre/Spaghetti Pitch-in night! Those things may have to wait until September rolls around. Oh! And I want to get over to Melbourne. I am itching to visit friends, Aunt Joan and the beach!

Anyway, I hope your August is off to a great start!

Weekend News

This weekend was fun with the 80s pub crawl and book club (for "Eat Pray Love," review coming soon) today. I got the apartment mostly cleaned and got to catch up with Kristin after a month of chaotic phone dates due to travel and vacations between our schedules. Also, I did some volunteering Saturday morning at the National Down Syndrome Congress conference that took place over at Disney this weekend. I think it is fantastic how much support and networking the NDSC provides to those raising children with DS!

This week should be a good one. I am in training at work from 1 PM to 5 PM Monday through Thursday. Friday I'm celebrating the course's completion by going to lunch with some colleagues. I'm also going to lunch Wednesday with my mentor.

Outside of work I'm running with Heidi this week on the mornings of Monday, Wednesday and Friday. We've been running 5K three times a week these last few weeks. I am trying to get to the gym at least twice; three times if I'm lucky. I like to keep up with the cross-training (cycling, elliptical and ramp) as it keeps my body constantly challenged.

Through the week I'll be working on scrap-booking more of Heidi's baby photos and having fun with her at the dog parks.

The highlight of the week will be Wednesday evening when I have some girlfriends over to spend the evening knitting! I'll be teaching the newbs, and I think I might bake a pie. I think someone will be bringing some vino, too! Should be a lovely time.

Have a great week!

Heidi lounging around while I cleaned the apartment

10 Healthy Activities for You & Pooch

I received the following in an email from HomeAgain (the company that tracks Ashes' microchipping). Thought I'd share for all of you who have a canine buddy. Enjoy!

Want to try some fun new dog activities that will help keep you both healthy and strengthen your dog/owner relationship? Here is our top ten list of fun dog activities to try the next time you have a chance to schedule a dog fun day.

1. Work on your training. It may not seem like it to you, but learning new tricks is actually fun for dogs. It gives them something interesting to pay attention to, they get to spend quality time with you, and it usually involves quite a few treats.
2. Hit the dog park. If your dog enjoys play time with other pooches, then the dog park is one of the fun, free dog activities that you can indulge in together. Take a nice walk first, so that your pooch isn’t too hyper, and then go to the park to play.
3. Herd some sheep. Does your dog come from a herding breed? Does he try to push you around? You should see if any local farms teach herding lessons to dogs. Not only is herding fun for dogs, and good exercise for both their minds and bodies, it’s a sport they can compete in!
4. Go to the beach. If your dog likes the water, and you have a dog friendly beach around, then nothing says “dog fun day” like a day splashing in the waves. Just remember to consider a puppy life vest if you’re going boating or swimming anywhere deeper than your dog can stand.
5. Try some agility training. Agility training can be done as a competitive sport, but it’s also a fun way to exercise your dog’s body and mind. Look online to see if you can find an agility course near you, or consider building some obstacles in your backyard.
6. Consider community service. Training your dog to be a service dog will not only improve your dog/owner relationship, it will improve the world. Once your dog is certified as a service dog, you can visit nursing homes, hospitals, and similar organizations to improve the lives of others who don’t get to spend their time with such a wonderful pooch.
7. Take a walk. A good walk, or several, should be part of every dog’s day. It helps keep both you and your dog in good health and is a great way for the two of you to bond.
8. Play a game. Frisbee anyone? Fetch? Playing a game with your dog is a great way to give both of you a workout. Particularly if your dog is as bad as mine is about actually returning the stick…
9. Give your dog the brush off. Grooming is an important part of pet health, and it’s also a great way to strengthen your dog/owner relationship. Brushing time can be quality time, just take it slow and stop before your pet gets too tired.
10. Just chill. When push comes to shove, some of the best time you’ll spend with your dog is the time you spend just hanging out together. Snuggle on the floor or the couch, and feel your blood pressure drop with every belly rub.

The Last Lecture

My favorite class in college was Change Management. It's a pretty unappealing class title given that most everyone fears change and management sounds mundane. The professor made all the difference. Why? He cared. I think he realized that people needed to be taught how to cope with change, and so teaching this class was his way of making a difference in the world, one Purdue student at a time. He certainly made a difference in my life. (By the way, his name is Al Crispo. Here is his Purdue faculty biography.)

Another professor who has changed the lives of many on a much larger scale was Randy Pausch. I first hear of Randy in my Change Management class. My professor gave us a "movie day," and we were drawn in to Randy's story. Basically Randy lived a pretty great life even through finding out he had terminal cancer. He found a way to tell his story, his life lessons, his wisdom in the face of death to colleagues, students current and past, and even his three young children through his Last Lecture at Carnegie Mellon. I'm not going to try to cover all that he does in the video, but I urge you to take the time to watch it sometime. It will inspire you to shoot for the moon; even if you miss you will land among the stars.

Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams by Randy Pausch

A while after seeing Randy's video I learned that he had made the lecture into book format. I am reading the book now, and it is excellent. It is a handbook for success and happiness, really, two things which make for a pretty nice life.

I am not going to do a book review past this entry as I've already covered what I would like to cover on this lecture and book. Except that I have great admiration for Randy: he was able to take the worst possible news (you're going to die soon) and better the world with that news; that is remarkable grace. Anyway, this book is one of those books I feel every person ought to read.

-Amanda

February 2010

I always say, "wow, that was a busy month," but when I say "wow, February was a busy month," I mean it in a way that surpasses any way I've ever said it before. Note: life + owning puppy = life on fast-forward! Here's the run-down for what I trouble I was getting into back in February:

Heidi 72-hour vet check - healthy pup minus the minor ear infection that cleared up in a week's time

Volunteer with BC - first time to volunteer as an adult; it was good.

Euchre Night with BC - first time to host a card night; much fun and more Euchre Nights to come!

Phone Dates with Kristin - started having a weekly phone date with Kristin to work through our devotionals

Bonfire at Joel's - even with the Florida Hospital Lady Track Shack 5K the next morning I still went to Joel's, hung out, met some folks and enjoyed the perfect s'more!

BC Movie Night (I Am Legend) - a favorite movie of mine (also partial inspiration for getting a German Shepherd Dog), and lovely company

Super Bowl Party with Matt - my plans fell through but Matt and company provided for a great group of people with whom to celebrate the event. Sad that the Colts lost but at least a Boilermaker took the championship!

Avatar + Pizza with Matt - loved the movie, discovered a cool pizza joint, great friend with whom to enjoy both

Paws in the Park Walk with Matt - Heidi's first socialization opportunity; Matt joined us for the fun (despite the cold weather!)

The Bling Thing with BC - downtown night! First time to the underground bar (can't think of the name of the place). Loved hanging out in the red, Clue room!

Puppy Valentine's Day Party at Joel's - adorable! Cooked out and made several new puppy friends!

2-week vet check - all healthy!!!

Sunshine movie with Matt - I was right on in knowing that Matt would love that movie! Nice evening and discovered my new favorite white wine!

Sam's Senior State Wrestling Tournament - amazing weekend with family and friends to celebrate Sam's big victory!

Chucky's 21st birthday celebration - belated but brilliant! Can't wait to go out with him again!

Puppy Class 1/8 - so much fun! Heidi loves playing with the other pups, and we both love learning!

Waffles with Matt - we decided my Belgian waffle maker needed to be put to good use. Matt brought fresh strawberries! Yum!

Dinner with Darin - Darin was in town! He got to meet Heidi, see my place, and then he treated me to dinner at Amigo's! I love hanging out with Darin; we always have nice conversation!

Pie & Away We Go movie with Matt - another nice evening in with Matt; we both loved the movie, and I made him a pumpkin pie for helping me get to and from the airport the previous weekend.

BC Movie Night (I Am Legend) - even though I watched the movie recently, it was lovely to host another book club movie night!

Church - finally settled into a schedule with Heidi and figured out how to escape the house for a couple hours to get my spiritual fill

Bonfire at Matt's - wrapped up the month with a great evening at Matt's bonfire! I brought Heidi! Everyone loved her and the cucumber salad I brought. S'mores were amazing!

This Week

Well, I don't know about you, but this week has absolutely FLOWN by me! Having a puppy to care for is like hitting a fast-forward button on life, except you can still enjoy the moments.

I wanted to recap the last week. I've had a lot going on and want to share it with my little army of readers.

Sunday I brought Heidi home, introduced her and Ashes, and tried to catch up on sleep wherever I could. (See post on Heidi.)

Monday I kept busy at work, coming back home for the lunch hour to tend to Heidi, and taking advantage of my flex-time so as to not leave Heidi alone for more than a few hours at a time. That evening I met up with Jessica and Lindsey at Lake Eola to serve food to 100 homeless people; we teamed up with Rock for Hunger. It was a lot of fun, and I'll be helping Jessica's volunteer group more in the future.

Tuesday work and lunch were the same as Monday. After work I was able to squeeze a run into the busyness of caring for Heidi. I ran for 30 minutes, and hoped and prayed I could run at least twice more between Wednesday and Friday for my race over the weekend. Later I had Joel, Heather & Matt over for an evening of Euchre! Joel and I were a bit rusty after not having played the beloved Midwestern card game for so long, Matt had played once or twice before, and Heather was new tot he game. We had a great time playing over Chex Mix, pizza and strawberry milk! Heather & I won, so I guess it's true what they say: girls rule and boys drool. = P After a while Heather had to go in for some work (she was on call), so Joel, Matt & I played some three-person Euchre. We also played with Heidi! It was good for her to romp around and socialize with other people. Groundhog Day marks my anniversary with Lockheed Martin as a full-time employee. I received necessary permission to begin part-time telecommuting, and am so happy with my first year with Lockheed! Also, I learned that I may be able to participate in Lockheed Martin's Information Systems Leadership Development Program (ISLDP), pending space available. It's a very challenging and prestigious program, and I'm thrilled to have the potential opportunity to take part!

Wednesday was my first laid back evening of the week. I had a lovely chat/Skype session with Miss Kristin. She adored seeing Heidi, even though Heidi wouldn't look at the computer screen/camera head on, haha. By Wednesday I was starting to get a good feel for her tiny body's "schedule" and learning her needs, etc, and was able to sneak in another trip to the gym. For an unknown reason I had a very sharp pain in my right knee a few minutes into my run, so I quit, not wanting to worsen the problem. I switched to the elliptical machine and called it a night.

Thursday was a lot like Wednesday minus the phone date but plus a run. I took it easy and my knee was fine. I did some blogging and hit they hay early. Thursday marks the day when Ashes started to play back - or even initiate the playing - with Heidi! He jumped and hopped and ran all around the living room! They're going to be great friends!

Friday I worked from home; it was nice, but a little chaotic given that I had a lunch outing at noon and a meeting at 1 PM. I had several meetings through the morning and into the afternoon, too. Work has definitely been keeping me on my toes, and on one of the calls I learned about several new efforts I'd be jumping in on for my communications role. It's really exciting, and I love the people with whom I work! For lunch I took Matt to Good Fellas' Pizza; we had pasta, and it was delicious - plus it helped me load up on carbs for my race the next morning. After a long week I was able to find time for a nap. Later Matt picked me up and we went to Oviedo for Joel's bonfire party. We met up with some familiar faces from the book club, and met some new ones. The highlight of the evening was roasting s'mores! Mine were cooked to golden perfection! It was a fun party, but at midnight it was time to head home. Matt helped me walk Heidi when we got back to my place, and then we said goodnight as I had an early morning.

Today I got up dark and early at 6:30 AM and went to Winter Park to run in the Florida Hospital Lady Track Shack 5K. The race is all women; estrogen overload! Last year I ran the same race, which was my first in Florida, so it's become a sentimental, traditional race for me. It's a fast course, and I really enjoy it. With Tuesday's knee pain I figured I'd just be running this 5K for fun, but overall I felt great, no knee pain, so I pushed a little. I ended up only half a minute from my PR time of 25'52"! Here are my race stats:

Division: women ages 19-24
Division Place: 12/144
Name: Amanda Bennett
Bib Number: 1306
Age: 23
Place: 146/2077
Gender Place: 146/2077 (top 7%)
Clock Time: 27'46"
Chip Time: 26'33"
Pace: 8'32.6"/mile
Hometown: Orlando, Florida

I'm quite happy with my running performance. A good race to kick off the year! I also bumped into Marissa post-race. It was nice to chit chat with her on the way to our cars. And we got little plants from a local nursery. When I got home I napped, but Heidi was wide awake so I didn't sleep too well. Grudgingly I got up and lounged around for a bit. In the afternoon I took Heidi to PetSmart to engrave her dog tag. Here are a few photos that mark the occasion:







Which brings me to the present. I'm painting my nails a lovely lavender using my new "Done Out in Deco" OPI polish, then I'm going to see if I can't catch a few Zs. Tonight I'm having company over to watch "I Am Legend!" Tomorrow is church and lunch with Aunt Joan over a Melbourne visit. For the Super Bowl it's looking like I'll join Matt at his friend's party.

Have a great weekend!

Amanda