This post is purely to show off my dedication to running. I need someone to brag to other than my family who's tired of that, so this will work.
I live towards the top of a hill that is 418m long according to mapmyrun.com and some conversions. It's pretty steep, in the winter time if it's icy or really snowy, everybody has to park their cars at the bottom of the hill and walk up. Whenever somebody drives up it for the first time, they always make a comment about how steep it is.
Since I am already bored with running around my neighborhood, I decided to do hill sprints....up my hill. I've wanted to do this before, mainly during the summer when training for xc but somehow doing hill sprints up my hill in 90 degree weather didn't sound fun. Mainly I've wanted to do it just to see how many I could do. Since it was a wonderful bright and sunny 47 degrees outside (perfect running weather) I decided today would be a good day to try out the hill. Although the most I've done was two hills but there's always a first. My younger sister only thought I could do two while my mom didn't give me an exact answer but she said I would do what I was determined to do.
First hill: 2:22. Over 418m that are flat that would be terrible, but this is a hill with over a 30% grade at some parts. The first one was okay, but it was only the first one.
Second hill: 2:35. This hill was hard mentally. They all were really but this one was one of the hardest. I was repeating to myself things like "dedication. commitment. hard work". I kept thinking that if people saw me they would think "oh wow, she's so dedicated. Only someone really committed would do something weird and hard like that". That kept me going not only through this hill but also the others.
Third hill: 2:43. For some reason, this hill seemed to be the hardest physically. I don't know why but it seemed really hard to make it up the hill.
Fourth hill: 2:40. Climbing hills got easier. I sprinted the last part of the flat part of the hill just to get a better time but this hill just seemed easier.
Fifth hill: 2:30. I decided this would be the last one so I sprinted the first part, which wasn't really the smartest but I wanted it to be good. It turned out to be the second fastest, partly because I sprinted the end. The steep part of the hill was really hard because I was going faster but it was still a good hill.
The run report was mainly for me to look back on once I do the hills again, because I will do them again. This run was less about the physical aspects, although I got a wonderful anaerobic workout in. Instead it was about motivating myself and making myself run my hill. To look at it and say I can do that again instead of resting and stopping my workout short. My hill is all about motivation and the mental part of running although there is a physical gain. Just because it made me feel so good, I think I might add it in my weekly workout. This way I will be able to feel better about running and motivate myself.
Monday, November 24, 2008
BELL RINGING
On Saturday my mom and I volunteered to ring bells for the Salvation Army outside Walmart. I've done this before a couple of years ago but this time it wasn't snowing or windy and definately not as cold.
Volunteering is great but what really stuck out during this experience was who put money into the bucket. Moms with children, especially if they were young were the most likely to give money. Usually they'd give it to their kids who would run up to the bucket but were not tall enough to put the money into the bucket. We got to see a lot of adorable kids this way though. Dads were less likely to give money but there was a significant amount who let their children give.
The moms weren't really a surprise, but I was thinking that women would be more likely to give then men. The opposite was true however. Young single women would just walk on by, usually on their cell phones, without even looking while other women with their husbands would glance....and then walk on by. Older women were more likely to put money in, and start up a conversation, but I expected that.
What really surprised me was how many young single men gave money. Most of them just gave the change from their purchase on the way out and then seemed embarrassed to acknowledge our thanks. They'd glance back and maybe nod, and then walk away fast like they didn't want anybody to see them. I have no idea why, because they should be proud of giving money.
There were a lot of random groups of people or a specific person that stood out for me. One such group was the Viking wearers. Every single person wearing some sort of Viking appearal gave money. One guy wearing a Vikings jacket gave money when he came in and came out. True, there were only four people in this group but none of the Packer wearing people gave. None. I really only paid attention to this because my dad has instilled in me the idea of Viking greatness, but it still stuck out.
The strangest person that gave money was a young guy wearing an maroon Iowa State marching band jacket. Over his long dark hair he was wearing a green plaid fedora. I don;'t remember how much he gave us, I was just surprised that someone looking like that would give money.
A guy in his late thirties gave money on the way in and on the way out. Then he bought a pop and gave us the change. He didn't look like the type of guy to give money yet he gave more times than anyone else did.
I'm not trying to tell a story with a moral or anything but I really learned a lot while ringing bells. The people I expected to give usually just walked on by, while people, such as the man wearing wearing coverall bibs whose hands who looked like he had been fixing something dirty, gave money. It really showed how you can't tell what a person is really like based on appearance.
Volunteering is great but what really stuck out during this experience was who put money into the bucket. Moms with children, especially if they were young were the most likely to give money. Usually they'd give it to their kids who would run up to the bucket but were not tall enough to put the money into the bucket. We got to see a lot of adorable kids this way though. Dads were less likely to give money but there was a significant amount who let their children give.
The moms weren't really a surprise, but I was thinking that women would be more likely to give then men. The opposite was true however. Young single women would just walk on by, usually on their cell phones, without even looking while other women with their husbands would glance....and then walk on by. Older women were more likely to put money in, and start up a conversation, but I expected that.
What really surprised me was how many young single men gave money. Most of them just gave the change from their purchase on the way out and then seemed embarrassed to acknowledge our thanks. They'd glance back and maybe nod, and then walk away fast like they didn't want anybody to see them. I have no idea why, because they should be proud of giving money.
There were a lot of random groups of people or a specific person that stood out for me. One such group was the Viking wearers. Every single person wearing some sort of Viking appearal gave money. One guy wearing a Vikings jacket gave money when he came in and came out. True, there were only four people in this group but none of the Packer wearing people gave. None. I really only paid attention to this because my dad has instilled in me the idea of Viking greatness, but it still stuck out.
The strangest person that gave money was a young guy wearing an maroon Iowa State marching band jacket. Over his long dark hair he was wearing a green plaid fedora. I don;'t remember how much he gave us, I was just surprised that someone looking like that would give money.
A guy in his late thirties gave money on the way in and on the way out. Then he bought a pop and gave us the change. He didn't look like the type of guy to give money yet he gave more times than anyone else did.
I'm not trying to tell a story with a moral or anything but I really learned a lot while ringing bells. The people I expected to give usually just walked on by, while people, such as the man wearing wearing coverall bibs whose hands who looked like he had been fixing something dirty, gave money. It really showed how you can't tell what a person is really like based on appearance.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
NICKELBACK HATERS
So as I'm (sort of) studying for my finals, I happen to make my way onto youtube and iTunes and begin to read the comments about the new Nickelback CD. I try to avoid doing this because there are usually only 2 kinds of reviews- the people who hate Nickelback for all the same reasons or the people that love them but nothing in between. I respect some of the reviews that don't like it, I don't like some bands although I usually don't write hateful reviews. The ones that really bother me though, are the ones that don't give any reasons or just use the same reasons that've been used over and over. Usually when I wear my Nickelback shirt from the fabulous concert I went to, people feel the need to come up to me and lecture me on why Nickelback is a terrible band and they are ruining music. I don't know why people do this, obviously the only people who can make me believe that are the band itself, plus it's incredibly rude. So I'm going to try and disprove the repetivitive reasons that people use to justify their hating of my band. It's not going to make anyone change their minds probably, but it will make me feel better.
1. The number one reason everyone uses is..........all their songs sound the same. I have no idea how many times I've heard or seen this but it's used a lot. First off, it's not a good reason. If Nickelback suddenly changed their sound and sounded different, I probably wouldn't like them. It's true with all bands, you like them because of the particular way they sound and you don't want them to change. If you listen to almost any band out there, there songs will probably sound similar, although not the same. But that's why people listen to them.
The people who say this have also obviously not listened to all their songs, or even one of their albums. There are 3 distinct categories that their songs fall into, which is more than most bands have. The rock songs are usually not played on the radio which is why people dismiss Nickelback as sounding all the same, because they don't bother doing a little research before insulting. About half their album is always rock songs though while the other half is either upbeat but not hard rock songs or the ballads. These are played more on the radio although I can't figure out why people think they sound the same. Especially on this new CD, there is a distinct difference in the types of music they play.
2. Another reason that is frequently used is actually by previous Nickelback fans that "were there from the beginning" but now can't stand the band because all their songs have become "radio friendly". True, Chad's voice isn't as rough as it was in the beginning but since I'm not a huge rock fan, I like them better now. There are lots of people complaining that "they need to restore the balance from hard rock and the ballads". If I look at the list of songs correctly, there are 6 rock songs out of the 11. That seems like balance to me, although maybe I can't do hard math like that since learning trig. But I really don't like when people insult my band with something that isn't true.
And the "radio friendliness"? Because getting your songs played on the radio is terrible. Everyone would rather be in an obsure band with a weird name that is only played on select random websites. No one wants to be a multi platinum award winning band that has millions of fans and currently has the number one album on iTunes beating out Beyonce's. But seriously, a lot of their songs are not exactly something you would hear on the radio. Sure the songs on the radio become big hits but that is because people actually like them. A lot of people say nobody likes Nickelback, "you can't call that crap, music or art". There must be people who like them though because there songs and CDs become popular. But wait, nobody likes bands that everybody likes.
1. The number one reason everyone uses is..........all their songs sound the same. I have no idea how many times I've heard or seen this but it's used a lot. First off, it's not a good reason. If Nickelback suddenly changed their sound and sounded different, I probably wouldn't like them. It's true with all bands, you like them because of the particular way they sound and you don't want them to change. If you listen to almost any band out there, there songs will probably sound similar, although not the same. But that's why people listen to them.
The people who say this have also obviously not listened to all their songs, or even one of their albums. There are 3 distinct categories that their songs fall into, which is more than most bands have. The rock songs are usually not played on the radio which is why people dismiss Nickelback as sounding all the same, because they don't bother doing a little research before insulting. About half their album is always rock songs though while the other half is either upbeat but not hard rock songs or the ballads. These are played more on the radio although I can't figure out why people think they sound the same. Especially on this new CD, there is a distinct difference in the types of music they play.
2. Another reason that is frequently used is actually by previous Nickelback fans that "were there from the beginning" but now can't stand the band because all their songs have become "radio friendly". True, Chad's voice isn't as rough as it was in the beginning but since I'm not a huge rock fan, I like them better now. There are lots of people complaining that "they need to restore the balance from hard rock and the ballads". If I look at the list of songs correctly, there are 6 rock songs out of the 11. That seems like balance to me, although maybe I can't do hard math like that since learning trig. But I really don't like when people insult my band with something that isn't true.
And the "radio friendliness"? Because getting your songs played on the radio is terrible. Everyone would rather be in an obsure band with a weird name that is only played on select random websites. No one wants to be a multi platinum award winning band that has millions of fans and currently has the number one album on iTunes beating out Beyonce's. But seriously, a lot of their songs are not exactly something you would hear on the radio. Sure the songs on the radio become big hits but that is because people actually like them. A lot of people say nobody likes Nickelback, "you can't call that crap, music or art". There must be people who like them though because there songs and CDs become popular. But wait, nobody likes bands that everybody likes.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
DARK HORSE
To be a true fan of a certain band or singer, I think that you have to like two consecutive albums. The true test of my Nickelback fanness happened on November 18. Because it's finally here. After the two long years since I became a fan when the single "Far Away" came out, the new Nickelback CD I've been waiting for is finally out. I haven't bought it yet, although it's been a day since November 18. I'm planning on giving it to myself this weekend as an early Thanksgiving gift. I can't wait until Christmas to get it. So even though I haven't bought it, I'm going to go ahead and review it based on iTunes samples and Youtube.
1. Something In Your Mouth: This song is disgusting. But it's okay if you don't listen to the words and ignore the chorus. The rest of the song is actually okay as long as you kind of tune the words out. Other than that it's incredibly gross but not terrible.
2. Burn it to the Ground: This is my favorite rock song on the album. It's awesome. I really like the guitar beat in the background and the chorus is contagious.
3. Gotta Be Somebody: Love this song, it definately makes the top 3. It is a great first single and from the beginning to the end it's great. The lyrics are awesome, they will appeal to a lot of people, and I think it is going to be a hit. Even the haters sometimes admit this song is okay. It will also make a good running song.
4. I'd Come for You: This is a great song. Second best on this album in my opinion. Good lyrics, good music, it has everything. It starts off great without the drums in a more acoustic feel. It's another one of those power ballads that Nickelback rocks at so I think this will also be a hit.
5. Next Go Round: So basically the entire song is terrible except the chorus which is still not the best. It gets slightly better towards the end, but this song is really bad. I expected better.
6. Just to Get High: I like most of this song especially the guitar solo except for when Chad does this weird voice thing. It's just too weird and doesn't sound good. The rest of the song is pretty good.
7. Never Gonna Be Alone: I absolutely love this song. It's one of the greatest songs ever. I loved it in the first two seconds, the beginning is perfect. I have listened to this song over and over and I still love every part, even though it's stuck in my head. It's so fitting that the greatest song of this album is number seven. It's like the "Far Away" (my favorite song ever) of this album. If this is not a huge hit, than I don't know what will be. Somebody mentioned this would be a good song for weddings and I've decided that at my wedding this song will play because it's beautiful. This song is Nickelback.
8. Shakin' Hands: This song is terrible. There's no good part of this song. The lyrics are immature and gross, the music isn't that great, they are bringing up Disney princesses in this terrible song, it's not good. This might be the first and last time I listen to this song.
9. S.E.X.: It's not as bad as the one before it, but it's not good. Once again with the lyrics, they are a little bit graphic but beyond that, it's not a bad song. It has a nice beat but the lyrics have that shallow teenage boy thing going on again. I think Nickelback is having trouble growing up.
10. If Today Was Your Last Day: I like this song, it's pretty good. I like the lyrics, they're inspirational, and it sounds cool. It's one of their power ballads, which I love so this is one of my favorites.
11. This Afternoon: It's a little too country but it's not bad. The chorus is my favorite part but I don't particulary like the beginning. I like more of a rock sound, but I think it's okay as an ending to the album. The people talking in the background gets annoying too.
Overall, I think this CD was better than "All the Right Reasons". Although Dark Horse has more bad songs than the last one, it also has more fantastic songs. People who were fans of beginning Nickelback may be a little disappointed, because there are more ballads on this CD and the Nickelback haters will still not be happy. I am happy with this album though and I think most people will be.
1. Something In Your Mouth: This song is disgusting. But it's okay if you don't listen to the words and ignore the chorus. The rest of the song is actually okay as long as you kind of tune the words out. Other than that it's incredibly gross but not terrible.
2. Burn it to the Ground: This is my favorite rock song on the album. It's awesome. I really like the guitar beat in the background and the chorus is contagious.
3. Gotta Be Somebody: Love this song, it definately makes the top 3. It is a great first single and from the beginning to the end it's great. The lyrics are awesome, they will appeal to a lot of people, and I think it is going to be a hit. Even the haters sometimes admit this song is okay. It will also make a good running song.
4. I'd Come for You: This is a great song. Second best on this album in my opinion. Good lyrics, good music, it has everything. It starts off great without the drums in a more acoustic feel. It's another one of those power ballads that Nickelback rocks at so I think this will also be a hit.
5. Next Go Round: So basically the entire song is terrible except the chorus which is still not the best. It gets slightly better towards the end, but this song is really bad. I expected better.
6. Just to Get High: I like most of this song especially the guitar solo except for when Chad does this weird voice thing. It's just too weird and doesn't sound good. The rest of the song is pretty good.
7. Never Gonna Be Alone: I absolutely love this song. It's one of the greatest songs ever. I loved it in the first two seconds, the beginning is perfect. I have listened to this song over and over and I still love every part, even though it's stuck in my head. It's so fitting that the greatest song of this album is number seven. It's like the "Far Away" (my favorite song ever) of this album. If this is not a huge hit, than I don't know what will be. Somebody mentioned this would be a good song for weddings and I've decided that at my wedding this song will play because it's beautiful. This song is Nickelback.
8. Shakin' Hands: This song is terrible. There's no good part of this song. The lyrics are immature and gross, the music isn't that great, they are bringing up Disney princesses in this terrible song, it's not good. This might be the first and last time I listen to this song.
9. S.E.X.: It's not as bad as the one before it, but it's not good. Once again with the lyrics, they are a little bit graphic but beyond that, it's not a bad song. It has a nice beat but the lyrics have that shallow teenage boy thing going on again. I think Nickelback is having trouble growing up.
10. If Today Was Your Last Day: I like this song, it's pretty good. I like the lyrics, they're inspirational, and it sounds cool. It's one of their power ballads, which I love so this is one of my favorites.
11. This Afternoon: It's a little too country but it's not bad. The chorus is my favorite part but I don't particulary like the beginning. I like more of a rock sound, but I think it's okay as an ending to the album. The people talking in the background gets annoying too.
Overall, I think this CD was better than "All the Right Reasons". Although Dark Horse has more bad songs than the last one, it also has more fantastic songs. People who were fans of beginning Nickelback may be a little disappointed, because there are more ballads on this CD and the Nickelback haters will still not be happy. I am happy with this album though and I think most people will be.
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
THANK YOU
Thank you veterans for protecting our country and our freedoms and allowing us to live in this great place. To all the troops overseas right now, thank you and come home safely. To the National Guard members, thank you for being ready. Thank you, members of the military, for being willing to risk your life for us. We appreciate it. For the people who have served in the military in the past, thank you. Without you, we wouldn't have the great country we have today, and many others not in this country would not have their freedom.
A special thanks to my dad who served in the air force before I was born. I'm not quite sure what exactly you did, but you went to Guam and got those cool boots and matching bag. It makes me proud to say my father served our country. Without you being in the air force for those 4 years, I wouldn't be here. Thank you for serving our country after those years, as a member of the National Guard. I hope you had a great Veteran's Day and many people thanked you.
Another special thanks to my grandfathers, who both served in Korea. You were willing to risk your lives and protect not only ours, but other country's rights and freedoms. I may not know a lot of what happened to you there, but I know it was dangerous and that it was brave. Thank you for serving our country because without you, and people like you, we would not be able to live here. I'm proud that both my grampa's served in the military. Thank you for all you have done.
I know I've said it many times, but thank you veterans. A lot of people don't realize what you men and women have done for us, but I hope that today many thanked you and shook your hand. You make me proud to live in this country and you have my greatest thanks.
A special thanks to my dad who served in the air force before I was born. I'm not quite sure what exactly you did, but you went to Guam and got those cool boots and matching bag. It makes me proud to say my father served our country. Without you being in the air force for those 4 years, I wouldn't be here. Thank you for serving our country after those years, as a member of the National Guard. I hope you had a great Veteran's Day and many people thanked you.
Another special thanks to my grandfathers, who both served in Korea. You were willing to risk your lives and protect not only ours, but other country's rights and freedoms. I may not know a lot of what happened to you there, but I know it was dangerous and that it was brave. Thank you for serving our country because without you, and people like you, we would not be able to live here. I'm proud that both my grampa's served in the military. Thank you for all you have done.
I know I've said it many times, but thank you veterans. A lot of people don't realize what you men and women have done for us, but I hope that today many thanked you and shook your hand. You make me proud to live in this country and you have my greatest thanks.
Monday, November 10, 2008
REMEMBER WHEN
Instead of running the usual short route around my neighborhood today, I ran to my old elementary school and ran around the trail there. I've run there since graduating obviously but not extensively. It's only around .3 miles a lap so it can get boring doing the same thing over and over. Whenever I've done more than two laps there, there has always been someone with me. Today I was alone as I ran around in the 40 degree weather. I didn't wear my headband so my ears are still recovering.
I was surprised about how focused I was during my run. It all seemed to click as I ran around the trail. I had finally found my rhythm for at least part of my run today. What really got me though, was how emotional it was. I mean, I wasn't bursting into tears or anything but at different points along the trail, I remembered all that I had done there.
The trail was basically the start of my running career. Without it, I might not be running now. That was where I learned how much I love running. Sure, we didn't do much running but it was so much fun. Once I got older, I used to run the trail during recess just because I wanted to. We had to run/walk a lap everyday before recess and I always ran it. Sometimes I'd run two or three laps. One day, I decided I would run the trail for the entire recess, around 30 minutes long. I made it 9.5 laps, beating the boy who thought he could beat me by .25 a lap. I had only told one friend about this but it had spread during recess and the guys were always cheering my oppenent on. I was congratulated after I accomplished this though, by both girls and boys.
My running career didn't start out in recess though. It started out in gym. And this is where it gets embarrassing. Our gym teacher brought our class of kindergarteners to the trail for the first time. She made us all sit in the grass off to the side while she explained how we'd run a lap around this trail for almost every warm school day the rest of elementary school, or something like that. Everyone was really excited, so we all jumped up when she said we could finally run our lap. And me, being the talented runner I am, took about two steps, tripped and fell on the trail. My hands were all scraped up but my knees took the worst of it. Both of my knees were incredibly scraped up and started bleeding heavily. I still have scars where this happened but I still can't figure out how I scraped myself up this badly. It was only a gravel trail and I had only taken like two steps. I think I started crying when this happened, it must have hurt a lot. My gym teacher told this boy in my class who had just started running to take me down to the nurse's office. So this boy, who still goes to my school although I don't talk to him, walked with me down the hallway while I had blood running down both of my legs. I don't remember much about that, except for the fact that I got these huge bandaids for each of my knees, they covered basically the whole knee. I thought they were pretty cool. The nurse called my mom and said she could take me home, because I was a hurt little kindergartener. This was only the second or third day of school, but as you can see, my running career didn't start out the greatest. Everytime I passed that spot on the trail though, I remembered that day.
Another point, further on, made me remember a day in gym where we had outdoor relays. This was the first, and last, time we did this. Everyone was really excited though, because we got to pick out teams of four. Despite being the fastest girl in the class, and able to keep up with the three fast boys in our class, I wasn't immediately talked to by any of the girls when we were deciding our team. I was a shy little girl, and still am, so I didn't have many friends, but since this was a running event, which I excelled it, I thought I had a chance of getting on a good team. The three fastest boys in my grade had formed a team and were in the process of choosing another member who would make sure they would win. When they came over to me and asked me to be on their team, I was delighted and surprised. These were the "popular" boys and they often ignored me because I could beat them. Once we formed a team and then we, of course, won the relay by more than 100m, all the girls were angry at me because I betrayed them by choosing to be on a boy's team. It was okay that they never asked me and would rather talk to boys than me but it was not okay for me to assist them in winning. It didn't matter though because the boys all gave me high fives.
This post is getting really long but I still have so many more memories I want to add. Most of them have to do with beating various boys in my school while running the mile. When we ran it in 1st grade, I received a time of around 9 and a half minutes, beating everyone but 4 boys in my combined 1st and 2nd grade class. By fifth grade I had gotten my time down to 7:09. (No, it's not weird I remember all my mile times in elementary school.) One time when we were running in gym, probably just a lap, we had to run on part of the extended trail to the gym. I was running with this boy, who I desperately wanted to beat, who probably felt the same about me. He had refused to let me pass on the trail, moving to the same side I was trying to pass on (I have many memories of this, it was incredibly annoying, but now I can totally beat those boys so I forgive them, mostly). We were around 100m from the gym when the boy noticed his shoe was untied. I started laughing and he tried to stop me from passing him. But this was more of an open area and when his shoe fell off with around 20m to go, I beat him. I was laughing hysterically after this while he had to put his shoe back on. It still makes me laugh.
I have many more memories but this post is getting a little bit too long. It's a little weird how 5 laps around your elementary school trail can make you remember so much. I still like that small gravel trail.
I was surprised about how focused I was during my run. It all seemed to click as I ran around the trail. I had finally found my rhythm for at least part of my run today. What really got me though, was how emotional it was. I mean, I wasn't bursting into tears or anything but at different points along the trail, I remembered all that I had done there.
The trail was basically the start of my running career. Without it, I might not be running now. That was where I learned how much I love running. Sure, we didn't do much running but it was so much fun. Once I got older, I used to run the trail during recess just because I wanted to. We had to run/walk a lap everyday before recess and I always ran it. Sometimes I'd run two or three laps. One day, I decided I would run the trail for the entire recess, around 30 minutes long. I made it 9.5 laps, beating the boy who thought he could beat me by .25 a lap. I had only told one friend about this but it had spread during recess and the guys were always cheering my oppenent on. I was congratulated after I accomplished this though, by both girls and boys.
My running career didn't start out in recess though. It started out in gym. And this is where it gets embarrassing. Our gym teacher brought our class of kindergarteners to the trail for the first time. She made us all sit in the grass off to the side while she explained how we'd run a lap around this trail for almost every warm school day the rest of elementary school, or something like that. Everyone was really excited, so we all jumped up when she said we could finally run our lap. And me, being the talented runner I am, took about two steps, tripped and fell on the trail. My hands were all scraped up but my knees took the worst of it. Both of my knees were incredibly scraped up and started bleeding heavily. I still have scars where this happened but I still can't figure out how I scraped myself up this badly. It was only a gravel trail and I had only taken like two steps. I think I started crying when this happened, it must have hurt a lot. My gym teacher told this boy in my class who had just started running to take me down to the nurse's office. So this boy, who still goes to my school although I don't talk to him, walked with me down the hallway while I had blood running down both of my legs. I don't remember much about that, except for the fact that I got these huge bandaids for each of my knees, they covered basically the whole knee. I thought they were pretty cool. The nurse called my mom and said she could take me home, because I was a hurt little kindergartener. This was only the second or third day of school, but as you can see, my running career didn't start out the greatest. Everytime I passed that spot on the trail though, I remembered that day.
Another point, further on, made me remember a day in gym where we had outdoor relays. This was the first, and last, time we did this. Everyone was really excited though, because we got to pick out teams of four. Despite being the fastest girl in the class, and able to keep up with the three fast boys in our class, I wasn't immediately talked to by any of the girls when we were deciding our team. I was a shy little girl, and still am, so I didn't have many friends, but since this was a running event, which I excelled it, I thought I had a chance of getting on a good team. The three fastest boys in my grade had formed a team and were in the process of choosing another member who would make sure they would win. When they came over to me and asked me to be on their team, I was delighted and surprised. These were the "popular" boys and they often ignored me because I could beat them. Once we formed a team and then we, of course, won the relay by more than 100m, all the girls were angry at me because I betrayed them by choosing to be on a boy's team. It was okay that they never asked me and would rather talk to boys than me but it was not okay for me to assist them in winning. It didn't matter though because the boys all gave me high fives.
This post is getting really long but I still have so many more memories I want to add. Most of them have to do with beating various boys in my school while running the mile. When we ran it in 1st grade, I received a time of around 9 and a half minutes, beating everyone but 4 boys in my combined 1st and 2nd grade class. By fifth grade I had gotten my time down to 7:09. (No, it's not weird I remember all my mile times in elementary school.) One time when we were running in gym, probably just a lap, we had to run on part of the extended trail to the gym. I was running with this boy, who I desperately wanted to beat, who probably felt the same about me. He had refused to let me pass on the trail, moving to the same side I was trying to pass on (I have many memories of this, it was incredibly annoying, but now I can totally beat those boys so I forgive them, mostly). We were around 100m from the gym when the boy noticed his shoe was untied. I started laughing and he tried to stop me from passing him. But this was more of an open area and when his shoe fell off with around 20m to go, I beat him. I was laughing hysterically after this while he had to put his shoe back on. It still makes me laugh.
I have many more memories but this post is getting a little bit too long. It's a little weird how 5 laps around your elementary school trail can make you remember so much. I still like that small gravel trail.
Sunday, November 9, 2008
BRRRRR
I've been running this week, only taking one day off. Thursday I set a new PR on one of my 2 mile routes. Friday I took a break because it was sleeting and I had basically raced myself on Thursday. The past two days I've done 2 miles but it's a little bit different from the beginning of the week. For one thing it's 32 degrees outside and it's been snowing off and on since Friday. During the middle of my run yesterday I started to repeat this quote to myself, "There's no such thing as bad weather, just soft people" by Bill Bowerman. I chanted it to myself when the wind made my cheeks go numb today.
I've ended my first week of training and it's gone pretty well. No major aches or pains and my hamstring feels a lot better. It still feels a little sore when I stretch it sitting down, but when I run it doesn't hurt anymore. The inside of my knees have hurt a little and it makes me feel old, like I've got arthritis or something. It's probably just from starting up running again.
The cold has bothered me more than it usually does this week. I usually love running when it's cold but now I remember all that comes with it. A constantly runny nose, sore throat, chapped lips, dried out hands from not wearing gloves, and always being cold after your run. The chili I'll have for supper might warm me up. I like this better than the 70 degree weather we had earlier in the week though. Except I think I'll miss my running tan that has started to fade. Sure I might have looked dorky wearing flip flops with my white feet but to me, my running tan says dedication.
I was thinking a lot about the upcoming track season during my run today. I've improved a lot over the summer and I think I can be pretty good if I don't hurt myself. One thing I'm going to do different this winter is make sure I get all my miles in. Last winter we had all that ice so I skipped a bunch of days. I'm going to run every day I possibly can, no matter how cold. Ice can be dangerous but I think I will be able to work around it. I'm also going to keep doing my core workouts. I did them during the summer but then I slacked off once xc season started. I'm going to do them all winter so I will be in shape for track. This includes the pushups I've incorporated into my workout. I might actually get arm muscles.
My HOPE sign has yet to go up in my room because I'm trying to figure out where to put it. I love it though, I think it's going to make me faster.
I've ended my first week of training and it's gone pretty well. No major aches or pains and my hamstring feels a lot better. It still feels a little sore when I stretch it sitting down, but when I run it doesn't hurt anymore. The inside of my knees have hurt a little and it makes me feel old, like I've got arthritis or something. It's probably just from starting up running again.
The cold has bothered me more than it usually does this week. I usually love running when it's cold but now I remember all that comes with it. A constantly runny nose, sore throat, chapped lips, dried out hands from not wearing gloves, and always being cold after your run. The chili I'll have for supper might warm me up. I like this better than the 70 degree weather we had earlier in the week though. Except I think I'll miss my running tan that has started to fade. Sure I might have looked dorky wearing flip flops with my white feet but to me, my running tan says dedication.
I was thinking a lot about the upcoming track season during my run today. I've improved a lot over the summer and I think I can be pretty good if I don't hurt myself. One thing I'm going to do different this winter is make sure I get all my miles in. Last winter we had all that ice so I skipped a bunch of days. I'm going to run every day I possibly can, no matter how cold. Ice can be dangerous but I think I will be able to work around it. I'm also going to keep doing my core workouts. I did them during the summer but then I slacked off once xc season started. I'm going to do them all winter so I will be in shape for track. This includes the pushups I've incorporated into my workout. I might actually get arm muscles.
My HOPE sign has yet to go up in my room because I'm trying to figure out where to put it. I love it though, I think it's going to make me faster.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
YES WE DID
I am now the proud owner of a HOPE sign. I am also a proud member of this country who have decided they want change and have elected Barack Obama for president. The front page in our newspaper was way better than the major newspapers however.
The HOPE sign is sitting in my living room and I didn't even have to steal one. My lovely mother asked one of the neighbors if I could have it and that wonderful neighbor gave it to me. She had two HOPE signs and was even willing to give them both to me. What nice ladies my mom and neighbor are. I am so excited that I finally have a HOPE sign. That way I won't have to rely on others to keep their campaign signs up.
Also I am really excited that Obama won. I still don't really believe it. I guess I knew that he probably would but I am still kind of shocked that so many people voted for him. Others must agree that he's the right candidate at the right time. We are taking a chance electing him president, but I think it's a chance we need to take. The U.S. has a history of taking chances and of change so maybe it is what we need.
I thought McCain's concession speech was very good. I think that when he said that it was not our but his fault he lost, he was wrong. It wasn't his fault he lost, he probably could have been elected at a different time, but he just wasn't right for this election. I respect him a great deal and agree that what he went through as a POW makes him an American hero. That doesn't qualify you to be president but it does make you admire him. True, his choice of Palin for VP was a terrible decision and I didn't agree with many of his policies, but I admired the grace he had while admitting defeat. I also admired him for stopping the rude booing during his speech. (Although even McCain was cheered in Chicago.)
I think Obama's speech rocked. It was one of his best and watching him speak in front of the American flags made me love my country. I liked how he referenced the 106 year old lady and what events she had lived through; it made me realize how much we have changed. I also liked the "yes we can" part, I was chanting right along with the crowd. Obama really is an amazing speaker. I am also proud of helping support Obama in this historical election that helped break one of the final racial barriers. I would have loved to be standing in that crowd in Chicago or in DC or in any other place where they had Obama parties. But most of all, I'm proud to support Obama and want to thank him for supporting me by giving out those HOPE signs.
The HOPE sign is sitting in my living room and I didn't even have to steal one. My lovely mother asked one of the neighbors if I could have it and that wonderful neighbor gave it to me. She had two HOPE signs and was even willing to give them both to me. What nice ladies my mom and neighbor are. I am so excited that I finally have a HOPE sign. That way I won't have to rely on others to keep their campaign signs up.
Also I am really excited that Obama won. I still don't really believe it. I guess I knew that he probably would but I am still kind of shocked that so many people voted for him. Others must agree that he's the right candidate at the right time. We are taking a chance electing him president, but I think it's a chance we need to take. The U.S. has a history of taking chances and of change so maybe it is what we need.
I thought McCain's concession speech was very good. I think that when he said that it was not our but his fault he lost, he was wrong. It wasn't his fault he lost, he probably could have been elected at a different time, but he just wasn't right for this election. I respect him a great deal and agree that what he went through as a POW makes him an American hero. That doesn't qualify you to be president but it does make you admire him. True, his choice of Palin for VP was a terrible decision and I didn't agree with many of his policies, but I admired the grace he had while admitting defeat. I also admired him for stopping the rude booing during his speech. (Although even McCain was cheered in Chicago.)
I think Obama's speech rocked. It was one of his best and watching him speak in front of the American flags made me love my country. I liked how he referenced the 106 year old lady and what events she had lived through; it made me realize how much we have changed. I also liked the "yes we can" part, I was chanting right along with the crowd. Obama really is an amazing speaker. I am also proud of helping support Obama in this historical election that helped break one of the final racial barriers. I would have loved to be standing in that crowd in Chicago or in DC or in any other place where they had Obama parties. But most of all, I'm proud to support Obama and want to thank him for supporting me by giving out those HOPE signs.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
YAY OBAMA WON!!!
Congratulations Mr. Barack Obama on becoming the 44th president of the United States of America. You achieved what all your supporters knew you could. Thank you for giving us hope and inspiring us to become involved. Good luck on your new job.
ELECTION DAY!!
It's finally here. Election day. I don't have an Obama shirt to wear unfortunately but I've seen many so far. The McCain shirts seem to be missing though, or maybe they are just lost among the sea of Obama clothing. I have a big peace sign on my shirt to represent the peace that Obama stands for and it's blue so I'm representing the Democrat part. Since it says Philadelphia, I'm also encouraging Pennsylvania to vote for Obama.
It really seems like it's gone by fast. Like only a couple weeks ago, a bunch of possible nominees were walking through the snow trying to get our votes. As much as it can be annoying (especially those stupid phonecalls where McCain tries to spread lies), I think I'm going to miss it. There will be nothing to bet on at Hubdub, nothing to argue about, no more inspirational HOPE signs. I'll have to find something else to occupy my time.
Election day is very important. Everyone should fufill their duty to this country and vote. The candidate you vote for is only the second most important part, the most important is getting out and voting. Even Starbucks wants you to vote. Go get yourself a free coffee if you like that kind of stuff, although I don't happen to like Starbucks (I feel like the only person sometimes),
I hope Obama wins and I wish him the best of luck. He has shown that he has what it takes and is ready to lead this country. So good luck Mr. Obama.
I did however go running yesterday. I only ran for 19:05 but I was very tired afterwards. After doing some ab workouts, I was about to fall over. It's weird what only a week and a half off can do to your fitness. Today my calves are extremely sore and tight. I really need to stretch them against a wall, but I don't want anyone looking at me strangely. I already walked down a hill backwards and received looks from the 2 or 3 people out raking their leaves. I wanted to tell them that it was good for my hamstrings but by focusing on that I ran into a pile of leaves and almost fell over. My neighbors were all watching me do crunches in my front yard too.
It really seems like it's gone by fast. Like only a couple weeks ago, a bunch of possible nominees were walking through the snow trying to get our votes. As much as it can be annoying (especially those stupid phonecalls where McCain tries to spread lies), I think I'm going to miss it. There will be nothing to bet on at Hubdub, nothing to argue about, no more inspirational HOPE signs. I'll have to find something else to occupy my time.
Election day is very important. Everyone should fufill their duty to this country and vote. The candidate you vote for is only the second most important part, the most important is getting out and voting. Even Starbucks wants you to vote. Go get yourself a free coffee if you like that kind of stuff, although I don't happen to like Starbucks (I feel like the only person sometimes),
I hope Obama wins and I wish him the best of luck. He has shown that he has what it takes and is ready to lead this country. So good luck Mr. Obama.
I did however go running yesterday. I only ran for 19:05 but I was very tired afterwards. After doing some ab workouts, I was about to fall over. It's weird what only a week and a half off can do to your fitness. Today my calves are extremely sore and tight. I really need to stretch them against a wall, but I don't want anyone looking at me strangely. I already walked down a hill backwards and received looks from the 2 or 3 people out raking their leaves. I wanted to tell them that it was good for my hamstrings but by focusing on that I ran into a pile of leaves and almost fell over. My neighbors were all watching me do crunches in my front yard too.
Monday, November 3, 2008
WHY I LOVE OBAMA
I am going running today! For the first time in more than a week. It's been strange to have all this energy and to be able to run up and down the stairs countless times (not that I did this repetitively because I was bored or anything....). My hamstring only hurts when I twist my leg so I think I'm going to finally start running again even though its incredibly warm at 74 degrees. It's NOVEMBER, it's not meant to feel like spring. But apparently we're supposed to have snow on Friday so it's all good.
What I'm really excited about is election day. I'm going to make all my last minute Hubdub bets and finalize my election day outfit. Sure, I'm not a real American because I'm supporting Obama but I can still get excited. I'm also going to watch SNL tonight because it's one of the greatest things about this election (all presidential SNL skits can be found on Huffington Post, which is the only reason I go to that site).
But this post is really about why I love Obama. Or why I support him. So here is five reasons I love and support Barack Obama for president.
1. Obama will lead us into the future. He supports clean alternative energy instead of offshore drilling. I think that we need more hybrid vehicles and alternative energy like wind, solar, etc. power. He and Joe Biden also agree that global warming is man made and needs to be reversed. I think that Obama has the right ideas to help fix global warming. We won't need to worry about other things for the future if we don't have a planet.
2. Obama represents the American dream. I think we all know his story now, just like John McCains. He grew up on the south side of Chicago being the son of a single parent.....eventually going to Harvard and becoming a lawyer to fight for the less unfortunate....etc. etc. He came from the bottom and now he's almost at the top. Obama worked for what he is now and didn't have any connections or special privileges. That is the American dream. By becoming president, he would be an example of how there still is an American dream and it still happens. Many immigrants and people of other countries would look at our country and see that we still are a good country and that you can still achieve things here. Obama actually represents the hope of immigrants and people everywhere.
3. He has the coolest campaign slogans and yard signs. They are way cooler than McCain's and possibly the best ever. How can you go against "Hope" or "Change". No wonder McCain's beginning to steal it. Those words are even more important now, because hope and change are what people want and need. Plus those HOPE signs inspire people, like me while running.
4. Obama is willing to talk. He has stated before that he will talk to the leaders of other countries personally. McCain thinks that this is wrong. I don't really know why, I've seen pictures in my old history book of Reagan hanging out with Mikhail Gorbachav (who has an awesome name). Reagan achieved a lot in foreign countries. I think that lack of talking is part of what got us in to this huge mess. By actually sitting down and talking there will be less misunderstandings, more agreements and compromises, and more getting stuff done.
5. I got to shake his hand. This is not the greatest reason but I think it would be pretty awesome. I didn't actually shake his hand, the shake part wasn't there but my hand was in his hand. Granted he was just reached out his hands and whoever was there took it (I took some else's handshake) but I also go to here him talk. There wasn't crowds of 100,000, we didn't chant, and no one was holding up signs. This was in the beginning of his campaign but it was still very inspiring.
I do have more and I was going to write more and possibly make it 10 reasons but in the midst of writing this I found out Barack Obama's grandmother had died of cancer. Now I think cancer is a terrible disease, it's one reason I wear my LiveSTRONG wristband. But this is Obama's grandmother who raised him and was very close to him and supportive of what he has done. It makes me very upset with her not able to live until at least Tuesday or Wednesday and be able to see the results of the election (when I heard she broke her hip, I was hoping that she would make it until her birthday at least). I think that this shouldn't happen to either one of the candidates, McCain or Obama. If Obama wins, what a bittersweet victory it will be. How will he even be able to concentrate on the election without one of his closest family members. If I could was able to talk to Obama right now I wouldn't ask him about the election, I would give him a hug and tell him how incredibly sorry I am. Because he doesn't deserve this. Even McCain realizes this. I think many other people feel sorry for him too, I was getting teary eyed while reading this article. So I offer Obama my condolences and wish him the very best in this election. We need his leadership, guidance, and most of all, hope.
What I'm really excited about is election day. I'm going to make all my last minute Hubdub bets and finalize my election day outfit. Sure, I'm not a real American because I'm supporting Obama but I can still get excited. I'm also going to watch SNL tonight because it's one of the greatest things about this election (all presidential SNL skits can be found on Huffington Post, which is the only reason I go to that site).
But this post is really about why I love Obama. Or why I support him. So here is five reasons I love and support Barack Obama for president.
1. Obama will lead us into the future. He supports clean alternative energy instead of offshore drilling. I think that we need more hybrid vehicles and alternative energy like wind, solar, etc. power. He and Joe Biden also agree that global warming is man made and needs to be reversed. I think that Obama has the right ideas to help fix global warming. We won't need to worry about other things for the future if we don't have a planet.
2. Obama represents the American dream. I think we all know his story now, just like John McCains. He grew up on the south side of Chicago being the son of a single parent.....eventually going to Harvard and becoming a lawyer to fight for the less unfortunate....etc. etc. He came from the bottom and now he's almost at the top. Obama worked for what he is now and didn't have any connections or special privileges. That is the American dream. By becoming president, he would be an example of how there still is an American dream and it still happens. Many immigrants and people of other countries would look at our country and see that we still are a good country and that you can still achieve things here. Obama actually represents the hope of immigrants and people everywhere.
3. He has the coolest campaign slogans and yard signs. They are way cooler than McCain's and possibly the best ever. How can you go against "Hope" or "Change". No wonder McCain's beginning to steal it. Those words are even more important now, because hope and change are what people want and need. Plus those HOPE signs inspire people, like me while running.
4. Obama is willing to talk. He has stated before that he will talk to the leaders of other countries personally. McCain thinks that this is wrong. I don't really know why, I've seen pictures in my old history book of Reagan hanging out with Mikhail Gorbachav (who has an awesome name). Reagan achieved a lot in foreign countries. I think that lack of talking is part of what got us in to this huge mess. By actually sitting down and talking there will be less misunderstandings, more agreements and compromises, and more getting stuff done.
5. I got to shake his hand. This is not the greatest reason but I think it would be pretty awesome. I didn't actually shake his hand, the shake part wasn't there but my hand was in his hand. Granted he was just reached out his hands and whoever was there took it (I took some else's handshake) but I also go to here him talk. There wasn't crowds of 100,000, we didn't chant, and no one was holding up signs. This was in the beginning of his campaign but it was still very inspiring.
I do have more and I was going to write more and possibly make it 10 reasons but in the midst of writing this I found out Barack Obama's grandmother had died of cancer. Now I think cancer is a terrible disease, it's one reason I wear my LiveSTRONG wristband. But this is Obama's grandmother who raised him and was very close to him and supportive of what he has done. It makes me very upset with her not able to live until at least Tuesday or Wednesday and be able to see the results of the election (when I heard she broke her hip, I was hoping that she would make it until her birthday at least). I think that this shouldn't happen to either one of the candidates, McCain or Obama. If Obama wins, what a bittersweet victory it will be. How will he even be able to concentrate on the election without one of his closest family members. If I could was able to talk to Obama right now I wouldn't ask him about the election, I would give him a hug and tell him how incredibly sorry I am. Because he doesn't deserve this. Even McCain realizes this. I think many other people feel sorry for him too, I was getting teary eyed while reading this article. So I offer Obama my condolences and wish him the very best in this election. We need his leadership, guidance, and most of all, hope.
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