That Girl Runs

*do I have your attention?

A few years ago I stumbled upon a blog authored by a mom who resides in the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, also known as “The Boonies”. I have been trying to remember how it happened that I came upon her musings but I cannot for the life of me retrace the steps that led me to Angella (with two Ls!!! And never ever call her Angie if you want to live). Anyway… at the time I first started to follow her blog she had just found out that she was pregnant with her third child. Miss Emily (a beautiful addition to her family) is now three so you can safely say that it’s been a while.

In the world of blogging I have one short fall which is commenting. I am not a big commenter even though I myself certainly understand that comments are the currency of every blogger out there, everyone who opens their world to the Internet and all it entails. So, as I have done with countless blogs I follow on a regular and less regular basis for the longest time I only read about her every day life as a mom to two adorable boys and wife to a handsome husband. If I recall correctly I might have commented once in the first couple of years, and that might be an exaggeration. The occasion was Angella’s plea to her non-comment-committed-readers to please come out already. And so I did. And she replied.

A year ago I asked her to become my friend on Facebook and assuming by the number of followers she has to her blog that probably also want to be her “friends” on Facebook I told her who I was, which had apparently never happened to her before that day. People are weird! Honestly! Who thinks that a normal adult (!!!) person would just accept a friend request from a random stranger? Unless the normal adult person has some issues that better be kept from the general public!

Enter Twitter! I had been following her 140 characters for a while and, since interestingly enough I have no issues sending tweets to random strangers in that forum, had occasionally tweeted back. Not that Angella is a stranger anymore. It’s fascinating how that happens. No really!

A couple of weeks ago she send out a tweet asking for opinions about sending children to camp or getting a nanny. Wait? WHAT??? Nannies! How could I not reply? But as it turned out she was not interested in my experiences as one. I know! What she was interested in getting out of me however was a guest post related to fitness/running. My favorite subject!!!

And this week it launched: my virgin post at Work-It-Mom! Enjoy!

On second thought, it might have been a good thing she declined the offer of looking into my Nanny Diaries!

Today’s Running Tip: Want to take up running and stick with it?

Read this!

July! One of the three favorite months on my personal calendar! The other two being June and August! And as it does every year here in the desert: it did not disappoint! Temperatures reached up to 115 degrees and this girl was one happy camper. Summer dresses, tank tops, flip flops, Frappuccinos, al fresco dining, and frozen yoghurts! It does not get any better than that. And now we still have August to look forward to.

Here in the desert a lot of residents take off to more moderate climates during the heat of summer but I always like it best and never want to go anywhere, not even to the coast, which has been very cold, foggy and miserable this year. More so than is normal for California coastal conditions. Yes, that’s right, California coastal summers are not what commercials want you to believe. When we lived in Santa Barbara we could always spot tourists by the way they shivered in their summer dresses and short shorts, locals knew better. I was born for this climate, no doubt. I only had to bide my time in Germany long enough to eventually find nirvana. I often look back on my childhood and how even then I always looked forward to the dog days of summer. Heading to the local public swimming pool with friends, popsicles, chilled watermelon and eating outside at night. Not to mention annual beach vacations in Southern Europe.

Even though temperatures have been steadily in the triple digits I do run outside most mornings. Getting up early before the heat hits the ground. Those early morning runs are something to be cherished for sure. The air is balmy and the streets are quiet. Sprinklers are running and the damp grass still smells fresh and promising, water drops reflecting the sun rising on the horizon. I did cut back on mileage just a little this past month and have been using the treadmill more often for interval runs and uphill training. I would be lying if I said the first hill run was a breeze as it was anything but. Yet, after four weeks I am well on my way and as always it has gotten easier with each run. Pier-to-Peak is just around the corner after all and although I will be well prepared for the annual Labor Day heat wave in Santa Barbara it was time to run some steep climbs.

Here are the running stats for July:

• Shortest run: 5 miles
• Longest run: 7.1 miles
• Average speed: 7:33 min/miles
• Strength & Endurance: 3 hours
• Weight Training: 2 hours
• Yoga: 5 hours
• Spinning: 2:30 hours

Today’s Running Tip: Running hills is hugely beneficial for runners!

Hill running makes your body stronger, which in turn means you will run more efficiently. If you dread hills start slowly. Start at the base of a hill that is about 200 to 400 yards long. Run up it for 45 seconds (on a 1 to 10 scale your intensity should be about a 7). Jog back down for 30 seconds. Repeat three times. As you get stronger, increase the number of intervals up to eight and the length of intervals up to 75 seconds  but always maintain recovery time.

Today I am shamelessly inspired by a blog post I read a few weeks ago!

We often visualize ourselves as the beings we thrive to be, but it is that extra step one needs to take to actually become said being that so often hinders us from living up to our full potential. I try to live my life to the fullest every day and in doing so often think about my short comings – and there are plenty! Shocking, I know!

Let’s be the one who:

helps out a neighbor in need

listens without interrupting

continues to volunteer her time for a cause close to her heart

does not judge*

thanks a military person for his/her service

cleans up somebody else’s mess

calls her dad just because

makes no excuses for anything

continues to stand up for what she believes in

stops watching “Reality” TV

reaches out to those she has not heard from in a while

forgives

calls you out on your BS

refuses to give up hope

* admittedly, this one is the toughest!

Today’s Running Tip: The “sore leg” excuse!

Beginner runners often complain that their legs hurt after a long run. The best way to get over this is to slow down your pace and take walk breaks during your run. Start by alternating one minute of running with one minute of walking, maintain the slower pace and walk breaks and add a distance of half  a mile to a mile every other week. Over time your legs will adjust to the distance and become less painful.

“Swiss authorities say Polanski free after rejecting U.S. extradition request.”

Wait? WHAT?!?!

When I first saw this headline on CNN I actually thought I had read that Switzerland will extradite Roman Polanski to the US. Call me naive but in my mind that would have been the only logical outcome and headline!

Following is the official statement from the Swiss justice ministry:

“The 76-year-old French-Polish film director Roman Polanski will not be extradited to the USA. The freedom-restricting measures against him have been revoked. This announcement was made by Mrs Eveline Widmer-Schlumpf, head of the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police (FDJP), in Berne on Monday. The reason for the decision lies in the fact that it was not possible to exclude with the necessary certainty a fault in the US extradition request, although the issue was thoroughly examined. Moreover, also the principles of State action deriving from international public order were taken into account.

At the end of 2005 the US authorities issued an international search warrant against Roman Polanski due to sexual offence against a minor committed in 1977. On the basis of this international order of arrest, Roman Polanski was arrested on 26th September 2009 upon his arrival at the airport of Zürich and taken into provisional custody pending extradition. On 22nd October 2009 the US authorities filed a formal extradition request. On 4th December Roman Polanski was released from custody after depositing a 4.5 million franc bail and was granted house arrest under electronic monitoring in his chalet in Gstaad.”

How noble of them to let this pedophile go free on a technicality that is in question! And I am sure to his utter delight he is now free again to roam about in Europe where he can continue to enjoy the lime light and high life in the lap of luxury. And it’s not that he had suffered during his house arrest. After all we are talking about being tied to his chalet in Gstaad and anyone who has been to Gstaad and has seen Polanski’s chalet knows that punishment is the opposite of living here:

Another reasoning for the Swiss decision was that “Polanski had a reasonable right to think he would not be arrested if he visited” Switzerland. Give me a break! As far as I am concerned this guy should have reason to believe he’d be arrested no matter where he goes, because in the reality I live in it is not exactly unreasonable to believe that a 44 year old man who drugs and rapes a 13 year old girl, then flees the country to avoid jail time should be extradited back to the US the moment he hits foreign soil. Any foreign soil. But no! Outrageously enough Polanski has managed to evade the justice system successfully since 1977, living freely in Europe and continuously making successful movies, walking amongst the rich and (in)famous, even though an arrest warrant has been out for 23 years and an international one since 2005. I cannot even believe the international arrest warrant was only issued in 2005. And they say money cannot buy you happiness or in Polanski’s case, freedom.

I seem to recall that when Mr. Polanski was arrested in Switzerland a few of his famous friends came to his defense stating that his unmatched artistic talent should somehow be enough reason to let him go free, that the world should excuse his appalling, criminal act because of his creativity as a film maker. Or as Patrick Goldstein of the Los Angeles Times said: “We’re calling on every film-maker we can to help fix this terrible situation. Whether the LA County district attorney’s office has its way or not, it is not a story that can have a happy ending. I think Polanski has already paid a horrible, soul-wrenching price for the infamy surrounding his actions. The real tragedy is that he will always, till his death, be snubbed and stalked and confronted by people who think the price he has already paid isn’t enough.”

Yes, that’s right, Patrick! Nothing short of this man spending the rest of his days in jail will be enough!!!

Todays’ Running Tip: I am too worked up to think straight, let alone run in a straight line!

No Words…

Today’s Running Tip: Need inspiration to push yourself harder?
Read “It’s Not About the Bike”!