I've taken many CPR courses over the years, first as a babysitter, a few times as a volunteer for different organizations, and lately at work as a member of the emergency response team. It's easy to forget the importance of CPR - if you can perform it, you can literally make a difference between life and death for someone.
I read a great Runner's World article today about a doctor who stopped during the Twin Cities 10-miler to revive a fallen runner. The fallen runner is reported to be doing ok and the doctor went on to finish the race, so all is well that ends well. What is truly heartbreaking is the lone comment (when I read it) on the article, written by someone who had to watch a man die because no one knew CPR. I can't imagine how hard that must have been - and how much his wife, who was there, must have suffered.
My point? Learn CPR, pay attention to your surroundings, and if someone looks like they need help, please stop and help them. You'll always have another race you could PR in - someone having a heart attack may not.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Autumn Hike
Saturday was my father's 70th birthday party. As it was a surprise party, my sister and I were tasked with keeping him out of the house while the caterers set up. We decided to take him to lunch at Family Meal (the fried chicken is well worth the trip to Frederick) then go for a hike at Sugarloaf Mountain.
After nervously eyeing the weather forecast all week we were pleasantly surprised by a cloudy day in the mid-70s. The weather was perfect for hiking. As we only had an hour and a half, we decided to take the white trail, a 2.5 mile loop around the summit.
My dad is notorious in my family for taking a while to stretch and get going. My sister and I decided to take that time to stretch and take some photos.
Once he was ready, we set off. The sun came out, but the trees kept us shaded and cool. The trail was pretty rocky and hilly, but I liked the varying terrain. We didn't pass too many other hikers, which made our hike quiet and peaceful. Everyone we passed seemed as happy to be on the trail as we were.
One of my favorite things about hiking Sugarloaf is the view. We took a few photos at different vistas throughout the hike.
After nervously eyeing the weather forecast all week we were pleasantly surprised by a cloudy day in the mid-70s. The weather was perfect for hiking. As we only had an hour and a half, we decided to take the white trail, a 2.5 mile loop around the summit.
My dad is notorious in my family for taking a while to stretch and get going. My sister and I decided to take that time to stretch and take some photos.
Once he was ready, we set off. The sun came out, but the trees kept us shaded and cool. The trail was pretty rocky and hilly, but I liked the varying terrain. We didn't pass too many other hikers, which made our hike quiet and peaceful. Everyone we passed seemed as happy to be on the trail as we were.
One of my favorite things about hiking Sugarloaf is the view. We took a few photos at different vistas throughout the hike.
It was a wonderful afternoon with my family, and a great chance to relax before the madness that occurred Saturday night.
On the way to the party, our car was hit by a drunk driver. Everyone is ok, but a bit shaken up. The woman who hit us didn't "seem" drunk (my father and I didn't suspect she was driving under the influence), but her BAC was twice the legal limit. Please let this serve as a reminder to put away your keys if you've had a couple of drinks. Taking a cab home and coming to get your car the next day may seem inconvenient, but it's a lot more convenient than spending the night in jail.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Ragnar Relay DC - Last Legs and the Finish
A shower, nap, and a change of clothes worked wonders. I woke up on Saturday morning excited and ready to run. Unfortunately, my left IT band didn't feel the same way.
Everyone seemed in better spirits than the night before as we headed to Chevy Chase to meet van 1. We snapped a quick van photo before Amy took off to run her final leg.
Almost everyone's last legs were relatively short, so we didn't have much time between transitions. We did manage to get some quality stretching in as we waited for our runners. Below is a new IT band stretch Bill showed me.
Sally's last leg was by far the longest and involved a massive hill, so we found a good spot to pull over and cheer her on at the top of the hill. We were all exhausted and a little loopy, so it's entirely possible some strange things happened with the safety flags...
After a short wait we saw Sally cresting the hill looking like a CHAMP with her fiancé at her side. Guys, this is what love and support looks like.
After a few more runners it was time for my last leg. I thought it would be a fast, flat almost 4 miles, but was surprised to see rolling hills. At least I had some nice views of the Potomac. What you can't see is the intense heat and humidity - it was an abnormally warm day for late fall!
After I transitioned to Bill we headed to National Harbor to finish the race. The parking situation was such a mess that he ended up beating us there! Luckily, they had a staging area for us to meet up at so we could cross the finish line as a team. We all made sure to wear our team shirts.
Once we finished, it was time for some team photos and much-deserved pizza and beer.
After we finished eating and drinking we went our separate ways - it looked like a storm was rolling in and we were all ready to go home, shower, and sleep.
I had a great time running Ragnar Relay DC with team Your Pace or Mine? and would definitely do it again!
Everyone seemed in better spirits than the night before as we headed to Chevy Chase to meet van 1. We snapped a quick van photo before Amy took off to run her final leg.
Photo courtesy of EmGusk
Almost everyone's last legs were relatively short, so we didn't have much time between transitions. We did manage to get some quality stretching in as we waited for our runners. Below is a new IT band stretch Bill showed me.
Photo c/o EmGusk
Sally's last leg was by far the longest and involved a massive hill, so we found a good spot to pull over and cheer her on at the top of the hill. We were all exhausted and a little loopy, so it's entirely possible some strange things happened with the safety flags...
Another quality photo courtesy of Miss EmGusk
After a short wait we saw Sally cresting the hill looking like a CHAMP with her fiancé at her side. Guys, this is what love and support looks like.
Yep, this photo is EmGusk's as well
After a few more runners it was time for my last leg. I thought it would be a fast, flat almost 4 miles, but was surprised to see rolling hills. At least I had some nice views of the Potomac. What you can't see is the intense heat and humidity - it was an abnormally warm day for late fall!
Finishing as a team, courtesy of EmGusk
Once we finished, it was time for some team photos and much-deserved pizza and beer.
With our medals! Photo courtesy of EmGusk
After we finished eating and drinking we went our separate ways - it looked like a storm was rolling in and we were all ready to go home, shower, and sleep.
I had a great time running Ragnar Relay DC with team Your Pace or Mine? and would definitely do it again!
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Scavenger Hunting
This morning I participated in a scavenger hunt organized by the lululemon Bethesda run club. We had an hour to go around Bethesda taking photos doing activities at various landmarks. Our team covered about 4 miles and, while we didn't win, we took a lot of fun photos and had a great time. Below are some of the best ones.
5 points for a photo of the team jumping for joy in front of this posh Bethesda gym which offers classes such as "Treadmill Race Training."
5 points for a photo of your team running up an escalator
5 points for your team in front of and imitating this large, yellow sculpture which is 18 feet high, 12 feet wide
5 points. Snap a "photo finish" of your team on a local high school track.
15 points. It's almost Halloween! Snap a photo of a member of your team running in a Halloween costume.
15 points for a photo of the team doing jumping jacks in from of the "Welcome to Bethesda" sign.
15 points for a photo of the group doing handstands in front of NIH.
5 points for a photo of a group doing burpees outside of a Crossfit gym.
2 points for each photo of your team doing downward facing dog with an actual dog.
5 points for spelling the word "LOVE" with your bodies on Bethesda Lane.
Thank you Emily, Amanda, and Matt for being amazing teammates!!
15 points. It's almost Halloween! Snap a photo of a member of your team running in a Halloween costume.
15 points for a photo of the team doing jumping jacks in from of the "Welcome to Bethesda" sign.
15 points for a photo of the group doing handstands in front of NIH.
5 points for a photo of a group doing burpees outside of a Crossfit gym.
2 points for each photo of your team doing downward facing dog with an actual dog.
5 points for spelling the word "LOVE" with your bodies on Bethesda Lane.
Thank you Emily, Amanda, and Matt for being amazing teammates!!
Friday, September 28, 2012
Ragnar Relay DC - Nighttime Legs
Miss the first legs? Click here.
After some "real" food, a shower, and a quick nap everyone felt much better and ready to take on their night legs. It was an incredibly dark night, which made taking photos pretty much impossible.
The nighttime transitions were a lot of fun - the volunteers got really in to things blasting upbeat music and having plenty of fun glow accessories around. It was a real treat to see my friend Mike working at one of the nighttime transitions. We got to catch up while my team waited for our runner to come in.
Soon enough it was time for my night leg. It started out on a quiet country road, which I really enjoyed because I could look up and see the stars. I thought I would be in for a nice run until about a mile in when I turned on to a road that quickly headed in to thick woods, turned in to dirt, and headed up a mountain.
The next 7 or so miles were pretty terrifying. There were multi-mile stretches where I did not see another runner or van and ran in pitch black silence (the trees blocked the moon and stars from view). Then, suddenly, clusters of vans would drive up, kicking up dirt and forcing me off the narrow road in to a ditch. It was creepy at best and incredibly unsafe at worst.
Luckily, the last mile of my leg was on another country road. I was happy to see the stars again and to have a shoulder, and sometimes a sidewalk, to run on. I finished up far faster than I said I would (I ran a few 8:17 miles!) and got to the transition before our next runner was ready. That gave me an opportunity to cool down before jumping in the van.
After our van finished our night legs we had another opportunity to head back to the hotel, shower, and sleep for a few hours before starting our third legs. At this point I'd covered almost 19 miles and my left IT band was really bothering me. I was ready for a nice, hot shower and a soft, fluffy bed.
After some "real" food, a shower, and a quick nap everyone felt much better and ready to take on their night legs. It was an incredibly dark night, which made taking photos pretty much impossible.
The nighttime transitions were a lot of fun - the volunteers got really in to things blasting upbeat music and having plenty of fun glow accessories around. It was a real treat to see my friend Mike working at one of the nighttime transitions. We got to catch up while my team waited for our runner to come in.
Soon enough it was time for my night leg. It started out on a quiet country road, which I really enjoyed because I could look up and see the stars. I thought I would be in for a nice run until about a mile in when I turned on to a road that quickly headed in to thick woods, turned in to dirt, and headed up a mountain.
The next 7 or so miles were pretty terrifying. There were multi-mile stretches where I did not see another runner or van and ran in pitch black silence (the trees blocked the moon and stars from view). Then, suddenly, clusters of vans would drive up, kicking up dirt and forcing me off the narrow road in to a ditch. It was creepy at best and incredibly unsafe at worst.
Luckily, the last mile of my leg was on another country road. I was happy to see the stars again and to have a shoulder, and sometimes a sidewalk, to run on. I finished up far faster than I said I would (I ran a few 8:17 miles!) and got to the transition before our next runner was ready. That gave me an opportunity to cool down before jumping in the van.
After our van finished our night legs we had another opportunity to head back to the hotel, shower, and sleep for a few hours before starting our third legs. At this point I'd covered almost 19 miles and my left IT band was really bothering me. I was ready for a nice, hot shower and a soft, fluffy bed.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Ragnar Relay DC - First Legs
Last weekend I ran Ragnar Relay DC. It was exhausting, a little scary at times, and a lot of fun.
For those of you unfamiliar with Ragnar Relay, it's about a 200 mile relay race from Cumberland, MD to DC which is run by teams of 12 individuals split in to two vans. While one van's runners run their legs, the other van is "off" and free to sightsee, eat, or (more likely) sleep. The team runs from Friday morning to Saturday afternoon, with runners completing legs during Friday night and early morning Saturday.
When I signed up for Ragnar I only knew four people on my team. We had a few happy hours to allow everyone to get to know each other, most of which I couldn't make. When we drove up to Cumberland on Thursday night I knew two people in my van and had met another girl once. I was extremely lucky - everyone in my van was drama-free and super-awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to run through the night and hang out in a smelly van with.
As we were Van 2, we got to sleep in on Friday morning while Van 1 started the race. They were troopers as our first runner took off at 5:30AM! We had a chance to check out Cumberland and go shopping at Roses. The best way I can explain that store is that it was a predecessor to KMart and WalMart. We walked out of there with some pretty awesome gear - neon knit hats and headbands with fascinators for all of the girls.
After our shopping trip we headed to transition 6 to go through a safety gear check and safety lecture and wait for van 1's last runner, Brian, to arrive. Soon enough we saw Brian and it was time for our first runner, Amy, to take off!
It was a beautiful, sunny day and we were excited to cheer our, and other teams', runners on. As our runners wound their way through the course we were able to pull over at random spots and cheer them on. A few more of our runners took their turns, then it was my turn to start my first leg. 8 of the 9.5 miles of my leg were on trails, which were beautiful but quiet.
The last half mile of my leg went by Fort Frederick.
After I finished, we had one more runner go before handing things off to Van 1!
Shortly after Bill finished, we saw something truly inspiring - a veteran who had lost his leg finishing up his first leg of the race, which was well over 7 miles. Everyone at the transition cheered him in to finish. It was a truly touching moment and, unsurprisingly, all the girls on our tear were moved to tears.
After taking a few minutes to socialize with our teammates in Van 1, we headed to the hotel to shower, nap, and get something to eat before our night legs started.
For those of you unfamiliar with Ragnar Relay, it's about a 200 mile relay race from Cumberland, MD to DC which is run by teams of 12 individuals split in to two vans. While one van's runners run their legs, the other van is "off" and free to sightsee, eat, or (more likely) sleep. The team runs from Friday morning to Saturday afternoon, with runners completing legs during Friday night and early morning Saturday.
When I signed up for Ragnar I only knew four people on my team. We had a few happy hours to allow everyone to get to know each other, most of which I couldn't make. When we drove up to Cumberland on Thursday night I knew two people in my van and had met another girl once. I was extremely lucky - everyone in my van was drama-free and super-awesome. I couldn't have asked for a better group of people to run through the night and hang out in a smelly van with.
Van 2 after finishing our first set of legs
As we were Van 2, we got to sleep in on Friday morning while Van 1 started the race. They were troopers as our first runner took off at 5:30AM! We had a chance to check out Cumberland and go shopping at Roses. The best way I can explain that store is that it was a predecessor to KMart and WalMart. We walked out of there with some pretty awesome gear - neon knit hats and headbands with fascinators for all of the girls.
After our shopping trip we headed to transition 6 to go through a safety gear check and safety lecture and wait for van 1's last runner, Brian, to arrive. Soon enough we saw Brian and it was time for our first runner, Amy, to take off!
Photo courtesy of the ever-fabulous EmGusk
It was a beautiful, sunny day and we were excited to cheer our, and other teams', runners on. As our runners wound their way through the course we were able to pull over at random spots and cheer them on. A few more of our runners took their turns, then it was my turn to start my first leg. 8 of the 9.5 miles of my leg were on trails, which were beautiful but quiet.
After I finished, we had one more runner go before handing things off to Van 1!
Bill transitioning to Van 1 - courtesy of EmGusk
Shortly after Bill finished, we saw something truly inspiring - a veteran who had lost his leg finishing up his first leg of the race, which was well over 7 miles. Everyone at the transition cheered him in to finish. It was a truly touching moment and, unsurprisingly, all the girls on our tear were moved to tears.
After taking a few minutes to socialize with our teammates in Van 1, we headed to the hotel to shower, nap, and get something to eat before our night legs started.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Back to Bikram
A few months ago I noticed my old Bikram studio was offering a Groupon - $100 for 3 months of unlimited yoga. It was too good to pass up.
Today I went to my first class in almost two years. I was a little worried about adjusting to the heat and being able to get in to the poses. My balance is definitely nowhere near where it used to be, but I know it'll get better over time. There are only a few poses I had issues with, and I think I'll be able to do them after a few more classes. What remains to be seen is how sore I'll be tomorrow.
For those of you considering a Bikram class, I'd highly recommend it. I've tried a lot of different forms of yoga and Bikram is the only class where I've felt like I've had a good workout - the heat allows you to get deeper in to poses and lets your muscles work harder. I weight train fairly regularly without soreness, but am always sore after my first few Bikram classes.
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