3 Sisters 7 Days

Juliann and I have been eyeing this gadget for about two years now. We have tested out all that goes along with Nike+ and have been semi-satisfied, but the Garmin Forerunner 305 seems to have it all, or at least all of what we need.

I can now have more accurate readings of my mileage, get a better idea of pace, know how many vertical feet I am actually running, and I am able to start running/training based on my heart rate.  I love the graphing capabilities of it; all I do is plug the watch into the computer and BAM all the information is now in an easy to read graph.  It is GREAT! I have used it once and love it already. I can’t wait to see what else this thing can do. I have the basics down but there is so much more to it.

Yesterday I had a fantastic time snowboarding at Monarch Mountain, CO.  It is  a great mountain to ski or snowboard on, especially since it’s the most ffordable lift ticket in CO.  Some resorts are reaching the $100 mark for one all day lift ticket in CO…I just can’t imagine or justify paying that price for a few hours on the slopes, not to mention the crowds. One of the perks for working at REI this winter is that I get free lift tickets to Monarch Mountain and yesterday was the first day I took advantage of the deal.

Okay, I realized yesterday (thanks to the 21 year old fellow snowboarder) that I am a little dated in the sport.  I didn’t know the key word for a snowboard, boots, and bindings is “deck”. Umm, there is a “lift” I can get to extend my board to accommodate my new boots. I guess the boots have gotten bigger, and since I have an older, “vintage” board, the new boots and older board don’t match.

And this is just the equipment, don’t let me get started on the new lingo…Pow-Pow (powder), shredding the Gnar, and my favorite of the day. “word.” Seriously, every time someone said something/anything, this “kid” would respond with “word.” I guess it’s a gesture of acknowledgement and agreement.  And then there are the infamous “pot shacks.” I had such a blank stare when I first heard that word: “pot shack” To my knowledge, these “riders” find abandoned cabins on the slopes and smoke pot, and they are on almost every mountain.  That doesn’t even cross my mind, I mean it’s all I can do to get off the chair lift in one piece, let alone put any type of substance in my body.

Check this website out http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/snowboarddictionary.asp so the next time you grab your deck to shred the gnar you will fit in like a wallflower…word.

Side-note: I did push myself yesterday. I hiked with board in hand for about 20 minutes up a mountain, only to ride down a huge drop…it was close to a 90 degree angle and all powder…it was great!

Just seconds after I sent five-year-old Olivia’s Learning Plan (a subject-by-subject lesson plan for the next four weeks) to our ES (Educational Specialist, a credentialed teacher who oversees our resident home-schoolers), I realized that I may have been overly optimistic. I’d established a new goal of learning addition/subtraction facts to 20, without quizzing Olivia to find out if she’d actually accomplished last term’s goal: learning addition/subtraction facts to 10. She can figure them out, no problem. But does she know them?

With this thought in mind, I ushered the kids into the car so that we could get Reiley to basketball practice on time. Just before setting the alarm, though, I turned and headed back into the kitchen “nook,” where the kids’ curriculum boxes are kept. I dug around in Olivia’s box and found her Disney Princess addition/subtraction flashcards. Yep, I was going to find out just what she knew.

We were quizzing Olivia before we left our block. (Parker repeated the equations I read off the cards, while Reiley supplied quick modifications in the form of engaging word problems to hasten Olivia’s responses.) We were doing really well until I decided to push the issue of what happens when you take away a number from itself.

“One take away one,” I asked.

“Zero!” she said.

“Ten take away ten,” I asked.

“Zero!” she said.

“Six take away six,” I asked.

No response.

“Put up six fingers…now take away all six fingers…” I said. Reiley dutifully watched to make sure that Olivia was holding up six fingers.

“One,” she said.

“No, Olivia,” I said, “Hold up six fingers.”

“Okay,” she said.

“What if you have six cupcakes,” Reiley started to say.

“Yeah,” I said, “What if you have six cupcakes, and Reiley eats all of them. How many cupcakes do you have?”

Silence. And then she started to cry, and scream. “Reiley ate all of my cupcakes…they were my special, birthday cupcakes…”

“No,” I said. “Olivia, it’s just pretend. Reiley didn’t eat any cupcakes.”

“Yes. She. Did.” Olivia said. “She ate all of my cupcakes!”

“Great, Mom,” Reiley said.

“Yeah,” Parker said.

Both of them were laughing.

“It’s not funny!” Olivia said. “Reiley…ate…ALL of my cupcakes.”

Uh, huh. So much for word problems.

“Here, Parker,” I said, and handed the flashcards to him.

I’m still not sure what Olivia knows; however I now know better than to add cupcakes to mathematics and stir.

I guess this year – or should I say, season – I am trying new winter sports.  I have been snowboarding for over 10 years and that, until now, has been the extent of my winter sporting. This season, I  tried snowshoeing, and last week was my first “go” at cross country skiing.

Okay, the last time I put skis on my feet, I think I was about twelve years old and hated every minute of it.  I lasted the day, and the whole time, I couldn’t understand the “fun” in the sport. All I wanted to do was strap my feet into a snowboard…six years later I finally got the snowboard.

Anyway, back to cross country skiing.  It was harder than I expected, but it wasn’t too difficult.  It was another version of snowshoeing and hiking with some hills. I did fall a lot, and I did do a lot of snow plowing, which worked some of the time; when the poles or the skis didn’t stop me, I just went for the ground.

I kept trying to use the same motion as running…move arms and legs in unison and BAM I should be good.  Nope, there is much more to it.  First of all, my feet were on skis the width of an Oreo and I had to use poles while coordinating my feet/skis.  Second, going up hill was ridiculous. I ended up making a “V”  and virtually walking up the hills hoping to not slide back down.  As soon as I got off the hills, and the up/down rotation, I was good to go. I actually enjoyed skiing on the flat surface and taking in the scenery that Breckenridge has to offer.  The best part of the day was that I kept moving enough that I didn’t get cold

So, yes this sport is something I would probably do again, and it’s a great cross training sport…I was tight the next day, that’s for sure. Tomorrow: Snowboarding at Monarch.

Until yesterday, I could honestly say that I NEVER go anywhere without a book. Then Sunday, I flew a full four hours home from Nashville without cracking a book, though I couldn’t help myself from browsing the SkyMall catalogue tucked in seat pocket in front of me. Does that count?

I’d finished my last “real” book during the trip out on Thursday, and read a friend’s book, and my roommate’s magazines during my stay in Nashville. I just couldn’t bring myself to purchase an actual book for the ride home. You see, my loving spouse gave me a Kindle for Christmas, and I’d vowed not to purchase anything but ebooks for the foreseeable future. Between my sister’s library and my own, I wouldn’t have had a problem if sometime between Christmas and the start of this trip, I’d managed to choose a cover to protect my sacred Kindle. Ugh!

As someone who spends practically every otherwise free moment with my “nose in a book,” I was at a loss for how to occupy myself for the full duration of a four-hour flight home. A prolonged internal discussion of my options resulted in my decision to sleep. I indulged in an over-size beer at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge before boarding the plane, and settled in between two tall, quiet-looking men seated near an exit to ensure ample leg room. Thankfully, I was “out” not too long after take-off. If I hadn’t woken up with an insurmountable need to pee when we hit turbulence, I may  have slept until we reached Ontario.

Once we were again free to “move about the cabin,” I headed for the bathroom. Back in my seat, I couldn’t get back to sleep. I looked at the aforementioned SkyMall, and shifted so violently in my seat that I’m surprised that neither of my companions stirred from their naps.

I’ve never used my iPod on a plane – I’m always reading, remember? (And I don’t require music in the background to do so.) That changed on Sunday. I listened to the final two chapters of Barbara Kinslover’s Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, which was almost unbearable – not because of Barbara, but because I was so uncomfortable just listening to a book read aloud. I’m used to driving or running or…something…while I’m listening. Likewise with my music playlist.

I finally gave up. I turned my iPod off, pulled my earbuds out, and returned the tiny device to a pocket in my purse.

Thank Buddha, one of neighbors was alert by then. We exchanged itineraries, and talked about the snow-covered mountains  below. Our plane was continuing on from Ontario to Sacramento, which was the starting point for his trek into the Northern California wilderness in search of somewhere he could “live off the land” fairly easily. He told me that he could see himself sitting on his porch at the end of a long day hunting and foraging, reading while his dinner cooked on the stove inside, or over an open fire.

Thank goodness I’ve developed a habit of throwing out my holy socks and tossing mismatched socks in the trash. On a recent trip through airport security, I pulled off my boots to reveal matching brown socks. The woman ahead of me was not so fortunate. Attired from head to the top of her boots ready to march straight from the plane to the boardroom, I heard her wince when she pulled off her second boot to reveal NOT another black sock, but a striped one with a hole in the toe that fell loosely around her ankle.

From the pictures available online, she’s far from the only one who could really use sock-shoes, at least.

Yesterday, a Los Angeles Times fashion critic,  Booth Moore, wrote that Michelle Obama “has made it OK for smart women to care about what they wear.” Really? I thought the stereotypical be-speckled and flat chested brunette with encyclopedic knowledge and knack for problem solving had died a good death long ago. Apparently not. According to Sherrie Inness, popular culture continues to affirm stereotypical female geek, who is only gorgeous when transformed by the loss of her glasses. Likewise, these smart women – dare I say “heroines”? – still face all manner of sexual harassment, and remain woefully unable to find men who appreciate them.

At least, things have changed in real life.

Although physical beauty and intelligence should evolve together (intelligence is the basis for male status; high status men “get” the beautiful “girls”; both beauty and intelligence are heritable), it’s not yet clear whether or not they do…except on one measure of physical attraction: boobs. Many “real” smart women are remarkably well endowed. A 2003 study found that big-busted women have higher I.Q.s than their less well endowed sisters. More specifically, women with “large” and “extra-large” breasts scored an average of 10 points higher on standard I.Q. tests than women with “extra-small” to “medium” breasts; even women with just medium-sized breasts beat out the smaller breasted women.

I know what’s coming…what about breast implants? There don’t appear to be any studies on the relationship between implant size and intelligence; however, the blogosphere includes testimonies on the wisdom of breast augmentation for ensuring job security and, yes, “catching” that intelligent man!

I am adding to Juli’s most recent post on The “Born to Run” Diet.

I think these Cinnamon Rolls are definitely on that diet.  I don’t run almost everyday and log the miles of hilly terrain I do to come home and enjoy a bowl of oatmeal. Don’t get me wrong, I do eat the oatmeal and the Kashi cereal all the time, but I still do enjoy a good breakfast pastry.

Yesterday, I decided to make homemade Cinnamon Rolls.  I have a hard time spending money on the “quick and easy” items at the grocery store. Sure, buying the refrigerated cinnamon rolls in the tube is easy, and I would have had them completed in the matter of twelve minutes, but I would have had to forgo the 4 hour homemade experience.  Let me tell you, had I been completely prepared, I would  have had them done in 3.5 hours (always make sure there is enough flour in the house before baking).  Anyway, I think I started the process around 4:30 and we had our first taste right out of the oven at around 8:30 last night…great dessert.

The ingredients were simple- flour, sugar, butter, yeast, salt, cinnamon and nuts.  I  let the dough rise for 1.5 hours before rolling it; then once I rolled it and added all the ingredients, I had to let the rolls sit for another 45 minutes to double in size before putting them  in the oven. 30 minutes in the oven and they were ready to go.  I really like the idea of making food from scratch and once you try a recipe,  it becomes easier and easier.  I have a feeling I will be making these again . Oh, the one thing I will do different next time is that I will use cream cheese frosting instead of the powder sugar frosting.

I follow a lot of recipes off www.foodnetwork.com and – like this one ! – they are usually simple, and really good.

I really thought that Terri and I had stumbled upon THE diet: run two marathons a year and eat anything you want!

It seems we’re not the only one onto that dieting plan. Former “butterball” Carrie Luger Slayback wrote in the Los Angeles Times today that “Headed for a size 12 at 36, I wear a size 2 at age 66.” Luger started running when her children were little, slipping outside before dawn so that she’d be back before they woke up; now she runs a marathon a year. She admits “eating is still a big part of my day.”

According to Christopher McDougall, author of Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen, that’s about right. Humans arguably evolved as runners to eat…and not be eaten. Like our ancestors who had to run, we just need to run, period, and the eating will take care of itself, according to coach Eric Orton. McDougall adds that:

ultra runners tend to be amazingly healthy, youthful and – believe it or not – good looking. I couldn’t figure out why, until one runner explained that throughout history, the four basic ingredients for optimal health have been clean air, good food, fresh water and low stress. And that, to a T, describes the daily life of an ultrarunner.

I have a long, full day ahead of me tomorrow, beginning with an early morning run. I wouldn’t be surprised it it ends with a well-earned bowl of ice cream. Mmm…

We are approaching mid January and I could not be more prepared to start off the new year right.

Since the Holidays are over and work has come to almost a halt, I find myself able to take on more than expected.  Last November I was supposed to be a mentor with Team in Training, but the Colorado Springs Team in Training group was smaller than expected and I was busier than expected with holidays, so I postponed my volunteer commitment until the new year.

I had such a great experience last winter/spring training and fundraising with Team in Training that I am excited to be on the mentor side of things.  It is such a good cause to be a part of -  saving lives and being  part of such a great organization.  I mean, I am a huge advocate of running, so to be able to train someone to run a 1/2 marathon or a whole marathon from scratch is simply crazy.  I can’t wait to see the transformation of the participants…I do hope they enjoy running as much as I do.

We had our first meeting for the season last night, it looks like we should have a pretty big group. We signed up ten people.  We still have about 6 more information meetings and a kick off party to go.  My position this season will be focused on helping the runners/walkers fund raise and keeping them on target with their training.  I will be dedicating Tuesday evenings and Saturday mornings for training and I will be coming up with at least one fundraising event for the participants.  In addition to mentoring, I will be taking advantage of the training as well because I will be running the San Diego Marathon in June.

I am looking forward to 2010 knowing I am on the right track…

Side note: Team in Training is an organization that raises money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) through various running/cycling and triathlon events.  The goal is to train individuals to complete a goal, such as a marathon, while fund raising for LLS. Last year I raised $4,000 and ran my very first marathon in San Diego.