Avoiding Death on the way to work.

Yesterday was a rest day.. But I'm not going to let that keep me from posting!  In fact, I didn't do anything exercise related at all (even ate two candy bars), so I'm not even going to post about that!

I was driving in to work today, which is about a 25 minute drive (depending on drivers suddenly deciding we all need to slow down to go around a turn on Route 50), going around 17 miles I think.   When I saw this:

Reflections

This is my 300th post on this blog.

Today I'm not going to be posting about running, and not just because yesterday was a Rest Day.  With it being a mile stone, it seems a good time to stop and look at life in general.  I heard a line on the radio (NPR, in "In Which Way, a War Photographer in his Element") this morning that got my mind working.

"You are rich because you have the power to determine your future, and most of the world doesn't."

We are rich.  We have so many choices in life, that even when most of us think life is hard, that we are at a "low" point - we are so much richer than most people in the world.  We have choices and opportunities that most people in the world can't imagine.  We raise our families and can put our kids in programs that our grandparents couldn't have envisioned if they tried.  It isn't just these things that make us rich either.  There are so many things beyond money.

Me?  When I look at the world in general, I have to admit - I am wealthy beyond all imagining.

[caption id="attachment_2560" align="aligncenter" width="490"] My amazing family - last weekend in front of the white house.[/caption]

To run or not to run..

[caption id="attachment_2525" align="aligncenter" width="490"] Don't we look tired?[/caption]

Normally that seems like a stupid question - obviously, you run.   But more and more science is looking at recovery times, and even how less running can lead to more weight loss, more speed, and all sorts of other benefits.

Competitor.com did an article on how less running can improve your marathon time.

Runner's world published a book on how to run less and get faster.

But then there are articles on active.com that talk about how running when you are fatigued (also known as recovery runs) can help you build more endurance.

It seems that just like everything else in running, there are conflicting ideas.

New Years Resolutions

[caption id="attachment_1986" align="alignright" width="193"] 2291 Calories right here - Xmas dinner. That doesn't count seconds. Or More wine. Or dessert.[/caption]

I have always found News Years resolutions to be a bit... Annoying.  In one way, it makes an immense amount of sense.  What better time to have a "new beginning"  - than an actual new beginning?  Personally, I see some major flaws in that idea.  We have just finished our most gluttonous time of the year.  We (on average) in America put on two pounds of weight - on Christmas day alone.  This doesn't even consider all the Christmas Cookies (Yum! Peanut Butter Blossoms!), The Candy, the office parties or left overs. Then 7 days later, we move into New Years Eve.  Another day dedicated to gluttony.  We eat more horrible-for-us food, and wash it down with an endless supply of alcohol.   Do you realize how many calories are in most alcoholic drinks?  Miller Lite is on the low side of the calorie count (And taste count) at 96 calories per can.  Sierra Nevada Pale Ale moves up to 175, and Pit of Guinness (mind you all the previous drinks have only been 12 oz) is 210 Calories!  Wine, isn't much better with a 6 oz glass of Merlot (147 calories), Riesling ( 144 Calories) or Champagne (159 for 6 oz) still leave you with high calorie counts in a several hour party.

I actually didn't mean for this post to turn into a calorie-intake posting!  Woops!

Friday's Ramblings... Or why its always nice to give clean pants to a neighbor's child after a dog throws up on them.

So its friday.. I draaaaaaaaaagged myself out of bed this morning (notice all the "a"s?  It was that hard to do..) and headed out to run.  The first thing I have to say, is I have completely forgotten how to dress to run in 40 degree weather.  I was nice and comfy when I got outside and started my run... At the end I went in the house and couldn't get the layers off fast enough!  But I get ahead of myself...

I decided I was going to hold myself back today and take it easy. I have been doing my runs at about the "maximum" speed that I could - for the distance I was running.. I haven't been planning on doing this, it's just that my speed that I ran an easy 4 to 5 mile run last year, is now my "maximum I can handle for 2.5 miles.."  It occured to me that running consistently at that level is probably not the smoothest of moves I could make, my goal today was for a 10 minute mile.  So with that goal in mind, I headed out of the door.

I started my Runtastic.