Bike MS 2013

I'm now officially registered for the MS 2013 ride. There was a $20 registration fee up to yesterday, October 4. I figured $20 is not a huge budget buster if I don't make it. Yet it's enough to make me feel committed. Plus now I'll get emails and stuff which will keep the ride on my radar.

It's (appropriately) Helen's fault. She sent me a FB email yesterday telling me about the low registration and the deadline. Maggi sent me an email too but I saw Helen's message first. Here is why I think this is appropriately her fault...

On April 1st 2008, I registered for the Philadelphia Marathon. At the time of registration I had a vague idea that I could do it but no real plan for it. I figured signing up - and telling people I was going to do it - would keep me motivated and I'd have to find a way to make it happen.

Shortly after registering for the marathon, I began searching the Internet looking for training programs and I stumbled upon Helen's blog. She talked about her running group and included a link. I checked out the webpage and signed up. And I finished the Philadelphia Marathon for the first time in November 2008. Around mile 18 or so of the marathon, Helen passed me going the other way - on her back to Philly from Manuyunk. I was struggling. She stopped and ran with me for a few yards - in the opposite direction from where she was headed - giving me encouraging words. I don't remember what she said. It was her action that spoke volumes.

So here I am 5 years later jumping a little blindly into the unknown with a little push from a friend. A good luck omen, perhaps.

I'm still on the fence about registering for Bob Potts Marathon for May 2013. Yet I've gone ahead and committed to a 100 mile bike ride for September 2013?????????

Really? What could I be thinking?

I've finished 4 marathons. One would think that decision should be easier to make.

I've not done more than 20 miles on a bike and I'm leery of riding in packs. So yeah, go ahead sign up! Makes sense, right?

Maybe it's the unknown that gives me courage to sign up anyway? Ignorance is bliss?

Whatever it is, I'm in. http://bikepae.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR?fr_id=20331&pg=entry

Everybody Loves a Parade

It's that time of year again. The time when I try to recruit folks to volunteer at the Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade. I am particularly excited this year because I was invited to make application as a balloon captain. I'd love to be captain of a ballon with lots of my friends and family as balloon handlers.

If you want to join Dave and I in our 6th year with the parade click here to apply. Be sure to choose the team "Perkis People" so that we will be assigned together. BTW, the volunteers pulling the Turkey in the picture at the top of the application page is our group! :)

So what does being a balloon handler mean? What are the job requirements?

#1) Be able to walk the 1.8 mile parade route



#2) Be able to hold a rope

#3) Be able to smile, wave (not with the rope holding hand obviously) and say "Happy Thanksgiving" about a thousand times. Ok slight exaggeration... maybe



#4 Be willing to wear a

"one size does not fit all" jumpsuit

and a goofy hat. Note the many times over
rolled up cuffs and sleeves!



#5 Make people smile!
Ok the kid on the right probably
wanted to be home sleeping 
but the rest of his family was into it.

Really it doesn't take much more than that. There are some circumstantial issues though. If you are responsible for cooking the turkey for your family OR must travel a distance to eat the turkey you probably do not want to volunteer.

Volunteers must be at the start hotel (usually the Crowne Plaza around 18th and Market) at 6:00 a.m. Coffee, juice and breakfast finger foods are provided. Once the group has assembled everyone moves down to the street to assist with balloon inflation if needed and recieve last minute instructions.

This part of the day involves a lot of
standing or sitting around and waiting.



There is a lot of activity down on the street and if you are lucky you can get your photo taken withe a celebrity or two.

Once the parade starts you simply keep smling and keep moving until the end. Well, sort of anyway. The parade stops for commercials. What you see on TV is the whole parade. So during stoppage time balloon handlers throw candy to the crowd and - if time and space permit - spin the balloon. This is a real crowd pleaser.


One of my favorite things during  stoppage is to let a child hold the end of my rope. Their eyes bug out and they break into a huge smile. It's awesome.

Once the balloon passes the grandstands in front of the Art Museum (and the TV cameras) the handlers carry the balloon to the deflation area and help with that. Deflation often involves flopping on the balloon until all the air is out.

After that, buses take you back to another hotel - usually the Sheraton - wear you return your costume and take a boxed lunch which you can eat there or carry out with you.

Your finish time for the day can be as early as 10 AM or as late as 1 PM hence the warning about cooking and travel. It all depends on where in the parade your balloon is. It's a long day but sooooo much fun! The smiles on the kids faces - and the adults too for that matter - is awesome.

So if you are interested we'd love to work with you. Click here to apply and be sure to choose the team Perkis People. Let me know if you sign up!

Ocean City Half Marathon

I highly recommend this race. Small, great location, and well supported. I registered early for $50 and I know someone who registered two days ago for $60. We recieved a long sleeve tech tee, a visor and a medal for crossing the finish line. My enjoyment was definitely enhanced by the presence of friends but it is a great race even if I had been there alone.

11 of us met for dinner on Saturday evening. We chose Italian. That seemed appropriate for a pre- race meal. We had 6 pm reservations which allowed for some down time back at the hotel before sleep. Both  Dave and I had been up early on Saturday (5:30) - he for hockey, me for Phillyfit - so we were lights out by 9:30. The hotel had breakfast at 6 which was perfect. We had a leisurely breakfast and at 7:30 drove to OC for the 9 am start. Very civilized.

I Think I Can

That will be my mantra for the Ocean City Half. 

By now you know my primary goals are to have fun and finish. Having fun is a given. 9 running buddies will be there. Whenever two more of us do a race together a good time is had by all. We will meet before, try to meet after, and as this race is two out and back segments there are two chances for high fives during the race. Add to that, one of the group will be completing his first half marathon! 

I'm confident I will finish. The course is walker friendly so I'm good to go. 

So what about a time goal? I'd like to beat last year's time (2:37:19). It was during this race last year that my hip flexor injury began - although I didn't know that's what it was then - and I struggled a lot. I think I can do better. 

Can I do better than the RNR race two weeks ago? (2:24:24). I THINK I CAN!. I'm going to just tell myself that throughout the race and see what happens. There are a few things that could make a negative difference and derail the train...

First - the bridge. The OC Half is flat with the exception of the bridge and it's a fairly large exception. A long slow climb then down the other side into Longport. Turn around and long slow climb again followed by down the other side back into Ocean City. I've done more hill work this summer than any of my previous training seasons. I have to believe that will help. I also have to relax, run tall and do my best on the upside and make up time on the downside. Managing the first 5 miles of the race - which includes the bridge - is going to be very important. I think I can do that.

Second - the weather. The forecast is waffling daily, in some cases more frequently, between high humidity and rain. I'd prefer the rain. I've had some of my best runs in the rain. Rain will make the boardwalk portion of the race slippery but I'd rather watch my step then have to force myself through the heaviness of 90+% humidity at the shore. 

Third - my health. For the past ten days I've been up and down with some gunk. Not sure if it's allergies, a cold or flu- likely a bit of all three. One day I feel fine, the next I feel like someone ran me over with a truck. I had a good run on Tuesday. Good pace, easy, relaxed. Later that evening I went downhill. So now I'm going to spend any " down" time until race day (Sunday) resting, getting lots of fluids and repeating " I think I can". 

Stay tuned and I'll let you know if I did.:)

A Blast From the Past

A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away .... or at least it seems that way....

I was an unabashed, crazy, really quite fanatical Flyers fan. My sister KT recently sent this photo to me via email. The editorial comment to the right is written by KT. It appears from my words that I was somewhat of an obnoxious Flyers freak too! .. Oh well..



It says
Flyer are number one.
We beat the NHL
We beat the Russians
Stanley cup 74 & 75
Was there a 76?
I was born in 1959
I am 16 now!
I will live to be a hundred
I love hockey
I'm short

The photo was taken in early 1976. We had just had the wallpaper removed from the hallway of our home in and before painting or papering over it our parents allowed us to write on the wall for posterity? It's interesting to see what was important or relevant to us back then. 36 years later and I'm still short and I'm still convinced I'll live to be 100. I don't sign my name that way anymore and I'm not a Flyers fan anymore but this picture brings back some memories.

It was my dad who got me interested. In 1972 I started watching games with him. I don't think he knew what a monster he was creating. Before Kate Smith could finish singing I was hooked. I really did sign my name that way and rarely missed a game .....on TV. I remember being shocked to learnthat my parents had season tickets in the early years and gave them up! I could give you almost any stat on the players and the game. I was a real dork about it.

My dad got tickets to game 7 (vs. the Rangers) of the 1974 series. He had a student at the time who was a Philly cop and couldn't use them. Game 6 was pure torture for me. With the Flyers up 3 games to 2 they could get to the finals with a win but a win meant I wouldn't get to go to game 7. Talk about conflicted. As it was there was a game 7 and I was in heaven. Almost for real too.. you couldn't much higher than our seats in the Spectrum (remember the Spectrum?) without hanging on the rafters. Dave Schultz had a hat trick and of course they won!

Fast forward to May 19, 1974. The Flyers needed one more win to win the Stanley Cup. Also, on May 19, 1974 my mother's cousin Donald was being ordained a priest. Seriously? I remember being dressed for church - which back then meant itchy dress, stockings and dress shoes...UGH! - watching the game. It was time to go and the game wasn't over yet! I listened to Gene Hart call the game winner squished between mom and dad on the front seat bench of the family station wagon. I'm really not sure what would have happened had the game not ended before we got to church. More than one relative told me though that Grandmom was really glad that I did not show up with a transitor radio (remember those?) in my ear.

I'm not really a fan anymore. After high school life got more complicated and I didn't have as much time to watch games and I got away from it. Now, my husband is a huge Canucks fan and has a real fan-hate for the Flyers. I am Switzerland when it comes to ice hockey, now. And this season it may not matter to anyone anyway... but I digress.

The only remnant now of my crazy hockey infatuation is this ......

Wannamakers (remember Wannamakers?) sold them after the first Stanley Cup. I wore it everywhere. Even proudly in my high school graduation photo (1977). No, I will not post that picture here.

This post is full of things that don't exist anymore. I'm still here though and I'm going to live to be 100. :)