Let's Synchronize our Watches

Self-destructing instructions and synchronized watches are standard operating procedure for the good-guy secret agents. Right? At least that's the way I remember it. Synchronized time-pieces were essential to the plan going - well - as planned.

So t was with great amusement this week that I followed the story of the Boeing Starliner's missed rendezvous with the International Space Station. Turns out the spacecraft's watch did not synchronize properly causing the craft to end up in the wrong orbit. Attempts to fix the problem remotely were unsuccessful because the spacecraft was between communication satellites and could not receive the signal. As if that were not embarrassing enough, some reports have informed that had their been a human on board they may have been able to correct the problem. 

Moral of the story? Technology is a wonderful thing .... when it works. Use it wise;y and let's be careful not to discount the value of the human touch and intervention. 

Keep Smiling Keep Moving. 

-Paula 

Do You Know ALGEE?

I spent the day on Saturday, December 7 at the Riddle Hospital Annex with 20 or so others learning about Mental Health First Aid. The 8 hour course helped us identify risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-crisis situations, and where to turn for help. Just as CPR helps you assist an individual having a heart attack, Mental Health First Aid is designed to assist someone experiencing a mental health or substance use-related crisis.

Throughout the day we learned more about risk factors and symptoms of  depression, anxiety, trauma, psychosis and substance use disorders. With each topics, we addressed an action plan for first aid. The mnemonic A-L-G-E-E helps to remember the steps in the plan.

I have a lot to learn still, but here are the three immediate takeaways for me.

1) We have to stop treating suicide as a taboo word. In order to support someone considering suicide we have to be able to ask "Are you thinking about killing yourself?" or "Are you thinking about suicide"? It's a common thought for people with treatable mental health disorder. We need to take the stigma out of our own minds if we have any chance of helping.

2) Mental Health First aid is not about curing or diagnosing a person's mental health. It is recognizing situations and confidently offering support and assistance to someone until professional help is available. In other words, we do not have to have all the answers. We need to be present and calm and reassuring.

3) Be kind. This one sounds really obvious, even easy, but it takes work. Being kind in this context means re-framing often instinctive thoughts and statements from negative to positive. This will become easier as we de-stigmatize and de-mystify mental health disorders.

There was a lot of information packed into 8 hours. We walked away with a 3 year certification, a reference textbook and links to other information and resources. And takeaway #4 is that I have a lot to learn yet. Will I actually be able to help if there is a need? I won't know unless and until faced with a situation. What I do know is that I am better prepared to help now than I was on December 6th. It was a day well spent and I'm going to keep reading and asking questions and engaging in conversations about mental health. This is how I will get the confidence to do make a difference.

I recommend this class to anyone who has time to take it. It's FREE. If you are local to me, the class is offered once a month at Riddle Hospital. Or you can click here and enter your town to find a course near you.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Horses and Chickens and Burros (I think)

New hiker Dave had the honor of carrying Perki. 

And deer and chipmunks and woodpeckers. These are the animals we saw on our hike today. The title of this post is not to suggest I doubt we saw these. It's that I'm not sure if the 'burros' were burros or mules or donkeys. But at least you get the idea.

Today, Dave, Maggi and Julius and I hiked 7 miles on the Horse Shoe Trail from Chantilly Lane to Charlestown Elementary School. This section of the HST is a mixture of urban, trail and pasture hiking. It was a beautiful sunny day. So beautiful that it's hard to believe that tomorrow will be more or less a wash out.

We gave Dave's new hiking shoes and trekking poles a good workout. I'm really proud of my husband for taking on this hike. It was a little ambitious for a newbie hiker on a second outing and he managed it just fine. AND he said that he'd had a good enough time that he would like to go out again.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

The One Where Balloons Can't Fly but The Parade Must go On.

Actually it's not the first time we were in the parade where balloons did not fly. In 2013 we were grounded but not before we were driven to Eakins Oval in an attempt to bring the balloons in just for the TV. Unfortunately, after arriving at the Oval the decision was made to keep the balloons down. We got to watch the parade until it was time for our balloon to enter the parade and then walk around the oval to the Art Museum and onto a bus. The 2013 parade was it's own kind of fun (they all are) but not the kind I wanted to repeat. Last night as I listened to the winds howl realizing before any official announcement that we would not see the Grinch today, I had thoughts that this would be my last parade.

This year, the decision to ground the balloons was made early on. Balloon handlers were given the option of walking the entire route 😀 without a balloon or going home. We stayed. As did almost all of Team GRINCH.

It was wonderful to see our friends, Teresa and Mary who have been with us for quite of few of our 13 years in the parade. Julius came back for a second time (having first walked in the 2010 parade) and Mike and Fitz  were here for their first time as balloon handlers. They will have to come back to experience walking with a balloon. I was thrilled to see all of them.

The entire GRINCH team was enthusiastic and energetic. We made the most of a balloon-less parade.

We entered the parade behind the Portage High School Marching Band from Portage Indiana. Near Gary, Indiana they told us. We learned later that this was their first parade and I have to say they are naturals.

Our view of the Portage High School Marching Band

These kids (I'm old I can call them kids and I also do so with the utmost respect) really got into the spirit of the day. They smiled when some of us pretended to be band members and marched along side them. The tuba players spun around a few times while we were spinning our imaginary balloon. And most fun of all (for them and the crowd) from time to time the ENTIRE band broke formation to spread out and high five the crowd.

If I had to pick one highlight of the parade, it was the Pride of Portage Marching Band. 

So will this be our last? Who stops at number 13 anything? Right? 

We'll see. Registration for 2020 won't open until March. 😎

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 

Keep Moving Keep Smiling

-Paula 

National Take A Hike Day 2019

November 17 is designated as National Take a Hike day. Dave and I spent the morning at Glen Providence Park in Media. I love sharing my hikes with others. I especially loved sharing the time with my husband. 😀

His new (almost a year old) knee made this possible. He even commented that before the knee replacement the switch back downhill from Kirk Lane would have hurt way too much. (Yay for knee replacements)

I walked without my trekking poles today. However, the leaf cover on the trail had me second guessing that decision. It did however prompt a discussion between us about the value of poles when you can't see the rocks underneath the leaves.

And in case that wasn't enough, I demonstrated what happens when one catches a toe on a rock and has no choice but to do down hard, palms first to avoid hitting one's head or worse. I wish I could say I did it on purpose but we all know better. I have a small lump on my knee now and will feel the effects of the fall across my shoulders tomorrow I'm sure.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving (even when the ground comes up to meet you)
-Paula

HAMILTON

Last night (Friday 11/15) my sister Katie, brother in law Jean, sister Christine and I went to see HAMILTON. Never in a million years did I think I would get to see it. The ticket price is beyond my budget AND Dave does not do musicals. However, a few weeks ago when Katie and Jean when with our step mom Diana, Diana entered Katie in a raffle for free ticket and

SHE WON! 

The view from our seats

I wondered if HAMILTON would live up to the hype. No worries there it totally did. We saw the Angelical Company production. They were amazing. The non stop energy in the how is electrifying. The show has a 2 hour and 45 minute run time (including a 15 minute intermission) and it flew by.

I read the book by Ron Chernow that served as the inspiration for Lin Manuel Miranda to create the play. I enjoyed it. The play ..... that is something else. Mr. Miranda is one talented dude. To take a book (albeit a good one) on a historical figure and turn it into a song, rap, and hip hop musical? I didn't think I liked rap or hip hop so I was a worried that would affect my enjoyment of the play.
Obviously not so. In fact, I think I have a new appreciation for these musical styles now.

The raffle that Katie won included a back stage tour. So after the show we joined stage manager Eric Tysinger for our tour. First up was a photo op and chat with some cast members.

Left to right Zoe Jensen (Eliza Schuyler Hamilton), Katie Gentile, Paul Oakley Stovall (George Washington), Christine Elizabeth, Paula Tansey, Edred Utomi (Alexander Hamilton), Jean-Laurent Gentile, Stephanie Umoh (Angelica Schuyler)

These folks went above and beyond to meet and greet us. They were gracious and kind and answered all of our questions. Despite being only 20 minute or so from the conclusion of a high energy performance they were so patient and kind.

The tour was fascinating. We learned about lighting cues and how props are stored and moved in and out of scenes; something that happened seamlessly from the audience point of view. The space is not big. This just added to my awe of the production.

Us and Eric our tour guide

Thank you, thank you, thank you to Katie and Jean for taking me. I am not a theater geek. So perhaps my awe and appreciation of this production is out of proportion to reality. I really don't care though. All that matters is I had a really good time!!

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

An Over Due Visit with the Tin Man

Today was the kind of day that perfectly explains why hiking and walking are my preferred modes of outdoor mobility. If today had been a running day I would have been super tempted to skip. Or (like this time last year) I would have gone out for the fear of falling behind in my training but I would not have enjoyed it even half as much.

I've been on the leading edge of a wave that is bringing a big fat head cold my way. Last night I went to bed feeling that the odds of making it out today was 60-40 against. I left the alarm off and decided to see what happened. I woke up early enough and decided to give it a shot in baby steps. Get dressed. Have some coffee. Fill my water pack. By then the sun was up; the sky was mostly clear; and the remains of Fall were clear and crisp and gorgeous. Despite it being only 26 degrees out I was all in. I'll need a nap later but it is totally worth it. And quite frankly I would likely have needed the nap anyway but now I'll nap with attitude and a smile! :)

I climbed Mount Misery in Valley Forge to where it joins the HorseShoe Trail. I followed the HST to Forge Road before turning around. I stopped to visit Tin Man. I haven't seen Tin Man in over year since I spent so much of last year preparing for OCNJ half. I was pleased to see that someone and brought him support for his injured left leg.

Just before Tin Man's spot on the trail I found this

Travelling west on the Horse Shoe Trail (toward Forge Road) the harp is on the right. Tin Man is on the left about 50 yards or so ahead. I asked Tin Man what this was all about. He's too good a secret keeper though. Instead, we had a pleasant chat about life and why I've been away so long. OK. I talked, he listened, and I knew he approved of my OCNJ Half finish. If you have to ask me how I know this ... well you wouldn't understand even if I told you.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Fall Running on Forbidden Drive

Without an event to train for
I allowed myself to take my phone on this run.
And it was a photo worthy outing. 

If you have been following my ramblings lately --- thank you for that, by the way --- you may recall I made a commitment to keep running. Not a lot but enough to maintain a level of get up and go that let's me run 3-5 miles.

It will be 4 weeks tomorrow since the OCNJ race. it seemed like a good time to run again. So today I tested myself and ran at Forbidden Drive on the Wissakickon creek. With 30 minute walk and 1 minute run intervals I managed 5 miles. Out to Valley Green Inn and back.

I believe there are a number of factors at play here.

I had great company. Maggi ran with me. I warned her at the start that I need to run my own pace and I'm slower than mud. She knows that and she knows she can move off from me and I won't be upset but I felt the need to say it out loud anyway. As it was we stayed together. The fact that she rocked a weight lifting workout two days ago worked in my favor. Thanks Maggi! It's been a long time since we ran together.

The weather was perfect. Low to mid 50s and clear skies. I probably should have brought cover for my ears. The creek and the fall foliage provided a beautiful backdrop to the run.

I am not training for an event. There was no pressure to complete 5 miles at all let alone well. But I succeeded on both counts. We set out to do at least 3 allowing that we could walk the last 2 if need be and ended up run/walking all 5. I won't say it was effortless (I'm not that kind of runner) but it was enjoyable and did not hurt.


Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Half Done What's Next?

Mission accomplished. I trained, I ran, I finished. So what's next? Hiking. Lots and lots of hiking. Mostly trail hiking but some urban hiking too. Some of my favorite hikes are waiting for my return and a ton of new ones are out there too.

I'd like to try to maintain a 3 to 5 mile run/walk fitness as well. Training for the half reminded me that I don't enjoy the distance training. I have to admit, though, that it wasn't all horrible. There were days were the run felt good. Mostly the shorter ones :). So I plan to try to throw in a run/walk effort every few weeks. I'm done with distance running events though. If I do anything after this is will be smaller fun event like Laps for Lexi.

I'm also going to take advantage of the workout room at our office and try to get into a regular routine of body-weight training a time or two a week. As tired as I am after work some days, I always felt good when I went to our group boot camp sessions. And Maggi if you are reading this that was a not so subtle hint. ;) Only if you are so inclined of course.

Besides trying to hold my aging body together for the long haul, the only things left on my fitness bucket list are a trail race and an all day (or multi day) hike/walk. The trail race doesn't have to be anything major or fancy and it could easily be accomplished locally at Tyler Aboretum or Ridley Creek State Park. The all day (or multi-day) hike/walk is something I'd just put together for myself. Finding a friend or two to join me would be icing on that cake.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving.
-Paula

Race Week is Here

It's hard to believe that a journey that began a little more than a year ago with "Just a Mile" is down to one week. The big question right now is "Am I ready". The answer? I have NO IDEA.

If the race were today I'd say there's a very good chance I'd finish it. I just came in from a comfortable 6 miles. However, I last week (8 miles) and the week before that (10 miles) my confidence quotient was pretty low. I can worry about it or I can hope that the mind, body, and spirit stars will all be aligned properly next week. It's likely I'll do some of both this week. In the end analysis, I will be in a place that I love with people that I love so really there is no downside.

My goal is cross the finish line on my feet and hands in the air at any time that keeps me ahead of the sweeper van clearing the streets after the 3 hour and 15 minute cutoff time.

The day before the OCNJ Half, I and many others will be participating in the  10th Annual Laps for Lexi in Sandy Spring, MD.

Lexi Speight was my niece. Laps for Lexi is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization. Proceeds from its events support the endowment of the Lexi Speight Chair in Pediatric Oncology at the Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children's National Medical Center. The Chair, created in 8-year-old Lexi's memory, will fight to identify innovative therapies to treat, and ultimately cure, childhood cancer. Funds raised also support the Lexi Speight Scholarship at Sandy Spring Friends School. The scholarship will make it possible for a student with financial needs to attend Lexi's beloved Lower School at Sandy Spring Friends School.

Laps for Lexi is about $20K short of reaching the $1 million mark. Please consider a donation. http://www.lapsforlexi.org Help other families to Keep Smiling and Keep Moving in the race against cancer.

-Paula

Summer Vacation 2019

1281.3 road miles
5 different baseball teams
4 states
4 time zone changes (back and forth between Eastern and Central)
3 baseball parks
2 airplanes trips (between Philadelphia and Chicago)
1 cruise ship
1 (only) day of rain


These are just a few of the significant stats from vacation 2019.

Here is a link to some photos with commentary.

Abundant research in advance helped us to plan this trip. The research yielded turn by turn directions which were part Google and part information gleaned from websites about the "Lake Michigan Circle Tour", "The Great River Road" and "The Lincoln Highway". We made a conscious effort NOT to use electronic GPS. This resulted is some missed turns and subsequent U-Turns. I would not change a thing. There is a time and a place for GPS. This trip was neither. We had so much fun.

We had gorgeous weather for 8 out of 9 days and even the rainy day wasn't horrible. We needed long pants and jackets for most of  the trip. A welcome change for the weeks of sticky hot weather leading up to it.

In La Crosse, WI I met a hotel clerk who went to college in Erie, PA. He noted our hometown and wanted to know how close we were to Erie. That conversation prompted another hotel patron to chime in that he was originally from a town halfway between Harrisburg and Penn State.

In Chicago at Wrigley Field, we met an usher who is originally from Pottsville, PA. I was wearing a Phillies hat and an Eagles t shirt. She HAD to ask. :) The Eagles shirt prompted a "Philly Philly" shout out as well.

Now we are back home eagerly awaiting what September brings us.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Are thumb holes in sleeves functional or just a fashion statement? Or both?

The sleeve in question
The shadows an
unintentional bonus

Dave returned from his PIAA convention earlier this month with a long sleeved half zipper pullover for me. It's quite comfortable. It's not too heavy so it will come in handy for fall hiking when it's not quite jacket weather. It should also work well on days like today when I anticipate needing protection from climate controlled environments.

I just don't know what to do with the thumb holes. Do they serve a purpose or are they simply a funky fashion thingy**?

If they are a fashion thingy, then I feel like an impostor using them. I don't deliberately try to be out of sync in matters of style but it should be obvious to most that I don't have much sense in that department.

Another dilemma (for me, anyway) is that as a statement of style, I have a vague sense that thumb holes belong to the younger generation. My social anxiety voice tells me that using them will subject me to scrutiny for trying to be something I am not. On the other hand, they've been around long enough that perhaps they are not considered trendy anymore which makes them perfect for me. 😵

As I type this with thumbs through thumb holes, I can see a real advantage to something like this in my office where the air is arctic 24/7/365. It's difficult to use a keyboard or a mouse with gloves on. Yes, I've tried. I've tried finger-less gloves as well and find them uncomfortable. Perhaps a zip up hoodie with thumb holes in the sleeves is the answer! Something to think about.

I welcome your thoughts on function vs fashion. ** And bonus high fives for anyone who can come up with a suitable synonym for THINGY that begins with "F".

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Anxiety and the Perfectionist

I lost my phone yesterday.

If you know me, you know that my phone and I are not in a serious relationship. I use it to phone, text and take photos. The latter being it's main function for me.

I do not do social media or email with it. I rarely connect to the Internet with it. When I do, it's because someone texted me a link and it's too long to copy (by hand) to my iPad or computer browser. And then there was the time I missed a trail marker and got lost on a hike and needed the GPS to find my way back and (it turned out) off someone's private property. 😨 Even then I connected with reluctance.

All that to say that being without it isn't a hardship.

Except for the knot inside that just won't go away.

Since I determined the phone was truly lost I can't stop thinking about how stupid it was to lose it and how losing it will impact others and our budget. The knot inside me is a reminder that my carelessness has caused a problem(s). The list of  'should haves' is endless. You can try to tell me that's it's going to be ok and deep down if I think really hard I might believe you -- for a little while -- and then I'll be back to feeling crummy about it.

I am a perfectionist. It sounds like a good thing but I've come to realize that perfectionism is just a coping mechanism for anxiety. By DSM standards, my anxiety probably doesn't register. However, it is real enough to have an effect on me and I'm willing to bet I am not the only one who deals with this. Which is why I'm sharing this post.

I'm not writing this looking for hugs or support. In fact, that's one of the reasons I almost deleted this post. It's part of the anxiety - worrying what others will think.

I'm writing this and sharing it because "saying" it out loud does help. And I've come to realize that sharing our weaknesses is just as important as sharing our strengths. Not because we want people to tell us "everything will be alright" but because there is strength in being vulnerable.

On the upside, the paralysis that comes from my anxiety about 'screwing up' only lasted an hour or two. The knot is still there reminding me but I did not crawl into a ball and keep myself from enjoying other things. I disabled the service through my provider's website and went out to enjoy a wonderful evening watching Lancaster Youth Productions presentation of  "The Prince and the Pauper" at Garden Spot Village.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Heniz Refuge Revisited

Back in April I ran at Heinz Refuge. There are no mile markers and I don't wear a watch. But I know that the funny looking figure 8 that covers most of the refuge is approximately 8 miles. There is also a smaller loop of 4. In April and again today I did the 8. Today, I did it in reverse since thanks to new maps posted through out the refuge it was not hard to find the reverse route. The forward one I can do from memory.

What a difference a season makes!! One section, referred to as the woodland trail on the map, is a peaceful alternative to the main path in fall, winter, and early Spring. In summer - especially after the hard rains we had on Thursday - it's sneaker sucking bog. The photo is of my shoe at the end of the run. By then it had dried out considerably and at least two layers of mud had been knocked off by footfalls.

The less popular trails of the refuge are also quite overgrown in summer. The grasses grab your ankles for a significant tripping hazard. I did mange to stay upright.

All in all I had a lot of fun!!

I was however, bone tired at the end. I'm going to chalk that up (hopefully) to something other than I'm old and shouldn't be doing this. I did have a long hard work week and yesterday I felt like I was getting a summer cold. I didn't feel it this morning but I'm using it as an excuse for the fatigue anyway. 😏

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Gorgeous day; great company; a completed run

I wasn't expecting much out of today' run. My last run 10 Miles on the Perkiomen Trail two was weeks ago. I had planned to take the week after that off. However, this week was a bit of a surprise. I must have hugged one too many people at Dad's memorial service last Saturday and brought a head cold home with me. 

I went to work on Monday but it was all downhill from there. On Tuesday, I called out sick. Actually, I texted out sick. I do not take sick days often. My job is such that I can usually muddle through with a head cold and since I have my own office within the office I can keep the germs to myself. But the head ache and congestion was significant this time so I stayed home, medicated at regular intervals, watched Star trek Voyager reruns and slept a lot. By Wednesday, I wasn't 100% (I got winded walking up the steps) but I was well enough to go back to work. 

Each day since ha been a little bit better but this morning I was still coughing a little and clearing my throat regularly. But I needed to try. So off I went to try 7 miles at Forbidden Drive. 

There are not enough great words to describe how beautiful the weather is today. It was a horribly rainy and humid week and this week coming up is going to be hot and humid. But today... was a Mary Poppins kind of day - practically perfect in every way. :) 

Perki and I met David at the Northwestern Avenue entrance to Forbidden Drive and began the trek to mile 3.5. I new from the first interval that it was going to be a rough one. I could not breath properly at all. I slogged along on the run interval and struggled to get my breathing under control. :( 

I hadn't seen David for a few weeks and was looking forward to hearing about his Ragnar Race from the first week in June. He and 11 others ran relay legs totaling 200 miles through Ontario, Canada. They went through Toronto and ended up at Niagara Falls. David ran three legs - including the final leg which was challenging enough to earn him TWO medals. 

We passed the 2.5 marker and I was really struggling to breath. By the way, my legs were fine I just couldn't seem to get enough oxygen. I decided that I would evaluate at mile 3 and possibly turn around there instead of 3.5. Not sure how - because trust me my eyes were glued to the side of the trail looking for the marker - but we missed the 3. Suddenly we were at the 3.5 and I let out a WOO HOO that was way louder and more enthusiastic than was necessary. I think I scared the runner coming toward us. 

I fist bumped the marker and we headed back. I need to take three extra walk breaks on the way back but I managed to finish all 7 miles. 

Keep Smiling and Keep Moving

-Paula

Celebration of Life

That’s what we did on Saturday 6/15 for my dad. As it was happening, I thought it went well. The remembrances shared by my sister Kt, my daughter Emma & niece Amanda, dad’s best friend Marco, my step brother Allan, and a colleague of Dad’s from the clinic where he translated Spanish and English for the patients served well to help all of us transition to the next phase of our lives without him. As the event wore on - and even back at my step mom’s house with immediate family -I felt… well to tell the truth I’m not sure what I felt. I thought I was fine but looking back I was probably just in a haze.

I listened to the thoughts and experiences that were shared about my Dad. I remember all the events that were referenced but not the feelings that apparently went with them. The insights (if that’s the right word) shared by my sister, my daughter, and my niece were new to me. I was seeing my dad through their eyes and realized I didn’t have the same experience or depth of feeling that they did.

Don’t misunderstand this. I do not have any regrets. My dad and I had a relationship and – although like everyone else I wish he was still here – I don’t feel like there are missed opportunities with him. I have many memories and I loved him ….. but in a significantly different way than others did. The sadness I’m feeling right now comes from worrying that I’m bad or weird or wrong because I can’t speak eloquently (or at all) about our relationship.

I'm working hard to forgive myself for being who I am. It's hard and it sucks.

Keep moving and keep smiling (and hope no one notices)
-Paula

10 Miles

Today Perki and I ran on the Perkiomen Trail from the access at the Collegeville Diner. I decided to split the 10 miles into 4 pieces. We went due North from the 5.5 mile marker for 2.5 and back and then headed due South for 2.5 and back.

I used the 1 min 30 second run; 30 second walk intervals.

Miles 1-6 were very good. No aches or pains. Not even my hip flexor or my toe. I was a pretty happy runner.

At mile 7 I felt a stitch in my right side. That usually means I'm running too hard or I'm slouching. I wasn't running too hard. My breathing was perfect. So I focused on form and relieved the stitch.

By mile 8 though I started to feel achy in my shoulder, hip and knee. All on my right side. Not sore, just achy.The kind of joint ache us old people feel when it's gonna rain. By the last mile, the shoulder ache went away but my right leg from hip down to and including my foot was tingly in a very uncomfortable way. Again not sore, and not really numb but kind of like it was buzzing. It didn't feel any better during the walk breaks so I kept up the intervals and just counted down the miles.

At the end of the run, I stretched and the buzzing went away. I guess if it happens again, I'll stop and stretch??? (Insert eye roll with shaking head here).

During the last 3 miles, I did start to wonder if maybe I'm not going to make 13.1. Maybe I should reset my expectations to the 10 mile run instead of the Half Marathon at OCNJ. However, by the time I was done and heading home, I decided that I still have more than 3 months to prepare so it's too early to make that call.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Making Adjustments

I've been running 4 minute intervals - 3 run and 1 walk. In the past week, I started to look into whether less walk more run would make a difference. I have to admit that this all started because I let the little voice (LV) in my head get the upper hand. LV is the part of me that says if it's worth doing it must be perfect. LV keeps whispering, "you need to do more than just finish". LV is a competitive twit. 😜  If I'm going to succeed at this half marathon thing I have to ignore LV. Having said that LV did kinda do me a favor in this case because here is what I discovered. 

Jeff Galloway, the recognized mastermind behind the run/walk movement has been encouraging folks to lower their walk times. The rationale being that the benefit of the walk break is realized in the first 30 seconds. "Our heart rates come down, the running muscles relax, we catch our breaths, and the fatigue melts away." After 30 seconds we slow down more than is necessary and as a result have to run faster to maintain pace. Ok that made sense to me pretty easily. 

He also encourages cutting the run portion by the same ratio. That part I wasn't so sure about until I did the math. If I cut my run session in half as well, bringing my interval to 1 min 30 sec run / 30 sec walk, then in the same 4 minute period I'd still be doing 3 min/1 min but in two stages. The extra shorter walk breaks means less fatigue so I won't slow down as much at the end of the miles or at the end of my run intervals. Less fatigue means better mental and physical energy. It's worth a try. 

I've also re-worked my weekly long run schedule-- again! While increasing miles slowly but steadily worked in the early stages (lower miles) it does not appear to be working as well anymore. Now that I've hit 10 miles I need to allow more time to recover. I may want to defy getting older but facts are facts. I need drop back weeks more often now. The pressure to keep up or increase the distance now is weighing on me physically and mentally. I'd like to get to 13 before we go on vacation at the end of August and there is plenty of time to do that conservatively. So from here on out I'm alternating long miles (10+) with shorter mileage weeks. 

Keep Smiling Keep Moving

-Paula 

Listen to the Grass Grow and Other Things My Dad Taught Me.

Me and Dad 1978. I am 18; he is 43. 

My Dad died on May 8, 2019. He had cancer. He beat it down during the spring, summer and fall of 2018. It came back metastasized to his bones in February 2019. He tried to beat it down again but it was stronger than the available treatments. On Saturday, May 4th, he was taken to the emergency room. He had made it clear what he didn't want at the end of his life so the decision to start hospice was - not easy by any means - but it was easy to accept it as the right decision. It was clearly what he wanted.

The two weeks since he first went to the ER have been a chaotic time. My brain keeps wandering on a path all its own. Thoughts of my dad, my family, the past, the future. The lack of control for someone that thrives on order along with my ever-present self-doubt have made for some roller coaster adventures. I'm not a fan of roller coasters. :( 

On the up side, my wandering brain has landed often on what we'd call Dad-isms. There are many. I'll share two with you here. 

Listen to the Grass Grow. I'm sure he said it more than once but the memory it conjures up for me is our family and my cousins traipsing around Longwood Gardens. Between us at that time there were 12 children (6 of us and 6 of them) with about 9 years between oldest and youngest. 12 kids and 4 grownups. Even if my grandmother was there the odds were still in the kids favor. So here we are at Longwood Gardens. It was as hot as "you know where". Quite frankly I think it may have been hotter. We were cranky. Dad told us that if we could be very quiet we might be able to hear the grass grow. I don't think that bought him a lengthy peace - although we were just young enough to stop and think about it for a minute or two. "Listen to the Grass Grow" has stuck with me all these years. It comes back to me often. As I've gotten older, it has come to remind me of the need to stop, think and listen; to experience what's going on around you. 

Read with 'Spression. I don't know if dad actually said 'spression or if that came from one of us kids butchering the right word. Either way it was Dad who encouraged us to read with expression. To this day I (and likely all my brothers and sisters) can recite A.A. Milne's Poem -Disobedience by heart and with appropriate inflection and giving the various speaking parts the appropriate tone. All because Dad has us read it out loud with 'spression. It's the expression that makes a difference and makes it stick. Whenever I have to give a presentation at work (which is often) I think of the words I want to use and how I can say them with 'spression. Trust me, it works. I'm pretty sure I read to myself with 'spression too. :) 

I told you earlier that the last two weeks have brought me chaos of the brain. Staying focused on anything has been really hard. It's not that my thoughts are bad ones. I just wish I could have them when I want to and not all willy-nilly as they have been. I've been wondering if taking up meditation would help. Maybe if I practiced meditation I could get stronger in the head. I'm still not sure if I'll try it or not but it occurred to me the other day that my impression of meditation is that it is a lot like listening the the grass grow. 

Keep Smiling Keep Moving (and listen to the grass grow)

-Paula 

It's All About Finishing

Sun and blue skies at the start and throughout the run

I think all my running adventures are about finishing and this one was no different. Ok, it was a little bit different. Two weeks ago my family's lives were turned upside down and sideways when my Dad went into the hospital. 4 days later he died. The details are better left to another post but as you can imagine it's been a whirlwind of ups and downs since then. I know I'm not the only one whose daily routine took a flying leap.

Most of my training runs also flew the coop. I've run twice in the last two weeks. Neither was great and the last one - this past Wednesday - was downright painful. So today was about making it through the planned 9 miles. Even if I had to walk the last bit I was going to go the distance. 

I was grateful once again to have David running with me. He is faster on a normal day but understands the value of a long slow run. I've taken on the role of his long run 'pacer'. 😎 😉Running with David (or any one else for that matter) forces me to think about my pace and keep it even and slow. Since I know David (and most everyone else for that matter) is naturally faster than me - after warning him once again I'm going slow and I'm ok if he wants to take off - I have to force myself to stay slow. It's too easy when running with others to let them set the pace.

I was comfortable through about 7 miles before I felt the lead come back into my legs. So I focused on my breathing and reminded myself I only had to run 3 minutes at a time. As we entered the final 3/4 mile David asked if I was ok and did I think I wanted an extra walk break. I declined. We were so close I was determined to power through. We did and we finished.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving (and listen to the grass grow)
-Paula

Bitten by a Bite Valve

Today I ran 8 miles along Forbidden Drive.

Although not all my outings here have been great, I think it might be impossible not to feel peaceful here. And that makes up for any less than great outing. However, today was a very good one. The weather was perfect. Cloudy and the temperature were between 56-58 the entire time. I did get spritzed on in my last mile but even that could not dampen (pun intended) my spirits.

I started with a plan to go out 4 and back 4 because (in case you are not paying attention or have had too many mint juleps in anticipation of today's horse race) 4+4=8. 😋 As I passed Valley Green Inn I had the thought to go out to 4 1/2  before turning around. This would allow me to stop at the covered bridge and walk back from there to my car from there.

The extra distance out would mean a significant (relative to the rest of the path) uphill on my return. I decided it was worth it since the walk portion would allow me to take a few photos like the one at the top of this post. So I went for it.

As I mentioned earlier I had a great time today. I felt comfortable and on the return trip I even felt strong. On a scale between "plodding along" and "smooth running" I felt farther away from "plodding along" than I can ever remember. For about 5 seconds (if even that) I toyed with the idea of continuing my run/walk interval from the bridge back to my car. But I knew if I did that and failed, it would ruin my feel good. So I stuck to walking the mile back to the car.

And now for the 'are you kidding me' moment of the day. Early on in my miles, I released the bite valve on my hydration pack before getting my tongue out of the way. I didn't think it was possible but the valve 'bit' my tongue. I doubt I could do that again on purpose. Oh and yes it hurt!

Keep Smiling and Keep Moving
-Paula

A Blog Post in Three Parts with a Preface

Preface:

I have a lot to say today. But it's all jumbled up in my head. This may be an overly long or rambling post. Or it might be both. You have been warned. Proceed at your discretion. I think the appeal of any blog is in the eye of the writer. We write for ourselves. It's a variation on 'thinking out loud'; a practice that helps sort things out or focus. When a reader indicates enjoyment or benefit from a blog it's a pleasant, inspiring bonus. I've said it here before -- for me, knowing that someone is reading, keeps me smiling and moving. Ok without further ado .......

Part I: Halfway There

Six months ago, give or take a week, I began the effort to train for the Ocean City New Jersey Half Marathon. I started with 1 mile. Today I ran 7 miles for the second time. I have six months to go to event day (9/29/19). 7 miles puts me just past halfway to the full event distance. Thinking about that makes me shake my head.... a lot.

The good news, is that for the most part it's all good news at this point. There have been ups and downs but more ups. I'm a little ahead of where I originally thought I'd be. Although being super mindful of my wonky right hip flexor, I am not injured. And I'm not afraid of the next 6 months.

I am hyper (perhaps obsessively so) aware that I have some time management issues in August, but I'm not afraid. If all goes well, I'll be at 12 miles before our vacation at the end of August. I may have to run on Fridays or Sundays to manage it but I will. It is not likely that I will get any running in while on vacation but I hope to put in some miles the Friday before we leave and resume the day after we return.

Vacation means 9 days off. And a month to go before the event. I'm expecting that my current schedule of 3 weeks on; one week off will help with that. I haven't felt any ill effects with the week off. In fact, my return after each break feels good. The difference is that my week 'off' right now involves hiking and other non-running activities. Vacation won't have that. I still think I'll be fine.

I'm halfway there!!!

Part II: Today's Run

To sum it up in word, I choose WOW! After last week, I was concerned. Last week I bonked. I felt pretty bad mentally and physically most of the day after. And immediately after, my right foot hurt like ..... well it hurt a lot.

It was fine during the run but on the drive home it started to ache. The pain got so bad I had to do Lamaze breathing to relax enough to drive. When I got out of the car I could barely walk to the front door of our house. Elevation and rounds of icing followed by some heating pad action later relieved the pain. But I had no idea why it did that. I still don't know. However, it is my right side which is where my wonky hip flexor is. And my hip was bothering me during part of the run last week.

So this week, I increased my efforts to stretch and strengthen the hip, glutes and core. I had been doing exercises after work/evenings. And admittedly I missed some days. Well this week I did not miss any days and I added two sessions during each workday by escaping to the handicap restroom stall at work. *Shug* Whatever works. I won't do planks in there but there is enough room to do a variety of standing exercises and squats.

Today I ran pain free across all body parts. :)

I also made sure I hydrated better today. Although last week to this week is like comparing an apple to an orange. While last week was warm, sunny and dry; today was cool, cloudy and damp.  Still, I think making sure I sipped at EVERY walk break helped. I also had a piece of toast and peanut butter before leaving the house and had 2 fig newtons during a walk break at the 4 mile mark. I don't know that I needed all of that but it didn't' hurt.

Today I ran well. No bonking. I felt strong with no breakdowns physically or mentally. I had a little left in the tank at the end even.

No photos during training runs but I had my phone with me so after, Perki and I walked back to the stone ruins along the River Trail and took this. It was cloudy the entire length of my run - from Valley Forge Visitor Center parking lot across Sullivan's Bridge and then out and back along the River Trail. The sun was breaking through just as we finished.

Part III: Final Thoughts (for today) 

For the last couple of weeks I've tried to convert from my interval counts to my pace and time. This involves taking the number of intervals multiplying by 4 adding in leftover minutes from any unfinished interval and dividing by the number of miles entering the resulting pace into a calculator to see how long it might take me to do the half marathon. The numbers have not been encouraging. For the past three weeks, I've been consistently coming out at a 3 hour half marathon. This is depressing on multiple points.

Point 1 - the race has a 3 hour and 15 minute time limit. That is not a lot of wiggle room. :(
Point 2 - it's frustrating to think that I've gotten that much slower. It's been a few years since I ran a half but back then I was finishing well ahead of 3 hours. Yeah I know it's been a few years but still ...
Point 2a - if I'm honest, this race is about more than just running in a place that I love and doing the 10th anniversary race of an event that I really like. It's also about turning 60 at the end of the year and needing to prove to myself that I can still do this. I don't need to break any records but getting swept off the course for taking too long would be pretty devastating. I know it's a 'first world problem' and I'll survive but ....

Well the good news is (I told you it was all good news when I started this, remember?) it turns out I was figuring things wrong. In the brain fog after finishing my runs I was making a big mistake in counting my intervals. When the timer reads 86 for example, that means the last complete interval was 87 not 85 (it counts down not up). Anyway, I re-worked last weeks numbers and my short runs this week and then did the math (correctly this time) on today's run and I'm pretty solidly in the  2:45 half marathon time. Whew!! Lots of wiggle and break down room.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

Good Company and Lessons Learned

Sunrise over the trail just before starting out at 8 am

Today I had the pleasure of running with David Magill. I have not seen him in awhile. We last ran together over 6 years ago when I was training for the Bob Potts Marathon and I think we were on the trail together for New Year's Day breakfast miles since then. I was thrilled to see him.

David told me he was hoping to do 4 miles today. I told him I was doing 7 using 1 min walk; 3 min run. I reminded him that Perkis meetups were strictly for the purpose of giving folks (especially me) a reason to come out. And that as happy as I was to see him I did not expect him to hang back with me. David began my intervals with me and not too far into it he commented that at this pace and intervals he could probably manage 7. And - spoiler alert - he did. :)

I have to admit to being a little concerned when he said that. As much as I knew I would enjoy spending time on the trail with him, I was concerned that I might unintentionally push my pace. Instead I made a conscious effort to keep to my pace. David, being the Philly Fit alum that he is, understood.

David stuck with me anyway and I am very glad he did. He literally talked me through this run. At one point he asked, if he was talking too much. Absolutely not!!!! If anything I wasn't holding up my end but he understood that too. Paying attention to him and what he had to say really helped the miles fly by. I was paying attention and it was a fun moment when he realized I truly was.

That's not to say the morning was all smooth sailing. For two days I've been debating which way to run on the trail. Starting at the 5.5 marker I could go south to the 2 and back or north to the 9 and back. By last night I had all but talked myself out of going south because in my head that is "downhill" which meant coming "uphill" on the way back. That's so not true but a lot of this running thing is in one's head. So I decided to go north.

Ok great except I forgot where the mile markers are. I had it in my head that the 9 was at the Graterford Trail head across from the Perkiomen Fire Company. But that's the 8 mile marker. Continuing on to the 9 meant going down the hill and around the bend at Graterford Prison and what goes down must come back up again on the return trip. THAT really got into my head at first. But as I said to David at that point, I have to do hills in order to beat the Longport Bridge so here we go. I just wasn't expecting that today. I'm happy to say I powered back up the hill on the return and was left feeling very proud. My memories of that hill are far worse than it actually was.

I was cruising more or less (as much as one can say 'cruising' at my pace) until 5.5 miles into the planned 7 miles. And that's when I hit a wall. It only took a minute or two to understand why my skin felt clammy and my head felt like my brain was bubbling. I don't know if that's how other people feel when they run out of steam but I've come to recognize that feeling when I do. At first I was confused because two weeks ago I finished 7 miles just fine. What was wrong now?

It's not so much what's wrong but what's different. The only change I can think of is that it was 20 degrees warmer at the start than it was 2 weeks ago and got warmer as the run went on. I thought I was drinking enough but apparently I was not. I told David I needed an extra walk break. That and a water seemed to help. I still felt dizzy when the run was over but I did finish. I should probably eat before going out in the warmer weather as well. No harm done. This is what training runs are for.

I enjoyed the company and the scenery of today's run. I would have managed on my own but it was a treat not having to do that. Also going 'north' from Collegeville, the trail meanders more. There are also more noticeable ups and downs but all in all a very pleasant stretch. We saw lots of runners, walker and cyclists today. Some we saw in both directions. It was a great day to be out.

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula

7 miles

Today I ran 7 miles. Despite going to bed last night bone tired after a full day of teaching and nail biter of a basketball game. And waking up this morning to the alarm (it's never a good sign if I sleep all the way to the alarm) and with annoying post nasal drip. TMI for some perhaps but those are the facts. So, all that being said, I attribute the success of today's run to the following:

• Intervals - 1 minute walk: 3 minute run; 
• Seeing good friends at the start; 
• The sun; 
• Completing both weekday short runs this week; and 
• Some good old fashioned stubbornness

Saturday is my preferred running day but since I worked yesterday it fell to today. I love teaching new member class (even on Saturday) but being "on" all day is exhausting for someone with introvert tendencies. Add to that the head cold I've been battling all week, I wasn't sure when I went to bed last night that I was going to go out at all. But I set the alarm anyway. As mentioned above, I slept through to the alarm and was not thrilled when it went off. But I knew in my heart that if I did not go out and at least try I would not be happy. I thought maybe I would try 5 and see how I felt.

Photo credit to Maggi
Left to right: Julius, Me, Russ and Maggi

When I arrived at the Schuylkill River Trailhead at Betzwood, so did Maggi, Russ and Julius. They prefer to run on Sunday and I was excited at the chance to see them. We are not on the same schedule nor the same pace so we all knew we'd do our own thing but starting out together was a real mood booster for me. The bright and abundant sunshine was icing on the cake.

I headed West on the trail for a very short distance to hit up the 21.5 mile marker then turned to head East. I was still debating my distance for the day. I'll spare you those details but in the end I realized that I should go 3.5 miles out as intended and if, on the way back, I should decide I didn't have it in me to run the whole 7 then I would walk back. On any given day - including race day - there might not be enough in the tank and 7 miles is 7 miles, right?

My wonky heart, which has been well behaved of late, did remind me several times on the first half of today's run to slow down. I think the fatigue and the snot factor was the difference.

It was chilly today (31 at the start) but by the time I turned around I was warm and was even able to take my gloves off. There was a very light wind today blowing West to East. On the turn around there was a wind chill but I was still comfortable.

I felt like I was running faster on the return trip. I didn't check my intervals at the turn around so I have no way of knowing for certain. But it doesn't matter. Just that the fact that I felt that good on the return trip is exciting. I more or less chased my shadow on the return trip; a pleasant distraction.

In the end, I finished all 7 miles. At the 20.5 mile marker on the way back, I felt good enough that I gave up the intervals and ran the rest of the way. :) :) I'm very excited and ridiculously proud of this.

Keep Smiling and Keep Moving
- Paula

A Great Day for a Run

As I carefully made my way across ice and snow between mile 2.5 and 4 on the Perkiomen Trail a cyclist passed me going the other direction and called out "A great day for a run". In the blur of his passing I did not see the look on his face and his tone of voice provided no clue as to his intention. And my reply (to myself) was "I think It's a better day for a run than a bike ride". The number of cyclists on the trail today was impressive given the conditions. I said to Sara later that it was almost like they were saying "It's MARCH darn-it. I WILL ride." 😜

It was however a great day for a run --- for me. I don't know if it was the sun; the new shoes; running on a section of the trail that I haven't been to in very long time; or the intervals I chose; but I had a really good run today. And this was despite having missed my weekday runs again. I am just so weather fatigued that I could not go out on Tuesday or Thursday this week. I know I can't keep that up and expect success. With more sunlight and (hopefully) less cold I should be able to bring myself to do better moving forward.

Today, I met Sara and Elaine at Lower Perkiomen Valley Park. We all had our own plans and after good mornings all around, we set off to accomplish them. Spoiler alert: after checking in again before going home, it appears we all were successful.

Over the course of this week, I came to realize that 1 minute walks followed by 1.5 mile runs is not working for me right now. I wanted to do it because on race day I'd like to run between water stops and the water stops are about 1.5 miles apart for OCNJ Half. I want to do that because for my best half ever that was my strategy. I felt so good after that race. BUT as I pondered this since last week's run, I came to terms with the fact that I was in a different place for that race. First, it was at 7 or 8 years ago and came in the fall during training for a marathon. I was in much better race shape. If I work hard these next 6.5 months, I might get to the point where I could run between water stops. But right now, I need to dial it back.

So for today, I chose 1 minute walk; 3 minute run intervals. It worked very well. I never once looked at my timer anxious for the run interval to be over; I finished with enough left over to charge up the hill that brings the trail from creek level to the parking lot at the end.

As I started out on the paved portion of the trail between mile 1 and 2, I tried to focus on my form during the run portions. I tend to hunch over when I get tired. In fact, the shoulders up; hunching over probably makes me tire faster. So I worked on keeping my shoulders down and torso mostly upright. This worked until I hit mile 2.5. The trail is higher up here; it's mostly dirt and gravel and the hillside provides enough shade that the snow doesn't melt. The cross country skiers love it. It provided me with a running challenge. The snow was about 2 -3 inches thick. It was a combination of hard and soft that made for very uneven footing. There were some tire ruts (from park ranger vehicles or rogue ATV riders I could not tell) but these were narrow. To run in them required actual one foot in front of the other strides.

My form during this section suffered. I realized many times that my shoulders were bunched and I was leaning forward. I couldn't manage to keep from falling and maintain my form at the same time. I'm generally adept at multi tasking but the task of trying to stay upright on uneven terrain while running apparently uses up more brain cells than other tasks. I think the adventure of it though helped the miles to feel like they flew by today. Even though the conditions did force me to slow down.

If this were race day, at six miles I have just come up to the start of the boardwalk at St. James Place. The Longport Bridge is behind me. 😊I still have to get past Brown's Donuts with out going into sugar shock from the smell but I think I got this!

Keep smiling keep moving
-Paula

There is a reason training should be a regular thing

Today I finished 6 miles. It was my first attempt at 6 and all in all it was acceptable. However, it could have (should have?) been better. I failed February. I should have run two 5 milers and one 6 miler in February. I barely managed one 5. I skipped a lot of weekday runs. The weather and a general feeling of meh prevailed. The 'schedule' called for 6 today. I debated backtracking to 5 but in the end decided it was better to try the 6 and accept 5 if I had to. So the good news is I finished 6.

Since I ran on the streets of Media - no mile markers - I set up a timing scheme for one minute walks and 25 minute runs. Do the math and 13 minute miles would mean 3 cycles of this. In the end I finished in 3 cycles plus 1.5 minutes. Sounds good, right?

On paper, maybe.  Reality is that I went out too fast to start which provided the cushion for extra walk breaks in the last 2 miles. I need to work on that. This race is NOT about any time goals. It is about finishing but I also want to finish comfortably both physically and mentally. Today was barely either.

On the one hand I can argue (with myself) that I'm 2 miles ahead of where I thought I'd be when I first thought about a schedule for the race. However, on the other hand the reason why I'm 2 miles ahead is because for the first 4 months I was much more consistent with my training. So I need to get back to that and catch up.

First, I must get new shoes. I have my monthly coupon from the Running Place so this week I will go get new running shoes.

Penance

Penance can be defined as voluntary self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance for having done wrong.

It wasn't wrong to walk yesterday's planned run, But I decided I needed to try again today.

Since yesterday's planned run was on the Valley Forge loop I decided to use the Media 5 Mile course. It's the closest thing I have to the hills of Valley Forge without having to drive anywhere. I'm pleased to say I finished but it was anything but pretty.

The Media 5 mile course is 2 - 2.5 mile circuits. I have a hard time calling them loops since they are made up of turns on town streets. My plan was to walk from my house to 8th and Jackson and begin my timer. 1 minute walk then continue down Jackson; left on 6th; right on Edegmont; left on 2nd; right on Haldeman; right on Front to Media Elementary is one mile. Another minute walk then left on Monroe; right on State; right on West; right on Front; left on Olive to mile 2 at 2nd and Olive; 1 minute walk then continue on Olive to right on 8th to Jackson. (Repeat).

I walked again at 8th and Jackson partly because I didn't want to calculate and remember where mile 3 and 4 where AND (probably more so) it was a reward for conquering 8th street. I have a love/hate relationship going on with that hill. It loves to torment me and I hate it. I do it because "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger"? And I'm not dead................yet :)

I'm happy and proud to say I finished the miles, but as I mentioned earlier it was not pretty. Very quickly into the run I felt like I was being choked by my base layer. I've been wearing it all winter and it's been fine. Why today? The temperature was warmer than yesterday but still cold enough to need it. I spent most of the first mile being annoyed by it. I finally decided it was because I signed up for the race on Friday. It wasn't the shirt that was bothering me it was the realization that I'm really doing this. The 'pressure' to actually do it is real now. The shirt collar bothered me a little less after I self talked myself out of being bothered by it. The self talk went along the lines of "I do not want to fail at this event but it's ok if I do and oh by the way at 5 miles you are more than 1/3 of the way to race day total".

Other self talk today included "No one expects you to be fast except you sometimes, so knock it off". This while I was trudging up one of the hills and wondering if I should even bother trying to run up the hill.

I have to admit to cheating on the walk breaks a today. After the first one they were more like 1.5 minutes. And I did bail on the second attempt up the hill on Front Street between West and the Bar Association building. But, and this is a HUGE but, --- I nailed 8th Street ---- twice!! And for that I thank anyone who is reading this. I really wanted to be able to tell you that I did.

Keep smiling and keep moving
-Paula

When Mother Nature Hurts .... You Walk

Not my footprints. 

Or at least I do. When I left the house this morning it was 12 degrees. When I arrived at Valley Forge it was 13 and the hourly forecast predicted 20 by the time I completed my (planned) 5 mile run around the loop. I had 4 layers on top; 2 on the bottom; and 2 on my hands and head. I forgot to goop up my face or bring a scarf. Either one would have made a difference.

I set out planning to stick to 1 minute walk and finish the mile running. It became evident very quickly that that was not going to work. I switched to 1 minute walk; 2 minute run. Still it was too cold. As slow as I am, the running portion put just enough breeze on my face that it hurt. It really hurt. I tried shrugging my face into the collar of my outer layer. I tried covering my face with my gloved hands. Neither was conducive to successful running (especially on top of the snow). The gloved hands on my face also fogged up my sunglasses.

I thought about turning around and going home. I was less than a half mile into the distance. Instead I decided to walk the loop. I know that sounds like an even worse idea, right? Walking would leave me out doors longer. But the sun was shining and while walking I could keep my face covered by my hands or collar as needed.

I can not begin to describe how beautiful it was. I took some photos but truly they do not do the views justice. At one point the sun was at just the right angle and brightness that the snow sparkled. It looked like someone had dropped little diamonds across my path.

And did I mention it was cold? I found myself looking out across the fields wondering how cold was

Mt Joy in the distance with Wayne's Woods at my back

it in that Winter of 1777. It was cold enough in 2019 to keep most (sane) people off the trail that early. I had the loop to myself for the first hour. It was so quiet I could hear the train whistle in the distance in between the squishing of the snow under my feet.

I'm sorry that I didn't run as planned. Yet I would have missed all the details if I had been concentrating on running. The "slow-build-up-the-miles-plan" I'm on leaves plenty of wiggle room for days like this and I'm especially grateful for that today.

Hot Air Balloons, Pygmy Goats, and Ice -- lots of ice

Today Sara M. and I completed Map 2 of the Horse Shoe Trail. Put another way, we have now completed 28 of the 140 miles that stretch from Valley Forge in Chester County, PA to the Stony Mountain on the Appalachian Trail in Dauphin County, PA. We started in March 2018. In sections we completed 23 miles from Valley Forge to French Creek Elementary. Illness and vacations set in then and we just got back on track this weekend.

I know I speak for both of us when I say although we are determined to finish the trail together, it never has to be just the two of us. We welcome company anytime. Our H-ST hikes as well as other hiking, biking and running adventures are posted in a Facebook group called Perkis People. Feel free to join the group to stay on top of the events. If you are not a Facebook user, message me with your email address and I'll find a way to let you know what we are up to.

Now onto this week's hike. After the flash freezing of the last weekend the temps in our area came close to 60 on Wednesday and we had plummeted back to the 20s for Saturday morning. It's all about the layers. We met at St. Peter's Village and carpooled back to French Creek Elementary School.

Before leaving St. Peter's though we spotted this hot air balloon. It was impossible to miss. It came so

close to us I could hear and see the flames. I can't imagine how cold the balloonist must have been. Later that day I saw posts from others, miles away, who saw this as well. It was quite the colorful spectacle against the clear blue early morning skies.

This was a short(ish) hike only 5 miles. We (I) need to work back some hiking strength and endurance. Plus the cold - I wasn't sure how comfortable or uncomfortable it was going to be. It took my hands the longest time to warm up but once we got moving it wasn't too bad.

We took a detour around the French creek Crossing. The crossing is significant and beautiful. However, I've never made it across completely dry. In this weather - and with a rain swollen creek rushing to get by - it was smarter to go around. The detour is all road walking but pleasant enough with the scenery. Sara and I hadn't been out together in 2 weeks so we spent the time catching up as well.

Back on dirt the dirt trail, most of today's hike was spent in Warwick County Park. We had a few small water crossings, most of them with ice formations like these. Some of them looked as if they were frozen in mid jump. This photo will give you a taste of what we saw but the real life view was much more spectacular.

As the trail approached the picnic area of the park, we took a detour to the park rest rooms and then returned to the woods to continue the hike. After signing the trail register, we climbed the hill and re-entered the park picnic area from above where we stopped at the rest rooms. We went over the Bridge to Nowhere - a transplanted Fink Truss pedestrian bridge - and on through the park. Just before crossing Rt 23 (for the third time this morning because of the creek detour) there is a road section down the aptly - and perhaps lazily - named "Hill Road". It was here that we met a family of goats. The 'kids' had no interest

in us. Mom, Dad and Uncle Howard however - just to the right of the photo - watch us closely.

From here it was just a half mile to the trail that would lead us away from the Horse Shoe Trail and back to the parking lot where we left one car. We put on jackets, stowed our gear, and wandered into town to the bakery for hot drinks.

We had hoped to play some pinball in the arcade there but it wasn't opening until noon. I didn't want to hang around for an hour and a half and Sara was ok with that.

I posted some of our photos to the Horse-Shoe Trail Facebook group. Another group members shared that 'back in the day' at the end of the school year 3rd graders would hike the trail to what would be their school for 4th grade. The 4th grade school building is not the school district maintenance building. What a great share. Social Media has it's benefits. :)

Keep Smiling Keep Moving
-Paula