Derby Day

Yesterday the 141th running of the Kentucky Derby, and Derby Day calls for Man-O-Wars. Had to teach two local bartenders in Manchester, Vermont how to make them. Neither place had basil (don't get me started), so we made do with mint. Delish. P.S. Way to go American Pharoah!  Cheers.

Just why does the NFL have tax-exempt status?

Top of my head blew off today when I learned that the NFL does not pay any taxes because it is a non-profit! http://tinyurl.com/nmlxaht #NFL501c

Fitbit Junkie

I've joined the Fitbit train, and man, oh man, am I enjoying the ride. Who knew? I've used RunKeeper to track my workouts the past couple of years, and while I love it, there is something addictive about tracking how much I move during the day, and reviewing the data and charts I get with my Fitbit. 

There are several product options, and after doing my usual exhaustive research and reading loads of reviews, I decided to go with the Fitbit One model. 

As you can see from the product info above, this tiny device measures steps taken, calories burned, distance traveled, stairs climbed, hours slept and the quality of sleep. It syncs via bluetooth to your smartphone or computer. I have an iphone 4, and the direct sync does not work with it - it needs a 4s or newer model, but this is not an issue as I can easily sync via my computer and I can view the data on my iphone 4 via a free app. 

Here for example is a screen shot of  my phone from yesterday. 

I love the hours slept and the quality of sleep function, and you can track additional information like the amount of water you drink (I do), and the food you eat (I do not).

I bought the device on July 1, and have set my daily target at 10,000 steps, which is about 5 miles, and I've hit or exceeded that target every day but two.

Does it work? It depends on the type of person you are. If like me, when you see that you are short of your target for the day and that gets you moving, then yes, this is for you. If you have friends who are kicking your butt and you are determined to catch up and maybe even pass them, then this is for you. If however you have a tendency to beat yourself up for failing at yet one more thing, then maybe this is not for you. Another bit of advice is to track what you actually walk in a day, and then set a realistic target depending on your baseline. Do not set yourself up to fail.

Yes, comparison is the thief of happiness, but in this case it gets me moving just so I can catch up to a friend who seems to be a jack rabbit.

A fad? Maybe. But 2 weeks later, I've walked or run about 84 miles. Not bad. Not bad at all. And a bonus side effect is that the kitchen has never been so clean! Yup, that is what I'm doing right before going to bed to get in those extra steps.

Are you a fitbitter? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and if you'd like a little friendly competition, let's be fitbit friends.

World Cup Semi-Finals

Update #3: The game between ‪#‎ARG‬ and ‪#‎NED‬ was boring until we got to the penalty kicks. They could have simply skipped the 120 mins of play and gone straight to the kicks. That said, fantastic saves by goalie Romero had me in tears. Di Maria you were missed today. ‪#‎WorldCup‬

Update #2: So excited for the ‪#‎ARG‬ v ‪#‎NED‬ game that I barely got any sleep last night. Jet lagged and ready for the game. Go Argentina! ‪#‎WorldCup‬

Update #1: Germany came to play today, and looked good doing it. It was painful to watch Brazil get spanked. #WorldCup2014

So, if like me you are a football fan, today and tomorrow are going to be all about the FIFA World Cup semi-final games. Today Germany plays Brazil and tomorrow Argentina plays Holland. Should be such great games. Ole. Ole. Ole. Ole.

TGIF

So much going on today. Started the day with a run and encountered deer and bunnies. Love that.

Today also had two fantastic semi-final games for World Cup 2014.  The noon game was Germany versus France. Germany advances.

The 4pm game between Brazil and Colombia was a battle til the end. Brazil advances.

And then Hurricane Arthur stopped by for a visit.

Arthur was preceded by an amazing lightning and thunderstorm last night. As much as 7 inches of rain before it is all done.

And here in the US we are celebrating Independence Day.

What a day. Hope you had a good one too.

Stephen Colbert: USA @ FIFA 2014

Big day for the USA today. Stephen is hilarious, and explains all the options in which the USA advances.



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World Cup Fever

With the rest of the world, I've got World Cup fever. So fun that the games are at a reasonable times for those of us on the East coast of the US.

We don't have Cable, so am watching the games on Univision. In Spanish. No I do not speak Spanish, but I just might be able to after the games are done. 

Belmont Stakes

Yesterday was a big day California Chrome fans, and being in Vegas I has to place a bet or two on the ponies.

Being from Boston, we were of course rooting for Wicked Strong. It was a fun heart pounding minute or so, but non of my bets paid off, as a matter of fact Cali Chrome tied with Wicked Strong for fourth place. But hey, nothing ventured nothing gained. And those Man-O-War drinks later helped cool my vocal chords that were strained during the race.

Wordless Wednesday: 04.22.14

Click image to enlarge. For more Wordless Wednesday, click here.

Wild Card Weekend

This is wildcard weekend baby! Guess it only excites you if you are a football fan. American football that is - not soccer. There are four win-or-go-home games this weekend.

Both games yesterday were good and went down to the wire. The Colts and the Saints advance, while the Eagles and the Chiefs hit the hot tub.

I watch with tea and cookies. Not typical football fare, but keeps me warm and happy.

Red Sox Nation

'Tis a beautiful day in the Red Sox Nation neighborhood. Congrats Sox! Great game. First world series win at home since 1918? Priceless.

I ❤ Beantown

The Boston Book Festival.

The Red Sox beat the Tigers at Fenway to advance to the World Series.

The Head of the Charles.

All the same weekend in Boston. And the icing on the cake is that we are having glorious Fall weather as well. 

Go. Bruins. Go.

So fun to walk around and mingle with all the fans.

What next?

I do not think I've had a restful night's sleep since last Tuesday, when I heard the news that my brother would need surgery. Friday, the day of his surgery was an especially stressful day. Even after the great news that everything went well, it took about twelve hours to let it really sink in and relax. His recovery has been going well. So I started to breathe easier.

Yesterday was the running of the Boston Marathon. An event I love. I cry each and every time a Kenyan runner crosses the finish line. Especially if they are in first place. I take out my huge Kenyan flag and cheer them on. This year was special in that I am a runner too. Was feeling great. Kenyan men finished 2nd, 5th and 7th. The women did even better finishing 1st and 3rd, and you know I was crying when Rita Jeptoo broke that tape. What a smart race she ran.

Then it was time to root for the rest of the field. Not elite runners maybe, but inspiring to me. Each and every one. And then two explosions rocked Boston near the finish line, and all I could do was watch in shock and horror. We had actually planned on being at the finish line yesterday, and if events had worked out as planned would have been. The news started to roll in about the dead and injured. The numbers kept climbing. And just like that I can barely breathe again.

I feel the Kenyan in me

I am a runner people! I never thought I would say that. Ever.

I simply did not understand why sane people would choose to run. Bike, hike, swim, anything else made sense. But run? Not for this girl. Even though I come from a country known for its marathon runners. Even though I take out my huge Kenyan flag and wave it at the Boston Marathon. Even though I weep every time a Kenyan wins and they play the national anthem. I could not imagine running myself.

Then last January (2012), I decided to train for a 5K. Why? I simply do not know. Must have been a low sugar moment, and it seemed like a good idea. But then, I proceeded to tell everyone I knew that I was going to do it. Why oh why did I do that? Why could this "brilliant" idea not go the way of all resolutions, and fade away into that dark night? But I was committed. So now what?

First I needed a plan. I'm a planner when it comes to these kinds of things, so I spent some time online and looked at various Couch to 5K plans, and finally settled on this one. It was a free podcast, so what did I have to lose right? Now I'm no couch potato, so figured the first couple of weeks would be a breeze. Nope. Turns out you use different muscles for running than walking. And I was running at a pace slower than I could walk. Why was I doing this again?

Still, I decided to stick with it, and by week 2 was tired of the podcast - the same old music - so paid for the app version of the program. I could spend a couple of bucks to listen to my music surely. And I loved it. I got the coaching, plus a variety of music each workout.

Since things were going so well, I decided to sign up for and run a 5K in February. This after never running anywhere but on a treadmill. And you might recall that I started running for the first time ever less than a month prior. I do things like this. You can read about that event here.

Then started what I call my ouchy phase. In my case, the ouch was caused by painful shin splints. I tried everything - Rested/Iced/Compress/Elevate/Stretch. Nothing seemed to work. A few minutes after I started running, I was in so much pain I could not continue. Then I discovered this idea, and you know what? It actually works. I do it now before every run. I was on the road to recovery. I gave myself lots of rest, and decided to try to ease back into running. But I had lost momentum, and with it all motivation.

Fast forward to this year (2013). The goal of running a 5K was back. What is it about January that does this to me? Again, I made this public proclamation, and then decided to not run the entire month of January. Yes. I do things like this. But you know what? The break, both physical and mental, was good for me. I started back up in February with Week 4 of the plan, and last week completed my 5K101 training. I took my time and repeated weeks as needed. Also before big jumps in running times, I slowly built my confidence by doing the supplemental training weeks. For two weeks now I have been running for stretches of 30 minutes at a time. For the first time in my life.

What now? I continue to run three time a week, and am working on increasing my pace and distance, and transitioning to outdoor runs. And training for my next 5K race.

It has been a tough journey. There are days I do not feel like I can run. Or even want to run. And I am reminded of this: It is never a question of can you, but will you? And I lace up. And do it. Last week, I was heard to whimper, "I can do it, I can do it" to myself. And I did. When I don't feel I can take another step, I reach deep down and feel the Kenyan in me. I have experienced that elusive thing called a runner's high, and holy moly it is so good.

I do think that running is now a part of my life. I love the physical workout, and the mental clearing of the cache. It turns out that running is more mental than physical for me. Don't get me wrong, it is really tough physically too, but the harder part for me is the mental part. I have spent a lot of time with that gremlin in my head, and it has been illuminating. Yes, there are moments that I still feel like a hippo running to a watering hole, but there are entire stretches when I feel like a springbok. And that is what keeps me lacing up my shoes.

Girl, 11, scores in fight against Philadelphia Archdiocese to play football

This just makes me happy. Go. Caroline. Go.



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Quote the Ravens Nevermore

Did you watch the Superbowl last night? What a bizarre game. Here are some of my random musings:

• 34-31 Ravens. What a game.
• San Francisco 49ers were hugely favored over the Baltimore Ravens, and maybe that is why the game commentators had nothing to say the first half when the Ravens stomped all over the 49ers. Comments like "the Baltimore Quarterback". Seriously? Did you mean Joe Flacco? I want a word count - how many times was Flacco mentioned as opposed to Kaepernick?
• And the power outage. At the Super Bowl! Really? C'mon fess up, who was the 49er fan who pulled that plug?
• And speaking of the the game commentators - did they really add any value to the game? Comments like "They will go for a safety", and "No they won't" do not help. Oh, and my personal fave: "Hidden deep in the rule book is a rule about a free kick". Huh? I need to find someone who really understands the game to stream while I watch. Hey John Madden are you live streaming these days?
• Did love the fact that the coaches of the two teams were brothers. Anyone else think they look identical?
• Was rooting for the Ravens - AFC after all - and loved texting with my family during the game. Such trash talk from the 49ers side of the family.
• Jennifer Hudson and Alicia Keys rocked it. Beyonce, while fun to look at, not so much.
• And the ads. Some of the most creative I've seen in ages.
• A well deserved win for the Ravens, and the game MVP, yeah that Ravens QB Joe Flacco.

Dusting off the SLR

I remember my excitement when I first upgraded my digi point and shoot to a digi SLR. What a thrill. I could use my old 35 mm lenses - the ones I used with my film body. Still have that body and need to find a good home for it. But I digress. Took my SLR and lenses everywhere. Got a new bag to help schlep all that gear. You know the drill.

Then along came camera phones. Mine happens to be an iphone, though I am not an Apple groupie. In the year or so since I got the phone, my habits changed. Almost all the photos, and all the vidoes I took were with that phone. It has a pretty good lens for its size, and I always had it with me. So dang portable. So what's the problem again?

Nothing, except that while shooting for Project Life this month, it has been rather amusing to see my little iphone attached to my huge tripod - the one I used to use for my SLR. So last week decided to dust off my trusty SLR and really get to know my most recent lens acquisition (and by recent I mean 5 years ago). So popped on my 50 mm and started playing. And holy smokes, doesn't it blow my iphone away.

Now I'm not surprised by that really. Just something I had forgotten. And this lens. I love this lens. 

All the photos in this post were taken last weekend. On the slopes with my nephew Luke. Check out the versatility of the inexpensive 50 mm lens. I am back in love. (Click on photos to enlarge).

Is your SLR collecting dust?

Monday morning

So the Patriots did not win last night, and there is no joy in mudville today. The Super Bowl will be 49ers against the Ravens. Should a be a good game. Staying true to the AFC, I guess I'll be rooting for the Ravens. But it is just not the same when your team is not in it. Should however be a lot less stressful to watch.

Martin Luther King Jr day here in the US. Could there be a better day to think about one's dreams?

A winter advisory for later today, so we are expecting snow. Not too much. Just the right amount to make everything pretty, and to play in.

I have not been impressed with the last two books I finished, so am in search of one that entralls me.

Week 7 of my Astronomy class is up. On tap this week? Galaxies. Billions and billions.

Happy Monday. Hope it is a great one.

NFL Payoffs

I am wrung out. Watched four really great football games this past weekend. Am not used to sitting in front of the TV for that many hours. But what a fantastic way to do it. Not all the teams I was rooting for made it, but my home team, the New England Patriots did. Happy about that.

I need to take a breather while I get ready for the championship games next week. Go Pats. Bring on the birds.