Meet my Dad

This is my Dad. He's going to turn 78 years old in few weeks. I remember when I was small I used to be really embarrassed because he was (is) super tall...6ft5". At 5ft10" I turned out small for the family genes...His hobbies: rather I should say "hobby", his Harley Davidson. He totes around the country on that thing, going on cross country trips (like 3000 miles) at least twice a year. He's also secretary of his local Harley club. He works out at Gold's Gym three times a week and he tries to watch his diet and eat correctly. He has been sober for twenty years now and I couldn't be more proud of him for that. He volunteers at a couple of shelters and does sponsoring for other AA members. With that fact that he is in such fantastic shape and looking so young at almost 80 makes ME feel young too. I'm pretty sure I lucked out on the gene pool because I don't seem to have any of the problems my Mom had (epilepsy, thrombophlebitis, et al...). My brother and sister and I sometimes joke about his motorcycle fixation, because he truly talks about it 24/7. But then I listen to other elders talk about all their medical problems and complaints and I think that we're all very lucky to not have to worry about all of that just yet. Or ever. My Dad's solution for old age is just simply not to look in the mirror. That way he doesn't have to look at the wrinkles or not recognise that person, but rather just feel how he feels which is actually quite young.

I don't celebrate Thanksgiving over here in Italy, so I don't have to worry about eating too much! But I'll go out on a run now and think about y'all eating turkey and pumpkin pie! Happy Thanksgiving :-))

The Freelance Life

This morning I had made an appointment with a new running client. I hadn't met him yet and I wanted to see his running form so agreed on a workout date which was this morning at 8.45. This meant that I had to get Evan up a few minutes earlier and bring him to day care on the bike so that I could make it to my appointment on time. He usually has the same two teachers, Rosa and Simona, but for some reason Simona has been at home for about a week and today Rosa was at some sort of workshop. When we got to school we were greeted by a substitute. Alone. twenty-five kids and one lady sub. Evan didn't want to be left there. First he started clinging to me and I was getting impatient and kept looking at my watch because I was going to be late. Then he started really crying and telling me not to leave him there...that he wanted to come with me. The sub was of no help, and she didn't try to get involved in helping me out and I really can't blame her. On the other hand I kept thinking of Evan feeling abandoned into a situation that he didn't feel comfortable in. So I turned around, put his jacket back on him and went back home. Actually, we went together and followed the new clients' workout together on the bike.
When I got back home after an hour I didn't get anything done. The THREE articles that I have deadlines on? Still sitting there. The presentation I have next tuesday? Not even halfway through. The four day trip down south next week that I have to do another presentation for? Umm...I hope to get my act together FAST. Still four more workout schedules to write before tomorrow.
I did get to listen to an old children's Christmas song album and sing along to the songs. I also got to eat pasta with parmesan cheese and make chocolate chip cookies. I read three books, including a Winnie the Pooh super slouth, and while he did his afternoon gymnastics class I was able to slip out and go for a fifty minute run. Now I sit here at midnight ready to start writing.
I hope...

Yoga 101

Last month I saw that they had opened up a new Yoga center on the other side of town offering a free introductory lesson. I'd tried Yoga about five years ago at another gym but it left me totally uninspired. I'm not sure why. Part of it was the teacher's fault. She was sort of overweight, though flexible. Not that I need someone like the guy on the left, but it does (at least for me) have to be someone I want to aspire to be like - yogawise. The new Yoga center is really spacious and has morning classes. The introductory lesson was the (male) teacher and just two students, me and another lady. It was really hard! We did really simple poses, but then he made us hold them for a minute and I had to really concentrate on what I was doing. The best part for me was that I held my concentration the whole time on exactly what I was doing - as opposed to making up the shopping list in my head while I did some sort of casual stretch. So I've commited to ten lessons and I'm hoping this will keep me a little more flexible than I've been in the last few years.

Asking for help

Even though I train other people, I don't like to train myself. I don't give myself "time" and if push comes to shove with all of my work and family commitments I tend to let all my training go. But when I signed up for the Roma-Ostia half marathon last month (which will be in february) and convinced six of my runner girlfriends to come too, we all turned it into the "get over the holiday without gaining weight and becoming super fit" Challenge. So I decided to hire a coach. And it just so happens that I live with one of THE best running coaches around - lucky me! I've had Piero train me in other occasions, but we haven't done it for a few years now so I thought it was time! The first thing he had me do was a VO2Max test. Yikes! It came out...well, it came out just the way it was supposed to since this is me now: my anaerobic theshold is (only) 5'30"/km and my MAS is 5'10"/km - Um, really really slow but I guess I'll be happy to see those numbers improve in the following months.
While I was warming up to do the test on the track I noticed that an Adidas truck had pulled up and was setting up a tent. I don't know if they do this in the States, but in Italy all the shoe companies (because they copy one another and no one has an original idea...) come out to the running tracks periodically and let you test the shoes out by doing a workout with them. I was their first customer of the day. I decided to try these ones...Adistar something. Anyway, I didn't like them. They felt duckish, too big in the forefoot. Plus I could hear one of my feet slapping (remember the gimp leg) and that wasn't good. On the positive side they were lightweight and I still felt good control.

Asking fo help

Even though I train other people, I don't like to train myself. I don't give myself "time" and if push comes to shove with all of my work and family commitments I tend to let all my training go. But when I signed up for the Roma-Ostia half marathon last month (which will be in february) and convinced six of my runner girlfriends to come too, we all turned it into the "get over the holiday without gaining weight and becoming super fit" Challenge. So I decided to hire a coach. And it just so happens that I live with one of THE best running coaches around - lucky me! I've had Piero train me in other occasions, but we haven't done it for a few years now so I thought it was time! The first thing he had me do was a VO2Max test. Yikes! It came out...well, it came out just the way it was supposed to since this is me now: my anaerobic theshold is (only) 5'30"/km and my MAS is 5'10"/km - Um, really really slow but I guess I'll be happy to see those numbers improve in the following months.
While I was warming up to do the test on the track I noticed that an Adidas truck had pulled up and was setting up a tent. I don't know if they do this in the states, but in Italy all the shoe companies (because they copy one another and no one has an original idea...) come out to the running tracks periodically and let you test the shoes out by doing a workout with them. I was their first customer of the day. I decided to try these ones...Adistar something. Anyway, I didn't like them. They felt duckish, too big in the forefoot. Plus I could hear one of my feet slapping (remember the gimp leg) and that wasn't good. One the good side they were lightweight and felt still in good control. Anyway, I'll stick to my Nikes.

The good and the bad on the Menopause

The good news: My hot flashes have subsided. I went from having about twenty of really intense sweat sessions per day to nothing about two weeks ago.

The bad news: My metabolism has come to a screeching halt. Totaly stopped. I can't afford to eat anything over 1500 cals a day without it sitting on my thighs. I'm going to assume this is due to my hormones working themselves out and everything will readjust in time. How much time is to be seen...

The good news: I'm running at a good pace again without having to stop or feel weak. Yesterday I ran 20' + 10 x (30" fast/1'30" slow) + 20' and never had to stop or feel tired. Again I think this is the hormonal situation working in the right direction.

I wanted to go running again today but I caught a 24hr bug that put me in the bathroom all night...don't ask. I rest today and see how I feel tomorrow.