Virtual Running Date No. 1

Did you ever hear the phrase "Don't reinvent the wheel"? Or how about "steal from success; learn from mistakes"? Well, one of my favorite bloggers, Jenna, over at Eat.Live.Run. does a post series called "Virtual Coffee Date". While that seem more accessible to many readers, I have also heard the words "plagiarism" and "busted". Instead, I'm going with "inspired by" and doing a virtual running date.

I've had a few friends in the past ask me what I do while I run. Well, first I run. My feet know what to do. My brain is just in charge of keeping tabs on the feet and scanning my surroundings for dangers like ferocious looking animals, creepers, potholes, deep puddles, ice, etc. Sometimes, I have my iPod (R) with me, but more often than not I run without music. If I'm with people, I'd rather talk to them.

GASP?! Talking? How do you do that when I can barely breathe while running?! Hint: Talking (or singing) while running helps you keep the right pace so you don't get side cramps or pass out or get injured from going too fast. When I took a boot camp class, our instructor would also ask us question to gauge how hard we were pushing ourselves and if she needed to go all Jillian on us and start yelling (aka encouraging). Here was her scale (for just one mile):
1-3. You are not sweating. You are not out of breath at all. You have just told me your life story. You're probably walking or standing still.
4-6. You are sweating a bit. You can still keep up a conversation. Your sentences are short, but you're moving well.
7-8. You are sweating a lot. You can speak in short bursts.You are probably running too fast, but OK for short distances. This would be good for some interval sprints.
9-10. You are really sweaty. You can only say one syllable words. You are running too fast for a long distance. You might be running too fast for a short distance. You should probably slow down unless you're a sprinter.
11+ You are REALLY sweaty or you are possibly crying. You might be cussing out the trainer, but you can only communicate in grunts. You have either no idea how to use a treadmill or you have stopped and are now just laying on the floor.

I like to hover around a 6. It's a good level for keeping a steady pace over a long distance. If I'm running with a newbie (Hi Hannah!) I stick around 4 with walking intervals. If I'm not with anyone, I will talk to myself occasionally or say something like the "Pledge of Allegiance" to check my pace.

If I were running with you (and here's where the virtual running date kicks in after a too-long explanation), here is what we would talk about:

Safety first! Watch the ice. Oh sorry! Was that a puddle? How wet is your shoe? Chilly, right? Sorry about that. I stepped in a what I thought was just wet ground yesterday, but no, it was a huge mud puddle.

So how's your job going? Mine might be sending me out of the country in May. I'm going to Australia for sure in June for our conference. Yup, I'm headed to Australia. I can't wait to see the gorgeous land downunder, and try all sorts of new foods. I have tried vegamite before, and let me tell you, it's salty. REALLY salty. I felt like I was eating solid soy sauce on a cracker. It needs something, but I don't know what. Less salt? On the plus side, it is packed with B vitamins of all kinds. If you know of any sights to see or foods to try, let me know! Right now, Kuranda and the Great Barrier Reef are on my agenda as well as touring Sydney Harbor and the Zoo.

Have any big plans for the weekend? We are going to a NYC-themed dinner auction to raise funds for a new school attached to Steve's church. Their school is getting too small and outdated for the needs of their students. Yes, I said Steve's church. He is Catholic and I'm Lutheran, but we're making it work. We trade off weekends for whose church to go to so no one misses opportunities for taking communion and participating in choir. He sings, and I play handbells. No, it's not like playing "Eye of the Tiger" on handbells in "The New Girl", although that would be awesome. Instead, we play worship music like "How Majestic is Your Name." It's awesome and difficult. FYI - you can actually click that link and hear what song we'll be playing on Sunday.

Speaking of the dinner auction, I will report back on all the awesome food we're going to eat. I heard a rumor of mini reuben sandwiches and black and white cookies!

Tried any new foods lately? We tried whole wheat gnocchi with red sauce and veggies for dinner last night and it was weird. Normally, gnocchi are these little pillows of pasta goodness, but this was weird. Sometimes you just need the regular old flour and potatoes (or butternut squash). Ugh.

How about you? What would you tell me?