Year's end

As the year draws to an end, I once again choose to run today. I ran a little later than I usually do, and was not too surprised to see more runners out and about than I normally do. Many other people are out today, and more will be out tomorrow as part of a resolution. They will profess to get in shape, eat better, be better. I too, will try to end 2012 in better shape than I start it. However, I will not do a whole lot different than I have been for decades. Maybe eat a little better, but in all honesty I do not drink soda, or eat very many chips and I Do eat all my veggies. Maybe I'll run a little farther, or a little faster. Only time will tell how well we all do. Whatever your plans, whatever your motivation, just "keep on, keepin on."

Be active, be happy.

Almost Christmas

Tomorrow is Christmas. Yesterday in Scranton it was almost 50 degrees. That's unseasonably warm for this time of year. Maybe there is something to this global warming stuff. That's too bad for the polar bears, but nice for running.  I did about 4 slow miles than a little stretching. While stretching after a run, I try to take all of my joints through a complete range of motion. I'm hoping that this will enable me to keep moving as I age. My hips and shoulders already bind up a bit and I am afraid of losing what I still have. I do not do this before a run, a lot of people think that you should only stretch a little before exrcise and stretch more after being completely warmed up (as in a run). I am with that group of thinkers. After the run though, I make sure to roll my ankles, my knees, my hips, my shoulders, my wrists and my neck. A few slow rolls in one direction, then in the other. For me, it almost sounds like popcorn, or extra loud rice crispies. Well, maybe NOT that bad, but it is not totally quiet either.

Fund raiser

We went out tonight. There was a fundraiser at a local bar. The wife of a guy I know has lung cancer. It seems like a lot of people I know have had cancer lately. Some of them were smokers, but not all of them were. Some have been fairly fit, some, not so much.

It is important to me to be reasonably fit, but there is only so much control over our lives that we can exhibit. We try to stay fit, we try to live good lives, and we take what life gives us.

At the bar tonight, one of the "celebrity bartenders" was Mayor Chris Doherty. I would have loved to get his ear about the parking, but I behaved.

Be fit, be prepared, and maybe pray.

Taking a ride

I was in the mood for something a little different today. That happens from time to time. I decided to go for a short run  then do a little more. I ran a fairly quick 2 miles on a course that I do sometimes if my time is short. This time, however, after I got back, instead of walking for 5 or so blocks and then stretching, I jumped right onto our recumbent bike. This prepares me minimally for a biathlon. A biathlon is two events. One event is running and the other is biking, though they can be any two events. Sometimes a biathlon consists of a mountain bike ride and a canoe race. Usually, however, a biathlon (sometimes called a duathlon), starts with a run, goes to a bike ride, then finishes with a 2nd run.

There is one of these races in Sandy Hook, NJ that I have done a few times. It does not have to be a very long race. I think the one in Sandy Hook was 2 miles running; 12 or 15 miles on a bike; then a second run of about 3 miles. It has been a while, so the distances may be off just a bit. The whole thing was over in about 1 1/2 hours. I used to do races at the shore in NJ because I got to do my thing, and my family got a mini vacation out of it. 

Be active, sit down but don't relax just yet

'Tis the season

'Tis the season... to "Paaaaarrrtay"!  We went to a Christmas party for Joann's work last night. The word "Christmas" may not be politically correct for a work party, but for MY blog that is the word that I am using. It was a fairly decent party considering I did not know anyone. A little food, a little open bar (beer and wine only) and a little DJ action. I drank enough to dance, but obviously not enough to dance well. I had a good time though, and Joann had a good time, or maybe she was just amused at my dancing.  I am fairly well coordinated and fairly fit. I have been more fit, yet that had no effect on my ability to dance. It is important to be fit enough to be able to move but dancing is more of a natural movement thing than a fitness thing after a point. You can't be in such bad shape that you can't move, but to dance well you need to practice and/or have natural ability. Good or bad though, moving (and even bad dancing counts as moving) burns calories. Burning calories helps you stay fit. Staying fit helps you dance. It is a cycle, but it is a healthy cycle.

Stay active, dance

Light in the night

It is December and almost 50 degrees. I took advantage of the weather by going out for a run and by hanging Christmas lights. I'm not going to say whether the single lights on the right are mine, or the ones farther down the road on the left that require the nuclear power plant in Berwick to put on extra workers, but everyone knows what a modest person I am.

The weather is going to break in the next day or two and it will be cooler and rainy. I'm not really looking forward to cooler weather, but I am looking forward to the end of the semester. My last semester as an undergrad. It is a little early to celebrate, none the less........

Be active, be happy, get things done.....

Run-down town

It was not too bad running today. The weather was in the upper 40's and the sun was out for most of the day. I chose to run in town. About a block from Scranton Prep, a private high school, is a dismal looking side of town. There are a few warehouses there, some for sale, some unused and some in use but still looking drab.

The show "The Office" uses one of these warehouses in the introduction each week, but I'm not sure which one. They also use a few random shots from around town. One thing that you never see on the show, is the amount of cars parked on the sidewalk. You never see the kids walking in the street on their way to school. You never see veterans or other disabled people in wheelchairs in the road because some ignorant person parked on the sidewalk, and some cop chose to ignore that infraction. Television is pretend though, not real life.

Be active, physically and politically

Sunny and chilly

It was a sunny day, though a little chilly, and I opted to run at Lake Scranton. I'm not sure how they treat that path when the snow starts to fly. The lake looked serene and peaceful, not at all evident of the chill in the air. A lot of the path is in the shade, and without the sun beating on your face and shoulders, it can be a bit too cool, especially after a sweat starts to dampen your shirt. Being a loop however, forces you forward. There is no shortcut half way around. You go forward or you go back, those are your options. It felt good, but after I finished I caught a chill fairly quick. I did come across two younger men (in their 20's) that were running in shorts and running shirts (sleeveless). They were running in the opposite direction and I was glad not to have to follow them. They made me cold just seeing them.

Be active, have fun

Late and dark

Today is my late day at ESU. By time I got home it was dark and cool. I was not in the mood for a run, consequently I jumped on a recumbent bike that we have, and rode for a bit. I try to vary my speed and resistance when I ride the bike. A recumbent bike is a little like reclining. Your feet are in front of you. I do not know the purpose of this design (if there is a purpose). We bought it a few years ago and it seems to do the trick.

An hour later I was sweating pretty good and after a quick stretch, I hit the shower. The good thing about indoor equipment is that the weather does not matter. The down side is that in the winter, when the windows are sealed, if you work up a good sweat too often, your house smells like a gym. That is not a good thing. It is not necessarily a bad thing. Just get some some sort of air freshener.

Be active: fit, fun, fresh