Running with (potato) chips

We were told that we were going to be doing a potato chip run. I thought that meant running to my water stops and eating chips. What a great way to stay motivated on an 8-mile run! HA! Come to find out, we had to just hold the chips during the run. So here I was, hungry at 6pm, running with two potato chips in my hand, and trying to relax without breaking the potato chips. Sounds silly huh? Well, it worked. I managed to slow my breathing, concentrate on keeping my hands relaxed, and I finished strong. After 3 miles Geezer lets us eat them up. During the last five miles I practiced holding my thumb and middle finger together to relax my body, mind, and spirit. Now, I'm just wondering if that technique will work while I'm teaching freshman. Stay tuned to find out.

Me gusta correr.

Me gusta correr cuando hace fresco. (I like to run when it's cool outside.) It was 65 and a fantastic day for a run. I'm teaching "me gusta" and "no me gusta" in my Spanish I class this week. Here's a hilarious student video that I used to introduce the topic. I hung with the "big DAWG" group tonight for our 7-mile run and it felt GREAT!

Passion Vine

I began my native landscape design class with the National Wildlife Federation this week. I'm slowly learning about drought tolerant plants for central Texas. The Passion Vine is beautiful deciduous perennial, which provides food for several species of butterfly larva. It likes sun to part shade. It blooms in early spring to summer. Once it is established, the Passion Vine only requires water every three weeks. Be careful because it's a vigorous vine, which can reach up to 15 feet. In Spain, it is known as the espina de Cristo or Christ's Thorn. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish Christian missionaries adopted the unique physical structures of this plant, particularly the numbers of its various flower parts, as symbols of the last days of Jesus Christ and especially the Crucifixion.

Stretch-a-DAR

Here are some excellent stretches for pre and post running. If you run with your dog, then you can use the dog leash. Happy running.
http://www.roguerunningequipment.com/video/main/show/id/200319-Rogue-Stretch-Routine

No EXCUSES!

Running six miles in a rainstorm with the best running partner in the world (Marley) is a great way to cool off, get your long run in, and make people smile along the way.

I decided to go for a little run....

I started my first week of marathon training with Rogue. I've completed 19 miles in the first week. My goal is to finish the Austin Marathon on 2/14/10. Here's my training schedule for the next week.

Sat: 6 m
Sun:3 m
Mon:OFF
Tues: 5 m
Wed: 2-4 + XT
Thur: 4 m
Fri: OFF

"Runners have balls, other sports just play with them." -Unknown.