Deborah Turner-Mack

Humans were Born to Run Barefoot

2010-01-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

If this isn't proof, then you should check out Christopher McDougall's book, "Born to Run." It's a fascinating look at the Tarahumara tribe and why we are "Born to Run." Check out Jon Stewart's interview with McDougall from August 18, 2009.

NPR Story Link here

Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body -U.S. Marines

2010-01-22T14:53:00.000-08:00

I guess this means that I've got a lot of weakness. I have officially deferred my entry for the Austin Marathon to 2011. The pain after my weekend run in Houston was too much. At mile two my legs began to lock up. I soaked in an ice bath and still the pain was present. I'm bummed about it because this is the second year in a row that I've had to drop out after six months of training. I'm going to give it a rest and start training like the Tarahumara tribe of Chiapas, Mexico. That's right, I'm going barefoot.

This officially means that the Marathon brew will be called, "Oh My Achin' Feet Wheat." Congratulations Coby, I will deliver your beer as soon as you finish the marathon.

Marathon Homebrew

2010-01-13T14:33:00.000-08:00

I brewed an Agave Wheat beer last night that will be ready just in time for the ATX Marathon on Valentine's day. I need some help with names. If I choose your name, you will win some homebrew. Please post submissions as comments.

Here's what I have so far:
Nguyen: Power Beer
Rosie: 26.2 Beer
Dan B: El Hefe
Andrew: "Run your Agave off" Wheat
Cal:Shagavedeby Runner
Laura: Runner's Nectar, Succulent Brew, Love my Carbo Load Brew
Katie: Sweet Life Ale
Jennifer: Trigome Agave Cerveza
Rick: What was I thinking Beer
Logan: Any Port in a Storm
Coby:
1 What-A-Finish! Wheat (or Way-to-Finish! Wheat)
2 Finish Line Weiss
3 Twenty Six Point Two Mile Brew
4 The Valentine’s Day Massacre Beer
5 The Half and Full Pint Wheat
6 Finisher’s Finest Brew
7 First Time’s the Best Brew
8 The Aches and Pains Full Pull
9 Austin Marathon “Way To Go” Wheat
10. Oh My Achin’ Feet Wheat!
11. Are You Going to Back Out Again at the Last Minute and Make Me Run It All By Myself? Damn You Sha Gearn! Beer (this is my personal favorite)

Aching Foot Soup Recipe

2010-01-12T09:52:00.000-08:00

Doc Wolfe's Aching Feet Soup ingredients:

"about 1-2 cups Epsom salt
a bit of baking soda, maybe 1/4 cup
a bit of table salt, maybe a tablespoon or two
a gallon or two or three of hot tap water (about as hot as you can stand)
a bucket/pan big enough to relax your feet in.
Two aching bare feet

Mix all the ingredients, except the feet, in the bucket.

Put the tub in front of your most comfortable/favorite chair, and sit
down on the chair.

Insert your two aching feet into the mixture. If it’s too hot, pull
your feet out, and wait a few minutes.

If the mixture is still too hot, leave your feet in, only as long as
you can stand without burning. then pull them out, and let your feet
cool off a bit more. Then put your feet back in again, until you can’t
stand the heat again. And pull your feet out again, to cool off for
another bit. (this may also help condition your soles for those hot
pavement runs in the summer)

Naturally, each time you do this, the water will be cooling off a bit
as well, and you should be able to stand it longer and longer each
time. (also your feet may be getting used to the heat).

Before the water is cold, your feet are done.

You can reheat the mixture for use later the same day, or the
following day, as desired.

If you have a lake, ocean, pond, river, or other body of cool water,
you can alternate between wading in the cool water and the hot foot
soak.

My Kenyan Legs are in the Shop

2010-01-05T08:06:00.000-08:00

Dear Sha (my running partner in Amarillo who is complaining about the cold weather),

I have TWO pulled IT bands. My left one hurt so bad after last Saturday's 16-mile run that I could NOT walk for three days. I have a severe case of plantar faciitis in my right foot that is going to take months to heal. I am going to a active relief physical therapist THREE times a week. And I still plan on running the Austin Marathon in February. So, just because my Kenyan legs are in the shop for a little while, I still plan on kicking your butt. So, you should get your butt out in the cold and run because you CAN.

love,
D.Rae

p.s. I also have a pinched nerve in the top of my foot.

Falling leaves

2009-12-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

As I followed the Rogue Running marathoners through east Austin, I watched as their breaths disappeared above their heads, like clouds of smoke. For the first time this year, the leaves, grass, and trees were all covered in frost. As the sun began to rise, the weight from the melting frost was just heavy enough to cause the leaves to fall at a constant flow. As I passed under the deciduous trees, I stretched out my arms to catch them. I felt like a kid again. By the end of the 18-mile run, I collected 12 leaves. It was magical. I thought to myself, this is my church.

PB-18-miles in 3.17

PB and new shoes

2009-12-04T16:30:00.000-08:00

Yeehaw!
I've trained for two weeks barefoot. The transition was rough. My calves have never ached this much in my life. For a week straight, I walked like Frankenstein. It's like I'm learning to run all over again. I have to mentally tell myself to make contact with the ball of my feet and not my heel. It's weird. This past weekend I purchased some new Brooks to help me transition to a lighter shoe. This advertisement should say, "objects on website may be brighter than they appear," because they are just about the ugliest things in the world. The good news is that they don't hurt my feet and that's what is important. I didn't know if I would be able to run our time trial this week, but I did. In fact, I kicked some butt in my new kicks. I had another PB. I did the 2-mile run in 16.15.

Barefoot Running

2009-11-22T09:44:00.000-08:00

These are my new running shoes. I'm training barefoot for the next four to five weeks. This is an attempt to learn to run lighter, to help heal my Plantar Faciitis and to transition to a lighter shoe. This morning I ran six miles barefoot and it was real eye opener. I learned to run quieter and I worked muscles that I didn't know that I had. Check out Geezer's video of us running in the dense fog.

Cycling date

2009-11-22T08:03:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was supposed to run 18 miles with my group, but my P.F. injury has set me back. YUK. In order to keep my muscles moving and strong for the ATX marathon, I decided to go biking for three hours instead of running. Charlie and I made a date out of it. In an effort to find things that are "keeping Austin weird," we decided to go where we've never been before. Here are some things that we found.

We met on Avenue A in Denton, Texas seven years ago

Inside the men's bathroom at El Chilito

A cucumber garden

Everything is going to be okay.

Charlie next to an old Cadillac hearse.

Don't you forget it!

At the new Crestview metro rail station

A ghetto fabulous swing

Watch out Chuck!

Plantar Fasciitis

2009-11-17T20:37:00.000-08:00

This week, I completed my 16-mile run three minutes faster than last, but it didn't come without pain and suffering. Around mile 10, I started to feel a burning pain in the arch of my right foot. I finished the run and visited the Rogue doctor on staff. He started to massage my foot and I almost had a heart attack because it hurt like hell. He told me that I have plantar fasciitis. Basically, it's the most painful and the most difficult to relieve according to my coach, Geezer. Well....mother f**king s**t is what I have to say about that. I was told to freeze a bottle of water and roll my foot across it, limit my running, and work on building my strength in other ways for a while. In addition, I am going to try barefoot running to see if that helps because it's quite possible that my shoes just aren't the right ones. I'm going to give the barefoot thing a try tomorrow. If it hurts worse, I'm going to the doctor. If it's better, then I guess I'll start searching for a new shoe that's only made of a small sole and a couple of strings. Until next time.

PB 16 miles in 2:47

2009-11-10T18:29:00.000-08:00

An ice bath with coffee is the only way to do it.

When I hear the letters P.B., I often think about Marley's saggy hound dog lips. One is pink and the other is black. I frequently have to wipe the hanging dog slobber from her floppy P.B.'s. Sometimes when I hear the letters, I often think back to my college days of eating P.B. straight from the jar. These days, P.B. has a new meaning and I'm happy to report that I set my Personal Best this weekend for our 16-mile run. I ran it in 2 hours 47 minutes.

It didn't come without hard work and suffering. Actually, the run wasn't bad; it was the 10-minute ice bath after that SUCKED. Yeah, that's right. I would rather run three hours, than take a 10-minute ice bath to soothe my aching muscles. First, I filled the tub with cold water. I made sure to just cover my legs. Then, I poured a big bag of ice on top. I wrapped a towel around my upper torso and drank hot coffee, as goose bumps began to cover my body. I shook uncontrollably for the entire period. I thought to myself that if I ever wanted time to slow down, then this was the way to do it. Ten minutes seemed like an eternity compared to the nearly three-hour scenic tour through south Austin that I had just experienced. Near the ten-minute mark, I started laughing at myself because only a crazy person would do this. I was sure it wouldn't work. You know, I was WRONG. My legs felt great the next day. In fact, my hips were the only sore parts on my whole body. I guess next time I'll fill the water up a little higher to cover my hips too.

Tengo la gripe

2009-10-08T12:03:00.000-07:00

Running with (potato) chips

2009-09-30T17:11:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-09-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-13T11:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-09-13T09:57:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-09-12T17:05:00.000-07:00

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....

2009-09-10T14:15:00.000-07:00

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.

'Maters are growin'

2009-07-03T08:28:00.000-07:00

I left the country for five weeks and my sweet husband, Charlie, managed to keep the tomatoes alive! Our first Roma for the 2009 summer season is on the vine.

4-H Photography Club contest entries

2008-02-21T22:45:00.000-08:00

"People" Category

-Toni 3rd grade

-Janeth 3rd grade

-Alexia 3rd grade

4-H Photo Contest Images

2008-02-21T22:33:00.000-08:00

Contest images from the 4-H Photo Club at Walnut Creek Elementary

"Animal" category

-Cristian 3rd grade

-Cristian 3rd grade

-Fernando 3rd grade

-Kiandra 5th grade

Special Effects Photography

2007-11-29T16:12:00.000-08:00

I taught my 4-H photographers how to create special effects without the use of Photoshop. Here are some of my favorite photos. All of the photos were produced and shot by the 4-H photography students at Walnut Creek Elementary.

5th grade 4-H Photographers

2007-11-20T08:25:00.000-08:00

Support Chris Husbands

2007-11-19T17:24:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, Chris Husbands, was recently diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS). If you can help monetarily or with blood, please do so. Visit www.supportchrisonline.com for more info.

If you are in the Dallas area, go to any Carter Blood Care Facility, and tell them that you would like to donate blood to Group Sponsor #SPON023047 and the credits will be available for Chris to use.

If you are in the Houston area, you may go to MD Anderson at either the hospital on the weekend or the Fannin location during the week. (Click here for MD Anderson blood donation locations)

In order for Chris to receive the credits from MD Anderson, please follow the instructions below:

Give blood.
Tell MD Anderson it is for a donor replacement.
Give name of recipient (Chris Husbands), the hospital (Medical City, Dallas) and Group Sponsor # assigned by Carter Blood Care Facility, #SPON023047.

Gardner and Will

2007-11-12T15:11:00.000-08:00

Engagement photos

Lots of love!

2007-10-28T13:08:00.000-07:00

Select images from Exer and Evan's wedding.

Good pots equal good cook? NO WAY!

2007-10-14T08:58:00.000-07:00

I met Greg Davis while on assignment for the Houston Chronicle. A point-and-shoot camera and one photograph titled The Basket Weaver, seen behind him, helped launch his career as a travel photographer. His story reminds me of a quote that my first photography professor always said.

"Just because you have good pots, doesn't make you a good cook."
-Joe Walsh, Photography professor Amarillo College

Check out Greg Davis' site and the HChron article
http://gregdavisphotography.com
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/arts/art/5200881.html

Wedding Bells

2007-10-09T09:15:00.001-07:00

Here are a few images from the Martinez/White wedding.

Blogosaurus

2007-10-09T08:51:00.000-07:00

Dear family, friends and all those in between. Use this to keep in contact and see what I've been up to. Please feel free to drop me a line.

love,
Deborah Rae