  SHORT-WEEK FIVE ON TO THE NEW YEAR 2018-18 5K TRAINING PLAN Runners and walkers: these last two days are almost optional, as you are ready to go now. If your holiday schedule is hectic and there’s no way to squeeze in training sessions, no pressure. You can get by without it. The two plans were each designed to keep you in shape to easily complete a 5k distance walk or run without much risk of strain or injury. Additionally, the idea was to keep your focus on stretching, mobility, and foam rolling to maintain soft tissue (connective tissue) health and to continue to stress the benefits of strength training Runners: Sunday’s and Monday’s respective walk and run, are short and you should pace them on the fast side with intensity, to ready yourself for the race. Of course, those who are running Dec31 will not be training! Many trainers and coaches say that during a taper, the idea is to decrease mileage but remind your body it will be going fast soon by keeping your shorter sessions at the level of intensity you have been training at in interval sessions (in this plan they are the run/walks) or tempo runs (performed at about 10 seconds/ mile slower pace than 5k race pace), not at the slower speed of easy long runs. Walkers: Today’s workout is a simple 20-minute walk at about 80% effort of race day, which will be tomorrow for some and New Year’s Day for others. HOW TO CALCULATE 80% EFFORT? See http://www.reuneker.nl/files/code/pace/ (only calculates to 10 minutes per mile race-pace or faster; most walkers will be slower). The formula seems to be: z minutes/mile = 5/4 x race-pace (or 120% x race-pace) (essentially add 20% minutes/mile to your expected race-pace) 80% effort of 10 minutes /mile pace = 12 minutes 30 seconds/mile 80% effort of 12 minutes /mile pace = 15 minutes/mile 80% effort of 14 minutes /mile pace = 17 minutes 30 seconds/mile 80% effort of 15 minutes/mile pace = 18 minutes 45 seconds/mile 80% effort of 16 minutes/mile pace = 20 minutes/mile Have a wonderful long, Pre-New Year holiday break. See you next year, when the 2019 'SAINTSs DAYS' 5k, 10k, and half marathon training plans will be rolled out. RUN & MOVE HAPPY!  
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 Rough terrain as seen by rail. Taken by PKSenagore June 2018. All rights reserved. IT MAY NOT BE TOO EARLY TO START PLANNING ATHLETIC CHALLENGES FOR THE NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND. Susan Lacke describes one of the newest trends in running, which involves accomplishing significant vertical climbs. Going high has replaced going long, she says in an article running.competitor.com “The Newest Trend In Racing Has Us Reaching For The Clouds.”
Climbs might be performed outside on mountains and ski slopes, or indoors on stairwells. Newly established organizations, like the Vertical World Circuit, have stepped up to better define the sport and provide challenges for interested and enthusiastic athletes. Although the verticaworldcircuit.com website only provides information regarding 2018 events, it reveals that nine staircases in an international collection of the tallest buildings on earth serve as ‘race courses’ for the circuit. Seoul, Paris, New York, Manila, Beijing, Shanghai, Osaka, London, and Hong Kong host the competitors. Hopefully the 2019 schedule will soon be published. The Ahotu.com vertical race calendar fills the months of 2019 with mountain races as well as skyscraper stair climbs. A general web search also reveals that ‘vert races’ will be held to ascend various giants across Europe and mountains in the USA. Specialized training is required that includes strength and speed work, which can serve flat course racers well. One thing is clear, most of these competitions might be considered epic adventures, especially if international travel is involved. Athletes inspired to change things up in their sport by going vertical would be helped by mental planning that extends over a 12-month period, or longer. Expenses are likely to go vertical as well, so finding partners that can share the cost would be part of that planning. Look for more to be written on this new running trend which seems as though it would be perfect for walkers too. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://running.competitor.com/2018/11/news/vertical-racing-in-2019_175846 https://marathons.ahotu.com/calendar/north-america/vertical_race https://www.sortiraparis.com/interests/sport/articles/60426-vertigo-race-2019-at-tour-first-the-french-vertical-race/lang/en https://www.verticalworldcircuit.com https://www.verticalworldcircuit.com/scientific-research/  Taken by PKSenagore December 2016. All rights reserved. SPEND THE LAST WEEK OF DECEMBER + FIRST 3 WEEKS OF 2019 PREPARING TO BE SUCCESSFUL (updated from December 2017) Why suffer the pressure of composing a New Year Health/Fitness Resolution list on January 1? Prepare a draft on the last few days of December, and then edit and refine it in the first 3 week of the year. Not a mental list, but a HARD COPY, on paper.
A huge barrier to accomplishing goals set at the start of the new calendar, in Earned Runs experience, is to not have invested enough time and effort in the process of building a list of exercise and health behavior to-do’s. There’s no rule that work on resolutions must absolutely start on day #1 of the next 365 in the coming year. I like to mark the START DATE as Martin Luther King Jr. Day. In 2019, it falls on January 21. Holiday festivities can leave us exhausted and disorganized. Resolution makers might be prevented from starting immediately on self-promised improvements by travel disruptions, resumption of full work, school, and family schedules, and general household cluttering that resulted from holiday activities. It’s nearly impossible to begin new fitness and health regimens under these circumstances. Disappointment at not being able to start reversing previous bad habits leads to discouragement. Before we’ve even started. Earned Runs suggests this step-by-step process, or something like it, to give yourself a chance at success in establishing, starting, and keeping your 2019 resolutions: Last week of December 2018:
First week of January 2019 (1/1-5):
Second week of January 2019 (1/6-12):
Third week of January 2019 (1/13-19):
[Earned Runs likes to plan events generally over an entire year, but setting down the specific details of one season in advance.
January 21, 2018: Start activities for new resolutions! An Earned Runs example can be seen by clicking on this link. The important points to keep in mind about making resolutions for 2019: a) Don’t wait until January 1 to start working on resolutions b) Don’t feel you need to begin those resolutions on January 1 c) Definitely exercise that first day of 2019, whether its running or walking or working out. It doesn't need to be all an out effort; just a symbolic session that confirms a global intent to work on health and fitness in 2019. More advance planning and thought will possibly help you continue to successfully make the desired changes identified by the resolutions. RUN & MOVE HAPPY!  Seasonal sight in Chicago. Taken by PKSenagore December 2017. All rights reserved. INTENSE DUMBBELL/KETTLEBELL WORKOUT WITH COMPOUND MOVEMENT EXERCISES The new Physical Activity Guidelines, issued by the Department of Health and Human Services last month (featured in an Earned Runs SCIENCE FRIDAY post November 16, 2018) recommend muscle strengthening exercise for all persons above the age of 6 years!
Of course, we don’t expect young children to be exercising with weights, but even as early as adolescence light resistance training with weights is likely to be beneficial. Especially if teenage efforts can lead to lifelong healthy exercise habits. One of the problems adults face is finding workouts that we will perform with regularity. Which means we must enjoy the experience and appreciate the benefit provided from adhering to a weekly program of aerobic and strength training. I’ve been evaluated by fitness center trainers over the years and as a result of each been prescribed a set of exercises designed to address problem areas identified by the assessment. These are not totally happy sessions. It can be discouraging and nearly overwhelming to learn just how much work is needed to build strength and balance in particular. ONE key step, after such sessions, to finding motivation to carry on with a prescribed plan is to realize that experts are trained to identify likely ‘weaknesses’ (for age, gender, occupation, which is documented in our intake information) and demonstrate them to us. It’s their job. Candidates undergoing fitness testing will be found deficient in at least one to multiple areas, possibly all! Regardless of fitness level, no one exits an evaluation with perfect marks. How does getting low fitness marks from a trainer at an initial assessment generate motivation? It has been my experience that it won’t take much work to see SOME improvement in areas like strength, balance, and mobility that I’m particularly weak, which is wonderfully encouraging! Relatively quickly the results of my dedicated effort become apparent and provide incentive to persevere. It seems that sometimes, even by the third set of a round of exercises, there’s some tiny aspect of the exercise that already I’m performing better The SECOND KEY step is to find workouts you like and want to include in a regimen. This step requires a fair amount of preparation, an ongoing trial and error process by which various exercises are tested and determined to be suitable, by you. Not every exercise a gym trainer suggests is one you will like enough to keep in a fitness program. Assessing ‘likability’ can be tricky, however. Moves we can’t do well initially aren’t very fun to perform but shouldn’t necessarily be abandoned. However, there’s little point in keeping a difficult exercise on a list if it’s repeatedly skipped. Better to find an equally tough substitute that you’re willing to work hard at performing. Trainers are mostly happy to help with this process, but it can be done through personal trial and error, without professional assistance, Those having some prior experience with dumbbell or kettlebell weight work might find an intense workout highlighted in a SHAPE.com article by Lauren Mazzo, which features Rebecca Kennedy, to their liking. The moves might be new to you, and the sequence of 10 x 10 repetitions of each of the 5 compound exercises* could be just the timesaving session for which you’ve been searching. Consider giving it a trial. This routine could be a keeper! RUN & MOVE HAPPY! *A video demonstration takes you through these 5 compound movement exercises: TRICEPS KICK-BACK ROW + PUSH-UP SQUAT CURL + PUSH PRESS DEAD LIFT WITH WIDE-GRIP ROW AROUND THE WORLD LUNGES KETTLEBELL SWINGS https://www.shape.com/fitness/videos/intense-total-body-workout-will-burn-ton-calories https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2712935 The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Katrina L. Piercy, PhD, RD1; Richard P. Troiano, PhD2; Rachel M. Ballard, MD, MPH3; et al  Mantle sparkle. Taken by PKSenagore December 12, 2018.  WEEK 4 ON TO THE NEW YEAR 2018-19 5K TRAINING PLAN STARTS Runners: You will be getting down to business the end of this week and running 3 miles on December 29. That’s nearly the full distance of the upcoming race. Thankfully, unlike in 2017, you won’t be doing it on Christmas Eve. With the prospect of a totally fresh 2019 start in few days, excitement may be building on this long run day. Possibly you’ll have no trouble leaping out of bed in the early morning to begin it with an invigorating workout. Or, after accomplishing nearly every task on your Saturday ‘to-do’ list, you might be looking forward to a calming and relaxing run at day’s end The December 25 run: walk session is scheduled as 51 minutes in length. Switch with Monday’s or Wednesday’s sessions if this will present a problem. Walkers: The schedule has been shifted to accommodate Christmas Day, but there’s quite a bit of flexibility, so the non-walking weekday session can be shifted to Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday as needed. Try to keep the high intensity interval training (HIIT) walk early in the week, no later than Tuesday, if you plan to change things up. Everyone, have a wonderful between-the-holidays week. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! NOTE: The full plans can be downloaded from the RESOURCES page.    https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Southernmostpoint.jpg Southernmost point in continental United States, Key West, FL. May 2009 by James Willamor. Date 27 December 2009 (original upload date) THE NEXT EVENT PROMOTED by Diana and Bonnie is in a lovely place, to support a lovely cause, building a HFH home in Hurricane Irma-ravaged Key West, Florida. The cost to join the March 31-April 6 2019 excursion is $1250.00.
Also advertised on the event page is a walk, every month, on the first Saturday at Pan Pacific Park in Los Angeles CA. The description invites anyone to join the group wherever you are, at precisely the same time as the LA event. The initial December 1, 2018 walk required participants to register, and is now closed. Check the webpage for details on the upcoming January 5 walk. EverWalk indicates it is recruiting individuals, Ambassadors, to lead local walks across the nation on these days. Another opportunity was rolled out earlier but isn’t highlighted or explained fully on the website to those who have not yet joined the movement. Upon joining, individuals have the ability to log their miles each day. I did this but haven’t been diligent with the miles-logging activity. Consider this EverWalk opportunity if doing so will help you persevere in a walking program. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://everwalk.com/events/  Cold but sunny. Taken by PKSenagore February 27, 2016. All rights reserved. HARVARD MEN’S HEALTH OFFERS MOTIVATIONAL INFORMATION & ADVICE in an article "The Wonders of Winter Workouts", on the BENEFITS of cooler weather exercise (30- and 40-degrees).
The biggest benefit to exercising outdoors discussed in the article, in my opinion, is the exposure to daylight that is possible. Sunlight is a gift, but I’ll take any daylight when the forecast doesn’t call for sustained, cheery, bright, light. However, let’s be clear that this article is likely aimed at people who regularly exert themselves physically and can be considered aerobically fit. Sedentary people, especially those with heart or lung disease, as the piece indicates, should be much more careful about taking exercise out of the house or gym and into the chillier streets and parks. The American Heart Association further identifies who should be extra careful in the great cold outdoors. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/consumer-healthcare/cold-weather-and-cardiovascular-disease Something else to consider is the added work that’s involved in exercising while wearing more clothes. Adjust expectations and plans accordingly. Try stepping on a scale before and after putting on all gear to get an idea of the extra weight that will be carried, including water bottles. Realize it will be more difficult and tiring to navigate snowy or icy paths in boots or heavier trail shoes than vented summer-season athletic shoes, while wearing bulky outerwear. Cut sessions in half initially and gauge exertion levels before planning to go all-out . Although staying warm is important, care should be taken not to dress such that overheating is likely to occur. Layering is a great tactic if shed clothing doesn’t need to be carried but can be dropped or stored and picked up later. I’ve carried an extra hat, earmuffs, neck gaiter, and insulated mittens for miles and found it exhausting and awkward. The easiest way to avoid unexpected problems is to plot a short, cold weather specific, exercise loop from a starting point that serves as a safe stop to access essentials, warm up, hydrate, or cool down as needed, based on weather conditions. And to change the battery on a out-of charge mobile phone that is carried for emergencies. Your home or car will be most convenient. A one mile loop never leaves you more than a half mile away from the anchor safe point. There will be more winter weather topic discussions. Hopefully, the cautions in this post and the HMH article won’t discourage outdoor exercise. If unconvinced that you’ll LOVE IT, consider scheduling at least one session on a day that forecasted to be mostly sunny. The lift in spirits it can provide might be addicting. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-wonders-of-winter-workouts  Chilly chairs. Taken by PKSenagore November 2018. All rights reserved. TIME IS IN SHORT SUPPLY DURING THE HOLIDAYS and it may not be possible to travel to and attend favorite studio fitness sessions or get in a gym workout during the next week. Organizing and packing up necessities beforehand, changing, and cleaning up afterward will add more minutes to the time investment than you can afford.
Renee Cherry offers 6 hip strengthening exercises in an article for SHAPE.com that you might find helpful during this busy holiday season and afterward. The moves can be performed while watching a show. Possibly some will find them difficult due to balance issues. Hold on to a stable piece of furniture or a wall initially; ultimately balance should be improved! Building hip strength is important for runners, the expert referenced in Cherry’s article indicates, “since running builds up the quads, calves and hamstrings more than the hip area muscles, runners often develop a muscle imbalance which can cause injury”. Thus, it’s important to perform additional strength training that focuses on hip strength. If at the end of the day there’s no time for your regular workout, consider these 6 resistance band exercises in an at-home session. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/mini-resistance-band-exercises-hip-strength  WEEK 3 ON TO THE NEW YEAR 2018-19 5K TRAINING PLAN STARTS Runners: you will be continuing on a rather leisurely schedule and at the end of this week only running 2 miles. You won’t be asked to cover the full distance of the end of the year event until December 29. But it’s possible that the rest of your life will be intensely busy, in a good way, this week. Walkers: you should be settling into a pattern of 4 days of walking 30 minutes plus a longer Saturday session, which will be repeated next week. But it’s possible that both walkers and runners will find the rest of life will be intensely busy, in a good way, this week building up to holiday celebrations and vacations. This contrast is the express purpose of these two plans. That is, to help you stay on a schedule that is not terribly demanding, but which provides sufficient structure to motivate aerobic physical activity leading to a year-end (or year-beginning) event. As noted in an earlier post, training is set at a “keep open” level. Enjoy the hustle and bustle of the last full week before December 25, perhaps using training sessions as personal time to unwind and de-stress. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! NOTE: the full plans are downloadable on the RESOURCES page    Screenshot of a Stormy Kromer® website image. THE ICONIC RED AND BLACK PARTRIDGE PLAID HATS were originally made in 1903 by Wisconsin railroad worker Stormy’s wife, Ida, at his request. Deemed “legendary” on the company website, this wool visored cap was initially designed to prevent the wind from carrying it away, as happened frequently. Apparently, Mr. Kromer asked the Mrs. to create a six-panel, “new-fashioned baseball cap with a higher crown, a pull down earband to keep it snug, and a soft cloth visor”.
A current claim made by the now Ironwood, Michigan-based* company (a shout-out to all you Yoopers) is that the made-in the USA products intend to shield wearers’ ears from harsh weather, noise pollution, and bad hair days. There's an embedded video demonstration on the site, and one on YouTube that is more artsy. These caps, and some newer styles, look to be perfect for outdoor athletic activities. Generally, in the depth of winter I tend to layer different headgear pieces to achieve complete protection: a wool baseball cap, earmuffs, plus a jacket hood on windiest days. The baseball cap visor keeps falling snow off my glasses and face, and is warm. It’s not as hot as a knit cap, and thus doesn’t cause my head to sweat and my hair to mat down with harder exercise levels. Fur earmuffs keep wind out of my ears better than a knit beanie. I can shed layers as my workout session progresses, but still need to carry the items. This layered approach definitely involves a lot of gear and the result is not attractive. On some blustery days near Lake Michigan, the whole get-up will be required plus a fleece neck gaiter. Anyway, who’s going to be looking closely at hikers on those kinds of days? Perhaps wearing just one SK hat, like the Original, or the Rancher (4 x warmer with added ear protection) might be a superior solution. A matching Outsider Bandana in wool might pull it all together, fashion-wise. The Millie allows for ponytails, and might be top choice for my first purchase! Why is Earned Runs so crazy about SK? Besides being handcrafted in the upper peninsula of Michigan, my home state, there are a number of other unique aspects of SK product lines:
Check out the website even if you don’t need to purchase anything but live in cold weather country, where it’s not unusual to experience significant springtime snowfalls. An SK bumper sticker proudly declares, “Made in a place that gets SNOW DAYS IN APRIL”. Maybe browsing will have you holding your head high and looking forward to enjoying the great outdoors all season(s) long. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! *NOTE: The company was founded in Wisconsin. When it appeared production of hats was to cease, rights were purchased in 2001 and manufacturing resumed in Michigan. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcfSNP8t4GM https://www.stormykromer.com/our-story  Counting down the days. Taken by PKSenagore December 12, 2018. All rights reserved.  THERE AREN’T ANY SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS TO EXPLORE TODAY, BUT JUST ONE WITH straightforward discussion about something many of us fear will occur at the end of December. Dietitian Cynthia Sass sorts out the facts and the myths about weight gain resulting from holiday fun and the abundance of treats at this time of the year in an article for SHAPE.com..
It’s not all bad news, so don’t be afraid to open the link and start reading. Sass starts by telling us the average amount of weight gain isn’t as much as many fear. She follows up by explaining the difference between bloating and weight gain. The harder facts come next. Sprinkled in is advice on how to ward off an undesirable weight increase. Preview (you’ll need to read her article for SHAPE.com to get complete advice): drink water and ‘budget’ carbs. The myth that seems capable of causing the most harm is the one about dropping bonus pounds in January. Sass performs a service to all delusional partiers who imagine that extra weight added at the end of the year can be easily shed at the beginning of the new year. Not so, says this RD. What I take from Sass’s article, backed up by my own personal experience and that of loved ones, is that it’s best not to allow that 1 or 2 extra holidays pounds to hop onboard at all. The numbers are low and don’t shock us into taking dramatic action once we notice them on the scale or at the time of zipping-up a favorite pair of jeans. We allow them to hang on until the added bulk no longer registers as being a new development. The next time we shop for clothes we might opt for a slightly larger size or go for a cut that is better at hiding chunkiness. A third strategy might be, when possible, to carry small weights to represent what even a small amount of gain will do to our physical feeling of health. This past summer I purchased a weighted vest to help with walk training. The vest itself weighed 2 pounds. The small iron weights that could be added to compartments on the vest each weighed 3 pounds. In total, 6 weights could be added to create a 20-pound vest. To avoid injury, my summer weighted walking program started with just the vest. Then one weight was to be added each week. To provide balance, the extra weight was first added to a pocket on the back of the vest and then one on the front. At full weight, there would be 3 on the front and the same number on the back. For the past year I had been telling myself that the 6 pounds I picked up from not being able to run wasn’t that much. Even walking had been quite difficult with the knee/calf problem. Training had ceased, which included adherence to both physical exercise and nutrition programs. To have gained only six to seven pounds didn’t seem so very unhealthy. My perception changed as soon as I started weighted vest training. I was amazed at how sluggish I felt with just the 2 pounds of vest on. Adding each 3-pound weight was a chore to manage. Toward the end of the 5th week I moved one of the front chest weights to the back. It was more difficult to carry pounds on the front, than on the back. I was feeling fatigued in the later afternoons, so walk distances were shortened and more gradually lengthened over more days. My feet developed pre-blisters from walking with the full 20 pounds; a bit of attention prevented actual blisters. Adaptation to the last two 3-pound weights each required 2 weeks. Afterward I experimented with just wearing it at home while sitting and working on a laptop. It did not seem easier. Although the process consumed roughly 8 weeks over the summer, nearly instantly I appreciated the burden that a mere 2-3 pounds added to my body. I felt ill, out of sorts wearing it. The effect was greatest with frontal weight. Of course, we don’t distribute weight gain in this artificial fashion, but the vest weight additions were close enough to reality to be a bit frightening. It was wonderful to shed the weighted vest at the end of a training session. The real extra body weight hasn’t been as easy to lose, but it is slowly coming down. Every single pound that comes off relieves part of the burden, I now understand! I am determined not to pick up ONE EXTRA POUND on this holiday! This dietitian’s article is a great reminder to take action. Per the advice Sass provides, I will not plan to take weight gained now off in January; I will plan and work hard to not gain it, while fully enjoying the season. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/diet-tips/5-myths-and-facts-about-holiday-weight-gain NOTE: I wear the weighted vest 1-2 times a week during walk training sessions, but at 17 pounds, not 20. After going through the progressive weight build-up I don't wish to go through the process again. Carrying weight at a steady level is comfortable for walking. The weight level selection is based on the method employed in a scientific study in which participants were women my age wore vests weighted at 10% of body weight.  December 7, 2018 on the crest of the hill start. Taken by PKSenagore. All rights reserved. 4TH ANNUAL EARNED RUNS HONOR SERIES: 2018
THE FIRST PORTION OF THE TWO-PART SERIES is the "11k Race to Remember 9/11". 7K PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY is the series SECOND EVENT, run several months later on December 7th. Since 2015, these September and December events have been solo ‘competitions’ for me (see the HOME page). I so very much enjoyed the quiet of the pre-dawn hour sessions that first year that going forward both have been planned as individual efforts. I’ve used Earned Runs bibs, to design events on occasions that are meaningful to me, yet at the same time observed by a much greater number of people. In effect, regardless of everyone's location, we remember together. On these days I am able, 'in spirit', to join with the entire country in honoring the heroes without traveling to New York City, Washington DC, or Pennsylvania in September, or in Oahu HI in December. And in solitude, personally remember loved ones and past events. DECEMBER 7, 2018 The morning was cold, cloudy, and dry. No rain or snow was falling but it was dreary. There had been a few moments of a pink dawn blush on the southeastern horizon that I rushed to capture in a picture, at the start of this personal event. As in 2017, I walked the 7K distance because I'm no longer running. This day was very near the first-year anniversary of the NYC orthopedic visit that convinced me to forego my favorite sport of 42 years to preserve knee function. For the first time as a walker, I used a short down jacket and running shoes rather than a cumbersome knee-length coat and snow boots. The difference in apparel resulted in a new attitude; I felt like I was ‘back’ to being an athlete rather than a plodder. My outerwear was comfortable and lightweight. Not exactly sleek and streamlined but not usual, everyday outerwear. At the crest of the hill starting point only one good picture was captured that morning to record the day's event. My phone battery quickly shut down in the cold. This annual memorial might seem silly. Who am I to be personally commemorating such huge turning points in the lives of most families? That’s what goes through my mind beforehand, so it’s likely readers would be thinking this as well. However, without music playing, a phone conversation going, or an audible book electronically delivering content into my ears (not allowed in my ‘rules’ for these 2 walks) there is an opportunity to remember my parents and the other members of their generation. Recall those times in history. Acknowledge the daily courage needed to go to war, work at vital and non-vital jobs, conduct the business of the country that allowed survival in spite of persistent fears. Not to concentrate on dreaded outcomes. The November 30, 2018 death and widely televised memorial services of ‘41’, as former US President George HW Bush is nicknamed, two days before had stirred feelings and memories in heart and mind days in advance. Much had been said about his life, and the times in which my parents had shared similar experiences. However, my quiet December 7 walk allowed me to sort the sentiments, life lessons, and messages of those public remembrances and find personal meaning in them. To move forward, bolstered rather than saddened by newly-gained perspectives on his and other lives, well-lived. ‘41’ had been an athlete and had taken pride in his athleticism as long as was possible. He loved the ocean as seen from his Maine retreat. I get him. RUN & MOVE HAPPY! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_and_state_funeral_of_George_H._W._Bush https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/05/us/politics/george-hw-bush-funeral.html  WEEK 2 5K TRAINING STARTS. NOW THAT YOU STARTED EASING BACK INTO TRAINING the relaxed nature of these plans should be apparent. The days of preparation between Thanksgiving and the December holidays are busy and may leave runners and walkers feeling uncharacteristically fatigued. That’s the reasoning behind the strategy of training on a “keep open” level of intensity for both. In medical terms, life-saving fluids or medications might be delivered to a patient through an intravenous tube or ‘line’ at a rate that is “wide open” such that the valve regulating fluid flow rate does not obstruct the tube lumen at all. This high flow rate is used in emergencies. Once there is no need to deliver meds or fluids intravenously the needle and tubing apparatus can be removed. However, because it’s not always easy to establish this kind of rapid ‘access’ line, one practice is to leave it in longer, until all possible need for delivery of IV medications and fluids ha passed. The fluid flow in this time is set at a “keep open” rate, just enough to allow the line to stay open and usable. Thus, these running and walking plans are not ambitious programs. There’s enough mileage to keep you in shape to comfortably run or walk a 5k race on New Year’s Eve or Day. It’s not designed to help establish a PR, but to show up and cross the finish line without significant issues. USA and CANADA: If you cannot locate a CONVENIENT NEARBY RACE, remember you can use 2018 or request new 2019 Earned Runs Bibs for this occasion and schedule a customized event at any time and location. RUN & MOVE HAPPY!   |
BRIDGE TO PHYSICAL SELF
Running, walking, and fitness activities enable us to experience our physical selves in a world mostly accessed through use of fingers on a mobile device. 
Finished my first 50K challenge, a virtual but real effort April 6, 2021. Qualifies me as an ultra-marathoner! All rights reserved.
AuthorEARNED RUNS is edited and authored by me, runner and founder. I began participating in road races before 5Ks were common. I've been a dietitian, practiced and taught clinical pathology, and been involved with research that utilized pathology. I am fascinated with understanding the origins of disease as well as health. Archives
September 2021
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