It's Not Runusual

First off, I'd like to thank Mary Leach (of Mass Eye & Ear) and Carlton Banks for their generous donations to Team Eye & Ear! I'm now 17% to my goal!

Last night, was Team Eye & Ear's Kick0ff Party held at the Mass Eye & Ear Infirmary. Not only were my teammates there, but there were also a handful of MEEI doctors & staff too. They are so friendly and supportive; it's inspiring to raise money for a world class institution that has wonderful doctors and staff who are dedicated to the Infirmary's mission and values.

Fred Treseler spoke to us about the marathon's history (Did you know women weren't allowed to run until 1972?) as well as training techniques and what to expect on race day. Fred took the time to stress that you should always try any nutrition supplements or equipment out prior to race day, because you never know how your body will react. He then told us about an elite runner that was presented by Adidas with a new shoe model the night before the race. Adidas told the runner that they'd feature him in their ads campaigns, the shoes were top of the line, etc. The shoes ended up not being a good fit and the runner had to pull out around Heartbreak Hill. His feet started bleeding along the route and were so caked in dried blood, that the shoes had to be surgically removed from his feet. That's a drastic example, but the point was made.

We also received our team t-shirts.

Front

The fine print says, "I ran the Boston Marathon and all I got was this t-shirt."

Tonight, I'm running 12 quarter mile repeats, taking a quick shower and then heading to Mr. Bartley's Burger Cottage to meet Nick, Vince & Steven for dinner. Dinner at Mr. Bartley's will probably negate my run, but man, it's so worth it.

Party time, Excellent, Woo Woo Woo Woo

On Saturday, I joined the FitCorp crew and ran 14.7 miles. The course starts and ends at One Beacon, and is an enjoyable loop down Beacon St, around BC, down Centre St in Newton and back down Beacon to finish. Thankfully, my water bottles didn't freeze this time and it wasn't too cold outside (although the temperature always drops considerably once you hit the reservoir at BC.) I ran the course in 2.5 hours and felt great, except for some sore knees. We were skiing at Okemo on Sunday and they felt pretty good though, and I didn't run yesterday. Today I'll go to yoga and then Wednesday's workout is the quarter mile repeats. Now that I'm pushing 30, I need to be more mindful of my body's limitations.

I'd like to thank the Babiak's and Carolyn for their generous donations to Team Eye and Ear! Want to see your name in print? Donate here and your wish will be granted! ;-)

Tonight, I'm going to Mass Eye and Ear for our team party! Fred Treseler is going to be this year's speaker, so it will be very interesting to hear from an athlete who's also a sports marketer.

Still Searching for a 2009 Boston Marathon Number?

I have been getting a lot of emails from people asking if there are still numbers available with Team Eye & Ear. Our team spots have been filled; however the wonderful folks at Firstgiving.com maintain a list of charities that are still looking for runners. Please visit: http://www.teamfirstgiving.com/fundraising-tips/last-chance-to-run-boston/ for more information.

Keep it Coming!

Wow! I'm so thankful for all of the donations that have come in the past 2 days! Many thanks to Jen, Meghan and her family and my wonderful husband! Due to everyone's generosity, I am now 10% to my $6000 goal! Woot!

Also, last night I received a check for my Boston Blog ads (thanks Adam!) and sent off the money to our team's coordinator to add to my donations. Keep clicking those ads, people!

Today is my rest day, because tomorrow is my long Saturday morning run and we'll be skiing on Sunday.

A Nana is a Grandma is a Bubbe

Family friends used to refer to their mother's parents as Hee Hee (aka Grandma) and Chugga Chugga (aka Grandpa). Hee Hee got her name because that was the sound she made when she laughed, while Chugga Chugga was really into trains (as in, Chugga chugga chugga chugga choo chooo!) This article discusses how baby boomers increasingly don't want to be called Grandma or Grandpa because they associate the titles with being old and boring. The article states one woman wants to go by Glamma (a glamorous Grandma, get it?), while another woman wants to be called, Coco. The funniest part of the article though mentions:

Steven, a 58-year-old doctor, said he didn't want a typical grandfatherly name, either, because "I still feel like I am 25." So he chose to go by "Papa Doc." He was going for a Marcus Welby, M.D. vibe -- after the mellow, graying doctor in a popular television series in the late '60s and early '70s -- but unfortunately the name reminds most people of the late Haitian dictator, François "Papa Doc" Duvalier.

Growing up, I called my mom's mom "Nana" and her dad "Grandpa." My dad's mom went by "Grandma." My nephews call my in-laws "Grammy" and "Grandpa." I like these titles; they're familiar and no one is confused by whom you're talking about exactly. Coco could be your family's Labrador or a French exchange student. These new age titles are ridiculous; calling yourself Glamma doesn't negate the fact that you are old enough to be a grandmother.

What did you call your grandparents?

Mr. November Comes Through!

My friend Vince (aka November's Featured Reader of the Month) just made a generous donation to Team Eye and Ear! Thanks Vince!

Suldog Rounds Me Out

A huge thank you to Suldog and HIS WIFE for for their generous donation to Team Eye and Ear! The donation brings me to an even $400! I highly suggest you check out his blog (which has been added to the link list to the right.) His posts are well-written, funny and usually include a lot of great photos. Three cheers!

Last night I did 10 quarter mile repeats, showered at the gym, and then met Nick, my father-in-law and his co-worker for dinner. After watching American Idol on dvr, I didn't get to bed until 11:30 and decided that early morning yoga was not going to happen. I'll hit the noon class and that will be my optional cross training for the day.

I'm In the Money!

I wanted to thank my mom and dad for their generous donation to Team Eye and Ear! I'm 7% to my goal; slow and steady wins the race. Don't forget to donate!

Training has been going well! Wednesdays are my quarter mile repeat days, where I'll run 2 minutes at 8 mph and cool down with 2 minutes at 4 mph (0 incline.) The idea behind these workouts is to build stamina. The first week was 6 repeats, then 8, and today I'm scheduled for 10. Two weeks ago I had my first long run at 13 miles in 2:06; it was so cold my water bottles froze! This past weekend I was skiing, which is a good leg workout. On Saturday, we're scheduled for a 14.5-16 mile run.

One thing that I've been doing for my cross-training is yoga. I'm completely addicted to the classes and I feel a lot stronger during my runs. I'm so thankful the classes are included in my gym membership!

Want to See What a Frozen Person Looks Like?

We skied about 90 minutes and are taking a break to thaw out. Killington isn't that crowded, and we haven't had to wait in any lines. Nick has skied Outer Limits a bunch of times, while I've opted to stay on Wildfire and Bear Claw. Trying to convince him that it's worth the trip to Sunrise Mtn.
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Everything In My Nose Froze into Chunks This Morning

Has that every happened to you? While walking from Downtown Crossing to my building, the contents of my nose froze into little chunks. That makes for a difficult nose blow!

We're heading off to Killington this evening to enjoy a long ski weekend. Hopefully we come back with all fingers and toes in tact. At least it's sunny!

Hair Before You Know It

I'm getting a haircut, and my salon is right next to Marathon Sports on Bolyston St. They have a countdown to the marathon board in their window... 92 days seems like a long time now, but I'm sure it will fly by! Please consider making a donation to Team Eye and Ear via the link under my blog's header, or via the Firstgiving widget on the right hand sidebar. You know you have $5 or $10 burning a hole in your pocket! :-)
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Take Advantage of Your Librarian

There's a nice article in the Wall Street Journal this morning talking about how job seekers are flocking to public libraries to take advantage of free wi-fi, computers and career books. I used to work as the Career Resources librarian at Simmons College and have also worked as a researcher & sourcer for a recruiting firm. This sort of reference work is a lot of fun, because you unearth professional associations you never dreamed would exist (there's an association for everything!), learn about companies you otherwise never would hear of, and tap into all sorts of alumni networks. In other words, it's detective work and a blast. Reference librarians are built for this sort of thing, so more job hunters should take advantage of not only their libraries, but also their librarians. Ask them questions, that's what we're there for!

Some Photos from My Childhood, or, A Lifetime of Wearing My Pants High

When I was home recently, I found some old photos. Let's take a trip down memory lane...

Here we have my mom feeding my little brother, David, and me wearing a Lacoste shirt that was probably pretty inexpensive at the time, but would cost you close to $90 these days.

Here I am rocking another Lacoste shirt (velour, no less!) Too bad my mom didn't save those- we could be making a fortune on Ebay.

My parents wasted a lot of time and money enrolling me in dance lessons. Some things are not meant to be. I'm the one in the middle (who looks like she's about to fall over) and noticeably out of sync with the rest of the little girls.

2nd grade. I LOVED this outfit; particularly the suspenders. I used to pretend I was in a polka band... Too bad I'm not joking.

5th grade. It's frightening how large my hand looks in this photo.

Saxophones are a nice accessory in any photo. Band was another time and money waster. My lowest grade in middle school was in band (C) and I was last chair in the "B" band. Much to my parents' and brother's relief, I dropped band in 8th grade.

My good friend Steph and I after a tennis tournament. I loved that racquet- Fox.

7th grade. Our first semi-formal dance made exceptionally awkward based on the fact that I was 5'5'' (taller than all the boys) and couldn't dance. I guess floral print dresses and Sam & Libby shoes were mandatory.

8th grade. Only Erica was fashion savvy enough to graduate to a more sophisticated print. Karen and I played it safe with floral numbers.

It Finally Happened

If they have kids, it will be one good-looking baby.

File Under Eff

As in, You've got to be effing kidding. If people take bites out of sandwich rolls, lord knows what they do to the platter of cold meat left out to its own devices.
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Best Bus Stop Ever

Waiting for the 7 outside of South Station was made a little less painful by the heat lamps inside the waiting area. What a great idea!
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The Stars At Night Are Big And Bright, Deep in the Heart of Fenway!

According to an article in the Wall Street Journal this morning, Fenway Sports Group now has a marketing deal with the PBR. No, not Pabst Blue Ribbon (although that would be pretty awesome.) In this case, PBR is Professional Bull Riders. I remember seeing one of the Nascar cars on the field at Fenway, will they bring a bull onto the field too?! That would be pretty ridiculous.

My favorite quote from the article is in regards to talking about PBR's mass appeal:

"Mr. Luker [creator of ESPN Sports Poll] says PBR ranks ahead of only arena football, beach volleyball and women's golf in the ESPN poll and its numbers have declined during the past three years. "

I can tell you right now, that of those 4 sports, PBR would be dead last in terms of what I'd watch on television.

2009 Boston Marathon numbers available- Run for Charity!

Team Eye and Ear has a couple of spots that just opened up due to last minute cancellations. If you'd like to learn more about joining our awesome team, please send me an email (address is located on the right-hand side bar) or leave me a comment with your contact information.

Unless you qualify, it's very difficult to get a number for Boston. Why not fulfill a personal goal and help out Mass Eye & Ear at the same time?

UPDATE: All spots have been filled. Thank you to everyone who sent an email inquiring about them though. Firstgiving.com's blog has some information though if you're still looking to run with a charity. Check it out here.

I don't know a lot about troubleshooting my PC, but...

Something tells me this is a bad sign. Help!
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Kicking the Habit

When I first started my job out of college, I was given a Franklin Covey planner and had to attend a ridiculously long training session on how to use it. Our trainer would ask us questions like, "What is something that no matter how much you plan, may still catch you off guard during the workday?" No one has ever accused me of having a sophisticated sense of humor and being 22, I whispered (a little too loudly) to the girl next to me, "diarrhea" and we both died laughing. Unfortunately, the trainer didn't find this funny and I was reprimanded in front of the class. Whoops. One thing the woman said that did actually stick with me (probably because she repeated it 35 times) is that it takes two weeks to form a habit. I'm hoping that most people's resolutions to use a gym fizzle before that two week habit forming period.

Fortunately, I was able to secure a treadmill in front of the tv that's tuned to ESPN, which is 1000 times more interesting to watch on mute than CNBC. (I don't run with an iPod or headphones.) My book called for a 40 minute jog, and I ran for 40 minutes at 6.5 mph and kept the incline at 1.5 for the first 30 minutes. Today's workout called for 30 minutes of cross-training, and that's out of the way as I took my 55 minute yoga class this morning.

Tonight I'm heading to the grocery store to buy some ingredients to make some homemade goodies for my friends that just had a beautiful baby girl, Mia. Congratulations Staci & Ian!

Fundraising and Training Update- I'm Off and Running!

I'd like to thank my friend (who anonymously signed the guestbook, so I'll keep her anonymous) for her generous donation to Team Eye & Ear!

According to my Firstgiving widget, I am 3% to my $6,000 goal. I run with Team Eye & Ear not only to fulfill my personal goal of being a marathon runner, but more importantly, to raise money for a world class medical institution that's right here in Boston.

Please visit my fundraising site, http://firstgiving.com/got2trotlibrarian, to read about my personal experiences with Mass Eye & Ear Infirmary and also to make a donation. The $10 donations are just as important as the $100 donations, and a donation in any amount would be awesome!

Tonight kicks off my official 2009 Boston Marathon training. Once again, I am following the plan set forth in Dave Kuehls', "Four Months to a Four-hour Marathon." (Although, based on last year's time, it seems I read, Four Months to a Five-hour Marathon.) :)

Mondays call for a 40 minute jog, which is fine with me. I need to tweak the plan a bit to accommodate the yoga and kickboxing classes my gym offers, because I would hate to give them up for 4 months. Conditioning will also include the Saturday FitCorp distance runs, which are my favorite part of training (even if this means running in 20 degree weather through snowy streets.) Honestly, the worst part about training during the winter is fighting the New Years Resolution crowds at the gym for treadmills and locker room space.

In any event, I'm off and running (pun intended!) with my training!

If it Had Been #2, I Probably Would Have Flushed It

I just went to use the bathroom before leaving the office. Having gone through about 6 mugs of tea today to try and beat a cold, I figured a pre-commute pee was in my best interests. As I sat down on the toilet, I thought I heard something fall on the floor. Looking on either side of me I didn't see anything; however, after peeing, I turned around to flush the toilet and there floating at the very bottom of the bowl was my Charlie Card. It had fallen out of my jeans' back pocket when I pulled down my pants. I looked at the card ebbing to and fro in yellow water and realized that I was going to have to decide which course of action would be worse: sticking my hand in a dirty toilet bowl or commuting for the next few days without a T pass until our HR could issue me a new one. In the end, I decided paying out of pocket for the bus would be worse, so I plunged my hand into the nasty bowl and had to go elbow deep before I was able to grab the card. On the bright side, I now have the cleanest right forearm and Charlie Card in Boston, as I scrubbed them both raw.
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I'm a Proud Member of the ICIAW Club

That's "Iced Coffee in Any Weather"
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