Even though one of my favorite passages from the Bible advises me to “pray constantly,” I don’t always remember to pray about everything that is worrying me. When I do pray about something that is making me anxious, I don’t always pray for a specific result. I’m not sure if it is something I learned in Sunday School or just picked up on my own, but I don’t feel right praying for my desired outcome. Instead, my go to prayer is from the Lord’s Prayer:
Another busy Saturday here, combined with lingering snow and ice and the possibility of sleet meant another Saturday morning on the treadmill (the third week in a row, I think). After I suffered through the 10k program a few weeks ago, I have been doing some kind of interval workout on the treadmill to make the time pass more quickly.
Today’s workout was a variation of the “tempo” type workout I did last week:
Warm-Up
0-5 min: walking, 3.7 mph (1.5 incline)
5-10 min: running, 5.7 mph (0.5 incline)
10-15 min: running, 6.0 mph (0.5 incline)
Tempo Intervals
15-25 min: 6.5 mph (0.5 incline)
25-27 min: 5.7 mph
27-37 min: 6.5 mph
37-39 min: 5.7 mph
39-49 min: 6.5 mph
49-51 min: 5.7 mph
51-61 min: 6.5 mph
61-63 min: 6.7 mph
Cool Down
63-65 min: running, 6.0 mph (0.5 incline)
65-66 min: running, 5.5 mph
67-70 min: walking 3.7 mph (1.5 incline)
Nailed it!
It felt comfortable, but I also “felt” my ITB (no pain, it was just reminding me of its existence) so I was reluctant to push harder.
It also was my first run in my new shoes and Zensah compression socks:
I didn’t think I *needed* new shoes yet (I got my current pair sometime in September, I think, and have been running about 16-18 miles per week), but I wanted to get the most out of my 25% coupon for RoadRunner Sports that expired this week.
I also got this wonderful “Rubz” ball that I hope will keep my plantar fascitis at bay.
The little nubs feel so good when I roll my feet on it, like I’m doing right now. Aaahh . . . .
One final product plug. Last Friday I broke down and got a manicure. I swore off them over a year ago when I found that my nails were weaker after getting one–they would be strong and in great shape, but then suffer from daily breaks in the weeks following my appointment. I decided to give another salon a try, and made an appointment for their “healing” manicure that included a warm wax treatment and lots of lotions, etc.
During my short wait for my appointment I saw displays for soak-off, UV-cured “gel” nail polish that was guaranteed to last for 2 weeks. Since I always manage to chip my polish ithin a few days, I decided to give it a try. It was an extra $20 (I was at a nice salon, mind you!) but totally worth it. Here are my nails a full week later–not a chip in sight!
(but I do need to use more hand cream!)
Now, I do have some qualms about the soak-off process. It looks like it involves soaking my nails in acetone for an extended time. So, maybe this isn’t something I will do all the time, but it is nice to know that this is available if I *need* my nails to look pretty and polished for more than one day.
Yesterday started cold and rainy–another grey day after a week of sleet, freezing rain, snow, and rain. Even mid-morning there was a heavy fog that made driving dangerous.
When I looked outside after lunch, though, the sky was bright blue
Of course, I was stuck at work, and I was jealous when @workoutmommy tweeted
big kids in school, went for a run, and the sun is out today! Never underestimate the power of a workout gang! 🙂
I did go out to Starbucks for a few moments of fresh air and sunshine (and a decaf-tall-skinny-one pump-cinnamon dolce latte), but that didn’t do anything for my craving for an outdoor run. I think it’s been two weeks since I’ve bundled up for an o’dark-thirty run, and I was missing it.
When I checked the weather last night, I wasn’t discouraged by the overnight forecast (in the 20’s). I’ve run in colder weather. And I still wasn’t discouraged when I checked the weather this morning (windchill of 18). I’ve run in more bitter wind. I just bundled up in my warmer running pants, three layers on top, hat and gloves, and headed out.
A slick spot in front of my neighbor’s house was my first warning. I encountered a few more icy stretches during my walking warm-up, but they were in places that always seem to have puddles or standing water.
I start my run on neighborhood roads, and they were fine. When I get out of my neighborhood I have to stick to sidewalks for a while. The first stretch had more icy spots than I expected, but I was able to find a clear path along the edge of the sidewalk. The next stretch was a bit worse, but I was facing traffic so I could run in the street when no cars were coming. The next mile was fine, but the one after that was horrible. The sidewalk had never been shoveled from last week’s snow, and what was left was an irregular surface of solidly iced over snow with footprint ruts. I crossed to the other side of the street and enjoyed a dry stretch of sidewalk–until it ended!
I crossed back to other side so I would at least be facing traffic. I got lucky and was able to get pretty far before any cars came along. When they did, I had to jump out of the road because I couldn’t trust them to see me or switch lanes. It got really interesting when I also had to leap over fallen branches, but at least that part of the sidewalk was brightly lit by the lights of the adjacent apartment complex.
And so it went for the last mile of my run until I got back to my neighborhood. I had nice intervals of running interspersed with bursts of plyometrics as I jumped over snow banks into the street to avoid an icy patch or back up to the sidewalk to save myself from getting hit by a bus. Although I generally played it safe, I also felt like I was playing chicken. Could I make it to the next stretch of dry sidewalk before I had to get out of the path of the approaching car?
I made it almost back to my neighborhood when I had to totally give up on running. The road was too busy to be in the street, and the sidewalk was a solid sheet of black ice with no snowy spots for traction. I stopped my Garmin and walked gingerly until I reached dry concrete.
After that, I was home free.
I don’t regret running outside this morning–after all, I made it back without falling or getting hit by a car–but I don’t think I will do it again until I know the sidewalks are clear. It really is dangerous, but sometimes a girl just needs fresh air with her endorphins!
I will admit to being a coffee snob. I always have preferred the coffee I make at home over most restaurant coffees, but now I have been spoiled by Starbucks bold coffees. Until last year, I was one of the people who did not even like Starbucks coffee, but then I discovered their bold flavors during their bold coffee of the week program. (If you missed it, you could collect stickers for trying a different bold flavor each week, and at the end of the program could turn in your sticker sheet for a free pound of your favorite flavor–I am a sucker for collecting stickers to “win” something!)
My favorite is Komodo Dragon:
Indonesia is the home of the world’s largest lizard–the Komodo dragon–and this blend of Asia Pacific coffees bears its name. Spicy, herbal, and earth with a full body, each sip of Komodo Dragon Blend evokes the lushness of Indonesia.
Well, I don’t know about all that, but it is a nice flavor.
This weekend we went out of town so my son could attend a college lacrosse clinic. The only Starbucks in town is in a Border’s that doesn’t open until 10:00 on Sundays–what good is that? Since this is our second overnight here, I knew the coffee crisis that I would be facing, and thought to toss some Starbucks Via® packs into my bag. Here’s what Starbucks says about Via®:
Starbucks has found a way to offer a truly great cup of coffee that you can prepare by just adding water. Other instant coffees taste flat and lifeless. Starbucks VIA® Ready Brew is different – it’s full bodied and flavorful, just like the Stabucks® coffee you know and love.
We know. We say the words “instant coffee” and you immediately think of something lifeless and flat. No smell. Even less taste.
We’re about to change all that. This is 100% Colombian arabica coffee, ethically sourced. To enjoy it, all you have to do is tear open a pack and add water. Let the coffee brew 10 seconds and stir. Then enjoy the rich, smooth taste, with that signature walnut-like taste found in great Colombian coffees.
Sounds good, right? I hadn’t tried it before, and although my husband likes it, he’s not as much of a coffee snob as I am, so I wasn’t sure what I would think.
I used the coffee pot in our room to fix hot water, and used one packet to make one cup.
To make it more fun, I got a cup of coffee from the (free) hotel breakfast for a side-by-side taste test.
Here’s what they looked like with 1 container of half-and-half stirred in:
Can you guess which one was the Via®?
Do I even need to tell you which one tasted better?
I will definitely keep some Via® on hand to throw into my bag for trips. While most hotels I stay at on my work trips have a Starbucks within walking distance, Via® will save me from ever having to drink weak hotel coffee again.
You can get Starbucks Via® at your local Starbucks or grocery store. The prices vary by flavor, but Starbucks sells Via® for about $6.95 for a 6-serving box, or $12.95 for 12-serving box.
Product Ratings (1-5 ♥)
Overall Quality of Product: ♥♥♥♥♥
Taste: ♥♥♥♥♥
Nutritional Value (Ingredient Quality): ♥♥♥♥♥
Value for $: ♥♥♥ (pricey but worth it!)
Would You Recommend it: ♥♥♥♥♥
The Supreme Court has told us that despite language referring to a “well-regulated militia,” the Second Amendment gives individuals the “right to keep and bear arms.” Over the past few years, the Court also has held that the ability of states to regulate (limit) this right is subject to scrutiny, although it has upheld certain laws that restrict the possession of firearms by certain classes of people (such as convicted felons and the mentally ill) or that forbid firearms in certain places (such as schools and government buildings).
I can live with the notion of a right to bear arms, but I don’t know why it has to include guns that are not designed for self-protection or hunting, such as semi-automatic weapons. When it comes to the U.S. Constitution, I am not an originalist, but I still think that it is relevant that the Framers could not possibly have intended to be ensuring that individuals have the right to carry weapons that can cause mass casualties in a few moments.
My views don’t really matter, but Supreme Court Justice Scalia does purport to be an originalist, at least with respect to women’s rights. In early January, he said that the Constitution does not prohibit discrimination against women because (as reported by Yahoo!) “Nobody ever thought that that’s what it [the 14th Amendment] meant.”
Now, I don’t want the Court to limit the 14th Amendment to what might have been the original intent of its authors, but if Justice Scalia believes that it should be, shouldn’t he look at the Second Amendment in the same light?
I think the Supreme Court should approach the Second Amendment issue the same way that the city of Alexandria, Virginia is approaching its rules for homes in its historic preservation district. As reported in the January 6, 2011 issue of the Alexandria Gazette Packet, the city has decided that homeowners maintaining the exteriors of their homes can only use replacement materials that were available when the houses were built. That means that materials developed in the twenty-first century cannot be used on houses built in the 1800’s. I don’t necessarily agree with this rule–won’t it preclude the use of more environmentally friendly and/or inexpensive materials?–but that’s not my point.
My proposal here (and it is a modest one), is to interpret the Second Amendment as ensuring the right to bear the types of arms that were available in the late 1700’s when the Bill of Rights was adopted. I’m sure these pistols could be used for self-defense, and people back then had to hunt for their food, so the rifles must be good enough for hunting.
So, Justice Scalia, what do you think?
![The Ultimate Coffee Date](http://got2run4me.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Ultimate-Coffee-Date.png" "The Ultimate Coffee Date")
