All GPS Are Not The Same

Michael (or do you normally go by Mike) these shortened names befuddle me.  My name as it is on my birth certificate is Beth.  My hippie parents tell two stories:

1. My father wanted my initials to spell something and my last name starts with an L.   They also wanted to name me after a very strong woman, Elizabeth, on my mom's side of the family.  This sort of left them with not a lot of options:  EARL, EGAL, ENOL, EORL, EVIL, EXUL.  But B, come on, BELL completely cute for a little girl.
2. They both wanted something easy to spell, and some variation of Elizabeth, again the whole strong woman thing.

Elizabeth, went by Lizzie, was mugged once, the Chicago police had to pull her OFF the mugger as he was yelling for her to stop.  That is the story as I remember it, and I'm sure it is pretty darn close to the truth.

Oh and I get referred to as BLS because I married a man who's last name is Smith and there was no way I was ever going to be Beth Smith, because, yeah, no...  I'll hyphenate, thank you very much.

Anyhoodles, got WAY off course there, but that plays well into my experiment today. Michael mentioned that the iPhone app for Strava was more accurate than the 'space watch'.  Muddy said that the 'space watch' looses you under cover of woods so up the miles, example 9.48 trail miles is more likely 10 trail miles.

Tuesday night I took Gus on a hike and tracked the miles using the Strava iPhone app, to see how the app worked.  Easier to fiddle with something hiking than running, right? Worked very nice. I even used it on my run with Nicole last night because I misplaced my Garmin.  Called home to see if I left it on the kitchen counter.  Hubb assured me I left Herman, wait Herman, it has a name now? on the kitchen counter and that my sunglasses were still very much lost.  My Midwest enunciation, or lack there of, gives him plenty of fodder for teasing.

This afternoon I took Gizmo on a hike and used both the Strava iPhone app and Herman.  I started both at the same time and off at the same time.

Herman tracked 2.1 miles
Strava iPhone tracked 2.8 miles

0.7 miles is a HUGE difference.  However on a very short number of miles.  There is probably something statistically significant about this, what that is, not really sure.  However, there is a high probability of a discrepancy.  I'll try both on my next longer run in the woods and see what happens.  This also explains why most, probably all, of my races in the woods come up short on miles?  Wonder if this would qualify for Mythbusters?

Oh and my miles, to the tenth, 5.3, matched Nicoles Garmin, we were running in town not totally relevant to the experiment, no woods. However, thought it was a good thing to mention.

Tomorrow is the Delaney Dash 4 Miler in Old Saybrook, CT part of the Shoreline Road Race series.  Bib pick up was today and the swag was a tote bag (never have enough of these), bottle opener for the key chain, and a beverage cozy.  Very cool!

7 is generally a good number for me,  714 would have been pretty cool, though...

Looking forward to running, or with the weather forecast, sloshing, with Don, OK reality -->  meeting up with him and his Bride at the finish line.  I'll also be on the look out for Jim aka Pete Zaria...  nice to finally put a name or rather names with a familiar face from so many local 5Ks.

Sincerely,
Beth, curious about this GPS and looking forward to a run in the rain!

Wrestling and Pondering

The Shamrock Shuffle in North Kingstown, RI was great.  Still not the beautiful 50F(antastic for running) temperature of last weekends Ocean's Run.  32F temps are ok it was the 22F (reezing) windchill at the start of the race that was not so ok.

Yeah, yeah, it is March, what are ya gonna do.  We were so spoiled last year, on this day, it was 48F for race start and 50F for race end.  One never knows what March is going to hold.  Winter is overstaying its welcome and spring is still off in the distance.

I ran a bit slower this 5K from the O'Niatic race yesterday.  Tired legs, many hours spent staining woodwork, one more slice of pizza than I should have, and who knows.  I could have pushed myself a bit harder.  This was a flat course and I need to learn to not rely on the hills to pick up my pace.

What is interesting is comparing the two races.  Similar amount of elevation gain 44 for O'Niantic and 48 for the Shamrock Shuffle.  O'Niantic was an out and back and Shamrock Shuffle was not.

O'Niantic Splits.  My official time was 28:46, I forgot to stop the Garmin... whoopsie!! So based on my official time my last split would have been 0:35 ???  oh here we go with math again...

Shamrock Shuffle Splits.  My official time was 29:19, I have no idea where the extra 7 seconds came from, I started the Garmin before I crossed the mat and after I crossed the mat, who knows, gremlins?

But really they are so similar, there is a difference of 44 seconds in there some where.  Huh...

Then check out the pace charts:

O'Niantic

Shamrock Shuffle

Fascinating.  I held a very steady pace for the O'Niantic, in fact if you would have asked me I would have said I ran pretty smoothly.  My Shamrock Shuffle was all over the place, holy cow!  Maybe I spent to much energy speeding up and slowing down and that caused the 44 second deficit?

This is all rather curious... something to ponder... electronic gremlins?  Thoughts?  Anyone?  Buller?

Anyhoodles, on to the important stuff!!!  I met some other women runners!  YEAH!!  Nice gals, hung out with them for the free beer at a local pub.  We even had our picture posted to the race's Facebook Page! Glad to get to know some other women runners, finally!  Looking forward to hearing about their races and running again with them in more local races!

Cute aren't we?

Hubb went out for a bike ride in the afternoon and I thought about going out and running the course he bikes and meeting up with him at some point.  He bikes it clock-stupid and I run it clock-wise.  While it would have been nice to see hubb's smiling face and to surprise him.  I opted to knit (those babys keep coming and those sweaters aren't going to knit themselves) and then take a nap.  The nap was heaven, absolute heaven, the eldest member of the pack was all for this curling up and snoring in my ear, oh Gizzy, you are a trip.  I was out for nearly two hours.  The youngest member of the pack and I haven't had our weekend morning wrestling matches in a few weeks, all this business of me getting up early to go out and race or run or brunch with girlfriends is really not his idea of how to celebrate the weekend!

He took this opportunity to nuzzle me and be his cute flip floppy self.  We had a good 20 minutes of wrestling and I managed to NOT get another black eye.  He is a spaz, you'll have that with 2 year old boxers.

Jax who has endless energy!

Sincerely,
Beth, curious about this whole splits discrepancy and happy to have met some women runners!

Tests

Crazy morning meetings left a space at noon to go for a run! The sun is starting to set earlier and earlier which is going to make trail running challenging.  Grumble grumble grumble....

I decided to see if I could better my time from yesterday on the 5K route!  I also emptied my gym bag and try to be a little more organized with its contents!  Both were successful!

The weather was beautiful and sunny, a little chilly just in the high 50F temperatures.  I don't ever remember if there was a breeze, so there probably wasn't.  I picked a long sleeve technical T and some shorts.  Same deal as yesterday the Garmin was right on the money and I left my badge in the basket at the guard shack and ran through the smokers.  UGH...  Up the hill and around the course.  Such a beautiful day.

There were people running on the treadmill.  I don't get that.... why?  I motioned for one of the guys to join me outside, he waved me off...  ok, enjoy your dreadmill run.

As I was running, I was thinking about this business leaving my badge at the guard shack and then just walking up and grabbing it out of the basket and walking back into campus.  I wonder, as do other outside at work runners, if someone really wanted to get inside did anyone think they could run up, grab a badge and get on to campus?  I wonder.  Maybe the guards pay more attention than we think they do?  I bet they do.  They know who comes and goes through that particular gate.  But still, hmmmmm maybe this could be part of my plot for my NaNoWrMo novel for next month?  Hmmmm....  I'll have to contemplate that a bit more.

Otherwise my thoughts were on the awesome news from my mom yesterday.  She passed her CT.  Translated this means her scan results were exactly the same as last years results which were the same as previous scans all the way back to about 36 months ago.  This is really really really amazing.  15% of Lung Cancer patients make it 5 years post diagnosis.  She reached that milestone in August!  Now this was the one year milestone from the last time she had a scan.  This is even more amazing to me because my parents have had an incredibly stressful year.  On December 26th 2011 their house burned.  I'd say half of it had to be rebuilt.  One half of the upstairs and the whole roof.  They still aren't in the house due to gross mismanagement of the project.

Let us back up even a few more months.  October of 2011 she was told by her oncologist that he saw no need to continue with frequent scans.  He showed my parents the current scan and laid the one 24 months old on top of the current one, they were identical.  He said he was comfortable with waiting a year that while he couldn't state the tumor was dead without testing it, he didn't want to poke it and if it wasn't dead have it wake up.  (my interpretation)  They were ecstatic, went out and bought a huge flat screen TV, two new living room couches, and for my parents to do such a thing is a big deal.  They were tired of their ancient TV and really wanted more comfortable couches.  Good for them.  So then less than two months later their house burns!!  So yeah, can we say stress?

Combine all the stresses of a house fire.  All those memories in the attic, gone.  All the antiques in their bedroom, gone. Watching as NOTHING happened on the reconstruction for months. Witnessing the demo crew gut their house they lovingly and painstakingly restored.  I'll stop there, you get the point, a lot of stresses   SO if something was going to happen could stress cause it, sure why not?  Cancer feeds on weakness, and stress weakens the immune system.  So yeah, there was a worry, especially as we got closer and closer and they were still not in their house and lawyers started getting involved...

And I digress, this has been something weighing heavy on my mind, and now it isn't. They should be back in their home by the end of the month and I will be able to go spend a week with them in November, I miss my quarterly long weekends in my childhood home.

Back to my run.  I felt great.  A little tired, but energetic, if that makes any sense.  I know that this was probably my last run before the 1/2 marathon on Sunday so make it a good one!  I think I accomplished that!

Yesterday was 28:42 // 9:14mi  so yeah improvement!

When I got back into the gym I got distracted, yes I am going to the focus workshop on Saturday!  SO I forgot to stretch.  I was in the shower feeling antsy   I thought oh shit, I forgot to stretch.  How does someone forget to stretch?  Well I guess they just do. I stretched a bit but not enough. This did not make for a fun afternoon.  Everything, especially my lower back, tightened up.

I checked the yoga schedule, a basic class.  Oh what I need a nice gentle yoga session.  Of course I'm running late and scramble into class to find just Heidi, the instructor.  She said, "Beth, Hi!" I said "Oh wow, just me?"  She said "Beth, you know it is Thursday right?"  I said "Yeah, I wanted a nice gentle class because I managed to not stretch after I ran and my lower back is tight." She said "OK, first, your coming on Saturday right?"  I nodded, she continued "Well yes, it is just us, this will be nice."  I agreed and said our last 1:1 class was wonderful.

We had a lovely class, working on hip opening and twists, just the thing to loosen a tight back.  As I was leaving I said I may not see her on Friday night but I would see her on Saturday!  She just chuckles at me.

Stats:

Sincerely
Beth, thrilled her mom passed her test!

The Beginning of Taper

Tuesday was a NYC day and a rest day.  Spent the better part of my day with my boss working through project issues and getting involved in new projects. And that isn't why you tune in, is it?

Today started my first taper run.  I've been reading about tapering and really am not sure what to do or what to expect.  One article said to run 20% fewer miles but at a more intense pace.  OK, well lets give that a shot.

I was feeling pretty good this morning, nothing ached or hurt, well there is the blister mess on the back of my right heel, a bandage helps with that chaos.  Bounced on down to the gym to change.  Chatted with the gal at the desk about the Terri Brodeur walk on Sunday, figuring out how we were each connected in with the Brodeur family.  She asked if that was my first time I volunteered, I said it wasn't and that I always appreciate the traffic and safety folks for the races I run.  She agreed they rock.  Nice gal.

The first dilemma was what to wear, it seems since the bra incident I have been packing extra everything in my gym bag, I really need to get a handle on what is in there and repack more efficiently!  Which really is pretty simple isn't it?  BUT the weather is fairly unpredictable and my running skirts seem to be getting big again, ugh.... So at least three shirts, tank, short sleeved  and long sleeved, shorts and a skirt, shoes, bras, socks, flip flops, toiletries...  yeah the bag gets pretty full. Maybe I should just get a bigger bag?

I got outside  the Garmin was right on top of getting a signal and I flipped my badge into the basket at the guard shack and said toodaloo to John and went off running first through the smokers.  Ugh, barf, blech.  I wasn't sure how far I was going to run, I figured 3 miles but which route would I take?  I felt like a little bit of hills so I ran the road through the golf course, perfect.  I checked my Garmin a couple times and it seemed like my pacing was going to get me in under 30 minutes.  Huh... well I haven't managed that for any of the recent 5Ks, so what the hell lets see what I can do.  Besides the 5Ks have been in the evening, this is what I am telling myself.

I did have a little left in the tank and could have pushed harder.  Maybe tomorrow?  Maybe not?  All in all I was completely surprised by this.

Stats:

Sincerely,
Beth who was pleasantly surprised today

Enablers

The weather was perfect for running today.  Breezy, sunny, slight chill in the air.  I packed my long sleeved Team Lung Love jersey in my gear bag and was quite happy to wear it for my lunch time run.  What I forgot was my Garmin.  Luckily I have an iPhone and Map My Fitness so I could see what I did pace wise once I was done.  And since I had my iPhone I also stopped a few times to snap some pictures.  Worked out perfectly as the next run after a long run be a recovery run?  Leaving the Garmin on it's charger in the kitchen was my enabler to run at what ever pace felt right.

My usual route at work.  I seem to run it clockwise while everyone else runs it clockstupid.  I'm not sure why.  I really like the steep hill at the end and the long slow climb at the beginning, rather than the other way around.  But then again Sir GIS Alot was the one who showed me the route to begin with and that is how he ran it so, well, there you go. I'm a creature of habit and training.

The lovely weather and blue skies were my enablers to just stop and snap a few pictures here and there.

I love all the neatly stacked lobster pots and fishing gear!

My route takes me on one out and back and there was a small out and back I took just after that one.  I may explore down there a bit more.  No pictures snapped.  My boxer buddy wasn't out guarding his yard at the end of out and back #1.  My next 'stop' is UCONN's Avery Point Campus, the view of the Long Island Sound behind the buildings was so sparkly.  There are also a bunch of ducks perched on the rock in the middle, sunbathing I imagine!

Then we get into campus a bit and this is the first bit of beauty I see.  Up a set of stairs and on to a brick walk way, and around the point. Lots of interesting sculptures.  I started thinking about how awesome a place this is to work and to run in, and why didn't I marry for money instead of love so I could spend more time enjoying the scenery.

Then I saw this bench, I had never really noticed it before, the flowers caught my eye.  This is why I married for love instead of money.  The feeling of love and contentment just radiated out of that granite bench.  Awwww.

And then it was back on the road and up and around and back to Crazy Land.  

This run enabled me to bear through the rest of my work day, that and a note saying "Sunday 10 a.m. - Inaugural Lions Club 5K in Misquamicut"  Sundays are my long run days, they have been for such a long time that I hate to mess with that equation.  But hey Misquamicut is 5 miles from my house so I can run to the race, run the race, and run home and I'll get in 13. How could that plan fail?

Further enabling me to focus on my work and just plow through and be productive was this popping up in my in-box "6 p.m. Dog Watch, Be There" I haven't heard from this friend in ages.  She is going through some crap and sometimes people just need to be left alone.  I was there at 6 and so was she.  Couple of cocktails and probably the messiest and best burger I've had in eons!  Of course the gossip and chit chat was awesome.  She seems to be doing better, or at least is realizing that she is completely normal.  Don't we all need to be reminded that we are completely normal?

Stats:

Not a fast run, but I did enjoy it and snapped a few pics!

The lines are blurry but there is a second out and back before the Avery Point loop and I have no idea what that blue segment is all about

Pacing is consistent!

Sincerely
Beth who appreciates all who enable her to live each day to its fullest!

Saturday Walk Day

Schedule was an 8 mile walk.  Woke up to rain and cooler temperatures.  This warranted a long sleeved shirt.  Found a nice bright pink one, perfect for the occasion on a somewhat dreary rainy Saturday.  Laced up the shoes, donned the waist pack with two bottles of water, some cash, and some GU Chomps.  The iPod shuffle seems to be working again.  I reset it. I wonder if that will do anything to help the battery hold a charge?  Donned my new Garmin Forerunner 410, I don't know why I felt the need for a new watch.  The 110 worked OK, granted it didn't pick up a signal quickly and never seemed to hold it in the beginning of my run and I had a devil of a time getting it hooked up to charge or to down load data.  So yeah, those inconveniences and for some reason I am feeling cash rich and needed a new gadget.

A fellow walker commented that she liked my top, it was easy to see from very far away.  I commented back that was the point.  I wanted to be seen, sometimes it is scary walking or running on the road.  It rained pretty much the full 2 plus hours I was out walking.  No blisters to report, and my shoes are drying out.

I run this course weekly and have walked it now twice.  I see it so differently at 16 minute mile versus a 10 minute mile.  Nothing really picture worthy what with all the rain.

The big project for the day was preparing for a girlfriends baby shower on Friday.  This required a trip to Babies R' Us.  Scary scary place for childless me!  I managed to not get lost and it only took me an hour to figure out what I wanted to purchase and how I would incorporate it into the presentation of the gift.  Shhhh.... it is a surprise.  I'll post a picture after Friday, she may read the blog.

Tomorrow's route is partially unknown, 15 - 17 miles.  I've driven it several times but never run or walked it.  Slightly apprehensive and slightly excited. Better make sure the iPod is charged I'd really like to have tunes for the run.  I'll see if it holds the charge until Monday why take a chance it really is dying.

Sincerely,
Beth walker for a day