Love Story

As a seasoned journalist, I am adept at the art of eavesdropping. This morning, while dressing for work after swimming 2000 meters at the pool, some ladies congregated apart from me. One woman, clearly in her 70s and in amazing physical shape, started talking about Valentine's Day, and the 14th as a date of import to her and her husband. "We met on July 14; we were married on Sept. 14. We celebrate every special occasion with a bottle of champagne--the solstice, the equinox. . . "

Apparently, this woman and her husband have a liberal definition of special and if it keeps their marriage alive, so what? On every wedding anniversary--she says it'll be 50 years this year--she and her husband read out loud old love letters they sent each other starting a half-century ago. Or they'll read greeting cards they've exchanged over the years. "Some times I have to read his letters to me, because he usually starts crying," I heard her say.

All I can say is, "Wow!"

Some people go their whole lives, even their married lives, without experiencing such devotion. It was wonderful to hear that marriage can be alive and well--if the two involved in that marriage keep it alive and well.

Another conclusion I reached from this is, in these days of electronic communication and text messages, lasting tributes to a shared romantic relationship are fleeting. Few people write letters, actual letters, these days--you know the ones you fold neatly into an envelope that receives a stamp? That kind of letter.

While we have never exchanged letters, my husband, Charlie Bowers, and I have a collection of greeting cards and small pieces of paper traded over the years--nothing close to 50, but that doesn't diminish their impact. Some cards get prominent places of display in my office, but most are tucked away safely. Also in my office is a collection of now-dried roses he has given me on anniversaries and Valentine's days.

The cards could--heck, even should--be brought out of storage to be shared once again, like the couple whose love life (or a small portion of their love life) I heard about in a locker room at a city pool at 7:30 in the morning.

So Happy Valentine's Day, everyone, because every day can be Valentine's Day and you shouldn't wait until Feb. 14 each year to show your loved one how much he or she is loved.

I Like Bike

I took my first bike ride of the season today. The weather this winter has been crazy, and I've been feeling sorry for myself while 50 degree days passed me by (perfect for running) and I couldn't even fit my swollen left foot into my running shoe! Last night I decided that if it were above 40 degrees in the morning, I would get on my bike. I checked Time and Temperature (a local service Syracusans will recognize), and Mr. Computerman said 53 degrees. I looked outside, it said rain. Ugh. But I carried on, and am glad I did.
All my blinking lights on, four layers on top, plus my reflective vest, two on bottom, gloves and headband under my helmet, I headed out.
Now, my left foot is still slightly swollen and I wake up with occasional ankle stiffness. After a few miles, the ankle loosened up, I felt warm (though wet) and I was on my way to Baldwinsville.
The route I chose is 18 miles long, enough, I thought, for the first time out. I came home drenched, covered in grit (me and my bike), but so very happy that I had not let the rain deter me, and that I was able to bike the entire length. My bike computer wasn't working (I bet the layoff killed the battery). But today wasn't about speed, or really about the distance; it was about the fact that on Feb. 1 in Syracuse, New York, it was actually warm enough with hardly a trace of snow to ride a bike. That, and the fact, that I was able to do it. It's a good sign as I build toward my first triathlon, the Cooperstown Tri, May 27.

Training Days

I am happy to report that my podiatrist has cleared me for all activity, as long as it feels comfortable, he said. That happened Jan. 18, and I went out for a run the next day. I went slowly because it had been three months since I had done the physical work of running but also because the roads were spotted with ice. While my time for the 2.2 miles was no big deal, my cardio capacity did allow me to run the entire time. I'm guessing that the swimming I have been doing these last four weeks can be credited for that.
While I was recovering I purchased several Living Social/Groupon deals to local fitness centers, Fitness & Dance of CNY Pilates & Yoga, as well as Champions Fitness Center. The former gave me five classes of my choosing and I selected pilates, since I wanted the core work and yoga is familiar to me. Champions' deal is for 10 classes, and they have impressive offerings--Zumba, group cycle, yoga, core, water fitness. I took a cycle class yesterday, and plan on trying out Zumba.
I thought these would be good transitional fitness opportunities until I could start running again. And they are. But quite honestly, I'm not really loving pilates. I'm not sure why, exactly; yoga is just more my style, I guess. The ab/core work of pilates is impressive, and I enjoy the simplicity of the moves that can be quite challenging physically. But it's just not my thing.
Which leads me to my point--there are so many fitness options out there, that folks really have no excuses. Not everyone has to swim-bike-run-lift-yoga as I do, or get on an elliptical, or do pilates. The important thing is that you look into the options, try out a few classes, and see if they're for you. If not (as in my case with pilates), then you just try something else.
Now that I can run again, I am thinking about which race to tackle first. I'm contemplating the Skunk Cabbage 10K, in Ithaca on April 1. I'll keep you posted as to my progress.

Goals for 2012

Here we go again. Remember, I don't believe in resolutions, which I feel feed on the negative and tend to be vague. Instead I prefer the term "goals," which focuses on positive changes that can set you on the path of your choosing.

Last year, I succeeded in achieving five of my 10 goals. Here are another 10 (some duplicates from 2011) that I will work toward in 2012.

1. Reduce the amount of processed food I eat. This includes: frozen anything (except vegetables and ice cream), boxed items, snack mixes, baked goods not made from scratch. These are full of sodium and sugar and strange chemicals that I can't even begin to pronounce. Not healthy.
2. Remember to take my vitamins--Vitamin D and calcium, that is.
3. Run another marathon--since I'm scheduled for the Empire State Marathon in October, I'm already one step toward meeting that goal!
4. Read more.
5. Just like last year, lose 5-10 pounds. Foot surgery forces you off your feet, so weight gain is hard to avoid. Last year I lost 6 pounds, well within this goal.
6. Try to relax completely every 10 days. So very hard to me to do--I equate sitting on the couch with being lazy. (See #4).
7. Throw out/donate the stuff I don't use or don't need. All that extra stuff takes up space; I want to clear the decks!
8. Balance my weekly workouts, meaning pay attention to frequency of strength training, cardio, stretching/pilates, etc. Don't try to do too much of any one discipline. Getting older means sometimes realizing I can't run 8 miles two days in a row. It's OK to mix it up.
9. Realize I'm getting older.
10. Continue to pay down/pay off credit card debt. Every monthly payment is a minor victory. Keep it going!

I suppose these are modest goals, I don't know. Still, they're goals. Like last year, I will check in from time to time to see how I am progressing. Putting this in writing, posting it where my friends can see, keeps me moving forward.
Happy New Year!

Trying to Stay Positive

Saw the podiatrist yesterday, and while he is happy with my progress I must say I am not. Nine weeks after surgery, I still have not received clearance to do anything of high impact. This bothers me, because I had thought when he said "eight weeks" it meant I could run again after eight weeks; turns out, it's that I can walk again. Running is still out of the question.
He says the x-rays look great, that when he used to perform the same surgery and didn't connect the bones with a plate, it was four months in a cast. I was out of a cast at four weeks. Yeah, yeah; yada, yada. Not what I wanted to hear regardless.
Now, I have great faith in this doctor. He knows exactly what I want to do with my feet, and he respects that. So I know he is only telling me the right thing, but that doesn't mean I have to like it (insert whine here).
Naturally, upon hearing the news, I did what every triathlete does--I cried a little and then looked at the calendar, working backwards from my A race (in this case Ironman 70.3 Steelhead on Aug. 19) to make sure I would have enough time to train. The training plans I have perused say it takes 20 weeks to train sufficiently for that distance--1.2-mile swim; 56-mile bike; 13.1-mile run. So that puts me at April 1 to really get down to work.
So, with the doctor saying the normal recovery time from this type of surgery is 4-6 months, that means in February, at the earliest, I can start running again. I know I can do the training; that's not the part I'm bummed about.
It's that I can't take a run for another six weeks, and that I feel my quads turning to flab with every run missed. Until I can start with the 2-mile walk/runs, I will work on my swimming (and that should put me ahead when training really starts). I've gotten in four 500-meter swims in the last two weeks, and I intend to ramp that up after Christmas.
I continue with physical therapy, and that's going well--he has me biking for 12 minutes (recumbent bike) and working on calf strength. What's lacking still is flexibility in the big toe, and I have a feeling that will return when I'm cleared to run!