It's Your Responsability To Spell Check

About a week ago the local high schools had their first football games.  This week did not count.  They call them "jamboree" games.  There was one particular game that created a lot of buzz.  Unfortunately not for the actual football game but for a sign the Hoover Bucs football team ran through.  The sign read "Hoover Football Cannot Be Held Responsable For Ruffled Feathers".

I have no idea how this spelling error was missed.  Especialy knowing that several eyes saw the banner while it was being made.  I am not the one to cast stones toward the persons that made the error as I am no Rhodes Scholar when it comes to spelling and grammar.  

Actually, I feel somewhat responsible as I was in Hoover High School a couple of weeks before this game and saw the cheerleaders working on a banner.  I remember smelling that familiar permanent marker smell. I am not sure if it was THE banner but it might have been.  If only I had taken the time to actually look at the banner I might have been able to save some embarrassment to the school.  Or would I?  See I went to high school at one of Hoover's cross town rivals.  My oldest currently attends another cross town rival high school of Hoover.  Frankly the site of that orange and black makes me a little sick to my stomach.  Even with all of this said I would have more than likely taken the high road and made the call out.  

Who knows how it got past everyone at the school. However, I am pretty sure going forward several faculty members will be stopping by the poster making area checking the grammar and spelling for any future banners that are displayed.  I am also sure there will be a few of Hoover's opponents who will more than likely have signs mentioning this gaffe.  I am looking forward to see what their opponents will come up with.   Hmmm...maybe I should print up some t-shirts with #RESPONSABLE on the front.

Welcome Back Twinkies!

This past week I was reintroduced to all of the Twinkie products that were away from us for awhile. There was a huge endcap at the local Wal Mart a few weeks ago and I meant to buy some then but did not.  So this week I took the plunge .  I got one box of Twinkies and one box of their Cupcakes.  The Twinkies were exactly as I remembered them.  Of course I did not eat them plain.  I put a Twinkie in a bowl and put chocolate ice cream over it.  If you have never tried this I would highly recommend it.  As the chocolate ice cream melts it is absorbed by the Twinkie.  You would think the Twinkie would get too soggy but it doesn't. It's a nice occasional indulgence.

The other product I tried was their Cupcakes.  These I just eat straight.  I have not had one of these in years.  It was pretty good.  The classic was seeing my youngest biting into one for the first time.   You could tell he did not know there was creme filling in the middle.  The expression on his face was priceless.

I am glad to see the Twinkie's products are back.  I thought the whole national outcry when they went away was a bit much.  Especially the people who hoarded them and tried to sell them on Ebay.  However, it would have been a bummer if we had lost these.  I have to admit I was not a huge consumer of these but now that they are back I plan to put them in the occasional "treat" rotation.

Hey Publix! This Flavor Rocks!!!

This past weekend I was at my local Publix picking up a few things.  As usual the last stop I make is to the ice cream section to check and see what ice cream they have on sale.  This week they had their house brand on sale.  At most other grocery stores that would be a real downer but not at Publix. Their house brand ice cream is AWESOME!  In the past my favorite flavor has been Chocolate Trinity.  It is some of the best chocolate ice cream I have ever had.  They have a pretty good Moose Tracks as well.  And their Cherry Chocolate Chip ice cream is nothing to sneeze at.

This weekend I discovered a flavor of ice cream called Chocolate Cookie Quarry.  Wow!  It's chocolate ice cream with a Oreo type cookie mixed in.  Instead of it just being chunks of the cookie they somehow figured out how to pulverize the cookie when they mixed it into the ice cream.  It's a taste that is hard to describe.  

Now let me even amaze you even more. The Chocolate Cookie Quarry is not ice cream at all...it's FROZEN YOGURT!  I picked it up not realizing this.  The flavor just sounded awesome.  My first bowl of this frozen yogurt made me loudly proclaim "this is the best ice cream ever!"   The next night I went to grab another bowl and noticed on the carton that it was frozen yogurt.   So then I loudly proclaimed "this is the best frozen yogurt ever!"  My family thought I was really weird but I make no apologies when it comes to ice cream or in this case frozen yogurt.

Great job Publix.  It's going to take a lot to top this flavor!

Slacker: Part Two

This is one of these posts that I write for the benefit of me.  My hope is that it will motivate me a little more in getting back on track.  Last week did not go as I had planned.  I hoped to make it to the gym.  But it was not meant to be.  School started last week for my children and that seemed to throw me off my schedule.  I had a few other obligations that were not really legitimate excuses on why I could not work out.  However I did a good job of convincing myself that they were.

I ended up not going near the gym the entire week.  I did get off my butt on Saturday for a run.  It was a struggle.  I got out to the trail a little later than I wanted to and it was already pretty humid.  I ran for 6.5 miles.  It was not the best run for me, but at least I did get out there.  However, I felt it the rest of the weekend.  It's amazing how quickly your body can forget that running 6.5 miles should be pretty easy.  I should be able to run at least 10 miles.

Here's hoping this week will be better.  I have mapped out a realistic workout schedule.  I have mixed in some cross training with a spinning class and some weights.  I have three runs scheduled.  Two runs of around three miles either outside or on an indoor track and one long run for Saturday.  I hope to report good news next week.  

Cats

I have been around cats most of my life.  Currently in our family we have two.  Both cats found us verses us finding them.  The cat we have had the longest showed up at our door step one day.  She showed up on our deck. We fed her and then we took her to our vet just to get her checked out.  The next thing I knew she was a part of our life.  She was a skittish cat when we first got her but you could tell she wanted to be part of a family.  It took a little work but she adjusted to the other cat we had at the time.

She is a tortoiseshell cat.  These cats have what is called "tortitude".  They are very opinionated.  Not that we can talk cat but this cat does a good job expressing her feelings by the tone of her meows. This cat is very loyal to our family and makes it a point to check on each family member before she settles in for the night.  She almost always sleeps at the edge of our bed but only on the side of the bed my wife sleeps on.  If my wife is out of town she does not sleep on the bed.  She also has this strange habit of bringing a stuffed animal to my wife several times during the day.  The stuffed animal is Swiper from Dora the Explorer.   We sometimes will hide Swiper in various places in the house but the cat always seems to find it.

Our other cat also found us.  We had been at our vet's office for one of our other cats.  The vet often has cats up for adoption that people have found.  This orange tabby immediately captured our hearts when we first met him.  It only took a few visits for us to realize we needed to bring him home.  This cat likes to be the center of attention and has a huge ego.  We facilitated this by entering his picture in the Page A Day Cat calendar.  We were very happy to find out that he made the calendar.

This cat loves to eat.  My wife has done a good job of keeping both cats on a regimented feeding schedule.  We have an automatic feeder that drops food in the morning and around dinner.  It's funny how the cats know about what time the food will be there.  They start congregating around the feeder.  When the food does drop the orange tabby is the first at the feeder.  

(Swiper by the food bowl)

Both cats are very close to everyone in our family.  I can't imagine what it would be like not to have them in our lives.  I do think they help you keep your stress levels down.  They are great with our children. Sometimes they can be a pain but that's another thing cats teach us....patience.

THE Fall Sport is About Start!

Yes, it's about that time again.  THE Fall sport is about to start.  The athletes have been practicing getting ready for the season.  You know what sport I am talking about.   Volleyball season is starting!  I know, I know, that might not be the sport you were thinking I was talking about but in our household it's what we eat, sleep and breathe.  My oldest started playing volleyball a little over five years ago.  I was aware of the sport prior to her starting to play it.  I played it some in college on a intramural team.  I went to FSU and attended many of the women's team games.  Gabrielle Reece played for the Noles when I was at FSU.  The games were a lot of fun to attend. My wife and I even got to see volleyball played in the Olympics when the games were in Atlanta.  We have also been to some UAB games both indoor and sand.

I was really excited when my oldest wanted to give it a try.  However, Fourth grade volleyball was a little difficult to watch. If (that's a big if) you get the ball over the net you are pretty much assured of a point.  Fifth and Sixth grade was a little more competitive.  Most of the girls still served underhanded so they usually got the  ball over the net.  At this age the girls can actually get the ball back over the net to return the serve.   Some girls start serving over handed and if they can, the intimidation factor alone is worth a few points.  

Now we have moved onto High School volleyball.  I can already tell this is going to be more intense.  This summer was spent with "volunteer" workouts.  Practices involved a lot more running and even involved lifting weights with a conditioning coach.  I can see significant improvement in the volleyball play so far.

This year I am getting a little more involved as a parent and will be attempting the role of scorekeeper and libero tracker.  I initially thought how hard can this be?  I found out real quick at the hour plus long training class this was a big deal.  First they had a Power Point presentstion that had about fifty slides.  The guy going over the slides has been doing this for years and did not know how to teach newbies.  After the training class I knew this would require further research.  I found a website with a pretty good Power Point and have been studying it.  The first games are at the beginning of September.  Hopefully I will be ready.  

I am looking forward to the season. I can't wait to see my oldest play.  I look forward to watching the Noles volleyball team play on TV.  Hopefully, we will even catch a UAB game.  It should be a lot of fun.  And yes, I will be watching that other Fall sport with the brown ball.  

The Fizz is Gone

I have a major weakness with my love of carbonated drinks.  I love the taste and could drink them all day.  I have been drinking them a little more than usual lately.  I think this has been one of the factors that has impacted my running performance.  I am not a doctor and do not claim to have any medical knowledge of why this would be the reason.  I have read studies and seen blurbs on the news about why carbonated drinks are bad for you.  I have read that even diet drinks are not that good for you.  Something about the brain thinks its really sugar and it makes you more hungry.  Then I have also read that it slows down your metabolism.  These may or may not be true and I am sure there are plenty of other studies that say the opposite.

If you think about what it is in these drinks it is kind of concerning.  Especially the diet drinks.  All of the artificial sweeteners that have come out over the years start out promising but inevitably some study will come out saying it causes some medical condition.  Even the non diet drinks have corn syrup in them now instead of sugar and supposedly that's not so great for you either.

My opinion is that inevitably everything in excessive amounts is probably not good for you.  So drinking soda is probably OK for you if you drink them in moderation.  I just have a tough time with moderation when it comes to soda.  I think it has to be all or nothing for me.  I have gone cold turkey several times giving up soda.  Usually this occurs during Lent.  I have had success in doing this each time.  But when Lent is over I quickly jump back into my old habits.  

So I am going to try giving them up for awhile.  I will see if there are any noticeable differences over the upcoming weeks.  It's going to be a tough ride but I feel like it is worth a try.

The Child Has Begun to Teach the Parent

I have noticed a disturbing trend over the past few months with my children.  I think the balance has shifted from what I am teaching them to more of what they are teaching me.  Gone are the days of teaching my children the simple basic skills of life.  They have begun to master most of these.   Now it's more often them telling me some fact or skill that I did not know.  Don't get me wrong I do still have them beat on learning life lessons and they still have to be reminded to remember to do certain tasks.  I am not ready to be put out to pasture yet but I do feel like I can now see the pasture off in the distance.

There are some noticeable knowledge gaps.  They definitely have me beat with video games.  That ship sailed several years ago and I know I will never be able to catch up.  Board games used to be a sure bet but that is no longer the case.  Both my kids are very competitive and are pretty ruthless especially when we play Monopoly.  My only hope now are trivia games that have obscure pop culture questions from the 70's and 80's.  

Although I am still pretty tech savvy there are times when they will do something on the Ipad that I have never seen before.  I can still teach them things about a personal computer but who uses those anymore?  I still don't need their help on how to use the TIvo or cable remote.  

Yes it is pretty cool to know your kids are at a point in their life where you can see all the things you have been teaching them over the years actually did process in their head.  It's also cool when they show you something they have discovered and it broadens your perspective just as much as theirs.  

Although my kids are teaching and sharing new things with me, I know that there are still plenty of things left to teach on the parent side. Driving lessons, decisions about college, help with homework are still on the agenda. I look forward to those teaching moments but I have to say the learning moments are fun too.

Starting Over/Slacker

I took a week off and did not exercise Sunday through Friday due to this calf injury thing I have going on.  Well, almost a week.  By Saturday I felt like a real slacker.  I decided to see if I my six days off was enough.  I went to my local gym lifted a few weights and then hit the indoor track for a three mile jaunt.  I wore one compression sock on the bad calf.  And yes, wearing one compression sock is funnier looking than wearing two.   I ran a good pace and felt pretty good. On my third mile I decided to turn it up some and run at a quicker pace.  Another guy was running on the track who was much younger than me.  I passed him on the second lap of my last mile.  I could hear him behind me on the remaining laps.  I kept the pace up and he never passed me.  My last mile was the fastest of the three I ran.  I know it had to do with me not wanting to get passed.  As I was leaving the gym the guy that was running behind me, asked how much I had run and told me he had been trying to keep up with me.  That was a good feeling.

When I got home my oldest child wanted to go walking at Veteran's Park.  I still felt pretty good so I changed into my trail shoes and off we went.  We ended up walking over three miles.  It took about an hour to do that and I got to spend some quality time talking with my oldest.  

These two runs, one was really a walk,  were a good start to getting back on track.  The first run really made me realize that when I get pushed a little bit I perform better.  Now I just need to figure out how to internally motivate and push myself every time I run and/or workout.  

Funny thing happened after we finished our walk.  I forgot to stop my GPS watch.  It was a very cool day so I had the window down when we drove off.    I never lost the signal.  A half mile down the road I heard my watch beep to let me know I hit my fourth mile.  Needless to say that was my best half mile split of the day!

Hello Paul

I think I started listening to the Paul Finebaum show in the late eighties early nineties.  I listened to his show mostly for the entertainment value.   I never took Paul Finebaum as an expert on sports. At least not with the mechanical and statistical side of sports.   Statistics, sports records, positions on a team are not his thing.  I think the only way Paul knows these things is by looking them up on the Internet.  

I did read his sports column when he wrote for The Birmingham Post Herald.  I enjoyed his column and the insight he had on the inner workings of college sports.  His radio show initially had a sidekick.  The sidekick was usually more knowledgeable about sports.  I specifically remember Bob Lochamy.  Bob knew the Birmingham sports scene very well.  However, Paul always did a good job of making Bob his straight man or fall guy.  Paul has always done a good job of generating controversy.  Paul's show really began to take off when the regular callers became a major part of the show.  The first caller I remember the most was "Don from Downtown". 

Over the years Paul lost his co host, changed stations a few times and moved toward a national audience when he was heard on XM radio.  Paul has also benefited on being in the right place at the right time with having the college sports world focused on Alabama the last few years with Alabama and Auburn winning the last four National Championships.   As the year have progressed my listening time for Paul had became very selective.  Some of his regular callers irritated me.  So when they came on I would switch to another station.  I am also not a huge Alabama or Auburn fan so many times I chose not to be a part of the "love fest".  I liked it better when both teams were down.  It made for more interesting radio.

When Paul's show was taken off the air I have to say it was a little odd not being able to listen to him over the last seven months.  Especially when major sporting events broke.  However I did find other stations to listen to and survived.   

Now Paul is back on the air.  I listened to him a few times and it appears he has picked up right where he left off.  The Alabama love fest continues.  The callers are as obnoxious as ever.  I will still listen to him occasionally.  Especially when the football season starts and when the next big controversy breaks.  

Another Summer is in the Books

This weekend is the last unofficial weekend of the summer for my family.  School starts on Monday.  It's hard to believe I am now the father of a junior high and high school student.  How did this happen?

I still remember dropping my first born off to school for kindergarten on the first day.  The drill has changed over the years.  We used to walk our kids into class give them a hug before they start their first day.  They are too old for that now.  We will still do the traditional first day of school picture in front of our refrigerator.  I will still try to sneak hugs before they go on their way.  I will still think about them while I make my way to work. I will still have that same butterfly in the stomach feeling for them like I used to have when I went to school on the first day.  

This year seems different.  My oldest is four short years away from going to college. My youngest is only three short years away from high school.   I totally understand what they mean when it is said time goes by faster as you get older.

This weekend we will try to keep the pace a little slower than usual knowing that the weeks to follow will be crazy with homework, class projects, and other activities.  I am looking forward to what the school year has in store.  It's been a wild ride so far and there is no doubt in my mind it will be just as crazy this year.

So goodbye summer you were not around very long but we enjoyed the extra time you gave us to spend time together as a family.  

My Time Was What?????

I have been experiencing a disturbing trend in the races I have been running lately.  My race times have been considerably slower than the last time I ran the same race.  When this happened for the first few races I chalked it up to marathon training.  I was running a lot of long distances at a slower pace.

Now it's been over six months since I ran the marathon and my times are still slower.  I am now having to rethink my training.  My past race time was over two minutes slower than my time the previous year for the same race.  Now either last year was a fluke or I was really in shape last year.  I do have a sore calf and I could blame it on that but I don't think that is the reason.  

I think it's time to mix up the workouts and push myself more on my practice runs.  I need to cross train more and cut back on the desserts.  I have a real bad habit of rewarding myself after workouts with food.   That one will hurt the most.

I am obviously in a racing rut.  I do have a delicate balance here to make sure I don't make this calf injury worse.  Luckily I don't have any races officially scheduled until November.  Depending how I progress I hope to award myself with a surprise race.

So in summary:

1.  Cut back on the sweets.

2.  Don't use food/sweets as rewards for exercising

3.  Cross train a little more.

4.  Make sure you do speed workouts twice a week.

5.  Don't blow out your calf muscle.

I feel a big commitment to these goals as I am posting them for all to see.  That's what the Internet is for right?  So if you see me out and about and my portion sizes look a little too large or I am slacking too much at the gym.  Feel free to cast a  judgmental gaze toward my way.  I'll get the message.  

Wow! I Should Have Stopped Here Sooner!

After watching the Bizarre Foods America episode about Birmingham I realized how many restaurants I drive by and make the decision not to eat there solely based on the location of the restaurant or the appearance.

Niki's West is a good example of this.  It's in an area of town I don't normally get to and the outside of the building has a circa 1950/60 look.  I know to go there based on growing up in Birmingham and their great food reputation. Otherwise I would never have stopped and eaten there.

Niki's West Web Site

Last weekend I went to The Bright Star in Bessemer.  Again it's not an area of town I normally frequent.  It's not easy to find.  However, the food is great.  The history of the restaurant and all of the pictures and mementos inside the building are an added bonus when you go to eat there.

Bright Star's Web Site

I am often around West Valley Avenue.  There are many restaurants on that road most I am sure people drive by and don't even give a second thought of stopping there.  I think about that when I go to Naji's Pita Gourmet.  I have eaten there for years. But the building is not that impressive on the outside.  On the inside there is a small place to eat and a small market.  The food is always good.  Naji's was one of the first places I ate a pita wrap at.  Their toasted pita chips are addicting. I have been known just to stop in and grab a bag of their freshly baked chips to eat.  

Naji's Website

I don't know that I would always take a chance on a place based on what it does or does not look like.  I think that's the beauty of social media.  It gives a whole new meaning to "word of mouth".  

The Socks Are On

Last week I somehow managed to irritate some muscles, ligaments, bones or something in the calf area of my leg.  This pain was a little more pronounced than the usual soreness I have experienced running.  By mid week I knew this issue was not going away.  I had a race scheduled on Saturday and knew I needed to do something before then.   I looked on the Internet for suggestions and the common theme was compression socks.

I started seeing runners wearing these about a year ago.  I get the basic concept of how they worked.  The socks help get blood flowing back to the heart to be oxygenated and then back to that area of the leg. This helps with muscle and tissue repair.   I still thought they looked funny.  But for me right now these were desperate times.  

I made the decision to head down to The Trak Shak (Trakshak Link) to get some more information on these.  One of the guys at The Trak Shak was very helpful.  He measured my calf.  Yes compression socks are by size.  I found out that my calf is a little on the large side so there were not a lot of different colors to choose from.  I chose black.  I was a little shocked at the price but again these were desperate times.  I went with a brand made by a local company.  The company' name is Dynamic Sports Products.  Click here for their website (XMR Website).  Here is a link to their Facebook Page
(Dynamic Sports Facebook Page).

At home I tried them on.  There are specific instructions on how they should be put on and taken off.  I have to say they felt pretty good and I did feel immediate relief with my calf.  I decided if I was going to have a respectable showing in the race I would have to wear these.   

The Saturday morning of the race I put my socks on.  I have to say I did look funny but more like I was dressed to play soccer than run a race.  I did have a respectable showing in the race but my time was slower than last year. I don't think my injury or the socks had anything to do with that.  That's a topic for a different post.   I do know that I would not have been able to run the race without wearing the socks and I more than likely would have done more damage to my calf.  I will more than likely need to wear the socks for a few weeks when I run until whatever is going on goes away.  Hopefully, it goes away!

Running for Dad

This past weekend I ran in the Baby Steps 5K race held at beautiful Tannehill State Park in McCalla Alabama. This is the third year in a row that I have run this race. I will always make sure this race is on my calendar every year. 

The race was started by two families with a common bond. They both experienced the untimely death of a child. They decided to start this race to help benefit an organization that helped them with their healing process after this tragic event occurring in both their lives. The Amelia Center is an organization that gives counseling and support to grieving families.  Here is a link to The Amelia Center's Website.

The Amelia Center

Both of the couples stories are very inspiring.  Their motto for the race is "Together WE'VE taken BABY STEPS to mend broken hearts".  You can read their stories at this link.  

Baby Steps Web Site     Click the "Meet the Race Directors" on the main page.

Four years ago in August my father passed away. When I decided to sign up for the Baby Steps 5K, I did not know how the race was started.   A couple of weeks before the race I got an email from the race director that the race was a memorial race and those who wanted to could submit a name of a deceased family member.   There would be memorial signs created with that person's name on it. The signs were placed at the beginning and end of the race course.  Suddenly, I had a fitting tribute to honor my dad each year in the way I knew best....running.  I decided to run this memorial race each year in the very month he passed away as a tribute to him.

On the morning of the race I got to the racing venue early.   I found my dad's memorial sign, said a prayer and took a walk along the course by myself.  This morning it was a little more muggy and wet due to all of the rain we have had lately.  As I was walking I came upon a few deer wandering around the park.

I passed by a sign for what I guess was an old stage coach road called the Old Montevallo Stage Road.  I wonder what that road would have been like back then.  What stories were made on that trail and if any of my ancestors might have traveled on it.

As I finish my walk, I get back into race mode.  The race starts on pavement and winds through the park.   The course gives you a good feel of the park. Part of the race takes you by one of the camping areas.  You see people just waking up not realizing there is a race going on.  You smell fresh coffee being made and sometimes you smell someone cooking bacon, hmmmm bacon.  Just when you get used to the course it moves from pavement to trail.  The trail is not very complicated but you do have to watch your step.  Also, there a few hills on the trail.  At this point if you have a GPS watch you know there's not too much left in the race.  You emerge from the trail and hit pavement again.  The last quarter mile is a sprint to the finish.  It's a challenging course for people who run the course and those that choose to walk the course.

In addition to the memorial signs of deceased loved ones, at the end of the race after the awards ceremony,  there is a balloon release.  Racing participants are invited to release a balloon in honor of the memory of their loved one.  It's a very special moment.    I released my balloon, said a prayer and got a little choked up as the balloon rose into the sky.  Around me I saw other families releasing their balloons, some smiling, some hugging and some crying into the arms of their spouse.  

I leave this race with a different feeling than I have from any other race.  Yes, i still have the same soreness that I do after a race.  I still have thoughts of if I had done this I could of had a better race time.  I still check the Internet to see where I placed and if my time was better than my last race.  But, when I run this race I leave with something else.  I think of my dad and I think about how proud he would be of his grandchildren.  I think how blessed I am to have a wonderful loving wife and two wonderful children.  I say a prayer of thanks for all of the blessings in my life.  I pray for all those families at the race who have had to experience the loss of a young child and that God will give them strength.  

Thank you to the Hodge and Nicholas families for starting this race.

Trail Running

Trail running is good therapy for me.  I don't do it every week but about once a month I will either go out to Red Mountain Park or Oak Mountain Park and do a long run via the trails.  More often I will hit the trails at Veterans Park next to Spain Park.

I stumbled (pun intended) into trail running at the first organized run held at Red Mountain Park.  The Resolution Run organized by The Birmingham Track Club was held at the park that year.  On that balmy New Year's Eve Saturday morning I trekked through the new park at a slow pace realizing that I might be a little bit over my head.  That day they offered 2-3 running options.  I chose the longest option.  A ten mile run.   Why I chose this I do not know.  The trails were not marked very well at that time.  I made it through that day with minimal injuries.  It gave me a good impression of how different trail running is to road running.   

Later that year I made the decision to run a race that was strictly via trails.  I don't remember exactly what made me decide to do this but I decided to run the Xterra Half Marathon that was held out at Oak Mountain that year.  It was a warm day in May when the race was held.  It started up the Peavine Road hill on pavement but then we diverted to a trail and that was the last time I saw road for awhile.  I already knew before I ran this race that trail running is more physically demanding but little did I know what I was in for that day.

Trail races are vastly different than road races.  There are very few places along the course for people to cheer you on.  Most places along the trail you have to run single file.  You are constantly focused on the terrain changes.  Any slight miscalculation and you could end up with a twisted ankle, busted knee or something even worse.  I did pretty good during the race and had no major wipeouts.  But your worry is not just tripping.  You have to run single file so you have to be aware of the people in front of you.  I had a few near misses along the way with people falling in front of me.    I also distinctly remember the sound of hearing people wiping out on the trail behind me.  

I don't know if this is true for every trail race but this particular one had very few water stops.  I was not as prepared for this so I was soley dependent on what Xterra provided.  I made it through but bringing a water bottle would have been a good idea.  

Prior to finishing a marathon earlier this year, my first trail half marathon run was one of the most physically demanding races I have ever experienced.  My time was not the greatest but that did not matter to me.   I had such a sense of accomplishment when I finished.

Now that I am a little more confident in trail running I enjoy it more.  I still respect the concentration you need to have while running.  However now I can enjoy the scenery that trail running provides.  There are so many amazing places you can only get to via your feet.  The views you get to see while running at Oak Mountain Park and Red Mountain Park are amazing.  You also will occasionally see wildlife on your run.  I have mostly seen rabbits, deer and a few turkeys.  Luckily I have not seen any snakes yet!  

Even running at Veterans Park you get to run along side a creek and get to hear the relaxing sound of water.  Parts of Veteran's Park remind me of the Ewok planet scenes in Star Wars:  Return of the Jedi.  Which is pretty amazing to me that you can go from an asphalt mecca to these quiet secluded places in a matter of minutes.

I know there are other great places to trail run in Birmingham.  I really want to try Ruffner Mountain and Moss Rock Preserve.  I hope to run in these two places soon.  

I would strongly encourage giving trail running a try.  It's a nice addition to a running regimen!

Did I Land in the Wrong City?

A few weeks ago I took a flight from North Carolina to Birmingham.   Since I flew out of North Carolina I had never been in the Birmingham Airport since it has been rebuilt.  It was a very surreal experience to deplane walk through the jetway and emerge into the new airport terminal.  If I did not know any better I would think I had landed in another city.  I did not have a lot of time to spend on my return trip but saw enough to know it is a very nice upgrade.

Later in the week I had a flight that departed from Birmingham.  This trip I got to spend a little more time in the airport.  The security check point was a little more manageable then before the remodel.  Inside the terminal it was nice to have all of the good eating places after you pass the security check point.  They had some nice places.  You know it's going to be a good start of the day when you see the familiar Chick Fil A logo.  This morning I did not go to Chick Fil A.  Their breakfast menu at the airport is limited to the biscuit side.  I have not been on a biscuit kick lately especially after experiencing the awesome biscuits at Biscuitville.  No offense to Chick Fil A but I am not a big fan of their biscuits.  This trip I went to a bagel place right next to Chick Fil A.  It's set up like a Subway.  You choose the bagel you want and then they ask you what you want on it.  I went with a regular toasted bagel with egg and sausage.  It was pretty good.  The bagel and ingredients on the bagel were all fresh.  

As I was eating I could see that most of the places in the terminal were busy and this was at 5:00 in the morning.  The new airport is a welcome change to what was there before.  I think the new terminal is a great first impression for people who have never been to Birmingham.  There are local flavors represented in the resaurants with Jim and Nicks and Good People Brewery.  There are the usual news stands with locally made and produced products.  There is art work in the airport that is locally made showcasing the city and its history.  I really enjoyed seeing the new airport the way I did. 

Note:  

I know the new terminal airport had a tragic start due to negligence that has yet to be determined.  I hope that it is determined who was responsible for this negligence and measures are put in so this will not happen again.

Airport Sign Tragedy

Y'all I think I Was Wrong About Y'all 97.3

On Saturday I did my usual long run.  This long run was ten miles at Veteran's Park/Spain Park.  I had my IPod with me but instead of listening to the music on my IPod I listened to Y'all 97.3.  Yes I know several weeks ago I was not that impressed with the station.

Y'all Ready For Some New Stations?

As I wrote in that post I thought the concept was interesting but thought it was a little repetitive with the older songs.  

Over the past few weeks I have listened to the station mostly when I am at the gym or when I am running.  I have to say now that their library has expanded the station is fun to listen to.  I enjoy hearing songs I have not heard in awhile.  I enjoy hearing the new songs that are out but yet I don't have to hear those songs every hour.  Right now the song that's getting run into the ground is Blurred Lines.  I was ok with this song at first but I have quickly become tired of it.  That's been the story lately. I hear a song first on XM and like it.  Sometimes I even buy it on iTunes.  But then, the commercial stations get a hold of it and they play it so much I get sick of hearing it. Then I regret ever buying it.

Y'all is a good balance of music.  I know that right now they are playing music without commercials and I know that is only temporary.  But it has been reported they are not going to have announcers which I hope means no wacky morning crew.  Yes, when you have a wacky morning crew and commercials then you get about two songs on your commute.  At least with Y'all it will mean a little more music.  

I think this station has a chance of succeeding if they continue to remain quirky and not take themselves too seriously.

Baking Blogs Test Drive Result: Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Mini Cheesecakes

One of the things I love the most about the Internet is the stage it gives creative cooks to present their ideas.  I stumble upon recipes to try all of the time.  Sometimes I try ("test drive") the recipe on my own with the help of my wife or daughter.  Sometimes I know the recipe is out of my area of expertise and I forward the suggestion to my wife and if she is equally intrigued by the recipe she will try it.

This past week I liked the Reese's Facebook page.  They posted a recipe from a blog called "Mom on Timeout".

Mom on Timeout Website


The recipe was for Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Mini Cheesecakes.  What could you not like about these?  You have cheesecake AND you have Reese's Peanut Butter cups.  Wow,  I have to say these were really good.

Here's a link to the recipe.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Mini Cheesecakes

I love cheesecake but sometimes I think people get too ambitious with what they do with cheesecake.  I especially see this at the Cheesecake Factory.  They have a large selection of cheesecakes on their menu.  They all sound great but when I try some of them they fall flat for me.  For example, once I ordered Key Lime Cheesecake.  I love Key Lime Pie and of course I love Cheesecake. Why would I not like this?  It was too much for me.  I think the combination of both of them together made it interact negatively making it disappointing.  Recently I went to Cheesecake Factory and went the basic cheesecake with strawberries.  It was a more pleasurable experience for me.

The Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Mini Cheesecakes were a good balance.  You had your cheesecake with the added surprise of a Reese's Peanut Butter cup in the middle.  Here's a picture of the end product. 

 I give these two thumbs up!

Yes, I Watch the Disney Channel

Ok, I admit it.  I watch the Disney Channel.  It's not just because I have children that are age appropriate for the channel.  Yeah that's how it started.  Over the years I have found the entertainment value to be pretty good.  There are times I will be watching the shows on Disney Channel by myself.  My wife will walk in and see there are no kids around and ask me why are you watching that?  I try to defend it but I know that I don't have to try too hard because she watches the shows too.  

One good thing about the channel is there are not many things on their shows you have to awkwardly explain to your children, and that goes for the commercials also.  Too many times we are watching TV shows on other channels, including the big four networks, and a commercial or a promo for another TV show comes on that has questionable content.  I either have to quickly change the channel, mute the TV or have an awkward conversation on what we have just viewed.

The other day "My Cousin Vinnie" was on Comedy Central.  This is a funny movie but the uncut version is not appropriate for the age of my children.  For one of my children, I figured it was appropriate to watch the PG-L version Comedy Central was showing, and for the most part it was.  What I did not see coming was a really, really, really,inappropriate commercial.  I learned my lesson.  

Try watching a golf tournament or the national news.  There must be a lot of companies that assume their target market includes males with THAT problem (you know what problem I am talking about).  So that's were Disney Channel comes in.  Yes, most of the shows are corny but sometimes that's what I want.  They have shows on their channel the whole family can sit down and watch together.

For example, one of my favorite Disney shows is Good Luck Charlie.  The writing is pretty good.  The actors are very funny.  The plot lines are cleverly written.  The mother and father on the show are very identifiable and yet just enough over the top to make it funny.  The children are pretty good about making their parent's lives a little difficult.  Yes there are some hokey episodes but you overlook those when you get a gem like the episode when Shirley Jones shows up on the show as the Grandma of the children.

There was a recent episode of Shake it Up, another Disney Channel show, that mixed in a classic actress from a previous sitcom.  One of the characters on Shake It Up has a very over exaggerated Brooklyn accent. The characters name is Dina Garcia on the show.  She "tawks" like this.   On a recent episode they had a plot that involved her mom.  The mom was played by actress Maggie Wheeler.  That name may not sound very familiar.  She played Janice on Friends.  You know the character that Chandler would always get hooked up with.  The character on Shake It Up played by Ainsley Bailey is exactly the kind of daughter you would think Janice would have had.  

Yes,  I know Disney does not have the greatest track record for their actors.  Miley Cyrus, Demi Lovato, and Lindsey Lohan, to name a few, have had their fair share of problems.  But it's fun to catch these actors on Disney Channel while they are young and trying to make it big.  Some actually do, some crash and burn  and some just move onto another career.

YOLO

I learned a new term from one of my children this past week. The term is YOLO. It is an acronym for You Only Live Once. Apparently this term has been around for a couple of years based on what I read on the Internet. This phrase could be interpreted many ways. Straightforward it could mean live your life to the fullest because this is all there is. Or it could mean the reasoning for doing something stupid or reckless. I would like to think it means more than that. 

To me this is a reminder that life is fragile. Most of the time you never know when it's going to be your time, your spouse's, your parents', your children, a co-worker or even a close friend's time.

As I have become older the reminder that we are on this Earth for only a short time has become more numerous. Over the last few years I have had my share of attending funerals for people I casually knew and those that were very close to me. I think to myself did I make the time to see if they needed something in their time of need? Was I so caught up with the small stuff that I did not even take time to say hi?

I know this thought process could be interpreted as depressing and that's not what I am trying to communicate. I see YOLO as an opportunity. Take time away from what you might think is important to notice your surroundings. Who did you just walk by that you might have made their day by just saying "Good Morning"?

Every day starts out with promise. It seems pretty easy to think there might be at least one thing you can do each day that will make a positive impact on someone else. It's also easy to think there is at least one thing you could not do each day that would also make a positive impact on someone. 

I am trying to do a better job following this thought process. I can honestly say its not always that easy. I look back on points in my life and know I could have approached a situation differently and I wish I could go back and replay that scenario but I can't. So, I say a prayer for strength, and then make it a point to learn from those past experiences to help me do a better job handling the new ones.