We're Marching On

A little bit of Black and White this Wednesday:

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Horse Jumps at High Speed

About 2 tenths of a second (estimated based on my camera specs of 5.5 frames / second):













I told my daughter I would buy a GoPro video camera if she would jump with it. I think it would cool to see it from her perspective. She hasn't warmed up to the idea yet....

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The Friday Five

Five things I'm thinking about this Friday

• It's our 22nd wedding anniversary! Happy Anniversary, Scott!

Not the best photo of the two of us, but the latest one I had on my phone - taken in June.

• Since it's almost the middle of September, I really need to update my blog header! Maybe I'll work on that this weekend (instead of cleaning up the yard - wait, I really need to weed the garden, even though that 5 foot high thistle must really look impressive from the street).

• It feels like Fall outside and I am not complaining - I'm breaking out some cozy leggings and boots for the football game tonight.

• It's exactly one month until the Chicago Marathon. Those little aches and pains in my knee and ankles are calling out to me a little more. I've been mitigating / managing with increased stretching, foam rolling, strength exercises and acupuncture. Yes, I started acupuncture sessions in late July as a part of my "three pronged attack" on my ankle injury [The other two prongs - seeing a foot doctor who prescribed deep tissue massage and a physical therapy assessment]. A running friend recommended a local, very affordable acupuncturist and after the results I've seen, I am sold on the treatment. Here is some background on the practice of acupuncture:

The technique of acupuncture involves placing hair-thin needles in various pressure points (called acupoints) throughout the body. Stimulating these points is believed to promote the body's natural healing capabilities and enhance its function.

• This week's excitement - yesterday, I took my son to the Doctor's office / clinic to have blood drawn to check for Varicella (Chicken Pox) immunity. The state of Illinois requires all incoming high school freshmen to have their Varicella vaccine / booster. My son was exposed to the chickenpox when he was 18 months old at daycare. We opted to give him the Varicella vaccine when we learned he had been exposed in an attempt to lessen / prevent the illness. He did break out into a half dozen small blisters, a very mild case. Because of this, a booster shot is not needed.
  I don't, however, have documentation of the confirmed case of the chickenpox, so a blood test is needed to satisfy the State requirement.
This was my son's first time having his blood drawn, and during the process, he passed out! The "Nurse Alert" was sounded in the clinic, and I watched as three nurses, one EMT and an administrator descended upon my son. I wasn't too freaked out as I have personally passed out at least three times (once after a weight lifting session in High school, once in a store and the third time during immunizations I had before traveling to China - I blogged about it here. Scott passed out after having blood drawn at work and in the same clinic as today's episode. I guess it runs in the family. I am thankful for the nurses' quick and thorough response. He won't be too keen to donate to the blood drive, though.

What's happening on your Friday?

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Chicago in 2003 - Throwback Thursday | 3

Our first day trip to Chicago, to celebrate the end of Summer.
We departed early on the Amtrak train. Riding the train was a treat - we ate breakfast in the Dining car and spent most of the trip in the observation train, where the windows curved along the sides and roof of the car, giving the occupants a lovely, unobstructed view of the landscape.

You Can Barely Tell, but my Little Boy is Wearing a Fish Tale Shirt - Perfect for Today's Visit

We visited the Shedd Aquarium that day.

Yes, We Broke Down and Bought Her a White Seal Stuffed Animal - She Loves Animals

It was a fun day trip, but our experience with Amtrak was a little frustrating due to numerous delays (the track is shared with freight trains, and they get preference). In subsequent years, we opted to drive to the Chicago suburbs and take the commuter train into the city instead. Still, I'm glad we took one trip on Amtrak - there is something nostalgic and romantic about a true rail experience.

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The Sunset and Moonrise

What I saw while out walking this evening - the end of a perfect September day.

The sunset

I don't think I'll ever tire of sunsets (or sunrises) around here.

A Surprise

This is what my camera decided to Autofocus on while I was trying to shoot the sunset. Maybe my camera is smarter than me.

Another Surprise - the Moonrise

I wasn't even searching it out - and boom - there it was, this huge ball rising above the houses in the neighborhood. If I had been smarter, I would have been out along the prairie, watching for it. This is the lazy photographer's moonrise - and I'll take it - this time.

Did you see the Super Moon Rise last night?

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September 2014 Desktop Calendar - Free Download - Cape Cod

September's Desktop Calendar displays the beauty of Cape Cod's sand dunes - filled with wild sea roses.



I shot this image in 2011 while visiting my parents who spend their summers in Plymouth, MA, a town considered to be the gateway to Cape Cod. When I pulled up this month's calendar image, I was surprised (I curate my calendar images in December - I never remember what's coming next) and felt a bit nostalgic. Nostalgic because my parents recently decided to sell their Plymouth home, a beautiful, light filled place that sits high upon the hills, overlooking the pines. Whenever I visit, I'm filled with calm and serenity. I'll definitely miss the place.

To download September's Free Calendar, click on this link from Box.com:
September 2014 Calendar - Cape Cod

If you care to view some of the photos I've taken over the years while visiting my parent's place, I've compiled some of the photos into an album on my flickr stream.

Scenes from Plymouth

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Along My Run | 7 - August Rebound

I'm hesitant to say I've made a full recovery from my ankle injury, because I know these things can revert as quickly as the days have become shorter, so I'll just settle for a "running rebound" in August.

The days are noticeably shorter - each morning run starting a little darker than the previous day's. I've always noted that once the calendar flips to August, it feels like a light switch flips, and we become enveloped in darkness in the early morning and evening. The transition takes getting used to - getting up in the dark, donning reflective gear and lights. Soon, the entire run will be in the dark - I can't say I'm looking forward to it.

I am, however, looking forward to some cooler temperatures and less humid conditions! Summer, taunting the kids that started back to school, finally decided to show up. Walking out into the heavy, sticky air, the hardest step to take is that first one. Then I remind myself "I get to run today" and my perspective is changed. So we slog through the miles, drenched with sweat at the end, making sure to properly hydrate along the way.



1. Post Run - Felt good to get 12 miles in today, 2. Mile 6 Reward , 3. Fire and Water , 4. Parade In , 5. Walk on By , 6. Obstacle Course this Morning!, 7. Lose Yourself, 8. Settling Down , 9. Jump Over Or Splash Through? , 10. Sadly, this happens at the end of the run now., 11. Just the Start of Today's Long Run , 12. Good Morning, Sun , 13. Clouds and Wee Little Moon, 14. Misty Morning Run , 15. It was a Run in the Rain This Morning. Unexpected, but welcome! , 16. Like the Countryside , 17. Throw Me a Curve , 18. Pretty Tired of the High Humidity.

August's Stats: 136 miles, 9:16 minute / mile average pace. I'm happy with it all, considering how fast I ramped up the mileage in order to get back on track for the Chicago Marathon. I am also fortunate that I've got a good group of people to run the really long miles with - they are my support line. My goal is to simply stay healthy for the next 6 weeks and do the best I can.

I'll close with some running quotes that caught my eye:

No one ever drowned in sweat. Gold medals aren't really made of gold. They're made of sweat, determination, and a hard-to-find alloy called guts. – Dan Gable

Runners just do it – they run for the finish line even if someone else has reached it first. – Anonymous

The triumph cannot be had without the struggle. - Wilma Rudolph

Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing. - George Sheehan

Finally, something I hope to be true:
I plan to run for the rest of my life. It will always be a part of who I am. - Brian Sell

Even if you aren't a runner, these tenets hold true for any passion - I hope you hold on tight to those passions and never take them for granted.

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