Sliver Moon and Solitude

With the beautiful autumn weather we've been enjoying I can't stand to exercise inside anymore.  I may just be able to run 1 mile but walking and additional 2 miles gets me more time to enjoy the beauties of nature.

This morning was a pleasant 46 degrees with a clear sky.  The stars were so bright and brilliant I had a hard time picking out Orion, my favorite constellation, since there were so many visible stars around him.

The moon was exquisite.  Just a sliver of the moon was shining on the bottom portion yet the whole sphere of the moon was still visible.

There is nothing as calming to the soul and invigorating to the mind as early morning exercise.

Safety First

Over the years I've logged a lot of hours running in the dark.  What still amazes me is how many people still walk or run with no reflectors or lights of any kind.  Well maybe their shoes have small reflective patches on them.

It's 5:45 am and the driver is rubbing sleep out of their eyes as they quickly head to work early to avoid any traffic.  It's early and not many cars are on the road so they don't really care if they actually stop at the stop sign.  Do you really think that the driver of the car is looking for dark, shadowy runners on the road?

NO.  The only thing that might catch their weary eyes are LIGHTS.  Please wear bright reflectors AND a light of somekind.  Whether it's a wearing a  headlamp or carrying a flashlight just do it!

Garmin Forerunner Auto Lap Feature

By using the Auto Lap feature on the Garmin Forerunner GPS watches you can exercise worry free.  The watch will automatically break down your run into increments so you have more data about your run.  The more data you have, the more you can improve.

For instance, by looking at your laps you can see that you start slow but each mile your pace increases.  Using that information you can work on quickening your pace in the beginning miles so your overall pace will be faster which will get you a PR on your next race.

Bad Luck on the 13th

In the warm sunshine this intersection looks innocent enough.  But at 5:30 in the morning with nothing but the light from a headlamp, it's a dangerous place to run.

As my husband was running around this turn in the road he experienced his first fall of his running career.  He doesn't know exactly what happened to cause him to fall and roll but my guess is that loose gravel+speed+dark=disaster.

His hands took the brunt of the fall but he has road rash on his hip and back too.  However, when you're in a profession that requires you to wash your hands numerous times a day, deep cuts on your hands are NOT a fun thing to endure.

So, when running through construction zones treat it like you would when driving through them: SLOW DOWN!

Recipe: Homemade Bread in 65 minutes

Exactly 4 years ago today I stopped buying bread at the store.  I had been very disappointed with the increasing cost of a loaf of store bought bread and the decrease in quality.  So after attending a cooking class that showed me how to make homemade bread in under an hour I immediately stopped buying bread...a decision that has saved my family buckets of money over the years.

Not only is my bread recipe easy, but it's tasty too.  At our county fair my simple loaf of bread won Best of Show.  I now share this wonderful recipe with you so that you too can have healthy, delicious homemade bread.

4 cups whole wheat flour
3 cups white unbleached bread flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons instant yeast
2 ½  tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups hot tap water

Mix dry ingredients.  Add oil and water.  Mix until combined.  Spray counter and pans with non-stick spray.  Put dough onto counter.  Knead dough by hand for about 10 minutes.

Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Shape each portion into a loaf and put into a 9”x5” bread pan that has been coated with a non-stick cooking spray.

Let rise until dough is doubled in size (15 - 25 minutes).
Bake at 350° for 28 minutes.

Feel free to adjust the proportions of white and wheat flour.  Keep in mind though to add a little less water if you use more white flour and a little more water if you increase the wheat flour.

Product Review: Coleman Max Headlamp

 With it staying dark in the morning a good headlamp can make all the difference in your run...and your safety.  I bought this Coleman Max headlamp and 3 other headlamps and tried them out.  I chose this Coleman headlamp because it had the brightest beam and was the least cumbersome to wear.  The beam is bright and wide enough that when I ran down the middle of the road it lit up the road from one sidewalk to the other.  The strap is comfortable to wear yet sturdy to keep the light where you place it even after the jostling of you running.

 The light tilts to brighten the road where you need it.  In twisting the dial you can get a blue light or a red light.  In twisting the dial the other direction you can get 3 different brightnesses of white light.

The headlamp takes 3 AAA batteries.  I use rechargable batteries so it's very cost efficient.  The plastic strap adjuster doubles as the tool to remove the lid to the battery compartment.

For a runner, the Coleman Max headlamp is the perfect way to light up the road and keep you safe.

Running Attempt

It's been 6 weeks and 3 days since I've gone running.  This morning I ran 1 mile and could feel my discomfort in the same areas on my left leg.  This is really disappointing! 

Why couldn't this have happened during the snow and ice months when I don't want to get out of bed to run in freezing temperatures?  As it is I'm missing out on all of the beautiful autumn weather we've been having.

Garmin Forerunner Auto Pause Feature

Ever wonder how far you walk when you visit an amusement park or how far you run while playing a soccer game?  When I visited Sea World I measured me walking around 4 1/2 miles.  It wasn't an accurate measurement since I'd sometimes forget to click the start button after I'd stopped it while we were watching the Shamu or sea lion shows.

But now that I know about the Auto Pause function on the Garmin Forerunner GPS watches, my measurements can be more precise.

When in Auto Pause mode, the Garmin watch will automatically pause when you stop or go below a certain pace that you can customize.

To turn on this feature press the mode button.  On the menu that comes up select TRAINING then TRAINING OPTIONS then AUTO PAUSE. Once in the Auto Timer Pause window select "when stopped" or select your desired "custom pace".

Too Healthy?!

Calculating your body mass index is an important tool to helping you get and/or stay healthy.  A few of the websites I've tried only give you the BMI range that you fall in but here is a bmi calculator that gives you your exact body mass index down to the 10th of a point.  It also has a BMI calculator specifically for children and teens.

Recently I tried to participate in a clinical research study for a nutritional supplement company.  Before participating each person went through a health review.  Basically, the weighed and measured me and had me list all the medications and vitamins I was taking.  Knowing that I'm a pretty healthy person I was looking forward to participating as I would be reimbursed $190 for my time.

When they finally contacted me they said I wasn't accepted because my BMI fell below the 23-35 range that they required.  I found that an odd range since the BMI charts a BMI level 25-29.9 is overweight and above 30 is obese.

It's the first time in my life I've been declined for being too skinny and too healthy.

Cycling Safety

Since my 14 mile bike ride through busy city streets I've been thinking a lot about cycling safety.  Besides wearing a helmet I didn't know much about the rules of biking.  I found this great website that lists the 10 most common car vs bike crashes and how to avoid them.  What I really like was the bike turn signals you should use.  If you're turning left point your left arm in that direction, if you're turning right point your right arm in that direction.  Not only is it easier to remember for the cyclist but the drivers will have no excuse to not understand what your turn signal means.

Also, remember to wear bright clothes and try not to ride at night, dusk or dawn.  The more sunlight there is the better drivers can see you.  The national highway safety organization's website also reminds us who is allowed to ride on the sidewalk vs on the street.

Read the rules and be safe out there.