Pass No One

Just over a week ago I signed up for a race where you paid one price and could choose (at the last minute-or mile) your distance. 5k, 10k, half marathon. Since I haven't been seriously training or running any long distances, the half was out. But 5k or 10?

I decided, in the starting line, to make my travel time, early wake up time, and money worth-wile and ran the 10k. It was a perfect day (a tad chilly-hubs watched bundled up in a jacket with a steaming thermos full of coffee). The course was flat and in between the waterfront homes you could spy portions of the beach. For erroneous reasons, I psyched myself out before the race, seeing everyone who looked fast. who looked like serious runners.

Silly girl.

Along the route, my running club buddies mostly passed me one by one (I hate passing people in the beginning...hence the idea to 'pass no one.' I caught up to Jim, retired military sort (probably in his early 60s) who was running the half. Then, I thought I saw Scott (probably in his late 30s, early 40s), Harley rider, who always starts slow and speeds up. At the turn, yup..that was him. And he was probably a good 50 yards ahead of me. And either he slowed down or I sped up, because around mile 4 I ran right past him. Further along, I saw someone who from behind, looked like another running club member. Since I hadn't seen him pre-race, and I didn't know if it was him, I wasn't sure....but this is a guy that I normally use as my pacer. (On Thursdays I run behind him because he can hold a steady pace. He normally stops at mile 2 for a drink, and then catches up or passes me because I end up slowing down). At the 4.5 or 5 mile point, realizing that the end was near, my stride lengthened and I continued to gain speed, passing him.

And then, I wondered, where is everyone? There were only walkers...easy to pass. And then, with the finish line in sight, I saw a female, who I thought was mid 30s. Trying to catch up, I didn't think I would catch her. Hubs, drinking warm coffee on the 'sideline' yelled for me to catch her. I tried and tried. People were saying, "come on ladies!"

and I thought...oh man...this lady has no idea I'm behind her (we were the only two in the finishing area). And somehow, I managed to pass her, too, with my final minute-per-mile pace being 7:5something. (!)

So here's the question...is it tacky to overtake someone at the last second like that? Reviewing the finisher results, I realized I placed 1st(!) in my age category, and I thought ruefully, Did I bump her into 2nd? "No...she was in her 50s" said hubs.

I never looked at her name and later, when chatting with some club members, I saw Carolyn. Carolyn was one of the ladies, in her 50s, who I ran with on sundays when training for the marathon. Carolyn is a very strong, serious, and fast runner. One of my running idols. Somebody asked my time.

Me: Oh, 51:53 I think?

Carolyn: WHAT?

Me: I think it was 51:53...or maybe 52:53?

Hubs: It was 51:53

Carolyn: YOU'RE THE ONE WHO PASSED ME!

We had a great laugh about it. She recalled how people were yelling, "come on girls" and how all she could do was concentrate on breathing.

It was a 'you had to be there' moment appreciate the fun; But in all seriousness....does anyone ever feel guilty about over taking a runner at the last second?

Choices

5k or 10k? (the 1/2 marathon is not even an option right now)

I signed up for the Pensacola Beach Run, which is a choose your adventure kind of run: YOU decide when to turn around and head back. Feeling good at the first turn around point? Keep on going for the 10k! Still feeling good at the 10k mark? hell, just make it a 1/2.

Knowing me, I'll probably say 5k (I only have about 2-3 hours to decide right now...), but get to the first turn around point and keep going to the 10k. By then, I'll be hit with the endorphin high & I'll get to the 10k turn around point and want to keep going (never mind I've yet to run more than 7 miles since the marathon in October-lazy girl).

But for right now, after Kindling till past 11 last night, I'm tired and wondering why I signed up for this thing.

Oh wait, the post race party and beer. That's right..

Dirty 4 letter word

W-O-R-K

Today:

33 patients on the floor. each nurse has 5 patients. charge nurse has patients. one tech. (and this tech, I hate to say, would do better at another job, such as being a greeter at a store).

So assessing five patients. passing medications for 5 patients. sending one patient to a heart cath. trying to discharge a patient (at my hospital, the nurses type out the discharge paperwork....is this normal? because it wasn't done this way at my old hospital...), fixing amiodarone/cardizem drip for one patient, getting my cath lab patient settled, trying to find the medications for amiodarone/cardizem drip patient, still trying to discharge one patient. Run down to pharmacy (for the second time). check heart cath pt's groin. Stop amiodarone/cardizem drip. discharge patient. check groin of cath patient. change open heart surgery patient's dressing. oh shoot, q2 hour neuro checks on my ETOH/CVA patient. groin check. admission! Am I forgetting a patient?

These are the thoughts through my head at work (including the 'am I missing a patient' thought).

I didn't even mention that we (nurses) had to pass out meal trays and collect meal trays.

Teachable moments didn't take hold with some patients. my back is killing me. (no really...hurting; I feel like a misaligned tire rotation).

Home finally at 8:15pm, shower, dinner, comfort food snacks. it's 9:39pm.

Repeat tomorrow, bright and early, at 4:55am.

Maybe I should go into the profession of store greeter.

camera playfulness

I was playing around with the aperture setting. I forget why, but I decided to turn off the flash, however the pictures then turned out blurry. I vaguely remember reading that you "should" shoot with the lowest possible iso and no flash....my iso without flash was initially 200, which probably accounted for the blurry photo. I played around and I think set the iso at 600. The lens (zoom?) was set at 55...the f stop would have been at it's smallest setting, so probably around 5.something, give or take. This last one was my favorite, most clear shot.

update....ok, so second look and it's not that clear. the 1/3 cup size goose head is a tad blurry.

The Run, The Camera, The Dinner

THE RUN

Does having good intentions count for anything?

Part of my un-declared resolution this year is to do a better job at logging my runs. There's no reason not to.

I mean, I have a Garmin. (ok, Ibought the Garmin for my husband about 3 years ago and have since hijacked it,but still...)

When I was training for myfirst half marathon, and then the first marathon, I was pretty anal about tracking every detail of my run...the time of day, the weather, how I felt, the splits, etc.

Now after I run I take a lot at my overall time, distance, and splits. But sitting at starbucks, without the garmin, it's hard to remember the details of yesterday's 6 miler. I think it was 55 minutes? Nearly all negative splits (I kept two miles at the same pace). So there...that's the run report. Tonight's run will bewith the club.

THE CAMERA

The new camera is a nikon d5000. It came with a lens. I have a GIGANTIC camera bag (I think my clarinet case in middle & high school was smaller) and the bag came with two dvds and a 'instructional' book. I wish someone would write a child's book on how to use the DSLR. Pioneer Woman is good....I get it, fast shutter speed for fast action, aperture has to do with focus and the amount of light coming in....smaller f number = focusing in on a central object, and then the background will be a bit blurry. Except that hasn't exactly happened for any of my pictures. I will stay play though....and last night, that's what I did.

The camera has your typical ASPM settings, plus auto with & without flash. Then there are the portrait, landscape, etc modes. There is also the 'scene' setting with has sub-settings such as candlelight, silhouette, pets, food, etc. So last night, was food. And here's what we have:

THE DINNER

I decided to try something new to me, or at least, new to me in my own kitchen. Yellow rice & guinea africana (guinea hen, african style-I substituted chicken breast for the guinea hen). The recipe comes from a cuban cookbook,which credits the recipe to an old Havana newspaper clipping.

First, the chicken dish....brown, saute, simmer...

Then the rice....

The final product:

The camera (not the photographer) is so detail oriented that it picked up the strand of cat hair on my chicken. gross.

The meal wasn't bad. I didn't real get the whole sweet potato, but it was still good, making for a happy belly. I think I may have stirred the rice a tad too soon before covering it. While not Miami-worthy cuban food, it really wasn't that bad....

I think I've delayed taking the tree down long enough. Till Friday-

Forgetful

So this blog. I've forgotten how to use it. What to write?

I could write about work, but you might think of me as this negative, miserable person, with green skin and a black pointy hat. I'm beginning to wonder if that's how my co-workers picture me. Twice in the past two weeks, I've had other nurses on my floor ask me if I like working there.

uh, NO.

But I can't say that. Especially at work. But it's obvious. The care for patients is often substandard. In Delaware we complained about being short staffed. But that wasn't necessarily an every day occurrence. However, that's every day at my hospital.

So again, I'm going to try and keep work out of my blog.

Things to focus: running. cooking. reading. and maybe pictures (I'm nowhere near photography).

This morning was first longish run in about 4 weeks and I'm working on my way to feeling (and looking) human again. Hopefully a new recipe for dinner (not yet sure what I'll make...), a new book to read (my first) on the Kindle, and maybe a picture of dinner with the hot camera.

The camera is so hot and so intimidating. I just look at it. Too much to handle. I'm desperate for a book on how to use it. Clearly, the camera doesn't make the picture. Any suggestions for a good website or book?

Resolute

Resolution #1: To actually use this thing called a blog.

For real.

To make it something better than wasted space.

Because between a hot D-SLR, a Kindle, and a Longchamp bag, there is a lot I can do with this thing called blog.

But first....I need to quit whining (& make life my bitch-work was bad BAD BAD today) and finish reading my book (Devil & the White city). (great book...you're doing yourself a disservice by NOT putting it on your 'to be read' list and ACTUALLY READING it).

stay healthy, stay out of the ER, and enjoy your loved ones. Till Monday-