Thank you to everyone who donated to the Chitenge Challenge during the month of July. You have truly touched my heart with your generosity.
Even though we did not make it to the $1,500 mark by July 31 at 11:59 p.m. (pending a miracle), I have decided to extend the challenge. As soon as I reach the $1,500 mark, whenever that may be, I will wear the chitenge to work the next day.
The decision to extend the challenge is to honor those who have given in support of my mission already. I know that you are looking forward to the day when I will wear that chitenge to work. I have also decided to do so because wearing it to work will be a fantastic educational opportunity for everyone at work, and I do not want to deny them this opportunity.
Please continue to spread the word! If you were unable to donate in the month of July, please know that your contributions will still count toward this challenge.
Your support continues to humble me, and I thank you for following along with this journey.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
16 Mile Run - Saturday 7/30
I apologize for taking so long to post about today's run; it was an action packed day, and this is my first free moment.
Today's 16 miler took a familiar route up the Mount Vernon Trail, back down toward the Four Mile Run trail and through Barcroft Park, and back home. The Arlington Road Runners were scheduled for a 16 miler today. I considered going with them, but then I realized that I didn't want to get lost again. (Funny enough, I saw "ARRC" and directional arrows written in pink chalk along the Four Mile Run trail, so they must have taken a similar path anyway.) I invited my runner buddy, Jay, on this morning's run just to have some company and make a familiar run seem different. He definitely appreciated not getting lost.
At the start of the run, my calves were quite sore. They loosened up as the run continued, and right now they feel just fine. The heat and humidity were intense at parts, but my body tolerated them no problem. I believe Jay described it, however, as "insufferable", so this is one arena where my affinity to the heat serves me well. One thing I could have done better in acclimating my body to the heat would be to pack more Powerade. Today's run was the first one where I ran out of it.
There were a couple of notable sights near the airport today. The first is that Jay spotted the Pittsburgh Steelers plane taxiing in the airport. We know this because it had the Steelers logo on the fin; either that was the Steelers plane, or the Steelers are starting their own airline and nobody knows about it. The second was the blaring white X. It wasn't too harsh on the eyes when the sun was up, but it definitely would not be missed by pilots.
A notable change to my 16 mile running plan was that it looped the Navy-Marine Memorial. It is a gorgeous statue, but I had no idea what it meant - so I looked it up. Apparently, it is a wave above which seagulls fly and is aptly nicknamed Waves and Fulls. It honors all of those who lost their lives at sea in the naval and maritime services. It was certainly an inspiring sight to see while training for MCM.
We also saw a couple of characters on the trail. The first was the man who sells roses outside of the L'Enfant Plaza Metro stop, near Capital Gallery. It can be strange to see certain people outside of their normal settings in our lives, such as when we see teachers at stores or restaurants, and this carried the same feeling. I was not expecting to see him on the trail! The second was the runner in the gray shorts with an orange stripe and two knee braces. He continues to be a staple on the trail and a presence I know I will consistently see each week.
Along the run, Jay discussed his theory of the lonely runner. Running is not a team sport, and many runners perform their sport alone. They often do not do this because they are antisocial people, so Jay believes that it is important to acknowledge and wave "hi" to runners on the trail. He did so for quite a bit of it. At one point, we felt like making a particularly sad runner laugh, so we did 360 spins in the middle of the trail and waved. It put a smile on that runner's face and earned us a thumbs-up from the runner directly behind him. I have to concur with his theory that acknowledging fellow runners builds a certain camaraderie among lonely runners, who sacrifice time and energy for the sake of their health and goals. Almost all of my runs are by myself, and I appreciate the casual wave every now and then from my fellow runners.
Next week will be a stepback week, with 11 miles on the schedule for Saturday. I think that these past few weeks have served their purpose, and I have become a stronger runner as a result of them. I look forward to ramping up my mileage even more in a week and a half!
Today's 16 miler took a familiar route up the Mount Vernon Trail, back down toward the Four Mile Run trail and through Barcroft Park, and back home. The Arlington Road Runners were scheduled for a 16 miler today. I considered going with them, but then I realized that I didn't want to get lost again. (Funny enough, I saw "ARRC" and directional arrows written in pink chalk along the Four Mile Run trail, so they must have taken a similar path anyway.) I invited my runner buddy, Jay, on this morning's run just to have some company and make a familiar run seem different. He definitely appreciated not getting lost.
At the start of the run, my calves were quite sore. They loosened up as the run continued, and right now they feel just fine. The heat and humidity were intense at parts, but my body tolerated them no problem. I believe Jay described it, however, as "insufferable", so this is one arena where my affinity to the heat serves me well. One thing I could have done better in acclimating my body to the heat would be to pack more Powerade. Today's run was the first one where I ran out of it.
There were a couple of notable sights near the airport today. The first is that Jay spotted the Pittsburgh Steelers plane taxiing in the airport. We know this because it had the Steelers logo on the fin; either that was the Steelers plane, or the Steelers are starting their own airline and nobody knows about it. The second was the blaring white X. It wasn't too harsh on the eyes when the sun was up, but it definitely would not be missed by pilots.
A notable change to my 16 mile running plan was that it looped the Navy-Marine Memorial. It is a gorgeous statue, but I had no idea what it meant - so I looked it up. Apparently, it is a wave above which seagulls fly and is aptly nicknamed Waves and Fulls. It honors all of those who lost their lives at sea in the naval and maritime services. It was certainly an inspiring sight to see while training for MCM.
 |
| Navy-Marine Memorial, along the Mount Vernon Trail. |
Along the run, Jay discussed his theory of the lonely runner. Running is not a team sport, and many runners perform their sport alone. They often do not do this because they are antisocial people, so Jay believes that it is important to acknowledge and wave "hi" to runners on the trail. He did so for quite a bit of it. At one point, we felt like making a particularly sad runner laugh, so we did 360 spins in the middle of the trail and waved. It put a smile on that runner's face and earned us a thumbs-up from the runner directly behind him. I have to concur with his theory that acknowledging fellow runners builds a certain camaraderie among lonely runners, who sacrifice time and energy for the sake of their health and goals. Almost all of my runs are by myself, and I appreciate the casual wave every now and then from my fellow runners.
Next week will be a stepback week, with 11 miles on the schedule for Saturday. I think that these past few weeks have served their purpose, and I have become a stronger runner as a result of them. I look forward to ramping up my mileage even more in a week and a half!
Friday, July 29, 2011
Kindness - Periclean Scholars & Fruits of the Spirit Series
In continuing with the fruits of the spirit series, today’s topic will be kindness and how the Periclean program helped to make this fruit bountiful in the program’s participants.
Kindness can be summarized as acting for the good of others regardless of what they do. An act of kindness, or the action that you show toward those who test your patience, could be considered a fruit of a fruit (the offspring of patience). The expression of this fruit comes to mind as with those who have power (or the illusion of power) over another, such as a kind and benevolent king. It may seem that their treatment of those beneath them does not matter, but kind people will act in the best interest of those they dominate (or appear to dominate). Kindness does not refer to being a nice person. In fact, sometimes it can be the opposite, if you act in someone else’s best interest but what they ask for is the opposite of what you give.
For people who spent a lot of time and money to build in Zambia, the urge to give, give, give remains heavy while on the ground. This includes the urge to give of our possessions, as we saw how little each family had compared to the opulence of America. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to lighten our load of some items from our suitcases before returning to America. We were certainly in a position of instant power, to create positive change - or to create chaos.
On one of the first days in the village, we attended a meeting with the village adults and elders. This meeting set the ground work for our stay in Kawama and what was expected of both groups. During a prior build with volunteers from Ireland, some of the volunteers had given donations, such as mattresses, to specific families in the village. Of course, during the meeting those who had received the gifts spoke out in favor of wanting to receive more gifts, from a new group of Westerners that had arrived. Yet, the village leaders had the wisdom to know that the cycle of jealousy and argument would begin anew if we had given gifts to only a few people. Therefore, at this meeting it was decided that no gifts would be asked for by the villagers and that no gifts would be given by the volunteers.
After this meeting, we spoke with our team leaders and our Habitat coordinators. We still wanted to give and had items to give, but we wanted to act out of kindness and not chaos or pride. Therefore, it was decided that donation would be given to HFHZ’s headquarters in Lusaka, and the staff would distribute the items based on greatest needs. This limited the amount of pride that was invested into the donations themselves. Our goal at the build was to learn from the villagers and construct houses, not to determine our favorite families to bestow with blankets and t-shirts.
Kindness comes in many different packages. My experience in Zambia showed me that acting in the best interest of others may seem counterintuitive at times, but listening to the wisdom of the leaders kept our moral and spiritual compasses in check. We had to show patience by not giving immediately, but by holding off and letting donations be distributed by those who know the village best.
I am thankful to the Periclean program for allowing the fruit of kindness to grow within me, in a way that may not seem apparent to most at first.
Kindness can be summarized as acting for the good of others regardless of what they do. An act of kindness, or the action that you show toward those who test your patience, could be considered a fruit of a fruit (the offspring of patience). The expression of this fruit comes to mind as with those who have power (or the illusion of power) over another, such as a kind and benevolent king. It may seem that their treatment of those beneath them does not matter, but kind people will act in the best interest of those they dominate (or appear to dominate). Kindness does not refer to being a nice person. In fact, sometimes it can be the opposite, if you act in someone else’s best interest but what they ask for is the opposite of what you give.
For people who spent a lot of time and money to build in Zambia, the urge to give, give, give remains heavy while on the ground. This includes the urge to give of our possessions, as we saw how little each family had compared to the opulence of America. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to lighten our load of some items from our suitcases before returning to America. We were certainly in a position of instant power, to create positive change - or to create chaos.
On one of the first days in the village, we attended a meeting with the village adults and elders. This meeting set the ground work for our stay in Kawama and what was expected of both groups. During a prior build with volunteers from Ireland, some of the volunteers had given donations, such as mattresses, to specific families in the village. Of course, during the meeting those who had received the gifts spoke out in favor of wanting to receive more gifts, from a new group of Westerners that had arrived. Yet, the village leaders had the wisdom to know that the cycle of jealousy and argument would begin anew if we had given gifts to only a few people. Therefore, at this meeting it was decided that no gifts would be asked for by the villagers and that no gifts would be given by the volunteers.
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| The tent where the village held meetings. |
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| Even though we couldn't give tangibles, we could still give hugs! |
I am thankful to the Periclean program for allowing the fruit of kindness to grow within me, in a way that may not seem apparent to most at first.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Patience - Periclean Scholars & Fruits of the Spirit Series
Today I am starting a new post series on the fruits of the spirit. For those who may not be familiar with the concept, the fruits of the spirit are a list of characteristics that are attributed to a Christ-like life. They arise from changes in character toward a positive, loving, benevolent nature. Like plants that have been given fertile, nutritious soil and produce wholesome, delicious fruit, the nutrients of an enriched character and purpose (and for Christians, faith in Christ) create fruits of the spirit. Those who produce bountiful fruit provide much benefit to the community.
The fruits of the spirit come from Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Please note that this series is not to be considered a sermon; I am not a preacher. I am also not saying that the Periclean program supplants religious and spiritual devotion - far from it. Rather, I believe that Periclean Scholars helps students to live out their commitments to their faith and to grow as people. I will illustrate the growth of each fruit through the Periclean program with a narrative or two.
I will address each fruit in popcorn format - i.e., as I wish and not in any sort of predetermined order.
Today's fruit is patience. It is mentioned in the Bible as being calm and reducing the temper. Because of Murphy's Law, patience is a virtue that we often have the time and ability to practice, yet do not always do so willingly.
On much of the African continent, the acronym "T.I.A." is used liberally. It stands for "This is Africa", and it is a phrase that helps Westerners to adjust to the fact that many practices will require patience. One should go into any situation with an open mind, a sense of calmness, and a small temper to achieve maximum success and minimal blood pressure. By making the journey to many parts of Africa, we allow ourselves the opportunity for either our patience or our blood pressure to grow. I chose patience.
Today's anecdote comes from our very first day in Kawama village. We had made the seven hour trek from Lusaka to Kawama, right outside of Ndola. When we arrived, it was dark and pouring rain. When we woke up the next morning, we found that the bus that had brought us to Kawama was stuck in the mud.
This was a T.I.A. moment and a decision point. Would we begin work on the new houses, or would we wait for the bus to move before commencing work? The answer: neither. We didn't start work, but we didn't wait around.
The Periclean Scholars and the Kawama residents - including children - helped to create dry patches for the bus' wheels to rise up and drive from out of the mud. We carried bricks from the construction brick pile and threw them under the bus to the wettest spots underneath the tires. This required precious time and resources. First, we were only in Kawama for a fixed period of time, and we had to use as many dry, daylight hours as possible to maximize construction on the two new homes for Lontia and Rosemary. Second, the resource of sun-dried brick is incredibly valuable to the community, so to use them for a purpose other than to build homes is a true sacrifice.
Patience is most needed in a crisis, such as the one suffered by the bus driver. By delaying construction of the homes and choosing instead to use valuable time and resources, we made the decision to show mercy toward the hardship of another, one of our fellow global citizens.
Some would say that this would be an opportunity to show others the fruit of patience, that we should have just let the bus driver create his own dry patches and started on building the homes. However, through this experience I would have to strongly disagree. Patience is not a fruit that we are meant to require of one another, unlike other fruits like love. Patience is a fruit that comes from circumstance or God's will; like death, it is a bitter fruit to swallow that is not ours to determine. By enduring it and minimizing its burden in others, we grow spiritually and as a community.
Because of the spirit of patience evident in all who chose to help, it took a lot less time to get the bus moving than it would have had we looked the other way. Because of the bus that was stuck, we had our first opportunity to bond and work together with all of the Kawama community.
I am thankful to the Periclean program for giving me many opportunities to grow the fruit of patience, including the one listed in this narrative.
The fruits of the spirit come from Galatians 5:22-23: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law."
Please note that this series is not to be considered a sermon; I am not a preacher. I am also not saying that the Periclean program supplants religious and spiritual devotion - far from it. Rather, I believe that Periclean Scholars helps students to live out their commitments to their faith and to grow as people. I will illustrate the growth of each fruit through the Periclean program with a narrative or two.
I will address each fruit in popcorn format - i.e., as I wish and not in any sort of predetermined order.
Today's fruit is patience. It is mentioned in the Bible as being calm and reducing the temper. Because of Murphy's Law, patience is a virtue that we often have the time and ability to practice, yet do not always do so willingly.
On much of the African continent, the acronym "T.I.A." is used liberally. It stands for "This is Africa", and it is a phrase that helps Westerners to adjust to the fact that many practices will require patience. One should go into any situation with an open mind, a sense of calmness, and a small temper to achieve maximum success and minimal blood pressure. By making the journey to many parts of Africa, we allow ourselves the opportunity for either our patience or our blood pressure to grow. I chose patience.
Today's anecdote comes from our very first day in Kawama village. We had made the seven hour trek from Lusaka to Kawama, right outside of Ndola. When we arrived, it was dark and pouring rain. When we woke up the next morning, we found that the bus that had brought us to Kawama was stuck in the mud.
This was a T.I.A. moment and a decision point. Would we begin work on the new houses, or would we wait for the bus to move before commencing work? The answer: neither. We didn't start work, but we didn't wait around.
 |
| Neither did the entire village |
Patience is most needed in a crisis, such as the one suffered by the bus driver. By delaying construction of the homes and choosing instead to use valuable time and resources, we made the decision to show mercy toward the hardship of another, one of our fellow global citizens.
Some would say that this would be an opportunity to show others the fruit of patience, that we should have just let the bus driver create his own dry patches and started on building the homes. However, through this experience I would have to strongly disagree. Patience is not a fruit that we are meant to require of one another, unlike other fruits like love. Patience is a fruit that comes from circumstance or God's will; like death, it is a bitter fruit to swallow that is not ours to determine. By enduring it and minimizing its burden in others, we grow spiritually and as a community.
Because of the spirit of patience evident in all who chose to help, it took a lot less time to get the bus moving than it would have had we looked the other way. Because of the bus that was stuck, we had our first opportunity to bond and work together with all of the Kawama community.
I am thankful to the Periclean program for giving me many opportunities to grow the fruit of patience, including the one listed in this narrative.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Guest Post - Dan Baum
Hi everyone,
My name is Dan Baum and I was lucky enough to travel with Jill and the other Periclean Scholars to Zambia in 2009. I was only an adopted Periclean scholar at the time – I got to go thanks to my company, The Redwoods Group – but that amazing trip was the start of a lasting connection for me to the Periclean program and Habitat Zambia.
The Redwoods Group is an insurance company that, as strange as this sounds, wants to change the world. The company’s mission is to “Serve Others” and it works extremely hard with its non-profit clients to prevent injuries to the kids and families they serve. On top of that, it uses its financial success to give back, through things like donating money to help endow the Periclean Scholars Alumni Association and giving employees like me paid time off to do amazing things like build with Habitat in Zambia.
The company chose its name because of the longevity and staying power of the Redwood trees themselves. So, it’s not surprising that The Redwoods Group would want to support an initiative like the Periclean Scholars Alumni Association, which maintains each class of scholars’ commitment to making a real, lasting impact on communities all over the globe. What Jill is running in support of is not a one time thing. It’s instead a long term partnership, between the driven staff of Habitat Zambia and a group of passionate Elon students, with the goal of eradicating poverty housing in Zambia once and for all.
I’m so glad (but not surprised) to see Jill finding new ways to stay connected to the people of Kawama, and I’m happy to join her in continuing to support this kind of work. After we got back from Zambia, I went down to Americus, Georgia and got trained to lead Habitat for Humanity Global Village trips. I led my first group to Buea, Cameroon in January and have just made plans for my next trip, which will take me back to Zambia in a few months. I could not be more excited to get back to a place that had such a special impact on me, and see how far the community has come since my last trip in 2009. I have no doubt that Habitat Zambia will have made so much progress and I am so excited to reconnect with our friends there.
Thanks for supporting Jill and the incredibly important work that Habitat Zambia is doing to empower families with homes. Your support not only means a lot to the people of Kawama, it means so much to those of us who have been lucky enough to share a little bit of time being with the members of that community.
My name is Dan Baum and I was lucky enough to travel with Jill and the other Periclean Scholars to Zambia in 2009. I was only an adopted Periclean scholar at the time – I got to go thanks to my company, The Redwoods Group – but that amazing trip was the start of a lasting connection for me to the Periclean program and Habitat Zambia.
The Redwoods Group is an insurance company that, as strange as this sounds, wants to change the world. The company’s mission is to “Serve Others” and it works extremely hard with its non-profit clients to prevent injuries to the kids and families they serve. On top of that, it uses its financial success to give back, through things like donating money to help endow the Periclean Scholars Alumni Association and giving employees like me paid time off to do amazing things like build with Habitat in Zambia.
The company chose its name because of the longevity and staying power of the Redwood trees themselves. So, it’s not surprising that The Redwoods Group would want to support an initiative like the Periclean Scholars Alumni Association, which maintains each class of scholars’ commitment to making a real, lasting impact on communities all over the globe. What Jill is running in support of is not a one time thing. It’s instead a long term partnership, between the driven staff of Habitat Zambia and a group of passionate Elon students, with the goal of eradicating poverty housing in Zambia once and for all.
I’m so glad (but not surprised) to see Jill finding new ways to stay connected to the people of Kawama, and I’m happy to join her in continuing to support this kind of work. After we got back from Zambia, I went down to Americus, Georgia and got trained to lead Habitat for Humanity Global Village trips. I led my first group to Buea, Cameroon in January and have just made plans for my next trip, which will take me back to Zambia in a few months. I could not be more excited to get back to a place that had such a special impact on me, and see how far the community has come since my last trip in 2009. I have no doubt that Habitat Zambia will have made so much progress and I am so excited to reconnect with our friends there.
Thanks for supporting Jill and the incredibly important work that Habitat Zambia is doing to empower families with homes. Your support not only means a lot to the people of Kawama, it means so much to those of us who have been lucky enough to share a little bit of time being with the members of that community.
Monday, July 25, 2011
The “Other” in the Gym
One of my silent (but deadly) philosophies is that it’s great for all people to get fit and to use the gym - so long as they are not hogging my favorite equipment. I am lucky in that I have not had to deal with treadmill hogs for months, but I have had to deal with a free weights hog.
The free weights hog is someone I will refer to as “Annie”, because she reminds me of someone I once knew by that name. Every time I see her, I use this name, as well - as in, “I hope Annie doesn’t get to the weights first today.” I do not know her name, or else I would refer to her by her real name.
Annie comes to the gym every weekday, just like me. She normally arrives when I am in the middle of a run. Her cardio machines of choice are the elliptical and the bike - which she never stays on for more than half an hour. Most of the time, she will leave the cardio equipment after 5 minutes and grab the 10-pound free weights and the stability ball. This is the same every day. Then, she will do a series of arms-only exercises on the stability ball that exceeds 30 minutes.
My workouts are planned months in advance, thanks to the marathon training. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning, I use the 10-pound free weights for arm work. It is possible for me to use the 15s, but I notice that my form suffers on key exercises when I go above a 10. Plus, for runners it is better to complete more repetitions of the right size weights than fewer repetitions of heavier weights. My routine takes me about five minutes to complete. It is normally the very last thing that I do before leaving the gym.
On occasion another resident will use the 10-pound weights, but most of the time they are free - unless being used by Annie. She is my main stopping block, and consistently so.
In all of our time spent together in the same gym, we have had one conversation. It occurred when I approached her because I needed a floor mat that she wasn’t using. This was on a Friday, when I use 15-pound weights for leg work.
Me: Excuse me, are you using the mat?
Annie: I’m about to... but do you want these? (Points to free weights)
Me: No thank you, I’m not using those today. (Walk away disgruntled)
I try to put myself in Annie’s shoes. In many ways, we are very similar; we work out every weekday at the same time, and we both prefer the 10-pound weights for arm work. I am sure that she also has her workouts planned well in advance. However, I fail to believe that she has attempted to put herself in my shoes. Most Tuesday/Thursdays, it’s a matter of who can get to the weights first - but I am sure she has noticed that my arm series is a small fraction of hers. What if she had to wait for someone who took at least 30 minutes each day with her favorite weights?
Because we are similar in a couple of ways, I imagine that Annie and I could maybe be friends outside of the gym setting. However, because she and I vie for the same equipment, she has taken on the role of “the other” - like two nations fighting over access to the perfect lake, river, or island.
This situation will come to a resolution, and if I have it my way, it will be as diplomatic as possible.
Here are some thoughts that I had on how to resolve the silent dispute. I think that all of them are in line with Periclean values for treating others, and that they could all lead to a mutually beneficial decision.
1. Take the time out of my workout and talk to her, ideally when I am in possession of the 10-pound weights and have a little more leverage. If she is open to it, we can come to some sort of agreement on how to manage our limited resource.
2. Buy my own weights. I would hate to incur another expense while training for the marathon, but if I bring down my own weights, I will never have to worry about someone else hogging them. The only downside is that I would need to use them in my apartment on days when I run outside, because I go directly to the gym and not back to the apartment on these days.
3. Ask the building management to buy more weights. Out of all of the weight sets, I believe that the 10-pound set is the most popular. I can bring up the situation to building management and see if they will agree to purchase a smaller weight set to improve our satisfaction with the fitness facilities.
4. Do my arm work at a later time. I have access to a fitness facility at work, so I could take fifteen minutes from my lunch break and get my arm series in then. The only downside is that my muscles would not be warmed up, so this could increase injury.
5. Take Annie to lunch. I can take a page from the TED talk and really surprise Annie - this would be one of the best mechanisms to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.
What do you think? How should I handle my situation with the “other” in the gym?
The free weights hog is someone I will refer to as “Annie”, because she reminds me of someone I once knew by that name. Every time I see her, I use this name, as well - as in, “I hope Annie doesn’t get to the weights first today.” I do not know her name, or else I would refer to her by her real name.
Annie comes to the gym every weekday, just like me. She normally arrives when I am in the middle of a run. Her cardio machines of choice are the elliptical and the bike - which she never stays on for more than half an hour. Most of the time, she will leave the cardio equipment after 5 minutes and grab the 10-pound free weights and the stability ball. This is the same every day. Then, she will do a series of arms-only exercises on the stability ball that exceeds 30 minutes.
My workouts are planned months in advance, thanks to the marathon training. Every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday morning, I use the 10-pound free weights for arm work. It is possible for me to use the 15s, but I notice that my form suffers on key exercises when I go above a 10. Plus, for runners it is better to complete more repetitions of the right size weights than fewer repetitions of heavier weights. My routine takes me about five minutes to complete. It is normally the very last thing that I do before leaving the gym.
On occasion another resident will use the 10-pound weights, but most of the time they are free - unless being used by Annie. She is my main stopping block, and consistently so.
In all of our time spent together in the same gym, we have had one conversation. It occurred when I approached her because I needed a floor mat that she wasn’t using. This was on a Friday, when I use 15-pound weights for leg work.
Me: Excuse me, are you using the mat?
Annie: I’m about to... but do you want these? (Points to free weights)
Me: No thank you, I’m not using those today. (Walk away disgruntled)
I try to put myself in Annie’s shoes. In many ways, we are very similar; we work out every weekday at the same time, and we both prefer the 10-pound weights for arm work. I am sure that she also has her workouts planned well in advance. However, I fail to believe that she has attempted to put herself in my shoes. Most Tuesday/Thursdays, it’s a matter of who can get to the weights first - but I am sure she has noticed that my arm series is a small fraction of hers. What if she had to wait for someone who took at least 30 minutes each day with her favorite weights?
Because we are similar in a couple of ways, I imagine that Annie and I could maybe be friends outside of the gym setting. However, because she and I vie for the same equipment, she has taken on the role of “the other” - like two nations fighting over access to the perfect lake, river, or island.
This situation will come to a resolution, and if I have it my way, it will be as diplomatic as possible.
Here are some thoughts that I had on how to resolve the silent dispute. I think that all of them are in line with Periclean values for treating others, and that they could all lead to a mutually beneficial decision.
1. Take the time out of my workout and talk to her, ideally when I am in possession of the 10-pound weights and have a little more leverage. If she is open to it, we can come to some sort of agreement on how to manage our limited resource.
2. Buy my own weights. I would hate to incur another expense while training for the marathon, but if I bring down my own weights, I will never have to worry about someone else hogging them. The only downside is that I would need to use them in my apartment on days when I run outside, because I go directly to the gym and not back to the apartment on these days.
3. Ask the building management to buy more weights. Out of all of the weight sets, I believe that the 10-pound set is the most popular. I can bring up the situation to building management and see if they will agree to purchase a smaller weight set to improve our satisfaction with the fitness facilities.
4. Do my arm work at a later time. I have access to a fitness facility at work, so I could take fifteen minutes from my lunch break and get my arm series in then. The only downside is that my muscles would not be warmed up, so this could increase injury.
5. Take Annie to lunch. I can take a page from the TED talk and really surprise Annie - this would be one of the best mechanisms to come to a mutually beneficial agreement.
What do you think? How should I handle my situation with the “other” in the gym?
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Chitenge Challenge Reminder!
Blog readers and supporters: Please do not forget about the Chitenge Challenge! It is a week away from completion, and I am confident that we can get there.
If I can reach a fundraising goal by July 31, then I will wear the Zambian traditional dress for women (the chitenge) to work in a federal office building.
Thank you to all who have donated. Your willingness to give humbles me and motivates me on each run. The PSAA will be able to touch more lives specifically because you have donated. Please consider spreading the word and telling a couple of friends about the blog and my initiative.
To all who are contemplating a contribution: Now is a great time to give! Each dollar counts toward the total of getting me in a chitenge during the work day. Your donations go to a cause that is close to my heart and has positively impacted many that I have known and met along this journey. Plus, it is tax deductible.
To all who are unable to give at this time: Thank you for following along! Please spread the word about my blog and goals. Read about additional (non-monetary) ways to support our mission and do one or more of these. Each non-monetary contribution directly supports the overall mission of the Periclean Scholars. Leave a comment if this blog inspires you to do one or more of these actions!
Here are some more pictures of Zambian women (and American muzungus) in chitenges:
I look forward to the opportunity to educate my coworkers about my time in Zambia by wearing a garment that none (or few) of them have seen before. Thank you for all that you do to get me there!
If I can reach a fundraising goal by July 31, then I will wear the Zambian traditional dress for women (the chitenge) to work in a federal office building.
Thank you to all who have donated. Your willingness to give humbles me and motivates me on each run. The PSAA will be able to touch more lives specifically because you have donated. Please consider spreading the word and telling a couple of friends about the blog and my initiative.
To all who are contemplating a contribution: Now is a great time to give! Each dollar counts toward the total of getting me in a chitenge during the work day. Your donations go to a cause that is close to my heart and has positively impacted many that I have known and met along this journey. Plus, it is tax deductible.
To all who are unable to give at this time: Thank you for following along! Please spread the word about my blog and goals. Read about additional (non-monetary) ways to support our mission and do one or more of these. Each non-monetary contribution directly supports the overall mission of the Periclean Scholars. Leave a comment if this blog inspires you to do one or more of these actions!
Here are some more pictures of Zambian women (and American muzungus) in chitenges:
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| Becca and other Pericleans, before we learned how to tie the chitenge. (I don't think I'll wear it like this to work!) |
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| Charity, our incredible HFHZ coordinator, teaches us how to properly tie the garment. |
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| Women in Kawama Village wear chitenges in many different colors and prints. |
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| Kawama women celebrate the construction of two new homes at the closing ceremony. |
Saturday, July 23, 2011
15 Mile Run - Saturday 7/23
Fifteen miles before 7:15 a.m.? Now I'd say that's an accomplishment. To be fair, the only reason I would do such a thing is because the temperature is expected to reach into the 100s today. The longer I waited to get on the road the more I would suffer. As soon as I started my run, I knew I had done the right thing to start so early; the heat was not intense at all, and there was no sun.
Everything about today's run felt good - my legs, lungs, and heart all propelled me to a strong run. Of course the heavy air was a bit of a nuisance, but I had a lot of motivation to keep on going strong. It wouldn't be long before I would reach air conditioning.
When there is no sun out, the running landscape transforms drastically. Unless there were street lights out, it was pitch black. I had to pay more attention to each footstrike to ensure I was running on stable ground. The street lights were flashing yellow, and the only cars on the road were a few cabs. There were some critters out, like squirrels and rabbits, but in the dark each animal might as well have been a raccoon or skunk. I was much more aware of my surroundings, because I felt as if I had partial loss of one of my senses.
During the late evening and early morning, I learned that Reagan National Airport has this large, white "X" that flashes on the approach to the runway. I know this because on the way south down the Mount Vernon Trail, back toward the airport, it flashed at me. It had the same visual effect as the auditory effect you would hear from a loud, blaring fire alarm. It told pilots STOP, GET OUT, STAY AWAY. I tried to avoid staring at the "X", because each time I did, it would burn an image of itself into my vision.
After about 40 minutes of running, I finally saw my first fellow human being. Given the extreme weather, I was surprised that more marathoners-in-training were not on the trail as early as I was. Perhaps they took the smart way out and stuck to their treadmills this week - or perhaps they are currently getting heat stroke on the trails.
When the sun is not a factor, the coolest and warmest parts of the trail also change. For instance, parts of the trail that would normally offer shade, such as under bridges and in forests, are the most humid part - and therefore the most extreme climate-wise in the pre-dawn part of the day. Areas that do not have shade and would normally be hot under the sun are comfortable, as they can allow a gentle breeze to come through. The absolute best areas to run before the sun comes out are across low bridges, where there is water (lake or river). These parts have consistently cool breezes that comfort hot runners.
Before I conclude, I want to mention two recurring things that happened to both occur this week. For whatever reason, I do not think I had mentioned them before. One makes me annoyed, and the other makes me very jealous:
1. Annoyed - The trails that I run aren't too wide - maybe only five feet across. That being said, I have had runners that pass me, cut in front of me, and then slow down - drastically. When I pass other runners or walkers, I make sure that there is enough distance between me and them before getting directly in front of them. Today, that happened with some dude with a black GEICO shirt on. Since there weren't too many people on the trail, there was no need for him to file back in line so quickly. As a result of his rudeness, I promptly speeded up and then passed him. He never caught back up with me, although I heard him panting behind me and trying to catch back up with me.
2. Jealous - There are some runners who have friends, family members, or coaches that bike right next to them for their entire runs. I would kill to have someone bike by me, keep me on pace, and chat with me during a run. The only problem is that I would probably run too slow for them, and they would get bored by my pace. Perhaps this would be a good task for my casual cycling friends. Any takers?
Next week will be 16 miles. According to the 10-day forecast, the weather next weekend shouldn't be much cooler than today. Yuck. It may be another super early morning next weekend, too. On the plus side, I do have a good sense of accomplishment - so now I can relax and enjoy this toasty weekend!
Everything about today's run felt good - my legs, lungs, and heart all propelled me to a strong run. Of course the heavy air was a bit of a nuisance, but I had a lot of motivation to keep on going strong. It wouldn't be long before I would reach air conditioning.
When there is no sun out, the running landscape transforms drastically. Unless there were street lights out, it was pitch black. I had to pay more attention to each footstrike to ensure I was running on stable ground. The street lights were flashing yellow, and the only cars on the road were a few cabs. There were some critters out, like squirrels and rabbits, but in the dark each animal might as well have been a raccoon or skunk. I was much more aware of my surroundings, because I felt as if I had partial loss of one of my senses.
During the late evening and early morning, I learned that Reagan National Airport has this large, white "X" that flashes on the approach to the runway. I know this because on the way south down the Mount Vernon Trail, back toward the airport, it flashed at me. It had the same visual effect as the auditory effect you would hear from a loud, blaring fire alarm. It told pilots STOP, GET OUT, STAY AWAY. I tried to avoid staring at the "X", because each time I did, it would burn an image of itself into my vision.
After about 40 minutes of running, I finally saw my first fellow human being. Given the extreme weather, I was surprised that more marathoners-in-training were not on the trail as early as I was. Perhaps they took the smart way out and stuck to their treadmills this week - or perhaps they are currently getting heat stroke on the trails.
When the sun is not a factor, the coolest and warmest parts of the trail also change. For instance, parts of the trail that would normally offer shade, such as under bridges and in forests, are the most humid part - and therefore the most extreme climate-wise in the pre-dawn part of the day. Areas that do not have shade and would normally be hot under the sun are comfortable, as they can allow a gentle breeze to come through. The absolute best areas to run before the sun comes out are across low bridges, where there is water (lake or river). These parts have consistently cool breezes that comfort hot runners.
Before I conclude, I want to mention two recurring things that happened to both occur this week. For whatever reason, I do not think I had mentioned them before. One makes me annoyed, and the other makes me very jealous:
1. Annoyed - The trails that I run aren't too wide - maybe only five feet across. That being said, I have had runners that pass me, cut in front of me, and then slow down - drastically. When I pass other runners or walkers, I make sure that there is enough distance between me and them before getting directly in front of them. Today, that happened with some dude with a black GEICO shirt on. Since there weren't too many people on the trail, there was no need for him to file back in line so quickly. As a result of his rudeness, I promptly speeded up and then passed him. He never caught back up with me, although I heard him panting behind me and trying to catch back up with me.
2. Jealous - There are some runners who have friends, family members, or coaches that bike right next to them for their entire runs. I would kill to have someone bike by me, keep me on pace, and chat with me during a run. The only problem is that I would probably run too slow for them, and they would get bored by my pace. Perhaps this would be a good task for my casual cycling friends. Any takers?
Next week will be 16 miles. According to the 10-day forecast, the weather next weekend shouldn't be much cooler than today. Yuck. It may be another super early morning next weekend, too. On the plus side, I do have a good sense of accomplishment - so now I can relax and enjoy this toasty weekend!
Friday, July 22, 2011
Donor Acknowledgement - Jason DeLorenzo
I am honored to have received a donation to Periclean Scholars from my new runner friend, Jason (or Jay). After having met a week ago through the Spin-Offs, I know that Jay is dedicated to my marathon success. In fact, his success is vested in mine; we are training for the same race and will be a part of the 30,000 MCM elite on October 30. We both want to see each other cross that start line and finish line successfully (and not turn into zombies on Halloween).
I had mentioned this in last week's running report, but I feel I must mention it again. Jay's running this marathon with me is a true inspiration. If I had pediatric GIST - a type of stomach cancer - I might have resigned hope and never thought I could live a normal life. Yet, he is not afraid to take on challenges like the marathon and live each day to its fullest. I know that he would appreciate if I shared the link to his Life Raft Group, so I will do so in his acknowledgement. Please consider supporting this group, too.
We each get one life to live. I am thankful for the events of this past week, for they have led me to Jay as a new running buddy and encourager. In the week I have known him, Jay has proven to me that he believes in my abilities as a runner, as well as my abilities to make a difference for the causes I care most about - including Periclean Scholars.
Thank you, Jay.
I had mentioned this in last week's running report, but I feel I must mention it again. Jay's running this marathon with me is a true inspiration. If I had pediatric GIST - a type of stomach cancer - I might have resigned hope and never thought I could live a normal life. Yet, he is not afraid to take on challenges like the marathon and live each day to its fullest. I know that he would appreciate if I shared the link to his Life Raft Group, so I will do so in his acknowledgement. Please consider supporting this group, too.
We each get one life to live. I am thankful for the events of this past week, for they have led me to Jay as a new running buddy and encourager. In the week I have known him, Jay has proven to me that he believes in my abilities as a runner, as well as my abilities to make a difference for the causes I care most about - including Periclean Scholars.
Thank you, Jay.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The Heat Wave - And What It Means To My Running
For today's blog entry, I will discuss a topic that has been the main item of discussion all day long: the hot summer weather. I'll take this topic and show you how it unites my passions for marathon training and the PSAA.
There is no question that it has been extreme, at over 100 degrees Fahrenheit today here in the DC metro area. Thursdays are one of only two days that I run outside, but I decided to do my 7 miler on the treadmill instead of outside. The Spin-Offs softball game was cancelled due to extreme heat. I could stand outside and do absolutely nothing, and I would still get sweaty after about ten minutes.
Saturday's low morning temperature is expected to be around 85 degrees and still very, very humid. I have chosen a path that has plenty of shade. I am already beginning to hydrate for Saturday's run, and I think I will bring extra Powerade along. I will lay out my clothes along the air conditioning vents to ensure that they are as cool as possible before running. I might even join the shirtless runner club, since I will be starting so early and will not be out during the sun's most intense hours. If not, then I might shove ice in different parts of my running attire to cool me down.
Normally, the heat is my saving grace, thanks to my Raynaud's phenomenon. I despised training in the cold. My training began at the end of February, and I wore tights, long-sleeved shirts, ear warmers, and gloves for many weeks in a row. I was thrilled when I was finally able to remove layers and wear just a t-shirt and shorts for a long run. Once we head into September (and certainly for the MCM race), I will be putting those layers back on. The only plus side of running in the cold is that the air is lighter and less humid, and it is easier for breathing. However, with the possibility of the roads icing and never knowing exactly how many layers I will need during the run, I have always preferred running in the summer.
Although necessary for training, running in the heat is a choice. I could always split my run in two or three parts by running it on the treadmill, and I can honestly say that I would not run outside on Saturday had it not been for my MCM goal. So, why do it?
Exposing myself to the elements through my running is an inspiration in that it makes me closer to the people in Zambia. In Zambia and other Periclean nations, unlike in the United States, people who are homeless cannot duck into a mall or homeless shelter when the weather gets severe. If there is a heat wave in rural Zambia, those without a home must continue on as normal. They make the best with what they have - they build mud huts (which get washed away in downpours) or find shelter under a tree. To me, this is not acceptable, so I work to do what I can to secure this basic need for them, for my fellow global citizens.
To be honest, we complain about the weather - yet, we have many conveniences to help us avoid its harshness. For the heat, we have clean water, ice cubes, public buildings that are climate controlled, air conditioning, and fans. We truly do not need to deal with it unless we absolutely have to. Sure, we might have to wait half an hour for a bus in the heat, and we might get a little sweaty - but truly, we know that we can look forward to being out of that weather soon after we begin to complain about it.
If Saturday's weather seems unbearable, I must think about how it will only be a matter of hours until I reach air conditioning - instead of an indefinite amount of time or an entire lifetime. If it downpours during the marathon, I will think about my time in Zambia during the rainy season and how we were still able to build two houses in spite of the heavy rain. We sheltered two families from those elements by enduring.
The weather, like so many things in life, is subject to change and temporary in nature. It is most often discussed as small talk and how it affects our day and moods. For me, especially tomorrow, the extreme weather will symbolize stability in the face of change, to persevere in extreme conditions and to focus on others instead of on myself. Sure, I will take care of myself and do all that I can to keep cool, but the object of Saturday's run will not be to keep myself comfortable. It will be to bring modern comforts to my fellow global citizens, to the Periclean partners. It's what the journey is about. I can do this.
There is no question that it has been extreme, at over 100 degrees Fahrenheit today here in the DC metro area. Thursdays are one of only two days that I run outside, but I decided to do my 7 miler on the treadmill instead of outside. The Spin-Offs softball game was cancelled due to extreme heat. I could stand outside and do absolutely nothing, and I would still get sweaty after about ten minutes.
Saturday's low morning temperature is expected to be around 85 degrees and still very, very humid. I have chosen a path that has plenty of shade. I am already beginning to hydrate for Saturday's run, and I think I will bring extra Powerade along. I will lay out my clothes along the air conditioning vents to ensure that they are as cool as possible before running. I might even join the shirtless runner club, since I will be starting so early and will not be out during the sun's most intense hours. If not, then I might shove ice in different parts of my running attire to cool me down.
Normally, the heat is my saving grace, thanks to my Raynaud's phenomenon. I despised training in the cold. My training began at the end of February, and I wore tights, long-sleeved shirts, ear warmers, and gloves for many weeks in a row. I was thrilled when I was finally able to remove layers and wear just a t-shirt and shorts for a long run. Once we head into September (and certainly for the MCM race), I will be putting those layers back on. The only plus side of running in the cold is that the air is lighter and less humid, and it is easier for breathing. However, with the possibility of the roads icing and never knowing exactly how many layers I will need during the run, I have always preferred running in the summer.
Although necessary for training, running in the heat is a choice. I could always split my run in two or three parts by running it on the treadmill, and I can honestly say that I would not run outside on Saturday had it not been for my MCM goal. So, why do it?
Exposing myself to the elements through my running is an inspiration in that it makes me closer to the people in Zambia. In Zambia and other Periclean nations, unlike in the United States, people who are homeless cannot duck into a mall or homeless shelter when the weather gets severe. If there is a heat wave in rural Zambia, those without a home must continue on as normal. They make the best with what they have - they build mud huts (which get washed away in downpours) or find shelter under a tree. To me, this is not acceptable, so I work to do what I can to secure this basic need for them, for my fellow global citizens.
To be honest, we complain about the weather - yet, we have many conveniences to help us avoid its harshness. For the heat, we have clean water, ice cubes, public buildings that are climate controlled, air conditioning, and fans. We truly do not need to deal with it unless we absolutely have to. Sure, we might have to wait half an hour for a bus in the heat, and we might get a little sweaty - but truly, we know that we can look forward to being out of that weather soon after we begin to complain about it.
If Saturday's weather seems unbearable, I must think about how it will only be a matter of hours until I reach air conditioning - instead of an indefinite amount of time or an entire lifetime. If it downpours during the marathon, I will think about my time in Zambia during the rainy season and how we were still able to build two houses in spite of the heavy rain. We sheltered two families from those elements by enduring.
The weather, like so many things in life, is subject to change and temporary in nature. It is most often discussed as small talk and how it affects our day and moods. For me, especially tomorrow, the extreme weather will symbolize stability in the face of change, to persevere in extreme conditions and to focus on others instead of on myself. Sure, I will take care of myself and do all that I can to keep cool, but the object of Saturday's run will not be to keep myself comfortable. It will be to bring modern comforts to my fellow global citizens, to the Periclean partners. It's what the journey is about. I can do this.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
An Apology to Friends, Family, and Supporters... and A New Way Forward
To all of my friends, family, and supporters:
Today I received an e-mail from a friend about the way I have been writing my blog entries about Periclean Scholars. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to read, but it was true.
When you see an entry about Periclean Scholars, you feel it is like a sales pitch - as if you have to sit through a timeshare presentation. With each entry seemingly about the money, I have undermined your trust in me - and even in Periclean. The entries make me appear passive-aggressive and like all I want to do is suck you into donating.
In summary, I have been doing the exact opposite of what I have been trying to achieve. I’ve possibly alienated you - my friends and family - and made you dread reading about an organization that I love so much.
The worst part is that I am doing this with a pure heart. I don’t need to raise a certain amount of funds in order to run the race. I’m not looking to get anything back from the organization. I just want to incorporate Periclean Scholars into my race journey, as I find so many aspects of the organization to be inspirational.
From today onward, I will eliminate the “Reason #X to Donate” format for all Periclean Scholars entries. The focus will be on telling the stories that inspire me on my runs - and that shaped me into the person I am today. My main goal with each entry should now be more focused on sharing my passion and not on trying to get you to give.
Training for a marathon is a journey in and of itself. Writing this blog as a companion to my training and to my donation page has given me an outlet to learn and explore about what I’ve been doing right and what I need to change. My running has been going exceptionally well, and it may be because I have been able to admit (and learn from) my missteps. The opposite has been true for raising awareness of the Periclean program. Up until now, I am not sure why this was the case. Now that I know why you may not care to read about the PSAA, I hope that I can reverse that. The journey can continue - in the right direction this time.
I am extraordinarily grateful to my friend for giving me this feedback; perhaps it means that you can enjoy this part of my blog again without feeling like I want something in return.
To all of those whom I have alienated in this process, I am exceptionally sorry. I hope that you will consider reading my blog and enjoying it - and that I can regain your trust.
Respectfully,
Jill
Today I received an e-mail from a friend about the way I have been writing my blog entries about Periclean Scholars. It was one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to read, but it was true.
When you see an entry about Periclean Scholars, you feel it is like a sales pitch - as if you have to sit through a timeshare presentation. With each entry seemingly about the money, I have undermined your trust in me - and even in Periclean. The entries make me appear passive-aggressive and like all I want to do is suck you into donating.
In summary, I have been doing the exact opposite of what I have been trying to achieve. I’ve possibly alienated you - my friends and family - and made you dread reading about an organization that I love so much.
The worst part is that I am doing this with a pure heart. I don’t need to raise a certain amount of funds in order to run the race. I’m not looking to get anything back from the organization. I just want to incorporate Periclean Scholars into my race journey, as I find so many aspects of the organization to be inspirational.
From today onward, I will eliminate the “Reason #X to Donate” format for all Periclean Scholars entries. The focus will be on telling the stories that inspire me on my runs - and that shaped me into the person I am today. My main goal with each entry should now be more focused on sharing my passion and not on trying to get you to give.
Training for a marathon is a journey in and of itself. Writing this blog as a companion to my training and to my donation page has given me an outlet to learn and explore about what I’ve been doing right and what I need to change. My running has been going exceptionally well, and it may be because I have been able to admit (and learn from) my missteps. The opposite has been true for raising awareness of the Periclean program. Up until now, I am not sure why this was the case. Now that I know why you may not care to read about the PSAA, I hope that I can reverse that. The journey can continue - in the right direction this time.
I am extraordinarily grateful to my friend for giving me this feedback; perhaps it means that you can enjoy this part of my blog again without feeling like I want something in return.
To all of those whom I have alienated in this process, I am exceptionally sorry. I hope that you will consider reading my blog and enjoying it - and that I can regain your trust.
Respectfully,
Jill
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Reason #27 to Support Periclean Scholars: It's A Great Deal.
Each of us likes a great deal, and I am no exception. When I learn about a great deal, I also like to tell my friends. This is why I am passing along this deal to all of my DC friends, sent by one of my coworkers. How about some free Papa John’s pizza?
Sign up to get free pizza with the Capitol Deal at http://www.thecapitoldeal.com/engine/Splash.aspx?contestid=21722, any time between now and midnight, Thursday, July 21, 2011. They will send the voucher to your e-mail address this Friday, July 22, 2011. The coupon can be used through the end of this year.
This is also why I am choosing to donate my run to Periclean Scholars. No, not for free pizza, but because donations to the organization are a great deal.
Consider this: the cost of one Habitat house in Zambia is $3,580. I think it’s reasonable to say that a house in the United States costs 100 times as much, or $358,000 (or more, such as folks like me who are in the Northern Virginia market). A donation of $10 is like making a $1,000 house payment in Zambia. Now that’s a bargain!
With each donation to the PSAA, you benefit many initiatives, listed below.
This is reason #27 to support Periclean Scholars: it's a great deal.
Sign up to get free pizza with the Capitol Deal at http://www.thecapitoldeal.com/engine/Splash.aspx?contestid=21722, any time between now and midnight, Thursday, July 21, 2011. They will send the voucher to your e-mail address this Friday, July 22, 2011. The coupon can be used through the end of this year.
This is also why I am choosing to donate my run to Periclean Scholars. No, not for free pizza, but because donations to the organization are a great deal.
Consider this: the cost of one Habitat house in Zambia is $3,580. I think it’s reasonable to say that a house in the United States costs 100 times as much, or $358,000 (or more, such as folks like me who are in the Northern Virginia market). A donation of $10 is like making a $1,000 house payment in Zambia. Now that’s a bargain!
With each donation to the PSAA, you benefit many initiatives, listed below.
- Sustaining alumni projects, including:
- HIV/AIDS education and awareness in Namibia;
- Malnutrition in Honduras;
- Education in Chiapas, Mexico;
- Sustainable development in Zambia;
- Healthcare in Ghana;
- Environmental education in Sri Lanka.
- Supporting ongoing projects, including:
- Women’s empowerment and healthcare in India;
- Education and maternal health in Chiapas, Mexico.
- Nurturing new classes, including:
- The Appalachia group;
- The Haiti group;
- Groups that have yet to be determined (and whose students are still in high school, middle school, etc. ... even future Elon students who haven't even been born!).
- Building community awareness:
- Bringing Periclean Scholars-in-Residence to campus;
- Supporting awareness events sponsored by different classes.
- Shaping the minds of university students:
- Fostering forums for critical thinking on a global scale;
- Providing an outlet for student projects of global change;
- Encouraging the pursuit of volunteerism and careers that give back.
- All of my blog content:
- Everything I have mentioned in prior entries;
- Everything l will mention in future entries,
- And so much more.
This is reason #27 to support Periclean Scholars: it's a great deal.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Reason #26 to Support Periclean Scholars: To Combat Apathy
One of our greatest challenges today is the ability to change the channel and ignore important issues in the world. If we see news or true stories that are personally challenging or unpleasant on television, we instantly change it to something more pleasant or mind-numbing. We can choose to become disconnected from the real world, with seemingly no consequences at all.
There are real consequences of changing that channel. A story about rape as a weapon of war or a housing crisis resulting from seasonal flooding (if it is shown at all) is quickly changed in favor of a sports game or reality TV. Doing so means that we miss an opportunity and call to action. Doing so means that human beings may not have the opportunity for housing, or they may die from the scourge and humiliation of rape.
The Periclean initiative was founded, in part, to combat apathy. There are dire consequences for our society as a whole for failing to learn about the events going on in our world and participate in change if we find that certain happenings are not in line with our values. I find that most people have no problems following the events that have an instant impact on their personal quality of life, such as whether we will get a tax break. The issue of apathy takes hold when it comes to items that have long-term consequences or do not impact the individual directly. It is often not until a crisis reaches its individual impact/immediacy tipping point that it grabs the attention of the general public.
Apathy is the enemy of development aid. Humanitarian aid, such as the aid to Haiti and Japan in the aftermath of a major natural disaster, grabs our immediate attention. Foreign aid, such as trade preference in the Suez Canal, tugs at our pocketbooks and is a priority of the government. If apathy is the enemy of development aid, then what will fuel development aid?
The opposite of apathy is hope and dreams. These are fostered by paying attention to what is going on beyond our own spheres and allowing ourselves to be challenged personally. If we open ourselves up to learning about non-temporary opportunities for improvement beyond just ourselves, we can be on our way to curing apathy. We need to not change the channel when a news report on maternal mortality, chronic malnutrition, or modern-day slavery comes on. We need to challenge ourselves to digest the information, just as we would an easier topic, and begin to dream of how to address it. Instead of living a dangerous life in the elements, those people who are suffering a housing crisis from seasonal flooding can become candidates for donations and development aid. Instead of dying from rape trauma, those victims can receive sustained help and care - and become survivors.
Oftentimes, it takes characters who mesmerize us in an apathetic spirit to do something worthy of fighting apathy for us to pay attention to an issue. This is why celebrity endorsements of issues work so well. Consider when Jay-Z did a documentary on access to water in Angola, or how the paparazzi follow Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie around the world in their pursuit of bringing development issues to light. It is great when celebrities use their star power to engage the public in an issue, but as critically thinking human beings, we should be better than that. We should be using our internal compasses to figure out whether something is right or wrong (and whether we should do something about it) long before a celebrity says so.
Many will ignore my call to action to support the Periclean Scholars (including my closest friends and family). Even if they decide to change the channel on me, the issues that drive the Periclean projects will still be here. Ignoring me won’t make them go away; it will only increase the burden on the rest of us.
Here is my shortcut to combating apathy in the world (in particular as related to international development):
1. Read current non-fiction, watch the news, and seek out articles on global issues. Make it a piece that you believe has no immediate bearing on you, your family, and your closest friends.
2. Whatever you read or watch, make sure that you finish it. Do not “change the channel”.
3. Find a nugget of injustice or something that needs to be changed.
4. Set a small goal to do something about it. You can share the article with a friend, volunteer with an organization that combats it, write your Congressperson, post a stat on your Facebook wall, or more.
5. Make a longer-term plan to address the object of change. For instance: Think about and write down your larger hopes or dreams for the injustice. If you had all the time, money, energy, and resources in the world, what would you do about it? You may not be able to do it all yourself, but you can also motivate others to help.
6. Make a plan to bring those dreams to reality.
7. Rinse and repeat.
We each get one life to live. Are you going to settle for living yours in apathy, or are you going to make your mark by making a true, sustainable difference in this world? Do your part to combat apathy, as recommended by Project Pericles.
This is reason #26 to support Periclean Scholars: to combat apathy.
 |
| Does it make you uncomfortable? Change the channel. It’s as if it doesn’t exist... except that it still does. |
There are real consequences of changing that channel. A story about rape as a weapon of war or a housing crisis resulting from seasonal flooding (if it is shown at all) is quickly changed in favor of a sports game or reality TV. Doing so means that we miss an opportunity and call to action. Doing so means that human beings may not have the opportunity for housing, or they may die from the scourge and humiliation of rape.
The Periclean initiative was founded, in part, to combat apathy. There are dire consequences for our society as a whole for failing to learn about the events going on in our world and participate in change if we find that certain happenings are not in line with our values. I find that most people have no problems following the events that have an instant impact on their personal quality of life, such as whether we will get a tax break. The issue of apathy takes hold when it comes to items that have long-term consequences or do not impact the individual directly. It is often not until a crisis reaches its individual impact/immediacy tipping point that it grabs the attention of the general public.
Apathy is the enemy of development aid. Humanitarian aid, such as the aid to Haiti and Japan in the aftermath of a major natural disaster, grabs our immediate attention. Foreign aid, such as trade preference in the Suez Canal, tugs at our pocketbooks and is a priority of the government. If apathy is the enemy of development aid, then what will fuel development aid?
The opposite of apathy is hope and dreams. These are fostered by paying attention to what is going on beyond our own spheres and allowing ourselves to be challenged personally. If we open ourselves up to learning about non-temporary opportunities for improvement beyond just ourselves, we can be on our way to curing apathy. We need to not change the channel when a news report on maternal mortality, chronic malnutrition, or modern-day slavery comes on. We need to challenge ourselves to digest the information, just as we would an easier topic, and begin to dream of how to address it. Instead of living a dangerous life in the elements, those people who are suffering a housing crisis from seasonal flooding can become candidates for donations and development aid. Instead of dying from rape trauma, those victims can receive sustained help and care - and become survivors.
Oftentimes, it takes characters who mesmerize us in an apathetic spirit to do something worthy of fighting apathy for us to pay attention to an issue. This is why celebrity endorsements of issues work so well. Consider when Jay-Z did a documentary on access to water in Angola, or how the paparazzi follow Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie around the world in their pursuit of bringing development issues to light. It is great when celebrities use their star power to engage the public in an issue, but as critically thinking human beings, we should be better than that. We should be using our internal compasses to figure out whether something is right or wrong (and whether we should do something about it) long before a celebrity says so.
Many will ignore my call to action to support the Periclean Scholars (including my closest friends and family). Even if they decide to change the channel on me, the issues that drive the Periclean projects will still be here. Ignoring me won’t make them go away; it will only increase the burden on the rest of us.
Here is my shortcut to combating apathy in the world (in particular as related to international development):
1. Read current non-fiction, watch the news, and seek out articles on global issues. Make it a piece that you believe has no immediate bearing on you, your family, and your closest friends.
2. Whatever you read or watch, make sure that you finish it. Do not “change the channel”.
3. Find a nugget of injustice or something that needs to be changed.
4. Set a small goal to do something about it. You can share the article with a friend, volunteer with an organization that combats it, write your Congressperson, post a stat on your Facebook wall, or more.
5. Make a longer-term plan to address the object of change. For instance: Think about and write down your larger hopes or dreams for the injustice. If you had all the time, money, energy, and resources in the world, what would you do about it? You may not be able to do it all yourself, but you can also motivate others to help.
6. Make a plan to bring those dreams to reality.
7. Rinse and repeat.
We each get one life to live. Are you going to settle for living yours in apathy, or are you going to make your mark by making a true, sustainable difference in this world? Do your part to combat apathy, as recommended by Project Pericles.
This is reason #26 to support Periclean Scholars: to combat apathy.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Reason #25 to Support Periclean Scholars:To Farm A New Generation Of Leaders On The Most Difficult Development Issues Worldwide
There is one major limitation to the Periclean program. Since it is run through the university, our travel cannot confront any issues that would put us in imminent danger. This is why, for instance, we would not be allowed in combat zones in Afghanistan or the Congo. It was also a nail in the coffin for working in Angola, as travel in landmine-heavy areas would not be safe.
Many Pericleans see this limitation and seek out opportunities to move past it. When you see an issue that you learn about and want to do more to address it, often danger will be the least of your concerns. The real concern is, what will happen to society if we allow these issues to go unaddressed? If a tree falls down in a distant forest and an American isn’t around to hear it, does it still make a sound? Since we are global citizens, I say yes.
The Periclean Scholars program can be considered a farm program for organizations that work to address critical issues such as these. We learn about issues in our countries of focus that we may never have the opportunity to address directly while on the ground in the course of our four years in college. These issues tie intimately into our groundwork, though, so we cannot omit them from our course of study. Pericleans see the big picture and feel a calling during and after college to continue to do more.
The Peace Corps is one way to answer this call. A national service program, it places alums in countries and situations (potentially dangerous) that they cannot determine in the intake process. Lisa Nicolaison ‘08 used her experiences in Chiapas, Mexico, to create successful projects as a Peace Corps volunteer in eastern Ghana. Bonnie Harvey ‘09 felt called to continue service in Sub-Saharan Africa and just completed service as a community health advisor through the Peace Corps in Usisya Malawi. Laura Veno ‘09’s Peace Corps experience has her in Letychiv, Ukraine, teaching English as a foreign language. Other Pericleans answer the calling by joining similar groups. One great example is Courtney Latta ‘09, who accepted a position with the Children’s Nutrition Program in Haiti. She had her skills put to the test during the 2010 earthquake and continues to be a pillar of strength in her village. Pericleans such as those listed above, when placed into international organizations such as these, find that their ability to serve - and to be with - their communities, as learned through the Periclean program has made them particular assets.
The fact that the Periclean Scholars are not working in the Congo or Angola is not a story of failure. The program is planting the seeds of passion that will impassion alums to confront these dangerous development issues in person. By completing the Periclean program, alums have an even greater sense of their place in the world and of their power to invoke change. We begin to see new university graduates choosing the unbeaten paths to exercise this power and to work toward our common good. They are farmed to these incredible organizations that allow their Periclean skills to flourish. They listen to their partner communities to identify the easiest and most effective path to resolving key issues, acknowledging that the local community often has the best solution.
Would these alumni have chosen to become involved with these international development issues had they not been in the Periclean program? Perhaps. Regardless, the program does at least two things to secure the alumni’s futures with international development. First, it gives them a toolbox of how to best address issues that may arise - whether related to cultural change, conflict management, effective listening, understanding other groups, or more. Second, it gives them key experience with addressing related issues under the Periclean umbrella. For competitive roles in these organizations, the experience in countries of focus is what pushes Periclean candidates over the edge. There are few, if any, programs like the Periclean Scholars, and development organizations prefer to have candidates with Periclean (or Periclean-like) experience on their teams.
This is reason #25 to support Periclean Scholars: to farm a new generation of leaders on the most difficult development issues worldwide.
Many Pericleans see this limitation and seek out opportunities to move past it. When you see an issue that you learn about and want to do more to address it, often danger will be the least of your concerns. The real concern is, what will happen to society if we allow these issues to go unaddressed? If a tree falls down in a distant forest and an American isn’t around to hear it, does it still make a sound? Since we are global citizens, I say yes.
 |
| No Americans were around to hear this tree fall. It still fell. |
The Periclean Scholars program can be considered a farm program for organizations that work to address critical issues such as these. We learn about issues in our countries of focus that we may never have the opportunity to address directly while on the ground in the course of our four years in college. These issues tie intimately into our groundwork, though, so we cannot omit them from our course of study. Pericleans see the big picture and feel a calling during and after college to continue to do more.
The Peace Corps is one way to answer this call. A national service program, it places alums in countries and situations (potentially dangerous) that they cannot determine in the intake process. Lisa Nicolaison ‘08 used her experiences in Chiapas, Mexico, to create successful projects as a Peace Corps volunteer in eastern Ghana. Bonnie Harvey ‘09 felt called to continue service in Sub-Saharan Africa and just completed service as a community health advisor through the Peace Corps in Usisya Malawi. Laura Veno ‘09’s Peace Corps experience has her in Letychiv, Ukraine, teaching English as a foreign language. Other Pericleans answer the calling by joining similar groups. One great example is Courtney Latta ‘09, who accepted a position with the Children’s Nutrition Program in Haiti. She had her skills put to the test during the 2010 earthquake and continues to be a pillar of strength in her village. Pericleans such as those listed above, when placed into international organizations such as these, find that their ability to serve - and to be with - their communities, as learned through the Periclean program has made them particular assets.
The fact that the Periclean Scholars are not working in the Congo or Angola is not a story of failure. The program is planting the seeds of passion that will impassion alums to confront these dangerous development issues in person. By completing the Periclean program, alums have an even greater sense of their place in the world and of their power to invoke change. We begin to see new university graduates choosing the unbeaten paths to exercise this power and to work toward our common good. They are farmed to these incredible organizations that allow their Periclean skills to flourish. They listen to their partner communities to identify the easiest and most effective path to resolving key issues, acknowledging that the local community often has the best solution.
Would these alumni have chosen to become involved with these international development issues had they not been in the Periclean program? Perhaps. Regardless, the program does at least two things to secure the alumni’s futures with international development. First, it gives them a toolbox of how to best address issues that may arise - whether related to cultural change, conflict management, effective listening, understanding other groups, or more. Second, it gives them key experience with addressing related issues under the Periclean umbrella. For competitive roles in these organizations, the experience in countries of focus is what pushes Periclean candidates over the edge. There are few, if any, programs like the Periclean Scholars, and development organizations prefer to have candidates with Periclean (or Periclean-like) experience on their teams.
This is reason #25 to support Periclean Scholars: to farm a new generation of leaders on the most difficult development issues worldwide.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
14 Mile Run - Saturday 7/16
Today's 14 mile run was certainly a change of pace. It was my first time during training that I ran with an actual running group. I would not have done this on my own; it was only through genuine coincidence that this occurred. At Thursday's softball game, I found out that a fellow Spin-Off is training for the Marine Corps Marathon. He asked if I was with the Arlington Road Runners, and I said no - but he asked how much I had planned to do this week. When I said 14, he said that I had to come try it out - because the group was also doing 14.
The Arlington Road Runners Club meets in Gateway Park in Rosslyn on Saturday mornings. It was a pretty decent-size group; there were at least 50 runners that had showed up. My Spin-Offs friend (Jason), his friend Kate, and I arrived a little late for stretching, but I was fine with this because I never stretch to warm up. (I hear it's bad for you - but that stretching after a run is great for you.)
Before the run, we were broken up into color groups; the red group was the fastest, and orange was second fastest. I stuck with orange, because Jason also preferred to go orange. There would be a few people in each group with directions or a map. It was difficult for me at first to give up this control, but over the course of the run I found that I was more focused on being in the moment versus thinking about how many miles I had left.
From Rosslyn, we started south on the Mount Vernon Trail. The path had decent shade and a change of terrain with wooden boards. Luckily, I did not see the stretch of the terrain where you cross the highway, so I would consider returning to this area. As we headed south on the trail, we saw a bride in her dress and a photographer taking pictures. It was certainly a beautiful place along the river, but the bride must not be a runner or cyclist - it doesn't seem like they anticipated such high traffic of runners. One member in our running group shouted, "You should be running with us!" After that, I said, "At least she fits into her dress!" I felt kind of bad, because she might have heard that as "She doesn't fit into her dress" and that would have been a dagger to the heart on her wedding day.
We continued down the trail and went over the George Mason Bridge into DC. Around this area, I saw the man I have been seeing for months: the dude with two knee braces and gray shorts with orange stripes. I was afraid he would miss seeing me if I took too much of a deviated path!
When we went into DC, we started down Hains Point. This began the two points of frustration for me during the run. The first was that the people with the maps and directions clearly didn't know which way to go. While near Hains Point, we did not continue up Ohio Drive but rather returned to the 14th Street/Highway area. This was the first place where we had to turn around (and there were many more). In spite of this, I followed the "blind" the entire time - and the time on my watch at the end showed that, yes, we did in fact run 14 miles. The second point of frustration was the water stops. It is a great service that the Arlington Road Runners provide - but why do you just stop running in the middle of a run? Since I carried my Powerade with me, I would run circles while other runners would be drinking water or eating a snack.
After getting lost, we had a scary moment. One girl in our group took a nasty fall on a section of the sidewalk that had jutted out. It was a full-blown fall, so we were all worried about her. As it turned out, she didn't get injured; she just got some dirt on her shirt and butt.
As we continued down toward the Lincoln Memorial and up toward the Washington Monument, my running partner asked me to tell him a story - so I talked about Zambia and what the Periclean Scholars are all about. I thought that was fitting, since it is the motivation behind my training. I got through the details of the pre-departure and the first day on the ground. Of course, running is full of distractions, so that conversation cut off when we had to locate the leaders of our group.
We ran around the Capitol Building and back west down the mall. I noticed that there were many tents out, and I wondered if they were left over from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival - or if they were for a new festival. DC always has so many fun festivals around this time of the year.
There was one more water stop on the mall. At this one, my running partner grabbed a piece of watermelon. I quipped that he was lucky to have the ability to eat while running, because I have a sensitive stomach. It was at this point that I felt like a huge jerk, because he informed me that he has pediatric GIST - a rare form of stomach cancer. It was previously treated but has since reoccurred, so he will be running the marathon while a cancer patient. While running, he told me the story of how he came to realize he had cancer - and it's a true miracle that he's alive.
When we rounded the Washington Monument, my running partner's ankle began to feel very painful, so he ran/walked the rest of the way back. He only finished 20 minutes behind me - not bad. I latched on to another group and finished out the run with a lady named Helen. She will be running MCM but is also doing a triathlon this fall.
The run continued along the Rock Creek Park trails. We passed the Kennedy Center and the Watergate Complex, and we ran up into Georgetown on M Street. I can now cross this off of my pre-marathon "to-do" list; this is a key section on the marathon course that I wanted to make sure I had run before October 30. In Georgetown, we passed all of the boutiques, restaurants, and running stores. We saw the Georgetown Cupcake store, which now has large blue stickers that say "DC Cupcakes" on them. (I suspect this is because they are getting some competition from Sprinkles.) We then finished up across the Key Bridge (another item on my pre-marathon "to-do" list) and headed back to the starting point at Gateway Park.
After the run had finished, I stretched, hydrated, and pet a running mom's sheltie. I talked to some of the other runners and was surprised to find that a lot of them were training for Chicago. It's also in October but is especially well known for its flat and fast course; the other runners said that someone would attempt a world record on it this year.
All in all, how did I feel about my first group run? I definitely felt like the time went faster while running in a group and talking. It is good to have the support and to know you're not in this alone. However, there were some serious downfalls. Next time, I would like to know the route beforehand - simply so that we do not get lost. I also felt that the pace was a little slower than what I was expecting, so I might want to bump up to the red group next time. Of all weeks, this was probably the best week for me to be going a slower pace, though; my legs still felt like lead (not injured, but not ready to run at race pace).
Upon returning home, I did my floor and upper body work and immediately took a dip in the pool. This weekend's rest is well-earned. Luckily, I do not have as much physical activity planned as last weekend, so my body can get a true rest. I'll be needing it - because next week is 15!
The Arlington Road Runners Club meets in Gateway Park in Rosslyn on Saturday mornings. It was a pretty decent-size group; there were at least 50 runners that had showed up. My Spin-Offs friend (Jason), his friend Kate, and I arrived a little late for stretching, but I was fine with this because I never stretch to warm up. (I hear it's bad for you - but that stretching after a run is great for you.)
Before the run, we were broken up into color groups; the red group was the fastest, and orange was second fastest. I stuck with orange, because Jason also preferred to go orange. There would be a few people in each group with directions or a map. It was difficult for me at first to give up this control, but over the course of the run I found that I was more focused on being in the moment versus thinking about how many miles I had left.
From Rosslyn, we started south on the Mount Vernon Trail. The path had decent shade and a change of terrain with wooden boards. Luckily, I did not see the stretch of the terrain where you cross the highway, so I would consider returning to this area. As we headed south on the trail, we saw a bride in her dress and a photographer taking pictures. It was certainly a beautiful place along the river, but the bride must not be a runner or cyclist - it doesn't seem like they anticipated such high traffic of runners. One member in our running group shouted, "You should be running with us!" After that, I said, "At least she fits into her dress!" I felt kind of bad, because she might have heard that as "She doesn't fit into her dress" and that would have been a dagger to the heart on her wedding day.
We continued down the trail and went over the George Mason Bridge into DC. Around this area, I saw the man I have been seeing for months: the dude with two knee braces and gray shorts with orange stripes. I was afraid he would miss seeing me if I took too much of a deviated path!
When we went into DC, we started down Hains Point. This began the two points of frustration for me during the run. The first was that the people with the maps and directions clearly didn't know which way to go. While near Hains Point, we did not continue up Ohio Drive but rather returned to the 14th Street/Highway area. This was the first place where we had to turn around (and there were many more). In spite of this, I followed the "blind" the entire time - and the time on my watch at the end showed that, yes, we did in fact run 14 miles. The second point of frustration was the water stops. It is a great service that the Arlington Road Runners provide - but why do you just stop running in the middle of a run? Since I carried my Powerade with me, I would run circles while other runners would be drinking water or eating a snack.
After getting lost, we had a scary moment. One girl in our group took a nasty fall on a section of the sidewalk that had jutted out. It was a full-blown fall, so we were all worried about her. As it turned out, she didn't get injured; she just got some dirt on her shirt and butt.
As we continued down toward the Lincoln Memorial and up toward the Washington Monument, my running partner asked me to tell him a story - so I talked about Zambia and what the Periclean Scholars are all about. I thought that was fitting, since it is the motivation behind my training. I got through the details of the pre-departure and the first day on the ground. Of course, running is full of distractions, so that conversation cut off when we had to locate the leaders of our group.
We ran around the Capitol Building and back west down the mall. I noticed that there were many tents out, and I wondered if they were left over from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival - or if they were for a new festival. DC always has so many fun festivals around this time of the year.
There was one more water stop on the mall. At this one, my running partner grabbed a piece of watermelon. I quipped that he was lucky to have the ability to eat while running, because I have a sensitive stomach. It was at this point that I felt like a huge jerk, because he informed me that he has pediatric GIST - a rare form of stomach cancer. It was previously treated but has since reoccurred, so he will be running the marathon while a cancer patient. While running, he told me the story of how he came to realize he had cancer - and it's a true miracle that he's alive.
When we rounded the Washington Monument, my running partner's ankle began to feel very painful, so he ran/walked the rest of the way back. He only finished 20 minutes behind me - not bad. I latched on to another group and finished out the run with a lady named Helen. She will be running MCM but is also doing a triathlon this fall.
The run continued along the Rock Creek Park trails. We passed the Kennedy Center and the Watergate Complex, and we ran up into Georgetown on M Street. I can now cross this off of my pre-marathon "to-do" list; this is a key section on the marathon course that I wanted to make sure I had run before October 30. In Georgetown, we passed all of the boutiques, restaurants, and running stores. We saw the Georgetown Cupcake store, which now has large blue stickers that say "DC Cupcakes" on them. (I suspect this is because they are getting some competition from Sprinkles.) We then finished up across the Key Bridge (another item on my pre-marathon "to-do" list) and headed back to the starting point at Gateway Park.
After the run had finished, I stretched, hydrated, and pet a running mom's sheltie. I talked to some of the other runners and was surprised to find that a lot of them were training for Chicago. It's also in October but is especially well known for its flat and fast course; the other runners said that someone would attempt a world record on it this year.
All in all, how did I feel about my first group run? I definitely felt like the time went faster while running in a group and talking. It is good to have the support and to know you're not in this alone. However, there were some serious downfalls. Next time, I would like to know the route beforehand - simply so that we do not get lost. I also felt that the pace was a little slower than what I was expecting, so I might want to bump up to the red group next time. Of all weeks, this was probably the best week for me to be going a slower pace, though; my legs still felt like lead (not injured, but not ready to run at race pace).
Upon returning home, I did my floor and upper body work and immediately took a dip in the pool. This weekend's rest is well-earned. Luckily, I do not have as much physical activity planned as last weekend, so my body can get a true rest. I'll be needing it - because next week is 15!
Friday, July 15, 2011
How About Softball For Cross-Training?
Yesterday, I added one more weapon to my cross-training arsenal. I played my first softball game with my agency’s B- level, slow-pitch softball team: the Spin-Offs. They are so called because they were a spin-off team from the A-level, fast-pitch team: the Flyers. The Spin-Offs are laid-back and positive; it’s great if we’re winning, but it’s more important to be positive and have fun.
The timing of the games could not be more perfect. They are on Thursday evenings - the day when I do upper body work and the night before my scheduled cross-training. Because of this, I imagine that some recreational softball could help my overall marathon training.
Practice started out well. When close, I noticed that throwing the ball to my teammate was like riding a bike; it did not take me too long to get my arm back. Of course, the further away we moved, the more erratic my throwing got. I had a few balls in the dirt, which I guess helped my teammates to get practice fielding grounders. When I warmed up hitting, my swing came back second nature. The only item that did not was how the ball connected with the bat.
This week, we played a team called the Quakes - which I guess is an intimidating name if you’re in San Francisco or Japan, but to me it just evoked the thought of Quakers. During the game, I was assigned to second base. I was in full support of this, because I would not be required to do any heavy sprinting for fly balls that might compromise my running during the week. I had some key plays in fielding grounders and getting outs, but for the most part the ball was hit to the left side of the field.
When it came time to hit, I was delighted to find that there were no strikeouts and no walks in the B-level softball. Each player would attempt to hit until s/he got a hit. I likely had the most strikes of anyone on both teams; it took me a while for my bat to connect with the ball. Regardless, I did have good form - and it should be easier in future games to make contact than to correct my form.
All in all, the Quakers were about equal to us. This made it a close game until the 6th inning, when they scored 8 runs against us. I think that if the matching were unequal, it would not have been as fun on both teams’ parts - so this definitely added to the enjoyment. Unfortunately, this meant that the game ran pretty long, which meant I didn’t get to bed last night as early as I was hoping.
When I woke up this morning, I was noticeably sore in various spots. Not surprisingly, my right shoulder was sore. I also noticed that my legs were sore. How could they be sore on a Thursday? Then I thought about it: I had done a mid-length run in the morning of 7 miles,walked to the field, played a game, and walked with teammates to the car. The different movements may also have something to do with it. I was doing more than running at pace; at times, when running the bases, I was sprinting. This may be the only downfall of doing softball on Thursday nights. Until my body adjusts, I may not be in tip-top shape for each Saturday’s long run. Clearly, this is why I take cross-training on Fridays: I want to line up everything perfectly to ensure success for Saturday. If my body is still feeling sore tomorrow, I might reconsider how often I do softball (and maybe only do it during stepback weeks).
For recovery, this morning I did half of the time on the elliptical, and I skipped my lower body weight routine. I added in an ab routine, because I had to skip it due to softball last night. My nutrition is still focused on eating carbs for tomorrow’s long run, so I cannot do too much diet-wise to adjust for soreness today. (Anybody have any suggestions for foods that are anti-inflammatory and good for digesting the day before a long run?) I may take a dip in the pool or ice my legs, because that seems to help whenever they are sore.
The team has games scheduled once a week from May through September. If all goes well this week with the rest of training, I’ll consider becoming a regular on the team. I hope it does, because it sure was fun last night.
 |
| A perfect night for softball. Jason from my agency takes on the Quakes' pitcher. |
 |
| Channon from my agency prepares to swing. Can you get a better backdrop than the Washington Monument? |
The timing of the games could not be more perfect. They are on Thursday evenings - the day when I do upper body work and the night before my scheduled cross-training. Because of this, I imagine that some recreational softball could help my overall marathon training.
Practice started out well. When close, I noticed that throwing the ball to my teammate was like riding a bike; it did not take me too long to get my arm back. Of course, the further away we moved, the more erratic my throwing got. I had a few balls in the dirt, which I guess helped my teammates to get practice fielding grounders. When I warmed up hitting, my swing came back second nature. The only item that did not was how the ball connected with the bat.
This week, we played a team called the Quakes - which I guess is an intimidating name if you’re in San Francisco or Japan, but to me it just evoked the thought of Quakers. During the game, I was assigned to second base. I was in full support of this, because I would not be required to do any heavy sprinting for fly balls that might compromise my running during the week. I had some key plays in fielding grounders and getting outs, but for the most part the ball was hit to the left side of the field.
When it came time to hit, I was delighted to find that there were no strikeouts and no walks in the B-level softball. Each player would attempt to hit until s/he got a hit. I likely had the most strikes of anyone on both teams; it took me a while for my bat to connect with the ball. Regardless, I did have good form - and it should be easier in future games to make contact than to correct my form.
All in all, the Quakers were about equal to us. This made it a close game until the 6th inning, when they scored 8 runs against us. I think that if the matching were unequal, it would not have been as fun on both teams’ parts - so this definitely added to the enjoyment. Unfortunately, this meant that the game ran pretty long, which meant I didn’t get to bed last night as early as I was hoping.
When I woke up this morning, I was noticeably sore in various spots. Not surprisingly, my right shoulder was sore. I also noticed that my legs were sore. How could they be sore on a Thursday? Then I thought about it: I had done a mid-length run in the morning of 7 miles,walked to the field, played a game, and walked with teammates to the car. The different movements may also have something to do with it. I was doing more than running at pace; at times, when running the bases, I was sprinting. This may be the only downfall of doing softball on Thursday nights. Until my body adjusts, I may not be in tip-top shape for each Saturday’s long run. Clearly, this is why I take cross-training on Fridays: I want to line up everything perfectly to ensure success for Saturday. If my body is still feeling sore tomorrow, I might reconsider how often I do softball (and maybe only do it during stepback weeks).
For recovery, this morning I did half of the time on the elliptical, and I skipped my lower body weight routine. I added in an ab routine, because I had to skip it due to softball last night. My nutrition is still focused on eating carbs for tomorrow’s long run, so I cannot do too much diet-wise to adjust for soreness today. (Anybody have any suggestions for foods that are anti-inflammatory and good for digesting the day before a long run?) I may take a dip in the pool or ice my legs, because that seems to help whenever they are sore.
The team has games scheduled once a week from May through September. If all goes well this week with the rest of training, I’ll consider becoming a regular on the team. I hope it does, because it sure was fun last night.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Nutrition Techniques for Runners
This post is a continuation of a mini-series of vital needs that the general population takes for granted (such as breathing) but are of special attention to runners. Nutrition is important to marathoners-in-training, because we are demanding a lot from our bodies. In order for the body to function at peak performance and not get injured, I need to ensure that I am giving it the proper fuel at the right times.
Each day or series of days has a specific purpose. For instance, on Saturdays I eat to recover from my longest run of the week. The nutrition plan, as a whole, also has a specific purpose: to eat the best that I can to fuel my training. The “best” means quality foods, but it also means that I won’t go out of my way to eat or drink products that are good for me but repulsive. This is why I will probably never drink Accelerade again; Powerade works best for me during long runs, and milk allows me to get protein after runs.
My diet has certain restrictions, both temporary and long-term. A long-term restriction is that I have not eaten meat since my junior year of high school. I started eating fish again when I enrolled at Elon, because the dining services’ vegetarian protein options were not adequate. I also have not eaten French fries in nine or so years. I am not a fan of quite a few fruits, such as melons, and I would rather eat dog poop than banana. (Note: I am not recommending the consumption of dog poop.)
For the purpose of marathon training, I have completely cut out baked goods. This was easy for me to do, because I cannot justify eating a decadent cake on my birthday - a mere 12 days prior to my race - and there’s no occasion more important for baked goods than my birthday. Also, chocolate and other indulgences, like frozen yogurt, are limited to the weekends (except in rare circumstances). This allows me to focus on functional nutrition and also on creatively substituting in new items for dessert.
Monday-Thursday: Focus on complete nutrition.
Breakfast: Smoothie King smoothie once a week, applesauce every other weekday
Snack: Options include nuts (like almonds, cashews, and peanuts; dried edamame), fig newtons, granola bars, grapes
Lunch: Sandwich, such as peanut butter & jelly or a cucumber sandwich (2 slices of bread plus sliced cucumber with Italian dressing on one side and fat-free cream cheese on the other side). If still hungry, I may grab a second lunch from a local eatery. Frequent choices include a tuna sub on wheat with lots of veggies, a salad, a falafel sandwich with Mediterranean veggies and hummus, and more.
Dinner: Varies. My favorite options are fish with green beans, eggplant parmigiana, sweet potatoes and couscous, salad with veggies including avocado and artichoke hearts, and a veggie burger with vegetarian baked beans.
Dessert: Frozen yogurt cup (Yoplait Whips placed in the freezer) or a fruit bar
Drinks during the day: Iced tea, hot water
Drinks at night: Hot tea, iced tea, soda at times, milk at times
Friday: Focus on eating carb-based foods that will not upset my stomach.
Breakfast: Applesauce
Snack: Granola bar
Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly or something else bread-based (bagel, sourdough roll, wheat roll from a local cafe)
Snack: Granola bar
Dinner: Pasta seasoned lightly (such as with garlic salt)
Dessert: Cereal, crackers
Drinks during the day: Iced tea, hot water (in larger quantities)
Drinks at night: Hot tea, iced tea, ginger ale if stomach feels weird
Saturday: Focus on recovery from long run.
Post-long run: Whatever I feel like. Normally applesauce, a granola bar, or some cereal. I crave milk at times but that’s often followed by ginger ale.
Weekend: Continue long run recovery and adjust eating based on weekend activity.
Lunch/snack: Graze on foods like cereal, salad, crackers, frozen yogurt cups, seaweed (the kind you use to wrap sushi... weird, I know), nuts, etc.
Dinner: Same as Monday-Friday. I will normally take the weekend to use a Groupon or meet up with friends, so this will regularly include one meal out.
Dessert: Frozen yogurt cups, fruit bars, dark chocolate, or real frozen yogurt
What has worked: The greatest success of the marathoner-in-training diet is that I am eating considerably healthier, more wholesome foods than previously - even though I already had a pretty good diet. It has helped to focus on getting more fruits and vegetables for muscle recovery, and I don’t really miss baked goods anymore. I also have the impetus to try cooking new dishes, such as eggplant parm and couscous. They are cheap and nutritious, and I probably wouldn’t have gone out of my way to buy the ingredients if I didn’t think they would directly benefit my running. I have also become more of a grazer, as opposed to eating a few large meals. This is better for blood sugar and for maintaining muscle mass.
What has not worked: The greatest downfall to the marathoner-in-training diet is that it is expensive. I spend $5-$10 more on groceries than I had in the past, and I often need to buy a second lunch. Then again, I am not spending money to go to the doctor for inactivity-related illnesses. The other shortcoming in my nutrition plan is the way I feel on Fridays. By dinnertime, I can feel like I am going to become a diabetic - but this feeling always subsides by the end of my Saturday run.
Fellow runners: I would like your seasoned advice. If you can help me out with the following, post a comment:
1. Pre-race/long run dinner that settles well?
2. Favorite healthy snacks for home and the office?
3. Favorite post-race/long run meal?
4. Any other nutrition-related suggestions?
Each day or series of days has a specific purpose. For instance, on Saturdays I eat to recover from my longest run of the week. The nutrition plan, as a whole, also has a specific purpose: to eat the best that I can to fuel my training. The “best” means quality foods, but it also means that I won’t go out of my way to eat or drink products that are good for me but repulsive. This is why I will probably never drink Accelerade again; Powerade works best for me during long runs, and milk allows me to get protein after runs.
My diet has certain restrictions, both temporary and long-term. A long-term restriction is that I have not eaten meat since my junior year of high school. I started eating fish again when I enrolled at Elon, because the dining services’ vegetarian protein options were not adequate. I also have not eaten French fries in nine or so years. I am not a fan of quite a few fruits, such as melons, and I would rather eat dog poop than banana. (Note: I am not recommending the consumption of dog poop.)
For the purpose of marathon training, I have completely cut out baked goods. This was easy for me to do, because I cannot justify eating a decadent cake on my birthday - a mere 12 days prior to my race - and there’s no occasion more important for baked goods than my birthday. Also, chocolate and other indulgences, like frozen yogurt, are limited to the weekends (except in rare circumstances). This allows me to focus on functional nutrition and also on creatively substituting in new items for dessert.
Monday-Thursday: Focus on complete nutrition.
Breakfast: Smoothie King smoothie once a week, applesauce every other weekday
Snack: Options include nuts (like almonds, cashews, and peanuts; dried edamame), fig newtons, granola bars, grapes
Lunch: Sandwich, such as peanut butter & jelly or a cucumber sandwich (2 slices of bread plus sliced cucumber with Italian dressing on one side and fat-free cream cheese on the other side). If still hungry, I may grab a second lunch from a local eatery. Frequent choices include a tuna sub on wheat with lots of veggies, a salad, a falafel sandwich with Mediterranean veggies and hummus, and more.
Dinner: Varies. My favorite options are fish with green beans, eggplant parmigiana, sweet potatoes and couscous, salad with veggies including avocado and artichoke hearts, and a veggie burger with vegetarian baked beans.
Dessert: Frozen yogurt cup (Yoplait Whips placed in the freezer) or a fruit bar
Drinks during the day: Iced tea, hot water
Drinks at night: Hot tea, iced tea, soda at times, milk at times
Friday: Focus on eating carb-based foods that will not upset my stomach.
Breakfast: Applesauce
Snack: Granola bar
Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly or something else bread-based (bagel, sourdough roll, wheat roll from a local cafe)
Snack: Granola bar
Dinner: Pasta seasoned lightly (such as with garlic salt)
Dessert: Cereal, crackers
Drinks during the day: Iced tea, hot water (in larger quantities)
Drinks at night: Hot tea, iced tea, ginger ale if stomach feels weird
Saturday: Focus on recovery from long run.
Post-long run: Whatever I feel like. Normally applesauce, a granola bar, or some cereal. I crave milk at times but that’s often followed by ginger ale.
Weekend: Continue long run recovery and adjust eating based on weekend activity.
Lunch/snack: Graze on foods like cereal, salad, crackers, frozen yogurt cups, seaweed (the kind you use to wrap sushi... weird, I know), nuts, etc.
Dinner: Same as Monday-Friday. I will normally take the weekend to use a Groupon or meet up with friends, so this will regularly include one meal out.
Dessert: Frozen yogurt cups, fruit bars, dark chocolate, or real frozen yogurt
What has worked: The greatest success of the marathoner-in-training diet is that I am eating considerably healthier, more wholesome foods than previously - even though I already had a pretty good diet. It has helped to focus on getting more fruits and vegetables for muscle recovery, and I don’t really miss baked goods anymore. I also have the impetus to try cooking new dishes, such as eggplant parm and couscous. They are cheap and nutritious, and I probably wouldn’t have gone out of my way to buy the ingredients if I didn’t think they would directly benefit my running. I have also become more of a grazer, as opposed to eating a few large meals. This is better for blood sugar and for maintaining muscle mass.
What has not worked: The greatest downfall to the marathoner-in-training diet is that it is expensive. I spend $5-$10 more on groceries than I had in the past, and I often need to buy a second lunch. Then again, I am not spending money to go to the doctor for inactivity-related illnesses. The other shortcoming in my nutrition plan is the way I feel on Fridays. By dinnertime, I can feel like I am going to become a diabetic - but this feeling always subsides by the end of my Saturday run.
Fellow runners: I would like your seasoned advice. If you can help me out with the following, post a comment:
1. Pre-race/long run dinner that settles well?
2. Favorite healthy snacks for home and the office?
3. Favorite post-race/long run meal?
4. Any other nutrition-related suggestions?
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Running: It's All Fun And Games Until Somebody Gets Stuck In Your Hamster Wheel.
Taken at Petco, Bailey's Crossroads, VA, on June 25, 2011.
I wonder if the poor little hamster has the Aflac accident plan.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Reason #24 to Support Periclean Scholars: Each Contribution (No Matter How Small) Makes A Huge Difference
One of the questions that I have been asked throughout my fundraising period is why I chose the Periclean Scholars as my charitable group for dedicating my marathon. With each large-scale marathon that is run, there are thousands of runners dedicating their races to charity - and hundreds (if not thousands) of organizations that are beneficiaries. The marathon is a popular platform to achieve this goal - because, in exchange for your donation, your friend or family member gets to run 26.2 miles.
The long answer can be found in the content of this blog. As you have followed along, you have learned that there are many, many reasons why the PSAA is deserving of our time, energy, and resources.
The short answer is the organization’s accomplishments in proportion to its age. Compared to many organizations, Periclean Scholars is very young - at under ten years old. Because of this, I know that it could benefit from our assistance in greater proportion than other groups that have been around for longer and already have a solid endowment and donor base. When you support Periclean Scholars, each donation is not a drop in the bucket; it is a transformative sum.
Now, consider all that the organization has accomplished in under ten years. It has made a considerable impact in the chosen countries and issues of focus, has set up future classes for success, has influenced the careers of many young professionals, has engaged the Elon community as a whole in globally-oriented issues, and many more. The mission and vision of the organization are lived out in each action taken and partnership formed, and these strengths have propelled the program to a position of national prominence. Thanks to the support of current and prior donors, as well as the university community and the national Project Pericles, we have the opportunity to nourish something with enormously positive ramifications.
Each donation to Periclean Scholars is like a mustard seed. Though it may seem small and insignificant at the time, the way that the Periclean Scholars invest it will make it grow to have a huge impact.
I know that our investment in the Periclean Scholars will pay large dividends in the global community. I am proud to see all that the organization accomplished before, during, and after my time at Elon - and I cannot wait to see what it does with our support in the next 10 years.
This is reason #24 to support Periclean Scholars: each contribution (no matter how small) makes a huge difference.
The long answer can be found in the content of this blog. As you have followed along, you have learned that there are many, many reasons why the PSAA is deserving of our time, energy, and resources.
The short answer is the organization’s accomplishments in proportion to its age. Compared to many organizations, Periclean Scholars is very young - at under ten years old. Because of this, I know that it could benefit from our assistance in greater proportion than other groups that have been around for longer and already have a solid endowment and donor base. When you support Periclean Scholars, each donation is not a drop in the bucket; it is a transformative sum.
Now, consider all that the organization has accomplished in under ten years. It has made a considerable impact in the chosen countries and issues of focus, has set up future classes for success, has influenced the careers of many young professionals, has engaged the Elon community as a whole in globally-oriented issues, and many more. The mission and vision of the organization are lived out in each action taken and partnership formed, and these strengths have propelled the program to a position of national prominence. Thanks to the support of current and prior donors, as well as the university community and the national Project Pericles, we have the opportunity to nourish something with enormously positive ramifications.
Each donation to Periclean Scholars is like a mustard seed. Though it may seem small and insignificant at the time, the way that the Periclean Scholars invest it will make it grow to have a huge impact.
I know that our investment in the Periclean Scholars will pay large dividends in the global community. I am proud to see all that the organization accomplished before, during, and after my time at Elon - and I cannot wait to see what it does with our support in the next 10 years.
This is reason #24 to support Periclean Scholars: each contribution (no matter how small) makes a huge difference.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Reason #23 to Support Periclean Scholars: Donations Are For The Benefit Of Us All
Over the course of my training and fundraising, I have received some recurring questions about the donation process. Below are my answers.
Question: How much of the PSAA goes directly to you?
Answer: NONE. When you donate through the Active.com site, 100% goes to the Periclean Scholars Alumni Association. None of it goes to my pocket. I repeat, I do not personally receive the money you contribute. It is a donation to the organization and not to me. I simply set up the page as a means to track donations through my marathon initiative.
Question: Does the money go to Elon or to the PSAA?
Answer: The PSAA is an Elon-based organization, but the money goes 100% to Periclean works. When you make a contribution to the Periclean Scholars, it is a tax deductible contribution to Elon University’s Periclean Scholars Program. For tax purposes, you will see the code for Elon University. Functionally, the money goes directly toward the Periclean projects. Periclean is not consumed by administrative or service fees, like many charitable recipients. Periclean donations go exactly where the donor expects: to important projects that raise global civic engagement.
Question: What is the easiest way to donate?
Answer: The easiest way to donate is through the Active.com site. This ensures that your donation is processed in a timely manner and accounted for on the donor website. It will also give you a receipt with tax information if you wish to claim a charitable tax deduction.
In summary: Donating through the site does not benefit me financially, but seeing that friends, family, and strangers have given to the PSAA does provide me strength and encouragement during my training. Donating may benefit you if you can use the tax deduction. Donating will benefit us all by building up an organization that supports global civic engagement through many avenues.
This is reason #23 to support Periclean Scholars: Donations are for the benefit of us all.
Question: How much of the PSAA goes directly to you?
Answer: NONE. When you donate through the Active.com site, 100% goes to the Periclean Scholars Alumni Association. None of it goes to my pocket. I repeat, I do not personally receive the money you contribute. It is a donation to the organization and not to me. I simply set up the page as a means to track donations through my marathon initiative.
Question: Does the money go to Elon or to the PSAA?
Answer: The PSAA is an Elon-based organization, but the money goes 100% to Periclean works. When you make a contribution to the Periclean Scholars, it is a tax deductible contribution to Elon University’s Periclean Scholars Program. For tax purposes, you will see the code for Elon University. Functionally, the money goes directly toward the Periclean projects. Periclean is not consumed by administrative or service fees, like many charitable recipients. Periclean donations go exactly where the donor expects: to important projects that raise global civic engagement.
Question: What is the easiest way to donate?
Answer: The easiest way to donate is through the Active.com site. This ensures that your donation is processed in a timely manner and accounted for on the donor website. It will also give you a receipt with tax information if you wish to claim a charitable tax deduction.
In summary: Donating through the site does not benefit me financially, but seeing that friends, family, and strangers have given to the PSAA does provide me strength and encouragement during my training. Donating may benefit you if you can use the tax deduction. Donating will benefit us all by building up an organization that supports global civic engagement through many avenues.
This is reason #23 to support Periclean Scholars: Donations are for the benefit of us all.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
11 Mile Run - Saturday 7/9
Today's 11 miler took me back to Hains Point, since it has been a few weeks since I've crossed the bridge into DC. I ran strong the entire time - and since this was a stepback week, I decided to speed up the long run to 30 seconds faster per mile than my typical long run.
As in other runs this past week, I paid special attention to my breathing. I counted and noted that my default rate is 3 steps for an inhale, 3 steps for an exhale. Since I was running strong this week, I didn't change it up much (such as 2 steps for an inhale, 3 for an exhale) - but I think I will in runs this upcoming week.
Nature greeted me with a couple of surprises during the run. As I crested the footpath near Reagan National Airport that allows you to get a view of DC, I saw the brightest red-orange sun in the sky. It was a bit hazy this morning, with the sky a little grayer than normal, which really made the ball of fire stand out. There weren't any rays of sunshine that stemmed out from the sun, which made me think it might have been a huge, red moon. As I progressed in my run, I saw the sun continue to rise and get yellower in color, which made me realize that it was, in fact, the sun. Moments like this make me wish I bring a camera with me on my runs.
The other surprise that nature gave me was a flock of geese - two parent geese and countless teenager geese. Strangely, I haven't seen too many baby animals this year - ducklings, bunnies, cygnets, etc. This made the sight of these geese a truly pleasant site. Yes, I know that it was just teenager geese - not even baby geese - but they were so cute!
As I progressed in my run, I noticed that very few people were out compared to normal. Was the heat too hot for them? Were they on vacation? Had they discovered a new trail? I saw my "regular" people that I've seen week after week, but a lot of the big groups were missing. Then, as I rounded the corner on Gravelly Point going south, BAM - I saw a huge group of runners. I counted, and there were 33 in all. There was even a runner with a jogging stroller. (I didn't count the baby in the stroller because s/he wasn't running.) A couple of runners in this group wore Pacers t-shirts, so my guess is that they were with a running group organized by the Pacers Running Stores.
One final surprise in my run occurred at the Crystal City waterpark, where I had about a mile to go before completing the distance. I noticed a girl doing the downward dog yoga pose and thought she was standing a little close to a Crystal City directional sign. She stood in that pose for a few seconds, and then out of nowhere she flipped up her legs and did a full out handstand against the sign. I was quite impressed. I have been told that I have the body of a gymnast, but I can't even do a cartwheel - so I admire people with those skills.
Next week I am continuing the progression... sort of. As you may remember, I have to add in some filler weeks to complete 40 weeks of training successfully. I am going to repeat the past four weeks and see if I can improve on them. There are two reasons for this. First, I got very nervous after the tendon in my left inner ankle hurt so badly before my run; this pain actually continued in some form for four days after the fact. Thankfully, I did not feel any pain today, but it's better to play this safe and take all possible measures to avoid injury. Second, my body feels as though it is plateauing. I feel like my runs aren't having the same effect on me. I am going to, essentially, redo the past four weeks and add in measures that I think will help me undo that plateau - a greater variety in weight training, faster speeds, and more yoga, to add a few. I believe I will get positive results!
As in other runs this past week, I paid special attention to my breathing. I counted and noted that my default rate is 3 steps for an inhale, 3 steps for an exhale. Since I was running strong this week, I didn't change it up much (such as 2 steps for an inhale, 3 for an exhale) - but I think I will in runs this upcoming week.
Nature greeted me with a couple of surprises during the run. As I crested the footpath near Reagan National Airport that allows you to get a view of DC, I saw the brightest red-orange sun in the sky. It was a bit hazy this morning, with the sky a little grayer than normal, which really made the ball of fire stand out. There weren't any rays of sunshine that stemmed out from the sun, which made me think it might have been a huge, red moon. As I progressed in my run, I saw the sun continue to rise and get yellower in color, which made me realize that it was, in fact, the sun. Moments like this make me wish I bring a camera with me on my runs.
The other surprise that nature gave me was a flock of geese - two parent geese and countless teenager geese. Strangely, I haven't seen too many baby animals this year - ducklings, bunnies, cygnets, etc. This made the sight of these geese a truly pleasant site. Yes, I know that it was just teenager geese - not even baby geese - but they were so cute!
As I progressed in my run, I noticed that very few people were out compared to normal. Was the heat too hot for them? Were they on vacation? Had they discovered a new trail? I saw my "regular" people that I've seen week after week, but a lot of the big groups were missing. Then, as I rounded the corner on Gravelly Point going south, BAM - I saw a huge group of runners. I counted, and there were 33 in all. There was even a runner with a jogging stroller. (I didn't count the baby in the stroller because s/he wasn't running.) A couple of runners in this group wore Pacers t-shirts, so my guess is that they were with a running group organized by the Pacers Running Stores.
One final surprise in my run occurred at the Crystal City waterpark, where I had about a mile to go before completing the distance. I noticed a girl doing the downward dog yoga pose and thought she was standing a little close to a Crystal City directional sign. She stood in that pose for a few seconds, and then out of nowhere she flipped up her legs and did a full out handstand against the sign. I was quite impressed. I have been told that I have the body of a gymnast, but I can't even do a cartwheel - so I admire people with those skills.
Next week I am continuing the progression... sort of. As you may remember, I have to add in some filler weeks to complete 40 weeks of training successfully. I am going to repeat the past four weeks and see if I can improve on them. There are two reasons for this. First, I got very nervous after the tendon in my left inner ankle hurt so badly before my run; this pain actually continued in some form for four days after the fact. Thankfully, I did not feel any pain today, but it's better to play this safe and take all possible measures to avoid injury. Second, my body feels as though it is plateauing. I feel like my runs aren't having the same effect on me. I am going to, essentially, redo the past four weeks and add in measures that I think will help me undo that plateau - a greater variety in weight training, faster speeds, and more yoga, to add a few. I believe I will get positive results!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Reason #22 to Support Periclean Scholars: To Give Responsible Governments A Reason To Celebrate National Pride With Fireworks And Fanfare
This week has truly been one of independence and unity. In this narrative, I will focus on the experiences of three nations this past week (and even provide a personal anecdote) as related to independence and unity.
In the United States, July 4 marked the 235th celebration of Independence Day, the day when the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the United States severed its ties as a British colony. In Jefferson’s words, as penned in the Declaration, “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government...” Here, Jefferson references the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Americans continue to celebrate this day as one of triumph.
Independence Day celebrations in America include many traditions, such as picnics, family gatherings, baseball, and relaxation on a day off from work. We contemplate everything that makes this day possible - from the events of 1776 to present. When I watched the DC fireworks from my rooftop this past Monday, I sat among some colorful characters who were hellbent on recognizing all that was good in America (and on having a good time). There were some USA chants and some words that were exclaimed - obvious benefits of living in America - such as freedom. Then, one of the characters shouted out “taxes!” There was a brief lull, as not many people seemed to agree with him. A short while later, someone shouted out “books!” which, of course, drew a laugh - since books and education are a couple of clearly positive benefits of living in America. The chanting made me think about how matters that may seem unpopular at the individual level (such as taxes for shared services and books on questionable topics) add to the richness of our society, enhance our freedom, and build our democracy. Sometimes, minimal discomfort inflicted on a micro level leads to large triumphs on a macro level - but should never be undertaken without representation of all people in government (as in the institution of Congress).
Celebrations continued around the globe. On Tuesday, July 5, Zambia celebrated Unity Day - an annual holiday founded to hold the fledgling nation together and create a sense of Zambian solidarity, since the nation was created from various ethnic groups. The slogan “One Zambia, One Nation” signifies the mission of the day. On this day, citizens honor those of varying backgrounds and beliefs that came together to bring forth a united Zambia. As in America, Zambian citizens take the day off from work to give special pause for reflection. The continued celebration of Zambia’s Unity Day by all citizens is a testament to how working together for the national benefit has improved the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The nation itself may not be perfect in many regards, but it continues to strive for improvement based on individual and collective success.
If we head north up the African continent, we will find another nation that has cause for celebration. On July 9, at 12 a.m. East Africa Time (or July 8 at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time), a new nation is born: South Sudan. Those who lived in the mostly Christian South Sudan were granted the opportunity to vote for secession from the Muslim Sudan in January of this year. Four million registered to vote for this referendum; 97.5% of those registered voted, and 98.83% voted for a new nation. South Sudanese had been sick of not having a voice and rights. Their right to life was denied through genocide. Their right to liberty was denied by living in fear. Their right to the pursuit of happiness was denied through lack of opportunity and few opportunities to be self-sufficient and serve their communities and country. In fact, they hated their country and are now claiming a new national identity. They get a new flag and a new national anthem. They even get a new embassy in Washington, DC, at 1233 20th Street, NW, Suite 602.
The fanfare and fireworks are great fun, but the true meaning and consequence goes deeper. The ultimate success of South Sudan as an independent nation will depend on how they play in the international political landscape. While all peoples have the right to self-determination, they also have the duty to work responsibly toward the common good. The new leaders of South Sudan will be judged as other world leaders on the quality of life of their people. Will the South Sudanese be celebrating July 9th many years from now as a day of glory, or will they remember it as the start of yet another tyranny? All nations became independent at some point, but what they did with that independence has determined their current and future states. South Sudan is off to a good start with declaring elections instead of a transition government, but much is yet to be seen.
To celebrate and love independence, we must celebrate a responsible, freedom-loving government. Such a government empowers the voices of all and addresses the root issues that might deny its citizens freedom. The Periclean program works toward ensuring life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people. How can you pursue happiness when you are in a chronically malnourished community and have no hope of education? How can you enjoy liberty without a stable roof over your head or by living in a filthy, unsustainable community? How can you enjoy life without access to a clinic or ways to manage your HIV? We may not be the government, but we help responsible governments to stand strong. Their people can live out their fundamental rights in part thanks to Periclean help. We help give them reasons to celebrate national pride with fireworks and fanfare.
The Periclean Scholars might not be in South Sudan... yet... but the Jeffersonian and Periclean ideals are certainly there.
This is reason #22 to support Periclean Scholars: to give responsible governments a reason to celebrate national pride with fireworks and fanfare.
In the United States, July 4 marked the 235th celebration of Independence Day, the day when the Declaration of Independence was adopted and the United States severed its ties as a British colony. In Jefferson’s words, as penned in the Declaration, “Whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government...” Here, Jefferson references the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Americans continue to celebrate this day as one of triumph.
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| Fireworks in DC |
Independence Day celebrations in America include many traditions, such as picnics, family gatherings, baseball, and relaxation on a day off from work. We contemplate everything that makes this day possible - from the events of 1776 to present. When I watched the DC fireworks from my rooftop this past Monday, I sat among some colorful characters who were hellbent on recognizing all that was good in America (and on having a good time). There were some USA chants and some words that were exclaimed - obvious benefits of living in America - such as freedom. Then, one of the characters shouted out “taxes!” There was a brief lull, as not many people seemed to agree with him. A short while later, someone shouted out “books!” which, of course, drew a laugh - since books and education are a couple of clearly positive benefits of living in America. The chanting made me think about how matters that may seem unpopular at the individual level (such as taxes for shared services and books on questionable topics) add to the richness of our society, enhance our freedom, and build our democracy. Sometimes, minimal discomfort inflicted on a micro level leads to large triumphs on a macro level - but should never be undertaken without representation of all people in government (as in the institution of Congress).
Celebrations continued around the globe. On Tuesday, July 5, Zambia celebrated Unity Day - an annual holiday founded to hold the fledgling nation together and create a sense of Zambian solidarity, since the nation was created from various ethnic groups. The slogan “One Zambia, One Nation” signifies the mission of the day. On this day, citizens honor those of varying backgrounds and beliefs that came together to bring forth a united Zambia. As in America, Zambian citizens take the day off from work to give special pause for reflection. The continued celebration of Zambia’s Unity Day by all citizens is a testament to how working together for the national benefit has improved the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The nation itself may not be perfect in many regards, but it continues to strive for improvement based on individual and collective success.
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| Emblem of Zambia's Unity Day |
If we head north up the African continent, we will find another nation that has cause for celebration. On July 9, at 12 a.m. East Africa Time (or July 8 at 5 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time), a new nation is born: South Sudan. Those who lived in the mostly Christian South Sudan were granted the opportunity to vote for secession from the Muslim Sudan in January of this year. Four million registered to vote for this referendum; 97.5% of those registered voted, and 98.83% voted for a new nation. South Sudanese had been sick of not having a voice and rights. Their right to life was denied through genocide. Their right to liberty was denied by living in fear. Their right to the pursuit of happiness was denied through lack of opportunity and few opportunities to be self-sufficient and serve their communities and country. In fact, they hated their country and are now claiming a new national identity. They get a new flag and a new national anthem. They even get a new embassy in Washington, DC, at 1233 20th Street, NW, Suite 602.
 |
| The South Sudanese celebrate with their new national flag. |
The fanfare and fireworks are great fun, but the true meaning and consequence goes deeper. The ultimate success of South Sudan as an independent nation will depend on how they play in the international political landscape. While all peoples have the right to self-determination, they also have the duty to work responsibly toward the common good. The new leaders of South Sudan will be judged as other world leaders on the quality of life of their people. Will the South Sudanese be celebrating July 9th many years from now as a day of glory, or will they remember it as the start of yet another tyranny? All nations became independent at some point, but what they did with that independence has determined their current and future states. South Sudan is off to a good start with declaring elections instead of a transition government, but much is yet to be seen.
To celebrate and love independence, we must celebrate a responsible, freedom-loving government. Such a government empowers the voices of all and addresses the root issues that might deny its citizens freedom. The Periclean program works toward ensuring life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all people. How can you pursue happiness when you are in a chronically malnourished community and have no hope of education? How can you enjoy liberty without a stable roof over your head or by living in a filthy, unsustainable community? How can you enjoy life without access to a clinic or ways to manage your HIV? We may not be the government, but we help responsible governments to stand strong. Their people can live out their fundamental rights in part thanks to Periclean help. We help give them reasons to celebrate national pride with fireworks and fanfare.
The Periclean Scholars might not be in South Sudan... yet... but the Jeffersonian and Periclean ideals are certainly there.
This is reason #22 to support Periclean Scholars: to give responsible governments a reason to celebrate national pride with fireworks and fanfare.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Reason #21 to Support Periclean Scholars: To Provide An Outlet To Work Toward Positive Solutions After Learning Of Others’ Pain
Our world continues to progress on so many levels. On the forefront of progress seems to always be technology. In many ways, we are now part human, part machine. To work, we type. To talk, we type and text. To play, we press buttons on a joystick and stare at screens. As a result of continuous electronic stimulation, many have noted that we as a society are becoming desensitized to emotion. One of those emotions in which this is most true, in my opinion, is pain. We get exposure to others’ pain in manners that have no true consequence for our personal lives - such as through movies and video games. In fact, if you “die” in a video game, you can come right back to life.
Many schools, helicopter parents, and societies do a great job of sheltering our kids from true pain - while giving them plenty of outlets for observing pain without consequence. For a student that has never personally experienced true suffering, like hunger, violence, incurable disease, or death, it is very easy to downplay the effects of harmful actions in the real world. However, when you take those students and challenge them to think outside of their community-created bubbles, in environments such as the Global Studies course that is a foundation for the Elon general studies program, an important paradigm shift occurs. Students learn that the makings of this world are much more complicated and with many more consequences than they had previously considered, and the poor and suffering that come as a result of apathy, misplaced resources, and hatred are experiencing true pain, right now. Negative emotions will come as a result, such as anger of living a sheltered life, guilt and shame of exploiting the riches in this world solely for personal gain, fear of the eternal consequences of doing too little to help out.
It is the job of the Periclean Scholars program to turn these negative emotions into positive actions. Rather than anger for living a sheltered life, students’ minds can be soothed by the opportunity to create a project of positive global consequence. Rather than feeling guilty and shameful for using past riches solely for personal gain, students can explore avenues to use their time, talents, and resources for the common good. Rather than fearing what will happen for not doing enough in the past, they can vow to turn things around and make helping others into an important life priority.
There is an important gap here. If we do not allow students the opportunity to explore positive means of expression after bursting their bubbles, they will grow angry, cynical, and disengaged. When people see or hear about bad things being done with real consequences, their primal instinct is to find a solution. If the only message that they hear is that their efforts are fruitless or inconsequential, then their negative feelings will be magnified. Even worse, if people never learn about others’ pain and what is truly going on in the real world, they will never have the opportunity to experience that paradigm shift. This could mean that they cause suffering for others through ignorance or through mimicking acts they witness in the digital environment. This is the trend that Project Pericles as a whole aims to fight.
The world continues to move forward technologically - but we must give its citizens the opportunity to make a difference in the real world, lest we move backwards.
This is reason #21 to support Periclean Scholars: To provide an outlet to work toward positive solutions after learning of others’ pain.
Many schools, helicopter parents, and societies do a great job of sheltering our kids from true pain - while giving them plenty of outlets for observing pain without consequence. For a student that has never personally experienced true suffering, like hunger, violence, incurable disease, or death, it is very easy to downplay the effects of harmful actions in the real world. However, when you take those students and challenge them to think outside of their community-created bubbles, in environments such as the Global Studies course that is a foundation for the Elon general studies program, an important paradigm shift occurs. Students learn that the makings of this world are much more complicated and with many more consequences than they had previously considered, and the poor and suffering that come as a result of apathy, misplaced resources, and hatred are experiencing true pain, right now. Negative emotions will come as a result, such as anger of living a sheltered life, guilt and shame of exploiting the riches in this world solely for personal gain, fear of the eternal consequences of doing too little to help out.
It is the job of the Periclean Scholars program to turn these negative emotions into positive actions. Rather than anger for living a sheltered life, students’ minds can be soothed by the opportunity to create a project of positive global consequence. Rather than feeling guilty and shameful for using past riches solely for personal gain, students can explore avenues to use their time, talents, and resources for the common good. Rather than fearing what will happen for not doing enough in the past, they can vow to turn things around and make helping others into an important life priority.
There is an important gap here. If we do not allow students the opportunity to explore positive means of expression after bursting their bubbles, they will grow angry, cynical, and disengaged. When people see or hear about bad things being done with real consequences, their primal instinct is to find a solution. If the only message that they hear is that their efforts are fruitless or inconsequential, then their negative feelings will be magnified. Even worse, if people never learn about others’ pain and what is truly going on in the real world, they will never have the opportunity to experience that paradigm shift. This could mean that they cause suffering for others through ignorance or through mimicking acts they witness in the digital environment. This is the trend that Project Pericles as a whole aims to fight.
The world continues to move forward technologically - but we must give its citizens the opportunity to make a difference in the real world, lest we move backwards.
This is reason #21 to support Periclean Scholars: To provide an outlet to work toward positive solutions after learning of others’ pain.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Breathing Techniques for Distance Running
While the general population seems to take our basic needs as human beings as given, it seems like the “basics” are the subjects of special attention to runners. Basics include eating, sleeping, and breathing. Today, I will focus on my experience with targeted breathing.
Yesterday, I stumbled across an article that mentioned how most runners do not breathe properly for peak performance. We do not breathe deeply and instead keep the air near the top of our lungs, in shallow breaths. Doing so limits the potential for oxygen to reach our muscles. The preferred type of breathing is called “belly breathing” and should be practiced by everyone - not just runners - as it improves oxygen circulation (and has even been purported by some to reduce aging).
A way to check whether you are belly breathing or not is to place one hand on your abdomen and one hand on your chest. When you take a breath, one hand should rise and fall. If it is the hand on your abdomen, then you are belly breathing. If it is the hand on your chest, your breathing is shallow.
During my run this morning, I took belly breathing for a test run. I paid more attention to the lower cavity in my abdomen - whether or not I could feel it filling up with air. In order to take the belly breaths, I had to take slower breaths. Most of them required my mouth open for both inhale and exhale. (I normally inhale through my nose and exhale through my mouth when running.)
For a test run, the results were mixed. I activated my diaphragm muscles more than normal, and it was the first time that I paid any attention to them during my run. Because I was so focused on breathing deeply, I did not really concentrate on whether my legs were straining more than normal. Perhaps as a result of this, I was able to run faster with less perceived exertion. However, at about mile 3.5, I started to feel a side stitch on my right side. Normally when I feel side stitches, I will slow my breathing down - but I was already breathing more slowly. To fix the side stitch, I slowed down my speed by about 0.5 mph and started to breathe how I normally would.
I think that in the long term, practicing breathing fully will be important and enable me to improve my performance. However, I think that I do need to ease into it with breathing exercises outside of running. I have also heard that Pilates can improve the deep belly breathing.
Does anyone have any suggestions for proper breathing while running - or for breathing exercises to improve my breathing form?
Yesterday, I stumbled across an article that mentioned how most runners do not breathe properly for peak performance. We do not breathe deeply and instead keep the air near the top of our lungs, in shallow breaths. Doing so limits the potential for oxygen to reach our muscles. The preferred type of breathing is called “belly breathing” and should be practiced by everyone - not just runners - as it improves oxygen circulation (and has even been purported by some to reduce aging).
A way to check whether you are belly breathing or not is to place one hand on your abdomen and one hand on your chest. When you take a breath, one hand should rise and fall. If it is the hand on your abdomen, then you are belly breathing. If it is the hand on your chest, your breathing is shallow.
During my run this morning, I took belly breathing for a test run. I paid more attention to the lower cavity in my abdomen - whether or not I could feel it filling up with air. In order to take the belly breaths, I had to take slower breaths. Most of them required my mouth open for both inhale and exhale. (I normally inhale through my nose and exhale through my mouth when running.)
For a test run, the results were mixed. I activated my diaphragm muscles more than normal, and it was the first time that I paid any attention to them during my run. Because I was so focused on breathing deeply, I did not really concentrate on whether my legs were straining more than normal. Perhaps as a result of this, I was able to run faster with less perceived exertion. However, at about mile 3.5, I started to feel a side stitch on my right side. Normally when I feel side stitches, I will slow my breathing down - but I was already breathing more slowly. To fix the side stitch, I slowed down my speed by about 0.5 mph and started to breathe how I normally would.
I think that in the long term, practicing breathing fully will be important and enable me to improve my performance. However, I think that I do need to ease into it with breathing exercises outside of running. I have also heard that Pilates can improve the deep belly breathing.
Does anyone have any suggestions for proper breathing while running - or for breathing exercises to improve my breathing form?
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