Six Degrees of Seperation…..Virtual Run For Sherry Arnold

Posted on February 11, 2012 by tootallfritz

Six degrees of separation refers to the idea that everyone is on average approximately six steps away, by way of introduction, from any other person on Earth, so that a chain of, “a friend of a friend” statements can be made, on average, to connect any two people in six steps or fewer.

Today was the day for the Virtual Run/Walk for Sherry Arnold. Running communities throughout the world sponsored virtual run/walks to honor Sherry, a “fallen” runner, and all of the other runners who have left their homes to go for a run and never returned. I think each time we hear a story of a runner who has gone missing it cuts to each of our soul’s. I usually remember the names of these individuals for years, if not forever, after the fact. I find the six degrees of separation reference to be true in most instances and this time most of us need even fewer “degrees” as many of us are connected to Sherry thru her cousin Beth at Shut Up + Run. We may not know Beth personally but we know her “on-line”. We may not have known Sherry personally but we knew her thru the stories which Beth took the time to share.

So today, we did the only thing that we could possibly do…..we ran. Here is the group that showed up in single degree temps today to run. I only wish I could say that our static temp was indeed 6 degrees, but the truth of the matter is that it was 8 degrees at the start with a “feels like” temp of -2. The wind was howling and viscous so we grabbed a quick pic and took off running! From back: Kim, Susan, Kerry, Jenny, Kathy, Brian, Lori (middlish in purple), Stacy (Lori’s hubby!!), & CrazyBoyDon. Front: Joe, Meg (Jeni’s 11 year-old – middlish in black), Aby (my 10 year-old), Jeni – Sparkalish Roar, & Melissa.

As we were moving toward the trial, I also gave some brief safety tips. I will highlight them here in case nobody could hear me with the howling wind.

Run with a friend or a group when possible.
Carry a pepper spray or something to defend yourself if necessary. I like the PersonalSavers.com Wrist Saver. At $12.95, it’s definitely a good deal in my opinion. I ordered the small but its a tight fit on me. I did that though so that Aby can also use it.
Run without music or just use one ear bud with music at low volume if you must have it.
Pay attention to your surroundings at all times.
Make eye contact with the people you meet and the drivers of the cars that pass you up.
If you are running on the road, run against traffic. It’s the law and it allows you to see what is coming at you. React appropriately and don’t be afraid to dive in the ditch if necessary. I step off the road ALL THE TIME. I do not trust that cars see me. Plus, as soon as I see a car, I immediately look behind me to see if one is coming from the other direction, which will inhibit the oncoming driver from moving over to give me more room.
Don’t take a ride from strangers.
If at all possible carry your cell phone with you in case you have an emergency. I know today’s cell phones are usually big and bulky ~~so we can surf the web~~ so I had to purchase a spi-belt to carry mine.

I also use knucklelights (see above) at night and ALWAYS run in clothing that is VERY reflective and has multiple reflective accents. Always assume that cars/drivers/people CAN’T see you!
Tell a family member (or leave a note!) your running route but also inform them that the route may change if the situation changes. I always leave the house with a plan but frequently change it up due to circumstances: something that makes me feel uncomfortable, a wild animal, the wind, the traffic patterns, etc. So make sure the family knows the “intended” route but also have them be aware that ~~shit~~ things happen and a route is never written in stone ~~at least for me~~.
Trust your instincts. If it feels wrong, then it is wrong and it’s your responsiblity to change the situation.

So today, we ran for Sherry, no moment of silence or quiet reflection, just a quick safety check and then the joy of running. May Sherry and all the other “gone missing” runners feel our joy today and take comfort in our remembrance of them doing their favorite thing, regardless of the weather.

And of course, Michael wanted to participate too but with the weather, there was no way that I was taking him out in the jogger. So we grabbed a photo with him once we got home. And some of our friends who joined virtually who were not able to be in Frankfort, IL today. Angela from sunny Florida. Lynn who is local but couldn’t make it out with us today. Several of our F’N Running Club members were racing today and couldn’t join us in person but still ran with Sherry’s bib on their back’s. From left: Amanda – Get to Goal, Kelly – Running Kellometers, Gennie & Maggie – MagMileRunner:

Did you get in any miles for you OR Sherry today? If so, link up some pics for us!

Any safety tips that I missed? If so, please share.

Happy SAFE Running, Amanda – TooTallFritz amanda@tootallfritz.com

Wind, Rain, & Snow…..Oh, My!

Posted on November 10, 2011 by tootallfritz

The big story today has to be ~~that Susan D. and I actually drug our asses out the door last night~~ the weather. The conditions here in the Midwest this fall have been surprisingly mild and even though we are 1/3 of the way thru November we haven’t had much, if any, cold weather. Yesterday started out in the low 50’s with wind and rain but the temperature dropped in the early afternoon to approximately 37 degrees, with moderate winds, light rain, and a few ~~possibly imagined~~ snow flurries.

We had planned to meet up with the Frankfort TNT runners at 5pm but I was a few minutes early. As I was waiting for “everyone” to show, I tried to figure out how to steady my shivering hand to grab a photo. Didn’t work out so well.

Yes, that is correct, it is now PITCH BLACK at 5pm. Lucky us. Love the time change.

A blurry photo of myself and Susan D. as we shiver and await the TNT runners……um, where are YOU guys ~~cuz we are freezing our asses off~~? We decided to just get moving around 5:15 because we realized that apparently everyone else ~~whimped out~~ was smart and stayed home. Of course, we had to light up the trail in order to even attempt a run. Susan D. brought a headlamp and I had my KnuckleLights.

Several people have contacted me to let me know that KnuckleLights are on backorder so I emailed them this week to see ~~if I could get you guys a bigger discount~~ what was up. Dan H. from KnuckleLights said that the lights will be available again on Nov 18th. If you place an order prior to that day, then use the coupon code: KL050 and you will receive $5.00 off, plus receive 2 free gifts (a clip-on blinking light and a reflective arm band) with your order. So try not to give up on them, this is a great product; they have just really taken off in popularity as of late. If you are interested, you might want to order now and be on the list for when they get their shipment. It’s not like we will be seeing the light of day ~~ever again~~ anytime soon.

Susan D. once again drug me down the trail at a lightning fast pace.Thanks Susan, I’d hoped for a speedy run tonight and you didn’t disappoint! I think the TNT runners ~~were scared of our speed~~ will regret not coming because it really wasn’t bad once we got moving. I always say that the hardest part is showing up, or getting out the door, and I really believe that. Susan and I had a great conversation about personal accountability and what justified ~~wussing out~~ skipping a workout. For me, I have a tight schedule so if I don’t do it now, then it probably won’t happen. I’m all about being flexible, just don’t have a lot of wiggle room in my life as of now. So if I say I’m in, then I’ll be there short of ~~being unable to pry Mr. Michael’s fingers off me~~ an emergency.

6.48 miles (slightly suspect about distance, I was thinking we would be right on 6) – 57:04, 1 stop to remove a rather large tree from the trail, 1 stop to remove a few layers.

“Run”way Fashion: Old Navy Active top ($19.94 – cheap and nice, thumb holes and 1 zip pocket, but “in stores only” as of now), Old Navy Active Sports Bra ($10 – on sale now & has a reflective strip on the back if you like to run in your ~~underwear~~ “bra top”), CW-X compression 3/4 tights (I know you’re shocked, and no I never take them off), and the Athleta Drynamic Track Pant (currently on sale if you are a ~~child~~ XXS). I also wore gloves (my favorites are Manzella Sprint Glove liners which have a reflective palm), the freebie windbreaker from the Hot Chocolate 15K, spi-belt and knucklelights.

I encourage you to get out the door, each and every time that you can. It isn’t going to get any warmer, or less windy, and the sun isn’t coming back for a long time. You can either sit in the house ~~and pout~~ til spring or come out and join us for some great conversation and fun running! Hope to see YOU soon!

What do you do once the good weather heads south…….. Do you skip your workouts, hit the gym, or keep on trucking outside?

Stay Warm & Be Safe, Amanda – TooTallFritz amanda@toottallfritz.com

Dogged Endurance

Posted on October 29, 2011 by tootallfritz

In order to fit everything into today that I wanted/needed, I had to get rolling ~~in the middle of the night~~ pretty early. I was “slightly” tired ~~since I haven’t slept since I got knocked up with Mr. Michael~~ and the obligatory bathroom-blogger photo showed as much.

A few run essentials, if you are also running in the dark, are pictured below. The Knuckle Lights are a great product which I highly recommend! They really light up the night and the roads, so much better than a headlamp. I am also loving the SPI-Belt since it even holds my humongous DROID phone.

It was soooooo dark. The older I get the more ~~terrified~~ cautious I am in regard to the dark and the road conditions. Today I was at my parents so had to run on a busy road to hit the less traveled country roads. Once I hit the first country road I breathed a sigh of relief thinking I was in safer territory. However, that feeling didn’t last long as I was barely into mile 2 when I heard a rustling in the corn field and “something” jumped out at me and ~~freaked me out~~ started running beside me! I immediately went for my pepper spray since I ~~had been bitten by 3 dogs in less than 4 months at the beginning of the year~~ was being cautious but this LilWhiteDog was not out for blood but apparently just wanted to run. I can appreciate that.

I didn’t anticipate my friend to go too far, usually a friendly dog may run a 1/2 or full mile with me but never more than that before they turn back toward home or get distracted onto a new adventure. However this LilWhiteDog was in it for the long haul. I must say that it ~~stressed me out~~ slowed my progress as I was afraid it was going to get hit by a car or that it was running too far for its lil legs, or that it needed water, etc. I greatly enjoyed the company and he certainly took my mind off the task at hand but I wanted the LilWhiteDog to go home where it would be safe and be loved and be able to rest! I hit my turn-around at mile 5 and he also made the u-turn. At this point, I was relieved thinking when we got back to where he initially joined me that he would go back home. So I ran on thinking that he would be safe soon enough. I did notice the LilWhiteDog to be unusually savy about life on the road. He always ran into a ditch when a car was coming, he stopped and listened intently when a “mean dog” sounded its bark, and he just was incredibly intelligent and worldly for such a lil thing. I was impressed.

We get back to the road where ~~my friend~~ LilWhiteDog joined me and he kept running beside me. We hit the busy road and I took my turn and prayed that he would stay but he followed. I almost cried thinking he would never make it the length of BusyRoad without being hit by a car but he did. And then he took the turn into the lakeside subdivision with me. And then he turned into the driveway with me. And then I closed the door to the house and prayed he would FINALLY go home. But he didn’t. LilWhiteDog jumped up on the door and started barking/whining. Did I mention that the Parents just ~~tore down the lakeside shack and built a NICE new house~~ remodeled the cottage? Did I mention that the Parents ~~HATE~~ don’t like dogs? LilWhiteDog found the patio doors/windows to look into the great room.

LilWhiteDog wasn’t leaving.

A couple of hours later we left to go trick or treating and LilWhiteDog chased my car down the road, then stopped and walked back to my parents.

Several hour later we came home and didn’t see LilWhiteDog but then a lady power walking came down the street with a mysterious partner……LilWhiteDog. I encouraged her to take him home and she laughed. I was packing up the car and guess who came back.

Auntie Sara ~~was strong-armed~~ decided to take LilWhiteDog ~~home~~ back to Ft Wayne to see if she can ~~pawn him off on one of her friends~~ find him a home, otherwise he will be going to the Allen Co Animal Shelter tomorrow or Monday. Aby and I are hoping ~~Uncle David falls in love with him~~ she finds him a good home.

Good-Bye and Good Luck ~~my friend~~ LilWhiteDog.

10.04 miles – 1:43:46 – This is super slow for me but I stopped many times to try to get photos in the dark with my flash which ~~was a TOTAL FAIL~~ didn’t work out, then I had to get off the road multiple times for either my safety of that of my running partner, plus I walked in the 7th mile for a little bit because ~~I felt like it~~ my hips were tight.

“Run”way Fashion: It was under 40 degrees so I needed long sleeves and went with my Nike Chicago 2016 Candidate City shirt which I still wear even though ~~I’m the only one who wanted to the Olympics in Chicago~~ we lost the bid.

And I tried out the new CW-X compression 3/4 quarter tights, which I really liked!

Women’s 3/4 Stabilyx Tight – Black/Raspberry

The Stabilyx tights provide optimum targeted support to the core and knees. They’re ideal for activities with lateral motion such as skiing and snowboarding and for athletes seeking our best form of knee support. The patented CW-X Support Web™ bands together the muscles and ligaments of the lower leg to stabilize the knee and reduce vibration for increased efficiency. The CW-X Support Web™ also harnesses the midsection, supporting the lower abdominals, hips and back to channel power through the core. Variable compression facilitates circulation during and after activity, minimizing lactic acid build-up so that you can be active longer and recover faster.

I have been having issues with my hips and knees and just general lower leg aches/pain since the Plantar Fasciitis has reached the advanced stages. Apparently, ~~I am running funny~~ my form is deteriorating. I could definitely feel the added support, particularly in my hips and probably the part that I LOVED the most was that I didn’t have to pull them up one time! That alone was worth the price!!! I don’t know yet about the recovering faster part, I didn’t have time to lounge in them so don’t know if it really counts. Photo below is “me” not a “stock” photo.