Someone is Going to Jump Off a Cliff

So, there is no way around it - someone is going to have to jump off a cliff! A month or so back, I did a poll about this blog and the results (among the six who cast votes) are in. Like politics, there is no middle ground - I guess people (who voted) either like this blog a lot or don't like it at all. The results:

2 - will jump off a cliff if I stop blogging (love it)

2 - will cry themselves to sleep if I stop blogging (like it a lot)

1 - will throw a party if I don't stop blogging (dislike it a lot)

1 - will jump off a cliff if I don't stop blogging (hate it)

So what can I do? I guess I will keep blogging. Thus only one will jump off a cliff, not two. And if they hate the blog that much, maybe they won't check back and won't feel compelled to jump.

In all seriousness, it is always more difficult to continue this blog when I am not doing Team in Training, since that was it's original focus and reason to be. I don't know what my next event will be or when, but until then I will just keep blogging from time to time with topics that hit my interest or strike my fancy. My other blog (Oh, To Be Hiking) is very active right now as a follow-up to my Alaska trip, so that is getting more attention at this moment in time.

But sometime in the next month or two, maybe I will join TNT again, and if not, I will surely join next Fall's team in the April or May timeframe. So until then, check back from time to time, and see what I am writing about here. And please don't jump!!!!!!!

Thinking About My Blog

So I have now been blogging here for over two years. I’ve been pretty faithful about it, posting my 500th post last night. I’ve fully recorded two full Team in Training fundraising and training campaigns, Nashville in 2009 and Seattle this year. In addition, I put all of my information from the Arizona Marathon in 2008 on my blog, albeit retroactively.

I generally enjoy writing this blog. But it is not widely read. I probably average about 6 hits a day. Since writers want to be read, I am not really accomplishing that goal with my blog. I am accomplishing a nice recording of a major component of my life these last few years, though. So I am trying to decide what to do going forward, especially since I am in between TNT events.

I’ll start with an anonymous poll, and leave it up for a month. What would it mean to you if I stopped blogging here? I may not base the decision of whether to keep blogging on the responses to the poll, but it could be a factor. The choices are:

If you shut down this blog, I will jump off a cliff. I love your blog and would miss it terribly, and cannot imagine not being able to come here from time to time and read all about it.

If you shut down this blog, I will cry myself to sleep for a week, but would eventually get over it. I really like your blog and would miss it a lot, at least for a while. But life moves on.

If you shut down this blog, there will be a hole in my life for a few days, but then I will forget about it. I like your blog and would miss it at least for a little while. But there is lots of other stuff to read.

I don’t much care one way or another if you shut down this blog. It is OK but I don’t follow it that regularly. I just don’t – sorry!

If you shut down this blog, I will throw a big party. I don’t like your blog and would be happy to see it gone. In fact, don’t ask me why I am even here answering this poll.

If you don’t shut down this blog, I will jump off a cliff. I really, really, really hate your blog and think it should go the way of the dodo, passenger pigeon, and polyester leisure suits.

Poll Results - Running with Music

The results are in on my question about music and running: "Do you run or walk while listening to music?" The results are:

Never or almost never - 1 (10%)
Sometimes - 7 (70%)
Frequently - 2 (20%)
Always or almost always - 0

If you have those headphones on or are grooving to your iPod, be careful out there! There are a lot of careless people driving around. Thanks for voting!

Running with Scissors, uh iPods!

I got an iPod Nano for Christmas, and I love it! I love music; it is one of my most favorite things. I can now pick up my favorite radio station at work, and I put many of my compact disks on this tiny device. If I am having a frustrating day at work, which seems to happen frequently, I slip in my earphones and put on some Mozart, and workplace distractions ease. It is impossible to listen to music you love, whatever that is, and not feel happy at some level.

But I will not be running or walking with my iPod. I think it would be too distracting and too dangerous. It is a tough world out there for pedestrians in an auto-crazed world. If I am running with others, it is more fun to chat. If I am by myself, which is the usual mode of my workouts, I want to pay full attention to my surroundings. What do you think? Time for a new poll. Please vote!

Vote for My Best Post!

I've been updating this blog for about a year now, once I got done back-posting all of my Arizona Marathon information. So I thought it would be fun to do another poll, in part to see how many people actually read my blog, about what my best post is. Here are the ones I think are the best. What do you think? I'm leaving the poll open until August 15.

Relentless - In my view, this poem pretty well summarizes my feelings about why I do Team in Training.

Look! There's One of Leukemia Society People - seeing a young girl in Nashville two days before the race reminded me once again how important this mission is.

I'll Take the Fifth - How Beethoven's Fifth Symphomy helped get me through chemo seven years ago

The Little Red Devil and the Little White Angel - My debate of whether to do a full or half marathon this season was joined by two little beings

The Attack Ad - John McCain and Barack Obama weren't the only two slinging mud last fall!

Something Else - if you vote for this, please comment and tell me which one you liked best that was not one of the above choices.

The Results are In!

Thanks everyone, 22 of you, who voted in my "What Should I do Next (2010)" poll. Here are the results:

Nike Womens' Marathon in San Francisco: 9
Mayors Marathon in Anchorage: 4
An Olymipic Distance Tri (Philly, Washington, Tampa?): 5
A Century Bike Ride (Tahoe, Tucson, Asheville?): 3
The Komen Three Day: 1

Definitely the running events came out on top, heavy to Nike. 800 guys, 24,000 or so women!

Whatever I end up doing, I appreciate the votes and the comments I got. I think I would enjoy any of them, although the foot races feel more comfortable. But maybe it would be good to step out of my comfort zone and learn to swim better, and/or get a bike and learn to ride. Seeing my friend Susan get her Triple Crown was inspiring, and it is intriguing to think of getting one myself at some point - before I get too old.

But while I have a lot to think about, I have some time, because I won't be fund raising any time soon. In the meantime, I need to get back in a regular workout habit again, and quickly. It is an easy habit to get out of if you work, because the choice is often that extra hour of sleep or going for a run. I can never get to it after work, it seems, so the early morning is my window of opportunity. So that needs to be job one, or I won't be fit to run much longer! :)

What Should I do Next?

My fourth Team in Training event is in the bag. My brand spanking new 13.1 pin rests comfortably on my hat along with the previous three pins:
Now I need to take a break from fundraising so that people don’t start shooting me. The trick will be to stay in shape and get in even better shape while not doing TNT. I’ve neglected upper body workouts in preference to legs. I’ve knocked off about 10 pounds since the first of the year and am within about 5 pounds of my ideal weight according to the body mass index charts. I want to hike a lot more now that this season is over.

But eventually, I will get up the courage to try fundraising again. Here are some things I am pondering for my next event in 2010. I will leave a poll open for a about a month to see what readers think. I seem to get anywhere from 1 reader to 25 or so a day, averaging about 10 or 12 a day lately.

Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco – 800 men running with 20,000 women? If I were single that would be a no-brainer! But in any event, I love San Francisco and I have a sister, two nieces, and a nephew living in the Bay Area

Mayor’s Marathon in Anchorage – I’d love to do this marathon again, this time maybe not in driving rain. And I’d also like to see more than one day of Alaska.

Skip this running stuff, do a triathlon – I would like to attempt a triathlon at some point with the Purple People. The Olympic distance tri’s in Philly and Washington DC come to mind. I would need to learn to swim much better and buy a bike, but it would be a cool experience.

How about a 100 miles on a bike – TNT does century rides. I’ve never been more than about a dozen miles on a bike, and that was one of the old one speed coaster brake bikes at the beach. So a century would be a great accomplishment for me. As with the tri, it means plunking down $1,000 for a bike and gear, and learning a lot.

What about the Komen Three-Day – I could skip TNT for a year and do something for the breast cancer cause, walking 60 miles in three days. I am tempted by this because the cause is good and the challenge is good, but I hate to skip TNT.