Running Partners

It is amazing how much faster a long run goes when you have someone to run it with you! I had forgotten this fact until my daughter joined me today for our long run. She is training for a 10k in a couple of weeks and I am still training for our Retarded Robbins Reunion half marathon. I feel great running 10 miles but am thinking that 11,000 to 13,000 feet is going to make a big difference in this great feeling!

I have been trying to get lots of hill training in and some sprints. Just trying to get used to not being able to breathe basically. I never realized what a difference it makes to train at altitude until we moved here to Costa Rica from Flagstaff Arizona.

Flagstaff is at 7,000 ft. elevation, so I always struggled to run. Riding was a little easier and since I never go fast swimming it was always the same. I have been surprised that I am getting faster in the water. I am almost as fast as I was when I quit racing eight years ago. It will be interesting to see if I can actually get faster.

I guess that it is a good sign that I have not slowed down. Now if everyone else just gets worn out and tired of racing I will win by attrition!

PEACE

Believe it or not sometimes I get called a "hippie". Actually now I get called an "old hippie". Maybe that is the only kind of hippie there is. I do believe that more people are going to have to decide if they are on the side of peace or not.

My son who is 23 has already made it very clear that he is a pacifist. He is probably the new hippie breed. He works as a coffee man at the local coffee shop in Flagstaff Az. He has a dog he takes trail hiking and he is an artist. Yup fits the mold.

He and I had a good talk when I visited him in Flagstaff we discussed the war and what his opinions were. I was surprised to find we actually agreed on something! Now that is exciting that I can agree with my kids about something.

It is hard to say you will fight for peace, a little of an oxymoron, but there are things we can do to increase peace on earth. We can check out ourselves and see where we are at as far as peace goes. Do we feel peace and love for others? Or do we pass onto our families that we are not feeling peaceful or loving?

In our own homes is where peace on earth will start and grow to encompass the whole world. Lets all work on it and see if we can't spread something besides swine flu to a pandemic level .

EARLY MOTHERS DAY

Can you believe it, yet another muy guapo son! This is our Flagstaff, artist, super duper laid back son. I got to get an early Mothers Day present and hang out with him for the whole day! It was certainly a treat that I will cherish for the next few months until I head North again and see him again.
Another great mothers day present was being able to see my "inmate". He did not know I was going to be at his hearing today so was very surprised to see me sitting outside the courtroom. I told the rest of the family that I would not have recognized him without the shackles!
His hair is grown out long and shaggy and he has lost so much weight. He has been working out like crazy and is very proud of his six pack and huge arms. At least he has something to think about. It was good to see him, and he got a plea that we were very happy with.
You can catch all the news on it on his blog at www.realjailnews.blogspot.com or the azdailynews will certainly have an article tomorrow, hoping it is not too rough on him for sure. I am so thankful for all our friends who were there for moral support it was great.
Going through this has made me realize how important it is to say something at a time like this, even if you're not sure what to say. My inmate said when I visited that he would be visiting inmates for the rest of his life once he gets out in a few years. We both talked about how we did not even know the difference between jail and prison before all this happened. Hard way to get educated, but I'm sure the bigggest jail advocates are the ones who have been there and done that.
Again thanks to my son, and friends who attended and offered their moral support!

CHRISTMAS FLOWERS

If you think I am crazy about flowers you are exactly right! We live in Heredia, which is the "City of Flowers". I sent my husband to the flower lady to get me a centerpiece for our Christmas Party tonight. He brought these home, not quite what I had in mind, but beautiful for sure. Since we moved here to Costa Rica I have a thing about having fresh flowers on my table at all times. For under ten bucks you can't pass it up.

Since I cannot invite all of you, my blog friends to our Christmas Party tonight I will take lots of pics and fill you all in tomorrow. It is starting to sprinkle, which is rare this time of year, but with all the snow slamming to the north of us it is to be expected. I will take my sprinkly 80 degree weather any time. We lived through 14 winters in Flagstaff Arizona, there is a ski area there if that tells you how much snow we got. And I don't ski!