In truth, I haven’t driven my car in weeks.  My husband would argue that this is because I (he?) lost the keys, but actually it’s because I like biking.  By biking to work (15 miles each way) I can fit in additional IM workout, I’m civil to my coworkers throughout the day, and I eat whatever I want (which I would do anyway but I feel a little bit better knowing I’ll burn off those animal crackers I just ate by the time I get home).

While I feel great about the miles I’ve logged, it has recently come to my attention that 30 miles a day ain’t nothin’.  How did I come to this realization? I read Jenna’s blog about her recent bike trip across the great state of Iowa.  That’s right- 200+ miles across the Hawkeye state.  While this many miles may make your rear end sore just thinking about it, check out her report and pictures.  Not only does RAGBRAI look like a great and relaxing time, it makes me want to hit the road in search of roadside farm stands right here in my hometown:

http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/eat-right-around-chicago/2010/08/where-ive-been-ragbrai-2010.html

Wearing a pager is almost like having a puppy- everyone oohs and ahhs and marvels over its small size and uniqueness.  Using the pager in public is just shy of entertaining.  Either folks have never seen one before or the nostalgia brings them back to their big-hair high school days.  I actually get a lot of questions and attention while wearing it; comments like “oh my god, is that a pager?! I haven’t seen one of those in years!” or as my brother-in-law likes to joke “I thought only the thuggish-ruggish drug dealers used those.” 

However, while the pager might be awe-inspiring, the exclusivity has other disadvantages.   For instance, my sister, with her college education and impressive IQ can’t even figure out how to use one.  She had to call me, the little sister, when she was going into labor and therefore needed to page her doctor.   The conversation that ensued went something like this, “Pam, I have a random question for you.  My water just broke and I’m trying to page my doctor but it’s been so long since I needed to use a pager that I’ve forgotten how to do it.”  After my hysterics were over and I explained how to use the pager I came to the conslusion that pagers should be eliminated and we should really think about transferring over to cell phones (there’s a novel idea!).   Another drawback to pagers?  Because pagers are hard to come by they are consequently unbelievably expensive to replace.   So when I lost it this weekend while biking I was a bit upset (mind you, not distraught, just upset) but I was too tired to retrace my steps over 35 miles and find it.  

I have a friend, Leah, who loses her pager quite often.  But unlike Leah’s, my pager did not reappear on the alternate side of my waist while I wasn’t looking.  No, it’s out there somewhere in farm-country Ohio.  So I ask all of you who might be out and about in the fields these upcoming weeks to keep an eye out for my pager.  It’s 1”x2”, black, and gives off a vibration or beep every now and then.  And while you’re bound to be flabbergasted when you come across the pager, please don’t be tempted to turn it into the local historical society or ship it off to the Smithsonian.  I need that back and I don’t have an extra one-hundred bucks to spend on an archaic piece of technology.

Stadiums have come a long way from the days when only beer, hot dogs, popcorn and peanuts were sold.  At the new and improved Paul Bornw stadium where this jersey-wearing loyal fan witnessed her team’s demise, the offerings ranged from the usual ball park fare to gourmet cuisine.  I had the option of devouring hometown pizza, international fare, finger-licking platters of all sorts of BBQ, fried anything-your-heart-desires, hoagies piled high with sautéed vegetables and beef, and, to my delight, a station where fans could make their own salad (and the line was fairly long!).  The stadium provided a feast that could meet my needs and the needs of even the biggest NFL linemen – which can easily surpass 5000calories a day.

So what, you might ask, did I finally decide upon?  Well, to the dismay of many a gourmand out there, I settled on a tasty bucket of popcorn.  In my defense, popcorn is a whole grain and, when the day ends, I’m really a traditionalist when it comes to ball park fare.  Maybe on my next ball park visit I’ll be a little more courageous as far as food goes – I might even try a hotdog or two – but next time, I’m going incognito and wearing khaki.

That’s right, the high altitude in Denver can be detrimental to a runner who’s used to running at sea level.   So how can you keep up with your weekly mileage while in Denver yet not pass out from lack of oxygen (it almost happened to me and it was not pretty!)?  Here’s an excellent article to turn to, pulled from the Runner’s World archives.  Enjoy.

Take The High Road