WorkOut Gear & Healthy Stuff - My Store

Where do you get your workout gear?  I have multiple sources, but if I know what I want I always check out Amazon.com...   and usually they come up with the best prices.  Easy ordering and checking out, and really easy returning if you need to.  And that is why I became an Amazon Associate and created a "store" on my website Joy Frantz Coaching.  I have assembled a collection of workout gear and "feel good" items that I have bought and use myself, know of others who have, or that I know the brand and feel confident in the quality.

I invite you to look around...    either click on my website Joy Frantz Coaching to the right, then click on "JFC Store" in the navigation; or here:  http://www.joyfrantzcoaching.com/aStore.html which will take you directly to the store.  I have also placed some selected items in the column to the right here.

Thanks!

Another Phenomenal Toronto Marathon Run - Ed Whitlock

80-year-old Canadian Ed Whitlock broke his own age-group record (3:25.40, set in Rotterdam this past April) on Sunday at the Toronto Marathon.  The time?  3:15.54!!

http://www.insidehalton.com/sports/article/1226701--world-class-performance

Whitlock, who was born in London, England later moving to Canada, ran as a teenager but quit while pursuing a career in engineering.  He took up running again in his forties and began breaking records in his sixties...  in 2000 at age 69 he was the oldest person to run the marathon distance in under three hours, with a time of 2:52:47.  The marathon isn't the only distance Whitlock runs.  He tears up the track, both indoor and out; here are some stats I found (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Whitlock):

Outdoor - Track

Distance	Age Group	Time
1500m	Men 80-84	5:48.93	pending
Mile:	Men 75-79	5:41.80
3000m	Men 75-79	11:10.43
3000m	Men 80-84	12:13.56	pending
5000m	Men 70-74	18:33.38	Better mark by Ron Robertson pending
5000m	Men 75-79	19:07.02
5000m	Men 80-84	20:58.12	pending
10000m	Men 70-74	38:04.13
10000m	Men 75-79	39:25.16
10000m	Men 80-84	42:39.95	pending

Indoor - Track

Distance	Age Group	Time
1500m	Men 75-79	5:20.04
1500m	Men 80-84	5:48.47
3000m	Men 65-69	10:11.60
3000m	Men 70-74	10:52.40
3000m	Men 75-79	11:17.21
3000m	Men 80-84	12:00.88

He Did It! Time - 8:11:05.9 Amazing!!

Fauja Singh has become the only person over 100 years old to complete the marathon distance, in today's Toronto Marathon, finishing in 8 hours, 11 minutes and 5.9 seconds:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/story/2011/10/16/fauja-singh-toronto-marathon321.html

Makes me smile!

100-Year-Old to Run Toronto Marathon

Joyful Morning!

Such fun this morning!  I set out on my bike to meet up with a couple girlfriends, Jane and Marie, who were going to run a bit, then swim in the ocean a bit. 

I have talked about my friend Jane before...   we trained together for many marathons years ago.  She's now in training for Ironman, coming up in about four weeks.  I've been going to the pool to swim a couple miles with her once or twice a week, and have also been going out on my bike to tag along with her at the end of her long runs.  (I won't run with her--too far and too fast for me right now.)

Marie is a terrific endurance athlete, a tiny little wonder woman!  A couple years ago she was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, has undergone intense treatments, and is currently lesion free.  I had not seen her since before her diagnosis.  It was wonderful seeing her...  happily chatting away as she ran, in her seemingly effortless stride. 

We talked about our health issues, our diets, our kids, our athletic pursuits...   all upbeat and positive and genuine...

Out in the sunny SoFL October morning, beautiful!  With lovely friends...  double beautiful!

Let Go

When will I get it?  

Okay, so I did the slow three miles on Sunday.  Monday was a little sore, but went out for a walk and thought I would attempt a little jogging...   hurt too much so quit after about 30 seconds.  Tuesday's PT session, Martin was actually fine with what I did, though said three miles was probably a little too much; and to try again Wednesday and then not again till the weekend.

So, Wednesday I went out, sore and hurt a little, but determined to try again.  Well, it felt okay so I picked up the pace, and finished the three miles more than a minute per mile faster than the three miles on Sunday.  Oh, happy day, I still had it in me!

Next day, Thursday...   oh, boy, very hurt and very sore.   Just the left leg though; my right leg is perfectly fine.  Rode my bike for an hour and that was it!

This morning went over to the park, thinking, "Let the running go, just let the running go.  I can walk and enjoy being in the park this morning."  And that's what I did.  (Thanks, Jacob!)

Progress... I Think

I ran today..   I actually ran today...  Leg still hurts, hamstring tendon still is torn (I can feel it--still feels funny).  But Martin (my PT) has been telling me to try to run.  Yes, the hamstring tendon is torn, but okay, it's torn.  The pain in the front of my hip going down the front of my thigh has been a mystery.  But a couple weeks ago, after going through a bunch of testing that PT's do, I think we have hit upon something. 

This disease thing has been ongoing for years now, (years!)...   and how I walk (and run) has subtly changed...  to compensate for the pain.  Disease was in the front of the joint, so Martin theorizes that I started landing on the outside of my foot, which just threw everything else out of whack, eventually causing the hamstring tendon tear and the muscle imbalance in the front thigh (quads and sartorius), thus the strain and pain.

So, he gave me some new exercises to do, very isolated small movements, to try to get everything back to moving correctly.  Muscles in my left foot are so much weaker than my right, my ankle is turning in so much more than it should. 

For the past week I have been trying to run, and could only do about five minutes, leg hurting and just getting worse.  But today was a little different...  I decided I was just going to keep going whether it hurt or not...   and I ended up running three miles.  A very slow three miles, but nonetheless, three miles.  It hurt, and hurts now, but I think that's okay.  But I'm not sure.  I iced afterwards.  We will see how it feels tomorrow.. 

Remembering 9/11

Watching, listening to, and reading about events surrounding the 10th Anniversary of 9/11, I came upon this from NPR, Paul Simon performs The Sound of Silence...     very moving..

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/09/11/140377253/musical-moment-paul-simon-sings-the-sound-of-silence?ps=cprs