5 Weeks Left!

The time has just flown by- I can't believe I'm in the home-stretch of training for the PF Chang's Half Marathon! Looking ahead at the FIRST training program, the next couple of weeks are going to really push it, then naturally it backs off so I can be strong on race day. But first let's go back to this past week of training...

Repeats were good- 3x 1 mile runs. I'm still dealing with tightness in my right leg, but thanks to the massage and using the foam roller, it's considerably less. My lower back is practically pain-free too, which is 100% better in my opinion.

The second Key Run was an easy, relaxed 6 miles. No complaints there. It's still a challenge to ignore my time and run slow. The long run was also slow- 8 miles. It's easier to ignore time when you're outside running. I don't wear a watch or have a heart-rate monitor, just use the stopwatch on the iTouch and Daily Mile fills in the rest. I prefer it that way, otherwise I'd be looking at it all the time. Too distracting. Besides, it's not that difficult to know when your heart rate is high or low, when you're pushing or not. It's also how I know the repeats are working- my cardio is awesome. If it weren't for my leg pain I know I could keep running for miles.

The pain in my leg and back are the things that worry me the most about the half-marathon. The distance itself doesn't scare me at all. It's making sure all the parts of the machine are in working order.

So, this week. I am REALLLLY looking forward to repeats tomorrow- 10 quarter-mile ones! That will be fun, I can't wait to use the shorter distance to run faster. I would like to do all of them at the very least a 10 min. mile pace. Then the second run is a 5 mile mid-tempo, with the long run a whopping 10 miles! Another accomplishment waiting to happen, my longest has been 8. I just hope it's not another 80-degree weekend, I don't mind getting up early to run but I don't want to get up too early on the weekend! However I have to say that although I can't stand being in warm places, I'd rather run when it's too hot than too cold.

125 Mile Challenge: At 31 miles. Not sure if I'll make it to the full 125, but even 100 would be an accomplishment. The leader is at 73 miles! I think it's easier allot time for running when you're faster. Even looking at the 10 miles this weekend, I will need at least 2 hours, probably more. Anyway, it's fun to see what I can do, and it encourages me to get out there and run even on my off days.

I also just discovered a great organization called Girls On The Run. It's like Girl Scouts with a running theme. I just may have to look into getting involved with that, my younger daughter has really taken an interest in running and I would love to see that interest grow. Beyond that, just to support other girls and watch their confidence grow the way I know mine has since I began running, what a great idea.

Girl Power!

A Note From My Daughter's Girl Scout Troop

Our troop made the 1st cut!

Now we’re asking for YOUR help. Cadette Girl Scout Troop 2305 made the first cut in the 98.7 The Peak’s Girl Scout Cookie Bailout Plan. Help our troop convince morning DJs Chris and Amy that they want to buy 98 boxes of cookies from OUR troop.

Go to the PEAK website: http://987thepeak.com/?sid=1256864&nid=161, click on “Katie”, and hear our GS troop’s Billy Mays-ish cookie pitch.

Our troop pledges to donate all of the cookies to Army Unit RSG 653 who shipped out of Arizona in October and are now stationed in Kuwait. Our troop member Kira’s aunt and uncle are both members of this unit.

Then go back to the website starting this Friday and vote for our girls. Not only are you helping our troop, you are helping us send a positive message about Girl Scouts to the community.

Together we can make a difference!

THANK YOU!!!!

Kira, Katie, Jeannie, Allison, Kori, Natalie, Jona, & Ally

Cadette Girl Scout Troop 2305

Cookies Gone Wild!

As most who parooze the many places I am online know, I am a Girl Scout Leader, this being my first year. I admit it was rough taking this on. I had no clue what I was getting into when I said yes. It's pretty much like running a small business, except since you're part of a bigger Borg you don't have to do taxes.

Once we actually got started with working with the girls, I have totally been enjoying showing these girls how to take an interest in the world around them. I'm also using the Girl Scouts to promote my own evil liberal agenda: Community service, taking care of the environment. I figure the more of our youth we teach to care about where they live now, well, the better chance our future has all around. We've become too lazy, too self-involved.... but that's a post for another day.

I've had to bite my tongue on a few things concerning Girl Scouts. Some are silly and easy to not make a big deal about, like the fact that they sell a shirt that says "Defy Conformity" while requiring a uniform. I mean, I get it. Teach our future women to think outside the box, while still being part of a team. All the same, it still makes me giggle. Another thing that bothered me but I can still handle, is the use of "God" in the Promise. GSUSA made it ok to substitute "God" to cover any religion, but has never officially said it was ok to opt out of saying you want to serve any Diety at all. Again, not a huge deal, easy enough to overlook for the greater good of the organization.

What I *do* have a bit of a beef about is how archaic Girl Scouts still seems to be when it comes to technology, social media and using the many online tools available to get the word out about various things related to Girl Scouts. Like, for instance, cookies. Recently a Scout in North Carolina was ordered to take down her You Tube video advertising cookies sales. Upon further investigation on this story (as the AP article doesn't really tell you bupkus), I found out that this girl, Wild Freeborn, went to her dad with what seemed like a very innovative way to generate sales. A video on You Tube, with information on how to order cookies. How awesome is that?

Not so awesome, according to GSUSA. Not only did they say it was a violation of their "no internet sales" policy, but they made her take the video down. The policy states:

"Our existing National Girl Scout policy prohibits the sale of Girl Scout Cookies® or any other Girl Scout approved product on the Internet. The safety of our girls is always our chief concern. Girl Scout Cookie Activities are designed to be face-to-face learning experiences for girls. In an online setting, there is no guarantee that the seller is indeed a girl member of Girl Scouts. We have many ways for girls to explore and experience the benefits of science and technology and the Internet, including our Girls Go Tech* initiative. "

Safety. Ok, I understand safety being the top priority, whether online or not. What is safer- selling online, or having your child in front of a store for hours? In the set up Freeborn had, she would still have to deliver the cookies- hence face to face experience. I assume her parent(s) would be with her to deliver, just like she was selling/taking orders door to door. The risk seems to be no different. Besides, why should one girl be reprimanded for having a great idea? Isn't the point of Girl Scouts to encourage "out of the box" thinking? To defy conformity?

GSUSA states that the marketing of cookies is online is allowed. I'm trying to understand the difference, since technically they were not taking any money online, and were still delivering the cookies in person. I am led to believe there would probably have been a complaint regardless, because a video online can reach a lot more people than going door-to-door. Writing all over your car about cookie sales can reach more people too, but not everyone does that. Every parent takes their cookie order sheet to work, but not every parent works. It's great to try and be fair about selling, but the fact is selling is not fair. There is absolutely no way to make something fair when the goal is to sell as many boxes of cookies as possible. This is a reason I have a problem with competition, someone always whines they are not getting a fair shake, just because someone else comes up with a great idea.

As far as selling/advertising online goes, Girl Scouts needs to learn more about social media and the online world, and become a part of it, not discourage our future from learning the advantages. I created Upcoming pages showing when our troop would be at a booth. I Twittered about and during our booths. There is no positive lesson in showing our future that the internet is a bad thing and not to be trusted. Thin Mints may never need to change, but it's time for Girl Scouts to revisit their policies for selling them and come into the next century.

Please, if you agree with what I'm saying here, contact the Girl Scouts of the USA and tell them so. The more that speak up, the more chance there is for change.

http://www.girlscouts.org/contact/




*couldn't connect to this website. Found out it's http://www.girlsgotech.org. The .org makes all the difference. ;-)