My Review of adidas Supernova Run Skort Womens

Originally submitted at Dick's Sporting Goods

The adidas® Supernova® women's run skort is a comfortable and versatile option for all your morning runs. It's crafted using the moisture-wicking ClimaCool® performance fabric that draws sweat away from your skin for quick and easy ventilation to keep you cool and dry. The flatlock seam...

adidas Supernova Run Skort Womens

Fabulous Running Skort!

By EmKay from Santa Rita, Guam on 3/25/2008

 

4out of 5

Fit: Feels true to size

Pros: Breathable, Lightweight, Stylish, Allows Free Movement, Comfortable

Cons: Waist not adjustable

Best Uses: Warm Weather, Casual Wear, Running, Competition

Describe Yourself: Competitive Athlete

I plan on wearing this to make me look as good as I feel during my morning runs and to out-psyche the competition on those weekly 5K races here in Guam! The skirt sits a little lower on my waist than I am used to; I wish it fit a little snugger. The skort is much shorter than other running skorts I have tried on; however, it appears that it is just as flattering, if not more so, than my current running skort wardrobe. If the feel of a hem against your thighs while running might distract you, consider this skirt for its shorter length.

(legalese)

My Review of Marika Adrenaline Pleated Mod Mini Womens

Originally submitted at Dick's Sporting Goods

The Marika® Adrenaline Pleated Mod women's mini skirt is a cute option for your next tennis match or workout. It's crafted using a built-in short with a moisture-wicking fabrication that draws sweat away from your body to help keep you cool and dry. The pleated design creates some added flair, ...

Marika Adrenaline Pleated Mod Mini Womens

Pleated Mod Mini Too Cute to Run in

By EmKay from Santa Rita, Guam on 3/25/2008

 

4out of 5

Fit: Feels too big

Waist: Feels too big

Length: Feels too long

Pros: Attractive Design, Comfortable, Versatile, Flattering

Cons: Too big

Best Uses: To School, On a Date

Describe Yourself: Bargain Shopper, Classic, Career, Eclectic

I am 5 ft tall and weigh 95 lbs. I like to run. I thought this skirt would make me look good while I run (or to wear to work before I change into scrubs). Unfortunately, the skirt would need someone about 4-6 inches taller and 10-15 lbs heavier to look fabulous in it. This WOULD be a great skirt for a casual event where you need to look alternately chic and be able to play a pick-up game of ultimate frisbee. There's nothing wrong with this skirt except it appears to run large. At this price, it's definitely a bargain and I would recommend going one size smaller than your normal size.

(legalese)

Easter Weekend and the GIAA 5K for Make-a-Wish Foundation

Today was our first hilly run since the New Year. Running Ypao is tough for the hills that only go up (well, maybe it just FEELS that way). Drew only added a minute to his normal run time and part of the problem was he ran the wrong way. His time was 26:42. I managed to come in at 28:53. At least this is better than the times I turned in previously at this site. I thought I didn't have anything left coming around the parking lot, but at the end, I thought, "I could have pushed it a little more." I am going to have make up my mind whether I truly want to commit to the pain of getting my run time down another 3 minutes....

We came back and I enjoyed a cup of hot chai and read my newspapers. I love this habit and can remember fighting over newspaper sections with my parents. They would read at the kitchen table and I would read on the living room floor, then we'd trade sections. I can't seem to get Anna or Drew interested in reading the paper, and for Gregg, it's a mere cursory glance.

MWR held an Easter Egg Hunt at 1000 at Orote Point so I took Anna and Drew. We just made it in time and Anna managed to snag only two eggs. In an effort to be healthy, the eggs were filled with plastic toys like kooshes and crayons.


Gregg has been sick this weekend; he thinks it's from Tarza---I think it's just going around because colleagues have been sick at work and the flu is still trending strong in the mainland.

I have been listening to kd lang sing Leonard Cohen's song, "Hallelujah" (you might recognize it from "Shrek"). I hadn't paid much attention to kd lang because she started out in country and that wasn't my favorite genre back when. I have to thank Rhonda, one of my university friends who felt called into nursing to help with the AIDS crisis, for introducing this wonderful singer to me.


Easter Sunday started out lazy. I woke at 0510 and couldn't get back to sleep (curse you, 0500 weekday run habit!) and I had the house all to myself for an hour or so. We dressed for church and said farewell to George and Carol Butler who are leaving Guam to live in the mainland. We planted a mango tree in their remembrance; they told us they wouldn't be gone forever. As believers in Christ, we already know that and today was a celebration of that promise.


When we got home, Flea had deposited a little blue mousie on my pillow and this is a picture of him playing with a teal-colored mousie (check out his claws). Drew and Gregg spent the afternoon calibrating the software for the upcoming Pinewood Derby and Anna built a house for Spongebob out of Legos.
PS: Gregg was not thrilled with Drew's outfit because of the mix of stripes and plaids---Drew loves to match colors, but not necessarily patterns. I think he made a spectacular choice for an Easter outfit!

The Best Days Ever, According to Drew

The kids have been on spring break this week so Gregg took leave and I used special liberty for Tuesday and Thursday (to avoid increasing workload for everyone else).

On Tuesday, we had our home visit with Grace. It's always humbling to see ourselves through someone else's eyes. We have a number of tasks left to complete and one is the expensive one---the trip to INS to get our fingerprint cards and immigration paperwork...

After the visit, I took Anna and Drew to Micronesia Mall so Drew could watch "The Balls," his name for the dynamic display outside Macy's. He could stand there for hours and watch the balls travel around the tubes and wires. We ate lunch and waited for Funtastic Park to open. We rode the "Creature Coaster," crashed into each other on "Road Rage," and they finished up with a ride on the "Pirate Ship." I was running out of money and Anna wanted a smoothie before we left the mall.

We stopped at the NEX on the way back so I could get a new watch. My old watch, which was a Mother's Day present 3 years ago, had developed a metal snag on the mesh wristband and I had already snagged my uniform skirt and poked myself a couple of times.

We hung out at home until time for judo class. I told Drew I would be testing for my blue belt on Friday. He was aghast. "I've been taking judo longer than YOU, Mom," he declared. I learned how competitive Drew was because he asked Sensei how long before he could get HIS blue belt and reported back to me.

Today, Thursday, we went to Tarza. Drew has been begging forever to go. According to Drew, this week has been "The Best Days Ever." Isn't it wonderful when we recognize every day has the potential to be "The Best Day Ever"?

Kick the Fat 5K, the Holiday Resort Stay, and Everyday's a Holiday!

We had good intentions to run the Kick the Fat 5K on 15 March as a family. We also had to use our certificate for a free night's stay at the Holiday Resort and Spa in Tumon because it expired on 14 March. Of course, everything else was going on 14-15 March: the grand re-opening of the Clipper Landing which all our friends were going to, regular judo class, and a full day of work beforehand with NOD.

After much angst and discussion, we went to Tumon and checked in to our hotel. We inspected the hotel pool and promised Anna and Drew they would get to play. We ate at Tairyo Sushi and learned the place gets much busier later in the evening; we make it a point to go when it first opens. When we got back to the hotel, the pool was closed for the evening. Anna and Drew were disappointed, but I promised to take them first thing in the morning---after we ran the 5K, that is.

Gregg wanted to go to the Tower of London Pub because COB was going to be there. I sent him with my blessings. I called reception to request a wake-up call and settled in to read and relax in a strange bed with the kids.

On the day of the race, Gregg groaned. I didn't push him further; Anna decided to stay and sleep in with Gregg. Drew and I took off for Chamorro Village. I didn't think we got there late, but by the time we crossed the street and wasted time looking for a public toilet, we had to join the race at the back of the crowd. When the start was announced, we ended up walking for a while until the crowd thinned out. Even then, we wasted a lot of valuable time dodging in and out of clueless people. And then, the turn-around point was WAY beyond where they said it would be! So, I think the course was actually longer than 3.1 miles. Race etiquette says that once you're in the chutes for the finish, you don't pass people. Unfortunately, clueless people start walking at that point, not realizing the clock doesn't stop for them until they pass the finish line... I had already resigned myself to not improving my times and this was seriously demoralizing. The only good thing about the race was the t-shirt with the cool Chamorro pictograph.
We didn't stay for the awards or prizes. I had NOD so we went to the hospital and made rounds. It was quiet.

Back at the hotel, Anna and Drew changed into their swimsuits and played in the pool for an hour before getting bored. We got showered and dressed and headed out for breakfast. We checked out the hotel buffet, but wanted something a little different. Unfortunately, there is nothing open or for breakfast within a reasonable walking distance so we ate at the hotel. Drew loved it and told me he thought it was almost as good as the breakfast buffet in Hong Kong.

Gregg needed to get back to base to finish up a legal matter so we swung by the Boy Scout Hut to pick up another pinewood derby kit for Anna and some weights (just in case). Because I was the NOD, I was assigned to a funeral detail for LCDR Michael L. Murphy. You know, the obituary said there were no surviving family members, only friends and that would be who received the flag. I was terribly afraid the funeral detail would be the largest contingent there for his memorial and burial at sea. But the Chamorro culture is fabulous and many families showed up, including children. I was so proud, both of the Guamanians who adopted him as their own and of LCDR Murphy, whose personality must have endeared him to his adoped family. I would volunteer again to do burial detail.

I took Anna and Drew to tennis practice at Tiyan. I really like their tennis practice. I get to sit in the shade and read for an hour. It's so relaxing for me.

We had a Saint Patrick's Day celebration at Senior Chief's house---only this twist was multi-cultural instead of Irish-focused. Gregg's contribution to the festivities was Thai beer. I came back early to clean the house (which had suffered from all our activities in the morning) and considered making rounds at the hospital, but I was so tired I wouldn't have been safe driving. I did phone calls instead and it was still quiet, always a good thing.

Another Improvement in Run Times for Bank of Guam Run for the Red 5K

I swear, the course for the American Red Cross 5K must have been short because I find it hard to believe I dropped nearly 2 minutes off my run time. I ran this 5K in 27:09. Of course, it was a relatively straightforward course that didn't require making multiple turns around the block in Hagatna. It was also set up counter-clockwise, so I had difficulty figuring out where I was in terms of landmarks and where I could safely speed up, knowing I would have enough oomph to finish the race.

Two jog strollers passed me by this time, but when they're pushed by men who are at least 6 feet tall and have legs that end at my neck, well, I know I can't compete. However, I did hear one jog stroller behind me that pushed me the whole way. Every time I heard the creak and whirr of those hideous plastic wheels on pavement, I sped up. I heard a male voice say, "You need to loosen up. You're running like a boxer all tight." I imagined this person running and giving advice to me the entire race and I think that might have been what pushed me forward. However, it was a fast race overall as the third place finisher, Marie Benito, finished in 18:52. She placed first in my division, the master. I don't think I've ever run faster than 6:21 splits and that was when I was running 4-6 miles a day and about 20 years younger so I'd really have to put out some effort to be truly competitive.

Drew also improved his run time, but I'm not certain it's correct. He says it is 25:34, but that would only put him 7 seconds better than his best. I would like to think he also ran faster this time. I'll wait until the PDN prints out the race times.

We also ran the 3.5 mile Rainbow Run last Saturday. My run time was 33:25, which equates to about a 9:30 split. As long as I keep dropping my splits, I'll be very happy. Because more competitive runners were off challenging themselves with the Hafa Marathon, I managed to snag third place in my division. Not bad! And Drew got 5th place in his division. I wish I would have taken a picture of him standing with the boys who were all a foot or more taller than him.