Monthly Archives: August 2011

31 August 2011

Good Bye , Summer!

By Nicki

Here in upstate NY we sort of go by those age old adages that summer starts Memorial Day weekend and ends Labor Day weekend.  Kids here do not even start school until the Wednesday after Labor Day. Best we not discuss when they get out of school as I am sure that would astonish some of you out there.

 

Today I am sitting here with tomorrow being the first day of September.  Labor Day is this weekend.  I am thinking that I do not know where the summer has gone.  Thankfully, I am not ending the summer the same way I started it.  We had a horrible storm the end of May and I spent Memorial Day weekend without power.  I am very reminiscent of that and also very grateful that I am not one of the thousands in NYS that are still without power from Irene.

 

I spent a good hour yesterday chatting with the new superintendent of my school district.  He and I had known each other in a parent-principal relationship in his former position as the principal of the high school.  Now, we have a new relationship as I am a school board member and he has been hired as the superintendent.  Today, I saw that September is National Hunger Action Month so I was very happy that our conversation dealt with the overwhelming need to get more families to fill out forms for reduced or free meals in the school district.  As I opened the page for www.hungeractionmonth.org, I was told that 13.5% of the people that live in the same upstate county as I do are food insecure.

 

My discussion with the superintendent centered around how the district in which I live and he works has always, until very recently, been very homogeneous.  This is changing drastically and quickly.  Building administrators talk about transient populations.  Students come to school without the ability to learn because they are hungry.  There are many support systems available.  The major problem is that the waiting lists to access some of the help are enormous.

 

Need causes creativity to create a program to meet the needs of those who have this challenge.  The first creative answer was begun by one of our high school teachers who started a weekend program to support those in our community that need help.  The Food Bank of the Southern Tier has a backpack program where students get food for the weekend but there is a waiting list to get into this program.  Enter the Participation in Government class and what has, over the course of a year, fed between 50 and 70 families and become an incorporated 501(c)3 not for profit organization – the M-EALS program which stands for Maine-Endwell (school district) Assisting Local Spartans (mascot).

 

Another method to help those who may have need is to be sure that families apply for free or reduce priced meals through the food service department at the school district. This involves government paperwork which a lot of people prefer to not fill out.  What it does not involve, any longer, is a huge stigma attached to the student.  Because the school district uses a pin-based system for meal payments, the free or reduced pricing is just figured into the system.  A student enters a pin and no one, including the child behind him or her, knows what that student is paying for lunch.

 

The biggest issue, in my mind, is communicating to parents to fill out this paperwork.  If a student comes into a district and had either free or reduced meals in a previous district, the family has to fill out the paperwork again.  While this is tedious and time-consuming, it is in the best interest of the student that it be done.  Studies have long shown that being hungry affects a student’s ability to learn.  As a school board member, if I filter what we as a district are doing as what is in the best interest of the student, we then MUST find a way to be sure all who qualify take advantage of the free or reduced priced meals as this is what is best for the student.

 

Please look for a second part to this, “The Harvest is Plentiful,” which will highlight an elementary school’s way to address hunger in our community.

 

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Board of Education, Family, Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

29 August 2011

Ever Stride SPF 29 Skin Defense – Product Review

By Nicki

Just a being upfront note for all of you.  I won a prize package from Charlene’s blog.  The prize package was from Ever Stride so I received this item for free.  I was not/am not under any obligation to write a review or for that review to be positive.

Let me tell you upfront that I was skeptical when I received the box from Ever Stride as a prize winner on Charlene’s blog.  I can always use anti-chafing stick.  My feet, like most runners, should be demanded some additional attention.  But, it was the Skin Defense that caught my eye.  I am almost religious about putting sunscreen on when I run.  It is not that I have ever had skin cancer.  I do not have any immediate family member that has had skin cancer either.  I just know that I have treated my skin not so nice when I was much younger and now, for myself AND to set an example for my children, I almost always wear sunscreen when I am outside.  I even put sunscreen on my ears and on during the winter here in upstate New York.

Ever Stride’s Skin Defense has an SPF of 29.  It is a spray that does not require rubbing into the skin.  It protects against both UVA and UVB rays.  Those are the boring details.  They also may be the part that had the skeptic in me coming out immediately.  I go through a lot of sunscreen in a year.  With six kids – okay, so only three are currently at home full-time, I have tried all kinds of sunscreen.  I have never been satisfied with a spray.

Ever Stride’s spray sunscreen is all I have used for the last three weeks on my face, neck, ears, arms and legs.  I love it.  The nozzle never once clogged.  Because it is a spray, I can get some of those hard to reach areas that sometimes get burnt on my back (some women’s tanks leave a lot of back exposed).  Because I do not need to rub it in, I can also spray those back areas.  I can use it on my face by spraying it in my hand and rubbing it into my face.

Ever Stride’s Skin Defense is not sticky.  It does not feel oily either.  Both stickiness and an oiliness are things that I have felt with other spray sunscreens that had caused me to stop using them.

I highly recommend Ever Stride’s Skin Defense to runners and non-runners alike.  I have been thoroughly impressed with the way it works and how well it has kept  me from getting sunburned.

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27 August 2011

College Visit

By Nicki

My youngest is about to start his senior year in high school.  He has known for some time where he really wants to go to college, but, as with the other kids, I am making him look at multiple colleges.  There is no guarantee that his first choice will want him.

 

He has been on the campus of one of the state schoools that offers the culinary program he is looking into.  He was at SUNY-Delhi for a competition in February and went on a visit with his girlfriend and her family the beginning of the month.  So this past Wednesday, he, his older sister and I headed to the Hudson Valley to look at the school as far as he is concerned.

 

We went to visit the Culinary Institute of America.  There was an admissions presentation, a demo with tasting and then a tour of campus.  We spoke with an admission counselor and saw someone that he had met before at College Day here locally.  All in all, the campus is absolutely beautiful.  The coursework is just what he wants.  The fit is, in my mind, perfect.

 

Here is a slide show of campus and what we saw.

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22 August 2011

Catharine Valley Half – Race Recap

By Nicki

Another weekend, another half marathon! Well, not quite as my last half was on a Thursday evening, exactly ten days prior to the Catharine Valley Half.  Monies raised from this race go to the upkeep of the Catharine Valley Trail and to the Watkins Glen Cross Country team according to this article in the Odessa File.

 

This year the race organizers offered an early start which I gladly took advantage of.  I know that my half marathon time is not less than two and a half hours … yet.  I am working on it but it has  yet to happen.  Maybe during my third full year of racing in 2012 but if not, I am happy that I keep whittling away my time.  There were probably 20-25 of us that took the 8 am start which was one full hour prior to the official 9 am start.  Most early starts that I have done are 30-45 minutes prior to the official start time.

 

About 7:30 or so, the sky started a light rain.  Last year this race was run in a monsoon-like wind and rain combination that left puddles across the trail and the last turn on the high school track before the finish line under inches of water.  I was okay with a light rain as it was rather warm out, close to 70F already.  Not sure I wanted it to rain much harder than it was, though.  Unfortunately, the rain maker didn’t listen to what I wanted.  Good news is that the trail is well-covered so it was mostly dry.

 

My legs love running on this cinder-covered trail.  The little bit of road that we ran on did not make my legs very happy.  The trail made me and my legs much happier.

 

The long and the short of this half is that I took ten minutes and 35 seconds off the time I ran this course last year.  I took an additional two minutes and seven seconds off my best half marathon time (just ten days prior) to date.  I was very happy that I ran this race according to the plan that I had set up in my mind prior to the race – five minutes of running and 45 seconds of walking.  The only thing I learned really important is I need more than water and Gatorade during a race of this distance.  Oops! I didn’t have time to get to the store and was out of energy gels and chews.

 

All the photos in the slideshow were taken post race.  It is an amazing lift to turn the corner in Montour Falls and see the falls somewhere in mile 10 (I think, it might be in mile 9).  It was also a huge boost to my running to see those runners who started at the 9 am start passing as I was running.

 

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6 comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Fitness, Just my Thoughts

17 August 2011

A Wordless Look at Summer

By Nicki

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2 comments   |  tags: , , , , , | posted in Art, Just my Thoughts

16 August 2011

Leftovers

By Nicki

Even in this time of harvest and abundance – summer, it is hard to cook just what is going to be eaten.  Then, try to convince a teenager or even a 20-something adult that leftovers are what dinner is going to be.

I knew there were plenty of leftovers that needed to be eaten when I decided, instead of grilling, I would make a stir-fry for dinner.  I have no set recipe for making stir-fry.  I just use this as a frequent way to not waste food.  Generally, this means that we will have stir-fry on Monday evening as the garbage goes out for the week on Monday nights.

I had some corn, cut fresh off the cob the day or so before.  I also had the ever present zucchini and a summer squash.  I had picked up some snow peas at the farmers’ market.  Also thrown in to go over some brown rice was carrots and sweet peppers – red and green.  Then, there was a ribeye that someone didn’t finish and was suddenly deemed a “leftover” and a chicken breast.  While not something I would normally serve together, they made for good protein in the stir-fry.

3 comments   |  tags: , , , | posted in Food and Recipes, Just my Thoughts

15 August 2011

Tromptown Half Marathon – Race Recap

By Nicki

I really love running half marathons.  That, along with 15K and 20K races, seem to be my ideal distances.  I can run a full marathon and I can run a 5K but I get the most out of a half.

Last Thursday evening, I ran the Tromptown Half.  This was my first time running this particular race, not an odd statement since I haven’t been racing a full two years yet and who can run every race in the first year.  This particular race was full of lessons for me.  Lessons are good since I am less than two months from my second full marathon.

The first lesson learned was about nutrition.  When I have a race in the morning, it is easy.  I get up with enough time to eat, get to the race, etc.  With the race starting at 6:15 – reality is I took the early start at 5:30 so I was across the finish line prior to dark, I was unsure when to eat.  I had gotten up in the morning as usual and done some work and errands.  My son was getting ready to head back to college so there was running around in the car.  The problem was I was starved by 1 and trying to hold off eating until later.  I didn’t do too good a job with that as I hungry mid-race.

The other nutrition was about in-race nutrition.  I have found what I think is perfect for long races.  I bought some Honey Stinger chews a few weeks back in Pomegranate Passion.  These are not too big – an issue I have had with other chews – and not too sweet – always a problem.  I started with one every 25 minutes or so and this worked until about mile 8 when, without proper planning, I ran out.  Will try this same plan for my next half.

I was concerned and carried a water bottle with me.  The reason for this was that the early start was new for this race, in its first year.  The race director did say that he was not sure the water stops at miles two and three or four would be set up yet when we got to that point.  I do understand logistics and was okay as I had seen this warning on the web site so came prepared.  Many either didn’t see it or didn’t care to heed the warning.

And just so you know that races do not go perfect for me, I want to say I had a race plan.  I did.  I was going to run this race with a 5 minute run/1 minute walk ratio that I have been using in my training.  I would also slow to a walk for water stops when they were needed.  Unfortunately, I did what I always do at a race.  I went out too fast.  I ran mile 1 in 10:20.  I didn’t take my walk breaks.  I ran mile 2 in 11:30 – more my pace but still only one walk break.  I ran 17 minutes before I took my first walk break.  I do not think this is a bad thing.  It is just not my original race plan.  I also am okay with changing the race plan during the race to some extent.  That being said, the not taking a walk break until 17 minutes is okay.  The getting caught up in it being a race and going out too fast is not okay as it wears me down towards the end.

I am working on getting a camera – a point and shoot – so I can take photos during my races.  I did not have a camera with me this past Thursday so no photos of mine.  I am going to point you to two sites to see the area and the actual race photos.

Tromptown Races

Bob Brock Images from the race 

1 comment   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Fitness, Just my Thoughts

12 August 2011

Women’s Distance Festival – Binghamton

By Nicki

I have to admit that I have been woefully neglectful of my blog this summer.  I have been running – literally and figuratively – around a lot this summer so I am going to try and catch up these next few weeks as the kids, not quite sure why I still use plural as I only have one high school child left at home, get ready for the first day of school.

 

Back in July, I had originally had plans to run two different Women’s Distance Festival runs – one in Dryden at the beginning of the month and one in Binghamton at the end of the month.  The Dryden run did not happen for any number of reasons but there was a great opportunity that was taken advantage of instead.

 

July 29th, the day of the Binghamton run, rolled around and was in the middle of some of the hottest weather we had had in ages.  The race was not scheduled until 6:30 pm which was okay with me, even though I tend to run earlier rather than later.  I made zucchini brownies to take those with me for after the race.  The spread that is out after all the Triple Cities Runners’ Club events is always amazing.

 

About 3 pm, the area had a horrible thunderstorm.  Evidently, everyone was concerned.  My only thought was that the park would have water issues.  If that didn’t happen, it would be all good and the run would go on as planned.  Rain wouldn’t stop the run but the thunder and lightning might postpone it.  Luckily by 6:30, there was sun again.

 

A group of four of us met up to ride to the park together.  Two of the women have always been walkers.  The third was going to walk today because she had not been able to train during the summer like she would have liked and to support one of the other walkers.  When we got to the park, I found Carrie.  We had started other races together and hung out to start this one together.  I know that I am not as fast as Carrie but I can run one mile with her and pace her at the beginning.

 

The race was fantastic.  I hit a personal best for a 5K.  I do not tend to run a lot of 5Ks.  I am more a distance runner, no doubt about it.  I do, though, enjoy the 5K before and after – the camaraderie.

 

Since getting my DSLR, I can’t run with it so I have no photos of this race.  I will point you to this Facebook video and hope you can get to it - http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150272348536380&comments&set=t.501500406&type=1

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