we beat beethoven

Sunday was the Reading Symphonies "Beat Beethoven" race. Beethoven was there. And the town crier was there. And the young people's symphony was there playing their little fingers off.

It was a beautiful day for a race. And they changed the course. That horrible uphill to the stadium was gone. Lydia, it's safe for you to go back. The big hills are all gone!!!

Bonnie and I arrived about 20 minutes early and walked around a bit. Then it was off to the races. The new course allows you to hear the music at several locations. That's because they have it piped thru the athletic fields sound system. After the race we got a snow cone and listened to the rest of the concert. A few 10k-ers did not beat Beethoven. But they played the 5th, again, for the kids fun race.

At one time Beethoven conducted the orchestra. The baton flew out of his hand and hit a violinist. Oops. At that point the conductor took his baton back.

Bonnie finished in 51:05, I think, and I finished a minute later. If I would have moved just a bit faster and stayed with the group of 10K=ers, she would not have seen me and sped up. For a change I could have won!

(Left: Bonnie chats with a dead man.)

chaos reigns supreme

Today was the Beat Beethoven 5K. Everything that could go wrong did. But we survived. It was so crazy I forgot to call my sister after the race with the results!

Where shall I begin. I guess at the beginning. I got up at 3L30 to pick up friends at the airport. I left at 4:15. The plane was to arrive at 5:21 and they told me to come between 5:45-6. We normally get home around 8, even with stopping for breakfast. I told Lydia to let herself in at 8, and I'd be home no later than 8:30.

Wrong.

The plane was an hour late, so I was at the airport about an hour and a half. We didn't stop for breakfast. and I got home at 8:35. We ran out the door and headed to Reading. We decided if we missed the start we'd do it anyway, unofficially.

We headed out Susquehanna and under the 8th street bridge to MLK Blvd. Flashing lights. Oh crap. The St. Luke's Marathon was today. We did a U-turn and headed for Lehgih Street, hopped on 309 and got to Hamilton Blvd. The speeding gods were with me today. I made it with 10 minutes to spare. We had google directions, but Lydia turned the GPS in her phone on. No time to get lost!

When we got out of the car you could hear music. Lyd thought it was canned. It wasn't. It was the youth orchestra playing Beethoven. There was a lot of people. Not just runners/families but people with lawn chairs for a free concert. I could so see my brother Dave doing that.

Then we ran into Beethoven. He was busy so we made a mental note to check back with him.

This race is for the Reading Symphony Orchestra. The game, for runners anyway, is to beat Beethoven. Te kids play a portion of the 5th and they have to get back before it's done. If you "beat Beethoven" I think there is a special medal.

It was a hilly course, sometimes short, but very steep, but not as bad overall as Yuengling. I had planned on staying with Lyd again, but she was sore from yesterday and walking slower. I couldn't keep up. I finally went ahead. Mental note. (Speed training only one day during the weekend.)

I finished in 52:10 and Ly in 63.


Afterwards we joined the party. The kids were still playing. Beethoven gets on the mike as says that he's tired of his "hits". He wants to hear "his 6th". The director said no. How about "the 7th"? No again. I think the kids didn't know them. They played the 9th. A fine selection even if he couldn't "hear" what he wrote.

While we were listening they had snow cones for sale. It's probably been 20 years since I had one. I forgotten how sweet they are. Ice is good on a warm day after a race. I got us smalls. They were giant. The two of us could have ate one and still thrown some away.  And I have a sizable sweet tooth.

As the orchestra was wrapping up, we found Beethoven and had our pix taken. (He's in gold. The town crier is in red. Why am I holding my shoes? I took my Birks of course!) We got out of there before the awards started.

fat girl, downloading

I bought an iPod for the Historic Bethlehem audio files, and also for the longer training walks I need to do for the half. But an audio tour of Bethlehem is not real stimulating. In fact, it probably slows you down.

I hate buying music online. I don't ever know what to pick. I never really bought much music the old fashion way. I'm more a radio girl. But I needed a fast beat to keep me focused and as fast as possible.

Today I downloaded three albums on iTunes—Broadway (with a techno beat behind it, hysterical!), Disco, (like Donna Summers really needs a techno beat) and a remixed (dance) pop album. Then I googled free workout music and found an hour album from Secret deodorant. I downloaded the Low intensity because it said power walking. Maybe I should also do the moderate. However, it has ads. (Ya get what you pay for!) It's all one track and it's an hour. Then I downloaded one from Shape Magazine, and The Biggest Loser/Subway.

That should be enough music for the half, and then some.

I'll try it out at the 10K Monday. So far the Secret mix isn't bad.