Keeping Pace

Keeping Pace

Archives for October 16, 2007

The “M8B” Q & A Session

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After struggling through my mid-week runs, I finally had a run where I didn’t feel like I was struggling. While riffling through my workout bag, I thought about my previous considerations in relation to my running…

My working heart rate has returned to the high numbers that I experienced prior to beginning my string of musical blood pressure meds. This has been the case since changing to a new medication in the week before Chicago. Initially, I was glad to see my heart rate move out of the slow zone that was the result of the BETA blocker. My heart rate was too low when I would run and, as a result, my legs felt dead. I knew that I couldn’t get to Boston on one cylinder.

After making the change, I was disappointed that my heart rate was not back in the range that it was when I was taking the first ACE inhibitor. That zone was the perfect zone; that zone was where I noticed that I was hitting my target paces regularly. Instead, it was back to an average heart rate of the high 160s to 170s. I may have been used to that before, but now it is just hard.

Having finally experienced a “good” run is a step in the right direction. But “long run pace” is quite different from “race pace” or that required for my intervals. Thankfully, CIM is a couple of months away. I have a bit of time to figure it out. In the meantime, I have a lot of unanswered questions and no one to consult but the Magic Eight Ball (M8B) that was in my workout bag.

YaYa was still in the bathroom when I found the ball in my bag. It was a freebie that I picked up at my last job.

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$ and ¢

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The morning was beautiful. The air was crisp and the sun was shining. Still, it is all due to change later today. It is good to be able to enjoy it while it lasts.

The fact that I can notice the lovely morning is a good sign. I even caught myself laughing with the morning DJs as I drove to work. I figured that it would be a good day to tackle some of the items lingering on my to-do list.

Yes, believe it or not, I am still in the process of dealing with paperwork related to my husband’s death. My latest frustration is from the pension plan from the grocery workers union. I have mailed them the items requested in their letters several times, only to receive a new list of required itmes a couple of weeks later. To date, I’ve sent them three sets of forms and documents and, as of today, I still don’t know if he is even entitled to pension benefits. “We are still trying to determine this, ” they told me, “That is why we need these additional items.” So I may be doing all of this work for nothing; my efforts may yield no benefit at all.

It seems to take so much energy just to begin the attempt. I received this last letter several weeks ago. I let out a long sigh after reading it, and then put it in a stack to deal with later. This stack includes other items requiring my action.

One such item involves an old retirement plan of mine for which I was never noted as a terminated employee in the system. Now I need my old employer to terminate me, I need complete forms (and signature guarantee them) to change my name on the account, document my husband’s death, and then I can complete the requested rollover. But that is another story.

My point is that it all is much harder than it should be. Really!

Here I am being asked for “certified” copies of his and her birth certificates, our marriage certificate, and his death certificate (which I mailed in July). While each of these documents will cost me money to obtain certified copies, I still don’t even know if their will be any benefit in complying with the song and dance routine.

It’s all about $ and ¢ (or is it sense – common and good). *sigh* Whatever. The sun is still shining. Perhaps I’ll go for a run.

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