Somewhere over the Rainbow Saturday

On Los Gatos Creek trail

To bring those new to this up to speed, I am a 55-year-old Fat woman, who started out July 8 to train for a half marathon, walking.  I am going to do the Monterey Big Sur.  I have joined Team in Training which supports the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  The first miracle will be me making 13.1 miles. The second will be me raising $2400 for the cause.  Towards that end I have started fund-raising. I am writing on-line about this regularly.  And I am singing a benefit concert August 27.  I used to sing with the Arizona Opera Chorus, plus I did a few small parts in productions in Tucson, as well as give concerts. I tended the University of Arizona for voice.  I have also performed in Spokane Washington as well as done a few things around the Bay area. But in all honesty, this will be the first real concert I have given in several years. I also decided to go down to Santa Cruz and sing on Pacific Ave. and throw my hat down.

Thursday, I practiced with my accompanist for the first time.  It went reasonably okay. I thought she was going to do a good job.  That was the day when I realized I might be getting sick with a UTI, and so I started chugging the cranberry juice.  Friday morning I went to the doctor to get tested.  Also on Thursday night I went to Los Gatos High School and we used the track to figure out our pace.  Our walking team captain is Lisa.  And she knows so much about how to get a pace going. She says that ideally the right  foot should strike the ground 180 times a minute.  I tested out at about 45 strikes a minute.  But the rest of the team were stellar I could tell they were doing really well. Because shortly after we started they were a quarter of the track ahead of me.  These people have  wings on their feet. I am awestruck.  But that’s okay, I got to say hi and great going to everybody at least twice for every round of the track I made. I haven’t talked about the others on the team and I think I should start doing that so I will try to start featuring them every week as well as a snap shot of them.  Lisa talked to us a while about how the foot should strike the ground and where to hold the arms to keep the hands from swelling.  Chris is the exercise coach and he had us doing planks.  Standing on one foot then another. Doing lunges and arm swings.  Each exercise I tried to do but on all except the marching in place I only got about three repetitions done before I had to quit.

But it was a really good workout, and although we (I) didn’t get that far, only  1.25 miles,  my legs and arms were exhausted afterwards.

Friday morning I went into the doctor to get tested and it turns out I have a light inflammation and the rest of the results won’t be in until Monday, so I am spending the weekend swilling cranberry juice and water, as well as using D-Mannose,  a home remedy that is sometimes held to be of help.  Friday, my husband and I went down to Santa Cruz. He had an optometrist appointment, and I took my music for the concert and stood on the sidewalk and sang my way through them with a hat on the sidewalk in front of me, wearing my Team in Training t-shirt.  There were a few things I didn’t know. First of all apparently the local musicians who play there were very curious about me standing there singing opera.  I had a few long and curious stares.  Plus, somebody, drove by a car more than two or three times with music blaring loudly and hooting at me on the sidewalk.  Then when I was nearly through a very nice police officer came up and told me that I was being complained about being too noisy. So, I had to move 100 feet from where I was.  I asked how far that was and he told me 50 squares of pavement. So, I moved, and then finished my music.  Five people gave money to me.  And I raised a total of $9.00 for one hour’s singing. So, I have considered going back, and playing bad flute music for a while, or  take a Reader’s Digest oldies but goodies, down there and sing them.  The other idea is just to set up a table and chair and make a sign and ask for donations.  Why there? Well, they have a rather open policy.  And it is a tourist thoroughfare so it is somewhat a likely spot to get donations.  More on this later.

Saturday morning I felt better so I went out to the trail, trying for 3 miles. I miscalculated how far I go so when I got home, I found out I went 2.78 miles not the 3 I had aimed for. But I was close, very close.  I did some stretches afterwards which helped. But I am beginning to see that stretches before and then after are important so I am going to try to start getting some in.

After I got  back to the apartment, I got some somewhat discouraging news.  My accompanist wrote to me she couldn’t make the concert engagement. So I am going to have to find someone else.  Tonight I am making up flyers and tickets  to start early sales to the concert.  So, hopefully I will start getting some money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for that. Who will I get to play for me? I don’t know. But, if I have to I will sing to CDs, or try to play for myself, or find some fine Irish songs to sing without accompaniment.

But the good news is I got an envelope in the mail with a donation today. And so things are still moving on.