chimichanga?

I've caught my younger sister's cold, and life persisted in not letting me got to the gym yesterday, and thus It Is Hard To Be Me et cetera. On the upside there is fruit and also bagels and cookies in the break room, so if I were hungry, that'd be fantastic. But I'm not, sadly, I'm just not feeling great: that whole resenting existence thing, combined with sore throat and this weird head stuffiness that doesn't interfere with nose-breathing, but is constantly dripping down my aforementioned sore throat (eeew, I know) I want nothing more than to be curled up somewhere quiet with appropriate entertainment (books, movies, wrestling cats. Or all three). Going home early is such a fantastic idea. Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good beer!

Dance 'Til You Feel Better!

It is nine am and "Jungle Boogie" is on loop in my head. Its going to be a good day.
I did three miles yesterday morning! I know, not really a milestone, and yet, it is. Its the furthest I've been since I started PT, which makes it cool to me at least.
When I went (at just before 7 yesterday morning) there was this chatty group of runners that I have to assume was at least part of the back bay running club. They seemed very nice, I ran just behind them for about a half mile and then they paused to talk to someone and I was ahead of them for another 3/4 of a mile or so and they ran at an easy chatting speed and discussed the things they had to do in the coming day. When I turned around the lady in the group said "bye!" and "have a good day!" which was really very nice, its great when there are nice people around, even if you're not technically one of them--it did make me think I should look more into the whole running club thing actually. Though I'm not sure if I'm quite up to that sort of commitment yet.

A round round robin

Here we are approaching the week before the holidays. Its a busy time, full of procrastination and ambivalence. Am I really that person? Can I really make candy cane reindeer? Do I really feel the need to spend gratuitous amounts of money on people? Do I?
Yeah. I probably do. Its sick really, because its one of those do-they-really-need-it / am-I-feeling-guilty-and-trying-to-compensate-for-something-in-a-totally-Catholic-way sort of deals where you do not want to examine any of the motives behind your gift buying too fully, lest you begin to question the spirit of the holiday completely and have to spend the next two weeks hiding under your bed in a vain attempt at escape.
So I'm all filled with dilemma (mmm like cream filling, but with doubt!) and have a great many things to do that I have been avoiding for weeks now, and the time to suck it up and get on with life has come, and well hell, here goes.
In other news I'm up to 2.5 miles! I think once I get to 5 I can start thinking realistically about road races again. And I really need to get back there: my metaphors are not the only thing around here that is donut-like.

the pineapple is rowdy

Well, another week on the go-go.
I've been to the gym twice, Monday for my little PT-created routine, which is old hat at this point and sort of rote. Yesterday I went and ran for two miles on the treadmill.
I am very "eh" about the whole treadmill running bit. I get bored, my elbows sweat and I run in constant fear that I will either step off the front of the thing (My toes almost always hit the plastic guard at the front with every step--I like to be close I guess) or fall off the back of it, the way I've seen it happen on tv (C.J. Craig on West Wing, that poor girl) . It feels good, gives me more "umph" during the day and also makes up for the massive amount of sweet stuff I keep eating. After the gym yesterday GR and I went to the grocery store and got Edy's Slow churned 2 for $5 Oh yeah. Love it when that happens. Not that its ever a good idea. The only time I will ever feel okay about eating that much ice cream is after running 10 + miles (and even then, it probably shouldn't happen).
Hopefully I'll get back to the gym before I hit that up again.

The cake that ate my head

I'm all chocolate obsessed, food obsessed and anti movement lately. Its so easy to get like this sometimes: the less you move (exercise) the less you want to. The more you eat (candy candy candy) the more you just want to lay still and do nothing at all. Hopefully the change will come when I do the inevitable and suck it up and get myself to the gym. Gigi and I are supposed to go tonight. Its like a plan. The winter just hits and you want to stay home. I can just hear the whiny voice in my head "but I don't want to go. I want to stay here and do_(insert stupid idea here)__".
Ugh. I'm obnoxious. Somebody shut me up already.

on the go-go-go

"I fear those big words, Stephen said, which make us so unhappy."
-- Taken from Joyce's Ulysses

Weather has gotten cold and is still rainy. I have to go back to PT today, and have not been doing the things I should have been doing, so will perhaps be rebuked and fear it. ugh. Its awful how we get in our own way so much of the time. I know what I need to do, I have the list and chart, and yet. Just like I know what I should be eating, what I should be avoiding, and yet. And yet.

I do so enjoy chocolate sometimes. And also lovely sugared things, things made with butter, things with no discernible nutritional value (hello ice cream, how are you?). Its sad how it happens, how we know the right way and our weak wills, our human foibles, stop us from achieving. Its enough to make you go to the gym, isn't it?
I hadn't been in ages, but I had to go and teach a yoga class last night. I moaned the whole way there--I didn't want to go, it was going to be terrible waaaaa waaaa waaaa. But it wasn't. It was infinitely better once I got there, and remembered that it is never bad, that it is really all things that are good. Once you get back in there it really does feel better. It comes back to you quickly, really. And you know that its going to be alright, after all.

tell me another one. and make it good.

Oh my dear sweet Rumpelstiltskin. I am still full.
I did a little run on Thanksgiving morning, my proscribed two miles, and had big plans for gym visits and the like in the following days, but as holidays often go, other things happened. I did do a fair amount of walking around, on both Saturday and Sunday, but not nearly enough to make up for what I had to eat and drink over the course of the weekend. Oh my my my.
Its fun to have friends. Cool to have people to hang out with, fun things going on, plans to be included on. So wonderful to see people that I haven't seen in months, or weeks, or a couple of days anyway, its always nice to reconnect.
On the one hand. On the other, I spent way too much money hanging out with people I did and did not know, drinking beer, eating restaurant food and generally doing uncharacteristic cash-intensive things. And not running, or going to the gym. Ugh. It stands to reason that I haven't slept well for the past several nights (JLB and I in bed together, waking up every couple of hours to go "what?" "what?!" at each other and then doze back off temporarily. We are both in the same boat, I think, as far as sleeping patterns and exercise levels go: which is to say, not much lately). Perhaps it is not a "quick fix" I need , but I would like a fast fix, if you please. The plan: Get off my lazy ass. I'm on the late-night this evening (Ha! 8:30, they call that late!) I think the gym by my house doesn't close until 9:30...So its a start.
And then of course I have to go home and start my holiday baking. Hoo-rah.

Crush you down

Totally jiving on the Google Book Search. Its very very cool.
Went for a nice 20-minute run last night, just as it was getting dark. I took my laundry to the laundromat down the street (used the car for that, lot of laundry) threw it all in and then went for a run. I did a sort of square--went down the street for five minutes, took a left and went that way for another five minutes and then took another left and made my way back in the remaining ten minutes. I hope it was about 2 miles. Obviously I'm out of shape and practice, but we're working on that. Today its off to the gym after work: we've got thanksgiving dinner to earn, and muscles to make strong so that I can make my next visit to PT (next week) hopefully my last. Its not that I don't like Pt, but I hate having to pay for this guy to basically be mean and call me weak all the time. And thats probably not a fair description of what he does exactly, except that its always how I feel when I leave. The jerk. But my hips feel way better (part of that may just be the time off, but I'm not going to knock the guy's knowledge-ability) so something I'm doing must be alright.

perchance to dream

This sounds good, sort of. Well really, it appeals on the level that sometimes I have time getting up to go running early in the morning, and it would be nice not to have trouble. On the other hand, I am a girl who (when I can sleep) enjoys her Zs. I don't really know what would happen if the world didn't sleep any longer. Would every city turn into New York?
I'm heavy into Thanksgiving-mode. My youngest sister is coming down tonight, and either Wednesday or early Thursday we'll head up to my folks. There are so many fantastic recipes out there I can't even decide what I'm making. Something vegetarian, definitely, but Onions (or Onions)or Carrots or something with Eggplant? Difficult decisions! There is so much good food out there! Oh, to cook, perchance to eat!

turkey turkey turkey trott

I ran my first two miler on Friday night. It was sort of like a date.
I made plans and met a boy for running! it was so much fun: running+ sort of date = even better than just running, if you can believe it.
Its nice too, because I'm still trying to get back into it--not actively training for anything, not obsessed with split times or heart rate or distance, just sort of perusing far-off races and running two miles so it was a very talky two miles.
The new place that I'm living is about a half mile from the local running path--how much do I love that: it is a public area for running! Not as fancy-pants as the paths along the Charles down Boston way, but still pretty decent. Its a 3.5 or 4 mile loop--I haven't done the whole thing since I moved, given the whole PT-and Hip thing, but I am already excited about it. Oh yes. I should have gone again yesterday, but it was a very family-centric day, first the folks showed up for lunch and a reptile show and then the little sis and b-friend of little sis and I went adventuring into the wilds of central Maine (though we've discussed it and depending on where your from, Central Maine is in very different places. For us, Lewiston is in Central Maine. For people from Lewiston, Bangor is Central. Who knows what the people up in Ft Kent think. )
Thanksgiving is just around the corner. I keep sort of blanking on it, like --hey! its Monday and then oh yeah--on Thursday I have a big thing! Its Turkey Day! Except of course, I'm not real big on the bird eating, though I do love mashed potatoes and stuffing (made with vegetable broth! mmmmm!) as much as the next girl.
So happy happy. And away.

Mighty Moose

So, yeah, its been awhile.
I live in Maine now, I'm at the new job. (Its AWESOME! So awesome! Love it!)
The Marathon was a no-go for me: right after I moved I started having some really intense hip pain, resulting in PT, six weeks without running and with toddler-style weight room instruction, and now, today in fact, I am running my very first two miler. Very exciting step for me.
This morning was all wet and woolly out, but it seems to have cleared up, so I may get to go outdoors instead of inside on a treadmill--remains to be seen.
Today is also the end-of-season kickball party.
Yes, I played kickball. With the WAKAs. They're a bunch of insurance adjusters trying to position themselves as "kicky" and "original' but they don't know the meaning of the words, so its really pretty terrible. Like gym class in high school. There are some girls (femme insurance adjusters) who wear the short skirts (!?!I know) and have the right giggly tone, and then there are some boys who wear CLEATS and are all "Rrrrrrrrghgggg" all the time. And the rest of us drink cheap beer out of cans and wonder how in the hell we got talked into this.
But anyway, its over. The par-tay is supposed to be filled with free drinks, so I am going, at least for a little while.
And, yeah, I'm back, I think.
We'll talk about recovery some more soon.

Wherein it is okay that I suck

I actually made it running today!
I know, I was as shocked as you are. I got up about a half hour after my alarm started going off, and even though the cats were looking for attention I said "No! I must do this thing so that I do not feel totally ashamed of myself and lumpish all weekend" and I went.
It was a short run, (about 2 miles) but nonetheless it was actual physical activity.
Today is my last day of work here, and we're supposed to have breakfast (though I am not sure when--and I'm hungry already so I hope they feed us soon). Its a little weird. I can't believe I'm not coming back here.
And for the next four days I will be saying "I'm between jobs right now" whenever anyone asks me what I do. Because that will be fun.
Yeah breakfast, bring it on.

Second floor, women's apparel

I suck and the suckage just keeps getting suckier. I went out, all set to run yesterday and instead I ran errands: There is all of this stuff to do, and rather than getting it done I am just moping about it and hating my weekend plans that prevent proper procrastination.
My fall back plan is giving everything away.
And it looks like that may be becoming the standing orders.

My favorite kind of berry is an eggplant

So just generally I am not a fan of the sharing of dreams: its that slightly-queasy-too-much-info feeling, and I just can't handle it. That being said, occasionally there is just something so ridiculous that my subconscious throws at me that I feel compelled to share: I know, loopy much?
On this particular occasion, I have no direct explanation, though for background I will say that I am generally a vegetarian, and lately I've been craving chicken.
Last night I dreamed up a product called "Jacket Meat" that looked like a hotdog but was in fact the skin of a hotdog filled with yogurt. Even in the dream I knew that there was no way I could eat this thing, and that even though it was being marketed as a vegetarian alternative to hotdogs, there was no way it could possibly be regarded as vegetarian.
Stranger still, I was creating an art installation out of trucker caps advertising this product. Big ones, little ones, all of them attached to wire or a wall in some manner.
I wonder if truckers would eat Jacket Meat.
I wonder if there are vegetarian truckers.

Sometimes it just doesn't matter what you had for breakfast.

Did a very lazy 5 miler on Saturday, and had (the first) running argument with JLB. Not cool--and not really an argument either. We're supposed to be going away next weekend (worlds worst timing, honestly I've pretty much stopped looking forward to it) and I thought we were leaving at a reasonable hour on Friday morning, so I could go running first (I was planning that as my long run day, so that I could chill for the rest of the weekend). Now he wants to go Thursday night and(for an extra $20) camp with friends of his. That I don't know. I'm leery, and also annoyed. Why now? I've got to pack things and get ready to move when we get back, and at this point I regret saying I would go because it would be way easier to just get it done this weekend. Damn. If I go in this frame of mind I won't have a good time, it won't matter what is going on.

suckage

I got my car back last night and tried again to pick up my new shoes--apparently they may never have existed, the paperwork wasn't in the proper binder and the sportshoe people claim to have called on Monday(if they had, I wouldn't have gone there on Wednesday and again on Thursday). How annoying. I told them I wouldn't ever order anything from them again --its the "Sportshoe Center" if anyone wants to join in my boycott--They may be just a regional chain, I'm not sure. It means that I still have old shoes, and need to run (ugh, lets just not get into that right now) and I'm getting set to move house within the next two weeks, though it will probably be temporary and I'll have to move again after that. It is exciting, but I have to stop thinking about it (in trepidation) and doing it (in earnest).

topsy turvy

So things are good: though the running is messed up.
I went into town to pick up my new running shoes (I scored last years Brooks, which I ran the last marathon in, so I'm psyched about that, but they had to be shipped in, so waiting is a pain) they weren't where they were supposed to be, and then my car broke and I had to do the whole waiting-for-a-tow-truck and then getting a ride home thing, so I didn't end up going running last night.
I hate it when life gets in the way.
But I am still very excited about the impending move! Yes oh yes I am.

Hells Yeah

So that job? The one that I wanted? The one that I didn't get and was devastated about?
I got a call today...and they've offered it to me.
Unless of course I just hallucinated the whole thing, which honestly is completely possible, this is just that good.
I am so super totally excited right now. I should not be near people. I should be laying on my back in the middle of a field laughing like a maniac.
Because I would like to be laughing like a maniac, and I'm pretty sure that would scare the coworkers.
YEAH!.

You say its your birthday!

Well, it was: yesterday.
I got up a little late (the sis and friend didn't get in until after 9, and we had to do the ol' hanging-out and talking type thing until around one, so I think 7:30 is still alright) It was nice and cool and breezy: I did a little 3-miler, with 12 minutes of tempo in the middle. It went really well, though its not the fastest I've ever felt it was good feeling and thats enough for me.
We went tubing on the White river yesterday: tons of fun if you ever have the chance, and the lady who rented us the tubes asked if I wanted to be in her dance troupe (yes, very unexpected, I'm not really dancerly at all) but I gave her my email when it turned out its this one-shot deal and everyone is dressed up as skeletons.
Today I go to pick up new shoes (I found the same model-year I ran the last one in ~Yesssss!~ but they had to ship it so I'm going for it today) It'll be a late run tonight I think.

Change of pace

I went hiking on Saturday, a short fairly non-strenuous hike that seemed like such a good idea at the time: a little piece of the Long Trail, a nice little summit of Pico Mountain, all around a great idea.
Sunday my hips were mad at me all day. They are in fact still a little miffed at me.
So I didn't make the long run happen this weekend.
I did do some intervals on Friday after work, a set of 2-3-3-3-2 that was pretty close to my limit, all things considered.
Hopefully this is the week I get better at sticking to a schedule.
Such a fool am I.

I may have a truth problem

Taught yoga last night--though only one person showed up so it was really just more chatting and stretching than actual class. I had intentions of going running afterward but didn't, I'm having a pretty horrible running week. Actually I'm having a pretty horrible all-over week, but its Friday now so it can only get better, right? Probably not. I'm having company and I think I might just really rather be alone right now. But being as its not their fault but they might be inclined to think it is I can't tell them that, so I am trying the whole 'get happy' now thing in preparation. Its not working so great, but the day is young yet.

Humid much?

I stopped waiting for it to cool down around nine last night and just went for it. Once I got going it really wasn't too bad--moving air will do that for you, but stopping was a pretty fierce sort of surprise: standing water on all surfaces. y-u-c-k yuck. But it felt so good to go, I was glad. Another instance of that infamous JLB saying: "running [a short distance like 3 miles] is never a bad idea" Which is so true. I use it as a sort of motivational prod on days when I don't feel like leaving my kitchen: usually pointing out that its not going to hurt is enough of a prod to lace up the old sneaks and get out of there.
I have attempted to counter several times though that although 3 miles is never a bad idea, anything above 10 can be a bad idea if you're not adequately prepared. I've had some experience with running 11- and 12-milers in crappy conditions (too hot, too humid) or with inadequate preparation (hung over, dehydrated) and I attest to the fact that those distances can, and in fact do, hurt sometimes.
But 3 miles is a much more forgiving distance. And if it really does wreck you, the walk home is a manageable one(and I've done it: anemia can do horrible things to a person, but you can still manage to walk the 1.5 miles home after you fall over, trust me). This is why I don't understand people who say they "can't" run. Its just so easy: all you have to do is want to. Thats really all it takes. I can understand not wanting to run (I have whole days like that) but just saying "I can't" come on now.
The heat is supposed to break today, and through the weekend temperatures aren't supposed to get too much higher than 70 degrees. I'm looking forward to it, since I've got a long run to do.

Well, here we are again

Back again: I went down to Philly this past weekend for Sleater-Kinney's penultimate show (not their last-last, but probably the last one I'll see, since they're not coming any closer).
It was good, but not fantastic, mostly because of the heat.
It was really very funny, watching the hipster crowd melt into puddles on the floor because of the outrageous temperature and energy and still attempting to keep their hair nice.
some gems from this weeks travels:
A woman to her husband in a roadside fastfood place (a Wendy's I think) "Its been 24 hours. I think we're lost". After we heard that we kept trying to figure out where they could have been from that it had taken them 24 hours to get to Ct. (we decided somewhere in the vicinity of South Carolina, not taking the highways--since they were lost)
One hipster (quite fashionable, I thought he was gay at first glance) to another, less fashionable, more effeminate hipster: "and she wouldn't even come to this show with me, I don't think we have very much in common I think we might break up" (understand that this is at a grrrl rock show, which --generally--the mens are not all about to begin with: my little sister rolled her eyes and said 'who is he kidding?' and we laughed like loons)
All in all a pretty good trip. I didn't do much running: the first morning I did go to the little gym at the hotel and run for 20minutes and avail myself of the universal weights thingamagigy but after that we did hours and hours of walking around the city, which I decided was a fair substitution, for the time being.
I had the good intention of getting up and going this morning but it is so hot out that I decided against it in favor of laying still for a little while longer.
Obviously I am way off track, and need to jump back on it in a quick like fashion if I have any hope at all of finishing.

Stuck in the status quo

Well, yesterday was a Day of Despair.
I didn't get it. I didn't get the job. I didn't get the job I wanted, had wanted so badly for the last two or three months, had been counting on to save me from the disintegration that is about to take place in my current place of work.
I was amazed to discover how much I had been counting on it. It was devastating to hear that they had gone with someone else. I had done all of this planning in my head about how good it was all going to be, how thankful I was going to be to be gone from here.
And now I'm stuck here, because I've got bills to pay and this need to eat. Which sucks really. So I'm going to have to work on that.
Also it is humid and running has taken on a lot of the same qualities as swimming.

Thunk

So the job I'd like checked my references on Monday: its between me and one other candidate. Of course, now its Wednesday and I haven't heard anything so I'm becoming more sure by the day that they are not going to pick me. Damn but I want this job. It would mean a lot of good things: I'd get to do something I really like fairly frequently, rather than every-once-in-awhile-as-my-hectic- schedule-permits (teach), I'd be in a better living situation, a better pay situation, working more reasonable hours, within reach of a viable support system (family) and a greater number of resources. Please oh please oh please.
So last night I bough Ice Cream Of Despair and then checked the answering machine one last time: no job offers. So I had ice cream for dinner and then went running afterward. Its a bad idea, and I knew that, but I made it three miles and called it good. I came back to write down my patheticism and looked at the training calendar and I was supposed to have done 4 or 5 miles with 4 100-meter pick ups. Damn it. I guess I need to look at the calendar before I run (or eat crappy junk-food dinner). So I'll try and do that today.
I hope I get good news.

Who knew?

I wanted absolutely nothing to do with getting up this morning. Which is funny, since I went to bed at the extremely reasonable hour of 9:30 last night. Lately more often than not I'm not in bed until after 11, and this past weekend it was more like 1am. So I don't know why I had no problem getting up then and this morning it took about an hour of the alarm going off every 7 minutes for me to claw my way to full consciousness.
Needless to say, I did not make it running this morning. I have plans to go this evening, hopefully for 4+ miles, but the day is young.
Which is the diplomatic way of saying laziness may still get the better of me.

We're in it now

I did an 8 mile run on Saturday, and it was awesome. I also went to a kick ass running store: they call themselves "the running company". My little sister was in the market for new shoes (so am I, but I am in less hurry-she runs a whole lot more frequently, and a whole lot harder than I do, and she's been hurting) and they had her walk, measured her pronation, recommended shoes that were of an appropriate level of support (on the low-side of medium: they said too much support is just as bad as not enough), and had a treadmill ready and waiting for her to try them out on (and the lady said if she would rather, she could go for a run around outside, they were okay with that!)
I was impressed. I would go back. And I would also recommend it.
I did a cheerful little three miler this morning. It was chilly enough for a long-sleeve shirt, which is a pleasant change after the heat and humidity of last week.
My main reason for going (sadly, not my verve for the new marathon training schedule, though it is good so far) was nerves: I told my boss this morning that I had applied for another job, and asked him if I could us him as a reference (I really dislike that phrase "can I use you" ugh.). I decided it last night (mostly because the new folks called and asked for my references) and I dreaded it all of last night--I had dreams about abandoned kittens and woke up with a nervous knotted stomach. But I did it. And he took it well: its nothing personal, its all about location, and sweetly he said "you'll break my heart" which I don't think he really means, but was nice of him to say anyway.
So its done.
And I'm still here, at work, and thanks to the running the nerves have mostly subsided. I do enjoy a good run, especially when its helpful.

clap!

It was cooler this morning, probably the best morning in over a week for running. Nice and cool, low humidity, and sun. Awesome.
I did a fartlek (hahahaha--such juvenile humor, and yet: I would never say that word in public) this morning that went 1-2-3-2-1; with each number representing minutes of fast-paced no-holds-barred running, followed by an equal number of minutes of calmer, more stately running.
It was awesome, right up until the part where I had to do 2 minutes of sprint-type running.
I did it with a stop watch / heart-rate monitor I got from an old boyfriend as a birthday present (big romantic he was). Its this massive clunky thing that I don't like wearing much, but my usual running watch has decided its time for a summer vacation. So I wore it and re-set for each of the intervals, which was kind of a pain in the ass--given that at the same time I am jabbing at the little buttons I am also running along the side of a moderately busy road.
All in all though, I like interval training, its nice and mostly fun, I recovered fairly quickly after each burst, though the three minute all-out was an uncomfortable wake-up call as far as my level of fitness I think.

To add excitement to awesomness, this is my last day of work for the week! And tomorrow I have an interview at the place I'd like to work! And then I'm hanging out with the little sis for the weekend! Given that she is a freakazoid when it comes to running, undoubtedly we will be doing a lot of that wherever it is we end up being(and she left me two long rambling answering machine messages yesterday about how she wasn't sure where she wanted to go. And now she is camping and unable to phone, so we're just going to wing it on Friday).

All three of us, for the money, that's right!

It is that crazy kind of humid/hot that lets you know its summer. I got up at 5:30 and did three miles this morning and the air is thick enough to compare the run to a swim. When I finished I was dripping wet.
Because of the heat and the early hour, I did (for me) a funny thing. I ran shirtless.
Its one of those things that women with amazing stomachs, triathletes and people who don't eat ice cream can get away with, but not me. I have a polly sort of potato stomach, very pale because I am Irish and work mostly indoors. But putting on another layer to have sweat stick to was just way too unappealing at quarter of six this morning.
When I was in college, I used to drag my friend (and roommate) Lia running from time to time, and she always insisted on shirtless-ness, mainly because she was not a fan of running or clothes and she knew my feelings on shirtless running. I always threatened her with a faster pace, since we lived downtown in a college town and were pretty much guaranteed to see people we knew, but she accepted that and we would go, shirtless, running fast through the streets before breakfast.
As a routine it never lasted very long, it was basically something she did in the rare times she was trying to quit smoking, and she would always end up starting to smoke again, and that would be the end of it.
Its funny to think of it now, given the length of time that has passed since then, and we are still basically the same people. She's still a smoker and occasional runner, and I'm still a runner and not fond of shirtlessness in public places, and though of late (given distance and particular views and opinions) we're more tentative friends, we are still friends, and I'm glad that's the case.

Hello sunshine

Did a three-miler early on Sunday, not bad, pretty warm. I went out with JLB--its always cool to run with someone else, its something I'd like to do more of, he pointed out that as soon as I hit the flats I sped up, which I hadn't realized I was doing--I'm really pretty terrible about pacing most of the time, and its cool to have someone to keep pace with. The very end of the loop was an all-out sprint--and he beat me! Granted he's got longer legs (unlike me, he is actually built like the classical idea of a runner) but this spring (when he wasn't running at all regularly) I used to beat him to the 'finish' on a regular basis. I just love being able to measure improvement like that. Although its not my improvement, but what the hell, right?
So I haven't been all that politically active lately--just sort of moseying about doing my own thing, not driving much and watching even less TV, but I stumbled across this from Code Pink and was sort of musing about it, and then I went to Solarfest this weekend and listened to all sorts of people who were passionate about change and I'm thinking that I could probably do a juice fast, at the very least, and if not then I need to come up with something because I do believe in "be[ing] the change you want to see in the world". And lately I don't think I really have been doing what I could.

Fridays are great

The end of the first session of our summer program is awesome. The other two instructors have gone home, but I've got to stay and close the building up at 4, so here I am, doing the sort of time-killing things that get done on a beautiful sunny friday in July when you're one of three people left in the building.
I had lunch with the kids from the session today and it was interesting, we were talking about hydration (since I had 3 empty 8-ounce bottles of water in front of me) and I explained about my brushes with dehydration and why I was careful. The response I got was interesting, mainly because these kids (who are rock climbers and lacrosse players and rugby players) didn't believe that I could run 11 miles--because they didn't think that they could run 11 miles.
I tried to explain that its really having the will to run it more than anything that makes it possible, but that didn't seem to go over too well. But to me thats the truth: that if you want to do it you can do it, as a matter of course. It certainly takes some training, especially if the farthest you've ever run is a mile, but if you're determined you'll get there.
At least I think I will.
No running today: yesterday was a 7-miler and I'm not sure about tomorrow, I'm going to SolarFest with JLB and his bro. So there is some possibility of an early morning run, depending.
Next week is obviously going to have to be more serious if I want to finish the steamtown. I know that a lack of training now will = a world of hurt in a couple of months, so I'm on it.

Portable support

There was a lot of roadkill on the road this morning.
I'm going to be working with a group until around ten tonight, so I was able to have a 'leisurely' morning: got up at 6:30 and went for a nice seven mile run in the rain (it should have been 8 but I just couldn't take the humidity). I think something about the wet weather, in the wake of all the heat we had been having, that called to all the little frogs and toads and moles and even one skunk and as I ran this morning I had to keep taking leaping steps to avoid all of their poor flattened bodies. I saw one very pregnant frog who looked as though she had exploded at the roadside. Its really enough to make you nauseous. And the slugs. They're awful. Very orange and long and they have crept out of the fields and onto this one particular section of road and something about the heat--some of them have sort of dessicated and dried out and they sort of ~pop~ if you step on them. During that stretch I run in the middle of the road, where they are at their fewest, if at all possible.
Sometimes I try and ignore the roadkill, and on other days, if I'm feeling at all morbid I think of them as warnings to me, or to all runners on that road, that cars cannot be trusted, that maybe humanity itself cannot be trusted.
today wasn't one of those days though, because I knew that when I got back to my apartment there was a nice shower and fantastic wheat toast with peanutbutter waiting for me, and a long list of weekday-type errands to run before work.
Days like this make me wish I worked part time. Or not at all. By noon I had gotten loads accomplished and was ready to eat and take a nap instead of coming in to work, but sadly it was not to be.
Maybe some other time.

Insipid inspiration

I've started teaching a yoga class again--at a little gym the next town over from here, and its great really, to have to do yoga on a regular basis again. It really lessens my aches and pains after awhile.
So they're paying me $10 a class to teach it. (The lady at the desk is like "how does $10 an hour sound" and in my head I'm like "Zounds! Thats real money! Cool!" and then I realize I teach one hour a week and as I'm saying "Sure!" outloud I'm thinking "$10 a week? Good thing I have another job already, cause I'm sure not hitting the big time with this one") This week I took my $10 straight to the little rite aid in town and bought a runners world and an ice cream and that took care of that.
The August issue of Runner's World is pretty good though, especially if you're looking at training for a marathon and feeling slackerly because (and it fell open to the page in the store and I though "hells yes") there is a slackers marathon training plan . Oh yes there is.
Not that I'm saying I'm going to follow it necessarily, but I cut it out and put it on my fridge.
Also there is an article by Nicholas Sparks (the guy who wrote The Notebook, which I haven't read but from what I heard is a sob-fest about love) that is at points a tear-jerker. Do you think he is sad all the time? Or that he is incapable of writing anything happy? I'm wondering.
Today should be an 8-mile day I think. But I also want to go into town and I'm not sure how it will work to do both--its too bad that there is no way to combine the two, but I think I'd look funny running with my bags of Salvation Army clothes anyway.

When does something become a classic? And is that just a polite way of saying "older than dirt"?

I know, I know, I should have updated on Friday, and Saturday too probably but I was too busy watching pictures of burned books on Friday (and recoiling in horror) and Saturday I was mostly productive (although I did substitute eating ice cream for running, which is pathetic, I know, but happens sometimes with me). But any way: here I be.
And--oooh guess what?! Guess what I saw! Chariots of fire oh yes I did. And let me tell you: if I ever decide to be a hurdler I want to train with Lindsey. Full champagne glasses on hurdles just seems like the right way to train for that sort of thing.
But really, they were all about speed. And short distances. And to quote a blues song I heard once: baby, I ain't built for speed (the line in the song starts "I'm built for comfort..." Its a good one).
But, I think I want to try it.
I've decided to throw some speedwork into the mix. I think it will do me good. I've been really digging the interval training I've done, though most of it has been slightly haphazard. But I found an old 10k speedwork guide taped to my fridge on Saturday while I was being mostly productive, and I think I can do at least a little of it on light days during the training--and it could be really good for me--especially since I'm going to be running with speedsters in the fall.
*I forgot to say that I did a six this am and it rocked like a rocky thing--also I've started teaching yoga again--more another time*

the cupcake was a loner

So: its been a long little while since I typed anything in here. To update: I've picked a training program to modify, and I'm (tentatively) committed to a marathon in early October. I say tentatively because, well, it turns out that of the four people I thought I was running it with (all of whom I saw this weekend, so its all new news) one has opted out because she's going to be in school and running track (hurdles, and she rocks at it) one has opted out because she has hurt herself (the ever-fragile knees) and is already doing PT type stuff, and the other two (the nuts) are trying to qualify for Boston with this race. Which is cool, don't get me wrong. I've been down to watch Boston, the year I lived there I stood in Kenmore square and cheered with a kazillion other people and it is a hell of a good time all around, but its a pretty intense qualifying time. 3:40? Oh man. Thats like eight and a half minute miles. For twenty six miles. ugggggh.
This is my little way of saying my lazy ass isn't up to it and the only way I'll be running the Boston Marathon this coming spring is as a pirate. I've talked to several people (one of them is running the steamtown with me--and is determined to qualify and run it this time) who have pirated the race, and I guess there are a lot of pirates: you just start behind all the actual qualified runners and get culled out at the finish where they assign places and such. That might be do-able, though again I will say tentatively.

pop went the oranges

I found a training plan at runnersworld.com, unfortunately it recommends that I start training two weeks ago. So I'm going to be faking it from there.
I had a tough time deciding that I was going to try the intermediate program: I don't feel like a beginner necessarily, I mean, I've done this before so I have some idea what it is going to be like and how my body is going to take it, but I'm not in out-of-the-gates-like-a-flash-of-light shape, I pretty much hibernated this winter. So I am going to take the standard program and modify it, nothing significant, though I do need to reconcile the two weeks right out of the gate, which is a little annoying. I guess I should have started looking sooner.
I started out to do a nice 6 miler last night around 7. I waited as long as I could so that it would be cool, but my wardrobe choice left a little something to be desired (hello 100% cotton shirt) when combined with the heat and humidity levels. There was also the fact that I was otherwise occupied (my main motivation for the run was a cup cake) so I took the easy way out and did a 4.5 mile loop instead of the 3 miles out and 3 miles back I had planned on.
It was still good, a nice lite run like that (to quote the fantastic JLB) is never a bad idea. But there is always this feeling, when I deviate from the plan, that I owe something, that maybe I should go today and do that last mile and a half. I don't have the time today, so I guess I will try and talk someone into going with me on Friday morning...when I will be on Vacation! Oh yes. It will be nice.
It was a damned good cup cake though.
I am sorry to be the one to tell you, if you haven't heard, but Sleater-Kinney has announced their impending break-up. Oh Grrrrls, why?

the wet wet world

Went up to my folks early on Saturday again. Hung out with the fam, went for a nice 4-miler (complete with killer, take-your-shirt-off hill) around two and then went to a wedding. It was a nice wedding, a girl I have known since I was in 2nd or 3rd grade, a very good friend of my little sister's--she's about 4 years younger than I am, all dressed up in a big white dress, and moving to Georgia of all places. They got married at the foot of the local ski hill, in front of the ski wee shack, which was apparently only funny to me. I mean, come on people--there is a beautiful analogy to draw there, about their youth and the idea of ski wee as a place to learn...Anyway, the bride was beautiful, the cake was fantastic, and the ladies who danced (and danced, and danced) were fabulous.
So the time has come: the divine Ms. P is going to sign us up for the race, and I'm going to start looking at training plans for the steamtown. Now things begin in earnest.

its all about the food

I did a really nice six miler last night, and I didn't even notice the humidity until I stopped: then all I could hear around me was the buzz of air conditioners from nearby houses, and all I could feel was sweat pooling on my skin.
It was good though, its a nice sweep: up a medium grade hill, along a rounded bend that I always seem to forget about until I get there, and then past the local golf course. Last night I turned around at their second driveway and came back.
I really like out-and-back loops, because if I'd been feeling bad I could have turned it around at 1.5 and just done three, and if some miracle had happened and I was feeling like SuperGirl I could have kept going and done eight or ten miles.
I'm pretty psyched to get back to a place where I can do eight or ten miles at a kick without worrying too much about it. I'm going to talk to the divine Ms. P this weekend and see if we're really going to do the Steamtown in October. If thats the case then in the next two weeks I've got to find a training plan and get up to the point where I can start one without hurting myself!
Its all so exciting!
a couple of fun things: map my run or gmap my run (if you're a google fan: and I am) or even 'pod it (if you're down with the 'pod: I don't own one, but I can imagine there is a hell of a coolness factor going on there.)
ah, the march of technology, huh?
So I totally forgot to touch on the title of this: I keep reading books about food, and magazine articles about food, and if you ever get a chance to check out the mega coolness going on at polyface farms then you should, because they are revolutionaries (in the best ways possible!) Anyway, yeah, food: who made yours? Do you know? Its one of those things that I don't think about often enough. But I'm trying to change that. Yep. I went and joined a CSA (might have to scroll a little to get the proper definition).
K, thats it. Bases are covered.

le sigh

I didn't go running yesterday, I sore in all the usual places: hip joints, ankles, arms and lower stomach and decided to give in to it. But then because I didn't go running I didn't want to write in this thing--and I felt bad about it.
I wonder if I'm going about this wrong? Maybe I should just be writing about running regardless of whether or not I've run on a particular day, --I'm not sure.
Here is my thought for today though:
Stretching is an important part of running. Without it you get sore and cannot run. Not running sucks.
And thats all I have to say about that.

Anxiety

Majorly stormy as I was leaving work last night, which was exciting, but which I was worried would mean no running last night--however, it cleared off and so I did possibly the coolest thing I've done since I moved here (and yes, this is pathetic): I took my laundry to the laundromat and then went to the high school track that is nearby and did 20 minutes of intervals (run long jog short, whoo). It was excellently awesome.
This morning I got up and did hill repeats for 20 minutes--though I didn't go all the way to the top of the hill as there was a tree down about 1/4 of the way from the top, so I did back-and-forth up the section of the hill about eight times and then went home for breakfast.
Again, awesome.
So far the running part of the week is very very good, but the work part is anxiety producing: now (due to a human resources gaff) they want me to sign a new contract--I got it yesterday and they say they want it back today. It says on the letter that I've got 10 days to give it back, and honestly I'd wait longer than that if I could, because I've applied for another job and I'm planning to take it if I get it and the money is even halfway decent.
Which of course makes me feel all kinds of guilty for wanting another job as well as annoyed that I've worked this long without a contract (not that I should have--thats the HR gaff) and now they want it ASAP.
Ugh.

the heat

At my folks this weekend (in honor of father's day) J came down and we ran from there down to the river. Once we got there though we decided that wet feet were too high a price to pay for cooling off, so we ran back and then drove to a local (lake) beach. It was a nice little run, a little over two miles, its one I used to do in High School on a fairly regular basis. There were a few new houses and several old houses that were for sale. So strange to think of that place changing.
This morning it was near 70 by 6am. y-u-c-k. I went out and did two miles early this morning and once I stopped I poured sweat. Summer has finally hit. Time to start drinking the water.
Dehydration is one of the scariest things I've ever experienced. I went to visit an old boyfriend in Vail, Co. once and got altitude sickness--one of the awesomer things about being at 8950 ft above sea level is how easy it is to get drunk if you aren't used to it. One of the worst things about it: you need to drink water constantly to stay on top of the hangover the next day or you'll pee blood.
So I try to be pretty good about hydration: I've had enough times where I was hung over and running too far (ugh.) Or hiking and thought "gee, am I getting a yeast infection or something?" and it turns out that no, I'm not, what I am getting is dehydrated. y-u-c-k: yuck. So, lesson of the day: drink up!

jazzed

I did three miles last night around five thirty, right before it rained. It was fantastic. The light was so dramatic--the pink edges and dark middles of the clouds and the way the light slants at that time of day. I felt like I could keep going when I hit the middle of my loop, but instead I turned back and made it home just before the rain started.
This morning I did a quick two, just out and back, since I was up early and it usually makes my day better(and I have a phone interview today! For a job I think I'd like way better than this one! Oh to hope...).
The air was cool and I started out in long-sleeves, a true luxury for this time of year. I couldn't decide, when I was leaving my house, whether I would regret more wearing shorts or wearing pants--at the last moment I remembered a pair of capris I bought for biking, and wore those. This is something I would only do at 5:30 am. Running in stretch capris sort of screams '80s fashion sense to me.
I read an article once about "jump-starting" your metabolism by running in the early morning (before eating) and then again in the evening (and not eating anything afterward) I've tried it a couple of times in the past, though never for any longer than about a week--when I run every day I tend to hurt myself more frequently.
I think I may try it next week. I could use a "jump start".

Old shoes, new aches

I love early mornings in the summer. Dew and that sense that it is going to get hot later in the day, so if you're going to go you've got to go now. Its a great time to run. When I'm finished I feel like I've really accomplished something, which comes in handy while I'm sitting in seemingly endless meetings later on in the day. This weekend I found an old pair of sneakers in the trunk of my car, and even though I know that I wore them to run my marathon last year, they didn't look so beat up. I took them out yesterday for a little jog-around, just to see.
Yep. They make my feet hurt. Its something I always wonder about: the 250-odd mile limit on a pair of shoes. But it turns out, in my case anyway, I think I will keep logging the miles on my calendar so I know when enough is enough and changing shoes accordingly.
I still remember my first pair of real, serious running shoes. They were Sacony-hand-me-downs from my cousin, the first spring I ran track. When I got them they were already a little worn around the toe box, and comfortable to wear without socks. I loved those shoes.
Halfway through the season I sprained my ankle at a practice and my Mom took me to see a doctor--he recommended new running shoes and always wearing socks. Ah, wisdom and youth, so often at odds.

gas n' go

I went running this morning--It got nice and cool last night after the rain and I slept really well until about 4:15 and then for some unknown reason I was jackrabbit awake--this has been happening a lot lately.

So at 5 I finally gave up the ghost and got out of bed (where I had been laying obsessing over a fight I'm in with my friend Lai, who I was supposed to see this weekend). So I got up and called Lai --and she actually answered (I was hoping for voicemail)--and I told her I'm not sleeping much so I thought it would be better if I didn't go (there is also the fact that I can't afford it--but thats another argument) she was mostly asleep so that was pretty much the extent of the conversation.

I've had bouts of insomnia before, the worst being associated with stress: learning to drive a car, breaking up with my first boyfriend, living in England (haha. no, really). I'm not really sure what has triggered this one though, I think it may be job-related actually: see, I applied for a new job, nearer to my family that I would really really love to get, but I haven't told anyone here about it because I like this job--most days its great--and I don't want to throw some shadow over it by saying I am looking around for something else. I haven't heard anything one way or another about it, and I think the suspense is literally keeping me up at night.

The run this morning was good, though. In the past my most tride-and-true weapon against insomnia has been totally and completely physically exhausting myself. If I can do that then I can override the hampster wheel of thought and get some much needed REM.

It was still cool out, so I wore a long-sleeve tshirt, which proved to be unneccessary since the humidity was enough to make me sweat like a stuck pig after awhile. I went for a nice 3 miler, which has been the default distance lately. I really need to switch that up. I'm supposed to go again this afternoon with RC but the forecast is for more thundershowers, so we'll see.

etiquette for runners

I went running yesterday with registrar chic from work--we've been trying to get a group together to go running for a couple of weeks, B and I managed it a couple of times before the semester ended, but once summer started we were supposed to be "serious" about it, and it hasn't happened for us even once yet.

But RC and I went yesterday, sans group, for about a mile. I was somehow expecting a little more, though it was muggy-hot and about to storm, so I didn't really mind the shortness too much, but I haven't been running like that in awhile.

This is going to be tough. I am all about the group running, and I haven't been running a whole lot but I've still kept it to the point where I'm doing 3-5 miles and not thinking its all that far. I let RC pick the route and distance (variety is awesome) but at the end of the run I wanted to speed up, have a nice 'kick' before I totally settled back, and then I realized I'm running with someone, and kicking the pants off them would be impolite. Etiquette, like your mom taught you, only for runners.

Anyhow, it was good to do, and we're going to try and start going a couple of times a week. I think it may mean going further on my own, on my own time, but that will be good for me too--I've gotten used to running by myself and it'll be nice to have the group act as a supplement rather than a replacement.