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This was at the farmer's market today. I can't believe I had to cross out and rethink my entire menu for the week, because they ran out of tongue. Seriously, who bought all the tongue? Maybe I should have gotten a couple of pounds of the kidney instead.
Also, take a look at that sidebar over there. Yeah? This is where I'm nudging you with my elbow and going, "What do you think, eh?" The page is A LOT longer than I intended, and I started getting a little restless by the end of it, so I might revise it later when I'm not so tired.
Today's run was fine. It was my slowest 10K yet, but I'm glad to have finished. Consider:
If you can do four miles, you can do five.
If you can do five miles, you can do six.
This does not necessarily translate to: If you can do four miles, you can do six.
The five in the middle is very important in terms of mental convincing.
Man alive, people. I's tired.
Did you know today's race was called the Healthy Kidney 10K? They sell for $6.99/pound.
I took the subway home after stretching for a little while. I sat near a mom and her two little girls. This pair of sisters were loud and cheerful and everyone in the car was watching them and smiling. They appeared to be singing a song to their mom they learned in preschool. The mom was carrying a Disney Princess backpack. It was pink. You know the one. The older sister looked to be about five, and the younger one seemed three years old, except she was little. The song involved clapping and slapping their knees and chanting words I could not quite understand. In the middle of a line of the song, one would interject a completely random thought, and then the other one would continue the conversation until the song turned into handclapping and knee-slapping and a bunch of cutesy outbursts and wonderful giggles. Their little voices and laughter held my heartstrings in a vicegrip, and I nearly fainted from an overdose of cuteness. I heaved a happy, yet longing sigh that spilled my melted heart onto the subway floor. Thanks a lot, biological clock.
***
Well, dadgum, people. Everyone so far has been very gracious in their comments for the About Me page. You have even made me cry. And not that I mind, but what's with everyone except Karissa being anonymous? I kind of can figure out who everyone else is, but a few I'm unsure of. I kind of have to rethink what I'm going to write on Saturday. I kind of was expecting everyone to be a little snarkier, but I can definitely work with what you've given me. Friends, you have presented me with a challenge, and I gladly accept. It will be an honor to attempt to turn the writeup into something entirely about me, but probably less blatantly than Tyra Banks or Oprah Winfrey would do it. If I fail, it is because I can't think about myself without thinking about the people who have influenced who I am.
***
And, more from the fanmail files. This was to another author of an essay in the dad anthology I've mentioned. Her name is Alice Bradley. I only went to her site the first time to get her contact information, and I also happened to catch a glimpse of a Twitter post about Barbara Kingsolver. This is what I wrote:
And then I went back to read her blog. And it made my heart hurt for her. And then I felt bad, so I wrote her again:
Alice, my email to you on Sunday was based solely on my impressions from your essay in the dad book. It might have been too peppy, too unaware. Please don't kick my teeth in. (I thought I was the only one with that preference of violence.) I hadn't yet begun to read your blog. I'm new to your blog. I'm sorry if I seemed insensitive in that email, but mostly, I'm sorry you're going through a hard time right now. I cannot imagine personally what it feels like to experience such loss, but I can be supportive. I don't know you, but I support you.
Then, she actually wrote back:
Oh, May, you weren't insensitive! No problem, truly. Thanks for
understanding that I can't write the most detailed response right now.
Thank you for your emails, too. Both were kind of adorable.
Best,
ab
It continues to blow my mind what kind of a world is out there. All those people, the lives they lead. And to think a lot of the people I don't really know out there have similar experiences to the people I do know. They remind me of my friends. And I think, hey, maybe if I give so-and-so the link to this other person's blog, maybe so-and-so can offer some relevant advice and encouragement or take comfort in not being alone in this world. Just in case. Present the opportunity which they can both turn down, but at least it's out there. The option exists.
Okay, I'm diving into my computer to find a faux-toe to post.
For some reason, I can't wait to see this photo. The last time I saw it was at a friend's bridal shower the summer of 2002, and I took the yearbook and jumped behind a chair to hide. And I was crying for laughing so hard from embarrassment. It's seriously cringeworthy.
Speaking of cringing, there's a place in Brooklyn where the first Wednesday of each month people gather to read embarrassing stories from their teenage journals to each other. The function is actually called Cringe, and I totally want to go. Not necessarily to read, but to bask in those phenomenally humiliating memories. Besides, I don't know where my old journals are. They're in Florida, but I don't have a clue as to their exact location.
I'm supposed to run a 10K on Saturday. I think I'm going to follow through with it. I went for 44 minutes today, and another 20 would have put me pretty close. So, the goal this time is to finish. Not with a flourish, necessarily, but definitely cross that finish line.
Remember last week when I did those pushups? Three sets of 10? Remember when I foretold my soreness? Remember how I'm second-day sore? Well, my left pectoral has been bugging me this past week. In fact, my entire left shoulder girdle is wonky. I've been stretching, and I did some pushups today, so we'll see if consistent activity will do the trick.
I'm going to search for a photo to post. I'm on a runner's high. I love the world like you wouldn't believe.
- Mood:
runner's high - hee!
The park was beautiful this evening. I can't believe how out of shape I am. I did three sets of 10 pushups, and I know I won't be able to do so much as open a door in the morning. That's okay. Tonight's run has made me realize how much I need to clear my mind. Or at least focus my thoughts.
I saw two things on the subway today. This morning on my way to work from seminary, I saw what must have been the hairiest man I have ever seen. Probably of thousands of jokes exist about the missing link, but this man, he was no joke. I was standing right next to him on the 2 train. He was wearing a polo shirt. He had dark hair that was greying. I happened to look down at his arm, and then I was confused, because my mind went to a kitchen place where they keep steel wool under the sink, you know, in the case of those especially tough stains. That man's arm could scour my pots and pans. Oh man. He had little tufts sticking out from the vee at the front of his shirt, and even at the back of his collar. I did not even want to think about his back. Ew, people.
On my way to the park after work, I was just minding my own business on the train when I felt a tap on my shoulder. It was a friend from all the way uptown. We talked for a couple minutes until she had to get off a couple stops later. I was glad to see her. If I still lived up in that neighborhood, it wouldn't be as big of a deal. But, when you've joined a couple million commuters at the end of the day, it really helps to see a familiar face.
72 degrees today. It's hard being cranky on a Monday when it's so, so beautiful outside.
- Mood:
nervous
I cannot describe what it looks like when I walk. Words further escape me when it comes to how my legs feel.
Fire comes to mind.
So does tearing.
Snap would be a fitting word, if you imagine the muscle fibers bundled as cables pulled so tightly and stiff, the smallest bit of weight pushed upon them feels as if it would snap my legs. Like twigs. Like kindling. See how well that plays into the fire image?
My legs'll be a lot better tomorrow. No big deal.
Now, for some photos ...
May did not bring her camera to the race, so she couldn't take pictures of the other runners huddled around patio heaters like rotisserie chickens waiting for the race to begin. She couldn't take pictures of the fireworks that exploded in the clear, blue 7am sky after the starting gun. She couldn't take pictures of the local bands that marked every mile or so, or the fans holding encouraging signs for their friends and family, or that one "You're crazy!" sign that made her chuckle.
She did walk from the finish line to her hotel room and grabbed her camera, first thing. She balanced the camera on the bed's headboard and started snapping away. Lest you think she got carried away with the digital montagerie, she reined it in. She stopped before she put the lampshade on her head, or before she collapsed in utter fatigue. You will not see photos of her in a pile on the floor, face pruning in her own drool and sweat. Thank goodness, right?
What the heck is this pose? Did she get an idea? Is she calling a waiter? Is she testing your eyesight? How many fingers is she holding up? What is with the cheesy-rama smile? and the one-arm akimbo? Is she doing the Lindy hop? the Charleston?
She did decide to experiment with poses. Also, she was getting used to the timer on the camera, this is one of those moments that she seriously considered deleting.
Or, maybe she was just trying too hard not to collapse in an exhausted heap on the floor. See the forced smile? the clenched fist with the too-straight pointer? the slightly-crossed eyes? At this point, her feet were very, very tired. She shifted to one foot and counterbalanced her arms, so she wouldn't tip the heck over.
Aww, poor May. Looks like she's very tired. Or, had no one to snuggle with on Valentine's Day, which was only 3 days before. No arms akimbo! As much as she likes the word akimbo, she can't bring herself to do it any longer. Like the race. She was quite strong for 15K, but then she completely tuckered out of the last 3 miles.
Somewhere between miles 10 and 12, she approached an underpass. She was coughing, she had trouble breathing, and she was this close to cursing however many more hills were coming up. The band at the underpass resembled Hanson with the young kids and being plugged in. The music echoed around her. Bystanders called her name (which they read on her bib) and cheered for her. Everyone else's energy pushed her along. Suddenly a wave of emotion washed over her, and she began to cry.
Come on, May!
That's the ticket! Look, she doesn't even have to rest her hands on her hips! And she's making a tough face. With duck lips, sort of. The medal is hanging at a weird angle, but does she care? Heck no. She found a second wind, just like the race. The last quarter mile, she went from a slow trot to a moderate canter. She laughed at the guy passing her on the other half of the course rounding the corner to finish his marathon. Anyway, as she was rounding the final bend, she dug deep and cranked out what little bit she had left. She passed about 10 people in the last hundred yards before crossing the finish line. Eat her dust, other slow runners!
Starting to wind down again. One arm akimbo. Medal is off; her legs couldn't handle the weight. Her legs might be on fire, but she seems to think she's pretty hot. Smoldering.
But tired. And maybe a bit over the top. BECAUSE SHE'S SORE AND DELIRIOUS.
She did it, though. She's done, for now.
- Mood:
a little obnoxious
I'm done. Finished.
Super-slow time, but it was fun.
And the country is beautiful.
Yeah, a nice, descriptive post should be forthcoming.
Now, to hydrate.
How did I do this two years ago?
race is in an hour. it's 42 degrees right now, but it'll warm up to 68 by this afternoon.
the hard core runners should be loving this.
i'm wearing a pullover on the way there, shedding it before the gun.
gonna take in the scenery and sunshine and have some fun.
gonna take it easy, too.
- Mood:
here we go!
 | |
|
Hee. I make myself laugh. Around Christmastime I receive a mass email, which I believe to be a nice gesture anyway, and this is all it said:
Dear Friends,
From all of us at PattyGriffin.com, here's wishing each of you a wonderful 2008! May all your dreams come true.
Thanks for all your support.
PGteamPal
It's not too much of an embellishment, is it?
More honestly, NUMBER TWO:
From: AT&T Austin Marathon (timing@run-far.com)
To: myemail@noneofyourbusiness.com
Date: Friday, February 8, 2008 12:19:08 PM
Subject: AT&T Austin Marathon and Half Marathon
*** PLEASE PRINT THIS EMAIL NOTICE AND BRING TO THE EXPO. ***
You will need to know your bib number at packet pick up.
Thank you for your entry into the AT&T Austin Marathon and Half Marathon.
The following shows how your entry has been processed:
BIB: H0737
Race: Half Marathon
Name: May A.
Address:
Not a cardboard box on a subway platform
New York, NY Part Binary Code
Age: 31(not friend-locked for the entire world to see) Sex: Female (again, not friend-locked ...) Age Group: Women 30 to 34 (glad they figured that one out)
T Shirt: S
Please verify your personal chip is correct:
(A chip will be provided if you do not own a chip) - does a personal chip on my shoulder count?
Race day results will be posted at www.attaustinmarathon.com
You may also verify your registration and sign up for text messaging at www.mychiptime.com.
Please let us know if corrections are needed by replying to this email.
If you have other questions regarding the marathon, please send them to info@attaustinmarathon.com
How many steps is the half-marathon?
Can I curse at people when they pass me?
Will you have steak at the water stations?
Packet Pickup & Expo Schedule
The Oroweat Health & Fitness Expo - What is Oroweat Health? Is that better than optimal health?
All participants must go to the expo to pick up their packets. "Must"? You're gonna force me?
Hours:
Friday, February 15th from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, February 16th from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Location:
Palmer Events Center
900 Barton Springs Rd.
Austin, TX. 78704
Thank you and have a great race! - You're welcome, and I plan on it! But stop yelling at me!
It's 63 degrees outside. Yes, right now. Yes, I just returned from a run. Wearing short sleeves and shorts. Some people shot me strange looks. 3.75 miles, consisting mostly of sprinties and stopping my watch at don't-walk signals. My mean (not unnice) running time was 34:13, which puts me at a 9:05 mile, which means I can run a faster race if I do bursts in intervals, slowing down or resting in between. So, I don't know what I'm going to do for the half-marathon. That's about 4 times farther than my distance today, and I don't know if my body will pull me to the side of the road and shake some sense into me. My body and mind have mostly recovered from Saturday's long run; I'll go out again tomorrow and I'll see if I can go for solid two hours on Saturday. I just hope the weather cooperates.
I just finished the Little House episode where Mary Ingalls goes blind. What is it about that show? Every episode I'm nearly busting a gut or uncontrollably crying. Yes, Mary had scarlet fever when she was younger, and it weakened the nerves in her eyes, and her eyesight was gradually deteriorating, so she got glasses. They worked for a while. Mary's next eye exam looked pretty grim. The doctor told Charles, and Charles denied it. He didn't tell Mary for three weeks, but finally he told her, with all the struggle and pain of a helpless father. It was getting close to Mary's teacher certification exam, and one morning she wakes up and calls to her pa. It's dark. She can't see. She's scared. Her dreams of teaching are dashed. She feels sorry for herself for a while, like, she's a total brat, and her parents decide to send her to a school for the blind in Iowa, where they held the first blind caucuses. (Hee.) She's pretty stubborn at the school for the first while, but then she learns she can be just as productive as when she could see, and she's Adam's star pupil. Mary graduates from the school, and Adam tells her he's going to Wyoming to start his own school for the blind and invites Mary to go. They've fallen in love. Mary tells her parents who were picking her up to go back to Walnut Grove, and Caroline starts crying. Charles tells her not to be sad, but Caroline's so happy for Mary's opportunity to teach! I have the biggest girl crush on Caroline Ingalls, by the way. Charles and Caroline talk, and they decide to sell the farm and follow Mary to Iowa! What?! They head back to Walnut Grove to try sell what they can. No one has work in WG; the area is suffering from a recession. They should consider lowering interest rates. Mary was nominated for an Emmy for this episode, by the way. Then, the episode ends. What? Why'd they do that? What's season 5 going to be like? The show lasted 9 seasons, and Laura's character needs to develop more, and Carrie the Prop has gotten more speaking lines, and a brand new baby girl - the 4th - was born in season 4, too. I had no idea I'd love this show so much.
My roommate did a little bit of political trash talking via text messaging yesterday:
Roommate: I just heard obama say 'a whole nother'. Sorry.
Me: He was probably flustered at seeing hillary cry like ricky. Again.
On Sunday, I was talking to my roommate, I don't even remember about what, and she told me as I paused, "You just said, 'a whole other.' That's so cool." Hey, what can I say.
I told the other seminary teacher today the story of how my roommate, who's a registered Republican, seemed to be the only of her kind in her voting district. The volunteers accidentally put her name on the DEM clipboard, which she corrected, and the voting machine was set to vote for Democrats. She had to explain she was a registered REP, but the voting booth folks didn't quite catch that at first and told her she couldn't cross party lines to vote. It took three people and 20 minutes to understand her REP status and adjust the settings in the voting booth. Once that was done, my roommate stepped in and voted. Ten seconds, tops.
So the other seminary teacher told me the story of how the voting station for her district is right across from her apartment. She told the volunteer her address, and he looked on a list and told her she was supposed to vote somewhere else. She's a lawyer, so she asserted the impossibility of her voting at another location. The volunteer checked again and confirmed she was in the right place. How weird.
This led to the other seminary teacher to ask if I didn't vote.
Did you not vote?
-I'm not a citizen of this country.
Really?
-It's a convoluted story. I'm a citizen of the Philippines, I was born there.
Oh, I see.
-My dad's American, and he was in the Navy.
You're dad's American? Shouldn't you be a citizen, then?
-Hmm. Well --
Is he not your biological dad -
-He's not my biological dad. He was supposed to adopt me, but I don't think he knew that.
Wow, I didn't know that.
-Yeah, I'm going to be working on getting naturalized.
You're going to have to take the test -
-I'll have to take the test, get sworn in, all that.
That's really interesting.
I want to pass this along; I thought it was fantastic, and grateful for things that make me smile, for their brilliance in simplicity. Thanks, Lisa.
- Mood:
accomplished
You need to understand how awesome long runs are. This was so much different than my longer runs around the neighborhood. Traffic always worked against me; I always got 45-second breaks waiting on a walk signal.
So, it was a straight 10.25 miles. At mile 8.5 is a pretty steep hill where I stopped for about a minute to catch my breath and stretch a little.
The scenery was beautiful, with the bare trees and quiet of the river and the straw-colored grass. The temperature was about 40 degrees, and I warmed up nicely. It was a nice, slow run, about a 10:30 pace. I put a Clif bar in my pocket, just in case I got hungry along the way.
I ran up to my old chapel up in Inwood. I saw a few people I know and chatted with them a bit. I took the train home.
Biking total for the week: 16M
Running total for the week: 16M
Total exercise miles: 32
Y'all, my body is tired. But at least I know I can run 10 miles continuously.
More to write. I attended the live broadcast of President Hinckley's funeral. It was incredible.
- Mood:
exhausted
Course: to 29th Street and 1st Avenue, to that hospital; cross town to 9th Avenue
Weaving between 8th and 9th Aves from 30th to 38th
Back across town to 5th Ave
Up to 42nd Street
East to Madison
Up to 53rd Street
Back to 5th Avenue
Down to 45th Street
Weather: clear, 43 degrees
Time: 58 minutes
I wore clothes perfect for a 30 degree run. As I crossed town the first town, I had to shed my gloves, my headband which was around my neck, and my earmuffs. My original plan was to go all the way to 11th Avenue, but I got a bad feeling about that, so 9th was the farthest west I felt I should go. I figured there'd be enough people, but I wasn't sure there would be enough witnesses. Better safe than sorry.
Two phrases I'm very obnoxious about saying. It has become a habit, and I don't know how to stop.
"I [insert any verb] that SO MUCH!" I say this at the television constantly. I say this at church. I say this to myself at work. I say this at restaurants. Stores. It doesn't matter what it is, really. I love curtains SO MUCH! I abhor the recession SO MUCH! I can eat pickles SO MUCH! I want to scuba dive SO MUCH!
"Your mom ..." This is so ridiculous. It said a la Napoleon Dynamite. "Your mom is a Democrat." "Your mom makes omelets." "Your mom stands in toe shoes." I'll interject this into any part of a conversation. This usually happens at home, with my roommate. If I'm in a public or social setting, I'll mutter it under my breath.
I hate that habit SO MUCH. Your mom is a habit. ...
One thing I have to admit. "Training" turns me off. I remember back when I used to run a lot a couple of years ago, I did it for fun. It was fun. I was enjoying myself, and I happened to be able to run for a couple of hours. It's definitely different. Maybe it's just that my body is still adjusting, and I'm racking up the miles a little more quickly this time; I've never exceeded 15 miles/week before two weeks ago, I think, and so my body probably perceives this as some sort of torture.
Last night, I went to a friend's up in Washington Heights for a little party. We had pizza and watched Harry Potter. They also had Oreos and donut holes. I helped myself to a little bit of everything. I stopped at two slices of pizza, even though I wanted more.
This morning I helped clean the church, then I went to brunch with another friend. We went to a cute place, and it was pretty good. I had an omelet with spinach and mushrooms and a mild cheese. My friend was still a little bit hungry, and I felt the same, so we headed to a crazy-cute coffee cafe for hot cocoa and a pastry. We had a great conversation.
Four hours passed from the time I stopped eating to when I started running. I hoped that was enough time for digestion. Along Central Park West, my stomach was feeling full and gurgly. I couldn't believe it. Let's just say I now know the value of jet propulsion. It was about as loud as a jet, too.
Why are my entries so crude lately?
Last week, I spotted two lookalike celebrities. One guy looked like Daniel Radcliffe. His eyebrows were better groomed than I've seen the actor's. I doubted it was him, because he looked too short. The other was a spooky resemblance of John McEnroe. I ran very quickly and quietly as I passed him. I didn't want him unleashing his wrath on me. In case it was him.
Today's actual celebrity sighting was Chris March from Project Runway. He was waiting to cross 14th Street at 6th Avenue. I had just crossed 6th Avenue and was on the same corner where he stood. I almost called out his name, but I thought better of it. Pretty cool, though.
Anyway.
Man, I am tired. I sauteed some mushrooms, then I put those between two pieces of toast spread with hummus. I love hummus.
Also? Nice rally, Barack. 55% is quite undeniable.
Warning, I'm fixing to post my running playlist. I have no explanation for some of the songs I chose. I don't need to defend myself; whatever motivates me to run is all that matters, right?
California Love - the most awesome Dr. Dre song ever Die Die Die - up-and-coming country; it's catchy Good - I miss Better Than Ezra Get Me Bodied - dance tune, a la Beyonce The Mating Game - kind of a dirty song, duh - the title? The Story - Brandi Carlisle is cool like Indigo Girls Believe - Cher Song For The Lonely - Cher with the modified techno voice. Woo! Let The Drummer Kick - Citizen Cope; this song was on SYTYCD The Christians And The Pagans - funny Dar Williams You Spin Me Round (Like A Record) - I (heart) the 80s Suspicious Minds - Elvis moves my hips. Um. Lose Yourself - Eminem (Edited Version) - Good beat and message A Little Respect - who doesn't like Erasure? The Rockafeller Skank - "right about now" I could use an aspirin Whistle for the Choir - cute, fun song; Fratellis The Sweet Escape - I have a girl crush on Gwen, too Run - Indigo Girls; dude, they're telling me to run! A Little Bit More - it's on that one Target commercial Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet is cool; I know you know What You Are - random Joan Osborne My Love - JT makes me want to move, too Footloose - Kenny Loggins and Kevin Bacon. Come on, now! Mr. Brightside - Yay, The Killers! Somebody Told Me - more Killers! Read My Mind - Kill, Kill, Killers! Smile - Ah, Lilly Allen. Not to be confused with Amy Winehouse I Alone - Live Lightning Crashes - takes me back to real rockin' male writers I Lost It - Lucinda Williams and her catchy funk Joy - more with the funk Bye Bye Bye - *N Sync? Don't tell anyone! I Want You Back - the secret's hard to keep, right? Pop - who didn't watch this boy band evolve? Hey Ya! - Funnest Outkast song ever! Sorry, Ms. Jackson. Chief - Of course I'm including Patty Getting Ready - to run, of course! Heavenly Day - hopefully it will be! | No Bad News - like snow or allergens! Wiggley Fingers - Girl Power Patty Moses - cross this sea of loneliness; a runner's path Every Little Bit - stay untold by the truth; I am sold by a lie ... Poor Man’s House - thinking about my Middleburg neighborhood Moon Song - for night runs. "The moon's gonna follow me home." Don’t Cha - sorry guys. Pussycat dolls; don't cha want this song? Man on the Moon - I want to be Michael Stipe's friend What’s the Frequency, Kenneth? - I still don't know who Kenneth is Losing My Religion - is that the "it" Lucinda sings about? There, There - relatively recent, fun Radiohead Fidelity - experimenting with some Regina Spektor Blackbird - Sarah McLachlan cover; lovely tune Hips Don’t Lie - according to Shakira AND Elvis Chasing Cars - that's what I do! Run in NYC and see for yourself! Fly - Sugar Ray. Man, that guy is cute ... Falls Apart - as I would if I ever saw that man in person Cornflake Girl - bouncy Tori Amos; this song rocks America - Traci Chapman. Can't have too much girl power! Chariots of Fire - a MUST on every runner's playlist Breathe - Anna Nalick gives good running advice Everything You Want - I can't resist band names that are oxymorons The Freshman-for the life of me, I cannot remember why I chose this The World Has Turned - old Weezer; lead singer has solo release No Diggity - hey yo, hey yo, hey yo, hey yo ... Toxic - doesn't Britney make you want to ... flee? Baby One More Time - guilty pleasure; so sue me Come on Over- Xtina seems to be doing things right; I'll endorse that Wind It Up - more Gwen; girl crush over Tattoo - Jordin Sparks! I'm such a dork. Suddenly I See - KT. She's fun Black Horse and the Cherry Tree - the allegory of my life Beautiful Stranger - techno Madonna, woo! Like a Prayer - longest song. Don't perform this for karaoke Path of Thorns - early Sarah McLachlan I Will Not Forget You - from her 2nd album Head Over Feet - angsty girl music is great for running Ironic - if I run for my health and a car kills me You Oughta Know - but I don't, and I'm sorry Hand in My Pocket - the other one's holding a stopwatch |
I was going to run 5 miles tonight, but something came over me during the day, and I don't feel so hot. It's my fault I have a throbbing headache, and it's my fault my calves are tight. I don't mean sexy, either. This time. At least today.
Today, someone ordered in lunch for a coworker who's retiring soon. Sandwiches and salad and cake. Everything was really quite good. I had a sandwich with some roast beef on it, and it was fine. I had some macaroni salad, 2 small helpings. I had one teeny piece of cake. It was a white cake with buttercream chocolate frosting. I am generally not a fan of the buttercream, as it's mostly shortening and sugar with a little bit of flavoring. So, I hesitantly bit into the frosting of the cake today, and moved it around in my mouth, and I was very pleasantly surprised. It was real butter. It tastes like the very beginnings of any cookie recipe, where you cream together the butter and sugar, reach into the bowl and scoop a fingerful of the sinful stuff, suck every molecule of tastiness from your finger, and collapse to the floor in a sugar coma. I guess I'm fighting the sugar coma right now. I'm coming up on a gallon of water today so far. Dilute. Sugar. Now.
My calves have been tight all day. I'm afraid of tearing them. And last night, I felt an ever-so-slight pull in my right knee. NO. Injury, do not piss me off, okay? Right now, I'm also drinking a sports drink (the "Go Grape" variety), charged with electrolytes, hopefully so that the chemistry can reach somewhat of an equilibrium and my body can relax.
So, I'm going to try running in the morning, before work, just a few miles, then I'll rest up for a nice, long run on Saturday.
- Mood:
isn't his cussing funny?
Distance | 5.25M |
Route | The usual |
Weather | Clear, 25 degrees |
Time | 54 minutes |
I might have actually covered more ground, considering when the traffic light told me "don't walk," I'd turn the corner and run halfway down the avenue and back until the walk signal changed. The above seems a pretty honest accounting. I trust I'll speed it up on Wednesday, relax the pace on Thursday, and see if I can put away 10 miles on Saturday. That'll put me back over 20 miles for the week.
About a half mile of Park Avenue does not have walk signals. Sure, it has traffic lights, but you're crossing at your own risk anywhere between 45th and 55th Streets. I suppose anyone who rents or owns property on that stretch would probably be able to pay for any suits, medical expenses, grievances, etc. of any accident. While the sidewalks are wide and clean and less crowded, the intersections scare me.
Today is the 21st. 10 days until February, plus 29 of those days is 39 days, plus 31 days of March is 70 days, plus 3 days into April. Why, Sarah's right: 73 days.
Today is the 21st. 10 days until February, 17 days until the half-marathon. 27 days until the big race. 24 days until I arrive in Austin. My allergy medicine is ready.
I'm spitting less during my runs. I'm regulating my water intake more. At least 8 glasses a day. The nose inevitably gets drippy in cold weather though. So I end up doing the "farmer's blow" a few times. I feel like a cavewoman.
- Mood:
high and hyper - What's Playing?:South Carolina Democrat Debate
Also, I bought curtains.
Now, what's left on the list? Ah yes, the CDs. I'll get to that in a bit. I'm actually looking forward to that. I haven't flipped through my CDs in a long time.
Time to shower now.
- Mood: accomplished
- What's Playing?:HGTV
I will: run in the rain when it's at least 60 degrees.
I won't: run in the rain when it's 35 degrees.
I will: run when it's snowing.
I won't: run in a bikini when it's snowing.
I will: give you a shoulder rub if you ask me directly.
I won't: offer any of those services if you're passive-aggressive about it.
I will: always shave my armpits.
I won't: always shave my legs, especially during the winter.
I've been checking out the Austin Marathon site more frequently lately. Only 12,000 entrants total: 5,500 for the marathon and 6,500 for the half. Just over 4,400 were at Saturday's 5-miler. I'm glad it's not going to be very crowded in Austin.
Here's the course. I like this site. Austin seems pretty hilly, folks.
I went to the Active.com website to confirm my registration, and it didn't show up on my account. So I checked my credit card statement, and plain-as-day, my fee was paid. So I called someone just to make sure. The guy explained that I did register but the reason it didn't show up in my Active.com account is I signed up as a "guest" through the Austin Marathon site, instead of going directly through Active.com. So that's a relief. The customer service guy sounded like he was on some sort of stimulant. A lot of it. He had a very strong, quickly-paced voice. Friendly, though. He was very helpful.
Oh, the fun part of it. Here's a list of all the bands along the course. No wonder they prohibit mp3 players. That's going to be awesome:
| Mile | Band Name |
| 0.5 | BettySoo |
| 0.7 | Troy Cambell Band |
| 1.2 | Catch a Dream |
| 1.5 | Burton & the Freefallers |
| 1.8 | Cheryl Hill |
| 2.0 | Woode Wood (spot #1) |
| 2.5 | Abi Tapia |
| 3.5 | Complete Music Disc Jockey Service (spot #1) |
| 3.8 | Jansen Hawkins |
| 4.5 | Caribbean Cowgirl |
| 5.2 | Army and the Alibis |
| 6.0 | The Middlemen |
| 6.5 | Holy Hand Grenade (Austin School of Music Rock Camp) |
| 7.3 | Jason Freed |
| 7.8 | Mopac and the Blue Suburbans |
| 8.3 | KLBJ-FM Radio |
| 8.8 | Wood and Wire |
| 9.3 | Stormin' Norman DJ |
| 9.5 | Rain on Mars |
| 11.0 | Tombstone Bullies |
| 12.5 | Red Line Riot |
| 10.7 | Rhett Lee |
| 11.2 | Funk Shui |
| 11.7 | Reagan High School |
| 12.7 | Travis Fiddlers |
| 13.7 | Leo Rondeau |
| 15.5 | Jay Clement |
| 15.7 | 2 Bag Pipers (Names TBD) |
| 16.7 | KGSR-FM Radio |
| 17.5 | A Texas Fight |
| 19.5 | Milhouse |
| 20.5 | Carson Brock |
| 21.0 | Satisfied Drive |
| 21.2 | David Pena |
| 23.2 | SuperCrash |
| 24.2 | The Shawn Fussell Band |
| 24.7 | Artillery Band |
| 25.0 | Complete Music Disc Jockey Service (spot #2) |
| 25.3 | The Humiliators |
| 25.5 | Primm |
| 25.8 | Woode Wood (spot #2) |
Don't the 2 bag pipers look intriguing? So much mystery, TBD.
Folks, I should have run Monday instead of Tuesday. Tonight was a difficult 5. Ah well. Weather was great, 35 degrees. Running in cooler weather is nice. They say when you're out exercising, you should dress for 20 degrees warmer. So, it's no wonder I've been perspiring like my first spelling bee. Too many layers!
Should I run tomorrow, then rest Friday? Well, I'm definitely resting Friday, because I have a long run planned for Saturday. So I'll take it a bit more easy tomorrow.
Sarah, FYI, the MOMA is FREE on Fridays, sponsored by the bull's-eye competitors of Sam Walton's little monster. I am eagerly anticipating your visit. Which will not be in the middle of winter. We gotta make sure you're not too cold to walk around.
Why does Ricky keep not getting kicked off of Project Runway? What's the deal, people? Do we really need to see him crying every single week?
- Mood: tired
I went to the MOMA on Friday. That's a terrific place. I love the sensory overload. I love the textures and media and all the colors. I love the section of the museum that feels like an IKEA showroom. They have an exhibit there now of the Helvetica font. It's pretty cool. You should go check it out.
Starry Night is there, as well as a few other Van Gogh works. His stuff up close is really impressive. Yeah, duh. It's fascinating the how the eyes follow the brush strokes.
Oh, Mitt. Come on, now. For those of you who were skeptical about his being too perfect, there's your little chink in his armor. Michigan doesn't seem to think his embellishment matters much. Of course, that was his daddy's state. Same daddy who apparently didn't march with Dr. King.