Saturday, February 02, 2008

Gravity and Weekend Update

I had a little trouble with gravity this past week. No, I didn’t fall or anything like that. Thankfully, my klutzy moves are rare (thanks for putting me in ballet class, Mom and Dad!). But by the latter part of the week I really found myself dragging, as if I had somehow become much more susceptible to gravity than usual. Several of my co-workers felt the same way, so maybe it really was a gravity problem. It’s as good an excuse as any, I suppose.

I was worried that my gravity problem would affect this morning’s long run so I was careful to plot a route that would take me through some areas I hadn’t been in awhile, to keep my focus on something other than being tired. This trick worked and I had a very pleasant run that went mostly through Montrose with a stop at my favorite cemetery to visit the grave of the girls killed in the hurricane of 1900.

There’s another grave at this cemetery that I find interesting. It looks like a tallish tree stump, and in addition to the name and dates of the deceased, it bears the seal of the International Woodmen of the World. But what I found more thought-provoking was the plaque added much later by the Houston Police Department. It stated that the deceased, who was 31 at the time of his death, was a police officer killed in the line of duty. We tend to think of our own time as the only one filled with random social violence, so it was an interesting reminder that there’s really no such thing as a more innocent time. Here’s a little info on Officer Cain, if anyone is interested.

This evening I’m still feeling full after all the Indian food I ate for lunch. I’m being tempted by the banana bread I made last night, though, and I might succumb pretty soon. I’ve been perfecting my recipe and this time I added ground hazelnuts, which was a good move.

I don’t have much planned for Sunday, other than the usual round of cooking, errands and working out. I hope I don’t have to contend with a lot of pre-Superbowl crowds at Central Market, stocking up on deli food and such.

And finally, in other weekly wrap-up news, I have a story published in the February issue of Flash Fiction Online. Go check it out if you have the time, and read the other fine stories there, too!

That’s all for now. The husband is home and destroying my concentration. Is it any wonder I have trouble writing until after he’s gone to bed?

This Week's Workouts
Monday: none; too much going on at work
Tuesday: 5 mile run
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical followed by weights and abs
Thursday: 60 minute spin followed by weights and abs
Friday: scheduled rest day
Saturday: 15.5 mile run

13 comments:

the Bag Lady said...

Hi, BG - just curious - how long does it take you to run 5 miles?
Interesting stuff about the cemetery. How many girls were killed in the hurricane?
Just full of questions today, aren't I?

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

BL- If I'm only running 5 miles, it takes about 45 minutes. If the 5 miles are part of a longer run, it can take about 50-52, depending on the length of the overall run, which affects the pace I choose.

The grave is one I mentioned in post last summer-- two sisters, one 15 the other 13.

Anonymous said...

Not a rabbit? It's your lucky day. Trevor Wolff does NOT do animals, no matter how much Mitchell begs me to. He just wants to laugh, the fucker.

Now say you want to rub that rabbit's soft fur all over me and you've got a deal. You get to wash it when we're done.

RG said...

Well, gosh ...

Gravity is after us all! It's an endless struggle, eh?

Congrats on the story there ...

Virginia Lee said...

Ha! I must have known psychically that you made banana bread because I was compelled to get bananas at the store. I got more than we need to snack on so I could make banana oatmeal bread which is one of our favorite and healthiest indulgences.

BG, what's your stretching routine before having a run? Do you focus primarily on your legs or do you stretch your torso, back and arms too? I'm wondering as I'm increasing my walking each day and have reached the point where I realize I need to warm up effectively before moving too much.

Ann (bunnygirl) said...

VL, I actually do most of my stretching afterwards. For warmup, I only stretch if there's a problem area that morning, such as calves or hamstrings. I walk a little to warm up and take my first half mile after that at a slow jog.

I used to stretch a lot and get frequent massages, but I do very little of that now and have had less trouble with injuries in the last couple years. I would hesitate to say whether it's correllation or causation, though.

Reb said...

Gravity problems - I like that. It sounds much better than being tired. Glad your trick worked, it sounds like an interesting cemetery.

Anonymous said...

LOL, gravity problems! It's funny, because the day you posted this, I had gravity problems on my hike. My danged backpack felt like it weighed four hundred pounds. And today? No problemo! :)

And Indian food... I love Indian food!

Anonymous said...

well several times i've posted how much you encourage me... then back in july i adopted a ridgeback dog and the coordinator who worked with me is a runner (she just did the miami marathon). She came over today and got me started on my free weights with proper form and combination of exercises. and i'm walking and on a new eating regimen. thanks for your consistency and encouraging posts!

as for gravity... reminded me of this:
http://icanhascheezburger.com/2008/01/02/funny-pictures-you-win-this-time-gravity/

Vickie said...

I love old cemeteries. And the 1900 hurricane I have read about, so it must be a little bittersweet looking at the girls' graves. We have one old one here that I frequent because of a family member buried there. I always find it fascinating to see how many young children died after settling the area. It makes me thankful for our technology and clean water and medicine.

Chris Eldin said...

Sounds like an awesome run! I would've stopped and browsed for a long time.

Oh....the husband is a curious creature filled with many distraction devices.
:-)

MaoMao said...

Gravvity problems? Hmmm! Maybe that's why I can't jump as good as Dorydoo can! Gravity likes me bettur than it likes her! (dang...)

Kittyhugs and purrs from MaoMao!

Crabby McSlacker said...

I just read this post after getting back from a run, and it was great timing because I, too, had unexpected gravity problems!

Funny thing was I was all psyched for a great run, the weather was good--but I kinda lumbered along in slow motion for the first 20 minutes. Fortunately it got better and I finished up feeling much more perky.

And I'm with Thomma Lyn... mmmm, Indian food!