I don’t have much to say about today’s run. It was an easy 15, no new routes or anything. I have a little tightness in my hip tonight, but nothing like before, and I think some trigger point work will fix it. I’ve also been dealing with some pain on the top of my right foot, which is something I’m prone to. I think it’s tendonitis. I don’t know why I get it, but it happens so often that I know how to deal with it. More tape.
Anyone who has not yet bought stock in a kinesio and sport tape company should do so now!
My office move has still not happened. Our facilities guy keeps stringing me along, saying my furniture will get rearranged to my specs, and it will happen soon. But each time the date arrives, he’s got another reason why it can’t be done. I’m at the point where I want to just move in, anyway, but I know that as soon as I do that, one of two things will happen:
• The Great Missing Part will arrive and I’ll lose the better part of a workday while they rearrange my furniture and I have to put everything back in order again.
OR
• The facilities guy will feel like the pressure is off, the rearrangement will never happen, and I’ll have to sit with my back to the door FOREVER.
It’s frustrating, and worst of all, some people are acting like I’m trying to avoid moving. Nothing could be further from the truth. I have a lot of big plans for my new office and new role in our organization, and I can’t do what I want as long as I’m in my old workspace, where people keep calling me or coming by asking for help with things that are no longer my job. Basic customer service says I need to help, so I do. But it takes time from the things I’m supposed to be doing now, and so many things have changed that I’m really not able to be efficient in my old tasks, anyway. Every day I show up grumpy to still be in my old digs and I go home even grumpier.
So I’m rapidly being ground down by state university inefficiencies that make it take forever to do a very simple task, like rearrange some modular furniture. I’m trying to stick to my principles (I shouldn’t have to sit with my back to the door, and if they say they’ll fix it soon, they should fix it… soon), but I have a feeling I’ll be forced to cave on this issue soon.
If I do, I’ll just have my office door closed all the time. So there. We’ll see how much they like that!
In bunny news, Tidbit is becoming a mountaineer! Apparently she found a way onto the back of a rather large stuffed chair that’s tricky even for the cat. But she’s been in an adventurous mood lately, sneaking into the bedroom if the door is open for even a minute, and things like that. I guess she’s just feeling adventurous.
Recent Workouts
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 45 minute elliptical, with intervals
Wednesday: 30 minute elliptical, with intervals
Thursday: 40 minute spin
Friday: Rest
Today: 15 mile run
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Saturday, December 02, 2006
Getting Carried Away
First cold run of the season!
Feeling lazy, I got up later than I really should have and it took forever to get ready to head out the door. All that winter gear! And having to tape up, too! There are only two reasons why cold-weather running is not completely evil: less sweat and more pockets. I love my fleece vests for their pockets!
My plan for today was to do about 13 miles to Rice University, around Hermann park and home. I skimped on nutrition, since I really don’t need much for runs up to about 15 miles. I know it’s heresy to admit it, but I’ve trained my body over these past seven years to not need a constant calorie intake. I experiment with what kinds of food and drink work for longer distances, but I’ve found that almost anything is fine. I think my stomach is made of cast iron. It tolerates damn near anything. And I’m so used to running on low fuel that when I do fuel up, I can really go!
But I digress.
So I set out this morning, late, with only two little packets of Amino Vital, thinking I was going to run 13 miles. And then like a fool, I ran about 18.
See, when I got to Hermann Park, I decided to take a little jaunt on that bridle trail along the bayou I discovered a few weeks ago. I had cut my previous exploration short and now I wanted to see just how far that particular trail went. But to my disappointment, the trail was blocked at just the spot where I had stopped the previous time. So I crossed the bridge and started running back toward the park. I stopped at a water fountain along the way and noticed another little trail. I followed it, but it wasn’t very interesting. It led me to a sidewalk along a busy street and around the corner, back toward the park. It was longer than if I had stuck to the trail along the bayou, but was leading me nowhere new.
This could not be allowed.
So when I got back to where I could see the Shell station at MacGregor and Highway 288, I decided to see if the trails I thought ran along MacGregor were where I remembered. And they were! I had walked them once, many years ago, in a March of Dimes walk, but I hadn’t been entirely certain where to pick them up, it was so long ago. And I tend to be very cautious about running off toward parts unknown when I’m by myself. But this was too good to pass up, right?
So I ran along the MacGregor trails, having a great time. There are a lot of stately old homes along this street, mysteriously fallen into disrepair with peeling paint on the columns and weeds in the yards. But the bayou and trail are well-maintained, and I watched a chocolate lab chase egrets on the bank, near the water. And I saw an unfamiliar water bird. It was big and gray with a long pale beak. It was on the other side of the bayou, so I couldn’t get close enough to see it clearly. I wonder what kind of bird it was?
I ran what felt like about two miles, but as near as I can tell on Gmaps, it was more like a mile and a half, because I stopped just short of Scott street. By now I had the sense it was late. (I don’t run with a watch when I’m injured because it only tempts me to push too hard.) So even though I wanted to see if I could run all the way to University of Houston, today was definitely not the day. And there were no water fountains. In spite of the cool weather, I was getting thirsty. And I needed a restroom, too.
So I headed back to Hermann Park and availed myself of the clean restrooms and water fountains, which greatly improved my quality of life.
By now I was more than ready to be finished with my run. Once you have the sense that it’s late and you should’ve been home by now, it’s over. Getting your brain to shut up and let you enjoy your run is next to impossible. So I ran the four miles home from Hermann Park with a steady pep talk running through my head, wishing Dan would show up looking for me and take me home. I’ve never wished that before, but I was undernourished for a run of this distance and was tired, too. I had only slept three hours the night before.
So I was really glad to get home, and even happier to have no hip pain. Kinesio tape rocks! I may look like The Mummy, but I can run, so who cares! It was after 11:00, but I was able to ice down, shower, do my foam roller/stretching/leg massage thing, and get dolled up for lunch by just after noon. Not bad!
And then I spent most of the rest of the day sleeping. I needed it!
Today’s Workout
Long Run: ~18 miles
Feeling lazy, I got up later than I really should have and it took forever to get ready to head out the door. All that winter gear! And having to tape up, too! There are only two reasons why cold-weather running is not completely evil: less sweat and more pockets. I love my fleece vests for their pockets!
My plan for today was to do about 13 miles to Rice University, around Hermann park and home. I skimped on nutrition, since I really don’t need much for runs up to about 15 miles. I know it’s heresy to admit it, but I’ve trained my body over these past seven years to not need a constant calorie intake. I experiment with what kinds of food and drink work for longer distances, but I’ve found that almost anything is fine. I think my stomach is made of cast iron. It tolerates damn near anything. And I’m so used to running on low fuel that when I do fuel up, I can really go!
But I digress.
So I set out this morning, late, with only two little packets of Amino Vital, thinking I was going to run 13 miles. And then like a fool, I ran about 18.
See, when I got to Hermann Park, I decided to take a little jaunt on that bridle trail along the bayou I discovered a few weeks ago. I had cut my previous exploration short and now I wanted to see just how far that particular trail went. But to my disappointment, the trail was blocked at just the spot where I had stopped the previous time. So I crossed the bridge and started running back toward the park. I stopped at a water fountain along the way and noticed another little trail. I followed it, but it wasn’t very interesting. It led me to a sidewalk along a busy street and around the corner, back toward the park. It was longer than if I had stuck to the trail along the bayou, but was leading me nowhere new.
This could not be allowed.
So when I got back to where I could see the Shell station at MacGregor and Highway 288, I decided to see if the trails I thought ran along MacGregor were where I remembered. And they were! I had walked them once, many years ago, in a March of Dimes walk, but I hadn’t been entirely certain where to pick them up, it was so long ago. And I tend to be very cautious about running off toward parts unknown when I’m by myself. But this was too good to pass up, right?
So I ran along the MacGregor trails, having a great time. There are a lot of stately old homes along this street, mysteriously fallen into disrepair with peeling paint on the columns and weeds in the yards. But the bayou and trail are well-maintained, and I watched a chocolate lab chase egrets on the bank, near the water. And I saw an unfamiliar water bird. It was big and gray with a long pale beak. It was on the other side of the bayou, so I couldn’t get close enough to see it clearly. I wonder what kind of bird it was?
I ran what felt like about two miles, but as near as I can tell on Gmaps, it was more like a mile and a half, because I stopped just short of Scott street. By now I had the sense it was late. (I don’t run with a watch when I’m injured because it only tempts me to push too hard.) So even though I wanted to see if I could run all the way to University of Houston, today was definitely not the day. And there were no water fountains. In spite of the cool weather, I was getting thirsty. And I needed a restroom, too.
So I headed back to Hermann Park and availed myself of the clean restrooms and water fountains, which greatly improved my quality of life.
By now I was more than ready to be finished with my run. Once you have the sense that it’s late and you should’ve been home by now, it’s over. Getting your brain to shut up and let you enjoy your run is next to impossible. So I ran the four miles home from Hermann Park with a steady pep talk running through my head, wishing Dan would show up looking for me and take me home. I’ve never wished that before, but I was undernourished for a run of this distance and was tired, too. I had only slept three hours the night before.
So I was really glad to get home, and even happier to have no hip pain. Kinesio tape rocks! I may look like The Mummy, but I can run, so who cares! It was after 11:00, but I was able to ice down, shower, do my foam roller/stretching/leg massage thing, and get dolled up for lunch by just after noon. Not bad!
And then I spent most of the rest of the day sleeping. I needed it!
Today’s Workout
Long Run: ~18 miles
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Bunny, It's Cold Outside!
After days and days of warm temps and humidity, we finally got our first cold front.
It was 68 when I got to work this morning, and I felt foolish in my tights, wool skirt and sweater, carrying my coat. I didn't feel any better walking in behind a woman wearing a breezy summer skirt and sling-back pumps. Had she not read the same weather report I had?
The temperature dropped all morning and by noon was in the low 40s. By the time I left for home, it was in the 30s with winds gusting to 25 mph. I sure was glad to have my coat!
I wonder how Miss Summer fared?
Recent Workouts
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: rest, not feeling so good
Thursday: 35 minute spin
Sunday, November 26, 2006
Interesting
I got on the bike today, since I didn’t want to push my luck after yesterday's successful run. My back was taped, but not my leg. To my surprise, I found I was pedaling in a different way than usual. My right knee didn’t drift inward, and my left leg was doing more work. I hadn’t noticed in the past that my right leg usually pushed more than my left, but now it was very obvious.
Have I been doing this on the run—pushing harder with my right side than my left? It would explain a lot about the recurring tendonitis in my right hip, wouldn’t it?
Biomechanics are a funny thing.
Today’s Workout
90 minute bike -- Spinervals
Have I been doing this on the run—pushing harder with my right side than my left? It would explain a lot about the recurring tendonitis in my right hip, wouldn’t it?
Biomechanics are a funny thing.
Today’s Workout
90 minute bike -- Spinervals
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Success
I’m having some interesting results with the kinesio taping.
My tape arrived just before Thanksgiving, along with so many other things I had ordered as Christmas gifts, that it took three trips to get everything up the stairs. Naturally, one of the first items of business was to tape myself up and see how it felt to run. I did 9 miles on Thursday, with no hip pain.
So today, the plan was for more tape, and more running. I picked out a 12 mile route, but went on and did 15. Still no hip pain. I think I may be on to something!
Here’s what’s interesting, though. Since I started taping (first with ordinary sport tape, and now the kinesio), I’ve had zero low back pain, but my quads are killing me! I’ve always had weak quads, an odd thing in a runner. Even at the peak of my triathlon and weightlifting obsession a few years ago, my quads remained stubbornly weak in comparison to everything else.
And now that I’m taping, my quads are really getting a workout. I can only conclude that there was something in my biomechanics that was causing me to use every other muscle but my quads, thus perhaps leading to the hip trouble.
So what am I taping? Lower back, for starters. I have some instability there that core work hasn’t seemed to help. The tape should help make my core work more effective by making it harder to inadvertently use one muscle group to the exclusion of the others, which is what is probably happening.
And I’m also taping my right IT band, all the way down my thigh to my knee. I suspect this is overkill, but until my taping manuals arrive this week, I’ll stick to what seems to be helping.
In the meantime, my new Julstro book arrived, and it’s full of new trigger point therapies that I’m looking forward to torturing myself with. I already had the e-books, but it’s really hard to read the computer screen when you’re on the floor with a tennis ball digging into your thigh.
So at this juncture, I feel like I’m back on track for the marathon in January. I’m not cured, and for the short term it looks like I’m going to be a little slower on my pace and a lot quicker to tire because of the extra work my quads are doing now. But my gait feels more efficient, and I’m optimistic.
Yeah, yeah, I should be seeing a professional. Find me one who will do more than slap electrodes on me and charge a $40 co-pay per visit for the privilege of not fixing my problem, and we’ll talk. Tonight I don’t have so much as a hint of an ache in my hip—first time in about three weeks. As long as I don’t go creating entirely new injuries for myself, I think I’m back in business!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 9 mile run
Friday: Scheduled rest day
Saturday: 15 mile run
My tape arrived just before Thanksgiving, along with so many other things I had ordered as Christmas gifts, that it took three trips to get everything up the stairs. Naturally, one of the first items of business was to tape myself up and see how it felt to run. I did 9 miles on Thursday, with no hip pain.
So today, the plan was for more tape, and more running. I picked out a 12 mile route, but went on and did 15. Still no hip pain. I think I may be on to something!
Here’s what’s interesting, though. Since I started taping (first with ordinary sport tape, and now the kinesio), I’ve had zero low back pain, but my quads are killing me! I’ve always had weak quads, an odd thing in a runner. Even at the peak of my triathlon and weightlifting obsession a few years ago, my quads remained stubbornly weak in comparison to everything else.
And now that I’m taping, my quads are really getting a workout. I can only conclude that there was something in my biomechanics that was causing me to use every other muscle but my quads, thus perhaps leading to the hip trouble.
So what am I taping? Lower back, for starters. I have some instability there that core work hasn’t seemed to help. The tape should help make my core work more effective by making it harder to inadvertently use one muscle group to the exclusion of the others, which is what is probably happening.
And I’m also taping my right IT band, all the way down my thigh to my knee. I suspect this is overkill, but until my taping manuals arrive this week, I’ll stick to what seems to be helping.
In the meantime, my new Julstro book arrived, and it’s full of new trigger point therapies that I’m looking forward to torturing myself with. I already had the e-books, but it’s really hard to read the computer screen when you’re on the floor with a tennis ball digging into your thigh.
So at this juncture, I feel like I’m back on track for the marathon in January. I’m not cured, and for the short term it looks like I’m going to be a little slower on my pace and a lot quicker to tire because of the extra work my quads are doing now. But my gait feels more efficient, and I’m optimistic.
Yeah, yeah, I should be seeing a professional. Find me one who will do more than slap electrodes on me and charge a $40 co-pay per visit for the privilege of not fixing my problem, and we’ll talk. Tonight I don’t have so much as a hint of an ache in my hip—first time in about three weeks. As long as I don’t go creating entirely new injuries for myself, I think I’m back in business!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 9 mile run
Friday: Scheduled rest day
Saturday: 15 mile run
Thursday, November 23, 2006
Happy Thanksgiving!
Among her many blessings, Tidbit is thankful for YOU, her friends.
Here's wishing a bountiful Thanksgiving Day to you all!
Monday, November 20, 2006
Random Monday Stuff
I did an experiment Sunday, taping my IT band before my run, just to see how it would go. It felt great, but the tape lost its stickiness around mile four. But I had no hip pain during or after the run, so it was a qualified success, and I have ordered some Kinesio tape and books that will show me the correct way to use it. I also have a book on order from Julstro to help with trigger points, so we’ll see how all of this goes. (Note: I have one of the older Julstro books and it’s been a sanity-saver!)
All this stuff costs about as much as three co-pays to a physical therapist who probably won’t make any attempt to fix my real issues. I’ve been running for nearly seven years now and the only success I've ever had with soft tissue injuries was when I quit trying to get "help" and just used my own good sense and whatever informational resources I could get my hands on. I wish I had confidence in professionals, but I just don't any more. Massage excepted, of course. And no, I still haven’t gone to see Mary. This might be a good week for it, though.
I had a visitor on Sunday. There is an orange cat who lives downstairs, and we’ve become friends. On Sunday, he met me in the parking lot, chirped at me and stuck close to my heels as I climbed the stairs, then snuck in while I struggled with my bags and packages at the door. The bunny gate was up, so I wasn’t too worried—Orange wouldn’t get very far. But the reaction from my own animals was amusing. Brave Sir Pixel hissed and ran, while Tidbit took a few hesitant hops toward the bunny gate and sat there, head up, ears alert, watching Orange to see what would happen next.
Not much happened. I set my bags down and sent Orange on his way. But now I know who runs the show around here—my feline predator is a hopeless scaredy-cat, while my long-eared prey animal is either very brave or dangerously stupid. Or perhaps just astute. Orange is a love. I really need to find out his name.
It’s a slow week at the office. Lots of people are out already, and the attrition is scheduled to increase as the short week wears on. And a good thing—it will give me a chance to pack up and get moved, since my new office will supposedly be ready for me late Tuesday or by Wednesday at the latest.
Oh-- I'm also nearly done with my Christmas shopping! How cool is that? Like other years, I did nearly everything online and packages are arriving daily. It's fun, since I love getting stuff in the mail, even if it's not really for me. In fact, when it's a bill, I prefer that it not be for me. But that's a whole 'nother topic.
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
All this stuff costs about as much as three co-pays to a physical therapist who probably won’t make any attempt to fix my real issues. I’ve been running for nearly seven years now and the only success I've ever had with soft tissue injuries was when I quit trying to get "help" and just used my own good sense and whatever informational resources I could get my hands on. I wish I had confidence in professionals, but I just don't any more. Massage excepted, of course. And no, I still haven’t gone to see Mary. This might be a good week for it, though.
I had a visitor on Sunday. There is an orange cat who lives downstairs, and we’ve become friends. On Sunday, he met me in the parking lot, chirped at me and stuck close to my heels as I climbed the stairs, then snuck in while I struggled with my bags and packages at the door. The bunny gate was up, so I wasn’t too worried—Orange wouldn’t get very far. But the reaction from my own animals was amusing. Brave Sir Pixel hissed and ran, while Tidbit took a few hesitant hops toward the bunny gate and sat there, head up, ears alert, watching Orange to see what would happen next.
Not much happened. I set my bags down and sent Orange on his way. But now I know who runs the show around here—my feline predator is a hopeless scaredy-cat, while my long-eared prey animal is either very brave or dangerously stupid. Or perhaps just astute. Orange is a love. I really need to find out his name.
It’s a slow week at the office. Lots of people are out already, and the attrition is scheduled to increase as the short week wears on. And a good thing—it will give me a chance to pack up and get moved, since my new office will supposedly be ready for me late Tuesday or by Wednesday at the latest.
Oh-- I'm also nearly done with my Christmas shopping! How cool is that? Like other years, I did nearly everything online and packages are arriving daily. It's fun, since I love getting stuff in the mail, even if it's not really for me. In fact, when it's a bill, I prefer that it not be for me. But that's a whole 'nother topic.
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: 30 minute elliptical
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Saturday Update
Well, my husband made it to see The Who, after all.
He had a rough time of it Friday night, but by mid-morning he was out of pain and groggily puttering around. By early afternoon, he was ready for Indian food. I had done an abbreviated morning workout so I could be available if Dan needed me, so I was short on calorie burn for the day and had to content myself with just one trip through the buffet line, and only one little piece of naan. Not much fun.
Work is getting more interesting. It looks like they are finally going to get the furniture rearranged in my new office on Tuesday so I can move in. It’s that modular stuff, so it’s not simply a matter of pushing here and pulling there. It had been set up so that one had to sit with one’s back to the door in order to work on the computer, and I wasn’t going for that.
I’m anxious to get moved in. I was reluctant before, because there wasn’t enough help in my old department and I had some projects to wrap up. But now I’m finding that my presence in my old office just encourages people to keep relying on me for things they shouldn’t. I’m supposed to be functioning in a different role, and as long as people keep pulling me in two different directions, I’m not going to have a chance to be effective at much of anything.
I also see some potential for new and fun workouts after I get settled in at my new location. Since I’ll be back on campus, I can take my workout clothes with me and run around campus after work, finish up at the rec center and lift a few weights. I’m pretty excited about all the possibilities.
And in other runner/triathlete geekdom, I nearly swooned with delight when my new arch support insoles arrived in the mail with TWO free pairs of Coolmax socks!!! For a brief moment, my world was complete.
Finally, anyone who has been reading Diana’s Diary will be pleased to see that I’ve spent some time improving the archiving and navigation features. I’ve listed all fictional diary entries in the sidebar and added previous/next navigation features to each individual post. I’m also thinking about making some sort of descriptive headings to the sidebar for quick navigation to specific entries or segments of the story, since it is rapidly becoming more of a darkly picaresque novel than just a blog. For a work of fiction, Diana’s Diary sure is giving me a lot of real-life headaches!
I guess Dan will be home soon. He called a couple hours ago to say he and his friends were going to get something to eat. I said to call again if he’d be in later than 1:00. We don’t tell each other what to do, but checking in is a must, even if it’s just to say, “I’m not dead or in jail, and here’s my new ETA.” I hope Dan gets most of his post-concert babbling out of his system with his friends, but hearing about The Who will be a vast improvement over hearing about his job, so I suppose I’ll just count my blessings.
Today’s Workouts
60 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes bike (Spinervals)
He had a rough time of it Friday night, but by mid-morning he was out of pain and groggily puttering around. By early afternoon, he was ready for Indian food. I had done an abbreviated morning workout so I could be available if Dan needed me, so I was short on calorie burn for the day and had to content myself with just one trip through the buffet line, and only one little piece of naan. Not much fun.
Work is getting more interesting. It looks like they are finally going to get the furniture rearranged in my new office on Tuesday so I can move in. It’s that modular stuff, so it’s not simply a matter of pushing here and pulling there. It had been set up so that one had to sit with one’s back to the door in order to work on the computer, and I wasn’t going for that.
I’m anxious to get moved in. I was reluctant before, because there wasn’t enough help in my old department and I had some projects to wrap up. But now I’m finding that my presence in my old office just encourages people to keep relying on me for things they shouldn’t. I’m supposed to be functioning in a different role, and as long as people keep pulling me in two different directions, I’m not going to have a chance to be effective at much of anything.
I also see some potential for new and fun workouts after I get settled in at my new location. Since I’ll be back on campus, I can take my workout clothes with me and run around campus after work, finish up at the rec center and lift a few weights. I’m pretty excited about all the possibilities.
And in other runner/triathlete geekdom, I nearly swooned with delight when my new arch support insoles arrived in the mail with TWO free pairs of Coolmax socks!!! For a brief moment, my world was complete.
Finally, anyone who has been reading Diana’s Diary will be pleased to see that I’ve spent some time improving the archiving and navigation features. I’ve listed all fictional diary entries in the sidebar and added previous/next navigation features to each individual post. I’m also thinking about making some sort of descriptive headings to the sidebar for quick navigation to specific entries or segments of the story, since it is rapidly becoming more of a darkly picaresque novel than just a blog. For a work of fiction, Diana’s Diary sure is giving me a lot of real-life headaches!
I guess Dan will be home soon. He called a couple hours ago to say he and his friends were going to get something to eat. I said to call again if he’d be in later than 1:00. We don’t tell each other what to do, but checking in is a must, even if it’s just to say, “I’m not dead or in jail, and here’s my new ETA.” I hope Dan gets most of his post-concert babbling out of his system with his friends, but hearing about The Who will be a vast improvement over hearing about his job, so I suppose I’ll just count my blessings.
Today’s Workouts
60 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes bike (Spinervals)
Who?
This is so not cool. Dan has another kidney stone. And he and his buddies have tickets to see The Who tonight.
Poor Dan.
Update to follow.
Poor Dan.
Update to follow.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Santa Claus Is Coming!
It's getting to be that time of year again!
Be sure to check out Santa's Blog for all the holiday updates! Remember--if you've been good, Santa might just leave something under your tree this year!
Be sure to check out Santa's Blog for all the holiday updates! Remember--if you've been good, Santa might just leave something under your tree this year!
Sunday, November 12, 2006
DSL Update
It’s great being married to tech support.
And unlike me, Dan is really good-natured about working on the weekend. I can’t stand having to tinker with things once I’m home—anything more complicated than turning the computer on puts me in a snit. I was once in tech support, myself, and I'm very "been there, done that" about the whole thing. But to Dan’s infinite credit, he always takes on these little home tech projects as if they were the realization of his fondest dream.
Well, to be fair, he also wanted to buy Guitar Hero II, and going to Best Buy to look into replacing our router (since we decided we’d rather buy one than wait for a free replacement) was the perfect excuse. Hell, I don’t care what he does with his money, after he’s paid his share of the bills. Just get my DSL working again, pay the light bill on time, and I’m a very happy chica.
So yes, I’m pretty happy this evening.
Today’s Workouts
60 minutes elliptical, 30 minute treadmill run
And unlike me, Dan is really good-natured about working on the weekend. I can’t stand having to tinker with things once I’m home—anything more complicated than turning the computer on puts me in a snit. I was once in tech support, myself, and I'm very "been there, done that" about the whole thing. But to Dan’s infinite credit, he always takes on these little home tech projects as if they were the realization of his fondest dream.
Well, to be fair, he also wanted to buy Guitar Hero II, and going to Best Buy to look into replacing our router (since we decided we’d rather buy one than wait for a free replacement) was the perfect excuse. Hell, I don’t care what he does with his money, after he’s paid his share of the bills. Just get my DSL working again, pay the light bill on time, and I’m a very happy chica.
So yes, I’m pretty happy this evening.
Today’s Workouts
60 minutes elliptical, 30 minute treadmill run
Saturday, November 11, 2006
Making Do
Today has been a day of compromises.
My hip is acting up—something I’ve been reluctant to talk or post about, using the brilliant logic that a problem not written or spoken of does not exist. Right. I don’t think the recurrence of this injury has to keep me from the marathon in January, since I’ve got plenty of time to fix it, and it actually doesn’t bother me too much when I’m running, only afterwards. But that’s the early warning sign, and I’m taking it seriously. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how to proceed from here.
I’ve tried physical therapy in the past, and each therapist I went to fixed something, but never the actual problem I went to them for in the first place. I’m willing to invest time and money in something that will solve the problem, but given my past experiences, I’m feeling a little wary right now. I’ve actually had better success diagnosing and treating my own problems, than going to a professional.
This is a soft tissue injury, not a bone or cartilage problem. I’ve had the hip x-rayed and had an MRI, so this isn’t something necessarily beyond my ability to correct on my own. But I also think my biomechanics are out of whack, which I probably can’t fix alone. I’ve got a touch of patellar tendonitis in my left knee and some other kind of tendonitis in my right hip, so the signs of a biomechanical problem are definitely there. So I’m wondering if the PT who fixed my Q-angles (when I really wanted help with swelling and tendonitis in my foot and ankle) can help. He’s into tape. Seriously. He puts super-adhesive tape in different places and it makes you use your muscles differently, correcting imbalances. But would he really help my hip, or would he just end up fixing something totally different?
Besides, I’ve got a roll of duct tape right here. . .
So while I dither over whether or not to blow a few hundred bucks on therapy that probably won’t help, I have decided to back off the long runs this weekend. I spent this morning in the gym doing elliptical and running on the treadmill. I’m no fan of the treadmill, but at least it’s a stable, level surface, which I sure can’t say about the bayou trails. In fact, my hip started nagging me again almost exactly two weeks after I started doing the bayou trails again, so that could be part of the problem. I love those trails, but they’re uneven and probably do me no favors.
My short-term plan, then, is lots more work on the foam roller and with my trigger point ball, and limit my workouts this week to the elliptical machine and treadmill, instead of running around on uneven surfaces. I need to also go see Mary (how long have I been saying that?) but work is so crazy right now that I just don’t see it happening. I suppose I’ll have to make the time, no matter how big the hassle, since there’s no way to do it conveniently.
The other way I’m making do today is with the computer. I woke up from my post-Indian food nap to find our DSL wasn’t working. The lights on the box were orange and buzzing, and when I tried to reset it, the box failed completely. Dead. Nice. So I’m on the laptop, on dialup tonight. Isn’t it just our luck that the DSL failed on the weekend, adding to the delay in getting a new box shipped out? I’m glad, though, that I’ve kept paying for my dialup service. It came in handy on vacation, and it’s preserving my sanity tonight. I can live with a slow connection, but none at all would simply not be acceptable.
But these are pretty high-class problems, as far as things go. Dan is going to try to find another power supply for the DSL box tomorrow, just in case that’s the problem. And in the meantime, I’m still connected (slowly) with the world!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: rest day
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: rest day
Saturday: 90 minute elliptical, 60 minute treadmill run
My hip is acting up—something I’ve been reluctant to talk or post about, using the brilliant logic that a problem not written or spoken of does not exist. Right. I don’t think the recurrence of this injury has to keep me from the marathon in January, since I’ve got plenty of time to fix it, and it actually doesn’t bother me too much when I’m running, only afterwards. But that’s the early warning sign, and I’m taking it seriously. Unfortunately, I’m not sure how to proceed from here.
I’ve tried physical therapy in the past, and each therapist I went to fixed something, but never the actual problem I went to them for in the first place. I’m willing to invest time and money in something that will solve the problem, but given my past experiences, I’m feeling a little wary right now. I’ve actually had better success diagnosing and treating my own problems, than going to a professional.
This is a soft tissue injury, not a bone or cartilage problem. I’ve had the hip x-rayed and had an MRI, so this isn’t something necessarily beyond my ability to correct on my own. But I also think my biomechanics are out of whack, which I probably can’t fix alone. I’ve got a touch of patellar tendonitis in my left knee and some other kind of tendonitis in my right hip, so the signs of a biomechanical problem are definitely there. So I’m wondering if the PT who fixed my Q-angles (when I really wanted help with swelling and tendonitis in my foot and ankle) can help. He’s into tape. Seriously. He puts super-adhesive tape in different places and it makes you use your muscles differently, correcting imbalances. But would he really help my hip, or would he just end up fixing something totally different?
Besides, I’ve got a roll of duct tape right here. . .
So while I dither over whether or not to blow a few hundred bucks on therapy that probably won’t help, I have decided to back off the long runs this weekend. I spent this morning in the gym doing elliptical and running on the treadmill. I’m no fan of the treadmill, but at least it’s a stable, level surface, which I sure can’t say about the bayou trails. In fact, my hip started nagging me again almost exactly two weeks after I started doing the bayou trails again, so that could be part of the problem. I love those trails, but they’re uneven and probably do me no favors.
My short-term plan, then, is lots more work on the foam roller and with my trigger point ball, and limit my workouts this week to the elliptical machine and treadmill, instead of running around on uneven surfaces. I need to also go see Mary (how long have I been saying that?) but work is so crazy right now that I just don’t see it happening. I suppose I’ll have to make the time, no matter how big the hassle, since there’s no way to do it conveniently.
The other way I’m making do today is with the computer. I woke up from my post-Indian food nap to find our DSL wasn’t working. The lights on the box were orange and buzzing, and when I tried to reset it, the box failed completely. Dead. Nice. So I’m on the laptop, on dialup tonight. Isn’t it just our luck that the DSL failed on the weekend, adding to the delay in getting a new box shipped out? I’m glad, though, that I’ve kept paying for my dialup service. It came in handy on vacation, and it’s preserving my sanity tonight. I can live with a slow connection, but none at all would simply not be acceptable.
But these are pretty high-class problems, as far as things go. Dan is going to try to find another power supply for the DSL box tomorrow, just in case that’s the problem. And in the meantime, I’m still connected (slowly) with the world!
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: rest day
Thursday: 4 mile run
Friday: rest day
Saturday: 90 minute elliptical, 60 minute treadmill run
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Tid Bits now available
As some of you may recall, Tidbit is a published author. Her book is now available from Shutterfly.
She and I make no money off this-- I'm just putting it out for sharing, in case anyone wants to order a copy. Or just go take a look!
Tidbit regrets she cannot autograph copies of her book, but she will nibble pages upon request.
She and I make no money off this-- I'm just putting it out for sharing, in case anyone wants to order a copy. Or just go take a look!
Tidbit regrets she cannot autograph copies of her book, but she will nibble pages upon request.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
Explorations and Other Stuff
I have found a new place to run!
A few weeks ago I thought I saw some trails by Hermann Park, but didn’t have time to check them out. So since today’s long run was a recovery run (relatively speaking), I kept an eye out for those trails. It turns out they’re the Hermann Park Bridle Trails, for the stables that I have never seen, but that I’ve heard about for, oh, nearly 30 years. They’ve become almost fictional to me, but now I can at least vouch for the existence of the riding trails. They run along the bayou, but I’m not sure how far they go. I went about half a mile, then crossed a bridge and came back. My IT bands are a little tight and I didn’t want to go traipsing off to who-knows-where today. Hermann Park was the farthest point of my run, so there was no way to shorten the run on the back end, should I get carried away with my explorations.
I’m going to Google the bridle trails, though, and have a plan for next time.
On the way home, I stopped at a couple of yard sales. One was of no interest to me—mostly kid stuff. But the other had a gorgeous desk lamp that I immediately coveted. It was $10 and I only had $5 and didn’t know these people, so I was reluctant to ask them to hold it for me. So I figured I’d ask Dan to stop there on our way to lunch, and if the lamp was meant to be mine, it would still be there, right?
And it was! Yay, me! I’m moving into my new office soon, and now I have a nifty lamp for it!
That’s all my news for today. Tonight I’m watching/listening to the live feed from Ironman Florida. It’s so cool hearing them announce the names of my blog friends and watching them cross the finish.
All the more reason for me to be careful with this hip and make sure I get back to 100%. I so want that to be me some day, crossing the line at an Ironman event. Weird injuries have always been my limiter. Things happen to me that seem to happen to no one else. I think I’m just put together wrong—something I noticed even as a kid, as the only girl in ballet class who couldn’t get anything even approaching proper turnout. So I guess I just have a longer road than some folks. But I know with consistent and patient training, all things are possible.
Congrats to all my friends who toed the line at IMFL today! Every one of you is a champion!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 45 minute elliptical
Friday: rest day
Saturday: ~14 miles
A few weeks ago I thought I saw some trails by Hermann Park, but didn’t have time to check them out. So since today’s long run was a recovery run (relatively speaking), I kept an eye out for those trails. It turns out they’re the Hermann Park Bridle Trails, for the stables that I have never seen, but that I’ve heard about for, oh, nearly 30 years. They’ve become almost fictional to me, but now I can at least vouch for the existence of the riding trails. They run along the bayou, but I’m not sure how far they go. I went about half a mile, then crossed a bridge and came back. My IT bands are a little tight and I didn’t want to go traipsing off to who-knows-where today. Hermann Park was the farthest point of my run, so there was no way to shorten the run on the back end, should I get carried away with my explorations.
I’m going to Google the bridle trails, though, and have a plan for next time.
On the way home, I stopped at a couple of yard sales. One was of no interest to me—mostly kid stuff. But the other had a gorgeous desk lamp that I immediately coveted. It was $10 and I only had $5 and didn’t know these people, so I was reluctant to ask them to hold it for me. So I figured I’d ask Dan to stop there on our way to lunch, and if the lamp was meant to be mine, it would still be there, right?
And it was! Yay, me! I’m moving into my new office soon, and now I have a nifty lamp for it!
That’s all my news for today. Tonight I’m watching/listening to the live feed from Ironman Florida. It’s so cool hearing them announce the names of my blog friends and watching them cross the finish.
All the more reason for me to be careful with this hip and make sure I get back to 100%. I so want that to be me some day, crossing the line at an Ironman event. Weird injuries have always been my limiter. Things happen to me that seem to happen to no one else. I think I’m just put together wrong—something I noticed even as a kid, as the only girl in ballet class who couldn’t get anything even approaching proper turnout. So I guess I just have a longer road than some folks. But I know with consistent and patient training, all things are possible.
Congrats to all my friends who toed the line at IMFL today! Every one of you is a champion!
Recent Workouts
Thursday: 45 minute elliptical
Friday: rest day
Saturday: ~14 miles
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
All Saints
The funeral for Dan’s uncle was today. The church was very warm, and since it was a Catholic service, we sat there in sweaty stuffiness for two hours. Talk about suffering for your faith! I’ve never been able to decipher the secret code Catholics use to know when to sit, when to stand, when to kneel, etc. But I’m slowly getting enough practice to at least fake it most of the time. There’s something comforting about the participatory nature of Catholic services, and the way everyone seems to be on the same page about what to do next. It’s a totally different vibe from the “sit still and listen” passivity of the Protestant culture I grew up in. Plus, Catholic churches are pretty. Always something to look at. And most of the music is good, too. I’m a sucker for minor chords.
Anyway, in spite of the lack of air conditioning (Come on—it’s Houston! We need a/c all year long!), it was still better than a day at the office.
The cops gave us a great escort to the cemetery, which was one I’d never been to, full of winding roads, little ponds and creative monuments. I had never seen such a diversity of statues—not just your run-of-the-mill angels, of which there were plenty, but also life-size bronze animals and marble secular statues of people reading or doing other things that they had loved in life. I think I’d like to go back to this cemetery just to look around. In New England, I like wandering the cemeteries to read the headstones and ponder. But at this place, I think it would be more like a museum tour. I would go for the art.
Anyway, I was surprised at how short the graveside service was. At my paternal grandmother’s funeral, almost exactly three years ago, it seemed we stood out there forever, with the cold winds blowing down off the New Mexico mesas while the priest read things over the coffin. Me and my female cousins had been pallbearers and we hadn’t expected to be so long outside. Consequently, we had left our coats in the cars and stood huddled together by the grave, arms linked together for what warmth we could share, while gusts of wind whipped at our skirts.
But today, it seemed Dan and his cousins had hardly gotten Uncle Jerry’s coffin into position, when it was over. We all lingered awhile, no one wanting to be the first to go. To me, the hardest part is getting in the car and driving away, leaving the loved one behind. But eventually everyone was ready, and we went back to the church for food and visiting. It was a pretty good time, in spite of the sad occasion, but I was glad when it was over and Dan and I came home. Dan changed clothes and went to his aunt’s house to hang out awhile longer with his family, and I checked my email and then went for a run. Since it was three o’clock on a weekday, I had the trail at Memorial Park almost all to myself, and it was wonderful!
In other recent news, I attended a 3.5 hour meeting on Monday, of which less than 30 minutes was new information for me. The meeting was called by our CIO and attended by both of my bosses, so there was no hope that I could sneak out or find a means of even mental escape through writing and doodling. By the end, I was sympathizing with animals that will gnaw off one of their own legs to escape a trap. If I had thought it would’ve helped, I think I might’ve given it a try.
And finally, in light of Dan having taken two days off this week because of his uncle’s funeral, it’s not looking good for him taking time off for us to go San Antonio next weekend. His boss has had a death in the family this week, and I’m in the middle of an office move, and it’s just not a good time for taking extra days off. And it’s probably just as well. A November marathon was a little ambitious, in light of my lingering distrust of my hip, and my “A” race coming up in January. I’ll sign up for the local 25K, though, which will be in a few weeks.
The weather is turning cooler tonight. They’re predicting highs in the sixties tomorrow and Friday. It’s about time. One of my neighbors has wind chimes, and it’s nice to listen to them, making music on the leading gusts of the cool front.
Must be the season of the witch.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Anyway, in spite of the lack of air conditioning (Come on—it’s Houston! We need a/c all year long!), it was still better than a day at the office.
The cops gave us a great escort to the cemetery, which was one I’d never been to, full of winding roads, little ponds and creative monuments. I had never seen such a diversity of statues—not just your run-of-the-mill angels, of which there were plenty, but also life-size bronze animals and marble secular statues of people reading or doing other things that they had loved in life. I think I’d like to go back to this cemetery just to look around. In New England, I like wandering the cemeteries to read the headstones and ponder. But at this place, I think it would be more like a museum tour. I would go for the art.
Anyway, I was surprised at how short the graveside service was. At my paternal grandmother’s funeral, almost exactly three years ago, it seemed we stood out there forever, with the cold winds blowing down off the New Mexico mesas while the priest read things over the coffin. Me and my female cousins had been pallbearers and we hadn’t expected to be so long outside. Consequently, we had left our coats in the cars and stood huddled together by the grave, arms linked together for what warmth we could share, while gusts of wind whipped at our skirts.
But today, it seemed Dan and his cousins had hardly gotten Uncle Jerry’s coffin into position, when it was over. We all lingered awhile, no one wanting to be the first to go. To me, the hardest part is getting in the car and driving away, leaving the loved one behind. But eventually everyone was ready, and we went back to the church for food and visiting. It was a pretty good time, in spite of the sad occasion, but I was glad when it was over and Dan and I came home. Dan changed clothes and went to his aunt’s house to hang out awhile longer with his family, and I checked my email and then went for a run. Since it was three o’clock on a weekday, I had the trail at Memorial Park almost all to myself, and it was wonderful!
In other recent news, I attended a 3.5 hour meeting on Monday, of which less than 30 minutes was new information for me. The meeting was called by our CIO and attended by both of my bosses, so there was no hope that I could sneak out or find a means of even mental escape through writing and doodling. By the end, I was sympathizing with animals that will gnaw off one of their own legs to escape a trap. If I had thought it would’ve helped, I think I might’ve given it a try.
And finally, in light of Dan having taken two days off this week because of his uncle’s funeral, it’s not looking good for him taking time off for us to go San Antonio next weekend. His boss has had a death in the family this week, and I’m in the middle of an office move, and it’s just not a good time for taking extra days off. And it’s probably just as well. A November marathon was a little ambitious, in light of my lingering distrust of my hip, and my “A” race coming up in January. I’ll sign up for the local 25K, though, which will be in a few weeks.
The weather is turning cooler tonight. They’re predicting highs in the sixties tomorrow and Friday. It’s about time. One of my neighbors has wind chimes, and it’s nice to listen to them, making music on the leading gusts of the cool front.
Must be the season of the witch.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Tuesday, October 31, 2006
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Scary
Want to hear something scary? I woke up feeling fine. Yeah. Twenty-one miles yesterday, and I was ready to go again today.
I’m freaking out.
What’s even scarier though, is that the San Antonio Marathon organizers finally posted their elevation chart and it looks like the last eight miles are uphill! OMG! Yes, I know San Antonio is hilly. I used to live there. But Austin is in the Hill Country, too, and their marathon course is flat. Vermont isn’t just hilly but mountainous, yet the Covered Bridges Half Marathon has a near-constant elevation drop throughout the course, with the exception of one rather nasty hill around Mile Eight.
So not even in my nightmares did I think San Antonio’s course would be all uphill for the last eight miles!!!
I’m going to check the route against a topographical info site sent to me by it’s only fuel, and see what I come up with. If it’s really a sadistic course, I might have to sit this one out and try for next year. I haven’t been training on hills because I feel like I’m still building myself back up after last year’s debacle with my hip. I can handle some hills in a course, especially if I’m not really racing. But eight straight miles uphill is just stupid.
And finally, not scary but just sad, Dan’s uncle passed away last night. We got the call this morning, while I was out running. Given Uncle Jerry’s advanced Alzheimer’s and diabetes, as well as the other health problems and organ failures he was experiencing, I think living (if you can even call it that) had become the really scary thing. Dan is handling it well, given that Jerry was his favorite uncle and a father figure to him. He’s out running now, and was practicing his guitar earlier. It’s a sad time for him and his extended family, and there’s probably a mid-week funeral in our future.
Today’s Workout
6 mile run
I’m freaking out.
What’s even scarier though, is that the San Antonio Marathon organizers finally posted their elevation chart and it looks like the last eight miles are uphill! OMG! Yes, I know San Antonio is hilly. I used to live there. But Austin is in the Hill Country, too, and their marathon course is flat. Vermont isn’t just hilly but mountainous, yet the Covered Bridges Half Marathon has a near-constant elevation drop throughout the course, with the exception of one rather nasty hill around Mile Eight.
So not even in my nightmares did I think San Antonio’s course would be all uphill for the last eight miles!!!
I’m going to check the route against a topographical info site sent to me by it’s only fuel, and see what I come up with. If it’s really a sadistic course, I might have to sit this one out and try for next year. I haven’t been training on hills because I feel like I’m still building myself back up after last year’s debacle with my hip. I can handle some hills in a course, especially if I’m not really racing. But eight straight miles uphill is just stupid.
And finally, not scary but just sad, Dan’s uncle passed away last night. We got the call this morning, while I was out running. Given Uncle Jerry’s advanced Alzheimer’s and diabetes, as well as the other health problems and organ failures he was experiencing, I think living (if you can even call it that) had become the really scary thing. Dan is handling it well, given that Jerry was his favorite uncle and a father figure to him. He’s out running now, and was practicing his guitar earlier. It’s a sad time for him and his extended family, and there’s probably a mid-week funeral in our future.
Today’s Workout
6 mile run
Twenty-One
My 21-miler went well today, in most regards. It was a perfect day for it—cool at the outset and warming up just enough to be pleasant.
I started off in the dark so I wouldn’t finish up too late. It was my first time running in the dark in a long time, and I’d forgotten what a problem that can be for me. My right eye no longer corrects to 20/20 and I’ve always had an astigmatism, so judging the trails and curbs is tricky without good light. But it forced me go out nice and slow, which is a good thing.
I went up to Rice University, did the loop around campus and started back. This was when I first started having little twinges in my hip, and I think it was mainly due to the cambered surfaces I was running on. When I would hit a level patch, the annoyance would go away. With no real reason not to continue, I went to the second part of my run, which was a loop up Memorial to Chimney Rock, and back on Woodway. Luckily the construction at the 610 Loop is mostly finished and I didn’t have to make any detours.
Once I was back inside the loop with about three miles left to go, the hip started bothering me more often, but once again, only on questionable surfaces or when I stopped for water. My calves were pretty tight at this point, but I started my run with tight calves, so that wasn’t unexpected. Other than those two things, I felt really, really good. It was one of those “run forever” days when my mind and body were primed and ready, and if I had been running a marathon today, I would’ve done great. Even my mental state was good. I never got bored or started wishing the run was over. I even toyed with the notion of going longer, but I had to take my lunch date with my husband into consideration, so I finished up as planned.
Tonight I’m leaning strongly toward signing up for San Antonio, two weeks away. I think the hip problem is a tight hip flexor, which can be dealt with pretty easily. The pain doesn’t manifest itself in the hip flexor itself, but when I use my trigger point ball, that muscle is really tight, and loosening it seems to help. The pain I’m feeling is probably either referred pain (your body doesn’t always hurt at the point of injury) or it’s from other muscles tightening up to compensate for the hip flexor issue.
If I’m right with my self-diagnosis, I can resolve this problem without much trouble. And I’m usually right about soft-tissue matters. It’s only when I try to do the “right” thing and go to a doctor that I get sucked into months of treatments that never solve the problem or even result in a correct diagnosis. Let’s not even go there.
My biggest worry about doing San Antonio is hills. It’s a hilly town, no two ways about it. Not only have I not trained on hills, but they would likely pose the same problems to my hip as cambered surfaces. This is something to consider seriously. I’m wondering if scheduled walk breaks and walking any really big hills would be sufficient to ward off trouble. I’m going to try to find an elevation map of the course (no luck so far) and get an idea what I would be up against.
Tonight my hip is bothering me a little, but I’m going to see how it feels in the morning and try for my regular Sunday Six if it’s okay. That will probably tell me better than anything else just how I’m really doing.
Oh—my time for 21.3 miles today was approximately four hours, including warmup and cooldown, pit stops, buying water, and an extended snack break at Turtle Pond, which sadly, seems to no longer have turtles. I didn’t wear my watch, so I only know the time I left and the time I returned, with no precise minutes and seconds. I don’t like to wear my watch when I’m injured or recovering from injury. It messes with my head and makes me try to go faster than I should.
I'm spending a quiet night at home tonight, no Halloween parties or anything. I spent so many years in the restaurant business that I still call nights like this "Amateur Nights," and I avoid going out, if at all possible.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run
Wednesday: rest, not feeling well
Thursday: 45 minute elliptical
Friday: official rest day
Saturday: 21.3 mile run
I started off in the dark so I wouldn’t finish up too late. It was my first time running in the dark in a long time, and I’d forgotten what a problem that can be for me. My right eye no longer corrects to 20/20 and I’ve always had an astigmatism, so judging the trails and curbs is tricky without good light. But it forced me go out nice and slow, which is a good thing.
I went up to Rice University, did the loop around campus and started back. This was when I first started having little twinges in my hip, and I think it was mainly due to the cambered surfaces I was running on. When I would hit a level patch, the annoyance would go away. With no real reason not to continue, I went to the second part of my run, which was a loop up Memorial to Chimney Rock, and back on Woodway. Luckily the construction at the 610 Loop is mostly finished and I didn’t have to make any detours.
Once I was back inside the loop with about three miles left to go, the hip started bothering me more often, but once again, only on questionable surfaces or when I stopped for water. My calves were pretty tight at this point, but I started my run with tight calves, so that wasn’t unexpected. Other than those two things, I felt really, really good. It was one of those “run forever” days when my mind and body were primed and ready, and if I had been running a marathon today, I would’ve done great. Even my mental state was good. I never got bored or started wishing the run was over. I even toyed with the notion of going longer, but I had to take my lunch date with my husband into consideration, so I finished up as planned.
Tonight I’m leaning strongly toward signing up for San Antonio, two weeks away. I think the hip problem is a tight hip flexor, which can be dealt with pretty easily. The pain doesn’t manifest itself in the hip flexor itself, but when I use my trigger point ball, that muscle is really tight, and loosening it seems to help. The pain I’m feeling is probably either referred pain (your body doesn’t always hurt at the point of injury) or it’s from other muscles tightening up to compensate for the hip flexor issue.
If I’m right with my self-diagnosis, I can resolve this problem without much trouble. And I’m usually right about soft-tissue matters. It’s only when I try to do the “right” thing and go to a doctor that I get sucked into months of treatments that never solve the problem or even result in a correct diagnosis. Let’s not even go there.
My biggest worry about doing San Antonio is hills. It’s a hilly town, no two ways about it. Not only have I not trained on hills, but they would likely pose the same problems to my hip as cambered surfaces. This is something to consider seriously. I’m wondering if scheduled walk breaks and walking any really big hills would be sufficient to ward off trouble. I’m going to try to find an elevation map of the course (no luck so far) and get an idea what I would be up against.
Tonight my hip is bothering me a little, but I’m going to see how it feels in the morning and try for my regular Sunday Six if it’s okay. That will probably tell me better than anything else just how I’m really doing.
Oh—my time for 21.3 miles today was approximately four hours, including warmup and cooldown, pit stops, buying water, and an extended snack break at Turtle Pond, which sadly, seems to no longer have turtles. I didn’t wear my watch, so I only know the time I left and the time I returned, with no precise minutes and seconds. I don’t like to wear my watch when I’m injured or recovering from injury. It messes with my head and makes me try to go faster than I should.
I'm spending a quiet night at home tonight, no Halloween parties or anything. I spent so many years in the restaurant business that I still call nights like this "Amateur Nights," and I avoid going out, if at all possible.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Tuesday: 5.5 mile run
Wednesday: rest, not feeling well
Thursday: 45 minute elliptical
Friday: official rest day
Saturday: 21.3 mile run
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Vote for Tidbit!
Tidbit has entered a Halloween Pet Costume Contest at Shutterfly. Drop by and vote for her or tell your own furry pals to sign up and win prizes!
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Saturday Miscellany
I admit it. I was a slug this week. My excuses are:
• flooding on Monday (why not go to the gym?)
• tired (go to bed earlier!)
• family issues with Dan—he wants to talk (but not all night)
• tendon in top of left foot kind of sore (might have a winner here!)
But all in all, I was lazy. I could’ve gotten on the bike. I could’ve gotten on the elliptical trainer. I could’ve (gasp!) gone for a swim. But I didn’t.
Today’s long run was a “short” one, since I pushed the distance last weekend. I hadn’t gone up to Rice University in awhile, so I did that, and did Hermann Park while I was in the vicinity. It was really nice, and I saw what might be some trails near the Hermann Park golf course. The sky was threatening rain, so I didn’t go investigate, but I’ll have to take a look next time I’m over there. I have lots of running routes, but I’m always looking for more. I get bored easily, and really long runs can be brutal on my mental state once I’m past the three hour point.
In other news, Dan’s mother is finally home from the hospital. Home, not in assisted living, like we recommended. She lives with Dan’s half-sister, who we've been told treats her like a servant and today we were informed she’s not feeding her or helping her with anything. Dan is beyond furious. His sister lives with her mother to save on rent and childcare, and you’d think the least she could do is heat a can of soup for her mother who is recovering from back surgery, right? And yet we’re having a nearly impossible time convincing Dan’s mother to move out. It makes one wonder just what the truth really is over there. Dan is getting really tired of making other arrangements, only for his mother to dig in her heels and refuse to leave a situation she complains about constantly. If there's something wrong, MIL should leave. If it's not as bad as she says, I wish she'd quit complaining and giving Dan fits.
And as if that weren’t enough, Dan’s favorite uncle is dying. He’s had Alzheimer’s and diabetes for a long time, and now organs seem to be failing left and right. It’s hard on Dan, since he grew up without a father. This uncle was the closest to a real father he ever had. Still, I believe there are things worse than death, and the condition his uncle is in now, is one of them. So I’m hoping the end comes soon and painlessly, since an improvement to his quality of life (pain, confusion, and lots of sleep) does not look possible.
Not much is going on with me, thank goodness. There’s talk about moving my office back on campus sometime before Thanksgiving, but until I actually see progress happening on that, I won’t be holding my breath.
And I find I’m spending a lot of late hours working on my fictional character blog. It’s fun, and I think it’s giving me some much-needed distance from my “real” writing. But when I took the project on, I think I had no idea how quickly it would consume me. Writing tends to do that, I guess.
Finally, I’m trying to decide what to make of iPod costumes. A sign of the impending apocalypse? Or merely bizarre? Kinda cute, any way you look at it.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 2 mile leisurely walk to take pictures of bayou
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: total laziness
Friday: designated rest day
Saturday: 13+ mile run
• flooding on Monday (why not go to the gym?)
• tired (go to bed earlier!)
• family issues with Dan—he wants to talk (but not all night)
• tendon in top of left foot kind of sore (might have a winner here!)
But all in all, I was lazy. I could’ve gotten on the bike. I could’ve gotten on the elliptical trainer. I could’ve (gasp!) gone for a swim. But I didn’t.
Today’s long run was a “short” one, since I pushed the distance last weekend. I hadn’t gone up to Rice University in awhile, so I did that, and did Hermann Park while I was in the vicinity. It was really nice, and I saw what might be some trails near the Hermann Park golf course. The sky was threatening rain, so I didn’t go investigate, but I’ll have to take a look next time I’m over there. I have lots of running routes, but I’m always looking for more. I get bored easily, and really long runs can be brutal on my mental state once I’m past the three hour point.
In other news, Dan’s mother is finally home from the hospital. Home, not in assisted living, like we recommended. She lives with Dan’s half-sister, who we've been told treats her like a servant and today we were informed she’s not feeding her or helping her with anything. Dan is beyond furious. His sister lives with her mother to save on rent and childcare, and you’d think the least she could do is heat a can of soup for her mother who is recovering from back surgery, right? And yet we’re having a nearly impossible time convincing Dan’s mother to move out. It makes one wonder just what the truth really is over there. Dan is getting really tired of making other arrangements, only for his mother to dig in her heels and refuse to leave a situation she complains about constantly. If there's something wrong, MIL should leave. If it's not as bad as she says, I wish she'd quit complaining and giving Dan fits.
And as if that weren’t enough, Dan’s favorite uncle is dying. He’s had Alzheimer’s and diabetes for a long time, and now organs seem to be failing left and right. It’s hard on Dan, since he grew up without a father. This uncle was the closest to a real father he ever had. Still, I believe there are things worse than death, and the condition his uncle is in now, is one of them. So I’m hoping the end comes soon and painlessly, since an improvement to his quality of life (pain, confusion, and lots of sleep) does not look possible.
Not much is going on with me, thank goodness. There’s talk about moving my office back on campus sometime before Thanksgiving, but until I actually see progress happening on that, I won’t be holding my breath.
And I find I’m spending a lot of late hours working on my fictional character blog. It’s fun, and I think it’s giving me some much-needed distance from my “real” writing. But when I took the project on, I think I had no idea how quickly it would consume me. Writing tends to do that, I guess.
Finally, I’m trying to decide what to make of iPod costumes. A sign of the impending apocalypse? Or merely bizarre? Kinda cute, any way you look at it.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 2 mile leisurely walk to take pictures of bayou
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: total laziness
Friday: designated rest day
Saturday: 13+ mile run
Monday, October 16, 2006
Water, Water, Everywhere
True to forecast, it rained most of Sunday and Sunday night. Since my office becomes nearly inaccessible when there’s street flooding, and since there was a broken water main there on Friday, I sent email to my department’s early birds, asking what was up. The verdict:
• Water in building: In pipes (good) and in a few ceilings (not so good)
• Water outside building: underpasses filling up
The flooding underpasses were enough to make me decide to stay home until I could be sure I would be able to make it in, but then I got word that the university would be closed until noon. Yay!
I wiped off my lipstick, got back into my comfy bathrobe and settled in with the cat, the bunny and the husband, to watch a little of the traffic and flooding on TV. After a bit, Dan went to get us some coffee, and I settled in at the computer. Since I did have some important work to get done today, I set up the laptop with VPN and leisurely worked on office stuff while reading the news of the day on my other computer. Bliss!
As it got closer to time to make a decision about going in to work, I managed to catch a news report about two women who had died in their SUV in a flooded underpass—one of the two by my office! If one is flooded, the other one always is, too. If an SUV can't make it, neither of my little cars can do it, either. So it was a definite work-from-home day for me.
And boy, did I work! It was go, go, go, all day, while bands of storms boomed and crashed outside my window. But it was all pretty low-stress, even though three o’clock came around and I realized I had been so busy that I hadn't eaten since breakfast around 8:00. So I had some lunch, wrapped up a few last items, talked on the phone with one of my bosses, and since he and all the other senior management had gone home by this point, I decided to call it a day.
The rain was easing up by this point, so I got dressed and went outside to check the bayou. I’ve seen it a lot higher than it was today, but it still made for some good pics.
Here’s one of my running trails:
Here’s where the track meets were, weekend before last—ready for sculling races now:
Another trail to nowhere:
No, trees in Houston don’t typically grow in water:
I think I could’ve gotten even better pictures if I had followed the bayou toward downtown, where I understand it jumped the banks. But Dan would be coming home soon, it was getting dark, and since I was encumbered with umbrella, camera and phone, I didn’t want to put myself in a situation where I might have to do anything acrobatic to get around flooded spots. So I headed home, but not before getting this shot of the tops of the trees near the Waugh Drive bridge, where the resident bats were chittering like mad. The bayou usually runs quite low, in a channel just beyond that first line of tree tops:
Yesterday a bayou, today a river.
As I said, I’ve seen worse. But this was still a pretty good size flood.
Back to the salt mines tomorrow!
• Water in building: In pipes (good) and in a few ceilings (not so good)
• Water outside building: underpasses filling up
The flooding underpasses were enough to make me decide to stay home until I could be sure I would be able to make it in, but then I got word that the university would be closed until noon. Yay!
I wiped off my lipstick, got back into my comfy bathrobe and settled in with the cat, the bunny and the husband, to watch a little of the traffic and flooding on TV. After a bit, Dan went to get us some coffee, and I settled in at the computer. Since I did have some important work to get done today, I set up the laptop with VPN and leisurely worked on office stuff while reading the news of the day on my other computer. Bliss!
As it got closer to time to make a decision about going in to work, I managed to catch a news report about two women who had died in their SUV in a flooded underpass—one of the two by my office! If one is flooded, the other one always is, too. If an SUV can't make it, neither of my little cars can do it, either. So it was a definite work-from-home day for me.
And boy, did I work! It was go, go, go, all day, while bands of storms boomed and crashed outside my window. But it was all pretty low-stress, even though three o’clock came around and I realized I had been so busy that I hadn't eaten since breakfast around 8:00. So I had some lunch, wrapped up a few last items, talked on the phone with one of my bosses, and since he and all the other senior management had gone home by this point, I decided to call it a day.
The rain was easing up by this point, so I got dressed and went outside to check the bayou. I’ve seen it a lot higher than it was today, but it still made for some good pics.
Here’s one of my running trails:
Here’s where the track meets were, weekend before last—ready for sculling races now:
Another trail to nowhere:
No, trees in Houston don’t typically grow in water:
I think I could’ve gotten even better pictures if I had followed the bayou toward downtown, where I understand it jumped the banks. But Dan would be coming home soon, it was getting dark, and since I was encumbered with umbrella, camera and phone, I didn’t want to put myself in a situation where I might have to do anything acrobatic to get around flooded spots. So I headed home, but not before getting this shot of the tops of the trees near the Waugh Drive bridge, where the resident bats were chittering like mad. The bayou usually runs quite low, in a channel just beyond that first line of tree tops:
Yesterday a bayou, today a river.
As I said, I’ve seen worse. But this was still a pretty good size flood.
Back to the salt mines tomorrow!
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Eighteen Miler
Today’s long run was a mixed success. I got in at least eighteen miles, probably a little more because I had to detour around construction. When I already know my route, I don’t wear my GPS. Gadgets tend to make me focus on numbers, instead of just enjoying being out in the world. A lot of times I don’t even wear my watch! But unexpected detours become problematic without the GPS. I think today’s detour added as much as half a mile to my route, but I’ll call the whole run eighteen, since that was the original plan, and I know I ran at least that much.
The detour was kind of fun, since it took me past the police department’s stables. Like most women, I went through a pre-teen “horsey” phase, and they still always make me smile. I think the police department stables are the old Pin Oak stables, but I could be wrong. There’s an annual Pin Oak charity horse show that I attended once or twice with my mom back in my horsey days. She’s an extrovert and would always end up making friends with someone when we toured the area where the horses were stabled during the show. Those spontaneous friendships would result in me getting to ride one of the show horses (at a slow walk) around a parking lot. And of course, the show itself was always a lot more interesting for having specific horses to cheer for.
Anyway, I got to see the police horses today, and that was fun. The only other thing notable I saw today was a lot of broken eggs on the footbridge that takes me from the park by my apartment across Memorial Drive. I initially thought maybe some kids had been dropping eggs onto cars passing by underneath, but I could see no evidence of eggshells on the street below. They seemed to all be on the bridge, as if someone had had an egg fight there.
I felt strong throughout my run, and the biggest problem was just psychological. 18+ miles is a long way to go and takes a long time. It’s plenty of time to ponder and sort things out in your mind, but it’s also long enough to start wondering when this stupid run will be OVER, already!
At my last stop for water, about a mile and a half from home, I felt a suspicious twinge in my hip. It didn’t keep me from running the rest of the way home, but in the past when I’ve had one of these twinges, it would invariably become a serious problem within about three miles. So I was expecting to have a lot of problems with my hip once I was home, but oddly, it hasn’t been bothering me a bit. I’m not sure what to make of this. Should I treat it as a fluke, or as a San Antonio deal-breaker? I’ll have to give the matter some thought. At least the San Antonio Marathon isn’t known for filling up, so I’ve got time for a 20-miler in a couple weeks, and that ought to answer all my questions.
The weather forecasts are predicting rain, rain, rain, all day and night tomorrow. We’ll see how correct they are. It might turn out to be a good day for elliptical or a spin session.
Recent Workouts
Monday: laziness
Tuesday: 45 minutes elliptical
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: 40 minute Spinerval
Friday: official rest day
Saturday: 18+ mile run
The detour was kind of fun, since it took me past the police department’s stables. Like most women, I went through a pre-teen “horsey” phase, and they still always make me smile. I think the police department stables are the old Pin Oak stables, but I could be wrong. There’s an annual Pin Oak charity horse show that I attended once or twice with my mom back in my horsey days. She’s an extrovert and would always end up making friends with someone when we toured the area where the horses were stabled during the show. Those spontaneous friendships would result in me getting to ride one of the show horses (at a slow walk) around a parking lot. And of course, the show itself was always a lot more interesting for having specific horses to cheer for.
Anyway, I got to see the police horses today, and that was fun. The only other thing notable I saw today was a lot of broken eggs on the footbridge that takes me from the park by my apartment across Memorial Drive. I initially thought maybe some kids had been dropping eggs onto cars passing by underneath, but I could see no evidence of eggshells on the street below. They seemed to all be on the bridge, as if someone had had an egg fight there.
I felt strong throughout my run, and the biggest problem was just psychological. 18+ miles is a long way to go and takes a long time. It’s plenty of time to ponder and sort things out in your mind, but it’s also long enough to start wondering when this stupid run will be OVER, already!
At my last stop for water, about a mile and a half from home, I felt a suspicious twinge in my hip. It didn’t keep me from running the rest of the way home, but in the past when I’ve had one of these twinges, it would invariably become a serious problem within about three miles. So I was expecting to have a lot of problems with my hip once I was home, but oddly, it hasn’t been bothering me a bit. I’m not sure what to make of this. Should I treat it as a fluke, or as a San Antonio deal-breaker? I’ll have to give the matter some thought. At least the San Antonio Marathon isn’t known for filling up, so I’ve got time for a 20-miler in a couple weeks, and that ought to answer all my questions.
The weather forecasts are predicting rain, rain, rain, all day and night tomorrow. We’ll see how correct they are. It might turn out to be a good day for elliptical or a spin session.
Recent Workouts
Monday: laziness
Tuesday: 45 minutes elliptical
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: 40 minute Spinerval
Friday: official rest day
Saturday: 18+ mile run
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Photoshop Tidbit
I've been playing around in Photoshop a lot lately, as anyone reading my other blog has noted. So I thought I'd play around a little with some bunny pics.
Like this one:
And this one:
Like this one:
And this one:
"Short" Long Run
Just a “short” long run today—thirteen miles, give or take a few tenths. I’m going to try for 18 or 19 next weekend and if that goes well, I’m signing up for San Antonio. November 12, peeps! Anyone interested in joining me, let me know! It’s not an A race, or even a B race, for me. This is a tourist-class marathon, with all the emphasis on having fun and avoiding injury so as not to jeopardize my training Houston on January 14.
“Marathon Season” is in full swing around here, and I spent the first few miles of this morning’s run dodging thundering herds of training groups, and scooting around stragglers. There was also a track meet of some kind going on along the bayou. The main events were down by the water, but I still had to weave my way through packs of kids doing warm-ups, and crowds of parents and younger siblings coming to the event to watch. I stayed out of everyone’s way as best I could, and it helped that the organizers had marked off their area with little white flags, but it was still a bit of a mess.
But after I got to Memorial Park, things got easier. The park wasn’t stupidly crowded, and once I was back on Memorial Drive, heading toward Chimney Rock, I was blessedly alone. Just me and my thoughts. The construction at 610 and Memorial was about done and I had no problems there, so I was feeling pretty good about it all. But once I had gotten to Chimney Rock and turned onto Woodway to head back inside the loop, I started thinking it a bit odd that there were no other runners out. Usually I see at least a few in this area.
I got to the Loop and had my answer. The whole stupid underpass was blocked with construction. There was no way even a lone pedestrian could get through, because it was clearly a hard-hat area. Great. By this point I really needed a restroom, there was nothing close by, and the quickest route back to the park was blocked.
I think my detour back up to Memorial Drive added an extra quarter mile or more to my scheduled thirteen miles, but I haven’t bothered to do the calculations. It doesn’t much matter, anyway. I finally got back inside the Loop, got to the restroom on the picnic loop side of the park, and couldn’t immediately find toilet paper. This had the potential to be a very serious crisis. But then I found some toilet paper, and all was well.
The track meet was in full swing by the time I got back to the bayou, with tents down by the water and various kinds of carrying-on. Once again, most of the action at the trail level was kids warming up and families coming and going, so I and the other recreational runners didn’t get in the way of anything important. But it really is painful to have to weave and dodge late in a run like that. I wish non-runners had some appreciation of that fact. Maybe they’d be a little more considerate about staying off the smoothest part of the trail if they don’t need to be there, and maybe they’d keep a tighter leash on their dogs.
That was about it for today. Dan said he thought I’d be home sooner, since I told him I was doing only thirteen miles. He knows I can do a half marathon sub-2, especially under nice cool conditions like today. So I had to remind him that the 2.5 hours I was out there included warm-up and cool-down walks, detours, getting my own water, and a rather lengthy pit stop. Not to mention that I wasn’t racing the distance.
There’s just no pleasing some people.
Recent Workouts
Today: 13+ mile run (exact distance unknown)
“Marathon Season” is in full swing around here, and I spent the first few miles of this morning’s run dodging thundering herds of training groups, and scooting around stragglers. There was also a track meet of some kind going on along the bayou. The main events were down by the water, but I still had to weave my way through packs of kids doing warm-ups, and crowds of parents and younger siblings coming to the event to watch. I stayed out of everyone’s way as best I could, and it helped that the organizers had marked off their area with little white flags, but it was still a bit of a mess.
But after I got to Memorial Park, things got easier. The park wasn’t stupidly crowded, and once I was back on Memorial Drive, heading toward Chimney Rock, I was blessedly alone. Just me and my thoughts. The construction at 610 and Memorial was about done and I had no problems there, so I was feeling pretty good about it all. But once I had gotten to Chimney Rock and turned onto Woodway to head back inside the loop, I started thinking it a bit odd that there were no other runners out. Usually I see at least a few in this area.
I got to the Loop and had my answer. The whole stupid underpass was blocked with construction. There was no way even a lone pedestrian could get through, because it was clearly a hard-hat area. Great. By this point I really needed a restroom, there was nothing close by, and the quickest route back to the park was blocked.
I think my detour back up to Memorial Drive added an extra quarter mile or more to my scheduled thirteen miles, but I haven’t bothered to do the calculations. It doesn’t much matter, anyway. I finally got back inside the Loop, got to the restroom on the picnic loop side of the park, and couldn’t immediately find toilet paper. This had the potential to be a very serious crisis. But then I found some toilet paper, and all was well.
The track meet was in full swing by the time I got back to the bayou, with tents down by the water and various kinds of carrying-on. Once again, most of the action at the trail level was kids warming up and families coming and going, so I and the other recreational runners didn’t get in the way of anything important. But it really is painful to have to weave and dodge late in a run like that. I wish non-runners had some appreciation of that fact. Maybe they’d be a little more considerate about staying off the smoothest part of the trail if they don’t need to be there, and maybe they’d keep a tighter leash on their dogs.
That was about it for today. Dan said he thought I’d be home sooner, since I told him I was doing only thirteen miles. He knows I can do a half marathon sub-2, especially under nice cool conditions like today. So I had to remind him that the 2.5 hours I was out there included warm-up and cool-down walks, detours, getting my own water, and a rather lengthy pit stop. Not to mention that I wasn’t racing the distance.
There’s just no pleasing some people.
Recent Workouts
Today: 13+ mile run (exact distance unknown)
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Mid-Week Check-In
Not much happening here. Work was a little dull on Monday and Tuesday, but I finally got to meet with one of my bosses Wednesday morning and now I have some clarity on how to move forward on some projects. And since my other boss is out the rest of this week, I think I'll have no distractions from actually working on these projects.
I did a short bayou run on Tuesday, the first time I’d run the bayou trails in awhile. I had been avoiding them because I think the hills and the uneven paths aggravate my hip. But I did 4.5 miles and the hip feels fine. I can’t say the same about my quads, though. It’s scary how quickly we lose certain types of fitness!
I came home from work Wednesday really dragging. It was hot outside, my quads hurt and I really just wanted to eat and take a nap. But I knew if I didn’t do something, I sure wouldn’t want to later. So I forced myself out the door and did a nice 5 mile to Memorial Park and back. The funny thing is that once I was actually running, I felt fine. Not tired at all!
There’s a lesson in that, somewhere.
Recent Workouts
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 4.5 mile run (including hills)
Wednesday: 5 mile run
I did a short bayou run on Tuesday, the first time I’d run the bayou trails in awhile. I had been avoiding them because I think the hills and the uneven paths aggravate my hip. But I did 4.5 miles and the hip feels fine. I can’t say the same about my quads, though. It’s scary how quickly we lose certain types of fitness!
I came home from work Wednesday really dragging. It was hot outside, my quads hurt and I really just wanted to eat and take a nap. But I knew if I didn’t do something, I sure wouldn’t want to later. So I forced myself out the door and did a nice 5 mile to Memorial Park and back. The funny thing is that once I was actually running, I felt fine. Not tired at all!
There’s a lesson in that, somewhere.
Recent Workouts
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 4.5 mile run (including hills)
Wednesday: 5 mile run
Sunday, October 01, 2006
Tidbit
I found this old picture of Tidbit this weekend. I took this around the time she first came to live with us. Although she was already full grown, note how skinny she is, and how her head seems too big for her body. When I got her from the shelter, she was malnourished and only weighed four pounds. She weighs almost ten, now.
Six Miles And A New Project
I really surprised myself today. I was pretty sure I wasn’t going to be doing any running, given how my hips and IT bands were stiffening up by the time I finally went to bed. But I set the alarm anyway and figured I’d see how I felt in the morning, and sure enough, I was good to go! Six miles!
When I went to Central Market to pick up some lunch, I got even luckier. My favorite massage therapist was there and I had been needing some work on my neck and shoulders for a long time. He beat up on me for 45 minutes and I feel so much better now! Too bad the little massage kiosk at CM is for chair massage only. I wouldn’t have minded some work on my legs, too. But being able to turn my head is a really nice feeling, and I’m not complaining.
Okay, as for my new project. Sorry, but I get a little shy about these sorts of things, and this project in particular is one that maybe only fellow writers understand. But one of my characters has given me a lot of trouble—so much so that I had to change the ending of my second book. This wouldn’t be so bad, except that it’s part of a trilogy. Now I can’t begin the third book because leaving the protagonist of the second book alive is problematic. So I’ve given my character a diary (also linked via my profile) and I’m hoping she’ll take good notes about what she gets up to, now that she’s exploring the no-man’s land between my second and third books.
Like I said, it’s the sort of thing that probably only another writer would understand. There are quite a lot of fictional character blogs out there, including ones written by novelists on behalf of their own characters. It always seemed a little strange to me, but I can see now how it might be a useful tool. We'll see how it turns out.
If you drop by, there’s a post that explains the blog’s background and purpose in a little more depth. It may be deadly dull, except to me, for all I know, so I’m not looking for a following. But if any of my friends are weird enough to want to play along, I’ve left the comments enabled. Until I get the graphics right, those might change from time to time. And the font style isn’t supported in Firefox. But there may be something I can do about that, once I have a chance to talk to a few people who know about these things.
And that’s about it for happenings around here. My MIL is still in the hospital, learning how to walk again after getting her broken lumbar vertebra fixed. Just thinking about it is enough to make me want to take three extra calcium tablets and go run another six miles!
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 6 miles
When I went to Central Market to pick up some lunch, I got even luckier. My favorite massage therapist was there and I had been needing some work on my neck and shoulders for a long time. He beat up on me for 45 minutes and I feel so much better now! Too bad the little massage kiosk at CM is for chair massage only. I wouldn’t have minded some work on my legs, too. But being able to turn my head is a really nice feeling, and I’m not complaining.
Okay, as for my new project. Sorry, but I get a little shy about these sorts of things, and this project in particular is one that maybe only fellow writers understand. But one of my characters has given me a lot of trouble—so much so that I had to change the ending of my second book. This wouldn’t be so bad, except that it’s part of a trilogy. Now I can’t begin the third book because leaving the protagonist of the second book alive is problematic. So I’ve given my character a diary (also linked via my profile) and I’m hoping she’ll take good notes about what she gets up to, now that she’s exploring the no-man’s land between my second and third books.
Like I said, it’s the sort of thing that probably only another writer would understand. There are quite a lot of fictional character blogs out there, including ones written by novelists on behalf of their own characters. It always seemed a little strange to me, but I can see now how it might be a useful tool. We'll see how it turns out.
If you drop by, there’s a post that explains the blog’s background and purpose in a little more depth. It may be deadly dull, except to me, for all I know, so I’m not looking for a following. But if any of my friends are weird enough to want to play along, I’ve left the comments enabled. Until I get the graphics right, those might change from time to time. And the font style isn’t supported in Firefox. But there may be something I can do about that, once I have a chance to talk to a few people who know about these things.
And that’s about it for happenings around here. My MIL is still in the hospital, learning how to walk again after getting her broken lumbar vertebra fixed. Just thinking about it is enough to make me want to take three extra calcium tablets and go run another six miles!
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 6 miles
Saturday, September 30, 2006
Seventeen Miles!
Today’s run was seventeen miles, and it went pretty well. The way I planned my route was not intended to play head games with me, but it did, in a good way. By the time I hit the last five miles, I was in an area that I usually get to early in a run, so even though I’d been out there for two hours already, it felt like I was only getting started. It helped that I have tentatively begun a new creative project and had a lot of ideas spinning around in my head. It sure made the miles go by fast!
It wasn’t a very eventful run, but I saw a lot of running groups out this morning, and I overheard some guys talking about 24-mile runs while I was getting water at Memorial Park. They were training for the Rocky Raccoon trail run, and I was a little envious. I’ve always wanted to try ultras, but since I’ve had such disastrously bad luck just getting my mileage back up to marathon standards without injury, ultras have remained out of the question.
The only problem I had today was tight calves. They had been tight before I started, and by the last two miles, the situation was pretty bad. My endurance sport friends know the drill—as long as you keep moving, it’s bearable, but as soon as you stop, everything locks up and you find yourself staggering around like Frankenstein. I thought I would die before I could get settled in to ice down once I was home, but Tidbit kept me amused by bouncing all around the living room like she was on springs. I don’t know what got into her today!
Once I had iced my legs, I felt a lot better, and I followed up with my usual routine of foam roller, stretching, and leg massage with my own personal blend of massage creams that leave my legs all tingly for awhile. Tonight I’m ready to bounce around the room with Tidbit. If I keep having successful long runs like this, I might just sign up for the San Antonio Marathon. Anyone want to join me? It’s November 12, and I’m not running it as an A race, since I need to stay uninjured for Houston in January. In fact, if I do San Antonio under 5 hours, I’ll be mad at myself. I would be running it just for fun and taking lots of walk breaks.
I got some reassuring news today—my university’s proposal to buy a piece of property on the other side of town fell through. Yay! I know it would’ve been a good deal for a lot of people on an academic level, but they were threatening to send all of us with “non customer-facing jobs” out to the new facility. That would’ve meant instead of a 10 minute commute, having to drive about an hour each way. That was not happening. I had been scrambling to apply for other jobs as it looked more and more like the deal might go through, but now that it’s not, I can relax a little. Moving your job across town when your “town” has the approximate square mileage of Guatemala is just so not cool. If I wanted to get jerked around like that, I’d go work for a corporation, where I’d at least make more money and have employer matching on deposits to my retirement account.
I’ve got a new creative project in the works, as I alluded to at the beginning of this post. I’m still tinkering with it, and trying to decide if I like it, if I want to continue with it, and just what I really want to get out of the exercise, but I’ll post more on that either later tonight or sometime tomorrow.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Thursday: Rest
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 17 mile run
It wasn’t a very eventful run, but I saw a lot of running groups out this morning, and I overheard some guys talking about 24-mile runs while I was getting water at Memorial Park. They were training for the Rocky Raccoon trail run, and I was a little envious. I’ve always wanted to try ultras, but since I’ve had such disastrously bad luck just getting my mileage back up to marathon standards without injury, ultras have remained out of the question.
The only problem I had today was tight calves. They had been tight before I started, and by the last two miles, the situation was pretty bad. My endurance sport friends know the drill—as long as you keep moving, it’s bearable, but as soon as you stop, everything locks up and you find yourself staggering around like Frankenstein. I thought I would die before I could get settled in to ice down once I was home, but Tidbit kept me amused by bouncing all around the living room like she was on springs. I don’t know what got into her today!
Once I had iced my legs, I felt a lot better, and I followed up with my usual routine of foam roller, stretching, and leg massage with my own personal blend of massage creams that leave my legs all tingly for awhile. Tonight I’m ready to bounce around the room with Tidbit. If I keep having successful long runs like this, I might just sign up for the San Antonio Marathon. Anyone want to join me? It’s November 12, and I’m not running it as an A race, since I need to stay uninjured for Houston in January. In fact, if I do San Antonio under 5 hours, I’ll be mad at myself. I would be running it just for fun and taking lots of walk breaks.
I got some reassuring news today—my university’s proposal to buy a piece of property on the other side of town fell through. Yay! I know it would’ve been a good deal for a lot of people on an academic level, but they were threatening to send all of us with “non customer-facing jobs” out to the new facility. That would’ve meant instead of a 10 minute commute, having to drive about an hour each way. That was not happening. I had been scrambling to apply for other jobs as it looked more and more like the deal might go through, but now that it’s not, I can relax a little. Moving your job across town when your “town” has the approximate square mileage of Guatemala is just so not cool. If I wanted to get jerked around like that, I’d go work for a corporation, where I’d at least make more money and have employer matching on deposits to my retirement account.
I’ve got a new creative project in the works, as I alluded to at the beginning of this post. I’m still tinkering with it, and trying to decide if I like it, if I want to continue with it, and just what I really want to get out of the exercise, but I’ll post more on that either later tonight or sometime tomorrow.
Recent Workouts
Monday: 4 mile run
Thursday: Rest
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 17 mile run
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Gardens and Bones
An unexciting rest of the week led into a fairly ordinary weekend, which has been nice.
I made an odd discovery on my Saturday run. At the corner of a busy intersection bordering a ritzy neighborhood, someone planted a garden on the little strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. I saw eggplants, peppers, squash and other veggie plants. And on the other side of the sidewalk, abutting the wall to a very posh-looking estate, was a row of banana and grapefruit trees. The grapefruits were mostly green, with a few showing the faintest early tinges of yellow. Of course, the strangest thing about all this was its location. You’d think rich people with ginormous yards could plant their eggplants and bell peppers somewhere other than right next to a busy street. So whose garden was it? The maid’s?
It’s funny, the little things you encounter on a run.
In other news, my MIL is in the hospital this weekend. What seemed like a knee problem two weeks ago is actually a stress injury resulting from back pain due to a burst fracture in one of her vertebrae, the result of osteoporosis. We’re hoping the results of the bone biopsy will indicate they can fix the problem easily, but Dan gets the impression from her doctors that her bones are quite brittle.
So here’s a note to you ladies out there: Eat right, get moving, and keep moving! Your body won’t keep laying down calcium on your bones unless it thinks it’s got a reason to. Give it a reason, and give it the materials to work with.
Thus ends today’s public service announcement.
Recent Workouts
Wednesday: 4 mile run
Thursday: 30 min elliptical
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 14 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run
I made an odd discovery on my Saturday run. At the corner of a busy intersection bordering a ritzy neighborhood, someone planted a garden on the little strip of grass between the sidewalk and the street. I saw eggplants, peppers, squash and other veggie plants. And on the other side of the sidewalk, abutting the wall to a very posh-looking estate, was a row of banana and grapefruit trees. The grapefruits were mostly green, with a few showing the faintest early tinges of yellow. Of course, the strangest thing about all this was its location. You’d think rich people with ginormous yards could plant their eggplants and bell peppers somewhere other than right next to a busy street. So whose garden was it? The maid’s?
It’s funny, the little things you encounter on a run.
In other news, my MIL is in the hospital this weekend. What seemed like a knee problem two weeks ago is actually a stress injury resulting from back pain due to a burst fracture in one of her vertebrae, the result of osteoporosis. We’re hoping the results of the bone biopsy will indicate they can fix the problem easily, but Dan gets the impression from her doctors that her bones are quite brittle.
So here’s a note to you ladies out there: Eat right, get moving, and keep moving! Your body won’t keep laying down calcium on your bones unless it thinks it’s got a reason to. Give it a reason, and give it the materials to work with.
Thus ends today’s public service announcement.
Recent Workouts
Wednesday: 4 mile run
Thursday: 30 min elliptical
Friday: Rest
Saturday: 14 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Monday, September 18, 2006
Not-So-Blue Monday
I had a very nice surprise waiting for me when I got to the office this morning—an email from a writing contest I had entered, saying that I had won the First Chapter competition! Yay, me! It’s not a huge contest or anything, no big prize, no fame and fortune, nothing like that. And for all I know, there could’ve been only three other entrants in the First Chapter division, and they all sucked. But it’s still a nice thing to go into your office, all sleepy and grumpy because it’s Monday and you’ve got a lot of work to do, and find out your creative work has won a small award.
After that, it was go, go, go… all day. Spreadsheets. PowerPoint. Reports. Lotsa phone calls. Yuck. But it made the day zip right along, and I went home feeling like I had been very productive. It was such a good start to the week that I followed it up with a short run. And even that went better than expected. It was sunny and humid when I left the office, but by the time I got home, changed, and headed out the door, some clouds had begun moving in and it was cooler out. I only needed to stop for water once.
In sum, it was a pretty darn good day, for a Monday!
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: 4 mile run
After that, it was go, go, go… all day. Spreadsheets. PowerPoint. Reports. Lotsa phone calls. Yuck. But it made the day zip right along, and I went home feeling like I had been very productive. It was such a good start to the week that I followed it up with a short run. And even that went better than expected. It was sunny and humid when I left the office, but by the time I got home, changed, and headed out the door, some clouds had begun moving in and it was cooler out. I only needed to stop for water once.
In sum, it was a pretty darn good day, for a Monday!
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: 4 mile run
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Saturday Long Run
Today’s goal was 16 miles. I was a little unsure how that would work out because I’ve been having twinges in my hip again, but I selected a route that would keep me on flat, level surfaces throughout, and gave it a go.
I ran into a problem when I got to Memorial and Loop 610, where the road was closed due to construction. I almost thought I’d have to backtrack, but I managed to find a way through the site, near where the workers’ cars were parked and far from the actual work going on. The only difficulty was that the area was so full of thick, slimy, mud that there was no way I was going back that way.
The next problem I encountered was the place I had planned to get water was no longer there. That’ll teach me to not check that particular part of the route for more than a year! And since I would have to find a new route back to Memorial Park, I didn’t know when or where I would get water. I knew logically that I would find some within a couple miles, but it really messed with my head to not be sure. I felt thirstier than I should’ve at that point on the run and I thought about water way more than was necessary.
And all for nothing. I found a place with a gloriously ice-cold water fountain within a couple miles of my now-demolished first choice stop, and I have a new running route into the bargain. Instead of a boring out-and-back, I can now do a loop.
Uh, yeah. My creativity doesn’t manifest itself in new running routes nearly often enough.
I finished my 16 miles with no hip pain. Tonight it feels like it wants to act up, but I may just be thinking about it too much. We’ll see how I feel in the morning. If it’s bothering me at all, I’ll do a Spinerval instead of my usual Sunday six-miler.
Today’s Workout
16 mile run
I ran into a problem when I got to Memorial and Loop 610, where the road was closed due to construction. I almost thought I’d have to backtrack, but I managed to find a way through the site, near where the workers’ cars were parked and far from the actual work going on. The only difficulty was that the area was so full of thick, slimy, mud that there was no way I was going back that way.
The next problem I encountered was the place I had planned to get water was no longer there. That’ll teach me to not check that particular part of the route for more than a year! And since I would have to find a new route back to Memorial Park, I didn’t know when or where I would get water. I knew logically that I would find some within a couple miles, but it really messed with my head to not be sure. I felt thirstier than I should’ve at that point on the run and I thought about water way more than was necessary.
And all for nothing. I found a place with a gloriously ice-cold water fountain within a couple miles of my now-demolished first choice stop, and I have a new running route into the bargain. Instead of a boring out-and-back, I can now do a loop.
Uh, yeah. My creativity doesn’t manifest itself in new running routes nearly often enough.
I finished my 16 miles with no hip pain. Tonight it feels like it wants to act up, but I may just be thinking about it too much. We’ll see how I feel in the morning. If it’s bothering me at all, I’ll do a Spinerval instead of my usual Sunday six-miler.
Today’s Workout
16 mile run
Thursday, September 14, 2006
L'ordinateur est arrivé!
Yay! My replacement computer is finally here!
It took all evening of Dan setting it up for me, re-installing patches, docs and software, but I’m back up and running, and I’m very happy!
I’m just hoping now that this new machine will prove as reliable as the one I had for eight years. Or that it will prove even half as reliable. Anything but have to muck around with all those cables again! Where do they come from? Why so many? I seem to have way more cables behind my desk than are actually required for all the things I do. They must be back there breeding new cables, or something, twisting around each other like spaghetti.
Anyone need an extra cable? I’ve got ‘em!
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: 40 minute elliptical
Thursday: 4.5 mile run
It took all evening of Dan setting it up for me, re-installing patches, docs and software, but I’m back up and running, and I’m very happy!
I’m just hoping now that this new machine will prove as reliable as the one I had for eight years. Or that it will prove even half as reliable. Anything but have to muck around with all those cables again! Where do they come from? Why so many? I seem to have way more cables behind my desk than are actually required for all the things I do. They must be back there breeding new cables, or something, twisting around each other like spaghetti.
Anyone need an extra cable? I’ve got ‘em!
Recent Workouts
Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Wednesday: 40 minute elliptical
Thursday: 4.5 mile run
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Interesting...
A few years ago I applied for a position. Although it wasn't with the division I've worked in these past ten years, it was the type of job that was the next logical step on the career ladder in my profession. I made the final cut and had lots of great interviews, but they ended up bringing in an outsider.
It happens. And truth to tell, his qualifications were better than mine.
But now he's moved on and much to my surprise, the people who interviewed me last time called me and invited me to apply again!
Now, I'm not vain enough to think that they didn't call anyone else or that I wouldn't once again lose out to someone with superior qualifications. In fact, if someone else is the better candidate, I would hope they would get the job. My sense of fair play would be offended, otherwise.
But... how totally cool that they remembered me and asked me to toss my hat in the ring!
It's nice to be thought well of. Lots of warm fuzzies here today!
It happens. And truth to tell, his qualifications were better than mine.
But now he's moved on and much to my surprise, the people who interviewed me last time called me and invited me to apply again!
Now, I'm not vain enough to think that they didn't call anyone else or that I wouldn't once again lose out to someone with superior qualifications. In fact, if someone else is the better candidate, I would hope they would get the job. My sense of fair play would be offended, otherwise.
But... how totally cool that they remembered me and asked me to toss my hat in the ring!
It's nice to be thought well of. Lots of warm fuzzies here today!
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Another Rainy Run
I had a pretty good week at work, and was glad that having Monday off meant no late afternoon Monday meeting. I find late afternoon meetings annoying because since no one can end a meeting on time, these things tend to drag out interminably and stick me in the worst sort of traffic by the time I can finally make my escape and head home.
I continue to wade through my list of way overdue personal projects, and I’m happy to report that I’m now down to only two important ones: go see the doc to get my asthma meds renewed, and take the comforter to the laundromat so I can use one of the big front-loading washers. Too bad there's no good way to combine those two errands.
Other than that, I’m about done! Okay, I still need to find out what’s wrong with the a/c on the RX-7, but that project is penciled in for October, so it doesn’t really count.
In other news, I’m still without my new computer, in spite of Dan’s best efforts. Dell is sending me another one, so I hope it will be here Monday. All the more reason I’ll be pissed if our Monday afternoon meeting drags on forever.
Today’s run was supposed to be a relatively “short” long run, with a focus on speed at the end. It didn’t turn out that way because it started raining during the last three miles. Between the mud and reduced visibility, no way was a negative split realistic. But I finished the twelve miles feeling fresh and perky, and that was good. And I refrained from seconds when Dan and I went for Indian buffet, so the whole calorie thing probably worked out okay.
It looks like they’re forecasting more rain for tomorrow morning, so while I didn’t mind getting caught in it today, I think tomorrow could turn out to be an elliptical sort of day. I may be dedicated, but I’m not a glutton for punishment.
Recent Workouts
Last Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: 90 minute elliptical
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: rest
Today: 12 mile run
I continue to wade through my list of way overdue personal projects, and I’m happy to report that I’m now down to only two important ones: go see the doc to get my asthma meds renewed, and take the comforter to the laundromat so I can use one of the big front-loading washers. Too bad there's no good way to combine those two errands.
Other than that, I’m about done! Okay, I still need to find out what’s wrong with the a/c on the RX-7, but that project is penciled in for October, so it doesn’t really count.
In other news, I’m still without my new computer, in spite of Dan’s best efforts. Dell is sending me another one, so I hope it will be here Monday. All the more reason I’ll be pissed if our Monday afternoon meeting drags on forever.
Today’s run was supposed to be a relatively “short” long run, with a focus on speed at the end. It didn’t turn out that way because it started raining during the last three miles. Between the mud and reduced visibility, no way was a negative split realistic. But I finished the twelve miles feeling fresh and perky, and that was good. And I refrained from seconds when Dan and I went for Indian buffet, so the whole calorie thing probably worked out okay.
It looks like they’re forecasting more rain for tomorrow morning, so while I didn’t mind getting caught in it today, I think tomorrow could turn out to be an elliptical sort of day. I may be dedicated, but I’m not a glutton for punishment.
Recent Workouts
Last Sunday: 6 mile run
Monday: 90 minute elliptical
Tuesday: rest
Wednesday: 6 mile run
Thursday: 30 minute elliptical
Friday: rest
Today: 12 mile run
Monday, September 04, 2006
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Saturday Update
Grrr… I’m still without my computer!
My husband has been too wonderful for words in his tireless dedication to getting my PC up and running. He even bought me a new hard drive, when all else failed. But it’s doing the same thing as the other, leading us to think we either have a bad copy of WinXP or else a bad motherboard. Dan is going to get another copy of Windows for me tomorrow, so we should know something definite by tomorrow evening. I’m hoping it’s the OS, because I really don’t want the hassle of having to ship the whole CPU back to Dell and wait for a replacement.
Considering that he does this sort of thing for a living (and is probably sick of it when he comes home) and that he has his own computer (it’s mine that’s crashing), he’s really going above and beyond. I could’ve done everything he’s done myself, but it would’ve taken me a lot longer, since I've been out of tech support for so long.
I’ll have to remember to be nice to him.
I had a really good run this morning – fifteen miles with no trouble at all. That’s due at least in part to Mary’s work on my legs Thursday. Nothing like a good massage! I also increased the electrolyte level in my sports drink, which I’m sure also helped. I’m still using a combo of Amino Vital, Endurolytes and pomegranate juice. Today it was borderline salty with the extra electrolytes, but I stayed close to water fountains, so it was all good.
Not much else is happening here. I must be getting caught up on my sleep because I woke up from my post-Indian-food nap much earlier than usual. With so many days off, I’m reverting to type and becoming a terrible night owl again. I’m always pretty bad about that, but I can become almost vampire-like in my day/night, sleep/wake reversal, when I don’t have office hours tying me to the rest of the civilized world’s schedule.
Going back to work on Tuesday will be interesting. Oh, yes. Fun times.
Today’s Workout
15 mile run
My husband has been too wonderful for words in his tireless dedication to getting my PC up and running. He even bought me a new hard drive, when all else failed. But it’s doing the same thing as the other, leading us to think we either have a bad copy of WinXP or else a bad motherboard. Dan is going to get another copy of Windows for me tomorrow, so we should know something definite by tomorrow evening. I’m hoping it’s the OS, because I really don’t want the hassle of having to ship the whole CPU back to Dell and wait for a replacement.
Considering that he does this sort of thing for a living (and is probably sick of it when he comes home) and that he has his own computer (it’s mine that’s crashing), he’s really going above and beyond. I could’ve done everything he’s done myself, but it would’ve taken me a lot longer, since I've been out of tech support for so long.
I’ll have to remember to be nice to him.
I had a really good run this morning – fifteen miles with no trouble at all. That’s due at least in part to Mary’s work on my legs Thursday. Nothing like a good massage! I also increased the electrolyte level in my sports drink, which I’m sure also helped. I’m still using a combo of Amino Vital, Endurolytes and pomegranate juice. Today it was borderline salty with the extra electrolytes, but I stayed close to water fountains, so it was all good.
Not much else is happening here. I must be getting caught up on my sleep because I woke up from my post-Indian-food nap much earlier than usual. With so many days off, I’m reverting to type and becoming a terrible night owl again. I’m always pretty bad about that, but I can become almost vampire-like in my day/night, sleep/wake reversal, when I don’t have office hours tying me to the rest of the civilized world’s schedule.
Going back to work on Tuesday will be interesting. Oh, yes. Fun times.
Today’s Workout
15 mile run
Friday, September 01, 2006
Ironic
You know, for eight years I puttered along on a little Win98 Gateway PC. My computing needs are very basic, so until recently, I had no particular incentive to upgrade. That little Win98 machine never gave me a day of trouble, either.
Last month I got a fancy-pants new Dell WinXP machine with wireless and all the bells and whistles delivered to my door. And tonight, it crashed. My husband is a techie, and I’m an ex-techie from DOS days, so we’re all over it. But at this point, we don’t know if the hard drive will be salvageable.
No worries in terms of my manuscripts, since I email them to myself each night, after making edits. And no worries on my photos and music, since we have all that backed up to an external drive. And I’ve got the laptop, so I’m not without resources.
But…
How ironic is it that my clunky old Win98 machine was such a reliable workhorse for eight years, and my new computer crashed in a matter of weeks?
In other news, I’ve been taking a few sanity days off from work so I can get caught up on personal matters. I did a little shopping, took some things to our storage unit, ran errands, tracked down some parts for my RX-7 and put the car in the shop, I got a massage (finally!) and took Tidbit to get her nails trimmed. We asked for French tips, but the vet tech just smiled and gave a plain old trim. Poor Tid. Maybe next time, sweetie.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Thursday: 6 mile run
Friday: 35 minute elliptical
Last month I got a fancy-pants new Dell WinXP machine with wireless and all the bells and whistles delivered to my door. And tonight, it crashed. My husband is a techie, and I’m an ex-techie from DOS days, so we’re all over it. But at this point, we don’t know if the hard drive will be salvageable.
No worries in terms of my manuscripts, since I email them to myself each night, after making edits. And no worries on my photos and music, since we have all that backed up to an external drive. And I’ve got the laptop, so I’m not without resources.
But…
How ironic is it that my clunky old Win98 machine was such a reliable workhorse for eight years, and my new computer crashed in a matter of weeks?
In other news, I’ve been taking a few sanity days off from work so I can get caught up on personal matters. I did a little shopping, took some things to our storage unit, ran errands, tracked down some parts for my RX-7 and put the car in the shop, I got a massage (finally!) and took Tidbit to get her nails trimmed. We asked for French tips, but the vet tech just smiled and gave a plain old trim. Poor Tid. Maybe next time, sweetie.
Recent Workouts
Tuesday: 4 mile run
Thursday: 6 mile run
Friday: 35 minute elliptical
Sunday, August 27, 2006
Productive Day
I sure got a lot of pesky tasks and errands done today! I went to the grocery store and pet store, bought a new digital camera and all the accessories, did some housework, including the once a week stuff, and topped it all off by paying the bills and coloring my hair.
I still have to do the ironing, and with any luck, I’ll finish the latest edit of my manuscript tonight, too, and get another query out.
Whew!
Today’s Workout
6 mile run
I still have to do the ironing, and with any luck, I’ll finish the latest edit of my manuscript tonight, too, and get another query out.
Whew!
Today’s Workout
6 mile run
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Bayou Run and Plans
I was up late Friday night and none too thrilled with my alarm clock this morning. I was even less thrilled to find that the cat managed to dump over his litterbox in the night—a first, and hopefully also a last.
So it was almost 7:30 before I was able to hit the trails, and so humid it felt like I was running through soup. I kept things simple, though. I ran the Bayou loop, including part of the downtown trail, and when I was done, I changed direction and ran it again. That made about 12 miles. I finished with a little-loop (Shepherd/Waugh) at about 10K pace, which wasn’t fun at all. Some clouds were moving in and a breeze was picking up, so that helped, but only marginally. It was still hot and humid, and I was tired.
But it was a surprisingly strong run, overall. My calves had been so tight the night before that I hadn’t expected much, but I think the hills on the bayou trail and the way I broke up the pace helped my legs. I was forced to use different muscles, rather than just punish the same ones for mile after mile.
I was thinking today that I might try to bring my long run mileage up to about 18-20 by the end of October and run the San Antonio Marathon on November 12. Yes, I’m registered for Houston in January, so I wouldn’t be running San Antonio as an A race. I would take it slow and walk frequently. I’ll wait and see how I’m feeling in October, since I don’t want to jeopardize my January (birthday!) marathon. I also would have to consider how doing a marathon in November would dovetail with my plan to do the Luke’s Locker Half Marathon on October 29.
But I’ve always wanted to do San Antonio. I lived there for three years as a kid and have fond feelings for the city. And with their new course route, it looks like fun. But I’m leaving my options open at this point, and I’ll make a decision when I get a better idea how my body is holding up. Last year’s hip injury freaked me out and I still haven’t gotten back up to my same long run mileage. I hope all these successful 12-14 mile runs followed by Sunday morning 6-milers are an indication I’m back on track and ready for better things.
In other news, I think I’m going to buy a new camera tomorrow. I don’t have the time or the right tools to muck around endlessly with our broken camera, and we’re about due for a new one, anyway.
This blog needs more bunny pictures!
Today’s Workout
14 mile run
So it was almost 7:30 before I was able to hit the trails, and so humid it felt like I was running through soup. I kept things simple, though. I ran the Bayou loop, including part of the downtown trail, and when I was done, I changed direction and ran it again. That made about 12 miles. I finished with a little-loop (Shepherd/Waugh) at about 10K pace, which wasn’t fun at all. Some clouds were moving in and a breeze was picking up, so that helped, but only marginally. It was still hot and humid, and I was tired.
But it was a surprisingly strong run, overall. My calves had been so tight the night before that I hadn’t expected much, but I think the hills on the bayou trail and the way I broke up the pace helped my legs. I was forced to use different muscles, rather than just punish the same ones for mile after mile.
I was thinking today that I might try to bring my long run mileage up to about 18-20 by the end of October and run the San Antonio Marathon on November 12. Yes, I’m registered for Houston in January, so I wouldn’t be running San Antonio as an A race. I would take it slow and walk frequently. I’ll wait and see how I’m feeling in October, since I don’t want to jeopardize my January (birthday!) marathon. I also would have to consider how doing a marathon in November would dovetail with my plan to do the Luke’s Locker Half Marathon on October 29.
But I’ve always wanted to do San Antonio. I lived there for three years as a kid and have fond feelings for the city. And with their new course route, it looks like fun. But I’m leaving my options open at this point, and I’ll make a decision when I get a better idea how my body is holding up. Last year’s hip injury freaked me out and I still haven’t gotten back up to my same long run mileage. I hope all these successful 12-14 mile runs followed by Sunday morning 6-milers are an indication I’m back on track and ready for better things.
In other news, I think I’m going to buy a new camera tomorrow. I don’t have the time or the right tools to muck around endlessly with our broken camera, and we’re about due for a new one, anyway.
This blog needs more bunny pictures!
Today’s Workout
14 mile run
Sunday, August 20, 2006
Runnin’ in the Rain
Who would’ve guessed that today’s 30% chance of rain would all come pouring down at once, about an hour into my morning run?
I headed out under patchy, slightly overcast skies. I was glad for a break from the sun, and for the cool breeze. Such a rare and welcome relief in August! I trotted along the bayou trail toward downtown, through the art park and along the new trails past the aquarium and Wortham Theater. Very nice. I came back on the Allen Parkway side, and that’s when the thunder began.
It started as a low grumbling off to the south, where the skies were darkening and thunderheads piling up. But the sky to the north was still blue. I decided to keep running. I’ve seen systems swirl all around my part of town without ever dropping any rain.
I finished the bayou loop and started up Memorial Drive. I stopped at the runner-friendly Shell station for some cold water, and when I came out, the sky was turning black toward the south. More thunder. My plan was to run up to Chimney Rock and back, but if this storm meant business…
Oh, what the heck. I don’t much like running in the rain, and I won’t do it at all in cool weather, but in August? Might be nice. I continued.
When I got to the 610 Loop, I looked to the south and now the darkness was spreading out across the sky, full of mumbling thunder and punctuated by high flashes of lightning. It’s pretty typical though, for storms to hit one part of the city and not another. Maybe it wouldn’t make it this far. And if it did, it would pass quickly, right? Summer storms always do.
I went on, while streetlights turned themselves on and the first misty drops speckled my arms.
Somewhere around Antoine, the rain began coming down. It was a pleasant shower at first, and it was so nice to be having a cool run in August. What a treat! But then the skies opened up and it began pouring! Well, I was already soaked through, so I could see no point in stopping and seeking shelter. Sure, the thunder was crashing and booming all around and there was some high lightning, but the lightning wasn’t actually hitting anything. It’s a funny thing about inner-city lightning— it seems to almost never actually strike.
So I pushed on, splashing through the puddles, raindrops fogging my glasses, fully expecting the storm to blow right on through. No luck. I got to my turnaround point and headed back, and still no letup in sight. The dips in the sidewalks were filling with water and I was getting seriously annoyed at the way the rain just kept on coming. This was not 30% chance of rain. This was not a passing summer shower.
But hey, stopping would’ve only given me a chance to get chilled. Might as well keep moving.
The rain finally started letting up around the time I got back to Memorial Park. I had been running in a downpour for half an hour! But as the skies lightened and the rain dwindled to a light shower, I saw to my delight that Memorial Park was deserted.
10 am on a Saturday morning and I had the whole park to myself! This was definitely worth a drenching.
Three miles later and I was home, taking off my squishy shoes and socks outside the door. I was no more wet and drippy than I ever am after an August long run. But because it was rain and not sweat, I sure smelled a lot better!
Today’s Workout
13 mile run in the rain
I headed out under patchy, slightly overcast skies. I was glad for a break from the sun, and for the cool breeze. Such a rare and welcome relief in August! I trotted along the bayou trail toward downtown, through the art park and along the new trails past the aquarium and Wortham Theater. Very nice. I came back on the Allen Parkway side, and that’s when the thunder began.
It started as a low grumbling off to the south, where the skies were darkening and thunderheads piling up. But the sky to the north was still blue. I decided to keep running. I’ve seen systems swirl all around my part of town without ever dropping any rain.
I finished the bayou loop and started up Memorial Drive. I stopped at the runner-friendly Shell station for some cold water, and when I came out, the sky was turning black toward the south. More thunder. My plan was to run up to Chimney Rock and back, but if this storm meant business…
Oh, what the heck. I don’t much like running in the rain, and I won’t do it at all in cool weather, but in August? Might be nice. I continued.
When I got to the 610 Loop, I looked to the south and now the darkness was spreading out across the sky, full of mumbling thunder and punctuated by high flashes of lightning. It’s pretty typical though, for storms to hit one part of the city and not another. Maybe it wouldn’t make it this far. And if it did, it would pass quickly, right? Summer storms always do.
I went on, while streetlights turned themselves on and the first misty drops speckled my arms.
Somewhere around Antoine, the rain began coming down. It was a pleasant shower at first, and it was so nice to be having a cool run in August. What a treat! But then the skies opened up and it began pouring! Well, I was already soaked through, so I could see no point in stopping and seeking shelter. Sure, the thunder was crashing and booming all around and there was some high lightning, but the lightning wasn’t actually hitting anything. It’s a funny thing about inner-city lightning— it seems to almost never actually strike.
So I pushed on, splashing through the puddles, raindrops fogging my glasses, fully expecting the storm to blow right on through. No luck. I got to my turnaround point and headed back, and still no letup in sight. The dips in the sidewalks were filling with water and I was getting seriously annoyed at the way the rain just kept on coming. This was not 30% chance of rain. This was not a passing summer shower.
But hey, stopping would’ve only given me a chance to get chilled. Might as well keep moving.
The rain finally started letting up around the time I got back to Memorial Park. I had been running in a downpour for half an hour! But as the skies lightened and the rain dwindled to a light shower, I saw to my delight that Memorial Park was deserted.
10 am on a Saturday morning and I had the whole park to myself! This was definitely worth a drenching.
Three miles later and I was home, taking off my squishy shoes and socks outside the door. I was no more wet and drippy than I ever am after an August long run. But because it was rain and not sweat, I sure smelled a lot better!
Today’s Workout
13 mile run in the rain
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
Stinky
Dan and I have been running together in the evenings again. It’s nice, and the temps are usually cooler after dark. But tonight we stepped outside and the heat and humidity hit us like a wave.
“It’ll be better at the park,” I told him. “More trees. Less concrete.”
And it was a little better. But not by much.
I started at a conservative pace, but after my first stop for water, I found myself behind a particularly odiferous person, and by now a stiff breeze had picked up, wafting everything back to me.
Lucky me.
I picked up the pace and passed him. It was faster than I wanted to go for only my second mile of what would be a little over 4 miles, but with Stinky on my heels, I had no choice but to keep my pace. No way was I letting him get upwind of me again!
So I tried to be philosophical about it. When I first started distance running, I regularly had to contend with stinky people. In some ways they inspired me. Or they at least forced me to keep going when I was tempted to slow down. I became a better runner because of the motivation they gave me.
Tonight Stinky and I parted ways at about the 2.5 mile point, when I stopped for water and he went on. I was a little overheated by this point and dripping wet. 80% humidity will do that to you. So I finished my run at a more reasonable pace, fighting down a rare bit of exercise-induced nausea. I wasn’t exactly smelling like roses myself, at this point.
I can only hope I motivated someone.
Today’s Workout
4.25 mile run
“It’ll be better at the park,” I told him. “More trees. Less concrete.”
And it was a little better. But not by much.
I started at a conservative pace, but after my first stop for water, I found myself behind a particularly odiferous person, and by now a stiff breeze had picked up, wafting everything back to me.
Lucky me.
I picked up the pace and passed him. It was faster than I wanted to go for only my second mile of what would be a little over 4 miles, but with Stinky on my heels, I had no choice but to keep my pace. No way was I letting him get upwind of me again!
So I tried to be philosophical about it. When I first started distance running, I regularly had to contend with stinky people. In some ways they inspired me. Or they at least forced me to keep going when I was tempted to slow down. I became a better runner because of the motivation they gave me.
Tonight Stinky and I parted ways at about the 2.5 mile point, when I stopped for water and he went on. I was a little overheated by this point and dripping wet. 80% humidity will do that to you. So I finished my run at a more reasonable pace, fighting down a rare bit of exercise-induced nausea. I wasn’t exactly smelling like roses myself, at this point.
I can only hope I motivated someone.
Today’s Workout
4.25 mile run
Monday, August 14, 2006
NEWS!!!
The very first agent I queried about Tin Soldier has requested the first 30 pages!!!
OMG!!! I just know I'm going to print it out and immediately think it SUCKS!
(Yeah, yeah, I know it doesn't, but... you know.)
Now, just to keep things in perspective here, publishing is a business. Regardless of skill or talent (assuming I have any), an agent has to think s/he can successfully market my book. This is not ars gratia aris, here. I know that. And I'm totally okay with it. Really.
But...
My very first query ended up with a request for a partial!!!
I'm off to hyperventilate, now...
OMG!!! I just know I'm going to print it out and immediately think it SUCKS!
(Yeah, yeah, I know it doesn't, but... you know.)
Now, just to keep things in perspective here, publishing is a business. Regardless of skill or talent (assuming I have any), an agent has to think s/he can successfully market my book. This is not ars gratia aris, here. I know that. And I'm totally okay with it. Really.
But...
My very first query ended up with a request for a partial!!!
I'm off to hyperventilate, now...
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Just Another Weekend
I’m rapidly reaching a point where I’m going to have to see my massage therapist. Of course, I also have no idea when I'm going to have time for it. It’s the end of the fiscal year, I’ve had lots of projects dumped on me, and it’s so hard to concentrate at work with people calling and dropping by all the time to discuss the reorganization that’s going on.
Last week I had hoped to take a day, or even a half-day, to work at home. I get a lot done on my projects when I can just settle in and work. But too many other things were going on. I think I’ll pull out all the stops to make it happen this week, and use my lunch break to go see my massage therapist, since she lives just a few blocks away.
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
I get way stressed out when I have so many “have to” things on my plate.
This was a pretty typical weekend, in terms of working out. I did a 14 mile run on Saturday morning, or at least I think it was about 14. It might’ve been closer to 15. Add “get GPS watch battery replaced” to my to-do list! This morning I did 6 miles and followed up with some weights and rowing machine at the gym.
We got my “new” printer set up this weekend. Yay! I now no longer have to feed sheets of paper one at a time into a persnickety little beast of a machine that would rather chew up paper than actually print on it. I say it’s a “new” printer because I got it at the garage sale last weekend for $10. So it’s new to me, although not new in general.
I continue to be very lazy about writing the third novel in my peak oil trilogy. Bad bunnygirl! I think I’m just a little overwhelmed. I’m doing queries and synopses of Tin Soldier to send to agents, I’m still coming off the high of finishing my second, as yet untitled, book, and writing the third in the series is taking a back seat to all that. Instead of a page a day, I’m averaging more like half a page.
I’m even considering taking a break to work on a totally different novel that has a highly marketable premise, but that I botched in the first go-round many years ago. My first version has some good elements, but I tried to do things with it that were: a) beyond my skill level at the time, and b) too clever, in a bad way. So I’ve been doing some pondering as to how I should approach a serious re-write. It’s too good a plot to just abandon. And I think I may now have the skill and perspective to give it the treatment it deserves. If not, well, it’s just another kind of training, right?
Do I really have to go to work tomorrow? Something tells me the answer is yes.
WeekendWorkouts
Saturday: 14 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run, weights
Last week I had hoped to take a day, or even a half-day, to work at home. I get a lot done on my projects when I can just settle in and work. But too many other things were going on. I think I’ll pull out all the stops to make it happen this week, and use my lunch break to go see my massage therapist, since she lives just a few blocks away.
Yeah, that’s the ticket.
I get way stressed out when I have so many “have to” things on my plate.
This was a pretty typical weekend, in terms of working out. I did a 14 mile run on Saturday morning, or at least I think it was about 14. It might’ve been closer to 15. Add “get GPS watch battery replaced” to my to-do list! This morning I did 6 miles and followed up with some weights and rowing machine at the gym.
We got my “new” printer set up this weekend. Yay! I now no longer have to feed sheets of paper one at a time into a persnickety little beast of a machine that would rather chew up paper than actually print on it. I say it’s a “new” printer because I got it at the garage sale last weekend for $10. So it’s new to me, although not new in general.
I continue to be very lazy about writing the third novel in my peak oil trilogy. Bad bunnygirl! I think I’m just a little overwhelmed. I’m doing queries and synopses of Tin Soldier to send to agents, I’m still coming off the high of finishing my second, as yet untitled, book, and writing the third in the series is taking a back seat to all that. Instead of a page a day, I’m averaging more like half a page.
I’m even considering taking a break to work on a totally different novel that has a highly marketable premise, but that I botched in the first go-round many years ago. My first version has some good elements, but I tried to do things with it that were: a) beyond my skill level at the time, and b) too clever, in a bad way. So I’ve been doing some pondering as to how I should approach a serious re-write. It’s too good a plot to just abandon. And I think I may now have the skill and perspective to give it the treatment it deserves. If not, well, it’s just another kind of training, right?
Do I really have to go to work tomorrow? Something tells me the answer is yes.
WeekendWorkouts
Saturday: 14 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run, weights
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Checking In
Not much is happening here. It’s a dull week, so far. I was lazy and didn’t work out last night, but I did update my writings blog. It now contains the latest edit of Chapter One of Tin Soldier, and a draft version of Chapter One of the sequel. I will add other writings from time to time, and I’ll try to keep the most recent edits up, instead of letting the posted version lag behind my word-tinkering.
A friend of mine started a new blog today, The Incredible Shrinking Man. I hope a few of my regular visitors will drop by, say hello and ask him to post more pictures of his new cat, Thor.
In the good news department, my new running shoes arrived today and the air conditioning in the gym at my complex has finally been fixed. So that means when I skip an afternoon workout to run with Dan at night, I have another workout option if he bails on me. I think I’ll still use the university rec center after work a couple times a week, though. The time seems to pass more slowly there, but they have a lot more equipment. I’d forgotten how much I missed the rowing machine until I used it this past Sunday. And the rec center has a quarter-mile indoor track!
And finally, my cousin Chris in El Paso wrote to me about the flooding they’ve been having. He lives and works on a side of town that was not affected, but he had plenty to say about it, nonetheless. Kind of scary to think that a dam in another country could wipe out a big chunk of your city. The flooding has been fairly widespread in southern New Mexico and the El Paso area. My father got stranded at a job in some little New Mexico town while he waited for the water to recede. But he says the worst of the rains have generally missed the family property. The arroyos are full, but no real flooding.
Water in the desert is always a fascinating thing, both blessing and curse.
Have a good week, friends!
Scheduled Workouts
Tuesday: ~4 mile run, unless it rains
A friend of mine started a new blog today, The Incredible Shrinking Man. I hope a few of my regular visitors will drop by, say hello and ask him to post more pictures of his new cat, Thor.
In the good news department, my new running shoes arrived today and the air conditioning in the gym at my complex has finally been fixed. So that means when I skip an afternoon workout to run with Dan at night, I have another workout option if he bails on me. I think I’ll still use the university rec center after work a couple times a week, though. The time seems to pass more slowly there, but they have a lot more equipment. I’d forgotten how much I missed the rowing machine until I used it this past Sunday. And the rec center has a quarter-mile indoor track!
And finally, my cousin Chris in El Paso wrote to me about the flooding they’ve been having. He lives and works on a side of town that was not affected, but he had plenty to say about it, nonetheless. Kind of scary to think that a dam in another country could wipe out a big chunk of your city. The flooding has been fairly widespread in southern New Mexico and the El Paso area. My father got stranded at a job in some little New Mexico town while he waited for the water to recede. But he says the worst of the rains have generally missed the family property. The arroyos are full, but no real flooding.
Water in the desert is always a fascinating thing, both blessing and curse.
Have a good week, friends!
Scheduled Workouts
Tuesday: ~4 mile run, unless it rains
Sunday, August 06, 2006
My Weekend
Not a whole lot of interesting stuff to report this weekend.
I think the highlight was a Saturday morning yard sale, if that says anything. The seller was an acquaintance of ours from the university and we wanted to get there early because there are semi-pro yard sale shoppers who descend on these things like vultures.
So I rearranged my Saturday long run. I got up extra-early and ran to the George R. Brown convention center, which was on the way to the yard sale. Beyond this point, it’s not safe for a woman to be alone on foot, so Dan picked me up. He brought a towel and t-shirt so I could clean up, and off we went! I found a few cool little things for myself, bought a few things for my Romanian friends, and got to see some really great furniture that I just couldn’t think how to fit in my apartment and therefore had to pass up. I also picked up a combo printer/fax/scanner for $10 that matches the color of my new computer. This allowed me to give my old printer to the Romanians. So we are all happy now.
After we finished up at the yard sale, Dan dropped me back at the convention center to finish my run, while he took the Romanians shopping for school stuff for the kids and new shoes for himself. (The errand was really all about him needing new shoes. And pants. And underwear. He invited the Romanians to tag along, since they won’t be getting their car until sometime this week.)
I did some editing on my story last night, stayed up late and today I got up early for a run to Memorial Park and back. At the park, I ran into my friend Linnie and her husband, who is my ex-landlord. Linnie and I ran together for a couple miles, chatting about stuff. Her son and his wife had a fight and now Linnie is caring for their kid for awhile, so we talked about the seemingly endless capacity early twentysomethings have for drama. (I sure was glad to grow out of that phase!) And I mentioned the Romanian kids and she told me that there’s a lot of Romanians at the school where she teaches, which is the one we’re trying to get the little girl into. Apparently a lot of the rich families in the area adopt from Romania and Russia, so this particular school has a lot of experience with them.
After my run, I did a little grocery shopping and picked up some treats for my Romanian friends—gourmet coffee for the grownups, cookies for the kids. And then I went to OfficeMax and bought paper for the printer I was giving them, as well as an extra print cartridge and stuff like that.
I also priced digital cameras. Ours is broken and although I think I can fix it, I suspect I can get a new and better one for a price that makes the hassle of repairing the old one not worth it. I’m going to ponder this for a few days.
Then I took Catalin to the gym, and he shot baskets while I worked out in the weight room. He had been up late babysitting for a neighbor and I was feeling a little asthmatic, so neither of us was really in much of a mood for swimming or anything like that. I had my manuscript and red pen with me, just in case he wanted to do something that gym rules said required my supervision. But I was glad not to need it. I dropped him off at home, ran a few more errands and settled in for the rest of the afternoon.
Tonight Dan is trying to re-learn how to play the guitar. He bought an inexpensive starter guitar and instruction DVD this afternoon, and he figures if this new hobby sticks, he’ll upgrade to a nicer guitar once he gets his skills back. Many years ago when Dan lived on an ashram in Espanola, he met former Animals guitarist Vic Briggs, who gave him lessons. I’ve always found this sort of amazing. But that was nearly thirty years ago. I hope Dan continues with this new hobby. He's a creative sort, and it would be such a good outlet for him.
Weekend Workouts
Saturday: 13 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run, weights
I think the highlight was a Saturday morning yard sale, if that says anything. The seller was an acquaintance of ours from the university and we wanted to get there early because there are semi-pro yard sale shoppers who descend on these things like vultures.
So I rearranged my Saturday long run. I got up extra-early and ran to the George R. Brown convention center, which was on the way to the yard sale. Beyond this point, it’s not safe for a woman to be alone on foot, so Dan picked me up. He brought a towel and t-shirt so I could clean up, and off we went! I found a few cool little things for myself, bought a few things for my Romanian friends, and got to see some really great furniture that I just couldn’t think how to fit in my apartment and therefore had to pass up. I also picked up a combo printer/fax/scanner for $10 that matches the color of my new computer. This allowed me to give my old printer to the Romanians. So we are all happy now.
After we finished up at the yard sale, Dan dropped me back at the convention center to finish my run, while he took the Romanians shopping for school stuff for the kids and new shoes for himself. (The errand was really all about him needing new shoes. And pants. And underwear. He invited the Romanians to tag along, since they won’t be getting their car until sometime this week.)
I did some editing on my story last night, stayed up late and today I got up early for a run to Memorial Park and back. At the park, I ran into my friend Linnie and her husband, who is my ex-landlord. Linnie and I ran together for a couple miles, chatting about stuff. Her son and his wife had a fight and now Linnie is caring for their kid for awhile, so we talked about the seemingly endless capacity early twentysomethings have for drama. (I sure was glad to grow out of that phase!) And I mentioned the Romanian kids and she told me that there’s a lot of Romanians at the school where she teaches, which is the one we’re trying to get the little girl into. Apparently a lot of the rich families in the area adopt from Romania and Russia, so this particular school has a lot of experience with them.
After my run, I did a little grocery shopping and picked up some treats for my Romanian friends—gourmet coffee for the grownups, cookies for the kids. And then I went to OfficeMax and bought paper for the printer I was giving them, as well as an extra print cartridge and stuff like that.
I also priced digital cameras. Ours is broken and although I think I can fix it, I suspect I can get a new and better one for a price that makes the hassle of repairing the old one not worth it. I’m going to ponder this for a few days.
Then I took Catalin to the gym, and he shot baskets while I worked out in the weight room. He had been up late babysitting for a neighbor and I was feeling a little asthmatic, so neither of us was really in much of a mood for swimming or anything like that. I had my manuscript and red pen with me, just in case he wanted to do something that gym rules said required my supervision. But I was glad not to need it. I dropped him off at home, ran a few more errands and settled in for the rest of the afternoon.
Tonight Dan is trying to re-learn how to play the guitar. He bought an inexpensive starter guitar and instruction DVD this afternoon, and he figures if this new hobby sticks, he’ll upgrade to a nicer guitar once he gets his skills back. Many years ago when Dan lived on an ashram in Espanola, he met former Animals guitarist Vic Briggs, who gave him lessons. I’ve always found this sort of amazing. But that was nearly thirty years ago. I hope Dan continues with this new hobby. He's a creative sort, and it would be such a good outlet for him.
Weekend Workouts
Saturday: 13 mile run
Sunday: 6 mile run, weights
Friday, August 04, 2006
Tagged
Okay, Laura tagged both me and Tidbit, so I guess we'll play.
Here are the rules:
The player of this game starts with "5 weird things/habits about yourself ". In the end you need to choose 5 people to be tagged and list their names. The people who get tagged need to write a blog about their 5 weird things/habits, as well as state this rule clearly, then tag 5 more victims. Don't forget to leave your victim a comment that says "you're tagged!" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.
Me:
1. When I’m tired or stressed out, I speak Spanish and struggle with English, even though English is my native language.
2. My preferred sleep/wake cycle is to sleep twice a day. I wake up early, take a 2-3 hour nap in the late afternoon or early evening, then stay up until about 2:00 am and sleep again until 6:00.
3. I have almost no patience for “pure” entertainment. If I’m not learning something new or growing in some way from the experience, I prefer to do something else. I would rather do sports than watch sports, for example. I almost never watch TV unless it’s a classic movie or documentary. My books are all classic literature, history, or information of some kind. I don’t do it to be a snob. It’s just that I feel like I’m wasting time otherwise.
4. I’m slightly OCD when it comes to food. I’ll get hooked on a particular food and eat as much of it as I can, as often as I can. After a few months, or sometimes years, I wake up one morning and never want to see that food again. I then repeat the cycle with a new food.
5. I can solder and fix small machines and appliances. And I’m good at it, too! What’s really funny though, is that my husband doesn’t have a knack for mechanical things. So inevitably, I’m the one repairing bunny-chomped cables and electrical cords. I’m very particular to splice the individual wires at different levels, shrink-wrap them individually and then shrink tube the whole mess. When I fix something, it stays fixed!
Bonus: I hate household chores, unless they are clothing-related. I love clothes (I’ve got enough for at least twelve bunnygirls) and I’m all over any chore involving clothes. I enjoy washing, ironing, starching (including heavy starch), mending, alterations… the whole nine yards! And I love hand-sewing. I want to learn how to do fabric reweaving.
Tidbit:
1. I think cats are really cool and would cuddle with my cat all day if he would let me.
2. I don’t like cilantro.
3. I stomp my foot when I’m happy or want you to look at me, not just when I’m angry or scared. In fact, I spend a lot of time stomping. Thumper is my hero!
4. I hate my cage and will stop at nothing to destroy it if I’m locked inside.
5. I love chewing holes in Dad’s clothes, but won’t touch his socks. Wait. That’s not weird. That’s survival instinct!
Okay, I’m not big on tagging people, but if any of the following folks haven't done this one and have a few minutes to spare, I’m tagging: Wil, Bolder, and Nytro, because I know if they do this, they’ll make it a lot funnier than I did. I’m also tagging Spider63 and Riceman because they’re so good at writing posts that get me thinking. And I’m unofficially tagging GoldenLucy and anyone else who wants to share their quirks.
I hope no one feels obligated by this. It's supposed to be fun, after all.
Here are the rules:
The player of this game starts with "5 weird things/habits about yourself ". In the end you need to choose 5 people to be tagged and list their names. The people who get tagged need to write a blog about their 5 weird things/habits, as well as state this rule clearly, then tag 5 more victims. Don't forget to leave your victim a comment that says "you're tagged!" in their comments and tell them to read your blog.
Me:
1. When I’m tired or stressed out, I speak Spanish and struggle with English, even though English is my native language.
2. My preferred sleep/wake cycle is to sleep twice a day. I wake up early, take a 2-3 hour nap in the late afternoon or early evening, then stay up until about 2:00 am and sleep again until 6:00.
3. I have almost no patience for “pure” entertainment. If I’m not learning something new or growing in some way from the experience, I prefer to do something else. I would rather do sports than watch sports, for example. I almost never watch TV unless it’s a classic movie or documentary. My books are all classic literature, history, or information of some kind. I don’t do it to be a snob. It’s just that I feel like I’m wasting time otherwise.
4. I’m slightly OCD when it comes to food. I’ll get hooked on a particular food and eat as much of it as I can, as often as I can. After a few months, or sometimes years, I wake up one morning and never want to see that food again. I then repeat the cycle with a new food.
5. I can solder and fix small machines and appliances. And I’m good at it, too! What’s really funny though, is that my husband doesn’t have a knack for mechanical things. So inevitably, I’m the one repairing bunny-chomped cables and electrical cords. I’m very particular to splice the individual wires at different levels, shrink-wrap them individually and then shrink tube the whole mess. When I fix something, it stays fixed!
Bonus: I hate household chores, unless they are clothing-related. I love clothes (I’ve got enough for at least twelve bunnygirls) and I’m all over any chore involving clothes. I enjoy washing, ironing, starching (including heavy starch), mending, alterations… the whole nine yards! And I love hand-sewing. I want to learn how to do fabric reweaving.
Tidbit:
1. I think cats are really cool and would cuddle with my cat all day if he would let me.
2. I don’t like cilantro.
3. I stomp my foot when I’m happy or want you to look at me, not just when I’m angry or scared. In fact, I spend a lot of time stomping. Thumper is my hero!
4. I hate my cage and will stop at nothing to destroy it if I’m locked inside.
5. I love chewing holes in Dad’s clothes, but won’t touch his socks. Wait. That’s not weird. That’s survival instinct!
Okay, I’m not big on tagging people, but if any of the following folks haven't done this one and have a few minutes to spare, I’m tagging: Wil, Bolder, and Nytro, because I know if they do this, they’ll make it a lot funnier than I did. I’m also tagging Spider63 and Riceman because they’re so good at writing posts that get me thinking. And I’m unofficially tagging GoldenLucy and anyone else who wants to share their quirks.
I hope no one feels obligated by this. It's supposed to be fun, after all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
