Weekend Away

Over the weekend I took a train ride down to Norfolk to visit my brother and sister-in-law for the weekend. What a nice getaway... not only the food (homemade lasagna, squash casserole, dill-havarti omelettes with poached salmon, marinated cucumber salad, pork chops, tea, ice cream, homemade hazelnut chocolate cake, and plenty of red wine) but also two six-mile runs along Knitting Mill Creek, cocktails overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, some reading, a nap or two, the Olympics, and lots of talking outside on the back porch under a dim morning sun.

This is the route that Christina and I ran. It's a perfect two-mile loop around their little peninsula:


This is the view over Virginia Beach and out into the Atlantic Ocean where we enjoyed frozen drinks on Saturday evening:



And this is the three of us, getting ready to head to the train station for my departure:

Timeline

In just a few short minutes I'll be leaving work to go home, pack my bag, and hop on a train headed for Newport News, VA, where my brother and Christina will be waiting to pick me up for the weekend!

I'm psyched, and yet I'm sure I'll be utterly jealous of their gorgeous house (yes, I am the last renting child, sue me) on the water, outdoor patio, little path around the inlet, and overall fantastic life.

I'm sure we'll have good food and good conversation. I'll be squeezing in a run, and don't anyone forget to watch Catherine the Great take the gold on Sunday morning!

My Consolation

'Let men compose themselves and live at peace,
Set haughty fate beneath their feet,
And look unmoved on fortune good and bad,
And keep unchanging countenance:
Unmoved they'll stand before the ocean's rage
Which churns up waves from deep below,
Unmoved by restless Mount Vesuvius,
Her furnace burst and hurling flames,
Unmoved by fiery thunderbolts in flight
Which sweep in ruin towers on high.

Why then are miserable men in awe
When tyrants rage impotently?
If first you rid yourself of hope and fear
You have disarmed the tyrant's wrath:
But whosoever quakes in fear or hope,
Drifting and losing mastery,
Has cast away his shield, has left his place,
And binds the chain with which he will be bound.'
-Spoken by Philosophy in Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy

Busy Days!

The social life has been pretty darn good lately! On Thursday some friends and I got together for happy hour at Creme Cafe on U St. Slightly disappointing (they were out of four of the six red wines they offer by the glass!) but the company made the leisurely evening worthwhile.

Friday I took my usual afternoon yoga class and kept the standing dinner date with the one and only AVE. Long and lean after a tough class, we both walk down the street to whichever restaurant in Tenleytown suits our cravings. Usually it's for sushi at Murasaki, but this last time we decided to grab some pizza at Angelico and work on sovling the world's problems.

Saturday I took a nice 8.5 mile spin around the National Mall. The weather was cool and gorgeous, and my legs felt fresh the whole way. Then I hooked up with a girlfriend and we headed to deep southwest for a birthday party where much ribs, mac/cheese, and birthday cake was consumed. When the Texas Hold 'Em started up we decided to take our leave and spent the rest of the night at Nanny's nursing pints of Guinness and solving our own problems.

This morning I had another yoga class - a great one - and now I'm off to get together with an old friend and his new wife for lunch before a bit of tunage, then it's on to church.

A busy but fulfilling couple of days.

A thought

This blog post feels pretty scattered. I've spent a lot of time try to express this idea, and... well... I can't, really, very well.

A while ago I read an interesting article about disappointment. If I were more motivated, I'd find the link for you. I think it was from the New York Times, and it was very interesting... the basic gist being that a lot of people don't feel free to express disappointment because things could always be worse.

I do this ALL THE TIME. Last week at work was so stressful, one of the most stressful weeks I've had, and all I could think was - you're nuts, you don't have kids, or a mortgage, you have no "real" responsibility other than yourself; other people have it a lot worse so quit complaining about work being hard and be thankful that you're working at all.

Where did I get the idea that only those who have experienced the most profound loss can legitimately express disappointment or grief?

Weekend End

Sundays are always a little hard for me. I tend to experience some anxiety regarding the upcoming week. Work is stressful, and while I can usually (read: usually) handle it.. lately things have been a bit over-the-top.

So, in anxious anticipation of my 5:15am alarm, I tend to go to bed too early, only to toss and turn for an hour or so, each passing minute increasing my fear that I'll be groggy in the morning.

Working a job where noticing every little detail means the difference between success and (potentially deadly) failure, exhaustion at work is prohibitive.

I've been trying to develop a Sunday evening routine that is quiet, contemplative, and reflective of the church service I've just attended, but I've little success so far. Maybe I'm just doomed to start each week with difficulty.

Run Report - 8 Miles

This morning I went for two laps around the National Mall, which comes out to a little over 8 miles. On the advice of uber-runner Keith, who just completed his umpteenth 100-mile trail race despite a killer bee attack around the 60th mile, I tried to relax and get my mind set that I'm going to be running for a long time.

No hurry.

I went out at what felt like a painfully slow pace. Other runners were passing me in droves, but I remembered what Keith said and also took a lesson from my favorite runner, Catherine Ndereba, who recently ran a 1:10:00 half marathon in New York. She said that she and her trainer decided on 1:10:00, and if someone else was going to run a 1:08, fine - she wasn't going to speed up. She had a calculated goal in mind and the achieved that goal. Nice.

Around mile 5 I could feel myself start to speed up in response to a bit of boredom. The faster I could get it over with, the better. But, I reminded myself, if I pick up the pace and thusly hit a wall, I'll end up walking, which is mentally demoralizing and defeats the point of speeding up to finish faster.

So I tried to set my mind to my goal and cruised the second lap at a slow but very steady pace. I felt great overall - legs tired by the end, and sitting on the metro didn't help matters, but I actually felt like I could have done more - which I will be doing on October 19th when the distance moves to 13.1.

The overcast skies probably helped things. The temperature stayed relatively low and the morning sun wasn't beating down on me. Also, the Mall, unlike my regular routes, is flat.

I have no idea what my pace was because I wasn't wearing a watch, but I don't honestly care. Not only did I go for it, but I finished and finished strong. That's all that matters.

Spidey Sense!

So I come home from work this afternoon and as I unlocked the door to my urban flat, something felt off. I stood in the doorway and, as I've been taught, took a visual inventory of the room.

Cats seemed okay - both snoozing, Natasha deigning to crack one eye and glance my way. Desk seemed okay. Burgundy throw folded on the couch, as I'd left it this morning. Cereal bowl from breakfast on the coffee table - check. Door to the bedroom closed - check. Pile of cat toys by the closet door - NO CHECK. Those were NOT there this morning. What's more, there was a purple toy mouse on top of the pile, haven't seen one that color laying around in a few weeks. Some cats are the types to bring "presents" to their owners or stockpile their toys; mine have never picked up that habit. That was all I had to go on that something was wrong, and I felt silly, but the hairs on my neck were standing up, breathing was shallow, body still - classic "fight or flight" preparation.

Yes folks, my spidey sense was activated by oddly placed cat toys but I am not nuts. Still standing in the doorway, I could see through the closet into the bathroom, where the toilet lid was open. Uh uh. I do not leave the lid open because Elena likes to splash in standing water and I don't want her to go in face first and drown.

Someone was in my apartment today, I knew it, I just knew it. The cat toys and toilet lid solidified my gut feeling. I walked slowly into the bathroom and confirmed it - maintenance replaced some of my sink fixtures. Simple as that, but I knew, I knew it before I even saw what they fixed, I knew it by my feeling and by one tiny thing out of place, one purple cat toy amongst the dozens that are laying around, and of course the cats play all day and scatter their toys, but something about THAT TOY was just wrong and I KNEW.

Intuition, yeah.

Deer in the City

So after a long day at work and an even longer wait in the doctor's waiting room, I decided to take out my pent-up energy on the pavement and do a slow five-miler in the waning sun.

I was rewarded by the sight of two huge deer feeding on the grounds of one of the embassies in my neighborhood. That's right - two bucks, enormous, munching peacefully on grass, two blocks from the metro and two miles from downtown Washington, DC.

I love this city!

Today's Lesson

It was about ten degrees cooler today than it has been. The weather felt positively brisk! I neglected to discern, however, that ten degrees cooler than 96 is still pretty damn hot. So yeah, I ran out too fast, but overall enjoyed a nice run and a brief reprieve from the oppressive heat we've been having.

That said, I must confess that I didn't see Une Vielle Maitresse after work as I had intended. I sort of figured - why bother? I may have had it with Breillat. I might Netflix the film; then again, I might not.

Sheesh

This is my cat Natasha laying directly on top of my mouse-arm while I am trying to check my email.

"All True Artists Are Hated"

Or, "Why I am About to Retraumatize Myself"

"I am the pariah of French cinema," says Catherine Breillat, with a wicked smile and a hint of pride. "That can make things complicated for me: it is never easy to drum up a budget or to find a distributor for my films in France. Some people refuse even to read my scripts."

-from the Telegraph, May 4, 2008.

I first encountered the Parisienne filmmaker Catherine Breillat as a naive and innocent teenager. I thought that a film about the coming of age of two sisters, A Ma Soeur (English title: Fat Girl) would be interesting and thought-provoking. Also, it was in French, a bonus for my burgeoning tastes in foreign film.

What I saw left me so shaken that I sat in my cold Jeep Wrangler and struggled to compose myself enough to drive the one and a half miles home only to curl up in bed.

Yeah. It's no wonder she names David Cronenberg as a kindred cinematographer. Loyal readers may recall a particularly traumatizing experience watching a movie called Crash; except it wasn't the Crash that everyone ELSE was watching, the one with Sandra Bullock that speaks to race relations in the United States. Oh no. Instead, I accidentally watched a film by the same name but directed by David Cronenberg that immersed itself into a strange subculture of people who are fascinated by and like to recreate, even in dismemberment and death, car crashes.

It was my first (and last) time seeing homosexual amputee sex scenes.

Anyway, back to Catherine. The second film of her's that I had the not-pleasure of viewing, Anatomy of Hell, featured such cinematographic gems as a man immersing a blood-soaked tampon in a glass of water, and then drinking the water; a young girl squishing a baby bird to death with her bare feet (yes, it's a real baby bird and yes, the baby bird really dies right there in front of you. Not. A. Prop.). Et cetera.

Why on earth I am planning on indulging her latest absurdity, Une Vielle Maitresse (English title: The Last Mistress) is a bit of a mystery. Masochism? Perhaps. But, as she explains to the British Telegraph, Catherine may be exploring new territory with her latest film. Apparently it's deep and toned-down (despite, apparently, a scene in which the lead character licks blood from her lover's chest after he is wounded in battle).

The film stars Naomi Campbell and Cristophe Rocancourt. Neither of them are actors, indeed Rocancourt is an indicted criminal who spent five years behind bars for fraud.

Like several other directors (Michael Haneke being a notable example) there's something about Catherine that I just can't get enough of, despite her harrowing, mentally exhausting films. Standby for a review after my viewing on Thursday... if I can actually think coherently.

Decisions

So I'm not sure if I mentioned this, but recently I have decided to try to be a bit easier on myself, mentally and physically. I'm limiting runs to no longer than 5 miles (until half-marathon training begins) and made some other changes to my workout schedule in the hopes of achieving overall physical health without all the self-beratement I am prone to.

However, I am worried that the pendulum will swing too far in that direction, and it seems to be so... once again, we are going to have a day in the upper 90's and I just don't think that running in the heat would serve any point. I usually go to a yoga class on Sunday mornings, but I've had non-stop week, including yesterday, and now I just feel like staying home in my air conditioning and catching up on The Wire.

Sigh. Well hey. If I'm going to skip yoga and stay in, I'm going to ENJOY my down time and not spend it beating myself up for being lazy. Here's to attempting to achieve some semblance of mental health :)

Frustrated

It's 93-degrees outside and the sun is beating down. It's brutal. I sweated through my shirt walking three blocks to the metro at 8:15am. I really, really, desperately want to go running, but my logical mind is telling me to stay home, stay inside, and drink lots of water.

If it were FIVE DEGREES COOLER I would probably suffer through it...

Mike Farris

Can't No Grave Hold My Body Down!

The other night I went with some friends to see Mike Farris play at Ebenezer's on the Hill. He's this great bluesy gospel singer and gave a great show to about 75 people in the basement studio of the coffee shop.

I've been meaning to post a YouTube video of him, but I keep getting drawn into his music and forgetting to actually send the clip to my blog ;)

Sigh, okay, once again I am technologically inept and cannot figure out how to post the video inside this post. So, see above for clip.

Decision

Okay... so I have been beating myself up far beyond what is normal over the state of my workouts lately. So I have made a decision. Until I begin formally training in mid-August for my half-marathon in October, I am going to limit all runs to 5-miles at the maximum and try to improve overall health and fitness, instead of panicking and running longer distances before I'm ready, resulting in a weaker body and higher levels of frustration.

I'm also going to work on allowing myself to acclimatize to the hot weather rather than pushing myself and expecting the same level of endurance that I had back in April/May when the weather was twenty degrees cooler.

All in the name of trying to be kind to myself and recognize accomplishments for what they are, rather than nothing ever being good enough.

So weak!

This morning for the first time since setting my will do it, I slept through my 5am run.

Totally, completely, conscientiously on purpose.

I woke up and just decided that I didn't want to do it. So I reset my alarm and went back to sleep. I even caught a later bus - the 6:18am - than usual.

Hopefully, this spike is utter laziness will not become a trend.

Presents!

Trent, my dearest friend (and celebrity!) sent me flowers and chocolate for my birthday!

This is the first time I've ever received flowers and chocolate. And oh... how I hope I'll be receiving them many more times in the future.

Thank you my love!

Reflections on Another Year

As I turn one year older and mark my fifth anniversary of moving to DC, I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on my life so far. It's summertime and we have interns in the office, which is very interesting, fun, and insightful, as I'm reminded of how far I've come since my days interning in 2004. I can say this - for all that they have to look forward to, all the options before them, I wouldn't want to be in their shoes. I don't miss the professional and financial uncertainty that comes with the close of schooling and the entrance into the working world.

I'll have four years at my job this October. I may be the only one of my friends that is still working at their first job out of school! But I value that stability and have developed a professional reputation for myself: I'm trusted at work, sought out for special projects. I've been asked to speak at conferences and universities. I just submitted the page proofs to the editor of the book I'm contributing to; the other contributors are the leaders in my field today.

I love my apartment and my kittens. I'm working hard at being more social, and some great new friends have helped with that. I'm getting plenty of exercise and eating well.

It's been about a year and a half since I got rid of my car, and I couldn't be happier with how that decision turned out.

When I really look at things, there's little I would change about my life today. If and when I decide to move on from my current job, I have an idea of what I'd like to do, and I wouldn't mind starting to find some ways to bolster my resume to be a desirable candidate in that area. Maybe some volunteer work at a local organization on the weekends to get some experience, more networking, joining a professional organization or two and attending some conferences. But that will come naturally, and with time.

Overall, the state of my life, twenty-eight years in, is: centered and happy.

Sigh

Elena fell sounds asleep on my hand as I was checking my email tonight.


When I tried to gently extricate myself, she wrapped her little paw around my finger and held on.

Long Weekend

I've never needed it more. I totally burned out today. I could not even remotely force myself to get out of bed this morning and ended up sleeping in and taking the 6:18am bus. I realize that sounds nuts - in terms of 'sleeping in' - but I usually take an earlier bus.

Anyway... it has just been a draining week all around and I desperately need some unstructured time to run, bike, practice yoga, experiment with my new kettlebell, catch up on some reading, and generally regroup.

Here is a shot of the bride and groom (my brother is so handsome!)

TRIPLE UGH TIMES A MILLION

I feel awful right now. I spent the hours after work debating whether or not to have a yoga practice (see Twitter feed --->) despite the fact that:

*I have a blister on the bottom of my toe that really hurts when pressed in the way that my foot presses my yoga mat;
*I have a uterus full of blood that is about to come slowly leaking out over the course of four days, and;
*I ran this morning at 5am and was low on energy;

but because:

*I always feel better after yoga and rarely feel better because I skipped;
*Class on Friday is cancelled so this is my only opportunity for a studio practice until Sunday;
*Otherwise I feel like a pathetic lump of lard.

Result? A horrible, rushed, monkey-minded practice and now I'm home feeling sorry for myself. This is not the first time I've bailed on a yoga practice in recent weeks. I hate struggling like this. How can I pull myself out?

Wedding Weekend

I'm finally back from my brother's wedding in Wallingford. What a fun weekend! Lots of Duboeuf pinot was consumed, I channeled my inner francophile, many water balloons were tossed (sometimes at moving targets!), much mezze was consumed, stories were told, vows were spoken, and the newly married couple (MY brother!!) is unwinding for a few days before returning south to their new home, where they will soon have a weekend visitor (me!).

I managed to run twice, with my father, in Connecticut but I still feel slightly groggy and out of shape. I'm back to my pre-dawn routine and also ordered a kettlebell workout set, which will hopefully help with my strength and muscle tone.

I napped for about an hour after work today, and when I woke up, this is what I saw:


Yep, a Natasha on my chest, staring at me. And now I have Elena pacing back and forth in front of me, dragging her tail under my nose and blocking my view of the screen. Wedding photos are uploading right now and I will post some later on!

Leaving Town

I'm heading to Connecticut in a few hours for my brother's wedding. I think my cats know I'm leaving. They both curled up next to me on the couch and put their heads down, but they were breathing kinda fast and kept their eyes open. Poor things can't relax. They'll be in very good hands while I'm gone, though, so I'm not worried.

I will, however, be incommunicado until Sunday night. Til then!

Schedule

Yay! The funnest weekend ever approacheth! This is my approximate workout/travel schedule for the next few days:

Tonight:
Advanced yoga class

Tuesday:
Advanced yoga class

Wednesday:
Pre-dawn run (3.5 mi)

Thurdsay:
Morning (not pre-dawn) run (6 mi)
11am - leave for Union Station
6pm - arrive in Wallingford, CT to assume my official role as the last unmarried child

Friday:
Morning run (with father?)

Saturday:
Wedding day
Workout TBD

Sunday:
Early run
Donuts

The challenge for the early part of this week will be to continue to workout when I can, sleep enough, and eat totally clean. I have smashing, limited runway edition dresses that I need to fit into in just five short days!

I've been over-eating a little lately but if I just get back in track starting NOW I should be okay, says Skwigg and I believe her because I have no other option ;)

The Small Things Matter

This morning I was just stepping outside when I noticed that the bus was already at my stop, letting on the two people who ordinarily wait there with me in the mornings. Knowing that I wouldn't make it in time, as the doors had already closed, I sighed and began walking to the metro.

I can take metro to work, but it's an enormous pain in the morning when time is of the essence.

I was all set to be in a bad mood when the bus driver pulled up next to me and opened the doors! Yay!!

SO TAKE THAT all my colleagues who advise me to vary my routine. I LOVE that my bus driver recognizes me because I'm on his route every morning and that he picked me up even though I didn't make it to the stop. Little gestures like that really matter, especially in the city where things can feel so anonymous.

The Morning After

This is what is looks like after a night of healing:


It's really tender, and I have all this food in the house that I can't eat because I don't want to use that hand to prepare food. Boo!!

Single Life

One of the few things I don't like about being single is not having anyone around to ask about things like, when I slice my hand open with a very sharp knife, how do I know when it's serious enough to need a doctor?

UPDATE:
I'm going to survive. A few hours later and it's still throbbing but seems to have sealed itself, and the actual length of the cut is not as great as I initially thought. Some blood has coagulated underneath the flap of skin, making the incision look purple and swollen. I hope that goes away. I don't want to push the blood out and risk opening the wound again.

A downside - I couldn't finish making dinner and ended up eating oatmeal. Ah, bachelorette-hood. I'll be annoyed if it's too fragile to attend my morning yoga class. Otherwise, I'm thankful it wasn't worse...

Doesn't look too bad in the photo but man was there a lot of blood!

I feel like blogging

I feel like blogging but I have nothing in my brain to blog about.

Work is very slow today... no one is in the office and I am always highly motivated for the first three hours of my shift, so right about NOW I have pretty much cleared everything off my desk and am just waiting for a new case to come in. Which hopefully it won't because I am enjoying this bit of downtime after the morning flurry of activity.

Maybe I will head across to Jolt n Bolt for some raw juice or a smoothie. Or a CHAI LATTE! That's it! That's what I will do.

I love working in Adams Morgan where there are no shortages of ethnic restaurants (I want to try the Sudanese place next week), hippie earth mother coffee shops (i.e. Jolt n Bolt), and interesting people to watch (who might be planning to rob me, but whatever - hey, then I'd at least catch a case!).

This morning, in an attempt to let go of my orthorexic tendencies, I ate a Starbucks breakfast sandwich: egg, cheddar, and sausage on an English muffin. Damn, was it good. Am trying not to think about the sodium, fillers, and preservatives...

Welp, it's the weekend pretty much and I don't have much on tap. Some running, some yoga, lots of movies. Haha, I just typed "motives" instead of "movies" - wonder what schemes are brewing in my subconscious??

Enough of my free-associative posting. I'm outta here..

Second Pre-Dawn Run

This morning I went for my second pre-dawn run, despite having two beers and staying out (relatively) late last night. I'm not finding it terribly difficult to wake up and run, surprisingly. There are certainly some advantages, such as:

*Feeling confident and committed to my physical well being, as opposed to feeling lazy;
*Knowing that the whole afternoon and evening are mine to enjoy, rather than anticipating a run when I might be tired from work;
*A few extra minutes in the morning to sit and eat breakfast

This morning when I got in from my run it was about 5:45am. The sun was up, birds were singing, and I flipped on the news after my shower. For an eerie second, it felt like 5:45pm - the hour was about right for when I'd come in from my normal runs (just 12 hours different), the dawn light reminded me of dusk (though the sun is out until almost 9pm these days!), and I felt calm, alert, and ready to roll!

In other news, I have never been happier to be carless than now. I certainly do not take for granted all the money (and aggravation) I'm able to save without a gas and insurance payments. People are going through some hard times and I think by the choices I've made - to live in a walkable neighborhood with easy access to public transportation - will buffer me from the downturned economy for the most part.

In weird/funny news, now that it's summer the foot-fetishists are coming out of the woodwork! I've gotten more comments on my feet/sandals/toenail polish in the past week than I can count. It's very cute, and I love to tease the poor guys who can't keep their eyes on mine... distracted not by the body part you'd expect, but by my adorable toes. Heheheeee.

Two Firsts

Today was my first pre-dawn run AND my first day combining a run and gym workout.

Getting up early to run wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My alarm went off at 4:45am. I snoozed for five minutes. Stretched for five minutes. Got dressed and was out the door at 5am sharp.

I admit, I was asleep on my feet for the first mile, but when dawn broke and the sun started coming up, I felt a lot better. Don't get me wrong - it was still 79-degrees and humid even at that early hour... the run was not easy.

Approximately 37-minutes later I was home, and even though I could have made the 6:01 bus I decided to give myself a break and actually sit down to eat my oatmeal instead of eating it while dressing, as is the norm.

I went easy on the weights this afternoon and laid off the squats/lunges. My poor knees... I've never had any issues with them (knock-on-wood) and want to keep it that way.

Even though I ate all my meals and snacks and even brought an extra apple, I feel famished. And, recently, drowsy. So I went to Starbucks and picked up some almonds and an orange juice... which helped... but if I am going to run early I need to make sure I have enough to eat, if nothing else to stave off exhaustion.

I'm happy I did it, though, because it's closing in on 100-degrees, even higher with the heat index. Definitely not safe to run this afternoon... so now I am free to stay home, watch movies, nap, and have a generally relaxing day without worry about heat stroke or beating myself up for skipping a workout.

The verdict? I can do this. Two days or so a week for a couple months... I can do it.

One More Option

On Friday I had the day off work to run in a charity race benefiting the Special Olympics. I was meeting a few colleagues at the office to drive over together, so I just decided to jog to work for a warm up.

What a nice, nice run. Three miles, flat/downhill, great scenery.

So, instead of getting up early to run before work, I could consider running TO work two days a week. As long as I can get organized and keep clothes, a towel, etc in the locker room, it should work great! Maybe I'll try it!

This is the course from home to work:



It really wouldn't be difficult to bring clothes to work on Friday, and again on Wednesday, to be preprared to shower/change there on Mondays and Thursdays. So, I have a couple of options to consider now that the weather is getting warmer and more humid. I'll keep y'all updated.

I'm heading out of town today, just for the night. I'll be back tomorrow night. Til then!

Unnngh

I think I'm going to have to start waking up early two morning a week and running before work.

If I wake up at 4:45am and am out the door at 5am I can be home by 5:45am and still get the 6:18am or 6:36am bus to be at work before 7am. Not ideal... but two mornings a week for a couple months year, I can make it work.

It's just getting way too hot in the afternoons and evenings to make running a positive thing for me.

I can do this. I can suck it up. Am I an athlete or an amateur? This is the test.

Lanie's Hideaway

Natasha isn't the only girl around here who likes her cozy little spots... here is Elena tucked away inside her cat condo.

Shoebox Kitten!

My cat Natasha loves to make herself at home if a cozy shoebox happens to be lying around.

Q&A

Stolen from Lea's blog, just for fun:

1. What is your occupation? Sorry, can't say.
2. What color are your socks right now? Not wearing any
3. What are you listening to right now? A film - Crimes and Misdemeanors
4. What was the last thing that you ate? A cracker
5. Can you drive a stick shift? Yes
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Dark blue
7. Who is the last person you talked to? Matt via text
8. Do you like the person who sent this to you? Very much so!
9. How old are you today? 27
10. Favorite drink? Irish tea with a splash of whole milk
11. What is your favorite sport to watch? Red Wing hockey!
12. Have you ever dyed your hair? Yes
13. Pets? Two cats - Natasha and Elena
14. Favorite food? Sushi
15. Last movie you watched? Currently watching: Crimes and Misdemeanors
16. Favorite Day of the year? Not sure...
17. What do you do to vent anger? Run
18. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Little Pony :)
19. What is your favorite season? Spring or fall
20. Hugs or kisses? Both at the same time
21. Cherry or Blueberry? Blueberry
22. Do you want your friends to email you back? Huh?
23. Who is most likely to respond? I didn't really ask anyone to respond
24. Who is least likely to respond? See above
25. What ever happened to parents who gave a care? Don't understand the question.
26. When was the last time you cried? Can't remember... couple weeks ago?
27. What is on the floor of your closet? Some storage boxes
28. Favorite smells? Vanilla, sweat
29. Who inspires you? I have my muses :)
30. What are you afraid of? Grizzly bears
31. Plain, cheese or spicy hamburgers? Cheese or bbq burger
32. Favorite Car? I love Prowlers :)
33. Favorite cat breed? Just regular cats, whatever breed they are
34. Number of keys on your key ring? Seven
35. Years at your current job? 3.5
36. Favorite day of the week? Saturday
37. How many states have you live in? One (Michigan) and one District (Columbia)
38. Do you think you're funny? Yes, but I can't tell a joke to save my life
39. Favorite sounds? Irish music, de-corking a wine bottle
40. Last book you read? A Suspension of Mercy by Patricia Highsmith

NMoCaP

So I am slowly coming out of my weekend of seclusion. Not sure I accomplished everything I wanted to, but overall I had three days of peace, introspection, revision, and running (over 20 miles since Friday!).

Last Thursday I was invited to the opening of the National Museum of Crime and Punishment. They did a really, really nice job with this museum and it's worth seeing. Here are some photos from the reception and museum tour:

McGruff the crime dog was waiting to greet people as they entered!


John Walsh was there and gave a really nice speech about the museum and the important sacrifices that law enforcement, prosecutors, and advocates make in their quest for justice:


The section on serial killers included such artifacts as the switchblade used by the Boston Stranger, a John Wayne Gacy self-portrait, and an envelope addressed by Charles Manson, including his signature in the return address space:


I tried to crack the safe but couldn't do it!


I discovered a secret tunnel in the jail cell:



America's Most Wanted will run their operations, including filming and call intake, from the museum:


At dinner later in Glover Park; I decide that I'm tired of having my picture taken.

Incommunicado

All,

I hope to be mostly incommunicado this weekend. I need a couple days to rest, exercise, and go within a little bit. I'm going to try to stay away from the PC, sweets, and other people as much as possible.

Once that's over, I will post a bit about the opening of the National Museum of Crime and Punishment that I had the honor to attend last night. Expect pictures!

PSA: Dating

Lately it seems like every third person in my life is trying to set me up on a date. Dating is the last thing I want to do right now, but it's really difficult to explain this because the inevitable comeback is, "What do you have to lose?"

Is it not enough that I just don't want to?

Please people, lay off for a second or two. Thanks.

La Vie avec Les Chats

This is what happens when I try to snag a few minutes to read National Geographic:

Progression

Good: A late dinner with friends and a very leisurely morning
Better: Running uphill with Matt biking behind, singing the "Rocky" theme song
Best: Finishing my run, hot and sweaty, letting cold air from the AC blast me in the face

Oops

I meant to go running after work today but fell asleep by accident. There's still plenty of daylight, but I'm in one of those post-nap fogs that feels awful and is really hard to shake. So I'm going to make some caffeinated tea and try not to beat myself up over it. I'll run tomorrow (easy), Saturday (long), and be back on my schedule Sunday morning when I go to yoga.

Official Time

So... I overestimated my 5k time a little. Official results are in, and I have an official time of 29:24, a little more than 30 seconds off what I estimated in my race report.

I'm happy about my pace, though, which averaged out to a 9:28 mile.

See the offical results here.

And... just for perspective... the male winner ran a 5:20 mile to finish in 16:33, and the female winner ran a 5:48 mile to finish in 18:01.

5k Race Report

This morning I ran the National Police Week 5k. It was raining when I woke up and the rain persisted through the entire race. Thankfully, it wasn't a soaking rain, so clothes and shoes mainly stayed dry.

The route began at the FBI Field Office and finished at the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial, following Independence Ave to the Capitol Building, turning north on 1st St NE, east on Constitution Ave NE, and south on 2nd St NE back to Independence to form a loop.


I already knew about the fairly steep hill between miles one and two, which was just another reason to obey my mantra of "Don't start too fast, don't start too fast, don't start too fast..."

Well... I didn't start too fast, but when all my hill training kicked and I started passing people on the incline, I got a bit cocky and picked up the pace. That resulted in a debilitating cramp just before the second mile marker, the kind where you just want to stop and double over and every inhale feels like an icepick stabbing you in the diaphragm. Yeah. But just then I noticed my support "team" (one loyal friend who braved the rain to cheer me on) and that was the boost I needed to take the pace down a notch and push through until the cramp abated, which it did just in time to turn north on 3rd St for the home stretch.

My official time won't be posted for another couple days (at least), but the clock as I crossed the finish said 30:15. I estimate that it took about 90 seconds to actually cross the starting line, which takes my time to about 28:45, which is exactly within the range I had hoped to finish.

I need to run a few more small races through my half-marathon training program, just to keep an eye on my pace and refine my strategy. Overall, I'm pleased with my performance and my time, especially given the conditions.

5k Eve

I'm running a race tomorrow! It's the National Police Week 5k and should be a lot of fun if the rain can hold out. My plan is to run easy, just a normal pace and see what happens. Since I don't run with a wathc, I don't know how fast (or slow) I am. So... I need to get a handle on that before official training starts in July.

Race report tomorrow afternoon!

Monday Evening

Today on a whim I signed up for a 5k race this Saturday. I think the race atmosphere will be energizing and it will be nice to know my official pace, since I don't run with a watch. But first, I need to pick up and break in a new pair of running shoes, so I'll do that tomorrow.

This is my only night to myself this whole week, and I'm spending it unfortunately watching a mediocre film, Woody Allen's Hannah and Her Sisters. Not his best film, so I've stopped paying close attention and am cleaning up the kitchen, blogging, and browing a fashion magazine.

NHL playoffs resume on Thursday. I'm psyched.

Delinquent!

Okay, so I really haven't updated in a long time. There's kind of a lot going on in my personal life these days that isn't fit to be discussed in a public forum.

My half-marathon pre-training has hit a bit of a snag. I think I'm trying to do too much too soon. So I'm cutting back on my Saturday mileage - instead of doing 7-8 miles I'm going to stick with 5-6 and just try to build strength. I don't want to burn myself out... and acclimitizing to the warmer weather is proving to be a bit of a struggle.

I cooked dinner last night for a friend, and it turned out really well! I baked salmon with tomato, lemon, shallot, and thyme and served it over a bed of penne with a light cream sauce. The salad was baby spring greens with walnuts, cranberries, and goat cheese drizzled with a mustard vinaigrette. He brought an amazing bottle of Medoc. The meal was delicious, if I do say so myself.

This morning I'm going to have brunch with Mike and Christina! So sadly, Mike has moved down to Norfolk (Christina will be following soon), but he happens to be in town this weekend so I'm snagging a couple hours of his time. I know it's a great move forward for them, but it's sad for me that he's left.

The weather is PERFECT today so Matt and I are going to take advantage and go to the Zoo later this afternoon! We're both very fair, so I'm sure there will be much sunscreen invovled.

That's it for now! I hope everyone enjoys the rest of the weekend.

Swapping

I toyed with the idea of writing a post playing on the various connotations that "swapping" contains, but I really don't have the energy.

I just walked all around town in the rain, in sandals (slimy... yick) and now I'm home and I feel like I've been out in the rain enough for one day, so I'm swapping out my run and will have a yoga practice at home later tonight.

I'm trying to be flexible (literally!). There'll be enough time for hard-assness when official training starts this summer.

Reconnecting

I have been busy lately. New friends, old friends, friends in town. This afternoon I played some tunes at a friend's house - there were about eight of us, and I feel like I'm getting back into the swing of practicing my banjo.

I had a terrible run on Thursday and lost a lot of my confidence, so I took it easy this morning and gained some of it back. My diet is super-clean and super-strict right now - I need to seriously detox from the Evil Pastry Table that lorded it's ubiquitous presence over my training class these past two weeks.

On Sunday night I am reconnecting with one of my friends who interprets sign language. Hopefully she can introduce me to a few deaf people who can become friends. I miss signing.

Well, I just finished a film and now I'm going to play my banjo for a while and maybe do some reading. I won't mind falling asleep a bit early tonight.

Not in the mood

I am in the worst mood. Class today was deathly boring. I quit my run with a mile and a half to go and walked home. I didn't feel strong, I had a persistent cramp, I felt bloated and slumped over. Partly because of this training class I have been eating like CRAP for two weeks and I feel hideous because of it.

I just want to get back into my routine, into my diet and training program, into my regular sleeping pattern. I feel like this break in my routine has taken me a giant step back. So demoralizing.

Excuse me while I get into bed for an hour and try to regroup before the Wings go on. Let's just hope to God they win...

Last Night's Fun

I think this photo (courtesy of Matt) says it all:

Run Interrupted

The weather getting warmer is causing me to adjust both my pace and my clothing. Between that and my injury I wanted to take it really easy this afternoon. Despite attempts to moderate my pace, I was flying along my route feeling really good when I noticed that traffic was stopped at the intersection ahead of me. Two police officers were standing in the middle of the street. They motioned me to stop, too.

I looked around. Were the traffic lights out? Was there an accident? Nothing that I could see.

Then, ahead, coming toward me were three police motorcycles followed by three black SUVs. Yep - the Papal Motorcade! Motorcycles, SUVs, ambulances (two!), marked police cars, and somewhere in the middle a long black limo with the Vatican flag flying true. The windows were tinted but the limo was moving slowly and I'm pretty sure I got a glimpse of the Pope inside! I'm not sure which one of the white-robed figures he was, but I bet he was one of them!

Yes, dear readers, my run was interrupted by the Pontiff himself. Only in DC - or Italy, I guess.

Injury Report and Misc. Photos

I am injured. I don't quite know how it happened, but I seem to have strained my entire right quadricep from the knee all the way up to the hip flexor. DEEP within the hip flexor I have pain and it's a really difficult place to isolate for a stretch. So this has thrown my training schedule off a little... I took Monday off instead of running 4 miles, had a light yoga class last night instead of a tough one, ran 2 easy miles today instead of having it off. I hope that I will be back on track for tomorrow's 4-miler. In the mean time I am applying heat, gentle massage, and stretching/walking to keep the muscles loose.

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Last night I went out to McGinty's Public House in Silver Spring for some much needed tunes!! Even though I felt way out of practice I had a great time reconnecting with my friends and sharing in the craic. Here is a picture of me and Doc at the end of the evening after many a Guinness.

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A few weeks ago, I talked about purchasing new beds for my kitties and their subsequent turning-up-of-the-nose at my offering. Well, as I predicted, a sufficient amount of time has gone by and they are finally venturing into the beds for their little naps. I caught each of them trading off snoozes this morning.

A Basic Dilemma

It's NHL playoffs time and the Red Wings are, of course, in the number one spot in the Western Conference. We clinched that spot almost as soon as we could.

Most of you who know me know that I love hockey. I love hockey and I love the Wings. I grew up watching hockey at home and have great memories of going to games. But when I moved to DC, I lost a lot of my hockey-watching capabilities. DC isn't much of a hockey town, and the games aren't on the local channels. Not being a digital cable subscriber, I was left listening to the games on streaming radio. I grew to really enjoy that - it's old school, and anyway, I've been watching hockey long enough that I need to hear the game OR see it, but not both.

Now, though, playoffs are here and I decided to bite the bullet and order digital cable so I could watch the games on the Versus channel. This was a really conflicted decision for me, as I tend to eschew technological upgrades (or even initial purchases!) on the grounds that it draws one to the world and away from more important spiritual pursuits.

So, in typical style, I struggled and vacillated about the decision to upgrade to basic cable. I called and made an appointment, cancelled it. Called back and re-submitted my request. And contrary to my fear that having digital cable would draw me to the TV more, I think that the upgrade actually make my TV watching more mindful since I now have the option to flip through the guide (no more channel surfing) and I also have channels that could actually be meaningful to watch, such as the Independent Film Channel.

So now, as this post has been typed in several short spurts while playoff game three goes to commercial, I will end it and go back to supporting my team, who are well on their way past the quarterfinals to the semis...

Huh.

The strangest thing just happened. I got dressed for yoga, walked outside, and at the end of the block I calmly turned around and came home again.

I guess I'm not going to yoga class tonight.

Last night my friend Danny and I took a Level One class together and then went for a nice four-mile jog. I felt great last night and this morning - light and clean. But now I feel heavy and tired, my hamstrings are tight, and I'm just worn out.

Maybe my double workout was a bad idea. Or maybe my body just needs a rest regardless of last night's training. It has been a long, hard week both at work and in my personal life.

Still, I'm stymied.

Oh well. It is what it is. Tomorrow, a 10k.

Phrases that don't make sense if you think about them

"used to" as in, I used to be a runner.

"for starters" as in, for starters you can buy me a drink!

"good people" as in, he's good people. HE (singular) is not PEOPLE (plural)

I'm sure there are more that really get on my nerves, but I can't think of them now.

Good Luck Matt

Today is the culmination of months of training, as Matt heads downtown to run the Cherry Blossom 5k. You can read his pre-race (and, I assume, post-race!) report on his blog, Still Waiting For the Runner's High.

Yesterday he went to the Expo and found a t-shirt that made him think of me. It says, "In my dreams I'm Kenyan" - he was nice enough to buy one for me. He also had the immense privilege of meeting my favorite runner, Catherine Ndereba, aka Catherine the Great. Here is a picture of the two of them:


He taped her whole talk and asked her a couple of questions. I can't wait to hear the tape. She is a freaking LEGEND in the running world. I'll never forget watching her run Athens, and I can't wait to watch her run Beijing this year. ::swoon

Today we are finishing up the birthday celebrations with brunch on the Old Town waterfront and, later, dinner at my brother's. Tomorrow my mom, her husband, and my oldest brother fly back to Michigan and I go back to work.

Surprise!

This weekend my mom and her husband, along with my aunt, are in town for a wedding. It also happens to be my mom's birthday, so as a surprise we devised a plan to bring my oldest brother to DC from Northern Michigan! Yesterday the boys, Mike's finacee, and I gathered at The Dubliner on Capitol Hill to wait for my mom's husband to lure her down to the bar for a pre-rehearsal dinner drink (cause who doesn't need one of those?) The look on her face when she saw me there was slight confusion, then she saw my brother and was uncomprehending for a second before the shrieking and hugging and picking up of jaws off the floor started.

I love surprises like that :)

Then they went off to their dinner and we started the serious business of whiskey tasting and burger-eating. I became a bit distracted around 9pm when my left ankle started to swell and ache. I'm not sure why, exactly - the only thing I can think is that, since my running shoes are completely dead, my form was off earlier that afternoon and that may have put undue pressure on my tendons. Some ice last night, an anti-inflammatory, and more ice this morning seems to be settling things down. I'll replace my shoes on Tuesday and in the mean time try to take it easy.

Today is the wedding and reception, tomorrow is the birthday brunch and then dinner at my brother's pad in Arlington. Then, it's back to the daily grind.

I Need Goals

I feel stagnant.

I mean, I'm happy generally, life is good, I have a lot going for me in a lot of different areas....but... I don't know!

I think I'm finally over all the stress of grad school and missing the constant learning and testing of the intellect.

My New Year's Resolutions don't really count as goals per se, I am thinking of more intense self-improvement oriented things to work toward.

My running has been going great, and I have the goal of running the Detroit Half-Marathon in October. I'm a little averse to the idea of taking a class of some kind, only because I think it would be expensive and I'm not sure what sort of class I'd want to take. But maybe I will look into that more.

I could set a goal of reading more, but I read a lot already. Maybe a good goal would be to incorporate a more "academic" book into my stack. I read non-fiction already, so I need to take it a step further, maybe, and read something... schoolish.

Thoughts?

Yoga + Running = Best Time Ever, Apparently

Ultimately, I've decided, there just aren't enough days in the week for me to have an optimal fitness routine. I'm running three days and practicing yoga three days with one day off. The result? Running is improving. My day off activities are improving (heh), but my yoga is really suffering. So, in the interest of not losing my pathetic (but hard-earned) hamstring flexibility, I have begun experimenting with doubling up on running and yoga at least one day per week.

Last week I went for an easy three miles and ended up at the studio for a practice. The result? Decent run, horrible practice. Okay, well, part of the point is to rule out what doesn't work, so fine.

Last night I tried the opposite - I took the 6pm class and planned on finishing with a 3-mile loop home.

WELL. My instructor (who is a MAD RUNNING MACHINE himself - honestly, who runs 50 miles at a time? Or 100 miles? I mean, do you pitch a tent halfway through and sleep the night? I don't get it) gave me the option of only doing the first half of the practice to run, but I wanted to try the whole thing, just as an experiment.

So, practice over, I stepped into the cool mist and embarked. Disaster right away. My legs felt like spaghetti. Weirdest feeling ever. I almost bagged the run right there and just took it home (1 mile) but instead I said to myself, "Hey, it's just an experiment, give it a shot and see how it goes. If you don't finish, so what."

And so I ran! And as I ran, I felt better and better. My core was completely engaged, my body felt light, my head calm. As I ran my legs moved faster and faster and a couple of times I tried to moderate my pace, but my body wouldn't listen.

The result? A 5k personal record and the best night's sleep I've had in a long time!

Countdown!

Well folks, in yet another defiance of my self-imposed technophobia (the first being the installation of Twitter), if you would kindly look to your right, just under my gorgeous face you will see a countdown ticker.

That's right - my father and I are running the Detroit Half-Marathon in exactly 202 days and... well... you can watch the days, hours, and minutes tick down yourself!

"Official" training won't start until July 1. Until then, I'm just logging miles and trying to build a good base of endurance.

Matt has also signed up for the race! And, hey, if you clicked on the link I just provided to his running blog, you should also head on over to his new political blog, the Intelligent Independent. There's always something good to discuss.

Oh what a day

Day from hell is finally OVER. Things don't blow up at work very often, but when they do, it's a total nightmare.

I spent SEVENTY dollars for my kittens' second birthday. Twenty of those dollars were for new cat beds. Currently, they are taking long naps next to the beds. After about a week, they will deign to climb in. Smartasses.


I need yoga, and need it badly. Then, I need wine. And then sleep.

Foodpix

I am so thankful that good produce is finally coming back to my neighborhood Giant. Today I stopped in and purchased apples (Granny Smith and Pink Lady), plums, and nectarines. The combination of colors is gorgeous. Here is a picture of my fruit bowl. Behind it you can see my Precision Nutrition and Gourmet Nutrition books. There is one less plum now than when this was taken:


Dinner was a simple dish inspired by a conversation last night with my muse of food and beauty, Allison. She told me about some fresh peas she steamed, which led to a discussion of our mutually favored essay "P is for Peas" from An Alphabet for Gourmets by the monarch of food writing herself, M.F.K. Fisher.

I steamed peas (shelled) for six minutes and edamame (in the shell) for five, combined with one pat butter and a handful of crumbled feta. Two grinds of fresh pepper. The texture and color really popped - what a lovely, fresh, simple meal.

Run Report

The moment I set out on my hilly 5-miler this afternoon, I knew it wasn't gonna be good. The top I was wearing was too baggy, meaning that all of my jiggly bits were, well, jiggling.

Ew.

And my legs just felt heavy. I felt like I was shuffling rather than running. Everything felt weighed down. Did I have a 10-pound boulder in my pocket and had forgotten or something?

Nope.

But then I caught a glimpse of myself in a storefront, and I was trucking!

Yay!

But I knew that the last leg of the run would consist of steep rolling hills, including The Hill, and I wanted to save some, so I slowed down. I really make it a goal to run a positive split (second half faster than the first) and the best way for me to do this is to start a little slower than I think I ought to.

But:

After a few minutes my pace picked up again, naturally. So finally I just decided to go with it.

Until;

Turning north on 34th St, beginning the rolling hills. Everything ground to a halt: my momentum, my desire, my pulse. Every step was laborious. And I knew, I still knew that after all these hills yet before I could collapse on the floor of my lobby and stretch was...

The Hill.

This Hill has been my enemy since I began running in Washington, DC. Even during my high-mileage days when I was training for the marathon, I barely ever made it up The Hill without stopping. But recently, and by that I mean in the past month or so, I have made it up The Hill without stopping every single time. Which didn't make me any less worried today because to be honest I wasn't have the greatest run or feeling very strong.

So,

I encouraged my way up one of the preceeding hills by offering myself a bribe: make it up this one and I would let myself walk up That One.

Nice.

But then, when I got to the foot of The Hill, instead of my normal drill-sergeant-esque inner monologue, ("Run your lazy ass up that hill, maggot, if you ever want to see the light of day again!") I said to myself, gently, "Diana, just give it a try."

And!

I shortened my stride, lowered my arms, fixed my gaze, and chugged my lazy strong and sexy ass all the way up that hill and home.

I rock.

Remake!

Hollywood is remaking Michael Haneke's "Funny Games."

I've been a 'fan' of Haneke ever since I traumatized myself and my friend John with "The Piano Teacher" years ago in college. I can't believe John still wanted to be my friend after I subjected him to that film.

Haneke is rough. His films are not for the mentally or physically weak. They will leave you exhausted and wondering if you will be able to crawl the distance from the couch to your bed so you can shudder under the relative safety of your covers until the images go away.

It's not bloody or gory. No gratuitous violence. Just dread. Foreboding. Psychological terror.

I blogged a review of the orignal Funny Games after I saw it. This is what I had to say:

Several years ago, Michael Haneke's film The Piano Teacher traumatized me severely. It wasn't until recently that I was able to sit down and watch it again. I've since decided to face Haneke head on, and a few minutes ago finished his more recent film, Funny Games.

I'm not sure where to start, except to perhaps paraphrase Haneke himself by saying that this is a film reserved for those who need to watch it. If, he says, the viewer is upset with the film by it's end, he would simply ask, "Why did you stay to finish it?" And indeed he presents some interesting concepts that an ordinary person might need to be walked through - or, more likely, might wish he had never be shown.

The genuis of the film is the way Haneke makes the viewer an accomplice in the violence. You'll see what I mean if you watch it. And beyond that, he generates the most acute frustration, as you realize that the victims are acting in a tragedy but the aggressors in a comedy. Watching the interaction is maddening.

Between this film and last night's Janghwa, Hongryeon (A Tale of Two Sisters) I'm in need of some serious comedy.

I deliberately left out any summary of the plot. These sorts of films, "foreign" in genre, don't generally follow the predictable plot arc to which American viewers are accustomed. They're left saying, "I don't get it" or "the ending sucked" or some other comment that entirely misses the point. These films speak to the human condition, that aspect of which most of us prefer to avoid facing. Plot is there, consistency is important, but the plot is not the only genius aspect of Haneke's films, and it's certainly not the most important aspect to bring out in a review.

If this sort of thing confuses or bores you, the film will, too. If you're intrigued, proceed with caution. If you love this line of thought, Haneke's your man, but don't hold me accountable for your nightmares.

On the Importance of Being Flexible

I am home sick from work today. Last night I developed a sore throat, which got progressively worse and woke me up at 4am, throbbing.

I am a firm believe of taking care of oneself at the first sign of sickness. I have staved off several potential colds this winter season using this method. The problem is that I hate taking unscheduled days off from running or yoga, so I need to develop a way to encourage my health while maintaining some semblance of an exercise regimen.

Athletes get sick, they do, and yet they figure out a way to maintain their endurance so that a brief sickness (or preventative rest) doesn't set them back to square one once they finally feel able to get back out there.

So later today, after a couple more glasses of water and tea, some soy protein and ibuprofen, I will go on a long (4.5) mile walk, incorporating one errand, in lieu of the five-mile run I had scheduled.

Walking can be just as good for a person as running. The heart rate doesn't get quite where it should be, but calories are still burned, muscle tone still developed, lungs still exercised. Yet I will be spared the frantic inhale-exhale of cool air that could exacerbate my sore throat.

And, as my mom so wisely said to me this morning, the reason people get tired when they're sick is because the body is expending it's energy fighing the invaders. So it makes sense to try to preserve that energy for the immune system, but at the same time it's important to preserve a certain level of fitness.

Back to the couch now. Here is my map. I hope y'all are feeling okay today and taking care of yourselves.

Need a Break

My social calendar has been quite full lately. I've been out around town listening to amazing concerts, dining with famous friends, flashing my gams around the neighborhood, and playing music.

The result - I'm exhausted. I need a break. I need a weekend.

Bender Ball Review

I can't say exactly what prompted me to finally, after months and months of seeing fragments of the infomercial, purchase a Bender Ball. But I did, and I've used it twice, and at the prompting of uber-reviewer Matt, will attempt to discuss my impressions.

The Bender Ball plus instructional DVD arrived about a week after ordering. The ball itself is rather small, about three-quarters the size of a soccer ball, and comes with a plastic straw that you use to inflate. The size of the ball makes inflation difficult, as the little bit of air that inevitably escapes when you remove the straw to insert the platic plug deflates the ball significantly. The good news is that the ball doesn't have to be fully inflated to work well. The bad news is that you have to inflate the ball before every use, and sometimes mid-use, if your session is vigorous.

The insructional DVD is, to be blunt, horrible. The instructor has flabby, uninspiring abs and the pace is incredibly slow. After one minute of the first segment I skipped to the second segment and lasted only two minutes there before giving up on the DVD entirely.

Regardless, my abs were on fire with the first slight movements, and even though I ended up deviating from the DVD and creating my own moves based on other abdominal workouts I've done, I can say confidently that the Bender Ball targets the upper and lower abs, as well as obliques, efficiently and successfully.

The first day, I used the ball for only about ten minutes, experimenting with various movements designed to hit all abdominal sections. The next day, I didn't feel sore until I got to yoga - suddenly, my abs said 'hello!' in ways they ordinarily don't. The slightest bit of core engagement on the mat and I could feel the soreness; undoubtedly the result of my Bender Ball workout.

The second time I used the Bender Ball, I went for it a little more seriously. I tried some more advanced moves and more repetitions. This thing is TOUGH. My abs were on FIRE. Despite the inflation issues and poor DVD, if you want a good abdominal workout and are decently creative, the Bender Ball WILL develop strength and tone in the midsection.

One last comment - as I was unpacking my Bender Ball, I noticed that the packing slip included an alarming little sentence that said, "Next shipment in about 30 days." Now, I have read myriad reviews online claiming that the Bender Ball company sent additional shipments and had horrible customer service. I've read stories of people claiming that they couldn't get the "continuity service" cancelled despite numerous phone calls and were billed repeatedly for additional DVDs never received. That said, it was with much trepidation that I called the customer service line to request that all future shipments and billings be stopped immediately. Overall, I was very satisfied with the customer service I received - I was immediately connected to a real live (and friendly) person without having to navigate any automated menus. Pleasantly, my representative agreed without argument to halt future shipments and provided me with a cancellation number for my references. I will be keeping an eye on my credit card statement for a few months, though.

Overall, I feel that the Bender Ball, while structurally lacking in some regards, provides a tough and effective abdominal workout superior to floor crunches. I will continue to use it to supplement my yoga and running regimine. The accompanying DVD, however, has been deemed useless and will be going in the trash.

My Lionesses

Elena (left) and Natasha lounging on a Saturday morning.




Normally mild-mannered Elena sneaks up on her sister.

Dinner!

I made dinner tonight after my run and it looked so beautiful that I had to take a photo!

Whole wheat penne with grilled chicken, halved grape tomatoes, baby spinach, and a basil pesto with a half-bottle of Rocca della Macie Chianti Classico.

So Much Going On!

*My Bender Ball arrived. Unfortunately as I type this my hair is soaking up some chocolate brown dye, so I cannot dive in and start working on the rock hard abs. Tomorrow.

*Many of you know that I don't like to have more than two of anything. This includes pillows, kittens, and place settings. Unfortunately, I have come to realize that it is lame to only have two place settings when I am trying to entertain. So I am now the proud and panicky owner of a sixteen-piece dish set. I haven't unpacked yet. I need a tranquilizer first.

*Yes, I am dying my hair. Just one or two shades darker. This may sound weird, but almost two years ago I was at a Hawaiian themed party and I dressed up and wore a long dark wig as part of my costume. And I just loved how my skin looked against a chocolatey brown hue! So I finally went for it. Don't worry, I used an ammonia-free semi-permanent color, so my locks won't be fried and the color will gradually fade in six months. I won't have gross ugly roots showing through.

*This weekend I will combine my two most common running routes to make the longest distance I've attempted in three and a half years. Why? I don't know.

Precision Panic Attack

So my new diet is Precision Nutrition. Without going into major detail, I'll just say that there are these "10 Habits" that you are supposed to be compliant with 90% of the time, and one of those habits is to have a complete protein and vegetable with every meal.

I decided to really give this a shot for at least 30 days with my goals being fat loss and improved running performance.

With enthusiasm, I made a grocery list and hit my local Giant. I just bought more food and spent more money on one shopping trip than I think I have in... well... ever. Honestly. My typical weekly trip costs me about $35, with maybe one additional mini-trip mid-week costing about $15.

Today? I spent SIXTY-FIVE DOLLARS(USD). I feel ill.

Two apples
Two oranges
Organic trail mix
1 bag baby carrots
1 bag baby spinach
1 pint cow's milk
1 quart soy milk
4 servings Greek yogurt
1 pk. whole wheat pita
String cheese
6 chicken breasts
4 cans tuna
1 can cannelini beans
1 box water crackers
1 doz. eggs
1 carton feta cheese
1 carton Unconditionally Chocolate Dove ice cream

I am literally shaking. I can't believe there is so much food in the house. And before y'all get on my case about the ice cream, I have denied myself junk food in almost every form for a long time now, and it was getting to the point where even contemplating an ice cream purchase was grounds for a major panic attack in the freezer isle. So just the fact that I was able to allow myself a little splurge without a stream of negative self-talk pushing me to throw it out as soon a I got home is a pretty good thing. I'll eat it and won't apologize for it, thank you very much.

I was able to squeeze in a five-mile run in between some pretty heavy rain showers. I got soaked turning the corner into the last 3/4 mile, but no biggie...

Disoriented!

So today I didn't have to be in to work until 8am due to having to stay late for a meeting this afternoon. And while it was nice to sleep in and eat a proper breakfast in front of The Today Show (I think Matt Lauer is sorta hot, sorry!), I have to say that I don't really like the feeling of coming to the office so late.

I'm accustomed to being the first one in, before any other day shift official or detective. I'm used to being the first line of information. I like walking into a dark office and flipping on the lights and having an hour or two of silence to get the morning work done in peace. Getting to work early makes me feel like I have a high work ethic.

But when I got here today everything was already bustling, my email was full of chatter and yet I didn't know what the conversation was about because I was coming in in the middle. Even though I was technically "on time" for my tour of duty, I felt late and lazy and as though I would be playing catch-up all day.

At least it's Friday and this weekend should be rainy and cold - perfect reason to stay inside with my Netflix movies, needlepoint, magazines, kittens, and full wine rack. I did my long run yesterday so I'll just squeeze in 3-4 miles tomorrow when I can... no pressure to get out there for more than 45-minutes. I really need a rejuvenating weekend. Let it begin!

Ambitious Undertaking

The weather has been so perfect lately that I am going to do my long run tomorrow instead of waiting for Saturday.

I really have just as much time on a weekday as I would on a weekend if I embark straight after work.

This is it. A 10k.

T-Storm Aftermath

The much-anticipated thunderstorm hit late last night, but I was satisfied nonetheless. The only thing I don't like about such weather is the worms! I hate worm-covered sidewalks, I hate stepping on worms and grinding them into the bottom of my shoes, I hate tracking worm guts around the office or wherever I am. I hate that worms flee to the sidewalks to avoid drowning only to inevitably get stuck and dry up in the sun and die anyway.

I AM NOT LAZY

But it's raining and I'm tired and I'm out of classes on my card at the ashram and I can't afford another one right now so I am just going to stay home and do a practice in the low light of dusk with some nice music and tea and my shower only steps away and I walked over a mile and a half today already and ran four yesterday and I don't want to hear that I'm LAZY for staying in!

That's all, thank you.

Hmmm....

... Even though I'm an adventure junkie... maybe I'm a teensy bit relieved to not be in Colombia right now.

Lately I've Been Single-Minded

So I know this is an all-running all-the-time blog these days, but just deal.

Yesterday I went out for three miles with Matt to see if I could uncover some of the causes of his ailments, notably a numb foot and trouble building endurance.

I had a feeling that the endurance problems were the result of doing too much too fast too soon on too hilly terrain. And the terrain was indeed hilly. I don't think we ran on flat ground at all. So I give him lots of props for getting out there as often as he does... it's frustrating to run on elevation because it takes so much longer to build endurance. And without endurance, running is frustrating. When running is frustrating, people quit. Matt hasn't quit yet and has a lofty goal coming up in April. For that, I'm proud of him!

I'm proud of myself as well for running the longest distance since ending my marathon training several years ago - close to eight miles, and hilly, and I felt DAMN GOOD when I got home.

Being here in this moment, hanging out in my sunny and clean apartment with tea and two snoozing kittens, dinner with good friends last night, a leisurely morning followed by some yoga and then a shopping excursion later on, I'm glad that I'm here and not in South America. Don't get me wrong... Colombia would have been the trip of a lifetime, but in the here and now, I'm content where I am.

I'm All A-Twitter

If you look to your right, you will see a little box above my links called It'sAJoy2BHidden! This is a cool feature called Twitter that Matt has been using for a while and is a lot of fun. Basically, I can provide short snippets from my day without composing a whole post! So check back often because I'm all a-twitter!