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!

Nervous!

Matt is having trouble building endurance. So I offered to run with him tomorrow in order to get a better idea as to what exactly could be going on. Is it a form issue? A pace issue? I'll know more tomorrow.

I plan to run to Matt's (2.75 miles), then do three miles with him at a 3-min run/1-min walk interval. Hopefully he will agree to give me a lift home, otherwise I'll hoof the 2.75 miles back to my neighborhood.

Even with the ride, I'm looking at almost six miles to run tomorrow... the most significant distance I've attempted since getting my feet back under me. And from what I understand, Matt's route contains some pretty significant hills...

Thankfully, I'll be able to soothe my aching muscles and possibly bruised ego over dinner at Dukem with two good friends later that evening.

Shakin' Things Up

After an unscheduled day off this week I decided to shake things up and make sure I wasn't losing strength. I hate taking unscheduled days off; it's a very dangerous habit to get into. So I chose a little longer route with significant elevation changes. See below.


The hardest part of running is the mental part. It always blows my mind. I don't get fatigued running up a hill until I can see the top. I can feel at my strongest until I can actually see my apartment building, and then I can't. run. another. step.

I don't really like the way my shins are feeling these days. I think I'm due for a few pair of shoes. And a massage. Not necessarily in that order.

False Alarm!

I was this close to travelling with Stephanie to Colombia this Saturday, but her family doesn't think it would be safe to take a foreigner into the smaller villages where they would be going to spend time with aunts and uncles. So, in the interest of not being kidnapped by guerillas, I will concede their judgment.

However, her law firm will be putting her up in a swanky London flat for six weeks this summer, my father is contemplating a brief assignment in either Eastern Europe or China, and my mom is still trying to arrange a trip to Ireland in the fall. So all my highly active travel bug will be let out of it's cage this year... stay tuned!

Should i practice swallowing really big grapes?

All will become clear... hopefully by tomorrow afternoon!

Finally

A much needed morning to myself. It's my own fault for working late on Friday and early on Saturday, but the overtime will be worth it. The other result, however, is that I feel totally burned out between that and all the hectic weekends I've had so far.

I mysteriously injured my shin yeserday. My routine 4-miler felt great, but when I got home I developed a dull ache in the lower part of my right shin. Doesn't feel like shin splints. But I almost cried walking down to the Metro last night to meet the gang at Sonoma where we were able, somehow, tragically and only by possessing hearts like champion race horses, to kill the $800 open bar tab created for her fiance's birthday. Steph was worried it wouldn't happen. My naive little Stephanie.

This morning I am slightly hungover - but my shin feels a lot better.

I'm fighting the urge to run off to yoga because I really, really want to stay home and have an unstructured half day. I only want to want to go to the 10:30 class so I don't disappoint Keith, and having realized that that the motivation appears to center around pleasing the instructor and not the yoga practice itself, I decided to chill out and go to the 4pm Open class instead. Keith would understand a need to rest. I'll pick up the pace at Mysore on Tuesday.

Ungh

I'm tired. I've been busy. Good things, mind you - a fantastic trip to Manhattan, my mom and John visiting for a long weekend, lots of running and yoga and long walks during my lunch break.

But I haven't really had much unstructured time to just rest. This weekend I'll be working, which makes three in a row with little opportunity for rejuvenation. And while dawn is breaking significantly earlier (I see rays of light by the time my bus drops me off at work!) I still feel generally run down and slow.

In better news, I've added one mile to my weekday running route, for a total of four miles Monday and four Thursday; five at minimum on Saturday. Here is a map of the four-miler:


It's a decent route, hilly enough to be interesting and populated enough to be distracting.

I just want warm weather. I want light feminine clothing and lemonade. I want to do yoga on the roof and break a sweat while running. I want to throw the windows open and walk outside without tensing against the cold. Soon??

Afternoon Pix

This is a snowplow out on patrol. Note the mostly dry pavement. Note no flurries in the air. I'm all for readiness and all... but this is just silly.





Creepy: two dead birds.

Stuff

I'm delinquent on the blog, which is nothing new.

Last night my mom and her husband, my brother, his fiancee, his future in-laws, and I went over to the ::drumroll::.... H ST NORTHEAST CORRIDOR for dinner and a show.

I only give the drumroll because twelve months ago I severely admonished a friend of mine for venturing to that part of town to visit a bar. It wasn't safe. At all.

It still isn't, really, but there's safety in numbers and one block seems to be gentrifying at a pretty decent rate. There's a cool theater there (The Atlas) and a restaurant that, with some more time under it's belt, will be impossible to get in to. But right now, due to the prix fixe menu and the fact that that it's probably difficult to attract experienced servers to a fledgling restaurant in a fledgling neighborhood, the dining experience was only average.

I've been at a steady four miles per day and feeling good about it. No matter how hard I tried, various impediments have precluded me from going to the yoga studio recently. I'm starved. I'll go Tuesday.

In other news, the powers that be tell me that "ballet" will be in for spring. I can't wait. I think I pull off soft and pretty fairly well, despite my dirty mouth! It would help if I could add another two inches to my hair length...

Unintended Consequences

So it seems that my running days, which are becoming longer and more frequent, provide great opportunities to do good deeds! It seems like every other time I'm out there I'm either able to give directions or help someone cross the street. Yay!

On the other hand, it also makes me the unwitting target of leering strangers. Now, I can see it happening in the summer months when I'm flashing my gazelle-like legs around town, but in the winter? Really? When I look like a blob wearing a sack? Is it really necessary to call me "baby?"

Everyone's got their paraphilia, I guess.

NYC Pics

Okay, I'm really annoyed at blogger right now. Some of these pics aren't posting as the size they should be... argh. And I can't get the line breaks to look right. But anyway, you can see them, I guess, and if you aren't happy here you can go check out the links I left in the previous post to Trent's blog, where the photos came out much nicer. Anyway, for your viewing pleasure, some photographic documentation of our fabulous weekend in Manhattan!



Trent and I after seeing Rent on Broadway. We saw that show together almost ten times back in 1997 at the Fisher Theater in Detroit!




Trent, David, and I having small plates at Tasca in the West Village.





All dressed up and someplace to go? - Siouxsie!!!






Trent's punk a nice contrast to my glam.






A goddess.






A muse.






We bask in the presence of Siouxsie Sioux!






Post-concert contentedness.

Back to my humble little life

Well, I made it home from a wild weekend in Manhattan. Details and pictures to follow tomorrow, but if you just can't wait you can check out Trent's blog for Saturday and Sunday... he posted pictures and a recap at the end of the posts passed the gossip and newslinks...

A Lazy Day in the West Village

So I arrived in Manhattan yesterday and the weekend started off big! Trent and I went for a walk around Soho and found a great little place to have lunch. Then we ended up at Diesel (surprise surprise, Trent's favorite store) where I fell in love with a cute little summer dress. It was one of Diesel's runway pieces - only eight or twelve exist in the NYC and Melrose stores. At Trent's prodding, I tried it on. It looked hot and adorable and sexy all at the same time, but unfortunately cost almost as much as my rent payment.

Well.. I am blessed with a generous friend because that dress is sitting in a bag right next to my suitcase waiting to be brought back to DC.

Then we went on to see Rent. The two of saw Rent several times in Detroit almost ten years ago as our friendship was just beginning, and I have to say that I think that cast was a little better than the cast last night. Roger in particular was a little disappointing, but we had a good time nonetheless. Then we met up with Trent's boyfriend David for some small plates at Tasca before finishing the night Vlada, a bar where few females frequent, if you get my drift. Trent got recognized everywhere we went, which was a little weird for me, seeing as how I've known him since before he even knew what a blog was.

We've just lounged around all day today. I dragged myself out for a four-mile run along the Hudson River in a cold Manhattan rain; now it's naptime so we can be awake and energized for Siouxsie's solo show in a few hours.

I'll post a few photos tomorrow night or Monday, once I get them all from Trent's camera. Stay tuned!

The universe has a way of getting what she wants

This coming Tuesday is "Chesapeake Tuesday." Maryland, Virginia, and DC will hold primary elections, and the race (at least for the Democrats) is close enough that the votes will really count.

Except mine, which will not be cast, because I'm registered No Party/Independent.

However, on Monday I will be serving jury duty. So even though I don't take part in this stage of the electoral process, I will be upholding my duty as a citizen in another realm.

I leave for Manhattan tomorrow morning. Stay tuned.

Siouxsie Sioux!

I'm Going To Manhattan Fo' Shizzle!!

Ah! God! I can't wait to see my dearest friend in the whole world! The friend I knew back before he became famous. Lordy, it's weird to go out with someone who's recognized by strangers. But it's cool, I never object to living the high life the couple weekends that we spend together per year.

Here is a shot of the two of us in LA almost exactly a year ago, enjoying a Thai feast.
















So, here's the scoop:

I leave Friday afternoon on the Hasidim bus, which is apparently much less sketchy than the Chinatown bus. I should arrive just in time to rush for front-row tickets to see Rent, which is leaving Broadway forever! This is major for Trent and I, since we solidified our friendship back in 1997 by seeing Rent in Detroit many a time (what was the final count? At least eight times for me, more for you!).

Then Saturday I plan to go on a nice run around Soho, which is where Trent's boyfriend lives and where I'll be crashing for the weekend. T will have to work (the man never takes a day off!) so I'll have the morning to myself.

The highlight of the weekend will be Saturday's concert - Siouxsie and the Banshees, for crying out loud! Trent and I saw her with her band The Creatures back in 1998 at The Shelter in Detroit. Some of you may recognize The Shelter from the movie 8-Mile; it's where Eminem competed in the rap battles that eventually made him famous. Anyway, she is amazing. She is a goddess and a muse. She is totally hot. Siouxsie Sioux... I can't believe it. I'm definitely going to channel my glam/rocker side for this event. I'm planning a hot red dress with black knee-high boots.

Then Sunday we'll just chill and probably catch up on some Simpson's viewing before I catch the bus back to DC. And Monday... jury duty.

So, I can't figure out how to embed text and the video in the same post, but the video you see is my darling Siouxsie performing one of my favorites, Swimming Horses. Enjoy! And be jealous...

A Zero Interest Day

So, it's the Super Bowl. Yipee.

I have no interest in the match, the half-time show, or the commercials. None whatsoever. But I'm going to stop by a friend's party anyway and take advantage of the amazing locale, decor, and cuisine. I'm sure I'll get at least partially caught up in the excitement of the occasion, right?

And then I'll be meeting up with a long-lost friend for an Afghan birthday dinner. So it should be a decent Sunday, and then it's back to the grind.

I leave for Manhattan on Friday!! More details coming soon.