What a Year

As the final eve of 2006 approaches, I realize that I have yet to write my "Year in Review." Here are some accomplishments and pitfalls...

Book Review: These are the books I've read (amongst others - these just stand out).
Lords of Discipline (fantastic!)
Heart Shaped World (pretty good)
The Dead Secret (fantastic!)
The Woman in White (a bit long-winded)
Wicked (the musical is better)
Crime and Punishment (took me FOREVER, but good story line)
Grapes of Wrath (yes, I've never read it prior to this year... but I loved it!)
Cold Mountain (just as good as the film)
A barage of chick lit and popular fiction

Of the "new" books I read this year, I think the best one was definitely "The Grapes of Wrath." I taught it to my sophomores this year, and I would definitely teach it again.

Re-reads:
The Count of Monte Cristo (last year's Best Book Read by Erica)
Rebecca
A Tale of Two Cities

"A Tale of Two Cities" was a bit difficult for me to catagorize. Technically it's a re-read, since I read it in college. But I couldn't remember ANYTHING about it when I picked it up this year, so it was new-ish to me. And that's definitely my favorite re-read because I am enjoying it (I'm almost done).

Books I want to read this year:
Germinal
Oliver Twist and/or David Copperfield
East of Eden
Whatever else looks good! :)

Running
Races I've run:
Houston Half Marathon
New Orleans Half Marathon
Rodeo Run 10k
Bayou City Classic 10k
Crescent City Classic 10k
Country Music Marathon
Astros Race for the Pennant 5k
VA Beach Rock-n-Roll Half Marathon
Fleet Feet 25k relay (I ran the last 3rd)
Uptown Turkey Trot 10k

Races I plan on running this year:
Houston Half Marathon (if my doctor lets me walk it... I'll find out Tuesday)
Surfside Half Marathon (if my doctor lets me)
Rodeo Run 10k (if my doctor lets me)
Bayou City Classic 10k
Maybe the Crescent City Classic
Cincinatti Flying Pig Half Marathon
A half marathon in NY state (maybe Brooklyn)
San Antonio Half Marathon
A sprinkling of 10ks and 5ks

I joined a new running group, the Striders, and am having fun so far. I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time with their activities (as soon as the doctor clears me, of course).

Injuries
Torn cornea (two days before the New Orleans Half Marathon)
Sprained ankle/strained Achilles tendon (on my birthday! in NYC!)
Jacked up knee - diagnosis TBA Tuesday... probably a sprain or a tiny crack

Places I've Traveled
Nashville
New York
Washington DC
Virginia Beach

Places I'll travel next year:
Cincinatti
New York (probably)
Canada
Wherever I go on a vacation

Movies
I can't remember all of the films I've seen this year, but the best are...
The Departed
Marie Antoinette
Casino Royale
A Good Year
United 93
Hollywoodland
The Lake House
Clerks II


Overall, I think I had a pretty good year. I've had my frustrations, my low moments, my heartbreaks, my stresses but I managed to do a lot. I'm still in a job I enjoy, I've managed to experience so many things this year (and I met the Emperor, how cool is that???!!), my family and friends are safe and healthy, and as I sit here I'm in a relatively good mood.

I have no clue what 2007 will bring, other than the Rodeo, a couple of weddings I'm attending, school and a longer summer break. I'll probably teach summer school for extra money. I'll be moving to a new apartment in a couple of months.

But do I have any resolutions? Tons. Some are private and secret, but some are not. For example, I plan on eating more vegetables and less sugar. I plan to smile more. I plan to finish 2 scripts. I plan to learn to relax. I plan to take a sushi preparation class. I plan to take tango lessons. I plan to drink more water. I have high hopes, but I'm not going to count them as resolutions because I refuse to feel like a failure at the end of next year. But I hope that many of my hopes will come true. Some are very far-away hopes, but life would be very boring without hopes and wishes and dreams.

Happy New Year everyone. Don't drink and drive.

Cheers!

I Surrender! I Surrender!

Imagine me waving a white flag, not so cheerfully.

Mom's doctor boss says it sounds like I tore a patella ligament/tendon. My nurse best friend says that it sounds like I fractured my kneecap. My medic sister says that my insistence on the lack of swelling doesn't mean anything. My boyfriend won't stop bugging me. Andy and Mom both say that I'm hardheaded and they won't even try to convince me to do the right thing (i.e. go to the doctor).

Therefore, I surrender. I have an appointment with my orthopedist Tuesday afternoon (when he gets back from vacation).

Last night, Mom and I removed the steri-strips to discover that my gashes closed up nicely. It was then that I realized that the pain wasn't due to the gashes, as I said before. My flesh wounds don't hurt, but my kneecap does. Just a light tap on the top makes me jump slightly.

I love to self-diagnose myself, so I went to a website about knee injuries. I did the activities that doctors might ask me to perform (i.e., bending, squating, etc.).

Here's what hurts...

1) Bending to sit down.
2) Bending to stand up.
3) Moving it after keeping it still for a bit.
4) Walking down stairs.
5) Walking up stairs.
6) Squatting.
7) Doings lunges (yes, I tried one).
8) Jogging (I jogged three steps before the pain kicked me)
9) Hyperextending the knee.
10) Bending it while sitting (not major pain, but there is a definite twinge).
11) Walking for an extended period of time (aka 60 minutes in the Galleria).

The above, combined with the insistence on friends and family, prompted me to make the appointment. Plus the slight fear of work next week - I'll be on my feet to teach and have to walk up and down stairs to get to my classroom, so if something's wrong I need to know now.

Too bad the doc is on vacation.

Cheers, I guess.

Scarey... then Better

I'm a terrible patient. I make no excuses, reasons, nor lies about it: I hate being sick and/or injured.

Yesterday I decided to unwrap my knee and get some air on the gashes. I unwound the ace bandage, unwound the slightly bloody gauze and allowed some oxygen to the kneecap. This was also my first sight of it post-ER. Yep, it's still bruised. Yep, the gash still is there. Yep, my knee is slightly swollen.

While allowing oxygen (and whatever noxious fumes gather into houses from the outside) caress my wound, I decided to also walk on it, post-wrap. Not bad at all. I realized that the pain does indeed come from the bruises and the gashes because without the padding and pressure, it does feel better. After about an hour, I happened to look down at my legs. Upon looking at my right leg, my first thought was "Damn, I've really gained weight; my leg is fatter." Then I compared the two. Holy cow! What the hell is happening down there???!!! My right ankle and foot were so swollen that the ankle bone was not protruding as usual. And I realized that my leg was also tingling. My mom's explanation was that the binding was too tight and finally the blood is flowing more properly down my leg and that the swelling would fix itself.

Hours later, it did. Thank God.

I re-wrapped my knee, but left the gauze out. The steri-strips are starting to loosen, so I'm keeping the Ace bandage on it for protection. No pressure pain, only surface pain. I think I'll be out jogging sooner than expected. I don't want to rip open the gashes again, so I'll still take some time off, but I don't think the damage is as bad as the ER doc, my mom and I thought.

Relief!

Merry Christmas!

Wow! I guess I was good this year, because Santa was nice to me! Amongst my presents...

1) A new watch
2) A new running watch
3) A new stereo
4) A Magic Bullet (the food chopper/mixer as seen on tv!)
5) A Star Wars Hallmark Christmas tree ornament (I collect them)
6) Earrings
7) A wine vacuum sealer set

Ahh. Presents. I can't wait to start playing with them!

Here's the pain update...

I still hurt. My bruises are still here. I've been illegally walking on it, and will be driving this evening, so we'll see how things go. The sitting and standing don't hurt, but the motion to do so does.

Cheers!

Pain Update

After 24 hours, here's what still hurts...

1) The small bruise on my chin.
2) My deltoid muscles (from the landing, I guess).
3) My biceps (from the landing, I guess).
4) I have a few tiny bruises and scratches on my left leg.
5) My right knee.

Here's the update on the knee: Against doctor's orders, I did a bit of walking today, to test the waters. Putting pressure on it does not hurt, but bending it sure does (I guess due to the placement of the gash). Also, my kneecap keeps popping and I feel like it keeps coming out of socket when I walk, causing me to almost fall over as it buckles (but yet it doesn't hurt when that happens). I unwrapped the Ace bandage and adjusted the gauze bandage (ewww... the blood that seeped through...) and then re-wrapped it and now I'm better. The tighter bandage really helps with the walking.

I know, I know. I'm not supposed to walk. In fact, I've been having people on my case about it. Right now, I am forced to sit down because my Mom and the Sailor won't let me leave my bedroom. Thank God my computer is in here. Andy told me that he's not going to lecture me this time because he knows that I'm too hard-headed for my good and he knows that I'll just ignore his advice. My family and the Sailor keep lecturing me, so ignoring them makes them do it more. I have to humor them I guess.

I hate staying still. I hate relaxing. I hate not moving.

I am going to go out of my mind.

Merry Christmas Eve!

It's a Bird! It's a Plane!

It's a chubby runner flying through the air after tripping on a jagged piece of sidewalk, her arms flailing and her face and knee falling into more jagged pieces of sidewalk!

Ouch.

Today was the Strider's Longest Long Run, the last long run before the full and half marathon. I was up and out there at 6am, ready to put in my 13.1 miles. And brrr! It was cold.

June, Bill and I started off and we stuck together for the first 8 miles, averaging a 12:30 pace. I was struggling, and then at mile 7 I realized why: I gave blood Thursday afternoon. Running 13 miles at a good speed (for me) probably wasn't the smartest thing.

At mile 8, I let them run on ahead, since I was turning around at mile 9.5 anyway. A few minutes after they left, I started on as well (I was chilling at a water station).

After passing Starbucks, I saw a creepy man. Unfortunately, I then became immersed in thoughts and wasn't paying attention. Right after passing the creepy man (I was thinking about my pepper spray), I stumbled upon a very bad sidewalk on Montrose (past Hawthorne). Then I really did stumble. No, calling it a stumble is an understatement.

At mile 9, I flew through the air. Ironically, I tripped about a mile before, but managed to catch myself. This time, I was not so lucky.

So my right toe got caught in the jagged edges and as I flew through the air, my thought was "Fuck, this landing is gonna hurt." Oh, and it did. I landed and slid on the rough concrete, wrist, knee and chin first. Sadly, I wondered first how bad my face looked, before the pain of my knee kicked in. I immediately called mom, but couldn't talk (thus freaking her out). Barb, Steeeve's wife, was jogging by and she took the phone from me to talk to my mom. My hands hurt and my knee hurt so bad that I was crying. I was terrified to move it. I finally did when I saw the blood seeping through my pants (which didn't rip). I pulled the leg of my pants up and was greeted with a smiley face of gashes. One wasn't that bad, but I knew that I needed stitches (AH!) on the other one. I finally moved a few minutes later.

Luckily, some woman saw me fall and she drove over and sat with me until my mom came, and a lady who lived across the street came over to me too, so I was never alone. She helped me over to her car where I stood and leaned. Then I got woosey and naseaous and slid to the ground and shivered until my mom came (I was wearing sweaty clothes and it was freezing!).

Finally Mom came (about the time one of the ladies acquired a hot tea for me!). We drove to her hospital, which is fantastic. The ladies wanted to call an ambulance, but I wouldn't let them - I knew I would hate waiting in a busy ER. Mom's hospital is a surgical hospital, but by law they have to have an ER. No one ever goes to their ER, so I was the only patient.

The doctor loaded me up on very strong Motrin, the nurse took my blood pressure three times because it was freakishly low (70/40) and my pulse three times because it was also freakishly low (45) and I shivered. Wow! Sitting in the cold in sweaty clothes for 30 minutes was borderline torture! And let's not even discuss the pain of cleaning out the gashes.

The verdict: who knows. I managed to talk the doctor out of ordering x-rays for me (I hate my insurance). He said that the treatment would be the same for the first week anyway, so I'm heavily bandaged and I'm not allowed to move it or bend it for a week. It's my right knee, which means no driving! The other good news - he just put steri-strips on my knee to close the gashes - no stitches for me (I can live with the scarring)! I'm too keep an eye on my knee and if it gets worse or not much better, then they'll do x-rays on me.

Basically, I think I'm out of the running (punny!) for the half-marathon. It's three weeks away and I'll be out of running for 1-2 weeks, and I don't know how comfortable I'd feel attempting to jog it. So I might walk the half-marathon instead. No running for me until I'm sure my knee is not cracked.

In other pains and aches: my left shoulder is sporting a very large bruise, my palms are raw with tiny blood blisters under them, my left knee is slightly bruised, my chin is scraped only minimally (thank God) and my right knee is a bit f***ed up. I have a tiny bruise on my right wrist from jamming the top of my hand into my Garmin when I fell and my arms hurt for some odd reason (maybe the impact).

Onto happier stuff: Yay! June and Vic finished their 21 miles! I heard Bill's knee was bother him (poor him). Overall, I hope everyone who ran had a good and safe time.

Now, since I'm couch-bound, I'm going to get some reading done.

Cheers!

It's (Almost) Rodeo Time!

I'm in the midst of my third year on a Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo committee. This year is the 75th anniversary year, commemorating "The Year of the Volunteer." They're adding a bunch of new stuff for the anniversary year, two things in which I'll be involved.

1) Singing the National Anthem! Yes, ladies and gents, I will be singing the National Anthem at the Rodeo. I had to audition for a part in the choir, and 10 of us were chosen. What they're going to do is make a recording of our ten voices to play nightly, and I think they're going to add members of various committee on the staging area to sing along with our recording (as a guide of sorts). They're still working out the details, and I think we'll be out there many nights as well. Like I said, the details are fuzzy on my side, but I get to sing the National Anthem at the Rodeo!

2) Show Pride. Last year, the Rodeo had some special displays, showing scenes from the Rodeo throughout it's 74 years. This year, as an added bonus, they hired an outside source (she calls herself the "hired gun") who owns an acting troupe. She held auditions for "living characters" and again, I was chosen! So many times during the livestock show, if you're in the arena, look out for me - I'll be one of the ones in period costumes (either a person in Texas history or Rodeo history) and I'll be acting that part for 4 hours at a time. I'll be dressed in period costume, put on the persona of the character and mingle with the audience in character. This type of acting is seen mostly in museums and Renaissance Festivals.

Fun! Fun! Fun!

There She Goes!

Today's mileage: 6 miles baby!

Mile 1 - 10:40. I decided to run this one all out, taking no walk breaks. Towards the end I was ready to fall over, but I like to run fast miles every once in a while to remind myself of what I'm actually capable of.
Mile 2 - 13:42. That's because I had to walk 3 minutes to recover from mile 1. :)
Mile 3 - 12:20

At this point, I made it back to my car and f***ed around for about 5 minute, getting my iPod shuffle out of my car, refilling my water bottles, trying to decide if I wanted to go another lap around Memorial. I didn't feel all that great, so I decided to do another one (using reverse psychology on myself, I guess). But I was going to take the last three miles a bit slower.

Mile 4 - 13:13
Mile 5 - 13:14
Mile 6 - 13:20.

I'm getting ready for the LLR this Saturday with the Striders. But, at this point, 13 miles isn't impossible. I didn't do a long run this past weekend, so my legs will feel pretty fresh.

Or at least, that's what I keep telling myself.

Today's goals: movies (Blood Diamond!), finish Christmas shopping (I have one present left for my sister to acquire), run errands for those who have to work this week, and get some reading done. Oh, and continue editing my script. I'm getting it ready to send to the competitions this year!

Cheers!

Rubber Duckie, You're the One...

...You make my desktop lots of fun!

I collect toys. My toys entertain me while writing at my desk (because I have a short attention span and need things to play with). Mainly my toys aren't really toys, though. I have a plaster skull, a stress-out voodoo doll, the Star Wars Hallmark Christmas Ornaments, letter openers in the shape of swords, etc. Little eclectic things.

I have a new toy.

Yesterday, as the Sailor and I were Christmas shopping, I dragged him into a Bath Junkie store, in which I've never been. Wow - great store! But the shop was WAY too girly for him, so we stayed for only the briefest of moments - but brief enough for me to spot a cool rubber duckie!

What's so cool about this bath toy? It's an LSU rubber duckie! It has the body of a typical rubber duckie, but is orange with black tiger stripes, it's wearing a purple LSU shirt, has tiger arms/paws/claws, has a tiger-shaped head (with ears and nose), but it has a duck beak - with tiger fangs!

It amuses me.

:) Cheers!

Adventures in Cleaning

I'm spending my first week-day off cleaning out my desk and listening to the new Josh Groban CD (go ahead and laugh, Andy). Whilst cleaning, I'm finding the oddest assortments of odds and ends. I don't know what to do with some, and I have no idea where others came from. Amongst the things I'm finding...

1) A checkbook register from 5 years ago. Trash.

2) An LSU Confederate flag that my evil ex-stepfather bought me. I have no desire to hang it whatsoever (despite my affection for LSU). I guess I just crammed it in my desk to hide it. Does anyone want this?

3) 6 year old bullets. They're bad, so I have to figure out a way to get rid of them (not in the trash, though).

4)A collection of Starbucks cards, from when I worked there. I don't want to trash them, but don't know what to do with them.

5) A Halloween card I bought for someone three years ago and never gave it to him.

6) A CD-ROM for a Cannon bubble jet printer. I don't recall owning a cannon bubble jet printer. Trash.

7) 17 boxcutters that I filched from my store the day I left (I was angry and wanted to make the new manager go insane by snatching the boxcutters. I'm slightly passive-aggressive). Does anyone need boxcutters?

8) A canister of used film. I don't know what's in it.

9) An expired passport and my LSU ID - both horrendous photos!

10) A receipt from clothes I bought in 2005.

11) My one ticket. And it's non-exciting. My registration had expired.

12) Lots of batteries. Do batteries expire?

13) A cell phone charger for a phone that I haven't had in 4 years.

14) Another random canister of film.

15) A pookah shell. Who knows where that came from.

16) A third random canister of film.

17) A fourth random canister of film. Apparently I have a problem.

18) An A/C plug thing that I have no clue what it goes to.

19) A metro card for the DC metro subway.

20) A LOT of theatre ticket stubs.

Amongst other random things.

Laundry time!

Freedom!

I'm free for two weeks! Free for two weeks! I better enjoy this, for this may be the last 2-week Christmas vacation I get. Rumor has it that Texas schools (or HISD) will have only 1 week for Christmas break starting next year, to make up for the extra week in the summer (grumble to the Texas legislature).

How will I celebrate this freedom? Well, I ate quite a bit earlier, so I'm going to go on a nice 6-8 mile jog in an hour or so.

Yay for holidays!

Oh, and in case anyone was wondering... the pain got worse. I'm still sore, but it's going away.

Cheers!

Let's Do The Time Warp Again

I went through a wrinkle in time, a time warp, whatever.

First of all, after my slightly somber posting last night, I started doing my Tae-Bo boot camp DVD, the Ultimate Bootcamp/advanced one. I've only done the advanced twice, and so sporadically, that whenever I actually do it, my legs are on fire the following two days, almost worse pain than a post-marathon pain.

Anyway, I did a lot of lunges and squats, despite knowing I would be participating in the Strider Holiday Run. So, needless to say, my hamstrings, quads and ass hurt today. After tonight's 4 miler, I'm going to either be in a whole mess of pain, or I'd've run the pain out.

During the 4 miler, in which I was with the "super comfortable" pace group (AKA the snail pacers), I was HURTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And then I went through a wrinkle in time. After my Garmin beeped for the third time, I looked down. 3 miles. I look down a few minutes later. 3.3 miles. I look down a minute later. 2.01 miles. What the hell? It rewound AGAIN (having done this before).

How ironic is that? My Garmin goes back in time a day after I was wishing to go through the childhood/past.

Life's funny.

Cheers!

Figuratively True

I'm running on empty.
I feel like a wire that's stretched so thin it's about to snap.
I look like a zombie.

Yes, ladies and gents, it's the end of a semester. Finally, after Friday, I'll get two weeks to recharge, two weeks to find myself, two weeks to relax, two weeks to catch up on sleep, two weeks to write quizzes in advance so that I'm prepared next semester, two weeks to remind myself of all of my capabilities, two weeks to turn myself back to what I used to be, two weeks to do what I enjoy.

At first, I wasn't quite sure why this year stressed me out more than last year. Last year, I was a first-year teacher. Last year, I was also taking university classes in the evening. Last year, I was creating a portfolio and other assignments for my alternative certification. Last year, I was training for a marathon (then 2 halves, then another full). Last year, I was in a production.

So why are things so much harder this year? I've finally come to my conclusion. This year, I'm no longer a first-year teacher, and thus I know what I'm supposed to teach. This year, when I miss a concept, I'm cognizant of the fact (man, last year was "ignorance is bliss" year). This year, I have four preparations (instead of last year's two). This year, I'm dating someone (my longest relationship last year was 2 months... this one's been going on for much longer than that). This year, I'm teaching new novels, therefore I have to read and/or re-read them and create assignments, quizzes and tests, all of which suck up a HUGE amount of time. This year, I'm finding less personal time and therefore becoming stressed out.

I find myself scarily slipping into harmful bad habits, bad habits which I want to be rid of, bad habits which have harmed me in the past, bad habits which could cause harm in the present and future. Don't worry - none of those bad habits are illegal or costly, but they are habits which make me feel like a worse person. They are habits which have begun to kill the hard work I did a few years ago. They are habits that I hoped would be gone forever. They are habits I do not wish to have when I'm old.

Sometimes I wish I was a child again, wish I had innocence again, wish I could do things differently. Oh, to be a child and have no pressures upon you, other than passing a test or coming home on time; to find happiness in little things; to be a child again and heal from wounds quickly because a little bruising wouldn't stop you from having another adventure; to feel that home is safe and feel excited about the endless mysteries tomorrow might bring.

Adults are very cynical. We find problems with little things. We stick to routines because it is safe. We forget to laugh, unless we're laughing at someone for the wrong reason. We forget to smile at flowers, the dog running across the street, the birds chirping overhead. We forget to go outside and play because that time can be spent on cleaning the house or working overtime. We work and we frown and we worry and we stress and we think about what went wrong today and what went wrong yesterday and we think of the problems of our lives and we forget that solutions are right in front of our faces. We become blind, we become deaf, we become bitter, we become jaded, we become old. We fear the future because it is not certain. We hate the past because of mistakes we've made. We're uncertain of the present because it is new, and adventures seem like foreign, abstract ideas to us.

Or maybe I'm just talking about me.

This is the Day That Never Ends

Yes, it goes on and on my friend. I just started living it, not knowing what it was and I'm just living it and living it just because this is the day that never ends, yes it goes on and on my friend...

No, I'm not insane, and yes, the above is an allusion to "The Song That Never Ends." Why is my day never ending? Let me start from the beginning (which happened oh, so long ago)...

2:29am. I woke up. And I just lied in bed. And stayed there. Wide awake. Not sleeping. Counted 20 sheeps. Counted toothpicks. Balanced my checkbook mentally. Wondered what I did to deserve this unexpected bout of insomnia. Looked over at the clock. 2:35. Geez. After 5 more torturous minutes, I finally got up. I walked over to the fridge, but alas - no red wine was in the fridge (wine makes me sleepy). So I plopped on the couch and flipped on the tv. Surprise, surprise - nothing is on at 3am! I watched a bit of Emeril, a bit of the film "A Knight's Tale", a bit of MSNBC's special on inmates at Brushy State Penitentiary (sp). At 3:50, I figured I'd try to go back asleep, despite the fact that the alarm was to wake me up at 5. I think between 3:50 and 5, I slept 5 minutes.

At 5, my alarm sounded off and away I went to the 30k in Sugarland. Having once been a Starbucks manager in that area, I knew that they were open at 5:30, so I planned on getting coffee. No such luck. Apparently in the 2 years that it's been since I've worked over there, they moved their hours to 6am. Drat!

I went to the 30k, met up with my fellow Striders and proceeded to put out the water station and we began to hand out water to grateful runners from 7:15ish to 10:30ish. Go Vick! Go Steeeve! Go Steve B.! Go Jessica! Go Bill! Go everyone who ran in the freezing cold rain!

After the race, Junebug and Jen(who were at the water stop with me) and I went to cheer on Vic's triumphant finish, and then we joined other Striders and the Sailor for lunch at the pub. Mmmmmm. Burgers.

Afterwards, the Sailor and I ran errands, I came home to grade papers, and work on school stuff (finals are this week... Thank GOD!!).

So, it's 6:27pm and I've been awake since 2:30. I'm exhausted. My head hurts. My body hurts. I'm tired...............

But Junebug has decided to join me for the London Marathon! Yippee!!

Yes, Those Are Tears

I just spent an hour glued to my tv, tearing up. No, I wasn't watching a cheesy chick flick or a cheesy romance movie. I caught the last hour of the re-televised Ironman Championship in Konda. Wow. Talk about inspiration. My leg soreness went away, as did my negative mindset about why I'm doing this to myself (as in running). I now want to do one. Of course, not for a while, but I think one of my new goals is to complete it by the time I'm 40. There was a 76-year-old nun who finished it for the 20th time! The time cut-off, I believe, is 17 hours, If I can do the swim and biking in 10-11 hours, I'm set.

Since I won't even start thinking of the Ironman for a while, my mind wandered to my next full marathon. I said I wasn't going to do another full marathon until I drop 30-40 pounds. I'm still serious about that, but I've decided what my next full marathon is going to be: the 2008 London Flora Marathon. That gives me a year and a half to drop the weight and train to run a good race. And the best part is that the majority of my training will happen in nice weather. :)

Got Spam?

I finally rolled myself out of the warm bed at 8am. I originally planned to wake up at 5am, grade papers for a while and then go running at 7. Nope. Too cold. I woke up at 8, watched tv until 9. Still too cold. I left, went to SuperTarget, spent too much time in there, and when I came out, I realized that the temp wasn't going to warm up that much and I should just go ahead and run.

So I did. Getting to Memorial Park at 10ish, I donned my new gloves (bought at SuperTarget because I don't know where my other ones are) and went off. 2.5 laps and a short out-and-back out of the park later, I finished my 12th mile. I saw no one familiar, but did run into some kind of Marine Corps boot camp for, what looked to me, non-Marines. These poor kids were getting screamed at by these Marines while running. I just sang along to my iPod shuffle as they went past me.

Speaking of my lovely new tiny iPod shuffle... I have come to really appreciate it. After the Marine Corps Marathon last year, I started not using my other iPod. I just started enjoying the runs without music. I still used my iPod at the gym, but it started to wear down and I figured I'd get the new tiny one. It's fantastic! I also put some new songs (finally) onto my playlist, and so I've been listening to it while running. Today, as I made it back into the park, a song from the musical "Spamalot" came in. Sigh. Sometimes a bit of Broadway is what you need to get you through that last mile.

I haven't quiet decided if I'm running the Jingle Bell 5 miler tomorrow. I'll be at the 30k in Sugarland tomorrow, manning the Striders water station with June et al. There's talk of going to a pub afterwards, but I might just mosey on down to the race. I'd love to run in a race where everyone wears jingle bells on their shoes, but I don't know if my legs can handle it. I'll bring my running clothes just in case, but I probably won't use them.

Well, time to grade papers. And maybe eat something. I'm hungry.

Cheers!

I'm Alive

I promise! I'm alive! And there are witnesses that can attest to it (my most public outing being the Striders Christmas party last night).

Speaking of the party... it was great seeing everyone... Junebug, Vic and wife, Steve B. and wife, Steeeeeve and wife, Nancy, Bill... and whoever else I met and neglected to say. :) Vic - let's start working on our slow caterpillar for the Bayou City Classic 10k now. Maybe we can dress up as turtles or snails!

I ran last Sunday... 10 miles. I ran today... 2.5 miles. Work is hectic, I'm tired, I'm not managing my time well at all.

But the semester is almost over and I shall be more diligent in my blogging!

Oh, and I'm re-reading "A Tale of Two Cities." I read it in college, almost 10 years ago, but can't remember it at all. Since my sophomores are reading it in January, I figured I'd re-read it - and I'm enjoying it thoroughly! In fact, I just wish to lie in bed and read all day. Who knew Dickens could be considered enjoyable?

This week:
5 miles tomorrow (if I feel up to it)
12 miles Saturday
5 miles Sunday (the Jingle Bell run)

Next week... who the hell knows.

Cheers!

Oof

10.5 tiring miles today. I wanted to do 14, but the influx of mileage prevented my muscles and joints from doing so. So it was just 10.5 miles.

Time to grade more terrible essays!

Success!

My first Thanksgiving dinner was a success! I should quit my job and become a chef.

On the menu...

1) The turkey. I made an herb-crusted turkey stuffed with apples and oranges, and roasted with a white wine and shallot sauce and it was so juicy and flavorful. The drippings, added to a bit of flour, made a wonderful dressing.

2) The cranberry orange relish. MMMMmmmmmmmmmm. Completely home-made, not from a can or jar. It was here that I realized that you need to remove the zest from an orange before juicing it and that the zester can zest human flesh as well. Ouch!

3) The dressing. Again, completely home-made (not Stove-Top). It was an apple-cranberry dressing.

4) Green beans with garlic-lemon-olive oil dressing. I've been making this veggie for years and it always turns out well.

Mom made cherry salad and home-made macaroni and cheese (family traditions) while my sister made a yam souffle. Top off the entire dinner with a nice bottle of Shiraz and you get one happy family.

I was put in charge of making the turkey every year from now on.

Since I taste-tested everything during the many hours of cooking, I am completely stuffed. I even have pumpkin pie (my favorite), but am so full that it is just sitting forlornly in the fridge, to be eaten tomorrow.

Ahh. Success!

My quads really hurt. Just thought I'd share that. I'm off to bed now!

Ciao.

Trotting for Pumpkin Pie

At least, I was trotting for a pumpkin pie kolache, only to discover that there were none at the end of the race.

Today was Race #2 - The Uptown Turkey Trot. Due to the fact that I PR'ed on Sunday, I didn't anticipate a PR today.

I was right.

But the frustrating part is that I missed a PR by 7 seconds! But it's a PR of sorts - it's a PR of Houston 10ks (my best 10k was the Crescent City Classic in New Orleans last year - 1:16:29), it's a PR of the Uptown Turkey Trot (last year I did it in 1:20:45). I finished this year's race in 1:16:35.

The weather was very warm, the sun was shining brightly on the unshaded cement of San Felipe, the water stations ran out of water again (luckily I learned from last year and wore my fuel belt). But the happiness of the race was in multitudes.

Mile 1: 12:22
Mile 2: 11:53 (whoops)
Mile 3: 12:25
Mile 4: 12:21
Mile 5: 12:31
Mile 6: I have no clue.
Mile .2: I have no clue.

My last mile was probably closer to 13 minutes, especially since I was tired and my feet were hurting. But my Garmin tripped out on me! I looked down and it was at 5.45 miles at 1:08. The next time I look down, 2 minutes later, it's at 5.11 miles. My Garmin rewound! Arghh....

Here are the good parts of the race:
1) I had a consistent pace
2) I got to see Christine from NY!!!, June, Vic, Cassie, Mannie, and an ex-Starbucks co-worker
3) I finished without major pains (although my left calf and Achilles tendon still tightens up)

But all's good. I did my cardio for the day and can eat my pumpkin pie with a smile. I'm making the majority of Thanksgiving dinner myself this year, for the first time (I'm doing the turkey, gravy, dressing, and cranberry relish - all homemade), but I bought the pumpkin pie. I don't bake. And then Mom is making homemade macaroni and cheese casserole and cherry salad, and my sister is bringing sweet potatoes. Yum!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And I'm not starting to cook until 3, since dinner won't be until 8. Today is a good day.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Sometimes...

Sometimes I wish I didn't give this blog address to certain people.
Sometimes I wish I could be more honest with myself and others.
Sometimes I wish I could get over the past and look towards the future more.
Sometimes I wish I didn't fear as much as I do.
Sometimes I wish I could just move out of the country and start over.
Sometimes I wish I managed my time better.
Sometimes I wish I was a recluse.
Sometimes I wish I was more sociable.
Sometimes I wish I wasn't so hard on myself.
Sometimes I wish I told people how I really feel about them.
Sometimes I wish I didn't fear their reactions.
Sometimes I wish I could ignore people more.
Sometimes I wish I could ignore myself more.
Sometimes I wish I didn't try to please people as much as I do.
Sometimes I envy my friends.
Sometimes I'm glad I'm not them.
Sometimes I just want to slap some sense into people.
Sometimes I want to slap sense into myself.
Sometimes I wish I was a bit cleaner.
Sometimes I wish I was happier.
Sometimes I wish I didn't inflict pain upon myself intentionally.
Sometimes I wish I could cut certain people out of my life.
Sometimes I wish I would act more on my wishes. :)
Sometimes I wish I was a size 6.
Sometimes I'm glad I'm not.
Sometimes I enjoy my job.
Sometimes I wish I could quit my job and be a writer.
Unfortunately that would require me winning the lottery or marrying a self-sufficient man, neither of which is probable.
Sometimes I wish I stood up for myself more.

Sometimes never goes away.

Not even when it's time for bed.

Goodnight.

Vive Lance Armstrong!

Among many of my errands (including going to three store to find boot laces and five stores to find sugar cane juice... none of which were for me), I went to the movies and saw "A Good Year." The film was highly satisfactory, and the Lance Armstrong parts were a good giggle.

After running my many errands (which also included getting my packet pick-up for the Turkey Trot and buying new running shoes), I then met June for an easy 6-miler. The weather was perfect, the company was great and the run overall was fun. Unfortunately my calves have been tightening up lately, but no sharp pain occurred. I'm not running at all tomorrow (and instead will go to the movies again, in Lake Charles).

2 more days until Thanksgiving! Be smart: stay out of the grocery stores until next week.

Cheers!

Close Enough

I didn't make 5 miles; I made it to four.

During mile 4, my Achilles tendon started straining slightly, and thus decided to stop after mile 4.

My 4 miles was a great run, though! Despite the fact that my mind was groaning, my body performed well, even after yesterday's hard race. My pace is more my average, and a great starting point for this season. Maybe by the end of Spring I'll be running 11:30 miles comfortably and consistently.

Mile 1: 12:21
Mile 2: 12:25
Mile 3: 12:27
Mile 4: 12:21

I'm pleased with my nearly-even splits and the weather was fantastic!

Cheers!

New Toys, Free Time

I bought a new toy yesterday, and I'm glad I have the day off today because I've been working on the new toy for almost 3 hours.

What did I buy, might you ask? I bought the new iPod shuffle! My old shuffle died (probably due to the fact that it got wet on many occasion) and I decided to bite the bullet and get the new one. Unfortunately, after purchasing it and examining it, I was told that it was to be a Christmas present. Oops. I should know better. Never buy yourself something around the holidays without telling people first!

So I've been playing with it this morning. I already have iTunes, but it's an old edition so I had to upgrade it. I'm a sad, low-technical individual and still have dial-up. I waited 2 hours for iTunes to download. Now I have to import songs from CDs and update my music library, etc.

I'm going to test it out tomorrow morning at the gym. Yea!

Oh, and who knew that all of my running friend were Striders? Thanks for the warm welcome, guys!

I'm going out for 5 miles in 30 minutes. And the weather is fantastic!

Cheers!

Sign Me Up

It's official: I joined a new running club. I'm now part of the Houston Striders. I'm excited!

'Tis the Season

The race season, that is!

Today marks the first race of my racing season (the VA Beach half-marathon doesn't count because it was a random, summer race). The HMSA sponsored a 25k race/relay and Sarah, Erin F. and I decided to do the relay part, which would give us a bit over 5 miles apiece.

Wow, was the temperature chilly this morning! Erin went first, then switched off the chip to Sarah and finally to me, so I froze waiting for the two of them to finish. Luckily I didn't have to wait all that long - they're faster than I am. Erin started the relay, aiming to do it easy since she's slightly injured, but her easy pace was a 7-minute mile! Sarah was around 10 minutes and I rounded up the group with an 11:53 average, which is my best average for any kind of race, so I was excited (still am).

I felt pretty good. I went out way too fast in the beginning for two reasons: (1) it was cold! and (2) I was surrounded by speedy people and felt the need to try to keep up with them for at least 1 minute.

Here's my splits...

Mile 1: 11:00 (whoops)
Mile 2: 11:43
Mile 3: 12:18 (that's more like it(
Mile 4: 12:05
Mile 5: 12:44 (I'm starting to get tired)
Mile .23: 2:23 (I always race myself at the end)

June was our cheerleader, and of course the usual group was there: Holden, Steve, Edwin, Vic, Jessica, Jon and Waverly, I met the Humble Runner, I met Barbara, and June's GSD. Overall, great run. Great fun. The next race is Thursday, a 10k, so we'll see how that goes.


Another reason that I've been laying low this week is because my body was getting even with me for doing that random 14 miles last weekend. I ran 3 miles Thursday, making great time but feeling bad and then I did a quick 12-minute mile on the treadmill Friday. So my running total this week has been a paltry 9.23 miles. Whatever.

This week's tentative training plan (I should do ok with it since I'm on vacation):
Monday: 5 miles, upper body at gym.
Tuesday: 8 miles with June, Tae-bo at home
Wednesday: No miles (going to Lake Charles), maybe a bit at the gym in the am
Thursday: 6.2 miles (the Uptown Turkey Trot), no gym.
Friday: None (rest day... except for the walking around the malls!)
Saturday: TBD. TNT is doing either 16 or 18. I'm not. I'm probably going to aim for 14. I want to keep doing 14 mile Saturdays/Sundays until the Houston Half, that way I'm way prepared.
Sunday: None. Gym, I'm sure.

Cheers!

Oops

No, I'm not dead.

Sorry for the lack of posts, but I just haven't blogged. No real reason.

I'm off for a week and am very excited. I plan on going to the movies a lot, running a bunch, sleeping, watching tv, etc. Unfortunately, I'll have to grade, but that'll be on Monday.

Sad news! I have to find a new hiding spot. Diedrichs on Westheimer closed this week! I've been hiding there since high school, and am very distressed. Where will I grade now? I just don't like Starbucks enough to spend that much time there. Sigh.

Today I spent the day in Wharton, population very small. It even has a town square. I enjoyed the quaintness of it, and wondered what it would be like to live there. Each day I'm getting more tired of the hustle and bustle of Houston. I think I would like to live somewhere slower, somewhere more peaceful, somewhere else. But I'm stuck here for at least another year. We'll see. I'm just living each day at a time.

But time to go. I'm doing a three-person race/relay tomorrow with Erin and Sarah. We're going to be the slow team. :)

Later!

I Have Bugs Under My Skin

No, I'm not having an acid trip.

I went running today. Due to the fact that my legs hurt after 9.3 miles last week, I figured I'd go 10. Then when June said she was doing 14, I figured I'd try for 12. However, I've been ill, so when I got to Memorial Park this morning, I estimated I'd do 6-8 (since the weather was very cold and the last time I ran with a cold I lost my voice for a week).

So June and I met up. She's doing 14, and I said I'd do 6. We start running. Damn, I felt great. Then I said I'd do 10. Hmm. I feel damn good. Fuck it. I'm going to do the 14 with her!

I hurt right now. I hurt a lot. I didn't start feeling crappy until mile 12. But under the circumstances, I thought I did well. I told June that I haven't done 14 miles since July 4. Upon looking at my running log, though, I realized I did 13 miles on July 4. Hmm. When was the last time I ran more than 14 miles? The answer: the Country Music Marathon on April 29. Whoops. I've done 2 thirteen mile days and then 4 ten mile days. But I haven't hit 14 miles in a LONG time.

There's no turning back now, though. I will not be going below 12 now for a while. I'm up to 14, my goal is to stay there pretty consistently.

Time to shower! I'm gross.

I'm so pleased that my body remembers 14 miles. Unfortunately, it also remembers the pain.

Cheers!

Adventures in Hell

Loyalty will get one far in life. Loyalty brings happiness (usually, unless you're loyal to an absolute ass), loyalty brings you comfort (see above sidenote), loyalty brings routine.

Loyalty has now become a negative issue.

I have discovered that my loyalty has a breaking point, a point which usually is far away, a point which usually never comes, a point which came today. I have decided that I will no longer be loyal.

I am now boycotting the Galleria on a weekend, or any day before noon.

Jesus Christ, I don't know what I was thinking. Why the hell did I want to go to the Galleria on a Saturday afternoon? I should've realized things were going to be bad when not only did I see parking lot attendants, but they were wearing Santa hats. Sigh. Holidays in shopping centers have now begun.

After spending a few hours a the gun show, I decided to be girly and go shopping. Some happy money came in from work and I wanted to buy myself a nice present for working so hard as a high school teacher. So I went off to the Galleria.

Wow. Big mistake.

After getting into the parking garage, I zipped up the ramp and had to stop pretty soon. So I did. And I waited. And waited. And waited. And waited.

I waited for 20 freakin' minutes. No one was moving at ALL. I asked an attendant, and he said that the exit was blocked, which caused the huge traffic jam. Finally, a woman came out of the mall and got into her car and zipped out the other direction, and I zipped my little car in. Phew!

Once in the Galleria, I went into about 10 stores before finding the purse I wanted. Man, I searched. And I wished I got paid more. Finally, I found a bag at Nordstrom's that is stylish, attractive, well-made, and at the amount I was willing to spend (unlike the $1,000 Dior bag I drooled over).

Now all I had to do was escape from hell. Luckily, I was in hell long enough for the traffic to die down. I escaped rather quickly, and unscathed.

I'm saddened by the state of my once-favorite place. Sigh.

Cheers!

Soup and US Weekly

Yes, ladies and gents, it's Friday evening and I'm spending it alone with a cup (or two) of Italian-style wedding soup (my new favorite) and the latest issue of US Weekly. No, I am not spending this usually festive evening alone due to depression or lack of other options.

I am sick.

I haven't been sick in a while, and bugs and flus have been going around my campus this week, and since my immune system is probably shot due to my increased stress level, it's about time that I got sick. As of now, no fever. I'll keep you posted. Look at last December's posts - I was hit hard with the flu. Keep your fingers crossed this is just a nasty bug.

Oh, and for the question about my Achilles' heel - I've been very careful. I kept off of it for a while, I bandaged it and do calf raises to keep it strong. It's been fine since the half-marathon, but since I'm increasing my miles again, I'll keep enquiring minds satisfied.

Cheers! Cough, cough.

Movin' On Up

Sunday's training run was one of the most fun I've had in a while.

At 6:30am, June, Sarah, Cassie and I met at the Tennis Court. I was to do 10, and the others wanted to get in 13. Off we went and we actually kept the same pace until mile 5, in which I branched off and started back. They went for another mile and then followed. The first 5 miles was a 12:45-13 minute mile pace (not stopping the watch for water and gu breaks). The second 5 miles (solo) were slower, which is fine with me. I'm concentrating on getting my miles back up to 30 a week, so speed isn't my goal at present. I'll work on speed in a month or so, once I'm running consistently again. I only managed two days of running last week, but 16 miles is better than the 5 and 6 I did when the weather was horrific!

This week's training (tentative, of course):
Today: Tae-bo Boot Camp (for abs, glutes and quads)
Tomorrow: 6 miles (maybe upper body at gym also)
Wednesday: Tae-bo Boot Camp (for abs, glutes and quads)
Thursday: 6 miles (maybe upper body at gym also)
Friday: 4 miles (or if I feel crappy, I'll just use the elliptical machine at the gym)
Saturday:rest
Sunday: 10 miles (and upper body at gym)
Tentative weekly mileage: 22-26, which is a big jump.

The good news is that my Achilles tendon hasn't been acting up!

Cheers!

Daily Discoveries

Every day is filled with discoveries, some good and some not so good. Here are mine for the day...

1) The One True Knife (aka my fabulous Henckel 4-star professional Santuko knife) can slice human flesh just as easily as it can slice chicken flesh. And for an extra bonus: like a paper cut, the slice is so thin that it may take a few seconds to bleed. But bleed it does.

2) There is a very attractive house off of Rice University's campus (aka - my running spot) that has approximately 40 pink flamingos in the front yard. No, I don't get it either.

3) I now know where the on/off switch to my AC is in my classroom. A student showed me.

4) I have no idea where the on/off switch for the heat is in my attic at home. Thus I type wearing lots of layers of clothing.

5) The end of the novel "Cold Mountain" is similar to that of the movie.

6) One of the parents of my students has unearthed herself as a control freak who is questioning what I teach, saying that she "doesn't know what's going on" in my classroom and that her daughter it's learning anything. She wants a copy of EVERYTHING I do in my class. Trust me, everything.

7) Chocolate chip cookies still taste better after a 6-mile run. Although they taste pretty good for breakfast.

Cheers!

What's That Smell?

Burnt pecans.

Last night, I spent almost three hours cracking pecans, only to put them in the oven this evening to toast and then forgetting about them.

Sigh.

Oh, and my running plan hasn't happened. I've spent too many late days at work this week, and since it's getting dark... But I'm leaving tomorrow at 4, will get 6 miles in (or else). And I've been doing the Billy Blanks advanced bootcamp DVDs, so my legs are getting a pretty good workout without the knee strain (my glutes still hurt).

The weekend is almost here! And in two weeks, my Thanksgiving break begins! I plan to sleep, run, sleep, run, read, go to Louisiana for a day, sleep.

Woo-hoo!

Training Day 2

Today is training day 2. I ran 5 miles, cutting yesterday's time by more than three minutes (I didn't eat as heavy last night). One pattern I do notice is that my times are faster in the evening, probably since I'm working my legs at work all day.

I went to the Half Marathon this morning (not running it, but watching it). I saw Adrienne and June run in, both under two hours and thirty minutes! Go girls!

Watching it sort of saddened me. I should've been out there! But it's all good, because I'm training for the next half in Houston, which is the big one in January.

This week's training:
Monday - 5 miles after work
Tuesday - 3 miles after work (I'm staying late, can't do the whole thing)
Wednesday - 5 miles after work (if it's not raining, if it is, it's a bootcamp day)
Thursday - none
Friday - 5 miles
Saturday - none
Sunday - 10 miles. Hopefully. It's been over a month since I've gone 10 miles. It might be a slow 10 miles.

Thank God it's getting cooler. I feel alive again!

Mmm. I smell homemade pumpkin bread.

Cheers!

Once More

Today I signed up for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon (and thus receiving a free "In Training" running shirt!).

Today, I started training. 5 sluggish miles (no more steak, baked potato and wine for dinner before a run).

Here we go again.

Me Day

Today is a "me" day, which means I won't answer my phone. Unfortunately it's not a day of relaxation; it is a day of work. Grades are due Monday and I must finish grading and averaging. Although I might squeeze in a movie today.

This morning's run: 5 miles.
Temperature - fantastic
Run - eh. It was good because I did it, but I was feeling slow and sluggish (maybe due to the steak, huge baked potato, and wine I had for dinner last night).

First mile was 12:12, and it all went downhill from there.

Cheers!

I didn't get to run yesterday as planned (due to an "emergency" meeting at school). Anyway, I ended up not leaving work until almost 5:30 and I was so irritated that I didn't even want to run a bit (I wanted to run 6 or none, because if I couldn't get 6 in yesterday, I wanted to do it today).

So today I ran.

I had a good run.

I had a great run.

I had a fantastic run.

Mile 1: 11:43
Mile 2: 12:01
Mile 3: 12:36
Mile 4: 12:54
Mile 5: 12:15.

Yes, ladies and germs, my average pace was a 12:18. Take a moment to look at my posting from Sunday. Better yet, let me remind you myself... my average pace on Sunday was a 12:47, and that made me a very happy camper.

Today, I am tickled.

Cheers!

Gone and Not Forgotten!!

I had a fantastic morning!

I woke up at 9am (yes, that is extremely late for me, and I actually got 10 hours of sleep). When I got out of bed, my quads and glute felt significantly better. Should I run, or should I not? Mind you, I've run 2 miles in the past two weeks, and in my mind my legs have forgotten any previous spring strength they had and part of me is thinking, "Why bother. Why run again?" But I poked my head out the door and was greeted with a cold blast of air.

Well, hell. I have to run now.

So I geared up (sans fuel belt) and away I went from the front door.

WOW! I had the best run I've had since May!

Mile 1- 12:17
Mile 2- 12:20
Mile 3- 12:20 (starting to get tired, amazed I kept an even pace for 3 miles)
Mile 4- 13:10
Mile 5- 13:17
Mile 6- 13:20 (cool-down run, needing water and food)

My average mile was a 12:47, something I haven't managed to achieve on a 6 mile run since early May (according to my Garmin). And I haven't been able to hold a 12:20 mile consistently since then as well, which makes me happy!

I guess my body hasn't forgotten that much. Maybe the two weeks of non-running also helped heal my body (although the Tae-bo Boot Camp did its fair share to keep it in nonrepair).

So, I feel better again. I just wish the weather would stay like this so I can consistently get more runs this good in. I'll probably have to wait until November, though.

Cheers!

AHHHHHHHHHHHH

I have spent the day focusing on something I haven't done since maybe July: me. I have not left the house, I have not answered my cell phone, I have not chatted with anyone online, I made no plans for the day.

So what did I do, might you ask? Plenty! I did all of my grading, so that my Sunday can be school-free (relatively... I still need to work on the novel, but since I'm enjoying it I hardly classify it as work). I did beaucoup loads of laundry, I cleaned the sugar glider cage, I vacuumed, I cleaned my room, I read my novel, I watched tv, and I attempted to work out (see bottom note), I organized my shoe collection and wandered fondly/sadly down memory lane looking at the heels, wedges, and sling-backs (and realized that I haven't worn my awesome bronze heels since I went to Baton Rouge in June... I need an occasion to wear them again).

Due to school, out-of-town visits and my version of a social life, I rarely get to spend time alone, which is something I truly do miss. I see 150-180 people daily at work, so I cherish alone time, time that is quiet. I miss quiet. In fact, the only person I've yet to speak to today is my mother (by default), and I'm ok with that! I needed this catch-up time.

As for the "attempt" to work out... since I'm not really training for a race now (I'm not doing the half marathon next weekend... on account of the weather - I don't race in hot weather if I don't have to), I'm varying my workouts. I only run when the weather is nice now, so I haven't run a lot lately (although I'm planning on a 6-miler tomorrow morning). Two weeks ago I bought the Billy Blanks Boot Camp DVD set. Wow. Ouch. I did the basic dvd and couldn't imagine doing the advanced. Billy Blanks kicked my ass, which doesn't happen often, since I've been doing advanced Tae-bo for years. Even the abs boot camp kept me in the fetal position for an hour afterwards.

After doing the basic dvd twice, I figured I'd try the advanced and see how bad it could be.

Two words: Big mistake. I did the dvd on Wednesday evening, yelling and straining and almost crying during the workout, and managed to survive only the first 41 minutes (of 55). Ever since then, my quads have been hurting. They hurt worse now than after my last marathon. And it's 4 days later! I haven't worked out since then because, frankly, I can imagine my quads tearing into tiny strands.

But today I figured, to hell with it. I didn't run because my Garmin was dead this morning (and I hate running without it now), so I figured I'd attempt the advanced boot camp again. I lasted 18 minutes. My quads hadn't recovered enough to provide ample strength to get through the multitude of squats and lunges.

Now I'm just chillin'. Maybe I'll answer my phone. Who knows.

Cheers!

Calling Baton Rouge

Nostalgia has set in... once again.

I moved away from Baton Rouge in 2001. I was 23, a recent college graduate with NO prospects for a stable future. I was working as a shift supervisor at Starbucks and my lease was expiring. I was not dating anyone, nor did I see it in the forseable future (argh). Since I didn't have a firm reason to stay, I figured I'd go back to Houston and experience the city as an adult, something I hadn't really done. I was excited at the prospect of a fun life. I forgot the fact that I would be starting over, since I'd be leaving everything behind in Louisiana. I love a challenge, however, and starting over can sometimes be great fun.

So I left.

I try not to regret anything I do. I don't regret leaving. However, I think this is the one instance where I would change things, could a trip back into the future be possible. Despite the fact that I've accomplished so much as a resident of Houston, I really miss Baton Rouge. I wonder what my life would've been like had I stayed. Would I have been a teacher? Would I have run those marathons? What would I be like as an almost-thirty-something?

This trip was more nostalgic than those of the past. In the past, visiting my friends was somewhat bittersweet. Lately, it's getting more than just bittersweet. I miss Baton Rouge. More than missing the city, I am starting to miss what my life could've been, had I stayed. I had so much fun at the LSU game, and had so much fun reminiscing with Eddie, Ant, Nick, Monique, Charles, April, Sean and Andy. Most of my friends still live there, or in other states. I've become a solitary individual as of late. My job supports that, since I need alone time to unwind and do work at home, but it can get rather sad at times. And I miss LSU football!

*** I wrote the first draft of this entry last night, too soon after arriving home. Now, 24 hours later, I am able to write with more logos than ethos.

With a clearer state of mind... I've been unhappy with Houston for a while now. I supposed lately I've been looking at all of my trip locales, weighing the pros and cons if I would move there. Baton Rouge is no exception. for now, until I know definitively what I want and how to get it, I'm going to join the LSU Houston alumni and put my name on the waiting list for season tickets for LSU football.

Who knows where I'll end up in the future. I just need to focus on the fact that progress report grades are due tomorrow and I haven't finished inputting them into the computer.

And the fact that Houston is drowning in this torrential weather. Why can't the rain bring cooler weather?

Cheers!

Who Am I?

I am not the person I was last year.
I am not the person I was three years ago.
I am not the person I want to be in five years.
I am not the person I want to be now.
Who am I?

Life has been so incredibly stressful (as some of you know as per our phone conversations). I've been given another class prep, which means extra lesson plans, extra exams, extra activities, extra everything. I now have 4 class preparations, which is an insanely large number. And that new class might be taken away from me next week. Who knows.

I've been slowly dropping everything that I used to cherish. I haven't worked on my script since June. I wasn't cast in the last show I auditioned for, which turned out to be a good thing since I have no time now anyway. I won't audition for anything anytime soon. I've basically all but dropped my mentoring duties with Team in Training. I'm dropping the Rodeo. I don't spend much time with my friends.

I can't make time for me anymore, so how can I possibly make time for others?

Most of my days are spent at work: 10 hour days (sometimes 12). My weekend are filled with grading and novel reading (for class) and writing quizzes and updating grades and creating activities and research. Sometimes I manage to eke out a bit of time for the Sailor, sometimes not. Sometimes I get a chance to catch a matinee by myself. Sometimes I get time to read 5 pages of a novel (instead of the 100s that I could devour in a weekend).

I cut my hair Sunday for the first time in 6 months. I haven't had my eyebrows done in forever. I badly need a manicure. My clothes need ironing. I feel guilty when I'm at home and doing work, because I could spend that time on me. On the flip side, however, I feel bad doing stuff for me because I have so much grading to do. My workouts aren't near what they used to be. I hate spending time away from my home because drive time is time wasted or could be used reading or running or something else. I feel pressured to go to bed early so that I can wake up early to workout, but I'm so exhausted that I automatically re-set my alarm when it goes off early.

Right now, I'm trying to decide: wake up early and go running, or wake up early and go to work and catch up on my grades, since progress reports are due next week and I have a slew of essays I'll be working on soon. And then this weekend I'm going to Baton Rouge, which means I have less time to do work.

AAARRRRGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

So that's why my updates haven't been as faithful. It's 7:46 and I'm thinking, "Why am I writing this? I need to grade those darned quizzes!" and yet I'm thinking "F***K it, by brain is dead and I need to recharge."

My stress level is way to high for me right now.

Sigh.

One True Knife

I was in heaven last night.

In addition to the wonderful weather (in which I ran 6 miles at 6:30pm, instead of waking up at 5am as I've been doing during the summer), I went shopping. In a couple of months, I will be moving to a new townhouse, so I've been slowly buying things for it (more like replacing my old things for newer, better things). A couple of weeks ago, I splurged on fancy sheets. Now I've been eyeing a variety of pots and pans and knives at Bed, Bath and Beyond.

Yesterday, I bit the bullet on my knife purchasing. I like to cook, and I know that cooking is better/more fun with the right knives. Therefore, I want a very nice set of Hinkel knives. I hemmed and hawed about buying a butcher block of "ok" knives and then slowly buying the expensive ones. But then I was talked into just beginning the expensive collection now. Ok. Let's do it.

I bought a Hinkel Four-Star Professional Santuko, and a pairing knife, and then the wood block came free, since I spent over $100 on two knives. I know that sounds crazy, but it's not like I spend hundreds of dollars on clothing and jewelry. I'm very minimalistic. Plus I got one of my extra stipends and I wanted to spend some, before putting the rest into savings.

So last night, after my great run in Sugarland (during which I discovered Lost Creek Park and fell in love with it!), I had great fun slicing and chopping. Wow. That santuko knife slices raw meat (I need to be careful with my hands since I know they can cut flesh), finely chop jalapenos and onions, lemons and tomatoes. I have never had so much fun chopping.

My next purchase: a pot that I've been salvating over for a while.

Watch out world, there will be a lot of cooking from me from now on!

BATS!

I just had the most disturbing dream that I can't go back to sleep. It's midnight, so what else is there to do besides blog about it!

Basically, the dream boiled down to this: my mom, some random older female and maybe my sister and I were in our old house (the one in which I grew up) and it was infested with bats. Seriously infested. They were in the corners, in the potted plants, in the bathroom, in the kitchen. There was even a random tarantula in our kitchen that was nabbed by a bat and served as a hearty meal for the nocturnal creature. The weirdest part about it was that Condoleeza Rice was asleep in a spare room, and she was known for her excellence in killing bats, yet Mom kept telling us not to wake her up, despite our pleas and our arguments that there could be bats in her room with her. The bat-filled dream/nightmare scared the living daylights out of me.

I have NO idea where that dream came from. I am not afraid of bats. I do not think about bats at all unless I'm running by the Waugh street bridge, in which one can't help but think of bats as the smell of the bat guana hits runners' noses. And I really can't explain where Condleeza Rice came from. The only thing I can think of was that I was watching CNN.com at the gym and they were talking about her (and it stuck). As for the bats, the Sailor and I strolled into Party Time and Garden Ridge Pottery this afternoon and wandered around the Halloween displays.

I didn't even eat right before bed. I'm clueless.

And yet still a bit freaked out.

Oops I Did It Again

I twisted my ankle on Thursday's 6-miler. At mile 5, I took a wrong step on Rice's path and almost went down. Fear shot through my body before the pain did, and in fact, the pain wasn't that bad. It twinged, but I was able to keep jogging slowly. The I kept it wrapped Thursday evening and all day today.

I went for a 10-miler this morning. Despite the bit of humidity, altogether the weather cooperated. My legs felt so heavy and full of dead weight, probably because I've run more miles in the past 7 days than I've run in a week since April. I realized that I overshot my distance, and since my achilles started pulling at mile 9, I old-man shuffled the remaining mile and then did a 1 mile cool-down.

Sunday: 10 miles
Tuesday: 6 miles
Thursday: 6 miles
Saturday/today: 11 miles
Total this week: 23 miles.
Total in the past 7 days: 33 miles.

I've been running maybe 15 miles a week (maximum), so the double in mileage is starting to take its toll a bit. Next week I'll be back down to 23-25 miles, but I won't have two long runs within 7 days.

Oh, and I finally finished "Crime and Punishment" this morning! It took me 7 weeks longer than I wanted, but I hadn't as much time as I wanted, and it's so heavy that I needed to put aside a significant chunk of time to do it, but could never find the time.

I have to go back to my classroom in a bit to get the next novel, "Cold Mountain." I'm really looking forward to that one. Hopefully I can knock that one out in 3 weeks, especially since I also need to read "The Grapes of Wrath" soon, too.

Later!

58 and Descending

Wow! The temperature was a near-perfect 58 degrees this morning. It wasn't totally dry, but the humidity was low enough to warrant a pleasurable experience. Sort of.

My legs still hurt from Sunday's run, so today was just a simple, slow maintenance run. I never got below 13:30, despite the cooler weather, but my legs were just being stubborn. I wished that today was Saturday or Sunday so that I could enjoy the day. We have no school on Monday, so if the temperature is similar, I will be spending a good portion of it outside.

On another note, two of my students are two of the children of the slain HPD officer, so I went to the viewing. As I've said before, I have a strong abhorration for funerals and viewings. I refrain from going to funerals as much as possible, for the sadness overwhelms any happy times. I don't need closure in those circumstances. I don't need to see a body in a casket to believe he/she is dead. None of my friends or family members are members of the CIA or any other secret agency (that I know of), therefore I have no reason to not believe that the dead are indeed dead.

Needless to say, I did not stay long, especially since my students weren't there. I signed the guest book, left a card for the kids, and walked out as soon as possible (I didn't know the officer, I was there for my students).

Now I'm going to go to Sugarland to spend time with the Sailor. And by spending time, I mean sitting next to him on the couch while he watches television and I catch up on my school reading (Edgar Allen Poe... just the kind of thing I need to be reading!). Sometimes I feel as though I'm in high school again, for I'm constantly reading the stories and novels my students are reading, leaving very little time for reading of my choice.

"Crime and Punishment" update: I'm in the homestretch - I have less than 100 pages left!

Next books, "Cold Mountain" and "The Grapes of Wrath." Luckily they are both much shorter and easier to read. I've been enjoying "C&P", but I'm having a hard time carving out a chunk of time for it, because that book is too difficult to read in snatches.

Cheers!

The Good Kind of Hershey

Yesterday was hot, miserable and stuffy. Instead of running, I went to the gym and then hung out with June. After a lunch at Central Market, we popped over to the theater and caught a showing of "The Black Dahlia." It wasn't what I thought it was going to be, but it was good nevertheless. If nothing else, the film keeps you guessing and shocked at some of the truly disturbed characters.

This morning, after a violent thunderstorm that brought a cold front, I decided to join June, Vic and Vic's friend Jo to a nice 10-miler at Terry Hershey Park. I've never run there, only manned a water station. I had a very enjoyable time. The run was completely on asphalt, the weather was cool and I actually had the chance to count live animals (instead of dead ones) as a deterrant during the run. I counted 5 squirrels and three large bunny rabits. The only thing that made me groan was the amount of hills! True, I spent a good deal this summer doing the Kenyan Nights hill training, but that ended two months ago and I've been on flat ground since. My legs are going to be in pain tomorrow, which doesn't usually happen after such a short jaunt. The hills, however, made me realize that I've grown a tad out of running shape since May.

Total miles: 10
Average pace: 13:30
Best mile: 13:04
Worst mile:15:04.
Level of fatigue: high
Most amusing moment: the amusement of Vic, upon the discovery that the front of his shirt had blood stains from the chafing of a certain delicate body part. June and I were slightly disturbed, Vic was amused for he feels that he is now a real runner.

Great run guys!

Cheers!

My Celeb Crush

Yes, I got to see my celeb crush again - and he was fantastic as usual on stage. The touring company sings a new song (instead of one of the ones on Broadway, and I'm not sure how I like that just yet), but overall the show was good. Not only was my celeb crush, Norbert Leo Buttz, in the touring company, but I saw one of the other characters on Broadway as well.

The Sailor went with me. He said he enjoyed it, but I have a feeling that I'll be seeing theatre shows solo from now on, again. Sigh.

Frailty, Thy Name Is Woman

Upon waking, I stepped into the pleasantly cool air outside and immediately ducked back inside. No, I did not re-set my alarm; I dressed in my running gear and hit the road. For a change of scenary, I opted to jog around Memorial Park (instead of my usual Rice). I stepped out of my car, jubilant with the promise of a fun run. I started my Garmin and away I went.

1 mile and 12:05 minutes later, I realized that fatigue was beginning to creep its way into my legs and settle in my quad/hamstring/thigh area. 1 more mile and 14 minutes later (I took a very long walk break in the pitiful attempt to rejuvinate my legs), I gave up altogether on the running and strolled the last mile to my car. Although my attempt at 6 miles was thwarted by the fatigue from yesterday's run, I remained positive; the weather was beautiful! Once the weather remains cooler, I'll build my pre-summer running schedule of 30 miles a week back into my legs, for now it is between 10 and 20. In the past 7 days, I've run 21 miles, which is by far the furthest I've run since the ankle sprain.

Tomorrow is a gym day, Friday is an off day, and Saturday is an 11-miler. I hope. Maybe I'll stop at 10. Who knows, it's not like I'm training for anything serious!

Cheers!

Taking Advantage of the Fluke

Wow! The weather this morning was glorious, and yet I almost missed it.

I knew the weather was to be cooler, yet I doubted the humidity would ease as well. When my alarm went off at 4:30am, I immediately reset it (as I do half the time), but didn't fall back asleep. I decided to step outside and if the weather really was nice, then I'd drag myself to Rice and run. If not, I'd go back to sleep (win-win situation in my mind).

I stepped outside and lo and behold - a cool breeze. I threw on some clothes, grabbed my gym bag and away I went.

Once at Rice, I started running, enjoying the feel of the nonhumid breeze against my cheek and bare arms. As I ran, I imagined myself flying through the dirt, feeling great because I wasn't sweating as much. Unfortunately, I was delirious because my Garmin said I was still doing 13 minute miles. Sheesh. Since I've been doing 14 minute miles during the summer, I should be happy with the 13 minute miles; God knows I'll probably be at a consistent 11 minute mile by the end of December, since I'm in a better place than I was this time last year.

Screwing my courage to the sticking point, I determined that my last mile would be my best. Indeed, it was. Not only did I manage to spit out two laps around Rice (adding on an extra mile that has become my usual since school began), but my last mile was a 12 minute mile.

I felt every step of that mile. I remember fondly being able to do an 11:15 minute mile last spring and being ok. Now, 12 gets me tired.

I know this cool weather will probably leave tomorrow, but I enjoyed it today.

Cheers!

PS - April got us tickets to an LSU home game next month! I get to go back to Death Valley!

So Sorry

I got another dig yesterday about not updating. Thanks, Andy, for reminding me.

I guess I haven't been keeping up with my posts because nothing exciting is going on. Let me subcatagorize it...

1) Work. Work has slurping my time away. Between meetings, preparations, essay grading (I'm still working on "Crime and Punishment", although now I have less than 100 pages left!), I am finding myself with little time to myself. In fact, I can't remember the last day in which I saw no one. I'm not going to have that again for a while. I honestly don't know how I survived last year as a first-year teacher and going to school at night.

2) Running. It's still freakin' hot and humid. I planned on 10 miles yesterday, but it's so hot and I figured, why bother? I'm not really training for anything. I therefore stopped at 8 miles. I figure I'll go 10 next week. When the weather gets better, I want to do a continuous 12-13 mile run on Saturdays. Presently, however, I am just pleased to be out there. Hopefully tomorrow I'll go 5 miles.


3) Social life. Yeah, I'm trying to have a social life. Sometimes, though, I'm just too tired.

I find myself getting very tired, with a low stress level, as of late. I know it has to do with work, but it doesn't necessarily help that I know from where it comes. I have to learn to re-adapt with work, and I just can't seem to remember how I did it last year. I am finding the hardest times doing the simple things in life I used to love: reading a good book, going to the movies, doing my nails. I'm having such a hard time with "Crime and Punishment" because I can't find the time. I haven't done my nails in 6 weeks. I haven't been to the movies since my birthday (I think). I did managed to wash my car today, which I've been meaning to do for months, and yesterday I did find time for fun. The Sailor and I went back to the range (he went ahead and bought himself the gun that I want to get for myself, so I got to shoot it to see if I like it or not. I do), and then on to one of my college buddies' house for part of the LSU game. We left early, however, to go to a high school football game, where I made an appearance and saw my kids and co-teachers.

Today, I graded for three hours and got very little done. My class levels still haven't balanced out and I'm so exhausted (mentally and physically) that when my conference period comes, I spend the first 15 minutes just trying to calm my nerves, which leaves very little time for productivity. I almost need a day off to catch up. Unfortunately, I am scheduled for a few professional development sessions this month, so I'll have to take the day off next week.

And with afterschool gradings and before school meetings, hopefully I'll catch up on my grading by next weekend. My students will just have to understand that grading 180 essays takes a long time.

But hey, only three days left before "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels!"

Dilligence

In the past 7 days, I've been to the gym 4 times to lift weights (plus the usual cardio). For the past year and a half, I've only been sporadically going, due to the constant endurance run training. I began to feel my muscles atrophy, which is completely unacceptable. So, I'm bulking back up. In a girly-way, of course.

Now, if only I could be more diligent about putting away clean laundry. Oh, well. At least my clothes are clean.

On another happy note... my tickets to "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" came in the mail today!!! Yes, I did buy tickets to the traveling company's performance at the Hobby Center, especially since Norbert Leo Butz is reprising his Tony-award winning character. I'm so excited! I'm so excited! I started dancing around the house when I opened the envelope. It's the funniest musical I've seen in a while and I'm ecstatic about going!

Ok, now I need to go to bed. I want to go running the morning. Of course, I might just wake up and reset my alarm. The humidity is still higher than I wish it to be.

Cheers!

"Where Were You?"- A Class Assignment

The World Trade Center Site, as seen from the observation area. July 23, 2006.

Twice a week, my students have journal topics, in which they must write at least one page in regards to the topic. At times, I also write an entry, because I believe in doing what I teach.

Today's topic was "Where were you when the planes hit the tower? What was your reaction? How, if at all, have you changed since then?"

Here's my journal entry:


There are few days in which I can remember what I wore, what I ate, what I was doing when a certain event unfolded. I remember being in the second grade when the Challenger exploded. I can tell you that I ate fried chicken the night my father went into his fatal asthmatic coma. I was watching "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" while lying down on the floor of my dorm room at LSU when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash. I was walking in the door of Starbucks in Baton Rouge when I heard that a plane had hit one of the WTC towers.

I awoke that Monday, September 11, 2001 at 5:30am. Not having to be at work until 8am, I woke early to exercise. I was 23, having just graduated from LSU the previous month. I was cast in the Baton Rouge Little Theatre's production of "Sweeny Todd" and was to go to the first rehearsal of the second week. I was still working as a shift supervisor at Starbucks, waiting for my lease to expire and for me to move on with my life.

I listened to the radio that morning, on the 10 minute ride to work. As the first plane was slamming into the first tower, I was getting out of my car, oblivious to the destruction a thousand miles away. I walked into the store at 7:50am, right as the word was being spread. As I walked into the backroom, apron in hand, I remember hearing one of our drive-thru customers telling us that a small biplane struck the WTC. I remember thinking, "Wow. That's odd." I didn't think much more of it until the customers kept telling us what was happening. One by one, we exchanged coffee and information. The plane was a jet. It went completely into the tower. It was an accident. Another jet flew into the neighboring tower. It wasn't an accident. The Pentagon is hit. The White House is being evacuated. Fear began to fill the store. We realized that America was under attack, and none of us knew who would become the next victims. My thoughts went to my friend April in DC, my friend Marylen in Manhattan, my mom in Houston. Refineries were in abundance in Houston and Baton Rouge, and they were being evacuated. We were next?

We heard everything, yet saw nothing. Ken, the manager, completed assembling the deposit and gave it to me. "Here," he said, "take it to the bank and run to your apartment for your television. Bring it back to the store and we'll watch the news as it happens." I got into my car and immediately turned on the radio. In the short time of taking the deposit to the bank, sitting in the car while the teller counted the money, and driving the 10 minutes to my apartment, rumor began to spread. A fourth plane went down, but authorities were uncertain of its relationship to the other planes. There was a report of a car bomb in the Washington Mall. The first tower falls. The plane in Pennsylvania was hijacked, and on its way to Washington but crashed in a field instead.

When I arrived at my apartment, I immediately turned on CNN. I knew I was to bring the tv right back to the store, but I wanted to see the pictures first. Those first horrifying pictures were made even worse when I saw the second tower fall. Soon, smoke filled the screen and people were fleeing the WTC site. Reporters were panicked and shocked. People were bloody, cursing, crying, falling. I tried to call my friends and family, but the phone lines were busy. I watched for another minute and went back to Starbucks.

Once back at Starbucks, we watched the news for hours. I tried to tape it, but left a movie in the VCR part of the tv, so recording wasn't possible. Customers ceased to come in. One by one, government buildings began to close. Schools closed. People were being sent home. Bush was rumored to be at the military base in Louisiana and all of us at work said, "Bush, go away!" We were certain he was a target and we didn't want him near us. At 1pm, we closed the store and were sent home. Rehearsals were cancelled. The news and radio were speaking of nothing but the horror and destruction of Manhattan, DC, and Pennsylvania.

I remember that I went to a video store, surprised they were open, but glad. I didn't want to watch the news anymore and needed something to occupy my time since rehearsals were cancelled. When I got home, however, I remained glued to the television. Later that evening, after a pizza dinner, my friend Laura came over and we watched the news together, both of us afraid and confused.

For the next couple of months, I watched as much CNN as I could. I read the NY Times everyday, becoming addicted to the local section, where they printed memoriums daily of victims. I felt as though I needed to read the stories of everyone killed.

I've changed since 9/11 in little ways. Now, whenever I fly, I send out my flight information and my "CSI" files for body identification should a tragedy ensue. I write it light-hearted, but with seriousness. Some of these people were identified thanks to hair left in their hairbrush at home, thanks to dental records, bone fragments. I let those close to me know how they can identify me, and to know what flight I am on.

When I am at the airport, I think of 9/11. I admit to watching people of Middle Eastern descent, paying attention to what they look like and what they're doing. I watch everyone, actually, for suspicious effort. I refuse to give an attitude to anyone at the airport, and don't complain when I get searched.

I no longer think we're invincible. We, as Americans, need to realize what people in other countries already know: no one is immune.

When I travel to NY I visit the WTC and give a moment of silence to those who died. I've been to the site three times and each time I read the timeline and I look out at the observatory.

When I travel to DC, I always watch for planes in the air.

I watch the 9/11 documentaries and films. I watch it to remind me of what could happen and to try to understand, for I don't understand. I don't understand how it happened. I don't understand how someone can take out their aggression on people they've never met. I don't understand how a person can kill innocent others and themselves and do it in the name of a deity. I don't understand how someone can celebrate the death and destruction of people who have never done them wrong. I've watched countless documentaries this past week, some even twice, because I still don't understand. I didn't understand that Evil exists. I do now.

Finally, every day I look outside my classroom window and wonder. I have a perfect view of downtown Houston and I can see every skyscraper clearly. I wonder how I would react should a plane crash into one of those buildings. Would I panic? Would I watch in awe? Could I be able to calm those students around me? How would I react?

I hope I never have to know.

My heart continues to go out to those whose lives were destroyed 5 years ago, destroyed by men who didn't know the victims personally, destroyed by men who didn't acknowledge that those murdered were important to someone, and whose lives were taken when trying to give life back to someone else.

A Very Busy Weekend

As I write this, I am still in DC, and memories are still fresh-ish in my head (I suffered from heat exhaustion during and after the half marathon, but hopefully I'll remember everything).

My trip to Washington DC/Virginia Beach began Friday. I planned on not checking a bag (since I had a 25 minute layover in Memphis and wasn't sure that my luggage was going to make it). My plans, however, were thwarted. I packed my rolling stick (in case of extreme muscle soreness) and discovered at the bag search that it's considered a "club-like" object, and is therefore prohibitted in carry-on luggage. Geez. So I had to go back and check my small suitcase (which meant I could've brought shampoo and lotion, etc., but whatever). I put my running shoes into my backpack and left the suitcase with the airline.

When I got back to the metal detector, I informed them that I had running shoes with me and that they did have gel in the heels (as the FAA website told me to do). They pulled me aside, took my shoes for inspection, patted me down, etc. Finally, I got my shoes back and went on my way.

While on the first leg of the journey, I looked at the Chronicle and discovered that Ernesto was headed right towards Virginia Beach and DC. Wonderful.

Once I landed in Memphis, I had 20 minutes to run from gate B1 to B30. I literally ran. I made it to the plane in time and off we went. When we got near DC, the weather was horrible and the turbulance was so bad that when I got off the plane, I immediately saught a receptical in which to vomit. Afterwards, I happily discovered that my luggage did make it (hurray!).

Once in DC, I met up with April and we walked all around DC to shop. We were shopping, however, in the middle of Ernesto. The temperature dropped quickly (I in my t-shirt and flip-flops was freezing!) and the rain and wind pelted us the whole evening. We went home, went to sleep.

Early yesterday morning we drove to VA Beach. 3 hours and a bit of rain later, we arrived. VA Beach looked relatively untouched by Ernesto (we discovered that Norfolk and other parts of VA Beach really got it, but our part was fine) and the weather was still awefully chilly. After going to the expo to get our race gear and shop at the expo (yay!), we walked the four blocks to the beach and just walked up and down the cold beach, quite aware of the thick clouds still on the horizon. We were looking forward to a nice, chilly run this morning (more on that later).

When we tired of the beach, we checked into our VIP Executive Suite at the Crown Plaza (there was a jacuzzi next to the bed!) and ran some errands (mostly for stuff for the Sailor, who was stationed there when he was in the Navy). VA Beach is home to the Naval Air Base, as well as a Navy Base, with a National Guard Base and an Air Force Base not that far away. My history side was very intrigued by this section of the country.

Anyway, on to today's race!

April and I arrived at the start early, and met up with Coach Bill and his wife Beverly, who are running all of the Elite Races to earn the "Rock Star" medal. While we waited for everything to begin, April and I were interviewed by a local tv news crew (fun!) and we got to see the wheelchair division begin (including Team Hoyt, which is so inspiring) and the Elite runners (wow).

When it was our time to line up, the weather was not as nice as we had originally hoped for. I was warm almost from the start. Our first mile was an 11:27, and it all went downhill from there (for me). At mile 3 I told April to go on ahead since I knew the heat was already getting to me and my left Achilles tendon started to tighten.

I was ok until around mile 6. I was actually contemplating quitting the race. I was that hot. There was NO shade and the sun was beating down on us (the temperature got up to 85 later in the day). By mile 9, I stopped running and just concentrated on not passing out. My Achilles became tighter and I was not a happy camper.

By mile 11, I was plain miserable and getting naseaus. April finished while I was almost to mile 12, and Beverly and Bill caught up with me soon after that so we speedwalked most of the rest of the way in. With .10 left, I started sprinting (as is my custom). When I finished, that's when the heat hit me hard. After gathering my gear, I became dizzy and wanted to vomit. I found a medical station, where they sat me down and gave me salt and water (while I listened to a man, cramping up, screaming as though he was being stabbed). The heat affected LOTS of people. I got up, walked a couple of feet, and sat down on the ground for 5 minutes or so. Bill, Beverly and April met up with me and we walked to the beach, where I promptly got into the cold water to cool off. 5 minutes later, I was feeling much better. Good enough to go back to the hotel, shower, drive back to the beach, eat and then walk on the beach some more.

Now we're back in DC. Both of us are extremely sunburnt (me more than her since I didn't use any sunscreen). My face hurts and I have the funkiest tan line on my legs - they're tanned between a sock line and where my capri pants ended mid-calf. Oh, and I, as usual, wrote my name in black marker on my arms. The sun burned/tanned my arms, except for my name. So my arms are darker, with a pale ERICA visible on each arm.

My overall time was 3:12, which is 20 minutes slower than I wanted. I'm not upset with myself at all because, considering the lack of training to to an injury 6 weeks ago and the extreme heat in Houston, I finished. This is just the first race of the season. There'll be more. And lots of running in the cool weather.

Now if you'll excuse me, I must put lotion on my painful face.

Cheers!

Almost There!

Just a few more days until my next half-marathon. The left Achilles tendon was tightening up yesterday, so I'm not going to run tomorrow. I might run Friday night in DC (if I can convince April for a quick 2 or 3 miles). We'll see.

I just checked the FAA regulations. I cannot bring the following:
1) gels or Gus (thank God there's an expo)
2) lipstick and mascara (my eye lashes will be au nautural)
3) My own bottle of water (darn it, I have to pay the exorbitant airport price)
4) sunscreen (thank God there's an expo).
5) Shampoo and lotion - I'll be using hotel shampoo (or April's)

I CAN bring the following:
1) My deodorant (yea!)
2) My cell phone
3) My Garmin
4) My running shoes

I'm still not packing a carry-on, since, in my state of everlasting travel paranoia, I don't want to check bags when my layover is only 30 minutes.

Well, I'm off. I hope everyone has a wonderful Labor Day!

Murphy's Law

Good news: I found the missing piece of my Garmin a/c-adaptor.

Bad news: I ordered another one two weeks ago (and have been using that once since).

Murphy's law states that as soon as you buy a replacement for something you've lost, you'll find the original.

Who the hell IS Murphy anyway?

My Running Story

I wasn't a runner two years ago. Although I lead an active lifestyle, I never wanted to run. I remember watching the 2004 Houston Marathon on tv from my gym's treadmill, where I was speed walking. I remember watching the winner run in and thinking, "Hell no." I was adamant about never wanting to be thin enough or in shape enough to run. I'd rather walk, thank you very much.

All of that changed in November 2004.

I began running in December 2004. I began running to one-up someone who hurt me very deeply. I began running for the wrong reasons. Sometimes acting on the wrong reasons, however, can provide the same results. 20 months later, I've outrun that person; he hasn't caught up with me and probably won't. Do I feel pleasure, knowing that I not only ran HIS marathon before him, but have completed three full marathons and will have my third half next weekend, whereas he's never completed anything more than a 10k? No. Quite honestly, I stopped caring about that a long time ago. I stopped caring about that after I ran my first marathon because I became hooked. I stopped running because of someone else.

I run for me.

I run for the endorphins.
I run for the opportunity to daydream.
I run for the feeling of pavement beneath my feet.
I run to feel young.
I run to enhance my earlybird routine.
I run to explore neighborhoods.
I run to sight-see.
I run to enjoy a guilt-free bubble bath.
I run to feel the muscle soreness.
I run for endurance.
I run to see cities and people wake up.
I run to see cities and people go to sleep.
I run to plan what to do with my lottery winnings (should I ever win).
I run to relieve anxiety.
I run to have "me" time.
I run to spend time outside.
I run to balance my checkbook.
I run to write shopping lists.
I run to decorate my apartment in my mind.
I run to keep up with my students.
I run to inspire my friends.
I run to travel.
I run to sweat.
I run for the pleasure of seeing my minutes shrink in the cool weather.
I run to slow down in the summer.
I run for new running shoes.
I run for the race expos.
I run to utlize all five senses: feeling the breezes, seeing the cities, hearing the animals, tasting yummy food after a long run, smelling the bacon and mulch and flowers.
I run to burn off the Mexican food I'll eat for lunch.
I run to burn off the cookies I ate yesterday.
I run for the t-shirts.
I run to have strong legs to support me.
I run because I refuse to believe fat people can't run.
I run to buy gadgets (I still love my Garmin).
I run so that I have a reason to be tired.
I run for the naps.
I run for meeting new people.
I run for the medals.
I run because I'd rather spend money on race registrations than junk.
I run to clear my head.
I run to listen to music.
I run to prove myself.
I run to never feel old.
I run to run a half/full marathon in each state plus DC.

I've run to see hot Marines (twice so far, one more time in October).
I've run to visit new states.
I've run to see elite runners.
I've run to make someone jealous.
I've run to spend time with that very person who doesn't hurt me anymore.
I've run to take pictures.
I've run as a new way to go down memory lane.

I will run to encourage a friend.
I will run to continue a tradition.
I will run to see new cities.
I will run to get thin.
I will run to become even stronger.
I will run to relieve my anxities.
I will run to complete a full marathon in 5 hours (someday).
I will run.
I will run