Whee!

Too much relaxing and not enough internet.

Biking with my dad - Monday.

Persuading GoodWill to take a ridiculous amount of bad fiction and a full set of leather-bound art books and another of Shakespeare - Tuesday.

Oh, plus some more biking.

But an evil cold loomed, clouding the leisure forcast - and my eyes, ears and sinuses.

So on to rehab at the cabin, logs in the walls and in the fireplace.

Junk food is good for a cold, isn't it?

No more than some walking in the fields for the next two days.

But the evil cold lingered on.

So I kicked it in the head. With some biking on Friday.

Achoo! Achoo! Achoo! Snort.

Ok. I didn't KO it. But it's on its way out.

Enough, anyway, to enjoy an almost 5-mile run - in short sleeves! - this afternoon. Well, maybe jogging.

Plus 20 minutes on the bike.

Since I talked on the phone the whole time I was biking, I don't think I was working that hard.

For that matter, I was awfully chatty with the guard at the Washington Monument.

And on the Mall.

Interesting how my legs can't go fast enough to make me breathe hard, at this point.

I thought my lung capacity would be the first to go.

No mention as to how fast I was going, you will notice.

I still won't tell you!

My Own Snowflake 4 Miler

Ok. Three snowflakes.

First snowflakes I've seen in Cambridge this year.

I did not try to walk across the Charles. Though I did see two terribly cute ducks, one trailing behind the other, near the opposite bank.

You'd think more people would be out, escaping their families, Christmas mid-morning.

But it was eerily empty by the Charles.

Except me. And my thumping. Heavy strides.

4 miles.

Then a fabulous strut back from Medford this evening.

Yes, a strut.

There was a soundtrack involved. Thanks, Suave!

The Charles

I finally got to see it again!

And it felt so great to be outside. The lone sculler on the water, fluttering past those fat ducks riding high in the water.

And unfrozen Charles at the end of December?! Crazy to see that.

A bike escort at my side, to ensure that I wouldn't freeze if I fell over and couldn't get back up.

(I was nervous: this was only the second time I went running outside since my terrible muscle pull.)

only 4 miles but a smile just grew and grew.

How the outside can transform your mood!

The Sleepinator

Or, the world's lamest Super Villain.

Apparently, doing nothing all day makes a person tired. Instead of having trouble sleeping and waking up 5+ times a night, like I've done for years, I have become a sleep machine.

Tuesday night, 11 hours. Only woke up 3 times. Went right back to sleep afterwards.

The Sleepinator.


I will snore you to death! Except I don't snore. Really. I don't. I will have to work on that.

It might have had something to do, though, with the 10 miles plus one hour of biking plus the 15 minutes of weights I did on Tuesday.

Hey, when the internets aren't working and job applications are pressing down, a girl's got to do something!

What else could my Super villain alter-ego do? Sleeper holds are SO 20 years ago.......

I Wasn't Going to Exercise

Another reason why I stopped running along about the 5k mark yesterday, besides the boring factor, was that my right quad was pulsing. It would feel fine. Then, it would start pulsing tiredness - like it was tweaked a bit. Then, back to fine.

Weird.

So, no exercise, right? Except Suave had to be walked to work. He might get lost, otherwise.

And then, why not walk back?

Since I didn't get much work done, why not walk to meet him?

At 2.41 miles one-way, that ended up being more walking than I bargained for - even at trundling pace.

I did pass one person. Hah. I've still got it.

About 7 1/4 with the walkies. Then, some more walking to the store. Did that burn off those last three donuts?
Unlikely. But sometimes you have to take one for the team.

Really, It Was (Just About) The Same......

My little brother and I went to the gym.

We got on treadmills next to each other. All set to run it out.

Well, he was.

He did about 13 miles on the treadmill.

I did about 3.

That's almost the same, right?

I decided to stop when I started cheating and put the incline down to .5% and then to 0%.

I noticed that he didn't have the incline on most of the time. That was why he did so much more.

Right. The only reason.

So I trundled off, head tucked in defeat, to bike for an hour while he ran the rest of it.

My only consolation: I was running faster than the lady next to me and the lady across from me.

All that means, though, is that some people run pretty slowly.

At least Suave and I got a (slow) walk in beforehand, too.

Freedom!

And, the Freedom Trail. Very fitting for my first day of freedom in Boston.

Did you know that the battle of Bunker Hill was mainly on Breech Hill, the Monument is not on Bunker Hill, and that the Revolutionary forces actually lost that battle?
Oh, and that the Boston Massacre actually killed only 5 people, most of them rabble-rousers trying to foment a mob?
Or that people would generally entertain guests in the master bedroom?
The only part we didn't walk was to the USS Constituion. I've been to the tall ship in Baltimore and they make you take off your belt and go through a metal detector before allowing you near the ship, here in Boston.
Walked to the start, through the trail and back, then back to Suave's house.

So neat to see all the fancy houses near to the river in Boston. Did you know, that if you are fancy, you have someone else decorate your house for Christmas?

Hundreds of Santas and elves on the breezy, bracing return. Confusing or small children but hilarious to observe.
The snowman was the cutest.
How does one lean of a Santa bar crawl?

I was almost crawling by the time we slumped up the last step. Walking is different than running on the muscles and hips.

All day.

About 12 miles. I'm recovering with donuts. It might be a half-dozen day.

2 For 1

Or, how I ordered ten pounds of candy corn from the internets

Actually, the two have little to do with each other. Except that I likely bought the candy corn for the same reason that I firs did not have the time and then did not have the motivation to post yesterday.

For it was the last exam.

My time management went out the window, again.

Starting with my work-out. Not being content with biking for an hour, I lifted some weights. Which, of course, prevented me from doing any materials review pre-exam.

Then, what happened to my forty minutes of editing time? Why did two minutes left find me inserting conclusions into the first paragraphs of my answers?

But I was done! Whee! I haven had this kind of free-free!-time since before grad school.

Wow.

So I made sure to take advantage of it by squeezing into my swimsuit on the way to the train station. 50 minutes of aqua jogging makes the train food that much tastier!

Whee!

Company on the Road to Nowhere

Yesterday, I was on the road to nowhere. But I had company!

Peace Corps and I ended up aqua jogging for 40 minutes. Neither of us were up for doing laps. Thinking too much about Contracts, today.

Did you know that Mongolians tend to swaddle their children for 6 months? They seem to come out just fine.

I tried to do some intervals while we were talking. I was semi-successful.

I have a feeling this isn't quite how one is supposed to aqua jog. But at least it's something!

Kind of like how I feel about my preparation for Contracts.

Hmmmmmmmm.

My Own Limo Ride

Taking a 3-hour Glucose test is terrible.
(1) It's actually much longer than 3 hours. You have to fast for at least 12 hours before the test. Then, you have to wait around for them to actually get to you at the lab. Then, the 3 hours starts.
(2) You chug a drink that tasts like melted orange popsicles. It's really cold, so it freezes your throat and gives you a cold headache. I think they might make it cold so it doesn't taste as bad, but who wants to chug an almost-frozen drink? It would be frozen, I think, except for the exessive sugar content.
(3)You then sit in a crowded lab waiting room with no tables and no internet. Oh, and no beds. Which you actually are missing. Because the sugar-on-an-empty-stomach-with-little-to-no-water (don't want to DILUTE it, do we?) makes you sleepy. Very sleepy. Not condusive to reading black-letter law on Contracts, certainly.
(4)They put a lot of tape over the gauze when they draw your blood. And they have to go back into the same veins. So you repeatedly have to rip tape off of your forearms. Which have hair on them. Think waxing but for no beautification purpose.
(5)Likely, if you need to take this test, you have some kind of sugar issue. Like reactive hypoglycemia. Or something related. So you are sitting on a plastic chair, trying not to pass out as you sweat profusely, feel anxious, nervous and faint-y.
(6) Then, you get to find your way home. With all the reading materials you brought to try to occupy yourself for 4 hours. Which you have to strap on your back. Which makes your legs - already dodgy because of the sugar reaction and lack of food - more buckly. So you start walking down the street, looking either like a sailor just on leave or a stumble-bum. Always awesome.

I could go on. But, I got my very own limo ride. For $1. Yes. $1.

The Circulator bus emptied out about 2 stops after I got on. It was just me and the driver. Awesome.
That almost made up for the lost work time. And I didn't even pass out in the back.

Running in the Box, Outside

Whoo Hoo!

Sunlight! Not filtered through glass! Do you know what that means, kids?

Yes! Vitamin D!!!!!

Good for all that ails you! And I didn't have to get it through milk. Yugh.

If I lived in Seattle, I'd have to have a sunroom.

I mean, a sun room. With lots and lots of artificial suns.

You might be more familiar with the term "grow lamps".

Yeah.

That's what exercise should be about.

Now, if only I could do all my work unfiltered. Think about how much sun I'd get, then.

About 4 1/2 miles around the Mall.

My pelvis hurts. But I passed a couple who were running. Heh. I'll bet they felt silly.

Then 20 minutes of biking.

Too many Christmas cookies.

The things we do to cut the stress.

Swimming to China

Or, how I am taught humility.

I am really the slowest swimmer I have ever seen.

Every single time I get into the pool, I get lapped.

Yesterday was no exception.

But I did some more jogging too. I've come to like that better, since no one can tell how fast you are going!

Cutting the stress of the day by slicing through the water.

There was a rectangle of sunlight in the water in the shallow end.

I kept swimming towards the light.

Warm and cozy.

5 on, 1 off

Wow. Ivy League was right. So was Gorges.

The full aqua jog workout is hard.

Not effort-wise, really: I don't think I was sprinting hard enough for that. Sure, was breathing hard but no gasping-down-and-reswallowing-my-soul type of hard.

No. It was hard because you are stuck, basically treading water, looking at the clock or the tiles on the pool.

There was a window washer on a rappell line. I watched him for a while.

His job looked interesting.

5 minutes on high leg rotation, one minute off. for 34 minutes, including warm-up.

Then, some laps.

45 minutes.

It would have been more painful but I had the Dormant Commerce Clause to get back to.

Peace Corps said she did a 200 meter sprint on the erg as an alternative to that, the day before.

When you are choosing the erg over a subject, that's bad......

Back to it today.

Soothing the Nerves

1....1.....1....1....1.....1

2.....2......2.....2....2.....2

Counting away the stress.

It sort of worked.

Sort of.

Today, I was also counting off the minutes.

Tricked myself into doing 45 minutes. No more. That was quite a trick.

On to next steps, tomorrow.

A Complete Turnaround

Whinnnnnneeeeeeeeeee

Whinnnnneeeeeeeeeee

It rhymes with "Tiny"

And it's what I was this morning.

"The water will be cold." "I should really sleep more." "I don't want to get dressed."

The water was cold, at first. But 5 back-and-forth laps in, it didn't feel quite so bad.

Then, I tried doing 1/1 fast slow intervals. But I couldn't see the clock. So I went to the end of the deep end slowly, and then back faster/with my legs straight.

Muscle-building, maybe?

Even better, Peace Corps decided she would aqua jog for the rest of the time. So no need for inteverals and you kinds of forget what you are doing.

A whole hour in the pool! And, a happy me afterwards! Here's hoping that will translate into the focused studying left for today.

Taking It Outside

I might have to do it.

Trying to watch some really boring news show while sweating away on the treadmill, I decided this.

Plus, everything sorta feels worse on the treadmill: the sweat is sweatier, the aches are stronger, the cramps stay for longer.

Maybe because there is nothing else on which to focus?

I did another 4 miles at 8:49, though. All I could stand. Plus, I started getting some wrap-around cramps from my back, around my right side and into my abdomen.

Likely just back cramps but it made me nervous! So, after 4, I walked a bit then did 20 more minutes on the bike.

Getting a social fix this afternoon, I actually went to History's house to make gnocci. I think I might have to try to go on that Wednesday morning run.

Fingers crossed that nothing seizes up........

Why Was That So Much Fun?

Thank you, Ivy League! You're still my favorite.

Not only are you cute but you give good information!

I kept getting conflicting information about the whole aqua jogging approach. Some said "run laps". Some said "stay in the deep end." And then, the workouts.

"Try to walk across the pool for 10 minutes, if you can."

"Stay in, doing intervals, for 2 hours."

Um.

But, Ivy League directed me to a Scott Douglas article. So much information about what you are supposed to do, aqua jogging, and how you are supposed to do it.

And his suggestions seemed more up my alley. A bit more than "try to walk across the pool for 10 minutes."

Plus, Ivy League endorsed the program. Well, he endorsed the efficacy of the program. He actually suggested that I not try to follow it right now, as it is rather rigorous.

I half listened.

After warming up, I started doing 5 minute intervals, with 1 minute rests/slow-downs.

I'm sure I didn't go as fast as I should have during the intervals. But I did make sure to go faster during them!

Then, after doing 2 of them, I was starting my third when Peace Corps swam over with another belt.

She was willing to aqua jog with me! I had been happy enough that she agreed to meet me at the pool when it opened! Nine am but that's early for most law students, apparently.

Certainly, we had the pool to ourselves again for most of it.

Wow. That made the jogging fly by! Ok. Not fly. But crawl much more quickly.

I didn't keep doing the intervals because I was having too much fun chatting. But I still felt like I did something!

Then, some quick laps afterwards.

Note about aqua jogging. If you try not to move - like the people who recommend it for keeping competitive runners (i.e. - better than me) fit during injuries - it really works your back and glutes!

My running still is not quite so up-and-down, like you have to be in the pool.

Now my butt hurts a bit. But I am happy that I did the workout. And that I had such great company.

And that, according to the internet, it seems to keep up your conditioning pretty well.

It won't be perfect: I can't use the pool during Christmas break, and I know that I am going slower and much shorter than I would be outside. But I'll still take it!

And then, collaboration in issue-spotting went well, too!
What a great day so far!
The article:

http://pfitzinger.com/labreports/water.shtml

Doing Aquajogging Seems Eerily Similar

To the Progress I've been Making on my Outlines.

Getting no where slowly.

I really have no idea how to aquajog. There are two schools of thought that seem to be in tension with each other.

One says: stay in the deep end. Don't go anywhere.

The other says: do laps from shallow to deep. Do go somewhere.

I likely wasn't doing it right but I noticed a difference when I was in the shallow end as opposed to the deep end.

Putting my feet down onto the bottom, I was much more on my toes and much more forward-leaning.

In the deep end, I was making a concious effort to try to keep my feet flat on the down stroke and I was much more upright.

But I couldn't do it fast enough to really get my heartrate up.

So I did some laps swimming and kicking, too.

I'll think of it as a really really long period of crosstraining?

If only I could see more progress.

There are More Advertisements.......

.....Than News Stories on the Morning News

Really. It was amazing. A quick clip or two, then a series of 4-6 commercials.

Wow. It starts not being worth the squint factor.

For I do need to squint to read the subtitles, even working out about 3 feet away from the TV.

But, these musings and music got me through 4 (?) miles on the treadmill.

I say 4 (?) because I don't trust the speed or the distance on that thing. It said I was going about 8:49 but I'm pretty sure I was going a lot slower.
I'll pretend I was running that fast but I just don't think it likely.

Not after no running and Thanksgiving.

Then, 25 more minutes on the recumbent bike to flesh out my hour.

Fingers crossed that my back/butt won't hurt too much tomorrow.

Sadly, I'm relegated to the treadmill for a while. It's easier to get off of it if my issues flare up.

Better than being in the chill and having to walk home with muscles seizing up.

But I miss my vitamin D. Must find another way to get outside.

Proposed plan to prevent craziness creeping during finals:

swimming, trying to aquajog, treadmill every other day and some biking to add on to that.

That might prevent the excessive weight creep, too.
With stress and no caffeine, I tend to turn to sugar. Eeeek!

At Sea

Sailing.......Sailing.....Sailing........

Well, floating along, at least.

It wasn't so bad, actually. It helped that it was in the 60s today.

About 45 minutes of swimming. The only thing that didn't work was the breaststroke: my back/butt muscle really started aching during that one lap of breaststroke.

So I did more straight up-and-down kicking.

Some bonuses: it is now MUCH easier to float.

And, with the added weight, my arms really got a work-out.

And I made everybody else in the pool look good.

Being at sea isn't the worst place to be.

At least with my exercise.

School: I need to focus more. Being out to sea there isn't quite as comfortable a place.

Funny moment at the pool:

Me to lifeguard: so, I'm going to swim today. But, since I can't really jog anymore, I thought I'd try to Aquajog.

Lifeguard: Oh.

Me: So I don't know what the belts looks like. Will you show me.

Lifeguard. Um. Ok. Here they are. They come in 3 sizes. Here's the medium.....Um, and the large is right under there.

Me: Great! So I just put this on and then act like I'm jogging?

Lifeguard: Um. Yeah. (Significant look at me.) But, you know, this requires a lot of core strength. (Looks significantly at me again. Twice.)

Me, in my head: Ok, buddy. Just wait until next year.....I'll run you down and smush you. And then flip my hair and smile.

Me, in reality: Thanks for letting me know! Maybe I'll try it next time!

Anyway, with exams and no running (besides a mile yesterday), no one needs to hear my whine. So my posts will be less.

Think buoyant thoughts for me!

Philly and Brooklyn

I really wish I could have been at one of the big marathons this weekend.

So many friends were running.

Instead, I biked this weekend.

My dad biked faster than me, but that was only to be expected.

And I got some quality reading done.

And by quality reading, I mean "books I could buy at CVS."

A nice break from work.

I might even try the gym at school tomorrow.

Trying to be positive about this whole "no running" thing.

A Mixed Bag

Well, I went running today.

If you can call it that.

But I cut it short. Only about 4 miles.

And I felt like I had to teach myself how to run all over again. It felt awkward and weird. I had noticed, during the week, that I had developed this really weird walk that was actually hurting my back. I think it translated a bit to my run.

On part of the run, I concentrated on trying to keep my back straight and slightly forward. The rest of it, I was just trying to get my feet up.

I actually couldn't run fast enough to make me breathe heavily. That was sort of sad.

All the way across my lower back was hurty/numb for a lot of the run.

More worryingly, my hip flexor/inner thigh on my right side started to bind up/get sore/pulled.
Maybe because of my weird walk I've developed? I've got to try to fix that!

So I ran. That was good. But it wasn't a very good run. And I lost all my money and my old health care card somewhere on the Mall this morning.
Thanks to the Vivacious Redhead, though, I know better than to put my driver's license in there. So at least I didn't lose that!
I don't know. I'm really worried I am going to have to stop running for a while, with this weight and this injury.

And I really don't like the sound of that.

Back Biking

Taking 5 days off was hard! Especially because I was trying to write during that time.

I have problems settling down to write. These problems aren't helped by my excessive energy burst followed by energy lows I seem to get when not working out.

Plus, when I write, I like to eat.

But, if I haven't worked out, there's no room in my tummy! Sigh.

The bike was ok.

Well, it was boring. But I did it.

I'm going to try to run tomorrow. We will see if I can do it. I'm nervous.

Back to work.

Almost Exactly Like a Party Night

Last night, I went all the way across town. After 8:00pm. To Georgetown, noted party place in DC.

I was up past 11:00pm! And I spent $82, including the bus fare there and back.

Party! Whoo Hoo!

I didn't get up until almost 7:00am! And my body was all achy. I must have had a good time last night.

Em. Yeah. Except I wasn't clubbing. Or out at killer happy hours. Or tasting my way through the Continent.

I got a massage.

Hey, if it helps my muscle pull from spasming, I am all for it! Even with the achiness in the morning.

Plus, when all the kids ask what I did last night, I can say "oh, I went out on the town. Feeling kind of rough this morning but, you know......."
Maybe I'll get street cred?
Especially because we have a final due soon?
A girl can dream.
And maybe, just maybe, I'll be able to run by the end of the week!

Day 4 of no exercise is rough.

Memories.....The Sweet Memories.....

I couldn't sleep much last night. 1st exam nerves.

So, I spent some quality time between dark and darker thirty, thinking about my favorite runs and running partners in NYC while I tried to prevent my cat from cutting off my circulation and possibly my breathing.

I miss running with Ivy League and LSE and Superman - especially all together or in some kind of duo combination. The dynamic between Ivy League and either of them was hilarious.

Plus, running with them helped me not be a lazy runner: something I definitely am right now. At least one would usually take off at some point in the run, zinging home how much faster they all are than I am. I'm a plodder but having someone push the pace makes even a plodder a bit faster.

Ok. I'm not running at all right now, either literally or within the last week. Thankfully, I'm not running right now because my typing wouldn't hold up. Sadly, I'm not running this week becaues of my muscle pull.

But, you know what I mean!

Also, courses. When I get to run longer distances, I know that I'll appreciate DC's trail system more. And I've already enjoyed a lot of scenery.
But, DC, I'm sorry. There is no Far Rockaway run here. Nor a Forest Park run. Though you can run through the equivalent of East New York if you feel like it. I've done a bit of that but, without my trusty urban companion Ivy League, I haven't felt as comfortable doing so. I'm not very fast right now, after all!
Oooh! Or the bridges run! I LOOOOOVE NYC bridge running! Except when I'm going over the Queensboro Bridge. Then, it never seems like a good idea.
And, of course, in NY, there are the lovely leaping ladies to keep me company on runs, as well.

Sigh.

DC has been great. But I wish I could run at all right now. And I wish I could run more. And faster. That would open up my options.

Running with History and all of them is really cool, don't get me wrong. I just wish I could do more and with more people.

Having running as your main social outlet isn't as awesome as it could be when you can't really do it.

LARGE DRAMATIC SIGH.

Ok. Enough waxing nostalgic and feeling sorry for myself. I've got a test to prepare for!

A Pain in my A**

Literally, sadly.


I went to the doctor and it's official: a major muscle pull in my piriformus.

Much better than a nerve pinch, so I'm hoping that the diagnosis is accurate. However, I know better than most how long a muscle pull can take to heal.

Sadly, no "race" for me on Sunday, then.

I am anti. Especially since I had paid for it. And Suave had signed up for an accompanying race. So it would have been almost as if we were racing together, for the first time.

BIG DRAMATIC SIGH.

So I've been burning about 2 calories/day on the recumbant bike. I hate that thing. It is like a segue: you can't possibly look cool/interesting doing it.

Sigh.

But, I need to remember patience. And to try not to eat too much in boredom/crippling anxiety (these things come in waves) as the exams approach.

New Goal?

So I won't be posting much this week. Stupid back. No one wants to hear about me burning 2 calories on a stupid recumbent bike.

To lift me up from anxiety, though, I need a new goal. I am not even sure that I'll be able to run the race I signed up for this weekend and I don't want to sign up for the Annapolis 1/2, the weekend after, because I'm too afraid that I won't be able to run that one either.

Did I mention, stupid back?! Everyone needs to stretch. I don't care if they came out with studies otherwise, you need to stretch before going out in the cold. I know that's how I hurt my back.

Anyway, back on track......

What about San Fransisco? It's in late July. Or there is an interesting marathon called the Salmon Marathon in Idaho in September.......
Ideas for other races in mid to late summer? Too soon? Too late?

Fail!

I got overinspired by the beautiful weather and the NYC marathon today.

So I tried to run. I got about 1/2 a mile.

Yeah. Sad.

The walk back was long and kinda painful.

Ideas for crosstraining this week? I've got a "race" on Sunday and I would like to try to actually run that.
But, if I do nothing, I'm afraid I'll get too antsy and try to run too early.

The gym here has an elliptical, a recumbent bike, and some treadmills.

Booh. I am anti!

Fishing

Almost to the end of the hallway on the left, just across from the second set of doors that hide the old sports equipment, hangs a picture of my father as I never knew him.
My father always claims to hate this picture. Dad grumbled when my grandfather had the picture drawn from an old photograph, claiming his father was just wasting a lot of money.
It's not a great drawing: some of the lines look a little bit too. Too thought-out. Too studied.
The picture arrests me every time I go down that hallway: my steps hitch as I see my father, with curved cheeks and a thoughtful happiness in his face, as he's standing outside.
I don't remember whether he really is, but I always imagine that he was just out to go fishing.
Out at my grandparents' farm.
That I know I've made up: they didn't own the farm when my dad was that small.
But the outdoors pictured have the same smell of pine and rotting reeds, with a whiff of hay, cow feed and motor oil in the background.

We went fishing yesterday. I could see the cabin's logs reflecting on the surface as I cast my rod. Everywhere. In the trees, in the reeds, in the brambles.

Without me having to ask, my dad hooked my worm for me.

He even switched poles when he kept catching fish, as if it were the pole, and not my massive incompetence that was preventing me from the haul of a lifetime - or, at least, some of the teensy bluegills he was catching.
When we got back, I went out to find him to tell him I was leaving.
He stopped in his gutting, beheading and scaling of the fish to wish me a good trip.
He was so patient at the pond. Waiting for a bite, waiting for the fish to set, then reeling in at just the right speed.
Maybe my dad will teach me how to fish one of these days.

We rode together Saturday morning. He beat me. It was still fun. Perhaps, today, my back will feel better enough to run. Seems strange to not run at all today, given that the same time last year I was running NYC.

If I Weren't Me

I'd Kick Myself in the Head! Or, at least, I'd kick the I'm-late-for-the-run-I-can't-possibly-make-time-to-stretch-even-though-it's-cold-outside me in the head.

Argh!

Met up with the fellows for a run around Jefferson Memorial and the FDR Memorial. I was doing something else until the last minute - as the run got changed to a later 8:0am - and so raced out the door instead of stretching.

Yeah. About that.

A bit into the run, my right lower back, into my rear end, started hurting. Then it got worse. Especially when we had to stop for lights or cars.

I ended up having to wave them ahead for the last mile as I hobbled home.

Now, I don't know if I can even make it to class today. I'm having enough trouble getting across my living room!

Fingers crossed that it will be better for my fun longer run tomorrow.......

Booh me!

Sheesh

"Do you ALWAYS run this slowly, Sis?"

Sheesh. Coming from my brother who, although the awesomest older brother I could wish for, does't work out very much, this was embarrasing.

I mean, it wasn't THAT slow, was it?

But it was fantastic to be able to share the sunrise over the Capitol with my big bro. It helped calm my nerves and wake me up, all at the same time.

Which is really important, as the more I get stressed, the less time I seem to have to sleep, which makes me more stressed.

And all I can do to wake myself up is sugar. No caffeine. Can only work out once a day, max.

Oi. Maybe that's why I'm running so slowly!

That and my status as an HOV.

About 6 1/2 miles this morning. This week is going to be low mileage, I'm afraid.

But I'm trying to remember the important of sleep. More sleep means better working. Less sleep, more mind wandering.

Lordy

It was cold. Very cold. I've-not-had-enough-sleep-for-the-shock cold.

And either the water bottles have to go or the gloves have to come out. Maybe both.

The hat came off about 3 miles into the run.

Ladies, you know the hat. I accessorized my awesome bright orange for safety pullover with my bright orange freebie Dunkin' Donuts hat.

I will not be picking up anyone running anytime soon.

Well, maybe hunters with pastry problems.

The low temperatures made for out-West-like colors and clarity in the sunrise, though. Pink shiffonade. Yum.

Around the new stadium in the dark, then up MBT and back down by Union Station to head home.

Should have tacked on an extra few on the trail but the 4 1/2 hours of sleep last night made me into a bit of a wuss.

I hope I can persuade my brother to run tomorrow or Wednesday. I need some company in this cold.

About 9 miles.

Oh, and we discussed many interesting things this morning: from the definition of a hussy to how to make applesauce in your crockpot.

Applesauce. Yum.

Yay For Siblings

It was cold. It was about to snow. And I had already run more last week than I had in each of the past two weeks.
(That's due more to a weenie factor, though, than anything else.)
My brother had to oversee the installation of new appliances. I had to try to catch up on some sleep.

But we still managed to coordinate a run yesterday, albeit a shortish one.

Another example of how one ought to seize the opportunity while one can. I would have been really peeved with myself had the whole weekend gone by without a run.
And, sure, I had run more than I intended last week but the run with my brother was great. We braved the winds of Cambridge and of the Charles and managed to run for about an hour.

Ice and snow-free, by the way.

And by the time Sunday rolled around, there was so much melting snow on the ground that, had I gone out, I likely would have fallen on my butt.

Not what the doctor ordered!

Here's to hoping that I will seize more opportunities this week, for running, for studying, and for talking to my brothers.

Brother #2 will be staying at my house for a few days. Yay! I just need to make sure to jump on studying and exercising, too.

Maybe I can persuade him to take a run with me on Tuesday morning......Or maybe even tomorrow. I'll need some motivation to get on those shoes after arriving back in DC at nearly midnight.

plotting......

That Was Rather Nice

Me, I'm an anxious person.

School: stress
Unknown: stress
What kind of coffee to buy: stress

That's why I like routines and such so much. Less choice, less unknowns, less stress.

So I can save time to stress about other things.

Long runs for me have always been a source of anxiety the night before, if not the days before the run.

Today, though, was not going to be a long run. At least, no longer than some of my normal runs. So I didn't know why I was so stressed about it for the past couple of days.

Of course, not knowing why I was stressed made me more anxious and stressed.

And it was COLD!

This morning, as I worried about my legs and the run, I worried about the cold, too.

"Should I wear a hat? Gloves? What kind of pullover? What if I'm over/underdressed?"

At the last minute, I even left the water bottles I filled at the front desk, slipping back into the building to place them there.

I was stressed about that for the first 1/2 mile or so. What if I become dehydrated? What if they get thrown away?

Ridiculous.

After I stopped feeling as if my face and head would freeze off, though, it was a great run!

Hoping to meet another running buddy, History and I ran uptown via 9th Street and then over to the park off of 16th and up to Harvard Street. Our friend couldn't make it but we decided to run the loop that was for her anyway, in homage.

She did really well on the run, by the way. Well, the imaginary her did.

Over to Rock Creek Park trail, picking it up in the zoo and then down to Pennsylvania Avenue and back up the ramp there to 27th, then up to M and over to 23rd, where we ran up to Florida, then took that to Columbia and over to 16th. From there, we headed back downtown.

Today was a chatfest. It was interesting. Another set of things History and I have in common.

And the cold weather made the sky fabulous this morning. Great to see before the clouds and (snow!) roll in.

Ironwoman that she is, History ran off to finish her 22-miler. I walked to my apartment and ate some asperagus.

Tiny looked like she hadn't moved since I had left. But a mysterious grocery bag was across the room, putting paid to that front.

Dratted cat.

So glad I went. What was I so anxious about?

About 10.75 miles.

Chasing the Boys

I should have gotten my hair done.

I was chasing boys today, you see.

And they were fast and efortless.

I was not. But, boy, was I grinning! And the rain let up right before the run, raising the temperature.

I was a bit overheated but enjoyed the run around the Lincoln and Vietnam memorials greatly.

Always good to have some new blood.......
On runs, of course.

About 6 miles.

And DC Burns

Without all the troublesome ash and actual flames, like in the War of 1812. Or so says History. I didn't realize that part of DC burned during that time.

Lucky to see it! I got to the run in the nick of time.

Hitting one's alarm instead of the snooze is not a great way to be on top of one's morning. In fact, since I woke up again with a start at 5:38, there wasn't much time at all.

Rushing, I drank breakfast (the healthy kind, not the liquor kind, silly), got some coffee and rushed into my clothes.
Whew!

After a trip around the Mall and the Washington Monument, I ran up to R, got on the MBt, gulped some fortitude and squashed my laziness, and turned uptown.

Slowly creeping towards Rhode Island, I finally made it. I turned around and ran to the end, then ran past Union Station and home.

About 10.4 miles today.
At times, I wondered if I were actually walking but 10 miles is still 10 miles, right?

And orange swirlies were all around when the sun was rising.

Mmmmmmm. Orange swirlies.....

A Reason to Get Up in the Morning

Besides my cat "encouraging" me.

3 other people went on the run this morning. It was chilly, it was dark and it was fun to get out. This is why I enjoy running. An easy run, a day that wouldn't be nice were I just hanging out in the cold becomes transformed into a grinning, happy day.

Shorter than I had planned: should have done a bit more on the MBT. But I couldn't stop smiling for a lot of it.

The old stadium to the MBT and back home.

Hopefully, the warm awake feeling will last for part of the day.

Inked Back In

"Yes, hello. We're downstairs."

Oh goodness. I knew from my mother's tone that they were READY TO GO.

And I wasn't even vertical.

A quick change later and I was up and at the lobby, awaiting instructions.

Of course: we had to go. Right then.

With my parents, it's pointless to argue. So we packed up and went.

"Another workout missed. Just because I have to work completely on someone else's time table. And here it is the weekend. This is the time I really have to make sure I get in those workouts!"

I was grumbling and whining to myself, all the way to the train station.

And then, while I enjoying beating Suave at the crossword, I resigned myself to a slow day. Indulgent food choices on the train.

Watching Top Chef: Just Desserts instead of trying to finish a bit of my homework.

But, while I was setting up at home, watching the end of a show, I decided.

It was time and there was time. I don't have to be resigned to a day I'll regret, even though other people dictated most of it for me.

Off my rear I got and put on Summer Hits, in homage to the last bit of nice weather we will likely have for a while.

I even raced a few people on the Mall as I went out for a 6-mile motivational run.

So what if I've got too much homework to finish tonight: I've still got a good 5 hours before I should really get to bed.

Lots of time to make progress.

No more excuses. I will recognize my limitations but no more excuses.

After all, I had already written off the day before I inked it back in.

In fact, I just signed up for my first race since the relay in February I participated in with the Vivacious Redhead and her son.

The Veterans 10k on the 13th of November.

Keeping Warm on the Outside

When I was all warm and tingly on the inside!

My brother and my sister-in-law were soooo happy yesterday. Congratulations to them.

It was really cold yesterday and I wasn't able to fit in a workout. So, while waiting for the wedding in my sleeveless dress, I filled some time by doing pushups.

I haven't been doing these enough. I'm glad I remembered.

And it's not like I could have done jumping jacks in those heels!

Brrrr.

I got as warm on the outside as I was on the inside.

I Hear Bells!

Specifically, wedding bells in Blue Bell, PA. A shout out to my brother and sister-in-law, anticipating the big day!

So I got up To run this morning before a day of traveling. The LLM joined me and History on an initially chilly 10 1/2 to 11mile run down to Hane's point. She cut offa bit early because of a scheduled long run tomorrow, leaving History and I to finish off the Point and to run up to the Rock Creek Trail to M Street and over to home.
There was actually some people golfing at the country club at about 7:30am! Amazing, given the weather.

The weather made the sky beautifully clear and pink and blue, though. Over the water, it made me hungry: luckily, I'll have some icing at the wedding tomorrow!

Actually used my water bottles for a few sips, which made me feel better shout lugging them around.

Hoping my smile and my parka, not to mention my excitement, will keep me warm during what is going to be a clear, but cold, day for the ceremony.
Wishing everyone the best!

At Least The Run Was Great

Soda exploding everywhere. Bad news from work. Lots of little, niggling, annoying things.

But the run was really nice.

It was just me and one other runner this morning. My route suggestion worked well, which was a relief: I wasn't sure about the traffic situation, given that we were running later than normal.

The run changed to 8:00am because people kept claiming they'd come if it weren't so early. They still didn't show.

But, since it was already 8:00am when we started, we got to see the beautiful blue and white wispies in the sky and the reservoir.

We ran up to MBT and then past the hospitals and the reservoir, finding our way back down to campus for about 6 miles.

And I discovered someone else who likes fast cars. Specifically, I now know a proud owner of a 2007 Suburu STI.

Makes me wish I had my car back. With the spoiler on: I'm sad it has been de-spoiled.

Heh.

So Glad For Company

In the Rain.

I was standing outside. In the cold. And the dark. And the rain. "Ok....Where am I going to go if no one shows up?" "Somewhere away from my house, that's for sure!"

Otherwise, I would have gone back to bed.

Thankfully, triathalon lady showed up. We ran a (new for me) course down to the new Nationals Stadium and back up to Stanton Park.

It's gotten dark enough in the morning that the sun was had just come up by the time we stopped. In a puddle.

She's fun to run with, though. A very easy pace and lots of conversation. The 4 1/2 we did together did not feel like 4 1/2 on a blustery morning.

I just like saying "blustery:" that's a bit exaggeratory, even for me. It wasn't cold enough to be blustery.

And there weren't any politicians around at 6:30am.

Afterwards, I ran up to the MBT and ran back down to Union Station and home. By that time, I was so used to the rain that I didn't mind it (gasp!). The easy pace had also kept me so fresh that I wanted to add on.

But I restrained myself. There will be more this week and I didn't want to tire myself out too much.

Though I did shorten it a bit from what I was going to do. Oh well.

About 9, with a nice stop for coffee.

They just got new candy at my coffee shop. Some of my favorites. I'll have to forget that information.

I Got A New TV

That's pronounced "Tee Vee", by the way.

Thanks to Suave, who helped me get and set up the TV, I now have a tubeless for the first time ever.

I'm moving up in the world.

I also have Apple TV. It is awesome. I don't have to pay for cable and can pay for the shows that I actually end up watching, or stream them directly from NetFlix.

Too bad I can't get The Price Is Right or other such quality game shows. Sigh.

That's what Xena's house is for. That and ESPN RedZone.

Anyhoo. It's awesome. And easy to use, even for the technologically-challenged like me.

Except I can't switch over to the DVD player. That wasn't part of my instruction manual. And my tech advisors - Xena and Suave - were unavailable.

Drat. No Jillian for me today.

Maybe Sweating with the Oldies?

That's me in the middle, with the frizzy hair.

Didn't see that. So I downloaded Celebrity Fit Club Boot Camp.

This was NOT Jillian.

The only reason why I broke a sweat was because my apartment was about 80 degrees.

I mean, 1-foot burpies without jumping? Come on.

And it was only 37 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down.

Kinda lame.

So I spent some time doing some rolling, which I had been neglecting.

While I was doing so, I watched the first episode of The Biggest Loser, Season 12.

They were having problems carrying a pole and running/walking a mile.

I need to keep things in perspective.

Revisiting

The Scene of the Incident

But it was better this time around.

Sunday, I didn't get much done. At least, not vertically. By putting myself into a sad little jacknife, propped up with pillows and fortified with naps, I was able to plow through my homework.

But that was about it.

Some long hours at the ER precluded much else.

That sounds dramatic, doesn't it? Images of tubes and IVs and scrubs-wearing doctors shouting "STAT".

It was very undramatic. Some doctors in rumpled khahis and polos came and went, looking at my mostly-healed burn and deciding what to do to prevent infection.

I went in because it started hurting again, all the while realizing that they wouldn't be able to do much for it.

They weren't. But they did make me feel psychologically better. It wasn't infected: I wasn't about to succumb to sepsis.

I say psychologically better. Between the tetanus shot and the silver sulfa, which I might be alergic to, I did not feel physically better.

In fact, I fainted. That was embarrasing. And undramatic. You'd think it would be a fantastic, exciting moment. It wasn't.

This is a long, drawn-out way of saying that I ran by the hospital, revisiting where I spend my Sunday.

But I was upright and ambulatory, so it was a very different experience!

I had to force myself out Monday afternoon on a run: homework and sleeping was my priority Monday morning, not the group run that I'd rather have gone on.

We can't always do what we want, which is probably a good thing. Otherwise, we wouldnt' be as happy when we were able to do so!

Anyway, I dragged myself out for a running study break when I felt a nap threatening.

First, a mall and Memorial loop. Yawn. Sunny, though. That was nice.

Next, an MBT to the reservoir to the hospital to 16th street and back downtown loop.

Having had some time to heal, my burn only seeped some. It didn't chafe on my water bottle, which I was worried about, and didn't hurt too much unless I dropped my hand below my waist.

I met Xena at her work, where she gave me more burn stuff, then bussed it home.

I need to figure out an alternative to those compression shorts. Actually, maybe not. The weather will figure it out for me. But I'm still having pain at the end of a run and I don't like that girdle feeling.

Hmmm.

About 11 miles. Slowly

Burnout

In more ways than one.

My hand is now very interesting looking. It's puss-filled and weeping, though much less painful than before.

Clumsy people should not overmicrowave thick, sticky soup in a above-the-stove microwave.

Schoolwork burnout, as well. Homework is taking me even longer than usual, leading to ridiculous marathon note-taking sessions.

Which I broke up yesterday by carving pumpkins and making a pie for an hour and a half.

And today by going on a run with History.

Meeting her, I was worried about my clothing choices. It was cold and I was shivering! But, luckily, it warmed up.

Then came the burnout.

I ran so few miles this week - something like 34? - that you'd think my legs would be fresh as a daisy this morning.

Not so. Invisible gravity bands were on them all during the run. My lungs weren't feeling pained, and I know we weren't trucking, but I could hardly get them to run.

Half-way through, I started getting worried as to whether I would make it.

And it was an interesting run, which normally partitions my whiny side off and doesn't let it speak!

We ran around the Mall and then over past the Congress building to the Waterfront, stopping by a very nice Harris Teeter for some water. (I can't bring water bottles because of my hand. I can't really grip them or pass my hand through the strap.) Through the Waterfront park, which is my new favorite park in DC, then over past Barracks Row to the Anacostia Trail.

Most of this trail is still imaginary: DC seems to be rife with trails that have big aspirations but maybe not big budgets, where only bits and pieces have been built.

But it was neat. The river on one side, the Senate cemetery, the jail and the old stadium on the other.

Then, up some large thoroughfare past a lot of car parts stores, sad-looking strip malls and Popeye's franchises before heading back into Ritzville and the Lincoln Park area.

Through Stanton Park and back up Massachusetts Avenue.

I really don't remember most of the route: I'll have to ask History about it.

But it was neat. Too bad my legs were not cooperating.

Then, back to homework, trying to work through the burnout.

Keeps me out of trouble, though. Who has the time or energy for trouble?

Company Run

Fashonista and I took a run together. We got some culture: I showed her some of the museums and monuments on the Mall.

"Look. Here's another museum." "Oh, and to your right is another."

I didn't know all of the names. Except the one that looks like it should be awesome because it's shaped like a castle but isn't really because it's mainly just Smithsonian offices.

We saw a sculpture, though. I pointed one out in the Sculpture Garden.

Do you know the difference between a memorial and a monument?

Nope: it's not whether there is a statue or not.

No....It's not where it's located.....

Given up guessing?

The grounds around the memorial are also "hallowed", whereas they are not on a monument. So, for example, you can run and bike around the bottom of the Washington Monument (when it's not closed for repairs, like right now) but you cannot run or bike in the World War II Memorial.

Betcha didn't know that!

We ran down and around - the outside! - of the WWII memorial. A very short day. About 4 and a quarter.

It Didn't Really Start Until After We Did

The rain, that is.

It was misting a bit as I hitched up my former compression tights for the tenth time as I walked out of the double doors and into the dark.

Don't dry your compression tights, unless you want saggers. My tip for the day.

I knew that I'd be lucky to have one companion. And I did! He suggested a new route.
I'm tired of the Mall: not enough houses and gardens to see!

So we went over to Eastern Market. A shorter route. But by the time we got to First Street NE, the rain was pouring.

Torts and tort reform made the time go by quickly. I got him to talk more: my trick.

He slowed down, I could puff away silently.

Alas, my new sneakers were drenched by the downpour and by the puddles that are de rigeur in any truely torrential tempest.

Maybe not the best day to be wearing an oversized white cotton T-shirt.

But fun to splash around DC. About 5 miles. Short.

So Glad I Got Up

Monday was biking. Not that I can actually bike well enough anymore to make it a real workout. Let's call it a half day.

Monday was also flu shot. I haven't had one in a long time. Because it has previously made me feel ill.

This time was no exception. Went to bed last night early early and still didn't want to get up for the run this morning.

"You'll either feel lots better or much, much worse."

I channelled the advice I gave my sister-in-law this past weekend and squinched myself into some compression shorts and out the door.

Yay! It was fun. We ran up the MBT trail, then I ran back uptown with History and then back home. Humid. But fun.

Another new person on the run. Silent but accommodating. I'm not sure we will see him again: he was a good sport, going as slowly as we were, but it was clear that he was used to running much, much faster.

Not sure I'll use these compression shorts again for a while, though. XS just doesn't cut it right now.

About 10 miles.

4 1/2 Scotts

That sounds like the beginning of a really bad joke. But it's not. It was the highlight of my weekend!

I got a chance to see my older brother and family on Sunday morning, after festivities with his wife the night before.

We, of course, went running.

Slowly. But a gorgeous day and lovely company.

And my brother got to use his jogging stroller for the first time. I taught him how to lock the front wheel!

Who knows - 4 or 4 1/2 miles? And I collected 3 new parks. Whee!

DC Public Bathrooms are Quite Nice!

My compression tights were on. I had my water bottles. An emergency Gu was stashed in my sports bra.

And I was still nervous about the run.

Because of my muscle pull, I told History straight off that I might not stop early.

But the tights seemed to help! They are ones that I bought too large by mistake and, so, I was hoping they would fit now.

Lesson learned: the tights are just a weird fit. They still fell down.

They still pushed my muscle back into place.

And the run was really fun. Given a choice of two runs, I picked the one I hadn't done before and History very nicely went along with it.

This was the theme of the run: History putting up with me!

We ran down the Mall and then down as if we were going to the FDR Memorial. Right before we got there, we cut over to Hayne's Park.

Beautiful by the water, with the mist rising up and the relative lack of cars.

And golf courses, while environmental disasters, are awfully pretty. Especially when no one is playing on them.

But my stomach was playing. The banjo. And a three-piece drum set.

At first, I wasn't even sure what was happening. I never have to go to the bathroom on my runs.

Except.....That one time.......

Images of hobbling by the creek trail in North Carolina, trying to find a place that was hidden enough to make an emergency pit stop in florescent shorts flashed through my mind.

"There are bathrooms", History said after the second time I had to stop because of a serious stomach cramp.

"Maybe later", I say.

As we round the horn, though, I'm thinking "Maybe now!"

Nicely, History stopped for me- again - while I "toured the facilities".

They were amazingly nice for open, public bathrooms in a place where, were I a homeless person, I would totally camp out.

The rest of the run went much more smoothly.

Though I think History had to slow down for me a bit at the end.

We ran over past the Watergate to Georgetown and then up on the Rock Creek Park trail until we ran up a curvy ramp to M. Then, over through town until Massachusetts Avenue and then back home.

History did some more miles. She is in much better shape than me.

My leg wasn't sore until the end. Yay! And we got to help some tourists. But all that talk about yummy Japanese food made my newly empty tummy rumble.

MMMMMMMM. I can't tell exactly what we did but it was somewhere between 10 1/2 and 11 miles.

Crumble, Cave, or Careful?

I'd like to think, "careful".

My mind and conditioning keep telling me "cave" or "crumble".

But I'm trying to be sensible and channel the New Me.

After having this pain when I started my run, and then an uncomfortable pressure every time I started from a stoplight - this being a too frequent occurence in DC at 7:30am or later - I made a decision.

"I'm stopping now and turning around", I told Suave. I called him when I got to the Lincoln Memorial. I knew it would be hard for me to turn around and give up on an 11 mile run I had planned today.

But I've got another planned for tomorrow.

Thus, the call. I knew, if I told him, I'd have to keep my side of the bargain.

So hoping for a better one tomorrow.

It's not always bad to cave. Sometimes that's just being careful.
6 miles......

Grrrrrr

Groin/inner thigh pain.

Again, I was too slow at my work on Tuesday and Wednesday to get in any sort of workout.

I would have thought that my inner thigh pull would have eased off by Thursday morning.
Maybe my backpack is too heavy?

Every time I started up running again, it would throb. Like a pressure in my leg. Ouch.

I got in 6 with some of the boys - a brisk 6, for me, but rather uncomfortable. And the rest of the day was quite uncomfortable.

On the plus side, my chronic calf injury seems to have disappeared.

Overcompensation

Brrrrrrrrrrrr!

I trundled out into the darkness in 3/4 tights, a florescent orange fleece (for safety!), a headband and gloves.

By the time I got to the meet-up, I ditched the headband and the gloves. The fleece stayed until half-way through.

The rest of the run was fairly comfortable in a long-sleeved shirt, though I wished I hadn't taken off the fleece when the wind blew.

Had some very interesting discussions about conservative family values - like talking to parents about being interested in dating a girl, even when you are in your twenties - and baseball.

It took my mind off the weather, though my snotty nose would jerk my attentions back to the cold ever so often.

We ran up to the monument and back to NE, where I then ran uptown with History to Florida, then left over to Eckman and up to R. Running over to the trail, I resolved to extend my run a bit, after succumbing to great company and bad weather yesterday and never getting out the door to exercise.
Up the MBT until Rhode Island, then back down and past Union Station and then over to Mass Ave and home.

It was light for the last part of the run.

But it was still cold! This outdoor wedding in 3 weeks is going to be potentially rough with the no-sleeved dresses.

Brrrrrrr

But I still don't really need the gloves and hat just yet.
About 10 miles.

The West Side

Of DC - though I thought about the West Side of New York while I was running.

Mainly because the two look so different.

After yesterday's cramping, I was nervous for today's run. But I was feeling better, and had organized the run, so I decided to go for it.

History and another person from Georgetown-an LLM student-joined me, though the LLM student had to turn back a bit over halfway to ensure that she was back to campus in time for a make-up class.

We ran down 1st Street NW to Independence, where we turned right and went by the Smithsonians.

After a bit of confusion, we managed to run around to the bridge just past the Lincoln Memorial that takes us onto the path running by the Watergate. From there, onto Rock Creek Park Trail.

Green on one side, almost highway on the other. Weird.

It meanders, then, through some more park-like places - and goes up some serious hills - before getting around to the Zoo.

From the Zoo, History and I decided to wend our way a bit after surviving the GINORMOUS hill on Harvard Street.

I've only ever run it the other way. I recommend running it TOWARDS the ZOO, and not away from it!

Sigh. Very rough.

So we ran down 16th Street to Meridian Park and through the park.
Luckily, we were able to avoid the massive sets of stairs that would make an awesome stair workout, were one so inclined. I am not!

After saying "Hi!" to Joan of Arc, minus her sword, we waved to Dante and Buchannan before exiting and crossing over to Florida Avenue.

Taking Florida Avenue over to 10th, we got to tour Howard's campus.

I love that campus: it's a real campus in the heart of a city.

Exiting the campus, we wended our way around to 1st Street NW, which we took down basically back to Georgetown Law campus, then turned right onto Massachussets.

History had to do some more miles to get her long run in, so she sped off to other locales.

Wonderful company and a good run.

She drinks almost no water and doesn't eat during a long run, though. I'll have to disabuse her of those habits!

And, the more someone else drinks, the more I get to stop for "water breaks". Heh

A Little Bit Faster

For me, anyway. The two guys I was running with were really "taking it easy". But I'll take faster where I can get it.

Who knows if we even broke 8/mile but I got my breathing and heart rate up, at least, which I havne't really been doing.

Humidity dripping, we sweated and chatted our way around the Lincoln Memorial.

Another former college track guy running today. Who knows how fast I might have been had I run track in high school instead of smoking?

Tough we didn't have a track. And I'd still have been slow. Hmmmm.

Might need to rethink that fantasy.

Cramping up a bit now, though, so I'll take it easy on the couch while doing some classwork.

Nice run.

ABCD's of Running

Awake, barely, I hit the snooze in the patchwork dark while my cat meowed in the background.
With a start, I jolted out of bed about 10 minutes later. "I'm late, I'm late, I'm late!" I muttered to myself, swiping my cat with my leg as I stumble over to the kitchen.
Having to put a lot of lights on in the morning again.
Signs of fall.

Birds or bats - I don't know and don't care - swooped and clacked and chattered overhead in a whirling swirling fun ride upside-down apple turnover dizzy sort of way. It was still dark. But I made it. Just in time. I sweated quietly in the humidity as I waited for the others.

Conversation about running clubs commenced. Similar personalities seem to populate different running clubs. Lack of delegation schitzophrenically combined with too many time demands was leaving on of the board members of a DC running club confused and disallusioned. Oh, and conversation about Jenny Craig and diets. I learned a lot.

Downpour just after leaving History at Lincoln and R St NE. With so little mileage to go and feeling great after a slow run, I reveled in it. Rain licking over my shoelaces, slapping me on the butt and gushing through my skirt. Like running in North Carolina with Party Girl, laughing while the water filled our eyes, mouths and shorts.

There was a bit of lightning and thunder at the end but I was a big girl and braved it. I was almost home, anyway.

The rain stopped as I went through my front door.

About 8 1/2 miles.

Expanding

And not just in size! I added another run with the Wednesday group this morning.

After getting back late from Baltimore, it was hard to get up. In the dark.

Vivacious Redhead, where are you for motivation when I need it?!

But I did it. And barely made the meet-up in Stanton Park, over on E and 4th St. NE.

Some people I hadn't met were also there. That was neat. And we ran much more slowly than we have been when it is just History and Economics Geek with me.
A bit too slow but, then again, maybe that's good. I keep on forgetting how slowly I run now, which leads to some breathless runs-not the best idea!

Over to 2nd Street then left on N to arrive at the stairs for the MBT. Up that almost to the end and then a turn-around to go back.

Muggy muggy muggy.

More history discussions and some law discussions. One woman also goes to Georgetown while working on the Hill, while another is in politics.

Interesting. Then, after reaching the park, I turned around and joined History and another woman to run up to L, then left over to Florida Avenue and then right up Lincoln Rd to R.

Whew! Uphill! And History picked up the pace when it was just us!

A breather as I ran right onto R and dead-ended in the MBT again. Then down to N street, where I turned right and then left onto 1st Street NE.

People-watching near the train station got me through to Massachusetts Avenue and then home.

About 10 miles. I feel better than Saturday. Less hills and a lot less pace for most of the run.

How slow will I get?

Fitting One In

"Ok.....Two more pages......"

I was racing the train timetable yesterday while I tried to finish my Contracts homework: the only homework I managed to do all weekend.

I need to cut down on activities! And maybe sleep.

But not right now! I had a dinner to go to! With people I hadn't seen for a long time. In Baltimore.

So I managed to squeeze in a run down 1st Street NW to the Mall, then around the Mall and around the Washington Monument and over to the Lincoln Memorial.
Instead of running around the Memorial, I stopped and got water.
This humidity has really been bothering me of late. My body is all screwy here in D.C.
Back around and back down to 1st, then back up to Massachusetts Avenue and home.
A bit less than 6 miles.
Then, running, racing, last-call-all-aboard-no-ticket-yet whew! I'm on the train.
On the Mall, they've been having a lot of kickball games and softball games.
The softball games make me nervous: it looks like they are using actual softballs.
You'd think, in a city with this many lawyers, that would have been deemed a "bad idea".

Question of the week: what's the difference between a Monument and a Memorial? Ideas?

Pennsylvania the Delicious

Saturday was a banner day.

Sure, I didn't get homework done. So not in terms of responsibility or work ethic.

But it was in terms of food!

Xena and I got to go up to her mom's house for a family dinner. And the in-laws would be there. Which means that the extra-super-delicious food would be more extra-super-delicious and more plentiful.

I wore a caftan equivalent, just to make sure I could fit it all in.

In preparation, I knew I needed to do some running: otherwise, how would I ever manage to fit in that extra serving of soup after the cheese and olive tray and the veggies? Oh, and dessert. And candy.....
Yep. A run was a must.

So I got up early and drove to downtown Baltimore.

Parking on Charles at Friends School, I ran up Charles to Lake Avenue. Took a left on Lake, then left onto Roland Avenue. Up a steep incline before getting to bask in some downhill: I don't think I've gotten up the courage to do this part of the run the opposite way: so many hills!

Past my brothers' old school and Roland Park, then across Coldspring and down onto University, where I encountered some more uphills on the way to St. Paul's Street. Right onto St. Paul's and then down to 33rd, where I took a left to go to the Reservoir.

Then, the same thing happened that happened when the Vivacious Redhead and I were running in Baltimore: I started getting passed in the opposite direction by runners. A LOT of them.

And, just like last time, Baltimore runners have NO sense of other pedestrians - maybe they don't see enough of them? I had to keep jumping out of the way as people didn't look up or didn't think to move over to let someone else pass.
And they weren't going that fast. And it wasn't a race: it was a tune-up run for the Baltimore marathon.
I got peeved enough I told one of the water station volunteers about it when I got to Lake Montebello.
Not that it will likely make a difference, but it made me feel better.
Anyway, did a nice loop around the lake, though the humidity was really getting to me by this point.
Back up 33rd and then a right onto Charles Street.

Something new I learned: Charles turns into Charlecote for one block where I normally run on it. Charles, itself, is one block over. I've been around Baltimore all my life and didn't know that until this weekend!
I struggled a bit up the hill to Coldspring, and again up past Loyola and Notre Dame back to the car.

about 11 1/4 but slow.

Tired but ready for that delicious, delicious food.

Though I still hadn't recovered from the week before. Saturday night, Xena came down to my house and then had to fend for herself as I could barely drag myself through the door to bed.
Another almost 10 hours of sleep.
Why am I so dragg-y?!

In Excess

Too much.

Too much work, too many other commitments.

Too much.

Last week = too much.

Tuesday, I missed the group run, yet again, working against the clock to finish my homework for Wednesday. I think I'll have to put that group run in the dust pile. Sad because it was one I really enjoyed. But maybe it and the Saturday run can keep each other company until I get them out and wipe them off again.

Even after working until midnight and getting up at 4:30am to start again, I had to give up at about 9:00am.

First time I didn't get all my homework done. It wasn't a good feeling. And I was on call in class for the week!

But I got through that. Wednesday, after missing yet another group run in the morning, I squeezed in a Jillian workout with Xena later than I've worked out in years: about 8:45pm, before heading off for dinner and another late night after studying.

Thursday morning, I managed to drag myself awake for the Georgetown group run. First run since Monday.

That sort of time break makes me nervous: I feel like I'm at the point where, like lifting the ox, you need to go running every day or almost everyday, else you won't be able to do it anymore.

I'm the ox, in this analogy. Which means I'm lifting myself. Weird but possibly apt.

We did a great run: around the FDR Memorial and back around the Mall. I had been to the FDR Memorial without realizing it, with the Tuesday group. Now I know another way to get to the Iwo Jima Memorial, too!

It was a small group, with only two other people. But at least I got some company. I've been missing the company on runs a lot.

Here's where it all caught up to me, though. Thursday night found me asleep on the couch by 8:30pm.

Friday morning, bye bye run, cleaning and other chores: that got flushed along with my hearing, apparently. I slept through 3 alarms to finally rise at 8:30am, 12 hours later.

Too much. And this weekend seems like more of the same. Good too muches, this time, but too much everything nonetheless.

Moving somewhere where I know people has a lot of ups but it also leads to some overcommittments.

And I need to figure out how to do my homework faster. At this rate, I'll spend all my time doing that and no time doing fun stuff.

Plus, I need to keep lifting that ox.

Despite Amtrak

I managed to get a run in today! Yay!

The regular Amtrak, on the weekends, is like a bus with a snack car. It stops just about everywhere and the bathrooms smell about as bad.

I'm spoiled from having a job and, therefore, feeling justified in taking the Acela.

Now, jobless, I take the cheapest regular train I can find.

At least I get a chance to get work done. A LOT of work done.

Yesterday, I left Boston at 3:00pm. I got home at a quarter to midnight. After chores and such, it was 1:00am or so.

Not the best for feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning before class!

(By the way, I have no idea, really, why that saying is supposed to mean what it does. Suave says that my family has an odd set of Southern colloquialisms.)

And today was a doozy. Constitutional Law and Contracts, where I was on call, plus some extra Legal Writing homework and a meeting to go to in the afternoon. Add tired and it was not conducive to actually getting out there to run.

I've been having a lot of afternoon running motivational problems, actually. I fought with myself all the way home about running, giving myself deals and lying to myself about where I'd go.

Cloudy but cool as I strapped on my shoes. Funny, but my body temperature has gone haywire: the cool weather makes such a difference. I felt it on yesterday's slow run with Suave and I felt it again today - it was only about 72 and cloudy.

Plus, I didn't bring my water bottles. "Just go down H Street to 8th Street NE and see how it goes."

The run was broken up into motivational segments like that. "You can always just stop after the next one, if you feel like it."

White lies. I'm still not sure how I convince myself of the truth of them, even as I am conscious of the fact that I am lying to myself.

Anyway, I got to tour the cool houses of the revitalized NE and SE before turning right onto Pennsylvania Avenue, then right onto 1st St NE by the reflecting pool, around the pool to Madison and down the Mall, around the Washington Monument and around the Lincoln Memorial then back around the reflecting pool, up 1st Avenue NW and left onto Massachusetts and home.

A lot of people play softball on the lawn by the Washington Memorial. Fear of getting hit in the temple by a ball, which caused the only fatality during a game in baseball in the early 20th century, makes me skittish.

And now that I'm running more slowly, running without my headphones doesn't seem to be as big a deal. Interesting.

A tiny bit under 9 miles. Yay!

Plus, I had an awesome fairy find my lost phone and give it back to me today. What luck!

Tandem

I did two tandem workouts this weekend.

Well, I don't know that I can call the first a "workout". But Suave and I did walk to Mt. Auburn Cemetary and around it, then we walked down to MIT and back near Harvard.

That was enough for my sore butt.

This morning, though, I woke up in a cookie-guilt-fugue.

I had to run.

But I've barely gotten to see Suave! What to do?!

I persuaded him to bike/furiously try to balance so he didn't fall over while I jogged around the Charles River.

A loop around the Arsenal Bridge to the River Street Bridge and back to the dorms. About 6 miles.

It was really fun! I was going so slowly that it likely wasn't a cardio workout - I didn't even have to breathe hard. But it loosened up my butt and hamstrings from their eeky tightness from the workout video.
So the run wasn't a total waste.

Plus, I got to be out in the sun with some really good company.

And then I beat him terribly at the crossword.

Aaaaaaah

Ouch!

My rear end!

I was a BIT too enthusiastic about Jillian's "No More Trouble Zones" workout on Friday.

I should have known when my arms were trembling just from holding myself up.

That DVD is a bit deceptive, actually. There's not nearly as much cardio, so you think to yourself..."Oh, this isn't so bad......I can squat a bit more/lunges a bit lower.....Etc."

Then, you realize that you just did almost 10 minutes worth of ab work, you, whose idea of ab work is usually eating too many cheese fries.

Ow.

Interesting, too, how you can be in shape in one context and out of shape in another.

My rear hurt all weekend. Right under my gluts.

An Unexpected Solo

Well.....Not entirely unexpected. I had sent a message on Facebook to one of the guys who has been running on Thursday mornings and got no response.

But, always hopeful, I took myself over to campus to wait and see if anyone would join me this morning.

After the 5 minute rule expired, I ran off. No headphones today because I was expecting company.

Actually, the change of solo-run-with-no-headphones was nice.

Plus I passed two people.

And I got a chance to really get neurotic about this semester, with all the changes and the pressure to do well.

A girl needs some time for neuroses, after all! If you don't give them time, they just wither away and die.

Today was a good day. And it's still before 9:00am!

Down to the Mall, then around the Lincoln Memorial. About 6 miles?

Re-Enactments and the 4 Bodily Humors

That's what we talked about on the run this morning.

And someone got a joke I made about the hot, thin blood that Aristotle talks about in De Animae.

Heh. I love it when someone gets my joke! And I didn't even have to explain it!

I guess this is what you talk about when you have a right-wing leaning economics policy person running with a Medieval scholar with a philosophy person.

Nerd-dome was high. But it made the run go by pretty fast. And took my mind off of the paper I have to finish for tomorrow.

For school. I feel weird saying that.

But I ran to meet them at Staunton Park in NE, then we ran down to the Reflecting Pool and around the Mall and around the Washington Monument and then back through the Congressional park part.

And, I got to visit a new neighborhood! After that, I needed to tack on some more miles but didn't have the time or the inclination to do a whole 'nother loop.

So I ran with the Medievalist up to Bloomington, which is in NE near the line between NE and NW up past R street.

After running uptown and uphill with her there, I breathed a sigh of relief, slowed down, and ran East on R until I hit the MBT, then ran down 1st Street NE, turning on Mass Ave to go home.

About 10 miles. I'm getting slower. It's not just the water bottles.

Outdoors - the Real Stuff

Not sure that I always like the real outdoors for running.

You know, the real outdoors: not my usual urban chaos, not even a short oasis in the trees.

The real outdoors, where all there is around you is green. And biting insects.

I got to see my brother and my sister-in-law on Monday. My brother humored me with a run. My sister-in-law wisely declined and efficiently got work done.

Firstly, you usually have to drive to the real outdoors. In our case, we had to drive over to the B & O trail off of Ashland Road. (Ok: a rails-to-trails space might not qualify as the real outdoors but, in a state as small and as densly packed as Maryland, that's almost as close as we get.)

And the drive, during rushhour, took almost 40 minutes. For about three miles.

Me, in the car: We can just park at Mars. There's a parking lot. Then, we can just run up York Road and meet the trail.
My brother: Um, that would make us run up one of the most car-clogged roads in all of Baltimore county. We'd just see cars and breathe in smog. Oh, and don't forget the strip malls.
Me, swinging leg impatiently: but then we'd be running! Not sitting in the car.
Brother, speaking slowly as to a irrational child: Well, there's this thing called 'quality of run'. And we'd likely just run to the trail and have to turn back. And you're talking about parking my new car with boxes in the back in the middle of a parking lot in the Baltimore area.
Me: Thhhppt. You'll see!

Anyway, we got there. And the run itself was awesome because my brother humored me in going slowly. We had a lot to catch up on and running my mouth makes me not run as fast with my legs.

And it was great to run on loose gravel/dirt instead of concrete or asphalt.

But when you (or, at least, I) tend to think about the real outdoors, you think about cliffs showing a waterfall, or emerald lushness around a sparkling pond with a blue and white-wisped sky.

We had some greeny-brown stuff, a greeny-brown river that wasn't doing much of anything, a lot of bugs and murky skies. Bo-ring.

But, maybe that's part of the point. Why have so much eye stimulation, like I have in the city, or in one of those real outdoors areas I am always imagining?

The lack of eye stimulation certainly made me concentrate more on my brother's conversation. And on how my body felt, running.

Which was probably better, after all.

And that gravel/dirt was awefully nice on the old knees.

1 hour and 15 minutes so.....Hopefully, 8 miles.....

New Neighborhoods

Georgia Avenue, in parts of Petworth, is kinda sketchy. Interestingly, when you go just a few blocks over to 16th street, you see large houses, lawns, and at least 50% yuppies.

Reminds me of Baltimore.

Also makes me glad that I run. How else would I experience most of these neighborhoods, otherwise?

Along the way, I recognized where I crossed Georgia Avenue on Friday. Since I'm only jogging, I can see the buildings in enough detail to notice eccentricities.

If I were driving, I doubt I would have noticed that I had crossed paths with myself at all.

First, I ran down 3rd Street until I got to E St. SW. A quick jog over to 4th street and then down to M St, which turns into Maine.

Interesting mix of houses and businesses down by the waterfront.

Turning onto 7th, a long slog uptown. Through this part of the run, I wasn't feeling that great. Breathing problems and tiredness was dogging me.

"Should I bail the rest of the run?" "Maybe after I pass Howard. Then, I'll have run at least around 6."

I should have listened to myself Saturday. Bummed I had to bail on Lebanese food with my best friend, I consoled myself with some early nachos and Italian Ice. Both of which made me not feel very well.

So I didn't really eat anything past 5:00pm on Saturday.

Not enough if I'm going running in the morning!

For, as soon as I ate about 3/4 of a gu that I brought with me, I felt much better - even though I was going uphill.

7th Street, which turns into Georgia Avenue, is pretty much ALL uphill when you are heading North.

At Missouri Avenue, I cut to the left and then took a left again on 16th.

Exit the crackheads enter the yuppies. Weird.

Boy, was I tired once I got down to Massachusetts Avenue. I let myself slow down even more as I headed home.

A bit over 13 slow, warm miles

Sharp Left Turns

Some new territory was in order. Onto Mapmyrun I went, boldly outlining my route.

The theme: almost 360 degree left turns. There were 3 of them.

Now, as you all know, running in unfamiliar territory is exhilarating. It changes up your routine. It makes things different and makes you focus on your surroundings.

It also can make for some semi-unwelcome surprises. Like what I found out about North Capitol Street NW past Wisconsin.

It turns into a sort-of highway. At first, it wasn't so bad. There was a flat part on the side with some grass.

Then, it got slanted.

Then, there was only a small patch of shrubs next to a fence, with cars whizzing past. So I had to stop.......run-in-the-street-ooh-here-comes-a-car....STOP..........run......etc.

Very irritating. And the long grass was itchy.

I checked for ticks. No sign so far.

Here's the route: down H Street NE until just past 14th, where I took my first almost-360 turn onto Florida. I ran up Florida until I got to North Capitol. I took a right on North Capitol and everything went swimmingly for a while. Then the highway fiasco. Up past all the federal cemetaries, I took my second almost-360 left turn onto New Hampshire Avenue. Then, down New Hampshire, zigging and zagging, until it turned into Sherman Avenue. Taking another sharp left, Sherman somehow turned into 9th Street NW. I took that down to Massachusetts Avenue and then took that home-with a detour to the coffee shop on 5th and H.

You see, I deserved the coffee. And I likely needed some liquids. I didn't drink that much from my water bottles during the run: it's hard to feel thirsty when you are being innundated with water.

Shorts, shoes, shirt soaked. From multiple surges of sheeting water.

It looks like it's stopped now.

I am over rain. I've already decided that, if it is raining hard tomorrow morning, I'm skipping the group long run - even though I've skipped it two weeks in a row already.

No more rain! No more flooded intersections!!!!!!

I am anti. Though it could be worse: it could be cold rain.

About 11 miles

It's Always a Plus to Have a Girl on a Run

It happened again today. This particular run, the group was small: just me and two other guys due to the weather.

I wasn't going to miss, though! Rain and oversleeping couldn't bring me down - especially when I've only run on the treadmill, and only once this week, because of my lightning weenie-ness.

So, one of the guys did track work last night. Really intense track work, from what it sounds like. So he was happy to go a moderate pace and then cut off early to save his legs.

The other guy was clearly NOT thinking that we were going a moderate pace. But he was raring along the whole time the other guy was running with us.

Almost to the second that the other guy turned off, he turned to me.

"Hey, I'm feeling a bit tired. Mind if we slow down?"

And then we did, including taking a few walk breaks on the way back.

Now, I'm not training for anything, so I didn't mind. And it was great to be outside. And we weren't going terrapin-slow or anything.
And I got to chatter away.

So there were positives. I think it's funny, though, how guys are this way - even when they are not these macho men.

I've seen almost every guy I've run with do this, whether consciously or not.

They run with the other guys, maybe running faster than they would otherwise.

But I'm always the reason they can go slower if they want to.

No testosterone battle? More easygoing? Ladies, does this happen to you, as well?

Anyway. A fun, albeit wet, run around the Lincoln Memorial. About 6 miles-maybe a bit less.

Mileage is pathetic this week! But perhaps I will get Jillian's butt, what with all her workouts I've been doing.

There are certainly worse things.