Some Killer Queen You Are

It's a hundred miles an hour on a dirt road

Runnin' away

              -The Bleachers

Adding up the numbers, it seems I need to run four miles today and tomorrow to get my 50 for the month. I did it today, and the thought of doing it again tomorrow makes me pretty damn cranky. 

I ran two before yoga and two after. Unlike my sister, I'm finding it kind of nice to run after yoga. My breathing is better and I'm generally in a happy state and have a nice relaxing run. (This question of whether to run before or after yoga is apparently this year's hot topic. For kicks, you should look back in the archives for our scintillating discussions on running outside vs treadmill running. Compelling, I tell you.) Anyway, I think as long as you are taking it easy, running after yoga can be nice. 

So after all that hard work, I rewarded myself with pancakes and bacon. Following the estimable Rachel Maddow on the Twitter machine, I found this delightful recipe that was evidently Rosa Parks'. 

Fuck this shit

And now I just can't take no more
I've had it up to here!
I've had it
I've had it
- Weezer

I've run 13 miles in the last 4 days plus yoga, and I'm tired dammit! The good news is I'm at 49.5 for the month with a day left. If I do my 2 miles and yoga tomorrow I'm all good. But if I'm struggling this much in February with the mountain readily available to me, then this summer is gonna suck. I did yoga yesterday and two miles and then hit the mountain this morning with my booty complaining loudly most of the way. I heard this huge crash behind me coming down and turned around to see this guy sprawled on his face. He was a big dude and boy did he fall hard. He then ran ahead of me in sure hoping to never see me again. It did make me feel better about the many times the mountain has taken me down. Now I vow I shan't leave the couch of righteousness! My ears are all plugged up and I'm snotty from running in the February spring even though I took a Zyrtec this morning. Good times.

The dog days are over

And I never wanted anything from you
Except everything you had
And what was left after that too

              -Florence and the Machine

It's been a rough few weeks. Dog got sick, dog had to be put down, son got sick, interviews for new jobs and blah blah blah. 

So running has been nothing short of rare. But today I finally got it together and went to yoga and ran three miles. I upgraded my gym membership so now I can go to the fancy gyms, which is nice. While they aren't as fancy as my sister's gym, they are a lot better than the regular gyms, so that is nice. 

I have been sticking with my twice per week yoga commitment, and I might possibly be a fraction more flexible. A small fraction. Like .00001 more flexible. Possibly. 

Wheezy

We've spent this whole time on the run
From a lie that I told
That you closed your eyes and you chose to believe
- Airborne Toxic Event, Bride & Groom

It was a tough choice I had to make this afternoon: nap or gym? Nap was very close to winning out. Thank goddess J got home from school so I had to pretend to be working. And then it was relatively easy to head to gym. I drive because it is 85 freaking degrees out which is really not cool in February (no pun intended. Ok totally intended). So I did two wheezy miles on the track. I thought I'd be ok inside and cool but I should have hit the inhaler. Then I walked to the yoga room only to discover that they no longer offer the 430 Friday class. Or the 600. I guess most lazy fuckers can't be bothered to exercise on Friday evening, as also evidenced by the sparsely populated gym. Or just maybe, only losers go to the gym on Friday evening. Something to ponder.

Happy

I wipe the slate clean
I kick the daydream,
And remain independently happy
- Blue October - Independently Happy

I took to the mountain today and thought a lot about how truly happy I am. Despite some things that got me down this week, I really can't complain. How many people can work in slippers all day and cut out at 430 to run on a mountain?  I've reached a place where I'm truly enjoying my life and for the most part letting things happen, not trying to control outcomes. It's so much more relaxing to live like that. And I got to enjoy first hand this beautiful sunset. 

Oh, I will try
But I tell you it ain't easy using only words
And so I'll begin
But I'll start at the end
- Kongos, This Time I Won't Forget

I love this song. I did 3.5 around the hood this evening. That's all I have to say about that.

I need freedom now
And I need to know how
To live my life as it's meant to be

And I'll find strength in pain
And I will change my ways
I'll know my name as it's called again

- Mumford & Sons - The Cave 

So I couldn't manage to go yesterday after sweating for 2 hours at a lacrosse game. And I couldn't possible go before - I was enjoying the opportunity to sleep late. It's been weeks. And I didn't end up going in Atlanta - I got a dinner invite that was much more tempting than the hotel gym. So today it has been almost a week since I last ran!  I ran to yoga and then ran/walked home for four miles. I still need 17 miles in the next 8 days to hit 50 for the month. Oy vey. Thank god for leap year and that extra day this month. 

Amazeballs

In the valley
Here my heart sinks
There will no strings
I'm worth nothing
- AWOLnation, Drinking Lightening

I spent way too much time tonight trying to figure out these lyrics. I like this song. I amazed myself tonight by going 3.5 miles, no walk breaks until 3. I'm in LA for work and then going to Atlanta so I knew it would be tough getting the miles in this week. That is the motivation this blog provides. I got to my room and got dressed right away but once I sat on the bed I wanted to lie down so very much. But I went. And now I only need 4 more for the week. Hopefully I will get a day or two in Atlanta and then I have Saturday. But there's a LAX game on Sat and then K and I talked about going to the horse show, both of which are way more important. Anyhoodle now I'm in bed watching the bachelor and starving because I'm too tired to get dinner. At least I had a protein bar in my bag. Peace.

A Valentine Sunrise

What voodoo magic is this brew??

It's empty in the valley of your heart
The sun, it rises slowly as you run
Away from all the fears
And all the faults you've left behind
- Sandy

I read somewhere awhile ago that if you've been running consistently for any amount of time, you've figured out how to make yourself poop. I was mystified by this. I've been running since I was about 10 years old and this skill as eluded me all these years. In fact, before half marathons I always took an Imodium (the night before and morning of) to ensure my run wouldn't be interrupted by the call of nature. And it generally works, except in my one fill marathon I still ended up waiting in the poop line for about 10 minutes. Very frustrating. So this morning I did an 8k trail run and decided to take a different approach. I drank a mocha on my way there, and within 30 minutes I had to go. I stopped at a gas station so I wouldn't have to deal with the mess of port-a-pottys. I arrived at the run with a bounce in my step and an eager gleam in my eye. Unprecedented. I even had to go again before the run, which resulted in a similar situation as last time I pooped in a port-a-potty before a race. Let's just say my shooting average could use some improvement. I pity the fool who went in after me. But I digress. I felt pretty damn good most of the run. It wasn't in the mountains as much as I hoped, and was really a trail through generally level desert. But it was beautiful and I got to watch the sunrise. And, I finished in exactly an hour, which was rather miraculous. I went into today without any goal except, of course, to finish. I figured 1:10 would be a very good time and more likely 1:15 or 1:20. So to finish in 60:48 was a wonderful surprise. I don't know why it took me so many years to be able to figure out how to choke down coffee and learn this little runners secret, but in glad I did. After the run I picked up and delivered valentines for my babies. What an awesome V-day it is!! Nothing better than spending time doing the things you love. Peace.

It's not the life it seems

What will it take to show you that
It's not the life it seems
(I'm not okay)
I told you time and time again
You sing the words but don't know what it means
- My Chemical Romance, I'm not okay

An oldie but a goodie here. And a great song to run to. My run today was totally uninspired. Two miles to finish for the week and I didn't even run the whole thing. I was thinking today how strange the ups and downs of running still are to me. Sometimes you go out to do what should be an easy run and it just sucks. And sometimes (less often it feels like) you feel like you're gonna stink it up and you end up flying. As my sister said, it's a miracle anyone sticks with running. It's only through experience I know to keep slogging through and it will get better. I hope it's better for my trail run on Sunday! My Valentine to me!

I surrender

I got a secret fan, IMAGINE that my man
There must be something in the air because I'm sick again
I'm gonna flood the well I've gotta rebel yell
- Awolnation - Dreamers

This cactus always makes me smile on my way back home. It's right before this awful hill, as if to give permission to surrender. I didn't do so hot on my 3.5 neighborhood route today. Had to take some walk breaks and walked the last mile. I blame my illness, this, the THIRD cold I've had this season. I just can't hang like I used to. I have my 5 mile trail run in the superstitions coming up on Sunday and I've really been looking forward to it!!  I demand to be healthy before then. 

Rinse and repeat

And I know what's on your mind

God knows I put it there

But if I took it back

We'd be nowhere

You'd be nowhere again

 - Mumford and Sons, Cold Arms 

I decided to do my running at the gym tonight. There's no place easier to run than around the indoor track - flat, temperature controlled, and easy viewing distance to the hot totties on the basketball court. I ended up putting this song on repeat for awhile. It mesmerizes me. I truly didn't want to do yoga and at one point had reconciled myself to just heading home but I ended up giving it a try and it was ok. There's not much opportunity to take it easy in yoga but I tried.   I spent most of the class thinking about dinner. I made delicious nachos when I got home and won a contest of rock, paper, scissors with my boy so he went and got Mcflurries. Couch of righteousness feels good. 

Fuck your ghost

A riot, suggesting
Alone I'm protesting
There's no one here standing
No loopholes, no branding
- Awolnation, Like People, Like Plastic

I capped a very busy weekend off by running the mountain again - after running it Friday and yoga/running on Thursday, pedicures, hot tub, etc. I ran a lot on the way up today despite my thinking it was going to be a tough run, but on the way down I was tired and wanted to walk. Only I couldn't because the ghost of my sister was behind me threatening to overtake me. That's the thing - the great benefit of this blog and this goal - we push each other to do better. Sometimes that pushing has been more like shoving, and sometimes that has resulted in bruised feelings and egos. But still here we are, supporting one another, pushing one another, and most importantly making each other laugh. We had a big ol party for her bday this weekend and she somehow raged until 4am (I snuck up to bed at 11).  I have a memory of bragging that I can poop anywhere. I'm not sure what conversation was taking place that made this a braggable accomplishment, but the one-upmanship must continue at any cost. So I ran today, harder and further than I otherwise would have were I not being chased by a ghost. 

Balance In Motion

I had a different post in mind. It was going to be titled "Sandy Is Trying To Kill Me".  But today I was going down this mountain that she made me run, and I was remembering the last time I did it (she's a real treat, she makes me run it every time I'm here). 

I didn't run down the mountain last time, I was just too scared of falling. And so this time I was considering how running down a mountain is such a huge act of faith in your body. In my head it goes something like this:

Head: Okay, I'm going to hurl myself down this mountain. Body, you make sure I stay upright and on my feet, okay? 

Body: Uhhh

So anyway, it is this large act of faith in your body. That your feet will find the right places to land. That your knees will stay strong and steady, supporting your weight. That your body will find the correct balance in motion as you fling yourself downhill. 

My body and I have a complicated history. But I ran down that mountain today. It held me up just fine. 

  

Something Infinite

Did yoga last night and another three miles. I didn't like this class as much as the one I did on Sunday, so I'll need to figure out a different weekday class. Plus, it was too late, I didn't get home until around 9. I then woke up with my hip yelling at me (I think caused by a stretch position called the pidgin?) anyway, the instructor went too fast for my taste. 

But every once in a while I feel like I get yoga. She didn't invite people to leave before the meditation last night, so I didn't. And she was playing some African  lion king type music and just for a second I felt something.... Something infinite. 

Afraid to lose control
And caught up in this world
I've wasted time, I've wasted breath
I think I've thought myself to death
- Kongos

As great as my run was yesterday, today sucked. I ran on the indoor track and it was terrible. No energy. I walked a couple laps on the second mile. Then I went into yoga and I just could not get into it. The class was relatively full but nobody was in the back row but my. My odiferous reputation must be spreading. I'm not fond of this particular instructor - she tends to jump right into things without adequate warm up. She had us doing major abdominal exercises five minutes in. So I left after 30 minutes. I can only recall one or two other times when I've done that but it just felt like a waste of time. I mean there are people in Iowa deciding the fate of our country tonight people! I don't know why those losers get to decide but it's a bummer that the damn elections are already all but done by the time AZ rolls in. Plus the bachelor is on tonight. Enough said. I'm going to Texas tomorrow so out for the next two days but I have a yoga date with my blista sista on Thursday!!!