The First Step is Admitting You Have a Problem

So, I haven't been blogging about running very much, because I realized that it must be amazingly boring to read, but today might be worthwhile.

I've been ramping up my miles 'cause I'm doing a marathon soon (disturbingly soon, actually), so today's run was planned to be a really gorgeous run of about 14 miles. It's a bit of a pain for the first 2 miles or so because you have to run through some very nasty car-centric areas with lots of traffic lights.

Once you get past that chunk, it's a really beautiful part of town that no mortal human could afford to live in, but credit where credit is due, they've got a lot of greenspace and running trials. Must be nice to be rich, but hey, at least they haven't blocked it off to through running yet. It's even so swanky they've got water fountains on the trails.

After that bit, it gets even better. It's a pretty famous area, so I'll spare the description, but there's green, there's water, and curse me for being so crass, there's an unending stream of women who are... well... another nice aspect of the scenery.

So, the fun part of the story is that I got to the turnaround point and I was really feeling pretty good for having run 7 miles. No stitches, feet felt fine, knees and back and heck, everywhere - not even much muscle ache. So hey, my endorphin-addled brain asked me, "why not run further?" It's just an out and back, right? I could just add another mile or so on, turn around and zip-zop, no problem. Add another couple of miles to my weekly total and be ahead of the game for my prep work, right?

Ah, hubris.

Anywhoo. I kept on running, thinking I knew there was another major geographic point that should be coming up soon. I figured I'd turn around there, and it would make a pretty picture on my GPS map when I got home. (Yes I really did consider that on the 'pro' side of the mental note paper. The 'con' side was curiously absent such phrases as 'pain,' 'idiocy' or 'brittle knees snapping like dry kindling')

So I keep running on, becoming more concerned that I hadn't seen my new turnaround point. The added problem was that it is a beautiful day today, so when I did see it in the distance, it was way in the distance, but by that point my head was set to get there.

Long story short (well, not really short, but trust me, I could drag this on for pages), at the turnaround point, I looked at my GPS, and saw that I had run ten miles. Even at that point though, I didn't realize the pain I was in for. To be honest, I did ok up until about mile 15 where you turn into the uber-neighborhood. From that point on, it was really more of a shuffle run.

I did make it home - no walking. I had a wee bit of joy getting up the stairs, but after a nice long bath and a brutal NYT crossword, I'm feeling much more human. Only real pain is muscle pain and a little bit of arch grief.

Hooray for idiocy and bullheadedness!

Oh, and that GPS map looked really cool.

What is This Weekend Of Which You Speak?

I'm not really sure how to cope with this new information. I think that I may not have to work through the entire weekend in my office. I may very well be able to squeeze out a whole day without working on any specific projects.

So... It's been a while. What do people do when they aren't working?

Once More Unto the Quiz, Dear Friends

Without ado, further or otherwise, a quiz. (sentence fragment -.5, unnecessarily wordy -.5, awkward -.5)

1.

You crave attention--you can never say no
Throw your affections anyway the wind blows
You always make it--you're on top of the scene
You sell the copy like the cover of a magazine

2. This one may be a bit hard, but I had to use it just because of that 3rd line.

Here today, gone tomorrow
It’s possible, but I doubt it
His kiss is credit in the bank of love
I never leave home without it

3.

Keep a clean nose
Watch the plain clothes
You don't need a weather man
To know which way the wind blows

4.

Another year and then you'll be happy
Just one more year and then you'll be happy
But you're cryin'
You're cryin' now

5.

So you think your schooling's phony
I guess it's hard not to agree
You say it all depends on money
And who is in your family tree

6.

I picked up my bag, I went lookin' for a place to hide;
When I saw Carmen and the Devil walkin' side by side.
I said, "Hey, Carmen, come on, let's go downtown."
She said, "I gotta go, but my friend can stick around."

7. Really popular/infamous song, but more obscure lyrics

Outside it's cold misty and it's raining,
They got each other neither one's complaining,
He says I sorry but I'm out of milk and coffee,
Never mind sugar we can watch the early movie.

8.

Now you're in trouble, maybe she's an intellectual
What if she figures out you're not very smart
Or maybe she's the quiet type who's into heavy metal
Boy, you got to get it settled
Cause she's breaking your heart

9.

That's the way it began, we were hand in hand
Glenn Miller's Band was better than before
We yelled and screamed for more
And the Porter tunes "Night and Day"
Made us dance across the room
It ended all too soon
And on the way back home

10.

Working on the sound of the band
Trying to get the music right
Two go out working
Three stay home at night

Ya know, after looking back at those, they're pretty tough... Good luck!

I Have Hopes

It's been a real killer-diller of a couple of weeks for your host here at Overread Central. I shamefully admit, I haven't even been reading blogs, so I humbly apologize if you've had something important going on. I completely missed it. I'm going to try to get back into the blogging swing of things, so we'll see how that goes for us.

For now, I think the least I can do would be a bullet-list. And I mean it. It's the least I can do. That's why I'm going to do it. :)

• The nasty project that was hanging over my head has left my laptop on electronic wings, soaring to my advisor. If he likes the ideas, it will become the huge monster project to use in hunting funding. I have hopes.
• The marathon is still go. It will happen in a few weeks, but due to a bit of arch/heel pain, there will be no attempt to break any time barrier short of 24 hours. I have hopes.
  
• I bought a lottery ticket. I have hopes.
• My computers are conspiring against me. My laptop seems to enjoy certain international websites only until I find crucial information, then it shuts down. Also, the speaker only works when it wants to. So far I think I've discovered that it approves of 80s pop, but not musical theatre. My desktop has become very protective of the home network. Protective enough that it thinks I probably shouldn't be allowed to use it. We are in negotiations. I have hopes.
• While writing, I've been listening to music. Expect a few quizzes in the near future.
  
• My library rocks. I was let into the Special Collections room because one of the books I needed was apparently "special." I not really sure why. It wasn't particularly rare or fragile, but ah well. Before I was ushered into the chapel of books, they made me lock up all my bags and books and pens in a locker. Then, in the inner-sanctum, they brought out a special mini-podium made of cushions on which they carefully placed the book. There was also a delicately-balanced padded page-holder that held the book open to the table of contents. I sat down with great reverence, only to discover on looking at the table of contents that there would surely be nothing in the book that I could use. Embarrassed, I flipped through the pages for a few minutes in the hopes that they would think their efforts were appreciated, then I left.
• I have hopes.