The Continuing Adventures of Toots and Sally: Two Women. One Marathon. A Dream.
That’s the most positive adjective I could find for today’s run. I switched today’s 6 with tomorrow’s 3. Neither Guinness or I could get it going today. It was gorgeous outside, however, even though I thought I might die from overheating when I got to the west side of the lake with the wind at my back. No one is supposed to be that sweaty when it’s under 20° outside…
“Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast” – W. Shakespeare
(yeah, right.)
I’m rubbing my hands together with glee! Wickedly. Can’t complain; our landlord has a snow blower for us to use.
3, dawg, snow, uff da!
“Getting an inch of snow is like winning 10 cents in the lottery.” -Bill Watterson
As I run around the lake, it feels and looks like the snow is flying horizontally and pelting my eyes and face no matter what direction I am running.
Today starts the new training season for the June 6 marathon. In that spirit: “The secret to a rich life is to have more beginnings than endings.” I must have any awfully rich life, then.
Today’s run? 3 snowy miles. Snowy eyelashes, very snowy dog, frozen upright and swooshed bangs (it was très sexy!), red, red face, and very little knee pain.
“When late morning rolls around and you’re feeling a bit out of sorts, don’t worry; you’re probably just a little eleven o’clockish.” – Winnie the Pooh
I figured that was what made me dash out the door to go running. I tried to run the route I’m doing on Wednesday with The Class, but I misread the directions I had written on my hand, and realized about .5 miles in that I had forgotten to use my inhaler before starting out.
Feh.
Supposed to rain here all week. Of course, I’ll still be running.
Lumpy and Sally had a debate about which it was. Here are the Webster defs:
Absolution: A formal freeing; forgiveness. (I’m skipping the religious crap that I don’t believe in.)
to redeem: to buy back, to get back; to recover, as by paying a fee. To pay off. To fulfill (a promise or pledge)…
There are many more definitions of redemption. I didn’t know that I was slightly off in the word. Lumpy suggested absolution and I think perhaps he was right. My own personality suggests redemption, and my recent struggles suggest a pay off, but, frankly, today’s run was about letting myself just fracking run.
I did 20. I was supposed to do it yesterday, and Coworker #1 came out on her bike to find me, for which I am so very grateful. NOT ONE OTHER PERSON CAME OUT. I heard from 3-4 who said they would, but did not. CW1 was there EVEN WHEN I WASN’T!!!!!! She saved me from crying during a few training runs for Paris. She met us and saved us, in general. Thank you, lady. Continue reading ‘Sally’s redemption/absolution.’
That was my workout today. It’s supposed to make me faster. Yep. Fuh real.
I somewhat “enjoyed” my workout and was pleased and proud at the end, but damn, it’s hard to actually engage yourself with 7 x hill. It just is. Especially when the hill you chose has 4-8 gangsta white boys going in and out while you’re “whumphing” down the hill in front of their place. I was waiting with bated breath for the comments and hoots, but they refrained. Thanks, guys!!! Maybe you recognized my effort or my Chicago attitude. Either way, I busted ass today, simply hoping for a long term pay-off. We’ll see, I guess!
“It is not by muscle, speed, or physical dexterity that great things are achieved, but by reflection, force of character, and judgment” -Marcus Tullius Cicero (Apparently this guy never RAN.)
“The Truth is that Running Hurts. No one gets faster without meeting their personal pain barrier straight on. No amount of junk miles, fun runs or affirmations are going to get you over the hill at the five mile mark in a 10k. However, what will pull you through is solid prep with hard hill runs and interval work.”
Manciata’s explanation of the Truth about Running
Wow, that may be the one truth I’ve read about running that actually feels true to me. I’d like to have no more junk miles nor too many fun runs, but let’s see. Oh, and if any of you would like to come to Portland (PDX for the airport geeks…) we’d love to have you. October 4. Ugh. It seems so close and so far. It seems like a good reason to visit the Oregon vineyards…
Strange. We went to the opposite side of Lebanon Hills today (new routes, new chances to fall!) and it seemed as if a whole swarm of dragonflies decided to adopt us and fly with us at various points during the run. (Us being me and Dawg.) I think I actually liked this section better, even with the accompaniment of hundreds of little Evinrudes.
I cut it a little short because G was so dang hot. We kept shoving each other out of the best parts of the path, since apparently neither one of us cares where the other runs as long as we each have the best footing. She’s less sly about it than I am, but she herds me to where she thinks I should be running. Sad. This is my life.
Saved the best part for last…Guinness decided to eat some tin foil that was in the recycling bag one night. We didn’t know until the next morning. Well, she’s been “expelling” it bit by bit, but saved the best for me in the car. We ran just shy of 4 miles out in the woods. No puke. No issues. Just hot. We get in the car and are more than halfway home and she decides to yak up a huge wad of foil in the back seat. Craptastic. I won’t detail what it smelled like, but think fetid; spoiled; rotten. Ick. Once again, this is my life. It may be hard to believe, but at one point I had very high ambitions. Now I’m being herded by my obnoxiously smart dog and cleaning up puke. Shoulda just had kids…
“The best things in life are silly” – Scott Adams
“Silly is you in a natural state, and serious is something you have to do until you can get silly again.” – Mike Myers
From one of my favorite series of books:
Some memories you don’t want to put words on . . . because that would change them.
Suppose, for instance, you gave a savage a helicopter ride. The experience would be rich and vivid for him. If on his return to his village, he told friends he had been in a little cave of ice that flew like a bird, at first his memories would still be true, and different from what he said–but the more times he told or rethought the sotry, the more “helicopter” would become “flying ice cave” . . . which, after all, is a lesser thing.
By naming the inexpressible; you lose it.
–Edison Ripsborn
’nuff said. for now.
I wasn’t sure if I was going to be ready to write this post, but I’ve been so inspired today by the She Runs moms, by Toots and Lumpy over the weekend, and by spending some time writing up a summer running/sport calendar, that I feel like I’m well on my way to getting over my first DNF ever. I’m going to be self indulgent enough to write some of the nice things folks said about me.
1. Toots reminded me that I have created a direct or indirect wave of runners coming after me. Very cool.
2. Lumpy and Toots reminded me that I ran smart and walked off when I should have.
3. One of the She Runs moms: “It’s not every day you find a group (a ’sport’) where the coaches are supportive, encouraging and their main focus is the child succeeding, what a refreshing experience!”
4. Another mom: “Sally had/has a great “way” with young girls. What a wonderful role model for my child.” (I will tear up every time I read that!)
