Meathook Manicure

I did, in fact, go on a 2 1/4-mile run, Friday night. Of course the first mile or so was rough, since I hadn't done it in so long. But at the midpoint, it hit me: "I've been waiting for this for so long." My run could have lasted longer, but I did not want any possibility of a tendinitis flareup to occur.

Well, I guess I'm a chump. It's currently 42 degrees outside--cold and rainy. Rather than gain inspiration from the runners I still see out there, I'm just sitting here...feeling lumpy. I decided not to run the 5K on Saturday, mainly so that I don't complicate the time spent while Emilie is in town.

Oh, and she told me today that she'll be going out for a run tomorrow...in upstate New York. You and I know what that means: I need to get out there and try for three miles.

And as I promised, and as no one cares... :-)


Perhaps it will end up being the "before" photo of a "before"/"after" diptych.

I don't wanna look like that, oh you make me breakout

Many things have been encircling my mind lately, and most have to do with self-improvement, my own expectations of life, others and myself, and the ability to seize the day more effectively. I have been accused of over-thinking things before--I wouldn't deny that it happens more than with which I am comfortable. Tonight I realized that not only am I a difficult person to please, but it's equally difficult to please myself. Several times per day, something will stimulate and excite me, but I need a worthy follow-up to keep my contentment satiated. I create missions for myself that wouldn't make sense to anyone else, and it only "makes things right" for my mind to handle later. (Even all that was much to digest, for myself included.)

I have been in this arm cast for a little over a couple weeks now. (For those who are not aware, I broke a bone in my wrist in a bicycle accident. A wood piece flipped up into my spokes during an evening work commute, causing me to fly over my handlebars. I broke my entire fall with my left hand...I think--I don't remember the impact at all.) Prior to this burden, I was riding 20 to 32 miles per day for a work commute. I felt healthy, I apparently looked healthy, and the peaceful zen I experienced during each ride was unlike anything I had felt. Now I sleep later, I feel less rested, and my body feels like a scrunched object that constantly needs to be stretched. I can't applaud, daily tasks are more difficult, and I obviously cannot bike or even deliver my repaired bike to my apartment. Realistically, it's not very feasible to even run. Think sweaty cast: ick.

Well, I'm fed up. I so badly want to start running again, craving that personal time to myself and nothing else. My decision today tomorrow in spite of the circumstances was an easy one. That also involved finally attacking something that has bothered me for years: finding a healthy yet filling breakfast option. Thanks to the internet, I found some interesting guides for my mission. Smaller portions, more portions, more sleep, more accountability. Tomorrow's breakfast will be toast with peanut butter and banana slices. I feel that this is exciting journey through trial, in order to avoid spending $5.95 on a Sausage and Egg McMuffin Value Meal. (I can thank the Monopoly promotion for that.)

Oh, and the run. Well, I had plans to run my first 5K next weekend, but it looks like that won't be happening, due to the cast. However, I would like to run *a* race before the weather turns very cold, and this hindrance will not stop me...even though I'm basically running from scratch again. Ursuline Academy's Run for the Lions 5K is on Sunday, November 16, which is about a week-and-a-half away. It falls during the same weekend when Emilie visits, so I'm not sure how thrilled she'd be about it: she's only here for about 2 days.

I plan on following a careful, safe running schedule to achieve whatever race I end up running this fall. I am convinced, based on feedback from virtual associates, that I will be able to run longer and faster in a race than I expect. The 99th Annual Thanksgiving Day Race is a 10K in downtown Cincinnati. My ultimate goal *was* that race. Following the aforementioned theory, I am going to follow a consistent schedule, and by the eve of race day, I will decide if I want to take the plunge.

Finally, on the running topic, I don't feel like I currently know anyone from whom I can find inspiration or common goals. This is why I suppose I have drawn inspiration from running blogs of some truly inspirational people. I *do* feel a bit lonely in my quest, but I know that I'll find satisfaction in my semi-daily runs, no matter how grueling. I absolutely need this, to expel all the bad energy that dwells in me after too much inactivity.

I will say that there is no shortage of inspiration these days. Thank Barack Obama for exhibiting such a heartwarming model for perseverance.

Tomorrow I will post a very triumphant photo of myself in running gear and an awkward arm cast. I *will* run tomorrow!

Don't make me over...

So long.

Oh, but I did. I felt that I needed to pump new blood into a dying blog, repainting the interior walls with a fresh coat and renaming the joint. This all comes when I am faced with new challenges and I embrace new inspiration by which to thrive.

My unexpected undertaking, of a full-on bus/bike commute to my co-op job, changed many aspects of my life. First, it reminded me that I really need to get prepared for a 20-mile round-trip per day, so that means getting into shape. Fortunately that also means getting off my feet, putting less strain on my tendinitis problem. Second, it means being more disciplined in how I conduct my daily routines. My work ethic during the summer sessions was great training for this, even though I did not find out that my carpool option for fall co-op would no longer be an option until afterward. If I care more about the condition of my own living space, if I realize just how many hours in a day there are to get things accomplished...it all adds up. With a fresh start in a new place, I have most certainly taken a breath of fresh air to a fire inside.

Now, I won't be awake at 3am like this after tonight. It's going to be boring Christian for several weeks: sunrise at 5:30, bus ride at 6:30, homebound at 5:30 with arrival at around 7-7:30. Mom has been worried about my safety, and so has Emilie. I will be riding along US 127 en route to Hamilton, after riding the bus to its route terminus. After a 32-mile bike ride (below) on Sunday, I believe that I am finally prepared for the daily commute. What a fulfilling personal goal met. I just hope that I can clean up well, perform work tasks up to standard, and continue to meet my own expectations.


So that's 80 per week for the commute. (I plan to borrow my mom's car one day per week so that I can carry things to work that I can't manage on a bike.) I am even planning to run a 5K in mid-November. Staying off my feet for all that commute time, and little time for much else, should help me manage a steady training schedule. I've heard that runners are generally crazy. I've also heard that hardcore cyclists are crazy. We're all a little crazy when we push ourselves to limits we never thought existed. I don't believe there is any denying that I've hit that crazy...and I'm grateful for such an opportunity.

I still plan to ride for leisure as well, whenever possible. When that will be--you've got me.

Vanity rant over. Expect more soon.

Gasp!

I just had the urge to go running, during the nine o'clock hour, while snow and ice cover the ground where is there is not pavement. So what does that mean for me?

I'm going running! For the first time since December! Hopefully my stress fractures I suffered do not recur. My new running pants will finally get their store tags snipped off. Imagine that. My new Asics had only gotten one two-mile run before the pain caught up with me. It's time to get back to a routine.

Gasp, indeed! A run is probably the best thing for how I've been feeling lately.

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One word: painful. It wasn't pain due to an injury but pain from the cold air. I don't regret my run, but I do hope that more snow melts tomorrow (a high of 50 degrees). I had to slow to a walk a couple times when snow covered the pavement. Overall, it felt really great, except for the lazy college diet that has consumed me lately...along with the abundance of coffee, pizza, and other speed bumps . Long hours and a few all-nighters doing work doesn't give much time for eating healthily. Not having any groceries in my apartment doesn't help the cause either!

I hope to get a mile or two out of my system tomorrow. First, I must remember to take it easy on my legs for a week or two. It's been nearly three months since I incurred my injury, and I would rather not reignite it.