The National Aquarium

I went for an early run this morning on fatigued legs (and hereby assert that maybe leaving only twelve hours between two runs isn't the best planning). The run was followed by an ice pack to my shin, a hot shower, a good breakfast of Fage yogurt and fruit, and a trip with Steph and her parents to the National Aquarium, in Baltimore and home to lots of critters!




I was most fond of a totally spastic puffin who burst in and out, underneath and across the water like a piece of popping corn. His speed, an endearing aspect of his performance, made it nearly impossible to get a clear picture, especially from behind the glass.

I enjoyed watching the turtles, too, and they were more my speed. It looks like this guy might even be posing!

Time: 44 minutes
Place: Hilly Quarry
Weather: Cold Rain (42)
Distance: 4 miles
Feeling: Pulling 500 pound weights with me for each leg
Overall grade: C

DC Flowers

Steph's parents and I walked around the city for six hours, and then I went for a quiet, long midweek run in the woods.

This is one type of unusual orchid housed at the United States Botanic Gardens. I like how some of the petals look like spaghetti... or maybe double helices.

Time: 1:04
Place: Dog Park Trail
Weather: 50
Distance: 6 miles
Feeling: Tired Shin Screams
Overall grade: C+

Too Good Not To Use!

My friend David always has really clever and/or provocative updates in his Gmail status. I stole the one below from him. (Make sure you follow the links in order so they make sense!)

"This is quite funny. They are finishing each others' sentences and fixing each others' ties. And even better: "Buy one, get the second 30% off"--maybe that's the formula they should use for the toxic assets."

Awesome!

Time: 33 minutes
Place: Hilly Quarry
Weather: 50
Distance: 3 miles
Feeling: Wine before running?
Overall grade: C+

Tapestry of a Run

I know that days are playing tricks. It is the first day of spring, and yet I am wearing tights and pants and three layers on top. It is not moist and daylight savings time has already come, so there are no immediate connections to winter present, except the frigid sensation of air meeting my uncovered skin. As I stretch my legs from side to side, breathing in, breathing out, I see my lingering breath joining the cool air. My nose tingles after only minutes.

The road ahead is a long distance today; I have almost reached the summit of my training. I am prepared for what is to come, but I am not necessarily looking forward to the hills that I cannot see over in my future. The road is barren, minus the scores of runners. My feet sail over the cracks in the pavements, showing the wear and age of the road on its side, nestling bits of white rock in the darkness. My body is slowly starting to warm up; only my nose and cheeks, thighs, and slivers of my stomach remain sweat free.

If spring is beginning to awaken, it is in the hidden smells and sounds that betray its intentions. The lake, no longer captured under layers of ice, releases its wild scent. Light winds carry the scent onward and it is clear miles away that water is near. The soft sounds of flocks flying is nearly hushed by the noise of the geese's chatter. These birds have been present for the entire winter, but only now do they seem relaxed. The fox we once saw gliding along the ice can no longer venture so close.

The undressed branches of the trees leave shadows I view as I travel onward. A little dance in the sunlight they make silently since the shuffle of their clothing has yet to flourish. Patches of green push up from below last season's fashions, daring the discarded to take their places in the furthest patches of the forest's closets. I think of how lucky their destined renewal is, how I long for that renewal, too. I listen to my breathing becoming louder; my lungs are tiring from constant increased activity.

Muffled music of a runner's iPod is along side of me. I am approaching a steady climb upwards. My feet are in sync with my partner's, pushing, pushing, pushing. I listen to our syncronized feet hitting the pavement, one after another, assuring myself that if I have lost my pace, I have done so in unison with another. These hills cause me to think about and feel each step ahead. My body is readying itself for the pain in my shin, my back, my mind that is sure to follow. Drops of sweat slip down my face stinging my eye, entering into my mouth. It is the saltiness of expired energy.

I have stopped to take in liquids, fully enjoying the cold waterfall flow down my throat and expunge the dryness from my mouth. All my movement has been at a slow runner's pace. Back and out, the sights repeat themselves. I have only the bridge and the flowing hills until I meet the finishing post. The sky has turned a brighter shade of light blue. The sun's rays offer a more intense warmth, even as the air remains cool and crisp to the skin. My body has become a minute generator, turned on so long as I remain in motion.

As if to counter the ever present fatigue that is translating to pain my body, my mind drifts ahead to the comfort of the leather seat in the car. Waiting for me is a sweet chocolate square that is almost making my dry tongue's buds water. There are only a few more hustled steps until I am where I need to be.


Time: 1 hr, 24 min
Place: Loch Raven/Ness Monster
Weather: High 20s
Distance: 8 miles
Feeling: 99% > 70%
Overall grade: B-

Pounding Through

On some runs, even though I have yet to find my 'runner's cadence' where I just slip into the thrills of propelling my body forward on my strong, rhythmic legs, the distance is no longer foreboding. I can run three or four miles and still feel relatively solid afterward, even if there were sizable hills or we pushed the pace faster than I thought I could go. On some days, I am inspired by those with whom I am running--Stephanie daring me to never let up, the steady footprints of a runner behind me closing in, a story told by a friendly runner in a training group. They cause the miles to hasten by.

Today I was on my own on a course I never traveled fully. I ran down a large hill to start and over rolling hills to a trail. I hit the trail, which was really muddy and slippery from the morning's rain, for about two miles taking me to a lonely park hidden away. I took a break to get photographic evidence that I made it there (note the picture), and returned on the same route back.

The whole adventure was really hard.

From the first mile to the last, I felt sluggish. My legs were tired; my breathing was heavy; my mind was tripping over whatever lay ahead--the distance, the condition of the course, my slow running pace. As the miles wore on, each time my left leg pounded the dirty path, my shin screamed. The screams started quietly, but as expected their volume increased. They never were debilitating, just nagging enough so that my mind never was able to forget that the function my legs were doing is work... and, today, it was difficult work.

Eight weeks ago, I may have had a different tale to write, one based in taking the easy way out. If today's run was satisfying, it was only because I did it out of my own initiative and desire to stick to a training program that will help me finish my race.


Time: 1 hr, 7 min (33:40 for the 5K)
Place: Dog Park Trails
Weather: 52
Distance: 6 miles
Feeling: Good for the shins/Bad for the shoes
Overall grade: C+

Admission

Too much, too fast? Overuse? Poor training surfaces? Not enough stretching? Not enough rest? Bad shoes? Some combination of two or three or all?

I have a hard time believing any of those things are true about my running program. Whatever the cause is, I have a shin splint. It's in my left leg. It is still in the beginning stages, meaning it only bothers me during some runs, some of the time. On sluggish days, it hurts more than when I feel fresh. On track days, by the end if I have really pushed myself, the pain can be fairly intense.

I am following my doctor's orders, stretching, icing, using anti-inflammatory medication. The race is less than three weeks away. I don't want it to get any worse.


Time: 32 minutes, 2 seconds
Place: Hilly Quarry
Weather: 60
Distance: 3 miles
Feeling: Sluggish
Overall grade: B-

Top O' The Day To You!

From Politico...

"This morning the water in the fountain in front of the White House is - you guessed it - green!"

And President Obama donned a green tie! Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Time: 43 minutes (9:07 average tempo mile pace)
Place: Goucher Tempo
Weather: 50
Distance: 4.27 miles
Feeling: Nice new path!
Overall grade: B

Another Day...

another run... I pushed it at the end in order to stop sooner. Whatever gets it done, right?


Time: 29:17 minutes
Place: Paved Park
Weather: 40s, with a slight sprinkle
Distance: 3.0 miles
Feeling: Faster than a 10!
Overall grade: C

Unforeseen Benefits

Recent Successes in the Kitchen--

• Tabouleh with Shredded Chicken*
• Bison Short Ribs Marinated in a Mustard Sauce
• Tres Leche Cake with Meringue Frosting*
• Ravioli Stuffed with Ricotta, Parmesan, Lemon Zest, and Basil*
• Smoked Sausage

*=made from scratch!

OK, so the last one is more of a success in that I didn't burn down the kitchen despite the pan creating a foot high flame... but, regardless, this is obviously progress!


Time: 17:51 (8:38, 9:13)
Place: Park School Track
Weather: 40s
Distance: 3 miles (.5 mile warm up, 2x1600, .5 mile cool down)
Feeling: That sure felt faster!
Overall grade: B+

Book Report

In the classroom, I taught my kids to never abandon an independent reading book until it absolutely proved impossible to get through. Is there nothing about a character about which you are at all curious? Is there nothing about the writing that intrigues you? (Understandably, this one was usually a tough sell for twelve year olds!) Is there nothing interesting about the plot that has captured your imagination? Are you able to relate to anything in the setting or the mood? Do you really believe that this book has nothing to teach you? If they answered no to every question, my students had only one more step to endure--my endless love story of how when I began reading The Count of Monte Cristo, I never thought I would make it past the first couple chapters, and it seemed so boring with so much back story messed in with historical references I didn't really enjoy. Only the main character, d'Artangan, was the slightest bit promising, and the only thing that kept me plugging along was that each chapter was so short in length. However, by the end of all of the complicated twists and unexpected turns, it turned out to be one of my favorite books ever written, always on my top ten list. Not all books could read like To Kill A Mockingbird or Harry Potter where you are enamored after the very first paragraph. If my kids were willing to sit through all of that (many found it easier to finish the book), I usually let them find a new choice, knowing not all books are for all people.

For the past couple of days and chapters, I have asked myself those questions with Called Out of the Darkness, by Anne Rice, the second book for my Lenten Promise series. I held high expectations for her story--she was raised Catholic, became an atheist, and then returned to Catholicism. As a celebrated writer, I thought she might be able to convey feelings that I have shared, although I was expecting hers to be much more of an extreme view (as I have never considered myself an atheist). What I found as I read was that I was unable to relate... in the beginning she intrigued me with stories, only to lose me later with either recognition or an angle I found hard to comprehend. She'd offer an olive branch of provocative details, only to bury them in vague or no further discussion. There were passages in her writing that were so rich with imagery and passion, but many more that were written with only mediocrity.

I haven't completely shelved the book yet--the tiniest bit of curiosity remains--but I have moved it from reading heartily to skim in my brain. Maybe there is something there left for me, but having fallen hopelessly behind in my promise, it's time for me to press ahead.


Time: 40 minutes, 54 seconds
Place: Pikesville
Weather: 44 degrees
Distance: 4 miles
Feeling: Almost made it with the 'fast' group.
Overall grade: B-

May We Never Arrive There

Marisa sent me the most disturbing news, coming to us from Scotland. Luckily, the lawmakers there have enough sense to vote against such a measure so it was never made a law. But, if it ever is, in my mind, it would be evidence of the undeniable existence of evil in a world that has become completely joyless and unjust.

And, even though I would so dearly enjoy experiencing the wonders and beauty of the land, I vow to boycott any country enacting such a horrific law.


Time: Zen Running (less than 36, more than 29)
Place: Dog Park Trails
Weather: 60s
Distance: 3ish miles
Feeling: Not as bad as I remember...
Overall grade: B-

Today Is A Rest Day

I get those every so often. Today is also a day I 'I fell in political love' with Barack Obama all over again. It's not only the words that he says, but that he uses one of the powerful bully pulpits in the world to say them. If these thoughts become our nation's actions, the world truly could change for the better.

The World Must Be Ending

Scandal is found in the most unlikely of places!! (Or, perhaps, these are just really tough times. Aren't sex and controversy supposed to sell?)


Time: 32 minutes, 2 seconds
Place: Hilly Quarry
Weather: 50s with a high wind
Distance: 3 miles
Feeling: Smells like spring...
Overall grade: B-

Recovery Run Gone Awry

After running a long distance run, like the 9.4 miles I ran yesterday, most training programs suggest that the following day consists of an easy run, a run that by design should be slow and gentle. In my running mind, for me that equates to the slowest of all possible jogging that still is a jog, but I rarely at that pace. My body knows it can handle more and Steph forces me to do what my body will allow. We usually run around 11 or 12 minute miles depending on how my body feels.

Stephanie signed AJ up for the race (as her husband, I'm not certain of how big his choice was... he couldn't miss all of the fun!), but due largely to his work schedule he hasn't been running as much as he could. Today Steph convinced AJ that he should run with us. He's naturally faster and more physically fit than me, but I have been running more. I figured I could keep up with Steph and AJ for at least the first mile or so.

Steph stayed behind to take care of Rocky, knowing that whatever pace we maintained she could catch up. AJ and I took off. Not very good at setting my own pace, I just ran along side of him. He tried to have some conversation with me (which during an run I should be able to maintain); I wasn't the most receptive to his efforts. I concentrated on my breathing and my feet--the run felt a little faster than usual, but it was hard to gauge. We weren't run/walking, so my mind couldn't wrap itself around any signals my body was sending. At a mile and a half, Steph and Rocky had caught up... and told us that we had run a sub-nine mile. No wonder I was tired.

It's amazing how much more tired I felt after knowing I had just spent a mile and a half running faster than I ever had previously. I significantly slowed down after the two mile mark, ending the four miles in just over 41 minutes. I don't know if I could have maintained Steph and AJ's pace, but I wonder if I could have gone faster than I did. While my body recognizes it is making physical improvements, my mind is slower to interpret those signs as progress. Most runs are still hard for me--the constitute heavy breathing, pain in my leg and chest, a hesitant cadence, a resistant mind. I hope that a day comes when it feels comfortable--if not easy--to run four or five miles, and I'm not struggling to keep up with my running company.

That after eight weeks I am not to where I wanted to be I am not completely surprised, but I rest easier knowing I am further than where I used to be.


Time: 41 minutes, 48 seconds
Place: NCR Trail
Weather: low 60s
Distance: 4 miles
Feeling: AJ made me push it!
Overall grade: B

Google To The Rescue!

Have you ever sent an email while intoxicated that you later regretted? Google now has the answer--GOOGLE GOGGLES!

"Google strives to make the world's information useful. Mail you send late night on the weekends may be useful but you may regret it the next morning. Solve some simple math problems and you're good to go. Otherwise, get a good night's sleep and try again in the morning. After enabling this feature, you can adjust the schedule in the "General" settings page." (The Google Blog)

Phew! Thank Goodness! If only they had that function while I was in college...


Time: 1 hr, 48 minutes
Place: Loch Raven/Ness Monster Run
Weather: low 50s
Distance: 9.4 miles
Feeling: Run/Walk Style I will definitely make the Cherry Blossom Finish.
Overall grade: B

A Lenten Promise

I haven't given up anything for Lent in years, nor have I chosen to do anything special. This year I have felt a little differently, and so I embarked upon the idea of using Lent to explore areas that I would like to appreciate more--intellectual and spiritual awareness. That has translated into my Lenten Promise to read a book a week.

This week I decided I would learn something new, and so I began a biography of William Shakespeare, written by Bill Bryson. Bryson is an author I really appreciate, and while I usually forget to add him to my favorites list, I always enjoy reading his work. He writes clever and engaging nonfiction.

His book, Shakespeare: The World as Stage, spends more time explaining how little we actually know about the great playwright and debunking myths than it does informing the reader of details of Shakespeare's life. There are few definite facts known about the author; even his appearance is just the best guess of historians.

Clearly it is Shakespeare's work that has defined him and placed him atop of the literary totem pole, and it was details about his work that I found the most fascinating. Shakepeare's work included:

• 138,198 commas, 26,794 colons, and 15,785 question marks
• references by characters to love 2,259 times, but to hate just 183 times
• 884,647 words, made up of 31,959 speeches, spread over 118,406 lines.

(I'm quoting the book here... I have the time to figures these things out theoretically, but not the patience.)

It's amazing to me--the power of those numbers and the sheer brilliance contatined in those lines. Bryson points out that it wasn't the stories that made Shakespeare brilliant, as they were often copied from other tales of the times. It was the way he understood the human condition and conveyed it in those words. A solid source of envy for writers since.


Time: 60 minutes
Place: Pikesville
Weather: 30s, but very windy
Distance: 4 miles
Feeling: There are certainly pitfalls to groups. ARGH!
Overall grade: C-

Beware of Angry Smart Comedians

You would think that people would have figured out that canceling on an intelligent comedian's talk show host is not a wise idea when John McCain got squashed by David Letterman after failing to appear on his show during the campaign.

Ah, but lessons weren't learned, and because Rick Santelli pulled the same lame duck move on Jon Stewart, we get hearty entertained with the added benefit of a few facts on the side...

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

CNBC Gives Financial Advice

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things With Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Joke of the Day

That was just AWESOME!!


Time: 10:00, 10:04, 10:02
Place: Park School Track
Weather: 30s, with cold winds and snow on the track
Distance: 4.5 miles (.5 mile warm up, 3x1600s, 1 mile cool down)
Feeling: Snow tracking is for suckers!
Overall grade: B

Challenged!

Understand that among my closest friends--my friends from college and their spouses--I have always had one of the most sedentary lifestyles. An exercise program has never been my thing (so much so that the tag 'lazy' didn't bother me. I openly admitted that I mimicked Darcy in my propensity for napping and making body imprints on seats in front of the computer or tv); eating an excess of carbs (especially of the sweetest sorts) certainly is.

Apparently, recent adjustments in my behavior are incredibly motivating... at least for one. Dave and I have been friends for years, and we have amicably tolerated each other even longer. In the years since college that we have been acquainted, he has never known me to stick to a training program, consistently logging in five days of running. He decided to use this phenomenon to propose a challenge.

The premise is simple... Dave wants to lose weight. He suggested that, if I continue to motivate him by remaining consistent in training, he'll reward me for every pound he loses. Read it again, and it will sound the same--the way Dave proposed it, I get rewarded for doing what I had to do anyway. I contemplated it, and decided that I should up the stakes for myself. The running program would only be half of the deal. I would also start counting calories, for a two-fold. Thinking of my resolutions, I hadn't done much with the nutrition one (as recently discussed)... and, I want to shed one of the few campaign souvenirs I really never wanted--extra pounds everywhere! Guidelines were established for what has become a somewhat complicated challenge, and its timeline lasts until we both hit our goals.

Dave is doing AWESOME! He's running... a lot... and losing weight, and truthfully, it is a lot more difficult for him to fit it all in. He's a husband, a proud father of two, works at a job that requires him to drive all around every day. This is a virtual challenge (he is states away), so I find it hard to take any credit for his efforts. I heartily applaud him.

Two weeks in and I am a calorie counter. It is a total adjustment to be completely conscience of all that I eat all the time. I think about food constantly and I always want to eat. I have to walk away from temptation. Sometimes I win; sometimes I lose horribly. This past week, riding the wings that I easily came in under my allotment last week, I showed no willpower on Monday. I rationalized that I was really hungry and I could eat what I wanted (considering the day before I had run seven miles). I paid for it all week, and I never quite recovered. One step forward, two steps back...

I am still running. An oddity this past weekend happened--Steph was feeling a little less inclined to follow our training program (well within her right since she is really sticking to it for me. It's a benefit of being in shape--we both know that she could easily run ten miles today without worry). When she told me she didn't really want to do a long run this weekend, after I got over the shock, I knew that I'd have to get it done on my own... I imagined too easily not running those miles; I didn't really want to and I started to convince myself it wasn't necessary. I knew I was going to be over with calories; without the run, I'd fall short on the run, too. That would be too much for my pride to confess.

It's early yet, but the challenge seems to be working. Motivation to walk away from temptation, as well as move forward, should come from our closest friends. After all, I have always found they make life so much easier than walking the path alone.


Time: 42 minutes, 3 seconds
Place: Hilly Quarry
Weather: Super Cold Again!
Distance: 3.7 miles
Feeling: Like a S-L-U-G!!
Overall grade: C+

Declared Check-In

A couple of months in and just over half way through my training program for the Cherry Blossom, I decided this is a good time to check in my resolutions for the new year. I'm going backwards:

6. I am no closer to going to the dentist, seeing that I am still unemployed and have no insurance.

5. I am writing more... probably not complaining less.

4. I am attempting to eat healthier. I have started counting my calories; I am more aware of how many carbs, proteins, and fats I consume. Steph, the doctor, told me the proper ratio for the three should be 50:25:25. I am normally high on carbs and fats, low on protein. This is not necessarily a surprise and harder to fix than I would like. I have eaten more vegetables and meat lately, and I am trying to enjoy it more.

3. No job=No money=No travels.

2. I'm about half way there (225 crunches; 20 push ups).

1. Perhaps this is my biggest disappointment. Perhaps I over reached, not realizing how slowly I would progress towards running at a decent speed. I will be able to finish the race in 120 minutes; I am hoping that it doesn't take me any longer than 115 minutes. I want to finish in 111 minutes or less.

and the BIG ONE...
I'll have to get back to you on that one.

When checking my own progress, it seems I had better get my act together.


Time: 1:18, 22 seconds
Place: Loch Raven/Ness Monster Run
Weather: 30s
Distance: 7 miles
Feeling: 90%>70%
Overall grade: C+