The Inevitable Catch-up Post

November. Really?  I haven’t posted anything since November?  Wow, ok.

What has happened since November?

Christmas, obviously. I gained a few pounds (which I have yet to lose) so that’s no good. I ran a 5k on New Year’s day, and PR’d, which was good. 

We went to Belize for 10 glorious, sun-drenched days in January, which was good.  You can check out the pictures here.

I have a new job (sort of—it’s complicated) which I am enjoying, and is good.

Running-wise, I’ve been training.  I volunteered for a race in December, which was fun, and got me a free entry into one of the other races organized by the same folks, and I chose the 25K Greenland Trail Race as my free race. It’s the first weekend in May and I’ve yet to run a single trail, but I’ve got about 2 months, and the weather hasn’t been conducive to trail running lately.  I’ll get there. The elevation profile isn’t as brutal as the Leadville Heavy Half, and I think it’s a large loop. Actually, I should probably check on that.

I signed up for the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego on June 3rd, which should be fun. We have great people to stay with, and the weather should be nice (the weather always seems to be nice in San Diego).  I really really really REALLY want to run a sub 5 hour marathon.  I’m hopeful everything will be on my side and I can shave 3 minutes off my time. 

The heart rate training got stalled out over the holidays, but I’ve been back at it since we got back from Belize, and I can see a difference.  It hasn’t been easy, and the progress is still untested, but I’m hopeful that it will help. All I really need is 3 minutes.  If you really have nothing better to do (really? I'm sure you do) you can click on my Daily Mile link and track my progress over there. Let's be DM friends, if you have an account!

I entered the lottery for the NYC Marathon, so if I win (and it really does feel like if you get in, you’ve won the race right there) I’ll do that, but if I don’t, I won’t be doing any other races this year.  I just have to hope that I can maintain my motivation without a race to train for.  Right now I’m training through June 3rd, so I’ll have to be contented with that.  If I don’t get in to NYC, I’m probably taking marathon break for a while after San Diego RnR.  But ask me that question again after San Diego.

There is other news, but I can’t really talk about it yet.  Eventually.  Sorry to be cryptic, but there it is.  I will tell you I’m not pregnant, so don’t go there.  If you’re curious, email me.

What about you? How were your holidays? What have you been up to?

move on and forget it

I've been feeling mopey and self-disgusted after falling off the posting wagon during Thanksgiving, and then falling off the exercise wagon too. And by falling off the wagon I mean not even going for a walk for a whole week. While simultaneously eating pie like a professional.  This I don't give a shit philosophy showed itself on the scale Monday morning, let me tell you. Nothing like a 4 pound gain to make you snap out of your wallow and give a shit. 

I just heard this great mantra about willpower today. When faced with a temptation (whether that's something you want to eat, or something you don't want to do, like go for a run) you have two options: you can give in and regret it, or move on and forget it.  The forgetting it is, admittedly, harder at some moments than others, but I'm going to add it to my other mantra: you don't drown my falling in the water, you drown by staying there.

I'm pulling myself up out of the water right now, trying to make good food and exercise choices. Little by little, piece by piece, I'm trying to move on and forget how I sidetracked myself over the holiday.  It's hard work.

many things that bug me monday (and i know you care)

Actually, I'm fairly certain no one cares about what bugs me, but I'm going to share them with you anyway.  I was making up a list of these today at lunch with Mr. Bump and so I thought, why not write them all down and share them with you.  To the list!

1. Glitter. Glitter cards, glitter gift bags, glitter everything. It invades your home and you find it everywhere, forever. FOREVER. Try to find a birthday card that doesn't have glitter on it. I dare you. God forbid you need one for a girl child. Christmas is a land mine. Everywhere is glitter from now until  the 7th of January.
2. Vibram Five Fingers. I'm going to rope toe socks in here as well. I have a hard time with flip-flops, for that matter. I just don't like my happy little family of toes to be separated from each other. It makes me feel icky.
3. Belts. Your belt is fine for you. But I don't like things around my middle. It might in part be because I'm a sloucher and it cuts at my belly button. But really, either your pants fit you or they don't.
4. Literally. Generally when someone says this, they actually mean the opposite. It's also strangely contagious, like yawning.
5. Partial dampness. I absolutely HATE it when I'm washing my hands and I get a sleeve wet, or when water runs down in your shoe and gets your sock wet. Or you splash water on your pants. True story: when we were in Iceland wandering around at the foot of a glacier, I got too close to someone else and we both sunk into the mud. That water was cold. Also, I just couldn't deal with a cold wet sock and foot so I hoofed it back to the car and waited there while everyone else climbed on the glacier. Some people still won't let that die, and that was in 2007.
6. Turning nouns into verbs. Text is not a verb. It is a noun. You compose a text, you type a text, you write a text, you even send a text. But you do not text.
7. People touching my face. This is just one of those places that seems very intimate and personal and I'd really rather you not touch it. Sometimes I have to suppress the urge to slap Mr. Bump's hand away when he touches it, and I love him. (Sorry hon.) I've never had a facial. I practically have to take a valium when I have my eyebrows done. But needs must, people. I do that for you.
8. The space challenged. You know the people who take up almost the entire aisle in the Whole Foods. Cart parked in the middle at an angle that makes it impossible to get by. And they always seem to be staring intently at something above them, but facing away from you so they aren't able to acknowledge your existence.
9. Bad smells. I'm pretty sensitive to smell. If someone has been toking up before they get on the bus, and they sit down anywhere near me, I'll be nauseous before the bus makes its first turn. In downtown Denver on the 16th Street Mall there is an Aveda training salon that smells very very Aveda-y. Oils and essences, an herbal explosion. In the summer, the hot garbage smell drifting out of the alley next to the Aveda school mixes with the herbal essence explosion that makes for a smell that... ack. I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit thinking about it. Moving on.
10. I really want to have a tenth thing just so it comes out to ten but I can't think of anything right now. I'll update later if something comes to me.  Not having a tenth thing bugs me. There you go.

Ok, tell me what bugs you? Does anyone share my crazy?