May 2006

Marathon training updates

I’m really impressed with myself, in how far I’ve been able to come in such a short time, with my running. Last Thursday evening I ran about 3.3 miles (the equivalent of a 5K race!). Friday I felt all squishy so didn’t do much of anything. Saturday I tried to go out running alongside Doc riding his bike, but I was still feeling squishy so I got maybe 1/4 mile before I turned around and came right back home. I did about 20 minutes of yoga Saturday night instead. Sunday I did a little light swimmming, and ran about 1-1/2 miles around the park at home. There’s some pretty significant uphills in the park; it’s not easy. Monday I went over to the track at the junior high and did about 2 miles, split between running and walking. Tuesday I did about 2.5 miles, one of which was on the treadmill before I gave that up (it makes me dizzy and seems to take a reeeeally long time, compared to running a track or the neighborhood. A space-time continuum anomaly?) Tonight I ran 3 miles. I’m getting to where 3 miles is fairly comfortable. I think that consistency is the key. I need to do this every night, or at least most nights. I need to get to the point where 3 miles is easy — and soon.

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Quick updates

A couple of quick updates because I’m too tired to write snappy prose tonight. We took 2nd place at the video festival last week. It was somewhat of a surprise. Details to come, I promise! I’ll also post the movie here for you to download or view. I ran a 5K after work today. Not an actual race, but just 3.3 miles (approximately) around the indoor track. I felt really quite amazing, actually, and I could have run longer if I’d really tried. I would have been exhausted, but I could have found the strength to go maybe 4 miles. I think it is vastly easier for me to achieve those types of distances when I run with Yvonne, partly because I have someone interesting to talk to and take my mind off what I’m doing, but also because she is better than me and I feel like it’s a (good) challenge for me to keep up with her endurance. I am apparently incapable of properly operating the stopwatch/lap counter on my snazzy new iPod, and so I guess I’ll need to invest in a regular stopwatch or lap clicker or something of the sort. I wonder if a pair of Nikes and a nano would do the trick? I dreamed last night that I told Yvonne that I’d discovered a new way to really tighten up copy. You just inserted the word “And” at the beginning of every sentence, and voila! Fantastic copy, so easy to edit now! When I woke up, even in my half-asleep state, I thought to myself “Now what the fuck was THAT about?!”

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Wine, running, and winning

Last night we met Yvonne and Nate out for some wine and cheese after work. We’d all had crappy days, except for maybe Nate, so I was really glad to go somewhere and sit and talk and drink. We were supposed to go down to Jim’s apartment afterwards for an open house party that he and Bill were having, but we were just so tired that we decided to go home instead. I’m sorry I missed it. I’ve been running very consistently this week. I ran Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, and will go again tonight. The weather is getting hot to the point where I’m not sure I’m going to want to/be able to run outdoors for much longer. Yvonne thinks that if we get our “base” level at 3 miles then we’ll be fine. Right now I’ve been able to do 2.25 without much problem, so probably only another couple of weeks until I’m comfortable at 3. On Wednesday I had planned to go to the gym on campus and purchase a year’s membership. It used to be free, but they’ve completely remodeled the building and now they are charging monthly fees. Which is annoying because I’ve “belonged” to the gym for 11-1/2 years free of charge and I don’t want to have to start paying now; but on the other hand it’s only $10 per month, which is 1/3 of what a regular gym would charge, and it’s close and convenient and offers nearly all the same amenities as a “real” gym. Mid-afternoon on Wednesday I got a call from someone in the HR department, telling me that I’d won a drawing for filling out a wellness assessment online. I didn’t even know there was a drawing. I’d just done it in order to get a 10% […]

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Finals again!

We made it to the finals!! Our silly little film is advancing to the finals in the 24 Hour Video Race competition next Tuesday night! We were one of three teams selected to advance in our division. The other half of our division’s films screen tomorrow night and some will be chosen from that group to advance as well. Once again, our film was really different from anything else that we saw. Most teams went for comedy, which I guess is probably easier under such a short timeframe. I don’t know that I could make a good comedy film. The style that we have developed these past two years seems natural to me. I was really thrilled that so many of my friends and co-workers came out to the theatre. Thanks to Lisa, Chelsea and Erika, Brittney, Yvonne and Nate, and of course Kat and Brett. Hope to see you next Tuesday!!

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Jim and Pam

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I am in love with “The Office.” I know it’s silly to be so taken in by a TV show. But there is just something about the characters, the brilliant writing, and the fantastic acting on the American version of “The Office” that has me completely hooked. The season finale last week was amazing, one of the best episodes of this or any other TV show I have seen. I’ve watched it in its entirety three times, and have watched the last three scenes about a dozen times! I know it’s silly, and probably really girly and overly romantic, but the Jim/Pam unrequited love thing — and his last-ditch declaration of his love for her in the parking lot — had me practically in tears. I don’t want to wait until fall to find out what happens next!!

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