Tempo

The dread and fear and doubt that I feel before having to do a tempo run is directly proportional to the joy and feeling of confidence that I feel when I surprise myself by not only finishing the tempo run but also by finishing faster than I thought I could.

Resolved!

One week into January and I think that I have finally settled upon some reasonable resolutions for 2012.  It is quite easy to make resolutions; it is much harder to edit the list down into something manageable and powerful.

Here they are in no particular order:

Work on my running technique and form and what not.  

Make bed in morning before leaving the house for work.  

Don't apologize for having a BMI in the normal range.  

Resist urges to rage against things that I have no control over.   

Wear moisturizer daily and nightly.  

Develop a habit of calorie counting.  

Go on more dates with my husband.  

Runs for Soufflé

My husband can make these out-of-this-world, joy-inducing, magical Chocolate Gingerbread Soufflés.

Just look at it. 

There is nothing better than this dessert.  It is an experience for nearly all of the senses.  The smell, the texture, the taste, the look.  I took the recipe and figured out how many calories in each serving.  576.  My run today supposedly burned 463.   It was a challenging run.  I didn't want to go out and do it.  I'm still struggling to get back in the swing of training.  

It was worth it for that bit of heaven in a ramekin.  

I think that I need to make a shirt that says Will Run for Soufflé as a counter to the Will Run for Beer shirts.  

I'm so not the person I thought that I would grow up to be!  

Looking Back: A Few of My Favorites from 2011

I usually try to get this written before the new year.  I'm a little late this year.

These are some of the things that I loved this year.  These are the things that made me proud to be human.  The sorts of stuff that make you feel joy.  This is my list of favorites of 2011.

Let's begin.

KINDLE (Formerly known as books)

Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt.  Read it now.  Here is my review.

Rewriting:  Things To Do With Texts by Joseph Harris.  Professional reading, but I am so glad I received a copy.   If you teach composition, you should pick it up.  If you want to be a better writer, you should pick it up.  

iPOD (Music and Podcasts)

Since I have satellite radio, I can happily stay in certain corners of the musical world (ahem...Pearl Jam radio!) and not be exposed to anything new.  But somehow, fortuitously, I came across these acts. 

Reggie Watts.  I believe I was introduced to him on a Radiolab podcast.    He is a comedian who is also musical.  He uses his voices and a machine to create these songs. There is something delightful about his work. He won't be everyone's cup of tea. In fact, I would recommend waiting until you get home from work to explore his work on Youtube.  Here is one of my favorites that I feel comfortable linking to:  A Future in the Future.  Warning.  Profanity! 

Thao with the Get Down Stay Down.  I can blame Radiolab for this one as well.  When I saw Radiolab Live in Berkeley, she also performed.  Good stuff.  Body

I think that I learned about Theophilus London from a playlist on a lululemon blog.  His stuff reminds of the good parts of being 13 years old.  It doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement, but I mean it to be.  I am fully aware that most people won't like his stuff.  I'm in my thirties.  It's been years since I've cared what you think about me.  So there.  Sorry to Interrupt and Why Even Try

It is no secret that I am a fan of the banjo.  I can't believe that it took me so long to find Mumford & Sons.  I love their entire album Sigh No More.  I love how the music swells.  I love the voice.  White Blank Page

SCREEN (Film and TV)

Game of Thrones.  

Loved it.  Can't wait for it to return.  Read the two books in the series and then stalled in Book 3.  Tyrion is my current favorite.  I also dig Ayra Stark!  Bronn and Tyrion Buddy Cop

Midnight in Paris  

This movie was like a gift to all of us out there with degrees in American literature.  It was so delightful.  I don't think another film made me smile so much all year.  Owen Wilson was excellent in the Woody Allen character.  The writing killed me!  Gil said at one point:  "Prufrock is like my mantra!"  What's not to love!  Who wants to fight!

Pearl Jam Twenty

Ten came out in 1991.  I was 13.  Vs. came out in 1993.  I remember waiting for Vs. to be released. I remember going to the mall to buy a copy. (An act that my son will never experience.)  I'm fairly certain that listening to all that Pearl Jam in those formidable years meant that I've imprinted on Pearl Jam.  I crushed on Stone Gossard and fell in love with Eddie Vedder's voice. Watching Cameron Crowe's documentary on Pearl Jam was a strange yet positive experience.  There seems to be a narrative arc in all of our lives.  Any documentarian could find one, I suppose.  Pearl Jam's narrative arc seems to mirror all of our lives.  Maybe just mine.  Not literally.  Symbolically, in a Joseph Campbell monomyth type of way.  They raged against their station in life and then started to mellow and find a bit of peace.  Reminds me of the rage of my teens and early twenties softening as I hit my thirties.  I really liked Backspacer when it came out.  There was a joy in that album that wasn't present in their angrier earlier albums.  The nostalgic impact of seeing clips of Tabatha Soren (!) in MTV clips was amazing.  There is a lot about being young that I miss.  MTV is one of them.  It was a better time.  Let Me Sleep and Given to Fly

APPS

Wunderlist:  This thing has saved me as my responsibilities have increased.  This year I teach three different courses.  Each with their own to do lists.  It has become difficult to keep it all straight.  I love how I can sync the app on my desktop to my phone.  

Words with Friends:  "Words games for smart people." --Alec Baldwin

RUNNING

KT Tape.  I don't understand how it works.  It may be a placebo.  I don't care.  It is a placebo that works.  Aches and pains go away with this stuff.  

California International Marathon.  Loved this race.  Will return.  

Rio Grill Resolution Run--Carmel-by-the-Sea

I checked the weather yesterday.  The forecast was amazing; therefore, I registered for the Rio Grill Resolution Run in Carmel for today.  I opted for the 10K rather than the 5K because the 10K course featured ocean views.

This was my first 10K race.  Overall it was a positive experience despite my lingering cold, lack of running fitness (RECOVERY!) and the dreaded hills.   The weather was amazing.  Maybe a bit too warm.  It felt like spring.

As a resolution run, there were many walkers out on the course.  I do wish the organizers would have better corralled the participants--especially considering the bottlenecking that occurred during the trail uphill portion of the race.  Oh well.  It was a resolution run.  No harm.  Happy that many went out for a walk or run when many Americans do not do a darn thing.

Did not expect the half mile major hill at the beginning of the race.  My Timex data says that it is a 5.4% grade.  Honesty check:  I don't know what that means really.  Quite abstract bit of data.  This darn cold and the high number of participants on that uphill trail meant that I wasn't going to make any good time on that section.  I didn't fight against the universe and went with flow.

I ran the rest of the course the best I could.  I could feel that my lungs weren't 100% with my cough.  Ran across finish as it read 1:07:30.  Chip time was 1:07:00.  Hey!  No messy seconds holding on!  Cool.  I just realized that since this is my first 10K, it means AUTOMATIC PR!

I'll have to do much better next time--which may be in February.  This next one won't have hills.  Or decent views.

End of the Year

I don't recall setting goals and resolutions this time last year.  I had clearly registered for the Big Sur International Marathon.  The goal of finishing accompanies something like that.

This year I ran two half marathons and, much to my surprise, two marathons.

In training I tried programs that scared me.  I'm glad that I did.  Once again, I showed myself that I can do things that appear near impossible.

I did not PR in my half marathons, but I did not hit personal worsts either.  I, however, did better at SF 2011 than I did at Nike Women's Half in 2010.  And SF was hillier!  While not a technical PR, I'm glad that I performed as I did.  At the Big Sur Half, I ran my second faster time ever there having had to hold back for CIM.

I did PR at CIM, improving my Big Sur International Marathon time by 26:24.  That felt amazing.

I logged, as of this morning, 1149 miles for the year.  I'm proud of the rest and recovery that I have enjoyed this December.  I feel like a proper runner obeying the gods of rest and recovery.

It was a good year for me.

Things I Covet

I should covet anything with the Christmas that I just experienced.  I'm quite loved if you believe gifts are evidence of love.  Not talking quantity necessarily, but quality.

In terms of running, my husband surprised me with some running crops and a pair of purple compression socks.  I can't wait to take them out for a spin!  I'm thinking tomorrow might be the day.  My son may be staying the night at a friend's house which gives me a child-free morning for running!  It has been nearly a week since my last run.  The holidays, a cold virus, and my husband's work schedule have conspired against me.

It is probably for the best since my marathon was three weeks ago.  It is probably wise that I haven't been running.  Must recover.  But I think it is time to get back out there.

I spent a lot of time online looking for ways to spend my Christmas money on running gear.  Oh my!  So much out there that I covet.

I didn't even know that these things existed, but I am pretty sure that I need them:  Knuckle Lights.

I also am looking into a new GPS watch.  Since I've been disappointed by Garmin, I'm looking at another possibility.  The Timex Ironman Run Trainer looks amazing for the price, but I am still tempted by the pricey Garmin 610 with its fancy touchscreen.  Both promise the 8 hour battery life.  I think I'll need to go the way of the Timex because of price considerations.

With no marathon for the spring (YAY!), I have the freedom and luxury of running smaller local run races here and there just because I can.  Right now I have a Resolution Run, a local 10K, a local 5K, and a mud run on my wish list to go along with my next half at the Oakland Running Festival in March.

Don't even get me started on these orange arm warmers with thumbholes that are seemingly out of stock everywhere!