Leap Day

So much to leap for lately. 

• My kid had a blast leaping up in the air for me in observance of Leap Day.  
• I held a book club meeting to discuss The Hunger Games with eight willing and bright teenagers.  So excited for the movie! 
• I closed out February with 98 total miles of training.  Less than I aimed for (thank you week of migraine for that one), but more than February 2011.  
• I have a sense of perspective that helping me stay grounded in a time of professional change.  

Friday Faves: The-OMG-When-Did-I-Become-A-Grown-Up-Presenter-Consultant-Type-Girl? Edition

Tomorrow I have to wear fancy grown ups clothes.  Heels will probably be required.  I have a three-hour presentation in front of 30 people in my field.  I'm, I suppose, somewhat important.

Downton Abbey.  I'm upset that I resisted for so long.  I love this show. Thank goodness for Netflix and the PBS app on the iPad.  My iPad become my TV friend for many hours this week while I dived into the lives of the Crawley family and their servants.  I so want a happy ending for Anna and Mr. Bates.  I'm not quite through Season 2.  I have until the 6th before PBS yanks it.  

My husband took photos of me on the Vespa.  This is 2012 after all.  I must obsessively record my life.  I love my little orange Vespa.  

Lastly, I love Evernote and Dropbox.  I plan on using both with my phone during my presentation tomorrow.  I love having my presentation in the palm of my hand while it is projected behind me. Today local university.  Tomorrow TED?  

Friday Faves--The Weekend Arrived at a Snail's Pace Edition

It seemed like the longest week ever for no discernible reason.  The promise and perceived future ecstasy that comes from a three-day weekend slowed the week down.

Saturday meant another day hanging with The Writing Project.  I love those people.  One of my favorites distributed fortune cookies.  Mine delighted me to no end.  I giggled.

Sunday brought a PR.  I have to Instagram it!  I adore Instagram. 

On Valentine's Day my son brought home the best story.  I'll bullet it for posterity.

• My husband allowed him a small spray of cologne for Valentine's Day. 
• My son was jumping rope at school.
• The object of his affection ran in and began jumping rope with him face to face.  
• My son's male friend grabbed the jump rope and ran.  
• My son caught up with the rope thief and said, "Why did you have to ruin the moment?"
• In retelling the story to his father and I, my son said, "She must've been attracted to my scent."

Then the next day, this popped up on his door. 

My kid is the best.  

I've been relaxing on the couch at night watching television.  I've been waking early and getting to work 45 minutes early all week.  This means falling asleep early.  I feel old.  My precious Paul decided that he wanted all eyes on him.  Nathan Fillion looks shocked. 

Adele and the Concept of a Real Woman

Apparently, the Grammy's aired last night.  People hate on the adverb, but look what my adverb just conveyed in ten little letters.

I know about the Grammy's and Whitney Houston dying because of Facebook and Flipboard.  My news consumption is primarily through the internet.  I do like it this way because I enjoy seeing the reaction of my friends and unknowns commenting on articles.  I do feel like it is one giant cocktail party.

Adele was the big winner.  Probably deservedly so.  I did buy and enjoy her album until I found myself listless, peevish, and depressed.  It is an excellent album.

What I found curious was the reaction of a friend who in celebrating Adele's win made a comment about Adele being a real artist and a real woman.  Ten years ago I'd be more likely to comment on the real artist part of that statement.

I'm no artist.  I may have used to enjoy "films," but nowadays I just want a good movie--preferably an action flick with an underlying romance featuring a believable heroine.

Which brings me right back to the real woman bit.

I may run, but I'm not a stick.  I have a normal BMI, but I also have curves.  And I am growing a little concerned with the idea that a real woman must be a certain weight to qualify for her estrogen card.

Why can't thin women be considered real women?  Why must our size dictate our validity as a person?

I'd like the phrasings "real woman" and "real man" to be banned.  The whole concept is preposterous, vague, and--therefore--meaningless.

We're all real.  Some of us are healthier than others.  Sometimes you can tell this by looking at a person; often you can't.

Honey Bun Run Race Report

I'm not sure if the name of this race is a nod to the upcoming Valentine's Day holiday.  There were literal honey buns at the finish line.  Little Debbie Honey Buns.

Poor choices in post-race food aside, it was a decent little run with enough volunteers and traffic cones to keep the automobiles away from the runners.  I felt safe the entire run--which is more than I can say for the last race that I ran in Carmel with the old ladies driving between the runners in their metallic sedans.

I haven't looked at my watch data yet.  I can't find online results anywhere.  But my husband took a photo of me crossing the finish line around 59:31.  I'll take it.  Pace calculator says 9:34 pace.  My speed work and tempo runs have been really working.  That's nearly 7:30 faster than my last 10K.

This was meant to be a test at my half-marathon pace.  I honestly felt very good during the race.  I did not feel like I was pushing it too much.  I wonder if I can run the next half marathon at the same pace.  I might have a new A goal.

They also had a 1K for Kids. Adorable.  My kid raced it.  He said his tummy hurt afterward.  I told him that meant he did it right.

Friday Faves

TypeDrawing:  I love this app.  It lets me add words to pictures, thereby opening up some awesome opportunities for concept and vocabulary development for my students.

Today's Run:  I had a Category-5-Call-FEMA-It's-A-Natural-Disaster Migraine on Tuesday.  Wednesday and Thursday meant a lingering aftershock of a headache.  I was out of running commission for three days.  Getting out to run today was so good for me.  It was a little tough, but I was just what I needed after the week of work related stress I endured.  I did some intervals.  It felt right.

Flipboard:  Good gravy!  I love this thing.  I really love this thing.  I love waking up and going to my Flipboard to check on news, iPhoneography, social network happening, and what not.  The future is here and it is so much better than what Jane Jetson had to deal with.  I have a certain degree of autonomy and don't have the deal with the misogyny of the Jetson world.

Pinterest Find: Singin' in the Rain is my all time favorite movie.  I found this on Pinterest. I must have it.  I'm ready for love!

Last, but certainly not least:  My first ride on the Vespa.  I'm in love. I'm also the Queen of the Dorks.

Not Running Related, but Movement Related

I totally own a Vespa.

It's orange.

And the DMV granted me a permit to drive said Vespa TODAY!

I never pictured my future self on a Vespa.  I never pictured my future self as a two time marathoner.

I'm kind of excited about what might happen next.

And I'm a believer.

I have been suffering some minor pains here and there when I run farther than say four or five miles. The side of my right hip and my left plantar fasciia are my current nemeses. KT tape works on the foot, but the hip has been a little more troublesome. I finally broke down and bought a foam roller about two weeks ago. I have been using it to release my IT band. It hurt so much at first (like screamy hurt), but it works! I haven't had that side of my hip flare up AND I have been running faster without an increase in perceived effort. Why did I wait so long? In other news, I think this means I should schedule a massage in my near future.

Friday Faves Delayed: Saturday Edition

Things that are decidedly not part of my favorite things:  migraines on a Friday.  Two in one week.  Fortunately for me there was some things that balances it all out.

As a stipend of sorts for my work and participation in a state something something something leadership something something, I received an iPad2.  I feel like I'm living the better version of the Jetsons.  I have an iPad for work, but I never really figured out how to use it properly.  It wasn't until the state something something something leadership something something and talking with others that I realized all the options that this opens up for me.  Evernote is going allow me to go paperless.  This excites me.  Flipboard is going to help me keep up on my internet reading/consumption.  And the ultimate, Penultimate is allowing me to sketch and later insert Stick Man versions of the Odyssey for my students.  Penultimate in conjunction with Genius Scan allows me to make newspaper blackout poetry.  This is from The Hunger Games.

I'm quite the poet.

My husband made avocado egg rolls this week.  Earlier he make a vegetable tempura that was to die for.  I'm so lucky.

But my favorite moment from the week, was realized that my orange dream in coming true.  I'm picking up the Vespa tomorrow.  It feels amazing to cross things off of your dream list.  Amazing.