One down, six to go...

One race, that is. Yes, I'm turning this back into my running blog since I am obviously hard-pressed to write about anything much these days.

Between yesterday (April 23rd) and June 26th, I have seven races I'm in, and I started off with the Boulder Distance Classic 15k at the Boulder Reservoir. I have not raced in about eight months. Last summer I did my first half-marathon, but then the heat and drama of the year got to me, and I didn't really keep up with my previously strict running schedule.

BUT. I'm back and stronger than I was last year...I think. I've been upping the weights and trying to diversify my types of endurance training. So I decided to sign up for the Boulder Distance Classic to jump right in. Mind you, this is the longest race I'm signed up for until I do another half-marathon in August. At 9.3 miles, I figured it would be a good leg stretch and a test to see if my endurance level is up to snuff. Of course, it was snowing in Boulder for the race, and it did snow the entire race and stayed at 32 degrees...but I prefer cold to hot any day. I wore my Bikila LS shoes, and was originally dismayed with my choice because of the cold and the wet ground. Then I reasoned that shoes with socks would still have gotten wet and stayed that way (and heavy). I also cut up a pair of compression socks so I could wear the legs without the feet.

Surprisingly, I was not overly nervous for this race. I was just cold and wanting to get moving. My main goal was to just pace myself and finish strong. It took me a good two miles to get warmed up, as in to stop shivering, but then I found my pace and forced myself to ignore the other runners. I always have to remind myself that I'm not truly in competition with them. This is for me. So when others pass me, I have to fight the urge to speed up. By the time I got to the first 5k split, I felt great and saw that I was under my typical 5k pace and wasn't tired at all. I purposefully didn't memorize the course so that I could not worry about where I was and pay more attention to my pace. The hills were there, but they were fairly easy. I appreciated the course's rolling quality: it served as a good practice run for me. By the 10k mark, I was still moving easily and feeling good (and surprised about it!). A few more hills started to wind me slightly, but I caught my breath quickly. I didn't get any side stitches...until mile 9 (of course), but I got rid of those by stretching as I ran along. When the finish line was in site, I was able to stretch out and sprint over the timing strip with ease. What I didn't realize was that there was a timer to cross BEFORE the actual finish line, so I stopped up a tad early (oops!).

My finishing time was about an hour and a half, well under the 10 minute miles I had wanted to achieve. In fact, my separate 5k times were nearly equal, so I did maintain a steady pace nearly the whole time. It took me zero time to recover (breathing wise). All this said, I could have easily pushed the pace, especially at the end, but I'm pleasantly surprised by the outcome of the race. I truly did not think I had it in me to do the whole race (and so easily). I've been tired lately, so I had expected a much slower time. Guess my training is paying off. Now I need to work on more hills and sprints so that I can get my time down.

After some ice and a hot tub session, I'm not really sore today, so that's a plus as well. I'll post pics as soon as they are available.

As for the rest of my upcoming races...

I have the Furry Scurry on May 7th. Since it's a two mile fun run,  I'm only counting it as a "race" because I'm actually organizing our team for work, so it's taking up a lot of head-space (rather than training space).

Then I'm taking a trip to Georgia where I'll be competing in the Warrior Dash on May 15th with my love JLL. This is a three mile race with 12 obstacles, including mud pits, cargo nets, walls to climb, and a fire leap. We're going to kick some butt! I'm very excited to get muddy. This one will be another good leg stretch to prep for the next few...

Fire leap: image by Steve's digicams

After the Warrior Dash, I'll kick it up a notch and run the Buffalo Creek Trail Run on May 21st. This one is a trail race that is 7.7 miles that climbs 1300 feet with a variety of uphill and downhill terrain.

I'm also running the Bolder Boulder again this year on Memorial Day (May 30th). This is a challenging 10k (uphill for the first few miles, and then a final uphill at the last stretch) that has over 50,000 runners each year. I ran it for the first time last year and had a blast, so I'm going for it again, and this time I'll be in an even better wave (yea!). 

THEN...

If you didn't already know...on June 12th, I'm running the DIPSEA, a 7.4 mile trail race in Mill Valley, CA. Last year, around this time, I read about the race in Runner's World magazine, and decided I wanted to run it. The chances were slim, and I figured I'd just keep trying every year to get in. Somehow, I lucked out and made it in this year! One of less than 100 people running from outside California. One of 1500 total who gets to run in the country's oldest trail running race. I'm still floating from finding my name on the LIST. This race will be one of the coolest things I will probably ever get to do, and I'm going to make the most of it! I already have my flight and hotel, so I'm all set. I can't describe how excited I am to have this opportunity. It's u n f r e a k i n g r e a l.

Ending at the Pacific Ocean

Last, but not least, I am competing in the Tough Mudder at Beaver Creek. Team BlackIce is going to dominate. Okay...actually we're just hoping to finish. This race is on June 26th, and for that I am glad. This way, if I do something stupid and get injured, all of my other races are behind me. The Tough Mudder is an eight mile race at the ski resorts at Beaver Creek, and there are 23 obstacles between the start and finish, including (but not limited to) running up a ski slope, sliding down an icy/muddy ravine, burrowing through tunnels, climbing walls, and barreling through hanging live-wires. The race is not even timed. It's all about finishing, and finish it I will. It's scary, but I'm already itching to dive in there.

Weeee!!!

So that's my schedule for the next two months. You know where I'll be...running, training, climbing crazy hills, etc. So. Very. Worth. It.

Wish me luck! And of course, I'll be updating on here along the way.

Movies!

So basically I'm reposting the blog I just did on books with movies instead. At least maybe this will jumpstart me actually writing again...I swear it will happen :-)


* 1 – best movie you saw last year
Inception and Little Miss Sunshine (yes I only saw LMS for the first time last year).

* 2 – A movie that you’ve watched more than 3 times last year
If I get stuck on a movie, I'll watch it multiple times in a row. I watched Away We Go three times before I sent it back to Netflix. And then I bought it.

* 3 – Your favorite movie series
Oh dear. Well...most series have a way of letting you down at the end, but I do like the Pirates of the Caribbean series (mostly),  and Back to the Future (the first two at least).

* 4 – Favorite movie of your favorite series
The first Pirates of the Caribbean. Why's the rum gone!?

* 5 – A movie that makes you happy
Oh so many since good movies make me happy...but some just make me smile like Little Miss Sunshine, Away We Go, the Birdcage, and the Seabiscuit.

* 6 – A movie that makes you sad
I am okay with watching a movie and feeling sad, in fact, often it means it is worth seeing, so Children of Men and Rachel Getting Married.

* 7 – Most underrated movie
Probably Lars and the Real Girl and Rachel Getting Married. I don't think enough people saw these and appreciated them. 
 
* 8 – Most overrated movie
Avatar...Pass.
 
* 9 – A movie you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving 
Love Actually. I thought it would be a gooey love story, but it was more realistic and had wonderful characters and humor.

* 10 – Favorite classic movie
Hmm...classic movie. I'll go with Hitchcock's Rear Window.

* 11 – A movie you hated
The Ring. I fell asleep...in the theater...I was that bored.
 
* 12 – A movie you used to love but don’t anymore
I used to adore the Pippi Longstocking movies, but now I find them incredibly annoying.

* 13 – Your favorite writer
Robert Altman, thanks to a film class in college.

* 14 – Favorite movie of your favorite writer
Gosford Park. It's brilliant.

* Day 15 – Favorite male character
Wow. I adore many characters, but for various reasons and usually based on the fact that I love the story too. I'll have to say Lt. John Dunbar from Dances With Wolves.

* Day 16 – Favorite female character
I'll go with the most interesting to me...and that would be Alabama in True Romance because she was both meek and strong, seductive and innocent, and ended up saving the day in the end.

* 17 – Favorite quote from your favorite movie
Well...I don't have a favorite movie, but I do adore this quote said by Maggie Gyllenhaal's character in Away We Go: "I LOVE my babies. Why would I want to PUSH them away from me?"

* 18 – A movie that disappointed you
I had high hopes for the newest Indiana Jones movie...but boy was it terrible :-(

* 19 – Favorite movie that was originally a book
Atonement was a good movie that was a book as well. Jurassic Park as well, oh and A Clockwork Orange!

* 20 – Favorite romance movie
Love story...has to be Love Actually.

* 21 – Favorite movie from your childhood
The Little Mermaid!

* 22 – Favorite movie you own
Oh dear...there are too many. I own every movie I've mentioned so far...so there you have it.

* 23 – A movie you wanted to see for a long time but still haven’t
I really want to see Rocket Science, but I've put my poor Netflix on hold since I haven't had time to watch movies lately. At least not under pressure to get them returned!
 
* 24 – A movie that you wish more people would’ve seen
Heathers. Seriously? Who hasn't seen Heathers? But apparently it's a lot of people! Also the Man From Snowy River.

* 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Oh boy...I really don't know. Please feel free to let me know what you think...male or female!

* 26 – A movie that changed your opinion about something
Um...well Catch Me If You Can changed my opinion from disliking Leonardo Dicaprio to liking him.

* 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
Saw. I mean really. Who saw that coming?

* 28 – Favorite title
Ordinary People.

* 29 – A movie everyone hated but you liked
Dances with Wolves. I love that movie...I don't understand why more people don't.

* 30 – Your favorite movie of all time
Impossible to choose. But the title that has most affected me the most in the recent past is Rachel Getting Married.

Books!

Oh hello blog, how are you? I don't have much to say these days, but thanks to a certain someone for sending this my way so I could actually do a blog post :-) 


Books are some of my best friends...

* 1 – best book you read last year
Hm...that would have to be Spook...a wonderfully told story of someone trying to find something to believe in.


* 2 – A book that you’ve read more than 3 times
I reread all of my books many, many times, which is why I prefer buying them over borrowing. A few that I've reread the most (we're talking 100+ times) include the Giver, Dicey's Song, the Awakening, and Silver.


* 3 – Your favorite series
As a child I loved the Thoroughbred series, but now I don't tend to read series of books so much. I suppose the last series I read was not really a series, but more of a saga about a family (the Tillermans) by Cynthia Voigt.


* 4 – Favorite book of your favorite series
That would be Homecoming.

* 5 – A book that makes you happy
I'm happy reading, so any book I enjoy. I don't tend to read happily ever after tales. But let's say As You Like It.


* 6 – A book that makes you sad
If I don't feel for the characters, it's not a good book. But we'll say After the Rain and Interpreter of Maladies.


* 7 – Most underrated book
Oh gosh...I don't tend to read "popular" stuff anyways, so I don't know if it would be underrated or not. Let's say Emily Dickinson's whole collection of poetry. It was underrated in her time at least.


* 8 – Most overrated book 
That I've actually read? Probably Midnight's Children. It wasn't Rushdie's best. 
 

* 9 – A book you thought you wouldn’t like but ended up loving 
Gravity's Rainbow. It was a rocky, rough, and painful start, but I got sucked in and finished it quickly.

* 10 – Favorite classic book
Ohhhh....classics. Has to be the Catcher in the Rye and Wuthering Heights.


* 11 – A book you hated
The Great Gatsby. UGH!!!!


 * 12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore
Hm. It's hard to unlove a book, so I'm going to do the reverse and list a book that I didn't like the first time I read it (or second) but now I love, and that is Brave New World.


* 13 – Your favorite writer
Oh so many...I literally can't choose one. But we'll say T.S. Eliot, Emily Dickinson, Oscar Wilde, and Paul Auster.


* 14 – Favorite book of your favorite writer
In the Country of Last Things by Paul Auster. I've read it five times now...it's better each time.


* Day 15 – Favorite male character
Hm. I don't tend to attach to characters: I attach to the story...but for the sake of the post: Dorian Gray.


* Day 16 – Favorite female character
Dicey in Homecoming.


* 17 – Favorite quote from your favorite book
Again, too many to track, but I particularly like: "I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn't give myself. I can't make it more clear; it's only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me." ~from the Awakening

* 18 – A book that disappointed you
I really wanted to like the Harry Potter series. But I barely got through the first one and couldn't take any more. Oh well!


* 19 – Favorite book turned into a movie
Gosh. So many books turned into movies...but most are crappy versions! I loved Oil, but hated There Will Be Blood. However,  I liked Jurassic Park and love the movie.


* 20 – Favorite romance book
Well. Let's go with love story, and that would be Wuthering Heights.


* 21 – Favorite book from your childhood
Oh dear...toughest question yet! How about the Giving Tree, Silver Eyes, Remember Me, Izzy Willy-Nilly, and all sorts of horse books.

* 22 – Favorite book you own
The Giver.


* 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t
I want to read the Stranger, by Albert Camus, and the Wilding by Benjamin Percy.

* 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read
The Wedding Dress by Fanny Howe.


* 25 – A character who you can relate to the most
Probably Dicey in Seventeen Against the Dealer.

* 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something
The Jungle.


* 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending
The Dark Garden.


* 28 – Favorite title
On Bullshit.


* 29 – A book everyone hated but you liked
Well. I know I keep repeating titles, but I don't know many people who are in love with the Awakening the way I am.


* 30 – Your favorite book of all time
Impossible to choose. But the title that has most affected me is the Giver. 

"A book is a gift you can open again and again."

Love Fest

I am ill-prepared for this. This kind of...haunting. I say haunting because to me that word means a lingering feeling that does not manifest or become tangible, but it's noticeably there, like an invisible hand on my shoulder. I am haunted by a variety of complex love. It's almost painful to love like this and still have more to give.

I love my life.

I love the endless things that make me happy.

I love...

1. Waking up to a snow-covered morning.
2. Being the first one on a trail for the day.
3. Blue sky.
4. Fresh-baked banana nut muffins.
5. Random, I'm thinking about you texts.
6. Singing in the car.
7. The smell of a horse's muzzle.
8. The feeling of skin after a sugar scrub.
9. Back rubs.
10. Smoke curling out of chimneys.
11. Grey sweaters.
12. <3
13. Knowing the mountains are west, whether I can see them or not.
14. Smooth plane landings.
15. Caramel macchiatos.
16. Moccasins.
17. Clinking of masts on the lake.
18. The texture of book pages.
19. Soup and a warm baguette.
20. Fixing something with my own hands.
21. Pausing to enjoy the moment.
22. Bathing suits.
23. Sentimental knick-knacks.
24. The smell of pine trees.
25. Holidays.
26. Baby animals.

27. Blankets.
28. Bear hugs.
29. Watching break-dancing.
30. When Pumba bird-calls.
31. A healthy argument.
32. Weird bruises.
33. Nice people.
34. Finding my way.
35. Real movies, with endings that simply taper off rather than tie everything up.
36. Waterfalls.

37. Kissing.
38. Cupcakes.
39. Cards in the mail.
40. Healing wounds.
41. Fuji apples.
42. Board games.
43. Being obsessed with a song, and listening to it on repeat.
44. Flirting.
45. Righting a wrong.
46. Enjoying being lost.
47. Short dresses.
48. Being sore after a workout.
49. Remembering wisps of a dream.
50. Great-fitting jeans.
51. When it's cold, so I can get warm.
52. Affligem Blond.
53. Trusting someone.
54. Finding friends for life.
55. Horses running.
56. Re-reading childhood books.
57. Making someone smile.
58. Stone bridges.
59. Over-sized easy chairs.
60. Feeling as if you matter.
61. Sudden rainstorms.
62. The Giver.

63. Ridiculously soft sheets.
64. Cribbage.
65. Writing a particularly good sentence.
66. Black and white photos.
67. Contradictions.
68. Sailing.
69. First stretches of the morning.
70. Fire opals.
71. Garlic Parmesan fries.
72. Winning.
73. Songs that make you feel.
74. Sunrise.
75. Being tired for a good reason.
76. Wordplay.
77. Connections.
78. Snowflakes on eyelashes.
79. Schaudenfraude when deserved.
80. Roses.

81. Bombing jokes.
82. Being able to believe, just because.
83. Ryan Reynolds.
84. The idea of reincarnation.
85. Madrid.
86. Giving into a craving.
87. Old English.
88. Cute boys.
89. Secrets.
90. Having my hair brushed of my forehead.
91. Italian accents.
92. Overcoming a fear.
93. That's what she said.
94. The number 17.
95. Deja vu.
96. Feeling powerful.
97. Hot tubs.
98. Shakespeare.
99. Smiling when alone.
100. Laughing out loud.
101. ...and so many more...

New year, new...

Helloooo 2011.

What is the significance of a new year? It's just more days, laid out, one after another, same as before but always different. It's an excuse in the horizon..."this year I'll..." and having to remember to write another set of digits at the end of a date that we're not used to.

But I suppose with a new year, you can officially label all things of the previous year in the past. Last year is so much further in the past than yesterday, or last week, or last month. Last year sounds more foreign, and the events of such smear together. Of course, there are always those events that still stick out and play repeatedly in your mind, sometimes annoyingly so. 2010 gave me quite a few of these memories, both good and bad, but I'm taking them all as good. At least, I am now!

2010 highlights:
*Getting out of a bad relationship: even though I still regret I didn't get to pull the plug.
*Starting a new job that I love and plan to stick with for a long time. It's a relief to not dread going to work every day, and even though there will always be rough days, the times where I get to make a difference (cheesy as that sounds) give me the energy to keep going.
*Running a 5k, a 10k, and then a half-marathon within two months of each other. I think the half-marathon suits me!
*Figuring out what I want out of life. Certain aches make me realize what is most important to me, and now I can set my sights on making sure I fulfill these needs.
*Getting Toby back in shape and back to jumping: riding is true therapy for me.
*Realizing that I have an amazing group of friends. Both here and elsewhere, my eclectic bunch of friends are truly family to me, and it's exciting to be gaining more.

2011 plans:
*Running at least three half-marathons this year.
*Hopefully getting picked to run the Dipsea in California.
*Re-writing my novel: last year's schedule got supremely upset by events and reorganization, but I'm set to be back on track now.
*Spending more time with my amazing friends and remembering that I enjoy being non-reclusive more often that I realize.
*Fully embracing my new job as a career, and doing my best to make us top notch.
*Taking more risks and challenges aside from the every day: ie not being afraid to fail.

So there you go readers. If you see me slacking off, call me out on it!

<3 to all,

E

Friendship

It feels like only a few days ago that I realized Christmas was a month away. And...now it's gone? I can't even distinguish individual events from that past month: only frames, cut from the film on auto-play. I've had the pleasure of hanging out with friends every weekend and some during the week. Sometimes I forget how fun (not to mention healthy and stimulating) that can be. My friends have really gotten me through a roller coaster of a year. It's easy to forget how important they are, but when you need them, and they come running, it reminds you just how much you need them. And I happen to have the most incredible group of friends that I've picked up over the years.

I have my other half, my go to for everything, without whom I'd not be me. She's mad for me when I can't be, always tells me what she really thinks, is the mother of my beautiful goddaughter, and wife to someone I consider family. I can tell her absolutely anything, no matter how horrid.

There's my ever-optimistic, practical dreamer, who could have the worst day and still come home smiling. She knows how to enjoy life, how to listen, and how to be there for a friend in need.

My melancholy kindred spirit I miss dearly. The most understanding and quiet character, but with a temper that rivals the Furies.

I have another breed of kindred spirit who seems to see me for who I am. He has a relaxed confidence and the enviable quality of not caring what people think, but in a way that isn't egotistical or selfish.

My yearning artist, head in the clouds, feet on the ground. He is always up for a though-provoking discussion and has a whip of a sense of humor. 

There's the quizzical intellect, more determined that anyone I've met, but yet, will drop it all to help a friend in need. He never asks for anything from anyone, but will give without hesitation.

If there ever were still waters that run deep, then she swims them daily. She has more brains and talent than she knows what to do with and is both perceptive and thoughtful. 

I also have a newer friend, growing moreso a friend as the days pass. She is a balance of artistic and grounded, introspective and extroverted, and more importantly is a complete delight to converse with.

And then there are my latest additions, new and still developing, but what a lot they are. Different backgrounds, different goals, but shared interest. These I hope to foster and keep.

I'm lucky to have each one of these people in my life, not to mention all of those who come with them and many more I've encountered. Never before have I felt so welcome amongst groups of people.

I don't know where I'd be without my friends. I can't quite express how much they each mean to me, but I can offer my thanks and hope to be as good a friend to them as they are to me.

It's that time of year again?

Holy crapping reindeer! Christmas is once again, just a few weeks away. I missed Thanksgiving...not really sure what went on there, but it just slipped right by me. As has much these past few weeks, well months really. I feel like I'm in the middle of a hurricane personified. My to-do list is growing, but I can't seem to get things checked off fast enough.

I did finally start my Christmas shopping (now I say finally because last year I was done at the beginning of November...and by done I mean I didn't have to shop anymore...but that never stops me). A lot of things just fell into place on that particular list this year, but I'm still debating over some other stuff. I wandered through the mall, and let me tell you how much it sucked to see stuff to get for someone who is no longer in my life. Dammit! It make me convulse in anger. I am still so, so angry. I guess that's why when a friend wanted me to meet one of his friends, I said no. Have anger, will not travel.

Despite that, I'm making lists of things I want to cook and marking my calendar for dates when my family will visit and when I'll get together with some old friends. This is the only time of year when a city is appealing to me because the lights outline the buildings and wreathes are on every streetlamp and the smell of fires and cinnamon and ginger is in the air. And snow dusts the ground...right? Hear that Colorado? I said SNOW dusts the ground? Where are we on that?

Now that I've said that it will probably blizzard...or else go back to the 70s out of spite. Oh well. I'll take what I can get.

I have not decorated yet. This was my first weekend in six weeks that I was not only off of work, but alone. Not that I didn't adore having company (I did!!!), but that combined with weeks of working 6 or 7 days while trying to keep up with rest and such really did me in. I haven't had time lately to be alone and in my own thought. It's been a great distraction, but I feel like I've forgotten how to be alone and comfortable in my own thoughts, and I really need to get back to enjoying listening to myself think (in the least narcissistic way possible). I've worn myself out for the past few months to keep from thinking too much, but it's time to get back to it. Even reading my blogs from earlier in the year or last year, I can hear the difference in my thought pattern. My thoughts then were freer, more contemplative, whereas currently they are scattered and existing in the now, as I scramble to hang onto it all.

See? Here I was talking about Christmas and then I'm just rambling about my internal diatribe...which has been oddly colorful lately (I usually think/dream in black and white)...
...back to Christmas...

I read the most wonderful quote about Christmas:

Christmas Eve was the time when everybody was unselfish. On that one night, Santa Claus was everywhere, because everybody, all together, stopped being selfish and wanted other people to be happy. And in the morning you saw what that had done.

To me, that's what Christmas is about...what great big things can happen when people come together. If I ever have a child, I will surely read them this bit (and a beer or cupcake to anyone who can tell me what that quote is from).

image from warwickwa.com

Get ready for some more Christmasy posts to follow, and please enjoy the season! It's just not worth being crabby about it.