Thursday Do-Over
Hello, and welcome to Day 11 of NaBloPoMo! Last week, I shared my issues with Thursdays. It’s my first day back at work after two days off, and in the past a lot of other activities were scheduled for Thursdays as well, making it a busy, stressful day. Now that my kids are older, we don’t have the extra things on Thursdays anymore so it’s just a regular workday, and I’ve vowed to have a more positive attitude and try to enjoy the day more. So… how did it go? WELL. Last Thursday had a few glitches. I started out with a yoga class on the Peloton app. During the class I kept noticing a strange odor. Then during final poses I realized one of the cats threw up. I hadn’t seen it earlier, but when I was lying on the mat it was right near my head. Ah… that’s what that smell was. It’s definitely not the first time I’ve cleaned up cat throw up, but it seemed like a bad omen for the day. Anyway, after the yoga and throw up cleaning, I had to do a quick online training for work. I had known about this since Monday, but somehow put it off until the last minute (oops.) I didn’t think it would be a problem, because I knew it was short. But it WAS a problem! For some reason I couldn’t log into my account. I tried re-setting my password but finally gave up in frustration. i went to work early and confessed to my boss that I hadn’t done the training. Sigh. She got me set up on her computer and offered to help me log in. The problem was, in my earlier frustration I had re-set my password to “ScrewAllThis.” I was hoping it would be hidden, but nope! It came right up on the screen and my boss saw it. I know she saw it because she exclaimed “What?!” when I typed it in. ARG! Somehow we got through that moment, I finished the training and went on with the day. But I felt that major points were deducted from that Thursday. So let’s try this again! This Thursday I will be positive… hope not to clean up throw up… and try not to insult my boss. I’ll find things to enjoy about the day, AND, most importantly, maintain a sense of humor. Sometimes all you can do is laugh, and remind yourself that everything will be fine in the end. After all, it’s not brain surgery. (Side note- ever wonder what brain surgeons do to combat stress? I’ll bet they have some good coping strategies!) Do you have a least favorite day of the week? A most favorite?
NYC Marathon- Disappointments and Triumphs
Congratulations to everyone who ran the New York City Marathon on Sunday! It looked like an incredible day, and I can’t wait to read race recaps. Of course it made me think back to my own experiences- I ran the NYC Marathon in 1993 and 1996. I was living in New York at the time, and it wasn’t very hard to get into the race. There was a waiting list and a lottery, but it seemed that pretty much everyone who wanted to run it, could do so. As I wrote about in this post, my first marathon was Chicago in 1990. The NYC Marathon in 1993 was my second one. Not a lot had changed in my running over those three years- I had a little more experience, but was running around the same pace. I planned to run the marathon at a ten minute mile pace, and for the most part succeeded. Because of the crowds and usual slowdowns, my finish time was 4:36. I was fine with that. I’m so glad I had that experience! I enjoyed running over the Verrazzano Bridge, and experienced the thrill of coming off the Queensboro Bridge to the roar of crowds on First Avenue. Those miles through the Bronx were difficult, but I didn’t slow down too much, and finished happy. It’s so funny to look at now, when medals are big and colorful and have moving parts, but here’s the medal from that marathon: Between 1993 and 1996 I discovered this thing called “speed work.” I started going to a track once a week and running quarter mile intervals. Regular people didn’t have coaches back then, and although my workouts were primitive, it was better than nothing and I had success lowering my 5k and 10k times. For the marathon in 1996, I had my heart set on a sub-4 hour finish. How did I know I could do this? Well, I ran all my long runs at a 9:00 mile pace. Yes- my training plan left a lot to be desired but still… I was stoked for that sub-4. Does anyone else remember racing in the dark ages BEFORE TIMING CHIPS??? So prehistoric! If several minutes elapsed between the gun going off and you crossing the start line, those minutes were just added to your time. In this case, the start was so slow and so crowded, eleven minutes had elapsed before I even got to the starting line! I started to panic. There was no way I could run a nine minute mile pace and finish under four hours now. I know- I could have run my pace and just mentally subtracted eleven minutes, knowing that was my actual time. But I didn’t want to do that- I had my heart set on seeing 3:xx as I crossed the finish line. I tried to run a little faster than my planned pace, but it was still so crowded that I just couldn’t get through. I ran slowly, getting more and more frustrated, until mile 6 when the runners finally thinned out a little. By that point, I knew my time goal was impossible. I was devastated- I had wanted it so badly. So… I made a decision. Starting at mile 6, instead of settling into a 9:00 pace, I decided to run my 10k pace, which was 8:00 minute miles. Even with my limited knowledge, I was pretty sure that was a bad idea. But what was the worst that could happen- I would fail to meet my goal? I was already going to fail at that anyway! I figured it was a “go big or go home” moment, and I went for it. Things went great! After the slow walk to the start, and then the slow first six miles, it felt good to run fast. I ran through Brooklyn… Queens… over the bridge onto First Avenue… and up the east side. I felt so good that I started to think maybe… just maybe… I could squeeze out my sub-4 after all? Nope! When I got past mile 20 and into the Bronx, things fell apart in an epic manner. I hadn’t walked at all in my first two marathons, but now I walked. The last five miles were a very, very painful walk/shuffle. You know how, when you cross the finish line of a marathon, you have that triumphant “I did it!” feeling? Well, as I crossed this finish line my first thought was “I didn’t do it.” The funny thing was, my time was 4:14. If you subtract the eleven minutes it took to get to the start line, my time was 4:03- incredible under the circumstances. But I was bitterly disappointed. So, where did I go wrong? Should I have had an A goal, a B goal and a C goal, so when my A goal went out the window I could have still salvaged the situation and run a smart race? Surprisingly, my answer in this situation is… no. I stand by my decision to go for it, despite the disastrous outcome. I was going to be disappointed with my finish time no matter what. Sometimes you just have to go for it and see what happens. I definitely learned a valuable lesson! There might be magic on marathon day, but not that much magic. If you have a big goal that really, really matters, you might reach it and be ecstatic. Or you might end up really disappointed. If the risk for disappointment isn’t there, then your goal isn’t big enough. And guess what- it’s okay to be disappointed sometimes. It won’t kill you. In my case, I was so dissatisfied with that marathon, I looked for another one right away. And look what happened that spring… My form may not look great in the picture, but I like how the photographer caught me “flying,” both feet off the ground. And smiling… definitely smiling that day. Do you like having A,B, and
The Great Mug Tour
The other day, Tobia gave us a tour of her notebook collection. I think she said she has 37 notebooks, all filled with lists, drawings, business details, and random ideas. She loves her notebooks! It got me thinking about the things I collect, and I realized I derive an insane amount of pleasure from my mugs. So much so that I have pictures on my phone of most of my mugs, as well as pictures of Starbucks cups from various seasons. Maybe it’s because I drink the same thing everyday- Earl Grey tea (did you know the bergamot in earl grey is a natural anti-depressant?) so I like to vary the vessel holding it. Here I present you with my favorites…starting with the “everyday” mugs. This one was a gift from my sister. My cat Charlotte has really big eyes, and my sister thought she resembles the cat on this mug. Moving along. My son is currently a freshman at Baylor University in Texas. No, he’s not into sports and he didn’t choose the school because it’s in Texas. He chose it because they have a great music school, and he wanted to study with the trumpet teacher there. I drove him to school in August, and saying goodbye to him was one of the saddest moments of my life. But all is well! He’s doing great and will be home for Thanksgiving. I bought this mug to remind me of that mother-son road trip. Okay, let’s get to the fun stuff- holiday mugs!!! Here’s the best fall mug ever, once again a gift from my sister. Yes. I am the Crazy Pumpkin Lady. Every fall I get extremely excited to put out my pumpkin decorations and start making all the pumpkin foods. The fun thing is, my sister has the same mug so we text each other pictures of our fall breakfasts with the mug. She’s the Almost-as-Crazy Pumpkin Lady. This next simple and unassuming mug is currently my second-favorite for fall. I got it a couple years ago at Pier 1- boy, am I sad that store has closed! They had the best stuff. Obviously, everyone needs a Halloween mug (right?) This was a random find- I was at the mall, walked through Macy’s because I was looking for a bathroom, and saw a display of Halloween items. I love the little spider on this one. This is yet another fall mug that for some reason I’m been neglecting lately- must start using it more before the season is over! And here’s my Thanksgiving mug! I generally only take this out the week of Thanksgiving. Yes, I realize it’s a little strange to have a mug that sits in my cabinet 51 weeks out of the year. Once again, I found it at Pier 1- it was super cheap on clearance and I couldn’t resist. I think we’re all mugged-out for now, so I’ll do part two of this post later in the month. My Christmas mugs deserve their own post, and besides they’re hidden away right now. My husband clearly does not understand mug etiquette, and I’ve caught him drinking out of Christmas mugs in the middle of the summer. No, no, no! Christmas mugs are not allowed until the day after Thanksgiving! Sheesh. Everyone knows that. Thanks for joining me for Day 9 of NaBloPoMo! In case anyone is wondering what mugs have to do with running, tomorrow’s post will be more running-related. In the meantime, stay hydrated (and caffeinated!) Do you love mugs? Or do you not care what you drink out of? Coffee, or tea? – Always Earl Grey! I don’t like coffee.
The “Best” Days
It’s the second week of November, which means the second week of NaBloPoMo. Last week was super fun- I love branching out and reading some different blogs. Let’s keep the momentum going! Yesterday was such a nice day. In my post I talked about all the things that came together to make it extra-special- the time change, weather change, and New York City Marathon on TV. It made me think about other days in the past that stood out as unusually great. It seems like there’s one day every holiday season… here’s the one that I remember from last year. (Warning! I’m going to talk briefly about politics, ACK! But no worries… we can still be friends if we didn’t vote for the same person.) It was the Friday after election day. I think we’ll all remember, for a very long time, that stressful week. We voted on Tuesday and didn’t get the results until Saturday- crazy. Anyway, on that Friday morning I left for work early and was on my way to Starbucks, which is my usual Friday tradition. On the way there, I got a text from my sister: “Biden won Pennsylvania.” Even though it wasn’t really over, I remember thinking, “It’s over.” I pulled up to Starbucks and, to my surprise and delight, was handed my drink in a festive holiday cup- the first one of the season. I remember thinking: “I’ll remember this day.” And I do. I remember sitting outside (indoor seating was closed, of course), looking at my holiday cup, and letting elation wash over me. Another such day occurred a few years ago on Halloween. My daughter was in elementary school, and the kids wore their costumes to school. Parents were able to attend the “costume parade’ in the morning. My daughter was in third grade- such a fun year, where the kids are still young enough to be excited about costumes and trick-or-treating. After the parade, I went to Barnes and Noble, and there were already Christmas decorations up in the parking lot. Yes, Halloween is a little early for that, but it didn’t bother me. I went into the bookstore and while I sat at a table sipping my tea, the pleasure of seeing my daughter in the costume parade combined with the anticipation of Christmas coming up- and I thought “this is the best day of the whole season.” You know what? When I look back on it, that really was the best day. I hope yesterday wasn’t the best day of the whole season for me- there are still so many fun things coming up. But you never know- I’ve discovered that the “best” days usually aren’t the ones you plan on. For me it’s more likely to be a day where things unexpectedly come together. It’s like running. You can’t really plan to have a great run. You can do everything in your power to make it great, but usually it’s those days where it just happens. High expectations can lead to disappointment, so once again, the best days are unexpected. My goal for this season is to- as much as possible- drop any notions about how I want things to be, or how they should be, and just let them be. Maybe if I just let them unfold, I’ll have not one, but many, many “best” days of the season to look back on. And runs. Lots and lots of “best” runs. How about you- do you have days that stand out in your memory like that?