The bestest number

I’ve been invited to the w3dding of a friend that I used to work with.  I received a beautiful (and ornate) invitation earlier this week.  I’m not sure what to do, since it would cost a lot of money and it’s 350 miles away. But also, I don’t do well at weddings where I don’t know anyone.  I’ve met a few of the bride’s friends once or twice, but not much.   My boss just told me, “a wedding is a great place to meet people.” I doubt that and since I don’t speak to people and my misanthropy shines off me, a wedding doesn’t seem like the place for me.

On the plus side, it’s an 1ndian wedding, with H1ndu and Musl1m participants and I’m sure that it would be beautiful and interesting.  And I don’t want to insult my friend.  But at wedding where I don’t know anyone I usually feel out-of-place and punished. I’m really flattered that I was invited…but now I have to figure out what I want to do.  Weddings are so difficult and socially frought for everyone involved. One part of the invitation made me laugh out loud. The top line of the response card says:

____  Person(s) 1nvited.  And in the “—-”  there’s a “1″.   1  persons 1nvited.  I had to giggle.  To me that says, “don’t even THINK that you are bringing a date or a friend.”  I would never have thought to bring anyone, but that “1″ message is so glaring. 

 

Realism

The cat had a good night last night. I did not.  My hall is being painted, which means that there is heavy paper covering my wood floors. My musical beast rubbed her paw-pads against the paper to produce a sound like sandpaper rubbing against wood.  She didn’t stop.  When I finally looked at the clock I thought, “oh, it’s 4:30…that’s not bad.” But then I squinted again and realized that it was 1:30. 1 effing 30. SO I got up and gave her some food, even though I didn’t think that would help. 

At 3AM she repeated the process. I wish I could put an audio file here so the sound would be clear.  After trying to ignore her for a few minutes,  I got up and depoited her in the bathroom and closed the door.  Fortunately for me, she let me sleep after that. But given that I get restless sleeping in the light and it got light at 5:20…it wasn’t the best night of sleep.

Last night we had a good run–about 11:45/mile pace.  In a little over three weeks I have a 10k coming up.  This race is the first race I ever did and this will be my 5th time running it.  My per mile times over the past years were:

2004: 14/mile; 2005: 11:59/mile; 2006: 11:45/mile; 2007: 11:22/mile

I would like to improve my time from last year, but a race held on June 7 is going to be very weather- dependent. In 2005 we had the race during a heat wave and I poured water over my head at ever station to keep from getting my brains fried.  According to a running calculator, and based on my recent finishing times at longer distances, my realistic finish time is between 11:10 and 11:20/mile.  I guess that would be OK. Not really, but I would settle.  I want my anniversary race to be special, but I guess if I cross the finish line, it’ll be special. Or that’s what I tell myself.

The fumes are getting to me

Today at *bucks, as I was leaving with my PMS tea, the barista yelled out a drink to be picked up, “Venti iced no whip 6 shot mocha.”  I felt jealous. Everyone else was pointing and laughing about the crazy hyper nightmare the drinker would be.  I’m still jealous.

I’m a little “off” today, partially because I went to bed at 9:30 and partially because I colored my hair yesterday and I smell like a toxic waste dump.  I probably also have dark brown dye streaks that I don’t see–I’m afraid to ask about that.

After more than a year here at work, our President is “on the warpath” about the appearance of the office. It’s not clear to me whether she said something about my cubicle specifically, but my boss sent me a little “word to the wise” e-mail.  I guess that means, “clean before hell comes down on your head.” 

I don’t like a clean workspace, but I do understand that my desk looks like a disaster area and people here have been tolerant about it.  I did warn them in advance of hiring me about my general chaos, but I’m not sure that they believed me. Now they do. And so I will try to make my desk a TINY bit better. 

Damn right

It was a very tough race.  Having a 13.1 mile race 8 days before a ten mile race is not easy.  Also, Central Park is very hilly and K and I remember that we haven’t done much hill work.

Mile 1:  11:50–too fast. K and I chat and decide that we need to warm up, do more hill work, re-watch season 1 of Lost.

Mile 2:  11:25!! Too too fast.  K tells me about the discussion with her BF about when they should live together,  We stop at the water table drank, start again, comment on how hilly it is and how it JUST ISN’T GETTING EASIER.

Miles 3, 4, 5, 6.  We complain, don’t feel so well. Each of these miles is between 11:55 and 12:05. We loiter at water stations hoping for miracles. K tells me a story about teeny transgender kids she heard on NPR.

Mile 7: I am beginning to believe that the race will end someday.  At some point I get a second wind and speed up a bit, K points this out. I tell her that I don’t want to waste my tiny second wind.  We do that mile in an 11:40 pace.

Mile 8: This mile features Harlem hill.  It is a little steep.  An onlooker exhorts us to STAYONTHEINSIDE!  HELP EACH OTHER UPTHEHILL!  A 50-something runner behind me yells, “WHAT IS SHE TALKING ABOUT! DOES SHE THINK I’M 12!”  I believe that I do this mile in 12:10 due to a couple of brief walk breaks.

Mile 9:  Tired tired. Can’t remember the time. It’s not going quickly.

Mile 10. At some point a volunteer reminds us that it is mostly down hill from here.  K is a little bit ahead of me.  I pick up the pace and enjoy the downhills. I use my favorite trick for running and for life…I count.  While I am counting backwards from 100, and mouthing each number distinctly, a runner with a marathon shirt runs towards me.  He points at me, “YOU…are doing great!”  The best encouragement ever!  I keep going and finish the mile in about 11:00.  That brings me to an 11:47/mile overall. Not my best ever for a 10 miler, but very good for how tough the run was.

***

Last night I went to get the newspaper and some bum was trying to talk to me.  I ignored him.  He muttered something that sounded like “biscuit,” but then yelled at me, “That means YOU A MEAN BITCH!”  I don’t engage in conversation with the loons, but I was pretty pleased to be a Mean Bitch.  Damn right!

Perfect

I slept until 10. Ten hours of sleep! Therefore, I am in a very good mood at the moment. No worries, I’m sure it’ll go away.

I got up and ran out to the Greenmarket. I wasn’t sweaty and I didn’t feel rushed. AT the demo table they were making French Toast and the scent of cinnamon wafted through the air. Their photographer kept backing into me to take a shot. I camethisclose to elbowing her in th e ribs, but thanks to my good mood I ignored her instead. Even though she was acting like I was a wall. Or wearing my invisible suit. AGAIN.

Three hours of Season 3 of the Wire should be arriving soon. I also have this book to read. I will report on my 10 mile race tomorrow afternoon. The sun will be shining, so not ideal conditions for me. But I am looking forward to it.

Reason 127

Last night we ran the 3.35 mile loop, which I did in just under an 11:45/mile pace.  It was tough because of the humidity.  For me, running faster than I am comfortable with often gives me the sensation that I need to poo.  This is probably reason 127 that I don’t like to run “fast,” but who’s counting.  I would like to run fast on Sunday at the Mother’s Day race, but it’s going to be weather-dependent.  Too humid=slow.

Yesterday as I was coming back from lunch, I darted into an elevator and discovered that there was a guy already in there waiting for the doors to close.  Another one came in after me.  As the doors closed, I remembered my grandmother saying, “if you are downstairs and you want to come up and there is a man in the elevator, you should let him go and wait for the next one.”  I wonder what about these men made me remember this advice…I was a little apprehensive until we got to my floor. 

Tomorrow, I am taking a day off from running so I can sleep in and get my head together.  Woo Hoo!!! I am VERY excited.

TB

I must remember that I don’t like fish or seafood cakes of any kind. I got codcakes last night at a restaurant.  I managed to choke down most of it, but was pretty disgusted.  They were too heavy and greasy and nasty.  I hate eating food that I don’t like because there is so much food that I DO like that it seems like a big waste. But I can’t throw food away–it isn’t right.  As a result, I had a bellyache hours and hours later.  Simple food is so much better in every way–tonight tofu!  Or burgers!  Or Tofu and burgers!

I have been obsessively checking the NY T1mes website to see if HRC has pulled out of the race.  She hasn’t. I told my boss and she laughed at me.  I can’t help myself–hope springs eternal. 

It’s drizzling now and I hope that it lasts until this evening so I can run in the rain. I like that. I had a dream that my 10 mile race inclused some obstacle course events.  I was distrought.  Who would do that to a perfectly good 10 mile race? 

After this most discombobulated entry, I leave to do work.  Bye.

Let’s call the cops

Yesterday did turn out to be a fine day after my crazy nightmare of the night before. And I had a decent night of sleep last night, which leaves me feeling more like a human and less like a headache machine.

My mind is turning to the Mother’s Day 10 mile race on Sunday.  I don’t think that I can get a 10 mile PR in this race and I feel OK about that–I did very well last year.  I am very excited that I’m not running today–I ran the race on Saturday, did a “recovery run” of four miles on Sunday, went out for a run/walk with H on Monday and did my usual Tuesday run yesterday.  I am excited to have a badly needed day of rest.

I have taken to riding the same subway train at the same time most days. I like one conductor.  He’s the guy who, last week had a passenger knock on the door to his space to let him know that a big roach was terrorizing her and her friends.  He smiled and said, “I can’t help you with that…for that you need to call the cops.” Love it.

And for you photographers out there…is it ethical to take candids on the subway or on the city streets without getting permission from/informing your subjects?  My friend witnessed an argument between a photographer and an onlooker about this.  I just hope that people with cameras who take candids know how to run.

How’s a week from Wednesday?

Here are my few words before I head off into my annual physical and then to work.

Yesterday was a lovely day off, featuring pedicures, brunch, sandals and seitan.  We went to Angel!ca with H’s sister to eat vegan. I truly love seitan.  As often happens after a long race, my weight is way up.  Like up the highest it’s been in 4 years.  I have to hope that it goes back down, but I’m not putting any money on that.   That  vegan food is fattening!

I’m a little thrown off this morning, since a couple of hours ago I woke up from a dream in which my mother had just died and I was having to plan her funeral. It was a weird dream in that the custom for my family/religious group in that situation would be to have it happen as soon as possible.  But in the dream it was a big debate.  Of course, I ended up screaming in the dream.  Great–nice way to start a day.

Half Full/Half Fast

I enjoyed my race yesterday (see previous post) and I had a good recovery run today.  I am also happy to be taking tomorrow off from work to spent with my friend H, who will arrive in a few hours.

Next weekend I am doing a 10 mile race in Central Park. Last year I did this race in a fairly fast time, and I don’t think I can improve upon it yet.  I don’t do many 10 miles races and I want to keep my expectations realistic.  Something that made me happy yesterday was that while I was happy to be finished with the 13.1 miles, I could have done another couple of miles if necessary.  In the past 2 years I’ve done 15 races of 13 miles or more so the distances are not usually the problem.  I would like to do more speed training, but I don’t “qualify” for our local group’s class because they have a prerequisite that you can run a 5K in under 30 minutes–that’s a 9:40/mile pace.  I’m sad to be excluded, but I understand that there’s more glory and money in training the fasties to be faster than in encouraging non-beginners who are slow.  It is expected that you’ll grow out of being very slow and I haven’t.

But I will keep running and trying to improve, especially in the longer distances.  It’s a lot of fun and sometimes the endorphins emerge.  Mine finally made themselves known yesterday and it was fantastic!