DCTriGirl

I've started blogging again and moved...

2009-01-02T00:55:00.002-05:00

So a lot has happened since I last posted (six months ago). But the good news is that I've started tentatively blogging again - at least tentatively. I've moved my site over to http://www.runsjrun.com, primarily because I'm not longer DCTriGirl. Reason 1 being I haven't done a triathlon in over a year and concentrate on running, and reason 2 being that I don't live in D.C. anymore.

If you still check this site with any regularity, I encourage you to check out the new site! It's kind of bare right now, but hopefully it'll get beefed up soon.

The Bean

2008-07-02T14:57:00.002-04:00

The Bean
Originally uploaded by ElrRigby

Just got my new Canon Digital Rebel XTi (combo b-day present to myself and from various family members).

I perused around Millennium Park to try it out and this is one of my favorites that I took. Mostly because - surprisingly - there was no one else in the shot. For more on my time in the Park, you can find it here.

Top Twelve Running Songs

2008-06-20T09:16:00.006-04:00

As I was driving to the track this morning for a speed workout (yes... I too see the irony of driving to exercise - a conundrum I've always struggled with), U2's Where A Street Has No Name came on the Sirius - easily one of the top 10 running songs of all time.

As I don't blog much anymore, I want each post to be worth it's salt. Therefore, I present to you - you guessed it - DCTriGirl's Top 12 Running Songs of All Time (it was supposed to be 10, but I counted wrong). These are songs that are always on my Shuffle and never get skipped over. Some are cliche running songs, others are head scratchers. I could go into the details of what makes a good running song (not necessarily fast tempo, but consistent rhythm and motivation), but instead, I'll just get right to the point:

12. Please Forgive Me (David Gray)
As you may recall, David Gray is a sorta-one-hit wonder with that song Babylon. Here's his second single. With interesting synthesizer like sounds and a fake-out ending that fades in with a groovy instrumental, it breaks into the top 10.

11. Eye of the Tiger (Survivor)
Well duh. Rocky listens to this when he runs, so obviously we have to as well. Whenever this song comes on, I break out into a shuffle and start punching the air. People are confused...

10. Crazy (Gnarles Barkley)
This is the perfect mid-run song. Up-tempo, yet relatively mellow, it is the exact song you want to come on when you've traveled some distance, yet need the motivation to keep on going.

9. Running on Empty (Jackson Browne)
Okay, so we're at the first song with "running" in the title. I'm not a Jackson Browne fan, and this is the only song of his I really know. But when you're on the last mile or two of a run and this song comes on, it pretty much reflects exactly how you're feeling, as memorialized during Forrest Gump's super long run.

8. The Boys of Summer (Don Henley)
There is something bittersweet about the end of summer. On the one hand, bearable temperature and crisp-smelling air come to pass. But on the other, warm temps and carefree mindsets disappear. This song is for the first run when the leaves start to change.

7. Fool in the Rain (Led Zeppelin)
The first of two rain-focused songs on the list. Who hasn't seen that fool in the rain running joyfully? For many runners, it's the only time they enjoy being in the rain.

6. Solsbury Hill (Peter Gabriel)
Who doesn't want to see the lights when they climb up on Solsbury Hill? Another good middle of the run, calming song, which is obviously perfect for climbing that arduous hill.

5. Running Down a Dream (Tom Petty)
The second song with "running" in the title. In a contrast to the first one, this is best for the beginning of a run, where you're stupid enough to believe that you can actually run down your dreams, that you aren't going to have to work hard, and that the finish line is attainable.

4. Purple Rain (Prince)
The second rain-centric song and also the slowest tempo on the list, this marathon song doesn't have to be played in the rain to be enjoyable. In fact, it's on the list because it's length, to me, represents a run's ups and downs.

3. Breathe Me (Sia)
Probably a lesser known song, but some may recognize from the season finale of Six Feet Under. This song takes you on a journey, a difficult one. I chose it because the piano in the background reminds me of the rhythm of running strides.

2. Where the Streets Have No Name (U2)
Another cliche for sure, but the aforementioned tune that inspired this post deserves it. Who doesn't get jazzed with energy when the opening guitar picks begin. You run faster and faster as the intro ascends. And when the song fades down, you know you've accomplished something.

And my number one (and extremely anti-climactic) running song is....

1. Ghostwriter (RJD2)
Introduced to me by a dear friend in a past life, this instrumental song with minimal humming and gospel-infused vocals, will never leave my Shuffle. Simply put, it captures the rhythm of running and spirit of running (endurance running at least). It is welcomed at the beginning of the run, when you know you have a long road ahead of you; the middle of the run, when you need that melody to make you smile and climb that hill; and the end, when you can look behind you, shrug your shoulders and say "That was nuthin'." If you've never heard of it, here's a version on YouTube. Don't download the remix from iTunes (this one isn't on it unfortunately), it ain't the right one. Please resort to unspeakable methods to acquire it.

And there it is... Some may agree, some may scratch their heads. Either way, I dig 'em, and you should too. Stay tuned for the next installment, where we cover the top 10 (or 12) Cool Down songs.

It's Complicated... Week 1

2008-05-27T15:39:00.004-04:00

No, not my life, thank God. But Denise Richards' is.

Luckily, I've picked out a life partner that has the same taste in awful reality television. Because last night, we plopped down in front of the TV to watch the premiere of "Denise Richards: It's Complicated."

Believe it or not, it really isn't. The premise of this particular episode was that she caught her two pigs doing the nasty and wanted to find out if the chick pig was pregnant (I guess it would be more disturbing if she wanted to find out if the boar was preggers). Anyway, it was a false alarm and the chick wasn't knocked up.

Not to worry though, as Denise took some friends and went to the pig farm to select a "stud" to make some piglets. The stud she found was about half the size of his new lady friend, and hilarious images of him mounting her ensue.

Now onto the sub-plots involving the humans of the show. Denise is being set up with a "normal" guy - and by normal, I mean average Joe for the world. Denise was lamenting about how her version of normal are actors or musicians who are "passionate in bed." Yes, those are her words. I can understand why she thinks that only actors and musicians can please such an insatiable "Wild Thing," but I really think you can find what you are looking for in an actual "normal" dude.

To prep for this date, she had her personal tanning specialist come and spray her with goo. Seriously, how can I get that job? You know she makes bank and all she has to do is drive around and spray paint brown stuff on people. No marketable skills necessary.

On the way to the blind date, the she was complaining to the friend that set her up how she'd rather be home changing Bob's poopy diaper, than going on this date (all evidence to the contrary love, you had your tanning specialist come over). And for the record, Bob isn't one of the children that are so controversially involved in the show. Bob is the new pig. She's rather spend time with her poopy new pig, over making out with some normal dude and maybe even reading her kids a story.

The episode ended with an emotional barbeque for dear ol' Dad, who came to live with Denise after her mom died. That was pretty sad, I feel for her, certainly. Maybe, though, just maybe, she wouldn't have to pimp her kids and herself out in a reality show if she just cut a little corners and ditch the tanning specialist, or even the mobile vet guy who came to check in on the little pigs.

On second thought, it's actually okay that she is ho-ing her family out. Because next week we get to watch her cover up her "Charlie" tattoo. It's soooo complicated.

The Chicago Marathon is as stupid as I am...

2008-05-13T14:02:00.003-04:00

I just got this e-mail from the Chicago Marathon.

Subject Line: Correction
The e-newsletter that was distributed yesterday contained an error in stating that the Bank of America Chicago Marathon is six months away. Please note that the race is actually five months away and will be held on October 12, 2008. We apologize for the error.

Good to know that I blogged about this very fact last night and didn't notice any fuzzy math either.

Good to know that I'm even more screwed than I thought last night.

Good to know that these are the people who are responsible for seeing to it that I don't die on the race course.

Six Month Mark

2008-05-12T22:06:00.005-04:00

So apparently I'm running a marathon in six months - from today. The only reason I know this is because I got an e-mail from the race alerting me to the fact. This should be interesting.

Seeing as I completely gave up on this triathlon season before it even started, you can see why I'm skeptical about this endeavor. I bailed on both the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler and Shamrock Half Marathon (partially due to reasons beyond my control - like death and taxes). My doubts also stem from the fact that I haven't run anything longer than 4.5 miles since the beginning of February - when I ran 10, 16 miles less than what I have to do on October 12.

The knee has been feeling a little better, which is nice, as I have to be able to run 26.2 freakin' miles on it. Yoga might be helping it to, as is sitting on my ass, as is the new drinking habit I've seemed to have taken up recently.

Not going to lie, I was pretty pissed at myself for withdrawing from those races. I don't like failing. I guess if your body is telling you to stop or take it easy, that's what you should do. However, I'm of the mind that mentally you should be able to fix anything. No wonder I burned myself out.

Six months is a long time away, but close enough for me to start thinking I need to shape up. Going through the 10 miler and the triathlon, I'm hoping that self doubt won't plague me for this one.

I think it's been a nice break over the last few months. I haven't been working out 12 hours a week and nothing really happened. I didn't gain 20 pounds or become a blob. And while my deltoid muscles and abs might not be as clearly defined, I have played a decent amount of Rock Band, hung out with my dude, and did a lot of girly things with Lea.

Pretty soon, I'll become boring again. Saturday night excitement will be replaced with Sunday morning solitude in Rock Creek Park. And that's okay. That's probably where I belong anyway.

Welcome Back Sara...

2008-05-02T08:13:00.003-04:00

...those were the first words the yoga instructor said at the conclusion of the Bikram Yoga class I took last night in Tenleytown, and then promptly requested the class give me a round of applause.

Needless to say, this is not the kind of attention I thrive on. And it wasn't really my first class "back." But it did give me a sense of accomplishment.

I ventured to my old stomping grounds in Tenleytown - the studio I began practicing yoga at as a baby junior in college, five years ago. Since then, my frequency of practice has gone up and down like the stock market - at times as much as three times a week consistently for six months, and recently, a break of almost a year.

This yoga is not for the faint or weak of heart. It's 26 postures, each completed twice, two breathing exercises. The class is around 90 minutes and done in a room heated to 105 degrees and some absurd amount of humidity. A time commitment to be sure.

As I began to concentrate more on the running and triathlon stuff, something had to give, and it was yoga. Since this was the first yoga I practiced, any other class that didn't involve heat, sweat, and was too meditative wasn't for me.

My real first class back was when I was in Chicago in March. It was cold, there was no gym, so yoga was the way to go. I remembered the postures like they were ingrained in me, although I couldn't touch my toes.

My second class back was last Sunday and again I couldn't touch my toes. I was waddling around the next day because my hamstrings did things they were just not ready to yet.

This brings us to last night, my third class back, but the first time since I graduated college at the studio that groomed me. Of course the instructor perceived this to be my first time in yoga since then and instructed me to take it easy. Instructions that I know no meaning of.

The room was hotter than I remembered, but after the first four postures I settled into it. Hamstrings still tight, hip flexors still immobile, but I know I'll get there.

This form of yoga is active, no "om-ing" or "ah-ing," things I do not dig, but it's the only place I can truly turn my brain off - partly because the instructor gives me permission to do so and gently asks me if I'm remembering to breathe.

As I left the studio and walked down that familiar alley, I remembered back when I started. When I wasn't stressed about leaving yoga at 9 p.m. because my first class didn't start until 11 a.m. the next morning. When I wasn't rushing out of the office because I didn't want to miss the 10 minutes I had alone in my head before the class began.

Things are different now, I suppose. Pats on the back are rare and disengaging a luxury. It was nice to be recognized for such a small, simple contribution.

The Curse of the Skirt

2008-05-01T12:26:00.003-04:00

I try to avoid being overtly feminine at any time. These set of behaviors I try to avoid include:

Getting emotional in public and/or in front of people whose middle name I don't know
Discussing shoes as small talk with people who I have no vested interest in what shoes they are wearing
Spending an hour doing my hair
Wearing skirts

I realize that most of these are stereotypical behaviors of women, many of which I do embrace in my private life (such as watching Sex and the City and crying every time I see Juno). Unlike the Washington Post op-ed, which got so much heat recently, I don't see these behaviors as making us dumb or unequal, but are just behaviors that I am not interested in.

Except for today, when all my pants are in need of some major Dryel-ing. I'm wearing a skirt. With flowers... My hair is half-up, half-down. I look like a chick. It's awkward and kicking me in the ass to do some laundry tonight.

That is the only circumstance I will really willingly put a skirt on, laundry day. I even mulled over the appropriateness of getting a crisp, white pantsuit for my wedding (I still haven't ruled it out). At my company holiday party where mini-dresses were about, I chose white dress pants (after two years of red dress pants) and some sort of shiny top. It just ain't my thing.

Maybe it's part of the whole body issue thing. Or maybe I just feel half naked when I wear a skirt and the whole vent on the street thing terrifies me. Either way, I'm wearing something today that goes above the knee that isn't a pair of running shorts, has flowers on it, and makes me definitely look like a girly girl.

Then again, committing a whole post to my outfit today, probably indicates that I'm a girly girl regardless of what the bottom half of my outfit consists of.

Congrats American Families!!!

2008-04-28T13:43:00.002-04:00

For getting an oversized check addressed specifically for you.

(Susan Walsh / AP)

Seriously, what a great name - American Families. Doesn't Congress realize how ridiculous this picture is? Oh, right... they don't... not surprising. Gotta love that Nancy.

I have neat friends

2008-04-28T11:49:00.002-04:00

Lacking anything exciting to report in my own life. My friend and bridesmaid-to-be Lea went to the White House Correspondents Dinner on Saturday night, while I was stuck in traffic around that time on Florida Avenue. I think this firmly represents our actual roles in life.

Anyway, of course, being the white house correspondent from her blog, she naturally was invited to attend the dinner. It's kind of ironic though, as she really doesn't involve herself in the mainstream political landscape whatsoever. But who knows, I don't make the decisions around here.

Read all about it here. I assure you that she has sealed her place to be invited back next year - when the Democrats are in power. Hmmm, probably not.

This can't be good

2008-04-25T15:37:00.000-04:00

Something tells me that this isn't good for the sport of triathlon.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24313314/

A Grown Up

2008-04-25T08:00:00.004-04:00

So last night, Ari, me, Ari's brother, Ari's brother's girlfriend, and some fifth wheel none of us ever met went to dinner at this dude's house in Silver Spring. This dude works out at Ari's gym at Justice and has a wife and a 4-month-old baby. They live in a lovely townhouse in a development three blocks away from downtown Silver Spring.

This dinner made two things abundantly clear:
1) I know surprisingly little about my religion, its customs, the Hebrew and Yiddish words used to describe said customs, and basically anything that goes above and beyond Jewish jokes and stereotypes.

2) I am an adult.

Let's tackle first things first. It's always been pretty obvious that I am a deadbeat Jew. I very obviously tuned out in Jew School, which I attended from Jr. Kindergarten through 8th grade, during all Hebrew and "Judaic Studies" classes. This resulted in getting Fs and Ds in both during my 7th grade year. That was a fun time. Suffice it to say, the subject didn't particularly interest me.

But now I'm faced with spending quality time with people who throw out words that refer to certain kinds of food (Kidnyot I believe was one of them, but I can't be too sure). I walked into a kitchen last night covered in tinfoil that was not unlike when Robert Patrick melted into liquid metal in Terminator 2. (SIDE NOTE: it just took me three attempts to spell metal correctly, I had to google it). I guess there's some rule where matzo can't touch any surface that bread has already touched. Who knew.

Not me. It's not that all of a sudden I have a huge interest to learn either. It's more that my reformed upbringing has made it abundantly clear how far those folks slipped from how things were in the olden days - which, no worries, I'm totally cool with.

Now on to #2. There was a baby eating dinner with us. There was no question of his adorableness and the fact that he was actually pretty cool to play with. It's that the mother is like 2-3 years older than me. And has a townhouse in Silver Spring... with a husband... and a baby. There was wine at dinner and she cooked multiple courses. Not that the conversation was necessary adult (poop came up more than once and not referring to the baby's). It's just that, well, it was a dinner party and there was a baby attending. Don't get much more adult than that.

So to sum it up, I'm basically an awful Jew who gets freaked out by babies. How did I get engaged again?

So I guess I'll start blogging again

2008-04-23T06:36:00.003-04:00

I don't know, I guess I got tired of baring what little of my soul to dozens of readers every week. Stuff was going on and I didn't feel like talking about it. Training hadn't been going well, and I didn't feel like admitting it here. When you take that away, my core audience: my friends, tri-readers and parents (hi mom and dad) wouldn't really have much to read about.

So just a brief update. Taking this upcoming season off for the most part. I'm trying to enjoy training and exercise for exercise's sake and not worry about training schedules, paces, what workouts I've finished or missed. I think I kind of burnt myself out that way. I'm running right now - not that much due to a nagging IT Band - but it's getting there. Hopefully, I'll swim again soon. As for the bike, maybe I'll get there, maybe I won't. I just can't make myself feel bad about where I was or why I'm not where I want anymore. I have the Chicago marathon in October to look forward to, so hopefully this summer will turn things around.

Other than that, things are pretty normal. I curse the Today show daily because I'm frustrated that no one goes on anymore without an attorney. I'm finding this whole polygamy debacle oddly humorous for some inappropriate reason. I really love my Sirius satellite radio. And I'm f-ing starving because I can't eat leavening for the time being.

SIDE NOTE: I really don't keep Passover for the religious reason at all (sorry mom, dad and Ari). I think it's oddly cleansing for me to - once a year - recall that I do have some amount of willpower and self control. Maybe if I can really go the week without eating bread, etc. (corn syrup doesn't count, neither does rice), then I can one day do a Half Ironman.

Anyways, there you have it. I think I'm going to start blogging like my friend Lea. More humorous and evergreen posts, and less serious and introspective. Because honestly, there is nothing more boring than someone with an inflated sense of self thinking that people (other than their friends and parents - hi mom and dad) really care.

Too Good to Pass up

2008-04-22T17:57:00.002-04:00

So I know I haven't blogged in, like, a year. But this is too good to pass up. My fellow blog females (I refuse to say anything that could be translated as "my girls). Both posted, so I must as well. Sorry folks, it's not up to me.

Also, it's surprisingly accurate. Enjoy!

A Scary Thought...

2008-03-07T10:37:00.002-05:00

So I know I haven't blogged in, like, a year. You are probably looking for an explanation. You deserve one. Unfortunately, that won't be happening in this post. I've come to a frightening realization and needed to share it.

There are few things in life that I've loved on a consistent basis. I go through phases of things that I'm really into, and then my attention deviates (as my apparent love for triathlon is seemingly fading... more on that later).

Of the few things that have captured my attention for more than a fling's length, two have them formed an uncomfortable union. I'm talking about The Beatles and Target.

Now, mind you, the actual Beatles haven't signed up to collaborate with Target on some nifty musical releases. But, if you've noticed Target commercials lately, they feature a God-awful, cringe-inducing, bubblegum version of "Hello Goodbye." One of their songs from '67.

Hello, Goodbye as a song hasn't had any particular effect on me, as, say, an Eleanor Rigby or Hey Jude or I Want You (She's So Heavy). But the Beatles are one of the things that will stay with me forever.

Target will too. I don't know of a time where I've run in and grabbed the thing I actually needed without grabbing $100 worth of merchandise along with it. Each time you go, you find a great deal on something you never knew you needed. I gotta respect a store that has that kind of control on its customers.

What I don't gotta respect, is a company that not only uses my favorite artists' songs to advertise their products, but completely reduces it to such an ineffectual rendition that I want to tear out my hair every time I see it.

The thing is. If I was REALLY perturbed by Target's use of the Beatles in such a vomit-worthy way, I would simply stop shopping there, right? If I was SOOOO in love and loyal to the Beatles, this would anger me to the point of boycotting the store for butchering a band who has seen me through the course of my life (and many lives before me I might add).

But I don't want to boycott Target. I love it. It's provided me with many household objects I hold near and dear. I can't imagine a month (or even a week) going by where I don't visit it to say hello.

This made me come to the conclusion that I love Target more than I love the Beatles. Any true Beatles fan probably feels the same way as I about the cover that's in those commercials, but how many of them will restrain from shopping at Target. Not many I would imagine.

I ultimately believe that John, Paul, George, and Ringo would all appreciate my sentiment and analysis of the situation, but understand my needs for cheap and chic clothes and household items.

So obviously...

2008-02-22T21:48:00.001-05:00

...I am having an issue keeping up with this thing. Life and work is,
needless to say, hectic. And training, well, basically non-existent.
Between my grandmother's passing, the cruise, the cold and fatigue
that won't quit, and - you know - getting engaged, it's been tough to
find things to write about. Or rather easy to find things to write
about, but no real inspiration to write. Hopefully I will regularly
post again. Maybe this is a good start.

Happy Aaron?

Neglectful...

2008-02-15T07:02:00.002-05:00

I know, I know... I've been neglecting the blog. But sometimes life just gets in the way. Once I got home from vacation, I was swept away into work insanity and this cold/cough/sinus/fatigue thing that I just can't seem to shake.

Needless to say, on the training front... I've also been neglectful. It's difficult to muster the energy to run 7-10 miles multiple times a week when you can barely get off the couch to make yourself dinner (even if it's microwavable). The fact that I had no appetite for about a week probably wouldn't have been conducive to long work outs anyway.

But I'm slowly getting back into it. I ran on the treadmill for 30 minutes on Tuesday (a somewhat bigger feat than running 10 miles outside). And last night I got on the trainer for approximately 45 minutes. No heart rate monitor, no timer. Just an episode and a half of Sex and the City. It was pretty nice to be unrestrained.

Now, onto the other news. Most of you know, I'm pretty private about my relationship. I don't use this blog as a mechanism to discuss publicly what feelings and fuzzy warm things are happening with me and my boyfriend. That's just not my style.

However, it's a pretty significant life change when one gets engaged, so I figured that it is something the 4 people who still read this blog would like to read :-).

People have been saying, "wow, you are so even-keeled about this! so calm!" Well, that's just me... I'm not one to show lots of emotions in public. You'll notice that all my posts are written in a very analytical, birds-eye view. So I apologize if I don't give you the reaction you are hoping for when one announces such wonderful news. Just know that yes I am ecstatic, over-the-moon, and thrilled about what lies ahead.

Blogging from my new toy!

2008-02-08T17:29:00.000-05:00

Sending this from my new phone. Know it has been a while since I've
updated - been swamped at work and then of course caught the office
cold. More updates soon. Promise.

Beach Drive 10 Miler

2008-02-02T18:42:00.000-05:00

So today I headed out to Beach Drive in Rock Creek to do my first 10 miler since, well, the Army Ten Miler. It also my first long run since three weeks ago. I've maybe worked out 4 times since then.

So of course it's natural to set the goal of beating my ATM time of 1:45. I guess I sort of did that. My moving time was 1:39ish, which obviously is faster. But my legs felt like bricks and I took many a break. Total time being around 1:50ish, obviously slower. I don't know if I should be a cheater or more practical. Maybe next time I try it I'll have adequately prepared :-). Anyways, here's a map if you are so interested.

&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/run/united-states/va/arlington/698456979"&amp;gt;beach drive 10 miler&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;&amp;lt;br/&amp;gt;&amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyrun.com/find-run/united-states/va/arlington"&amp;gt;Find more Runs in Arlington, Virginia&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

Preview

2008-01-31T16:10:00.000-05:00

A full cruise report is to come, but here is a preview that captures the essence of the trip:

Jealousy...

2008-01-25T09:09:00.001-05:00

Just flipping through my Tri-Blog network and noticed someone posted about a "recovery" run they just did. First off, I take issue that any run can really be a recovery, as it is the discipline that wreaks the most havoc on your body and joints.

Second, this person completed their 4.5-mile "recovery" run in a tad over 35 minutes. That's quite speedy - at least for me. Maybe this person runs an average of 10 miles a day, so 4.5 miles 35 minutes is really a breeze.

Lastly, this person's heart rate AVERAGE was 158. That's about my average heart rate when I'm walking up the escalator on the Metro.

I know that "every person is different" and that "heart rate is genetic," but last night I definitely worked it to keep my 8:38 pace.

Nothing like someone who you've never met put you in your place!

Spirit of the Marathon

2008-01-24T21:57:00.000-05:00

So tonight was a one-night only show of Spirit of the Marathon, the first non-fiction (read: documentary) to cover the ins and outs of the marathon. To get myself in the mood, I decided to run the 4.2 miles to the theatre.

View Larger Map
The run part was awesome. I averaged a 8:38/mile pace, which is insane. I was lucky enough to stop at a lot of lights (at which point my watch also stopped), so I had the benefit of recharging my batteries at least once every five minutes (it probably took my that amount alone to get around the circle near GW). Also, the first 1.5 miles were downhill. Whatever, I always find a way to undercut any accomplishment, but I'm trying to keep my expectations in check.

The movie part was also pretty kick ass. Basically, it covered six runners competing in the Chicago Marathon: two elite runners, two first timers, one aspiring to qualify for Boston, and one man in his seventies who has already completed a few marathons. The movie really captured what this distance means to each category, the diversity of training methods (group training versus alone), and how huge the Chicago Marathon is.

I was already set on registering for the race when it opens on February 1, but now that date can't come soon enough. I think the movie resonated so much with me because I'm from Chicago, but I could relate to the runner who prefers to train alone and the elite Kenyan who is never satisfied.

Tonight was the only night it played, but I hope it comes out on DVD because that would be a pretty awesome pump-up while in training this summer. Also, the score is very dramatic. I'm not one to be pretentious enough to say "wow... that score was epic" or "what great use of the viola," but it really upped the intensity of what I was watching.

Anyways, don't know if I'm going to be able to post again before I leave for vacay. Five days in the Caribbean... I know you are jealous. But I'm looking forward to relaxing, getting some sun, doing some open-water swimming, and frolicking on the beach.

Running, or Not

2008-01-23T07:38:00.000-05:00

Today I attempted a 45-minute tempo run (my first since Saturday morning). I made it about 15 minutes. Maybe I underdressed, or maybe I just didn't feel like facing the cold before dawn and getting slapped in the face by wind... again.

Whatever it is. I need to get on the horse this week. With vacation coming up and my workout ops there slim to none, I need to just get things done. I guess I'll try again today after work and wake up even earlier in the morning (have to be on Capitol Hill for a meeting at 8 a.m.).

It's just a bummer because things had been turning around and I had been making all my workouts, completing them successfully. It seems to be a common story though, at least for me.

Sad News - And a stereotype

2008-01-17T06:33:00.001-05:00

Yesterday morning I got some sad news about a death in my immediate family. A surprise at the time, as most of these announcements are, it began to settle in and I became not quite surprised at all.

While searching online for flight times so I could call the airline to reserve the at the special funeral rate, I saw a special sale from Reagan to Chicago O'Hare that was cheaper than even traveling on the average weekend. In typical Jewish form, I called my mother - elated at what cheap price I found for the flight. She too, expressed enthusiastic excitement and said "Book it! That's amazing!" For that second, we forgot what exactly I was booking the flight for. Just two Jews excited about finding a bargain.

Not to get morbid and existential, but I think my grandma is excited about the steal too.

Things are looking up...

2008-01-14T13:42:00.000-05:00

As reported by the guy I consider like a crazy uncle (including the love hate relationship):

That's right... My future affair, Zac Efron, is on the new Details magazine. Why isn't there a newstand in my office? Oh wait, there is...