Many mornings, I find myself in the locker room of my gym getting ready for work. I’m usually there between 7 and 7:30 in the morning, and the creature of habit that I am, I routinely head for the same set of lockers. If locker number 360 is available, I take it. There are a few women who get ready around the same time I do in the same area. They chat, and I listen, not to eavesdrop but because I can’t help but listen. I’m practically standing in the middle of their conversation. They are animated and sometimes so funny that I find myself smiling at something they’ve said. I suspect they’ve seen me smile, but we’ve never spoken. Until today.
Monthly Archives: March 2014
On Pins and Needles.
Today’s the day I find out whether I’ve been accepted into the NYC Marathon. They are doing the lottery drawings all day, and I could be notified of acceptance at any time. Or I could not get in. I have a strong preference as to which way this goes. I desperately want to run this race this year.
Wednesday List #31 – Gratitudes.
I’m going to a funeral this afternoon for the sweetest 96-year-old woman I’ve ever met. Thinking about her and her long life makes me grateful for all that I have and hopeful that I will age as gracefully and live as fully as she did. So for now, here is a list of some things for which I am truly grateful:
A Track Workout.
On Sunday morning, I hit the track for mile repeats. My training plan called for at least two mile repeats on a 9:20 pace. I did this same workout back on February 23. Back then, I only managed two repeats and I barely hit my target time. I did the first at 9:18 and the second at 9:20 and felt so exhausted that I called it a day. Today, I managed four repeats and was much faster: 9:08, 9:00, 8:54 and 9:01. I might have had a fifth mile in me, but I called it a day at four. A good day. I like seeing progress, and today was definitely progress. Go me. Continue reading
Neighbors.
My sweet 96-year old neighbor died this morning. It was a peaceful passing, and she was with the “kid” who took care of her. I say “kid” because he’s a grown man, but to her, everyone was really young, so she referred to him as a “kid.” He wasn’t her kid exactly, but he might as well have been. He took care of her and has for years. He loved her the way her own son would have had she had one of her own. She didn’t, but she had him, and that was just as sweet, from what I could tell.
I learned a lot from this sweet woman. Continue reading
Sleeping on the Mountain.
As my world has gotten busy again, I’ve found my rhythm in training. I’ve taken on some additional work recently. At first I’d thought maybe I’d bitten off more than I could chew, but I’ve discovered that I actually get more done when I have more to do. Now that I’m buried in work, I’m making all of my workouts. I know part of that is because the reality of my half Ironman in St. George being just eight weeks away is kicking in. Part of it is that I need the workouts to help maintain my clarity in a stressful time. But it’s also just true that I do better when I’m focused. Right now, I’m super focused. All of that is great, but the problem is that I’m not sleeping well. I can’t get my mind to rest. How do I get to where I’m sleeping through the night? Continue reading
Not Enough Shovels?
A funny woman in my office responded to my usual “How are you?” inquiry with, “So much sh*t. Not enough shovels.” And I laughed. I love her and her country-isms. This might be my favorite. Continue reading
It Started With Coeur d'Alene 