Going to the Bars (and Other Things)
This is not a running related picture, but I'm avoiding writing about running for the moment, so here it is. This is the kitty who has adopted us. We're trying not to continue in frozen mode, where we are right now--as in, is she really homeless? If so, has she been fixed? If not, is she expecting? And regardless of all these questions, should we take her in to the vet for a check-up sooner rather than later? (I think the answer on that last one is "yes.")
She is very sweet, rather shy but no so much that she won't come in and snuggle down on the futon. Blah, blah, blah--and me a dog person!
About the running. Yesterday I ran the LMJS 15K at Lake Merritt. It was hot and I did not do well (1:44:13--5 minutes slower than my 15K time a year ago). I'm surprised at how negatively that affects my peace of mind. I've always given lip service to running for the joy of it and not worrying about times. I've never been particularly fast, even in my younger days. That said, I've always held my self to some unspoken standard of speed--I want to be fast in the particular category called "Elizabeth's Running." And yesterday, in my eyes, I failed. Bah!
Earlier this week I did two other runs, both at 6 a.m., both out the BART path. The first (5.25 miles) I did at a brisk clip (by ER category standards) and the second (4.5 miles) I did at a more leisurely pace. Saturday I swam laps for 30 minutes, and am wondering whether that sabotaged my race a bit. Anyway, if I include the warm-up I did before the race yesterday, I ran a total of 19.75 miles last week.
Below are two photos that give perhaps a little idea of how the world looks to me when I'm out and about before the break of dawn. I call them my Going to the Bars pictures.
The top one is the parallel bars just before the sun came up; the bottom one is the push-up bars just after the sun came up. Here is my little secret: Not only do I aspire to be the fastest runner in the ER category, I'm also in pursuit of Arnold-quality upper-body strength.
Unfortunately, all I can do at this point is swing a little on the parallel bars and hope I don't accidentally fall and break my neck (I haven't managed to lift either hand enough to advance at all yet) and then execute between five and fifteen laborious push-ups on either the highest or the mid-level bar (I have the low one in my sights, but so far it's only a dream).
She is very sweet, rather shy but no so much that she won't come in and snuggle down on the futon. Blah, blah, blah--and me a dog person!About the running. Yesterday I ran the LMJS 15K at Lake Merritt. It was hot and I did not do well (1:44:13--5 minutes slower than my 15K time a year ago). I'm surprised at how negatively that affects my peace of mind. I've always given lip service to running for the joy of it and not worrying about times. I've never been particularly fast, even in my younger days. That said, I've always held my self to some unspoken standard of speed--I want to be fast in the particular category called "Elizabeth's Running." And yesterday, in my eyes, I failed. Bah!
Earlier this week I did two other runs, both at 6 a.m., both out the BART path. The first (5.25 miles) I did at a brisk clip (by ER category standards) and the second (4.5 miles) I did at a more leisurely pace. Saturday I swam laps for 30 minutes, and am wondering whether that sabotaged my race a bit. Anyway, if I include the warm-up I did before the race yesterday, I ran a total of 19.75 miles last week.
Below are two photos that give perhaps a little idea of how the world looks to me when I'm out and about before the break of dawn. I call them my Going to the Bars pictures.
The top one is the parallel bars just before the sun came up; the bottom one is the push-up bars just after the sun came up. Here is my little secret: Not only do I aspire to be the fastest runner in the ER category, I'm also in pursuit of Arnold-quality upper-body strength.Unfortunately, all I can do at this point is swing a little on the parallel bars and hope I don't accidentally fall and break my neck (I haven't managed to lift either hand enough to advance at all yet) and then execute between five and fifteen laborious push-ups on either the highest or the mid-level bar (I have the low one in my sights, but so far it's only a dream).
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