I just went for a run. Doesn’t that sound good? Doesn’t that make me sound all healthy and crap? No, it was the first run in more than a week (which had been the first run in more than a week, also), and strangely, I ran the first ten or fifteen minutes amazingly well. I felt like I could run to Seattle. Yeah! Got this licked!
Then my side cramped and I forgot how to breathe, and I ended up half-stomping, half-jogging home, looking like an idiot.
That’s the thing about this running thing — I love love love it as a form of exercise that I can get done in the MINIMUM amount of time. I woke up at 3:55pm, rolled into my shoes and bra-with-only-one-wire, and I was out the door by 4pm, before my brain could formulate the necessary discouraging sentences. Back by 4:32, and watering the garden by 4:33. That’s the good part.
The bad part is that if you have a week in which you travel, have PMS, and then a migraine, you won’t run for a week and your body says, "HA! I have now successfully forgotten that you ran a marathon in December and a half-marathon six weeks ago. You suck! Go back and eat twinkies and cry!" It’s good that my body doesn’t actually speak, because that would just be mean, but that’s what it feels like.
That’s not what I started to say, though. What I started to say was, Now we’re talking. During the run, I noticed it was fall. Oh, hallelujah, and I know I can get a knitter’s amen. That silly heat thing that summer offers is for the birds. The leaves are turning, and the sky is heavy with cold cloudy fog, and there’s a slight chill wind. I’m in heaven. Time to knit! Time to be cozy!
I wish I had more time to be cozy. You know? Must work on that.
Also: I just got a funny-as-hell email from a reader named Anne, and I hope she won’t mind if I quote her:
On a dorky note, I just had to mention that although I’ve been reading
your blog for ages, I’ve always been reluctant to comment since I have
no blog of my own. Though I’ve thought about it… but can the
blogosphere really support one more obsessively-knitting, cat-owning,
liberal-leaning, self-doubting grad student? Maybe someday I’ll find
out.
Well, if she writes like you, the blogosphere will support her. Cracked me UP.
Off for a bath, and then to work, and then THE WEEKEND. Enjoy. Be cozy.
Mmm…twinkies. Fried or regular?
You people fry twinkies?
Crazy.
— Girl Drinking Tapioca Balls Through a Straw
My body says that kind of thing to me every single time I try to run. Which is why it only works if I’m not awake enough to listen. Trouble is, I wake up on the other side of town wondering (a) how the hell I got there and (b) I have running shoes ?! and most of all (c) oh. my. god. I have to get back home in ten minutes and that means I have to run…
At first I thought you were going to give us a funny story about your one wire-ness. I could imagine what would have happened. But I guess that’s just how my mind works.
Happy cozy knitting.
🙂
My body has been rebelling against the running – since I’ve started running, I’ve had a sore throat and been achy. Coincidence? I think not. Clearly the gods do NOT want me to run. Hee.
BUT, then I remember that you and Cathy did it, and I know I CAN DO IT. Hooray.
Running. Nope. Not gonna happen for me. I DID just pick up a little magazine on ‘walking fit’ to find motivation and relatively cramp-in-the-side-less methods of getting more energy and trimming the “i spend far too much time sitting on my arse” parts of me down a wee bit. Of course, fall is perfect sitting on my arse knitting weather…
My body has the same short attention span as yours, Rachel. Mine is more pitiful, though, because I am not a runner. I can understand your body forgetting how to run — it is torture. My body forgets how to walk for more than 10 minutes at a time. If I let myself get lazy for a month, then a five-minute walk is too much. I’ve just worked myself back up to 15 minutes at a time and lost six pounds. Only 100 more pounds to go!
I think we all need to encourage Anne to start a blog!
Running to Seattle isn’t such a bad idea, you know…
And AMEN to fall. Although it’s perfect knitting weather, and I’m obliged to finish the painting job I started before leaving for the happiest place on earth at o’dawn-thirty on Monday.
This happens to me too when I lay off the running. The body rebels. Sometimes my body rebels when I HAVE been running. That’s the stupid part. 😉
Ok, I love you and your blog. Seriously. And I could not be happier for you & your girl. However- could you put a sock in it about fall? It is 85 here today and it is going to be 90 here tomorrow. Some of us have to wait a little longer for fall. A some of us are, ahem, a little bitter about it.
Your body talks to you like that too? I thought it was only my body that did that! Just think about this, at least your run wasn’t done in pouring down rain which made your pants start to drag which then made you feel running with your bare ass mooning about. Oh yes, that was my Saturday run!
Heehee, I was REALLY waiting for more on the one-sided wire thing too! I’ve SEEN (pics) of your top parts, woman. Not too shabby! 😉 Hopefully, there has been no “fall-out” or aftershocks from missing that one little piece of metal. Youch, babes.
Regarding Fall: AMEN, sista! Woot! We’re in western NY state and whooboy, the leaves they’ve been a turnin’ for 4wks. Got down into the FORTIES the other night! I look forward to getting out the 3/4 done crochetted blanket, draping it over my lap (minus the sweats and itchiness which occurs during summer knitting of this piece–oh, and minus the crabbyass mood that goes with it–and FINISHING this damned thing) (I wrote “thong”, ha!) so I can move onto something wonderful. I just HATE obligatory knitting. Why do I even open my MOUTH when people ask me if I know how to do something? Jeesh.
Another fall lovely? Pumpkin Spice cappucinno, baybee!!!
Hugs,
Flabby But Less Crabby Dhi
my morning routine? try to sleep until the last possible minute (sometimes made impossible by either lehnen cat or today some neighbors talking outside my window at 645am?? WTF??) then rush to get to work where I read you and Amy-boogie.
when you say THE weekend… my heart faints. Good luck!
Okay, I went ahead and (cough, sputter) started a blog. A *baby* blog, but there it is. And running? That’s proving to be even more of a challenge.
Okay, I ran fifteen miles yesterday, I admit it. I’m not proud, but my boy is running a marathon and I’m damned if he’s doing it without me.
And I finished my Ecological Wool raglan on BART this morning and promptly put it on. I giggled in my coziness as I watched the under-clad underclassmen shiver in the morning fog.
Viva Autumn!!!
I’m sooo ready for it! Still pretty warm here, but tomorrow a “cold front” comes through and the high will only be 78. Have to take the small victories I guess.