Showing posts with label random and unimportant criticisms. Show all posts
Showing posts with label random and unimportant criticisms. Show all posts

8.20.2009

Decompression Shorts

So I was in a little ongoing email conversation with a friend of mine, in which we were discussing one's need for individual "decompression time." And I responded with, "well, running is my decompression time...guess that's why I like the long runs so much...2 hours ALONE." And it hit me that this was really true. I am an only child, and have always been a little more on the independent side of the fence (you could call me a loner, but I don't really like to be alone all the time, it's more that I need time alone to recharge my batteries so I can enjoy being around people again).

Well, now that I have work--a job that is people-intensive--spouse, kids, dogs, organizations, kids' activities/sports, cleaning, cooking, laundry, groceries, etc. I don't get much time all to myself anymore. Yet, I don't need it any less. I just make-do with less. And it occurred to me that, though running IS an addictive drug, the Alone Time is the real whatfor that I've SO enjoyed adding distance to my running this year. It's the increased time alone! (yes, I too was in shock when this occurred to me...I always thought I ran for the t-shirts or medals. Or maybe even for the glamorous race pics. Yet there I stood, reeling at the contradiction this new truth presented.) The glorious, magnificent, heavenly, QUIET, time alone! I do run with buddies a bit, but the vast majority of my runs are solo. And I love that.

Perhpaps I should create my own home-made running clothing article...say, maybe some de-compression shorts to celebrate this breakthrough?

Perhaps my de-compression shorts might look a little something like this?

In non-running related news, I was in line to drop Shortie1 off at school this morning, when a mother approached with her school-age tyke trotting alongside, and another little one in a stroller. A (though she was clearly not a runner, it was a baby BOB, of course) stroller covered with mosquito netting and heavily-blanketed. A stay-at-home mom, of course she knows all the other stay-at-home-bunko-club-neighborhood-moms milling around (I'm not bitter though, do I sound bitter?!). Natch. And (as they tend to do) they then begin loudly discussing their little darlings. Hers have apparently been infected with H1N1 for the past two weeks, the smaller of the two (the mosquito-netted-and-blanketed one) further developing secondary infections. The bigger of the two, coughing and hacking like an emphysemic old hag. And standing in the kindergarten line with my Shortie. Awesome. Just one more thing for me to worry about.

5.05.2009

HRCA Shirts: Fugly Revealed!

Now, I realize there are shirts waaaaaaayyyy more fugly out there than these, but for those who cared to see, these are the 2009 HRCA race shirts that I think are just gross. True, they are all spelled correctly and yes, I have seen worse clipart in my time...but because it's my hood, I have special pride in these Highlands Ranch Run Series shirts. I want to feel proud wearing these around the greater Denver metro area. I want all those snooty Wash Park and Cheeseman Park runners to think, "Ah, maybe they have no yards and the houses are all soulless and beige down in the Ranch, but BY GOD they can make a nice race shirt!" And quite frankly, I think we can do much better here.

And oh yeah, for the running part, I did 8.5 miles* on Sunday in 1:19. My hammies were a little sore yesterday after the weekend, so I took the day off. Today I will be celebrating Cindo de Mayo by taking my act to Wash Park to show off the lovely new red HRCA Cinco shirt.
*I have noticed that my little Daily Mile calculator has not been calculating correctly the last couple of weeks...I will choose to believe this is because I have done so many miles that I've broken its will to calculate. So I am in search of a new simple blog calculating tool to tell me how much I am running so that I can continue to avoid all simple math for the forseeable future.