Me.

Excuse the blurriness. It works in this context.This picture pretty much describes me in one good snapshot. It helps that it was taken by someone who always manages to get my eyes to smile. We were in a place of worship and I'm not quite sure what I was laughing at - I'm sure I said something totally inappropriate for the temple! The person taking the picture laughs the hardest at my inane sense of humour though. This is something I am very familiar with. I am a storyteller. My life is nothing but stories, most humorous, few serious, but overall life is a huge laugh to me. Now dont me wrong, I take life seriously, way too much sometimes in fact. I dont take life for granted, rather I try and make the most of it while I can. I would rather die limping with every ounce of energy spent and thinking 'what a ride', rather than tip-toeing through the rest of my life in a well preserved body! All of my stories are 100% accurate and everything I say is the God honest truth. My greatest joy is discussing my own situations to get a laugh out of someone. As they say "every picture tells a story...".

I havent run yet. Plan to run in the middle of the day with alot of caffine - I like doing this once in awhile. 6-10 miles. Havent decided yet. It is beautiful at this time though. Just finished raining so everything smells sterile and grassy. Just want the humidity to lessen a bit.

Putting things in perspective

All of yesterday, I had the feeling that this date was important. It was a nagging feeling I had all day and it.just.wouldnt.go.away. It wasnt anyone's birthday and I dont really wish people for anything anyway - I didnt get it. Then I got an email from a friend reminding me that it was the first year death anniversary of a mutual friend. Now, let me preface this by saying I did not really know this mutual friend - far more people are deserving of empathetic concern than an acquaintance. But I did know her, and she always joked with me when I initially started running. She usually got back drunk when I left in the morning to get my miles in (and sometimes in the afternoon, and sometimes in the evening...you get my point). She passed away in a car accident. Alcohol was involved.

Now this got me thinking. I am not a saint. Far from one. If my family knew half the stuff I have done, they would be in denial. I've been in a car with someone who has drunk before. Not proud of it. Alot of people have, but at the time we arent really concerned what could happen. It got me thinking of how many I've known or havent known because of careless accidents like this. It isnt worth it, I think. Scratch that, I KNOW it isnt worth it. Sad to say, but it takes little things like these to put your life into perspective. I go over all the decisions I have made in my life, think about my regrets and broken promises, and wonder about the what-ifs. I used to say "expectations lead to disappointments". I had no idea what I was talking about. Expectations are what fuel the future and bring about happiness when fulfilled. Everyone says live your life to the fullest, dont hold back. We all hold back though, some hold on, and others just let go. Thats my zen philosophy for the day.

Running! I decided to do something different today - I felt so yuck after a drink last night (it isnt fair that I hardly tolerate alcohol and when I do - I get sick!!!!) and could.not.sleep. Finally, I knew I would be miserable if I didnt atleast run 10kms but I couldnt bear the thought of the same old route. YAWN! So instead of turning right like I always do, I turned left. I came across a park near my place (about a mile or so away) that I hadnt seen before which is a little steep. Perfect! I ran well and strong and so glad I could go out - a cool but very humid morning. I stopped for 5 minutes to sit down, look at the sky and do a quick prayer - I am so lucky to be able to do something that makes me feel instantly better that doesnt involve anything more than my own body. I left my watch home, no route markers and was back home within 55 minutes (including my pit stop). Not bad at all - I wanted a 10k and more or less got it. However! I feel a scratchy, cruddy throat coming up which is SO annoying!

Anyway, it is a good morning :-)

Miles

Clocked in 10.65 miles yesterday followed by a nice 20 lap swim. My legs were toast.

This morning turned out like this : 290 stairs - fairly quick followed by 4.5 miles. I wanted to swim after but decided against it. If it isnt farily obvious, its harder for me to scale back than it is to get the work done.

In celebration of balance, I am working on upping my hydration this evening in one of the Quays. The first hour of these events is always exciting, after that, all I crave for is some quiet followed by a run.

I guess distance running attracts a certain type of person, essentially a social hermit and solitude seeker; and also someone who doesnt crave affection or attention.

This is really lame but I was clicking pictures of my feet because they are just so strange and knarly, I came across this picture of baby feet. The first thing to come to mind when I looked at them was to wonder about the possibilities of where these feet will go in the next 70 years. This is where we all started. Wonderful!

I have had some strong runs lately.
14 miles Saturday/50 laps in the pool.
10.5 miles Sunday
6 mile Fartlek (shorter speed bursts that I absolutely suck at - but they feel great when they finish) and 150 stair repeats/ 20 laps in the pool.

The crunch of dirt, the firmness of the asphalt and the unyielding nature of cement, underneath my shoes on my favorite trail, give me a sense of security, alot more than real life sometimes.