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November 4th, 2010
05:32 pm - a run for my inner child
I picked out a local race to do! It's a 10k in 5 weeks, which will probably be really tight in terms of training. But a 5k seems too short to pay real money for.....and this race is just too cute to pass up. It's the Jingle All the Way 10k in downtown DC. And they hand out jingle bells, to be tied onto your shoes, with the race packets. Squee!!
I'm not sure yet whether it'll be annoying to have all that jingling going on around me, but for now I think it'll be fun. I'm also not thrilled with the out-and-back course (hate those), but eh. I find it amusing that I will run right by my first spot for spectating the Marine Corps Marathon... :D Now, to decide whether or not I should wear my santacon costume for the race!
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November 1st, 2010
06:25 pm - emotion marathon
Yesterday, I cheered on a friend -- and 22,000 strangers -- at the Marine Corps Marathon. It was a really weirdly emotional day for me, and I can't even imagine how emotional it would be for (a) the people actually running the marathon and (b) me to actually run a marathon. I had a few signs, and decided that next time, I should go for funny instead of inspirational. I did 2 inspirational-like ones, and got a few nice comments about them, but I would have rather made people chuckle a bit. Also, would be better to have cloth signs, maybe with collapse-able poles to hold them up; cardboard was really awkward to carry around. Was sad to not have my purple pom-poms with me, I must've left them in Oregon. I did see one girl running with a sign on her back that said "I am my own cheering section" and a pompom attached at her waist, bouncing along on her butt -- I think I might do that for a race sometime. Next time I cheer, I really need to find a friend to cheer with, or just cheer next to other people -- cheering on my own, while tolerable, is kind of pathetic actually. Also also, must have a boombox! and candy to hand out! especially at and beyond mile 20.
Anyway. Watching the marathoners, I decided: it's time. I have to run a marathon, asap. Er, as asap as possible given that I want to be decently trained. Which also means I need some races leading up to my marathon race. Suggestions welcome. ;) I'm going to do the Portland Shamrock 8k again I think, because it's tradition by now -- it'll be my fourth. I'd love love love to run the DC Cherry Blossom 10-miler -- it's entry by lottery only (what!), so while I'll definitely enter in the lotto there's zero guarantee on that one. I'm hoping to talk Kimber into doing the Fort Vancouver 5k next year, so I will probably just be a spectator there and cheer her on. Unless I should run with her...? Her choice. I think I would like to do the marathon before my August wedding...so May/June/July. Unless I could be ready before that??? I'd also like to do a big race -- discussion on ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/community.gif?v=91.6) runners today about small vs big races, and from my vast experience (ha!) I do think I like the really big races, it's just fun to see that much humanity all in one place. Also I get to make lots of friends. But the big races are also harder to get into & more expensive generally I think. Hmm. Must research.
As a spectator at the race yesterday, I did get to people-watch to my heart's content. I saw a bunch of couples running together, which was beyond adorable. There were quite a few spectators biking alongside (other side of the road) their runner -- one in particular was very sweet, he hauled ass up the final really steep hill at the very end of the marathon, dodging other spectators and fencing while yelling out encouragement to his sweetie, who was hauling ass up the hill herself. Awesome. Quite a few kids with "Support Crew" t-shirts who would run with their parent for a little ways. This race was nicely laid out such that we could take shortcuts to beat our runner to our next cheering spot. This was my first time as a spectator on a running course -- I usually just cheer for ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif?v=91.6) _fool at triathlons. An interesting experience to see the same runners four times -- a few of them recognized me too, even after I put away my signs, which was funny. Turns out, runners keep their pace pretty consistent -- the runners around my friend at mile 12 were around him at mile 14, 20, and 24 too. Triathletes do not stay in a pace group like that...unsurprisingly. ;) People are so amazing, really. I love seeing that.
p.s. Poor neglected little journal, which I clearly only use when I am away from my sweetie. Oh well. I am away from tristansei for the next many months so hopefully this journal will see some action. Unless I decide to move to wordpress. Hmm.
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November 19th, 2009
01:23 am - cynical or just old
or do the two necessarily go together? I sort of link youth and optimism (uh, is that a reasonable antonym for cynicism?), and although I was never super optimistic -- that's totally my mom's role in life and thank God for her -- I'm definitely more cynical than I used to be. Is that just part of getting older or is it only part of me getting older?
I used to believe in "The One." You know. As in, "he's The One for me." And I remember very clearly both my mom & I using that term in discussing the first boy I thought I would marry. Actually she used the term before I did, which I remember was surprising. Partly because my parents didn't (and don't) really like the guy, but also because both of my parents have always always stressed that marriage takes a lot of work from both parties. I sorta kinda remember them campaigning against the whole "there's only one person out there who's perfect for me" concept, saying that any number of people could work out in a marriage. Some might be more successful than others but still required work; and some might not succeed at all no matter how hard each of you worked at it. Which I think is a really healthy approach to marriage, I do. But...I sort of miss believing in the fairy tale. Which is stupid. *sigh*
and just as a fun side note -- I was thinking today that no one -- no one -- in my family has been divorced. Both sets of grandparents, great-aunt, aunt, uncle, parents, two cousins, sister...how unusual is that??? Pretty rare these days I think. So where the eff has all this cynicism come from???
my random thoughts of the night, brought to you by a really screwed up sleep pattern and a heavy dose of dissertation procrastination.
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August 13th, 2009
12:45 pm - girls rule and boys drool
we have a bunch of undergraduate interns here for the summer, working on research projects. Something like 12 guys, and 1 girl. Which, seems a little weird (the boy/girl ratio of grad students is just about 50/50, which is great and has given me the false impression that that's normal), but could be just chance and that's fine.
here's the thing that pissed me off today. The interns have been giving their "What I Did with My Summer" presentations, and from the interactions today, it was very obvious that the 1 girl intern has been totally excluded from the social aspect of the intern group. Not like they go out for dinner or drinking or hiking or biking, but they all work in the same room, with not even cubicle walls to divide them, so it's pretty chummy in there...but they fully ignore her. I don't really think it's intentional, or mean, they just don't think to include her.
I'm mad. Seriously, isn't computer science any better today than it was 40 years ago when my mom was the single female in her department? Really. It's ridiculous. Grr grr grr.
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August 12th, 2009
12:53 pm - ask the right question
well helloooooo poor neglected sad and lonely journal, how are you???
so the little epiphany I had last night, which I wanted to have recorded somewhere, went something like this:
I fully believe in trusting your gut. (haha I mistyped that as "guy".) And when I'm hurtling along a path that my gut disagrees with, I get terrified. Especially when I can't see my way off of that path -- or at least, not without disrupting my life to a degree that I'm totally uncomfortable with. So I resolve to stick it out, which is maybe stupid but oh well that's how I live.
but last night, I changed the life-question that I've been asking myself for weeks now. And was surprised by the answer. Which made me ask myself another question. And was again surprised. And now I know more about myself, and where I think my life is headed, and how it might all turn out. ![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif) ekkiikke wanted me to clarify, so I'll add this: Which makes me so happy! All because I found the right (or at least, a better) question to ask. Neat.
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September 25th, 2008
10:12 am - patch of blue
I biked to school today in a patch of blue sky that was mine all mine. Downtown was all cloudy when I left, and I debated just riding the train all the way out to school, especially since I (raced and) caught a Hillsboro train. But autumn is definitely here, I skipped the gym last night to keep working, and my bike hasn't seen a whole lotta lovin the past few months. So I hopped off at Sunset and biked my butt to school.
blue sky above me the whole way, with dark ominous clouds on every horizon. And a rainbow in front of me while I biked down Barnes Rd. omgz rainbow!!! :) omgz morning rainbow!! I didn't know those even happened. ;)
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August 11th, 2008
10:37 pm - it never pays off
for all my long hours, my frustrations, and my hard work, I have...exactly nothing to show for it.
someone here at the lab just made a totally fascinating discovery. The senior researchers on his team are all freaking out. And he could care less. He's bored, tired of working on this, and just wants to leave. I never make fascinating discoveries, and really, I never will. That's not my lot in life, I'm certain of that much.
so why do I put in these hours, when it's never going to be worth it?
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August 4th, 2008
08:47 pm - shinier
zomg fireflies!!! They're back! My cousin said that fireflies tend to only be around for about a month, from mid-June to mid-July, which made me sad. But this evening, on my way back from a covert steal-stale-cookies operation, I saw four sweet bright little fireflies. Yay. Totally brightened my day. Which is a good thing, as today has royally sucked, and included bouts of weeping, cussing, and other such girly stupidities.
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August 3rd, 2008
08:07 pm - blood and glory in a skirt
so, it's been muggy and gross here the past couple of days, but last night was freaking beautiful. Walking back from the lab at midnight (no, not alone, I'm not completely stupid, though I haven't actually had any safety concerns the whole time I've been on this campus), I thought that it was absolutely the perfect weather for a run. But, uh, I don't run at midnight. In Baltimore. Without a big burly running partner. So I went on my merry way, played poker & drank (yay!) with some other workshop attendees until 3 am then tumbled on into bed.
didn't set the alarm, for once, but woke up at the decent hour of 10:30 and really, really wanted to go for a run. Outside. Which I haven't done in...oh, months. So, I drank some water to chase the dehyd headache away, gussied myself up in my running skirt, taped my toes, and headed out, telling myself that if it was actually muggy out (can't always tell from just looking outside) then I could try out the apartment-gym (which just re-opened, w00t! just in time too cuz the campus-gym is shutting down Aug 8-18 boo).
it wasn't muggy. Yay! Also not as gorgeous as last night, but oh well. I set off for a 2.4 miler (that I mapped out at home, though I didn't take my phone with me...). Headed up University on my way to the Notre Dame College campus. University, it turns out, is uphill. And it was humid enough that my asthma was pretty borderline right away. But I plugged along, and finally saw a stoplight ahead. I'm squinting at it, hoping & praying that it's Cold Spring Ln...and just about the time that I realize it's not, the sidewalk suddenly tips itself up at a 90* angle and takes a good whack at me. Okay okay, actually I tripped, the sidewalk (probably) didn't move itself...but I did smear myself all across the sidewalk. Scraped my hands and bloodied my knee. And to add insult to injury, in trying to brush the gravel off of my knee, I stupidly transfer the gravel on my hands onto my knee instead. Durr.
I sit there for a bit, pouting. I'm barely 1/4 of the way through my run, I was sooooo excited to be running outside...and now I have to turn back? Lame. And then I decide that since I'll have to walk/run back home anyway, I'll be running with a bloodied knee regardless...so I may as well finish the run. :D Make my way up to Cold Spring, go up-down in the punishing sun but delightful downhill...and realize that I've forgotten what my next turn is. I continue on, figuring that there'll be a sign for the college...but I never did see one. When I came across a cute little park, I turned in there. And probably scared more than a few kids with That Giantess Woman running by with a Bloody Knee.
the street on the other side of the park looked to have a familiar name, so I turn down it, and am feeling like I'm going parallel to Cold Spring, so in the right direction at least. Also it's a friendlier street with less traffic, wider sidewalks, and more shade. Then lo and behold, I eventually pop out onto University...probably right about at the point that I took my spill earlier on the run. Ahh irony. Made it home and cleaned up -- my knee is throbbing even now, but my foot feels great and my hip feels about the same as it has for about a week (which is to say, not fabulous and pretty snap-crackle-pop-y, sigh).
so I'm proud of myself for doing the run, even dripping blood, even at a stupid-slow pace. (I just found out that one of the guys here at the workshop runs a 5:40 mile. O_O) For reward (okay, actually just because I felt like it and I'm in a spending mood today), I used some birthday money to buy myself this adorable running skirt. Squee!! I ordered it to be delivered to Baltimore, I sho' hope it gets here before I leave. *anxious*
speaking of which -- I'm homeward-bound in 13 days, start the countdown!!!
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July 26th, 2008
10:19 am - watchin the world go by
sitting on the train, from Baltimore to Hartford, and it is a stunningly beautiful day for a train ride. It started out at the ungodly hour of 6:09am -- which hurt a lot after my poor poor decision to stay up til 1:30a last night -- and of course you know I had to get there super early, since I missed the last train I tried to catch. Noticed a few pretty pink-edged clouds through my sleepy haze as I waited at the station, but was too tired to watch more of the sunrise and instead snuggled down into my seat as soon as I got aboard. Snoozed off for a bit until BAM!, brilliant orange sunlight fills my vision and I open my eyes to see the rising sun as we're crossing the harbor. Stunning.
it's been a lot of fun to watch the countryside go by. I was even awake enough to see the NYC skyline as we apprached; I love that skyline.
when I first realized that it'd take me 6 hours to get from here to there, I nearly called it off -- after all, that's about how long it takes me to get home (no layovers or arriving early to get through security), and dang I'm tired of long travels. But as it turns out, the views from a train are way more interesting than from a plane :D so I'm having a good time.
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