13. Sunday was the Chips 'n' Salsa half marathon. I've always wanted to do this one but other things got in the way. I ran the first 10K in record time, with about a 10:30 pace, but then blew out late in mile 7, and finished with a 10:59 pace. Still, it was a personal best, and I'm pretty satisfied with it. I liked the course much more than the Rio Grande marathon, which had a long, windless, hot out-and-back at the end. This one had lots of turns and shade. My previous PR, in August, was 11:13 pace. I appear to have finished 9/13 in my age group of 45-49, and 173/231 overall. I also beat Baboo (being as he stopped and let me cross first. He doesn't think I know he did that, but I do. Shhhhhh)
The finisher's prize was a little ceramic bowl that you loaded salsa into and ate with chips. There were breakfast burritos, with egg, green chile, and potatoes.
12. Courtney talked me into doing the half marathon. She agreed to do a 25K trail run if I did it. So, we signed up. Then she backed out of the 25K. Then she didn't show up for the 1/2 marathon.
That's right. I'm calling her out.
She is So. Busted.
She has reluctantly agreed to do at least a couple of 10ks as penance.
11. My binges are less efficient than they used to be. I can't hold as much in my stomach as I used to. I used to be able to hit the Chinese super buffet and plow through 2-1/2 piled up plates before I felt full. Now I barely make it past the first plate, which is usually steamed or baked seafood. Stacey pointed out during our 50K that my "binges" are healthier than most people's every day eating. I suppose that's a good thing. It makes binge day less exciting, though. I'm all, Meh. What single serving of something can I binge on today?
10. More and more, my treat is one of the new single-servings sizes of Hagen-Daaz. They're cute. They come with a tiny plastic spoon in the lid.
9. At city runs, I like looking around and wondering who was doing their very first half marathon. There were some women standing in small groups looking nervous, excited, or both. Maybe they trained for months just for that very day. It's a very cool thing to contemplate, that excitement.
8. People who do city runs are very different from ultra-runners. They're better groomed, with neatly combed hair, sometimes down and all curled up. Or, it's tied up with cute hair ties and earrings. There's no gaiters. Their shoes are very clean and white. Few of them are good at blowing snot rockets. That was me, once, before running became epic battles that required gaiters, trail shoes, large bladders of fluid carried in a pack, and blister kits.
7. Last week I had a client in my office, and I was seriously on the line as to what type of treatment should I recommend. So then he made it easy for me and accidentally left a pair of spiked brass knuckles behind. They must have slipped out of his pocket. Thanks, kid.
Oh, and no, you can't have them back.
6. Dread Pirate is going to assist in crewing and pacing me at Javalena. She's been asking me questions. All kinds of questions. This makes me very uncomfortable. Because, well, it means it's coming. Fast. As long as I don't think about it, it doesn't exist, right?
Right?
4. After much considering and seriously sick and tiredness of trying to do everything on a desktop, I'm buying a netbook. My seriously geeky son has talked me into buy an Acer.
3. I saw the most magnificent shooting star. At first I thought it was a crime copter. Then I thought it was a bottle rocket, because I could see it breaking up. Then I realized what it was, and I made a wish. No, you can't no what it was. But it was important. I don't squander wishes on things like curly bangs or clear skin. I can get those things without wasting a wish. No, this one was for reals.
2. So, despite the long, hot summer here in the desert, we harvested the following: One large pumpkin. Several beets. Several pounds of apples and grapes. A dozen or so tomatoes. One eggplant. Note bad. Farmer Baboo is already planning next year, now that he knows how crazy I am about eggplant and that he can grow it.
1. I am in fear or winter. Seriously in fear. Last winter was so awful, so long, so dark, and I became so depressed, so heavy, and so anxious. I have plans to put in a full spectrum light and we have a small space heater in the garage, which will go next to the treadmill. Also, I'm hoping to get our favorite handiman to run cable in there. Even though the thieves last winter stole one of flatscreen TVs, I have another, older TV I can use instead, that will probably work better in the cold garage anyway. I'll get it set up.
I'm seriously not going to let this winter get the best of me!!!!
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