Posts Tagged ‘Running’
The Longest Winter
Posted by Will on February 25, 2010
I have been challenged to write a litte ditty that has a positive spin.
Try to write something that is not frowning with dissent, grumbling and grousing per the usual.
Well, that’s not exactly what was said but more or less, that was the point. When you feel somewhat strongly about something, I feel like it is our natural compulsion to go negative. If anything, it helps to drive whatever point you are touting home (or at least, that’s what the politicos do, right?).
As a preface, I have always envisioned living in great northern/midwestern cities like New York, Chicago, and Seattle. I have a very small capacity for thinking forward but I think this is something I have always itched for. Maybe, more or less, I was looking to live in a burgeoning metropolis. Well, heck, with D.C., we did get a mouthful of that experience (we’re looking to fill our plates with some more District nourishment this summer — second helpings).
The first two winters in D.C., in all honesty, were nothing (the years ’07/’08 and ’08/’09). We had the occasional snow, never enough to cancel our daily posts, but enough to satiate any kid coming from Pint-Size, Georgia who had ever only really experienced an inch here and there (skiing trips and Colorado treks aside). Not to mention, a full-scale winter in Georgia means you can’t traipse around outside in your bare feet on New Year’s Day.
In case you didn’t hear, we have had a flake or two fall the past few months. If you haven’t heard, well, you can read our somewhat chronicled impressions in the archives.
I think we are close to getting a warm snap in the coming month (I mean, we are pushing low 40s this week). Not to mention, I even saw a robin the other day — Although, I have been seeing the little red-breasts in our yard since early December. After taking a few steps back, I can now candidly write a little bit of my impressions of what happens when you move a panda back to China.
Most people, including popular and local media outlets have referred to the past snow event as “Snowpocalypse“. I like to think of it as, a blog commenter put it, “Tai Shan’s Last Dump“. Or maybe “Tai Shan’s Revenge”, perhaps.
So, what follows this moderate prologue are some random subtopical winter impressions (the longest winter, or at least the longest feeling of winter I can recall).
–
Shoveling
I have never had to shovel snow in my life. Ever. I probably have gone six rounds with the snow and shovel and let me tell you friends, it’s a forthright task. Meaning, even though it would take me around an hour to unearth our car, parking spot, walkway, and porch, I felt a sense of a job well done every time I finished. I keep coming up with the phrase “good, honest work” although that does not really sound applicable (I think it’s because I had this song stuck in my head every time I went out).. Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Maybe it was from the effects of slowly becoming one with the couch resulting in the need for movement and activity that rendered the chore euphoric. Whatever the case, shoveling, even with an improper tool (we didn’t have a bona fide snow shovel) wasn’t that bad.
The Listserv
When we were in the butt of Shaw, I was on the Mount Vernon Square, Ward 2, MPD Third District listservs. Now that we’re in Greenbelt (for the time being), it made sense to get on board with theirs. I mean, listservs are a wealth of information and really tighten that community feeling (somewhat). I have never come across such a collection of whining, moaning, self-righteous people. I hardly read the listserv these days but this past blizzard provided for some humorous reading fodder.
Cabin Fever
It’s all fun and games until it becomes a reality. Especially when there is no electricity for a good 12 hours.
Running
While not entirely impossible, I realize a little warmer weather does wonders for my ability to get more oxygen in my lungs. It doesn’t help that I’m trying to train for my longest race to date (The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler). When I have been running, I’m less concerned with the icy ground underfoot and nonexistent sidewalk and more with the wind, heavy air, and the crazies on the road (whose space I’m invading). Good thing I kept that heinous lime green kickball t-shirt.
Driving
Speaking of those crazies on the road … First, let me point out, more or less admit, I am an incensed driver. I even thought about starting a new blog chronicling the chowderheaded cretins I come across … every day. It just seems that the ineptitude on the road gets cranked up a few hundred notches when there’s inclement weather (you also see the way too circumspect operator who is just as dangerous). In a city that doesn’t have too many four-wheel drive vehicles (much less trucks for that matter) and tire chains, I think we are all a little ill-equipped to be on the roads. Take it from a family who stupidly inched their way to the local Papa John’s Superbowl Sunday. Oh wait, that was us.
The biting weather has really taken its toll on our car, not just our mental capacity. Our car is a family relic. It’s 10 years old and recently eclipsed the 100,000 mile mark. It was raised by our aunt, guided in its middle years by brother David, and now, it is us who are steering it through the nursing home halls (okay, it’s not that grizzled). I have had to learn the hard way (namely, towing the car to the wrong service station) that sometimes our car needs a little gas to get it going when you turn it over (it tends to drop fuel). Not to mention, thanks to more than frigid conditions, we suffered the need to replace the front windshield (the second window that has needed to be replaced since our tenure of ownership began). Who can I send the bill to for all of this?
Baseboard Heaters
For housing built as a part of the New Deal, well, they don’t quite get the job done.
A Newly Found Appreciation
I used to razz Brittany for having an obvious disdain for the winter season. Well, I can now say I have a greater esteem for all seasons that don’t rhyme with “mentor”. Spring and its green finery can not get here soon enough. Fall is still my favorite but I think Summer just dug its way out of last place.
2 Comments on this post | Published in General
Toe+Running+Light Inspirational Story+Fake Failed Movie Deal=Life (Not Quite …)
Posted by Will on December 18, 2009
Disclaimer: As with most of my posts, as most dear readers are aware of, I like to break up my writing in pieces. Meaning, I will hardly ever sit down and write and be done in one session. If the narrative seems disjointed or if a thought starts and suddenly stops, well, that is where I probably took a break. It gets worse when I come within paragraphs and try to add, which was the case today.
–
This past Sunday was a culmination of a lot of pain, tears, sweat, and love. And I’m not even talking about the Jingle All the Way 10K.
It is not secret I have been mentally battling with getting back on track with running ever since what will forever be immortalized as the Summer of the Toe. I have known ever since we started training for the Marine Corp Marathon 10K (2008 edition) that running takes every bit of mental exertion as physical ability. Actually, I find that the psyche, fortitude, and resolve need to be stronger than the body.
Running is such a cerebral activity. It has its highs and it has its lows. I felt like I experienced more lows than highs this past fall. The only major injuries I have suffered to my physical body have been pulling my MCL to a near tear and then tearing the ligament in my left ring finger (you can actually still see a remnant of a suture right below the surface of my skin).
Compared to the medical history of some people I know, I feel like I have had a pretty clean sheet. Take the rest of my immediate family for instance. They’ve broken limbs multiple times, suffered from extreme back spasms, passed numerous kidney stones, battled foot problems (i.e. plantar fasciitis), etc.
This summer changed it all. I can not believe the transformation my toe went through (Brittany and I were reviewing, much to her disgust, the progression of my infection) in the past five to six months. I lost a lot of muscle mass in my leg being restrained to static positions for a good month (more on this later). I had to use crutches. I had to ride in a wheelchair through Hartsfield-Jackson. I have greater empathy and respect for people with physical disabilities. Not only was this ordeal physically corroding, but it brought down my frame of mind (I’m not so sure it made me irrational but it might have to some very small degree).
Early on in my recovery process, I was sure I was going to be able to recoup in time and be able to train for the Baltimore Half Marathon. Looking back now, it is to a degree of great comedy to reflect on my mindset. Seriously? Run double the distance you have been running the past year coming off a somewhat serious surgical procedure? Needless to say, I deferred my bib to 2010.
More detrimental is the mental setback I had. I could not even string together two miles without having to stop multiple times for walks. Instead of taking any steps forward, I felt like I was going backwards.
During runs, I feel like my head is in either in one of two places; one being focused on the actually running (form, posture, breathing, rhythm, etc.) and the other being on other things. First, it is almost impossible not to be in the first place. But, after you achieve whatever your internal benchmarks are, it is almost as hard not to slip into the second place.
I find that running lends time to reflect. Throughout my training runs I have felt strongly that this process of training and racing is so linked to our life process. Granted, you could turn almost anything into a metaphor but this one really hits home as it reflected the physical duress and mental trauma I had to overcome. It’s like one long crawl that you endure with success and failure. It’s how your run the race, not if you win or not (Lord knows I’m never going to win one of these races) that really imparts on your legacy, however big or small that is.
Where would I be without a partner in this mess? Brittany has been a constant source and even balance of encouragement and a firm hand in regards to putting myself back into the reality of the situation. Yes, I should continue to train on a consistent basis but the improvement is going to be slow. I was fooling myself to think I was going to be able to resume where I left off. I guess I can chalk this up to being (somewhat) youthful, brash, and dumb.
Comments on this post | Published in General
It’s a Wrap (Almost …)
Posted by Will on December 5, 2009
The Bram Fam is keeping busy as we enter the final month of 2009. This year has certainly flown by so here’s to finishing it nicely along with pointing our eyes towards 2010.
–
We have been running off and on for over a year now. I mention running first as it is probably one of the few things we can not only agree upon, but do together … in a loose, abstract way. I feel like over the year or so, Brittany has definitely taken her running to new heights. Meaning, the little needle on her graph keeps pushing upwards. Mine, well, it’s certainly seen a dip in the ratings. I think I am realizing just how hard it is to physically and mentally to come back from a setback, in this case, a MRSA ravaged foot.
It looks like I have regained, completely, the muscle tone in my leg, but after a number of weeks constantly and consistently running, I can definitely tell it still has some ways to go before I get back to the pinnacle I was previously standing on.
That being said, we are training for our second stint with the Jingle All the Way 10K. It’s an excessively flat run, looping around Hain’s Point and back from West Potomac Park. It certainly was never mischaracterized as a interesting run, but it is probably the type I need to get back into races. Not to mention, Brittany needs to knock out a qualifying time so we can both sign up for the National Half-Marathon.
–
Work-wise, things are slowing to a crawl. But, on the other hand, I have a few freelance jobs going so that is certainly keeping me on my toes. Not to mention, the wild, hair-brained notions I come up with and plot (and normally I don’t follow through with). I have some things I would like to do this coming year. So yes, I will probably be bringing back my printing inks from Georgia up to Maryland. I also realized I used to take a lot of photos but have not really done much the past year. So, I think it would be a good idea to take my camera more places and shoot more.
I also need to wrap up my site and also tweak this one. I don’t know how much nosing around people have done on the blog, but there’s definitely some glaring inconsistencies. I never really completed writing the CSS for Him & Her and I definitely want to wrap that up sometime.
Brittany is wrapping up her semester, her first as a teaching assistant, by cranking out a number of papers and also shaping her dissertation. Just the preliminary process makes my brain ache. A Ph.D. is certainly not something I ever on planning on pursuing (a Master’s is highly doubtful).
I am proud of what she has accomplished thus far (she’s already a Master) and it’s going to be a sweet day when she reaches whatever goal she decides to come to.
2009 had its ups and downs (and it’s not even over with yet), but this year has already been a success in the light that we have grown as friends and partners in all of the aspects of our lives.
(Erm, awkward ending).
