Published March 19th, 2009
Play that funky music
Boy, you know you’re a lame blogger when you see someone who claims they’re on sabbatical has written more than you. Sheesh!
Yeah, I’ve been in a funk. Some of it is warranted — my 83-year-old dad was rushed to the hospital a couple of weeks ago when he fell at my sister’s house in Arizona. At first he was diagnosed with pneumonia, but the diagnosis kept getting worse and culminated in a quadruple bypass surgery a couple days ago. It’s been a whirlwind of emotions, but I’m so grateful for my sister and everything she’s done (Tucson is known for its world-class cardiologists, so I know he’s in good hands). My darling and I are planning on heading to Maine to visit the folks after Boston, but right now we’re playing it day-by-day. However, it sounds like they’ll be able to travel soon and we’ll be there to help them settle back home.
Some of my funk is due to general unease over the economy. While being self-employed has its rewards, it can be unsettling at times. Sometimes I feel I’m hanging on by a thread. And then there are the irrational emotions that flow over me during my “lady time.” Something as innocent as a lost shoe will send me into a wailing tizzy: “I can’t find anything in this mess!” “If we had a larger house we’d have more storage space!” “We’re NEVER going to be able to afford a larger house!” “What am I going to do with my life?” “I feel fat!”
Given all of this I haven’t been particularly motivated to write. But fortunately I haven’t let my funk interfere with my training. Since I last wrote I’ve logged in a little over 130 miles, which included the Ghost of Whidbey half marathon (a small Maniac race) and the St. Patty’s Day Dash, as well as earned a bronze medal through the President’s Challenge (more on all of those in a bit).
Because I’ve added several races to my schedule, I’ve ditched my plan to follow Pfitz’ 12/55 plan for Boston. My body has been rebelling of late, and since speedwork tends to aggravate whatever aches and pains I’m feeling, I’ve decided not to follow his prescribed workouts, opting instead to run by feel. Some days I’ll feel speedy and will run an average of 8:20-8:35, other days I’ll take it slow, averaging 9:45-10:15.
Speaking of Boston (which I’ve been doing quite frequently; my darling simply rolls his eyes), I received some news the other day that got me out of my funk: my bib number! So if you feel compelled to follow me on April 20, I’ll be #19631 (back of the pack). By coincidence my number is the year of my birth, plus the No. 1; I’m hoping that’s a good sign. I’ve also ordered my Adidas celebration jacket and a racer-back tank top (hey — they were on sale; I won’t wear them until after completing the race), plus a really cool shamrock t-shirt with the Boston logo (I probably WILL wear that before the race, but will also wear it at next year’s St. Patty’s Day Dash).