Ann Arbor Road Scholars

i miss this little blog

2008-08-21T09:56:00.001-04:00

just wondering, is blogging so 2006?

post marathon post

2006-11-10T15:06:00.000-05:00

i have been woefully behind in blogging about the marathon. all this buildup to the big day and then silence! lo siento!

anyway, the marathon was GREAT! going into it, i had a lot of apprehension. my leg was still bothering me (acunpuncture didn't work), so i went to this free runner's clinic the wednesday before the marathon. the doctor told me i had flat feet and probably needed more support in my shoe. the guy from t&h that was at the clinic recommended that i buy new shoes. new shoes? 5 days before my marathon? that freaked me out since the cardinal rule of marthoning is NOT to wear new shoes. he assured me that i'd be fine. he said, "it's chicago, you'll get through it." uh, ok.

everyone had mixed reactions to the getting new shoes...coach, the "we" guy from running fit, the owner of running fit, friends, family - no one seemed to lack an opinion, which is fine but since i had already decided that i was going to wear new shoes it didn't help to hearing advice suggesting otherwise. i decided the support that my new brooks provided outweighed the current pain in my older shoes and the potential for new blisters.

the shoes were only one part of my dress distress. i was all set to wear my running skirt and tank, but the weather called for rain. and not just rain, but cold rain and wind. lots of it. do i wear tights or skirt? throwaway shirt or real shirt? rain jacket or trash bag. on which layer do i wear my bib number? i swear, it was stressful! i finally settled on skirt, tank, and non-throw away long sleeved shirt.

fortunately, i had a whole entourage of people helping me get ready and psyched for the race. it seriously does take a village to get it all together! since i was icing and adviling pretty continuously in the hotel, it really helped to have others around to help. on race morning, we took the hotel limo to the start line and met up with other friends running the race. the weather was cool but dry - no rain!

i started off w/ a girl in my running group (she's 19...um, let's take a moment to think about what we were doing when we were 19...yeah, feel like a loser now?) anyway, i had heard all these nightmare stories about the start, but it only took us 4 minutes to reach the start line after the gun went off. our first mile was somewhat slow (10.5 min/mile) but then we picked up. by mile 4 we were going 8:15 and the pain in my leg suddenly disappeared. but, i was afraid we were going to fast so i told her to go ahead. honestly, with my leg pain and new shoes, i had thrown out all expectations of time goal and wasn't fully convinced that i'd even be able to finish, so i wanted to start conservatively (or smartly, perhaps).

for the next five miles or so i was trying to slow down, but was still going about an 8.5 min/mile. then, around mile 9 i looked up and noticed 2 guys from my running group. i was so psyched to see them so we ended up running the next 12 miles together. it really helped with keeping an even pace... we ran those miles very consistently at 8:45 min/miles and offered each other lots of encouragement.

my family and friends were outfitted with big hello kitty balloons so i could identify them in the race. and it worked- i saw them 4 times throughout the course and it was such a boost. my friend d jumped in at mile 16 for about a mile and then friend h jumped in at mile 21 and really carried me to the finish (well, almost, she got yanked at mile 26 for not having a bib). those last 4 miles were tough. and it was so windy that at one point, my hat flew off. i didn't stop to pick it up. i'm not sure that i hit "the wall" per se, but i was just ready for the whole thing to be over. my quads had felt pretty tight from about mile 10 onwards, but they felt super heavy those last few miles. i never doubted that i could finish, but b/c i knew i had a good cushion to meet to my sub-4 hour mark i let myself slow down. no matter, i crossed the finish line in 3 hr 53 min 03 seconds!

the whole experience was great! i literally crossed the finish line and thought, "i want to do this next year!" as i like to say, this whole experience was perfect, just like i wanted my first time to be. ;) i felt well-trained and it so helped having family and friends out there and people cheering me on. and seriously, i thought about my little aars those last few miles ( and not just because i knew you'd be looking up my time) but i thought about how running with you all really got me back into running in the first place and how much that has helped me maintain my sanity over the past year. so thanks - i dedicate this marathon to you! :)

to relive the magic, you can see pictures on my flickr page. there, you will also find some pics from the nyc marathon last weekend. i got a few good once of lance. he looked like he was hurting when i saw him (miles 17 & 25) and i'm glad to hear that was the hardest physical thing that he's ever done.

anyway, there's a rumor that this blog may be ending soon per ecshelto, since she'll soon be the only one left in ann arbor. but before it ends, how about an aars filled marathon next year?? anyone in? chicago, new york, um...columbus (it's flat!)?

the ultimate goal...boston 2008!

alternative medicine

2006-10-15T20:55:00.000-04:00

a friend of mine who just finished acupuncture training was in town today. after telling her about my leg pain in casual conversation, she offered to stick my leg. i have never had acupuncture before and was totally curious about it, so i thought as long as it doesn't make my pain worse, why not?

the sticks didn't really hurt, actually, i could barely feel it, except the one that went into my foot. that one didn't hurt like flu shot or anything, but i could feel the "qi" flowing. righteous.

i'm curious to see if it helps at all. i just had to take pictures to share. isn't it kind of freaky looking?

taper and texting

2006-10-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

so i am officially in my "taper" mode. and everyone says this is a hard time for marathon trainers, because of the reduced mileage they feel like they are not training enough, they gain weight, or they feel little pangs of injury.

i do not really have a problem with running less miles, and i'm ok with being a little fat, but i cannot deal with the pangs! i don't think this is totally psychosomatic, but i've been having this little pain in my lower leg, just above my ankle. i can feel it when i walk and i can feel it when i run. it doesn't hurt, but it doesn't feel normal and i'm worried if i run more then i may exacerbate the "injury." my worst fear is that it's a stress fracture, but how can i really tell? i don't want to be one of those runners who runs a marathon on an injury and then ruins her running career forever. that would just blow. plus, it would just make the marathon much less enjoyable. gawd, i really hope it feels better soon.

anyone have any advice?

switching gears slightly, technology is just so cool these days. it's not unusual to be able to check a runner's progress through the marathon online, but now you can have split times texted to you. so, all you aars who want to follow my progress can sign up to have instant text messages or emails sent to you with my splits. in the words of ever annoying rachel ray, how cool is that??

baby steps lead to baby runs

2006-10-01T23:13:00.000-04:00

now that i'm no longer in ann arbor, it didn't feel right to post here unless i was doing something about the "road" part (the scholars part was done on june 29th :). and after a LONG hiatus, i am happy to say i have rejoined all you runners! true, i think that means p-funk only at this point but still!! i didn't want to over do it, so just ran an easy breezy 30 min jog on "america's most celebrated bike path" (which i also use for my 10 min bike ride to work). the run was great, mostly because i kept it real slow...no PB anytime soon for me.

yeah, so nothing too dramatic to report - the fact that i finally ran again is news enough! - but i hope the other AARS are getting the fall fever for running, too!

i won the race - part deux

2006-09-19T16:51:00.000-04:00

this time it's true. i won, i won! third place. in my age group. and half the field missed the turn around and ran an additional mile. no matter- i still got to take home the trophy!

somewhat surprisingly, i ran the exact same pace as i did at the crim. i figured since this course was a bit flatter and the weather being a bit cooler, that i might run a little faster. plus, i had motivation to run faster to assert my sheer dominance over certain faculty members running the race. yes, beating people my parent's age makes me feel good about myself.

the other race i'm participating, i.e. the race to finish my dissertation in 10 days is not going as smoothly. that's when payback's a b*tch.

the blogger formerly known as p-loop

2006-09-03T13:12:00.000-04:00

from here on out, please refer to me by my new name, p-funk. coined by ecshelto-- perhaps reflecting my somewhat less than pleasant disposition with being on the job market and dissertating (?)-- i've decided that it goes along better with my new rock star status. a litte edgier, don't you think?

what rock star status, you say? let's review what rock stars have in common:

1. they achieve major feats
2. they are trendsetters
3. the paparazzi hounds them
4. groupies

point 1: over the weekend, i survived our first 18 mile run. we started at 7am and some 2 hours 40-some odd minutes later i was done. i ended up running the last 12 pretty much by myself, but it was good mental practice to be on my own. it definitely helped that the weather was nice and cool. anyway, i feel encouraged that i'll be able to make it through the marathon. what's another 6 (math skills dulled during running), i mean, 8.2 more miles?

point 2: i wore my new running skirt. after getting over the initial feeling of looking like a cheerleader, i've decided that it pretty much kicks ass. no bunching, riding, or chafing and it's so cool (literally and figuratively). i'm going to order another in black and i'm leaning heavily towards wearing in the marathon. reaction to the skirt has been positive, so be on the lookout for skirt wearing runners on the streets on ann arbor.

point 3: my running graces were splashed across local television coverage of the crim. i vaguely remember seeing the tv crew out there, but several people said they saw me on tv. i can't locate it online, but i probably looked like this. i'm certain that it'll be debuting on youtube fairly soon.

point 4: use your imagination. we rock stars don't kiss and tell, until we're all washed up and need to relive our glory days.

happy labor day!

grits, part deux

2006-08-28T10:30:00.000-04:00

2 eggs, 3 pieces of bacon, biscuits, pancakes, chocolate milk, coffee and lastly, but certainly not least... grits!!

that's pretty much the breakfast that i scarfed down after running the crim this weekend, sans any other aars. it was really sad (sniff, sniff).

i don't need you people, though. i have new running friends. me and my new bff running friends went up the night before, expo'd it (where, incidentally, i might have been introduced to a certain smoking hot shoe rep), and had a little slumber party at the same hotel, ran like the wind, and gorged at bob evans afterwards.

but, ah, who am i kidding? it wasn't nearly as fun as having ap and ecshelto in tow.

the race itself went pretty well, but somehow i forgot about all of those hills! i was prepared for the hills at mile 5 but it was the other little ones throughout the race that probably gave me more trouble. all the while, i kept thinking "how in the hell am i going to run a marathon?"

i think i'll run one more race before the big M (and before the big D) - i've decided it'll be good mental preparation. anyone care to join me (um, i'm talking to you, ec!) ??

Nothin' to Blog About

2006-08-10T22:43:00.000-04:00

OK, so I've been back running for a bit now but I haven't blogged at all mostly because my running experience this season pales in comparison to all the other aars, and one in particular (ahem, ms. mara-wha, disser-who?).

Anyway, with apoz on her way outta town and km and anne arbor already out, it's just me and p-loop. What else can I do but keep her company on at least parts of her long runs? I even got up to run with her at **6 am**, except that I was late. This was great for me actually because there was no excuse not to run by myself, which I hadn't done for ages! And just this morning I joined her for 6.5 of her morning 8-miler (but skipped out on the second 8-miler this evening). That's the PB for my mini-season.

Who knows....maybe I'll even join the monday night running group at the Y. what's gotten into me? It's almost as if I like running.

Poll: ecshelto and the Crim

2006-08-02T15:39:00.000-04:00

Who thinks ecshelto should run the Crim this year?

Please weigh in... Yes, No, Maybe

Your vote is appreciated.

we'd, part four. and the saga continues...

2006-07-19T22:19:00.000-04:00

i thought i had been "we'd" in every which way. but of course, just when you think you're immune to it , it sneaks up on you and bites you in the aars again.

apoz and i went to running fit in high hopes of scoring at the art (un)fair sales. the sale selection was weak so we got suckered into really needing a new pair of full-priced shoes. i was in search of a second pair of shoes to complement the new asics that i picked up in seattle. so naturally, i sought advice from the sales associate.

and then i got "we'd."

me: i have these asics (pointing to shoes) and i'd like to get another pair of shoes so i can alternate running in them.

sales associate: ok...and what are we training for?

me (confused, if not stunned, at the unexpected "we"): um, a marathon.

sales associate: and when are we running the marathon?

me: uhh, october (thinking, is he running it with me?).

sales associate: and how do we like the asics so far?

me: they're fine, no problems.

sales associate: and how what's been our longest run? and did we have any problems with the asics on the run?

and so on and so forth. god, it's even irritating to write about!
the end result was good - i left with a pair of brooks glycerin. truly, i was drawn to the name after reading this article in the times about training marathoners for the beijing olympics (thanks, ec!)

apoz and i capped off the experience with a huge bag of kettle corn.

can we think of any better way to spend an afternoon?

mo-jitos, please!

2006-07-14T09:31:00.000-04:00

off-topic but definitely blogworthy.

the mojitos at this little seattle restaurant were darn tasty, especially after a long, hot day of um, networking?

anywho, i found a very close second at zingerman's roadhouse. and while i'm generally underwhelmed with the roadshow, the mojitos rocked and exceeded all expectations (especially after having a knickerbocker made with real brugal rum).

fyi. now - go crazy!

i won the race!

2006-07-04T13:44:00.000-04:00

ha - got your attention? no silly, i didn't really win the race. everyone is a winner for just finishing, right?the 5k race this morning was ok, much better than last year in terms of weather but still very humid. the humidity, combined with the large cup of coffee i gulped down beforehand made me feel a wee bit nauseous. plus, my right t*t was all itchy due to some weird insect that attacked me, dr. apoz, and ec at dominick's the other night (so my mosquito bites have mosquito bites). although i ended up walking for about 10 seconds i still managed to log my pb.

throughout the run i kept thinking to myself, "self, how will i ever get through a marathon? will these new shoes that i laboriously picked out in seattle carry me to my goal? why am i paying a over a dollar a minute to run today? will refueling at northside grill provide the necessary nutrients to help me recover from my runs? why aren't there any fireworks in ann arbor? where are all the other aars?"

the answers are: um, no effing clue. maybe, until i find a better pair which may require another trip to seattle. inexplicable. yes! because throwing a "parade" is cheaper. all doing something much more relaxing...

happy 4th!

Dr. Poz

2006-07-02T21:56:00.000-04:00

Now doesn't that have a nice ring to it!! Congratulations Dr. Poz! Hope you have many a great run with your fancy-pants GPS watch in Boston.

I ran! I ran!

2006-06-21T22:25:00.000-04:00

Now this calls for a celebration (although it feels like aars has done an awful lot of celebrating lately!). To celebrate Adeler's 2 week birthday, I dragged my plus sized butt off the couch and ran for 30 minutes straight! I've been talking smack for months (about 9 now) about how badly I wanted to start running again. I wouldn't say that the run felt good, but it was a run nonetheless. The scale, that hasn't budged in a week, said it was worth a 2 pound weight loss. I have a feeling that it was sweat and I have since gained it back by drinking water but I won't jump back on the scale to verify that theory. Unlike p-loop, there are no marathons in my near future!

tip toes

2006-06-15T12:18:00.000-04:00

there was a nasty rumor last summer that there was a fungus among us. this rumor was dispelled quickly by a very knowledgeable medical expert. however, i couldn't help but be alarmed when darkness took over one of my longish toes. the "black toe" can be a result of small shoes, but usually it's due to running hills. not only was it a bit painful, i was panicked by the thought of exposing this eyesore to world during the summer open-toe shoe season. so, what's an aars to do?

coach g gave some great advice: lube up the toes every time you run. recommended sources of lubrication include vitamin e oil, vaseline, or body glide. i had always heard of boys greasing up their nipples and such to avoid chaffing, but it never occured to me to grease up the toes. to my delight, it works. AND, my cuticles have never looked better.

also, as i count the days until i can stock up on shoes at the mad art fair in july, i came across another interesting piece of advice. they say (whoever they are) that you should never run twice in the same pair of shoes, rather alternate between two pairs. what's not entirely clear to me is if you should have two different styles of shoes or two pairs of the same ones. i recently met a 7-time marathon runner and she said she has two pairs of the same shoes. on one set she writes "MWF" and alternates each day.

all of this is a long way of saying you can buy multiple pairs of shoes at and not feel at all guilty about it!

must, must run today before we hit 92 degrees this weekend and this glorious weather is a thing of the past.

the latest addition to AARS

2006-06-08T15:21:00.000-04:00

A big shout out to Adeler, the newest member of AARS! We're always happy to get new members, but especially now since quite a few of us have fallen far off the running wagon..yes I'm referring to every single one of us (except p-loop)! I'm looking forward to running with the cute little fellow before he can beat me in a 5K...so yeah, within the next 6 years :)

Congrats!

6-6-06??

2006-06-04T14:42:00.000-04:00

Um, things are not looking good on this whole not having a baby on 6-6-06 front. If he does make his appearance on the 6th (I am probably the only person in the world who would think that is kinda cool), somebody has to go to Hell to party for me (and my son's soul). Didn't ya'll do a run thru Hell?

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/03/hell.party.ap/index.html

"The day bears the date of 6-6-06, or abbreviated as 666 -- a number that carries hellish significance." gah.

P-loop, how was the dexter-ann arbor run?

Um, it's effing hot.

2006-05-29T11:05:00.000-04:00

Inspired by p-loop's ambitious endeavor and also being a little scared about what awaits me on Sunday at the crack of 8:20 a.m., I went for a run this morning. After many great runs this spring, I would often say to my running partner (err, that's you p), "This is the kind of day that makes you glad to be alive" since the weather was just right, not too hot or humid but the sun was still shining, you were out and getting exercise, etc. etc.

This morning though? Mmmm, not so much. My appreciative thoughts were more along the lines of, "It makes me glad I'll be in air-conditioned bliss as soon as I'm done". It's hot and muggy making it a bit stifling to run, or rather try to run, especially when you're barely making it a once a week event. I ended up walking parts of it because I was so out of it. I know K has been feeling the heat down in Houston for awhile already but for those of us still in Ann Arbor, this seems like the really 1st hot day of the year...ugh. So glad I'll just be running the 5K on Sunday!

what was i thinking?

2006-05-26T09:41:00.000-04:00

eek -

i pulled the trigger. what have i gotten myself into?

ayudame por favor!

running in east jibip

2006-05-22T12:44:00.000-04:00

took an impromptu trip to columbus, ohio this weekend to visit some friends (who sadly, won't be around when i move there). anywho, it also happened to be the weekend of the Susan G. Komen 5K Race for the Cure. i've run this race several times down in New Orleans, but the one in Columbus so much bigger. there were over 30,000 runners/walker and no race chip - wtf? so, i don't think the official results will be very accurate but unofficially (km read: in my head) i had a p.b.

columbus itself was much nicer in the spring compared to the cold and grey that i experienced back in january. and i am encouraged by the shopping scene!

we rounded out the day with dinner at this japanese restaurant not-so-cleverly called "haiku." among the favorite 5 - 7- 5 combinations was this one:

i was in ann arbor
on my way to east jibip
columbus, save me!

the other haikus we authored are not suitable for our young readers.

taurus r us

2006-05-10T16:08:00.000-04:00

the great thing about this time of year is that there are birthdays galore between us and our friends. sadly, we won't be here next year to celebrate. oh wait, i lied. we will all come back next year to walk (definitely not run) together, right?

anyway, today marks the end of spring bday sweeps w/ km - happy birthday! hope you had a great one and that the zing's bread doesn't get mold-over too quickly down there in houston.

and thanks again to the aars for the fabulous gc to bellanina. i used it for a much needed massage and i loved it!

race season reality check

2006-05-08T18:01:00.000-04:00

First, let me state that I really hate blogger.com's special feature of deleting everything you typed when you try to spell check it. So if things are misspelled, take it up with the $%@! website because I'm not losing these gems again.

Don't worry, though - my original entry was actually about running. I ran the Burns Park 5K run yesterday. It was the 4th consecutive year I've run it, but the 1st year I've run it alone. Well, that's not entirely true - there were approximately 20,000 screaming enthusiastic 5-18 year olds and their supportive parents running, too, but no AARS...sniff sniff.

And let me tell you, it's lonely at the bottom. Although I soundly defeated all the kindergarteners and 1st grade runners (in your FACE!!), eight 2nd/3rd graders beat me, and it gradually gets worse as you creep up the grades. I can't blame it all on the young whippersnappers, though, since the overall female runner was 36 years old...and running 6:05 minute miles!! Even the female masters winner at the tender age of 44 years young (BTW, at what age does masters kick in? Am I really that close to qualifying? Sheesh, another thing to celebrate) kicked ass with a 6:31 pace. And don't even get me started on the GRAND masters female winner's pace of 7:53. Did I mention she reported her age as 99 years old? Seriously, is that a typo?

Despite the humbling experience, year after year, I really do love this run. The weather is great, the neighborhood is beautiful, the runners are friendly (except for the occasional father screaming at his 8 year old daughter to "RUN THROUGH IT!!" as tears stream down her under-achieving face) tasty treats afterwards (including home made muffins and Zingerman's bagels), and lots of dogs begging for said tasty treats to boot.

Dexter AA

2006-04-25T22:11:00.000-04:00

it seems just like yesterday when i nearly fell over from a heat stroke during the dexter-aa run. now, registration is open and a few bucks cheaper if you sign up before may 7th.

the race is on sunday, june 4th. i'm in for the 10k...are any of the other aars up for it?

lance doing the dance

2006-04-20T15:10:00.000-04:00

because being the world's greatest biker isn't enough, lance is invading his ex-wife's turf. what's that about??

What is this blog supposed to be about again?

2006-04-19T10:15:00.000-04:00

It's sad to say, but I had to learn about the world's new tomkitten from CNN instead of my usual news source on all things celebrity-baby related -- AARS.

As if I didn't think Scientology was full of a bunch of whackjobs already, Tomcat's much talked about arrival has made me realize I was too kind in my perception of the "Church" once I learned of the Scientology-sanctioned "silent birth" procedure:

"Scientologists believe childbirth causes emotional stress to the newborn if it hears the mother groan in pain during delivery."

I wonder what will cause little Surly I MEAN Suri more emotional stress: being raised by a brain-washed mom and egomanic, religious zealot father vs. hearing her mom make a noise during birth. Hmmm...

Meanwhile, Brooke Shields also had a baby on the same day as Tomcat. I look forward to more of Tom's meaningful insights into Brooke's use of that pseudo-science, voodoo magic us backwater folk call "psychology"...opposed to his rigorous, scientifically-founded beliefs.

race season kick-off

2006-04-04T12:46:00.000-04:00

i was really looking forward to the burns park race in may (sunday, may 7th). we've done it a few times and it's usually pretty fun sans the million little kids you have to dodge during the first mile. when else do you get to warm up with jazzercise? good thing leg warmers are making a comeback.

unfortunately, i just booked a ticket to skip town that weekend, but for the rest of the aars you should sign up soon to get the reduced registration fee.

i'll be there with you in spirit!

a spring in my step

2006-03-30T21:48:00.000-05:00

god - what a GLORIOUS day! absolutely beautiful! it's what we've been looking forward to for the past five months. spring has finally sprung!

so, um, did anyone run today?

i didn't think so.

hallelujah!

2006-03-24T08:55:00.000-05:00

i was skeptical that everyone would actually show up, but for the first time in 2006 all aa-based aars ran together! yeehaw. does this mean we're getting back on track? starting off on the right foot? do people who run together finish dissertations together?

we've got so much to look forward to... burns park, dexter-ann arbor, the crim, and all those half-marathons in our soon-to-be new home states. and because misery loves company, it's so much more fun to run together!! even the rats think so!

happy spring!

2006-03-20T18:52:00.000-05:00

today is the 1st day of spring and this AARS says..it's about #$@!&%$ time!!! i told p-loop this morning that i wouldn't be able to run this evening since i had to go grocery shopping and had a ton of other work to do. but then after sitting through a 2.5 hr meeting this afternoon, i knew i had to take advantage of the beautiful sunny albeit brisk day.

so i just got back from a 36 min run (a wee bit slower than last year's time...ahem) down 7th to scio church and back again. and although i was solo (sorry p but i didn't have any time to coordinate), i have to say i had a great run, mostly due to my #1 christmas present (#1 bday present on the other hand was either the egg peeler my mom gave me or the bella nina g.c. from the AARS :). sigh. i'd have to say it doesn't get any better than rockin' out to queen's greatest hits while running on the 1st day of spring. HIT AFTER ENDLESS HIT!

anyway, hope the rest of the AARS is managing to squeeze in some runs as the weather keeps getting nicer!

The Season's First 1/8 th of a Mile

2006-03-19T14:06:00.000-05:00

Inspired by recent running by p-loop and apoz and their recent general success in grad school travails, I put on my brooks and ran to the gym. Could running be the key I've recently been missing and lack of success?

Running to the gym was a good experience, mostly due to my very close proximity to the gym. I'll have to try that again sometime!

we'd, part three

2006-03-16T11:44:00.000-05:00

So the only thing this has to do with running is that I heard it while still in bed, feeling guilty about sleeping through my alarm (again) and listening to NPR instead of running.

That said - today on the GLRC section of NPR's Morning Edition, there was a bit about how a local Ann Arborite was surprised at how friendly people were to her now that she had a dog. I won't bore you with the specifics, but it went something like, blah blah blah, why are people nice to strangers when they have a dog but are standoffish otherwise, throw in some strange similes ("People pour their love on Lucy like butter"...I mean, who really pours butter? I'm just saying!), close with a heartfelt aww shucks why can't we open our heart to people like we do to dogs, and you have a feel good closer before the BBC news.

So why do I bring this up? Because in a mere 2 min, 41 second human interest fluff piece, the author managed to "we" the listener! Not once, but twice!:

"This summer I was walking Lucy through a campground with my girlfriend" and "Another time, my girlfriend and I were walking the pup downtown."

Umm, okay. We get it. You're taken. To paraphrase Alton Brown, I'm just here for the dog regardless!

So in case you happen to see a woman walking Lucy the black lab somewhere in Ann Arbor, just be prepared to get "we'd". And maybe greet the duo with a preemptive "we" just to keep this whole cute dog/mandatory "we" mention thing in check.

Who needs running...

2006-03-10T16:51:00.000-05:00

... when you've got food?

Truth be told -- These days, the aars have been doing more eating together than running. It may have all started when we bagged the detroit marathon for zola. The last time three or more members of the group ran together may have been October -- so long ago, I honestly can't remember. One or two of us have been dedicated winter runners, while others have had pretty good reasons to take a break.

So, keeping with the food tradition, the aars celebrated my b-day in high, food conneseur style -- with sweet gifts like this. To continue the eating trend (and as a thank you), I'll have to have the aars over for dinner -- bean burgers?. It'll round off the most recent binge eating episodes of apple pancakes and dutch babies.

Thanks aars for your awesome birthday gifts!

i dream of running

2006-03-07T09:33:00.000-05:00

last night i had a dream that i went running but i forgot my gloves.

what could this mean?!?

Running in a White Dress?

2006-03-04T16:03:00.000-05:00

Some of y'all know by now (those of you who check your email regularly) that the big hit and I are going to make it official! Yes, that's right he popped the big q in a spontaneous flurry right on Dr. M's front porch.

The moment really was perfect. And really was just our way of doing it.

guess i won't be needing your stickin' Old Maid cards, afterall, AARS!

traitor joe's and whether.com: you're on notice!

2006-02-24T00:12:00.000-05:00

What do Trader Joe's and weather.com have in common? They're both on my s..tlist! p-loop and I have been running fools as of late (well, p-loop has actually been a gunner for the entire winter with her running class. I on the other hand...), running Tuesday evening before our Shan-E-Punjab feast (sorry, no link to the restaurant but their phone number is 734-332-0055. And yes I'm addicted.) with the rest of the AARS crew. It was such a great run that we decided to run on Thursday evening, too. But lo and behold, weather.com is all, it's going to snow and have freezing rain from 3p through Thursday night. So instead we got up REALLY early (7:20a!) and run in the a.m. instead. It was a great run, but did I mention it was early? And as those of us still in AA know (no, Ann Arbor silly. There's nothing anonymous about our drinking!), it was BEAUTIFUL all Thursday afternoon. No snow, no rain, nothin' but bright sunny skies. Thanks weather.com for making me get up unnecessarily early!

Meanwhile, TJ being in the dog house has nothing to do with running. Unless one can make the argument that their industrial size Salsa Verde and edamame make a better runner, and since they have officially stopped carrying the former and are consistently out of the latter, well, yeah, that's why my legs ache and I'm so slow...

bad boys, bad boys

2006-02-22T23:00:00.000-05:00

whatcha going to do when they come for you??

today, i had a little "run-in" with the law. apparently, i was going a wee bit fast on my way back from the airport (you owe me a big, fat dinner CJB) in Romulus. he claims i was going 67 in 45. i say more like 55ish. the conversation went something like this:

"You know why you got pulled over?"

"Because I was, um, going a little fast?"

"Why the hurry, miss?"

"I just dropped my friend off at the airport and I can't wait to get back to writing my dissertation!"

and with that, i got it ticket for being a nerd.

i think it's karma for making fun of ecshelto for driving under the influence of pancakes and having a minor fender (non)bender. my neck still hurts, btw.

i heart aars

2006-02-14T10:54:00.000-05:00

here's some reading on measurement error and expected value, in honor of valentine's day.

bring on the spam!

Reverse Causality

2006-02-12T18:21:00.000-05:00

By no means would I suggest that this is neither a valient nor creative way to get in shape (and maybe even get a little more...).

However, I'd like to argue that if you wear heels, then you're going to develop some kick-ass calves, in turn making it a lot easier to look good wearing them! Maybe that's why we sneaker-clad midwesterners have to run to tone those legs...

mara-wha? disser-who?

2006-02-07T20:52:00.000-05:00

i've been reluctant to pull the trigger on the whole marathon thing. it's just so damn long, not to mention all that training sucking up every weekend.

turns out my time drain excuse doesn't have legs anymore, per this article in today's wsj.
(due to technological difficulties, here's a snippit of the article)

Traditional marathon training typically emphasizes mileage, calling for 35 to 50 miles of running each week, and sometimes more depending on how long you've been training. The scaled-back programs usually don't exceed 15 to 35 miles a week. The programs vary depending on what the runner wants to accomplish. Some runners train with relatively easy combinations of running and walking three days a week. Another program has the runner do three days of higher-intensity running, and adds in two 30-minute cross-training workouts each week. The length of training also varies, ranging from 16 weeks for more-experienced runners to 28 weeks for beginners.

Mr. Galloway pushes a simple, three-day workout. The method calls for a 30-minute comfortable run/walk combination on Tuesday and Thursday and one longer run/walk on the weekend. The idea is to get in shape by progressively increasing the one long weekend run -- not by running a lot of mileage during the rest of the week.

The "long" weekend run starts at three miles and increases one mile every week. After 10 weeks, the formula changes so that the longer runs increase by two miles but occur only every other week. Once the distance reaches 17 miles, the long run shifts to every third weekend. On the other weekends, the "long" run ranges from about four to seven miles, depending on where you are in the program.

The Galloway program also advises runners, no matter what their skill level, to incorporate walk-breaks into the workout. A walk-break is a scheduled one-minute or longer brisk walk during a workout or race, taken even if the runner isn't tired, to help the body stay fresh and avoid injuries. Some free information on the program can be found at www.jeffgalloway.com. Mr. Galloway says he has trained about 100,000 runners through his for-fee clinics and e-coaching programs, and says 98% of them finished a marathon or achieved other race goals.

Another three-day running program from Furman University in Greenville, S.C., has the marathon community buzzing with a recent endorsement from Runner's World magazine. The 16-week program is shorter than many marathon-training programs and is best suited for someone who can already run eight miles comfortably.

The FIRST marathon program, which stands for Furman Institute of Running and Scientific Training, also limits you to just three days of running, even if you feel like running more. The idea is that the muscles used in running need more time to recover than many runners typically allow. The running days include speed workouts, a "tempo" run at a hard but still-comfortable pace, and a longer-distance run. On at least two off days, the runner spends 30 to 45 minutes on a different type of exercise, ideally a non-weight-bearing exercise like swimming or cycling. The details of the workouts, speed and distance all vary depending on the runner's fitness level. Information on how to personalize a FIRST workout can be found free at www.furman.edu/first.

i've also toyed with conducting my own personal experiment to determine if its harder to dissertate or harder to train for a marathon. let P represent a continuous measure of pain. my hypothesis is that it Pm is less than Pd (note: for some reason you can't use greater than or less than signs in this blog. yet another sign!).

what do ya'll think?

our clever title has been scooped, by Kiki!

2006-02-06T18:23:00.000-05:00

It might seem odd that my running days end for the time being just as my first issue of runner's world hits my mailbox. Maybe reading it will inspire my comeback in August. Anyway, Bill brought me the issue, opened to the page titled "Road Scholars" by Kristin Armstrong (yes, Lance's ex, although she probably hates to be called that). I was not naive enough to believe it was an article about us.

Kiki's running group is a book club on legs, they call themselves "Running of the Books." The article is about their club. So just the article title is road scholars.
gotta run to yoga, I'll have to mull over this to see if I have anything clever to add.

Houston's mizuno rep

2006-02-06T12:22:00.000-05:00

I was trying to get work done in a coffee shop this morning. Enjoyed my latte, but got little work done so I skeedaddled. What does this have to do with running? I was distracted by the cell phone conversation next to me. The guy works at the running store across the street (where we got our baby jogger) and was on the phone w/ a bud. Was telling his buddy all about the new mizuno rep in the area. I learned that Matt is 27, single but with a girlfriend. Originally from Peoria, has worked for mizuno for 6 years. Was a runner in high school. A talented runner. And on and on. Matt sounds like a hottie, makes me wonder if Mizuno picks their reps based on looks? We obviously know the AA mizuno rep is a hottie. Wonder if it is just male hotties? with n=2 (and one hottie purely by description, not by visual confirmation) more research needs to be done. My hunch is it is just male hotties they are looking for. Moral of the story? I should be working on my dissertation while in the coffee shop, not spying on phone conversations, since my chances of becoming a mizuno rep are slim based on my gender alone.

Also should report that my running has slowed to a very slow jog interspersed with mostly speed walking. Bill has to jog to keep up, which is inspiring. Running days are gone for a while for this gal. I'm shooting for August 1, able to run 3 miles w/o collapsing.

i got "we"d

2006-02-02T22:51:00.000-05:00

no, not weed (dirty hippies) but "we"d. as in, i'm going to speak in the plural even though there's not another person around.

this conversation came up way back when at the crim expo (see, it is related to running!) where apoz in her consistently canine-fanatically-friendly way bopped up to the hot mizuno guy and his dog, slathering all sorts of attention to the golden retriever. and then she got "we"d, as in "we couldn't find a babysitter so that's why i brought the dog to the expo." debate ensued during carb loading at the olive garden whether she got "we"d to send a signal that he was unavailable, implying that she might be hitting on him, or if he was just treating his dog as the other half of "we." either way is creepy.

point being is that a burmese mountain dog pup moved into the neighborhood a few weeks ago. i saw him a couple of days ago and resisted pawing him but today i could not help but to get down on my knees and giving him all sorts of puppy love. he was just this big, fluffy cotton ball of black, white, and brown fur. feeling the need to recognize the owner, i engaged in small talk about how old the puppy was, where he got her, blah blah.

and then i got "we"d.

as in, "we drove a long way to get you but it was worth it" as he picked up and snuggled the dog. i looked at him blankly and thought to myself, "oh no you did not just we me!!"

sometimes, all you really want to say is, " i'm really only interested in the dog, not the bi-otch."

anywho, in other running-related news, today i received a new brooks running jacket that i bought from my favorite website for, like, pennies. we are going to be so hot when we go running.

not quite thirty

2006-02-02T09:28:00.000-05:00

ah, it's the birthday that keeps on recurring, but this time it's for real!

one of our own turns a young 29! happy birthday to you!

look forward to celebrating with you at the weber inn!

no really, we're back.

2006-01-29T23:58:00.000-05:00

p-loop and i went for a run this evening.

back in the day, when running was a nearly daily event, merely taking an easy evening run would not be blog worthy. but considering that running is a bit of a rarity for at least 40% of the AARS, just thinking about putting on your running gear, even if it's just to go to the store, can almost be billed as a "running" event. so the fact that we actually ran, and in the rain no less...seriously, where's my laurel wreath?

about the Y

2006-01-25T15:31:00.000-05:00

Ooh, I was just hoping someone would bring up the Y, so I could talk about my tidbit of info on the Y. There is a big ruckus in the breastfeeding community about the AA Y, a nurse-in is planned for Sat. Guess they told a mom that was nursing her baby that "there is no food or drink allowed in the pool area." She called later, and they told her that wasn't the reason, the real reason was she was "distracting the lifeguards."
Just the kind of thing to get public healthers worked up. Really, that is the kind of thing I'd expect to hear in Texas, not AA!

Just my tidbit. Sorry about your stinky run.

not about running; well, ok, sort of about running

2006-01-24T21:38:00.000-05:00

Hi. I have nothing to say about running except that today at the Y I ran on one of the stinky treadmills. Not that the treadmills at the Y are particularly stinky or anything, I just don't really like treadmills. Was thinking about trying out p-loop's friend's running approach this winter; that is, to work on running efficiently by targeting a heart rate (have been thinking about efficiency a lot lately!, though not the running kind) . Could this approach make treadmill running less stinky?

I guess I should get started if I'm going to do it!

make that two

2006-01-20T13:25:00.000-05:00

Yup, two aars will be representing at the running fit 501 class. However, one aars (me!) had no idea what she was getting into...

Contrary to my initial impression of what a running group is (um, a group a people who gather to run together... ), running fit 501 is more of a training class than anything. Each group member has a race goal and it can be anything -- 5k to 50k. Let's just say that the median goal is probably a 26.2 mile race!! 5k-ers... where are you??? In the first week, the marathoners start out with a 10-mile long run and the others will probably do about 6. yikes! i haven't run more than 5 miles since the summer!!!

Oh well, it will be good exercise (and hopefully it will tire me out so that i can sleep better...).

Also, hint, hint... Anyone can join in on a Saturday morning run for a mere $5 (water & energy drinks included!).

dude, we're back!

2006-01-15T09:45:00.000-05:00

temporarily, at least. there was not just one, but two, outings this week. that's pretty much a record for 2006 so far. three out of five aars were represented at the butt-crack of dawn this morning (we really missed both km and ecshelto). thanks to anne arbor for getting our "aars"es is gear!

to keep up the momentum (motivation?) of running, i've decided to join the running fit 501 training class. i was successfully recruited by friend h to do it. and since misery loves company, i've tricked friend cjb into signing up and am working on fellow aars and friends of aars to join. most of them resist but at least anne job seems intrigued (right?). it starts this week so sign up online or at running fit!

of course, if the aars were up for running more in the winter i wouldn't need this silly class. so as the hockey nuts say, "it's all your fault!"

baby fevah

2006-01-13T09:38:00.000-05:00

Man, if Baroline (nice one anne arbor!) had only waited a few months, their impending cuteness could have been the 300 millionth American! According to a NYTimes article today, "If the experts are right, some time this month, perhaps somewhere in the suburban South or West, a couple, most likely white Anglo-Saxon Protestants or Hispanic, will conceive a baby who, when born in October, will become the 300 millionth American." The baby deemed the 200 millionth American back in 1967 ended up graduating magna cum laude from Harvard...coincidence? I THINK NOT! I mean, when you have a 5 page spread in Life magazine devoted to your birth, great things HAVE to happen.

The article also reports that a new baby is born every 8 seconds in the US, and with death, immigrations, the price of tea in China, and don't forget to carry the one, that translates to the American population growing by 1 person every 14 seconds.

A new baby every 8 seconds. Whoa. That's a lot of diapers. To tie it back into running (this is really just so I can "brag" that I finally ran again), 302 babies were born while p-loop and I ran this morning.

Bill is his daddy

2006-01-12T16:07:00.000-05:00

One of the aars is baking more than just cookies and brownies these days (still running though!)...

km is pleased to announce the impending arrival of the first official male member of aars. No name yet, but stay tuned.

Yes- she is having another baby!!! YES- it is a BOY!!!!!!

still smiling...

Due June 8, my little brother's birthday

who's your daddy?

2006-01-11T21:48:00.000-05:00

so this is way off topic, but seriously?? wtf? is there anyone else (besides brangelina themselves) that thinks this is a good idea?

AARS taking over the world

2006-01-03T22:12:00.000-05:00

Good luck to those of the AARS who are running around AEA and OSU trying to get the hell out of AA!

running away. far far away.

2005-12-21T16:19:00.000-05:00

as we all pack up our laptops and laser pointers for the holiday trip back home, i think this might be the 1st time since AARS' inception that there will be no AARS in AA...how will the local running community survive?? oh wait, i haven't been running this entire month...ahem. i wish i could say i was planning on squeezing in a run over the holiday break but seriously, how can freezing you aars off compete with christmas cookies and nog? or fine tuning the power point presentation? or summing up your entire dissertation in < 5 minutes? hmmmmm, running suddenly sounds pretty d..n tempting...

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AARS!

Feliz Cumpleanos!

2005-12-17T15:02:00.000-05:00

One of our very own is celebrating her 29th birthday this weekend. Damn, she looks good for her age - must be all the running!

Since Jesus (that's hey-zeus, ya'll) tends to steal her thunder this time of year, we just wanted to make special mention and wish apoz a very Happy Birthday!!

Hope you have a great one!!

all i want for christmas is my toenail back....

2005-12-03T17:53:00.000-05:00

many of you may have runners (specifically one of the aars) on your holiday shopping list and may be wondering, "what to get the runner who has everything (but speed) ?" inspired by the buzz of the midnight madness sale at running fit this weekend and the daily e-mails/catalogs from rei, i thought i'd toss out a few suggestions for gift ideas for the runner in your life:

1. GPS watch. for the gadget 'ho in all of us. it will not improve your speed, it will not improve your technique, it will only save you from getting in your car and driving your route. of course, you can do that from the comfort of your home with the pimp-my-run site, but the GPS watch is just cool. i don't need one, but i want one.

2. running tights - warm ones. i have yet to find the perfect running tights, ones that are nice and warm on the inside and yet still allow you to breathe. need it for this 25-35 degree weather were having. wind resistance would be good, too. if you find this perfect pair for me, i'll buy you dinner here (although this means a road trip to toledo).

3. reflective gear. vests, arm bands, flashing lights. this winter and daylight savings nonsense means it's alway effing dark these days. you should still run often, but run safely. everyone is doing it.

4. running socks. because it kills me to spend $10 on a pair of socks, although they are often worth it. i'd much prefer you buy them for me.

5. gu. vanilla. and lots of it. it's like crack for runners.

of course, when in doubt, a gift certificate. a benjamin will put me nicely in a new pair of shoes (or 3, if i wait until the mad art fair sales).

ah, there's nothing like a little want and greed to get me in the holiday spirit, don't you agree?

I shouldn't write this.

2005-11-30T16:34:00.000-05:00

I really shouldn't. Cuz what I am about to write could land me in some serious trouble with the aars. Good thing there are 1096 miles (according to Northwest) between us. Or is it among us, since there are more than 2 of us? Yesterday I couldn't remember how to spell delusional (thanks for the help there, p-loop).

So, I am about to strap on my still-pretty-spanking-new-cuz-they're-only-2-months-old- and-I-haven't-been-running-that-much Mizunos, and my............. running shorts. Shorts. To enjoy the 67 degrees and SUNNY weather here in houston. On the plus side, this cool (freeeeezing to some) weather really brings down the smog levels round here. Take heart, ladies, I will after all be wearing a long sleeve tshirt.

Seriously, sorry to hear about the bum weather. Treadmilling does suck. Swimming is a great cross-trainer, ya'll can try that.

time for that run...

5 hour window of near perfect running weather

2005-11-28T15:15:00.000-05:00

you know that cringe-worthy saying, "welcome to michigan! don't like the weather? wait about 5 min!" hyuk hyuk hyuk! (cringe AND groan)? well, at least it's a change for good right now - despite ecshelto's previous post, i just came from a fantastic run OUTSIDE. no freezing temps, no rain (well just a little), and a balmy SIXTY THREE degrees! believe it or not, that's just 3 degrees cooler than km's hotspot! granted it's completely overcast and dreary in Huron Valley (again, what valley?), but at least the bitter cold is gone.

since it's been awhile (last run was along the schuykill in phila with a slightly different group of AA runners), i was a bit out of shape (see previous post re: slowa.. pace for hardly any time) but it felt so good, to clear the mind of all SAS code, job applications, and other little (ahem) worries. so get out and run today if you can AA runners before it drops to 40 degrees tomorrow and there's snow on the ground again by thursday. man, the weather really is all over the place...reminds me of a really irritating saying...

'Tis the Season for Running Indoors?

2005-11-27T19:55:00.000-05:00

I'm not sure I can harken back to my hardcore days and continue running outside. The snow, the freezing rain, the wind; I just don't know if I have it in me anymore. I'm faced with a dilemma, however, because running on a treadmill is a serious drag. Yesterday I faced my expanding waistline and headed to the ccrb. But all I had to keep my mind off of running was a little music and, uh, the reflection of me in the mirror running. completely unhelpful. Even though I know I can run sub-9 minute miles for a sustained period of time, I couldn't even make it 30 minutes at a 10-minute pace. Isn't it ironic that the best way to have a good run is to do all that you can to keep your mind off of running?

I feel a little better for trying. But the whole experience begs the question of whether it's worth it to pay up for a y membership just to have the trash tv accompaniment to the treadmill.

we didn't make the cut

2005-11-16T19:59:00.000-05:00

the wsj wrote a little article listing the "most influential" blogs by industry, i.e. what the "in-crowd" reads to stay in the know.

somehow, we didn't make the cut. that's outrageous!! i'm going to chalk it up to the fact that they didn't have a blogging category for running nerds. what do you think??

p.s. today reminds me why i want to run away from ann arbor. windy, cold, grey, and snow. boo.

My Breasts are on the Internet

2005-11-07T18:18:00.000-05:00

This is the first time this has ever happened to me- my boobies are on the internet!! At last! They are covered up with 2 shirts, though. Hadn't been running much lately and didn't want jiggly boobs in the picture.

Thanks for posting the pic of my boobs, p-loop. I wear my aars shirt at least 3 times a week, even when I am not running- it is an essential part of my wardrobe.

Fan mail, wardrobe malfunction, & marathoning?

2005-11-06T17:56:00.001-05:00

as you could imagine, we get a lot of fan mail here. what can we say? people like us. while we can't respond to each letter personally, due to sheer volume, every once in a while one will stand out that gets our attention. this one was sent in response to our t-shirt and we're happy that our supporters are pleased. here's a letter from nate's mom :

but, the question still remains... who the hell is nate? no matter, we like his mom. she rocks! and not in a stifler's mom kind of way either, for you dirty folks out there.

also, we never got around to posting about the whole t-shirt fiasco, or "wardrobe malfunction" as i like to say. we decided to go with a local vendor to do the printing instead of our beantown connection- big mistake. you'd think it'd be pretty easy to print 3 lines and 4 letters in two colors on a t-shirt without effing it up. when we got them back at least half of the women's shirts were printed...crooked. it wasn't entirely obvious at first but something wasn't quite right. i put one on, looked at myself in the mirror in puzzlement. only when i tilted my head to the right did i realize that this thing was crooked. so, we went back to the printer and to make a long story short - they ended up correcting their mistake but in the process were big jackasses about it. apoz deserves credit for haggling with them - she's one tough customer. way to stand firm! in anycase, here's a pic of the final product.

and finally, the new york marathon was today. it sounds like such an awesome race - running through all 5 of the boroughs. if i ever muster up the cajones to train for a marathon, i definitely want to do this one. yeah, yeah, i know you have to be a member of nyrr or in order to register for it, those are all minor details. or maybe i'll just have to move there simply in order to run it.

google does this too

2005-11-05T11:56:00.000-05:00

A great resource for the neurotic runners among us: google does running maps too. My slight variation on the Spring St. Loop is 4.62 miles. So easy to use!

Are we smarter than Nature?

2005-11-04T13:42:00.000-05:00

Obviously, the aars have been ruminating a lot over the "fall back" experience we've encountered recently. So, as I sat at my desk, I wondered, "are we really smarter than Nature"? Or do we invoke daylight savings time twice a year because we are uber-efficient creatures that don't blink at the forces of nature?

With a quick google search, I got to the bottom of this. Apparently, the first person to propose a response to the shorter days of winter was Benjamin Franklin. In his letter to The Journal of Paris (1784), he urged people to get up with the sunrise and go to bed with the sunset, thereby saving approximately 64,050,000 pounds of bougies (candles) and 96,075,000 livres tournois per winter (which, I'm assuming is the currency that came before the French franc and the euro?). Read the letter. It's funny - it endorses some drastic measures "to wake the sluggards effectually" (some mornings, the aars could probably use them!!). And, since we are, of course, smarter than Nature, the notion to get up with the sunrise turned into resetting the clocks.

On another note, this weekend, I'm be heading home. Hope to go on a run or two with my dad and the dogs.

this day light savings is crazy, eh?

2005-11-03T18:43:00.000-05:00

I ran with the "rice" running group last night, Bill and I sprung (sprang?) for a babysitter so we made a rare appearance as a duo. It was dark sooo early. Here it is 5:45 and almost dark- I imagine it must be about the same in AA. Craziness. How are you ladies handling the darkness? Running more often in the morning? Pre-baby I was a huge fan of the Fall-back, I loved the early daylight. Now that Scooter gets up at 5:30 am, I am not such a big fan...

I got some new Mizunos 2 weeks ago and I am just luvin them! In fact, I think I broke them in on our run in AA in the end of Oct.

I saw that there is another Greenway run coming up- are ya'll in? I'll be back up in AA in early December, but I reckon there won't be any 5K's then.

Running in the Dark

2005-10-25T18:18:00.000-04:00

Besides the forecasted bad weather this past weekend, that the Detriot marathon was due to start before sunrise gave me another reason to not want to run. Getting up in the morning has been a real challenge lately, as my fellow AARS can attest to--I'm the one who finally wakes up to the cell phone ringing with someone on the other end asking "Is ecshelto not running/brunching/garage-saling?"

Of course it's due to my overall lack of sleep; but, the black hole in which all of Michigan seems to reside these days certainly doesn't help. Today, the big hit sent along a suggestion for alarm clock programming; two alarms, one intended to wake you when you're in light sleep mode, and the other to get your ass out of bed. Even if I can drag myself out of bed to go running, who would want to? It's effing dark out there!

peer pressure

2005-10-23T14:06:00.000-04:00

don't believe those afterschool specials kiddies - sometimes peer pressure is a very good thing. like when your running partners are all lukewarm at best about the prospect of a 5:30a departure for a 5 I MEAN 4 person relay that you signed up for long long ago, in the heady days of summer. but lo and behold, you too feel lukewarm about the idea of dedicating the better part of your sunday to driving/waiting on I-96 due to construction, going on a bus and then waiting for your 50-80 min of go time game face in rainy cold conditions, then driving/waiting on I-94, I-96, I-75, etc. etc. so casually someone brings it up, one thing leads to another, and you end up at cafe zola at an easy breezy 9a breakfast date instead of the cold hard punishing (did you see the previous entry about fragile toenails?) detroit marathon route. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

so i must say i'm not too disappointed that we didn't run today. and this certainly was a learning experience: don't sign up for a race more than a month in advance, no matter how much of a good idea it may seem like at the time. that said, there's a turkey trot on thanksgiving in detroit rock city...

just jokes fellow AARS! unless, of course, you want to run. i mean, all the cool kids are doing it (actually, i think the cool strategic kids are running the mashed potato mile because the top 500 finishers get a coveted "award" (p-loop, are you reading this??) vs. only the top 3 in each age group for the turkey trot). i mean, come on. you don't want to be UNCOOL do you? just try it once...

nuff said

2005-10-22T20:06:00.000-04:00

Sometimes a picture is worth more than a thousand words...

2005-10-22T20:01:00.000-04:00

An unnamed road scholar has unfortunately discovered that her freakishly long "pinky" toe is losing its nail. At the expo today, the other scholars suggested she have the onsite physician examine it for... fungus!! Thankfully, thet schoar is fungus-free. But as you can all to clearly see, about to lose that toe nail. Grosssssss. But cool.

I'll leave the rest of the marathon relay story up to apoz, who like me has been chastised for poor blogging count.

a fungus among us?

2005-10-22T19:45:00.000-04:00

hindsight is 20-20

2005-10-21T11:16:00.000-04:00

it seemed like such a good idea back in the summer. enjoy the benefits of a marathon without all of the pain by entering the relay marathon. i don't think we'll have to worry too much about hyponatremia this time, since it's going to be both cold and rainy on sunday and we're each only running a mere 5 to 8 miles each ( uh, thanks anne job?)

the only source of inspiration is the potential to bring home the trophies! we can't quite figure out what category we've registered for, but last year's university/college category only had two entries and their times, while respectable, are well within reach (read: we plan to kick some serious academic ass).

this is our last "major" event of the season- and I think the aars are ready for a little break. it appears that, gasp, dissertating is cutting into running (and blogging) time - talk about effed up priorities !!

anyway, wish us luck this weekend!

The Risk of Running...w/ aars

2005-10-16T21:02:00.000-04:00

I just want to point out that since the formation of AARS I have lost a series of "fair-valued" lotteries.

First, at the 2004 Big 10K I lost the drawing to Apoz for a free pair of Pearl Izumi running shoes. This summer on the night before the CRIM in Flint, I didn't draw the straw that would have given me a hotel bed to myself before the race. Again it was Apoz who got to sleep diagonally. This year at the 2005 Big 10K, the Adidas gym bag was really meant for me but that damn P-loop cut me in line for the raffle tickets and stole the winning ticket. (367896 was meant for me, lady!) Once again, today, neither P-loop nor Apoz drew the stick they were supposed to, leaving me with the shortest stick and the unfortunate 8.4-mile leg of the Detroit marathon relay.

Fair? I think not.

Running Is Fun

2005-10-02T15:41:00.000-04:00

Today's Big 10K in the Nichol's Arboretum was a great return to the run-for-fun principle.

I always get nervous before big races because I'm worried about not finishing well compared to my fellow runners and my past running times. And, you know, it's always that first race of the season when I have no reference point for comparison that I end up running the fastest and feeling the best. Every year I peak at the Spring Gallup run!

So today I turned over a new leaf: I wasn't really into the race, have lightened up on the runs in the past couple of weeks, and honestly hadn't thought much about the race (except to dispair over that damn hill while running in the Arb). And, today's race was really fun--nice weather, I got to run and talk with my friends, and I didn't have it out for all the other runners who passed me along the way. The AARS and I even talked to other people. As it turns out we were the ones to be beaten, rather than me trying to get in front of the 85 year old in order to save face.

Anyway, thanks for the great run ladies!

the shirt off my back

2005-09-26T11:30:00.000-04:00

Two great things just came together like pb& j, milk and cookies, pizza and beer... running and relief effort! Inside Texas running is calling for new, unused race t-shirts to provide clothing to Hurricane Katrina (and probably Rita) victims. Although we haven't registered yet, ahem, maybe we can donate our Big Ten t-shirts?? Anyone else w/ new, unused t-shirts can mail them to:

Inside Texas Running
14201 Memorial Drive, Suite 204
Houston, TX 77079
281-759-0555 phone

Speaking of t-shirts...seriously, ours are at the printer (thanks to apoz!) and should be completed by early next week so i'll be contacting you soon.

p.s. another great combo ... eating and relief effort! many restaurants around the country are donating a portion of their profits from sales tomorrow (sept. 27) a good excuse to eat out! unfortunately, the only restaurant in ann arbor participating is cosi. fortunately, i've been liking their salads recently. and their bread has gotten better.

the big 1-0

2005-09-15T20:30:00.000-04:00

the big ten 10k race is sneaking up on us - a mere two weeks away. half of us did this last year and it was brutal. i don't think we heeded the warning that "runners should be prepared for a challenging 10k" seriously. we think it was mostly difficult because it was the first really cold day of the fall season, like 30 degrees, and we hadn't acclimated to cold weather yet. that, in combination with four miles of hills through the arb made it memorable - in a bad way.

but this is a new year and it'll be interesting to see if it's an easier race after all the running we've been doing all summer. there are a few cool things about this race. for one, the t-shirt last year was pretty cute, one i'd actually wear which is sort of unusual for road races. second, they serve big ten burrritos afterwards. nothing like a burrito to refuel you at 10am. third, it benefits the arb which just might be the best plot of land in this little town. and finally, they have a raffle. last year, apoz took home the plum prize of a pair of pearl izumi sneaks. but this year...are you sitting? they're raffling off a pair of mizunos. which means not only great shoes but that the hot mizuno rep will be there, too. reason enough to run if you ask me.

anyway, we should register soon. t-shirts are only guaranteed up til, um, today. but, i'm not doing this alone so who's in??

proof

2005-09-08T20:23:00.000-04:00

apoz w/ spre...note the resemblance?

some pics from the crim from both before and after the race. how cool are our jerseys?

oh, btw, the t-shirts arrived from rei and are in process of being printed up. i know your just itchin' to get them - they'll be on their way soon! yeehaw.

Hurricane Katrina Benefit Sale

2005-09-08T17:17:00.000-04:00

Support the victims of Hurricane Katrina this Saturday!

A benefit yard sale will be held this Saturday at
609 W. Washington street from 8am to 2pm.

The sale will feature small appliances, books, CDs, and small
furniture. You can also show your support by making a donation, or
purchasing coffee and baked goods.

All proceeds will go to two organizations: Habitat for Humanity and
the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC). Both of these
organizations have been credited to target aid to the most vulnerable
populations. A contribution to AFSC will help meet the immediate needs
of hurricane victims, while a contribution to Habitat to Humanitywill
benefit longer-term recovery. See below for more information...

Details:

-609 W. Washington street (Near the new YMCA, Kiwanis)
-8am to 2pm

-small appliances, books, CDs, fans, pots and pans, dishes,
small furniture
-baked goods

AFSC has a long history of humanitarian assistance and working towards
economic justice, demilitarization and peacebuilding. We chose to contribute to this
organziation as it has already undertaken relief efforts in the
immediate aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. This organization also
played a big role in the Tsunami Disaster relief in Asia last year.
(http://www.afsc.org/hurricane/default.php?id=afcrisis)

Habitat for Humanity, many of us know, will be an active participant
in the Gulf Coast's long-term rebuilding. This organization makes a
huge difference in the lives of individuals and also impacts local
economies and communities. In addition to rebuilding damaged houses,
Habitat will make home-ownership possible for many Americans.
(http://www.habitat.org/disaster/2005/katrina)

more to life than running

2005-09-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

warning: this is an off-topic entry. it has nothing to do with running. i just wanted to post a bit about the devastation in new orleans. katrina did more damage than anyone could imagine. new orleanians always "knew" that the city was at risk for major hurricane destruction given engineering of the levees and the below sea level perspective, but until now they've been pretty lucky. camille was the last bad one and... whoa. just now it just dawned on me that all of km's sister's names are the most destructive hurricanes to hit nola. spooky, no?

anyway, many of you have asked about how my friends are doing there and i thank you for asking. most of them evacuated to texas, arkansas, shreveport, etc... to the closest relative or friend they could find. others remained on emergency duty at the big o - as someone's got to run the place. generally, it's a safe place to be as the hospital is located just outside orleans parish (read: slightly higher ground) and it has generators designed to keep things running for several days under emergency situations. fortunately, the hospital was relatively unscathed unlike other hospitals ... they lost power, ac, and water for a couple of days but they are all now restored. they haven't lost a patient due to hurricane conditions and is one of the few capable hospitals in the area. you can read a first hand account of their experiences on chris' blog.

those who stayed will be separated from their families for at least a month, if not more. one friend will enroll her kids in school in maryland.

i've spent the past few days down at the beach in nc. we saw the USS Whidbey Island docked next the marina we use. i had heard just that day that this ship was en route to the gulf to provide support. it was docked there on thursday and friday...not sure if it left yet but it was loading up the military convoy and supplies. it was a pretty amazing to watch that type of operation being mobilized. hopefully, it's on its way down there now since it'll take some time to make it down there and they needed help, like, five days ago.

i hope you all will do your part to help out. many of you have experienced the energy and life that new orleans offers...let's help get her back on her feet.

it's all about the grits

2005-08-28T23:50:00.000-04:00

Running for the glory? The trophies? If I have to give myself a reason to run the CRIM again, it'll be a promise to treat myself to some Bob Evan's grits afterwards.

No really. The race was great. Well organized, well marked, water stop at every mile, music along the way. I've even convinced myself that the free beer and the cloud of cigarette smoke around Cashews bar at mile 3 really was endearing, and not just a lung-full. Probably the worst part of the run was the ridiculuous spread of pizza for the finishers. Enter Bob Evan's grits.

There's really nothing like gorging yourself on the array of carbs, butter and fat available to you at your neighborhood chain restaurant after 10 miles. You might think that you've undone any beneficial effects of running by gorging yourself on such items, but I can't imagine the zombie I'd be without it. And zombie is no state for shopping.

Nice run AARS!

countdown to the crim!

2005-08-22T17:17:00.000-04:00

T- 5 until the crim! if the weather stays like this, we might have to break out the gloves and earmuffs for the race. actually, looks like it'll warm up some by then but not nearly to the levels of that miserable dexter-ann arbor run. of course, if the weather is perfect what will be my excuse for a shitty run? rumor has it that it's a relatively flat course, but the videos from last year's race was perched at on a slight hill. yes, i was reviewing videos and you can too. i had to scope out the competition. i'm pretty much thinking that the kenyans and ukrainians are making a wasted trip. 51.47 for 10 miles? puh-lease. when the aars take places 1-4 in the awards ceremony (so what if it's for for the teddy bear trot?). i'm just saying that the aars might have to add the special seasoning when we feast with the kenyans at the pasta party on friday. we'll just say, "that's how we like it in flint, yo. spicy!"

you know you want it...

2005-08-16T20:44:00.000-04:00

your very own, original AARS t-shirt! it's the must-have fashion accessory for the fall. designs are in the works but first things first...ordering the t-shirts. for the ladieeze....we're opting for these REI tees. it's a lightweight, moisture-wicking t-shirt that looks great in all the right places. ecshelto's (the fashion forward running goddess that she is) has been sporting a red one all season. we've chosen to go with this color (blade). did you notice how it matches this blog? how apropos! we're working on our logo, but we can't post it here for fear of, um, imposters stealing our identity? rest assured, it will be subtle and v. cool.

and boyzzz...not to worry because we haven't forgotten about you. yes, there appears to be a small, yet growing fan base of the aars would have expressed interest (?) in a t-shirt (bjorn, pape, m-dog, jay-z, DMoney, strandvej, cjb, and anon- i'm talking to you!)

a group order is going into REI by week's end, so any interested guys and gals should send us your size and color and we'll take care of the rest. we'll send you the bill latah.

apoz is hooking us up with the grand master t-shirt maker back in beantown, so we're hopeful we'll by styling by October 23rd, if not sooner.

Little Baby Flint

2005-08-15T12:24:00.000-04:00

Coming in 1st with his snail-like time of 13:32.55 - "the slowest 5,000 final since the world championships began in 1983", Kenyan runner Benjamin Limo is going to name his newborn son 'Helsinki' in honor of his win in the Finnish capital. Good thing he didn't win the Dances with Dirt race..."Aw look! It's little Hell Limo!"

Great idea. If Gwenyth and Chris can have an Apple, and Jason Lee can have a, err, Pilot Inspektor Riesgraf-Lee (dude, WTF?), why can't a runner have a Helsinki? So I'll say it: if (no, no; WHEN) I win the CRIM 10 mile this year, my 1st born son or daughter (or dog or cat or ferret, whichever comes 1st), will be named Flint. I still have to think of something snappy for the middle name though...maybe Mizuno?

a matter of luck?

2005-08-13T14:25:00.000-04:00

Let me set the scene:
I've been in New York for the past month or so... I've been trying to maintain a regular running schedule, but some weeks have been easier than others. Given this variation in my training, I've decided that the things you can't control on the day of a race can have more of an effect on one's performance than those you cannot.

Here's my (albeit n=3) evidence:
- 8.8 mi long run: went on Saturday morning, ran about 25 miles in the previous week, mild day, not at all humid. The run was *great* - first long run in a while.
- 5k: one week after long run: had been running during the week, probably about 20 miles. race started at 9:30, another mild, non-humid day. Another great run. Beat my personal best for a 5k by 3 1/2 minutes! The last half mile was down hill, but even after 2 miles, I was at 15:20, which is very fast for me.
- same 8.8 mi long run: one week after 5k. went on only one 3-mi run this week. Started off at 10:00 am in the blistering heat. By mile 4, my dad and I were dying. We had already walked a bit and decided to get a ride home. At 11 am, it was about 90 degrees (in the shade).

How can one not get discouraged when running in the steamy August weather? If the weather is not on your side, it seems nearly impossible to have a good run.

On August 27, I'll be crossing my fingers for a mild, dry day!

the adventures of ecshelto never end

2005-08-13T00:44:00.000-04:00

You know, you plan for a long saturday run by having an easy, breezy friday evening, and of course (at least for me) it gets ruined. Drinks and dessert out on Main Street with friend A was really quite enjoyable. I got home with time enough to take it easy and get to bed early. Tomorrow is our last long run (I think) before the CRIM.

I'm getting ready to wash my face and brush my teeth and something down the way catches my eye. There as a huge procyon lotor sniffing around my f@$&king apartment. This photo is of one 'patiently waiting for a snack'; the one in my apartment was not patiently waiting for anything. Disgusting!

I've seen this guy around my neighborhood: hanging around the parking lot, knocking over garbage cans. I was one of the last ann arborites to get the new garbage cans, and until that happened, all the neighborhood rondents converged upon my gargage. This guy is not at all afraid of humans! And, very apparently, still very hungry.

Did the City of Ann Arbor consider the effect on the animals whose food supply was made less accessible with robo garbage truck and the new garbage cans? Did the threat of animals taking over people's apartments get factored into the cost-benefit analysis? jesus.

relay fever

2005-08-10T09:35:00.000-04:00

i checked the detroit marathon website after our 5 mile run this a.m. through split pea soup-type weather conditions (ahh, MI in august!) and hurray - they've posted the relay points! they also have a nice little map of the whole route since the simple description "Atwater @ Dubois" doesn't mean jack to those of us who aren't representing the 313 (but props to the 734...awww yeah!!).

it looks like 2 of us get to go international - the 1st relay exchange is in windsor, canada. exciting, eh? to run out and about in canada? and check out the elevation chart, too - ecshelto might have reason to worry about hills for the crim, but the relay looks nice and flat..except for the ambassador bridge..which is also on the longest leg of the relay...we might have to draw straws to see who the lucky gal is that starts the relay.

hit and run

2005-08-08T13:53:00.000-04:00

our little town gained some brief, national media attention as a group of well-trained cheerleaders from yspi remembered the license plate number of a hit-and-run accident in ann arbor by making into a cheer. katie couric, true to her cheerleading roots, interviewed the group from lincoln high this morning.

since it seems we have near misses almost daily, i must reiterate how much i love it when cars actually back up when they've gone too far past the stop sign at an intersection. because i wonder if one of us got hit by if the motorist would give the same excuse (um, duh!):

According to police reports, a truck hit a car stopped at a traffic light Wednesday, and the impact forced that car into another vehicle, which then hit another one.

The truck driver, found at his home, told officers he didn't think the damage was severe enough to stop, police Lt. Mike Logghe told The Ann Arbor News.

lub-dub

2005-08-02T11:57:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting article about heart rates and efficiency from Active.com regarding the AARS conversation last night while running hills in the Arb. Pushing your heart rate to it's maximum, and then resting, helps make it more efficient in pumping blood. The lower the heartrate, the fewer pumps it takes to get blood through the body. A more efficient heart leaves you with both a lower resting heart rate and a lower exercise heart rate, and probably a smaller discrepency between the two.

her cups runneth over

2005-08-01T12:25:00.000-04:00

some of the aars double up for extra support, meaning they wear two jog bras to minimize the bounce. others of us could probably do away with the jog bra all together. the less undergarments the better! well, not really. even the little guys need something to hold on to. anywho, i found this little article in the salon.com fitting, all puns intended. it touts a new miracle bra (no lifting and separating here) for the uber-buxom runners, sold by title nine sports. "The Last Resort" bra promises to keep them from a knockin' without constricting the lungs. They sort of look like the kind of bra that my grandma wears - at least title nine admits it that it ain't pretty. but then again, none of the aars are slaves to fashion... yet.

our unimpresive data

2005-07-28T14:35:00.000-04:00

Where are KM and our tech guy Strandvej when we want to be data obsessed?

osmolality, schosmolality

2005-07-28T09:45:00.000-04:00

as some of us AARS peeps gear up for our long run this sat, we should think about how to take care of our delicate bodies. and no, i'm not talkin' hair color or brow shapes. i'm talkin' hydration: water vs. sports drink.

in a recent active.com article, good ol' matt fitzgerald sings the praises of osmolality (who doesn't?). although i'm sure my microecon TA learned what 'osmolality' meant in 3rd grade, i was happy that matt defined it for the rest of us: "the concentration of dissolved particles in a fluid."

so in addition to learning a new word (note to self: use "osmolality" 3 times today to make it part of regular vocabulary), the article also provided some useful advice about when to use what - "Water is a great drink choice outside of workouts, but during exercise you're much better off with a sports drink". he also talked about the benefits of protein and, a bit surprising to me, sodium: "Those [sport drinks] that contain higher amounts of sodium are preferable, because they are absorbed quicker and maintain fluid balance in the blood and muscles better. Choose a sports drink that contains at least 15 mg of sodium per ounce."

this made me think of new flavors for sports drinks that highlight the high sodium content. what's saltier than potato chips? or pickles? mmmmmm...Fierce Dill Gatorade...Krazy Ketchup Propel Fitness Water...seriously, i might be on to something here.

if they can do it...

2005-07-28T00:19:00.000-04:00

... so can we.

Max Your VO2

2005-07-27T11:11:00.000-04:00

We're not screwing around any more. The AARS are now definitely back on a training program for upcoming races (Today's the deadline for the CRIM's discounted regristration!) with long runs on weekends and intervals during the week. I thought I'd update everyone on just why long runs and interval training are good for us, and don't just make our legs look better.

I found this information from David Holt's marathon training advice.

VO2 max, or Maximum Oxygen Uptake Capacity, to use its formal name, is the amount of oxygen we can absorb into our cells in one minute while working at full capacity. It’s a measure of fitness expressed in milliliters per kilogram per minute.

[snip]

At 2 mile pace, or the speed you can maintain for 10 minutes, the heart, lungs and entire circulatory system work at maximum capacity to maintain speed. This stimulates your VO2 maximum to increase while also improving your running biomechanics so that you waste less energy. Months of long runs have increased your VO2 max substantially. Now it’s time to make additional VO2 max gains by training at close to your maximum oxygen uptake pace. Applying this modest stress to your lungs, muscles and circulatory systems will stimulate your VO2 max to rise: you’ll be able to race faster.

Maybe the AARS needs to step it up too! One suggestion from the same page:

Rest During Interval Training.
Technically, the rest period is the Interval! Generally, you should take less than 90
seconds rest during interval sessions. The greatest stimulation of heart development occurs in the first 10 seconds of the rest period. If you’re running reps at the appropriate pace for you, it should only take 30 seconds for the heartrate to get below 130. The extra minute is for your mind, not your body.

Also, our much adored fartlek is Swedish for speed play. And asswhuppin. We should work some of these back in too!

bugs bunnies

2005-07-26T09:43:00.000-04:00

even best laid plans fail, so i was left to run all by myself yesterday. seriously, i can't remember the last time i motivated to run alone. i was feeling a little wound up from sitting in front of the computer all day so a run was definitely in order.

it was actually a really nice evening albeit a smidgen muggy. i ran to gallup park and along the way saw four bunnies. i guess catching a glimpse of a rabbit is sort of a rarity - you always get that "awww, look a little bunny rabbit!" reaction. that was my first thought, until i saw another, and another, and then another. and then it wasn't so special anymore. it was more like, "get out of my way, you rascally rabbit."

running in the evening is nice - the sun's down and the weather nice has cooled down. it's actually my favorite time of the day to run. except the bugs. they weren't technically noseeums, since they weren't they biting kind, they were probably gnats. but i couldn't really see 'um, until i got home and realized i had all these little splattered, gnatty bugs stuck to my shirt, my neck, and my arms. it was really gross. or as martin bashir says, "it was disturbing."

friendly reminder

2005-07-24T16:04:00.000-04:00

....that we should register for the crim by wednesday, august 27th to take advantage of that mad discount for early registration. are we committing to the 10 mile or just being content with the 8k?

On New Running Shoes, M-dog, and Upcoming Races

2005-07-20T23:47:00.000-04:00

i, too, got a new pair of running shoes - brooks. about a week ago, i went to the tortoise and hare, where the dude with the red beard advised that i get the brooks addictions plus inserts to protect my bum knee... so i did, no questions asked. next day, i went with my friend ape to running fit and wouldn't you know that they had the same exact shoe for about $30 less! once again, perfect information assumption violated! note, the guy with the red beard did admit to upcoming art fair sales, but *sniff* i will be out of town for ann arbor's four most glorious days of the year!

also, after a two-year break, m-dog has gotten a new pair of running shoes - brooks - and is ready to start up again... "if you only shower once every two weeks, one does not willingly subject oneself to sweat" - m-dog.

and, boy, have we sweated! m-dog and i have been testing out our new kicks in sweltering suburbia. we've managed to go on two runs, both of which were at high noon with a humidity index of about 75. despite aggressive long island drivers and the fact that i haven't run much in the last month, m-dog and i had good runs.... i'm starting to think about upping the ante to the crim 10-miler. also, i'm signed up to run a 5k in my hometown, coxsackie, NY, on aug 6. the pressure is on for a personal record, for the race starts at the high school and ends exactly 3.1 miles later and 200 feet lower at the bank of the hudson river.

Back in my shoes again

2005-07-20T15:49:00.000-04:00

After a long break from both running and blogging, I'm back at both. Thanks to other AARS members who provided silent guilt. And, also thanks to the fear of upcoming races (the CRIM, and the Detriot Marathon). Running this morning was great! Ann Arbor was a cool 60 degrees, and km kept my mind off the road by listening to me vent about my never-ending data problems. And, the dream of new shoes never hurts.

I'm also on a quest for new routes. P-loop and I are going to test out the water resources at Gallup Park and enjoy the break in humidity this weekend. Should be great!

Enjoy the weather!

art fair finds

2005-07-20T11:30:00.000-04:00

no, this has nothing to do w/ "s..t on sticks" or some lovely baubles or cutting edge art - i'm talkin' running shoes! after our run this a.m., the AARS (minus aa) cleaned up at tortoise and the hare. p and i both picked up TWO pairs of shoes, while e and k showed some restraint and just got 1 pair. however, at a mere $30/pair, i don't feel too guilty. and it's good we went right when they opened - even at 9a the crowds were already in full force.

for all those readers (all 4 of you) who have never been to AA art fair (described once as "neither art nor fair"), it's quite an event. you have the pros - sidwalk sales, kettle corn, lots of interesting art - and the cons - lots and lots of ppl, streets shut down making it difficult/impossible to get around, trashy over-priced crap. the high temps and humidity don't help, but it's still a fun and interesting event...maybe i'm saying that since i won't be here for most of it?

Writing is to Running as...???

2005-07-17T17:53:00.000-04:00

I inherited t-bone's copy of a book entitled "Writing Your Dissertation in Fifteen Minutes a Day" by Joan Bolker. I'm not far enough into to determine whether there's any actual useful advice (of course, t-bone has already completed her dissertation so maybe proof is in the pudding), but I was tickled by the analogy she makes to creating a writing addiction to running. Here's the exerpt:

For some of us, writing gives us a place to be with ourselves in which we can listen to what's on our minds, collect our thoughts and feelings, settle and center ourselves. For others of us it gives a chance to express what would be otherwise overwhelming feelings, to find a safe and bounded place to put them. For some, it's like exercise: this is the way we warm up a muscle that we are going to be called upon to use.
--snip--
The satisfaction of writing every day is very much like the satisfaction of a daily 3-mile run. One begins, lives through the warmup, hits stride, has the experience of "being run" rather than "running," of a fluidity of motion that one no longer has to direct and then, cooled down, can feel, "Now the rest of the day's my own. I've done what I most needed to do." And for those who've never run? Writing offers the pleasure of a deep, ongoing engagement in an activity that is meaningful, one where you know more at its end than you knew at its beginning.

I'm trying to get into my writing stride and it ain't easy. Like running, the beginning is the hardest part where the pain is most intense, but eventually you settle into a stride. In writing, ruminating over how to begin is the most painful, but once you get a few sentences down that actually start to make sense you do get into a writing stride. Fifteen, thirty minutes or an hour later you've got something down on paper and it really does feel like you've accomplished something. But, the stride just doesn't happen the first, second, or third time you try - you gotta work at it, unfortunately. Gotta work on my stride, girls. Gotta work on my stride.

a little inspiration

2005-07-14T11:29:00.000-04:00

My previous running partner (sorry ladies, you weren't the 1st...but in my condition, you very well might be the last) sent me this nice little article about the CRIM that some of us are planning on running at the end of August. She had nothing but raves about the race, and now the penguin confirms it (hmmm...if we went by the animal that we most resemble when we run...) - we GOTTA run it!

All this time I thought (I must have read it somewhere because I wouldn't have thought of it) CRIM was an acronym for Coolest Race In Michigan. But lo and behold: "The race is named for Bobby Crim, who created the 10-mile race in 1977 to benefit the Special Olympics. Now 74, the former Michigan State Speaker of the House is still there, still a part of the festivities, and still signing T-shirts."

I traded my Lloyd Carr autographed AA-Dexter race shirt with ann arbor, and although I appreciate the much better fit (note to self: stick with size "M"), I miss Lloyd's loving words (not to mention having to abandon my "sell it on Ebay and retire early" plan). So now I can ask Bobby to personalize my CRIM shirt. Sah-weet.

ask and you shall receive

2005-07-14T09:49:00.000-04:00

what do we want?

more runners!

when do we want it?

now!

apoz asked for it and though it meant importing folks from rhode island (aka the other "rhode" scholars) , we had a sizeable running group today - gimps and non-gimps alike. sadly, this will be the last time that all of the aars will run together for about a month or so as various peeps are off to more exotic destinations for much needed (and deserved) r&r. have fun and we'll miss you! the crim awaits your return!

p.s. i'll be stuck here so if anyone wants to run, let me know...