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July 07, 2005
Idiots
I went to yoga/pilates combo class again last night. The evening class is much more crowded than the morning class was. They only offer these yoga classes so often since it isn't a yoga studio. My assumption is that this is the "normal" people class. The morning class was the retired/stay-at-home moms/teacher kind of class. Anyhow, the evening class was shorter, but I found it had some more beneficial stretches in it.
I was going to do water aerobics with my mom, but the yoga class overlapped with it. We both thought that the stretching of yoga would do me more good than getting in the pool and bouncing around. Her class looks like a bunch of women playing in the pool. They don't look like they're playing as much as the class going on at the same time in the deep end, but they still look like they are playing. My class was over about half an hour before her class was over, so I went and sat at the pool for the remainder of her class. It is so hot in the pool that her class is in. The gym has two pools; one is the cooler, competetive pool and the other is the hot, therapy pool. Her class is in the latter. I think this is payback for all the years that I swam and she had to sit in the "sweatbox" during my practice and meets. The winter team I swam on called the spectator area the sweatbox because it was close to 100 degrees up there. She sat in there countless times to watch me swim, so now I must suffer to watch her exercise.
So while I waited outside the locker room for her to change after class I watched these two guys talk. The one was talking about how he had run some half marathon. The other was asking him how far it was and said something to the extent of "I know a marathon is 26 miles and some more". The first guy started to talk that his dad knew the exact distance since he lives along the route in Boston. Second guy says maybe you'll run it some day. First guy talks about how you need to qualify and the "wall" that he wouldn't be able to handle. Second guy starts to talk about training for a race and says "don't you have to run three times the race distance every day in training? To train for a marathon you need to run 75 miles a day". Huh?? At this point, I walk over accross them so they can see that I am wearing a Boston Marathon tee shirt so they can ask me for accurate information-no luck. They continue talking. Guy number one says, maybe 75 mile weeks. Second guys says that he knows that in order to train for, say, a five mile race, one needs to run three times that distance every day. He really won't let this three times the distance thing go. I'm standing there thinking, does guy #2 know how long it would take to run 75 miles a day? Doesn't he realize that people who run marathons do work? I think that maybe for the next marathon I run (in a few years) I'll try his training theory. Over 500 miles a week, no problem. By running so much, 26.2 miles will feel like nothing!
I got my rejection letter for a job that I sent an application to today. The application was due on Friday. I knew that I didn't really want this job, it's two hours away and I didn't really want to move to that part of the state. I think that I was more upset that they didn't even consider me for the job than that I didn't get it at all. I spent a considerable amount of time this afternoon searching the web for jobs. The problem is that I am way overqualified (they only want a high school diploma) or way underqualified (advanced degree plus like ten or fifteen years of experience)-nothing in the middle.
I had to get out, so I went out and walked for about 45 minutes. I ws going stir crazy. The folks at the track were putting bets on when I would go into withdraw. It hasn't started yet. Most think that it'll be over the weekend. They're probably right. I've tried to plan what I am going to do every day. Tomorrow is yoga, Saturday is a swim, and Sunday is yoga again.
I must say something about the bombings in London. It is such a terrible shame that people feel that violence is going to get them what they want. There are much more effective ways to express your feelings than to hurt people who are not even part of what you are protesting about. The people in the tube had nothing to do with the G8 conference, so why should they have to be hurt or killed because you have a problem with what those leaders want? It is such a tragedy.
I don't know if this is because I am trying to be better about what I eat or not, but I've been wondering if I'm the only person this happens to. I find that when I'm not running I'm hungrier than when I am running. I have tried to eat less junk recently since there are a few pounds that I think I'd like to shed. The other week I said that I liked my arms, but I think that I have changed my mind. Now I think that they look too big. Whenever I comment that I'd like to lose a little weight my mom (and others) say that I look fine now, before I was way too skinny. I really don't know where I am now since I haven't weighed myself in over two years, I just know that some of my clothes don't fit anymore. I also think that the added weight may be part of why I have been trouble running faster in shorter races (or the fact that for the past two years I have focused on 10 miles or 1/2 marathons!).
OK, enough rambling, I have to look for a job!
Posted by Blondie at July 7, 2005 05:16 PM
Comments
Hi Blondie! Wow - a lot to respond to. First, I echo your sentiments rgarding the bombing in London. Second, I think your mom sounds sooooo cool! Third, I am crossing my fingers and sending good karma your way in your job search and finally, I have a hunch that you are super super skinny right now and that shedding a few pounds might not be the best plan. That said, I think it is difficult for any competitive runner to escape the "I need to be lighter to run faster" mentality. I struggle with it everyday - even as I down starburst jellybeans and sour patch kids while I read blogs! I think I am much more content overall with my extra 10 pounds. I certainly enjoy good wine and candy and I am not in the mood to give up the foods that I enjoy - even if they are "unhealthy" :)
Posted by: bridget at July 7, 2005 11:58 PM
I second Bridget's comment! In all respects ;) With all the running you do, your healthy weight will be what it is with you eating normal. If you've been having trouble shedding "extra" pounds it's probably like Alison said recently: because they are not extra. You'll end up doing more harm than good by trying to be skinnier. I completely understand your frustration though, when I was at my disturbing skinniest I had to get all my clothes taken in because nothing fit (you would think that would've clued me in!) so now none of that fits (thank God!)... I'm down to my running clothes and some skirts that I can play around with until I buy new clothes! (good excuse!) And although I get frustrated, I am much happier!
Posted by: Nanda at July 8, 2005 05:40 PM