July 14, 2008
A Whole Lotta Nothin'
I fear that this entry may put you to sleep before you reach the conclusion of this initial sentence, but my friend, Annie inspired me to write something. We caught each other on Google Chat this afternoon (what a neat tool!) and she motivated me to write with the remark, "you've only posted once in July!?" That was enough to swipe the match and light a little writing fire . . . my goddesses know that writing always courses through my fingers like soothing waves of magic; writing is how I self medicate.
And because I have so little to comment on regarding my own training, I think I will embarrass Annie (sorry Annie!). She is probably the most humble local runner that I know, but she is also the fastest woman in Chicago right now (and maybe even the Midwest - she can totally mix it up with the Hansons!). She clicks off 1:18 half marathons, 35 minute 10Ks, and 56 minute 15Ks like a pro (which makes sense since she is practically a professional runner!). But what makes Annie so amazing is that she is the mother of 2 gorgeous Lilliputs (as she so aptly puts it), Cooper and Will. AND she is a poet and an artist. AND she is totally smart, modest, calm, cool, collected . . . I believe I used those precise words to describe her the first time that we met in March . . . at the Shamrock Shuffle . . . where she destroyed the field. Very. Cool. Indeed. AND she hasn't even come close to reaching her running potential yet!
As I get older - and I know I am not that old - I treasure my friendships more, and I find myself constantly wondering about the inner hum and manufacturing of one's soul. I guess you could say that I have also found myself in a recent state of nostalgia. I know that literary critics and several other schools of thought eschew nostalgia and it's potential evil twin: sentimentalism, but I am - at heart - both nostalgic and sentimental. I am empathetic; I am dream about the good ol days of childhood. I treasure the wisdom of my elders.
Although I do not allow these traits to paralyze me in the past, I do think it's healthy to revisit the past, dig through what we buried there long ago, and even bring out some stuff for a little microscopic inspection.
Why am I writing this? I visited my mom on Saturday and I found 6 boxes of stuff still in my closet (it's been almost 10 years since I lived at home!). One box was full of letters from a time in my life when I was struggling . . . to read those letters and the words of encouragement couched inside of them . . . left me extremely grateful for the gift that life can be. Some of the stuff I found comical, like several emails that I exchanged with my Harvard educated, triple degreed cousin, regarding modernism and postmodernism. I was only 18 at the time, but I made quite a case for modernism's persistence in our current cultural climate; I suppose I didn't realize how philosophical I was at that stage in my youth. I also found 4 books on Nietzsche and several papers on "logotheraphy."
Now, out of the sandbox of my past, I am left to ponder one of my favorite quotes (Bill Bowerman speaks these wise words in the movie Without Limits):
If you can find meaning in the kind of running you need to do to stay on this team then chances are you can find meaning in another absurd past-time- life.I think my favorite phrase in that quote is the one that refers to life an "absurd past-time."
I'll delve into my cross-training boot camp soon!
Posted by bridget at 5:36 PM | Comments (5)
July 3, 2008
The Gift of Time and Distance
So I never updated my blog "tomorrow" as I said that I would. It turned out that I needed some time and distance away from the race. I needed to let it breathe and simmer - to climb out of my mind and hibernate in my heart and soul for a while. Salty hit the nail on the head with her post race analysis. Almost two weeks after that 2:57 and my body is BROKEN. I have visited the physical therapist a few times and she has reminded me of that fact. I cannot even pronounce all of the muscular ailments firing in my body like a round of ammunition in dire need of some ritalin (illegal dosages, mind you). Needless to say, it's going to take a while for my body to calm down, heal, and rebound. While I originally set my sights on Chicago this fall (with a vengeance), I have now edited my fall plans. My new mantra is one day at a time.
Aside from running (or lack thereof), there have been some significant changes on the home-front. I resigned from my lectureship at my university last Thursday. I won't divulge the details here (plus, they are not exciting), but I finally realized that I was slaving away in a job with little room for advancement or life fulfillment. While I love teaching, I do not love faculty and administrative BS. I do not strive to continue on for my doctorate at this time, and without it, I am nothing but virtually free labor. I have several ideas cooking for what might be to come . . . I will keep everyone posted as I navigate the unemployment geography! However, I do not think that I will be unemployed for very long - I have a good feeling that I will be working around the clock soon enough :) I am really excited about diving into the unknown, taking a few risks, suffering some rejection, enjoying some acceptance, and, of course, RUNNING (and, for that matter, sleeping more than 3-4 hours/night)! Life is very good right now.
And aside from running and job hunting, I have been glued to Eliterunning.com! I am a sucker for Track and Field - I have been since the day I turned my first circle in 1986. I absolutely love the USA Olympic Trials, and I cannot wait to see how it all unfolds today, tomorrow and Sunday.
I plan to keep updating this space even though I might not have the most inspiring training to dish about.
Posted by bridget at 9:41 AM | Comments (3)