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July 29, 2006
someday we'll be dignified and old
running week is done:
Su: 15.27mi (8:25)
M: 6.25mi (8:53)
T: PM 6.91mi incl 4x400m hill repeats (supposed to be 10), bailed in the heat
W: AM 13mi (9:06), PM 4mi easy (untimed) with running-club pals
R: 12mi incl 5 miles tempo: 6:58,33,36,38,36
F:10.38mi (9:49), dig that blistering pace
Sa: AM 9.75mi (9:20), PM 3.25mi (8:51)
total: 80.8 miles
I wasn't pleased with Tuesday night's bridge repeats, but the heat was too much even for this Floridian, and there was no choice but to bail. I was much happier with Thursday's tempo. For one thing, I didn't bail. For another, unless the GPS is seriously fucked, my tempo pace is getting faster. The rest of the week was just slow sloggy running.
the worst two weeks of my life are also done. Last night was the dreaded showake for my friend. There were hundreds of people there, many I hadn't seen in years and will probably never see again. They played a photo-slideshow which I didn't watch, but whose soundtrack caught me totally off guard and had me bawling uncontrollably in public, which I absolutely hate to do. Otherwise, it was surprisingly non-awful. Someone said to my husband that we should do this once a year or so, for someone who's still alive.
This afternoon was the formal service, which was actually worse than I thought the wake would be. It was very small, with just family and a few close friends. The service lasted all of 2 minutes, and then one of the friends got up to say a few words, about 20 minutes' worth. Meanwhile another friend began to succumb to grief and the 96F heat, but the eulogy went on. The service ended with the Lord's Prayer and the priest saying "You are dismissed," but it didn't feel finished, at least not like it did last night. Anyway, I was grateful to be asked to such a small service, painful and sad as it was.
Of course I don't mean that all the hurt and pain and guilt and crap is over, but the stuff that had to be done is done now. I have the rest of my life to sort this out, or not. And now I know where his grave is, so I can bring flowers and whatnot sometime.
Posted by joe positive at July 29, 2006 6:03 PM
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Comments
"Someone said to my husband that we should do this once a year or so, for someone who's still alive."
YES. We all should. Everywhere.
Posted by: corrado giambalvo at July 30, 2006 6:28 PM
to Corrado...but we don't... and that is kind of the point. We all say we should, and do a big nod, but no one does. I guess the best we can hope for is to tell those people that we care about how much we care on a frequent basis. In Tim Russert's new book, "Wisdom of our Fathers", he says that one idea is to make a list of all of the great things about someone on their birthday. ie. For your Dad's 65th birthday, make a list, could be a group list, of 65 things that are really great about him and present it/read it to him. That would be doable...and pretty cool. I am going to start incorporating a practice like that myself for family members.
Posted by: Jennifer at August 1, 2006 2:22 PM
to Corrado...but we don't... and that is kind of the point. We all say we should, and do a big nod, but no one does. I guess the best we can hope for is to tell those people that we care about how much we care on a frequent basis. In Tim Russert's new book, "Wisdom of our Fathers", he says that one idea is to make a list of all of the great things about someone on their birthday. ie. For your Dad's 65th birthday, make a list, could be a group list, of 65 things that are really great about him and present it/read it to him. That would be doable...and pretty cool. I am going to start incorporating a practice like that myself for family members.
Posted by: Jennifer at August 1, 2006 2:22 PM