Geeeeezzz...I suck.

Yes, I do. Obviously neglectful of the things that matter, like KEEPING TRACK OF MY LIFE!

Heard a story on the Today show the other day about our increasing narcissism (yeah, I had to look it up) as a world-society. And here I write on a blog....but I don't really think anyone reads it all that much, so it's more a record of myself to myself. But I totally buy in - why do we all think we're so important that EVERYONE needs to hear something about exactly what we're doing every time we're doing it? I'm on Facebook, I check it quite often, but that's far more to blame on my ADD tendencies and being easily bored than any notions of narcissism and thinking that people WANT/NEED to keep track of me. Anyway....I just thought that interesting, and wanted to make a note of it.

That does not, however, explain or excuse the lack of dedication that I've had in tracking and logging. For that, I think I should blame the iPhone. Yes, i have one, I'm totally geeked out and connected and accessoried and "app"d. I'm "one of them". Currently reading a book that was dropped on my desk "The Blind Writer" about faith and Christianity and the subculture thereof and how it relates and some other interesting topics. (Side note: highly recommend the first part of the book, currently halfway through the second portion and am in jeopardy of losing my "like" for the book..) Writer makes a reference to a girl with her "Venti Starbucks and her iPhone". Pissed me off. I may or may not have been drinking a Venti Starbucks latte at that very moment with my iPhone in the car door next to me. I've not quite discerned the point he was trying to make at that particular juncture (other than ripping on the chick for her track suit - which ruined the panache and impression that he had of her for some reason or another that relates back to her faith and the image that she was exuding). I'm sure I can discover the point, as I keep reading, but I'm struggling to disconnect the author from his particular church anyway - then he throws out a shitty reference trashing someone ELSE for SBUX and iPhone? Pot, I'd like you to meet my friend Kettle. Anyway....I love my iPhone and I love my Starbucks. And those of you that think it makes me "one of thoooooooose people" can go to hell. I'm about as real as it gets.

Stay tuned for more opinions on this book as it evolves in my brain. I thought he had the right idea. I'm not sure right now if I still agree with myself. He is entertaining though.

BACK TO MY ORIGINAL POINT - the iPhone has made life easier for me, but between it and the travel I haven't had nearly as much quality computer time as I did. And I've been lazy and schlepping on the workouts. No workouts means no need to LOG the workouts. No need to log the workouts means a lack of dedication to BLOG about the life surrounding the workouts.

See where I'm going here?

Anyway. Had a fantabulous run last night. Was dreading it, after 6 hours in a car (36 hours in the past week) my legs aren't really that happy with me and I'm frigging tired. But, I needed to run (this little thing called a MARATHON in TWO, 2, 1+1, weekend after this, TWO weeks is going to SUUUUUUUUCK) about as bad as I need to sleep at the end of the day. So....ignoring the hellacious headwind and paying attention to the happy sun in the sky, the great temperature and the spring things starting to be springy things around...off I went on what the plan wanted to be a 5 mile run with 3 miles of tempo in there @ 9min/mi pace. First 1.5 directly into the wind....what a great idea this was.....got to the Monon and turned north - figured the easy way would be to "tempo" the time I was on the Monon...it's about 3 miles or so, right?? Sure...go for it. SO I run up, putting a consolidated effort into increased turnover, driving with my legs and arms, good posture and decent breathing. The good news: the chest pain from the first mile (WEIRD) had stopped and the legs were responding. Hit the end of the path and turned back, still feeling ok but like I'd been running pretty hard. Walked for about a minute to try to bring my heart rate out of the stratosphere. Then picked it back up. Saw the guy turn around about 1/4 in front of me and figured he was as good a goal as any....(side note: I rarely get to pass people when running. The thought of getting to 'chick' a guy on a run is IRRESISTABLE.) I continued the drive, paying some attention to my breathing and my form and repeating "Thou shalt not die" and "quit stomping" in my head. It took a bit longer to get him than I thought (he had tattoos....'chicking' a guy with ink - even more gratifying) but I finally went ripping by him doing my best impression of a runner completely in control of the situation. About 1/2 mi later when I got to the stoplight (i.e. where the tempo death-run portion of today's broadcast stopped) I looked back and the dude was EASILY 1/4mi back.....so THAT'S what happened....jackass back there had to have nearly doubled his pace to stay that far ahead of me for that long....then must have nearly fallen off the earth when I passed him to be that far back. (Note to self: even more gratifying. Not only did I chick him...I TOTALLY chicked him AND wasted him.)

But enough about the ridiculously competitive portion of my brain that took over for about 1.5 miles there.....I slapped on the Clay Terrace lap and flopped on home. After the tempo I slowed way down and just cruised the rest of it - trying to keep my feet lined up and the form ok. Wound up going further AND faster than necessary, but felt pretty good at the end of it, all-in-all. I'd totally do it again if I got to run past someone....

7.3 miles total
~1:14:05 (I stopped my watch at one point for a light and forgot to restart it, so I'm using what I know I usually run that area in)
3 miles tempo (almost exactly)
~26 minutes. (works out to be about an 8:40 pace)
Totally pleased with that effort. The marathon is still going to suck.