about getting from point A to point B in the most interesting ways possible

If you're a large woman in America, your whole life is an opportunity to feel self-conscious, embarrassed, resentful and way too big. You can hide in the corner or on the couch, you can go to therapy, or you can put on your lycra bike shorts and get out there and move.
—Jayne Williams, Slow Fat Triathlete

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April 25, 2005

close to the ground permalink

Well, no one in my department got it today. Morale is ruined. Everyone is sharpening up their resumes. Except me. I know I should be, but I'm actually working on work.

I did go to mat pilates, and it was a good distraction. Hard, really hard, given that just about every part of me, including my abs, are achey and cranky today. Afterwards, I took a really cold shower, hoping it would make my body feel better. It did wake me up, certainly. And for some reason, I weigh 225. I'm guessing I just lost some weight in the event yesterday, and I just need to regain it. Though I'd rather not.

Gosh, yesterday was such a neat experience. I did a little bit of internet trolling for other 30K events next weekend, and so far have come up with nothing. It's so much easier to just do it in an organized fashion, rather than going out on your own. Maybe I'll just go to Champoeg this weekend?

Anyways. There is something that is so great about being so close to the ground. The other night, my sweetie and I rode our scooters past an Indian restaurant and swooned from the smell of curry. We had both just eaten, but suddenly that aroma made me hungry all over again. We'd have never gotten that if we'd been in a car.

Likewise yesterday. There was so much that I wouldn't have even noticed on a bicycle.

I love looking at everything. There's the decrepit dock, twisted and falling apart, its electric light poles now horizontal above the water—how did it get this way? Who let this fall apart? There are the caterpillars and baby slugs crossing the asphalt in Smith & Bybee Lakes park—I can't remember the last time I saw a caterpillar. Remember, they used to be everywhere, and now they are so long gone. And the baby slugs looked like little shavings of barkdust.

Lupines in bloom. Even where they were mowed down, now coming up in miniature. All sorts of little wildflowers, all with names that I don't know, carpeting the ground with the promise of spring.

There were the bluebirds, swallows really, eating bugs in the park. And tons of birds of all kinds, everywhere. I don't recall seeing crows or grackles or robins in the park—there were just all of these unusual birds.

Even once we were out of the parks and in St. Johns, there were all these interesting houses, and cars, and dogs in windows silently barking, and cats on porches rapt with attention. Interesting gardening, or no gardening at all. Lettuce as an accent plant. Good old love-in-a-mist (nigella), and artichokes, front yards devoted to farming or bulb growing. Teenaged runners being very confused about the volkswalkers. Kids playing basketball, a hispanic group next to a group of asians. A lot of middle-aged women wearing coats over flip-flops or bedroom slippers, smoking a cigarette in their driveway. Dog optional.

The orange slices at the checkpoints tasted so good. As did the grapes. And I still can't get over how excited the volunteers were that this was my first event, the first of many, they'd assure me. I got so excited when I'd see the fruit. Damn.

I tried to hydrate well and do plenty of endurolytes, but I still finished with a crunchy coating of grey salt all over me. And I did remember how to pee, once I had taken my ice bath and drank a couple glasses of water, and ate an egg sandwich, suddenly the whole system worked really well. And then I was really tired. I napped on the couch with the dog and two of the cats, with three quilts, having a hard time getting warm.

Then I woke up, my darling made me a homemade burger (the best, the absolute best), and I had a beer and another five glasses of water.

...

If you want to see someone who is doing this right, check out Lynne's Je Cours. She did the McNaughton Ultra, one of the toughest ones around, a few weeks ago (4/16-17). Her race report is just magnificent, her attitude just great. What an inspiration! I'd give the direct report URL, but it's in several installments.

Posted at April 25, 2005

Comments

It *is* so much easier to do an organized event than to just do it on your own. I'm so with you on that.

I love your description of the sights, sounds and smells of your event, especially the caterpillers and baby slugs.

Posted by: Lynne at April 25, 2005 4:50 PM

cool post!

Posted by: brent at April 25, 2005 9:45 PM

What a lovely description. I find exercise sometimes helps me feel more aware, to notice things in a more vivid manner. It's like a drug, that way!

Oh dear. Caterpillars. Say it isn't so! Now that you mention it, I can't remember the last time I saw one. Where'd they go?!?!

Crossing my fingers for you about work. Yikes.

Posted by: Megan at April 26, 2005 6:01 AM

Nice post. Something about the line "Teenaged runners being very confused about the volkswalkers" struck me as funny. :)

And for some reason getting the salt on my face seems kinda cool. I think you get it just because you are sweating, and if your electrolytes are still good, then the salt is coming out.

Posted by: Jon in Michigan at April 26, 2005 6:39 AM