Random bits

1. I'm a Texan. I haven't lived in Texas for seven years, but it runs so deeply in my veins that I just can't be anything else. I still have a Texas drivers license. When I was in Japan and people asked me where I was from, I said Texas, and then the US when I got their blank looks. Hearing cicadas in the evening takes me almost physically back to hot Texas summers and sweet iced tea and playing in the creek at my Grandparents ranch. It turns out it's true, you can take the girl out of Texas, but you can't take Texas out of the girl. My buddy has really been enjoying all the country music I've been playing lately. Not.

2. There is a turkey living at one of the intersections in Lake Bluff IL, where the shuttle drives on it's way to work from the train station. A live turkey. It has been on one street corner all summer, oblivious to the traffic, and the noise, and all the traffic accidents he has caused. We on the shuttle call him Butter Ball, but the town of Lake Bluff voted to name him Fred. Fred? What?!? Where is the imagination? Butter Ball isn't even that good, way too obvious. Tom is subtle, Flapper would be original, and that's just what I came up with in the last 30 seconds. Still, Fred is alive and well and has his own face book page.

3. I recently realized that if I look out the window on the train to and from work, there are several places where I can see the lake, and that it is beautiful. I've been riding the train for almost a year, but literally last week was the first time that I picked my head up out of my book long enough to check out the scenery. And it was beautiful.

4. I made oreo bon bons yesterday. They are sinfull. And delicious.

5. My apartment is clean. Like clean. It's what we did yesterday. Now Collette is rubbing on the carpet, recovering it with fur. Thanks Collette.

This has been random bits, brought to you by the morning rain, the letter R, the number 3, and all the things I've thought to say this week but was too busy/tired to blog about. Now I'm going to go buy a new filter for my vacuum. Wild! : )

-CMT

Half marathon

This morning I ran a half marathon, averaging 9.20 min/mile. The best part was not falling this week. It rained miles 3-8, but my iPhone was in a plastic bag, so that was ok. I feel ok so far. . .

My buddy moved in with me yesterday. We have a lot of stuff, and it is going to be interesting combining it all into a single apartment. But it is also very exciting. The apartment is a complete disaster, and the cats are going crazy with all the new things to jump on. Here are some pictures of Lucy and Celeste playing on the sofa. Lucy is the little one acting crazy under the cushion. Celeste is the larger, stately on who can't be bothered to move away, even though she knows she is about to be attacked.
Celeste and Collette are very cute together, they sleep together a lot. It's hard to get pictures of Collette because she spends most of her time hiding still, but when she chooses to hang out with the rest of us, she is a very cute addition.




I've picked all kinds of fun new recipes for this week. Stay tuned. . . : )

-CMT

Fiesta!

It's been so long since I had five minutes to sit down.

Last weekend was a 12 mile run. It went incredibly smoothly. I had a Garmin heart monitor that my mom is lending me, and it was AMAZING. It told me my heart rate, the pace I was running, how long and how far I had run. Everything I wanted to know, right there on my wrist. The only hiccup came around mile 7.5, when I tripped on an uneven part of the sidewalk and tumbled little-kid style head over heals, scratching up my palm pretty bad and breaking my plastic water bottle in the process. I had to finish the run with my palm bleeding and no water. But I still averaged a 10 min mile! I've been good about my runs this week, which is impressive mostly because I've been averaging 6 hours of sleep and an hour a night helping my buddy move. My apartment is in a state for which there are no words. . . This weekend we will be doing nothing but cleaning, and then we will have two people to keep it clean, which might, in theory, result in a clean apartment most of the time. That is if that cats cooperate.

So what do you do after a 12 mile run? You have a Fiesta! Calories obviously don't count after that kind of body punishing experience, so I made a giant plate of this:

And they were the best nachos I've ever had in my life. : )

Hopefully I'll be back to posting more now that life is a little less hectic.
-CMT

Old things

I love old things. I'd say that is a consistent thread in my life, but right now I'm applying it to this book:
It's Heloise All around the house. This edition was printed in 1965, and I'd like to share a small excerpt from the introduction. "Let's tackle the problems with gusto, but let our daily moods (rather than the day of the week) dictate what task to do at a given time. Who says you have to wash on Monday, iron on Tuesday, deep-clean on Wednesday. . . ect., ect.?"

First, take a deep breath and stop laughing. Then, think back to the time when this was the conventional wisdom passed from mother to daughter. It wasn't that long ago. My Grandma's would have learned this as the expected way to act to maintain a proper household. My mom certainly kept a clean house, but I never got the sense that it was a craft, merely something you do to keep things under control. Without an entire society to pressure me into knowing what deep cleaning is, little else that I'm supposed to do it because it was a Wednesday, my poor mom raised a daughter who often as not tries to cajole her boyfriend into unloading the dishwasher so I won't have to. I love this book, and will continue to post sections that catch my attention or make me laugh. Today's piece of advice - If an alarm clock doesn't wake you up, set it on a metal pie pan.

-CMT

Oh My

On re-reading my last post, I've decided to stop watching cooking shows. Bright note? Was I channeling Rachel Ray?

On another note, I wish I had dimples.

On another note, it's hard to not trip over cats in the morning.

On another note, I like Futurama and Family Guy, both and equally. Well, equally right now.

Tomorrow's Friday!

-CMT

I am a fan. . .

. . . of chopped fresh herbs in salad. I don't know where I picked it up , probably on one of the cooking shows that I watch continuously. I love basil and cilantro equally, depending on my mood. Tonight I was in the mood for basil. Herbs just add such a unique bright note to salads. If you haven't tried it, try it tonight, it will change your view of salad forever. This is what mine looked like. . .
Now obviously I didn't just make salad for dinner. I also had a delicious pesto pita pizza. These pitas freeze well, and are always ready for a quick pizza meal. I used leftover chicken to add some protein, but really the pesto base and mozzarella cheese were the stars. Yum!


-CMT

The Cast of Characters

This is Lucy:


She is my baby, my first cat. When she was younger, I used to do things like this to her.



She is also crazy. She gets scared when I sneeze, and when she hears silverware rattle together. She chirps constantly, is always on my lap, and is always trying to lick me. She greets me right at the door every time I come home, and is always happy to see me. She was raised by humans from the day she was born, which has pretty much convinced her that she is a human.
This is Celeste. She is giant, fluffy, and possibly the softest animal I have ever felt. She has mastered the art of relaxation, you can be sure that where ever she is laying is the softest place in the house. When you pick her up, she immediately stretches all her legs out and goes limp. I've known her for about 5 years, she was the first cat I ever spent a lot of time around. She is also crazy. Celeste sees ghosts. She will randomly stare around her making chirping noises, and then run around the house at random for no apparent reason. She also can't get up on the bed without struggling and clawing the last few inches. She is possibly the least athletic cat in the history of cats. She and Lucy do look similar, Celeste is much larger, and has green eyes to Lucy's gold.

Then there's Collette. She has beautiful markings. She is also the definition of "scardy cat". She is always tense, always wary, never quite relaxed. Even when she sleeps she has one eye open. Collette does everything on her own terms. She wants to be pet, but only when she comes over to rub her face on you. She wants to be brushed, but only as long as she is in the mood. She wants to play, but only with some toys and when she wants to. But when she plays, she is hands down the most acrobatic cat I've ever seen. She can do a full flip in the air while catching a pretend mouse. I spent the first 3 years of knowing her staying away from her and her sharp, unpredictable claws. Now that I understand her we're friends. But I'm still happy to do things on her terms.

These are the characters in my house, leaving their fur all over everything.

-CMT

Rummage sales are fun

After our 8 mile run on Saturday, Megan and I (and our significant others) went to a rummage sale at a large church in town. The sale itself was huge. It filled two large buildings, with one being full of clothes (I didn't go in that one) and the other full of books, dishes, pictures, electronics, you name it. I bought a set of 4 of these little oil lanterns for 2 dollars. I think they are really cute, and I love that they are actual oil lamps and not just votive candle holders.
It was all I could do to not buy every dish there. I couldn't resist these little plates. They were only 50 cents each! By the time my buddy showed up to drag me away I was contemplating a giant roaster pan, that I don't need, but might someday need, and it was only 2 dollars! But I just don't have the space for a giant roaster right now, so I managed to walk away. Besides, there is another rummage sale at another local church next weekend. : )

Also, we are at day 3 of integration, and Lucy and Collette will now get within a few feet of each other, as long as no one makes any sudden movements. I wanted to get a better picture, but the angle in the hall was pretty impossible, and I didn't want to startle the cats. I call this picture Mexican Standoff.

-CMT

Clash of the Cats

I had intended to get pictures of the cats during their introductions, but that went out the window on the drive to my apartment from my Buddy's place, when Celeste pooped in her crate, and Collete threw up. I'm not sure if that's the right spelling for Collete, I'll check with my buddy, who named the cats all by himself, and check. Anyway, once we got the cats in and cleaned up, the hissing spitting hackle raising was well underway, and there was no getting them all in one camera frame. They then kept us up all night with the hissing/spitting/growling/meowing/general showing of extreme displeasure noises. What's so hysterical about this is that each of the cats has such a distinct personality, and they are all acting out their personalities so clearly. Celeste just wants to eat. Within 5 minutes of getting here, she was pretty chill, avoiding Lucy, but sleeping on the bed. Lucy was stalking Collete, and Collete was trying to not be scene, while making sure that if she was scene she looked very threatening. I'll introduce the cast of characters and post pictures once I can drag them out from under the bed.

8 miles tomorrow. Woohoo!

-CMT

Marathon training

I am just about 6 weeks into training for the marathon, and so far, things are going well. There will never be a picture of me running/just back from running on this site, as I am a hot, sweaty mess after running, and Lucy can’t take pictures. These last 6 weeks have been very interesting, and I’ve learned a lot about myself.

1. I’m not good at motivating myself to run when walking is an option. It happens that it is exactly one mile from my house, down to the lake, up a block, and back to my house. I had intended to just run this loop as many times as I was meant to run for that day, stopping when I passed my house for water breaks. Yeah, that didn’t work. When I first started training and 3 miles was a long way, I would run, and then I would walk, and then I would run, and then I would walk, until I’d made two miles, then I’d stop. So now, I pick a direction and I run away from my house half the total distance I’m meant to go, and then I turn around and run home. This way, I’m so excited about getting home, I keep running so I can get there faster, and stopping before finishing my distance isn’t an option.

2. It is way better to run with friends. Especially friends who have already completed a marathon and so know what they are doing. Or at least what they are in for.

3. Starburst candy is so far the bet sugar source for me during a long run.

4. You can put almost anything between your skin and the strap of a sports bra and not feel the weight of it at all. One of my running buddies showed me the trick, and I ran 6 miles with a cliff bar stuck there and completely forgot it was there.

Since it is full on summer here, I’ve started running at 530 in the morning so I can beat the heat, and get to work by 8. Some (all) mornings it is hard to get up this early, but I know once I do, this will greet me:

And that gets me up most mornings.

Though honestly some mornings this is too cute to resist and I stay in bed to pet her more.

-CMT

Defensive Positions

This is my favorite chair. It's my favorite because it is large, overstuffed, and made of beautiful brown leather. It is also a part of the first furniture set that I bought myself as an adult.

This is my favorite (only) couch. It is also large, overstuffed, and made of beautiful brown leather. It is the place that I go everyday to unwind and relax. And eat dinner most nights, but that's for a different post. It is the perfect place to crash and watch a movie with a buddy.

But you're going to have to take my word on that. They are currently covered in blankets because my BFF and his two cats are moving in a few weeks from now. Well, he is moving in a few weeks from now, his two cats are moving in tomorrow so they will be out of the way while we are packing and moving at his place. Because I am a fan of this leather furniture, I've covered it to protect it from their claws. I don't expect the cats to claw the leather on purpose, but cats have a tendency to dig in and launch themselves off of whatever they happen to be on when they are startled. Lucy has already christened them with some scratch marks of her own when she has propelled herself off of them. So for the transition time while the cats are adjusting, the furniture will be covered.

Lucy hasn't realized yet how much her life is about to change forever.

Maybe she heard me.

-CMT

Actually running again

After a week of vacation, a week being sick, and a week being lazy, I am finally running again. I found Hal Higdon's marathon spring training schedule for novices, and I've decided to start following that in the next 6 weeks before actual marathon training starts. I've had several people tell me that they used Hal's 18 week marathon training schedule, so I will probably just continue to follow that. I ran three miles yesterday, and my legs were tired last night, but they aren't sore today, so the plan is to run three miles again this afternoon. I still haven't had a good run outside, but maybe this weekend I'll be able to find some motivation. At least it is starting to get warm. . .

Week one

Well, week one of "training" is over. It was complicated by a stomach flu in the middle of the week, but I was still able to run three times. Monday, I ran 2 ten-minute miles, and could still talk during them, so a good sign. I was also very red and sweaty and sore the next day, a bad sign. I learned that Miley Cyrus Party in the USA is a great running song, and that Elton John's I'm still standing, really isn't. I also learned that the ipod + Nike sensor is not a pedometer, and doesn't work indoors. So I guess I won't be recording my running with the Nike site until it is warm enough to be outside. Wednesday I ran a ten minute mile followed by a 9.30 mile mile, and felt a lot better, even then I had on Monday. I wasn't as sore the next day. All songs on the second day's mix came through fine. Friday I went running, but I didn't have my head phones, so I had to listen to the gym music, which sucked. So my run sucked, and really shouldn't count. Still, this is how habits form. I'm confident my body will respond better next week.

Bought Shoes

Today I went to Runner's Edge to buy a pair of shoes. They were incredibly helpful. First, they watched me walk, flexed my knees, checked my arches, and measured my feet. The verdict was that I slightly underpronate, which means I need a cushioning shoe, and my left foot is slightly larger than my right. The guy then walked out with Asics that fit perfectly, so I bought them. I also bought the holder for the ipod + Nike sensor, and got my shoes all ready to go.

The plan this week is to test music for running. A 10 min mile is approximately 160 beats per minute, so I've looked at some websites to find out what songs I know and like are close to the right bpm for the pace I want to run. I've made several running lists, so this week I'll listen to them as I run and try to find the best ones for my pace. The plan this week is to run 4 days and lift weights twice. Hopefully I'll be able to stick to it.

Joined the gym

Today I joined the gym at work, and I intend to start running on Monday. My calves have been tight all afternoon in anticipation. Psychosomatic? I ordered the Nike + iPod sensor, but I still need to go buy shoes. The current blizzard has so far dampened my desire to go out and get them.

I've been reading online about common injuries for long distance runners. There are of course the obvious- blisters, pulled muscles, chafing, soreness, and dehydration- that I was surprised found their way onto sites for runners. I mean, come on, obviously your muscles have every right in the world to be sore after a punishing 20 mile run. There were also two injuries that appear serious, preventable, and common that I found listed on several websites- IT band injury, and runners knee. I've asked a physical therapist friend of mine to give me some stretches and exercises to hopefully prevent these two common problems from becoming one of my problems. I'll keep this posted as to the nature of said therapies.

Otherwise, I am still excited to be getting started. I need to buy some good running music.

Getting started

I've decided (very recently), that I am going to train for the 2010 Chicago marathon. I've also decided to chronicle this odyssey in a blog. I've never kept a blog before, but I think it will be a good way to stay accountable to my training schedule, and to keep track of everything I learn along the way. Besides, every other member of my generation has a blog, and I wouldn't want to be left behind.

So, this is the beginning of the beginning. As a point of disclosure, I haven't run consistently in about a year, and I haven't run at all in the last 3 months, due to the very cold Chicago winter. My first steps over the next week will be to buy shoes, buy the nike shoe chip that will keep track of my miles for me, and join the gym at work so I can start running even in these sub-zero temperatures. I guess that counts as a little retail therapy before the big plunge. . .