In no particular order of importance...1) My bestest best friend from childhood found me on the internet. FOUND me through geekgirl's blog, because she is a fellow vegan and aspiring runner. Vegan Run Amok and I knew each other from (I think) about the 3rd grade until she left when I was about 14...is that right? We used to publish a newspaper out of her house - because her dad was a newspaper man, and we were geeky like that. It was probably her idea, though I can't remember, and we sold it to all our friends at school. She and I were often accused of looking like sisters, or at least, that's what my fantasy remembers. I remember I wished I was her sister. We spent all our time together, we were geeky, bespectacled, good girls living in a small town. We were girl scouts (her mom was troop leader I think), we did ballet, we did piano lessons, we were in choir, band, gifted classes - and she was always so good at everything...So talented. And she was taller than me. And thinner.
It's odd to me that even then, that was somehow important. Probably something to do with what we read. Oh, I looked up to her in a big way - I was an only child. She had a younger sister - we mostly tolerated her, but as I recall she was a pretty good kid too.
She was ripped out of my life at a young age when her family moved away to Deming. Who the hell moves to Deming? What is in Deming? Oh yeah, another newspaper. Then I turned to drugs and went bad.
Anyway. IT'S SO GREAT TO HEAR FROM HER!
Vegan Run Amok is running her first 5K next weekend - on the surface of the sun. Because that's apparently how they do it in her parts: they run in the evening when it's, you know, Unfeasibly Hot. But she'll do great because she will!
I remember when we had to do the Presidential Physical Fitness thing - and I was absolutely rubbish, especially at the running. I remember the running because I remember thinking this is impossible. Perhaps she has a better memory. Seems to me she was pretty good at running... way back 100 years ago...
2) My In-laws are in town, they came over from Scotland to visit with us and steal our People. Our office is also our guest bedroom, which means that my computer lives in a room where people want to sleep, so no tappity-tap-tap late into the night. Sigh. Our only laptop has been comandeered by my beloved, who says he is "working." Whatever. Can't be as important as my blogging, but I suppose I'll have to go with it for now.
I love the in-laws, I do. I refuse to say anything further, for fear of incriminating myself.
3) We took the in-laws to Roswell to do the Bottomless Tri. They didn't do it, but we did. That was fun! Very very short race - my fellow Outlaw teammates Geekgirl and SWTriGal give very good detailed race reports, I have but my own brief personal perspective to offer:
I knew that since this race was so short I'd have to put the pedal to the metal early on and keep it down as much as I could - if I came out of the water last in the swim I'll come home last. So I decided to be a little more aggressive early on - I seeded myself right behind Geekgirl in the swim and was inspired when I watched her attack at the start. Wow! This is the person who advised me on the wisdom of counting to five before the swim/freakout and she just dove in between people. It was really very inspiring stuff. So I followed her and swam with the big fishes. I slowed down at the buoy turnaround, but I was shocked to find myself exiting the water right behind her. Not my fastest swim (11:27), but it was fun to be aggressive at the start - I think that helped.
I did like Geekgirl and sat on the pavement and removed my wetsuit on the way to the transition area. It really seemed to take no time.
The 8.5mi bike course was more X-terra than road bike. It was poorly surfaced and wavy pavement. But it was short and scenic - and had a couple of short hills. I had a hard time staying comfortable in the aeros, but stayed there as much as I could. My bike time of 31:20 includes T1, my transition times are a total crap shoot these days.
The run was very short - only 4K. I stupidly forgot to take E-caps before the race (as I planned) and felt a side stitch through most of the run - d'oh. Run time of 26:34 includes my T2, I'm not sure what my real split was, but not awesome. Nonetheless - total race time of 1:09:21 met my internal goal of 1:10 or less - Woo Hoo!
And I think I was racked right next to ShyTriGal - Hi there!!!
Beloved apparently crossed the finish (in 54 minutes) and tossed his cookies. Well done, honey.
4) I'm sure if I had time to, I'd post about getting faster. I need to talk about how to get faster. There's an internal process for this. I want to get faster, and I'm starting to reach the conclusion that to get faster I need to, um, speed up. Is it possible I'm getting in my own way with this? I think yes. How did you get faster? I told GeekGirl not long ago that it seemed like getting faster was about being willing to tolerate a little pain.
Uh, Oh yeah - I guess that applies to me too. How come I'm not looking forward to that? How do I build that up?
I suppose I've been cautious since I've been working off injury for so long - is it time to start taking off the safety tabs? How do I do that?
5) I'm sure if I had time I'd post about joining the Masters Swim Team. Glug glug...
I'm sure if I had time to, I'd also post about other stuff. But dangit, the movie that I sat them down to watch is now about to end, which means the in-laws will want their bedroom back. It's like being at a danged internet cafe.
*ding!* your time is up now, please deposit $5
I love them. I do.
16 comments:
How can we tell the in-laws are in town? Because you referred to your run as 'absolutely rubbish'. How very .. colonial of you. Very cute.
And how I love the internets for all the things it do including tossing old friends back in our path - yay!
And that whole 'move faster to be faster thing'? It's a miracle. It really is. It's a miracle that discover time and time again and then it gets away from me.
Good to hear from you again - I was starting to worry.
I did feel bad when I accidentally punched that 10-year-old in the swim, though.
You, my dear, need a laptop. That way if you need to you can hide in a closet late at night tip-tapping away. And I expect you to teach me everything and anything you learn in the magic swim class.
The spousal unit should reallykeep his groceries to himself.
Great race!
We just had a bout with the inlaws too...I guess in my cas it was just the "laws"
So are you the 10 year old? Or maybe it was her mom that was on my left, did you sqeeze in between? I'm so oblivious at races, I blame it on my shyness.
Wait - were you the one that knocked that bike over?
I hear you on the "how to get faster", does faster mean more pain?
Oh and I so need to get some of those e-caps.
Heh....
I love my in-laws too.
What a cool story about finding your long lost friend on the net!
Sounds like you had a great race! Swimming with the big fish is a feat I've yet to accomplish. I mean, ten year olds get punched up there. Ten year olds. Too scary for me.
Speed is . . . elusive. But, yeah, if you're willing to endure discomfort (I prefer that word to pain. Like when you were in labor and they asked if you were feeling some discomfort? That made it kind of sound better. Though I think I grabbed the med student that asked that by the hair and slammed her face into the wall.) That and running/swimming/biking with people who are faster than you. Trying to keep up with them and talk and stuff helps you forget some of the "discomfort."
There is nothing, absolutely no-one like your childhood friends. It is like they know you like no one else does. That is cool you found yours..
And about in-laws..nuff said.:)
I love your post. Listen to Geek Girl, she knows, get a laptop. All will be set right again.
;)
The ding cracked me up. And I don't even have in-laws!
Very cool about your childhood friend and your swim!
Wonderful reconnecting with such a friend!
Teh interweb ... constant source of amazement!
Isn't the internet lovely? You can reconnect with long-lost friends, buy shoes, and get spam. All in one place!
Congrats on the race... sounds like fun. And fast. Scary!
YAAAAY! :)
And...
Good grief! I had totally forgotten about the newspaper.
Some stuff I do remember:
- Riding our bikes on Saturday mornings to the river or to the Trading Post at Aztec Ruins...
- ...where you purchased a WHIP at the Trading Post after we watched Raiders Of The Lost Ark.
Now, who in their right mind, my adult self asks, sells a kid a REAL WHIP??
But anyway.
- We used to go bushwhacking in the big arroyo that ran between my house and the mobile home park by the junior high.
- On said excursions, you were Indiana Jane, whilst I was your trusty sidekick...
- ...The Caped Canaveral.
- Once we hiked up the arroyo and found... real quicksand!
- D&D, the Xanth series, Choose Your Own Adventure Novels...
I could go on, but really, why embarrass ourselves further?
One final note, though:
I may indeed have been taller... but you had MUCH better hair. :)
Wait, one - no two! - more priceless memories from that period.
1. I babysat your neighbor the park ranger's kid once, and said kid set the living room carpet on fire! With lighter fluid!
2. In a completely unrelated incident, your neighbor the park ranger accidentally cut off his own thumb with a jigsaw. His wife retrieved it and they reattached it at the hospital and for a few months after that, we would bike out to the Ruins just to look at the guy's reattached thumb.
We're totally normal now, though, aren't we! :)
you speak of childhood friends and memories, yet post no photos.
lame you are.
owe us you do.
evict the scots you will.
scan and shame yourself you shall.
Hey, Jane! I'm glad you and Jennie found each other again. She was shattered when we left Aztec and the only friends in the whole wide world that she would ever have. I told her that friends who will write letters are the friends who last. But that was way before blogs and blogs really are a great way to keep in touch with people. I read Jennie's, Kate's, and now yours, to see what's going on with people. And you're good writers, too, so it's genuinely fun reading. But do I need a blog? Nah, I wrote weekly newspaper columns for over 15 years so I really *have* been there and done that, just under a different name. Good to know where you are and what you're about now ~ Vona
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