Oct
25
This weekend started out in a pile of suck, what with Riley getting sick again—seriously, third time in three weeks, I have no goddamned idea what’s going on but I am about ready to encase both kids in Purell-filled bubbles and camp outside the pediatrician office with a loaded Mini-14 target rifle until someone hands over one of those precious fucking STILL-not-available flu vaccinations, and YES! IRONY! IT’S WHAT’S FOR DINNER!—but I’m happy to say things greatly improved on Saturday when I ditched my family altogether in order to run a 5K with Ashley.
Not pictured: our lungs, because they shot out our respective eyesockets about halfway through the course while gasping our way up an Everest-sized hill. I knew about the hill ahead of time, but here’s the thing: knowing is, in fact, NOT half the battle. Half the battle is running up a motherfucking hill. The other half is not puking while doing so.
Later, it was time for Thrill the World. I was feeling pretty good about my ripped, bloodied Goodwill dress and sunken zombie eyesockets until Ashley showed up in this genius ensemble:
Not only was the killed-while-running outfit brilliant (and obviated the need for a costume-deflating sweater), she also had the most disgusting latex flesh wound I’ve ever seen outside of a Troma film. I mean, that thing erupting off her face was so realistically, hideously repulsive, I was a little ashamed of my attempt at a neck wound scab, which I ended up covering with gauze because I couldn’t seem to bridge the gap from “pile of fake red slime” to “bloody festering bite of the undead”.
The event itself was so much fun. Just getting down there and shambling around with a bunch of other dressed-up people was awesome, and it was a hoot to be the subject of about a million camera-wielding tourists’ snapshots.
Some people had some really clever costume ideas:
And some people seemed a little . . . unclear on the concept:
I don’t have pictures of the actual dance, but you will simply have to imagine me performing the moves with perfect accuracy, never once missing a cue or stumbling into the person beside me. In fact, just watch the original Michael Jackson video. I was about that good, maybe a little better.
*cough*
Anyway, I had a fantastic time and I highly, highly recommend to each and every one of you that you experience a group Thriller dance at least once in your lifetime. In fact, BlogHer 2010 ThrillBlog performance? WHO’S WITH ME.
Oct
22
Yesterday before I left for work I took a quick peek at my email and saw the following message from Eliza:
I think you should come to New Orleans on Feb. 28, 2010, and run the Rock & Roll Mardi Gras half-marathon. The race is flat, there are bands along the way, the weather should be decent, it’s in New Orleans, there’s plenty of time to train, and it’s my 35th birthday! Just an idea, if you’re feeling crazy!
I smiled, thinking that of course I couldn’t do that, but it was sure nice of her to think of me. Then I gathered my things, got in my car, and started my drive to the office with Visqueen’s Message to Garcia blaring in my ears.
About the time I was crossing the I-90 bridge, I pulled out my earbuds, because I wasn’t listening to the music any more. My brain was back in front of that email, worrying at it like a dog with a bone. In order to distract myself from the pointless exercise of dedicating a single molecule of effort towards considering such a crazy endeavor, I started thinking of my response.
Hey, thanks for the suggestion, but I can’t because . . .
Well, because I can’t. Duh.
At that point, I did something I’m not really used to doing: I started picking apart the reasons I couldn’t, in order to look for solutions.
I can’t run 13 miles. Okay, valid. Right now, I cannot run 13 miles in a row. I can run a 5K, but never once have I finished a 5K thinking, woo, if only there were another 12 miles to run! It’s more like, OH DEAR SWEET JESUS THANK GOD THAT’S OVER WHERE’S THE FUCKING BAGELS.
But I have until February 28, 2010, to train. That’s four months. I know from experience there’s a lot a person can accomplish in four months.
I don’t have time to train. Dude, when the hell am I going to find time to run all week long? I work outside the house, I have two demanding kids, it’s dark in the morning and it’s dark at night, I don’t have a treadmill. There’s no way I can run often enough to work up the endurance for a half-marathon. No way.
But wait. Let’s think about this. Most half-marathon training schedules involve four days of running. Three of those days are relatively short runs, with one day that includes progressively longer runs. I could do the long run day on a weekend when JB is home to watch the kids. The other three days, well, maybe I could run early in the morning before the kids are up. Or right after JB takes them to school, before I get ready for work. Or squeeze in a run during lunchtime at the office. Or try and finish my work day early and run before dinner.
We’re talking about 25-45 minutes of running, I think, for each of those three days a week. Can I find that time? Scratch that, can I make that time? I think I can.
I can’t run in the winter. It’s going to be dark. It’s going to be cold. It’s going to be raining.
This is true. But I can suck it up, can’t I? Get some winter gear and deal with the fact that warm August evenings only happen in, you know, August?
Yeah. I can do that.
I can’t afford to travel. We don’t have a lot of extra money right now. Plus, Christmas is coming up and that always sets us back. There’s no way I can swing plane tickets and hotel costs for this.
But I have always, always wanted to see New Orleans. JB and I have been talking about taking a trip together for months. His folks would be willing to stay with the boys. A flight costs about $250, and hotels aren’t nearly as expensive as I would have guessed.
In the grand scheme of things, will it mean more to me to save that money? Will I look back on this and regret having spent the cash to accomplish such a huge goal, while traveling to a part of the country I’ve always wanted to visit? Will I be sorry I looked at this opportunity and found my way to yes, instead of sticking with no?
I don’t think so.
I’m saying yes. I’m going to run a half-marathon in New Orleans on February 28, 2010. Oh my god.
Eliza, AB, Erin, and Dawn are going to run it too. Psuedostoops, Sarah Lena, and Regan are thinking about it.
Want to join us?
If not, is there something else you want to commit to that’s bound to kick your ever-loving ass, that sounds completely fucking impossible until you dig your way through to the YES that’s buried in it? Because I can tell you right now, it feels really good. Terrifying, daunting, and like adding another fifty plates to the ones already spinning . . . but really, sincerely goddamned good.
I’m going to do this thing. Training starts next week.
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