superstitions...

Last night I was laughing at myself (as I frequently do) about all of my various and sundry pre-race superstitions:

1) odd bib numbers are best
2) breakfast has to be set out the night before-- packet of instant oatmeal, black bowl, spoon inside the bowl with the handle to the left, banana to the left of the bowl, everything on the counter opposite the sink
3) timing chip on the left shoe
4) a can of diet pepsi with breakfast... but always leave a little bit in the can
5) always carry some sort of talisman during the race; they vary because their luck can run out

This morning's Race to Wrigley was a first for me. We took the El because parking is insane up there. Weather was overcast and cool, but very humid. Something's wrong with my Garmin so I ran with my iPhone using the RunKeeper app to time myself. The irony that a free app does the exact same thing as my $300 (broken) Garmin does not escape me.

As much as I run, you'd think I'd have pacing mastered by now, but I was all over the place-- from almost 11 minute miles to 7-something. This is bad. Something to work on.

I felt pretty good throughout the race, although the last half mile was a challenge because I was starting to feel overheated. I wore a pullover rainproof jacket that did not breath at all-- once again I sacrificed myself for the gods of fashion-- the jacket has a Cubs logo and looks really cute.

The last tenth of a mile or so was in the concourse of the park, which was very exciting. Then we exited by the famous marquee and finished just outside. I came in at 29:42, which is 9:35 minutes per mile. My second best 5K ever, so I was very pleased. About 4,000 people ran the race; out of 88 in my age/gender group, I finished 29th.

I wonder if it was the talisman or the odd bib number?!?

all that glitters is gold/only shooting stars break the mold

Right at this moment, Teresa is probably deplaning at Logan in order to run the Boston Marathon for the second time on Patriots Day. So it is only fitting that I finished the second painting in my running series within the same timeframe. I enjoy those kinds of parallels.

I listened to a lot of bhangra music while painting this one. I think it helped contribute to the spirit of jubilance and wonder I was working towards. Plus, bhangra's a lot of fun to sing and dance to (even though I have no idea what most of the words mean!)

There were a few surprises with this work. First of all, I expected to have an easier time with it than I did with Burning Bright. I know Teresa very well and have an excellent "visual memory" of her facial features. I figured that would aid me in getting the likeness. It didn't. Her face is very angular and elfin and I struggled. Ultimately, though, it suceeded in its Teresaness.

Secondly, although I did not reference Burning Bright while working on this one (it's called All That Glitters Is Gold/Only Shooting Stars Break The Mold), they formed a dialogue with one another-- a study of the yin and yang of running, if you will. While Burning Bright had a cool negative space and a hot figure-- blues causing frisson with oranges-- Glitters ended up with a hot negative space and a cool figure-- yellows interacting with purples. It's very exciting to me when my id drives color choices that only become apparent to me after the fact. I will definitely take a photograph of the two paintings together before I give them to their owners.

Teresa does not know I'm doing this. It will come with me to school on Tuesday for critique (after which I will make any adjustments I deem fitting as suggested by my peers). Then it will get wrapped up, maybe with a corny bow tied around it, and given to Teresa when she returns triumphant from the marathon. I cannot wait to see her reaction.

playing favorites

I am an avid reader. I have always been. Some of my fondest childhood memories involve trips to the library. It was a historical building in Franklin, Mass. that had a gigantic children's book room complete with elaborate murals. In high school, I had a very influential English teacher named Miss Parrish; she was probably responsible for me becoming an English major in college. And I was editor-in-chief of our creative writing magazine, Syzygy. At St. Francis College, again I had the cream of the crop in terms of instructors and mentors-- Dr. Weixel, Dr. Labrie, Fr. Bede. Nowadays, I belong to two book clubs. I'm interested in EVERYTHING. I love beautiful language. I was thinking about the genres I read the most of. Listed below are five of my favorites (in no particular order) in those genres:

Horror
1) Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindquist. It's a Swedish girl-next-door vampire story. Very scary.
2) The Stand by Stephen King. Classic end-of-the-world epic. No one can touch King.
3) Afterage by Yvonne Navarro. A new twist on a vampire tale, set in Chicago. They're actually holed up in the Merchandise Mart. Inventive and gripping.
4) The Terror by Dan Simmons. He's another author who merits high praise. This one's set in the Arctic Circle.
5) Chicago Haunts: Ghostly Lore of the Windy City by Ursula Bielski. I love history. I love Chicago. I love being scared of ghost stories. This fulfills all the requirements.

Comedy
1) Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella. This poor girl can justify spending money on anything... my soul mate!
2) Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster. A riches-to-rags story by a Chicago writer.
3) My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler. Short stories about one night stands. She's foul but hilarious.
4) Why We Suck by Denis Leary. I LOVE Denis Leary. He's from Worcester, MA, he loves the Boston Bruins, he has great hair and he plays a sexy fireman on tv. What's not to adore?!?!
5) When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris. He's laugh out loud funny and pure genius.

Nonfiction
1) The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman. This work explores culture and medicine through the eyes of Hmong immigrants.
2) Endurance by Alfred Lansing. I'm friends with Suellen, so therefore I've read this book. ALL friends of Suellen read this book; it's not really an option. It's a very inspiring story of survival featuring Ernest Shackleton in the Antarctic. Magnificent.
3) Born to Run by Christopher McDougall. Everyone who runs or thinks about running should read this book. It's about barefoot running and the "superrunners" of the Tarahumara tribe in remote Mexico.
4) Into Thin Air by John Kraukauer. Mt. Everest expedition. Amazingly good.
5) Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson. A bunch of divers find a German U boat off the East Coast. This is one of the best books I've ever read. Period.

Miscellaneous Fiction
1) My Name is Asher Lev by Chaim Potok. It's about the conflict between art and religion from the viewpoint of a Jewish painter.
2) The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossein. Friendship in Afghanistan. The subject matter sometimes makes it hard to read, but I couldn't put it down.
3) Hairstyles of the Damned by Joe Meno. Angst and discovery in the 1990's. Truly evocative of that era.
4) Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson. A murder mystery set in the Northwest. Beautifully written.
5) A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving. A Dickensian dark comedy. Irving is such a smart writer.

okay, so I'm not a fish...

Part of my new devotion to exercise involves taking cross-training seriously. It is essential for runners to build up fitness in all areas and the best way to do this is through alternative cardio workouts, as well as weight training.

One of the best low impact workouts is swimming. Full disclosure: although yours truly spent my formative years in Massachusetts, going to Cape Cod every weekend and spending countless hours on my dad's or grandfather's boat, I'm a very sucky swimmer.

Part of the reason for this is that I hate to get my face wet. Nevertheless, I'm into widening my exercise horizons, so I headed to the pool at LA Fitness today. Unfortunately, there were lots of people there to witness my lack of grace. My best stroke is something I like to call SFDP (super fast doggie paddle). True, I look like a puppy on speed when I go into SFDP mode, but it gets the job done-- and keeps my face dry. I can also float on my back fairly well and I do a unique version of the side stroke... still, I was somewhat self-conscious in front of all those people. The process was further complicated by trying to avoid getting kicked in the head by the porpoise in the lane next to me.

Out of the corner of my eye while I was bobbing along, I saw a guy in the hot tub actually leaning out of the tub and watching me make my awkward way across the pool. Glad I could provide some comic relief. Of course, perhaps he was just mesmerized by my brightly colored swimsuit? If you can't excel, I always say, at least dress the part.