Monthly book post: April

April book list
Remember Me by Sophie Kinsella. Lexi wakes up after an accident and can't remember the last three years of her life, in which she suddenly became successful, married, and somewhat of a bitch. I always look forward to Kinsella's latest--pure beach read goodness.

Curse of the Spellmans by Lisa Lutz. What life would be like if your family was in the spy business and you used your spy skills (surveillance, breaking & entering, GPS tracking) to solve your problems (i.e. your suspicious boyfriend and troublesome younger sister). As fun and clever as the prequel.

Grotesque by Natsuo Kirino. Two Japanese prep school grads wind up as dead prostitutes... as told by their classmate and sister. An interesting exploration of character.

The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller.
Beginner's Greek by James Collin.
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

Also read
The Chamomile Lawn by Mary Wesley
Hanna's daughters by Marianne Fredriksson

Half Marathon #5

I wouldn't normally run on a day (at least, a day in late April) that required the removal of ice chunks from one's eyelashes, brows, and forehead every ten minutes...but we'd already signed up.




And when you and Husband decided (on Tuesday, when the sun was shining) that you should push it, and see if you could break your half marathon records, well, you'd already committed to that, too.

It's not like we wanted to linger out there.

So pushing it as hard as we could, accepting glasses of water half full with snow at water stops, with eyes half shut and cheeks stinging, we ran, and amazingly, finished in time to earn Husband a PR and to be within 20 seconds of my PR.



















The hot coffee at the finish line never tasted so good.

Marathon training

I thought I'd share my marathon training schedule because I think it's a lot more do-able and less intimidating than people think.
























In general this is a guideline--my actual log does not look just like this. I often do 8 on Tuesday and then skip Saturday, do 6 runs one week and 4 the next, etc.

Things that are really important:
1. Doing hill and/or speed work
2. Doing the long runs and climbing mileage gradually
Things that aren't as important:
1. Running five times a week. You could easily swap in some cross-training.
2. It's OK to have an off week once in awhile. Most people get sick, take a vacation, etc., and it's not a big deal.

There are a million theories on running, of which this is just one. But there you go.
I also think going from 9 miles to 10 miles is as hard as going from 14 to 15 and then from 19 to 20. You always push yourself so you're tired when you're done; going longer isn't that much different.

But I won't lie: the last 6.2 miles break all the rules.

Tacohead's Running Gear Review 2

When I pulled out our worn bag of frozen edamame, Husband reminded me that I should do an update on the running gear review I did last year.

Most of these items are still vital parts of my running routine. Nearly one year and four marathons later, I still am quite passionate about Endurox, the Garmin Forerunner, gu gel, and BioFreeze. Less vital but still nice are the Stick and New Skin Liquid Bandage.

Here are a few other products I failed to mention:

Running Gear additions, 2008:

















Water belt (gray and black, GoLite brand) -- I don't think these are nearly as annoying to wear as you'd think, although in the heat of summer they certainly aren't my favorite. But it's such a luxury to have space to store your sunglasses and gel, and to know that you have water with you. I wouldn't run 12+ miles without one, even if I passed water pumps on the way.

BodyGlide -- all-purpose lube, especially good for feet, underarm area (when wearing short sleeves), along sportbras, inner thighs, etc. Husband and I are not the fanatics that most of our running friends are about this stuff, but chafing really sucks and takes forever to go away. On race day I put this stuff everywhere.

I put a hat in here because that and sunglasses are such essential items for me, even though they are not fancy. I also put my new shoes (Nikes of all things, can you believe it? But the toe box is so nice and roomy!) as a point about getting good shoes that fit your particular stride and foot shape and a reminder to replace them every 500 or so miles. It's worth it to go to a true running store that knows what they're doing, even if you don't buy them there. I did a little parade of gu to celebrate my affection for it, also to point out that you can usually get a discount if you buy by the case. And the edamame is to show how much it's worn in its year of use. I love you edamame... although I spend most of my time lately sitting on you, tending to my I-must-be-getting-older-if-rec-sports-are-leaving-me-with-injuries, not-going-away groin strain, courtesy of broomball 2008.

Bahamas

I loved our St. John vacations because there was so much there that Husband and I liked to do: hiking, snorkeling, exploring, boating.

I was initially a bit disappointed to find that Paradise Island, Bahamas had little of that, but I realized that although it's fun to have lots of things you like to do, it's also fun to have very little you're interested in doing.

Because why leave, when you have this:























and when you're tired of that, this:


















We did get out a bit. Our resort was affiliated with the Mini-Disneyland-esqe Atlantis Resort next door. We rode the water slides, shopped, gambled (OK, Husband hit the "max credit" button on the quarter slots once while my brother was playing to say that he's done it), and explored the aquariums.


















You know my penchant for doing things I've never done before. On this trip, it was:
1. Being covered in seaweed paste then wrapped up in foil like a baked potato.
2. Drinking champagne daily. Now that is a hobby I could get into.
3. Celebrity sighting. Who knew we'd share the resort with an Academy Award- and Golden Globe-winning actor, or sit next to the pool with a CNN reporter/talk show host?

Confession

I didn't really have a connecting flight.

But I was in the very last row of the plane and the jetway had malfunctioned and we'd been sitting at our gate for 15 minutes and I felt bad for Husband continually circling, searching for me to pick me up...

So I tucked my luggage tag under the handle of my wheelie bag, bowed my head, and let you let me by to exit the plane, not meeting your eye as you wished me good luck in making my next flight.

I'm sorry. I owe you one.

What sex is like

according to the hotel neighbors I've had recently:

1. Bang the headboard against the wall a lot
2. Shout "yes!"
3. Abruptly end and become completely silent.

San Diego

Water, bridge, boat, train
carrying army tank, army tank, army tank
like a kid's play set gone wrong

wherest the coal car? the caboose?
Oh San Diego
You have many tasty restaurants

And a generally agreeable clime
But why a Hilo Hattie store?
Hawaii you are not.

Brain

ON VACATION:
........yes...................... a mojito sounds.............. nice...
...............or.........maybe..................gin...ger................. mar...gar..ita?....................................................hmm.....


VACATION + 30 hours:
....what to make for book club? I could do a fruit tart, but I know C is on a diet....but I can't forget haircut Saturday morn. Should I bring a picture so she cuts it like she did when....got to fix that slipcover....and the tree! must trim it before it blooms... I forget! every! year!.......is that cat puke?......oohh... need to call T... such a bad friend....maybe edamame and something and the fruit tart...edamame's healthy.....and that dr. appointment...and did I tell people that I was going to be in late?....or the fruit and puff pastry thing.... that'd be easier....

Monthly book post: March

So late! Sorry. Post-vacation post coming up soon!

March list:
The Opposite of Love by Julia Buxbaum. Good chick lit.

A Part of the Furniture by Mary Wesley. Like a good classic English novel with a bit more sex thrown in, not in a The Other Boleyn Girl way, but in a "my, people had fun then, too!" kind of way.

Also read:
Midori by Moonlight by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

A Year by the Sea by Joan Anderson. I have a thing for women's mid-life/marriage crisis stories, although it's kind of a sad little genre. Maybe I want to read all about it so I don't find myself in my 50s realizing I've been doing the wrong thing for 30 years.