A Day in the Life

January 17, 2013 / jane in training / 3 Comments

It’s my birthday today, and I am super thankful. Instead of writing a novel, I’ll let the photos do most of the talking:

Started out my morning at a local coffee shop to have my power breakfast and do a little job hunting.

Next stop, the beach. I took a moment to admire all the jewelry out there.

More jewels.

I went home, suited up, and went for a run along the beach. See the egret? Cool, huh? BTW, all this running seems to be shrinking my badonkadonk,
but at the same time, it’s making my thighs meatier. What’s up with that? No, I didn’t take a photo of either. That’s sick! Yes, I’m talking to you…you know who you are!!

Next stop, this place called Costco. My mom and I dined on the amuse bouche that they had to offer. It was quite delightful.
Then I contemplated buying these poor, dented containers of Que Bueno. I felt sorry for them.

From amuse bouche to dinner! I know, not the greatest photo, but believe me now and believe me later – it was #*!#%!* delicious.
I had (cover your eyes, veg heads) duck leg and duck ravioli. Sooo good!

Hey, a present from my friends in L.A.!! It was so sweet of them to send me something!

This is only about 1/8 of what was in that box. My friends are special. Oh, so special.
And I miss them very much.

The Slacker Gets Schooled

December 28, 2012 / jane in training / 2 Comments

The scene of Slacker’s disappearance

I had been possessed by the Slacker for weeks, only exercising three times during that period. After my move from Los Angeles, I felt it continue to circle around me, tempting me to take it easy…it’s the holidays, after all!

I was channel surfing one morning and stopped on “Sweet Home Alabama”. As Slacker was momentarily distracted, I quickly changed into my running clothes. Unfortunately, it recognized my motivations pretty quickly and immediately started to try and turn me:

Do you realize it’s 20 below out there?

Running doesn’t make your face look very good.

Watch the movie with me! Reese Witherspoon plays a fashion designer and both Patrick Dempsey and Josh Lucas are in love with her…this can be your life if you just –

I started to stretch when I realized how evil its arguments were, except for PD and JL falling in love with me. It could happen in a parallel universe.

I blared music through my earphones to drown out any further comments and started walking over to my old high school. I headed towards the newly built football field and as I started jogging, I saw him.

Dad, meet Slacker. Slacker, Dad.

My dad had already left the house an hour before I did, and there he was, walking backwards along the outer edge of the track. I don’t think it’s the safest thing an 89 year-old should be doing, but he says it’s good for his muscles. He walks frontwards and backwards for about two miles, five times a week.

Slacker slinked away pretty quickly when it was faced with a person with no slack at all. I was appropriately humbled and waved at my dad as I ran by him. I thought about all the things my dad has been through in his 89 years: growing up in a poor farming family, unable to start college when individuals of Japanese ancestry were incarcerated in camps during WWII, weathering the death of a daughter, starting and running his own business for thirty years, surviving a stroke…

There is simply no excuse for me not to try. I have no good reason not to be the best (and healthiest) person I can be for myself and others.

I thought about all of this, put my head down, and ran harder.

I’ve run three times this week. Thanks, Dad. And Slacker? With all the farewells I’ve been a part of this month, I have to make sure this one lasts a long, long time.

The Slump

December 11, 2012 / jane in training / 8 Comments

It’s been four days since I last exercised.

I feel like I’m in some sort of confessional, heavy with guilt, afraid I’m going to give in to that slacker side of me that hates to exercise…

Slacker was really happy to see me: I was wondering when you were coming back. Look, I saved you a seat right next to me…have some milk tea! Refillable for life. I texted our friend Carbs…he’s on his way. He missed you, too. Soon, we’ll all be one big happy family again.

Help me.

Crossing Over: The Runner’s High

December 3, 2012July 7, 2013 / jane in training / 4 Comments

A real 5K through a fake town

I was kind of kidding in my last post about having a runner’s high. But something happened. I think it happened to me.

What are the signs? Slight euphoria? Feeling like you can run another race even though you’ve just completed one? Wanting to sign up for a 10K next time?

Adrenalin must have kicked in when the race started, because I never felt the lead in my legs like I usually do during the first five minutes of every run. I ran slow and steady until I couldn’t anymore…and that’s when I took the photo above. In my female age group, I finished 4th out of 17 runners. What the? I don’t know how many greyhounds were in my group, but this miniature Dachshund did pretty well. At first, I really thought there might have only been four women running in my age group. Seventeen women doesn’t seem like a lot compared to other races, but I’ll take what I can get.

I used to be one of those people who didn’t understand running. Runners, I would scoff. What the hell do you think you’re doing? Hello, you’re not heading anywhere…not like me…see? I’m getting in my car and I will end up at the bakery. Now that is a real destination!

I was talking to my hair stylist the other day and I told him that I was going to run a 5K on the lot at Universal Studios and that it was going to be fun. He gave me a Girl, you be crazy look, just like I must have given other people in the past. Somehow, I crossed over into thinking running was fun.

After the race, my friends and I immediately launched ourselves into the pancake breakfast and enjoyed that feeling of sharing a fun experience together. What could be better than that?

This Booty Was Made For Walkin’

December 1, 2012July 7, 2013 / jane in training / 2 Comments

I don’t have a runner’s body. Not that I have to in order to run. But it was never more evident than when I went to go pick up my bib and race packet for tomorrow’s 5K. The other participants who were picking up their race bibs seemed to be built like greyhounds. Sleek and lean and all arms and legs. It looked like the fat had been carved off of them. I wanted to offer them some of mine. I’m generous that way.

Olympic swimmer and medalist Nathan Adrian said in an article that his body was not made for running. It made me think – what is my body made for? Are somersaults a sport? Because I’m good at the stop, drop and roll thing. I’m built low to the ground and I can scrunch up like a roly poly/pill bug and just roll around and around with the best of them.

Maybe gymnastics. But I’m way too old now, not to mention earthbound. I don’t like my body leaving the ground unless I’m on a flight to Europe.

Am I prepared for the 5K tomorrow? Not exactly. I still can’t run longer than two miles without stopping – and that’s on a flat course. Yesterday, one of my friends sent me an article about how running might be harmful to your heart. Thanks! Just what I needed to motivate myself! I’m sure she means well, but I’m not going to respond. I want to stay positive, not think about my heart giving out on me.

However, if I don’t write about the 5K in the next few days…it means that I’m still on a runner’s high and can’t sit down long enough to post to my blog. See? Thinking positively! Watch out greyhounds – this roly poly will be right on your tails!