Thursday, January 24, 2008

Red Pony

The little girl on the red pony
Smiles for the camera,
Gap-toothed grin and
Wal-Mart cowboy boots.

An improvised white Stetson
Knocked away by the fall wind
Skitters across the dirt
Leaves clinging to the felt.

The red pony, tired and old,
Grimly plods in circles
The girl's dirty hat
Tilted like a carnival ride.

So what do you think about?

A question I get pretty often from non-runners is, "What do you think about when you're running?"

Fortunately, my dear pals keep me entertained for hours on end each week, and for that I am eternally grateful. But clearly there have to be thoughts bouncing around while I'm running, especially when I'm out by myself. I contemplate the typical things -- whatever might be going on in my daily life that I could use some time to think about -- but have become accustomed to an odd litany of thoughts and phrases that crop up regularly. Most of them are to encourage me to keep my butt moving. A few choice examples:


  • "I love hills, la-la-la."

  • "Chup, chup." (Another hill phrase.)

  • "Almost done, almost done."

  • "What am I going to eat when this is over?"

  • "Drop it like it's hot." (For when I'm running fast.)



Now you know.

I'm baaaaaack

After a little bit of prodding and a little bit of thought, I think I'm ready to join the blogosphere again. It's been pretty touch-and-go for a while, but I think I can maintain a pretty regular posting schedule now that my life is semi-normal.

So, first, an update on life. Much of this can be gleaned from facebook, so I apologize if it is redundant. I graduated (at last) in December with my BA in Communications, so I'm free of that. I'm working full-time at a local independent running store, which I absolutely love. First job I've had where going to work sounds like a fun thing to do. I used to show up even on my days off, but now I work six days a week so that would be kind of silly.

And working at the store feeds my running habit. I ran my first two half-marathons and my first full marathon last year, with my first full at Memphis in December (3:32.59). That qualified me to run the Boston Marathon, so I will be making a somewhat triumphant return to the city this spring. (Let me know if you'll be around!)

I'm also sponsored by the company that makes the awesome shoes that I love, Mizuno. I am somewhat-secretly hoping to qualify for the Olympic Marathon trials in 2012, which means I need to get my marathon time down to 2:45. Yup, that's a 45 minute reduction over the course of 26 miles. I think I can do it. Actually, my boss thinks I can do it, and I'm willing to try.

I'm running about 50 miles/week right now and increasing that weekly over the next two months, topping out closer to 70 before Boston.

What else, what else ... Nope, that's all I've got for this very moment. In need of a coffee.