Rules and Laws

OK, there are some dumb ones out there, we all know that. There are even some dumb new ones and I swear they are dumbing down American more and more with some of them…but some of them are there for a reason and a problem with kids today, parents aren’t teaching them the rules and laws and that they need to follow them!! This hit me today when I ran into a situation of this exact problem. I was driving to the gym at lunch…I drive on some really busy roads. There is one spot that has another major road (both have bike paths on them) so there is a stoplight. There were some adults with a group of kids, probably ages 5-12, all on bikes…was guessing a daycare out on an outing…there were probably 30 or so kids…(and only two adults which I believe should not have been happening!!) The light had been green for them, and they started across the road. One adult at the front, one at the back, and they had the kids walking their bike across, which is good to teach. The problem…the light changed to green for the cars going the other direction BEFORE the kids were all across. So for another 2-3 minutes, when the lights were green, the cars on both sides remained stopped as the kids crossed, but what if someone had been in a hurry, was watching the lights and just gunned it? The person at the back should’ve come up and stopped the half of the group that wasn’t going to make it across (the lights give plenty of warning with the walk sign flashing to let you know it’s no longer safe to walk) and waited with them, sending the rest over when the light changed. What are these kids going to think if they are at a light on their own sometime?? Why should they think they have to stop, cars will wait for them even if they are crossing illegally right? And only having two adults with that many kids on bikes, when the ages were that variant, was probably not a good idea either…but I’m sorry, I’m a big one on teaching kids properly…when they are young is when they are impressionable! And this is a LAW, not like it’s just an etiquette rule or something.

And more time has passed….

Last week I ran a 5K. It was a busy race here, more of a “fun run” than anything but last minute a friend wanted to do it so I said yes. Once we were there I could feel I had something in me and was ready to do a hard run, but unfortunately this one of “those” races…you know, where the walkers feel they need to be in front. Anyway, first mile, due to dodging and trying to get running room was only 9 minutes…second and third managed to do a bit better and finished overall in 25:03 for a 3.25 5K according to Garmin (and yes, the dodging I’m sure added that distance!). After we chilled, had a beer and that was about it. I had a good week and managed to finish with 40 miles total, and a very decent 7 miler the night before and now knowing that I have better runs in me for 5K…

Last night I ran with friends and we did some pick ups and last one (all half milers) I hit in about 3:23 so that was pretty nice too. I think I’m deciding to really make a goal of hitting a hard run at Nike (provided I can get ahead of all the slower runners!). Had a slight change to my Nike plans happen though. My friend that I was going to stay with, and hang with, lost her job and is now in the process of moving cross country back to DC where she was before her move…sigh…I do have a friend that lives in LA that might be up for coming up and hanging out, and I have a few other people that I know are going to be out there for the race, so I have options of people to hang with, but on the other hand I’m not overly worried about it as I’m only there about 4 days anyway, I just have to find a hotel and get it booked…not wanting to spend a ton, but wanting something decent and in a good area, close to the start! I’ve done other trips solo that ended up great, I usually don’t have a problem managing to find people to talk with …and the touring and such I can do on my own…it’s kind of a prep run for myself too cause in December I think I’m going to take a trip someplace warm for 4-5 days on my own. I just have to decide where…so really people, provided I can find a trip for the $1000-1200 I’m willing to pay for the warmth for that time frame…any suggestions on where I can go and how I can do it for that or less? I’d love to see Grand Cayman, but not sure I can do it for that price. Aruba I hear is nice. Jamaica maybe. Thought about St Lucia or the Bahamas…my biggest thing though is I’d like adults only. I don’t want to go someplace to relax and have a bunch of kids running around…thoughts and suggestions would be awesome!

Ragnar now in 3 weeks…class finishes on Monday for a month…summer is finally going to start for me, just before it ends! Maybe one of these days I can catch up. Was talking with some people last night too…I might be doing the Berlin marathon next year!

Is Summer Back?

OK, I've been MIA for a bit. And now I've kind of lost the ambition, after reading and catching up on blogs, to actually write something. Let's see. I managed 50 miles this week. Strength trained for 30 minutes 3 days, did a day or two of cycling in there. Three of my runs were with others. One on Tuesday turned into 10 miles over the 8 I figured I'd do simply because I ran some miles and then some more with friends. Wednesday was an interesting trail run and then on Saturday a run around the lakes with friends.

After a couple of cold days, we seem to have found summer again. I hope it stays. I spent today working for a bit on my paper, the standard Sunday call to mom and dad (dutiful daughter that I am), some cleaning, a run, showered and then headed to Lake Calhoun. On the way I stopped and bought a few flowers to replace some that I had managed to let die by not watering them (not used to having to water so often as normally we get some rain!). I spent a little time lounging at the lake and then went and rented a kayak, something I have been talking about doing forever, every year I say I'm going to do and it don't manage it, but today I did...and did it for an hour. On the way home I stopped at Slumberland and bought a dining room set...I've been looking for something forever and finally found something I like. Hopefully it works nice in my space. Then just for good measure I stopped at the gym and did 30 minutes of strength (oh yeah, had some yoga in the mix this morning) and then got home and had a good dinner of chicken breast and salad...it was yummy...and a productive day I think.

Blast from the Past

Kind of weird sometimes, how life can be. Particularly with the reflections in my last post. I went to watch fireworks tonight with a friend. We chose the display where a friend and her husband were working. He has a corn roasting business and the place they were at, was one of the options I had mentioned to go see. So around 8:30 we got down there and wandered a bit, had some snacks and my friend had gone over to do something and I was standing near the corn stand and I hear my named called, turn my head to look and my long ago ex was there. It was the oddest thing. I haven't seen him since 2000, at a friends wedding. We broke up in 1998. I’ve had brief updates about him from mutual friends over the years and found him on Linkedin and emailed him just out of curiosity but it was just so weird seeing him. He had his youngest with him, and I believe his daughter was there briefly as we were saying goodbye. Basically I saw what could have been my life. I said as much to the friend that I was with after we left too. See, this was the guy that I dated at the time that I really thought I would get married. We had been together 2 1/2 years. I was 24, everyone we knew was getting married...it seemed like what we should be doing, but instead we broke up. I was devastated when it happened as I had finally had all my walls broken down, and was finally in a place where I wanted to be with someone. It had taken a long time because I had always been very independent and being able to be with someone, fully be with them, it took a lot from me. When we broke up, it definitely took me a long time to get back to being happy alone and being comfortable being alone. Since the time we broke up I've really only been in one relationship, and that only lasted 6 months (and that was 2 years ago). I did get closure from it eventually though, and I think the changes I took from that relationship are actually definitely for the better for me. He was really a great guy, and I wish it had been right, but it was one of those things that in reflection I know it would never worked because we were just not quite right for each other. I guess it was one of those instances of the people that come into your life for their specific purposes and that’s that. I’m definitely not sad or upset that I am not with him. I wish him the best and he seems happy and I'm happy for him in that. It is interesting though, to see what could’ve been your life had things been different. I still don’t feel that I want kids, seeing him with his, it’s definitely good that he is with who he was…Although I had always known he would make a great father and if we had been together probably would’ve had one or two with him…but that was a different me and would’ve been a different life. And I’m happy with where I am. Had I been with him, who knows if I would’ve become a marathon runner and run Boston and I’d definitely never give up that experience. I have to say though, probably part of my problem in dating these days is that he set such high standards in me for what I want to date…it was almost all there, in him…

What's Wrong with Me?

OK, I’m seriously messed up and I can’t figure out what is wrong with me. I did my work out today. 7 miles of speedwork. I haven’t done speedwork in a really long time. 6 x 800 with 400 recovery. Mile and a half warm up and mile cool down. It felt good. For the most part. 3:47 for the first one, my plan had been 3:45 but the next 5 were 3:35, 3:31, 3:28, 3:31, 3:33 or something to the affect.

Afterward…I stretched. I was feeling good and am glad I got out when I did because the track got busier after. However, I LOVE that I was there at first where I was because I saw a guy doing speedwork and he was running inner lane like we normally would. And I saw him going slow in the inner lane…but once I joined him, he moved to outer lanes (the same way I did) when it came to doing the slow laps and inner lane, for speed, the way it should be. I LOVE when people know the track etiquette!

But also I am feeling so messed up. I finished the workout and instead of feeling that elation of being done and knowing it was a good workout…I suddenly wanted to cry. At the end of my run, while I was walking and cooling down, I started thinking about families, and kids and I wonder at the fact that I’m broken. I feel bad for my parents. 3 kids, 1 over 30, 1 almost 30 and one getting close to 27 and no grandkids. Mom has had her kicks of wanting to have a grandbaby, but says she’s over it…I feel for dad too and this part of me wonders what is it that is wrong with me that I don’t want kids. I'm supposed to want them right? I mean in a way it’s probably good because I’d really be depressed right now since I don’t have access to the stuff that helps make that baby…OK, I have access to it, just not full time regular access that I’d need if I was going to create that baby (no, I really would NOT want to be a single parent!). I can’t even get myself into the mindset of wanting to be attached. I freak out about anything that might lead to something…OK, not really, the most recent guy I was out with that could’ve gone somewhere but I freaked a bit. But then again, it was in part that it wasn’t right with that one. As it hasn’t been with a lot of them…I had this idea to start putting it out there, and seriously being interested in meeting people, but not sure how much of that I’m really trying. Damned if I do and damned if I don’t? But back to the kid thing...I feel bad for mom and dad and their lack of grandkids. And you know, I'd be really upset if my little sister does give them a first grandchild, since that should be my thing...how messed up is that when I don't even want them?