Not so consolation prize

Tomorrow, I take the GRE. After three weeks of studying*, I still feel horribly unprepared. To make matters worse, I'll be driving from Boston to Worcester in my brother's front wheel drive pickup truck during what is predicted to be a quite hefty snowstorm. Party.
And after the horrible test, I have dinner plans with an estranged former non-boyfriend, which I am much looking forward to, but I have a feeling I will totally awkward him out if I ask to crash at his place so I don't die on the icy roads. Double party.

Yesterday I looked up admissions statistics for the program I'm applying for. In fact, I looked up admissions statistics for all the programs at my school (my place of employment is an awesome college in Boston). It started off okay. 78%, 83%, 80%, 68%. Then I got to the program I want. 38% acceptance rate. 38 flipping percent. There is no way I am getting in. Not with my withdrawing from Creative Writing and failing out of Community Chorus. No. Way.

Anyway, the purpose of all this is to announce my "backup plan". I refuse to admit defeat. If I don't make it into this program, if I don't end up pursuing this particular dream, my spirit will not be crushed by the tyranny of academia, nor the fact that I look terrible on paper.

So I am stating this now, before I bomb the GRE and lose any hope of being a graduate student, before I chicken out and pretend I never made myself this promise. I say this in front of the whole internet, on this blog that nobody reads, that if I don't make it into graduate school, I will run a marathon in 2009.



*Holding the book on my lap and staring despondently at pages worth of math that I'll never figure out

TiaRT : My running year in 52 words or less.

Today's theme for "Take it and Run Thursday" is "A year in review in 52 words or less." After handing in my final paper earlier this week, this is much more my style of word limit.


Newfound love of running long distances and lifting heavy things, not at the same time.

Goal of "one 5k" turns into "four 5ks, three 5-milers, one 7-miler, one 4k trail race, and one half-marathon." And a partridge in a pear tree.

Former unambitious slacker now applying to graduate school.

It's all connected.

pushups are hard. so are fractions.

It's kind of weird, but I've started to really enjoy going to the gym. I used to hate the gym, I mean really really loathe it. This is another strange turn of events this year, like running 13 miles, and going back to school, that I really never ever saw coming from me.
Anyway, I think it all comes down to finally getting away from the "chick" sensibility of the gym, and getting the heck away from the hamster wheels of death (elliptical - major ew, treadmill - also ew but necessary evil in the winter) and wimpy nautilus machines and instead playing with all of the fun gym toys. I've kind of started to look forward to my lunch break workouts like I used to look forward to recess when I was in the 3rd grade.
There's a big aerobic studio, which is only used at certain times of the day. I plan my lunch break around the empty times, and haul in a couple kettlebells, and kick my own butt for 20-30 minutes straight. Just 5 minutes of kettlebell swings, pushups, and light-weight overhead squats (my new favorite thing) and I am sweatier than I am after a 9 mile run. It's awesome. And gross. But only gross because I feel like I'm supposed to think it's gross. Mostly it's just awesome.

This afternoon, one of my faculty caught me in my office ravenously eating peanut butter out of the jar with a plastic knife. He was mightily amused.
I need to stock up on some more self-contained protein-rich snacks.

Anyway, back to studying for the GRE.
There is no way I am going to learn all of this before Friday. FRIDAY.
When did THAT happen?
Ugh.

Seasonal affected disorder

Okay, I really thought that I was pretty entrenched in "the loop" of any crazy running-related shenanigans around these parts. Apparently I was mistaken.
How come NOBODY TOLD ME ABOUT THIS? Not a PEEP? I would have been ALL OVER THIS in my yellow (sorry, I only have one) bathing suit and Santa hat. Jeez.

Clearly, I need to keep my ear to the streetz from now on, lest I miss any more top-notch shenanigans.

You know what I'm not going to miss though?
This.

I officially dub 2009 the year of "Crazy in a good way".

I went that way

Sitting on my couch yesterday afternoon, feeling grumpy and drinking my fourth cup of coffee of the day, I turned my head to the right just in time to see a girl running down K Street. So I thought to myself, "that could be, nay, should be, me!" And despite the cold and the first snow of the season (whee!) I suited up and went out and I don't think I've ever been so glad to have gone for a run. Four and some miles in the driving snow, and not another runner in sight until I got halfway across the Pleasure Bay causeway. He and I gave each other a look of solidarity and went on our respective ways. And I thought that I may not be built for speed, or for distance, but maybe I can be built for sheer stubborn, illogical determination.
The wind was directly and powerfully to my right as I crossed the bay, and I got snowflake after snowflake directly in my eyeballs. Which isn't really that bad.
As I made my trudging final steps in front of the K Street gym, I decided then and there that if there is a marathon on my 30th birthday, anywhere in the world, I am going there and I am running it.

Race report : Feaster Five

46:52 net time / 9:26 per mile

There was a huge crown on Thanksgiving morning, a perfectly sunny & cool day for a run. It took me a couple minutes to even shuffle to the start, but eventually I got some elbow room and even ended up passing a few people (not just walkers and babies, either!). I think I managed to run each mile faster than the previous and was amazed to come in under 50 minutes on the clock. After getting my adjusted chip time, I was pretty pleased, considering it was such a hilly course. I realized I've come to the point where I enjoy running, and it's not like it isn't a challenge, but I really could push myself harder.
Anyway, I got my pie at the end, which really tickled me pink. I don't even know if I'll end up eating it.

Probably my last race of the year, unless I decide to do the Jolly Jaunt this weekend.

Well well well...

This afternoon I ran 2.9 miles on the dreadmill at an average pace of 8:55/mile.
Well hells yes. I guess there's a little bit o'badass in me after all.
I don't know if it's a bad old joke (the kind Dads learn at Dad Camp) or an episode of Looney Tunes, but there's some saying about hitting yourself in the head with a hammer because it feels so good when you stop. Same feeling? Fast treadmill running.

Anyhoo, I'm scarfing down ramen for lunch like it's my job. Why? Because it's all I can afford. Seriously. I've been assuming the economy wasn't affecting me, but then my brother brought it to my attention that the price of Tostitos cheese dip has gone up 80 cents in the past month or so. I'm sure that's some sort of sacrelige.
Also, the protein portion of my lunch today was a bag of honey roasted peanuts. Thank heavens for 7-11!