Saturday mishmash.

Is anyone else having problems with the blogs they're following? I access mine through my Google Reader and this morning about a dozen posts showed up as new, but they were all from earlier in the week (mostly Thursday and Friday). Very odd. Maybe it's me? I don't know -- the new layout seemed to make sense but maybe I missed something. Or maybe there was just a technical glitch and I should just accept it and move on.

Probably a good idea: Move on. So. I'm going to try to catch up on my reading today. I should be able to because I finished a big project yesterday (phew!) and I have little on the agenda today other than a run, laundry and then dinner at my parents' house to celebrate my dad's birthday tonight.

Oh! I was motivated last night and I ran quarter mile repeats at 5k pace and then I did a few at 30 seconds faster than 5k pace. My legs feel a little tired today, but not bad at all.

And one last thing. Ever since I linked to Supertramp on Thursday, that song was stuck in my head. I swear -- it was starting to drive me mad and I had no one to blame but myself. I woke up with it in my head again this morning! And then I turned on the radio, listened for a while, and this song took over:



My hope is that posting it will set it free. After all, what song wants to be stuck in my head, of all heads?

Enjoy the weekend!

A thought to take you into the weekend.

I picked up the November issue of Runners World from the library the other day (I'm always way behind, it's really just the story of my life.) and Ho! Ho! Ho! what a jam-packed issue. There's the whole green section, some tasty sounding recipes, the Newbie Chronicles (which I'm really enjoying) and one simple sentence about running that practically jumped off the page. I've been thinking about it ever since I read it. Well, since I read it and re-read it and re-read it again.

"If movement is a sign of life and stillness is death, running is an example of life most fully lived. It's beautiful." -- British artist, Martin Creed*.

Right on, Marty!

I think that's true. I think running really is "an example of life most full lived." After all, when you run you are doing something -- you aren't watching life pass by, you are being active. You are living. Your entire body is engaged when you run, including your mind.

I could go on but you've heard me praising running enough lately. What do you think?

Have a great weekend, everyone. I hope you have plenty of opportunity to fully live.

Oh! And to those of you who are running this weekend, I wish you ideal conditions, fresh legs and a strong will.

*Creed's exhibit at the Tate museum in London features sprinters running in a gallery for eight hours a day. Pretty cool, huh?

Dreamer, you're nothing but a dreamer.

Yes, now I will have that song in my head all day, too. You're welcome.

Dreamer. I am one. And thanks to the theme at Runners' Lounge Take it and Run Thursday today, I will unveil some of my running dreams. You already know I like to daydream while I run and I have to admit that many of those dreams involve running. Running while daydreaming about running . . . almost as geeky as doing long division.

My running dreams are not lofty: I don't think I'll be competing in London in 2012 or heading to Kona any time soon. But they are my dreams. I sometimes picture myself with all the free time in the world, training for a big marathon that I will finish in a time that gets me in to Boston. With minutes to spare. And then running Boston and finishing in an even better time. (That would be huge for me. I ran my first and only marathon in 4:12.) Or I'll imagine myself completing a triathlon. (Again, huge for me. I neither swim nor bike.) Some days, when I'm feeling particularly dreamy, I'll see a fitter (and, as it would happen, older) me running across the finish line of 5ks, 10ks, marathons setting PR after PR.

OK, I guess those dreams are pretty lofty. But I have a few others that are a bit more realistic, too.

So here they are, my running dreams:

• Running, injury-free, well into my healthy 80s (or, if I am lucky, 90s).
• Inspiring my son to enjoy running as much as I do.
• Emerging as an awesome masters runner (when the time comes).
• Running a marathon in under 4 hours.
• Coaching a running group for women who've been released from incarceration and are living in transition.
  
• Running a 5K in under 23 minutes.
  
• Continuing to fall in love with running, year after year.

Those are my dreams. Some may soon become goals. And then, I hope, reality.

Happy dreaming, everyone!

The recap.

Yes, it is true. I attended my high school reunion over the weekend. I hinted at it in my last post and some of you have asked how it was. Well. Let me rewind and I'll get to that.

First, Thanksgiving. We headed to Long Island at 5pm on Wednesday. Worried about the potential traffic -- there is always traffic in the New York metropolitan area -- Owen checked all routes and determined that we would be best served by taking the Taconic Parkway, since I-87 was already backed up. Lo! He is a smart guy. We didn't have any traffic at all the entire trip. Lucky us!

On Thursday, I ventured out for a 4.5 mile run around the neighborhood in shorts. Sure, it was windy and my legs turned all red and blotchy but I am tough. Ha! So, the run was good and dinner that evening was yummy. I followed up on Friday with a 4 mile run, again in shorts, again ending up with red, blotchy legs.

We had a big family party to go to Friday evening (and I mean big -- Owen has 9 siblings and a few dozen first cousins), where we caught up with some extended family members. Lots of eating and chatting. Conal, however, spent the evening playing in the gym and generally having a great time. If you are interested in pictures, you can check them out here.

We left Long Island late Friday night and sailed home, making it back in less than 3 hours. Lucky us, again!

And that brings me to Saturday. The reunion. It was a significant one and for the longest time, I wasn't sure if I was going to go. I didn't go to the last one because, well, I was so over that whole high school thing. And I felt that way this time, too. Until I didn't. Until I decided I might like to see some of those people who were with me through the teen years. Plus, I had reconnected with a few people on Facebook. I know! Facebook! Sheesh.

So, I went. I had fun. Really! No kidding. I hung around with my former classmates and friends and we looked at old pictures -- Big hair! Big sweaters! Big socks! -- and recounted embarrassing stories. We laughed a lot. And I stayed out late, as in after midnight. You read that right, Internet. I didn't get home until 12:30. Crazy stuff for this happy runner!

All of that meant that, yes, I was in rough shape on Sunday and did little more than nap and go for my run. But it was worth it.

That was the weekend. I had a short run yesterday and I'm not sure what today will bring: I have a meeting with a potential new client so I'm a little nervous and preoccupied with that. Hmm . . . sounds like a run would do me well right about now. We'll see!

Enjoy the day!