The prescription.

Let's say you went to your high school reunion and had one (or a half dozen) too many drinks. You'd probably wake up the next morning feeling like you spent the night with your head in a vise; you might have legs that feel like lead.

No worries. I have the perfect prescription for you. A short slow run.

Some will say that a long slow run is the way to go and I will disagree. Others will tell you to spend the day lounging on the couch, only moving to order up some won ton soup and fried dumplings from the Palace of Wong. Again, I will disagree.

A nice and easy 4 miler is what you need after a long night spent over-indulging in memories and cocktails. Don't try to go for speed -- your head may still be pounding and will not appreciate your desire to prove to the world that you can bang out fast miles with a hangover. And don't try to go long -- your feet may still be a little sore from those heels you decided you had to wear for your night out. Certainly, you shouldn't just go for the couch, no matter how tempting that may seem.

Just go for a comfortable pace. Sweat it out. Let the relaxing few miles re-energize you. It will work, I promise. A short slow run is sometimes just what the doctor ordered.

Oh, and while you're at it . . . if you want some hard push ups to work your arms into jelly, check out level 3 of Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred. My arms could barely handle the walking push ups. They are really tough.

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend!

Strides.

Yesterday, I finished reading "Strides: Running Through History with an Unlikely Athlete" by Benjamin Cheever. The part memoir, part running history has been out for over a year, so I'm late to the party but I wanted to share some thoughts because I enjoyed this book. It was an easy-breezy read, full of some interesting facts along with Cheever's personal running story.

This guy loves to run and "Strides" is certainly a paean to running. That's probably why I enjoyed it. That and Cheever's peppy writing style. And it is peppy. I didn't expect peppy from a 60 (or so) year old guy. But, that's what he is. And it worked for me: I plan to pick up some of his other (fiction) books and check him out.

Anyway, there was one passage in the book that stood out. Cheever writes about the transformational power of running -- how it can help you lose weight, kick bad habits, etc., etc. And he says that what runners know is that running can change you in deeper ways, in essence, making your life better.

What I want is to be a better person, and running seems to be one clear way to move toward this goal. Moral advances are hard to measure. Without measurement, they're hard to believe in. But you can get faster. Or maybe just try. I hate it when people say, "All we want is for you to do your best." I never do my best. Maybe the last 100 yards of a 10-K, but I have no kick, and so my best is nothing to write home about. But sometimes I do try. I try hard enough so that I'm gasping for air. And having tried that hard, then other qualities may fall into place.

I get that. I understand that from my own running and it is something that is often a little hard to communicate to others: That by getting out there and trying, really pushing yourself in your running, you're improving the rest of your life. I don't know if it makes sense to people who don't run -- maybe it does, I can't say -- but it makes sense to me.

If you haven't read the book, I recommend heading to your local library and checking it out.

Just for fun.

Me, 1962:


Nice, right? I like how my chin goes in all different directions. It adds to my glamour. Not that I need more glamour, what with all the curls upon my head.

Check it out: www.yearbookyourself.com

Dreaming.

I may have misrepresented myself on Thursday. I don't always do math in my head when I run. I often think great thoughts about the meaning of life, compose the plots of can't-put-them-down novels, recite Eliot or, more frequently, free my mind to daydream.

And that's a treat. Because, really, when else can I daydream without worry of being called out? Sure, I could daydream at the grocery store, but then I'd end up with a cart full of several boxes of Cap'n Crunch and a couple pounds of bacon. And a toddler eating the Cap'n Crunch straight from the box. It just wouldn't work.

I guess I could daydream in the shower but I'm usually rushing because my toddler is either napping or sitting next to the shower in the exersaucer and it is only a matter of time before he decides he wants out NOW.

So that leaves my runs. They are the perfect opportunity to daydream. With no responsibilities to anyone but me, my thoughts can go where they please. Even if that sometimes means they wander over to the times tables.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend, everyone!