Sunday, February 22, 2009
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
New Camera and other musings
Anything to avoid working on that literature review, right?
The generosity of family meant I had birthday money to use on a new camera. I've been wanting one for a while, but only lusting over this specific camera for a few weeks, ever since Doug found it in Outside Magazine. It arrived at our apartment this past Saturday - the Olympus Stylus 1050SW - shockproof, waterproof, and freezeproof. Adventure ready...Of course, it's been 60 freaking degrees outside so I haven't gotten to take it on any of the winter adventures I had hoped for. Hopefully winter will rejoin us soon. In the meantime, here's a test picture from MSU's big win over Ohio State this past Sunday.
In other news, we've got two houses in mind for next school year. We tour one on Saturday. It has a fenced in yard which would be oh-so-wonderful for the pupper, and a second bedroom which would be oh-so-wonderful for me - a home office!
In running-related news, I can't decide what to do with my spring. After having a headache/nausea thing going on for nearly a week, I'm having yet another low-mileage week, with already 2 days off this week. Riding my bike to campus two days in a row has angered my back, and while running doesn't seem to affect it at all, I'm wondering if I shouldn't bag it all and just swim for a while. Of course in winter, it's really hard to force a swim. Therefore, the verdict is out on whether I'll do a spring half marathon at all...and therefore the fall marathon is also on shaky ground. Maybe I'll bail and do the half in the fall. Part of me worries, though, that my problem might actually be my complete lack of a goal.
The generosity of family meant I had birthday money to use on a new camera. I've been wanting one for a while, but only lusting over this specific camera for a few weeks, ever since Doug found it in Outside Magazine. It arrived at our apartment this past Saturday - the Olympus Stylus 1050SW - shockproof, waterproof, and freezeproof. Adventure ready...Of course, it's been 60 freaking degrees outside so I haven't gotten to take it on any of the winter adventures I had hoped for. Hopefully winter will rejoin us soon. In the meantime, here's a test picture from MSU's big win over Ohio State this past Sunday.
In other news, we've got two houses in mind for next school year. We tour one on Saturday. It has a fenced in yard which would be oh-so-wonderful for the pupper, and a second bedroom which would be oh-so-wonderful for me - a home office!
In running-related news, I can't decide what to do with my spring. After having a headache/nausea thing going on for nearly a week, I'm having yet another low-mileage week, with already 2 days off this week. Riding my bike to campus two days in a row has angered my back, and while running doesn't seem to affect it at all, I'm wondering if I shouldn't bag it all and just swim for a while. Of course in winter, it's really hard to force a swim. Therefore, the verdict is out on whether I'll do a spring half marathon at all...and therefore the fall marathon is also on shaky ground. Maybe I'll bail and do the half in the fall. Part of me worries, though, that my problem might actually be my complete lack of a goal.
Friday, February 06, 2009
Mystery solved!
Winter. People hate it, people whine about it, people get depressed (literally) because of a lack of sunlight. I've gotten depressed over a lack of sunlight. For five years in North Carolina I was a depressed, hibernating, lazy mess for all of winter. Sure, Winter in North Carolina lasted like five days, but man was I miserable those five days.
You'll all be happy to know, I've figured it out. It's not the sunlight! It's unwillingness to go outside. Depression over the cold - not the darkness, the cloudy gray skies - the cold. And do you know what? Layers make the cold ok, they make it bearable. They make it possible to go outside and run and frolic through the snow. They make it possible to run 4 miles with your dog, and watch her leap and dive through snowbanks created by snowblowers. They make it possible for people to yell catcalls out their car windows as they drive by. For me, getting out there makes the difference. It can be the middle of a snowstorm in 28 degrees or a gorgeous, sunny, negative 5 degree day. It doesn't matter - if I don't sit on my ass all day - if I don't sit inside and mope - I can thrive in winter.
All figured out. w00t! So here's a little snow for you.
You'll all be happy to know, I've figured it out. It's not the sunlight! It's unwillingness to go outside. Depression over the cold - not the darkness, the cloudy gray skies - the cold. And do you know what? Layers make the cold ok, they make it bearable. They make it possible to go outside and run and frolic through the snow. They make it possible to run 4 miles with your dog, and watch her leap and dive through snowbanks created by snowblowers. They make it possible for people to yell catcalls out their car windows as they drive by. For me, getting out there makes the difference. It can be the middle of a snowstorm in 28 degrees or a gorgeous, sunny, negative 5 degree day. It doesn't matter - if I don't sit on my ass all day - if I don't sit inside and mope - I can thrive in winter.
All figured out. w00t! So here's a little snow for you.
Thursday, February 05, 2009
Time rolls on
Hi there.
The past few weeks have been more of the same old thing. Getting started in a new semester with new classes and new projects. It's still winter, both outside and in, and I'm starting to get sick of being cold in my house. Maybe that's why I'm in school again - to one day make enough money to pay for heat. It's quiet here tonight. D's at work, Kona's laying up against my left side, and we're both basking in the glow of the space heater. I'm supposed to be writing (a paper, blogging) but my head isn't in it tonight.
Running is...running. I hemmed and hawed too much this winter over what race I wanted to do, and now can't do the fall back one. Rather, I could do it, I just don't have enough time to train the way I wanted. I could get in up to a 14 mile run, but it would be a higher percentage of my weekly mileage than I want, and I wanted to repeat the long distances a couple times before the race. So, I'm looking for one in May or June, instead. Thought briefly about the one in Traverse City, and found out it's closed already. Thought a whole night long, rather than sleeping, about Coeur d'Alene , and then realized the fortune that would cost. Looked for one close to Seattle around the time of ACSM, there isn't one. Right now, I guess my choices are one in Palos Heights, Il. in May, or in London, ON also in May. I'm leaning towards London just because it's in another country, that'd be kind of a cool thing. Regardless, I can't make up my mind and really need to get going with a training plan.
Or maybe I could just putz around some more and not run a spring half at all.
To lift this downer of a post - here's a fun picture from skiing!
The past few weeks have been more of the same old thing. Getting started in a new semester with new classes and new projects. It's still winter, both outside and in, and I'm starting to get sick of being cold in my house. Maybe that's why I'm in school again - to one day make enough money to pay for heat. It's quiet here tonight. D's at work, Kona's laying up against my left side, and we're both basking in the glow of the space heater. I'm supposed to be writing (a paper, blogging) but my head isn't in it tonight.
Running is...running. I hemmed and hawed too much this winter over what race I wanted to do, and now can't do the fall back one. Rather, I could do it, I just don't have enough time to train the way I wanted. I could get in up to a 14 mile run, but it would be a higher percentage of my weekly mileage than I want, and I wanted to repeat the long distances a couple times before the race. So, I'm looking for one in May or June, instead. Thought briefly about the one in Traverse City, and found out it's closed already. Thought a whole night long, rather than sleeping, about Coeur d'Alene , and then realized the fortune that would cost. Looked for one close to Seattle around the time of ACSM, there isn't one. Right now, I guess my choices are one in Palos Heights, Il. in May, or in London, ON also in May. I'm leaning towards London just because it's in another country, that'd be kind of a cool thing. Regardless, I can't make up my mind and really need to get going with a training plan.
Or maybe I could just putz around some more and not run a spring half at all.
To lift this downer of a post - here's a fun picture from skiing!
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