Of Moose And Men
The Best Laid Plans Of Both Often Go Astray

I killed Firefox 2.0 from the iBook this morning. I had already beeen annoyed that I couldn’t close all the windows by hitting control-W as I could under 1.5 and earlier (it would close the last tab, but leave the window open with a blank tab), and that I couldn’t close the tabs by hitting the little ‘x’ button in the upper right corner any more (they put the x on each individual tab, which made them moving targets), but when it wouldn’t let me hold down the trackpad button and get the little function menu, that was the last straw. Thank you for your efforts, but you’re no longer desired. Glad I saved the installation file for 1.5.0.2. Blech.

Up early this morning to go run a turkey trot 5k run. Got to bed by 9:30, and was out like a light, so did get a good eight hours of sleep (for the first time since the weekend). I suspect a nap will be in order as well, but we’ll cross that bed when we get to it. No feasting plans today; I feel no desire to attempt to overeat.

And I’m definitely not making another tofurkey (haven’t tried an unturkey yet). As I put it to a friend of mine yesterday, because they pump it full of chemicals to make it taste better, your shit stinks like tofurkey for the next day and a half or so, and I really don’t need to be reminded of the meal for that long or in that way. Besides, I’m vegan because I don’t want to eat meat, so the idea of a big ole fake meat centerpiece to a meal is, well, kind of tacky to me.

Looks like the predicted rain is holding off this morning, which is good news for those of us running the race this morning.

Okay, to the earlier list I need to add:

4. Sleep.

As in, getting enough of it. Which, of course, affects #1, Consistency. Up a tad too late this morning to go running, so doing some needed stretching instead (silly IT band). But sleep definitely needs to be on the list for focus this next year.

Was going over my goals for this next year, athletics wise, and part of the exercise was to identify what I thought my three biggest weaknesses were. After some time thinking, I identified:

1. Consistency
2. Strength
3. Diet

Consistency is probably the killer for me. Most of the time I can motivate to do what I need to do, but if/when I fall off the wagon, it’s ugly. And it kills my training. So that’s a key thing to attack this year. Strength training I’m working on. Diet, on the other hand, is not so hot.

It’s not like I don’t get enough to eat, nor a good enough variety, nor do I lack of protein (if my nail and hair growth is any gauge, I get quite enough). I do need to eat a tad less fat, and fewer calories, more often. I suspect overeating may be an issue with the stomach problems I have as well – too many calories at once for my system to handle. In any case, there needs to be fewer calories vis-a-vis energy output. I’ve managed to stay at my current weight/fat level for the past two years, and I don’t want to be here. Certainly racing and training would be easier with a tad less fat on ye olde frame, so I’m going to have to knuckle under and actually get serious about it if I want to see any progress.

With lows in the mid to high thirties this week, and as I get ready to start running and biking regularly again, it got to be time to haul out the winter running gear. The collection’s slowly grown over the years as I’ve needed items for particular weather conditions, or as I’ve found good sales in the spring. I remembered the collection as I was preparing for a short run this morning, and hauled out a top that was perfect for the temps (mid-40s).

In the same storage container was the bulk of my long-sleeve t-shirt collection, which was also a pleasant find. I’d left a couple out in my drawers to tide me over for the change in seasons, but I definitely needed shirts, even for just hanging around the house.

In he meantime, I’ve misplaced two DVDs that I use for indoor bike workouts. Found the short one (which I’d misplaced when I moved), but now I can’t find the two longer ones. I’m sure they’re around somewhere, but heaven only knows where.

It did feel good to run this morning in the cold. As usual, I needed the gloves to begin, but by the halfway mark they were too warm. The hat covering my ears lasted a little bit longer, but not much. I look forward to more cold runs this winter as I do base training for next year, and should be well prepped for the two spring races I want to do.

To say I was busy at work yesterday would be an understatement. Best way to explain how the day went: When I got to the end of the day, I picked up my thermos (the one I pack my good coffee in from home) to put it in my bag. It was still full. I’d never even had my coffee. And if you know me, you know that doesn’t happen; I always have my coffee. I’m sure I’ll make up for the caffeine consumption today, but, yeah, busy.

Am hopeful this upcoming holiday week will be a tad easier, and let me concentrate on two semi-big projects and get them out the door. That and time to do some research on the new vision and dental plans that the Feds are offering as a choice this year.

Today is about catching up on my games (there were weeds all over my town of Crobuzon in Animal Crossing:Wild World) and cleaning. The off-season is so thrilling. I did swim last night, so I’m not totally slacking, but it’s nice to lay off the exercise for a little bit.

Spent a good chunk of the evening going over resumes one last time so I could rank them for our Board of Directors here at the cult co-op. I’ve been serving on the committee that’s reviewing new property managers’ resumes for the Board before they get their own chance at them, hoping to weed out some of the chaff before they get them. As is the way with these things, some where obviously outstanding, and some were obviously not suited to the position, but the majority were somewhere in the middle. I had a hard time classifying some of them, but I think I put the right ones in the right categories.

I had planned to go to the gym this evening after work (I ran this morning), but was feeling a tad too, er, gassy (damn that veggie burger), to make the gym a comfortable experience either for myself or my fellow weight lifters, so came home and went grocery shopping instead. Did need the groceries, so wasn’t a waste, but had been looking forward to the weight workout. I’m trying to stave off further injury in my chosen three sports (swim, bike, run), and need the help, but when it’s not in the cards, it’s not in the cards.

My parental units found an old personal page from 1999 that was still up for some reason. I thought the ISP had deleted the page, but evidently not. Thankfully I still use the email address from them, so was able to log in, archive the site, and delete it from the ‘net. It would be relatively easy for them to find this particular blog, I’m guessing, but one hopes they know better than to read it. If they do, oh well, they’ll certainly get an eyeful.

Had a Deputy Grand Lawyer come in and dump an assignment in my lap at 5:45 or so this evening, which was interesting. All of the stuff he wants is stuff we can pop out pretty quickly, thankfully, but I zapped an email off to the Assistant Grand Lawyer anyway to let her know so she knows why I’m writing all this stuff for the deputy tomorrow. It’s sometimes good to be the sole source, and sometimes not.

I voted right after 9 this morning, was a breeze – most notable moment was being asked
if I wanted paper or electronic, when my response was, “Paper, paper, paper! None of that electronic crap for me, thanks.”

Biked over to the gym in the rain, worked out for a little over an hour (light weights, high reps – trying not to be too sore tomorrow). Biked home in the rain (wet, wet, wet out there!), stripped down inside, dried the bike chain, showered, started laundry, ran to the pharmacy and grocery store, back to switch laundry, have a salad and now I’m watching the news.

I have to say, I have mixed feelings about the Democratic gains they’re projecting. If the Dems pick up even one house, my professional life will get much, much busier because the Dems actually exercise oversight over the agencies, which means a ton of official letters coming in with requests for information. Whee. It’s a good thing that the Congress exercises their Constitutional prerogatives, but it’s been relatively quiet these first three years at my current Big Government Agency, which isn’t such a bad thing, personally (not not such a good thing, as a citizen).

Anyway, back to watch the elections and get the laundry out of the driers.

… you get to work and you have a faux-hawk, not because that’s how you styled it when you left home, but because that’s how your hair gets squished down inside the helmet.

Been swimming a lot the past week. My skin has been exuding chlorine like mad, even after a post-swim shower. Up to today it’s been random stuff, just doing the occasional 100 repeat or a skill drill or the like. Tonight I hauled out my “Swim Workouts ina Binder” and did an actual form drills workout. Was nice to have some order, and I think I definitely benefitted from doing more organized drill work.

I wanted to note this article from the Washington Post this week – it’s about teens who go vegetarian, so as a veggie it caught my eye, but the opening paragraph was what really caught my eye:

When Leslie Calman’s 16-year-old son, Ben, came home from school one day last year and announced he was going vegetarian, Calman and her partner, Jane Gruenebaum, did what few families do when a child decides to stop eating animals: They immediately supported his decision.

Now, this was just a run of the mill article about families dealing with a teen going veggie, but I had to stop and re-read the paragraph a couple times to make sure I didn’t miss that they had just named this woman and her partner in such a matter of fact, normal presentation. How Freakin’ Cool. It’ll be better once it’s “Calman and her wife,” if they choose to get married, but I was just so happy to see an article in the paper that just presented this type of family portrait without any real fanfare, and as exactly what it is – normal.

Did a short run this morning, less than 2 miles, and no knee pain. The stretching and what not has helped. Have to figure out my gym schedule for weights now, to strengthen the joints and what not, but I’m confident that it’ll work out (no pun intended).
I’m hearing now that the half iron race I was looking at for next fall puts the run on gravel and not pavement, and I’m thinking 13.1 miles on gravel isn’t such a fun idea for me. So I’m back to looking for another one. I’ve also managed to get a bunch of the attorneys at work all psyched about running the Lawyers Have Heart 10k race in June. Should be fun, and I’m hoping we’ll get some of the non-runners hooked on it, too.

Had to take a break from the more serious stuff I’ve been reading lately, and picked up a fantasy novel I’d picked up at some point to use to fill time, and even to my mostly-non-critical eye the author is beating us over the head with the central story – Camelot. Ugh. Subtlety seems to be lost on this guy, and his Arthur, Guinevere and Lancelot characters are exactly playing to type. It’s a bit disappointing, I prefer if someone’s going to tell a story over that they do it a tad less obviously, or at least with a better or more interesting retelling. Might have to dump it in favor of some more modern Chinese fiction in translation if this keeps up.

And there goes “tattoo” at the Fort, so it’s time to shut down for bed.

It’s hard not to feel bitter this morning since I’m not out there racing the Marine Corps Marathon. The knee did not improve sufficiently over the week to feel comfortable doing a race of this length, and discretion is the better part of valor, or however that goes, and so I’m skipping the thing this year. There will be other races, and my ego was not so invested that this is a crippling event psychologically, but it’s still disappointing after all the training.

Not helping the mood is that I just paid out the ass so I can not listen to/watch a bunch of useless Continuing Legal Education courses so I can keep my law license. One does like to stay employed, but one wishes it weren’t so expensive, nor such a waste of time (there are no CLEs in my practice area).
Did sit down this week and look at next season’s races. I’ve picked several that I think I can do. Unsure as to whether I’ll sign up for another marathon (did put a half marathon in the mix, early in the season), but picked out a couple of triathlons, and I’m seriously considering doing a half ironman toward the end of the season (1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run).  Added into the mix this year has to be more serious weight and core training. The IT band troubles I’ve had this past week are the proof of that, and I’d really rather avoid this sort of thing again if at all possible. The weights and core work will help stabilize stuff, and I’ve known that (intellectually), but not really felt the need for it (emotionally). Well, now I can’t afford to neglect it, so back to the weight room I go.

Thankfully, for the runners, it’s a gorgeous morning here in DC, and it looks to stay that way through the entire race. You couldn’t ask for better conditions. Which will make going out to watch pretty nice, too.