Inauguration and Track Workouts*

*I'm sure there's real clever headline in there somewhere, but I'm too lazy to think it up. Submit your entries in the comment field.

Number One Daughter and I went down to the National Mall on Inauguration day. Lucky for us we got turned back early trying to get close, so we didn't get caught up with the ticketholders, those very lucky people who managed to nab the elusive-yet-highly-sought-after-sometimes-standing-room-only tickets that were close up...and who sadly got stuck outside of the gates and saw nothing. Major fail.

We, on the other hand, settled for the Jumbotron on the grounds of the Washington Monument. Covered with every article of clothing we owned, plus hand and foot warmers, we froze.

Freedom of speech. It's a weird and wonderful thing.

Back of the White House, from the Washington Monument grounds, early a.m. About 20 minutes after I took this, people stood should-to-shoulder right up to that fence. Not such a safe arrangement.

Jumbotronics.

Happy Inaugural Day, Nod!

The huddled masses, waiting, waiting, waiting.


It took me a while to realize that people were not just waving at the Jumbotron.


Afterwards: NOD and BF on the loooong walk back to the MetroBus. Once we got out of the spine-crushing crowd, it was smooth sailing. Definitely beat waiting in two hour lines for Metro (tip to out-of-towners: MetroBuses are often faster and less crowded during peak events).

As soon as the (mangled) oath of office was taken, we beat it out of there, because I had to get home and start getting ready for the Bytes and Books ball at the lovely Folger Shakespeare Library on Capitol Hill.

I was there on a press pass, so I was sort of working (although if you're one of my bosses reading this, I was TOTALLY working every minute). We missed George Lucas (he was being honored), along with Ted Kennedy (who hospitalized earlier that day), so there wasn't a whole lot to do. So I schmoozed.

Let me just say that I have a lot to learn about schmoozing. My feet, despite looking incredibly hawt
were killing me, so I sat down at one of the few tables, along with an older gentleman and his wife. He was retired, military, jolly looking. He was soon regaling me with stories about...his mattress (I am not making this up), the one with magnets in it (still not making this up), that cured his back (yay), and how his cure was so complete he had to start selling this product (ut-oh) and he is now into multi-level marketing (need. exit. now.) and he wanted to know, did I take vitamins? Um, yes! (Can I go?)

Retired General: I want you to try the water from my filtration system, and then try your water, and then I'm going to test how strong you are, and I'll be able to tell you if you're getting the right vitamins (riiiiiight)

RG: I'm afraid I must ask you something personal (wait for it): What color is your urine? Is it very yellow? You know you are just urinating out all those supplements, don't you?

Me: So NICE to talk to you, must dash...

How is it possible, I ASK YOU, for me to sit next to the ONE MULTILEVEL marketer in the entire room and NOT only that, to sit next to, oh, I'm going to take a wild guess and say, probably the ONLY man in that room of tuxedos and ball gowns who wanted to know WHAT COLOR MY URINE WAS?? HOW????

And, here, (for the two of you not on FaceBook), is your moment of Zen:


Track Workouts!

Last Wednesday's track workout:
6x400, at a 2:25 pace, with 400 recovery, a mile warmup and a mile cooldown. I did this:

1 mile warmup: 12:08
1st 400: 2:06
Recovery: 3:02
2nd 400: 2:09
recovery: 2:58 (2 miles)
3rd 400: 2:16
recovery: 3:05
4th 400: 2:27
recovery:2:59 (3 miles)
5th 400: 2:25
recovery: 2:59
6th 400: 2:21
recovery: 3:02 (4 miles)
1 mile cooldown: 12:02 5 miles

Yay me, although my coach did tell me I needed to slow down. It's such a bother getting told that.

Heh.

Tonight's track workout was canceled, because .00001 inches of snow fell in Washington D.C., so school was canceled, so no track. Instead, we were sent to the treadmills to do 4x800 with 400 recovery, which in treadmill lingo meant 5 minutes at threshold pace (I have NO idea what that means, I just like saying it). It means run faster, I think. So I did 5 minutes at 9:20 min/pace and 3 minute recovery. Times four. Plus one mile cooldown. It felt good too.

So, what have you been up to?