Try One Thing Every Day That Scares You

Well said my good and trusty friends!

I (metaphorically) threw away the watch this week, even before I read all your good advice. I ran three miles on Wednesday and Friday morning, before work, sans watch. Ya can't fret about time when you have no idea what your time is. Tomorrow is an eight-miler and I'm pretty sure I'll be doing that watch-free, too, and like all my long runs, I'll do it sans iPod. Just me and my God, who might make another appearance, since the temps are expected to be high 90s. Good times.

I'm still pretty nervous about running, though. But I know that if you do the thing you fear often enough, the fear dissipates. So that's the plan. Just keep running.

Meanwhile, tomorrow is a big day for a few reasons.

First, someone very special is giving me one of these:


That's right! Ask and ye shall receive! I'M GETTING A BIKE! Susie swears she doesn't want it and is GIVING IT TO ME. I can't begin to tell you how excited I am about this. Soon I'll be talking about watts and flats, and all that other jazz. Now all I need to do is learn how to swim. Oh yeah, and run.

And speaking of triathletes, I'll be (sorta) live blogging it over at a.j.'s site this weekend. A.J. is a spectator extraordinaire at Ironman Wisconsin (also known as IMMOO, don't worry, my first job is to find out why it's called that, other than the obvious cow thing), and there are all kinds of meetups and shenanigans planned for the spectators. The plan is for a.j. to call me or text me and I'll do my best to impersonate her over there. Which if I'm going to do it up right, should involve drinking, trying lots of cute hairstyles, and telling funny stories about men. In between working out like a maniac. So, I'm pretty much screwed. (Updates will also be posted on the IM Wisconsin 2007 site, here.)


SHOUTOUT: To my very special peep and bestest friend, Mark, the running blogfather, who is running the Regina, Saskatchewan (that's somewhere in Canada) Marathon on Sunday. Good luck to Mark! And to all the IM Wisconsin folks, too!

Nutrition Smackdown! Quote of the Day! Other Stuff!

Phedip vs. BlogFather Smackdown

Complete Running is hosting a fascinating debate between Mark the Blogfather, and Steve Runner of Phedippidations podcast fame about marathon and long-run nutrition-ing (new word). Lots of weirdness goin' on over there.

Today's Quote

A year from now you will wish you had started today.
- Karen Lamb

No freakin' kidding! How about tomorrow. Tomorrow I will wish I'd started today.

Five Weird Things

OK, someone wanted to know five weird things about me.

1. I can't remember who though. I am horrible with real people and names, nevermind blog people! People. Have a heart.

2. I never ever ever ever buy or use paper towels. Or napkins. And when such things were part of Number One Daughter's life, diapers. Always cloth. Saving trees, and all that.

3. I must always be near an open window. Even in the dead of winter.

4. Except at work, where I don't actually have a window, so there I have a heater on at all times, even in the dead of summer.

5. I adore the clothes from the 40's and if I could get away with it, (which I can't, I'd just look weird), I would dress the part every day.

6. I totally hate that gloves for women went out of style. Did I mention I have a germ phobia?

7. Ditto hats. We should all be wearing hats. I luuurrrrrve hats.

8. So this is more a list about things I prefer, not actual weirdnesses.

9. Oh, here's one: I sleep in a crib. Sort of. OK, it's a daybed, twin-sized (what else?), but it has 3 walls. Add one more and well, it really would be a crib. But it's cozy!

10. Nothing tastes as good as soy yogurt with crumbled up graham crackers.

11. I refuse to pay $1.25 to use the dryer.

12. I take my oatmeal like a man—straight up, plain. Explains the hair on my chest.

You Need to Know

(You might think you've seen the following somewhere before. If so, that's because I just stole it wholesale from Mark. I don't think he'll mind.)

For those of you who don’t know, I am one tiny part of the dynamic team over at CRN. In addition to the great writing the team does, now is a good time to visit because of the numerous enhancements and additions we’ve made:

1. A new and much improved runner focused race calendar (triathletes welcome!)


2. Great new ways to promote your running blog


3. Quite a few improvements to the Running Blog Family Directory


4. A brand new forum


5. And lots of widgety/gadgety type things for your blog or Web site.

And, since he's so modest, let me tell you that our beloved blogfather (one-half of the team who dreamt up and IS the engine behind the RBF, CRN, and probably many other acronyms) is running the Woody's RV Marathon in (I think, it's hard to tell!) Red Deer, Alberta, on Sunday. Mark is trying to break 3:30 and is having a contest to guess his time. The winner gets...something!

This is the fellow who inspired all of us, whether you know it or not. He's a great guy, a bundle of energy, a never-ending source of ideas (see above), a non-stop encourager, unafraid to don a skirt when necessary, a great family man, and a terrific runner.

So hop on over to Mark's and get your bet in! While you're there, take a minute to wish him well.

And Mark, here's a little motivation just for you:

(I'll be watching you Sunday, l'il bro'.)