Sunday, March 01, 2009

Hello Bonktown! (watch out, long rambling post ahead!)

Nice to see you! It's been a while!

So at about mile 7 today, I hit my good friend the wall.

I am not sure what it was.

It could be that I ran 7 miles yesterday morning and I probably shouldn't have run 8 today, considering my training isn't all that great. But the National Half-Mary is in 3 weeks! I can't be slacking! And I figured, if I can't do longer runs yet, I should do two of *my* long runs back to back. I also ran 7 on Tuesday.

It could also have been that I didn't bring a gu. I think 7 miles is my threshold for that. I just totally forgot. And it turns out that we poorly planned our route and the water stop ended up being at 5.7 miles out of 8. So it really wouldn't have mattered.

It could also have been that Kori kicks my ass. My long runs have typically been in the 10:30ish range, but we ran the first 6 miles at about 10:10 pace. My goal on my long runs is to be conversational and easy paced, so this was a little fast for me these days.

Well, anyway, I am *still* feeling out of sorts. I hate that feeling. And I am kinda going insane right now since I *really* want a hamburger. I have hamburger in my freezer. They are even pre-portioned. But it is so frozen they are all stuck together and they still haven't defrosted enough to split them and seriously I might eat the dog soon if it doesn't thaw.

And to top it off? My bonked self drove a few blocks from Kori's and my car ran out of gas.

Seriously, this is what happens when you combine being broke and not driving all that much. I kept thinking "When March comes I'll fill up. I don't even drive every day! This is no problem!"

I haven't run out of gas in ten years.

Specifically on I-10 in Texas. You can go forever there without an exit! We ended up pouring all our camping stove gas into my car and we managed to make it to the next exit. I am not sure my car engine was ever the same.

*******************************

So an update on Girls Heart Rockets. Turns out that they actually know our team because some of them ran the MC200 last year AND Al knows them and they are actually doing the race at Al's suggestion.

AND Al has a stupid aunt who scheduled her wedding for the weekend of the relay. Priorities people! Doesn't she know that Al is our MVP? I mean he is freakin' insane!

So now we are down to five people. And this stresses me out since finding 6 seemed manageable, but 7 seems intimidating. So who wants to run?! Please?!

*******************************

Recent google searches that landed here:

"losing virginity on a drunk hook up" (thanks again Joe for the title for your first marathon post!)
"
how to lose virginity on ragbrai" (be a hot chick and look for Lance Armstrong)
"vegetarians iowa cattlemen" (from the ip addy ames.iabeef.com)
and THREE variations of "naked triathletes" (thanks Audrey for that title!)

*******************************

Last night while tipsy, I wrote this to the American Physical Society. Someone needs to keep me away from my keyboard after four drinks.

To whom it may concern:


I am a former APS member (my subscription may possibly have lapsed,
oops!). Tonight I was at dinner at a professor's house when another
student asked me where I was from originally, to which I replied
"Newton Massachusetts, which is right outside of Boston and home of
the Fig Newton." Imagine my surprise when the professor said "my
daughter has been using this Color Me Physics book and she just
learned that the Fig Newton was named after Sir Isaac Newton." She
showed me the book and lo and behold, there was APS perpetuating this
myth about the origin of the Fig Newton.


Anyway, considering the authors of this book are all PhDs, I would
assume they can provide references for this statement?


All the sources I have seen have all indicated that this is not the
truth and that the Fig Newton is indeed named after Newton MA. our
town had a whole Fig Newton Festival on the 100th anniversary. They
got JUICE NEWTON to sing. There was a half day of school. We take our
legacy seriously in Newton MA.


Anyway, I hope you will choose to edit this if you decide to publish a
new edition of Color Me Physics. We cannot have a generation of
children being raised on the shaky foundation of incorrect knowledge
on the origin of the Fig Newton. Think of the children! Think of our
future!


Thank you.


8 comments:

Arcane said...

Google mail has an interesting feautre called Goggles that requires you to answer a bunch of math problems before an email can be sent. It's supposed to keep you from emailing after you've had one too many...

Anonymous said...

Hope you are recovering well.
Love the hits and the letter.

Jenny Davidson said...

You should have had some Fig Newtons in your pocket on the run! I like the letter. NB I think that any run over 6 miles basically means that one must carry a water bottle - I do not like it myself, and always try and skimp on this requirement - but it is worth observing...

Joe said...

nice.

Anonymous said...

NAKED NAKED NAKED!

You're welcome :)

i can't believe 3 people googled that!

ps. i will look more into the race since i now have a start date for work. i just need to figure out how/where i am spending august. will give it serious though.

peter said...

I haven't run out of gas since when I was in school. Oh, I get it. National Half Marathon is in three weeks? When was anyone gonna tell me! I'm going to be running the Sag Wagon at it. Uh . . . maybe I'll see you at the race.

M said...

please, PLEASE tell me you sent that letter.

Unknown said...

A most excellent letter!

Bonking sucks.