Pajama Day!
Speedy is napping, still in his pajamas. I have finally admitted defeat and put on clothes, because when swadfather gets home, I'm going to a demo of some landscape design software. However, I made it until 2:45 pm in sweats, which is pretty darned nice!
We've enjoyed this hedonism because (1) it's Tu B'Shevat, so last night we were out late (for us) at a Seder; and (2) Ima ran 19 miles yesterday and needs the rest. Which brings us to part 2 of our post:
19 Miles: A Long Run in 3 Acts
Act I
It was 20 degrees ("feels like 14", weather.com helpfully adds), and I was scheduled for an 18-miler, so I planned to do two 9.2 mile loops from the Anderson Footbridge to Watertown Sqaure, allowing me to stop at the truck after the first 9.2 to thaw water bottle using thermos, add layers or remove wet clothes, etc. Slathered face in Vaseline, donned the "condom-hat", windstopper gloves, etc., cursed Boston for 57th time this winter, and hit the trail. Once my face got numb, it felt pretty good, until about 7 miles in, when I really had to pee. (Sorry for TMI.) Tried doors of various boathouses, and determined that I'd have to drive to Fresh Pond and pick up there. So, that's what I did, stopping watch at 1:28.
Act II
Yay for WholeFoods! Ditch the wet gloves for dry fleece ones, add a shirt. Warm and happy, I hit the trail again, this time for a loop around the pond. Whoops, it's almost dark, and icier than expected. Turn around after 1 mile, unsure of how far I had really run, and run back to Alewife, pick up bike path (2 miles total). Run home, consider going inside to say hi, decide it would cause Speedy consternation, run back to truck again (5.8 miles round-trip.) En route, call
swadfatherto say I'll pick them up for the seder shortly, and to please make me some hot tea. Ingest frozen sport jelly beans by making like a squirrel and thawing them in my cheeks. Stop watch again at 2:47:29. Drive home, downing sports bar and warm sport beverage. Change into dry clothes, pick up family for seder, drive to shul, glad that other people there sometimes stink as badly as I do, with less-good reasons. :-)
Act III
Half-way through the seder, filling up on pistachios, dates, dried pineapple, and grape juice cocktails, I say to
swadfather
that in another half-hour I will not have it in me to go back out for that last 2 miles. After we get home and put Speedy to bed, I reconsider, put on dry gym clothes, and hit the treadmill for the last 2 that I think I still need to put in. Knock out two 9:30 miles, stretch, go home. Map run, and find out that I did 19 miles in 3:06:29 (9:49 pace overall). Oops!
If I can just nail down childcare, I think I'm ready for the MV20. BTW, while at Mayyim Hayyim on Sunday, I learned about a great tool that I'm trying out for J's surgery, Lotsa Helping Hands. If you ever have to coordinate help for someone around a major medical event, take a look.
We've enjoyed this hedonism because (1) it's Tu B'Shevat, so last night we were out late (for us) at a Seder; and (2) Ima ran 19 miles yesterday and needs the rest. Which brings us to part 2 of our post:
19 Miles: A Long Run in 3 Acts
Act I
It was 20 degrees ("feels like 14", weather.com helpfully adds), and I was scheduled for an 18-miler, so I planned to do two 9.2 mile loops from the Anderson Footbridge to Watertown Sqaure, allowing me to stop at the truck after the first 9.2 to thaw water bottle using thermos, add layers or remove wet clothes, etc. Slathered face in Vaseline, donned the "condom-hat", windstopper gloves, etc., cursed Boston for 57th time this winter, and hit the trail. Once my face got numb, it felt pretty good, until about 7 miles in, when I really had to pee. (Sorry for TMI.) Tried doors of various boathouses, and determined that I'd have to drive to Fresh Pond and pick up there. So, that's what I did, stopping watch at 1:28.
Act II
Yay for WholeFoods! Ditch the wet gloves for dry fleece ones, add a shirt. Warm and happy, I hit the trail again, this time for a loop around the pond. Whoops, it's almost dark, and icier than expected. Turn around after 1 mile, unsure of how far I had really run, and run back to Alewife, pick up bike path (2 miles total). Run home, consider going inside to say hi, decide it would cause Speedy consternation, run back to truck again (5.8 miles round-trip.) En route, call
swadfatherto say I'll pick them up for the seder shortly, and to please make me some hot tea. Ingest frozen sport jelly beans by making like a squirrel and thawing them in my cheeks. Stop watch again at 2:47:29. Drive home, downing sports bar and warm sport beverage. Change into dry clothes, pick up family for seder, drive to shul, glad that other people there sometimes stink as badly as I do, with less-good reasons. :-)
Act III
Half-way through the seder, filling up on pistachios, dates, dried pineapple, and grape juice cocktails, I say to
swadfather
that in another half-hour I will not have it in me to go back out for that last 2 miles. After we get home and put Speedy to bed, I reconsider, put on dry gym clothes, and hit the treadmill for the last 2 that I think I still need to put in. Knock out two 9:30 miles, stretch, go home. Map run, and find out that I did 19 miles in 3:06:29 (9:49 pace overall). Oops!
If I can just nail down childcare, I think I'm ready for the MV20. BTW, while at Mayyim Hayyim on Sunday, I learned about a great tool that I'm trying out for J's surgery, Lotsa Helping Hands. If you ever have to coordinate help for someone around a major medical event, take a look.