Slow

Several things are developing at once. it's a little overwhelming, so I'll try to map it here.

First of all, back to running, finally. Fits and starts. I started with week 3 of the running 101 podcast, because it added up to 15 minutes of running, which is closer to what my PA recommended. I did my first run on a treadmill, and was bored out of my mind, but curious to watch my form in the mirror. My feet hit on the outside edges. I'm surprised I don't have runner's knee (knock on wood) from my odd form. Since that first run, I walked to work for two consecutive days in my rain boots and did something weird to the tendon on my left foot that connects to my big toe. It would hurt when I pressed on it, and would ache a bit while walking. It hurts more the day after a run, but after a week of walking and very little pain, I ran today. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I moved on to week 4 of running 101. 20 minutes of running total, with minute walking breaks every four minutes. I got so bored I started skipping walking breaks, doing two intervals of 4 minutes, one of 9, and one of 4. Two intervals of 4, and one of 14. When I noticed my foot wasn't feeling better, I took a few days off. Then, over the weekend, I headed to New York City to spend a few days with my mom (she met me there), and walked all over the Village, Soho, Chelsea, Nolita, and then up around the museums. Ate really great food, saw amazing art and a Sunday matinee showing of Death of a Salesman (with Andrew Garfield and Phillip Seymour Hoffman). A pretty stellar weekend, and after a delayed bus ride with no napping, I made it home to S around seven last night.

This morning was my final day of week 4, in which I ran one interval of four minutes, and two of nine minutes. Thursday, (my birthday) I'll start week 5, three intervals of eight minutes. I'm excited. I had hoped to be able to run three miles again by my birthday, but I'm getting there.

Next: clay.
Excitingly, I have six markets this summer and autumn at which to sell my ceramics. So I've been furiously working away at the studio, making mugs and tiny bowls (big sellers) and a few big bowls (for myself and my creative/artistic pursuits). I just got accepted to the SoWa Markets for five Sundays between June and October, which means I need to buy:
* 10'x10' white tent (EZ-UP, preferably)
* (4) 40lb tent weights (and fill them with sand)
* Folding table (because one six foot table under a ten foot tent will look so sad)
* 2 new tablecloths (White? Off-white? Need to make the goods pop)

Finally: work.
S and I are driving cross-country in July, which, there and back with a wedding in the middle, will take the month. When I come back, I will not be staying in the same position here. Whether that means I don't have a job or I do is unclear. That one's still in development. We'll see.

For now, I'm having a birthday on Thursday, and going out to T.W. Food for dinner. My favorite restaurant, and my (I think) 3rd birthday in a row dining there. I hope we get the same table.

Birthday extravaganza!

In honor of National Running Day (which was June 2nd), I ran my first attempt of week three of 5K 101. That’s 30 minutes of straight running, preceded and followed by five minutes of walking. I was surprised by how easy it was. Around the sixth minute I had the thought, “it’s going to be impossible to do this for a whole half hour,” but by the time I got to Harvard, I was thrilled. I made it a point to run as slowly as possible in the beginning, which was difficult, since the soundtrack for week eight is really quite invigorating. By the time Todd told me I had finished 19 minutes, I decided to push it a bit for the last ten, checking my pace every so often on my Nike+ app, which told me I was holding a 6mph pace quite steadily. I felt so good that when Todd told me I had completed my 30 minutes and could cool down, I just kept going. I ended up running for about 33 minutes, and with my warm-up walk, I covered over three miles.

I’m so pumped for the 5k S and I are running on Sunday. It’s going to be my first road race, my first 5k, my first of so many things, and I'm thrilled. I never believed I could be this person.

Tuesday was my twenty-eighth birthday, and I went to yoga to celebrate. It was an “intermediate” class at O2 Yoga, so I was a bit worried I wouldn’t be able to keep up. I’ve been to many yoga classes, but who doesn’t question themselves? So, it’s 80 degrees in Somerville, I’ve raced home from work to make this class, and I took S’s new mat with me, since mine is old and has little cushioning. As soon as we get into our first downward facing dog, I know I’m going to be struggling. My hands were so slick with sweat that I was inching forward on my mat, needing to jerk myself back every few breathes. It would have been comical if it weren’t so frustrating. About halfway through the class the instructor noted how hot it was in the room – huzzah! It’s not just me! – and apologized. She tried to turn the fan on, she tried to prop open the door, but no, I was too far away from all efforts to have it make any difference. So I sweat my way through a 75-minute class, and cooled off on my walk home, where I was met with a beautiful bouquet of ranunculus, Queen Anne’s lace, and white lilacs from S.

We capped the day with an amazing dinner at T.W. Food, a tiny restaurant in Cambridge where we had gone for dinner for his birthday two years ago.

The best memory of the dinner was dessert: for me – a strawberry gratin. Rhubarb compote on the bottom, macerated strawberries, and custard on top that had been broiled a bit. All covered with a lemon sauce – kind of a sweet/sour assault on the taste buds. For S – Scotch and Cigars – two beignets, a canelle of tobacco ice cream, doused in a scotch sauce, and a demitasse cup of ganache. Decadent. The dinner itself was a delight, with delicious bread served with fresh butter and a garnish of large-flake salt, two great appetizers and entrees, an amuse bouche, and financiers with the check.

Divine. Added to my annual birthday song from my husband, and it was an amazing day.