A year ago this weekend I ran the fastest half marathon of my life. Three years ago I ran a marathon.
Today I ran two miles and then had to walk two miles home. The whole point of the run was to push the tempo and wear myself out (I can run 8 miles at an easy pace), but it’s still safe to say that I’m not in ideal shape at the moment.
My fitness level isn’t exactly a new revelation, but after today’s run I did get a different perspective on what I’m going to do about it.
A few weeks after running the half marathon last year (a 1:43:08 in Raleigh, NC), I was starting to ramp up my mileage to train for a full marathon when I came down with a stress fracture in my right foot. Being the genius that I am, I ignored what to most would be conventional wisdom and ran a 5K with the injury. It was my fastest 5K ever (20:24), but definitely not worth the pain that followed.
I sat on the couch for nearly eight weeks while the foot healed and went from being in the best shape of my life with great fitness habits and a sense of momentum to being completely and utterly lazy. Unfortunately, nothing about the rest of this year has shaken that attitude (the ridiculously hot summer did not help).
What worked last year was running a half marathon in the early spring, transitioning to 5Ks through early summer and then focusing again on the half for the fall.
A few weeks ago I officially canceled plans to run a half this fall (see fitness, lack of, above) and decided I needed to follow last year’s playbook to get things back on track: Run a 5K at the end of this month, and use that as a springboard to getting in half shape for a late-winter race.
But walking home after failing in today’s run I realized I have been thinking about the wrong plan. I’m not in spring 2009 shape, but rather more like where I was in the fall of 2008.
I had just moved back from Florida where a combination of sleep deprivation and a lack of race motivation meant that I could barely run four miles at a time before being absolutely exhausted. That laziness can in some way be traced to the foot injury I battled all through 2007, which caused me to not run at all the prior winter (’07/’08).
See a pattern? Foot injury + healing time + slow return to running + lack of good habits = out of shape autumn. That’s how it was in the fall of 2008, and only today did that click in my head.
So now it’s time to look at what I did that fall that got me in good shape for the spring of 2009 and all the success that followed. Good thing I kept a log of all of my runs.
You come across some interesting things working overnight shifts. And by interesting I mean weird.
Last night we confirmed that no matter what kind of crazy idea follows the question, “I wonder if there’s a…” there is someone out there ready to sell it to you.
Case in point: Flexpetz. Sorry, FLEXPETZ, according to the website.
We were talking about dogs, and one of my co-workers said she wanted some kind of small yapper-type dog (my description, not hers). I think it was a Pomeranian. She said she wasn’t ready to get a dog, and that I should get one instead. Under my current lease agreement, that would require some effort on my part and I believe some sort of extra monthly fee.
So the question became, for those who can’t or choose not to have a pet in their home, is there a service that rents dogs? On the surface it sounds great — play with the dog, enjoy it short term and don’t shoulder any real responsibility.
My brother’s dog, Matics. Not available for rent.
That’s where FLEXPETZ comes in. They will basically rent you your choice of dog for a few hours or a even for a number of days. Like any good rental service (hello, Netflix) they even offer delivery.
Of course, there’s a fee for that. And for 17 other things with this service.
Delivery? $25. Daily rental fee (minimum 4/month)? $45. Monthly membership? $99. Then there’s the $150 initial training/orientation session and a $99 annual administration fee. Oh, and don’t you dare return the dog late. That will run you another $75 per day.
So if you are responsible and can return a dog on time, a year of worry-free pet time can be yours for the low low price of $3597.
I guess you could just volunteer at an animal shelter or get a friend who has a dog. But a “rental” dog is a much better conversation pet.
I always enjoy when people recommend books to me, but for some reason it always takes me forever to get around to reading those titles.
Ralph Keyes’ “I Love It When You Talk Retro” is a prime example. My friend Jaclyn turned me onto it, probably a year ago, but I just now found time for it in my reading schedule.
It’s not like I was dubious about the recommendation since she has told me about several other books that I thoroughly enjoyed. I guess we can just say my procrastination abilities are quite strong.
The book is all about retroterms — those words that refer to a “person, a product, a past bestseller, an old radio or TV show, an athletic contest, a comic strip, an acronym, or an advertisement long forgotten.” In short, something in the past gave us a word we still use today even though few remember the original inspiration for the term.
Take “dufus” (or doofus) for example. You’ve called someone a doofus at some point in your life. Probably today. You probably don’t know that — according to Keyes — Dufus was the name of Popeye’s dimwitted nephew. Who knew a spinach-loving sailor could give us such a great word?
You have also undoubtedly walked towards a car and yelled “shotgun.” We know what that means in terms of who gets to sit where in the car (regional/personal rules not withstanding), but why do we use the term?
Keyes says stagecoaches were at risk of Indian attacks, “therefore many companies employed a security guard who sat next to the driver on an elevated perch outside the wagon, shotgun at the ready.” The guard was known as “the shotgun.” So next time you’re sitting in that seat, be ready to repel an Indian attack.
With my apologies for getting the song stuck in your head, anyone who has seen the Showtime show “Weeds” is familiar with the term “ticky tacky.” It comes from the 1962 Malvina Reynolds song “Little Boxes” and in terms of the show, perfectly captures the rows upon rows of identical houses filled with people who seem perfectly alike. As Keyes says, ticky tacky “has been our preferred catchphrase for uniform homes and those thought to live in them.”
Other than giving us the idea of “drinking the Kool-Aid,” “Jonestown” is used as a way to describe cultlike experiences. In many of the entries, Keyes gives a contemporary example of the word’s usage in a newspaper, TV show, book or magazine. For Jonestown, he describes how it is used by a character in Nick Hornby’s “How to be Good,” which happens to be one of the better books I have read in the past few years.
Keyes also talks about using “breadbox” as a comparative measurement rather than an actual place to store bread. While I have never heard anyone say something is “as big as a breadbox,” the term did bring to mind a tangentially interesting point about the habits we inherit from our parents.
Not long ago I was talking to my mom about something and the topic of having bugs in your house came up. Back in the day, she lived in an apartment that had a bug problem (roaches?), which led her to start storing her bread in the refrigerator. I have always put my bread in the fridge, but only because that’s the way we did it when I was growing up. Good to learn there was an actual reason, even if the original issue is long forgotten.
People love fall for lots of reasons — leaves changing color, pumpkin spice lattes, Halloween parties, an extra hour of sleep, Thanksgiving.
But for me, it’s all about the return to my wardrobe of shirts with pouches on the front. I could care less about those other “benefits.” I just want to walk around with the same features that come standard on any kangaroo.
Since humans lack such pouches biologically, we have to sew them onto things like sweatshirts, full-zip sweatshirts and even half-zip sweatshirts. It’s a diverse line of clothing, but really one that can only be deployed when the weather gets cool.
When that coolness does arrive, we gain the ability to not only keep our hands warm in a stylish manner, but also have another option for carrying around all of the things necessary for living in the 21st century:
Look how comfortable the fine young man on the left is with his hands snugly in those pockets. He is so at peace in this fall paradise, he can barely stay awake.
On the right, you have a guy who is ready to tackle whatever the day may bring. Ignore that the picture is slightly obscured by the effects of the sun. In his left hand, a wallet (necessary for paying for things and such) and ultra-trendy sunglasses that could help mute the effects of the aforementioned sun. In his right hand, a device sure to impress the many people he is bound to encounter on the streets — a well-used Rubik’s Cube.
Try carrying all of that in a t-shirt.
So the question becomes, why can’t we have pouches incorporated into our summer attire? I think we could all get behind t-shirts with hand pockets.
The Smell of Cheap Living A poor choice (in hindsight) at the grocery store takes me back to a time of very cheap living. (Note: I will never ever under any circumstances buy these things again).
Peace Out I react to the negative uproar that follows President Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize win.
In Defense of Sweatpants A Newsweek article grinds my gears on the topic of men wearing sweatpants in public.
But the Hat Came Back A key piece of my winter wardrobe comes back into my life, years after it was stolen by a swift, crafty blonde.
I do not plan retrospectives for the other years in the archives, though there is some good material in there. Solid new stuff coming soon — stay tuned.
I just noticed a woeful number of postings for this month, and I really don’t have an excuse for not writing.
So to break the streak, I bring you what could be a useful collection of stories for those just finding the blog, those who started reading partway through the year or those who just want to relive some good times.
On this 20th day of the 10th month, I bring you the 10 best posts of 2010 (skipping posts from October — those are new enough for you to find on your own):
Oh Baby Baby Mom lets me know I face a deadline for producing a child. Also proof that including celebrities in your writing brings in readers (thanks, Natalie!)
Dealies, Please A trip down good-eating lane with perhaps my favorite food product on Earth. The accompanying picture belongs in a museum. Lessons From a Little Girl Easily the most popular post of the year. I share a meal with a 7-year-old girl and learn more than I would have dreamed possible. This post is a bonus on the list that adds a small part to the story.
Six Years Ago Today The anniversary of a special relationship. Also has pictures of bees. And a bonus link inside to a video of me solving a Rubik’s Cube.
Today is Thursday, which is my Friday, which means it is my weekend.
Everyone I know in the journalism world describes their work week that way, probably because it brings some sanity and order to our normally odd schedules. Do people outside the industry talk like that? Or is it borderline crazy to hear someone ask, “Is this your Tuesday?” and find such a question completely normal?
After work today I went on an extremely productive set of errands that included a stop at Best Buy. Since it is clearly one of the greatest stores on Earth, I usually enjoy myself there. Today was no exception, until I saw this:
Best Buy, you apologize to Norah. You apologize right now.
Last week, groups of librarians, publishers, journalists and authors marked the annual Banned Books Week to “celebrate the freedom to read.”
The event brings attention to the works that have been banned by states and communities, often for issues that people decide they would just rather not address. The books range from modern pop lit (Twilight, My Sister’s Keeper, Harry Potter) to classics that used to be standard reading (To Kill a Mockingbird, Black Boy, The Giver).
Like any self-respecting journalist, I did my best to turn an evergreen blog post — reading J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher in the Rye” — into a timely piece pegged to a news event. I even finished the book late last week so that I could actually post the blog during Banned Books Week.
Somewhere between setting the book down, and sitting down here at the keyboard I got a little distracted. I partly blame my previous post, which involved a lot more effort than usual, but will give credit to general laziness and the need to clear out space on the DVR.
“Catcher in the Rye” is one of those books that it seems like I should have read a long, long time ago, but somehow slipped by. I have been trying to plow through some of that backlog, and in the process have apparently been reading some “scandalous” books.
In the past three years (my lists from 2008, 2009), I have read three of the top 100 banned books of this decade. Those corrupting titles include “Of Mice and Men,” “The Kite Runner” and “Fahrenheit 451.” In my life, I have probably read about a third of that list.
I found it particularly interesting to see “Fahrenheit 451” on the list, since the plot is largely driven by a world in which all books are banned and destroyed on sight.
The American Library Association has a map of book bannings, as well as lists that detail why certain powers that be wanted those words hidden. A lot of their reasoning falls in a few categories they don’t want students exposed to — sexuality, racism and profanity.
One listing for Harper Lee’s “To Kill a Mockingbird” says the book was banned because of the way black characters were portrayed. As in the case of most of these instances, someone is missing the fact that those elements present the very thing that can foster incredibly useful conversations.
The ALA listing says there was worry about African American students feeling uncomfortable discussing the text. I read the book in ninth grade English, a class taught by a black woman with several black students. We didn’t skip over portions or sanitize our conversations. We talked about the issues, the implications of race relations in that era and how they affected the very conversations we have today. In short, we used what is probably the seminal novel for such a discussion to have, well, those discussions.
I’m not saying second graders should be reading “The Kite Runner,” but the parents of 10th graders shouldn’t overreact to one scene in one chapter that happens to set an important emotional tone in the story.
I’m glad my parents had a different philosophy, which I can best describe as reading = good. There’s a book fair at school this month? Great, here’s some cash. There’s a magazine drive and you want to subscribe to something? No problem. You have a summer reading list? Let me know which ones you are reading, and I’ll get them (as opposed to the huge number of kids who never bothered to open a book over the summer).
Ok, end of rant.
I have described in the past my general process for the book blogs — mainly dog-earing pages that have something I think I want to discuss later.
The bad part about waiting so long to talk about “Catcher in the Rye” is that I haven’t the slightest clue why I tagged any of these pages. But at least I am pretty confident I haven’t been totally corrupted by the “sexually explicit” material full of “offensive language.”
During my sophomore year of college, I took a documentary film class that ended with an extremely disappointing project.
We had a good subject matter, and put a lot of work into the film, but the end result was not good at all. Two years later I had some time in my fall schedule, and took on an independent study project to give the documentary genre another shot. The focus of the project was The Crusader, the student newspaper at Susquehanna University.
I wanted to explore a few things that as a former editor I knew we had sometimes talked about in small groups, but had never discussed as an organization. There were issues like whether staff members should be paid, if the one practicum credit was worth all the effort, what it was like to put in all the work only to see people throw away the paper without reading it and what it was like to go through all of that together.
One side perk was that the communications department had some extra money to spend during the summer, so I arrived back at campus to find a brand new, top of the line Mac G5 editing system. It was one of those pieces of technology that is so beautiful you don’t even want to touch it. Not only was it a big step up from our Windows-based Adobe Premiere system, but nobody really knew how to use the FinalCut editing software. So as part of my independent study, I basically had the machine all to myself for the semester with the understanding that I would later teach people how to use it.
It was a pretty sweet deal.
I interviewed most of the editorial board within a week span about midway through the semester. The only major editor not featured is the sports editor Sarah, who not only had time constraints from playing volleyball but also was not a fan of talking to me with a camera in my hand.
The process for producing one issue of the weekly newspaper encompasses about a week and a half. All of the non-interview footage follows one specific issue — including the initial editorial board meeting, staff meeting, budget meeting and two nights of actually laying out the paper.
Here is the film in two parts, with additional discussion about the process below (after hitting play, change the 360p in the bottom right corner to 480p for optimal viewing):
After showing the film to everyone when it was done, I sent all of the editors a questionnaire to see what they thought. I asked for their overall impression, what insights they may have gained, whether they thought the subject was treated fairly and how they thought my relationship with the newspaper affected the film I was able to make.
The last question was really the most interesting to me. I started as a staff writer for the paper during my sophomore year, and the following year served as the sports editor. Senior year I dropped back to just being a writer, covering a few sports teams and writing the weekly sports column. For the edition seen in the film, I only wrote the sports column.
The editors said that because I had been in their position, they felt they were much more comfortable in opening up to me. They said they would have been much more wary about letting a total outsider into their office, and would have acted differently.
What none of us really expected was the wide range of opinions that came out during the interviews. The pay issue was particularly interesting with who wanted to pay whom, and why.
I also didn’t expect it to be as funny as it was (at least to me). The editors usually work very late nights on Wednesday and Thursdays, and there’s a certain amount of silliness that comes out of the process. I always chalked that up to people getting a little punchy without sleep, but the daytime interviews certainly brought out some sneaky funny people.
In total, I think I shot about 16 hours of footage using two different cameras (Sony PD170 and Panasonic PV-DV851). One of the biggest challenges was taking that monster stack of video and getting it in a somewhat organized state. That began with giving each tape a number (label your tapes!):
I then captured each tape into the computer, jotting down notes about specific shots I might want to use as the tape was playing. By the end of the project, I had kind of a mad scientist thing going on with my stack of notes. I’ll close with a few scanned sheets, with some attempted explanations as to what is going on with each one (links will open in new window):
Interview Questions I started out with a standard list of questions to ask each editor, and added a few more that were targeted to each one. As you can see, there are some issues that didn’t make it into the film. I had some additional directions I wanted to go, but at some point you just have to stop.
Video Bins This was probably the most important piece of paper to me for that entire semester. In FinalCut, you can create these virtual bins to organize sets of clips. What you see here are four sections (one for each portion of the paper), with a number and letter for each clip. I have two double-sided pages like this, and as crazy as it may look, it all made perfect sense to me at the time.
Film Outline Besides keeping all of the footage straight, developing the story of the film was the most difficult part. I spent a number of days hopelessly looking through the video trying to come up with a logical structure. You can see here the basic outline at the top and a more developed list below that with timecodes for where each section ends. Off to the right, there’s a pair of drawings with the words “narrative arc.” I think that came from trying to explain to my professor how each portion told its own story, and that those added up to a total arc that took us from one place to another.
Narration Script With an outline in place, the real anchor for moving the story along was the narration. I tried to say as little as possible, instead letting the editors tell their story. But there were a few parts that just needed a sentence or two of explanation to orient things. Probably the biggest thing I have wanted to redo is the voice track. At the time I recorded it, it was “good enough” to get the editing process rolling and I never went back to do a better version. Oh well.
I also can’t explain why I didn’t hide the mic cords during the interviews, which is definitely distracting. Finally, I wish I had taken the time to make a blooper reel. Sarah wouldn’t sit down for an interview, but I have a tape with an amazingly entertaining segment of her eating a piece of chocolate. The audio from some of the office interactions you saw but didn’t hear would have also been worth the effort.
Nickelodeon is responsible for a lot of great innovations in kid-dom, including such icons as “Ren & Stimpy,” “Doug” and “Clarissa Explains it All.”
But a newer program on the network may have inadvertently spawned the greatest idea yet: Spaghetti tacos.
I was reading through The New York Times the other night at work and could not pass up a story that included two of my favorite foods. It turns out, according to the Times, the combination of spaghetti and tacos is huge with the viewers of the show “iCarly.”
“That punch line has now become part of American children’s cuisine, fostering a legion of imitators and improvisers across the country,” the story says. “Spurred on by reruns, Internet traffic, slumber parties and simple old-fashioned word of mouth among children, spaghetti tacos are all the rage. Especially if you’re less than 5 feet tall and live with your mother.”
I haven’t been less than 5 feet tall since the age of two (OK, not true, but it’s been a while) and don’t live with my mother. But there is no doubt I will be purchasing taco shells in the coming days to give this dish a shot.
Note: As you may have noticed, I changed the look of the blog to hopefully improve readability. Let me know what you think.
