Running away (for a bit)

We leave for Denmark this afternoon to attend a friend's wedding. So excited.

The cooler weather has left us and it's hot again. School is back in and 7am traffic, when I like to run, is god-awful. There are no sidewalks on the route I like to run - not even any shoulders to speak of.

Drivers around here are horrible. I've been grumbling a lot lately. Even as a pedestrian trying to cross the street at a crosswalk, with the correct light - I feel like I've got a big bulls-eye on me. I swear I'm going to get killed in this traffic around here. Drivers give no indication that they recognize pedestrian right-of-way. They glare at me as they race around corners, cutting me off in the middle of a cross-walk. Not only bad drivers, but rude drivers.

Largely due to that, I've been looking into programs at the Y to get me off the streets. I may try a swimming clinic in early September.

Improvements

It's been aggravating trying to get used to these hilly routes during the hottest time of the year, but the recent cooler morning temperatures - down to the mid-60s - are making a difference. Since I've started tracking my runs on the Training Log at Runner's World, my times are coming down, which is nice to see. Overall, my pace still seems to be about 30-40 seconds slower than it was the previous year. The US10K on Labor Day weekend will be a good yardstick. That was one of my fastest 10ks about 3 or 4 years ago.

I just finished a Graphic Design class at the Savannah College of Art & Design community education program. So although I haven't been posting many doodles or sketches, I've been hacking away at some graphics. Maybe I'll start posting that stuff again soon. I'd like to start working on a portfolio, but that will take a bit more time and dedication than I've wanted to put into it lately.

Spending

New laptop should be here in a few weeks! It is a new experience sharing purchases and the discussions about spending that go along with that. Obviously something to get used to! For months, years even, I couldn't think of anything I wanted to spend money on, now all of a sudden there are like 20 things over $100 that I really strongly feel are worth the money.

[Update] As if to prove the above point, MOB just got a fraud alert call from his credit card company tonight - apparently, there's been an unusual amount of use on it lately! And yes, a lot of that may have to do with me...

Computer randomness

Since I've moved into my now-husband's apartment while we wait for our townhouse to be built, my home-office is now in the guest room where my husband keeps his computer. We've moved things around so my work desk is now perpendicular to his computer desk. And since I occasionally need to use my personal laptop, we've set up a tv tray perpendicular to the other side of my work desk. The chair sits in the middle of this make-shift operations center. I spend my day swiveling from one computer to the other depending on what I have to do.

We've been talking about the need to buy a new laptop for home use. Theoretically, my husband thinks it will replace his and my current personal computers, which are a bit old. However, my personal laptop is loaded to the brim with tons of unnecessary applications that would be so much trouble to reinstall on the new computer. Sure, it makes some kind of noise like an idling lawn-mower and will probably explode in a puff of dust and smoke one day soon. And it weighs about 15 pounds. I am excited about getting a new laptop. Maybe just a little anxious about letting go of the old one.

Running blog?

Although this blog started off with the intent of writing about my measly efforts at running and making art, it appears that I've had writers block on those two topics lately. I have been doing a little of both, although with maybe a little less intensity and focus these past few months.

After the marathon last March, it was a relief not to have such a huge commitment to train for. I relaxed into easy 3 mile runs about 3 times a week for a couple of months. Sometime around April or May, my sister (here in Georgia) took up running and so we've been getting together on the weekends to run.

It was her enthusiasm about running the Peachtree that kept me interested in doing it with her this year. I might not have done it otherwise. And I'm fairly certain it was my last Peachtree. Two key factors go into that - 1) No longer living at the finish line now makes transportation more of a hassle - I really don't want to take a MARTA train packed in with 50,000 sweaty runners back to my starting point. Too gross for me. 2) I was disappointed to see literally hundreds and hundreds of people with race numbers lined up along the first mile, jumping in after the start, bypassing the controlled start that the race normally follows. People - if you don't want to deal with a crowded race, don't sign up for it!

I've run two other 10ks this summer and my times are a lot slower these days. I'm finally starting to feel motivated to work on that. No more marathons for me. I'm going to focus on 10ks and half-marathons for a while and just try to get faster.

And just a final word about running. The area of Atlanta I am now temporarily living in has the biggest baddest hills I've ever run on and it is a struggle! I miss my midtown routes! I'm looking forward to moving in late October.