Light and Momentary

Pres. O'Bottom

Stella says, "Who's the principal of the United States? Remark O'Bottom?"

Undecided

So you guys, I want to do a triathlon and I can't decide if it's a dumb idea.

Do you remember back in the spring when I posted about maintenance? It was after the 10K and the retreat were over, and I was saying I wanted to keep up the ability to run 6 miles without feeling like it was A Big Deal, and I wanted to keep my fingers callused enough to play guitar happily. My calluses are gone, alas, but I've been running longer distances (for me) regularly this summer. I thought about doing a fall half-marathon, but OH MAN those long runs are painful in the summer heat and humidity. So I think I'll do a fall 10K instead, without any lofty time goals.

But there's this October sprint triathlon that's been on my radar for a while: 275-yard swim, 12ish-mile bike, 5K run. Again, no lofty time goals. I just want to complete the event and not be last. 

The big problem is that life is hectic during the semester. Is it selfish or foolish to train for a triathlon?

A secondary problem is that I sort of forgot how to swim between junior high and young adulthood, and I have been trying to figure it out for a while now with only modest success. Last fall I re-learned the breaststroke, and over the past couple of weeks I have been hacking away at my deep resistance to the front crawl. Over the summer in the adoration chapel I wrote myself a note: "You are very impatient with yourself as a learner." It's as true here as everywhere else. Two weeks ago I couldn't rotary-breathe at all, and now I can do it for a length. I think I'll sign up for some swim lessons when the fall session starts up.

Anyway, I see that as a secondary problem because I could breaststroke 275 yards; it would just be slow. And breaststroke isn't the best stroke for sharing lanes.

A tertiary problem is that my bike has hybrid tires and needs a tuneup. I love to ride it, though; it makes me happy. Most of my biking has been indoors this season, but not too long ago I took it out on a terrific 10-mile ride. Note to future Jamie: if you feel like you could outrun the cars on the stretch of road where the speed limit is 45, it means you have a serious tailwind. Save some oomph for the return trip.

Adaptation is a weird thing. I did a brick workout on Thursday (bike + run, in which one's legs feel like bricks at the start of the run) and it felt awful. Painful bike ride, painful run; I cut them both short because I just was not feeling it. I didn't exercise Friday or yesterday, but tonight when I hopped on the treadmill I felt fantastic. I cranked out 5 happy miles and then jumped in the pool for a quick swim. It's this weird cycle: work out frequently until you feel crummy, take a little time off, and TADA! feel like the Bionic Woman, if the Bionic Woman were 45 and slow-moving.

So. If I can run 5 miles and then swim more than the required distance, and feel as energized afterward as I do right now, I think I've got the endurance to finish the event without -- I don't know -- puking all over the support folks at a water station or lying down in the road a half-mile from the finish line. But I don't quite feel peaceful about registering. Is that prudence or fear? I do not know.

Bits and Pieces

Hi, everybody, I'm back. Did you miss me? I have totally blown that summer resolution to blog 5 times a week or so, but it felt more burdensome than useful so I won't feel too guilty about it. The thing about being away is that I'm never quite sure where to jump in. 

I met Jenny while I was visiting my parents. If I were a 2015 sort of blogger I would have selfies to share, but I am not. So I will just tell you, instead, about two curly-haired bloggers at a hipster-ish coffee shop, talking faith and homeschooling on a pleasant August evening.

Today I walked two of the boys up to campus to participate in a research project. Stella came along, but she was unenthusiastic about walking briskly on a warm day. When we got to the lab, she announced to the research assistant "I'm gazausted," a metathesis so charming I think I might adopt it myself. Later, as we drove to the pool, she was singing the Speed Racer theme song. (My husband bought the Speed Racer DVDs for the kids one Christmas, in memory of his favorite show from childhood.) With a little nostalgic pang I noticed that she sang the actual words this time ("go, Speed Racer!"), having figured out that it doesn't actually say "Ghost Eraser! Ghost Eraser! Ghost Eraser, go!"

Tomorrow is the faculty retreat. Normally I would do anything that my chair asked me to do -- she's terrific. But in May she asked me (all of us) to read a book that I just do not want to read. Although it is unlikely that she would find my blog by googling the book title, and unlikelier that she would care deeply about my lack of enthusiasm, I will tell you that it is not called Speeder Ship and the Blue Faience. (That might be an interesting book, huh? William goes head to head with Anakin, or something?) I will also not include the number of pages I have read so far, but just between you and me and the internet it is in the low single digits. 

So. Time to read judiciously while my applesauce finishes simmering. I'll be back.