Wednesday, September 22, 2010

It Doesn’t Get More Random Than This

I ran 9 miles today in 1:17 (8:36 average). I didn’t want to.  Probably because I’m on week 13 of my 16 week marathon training plan and I’m a little burned out.  Myself and I agreed that I wouldn’t think too much about it beforehand and how I didn’t want to go. I just went. “Git ‘er done,” my white trash self said. 

Post run, when the guy at Starbucks asked me how far I went, I said, “Only 9 miles.” I said "only” because this seems short in comparison to some training runs. His eyes bugged out. “ONLY NINE MILES?” Then it occurred to me that we runners are a rare breed. We lose sight of the fact that most of the population cannot run a mile (did you see the Biggest Loser last night? Lordy). We need to pat our selves on the back a bit more for getting it done (or gittering ‘er done).

Thoughts of skydiving and plunging to my death kept me up last night. I hope I can do it. I am terrified. Ken said I won’t die. He promised me, in fact. I hope he’s right. My children hope he’s right too.

The awesome Mr. Kovas at Midwest Multisport Life tagged me to write 10 random things about myself. I love this game! There is so much random about me. That’s what happens when you have no true career path or vision for your life.  When you are open to anything and everything. You end up having all sorts of weird things happen. Trifles you could say. I actually wrote a list of 43 random things about me on my 43rd birthday in February, so visit HERE if you want the full list. But for now…

  1. I put Ex-Lax in the muffins at a staff meeting in 1991
  2. I used to deal blackjack
  3. I once threw my own pee on a boy who made me mad (8th grade)
  4. I went to high school in Athens, Greece
  5. I've been swimming in the Dead Sea
  6. I went to high school with Greg Kinnear (in Greece)
  7. My great uncle was one of the first men on the moon
  8. I almost drowned when I was 23 years old
  9. I got kicked out of hula class in 7th grade for having a potty mouth
  10. My first boyfriend had the last name Hickenbottom


Don’t you wish you knew me in 8th grade and made me mad? Don’t you wish you were at that staff meeting?

Just think: I could Mrs. Beth Hickenbottom. How appropriate.

Aren’t you glad I didn’t drown? What would you be reading right now if I did? I’m convinced I won’t die from drowning or skydiving.

Okay folks. I am tagging the first five people who commented on my last post:

  1. Goose at the Whole Half Marathon
  2. Jill at Run with Jill
  3. Aimee at I Tri To Be Me
  4. Runner’s Fuel
  5. Andrew at Running Man Wannabe

Have fun with this. I did.

38 comments:

  1. i think you definitely win for most random things :) nice job on the run! i definitely think we have a skewed vision as runners... its kinda funny sometimes when you think about it :)

    good luck with the sky dive - yikes!!

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  2. Dude, I would hate to be on your bad side: pee and xlax. Yikes!

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  3. I almost drowned when I was 10. Scary stuff!

    Athens is one of the most incredible places I've ever been. I truly loved it. Greg Kinear is effing hot!

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  4. Most of those ten things require a story - do tell!
    And, btw, excellent job on your little run. Way to get 'er done.

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  5. I liked reading more random stuff about you!
    Great job on your 9 miles! I did my first 18 miler today! Wowsers!
    I cannot believe you put ex-lax in staff mtg. muffins! Did anyone find out it was you?
    Thanks for tagging me! :) I'll get my post up soon!

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  6. hahah. i want the stories behind those things! and i feel you on the "only xx miles" and people getting bug eyed. we are definitely a rare breed but a totally fun and crazy one as well :D

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  7. Did the 10 already here but I'll do it again. You said "soft serve rules" - remember?

    BTW in 1991, I had to stuff tampons up my a** after that meeting. Thanks a lot!

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  8. You had a potty mouth? I find that hard to believe! Good on you for pushing through that run even though you didn't want to. It's good for training mental fortitude as well as physical endurance.

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  9. You were a hellion in the 8th grade -- I am thinking it still lurks below the surface but you have it under control most days...except when someone calls you a corporate shill on your blog. :)

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  10. "Only" 9 miles... oh, we sure are a rare breed! I felt the same way today. Oh, and thanks for pointing out my dufus typo on the mileage. ;)

    Awesome job on the run, and great list!

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  11. I am not surprised that you got kicked out of hula class in 7th grade at all! :)

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  12. Great list, Mrs (almost) Hickenbottom. Your great uncle on the moon and you over the moon with Karno? Greatness runs in the family!

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  13. Crap I missed TBL last night and watched the always-infernal DWTS??
    You don't wanna know the last name of a guy I dated...ok sure you do it was Kuksuk.

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  14. hahaha, threw pee on the kid, hahaha. Love it!

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  15. I had this same thing happen this weekend! I'm tapering and did 12 miles. People asked how far I ran and I said, "oh, only 12 miles today." and people kinda freaked out. That was my reality check.

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  16. I saw BL last night and definitely felt better about my runs and had no appetite for any junk food. Your list is awesome. Your life has the makings of a sitcom :)

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  17. Certainly a very random list, but none of it surprised me. You are one of a kind and that’s good (a blessing). Some years ago I ran 6 ultras on 6 consecutive weekends. The 7th weekend I ran a marathon. Someone said surely you’re not running this weekend again and I replied yes, but only a marathon. I only thought about what I said when I saw people shaking their heads. We’re a rare breed, but a good breed.

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  18. I watched Biggest Loser also and it's so sad to see that there are so many people that can't run just one mile. I feel so accomplished and healthy now knowing that I can run as far as I can..so far 8 miles is the most I have ran.

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  19. I want to know what you could have possibly been using a potty mouth about in HULA class?!? :)

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  20. LOVE your 10 list! except for the drowning one, that's not cool, but i loved all the others! man, i wish i had your balls! i thought of you on my 31 mile run this weekend, i really had to take a crap and i knew i'd make u proud if i just went in the woods but i knew it'd be a good one so i didn't want to waste it :-)

    i see that you like TBL. Check out my blog post from last night, i went to the taping of TBL when they filmed in Boston!! it was back in May but i couldn't talk about it until the episode aired. i got some pics of Jillian and 2 pix with the new contestants. it was awesome. i LOVE that show!!!

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  21. I say "only" a lot too never really looking at it from a non-runner perspective.

    I have been skydiving twice- amazing! Have fun!

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  22. I say "only" all the time, too, without thinking. You're right: runners are oddballs. :)

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  23. love it. I'll get mine up tomorrow. THanks :)

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  24. I've been out of town, catching up on your last few posts and I missed the whole drive by commenting from the E-Thug. Don't tell him my last blog post was about Hummus - In fact, lets do. I can use some new readers, even the a-holes.

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  25. Lordy, those are some RANDOM things! High School in GREECE?! Awesome.

    Marathons totally jade your opinion of what is "long" and "hard" (heh...). 9 miles is no easy 'feat, and the days when that was a LONG run are still fresh in my mind. Way to go, and git 'er done.

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  26. So you're famous too?! GK?

    Awesome.
    I want to know who Mr Hickenbottom GOT to marry him with that name.

    You must teach me how to play blackjack. I suck.

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  27. Oh my... the BL. Was it the woman in Georgia who spent the whole mile saying "Oh my Lord, I'm dying"

    Runners ARE a rare breed.

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  28. i think you should post 10 random things about yourself every day.

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  29. I love these random posts! And you're totally right, when you're knee deep in marathon training, anything less than 8 or 10 doesn't feel like you worked out hard enough! LOL!
    That BL was sad!!!

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  30. Great job on getting the run done!

    And I totally love the random posts. :)

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  31. LOL so glad I didn't know you in the 8th grade. Your Great Uncle on the Moon is very cool! I am a big fan of the ARMSTRONG clan being Neil Armstrong on the moon. I assume you uncle was the other guy? Why I assume that I don't know. Have a good day!

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  32. PS I loved the lady on BL "LORDY I'm dieing!" Made me giggle.

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  33. Only you could make a random list that fun! :)

    I was just thinking, "thank heavens I only have to run 13 on Saturday." Ha.

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  34. Fantastic point about patting ourselves on the back. Thank you for that.

    That's a great top 10 list as well. Which one is your great uncle?

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  35. cant wait to hear about the sky dive!

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  36. I danced on stage with Jimmy Buffett.
    I won a dance contest at my sister's bachelorette party doing a Kramer (Seinfeld) imitation.
    I drove from Richmond to JMU with my shirt off so I'd stay awake.
    I once imitated being on a toilet without any TP at a party.
    I learned to stage kiss while in Acting 101 while my partner's girlfriend watched.
    I had a child without drugs.
    I had a level 4 episiotmy after another child (hence the 'no drugs' later).
    I threw up on my dentist's shoes.
    I love Beth Runlikethewind Risdon.

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  37. I also watched a few seconds of The Biggest Loser and thought that starting by walking rather than running so soon would have been a better and less discouraging method to encourage weight loss.

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