Apparantly what I needed to improve my pace was to complain about it. Today, I ran an average of about 30 seconds less per mile than I have been.
In related news, it was really cold and windy, and my hands were pretty much just finger-cicles, and so some of my speed may have been derived from the urge to get back to shelter and warmth.
Have I told you that Seth and I found an apartment? Yeah. We’ll move in around mid-April. I’ll tell you more about that tomorrow.
Hey, I’m bite-free!
I know you were just sitting on the edge of your chair, hitting refresh every 10 seconds, waiting to hear if I was okay. Rest easy, okay? I’m fine.
The job is good. It’s a new experience, and so somethings are still weird, but overall, it’s good. I’ve got another interview for a second job scheduled for Monday - it’s one I’d really like, so send the good mojo my way Monday afternoon between 4 and 5 central time. More details on that when I know more myself, as I’d hate to jinx it!
Oh, okay, so I’m running again. (Wooooo!!!!!) My times are fairly slow, and it frustrates me mostly because they’re a bit slower than they were last summer before I left for Taiwan. Of course, back then I did the Couch to 5k before I started in with Hal Higdon’s Spring Training, and this time I just jumped in with the spring training, but still. I want my old times back now, please. But, of course, my legs have other thoughts - not getting injured, perhaps - and insist on going a bit slower. I know it’ll get better, and as it warms up, I’ll be able to start running in the mornings before work (and before eating!), which I vastly prefer to running in the afternoon or evening. In the past, afternoon runs always seemed slower, as if the day’s work (or was it the day’s food?) was slowing me down. It’s okay though. I’ll keep going, and I’ll improve, and I’ll be healthier and happier for it, right? Plus, I’ve got myself a few long-distance training partners to keep me on my toes, pushing me to greater and greater distances. Tomorrow may only be 3 miles, but this fall? Marathon, baby.
Oh, yeah. It’s on.
Today, I did many things. I got up early and read the newspaper. I made breakfast. I bought a new nike+ kit since my first sensor died. I ran. I applied for a job. Also, Lindsay and I went to Chipotle for lunch. It was tasty. You can see the photographic evidence here: Lunch at Chipotle
Oh my. This is so boring. Tomorrow, perhaps, I’ll write a better post. It might be fictional, though. You’d be okay with that, right? Let me know.
For the last few days, we’ve been driving around in a Cadillac. It’s a nice enough ride, but since the rear passenger-side tire looses air as fast as, I dunno, something fast, and it can only take premium, so-expensive-it’s-almost-amusing-but-not-really-funny-at-all gas, we’d like to find something a little more economical. Or, at the very least, something a little more ours, instead of my parents’. Our budget is very, very small, and so it was a little dishearting to see the prices of cars right now. Even in the crappier parts of town, where you can usually find near-junkers at the scary little auto lots - the sort with names like Bob’s A+ Autos or Mike’s Motors - we couldn’t find anything in our price range.
Sigh.
I’m sure we’ll find something. It may not be nice, and it may not be anything I actually want to drive, but it’ll get us around until we have established ourselves a bit more and can more easily saddle ourselves down with a nice, heavy car loan so I can get a nice, comfy, safe, and boring little car, like my old Corolla.
In the mean time, I guess I can run wherever I need to go. That’d be good exercise. Might be a little difficult, of course. But, hey, I can do it - I did 3 miles today. Now, sure 3 miles isn’t a lot, maybe, but considering it’s only my second run since getting back, I’m feeling pretty good about it. Go me!
Well. Today, for the second day in a row, I took a nap. Stupid jet lag.
Also, I didn’t run today, as I waited until late in the day, planning to run with a group that they told me started at 5:45 from the local running shop. Sounds good, except I was the only one who showed up. “No one runs alone,” they told me, which, as it turns out, was true. After waiting around for 15 minutes I gave up, and by the time I picked up Seth from Barnes & Noble where he was waiting for me, it was dark and cold, and I don’t really have clothes appropriate for running in the dark and cold. And tomorrow it’s supposed to be really, really cold. I’m thinking maybe I need to investigate membership fees at the local Y.
Today was a good day. We slept late, ate some food we’ve been craving (coughTacoBellcough), and I went for a run. It was short, but it felt good, and I’m going to do it again. Not tomorrow, probably, but Thursday for sure. For now, though, although I’m more or less adjusted to the time, I am super-sleepy. Usually as I write these posts near midnight I’m tired, but not sleepy. Of course, usually I’d just finished working 2 or 3 hours ago, and we still not finished decompressing from the work day. I don’t really have that problem just now, what with being unemployed and all (rectifying that situation, or at least laying the groundwork to recitfy it, is the plan for tomorrow), so I’m going to go to sleep now.
Sometime last week I found this logic game (mac only, sorry) via MetaFilter’s Projects page, and wow, it’s my new favorite timesink. It’s fantastic - the guy’s niece describes it as “a cross between Sudoku and those logic puzzles we do in school”, except it feels less like Sodoku and more like the logic puzzles to me, minus the story lines that went with them.
It’s not a polished release or anything (the designer is pretty upfront about that), but it seems to be relatively bug-free (sometimes when I try to get a hint it’s all “no, you can’t have one until you fix this square that’s already been completed correctly, dummy”). Really, for a free game, it’s completely awesome. If you have time to spare (or just like to pretend you do, like me), you should give it a try. Be careful, though, as I’m pretty sure it’s as addictive as crack.1
iQ: A Puzzle of Deduction and Logic
Also, regarding my previous post: Annie lied. Stupid rain - it was back this morning like it was never gone.
Things I Can Do In The US That I Can’t Do In Taiwan:
This evening is the first one that I’ve managed to stay awake past 8:45 or so. This may have something to do with the fact that it’s the first night I’ve had anything resembling supper. Or, it may just be that I’m finally getting past the jet lag - I’m not sure which one, really.
So, tomorrow in training is our first big hurdle - teaching demos! We’re supposed to prepare an entire kindy lesson, but then we’ll only be teaching about a quarter of the whole lesson, but we won’t find out which quarter until right before we do it. So, tonight we’re supposed to be preparing. Only, I’ve been slogging through emails, and talking to my dad (yay for Skype!), and uploading pictures, and setting up a nike+ challenge for some friends, and I think that’s everything. Also, Seth is sick, and in no shape to be practicing anything except not puking. I’m not sure what it was he ate, but I’m guessing it was something from the veggie buffet he went to last night that I chose to skip. So, I think I’m probably just going to get up early in the morning to plan and try to help Seth do the same. Mmmm, cramming at the nearly-last minute…good times.
How about some pictures?
These first two are our hotel room and bathroom. Do you notice anything? Ahh…yes…the room is pretty small. All but one of our bags are all over the floor, as there’s no cabinet or chest to put our clothes in. The bathroom’s nice, though.
These next two are from our tour of Taipei the first day. What does it mean to Enrch Your Life? I dunno. But it must be good, right?
More from the tour. First up is Taipei 101, the tallest building in the world for now. I think there’s another somewhere else in Asia that’s just about finished that will take that crown away from the 101, but for now, wooo! I live in the country with the tallest building! Next, um, is me squinting. Yay.
This one is the statue of Sun Yat-Sen above his tomb. Then, we’ve got the gate in front of the Chang Kai-Shek tomb, I think.
Then me, uh, squinting again. I’m good at that on the days I forget my sunglasses. Finally, the a picture of place we visited, a temple that they tell us is a lucky one - people will come to pray for a good grade on the morning of a test - perhaps Seth and I should take a trip out tomorrow!There are lots more pictures in online - just click on the link up on the top of this page that says “photos” to see the rest. Kindly remember that I didn’t take the time tonight to gussy them up any, and we’re not the best photographers ever. So, yeah. They won’t win any awards, but they’ll do pig. They’ll do.
So, what do you want to hear about first?
Woo! I managed to get two full miles inside of 30 minutes! Previously, I’d been getting about 2.9, and was walking a good portion of the time. This morning, though, I made myself run about half the time (maybe just a little more). For the first mile, I walked laps 1 & 3, and ran laps 2 & 4, and for the second mile, I walked the first half of each lap and ran the back half of it.
I’m not running at the pace I’m going to need to get a 10 minute mile, but I’m pushing myself to run longer (whole laps at a time) rather than faster (quarter or half laps at a time) and keeping my minimum/walking pace higher throughout the session. Is it any wonder, then, that I’m craving eggs and the protein they provide?