Italian Speed-Through

No, it's not speedwork related to my training but speedwork of another kind.

Last night we had an Italian Speed-Through of Merry Wives. Trust me, though I didn't have my running shoes on, it was still a workout! For those of you not in the know, you rehearse the entire show (blocking, acting, etc.) as fast as you can. It's great fun, but very hard work and by the end I was pretty tired. There is an intensity of focus that must be sustained for the length of the show - in this case about two hours.

Fortunately, running doesn't require quite the same mental intensity. Oh, don't get me wrong - running requires as much mental stamina as it does physical. But it's more stamina to keep you from being your own worst enemy. Remember that Gremlin? Yeah, it's all about keeping him quiet through the run. And that can be exhausting. I think "hitting the wall" is when you can no longer shut him up.

Tonight we will be working scenes. This is the equivalent to running hills, splits, etc. You focus on one thing and really push it to the limit - discovering a great deal along the way. I also have a costume fitting - kind of like going for new shoes or shorts. Does it fit? Is it comfortable? Can you move in it? The biggest difference here is that I don't get to complain if it's not cool enough.

It's hard to believe opening is one week away. Though I know we'll be ready, I sometimes wish rehearsals would take as long as training does. Only because, like a race, the run of a show goes by too quickly (okay so the marathon doesn't feel quick when you're IN it, but it sure does when you look back on it). And though you're tired and ready to rest, you hate to lose the moment - because it's a moment of pure joy.

Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwiches

All I have to say is YUMMY! A friend of mine recently re-introduced me to this childhood favorite and I'm an addict. I eat it every day for breakfast with a homemade fruit smoothie and frankly I think it's the best way to start the day. And it's excellent training food - just read any running magazine.

Speaking of training, I went for a maintenance run this morning with Zoe. What a good girl she was! She ran the entire way - not fast but in this heat I don't need fast. As per ususal, we stopped at the fountains and she hit the hill with me after. GOOD DOG!

This weekend I will not be able to run with Team Tegla as a friend is celebrating a birthday Friday night and the party promises to be fun and late. So I will be making up the six miles on Sunday. Perhaps Zoe would be game to join me at the Canal. And if she runs like she did today I will reward her with some of her own peanut butter and banana sandwich!

Crashed

I finally crashed last night.

After rehearsal, I tried going to read a script for an audition I have on Monday but the doors to the theatre were closed and locked. It was very frustrating as that was my only opportunity and they had said the script would be available at that time. So, I turned around and went home.

When I got home, I decided to read a bit for fun - not my script or another script - something to relax me. After a few pages, I fell asleep! And pretty much stayed asleep until 8 AM!

Clearly I needed the rest and my body finally forced me to get it. I feel better now; I'm enjoying my first cup of coffee having already walked Zoe. Next I go water and fertilize the garden and then write a little and work on my lines before today's rehearsal.

After rehearsal, I must prepare for the audition. And as tomorrow is equity day off, I might just crash again tonight.

Team Tegla

I just returned from another training run with Team Tegla. It's a GREAT group and I'm so pleased to have lucked out a second time with this program. We ran an easy five today . . . and all left feeling good. I definitely think I've made the right decision in going through the training program again. My running is re-energized: I'm feeling disciplined and excited.

I would say we are all in our twenties or thirties - I may very well be the oldest. In spite of a narrow age range, it is a pretty diverse group. We have an Argentinian and a German in our group, and there are 3 women and 4 men. Two of the men are married and the other two are gay - so I guess I can concentrate on my RUNNING. ;-) The other women are single, like me. We are all talkers for which I am so thankful! It makes the miles go faster and with less pain. Right now it's not a big deal, but when we get to 15+ miles it will mean all the world to my success.

Team Tegla trains at a 10:00 minute/mile pace . . . which is very comfortable . . . actually pretty slow. However, I think it's perfect for my training pace. It means I should easily run at 9:00 minute/mile pace and with the advanced training speed work I might even get faster. So my goal is certainly POSSIBLE.

Next week the group scatters for the 4th of July weekend. I won't be there as we are in tech for Merry Wives. Others have big travel plans. So we all meet up again in two weeks. Hard to believe July is upon us!

I wonder how chatty Team Tegla will be come August.

Zero Balancing

Yesterday I was zero balanced by a good friend.

I don't know if it was because he knows me so well or not, but it was a surprisingly emotional experience for me. I had never been zero balanced before and did not know what to expect.

A word came up in our session - "safe". Remember that fairy card I drew? Would you call it coincidence? Perhaps, but I find it a bit too thematic to simply be a coincidence.

Be it my Gremlin or my distractions - something was filling me with a kind of fear or insecurity. Pinpointing the exact trouble wasn't easy. I don't often remain still or silent long enough to be able to label it.

Yesterday changed that.

Today I am feeling better, safer, stronger - back to zero - which for me is an open, fluid place.

I hear Cold Play sing "take me back to the start" from the song The Scientist and it makes sense. How often do we want to go back to the start - in any area of our life? A new beginning. A rebirth. A jumping-off place. An empty threshold. It holds promise and adventure. It isn't scary, but exciting.

THAT'S ZERO.

Hills

I went running this morning without Zoe.

I am taking care of my housemate's dog, Sandy, while she's away and since Sandy's not a runner it was better to walk them both pre-run and go without Zoe.

What a lonely run.

However, it was also a great run. What a beautiful day! Not a cloud in the sky and low humidity . . . very nice weather for a run. I took the route Zoe and I usually run . . . along the tree-lined streets of Capitol Hill . . . around Lincoln Park . . . down East Capitol Street with the Capitol building looming ahead . . . then down 2nd Street toward the House side and to the fountains behind the House buildings . . . and then I strayed from the usual route.

I decided to run up Capitol Hill along Independence Avenue.

Yeah, I hit the hill. It's time to incorporate hills into my training and this is as good as any. It's steep enough and long enough but not ridiculous on both counts. I was surprised I could run the entire way up, actually. Including hills in my training is important because it's not as if the marathon is going to be flat! On the contrary - if you take a look at the course map (link above) you can see for yourself the radical change in elevation at Diamond Head both times (mile 8 AND mile 24). Why do course planners love to put hills at the END of marathons? The Marines are the worst - they make you climb the last .2 miles! As if running 26 miles isn't punishment enough - that's just cruel. :) So if I run more hills during the week, I might actually survive that climb up Diamond Head at mile 24.

Now how do I prepare for the 5 AM start?

Gremlins and Fairies

Oh man, does this article speak to me! My Gemlin is as loud and obnoxious as they get. It tells me I'm not training hard enough or often enough. It tells me I must find time to get my cross-training in. It tells me life outside of training must be sacrificed.

But my Gremlin doesn't limit itself to my training. It yells at me about everything - my career (you're not auditioning enough!), my lovelife (he's way too good for you!), my looks (looking your age today aren't you?), my house (what a mess!) - pretty much it's a stream of conscious Gremlin monologue.

It's exhausting to listen to it and even worse to act on what it says. It really doesn't have my best interests at heart. Does it even have a heart? Doubtful.

So how does one block out the roaring voice of the Gremlin? It's a serious question I pose and am looking for suggestions.

One way is to seek the Fairies for help. No, I haven't lost my mind completely and you do not need to burn me for a witch. It's as simple as drawing a card - a Fairy Card. My co-workers (the BOBs) and I will often draw a fairy card when we need to hear a supportive voice in our head. Fairies are proactive. Fairies are caring. Fairies are FUN.

Okay, okay - laugh it up. But let me tell you, the Fairies KNOW. One particularly skeptical friend decided to draw a card during a difficult time. As she was shuffling a card shot out of the deck. She looked at it, shrugged it off and started over shuffling. This time she managed to draw a card and you guessed it - it was the SAME card. This is not unusual.

Lately, my Gremlin has been beating me to a pulp about a certain situation in my life. It has kept me awake at night and made me anxious, jealous, and sad. So I sought solace in the Fairies today and drew: Feeling Safe. Did that ever shut the Gremlin up!

I realize it won't stay quiet forever . . . but I'll enjoy the peace and quiet while I can. And when I have a bad run, bad audition, or even bad hair day I know how to turn the Gremlin volume down.

How do you gag your Gremlin?

Discipline and Distractions

Well, clearly I have been DISTRACTED. It has been some time since I've updated you all on my progress. Finally, I have the time this morning.

All is going very well, actually - just busy! I have been keeping up with my running and the hot yoga - still trying to figure out how to fit swimming into my routine. I have started training with the other AIDS marathoners and my team is very small and social - just the way I like it! I am the only one of the group (that I've met - two were absent this past weekend) that has previously run a marathon. It seems very strange to be the only one, but hopefully I will have a few helpful hints to pass along to them. Joining up with the other runners has really made a difference in the way I approach the discipline required to get the training done. I am excited again!

Rehearsals are in full swing and I'm really enjoying the entire process (no comments from the BOBs please). I laugh a great deal and continue to learn so I can't imagine a better way to make a living.

NIH is going well, too, but I'll be relieved when July rolls around and we are down to one class a week. Juggling the teaching, Folger, and rehearsals leaves me with too little free time. Today - equity day off - I will spend trying to get completely off book. We'll see which wins out - discipline or distraction!

Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow . . .

I begin my training "officially"! I'm very excited . . . it's an easy three-miler to figure out what pace group I'll be placed in. This will determine the people I spend the next six months running with and getting to know.

I was so spoiled by my pace group five years ago! I ran in the "Galloway" group and met the most terrific people. We were definitely a social bunch and I really enjoyed my time on the canal with them. I hope to be as fortunate this time around.

My biggest concern now is not the running but the fundraising! I'm not even a quarter of the way there and need to be finished by August 31st. Well, the Luau is still to come and I will send out a second and third letter to remind people so I'm not going to panic just yet.

Of course I still haven't gotten all of my "gear." I just don't seem to have the time! My current shoes will survive the month, but after that I definitely need to replace them. I also need some new clothes, a new water bottle, and if I can swing the money I would also like the recommended watch.

Hard to believe the beginning is here!

I'm still adjusting to my crazy schedule. I don't have a clue how I'll get my other two days of cross-training in. I'm still really hoping to work in a swim twice a week - I just need to find the hours! Sometimes there really aren't enough hours in a day.

I've Heard of Going the Extra Mile . . .

. . . but THIS is ridiculous!!!! I mean, really . . . those poor racers. Sure, it makes for a terrific story - after you've recovered - but oh! the pain you endure to get there.

I ususally hit the wall, depending on how well I'm running, somewhere between 18 and 24 miles. All I want to do those last two miles is die. But if those last two became THREE???? I WOULD die. Those officials in Honolulu better be CERTAIN of the distance!

Training begins in earnest this Saturday and I'm nervous and excited. Of course, just as we're getting ready to start, SUMMER has arrived in all of it's hot and humid glory here in DC. Zoe and I ran a maintenance run at 7 this morning and Zoe was panting before we left our front yard. We hit the fountains early this morning - my vain effort to appease her in hopes she would run like the wind. Why do I kid myself? She ran like a brick (and once home proceeded to STEAL my peanut butter toast right off my plate - surely punishment for making her run in the heat).

I learned last week one of the actors in Big Death is a big runner - like, crazy insane runner. He's run ultra marathons and runs every day, rain or shine. IMPRESSIVE. I'm not certain my body could handle the stress. He's built for it though. It's good for me to know people like that - people that can inspire me to push my boundaries and improve. It's too bad I won't be seeing him on a more regular basis. Alas! Big Death closes this weekend and as I am now in rehearsal for Merry Wives, I may only get back to Woolly one more time.

We had our first read-thru for Merry Wives and what a blast! I am so looking forward to getting this show in its feet. More to come regarding that, I'm sure.

Of course, this means my schedule is pretty kooky. I will be driving home from Baltimore each night and getting back around 11:30 or so. This makes my morning runs a little tough - especially when the mileage starts to increase. However, I know I can do it since the FIRST time I did this program I was commuting from RICHMOND. Imagine driving 2 hours home after performing in Hamlet (which ended at 11pm) and then getting up to run 15+ miles at 5am!!! This schedule is easy by comparison.

So . . . my summer is off to a roaring start and I'm so happy. That's the key - run happy.

Even if I have to run an extra mile.

Spellbound

AGNATICALLY.

I spent Wednesday at the National Spelling Bee cheering my nephew on. I am so proud of him - he made it to the third round and was finally eliminated on the word agnatically. Excuse me, but I STILL don't know what that word means!

Okay, here is what the dictionary says about it - it is the adverb form of agnate:

Related on or descended from the father's or male side.
Coming from a common source; akin.

I NEVER would have gotten it - even with a definition. In fact, nobody in my family knew what it meant and my sister and father have minds like steel traps - sometimes I wonder if they might have photographic memories. My nephew is the same - incredibly bright and reads voraciously. He knew so many of the words that were given to other students. Just the luck of the draw, I guess.

Outside of the spelling bee were protesters. An interesting thing to protest. Apparently, the protesters feel we should spell words phonetically. They argue that our current spelling breeds illiteracy. I'm not sure I follow that logic! I have no doubt the kids in that competition are like my nephew and read all the time. My father calls it the dumbing down of America. Well, without hearing the full argument I can't say exactly what they thought, but with my limited knowledge of the argument, I happen to agree with my father - a RARE occurrence!

Don't get me wrong, I love and respect my father immensely. We just have very disparate views on almost everything. In fact, I can say that I share few views of my entire immediate family. It can be very hard always being on the outside. It doesn't stop me from speaking my mind though.

I got on my soapbox with him just the other day, actually. He forwarded an e-mail that I disagreed with and I let him know why. Of course, I couldn't just leave it at that - oh, no - heaven forbid I LET GO of an argument! I had to send him a quote of James Madison to support my position. This was the response I got: "My only reason in sending you this e-mail was its reference to Metro KC – nothing more. I will not bother you with this again." Huh. I wasn't BOTHERED - not in the sense that his forwarding e-mails bothers me. And if the ONLY reason in sending it was the reference stated, why forward the contents he KNOWS will get a response from me? Does he like the sparring? I haven't quite figured it out.

Family relationships are fascinating . . . and complicated. Like the word agnatically (hmm . . . is it just coincidence the meaning of the word has family in it?). And like my nephew, this is where I'm eliminated!

P. S. The spell-checker didn't even know the damn word!