Surviving September

I think September comes in like a lion and then STAYS that way.

Maybe it has something to do with the start of the new school year. Maybe it is kissing summer and vacation goodbye. Maybe it has to do with ancient memories of harvesting. I don't know, but what I do know is that I once again feel as if I am barely holding on and must survive September.

My teaching has started at both NIH and Rockville so besides the time I spend in the classroom, I have prep work and a longer commute. Days I teach I leave the house before 7 AM and don't return until after 10 PM regularly. I'm still at the Folger and things are certainly picking up there now that the season is under way. So the juggling of three jobs has been and continues to be a constant.

But let's look at what's been added to it just this week: two auditions, a seminar in North Carolina (that still needs to be polished), lunch with my sister, and a visiting Aunt. OH, and a broken down car that's costing me over $400 to fix.

And of course I can't let my training lapse. So somewhere in there I need to squeeze in a couple of maintenance runs and then there's the speed work.

Wait a minute - WHAT SPEED WORK? Okay, I'm going to digress for a moment because I'm still a little ticked off.

As I've been talking about since the beginning of the blog, I was planning on participating in the Advanced Training Program which basically meant adding speed work to my training. I was excited because I thought it might improve my time and I could actually break the four hour mark. Since July I have been trying to coordinate with the office when I can actually begin this advanced training. Finally, in a desperate move, I spoke to one of the coaches and he said to just show up on Sunday.

So show up I did. And NOBODY was there. So either I had the TRACK wrong (which as far as I know American University only has ONE) or the TIME wrong (training has always been at 7 AM). Naturaully, I shot off an e-mail that "expressed my frustration" over the whole thing.

So today I get an e-mail saying that the training was meant for the Marine Corps Marathon runners, not Honolulu but if I want to attend the last two I can. WHAT? The LAST TWO? But the marathon is over two months away!!!!

Well, I have now sent an e-mail to somebody named Cal (who has some responsibility with the speed work) asking if there are indeed only two sessions left and if I should even bother. I'm a bit pissed off, but clearly if this is the end of the program then there is nothing I can do about it.

SIGH.

I guess surviving September means sucking it up - in more ways than one.