Reset: Back on it.

I caught a bad cold after finishing a long run.  It crept to my lungs, giving me a thick cough.  I wheezed for the first set of days, and was knocked from even stepping foot to lift weights.

I think that may have been close to two weeks ago.

I jumped on the treadmill 5 days ago to do a 4 mile run, and it felt okay.

I jumped on the treadmill again for 6.25 miles, finished in 45:10

I’ll be running bay-to-breakers with a group of friends from work.  Our theme is superheros – I need to figure out mines soon.

Thinking this:

Too much?  Nah.

Onward.

Day 7: I can’t rest too long, can I?

Day 7, Week -3 / 10:30AM

6 miles on the treadmill

Completed in 45m 06s

Peak speed at 10.0 mph for 2 min.

This weekend was spent resting.  I hit a cleaning binge on Thursday night, and came away with about 2 hours of sleep, so running on Friday was out of question.  I thought I could keep running and running on the weekend, but my body kept insisting on sleeping and chilling out, or at least making sure that my head and heart were at ease before straining them with a long run.

Here’s an article about resting and running.  I should integrate in my training regimen, but rest is the only thing I’m really lazy about.  When I’m deeper in training though, I most certainly begin to turn in on Friday nights, to hit the ground hard and long on Saturday mornings… you’ll see.

Instead, I helped myself to watching some films over the weekend. 

There’s a solid critique of the film Wendy and Lucy on Geologic’s blog.

If I can add anything to his critique, it’s reminiscent of the photo documentary works of the Depression era photographer’s, most specifically Dorothea Lange.  In fact, I’d contend that the film’s droll qualities are akin to a roll of film shot by Lange.  There’s the rough editing and composure of the photo, the subject is asked to sit in their state of distress, distemper, or disillusion, what-have-you, and the photographer dances around them and reappropriates the drama.  Wendy and Lucy carries substantive moments, moments in repose and still, yet the movements between are exasperating, frustrating at best.  If one seeks out a distilled form of body in space look to Robert Bresson’s catalog, and one finds despair in the form of doomed characters confined by strict rules not completely of their society, but of the director’s stringent and sterile style.  It’s watchable, but brace yourself.

I took a second look at Planet B-Boy by Benson Lee.  It’s a work that is a great update to the meta-narrative of B-Boying.  Themes included Hip-Hop as a vehicle for self-discovery, and within that a subset of themes with globalization, male psychology, etc.  I can’t speak loads more about it, as it’s very straightforward.  One thing to note however, is how quickly the game changes every year with crews upping one another, and how political/culturally influential the judges can be on these international competitions.  

I also got to see Coraline in 3-D.  Pure joy, pure horror.  I’m not saying anything new here when we discuss the psychology of children’s tales and the fixation of fear and what these fears address.  It seems that most animations are for adults anyhow, as our generation has become more and more responsive to our bygone days of Transformers, and the constant flow of Marvel films.  I’m not knocking it, but cheers to the geeks turned filmmakers and studio execs.  

 

Day 2: It’s going to get worse before it gets better…

Ain’t that the truth?

Day 2, Week -5 / 10:30AM

3 miles on treadmill

Completed in 26m 04s

Peak speed at 10.1 mph for 1 min.

Incline at 6.0 for .25 miles; Incline at 10.1 for .25 miles

I’ll be making a second attempt at the first marathon I’ve attempted in 2007 with the San Francisco marathon at the end of July this year.  Obviously, the 7×7 region is diverse as the communities, and micro-climates that make the space challenging and exciting.  To be prepared, I’ve taken mental and physical steps to tackle more and more hills.  The beginninngs of my running in San Diego hills are jokes compared to any neighborhood in the city, as I’m usually crying by the top of Dolores Park, and some of the quiet hilly inlets that the Mission has to offer.

During training it’s important to mimic the terrain that you’ll be attempting, in fact, it’s even more important you make it even more difficult and overperform routinely, so when race day hits you, you’re well and fine throughout the run.

I’m still slightly under the weather, and I wasn’t about to run outside, as it’s suddenly frostier, yet the sun’s deceptive smiles are inviting compared to the hamster wheel that is the treadmill.  I also forgot my ipod at home, so upper-body dancing or fist-pumping wasn’t happening.  However, the 24hr Fitness radio did play Elvis Costello’s track ‘Veronica,’ and that easily brought me back to high school on walks, or runs around San Diego.  I think I may have smiled midway through one of the ‘hilly’ quarter miles I ran.

Last night, I flipped through Runner’s World magazine, and happened upon the cover story on a very inspired and driven indiviual by the name of Matt Long.  If you have time, peep the video

If not, I’ll give you the short of it — Long was a NY Firefighter who was at the peak of his game with several amazing times for a half-ironman, and marathons.  Circumstances couldn’t predict that on a ride to work on his motorcycle, he would get run over by a bus.  Long lost quarts of blood, his rectum ripped, several perforations within his stomach.  Doctors gave him less than 10% to survive.  Long lived.  Long now lives with a right leg 2 inches shorter than the left, his left leg is infused with a titanium rod, with screws that hold his hip in place…

Long wanted to live better though, so he ran a marathon.

Of course, I’m going to say if he can do it, I can do it.  I know it, you should give it a shot too.

In other ramblings, other pains are getting easier to deal with.  A combination of running and good listeners is gettin’ me by… but much like the state of world’s economy I presume it’ll get far worse before it gets any better.

Like Bukowski taught me though, if you’re all the way at the bottom, ain’t no other place to go but up.

Let’s try this…

It’s difficult to find a consistent thread or theme that permits me to blog.  However, one of the more consistent things in my life has been running.  So with that, I’ll begin logging my progress.

Ironically, I’ve been running inconsistently.  Hopefully, after today, it’ll be regular again.

Day 1, Week -5 (Pre-training schedule) / 10:30AM

Weight: 169lbs.

3 miles on treadmill.

Completed in 23m 03s.

Peak speed at 9.5 mph for 2 mins.

This was a rough one for several reasons.  I had only gotten away with a little over 3 hours of sleep.  There’s a bit of self-imposed drama happening in my life at the moment as well, including but not limited to:  poor time management, and a complicated situation with another person.  I’m always surprised at the challenge of sifting through emotions and rationale when trying to orient yourself next to another person…

With that said, running is probably the cheapest wholistic form of therapy.  Till I find a Pin@y therapist who’s willing to tackle an imagined national consciousness, the decolonization process, and internalized racism/oppression on top of a challenged sense of self-worth attached to an imangined masculinity, I’m going to run….hard.  No… harder.

I know there are other people out there suffering way more than I am, no doubt — but Imma do me, you gon’ do you, ya herd?

Above Water

“Can I live?” Stevie Wonder.

I’m mad busy, but I just wanted to take a quick break to let off some steam — no worries, no one’s on blast, not that I have much of any ammunition to begin with.

Yesterday, I came away from the second silkscreening workshop over at AND. Once more, and for the remainder of the classes, I brought my camera to document the last 40 minutes of the class. The class runs from 4 – 6PM, and I’m usually off of work round 5, so my ass gotta trek for several blocks. On any other day I wouldn’t mind, but when anyone compounds 4.5 hours of sleep the night before, 80 degree dry heat, and an overzealous attitude to run in the sun, and an even stringent MO to eat less at the office, AND insufficient funds equals one drained brutha.

I couldn’t be drained though, and I tried my best to fake da funk — thanks especially to all the youth that attended the workshop. The youth components of PODER, CPA, and SOMCAN came out with guns ablazing, responding to my questions regarding their work, their camaraderie, and being privy to their nature of being vibrant how could I not smile?

So dope.

Afterwards, I had to switch gears once more to prep for a late rehearsal with two of the four cast members for the Stories High production. Theatre collabos are a wonderful thing, it’s a different animal than film, and the missing camera is replaced/supplement by the bodies and faces of the actors. And these two brought it.

By the time I got home it was 10pmish, I handled some administrative things: sent out emails, wrote checks, and began to log the footage from the afternoon. I talked shop online with some good peeps, jumping back and forth to the FB account…

I finally ended up in bed by midnight – exhausted, but relieved that my feet were still firmly planted on the ground, head above water.