Archive for the 'Current Events' Category
I just want to post a quick note to let you know that Bill and I are totally okay here in Boston. We were very near the explosions. Bill had finished the race and was in the recovery area (maybe 300 yards from the bombs). I was with the father of our friend Lindsay heading toward the family meeting area. The explosions were confusing because they sounded like they could have been celebratory blasts of some kind–although it was difficult to imagine why they would have been happening at that point in time. It was only after we got a little closer that we realized the area was in chaos.
We tried to quickly get out of the downtown area, but the green lines on the subway (the ones we needed) were shut down, so we just took whichever line was available and found ourselves in the Italian district where we sat and had a drink and watched the news. Later, we made our way to our friends’ hotel in the north end of Boston and stayed there until things calmed down and our friend could drive us back to our car which was outside of the city.
Right now, we’re at our hotel and everyone we know is accounted for and doing well. Our hearts go out to Boston, to those who’ve been injured, and to the families of those lost. Thank you to all who have contacted me on twitter and facebook or by text or email. I so value you as part of my community and appreciate your love and concern.
I’m still a little under the weather, but limping along this week. This time of year is always a little hard (see my recent Psychology Today post on Running Away from the Holiday Blues) with the holidays and weather and the short days, but throwing this cold in the mix has worn me out. Seems like a cold is all it is, though, so… Rest and wait.
In the meantime, I’ve had plenty of time at my computer to work on various projects:
My new book, Beyond Belief: The Secret Lives of Women in Extreme Religion will be out in April. Susan and I got our “first pages” last week and I used my down time Monday to finish proofreading the draft.
NaNoWriMo is over and I enjoyed every minute of it. I spent some of my tea-sipping days this week reading through the round robin novels my writer friends and I created last month. Check out TAKE ONE and TAKE TWO of No Rest For the Wicked. They are deliciously hilarious.
I’ve also had the chance to do some additional brainstorming and scheming with my friends Carol Frazey and Rose Sporty Diva Coates. We’re cooking up some workshops and races to offer in 2013. Check out Running 4 Our Lives for more information and stay tuned.
And last, but not least, I’ve spearheaded my next writing/editing project, an anthology of women writing about how their writing has changed their sense of who they are. (Check out camiostman.net for details or to learn how to submit something.)
So, even though I’ve been low in energy, it turns out there’s a lot you can do from a sitting position. Who knew?
Even so, I’m hoping my nose will stop running this weekend and my legs will get back to it. Thanks to all of you who sent me your remedies and cures. I’m sure they helped me cut this bug short!
Today I watched Bill head out into the rain for his training run. He has to get ready for this relay challenged he’s issued, too. Ironically, although he only has to shave off two minutes from his most recent best half marathon time (in contrast to my six minutes), he’s got the tougher job.
Bill runs every race “leaving it all out there,” which means that he doesn’t have two minutes to spare. I run every race wishing I had someone to talk to and saving up my energy in case someone comes along. I sometimes even stop to pet a dog if a supporter or volunteer has brought one to the course. And I always chat with the folks at the aid stations while I sip my water (seems polite, since they’re standing out there all day waiting for me). This isn’t to say that running thirteen 10:17-minute miles (see Bill’s correction of my math in his comment on the previous post) won’t be hard for me, it’s just to say that I regularly build more padding into my races so that I don’t feel too pushed. But if pushing is what you’re doing as a matter of principle, shaving off two minutes might be pretty difficult.
Don’t tell Bill this, but I’m going to run my hardest half marathon ever to buy him some time. I’m planning to try to pass him the baton at 2:13 to give him a couple of minutes to spare!
So, I’m at the tail end of co-editing a book that will be coming out in April. I’ve had a wonderful time getting to know our authors and supporting them in the telling of their stories. And here near the end of the project, I’m having that feeling you get in the last six miles of a marathon: tired and dragging but gone too far to turn back now–and too proud of your accomplishment to consider it! By the end of September, I’ll be at mile 26: ready to be done, but knowing the finish line is right around the corner and ready to receive a medal and a bottle of water for my efforts.
One thing I’ve missed is the time to update my blog regularly. There’s so much to comment on, tell, wonder about… but so little time. So here are some bullet points of random items of interest I would have blogged about if I’d had more time in the past two weeks (in no particular order, as you’ll note).
- Girls on the Run in Bellingham (probably everywhere) needs coaches. If you’re a woman who can offer girls encouragement to be themselves while leading them as they become runners at their own paces, contact Jen Gallant ([email protected]).
- I’m heading down to the Baker Lake 50K on October 6. I’m sort of freaked out about it because I was the dead last finisher in my last 50K, but I’m excited too! And I could use a ride, btw, if anyone is willing to tote me down there. Don’t worry, Bill will pick me up, so you won’t have to wait for me to finish before you can go home.
- My e-friend, Rose Coats, will be staying with me the night before the Bellingham Bay Marathon. I’m excited to meet her in person because she’s a real inspiration. She’s lost over 100 pounds and now encourages others to be committed to their own health and well-being. You should check out her blog.
- The writing club I co-founded (Red Wheelbarrow Writers)–and friends–will be writing a round robin novel during NaNoWriMo in November. We still have days available if you’re interested in joining us. Laura Kalpakian will start us off and then one person is assigned to write a chapter (at least 1,666 words) each day in November. Send me an email if you’re interested in joining in! It’s just for fun.
- I’ve started offering life-coaching (in addition to therapy, which I also still offer). This is a new career direction for me that allows me to support people as they focus on their goals and future direction. If you’re interested in knowing more, send me your email and I’ll give you details.
OK, we’re caught up. More soon.
A couple of years ago, I received an email from a stranger who lives in Iowa. Bruce Sheriff wanted to know about my “7 marathons on 7 continents” journey. He was on the journey himself and had found my blog post about my race in Tateyama, Japan (here’s the race report if you’re inclined). He wanted to run the Tateyama race but the only information on it he could find at the time was in Japanese. How did I manage to register? He wanted to know.
Well, I told him, Tateyama is the sister city of the city I live in, so I registered through my mayor’s office… sort of. He asked if I could hook him up. Sure I could, I said. But it would cost him a phone call so I could check him out first. I wasn’t going to connect just anyone with the wonderful, hospitable people of Tateyama because I knew what Bruce didn’t know but would soon find out: There’s no “hey we’re just dropping in to run a marathon, so if you could point me to the registration line that would be great” culture in Japan. I suspected that even though Bruce only wanted help with the registration forms, once my friends in Japan knew someone was coming, he’d get the full treatment.
So Bruce called me, and I liked him. He is a kindred spirit.
After his trip to Japan, Bruce has kept me posted on his comings and goings, and this week I received a note with an article about his journey to complete 7 marathons on 7 continents. Join me in congratulating Bruce Sheriff for following through on his dream!
Great job, Bruce!!!