ReRoute/ChangeUp/Detour. Pick Your Phrase.

Distance: 3 miles
Start time: 8:03 am
Run Duration: 31 minutes
Pace: 10.33 minutes/mile
Temperature: 75 degrees
Humidity: 82%
Location: Memorial Park, Houston, TX

It's been 9 days since my last run. I'm almost embarrassed to report this to you. It is what it is. Rain, laziness, crappy mood, these are my reasons. These are my excuses. Anyway, I'm back at it as of this morning. I didn't set my alarm because I didn't see any need. I knew the temperature wouldn't soar into the near-100's today.

As soon as I made the turn toward the Galleria, I saw the brake lights of a major traffic jam. Not good. I slowed to a creep and edged to the exit before I got stuck in the glue that was the 59/610 interchange. Thinking I'd make my way around on Kirby toward Memorial wasn't much better during Houston rush hour. I settled into the StopGoStopSomeMore and listened to NPR.

By the time I finally pulled into my parking space at the park, I was tired of the radio and decided I'd listen to my own breathing and footfalls while I ran. It was a good choice. I needed the time to think about a presentation I'm giving this afternoon. I need to go into work for a little while (it's my day off) and polish it a bit. Having music or talk in my ears this morning would have been distracting. I needed to spend time with myself. I was pretty disgusted at having downloaded my PowerPoint improperly. It's an easy fix and I've got a couple things to add to the talk that will make it all that much better. I wouldn't have believed it last night. Last night I thought I'd run into a brick wall and crashed with the project. I didn't see a way to salvage the wreck and I was considering talking without benefit of slides, old school.

No doubt I'll have to take more detours this week, next month and so on, and so on...

I better bookmark this page.

Kick It!

Crosstraining.

Have I lost all sense of what's important? I've been concentrating on running and haven't reached to other modes of exercise (other than the stairs when I have that option) for so long.

I'm teaching a mini-class this week and this morning I got my cardio-kickboxing self in gear. My students don't need an uncoordinated, confused teacher who hasn't shouted out "right cross, left hook" for awhile.

Much better. Great workout.

If All Else Fails...

...get a haircut. The weather is awful for running, although I think I'll put on my old shoes tomorrow and jump puddles.

I'm in a sad, sad mood. I tried to go shopping but all I bought was coffee. That's hilarious to me. I looked at plenty of dresses but nothing was tempting.

I sat in a sports bar and ate a burger and watched a soccer game. Crap.

I'm going to take in a movie tonight. I heard District 9 is good. At least it's not a love story.

I have tickets to see "Grease" tomorrow. That should be uplifting and silly and just what the doctor ordered. And I have a haircut that's quite sassy. My stylist told my he loves my "highlights" (read "gray") and he's glad I've quit coloring it. That's another positive for the day.

If all else fails, Sister...get a great haircut!

Feature

Not a good night for sleep. Obviously. I'm posting this at 3:20 in the morning. I tried to get to sleep, I really did. My upstairs neighbors threw a party tonight, the darlings. 2am and they really started to get wound up. I'm not anti-party, I've been known to throw a few myself, but c'mon! This is an apartment complex, after all. Anyway, I've been toying with this piece, so here it is. I've been cleaning it up for a little while and now I'll try to get back to sleep and be up early enough to run before the heat gets the best of Saturday.


Feature

Scene rolls over rolling wheat around a silo
down typical small town Main,
past the bank and the grocer
before following the U-haul
slowly,
slowly,
winding through quiet streets.
Fix on brake lights.
Short pause in front of a bolted storefront
-then
finding speed and exiting to the South.

Hour upon hour of silence.
she reels in the new setting.

Character Development:
PersonalityNatureChoiceAccidentReputation.
Sketch.
Dare to catch one.

Dialogue starts with unscripted whispers.
Mumbles, moans.
As notes swing through,
and mix with thoughts to words to music
to (at times) the sweetest aria,
best comfort is sought - still -
in waiting for some unknown cue.

M. Scofield 9/12/2009

3 Short Runs in 3 Days

3 runs over last 3 days (9/5/09-9/7/09)

Distance: 2 miles X 3
Start time: around 7 am each day
Run Duration: about 20 minutes
Pace: Felt like 10 minute miles
Temperature: 60 degrees
Humidity: 75%
Location: Roseville, CA

I spent the Labor Day weekend in the Sacramento area with my dad. It was restful and I was especially happy that I took my running shoes. It felt wonderful to get out every morning in the cool air and enjoy a run without having to be anywhere at any particular time. I ran in Dad's neighborhood. He lives near a golf course and it's very quiet and peaceful. There weren't any stray dogs, hardly any traffic.

Saturday morning was the best. I love spending time with Dad, but he was playing golf with friends and I had the place to myself. I finished my run and spent an hour on his patio doing nothing but enjoying the morning with my coffee and the latest fashion magazine. That's like a slice of heaven to me. I had time to shower when I wanted. I then watched a movie...in his recliner. I napped. What a great morning, what a great day. Later that afternoon his friends and their wives showed up and we enjoyed a shrimp boil.

Sunday morning found me enjoying the crisp air again, then we met up with friends for brunch and headed to the state fair to watch the horse races. I wrapped it up this morning with yet another run.

I'm home now and I feel like I was hit with reality all too soon, almost from the moment I stepped off the plane. I'm glad I have several vacations planned the next few months. I intend to make the best of them.

Wednesday Soundtrack

Distance: 3.8 miles
Start time: 8:45 am
Run Duration: Don't know, left my watch on the vanity.
Pace: Felt good, never walked. :)
Temperature: 72 degrees
Humidity: 65%
Location: Hermann Park, Houston, TX

I slept in this morning. I mean I really slept in, until after 8:00. I don't work on Wednesday's, so that's not the problem. There really isn't a problem, but I wanted to take advantage of predictions of temperatures in the 60's and be at the park much earlier. I couldn't get to sleep last night and I stayed up late watching "Sex In The City", feeling quite lonely and morose. No wonder I slept so late. What a silly, girly thing to do.

By the time I hit the trail, NPR was almost done with news so I decided to shuffle my playlist on my MP3 player. What shuffle? It was mostly jazz and soul. I left it to run - as I ran. I remember the songs listed below. I know there were more.

Los Lonely Boys - "Heaven"
Suzi Stern - "My Man's Gone Now"
kd lang - "Fallen"
Staple Singers - "Let's Do It Again"
War - "Low Rider"
Charlotte Church - "The Water Is Wide"

Suzi's version of "My Man's Gone Now", from her "Lament" CD is amazing. She is such an artist and she paints images for me with her voice. This was the most difficult and special song for me to hear this morning. Many personal, close memories wrapped up in that one.

I need to get through this blue period. It's not sad, not deep blue, it's more like a gemstone in my Grandmother's jewelry box. It's rich and shimmers if I let it into the light. It's the color of my right-now-favorite dress. It's the color of the waters off Grand Cayman. It's that perfect teal that sits on the horizon and waits to be caught by our cameras, to be remembered forever, but it's not a place where we can linger for long because if we do we'll miss the rest of what's going on around us.

I run the trail to help me walk through my melancholic days. Memories flooded through me as I ran today. I am grateful for the ability to remember and all the events that came back to me today as I felt my feet connect with the earth. Today I lift up my connections and say, "Thank you, Father."

Melancholy

Lest anyone wonder if I'm still stretching my creative muscles. I am. I'm also using writing to work through some of the emotions I feel, to diffuse some of the stress I'm dealing with. Work was very difficult today. I'm also dealing with loneliness. It's true, it's true. I'll admit it. This too - as they say - will pass. I've just got to do the right thing, keep my faith and continue on my path toward being the best Michelle I can be.



Melancholy

My sister, Melancholy, tapped me on the shoulder today.
She broke apart the sweet length of ardor
I’d wound around me
and with one touch,
one slight press of she to me,
I felt my cloak of passion slip away.

Not chilled or shivered but absent fire,
lacking reason or desire,
I settled in to settle in.

She watches me from across the room.
Aware that her time with me is limited,
I see her eye me with disomic discord,
yet…
I am unable to show her the door.
Yet.
Michelle Scofield, September 1, 2009