Monthly Archive: June 2009

Running log: 2009/06/14

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Sun. June 14, 2009

Well, it’s early in the evening. Maybe I can still get around to doing a load of laundry or two.

Earlier today, after my run I was kind of dictating to myself that for once I would stay awake on a Sunday afternoon just so I could be a little bit useful. Eh, well after church and lunch I just ended up deciding to take a short “nap” that lengthened out to 4 hours. Oops.

It’s kind of a habit of mine. Whenever I go out for my Sunday long runs, inevitably the afternoon after is kind of a bust. I’ll end up sleeping away useful daylight hours. I’m sure my body uses that sleep as a really big recovery period, but I still feel like I should be doing something better, know what I mean?

So, the obvious suggestion would be: don’t take naps in the afternoon! Duh. The thing is, I’m usually in a state where napping is probably the best thing for me. How is that true? Well, I find that about an hour or two after my run I develop a throbbing headache. It’s the kind where my head feels like it’s in a clamp that’s being tightened. No, it doesn’t sound pleasant at all, does it? I wonder what that’s about. If I look back, it really looks like it happens much more frequently in the summer months. Looking back on this post in February seems to back that observation.

(Heh, also in that post, it looks like I took that long nap anyway.)

So, given all of that evidence I wonder if I’m running out of…something. I feel fine directly after my runs, but the act of not running doesn’t mean that my body completely just stops processing things in “run mode” and goes into a normal state. No, the effects tend to linger long after. Today, when I got home I took a shower. When I got out and got dressed I found that I was still sweating. Given that, I might be running out of carb stores, or water, or even salts. I sweat a lot, and that reduces the level of salts in my body. I wonder if the headache is due to me bottoming out somehow. Gosh, after two years of running you’d think I’d have a better handle on this. Apparently not.

The store has some salt/electrolyte tablets. I think I want to purchase a tube and see if it helps to chew on some during my run. I can add sports drink powder to my water as well, but I find that doing so in summer is kind of gross. In the heat, the drink just gets warm and has a thicker sugary mouth-feel. Toward the end of the run I feel like I’d much rather have clean, although warm, water.

I have a side story re: water and the water bottle. I noticed today that the water I put in my bottle was tasting a little off. I just couldn’t put my finger on what was wrong. However, I really didn’t have any choice, I just had to keep drinking it. Toward the end of the run I started noticing that my translucent plastic bottle was kind of dirty. I figured that it somehow got dirty from something. I didn’t have time though to stop and examine. When I got back to the store I wiped the bottom of the bottle to get the dirt off, except that it wasn’t coming off. I opened the top and looked in. That’s when I realized that the black was actually a little bit of water mould at the bottom of the bottle. Lesson learned: wash your bottles well! UGH.

Anyway, I’ll have to spend some time figuring out what the best approach is. Hot weather running is a different beast than cold weather running. Each has different things to worry about. There are these sweet spot windows of fantastic running weather during spring and autumn. Unfortunately, I think the spring window is now over.

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The pending clamp down

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Sat. June 13, 2009

Generally, I’m not the type of person that’s an extravagant and mindless spender. Almost obsessively, I log into my bank’s online site to check how my money is doing. That’s not to say I’m a tight wad, but I at least try to be responsible.

Now, with possession and closing really creeping up close, it’s finally dawned on me that I really need a good chunk of cash in order to make it through that period. There are so many fees and incidentals that I have to worry about. I wonder, why didn’t all of that ping on my radar much louder up until now? Will I be prepared enough to handle anything thrown my way? I’d like to think I am, so I don’t plan on losing much sleep over it. Still, I acknowledge that I am going to have to really clamp down on spending.

I’m sitting here listening to the radio, flipping between an oldies and a new rock channel. I’m taking this opportunity now to feel relaxed because I know that higher stress times are nigh. I hope that they pass without any major disasters because I can’t stomach the idea of being financially up the creek without a paddle.

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From the roof to my crotch

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Fri. June 12, 2009

Honestly, what the hell was that?

This morning I was just resting peacefully on the train waiting for my stop to arrive. When I pulled in, I grabbed my bag off my lap in preparation to get back on my feet. In my half awake stupor, I was surprised to see this stream of water appear in front of my eyes. At first I thought I was dreaming, but no, it was very real. So real, in fact, that it landed directly into my crotch. No, not even off to the side or anything: it was a freaking bullseye. I looked up, and found that the stream was coming from the ceiling of the car. THE HELL. I suppose at least it wasn’t from some guy pissing on me, because that would be much much worse. Still.

Anyway, the doors were open, so I didn’t have time to examine the crime scene further. I stuffed my ear buds in my ears and got up. I looked around to see if someone saw me. Two guys off to the side were just in shock. I wanted to say something to acknowledge them but I had to get off. I stepped off the car and examined the damage. My khakis were visibly wet looking like I’d obviously had an accident. A saving grace really was that there wasn’t any scent of urine. I didn’t want to draw any more attention to myself than necessary so I held my ghetto messenger bag in front of me. I couldn’t help but think though that it looked like I was trying to hide something. Well yeah, I was, but it could have looked like I was hiding some sort of aroused state, except…NO.

I made it on the streetcar without much fuss and ended up having a pleasant but long ride to the office. Thing is, a few stops before my stop a friend called. So, as I was moving around I had to juggle holding my bag strategically all while attempting to have a meaningful conversation. I think I was successful, but the whole ridiculousness of the situation had me laughing. When I got to my office I just turned on my desk fan full blast at my pants. There were moments where I wanted to check my levels of dryness but I figure that pawing at my crotch could be deemed inappropriate, so I behaved.

So, all right, I just have a few questions about the incident. Why did the water come down at that moment and not at any other stop? Why wasn’t my seat wet from any supposed previous leaks? I’d assume that it would have happened there before. If we’re inside a tunnel for most of the distance, where would the water come from?

This is all crazy!

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Insolent sales clerk

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Thu. June 11, 2009

So, I was over at the electronics store (not a big box one) to buy a new set of earphones. The current ones I have for my iPod are starting to wear down. The sound cuts off frequently and I find that I have to tilt my head slightly one way or the other, or jiggle the cord just to get the sound back. Ridiculous! Anyway, in the store there’s the display with all sorts of earphones. Up in the top row I saw a set of Skullcandy ones so I tried to get it off the hook. After a moment or two I noticed that I couldn’t pull it off the damn thing. I just gave up and tried a different set. They too were locked in. How the hell am I supposed to comparison shop like that? What if I wanted to check out the specs of different sets to figure out which one suited my purposes? Whatever.

After a minute or two of frustration a clerk came over seemingly smiling at my ineptitude and I asked for the set on the top shelf. He pulled the magnetic key out of his pocket and unlocked the thing. Seriously, so where were you a minute or two ago, jackass? Don’t look at me like I’m an idiot. He brought it to the counter and promptly started ringing it in. I had to put a halt to that immediately, because seriously, I’d like to take a look at what I’m getting first. I went back to the display and started pawing the other brands. He just stood there as I tried to check the backside of the packages for stats, knowing full well that I couldn’t take them off properly. I went to check a cheaper brand and the clerk chuckled as if I had no clue: “[that brand] is not better than Skullcandy.” Gee, thanks. Why don’t you just let me look? Ugh.

In the end, I didn’t leave the place if only because the ones that I wanted were on sale. After he rang it in he asked if I was interested in the extended warranty. Apparently those exist for earbuds. Were you aware of that? I refused. Why would I want to spend 133% of the original cost on a gamble like that. First of all, these are cheap earbuds. If something were to happen to them 2 years from now I won’t be crying a river over them. He tried a second time saying that it could mean two extra pairs of earbuds for free in the future if something goes wrong. I still refused. He insisted, “for an extra $10?” I was already getting annoyed, but I kept it to a simple “no.” Think he’d get the hint, right? He did stop, but he stated while shaking is head “not many people would turn down two extra pairs of earbuds for $10.” AS IF. Don’t shake your head at me, asswipe! You know very well that you’re peddling bullshit. Don’t get mad because I saw through that.

Sorry, I just wanted to let go of all that.

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Replacing the bag

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Wed. June 10, 2009

Over the lunch hour, I decided to walk over to the Mountain Equipment Co-op to check out what kinds of work bags they had. See, my current bag goes back to about 2004-2005 and it’s really showing its age. I usually carry a variety of stuff in there: packets of oatmeal, snacks, various gadget plugs, pens, pay stubs, magazines, old newspapers that should have been thrown out long ago, lip balm, hand sanitizer, my travel mug, an umbrella and a whole other load of crap. My bag can get pretty heavy. After years of use, the strap sort of broke. The clips gave way under the stress in such a way that I couldn’t even fix it. I started carrying the think by the handles, and eventually the handle started fraying and peeling. It got pretty ugly. About a month ago I decided to become a little resourceful and just wrap the handles with black electrical tape. Yes, it restored a little bit of respectability to the thing, but honestly it’s still pretty damn ghetto.

The work bag

So, all right, I’d spotted a bag that I thought would be a good fit for me on the MEC website. I specifically went hunting for the bag. When I found it though I ended up thinking that the bag just wasn’t for me. I suppose I’d gone in with my mind already kind of decided on the outcome of heading to the store. Still, I found that the bag just didn’t fit with the kind of things “Jason” would get.

I’ve noticed that happens pretty frequently with me. As much as I’m in need of replacing something, I hardly ever find a substitute that I feel meets all of the standards of the old one. That’s one reason why I ended up taping the bag instead of replacing it. After all this time, I’m still hunting. What fits my aesthetic? Same thing goes for my wallet. It has a coin compartment that just makes things so convenient for me. I haven’t yet found a wallet that has the right dimensions as well as the coin pocket. I’ve tried other wallet types thinking that I’ll eventually just get used to them, but inevitably I just migrate back to my old beat up wallet that I seem to have had forever.

Hmm…you know what? I think this bag fits the bill: Fossil Nevada Messenger Bag. Either tomorrow or Friday I’ll head over to the Toronto Eaton Centre to see if they’ve got something in stock. If that’s a bust I’ll head to Yorkdale on the weekend.

I’ve got a plan. I’m going to dump that bag one way or another.

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All sneaking up on me

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Tue. June 9, 2009

This is just drilling in the fact that I really need to get my ducks all lined up but I just got an email saying that the builder needs my real-estate lawyer’s contact. That’s all well and good, but…that would require me having a real estate lawyer.

Oh crap!

OK, so that’s on my task list. I have to find a moving company–preferably one with plastic bins that I can rent out. I have to figure out what I’m bringing. I should probably go check out the place. I need to start picking up accessories. I should also scout out furniture.

It’s all sneaking up on me very stealthily like ninja cat.

Yes, the reference was an excuse to post the video.

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“Have you tried epsom salts yet?”

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Mon. June 8, 2009

One of the first Wednesdays of every month is massage day at the company. Every month, the massage lady that I sign up under (yes, the one that told me to use eHarmony) tends to ask the same questions. Her first question is usually: Is there anything you’d like me to focus on? I usually respond that there’s nothing in particular, and that’s only because I genuinely feel like I’m pretty much all right. Thing is, within moments she’ll find some place on my back that has me squirming even with some light pressure. Inevitably, the next thing she’ll ask is “so, have you tried epsom salts yet?” And my usual response is “no…not yet.” It’s starting to get embarrassing because it’s totally like I’m not paying attention to any of her advice. She’s recommended bath salts every single month and each time I say that I’ll give it a go only to have forgotten by the time the next month rolls around.

What’s so special about epsom salts? The more technical name for it is magnesium sulfate. Actually, epsom salt is magnesium sulphate with seven water molecules attached…err…so says Wikipedia. Anyway, when you put this into a bath and soak in it, the body tends to absorb this chemical and that helps to reduce inflammation. That’s the big reason the massage therapist wants me to soak in it. She warned me that I had to be careful doing so because I’d likely melt into a pile of goo after the bath: my muscles will be so very relaxed. Sounds great, right?

If you haven’t surmised it yet, I’ve finally gotten off my duff to get a bottle of bath salts. What spurred this? Why this month all of a sudden and not any previous ones? Eh, well a few days ago I must have done something like sleep in a really awkward position because my right neck and right shoulder have been aching like mad. It’s pretty bad. I knew that massage day is coming up, and I didn’t want to go in being in pain without even having tried something I know she’d recommend anyway. So yes, it looks like she finally guilted me into buying it.

Next step though, running a bath with the salts. We’ll see if I even get that far. Baby steps!

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The effect of one unsubscribe

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Sun. June 7, 2009

I think, based on everything that I’ve written in here it must be easy to discern that I’m a particularly sensitive guy; my emotions run deep. If I don’t constantly keep myself in check it’s entirely too easy for me to just get consumed whole. In all honesty, it’s a trait that’s pretty difficult to function with. I mean, it’s the kind of thing that allows a small nick to turn into a gash the size the Grand Canyon, know what I mean? Still, if harnessed correctly it’s totally something that gives me the ability to do great things.

Yeah, so why am I bringing that up? Well, I was just reflecting on it in terms of this class that I’m coaching. At the end of 4 weeks, I’m still enjoying it very much. The feeling that I get as these people achieve new personal bests is simply awesome. If I can bottle it up and save it for days when I’m feeling kind of shitty, I’d be a better man. Obviously it’s not something I can do. All that being said, with such a large group it’s inevitable that not everybody will have taken to running. This can be due to aches and pains, not being able to make the time commitment, or just finding out that running generally isn’t something that they want to do.

When I started out, I was telling myself that I didn’t want to lose a single member. I put out detailed emails full of tips and encouragement. I commonly put in notes that even if people were apprehensive about coming back to just set that all aside and come back: no one is going to run for them! The response has been really positive. I love getting notes and responses from people thanking me for being there. That’s why I’m there! It’s only part of the equation though. I can only do so much: the other part involves them making the choice to come in to do the training.

Anyway, I’ve gotten into the habit of checking out my roster every now and then to see if anyone new has joined. I suppose I can stop checking now since I’m already halfway through. Still. The list indicates everyone’s status. One of the columns tells me who’s subscribed to my lengthy emails. A few hours ago I noticed that someone chose to unsubscribe. Oh crap. Is that a commentary on my writing skills? Am I not inspiring enough? Have I been too enthusiastic to the point where I became off-putting? It’s hard to tell. I don’t know if you can tell, but part of me wants to analyze this to death. I know though that that would be completely unproductive.

I have to set all that aside. She has her reasons. It’s not that I don’t care. However, I don’t see her around. If she won’t show up and doesn’t want any correspondence, what can I do? I can’t chase after her. In any case, so far this is only one person that’s decided to opt out at this stage of the game. I can’t dwell on this one loss because the majority of the group is being receptive. As far as I can tell, it’s not personal. I have to move on.

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