Return to Heat

Here we are again in January and the temps are climbing above eighty. How does that happen? How do people live like this? I ran with the girls at 4:30 and then the boys at 5:30 am, though I didn't tack on as much as I usually do. Somehow I didn't have the heart- I think the heat took it out of me, or maybe it was the massage last night from Sharon? I was wiped.

I cancelled my current gym membership so I can break out of that routine and do something completely different (and better). I cannot wait to start the new program and kick some serious tukis with the shake-up in regimen. My running friend, Carlo, has brought me over to his program and I am completely addicted to it, thinking about the next visit before I even leave the current. Heaving and writhing in pain on the floor (though pretending I am stretching), I have not suffered physically in this way for a long, long time. I love it.

Visitors galore from CA scheduled on the books for the pending months. I simply cannot wait to savor the time with each one of them. Time is marching on, kids are getting big, months are wasting away. Passions are knocking on my door and I am trying to mobilize to make them something more concrete.

Ancient Greece inspires me.....

I Have A Dream...

...that I will live these words and measure up.


"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy."

Preach it, Dr. King.

Departure From the Heat (Amen)

This week has been pure comedy. Floridians truly freak out when the mercury dips below seventy; when it drops below sixty, there are frost warnings, and with this week never warming beyond fifty, there is absolute mayhem in this town. I have friends who are running in ski masks with our mornings in the low thirties. Admittedly, my blood has thinned and sixty feels cool to me, too, but I quite welcome the departure from the scorching temperatures and love dressing in layers.

We ran speed this morning- Barry, Gary, Jim, Bill, Lisa and myself. It actually was pleasant once the blood was flowing and we were in the full swing of sets of 800 cut downs. There are two types of Florida runners: the ones who get up and dress for the Arctic, complaining the whole time about how cold they are, and the ones who don't get up. I find I am never as happy as when I feel human and can be outside enjoying frigid, instead of humid, air. This morning was no different and I near skipped out to the workout. At long last, we have a steady meeting place, a standing workout, a locked-in time for a real speed workout. Barry, aka "Mayor", even called ahead and pulled some strings to have the facilities unlocked for our early morning use.

Funnier to me than the weather and people's response is how very sore I am from yesterday's workout at Lori's gym. We did a high-intensity, high-rep, high resistance (did I mention high intensity?), weight class yesterday. I am still laughing out loud, thinking about the scene in that place. Are men really so ridiculous to think we are completely unaware of the fact that they are ogling? Do they not know how obvious they are when they take inventory of a woman's body?

My favorite was the character who tried to join us in the organized booty camp class. For those of us signed up and paid, we had use of the trainer, specified weights, and the planned set. Enter random fatty, beer gut over his shorts, mid fifties (I'm guessing), balding on top. I would not be so harsh to judge his appearance had he not been so obnoxious, pushing his way in and making loud, grunting noises to direct attention his way. Did he think he looked good in the middle of our workout? Hmmm. I'm mean, but I have little patience for people that desperate for attention.