Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Snow Day

First, I was tagged. Here's the deal:

1. Find nearest book
2. Name book and author
3. Turn to page 123
4. Go to 5th sentence and copy the next three to blog
5. tag 3 others

1.The nearest book is on the floor beside the computer. It is an optional book for Riley's Speech 115 - Group Communication class.
2. How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie
3. Page 123 is titled "An Easy Way to Become a Good Conversationalist"
4. "Bores, that is all they are - bores intoxicated with their own egos, drunk with a sense of their own importance. People who talk only of themselves think only of themselves. And, 'those people who think only of themselves', Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler, longtime president of Columbia University, said, 'are hopelessly uneducated. They are not educated', said Dr. Butler, 'no matter how instructed they are.' "
5. I tag Rob, Eric and Darcy. (Eric, you'll have to find the next nearest book!)

Okay. I didn't know how to handle all the quote marks, and though I have the APA guide, didn't want to look it up. I was going to continue to write of my recent runs, but after typing in that quote, I'm thinking I might be a bore. Now that is something to think about. When we blog and we are writing about ourselves - our runs, our lives, our thoughts - are we bores? Or is the nature of a blog to do just that? An online journal, about what ever it is that the author wants to ramble about. I'll go with that thought...so I'm going to write about my runs, and if it bores you, you'd best check out now!

I didn't get the wind and rain I'd hoped for yesterday morning. It came by last night instead. However, I did get a nice surprise. I'd just left the house and was walking past the neighbors when I heard a truck coming down the street - I turned around to look and assumed it was either another neighbor or the newspaper delivery. I was surprised to hear my name shouted out (this is at 5:05 am) and turned around to see Rick climbing out of the truck. He woke up early and decided to join me for my run - a very nice surprise. My plan was to run the infamous Wednesday hill run (even though it was Tuesday) then to turn around at a certain point and do it backwards for a total of eight to nine miles. Rick was agreeable, so off we went. Neither one of us wore our headlamps. I'd forgotten how dark it can be on the backside of this run. We made our way to the turn around point, and I decided I was too tired to go backwards, but I still wanted eight miles. We followed our normal route, but where we usually turn off for the last mile to home, went straight, which takes us up another gigantic hill. We came into the neighborhood with .3 mile to go to reach eight, so we continued running till the Garmin twinkled at us.

This morning, we woke to a fine layer of snow over a glaze of ice from last night's rain. Eric and I both opted to sleep in. Schools were closed, and the college wasn't opening till 10:00. I got up around seven, checked the weather and road conditions, then elected to cancel both the Y committee meeting that I chair and the scheduled staff meeting at work. I also took the option of working from home today - I brought work home with me yesterday, just in case. Around nine, I decided to go for a run. It was about 32 degrees, and the snow was dry and crunchy. As long as I stayed off the tire tracks, all was good. I ran to the park, did a few laps there, then ran on the new, unopened road to the college. The only tracks I saw on the new road were deer, coyote and rabbit. I tested out my new trail shoes and found them to be most excellent. I logged five miles in an hour and six minutes (that includes walking while I talked to Jenny on the phone, and a stop at the park restroom). Not too bad for a snowy day.

The only downside I can see to the Garmin comes from my own obsessiveness. Twice in a row now, I've entered the neighborhood just short of a full mile mark - today it was 4.6. I can't stand it - I feel compelled to even it out. When I didn't know the exact mileage I always ran to the same spot and stopped. Now I run to that spot, glance at the Garmin, and continue. Obsessive. Gotta get over that.

11 comments:

seagull junker said...

Michelle,
there is NO WAY I WOULD DO CCC WITH M.D. AT THE HELM!!!! Another R.D., in a heart beat. Heck it's a great course and in our back yard.

funny what you know with the Garmin on.

tom

Unknown said...

I woke up early and tried to catch the snow while it was still in progress. I just missed it, but I ran 7 miles on the snow and it was just a tad slippery on certain hills, but great to be outside. And Yes, I will do the tag. Thanks for thinking of me, I think.

Journey to a Centum said...

Hey, thanks for the tag, I'll get right on that!

Wes said...

Zzzzzzzz. Oh! Are you done? ;-) Can you tell me how you got your banner in your blog? I'm trying to get mine done, but it looks ugly!

Anonymous said...

Michelle- Good luck on losing the obsessiveness. I don't think that will ever change, but hey it's okay, we still love you. It was awesome running in the snow today. While under the deciduous trees ifelt like I was running inside of a snowflake in a world of black and white. It was so cool. Quiet except for the sound of my feet on the snow. I am secretly hoping for two hours late again tomorrow and for a bit more snow to be able to do it all over again.
Jenny

Darrell said...

interesting thought on that #4, in light of this little blogging thing we do.

What's wrong with 4.6? Just right it in the log. Easy for me to say. I'd probably rather not know, but I guess it keeps a person honest.

Anonymous said...

well, you know, you could have four different garmins out there, and get four different returns on the distance...(oh, the fights that causes in my trail running group!)

sleeping in...nice...

Olga said...

Loved the book's insert you tagged! I really love Dale Carnegie and read him first time when I was 16. Good stuff. It actually crosses with our seminars (for Alex) a lot. Really, many people write about it, Dale just has a good way to put it down.
Bore. Yes, in this case most of us are, although I did come across blogs describing news and world peace. May be. But may be I'll read a newspaper if I ever buy one. It is a journal, be it this way.
Good run, Michelle.
What's up with Tom's question? Did I miss something?

Aleks said...

You can be a "bore" about running all you'd like... it keeps us all inspired! I still have to look three times at the list of marathons to make sure it's real.

Thomas said...

I've been reliably informed that once you get the Garmin obsession you'll never get rid of it again. Ever. You're forever doomed to run another .2 or .3 or .475 miles and the end of each run.

JustRun said...

I second that... I like hearing about your runs. You're a tough one and it helps remind me to not pansy out when it's cold!

I would be the same way with the Garmin. I know this because I also like an even number when I fill up the gas tank and when I sign a bill at a restaurant. I've never denied being slightly obsessive. :-)