As dissonant as when seven is ninth in line

Up at this late hour, I find myself compelled to blog, because my mind cringes at the thought of having zero posts for the month of September -- our ninth month of the calendar which gets its name from the Latin word for seven. Nonsensical, eh?

It's been a month of transition in season. Certainly we don't have a true autumn on the Gulf Coast, but I'll happily take the cooler weather that's arrived recently. 60F is a lovely temperature to find at dawn for a run, and yesterday I marveled at having no beads of perspiration appear until I was a mile and a half out. Compare that to a Labor Day fun run I did earlier in this same month where three and a half miles in "eighty-eighty" conditions was enough to sweat myself into an uncomfortably low state of hydration.

During that same sweltering holiday weekend, I realized that there's been a uncomfortable change that's been happening in my inner self. In a phenomena that I could call leisure anxiety, my very body can feel threatened by fun situations. Nonsensical, eh? How I've discovered and begun to cope with this are topics that deserve fuller elaboration in another blog post when I'm better prepared to sketch it out.

In tribute to the passing of September, I'll close this post with seven of my old and new favorite destinations to visit on the Internet, presented in a rapid-fire itinerary like destinations on my favorite returning "reality" TV show, The Amazing Race.

• Our first leg starts with the words and images of Jenny Goellnitz in Ohio. After her pictures seize your attention, you'll lose yourself in her vivid narratives on running and surviving cancer.
• One state over, from the unpaved stretches of Pennsylvania, ultrarunners Chris and Dave talk about going the really long distance on Trail Musings.
• On Pennsylvania's paved surfaces, you might run into Flo, a.k.a. "Girl In Motion." Not only does she write a great blog, but she also has a great eye for designing running-related accessories.
• Not far away from Flo and the Trail Musings guys is another runner and self-described "mom blogger" that frequently rises above the easy "baby did cute" to genuine self-effacing hilarity. Here's a shout-out to MommysStillFab.
• Speaking of coping, I thought I'd share a link to a new series by a writer mom friend of mine concerning an entirely different condition. World, I introduce you to"CP Chick."
• From life with CP to life with PC: In the audio podcast Monitor Tans, a gaming couple discuss the highs and lows of what they're playing on the computers each weekend.
• This list finishes with a site that helps me cope between weekends, the webcomic xkcd. The humor can be esoteric, and sometimes I'm surprised at how much potential for pathos can be conveyed by scrawny stick figures.

22.5 Percent Better Than My Bestest

Running in its basic form is a solitary endeavor, but having others around to motivate and challenge us can lead to milestones we may not have reached on our own. In track and field a couple of weeks ago, we saw Tyson Gay's aspiration to catch World's Fastest Man Usain Bolt help propel the American sprinter to 100-meter victory in Stockholm.

Of course, I'm in a universe apart from Bolt and Gay -- who can both break the speed limit by running through a school zone -- but I did take advantage of the same principle on this morning's Katy Fit group run with the Red pace group. Coach Doug led us 10:1ers out slowly on a planned negative-split loop. By the time his last mile brought us in at a significantly quicker 11:30 pace, I was at the tail end of the pack toiling to keep up. But if I was by myself, I probably wouldn't have been pushing myself like that in mile 3.

This week I was thinking about the limits of coaching as I finished reading Lucy Kellaway's Who Moved My Blackberry? The main character, Martin Lukes, is representative of the self-interested excess and double-speak in corporate executives nearly universally despised by all of us. In a hilarious tale told entirely through glimpses into Martin's email, we see messages exchanged with his executive life coach, Pandora. At first Martin pledges to put 105% effort into improving his performance. Pandora insists that this is small thinking; her coachees are challenged to achieve 50% above their maximum capabilities. Martin ultimately agrees to split the difference with a promise to work "22.5 percent better than my bestest." (Luckily for his employer, Martin's job doesn't require proficiency with numbers.)

22.5 percent better than my bestest would result in making me a 20-minute 5K runner, which I don't ever see happening, even with the bestest coaching, but it's a nice dream. In various aspects of our lives, how valuable do you think a coach can be? Certainly they can provide a third-party perspective on our stated goals and what is required to achieve them. How far do you think an effective coach would be able to push you beyond where you might be on your own?

Random postscripts:

• The excitement of the morning came in our first mile as a runner found the edge of the pavement with her stride, going down for a scrape a couple feet long. We doubled-back to make sure my new scab-buddy was OK. As a fellow Red squirted ice-cold water over the freshly minted trail burns, I congratulated her on getting the stumble over and done with now, which means race day will be flawless. Hilariously, her first concern was whether the skid had chewed up her calf tattoo.
• Those who didn't get picked in the Houston Marathon lottery are likely looking at alternative goal races. Here's one more: After an absence of a couple of decades, a marathon-length race returns to the Isle. The Galveston Mardi Gras Marathon and Half Marathon is coming February 20. (As always, my blogging alter ego continues to track events at Houston Running Calendar.)
• As a regular NPR listener, I'm mostly glad to see KUHF expand its public radio services to a second slot on the FM dial by taking over Rice University's 91.7 station. But will they be able to fill the airtime with compelling programming? (Oh, and while I'm thinking about it: KUHF, where's my app for streaming audio on Android? Those iPhone users have all the fun.)
  
• If you use Facebook, be aware that a new feature called Places was rolled out last week. Yes, if you're not interested in sharing your locations with others online, begin by simply not using Places. But also be aware that by default, others can "check you in" to locations without your permissions. Lifehacker has a good guide on how to turn that annoyance off.

Houston, we have ignition

It's official -- I'm registered for the Aramco Houston Half Marathon!

The way this first Houston Marathon lottery announced results was a bit backwards in my opinion. The first email was a credit card receipt from Marathonguide.com, which made the "congratulations" email from the marathon committee the next morning more whimper and less bang. But the important part is that I can light the fuse on a training regimen that will culminate in that familiar cannon blast to start my next goal race in 23 weeks.

Meanwhile I'm still dealing with August here and the scheduled workout for this date was "sucky run."

Yeah, I'm being facetious. It started with the alarm clock sounding at an early hour, but by the time I was able to dump my butt out of bed, there was no way I was making it in to run with the Katy Fit crew. So I took myself out to my familiar trail on edge of the reservoir, where it was dam hot with the morning sun shining directly on the shadeless trail. I tried to compensate for the heat by going shirtless for most of the four miles. Fortunately, it's a lightly traveled path up there and I don't worry much about scaring innocent orphans and pets with my bared flesh. Even so, conditions were really tough and I ended up walking a lot of the distance.

In better news, I think my core conditioning is going in the right direction. I'm able to hold a plank position for 30 seconds now. Since I couldn't even make it to ten when I started, I'm celebrating this as progress.

Yes, I felt bad for not making it out to my training group, but found a way to make the situation work. I took the opportunity to perform an overdue spark plug change because I didn't drive anywhere this morning and my car's engine block was "cold." (Note to future self: If you're still driving the Blue Wagon of Happiness a couple of years after this blog post, it probably has between 210,000 and 220,000 miles now. Go change them again, buster!)

Here's hoping for smoother running all around in the near future!

I believe there comes a time when everything just falls in line

Another Katy Fit group run is in the books, and it turned out to be a really good one. This particular Saturday the marathon and half marathon training groups were starting together. Coach Maria took us 10:1ers on a three-mile loop, during which nothing of mine was hurt, bloating, or crashing into the pavement. Most of the run portion was roughly in twelve-minute pace, and that left plenty of energy for a strong finish. Even finding a parking space was easy today.

Sure, the post-stretching core routine kicked my butt again, but at least it felt like it left the steel-toe boots at home this time. I'll be working more of these exercises into my in-week workouts. (Hey readers, do you have any first-hand comments on Wii Fit, specifically on core?)

And after devouring a plate of whipped-cream-topped waffles and posting this blog update, it will soon be nap time for me. I was slightly shorted on sleep last night after coming home from Pat Benetar's show downtown. Yes, at age 57 she's on tour and still dealing aces from her deck of hits. It doesn't get better than being part of a packed-house chorus of "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" with a future Rock and Roll Hall of Famer. (They ARE going to induct her someday, right!?) Have a rockin' weekend, y'all!

Here's Your Sign

Standing at this spot, facing a sidewalk on Eldridge Road in Sugar Land, this beacon of clarity helps pedestrians figure out which structure is the church, and which is the Valero gas station. Just imagine all of the confusion this expenditure of our tax dollars has prevented. Bravo!

Scraping By

After scraping by during the first couple weeks of Katy Fit with worn down New Balance 1224s, I finally treated myself to new shoes. After a couple of years away, I've returned to the Saucony camp with the Grid Fusion 3. "Great shoe for the budget conscious pronator," says the marketing copy. Hey, that sounds like me! I hope they turn out to be the true heir to the Grid Phoenix that I missed so much when Saucony seemed to get frilly with their lineup.

At this time, a kudo is rightfully bestowed upon Academy Sports and Outdoors. The display tags with some of their running shoes now carry actually useful color codes for Stability, Neutral, and Cushioning. The other blather that typically gets put on those shelf signage is nearly useless for shoppers attempting to differentiate between various models.

When a shoe is right, there's really no such thing as a break-in period, so I didn't hesitate to initiate this new pair with this morning's group run. It felt great to have my heels suspended again in the Saucony Grid cushion as I took off with the 10:1 group, once again led by Coach Doug.

Now if this was a story being told to a three-year-old, this is where you'd say, "...and then CurrentlyVince fall down, go BOOM."

Ironically, I had my mind focused on our group conversation about injuries when I tripped on the trail near our halfway point. I bounced right back up off the pavement, assuring everyone I was OK -- "I was running the edge, and the edge caught me." Just like the last memorable running spill I had, a handheld Amphipod bottle helped break my fall nicely, and the bottle even survived this time. I finished up the run with a lightly scraped knee, but no further embarrassment.

The embarrassment was waiting for me afterward, when core work kicked my butt once again. (Sigh.)

Now it's time to flip on some tunes and take care of some chores at home. This week I have not just one, but two newly released digital download albums joining my music collection. Gaelic Storm parties on with its fresh Cabbage, while Arcade Fire takes us out to The Suburbs. How has your summer sounded so far?

Takes a Licking....

Readers who have been paying abnormal attention to my long-distance race reports in the past know that my pace always fades at the end. Sadly, I am the master of the positive split. With the Katy Fit training season officially under way, I've decided explore the possibility that a run/walk training path might actually lead me to a better pace.

After arriving later than intended and scrambling for a parking space at Terry Hershey Park, I jumped in with a small Red sub-group led by Coach Doug on a two miler using rough 10:1 intervals. Today this worked out to yield one walk break in the middle. This was followed by stretching and the workout finished with some plank holds. After mere seconds the planks had me wincing as my core was licked; I definitely have room for improvement there!

My door prize karma decided to show up today as my number was drawn for a CoolMax fabric Timex cap. The "keeps on ticking" slogan on the back could become a new mantra for me as the season moves forward.

Additional Notes:

• One of the post-workout speakers was there to spread the word about an anti-slavery 5K being hosted by Kingsland Baptist Church -- the Just Run for a Just Cause.
• Due to Marathon Sunday coming to Houston a couple weeks later than usual in 2011 and because of the uncertainty of the Chevron/Aramco lottery, Katy Fit will be keeping registration open well into August.
  
• After coming home I checked on my beer-bottle marigolds this morning and was pleased to see that one stem has sprouted root hairs in just plain tap water. There will be a transition to potting mix in its near future.
  

Scott Pilgrim vs. The World

Last night I took advantage of an opportunity to get into a preview screening of Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. I went into the theater as a Gen-Xer unfamiliar with the graphic novels that serve as the movie's source material and in this post I'll share some observations as a non-fan of the series that might be useful for those trying to decide whether to go see it when it goes into wide release in mid-August.

Michael Cera plays the title character; Scott Pilgrim is a 22-year-old Toronto slacker who gets riddled with grief from his roommate, sister, and bandmates when he starts dating high school student Knives (Ellen Wong). Pilgrim's interest in Knives is barely lukewarm, though, and at first sight during a party he begins pursuing the aloof Ramona (Mary Elizabeth Winstead).

At its core, this is a boy-getting-the-girl flick for Generation Y, with comic book and "augmented reality" gaming visuals splattered all over the frame. I found it all a little tiresome, though, and I was already trying to glance at my watch before the first hour was up. Despite the fast-paced activity seen in the first part of the movie, I still felt as if the plot wasn't appreciably moving forward fast enough. The plot itself is something that could have been lifted from a video game: To win Ramona, Pilgrim must defeat a series of her ex-lovers in fantasy encounters that are conducted as live-action video game duels. And in true video game fashion, there is hardly any backstory shown to explain why the "League of Exes" finds itself so united and motivated in defeating Pilgrim. I can only presume these are items much better explained in the books. Michael Cera does a bang-up job of being, well, Michael Cera -- which left me never completely sold on why we should be rooting for his Pilgrim to reach his desired destination of being with Ramona.

Kieran Culkin delivers many of the funniest moments in the film as the gay roommate who tries to get Pilgrim on the road away from going-nowhereness and eventually towards literally "getting a life." As I watched Wong's portrayal as Knives, I breathed a sigh of relief as she wasn't steered into any embarrassing movie Asian stereotypes. I wouldn't be surprised if Pilgrim turns out to be a film that pulls in lackluster numbers at the box office, but grows legs in the DVD market and eventually picks up a cult following. It's not an in-theater must-see in my eyes, but if your movie house also dabbles in adult beverages, I'd endorse the idea of marinating a viewing of Scott Pilgrim with an adult beverage of your choice as the show begins. It would likely enhance the appreciation of this off-the-wall graphic presentation. By the end, however I couldn't help but draw comparisons to an earlier Cera-getting-the-girl comedy -- Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist -- that I found more enchanting.

My verdict is "wait-for-rental" on this one. It will lose nothing when transferred to the small screen. In fact, the film would probably feel even more at home played on someone's living room XBOX.

Can I propagate marigolds from cuttings?

The renovations in April threw a kink into my plans for the patio this past spring. The stress from being moved around and stuck indoors killed off all of the flowerbox plants except for one gold marigold. After being put back out in the sun, it flourished for a while, but now appears to be succumbing to some sort of disease.

I've had very limited success in sprouting replacement from seed -- as in exactly one plant from a whole envelope of seeds. So I'm going to take a shot at propagating new plants from cuttings. From this healthy parent plant, I snipped off three stems, nipped their buds, and immersed the cut ends into brown beer bottles filled with water. I used wadded paper napkins around the stems as stoppers to discourage evaporation and any chance of mosquitoes using the containers to breed.

Will I get roots in just plain tap water without the aid of fertilizer? Will the brown glass of the Abita bottles be enough to keep light from interfering? We'll find out in a few weeks.

Groupthink

As of this morning, I'm pretty sure that I'll be joining the lottery sometime in the coming weeks in the hopes of landing a spot in January's Aramco Half. The estimated odds are 4-to-1 in favor of an entrant to get picked, although as I've said before, it wouldn't be crushing if I'm not. There's lots of other events to run.

In the never-ending search for motivation and variety, I've signed up with the Katy Fit training program for the coming season. Mostly, I've been working out on my own over the past several years, and the "group thing" will be something new and fresh for me as I look for half marathon finish number ten.

After checking in, I took in my first orientation this morning. Then we set out for a "pacefinder run" to help separate us into groups. (As demonstrated for me numerous times during pre-race lineups, there are lots of people who really have no clue about what pace they run.) So after a mile-and-a-half, I grabbed a cupcake from one of the sponsors and gathered with my cohorts in the "red" group. It was like the sorting ceremony scenes from the Harry Potter books, except with less CGI and more heavy breathing.

See y'all in the fall!

(We do have autumn weather coming -- right!?)