if you can't be an athlete, be an athletic supporter

My friend had this crazy idea of signing up to run an 8K race and asked her friends if we wanted to join her.  Being slightly insane and up for a challenge, I said yes.  This was back in November or December of last year.  

The race was the Crazylegs Classic in Madison.  It's been around for 30 years now, people who have participated in it seem to love it, and all proceeds go to support the University of Wisconsin Athletic program.  I like the Badgers.  I don't mind giving them $30 of my money.  Maybe it will give a volleyball player a kneepad or a wrestler half a headgear or a football player a towel.  I can get behind that.

My friend, unfortunately, couldn't get out of work and therefore couldn't participate. I was left to do this alone.

Okay, no problem.  I'm an only child.  I'm used to doing things by myself.  But this was pretty far out of my comfort zone.  First of all, I'm still somewhat of a newbie when it comes to running.  I've only been doing it for about a year and a half...that's not very long compared to those people who started running in school.  Second of all, I'd never run in any kind of official race before.  Not even one of those little community charity 5K's, so I had no idea how things worked.  I'm not good when it comes to unfamiliar territory.  Once registration opened in January, I signed up as soon as I could so that there was no way I could back out of it.  I was going to do it, dammit!

Race day arrived yesterday.  This is what I woke up to:

It's too bad you can't hear the sleet hitting the window.

It was wet.  It was windy.  It was freaking cold!  Suckage was about to commence.

I got my running gear on, making sure to wear a Badgers shirt...even though nobody would be able to see it underneath the windbreaker that was going to protect me from the wetness.  I knew it was there though.

Bathroom pictures...so cliche
but what else was I supposed to do?

My loving husband and son got in the car with me and we made the hour-long trek to Mad City.  (I need to pause here and say what a great family I have.  These guys got up early on a Saturday morning to go somewhere they had no desire to be, with a huge crowd of people, crappy weather and all, just so they could support me and congratulate me at the end.  They rock!)

Once there we went our separate ways - them to the finish and me to the start.  Well, I really had no clue where I was going, so I just followed people who seemed to know.  Luckily they led me right to the shuttle to the starting point.  Faster and much less wet.

The wheels on the bus go round and round..

We're dropped off and I follow the crowd to line up.  What a cast of characters!  You have the serious uber-runners wearing as little clothing as possible, the people dressed in costumes, the teams, the families (kids included), the people who run for fitness and fun but don't make it their lives (like me), and everyone in between.  We lined up and we waited...and waited, and got wetter and wetter and colder and colder.  We knew that once we got running we'd warm up, but we didn't think we'd ever get there.  I was way back in wave "tt" so by the time we got to the start, it was 51 minutes after the first group started and they were already done.

We look like a happy energized bunch, don't we?

Crazylegs is a big to-do in Madison.  They have the athletes come out and cheer the runners on, the band is playing, the cheerleaders...cheering.  As you get up to the start, the teams are there to pump you up, thank you for running, and high-five you on your way there.  You're supporting the athletes by running and they're supporting you.  Nifty.

Badger Hockey players

Basketball players are really tall

And then we finally started!  Yay!  Warmth!  The first few minutes was chaos.  So many people going so many different speeds, trying to find their pace and a little leg room.  But eventually people fell into a groove and we were able to enjoy the run.  

Ooh - Action shot!

Well, I doubt many people enjoyed the hill.  Luckily I run hills every time I go out, but this one just seemed to go on forever!  Here - this video is from 2009, but from what I heard, the weather was exactly the same as this year's run.  Looks lovely, doesn't it?

There were so many supporters along the way cheering everybody on.  And some very odd people performing in front of their houses...this is a college town.  The best part was around mile 4.5 when they were blasting the theme from Rocky to keep everyone motivated.  Gonna fly now..... Awesomeness.

Then we rounded the corner to Camp Randall Stadium and there were my son and husband waiting for me cheering me on.  I love those guys.  And then we ran into the stadium and crossed the finish line and the 50 yard line.  I had done it!  

Looking back at the finish line.

I wasted no time getting to my reward...the free beer.  You see, this is Wisconsin.  Free beer is also a good reason to run 5 miles in the rain.

If they offer two free beers, you take two free beers.

Oh!  I almost forgot about the once in a lifetime moment of watching Princess Leia, Luke Skywalker and Chewbacca finish the race and hug Bucky Badger.  Sounds like some sort of bad mushroom trip, but I have the pictures to prove it.

The Star Wars crew gives Bucky some love.

Proving that the force was, indeed, with them.

So, that was my day.  The results were posted last night and my time was a minute and a half under what I had set as my goal.  Woot!  I guess the rain didn't slow me down after all.  I had a good pace, kept running, ended up passing quite a few people at the end, and came in 11,040th place in a race of 20,000 people.  Not too shabby for a first-timer.  Sure, it took me 4 hours to finally stop shivering at home, but who cares about hypothermia when I've achieved a huge personal goal?

I guess I was an athlete and an athletic supporter!

making the rainbow connection

I was finally able to watch The Muppets last night.  You know, the new(ish) movie starring Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, and the whole Muppet gang.  I'd been waiting to see this ever since the first word of it was published.  Conditions never really came together to make it happen until last night.

It was wonderful seeing new Muppet adventures.  I loved the nostalgia.  I loved seeing the Muppet Show recreated.  I loved how happy it made me feel.



But at the same time, something was missing.  It was like it was too much.  It was more cheesy than heartfelt.  Don't get me wrong - I could completely tell that the people who made this did it out of love.  The happiness was just a little over the top.  Something that you didn't see in the original movies.

Because we look back at the movies and shows that we watched for the first time as kids, we do so with the emotions that we felt back then.  We were young and lived in our perfect(ish) childhood bubbles and they made us smile and laugh and think and it was pure.  We didn't get the hidden meanings of the things that our parents did.  We didn't understand all of the satire and commentary and double entendres that made our parents love the show just as much as we did.  It was fun.  Pure and simple.  We liked the songs they sang, the jokes made us laugh, we knew some of the special guests that would be on the show or in the movies, and that was all we needed.  We were happy and carefree and everything was perfect.  Much like what the world was like in the new movie...singing and dancing and "Life's A Happy Song."  Aha!  That's where it came from.

Finally when I saw the cast come together to sing "Rainbow Connection" it came to me.  The one thing that was missing.  It was the one thing that could never possibly be added...

Jim Henson

The spark, the heart of it all was missing.  It was still fun and entertaining and nostalgic, but without him at the helm...it seemed almost empty.

I doubt I'll ever be able to watch any new Muppet shows/movies without feeling like they're not quite right, but at the same time a new generation of kids will be able to watch them and have that same feeling of bliss and escape that we felt back in the day.  They have a new voice...just like Kermit.  They will be able to laugh and learn and feel like anything is possible too.  And that is all a fan of Jim Henson could ever want.

unsolved mystery...or is it

You might remember the plight I have, how I bruise easily and wake up with black and blue marks without knowing how they ever got there.  You know - gnome attacks. 

Well, this morning as I was shampooing my hair, my fingers hit a spot on the back of my head that was extremely tender.  It was just one largish spot in the middle of the back of my head.  How the hell did that get there?  I didn't remember hitting my head on anything yesterday.  It wasn't in a spot that the gnomes could get to - that's the part of my head that's usually on my pillow. 

Confused, I went on about my merry way with my daily activities.  You know, getting ready for work, getting in late, sitting on my butt all day, etc.  While doing all of this, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out how this tender spot got there. 

Maybe my husband walloped me in our sleep.  He was doing quite a bit of dreaming and moving around and elbowed me in the spine at one point last night.  Maybe I can blame it on him.

Or maybe someone snuck into our place while I was sleeping, chloroformed me, dragged me out of bed, whacked me on the back of the head, hung out for a while (they apparently didn't feel like taking anything), maybe watched a movie, put me back in bed and left.

I don't know.  It's a mystery...another freaking enigma bruise.

15 minutes later...

Yeah.  So.  I just went to pull my hair up in a ponytail and figured out the mystery. 

I had my hair up after I got home last night.

I was tired and was lounging in a chair for a good part of the night with my head resting right where my ponytail was.  I had a rubber band pressing into the back of my head for a couple of hours.

I have a bruise because I'm a lazy bum.

Okay...going to forget this ever happened now.

internet...news?

I was on my homepage earlier today and found a headline in my local news that looked pretty interesting.  I clicked on the link, scrolled through the page and found that the layout was just like this:

I've decided to skip reading news from my homepage.

1,500

Hey - the blog has hit a whopping 1,500 page views!  That's a pretty good number for a blog that's not listed in the search engine.  Hooray! 

Thanks for reading, folks!  If I had anything to give away, I would gladly do it, but I don't, so I can't.  I hope you'll accept my gratitude instead.

empty brain syndrome

I've had an intense feeling of the blahs this week.  Actually, I'm not sure if that's possible.  Can one be intensely blah?  Isn't blah the lack of any kind of intensity whatsoever?  Eh...moving on.

Anyway, my week last week was incredibly hectic.  Long, extremely busy hours at work, meetings, more work, and then I'd come home do a bunch of chores and running around and crash right as it was time for me to go to bed. 

This week, on the other hand, is the exact opposite.  There isn't a single thing going on.  No tasks, no projects, no annoying phone calls...nothing.  I find myself going from website to website searching for something to pique my interest, but come up short.  I'd love to read this book that I've had in my bag for a couple of weeks, but that's a huge no-no.  If I could only find a way to get the book onto my computer screen (no I can't do the Kindle thing here). 

Click, scroll, sigh, click, back, click, sigh, sip water, scroll, click, look at clock, sigh, back...

I've tried listening to podcasts that would teach me things, take me to new places, make me laugh, but it won't help the fact that I need to look busy.  And to top it all off, I can barely even hear what's being said over the constant noise coming from our HVAC system.  If I were to turn it up loud enough so that I could understand what's being said, the whole office would get to listen to the podcast too.  For some reason, I doubt they'd enjoy that. 

So I sit here, listening to the same tired old music that I've been listening to for the past few years (with a few minor additions and subtractions) clicking around for a half-hour or so, getting up to stretch my legs that don't seem to like to sit for long periods of time anymore, walking to the cafeteria, finding nothing low-carb that I can snack on, and walking back where it all starts again.

Click, scroll, sigh, click, back, click, sigh, sip water, scroll, click, look at clock, sigh, back...

Then the time finally arrives where I can go home.  Hooray!  I zone out on my 15-minute drive and as I pull into my garage, I wonder how I got there.  I go in, say my hellos, get the updates from the male-folk, change, make dinner, eat, then I find that the empty brain death follows me home from work and I stare blankly at a TV or computer monitor for a couple of hours and go to bed.

Then it starts again the next day.

I'm hoping this doesn't last the rest of the week.  My functioning brain cells might revolt or run away or kill themselves.  I kind of like my brain...don't want that to happen.

Must. snap. out. of. it. 

But how?

easter fun

Because I don't want to deal with the backlash from people with no humor on Facebook, I'm posting these fun e-cards here in my little blog.  It's all in fun, people.





Happy Easter!  Bawk Bawk!

tv shows i'd love to have back

Ah, television.  Personally, I feel there's a whole lot more crap on it than good stuff, but that's just me.  I can't even say I'm completely against reality shows because I've somehow become hopelessly addicted to Full Metal Jousting.  Well, I'm pretty sure I can figure out why, but still...

Anyway, over the years the networks have decided to stop running some of my favorite shows.  For whatever reason - on for a long time, can't find the right audience, too expensive to continue producing, just stupid network executives - they were gone and a little part of me was gone with them. 

Here are the top four shows that I would be ecstatic to have back:

1. The Tick

I don't think the powers that be knew who to market this to.  It was shown for quite a while on Saturday mornings but more adults watched it than kids.  The humor was awesome.  I've seen every episode many times and have worn them out.  I need something new!  Spoon!



2.  Deadwood

I was never really into the whole Western thing, so when this series was recommended to me I put it on my Netflix queue doubting I'd get past the first disk.  I loved it!  There's humor, there's blood and sex and drama.  The dialogue is incredible and the profanity is woven in like golden silk.  After three seasons it stopped.  Not even any ending to the story.  We were left hanging off of a very high cliff with no help in sight.  Even if we could just get a couple more episodes to tie up the many loose ends we'd be satisfied. Just give us resolution! (The video below is not for those with weak ears...and this scene is pretty tame.)



3.  Rome

My favorite show of all time. Beautiful sets, amazing dialogue, history, humor, sex, intrigue, Rome, Egypt, Caesar, Cleopatra, Antony, Pullo, Vorenus...I could go on forever.  Unfortunately the show lasted anything but.  We only had two seasons of this amazing show and then it was pulled because production costs were too high.  I'm thankful that they actually tied up all of the plot-lines at the end, but the Roman Empire lasted for hundreds of years - there are so many more stories that could be told.  This show paved the way for others like The Tudors and Spartacus, but it still has yet to be beat.



4. The Muppet Show

Sadly there's no way in the world this could ever happen.  Sure, they could have a show on at night starring the Muppets, but it would never be the same without Jim Henson holding the reins.  He could reach children and adults, make them laugh, cry, learn and be entertained all in one hour.  I loved it as a kid, and watching the shows now that I get all of the adult humor and references, I love it even more.

things that perplex me

• Why is it so difficult for people to signal when they're going to turn?  One little flip of a lever makes all the difference in the world.  Are their hands too busy with coffee and cell phones?
• Bras - why can't all of them actually fit correctly?  I know what size I am.  I want to go into the store, pick one off the shelf and have it fit! 
• Where did logic go? 
• Why have I never seen this picture before? 

  

  Jon Hamm and Clay Matthews...
  together...in one picture

• Why have people become so politically polarized?  Has it always been this bad and I just never noticed it?  And how many people now think of me differently because of my political views?
• How is it that I can run 3-5 miles 2-3 times a week and not lose a single pound?  I eat well, I exercise, yet nothing is happening.
• Who decided women had to wear these damn bras anyway?  This new one is not comfortable!
• How can people have college degrees and be complete morons?  I don't have a college degree and seem to out-think some of these people day in and day out.
• If we have limits on how many hours can be worked in a week and the breaks we can take, can't there be limits on the number of meetings that one must attend as well?
• How is it that I've been summoned for jury duty 3 times since I turned 18 and my husband has never been summoned at all?
• Why do some people have to be miserable all of the time?  Or angry about something?  I have to wonder if they're ever truly happy.  It's sad.
• Is it really true that at any given time, you're always no more than six feet away from a spider?   How did someone measure that?
• Is the RealAge test accurate?  Am I really two years younger than my numeric age?
• Why can't you return a bra to the store that you've only worn once?  It's not like I'd be returning panties that my naughty parts have touched.

 

what i learned at the aquarium - a helpful guide

Ah, the Shedd Aquarium.  Chicago's world of exotic marine creatures on the shores of a great lake full of very boring marine creatures. 

The family took a trip there over the weekend for a few simple reasons: 1) The kid had never been there.  2) I haven't been there since college and could walk there in my spare time.  3) I wanted a reason to go into the city again.  So, we picked a day over Spring Break, but on the weekend so the train fare would be less expensive, and off we went.

Little did we know that it was the day of the annual Shamrock Shuffle downtown. Who would have expected it to be the week after St. Paddy's Day?  I mean, really.  Luckily for us the race was just finishing up when we got there, but that meant that there were 34,000 sweaty runners (no kidding - I looked it up) and their support people milling about the south loop area...directly between the train station and the aquarium.  Lucky us.  Roads were blocked off, including to pedestrians, traffic was at a standstill, seas of sweaty people in red shirts and spandex and green tutus created human walls, but we persevered.  We got through and made it that 2.5 miles that felt more like 10.

We got there and got and the end of a huge line that wasn't moving.  At all.  (See the blue awning over the line of people going down the stairs in that first picture?  That was just the beginning of the line)  Let me throw in tip number one here:  Buy your tickets ahead of time.  Unless you're going in the middle of the week during the winter school months and not during any break...pay the extra $5 per ticket just to save you the hassle of standing in line for two or more hours.  Holy shnikes!  An aquarium angel came and saved us not long after we arrived and moved the back section of the line to a secret admission door.  We got in after 20 minutes. 

And here I throw in tip number one for those who do not purchase tickets online: Know what kind of ticket you're buying ahead of time.  This goes for any museum really.  There's always the general admission ticket, but then they tack on extra money for the exciting or temporary exhibits.  Know what you want to see and purchase your ticket accordingly.  Do not do what almost everyone in front of me was doing as they got up to the counter Ummm...so if we want to see the jellies and the movie, but not the dolphin show...could we trade one out for the other?  No!  Come on people.  Don't tell me you don't have the internet at home...or on the 4G smartphone that you just put back in your pocket.  Use it for what it's meant for!

We're in!  And it is dang crowded!  There are so many people, it's hard to stop and read anything about the animals that we're looking at.  There's just enough space to take a look, snap a few pictures, and move on so the next people can do the same.  Speaking of pictures - here's another tip - The Aquarium is a flash-free zone.  This means that if the fish are moving and you don't have the best camera in the world, you will get many blurry pictures of fish in motion.  It's best to stick with slow-moving or non-moving creatures. 

After doing a little looking around, we got hungry and decided to head down to get some people food.  Now usually when I go to museums alone, I adhere to this tip:  Museum/Aquarium food is expensive; eat as little as possible to save money.  Unfortunately I was with two hungry men who never stop eating, so our two slices of pizza, chicken tenders, fries, soda and water came to over $25.  Following this tip: If there is outside dining, take advantage of it - the city noises will drown out the screaming children, we took lunch outside and enjoyed the sun, scenery and lake breeze. 

We hit the special exhibits after that, including the kids' play zone.  Now you might think it would be too chaotic and completely geared for tiny tots to scream and act rambunctious, but there are usually some pretty cool things for everyone to do there.  So, the next tip would be:  Be a kid - go to the play zone!  I got to pet a starfish.  I mean, how often do you get to do something like that?

We also spent just a little extra to go see their jellies exhibit.  A whole room full of jellyfish and you don't have to worry about getting stung.  What a treat!  They were awesome. 

While this wasn't a timed exhibit, they only let people in in groups which brings me to one of my little secrets for special exhibits (and if everyone did this it would be a bad thing): Make your way through the exhibit once with the group, backtrack without going out, then go through it again at your own pace.  By doing this, you're less likely to miss anything cool and you can see the things you're really interested in for a longer period of time.  Just stay off to the sides so other people can see, but take your time that second time through.  Soak it in.  And if they allow it Take as many photos as possible.  These are things you'll most likely not get to see again.  Keep snapping away in between the groups of people and you'll get some amazing shots to help you remember it all. 

Having seen everything we paid to see and having two very tired men who aren't used to walking so much, it was time for us to head back to the train.  We walked back, taking our time because we had two hours to kill.  Of course, we were also anxious to get somewhere and rest our feet, so we didn't dawdle too much - except to make a stop at Millennium Park.  It's always good to stop and smell the flowers. 

With over an hour to spare, we made it to the train station, got a little more food, and rested our sore feet.  Being my little OCD self, I decided to check the departure schedule to make sure all was well and noticed the next train was actually leaving in a half-hour.  I had read the schedule wrong (after riding the dang train for over 18 years, you'd think I knew what I was doing).  This brings me to my final tip:  Always triple-check your train schedule or you'll get left behind.