Off the Wagon, On the Road

Ok, so I may have fallen off the blogging wagon just a bit this last couple of weeks. That said, I'm pretty sure my select readership can appreciate and relate to the legitimate reasons this has occurred. Also, just because I haven't been blogging doesn't mean I haven't been training, however loose a term that seems to be these days.

I returned to running refreshed after my not-so-epic foray into spinning. I was overjoyed to have the chance to run outside last week for the first time this season. It was a balmy 60-something degrees here in Boston last Friday, and sunny--a welcome (but alas, brief) respite from the cold. Two days ago, the weather gods had the nerve to make it snow. Again. I was back on the treadmill later in the week, feigning ignorance to the 30-minute limit during peak gym hours. I made it 3.75 mi. before I was found out. Foiled again. And yes, it definitely did take me more than 30 minutes to run that distance. I'll work on it.

Soon, the only thing holding me back from running to my heart's content will be my guilt about neglecting my relationship with Qbank. Spring is coming, with all its fresh smells and awkward ankle sunburns and big events and yes, new beginnings.

It may be a couple of weeks or more before I write again, hopefully with a more robust report regarding my running progress. In the meantime, rest assured I'll keep myself busy.

Why am I posting the accompanying photos, you ask? Because looking at them and remembering the days they were taken make me happy. That's the only reason and right now, it's good enough for me.

Spring Forward (Fall Back)

Happy Daylight Savings Time!
My, how time has flown. This past Friday at around 4pm, members of the class of 2013 received their third year clerkship rotations. Responses to this development varied. There were the inevitable announcements on Facebook, the anti-announcement announcements ("I will not be sharing my schedule. I am far too original for that, but I still feel compelled to update you on my 'status.'"), the flurry of panicked texts ("NOOOO!!! I'm DOOMED!" Then, 5min later "Phew-I switched."), the quietly content group who got one of their top choices and those few people still desperately pleading for a schedule change, to no avail. Guess which group I'm in?

Things aren't so bad. We're all pretty excited to depart the 5th circle of hell that is the end of second year. I, for one, am more than ready to embrace the feelings of perpetual ignorance and inferiority that third year will bring.

Another piece of good news is that unless my schedule miraculously changes, I can now begin to think more seriously about races. Kate suggested this one, for the Boston contingent: http://www.lonegull10k.com/about/. Or this one: http://www.runtotherock.webs.com/. Or this one, should only women decide to participate: http://www.tuftshealthplan.com/tufts10k/eventdetails/. All look good to me right now, so tell me what you think.

For those running in New York, I think it could be really fun to do the Merrell Down and Dirty Mud Run (http://www.downanddirtymudrun.com/ny.cfm), though it's admittedly not a conventional 10k. I'm open to suggestions, so please send them along!

Running this week was...meh. Even though I'm on spring break and should have energy to spare, for some reason, I haven't been able to match the level of endurance I had reached a week ago. The regression put me a sort of funk, fueled also by the fact that I haven't been feeling all that great for the past few days. What is it about having time off that makes the body automatically poop out? In an attempt to get my aerobic groove back, I decided to try a couple of spinning classes.

Normally, I actively avoid spinning. Sitting on a stationary bike in a dark room for upwards of 45 minutes, watching myself struggling in a mirror while being instructed to vary the bike's resistance to simulate a scenic, hilly ride never held much appeal. But, bolstered by the encouragement of my friend/chaperone/handler Nicole, I took the leap. The verdict: shockingly, it's not so bad, after all. I don't think I will ever favor spinning over other forms of exercise, but sometimes it's nice to switch it up. This week, I will be back on my feet, though, hoping for the best.

In case you didn't see them, here are links to a couple of relevant editorials from last Sunday's New York Times' "Week in Review."

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/opinion/06ross.html?scp=9&sq=organ%20donation&st=cse
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/06/opinion/06longo.html?scp=5&sq=organ%20donation&st=cse

The first piece, written by a transplant nephrologist and a clinical ethics professor, offers one viewpoint on the new proposal to change the way kidneys are divvied up.
The second is written by Christian Longo, a prisoner on death row in Oregon who started an organization to promote organ donation among prisoners sentenced to death.

From Blah to Boo-ya

Oscars were horrendous--Anne Hathaway even more annoying than usual. Hated dermatology ("A 26 year-old man presents with an intensely pruritic, erythematous, papular rash. What is the next step in evaluation?" An HIV test? What?!). Apartment search fruitless. Cat close to death.

All in all, this week sucked. Turns out, it's amazing what a bad week can do for one's motivation to RUN. Tonight, I hopped on the treadmill and stayed on there for 4.5 miles at a pace of 6 miles/hour. And I could have kept going. Woot. Suddenly, my day was looking up. Dermatology is over (hooray! hooray!). The apartment search continues, with some promising leads. The cat lives!

As if that were not enough, some happy revelations came to me as I was walking home from the gym. First, that there's suddenly, finally almost no snow on the streets of Boston. Second, despite all of my complaints, the South End is a pretty beautiful place to live. Also, by this time tomorrow, I will be hanging with my family.

Yes, I'm off to New York, where my pseudo-athleticism will be officially put to shame by 12 year-old whipper-snappers performing in "Billy Elliot." I can't wait.