tap my glass

I ran the 10k yesterday and it was a good time.  I had been training for 8 weeks or so, roughly running 5 days a week, it was a long haul.  Over now though!!!  Yay!!!  I finished well ahead of where i expected, i attribute 25% of that to good weather, 25% of it to a better starting position, and 50% of that to healthy lungs.  Finally, empirical evidence that i’m healthier now that i don’t smoke!!!!

Mostly so i remember next year, i’m going to boringly note what i ate.  Friday morning i was at rocking johnny’s for breakfast taking my car in, followed by a medium 2nd cup cappuccino.  When i got home i started pigging out on pita and hummus and tabouleh, and pretty much ate that all day long, with the inclusion of one kaiser roll sandwhich of left over genoa, provalone, and hot n sweet mustard.  Around 6 o’clock, i cooked for the first time in over a month a very dilectable de cecco fettucine dish that had:
- 2 bbq sliced sazloves lamb sausages
- 2 bbq sliced sazloves chorizo sausages
- 4 chopped roma tomatos
- 1 head of long raddiccio, chopped
- one large shallot diced
- 1/2 bunch of fresh oregano leaves
- lots of salt and pepper
- garlic infused oil (about 30 minutes)

All raw but the sausages added to the pasta at the end, very darn tasty.  Ate a bunch of that friday night for dinner, then when i was alone, i picked away at it some more around 10pm.  Then i had some mango sorbet.  Saturday morning around 9am i had breakfast i prepared the night before - mango coconut granola, frozen berry fruit, and a few corn flakes.  Then coffee…  couldn’t avoid the coffee on race day!!  At 1pm i had leftovers of the pasta, not too much but a decent human sized portion.  At 3:30pm i went to the store, bought 2 gatorade’s, and proceeded to finish just one of them before about 5:45.  I also drank water throughout the day.

This all seemed to work pretty well, but i still think there was too much food sloshing around in my tummy.  Should’ve eaten a smaller lunch…  also, i had to pee.  I peed twice in the hour before the race, but it still wasn’t enough.  I have to be good and STOP drinking fluids by about 5pm i think.  Then i’ve got a hope of purging my body.

The pot i used to clean the pasta is still dirty.  Its a little too big to wash in the bathroom…  i’m hoping plumbing will be restored today.  Guess i should get to work - first things first…  make some coffee!!!!

So since i’ve been training now for this 10k i’m running in a few weeks, i’ve gotten quite used to running through the glebe in the evening. I just got back from a relatively eventful sprint run and thought i would share my delightful experience with y’all.

I run started like most others, slowly and with intent. However, the intent this eve was a sprint one, a 10×400m thingy where i run “as fast as i can” for 400m, 10 times. During this training i’ve only had to do this 2 times prior, and both times it was tuff. I had hopes of going to the track next to the school on glebe ave. near bronson. I got in, but after one lap some dude told me “if you stay in here you’ll have to hop the fence to get out”. This didn’t seem too appealing. So i wussily left to roam the streets of the glebe and do approximated 400m.

You know whats sweet about running through the glebe in the spring in the eve? The smells. Damn, them rich glebe folk sure bbq some fine meats. I think i like the smell of meat more than the taste these days. I’d rather devour a pound of the table’s avacado salad than a pound of any meats these days, a mix of veggies and spices is way more appealing than chewing thru fatty parts of a steak or having to cut through bone where you thought there shouldn’t be any on a cheap cut of ribs. Don’t get me wrong, i enjoy that, just not as much anymore…

I digress. From what? O ya, my run, not much happenned after that. Lots of people that walk on glebe ave just west of bank have mean looks on their faces. Everyone looks at you when you run, and i look at most people back. Some of the old dudes give me the feeling that “damn, no runners on my streets, i’m gonna raise this up at the next community council meeting that i’m on my way to right now”. I’m probably just being over sensitive.

Then i got home and had a shower. Then i ate what you see beside this, the first half of my dinner (2nd half tbd). This is last nights spinach, red onion (soaked to sweeten), cuke, and grape tomato salad with a 5:1 rice vinager to olive oil dressing. Surprisingly, super kick ass!!! The milk, in bk’s old lotr glasses, is so good’s chocolate mixed with fat free. Its good shit too. Hot damn i’m getting old.

Thanks for reading this far, if you really did - with some local bloggers out of the country or the blogging scene altogether, there seems to be less inspirational reasons to blog, but recent comments have refeuled some fire. Or mabye thats my colon. Naw, its the comments, thanks for getting this far, and thanks to those that originally inspired me to babble endlessly to no one in particular about nothing in particular for what would seem to be no particular reason but no doubt is actually quite reasonable. Ahhhh, thats better.

Sometimes when i go for runs to pass the time i try to sing songs. Normally its the movie version of “when the tigers broke free” from the wall. Tonite it was “arnold lane” also from floyd but way older, i think syd sung it. I hardly remember the words… “arnold lane…. had a strange hobby. Collecting clothes, moonshine washing lineee. they suit him fine!… o arnold lane, its not the same, takes two to love…. two to love…. two to love… why can’t you seeee!!!” I don’t even know if those are right, and i’m certainly missing some.

Anyway i got home from my dart game a little disgruntled and needed to blow off some steam. Instead of buying cigarettes and chain smoking while drinking beer, i decided to go for a nice long run instead. I started through the experimental farm, which is a little spooky and unnerving alone after ten on a weekday. Once i got to the otherside of the locks i was greeted by 3 or 4 different groups of young folk smoking cheeba which was a much more welcome waft than tobacco smoke woulda been. I’m guessing carleton students res’s are right there.

Somewhere between bank and pretoria i started trying to sing arnold lane. As the above lyrical mishaps are evidence of, i didn’t get very far. That and i could hardly breath so singing just made running harder. I also made an obvious realization about balance. The reason i wanted a cigarette during crummy dart play was because i needed to regain my balance, with pleasure from a smoke. However, it would take balance away from health, making me feel shitty. To componsate for that, i might’ve decided to go for a run or do some yoga, but it’s so less satisfying when you have to fight plugged lung recepticals. However, because i didn’t want more imbalance, as i’m getting intolerant of it in my older age, i decide to forgo the smoke, go for the run, and hopefully feel all around better because of it. And i do/did.

Finally, on the home stretch, i saw some girls with candles in one of the glebe parks. I smiled, although it woulda been nice to see what they were talking about. However any sweaty dude approaching girls after 11 in a glebe park may be viewed as suspicious, but next time its less suspicious i should seize the opportunity.

Now, after shower, i’m sitting here eating feta cheese, peanuts, and yellow cherry tomatos to replinish some energy… i’m told you’re supposed to eat after you run. Running was tough as i had a belly full of creamy pasta and lots of gas, the latter of which is now mostly dispersed along the canal. Sometimes when i decide to just eat whats in the house its really bad for you. I think i went through a cup or 2 of table cream in my sauce tonite, which is like 50 grams of fat or something. O well. I did learn something, you need a sharp cheese for alfredo. Brie? Not gonna cut it. I also am learning roasting veggies is the way to go for peppers and zucchini’s.

Coherent much? Apparently not me today. I apologize for the lack of continuty but congratulate you if you made it this far!!! As a reward, try the all pizza diet (even though its kinda cheating, dude had smoothys for breakfast and only ate 6 slices a day).

… but i guess there wasn’t that many. Everything always seems more monumental at 1:30 am when the music is loud, and you’re surrounded by people losing one inhibition after the other.

“If it was me, and i was out with you and your girlfriend, i’d be all over all of that”. Or something like that. Ya right, i would be too. I was out with a friend, his gf, and a bunch of her friends as it was one of their bdays. The opportunity to go out with a bunch of anonymous hot girls is something you regret passing by, so you rarely do. However, game plans are a necessity, as are balls, and confidence, and really, personality is something you can probably leave at home. I didn’t bring much except a snazzy shirt… what did i say - “or the death of me will lie in the mirrors that dress me”?? I gotta listen to myself more.

Anyway, it was a fun nite, there was this ubersexy girl playing pool… wowy zowy, she was something else, but i’ve no idea what she’s really like as she was a) dressed up a bit and b) intoxicated. For all i know shes ultra repressed and uptight and wears jogging pants to work (i seriously doubt the last one, but excuses are easier when paired with unattractive imagry).

I woke up today, and stayed in bed till 11 or so, tossing and turning, trying to guage the hangover. Not too bad really. I then, of course, had to have a yoga bout with the new sigur ros album - the concert is tomorrow!!!!! Super kickass pigeon today by the way, mabye if i get bold at some point i’ll start setting up my camera and taking pictures of myself, get all narcissistic or something (as if i’m not already).

I had a full evening.

My day started unusually, especially for a monday. I was up before normal, and was at my desk at 9:07. This is about 30 minutues earlier than usual. Work went quite smoothly, and i was home round 6.

I had many options. I decided, as with most mondays, to just follow my instincts. I had many things on my agenda:
- dinner
- excercise
- social behaviour
- house work
- dart practice

The last one is because my dart season starts tomorrow, and i haven’t practiced at all in the past few months… anyways i’m happy to say, my focused mind (which of late, has been rare) came through in the clutch.

I went for a relatively short run - after my horrible showing on saturday (barely lasted 17 minutes) i did a short run (which for me is about 30, from here, straight south on percy to the canal, to the little glebe park and through it, back to percy, and home). It was great. I guess my cold and respritory illness is waning. I got home and started to fry onions, red peppers and garlic as per this african peanut soop recipe. I’ve been meaning to try this recipe for a week or so, basically to prove that anything involving a can of diced tomatos as half the bulk is never good… i think i’ve been proven wrong.

I had my shower, then finished off the dish. It was actually pretty good. I used chicken broth (sans msg) and cayenne instead of chili powder, but it was pretty good, very satisfying. Something about crunchy peanut butter, you can’t go wrong. I’m still kinda shocked - i think improvements could be made too. More simmer time, slightly less tomatos, and some blending, would probably of made it super kick ass. It didn’t need any salt either, most soops do, i guess the pb had enough.

Anyways, after that… i did the dishes. Then…. i watched some tv. Then… i took out the recycle. Then… ok then i realized i had enuf time to paint the ceiling of my bathroom. So i did. It only took like 30 min. I was quite impressed.

Ok, after that i got dressed (its hot today, after shower, just shorts, quite comfy), and sk8ed up to aloha to meet my buddy. Had a very nice stella, whilst listening to the empricals or something. Normally bands don’t play on mondays as bimal normally does his dj thing, but this monday was different cus the band is going to china or something. Anyways, they were loungy and quite good.

After that pint, off to the oak for some much needed dart practice. To my surprise 2 good regulars were already playing, and so i got some quality games in… saw a couple jump the ‘fence’ and dine and dash… Dave tracked em down, good for him!! Bunch of savages in this town…

As i was paying my tab saw S and said hi. She was with her sis, post backstreet boys concert… ahhh girls. Guys like me are so silly. I don’t even know why she’s appealing, just stupid irrational chemistry i guess, but arggg!!!

Sk8ed home wanting a cigarette REAL bad… if i had only bumped into dart folk outside but i was so streamlined i didn’t think to look. Good thing, i’m sure i’d regret it in the morning. I wonder if i can do it though? And by do it, i mean, when i really want a smoke, thinking it’ll add to my immediate enjoyment for the evening, can i? Will i be ok? They say a smoke or two a day is fine… hmmm. I’m not convinced, but i’ll probably learn the hard way.

Today started with stepping on a piece of glass. Just a tiny shard sitting on my carpet, burrowed into the heel of my foot. It really wasn’t that bad, my soles are pretty tuff, it stopped bleeding pretty quick… i remember the fateful nite i broke a glass in there too, knowing one day i’d find the final shard in my foot. Today was that day.

I got home from work, did some yoga, and ran like i’ve never ran before, to dows lake, locks, up to bank, hit echo drv., to pretoria, otherside of the canal, back to bank, then up to percy, then all the way up percy to arlington… phew. One hour, 5 min, longest for me ever. I’m gonna frickin sleep tonite. I had to get a good one in cause i’m off to winnipeg this weekend for a wedding, doubtful i’ll be doing much running up there.

I got home from work quite tired. I cleaned previous nites pasta mess from kitchen, then decided to do some yoga for a little bit. I put on a sigur ros single, settled down, and passed out on the floor after 3 sun salutations and some leg lifts. Then i hit the couch and slept for 2 hours. I guess i was tired.

Speaking of sigur ros, they kick ass and are coming to ottawa in 19 days or so. The site has a forum with a thread for ottawa folks here. Its gonna be quite strange at the bronson center and all, making it all the more surreal to have these icelandic angels in my own fair ottawa. I have my tickets… do you??