Most of the bloggers I read have fallen into silence over the summer -- a few race reports, a few wonderful long posts of remembrance. A spurt of posting, and then a quiet spell. (There are exceptions, including one of my favorite runner's blog -- I wrote that as running blog, but she covers a much wider range than that.)
So perhaps I shouldn't feel sheepish at six weeks of silence. They've been busy weeks. Settling in to the new job -- sometimes it's packed with stuff to accomplish and sometimes I'm not at all sure what I'm supposed to be doing. But it's reasonable thus far. I don't know that it's where I want to be in 5 years, but that's then, not now.
And breathing trapeze. Not running enough, not nearly enough --twice in the month of July? Those were treasured runs, although labored -- and getting over the inertia to get out the door for them on my rare unscheduled evenings is perhaps the hardest part.
Three nights of trapeze a week is a lot, and it's hard to make the schedule work. I'm spending 8-10 hours a week in classes/training/working slowly on my act -- we've now choreographed the first 20-30 seconds of it. We keep trying different things; I think we managed to add one new move on my last session.
So it's been a busy six weeks or so -- we splurged in July with a trip to Teatro Zinzanni which really was a tremendous amount of fun. El Bandito the Magnificent volunteered for one of the segments (with a lot of vigorous prodding from his wife). The show was good; the highlights were definitely the dual trapeze act at the end, seeing my husband juggle a raw chicken, loaf of bread and a blob of margarine, and a pretty astounding hula hoop act.
And then we had a fabulous, extravagant anniversary dinner last week; the advantage of knowing a sous schef at an uber-fancy restaurant is that we got to say "just bring food" and have wonderful things appear in front of us. Spoiled. Absolutely Spoiled.
A new day job, trapeze, the rare run, and weekend hikes in the coastal hills (preparation for our nearly-yearly trip hiking in the Canadian Rockies)... to quote Calvin and Hobbes, "The days are just packed".
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
getting my act together
act: n, 1 : the doing of a thing...7 a: one of successive parts or performances (as in a variety show or circus) b: the performer or performers in such an act c: a performance or presentation identified with a particular individual or group d: the sum of a person's actions or effects that serve to create an impression or set an example
getting one's act together: Informal. to organize one's time, job, resources, etc., so as to function efficiently.
I ran last week. and this week. After a full four weeks not running, thanks to first a chest cold for my last week at the old job, followed by our mini-vacation (with some serious hiking; 600m of elevation gain in under 2.5km) and then starting a new job... Excuses, excuses.
and then, finally, I laced up my shoes and ran a few miles and suddenly... things settled in my brain. The buzz calmed down.
Starting a new job has been both enjoyable and overwhelming. I'm starting, after 3 weeks, to feel like I'm actually making sense of what I'm doing. There are parts of my job that are just plain sad. I haven't worked with patients in years, and seeing some of the things that can go wrong is depressing. But it also feels good to be potentially doing something clinically relevant.
But the biggest reason for the title... I've finally decided it's time to put some real time and energy into a trapeze act. Time, indeed, to get my act together. Stay timed. I won't be performing anytime soon, but video may be available shortly upon request. We'll see.
getting one's act together: Informal. to organize one's time, job, resources, etc., so as to function efficiently.
I ran last week. and this week. After a full four weeks not running, thanks to first a chest cold for my last week at the old job, followed by our mini-vacation (with some serious hiking; 600m of elevation gain in under 2.5km) and then starting a new job... Excuses, excuses.
and then, finally, I laced up my shoes and ran a few miles and suddenly... things settled in my brain. The buzz calmed down.
Starting a new job has been both enjoyable and overwhelming. I'm starting, after 3 weeks, to feel like I'm actually making sense of what I'm doing. There are parts of my job that are just plain sad. I haven't worked with patients in years, and seeing some of the things that can go wrong is depressing. But it also feels good to be potentially doing something clinically relevant.
But the biggest reason for the title... I've finally decided it's time to put some real time and energy into a trapeze act. Time, indeed, to get my act together. Stay timed. I won't be performing anytime soon, but video may be available shortly upon request. We'll see.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
loose ends
I took 2 weeks off between jobs; having been in limbo for several months I've been socking away money furiously and we decided we could afford the break. We're even going on a minivacation -- 4 days of hiking and urban exploration on the other side of the border.
It was strange clearing off my desk on my last day, copying important files and purging anything personal from my surroundings. No one else is likely to use my computer; it's nearing the end of any useful life. In a strange twist, I'll be back at that desk at least intermittently for a while. I'm hoping it's only intermittent but the new department has yet to find me space. It's an odd transition.
Yesterday was day 1 of being "between jobs," as my google status put it. And I spent much of it doing things which were far too productive. Pilates. Laundry, bill-paying, floor-mopping, spring-cleaning, baking pumpkin bread. Fortunately, I'd made plans to meet a friend to go to the science museum, so I did stop with the madness. And I skipped my run, again -- I've had a chest cold for the last week, and wheezing and coughing makes running far less pleasant. I even skipped a night of trapeze last week, a sure sign I was ill. Sure makes me feel lazy though.
However, a touch of laziness during downtime? I guess I shouldn't give myself too hard a time about that.
It was strange clearing off my desk on my last day, copying important files and purging anything personal from my surroundings. No one else is likely to use my computer; it's nearing the end of any useful life. In a strange twist, I'll be back at that desk at least intermittently for a while. I'm hoping it's only intermittent but the new department has yet to find me space. It's an odd transition.
Yesterday was day 1 of being "between jobs," as my google status put it. And I spent much of it doing things which were far too productive. Pilates. Laundry, bill-paying, floor-mopping, spring-cleaning, baking pumpkin bread. Fortunately, I'd made plans to meet a friend to go to the science museum, so I did stop with the madness. And I skipped my run, again -- I've had a chest cold for the last week, and wheezing and coughing makes running far less pleasant. I even skipped a night of trapeze last week, a sure sign I was ill. Sure makes me feel lazy though.
However, a touch of laziness during downtime? I guess I shouldn't give myself too hard a time about that.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
levels
level n. ...
16. an extent, measure, or degree of intensity, achievement, etc.: a high level of sound; an average level of writing skill.
Or perhaps this would be equally titled: "being where you are".
There's a guy in one of my trapeze sessions who is always thinking ahead to the next level. Sometimes that's a positive thing: it's good to have goals. Striving to get better and to constantly challenge oneself? I understand that. It's a large part of why I do trapeze.
But there's also something to be said for accepting where you are. To be able to look at what you can do with satisfaction for what it is.
Trapeze tricks build on skills. You learn how to do things in steps and stages. Sometimes it's just a matter of understanding the parts, but other times it's building the strength, the flexibility, the body vocabulary and trust. You can't always, shouldn't always, decide that you're ready to try something when you don't have the basics underlying the trick.
If you've just taken up running, a non-stop mile can be a victory. There's no point in kicking yourself because it wasn't a marathon.
I am, in my opinion, a mediocre aerialist. But that's not why I do it.
When I'm working on the trapeze, I Put Everything Aside. There's no room for other thoughts.
When I run, I Sort Things Out. Sometimes it's conscious, a thinking through as I run; sometimes it's just reaching a state where things settle in to my brain.
I need them both.
16. an extent, measure, or degree of intensity, achievement, etc.: a high level of sound; an average level of writing skill.
Or perhaps this would be equally titled: "being where you are".
There's a guy in one of my trapeze sessions who is always thinking ahead to the next level. Sometimes that's a positive thing: it's good to have goals. Striving to get better and to constantly challenge oneself? I understand that. It's a large part of why I do trapeze.
But there's also something to be said for accepting where you are. To be able to look at what you can do with satisfaction for what it is.
Trapeze tricks build on skills. You learn how to do things in steps and stages. Sometimes it's just a matter of understanding the parts, but other times it's building the strength, the flexibility, the body vocabulary and trust. You can't always, shouldn't always, decide that you're ready to try something when you don't have the basics underlying the trick.
If you've just taken up running, a non-stop mile can be a victory. There's no point in kicking yourself because it wasn't a marathon.
I am, in my opinion, a mediocre aerialist. But that's not why I do it.
When I'm working on the trapeze, I Put Everything Aside. There's no room for other thoughts.
When I run, I Sort Things Out. Sometimes it's conscious, a thinking through as I run; sometimes it's just reaching a state where things settle in to my brain.
I need them both.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
definitions, two
New: having recently come into existence
Job: a. a specific duty, role, or function cb.: a regular remunerative position*
I have one.
Breathing a sigh of relief.
It's not the direction I thought I was going.
It starts 6/1; my current funding ends in May. A few days of breathing space.
I think it will be interesting. A new challenge -- different and the same.
and a raise from where I am. Can't complain.
I wish trapeze had a standard vocabulary.
It's hard to explain the new thins I was working on yesterday, even to other aerialists.
And yet, it was really satisfying last night. It's not that I made huge strides, but I worked hard. and some things worked really well.
I'm realizing I need to start working on an act.
I never thought I'd say that (type that?).
Trapeze was never about performing, but about challenging myself.
And now? I'm realizing the two things aren't mutually exclusive.
that an act might really be my next step.
I skipped my run tonight.
for no good reason.
and now that makes me grumpy.
Job: a. a specific duty, role, or function cb.: a regular remunerative position*
I have one.
Breathing a sigh of relief.
It's not the direction I thought I was going.
It starts 6/1; my current funding ends in May. A few days of breathing space.
I think it will be interesting. A new challenge -- different and the same.
and a raise from where I am. Can't complain.
I wish trapeze had a standard vocabulary.
It's hard to explain the new thins I was working on yesterday, even to other aerialists.
And yet, it was really satisfying last night. It's not that I made huge strides, but I worked hard. and some things worked really well.
I'm realizing I need to start working on an act.
I never thought I'd say that (type that?).
Trapeze was never about performing, but about challenging myself.
And now? I'm realizing the two things aren't mutually exclusive.
that an act might really be my next step.
I skipped my run tonight.
for no good reason.
and now that makes me grumpy.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
two days of sunshine
I'm not ready for Monday.
I have a meeting tomorrow to hopefully iron out the details for my new job. Yes, potentially, I have a new job. Not the direction I was expecting to move in, but it should be interesting, exciting, and challenging. Through a bizarre intersection of circumstances, I may be effectively in the same location, seeing my current colleagues and coworkers daily. That will require some adjustment -- to remind myself that I don't need to do X, Y, or Z for them, or worry about whether "we" are violating protocol in some incredibly meaningless way.
But this weekend,
I had:
A crappy run on Friday night.
A long walk with a friend.
A short but steep and truly lovely hike with El Bandito.
A dinner date for delicious food, after we sat in the car laughing until the end of NPR's Selected Shorts program. Yes, we're nerds.
A bike ride.
Time to watch dogs frolicking at the beach.
A potential partner for www.muddybuddy.com -- we're negotiating whether it will work out for either of us, but it might. Signing up for a race might help structure my training more too; as is, I run and bike because that helps keep me sane and increase my stamina for trapeze.
An hour spent in the garden plot, pulling weeds and deciding what to plant.
I'm a list-maker. Lists help me see what I've accomplished. What needs to be done. What steps to take.
This list? Two days of sunshine and a nap with the cat.
I have a meeting tomorrow to hopefully iron out the details for my new job. Yes, potentially, I have a new job. Not the direction I was expecting to move in, but it should be interesting, exciting, and challenging. Through a bizarre intersection of circumstances, I may be effectively in the same location, seeing my current colleagues and coworkers daily. That will require some adjustment -- to remind myself that I don't need to do X, Y, or Z for them, or worry about whether "we" are violating protocol in some incredibly meaningless way.
But this weekend,
I had:
A crappy run on Friday night.
A long walk with a friend.
A short but steep and truly lovely hike with El Bandito.
A dinner date for delicious food, after we sat in the car laughing until the end of NPR's Selected Shorts program. Yes, we're nerds.
A bike ride.
Time to watch dogs frolicking at the beach.
A potential partner for www.muddybuddy.com -- we're negotiating whether it will work out for either of us, but it might. Signing up for a race might help structure my training more too; as is, I run and bike because that helps keep me sane and increase my stamina for trapeze.
An hour spent in the garden plot, pulling weeds and deciding what to plant.
I'm a list-maker. Lists help me see what I've accomplished. What needs to be done. What steps to take.
This list? Two days of sunshine and a nap with the cat.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
recaps and head buckets
Monday. I ran. on the dreadmill. but ran nonetheless.
I hate the gym. Or maybe... I don't like the people in the gym. I'm sure they're all wonderful human beings (OK, maybe not), but there are too many of them in one place, competing for resources and attention and they are in my way. However, I like the aftereffects of going to the gym. Of pushing myself and feeling accomplished.
Tuesday was trapeze.
Wednesday I ran.
Today was more trapeze. It was a better night than Tuesday; on Tuesday everything felt hard. Even things I'd done a hundred times. A few things worked better than usual; my ability to hang upside down with my just feet hooked over the bar has improved greatly. But it felt hard. Tonight was ... no more successful, but didn't feel as challenging. Mental work, but more connection to it.
But looking at all that, it's no wonder my legs have felt leaden recently on my bike commute.
Speaking of bikes, I am vaguely in the market for another one. A road bike, to join my stable of mountain bike and heavy steel city commuter. So if anyone reading this has a recommendation for a good entry level road bike, let me know.
And on a vaguely related topic, can I just say how astounded I am at all the cyclists who don't wear helmets? I hate helmets - they're funny looking and all that. But I would never ride without one. I've had one minor concussion in my life. I don't need another. It's been on my mind with all the news coverage of Natasha Richardson's fall and subsequent death from an epidural bleed. I'm particularly aggravated when I see parents riding with their kids -- the kids are wearing helmets (which is a legal requirement in CA) and often the parents aren't. A) way to be a role model. B) who's going to care for the kids if you end up hospitalized or worse with a brain injury? It's especially upsetting when I see a helmet hanging from the handlebars, so it's clearly not an issue of not being able to afford one. Brain buckets. They save lives.
Ok. rant over.
I hate the gym. Or maybe... I don't like the people in the gym. I'm sure they're all wonderful human beings (OK, maybe not), but there are too many of them in one place, competing for resources and attention and they are in my way. However, I like the aftereffects of going to the gym. Of pushing myself and feeling accomplished.
Tuesday was trapeze.
Wednesday I ran.
Today was more trapeze. It was a better night than Tuesday; on Tuesday everything felt hard. Even things I'd done a hundred times. A few things worked better than usual; my ability to hang upside down with my just feet hooked over the bar has improved greatly. But it felt hard. Tonight was ... no more successful, but didn't feel as challenging. Mental work, but more connection to it.
But looking at all that, it's no wonder my legs have felt leaden recently on my bike commute.
Speaking of bikes, I am vaguely in the market for another one. A road bike, to join my stable of mountain bike and heavy steel city commuter. So if anyone reading this has a recommendation for a good entry level road bike, let me know.
And on a vaguely related topic, can I just say how astounded I am at all the cyclists who don't wear helmets? I hate helmets - they're funny looking and all that. But I would never ride without one. I've had one minor concussion in my life. I don't need another. It's been on my mind with all the news coverage of Natasha Richardson's fall and subsequent death from an epidural bleed. I'm particularly aggravated when I see parents riding with their kids -- the kids are wearing helmets (which is a legal requirement in CA) and often the parents aren't. A) way to be a role model. B) who's going to care for the kids if you end up hospitalized or worse with a brain injury? It's especially upsetting when I see a helmet hanging from the handlebars, so it's clearly not an issue of not being able to afford one. Brain buckets. They save lives.
Ok. rant over.
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