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So I'm all "running with my sister is the best thing ever! I'm gonna do this every day!!"

And then Christmas happened.

My Christmas, full of children's laughter, a tree that threatens to fall over, friends dropping by to spend the day (and also fixing my brother in law's brakes(!)), making new friends, fixing and eating amazing food, flew by in a blur so fast I almost missed it.

My sister and nieces and I managed to get in a short walk Christmas night after everyone left. Starry and quiet, the girls ran ahead of us on the sidewalk, marveling at lights in their neighbors' yards as my sister and I concocted our next moves, enjoying the cool night air.

What came out of that walk should be fun.

This 30/30 thing could be amazing!

We walked around the Getty Villa yesterday, and all I can say is WOW. The collection of Greek and roman art is amazing!!

Also: I could live there. I mean, really. In fact, why hasn't the porter brought my bags up yet?

And then there was shopping.

Which was out of control. 

My sister played human Barbie with me, which resulted in getting stuck in a zillion designer dresses and wearing things I would never put on because they are a zillion dollars (who wears $2000 dresses?!) and I would be afraid of spilling red wine on them. 

Then again, I am in LA, so I wouldn't have to eat, so there's that.

Trying on zillions of dresses is a workout!

A workout with punishment of literally getting zipped up in the dress if you are not just the right size.

Sister time!

Gah! I can't believe I was here 4 days before my sister and I ran together!

But we did run. And it was awesome.

I've missed it (and her) SO much!

Yesterday we ran, bumping elbows until our bodies became used to the other's presence. It was as though we were drawn together, out of missing each other, or needing physical contact.

It was one of my favorite runs. Ever.

Not because we were consistently on the verge of getting lost, not because we may or may not have stolen plucked a lemon from someone's tree and spent blocks laughing about stuffing it down out shirts. (Namely how hilarious it would look jutting out from my excuse for tits.)

It was my favorite run because it was just my sister and I. No crying kids or barking dogs. No phones or excuses. My real sister. Not the one who is always keeping her family together, smoothing wrinkles, making it all OK, (she is really good at all of these things. Sometimes annoyingly so), but the real one. The wickedly funny, irreverent, loving, smart, kind, thoughtful, warm sister that I know and love.

With every step, even as our breathing became labored, it was amazing to watch her breathe. To let go of thoughts of how she thought she "should" be and just be. 

Seeing that allowed me to breathe, too. 

This morning, when we snuck out for a run, my little sister appeared, excited and nervous at the same time. As we ran up and down streets in the early morning light, laughing (because that is what we do), telling stories, sharing memories, I was reminded a jillion times over how amazing she is as a sister, a mother, friend and all around awesome human being. (I'm sure she's great at other stuff, too, (like daughter and wife), but I know nothing of these.) And, yes, you totally want to know her.

In a few days she will have a birthday. And like a fine wine....

I hope she knows how amazing she is.

Even if she does bump my elbow.

30/30, v.2

Did I mention that yesterday was one of those days where things don't exactly go as planned?

No?

Yeah, well...

My sister and I had planned on going to the gym, then doing some shopping... 

9 a.m. found us at the walk-in clinic with her oldest, who spent the entire night coughing. (Poor girl has bronchitis.) We made an appointment for my brother- in- in law, who has a man cold. And then... And then.... And then it was noon before I got the run in.


But I did run.
And it was glorious. Perfect weather. 
Actually, it was a bit like running in Florida. But drier.
As I was running down perfectly manicured sidewalks (take note, Atlanta! They were perfect. No breaking of faces here; people pay too much for them to risk it, I guess), I was whacked in the face with... 
wait for it...
a lime. 
Seriously?!?
This place is nuts.


So I'm having this great run, and then I look down at my watch.
And realize I'm running along at my 5k race pace.
WTF?
Could all of my runs be like this? Please?!




Aaand then I got lost. On an out and back route. 'Cause I'm smart like that.
...Yeah.
I can't remember what my sister's house number is and everything looks the same. 
The. 
Exact. 
Same.
And yet so completely different from anything east coast.
I kept thinking I'd see her car, something that stood out.... And then I'd get lost staring at palm trees, dodging lime trees, and wondering if that white iron fence was before or after her house. Or was it that other white iron fence that I'm looking for?


Love, Dumbass.
(A.K.A. Yours Truly)

30/30

Yarrg.

Like I am a pirate. Yarrg.

Me has no posts since, like, forever.

But then, life kicked me in the ass. 
Hard. 

I will spare you the details and say I've been under a rock.


School ended (thankfully!!) and I've been a busy bee all week.
My best friend came in town from Baltimore this past week (awesome!) and I (as of Monday morning) am in L.A. visiting my sister!!!!! 
Things are looking up.


So, L.A. for 10 days. 
Which means no boot camp for 10 days.
I decided last week that I need to put more energy into my running, and more miles on my feet. Happily, boot camp has led to faster leg turnover with less energy.
I spoke with someone at the Georgia Marathon pace run Saturday who is doing 30 in 30. That is, he plans on exercising 30 minutes a day for 30 days in January. (He has one free day.)
Word on the street is that b.c. will only be two days a week at Piedmont next month. Which leaves lots of room for running. So this 30/30 thing may be just the answer to re-energize my exercise routine. 


I am quasi- test driving this idea in L.A. with lots of walking today.
Walking around the Getty Museum.
Dying!!

Seriously, can I exercise every day for 30 days? 

Somebody please kick me out of bed.

I lay in bed this morning for a full 30 minutes, trying to convince myself that I should get up. 

That I could get up. 

That I would get up. 

And I would run. 

That was really the hard part. 'Cause had you asked me to get up for coffee, I'd have been on it like white on rice. And once I was out the door, it was a glorious run.

So why is it so bloody hard to get out of my very comfy, warm bed when it is followed with the thought of running? Why can't I just get out of bed, head toward the coffee maker, and just before hitting the magic button, yell, "Fooled ya!", thus scaring the crap out of myself. With my heart racing, I could claim to be awake enough to run. Or at least too awake to go back to sleep.

So, I'm thinking I need an elf. They're quite wee, from my understanding. Which, of course, means they eat and shit less. It could live behind the coffee maker, and jump out at me first thing in the morning, scaring me so badly that I'd have to go for a run to calm down. Presuming I don't pee myself after having an elf jump out at me.

Are real elves as big as Elf On A Shelf? Or do real elves use doll house furniture? Would an Elf On A Shelf with a motion detector be able to tell me to go for a run? 'Cause they're kinda creepy. That may be cheaper than trying to sort through the immigration papers of elves. Particularly because, like small ankle- biting dogs, I imagine elves are loud and needy. Especially with things like food. And fair wages.

California

I can not fully express my excitement or gratitude right now.

I am ridiculously excited because...

drum roll please...

I'm going to Cali to visit my sister!!!!!!!

Insert Temple of Doom heart removal scene in reverse. As in, the heart goes back in. 

It is then filled with joy. No, not the soap. The emotion is more viscous- at least in my mind.

So I was talking to someone the other day about how I constantly have these odd fantasies of alternate realities. For example, when I'm in a crowded place and frustrated about it, I love imagining everyone doing the dance to Thriller. I also have these Ally Mcbeal moments where I imagine something totally inappropriate/ impossible....

But I digress....

I'm going to Calli!!!!

I'm gonna run in the sun and put my arms around the necks of my nieces. I'm so excited I could pee. 

But you know I won't. 'Cause that would just be awkward. 
Plus, I'd have to clean it up, and I am too tired. (How's that for lazy?)

So now "all" I have to do is get through this semester.

Then... and I totes forgot to mention this awesomeness.... have fun with my best friend when she comes to town to get her fancy paper (AKA PhD). There will be running, eating, laughter, and beer, guaranteed.


And then.... 
California!!!!!


Did I mention that I'm excited?'Cause I think maybe I am.
Just a little.


So this is maybe not the Thanksgiving post you were expecting. It's not exactly the one I was expecting to write. I was thinking I'd mention something about how I am thankful for the opportunity to wake my sorry ass up before the crack of dawn to face a punishing workout in the freezing cold. Only it's not freezing cold. Yet. I thought about how I'd say I had to run uphill, both ways, in the snow, to get to boot camp (except that's a bold faced lie, which I hear is not nice). I thought about how I'd write about how thankful I am for my health, for the ability to run, and for sunrise.


Instead, you get
CALIFORNIA!!!!!!!!!!!
(Insert Pauly Shore laying on his belly, swimming freestyle in the dirt.) 

Long Run Ready?

Coach Sadist tried to kill us. 

Again.

Part of the fun of being an instructor is that I get a little intel on everything. And this morning when Coach Sadist said, "Oh, yeah, don't worry, this won't be very hilly; we just have that one little hill where I'll make them do front to backs...", I foolishly believed him.

Normally, I like hills. 

This week has not been normal, though. I'm not sure what normal is anymore. Does it exist? I'm not referring to the nursing school ideology of needing to be more descriptive than "normal", but more of familiarity. Nothing is familiar or constant right now. And if I slow down long enough to admit it, this new territory is really hard.

So I fall back on what I know; I work out more and harder; this physical pain is easier to deal with than the emotional. And I'm feeling the pain big time today. Normally I take a day off over the weekend. Not this week! We had a special boot camp Saturday morning and then TRX Sunday... Coach Awesome killed herself, Other New Super Sweet (But Don't Call Her that 'Cause She'll Kick Your Ass) Coach Whose Name I Haven't Concocted Yet, and me with that class! 

(We were feeling especially awesome this morning...)

So I was supposed to do a long run today.... My favorite workout.

I was supposed to bring reflective/ light up stuff to wear ('cause, you know, wearing black in the wee hours is oh so sexy safe!). And I was supposed to do something else that I totally forgot (and am forgetting again as I write this!). 

This having to function in the early hours business is tough!!

So after no days off, plus some stupid hard workouts, I believed Coach Sadist when he said no hills.

What I didn't realize is that he has hill-dar. He can't help it; if there is a hill in a five mile radius, he will find it. 

And make us run it. 

On repeat.

Excuse me while I go die.