They’re here, the post-Thanksgiving blues, and they kind of blow. Sorry to be so negative today, but that is how I am feeling. My snowshoes haven’t arrived, which is fine because there is no snow anyway, and I’m hopped up on Aleve (and Percocet) for my back, which is so severely fucked, it’s almost funny (if standing at a constant angle is funny to you).

I went to the chiropractor yesterday and that seemed to help, but not completely. As always, it may take a couple of sessions to get everything back to its rightful place. I’m just hoping it’s sooner than later. The short version is that my sacroiliac joint is out of whack, and that is putting stress on my lumbar muscles. The muscles themselves don’t hurt that much anymore, although the spasms I had over the weekend left me sobbing on more than one occasion (not to be dramatic, but just ask Rob. I think I scared him to pieces). So now it’s just this crookedness (I lean to the left), and the joint pain, which is sort of a dull achy feeling at present.

But the good news is that I can swim just fine, so I’ll be in the pool until this back thing clears up, in case you need to reach me. :)

Wow. I didn’t realize that I had forgotten to post for a while. I’ve been flat out at work, and busy making art for my show (opens today with the reception on December 3rd), and I had an interview with a certain Seattle-based online retailer, and I’ve had a cold, and I hurt my back this weekend, so it has been a rough week or two.

But the show is up and I am coming along with my graduate applications, and guess what? It’s almost snowshoe season!!!!! Seriously, I cannot wait. I even took the plunge and bought a pair of Redfeather running-specific snowshoes, which were on sale at Sierra Trading Post.

*sigh* I heart snowshoeing. It’s so much better than using the treadmill, and builds up your quads like nobody’s business. I love it more than anything, even swimming, and I only wish it would snow more on the weekends so that I could enjoy it before it melts. Last year all the good snowstorms were during the week and that sucked.

Hey, maybe Chris and Dianna would want to snowshoe this year! Now there’s an idea!

Yesterday’s run was alright. Nothing special. I wasn’t sure which way to go and ended up running a route that I haven’t run in about a year… and now I remember why. First of all, there is too much concrete, and once you get to the asphalt part of the path it’s all tree-rooty and filled with goose poop. Needless to say, it was slow going. Plus, I prefer a loop to an out and back route, although I am not sure why.

Anyway, I ran out for about 18 minutes, to the foot of the BU bridge, then turned around and came back, stopping just short of my office to walk the rest of the way in and cool down a bit. It was around 40º yesterday, but not very windy, and I was too hot in my running jacket, so I took it off halfway through.

Four o’clock is definitely a good time to be out there. It’s well enough past lunch and still light out. There aren’t tons of people on the path, but there are enough to avoid feeling isolated. Today though, it’s supposed to get up to around 60º, which will bring a lot more people outside to run, and it means I get to wear shorts again.

One of the little games I play is to see how late into the season I can wear a certain thing, like shorts, for example, or in my non-running life, winter scarves, or skirts without tights, or open toed shoes. Anyway, I think shorts season is basically over. It is supposed to snow tomorrow. :(

So I swam this morning. Woo!

It’s been harder to get in the pool in the evening these last few weeks, given that it’s swim season and the high school teams own the lanes from 4:00 til about 8:00 every night, so I thought I’d switch to mornings. It works out pretty well, considering I really, really hate to get up early. Swimming at that hour, at least for me, is way easier than running. Plus, I’d rather run after work anyway.

Man alive, It’s getting dark early though. Today I’ll probably run at 4:00 and then just stink it up in my cube for the remainder of the afternoon. Oh, and never underestimate the destankifying power of baby wipes, that’s all I’m saying.

It’s funny. Last year I was hurt and barely able to run at this time, logging what miles I could on the ‘mill and dreading the cold. This year I’m all “BRING IT ON” and whatnot.

I love the cold, really. These days I am dreaming of thick tights, and red noses, and wearing socks on my hands to wipe the snot away. I am fantasizing about snowshoeing in the woods and hurrying to catch the last bit of light in the evening, of smelling the wood stoves and fireplaces come alive as I near the end of my route. I am excited for my Thanksgiving day race, and wondering how it will feel to eat an enormous meal after a 5 miler in the morning. I am thinking about the New Year’s Eve run in Central Park and if I can convince Rob (and maybe Dianna – hint, hint) to go with me. I want to start the new year with my applications behind me and my running goals met. So far, so good.

Just got back from a 3.5 mile run with Rob.  There’s this nice little park that runs along the river near his house, behind a couple of schools and whatnot. We have been running here a lot since we started doing this crazy sport together, and we know this loop so well that he was even able to remind me where the swarmy bugs usually are… just not in time enough for me to avoid swallowing several. Ick. Ew.

Other than that the run was uneventful. We have been out a couple of times since my last post, enjoying the late fall weather and waning 4:30 sun, and I’ve been singing Patty Griffin songs in my head as we move along our route. It has been swell. I’d like for us to start adding on a little mileage and get to where we are running for  an hour, because even though we don’t talk much while we are out there, we’re very in sync during this time and I think it honestly brings us closer.  Plus, he says he likes to look at my ass, so how can I deny him that? :)

Went to RISD (Rhode Island School of Design) the other day for an information session and tour. It was wonderful, and I swear, I am going to cry if i don’t get in there. Came home, made more paintings – the usual. OH! But last night something interesting happened. I was at The Vermillion Cotillion, our artists party to celebrate Open Studios, and the guy who does all the programming for the gallery space at Evos Arts offered me a solo show for December. How cool is that? I’d better make more work!

Okay, time to sign off. Rob and I are meeting our non-running friends (one of whom just quit smoking) for a movie and dinner. Gotta go. Happy running to all!!!!