Several years ago, when Mr. Hibit and I were dating, I convinced him to play kickball with me.
He tore his quadricep his first time up to bat.
Well, maybe it was just a strain at the time, but in an effort to impress me with his stellar athleticism, he kept playing on it until one week his entire leg went black and blue. Yep - torn.
In time, his leg healed; I was apparently impressed enough to marry him, at which point he had achieved his goal and went into retirement at the ripe old age of 27.
Now, it's a funny story; at the time, I wagged my finger and preached the importance of stretching and ice.
It's time for me to open my mouth and insert my foot. Or better yet, my entire right leg. Guess what happened on my first warm-up shot before yesterday's soccer game?
Ouch.
Of course I played through it and limped through the door after the game. I did take my own advice and iced it thoroughly before I went to bed...at least I thought I was thorough. While most of my leg feels surprisingly good today (hooray!) I must have missed a spot. Because OH MY GOODNESS, THE PAIN.
Please, dear quadricep, hang in there. We've got a big year ahead of us.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
On the Pitch
Somehow, my friend Dave convinced me to join his indoor soccer team.
Dave and I go way back. I convinced him to run cross country our senior year of high school, so I guess this soccer thing is a form of vengeance.
I actually really enjoy soccer. I played for two years in high school. After getting the "honor" of riding the varsity bench as a sophomore, I came to terms with the fact that the only reason I was any good was because I was faster than everyone else. So my junior year I ran track instead...and in the long run, it worked out pretty well.
While I was successful at channeling my talent into running - and thankful to decrease my risk of acute injury, but more on that later - I've missed the intensity and thrill of of playing soccer. There's an element of competition I've been lacking since I began running "exclusively" nine years ago.
As I sit here today with muscles aching in ways they have not ached in quite some time, I find I've missed this, too. It's somehow satisfying.
The unsatisfying part - indoor soccer is not forgiving. I was very quickly reminded that I have very few actual applicable skills. I don't have footwork. My aim isn't really all that great, either. And if the ball comes toward my head, I will be moving out of the way, thankyouverymuch.
So I'm a big, sore, humble mess this evening. But it feels pretty good.
Now, to find a way to make this count as training before marathon training starts again on January 1!
(Or maybe I should just stick to running the rest of the week.)
Dave and I go way back. I convinced him to run cross country our senior year of high school, so I guess this soccer thing is a form of vengeance.
I actually really enjoy soccer. I played for two years in high school. After getting the "honor" of riding the varsity bench as a sophomore, I came to terms with the fact that the only reason I was any good was because I was faster than everyone else. So my junior year I ran track instead...and in the long run, it worked out pretty well.
While I was successful at channeling my talent into running - and thankful to decrease my risk of acute injury, but more on that later - I've missed the intensity and thrill of of playing soccer. There's an element of competition I've been lacking since I began running "exclusively" nine years ago.
As I sit here today with muscles aching in ways they have not ached in quite some time, I find I've missed this, too. It's somehow satisfying.
The unsatisfying part - indoor soccer is not forgiving. I was very quickly reminded that I have very few actual applicable skills. I don't have footwork. My aim isn't really all that great, either. And if the ball comes toward my head, I will be moving out of the way, thankyouverymuch.
So I'm a big, sore, humble mess this evening. But it feels pretty good.
Now, to find a way to make this count as training before marathon training starts again on January 1!
(Or maybe I should just stick to running the rest of the week.)
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Enchilada Night
Ladies and gentlemen,
Tonight is a special night. It is what we here in the Hibit house call Enchilada Night.
It doesn't happen on any sort of regular basis - just whenever we determine that it is indeed Enchilada Night.
But there's something special about this night - that puts Enchilada Night a very different occasion than merely having enchiladas for dinner. We could do that any day at our favorite local Mexican place.
People, what makes Enchilada Night special is this: I make them!
OK, so it's not any sort of major accomplishment. It's not like enchiladas are hard, or made from some kind of special recipe. In fact, the bulk of the recipe I use can be found on the back of the can of enchilada sauce. The fact that they don't take ages to make, while even giving me some time to sit down and relax while they finish cooking in the oven, makes them perfect for a weeknight. I figure that we need 8 of these meals to make a functional two-week rotation. Combined with our staples of pasta, grilled chicken, and grilled beef, we're now halfway there!
There is one small feature of my otherwise-ordinary enchiladas that makes me almost proud of them: I don't use packaged seasoning mix. For someone as dysfunctional as me, it's kind of shocking. I have no idea what motivated me to mix up my own spices the first time I tried it - maybe because measuring a bunch of dry ingredients is pretty much fool-proof, as long as you have a grasp on reading and basic math. (Check!) The sense of accomplishment I feel when I pull all the spices out of the cabinet might cloud my judgment, but I'm quite pleased with the result.
If you hate the thought of using seasoning packets when a cabinet full of good spices sits unused, or if you just need a kitchen confidence boost, try it. I'm pretty sure you'll like it.
Mexican Seasoning
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t sea salt
1 t black pepper
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper (or plain old red pepper if you aren't feeling sassy)
1/4 t oregano
This probably serves 4, as I use some for the two of us and put the rest away for next time. But I'm seriously close to quadrupling the recipe and just keeping it as a permanent fixture in our spice cabinet.
Tonight is a special night. It is what we here in the Hibit house call Enchilada Night.
It doesn't happen on any sort of regular basis - just whenever we determine that it is indeed Enchilada Night.
But there's something special about this night - that puts Enchilada Night a very different occasion than merely having enchiladas for dinner. We could do that any day at our favorite local Mexican place.
People, what makes Enchilada Night special is this: I make them!
OK, so it's not any sort of major accomplishment. It's not like enchiladas are hard, or made from some kind of special recipe. In fact, the bulk of the recipe I use can be found on the back of the can of enchilada sauce. The fact that they don't take ages to make, while even giving me some time to sit down and relax while they finish cooking in the oven, makes them perfect for a weeknight. I figure that we need 8 of these meals to make a functional two-week rotation. Combined with our staples of pasta, grilled chicken, and grilled beef, we're now halfway there!
There is one small feature of my otherwise-ordinary enchiladas that makes me almost proud of them: I don't use packaged seasoning mix. For someone as dysfunctional as me, it's kind of shocking. I have no idea what motivated me to mix up my own spices the first time I tried it - maybe because measuring a bunch of dry ingredients is pretty much fool-proof, as long as you have a grasp on reading and basic math. (Check!) The sense of accomplishment I feel when I pull all the spices out of the cabinet might cloud my judgment, but I'm quite pleased with the result.
If you hate the thought of using seasoning packets when a cabinet full of good spices sits unused, or if you just need a kitchen confidence boost, try it. I'm pretty sure you'll like it.
Mexican Seasoning
1 T chili powder
1 1/2 t cumin
1 t sea salt
1 t black pepper
1/2 t paprika
1/4 t garlic powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t cayenne pepper (or plain old red pepper if you aren't feeling sassy)
1/4 t oregano
This probably serves 4, as I use some for the two of us and put the rest away for next time. But I'm seriously close to quadrupling the recipe and just keeping it as a permanent fixture in our spice cabinet.
Feliz Enchilada Night!
Monday, November 23, 2009
Confession
So, I'm watching Dancing With the Stars right now. While I'm not entirely proud that I watch the show, that is not my confession.
You know how middle-aged women admit to having had childhood crushes on Donny Osmond?
[image from http://www.rollingstone.com]
Well...
I too had a childhood crush on this dreamy young man.
Only it wasn't on the 1976 version, as pictured above...
My crush was on the 1993 version. You know, Joseph. From the Bible.
[image from http://www.pbs.org]
Like I said....a total dreamboat.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tweet!
I finally cracked and joined twitter.
Again.
I set up an account a long time ago, and mentioned it several months ago - here. Back in August, my intentions were questionable, and I used my better judgment and stayed away.
But now!
Now, I'm planning to train - really train - for another marathon. I'm excited! I'm motivated! Before I've even started training, I'm starting to feel like the crazy runner I once was. And it feels good.
In all of this, I've been inspired to embark on a search for more writing runners - particularly local ones. After a fairly thorough search for running bloggers in KC came up disappointingly short, I'm expanding my search to other forms of social media.
As there appear to be very few local runners who are writing about it, I'm contemplating changing the format of this space to fill what I perceive to be a void in this community. But more on that later.
However, in antipation of these future changes, I've established my twitter identity as such. So if you want to keep up with the mostly running-related ramblings of my formerly fast alter ego, you can find me there at http://www.twitter.com/armstronghibit. (Why hello, maiden name under which all of my PRs were run!)
I promise to give it a legitimate try this time - as in, more than three tweets before I close the account. I'm looking foward to tweeting with you!
Again.
I set up an account a long time ago, and mentioned it several months ago - here. Back in August, my intentions were questionable, and I used my better judgment and stayed away.
But now!
Now, I'm planning to train - really train - for another marathon. I'm excited! I'm motivated! Before I've even started training, I'm starting to feel like the crazy runner I once was. And it feels good.
In all of this, I've been inspired to embark on a search for more writing runners - particularly local ones. After a fairly thorough search for running bloggers in KC came up disappointingly short, I'm expanding my search to other forms of social media.
As there appear to be very few local runners who are writing about it, I'm contemplating changing the format of this space to fill what I perceive to be a void in this community. But more on that later.
However, in antipation of these future changes, I've established my twitter identity as such. So if you want to keep up with the mostly running-related ramblings of my formerly fast alter ego, you can find me there at http://www.twitter.com/armstronghibit. (Why hello, maiden name under which all of my PRs were run!)
I promise to give it a legitimate try this time - as in, more than three tweets before I close the account. I'm looking foward to tweeting with you!
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Marathon, Round Two: Where?
Since I vocalized my desire to run another marathon, therefore making it real, it's been occupying a lot of my thoughts.
My first order of business is where, and when. While I haven't made a decision, I plan to commit to something soon. After talking to a lot of people about a plethora of great spring events, my guidelines for selecting a race have become clear. We'll call them the 4 S's. (Absolutely the worst letter of the alphabet to pluralize, but oh well.)
1. Speed: I want to give myself the best opportunity to run a fast race. I think it would be fun to qualify for Boston (there, I said that one out loud too) and it would require a performance 23 minutes faster than my first stroll through San Diego. I firmly believe this is completely doable on training alone, but I'd like to give myself the best advantage. Points for speed go to the completely downhill Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins, although it loses points for altitude. Runner up: the second annual Illinois Marathon, starting and finishing on the U of I campus. Been to Champaign/Urbana? It's surrounded by flat farmland.
2. Support: It's always nice to have a strong support system. Whether it's a running buddy, a dedicated cheering squad, or just a free place to sleep - it makes a huge difference. Illinois is the clear winner in this category, as Champaign is just over an hour away from my beloved homeland. I also have college teammates in Fort Collins as well as Virginia, and a fantastic high school friend in Los Angeles....but LA is really soon (March!) and Virginia is hillier than I'd like to tackle. And of course there's St. Louis, but it's not much later in the year than LA, and I'm really shooting for late April/early May. To make things even more interesting, Fort Collins loses ground here, as the first 16 miles down a canyon road are closed off to spectators.
3. Size: I don't want to be lonely. There's definitely something motivating about running among a large group of people. There's always someone to try to catch up with, and plenty of opportunities for distraction when things start to hurt. Colorado and Illinois, with respective race caps at 1,000 and 3,000, may thin out in the late portion of the race. This factor throws Cincinnati and Nashville into the mix. Since I have no connections in either city, though, I am getting more comfortable with the idea of a smaller race. (Besides, the first few jam-packed miles in San Diego were really, really annoying.)
4. Scenery: Definitely the least significant factor weighing in on my decision, but worth mentioning. Colorado prides itself as America's most scenic course. Charlottesville, VA boasts a similar slogan. Champaign, Illinois: well known for soybean research.
So there they are. So many options, and very little time left to decide! Am I overlooking a crucial factor? If so, tell me quick - there are more decisions to be made!
My first order of business is where, and when. While I haven't made a decision, I plan to commit to something soon. After talking to a lot of people about a plethora of great spring events, my guidelines for selecting a race have become clear. We'll call them the 4 S's. (Absolutely the worst letter of the alphabet to pluralize, but oh well.)
1. Speed: I want to give myself the best opportunity to run a fast race. I think it would be fun to qualify for Boston (there, I said that one out loud too) and it would require a performance 23 minutes faster than my first stroll through San Diego. I firmly believe this is completely doable on training alone, but I'd like to give myself the best advantage. Points for speed go to the completely downhill Colorado Marathon in Fort Collins, although it loses points for altitude. Runner up: the second annual Illinois Marathon, starting and finishing on the U of I campus. Been to Champaign/Urbana? It's surrounded by flat farmland.
2. Support: It's always nice to have a strong support system. Whether it's a running buddy, a dedicated cheering squad, or just a free place to sleep - it makes a huge difference. Illinois is the clear winner in this category, as Champaign is just over an hour away from my beloved homeland. I also have college teammates in Fort Collins as well as Virginia, and a fantastic high school friend in Los Angeles....but LA is really soon (March!) and Virginia is hillier than I'd like to tackle. And of course there's St. Louis, but it's not much later in the year than LA, and I'm really shooting for late April/early May. To make things even more interesting, Fort Collins loses ground here, as the first 16 miles down a canyon road are closed off to spectators.
3. Size: I don't want to be lonely. There's definitely something motivating about running among a large group of people. There's always someone to try to catch up with, and plenty of opportunities for distraction when things start to hurt. Colorado and Illinois, with respective race caps at 1,000 and 3,000, may thin out in the late portion of the race. This factor throws Cincinnati and Nashville into the mix. Since I have no connections in either city, though, I am getting more comfortable with the idea of a smaller race. (Besides, the first few jam-packed miles in San Diego were really, really annoying.)
4. Scenery: Definitely the least significant factor weighing in on my decision, but worth mentioning. Colorado prides itself as America's most scenic course. Charlottesville, VA boasts a similar slogan. Champaign, Illinois: well known for soybean research.
So there they are. So many options, and very little time left to decide! Am I overlooking a crucial factor? If so, tell me quick - there are more decisions to be made!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
A Change of Heart
Those who know me in the era of Kansas residence are well aware that I take great joy in rooting against the University of Kansas.
Yeah, I'm that sports fan. You know, the jerk who loudly rooted for Memphis in the 2008 NCAA basketball championship game, much to the chagrin of the Buffalo Wild Wings crowd...and my in-laws.
I have my reasons, and I feel they are quite legitimate. It's a statement of loyalty to the University of Illinois that dates back to 2003. Since I moved here four years ago, I have represented the homeland and proudly demonstrated my solidarity. (Last basketball season, I blogged about it here.)
Today, while watching the KU/Nebraska football game alone in my living room, I came to a realization.
I'm going to be living in Kansas for awhile.
I like sports. I like talking about sports with people, and I like watching sports with people. Any hope I'd have of nurturing the sort of environment for this to take place on a regular basis is immediately quashed every time I rudely insult the local team.
This is hard for me to say... and with all respect and love for the Fighting Illini, whom I love and will continue to love forever and ever...
I think it's about time to get over it.
Yeah, I'm that sports fan. You know, the jerk who loudly rooted for Memphis in the 2008 NCAA basketball championship game, much to the chagrin of the Buffalo Wild Wings crowd...and my in-laws.
I have my reasons, and I feel they are quite legitimate. It's a statement of loyalty to the University of Illinois that dates back to 2003. Since I moved here four years ago, I have represented the homeland and proudly demonstrated my solidarity. (Last basketball season, I blogged about it here.)
Today, while watching the KU/Nebraska football game alone in my living room, I came to a realization.
I'm going to be living in Kansas for awhile.
I like sports. I like talking about sports with people, and I like watching sports with people. Any hope I'd have of nurturing the sort of environment for this to take place on a regular basis is immediately quashed every time I rudely insult the local team.
This is hard for me to say... and with all respect and love for the Fighting Illini, whom I love and will continue to love forever and ever...
I think it's about time to get over it.
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