compulsive compartmentalization

Outside my window I can see the University of Tennessee nestled snugly in the hills between here and the river. Cozy narrow streets wind their way through tree and brick while the church bells ring in the distance. They’ve been ringing for minutes. At first I thought they were chiming the hour. After a few minutes I decide they’re actually playing a hymn. After a few more minutes I decided they’re just banging away with no real pattern whatsoever.

Across the street there’s a five story building made of brick and window. Windows so big I can see straight through, see the clutter in every office, the knick knacks, and the lack of privacy. It’s Sunday, so no one is at work with the exception of the paint crew beginning to scale the side of the hotel just to the left of my window.

I put my head to the glass and peer down to see them come up. I feel a surge of adrenalin and my palms get sweaty.

I am no fan of heights.

…that’s all I have to say.

Where have I been?

I think this is the longest hiatus I’ve taken from here since I began the blog one dreary day in the middle of a lifeless warehouse. But let’s not dwell on the bad times.

This Saturday is the half marathon. When I see if the 4 months of training are going to pay off in what will be my longest run. Three weeks ago I did 11 miles. So I’m fairly comfortable in saying the 13 shouldn’t be beyond my reach. Making the jump from 6 miles to 7 was the hardest I think. Past that, it was pretty easy. Not sitting on the couch stuffing your face full of Pringles easy, mind you, but easiest enough.

The last 2 weeks I have been seriously sleep deprived. Getting up early to work on a comic (as in 5am early) then heading to Orlando and staying up late and getting up early. The overnight trip back, several opens and staying up late (in one case I realized if I stayed awake 3 more hours I would have been up for 24.) have taken their toll.

Friday night I remember barely being able to function. Saturday I tried to run and couldn’t get past 4 miles. I had to walk 2.5 home because I was out on my long loop. Then Sunday. Sunday my body literally kept trying to go to sleep, despite my efforts to the contrary.

I almost didnt make it through the last prayer at church. I almost fell asleep at lunch. I took a nap, but when I woke up, couldn’t get going. after dinner I almost fell back to sleep. Then, at 8:30, I figured I should pay attention to my body and went to sleep.

10 hours later I got up, and today have felt better than I have in 2 weeks. I have felt FANTASTIC all day. I ran five miles with ease and felt like I almost could have done the marathon tonight.

Sleep good. No sleep, bad.

Noted.

I was sitting at the coffeeshop downtown studying when I notice a group of 20-something guys coming up the street. As fate would have it, they all sat down next to me, and here’s what I learned about them:

1) They were a band
2) They were not local
3) They were successful enough to play gigs requiring “all access” badges
4) They were not successful enough to have a van.

I sympathized with their frustrating lot.

When I got home I noticed our neighbor mowing her lawn. Then, our neighbor 2 doors down mowed hers. Which, in turn, forced our other immediate neighbor to mow his. This cascaded down to us having to mow ours. And by “us” I mean “Sarah”…I had a meeting to go to.

No running for almost a week. The weather has really been an obsticle in my training, although I think I’m still on track for the half-marathon in 4 weeks. Or is it 5?

I’m too lazy to look at the calendar that I can access at the bottom toolbar of my screen.

At any rate, I’ve already done 10 miles, so I should be okay.

It’s just as well that it’s raining, because now I’m fighting off my first cold this year. So far its not bad, but I think it’s the reason I’ve been so sleepy early in the evening. I usually end up getting tired and wanting to go to bed way early, but otherwise feeling fine. Then boom! The sinuses start.

This upcoming week is at least supposed to be warm. So that’s a plus.

You all should go run this week.

Go.

The sun has been engulfed by dreary, cool gray clouds today. Yesterday I ran 6 miles in what the clearly, always-correct meteorologists tell me is the last day of sun for a week.

Sunday I broke into the double digits with my run, finishing up 10.14 miles in an hour and 46 minutes. I felt pretty good, having eaten enough carbs to fuel my legs for 5 years.

On my new longer route, which takes me through country two-lane roads is finally seeming familiar to me, though I’m still getting used to the dogs.

There are 2 or 3 medium sized dogs that like to chase after me barking. So far I haven’t come across a big dog while running, but my friend Randy got bit last week on his run.

Now I’m hyper paranoid. It’s pretty disquieting to hear, through your workout music blasting in your ears, a dog barking. A bark that you only heard because the dog is within 5 feet of you.

So, I’ve been wanting to have a blog dedicated just to art for a while, and I finally made one. I’ll still post my random inane tomfoolery here for the 5 of you that still come here. A lot of my sketches will end up over there.

http://kingbanjo.wordpress.com

The rain stopped.

Finally.

I ran for the first time in a week (I haven’t gone since my 9 miles last wednesday.) The sun had come up, and even though it was a little breezy, it was still warmer than it’s been all weekend.

I only went 2 miles. Not sure if I’ll try for 10 this week or next though.

Rows and rows of books.

Pick one up. Go ahead. Read a few sentences. Enjoying it?

Put it back and pick up another one. Look! More words.

What was that first one about? Who wrote it?

I’m sorry I couldn’t hear your answer over the cluster of teenagers that walked by giggling and talking over one another.

How’s that coffee you’re drinking? Don’t spill it on the books.

I would browse around with you some more, but I seem to have dislocated my head.

I think I’ll go home and try to forget that pain is constantly assaulting my left deltoid and shoulder.

Good night.

Hi.

Nice to see you.

What’s that? My fly’s open?

No, it’s not. You see, these are the jeans that Sarah found discounted due to a defect.

I see you spotted the defect. The flap that covers the zipper doesn’t do its job. Instead, it’s permanently folded back.

Why do I wear them? Because they’re comfortable and they fit perfectly. They’re also without paint stains or holes on the knees or by the pockets.

But the real question here is, why are you looking at my crotch?

Ever have those days where you feel you were getting a ton of things accomplished with almost no effort? Such was today.

After trying to shower only to find the hot water had mysteriously disappeared, I threw on a hat and met Jimmy for breakfast. Then, as if carried along by some current of productivity I cranked out a commission. Look! Someone finally asked for something other than a girl character!

What to do then but get started on the next chapter of my new graphic novel? Oh, you haven’t seen the first chapter? Look! A book that you should buy to support starving artists!

How do you get it? Ask me.

After all that I ran. Since it’s going to get colder again tomorrow (it’s been in the 70s here all week) I figured I should get my running in before we get assaulted with what has become the bane of my running the last two months. Bitter. Friggin’. Cold.

I’ve been making it a point to eat a little more, since I had slacked off for a while (I know, slacking off eating sounds weird.) I had begun to think the reason a lot of my runs the last couple of weeks were hard is because I cut back on the carbs a little. (my pants have gotten a little more snug, but cutting back on eating while training for a marathon is…unwise.) I just wasn’t taking in enough energy for the amount of running I was doing. So I made the sacrifice and ate more. I suffered through various tasty snacks. Then, yesterday I ran 2 miles and felt great. Today I ran and was going to stop at 5, but I felt so good I ended up going 9. That’s the farthest I’ve ever gone.

I can feel it now that I’ve been sitting down for a while and eaten dinner, but I still feel pretty good. I probably won’t get to go out again this week since the weather is about to turn to poop again.

It just dawned on me how appropriate the drawing is for my day.

I like getting out of the house to work these days. I get a little more done with a change of scenery.

After being up here a year, I’m still trying to figure out what works best in terms of where to keep things. I like having my markers to my right, but also my drink. This is a potentially disasterous combination.

(Incidentially, the picture above is a page of Transformers that I got to ink. Cool? Yes. Complicated and time consuming since the robots were the movie version and designed like piles of junk? Also, Yes.)

I still feel like it’s a bit haphazard. Maybe I need a plant.

I ran 6 miles yesterday in the glorious warm sun. Everyone always seems so surprised at the odd juxtaposition the weather here in NC brings. Every year we can’t believe it was one day 30 degrees and the next 70. How many years do you have to live here before you start believing it?

I believe it, for the record.

Anyway, 6 miles. In the sun. No freezing wind. No ice. It was a glorious moment in the course of the marathon training. I wasn’t angry with nature blasting me with frigid opposition.

This week I need to try and get my miles up to around 20, and my long run at 8 again. I should be able to pull it off.

Especially if the weather keeps cooperating.

This past weekend I was in Orlando. It was sunny. It was warm. I was so happy.

Then of course, they called for snow the night we were driving back home. Of course they would call it, and it would actually happen, the time I have to drive 10 hours home in it.

It took 12.

I stumbled in the door at 6 am. I only almost got stuck once, going uphill, behind a salt truck that couldn’t make it and was starting to slide backwards.

Good times!

After my 8 mile run I took Saturday off and did 4 miles yesterday. Did I mention how the 8 mile run was easy? It was. I would also like to mention that the 4 miles was NOT EASY AT ALL.

1) The wind. The cold cruel, fury-inducing wind that seems to exist for no other reason than to pierce my skin as I run uphill.

2) My left leg is a little sore. I’m not sure why. I didn’t pull anything, just a dull ache that makes me aware that I have a left leg.

3) The wind. It’s still blowing. Why won’t it stop???

4) I just never seemed to get warmed up like I did on Friday.

5) I blame the wind for #4. The wind needs to calm the heck down.

So my Sunday afternoon 5 mile run was shortened to 4.3 due to an argument with nature.

Yesterday was an 8 mile day. So far the longest I’ve gone. Not too much longer until I make the double digits!

I felt really good throughout the whole run. I’ve noticed recently, though, that it takes me almost 2 miles to really start feeling limber an warmed up. I can feel the moment when my body changes, like a switch that’s been flipped, then my legs and joints suddenly feel like they’re all on board for running.

Yesterday I felt like I could have gone further than 8, but didn’t want to push it. That made 20 miles for last week, and right now I think I need to get a consistent 20-25 miles a week. Since I’m going to orlando next Thursday, I’m not sure if I’ll do 9 before I go or not. I may just do sever 5 mile days. We’ll see.

Those 8 took me 1:26:30. Not bad I guess, it’s between a 10-11 minute mile. Comfortable.

I said I was going to make 4 miles my short run. Today I did 3. In my defense, I’m going to attempt 8 tomorrow, and didn’t want to spend all my energy and end up killing myself.

Nature was not very accommodating today with the cold wind. In fact, this winter has been assaulting me with its frigid breeze. I do not care. I mock the wind. I defy your cold chill. I will put on a hat.

Take that, nature!

Last Friday I ran 7 1/2 miles. 5 months ago my long run was 4 miles. This year I’m making that my shortest run. The first time I ran 6 miles I was sore a couple of days, especially since my body is used to the route and distance I’ve been running for a few years. After my long run last week, I was a little sore the next day but not nearly as bad.

I’m still trying to keep in the habit of running 4 days a week, but the weather isn’t cooperating. I can go to the gym and do the treadmill, but do you have any idea how boring a 4+ mile run on the treadmill is?

Your soul dies a little.

Unless you can get lost in your iPod and get in the zone, but after doing long runs outdoors, it’s really hard to run and not get anywhere.

My diet is what I need to get a handle on now. I’m not losing any weight (I’m carrying about 10 pounds more than I want, I know I don’t look it, but my pants are getting snug.) I’ve been eating a lot more carbs and maintaining the pounds. I just need to make sure I’m not using running as an excuse to indulge more than I should.

Last night after a 5 mile run I COULD. NOT. STOP. EATING. Today someone told me that I might not be getting enough protein. Entirely possible since I’ve been focusing on the carbs alone.

This Friday or Saturday I’m going to try hitting 8 miles. I’m well ahead of where the training schedule for a half marathon would put me, but my miles were a little higher already than the beginning week of the training program.

So, note to self. Stop gorging.

I’b been training for my first half-marathon. So far my longest run has been 6 1/2 miles, done in about an hour. This week, probably tomorrow, I’ll go for 7. I’ve been running for years, but usually stop around 4 miles for my long run. The last couple of weeks, 4 has been my short runs.

You’d also think I would know the value in stretching after my Taedwondo mishap, but my body needs to remind me from time to time. The last two weekends I’ve felt like I was getting shin splints, which I’ve never had in 8+ years of running. After doing a little research, I learned that one of the causes is your calves being too tight, and the muscle that pulls your foot up may be too weak to counter the tightness. Which is exactly what it felt like…muscle fatigue but not the sharp pain of a true shin splint.

So I stretched for a while before my last run, and was fine.

Now I just need to find the balance in eating. I think I’m eating too much. I have gained a little weight since starting to run. Need to cut that back a little I suppose.

Loose sketching to warm up.