Mistaken Identity

I often think about how I look both with and without clothes. As a formerly fat person and currently "regular" sized person I think my body image is totally screwed up. I'm driven by the numbers on a scale and the ones in the waistbands of my pants. I am a little larger right now than I prefer to be, but where did that preference come from? If I feel healthy and I can run all these races, perhaps I should dwell a little less on how I think I look and try to discover who I really am. . .physically. Sometimes I think I am bigger than I am and sometimes I think I'm smaller. I guess when it comes down to it, neither one is right or wrong. It just is.

So, I'm perusing the Punk Rock Cycling Flickr pictures from our rides this summer, and Donny took this really decent photo of me. I can pick out the flaws (chunky monkey arms) but the two things I like best about this picture are my smile (looks real and not contrived) and my right hand (holding the bottle. . .my fingers look really cool, not sure why I think that, they just do). So, this is a lesson to me to de-emphasize a weight or a size, re-emphasize health, and love the things about me that will always be beautiful no matter what.

Run

I decided not to do any more triathlons this season. I did the last, Cy-man, on Sunday. I was considering another race in Iowa City on 9/21 but I decided I didn't need to spend $60 on a race and $60 on gas when I wasn't swimming and cycling as much as I should. That is because all attention is now focused on the RUN.

The Des Moines Marathon is on 10/19. So, I have 5 weeks to go. I have a 20 mile run this weekend, and one the last weekend of the month and then I will taper to shorter runs. Running 20 miles wouldn't be SO bad if I ran faster. Then it wouldn't take me 4 hours. That is a long, long time to run. It is hard to keep your mind focused and yet unfocused. . .focused on getting the run completed, and yet unfocused on all the aches and pains you develop along the way. And at the end of the long run is the longed for and dreaded ice bath. It hurts like hell at first, but then it feels so good.

I ran 8 miles this morning, in the dark. That's not my favorite, but it was nice to get it done and out of the way. I twisted my ankle a bit, but it doesn't feel too bad so I am hoping nothing more will come of it.

The Boy was awake and watching TV when I came downstairs at 5 am this morning. I got mad at him for being up so early. Guess what, he fell asleep and was asleep on the couch when I got home a little after 7am. OOPS. I guess he really was more tired than he thought. . . I told him he was! Anyway, so that resulted in rushing around so he could get to school, and then lateness at work for me.

I finished a pair of Jaywalker socks for myself and am about 80% done with my first Monkey Sock for Kasi's 18th birthday.

I ride bikes

Last week the Specialized bike rep, a rather teeny but powerful and super-fun, a chick named Amy brought the Specialized WSD bikes to Des Moines. I got to test ride this sweet number. This was my first real experience on a mountain bike. Once I got over being too chicken to go over a curb, I really enjoyed it.