I don't know if you knew this, but facebook is a news source. I was watching kvue last night, and they posted a quote from the woman who found the ricin from her facebook page. So, facebook is not a complete waste of time, but a credible source from which we get our news. FYI.

Also, I am switching to aim.

leg keeps getting better

But is not totally well. I jogged about 10 steps in the hall to the water fountain. Nope.

Well, what I was thinking earlier this week was that at almost 34 years of age, at some point I think it would be lecherous for me to have a crush on a 22 year old. However, physically, I feel 22. I think, I don't know because I was so absolutely miserable and out of it at 22. Mentally, things just get better and better. Clearly, I am still plagued with obsessive thoughts, but I am learning that this is human, and not pathological.

Going to try to volunteer at the short course meet as my birthday present to myself. Also, maybe some waxing and facial. TMI?

I am up at school working on my proposal. I am really getting into it and wonder what I will do when I finish.

Oh, yeah. I am giving up facebook for lent - which starts Thursday - Jesus said it was ok to postpone it.
So, I imagine my blog will be frequently updated.

almost 34

much better

Leg is getting much better.
I keep thinking about it, and I think the main thing is I didn't want to be a big failure because I am supposed to be the teacher who runs fast and has great races. I didn't want to have to tell everyone I didn't start the race, so I started it. Then, I didn't want to have to tell everyone I dnfed, so I kept running beyond the point of injury.
I can swim, now, and ride my trainer with no pain.
I can almost walk normally. It's silly. My hip flexors are on fire from walking weird. My infraspinatus' are starting to recover.
Yes, I am supposed to be working on my proposal right this second.

on account of I am still an addict!

I started to go up to my office yesterday. Pushing the gas pedal and brake was painful, as was walking, and standing on the bum leg. Brad said I looked similar to Jar Jar Binks initiating movement. Yes, very sympathetic. (But, Brad does get huge props for taking us to the race in terrible traffic as well as picking up a weepy and cold MH on Red River.)
Anyway, I called the UT nurse line and they said come in. I did. They did xrays. No stress fracture. That was my biggest fear. They did a blood test for a marker of compartment syndrome, the only other major concern. Nope.
So, they said go see an orthopod today. Meanwhile, I am walking around on crutches. This is extremely challenging. My infraspinatus muscles are extremely fatigued. As are my forearms, etc.
Anyway, glad to have the use of all 4 limbs. Find out what the deal is later this afternoon.
I need to double check the adapted DSMIV diagnostic questions for exercise dependence. I think because I didn't go running today, I am in the clear.

not so great

I was going to say I stunk it up at the marathon, but that is not true. I was running a good pace - 7:45-8:00 for 20 miles. At mile 10 my right leg was hurting. At mile 13 took more ibuprofen. At mile 18 looked for Brad, but didn't see him. Had a little melt down. At mile 20, it was really hurting, so I stopped at the rec sports center and left an unintelligible message on his cell phone. Fortunately I saw one of my swimming students and called Brad again, and he came and picked me up.
The weather was good, I felt good, my quads felt good, I could have kept going except for pain in shin and peroneous muscles.
If it doesn't get better, I will go to doc.
I think it's time to turn the focus back to the 400 IM.
I was thinking I need to see how this experience will benefit others. I had a slew of PR's and great races. Then, a DNF at CDA, then had a medium 5k, a bad 5k, a good 50k, now another DNF. i suppose if it were PR after PR, I wouldn't be mortal, right?

Stewart Smalley/MJ dialogue

When Michael Jordan was awesome he was on SNL with Stewart Smalley (Al Franken).
SS: Michael, when you are shooting baskets and playing basketball, do you ever think, 'there is no way I can shoot this basket. I am a big fraud. I am not good enough. I can't do it.'?
MJ: No

I am totally tapered. I am rested. 3m was easy to run even faster than I am going to run tomorrow. I have enough fuel. I run well in the cold. I am going to go out conservatively, and I do really well when I go out conservatively. (The only time I am ever conservative!!!) I run well downhill, and it's a mostly downhill course.

I was being super negative nelly earlier, but now, I am thinking Olympic gold medal.
Also, now that I can complete the 400 IM, I decided my winter Olympic gold is slalom ski racing.
I am definitely wearing a helmet, though, because I don't want those gates to hit me in the face.
My nose is too pretty.
OK, a little chamomille tea and I am off to bed. 8:15. AWESOME!

maybe not everyone has

"On the 197th birthday of Charles Darwin, ministers at several hundred churches around the country preached Sunday against recent efforts to undermine the theory of evolution, asserting that the opposition many Christians say exists between science and faith is false." from Texas Freedom Network. Good news!

But, I was thinking, maybe not everyone has evolved, e.g. Pat Robertson.

Marathon is Sunday. The right side of my body is not very happy. Maybe from 3M, track, sititng a lot, and the fact that I have been using the left side of my brain so much lately. I am icing, etc. We'll see... Boo. It's supposed to sleet. We'll see.

way to go brazil, seriously

if you don't have cable like we don't, check out jon stewart's monologue on cheney.
http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/the_daily_show/videos/headlines/index.jhtml

brazil is doing an amazing health ed campaign to coincide with mardi gras.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/Sex/story?id=1594079

ok, haven't figured out how to put in links, but you can cut and paste.

making a lot of progress on my dissertation. I am on a roll, and very energized and excited.

however, I woke up in the middle of the night on sunday worrying about training for the IM. kind of silly. I think I will take a little break after the marathon and regroup.

way to go, dick

Well, I was going to seriously make fun of Dick Cheney, but in fact quail apparently are reluctant to fly away even when flushed. So, the fact that he was bird hunting and shot a person is not that strange, because quail don't fly away like ducks do.
However, I think the idiot thing stands as guilt by association.

as in the shroud of

OK, I know I am not the only one who didn't know where Torino was and was too embarassed to ask.
NBC wanted the locale to sound exotic, so they are calling it Torino as the natives do. In AMERICA we call it Turin. As in the shroud of. No, I don't know where that is, either exactly, like in the toe or in the boot, but I do know it's in Italy.
#2 Did you hear Kelly Clarkson won 2 grammies? Reasons number 101 and 102 why I quit pursuing music as a business. Stink a link. Songs in a can. Yes, she has a nice voice, but egads, the American Idol winner winning grammies? That is the bad news at the bottom of the hill that began with Debbie Gibson having the number one album in the country in the 1990's.
#3 Yeah! It's winter!

freight train

I have decided that beginning writing my dissertation proposal is as hard as starting a freight train. I dragged myself up to school after my clients this morning. First chore, organize the desk. That took a good 30 minutes. I have been working for about 3 hours. I did, I think, find or put out leads on the questionnaires I am going to use. That is good. I have also peed about 3 gallons. Writing makes me thirsty, I guess. Well, I should rephrase that, searching Ebsco etc makes me thirsty. Still, the only words I have written are my research questions. I even bought a printer for my office - amazon.com = great deal. It did not, however, come with a printer cable. I thought that was a little odd. I have plenty at home. I am considering coming up here tomorrow, but I also want to hang out with BH. I have had long days this week and haven't seen him much. We did cuddle during ER last night. The cuddling was awesome, but the episode was SAD. Usually, ER is so funny and light.
Marie and I have a short long run tomorrow. Maybe it was the cortisone shot, but I have been running really well for about 2 weeks. I am going to take credit for it and say it's an accumulation of my training and resting, but maybe it is a performance enhancing drug. OK, back to work.