Day late, dollar short

So I am two weeks behind in my running training schedule. Two weeks!

This lag started when I went on vacation and continued when I hosted the lovely J as she vacationed here. Then training hit at my work. And Irene. Irene during training.

I am talking about this as embarrassing as it is because this is public health - being real and accountable and talking about why we make health decisions and excercise decisions and why we make excuses not to make these decisions.

I had a great 4 mile run today, but all I am thinking about now is how to make up two weeks of running by this Sunday. It shouldn't be to bad, but I do need to get on it now, because the race is 25 days away!

If I am truly honest, I am a little scared to run my longest training runs, the 12.5 and the 14 miler. I have been surprised at how much I can ru in the past few months, but also frustrated at times. The 11 mile run got my body to a completely different place than it had even been running - I actually felt how my hips were involved in the process, I took short stretch breaks, and I went through 2.5 bottles of water. It is infuriating and yet liberating to push my body to it's limits in a healthy way. I am so lucky to have a friend running with me every step of the way who inspires me to keep going, and who laughs with me and as regail one another with our running fauxpauxs and funny times.

Here's to the amazing race. Here's to being honest and open and working on myself even when it's two steps forward and one step back. And most importantly, here's to October 1, 2011, when we kick this half-marathon's booty.

Castle Island

With all there is to do, sometimes it's fairly overwhelming to live in this area.

I'd imagine I'd feel this way in other places too. For instance, I've never traveled extensively on the west coast. I feel like I would have a million spots on my wish list in Arizona or New Mexico. But right here in New England, after two full years of settling in, I have yet to visit whole states like Rhode Island, or anywhere in Connecticut that I haven't been to just for work. Add to that much of Western Massachusetts and Northern Maine, and there's just way too much to see.

But Castle Island, S and my first stop as we are beginning to explore the Boston Harbor Islands, was a fantastic Labor Day trip.

Castle Island, with its causeway swooping around Pleasure Bay, is close to the airport and, of course, the harbor. As we strolled around, I got excited every time a plane took off and moments later, we'd see it overhead. I've spent so many flights looking down at the land and water on my way to Baltimore or somewhere for work, and today, I got to see those trips in reverse.

There was also a large freight station right on the island with which I became pretty obsessed. I kind of react like a preschooler when I see things in life that are new to me still, like these huge cranes in vibrant colors that they had docked there.

Castle island is also home to Fort Independence, which was once a British stronghold prior to the revolution as was also the Boston Public Health Service's hospital starting in 1799.

We had a pretty great time just people watching, and boat watching, and people-on-boat watching. It was fun for me to participate in a civic holiday, being traditional as I am about commemorating special dates and having adventures when adventures are due. It couldn't have been prettier outside either - with a mix of sunny and overcast skies and lots of big wind gusts.

Soaking up the sun, perhaps one last time before it's fall, was a gift fit for these two laborers.

Hope you had a nice holiday weekend!

Too Soon

There aren’t ways and means
And pillow cases there
There’s a song that doesn’t make me cry
A song that doesn’t make me cry too soon

It’s written in the sky this time
The summer’s fading fast
And, for once, I’m looking forward to the fall

The humidity will speak but
It’s time is in the past
I need the sharpest bite of autumn’s call

Here’s the way I see it –
You went your way and I went mine
But there’s a median between it
And you were first to breach that line

There’s no time
There’s just no time

So I’ll bow my head, upturning tears
There’s no deviation here
The same old me, listening to a song that
October sun won’t play

Listening to a song the
October sun won’t ever play

The tides keep turning to the sea
They know they’re better off away (from me)

You’re too good, and I’m not crying…anymore

You’ll lap my grains of sand away from shore.

Hiatus

As much as I was unwilling, I've taken a temporary blog hiatus, haven't I?

Well, I'm back, I think.

As it's officially September, and tomorrow is Labor Day, I'm content to say the summer is over. S and I will be going to Castle Island for the day to enjoy a last bit of sand and sun.

I'm never more aware of the the seasons changing than from summer to fall. I'd imagine this is normal, though I'd suppose some people feel the burst into spring most strongly.

But fall is harvest time, the passionate party before all things gray out into winter, and even in the trees now, when I see a red leaf or two amongst the green, I am getting excited for it.

This might seem like a random thought, but to me it's no wonder people so often equate the weather, seasons and natural world with the emotions of God. If I could paint my emotions on such a canvas, I wouldn't be able to resist.

In remembrance of a good summer, and in anticipation of an amazing fall, here are some pictures I've been meaning to post, of a summer gone by in steady steps marching toward the next season.

Be safe east coast...

Smoking Up

Wow - it's been a while!

After a relaxing weekend came way too much work for early August and a play date with one of my closest college friends. That's all been great, and I will be playing blog catch up for a while here, but now it is onto the fall. That's right - summer is over for me. How sad. But being focused is necessary and fruitful during this time of year when everything lurches forward, and I end up doing pretty well with it. It's exciting, if nothing else, to have the year be at it's beginning come September. I'm motivated to do great things in the world of public health and prevention.

That brings us to today's blog topic - marijuana. I myself have been trained not to give my opinions on the matter at work. Teaching and talking all over the world about alcohol and other drugs, we stick to the facts of health and science. Policy debate - even when medicine or research enter into the equation - is seen as taboo and tricky for us to weigh in on. So we don't.

But I'll just say that I was refreshed to see, in my Google Alert today for "substance abuse prevention," this editorial in a Colorado paper.

This brings us back to the legalization effort. I've read and heard the cries. Let me say that the “science” can say many things that can be used by both sides in their respective arguments. But some things are constant and true. First, prohibition results in decreased use. Yes, America was consuming 60 percent less alcohol when we emerged from Prohibition. Second, science and medicine agree that smoking anything is the least effective and an immeasurably more harmful way of delivering “medicine.” Third, more kids are being treated for marijuana use than any of the other drugs combined. Fourth, science and medicine agree that extended marijuana use increases the likelihood of depression and a psychotic episode. Finally, there are no independent studies that prove that marijuana causes no harm … and there never will be!

To read the whole thing, go here.

I love when people lay the facts so convincingly on the line. I love it when an argument is clear, and the opposition is left to balk in cynicism or immaturity. I love it when health makes sense.

So there you have where my mind will undoubtedly be for the next three months. Prior to the snow, the snowboarding, and the promise of great family holidays ahead, here's to the politics of health policy and the health at the heart of it all.

Pajama Party

After weekends full of family and cars, and cars becoming family, S and I wanted to take it easy this weekend. We planned a series of date nights for maximized laziness and kicked off Friday night with a theme date planned by yours truly - Saturday Morning Cartoons.

By now, you should know I love a good theme - for dates especially. They bring a certain lightness to the affair, while allowing my love of organization and planning to seize the day.

On Friday, after long work weeks for us both, it was jammy time.

S and I donned our cutest PJs while O the Cat opted for an "in the buff" approach to his night-time wear.

I whipped up some dinner along the lines of a nice Saturday morning breakfast smorgasbord.

We popped in a DVD of S's favorite old school cartoon, Rocko's Modern Life, and proceeded to munch away.

As if we were still kiddies, the food was followed by a sugar high and the necessary crash, whereby we took a much needed adult-sized nap to begin our weekend.

Hope your weekend was also filled with fun, themed or un-themed, times!