Over the course of my life, I have managed to destroy my left ankle. I've sprained it more times than I can count and in some truly ridiculous situations. The damage I've done appears to be long-lasting, if not permanent. It's incredibly easy to re-twist or re-sprain my ankle these days. And even though I haven't hurt it in several years, the old injury is rearing it's head and affecting my ability to run.
The interesting thing is that it only seems to be affecting the number of steps I can take. The faster I run, the farther I run too. So I've been improving steadily according to both of these measures. Eventually I'm sure I'll hit that scary point where I'm having trouble drawing breath again. But for now it looks to be all smooth sailing.
Today I was able to run a mile and a quarter. Then, after a brief break to walk, I ran another half mile. I ran the first mile at a pace of 5.2 mph (11:30 minute mile). For the second half mile I increased my pace to 5.3 mph. All told I was able to travel 2.25 miles in the thirty minutes I had my treadmill set to run. And my ankle only started bugging me near the end of both miles.
I think I can keep increasing in this way. The break to walk in the middle of my running segments is crucial to keeping my ankle healthy. Unfortunately, it also means that I'm not keeping my heart rate up for quite as long. So I'm not sure how much good this sort of workout is actually doing. But it's better than nothing. And I do think that as I improve my ankle will get stronger and I'll figure out how to step so that it doesn't hurt as much. I have started to notice a correlation between the stabbing pain and my gait getting slightly off balance towards the end of my run. All of this should get better with more practice.
I have a 5K in my sights that I think I'll actually be able to participate in. And, as the weather gets nicer, I'm considering going for a run outdoors. The prospect of getting stuck somewhere and not being able to get home is still scary, but it's getting less scary all the time.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Phantom Menace Revisited
I was thirteen when The Phantom Menace originally hit theaters. I had been raised with the Star Wars movies and was incredibly excited to see the newest installment. I couldn't wait to revisit the galaxy far, far away and see what Anakin Skywalker was like before he became Darth Vader.
I actually have incredibly vivid memories of all the build up to the movies. It's the first time I can remember anticipating a movie that much. My dad, my brother and I were on a road trip to Toronto the week the movie premiered and the whole trip is tinged with Star Wars. We stopped for lunch at a KFC one day and got cups decorated like R2D2. The lids even had legs. I kept that cup for years.
On the way home, dad promised we could stop and see The Phantom Menace in theaters, so my brother and I prepared by watching marathoning the original trilogy while my dad drove across Kansas. I have to tell you that this is the best way to drive across Kansas.
We stopped in a theater not long after crossing the border into Colorado. But I don't really remember most of the movie. It was disappointing, which was only to be expected.
Still, we bought the DVD and proceeded to see the next two movies in theaters. I think I even went to a midnight showing of the last movie. But after that I didn't pay much more attention. I still watched the original trilogy over and over. But if one of the newer movies came on TV, I'd change the channel. Life without these movies wasn't really lacking much.
But I'm dating someone who loves Star Wars. He can quote along with the movies even if he's asleep. I've seen him do it. And he insisted on going to the 3D release of The Phantom Menace. So I agreed to go (though I refused to attend a midnight showing).
It was more or less what I expected. Jar Jar Binks was, incredibly, even more annoying than I remembered him being. How can a single character ruin every scene he's in? It's almost impressive. And the kid who played Anakin really wasn't very good. Still, the pod racing and the climatic battle were both really cool. It was almost worth the cost just to see those scenes on the big screen again.
Unfortunately the cinematography doesn't quite mesh with the 3D viewing experience. George Lucas is a fan of slow pans, which get all fuzzy when you add the third dimension to them. It was like I'd taken my contacts out. This was something I hadn't been expecting at all and it was sad.
I think this movie was worth the cost of the 3D tickets. Mostly because my boyfriend paid for them. It was definitely worth the time spent sitting in the theater. I'm really hoping he decides that Attack of the Clones won't be worth it, though.
I actually have incredibly vivid memories of all the build up to the movies. It's the first time I can remember anticipating a movie that much. My dad, my brother and I were on a road trip to Toronto the week the movie premiered and the whole trip is tinged with Star Wars. We stopped for lunch at a KFC one day and got cups decorated like R2D2. The lids even had legs. I kept that cup for years.
On the way home, dad promised we could stop and see The Phantom Menace in theaters, so my brother and I prepared by watching marathoning the original trilogy while my dad drove across Kansas. I have to tell you that this is the best way to drive across Kansas.
We stopped in a theater not long after crossing the border into Colorado. But I don't really remember most of the movie. It was disappointing, which was only to be expected.
Still, we bought the DVD and proceeded to see the next two movies in theaters. I think I even went to a midnight showing of the last movie. But after that I didn't pay much more attention. I still watched the original trilogy over and over. But if one of the newer movies came on TV, I'd change the channel. Life without these movies wasn't really lacking much.
But I'm dating someone who loves Star Wars. He can quote along with the movies even if he's asleep. I've seen him do it. And he insisted on going to the 3D release of The Phantom Menace. So I agreed to go (though I refused to attend a midnight showing).
It was more or less what I expected. Jar Jar Binks was, incredibly, even more annoying than I remembered him being. How can a single character ruin every scene he's in? It's almost impressive. And the kid who played Anakin really wasn't very good. Still, the pod racing and the climatic battle were both really cool. It was almost worth the cost just to see those scenes on the big screen again.
Unfortunately the cinematography doesn't quite mesh with the 3D viewing experience. George Lucas is a fan of slow pans, which get all fuzzy when you add the third dimension to them. It was like I'd taken my contacts out. This was something I hadn't been expecting at all and it was sad.
I think this movie was worth the cost of the 3D tickets. Mostly because my boyfriend paid for them. It was definitely worth the time spent sitting in the theater. I'm really hoping he decides that Attack of the Clones won't be worth it, though.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Furnished House
Back in July, I said I'd post pictures of the house once we were moved in. Well it turns out that unpacking is a lengthy process. And then furnishing the house takes a while, too. And keeping it clean is just an endless job. But the house is finally in a state I'm proud of, mostly because I spent all afternoon cleaning so I could get some decent pictures. Anyway, this is what our house looks like now that we're actually living in it.
I got my desk set up in my office and bought a new bookcase that's waiting to be filled.
The other side of my office is my library.
Downstairs we have a kitchen that actually looks like someone uses it. You can tell by all the counter space we've managed to convert into storage space.
But we still have plenty of room to work on the other counter
Our main living room is split so Kevin can use half of it as his office. We've flipped this recently, so no one's actually seen this layout yet. We also bought a cabinet to display our various chotchkies, though we need to organize it a bit better.
The reason for the flip is that we've actually begun to furnish the other side of the room. It's still a bit lacking, but I have a designated place to read now.
And in the dining room, we bought a cabinet for all our glassware. We have a ridiculous amount of glassware.
The layout downstairs has also changed a bit since we had any visitors. Mostly because we moved that green couch upstairs.
And once more, we're left with part of a room that still needs to be furnished. I'm thinking of getting a card table so I have a place to do puzzles.
It's actually starting to look like a real home. Now I just need to finish hanging pictures. In the meantime, I'm hoping I can keep this place clean.
I got my desk set up in my office and bought a new bookcase that's waiting to be filled.
The other side of my office is my library.
Our bedroom actually has a bed, and we've got nightstands. I even added some color to the wall.
But on the other side of the room, you can see that there are still a few things I need to hang. This moving in is a long process
But we still have plenty of room to work on the other counter
Our main living room is split so Kevin can use half of it as his office. We've flipped this recently, so no one's actually seen this layout yet. We also bought a cabinet to display our various chotchkies, though we need to organize it a bit better.
The reason for the flip is that we've actually begun to furnish the other side of the room. It's still a bit lacking, but I have a designated place to read now.
And in the dining room, we bought a cabinet for all our glassware. We have a ridiculous amount of glassware.
The layout downstairs has also changed a bit since we had any visitors. Mostly because we moved that green couch upstairs.
And once more, we're left with part of a room that still needs to be furnished. I'm thinking of getting a card table so I have a place to do puzzles.
It's actually starting to look like a real home. Now I just need to finish hanging pictures. In the meantime, I'm hoping I can keep this place clean.
Friday, February 3, 2012
Damn It, Glee
I have a love/hate relationship with Glee. Or maybe it's more like an addiction I can't seem to kick and don't quite want to. I loved this show back in the first season. I still like most of the musical numbers. And I've been enjoying this year's plot that concerns what all the kids are planning on doing after graduating. But this show just gets so frustrating sometimes.
There are plots that are simply stupid, like Puck seducing his teacher and the adoptive mother of his child. Some are just handled abominable, like Santana's coming out. But there are little things I still like, such as Kurt's relationship with his dad and Quinn's "over it" attitude towards high school. She's reminding me a lot of Cordy from the third season of Buffy lately.
Still, I find myself getting angrier with each passing episode. Little things piss me off. Big things piss me off. I find myself swearing that this is the last episode I watch. That I won't give Glee another chance.
And then they go and cast Jeff Glodblum as one of Rachel's fathers and hint that Ricky Martin is going to come in and prove that Schuester is completely unqualified to teach Spanish and the show ropes me right back in. I can't believe I care about this so much.
Maybe Glee will finally get something right. Or maybe they'll finally screw something up so much that no amount of special guest stars or intriguing new plots will pull me back in. My only reaction lately seems to be "Damn it". Anger and resignation all rolled into one.
There are plots that are simply stupid, like Puck seducing his teacher and the adoptive mother of his child. Some are just handled abominable, like Santana's coming out. But there are little things I still like, such as Kurt's relationship with his dad and Quinn's "over it" attitude towards high school. She's reminding me a lot of Cordy from the third season of Buffy lately.
Still, I find myself getting angrier with each passing episode. Little things piss me off. Big things piss me off. I find myself swearing that this is the last episode I watch. That I won't give Glee another chance.
And then they go and cast Jeff Glodblum as one of Rachel's fathers and hint that Ricky Martin is going to come in and prove that Schuester is completely unqualified to teach Spanish and the show ropes me right back in. I can't believe I care about this so much.
Maybe Glee will finally get something right. Or maybe they'll finally screw something up so much that no amount of special guest stars or intriguing new plots will pull me back in. My only reaction lately seems to be "Damn it". Anger and resignation all rolled into one.
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