Blood Sport

Guess who ran a Half Marathon and who ran a 5k?

Yes, that is real nipple blood on the white racing bib in the photo above. It's not mine, it's my husband's. It's the cost of running 13.1094 miles to completion. It's what you get for all the training. Blood, sweat, and hopefully not too many tears, but it's not easy.

The last time I ran a race I was in 1st grade, and I lost. It pretty much shattered any thought I had about being an Olympian. I also had a face shattering incident while playing little league. So, I'm not a jock, which I can live with. I just want to be in shape and eat what I want. Is that too much to ask? Why not?


My co-workers decided to run a half-marathon, and there was NO way I was ready for that. I could barely run one mile without stopping or giving up. After a couple months of training with them and my hubby, I wasn't good, but I could run more than 3 miles. Good enough for 5K Fun Run... Good enough for me. It's a start.

Upon starting the race, I dropped my cell phone and the back of the case shattered. I was lucky the phone did not completely break, which would have left me without music to listen to run to. It wasn't until after the first mile that I noticed that my hand was bleeding from cell phone plastic. I just clinched my fist and kept going. It wasn't that bad anyway.

When you run, you see a lot of different things very fast. It's the full range of the human condition on road. It's a great way to invent characters for some sort of comedy sketch, but I jog around San Francisco and Berkeley. People are crazy here anyway. While running I usually see people as they pass me, but this time everyone was running with and around me like a herd of wild animals. Running and walking with strollers, prosthetic legs, kids. Everyone get out of my F---ing way!

I'm not going fast, but I'm running and not stopping for a break. It's a major triumph for me just doing that. It's also a beginning of what I hope is healthy habit to continue. 10K is next in a few months and then eventually a 1/2 marathon later this year.

Yes, there will be blood! Just not from the nipples.

Baptism

My nephew, Dylan, being saved from being dirty. (Not his baptism.)

This morning, I took my parents to church at my local Berkeley catholic church, where I have attended a few services. I like it because the crowds pretty diverse and it's Berkeley, so they don't tend to get too judgy if I show up in jeans and a sweatshirt. Today of all days, happened to be "Baptism" Sunday. Lots of babies, but for the most part everyone was well-behaved as they had water poured on them in a freezing cold church. Poor naked babies. It's so hard to get saved these days.

 It reminded me of my nephew, Dylan's baptism about 3 years ago. My parents and I flew to Wisconsin to meet the newest member of my sister's new little family for the first time. He was only a month old, so he really wasn't as much fun as he is now. Crying, pooping, spitting up, and sleeping... that was pretty much the most he could do. Still he's amazing.. we took a great nap together.

It was January, like it is now. It was snowing, and we all braced the cold for Dylan's baptism. It was packed full of kids, and we all gathered around the baptismal pool to watch Dylan be saved. I wonder if that's what he wants for himself. Sure, he really likes church because he can say "AMEN" really loud and he can shake strangers hands. It's not complicated yet, but I guess that's just my perspective.

The priest at mass today was talking about baptism and about how it's a calling to one's faith. Something more than just being happy for yourself, with your successes and excepting your true calling. God, that was really deep. It's a lot for just a little baby to deal with. Hell, I'm not sure how comfortable I am with the whole idea. It's hard enough just being happy with who you are some days! However, I do appreciate the tradition of baptism. It's like a like a big welcome party to the community before your first birthday, but without all that sticky, original sin that you were born with.

All the kids watching Dylan's baptism.