When Sleep Eludes You

One option is to quietly head downstairs, turn on your laptop, brew some tea and soon discover a great article in the Wall Street Journal -- written by one of your former students.

Slow Economy, Faster Marathons

Americans might be poorer, but they certainly aren’t slower. With the economy in the doldrums, more people are discovering that without those 12-hour workdays, they’re able to pursue fitness goals like never before. Marathons, triathlons and road races are filling up in record time.

Some evidence suggests that laid-off marathon runners are actually helping push up the level of competition within their age groups. Olympic-level competition could even go up because more elite athletes coming out of college are opting to pursue their athletic goals rather than look for work in a dismal job market.

Wordless Wednesday

Numb3rs

Tomorrow provides a unique situation that I must tell you about today since it'll be Wordless Wednesday. That afternoon, for one second, the day will officially read:

12:34:56 7/8/9

That's all.

Today I Blame on Jellyfish

Last night we attended the Chinese wedding banquet of our friend Peter and his bride, Sarita. It was a wonderful reception and we were treated to an eight-course traditional Chinese feast – no General Tso’s Chicken or pot stickers for this bunch.

Despite feeling rundown earlier in the day, I was ready for a culinary adventure and gratefully lapped up the fish soup and then tangled with some jellyfish – not easy with chop sticks, I’ll have you know. My favorite was the fried squid, Peking duck sandwiches and bok choy covered with some viscous sauce of unknown origin.

The evening ended just as a nearby fireworks show began, and we left the restaurant with a prized centerpiece and images of everyone dancing the night away. Eight hours later, I was struggling with digestive issues on a usually easy 4-mile run, but I’ll gladly take it because last night was so worth it.

Thank you, Peter and Sarita, for letting us be a part of your very special day.

5 on the 4th

Just got back from a 5.5-mile run around Lake Murray in East County. There was a lot more activity than usual for that hour of the day due to everyone setting up for a 4th of July festival and people already getting dibs on prime park real estate.

I really struggled on this one. Maybe because I hadn’t run since Monday. Maybe because I ate an extra extra helping of my homemade onion rings last night. Maybe because I’m on the cusp of that time of the month. Maybe because I wore a flimsy white technical shirt and not-so-supportive sports bra. Maybe because I had to stop four times to use the facilities. Maybe because I didn’t sleep well.

Then again, maybe I just had a lousy run.

I'd heard about this woman marathoner who ran down a rapist last week. I'm not sure I'd have the strength to do the same, especially on days like today.

San Diego Union-Tribune: Woman didn't hesitate to run after attacker

Happy Independence Day, everyone!!