Ctrl-Alt-Del

Running:
Finally. I ran. 5 miles in cold and windy conditions. This is my usual 5 mile out and back.

5 miles 43:00

9:39/9:04/9:05/8:04/7:15

Can you tell that I had the wind at my back on the return trip?

I had a not so great week at work. In my line of work there are going to be complications. There is a finite complication rate for every procedure I do. It's a fact of life. If you haven't had a complication , it just means you haven't been doing it long enough. I had 2 complications this week. The rate of this complication (fortunately, not a major complication) is 1-2%. I happened to have 2 in one day. It just so happened that one was a 17 year old and the other was a family that made my life miserable about it. In the end, everyone was fine, they all went home and did well. But sometimes, you have a combination of patients that are Type A and a complication, and that is never a good combo.

On a different note, I had a bad interaction with a patient's wife who acted very rude towards me.

So, I really am glad that week is over. My chakras were aligned in different directions. I'd like to have a do over on last week. A ctrl-alt-delete for the entire week.

On Saturday, my sister-in-law, who was visiting from Boston, and several friends went to dinner at a restaurant we went to exactly one year ago for my birthday. This time the food really was lackluster. The Wine was not good either. I had a Worldly Reds flight. The Malbec and Shiraz were good, however, the Cab tasted like the barrel may have had a smelly sock fermenting with the wine. In addition, my gnocchi with Arriabiata sauce had Pancetta in it. I am vegetarian, and when I realized I had been eating Pancetta, I lost my appetite. I'm sure that Pancetta is perfectly delectable pork product, but not for me.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

I am ready for winter to be over. The reason for the long delay in my posts is that I have done no running.

After my 10 miler 1.5 weeks ago, I came down with Laryngitis. We then went to Dallas for a few days and am working my arse off whil my boss is sunning himself in Maui.

Dallas- arrived on Saturday morning to 30 degree weather. When we left Chicago it was -9. It was downright warm, yet my parents looked like they were dressed for the ascent to base camp. Dallas was hit by a arctic blast that left a thin layer of ice on roads and this resulted in total chaos. I remember this from my youth. Dallas is ill equipped for this type of weather, utilizing sand as a traction enhancer on the roads. Within seconds, all the sand moves from where your wheels meet the road, to the median and lane divider. Thus to get a grip, one had to drive on the median. There were people driving 80 miles an hour on this stuff. I don't claim to be some weathered Chicagoan, but driving on ice is very different than ice with no salt on it. I saw a bunch of my friends at a birthday party at "Pump It up". I regaled them with stories of Badwater.

Since returning to Chicago on Monday, I turned 36 (Tuesday) and my son has a bilateral ear infection. Good times.

Birthday gifts:
Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer- Imperial Grey
All-Clad-3 Quart Saute Pan
Cabela's D2 Mini-Griptilain
Issey Miyake Cologne

Maybe I'll break out of my funk and run this weekend. It's just not happening for me right now. No problem. I'll just watch more lame Olympic coverage.

Laryngitis

I guess 4 years of medical school and 7 years or residency/fellowship learned me sumpin.

• I do have a cold. I predicted it. I can hardly speak. I don't feel really bad, but I know I am sick. Lung butter. Congestion. Cough.
• Busy at work.
• Leave for Dallas on Saturday
• Boss is on vacation in Hawaii which will double my load for a week.

Nose Wax

Running

Saturday
I woke up and looked outside. Sunny. The weather was supposed to turn colder and snow, later in the day. I felt a little tired for some reason and thought it might be better to do my long run on Sunday. A and N were going to my in-laws for lunch, so I pulled a Pam Reed and said, I'll run and meet you there.

10.6 miles - 1:37 (9:14 pace)

Sunday
Woke up with a sore throat again. I don't know if it is from running in the cold air or whether , I am really just on the verge of getting sick, with each long run, being the knock-out blow. Whatever the case, I did not run today. Instead, I didour taxes and went to a 3 year old's birthday party at Gymboree. If you have never been to one of these parties, it's worth it for the entertainment value alone. The kids running, jumping off things, throwing things at each other. The politics between the moms. (A telling me who she doesn't like, etc).

There is one mom, who has a child in N's class and an infant. The process of picking up kids at N's school is very structured. The parents walk in, one by one, from the front door, pick up their child, and walk out the back door. The mom that A dislikes, always tries cutting in line and makes a big stink about how she can't wait, since she has an infant in the car. A thinks she should just wait until the line is shorter and then come in, rather than cut in front of 5-6 parents, or not leave an infant, unattended in a car in the parking lot.

My mother-in-law happens to run the school that N goes to and teaches the 3-6 year olds. N is in the under 3 class now, but will be in his grandmother's class next year. We haven't gotten our application in yet, and a lot of N's classmate's parents were telling me they were going to enroll their children in her class. There are only 8 slots. My wife got panicked and went home and filled out all the papers.

I did the taxes- REFUND. I also watched the Olympics. I really like short track speed skating and was pissed that Apollo Anton Ohno got greedy in the qualifying race and ended up 4th. (Only the top 3 advance to the gold medal round)

I think I'll let my body recover fully from whatever it is trying to fight before resuming working out. I have built up my fitness to a reasonable level. While I do not have my speed yet, I can run 15 miles and that is about where I feel I need to be during the winter season.

If you made it this far, I'll clue you into the title. I was getting N ready for bed and cleaning him up. I told him I was cleaning his nose since he had some Buggers in there. He kept calling it "wax" I kept telling him wax was in his ears. After a few days, I gave in and told him it was "nose wax". Now, he calls them "biggers". Now he giggles and says "Nose wax, biggers".

Overheard at school tomorrow, by some parents

"Yes, that is the doctor's son. Pity, isn't it?"

Boring Running Post

Running

Wednesday- 5 miles - 55 minutes on the treadmill. HR avg. 145

Thursday - No running. Rest. Went to Tiffany to buy a valentine's day gift. Some small earrings.

Friday - Rest

Sat- plan 10-12 miles. The weather is supposed to be crappy.

Shut down cylinders 7 and 8 Sir.

Sunday - 30 min on the bike and 20 min in the sauna.

Monday - Nothing. Made Spinach Risotto. This was the first time it has come out perfect. Usually, something funky happens. Either the rice is over or undercooked or the choice of vegetables is poor. This was just right.

Tuesday: 6 mile pace run
9:10, 7:26, 7:54, 8:10, 8:08, 8:07 --the 7:26 was when I thought this was a LT run, realized that I didn't have that speed in me today, and shut it down for a slower, pace run. It was a little dark and cold, but with the headlamp and my new Zensah shirt, I was alright. On Sunday, I felt the tickle in the throat that precedes a cold. Zicam and Cold-EZ, came through again. I'm pretty much back to 100%, but not quite, otherwise I would have had 2 more miles at 7-7:30 today. Oh, well, ho harm done. I'm healthy and it was a good run, nonetheless.

Not much going on in my world to report. Life, Work, Running. I'll be in Dallas for a few days in Mid February. Then Puerto Rico in March for a Wedding, NYC in April for a Wedding, Boston in May for a medical conference, Badwater in July, and a possible Italy trip (Firenze) in September.

Lights... Will Guide you Home

Thursday - No Running. Nik has a cold again. This first year of school has been a monthly cold (in the winter) after another.

Friday - No running. I was busy at work and just didn't have it today to run.

Saturday - 14.5 miles, in a light snow and strong northerly wind. It was a great run. I intended on only running 10, but I just felt it and wanted to capitalize on that. Who knows how long I'll be dialed in like I am now. I wore a new piece of clothing. It is made by Zensah. There was a 50% off coupon making it reasonable. I wore it as a base layer. It is tight and I had absolutely no nipple chafing, which I get with all my long sleeved shirts for runs longer than 1 hour. My first impression is that it is very good as a base layer.

I started and finished my run with a song by Coldplay, "Fix You". I was already in a very spiritual mood. I was thinking that it was early, cold, windy and snowing, but I was out there pounding the pavement. I fast forwarded in my mind, to the end of Badwater, when I will have the priviledge of watching N.N. cross the finish line, knowing, I played a small role in helping him get there and that that is why I was out there on a day like today. Or, when I cross the finish line at Chicago this year in 3:14:59 and know that it was days like today, that got me there. The reason that the Coldplay song hit me so hard is the line "Lights will guide you home". This line made me think of a passage from the movie "Apollo 13" where Tom Hanks character is describing a flight where all his electronic equipment went out while he was flying over the ocean, trying to find his way back to the aircraft carrier. Without the lights, he was totally lost. However, because all his lights went out, he was able to see the phosphorescent algae Being turned up in the wake of the carrier, and it guided him home. So, you never know what events will transpire to guide you home. Then that got me thinking about the movie in general. As a former engineer, that movie embodies what I loved about engineering. The fortitude and perseverence to come up with solutions that had life and death repercussions under extraordinary time and mental pressure. They came through. (I know, very disjointed thought process to start withColdplay and end with Apollo 13)

So in my philosophical mood, I used that movie and Coldplay's song as a metaphor for my running right now. Don't give up. Keep plugging. You never know what events will transpire to get you to the finish line.

The finish line is an illusion

Wed: Threshold Run at night, using the headlamp I received for Christmas. This was the first time I used the lamp. 1 mile warm up and cool down. 3 miles at threshold. Miles 2.5-5 were into a stiff headwind.

Mile 1 - 9:20
Mile 2: 7:48
Mile 3: 7:45
Mile 4: 7:43
Mle 5: 8:13

I was reading a blog of a very talented runner, writer and "introspector" that got me thinking, today. Why do people desire things based on what others have. Why can't we look at our needs, satisfy them and be satisfied with that. Why is there a feeling to always want more. Does it make us feel better to compare ourselves to others? I don't think so. If anything, I contend you feel worse. There will always be someone better, someone with more and others not as "good" and others with less. It's a continuum. Does comparison give you something to strive for? Are you striving to reach that goal b/c you want to be there or does that just lead to another goal with no appreciation of the accomplishemnt.

I have many of these questions and no answers.