Sunday, January 14, 2007

Let's Talk Training - Shall We?

The past three weeks have been sloppy. Not a total loss by any means but between Christmas away from home and two weeks of a really annoying cold that's finally riding it's pony into the sunset my training and food plan have been a bit of a crap shoot. I missed some sessions with D_wn my personal trainer, opted for the couch and a kleenex box over crunches and cardio, and was haphazard more days than not in recording my food. Christmas is over. The cold has been reduced to a sniffle and so tomorrow morning it's back to 24 Hour Fitness every 24 hours, and charting my food plan, water intake and daily sweat factor at www.calorieking.com.

My original marathon schedule for 2007 included two half-marathons and one full-marathon. I'm definitely on for 26.2 miles in Portland, but the half in Napa Valley in July is in question because of a possible scheduling conflict, and I'm still trying to make up my mind about whether to do the half-marathon or go for the full-marathon in Eugene this April. Wisdom says stay with 13.1 since I haven't gone on a single training walk since October and won't begin for two more weeks, but I have to admit, I'm tempted. Having lived in Eugene for about four years, I know the marathon course and love the idea of completing my first marathon walking the park paths lining the Willamette River, seeing my former home from the trail, crossing the footbridge, circling Autzen Stadium, and hoofing through familiar neighborhoods in that great university town. Tempting. I might need to do some calendar calculations just in case there's time to shift from 13.1 to 26.2 which, as anyone who's been in a marathon knows, is more than just adding another 13.1 miles.

Now begins a radical shift in content. Don't bother to read what follows if you've never loved a dog or cat. You'll just scratch your head and not "get it" anyway. Your loss.

On a very sad note, so sad that it's still not fully registering, my sweet adorable much loved kitten cat Tweety, appears to be rapidly fading with kidney failure that's plagued her, and us, for the past few years. She's been at the kitty hospital for the past five days in hopes that constant fluid IV's would get her out of renal failure but her tests aren't showing any positive results. One last round of tests tomorrow and then we're bringing her home to be here with us where some serious kitty snuggling, ear scratching, and fur brushing will ensue. And tears. There will be plenty of those. Since Tweety's been gone our other cat Annie has been certifiably depressed, remaining curled up on one corner of the couch glum as glum could be. Every so often she'll look up at the staircase landing where Tweety normally sits surveying her kingdom that extends as far as her big blue eyes can see, but realizing Tweety isn't there, she curls up even tighter. The human occupants of the house are pretty glum too.

Tweety Kitten Cat

There are two means of refuge from the miseries of life: music and cats.
Albert Schweitzer

The smallest feline is a masterpiece.
Leonardo Da Vinci

Cats are intended to teach us that not everything in nature has a function.
Joseph Wood Krutch

The cat has too much spirit to have no heart.
Ernest Menaul

2 comments:

jeanne said...

i'm so sorry you have to go through this. that's really tough. tweety is lucky to have you guys there to be with her. and you know, not to be the least bit glib, she's going to a better place.

Linda Stipe said...

I was very sad when I read about Tweety and what is happening. I think you have the right idea about bringing her home for the snuggling and talking. I have had to do this with two of my dogs that were very bonded and it helped immensely. I will be holding your family in my prayers.