Beverly says The travel edition.

Running isn't getting very far. I got up Monday morning and did 3 miles but they were spent walking. Tuesday I maybe ran 1/2 mile and then walked 2 miles, wash rinse repeat for the rest of the week. The end. That is all I have to say about running.

Now. I was walking this morning wondering what in the world I could write about. Not running, not my job, duh, not my friends because they didn't sign up for this, and that doesn't leave much. One of my loves is traveling and as fate would have it I spent this week preparing to travel. I thought I would let you in on the craziness. I am leaving Friday night to go hop over the big pond to pretend to be Irish for 4 days. I am very fortunate to have an opportunity to go with some friends for a quick trip to Ireland. We leave at 7pm and land at 1am or about 6am their time. I hope I can fall asleep on the plane ride over. Because! Once I get there I am driving. eeekk! I am the only one who can drive a manual and automatic vehicles are rare therefore cost a premium to rent in Ireland. I drive a manual so that isn't a big deal. The big deal is the fact that I will be driving from the right side of the car on the left side of the road. I'm nervous. But I will report back on all of that when I return (whew, another post idea taken care of, check). No, no. Today I want to talk about how I travel.

I hate packing. I hate the commitment of packing. I will be stuck with the items I pack for days. I hate the inevitable mistakes I will make packing. I don't think I have ever said "boy I packed perfectly for that trip." True story, my Mom (hi Mama) packed for me the first time I went to Europe. I couldn't bare it. I manage projects for a living but managing the project of packing is a weakness. I do however have a little bit more figured out than I use to. I have some rituals when traveling and I will share them with you. I have these boots that are amazing. Thanks to two of my friends who both have a pair, I own these boots, Fat Baby by Ariat. One of the top 5 shoe purchases I have ever made. These puppies are rugged, have a great sole and go with most pants. Also, they are pretty good in the airport since they slip on and off pretty easily. I wear these on a regular basis in my daily commuting walk. Also, when I was in Greece I wore these every day, all day for 8 days without my feet ever getting tired much less a blister. I stepped on some pretty gross and dangerous things in Athens and these boots have a thick and flat sole that kept me safe. It is very important to me that I not look like a tourist so I shy away from sneakers. I figure I don't walk around in sneakers in my daily life, well except for that running thing. Oh and don't even get Julie started on how bad she thinks sneakers are for your feet. I just want to do my part and not promote the stereotypical American tourist. I want to be an interested and polite traveler so that I can represent the US on a positive note. But I digress. To go along with these boots I wear these socks. Whoa buddy these things are expensive. However, if you have ever hung out with me while I have blisters you would hand over the cash on my behalf. I have sensitive feet. I think that is a theme on this blog. So these double layered socks combined with the comfy boots equal a pleasant Beverly. I only have 2 pair. When traveling I wash the pair I wore that day at night before I go to bed and then alternate pairs allowing a day for the washed socks to dry. Also, this is good for light packing. Two pair of socks and that is it. I also pack a 3 oz bottle of laundry detergent. One last thing while we are on the subject of footwear. Mama gave me these one year for Christmas and I use them and love them. I wear them on the plane and in the hotel room because floors are gross. And they are very comfortable.

Okay, moving on. The bag. Essential. I wish I could be stylish and functional but I am afraid that I will always pick function over style. The prequesities are that the bag be large enough for camera, water, wallet, map, ipod, phone, keys, and maybe a pair of shoes. It has to have pockets on the outside. I have a dedicated pocket for my keys and train pass. I refuse to stand outside of the train gate digging around for my pass and can hear the train coming. Final requirement is waterproof. It rains. My favorite purse is fabric and when it rains all of my stuff gets wet, so when traveling and commuting I have to have waterproof to protect my essentials. I am currently using this bag that I paid way less for than on this site. I am not crazy about the color but I like the nylon, pockets, size, and adjustable strap. Next up, rain coat. Umbrellas are no good when traveling. Besides my larger and awesome umbrella for my commute (check it out if you need a good one), umbrellas tend to fail me. So a hood on a rain coat is all you need. I am sporting this one but in black.

Besides these items a couple of things that I always have: ipod & headphones, camera, bed bug spray (just in case), necessary papers, copies of cards & passport to keep in a separate place from my wallet, pen and paper to jot down notes, observations, and directions. I am hoping that I will get everything I need in my backpack and tote. My goal is to pack light. Who knows, maybe this time I proclaim "boy I packed perfectly for that trip."

Julie Says... Can I get a Midol?

As part of this couch to half-marathon journey, I expected there would patches of time where motivation waned. I am, after all, only human -- despite my best attempts to be otherwise ;) What I did not expect is to be at war with myself. I WANT to run every day. I see my Vibram FiveFingers and get teary eyed. I see my lovely foot muscles atrophying. My joints are aching again. My back hurts. I'm depressed, and I'm mad at myself. Nothing has changed since the last time I wrote. I'm still held back by fear, time, and money. Mostly fear. And a touch of agoraphobia. Perhaps it isn't agoraphobia so much as severe anti-social tendencies. I came close to breathing fire on a check-out lady at Sam's Club today. Which bothers me more than I think I can explain.

I found my warm-fuzzy-world-loving-all-forgiving-peaceful self after many, many years... or so I thought. Can I blame it on work? In the first two months on my new job, I have dealt with disaster involving police, fire, water, vomit, tears, and urine, in some combination, almost every day. Do you remember me complaining about the fact I couldn't get a job? Yeah. Beggars can't be choosers. I am grateful to have a job... but it isn't easy to be grateful. The best I can come up with most days is, "At least I'm not being shot at... yet." I don't say thanks every day. I don't find joy every day. I have a hard time forgiving minor transgressions (like a check-out lady who removes me from line, sending me aaall the way to the check-out lane on the opposite end, only to be told that she has closed). I've gone from being grateful that I am single and independent, to regretful that I don't have a man in my life to provide a second income. And perhaps a little sad that money would be the greatest/only motivation for entering into a relationship now.

One step closer every day to being the crazy cat lady librarian... oh, I forgot. I left my cats for this job, too.

Also, I'm still having trouble figuring out how to keep from starving on a low-fat diet. I keep falling off the wagon, eating pizza, lasagna, cake... only to end up writhing in pain. Then I eat my carrots, broccoli, fish, beans, carrots, broccoli, fish, beans, carrots, broccoli, fish, and beans... until I nearly explode from frustration and cram a pizza down my pie-hole to appease the hunger monster... only to end up writhing in pain... again... from being weak and stupid. I could blame the fat-givers at work. The ones who bring/buy the pizza, lasagna, cake, brownies, doughnuts, etc., but no one is forcing me to eat the bad stuff. Weirdly, the threat of death isn't a great enough deterrent. Who knew?

Did I mention I'm cranky?

To end this misery loves company pity post/confession... I will admit I tried to talk Beverly out of doing this. Forget it. Next year. Next decade. Next century. Never.

Beverly says... Back in the saddle again, again...?

Okay, so Julie is off starting a new career so clearly I should at least show a little life on the site to make up for her brief absence. This summer, and I use this term loosely, has been a struggle. June in Boston has gone on record as one of the top 4 worst summers since 1904. What does that mean? Well until the second week of July the average temperature around here was around the lower 60s and it rained. Like it rained every day. I know, cry me a river but it was gloomy. Now it is hot and muggy and I have used up my allowance of complaints. The hot weather has jump started my efforts. It is funny (not really) but agreeing to do this half-marathon kind of stopped me in my tracks on fitness. My Mom (hi Mama) says it is the way I am. I guess when things are my idea and on my terms I am fine but throw in a little control and a deadline and I fall to pieces. I have been doing better in July and now August. When you don't use the fitness you have acquired it goes away rapidly. I have been regularly exercising now for three weeks and I am just now starting to feel like I am getting some strength back. Last week I went up a 100 stairs cold. This is only 8-10 flights of stairs. Back in March I could do several hundred stairs. My legs were sore for days, like four days from these stupid stairs. Why did I stop climbing stairs?


Anyway the point is I am trying again. There isn't a lot of time left before the half-marathon. 27-28 weeks, whoa, I just looked at the calendar. Panic attack. My goal is still a 5K in October. But the big question is can I go from 5K to 13 miles in 3-4 months. I think we all know the answer. I will cross that finish line in February, I just may be crossing it on my hands and knees.

Now for the mp3 shuffle list. (See Julie's last post.) This little exercise proves to me that perhaps I should edit my music. I used the iTunes I listen to at work and not my entire library. Okay here goes but I don't think it is a true sampling of my taste in music although it is about half right:

Fall Line - Michael Houser (Door Harp makes an excellent baby gift!)
Indoor Fireworks - Elvis Costello
Daddy Go Down - David Byrne
Road Trippin' - Red Hot Chili Peppers
Thank you too! - My Morning Jacket (excellent song)
Wave - Alejandro Escovedo
Endgame - R.E.M.
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
Mr. November - The National
Hard Women Blues - Paul Burch
Back to the Earth - Rusted Root
Big Backyard - Soulhat
Jewel of the Summertime - Audioslave
Mothers of the Disappeared - U2
Parking Lot Song - The Hackensaw Boys
Resignation Superman - Big Head Todd and the Monsters
London Calling - The Clash (favorite record cover art of all time)
Low - Cracker
Don't Let Me Down - 311
Heard Them Stirring - Fleet Foxes