Running
The House on Mango Street was written about a decade ago. A friend of mine gave it to me when I first moved to Chicago. It’s a series of short vignettes about a Latina growing up in a Chicago neighborhood. And while I didn’t grow up in Chicago, nor am I of Hispanic descent, I loved this book. I appreciated neighborhood life. I felt like I had my hand in a cookie jar containing secrets about life in Chicago. I felt like I was learning a little something about a city I chose to live in after college graduation.
And so, when Chicago’s own Steppenwolf Theater decided to produce it on stage, I decided to buy tickets, so Sweets and I could go see it. The timing worked out for us also to take Sweets’ parents with us as a birthday present to his father. Though it’s been over 10 years since I first read the book, the play reminded me much of what I loved about the book. It speaks of finding a community even though you are constantly uprooted. It speaks of growing up, sometimes too soon. It speaks of the streets of Chicago, though you don’t have to live in the city to appreciate the story. I loved what I saw, as did Sweets and his parents (none of whom read the book). Tickets were only $20 each, so definitely worth checking out if you have time (I think the show ends this week…).
We skipped Halloween. It’s just not our thing. Moving on.
Sunday morning, I ran in my last race of the season. It’s a 15K (9.3 miles) only in its second year of production. It’s called the Hot Chocolate 5K and 15K … and has tag lines like Will Run for Chocolate. Now, that’s a race I could get behind.
After last weekend, where the conditions worked against me, I was hopeful about this weekend. Temperatures in the 30s and 40s. Sun. Not a chance of rain. For me, that means perfect conditions. I ran into some friends before the race, but we parted ways soon after the race started. Though conditions seemed perfect, I didn’t run a great race. I just wasn’t feeling it. My stomach was bothering me. My legs were tired. I was letting race conditions get to me, meaning I couldn’t stop thinking about who was passing and when I’d pass that next person. Even my iPod Shuffle couldn’t keep my mind off the course. I just felt crappy.
I finished in 1 hour 30 minutes.
No matter how hard I train. Or how little. No matter what the racing conditions. Whether good or bad. No matter how strong I feel on race day. Or how weak. I always seem to run the same pace. I am, indeed, consistent.
After Sweets found me at the finish line, I opted to skip all the chocolate tents. Don’t pat me on the back yet. I skipped the lines because I had greasy spoon on the brain. I had a skillet filled with eggs and hash browns and peppers and sausage and ham and cheese. I also might have ordered some bacon on the side. And I definitely finished my toast with butter. There was no holding back.
Sweets and I didn’t socialize much this weekend. Though we did see people. We saw his parents on a number of occasions. We saw our friends and their daughter when they dropped off our CSA produce delivery. We were surrounded by people at the theater and race. We dog sat for our neighbors.
But, we didn’t really socialize. We moved furniture into storage. We watched football. And baseball. And tried to carve out long periods of time to do nothing. We tried to catch up a bit on rest we’ve been missing. It wound up being a lot of running around and a little rest. But, that’s ok. I have a feeling we’ll have a winter full of weekends with nothing to do.
Did you dress up for Halloween? And how else did you spend your weekend?
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:21 am
That books sounds really good! I always love learning more about Chicago!
Great job at the race. I’m sorry it didn’t feel right, but you still did a great job! :) And eating some yummy greasy food afterward is totally justified! In fact, you are supposed to eat about 30-45 minutes after working out for more than an hour! ;)
We really value or “us” time too. We seem to have one or two social events each weekend, but take time to chill in between. It helps us stay sane! We just handed out candy on Saturday and painted our bathroom on Sunday. Oh, and made home-made vegan cinnamon rolls for our neighbor since it was his birthday. Nom nom nom.
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:44 am
I am so glad you wrote about the race! I was dying to know how it was! Did I tell you my doctors office sponsors it?
I hate when a race just doesn’t feel right. Every condition can be perfect and yet still it just isn’t working. At least you are consistent even then. I had one that was feeling awful for me and my time was not anywhere near what it normally is.
I am laughing that you felt bad about eating badly after running 15k. I always use any kind of race as an excuse to go out and eat all the wrong foods. Sometimes, depending on what the race is near, that is the entire reason I sign up for something!
November 2nd, 2009 at 8:58 am
Consistency isn’t a bad thing! Congrats on running the race. I probably would have skipped the chocolate for some amazing breakfast food as well. Sounds delicious (and much better than the SlimFast sitting on my desk)!
One of my favorite things is a weekend where you intend to relax a LOT but I get frustrated when it gets totally jumbled and filled with things, even if they are things that need to be done.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:09 am
Your Greasy Spoon meal sounds like my typical weekend fare. Ah ha. Sounds like you had a lovely weekend! We took the dude to a Halloween party for a bit and then were home by ten to veg on the couch and watch a Roseanne rerun marathon. It was fabulous!
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:21 am
Love Greasy spoon breakfast, sometimes they are all you need.
We had a low key weekend and loved every moment.
November 2nd, 2009 at 9:44 am
I agree, sometimes a greasy spoon breakfast is the best thing. I love reading about peoples experiences at the theater. As you know, I’m a huge fan. Yay for supporting the arts!
I didn’t really socialize much either over the weekend. I spent some time with my stepsister and her boyfriend (and the rest of my family) and yesterday took a long afternoon nap after I had finished a few books.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:33 am
We were so busy this weekend it didn’t feel like one. Bummer. Saturday we got up early, finished unboxing some stuff from the move, his parents showed up, we all visited, went to dinner together, they went home and we enjoyed a movie night at the house while cute little kids came to collect candy. Sunday we got up early again–forgot to set the clock back–my parents showed up, had Panera bagels for breakfast, talked about wedding stuff, went to a movie together, came home and I read a book while he sat at the end of the couch watching a movie.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:42 am
Ella and Jason went on a campout for Adventure Princesses, a father/daughter organization through the YMCA. From what I heard back, it was really cool. I saw photos of my daughter trying archery and heard stories of her rock climbing and playing fun prank-type games, singing songs, being the first to volunteer for anything and soaking up the interactions between the older girls. She also lost her second tooth. Meanwhile I spent time with Miles (my “little” boy) by visiting my parents and having time to goof off with him, taking him to the downtown trick-or-treating (downtown Grayslake) where I indulged him in a couple of carnival rides. Ella and Daddy came home for trick-or-treating in the neighborhood for a couple hours and we had fun trying to keep up with our little ones as they literally ran from door to door collecting their treats. Sunday was spent doing laundry and cleaning before having our small (church) group over for worship and study and care time.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:44 am
Way to go on the run! You are an inspiration. I read The House on Mango Street several years ago when my sister had to read it for a HS English class. It was a great book.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:03 am
Not congratulate you on finishing the race? Are you kidding me? Whatever with you, CONGRATS WOMAN! I think it’s awesome you’re doing these races.
Matt and I didn’t do anything for Halloween, other than go out for a drink and curse the Yankees.
By the way, I have to ask, instead of Gatorade or water do they give you small cups of chocolate to drink during the run? That would be awesome. But then no one would finish the run I think.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:17 am
Sorry the race didn’t go the way you would have liked, but I still think you did fantastically well! Congrats!
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:27 am
Congrats on the run! Chocolate is a great motivator, but that breakfast sounds yummy too. I hardly ever go out for breakfast, so when I do it’s a treat! Sounds like a nice midwesterny weekend. :)
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:32 am
I loved that book too! I read it in high school (I think?) and I should dig it up out of my parents house b/c I love to read again, with a perspective of having lived in the city and understanding the city now.
Congrats on your run! I had a great race the other week and my weekday runs have been horrible to get through lately. The important part is that you run again the next day (or 2.. or 3…:) ) after that. Just gotta power through.
I’m with you on halloween and a good greasy spoon! Yum! Sounds like a lovely weekend all in all.
November 2nd, 2009 at 11:39 am
the concept of running for AN HOUR AND A HALF is blowing my mind. i want to throw my lungs up after like 20 minutes ;-)
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I absolutely adore Sandra Cisneros. Have you read her other books? My copy of “Woman Hollering Creek” is nearly falling apart because I’ve turned its pages so many times. So freaking cool that you saw a stage production of one of her books!!!
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:32 pm
It’s so nice to have a low key weekend here and there where you aren’t running around with people the whole time. Congrats on your running!! That’s so amazing. I would love to be a runner someday.
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Halloween isnt my thing either… but I totally feel you on the consistent speed thing. I always seem to find myself at around 9 minute mile- I think mostly because I day dream while I run or I get into the music… and I just dont keep up the pace. who knows?
November 2nd, 2009 at 1:59 pm
We dressed the dogs up for a laugh but we didn’t dress up. I think it’s different when you have kids and you can experience Hallowe’en through their excited eyes. Being childless means that Hallowe’en is dressing up and spending a whack of money to drink in a bar with a bunch of “slutty nurses” or “slutty pilots” or “slutty insert-profession-here” … I’d rather stay at home.
November 2nd, 2009 at 3:48 pm
While I had the awesome (and frugal) idea to dress as Charlie Brown complete with a bag of rocks, my friends called me to take an impromptu trip to Busch Gardens for the day. Me and my roommate through a Halloween party at our house on Sunday where I was dressed as Frankenstein’s Monster. All in all, a successful Halloween weekend.
November 2nd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
Running for hot chocolate? Sign me up!
Sorry you weren’t happy about your time, but you still went out and ran a 15K….gotta be proud about that!
November 2nd, 2009 at 7:33 pm
Sounds like a nice relaxing weekend and thanks for the book tip! I’m always looking for new books to read.
I went out for Halloween for about 2 hours. Played pool, had a few spirits and spent time with someone I’ve been wanting to spend time with. So, it was nice.
I admire your road racing. I just restarted training and with new kicks am getting back into shape. I am hoping to run my first race since Hawaii on Thanksgiving weekend.
November 2nd, 2009 at 10:32 pm
OH my gosh I’ve never heard of the Hot Chocolate race, I would begin training for that next year because I need one of those shirts with that tagline.
November 3rd, 2009 at 1:11 am
Thanks for the book share! Sounds really interesting and has peaked my interest. The part about finding community though constantly moving sounds like something I can relate to. And yes, as I do not run, I will offer to pat you on the back for your run….and oh my, I know a lot of friends who would get on board for a Hot Chocolate race!
We did Halloween and took our kidlets trick or treating as Minnie Mouse and Optimus Prime. And then yesterday we watched a lot of football, right along with tonight….a great game! :>
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:47 am
The House on Mango Street is great, and congrats on a successful run!
November 3rd, 2009 at 10:42 am
that is awesome. you are the bomb LOL i hate that term. but it’s true.
i did dress up. and partied. i put the pics on my blog which you already saw!
November 4th, 2009 at 7:02 pm
I can read the frustration in your writing with your time, but you know what? You signed up for a race. And you went out and did it. And you prepared for it. Those facts alone are worthy of props. And a toast.