Nomad
It's coming to something when one of the many reasons I'm looking forward to New York is because I'll get a whole seven consecutive nights in the same bed. Seven! That's a luxury I haven't enjoyed for quite some time.
I'm spending my time travelling from place to place. Committed to races I signed up for months ago, squeezing in trips over to St Annes, staying away for work from time to time, and generally forgetting what my house looks like. My house is turning into a collection of piles of suitcase explosions, from when it's hastily emptied but not packed away so that I have room in the case to start packing for the next trip.
I feel like I'm being stretched in all sorts of ways I'm not elastic enough to deal with. This weekend I came home from St Annes on Saturday because I needed to go into work to finish some stuff off before New York on Sunday, and because I needed to wash, and pack, ready to leave again first thing on Tuesday morning (and I'll probably be out Monday night too). You could tell that my grandparents were disappointed, and thought that I was staying for the whole weekend (not sure why my mother didn't tell them what my plan was, though), but I just can't live without at least a tiny bit of breathing space. Last weekend I left for Amsterdam straight from work, then got home at 10.30pm on the night before I needed to go back, and I just couldn't do that again this weekend before New York.
I'm actually almost liking travelling on the train though. It might take a bit longer, but it's time when I can sit and read, when I'm not responsible for getting me from A to B, and when I can relax for just a little while.
Meanwhile, my legs have recovered from Amsterdam far more quickly than I expected - I've been running decently this week, up to 8.5 miles, and at a pretty normal training pace, so hopefully the running part of New York won't be too much of an issue.
And I seem to have discovered a work ethic. I'm not sure whether the promotion has settled me a bit, giving me a bit more belief that it's worthwhile sticking on the career path I'm on and trying to make a success of it, but it seems to be coming together quite nicely at the moment. Well, if it wasn't for the sudden rush of work that's come in just before my holidays, and which I don't really want to pass to Joanne for fear of not getting it back.
Anyway, I'm currently sitting here waiting for my washing to finish then it can dry while I go into town to get some last minute New York supplies, check on the availability of a frontrunner for the position of bridesmaid dress at the wedding, go into work, send a couple of emails, then come back and pack the hopefully, by then, dry clothes.
Am I the first person to ever think of going to New York to run a marathon as a chance to relax and slow down a bit?!
--------------
Meanwhile, a couple of notes on wedding preparations. The date has been set, and the venue is chosen, we spent yesterday looking for bridesmaid dresses (after the big reveal of the dress to my mum and grandparents - thankfully they liked it so that's a load off my mind). If I had the time I'd rant about sizing. The woman in the dress shop measured me for bridesmaid dresses and wrote my measurements down next to my sisters. Our hips are the same, my waist is an inch bigger and her bust measurement is an inch bigger. So I'm basically straighter, she's curvier, but there's not much in it. But the sizing for the wedding dresses puts her as a 10, whereas the sizing for the bridesmaid dress she liked put me as a 12-14. That makes no sense whatsoever. (Although if it was me who came up as the 10 I wouldn't have been complaining, obviously...)
The other reason for coming back yesterday was that today my sister was dragging my mother to church to pay the deposit for the ceremony. I wouldn't say that I'm completely irreligious or anything like that, but as a family we've never exactly been churchgoers. I would struggle to tell you what my last church service that wasn't a carol service was (and the last carol service was probably 1998 in New York). I don't necessarily reject the idea of religion, I just don't feel the need to practise it...
Anyway, Annette was going to have a civil ceremony, but my grandmother was all in favour of a church service at a particular church she has always loved, and at the moment what she wants tends to happen (as with the tiara we chose yesterday - she liked one, my mum liked another, when I was given the casting vote I felt obliged to keep her happy...) So it will be a proper church wedding, and apparently my sister wasn't very subtle when she asked whether that meant she'd actually have to go to church in the build up. Actually, this is a whole subject that probably deserves a bit more time to talk about it, but for now let's just say that I'd rather spend that hour or two on a Sunday morning running and doing something good for my body than taking out an insurance policy on my soul.
I'm spending my time travelling from place to place. Committed to races I signed up for months ago, squeezing in trips over to St Annes, staying away for work from time to time, and generally forgetting what my house looks like. My house is turning into a collection of piles of suitcase explosions, from when it's hastily emptied but not packed away so that I have room in the case to start packing for the next trip.
I feel like I'm being stretched in all sorts of ways I'm not elastic enough to deal with. This weekend I came home from St Annes on Saturday because I needed to go into work to finish some stuff off before New York on Sunday, and because I needed to wash, and pack, ready to leave again first thing on Tuesday morning (and I'll probably be out Monday night too). You could tell that my grandparents were disappointed, and thought that I was staying for the whole weekend (not sure why my mother didn't tell them what my plan was, though), but I just can't live without at least a tiny bit of breathing space. Last weekend I left for Amsterdam straight from work, then got home at 10.30pm on the night before I needed to go back, and I just couldn't do that again this weekend before New York.
I'm actually almost liking travelling on the train though. It might take a bit longer, but it's time when I can sit and read, when I'm not responsible for getting me from A to B, and when I can relax for just a little while.
Meanwhile, my legs have recovered from Amsterdam far more quickly than I expected - I've been running decently this week, up to 8.5 miles, and at a pretty normal training pace, so hopefully the running part of New York won't be too much of an issue.
And I seem to have discovered a work ethic. I'm not sure whether the promotion has settled me a bit, giving me a bit more belief that it's worthwhile sticking on the career path I'm on and trying to make a success of it, but it seems to be coming together quite nicely at the moment. Well, if it wasn't for the sudden rush of work that's come in just before my holidays, and which I don't really want to pass to Joanne for fear of not getting it back.
Anyway, I'm currently sitting here waiting for my washing to finish then it can dry while I go into town to get some last minute New York supplies, check on the availability of a frontrunner for the position of bridesmaid dress at the wedding, go into work, send a couple of emails, then come back and pack the hopefully, by then, dry clothes.
Am I the first person to ever think of going to New York to run a marathon as a chance to relax and slow down a bit?!
--------------
Meanwhile, a couple of notes on wedding preparations. The date has been set, and the venue is chosen, we spent yesterday looking for bridesmaid dresses (after the big reveal of the dress to my mum and grandparents - thankfully they liked it so that's a load off my mind). If I had the time I'd rant about sizing. The woman in the dress shop measured me for bridesmaid dresses and wrote my measurements down next to my sisters. Our hips are the same, my waist is an inch bigger and her bust measurement is an inch bigger. So I'm basically straighter, she's curvier, but there's not much in it. But the sizing for the wedding dresses puts her as a 10, whereas the sizing for the bridesmaid dress she liked put me as a 12-14. That makes no sense whatsoever. (Although if it was me who came up as the 10 I wouldn't have been complaining, obviously...)
The other reason for coming back yesterday was that today my sister was dragging my mother to church to pay the deposit for the ceremony. I wouldn't say that I'm completely irreligious or anything like that, but as a family we've never exactly been churchgoers. I would struggle to tell you what my last church service that wasn't a carol service was (and the last carol service was probably 1998 in New York). I don't necessarily reject the idea of religion, I just don't feel the need to practise it...
Anyway, Annette was going to have a civil ceremony, but my grandmother was all in favour of a church service at a particular church she has always loved, and at the moment what she wants tends to happen (as with the tiara we chose yesterday - she liked one, my mum liked another, when I was given the casting vote I felt obliged to keep her happy...) So it will be a proper church wedding, and apparently my sister wasn't very subtle when she asked whether that meant she'd actually have to go to church in the build up. Actually, this is a whole subject that probably deserves a bit more time to talk about it, but for now let's just say that I'd rather spend that hour or two on a Sunday morning running and doing something good for my body than taking out an insurance policy on my soul.
posted by YP at 10:10 AM
5 Comments:
My legs are almost thinking about running again - at least they are taking me to the gym tonight! I have to work off that apple pie accompanied by hot chocolate we ate every day in Utrecht!! I think even Dom is feeling he's gained a bit of a beer belly!
As for weddding dress sizes - they are vanity-sized BIG TIME! I was in a size 12, and I've never even *kissed* a size 12 in normal shops, so I wouldn't worry. As for you being a 12-14 that's obviously madness too! You're the little miss "Excuse me but do you have this in an 8, this size 10 is far too big!"
I guess your running the NYC Marathon?? I just went to the web site and it is on November 4, so I guess so! Good Luck!!!!!!! Have Fun!
Hi there. I discovered your blog when I was in the midst of a major weight loss/lifestyle transformation of my own, and I've found it really inspiring. I suppose I even feel like I know you a bit -- which is, of course, rather strange, since I've never made a peep on here! ...
But I can't help writing to wish you good luck in New York, and to say that I hope you have a blast in the city. I spent 6 of the best years of my life there, and love the city madly. Now that I'm into this whole athletic/race culture, I'm gunning for the NYC half-marathon, maybe next summer... and who knows -- maybe the marathon itself, eventually. (I'm not convinced I'm marathon material, but that's another post...)
So I hope you have a blast in New York - especially the fall colors and the full amazing weekend of the marathon trials!, and (of course!) the amazing restaurants to help you celebrate the finish!!
Congratulations on your accomplishments, and thanks, too, for sharing this journey on your blog. It's great!
letitia
Atlanta, GA
This is why I like Catholicism (my religion). I can go to church on Saturday nights at 5:30, in jeans. I'm out by 6, and the soul is saved :)
I started jogging this week. Just little bits, but your blog is an inspiration to me.
Brenda
www.throwingoutthefatclothes.com
Post a Comment
<< Home