The big race

Fargo, North Dakota. May 9th, 8:00am. Starting line. That's where I'll be. Running my first half marathon. I'm excited and nervous all at the same time. The nervousness has evolved from 'there's no way I'll do this and survive' to 'I know I can do this, but why is my left knee starting to hurt?'

I've overcome the mental block, the little voice in my head saying 'this blows, slow down. Lets walk, cut the run short. Just quit.' That voice has been replaced with the one saying 'You can do more, step it up.' Maybe all too soon though. The outside of my left knee started hurting a few weeks ago. At first it was minor - an IB Profin here and there, and I was on my way. Then it became a constant pain that I felt with every step I took at work. Knee advice came freely from those within ear shot when I mentioned my issue. Too much, too soon. Old shoes. Weak inner thighs. (That was the most awkward advice since it came from an older guy at work - and not the cute old man type that I usually dote over.)

So me and my weak inner thighs started doing more cross training, less runrunrun impact on the knees. The thing that bothered me the most about all this, is its just my left knee. My right is fine! The engineer in me says that this is significant... only ONE knee hurts. What does this mean?!

Well friends, it means that if I can't run without a painless left knee, then I won't be running again after Fargo. Running is not the love of my athletic life. Volleyball is. Maybe it's sad to say that I would be a very sad person if I couldn't play volleyball anymore? Someday I know I'll need foot surgery to correct bunion problems on both feet, but I dread those days. Three months, no volleyball. So yea, if running chronically messes with my left knee, its going to have to go.

Until I figure that out, I'm really looking forward to running up in ND with ten other fantastic women. There's no doubt in my mind that we'll have a BLAST while we're there!

Excited and nervous,
Marieda

Traveling bug

After seeing Mark's pictures of Thailand online, I can't stop thinking about traveling and getting out of here. The plan is to go to Japan in November - hopefully get to see Gerard whlie I'm there - and spend some time checking out the sights not most commonly seen by tourists. Eric is planning to go as well, and if I'm lucky, maybe we can talk a few more people into going as well. I'd really like to learn a new language, but wow is Rosetta Stone expensive. Portugese would be fun to learn, but since I'm planning the Japan trip, I should probably sign myself up to learn some Japanese.

Eric has really wanted to travel to places where he can feel like he's in a new world, but under real circumstances. Less luxury travel, more real-world and authentic. Be around the locals, see the sights most tourists don't go to. I would even say borderline povery areas. Me? I want the authetic experience too, but I also want to experience it underwater while scuba diving. I'd like to do some history research, then go seek out the most historically significant places. In the mean time, I'm hoping to learn about the curent culture too. I wouldn't turn down the chance to do something off beat, but I'm too much of a planner to show up in a country without an idea of things I want to see. Maybe I can train myself not to plan by November :0)

My first blog entry

Today was the first time in years that I had donated blood. So there I am, 7:25am at the Rockwell rec center, half awake and half tipsy from Las Glorias' margaritas the night before. The questions always crack me up - I wonder what happens if someone actually checks yes to having had sex with a monkey in Africa. Do they get arrested for beastiality? Or does what happens in Africa, stay in Africa? At any rate, I checked lots of No's. After the pre-screening and finger prick, I walk over to a vacant cot like place to lie down, and the nurse starts tightening the straps on my left arm. I was so proud of my vein! It popped right up as if to say, I'm ready, but the nurses facial expression didn't align with the eagerness of my vein to do the damn thing. "Will my vein work out OK?" "Well, its a little small." Little? It was popping out of my arm! "My vein is small??" "Yea, compared to the needle." *blank stare* I had one of those moments where the little voice inside my head says, 'Did she just really say that?' Of all the things NOT to say at a blood drive, I think 'your vein is small compared to this needle' has got to be in the top 5.

The nurse looked and said that she was unsure of herself, so another nurse came over to stab me instead. For the record, nurse #1 was right about that needle. It was huge.

I'll get a card in the mail in a few days from the hospital with my blood type - I'm curious to see what it is. I'm guessing O positive or negative. Universal donor - go figure. It took me all day to recover from this donation. Next time I'll make sure not to donate a few days before any big volleyball matches. There's no way I could have played tonight. Hell, I had to go take a 30 minute nap in Eric's explorer at 3pm! That's only because he's driving my car at the moment.

My car is a whole other story. Brakes are fine, brake lights don't work. There's a brake switch (or sensor) that's out and needs to be replaced. In true Marieda fasion, I wrote Hyundai an email telling them how this needs to be a recalled part, not just provide a technical service bullitan (TSB) for it. So Eric is going to try and troubleshoot/install the new part for me. I love how handy that man is.

Tomorrow will be busy... 4-5:30 at buffalo wild wings for a volunteer appreciation dinner when I hung out with kids at Wilson Elementry. 5:30 - 7 with my ME group as we congratulate Dan Bullard on getting re-hired at Rockwell. Social! Then from 7-10:30 will be hors'derves and drinks with the girls till we go and see that movie He's Just Not That Into You. I can't wait! This is one of the movies on my really-want-to-see-soon list, along with Milk, The Reader, and Benjamin Button. The Wrestler would be cool to see too, along with Slumdog Millionaire since it won a ton of Oscars.

Good night moon.