Looking for Love

I know it’s been quite some time since I’ve written. With heat, travel, and work training has lagged. I am back on track with my training schedule; the time off has helped.  One thing I did during this break was see some movies. Without further adieu, I bring you a one-off MOVIE REVIEW….

SAG-AFTRA recently had their evening of short films.  One hundred sixty (160) films were submitted for consideration to participate in this prestigious night, but only 6 were selected. The story-telling style and genres varied, and while each film was meritorious, Texas spoke the most to me.

It is a hybrid genre (rom-com, family drama, coming-of-age) with a show-down scene as good as “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” Writer-Director, Matt Johnson’s logline reads, "A cowboy meets his estranged wife on the Texas/Oklahoma border and tries to win her back. One problem...neither will cross state lines!" From experience crafting and writing films, Texas crosses and blends story-telling styles… Can people come-of-age in their 50s?  After watching Texas , your answer will be YES! In his short film, Matt explores what makes relationships tick and why they may go awry and if is it possible to get that love back. He does this all in 20 minutes! You don’t feel a need to ask more questions about what happens to the couple— Matt lays all the answers out for you. Like many good love stories, there is a happy ending, but the path to get there is exciting to watch.

Aside from a flash back, the film takes place in one location: at the Texas/Oklahoma border. Some filmmakers may shy away from making a bold choice like this, but you never find yourself saying, “I wish there would be a new location.” You keep asking yourself, “Who will cross the border first- Denny or Doris Ray?” The cheeky humor moved the story along and while a less-skilled director would have made the dialogue heavy film a series of talking-heads Matt and his team use space and distance to help tell the story, highlighting the emotional distance between this estranged couple.

It’s a no wonder why the team is traveling to so many film festivals. The Vancouver International Film Festival and the Louisville International Film Festival are two upcoming festivals that invited them to participate. I’m sure more good things are headed to the team. I’m hoping the film screens locally again so I can be part of this love story. If it’s in one of your local festivals, you should see it too. It’s not simply about the Texas/Oklahoma rivalry, it’s about something we can all relate to: The search for love.

Exercise Excuses

Running is one of those things that got into my blood. I craved it. Four years ago, I went from having a desk job & not running to thinking of 10 miles as a short run.

Then, life got crazy, and we’re not talking brain surgery. In the same month, my office closed, I bought a house and moved.  Running got put on the back burner. Now, I’m scratching to get back to the fitness level I now expect from myself.

Psychologically, I’m in a different place. I don’t have to prove a brain tumor is going to control me— The responsibility of running and staying fit takes a different psychological stamina. The paradigm of 5 years ago is a big shift – Running is a major part of my life. It’s one of the criteria I used when looking at houses.  If I didn’t feel safe running in the neighborhood, then I knew the house was not for me. I purchased a house in a neighborhood that for the most part is not part of the grid system – there is a network of cal du sacs and seemingly dead-end streets that restart a couple hundred yards away from the alleged dead end.

It’s a great place to run. But, with the lack of consistent work looming over my head,  running seems to be a luxury. My friend Jeanette Soloma at #SolomaFitness pointed out that I should run even if it’s only a mile. This was a dose of my own medicine as I know I’ve blogged about that in the past. Some running is better than nothing. My muscles aren’t as strong as they used to be, but I can still do 3 miles. Muscle memory kicks in and I go. I also recognize that the excitement of rebuilding muscles and neuro-pathways to run every day could be a slippery slope… I know I can do 5 so I push for 5. That is not wise for the first long run. I don’t want to over-do it and then not want to run the next day, or worse, injure myself. I’m focusing on alternating hard/soft work out days. One day 3 miles the next day 2 or 2 and the next day one. Slowly rebuilding what I had. A mid-distance 5 miler is not far off then I can get back to the short 10 mile runs on the weekend. Even in my current state, 10 miles is my favorite distance. As I work to get back to the distance I love, I will continue to build in speed work. I have two half marathons this fall with the goal to PR on at least one of them. The future continues to look bright.

Mayhem on Marathon Monday

The events at the 117^th Boston Marathon will never be forgotten. It didn’t just affect the running community – it affected the world.  A marathon doesn’t only test the spirit of the runner, it tests the spirit and tenacity of their loved ones enduring the months of training to qualify for the Marathon and then training to stay pace and/or set a PR. Marathon Monday was supposed to celebrate all the months of training and support. What happened instead was of unspeakable horror.

Marathon Monday is on Patriot’s Day, which commemorates the battle of Lexington and Concord, (the start of the Revolutionary War). The area around the finish became a war zone and two bombs were detonated shortly before 3PM (EST) and 4 hours after the starting gun went off for the 2013 Boston Marathon. Cheering spectators gathered to cheer on runners.  Many spectators don’t even know a participant – they are there to support. Reports of the number of victims vary, but agree that the numbers are 150+ victims and 3 deaths.

The Boston Athletic Association (BAA) made headlines in the running world last year when they told runners due to extreme heat on Marathon Monday, runners would be able to take a bye and they would be able to run in 2013.  In 2011, the BAA tightened qualifying times and also struck out the 59 second grace period. On Monday evening, rather than celebrating the achievements of the runners, the BAA had to release this statement on their website, “Today is a sad day for the City of Boston, for the running community, and for all those who were here to enjoy the 117th running of the Boston Marathon. What was intended to be a day of joy and celebration quickly became a day in which running a marathon was of little importance.”

And as I cheered on friends from 3,000 while tracking them on my cell, a friend called to tell me about the blast. We had several friends running, and we knew one of our dear girlfriends was projecting to finish around 4 hours. Our hearts were in our throats. We knew she would be close to the finish & we knew her husband would be waiting for.  We quickly scrambled to find information. All of their friends were panicked, and with cell phone service around Boston suspended, we relied on social media. And while we prayed fervently for their safety and the safety of others, reports of critical injuries and death swept across the news outlets.  Soon, we had news: Hubby and runner wife had been reunited. They were at the ER— Hubby was in the blast. He has a shrapnel wound and received several stitches. I could not imagine the extreme panic running towards danger and then not knowing where your loved one is. I know the two of the will continue their endurance running. Other running friends have said they will not let this change their love of the sport. Still others I’ve spoken with want to take up racing to prove that this act of terror will not get the American people down and that something as pure as the marathon will endure.  The Boston Marathon is still on my life’s to do list and while it can’t be my first marathon back from surgery- the need to run from Hopkinton to Copley Square in Boston has been reignited. I stand with other runners and the world to pray for peace and pray for the families of the victims. Many are not as lucky as my friend with the shrapnel wound.

LA Marathon 2013

The Marathon-

It’s 26.2 miles of unknown. No matter how many marathons you’ve done, there is no way of knowing what will happen during your race miles. A pebble inside your shoe at mile 5 or another runner cuts you off, tripping you… and then, there’s the WALL. It’s out there looming for most runners. People run the marathon for all kinds of reasons— for charity, because it has been burning in their soul, to beat their last race time.  I want to do another race, and just need to set aside the time to train, but I feel like my brain surgery and recovery took up so much time, now that I’m not putting all my energy into healing, I’m doing all those other things I couldn’t do while healing.

I still enjoy those long runs, even if I’m not logging 20 miles on Saturday. The long runs vary and for the most part have been done with my running buddy.  For all the years I’ve known him he has vehemently opposed the test of 26.2 miles.  Yet, on March 17, I found myself cheering him on for his first marathon.

 

A friend at work strong armed him into signing up and since we’ve logged so many miles together had so much smack talk and has been like a brother, I decided to organize a relay team to pass him of like a baton between the miles. I knew ego would forbid him from dropping out, but a relay team that essentially has him on a leash would be an even bigger barrier and keep him company through the solitude of the miles and help push him through the wall when his body gets cold and achy.

We started the relay around mile 9 and it continued until our last relay team sent him through the shoots and to his finish. It’s too soon to goad him into another race, and it’s too soon for me to contemplate a race, but the race is out there on the horizon… My next race just might be side by side with a friend rather than in the solitude.

A quick (and very rough) post…

Because I’m tired, but I need to write. February 17, 2011 I returned to work after I took a leave of absence for my emergency brain surgery. I wasn’t quite doing a full 8-hour day and the driving in LA traffic was precarious since my neck still didn’t have a full range of motion. Dad stayed behind and acted as chauffer for a couple more weeks and slowly, I was able to have full driving and work independence. Even today, on days where I’m working 11 hours, I’m thankful that I can since I remember those early rough days.

February 17, 2013 I had another runners’ high while I ran the Pasadena Rock n’ Roll Half Marathon (my 8^th half). Despite being under-trained (although I think those hill repeats in the foothills of Mt. Lee did me some good psychologically), I was only 3 minutes off my PR. This race felt less achy than last year’s Pasadena half marathon and certainly less achy than the half I did 6 months post surgery.

And after these runners’ highs, I am shaken to the core with my own humanity and reminder that healing is a non-linear process. I had a follow-up MRI in San Diego. I was so exhausted I fell asleep in the machine and didn’t even feel the poisonous contrast enter my body. By eight o’clock that night I had all I could do to sit up through dinner, and my 8:30 I was in bed.  I felt ill. A night of cold-sweats and discomfort.  My parents didn’t disturb me for breakfast the next morning.  They kindly brought back some toast & got me some orange juice. One sip of the juice and my body rejected it. I felt like I was a dishrag being run out for every inch of its worth.  I slept until we could check out, followed by more sleep during the 3 hour drive from San Diego to Los Angeles and still more sleep when we got back home. It took almost a day and a half for the radiation poisoning to work its way through my system. My previous MRI (in September) also didn’t leave my stomach in a very happy state, but this one just wiped me out. Plausible theories surrounding this are the accumulation of the contrast that has been pumped into me since December 2010, or the fact I’m nearly 10 pounds skinnier than I was then… which makes it great for running and clothes looking better, but not so great when it comes to enduring MRI contrast. My doctor didn’t make a mention of my next
MRI, so I have some time to recover. I’m not ready to run 3 miles, but I’ll be back on the running path soon. The only thing my doctor said of note was having the two of us work together to raise money for brain tumor research. It looks like I have my work cut out for me- I have my next race to train for & a small (multi-million dollar) fundraising goal. Should be an interesting year.