Category Archives: B&I

Why I Didn’t Buy My Husband a Birthday Gift

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Brian and I haven’t bought “presents” for each other in like, four years. For anything.

I’m pretty impossible to shop for (50/50 picky and I just buy anything I want for myself), and he’s the simplest person in the world that’s happy with a thrifted tshirt and a good six pack of IPA.

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one of the last presents Brian bought for me – and possibly the only one I didn’t exchange. hanging on to it for dear life.

Which is exactly what his brother gets him every year for Christmas. A bag of old tshirts and something to pour in a pint glass. It’s his favorite gift.

I’m used to the horrified/confused looks people give when I answer their gift inquisitions with “Nothing. Really, I didn’t get him anything.” by now, and most of our good friends just know better than to ask.

No, we’re not hippie, non-materialistic, “our love is present enough” do-gooders. We’re also not fun sponge lame-o’s trying to suck the happiness from exciting events by pretending they aren’t worthy of a little extra attention. We celebrate (not the Hallmark holidays, though, cmon), we just don’t do it with wrapping paper and bows.

Previous “gifts” over the years have been : trips to Cancun, Jamboree in the Hills, Vegas, and Big Bear; the Baseball Hall of Fame, Spring Training, All Star Game, and that one magical year the Tribe *ALMOST* went to the World Series (uhhh we like baseball) ; brewery adventures at Great Lakes, Stone, and Ommegang; and flights home to celebrate with the fams (even if they are gift-givers…)

happyeverything

See? Non-giftwrapped presents are fun. And Brian doesn’t lose sleep trying to come up with an idea I won’t hate, because lord knows I won’t pretend to love something if I can exchange it for something I’ll actually use.

The point of all this is today’s Brian’s birthday, and once again I’m off the gift-giving hook. He’s getting a tribute tattoo for his grandpa that served in WWII at Pearl Harbor, something he’s talked about for YEARS. He finally found an artist and concept he likes and I don’t have to worry about birthdays, anniversaries, or Christmases for like four years because HOLY SHIT getting a custom piece of artwork etched onto your skin canvas is expensive.

This weekend we did the cheap birthday “acknowledgement” with breakfast at our favorite hidden spot and a 4 mile hike through Peters Canyon. It was awesome.

breakfast

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hike

yes, emily, rattlesnakes. this trail will not be included on any upcoming itineraries, promise.

Happy birthday, babe. No bows required.

Sarah OUaL

Part 1 – The Perils of an AM/PM Runner

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A while ago I polled Facebook-land about why morning runners like getting up at the ass of dawn and why evening runners like drudging through the day with the impending run looming over them. It was some pretty insightful stuff. Check it out.

ampm fb

As a night owl, the purpose of the focus group was two-fold : to gain insight for this post (which I had planned on going up 9 days ago), and in hope that a lightbulb would go off in my can’t-get-out-of-bed brain and I’d miraculously turn into a morning runner overnight.

Only one of those things happened.

I do TRULY wish I was more of a morning person and could knock those miles out before the sun rises or I’ve had the chance to wreck my GI tract with poor food choices that make for burpalicious evening runs. Also, I’d like to say “can’t, gotta run” to a lot fewer impromptu happy hours.

But, I just can’t justify the benefits when that first (and second, and third, and fourth – I’m a compulsive Snooze’r) alarm goes off. I know eventually it’ll become habit if I pull my sorry carcass out the door enough times, but the desire to do so is just not quite strong enough to overpower the gravitational pull of body-to-bed.

Yet at least once a week I set an early alarm(s) with the good intentions of a pre-work sweatfest, and – unless someone is out there waiting for me – 97% of the time I’m all,

“mmmm but sleep is so nice… bed is so comfy… I’ll have time to do it later… just keep sleeeeepinggg… ZZZZZZZZZ”

In an attempt to turn a corner and earn a claim as at least Part Time AM Runner, I’ve been weighing the pros and cons of each type. Some from personal experience, some inspired by the wise Facebooker’s, some because Brian has threatened to kick me out if I disturb his slumber with ONE MORE pointless alarm…

So, in Part One of which I can only imagine I’ll figure out how to defy logic and turn into more than a two-part series on how I’ll either convince myself to rise with the sun or continue tasting my dinner on runs, the Cons of being both an AM and PM runner…

AM PMconsclick for larger image

Insight? Arguments? Suggestions for the pros? (right now I’m stuck at “it’s done!” and “sleep in!”)

Sarah OUaL

Gimme Dat Bib

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Suppose I need to explain myself after THIS went out…

Remember how after CIM Brian registered for the Surf City Marathon to try and challenge the Household 26.2 PR? And how I was going to “coach” him and help implement some of the “real” workouts I’d been doing in his training, instead of just going out and running xx miles as fast as possible like he’s always done?

Uhhh it didn’t work out so well.

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That’s an Achilles Rocktape-tape job. A good one, and effective, but not marathon-salvageable.

He killed the first few weeks of training, claiming to “totally dig” (might be my words, not his) the new-to-him interval and tempo runs. How each day felt like a new challenge, rather than seeing the overall goal as a huge task to slowly try and chip away at. Feeling and seeing progress in a way more than long run mileage growing.

The one thing he didn’t love? Slowing down.

He’d gotten so used to running his 7:xx pace every run (I KNOW, so gross) that putting on the brakes was even harder than hitting fast mile repeats. And somewhere along the way, around Christmas time, his body retalliated. Despite periods of rest, chronic icing/heating, and an anti-inflammatory regime, he just couldn’t get the Achilles tendonitis under control enough to continue training.

Yes, I feel terrible and mostly responsible. I was pretty sure I’d be served divorce papers when he officially waved the white flag. (He swears he doesn’t blame me, but there was that one time I woke up in the middle of the night because he rolled over and almost “accidentally” suffocated me “in his sleep”…)

…And then again when I asked if I could run the half in his place. I mean I might feel bad but that doesn’t mean I’m going to let a $120 registration fee go to waste.

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what’s yours is mine including joint finances and race bibs

So I’ll be running the Surf City Half this weekend. I’ve never run it (because I abhor spending $$$$$ on big-name races) but did keep a few friends company on the course last year. I’m in no shape to run anything even near a PR, obviously, and instead hope to get some good work in on pacing and finishing hard. Whatever finish time that may be.

(but hopefully not a personal worst)

((although if it is it’s fine because it’s going on Brian’s name, not mine))

Sarah OUaL

Nearsighted

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Yesterday afternoon at work I was mindlessly scrolling through twitter while on hold when I saw a BREAKING NEWS post that a doctor had been shot at the hospital Brian works at. (LAT report)

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also, now you know where to stalk him during the day if you want.

It was an isolated incident in another building, so he was completely out of harms way (thank God), and I was able to get in touch with him right away so I didn’t spend hours barfing in my desk trash can wondering if he was the un-named Doctor (thank God).

So after a day where I …

  1. melted down over a small-bones (in retrospect) work issue 
  2. beat myself up over having pretzels & chocolate raisins for lunch (and consoled myself with another serving)
  3. cried while updating our budget at how we’re doomed to rent until we move out of SoCal
  4. had a mid-life crisis resulting in getting one click away from registering for the GMAT (the study guides are still in my amazon cart)

… I scratched all my evening plans, and went home just to be at home. Talked over a simple dinner. Played with the dogs. Sat side-by-side on the couch playing Bejeweled Blitz (him) and Spider Solitaire (me, and yes I am stuck in 2001). Watched more tv than I do in a week, including all the shows Brian likes that I don’t.

Because it shouldn’t always be about 5 years from now – what this day at work means for my career, what skipping a 6 miler will do for my race 3 months from now, or where we’ll be when we can finally afford to own a home. Wishing away the week for the weekend or begging the time to pass until __blah blah__ big, exciting event.

Who knows what will happen between now and then, and what you’ll miss out on if your eyes are focused on the future instead of the right now.

Do what you can TODAY to chase your dreams, live in the moment, and soak up every second you get — nobody’s guaranteed tomorrow.

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ironically gorgeous sunset last night – good reminder I’m lucky to have air in my lungs and live (rent) in paradise

Sarah OUaL

healing thoughts to Dr. Gilbert’s family, friends, and colleagues, and may the suspect responsible get what he deserves

Damnit I Said I Wasn’t Going to do This…

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Things I said I wasn’t going to do on 12/31/12 :

  • Post an “Annual Recap”
  • Make Resolutions
  • Get drunk and not be able to enjoy my first run back from Zero Month tomorrow

Things I am(/probably am) doing :

  • Posting something I’m convincing myself is “definitely not an annual recap”
  • Making a “To Do in 2013″ list
  • …TBD.

I swore I wasn’t going to do a Year Recap post this year. I did last year, spent a lot of time on it, and actually still like clicking over to it and seeing all the cool things I did in one nice little spot permanently etched in the internet until I stop paying for this domain.

But I’m an in-denial hipster and don’t like doing things everyone else is doing, and you’ve read so many of them by now you’re probably not even reading this right now. Plus it’s kind of like “look at me! look at me! look at all the cool things I did!” and I prefer keeping my boasting for in-person because I’ve got a great fake nonchalant look that exudes just the right amount of humility and inexcusable self-pretentiousness.

But (again) in light of yesterday’s Revive the Fire post and realizing on my commute to work this morning (YES I HAD TO WORK TODAY) what an incredible year it really was, I realized I just HAD to do something to pay homage to my favorite things from the year.

But it’s my blog and I want a trip down memory lane for when I get Alzheimers start asking myself why I put myself through the things I do. Because life is fun and live it to the fullest and remember that time so-and-so did this and we went there? Wasn’t that so awesome?

So, here’s my 2012 brag sheet. Enjoy.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

“Not an Annual Recap-Recap”

1

January – March

Rang in the New Year in CA with friends & my new’ish bro-in-law and his fiancee  *  Spectated a kinda-sorta special race in Houston which sparked a year of run-cationing with my Type Z other half  *  Brian returned to running and I earned my first podium finish (2nd overall female)

2

March – April

Checked off a baseball bucket list item at Spring Training in Arizona  *  Hiked Camelback Mountain between games  *  Perfected Downward Facing Dog (not really, just thought it was too cute a picture not to share).

Didn’t write about any of it.

3

March – April

Swam boated with the dolphins  *  Ran my first relay, Ultra-style at Ragnar SoCal  *  Toasted to huge 26.2 PRs on Hayward with favo runner girlfriends and vowed to make Eugene my next home

4

May – June

Some of my favorite Ohioans came to visit  *  I co-piloted the Inaugural Nuun Mile  *  Trophy Pulled at a 5k back home with little sis, scored my first Overall Female win

5

June – July

Weaseled our way behind home plate at an Indians game with all my fam & inlaws, got caught picking my nose on TV  *  Returned to Eugene with Em & Oiselle for the Olympic Track Trials, bird-style  *  Satisfied my hillbilly heart with boots & flannel at my first Jambo experience

6

July – August

Got to rep our Cleveland gear in Anaheim for Tribe vs Angels  *  … and do it again in Seattle… (are you sick of seeing Em yet?)  *  … before tackling Runner 5 of the legendary Hood to Coast Relay with Team Nuun

7

August – September

Battled Jurassic Park the at-home version  *  Became an “official” bird  *  Took advantage of beach life and actually stayed dry this time

8

October – November

Got more bad news from the dermatologist, told cancer to get the fck outta here  *  Ultra relayed, again, and cleaned up at the awards ceremony for Ragnar Vegas  *  Watched (from DNF sidelines) my little sister demolish her first half and get bit HARD by the distance bug

9

November – December

GOT ANOTHER SISTER!  *  DNF’d my 2nd race at CIM but got to watch my training partner and new marathoner BQ and fall in love with the distance

10

December – Now

Got to spend the holidays at home in Ohio with both Brian & my families  *  Enjoyed a healthy dose of winter (& wine) and happily returned to SoCal and my flip flops

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

So there it is. My year in a (much longer than anticipated) picture post. Hope you’re up for the challenge, 2013 – You’ve definitely got your work cut out for you.

* What was your favorite memory from 2012? Anybody get married? Pop out a kid? Discover the world’s best cookie recipe??

Sarah OUaL