Cannonball Run 2008

Saturday was the 5th Annual Greensboro Cannonball Run 1/2 Marathon. I shaved over 5 minutes off my time from last year, coming in this year at 1:50:47, which is a 8:29/mile pace. Very pleased with that.

Running the race was a lot of fun. Most of my running group was there and the race is an out and back, meaning runners pass each other as they circle at the turnaround and head back toward the finish. I was cheering the people ahead of me on as they came back and cheering the runners behind me on, and they did the same for me. We'd yell each other's names as we passed - "Dena!" "Lewie!"  About mile 9, a woman running beside me said, " Are you Dena?" When I said I was she said, "You sure know a lot of people." I laughed, and explained I trained with Off N'Running, which is the main running store in Greensboro and a quick way to get to know a lot of runners.

At the end, I realized there was a small shot of coming in under an hour fifty minutes but I would have to hustle. So I'm trying to sprint the last 1/2 mile and suffering for it - huff, huff, gasp, pant. I'm literally 300 yards from the finish, I sound like a freight train or an asthmatic elephant, and as I pass this woman she says, "Hey--do you like those running skirts?"

Hel-lo??? Do I look like I'm capable of conversation at this point? No, I do not. Find me afterward and ask about the skirts and I'll be happy to talk to you (I love them), but seconds from the finish? Give me a break...

The cruel part was that since we were scheduled for a 21-mile run this weekend, I had to get up today and run another 7. I entertained thoughts of running the 7 after the marathon and decided by mile 5 that was NOT going to happen. Next weekend is 21 as well, then the miles start going down as the race draws near.

I've been eating protein like a fiend and am feeling much better, more like my old self. This week is a busy week, so need to try to keep the healthy heating and hydrating up.

Dreaming Creek book now available!

It may embarras him, but I simply must put a plug in for my friend Edmund Schubert's (remember that name!) new book, Dreaming Creek. The book is up on his publisher's website for pre-orders and will be in stores by November. 

If anyone is a sci-fi fan, you're familiar with the work of Orson Scott Card. Ed is the editor for Card's online magazine, Intergalactic Medicine Show and co-edited a book with Card, based on stories in the magazine.

The publication of Dreaming Creek is a big deal, not just to Ed, but to me. I met Ed--and most of my writer friends--when I joined a Greensboro based writers group years ago. About 8 of us have formed a gluey clump, where we read and edit each others work and offer guess-based marketing advice.

What thrills me about this book is that I was there for the early stages. I was one of the readers to critique the first draft. The story has changed significantly since then, and I can't wait to read the final version. But I got to voice my opinion about the cover, the jacket blurb, etc. It's kinda cool seeing all the behind-the-scenes friend stuff suddenly "come alive" in the real world.

I'm just amazed how well my group of friends has done. Writing is a hard, hard business where few find success. Now mind you, none of my friends and I are household names (yet!) but the majority of us are making headway in our goal of being writers. Ed has this book, is the editor of Diversity Woman magazine, and editor for Intergalactic Medicine Show. My friend Pamla King Cable is the author of Southern Fried Women and is marketing her new book, Televenge. I've got my cat books out, have an agent marketing my newest book, and earn my living as a freelance writer. Laine is an accomplished and sought after ghostwriter, and her agent is shopping two of her ficiton novels around to the major publishing houses. My friend Tom published Brick Walls: Reflections on Race in a Southern School District and is looking for a publisher for his new manuscript. My friend Bernie completed her first middle-grade novel and is seeking representation while she works on her next book.

Everyone is making it happen, which I find amazing, given the small little group of "who are you?" people that we are. It's very cool to watch happen.

All of which is a long way of saying, go buy my friend Ed's book! I promise a great story with a wild twist!

I'm Over the Cooking Thing

I spent a lot of time in my kitchen this week. It's part of my "eat healthy to pull out of the funk" endeavor. On the up side, I am eating healthy. On the down side, I am going to turn postal if I have to set foot in that kitchen again anytime within the next 48 hours.

Actually, I can deal with the kitchen. It's the unending trips to the grocery store which are wearing me down. While my ability to prepare a dish based on a written recipe seems to be improving, it's marked by a matching decline in my ability to write down and shop for all the ingredients in one sitting.

I made a red pepper lasagna earlier this week AFTER I made the trip to the store becaue I'd forgotten to buy ricotta cheese and pasta sauce during our regular weekly grocery trip.

My running group is meeting tonight to watch "Spirit of the Marathon," and I thought I'd make a recipe from the recent issue of Runner's World magazine for Coconut-Almond bars. Went to the store and loaded up on ingredients. Started making the recipe and realized the honey I had at home wasn't going to equal a full cup. Back to the store. More prep, only to realize I also didn't have enough peanut butter. Back to the store, this time with gritted teeth.

Today I'm making a vegetable curry. As I started chopping vegetables I realized I'd used all the red peppers for the lasagna. Too bad, I thought. We'll iive without red peppers.

Except I also had no coconut milk in the house. We had looked for it at the store, but they were out of the light milk so I'd meant to check another store and had forgotten. Out the door I sccoted for coconut milk (NOT an easy ingredient to find in a store, btw) and since I was there, what the hell, a red pepper.

No more. I'm done. If it doesn't come packaged or delivered, I'm not eating it for at least the next two days. 

This cooking thing is way harder than it looks... =)

Kittens Adopted - Good News!

Remember this earlier post about kittens that needed adopting? I had a follow-up e-mail from the woman who was trying to find homes for all the cats. Here it is:

Hi Dena
All babies have homes. I have an open door policy so everyone knows if something does not work out to return them to me and me only. I think I made some good choices, one concerns me a little but overall i think everyone had good references and were very nice people. Thank you for your support and willingness to post this on your site.

You're a blessing,,
Carla

Carla is the blessing. Major kudos to her to for caring enough to make the time to find homes for all the cats. Not an easy thing to do, especially in this economy. I feel better knowing people like Carla are out there...