Tangents from the day after yesterday

Happy Tuesday-after-Memorial Day!

My mind is a bit of a warbled mess with everything that I've been wanting to blog about.  But instead of my usual word vomit, today we'll play a round of Let's Make a Tangent! 

(By the way, developing tangential thinking is an ode to some of the activities we did when I was taking improv classes.  How's that for getting tangents off on the right foot!?!?)

First off...
Yours truly was thisclose to banditing the Soldier Field 10-Miler this past weekend.  I kept torturing myself by looking at all the postings on Craigslist for people that were selling their bibs for half of what they paid.  I really am trying to be smarter about the races I pick since they do add up in cost (even when illegally bandited at half price), but I really didn't do myself any favors with my wacky deliberations on this race.  I need to stop tempestuous habits like this.

Speaking of things I do out of habit...
I have been meaning to try out the heart rate monitor on my Garmin 305 for the longest time.  However, due to force of habit, I keep forgetting about it until I'm already out the door, and then don't feel like going back upstairs to get it!  I WILL try it sometime within the next week or so.  Never mind adding another potentially uncomfortable device to the already mountainous load of gear I lug with me/wear when I go running.  (Just for giggles, I compiled a list and the full range can include keys, sunglasses, MP3 player and headphones, phone, ID, cash, transit card, knee straps, Kleenex, lip balm, Garmin, Saltstick capsules, hair tie, GU, SPI belt, water bottle.  With a load like that, no wonder it's so challenging for me to build up any speed.)

Speaking of discomfort...
Do women really run while wearing those sports tank tops with the built-in bras?  I found some gift certificates last week that immediately burned a hole in my pocket.  Therefore, to alleviate the pocket burnage and any potentially painful side effects such as sleeplessness and incessant hiccuping, I was looking online at running clothing and saw hundreds upon hundreds of those tops.  Personally I am not comfortable wearing those built-in sports bras.  But it seems that those kinds of tank tops outnumber regular tank tops by a 4 to 1 ratio!

Speaking of gift certificates burning a hole in my pocket...
I love to cook but have always been somewhat intimidated by French cooking.  However, I was very culinarily inspired by visiting Paris for the first time, and Adam and I watched the movie Julie and Julia over the weekend (which, by the way, is a charming flick.  Meryl Streep does an incredible job portraying Julia Childs!)  My inspirations and aspirations have prompted a copy of Julia Child's cookbook, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, to ever-so-spontaneously arrive at my doorstep by tomorrow.

Chocolate Croissants: the first recipe I'll be looking for.
(Is there an equivalent to "Yee-haw!" au Francais?)

Speaking of tools to aid in making yummy food...
A few weeks ago my mom gave me a Buzzy herb-growing kit.  I don't have much of a green thumb, unfortunately.  I used to have a Chia Herb-Growing kit (yes, Chia as in Chia Pets and "Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia!").  Surprisingly, the Chia herbs were successful at first (but the tiny little baby herbs were so cute that at first I couldn't bring myself to eat them).  Then the herbs outgrew their starter pots, and when I tried to transplant them into bigger pots they didn't make it.  But I'm going to go ahead and give this new Buzzy herb-growing kit the old college try.  We'll see how it does compared to Ch-Ch-Ch-Chia.

Speaking of surprising early successes for which longevity is questionable...
My jetlag has continued to serve me well with waking up early to run/workout before going to work.  I've maintained these early morning workouts for a week now!  Believe it or not, I am actually enjoying getting my workout out of the way early so that I have the rest of the day free to focus on everything else.  Plus, it's nice when the early-morning streets are so quiet and free of traffic.  However, it is surprising how much activity there still is even at those hours of the morning.  E.g. dog walkers with their pups, construction workers in bulldozers, squirrels duking it out over the largest acorns.

Speaking of early-morning running and also of wacky deliberations (refer to Soldier Field 10-Miler banditing deliberations above, how's that for coming full circle!) 
I need to make my decision soon, VERY soon, regarding whether or not I'm going to join a CARA marathon training group or if I'm going to train alone.  I honestly still can't decide.  Getting into a groove with my early-morning workouts over the past week has helped push me towards CARA's training group, but I'm still not sure if I can reasonably commit myself to 18 consecutive weekends of doing it?

Stay tuned, more rounds of Let's Make A Tangent may be coming soon to a computer screen near you!