Twinkle
I’ve never claimed or even wanted to be a worthy poet. But you have to do something with the brain while you jog through a humid evening. Thus:
Seneca smells like meat
and I’m beggin’ the sky
to bleed
rain to cool the skin
and wash away
pollen.
I see grey clouds up above
and fireflies blinkin’ love;
Juj you cross my mind
and the memories are kind.
Has another storm come yet
to the house on Lafayette?
I blow a kiss your way
until Saint Patrick’s Day.
Filed under Seasonal
I’m all for accepting our given body types, and not promoting the idea that only one body shape is truly beautiful.
But I’m not going to lie. I’ve always wished I was a bit more curvy. The gentle roundness of the female hip line is just beautiful, and the perfect model for so many pretty dresses and form-fitting pants. I may not be as beanpole-shaped as I once was, but I don’t think I’ll ever blossom into a grown lady with full hips that counter my generous rib cage.
Let me be clear – I am completely alright with my body, and probably more comfortable in it now than I was 20, 10 or even five years ago. Still in the spirit of complete honesty, I confide to you my wish for voluptuousness.
Since I can’t change my bone structure without drastic measures, I’m trying to make the most of what I do have: a healthy, 33 year-old system of organs and tissues. Since I can’t make it curvy, I’ll instead make it well rounded.
I’m referring to my exercise routines. You may have heard that doing the same exercise over and over, without variation, will give you limited benefit. Seems reasonable. At the moment, I’m doing Zumba once a week, yoga once or twice a week and running once a week. The Zumba flows at the whim of the instructor, while yoga at home and running tend to stay pretty predictable, outside of my pushing for that 5K goal (which, ahem, I surpassed on Friday!).
This is part of why I’m so glad I got a punch card for dropping in to the yoga classes at the Market. Assuming I can get myself there by 9am on at least most Saturdays this summer, I’ll get some good variation in that workout as well.
If optimal cardiovascular health, reliable strength, flexibility and stress management are all accomplished, this is a well roundedness I can accept, even if I still covet wider hips.
Filed under Health
Sometimes good poems just occur, but rarely to me. Nothing astounding here, but it happened:
*
My eyes settle in to that
old, familiar blur.
Running without lenses,
willing my ankle to be sure.
Feeling naked in the sunlight,
shoulders and shins exposed.
Can we now be fairly certain
the winter season’s fully closed?
I see warm people on green grass; it seems
Winter was only supposed.
Filed under New Story
Last week, I went for a run.
I was just four days shy of two months out from an ankle sprain that I obtained on my last run. It’s gotten a lot colder since August 29.
Happily, I made it farther than I expected, and discovered I’d not lost all endurance. Of course, the fact that I was scanning the ground for devious sticks detracted a bit from the sheer joy of moving quickly through the air.
There was a moment of horror earlier in the day, when I felt a minor pain in a different part of my ankle. I’d already decided that it was time for my first post-injury run, and was gearing up to be pretty darn irritated if it didn’t work out. Fortunately, the pain went away, and no violence occurred.
I have to admit that, while I did visit a sports clinic, I have not been as diligent with my exercises as I should be. Part of the reason for that is that my 19 month old thinks the resistance band is hers, and tries to pull it off my foot during reps.
So, we are back to square one. Or maybe square one and some change. I ask once again, am I running yet?
Filed under Health
I am not a runner. I just happen to like moving forward quickly sometimes.
Scoff if you must. But I’ve heard others use the phrase “I’m not a vegetarian, I just don’t eat meat,” and it makes sense to me.
These terms – runner and vegetarian – invoke not just an action or choice, but a culture. I’ve gone for a few runs, but I do not see myself joining the larger running culture anytime soon.
Of course, I also used to say I could never live without steak. Huh.
Anyway, here’s the thing: I’ve tried running. Last night saw me go out into my childhood neighborhood for my third official run. I do not make route plans, I do not own a foam roller. I do try to run a couple of times a week. I have no goals, other than to maintain and prevent. I do intend to work toward longer, more consistent runs (meaning with fewer walk breaks).
Filed under Health
