Sweethearts!

I have been participating in a 5 km clinic through the Running Room since the New Year. Joining the clinic was just the boost I needed: since I’ve put out some money for this, I have to show up; being part of a group makes me feel more committed, ie, shamed if I don’t show up; and chatting with group members as we run makes the time and km’s fly by so easily!!

It’s also a lot of fun to be a part of a group of wackos that run in this wintry weather, including snow storms, icy roads, a full-out blizzard, and the occasional minus 25 degrees C, etc. We are obviously dedicated athletes ‘cause a fellow felt compelled to roll down his truck window as he passed us in the blizzard last week to yell out what I thought at first was “Sweethearts”. Turns out he yelled “Retards”. Our group leader, Paul, apparently has better hearing than I do when I'm running with snow in my teeth, the wind is blistering the skin off my face on the left going out, then on the right coming back (note to self: to prevent visual impairment of snow-plastered, hot-breath-fogged-up glasses next time, put same in pocket)… Oh well.

The fellow in the truck is probably a 2-pack a day smoker, drinks to excess, eats the typical North American Heart Attack-inducing diet, weighs 100 lb more than he should and watches 7 hours of TV each evening.

It’s easy for me to feel smug—tee hee hee. So “Sweethearts” it is!

43 things: run the annual 10K run in November in Addis Ababa in 2008