well well five days and couting ... www.pittsburghmarathon.com

I feel like I am ready and just want to run the damn thing at this point ... and I am still kinda in disbelief that I allowed myself to miss blue-white weekend but somehow 2 days of boozing just didnt seem like a good pre-race weekend agenda ... would have been the ultimate "wrong" decision as tully would put it

got a chance to return to my artistic roots over the weekend with the integral Easter tradition of egg dying. oh the joys, the pains, the multi-colored fingers. I could have spent hours upon hours alone at the table, perfecting every color of dye and creating a dozen perfect eggs. alas there is not enough time in a sat night. ocd? maybe a little. none the less it was fun to be a little kid again, and I clearly triumphed in the easter egg hunt that followed the egg dying (collecting 3 out of the 12 eggs) but failed to previal in the spoon egg race (due to an assortment of runners with longer strides than myself I am sure).

Now its a rainy tuesday (april rains and rains and then rains in dc) and I am patientally waiting for may, for sunshine, and for the marathon which I am both eagerly awaiting and quietly dreading. trying not to wish the days away as they seem to go too slow and then too fast as it is. the passing of time is the only true constant ...

A poem in celebration of spring….

The Breath of Spring by John McLeod

The breath of Spring
Lifting on wings that feel
The pulse of Life
Hope that will bring
A sense of ‘real’
After the shadowy, wintry days
Now gone….

The dawn’s first whispering
Of gentle birdsong ‘wakening
To splendid day,
The heart takes wing
And soars majestically
On freedom’s way….

What joy indeed!
The poet in me
Rejoices midst the gentle need
To happy be….
And counts his blessings!

rain rain rain ...

it would have been a perfect day to stay in bed with the window open and let the soft patter of drops splashing and sloshing about cohort me into and out of sleep in a relaxing repetitive manner. Or a great day to have a layover on a backpacking trip, staying curled up in your sleeping bag all morning while sipping coffee and looking out the unzipped tent door as the world comes alive in the spring time rain. So I will just sit here at my desk, being blinded by the harsh florescent light, and close my eyes to pretend I can feel the wet grass underfoot and hear the raindrops turning the mellow gurgle of a creek into a dull roar.

I would have even settled for a day at home, catching up on some reading and writing, maybe a few phone calls in between snoozes on the couch and cups of tea. dreams be dreams until we make them reality I suppose ...

Good run yesterday in the mist ... looks like its gonna be 3/4 tights for the mary though as they seem to have some sort of effect on the knee (prob psychological) but if it means I can go relatively pain free, im all for it. sore today though - a little muscle sore but more IT band sore. well have to see how soccer goes this weekend.

Hopefully one good day next week weather-wise will result in some road time - the bike is getting itchy sitting in the back of my car. kind of like i am getting itchy sitting at my desk.