the fabulous life

I finished the See Jane Run Half Marathon in Alameda, CA this morning, and I am freakin’ proud of myself, if I do say so myself. I’ve completed one other halfsie, last year’s San Francisco half marathon. In that race, I completed it in 2:06:19 – or about a 9:36/mile pace. This time, I crossed that blessed red mat in 1:52:05 – which means I ran at 8:33/mile – definitely a PR for me! I can’t believe I was able to shave off close to 15 minutes off my overall time and a minute off my pace. I guess all that track work has been paying off. There’s no way I will be that fast in the Chicago Marathon in October, but this definitely gives me some motivation to get out there and run … well, let’s not talk about how far I have to run before Chicago.

Off to rest my tired hip flexors…

xoxo, Heather

I am wearing a cocktail dress at work today. Why, you ask? Because my entire team (I’m the Editorial Director at SeenON.com) is going to see Sex and the City: The Movie this afternoon! Yes, we’re all saying Sayonara at 1 pm to head over to SF’s fabulous Kabuki Theatre to enjoy the film in luxurious splendor. There’s even a bar. (Too bad I have that dang Half Marathon tomorrow! Carbs only for me!) We worked so hard identifying all the shoes, bags, and various other accessories they wore in the movie, that it’s only appropriate that we see it on opening day. Be sure and check out the section at SeenON! Will update post run with what I am positive will be a scorching time, for all you oh-so-loyal readers.

xoxo, Heather

If I ran as much as I do now before, say, even a year ago, I would be very impressed with myself. I easily hit 30 miles a week right now. But that is before I had a subscription to Runner’s World. Lately, I’ve felt like no distance I do is good enough (well, except Bay to Breakers – which I ran appropriately in a tiara and a “Tranny Hot Mess” shirt.)

I am running a half-marathon in Alameda this weekend (See Jane Run Half Marathon), and I’m not looking forward to it, and not just because it is located in the god-forsaken place that is Alameda. (Can you think of a flatter, more boring course in the Bay Area?) But I digress.

I think I’m feeling so slackerish mostly because my standards have gotten so much higher about the amount of running I do or should be doing, my pace, my stamina … everything. And I also know that immediately after this half-marathon, I have to pick up the training pace and start in on a plan for the Chicago Marathon in October.

But this week, I am taking full advantage of my “taper week.” And yeah, I woke up when my alarm went off at 5:30 am (so I could, ahem, go running), and I ran all the way to the couch so I could watch Hell’s Kitchen with my protein shake.

Perhaps, in the meantime, I’ll watch this clip of “Spirit of the Marathon” to pump myself up. It’s made me tear up every time so far, and it’s only 6 minutes long.

xoxo, Heather

OK, I was watching American Idol last night along with the rest of the world (and actually, this morning, since my DVR cut off the entire part after Ryan said “And the winner is …”), and I just couldn’t stop fixating on Paula Abdul’s weird, weird clapping style. I’ve noticed it before, but this is the first time I was wondering if she needed help. A cortisone shot? Perhaps she actually has no hands at all, and her appendages are actually those fake hands that animal control people use to make sure the nasty ones don’t bite their fingers off.

Anyway, I was sure the all-knowing Internet could help me. After all, I am slow on the uptake, so I was positive many, many astute people had asked this question before me. After surfing through some not-too-helpful Yahoo! Answers (example: She claps like that because she is actually a seal dressed up in a Paula Abdul suit”), I came across this long-ago clip of Paula explaining to a very-dark-haired Ryan Seacrest exactly why she claps like a survivor of Everest 1996.

There you have it folks. Mystery solved. (And in case you haven’t noticed, the purpose of this blog is primarily to practice different media insertions into WordPress so I can use it at work.

xoxo, Heather

On a narcissistic kick, I went on iTunes this weekend and searched for songs about “Heather” – people, not plants. I’ve found there’s lots of songs about rolling in the heather, skipping through the heather, frolicking in the heather, getting buck naked in the heather, etc., but I don’t think I have ever heard a song about a person named Heather.

Until now.

Surprisingly, there are quite a number of songs about people named Heather. The Carpenters have an all instrumental song, but really, who needs that? (I always think instrumental songs that I like must have been written for me, anyway … heh). Lenny Cohen did a whole album called “Dear Heather.” But there was a dearth of new songs.

So, for all of you Heathers out there, here’s a playlist designed with you in mind.

PLEASE NOTE: Almost all of these songs, lamely, have something about the following in them: Weather, Leather, Pleather, Together, Whether, Tether, Feathers. Sigh.

The All-Heather Playlist:
1. Heather by Move.meant – This song was actually on the soundtrack to the “Final Fight: Streetwise” video game album. The Heather in this song? A teen mom who is pretty downtrodden, probably a prostitute. Off to a good start.

2. Heather by Grayson Hill – This is a fairly whiny song, but calls Heather an “Angel.” The Heather here is an old flame that has left poor Grayson … “Heather wherever you are, no matter the weather, I will meet you …” Sniff.

3. Heather by Dayna Manning – Heather in this song is “the prettiest girl in town” but apparently, not the smartest when it comes to men. And after all, “boys are scared of what they don’t know.” A little lame, but needed a female in the mix.

4. Heather by Heavens – This Heather doesn’t answer the phone (she, surprisingly, left it at home, and it might say, shocker, “Caller Unknown”) and paints lovely pictures of children writhing in death and decay. Why won’t you answer, Heather? Why?

5. Hey Heather by Farewell – The Heather in this song has left this poor boy, and he seems to be in a tizzy about. He’s “lost in her letters” and “together, they can find something better.” Hope is alive for love people!

6. Heather Heather by The Magnetic Fields – This has to be my fave so far of all the Heather-centric songs. I mean, it has leather references! It sounds like an acid trip! “Heather Heather, we belong together, like sex & violence, like death and silence…. Heather Heather, we’re birds of a feather …” What’s not to love? Actually, this song was part of the Pieces of April soundtrack. I forgot about it … until now!

That’s it folks. Run, don’t walk, to iTunes to grab this fabulous Heather playlist before it’s … well, it will still be there. You don’t have to kill yourself.

xoxo, Heather