The Mile

For as long as I can remember I have hated the mile run. Specifically I hated the mile run in gym class when I was younger, 6th and 7th grades to be exact. In 6th grade I made the jump to middle school where we had multiple teachers instead of one main teacher. Gym was no longer fun and games. We actually had to do stuff. Long gone were the days of scooter boards, may poles, hula hoops, the multi colored parachute where you bounced a ball around, Jump Rope for Life, etc. Enter the days of what most overweight kids would call Hell. Mile Days, obstacle course days, having to actually change into gym clothes (and of course I was never lucky enough to land 6th period gym...2nd period both years.) Mrs. Berkler was my 6th grade gym teacher and our mile day was on Tuesdays. I actually liked her, even though she made us record our weekly mile time in our standard issue Ramona Middle School planner. I think my best mile time was about 10:30 that year.

In 7th grade I continued the tradition with gym class during 2nd period, however mile day was moved to Wednesday. I think I cared even less about PE that year because I really didn't like my new PE teacher Mr. Smith. I don't think I ever ran a mile faster than the 10:30 I ran the year before, but I did manage to jump over the wall on the obstacle course, so I viewed that should count for something right?

Ramona Middle School had a 5 minute mile club and a 6 minute mile club.  At the time that wasn't even an aspiration of mine and I thought it was sort of ridiculous. Who would anyone want to run that fast? And then if you did run that fast you got a mile club t-shirt that you could wear instead of the mandatory grey t-shirt with a green box for your name. Not a prize I view as worthy of the effort.

I never made any sort of mile club at Ramona Middle School. And honestly I never thought I would, ever. I hated running and when you are 11 and hate something as much as I hated running, the 5 and 6 minute mile club seemed kind of ridiculous. And honestly, they still kind of do. I think if proper running techniques had been taught instead of "DO THIS" or else you fail mentality, more kids may have enjoyed PE. It took me 17 years to run a timed mile under 7 minutes.

This past Tuesday I ran a timed mile in 6:59. Barely making the 6 minute mile club. I accomplished something I never though I would ever do. Recently it has seemed more attainable, but it has always been just out of reach. Now that I have done it once, I know that the real club isn't the 5 or 6 mile club, but it is the Club of Runners. I have never seen so much support and congratulations as I did last Tuesday from runners and non-runners alike. I was pretty shocked. For all you runners our there, keep doing your thing. Set goals for yourself and as hard as it is not to, compare yourself to no one. We are all running different races.



And in case you have never seen Freaks and Geeks, it is by far one of my favorite TV shows. This gym class scene is a favorite of mine. (My 6th and 7th grade gym uniform looked a lot like the one in the video, except we didn't have ringer tee's.)

Back in the Saddle

This week wasn't extra special compared to any other weeks, but I finally started to get back into some sort of routine. And I was thankful for the little things.

• I made it to yoga class on Tuesday night. I think the last yoga class I went to was on Valentine's day. It's been that long. And while I was almost afraid to go back it had been so long, once I got there I felt completely at ease. My flow yoga class was just what I needed. Fast paced and we rocked out to some 80's tunes. I was just thankful that after realizing my yoga pants were on inside out, there was really no way anyone could tell.
• I was at the gym on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday by 5 AM. It felt good to be back. And all the regulars were still there. I missed Thursday morning, but I made it after work on Thursday.
• I am thankful for my ipad. I have had it for almost a year and I haven't used it too much. But I downloaded the Kindle ap and it's been love. 
• Have you read The Hunger Games Trilogy? I just finished the first book and am reading the second right now. They are a quick read. I used to read all the time. I'm glad I'm getting back into it (even if it is teen lit...). Any book suggestions?
• Fleet Foxes. I am in love. Not as much as I am in love with Bon Iver though. They played at the Ryman last night. And they brought their Indie rocker A-game. I would rank this show right up there with the Arcade Fire show from last year. And it proves that once again I need to work on my indie rocker spotting abilities. Between the opening band, the Cave Singers, and the Fleet Foxes, the stage was getting ready for FF. A guy was on stage tuning some guitars. People were snapping pictures. I just assumed they were eager fans excited about the show. Nope. It was Robin Pecknold tuning his own guitars. My only complaint about the show was that he constantly tuned his guitars between songs and it was somewhat of a distraction. I loved the four part harmonies. Truly amazing. I did not love the guy behind me who was trying to make it a 5 part harmony. I didn't realize until looking back at the few pictures I snapped how simple their stage set was. Good music doesn't need flashy lights and set designs. See them if they are coming to your city. Seriously, I love the Ryman and Fleet Foxes.                                                                         
• You might get tired of me mentioning it for the next 2.5 months, but I am so excited about the Bon Iver show at the Ryman in July. 
• I am thankful that this cicada infestation hitting Nashville right now only comes around every 13 years. I am really glad we can all at least laugh about it and that we have a cicada who tweets!

Have a great week!

Famous People

Famous people. Nashville and the surrounding suburbs are swimming with them. I love this city so much and it makes sense why so many entertainers and really cool people end up living here. Over the past few months I have had a few celeb sightings.

• On Sunday I was running in Percy Warner Park. For those of you, in the Nashville area I was on the 5.8 going the backwards direction. About 2.5 miles in I see a small SUV pulled off to the side of the road. I think to myself "why do cars feel the need to pull off on this one way road?".  I can only see the suv because it is sort of parked on a corner.  As I run closer, I see two people, a personal trainer and a client. They are using TRX bands I have used before at the gym. I am about 5 yards away and I realize who the client is. Nicole Kidman. This Nicole Kidman spotting was almost as cool as that one time I saw her head peaking out over the bathroom stall when I went to the bathroom before I left work one day a few years ago.
• Last Monday I guess Patrick Carney of the Black Keys was standing in the pew directly behind me at Interpol. I guess he left shortly after that guy was kicked out. A friend had to point this one out to me. Indie rockers are harder to spot in this town. I am surprised/embarassed that it is easier for me to pick out country artists...
• I saw Martina McBride at my local Kroger. The rough Kroger. The Kroger that doesn't have the best variety of products. Stars, grocery shop, just like us!
• I went to Pei Wei a few months ago with my co-workers. A co-worker said she recognized someone sitting at a table, but couldn't place him. I looked at him, "oh you mean Scott Hamilton, the figure skater?".  She looked to confirm. She still wasn't sure. "Wait till he gets up" I say, "his height will let us know." CONFIRMED.
• I saw Robert Plant one night too. You know from LED ZEPLIN. I missed him the night he was at Three Crow, but that's ok because I'd already spotted him.  And spot I did, he drives what I would considered a granny mobile and it was about to get towed. Stars, they can't park illegally and get away with it, just like us.

I know I've had more, but these are the most recent and some of my favorite. I love that in Nashville, stars can really be just like us.

I need to work on my indie spotting abilities, because Bon Iver is coming to the Ryman on July 27 and I need to be able to spot my future husband.

Don't Be That Guy

So I went and saw Interpol at The Ryman last night. Interpol is one of those bands that I feel like I should know more of their music than I actually do (I only knew one song and that's only because of Rock Band...). Before the show even started I stereotyped the male Interpol fan. My broad generalization went something like this: twenty-something to forty-something single guy, with glass, most likely a beard, who plays lots of x-box at odd hours of the night, (may live in their mom's basement), and wears t-shirts that are sort of funny, but you yourself would never wear one.  I had just discussed this description and I see a guy wearing this shirt:



We immediately have a good laugh and are on the lookout for other funny shirts (there were many), but the "that guy" t-shirt was by far the best.

As the show went on it became clear to my group of friends that we were sitting behind "that guy" and he didn't need a shirt to tell us. His drunken ways, constant picture taking, and the bromance with his friend during most of the show were more enough signs to clue us in. However, just to make sure we knew he was "that guy" he lit a cigarette. He lit a cigarette in the Ryman. At first I let it slide, but then it started to bug me. The smoke was coming into the row I was sitting in and it's the Ryman. You just don't do that. I could tell a lady across the aisle told him not to do it, so I didn't say anything. However, when he went to light up the second time I tapped him on the shoulder and shake my finger at him. I am pretty sure the only reason I had the guts to do this was because he was drunk. It kept him from lighting up, for the time being.

He then jumped into the empty row in front of him to light up. Wrong move "that guy". I am now "that girl" and I go to inform the usher about the smoking. (For anyone who has been to a show at the Ryman, you are probably well aware that it's probably a requirement that you are 60+ years old to usher a show...) I am not really sure what will happen to "that guy" but I decided I wasn't going to go back to my seat just yet to find out, so I go to the bathroom.

On my way back to my seat I see "that guy" is now in the area between the actual theater and the lobby with 2 security guards. Before I get back to the seat I also see the security guard storm past me with a lit cigarette.

I guess the usher yanked "that guy" out of his seat and had him by both shoulders, it happened so fast both he and his friend didn't know what happened.

I guess if you get kicked out of the Ryman you are banned from purchasing tickets there as well.

I love a good time, especially at a concert, just as much as the next person, but please don't be that guy and light up in a National Historic Landmark, especially my beloved Ryman.