Thursday, January 17, 2013

A new running low

It's happened. I've reached a new running low.

This doesn't appear to be my fault. I'm housesitting out around Hatcher Pass and earlier this weekend, the chinook winds brought about a winter thaw, followed by colder temps that brought about ice.

It's so icy that this morning the dog fell in the middle of the driveway, which is more like an ice rink, and couldn't get up.

Rocky is 15 years-old and weighs about 120 pounds. His hips are weak and no matter how he struggled, he couldn't muster the oomph to pull himself up. I threw on my running spikes and tried to help. I fell. I fell again. He struggled and I fell and it was like a bad comedy routine.

Finally I grabbed Rocky's collar and pulled like hell. I fell down again but managed to get the poor dog over to the side of the driveway.

Here's how he looked when he got back to the house.



And here's what he did the rest of the day:






There was no way I could possibly run outside. I couldn't even get my car out of the driveway to drive to the nearest gym (about 12 miles away). So I did the most depressing thing possible. I ran inside, in place, in the living room.

I ran while watching "Toddlers and Tiaras" on cable. When that finished, I watched a bad movie called "The Shunning" about an Amish woman shunned by the community.



Anyone else think it's sick to dress a young girl in a swimsuit and make up her face to look like a 30-year-old woman?

I ran for 90 friggin' minutes and never moved from the living room carpet.

It was the most depressing run (was it even a run??) of my life. Yet I had to move. I had to exercise and work up a sweat because I was going crazy stuck inside the house for days, unable to go anywhere. (I think they call this cabin fever, and I suppose it's better to run in place while watching trashy TV shows than drinking whiskey and shooting up the house.)

But the good news is that my book received a great review from Library Journal Review. Here's the summary: "First-time novelist Ritchie writes engaging characters and creates a sense of place that brings Alaska to life. For the reader of women’s fiction who can handle a bit of the risqué.”

Ahhhhhh--I wrote a risque book, hee, hee.

Happy running, everyone. Hope it's not too slippery wherever you happen to be.
 
 


8 comments:

  1. OMG. You are tough. However, I think I might have done the same. Without tv, though, and on a wood floor, I doubt I could last more than 30 minutes.

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  2. 90 min of running in place?! What mental power you have, oh my. I would have opted for some sort of cross training like burpees to get my heart rate up.

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    1. I feel really dumb asking, but what are burpees? I'll have to Google. I am totally out of it, sigh, sigh.

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  3. Wonderful on the awesome book review! Awesome! And my heart breaks for your dog. He must have felt so helpless and scared. That sounds incredibly icy! And I cannot imagine running in place. The closest I have come is around the house and that was awful. And that show looks sick.

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    1. Running around the house--that's too funny! I can sympathize, though. Back in Anchorage now. Better running but more traffic and clutter.

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  4. What's the title of your book? Is it out?

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    1. Hi, Christa! Book comes out Feb. 5. "Dolls Behaving Badly." I didn't pick the title, the publisher did, sigh, sigh.
      How are you feeling? Hope you're doing well. Will visit your site this weekend to say hello.

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  5. Will totally be checking out that risqué book :) Congrats on a great review!
    Poor dog...he looks exhausted and must have, indeed, been so scared.
    I had never thought of that...running on the spot :) mental strength for sure. Glad you're back home and can get back outside!

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