So, in my quest to rediscover my life during my career hiatus, I decided – in some moment of infinite wisdom – that I needed to run a marathon. Ok, or a half-marathon. As a teacher and musician, I feel better working towards something — end of the semester, next concert, whatever. But today – the 2nd day of training – I fear that this may, in fact, kill me.

Not that I haven’t run in the past. As I mentioned, I’m a Hasher – and damn proud of it – and I have run some ball-busting-death-marches. 13 miles really isn’t all that far. One year that was almost the length of the trail on New Year’s Eve. Now, needless to say, I wanted to kill the Hare (the guy to set the trail) since I didn’t even get a warning that it was going to be so long. We set off at 7 p.m., and I finished just shy of midnight —-WITHOUT A BEER. But hey, I did finish, and that is all I am setting out to do on this first half-marathon.

Before kids, I was a religious walker — I had a 3.6 miles trail that I did five days a week. I even started running it sometimes. When my husband and I got married, we would sign up for a 5K each month just to keep ourselves active. In fact, the longest race I ever took part in [no, I will never say that I ‘competed’ — if I finish, I seriously consider that a win.] was the Calle Ocho 8K. I finished in 1 hour flat — and that was HUGE for a fat girl who always failed the mile run in high school (not that I’m bitter, or anything). Of course, the VERY NEXT DAY, I found out I was pregnant with our first child, and running took a back seat.

So, now I am back to “training,” and looking at my pathetic GPS stats and staring up a gynormous hill. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes. On the bright side, this morning I rediscovered some songs that I keep me motivated as I’m sucking wind. I thought I’d share some of them here.

“Lemons” by Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers (m favorite lyrics underlined)

I’m sailing the seas of red wine
I’m strummin’ this nonsense tune
Adding my voice to a rebel serenade
Echoing off a waxin’ moon

And I have crumpled our paper captain
Now who will lead this swarthy crew?
Tear the teeth off the gears, keep ’em as souvenirs boys!
The world needs a few good mutineers now

Sometimes I slumber on a bed of roses
Sometimes I crash in the weeds
One day a bowl full of cherries
One night I’m suckin’ on lemons and spittin’ out the seeds

I am the fat native, skinny-dippin, semi-professional tourist…
a gold watch at the bottom of the sea
Tis time I depose of those petty tyrants
One on the throne, One inside me

Bring on the change
Let’s keep it simple now
Don’t confuse your wants with your needs
Believe in Love, forsake your greed 
And give away what you want to receive
“what you say?!”
Give away what you want to receive

BBQ — Animal Liberation Orchestra (some favorite lyrics here)

The road is long and windy like a good mystery unfolding
It twists and turns in colorful subplots and sunburns and fake out endings
And sometimes my patience in the whole process starts bending

As I attempt to unravel the web by traversing and rehearsing and perversing along the doubt-laden extension chord thread of my life

And in this life we’re free to dream whatever we want to

But that doesn’t mean that your dreams are gonna come true

Instead as a way of getting us to move

Life dangles your dreams in front of you

And unable to resist the temptation, we continue
And it’s clear to me that this life is gonna be
All about the dangling possibilities that keep turning in and turning out
Yes it’s clear to me that this life is gonna be
All about the dangling possibilities

The road is long and windy
Full of twists and turns
But before you can rise from the ashes
You’ve got to burn baby burn

Welcome to your barbeque
Where we roast all the dreams
That never came true 
Welcome to your barbeque

Pig out and dream a new