While in the midst of excitement over my developing new skill, I made a joke on twitter about my prospects of “joggling” and received an immediate push of encouragement by joggling world record holder for fastest marathon while joggling. That’s all it took to push me over the edge and take this endeavor seriously. It just makes sense in a nonsensical sort of way. I’m never going to be a fast runner. I’ve been running for 6 years and I never had any real ambition to go faster than an 11-12 minute/mile, but now I can at least make my runs more interesting. Don’t get me wrong – I hate running, but I enjoy listening to talk radio, and that keeps me in the game. Also, if I don’t run or do something aerobic, I lose my will to live more frequently. Now I can add an element, something new, something exciting to my ridiculous routine, and I don’t even need to listen to the radio to break up the maddening monotony.
My husband still pokes fun at my joggling practice sessions. But, that’s okay. I know he supports me, and sometimes I catch him playing with my balls! This is no laughing matter. He can juggle better than I can because he learned when he was a teen. People generally don’t believe me when I tell them that I’m going to be 40 this year, and am now just learning to juggle. If you’re interested in knowing my secret, here it is: get a desk job away from windows. If you must venture outside in the daylight, slather on that sunblock and wear a hat with a big brim. The ridiculousness of the gear just adds to the ridiculousness of joggling in public.
Anyway, I was able to go joggling today. My current progress is such that I’m able to “joggle” with one ball continuously, dropping only 5-6 times within 2-3 miles. Pedestrians seem amused. Cars actually stop way ahead of me at stop signs and let me pass just to watch. I feel only a little ridiculous, but, I’m sure that’ll pass when I can gain more confidence with it. I can only perform 5 throws with 3 balls while standing still, so I have a long way to go before I can joggle with 3.
At home, I’ll stand or joggle in place on a special foam pad intended for people who spend time in physical therapy recovering from injury. It’s fun for people without injuries too and it’s not a bad way to watch TV.
This is a nondescript freehand painting of some random fish on the street.
While training for the Chicago marathon, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about running and running while thinking. The basiliscus lizard (depicted in this painting) is often referred to as the “Jesus Lizard” for its ability to run biped on the surface of water. I have not yet attempted to run on water, but, I’m sure my training will take me there, eventually.
It was a hot day yesterday in Philly as the temperature rose into the 70’s. I went for a trail run and found myself trapped between the river and some big rocks. Because I am from the “flat lands” of the Midwest, it all seemed so impassible. I turned around and headed back. Double tracking my steps is how I was able to run 8 miles yesterday.
8″ x 10″
