Update in which I decide not to run solo

Life in our neck-o-the-city continues to be rich and full.  It was midterm week for me, and also our last big training run before the half-marathon (two weeks away).  As I write this, I (a) have finished grading the midterm, and (b) am pleasantly sore from a long run, and having both of those big things in my back pocket instead of looming in front of me is pleasant, quite pleasant indeed.

I had a bit of a revelation about running at some point this week.  As I wrote to my Saturday-morning running crew, inviting them to our 12-mile training run:

Gulp . . . this seems like a really long way to run.  I am very glad I have people to run with*, especially as the weather forecast I'm looking at says there's a decent likelihood of snow showers!

. . .  

* I'm realizing that "people to run with" is a big deal for me.  This past Wednesday, I was finishing up my slow 2.5-mile run with June, and trying to psych myself up to head out for 6-ish more miles on my own, and I realized that (a) I really, really don't like running by myself like that, and (b) I don't actually have to.  So I went home instead, and felt blissful.  I think I'm just going to be more intentional about communal exercise (and about avoiding commitments for solo workouts) in the future!

To my surprise and delight, there were six of us who showed up to tackle a dozen miles together this morning -- no snow showers, but a lot of wind, and cold wind at that.  And yet, because we were together, the run together was truly joyful, even when the hills got hard or the wind was evil and ferocious.  It could be a metaphor for life, I suppose, but for me it's just an observation to file away in the mental tickler under "exercising gregariously".

What else?  

• I'm very much enjoying a series of blog-style posts by Sizzling (under the name of "The Sober Essayist") on a platform called "Medium".  If you're interested, you can read along here.  
• I'm delighted that Inkling has made it to the next round of Sock Madness.

• 

  A flat sock that somehow became a proper tube-y sock,
  for Round 1 of Sock Madness. 
  Inkling says, "It'll be a sock eventually "

  
  
• Nelson is having a great time at his job.  He's working the Fryer, and making Curly Fries (among other things).  He enjoys working with people who are mostly his own age.  At one point, he pulled a 12-hour shift, and he even liked that.  Go, Nelson!
• Inkling, Kinderling, Achild and I got to go to a fabulous performance of The Wiz, during which I realized that my grandchild has been deprived: she didn't know any of the story of Oz or its inhabitants.  Fortunately, her Nana could fill her in.  We both loved the tornado dance, and we grooved to the awesome characters who were so well played.

• My guy is back from San Diego, where he'd been all week.  He does have several trips in the upcoming week, but they're very much family related -- involving first me, and then Nelson.  So there will be fun updates in the future.  

And that's the news from our family, which carries nothing that might be a load; may you and yours just ease on down, ease on down the road.