“there she blows! there! there! there! she blows! she blows!”

ha-ha! borrowed that very appropriate title from the book, moby dick, written in 1851. captain ahab yelled out that famous line and if he were here today, he'd be yelling the same thing if he saw me coming. this cold has really manifested itself today...i can't stop blowing my nose. thank goodness for puffs tissues with aloe. i find it to be worse when i'm inside the house or inside a building, like at work, where the air is stagnant. i say that because when i did my long run yesterday, i felt perfectly fine; it's the after that got me. then this morning it did an easy run and then abs and felt fine but once i got to work, inside a stuffy building for 8 hours and i felt like total crap.

since we are on the subject of snot, i thought i'd mention proper etiquette on how to perform a proper snot rocket maneuver since i've been a recipient many times with these ill aimed missiles of nastiness, on runs and rides.  here is a simple illustration on how to do it right:

see? it's not that hard to learn. 4 simple steps and you got it.  yesterday while i was running, i was all alone with nobody around so i had lots of time to practice this proper technique. too bad i can't do this at work, LOL! this topic reminded me yesterday about an ad campaign that adidas had back in the mid to late 90's. the theme was based on runners...yeah, we're different. it was a series of one page ads with a picture of a runner or runners doing something that only another runner could appreciate, however, within the picture, there is a non-runner type looking on in either disgust or just puzzled at what they have just witnessed. here are a few of my fave's, starting with the best one - the snot rocket and can you tell that picture was taken at the boston marathon?!

can't have chafed nipples! band-aids to the rescue.

this is absolutely beautiful. mom running with baby in stroller and another on the way.

this lady doesn't know it, but she has the best doctor money can buy, a doctor who runs! wish i could say the same about my doctor.

those tourists think this guy is absolutely nuts for running up those crazy san fran hills. why run when you can take the trolley? since i've ridden a trolley, i can say that i'd gladly run instead. those trolley cars scare me...what if the brakes fail? at least i know my brakes (my hamstrings) work just fine and have never let me down.

well, since we're on the subject of running, i've been meaning to write about the many different people i come into contact with on a regular basis when i run. i don't know any of them by their real names but be sure, they all have earned a name of some kind. on my early morning runs in the hood, i see 'knee brace guy and dog' and we always wave to each other. this has been going on for at least 5 years and i still don't know his name and we've never had a conversation. i can tell you that he doesn't go anywhere without his german shepherd either. everytime i see him in his cute c-class mercedes, he has the dog in the car with him. then there's the 'two older ladies that walk together' every morning. i haven't really named them but i love their consistency. one always wears a running cap, she looks really sporty, and in great shape. i'd guess she's about 60. her friend doesn't look as sporty or fit but they never miss a day and they always wave or say good morning. then there's the 'guy riding his bike' who always wants to know how many miles i'm running that day. last time i saw him was yesterday and he told me to go home and eat a belgian waffle. not sure what he was trying to tell me?? he may need to lay off the belgian waffles in my opinion but i would never yell that out to him. then there's 'lady with the cool hair' who always has scrubs on and walks her italian greyhound. we always wave and say good morning. i'm dying to know what she does. i'm so nosy. is she a doctor? a surgeon? inquiring minds want to know. then there's the two mean girls. one who walks with her cute beagle and the other with her boston terrier. i say they're mean because everytime i say hi or wave, i get nothing in return, so i just quite being cordial and i pretend they aren't there. worst part is, they both live in my neighborhood so i see them all the time even when i'm not running. why are people so grouchy like that? even if you aren't a "morning person" how hard is it to say hi, or just wave? seriously. so that's my list of characters for now.

i'm laying low the rest of the evening so that i can wake up refreshed and ready to get my run, swim, bike ON...before i have to go sit in a stuffy building and blow my nose for 8 hours.

much love and peace out!