I've been asked to do a lot of things as far as weddings are concerned. I have been an usher, groomsman, best man, performer in the band(well, I wasn't asked to do so, but they liked it anyway), caterer and so on. But it wasn't until this past week that I received one of the greatest, and most nerve wracking, honors that has ever been bestowed upon me, performing the ceremony.
When Jessica and Damon first asked me to do their ceremony, I accepted without hesitation. It sounded like fun. I mean, I knew them as single people and had been there throughout their (unorthodox) courtship and through virtually every up and down that they had had. We all work together and so at times I see them together 30 hours a week so when I say I have been through it all with them, I mean it.
Performing a ceremony for two people that you care about and know so well should be easy, right? I mean, there are endless stories and tales I could tell of them and so many things to talk about that could tell the story of their love and journey together. I was incredibly wrong.
It was tough, probably because of the amount of stuff I had on both of them. It was hard to narrow it down to just what was necessary, and that was to put their love on display and encourage them to continue to be there for one another as husband and wife.
It's harder than you would ever think to give two people you love the most memorable day of their lives together. I poured over countless websites and through the annals of my mind for the right story and anecdote to say. There is just so much pressure.
Long story short, I'm not here to pat myself too hard on the back. The wedding was gorgeous and they were pleased with the ceremony I provided them which has made me so happy. I'm glad to have not let them down. Thank you Jess and Damon for allowing me to play such a part in your special day.
So, As I logged in today, it told me my last post was February 15. Yikes! Where do I start after six months?!?! What do you all want to know?
Have I continued to run? Have I solved cold fusion? Did i pen the end of Breaking Bad? Answers! You all need answers and I shall do my darndest to provide them.
Let's start with the answer to the first and only real question listed above. Yes, I am still running... a little. Then again, that's what we are here to discuss today so I will delve into that here in just a second after I et everyone caught up.
So, you ask(maybe not, who knows), what in the world have I been up to that has caused a six month absence? In short, not much. Have run a 10K, Cap City in late March, also ran a half marathon in Dallas in mid-April.
Went to Boston with my dad and uncle to watch the Rangers play the Red Sox, and win convincingly, on back to back nights in Fenway. Also saw Harvard, ate at Mr. Bartley's Burgers in the Harvard Square(highly recommended), saw a ton of smaht kids both there and at MIT. Ate pizza in the North End at Pizzeria Regina and had the best cannoli on the planet(Mike's Pastry) and had some terrific seafood.
I also got to go to New York City for my 30th birthday thanks to the most wonderful, supportive and grounded in her faith person I may have ever met. We experienced a lot. I wandered through Brooklyn a week after the passing of Adam Yauch, better known as MCA for the Beastie Boys, and listened to Paul's Boutique on repeat. Had a slice of Brooklyn style pizza. Went by the new Nets stadium and saw where the Huxtables lived on my way to Ebbets Field. It's no longer there, but to know that the history of baseball and American sports was altered on that strip of land where a school and park now stand was truly awe-inspiring. Also took the most excruciating, and fun, indoor cycling class at Soul Cycle on the upper west side.
I also took in my first show on Broadway and, since it was my birthday, I got to pick the show. Luckily for me, Katie(my aforementioned friend) is a bigger show nerd than me so she didn't put up a fight to my selection of Newsies! It was amazing to say the least. Great song, better dance and just a ton of fun all piled into a theater about a fifth of the size of GP High's. We also had our frozen hot chocolate at Serendipity, rubbed elbows with some celebs at the premier of "What To Expect When You're Expecting" and had potentially the best cupcake on the planet from Magnolia Cafe down on Bleecker Street. All in all, it was a pretty whirlwind few months for me to kick off summer.
Don't worry, in the tradition of this blog, I will link as much of this info for everyone in case you want to learn more about what I've gotten to experience.
After that, life has been a little boring, but I'm not complaining.
Summer has provided a few downs as well. In our family, we lost Aunt Pat. She was my great aunt and was truly a wonderfully giving, caring and carefree person. Luckily we have some time before the next holiday to figure out how we are gonna deal with it.
For the most part, though, summer and late spring have been a time for rejoicing. Multiple babies have been added to my social circle, and at risk of leaving someone off, I will not mention names. You all know who you are and I'm so proud of all of you and I look forward to watching your little ones grow with you.
Whew, I know I have probably left some stuff off, but we are here to learn about life and running, right?
Let's get to it. Last month I celebrated my second full year of sobriety with some delicious cookies and frozen yogurt and I remember last year at this time I was nearing the homestretch on my training for my marathon. I'm not quite in the same place right now but have been dealing with getting my body back into the physical shape it needs to be in in order to run again. I am seeing a chiropractor a few times weekly attempting to get my hips back level with one another so that it may ease the pain in my hips, knees and feet as I run. Have been working with Dr. Brent since March and love it, outside of the drive(it's a little far south).
I also immersed myself over the past few weeks in the Olympics and have determined that I would rather earn a $450 Nike jacket as opposed to paying for it so Olympics here I come. Just gotta shave 30 minutes off of my 10K and I'll be all over Rio.
That journey started today after almost four full months away from the trails and paths and roads of Austin. I am currently following a plan set forth in this past month's Runner's World magazine. Today that caused me to run for 15 total minutes, in alternating 15-30:30 run:walk intervals. It was much harder cardio wise than I thought it would be, but at the same time, it was very easy on my legs which was great. Tomorrow I just have to walk for 30-60 minutes and then more intervals Wednesday and so on and so forth.
I promise to keep with all of it, the running and the writing as long as you all keep reading. Thanks for hanging with me out there. I appreciate every ounce of support I have gotten from the bottom of my heart and won't ever forget it.
Sorry again for being gone for so long and sorry about the jumbled nature of this report. I forgot it had been so long.
And, as promised, LINKS:
Best burger in Boston: http://www.mrbartley.com
Best Pizza in the North End: http://www.pizzeriaregina.com
Great cannolis: http://www.mikespastry.com
If you're looking for a great workout in NYC(or West Hollywood):http://www.soul-cycle.com/
Cupcake Heaven: http://www.magnoliabakery.com/home.php
One of my favorite Beastie Boys songs:
And last, but not least, Newsies:
I will be back later this week to put in perspective what I saw at the Olympics and why I love them so much.
Well, it's been some time since I've sat here and done this and so please allow me to apologize to those of you who have missed reading my musings and inane thoughts in this space. I will try not to let it happen again and will thank you for your patience with this process for me.
So, let's get into it, shall we?
Where to start? Where to start?
Since this is a blog concerning my trials and tribulations and experiences with the act and art of running, I will start there. SO, after running my race on September 17 I found myself in a precarious position of physically being unable to run which was very difficult for me as you may well imagine. The process leading up to the actual race was such a rewarding one that it was hard not being able to continue the pattern and spend time outside pavement pounding. I was informed by a physical therapist that I "blew out" all of the muscles in both of my legs. Nothing was torn or broke, just severely overworked to the point of frying them so I was unable to support the pounding my legs would take during a long run. The really crappy news about it was that it wasn't an injury that I could actively rehab and that time was my only cure. So, time is what I gave it. I decided that I would get back out on January 1, at 9am. I did 3 miles in just over 30 minutes and didn't feel too poorly afterwards. I have since done that same loop 4 or 5 more times with eerily similar results every time. Am I completely back? Not just yet but I can see that on the horizon.
I have also started mixing in some cross training with spin classes at the gym and have tried to start lifting a few more weights to try for some complete body fitness. My last point on the running aspect of this whole kit-n-kaboodle is that I have signed up for a half marathon to be run mid April in Dallas. The Big D half. I am honored that I will be joined by two of my closest friends and expectant fathers, Travis Brown and Patrick Iglinsky, and happily invite anyone else who feels the urge to join us for a light 2 hour romp through the city of Dallas. It's gonna be a blast!
Recovery. Recovery. Recovery.
These words are all the same, I know, but they all mean different things to different people. I deal with recovery a lot in my life and not just from a physical standpoint. I actually deal with recovery on a daily basis, as so many people worldwide do, and without it I would not be where I am today. Recovery has saved my life.
If you're a tad confused at this point, that's fine. It was partially intended. I am about to explain anyway so hang in there.
Over the past few weeks I have had the mortality and seriousness of my recovery from alcohol abuse thrust in my face by having to watch a few of my favorite all time celebrities suffer setbacks in their personal walks through recovery. I have noticed in that time frame how little many people know about the everyday struggle that it is to remain clean and sober if you are an addict. I have listened to people scoff at hearing that Josh Hamilton had a setback in his recovery whereas I hear about it and it breaks my heart. it doesn't break my heart because I look up to him, it breaks my heart because I know what it's like to have that demon ride around in my car with me daily. It breaks my heart because I know how much stock and how seriously he takes his recovery and how much it hurt him to relapse like he did. This disease isn't one that's fun to have because the thing that makes you the sickest is also the thing that makes you feel so damn good.
Really think about that for a second....
Did you do so? Think about the things in your life that make you happy. Now imagine if you were allergic to these things. Don't get me wrong, illegal drugs and things of the like are no match for the happiness that your newborn's laugh gives you or that feeling you get after a nice long run, but they provide a level of happiness for the addict that is not found elsewhere.
These are the struggles of the addict. I see person A having a drink and their life isn't destroyed, I should be able to do that, right? Wrong. This is where the process of recovery is so hard. Beginning to think that I can deal with things the way I used to or the way I watch some of my friends do it is insane. Josh took a step backwards and it cost him a public black eye and nothing more, thankfully.
Josh admits it himself that he doesn't know in his brain where his switch is that makes him switch from beer and liquor to harder substances, and apparently neither did Whitney Houston. Her well documented struggles with drugs and alcohol apparently cost her her life over the weekend and and it's just sad. It's sad that she probably had friends, same as you and I, that don't/didn't understand how dangerous her problem was when they offered her a celebratory cocktail or a painkiller to help her sleep or whatever may have happened.
I am going to get off my soapbox now, but let me leave you with this; if you ever want to know exactly how an admitted alcoholic or addict in recovery deals with things or how they want to deal with things, just ask them what it's like. We all like to talk. It's not like AA or NA meetings are silent rooms. We all love telling our stories just so that other people that don't know what it's like can have a little insight.
I have been asked a few times in the last few weeks whether or not I would have served Josh drinks at the bar. I personally, wouldn't have because I know what he's going through. I don't fault those that did, though, because how can they know what his demons are if they don't face them daily.
Other than that, life is going wonderfully. I wish we were having a better winter, I love the cold weather. I no longer wear an ankle monitor for alcohol consumption but am still in court regarding my legal issues and will update you all when I have the time. I have met a wonderful muse who allows me to be me and more importantly supports my every decision with full conviction.
I will leave you all with this, if you or anyone you know ever needs to talk to someone with a supportive and open mind, please don't hesitate to call on me. Life is scary sometimes, but it's less scary the more people you have on your side, I can assure you that. I appreciate all of you for being on mine and would gladly join some of yours if you would have me.
A few songs to get us through the day:
And in remembrance:
Have a wonderful day everyone, and tell someone how they make you feel today, you could change their life.
