arc of time

if you read my last post on this very topic you will know that the running has been to say the least, difficult here in aruba. the first run i did around 9 am, a four miler, that was absolutely insanely difficult. the next was an attempted six miler, that became a four-and-a-half miler after i realized i was dehydrating too fast for the fluids i had brought with me. i did thursday’s four miler on the treadmill here in the gym.

so i was stuck with a bit of a conundrum here for saturday’s long run, which was supposed to be an eight miler. i really wanted to get it done today, but just wasn’t sure about trying another outside run here. i couldn’t stomach doing eight on the treadmill, and time would definitely be tight tomorrow, if i wanted to try it then.

so i set the alarm for 06:00 this morning and figured i would just see. at that point it was still dark, and even though i knew the lack of sun would be a major contributor to a successful run, i was a bit scared about running these roads in the dark – the no shoulders or sidewalks, fast driving and lack of local knowledge all being factors – so i went back to bed, resigned to running sunday when i got home.

then i got up 15 minutes later and saw the sun had risen, and figured, in my usual way, what the heck.

so i suited up and went for it. the first three miles or so were brilliant. not hot at all, wind at my back, i made it to the top of the hill at the north point of aruba where the california lighthouse sits and was awarded with a water break with an amazing vista of the whole north end of the island, shared only with some grazing goats.

the next three were tougher, wind in my face quite a bit, starting to tire, but nothing compared to wednesday’s run. the final mile and half was definitely the most annoying part of the run as the sun had started to really make his presence known and the island’s wind was now dead on in my face.

but i persevered, made it through and can check that run right off of my training schedule.

by the way, you know the drill, donate here if you want to drop a donation.

kthxbai.

my uncle clay is wacky. there is just no way around that. and full of a million ideas for basically being obnoxious to the rest of humanity. as someone who strives often to be obnoxious to the rest of humanity i often look at my uncle clay the way a young judo acolyte might look at a grizzled old sensei.

case in point – the infamous starbucks cup. we are here in aruba for the annual hervey/willis pilgrimage and my uncle was quite upset the other day when he thought the maid might have discarded his starbucks cup. i couldn’t quite figure out that the deal was so i asked my cousin, sallie, and she told me to just watch.

important fact to note here – there is no starbucks in aruba.

and this fact, apparently, my uncle found a way to exploit. i sat there with him on a pool chair and watched quite a few people come up to him and ask him, “oooooh, where’s the starbucks?” to which my uncle craftily replied, “the 14th floor of the westin hotel.”

the man, ladies and gentlemen, is brilliant. now you may think this is silly but i find it to be spectacular.

apparently last year he was telling people it was on the top of the lighthouse.

so anyway, if you happen to be in aruba and see a guy with a starbucks cup, don’t believe a word he says.

i’m here in aruba, in the dutch caribbean, for a family vacation – tough life, i know (you can take a look at all of our pictures over on flickr where i have a photo album set up).

i have been trying to keep up with my training too while i am down here. there is probably no place that it is harder to do this then down here at the beach. everything is built here to keep you from wanting to do anything strenuous. but i persevere anyway. i did my first two runs outside along the caribbean coast. what a beautiful setting, running along azure blue water (how is that for a cliched descriptor) but damn those runs were hard.

it’s not that it’s hot, sure that’s part of it, but it’s the equatorial sun which is just so powerful. that and of course i’m not drinking the water like i would at home or eating properly. so those runs were tough. i’ll even admit that i walked a bit on both of them, maybe more than a bit on wednesdays runs. by yesterday i had given up on the outside running and went and ran on the treadmill.

you gotta give me credit for going for it though. in fact you can give me some credit by heading right on over to my leukemia and lymphoma society fundraising page and making a quick donation. i am getting a bit tired of training, your donation might just cheer me up.

i just have to say that i have a meat-over today. the whole family piled over to aruba’s outpost of the churrascaria chain texas de brazil for dinnr last night and i have a serious meat-over this morning.

i think what did me in was the final time i “went green” for the bacon wrapped filet and the garlic sirloin. how could i not though. me and all-you-can-eat meat? what a combo.

i am partial to the local churrascaria here is aruba, amazonia but my aunt joined the texas de brazil club and was able to get 1/2 off for 6 people. apparently you get the coupon when you join, so check that out.

anyway, any time i leave a churrascaria i tell myself never, ever again.

i did last night.

and yet, i imagine that i will indeed be back.