The Long Haul

Sorry for the total radio silence.  I've been working on a medium-sized software project and we've begun testing, so the craziness has officially begun.  Last week was 9-9 most days, except for Friday, when I took off at a decent hour to make it to a family wedding.  This week is going slightly better, but this is still the first chance I've had to breathe all day.  It's exhausting, and it really frays my temper and my patience, to the point where I don't know how anyone gets along with me.

 

I'm trying to exercise, because during the first phase of this project I put on 10 pounds.  This morning I was supposed to go out and go walking (and a little running), but there was rain, so instead I slept in.  (I know, Shifter, I know, neither rain nor snow, etc., but I'm a wimp.)  Tonight I'll probably do something non-weight-bearing so that I can get up tomorrow and start with the walking/running again.

 

Tuesday I got up at 5 in the morning, which is the only shot I have of exercising and still arriving at work on time.  I drove out to Port Jefferson and parked near my pre-determined inspiring running route.  What google had not divulged was that the beginning of the inspiring route was an incredibly steep ascent, to the point where it was like climbing stairs.  It was also dark.  And I don't mean dark, like, oh, I'm in the movie theater and it's dark.  I mean dark like Jack the Ripper's alley dark.  Needless to say, there was no running.  Just climbing, huffing, and puffing, and a lot of peering around.  After an embarassingly short time I thought, maybe I need to find a less inspiring route, so I turned back.  Then, for the hell of it, I thought I'd drive the inspiring route in my car, just to see how much further the giant hill went.

 

It went about half a mile from where I started.  I had climbed about .48 miles.  That's how steep the darn hill was, and how dark--I couldn't see that I was practically right at the top of the hill.  I'm hoping that next time out I get a little further--I will say it's about the best butt and thigh workout I've had in a long time, so worse things have happened.  And if I can keep going, I think there should be a sunrise view of the ocean in it for me, which would be a sweet reward.  (Plus getting to go down the hill on the way back, which is not too shabby, as rewards go.)

 

Wish me luck....