I know, I know: it's been FOREVER since I last blogged. I'm sorry! I have a perfectly good explanation for it though, you ready? I haven't had time. There.
Four studio classes and commuting into San Francisco everyday does not leave much time for anything. On the plus side, I have a whole host of artwork to show for it! Nearly none of it is fairy/fantasy related, but it's still pretty cool. But more on that in a different blog, perhaps. (sorry!)
Anyway, it's FINALLY Thanksgiving break which of course is my favorite time of year. I didn't actually know that I got a break from school until maybe a week ago. Of course I "forgot" to tell my work about the fact that I have a whole week off... And I'm sure I won't remember to tell them any time soon! (Though with the mountain of homework, it's needed!)
So I am enjoying my break immensely. I even started running again. Turns out when you take a few months off from running after previously running 4-5 days a week, it's not nearly as difficult to get back into it as I feared. That is of course, until you encounter the dreaded "Side Stitch" also known as a "cramp from exercising" on one of your first runs back out.
On my first run out this week, (out of three so far-- go me) right after I hit my second mile, I got a side stitch so bad, I was going to pass out. I tried everything I could think of to get rid of it. I tried slowing my pace, I tried walking, I tried "breathing into the stitch"-- which my friend Mary suggested and it's pure nonsense!-- I tried drinking water, I even resorted to resting for five minutes and starting up again slowly: NOTHING! It wouldn't go away and I was starting to make some pretty terrible faces at passing cars. To those passing cars, I do apologize! I had a side stitch!
After ten minutes of dealing with the cramp, I finally realized I had to walk home, which sucked because I run to get places and to be efficient. Walking is boring to me. So I began walking. And I drank more water. And I practiced deep breathing. Finally I got the bright idea to "scare the stitch away"-- it works with hiccups! When breathing and drinking water and waiting doesn't work, you have your friends scare the hiccups away! (this does not work for me with hiccups-- don't do this to me ever) Well, I've come to realize that when I run, I do not think very clearly (due to physical exhaustion or runner's high or something). So here I am moseying along, slowly, but surely with my side stitch then the next second- BAM! I'm sprinting like there's a wild hyena loose from the zoo after me! I even flailed my arms for effect.
And it totally worked!-- for about 2.38 seconds. Then it hit me like a gunshot wound and I bent forward, nearly collapsing, clutching my side, cursing loudly and laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole idea. I probably looked like *I* had escaped from a zoo. So much for scaring the stitch away through sprinting...
I will say that it probably looked downright hilarious from anyone possibly watching through their window... Or maybe whoever was watching was deeply disturbed by my zombie-like behavior, thought the end was near, packed up their apocalypse survival kits, and fled to the hills. If that is the case, I apologize for sending you to the hills... I do hope you're at least enjoying the views.
Anyways, I still didn't get rid of the stitch, but on today's run when I got a stitch, it wasn't as bad-- so maybe it's a thing your body gets used to over time?
Anyways, til next time!
Four studio classes and commuting into San Francisco everyday does not leave much time for anything. On the plus side, I have a whole host of artwork to show for it! Nearly none of it is fairy/fantasy related, but it's still pretty cool. But more on that in a different blog, perhaps. (sorry!)
Anyway, it's FINALLY Thanksgiving break which of course is my favorite time of year. I didn't actually know that I got a break from school until maybe a week ago. Of course I "forgot" to tell my work about the fact that I have a whole week off... And I'm sure I won't remember to tell them any time soon! (Though with the mountain of homework, it's needed!)
So I am enjoying my break immensely. I even started running again. Turns out when you take a few months off from running after previously running 4-5 days a week, it's not nearly as difficult to get back into it as I feared. That is of course, until you encounter the dreaded "Side Stitch" also known as a "cramp from exercising" on one of your first runs back out.
On my first run out this week, (out of three so far-- go me) right after I hit my second mile, I got a side stitch so bad, I was going to pass out. I tried everything I could think of to get rid of it. I tried slowing my pace, I tried walking, I tried "breathing into the stitch"-- which my friend Mary suggested and it's pure nonsense!-- I tried drinking water, I even resorted to resting for five minutes and starting up again slowly: NOTHING! It wouldn't go away and I was starting to make some pretty terrible faces at passing cars. To those passing cars, I do apologize! I had a side stitch!
After ten minutes of dealing with the cramp, I finally realized I had to walk home, which sucked because I run to get places and to be efficient. Walking is boring to me. So I began walking. And I drank more water. And I practiced deep breathing. Finally I got the bright idea to "scare the stitch away"-- it works with hiccups! When breathing and drinking water and waiting doesn't work, you have your friends scare the hiccups away! (this does not work for me with hiccups-- don't do this to me ever) Well, I've come to realize that when I run, I do not think very clearly (due to physical exhaustion or runner's high or something). So here I am moseying along, slowly, but surely with my side stitch then the next second- BAM! I'm sprinting like there's a wild hyena loose from the zoo after me! I even flailed my arms for effect.
And it totally worked!-- for about 2.38 seconds. Then it hit me like a gunshot wound and I bent forward, nearly collapsing, clutching my side, cursing loudly and laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole idea. I probably looked like *I* had escaped from a zoo. So much for scaring the stitch away through sprinting...
I will say that it probably looked downright hilarious from anyone possibly watching through their window... Or maybe whoever was watching was deeply disturbed by my zombie-like behavior, thought the end was near, packed up their apocalypse survival kits, and fled to the hills. If that is the case, I apologize for sending you to the hills... I do hope you're at least enjoying the views.
Anyways, I still didn't get rid of the stitch, but on today's run when I got a stitch, it wasn't as bad-- so maybe it's a thing your body gets used to over time?
Anyways, til next time!
