A Sauna Tale

I am sitting in the sauna, eyes closed, sweat running down my body. In the dark I can make out the figure of a small, round woman basking in the heat. After a few minutes, she speaks: "The sauna is so nice, isn't it?" "Oh yes," I reply. "This is my last remaining luxury." We both get up to go out and she continues chatting with me.

"We don't belong to this gym. I snuck in here while my son plays basketball with his team. We belong to the one on the other side of town. They have a pool." She has a Phillipino accent.

"Ah, yeah, if I need to swim I go to the school near my house."

We begin talking about working out and what sports we like. I mention triathlon training. "Did you do that with Team in Training?" she asks, noticing my TNT hat.

"Yes," I say. "It's a great charity, and they also do the best job preparing you athletically."

"The charity is for what?" she asks.

"It's the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society," I reply. "Blood cancer."

"Oh, yeah, they are a good charity. It's a terrible disease. I lost my daughter to that."

"Oh my God, how sad. I'm sorry to hear that... Did the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society give you any support?"

She hesitates: "No... We didn't find out until too late. She, ah, she checked in to the hospital and died the next day."

"That's terrible," I say. A few beats of silence pass while we both dress.

"When did this happen?" I ask.

"Yesterday," she replies simply.

"Ah." More silence, and we are finished dressing. In my head I am wondering why she has made this story up for me. It's almost like a form of improv.

"Leukemia mostly gets young people, doesn't it?" the woman asks.

"Well, yes, compared to other cancers. No one knows what causes it. My grandmother died of it," I answer.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Was she young?"

"In her forties," I answer. We are walking out.

"Where are you going now?" she asks brightly, as I head for the kids' area. "I'm going to get my kids, and you?"

"Oh, I guess I'm going now." She looks like she wished she could tag along with me, but instead walks out the door into the sunshine, leaving her imaginary son behind on the basketball court.

Oakland Running Festival Coming Soon!

I am so excited about Oakland's upcoming marathon -- so excited, I ran 18 miles through the streets of Oakland on Sunday! Here's an email I got today with news about the event: The big day is getting near and the excitement is mounting as we approach race day. Registrations are coming in at a furious clip, surpassing our every expectation. The community of Oakland is starting to buzz as everyone looks forward to the end of March. New sponsors have joined our quest of making the Inaugural Oakland Running Festival an event to remember: Alameda County Medical Center will provide medical support at several spots on the course as well as at the finish line. They will be supported by American Medical Response who will provide medical transport services. See Jane Run has been named the Official Women's Running Store and Greenlayer, the Official Merchandise Provider. MGD 64 will be the presenting sponsor of the Celebration Village at the finish line, GEICO will sponsor the Pace Groups and KTCU & KICU will serve as our television media partners. Further, Kaiser Permanente, with a large office in downtown Oakland, has just signed up as a supporting sponsor. Our expo is just about sold out with chiropractors, charity groups, running stores, events and much more! We are still recruiting runners so if you know of someone looking for a Spring event, let them know that Oakland is where they will want to be! This Inaugural Event will feature top-notch premium items, cool medals, great on-course support and a fun and fan friendly finish line party for everyone to enjoy. Runners can register on our website today. Those who are unable to run on race day are encouraged to sign up to volunteer, come to the finish line celebrate with the runners or cheer from their neighborhoods along the race route. Keep the Pace, Gene Brtalik Race Director

WE PROMISE, THEY WON'T TACKLE YOU DURING THE RACE Oakland Raiders Team Up with Running Festival The Oakland Raiders, The Team of the Decades, has teamed up with the City of Oakland for the inaugural Oakland Running Festival. The Raiders will sponsor the first mile of the 26.2 marathon course and the Raiderettes, Football's Fabulous Females, will also be in attendance to cheer on runners as they cross the finish line. As an added bonus, all runners will have the opportunity to purchase a specially priced ticket package that includes the added value of being honored on the field in a pre-game ceremony prior to a 2010 Raiders home game. [...MORE]

ON COURSE NUTRITION SET FOR OAKLAND GU Energy, Powerade and Clif Bar Sign on to Support Runners The Oakland Running Festival has partnered with three great companies to provide nourishment for the runners on the course and at the finish line. As you continue your training you will want to note that the following products will be served on race day: GU Energy Gel: Simple to take, fast to digest, GU Energy Gel provides simply what you need for premium exercise fuel and none of the extras that slow you down. GU takes you where you want to go, fast. We will be offering the following flavors: Vanilla Bean, Chocolate Outrage, Strawberry Banana (no caffeine) and Jet Blackberry (double caffeine). Powerade Electrolyte System Sports Drink: When you sweat you lose key minerals- Sodium, Potassium, Calcium and Magnesium- which can be crucial to your body and hydration. As you loose hydration you can lose your ability to perform. Now you can get it all back with Powerade. Fruit Punch flavor will be served on course and at the finish line. ClifBar: Whole, all-natural, organic ingredients. Good nutrition and great taste. It's the energy bar for everyone with 23 vitamins and minerals. We will offer a variety of flavors on the course and at the finishline.

MEDAL DESIGNS RELEASED A Worthy Symbol of Your Achievement Samples of the medal designs for the Inaugural Oakland Running Festival have arrived and they look amazing! They are large in size and heavy in weight and should serve as a worthy symbol of your accomplishment on March 28. All finishers of the full marathon, half-marathon and team relay will receive one of these fabulous medals after finishing the race. Then they can wear them with pride as they celebrate with the other runners, friends and relatives at the MGD 64 post race Celebration Village, complete with live music, cold beverages, vendors, interactive games and fun for the whole family.

NOT UP FOR 26.2 OR 13.1 -- TRY THE RELAY Great Option for Friends, Families or Co-Workers If you are interested in participating in the Oakland Running Festival festivities on Sunday but 26.2 or even 13.1 miles seem daunting, consider joining with a group of friends and running the 4-Person Team Relay. The Team Relay splits the marathon course into four sections. Participants receive the same benefits as the full marathoners (with only 1/4 of the training and post-race pain). We provide transportation to and from your leg (if needed). The exchange points for the four-person team relay are listed below: Leg 1. Start to Lake Temescal Park (~ 6 miles) Leg 2. Lake Temescal Park to 580 Underpass on Champion (~5 miles) Leg 3. 580 Underpass on Champion to West Oakland BART station (~7.5 miles) Leg 4. West Oakland BART station to Finish (~7.5 miles) Legs 1 and 2 are the more difficult legs as they go through the hills and hence the reason for why they are shorter. Legs 3 and 4 are more downhill and flat, which is what makes them the longer legs. We hope you and your running posse consider running the relay or one of our other races. To learn more, VISIT THIS LINK...

33 Reasons To Feel Shitty

I am feeling crappy today. I wonder why? Of course, I could slowly back away from the computer, sit down at the piano and practice or climb the roof and take the Xmas lights down or clean the dishes or read a book that I have been reading at an excruciatingly slow pace or clean my office or do work on a good-paying writing project that is at a standstill or go be a good mom or... but no, I will sit here in self-contemplative mode and think about myself and my emotions and my hair and my itchy neck and who likes me and who I like and where am I going and what have I done, etc.

Here are possible reasons for the ebb of my emotional tide today, an ebb that is so awesomely all-important in the scheme of the world. Yep, I am a writer and that sentence sucked. Onward:

1. Talked to my mom on Sunday. That seems to bring me down for a few days pretty reliably. (99% sure she won't read this.)

2. Ran 18 miles on Sunday, then hiked 6 miles (slowly) with dog and family on Monday. Still tired. My dog can't even move now. I checked an hour ago and he's still alive though. He didn't run the 18 miles, by the way.

3. I had a really good show Saturday night (actually two gigs that day) and maybe this is the low that follows the performance high?

4. Don't have any gigs at all in February as of right now.

5. I'm waiting to get paid by three people, so that I can make February's house payment, now due.

6. Last night when I crawled into bed wearing three layers of clothes I thought, "What if this is all there is?" That's a great launching point for your mind just before it drifts into the abyss.

7. I hope no bookers who might possibly book me read this. Because I am doing great sigh that took too much effort.

8. I tried to sleep some more but I couldn't.

9. I bought something online but it didn't work.

10. I feel gross.

11. Men fill me with despair. But I am raising two little men so I have to teach them to be gentlemen. Conundrum.

12. Depressing lists make me more depressed.

13. I know I'll snap out of it in a bit.

14. I forgive too easily.

15. I don't like fake people, in real life or on facebook.

16. I'm not trying for sympathy or anything, I truly thought this might be an entertaining post but now I think it probably sucks.

17. I don't like complainers and that includes myself.

18. I hate the IRS.

19. My dentist discriminated against me.

20. I wish I could finish more of what I started.

21. Why do mean people seek positions of power?

22. What is the evolutionary purpose of a virus? Just to replicate? But then it kills its host. Are there any good viruses?

23. Why do people pull at the thread of something irksome that you in a moment of trusting weakness revealed to them so that they continually bring it up in what seems to be a shared dark humor but in truth is a way for them to satisfy their morbid desire to see you fail? How can you spot these people and avoid them?

24. Why does love require you to nakedly connect without knowing if your sacrifice will be acknowledged or just taken like a $4 toll and you don't even care if it's a pacer or a porsche that drives through.

25. Why is your attention span so short? Can't you see how amazing it is to enjoy something fully? I don't mean forever, but I do mean for more than four minutes.

26. How do you build something truly great?

27. Officer, why did you give me a $100 ticket for parking with my right wheels slightly up on my sidewalk in front of my house (we do that so people won't hit the car coming around the corner)? Where did you pull that handwritten $100 figure out of, your ass?

28. My head feels heavy.

29. Why can't you take care of yourself? I feel bad that I can't fix everything for you.

30. I don't like it when people aren't professional. Then someone has the gall to say I wasn't professional one time? Give me a break.

31. How come you were nice to me, then mean to me, then nice to me again? I try to be nice. But I don't want to play this game. I know, it's not always about me. It's about you, motherfucker.

32. I am sure tomorrow I will feel grateful again. Even though this list is pissy I'm actually not as low as I can go. And that's low. So this is good.

33. You know what, I think I feel better.