Bas-ackward

I wonder about myself sometimes. Many people, when asked why they started running, say they did it to lose weight. Now I find myself losing weight so I can run. Many people talk about how well they sleep when they exercise regularly. When I workout more than four days per week I stop sleeping. I mean, I'll usually fall asleep within my normal time (which is sadly a long time after I go to bed), but I wake up constantly during the night. It certainly isn't because I'm not tired, because hello, I'm draggin' all day. It's like my body gets loaded up with all these happy chemicals from the exercise and running (thank you endorphins) that give me an overall feeling of wellness, but they also keep me from sleeping. Don'tcha love my scientific explanation for my worsening insomnia??

Since my running buddy Pam was out of town last night I put in my miles on the treadmill while watching Brothers and Sisters. I really like that program and it kept my attention while I was running. For a kick I decided to wear my heart rate monitor; the treadmill has one integrated into the display so I can watch my heart rate while I run. I haven't worn it for years, since I -- well, since I stopped caring about what it was. I was surprised at how comparably low it was while I was running comfortably; that is, while I was running as fast as I could without panting or gasping. I normally don't use an inhaler before I treadmill because I normally forget to. And I figure if things get bad enough I can just turn down the speed. It's nice to know that my heart rate isn't through the roof when I'm running regularly. I'm going to have to turn up the speed next time and see what a sprint looks like, and what hills do to me.

I'm really excited about Clapotis; it's great finally being in the decrease section. Even though it looks like I have tons of repeats left, each row is getting shorter and shorter. I didn't get much done last night but I had two drops and one marker removal. I'm not dropping the stitches all the way down anymore, I'll do that when I'm finished with the knitting part. The end is finally in sight. Ok, far away, but in sight.

Today's Gratuitous Bear of the Day is a twofer. My mom picked them up at, I think, a sale at the San Diego Zoo. They're a mama and baby bear; the big bear's paws are velcro-ed around the little bear in a hug. Awww. To me they looked kinda like kangaroos, so I named them after the Winnie the Pooh characters Kanga and Roo.