I’ve kept up with my running, but still don’t run very far or for very long. But I can feel my body getting used to it. In a way, it’s fun to be new to a sport, because you improve really fast at the beginning and can see a lot of gains right away. After just a few runs, I noticed my calf muscles firming up, and I no longer get that weird quad muscle ache I got in the beginning. All this is hugely satisfying.
Unfortunately, the weather has kept me off the bike more than I’d like; I’ve managed maybe two rides a week for the last few weeks. But still that’s better than nothing, and it doesn’t matter a whole lot if I don’t ride much right now, as long as I’m getting exercise of some sort. I’ll need to ride more intensely in January and February, but for now, lots of cross-training is fine.
And, thanks to Mandarine, I now have something interesting to listen to as I run. I just figured out how to download books from LibriVox (it’s free!) to my iPod, and now I can listen to Jane Eyre. I picked that book pretty much at random, but it’s a good one, of course, and we’ll see how well it keeps me company.
As for reading, I’m very excited to have begun Gabriel Josipovici’s Goldberg: Variations. I’m not entirely sure where it’s going or what, exactly, Josipovici is up to, but I’m enjoying finding out. I’m going to be completely vague about it here and just say that it promises to be a very good read — in the sense that it’s very smart, very thought-provoking, experimental in a non-intimidating way, and very entertaining. More later.
I’m also considering whether or not to make any reading plans for next year. Right now I’m in a mood to make no plans whatsoever and I’d like to swear off all reading challenges. At the moment, I’m against any kind of looking ahead. I’m not sure what brought this mood on, although perhaps it’s the fact that I’ve recently looked back at all the books I wanted to read this past year and didn’t get to, and I’m feeling annoyed about it. I’m not the type of person who can be philosophical about not doing the things I set out to do. I’m the type of person to get annoyed at myself for not doing those things. So the logical thing to do is to make no plans whatsoever, right?
These feelings come and go, however, and in another month I may be signing up for three different challenges and planning my reading in detail for the next six months. Or I may look around over the next week or two and see all the cool plans other people have and get jealous and start to make my own. We’ll see.
Of Books and Bicycles 
I never knew you can listen to books on your ipod! That’s really cool, I need to figure out how to do that… 🙂
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I tend to be a planner whether I want to do that or not. I’d like to be more spontaneous, but then I find myself thinking ahead. I also like the idea of not pinning yourself down to challenges and such, but I never last long with that either. Before blogging I never thought very much ahead when it came to choosing books. When I finished one I’d pick a few and read the first few pages to see what grabbed me. My reading style (for the time being anyway) has certainly changed. I’m curious about the Josipovici–it seems that both Imani and Litlove just read him (?). I like the sound of experimental in a non intimidating way!
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Did you get lots of snow from the storm swirling across the northeast? I admire your ability to stick with the running. I hate running. Even when I played soccer in high school I hated running. I’m not fast but when I’m in shape I can go and go and go. So while I hated running I liked the benefits of it but not enough to keep doing it after high school!
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I’ve sworn off challenges for awhile at least in 2008, and I’m not going to have a definite reading plan.
However, I will probably have general ‘themes,’ lol. I stopped doing challenge about a month ago, though, and so far I’m absolutely loving it!
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Hi, just to let you know I’ve been reading your blog on and off for a while, and now I’ve finally gotten around to making a bookblog I’ve added you to my blogroll. Even though I really hate that word…
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Hepzibah — it IS cool! It takes me a long time to figure these things out too, but it can be worth it.
Danielle — at heart I’m a planner too, but I do go through times when I’m sick of it and need to take a break from it. But I’ll be back to planning soon enough probably. Yeah, both Litlove and Imani read Josipovici and liked him, so I’m happy to be checking him out too.
Stefanie — we got some snow, but not that much — maybe 5 or 6 inches. But enough to make things a little complicated — I had some ugly commutes because of it! I have hated running at times too, which is why I consider this an experiment. I’m wondering if I’ll like it better this time around if I think of it as training for a duathlon or triathlon. That could make it more fun.
Eva — I sign up for challenges but so often don’t do them, that I might as well not have signed up in the first place — I lose my enthusiasm for them quickly. So I can see why you enjoy not doing them!
Madwomansattic — thanks for reading and commenting! Don’t know if you know, but the link you’ve got is to another blog, not the book one …
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I typically don’t make a lot of reading goals but for some reason I’m all about challenges lately. I am no sure why especially given my history with challenges isn’t so good. Ah well, as long as it’s still fun. Once it becomes a chore I’m over it 🙂
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That’s a great attitude to have, Iliana. I would do better at challenges if I gave them up more easily, strange as that sounds.
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