Rogue 5K/10K PRty 2K6

What Did You Call Me?

I think my dad was the first person to tell me that the sound each human being likes to hear most in the world is the sound of their name. He was trying to teach me social skills. I have since heard the same thing in workshops and in the classroom. I don’t think that anyone would argue that it is important to know a person’s name and to call him or her by that name.

My mom is a school teacher. She has been teaching for over 35 years. Because of her experience with hundreds and hundreds of young children, she had very specific guidelines when she was choosing a name for her first-born.

1) She wanted a name that was decidedly feminine
2) She wanted to use the common spelling of the name
3) She did not want to be able to derive a nickname from the given name

I was given the name Jane. Because of my Mom’s thoughtful deliberation, I have never been confused for a male, and only on rare occasions have people misspelled my first name. She was not, however, able to save me from being given nicknames.

Now, I know what she was getting at…she didn’t want a Jennifer to be called Jenny her whole life or a Christina to be called Christy. She wanted me to be known by my given name, and I am. I have, however, also been blessed to have had numerous friends throughout the course of my life call upon me by other names. These are names that I have been known by, names that I would respond to over and over again. Each name brings back warm memories of the specific person who knew me by that name. Here is my list…

Jane-o
Pa-chain-o
Wink
Wink-lay
Twinkle Toes
Plain Jane
Plainer Janer
Plainer
Number 9
Janie
Mumpus
Winkel
Janie Pants
Merry Jane
Jane Lu
Banana
Nanner

(While I wouldn’t consider them nicknames, it is also worth noting that I have been called or referred to by the following: Kate, Jake, Lindsey, and Ann.)

There is something special about a nickname. There is a story behind the name and there is usually a story behind the relationship. Most of the time, it is something that makes you smile, or reminds you that you are special to someone else. It is good…and the sound of this name may be an even more desirable sound than that of a given name, when it's spoken by the right person.

After all, my dad calls me Sweetheart. I’m not sure that I can remember the last time he called me Jane…maybe when he was trying to get my attention in a crowded room? Even he knows that sometimes, in some cases, a person’s given name might not be the thing that they like to hear best. Sometimes, it is their nickname.

Seeing Stars

Yesterday's Workout:
warmup to Texas School for the Deaf
10 X 300m at 1 mile pace
100m recovery after each 300m
NO WALKING
cool down back to RunTex

The point of this workout, I was told, is to prepare the body to buffer the lactic acid that builds up during a race. If your legs feel like dead weight, I was told, keep pushing through! If you can't breathe...well, only then should you walk during the recovery.

Great! Hopefully I can keep breathing...should be a fun workout?!

I ran the first 300m right at my pace. Second 300m, I'm pretty sure was at pace, too. Tim had to drop out after the second lap because of a shooting pain from his hip to his knee. I was sorry that he was hurting, but I was even more sorry that he had to drop out...because he was my watch for this workout. I have no idea whether or not I ran the rest of the workout at pace or not, but I tried my very best. I didn't start seeing stars until after the 4th 300m and I didn't walk until after the 6th. I only walked during this one recovery. All-in-all, a successful workout. No pain in my knee, no giving up, no vomiting.

Proceed to happy hour at Aussie's. Good job!

It's a Boy!

Today is an important day in my life.

It might be selfish of me to think of my brother’s birthday as an important day in MY life, but it is. Twenty-eight years ago today, I became a big sister. John can hardly be considered my ‘little’ brother anymore, since he outgrew me years ago…but I will always be his big sister, as far as I’m concerned.

We have been through a lot together. We have been each other’s playmate and each other’s teammate. We have each been an enemy and a friend. We have stood by one another in the good times, and we have stood up for one another in the bad times. I have been John’s biggest fan, and while I may not have always deserved it, he has been mine.

I think there is a special bond between siblings. My brother understands things about me…things that I usually have to explain about myself, even to my closest friends. Somehow, between John and I though, no explanation is needed. I am glad to have him. He has been someone to keep me humble, someone to pick me up, and someone to cheer me on. He is someone who appreciates where I’ve come from and who believes in where I am going.

Today is the day that he was born.

His life changed my life…for the better, I’d say.

Happy Birthday, John. I’m glad you’re here, bro!