I went running today. It was about 14 °F with an awful wind particularly on the segment that goes from the Senate to the Washington monument. I had no idea what this number meant because I never even tried to understand this Fahrenheit business. Fahrenheit is already an awful thing to spell (compared to Celsius), let alone to understand. I admit I completely lack intellectual curiosity and am incredibly shallow. I did manage to get used to pounds. Still I had gathered it was cold but I am still fighting the peapod effect so I felt I would never forgive myself if I skipped this run in my “weekly routine”. As I do not have running gloves, I went without any. In addition, as I suspected there would be other crazy gay people running on the mall in order to get strong legs (a must have this season), I decided against wearing a hat. There was not anybody jogging on the mall.
Unconsciously I knew this was a risky thing. I even thought it would probably be painful. It is an important trait of my personality: I am obsessed with pain to the point that I often forget about the possibility of death. I actually would not mind death too much if I could get a guarantee that it will be painless. Anyway all that to say that about 25 minutes into the run, I discover with amazement that I had lost all feelings in both my hands (particularly the one which was clutched firmly on my ipod) and one of my ears (the right one). That ear had actually already experienced frostbite more than ten years ago because of another esthetic choice of not wearing a hat during a ski trip.
I managed to revive my hands (clearly I am not typing this with my tongue) but my left hear has doubled volume and I contemplate having it amputated. Also I don’t really expect my hands to ever look the same as they turned black. I feel I have reached a new milestone in my gayness. I am known to exercise even when I am sick or injured but running to the point of damaging my delicate extremities is new to me. Moreover, we all know I’ll be severely ill tomorrow and won’t be able to exercise for a week.
But you must be used to things doubling in volume by now!
Posted by: LL | Wednesday, February 07, 2007 at 08:19 PM