just call me a hero for hope

Right now my left knee is creaking like it wants to tell me a storm is brewing. And according to the weather report, one is (finally!), but I don’t think my knee is psychic. I think it ran 6.2 miles yesterday, which, creakiness aside, I’m quite happy about.

AK, Meg and I decided to do the Heroes of Hope for Brain Tumor Research 10K on Sunday not so much because we’re against brain tumors (although we are) but because it was being held on a flat stretch of street next to Dockweiler Beach.

AK and I had trained mostly on hills and occasionally on days when the air in the L.A. basin was thick with bits of smoldering tires. “Like altitude training!” I suggested. It was not unlike when I did the Manhattan Beach 10K a few years ago and was happy to discover that, unlike my practice runs, I wasn’t slowed down by trying to hide from packs of stray dogs roaming the streets. Urban training—I sort of recommend it.

But if you already have knee problems, here’s a book I recommend too (I’m not trying to be all Oprah’s-favorite-things—I just needed a transition):

Digging to America* by Anne Tyler: It’s been a while since I’ve read Anne Tyler, but even if I was reading her for the first time, I suspect she’d be like encountering an old friend. This novel—about two families who adopt daughters from Korea—is a quiet, intimate meditation about human vs. national identities, and choosing a messy life over an orderly one (perhaps the only real option in a globalized world). Tyler shares many of the good qualities of Tom Perrotta, but she does ambiguous endings better.

*Mini review stolen, again, from my own GoodReads/Facebook review, because I am lazy like that.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Thank you so much for running in that race, we have a 5 year old friend that battled a brain tumor all last year and won! He's leaving tomorrow for a trip to Hawaii provided by the Make a Wish Foundation. I've run/barely jogged in several races not really knowing any stories of the people afflicted by the disease, so wanted to pass on a small tidbit to you.
Cheryl said…
Thanks so much for sharing your friend's story. Even though I was kind of jokey about the race, I do imagine that brain tumors are pretty high on the terrible disease spectrum. I hope your friend has a great time in Hawaii--he's earned it!
Cheryl said…
P.S. Love your bookstore blog!
Peter Varvel said…
Glucosamine/chondritin. A bit pricey, but since it has actually helped my knees, I wish I had started taking it sooner, like, in my early thirties!
Cheryl said…
My cat used to take that! I hear it can be found in bananas too. Is that true?
One is thank you for recommending us to read a book for those who has a knee problem. I am one of them. When the weather gets cold, I get arthritis due to ligament and cartilage torn from swimming.

I have a deaf friend with a brain tumor. He was caught in time to get an immediate 12 hour operation-- to put a new tube from his brain to his stomach. He is still alive with the medication for the rest of his life. My survivor friend and I still remain in touch. He is doing remarkable well and happy married man.

Anything is possible.
Cheryl said…
So glad to hear he's doing well now.

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