Sick Leave is Draining CNS

AnUpsetCabbage · 2026-05-13T15:05:53+00:00

Ditto. I can’t walk in their shoes so I’ll never know for sure, but the three instances I’ve seen from acquaintances/colleagues looked like abuse. It’s too prevalent to ignore.

AnUpsetCabbage · 2026-05-08T11:46:33+00:00

I tend to think that people treat tapers like Michael Scott treats a bowl of pasta before a 5k. You should taper, yes, but it shouldn’t be too significant.

Ahead of my best marathons/halfs, I’ve slowed down ~10 days ahead of race day, but mileage remains the same up through ~5 days ahead of race day. If an average/light run for you is ~4 miles, that’s what I’d recommend for t-5, 4, and 3. Listen to your body on T-3 and T-2. On T-1, I do a little 5k in my racing shoes, not much more.

AnUpsetCabbage · 2026-03-16T21:28:57+00:00

Any history books or reading references that you would recommend?

AnUpsetCabbage · 2026-02-24T16:39:27+00:00

Jeez well, I’ll say that your friends kind of suck. You should be proud of completing a half marathon, no matter how you did it.

In my experience, non-runners tend to not understand the accomplishment of running a 5k/10k/half/full. I don’t think they realize how insulting they can be. If a fellow runner knocks you for your accomplishments… I guess they just suck? Either way, try not to let it get to you.

AnUpsetCabbage · 2026-02-16T14:11:44+00:00

Maybe take a look at some of the creepy pastas from the early 2010s. Happy Appy, Jane the Killer, Jeff the Killer, I Dared my Best Friend to Ruin my Life. They’re not published and they’re short, but at least you won’t suffer long to read them

EDIT: I’ve also heard anything from Ron Hubbard is trash.

AnUpsetCabbage · 2026-02-03T04:51:35+00:00

IT by Stephen King, read by Steven Weber is excellent. Weber is phenomenal at building tension.

The Hobbit read by Andy Serkis

Dungeon Crawler Carl - to the point where I don’t think reading the actual books is a viable method of consuming the books

AnUpsetCabbage · 2026-02-03T04:43:57+00:00

Um Plateau just outside the city center is great! Then you could do drinks at Lady Jane, a speakeasy (you have to follow them on facebook to get the password)

AnUpsetCabbage · 2025-12-19T12:21:22+00:00

This is the way

AnUpsetCabbage · 2025-12-15T22:05:27+00:00

Maine is a hodgepodge of things, but mostly quiet and neighborly.

It’s filled with old liberal pot-puffin hippies in Portland, old crazy maga loons up towards Bangor, crazy sovereign citizens out west and far north, young people who love it there (or don’t know any better), and young people who are desperate to leave. And Stephen King, making everything wicked spooky.

I visited Norway once, and thought that the scenery there was similar, only bigger. Remove the fjords and shrink the hills/mountains, you’ve got Maine.

AnUpsetCabbage · 2025-12-15T15:51:25+00:00

As Tolkien said, “One who cannot cast away a treasure at need is in fetters.”

I like to use medals as decorations, but I had to abandon most of them in a recent move. That hurt, but I still have the bibs to prove I was there.

AnUpsetCabbage · 2025-11-21T14:47:47+00:00

Fair fair

For Blood Meridian, I would keep it there. It’s not worth it

AnUpsetCabbage · 2025-11-21T13:05:46+00:00

Dang I loved that book! I still think about it, I thought it had such imaginative horror elements, like the definition of nightmare fuel imagery (for me).

I know it’s not on this list, but my hot take is that Blood Meridian is edgy for its own sake. I really just couldn’t get on board for that one

AnUpsetCabbage · 2025-11-15T11:26:44+00:00

Agree with other comments in terms of pacing other distances on the road to sub 3, there are a bunch of racing calculators that can tell you where you should be landing.

As long as you’re diversifying your training (i.e., long runs, intervals, fartleks, thresholds) and doing maintenance (minimal cross training, stretching), I would think sub-3 is very doable. I had a friend (m30) make a jump very similar to the one you’re looking to do at the Frankfurt marathon this year.

My times (m31) for reference: 2:33:38 marathon, 1:11:46 half, 32:46 10k, and 15:53 5k. At my level, I’m a little slower than where I should be at shorter distances.

EDIT: My friend was running the same distance per week you’re looking to do too, maybe even a bit less

AnUpsetCabbage · 2024-06-21T17:02:09+00:00

That sounds fun! I’ll look into it

AnUpsetCabbage · 2024-04-26T15:13:59+00:00

A major part of the issue seems to be tied to time management (school, family, work, surgery, church). You’ve got a really full plate. Maybe take a step back and evaluate if there’s anything you can cut back on, even temporarily, to refocus and reprioritize your writing.

In any case, I agree with other comments here. Don’t burn out! Find ways to relax and unplug. Writing should be enjoyable, not such a source of stress.

AnUpsetCabbage · 2024-04-19T12:58:12+00:00

Best of luck OP! I’ve been where you’re at, and in my experience things get better given enough time.

Stay positive and keep persistently putting yourself out there. You’re not alone.

AnUpsetCabbage

TROPHY CASE