Just finished the Houston Half Marathon. I’ve done it every year since I moved to Texas. My time was 2:40:17 averaging 12:14 minute miles. It was not my personal best but it was my best post heart attack by a significant amount, so I’m happy! Beautiful day today! Perfect for a run! Houston really comes out to show its support. I love it here!
Inspiring dinner with Yury Urnov at Butcher and Singer in Philadelphia. I’m here to work with the acting company at Wilma Theater on Ionesco’s Rhinoceros in their hothouse program. Yury directed beautiful productions of Ubu Roi and Hedda Gabler at Cutting Ball Theater and it is always wonderful to talk about theater and the world with him.
I ran the Houston Half Marathon this weekend. It was a cold but beautiful day. I’ve done it every year since I moved here in 2019 (full marathon in 2020). For the 2019 Half Marathon, everything was new and I had no idea where I was the entire race, but I remember being blown away by the energy, enthusiasm, and support surrounding the event. Now I have the entire route memorized and I have a connection with every block because of my daily life here. It is a good yearly reminder of how much I love this city and the people in it. Houston is a really remarkable place and I feel lucky to live here! Congrats to Madison Turner, Chris Hutchison, and Catherine Kruppa who ran too!
Happy Mother’s Day to my amazing mom. Without her fabulous sense of humor, her love of the arts, her kindness, and her intelligence, I don’t know what I would have done growing up. I feel lucky every day that she is my mom. Happy Mother’s Day Velia Melrose! Here she is with her whole family!
Yesterday I ran the Houston half marathon and then immediately went to a ten hour tech of Pictures of Home at Alley Theatre. I feel like I’ve invented a new event: a theatrical Ironman. The half marathon was fine but by the last hour of tech, my legs were really wobbly. This was my fifth time doing the Houston Half Marathon (actually four halves, one full). It is always super inspiring to see so many people out. This one was my favorite because Paige was there to see me as I went through Montrose and at the finish. It was a great day!!!!
Fabulous day today! I finished the Houston Half Marathon! It is an especially big deal for me because it is my first race since I had two heart attacks in July of 2021 and was in the hospital missing my father's funeral. My sole goal today was to finish but I was actually only 17 minutes off my best time. My recovery is going great and I feel more healthy than ever. Huge thanks to all my family and friends for their wonderful support, especially Dr. Chris Leville (my friend since fifth grade) who let me know I was having a heart attack in the first place and has been so terrific in making sure I get healthy again and Paige who patiently and lovingly nursed me back to health. Charlotte and Sebastian have been great too and Charlotte and Amaya were there to cheer me on and made a wonderful sign. Caitlin Crombleholme surprised me with a sign of her own on mile 4. Lovely texts and emails before and during the race from Brandon Kahn, Debbie Lackey, Dean Gladden, Melissa Molano, and Todd Waite put lots of wind in my sails. At the end, I got to stick around and cheer on Madison Turner who did a wonderful job on her full marathon. I'm so grateful to the Alley Theatre and the City of Houston for being so welcoming and making me feel at home. Running through the streets of Houston, I felt nothing but pure love for this place and grateful to be alive!
O for a muse of fire…
Heading back to Houston after a wonderful time in London and Poland. Best part was lots of time with Paige. Loved getting a tour of the Globe and then seeing Henry V at the indoor Sam Wanamaker Playhouse. The theatre in Poland was as usual just amazing. We were in Krakow attending the Divine Comedy Festival.
Just finished the Houston Half Marathon! It was virtual this year. I missed the adrenaline of it in person but it was an absolutely gorgeous day (the last two years were freezing). I’m not breaking any records here (not even a personal best) but keeping up with running has been wonderful for getting in shape and clearing my mind. Below are my before and after photos. The relive shows my route, the house Paige and I will move into when renovations are done in two years, hotspots of our neighborhood (Hugo’s *chef’s kiss*), as well as the moment I learn that a Voodoo Donuts is moving in four blocks from us (the irony isn’t lost on me). Now an Epson salt bath!
https://www.relive.cc/view/vE6JmKz5BgO
