I started reading Born to Run by Christopher McDougall last night (partly inspired by rekre8. By 20 pages in, it was already a book that felt very hard to put down.

The full title is 'Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen'. The publisher synopsis includes the following:

"Isolated by the most savage terrain in North America, the reclusive Tarahumara Indians of Mexico's deadly Copper Canyons are custodians of a lost art. For centuries they have practiced techniques that allow them to run hundreds of miles without rest and chase down anything from a deer to an Olympic marathoner while enjoying every mile of it. Their superhuman talent is matched by uncanny health and serenity, leaving the Tarahumara immune to the diseases and strife that plague modern existence. With the help of Caballo Blanco, a mysterious loner who lives among the tribe, the author was able not only to uncover the secrets of the Tarahumara but also to find his own inner ultra-athlete, as he trained for the challenge of a lifetime: a fifty-mile race through the heart of Tarahumara country pitting the tribe against an odd band of Americans, including a star ultramarathoner, a beautiful young surfer, and a barefoot wonder."

So far it's fascinating, well written, and funny! I can't wait for the rest of the free time I need to devour this book... and then RUN.

2000 - In college, learned Haskell, applied to grad schools.
2001 - Graduated college, got married, moved to Berkeley, started grad school.
2002 - In grad school, failed prelim, realized I couldn't finish at Berkeley.
2003 - Failed prelim two more times, wrote master's thesis.
2004 - Received master's degree, got first full-time job, got second full-time job, got accepted to Cambridge.
2005 - Got third full-time job, went back to Berkeley in the iSchool program instead of going to Cambridge.
2006 - Dropped out of iSchool, interned at Grammatech, interned at Microsoft Research.
2007 - Transitioned, worked at FNMOC, quit FNMOC, got into PSU, moved to Portland.
2008 - Got divorced, wrote first conference paper, got first paper rejection, remained in grad school.
2009 - Passed comprehensive exam, got top surgery, submitted second conference paper.

I'm aspiring for:
2010 - Propose dissertation, bike across country.

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And speaking of cats...

my boyfriend corrupted Bonkers, so now she's in love with being rhythmically beaten on all the time.

It amuses me that my biggest reaction to this article is thinking that it's just wrong to keep two cats in such a tiny amount of space.

Cozy-crazy couple makes tight all right in the city's tiniest studio"