Thursday, December 8, 2011

"i just don't get sick"

famous last words. i finally slept the whole night long (thanks to the blue light left on in the bathroom so the dog could see in the night), and was able to will myself out of bed when my stewie griffin "cool whip" alarm rang.

honestly, i haven't run in more than just a little while... maybe just shy of a week? but i have a 5k in new orleans in just over a week, so i really needed to just do it. i told myself i wouldn't hit home until 3 miles or 5:30, whichever came first. it ended up being one and the same.

at which point i walked inside, started feeling a little less than 100% wonderful, and turned on the shower. and then stood in the doorway of our toilet room. and dry heaved.

whaddya think, a good sign for new orleans? if i'm sick, i'm going to have to think of a punishment cruel enough for my hubby.

kinda weird, though, because i was running significantly slower than usual. it was a bit colder than usual, but would that really make me feel nauseous? or could it possibly be the man who's been sick twice in the past two months? coincidence? no, no, definitely not.

still, i'm doing that 5k.

hell or high water.

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

not a cheesy thankful post

yeah, yeah, it's the day before thanksgiving. i know a lot of people are posting about things they're thankful for, but not me. i go against the grain.

i didn't run, even though my alarm went off, and i could have... but i opted for an extra hour of sleep on what i'm sure will be a very stressful day (and weekend) for me.

i know, i should have hit the running trail. running helps me deal with stress... usually. not this time. this time, its different. i'm shaking, just thinking about this weekend. see? i'm not the biggest fan of holiday gatherings. so forced, so obligatory.

deep breath, and here we go.

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

my first pre-work run!

i enjoy rewarding myself with little rewards for little accomplishments, but today i lacked follow-through, so i re-assessed my goal.

i ran/walked the two-and-a-half-mile loop around our neighborhood. i told myself that the first time i did this in the morning before work, i would reward myself with a pumpkin cream cheese muffin and chai yea from starbucks. but i just felt too guilty. i wouldn't have burned close to as many calories as i would've consumed.

so my new reward is this: the first time i run the whole loop without walking, my reward is a chai tea. mmm... those are so good!

maybe i should think of the run as the reward in and of itself, out maybe the sunrise that comes at the end, but i just can't help it. i like my little rewards. what's life without a little treat now and then?


Saturday, November 19, 2011

feelin' like a million bucks

i ran the two-and-a-half-mile loop yesterday and today. (you see, this weekend was my big, sorta-slow comeback to running.) anyway, i ran it twice, once yesterday and today, i put it in reverse. totally fun.

twilight? not even close to that much fun. nah, that movie sucked big time.

so i was thinking, i guess i should take tomorrow off, i don't want to overdo it too soon. but then, wait a sec. i should do a first long run of the week. yeah, sunday is a perfect day for a long run, and monday is the perfect day to sleep in... all the way to 5:00 a.m.

so there's this trail, that i've heard goes for kind of a long way through town. i've done parts of it before (the equine-only part, thank you very much), but i think i'm going to try for somewhere in the four-to-five mile range tomorrow. bumpin' up from 25 to around 50 minutes. too much?

what's your long-run length or time?

am i just being a slow poke ninny? should I bump up my mileage sooner, quicker? is chocolate milk on my grocery list? yes.


Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Thanksgiving is tomorrow, so...

FAIL: I haven't run since Monday night, and that was just a mile. One. One mile. Pahhh-thetic. Even though I've set my alarm for 5:00 or earlier every morning this week, I have FAILed to get my jiggly butt out of bed until somewhere between 5:30 and 5:45. And I leave the house between 6:00 and 6:15. Pahhh-thetic.

So tomorrow is "Thanksgiving" at work, meaning there will be tons of junk food (including the two Costco pumpkin pies I'm bringing), turkey (helloooo, nap-time!), ham, casseroles, all sorts of tempting stuff. All. Day. Long. My plan of attack? A preemptive strike. Start the morning with an around-the-neighborhood two-and-a-half mile loop. My crazy idea that I hope will motivate me tomorrow? Sleep in my running clothes. Might be just crazy enough to work. Plus, I have to shower tomorrow before work anyway. Plus, I'm going to set my cell phone alarm (my secondary), and put my phone on the bathroom counter.

And thus, I have lured myself out of bed at 4:45 a.m., an hour that any other normal human being would sleep through.

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Day in the life

Woke up too late to run (if we're being honest, I woke up in plenty of time to run; I just preferred sleeping in).

Coffee, toast, lunch packed. Yadda yadda. I was out the door, and at work in 20 minutes.

And now I have a bazillion missed calls from not working at my desk all day.

Tonight, though... I'm planning to run the subdivision loop for the first time. At night. In the dark. But not in Lodi.

And maybe I will feed the dogs too, if I get around to it.


Monday, November 14, 2011

well, i ran...

not that it was any great distance our anything, but I got out there after a ten-hour day. my alarm is set for 5:00 tomorrow morning so I can run again after a good night of sleep. i hope to at least hit three miles every morning and two every afternoon... that's the goal for now, anyway.

ultimately, it would be great to work up to six miles every morning, with a couple of longer runs on the weekends. i'm not quite sure yet how i can do 13.1 miles in march, but i don't have to worry about that until i work my way up to at least 30 miles a week, every week.

yay (and boo) to turning 31.

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

my not-so-triumphant return

i'm back, but i wouldn't say i'm loving every minute of it. i think it's just one of those things, i will have to work my way back up to 5k, then 10k, and eventually i will be ready to run my very first half marathon in march 2012!!

my problem right now is all to do with my neck. if my neck doesn't feel good from the beginning of a run, there's just about no way for me to recover. it really is miserable.

so i haven't been ready to get in the number of miles i would like to do in a day yet, but i know i will work my way back up, so i'm not stressing about that yet.

tomorrow morning, bright and early, around 5am, my big plans are to don my brand new head lamp and run for at least a mike our two, before heading back home to prepare for another shortened and very insanely speedy work day. how do people get anything done in just eight hours?

Thursday, November 3, 2011

hiatus countdown

we have moved. it's official. so, my running hiatus is due to end tomorrow morning, when I hit the park trail that starts right across the street from my new house! i'm even excited that it's supposed to rain! I can't wait to check out all of these new trails - and there are more than just a handful of miles of them in this town. pictures to come!

Monday, October 24, 2011

the hiatus continues...

cleaning. wiping. rinsing. dusting. carrying. lifting. dry heaving. more cleaning.

but no running. at least for another week or two...


Friday, October 14, 2011

p'ville

running downtown was amazing and fun and i would just love to have thay option every day. but i don't. so i'm looking on the bright side: in just a few weeks, i can run in the mornings (at the lovely park literally right across the street from our house) before work, and still have time to take a shower, eat breakfast, and get to work at least 20 minutes before the doors are unlocked. and this is a good thing, by the way.

anyway, running today was great. it was too hot, especially for what i was wearing, i was literally dripping sweat when i used the bathroom at McD's, but it was great.

super shocked to see that i was going way faster than i thought i ever could, but again, that's a good thing. i'm excited to return to running after what will be a month-long hiatus. i can hardly wait!!!



Thursday, October 13, 2011

p'ville

tomorrow, we head north for what was supposed to be an outing with a mutual friend from high school, but he had to back out because his 8-months-pregnant-with-twins wife was put on bed rest. so, undeterred, we say the show must go on. we're going on the outing just the two of us.

while "someone" has an appointment and meets with some other high-falutin' business folks, i decided how to kill those one or two hours: run... duh!

i can hardly wait to run around p'ville, where i went to high school and even some college classes. i haven't seen most of the town for years, only the tourist-y places, the cute downtown area, which is cute, for sure, but not exactly conducive to running. another reason for all this excitement is testing out my new (to me) garmin. i hope the not-craigslist-killer didn't pull a fast one on me!

Friday, October 7, 2011

not the craigslist killer

i have wanted a garmin since i've seen them, so i was cruisin' craigslist for one. pretty much every one of them in any of the surrounding areas was $150 or more, and i didn't see the point in spending so much on a used one.

yadda, yadda... a little drama here and there, long story short, i got a garmin 205 for $45. now to test it out... sad news, though: i have to wait because it came sans charger.

if this thing works, it'll be a great deal.
if not, i will be upset royally, and will swear off craigslist.

I just can't wait to try it!!

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

i quit

as in, past tense. i no longer go to the gym here in town. for a couple of reasons: first and foremost, i prefer running outside. secondly, the weather around here is finally cooling off (it rained last night, and tonight we have the window open and we put a light comforter on the bed). third, and by far the most anticlimactic... we are supposed to be busy packing to move. but as of yet, we only have a few boxes of stuff, not even enough to say "we've started packing."

so i'm kind of at a standstill. i melt when i run outside right now. also, it's a but less than the ideal neighborhood to run around, with gang tags all over the place. at the same time, maybe we should start packing so we don't have to rush as much later.

i feel bad, though. i'm not much of a social person, so i was totally bummed out when a coworker friend told me about a run some other coworkers are doing later this month. yeah, it would be great, but... it kinda interferes with the whole packing, moving, and resituating our lives.

maybe a thanksgiving run would be more convenient. and cooler.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

it had to be done

and i was just the person to do it. make myself run. so i did. i ran for almost two miles straight, but it was still pretty hot outside, way warmer than i'm used to, so i may have to readjust physically or mentally so i get myself back up to speed.

also, since today was my first day back on the dusty trail... back on the road again... pounding pavement... i remembered exactly why I'm not the hugest fan of running around here: suspicious activity... gang tags... random shopping carts left in random places... dogs left to run wild and get hit by cars... drug deals taking place... people having sex in the park... the list goes on (naturally).

this week, we expect to sign the paperwork making the new house "ours." and then the fun (and overwhelming, never-ending stress) begins! packing and unpacking, organizing and reorganizing, moving, renting and returning trucks, arranging and rearranging tons of stuff we may never need.

now do you understand why i'm having issues with endurance this week? it's hard (for me) to think about running longer and longer distances when i don't feel like i can keep up with my daily life, stress-filled like it is at the moment. plus, it would be really wonderful if the temperature would cool down just a little, like maybe 20°. is that too much to ask?

Thursday, September 29, 2011

a run and some stairs

it was hot...
i'm going to run again tomorrow...
i'm tired...
i just wanted to go home...
it was a long day...
the dogs need me...

yeah, none of those really works, huh? oh well, i totally rocked the chick next to me. i ran waaay faster than she did. i always call the chicks that run faster than me "bitches." today, those, i was the bitch. good for me.

now, to the grocery store (in my sweaty garb) for some guilty snacks. with t out of town, i'm livin' for me and only me. so it's whatever I want tonight. plus maybe a slit-your-wrists-fantastic movie.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

3.1 in 32

i ran again, yay, good for me, right? yeah, okay, anyway...on to other things.

i really believe in the power of positive thinking, so today while i ran, i thought of some of the reasons i enjoy running, or at least the effects of running. here they are, in no particular order:

i love to feel myself breathing (and it really is different) after a run. it makes me feel strong, and so truly alive. in my heart. it's the best feeling ever!

i love being productive, and actually transporting myself from one place to another - running from one place to another - is magical. it's a great natural high.

i love the way my legs, arms, - everything! - i love the way my whole body feels after a run. the day after a great run makes me crave running.

I love that running gives me time to myself, to escape almost everything (except for the heat, naturally... I'm not a big fan of temperatures above 70°).

running lets me decide exactly what I want to do. do i want to run today? how far do i want to run? where do i want to run? how fast do i want to run? it's not like every (or really any) facet of my life is controlled or predetermined, but it's refreshing to have something that is up to me, and me alone, no one else.

i don't have to answer to anyone for my running. if i don't run, i've only let myself down.

i could get used to this running-5-to-6-days-a-week thing. unless, of course, it's warmer than 70° outside.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

fail

i didn't go today. didn't even walk on break or anything even slightly active. way too tired after two nights in a row of not falling asleep until after midnight. from what I've heard, i am just going to love all stages of pregnancy and babyhood.

so, in a desperate act of emergency sanity, i'm going to bed at 8:00. if i wake up too early, i could go for a run. but the way i feel right now, that's totally not gonna happen.

i totally missed running tonight though, and that's exciting.

3 in 31

i ran today. it wasn't very far, but i enjoyed it. i challenged myself to keep running for a long a the guy in the treadmill in front of me kept running, and i did it...sort of.

i ran for 31 minutes solid, if that counts for anything at all. the jerk in front of me ran for a long time, then stopped the machine. ah, he was done! if i wanted, i could have stopped any time after that. but i was most certainly done yet. and then he started running again, at 6.0 mph. what a jerk.

long and short of it: i ran 3 miles in 31 minutes. even though i wasn't really competing, it's kind of fun to have someone to run with and engage in imaginary competition. i'm competitive by nature, really. i need to sign up for another race soon!

Sunday, September 25, 2011

11.5

i ran 11.5 miles last week, which is a vast improvement over the past two months or so, but i still plan to improve on that total this week. my goal for tomorrow after work (and joann's) is 5 miles. i know, it's crazy, but when did i ever say i wasn't crazy?

Friday, September 23, 2011

yahoo!

i was kind of embarrassed this past week when a coworker on this trip, a guy who is new to running, out-ran me. yeah, i'm itching to get back out on the road, to see something other than four walls when i run, but it's still really hot, even in the mornings (maybe I'm a little heat-sensitive since about february, but 80° is hot, 70° is too). i'm really liking forward to fall (ahem, i mean "winter") weather, so I won't feel like puking after a run.

so i said i was embarrassed, and there's nothing quite like that feeling to motivate me. maybe i'm a horse of a different color, but shame motivates me. i strive to be better than the next person, our at least to do as well as i've done in the past.

this morning, it was on! admittedly, i walked a little at the very beginning, just to warm (my legs) up a bit, then i finished my 5k-on-the-treadmill loop in just over 30 or 31 minutes. but the amazing thing? i ran the whole way, without walking at all. plus, i'm determined to sign up and train for a 5- or 10k soon, then work my way up to a half before spring hits next year (note: before spring hits).

now, to find the absolutely perfect half to sign up for. and a 5 our 10k for in the meantime, so I have a reason to train, an excuse to run.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

double my pleasure

i did double days of double dipping on this trip, and i am determined to continue with my running streak next week as well. yesterday, i woke up and did about a mile on the (wah wah) elliptical, because even though it was only 5:30 in the morning, all of the (only two? for a hotel this size? craziness!) treadmills were occupied by skinny bitches. hm.

i looked on the bright side (at 5:30 a.m.? i must be crazy - there is no bright side at that hour!), and thanked heaven that at least one of the ellipticals was available.

later that day, i found that the treadmills were available, rushed to my room to change into my running gear, and hopped on for a couple of miles.

today, it was only a quasi-double dip: i ran for a little over two miles (with a work friend who decided to join me at a time when, thankfully, both of the treadmills were once again available), decided the heat was too much, and i quit. but my friend wasn't done, so i hung out. strangest thing happened: i was somehow magically drawn to the elliptical, and did that for five minutes, or about half a mile.

so. it's 10:30 at night, and my alarm goes off at 5:00 for running, so i am totally done for the night. read some ayn for a little bit, and pass out for what invariably feels like only an hour or so.

this "running with a friend" thing, though... i gotta continue with that. it would really be fantastic to make friends that run in tulare. to have someone that you count on to be there with you and vice versa, it's a good thing. plus, i could use a friend, running or not.


Sunday, September 18, 2011

sundaze

i ran this morning. i ran on the streets, where it's only natural that a person should run.

but i still have this thing going on with my neck. you know the saying, "if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy"? well, if my neck ain't happy, i ain't happy. so it was an okay run, but not a great run. plus, it was hot.

when will i run in 50° temps again? soon? sadly, this is what's known as a cooling trend in the hell-hole that is the central valley. answer: not soon enough.

Saturday, September 17, 2011

no excuses

i have absolutely no excuse today. it was a beautiful morning, cool enough to run, but i stayed in bed. I didn't even go to the gym before it closed at 3:00.

total fail for today. blech.

Friday, September 16, 2011

oh, blech

i didn't run today. i ran "around," i went for a short walk, but i didn't run. at all. just like wednesday. just like yesterday. but not like tomorrow.

today, we did a lot of stuff. we got up early, went to breakfast, met the painter at the new house, re-grouped at the house for a little bit, then went back out to see the lion king 3D.

at least I was active.

well, somewhat.

okay, only a little, but I was really freaking hot today. waaay overheated. tomorrow, I will go earlier in the day and run.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

dear henry...

i feel the need to confess. to purge my soul, which is heavy with the burden i now carry.

i was lying before, when i said i can't wait to run tonight after work. i said it, but i knew it wasn't true. i knew it was a lie. i knew i would much prefer to run on asphalt in 55-degree temperatures, the wind in my face and the sun setting as the earth calms and relaxes after a long day.

i feel better now. maybe now i can sleep.

treading water

i like the treadmill, i really do.  but ix have started to miss my old friend, the road. and feeling the wind in my face. and actually getting from one place to another by running. i am starting to lose motivation. the gym is seriously hot. hot, hot - like, seriously hot. the whole reason i joined the gym was so i wouldn't have to run in the extreme heat of the central valley summer.

i can't wait to get situated in this new house, and the weather cools down a lot, and maybe i can even run in the mornings!

positive affirmation fir this morning: i can't wait to run tonight after work. i can't wait to run tonight after work. i can't wait to run tonight after work. i can't wait to run tonight after work.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

praise the lord!

well, i thought it was kinda funny. when i walked in to the cardio room tonight, the tv was on, but i hardly ever pay attention to what's on. so this guy (let's call him "dude") walked in, saw what was on, and grabbed the remote so that he could turn the second tv on to something a little more palatable.

it was only then that i realized what was on. it was a holy roller, hellfire-and-brimstone televangelist show. if chevy chase popped on the screen, i would have been more than interested. he didn't,  so i told dude not to worry, that i wasn't watching tv, he can change the channel. which he did. to the newlywed game on one screen, and law & order svu on the other. okay, to each his own.

and i turned up lady gaga a little louder. okay, a lot louder.


Monday, September 12, 2011

it's starting already...

i didn't hit the gym at all today, because i was so incredible tired. i only got four hours of sleep last night, because i just wasn't tired. dumb excuse, i know. and then i've also been really hungry recently. what's up with that?

now, i am in bed, surfing and shopping for apps and home accessories, trying to take my mind off of all of the upcoming excitement. the house appraisal report thing  later this week. the child support conference next week. tim in sacramento the week after that. then closing on the house, spending our first night in there with a pile of blankets and snowball, the chosen doggy. then packing everything and moving. and my mom coming to help us pack and maybe even unpack.

yeah. so i didn't run tonight. i will not skip running tomorrow, though. mondays can be rough, but i have done it before. i know that hard work pays off. and to look so much better in a skirt, or a sleeveless top? such a great feeling. like i don't care what i eat...which is probably, no, definitely how i came to look this way yet again. not chunky, but i have looked better. without a doubt.

tomorrow, i run. don't even try to stop me.

Saturday, September 10, 2011

i'm not gonna beat myself up...

i didn't run too far today. but once again, i did something.  at least i got out there. even if it was only one measley little mile. four loops around the track. but it was really hot in he cardio room this morning (yes, it was actually morning), plus it was really humid outside. overcast and everything.

every runner has days like this, right? i mean, i am working on getting back up to my usual distance.  it's funny how much better i feel running faster, rather hand slower. and by slower i mean 6.0, and by faster i mean 7.0. how crazy is that? i feel better when i run faster. it comes easier to go fast. strange.

tomorrow is my day off,  though. maybe a good thing. take a minute to reset. start all over again on monday. Pretty soon, i will have to focus on packing, loading, and unpacking. at least we have one volunteer, jumping-for-joy-at-the-mere-prospect-of-helping helper. my mom. she was really(and probably still is) disappointed that we aren't moving closer to her, but have you seen he job market out there? or the housing market? whew. won't be moving there anytime soon.

come to think of it, maybe that's my issue. everything right now seems to be going so fast, without end. maybe that's why i feel the need to go faster, but i need to build up my endurance. it's not a sprint, it's a marathon.

Friday, September 9, 2011

today

i ran this morn... wait. it was technically afternoon. technically.

anyway, i decided to try something a little different. instead of the manual, 6.0 to 7.0 pace, i set set the treadmill to "alpine pass" with max speed 6.5 mph. it was interesting. i only went 1.75 miles, but then i climbed stairs for a (very short) while.

today was sad, though, because i canceled my gym membership. the girl looked at me kinda funny, so I told her: we're moving, probably the end of his month, to tulare. she understood, had me sign the paperwork, gave me the paper to show that my membership is canceled, but i still have access through the end of the month.

i just hope i can find a good replacement treadmill sometime soon, for a good price. heaven knows we have room for it now! and i know i will use it. i even have plans to use it when babies are on the way. other women do it, so can i, right?

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

two

today was a better run, but i still feel like i'm working too hard, maybe. it's funny. i was trying to start off slow, 6.0 mph. but then i bumped up, interval training to 6.5 and guess what? it felt better, more of a natural pace. still, i didn't want to overdo it, so i kept it kinda slow. it's kinda fun, working hard, building my endurance, run by run, mile by mile.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

not a great start...

i haven't run in almost two whole weeks, so what did i expect? well, it could have been worse, but i really hoped it would be better than this.

i did one mile. that's it. i got a really bad cramp in my side after only a half mile. try as i might, it refused to go away.

i know i can't do much worse than that tomorrow!! that's the thing about running, though. there's always the next run. and today, i was out there. i ran.

Monday, September 5, 2011

starting tomorrow...

my main man is out of town for a couple of days on business, starting tomorrow, so that leaves me with a bunch of free time and chunky thighs on my hands... what will i do?

starting tomorrow, i will re-commence the training regimen, so that i can do a 10K at a moments notice, more or less. i am determined to do a half marathon before i have kids.

Sunday, September 4, 2011

my plan

i mentioned that i follow some mom runner blogs. i am not, as of yet, one of those with children. however, in the next year or two, i plan on that. for now, my plan (barring unforeseen things like buying a house and moving into it, or taking vacation) is to run at least five days a week, working up to five (or six?) miles per day, so round about 25 miles every week.

so, in order to keep myself motivated, i will track my paths, note my mileage per week and per year, my races run, and my pace. in addition, i would love to take one picture at some point during each run, something memorable about the run, or something i stepped in or... i don't know. something fun. 

also, i love the alliteration days on other people's blogs, so i think i'll try "one-thing wednesday," where i'll take a picture, maybe add a word, but that's it. or maybe just a picture. or just a word. see where it goes from here.

i am determined that this running-and-blogging thing will not get in my way, will not weigh me down, will not become a burden - just icing on the cake. i don't have to prove to anyone else that i ran, just me. i'm not racing against anyone else, just myself.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

the inspiration

i've started following a few mom runner blogs, and they have helped me want to run. but i haven't run in almost two weeks, because of vacation. and heat. and to be honest, i'm not sure how much or how often i will be able to run in the next couple of months, because we are moving. all the same, i wanted to have an excuse to continue running. our new house is literally right across the street from a huge park and running trails. plus, the weather should be starting to cool down, even if it's just a little, so i was going to give my 30-day cancellation notice at the gym in the next week or so.

at least we always walk a lot while we are on vacation (it sometimes balances out our overeating). yesterday, for example, i would estimate at least five miles, up and down and across the strip, through the casinos, etc., etc., etc.

one stop we made was the adidas store, and i wanted to get running shoes (honestly, anywhere we went that had running shoes, made me want to buy running shoes and start running, but then i would remember that we are in vegas in the middle of summer, and i would most likely pass out within a block or two, given the extreme heat). sketchers. adidas. nike. famous footwear. big 5. they were all over the place. and so i took a picture. my goal: new running shoes.

i want to keep track of my mileage, weight loss, inspiration, perspiration... all that good stuff. reasons to run, un/acceptable excuses not to run, things to remind myself of when i don't feel like running. my favorite running clothes. races. good days. bad days. equipment i like, or don't like.

so here it begins.