hi

I feel like I have nothing to say as of late.

Things are things. And that's that.

Yeah, I know - criptic much?

I am signed up to run a half marathon in October. I have not been running as much as I should - but I'm still feeling the woes of the hip pull. I definately feel it when I run, and it hurts, but not that bad. And after I get some distance under my shoes, it feels better.

Then the next day, I am stiff and sore. I feel old. I sit for a bit, then when I get up, I walk hunched over until my back straightens out. It really sucks.

I did go for a pretty good run on Saturday. Went around Harriet and Calhoun. My garmin said it was 6.85 miles. Which is further than I have run since last summer, when the knee injury in August wrote an end to my marathon training. Sunday, my friend Quinn and I went kayaking from Calhoun to Lake of the Isles, to Cedar Lake, to Beaver Lake and back. It was a beautiful and gorgeous day, and I can see why people like to kayak so much.

I have been home all week (not traveling), and have worked on getting the fountain next to the patio shaped up and running. I cleaned, and etched, and plugged, and dry-locked the basin. Tonight I put water in it, and hooked up the pump. It looks like it still loses water though. I don't know what else I can do to fix it. I guess I just keep putting more water in it when it is running, so I don't ruin the pump. I am very excited to have people over for book club next Tuesday to have someone other than myself enjoy it!

Today was a really long day, mentally. I did get a nice sushi lunch out of it though - if there is one silver lining to it. Yeah, I got deposed this afternoon, for something at work, which I really can't discuss, because that is the way it goes. But, our council told me that I did a good job. I listened to the questions, and just answered the question that was asked. He said that he does not give praise lightly, and that I deserved it. It was still exhausting.

Oh yeah, and I had a couple of job interviews last week.

Heard from one that "my qualifications did not match their needs as closely as other candidates". Which I think is okay, since it is headquarted on the other side of town, and has up to 50% travel.

Still waiting to hear back from the other, which was a phone interview. I really want that job. I know I would do a good job there. Keep your fingers crossed, and sent me some good vibes that they call me in for a face-to-face interview, where I can convince them to hire me.

I suppose. Off to get some rest, so I can run in the morning... since the best of intentions to exercise after work just don't seem to pan out. Too many other distractions!

~a

What do you mean I can't run?

Well, I kind of thought that yesterday.

I got up again at 5 to do 4 miles. My hip was a bit sore, but I thought it was because I was just a little sore from running.

It hurt pretty much all day. I would get up from my desk and limp around the office.

Then I went to the chiropractor (had the appointment made already) and told him I thought I had pulled a muscle in my hip.

And then some. He said I had pulled the hip, the gluteal and some of the erector abdominals. Asked if I had been running hills. My answer? Well there are hills on my run, but nothing unusual - it's my usual route. He wasn't sure how I had managed to do what I had done... but thinking on it, it's the same hip I fell on Saturday, when I tipped over on my bike. I probably did something then, then aggrivated it by running.

So, no running for a bit. He did say I could bike. So that is what I will be doing. Good thing I like doing that too!

It is now day 3 of journaling, and staying within my points. We went to my MIL's house last night to visit, and she served us desert - a huge slice of angel food cake with strawberries and whipped cream. I ate the strawberries. And gave the rest to my husband.

As of this morning, the scale showed me down to 188. Sunday, it said I was 194.

I'm gonna try to be "good" this weekend, and not throw random alcohol and crap into my system. I will be going with journal in hand, with plans to ride my bike every day.

No coasting.
~a

4 slow ones

Miles that is.

I averaged about 4.7 mph this morning on my run. And it was good. Glad I got out of bed at 5am. Glad I didn't crawl back in bed. Glad that I still can do it. Baby steps. I could have run faster, but I didn't want to. And I ran the whole way. All 51 minutes.

I had quite the mental chat with myself this morning too. I headed out the door sans mp3 player, and enjoyed the surroundings. And I gave myself a pep talk that I have been needing. One of the reasons I wanted to lose weight in the previous round, was so that I could run, and do active things, and not feel like I was killing myself. Nothing good comes to you without challenges. I kept thinking of this quote: "It's supposed to be hard. If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it. The hard is what makes it great."

So the new motto? No coasting.

As in - get off your ass and do something about it. Quit whining, and do what you know needs to be done. And quit feeling sorry for yourself.

Yeah, I gave myself a much needed kick in the ass. At this point it is working, I just need to get into the habit again. I have a plan. And that's how it begins.

Oh yeah, and a goal of wearing this really hot red velvet spagetti strap gown to my friend's wedding in August. 'Cause I can be a hot babe if I work at it. I want my husband to tell me I look "dangerous" again.

~a

Whistle stop

I swam laps for 1/2 an hour yesterday, which was good.

then I drank 4 calorie-laden beverages... yes. Beer. Then I fell asleep on a floatie in the pool, and sunburned the front of my thighs. Good times.

Today - I started again. I have a little notebook that I carry around with me, all set to track points, and hold myself accountable. I usually make it a day or two before I start slacking again. Baby steps. I started counting points again today, and wrote some of my thoughts down too:

"I'm done. Being fat, that is. My pants don't fit. I feel suggish, and like a turtle that can't move. My back is stiff when I sit for any period of time. And I hate feeling fat, bloated and self-conscious, like people ar looking at me and judging me."

How do I really feel. I'll take pity party for one, please.

I weighed this much when I got married.

I gained .6 pounds at the weigh in yesterday. And the first weigh in was right after I got back from vacation in Mexico. And I knew I was going to gain, but the reality slap in the face about made me cry.

My running coach e-mailed the group photo from this weekend, and my face is the roundest one there.

How did I find my way back here? I said I wouln't go back. Yet, again, here I am. Feeling sorry for myself, and hating how I feel.

So, I signed up to run a half marathon in the fall. The Whistle Stop, which is the second weekend in October in Ashland, WI.

And so it begins. Again.

~a

Wipeout

It was a crazy, mixed up, filled up day yesterday.

The plan was to get out my bicycle, and ride down to Harriet Island in St. Paul to cheer on people from my running group that were doing the Time to Fly 5K and 10K.

Downstairs to get my bicycle tires all aired up and ready to go... and the rear tire would not hold any air. Crap. Gotta change the tube. I knew I had a tube somewhere... found it in the garage. Now what? I have never changed a tire tube before. I seemed to recall watching a friend of mine do it with some funky tool... so I grab something from the coffee table downstairs that looked similar to what I remembered his tool looking like. What did I grab? That would be a crochet hook. I did it. I changed it all by myself. I didn't let the obstacle in my path keep me from my plans.

I got to Harriet Island in fine time - most of the 7 miles are downhill, after all. And had a fine line of sight to see the Excel Energy smokestack be imploded and taken down. It was cool. But also a little unsettling, as this last week I had been in classes for emergency response, and a lot of the stuff we talked about was things that have happened - like the OK city bombing, and 9/11, and watching the stack fall was kind of cool and creepy at the same time.

But, all of my friends had a great time running the race. I suppose I could have run, but I have decided I will be saving up for a half marathon in the fall, instead of paying for races throughout the summer. Heaven knows I don't need more T-shirts. And interesingly enough, as we were cheering for the women in our group, Lucas runs by... the same lady I saw in the airport in Tulsa... So I went over and congratulated her. She did really awesome too.

After that, it was back on the bicycle for the ride home. Just as I was coming up to the Wabasha bridge, I was just a little too indecisive about being on the road, or getting on the sidewalk, so I managed to hit the curb with the side of my front tire, and fall over onto the sidewalk. Pretty much in front of the cop who was manning a baracade for the race. Damn toe clips. Yeah, I was fine after I got myself untangled a bit, but my hip and wrist are a little sore this morning. I've had worse. It's still embarassing though.

Today, I am on my way to my friend's pool, hopefully to swim some laps. On the way there, I will be stopping in for the final weigh-in for this contest I entered. yeah, to see who can be the biggest loser. I can tell you right now, it won't be me. I'll probably be the biggest gainer, since I think I am up 5 pounds from where we started 4 months ago. I need to get my ass in gear, and start walking the talk. I have been so half-assed and ambivalent about my diet/exercise, and my pants don't fit. I was feeling like a "fat american" in Calgary all this week, and I hate it. Yet, I don't seem to be doing much about it. What gives?

I'm thinking about going back to a WW meeting, as that is what has worked before. Who knows what the future will bring.

on that note, I'm off to ofically become the big gainer (loser) of this contest.
~a

Why I like to run in the morning

1. It starts the day out, and gives me much energy
2. When I run in the afternoon I start out too quickly, and tank
3. It's much cooler in the morning
4. I'm not always awake, so I don't always notice the first mile, which is the hardest part


Why I didn't run this morning:
1. I woke up at 4am worried about my cat, got up and read some, then crawled back into bed at 4:30 after turning off the 5am alarm.
2. I could have gone at 4:30... but honestly I was scared to go out in the dark after what happened this weekend.

What happened this weekend? Well, it was a doozy.

I was at my friend's house, and I stayed there because I had enough to drink that I didn't want to drive. (not as much as another person there... but that's another story). I called my husband the next day (Sunday) and he told me that I had missed the fireworks at home.

"Fireworks? Really?" thinking that some kids had been shooting off bottle rockets in the wee hours.

But no. Gunfire. Right outside the house.

Like Eric called the Police in the morning after it started getting light because he thought they might like to pick up the shell casings that were in the street in front of our garage. They missed one or two, so Eric brought one in yesterday afternoon. It's from a .45. I'm just a tad freaked out.

So I went running this afternoon, and it kind of sucked. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I haven't run since Saturday the 31st. Or that I gave blood last week. Or that I now weigh about 20 pounds more than I did last year at this time...

Yeah.

I just need to suck it up, and do what I need to do.
~a

180

I was completely stressed out and overwhelmed last night.

I thought, hey, I'd go through the practice questions they give you for the exam in the application materials, and have a low-key evening, to bed early so I would be fresh in the morning for my certification exam.

The questions were hard.

And I couln't figure out what they were looking for, or what direction to go in. And I still got the answers wrong when I looked at the solutions (ok cheating) in the back. 55% was my score on the practice exam.

I just wanted to cry.

So up this morning, make some coffee, eat some breakfast, get ready to go... then I thought I should have some documentation for the test which I couldn't find for a bit... then I had 40 minutes to get to West Bloomington by 8am. I knew I was in trouble when the freeway sign said it was 17 minutes to get to my exit, and it was 7:47am...

I was a terrible rush hour driver. Swearing, yelling, cadjoling the traffic to move a bit faster, and almost ending up in tears again. Following my directions after the exit, in the parking ramp, went out the wrong door... then ended up RUNNING through the parking ramp to get to the testing location. Yeah. If you are more than 15 minutes late, they won't let you take the test, and you forfeit your $310 registration fee. 8:12am, I walked through the door.

Whew.

5 1/2 hours later, 1 potty break, with the timer on the test telling me I had 50 seconds left, I clicked the "submit exam" button on the screen. It told me:

Result: PASS

Again, I almost cried. With relief. With joy and happiness. With a huge grin on my face. I now get to put letters behind my name: CSP. Certified Safety Professional.

Called my husband, he was very happy. Called my parents. Mom said she was proud of me. I'm just so happy/relieved right now. So glad it's over. So glad I passed. So glad I don't have to do it again.

The only question is:

What next?

~a

Back in the Game

a week later, I go for another run.

And again, it feels great to get out in the morning and accomplish something. I was going to go last night, but I had a meeting at work that lasted, it seemed, forever, and by the time it was done, all I wanted to do was eat some dinner and get some studying done.

Yep. Studying. I haven't said a lot about it, but I am taking a certification exam on Friday. So I can officially put some letters behind my name. Cross your fingers and wish me luck, will you?

The weekend was fun. My sister was really suprised, and a little freaked out by me showing up - I walked in the front door, and found her on the patio out back with my parents. When she saw me she jumped up and gave me a big hug, and asked me what I was doing there... it was fun.

So we helped her get all ready for the party, and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen, making sure there were drinks available for all of the people. I did break down, and have a little bit of wine, even though it's not June yet, but I just had one glass. And lots and lots of water.

On the way home, sitting in the airport waiting for the flight to be called, I looked around... and saw someone I knew. It's so weird when that happens. Sitting there, wating to get on the same flight was Lucas, someone I know through the blogger network. She has family that lives in the Tulsa area too... not something that we knew about each other, so it was kind of a shock.

Anyway, I need to hop in the shower and get off to work. More meetings....
~a

Blek

I'm getting sick.

and it sucks. Coughing and congestion. Fun and excitement.

I talked to my boss today about career planning. And the direction that I want to go in - and he seemed amenable, and he would look into how I could go in that direction.

I know, it seems cryptic. But I don't know what will happen. I'm still leaving my options open, because it would still mean travel, but it would be less driving.

And eating today kind of sucked. Not that I ate lots of crap, I just ate too much food in general. And I didn't go running, because of this damn cough.

Boy aren't I the cheerful one today?

~a

A wild hair

I somehow got one...

Reading my e-mails, I got one for last minute travel deals, so I thought - hmmmm wonder what it would be to go to my sister's for the weekend.

So $402 later, and a flight and a rental car all paid for, I am going for the weekend. My sister is having a party for the family celebrating "99 years of life". My sister was planning a suprise birthday party for my BIL's 40th birthday, which was in September of last year, but with his horrific accident and recovery, he was lucky to get out of the inpatient rehab to have dinner out with his family on his 40th. So after my sister's 40th, and to celebrate that John is recovering (he's back at work and everything) and my two nieces are 8 and 11, they are celebrating a total of 99 years.

But she doesn't know I'm coming. My parents, who will be there, know I am coming, but I am just going to show up on her dorstep on Friday evening.

We're that kind of family. For my mom's retirement, I suprised her with my sister. For my bridal shower I was suprised by my sister being there. So I will suprise her in Oklahoma.

And on the exercise eating front. It's actually been a pretty good week. I am feeling a lot better about myself. My mother is calling it "mindful eating" and making healthy choices and being happy about it. Like today - I met my co-worker for breakfast at his hotel. And I had oatmeal. At the meeting where they had decadent pastries, I had mixed fruit. For lunch, I had a turkey sandwich, and avoided the potato chips and the cookie, and for dinner, when we went out, I had a salad with grilled chicken, and stopped when I was full. And I am feeling strong and in control.

And I like it.

May it continue. Tomorrow, I shall run again. And it will be GREAT!

~a

0530

Yes, that was the time I went out my front door to run.

3 easy miles. And I ran the whole way. Not fast. I am not working on fast right now - I just want to get in some milage, and work on my target heart range.

It was a beautiful morning, I had great music in my ears, and it was nice to get out and clear my head. I couln't sleep last night with all of the stuff running through my head, so that makes it doubly good that I got my rear out of bed and out the door to run.

I believe I am going to sign up to do a duathalon in September. 2 mi run/22 mi bike/2 mi run. At some point I think I would like to try a triathalon, but right now I don't have a good place to swim on a regular basis. Yes, I have a friend with a pool, but it's kind of short for laps, and it's a good 20 minute drive to get there.

This week has all sorts of meetings, so eating will be a challenge. Not that it's never a challenge, but you know - it's harder when you have no say in the food selection. Add into it the donuts and rolls they seem to always put out. Note to self: bring own fiber bars and fruit.

that will be all.
~a

Green?

My mother and I went to the Green Expo at the State Fair grounds on Saturday, and sat through a talk on freezing and canning vegetables. It was interesting, but geared towards the folks that had never done anything of the sort before. My mother who has had a garden and has canned food since before I even remember doing it, was having a small conversation with the lady sitting next to her - answering the questions she was asking about canning.

But, we both learned at least one thing, so it was worth it.

After the workshop, we did a little walking around the exhibits, but there were way too many people there, so we left.

It was a good thing there was another day, because I wanted to see some more of the booths. I had looked through the program and there were some things that I wanted to look at yet. So I talked Eric into going the next morning, getting there earlier (before there was too many people there).

And I got it. One thing that will make my life easier/better: the BagEwash

I took it for a test run in the dishwasher, and it worked like a charm. Now I can get rid of the pile of bags on my kitchen counter, waiting for me to handwash them.

Yeah. I'm weird. I get excited over odd things.

Now I just need to green up my diet.

~a

shiny new toy

Last night, after making lemon cookies and coconut bars for my husband*, I put the cadence/speed monitor on my bicycle... but it was late at that point, so I didn't try it out with the Garmin.

But tonight, after my outing to get Mother's day cards, and a plant for my grandmother, and some items at Target (brought my own bags again! I am trying to see how long I can go without getting another bag at a store) I got on my cycling clothes, and headed to the basement to watch Grey's anatomy and ride my bike with the new toy. I couldn't get it to read on the watch, so I had to find the Garmin user's manual to see how to set the darn thing.

And then it started working! Yay me! I biked 46 minutes, burned 799 calories, and went over 12 miles. Not bad.

Tomorrow, after work, I am going to St. Cloud to pick up my mother, and she will be staying here so we can go to the Green Expo on Saturday morning. My dad has a meeting Saturday morning, then he will be coming to the 'Cities, and we are having a family-type get together in the afernoon at my aunt's house. My other aunt, who lives in Ohio will be in town for work, and we are going to visit and catch up. I'm bringing a caesar salad. I have the romaine and the parmesan, and I am going to try my hand at caesar dressing made from scratch. Should be interesting.

I seem to be getting into the whole unprocessed, prepare from scratch food lately. I REALLY want to get myself a yogurt maker. Part of it is because I am cheap. Part of it is because it's healthier. And part of it is because you can't recycle the yogurt containers you get from the store. I think I'm going a little nutty with the "green" thing, but hey, what can I say. We read the book The World Without Us, by Alan Weisman for book club in April, and even if some of it is exaggerated, there's got to be some truth in in it. And every little bit helps, right?

Anyhoo, Eric wants the computer, so I'm off.

~a

*So when I was putting away the leftover stroganoff last night, I asked Erid if he would be eating it for lunch the next day. His answer - no, because we are having a cookout and a potluck, and I need to bring something to share... To be fair, I did volunteer to make him something because I knew I would be home, and I like baking, but still - some warning would have been nice. And it was better than the typical male offering of a bag of chips

so many things

running through my head.

and I don't know how I want to organize them all...

Hmmm, let's see - weightloss. Nada. I guess that is what happens when you just quit trying, and decide that you just need to eat whatever whenever. I keep cruizing through the kitchen, opening the door of the fridge, and seeing what I can eat. Do I take the apple or the mandarin oranges? No. I take the white cheddar cranberry cheese and a handful of TJ's everything crackers. A bit later - some Ice cream. And a bit later, some cookies...

I started writing things down on Monday at work, but I forgot my little notebook on my desk. I had a fabulous day on Monday anyway. But since I was out of the office on Tuesday, without my accountability notebook... I decided to get the Rachel sandwich with fries for lunch.

Feast or famine. That seems to be my thing. Not sure how to get over it.

Exercise. Well, now that you asked, I did get up this morning, and did a easy 30 minutes on the NordicTrack, without the arms. And a little ab work. So when was the last time I did actual exercise? Well that would be a week and a half ago. My back has been hurting me, and I have been icing and seeing the chiropractor, but geez, I really need to get off my arse. I guess the CRAPTASTIC weather (Snow? Seriously, on April 26th???) has been getting me down too.

But, on a positive note, I have been trying to do my part in saving the environment. The last two times I have gone to the grocery store, I have brought my canvas reusable bags, and some of the plastic bags we already have, and have not gotten any new bags at all. And I went shopping at Dick's Sporting goods, and brought my own bag for my purchases. The clerk thought I was a bit odd, but I felt good about it.

There is also a Green Expo this weekend, that I am hoping that I can convince my husband to take me to - I would like to go to a couple of seminars, on vegetable gardeining, and home freezing and canning. And I want to wander through the exibits.

Oooh, I got a couple of new incentive toys... a foot pod and a cadence/distance (bicycle) for my Garmin 305... I got them off of Amazon with some gift certificates I earned, and ended up paying just $17 for both, including the shipping! I need to get them all set up so I can start logging my indoor workouts on the computer. I think I need to start working on keeping my heart rate in a better zone. I tend to exercise too hard, and that is probably something that is holding me back... well, from losing weight that is.

And, at a meeting today, there was some discussion on doing a Weight Watchers at Work program. Not sure how I feel about that.

I'm also considering joinin a gym again. I kind of liked going in this winter when I had the free trial to do weigtlifting, and if I join a certan local chain, I could potentially meet up with some of my friends to exercise. We'll see - the whole reason I quit last time was that I didn't go in the summertime. Too many other options out there, and it's a bit of a hassle to go early, when I could just as easily do cardio at home in the morning when I like working out.

I have also been sending out my resume for jobs in the metro area. I want to do somehing different, that doesn't have all of the travel. I have not gone anywhere overnight for the past two weeks, and it is so nice to be able to go home, relax, cook some dinner, and be in my house with my husband. We actually sat down and ate dinner together on Monday.

I told you things were rambling around in my brain...

Cat - she seems like she is doing okay, but after many unsuccessful attempts of jumping onto the bed in the bedroom, she has stopped doing it. Which means she has not been cuddling with me at night or in the morning. I can't decide if I should take her back to the vet for him to tell me to give her more drugs that she will hate me for... maybe if we put up the cheater step again she will deign to use it again.

Alcohol - haven't had a drink since Easter when I thought it would be a good idea to drink the equivalent of about two bottles of wine. I'm holding out for June, at the earliest... but I have been thinking about having a nice glass of wine quite a bit lately. I kind of feel like I should apologize to my SIL for the Easter debacle (she's a recovering alcoholic, and I was drinking my face off in front of her) or to just let it lie. I also have a friend who recently admitted herself to an in-patient treatment program for alcohol addiction, so I have been thinking about her a lot lately too, with my self imposed "dry-out" period.

I suppose that's enough for now. Eric is home now, and I am going to put together some dinner. Beef Stroganoff in the crock pot that has been simmering all day. MMMMMMM.

~a

Reflections

I think I need to institute a no eating rule in my car.

I drive. And I eat.

I have been reading some things, and I think that the reason I do it is because I hate driving so much. Okay, I'll clarify. I hate all of the driving I do for work. It really hit home today, with hitting the crappy weather here in Minnesota on the way home. And I think I am eating because I want to make myself feel different. So I snack on things while I drive to distract myself from the driving.

And I seem to be in a really good mood on most Fridays, knowing I don't have to go anywhere for a couple of days.

I really hate when people ask me if I like traveling for work, thinking it is glamorous, and that you get to go to all of these interesting places. You might get to go to interesting places, but you rarely get to do anything other than go to meetings, try to find somewhere to get something decent to eat, and spend way too much time on a computer trying to get caught up after being out of touch for most of the day.

How do I really feel?

I like what I do, but I hate the driving. Something has to give.

~a

Hi, My name is Anneke

And I seem to have no self control.

So, packing up to go to Green Bay for the weekend, I felt a twinge in my back. The 5 hours in the car did not help any. When we would stop (dinner, fuel, bathroom...) Eric and I would get out of the car and hobble around for a bit until we started walking like normal Homo Sapiens.

Yeah. Shooting pain in my back did not make me happy. Did not allow me to exercise like I had planned. (They had an endless pool at the hotel I REALLY wanted to try.) Didn't find a nice park/green area in Green Bay in which to go for a run. Ate way too much food, and watched too much TV.

I think I have a pinched nerve. The back of my left heel is numb. And on and off, a couple of toes on my left foot.

And I don't seem to be able to regulate my food intake. I seem to NEED to munch on something while driving. Not sure why.

What does this add up to? Okay... Weight gain.

Life sucks sometimes.

And even though my back is not hurting, the heel is still numb, and I'm scared to exercise.

Did I mention that life sucks sometimes?

Oh yeah, and I'm in Fargo. The hits just keep on coming.

~a

My cat hates me

I think it's the pills I have been stuffing down her throat.

She appears to feel better after I do it, but it does not make the task any more pleasant. She has taken to hiding from me in the morning and the evening, when she knows it is time for the deed.

Mashing the pills and mixing them in wet food and tuna only worked for so long. When you get it every day, it's no longer a treat. Which is why I started doing the whole pills.

Yeah. And that does not work so well. She's on a heart medication, a thyroid medication, and half a baby asprin every other day. The latest manover has been to crush the pills, mix them with a little water, and squirt them in her mouth. I'm sure it tastes horrible, but it's done and over with pretty quickly.

I was a little worried this morning when I could not find her. But she came out from hiding before I had to leave to meet my running group. I'm scared that someday, she's just going to crawl into a corner and give up the ghost. So Eric and I have spent quite a bit of time this evening being nice to her, and giving her love and attention.

I'm wondering if it's worth it to continue with the pills, if all they do is make her hate me, and not want to be "my cat" any more. The eternal question: Quantity of life vs. Quality of life. I would say I want to go for the quality of life. But it's hard.

That's all
~a

Welcome, Friday

As I got into bed last night, I told Eric that he had to kick me out of bed in the morning when the alarm went off.

So at about 5:30 this morning, I was on the NordicTrack. 45 minutes of pretty medium intensity workout. I went about 4.1 miles. At least, that's what my electronic doohickey told me.

This week started out very poorly.

I was so hungover on Monday, that it leaked into Tuesday. And it made my workout on Wednesday just suck the big one.

I don't know why I drank all of the wine on Easter at my MIL's house, other than the fact that it was there. And we were playing Mexican Train, and I kind of lost track of what I was doing. I kind of feel like I need to call my MIL and apologize for my stupiditiy, but I just want to move on.

Yeah, so I have decided there will be no drinking of alcohol until at least June. Why June? Because it is over two months away. And I have zero desire to have any alcohol for at least two months, if it takes me three days to recover. I must be getting old.

On another note - today was pretty nice. After the 45 minutes of working out this morning, I got into work early, and got a lot accomplished. Eric took the day off, so he showed up to take me out to lunch - half a veggie hoagie at Davanni's, then we drove over to Mounds Park where we went for a short walk. He called a little later to inform me that we have reservations at 6:30 tonight. Where, I don't know - but it will be part 2 of the "date". (The first part being lunch).

I have a full weekend coming up, and I am looking forward to it, especially to meet my running group tomorrow morning to shake off the bad week. Nothing like getting outside and going for a run!

~a

Jogging in place

Well, maybe forwards and backwards.... but the end result is the same.

I had a couple of crappy eating weeks. Like, I know I shouldn't, but I just don't care at this time. Like two forays to the "Pizza Ranch" in just as many weeks. I love pizza, and should just know better. I leave hurting.

Food, not so good.
Exercise, not much better. I'm sure it's because of the crap I have been shoving through my system.

Today, it was better. Got up and worked out on my bicycle in the basement. Drank water. Ate healthy food. And I still have points left, and I'm not that hungry. Perhaps some fruit later.

And work today was just interesting. Trying to get folks to do what is their job, having someone tell me that they don't have the time, so I spent about 4 hours this afternoon doing someone else's job.

And fielding about 1800 phone calls, it seems like. Cell phone ringing when I'm on the house phone, after the 3rd cell call from the same number I get off the house phone, to have it ring again...

So the cell phone call this time: Some employee complaining he has to pay the tax on an eye exam. So many things wrong with this picture... 1. I am in the Safety department. Not the benefits/HR department. Eye exam is part of your health care benefits. How many times do I need to explain this to people (and the HR department who hears "safety glasses" and sends people my direction without listening to the whole story...). 2. The tax was $1.53. Seriously..... SERIOUSLY? Pay the stinking $1.53. Would you like me to give you the $2 so you don't waste any more of my time?

And the second call on my home phone? Yeah. That would be my sister. They are stranded in Dallas. They were on the way to Florida for Spring break, and flew to Dallas from Tulsa. Only to get delayed because of weather. And since they were not in their departing city, they couldn't re-book for some odd mysterious reason. Then the airline was nice and relented. So they are going to fly out of Dallas on Thursday, to continue their trip. Yes. Today is Tuesday. Their flight has basically been delayed for two days. I know the airline cannot control the weather. But seriously - two days????? At least I found them a hotel room, with a free shuttle to/from the airport, with an indoor pool, for $60 a night. Last I heard they were trying to have someone find their luggage, since, of course, it was checked through to Florida, and was in the secured area.

At least it's not me.

I'm just fielding all of the phone calls.

~a

Gallup along

I finally answered the phone when the Gallup pollID showed up.

Some kind of interesing questions... but when they asked how many times I had exercised in the past week for 30 minutes or more, I was able to say: 4 times. And how many days in the last week, how many have I eaten 5 or more fruits or vegetables? That would be 5, thank you. I know it should probably be more... but it is most likely more than most people.

Although I wasn't that thrilled about the height and weight questions. I know I am overweight, and I don't really have a problem telling folks how much I weigh, but they are usually looking at me - and I weigh a lot more than I look like.

That, and a lot of health and "are you content with your lifestyle" questions.

Yep, pretty stinkin' healthy, and happy with my life.

On another topic, I went for a run after work today. It went pretty well, and I'm pretty excited about that. I started out doing about 12 minute miles (the first mile is always tough) and the last mile I was doing about 10 minute miles. Gettin into my grove, and feeling strong and healthy.

And after a nice bubble bath, I have been a mad woman in the kitchen. Stuff needed to get used up that was in the refrigerator, so I made my husband some lovely food which is now neatly labeled and in the freezer: Wild rice soup, and meatloaf.

Tomorrow I am gone out west for work, and Eric will have to fend for himself. I am thankful we figured out a way to give the cat her midictions with a minimum of fuss, because I don't know that my lovely husband would have been able to do it.

And otherwise, it's a quiet evening.

~a

1 week

I have gone a week. Journaling. I went over in points, but at least I accounted for everything. That counts, right?

I'm not as hungry this week as I was last week. I really think cutting out a lot of the refined sugar has something to do with it too.

I'm considering going to see a nutritionist. We had a guest speaker at our running club group, who talked about some research that has been done on women athletes. One of the things you need tobe careful of is not to go into a "negative energy balance" by not providing your body the building blocks it needs to support the exercise. It's kind of a catch 22 when you are trying to lose weight - you need to walk a fine balance.

On another news front, my cat seems to be doing better. The lady I ran with on Saturday said that when she had to give her cat pills, she crushed them and mixed them with tuna. So we got a can of wet cat food and have been mixing the pills with about half a teaspoon of cat food, and she eats it all up with no fuss. So we won't have to torture the cat by stuffing pills down it's throat.

She is, however, stubborn, and not willing to admit she has limitations... she is still trying to jump up on things, and missing and falling. Not much I can do about that.

~a

A large loser

Holy cats (okay, not in reference to the previous post), another post? In the same day?

I have taken the challenge.

One of the Jaycee chapters is having a weightloss challenge. And I joined in. I thought I might need the push to get things in gear, because other things just don't seem to be working.

I started on Sunday. I have been journaling, and drinking water, and staying within my points (okay, so I used up all of my flex points on Tuesday at book club, after Kitty trauma on Monday), and I am still going.

Yeah. I weighed in at 195 pounds. Two days post-vacation, but still...

I will take the bull by the horns, and try and win the contest. If nothing else, I will win by virtue of losing the weight.

~a

Kitty woes

Alex is getting old.

Well, she is almost 15 years old. And I have had her as a pet for about that long. My roommate (at the time) and I picked her up through a newspaper ad that was "free to a good home" in 1993.

So Monday night, I got home from work and she looked like she was in a pretty good funk, head hanging, that sort of thing. I was thinking it might be because she needed some food... I think she might be slowing down on the hard food somewhat, because it is getting more difficult to eat... just my thoughts. So she ate some, then laid down in the living room. I went for a run then, and when I came back, she was in the same spot.

She was walking funny, kind of uncoordinated, falling over, and he back all hunched up. We have not gotten a new vet since we moved (I know, bad kitty mom - but they don't really go outside...) so I called a place that is close. They were closing in 1/2 an hour and would not have time, so they told us to go to the emergency vet.

$600 some dollars later (x-rays, blood work, ultrasound, medication...) we went home. She has some small kidney stones, a bladder stone, racing heartbeat, perhaps something odd with her spine (hazy spot on the x-ray) that the vet there thought might be a tumor. And the start of a bladder infection. So we get pain medication and antibiotics.

Yeah. The cat hates the medications.

So I follow up as told with the "regular" vet who does not seem to think that there is anything wrong with her spine. But, she still has a really fast heartrate. Thinks that might be an overactive thyroid, and perhaps it caused her to throw a small clot which is affecting her legs. He did say that if she was a person, the equivalent heart rate would cause a medical provider to call an ambulance, and they would be admitted into the hospital until it was under control

More bloodwork, and she does have a slightly elevated thyroid level. But, there are no indications of cancer.

Yay. MORE medications.

But, she does seem to be moving around better now. She did miss and fall off of the bed on Sunday night, and that might be what is going on, to some extent.

But for now, she has been extra cuddly, even if I am "torturing" her twice a day to squirt medications down her throat, and now to stuff pills down her throat. I just wonder what is going to happen when I have to travel for work, and Eric has to take care of it...

She's my cat though, and when she was limping around on Tuesday, with me thinking she might have a tumor, I cried. I know things happens, but it is just so sad.

It's kind of taken up my whole week...

~a

Fuzz head

No, not because of a hangover, but I somehow managed to avoid that last week, somehow...

I took out the braids in my hair. And I am a big fuzz ball. I know, tourist thing to do, but I like getting my hair braided when I am on vacation in warmer climates.

And really, it had a purpose, because it kept my hair tamed when I was snorkling in the ocean.

It kind of sucks being back from vacation, but in other ways it is really nice. My own bed, which is queen sized rather than double. Seeing the cats. Not having to slather on sunscreen lest I burn my hide off (yes, very white girl here!)

But it was great to get away.

So the scoop:

Got up Friday the 15th - at 3am. It was -12 according to bank in downtown St. Paul. Get to the airport, on the plane. Slept some, read, etc. My friend (the one that arranged the trip for our group) cried when we landed because she was so happy to be on vacation. Customs, ride to hotel... rooms are not going to be ready for a couple of hours. So we went to the bar and had some beverages - because, of course, it was an all-inclusive resort! Met some people at the bar that we ended up hanging out with and doing stuff with all week...

So the seven of us got rooms all next to each other, which was great, even if they were on the 2nd floor. Dinner that evening in the Mexican restaurant, then off to bed.

Saturday - a day by the pool/ocean. It was funny watching one of the staff trying to recruit folks to go "stretch by the pool." My friend Kathy told him - "There is absolutely nothing that you can say or do to get me out of this lounge chair.... I am on vacation, and you might as well just walk away now." We had dinner at the Cuban resturant that night

Sunday - we decided to rent a Jeep, and explore some of the island when there were no cruize ships there. Looked at the San Gervais ruins. Tasted some Tequilla. Looked at the ocean on the Carribean side of the island. Had a couple of drinks at bars along the way. Got back 6-ish and then got ready to have dinner in town.

Monday - out again in the Jeep, since it was a 24-hour rental. A bit more traffic, and I'm glad that I got some practice driving the day before, since it was a little scarier. After we turned in the Jeep, we did some shopping in town. This is the day I got my hair braided. I got a really cool calla lilly vase. We got my dad a belt buckle as a present, but Eric really annoyed me because he would not let me bargain for it.... No kidding - he slapped me in the rear when I tried to make a counter offer. I was so relieved to have the Jeep dropped off, and a little irked because of the shopping, so when we got back I had a few too many beverages. I guess I poured myself into bed at about 7. I guess the phone rang to see if we wanted to go to dinner, but I don't remember it... I woke up around 3am, brushed my teeth, drank a bottle of water, and crawled back into bed. Suprisingly, I was not hung over in the morning.

Tuesday - three of us went to Chakkunab, which is a national park. A day of relaxing on the beach and snorkeling along the reefs there. Some really cool fish there. We had dinner in the Italian restaurant that night.

Wednesday - I went horseback riding in the morning with Betsy. Eric, Betsy and I caught the ferry to Playa del Carmen in the afternoon, where we did some more shopping. And when the same thing started to happen with the barganing, I took Eric aside and told him to quit it. Okay, so I yelled at him in front of the salesperson.... then we stepped aside to talk. When I told him that he was supposed to bargain, he said "Well, then I don't want to shop". Betsy had a bit of a chat with him, told him it was a game for the salespeople, and that if he liked something, he was supposed to hand it to me, and walk away. It worked! We got back around 8pm, had some dinner in the buffet, and watched the lunar eclipse.

Thursday - One of the folks we had met on Friday, had won a boat ride so we all piled onto this fabulous boat for a cruise up the coast up the island with a stop for snorkeling at an off-shore reef. REALLY cool fish there! Relaxing by the pool in the afternoon, and dinner again in the Mexican restaurant. Complaining about how we had to leave the next day.

Friday - *sniff* packing, and meeting in the lobby at 9:30 am to take a taxi to the airport. We upgraded to first class, so it was a little more bearable to go home, but still kind of sad.

It was fun, and relaxing, and gluttonous.... I bit the bullet and stepped on the scale this morning and was up about 10 pounds.

So, *thud* welcome back to reality.

Exercize and diet will commence...... tomorrow.

~a

The never ending week

I swear today was supposed to be Friday.

Spent the day in the office with a co-worker. It was kind of painful. He's trying to master pivot tables. Or something like that.

We have to run reports with huge batches of data, and do interpretation, etc. I started playing with the excel program probably a year ago, and now am trying to tell him how to sort things. He is not computer literate. He was having problems with cutting and pasting from one document to another. And with worksheets. Argh. I don't know how many times I have told him the same thing. And it does not seem to sink in.

Therefore, I didn't get a whole lot done today, after being out of the office for a couple of days. I suppose that's how the cookie crumbles, right?

That, and the exercise is just sucking this week. I was thinking I would go for a run yesterday after I got home.... When I stopped for gas in Alexandria, the weather was about perfect. But of course, it was another 2.5 hours before I got home, and by then the mood had left.

I set out clothes to work out this morning, but then I just could not drag my arse out of bed. So I packed clothes to go to the gym after work. And after all of the frustrations of the day, when it would have been perfect to go hit the treadmill, I just came home.

In one week, I will be on vacation, doing some last-minute packing for the trip to Mexico. I don't think it will ever get here.

Thank goodness tomorrow is Friday.
~a

Is is wrong?

Yeah, we leave for Mexico on the 15th.

I had it in the back of my mind that I wanted to lose some weight so I would look "better" in my swimsuits. Notice I didn't say "good"?

So anyway, I have been doing a crappy job of not eating all sorts of crap. I guess my heart is just not in it, and I have been taking the path of least resistance. Traveling, snackig, eating the "eh" food they provide at meetings (I work for a railroad. Men ordering food = meat, fat, starch and beer)

I thought to myself the other day that it wouldn't be that bad, since I will still be the smallest girl in the group. Lovely thought. I think any photos taken might be mistaken for diet incentives. Not to say that the folks I am traveling with are not lovely people, but we all struggle with our weight. Well, the women anyway. Is it wrong to think this way?

I know when we get there, we will have a blast, and I will not let anything keep me from going out and enjoying myself, but I am a little stressed/obsessed with it right now.

It didn't help that I overslept on Tuesday, so I didn't exercise, and this morning the treadmill in the hotel was out of order - but I still got on the stairstepper for 30 minutes. And then destroyed my good intentions by eating a large carmel roll.

I gotta give up this "screw it" attitude I have about food.

That will be all.
~a

An interesting turn of events...

Today has been weird.

Got up early this morning, because my work truck was at the office, and Eric had to drop me off this morning. It was there, because it would not start on Thursday when I got home from the mother of all road trips. (yeah, we were in Minot, ND when it was -24. Without the windchill. Seriously.) So I had to have a new battery put in it on Friday - but I had already driven to work, so I had a vehicle there.

So in the office, I'm about the first one there. Getting geared up for my three Monday conference calls, coffee, e-mail, etc. Someone walks by my cube and says "I see you won some money!" My reply: "Really?!?!" We had a pool at the office - put your name on a spot, pay $5, then they draw numbers. The guy that was running the pool told me on Friday that the numbers were up. I said okay. He wondered if I wanted to look at what I had. I told him why bother - it's not like I could do anything about them.... okay, so he thought I was weird. But - I had the correct numbers for the half and the third quarter, so I won $60.

After my calls, I got on my bank website, to see that I have a pending charge from Zappos"dot"com. For $241 and change. Um, I didn't order anything.... so I call them up to ask about it. They were actually really nice about it - great customer service for a person who was not purchasing anything. They cancelled the order (it was placed late at night on Sunday) and told me to call my bank to tell them my card number had been compromised.

So I called my bank to get a new check card number. And there's paperwork I will need to fill out - but I just checked and the charge has been removed. I'm wondering if they had just entered in the card number wrong, but better safe than sorry, right?

Then it was home to grab my suitcase, and head out again to North Dakota. I seem to be here way too much lately.

I stopped on the way to pick up something to munch on, because the soy nuts and carrots were not quite doing it for me. I did pretty well though - I avoided the cheddar puffcorn I like so much, and got sugar snap peas, some flat earth chips, Diet green tea, some 80% cacao dark chocolate squares, light string cheese, and gum. No I didn't eat/drink all of it, but I was content, had the salt and sweet and crunch I wanted, and was pretty healthy about it.

And the best part of the evening: I didn't slide into the ditch. Between Fargo and Valley City, it was kind of scary - I fishtailed across both lanes of the freeway for about 150 feet, where I could see the tow truck and the other car in the ditch.... but I kept turning the steering wheel, and I didn't hit the brakes, and kept trying to steer in the right direction.

Yikes.

Nothing like sliding on the freeway to get the blood pumping.

So I drove 45 - 50 mph the rest of the way. And I got here in one piece.

Hopefully tomorrow will be less eventful.

~a

Activity

let's see...

this week, I did 10 min on the treadmill and lifted weights on Monday. Tuesday morning I biked for 30 minutes. Took the day off on Wednesday. Thursday I did 35 min on the bike in the mornng, then ran 15 minutes and lifted weights in the afternoon. Friday I went rock climbing.
Saturday, I ran 5.3 miles in an hour, and today I cross-country skiied for about 45 minutes.

So why am I up 5 pounds?

Oh yeah... perhaps it is all the freaking crap I have been eating.

Sigh. I don't know if I will ever get it all together. I like being active.... I really did well with the run on Saturday. I have not run more than 4 miles since August. And my knee has not hurt since then either.

I just know I'm not going to be able to log the miles I need to if I want to run that marathon in the fall... if I don't take some weight off. There's a reason most marathoners are not heavy. It's really hard on the joints.

In a bit of an aside - cross country skiing today was lots of fun. It was a beautiful day for it. Although there were a few things that were a bit of a bother - such as Kare 11 was doing an event in conjunction with the Winter Carnival, where all of the activities at Como were free, so everybody showed up with their kids to partake of the free downhill skiing and snowboarding, and the rental are was a complete zoo. That and rental equipment sucks. The ski boot I had on had been worn through at the heel, and the plastic part that keeps the back stiff, rubbed a goodly portion of skin off of my heel, and the point of that piece dug in too. Let's just hope it won't rub too badly in my running shoe.

Next week is going to be a joy of traveling. Not. Let's see, I will not be driving all of it, but the "tour" will be by car. We will hit Alexandria, MN on Monday, then drive to TRFalls to stay the night there. Meeting in the morning, then a drive to Minot. Meeting in Minot in the morning then we drive to Jamestown, ND, for a meeting Thrusday in Valley City. Then home. Not really looking forward to it, because I know the food choices will be pretty miserable. And I don't know how much exercising I will be able to do.

Anyway, this afternoon is laundry, and getting packed and ready for the week.

~a

Stasis

That's what I feel like right now.

I know what I need to do, and I have good days, but then I have a string of really crap days.

The Good:
I exercised six days in a row. 3 days of a warmup and weightlifting, and 3 days of cardio. Intermixed, of course. The best part was the run on the 6th day - with my running group. We just wanted to do an easy 3.5 miles, so pacing ourselves with 12-minute miles... I think I talked the entire time. Gab, gab, gab. Running, yet conversing like I was out walking. Honestly, it was really cool.

Yeah, so last week, I exercised two days.

I suppose the loads and loads of laundry and cleaning the house count as exercise, but it's not the same thing.

I had four days off of work - putzing and getting things ready for our 11th annual "Thank God the Holidays are Over" Party. Which was Friday. I ate and drank and was merry with all of our guests. It was a lot of fun.

Then Saturday, I did a one block fun run. Does that count as exercise? It also included sitting in a bar drinking bloody marys starting at 9:30... Then home for a long nap, and nothing else for the day.

Sunday, a big fat nothing. I sat my ass on the couch in front of the TV, working on a cross-stitch project. With a little recreational eating and drinking thrown in for good measure.

One good week, one bad week... thus the stasis, on the scale that is.

We are going to Mexico on Feb 15th. I know it's an excuse to lose weight so you look "good" but really... I'm not even doing that.

I just need to string a couple more good days together. So today, I was back at the gym, lifting some weights, and I got out the bike and trainer - So I can do that before I go to work tomorrow.

It all stars with a plan, right? Now if I can just follow it...

~a

Join the hordes

Okay, so I admit it. I went to the gym today.

I downloaded a free two-month pass to Bally's. What the heck. I know I cancelled my Y membership last year because I didn't feel like I was using it enough, but it sure is kind of nice in the winter months.

So the guy who was showing me around the place asked me what my goals were. Honestly, I am using the free membership to get in some weight training. He was kind of impressed when I told him that my goal was to run the TC marathon in October. And that I couldn't run in 2007 because of a knee thing, and that I wanted to lose some weight to get it off of my knees. And I have the cardio stuff at home, but I wanted to do strenght training. So he started telling me about how you need a balance.... yadda yadda. Until I interrupted him and told him that I used to sell exercise equipment. He stopped touting the benefits at that point, and tried to get me to sign up for a membership. It's actually pretty reasonable, but again, one of the reasons I cancelled the Y membership is that there were not facilities in the places to which I travel on a regular basis: Like North Dakota, and Thief River Falls.

So I did some strengh training today. For like, the first time in eons. I felt like I didn't know what I was doing.

So the plan is, talk to my friend who does a lot of training, and get some recommended exercises. Write them down, and bring them with me next time I go.

Which IS going to be on Wednesday.

And hey - I've had 80 oz of water so far today...

Tomorrow, I shall conquer the bike in my basement.

~a

"I didn't hear the furnace turn on this morning"

That's the first thing that my DH said to me this morning... so as he got out of bed to look at the thermostat, I stuck my bare toes out the side of the bed, to see if the radiator was warm.

It was.

It was just freakishly cold this morning.

It was an uneventful new year's eve. We were not lame like last year, and actually went out instead of crawling into bed at 10 pm. We went to a friend's house, and hung out with a bunch of people... pretty low key. All I had to drink (well, alcholic) was a bit of champaigne at midnight. Which is why it really sucked to wake up in the morning feeling hungover.

I have a head cold. My sinuses are plugged, and I have the mother of all sinus headaches. To top it off, I have the tail end of a cold sore, and pink eye. Such a wonderful start to the year!

And I suppose I should talk about resolutions, since it is that time of the year. Not too much to talk about actually. I think the major one for me is to drink enough water. I was getting headaches around Christmas, and figured out it was because I had not been drinking enough plain water. That, and I will continue to make my bed in the morning. I had that as a resolution two years ago, and it makes me happy to see the bed nice and made, and nicer to crawl in to at night!

Okay, so I am going to try and get back to my goal weight too... I am trying out a new tracking program that my doctor suggested. We'll see if it is a shiny new toy.

Well, off to find some dinner.
~a

Anything that can go wrong...

It's been an interesting week. Both good and bad...

On the 23rd, as I was gearing up to have my dad's side of the family over for Christmas, I saw that I had gotten a phone call on my work cell phone. From a number I knew was our communications center... so I called the on-call person, and found out that we had had a derailment in North Dakota.

Packed myself up, left my hubby with instructions on what to do for the evening (my parents were going to come help...) and hit the road. The road conditions were terrible. I had a discussion with my parents, and we decided to cancel Christmas.

Has anyone really had to cancel Christmas? Yep. That was me.

But on the upside - the cleanup went really quickly, and I was able to get to my parent's house by 4pm on Christmas Eve (after 6 hours of driving - stopping only once to pee, and once to get gas) to enjoy time with my mom's side of the family. Eric and I had reserved a hotel room for the evening, so when we got there we invited the kids that were there to swim in the pool to expend some of their energy before the evening's festivities. There were 22 people there in all. It was a nice evening, if a bit chaotic.

My husband got me a gift that I really liked: a trainer for my bicycle. So now I can bike inside during the winter!

Christmas day, we were at my mother-in-law's house. Both of his sisters were there, along with aunts and cousins, and my stepchildren. Again, a nice time, but I headed out shortly after dinner, since I hadn't been home in a while. They tried to make me feel guilty for leaving, but since I still had my work vehicle, Eric stayed to be social for a while longer.

The roads on the way home were not fun, but I did get home safely.

Yesterday, my stepdaughter and husband had spent the night, so instead of getting up early to brave the shopping, we had a nice relaxing morning. I really like my son-in-law. He has a good head on his shoulders, and really appreciates my stepdaughter. Unlike her last "husband". Yep. She's 24, and is on her second marriage. I think this one is a keeper!

This morning, still on vacation, I got out of the house at about 7:45 to move my work truck because of the snow emergency. Of course the *^#%* thing would not start. And we are one of the streets that pretty much gets plowed at 8am. So, I called the maintenance service, and got the truck towed away to get it repaired. But not before the snow plow plowed it in. Woo hoo. So good person that I am, I shoveled the snow ridge from the street. Then I came in, and stepped in cat barf. Lovely, but there were 4 different spots this morning. Evidently, he has an upset stomach. And he hasn't even been eating all of the decadent Christmas treats!

And on the scedule for the afternoon, getting the house ready for people to come over for dinner tonight. And laundry.

Just pray that we don't have a derailment.
~a

Banana bread or Biscotti?

It's that time of the year. I have people asking me if it's going to happen again...

Around the Christmas holidays for the past four years, I have been making small loaves of banana bread, and biscotti, and giving them out to the people in my office the day before the Christmas holidays begin. Well, since tomorrow is my last day before I am on vacation until January (WOO HOO), I am bringing in the treats tomorrow. I have 11 loaves of bread, and 14 packages of biscotti all packaged up in holiday treat bags, and ready to grab as I am out the door.

I love Christmas. I love the lights, and the festive spirit, and getting together with friends and family.

Tonight I met up with my running group to do a "Christmas lights" run down Summit Avenue. Not a lot of lights up, but it was a great night, and I was more than happy that I kept up with the people I was running with, with no problem at all. I always feel like I am the slow person in the group. But not tonight. I was right there with everyone.

I don't know what it is, but when I am running on a regular basis, all seems right with my world. Even if I weigh more than I think I should. It's all good. I am strong, healthy, and in shape, and that's all that really matters.

~a

I choose

This has become my new mantra.

I choose. I choose to eat or not eat things. I choose to exercise. I choose to sleep in. I feel so much more in control of things, and much more at peace with things.

Two more days of work until I am off until the end of the year. I am so looking forward to it!

Running has been going pretty well lately. Last week, I met with my running group to run at the Dome on Thursday and to run Calhoun on Saturday. It was about 2 degrees on Saturday morning, but it was still great. I will have to say I am a much happier person when I go running. I suppose this makes me a runner. Scary.

Anyway, just doing stuff around the house getting ready for Christmas. Baking, cleaning, decorating, finishing christmas presents... we are doing the lower budget christmas this year: I am using hotel points for gift certificates for some, and making presents (scarves, mittens, hats, crocheted washcloths...) for others. Plus I got a lot of gifts before Thanksgiving.

The other major thing on the agenda this week is getting out the Christmas cards.

I feel boring, but things are actually going pretty well. I feel at peace, and I had a review with my boss on Friday that made me happy. We'll just have to see what the new year brings!

~a

Yikes

I don't want to have to buy pants. I sat in a meeting last Thursday, hating the fact that a pair of pants that had always been kind of loose on me were feeling pretty snug around my ass and my thighs.

But what am I doing about it? Not much. I did go running on Thursday at the Metrodome - a local running association has it set up so you can run in circles there, for the bargain price of $1, with free parking. My running group is planning on doing that on every Thursday it is open - let's hope I can continue, because I think it's awesome.

I spent the weekend at my sister's house, baking cookies with her and my nieces. I think we ended up with about 20 dozen - Biscotti, Oatmeal cookies, Sugar cookie cutouts, and gingerbread people. I ate a few. And drank some wine.

My husband asked me what my favorite part of the weekend was - I told him what it wasn't: The 87 or so temper tantrums my youngest niece threw. I guess she is doing better, but she is still kind of cranky about her dad being hurt. It's not his fault, but try reasoning with an 8-year old.

I'm in Milwaukee for a couple of days for work. Glamourous! Hopefully I will be able to hop on the treadmill here at the hotel. I packed food, and stopped at Trader Joe's for some healthy snacks. I just have to remember not to eat them all! On the drive down, I stopped at a Target to use their restroom, and I tried on a couple of pairs of pants, to see if I should get an inexpensive larger pair to get me through my pants woes. They didn't fit. And I need to get down to the underlying problem - my expanding waistline and rear end.

I never thought I would be one of those people who lost weight, then gained it back. But when I look down at the scale, I am seeing a scarier and scarier number on the scale. I should go back to WW, but I am making excuses - too much $, it does not fit into my schedule, blah, blah, blah. Obviously, what I am doing is not appearing to work. At one point this year, I was down to 175. I want to get back there. I had thought about trying to get there by Christmas, but that is just not going to happen. And it is nobody's fault but my own.

I know, eat less, move more. If only it were that simple.

Anyway, I need to get ready for my meetings.
~a

Are you pondering what I'm pondering?

I think so Brain, but if we get Sam Spade, we'll never have any puppies! (you need to read it out loud...)

Okay, so I caught an episode of Pinky and the Brain the other day. I hate to admit it, but that is one thing my ex-boyfriend got me started on that I still enjoy.

I threw out a picture of him (with me) yesterday. It was taken at my friend's wedding when I was a bridesmaid, and had resided in a small picture frame I had on one of my shelves. Facedown, so I wouldn't look at it. I'm not sure why I didn't do it a long time ago. Other than the fact that I was telling myself I kept it because of what I looked like. But I hated the dress (I actually had to change my hair color because it clashed too badly with the dress), it was pepto pink with poofy sleeves, a big bow on the but and a sweetheart neckline. I think the goal of some folks in picking out bridesmaid dresses is to get them to all look like crap, so you look better. Just a theory.

I actually googled my ex the other day. From a hotel so he wouln't know that it was actually me, 'cause he is the ultimate techno geek. It appears that he and his wife had a baby. Still kind of makes me angry - but he did tell me when we were breaking up that he could see himself having kids, just not with me. Hateful and hurtful all at the same time!

It makes me glad for what I have now.

I think that's all the pondering I have the energy for tonight. Tomorrow will be a long fucking day. Not really looking forward to it, but what can you do?

~a

Again, not dead...

I just feel like I don't have lots and lots to say.

Weightloss? What's that?

I did step on the scale the other day and scared myself. But yet, I am not doing much to reverse the situation.

Well, let me step back a little. I saw the scary number on the scale, and started counting points again, and doing small amounts of exercise (30 min on the NordicTrack, 3-mile run...) And I was hungry - no lie - for two days straight. I HATE feeling hungry. And it's not like I was eating crap with no substance. And I was snacking on raw veggies and fruit. So, the counting, again, got thrown out the window.

Hi. My name is Anneke. And I have no enthusiasm for the whole weightloss thing right now.

It's also kind of weird, as we have been told at work that there is no overnight travel until the end of the year. As I kept telling people this weekend, I have been at home for the last three weeks, and I am not sure what to do with myself. I will have to say, I have done a lot of stuff in the kitchen, putting together veggie dishes, soups, appetizers, banana bread, and using up all of the space in the freezer, and utilizing pretty much all of the veggies from my farm share.

I have the healty food to eat, I just have to cut out the ice cream, and pie, and brownies, and candy.

Yesterday and today are days of cleaning. In some ways I am avoiding my work computer and the information I need to put together for meetings next week. But it needed to get done. I have cleaned the bathroom (including taking a old toothbrush to the faucet to remove the crud around the bottom) Cleaned, vacuumed, dusted, swiffered the bedroom, office, hallway (dusted the pictures...) and living room, and vacuumed the cat hair off the couches. Brought 3 bags of clothing to Goodwill. Put up some pictures in the guest bedroom that have been on a shelf in a closet since we moved (over three years ago).

Eric has been doing good too with trying to get things straightened/organized. He watched the Oprah show about the hoarding, and came to realize that he is doing some of that... and he has actually made an effort to get some of the halfway finished projects done, and get tools and other materials into a real storage area. I keep telling him if he gets things put away, he will be able to find them later. I think he might have reaized that this is actually pretty true, and he needs to do a better job.

Although some of that might be that I have been home and keep bugging him to get some stuff done.

Anyway, It has been a nice Thanksgiving - it was fairly relaxing, got plenty of rest. And the house is cleaner than it has been in months.

Perhaps I will get in more exercise next week. Can't have everything all at the same time, can we?

~a

Nesting

I feel kind of in that mode right now.

I want to get the house/garage/basement in order. I live with a man who's idea of comfortable is a bit different than mine.

Namely: Clutter is just fine.

Okay, he just looked over my shoulder and asked "What's all over?"

My reply: Stuff all over the bedroom, stuff all over the office, stuff all over the dining room table, stuff all over the kitchen counter, stuff all over the coffee table, boxes of crap that are falling apart in the garage...

And then he gets a little pissy.

"um, you asked what I meant..."

"yeah but the list didn't need to be that long!"

"but it is that long!"

I have no plans for this weekend, other than I am scheduled to donate blood on Saturday morning. I hope to get the house cleaned, laundry washed, sheets on the bed changed, and to cook up a bunch of dishes and soups with the veggies from my farm share. Oh, and I want to finish putting the fringe on the afgahn that I am making for some friends of ours that got married in September. Yeah, I know, but of the three weddings we had in three months, I finished two of the afgahns.

I also hope to unearth the oriental rug I have in the garage so I can get it to the cleaner's. I want to put it in the guest bedroom.

Oh, and I am planning on doing some exercise. I have actually NordicTracked twice this week, and I want to continue the streak. I signed up for a 5K that is on the 18th. Not that I am sure I will run the whole thing, but I really like this race. Yeah, won't be getting a PR this time, but that's just fine with me.

Anyway, I think I am going to go find my husband and convince him we need to go to happy hour.

~a

Does he do it on purpose?

I sent my husband to the grocery store last night. With a list. And I also made sure to show him the grocery ad to show him what he needed to buy, and to explain the list.

He didn't listen to me.

I put "Light microwave popcorn" on the list.
He bought:

• Light Kettle Corn
• Movie Butter mini-bags
• Butter popcorn
• Natural Buttery salt and cracked pepper mini-bags (um, yuk...)

I also gave him a coupon for hot pockets. For two. He bought 8, because they were 5 for $10, and he thought he had to buy that many to get the price....

He also bought a spice that we had purchased last time we had been at the grocery store, when we had gone together.

I had given him some cash that should have covered the items on the list, but with all of the stuff he bought extra, he went over, and put it all on a credit card - which I have been telling him NOT to use the credit cards, as I want them PAID OFF so we can concentrate on getting our home equity loan paid down.... "Well, I gave you the cash back...." Minus some money he used because he was short (he's on an allowance, because he overspends, even if he is given limits - another story)

I asked him this morning if he screwed up on purpose, so I wouldn't send him to the grocery store again. He said that it wasn't intentional, but it sounded like a good idea.

I love him, but he just doesn't get it sometimes.

I'm just a bit frustrated with him right now.

Yargh.

~a

Making the rounds.

That's what's going on this week.

Going from place to place with a couple of women from work, putting on health fairs Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Got to look at a BMI chart today at the health fair. Yippee. I know those things just don't take into account muscle, but it is still depressing to know that according to the chart, I am overweight, bordering on obese. But, I still don't have issues telling people how much I weigh. It's a number. And I weigh a lot more than what I look like.

It would, however, be nice to weigh less. And have my clothes fit better. I also think it would help immensely with my running. Like less pounding on the knee.

Eric and I went to an apple orchard on Sunday last weekend. It was nice to get out and do a "couples" thing together, with just the two of us. Seems like when we are home together over the weekend, we get busy with projects, and I just don't seem to see enough of him!

Anyway, my point .... there had been a 5-mile race at the orchard the day before (Saturday) and I know some folks with my running group were planning on running. But when I saw the posting up while we were there, I got kind of teary.

I want to run. But I am scared of what will happen. And talking to Eric, telling that I was thinking about running, he started getting concerned. I can't push it.

So I brought stuff with me on this trip to go walking. I walked for 50 minutes last night, and for an hour tonight. It sure clears up some of the cobwebs.

And on Monday, I started journalling again. And when the two women I am traveling with broke out candy bars for snacks yesterday, I broke out the cauliflower I had brought with me. They told me I was being too healthy. Um, we are out here putting on health fairs....

Yep, so I am again trying to follow the WW program. I don't plan on going to meetings, because, honestly, they just don't fit into my schedule - really the only day I can go is Saturday, and I would much rather go out with my running group (well, when I am actually running) than sit in a meeting room, trading ideas about food and coping strategies with a bunch of mommies. Not that there is anything wrong with being a mom, but I just don't fit into that group. And this Saturday I am going to be a course marshall for a local half marathon - the Monster Dash. I will be on the corner of Bryant and Minnehaha, if anyone is interested in coming out to visit, and cheer on the runners!

Anyhoo, I have an early morning - my ride will be leaving the hotel here at 6:45, and I did not sleep well in the hotel last night.

toodles
~a

Still alive

But don't really feel like I have much to talk about.

But I keep telling myself that I am glad that I could not run the marathon on Sunday. Talking to my husband (who is a race official) they were about two degrees from calling the race off.

I guess it was somewhat a comedy of errors at the finish line. Some of the things he was complaining about:

• The large clock at the finish never worked. They tried and tried, but it must have not gotten charged up properly after the Saturday events.
• They didn't have the usual aluminum finish line tape (I was hoping to get some for a couple of friends who were running), but instead, had some duct tape that Eric said was not even sticking to itself.
• Eric asked for a ladder so he could reach the timing clock at the finish. They got him a 6-foot ladder when he needed at least a 12-foot ladder. I told him that was his fault for not being more specific!
• The ran out of lunch/food for the volunteers at the finish, and had to call to get some pizzas delivered.
• The 10-milers used up all of the water on the last part of the course. They had to call out an extra "emergency" Chippewa water truck to get more water on the course.
• They ran out of T-shirts for the 10-mile race
• They almost ran out of kitty litter in the finish area. Kitty Litter? Um, yeah, there were more people than usual throwing up after they finished....
• It was fucking hot.

And that's what I remember right now.

Good times.

~a

All sorts of randomness

So how's life?

Mine feels like it has somehow gone bezerk, then ground to a halt.

And this is what has been going on:

• because I can't run, somehow, I thought I would just not exercise. at all. Very very bad idea. no exercise means very cranky Anneke.
• Eric and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary on Saturday. I felt like I had not seen him for a month, and it was kind of weird "getting to know" him again. Seriously. Between the state fair, my trip to my sister's, his weekend trip to a fishing tourney in Brainerd, my work travel, his week of fishing in Canada.... You will be happy to know we still like each other!
• After figuring out what had made me so cranky last Friday, I went for a walk. 5 miles. It was really good - except for the guy who decided he needed to honk his horn and flip me off (and the person who was just ahead of me who was jogging) as we were both on the side of the road. Hello - show me where there is a sidewalk in that particular 50 feet, and I will use it....
• Friday at work was just a prize. I pretty much got into an argument with someone on a conference call, because he thought I should be doing something that is not my responsibility. Something that my boss has repeatedly told people that it is not my responsibility. It is a supplier issue. Not a safety issue. Yeah, I hate to admit it, but I threw a pretty good tantrum at work, slammed a door (and EVERYONE in the office heard it) and left early because I had horrible heartburn. I don't get mad real often, but I guess it is worth the price of admission.
• I had a job interview a couple of weeks ago. The hiring manager called me on Saturday to tell me that even though I was well qualified, and that I interviewed really well, I didn't get the job. Makes me wonder if they had someone already picked to fill the job before they did the interviews, because he asked that if they had a similar position open up elsewhere, would I consider relocating?
• Sunday was about a perfect day. We visited some friends of Eric's at their cabin, and I got to do my most favorite thing in the world - sit on the deck in the morning with a cup of coffee, looking over the lake.
• We had a friend of Eric's stay with us on Friday night, and he was doing the usual getting to know you thing, and he asked me if there was anything else that he should really know about me. I told him I was pretty much a homebody at heart. It makes me feel so good to have a clean house, laundry all done, and a fabulous dinner on the table for guests.
• I got rear-ended yesterday on my way home from work. I was stopping behind a line of cars that were stopped at a light, and knew the person behind me was going to hit me. I pretty much stood on the brakes after I got hit to avoid hitting the car in front of me - I was successful. So we pull off the road, and this guy comes over to say he saw the whole thing, he was a witness. The lady that hit me tried to say that I had stopped quickly in front of her, but both this guy and I said that she had been following to close/going too fast - her reply "so it's all my fault then?" Why yes, it was.... Even though she hit me, I did not hit the car in front of me. And she was the one that got the ticket, not me. It's my company vehicle, so now I get to deal with all of our company paperwork, and insurance, and repairs and such. Oh, yeah, and I'm fine.

So that's pretty much the update.

That, and I need to work on losing weight again, I can tell... my arms start going to sleep at night when I am in bed, and I am starting to have some heartburn issues. Good times. Now where on earth did I stash that motivation?

~a

Knee news

Well, there is nothing REALLY wrong.

It's kind of an irritation or something similar with the meniscus of my knee.

It's not torn, but with all of the pounding associating with the running I have been doing, the ortho said it was getting "spongy" and - the best description I can say is - wrinkled, and that is what is causing the pain. It is not torn. There is a surgery that can remove the portion of the cushioning (meniscus) which may alleviate the pain, if I was a "dedicated marathoner" but as I am just hoping to run one.... I don't want to have to go through the surgery.

The doctor said the marathon this fall is out - I should try and see if it heals by not running for anywhere from 6 weeks to 3 months. He said that pretty much trying to run Grandma's in the spring is out, but I might be able to train up for the marathon next year.

I got a elecronic newsletter from the TC marathon today, and at the end of it is a picture of the finisher's medal. I looked at it, and teared up, knowing I will not be getting mine in October.

It sucks.

But, I need to accept it and move on. Better to be able to walk for the rest of my life, and to try again next year. It's not like I have not accomplished anything this year - have run further in one day than ever before. I just need to be smart, and not try to over do it.

And I need to drop some weight, so I don't have that much more on my knees.

So that's the plan. Walk, bike, lose weight, and aim for a marathon in a year.

~a

I would rather have my toenails pulled out

I was home last night, putzing on the computer when the phone rang.

I didn't recognize the number, but I picked it up anyway. The person on the other end of the phone asked for my husband.

Me: may I ask who is calling?
him: This is ---- from ---- I am calling about a entry form that Eric filled out at Bass Pro Shops.
me: Is this about a time share presentation?
him: yes, and a vacation
me: well, you already called, and we said we were not interested
him: what was the reason you were not interested in the vacation deal?
me: I told my husband that I would rather have my toenails pulled out than to sit through another timeshare presentation
him: okay then..... thanks

and then I hear him trying not to burst out laughing as he is disconnecting the call.

You would think they would take us off the list. How more point blank can I be?

And among other assorted news:

I had an MRI on my knee this morning. I have an appointment with the orthopaedist on Friday to go over the results. I also need to bring him my running shoes. At this point, I am kind of scared to go running, for fear of damaging something. I might go for a walk though. I love this time of year, when it's about 55 to 60 degrees in the morning, and it is just envigorating. It is quite sad that I won't be running tomorrow morning at 5am.

I talked to my brother-in-law tonight. I wanted to see if he had any words of wisdom, as I have a job interview tomorrow morning, with the company he currently works for (well, of course he is off on medical right now...). He had some good things to say, and I can really tell that he is making more progress. He got out of the inpatient rehab, and is now at home each night, and I think that is really good for him, and much better for my nieces. My parents are staying with them, so they have been driving him back and forth to the rehab each day, so my sister can work and take care of other things. He is still not back to what he was, and perhaps will never be completely back, but he is continuing to make good progress.

And that's what's up here.

~a

PSA - don't make regrets necessary

It's been kind of a shocking couple of days.

I found out on Friday that a friend of mine had killed himself on the 6th. It is just so sad.

The funeral service was today, and I am glad that I was able to make it. It was also sad, because I think one of the last few times I had seen my friend was when he had gotten married in the same church. I guess I had been closer to his wife/widow, but we had all kind of gone our own ways in the last couple of years.

The group of us knew each other from working in a haunted house that is no longer running. And we all talked about how we should have gotten together before this. It was nice seeing folks, but also so incredibly sad that we have not all seen each other in years, and have not kept touch.

The priest talked about how his family and friends would be thinking about the "could have, should have, would haves" but there is nothing to do but get past that, because what is done is done. But it still makes me wonder what would have happened if we had all stayed in touch and had that camaraderie and support that he evidently needed.

So, don't make those regrets necessary. Make sure you let the people that are important to you know they are important. In this day and age there is no excuse for not staying in touch... how much effort does it really take to sent an e-mail, or to make a phone call?

~a

Ouch.

A friend of mine sent me a note yesterday, to wish me a happy birthday (yes, I turned 37 yesterday) and to ask me if I was running on Saturday.

I'm not running for two reasons -

1. The group meets at 8, and I am volunteering at the Renaissance Festival, and need to be there at 9:30. With the hour drive, I would not be able to make it.
2. Because I'm not running. At all. It hurts. And it really makes me sad.

Do you know how much I would cry if I could not run any more? There is absolutely nothing like a runner's high, and the tired exhaultation you have after going for a long run. You have to be a runner to understand. I guess this means I am a runner.

So, here's the story... I went to the PT on Friday (8/31) and since I was still having pain, and worse than it was before, she said it was time to go to the Ortho. But, I should still do the activities (cardio) that did not hurt me, to keep in shape - if there was something simple I might still be able to attempt the marathon. So I got on the NordicTrack bright and early Saturday morning. 75 minutes, and 8 miles.

And the knee hurt. Not while I was exercising. But that day, just walking around. And it hurt the next day, to the point where I was walking without bending my knee at all, because it hurt. And the next day, it was giving me pain while I was driving.

Something is definately off.

I have an appointment with the Ortho on Monday. We'll have to see what happens.

MIA

I feel like I have been gone for weeks.

But, in reality, it has been only a week. I went to visit my sister in Oklahoma for a week, to help her around the house with the kids, and with my BIL. And he is doing much better. I helped to get him moved to a new facility on Friday. He's out of the hospital, and in a rehab place that specializes in treating people with brain injuries. He seems to be doing so much better, I won't be suprised if he gets "kicked out" in a few weeks... they say the "usual" length of stay there is 2 months, but I don't see him being there that long.

It will be good for him, but it's really kind of a depressing place - since it is for people who have had brain injuries, it's pretty much locked down, so people won't wander off, or try to "escape" as they put it. There are very strict visiting hours, and you are not allowed visitors outside of those hours. One of the main reasons he is staying, is that it would be about a 45 minute drive (one way) to get him there, and to pick him up, and my sister would have to drive since he can't do that yet. But, once they get him sorted out and evaluated, hopefully he will be able to be home on the weekends.

So that was a lot of my vacation. Sitting in the hospital. Taking my nieces to the movies (Underdog), cooking food for my sister, and other general laziness.

I drove down there on the 17th (well to Kansas City, and stayed with a friend). I went for a run Saturday morning - 3 miles, and it was awful. Hot, knee hurt, and I had to stop at a 7-11 to use the bathroom in the middle of my run. I planned to do a long run on Sunday... and I got out at 5:15am with my new Garmin (new toy!), and went 1/4 of a mile before my knee started screaming at me.

as in "bitch - what the hell are you trying to do to me?"

So I went back to the house and crawled into bed, and went back to sleep.

The only exercise I got all week, was a bike ride on Thursday. Okay, so I went 17.5 miles, and was out for about an hour and 20 minutes...

But that's it for the week. 'Cause my knee has been bad. Like hurts to walk down the hall bad. Not sure what's up.

Oh yeah, and I stepped on the scale this morning, and I gained 5 pounds. Happy vacation!

~a

She moves, she grooves...

Is it really Friday again?



I feel like I have been in over my head, a bit. Marathon training sure sucks up a lot of time!



Not that I am complaining. I love the way I just clear my head, and am able to really think about nothing when I run. It's definately a sanity check.



So an update on life... I actually talked to my BIL on the phone on Monday. I guess he babbles quite a bit! He told me that he gets confused if he has to think about a lot of things. He did remember that I work for the railroad, after I told him I had gone for a train ride. But, he also told me that he had gotten hit several times, (and I can hear my sister in the background say "No...."), then he revised it to, he got hit in several places, (and again my sister says "no...."), then he says, that he had many injuries.



After work, I met up with a friend of mine, and we went cruising around in the convertable - down Summit Ave, north on East River Road, across the river at Franklin, then south on West River Parkway to Minnehaha Falls. We had a great time enjoying the wind in our hair, looking at all of the houses, and just plain relaxing!



Tuesday was a pretty low-key day. Got up early and hopped on the NordicTrack for an hour, off to meetings at the yard, then back home to work on some reports. The evening was spent running some errands, and to bed early.



Wednesday, I got up at 4:45 am. Went for a 7.5 mile run. No earth shattering pace, but it was fun to be up and out of the house in the still of the morning, and I was able to see the sunrise over Lake Phalen. It was also a day of driving. I drove to Superior for a meeting, then headed to Fargo where I was staying the night. I had packed food with me, and for supper, I found a park, and ate my salad with turkey, parmesan and pine nuts at a picinic table. It was a nice break during my drive.



Thursday, meetings until noon or so in Fargo, then it was the drive back in the afternoon, so I could make it to my next physical therapy appointment. Things with the knee are going pretty well, actually. I am having a lot less pain, and as long as I am keeping up the exercises, I think I will be able to keep up the training.



And this morning was pretty good. Eric was up and out to work early (left the house at 5:30), so I got up and dressed, and was running at 6:00. 3 miles was on the schedule, so that's what I did... in 28:37. Yep, that's right! under 30 minutes for 3 miles. I wanted to push and see what I could do. I started the timer, and didn't look at it until after I had stopped it after my 3 miles. Yay me! It kind of makes me want to sign up for a 5K, to see if I can get a PR... but I have kind of decided that I will be sticking to the training schedule, and not running any races until the marathon.



Tomorrow, I will do 10 miles. Then, my mom will be here, we are going to get our hair cut, then go shopping.

Anyway, that's the skinny.
~a

Weekend running

I think I was dehydrated. Or under fueled. My run on Saturday knocked me on my ass.

Shall we start with: Friday night I went with my husband to his 30-year class reunion (yes, he's old...) There was no meal, so I ate quite a few slices of turkey wrap, mini-egg rolls, and shrimp on cucumber slices. And four glasses of wine. I was at a class reunion that was not mine after all.... I actually chatted quite a bit with another of the spouses. I kept telling her I was eating so I would be able to run the next morning. She, and others were impressed.

Anyway, we got home somewhere around midnight, and 5am came awfully early. I had planned to get in about 10 miles, then meet the running group, and do another 8 after that. Yeah. I was not able to get myself going that quickly... I ended up doing 6 miles (out and back) in about an hour and 10 minutes, then I did another 10. I'm glad I made the decision to turn around at the 5-mile mark instead of doing a 13-mile loop that I had considered.

It was hard. I sucked down all of the water I had brought with me, and went through 2 packages of sport beans. And at the end, my ass was dragging. but I did the 16. Further than I have ever run before! I thought it would be emotional, like my 15-miler, but I was honestly too tired to do anything but go home.

I ended up taking a 3-hour nap on Saturday, and never really woke up before heading to bed at 9pm.

Note to self: Better pre-run nutrition, and less pre-run alcohol.

I will get up to 20 miles sometime in this training... and I will finish the 26.

It all begins with the first step. And I have taken many.
~a

I wasn't on the bridge...

In case you were all wondering.

Instead, I was shopping for a dress. With my husband. We heard about it when we were making our purchase. We then went to get something to eat at Applebees, and to gawk at the television.

Yikes.

Otherwise, It was a pretty good day - I got up at 5 and ran my 8 miles, had work meetings, then stopped at my parents house and borrowed my dad's Mustang convertable, and got home to go shopping with my DH. The knee is a little sore, but not anything terrible or unbearable.

That's all I've got at this time. Kind of a watch and wait situation.
~a