I love cars!

It bodes well for me that I am a car girl since I live and work in the Detroit area. Today, I joined one of my GM clients to their all-employee meeting out at the GM proving grounds. I was super excited, because we were going to have the opportunity to drive a bunch of different vehicles on the test track. Now, I've done this before and LOVED it! There is nothing like a bunch of cars sitting there, just waiting to be whipped around curves, taken up and down hills and really letting you see what they can do. Today was no exception. It is a beautiful Friday and after the business portion of the day, we were set loose to have fun.


This big 'ol truck was my feat of the day. Everyone was laughing when I had to jump in and out of it... I'm only 5' tall. Besides a fun day of driving lots of great vehicles (sporty little convertibles to the H2 SUT to the medium duty trucks like this one), it was a good learning opportunity for me to really understand the products I work with on a daily basis.

I was also excited to go today because the proving grounds is only five miles from my house. I got to sleep in, watch the Today show and didn't have to worry about getting stuck in traffic. What a treat. I really need to live closer to the office...

As for running... today is technically a rest day, but since I didn't run last night I may go out on a short run later this evening. Since I'm working out in the morning too, I'm not going to worry about missing a short run. Either way, I'm going to be over my scheduled miles. Plus, running should be fun and if I'm hurting the entire time then that defeats the purpose of running for enjoyment.

Goodbye Space Cowboy

It was a little difficult getting out of bed this morning, but I got up and headed over to the gym. I was feeling like shit, so I could only handle two miles. It just felt forced and my abdomen was killing me.

Work was stressful today. I got in early, but didn't get much done because I was talking with one of the guys about last night's draft. On the way in, I heard we traded Mo Evans ("... some people call me Maurice...") and I was so sad. He hadn't heard that and so we did a mad search to try and find it. There was nothing online (local papers or the NBA or Piston's site). We figured since there wasn't anything I must have been wrong - I was never so happy to be wrong before. It was bothering me so I continued to search. I should have stoped while I was ahead and believed it wasn't true. Yep, we traded Mo for some guy from the Lakers to warm the bench.

And, to add to a stressful day, I unexpectantly started. WTF! No wonder I felt so crappy during my morning run. I also wonder if that is why I've been hurting so much recently.

Our last golf lesson was tonight, but it got pushed back an hour. We were hoping to go to happy hour before but it didn't work out. And, I could have used a drink. :) We learned chipping and pitching today, and practiced our driving. I haven't held a club since my last lesson, but I didn't forget as much as I expected. My abdomen was hurting and I thougt that I was going to have to stop because I could barely stand bending down to put another ball on the tee. Tonight I was scheduled for a 3 mile run, but there was no way I could do it without being in pain the whole time. So, I opted not to do it and hopefully tomorrow will be better. See, positive thinking right here. :)

I looked like a hooker

Last time I got my hair done, my stylist asked if she could use my haircut to enter into an industry-wide contest. I frequently get stopped by random people who comment on how much they like my hair, that I happily agreed to help her out. She cut it a bit more funky, did my makeup and we had a fun little photo shoot. Today, I had an appointment and she had copies of the pictures we took. Yeah. I looked like a hooker. My eye makeup was pretty out there. I don't usually wear that much makeup, so I always think it looks like a lot when someone else does it, but this was very much like I should be standing on a corner somewhere.

Today's workout with Ricky was a little less intense. We did some sprinting/explosion exercises and did a body workout. No weights, just using my own body to get stronger. It never seems like much when I'm doing it, but I'm usually sore the next day.

I hurt like hell today (both sides) and I think that's what put me in such an irritable mood today. Someone from the office brought in tiramisu this afternoon and boy, did it give me a sugar high. I was seriously almost twitching I was so wired. So irritable and wired... funny combo.

But... it's almost a long weekend and I'm looking forward to it!

Whirlwind of a day

What a day. It started with an early morning run (3 miles - 10:00 pace). Surprisingly it wasn't that bad getting up. I only wanted to do two two-a-days a week, but I think I might run two days and cross train the others just so I get use to waking up early. Wow! Did I just say that?

The work day went by in a flash and I felt as though I got nothing accomplished. The culprit? Meetings. I really hate meetings. GM is notorious for their marathon meetings (and meetings to talk about setting up meetings - seriously) and I'm glad to be away from that part of it, but now if I have more than 2 meetings in one day I feel as though my day is completely shot. Today I had 4, which makes it difficult to get any work done. One meeting was so I could learn about budgeting and billing. Whoo hooo. Am I really wanting to get my MBA? Although my head was swimming afterwards, it was interesting to see that side of the business. And, since we charge for our time, it was a little weird to see how the hours I work translate into revenue.

After work, Julie and I did our Tuesday night run/walk. She is improving and I'm proud of her, but I wish she were a little more dedicated. As in, I wish she would run the mileage that she is suppose to run. We were out for about 45 minutes and ran more than last time, and I could tell she was proud of herself. And, that is what it is all about.

Since I'm not sure the mileage breakdowns around the office, I came home to do my speed workout. I was scheduled to do a 5 mile pace run (2 miles easy, 2 miles pace, 1 mile easy) but due to time and the fact that I had already worked out twice, I decided to do 1 easy, 2 pace, 1 easy. My pace miles were actually a bit too fast. I'm going to have to remember how certain paces feel. It's hard when I'm coming from every pace being difficult and feeling forced.

Of course, my pain update. I hate writing about this, but I know I need to keep a record so here it is. Woke up with stabbing pain and it continued through the day, mostly on the right side (Scale 1-10: 5-7). Tonight had the burning feeling, but on the right side instead of the middle, which I don't think I've had before. I've also been having some shooting pains down my left leg, same area as when I was in PT. This started on Sunday and have been off and on through today.

To end on a happier note... a friend of mine from high school called me today and told me she is getting married. And the wedding is Labor Day weekend. And she just accepted a new job in Floriday. CK is one of those friends that I don't talk to on a regular basis, but we've maintained a friendship over the years. I'm so happy for her and can't wait for the wedding!

Two workouts today!

Today I got up early and ran 3 miles (10:00 pace) before work. It wasn't as terrible as the last run and I actually enjoy watching the local news before work.

I wore my KICK ASS red heels today and got lots of compliments. I was the envy of all the girls today! :) Of course, I had to wear a skirt because I didn't want them to be covered up by pants. I LOVE MY HOT RED HIGH HEELS!

Tonight I had a really fun workout wit Ricky. We started with some weigthts - hamstrings, bi's, tri's ad deltoids. From there, we did a pool workout. It was great resistence training, but also helped since my hip/hamstring is still a bit sore. It's definitely getting better though. Ricky is a great coach and I'm really enjoying working out with him.

Part of me really enjoys workout out and I do get excited thinking about a training plan, getting ready for my race, etc. But, there is another part of me that just dreads running and sometimes I don't enjoy doing it once I'm out there (notice, no comments on Saturday's long run... perfect example). Not sure what my deal is, but I need to figure it out and get out of this funk. I woke up with a lot of pain and it was more painful than usual throughout the day - not sure why. That's another frustrating thing. There is no rhyme or reason to it. Next week is my appointment, so I'm looking forward to (hopefully) getting some answers. Or, at least some suggestions for alternatives.

That was one powerful room

Yesterday I spent most of my day downtown for the big pitch. I was a part of the "special forces" team (aka - set up and tear down committee). We were in our staging room when the pitching team arrived. While setting up and tearing down isn't the greatest job ever, it always helps to get in front of the top executives. How great is it that the CEO of our global company and our North American president both know me by name and were happy to see me when they walked in the door. I also met one of our executive vice presidents, who runs the New York office, and Linda Kaplan Thayer. Now, I didn't know who Linda Kaplan Thayer was but she is the CEO of the ad agency, Kaplan Thayer Group. Not only is she a successful business woman, but she was a judge for one of the projects on The Apprentice. How cool is that!?!

My job was to help set up the room when it was our turn to pitch. However, I ended up getting stuck and couldn't leave. It was a great opportunity to watch part of our global executive team doing what they do best. Not only was our powerhouse in the room, but they were pitching to GM's powerhouse. I knew some of them, but had heard of all of them. These were the top people. It was a great chance for me to watch this.

Afterwards, some of us had lunch with the New York office managing director. He was a great guy, very passionate about what he does and was very interested in what we thought and where we wanted to go. He told us that he was glad we were in the room because it gave us a chance to see what we'll be doing in the future. Wow! That's a little scary and really exciting to think about. He offered another co-worker and I the opportunity to come to the New York office - either to work or visit. He told us that if we wanted to work out of NY for just a couple of weeks to try it out, to let him know and he would arrange it. And, he definitely has the power to do so.

When I got back to the office I was exhausted, but had a ton of stuff to catch up on. Here is was a Friday afternoon and I said, "A nice cold beer sure sounds good right now." No sooner had I said that, then one of the supervisors came around passing out ice cold beers. My prayers had been answered and it tasted SO good. Later, I was on the phone and when I got off, I looked at my desk and my empty bottle had magically refilled itself. I tell you, that is what got me through the day. I sure picked the right career!

Two blah runs

Started off the morning by actually getting up for my morning workout. I so am not a morning person! I did my 20 minutes (I intended to do more, but since I haven't done two-a-days for a few weeks, I thought I had better stick with 2 miles - 10:00 pace.) Plus, my brain and body weren't really functioning anyway. Finished up with an ab workout.

Since my day started a little earlier, I was ahead of schedule and got into the office around 7:30 am. For better or worse, I got pulled into a big pitch and my day was totally rearranged. After working a 13+ hour day, I headed to the gym. (I had to miss my golf lesson tonight, too.)

I was set to do 5 miles, but perhaps it was just me today overall because I felt exactly how I did this morning. Blahhhh... Plus, my hip was bothering me quite a bit. I got in three and some sets of push ups and another ab workout. I decided that I'd rather go light at the begining of my training, rather than continue to push an injury and screw up my whole training plan. Wow, I'm getting to be such a mature runner. :)

Oh, that remindes me. I joined the Running Blog Family yesterday... I may not feel like a real runner again, but I figured I signed up for my marathon and said fuck it and joined the group.

Rain, rain, go away...

Last night, the storm woke me up in the middle of the night. I could hear the rain pounding down and the only thought that went through my head was, "I'm so wearing jeans to the office tomorrow." And I went right back to sleep. Everyone was a little cranky today, and it had to have been due to the weather. (Well that and it was one of the girls last day before her wedding... she has slowly been turing into a bridezilla this week and making everyone around her turn into a pissy mood too.) It was so dark outside and the office was cold again. Since it was the first day of summer (and I was given the responsibility of "building morale" in the office) I had the freezer stocked with ice cream treats. It raised the spirits a little bit, but I think they would've been more satisfied with a stocked bar instead.

Work is going well, although getting to be a bit wearing. I had my review this week and it went better than expected. My supervisor is recommending I receive the highest raise I can and that I receive a promotion in October. I guess we only give promotions in July and October, and I have a few boxes to check off yet before I'm ready. I didn't have the opportunity to get these yet-to-accomplish goals in my previous assignment and I've only been at the agency for a little over three months, so I was a little surprised by this. But, definitely ready to further my career.

My workout with Ricky today was a good one. Lots of different leg exercises, most of which I had never done before. One of the other trainers even came over to observe. He's one I probably wouldn't want for myself, but seems like a good guy. Between sets he kept asking me if my quads were buring yet or if I was, "really feeling it yet." My legs were still pretty fresh, so I kept saying, "no, not yet." I was trying to be nice and didn't want to sound cocky, but after awhile I wanted to yell at him, "NO! Please stop asking me if I'm ready to fall down yet!" We finsihed up with about a mile of intervals. The track and my hanstrings don't get along well, and since it was raining outside, we hit the treadmill. Ever 30 seconds the incline or speed changed.

It's Official!

I signed up for the Detroit Marathon today. There's no turning back now!

Yesterday, I had a good workout with Ricky. I'm not sure how the time goes by so quickly, but it just seems to fly. And, we always work out more than the scheduled hour. We did some weights for hamstrings and quads, bi's and tri's. And, lots and lots of running. It's been a long time since I've done a sprinting workout, so I enjoyed it. We did a lot of timed repeats, acceleration drills and explosion drills. He's been showing me things to improve my form and make me run more efficiently. It's really weird because it is like I'm learning how to walk all over again. Anyway, I'm all ears for ways to make this race a tad bit easier.

Tuesday's are the days I run with one of my co-workers, who has decided to try the half marathon in Detroit. We did a walk/run for about 2 miles. She's never worked out on a regular basis, so she's doing well since she's starting from the very beginning. After that, I went on a 3 mile run (a bit more than a 10:00 pace) through one of the sub's around my office. It was a beautiful evening out, but my hip was really bothering me so I didn't really enjoy it too much.

I received an appointment reminder from U of M today in the mail. Wow! It's sad to think that something as simple as a letter in the mail reminding me of my apppointment impresses me. They are slowly restoring my faith in the medical community. This afternoon I was sitting in a meeting and it was hurting so badly I could barely pay attention. This is where I check the box next to the question, "Does your pain interfere with your everyday life?"

Why am I doing this?

You know how when you hear an outside noise while you're sleeping, and it becomes a part of your dream? Shortly before my alarm went off at 6 am, I was dreaming that I was doing a workout of sorts. I think it was swimming because, in my dream, I had to stop because of the stabbing pain on my right side. My mom draped a towel over me and asked I she needed to take me to the doctor. Well... what do you know. I woke up and my right side was hurting like hell. (Scale 1-10: 8) After hitting snooze a few times, I got up and got ready for my run, hoping the pain would go away. I really wasn't in the mood to get up, but I knew I would regret it if I didn't and ended up roasting in the sun.

I got to the metropark shortly before 7am and it was already 70*. ugghh. Thankfully there was a slight breeze. I strapped on my Fuel Belt (the first time I've used it in a year) and was on my way. My hip was a little sore at first, but loosened up a couple of miles in. My right side did not. About halfway through, this thought came flying out of no where. "Why am I doing this?" It literally stopped me cold in my tracks. Really. Why am I doing this? Do I want to be a runner again? Am I doing it because I don't want to say I'm not? Am I doing it because I'm just stubborn and can't admit that maybe I either can't do it or don't want to anymore? Is it still fun? Could it not be as fun because I'm in the "holy shit this sucks because I'm still getting into shape" phase right now and it'll become more fun as I progress?

Ricky had me write my goal on my mirror so I would see it everyday. Both my bathroom mirror and my full length mirror state: "2006 Detroit Marathon Sub 4:00" Sometimes it motivates me. Sometimes I look at it and say to myself, "holy shit, I have a lot of work to do!" Sometimes I look at it and sadly think there is no way I'm going to make it - and I DO NOT like not making my goals.

After a few tears, I decided that even if I want to quit today, I at least need to make it back to my car. :) So, I kept running. Classic me, I shoved those nasty thoughts back down and jammed to my music. I can't believe I never ran with music before - I LOVE my cute, little iPod! (and my great roommate who gave me some new music to listen to). Surprisingly, I finished my 12 mile run in exactly 2 hours (10:00 pace). I thought I was going MUCH, MUCH, MUCH slower!!

So, I'm not sure what I'm suppose to do about this stupid pain. They say that you shouldn't continue working out if you experience pain. Well, what if you experience pain when you're just sitting there? Is it okay to run then? My next appointment at U of M is in a few weeks, so that is one of the questions on my list. Right after, "what the fuck is wrong with me and what else is left that we can try?"

I try to live my life. I try to go on and do everything I enjoyed before. But, it's too hard. Someone told me that he believed things really do happen for a reason and your life won't go on until you learn the intended lesson. I could use a little help here. Not. Seeing. The. Intended. Lesson.

I am cranky!

I was cranky today - must be because I'm still tired from yesterday. I decided not to run tonight because 1) I'm tired and don't really feel like it 2) It's hot out and I don't really feel like it 3) I'm set for a 12-miler tomorrow, so I don't think it'll kill me not to run tonight. Granted, this will be two nights in a row off but oh well. I didn't run for plenty of months in a row and I'm okay.

Early to bed tonight so I can get up before it gets so blasting hot. It's suppose to be 92*. Some of the girls from the office are coming over in the afternoon to enjoy the pool. I got stuff for a nacho bar (and of course my main summer staple - the bucket o' fun!) Oh, I learned of a "new" soon-to-be favorite: lime tequilla. Not sure how new it is, but I just discovered it today. I may or may not have tasted it while I was creating the bucket o' fun...

Drinking on company time

Yep, that about sums up today. We had our all-employee meeting, which I was put in charge of. Since I HATE cheesy team building games (yet, I always seem to end up at things that require a rah-rah spirit...) and HATE all day, long, boring meetings, I decided to do exactly what I wanted to do. The first part of the day was downtown at the Hockeytown Cafe. I figured we are from "the D" so we should appreciate the fun things we often take for granted. I arrived earlier than expected and ended up sitting on a corner in downtown Detroit for about half an hour. Thankfully, it was a beautiful morning and most of the people walking around were business people going to work. Only a few cat calls.

For the afternoon part, we walked across the street for a Tiger's game. It was a perfect day for it. Since my co-worker and I were totally stressed out about this meeting for the past two weeks we made a slight detour. Detour to a bar to do a tequilla shot!!! We also got hit on and made a quick escape because the guys were pretty much not fun, cute, or interesting. Had a great time talking with everyone at the game (yeah, I don't actually watch baseball. I just like being at the game) and, of course, drinking beer. And... since it was on the company it tasted even better. :)

After the game, a group of us headed to another bar for some more drinks. The director of our office called my cell while we were there and asked where we were. He joined us for a few drinks (on him) and we had a really great time drinking on the roof of one of the bars.

While our group had slowly dwindled down, the few hard core ones went to RO to grab some food. We ordered another round and had a great time! Admittedly, I'm pretty uptight at work. I never take a lunch, get in early, stay later than 5 pm, and generally don't gossip too much. I think everyone is surprised on how laid back I can be... and that I love to drink.

Needless to say, no running tonight. I'll run tomorrow instead. Saturday has a 12-miler on the agenda. My core is sore today after our workout last night. Ricky is awesome and I'm learning so much from him. Everything we did was basically using my own body weight. Lots of slow, steady and controlled movements. The moves looked easy, but they were tough. He asked if I kept a log of my miles. I said, yes. He told me to bring it in so he could see it. I told him it was online (my blog). He gave me his email address so I could email it to him. So, I either have to send him my blog address or find an online log to transfer my miles to and send to him. I'm thinking the latter. He doesn't need to know the fine details of my life... or that I skipped a run so I could drink... :) I tell ya, this whole "getting back into shape and training" crap is really putting a kink in my drinking. :)

NYC...

... I guess I'll have to visit since I won't be moving there for any amount of time (in the near term anyway.) I was told today the decision was that no one from our office will be filling the position. I was actually much more disappointed than I anticipated, which was a surprise. Oh well, lots of other great opportunities out there that are just waiting for me to take!

Two other girls in the office are starting to become interested in running, so we went after work. We jogged for a little bit, but ended up walking most of the time. This didn't bother me so much since my hip was hurting me more than yesterday. Seriously, what is going on!?!?! I can't have both my front and my back hurting!

Jack the Cat Chases Black Bear Up Tree

This news story cracked me up today!!!! (It doesn't take much...) I even changed my computer wallpaper to the picture...

Running with a slight injury

The weekend was great, but went by too quickly!

Saturday I did a 9 mile trail run and did okay. Some of the sandy hills kicked my butt and I remembered why trail running is so much harder than a nice easy run through the park. After the run I hurried up and got home so I could get down to Monroe for Amber and Ryan's wedding. It was beautiful! The reception was down in Toledo, so we got a room at the hotel so we wouldn't have to worry about driving anywhere. I haven't been drinking as much lately, so the glasses of wine (that mysteriously kept refilling themselves) really hit me. Oh well, all the moms and dads have seen me toasted before so I'm not that concerned about it any more. Sunday was a family dinner at my parents and a little bit of time hanging out with my brother. I was so tired though, so came back home pretty early.

Today was a busy and hectic day. No news on the possible relocation, but a couple of people are going out to New York tomorrow. I assume it's to figure out what is going on and what we're going to do about it. So... we'll see.

Started out with a good workout with Ricky, but my right hip was really bothering me. It's been sore for a few days, but everytime I put weight on my right side it was actually a little painful. We did some weights (legs) and were upstairs doing interval when he stopped me because he could tell something was off. So, it was sitting in hot water tonight to loosen up my hamstrings and ice on the back part of my hip. I asked if it was even my hip and he replied that it's actually my pelvic bone. Of course. Why wouldn't it be. :) Next session will be some weight training using my body weight and next Monday will be a pool workout. I've never had any problems with it before, but he thought it might be because we've been pretty aggressive after taking such a long break. Hopefully this will feel better soon! I admitted that I am not good about stretching. I think that's going to have to change!

Lots on my mind

What a long week. I've been in a pretty snarky mood this week and I''m not exactly sure why. Today was pretty stressful, too, and I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend. I did practice putting in a few rousing rounds of "office golf" though, so that helped break up some of the tension I was feeling.

The day started out a bit unusal - I was offered a chance to relocate for a short-term assignment. The assignment isn't a definite thing yet, but they wanted to gauge my interest. Lots to think about... (don't worry mouse, you wouldn't have to pay my half of the rent). We don't have all of the details yet so I can't make a decision, but there are pros and cons to think about...

When I got home, I was so looking forward to sitting on my butt and doing nothing. But, with everything on my mind, I thought about going out for a run. After taking in some carbs (via a Blue Light), I decided to go out for a few easy miles (4 miles, 9:10 pace). I didn't straighten out anything more, but it did help clear my head a bit. I was pleasantly surprised that I turned to running to think things through.

Looking forward to a 10 mile trail run tomorrow morning and a friend's wedding. There is a group of us that always seem to be the ones having the most fun... :) I'm going to go into it with the plan of not drinking too much. No promises though.

Is it Friday yet?

Seriously. I always remind myself to never wish time away. But, is this week freaking over yet?

My intention was to get up and run this morning. However, I got out of bed, went into my bathroom, turned off my alarm clock (I need 2 - one next to my bed and one in the bathroom so I have to get out of bed), and went right back to bed. Thankfully I hit snooze instead of turning it off, because I have no memory to getting out of bed. Guess my body was telling me it hadn't recoverd from the previous workout.

Great news this morning in the office! We found out we won the new business account that has been consuming part of my life the last two weeks. This is HUGE for us and I'm really excited. My plate is pretty full, but I hope to become heavily involved in the account. My afternoon was mostly taken up with a lunch with a Wall Street Journal reporter. We had met in the past, but it was great to sit down and talk with him and get to know him a bit better. And... he's a fellow marathoner! He confirmed that the worst part about Detroit is after the run you have to climb the stairs of Ford Field to get out. Great. Really looking forward to that.

Most of us left the office early to head to a nearby resturant/bar for a baby shower. Then, we changed and headed to our second golf lesson. Today we learned the complete, full swing. I noticed an improvement and still really enjoy it. I was pretty stressed at work today, and it did help me relax. I passed on drinks afterwards (I know, I know. What's golf without beer? I did have one at the baby shower. I just realized how ghetto that sounds), so I figured that was enough pre-running drinking. Went out for an "easy" four mile run (9:30 pace). I was still pretty tired, but it felt okay. I kept getting stabbing pains on both sides, but continued to run. Stupidity or stubborness - perhaps they are one in the same. Anyway, looking forward to rest day tomorrow. I realized last Friday I got up and ran in the morning, so it's been awhile since I've taken a day off. Perhaps that would be the reason I'm so freaking tired.

I am grumpy

That's how I've been feeling this week - not sure why. Monday I had a great workout with Ricky. I really like him already and I think he's going to help me get back into shape and improve a lot. Our session on Monday was a killer workout, but those are the ones I enjoy the most. Halfway through (as I was doing pushups on a medicine ball) he said, "You're a tough cookie. I like working out with tough people." We did lots of upper body, about 180 m repeats and then lots of legs. My hamstrings are really weak, so we'll be focusing on that!

Yesterday I was pretty tired and grumpy all day. Not really sure why. Even though I was tired, I did my 6 miles (9:30 pace) and felt a little better afterwards. I was exhausted though and I think I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow.

Tonight we had an easier workout. We did some light upper body, not too much running and focused on core. I think his comment during core was, "come on, you're too strong to have such a weak core." Yeah, tell me about it.

Tomorrow I am planning on getting up early to run. Last week my body was adjusting to the new workout style and I was simply exhausted. And, tomorrow night is our next golf lesson. Hopefully the rain will hold off.

So, that's been the week thus far. Hopefully I'll be a little more cheery as the week goes on.

On the outside, looking in

This morning I went to watch mouse, mo and suz run the Dexter-Ann Arbor half marathon. All three ladies kicked some serious ass! It was a little weird for me though, being a spectator. When I got up this morning I thought, "Hmmm... what does one wear to a race where they are not running?" Also, popped two Alleve to see if it would help take the edge off the pain (it's been pretty bad this weekend) instead of in anticipation of sore muscles. It was a little weird and a little difficult (okay, really sucked, but I tried not to feel sorry for myself) to be watching on the sidelines instead of being out there with everyone else. I was at the seven mile mark to cheer on the girls, and it was kinda cool to actually see the leaders of the pack FLY through. And, so many runners yelled out a, "thanks for being out here for us" that it actually made me a little teary eyed. I've been a runner for so long, perhaps today was my chance to start giving back and support and cheer everyone else on. In any case, I did participate in the post-race nap. Not sure why I was so tired, but after we got home I was ready for a mid-day nap.

Although the rest was nice, it did put me behind schedule for the day. After doing a few loads of laundry and finishing up a project for work, I headed over to a nearby driving range to practice my swing. I always kinda laughed at it because Novi is a nice area, but this driving range isn't much to look at. So, it's perfect for beginners like me. I realized that even though I may feel like a jackass, no one is really watching me. While no one may be looking at me, I was on the lookout for cute guys. Sadly, no sightings. Which, is really the reason why I'm taking up golf... :)

Afterwards, I went for a quick four mile run (9:08 pace). All weekend, and during my run, I had severe stabbing pains on my right side. The problem is, I'm not sure where that line is of being strong and pushing through and being smart and stopping. Where the line between something in your head and something that is really physically wrong? If it hurts when I'm sitting, am I doing harm to my body if it hurts while I'm running? Tonight, all it did was make me go faster. I'm so fucking sick of pain.

Oh, and my latest ultrasound came back normal. I figured it would, but I was glad to have the results since my doctor was out of the office for two weeks and my results were sitting in a pile. I called the doctor's office a few times to see if it had been looked at yet, and each time they sighed and said no. Surprisingly, they called me once the doctor had looked at it. Do you remember that Seinfield episode where Elaine looked in her chart and saw that it said she was, "difficult"? I'm pretty sure my charts says, "crazy-girl-that-compulsively-calls-the-office-because-she-thinks-something-is-wrong-with-her-but-we-think-she-is-just-a-complete-whack-job." Pretty sure.

Ten not-so-easy-miles

This morning I got up, choked down some oatmeal (I like it during the week, but don't on the weekends. Weird.) and went to the metro park to run my 10 miles. I was just under 10:00 pace, and it was not easy. I miss the days where I finished a long run (even when it was an 18 or 20 miler) and think, "hmmm, I'm done. I could keep going if I needed to." Today I was thinking, "ugghhh... I'm almost done." It wasn't that the pace was outrageously fast - I was staying consistent and didn't feel like I was spriniting - I'm just not strong enough yet.

The only real excitment during the run was when I came across two swans and their babies. Swans (among other large birds that could potentially attack me) FREAK ME OUT! I thought for sure that they were going to bite me, cause me to fall to the ground and peck my eyes out. They were on the grass near the right side of the path. I moved over to the grass on the left side of the grass and didn't take my eyes off of them. I didn't want them to sneak up on me. I was severely traumatized as a child.

Tommorow, I'm going to the Dexter-Ann Arbor race to cheer mouse on. I told her this will be the first time I've ever gone to a race, stood with a Starbucks in my hand and just watch.

Hopefully afterwards it will be nice out so I can go to the driving range. Oh, so my golf pro is so not hot, young and single. We all agreed that Joel sounded like a hot golf pro name. Not this guy. He's an older guy, not hot and I didn't do a ring check, so I can't confirm if he's single. He's nice though and did take on seven of us girls. I'm kinda bummed. Neither my personal trainer nor my golf pro are attractive young men that want to date me. Something is wrong with this picture.

First golf lesson - and I don't totally suck

A couple of weeks ago, a few girls in the office wanted me to go golfing with them. I declined because I had never been golfing - never even touched a golf club. Last sumer I was set to learn, but ended up not able to do anything. After talking with a few more girls in the office, we all wanted to learn and decided we would sign up for a group lesson. We found a golf course nearby that had group lessons.

Today we left the office at 5 pm (something none of us ever do) and went to one of the girl's apartment nearby for a quick drink. What's golfing without beer? Another girl and I were a little nervous because we knew NOTHING about golf. A few play off and on, and a few had done it once or twice. The guys in the office told us our golf pro didn't know what he was in for. Three of us in the group are single, so we were hoping our guy was going to be a hot and single.

We got to the place and they gave those of us that don't have clubs, two to work with and a ticket to get our bucket of balls. I knew I was going to make a jackass out of myself and I did it right away. I was all worried about working the ball machine that I failed to put a bucket under it and my balls went all over the place. A (kinda cute) guy behind me smiled and told me not to worry because he had done it himself before. I think my response was, "yeah, this is going to be disastrous."

So we learned about grip, posture and how to swing. I really liked it and was having fun. I was awesome, but I could hit it. That's much more than I expected. I'm no where ready to hit the golf course yet, but I think I might head to the driving range this weekend. I never thought it would be relaxing, but it really was for me.

After I finished up my bucket, I headed to the gym. It was getting late and I didn't want to get caught in the dark, so I went to the gym. Ran four miles (10:00 pace) on the treadmill. I was SO tired this morning, that I could not get out of bed to run in the morning. Not sleepy tired. Tired like, "Oh my gosh. Even if I wanted to get out of bed I don't think my body would cooperate." Definitely not used to two-a-days. To become used to it, I'm planning on getting up tomorrow morning even though Friday is usually my day off. My abdomen has been bothering me a lot lately, more than usual, so the run wasn't the best tonight.

Well, better get to bed so I can be fresh and ready to go tomorrow.