Little Rays of Sunshine

Food = Fuel

2009-08-12T14:35:00.005-04:00

This week has been a little frustrating on the training front.

Sunday, I pretty much slept all day and only ate a few Saltines and a small bowl of grapes. Monday was much of the same, until dinner time. I had a mad craving for PIZZA!!! JP was great and dutifully went to pick up a small Papa John's for me. I'm pretty sure it was the best pizza I'd ever eaten. :)

Tuesday, I tried to eat and did a pretty good job of staying hydrated. We headed to the gym

after JP got home from work and I was determined to get in some sort of workout in. I was scheduled for 5 miles and barely survived a run/walk combo for 4.5 miles on the treadmil. It wasn't pretty. Barely halfway through, I felt very weak. It just plain sucked.

Today, I got up and had my usual pre-run breakfast. I was schedule for 8 miles, but hoped to get through at least 4 miles. I just got through 4 miles and hope to do 4 more tonight. Not quite the same, bt hopefully it'll get me stronger, sooner. I really want to do well in Chicago and will be pretty bumed if I don't hit my goal.

After my run, I took my soon-to-be nephew to his day camp and we had a nice little chat on the drive. He's 12 years old and my buddy... we've gotten along really well since I first started dating JP. He's running cross-country for the first time this year, and he told me he missed the 5k his team did together. So, I told him I'd do one with him. I want him to get the race experience before his first actual race. He seemed pretty excited and I'm really looking forward to it!

So, I need to hurry up and get better so I can get on with my marathon training and run a 5k with my little running buddy!

I'm running in the rain...

2009-08-11T09:51:00.003-04:00

... what a glorious feeling...

Based on my last 3 out of 4 long runs, it has rained like crazy. I'm not sure if this is a sign that race day is going to be rainy, or hot and sunny and I won't be prepared. ;)

After taking off two weeks ago (trained on the bike and stretched like a mad woman) due to a sore Achilles tendon, I was unsure how to handle last week. I took it easy during the week with some nice and easy 4 milers. I felt pretty good and was glad that I did take some time off -- no mater how hard it is to do it. The long run was a scheduled 16-miler, which I bumped down to 12 miles. I wanted to get a decent run in, but didn't want to end up back on the injured list.

I had no big expectations for the run, just wanted to gt through painfree. I was pleasantly surprised on how it went.

Mile 1: 10:10

Mile 2: 10:02

Mile 3-4: 19:42

Mile 5: 9:48

Mile 6: 9:48

Mile 7: 9:45

Mile 8: 9:44

Mile 9: 9:35

Mile 10: 9:20

Mile 11: 9:20

Mile 12: 9:47

It was raining steadily when I started, but when I hit mile 9, the heavens opened and it POURED!! It poured so hard, the raindrops started to hurt a bit. It was kinda fun, but I was relieved to get to my car and change into a dry shirt! When I got home, I literally wrung out my shirt and shorts!

Sunday I came down with a 24-hour flu or something and didn't get out of bed. Yesterday, I was still feeling a little shaky and pretty weak from not eating anything the day before. Looking forward to getting back to it later today!

Long Run Recaps

2009-07-29T10:34:00.002-04:00

I've been so bad about keeping up with my blog. Training had been going well, up until this week. Tight Achilles tendon doesn't make for good training conditions. But... here's a look at my last few long runs:

12 miles

Mile 1: 10:18

Mile 2: 10:08

Mile 3: 10:14

Mile 4: 10:03

Mile 5: 9:51

Mile 6: 10:02

Mile 7: 9:49

Mile 8: 10:03

Mile 9-10: 19:53

Mile 11: 10:00

Mile 12: 10:07

I was a little disappointed with this run. It's within the 60-90 minutes slower than desired race pace, but I want to stay around the 9:40/mile pace. My goal is to break 4:00, and I'll work as hard as I can to make sure I get there!

10 Miles

Mile 1: 9:36

Mile 2: 9:37

Mile 3: 9:36

Mile 4: 9:31

Mile 5: 9:31

Mile 6: 9:32

Mile 7: 9:38

Mile 8: 9:30

Mile 9: 9:25

Mile 10: 9:30

I was much happier with these splits. It was a cool and rainy morning, not quite 70-degrees when I finished. The run felt great and I felt like I could definitely keep going. That's always a good feeling after a long run!

13 miles

Mile 1: 10:17

Mile 2-3: 19:30

Mile 4: 9:43

Mile 5: 9:26

Mile 6: 9:25

Mile 7: 9:34

Mile 8: 9:37

Mile 9: 9:45

Mile 10: 9:22

Mile 11: 9:27

Mile 12: 9:22

Mile 13: 9:36

Again, pleased with this run. It was raining and humid, but it seemed the faster the rain came down, the faster my splits were. Hmmm... should I hope for rain on race day? By the end of the run, my Achilles tendon was tight and sore. I streteched out well and put The Stick to good use.

But... I guess the damage had already been done. On Sunday, I took a rest day and hoped I'd be ready to go on Monday to resume training. On Monday, I did a slow 3 miles instead of the scheduled 4 miles. I was sore and did as much as I could with The Stick.

Yesterday was a hot stone massage, which really helped. Took the day off of running, although it killed me to do so. Feeling better this morning and hoping to get in a few miles (or get in some cardio at the gym) later today.

So, that's where I am with my road to the Chicago marathon. Keeping my fingers crossed I'll be back training SOON.

Marathon Training: Week 1 recap

2009-06-27T08:24:00.003-04:00

Chicago Marathon, here I come. I think I found an in to this year's already sold out Chicago Marathon. Super excited, as this was my first 26.2 ever. Plus, it'll be fun to have JP's family there to cheer me on.

I've been pre-training for two months and was thinking I would aim for the Detroit race, so I was ready to start with Week 1 of training this week. I haven't exactly picked a training plan, but loosely following the Runner's World plan. Never tried it before, so we'll see. I think I'll have to tweak it a little bit, but overall it looks like a good plan. The only thing that makes me nervous is that it calls for two rest days. I think I'll change that to a cross-train day and a true day of rest.

Monday:

Sweet 5 miler. Had a lot on my mind, so flew through it. I know I need to start thinking about race pace and adjusting for my runs, but it just felt so good I figured I should just go with it and see what I do. I was just under 9 min/miles.

Carido and a tough weight session at night. Arms and abs were sore for a few days!

Tuesday:

Easy 4 miler. Nothing spectacular, but it was nice to be out in the fresh air. Forgot my Nike iPod sensor, so no stats.

Wednesday:

Super hot in the morning, so ended up doing my 6 miler on the treadmill. Ugh. Hate the treadmill, but it was better than running while there was a heat advisory until 10 pm! I can never run as fast on the treadmill and set the pace for 9:40 min/miles.

Thursday:

Barely gutted out my easy 4 miler. Started too late in the morning and definitely paid for it. I ended up walking the last bit, which I NEVER do. But, I figured it was that or pass out. :)

Friday:

REST. My knees were thankfull for this day to come.

Saturday:

Glorious 7 miler. My first long run of the training plan. Started out around 6:45 am and it was 70 degrees. PERFECT. Did a few miles on the nearby high school track to help my knees out a little bit and the time just flew by. Ended up averaging 9:20 min/miles. By the time I got home, it was getting warm -- about 77 degrees. Glad to be inside, showered, refuled and rehydrated by 8:30 a.m.!

Just a nice easy run tomorrow and I'll have successfully completed Week 1. I need to get in more weight lifting session in, which I've been doing fairly well up until this week. And, I would like to throw in some yoga to stretch myself out a little bit.

Gotta get ready for the rest of the day. It's a big one... JP's dad is coming into town to meet my parents. Super excited!

Reflections of an Unemployed Runner -- There's a little Carrie Bradshaw in all of us

2009-06-17T21:51:00.007-04:00

Opening Scene: Carrie Bradshaw is in her NYC apartment, walking around in an outfit I could never pull off and would never think to put together, looking fabulous. She's deep in thought with the newest curve ball life threw her way. Then, in a moment of clarity, she sits down to her trusty Mac and begins to write something like:

"... I began to wonder, what does one wear to the unemployment office? Do clothes really define us? ..."

Silly, but oddly profound.

I totally had this moment. (Could you just picture that line being typed out across the screen?)

My severance pay ended during the second month off and I learned the ins and outs of receiving unemployment pay. Humbling? Yes.

Before you can officially qualify to receive unemployment pay, you have to go into a Michigan Works office to prove that your resume is in their job bank and that you are actively searching for a job. The morning I went in, I was triple checking to make sure I had checked all the "to-do" boxes when a startling thought crossed my mind: What do I wear? I've figured out business dress, casual chic, shabby chic, black tie, afternoon tea... but at no time have I been taught what is appropriate to collect unemployment pay. Hmmmm....

After deciding on jeans, a black short-sleeved sweater and conservative heels (probably a bit much, but my jeans were tailored for heels), I headed in to complete my paperwork.

It was an interesting experience. There was a mix of people -- different education levels, different lines of work and, yes, different styles of dress (everything from suits, to jeans, to sweat pants). I couldn't help but think to myself what Carrie Bradshaw would say. I'm sure it would be something to the effect of, "Excuse me. I don't belong here. I wear Milano's."

But, the fact is, we were all there for the same reason. I began to wonder if everyone there had the same great support system I have, if they have something positive to put their energy towards and if they had enough of a cushion to survive. I pray they do.

When I got home, I promptly changed into my running clothes and headed out. This run was a different kind of reflection. It wasn't a chance to fine tune my game plan, it was a time for thanksgiving. I have so much to be thankful for and make it a point to tell those in my life a little bit more.

Reaffirmed life lesson: Clothes don't define us, in other words, it's not about the material items. The important things are the people in our lives that love us unconditionally. The friends that are there during the rough times, as well as the fun times.

And, in true SATC fashion, by the closing scene Carrie would have figured it out, as she's surrounded by her true friends. Although, they're probably all wearing the latest Milano's.

Reflections of an Unemployed Runner -- Independent Woman

2009-06-16T22:38:00.003-04:00

I am a strong, independent woman. Sometimes, admittedly, to a fault. I've always been that way, and I've always been proud of this trait. One thing I have learned over the years (with some pretty painful lessons) is that it's okay to ask for help. Unemployment has been the hardest lesson yet.

At the end of May, I moved out of my apartment. It didn't make sense to not have a steady income and pay for an apartment. Packing up my apartment was the usual pain -- I hate packing! But, this time it was a little different. My mind was running... more than I realized. Not only did I have time to think on my morning runs, but I had all day by myself, packing, to think, too. A few days before the big move, JP came home to me in the middle of boxes and mentally exhausted. Through stress and pure exhaustion, I had a little break down.

I was afraid I was losing my independence. Sure, there was the usual (or what I assume is normal) nervous feelings of getting married. Moving in together, changing my name and merging our lives together more than they are now . But, in this situation I had to move out of my own apartment early because I had to move. I'm more dependent on my family and JP because I have to be. This society is so focused on who we are by what we do, and right now I'm at a loss when someone asks, "So, what do you do?"

JP talked me off the ledge (yet another reason why I love him) and reassured me that I'm still a strong, independent woman and that's why he fell in love with me. But, our relationship is changing and we will both need to adjust. (Then, he took me out to our favorite sushi place. Yet another reason why I love him!)

After my little breakdown, I enjoyed my morning runs even more. It really gave me time to think things through and figure out what my game plan was going to be. Running is definitely my outlet and this time it taught me that I can still be independent as I figure out what to do in the next chapter of my life.

Reflections of an Unemployed Runner -- Part I

2009-06-15T21:05:00.006-04:00

Exactly two months ago, I became like many others you hear about on the nightly news. I lost my job. Due to the economic downturn, and more specifically, due to the state of the automotive business, my position came to an end. I've been Blogger MIA for the last eight weeks and part of it was because I honesty needed to disengage a little bit (although I'm addicted to Facebook and Twitter). After being connected 24/7 for a long time, it was time to take a little break.

Today on my run, I realized I missed it and thought today would be a great day to come back. I've missed my blogger friends and look forward to catching up on your adventures!

The greatest advantage I had about being laid off, is that I knew it was coming. There was a definite end date that knew about for three months. This allowed me the opportunity to go through the cycle of emotions:

1) Denial -- I kept thinking, "This won't really happen. Something will turn around and they'll need me."

2) Scared to death -- I couldn't sleep for a few weeks because I kept worrying about what I was going to do.

3) Pissed off -- They need me, damn it!

4) Accepting -- This is happening. It's not personal, it's business. I'm going to be okay and I'm better off than a lot of people. Thankfully, I don't have to worry about where I am going to live and how I'm going to eat. It takes time to go through these phases, and I was able to work through them and prepare for my next adventure.

Since I was able to do all of that before April 15, I was in pretty good shape and had a plan. I was going to take the first two weeks and do whatever I wanted. Even if that was absolutely nothing. I got up late, stayed in my pj's until mid-afternoon, went running and enjoyed happy hours and dinners out with friends I hadn't seen in a while. My mom and I started wedding dress shopping and it was perfect timing. Not too many people are in bridal salons on random Tuesday mornings. Life was great!

The next couple of weeks I tried to get into a schedule. This mostly consisted of running in the morning, running errands in the afternoon and having dinner ready when JP got home in the evening. Sound boring and a little sad? Yeah, it was. Since I was home alone all day, I would stretch out the errands so I had something to do each day so I would at least get dressed and be out among real people.

When I graduated from college, I had a job already lined up so I started almost immediately. I went right from job one to my next job, where I stayed for nearly six years. So, I wasn't used to some real time off. Although I enjoyed myself, this new "adventure" of mine was a little tough. Running really helped me through it. It allowed me to put my energy into something positive, and just allowed me time to just think about things (or not think about things, depending on my mood).

It's kinda like a great shirt I once saw, "Running is cheaper than therapy." :)

New Adventures!

2009-04-17T09:32:00.002-04:00

A lot has been going on. Like, life-altering things. Mostly good, but as we all know good stress is still stress. I've been disconnected for a bit, just to get things straight in my own head. So... here's a brief recap:

The best news ever:
The day after the weird Chinese lady fortune telling, her vision came true. JP took me on a romantic, surprise date the next night. No clue what was going on, all I knew was that I had to be dressed and ready to go by the time he picked me up at 6 pm. We went to a Detroit icon resturant (former mansion, turned top-notch, have to go at some point in your life, resturant). We had a private room upstairs, private waitstaff and a tremendous dinner. In a total shock to me, he proposed! It was an amazing night and one I will never forget! Admittedly, I've been floating on a cloud for the past three weeks.

Busy, busy, busy:
Last week was super busy at work. I busted my butt in NY for the New York Auto Show and was ready to come home at the end of the week. The Easter holiday came just in time, it was great to have a long weekend of friends and family after the crazy week in the Big Apple!

Now what?
Wednesday was my last day of being gainfully employed. The auto industry is clearly doing badly and I was one of the innocents that got swept up in the mess. My on-site account with GM ended and my PR agency didn't have enough work for me to go back (like I would under normal circumstances). Everyone was great about it and I'll miss my co-workers dearly. My game plan is to take 2 weeks off and just rejuvenate myself. Sleep in, get organized, work out, get a massage. Then, I'll dive back into getting up, showering on a regular basis and finding a new job. Wish me luck!

The new adventure:
I know there's something out there for me and perhaps this was just the push I needed to do something else. Plus, I have a wedding to plan now! We're going to start off with a fresh new life together and the possibilities are endless!

Better than a fortune cookie

2009-03-26T12:19:00.006-04:00

Lots of craziness yesterday, which led to no workout and dinner out -- two things I hate to do these days. So, at 9:00 pm JP and I found ourselves at an old favorite Chinese place.

They were kind enough to stay open for us and we enjoyed talking with our waitress. But then, the conversation turned into something more like a palm reading. (Or what I imagine a palm reading/fortune telling session to entail. Never done it.) A brief snippet of the convo:

She looked at JP and said, "You have good heart. I can see in your face." Then she went on to ask how many siblings he had - she knew there were many in his family. She went on to correctly guess (?) he was the youngest one. Wow! She was right.

"And, you engineer." Yes...

"You good man, but little patiences sometimes." Yes... "But, she is a good balance for you. She helps you figure things out." Yes... that was part of the craziness of the evening before dinner.

She told us we'd be married by next July and our first child would be a boy. First of three. At the time, I almost believed her since she was so spot on with everything else.

We left there very amused, a little freaked out and in general awe of everything she correctly stated about our individual personalities and our relationship. I do have to say, it was better than the dumb fortune in my fortune cookie after the meal! :)

Food Heaven

2009-03-24T10:22:00.007-04:00

It feels good to be back to normal. The end of last week had me napping on the couch at any given chance. Whatever I had, it took a toll. But, I was back at it this weekend. Full Force.

JP went to Chicago so I had the weekend to myself. Saturday morning I got up bright and early for a refreshing run. It was a little slow, but felt good to be out again. Afterwards, I quickly got ready to meet some friends for a little morning adventure. It was my virgin trip to Eastern Market, an outdoor market in downtown Detroit. It was SO much fun! We loaded up on bulk candy (mmm... chewy sprees...), amazing cheeses and freshly baked bread. It really doesn't get much better than that. Or so we thought...

From there, we headed over to Mexican town to hit up this awesome bakery. You walk in, grab a tray and just start picking out all the pastries, cookies, bread, fresh tortillas that you want. The pastries are good, buy my weakness is the fresh tortillas. They are SO GOOD. We opted for an early lunch at one of the resturants and stuffed oursleves silly with fresh guacamole, tacos and hot salsa. Seriously, this is my food heaven. :)

We rushed home and my girlfriend and I left her husband at home and went to see "he's just not that into you." It was a cute movie and sure made us think about all the jerks we dated in the past. Why didn't we lose them earlier? :)

By the time we got out, it was 4 pm but felt like 10 pm! I had to go home and take a nap before my dinner plans. Headed back downtown to meet up with some college friends at a super swank Italian bistro. Homemade pasta, fabulous wine (my new favs seem to be from Argentina) and top-notch company. Seriously, day of food heaven!!!

Sunday I had to recover from the adventures I had the day before and I hit the gym. Hard. I don't overindulge like that often, but it was well worth it!

Spring time sinuses?

2009-03-18T14:32:00.002-04:00

Last night, JP and I fully enjoyed the 60-degree weather. It was so nice outside. So, instead of staying cooped up in the gym, we played in the sunshine.

We did the first workout for JP's upcoming 5k. He's determined to run one, so we did a 90 second walk/2 minute run for 30 minutes. It's been a bit since he's worked out, but he did great. I ran a little bit more just to get in some running. Since it was still light outside, we hopped on our bikes and biked for nearly 30 minutes. It flew by and I realized how much of a workout we got in! Much better than being a gym rat. No weight training, but hope to get some in tonight.

Hope. Since I'm home sick today. Last night, all of a sudden, my throat got really sore. So sore, that it hurt to drink water. I went to bed and still felt out of it this morning. So, I called in sick and went back to bed. After waking up at 11:30 am, my throat felt so much better. Still a little sore, but nothing like it was. I think it might just be sinuses from the changing weather. Hope to go back to work tomorrow, but kinda enjoying some downtime today.

Sunshine and fresh air!

2009-03-16T10:52:00.002-04:00

That about sums up my weekend. It was a BEAUTIFUL spring weekend here in Michigan and you could tell everyone had cabin fever and was ready to bust out into the sunshine. EVERYONE was outside -- walking, running, biking, playing. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood and smiled and waved as you went by. Love it!

Saturday morning I got up early and went for a glorious run outside. Couple that with breaking in new shoes and it couldn't be better. Went about 3 1/2 miles. This building up gradually is so hard, but I keep myself grounded by knowing that this is the way I need to do it if I'm going to prevent another set back. Grrr... :)

Sunday, JP and I got out the bikes for the first time and went for a ride. We opted for the bike path instead of the trails. We knew the ground was going to be wet and muddy, and since we're not hard core mt. bikers, it would be better for everyone if we stayed on the path. We explored some new areas and went about 8 miles around a nearby lake.

It was a really nice weekend and I think the vitamin D did me some good. Much better mood and just feel refreshed. Looking forward to a run outside (hopefully) tonight and some weight training.

Happy Monday!

Soild Week

2009-03-13T09:55:00.003-04:00

This week was a pretty solid workout week for me. I feel great and I love that I'm feeling stronger!

Wednesday I ran 2 1/2 miles and some serious core work!

Mile 1: 8:45
Mile 2: 8:49
Mile 2 1/2: 4:54

Got a little slower, but my splits were still faster than I anticipated. I was pushing a tad, but not all out crazy. I guess I may as well get in some faster runs while I'm still pretty low in miles. As long as it feels okay, why not?

I did my core work on the bosou ball and holy crap, were my muscles screaming! Love that feeling!

Yesterday, I so didn't feel like going to the gym. I was in a crappy mood, the weather had gotten cold again and all I wanted to do was go home and take a nap. I forced myself to go, figuring the worst thing that could happen was I'd do a short workout. A bad workout is still a workout, right? Again, so glad I went because I had a seriously good workout. My plan was to do a nice easy 3-miler and some strength training.

Mile 1: 9:11
Mile 2: 8:54
Mile 3: 8:54

My consciously slow run was faster than I thought it was going to be. This is the pace I was doing when I was in much better shape. Again, it felt relaxed and comfortable so I'm not going to worry that I was going too fast. Hmmm... am I just a speed demon and didn't realize it? :)

My upper body workout rocked! I did some free weights and machines and my arms were MAXED out by the time I was done. Sweet!

Going to enjoy a rest day today and looking forward to some good runs this weekend. I hear it's suppose to be nice, so hopefully I can get some outside runs in! Happy Friday all!

Invirgorating Run

2009-03-11T12:11:00.003-04:00

There is just something about a good run in the rain.

It was about 40-degrees yesterday, but a warm 40-degrees. There's something so different when spring is in the air. It was drizzling pretty steadily, but I had made up my mind to run outside. It was such an invigorating run!

As I turned around to head back home, the steady drizzle turned into a steady rain. It felt so refreshing, almost like I'd cast off some baggage and was starting fresh again. Ahh... that's a great feeling. One I haven't had in a long time, and one I desperately needed. Isn't it amazing how one simple run can change your perspective like that?

Went about 3 miles, although I really wanted to go further. I thought about it for a bit, but my common sense won over and I knew I should follow doctor's orders and only increase by 1/2 mile each run.

Today is a great day and I actually feel refreshed. Looking forward to another great run tonight and some weight training.

Hope you all have a great run today!

Looking: 11 Great Runners

2009-03-10T10:39:00.002-04:00

Okay... this is totally out of my comfort zone. Anyone interested in doing the Bourbon Chase!?!?! It's a team of 12 running overnight through bourbon land. Sweet!

http://www.bourbonchase.com/

The List

2009-03-09T13:00:00.000-04:00

All winter I was looking ahead to which races I would choose to fill up my racing calendar. Today, I started the "official" list. Non-runners just don't understand the excitement of it. Planning out training, picking new races and thinking about all the gear I get to buy. I'm getting excited just thinking about it. Today, I picked four races for my upcoming schedule.

April 4 - Martian Meter 5K: I've done the Martian Half, and since I'm coming back from an injury, the full was out of the question. It's a great local race, right in Dearborn, and who doesn't love a race with aliens lining the course?

May 17 - Race for Your Memories: Kensington Park is my "home course" so to speak. Training there every weekend, I know every little twist and turn of the path. Plus, this one is in honor of Grandma K, who is suffering from Alzheimer's.

June 13 – Flirt with Dirk 10K: I love any race that Running Fit puts on and this one has been on my “gotta run” list for years. Trail running makes me remember what running is all about. It’s tough. It give you that-in your face-there’s a reason not everyone does this-holy crap was that an awesome run-feeling.

October 18 – Detroit Free Press Marathon: Every marathon I run, I try to pick one I’ve never done before. I’ve done Detroit, but there’s just something about running at home. Besides the easier logistics (I’m all about sleeping in my own bed the night before), it’s awesome to see the city by foot. Plus, the crowds are huge and so many of my friends and family came to cheer me on last time. There are a few races in the running, but I’m leaning towards running the “D” again.

Diamonds are a girl's best friend

2009-03-09T09:25:00.005-04:00

Okay, before you freak out, I did not get engaged this weekend. But, I was surrounded by beautiful, sparkly diamonds.

My recently married friend has been having loads of problems with her engagement ring and wedding band. The problem? She keeps losing diamonds. She has like 80 little ones in the bands (yes, I said 8-0) and the prongs are too small to keep them in place. After nearly a year of problems, it's out to be fixed on last time. So, in the event she needs to find a replacement ring, we went out to do some research this weekend. How fun!

I know squat about diamonds (isn't that JP's job?) but picked up a few tidbits at some of the stores. Mostly, I learned what a tough job it is to learn everything there is to know AND pick out a diamond AND figure out which setting to choose AND not loose your lifesavings. Geez... I have a whole new appreciation for what JP is going through! When I told him that, I got the snort/laugh that says, "Yeah. It's a pain. It's a good thing I love you." :)

The weather was super crappy this weekend - major downpours. Made me super lazy and I didnt' get to the gym all weekend. YIKES! Last night I gave myself a little pep talk about how I need to be more dedicated to my health and fitness. Plus, if I'm gonna do a marathon this fall, I need to make my foundation a lot stronger. So... gym bag is in the car and I need to figure out my game plan for the week.

Mmmm..... mmmmm...

2009-03-06T09:16:00.005-05:00

TGIF!!!!!! Seriously, let me repeat that. TGIF!!!!! It's warm (temps to reach mid-50's today!) and spring is definitely in the air. Whoo hooo!!!

Yesterday I had my yearly girl check up, so working out was not going to happen afterwards. JP ended up having a doctor's appointment yesterday as well, so we both got home earlier than normal. It was nice to have some more time in the late afternoon/evening and we got lots of things checked off of the "to-do" list.

This year for Lent, JP gave up meat. I about fell off my chair when he told me what he had decided. He's a steak and potato guy to the core. I'm so proud of him - he's doing a great job. I told my mom this and, in true mom fashion, she emailed me some seafood recipes she found in Taste of Home to try. Last night, I tried the couscous paella. It's not quite paella (but, I have a friend from Spain who's going to give me her mom's recipe), but it was darn tasty and had a nice kick to it, which I loved. It turned out well and it's going to become a favorite of ours. It's super easy, but nice enough to serve to company.

Enjoy!

Couscous Paella
SERVINGS: 8
CATEGORY: Lower Fat
TIME: Prep: 25 min. Cook: 20 min.

Ingredients:
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon canola oil
6 green onions, thinly sliced
2 cans (14-1/2 ounces each) vegetable broth
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 pounds uncooked medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups uncooked couscous
2 cups frozen peas, thawed
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons chopped almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
Lemon wedges

Directions: In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, saute red pepper and garlic in oil for 2 minutes. Add onions; cook 2 minutes longer or until red pepper is tender. Stir in broth and seasonings; bring to a boil. Add shrimp; cook for 2-3 minutes or just until shrimp turn pink. Return to a boil. Stir in the couscous, peas and butter. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Sprinkle with almonds and parsley. Serve with lemon. Yield: 8 servings.

Out with the old, In with the new

2009-03-05T09:53:00.003-05:00

Similar to how tired I am of winter, I'm getting tired of my blog layout. Yesterday, I tried to download a sweet template from BlogSkins, but can't quite figure it out. Perhaps that will be my weekend project. Anyway... this is a temporary fix to change it up a bit. We'll see how it works. :)

And, I joined Twenty Something Bloggers earlier this week. Hi to my new friends! I am a bit distrubed I'm only in my 20's for one more year, but we'll leave that crisis for another day!

Last night I had a decent workout. Not to tax my foot too much, I jumped on the elliptical for 45 minutes. I opted for no iPod and kinda got lost in my thoughts. There's too much going on up there and I decided I needed some time to pick through them a little bit. After that, I got in some weight training to make these legs stronger and more toned. I love squats... is that weird? It just makes me feel so powerful!

I'm also starting to get anxious about planning out my race calendar. There are just so many races I want to do!! More on that soon...

I kick-butt

2009-03-04T11:33:00.003-05:00

Not that I'm proud or anything... :)

Last night was a major internal battle if I was going to workout or not. I SOOOOOO didn't want to do it. But, JP encouraged me to go and I knew deep down he was right. I'm so glad he pushed me to go. I ended up having a kick-butt workout and did another (and I'll use this term loosely) brick workout.

Run: 1 1/2 miles at 8:45 pace. Testing out my foot and it's responding well, thus far. Yay! It felt good. And, I sneeked a few looks at my reflection in the windows and my form looked perfect.

Bike: Jumped on the bike to spin for 20 minutes. My quads were not having it and I was even on pretty low resistance. But, I was doing it and pleased with how I was pushing myself.

Run: Did another 1/2 mile, just to get the transition in. Probably should have done the longer run afterwards, but didn't think about it until it was too late. It felt so odd, but wasn't quite as bad as I expected. The foot held up and it's fine today (although I opted for flats instead of heels... just in case.)

So, it's not totally impressive, but it's a big step for me. I wanted to lift, but my stomach was growling so loudly I'm sure everyone in the gym could hear it. Looking forward to another great workout tonight!

Sensory Overload

2009-03-03T10:49:00.005-05:00

It was indeed a pretty good weekend.

Saturday I made breakfast and did a bunch of stuff around the house while my food settled so I could go to the gym. Just as I was about to walk out the door, I started to get a headache. Thinking it would subside once I started working out, I continued on my way. Yeah. It didn't go away. After about 5 minutes on the eliptical, I knew this wasn't going to go well. My head was POUNDING! I endured that for about 20 minutes before I called it quits. I did a quick ab/core workout and called it a day. I went home, showered, took some alleve and laid down for a couple hours.

By evening, I felt okay enough to meet up some friends for dinner. We went to a new Mexican place and we pretended we were on a sunny beach, sipping fruity drinks. The food here is great and they have an entire menu dedicated to tequilla. What's not to love about it????

Sunday, I got up and did a decent yoga workout. My head was still hurting a bit and I wasn't brave enough to try another grueling gym trip. Streteching and relaxing my muscles did wonders and I felt better all day.

We completely endulged our senses for the rest of the day. We went to a wine tasting fundraiser. YUM! Wines from around the world, cigars for the boys and some fabulous cheeses and other yummy apps. It was a swanky little place, and definitely one of those hidden gems. I'm sure we'll be back to enjoy again!

Afterwards, we went downtown Detroit to Mexican Town for dinner. We stuffed ourselves silly and then loaded up at a local Mexican bakery. Holy cow we ate a lot. But was it good!

Last night when I was headed to they gym, I realized I had forgotten some of my gear. Since it is FREAKING cold here, I just wasn't in the mood to go home, grab it and go back out. Excuses, I know, but that's just how it was going to go. Besides, I had job searching to do and could use those extra couple of hours. But, all of my stuff is in the car and I'm gonna have a kick-butt workout tonight!

Connected!

2009-02-27T12:47:00.009-05:00

Social media is a HUGE factor in our lives, whether we like it or not. It's also an important part of my industry and I've been dabbling in it for awhile.

Obviously, I blog (although it's my super secret blog), I'm ADDICTED to Facebook and today, I finally got a better idea of how to Tweet. Through the professional organization I am a part of, there was a professional development session on Twitter this morning.

I opened a Twitter account a few months ago, just so I had a better idea of what the heck people were talking about in meetings. Didn't really get it, so I thought this class would be helpful. Especially since I'm job hunting, I need to be on the cutting edge (or at least know what the cutting edge is!).

It's kind of a lot to handle -- blogging, FBing and Tweeting... But, it's fun and a great way to be connected.

On a different note, I had a killer workout last night. I did a Brick workout... kinda. It wasn't intentional, but just ended up that way so I went with it. I wanted to test out running, so I ran 1 mile (9:15 pace) and felt great. My foot wasn't hurting, but I didn't want to push it. A mile run isn't enough of a workout and the thought of the eliptical just wasn't jiving with my mood. So, I jumped on the bike for some spinning. I did that for 30 minutes and thought, Hmmm... I should follow up with a little run. So, I ran another 1/2 mile. I felt like I could go more, but again, didn't want to push it too much. It's an odd feeling, but felt pretty cool doing it. ;) Cheesy, I know.

After some good quality stretching, I headed to the weights and lifted. Concentration on my arms. Gosh, I love a great workout!!!!!!

Busy weekend coming up and I can't wait. My goal this weekend is to NOT be a slacker and get a lot accomplished. I really feel that I need to keep busy to keep my mood elevated. So... be ready for some great weekend updates! TGIF everyone!

Better :)

2009-02-26T10:59:00.003-05:00

Thanks, everyone, for putting up with my venting. I appreciate the kind words and all the great support.

Today's a new day. The sun is out, it's 40-degrees and I'm trying to have a better outlook today. I ended up not going to the gym last night. Instead, JP and I headed to church for Ash Wednesday. We both needed a little spirtitual muscle flex, so we were in high spirits when we left last night.

However, tonight will be a kick-butt workout. Can't wait! Gym bag is in the car and my body is screaming to get back into it. With the spring weather just around the corner (seriously, it has to be here soon or I'm gonna go crazy), I need to figure out my race calander. Yay!

Pity Party

2009-02-25T12:50:00.003-05:00

I know I've been complaining a lot, but it's my blog and I can do what I want to do.

Last night ended up being a big pity party for myself. I didn't workout and indulged myself in carbs... the really good kind. Olive Garden breadsticks.

My last meeting of the day was a planning meeting. Planning for programs in the future. The future, where I will not be doing this job. The fact that I'm going to be unemployed sucks, but seeing dates and projects on paper and realizing that I'm not going to be involved past page one, struck me in the face like a ton of bricks. Shit. I'm not going to be working on all of these great projects. The projects that are what make my job fun and what we've all ben looking to while we're in the limbo state. Wow. This blows.

Heading home, I called JP to give him a status update (on the road, heading to the gym, what do you want for dinner call). Instead, I ended up bawling. With tears streaming down my face, I just went home.

He's the greatest and didn't want me to have to cook. So, I could pick anywhere I wanted to go. (Which started a whole other round of crying since I felt guilty for not cooking when we (really, I) shouldn't be spending any money unless absolutely necessary). I was ready to eat my weight in breadsticks, so Olive Garden it was.

I find comfort in food, so this gorge was just what I needed. Now, I know emotional eating isn't healthy -- mentally or physcially -- but I couldn't have cared less at the moment. This morning I felt blah for not going to the gym, but quickly stopped beating myself up about it.

Meetings this morning were just as bad, and I actually had to discreetly wipe away a tear as we were talking about some future stuff. Seriously, I should have just stayed in bed. (Not that that is healthy either...).

Currently, I'm drinking a diet Coke (which I never do) and wishing it were a beer. (Which is actually my FB status right now! Ha!) Hoping to get to the gym tonight, but might not make it if we're going to make it to church tonight for Ash Wednesday. Guess I'll have to decide which needs more attention - my soul or my muscles. ;)

Holy sore muscles!

2009-02-24T13:07:00.003-05:00

Ahhhh. That's how I felt after my workout last night. It felt so good to be in the gym, sweat pouring off of me and just feeling my muscles being pushed to the limit. You all know... it's like going home.

My foot has been okay, but I'm still very hesitant to run. I had a lot of energy (some of it negative) to get out of my system, so I turned up the iPod to some crazy, loud workout music and jumped on the eliptical. About 45-minutes later, my mind was ready to crank out some more miles, but my foot... well, not so much. It was starting to get sore and, like I said, I'm ultra-sensative to it right now.

Jumped off, stretched really well and headed to the weights. Holy crap! My legs were trembling like crazy, but it was the good, tired feeling. Stretched some more and headed home.

Spent the rest of the night job searching. YUCK! Hopefully something will come up before my April deadline.

My body is sore today, but I'm looking forward to another kick-butt workout and our push up/sit up challenges tonight.

Winter Blahs

2009-02-23T13:48:00.003-05:00

I'm in that end-of-winter, spring is right around the corner, but not quite funk. Blah!

It was a long weekend since I had Friday off, and I'd like to say I accomplished a bunch of stuff, worked out like a madwoman and feel totally rejuvenated. Instead, I feel blah and looking forward to the weekend so I can do all the stuff I didn't do this weekend.

On a good note, JP is totally in the "get healthier" mindset and I love it. He still needs to have surgery on his ankle, so a lot of activities are off the counter. But, he's rededicated himself to doing as much as he can and eating better. So happy that he's doing it. I push as much as I can, but that's something you really have to make your own decision about. So...

1. He's doing fruit every morning for breakfast. (Small step. He's not a breakfast person. Hope to get him to a little protein mixed in soon.)

2. We've rededicated ourselves to do the 100 push-up challenge and the 200 sit-up challenge. It helps when we can do it together. Once the weather gets nice, I have a feeling we'll be on the mountain bikes a lot. Can't wait!

3. Reducing food intake. We're working on portion control and trying to do more lean proteins and veggies. I have more control on content since I'm the cook in the relationship, but he's in the drivers seat when it comes to how much he eats. He was always skinny skinny, no matter how much he ate. His metabolism is changing a bit and since he's not as active as before, it's starting to show a little.

4. After dinner, we try to run errands or something so we MOVE and help our food digest. It's cold out, so after-dinner walks aren't an option. But, doing a quick Meijer run to cross off our to-do list gets us MOVING.

5. Reducing soda intake. I put the clamp down on a lot of his pop intake since we started dating. He down to 1 can a day now and is working to not have one everyday. And, he is making a conscious decision to drink more water. Everyday.

6. Lunch. His office used to be bad about going out for lunch everyday. A few months ago, in an effort to eat healthier and save money, I convinced him to take his lunch to work. More work for me, since I'm the lunch packer in the relationship, but well worth it.

These are just small steps, but I'm so proud of him for being proactive about it. Can't wait until it gets warmer so we can be outside!

I was a lazy bum this weekend, so I'm anxious to head to the gym tonight for a solid workout!

Grrrrr

2009-02-17T21:59:00.002-05:00

Just wrote a post and lost it due to something wrong with Blogger. Grrrr...

I'm heading to bed so you'll just have to hear about my sweet ass seats at the Buddy Guy and BB King concert last night. :)

Hi...

2009-02-16T14:11:00.003-05:00

... it's been awhile, but I'm still alive and kicking.

Let's see... in the last two months I've been up and down. I was a little down, and as much as I wanted to blog to get it off my chest, I just wasn't really ready to see all of my frustrations in print. I'm excited to get caught up in your lives and all the great things you've all been doing.

Christmas and New Year's: A little stressful since the countdown was on for losing my job. On the bright side, it was a reminder that spending lots of money on the "perfect" gift really isn't necessary. The important thing is spending time with your loved ones.

North American International Auto Show: Busy, busy, busy. I worked nine days straight, moved into the hotel inside my office building for 4 of those days, and worked nearly 135 hours. I was EXHAUSTED and could barely see straight, but proud of the work I had accomplished.

My Job: The best part of 2009, so far, is that my contract at GM got extended for a few more months. So... my new last day is April 15. It's still a last day, but at least it buys me some more time. (And, a few more paychecks). I'm in job-searching mode and, frankly, it sucks. Time consuming, stressful and overwhelming about sums it up.

My 29th Birthday: Holy crap! My last year to say I'm in my 20's. It was a good day... cake, lunches out with co-workers, sushi with JP that night, parents dinner (mom's homemade mac & cheese... yum!). JP got me a gift card for a manicure and hot stone massage. I'm a little intimidated by it, but looking forward to trying it. I'll let you know if it's weird, heavenly or a little bit of both. I'm working on my list of things I want to accomplish before I turn 30.

Travel: Last two weeks have been on the road. Last week, I was in DC for the DC Auto Show for a few days. This past week, I was in Chicago for the Chicago Auto Show. Spent the week there for work and the weekend for play. JP came in on Friday night and we had a great time with his family.

Running: Been doing a lot of working out. I was up to 5 miles (about 9:30 pace) and then... my foot started hurting. Instead of packing it up and heading home, like in the past, I starting jumping on the eliptical and bike, hitting the weights and a tone of core work. Thinking of jumping in the pool next.

Life in General: Things, overall, are good. At times, it may feel like the walls are caving in, but what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger.

Hope all of you are well and looking forward to getting back in the mix!

Sore!

2008-12-29T13:09:00.002-05:00

I'm happy to say I've gotten off of my duff and worked out two days in a row. Geez. How sad is that. Especially since not too long ago I was complaining that I couldn't work out!

Anyway, Saturday I busted out the Women's Health 10 minute DVD and did all 5 workouts -- cardio, upper body, lower body, core, stretching. Yikes! My body is still sore!

Yesterday, I went to the gym and tried out my new Nike iPod earphones. LOVE THEM! Anyway... I ran about 1 1/2 miles, but my body just wasn't in synch. So I stopped the torture and jumped on the ellipitcal for an hour. Running wasn't on the agenda for my body, but working out in general was right at the top of the list. I worked up quite a sweat during that hour! :)

My reward afterwards was some popcorn at the theater. :) JP took me to see Marley & Me. So cute, but made me a little thankful I didn't get that puppy I wanted for Christmas. :)

Back in the grind today, but not feeling the motivation at all. Think I'll head out in a bit -- it's pretty quiet in the office. Plus, my parents and brother are coming up for dinner tonight. I planned ahead though and made it last night. Now, all I have to do is heat it up. I made seafood gumbo, so the flavors should be quite nice tonight after setting all night. Now all I have to do tonight is make the side dish. Plantains. YUM!!!

Hope everyone is having a happy Monday.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-27T01:23:00.002-05:00

Merry (belated) Christmas, everyone!

It was a wonderful holiday. Busy, but wonderful.

Christmas Eve, JP and I headed down to be with my family. Our tradition is everyone goes to church together and everyone has Christmas Eve with grandma. This year she had 7 of her 11 grandkids there, plus a new wife and a boyfriend (which she said counts as family!). It was a housefull, but it's one tradition that I love. We aren't always together throughout the year, but everyone knows they better be with grandma on Christmas Eve.

After gifts there, we drove up (about an hour) to be with JP's sisters. Their tradition is to open gifts at midnight. There was a little miscommunication, so we ended up just going home and spending the rest of Christmas Eve together. It was a little weird not to be with his brother's. They opted to stay in Chicago this year because of the crazy weather. But, it was kinda nice just being together to exchange our gifts.

Christmas morning we headed back down to my parent's house for gifts and dinner. It was nice to spend the day with my parents, aunts/uncles and my brother was in town from Dallas. I haven't seen him since May, so it was great to see him. After a quick nap, we hit the roads again and did gifts and dinner with his family.

Today, I spent the day recovering from all of the festivities. Well... recovering my staying in my PJs and rocking out with a little gift Santa left me and JP -- Guitar Hero for the Wii. :)

Hope everyone enjoyed their holiday and had a safe and merry Christmas!!!

Keepin' the faith

2008-12-18T09:12:00.005-05:00

Admitedly, I've been pretty grouchy lately. Either I'm stressed about work (Detroit auto show is quickly approaching and plans are changing by the hour), overwhelmed by the job search, unsure about the future (which, being type-A isn't how I like to operate), or just trying to get things ready for the holidays.

Lately, I haven't been running because I've needed the time to look for jobs. I really only get 2-3 hours a night, which isn't that much time. Looking for a job really is a full time job. Found a few things I'm interested in, so keep your fingers crossed.

Last night, I was feeling yucky from not working out in forever. My gym bag was in the car, so I made myself stop and go in for a workout. Apparently I had lots of pent up energy because I ran 8:03 minute miles (3 miles). The first 1 1/2 miles I felt like I was in a complete fog, but after that it was like an old shell broke away and this runner came out. :) I knew I was in there somewhere!

I did some serious stretching - my body is just so stressed and tense, I really needed it. I opted not to take the time to lift. I know I should, but it was getting late and I was getting hungry.

Feeling better this morning and ready to take on the world. Although, I'm sure I'll feel the weight of the world on my shoulders by noon. :) Just gotta pray and keep the faith that there is something better out there for me.

Highlights and lowlights

2008-12-08T11:15:00.004-05:00

It's been a little while, so I won't bore you to death with the details of the past two weeks. Here's quick look at the highlights (and... lowlights).

Highlight: Thanksgiving Dinner
What's not to love. Food, wine, family and friends!

Higlight: New running buddy
On Thanksgiving, JP's 11-year-old nephew asked me if I would run with him the next day - totally on his own and out of the blue. He wanted to get in better shape for soccer and figured I was his best bet to run outside in the cold. So, the morning after Thanksgiving I picked him up and we went to a nearby park. He did great and we got in about 2 miles. I was a little nervous because we had never spent time alone, just the two of us. It went fine and we chatted away during the entire run. Looking forward to the next run!

Highlight: Running/Working out
I've been doing fairly well with my running. I even got out the morning of Thanksgiving! I'm up to about 3.5 miles and starting to get consistent with weight training.

Lowlight: Running
Yesterday, during my run, my foot started to become sore. Yikes! Fearing I was doing too much on my ex-stress fractured foot, I finished up the mile and jumped on a spinning bike. Not taking any chances.

Highlight: Grandma K's 85th birthday
We celebrated my grandma's 85th birthday Friday night. Her memory isn't that great, but she's still got spunk!

Lowlight: It's winter. Brrr....
It's winter. In Michigan. Read: lots of snow and COLD temps. This weekend ended up in single digits, with windchill. I was all set to run outside Saturday morning, but after opening the door and getting one foot out, I quickly decided perhaps the gym was a better option.

Highlight: Christmas Parties
Our first Christmas party was Saturday night. GREAT food, lots of laughs, little bit of wine (well... maybe a bit more than a little), and you're never too old for gift exchanges.

Lowlight: Auto industry and state of the economy
Combine these two and there are a lot of people anxiously awaiting what the future will bring. Mine became a reality on Friday. My on-site contract with GM ends Jan. 15. My PR agency is trying to find accounts for me to work on, back at our agency office. IF that doesn't work out (our bread and butter has long been GM. We're not getting as much work, which means less revenue coming in, which means tough business decisions need to be made... You know the cycle.) my last day will be Jan. 16. It wasn't a surprise, but hearing it out loud makes it real and just kinda blows. The agency and my clients are doing all they can to help me, which is encouraging and makes me very grateful. No one wishes this upon anyone, it's just how things are right now. I know I have a lot to offer and if it is going to happen, while I'm young, single and mobile, it may as well happen now. This is just God's way of telling me He has other things in store for me. I know there is a great future out ahead of me. It will be tough, but I have to be open for the ride and know that I'll end up in a great place.

Highlight: Haircut!
I'm getting a much needed haircut tonight. Whoo Hooo! It really is the small things... :)

Wedding #7 ... check

2008-11-24T11:57:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm proud to say I continued my quest to get back into shape this weekend.

Saturday morning, I got out of bed, had a small breakfast and headed to the gym. I didn't have a lot of time because wedding #7 was at 1 pm and it was about an hour away. I did 2.5 miles on the track (can I say again how much I LOVE my lap counter) in approx. 9:10 pace. The first 2 miles were awesome, the last half... not so much. It was tough, but I kept pushing myself to just finish it. Building the foundation back is never easy. I didn't have time for extra cardio or lifting, but I figured getting in my run could count as a success.

Wedding #7 was beautiful. The reception looked like a Winter Wonderland and was complete with a martini bar, ice cream station, soft pretzels for the late night snack, and photo booth. The photo booth was the most fun! It took a series of four pictures and you got to keep one and the other copy went into a scrapbook for the new couple. As the night progressed, I'm sure the photos become more and more, eh, creative. The bride and groom also surprised us all with a very fun first dance. They started with the traditional love song, which quickly broke into a choreographed old-school montage. It was a fun night and JP is happy that we don't have anymore weddings to go to this year.

Sunday was cold (about 30-degrees), but sunny. So, I made the most of it and headed outside for a "long run" of 3 miles. It felt great to be outside, my legs were responding well and my foot was able to take the mileage. I opted to go without my iPod (I desperately need to upload some new songs), and it was really nice to just think and enjoy the scenery.

The gym bag is in the car and I'm ready for another great workout tonight!

Shoeless Joe (or Joanne)...

2008-11-21T10:11:00.003-05:00

Okay, so I've been going to the same gym for nearly 2 years now. And, there's usually this one woman that I always notice. I've tried to keep my mouth shut, but it's Friday and I feel like letting my hair down a little and being a tad snarky. (I'm really a nice person. I promise.)

She's a middle-aged woman, that seems to work out all the time. She always wears baggy sweats and a zip up sweatshirt, with the sleeves pushed up over her elbows (that alone drives me crazy for some reason). Since she's in baggy workout gear, I can't really see her body but she doesn't seem to have the killer body you would expect from someone that works out all the time. She's thin, but that's about it. Okay, so why do I notice her? Because she always wears these black socks, that are so worn thin on the bottom they have huge holes in them. How do I know that? BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T WEAR SHOES WHILE WORKING OUT!

Go ahead and call me a gym snob, but it drives me insane and I have to let it out. The folks that wear the canvas shoes to work out in bug me, but this pushes me over the edge. She does classes, with her shoes neatly lined up next to her mat. She rides the bike, WITH NO SHOES ON. She runs (well, shuffles really) WITH NO SHOES ON. I've never seen her lift weights, but I'm guessing she'd do that with no shoes on either. I don't know why none of the trainers have said anything to her. I mean, it really isn't that safe to be working out without proper shoes on.

Admitedly, I've gone running without shoes... When I've done workouts on the beach or sprint drills on the football field. You know, in safe environmenets where the workout is geared to help you improve. Grrrr.... It probably bothers me way more than it should, but what can I say? It apparently is a hot button with me.

Okay, I feel better.... :)

I had a good workout last night. Another 2 miles (about 9:10 pace), some time on the eliptical and an ab workout. Felt good and my body is responding well. Plus, my foot is doing really well. Still taking it slow, but I'm so happy that it looks like I've made a full recovery. Rest day today and I'm planning on a 2.5-3 mile run on Saturday. Yay for the first week of my comeback. :)

The tough choices in life... gym or bar?

2008-11-20T09:52:00.003-05:00

Last night I was faced with a big dilema: Go to the gym or go to the bar. Now, before you tell me this is a no-brainer, let me explain.

Getting back into shape is at the top of my priority list. I love the feeling of being not only in shape, but being in kick-butt, what's a 15-mile run, I look freaking awesome shape. I feel like I haven't been in that condition since right before my unexpected surgery a few years ago. Looking back at pics during my marathon a few weeks before "the incident", I have to admit I looked great. Plus, I just felt so great being in the best shape of my life. So, dedication I must have.

But... being a CMU alum, the big MAC game between Central and Ball State was last night. One of my friends called to say a bunch of folks were meeting up at the bar to watch the game. Hmmm... what to do.

I'm proud to say I was dedicated and did my workout at the gym, with the thought that I could possibly catch the second half of the game afterwards.

So, I got my 2 miles in (approx. 9 minute miles - felt much better than Monday's run) and then jumped on the elipitcal for another 45 minutes. I just felt like I needed to get some more cardio in, but didn't want to risk putting too much stress on my foot. Then, I hit the weights and got a good lower body workout in. My quads were SCREAMING on the leg extension bench, but I just took that energy in and turned it into more determination to get back those killer legs. :)

Afterwards, I quickly ran home for a shower and made it over to the bar. My former trainer would be proud - I only had ONE beer. Didn't want to totally undo what I had just worked on for nearly 2 hours. It felt good to be out and among friends, kicking back with a cold one. (Life has been more stressful than I could ever imagine right now. I'm directly tied to the auto industry. There's a long, insightful post coming in the near future, I'm sure...). I got to bed much later than I would have liked, but it was totally worth it.

Looking forward to another great workout tonight. Ab/core work tonight... wish me luck!

Lots of Laps

2008-11-18T09:33:00.003-05:00

Last night, after work, I went to the gym determined to get a killer workout in. It's been a little while since I've been able to workout so I need to get back into the swing of things.

It was a little sad that I couldn't run outside, but it was dark, cold and snowing. On the bright side, I finally got to use my little lap counter that I bought this summer. I HATE having to count laps and usually forget which number I'm on. Then, to make sure I dont' slack, I run more just to ensure that I get in the desired distance. Grrr.... Anyway, it worked great! I forgot to start my watch to time my goal of 2 miles, but I guess it's better that way. I'm working on getting back into shape, not speed ... yet...

The 2 miles were a little tough, and I sadly realized how out of shape I really am now. In the past, when I didn't work out for one reason or another, I was at least still active. With that dumb stress fracture, I literally sat all summer. Slow and steady. I'll get there.

After my 2 miles, I did an upper body lifting workout. A little sore this morning, so I know I'll be hurting by tonight. But, looking forward to a great workout tonight!

St. Louis

2008-11-17T13:22:00.006-05:00

Super delayed, but here's some photos of St. Louis. We had such a great time... so much that our bodies rebelled against all of the fun we had that we both got sick upon arrival back at home. I'm feeling much better now and JP is just getting back on his feet.

We left last Thursday night and got in a little late. Just enough time to grab a late, late dinner at the bar and head to bed.

Friday morning, we meet the groom and his family (who I've known for years) and went to the famous Blueberry Hill resturant for lunch. Not sure why it's famous, but it is. From there, we went to see how Bud Light is made. Excellent tour and the tasting afterwards was obviously the best part. I tried this holiday ale that doesn't hit store shelves until Dec. 1. Can't remember the name of it, but if you see it, I highly recommend it!

That night, we went to the rehersal dinner in the suburb, Clayton. If you haven't heard of it, I can sum it up in a few words. Gated streets... filled with beautiful mansions. Yep, I said mansions. To put it in perspective: Dinner was served, buffet style, in the front, formal dinning room. We then walked to the back of the house where several long tables were set up. On the indoor basketeball court. Yeah... The people were super nice, the bar was well stocked and we had a wonderful meal. Afterwards, tons of us headed to a local bar. Thankfully it was within walking distance of the hotel. :)

After dancing our butts off, catching up with old friends and making new ones, we walked back to the hotel. We were starving and I was put in charge of ordering pizza. There were about 8 of us, so I just asked for the biggest pizza they have. Apparently, I ordered the biggest pizza in the world. Seriously, look at it! It was nearly the size of a small bar table!!! It was so good!!

Saturday, JP and I went to the Gateway Arch and went up for the view. JP had never been there before, so he can now check off one more thing on his "Tourist Spots Across the U.S." list. (NOTE: I look a little rough... we didn't get much sleep the night before...)

The wedding that evening was beautiful and the reception was at a lovely country club. We had a great time -- again, the bar was well stocked, danced our butts off, caught up with old friends and got to know our new ones better. Of course, after the reception, the party moved to the hotel bar. Not sure what time we finally made it back to the room but 7 a.m. came pretty early for us to get up and catch our flight. It was pretty brutal, but we had a wonderful trip!

This weekend was pretty low-key in comparison. Thank goodness!! One more wedding of the season... on Saturday... This one is in town and JP has limited me to 3 weddings next year. :)

Heading to the gym tonight! Yay!!!!

sick

2008-11-11T09:20:00.000-05:00

feel like crap. working from home. will have to update you all on my kick-butt weekend in St. Louis later. (I know you're all anxiously waiting...)

more hot tea, OJ and vitamins in my future...

1.5 miles down...

2008-11-05T14:14:00.002-05:00

... and a walk during lunch and yoga. Holy cow! Yay, me! :)

Monday, I was very ambitous and happy to be in the land of the running. I gathered the girls with I was walking with during the summer and we put on our running shoes and had a great power walk during lunch. Note: I am not one of those unstylish gals walking around in a skirt, tights, bright white socks and tennis shoes. :) We walked for about 45 minutes and I felt so great. I was never big into walking, but I have to tell you I could tell a HUGE difference this summer. I just felt better and I was more productive in the afternoon. It was nice to be at it again, plus the catching up with friends that I'd been missing out on.

After work, it was way too nice to go to the gym. It's going to be cold and snowy soon enough, so I took advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to do my 1.5 miles outside. It felt great!

Afterwards, while dinner was cooking on the stove, I decided to do the yoga session I had snoozed through earlier that morning. (Always sounds like a great plan the night before, but when taht alarm goes off I'm wondering what posessed me to set my alark any earlier than absolutley necessary!). My flexibility has sadly reduced, but a little bit at a time and soon enough I'll be crushing those downward facing dogs!

Yep, it was a lot to do in one day and yep, my foot was a little sore that night. Good news is that I was great the next morning so I can continue to build my mileage. The doctor said as long as it was okay the next day, I was free to continue going (cautiously).

Yesterday, I got up at 5:30 a.m. and rushed to get ready so I could be at the polls early. I was in line by 6:20 a.m., had my registration checked by 6:35 a.m. and ready to rock and roll promptly at 7 a.m. I was #34 in line to vote and the process was so smooth. Props to the volunteers in my area! I was out by 7:35 a.m. and waiting for my mom to come over. I had the day off, so we decided to stimulate the economy by doing our annual mother/daughter shopping trip. Had a fabulous time and the weather was PERFECT!!!! Lots of walking, so I consider that my exercise for the day.

Looking forward to a good run outside again today before it snows this weekend! Yikes! :)

1 mile down...

2008-11-03T09:52:00.000-05:00

The doctor gave me the okay a bit ago to start running, but life took over and I haven't had a chance to get out and run. This weekend was beautiful and we actually didn't have a ton of things planned. So, I got up early Saturday morning and went for my prescribed 1 mile run.

It felt so great to be out there! It was only a mile, but I was given strict instructions that the first run was to be 1 mile, the second run 1.5, etc. Sadly, I was a little sore the next day, but still smiling for being out there.

Didn't get my 1.5 in yesterday, but my gym bag is packed and waiting for me in the car. No excuses -- I am going to the gym tonight!

Hello, body... I'm back! :)

Quick Trips: Austin and San Antonio... y'all!

2008-10-31T22:38:00.012-04:00

Last week, I was in Austin and San Antonio. It was for work, but I did get to sneak in a few fun lunches.

Austin boasts the mothership of Whole Foods. I was super excited and was told it was several stories high, had resturants inside, a clothing area, etc. This is not your typical Whole Foods. Thankfully my co-worker are cool and went along with my craziness.

I took a picture inside the store and promptly got jumped on by an employee. I guess pictures are not allowed. I didn't argure, since she didn't ask me to delete it. So... here's just a quick look at the inside, looking at all the cafe area.

Isn't it awesome! I opted to do the "salad bar" style lunch, that way I could try lots of different thing. I don't get this type of food often, so I was going to take full advantage!

This is my delish lunch! Complete with the 100% recycleable box I put all the organic food into. I'm such a nerd, but at least a healthy one!

That's about all I got to see of Austin, but it seemed like a nice place.

From Austin, our crew drove to San Antonio for the next stop. Again, didn't get to see too much of the city, but my great co-workers offered to take me to the Riverwalk for lunch. I've only seen it on TV (Pistons v. San Antonio Spurs), and was super excited to see the sights. We had an authentic Mexican feast!

So cool! Wish we would have had time to do some shopping, but we were, after all, there for business. It would have been cool to see it at night, with all of the lights, but I'm just happy to have been able to see it at all. It was a little chilly that day, but nice enough that we were able to sit outside.

I've been MIA since last week... just a tough week. Thankfully, I've been home, but been working too much and have had something going on every night. More on that later...

Hope everyone has a happy halloween!

Here comes the bride...

2008-10-23T00:25:00.007-04:00

It was a beautiful wedding and we had such a fun weekend.

Friday morning, JP and I headed across the state so I could meet up with the girls for a group mani/pedi. We went to one of those school salons, which I had never done before. JP didn't think it was a good idea, but I told him it would be fine and much cheaper. Well, it was cheaper, but it wasn't the best job. The bride's looked good though, so I gues mine don't matter too much. The other two bridesmaids didn't say anything to me, so I was kinda dreading spending time with them for the rest of the weekend. Everything was all set up, so I headed back to the hotel to grab a quick snack with JP and get ready for rehearsal and rehearsal dinner.

Rehearsal was COLD! We were all wrapped up in our coats, praying it would be warmer the next day. Afterwards, the dinner was lovely. It was located in the little downtown, in what was once a piano factory. Very cool. Of course, the two bitchy bridesmaids didn't introduce themselves to JP and didn't introduce their significant others to us. Grrr... We did get to know the best man and his wife, who live overseas. We hit it off with them right away.

Saturday morning, we met and spent the morning primping and making sure everything was ready to go. The bride was in great spirits, not nervous at all. We did some photos and then just had to wait. About ten minutes before walking down the aisle, we popped open the champagne and toasted the new bride. All of a sudden, it hit her. Nerves took over and we weren't sure her legs were going to hold her up.

The ceremony was beautiful, the park was gorgeous and the weather was sunny and not too cold. Surpisingly, I got a little emotional. Afterwards, we hopped on a trolley and toured the town and went to take pictures down by the beach. BEAUTIFUL!

The reception was tons of fun. The grooms parents were having the time of their lives, we were doing shots at the bar with the brides entire family -- including grandpa (who I couldn't keep up with, by the way), and the music was really good. The night was so much fun that when the reception ended at 11:30 pm, the new couple weren't ready to call it a night. So, a small group of us extended the reception to a local bar. It was perfect because it was empty, so we had it all to ourselves, and there was a live band. I took on the responsibility of getting the bride and groom to their hotel room safely, so I didn't drink so much. The others... not so much...

Let's just say the bride, best man, grooms father and JP were still drunk when they woke up Sunday morning. Not so great when we have to be at the brides family for brunch. We were all a little rough, and nothing fixes that like some spiked coffee and cheesy hashbrowns! :)

Since the best man and his wife live overseas, all he wanted to do while he was in town was watch some American footall. And, since we hadn't had enough to drink all weekend, we decided to meet up with them, on our side of the state, to watch football and... drink some more. GREAT weekend and I was actually physically sore from all the fun we had!!!

In Texas this week, so more on my great adventures later. :)

Weather Report: Sunny, but a bit chilly

2008-10-16T13:42:00.004-04:00

This is a snapshot of what the weather report looks like for where the wedding is this weekend. Keep in mind, it's an outdoor wedding, near the water and the dresses are strapless. Nonetheless it's going to be absolutely beautiful. A pretty fall wedding outside in a park. Super excited!

We're headed over to the other side of the state tomorrow morning. Can't wait!

Good luck to everyone running a marathon (or half) this weekend!

Dear, Aquarius

2008-10-14T16:16:00.005-04:00

Aquarius - October 14, 2008

Your boat is likely to be rocked today, dear Aquarius, to the point where you and all of your belongings could go overboard. Be prepared to swim for shore. Grounding and stability are the keys to maintaining a healthy headspace, especially when it comes to your ever-fluctuating emotions. Issues regarding the home and people's possessions are likely to surface in a dramatic manner. Listen to your heart for the answers. (MSN.com)

I don't believe in horoscopes, and mostly just look at them when I'm having a bad day and need a little entertainment. But, geez. They sure seem to be right-on at times. Of course, they're always written in such a way that it could seem to be written just for you, for a variety of reasons.

I've been way emotional today, totally in my head and it's just been an all around bad day. And, I'm anticipating a "dramatic" conversation tonight at home... Ironic, huh?

Maybe tomorrow my horoscope will tell me fame, fortune and stunning good looks are around the corner -- oh wait, I already have all of that. :)

Reasons Why I Run:

2008-10-13T15:01:00.006-04:00

1. Relatively low chances of slamming head first into a tree

2. No need for crazy gear to get used to (read: hand brakes, gears, etc.)

3. My ass doesn't hurt this much running

4. I'm too old to fall off of...

... a mountain bike.

Really, though, I had a great time biking this weekend. Saturday, after I landed from Phoenix, JP and I biked along the 8-mile paved path at the local metro park. It felt easier than the first time, so we were pleased with our improvement. And, were lured into believing we were ready for prime time.

Sunday morning, we met my parents for brunch, took a perfect Sunday afternoon nap, and then decided we were ready to try a mountain bike trail ride. We went to a local state park, where the trails are supposedly good for beginners. Yeah.

We rode about 2 miles into the park before we got to the trail. We were really excited and knew that it wouldn't be super easy. I didn't think I'd fear for my life. I think I needed to start off on a dirt trail with a few little twists and turns. NOT hills, tight turns, huge stone that looked more like boulders, tree roots that were more like logs ... you get the picture. Every time I went downhill, I prayed to the trail gods I wouldn't slam into a tree. Every time I went uphill, my legs were burning like crazy and I tried not to slip backwards. I admit, we did get off a few times to walk up/down the hills. It was just too tough for us. Thankfully it wasn't too busy, so we didn't upset the pros by our slowness.

We did about 1 1/2 miles before there was a break in the trail and we could jump off and back onto the paved trail. I was a bit disappointed we couldn't do more, but we have to start somewhere. Besides, I've never been on an adult bike until a couple weeks ago. And here I am, trying to tackle the trails. (Like my self-talk so I don't feel so bad?). We were dirty, sweaty and loved every second of it. Obviously, we have to work on it and get into better shape, but we had a great time. I said that I need to toughen up a bit, too. It was scary!

I forgot my camera, so still no pics of my new bike. Here's the website photo, though:

It's the Giant Yukon. Mine's blue and silver and I LOVE IT! I just loved being outdoors (although I'm covered with mosquito bites), getting back into shape and spending some time with JP. In the past, we each did our own thing to work out, so this is a nice change. It was a great workout and I slept so soundly last night. It's still beautiful fall weather, so we're hoping to get a ride in tonight after work. Yay for being active again!

I feel like shopping

2008-10-10T00:47:00.014-04:00

Landed in Phoenix this afternoon... much better than Houston. This is what I did tonight ~

A little fashion on display...

Before the fashion show...

We were welcomed by a well-known designer. Look familiar? My client is a sponsor of PR, and he was a guest of a women's business conference. He's super sweet and was definitley enjoying himself. I was invited to do dinner/drinks with him and the crew afterwards, but the autograph/photo line was way too long, and I was starving and just wanted to get back to my hotel room. Plus, I hadn't touched email all day since I was on the plane for the majority of the day. Oh well. I'm not a die hard fan and when a girl's gotta eat, a girl's gotta eat. :) Oh did I mention that when he first got to the hotel, I rode up in the elevator with him and a few of the runway models. Yeah... nothing to boost your self-esteem like standing next to several beautiful, tall, slender models. :)

Throughout the show, they had a dance troupe. Check this out... CRAZY!

The runway showcased Macy's finest and the only problem is now I feel like shopping. Anyway, back in the hotel catching up on email and getting ready for another program tomorrow. I must say, though, Phoenix is a really nice place. I was immediately greeted by the warm weather. The landscape was gorgeous with the mountains in the backdrop, and my hotel room overlooks the entire city.

Okay, so it's like 1:30 a.m. back home and I'm tired. Better wrap up and get a good night's sleep.

Home Sweet Home

2008-10-07T18:12:00.003-04:00

A tad exhausted, but happy to be home!

Saturday was a FABULOUS time out celebrating with my college roommate! Last big night out as a single gal! We partied in our hotel, downtown Grand Rapids, had a delish dinner at a great tapas place and then danced until 3 a.m. (Yes, my foot was killing me by the end of the night. And, I wore flats!). Still not a fan of the other two bridesmaids, but after the wedding I'll hopefully not have to interact with them again. It makes me so livid that they can't get past themselves to remember that this is all about our friend. Grrr.... Oh well, we didn't let them ruin our good time! :)

Sunday I packed up and headed to hot and humid Houston for work. Not the best biz trip ever... it's sad when the highlight of the trip was a first-time experience at a Waffle House. Hahahahaha -- I do have to admit the hashbrowns were good (unless I was just starving and they tasted good!). JP and I literally passed in the air today -- I was heading home when he was heading to Houston. Too bad we couldn't coordinate better and try to have lunch or something in Texas. :)

Plus, his brother was on the way down to visit their father. Today was a very busy travel day. Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes. JP's dad is home recovering now and in great spirits. Please keep the healing thoughts coming -- I appreciate it more than you know!

Drama, drama, drama

2008-10-03T09:23:00.002-04:00

... and it's not even mine!

Life is a tad stressful right now... Let me start by saying that I love my family and friends dearly. I'm glad they feel comfortable with me to share their feelings and come to me if they need an ear and shoulder for support. But... all this has happened in the last few days...

The ongoing stress of JP's dad's health (getting stronger everyday - thanks for all your "get well" thoughts!)
A girlfriend that lives too far away is going through a tough time. Dumb boys. :)
Some dear friends are going through a rocky phase (?) in their marriage
Stupid bridesmaids. No bridezilla here, it's her dumb other bridesmaids. (I am by far the best maid of honor EVER!) :)

My "to-do" list is getting out of control and I'm trying not to get overwhelmed.

Saturday is the bachlorette party -- SUPER EXCITED! I fly out for Houston on Sunday night. I return Tuesday and fly out to Phoenix on Thursday. Return on Saturday morning. So lots to get ready!!!!

On a good news note, the doctor said I'm doing great and I can start walking more and ease into running. She stressed it was running 1 mile one day, 1.5 miles the next day if I'm okay, 2 miles the next day... no jumping into an "easy" 5-miler. I'm really pleased with this and ready to start getting out there again. You know, after all the craziness dies down a bit.

Hope everyone has a fabulous weekend!

Back from Vaca!

2008-09-30T09:40:00.003-04:00

I'm so far behind on catching up on everyone's lives... So, first, I hope everyone is healthy and happy. Here's a quick snapshot so I'm not totally MIA!

Vacation was wonderful and we had a fabulous time exploring the Upper Penisula of Michigan! Lots of hiking, biking (yup, biking) and just enjoying a slower pace. Plus, no cell coverage so there was no interruptions.

Since we enjoyed biking Mackinac Island so much, when we came home we went out and bought mountain bikes. Keep in mind, I haven't had a bike since my pink Huffy, so this was a major step up for me. Hand brakes, what? ;)

While we had a great time, our vacation was cut a bit short. It was discovered that JP's dad had a tumor on his colon and needed surgery right away. We couldn't be with him, but being home made us feel a little more secure. He had surgery last night and, unfortuntely, the tumor was cancerous. We don't have a lot of details yet, but we're hoping for the best. I'll probably be MIA for a bit longer, but I promise to post our kick-ass photos from our trip. And, of my new Giant Yukon bike (still really doesn't mean much to me, but maybe some of your cyclists will know...)!

Please keep us in your thoughts...

Happy Belated, GM

2008-09-19T13:14:00.002-04:00

I've been MIA because I've been working on GM's 100th birthday. Lots of work has been going on over the last few years, gearing up for the big day -- Sept. 16. I only been working on it for the last few weeks, so I really shouldn't be complaining. It's been a lot of LONG hours and I'm exhausted. The effort was well worth it though, the event was great and we had lots and lots of media activity. However, I really do say that you know you work too much when you eat all three meals at the office, work weekends and see your co-workers more than you significant other. :)

I'm pretty exhausted (wait, did I say that already?) and cannot wait to head out of town tomorrow for a week-long vaca! We're heading up to the U.P. where we'll do lots of hiking, biking, and "up north" things. Wish us luck that both of our ankles/foot hold up. We're quite the injured pair -- he needs ankle surgery for a soccer injury and my stress fracture is on the mend.

It should be beautiful this time of year, since the leaves change color up there about two weeks before they do in the lower part of the state. JP's never been up there, so I'm super excited for him to see everything. Lots of waterfalls, cool rock formations, lake-front activities (although it's gonna be cold...) and just relaxing!!!!!!!! (Plus, it'll help me not remember that my marathon should be this weekend...).

So, I'll be MIA for another week. But this time, for a much better reason!

Crisp, Fall Day

2008-09-09T13:54:00.003-04:00

I'm sad that summer seems to be gone, and I actually just realized over the weekend that it's getting darker, earlier. The cool, fall nights make for PERFECT sleeping weather, but I could use some more summer weather. Just not ready to let go yet.

Anywho... spent most of the weekend back on the crutches just to be safe. My foot was hurting and I really don't want to start back at square one. It ended up being a smart move and I'm pretty much back to the final phases of recovery. Been sporting the running shoes to the office this week, but other than that no complaints. I'm taking a few more days to just make sure it's okay before I head back to the gym. Getting a little taste of it again and then stopping has been brutle. I just wanna get into it again.

Plus, I realized over the weekend that my marathon would have been next weekend. I should be in marathon-ready shape and I'm no where near it.

On the bright side, the weekend was filled with dinners out with friends (and some great beers from around the world), time with family, a wedding shower (of course) and a whole lot of Mario Kart Wii -- I'm totally addicted!

Work is busy this week and so I should be getting back. Happy Tuesday everyone!

Two steps forward, two steps ... down

2008-09-05T09:31:00.003-04:00

... 'cuz opposites attract... (here's a little old school Paula for you this fine Friday morning).

Two steps forward:
Last night I rocked the gym! I did 30 minutes on the ellipitcal and was dying about 5 minutes into it. After getting the rust out, I really enjoyed being active again. Afraid of waking up to super sore muscles, I only went 30 minutes instead of the typical 60 minutes. After all, I should be easing into it.

After a good cardio workout, I did about 45 minutes of upper body strength training. Perhaps a bit ambitious, but it just felt so great doing it, I couldn't help myself. A tad sore this morning, so I'm sure I won't be able to hold a glass of water tomorrow!

Two steps... down?
After a successful entry back into the workout world, what do I do this morning? Fall. Yep, I fell on my foot... the injured one. It's actually quite funny, and only I would do something like this. I set my alarm clock across the room so I have to physcially get up to turn it off. Otherwise, I would just lean over, turn it off and never get to work. I got up, swung my leg out, put my toes down on the ground and... fell. I'm not sure if my toes couldn't hold the weight until my heel hit the ground, or if I feel back asleep before my entire foot hit the ground. Either way, I went down with toes bended. This is especially bad because I've been spending the last 2 1/2 months focusing on NOT bending my toes so it could heal. It really hurt at the time and now my foot is still a tad sore. Taking complete precaution, I opted for running shoes to the office today. Not the most professional look, but I'm not taking any chances of starting back to square one!

Anyway... looking forward to a packed weekend. A few dinner and drinks with friends, yet another wedding shower, and time with the fam. Hope everyone has a fab weekend!

whooo hoooo!!!!

2008-09-04T15:48:00.002-04:00

The doctor's appointment was successful and the best one so far. According to the x-ray, I'm healing, but still a little slowly. When she pressed down in the area of the stress fracture, it was sore, but not the striking pain I had before. Yay! And... guess what she told me....

I can start working out again!

No running, just low-impact stuff -- bike, elliptical, strength training. No yoga either, but I'm good with the stuff she said okay to! Gym bag is packed and in the car, just screaming to be used immediately after work. I cannot wait to get back into it!!!!

Go back in October for another check up. I'm in a wedding mid-October, so my goal is to be able to wear heels for it. Not super confident that will happen, but a girl's gotta have some goals. :)

Lesson in chocolate

2008-09-03T11:36:00.006-04:00

There is a Godiva chocolate store in my office building, and I've been very good about not going into the store to be tempted! Well... on Friday, I decided to wander in "just to look" on my way out. After seeing ALL of the candy (bulk candy everywhere, beautifully wrapped golden boxes of Godiva, even some "special edible treats" suitable only for adults...), I caved, deciding it was a holiday weekend and it would be nice to have some good chocolate around.

I picked up a box of Godiva chocolate covered cashews for JP and a bar of Godvia dark chocolate for me. I'm not a dark choclate kinda gal, but decided that since it's good for me, that's what I would go with. After all, I need those antioxidants!

Last night, I finally broke into it... and had a HUGE surprise. See... I didn't know the difference between dark chocolates. I picked up the 85% cacao straight from the Caribbean... I figured the higher the number, the better it would be. Make that the more BITTER it will be. I had to choke down one tiny square.

JP told me that's real chocoate... not the sugary milk chocolates we've become used to here in the US. :) This will be the longest any chocolate will last in my house, that's for sure!!!!

Anyway, heading to the doctor in a bit for what will hopefully be the last round of x-rays. Keep your fingers crossed she'll let me start working out again and maybe even start running again!!!!

Fun-filled weekend!!!

2008-09-01T21:05:00.004-04:00

It's the end of the weekend already, but I definitley maxed out on fun filled activities.

Friday, JP and I had a date night. A simple dinner and movie night. Holy Cow! It must have been awhile since we did dinner and a movie because we experienced som sticker shock! Dinner was at our favorite sushi place -- nothing fancy, just a little, non-descript place. Approximately $35. Two movie tickets (Traitor -- great movie), $20. Medium drink and popcorn (dinner was great, but we couldn't resist the WONDERFUL smell of movie theater popcorn!), $20. Holy Crap -- that's about $75 for one, simple night out. I told JP that I'm glad I'm not a dude, dating someone new. That's expensive! He rolled his eyes and told me dating isn't all it's cracked up to be sometimes... guys go broke! :)

Saturday, we played host to some friends for the U of M football game. I LOVE hosting (my parents always played the part, and I grew up dreaming of having my own get togethers) and laid a pretty good spread, if I do say so myself. BBQ chicken sandwiches (veggie burger for me), whole wheat pasta salad, veggies/dip, pita bread/spinich dip, and few other muchies. The Wolverines couldn't pull it out, but we enjoyed lunch and the AMAZING chocolate cake our friends brought. Think Ho Ho, but about a trillion times better.

After the game, we went downtown and meet up with some other friends for the International Jazz Festival. Its a great event downtown Detroit, and there's about 5 or 6 different stages. We attended the Latin Jazz councert and enjoyed a beautiful night out wiht friends. The highlight of the day -- the friends we met up with found Mario Kart for us!!! It's super fun and I think we stayed up until 3 a.m. playing. :) I'm not a big video game player, but I LOVE the Wii!!!

Yesterday, we spent some time at my parents and then some time with JP's sister. Nothing like lots of food and drinks to pass through the day.

Today was filled with errands and I've figured out why I'm broke. All of these wedding related gifts are adding up! I hit up Macy's and Bed, Bath and Beyond for another wedding shower gift and a wedding gift. Can't wait until it's my turn... I better get some amazing ROI on all of these presents I've been buying! :)

SO don't want to go to work tomorrow, but I guess it's time to get in the swing of things.

Rooftop parties, fashion and beautiful people...

2008-08-29T09:30:00.004-04:00

All in all, I have a pretty cool job and I get to do some pretty cool things. And, even though I'm working, it can be a lot of fun. Wednesday night was one of those nights.

My client is one of the sponsors to Project Runway, and this week's show featured them. The challenge was to design an outfit using all the things that are used in producing a vehicle -- everything from seat belts, to leather from the seats, to air filters. One of our designers was on the show and actually introduced the challenge to the contestants. So what do you do when something cool like this happens? You throw a party! We had a nice rooftop viewing party, overlooking the skyline of Detroit. It was a fun mix of media (my job), fashion design students (Detroit has some great programs in the area), and generally the beautiful people.

Side Note: I always get so intimidated by "the beautiful people club" and it always makes me feel that much shorter, dumpier and unattractive. I know I should be more confident, but it always makes me feel like I'm in the wrong place. The funny thing is, a lot of my friends are in "the club" so does that make me a beautiful person, too, or just the token ugly friend of the group??? Hmmmm..... :) :) :)

I've only seen an episode or two, but it was cool to watch the show with the guy introducing the challenge on TV. :)

Even though my job is super cool :)... so freaking glad it's Friday. And Friday of a long weekend! No big plans, but the week has been filled with some long hours, so I'm ready to enjoy the last bit of official summer. Everyone have a fun-filled and safe holiday weekend!

Matching Shoes!

2008-08-27T10:57:00.002-04:00

Yep... that's right. After two long months of wearing out the left shoe, Friday I was able to start wearing BOTH shoes again. Sounds silly, but it really is all about the small things in life. Granted, they are flats, but I'll take it.

And, I tell ya, the timing worked out beautifully. We had a wedding to go to on Friday night and I was happy to not draw too much attention to myself. The downside: I had a sweet dress all picked out, but it would only do it justice if I wore my typical 3-inch heels. Opted for a dressy pair of pants instead. The wedding was beautiful and we had a nice time.

Saturday, I was up early to head to a bridal shower for my college roommate. Since I was helping co-host, I couldn't make it to my cousin's shower that was scheduled for the same day. There is something seriously wrong when you're double booked on a Saturday for bridal showers! Nonetheless, it was a nice afternoon filled with blenders, towels and muffin tins. :)

Sunday, both JP and I crashed and didn't move off the couch for most of the day. It was beautiful outside, but there was really no way we were going to exert anymore energy.

So far, it's been a long week already and it's only Wednesday. Going to a posh viewing party tonight (working though), so we'll see how that goes. Right now, I'd much rather go home and veg for the night but I'm sure once I get there it'll be okay. More on that later... :)

Why some people shouldn't be parents

2008-08-20T19:58:00.004-04:00

I wasn't really planning on continuing my rant from yesterday, but as fate would have it, my grocery shopping experience tonight prompted it.

Disclaimer: I'm not a parent. I understand sometime kids will be kids and no matter how much of a super mom or dad you are, you won't be able to control a sudden outburst. I understand sometimes parents just have bad days and are just plain tired.

BUT... I also firmly believe some people should not be allowed to have children. Like the fine example I encountered tonight while grocery shopping.

This young girl (about 18-20 years old) was with her mother and small son (about 4 or 5 years old). I first noticed them not because of the little boy yelling, but of his mother. Yes, she was yelling throughout the store, trying to teach her son how to say, "give ya a doll'a if you holl'a". Not that he would understand what it means, but still not appropriate to teach a small child. She then went on to yell and berate her mother for not remembering to put something on her list. Something to the effect of, "You idiot! How could you forget to write it down!" In my world, I would never even dream of saying that to my mother because I would have been promptly slapped for disrespecting her. (I don't know that I'll spank my children - we'll cross that bridge when we get there, - but my brother and I both were and grew up to be fine, respectful adults.)

Later, I crossed paths with them again and the little boy was screaming bloody murder because he didn't get something he wanted. That lasted for the rest of the time I was in the store. I saw/heard them leave and the store all breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh no, it doesn't end there. As I'm walking out, he had just finished one of those little rides and wanted to go again. His mom was yelling at him saying, "I ain't got no more money" over and over again. He answered by another round of screaming bloody murder.

Poor kid. I'm sure he was never taught proper manners, and probably never will be. Some people just shouldn't be allowed to be allowed to be responsible for another person's life! Okay... rant over. I'm really not a bitch, I promise I'm nice. :)

Good news... my foot is healing very well. The pain is almost completely gone and my doctor said I should go another day or two with the funny shoe, and then I can start wearing my own (matching) shoes again. No heels, but I'll take it! Super pumped and need to go back in two weeks for another x-ray. I'll bring up the "so... what kind of workouts can I do now?" conversation then. Yay for matching shoes!

Why kids are fat, deaf and annoying

2008-08-19T14:08:00.003-04:00

Although it doesn't sound like it from my title, I truly love kids. Well... most kids. In fact, I wanted to be an elementary school teacher. Anyway...

So, I'm working from home today and it's beautiful outside. Mild temps, sun is out, slight breeze. Perfect to open up the balcony door and get some fresh air inside. But... the kids in the NEXT BUILDING OVER are so freaking loud. Their windows or door must be opened because I can hear them playing the Wii. In fact, it's so loud I know that they're playing the bowling game. Did I say the noise is coming from THE NEXT BUILDING!?!?!?!

First of all, when I was a kid (you know, it was so long ago) and home during the summer, my mom scooted us out the door in the morning and we played outside. All. Day. Long. Thankfully, we lived in the middle of no where, so we were free to run, scream and play. When we were inside, we had to read for at least an hour a day (no problem there, I've always loved to read) and when we were allowed to watch TV, it was at a normal volume level.

Grrr... kids like that annoy me. Really, the parents that sit there and don't make their child behave irritate me more, but that's an entirely different story. I'm really not an orge... I love kids (that behave)! Really!

Crutch-free

2008-08-19T09:38:00.002-04:00

I feel so free! Today I'm suppose to be testing out walking without my crutches. yay! When I woke up this morning, I reached for them and then remembered I didn't need them. What a sense of freedom. (Sad, I know.)

Working from home today though. My office building is so freaking big that it would be a BAD place to get stuck inside and realize you need crutches. Have I mentioned how great my clients are to me?

Keep your fingers crossed that I'm healing well enough not to need crutches anymore. Back to the doctor tomorrow, where I anticipate she'll tell me to walk in the shoe for a week and then come back to see if I can then get rid of that. Thankfully my job is so flexible! I've had an appointment nearly every week. I will miss the constant upper body workout though. My tri's are seeing the effect of walking around with crutches for the past 3 weeks or so! :)

26.2 -- Wow... That's a long way!

2008-08-16T19:41:00.002-04:00

Totally in awe of the female Olympic marathoners right now. They're only 10: 31 into the race, but they are so freaking amazing!

NBC just showed the course map from an aerial view and it seemed like such a long distance. Then it hit me. "Hey, I've done that a few times." In about double the time, but I've covered that distance in a respectable amount of time (you know, compared to other normal people).

BYOB (Bring Your Own B-12) ???

2008-08-15T20:04:00.004-04:00

Growing up, I was never a huge meat eater. It was mostly because I didn't enjoy the taste, not opposed to the idea of eating animals. I mean come on, we lived on a farm where we raised animals for our meat. (One rule to growing up. We weren't allowed to name the animals. My mom didn't want us to be scarred when we found out what/who we were eating for dinner.... :) )

My first job when I was 16-years-old was at McDonald's. And, I haven't eaten a hamburger since. When I went away to college, and had complete freedom in my diet, I went vegetarian. (I do eat seafood/fish and dairy so I'm not a complete vegatarian). Again, mostly because of taste but I really started to enjoy the health benefits. The first time I came home and proclaimed I no longer ate meat, my mom promptly bought me a few books and told me if I was going to be a veggie, I had to be knowledgable about it and do it correctly.

My family is a big meat and potatoes family, so my parents will try anything to get me to eat meat. Anything that is slightly off in my life, they (half) jokingly say, "well... it's because you don't eat meat."

So today's phone call from my mom was nothing unusual. With my stress fracture healing so slowly and the whole long affair with my abdomen and chronic pain issues, I figured my body just healed slower than the average person. My mom saw something on TV this morning about B-12 shots and how vegetarians should especially consider it. She said she thought maybe I was deficient and that's why I'm healing slowly, especially since she said I wasn't like that as a kid. And, that I should ask my PCP during my annual check up (I'm a HUGE preventative care fan!!!)

I usually just brush her "it's because you don't eat meat" comments off, but I took this one into consideration. Tonight, I did an internet search and actually found some blogs/forums that discussed this very topic. Maybe my mom wasn't completely off?

My question: has anyone considered/received a B-12 shot? Has anyone talked to their doctor about it?

P.S. Thanks to everyone for their well-wishes and support on my great master plan. I'm counting on all of you to help keep me with it! :)

Re-dedicated Runner

2008-08-12T18:22:00.006-04:00

I feel like such a bum! I'm still in comfy clothes at 6:30 p.m. (read: I went from my PJs to another paid of PJ pants and a t-shirt), haven't left the house all day and am currently sitting on the couch with my foot up. This is not the life. When I had surgery a couple years ago, all I could do was watch movies for 2 months. I swore I would never wish I could just stay home and watch a movie ever again. And, I never have. Sitting that long will do that to ya...

Seriously, I'm very fortunate to have such super cool clients, who actually insisted I work from home while I'm on crutches.

While I can't physically work out, I've been mentally planning out my next training plan. After getting full approval from my doctor and e-a-s-i-n-g into it, of course. I'm re-dedicating myself to being in the best shape of my life -- working out, eating right and loving every second of it. Here's a glimpse of what I'm thinking...

Yoga: Pre-work yoga (at least 3 times a week)

Running: Train hard and grab that sub-4:00 marathon! (including repeat, hill and speed workouts)

Weights: Focus on weights. I dabble in it, but haven't really become dedicated to it since working out with my old trainer, Ricky. Being strong is so important, and I'm GOING to do it.

Cross-training: My last couple of marathon training plans haven't included cross-training because of the intensity of the running schedule. I want to get into spinning/cycling and swimming. Hmmm.... does anyone see a tri somewhere in the future...

Healthy Diet: I've gotten away from the whole wheat pastas, been eating out too much and portions are bigger than I need (I totally agree when people say women gain weight the 1st year in a relationship. JP and I have always been active and healthy eaters, but we've re-dedicated ourselves to be as healthy as we can be... as healthy as we can be with a trip to DQ every once in awhile...)

I always like Nike ads, but this Nike Shox ad really illustrates how I feel about my plan. Now, if only I could get rid of these crutches... :)

IT Guru

2008-08-10T22:46:00.005-04:00

Being one of the least tech-savy person in the world, I am pretty proud of myself for updating the layout of my blog. Granted, Blogger makes it pretty idiot-proof, but nonetheless, I changed the look (a tad) all by myself. I can't figure out how to stretch the photo in the title box, so any help would be appreciated.

The weekend was pretty low-key. Saturday - sat at home. Sunday - sat at home. This morning, JP and I went out to lunch and then we went back to his house to get him packed up to hit the road again. Poor guy -- he left again this afternoon and will be out of town for the week. If you're keeping track, that means I was out of town for two weeks in a row and he'll be out of town for two weeks in a row. Some people envy us for getting the opportunity to travel for work so much. Granted, it has taken us to some cool (and not so cool) places, but we'd both rather sleep in our own beds and eat a home cooked meal any day.

I am getting a little stir-crazy sitting at home so much, but getting out is so tiresome and such a hassle.

Going to watch a little more Olympic coverage and head to bed. Mmmm mmmm -- I do love men's swimming. Abs everywhere.

Sitting home... still

2008-08-09T21:02:00.002-04:00

Last night was deemed "Wii and pizza night" and JP and I had over some friends to celebrate the festivities. We had a great time noshing on pizza and watching the Olympic opening ceremonies. Ever since I was little, the Olympics have been so fascintating to me. Obviously, I love athletics and the dedication and passion the athletes have for their sports. Admittedly, I get all teary-eyed with those inspiring behind the scenes stories. Like the USA team flag carrier in the opening ceremonies. From being one of the famed Lost Boys to becoming a world-class athlete. If that doesn't give you goosebumps, I don't know what will.

After watching the US team walk in, we decided to try out hand at the Wii. Nothing like a little friendly competition on a Friday night. I'm happy to report that both couples remain intact after some grueling rounds of golf, bowling and the duck hunt-esq game.

Tonight, JP is at a bachelor party and I'm hanging out at home watching the Olympics. If I were crutch free I would've found something to do, but I figured it would e better to stay home and do as the doctor ordered -- stay off the foot and keep it elevated.

I'm getting really antsy not being able to do anything. To go from some hard core training to a sudden dead stop... It's driving me crazy sitting home!!!!!

Please Visit the "D"!

2008-08-07T17:32:00.006-04:00

Like much of metro-Detroit, I live in the burbs and commute to downtown Detroit. I've done a lot to stimulate the city's economy -- baseball and hockey games, resturants, bars and a variety of events. I'm proud of all the work that has been done to revitalize the "D", but I'm sick of one bruised eye that keeps getting bigger and bigger.

Local and national news (CNN, CNBC, NY Times, USA Today, etc.) are blasting this across the country. Where is the Detroit mayor right now? In jail. Yep, the Detroit mayor is currently sitting in a little, cement cell tonight.

In addition to the text message scandal (did you see Jon Stewart's skit?), he is facing felony charges tomorrow for allegedly physically assulting a police officer. But that's not what landed him in jail. With everything that was mounting up against the mayor the court, which originally allowed him to travel for business and personal reasons freely, mae the decision he needed court permission before leaving the city. Period. Easy to obey, right? Nope. He went to Canada for a business meeting and the judge found out through the media. The judge was pissed and sent him to jail.

Please know there are wonderful people, places and things to do in Detroit! Hopefully he'll be removed soon and we can continue to grow the city to become a better place.

For you runners -- the Detroit Marathon is a great race. There are beautiful parts of downtown and you run by all the highlights -- beautiful homes, Joe Lewis Areana - Home of the Stanley Cup winners the Detroit Red Wings, Tiger Stadium. Ford Field where the Detroit Lions play, over the bridge into Canada and back thru the tunnel (world's only underwater mile -- how cool is that!), and around Belle Isle - Detroit only little island. Oct. 19, 2009!!!! If you've been training for a race but not sure which fall race to do, come to the "D"!!!

Pictures above: Belle Isle, Tiger Stadium -- "who's your Tiger?" and The underwater mile!

More Calcium, Please

2008-08-06T20:01:00.005-04:00

This afternoon I went back to the doctor to get my cast off! I was so looking forward to it and was really hoping not to get another one.

Okay, when I was in high school I had several casts (basketball injury) but for some reason I don't remember getting a single one off. I think I blocked the horrid memories. The tech comes out with this thing that looks like a power tool you could but at Home Depot. I was expecting some medical looking thing. As she's cutting into my cast I'm trying not to freak out. After all, I'm a grown adult. I think I flinched a few times and she finally looked at me and said, "It won't cut you, don't worry." Riiight. She was obviously not the one with a blade milimeters away from her leg.

Outcome: I'm only healing a teeny-tiny bit, so she said if I promised to stay on the crutches 24/7, she'd only put on the wrap/soft cast. Deal!

I'm absolutely convinced my body just heals slowly. But, to help things along, I stopped and got some calcium supplements on the way home. I got the chewy kind and they're actually not too bad tasting. I drink a glass of milk a day, eat yogurt or string cheese, and eat almonds, spinach, etc. everyday! I'm sure I'm still not getting the recommended amount. Has anyone tried supplements!?!?! Hurt? Help?

My client is super cool and told me to continue working from home for the rest of the week. I was going to go in tomorrow, but she insisted I stay home and keep off my foot. On one side, I get bored with no one to talk to throughout the day, but I have to admit rolling out of bed, flipping on the laptop and not getting dressed until noon is nice...

Life without running...

2008-08-05T13:56:00.004-04:00

Had a great time last week in Canada (eh?). One of the girls I work with has a place up there, right on the water, so we did our team off-site there. It was beautiful and there's nothing like working out on the deck, in the sunshine, munching on good snacks and drinking at 3 p.m. :) We really did get a lot of work done!

Oh. I can't believe I forgot this. We did the coolest thing while we were up there. There is a little boutique that my co-worker does a lot of shopping in, and she really wanted to take us there. We wouldn't be able to go before they closed, so the owner offered to stay open late JUST FOR US! How cool is that!?! I felt so VIP. Four girls running around this kick-ass specialty store - where everything is 50% off! Everything there is stuff you'll never see anywhere else. It was a bit pricey, but I'm willing to spend the money that isn't the Banana Republic tee everyone else has on. I got this cool, crinkly material black dress with a tan belt. It'll look super hot with some leopard print heels I've been wanting for awhile. And, I got a slinky black top -- satin body with sequence cap sleeves and tie belt. I was super excited and JP really liked my selections. In fact, he said, "hmm, why didn't you get more." (Girls, best answer ever, huh?). If we had more time, I'm sure I would've done more damage. :)

Other than that... not much is new. Without running/working out, I don't have a lot to write about. I've been catching up on reading, hanging out with friends and actually watching some TV. I really miss running, but I have to admit that I'm kinda glad to have some more time to see family and friends.

Heading back to the doctor tomorrow, so hopefully she'll take off the cast. My secret plan is that the cast comes off, I still have to take it easy, but I can at least swim and start lifting weights. Whadda think? :)

The "Must-Have" Accessory of the Year!

2008-07-29T11:33:00.002-04:00

Be hot this year, with the newest, hottest accessory. Why is it so hot?

1. Metallic is so in this season. It suits any outfit and you can dress it up or dress it down

2. Buff arms in in, and there is no better way to show off your toned arms this summer

What is this "must-have"... CRUTCHES

Yep, I'm on crutches. After running around LA and Chicago my foot was getting pretty sore. I called my doctor and she told me to find a pair of crutches and stay off my foot. The worst part is how sore my arms and hands are ... who knew those muscles exisited.

The best part of running around (and I use this term loosely) with a cast is traveling through the airports on a wheelchair. It really is the best way to travel! :) You cut right through security lines and they wheel you right up to the gate. Then, you get to board first... even before the gold status flyers (I'm on silver...). :)

Thankfully, I was able to jump into a co-worker's car on the way home from Chicago so I didn't have to struggle with crutches from curb to wheelchair.

I felt really gross yesterday, so I attempted to do some ab work. It was a little interesting trying to balance on the stability ball, but got in a pretty good workout.

Heading back out of town later today... hope everyone has a good week!

Foot update

2008-07-20T10:50:00.002-04:00

Went back to the doctor on Friday and took another round of X-rays. It showed a little bit of healing, but not as much as a normal person would have by now. I'm convinced my body just heals at a slower rate. She put me in a cast... from my toes up to mid-shin, so it's not that bad. It's more to slow me down than anything. With the wrap and shoe, she said I'm still probably more active than most people and it wasn't slowing me down enough.

The cast is doing the job. It's such a pain to move around, that I tend to sit with my feet up. I hate it, but not much more I can do for the next three weeks.

I'm flying out today, so airport security should be interesting. :)

Well, gotta finish packing.

A little bit better...

2008-07-16T18:41:00.001-04:00

Check out this link from E! Online. Hopefully the are, in fact, bloated and not prego! Makes me feel a little bit better and realize (again) that airbrushing is probably a god-send and that they actually don't look THAT amazing all.the.time. (Well, they're still drop dead gorgeous, but you know what I mean.)

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b146730_eva_uma_united_in_denial.html

Grumpy!

2008-07-16T16:04:00.006-04:00

Just call me Grumpy!

This week has been a bit rough and I've been in a pretty pissy mood. Most of it is because I'm not running. Working out always keeps my mood elavated, so not being able to run is kind of a downer. Trying to make the most of it, but frankly, it just sucks.

Secondly, work. I guess it is what it is... Traveling all next week, so I've been crashing on a bunch of stuff this week and it's been some long days. Traveling isn't ideal right now either. I go back to the doctor on Friday, so maybe I'll be in two matching shoes by the time I have to go out of town. Otherwise... LA and Chicago should be interesting.

Thirdly, I have a ginormous zit right on the tip of my nose. Bright, red zit. What am I, 13-yrs old!?!?! :)

Geez... okay, better get back to work. Hope everyone is having a happy hump day!

TGIF!

2008-07-11T16:05:00.005-04:00

Final Jeopardy Question: Upside of not running.

"What is actually being able to go to happy hour."

Since I'm not training I figure I should make the most out of it and get back to those patio-side happy hours I usually can't partake in because I need to get home and get my run/strength training in before it gets dark outside.

Wednesday afternoon I called up my old college roommate (whose wedding I'm in this fall) to see if she was up for some patio drinking. Worked out perfectly because her boyfriend was out golfing and mine went to the Tigers game.

Yesterday after work, I met up with an old college friend that I recently became reunited with on Facebook (I LOVE FB!). We haven't seen each other, or really communicated other than FB, since graduation day. It was great to catch up.

Tonight we're invited to a boat party and ... I don't have worry about being out too late so I can get up at o'dark thirty on Saturday morning.

Granted, I love running and really miss training, but there are some upsides to it. :) Happy Friday and hope everyone has a good weekend.

"hmmm... I thought it'd be much better than this by now..."

2008-07-09T16:07:00.002-04:00

Words that aren't very comforting when you're at the doctor's office.

I went back to the doctor today and she looked at my foot again. It was still pretty painful when she pressed on the target area, which wasn't what I was hoping would happen. She thought it would be a less sore by now (two weeks later), so she wrapped it up again in the soft cast/wrap and told me to come back next week for the second round of x-rays. She thought it would be too early to see the stress fracture this week. So that means at least one more week of walking around in this less than fashionable shoe!

So, the USAF Marathon is definitely a no-go. I'm not just coming to terms with that, I came to the realization awhile ago, I just didn't want to actually say it out loud. :) Taking it much better than I would have in the past. Guess I'm just getting more mature in my running.. :)

Next steps?

1. Focus on healing properly and throughly

2. Dallas Marathon -- Dec. 14 ??????

Update

2008-07-07T10:49:00.004-04:00

Let's see... Happy belated 4th everyone. Here's a lowdown on what I've been up to lately:

Friday before the holiday, JP and I headed down to Chicago. He dropped me off at his brother's and then continued down to Indiana where he had to work over the weekend. To make a long story short, the project went horribly wrong and he ended up working 90 hrs. from Friday until Thursday. He made it back to Chicago on Sunday night, but worked around the clock. I ventured out a few times -- walked around downtown...

... went to Taste of Chicago, got my nails done, met a friend for drinks. His brother lives in the South Loop so there were tons of AWESOME places to run... oh wait. I can't. My dumb foot is in a walking cast. Stupid stress fracture. I probably over did it with walking the first few days, so the last part of the trip consisted of the JP working and me sitting out on the balcony getting some sun and reading.

We headed home on Thursday morning and enjoyed some R&R the rest of the weekend. We bought a little grill and busted it out last night. Invited his sister's over and we had a great feast! I'm super excited to do some more grilling this summer!

Back to the doctor later this week for my follow up appointment. Keeping my fingers crossed...

The Two Dreaded Words...

2008-06-25T14:22:00.001-04:00

Stress Fracture

Went to the doctor this afternoon and my fear was confirmed. I have a stress fracture. It didn't appear on the x-ray, but apparently it won't show for a little while. Who knew it didn't show up until after the body starts working to heal it.

I'm in a wrap and little shoew now, and a follow up appointment next week. No running, extra walking, swimming... in fact, I can't get the soft wrap wet. NOT what I was looking for, but it was what I expected. We'll see how it feels next week and hopefully we caught it earlier enough.

Injury?

2008-06-23T10:26:00.000-04:00

Crap. I think I'm injured.

Thursday, I was scheduled to do a 35 minute tempo run. About 10 minutes into the run, I stopped and turned back. The pain on the top of my foot was getting worse. During the day, I did a quick web search and found that it could be a stress fracture -- exactly what I had thought initially, but hoped it wasn't.

Friday was a rest day (thankfully) and Saturday I cautiously headed out for my 14 miler. I did 3 miles, out and back, for a total of 6 miles and knew I needed to stop. It wasn't that it hurt so much, more like it felt really weak. Definite sign of a stress fracture.

Upset, I got back in my car and headed home. Grrrr.... Throughout the day it got a little more sore, and just walking was beginning to hurt. No. No. No. No. No.

I took off yesterday, but just walking in the grocery store was beginning to be difficult. This is not a part of my training plan. It was so hard not to run, but I knew that I had to be smart about this. If I nip it in the bud, early, maybe I won't be off as long. I know I could potentially not be able to run my fall race now, but I'm hoping for the best.

Asking around for a good orthepedic doctor (mine has since moved on and I'm not sure where he went), so hopefully I can get an appointment this week. Keep your fingers crossed!

Running IS fun!

2008-06-18T18:42:00.004-04:00

Ah, yes, what running should be. FUN.

So far this week, I've had some really good runs.

Monday - 3 miles
Ran at the gym
Mile 1: 8:49
Mile 2: 8:36
Mile 3: 8:45

Nothing crazy fast, but a good solid run. Afterwards, lifted weights (legs) like a crazy woman, but loved every second of it. It's mental, I know, but I feel so strong during weight training and LOVE IT!

Tuesday - 7 miles
Didn't keep splits, but again it was a good solid run. It was a little cool outside (cool, as in I wore a long sleeve), so that was a slight change. Started to get a little weakness feeling/pain on the top of my foot, right where my toe bones meet the rest of my foot. Eek!

Wednesday - Just call me wonder woman :)
Woke up early and did my yoga DVD. Ideally, I would've gotten over to the gym to do my scheduled 3 miler, but this is better than nothing. It felt SO DARN GOOD. Gotta keep this up!

After work, I did a 20 minute workout with some co-workers. One guy set a challenge for himself this spring to do a "couch potato to 5k" training plan. He kinda fell off the wagon, so a few of us are getting him back on track. He's never run before and needs to start from the beginning. His scheduled workout was 5 minute walking warm up, jog 60 seconds, walk 90 seconds, repeat for 20 minutes. He did great and we're gonna push him to complete the training and do his goal race. It was so much fun to help him along. We told him he'd hate us by the end of it, but the important thing is getting him back on the right side of the healthy/not healthy line.

After that, I ran my scheduled 3 miles. Great night out and, again, I really enjoy the river walk. Suppose to lift tonight, but I'm still at the office (nearly 7 p.m.) and I need to get home. Plus, I have some work I need to do yet. I think I'll take a nod from Jess and start the push up challenge. That will be more than an arm workout! :)

All right, peace out ya'll.

Am I dedicated enough?

2008-06-16T15:37:00.005-04:00

This isn't meant to be a complaining post, just some real conversation / inner battle I'm having with myself right now... Am I dedicated enough to be training for a marathon?

Saturday morning, I got up and headed out for my scheduled 13-miler. It was warm out, but not the god-awful humid weather we've been having lately. I don't have my splits handy right now, but let's just say they were slow. And, I mean S-L-O-W. I'm talking 10:15 to 10:30+ pace. WTF! I know long runs aren't races, but geez! This is significantly slower than my typical long run splits. Terribly disappointed, but more concerned than anything. Why am I running so slowly? Why are my legs so heavy? I know I picked an aggressive training plan, but this was the end of week 4. Should be coming along by now... right?

As if this wasn't concerning enough, I have to throw in another factor. I missed my Sunday run. Again. I have officialy missed 3 of the last 4 Sunday runs. Memorial Day and Father's Day are okay reasons to be busy and not get a run in, but I can't remember why I missed the other one. The question above is starting to glare at me. Why am I running poorly? Perhaps because I'm not putting in the miles or the time I need to right now. Ouch. Truth hurts.

I stayed in on Friday night and went to bed early, since I needed to get up, well rested, on Saturday morning. We went out on Saturday (nice dinner out, bottle of wine or two, nothing too crazy) so I got to bed late. Just couldn't pull myself out of bed earlier enough to get a 6-mile run in before meeting my parents for Father's Day. Part of me wants to go to bed early on Friday and Saturday (and Sunday and the rest of the week) because of training. But, the rebel in me wants at least one night to let loose and enjoy being young! :) Plus, JP is already a pretty good sport about being a marathon widow, I feel like it's not fair to him to call it an early night both nights of the weekend.

How do you all do it? I have a very specific goal (sub 4:00 marathon) and I'm willing to go the distance to meet that goal. I think.

Self-Tagged

2008-06-13T10:58:00.004-04:00

After reading P.O.M. today, thought I'd take her up on being tagged:

1. How would you describe your running 10 years ago?
I was a sprinter on my high school track team. I ran the 100 m, 400 m and, my senior year, my new coach bumped me up to the 800 m. I thought he was crazy -- my races took 60 seconds or less -- but I won the race the first time I ran the half, so that became my race, too.

2. What is your best and worst run/race experience?
Best race experience -- Proabaly not "the best experience", but there is nothing like crossing the finish line of your very first marathon. It's a feeling you only get to experience once.

Worst race experience -- Probably the Crim a couple years ago. It was my first race (I think) after my surgery and I was super nervous and not ready -- physically or mentally. Afterwards, my abdomen hurt so much and I literally laid down in a parking lot because I couldn't walk.

3. Why do you run?
Simply, it's what I do. Always have, (hopefully) always will.

4. What is the best or worst piece of advice you've been given about running?
Best advice -- My high school track coach always said, "all you need to run is a pair of shoes" and, "the only way to get better is to get out and run." It was his way of reminding us that running is simple -- you don't need fancy, high-tech clothing or equipment, you just need to get your butt in gear and do it.

Worst advice -- I shouldn't run because then I'll be destined to have knee replacement surgery early in life. Tell that to the 80-year-olds that kick my ass in races!

5. Tell us something surprising about yourself that not many people would know.
Can't think of anything of particular interest...

*******************************************************************

Yesterday, after work, a co-worker and fellow runner and I went for a run on the river front. Easy 3 miles at about a 10:00 pace. She hasn't been running since her half marathon over Memorial Day weekend, so she needed to take it a little slow. There were tons of people out, enjoying the river front, which was so nice to see. Downtown D is coming along! Didn't make it to the gym to lift since my body is still aching from the leg and ab workout. Figured I'd add the third day next week, so I don't complete kill myslef right off the bat. :)

Vaca today, so I enjoyed breakfast watching the Today Show, threw in a load of laundry and looking forward to getting stuff done. :)

13 miler tomorrow -- can't wait!

Holy Hills!

2008-06-12T12:28:00.002-04:00

Well... the hill workout nearly destroyed me yesterday. It was tough.

Ran 2 miles to the hill, ran 4 hills and 2 miles back. My stopwatch was acting up, so I can't compare my hill times to the previous workout. It sure seemed harder and slower.

For one, my legs were post-2 days sore from the leg workout I did on Monday. Two, my abs were screaming from the ab workout I did on the stability ball on Tuesday. Grrr... Not giving up though. Weight training and ab/core workouts are IMPORTANT and I just have to work through it until my body gets in better shape.

3 miles tonight and maybe an arm weight training session afterwards.

Vaca tomorrow!!!!! Can't wait!

Training: Week 4 in progress

2008-06-11T09:36:00.003-04:00

Sunday morning was, yet again, another hot and humid run. Got up in the morning (a little later than I had planned) for my 6 miles. Holy cow was it hot! Got back just in time to get ready for church and run out the door.

On Monday, I had a KICK BUTT workout! It was one of those that nearly knocks you on your ass, but afterwards, you feel so invigorated. It was one of those. Schedule 3 mile run and lifted weights.

Mile 1: 8:41
Mile 2: 8:36
Mile 3: 8:26

Did a series of butt blasters, squats and leg extensions. Tried to be careful and not completely kill my muscles. It felt so good to be lifting again and it was as though I instantly felt stronger.

Yesterday was my 6 mile run. The temps were a little more reasonable. Pace was about 9:20, but my legs were sore from lifting so it wasn't a great run. Plus, I had another small issue. I haven't said anything because I was hoping it would go away. But. For the past week and a half, or so, I've been having that awful stabbing pain in my abdomen again. Not sure if the muscles are just weak (sadly, after 2 years, I haven't gotten those muscles back) or if something is wrong. I'm still swollen on one side (again, after 2 whole years) so I'm not sure what's going on. Guess I'll just keep doing what I'm doing.

Of course, being the sick human that I am, I did an intense ab workout. I was planning on doing it anyways, but if I hurt because the muscles are weak, I gotta make them stronger.

Switching my runs tonight and tomorrow, so I'm set for the hill workout tonight. The goal: be better than the last hill workout. :)

Hot and Humid Runs

2008-06-07T23:28:00.003-04:00

You know you're old when... it's 11:30 p.m. on a Saturday night and you're blogging instead of whooping it up at the bar. :)

JP and I had a late dinner and ran home to drop off the leftovers before heading out to the bar with some friends. But... our friends are still at their first stop and JP is asleep on the couch and I'm blogging. We may be boring, but we're okay with it. :)

Okay... getting to the hot and humid runs so far this weekend.

Thursday was a kick-butt half mile repeat workout. It was 90-degrees at 7 p.m. and the humidity was insane. I was going to grab the trusty fuel belt just so I didn't wilt away, but decided against it since there are drinking fountains at the track.

Ran approximately 1 mile to the track and went to grab a quick sip of water. Doh! They already turned off the water!! Powered on and ran some decent repeats:

1: 4:20
2: 4:17
3: 4:00
4: 4:11

I'm not sure how true the coorelation is between average half mile repeats and the average marathon time, but I'm going to train accordingly. Gotta get those repeats down sub 4:00!

This morning, I started my run at 6:30 a.m. in order to avoid some of the heat and humidity. The sun wasn't out, but the humidity was still pretty bad. Again, not super speedy, but I keep telling myself long runs are suppose to be 60-90 seconds slower than marathon pace.

Mile 1: 10:36
Mile 2: 10:05
Mile 3: 9:57
Mile 4: 10:07
Mile 5: 13:17 (they're remarking the path and are obviously off a bit here...)
Mile 6: 10:11
Mile 7: 10:14
Mile 8: 10:03

I was soaked in sweat when I was finished. Wasn't completely spent, but I was glad it was a shorter run this week.

Well, gotta get going to either get ready for the bar OR go to bed so I can get up early and head to the gym before church. I think sleep is going to win this battle... :)

Week 3 -- The Turning Point

2008-06-05T15:25:00.003-04:00

Had a kick-butt run in the humid, humid weather. My 6-miler felt great and I wasn't ready for it to be over with at the end. Great sign, huh? It was an approximate 6 miles (I think I went a little long), so my approximate pace was 9:31. Not super speedy, but it just felt like a solid run.

Tonight are half mile repeats and I'm actually really excited for it! I'm one of those sick freaks that loved hard workouts in high school and my teammates hated me for it. :)

I'm in week 3 of training, and I'm starting to feel like I'm in shape and actually training, not just running to run. It's a great feeling and I'm really looking forward to the point where I just feel strong. Ya know?

Vacation day tomorrow -- whoo hoo. Here I come piles of laundry, closet that need organizing and dust bunnies that are multiplying underneath my bed! (Some times you just need a day to get life back into order...)

Mental Health Check

2008-06-04T13:42:00.001-04:00

Last night, I declared it rest day due to the great need for a mental health check. Lots of "stuff" going on and I'm really stressed out! A quiet dinner, deep convo with the boy and ice cream for dessert was a much needed release.

But... I am not skipping the workout, just switching the days around. Because, I'm so darn dedicated. :)

Dinners, Drama and Drag Queens

2008-06-02T14:22:00.003-04:00

Never thought I would say this, but that pretty much sums up my weekend.

Detroit Boys
My beloved Detroit Piston's simply weren't in the game Friday night and we are done for the season. JP and I met up with my college roommate and her soon-to-be husband for, what was suppose to be, a great night. That moment where you know you simply cannot win the game is so depressing. But... we did end up on the jumbo-tron. Not a complete loss, right? :)

Drama, Drama, Drama
JP spent the day downtown at the Red Bull Air Races, having the time of his life! I spent the day:
- Running 10 miles (forgot my running watch at home, but my splits ranged between 9:30 and 10:10 minute miles)
- Post run nap!
- Going to a Mary Kay party (Girls, why do we do this to each other!?!?)

We met up just in time to head back downtown to a fabulous Cuban resturant where we were meeting up with some of my college friends and their significant others. We had the best time! I knew it would be fun, but this was the first time we invited the boys to join our get-together and we weren't quite sure how it would end up. The guys ended up really hitting it off and are actually looking forward to getting together again. The mojitos were running freely, the food was wonderful and the music/atmosphere was hard to beat.

From there, we went to our friend's bar for his birthday party. Enter drama. Long story short, he drank too much, could't stand up by himself, threw up all over the dance floor (and JP) and the guys ended up taking him to the ER. We found out the next day that there was something in his drink. How scary! We're not sure if someone intentionally drugged his drink or if he picked up someone else's drink by mistake, but scary nontheless. You always hear about it happening, but don't really think it will outside of the cheesy after school TV specials.

JP was taking care of him and really sharp, but that ended as soon as he got in the car and I started driving home. The drunkedness took over and he was a mess! Parts were funny... one example (he would so kill me if he knew I was posting this!): When I threw his stained clothes in the washing machine, he wanted to get inside to get clean, too. He said, "Iwant to spin around in it." Say this in your drunk voice, and it's pretty funny.

Finally got him to bed, cleaned up and dragged myself to bed at 5 a.m. YUCK!

Drag Queens
I had to work on Sunday morning for a local Pride festival that my client was sponsoring. So, I had to get up at 8 a.m. Barely able to open my eyes, I got ready and checked in on JP. He wasn't getting off as easily as just sleeping it off. The getting sick part didn't start until the morning. Making sure he was okay, I hurried up to experience my first LGBT speed dating event.

I get to the fesitval and let me tell you, the people watching was great! A few highlights that I saw:
- Lots of leather chaps
- One dude dressed completely in leather with a dog collar and chain. The chain was connected to a bracelet (that matched the dog collar) on his partner's (also decked out in complete leather) wrist
- Another dude dressed in a leather coat, cowboy boots and underwear briefs. NO pants!
- Lots of heels and leg warmers, on guys
- A priest...
- A blue poodle and several dogs in leather get up (for the doggie drag show)
- Drag queens -- thankfully none were more attractive than me. I hate that! :)

I totally wanted to take pictures, but that wouldn't have been very professional of me. I had a great time and had some new experiences. Like, when I was listening to a conversation about coming out to your family and one guy turned to me and asked me how I did it. He felt so embarassed when I told him I was straight.

Going into it, I wasn't sure if I was going to be upset if I got hit on or if I didn't get hit on. Well, it wasn't that big of a deal. I got hit on by a woman, a straight guy and a gay guy. Although, my co-workers there told me it didn't count if I didn't get any numbers. :)

Cosmos
After working all day, I headed out to the movies with JP's sisters and one of his brother's girlfriends for a girls night out. Of course, we went to see the Sex and the City movie. It was actually really good. Afterwards, we headed to a nearby bar for, whatelse, cosmos. If you're on the fence about seeing the movie, go. It's really good and I wasn't even a die hard fan.

By 11 p.m. JP and I were both ready to pass out. (And, I missed my Sunday run. Again. I can't afford to miss any more runs...) He took his nephew downtown for the Air Race and I had a pretty full day. I made an executive decision this morning and slept in a bit. Still sleepy, but I have to power through the day.

Dresses and Running Shoes
Tonight is the last and final round of bridesmaid dress shopping. We're going to look at a few more and then make our decision based on the "keep" pile we've been creating.

Afterwards, 3 miles and hopefully the gym to hit the weights. We'll see what time it is though. Admittedly, just reading the whirlwind of activities has me worn out, but I'm sure I'll find some energy somewhere in my big toe. Just power on, just power on!

Happy Friday

2008-05-30T15:43:00.002-04:00

Didn't run last night... some extra curricular activities and ... my achilles tendon has been acting up, so I didn't push it to get my 30 minute tempo run in.

It's going to be a busy, busy weekend. But tons of fun!

Tonight we're heading to the Piston's game. We HAVE to win tonight if we plan to get in the showdown with LA. So super excited. In fact, I may just have to bust out the lucky Piston's underwear. :)

Tomorrow I have my scheduled long run, a Mary Kay party (boo), dinner with some college friends and a birthday party. Yikes! I got some tickets for the Red Bull Air Race for JP and a friend, so he'll be watching the sweet planes doing amazing air tricks all day!

Sunday, JP returns to watch the finals race and I'm headed to... a LGBT speed daying event. hmmm.... you say? I'm actually working the event (my client is a sponsor) and not doing the actual dating. I haven't yet decided if I'll be more upset if I get hit on, or if I don't get hit on... :) Nonetheless, it'll be great people watching and I know I'll have tons of hillarious stories! (And, of course my 5 mile run!)

Hope everyone has a great one and I'll be back with some freaking funny stories from the weekend!!!!!

Happy (Belated) Memorial Day!

2008-05-28T07:28:00.004-04:00

Hey! Hope everyone had a great holiday weekend! Ours was busy, involved more alcohol than should be consumed while training and, of course, some running.

Conquering "The Hill"
Thursday night, was my kick butt hill workout. I chose an incline that always seems like it never ends. Ran 2 miles to the location, did my 3 hill runs (in :27, :25 and :26 seconds respectively) and then ran back 2 miles. My legs were a bit heavy, but I was pleased with the fact that I'm doing hill work at all!

MMM.... beer...
Thursday night -- Having a friend that owns a bar is one of the great things in life. Thursday night, JP and I headed out to watch the Piston's game. We got there after the game had started and the bar was packed. As we walked in the door and started to look around for a seat, one of the waitresses came over and told us to follow her. She took us to a nice, private booth with a reserved sign on it. Then, she proceeded to say, "One Blue Light and one Corona. Be right back." Sweet!

Saturday night -- Went to one JP's friend's wedding and had a blast. It was a tropical theme, complete with a top shelf tiki bar. Enough said. (To get an idea of how fun this wedding was, the bride and groom are a hoot. Since they both LOVE McDonalds (love, as in her engagement ring came in a Big Mac box), they had bags and bags of hamburgers and cheeseburgers delivered towards the end of the night. Everyone said it hit the spot.

Sunday -- JP's brothers came into town on Saturday and we all went over to their sister's house for a BBQ. First of all, let me just say his sister is a master martini maker. Second of all, she just got back from a medical mission trip to Haiti and brought back some Haitian rum. Wow. That's some good stuff. Strong. But good.

Monday -- Picture this: Bar. Beer. One big screen with the Piston's game. One big screen with the Wing's game. Two wins in Detroit on the same night.

My Legs
Saturday, I got up and ran my long run -- 8 miles. My schedule called for 10, but since I didn't run much the week before while I was in Kansas, I didn't want to start off training with an injury. My legs were H-E-A-V-Y! Splits ranged between 10:00 and 10:30, which I was pretty disappointed with. But... it's the first of many runs so I tried not to worry too much about it.

Between sleeping in and heading to a BBQ, I missed my 5 mile run on Sunday. Felt guilty, but tried to tell myself that although I'm taking training seriously, I'm not training for the Olympics.

Monday's 3 miles took place in the HOT sun (nearly 85 degrees here), but my legs felt well rested.

Last night, I did my 5 miles (9:30 pace) and felt great. My legs had some spring in them, my breathing was perfect and it just felt good to get out and run. Can't ask for anything better than that! 3 miles tonight... can't wait!

Diva Darling -- Great Girl's Night Out!

2008-05-22T10:25:00.003-04:00

What a great girl's night out last night!

I met up with two of my girlfriends for the "Diva Darling Women's Night Out" event. There was a mile loop (actually, I think it was a big short) and you were free to run as much as you wanted. My friends didn't show up until a little bit later, so I ran my scheduled 3 milers with a pack of other ladies. It was so fun. We talked about, what else, running. Races we're training for, races we've done, funny stories about ... running. You know, something we can't always talk about with our non-runner friends.

After my three miles, I caught up with my two friends and did another loop with them. It was nice to just chat and catch up. Afterwards, there was the best aid station ever -- water, wine, cheese, fruit/veggie trays and chocolate! If that's not motivation to run, I'm not sure what is.

We mingled for a bit and then went inside for a few quick seminars -- proper shoe fitting, proper sports bra fitting and a sales pitch by Puma. I was a bit annoyed by the Puma presentation though. First, let me say I love Puma gear... but for fashion, more than function. She did say up front that they're known for fashion, but are moving into the running shoe area. So, the girl was super annoying. She didn't look much like someone who was a runner and the shoes didn't look like they would be good shoes for a serious runner. Not only did they have suede on them (seriously, this isn't the proper material for a running shoe, in my mind), were so lightweight you could basically twist it and came in, "all these cute colors." I'm all about cute running shoes, but if that's the highlight of your sales pitch... no thanks.

Didn't buy anything last night, but at the expo before my half, I stopped by their booth and bought a really cute tank -- "I run like a girl. Try to keep up." They have lots of cools stuff you can (soon) buy online... http://www.rundivadarling.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1

All in all, it was a great night and I'm looking forward to the next Diva Darling night. It was nice to get my running in and socialize with friends. After all, this is suppose to be fun!

Tonight I'm scheduled for some hill work. Looking forward to it! I have my hill all picked out. Hope it's prepared to be conquered tonight!

No turning back...

2008-05-21T15:06:00.002-04:00

Just registered for the USAF Marathon!!! Whoo hooo!

Last night, after work, I met up with my friend to do some more bridesmaid dress shopping. Think we found the one at Ann Taylor. Super excited, especially because this is the first time I've ever tried a strapless dress (for fear of the fat bulge near my arm pit -- probably smaller than I think it is, but nonetheless it's always driven me away from strapless dresses), and it looks good.

It was getting dark and stormy by the time we finished, so I headed to the gym for my scheduled 5-miler. The run felt pretty good and I was, as always, looking to keep my splits consistent.

Mile 1: 9:16
Mile 2: 9:03
Mile 3: 9:16
Mile 4: 8:33
Mile 5: 9:36

Not bad. :)

I did have a freak out moment after my workout though. I went to my locker, undid the combination lock and... it was empty. WTF! My first thought was that I put the lock on, but didn't close it. I started freaking out!!!

Trying to stay calm, I opened the locker next to the empty one. It was as if the gates of heaven opened and the angels started singing... there was all of my stuff! Thanks goodness. Obviouslyly, I wasn't paying attention when I put the lock on and secured an empty locker.

Geez! I've always been a bit flighty at times, but this is a new low. :)

Running with some friends tonight at a Running Fit - Diva Darlings Girl's Night Out event. Running starts at 6 p.m., for as long as you want to go. Then, wine, cheese, massages and shopping (discounted of course) until 9 p.m. Super excited and looking forward to a good 3 miles.

The color purple

2008-05-19T22:05:00.004-04:00

Purple as in the color the entire town of Manhattan, Kansas is covered in!

This weekend was filled with family fun! JP and I flew down to Kansas on Thursday for my brother's graduation. My parents picked us up and we headed to Manhattan, Kansas... home of Kansas State University.

Friday my little brother graduated with his Master's degree. His degree was in counseling and higher education and he's accepted a Residence Hall Director job at Southern Methodist University in Dallas. I'm so proud! We had a great time and toured the beautiful campus, meet his friends and rocked out on Guitar Hero. :)

We flew back on Sunday morning, at o' dark thirty, and it was a trip in and of itself. It was a tiny little airport with one security line and the gates were immediately after you collected your bags off the belt. Should be easy... but it was one of the WORST security check points ever.

Now, I may sound like a snob on this one and I really don't mean to. JP travels every week, so he has the drill down to a tee. I'm a semi-regular business traveler and know the drill, too. These other people? Not so much.

The family behind me consisted of a mom and three teenagers. They were the picture example of what NOT to do while flying. To begin, they each had jumbo, super-sized pops in their hands and full sized luggage (something you normally check in). While I was putting my shoes in the bin and my quart-sized ziplock bag filled with 3.0 ounce liquids, the mom behind me asked if she had to take off her shoes. I said yes and all liquids. Her family then started to INDIVDUALLY put in perfume, full-sized toothpaste, etc. Seriously. Did you miss the eight signs from the front door to the front of the security line explaining that this doesn't jive?

Moving on... the security officer notice this walking disaster and makes them throw away their drinks. Their luggage goes through. Fast forward to the folks in front of JP. One chic had her luggage pulled aside because she put through a bag with FULL-SIZED shampoo, sun tan lotion, etc. Seriously. How do you miss all the signs and the security people reciting the rules over and over?

JP's bag got pulled ... because he had some electronic stuff in his work bag. Major airports are probably more use to business travelers and the gear they carry. My bag got pulled and it took them about 15 minutes to figure out what the "mysterious object" was showing up on the x-ray machine. A chunky bracelet that I've traveled with many times before. I wouldn't have been too upset, except first the guy blamed it on the fact that I was traveling with two belts, something he obviously disapproved of. Then, as he was going through my bag, my bras and underwear were popping out for the world to see. Thankfully I packed the super cute ones ;)

We finally got through and made it home safely! Exhausted, but happy to be home.

*****************************************************************

Official marathon training started today.

Ran 3 miles at approx. 9:00 pace tonight after work. I'm so excited about this race and really looking forward to the training. I've decided to wait until next week to start the weight training part of it. Since I was gone most of last week, I didn't want to start training so hard, so quickly. Most of all, I'm excited that I'm looking forward to this so much. Last year I thought about it, but when it came to getting up to run, my heart just wasn't in it. This year... sub 4:00 marathon here I come.

Mark Sept. 20 on your Calendar!

2008-05-13T10:26:00.003-04:00

What a great run last night! Ran a quick 3+ miles (almost 3 1/2) and used my newly calibrated iPod/Nike sensor. According to the sensor, my average pace was 9:40. It varied between 8:30 pace and a dead stop (traffic lights); it's so nice to get your pace whenever you want it throughout the run. I didn't have a chance to download the info last night, but I'm really looking forward to using this info to help me become more consistent in my running.

After thinking more about it, I decided not to run Chicago. We're really working hard to save money, and spending over $100 for registration and the travel expenses (not to mention the fundraising aspect), I just didn't feel right doing it. JP told me to do what makes me happy, but what makes me happy is running a race. Where I run is less of a concern. So... I've decided on the US Air Force marathon in Dayton, Ohio. This is where my marathon running all started -- it was the first half that I did... which led to me becoming a full marathoner. Haven't pressed the "register" button yet, but it's a go. Official training starts next week! I am SO freaking excited!

Speaking of being super excited. I'm going to the Piston's game tonight!! Whooo hoooo! Game 5, Round 2. We're closing it up tonight!

A Little Adventure Called Life

2008-05-12T11:26:00.003-04:00

I can't really say things have been super busy lately, but I have so many thoughts going on in my head that I've been trying to get everything straight and get a firm grasp on, well, life.

Thursday and Friday I went with my college roommate (Jess -- nope, not mouse) to go wedding dress/bridesmaid dress shopping. Thursday we went to a little place about 1 1/2 hours away. Her mom met us and it was suppose to be a great adventure. My friend is very plain and simple, and even more "not-girly" then I am. After about 10 dresses, she came out and said, "I thought this was going to be fun. It's not." Plus, our sales lady was super annoying and was the kind that would love to dress up a Barbie-like bride that wants a double pouffy dress, pink everything and lace all over. Totally not our styles. (But, in the words of Seinfield... not that there's anything wrong with that.)

Friday, she and I met at another place a little closer to home and we found... the dress. It's beautiful, not too poufy, has just enough sparkle to it and looks like it was made especially for her. Unfortunatley her mom wasn't there and is going to come up next weekend to look at it. My friend is the only daughter, so it's important for her mom to be involved. :)

So... no running these two nights. By Saturday, I was busting. I needed to run. I needed to stretch my legs out, I needed a good hard workout, I needed to get some thoughts worked out in my head. Ran over to the high school track and, miraculously, it was empty. Got my iPod Nike sensor calibrated and had a great run. Instead of calibrating the sensor and then heading off for my run, I ended up doing laps on the track. Not super exciting, but there's something about the smell of the track and the feel of running past the bleachers that makes me smile. I loved running track in school (back in the good 'ole days of being a sprinter) and it was nice to be transported back to some good memories.

Sunday my parents came up for Mother's Day and I made dinner. We just hung out and ended up having a nice day, despite the rainy day outside. It makes me so happy that my parents and JP get along so well. Once in awhile my mom will randomly give my brother or me little gifts. She'll just see something and know we'll like it. Sunday, she brought up something for JP. Her response, "I saw this and knew JP just had to have it." That means so much to me.

So what's all this craziness flying through my head? Haven't gotten it all figured out yet (guess I need to run some more). I totally believe in the quarter-life crisis theory and everyone tells me this is a turbulent time as you figure out what the hell you're suppose to do with your life. Then, in your 30's, life is more quiet, you're more settled and you know where you're going. True? I sure hope so! :)

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

2008-05-07T09:25:00.005-04:00

... yes, I went to private grade school... Chapel every Wednesday... :)

So I was super psyched about my speed workout yesterday. But, my body had a different plan.

First, those kids were very much at the high school track yesterday. Bummer. So, I proceeded on to do a fast 3-4 mile loop. Shortly after I took off, my achilles tendon started to throb a bit. Instead of thinking, "hmmm... perhaps I should rest it today" I thought, "Well, maybe it'll be a nice easy 3-4 mile run instead of a speed workout." Wrong answer. As the run continued, the tightness went from my achilles tendon, up to my hamstring and the side of my knee. Ended up running about 2 miles and then taking a nice walk through the park for about 2 miles.

Took out "The Stick" last night to rub out my muscles and did lots of toe raises throughout the night (Seriously, what else do you have to do while brushing your teeth. That's 2 minutes to do toe raises!).

Tried to get up early this morning to do yoga... When my alarm went off at 5:30 a.m., I promptly turned off my alarm, cursed the very thought of doing yoga at o'dark-thirty and went back to sleep for another hour. To (semi) make up for it, no stilletos today (opted for a simple, but cute, black wedge instead) and I'll probably do some cross-training tonight instead of a run. No injuries here! :)

Running through the fog

2008-05-06T15:40:00.001-04:00

Yesterday, I was in a total haze all day. I was looking forward to a good, hard run to hopefully break through the fog and start my week of a bit better than last!

I planned to go to the local high school to finally set my iPod/Nike thing JP gave me for my birthday... in January. BUT, the kids were still in track practice at 6:30 p.m. Seems a bit late to me. I seem to remember being done by 5 p.m. or so when I was in high school. Nonetheless, I couldn't use the track and kept going about my 5-mile loop. Finished in a strong 44-minutes. Definitely tore through the foggy brain on this run!

Looking forward to another good run tonight. If there isn't a home track meet (it's Tuesday... remember those Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday meets back in the day), I'll synch my iPod / Nike thing and do a speed workout on the track. Otherwise, I think it'll be a shorter (3-4 miles) and faster run. What I really need to do is get in the gym and start lifting again...

Have a few marathons in mind. I want to do Chicago, but since registration is closed I can only do it through a charity. I picked one that is near and dear to my heart, but I'm fearful of the $900 min. fundraising I have to do along with it. So far the charity contact has been great -- very supportive and really into getting me into the race. We'll see... I did a little research on a couple other semi-local races but not decisions yet. Better pick one soon!!!

OH... I almost forgot. As of Thursday, I have a brand new sunroof in my car. Whoo Hooo!!!!!

Emotional Rollercoaster

2008-05-05T14:20:00.003-04:00

That about sums up last week.

Between two funerals last week, being asked to be maid of honor for my college roommate, JP being out of town (although I had some beautiful flowers waiting for me on Monday when I got home from work... best boyfriend ever!), several pints of my favorite Canadian brew and spending a few days in my childhood bedroom (gotta love mom pampering you again... making breakfast, laying out fresh towels, etc.), the emotions were flying high and wide last week.

With the exception of last Monday, I didn't get any running in last week. I was still out of sorts during the weekend, so today marks a new week and a fresh start. Yes, I'm even passing up pitchers of Cinco de Mayo fun tonight!!!!

My college roommate's wedding is the day before both the Detroit Marathon and Grand Rapids Marathon. So... those two races are out. I checked into Chicago but registration is already closed. I checked into one of the sponsorship charities and to run with them I have to pay $110 registration and raise at least $900. That's a small price to pay, in the bigd picture of it, but I'm not sure I can raise that much. Need to mull it over a bit more.

In a bit of a haze today, so hopefully tonight's run will clear things out and I'll start feeling like my old self again. :)

Two Funerals and ...

2008-04-28T08:03:00.003-04:00

WARNING: This post is a downer.

Thursday night, my mom called with some bad news. My great-uncle, who was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago, was declining quickly. The doctors said maybe 2-3 weeks, but the family was thinking less. My family is very close so this news was difficult to take. Especially since I hadn't been down to visit with him in a few weeks.

The other bad news was that my childhood friend's father was diagnosed with three types of cancer, shortly after Easter. He went in because he thought he had pneumonia... came out having a few weeks left. Something like this, I just can't process.

Friday was a hard day for me... just thinking about everything. And, the insurance guy didn't show to assess the damage of my car. Grrr.... JP had to change his flight returning from Phoenix, and I didn't pick him up from the airport until 1:30 a.m. (On a postive note, I got in a kick-ass workout Friday night. Hardly anyone was at the gym at 9 p.m. on a Friday night, which was nice since I needed to get my mind off of everything.)

Saturday night, we were having dinner with JP's family to celebrate his sister's birthday when I got the call. My friend's father had passed a few hours earlier. To top it off, she lost her mother two years ago. They were like my second family and now, they're both gone. At least they're together now.

Yesterday, I went down to my parents to celebrate their 35th wedding anniversary. We had breakfast with our extended family (The last Sunday of every month is my huge family breakfast. It's been a tradition for more than 30 years), my dad and I went to visit my uncle and I got to say my goodbyes, and my parents and I got out one of our classic cars to take a Sunday drive. It was really nice out and we ended up walking around a metropark for the afternoon.

Seeing my uncle was tough. My dad saw him on Friday and he was still responsive, although bed ridden. Two days later, he didn't open his eyes and it was a struggle for him to breath, even with oxygen support. I'm expecting to get "the call" today or tomorrow, so that'll mean two funerals in one week. Why does growing up suck so much sometimes?

Anyway, gotta make the most of it and remember all the great memories. Plus, they're in a better place now and will be there waiting for the rest of us to join them...

Fury Little Friend: Strikes Again

2008-04-24T00:18:00.005-04:00

Damn raccoon.

This morning I went out to my car and noticed the plastic was sticking up a little bit. Hmm.. well, it is plastic and I'm sure it tore while I was driving. No big deal.

I proceeded to put my coffee cup on the bed of my truck (like I do every morning to avoid spilling it all down the front of me) and put my briefcase in the back of my truck.

Wait. Back up. Go back to the coffee cup on the bed of the truck...

No... It can't be... yep... it is...

... little paw prints all over the bed of my truck. (I'd like to make the point that this is dew on my car and not dust. Although, my little truck is quite dirty and I can't take it through a car wash because the dumb sunroof is open.) Little bastard tried to get inside AGAIN! It tore open the plastic in four different areas before giving up.

When I got to work, I called the local animal control to see if they could do anything. Since I live in an apartment complex, I have to work through my leasing office. But, the animal control guy gave some insight into the little creatures mind. Here's what he gave me:

1. Raccoons are creatures of habit and my truck (parked in the same spot) must be in its path from point A to point B.

So.. why not jump it twice...?

2. Perhaps the first time it was a female trying to steal my Cheez-Its. The second time may have been a male that smelled the female's scent and tried to reach the female that gave off the odor.

Great... so now I'm driving around in a raccoon-scented vehicle. Can't you just picture a herd of raccoons chasing me down the expressway? GEEZ!!!

Seriously, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried! :)

The good news is the insurance agency is sending someone to appraise the damage on Friday. They didn't say no, so I'm taking this as a good sign.

Since there were some holes in the plastic (and the dealership is pretty far from my main office), I decided to patch it up myself. I went to the Detroit Tiger's game tonight, so I got home pretty late. I'm out in the parking lot patching the holes with packaging tape. Ghetto, I know, but at least it closed the holes up in case it rains.

Oh, and I parked in a new spot tonight so we'll see if the little bugger finds me.

P.S. In the midsts of all the wild animal drama, I started running again this week. Just a few easy miles, but it's good to get back!

Furry Little Friend

2008-04-21T08:34:00.006-04:00

Crazy stuff always randomly happens to me.

Friday morning, I went out to my car to leave for work. As I approached, I noticed something unusual. It looked like my car had big, black bug antenna's. Weird. As I got closer, I realized what it was... I had accidently left my sunroof cracked open throughout the night, and the molding around it had snapped in half and was sticking straight up in the air.

Surprised and a little upset, I really didn't think much of it. I tried to bend it back into place (with no avail) and ended up tucking it inside the sunroof so at least I could drive to work without looking like a hug idiot.

It was a beautiful sunny morning and as I was driving, the sunlight came through my windshield. Wait... what is that... it looks like a... paw print. No. It can't be.

The sunlight came in through another angle and ... there were little paw prints ALL OVER my windshield.

The first thing that came to my head was a picture of some rabbid animal attacking me as I'm driving a huge SUV, going 70 mpg down the expressway. I have quite the imagination and I was actually planning my emergency exit strategy if needed.

After getting to work (unharmed by the ghost animal), I looked up the weekend weather and saw it was to rain the next day. Urgh. That means I needed to get it fixed today, not during the weekend. So, I called up my dealership and left work to go get it looked at. The guys were laughing at me (I'm sure I was the story of the day) and after they looked at it, it was determined that the entire freaking sunroof needs to be replaced. The stupid animal tore it up -- the side molding, the main molding, etc. trying to get inside (thankfully it couldn't squeeze inside) and steal a box of Cheez-Its I left inside. After closer examination, not only were there footprints all over the windshild, the guilty little bastard left footprints all over the hood of my car, too. The quote: nearly $700. So now I'm really mad. Little f-er is costing me a lot of money!!! (But, I can't help but laugh. It is a funny story). It's going to take a few days for the sunroof to come in, so the dealership put this sticky, saran-wrap type plastic over my open sunroof. Ghetto... :)

I later looked up raccoon footprints online and confirmed that it was, in fact, raccoon footprints covering my car. Later in the day, I called my insurance company to see if the damage was covered. The convo went something like this:

Me: I believe a racoon destroyed my sunroof and I was wondering if it was covered by my insurance.

Insurance lady: (dead silence)

Me: It's okay... you can laugh

Insurance lady: (busts out laughing) what...!?!?!

Me: I believe a racoon tried to get in my car, through my sunroof, and it completely destroyed the molding around the window. The dealership told me the entire sunroof needs to be replaced. Is this covered?

Insurance lady: (still laughing) In all the years I have worked here, I have never heard this one before.

They're suppose to call me back today and let me know if I'm covered... please keep your fingers crossed that it is!

Seriously though... I live in the burbs. Raccoons should not be walking through the parking lot, hoping to find an open sunroof and find a box of Cheez-its. What are the chances!?!?!?!

Sunshine from Key West

2008-04-17T23:01:00.006-04:00

Key West was freaking awesome!

We left Thursday morning and landed early afternoon in Miami. Instantly, we were all in a good mood -- sunshine, palm trees and warm weather. I thought the four hour drive to the Keys was going to be painful, but it went by pretty quickly. I think it was a combo of being excited to get down there and the beautiful scenery.

Thursday night we explored the infamous "Duvall Street" - and decided to partake in the "Duvall Street Crawl". The boys had their bachelor party and the three girls that were there had our own fun. If you haven't been to Key West before, let me just say three things: 1) Open containers are legal, 2) strip clubs go completely nude (so I was told!) and 3) the bars don't close until 4 a.m. Needless to say, I think the boys had a good time. :)

Friday we spent a lot of the time helping with wedding stuff. But the highlight of the day for me was that I had a coconut for the first time. We pulled up to a red light and I looked over at a corner store. There were coconuts pilled up with straws in it. I jumped out of the car (JP wasn't quite sure what I was doing) and ran over to the store.

They drilled a hole in it first and stuck a straw in it. After I drank all the "coconut water" we took it back and this crazy (and I'm pretty sure intoxicated) man chopped it open with an axe. It didn't taste quite like I thought it was going to... and I didn't like the texture... too slimy for me. Everyone asked me what I thought it was going to taste like. Like... coconut... Fresh coconut taste nothing like the dried sugary stuff you buy in the store.

Saturday some of us got an afternoon at the pool (JP was busy with his best man duties). It was fabulous!!!!! Bikini, sunshine, relaxing pool and alcohol. Doesn't get much better than that! :)

The wedding was at the Westin resort, on a pier, overlooking the ocean, at sunset. BEAUTIFUL!

Everything went smoothly and it was so nice meeting more of JP's family. We got along so well and everyone had a wonderful time.

Love was in the air and... everyone was bombarding JP with questions of when we were getting married. I even learned that his office has a pool going. Poor guy. No pressure there, right? :)

Sunday we had a nice breakfast with some of JP's family and drove back up to Miami. We spent the night in South Beach. We had dinner at an authentic Haitian resturant that JP and his family goes to everytime they're in Miami. It was so good! We were both so tired that we didn't explore the night life... it's bad, I know. But after so many late nights we pretty much passed out around 10 p.m.

We did get up early on Monday morning and went for a walk on the beach. The water was freezing so we only put our feet in. From there we got ready and headed to the airport. Not the laying on the beach all week vacation we were hoping for, but it was still a great getaway.

Tuesday I flew out to D.C. for work (landed a few hours before the Pope. Ever see a long line of priests go through security?) and on Wednesday, JP flew out to Phoenix. So, we've both been seeing a lot of the airport lately.

Absolutly no running since my race, but plan on getting back into it this weekend. Gotta work off all this alcohol and rich food I've been consuming lately... :)