The Wedding Story

Oh the drama...

My family (parents, brother and grandmother) picked me up on Friday morning. Setting up the scene for a long, trying weekend - my grandma, who I love dearly, is in the early-mid stages of alzheimer's. While this could be an entire blog in itself, she has always been spunky, but now she just gets under your skin and is hard on the nerves. It's not really fair, because it isn't her fault but... it's just hard to deal with.

We got up to Traverse early afternoon and decided to walk around the Cherry Festival. It was hot and we had all been stuck in the car for a few hours, so no one was in the best of moods. My grandma didn't want to walk anywhere and every few steps would ask my dad, "how much more do I have to walk? I don't want to walk anymore." There really isn't much to the Cherry Festival, so we weren't there long.

After getting back to our hotel room, we found that my aunt, uncle and four cousins (all boys ages 12-6) had arrived and we went out to dinner together. I don't see them very often, so we had a nice time. Afterwards, the boys went swimming. My brother and I just watched because he was tired and I wanted to go to bed early so I could get up and run. They didn't understand the concept of going to bed early.

At 6 am I got up for my 9 mile run. A trail started nearby the hotel, and it went down to Grand Traverse Bay. Most of the "trail" was the sidewalk through town, but running near the water was so enjoyable. It was so quiet and peaceful. The sun was reflecting off of the water and the boats were a sight to see. My time was a bit fast, and I was pretty sure it wasn't 9 miles like the lady at the hotel desk told me. My mom and I clocked it with the car and it was about 8.5 miles. I was a little upset that I didn't get my full run in, but kept telling myelf to relax. After breakfast I went swimming with the boys. Yeah, I totally made up that 1/2 mile! They kept wanting to race. No big dea,l right? The pool isn't that big. True, but there are FOUR of them and only ONE of me. I was exhausted!!!!!

We did some sightseeing and I was so tired and moody. That stupid medicine! Afterwards, my mom suggested we get sandwiches before the wedding so we weren't starving. I started crying because I didn't want a sandwich! Silly, I know but it really did make me cry.

We went back to the hotel to get ready for the wedding. My grandma didn't want to take a shower, didn't want to get dressed and didn't know why where we were going. My poor mom was trying to be patient, but she was ready for a stiff drink. Plus, we were all pretty pissed at my cousin (the bride) and my aunt (mother of the bride) because grandma wasn't invited to the rehersal dinner and wasn't asked to arrive early for pictures or to see her granddaughter before the ceremony. I know they had a lot to do, and I know having my grandma around is a full time job. But, hello!!!! She is your grandmother.

The outdoor ceremony was beautiful and my cousin looked stunning. Afterwards, my mom was ready to drink so we started in on the merlot. No crazy bouquet stories - it was set up for my cousin's (brother of the bride) girlfriend to catch it. Fine by me. I didn't even go out there. I mean, come on. I know I'm single. Do you need to announce it to a room full of strangers!?! And, if I wanted a guy I didn't know feeling me up, I'd at least want to get a free drink or two out of it! :) I also found out that there is a pool going to see how long the marriage is going to last. I think the high number was 3 1/2 years. They fight a lot, and even started fighting immediately after the ceremony because he thought they were taking too many pictures. Hmmmm.... good luck.

Afterwards, my brother, cousin (Matthew) and his girlfriend(Missy), my cousin's friend (Dan) and my cousin's cousin (chrissy) from the other side of the family all went to the bar. Chrissy was already trashed and we thought the only drama for the night would be her hooking up with Dan. When we got to the bar, Dan opened a tab and said the night was on him. Missy and I were super excited about this. About half way into the first beer, Chrissy got really upset about something and walked out. I thought the little hallway she went down was the bathroom. I lost the draw, so I went after her. Yeah. That little hallways lead to a back door. I went out and Chrissy was NO WHERE to be seen. Finally, Missy and Matthew came out and we went tromping down the sidewalk trying to find our drunk, hysterical friend. We finally found her sitting on a bench outside of McDonald's crying on some stranger's shoulder. After a lot of talking, she calmed down and we started walking her to her hotel, which was just a little bit down the street. Meanwhile, my feet are killing me so I had to take off my heels and was walking down the street barefoot. We got her up to her room (after waking her mother and grandmother) and said goodnight.

Oh, but it doesn't end there. We were down in the lobby when Chrissy's sister's boyfriend came in. His girlfriend (Laura) was passed out in the car and he couldn't get her up. So, Missy and I continued our night of taking care of drunks and went out to the car. We got her up easily (Her boyfriend tried for 45 min. to get her up. We told him girls just have that special touch) and helped her walk to the hotel room. Since we put her sister in one room, we had to put her in their other room. Little did we know they were joining rooms. So, we saw their mom and grandma again. An hour and a half later, we get back to the bar where my brother and Dan had been sitting and drinking the entire time. Last call had already been called, and we were all too tired to drink anyway. Missy and I were so upset that we had an open tab for the night and couldn't even take advantage of it!!

It was a long drive home. We were all tired, ready to not be so "together" and my grandma was in rare form. Again, I love my family but I was SO happy to get home to my nice, quiet apartment!

Finally! Chinese Laundry Boots = Runners calves

After work I ran to DSW to find some shoes for my cousin's wedding, which is Saturday. (Which I should be packing for right now since I'm leaving tomorrow morning.) Got some really cute heels that look perfect with the dress... that I got yesterday.

Then, in the distance I saw them. Boots! Now, I know it's July and I love sandal season, but boot season is so exciting. I've never been able to get the high boots because, well frankly, designers don't keep runners calf muscles in mind while making them. I know I'm not alone when I say how sad it has always been to try on countless kinds, (even the "stretch" ones) only to find you can only zip them up half way.

Wistfully thinking maybe this year would be different, I sat down and began trying them on. One by one. One "stretch" pair fit, but they weren't that nice looking and were poorly made. Then. I found them. A beautiful pair of black boots that gently zipped over my muscular calves. Triumph!!! So, even though it's July I have some sweet ass boots patiently waiting in my closet until it's time!

Yep, those are running shoes in that picture, too. My morning run sucked. It hurt too much and I only could last for 1/2 mile. Since I was up, I jumped on the bike and got in about 5 1/2 miles. Frustrating? Yes. But, I had to remind myself that I was up and working out twice a day. Last year at this time I could barely walk. Tonight's run was much better - 6 miles at 10:00 pace. I didn't want to push it too much tonight because of this morning. Although it was a bit slower than I would have liked, it felt nice and relaxed. What more can you ask for?

So, heading up north for my cousin's wedding this weekend. Looking forward to some new scenery for my long run. Traverse City is so beautiful so I'm sure it'll be a great run. Not really looking forward to the actual wedding though. I love her because she's my cousin (we were close growing up), but don't really like who she became as an adult. Not too fond of the guy either. My mom and I were planning on just drinking a lot, but I'm on these meds now. When I told her this she said, "Hmmmm. Well maybe you should just skip it on Saturday." Is my mom awesome or what.

Lots of complaining - read at your own risk

I have only been on this stupid medication for two days now and I HATE it!!!

Dry mouth - Yes, and it's so damn annoying. They suggest sucking on candy or ice chips. Yeah, because that's what I want to do all day. I've also had this bad taste in my mouth all day. Do you know how many times I brushed my teeth today!?!

Upset stomach - I really think being nauseated is one of the worst physical feelings.

Sleepy - Couldn't get up for my morning run today. Not like I was too tired, more like my body felt like dead weight and I'm still not sure how I made it to work.

Fuzzy feeling - It's like I'm on a fucking cloud and can't get back to my body. This was especially not appreciated during my workout with Ricky today.

Headache - Off and on throughout the day.

Nighmares - Well, not really... After watching the news all day yesterday, I had a dream that North Korea missed the U.S. and hit Europe. I woke up not quite sure if N. Korea declared war on Europe or what. Never mind the geographical differences - it's a dream, right? (I'll say it. I am so fucking weird.)

Breast enlargment - No, not yet. But, I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one!

Moody - nooooo, not at all. I go back and forth between being pissed off and being really sad. It didn't help that I was in a ton of pain today either. I'd get really pissed that it hurt, then really sad because I hate it, then really pissed off that this stupid medicine doesn't work right away, then really sad because I was being so selfish since this is nothing compared to what others go through (I've been thinking a lot about Mrs. B lately...), etc., etc., etc. It's a vicious cycle.

It's a good thing mouse is on vacation, because I'm pretty sure no one wants to be around me. The thing that concerns me is that this is such a SMALL dose and I'm reacting this way already. Hopefully, my body will begin to adjust soon and this will all go away. I don't think I can handle staying on it if I don't. Damn, now I'm getting all sad again. UGGGGHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!

Option number two

The appointment went okay. Not really sure what I was hoping to come out of it - besides learning that they had suddenly come up with a magical cure. My next option is medication. I am not thrilled about it, but it's what I have to do. They've found that anti-depressions given in low dosage can help with chronic pain. The idea is for the medication to help calm down my over active nerves. Hopefully once that is established, I'll start physical therapy again. With the nerves calmer, my body may be able to tolerate it better. My body has to adjust to it, so it is given in very, very small dosage at first and then increase it in steps.

Possible side effects range from sleepiness (check), upset stomach (check), irritablity (more than usual?) and even breast enlargement (Sweet! Hopefully I'll be able to check that box!) If my body doesn't take to this, there are two other types that we'll try. They weren't sure how long I'll be on these because it ranges from person to person. They did tell me it is a possibility that it could be indefinitely. I told them that that is not an option. I refuse to be on them for the rest of my life.

After that, I insisted on knowing the full game plan. I told them that I've already been dealing with this for a year, and want to make sure they are on always thinking ahead. They kept talking about this stage and that it was going to take a few months until we know if it's working. I assured them I understood that and didn't mind waiting a few months to see if it was working, but I didn't want to wait until then to decide what to do next in the case it didn't work. Unfortunatley, there aren't many more options after this. Injections possibly, but it's difficult in my case because there isn't one known trigger point. That's mostly done with back pain, hip pain, etc. where they know the pain source. They don't know mine. Surgery is really the only other option, which they really don't want to do and I really don't want to go through. I'm not going to dwell on that now, but not going to ignore that as something that is possibly in my future.

The major down side to taking this medication is I can't drink! I still have three weddings and my girls weekend this summer. Not to mention, plenty of happy hours, football season is around the corner or random wine nights... Ricky was happy about this part of my treatment. He wasn't thrilled that I enjoy my alcohol. Hey, I'm not training for the Olympics here.

Speaking of training...
Yesterday, we did a series of explosion exercises, pyrometrics and 6 200m timed repeats. Not too strenuous, but a good workout. Another trainer, who used to work with Ricky, hung out with us and watched. During the pyrometrics, they were commenting on my muscular legs. I believe the quote was, "yeah, she's got some thighs." I chose to take that as a compliment and immediately thought of the Nike ad on my fridge that starts out, "I have thunder thighs and that is a compliment because they are strong"

Today I did 3 miles in the morning in the sweltering sun. I was planning on doing the Tortise and Hare 5k in Ann Arbor, but the medication knocked me out and I didn't hear my alarm. In fact, I slept through it for several hours. Tonight I had a great repeat workout, which I was actually dreading, but it ended up not being bad.

2 mile warm up
6 x 800m (9:00 pace) - 200m walk between
1 mile cool down

Anyway, I've been babbling long enough. Gotta get to bed since the morning workout is going to get here pretty early.

Dreading this afternoon

The office is closed today, so I enjoyed sleeping in a little and having a leisurely breakfast while watching the Today show (Nick Lachey was the summer concert today...).

I started watching the Tour but needed to go for my morning run. I decided to trade in fresh air for a TV, so I (gasp!) walked over to the clubhouse to run on the treadmill and continue to watch the Tour. I'm usually lazy and drive the little bit over to the clubhouse, so I was already ahead.

Ran my morning 3 miles (10:00 pace) and really wanted to do arms. I kept going back and forth, since I have my workout with Ricky tonight. He's always telling me not to worry about time or my workout, just go with what my body is telling me. Well, my body was telling me it wanted to lift weights so I did some light bi's and tri's.

Got back and jumped in the shower to prepare for my doctor's appointment. In other words, do a very complete job of shaving. It's kinda like getting ready for a big date. (Sigh!) No date, just a few more doctors poking, prodding and saying, "... so, we're going to have to do an exam today," as they pull out the good 'ol stirrups.

The purpose of today's appointment is to evaluate my physical therapy and decide next steps. I'd say it's a bust since she dumped me a month or two ago. Hopefully they will have some more options for me to try. I'm tired of fucking around and want to be agressive with my treatment (short of surgery though). That said, I'm going to walk in the door optimistic, yet realistic. I'm going to be confident in my doctor's, yet be confident in myself to take charge of my own medical health. Keep your finger's crossed!

The Tour and Prada

Over the last few years, I've become fascinated with the the Tour de France. Admittedly, it was due to the Lance Armstrong reign... like much of the world. Yesterday's prologue was SO exciting! I'll be cheering on George Hincapie this year. After years of working with his team to help bring Armstrong to a victory, he's earned the chance to now be the one taking the lead. After today's yellow jersey win, I'm excited to follow him through the tour.

The doping scandal saddens me. As the commentators discussed yesterday, my initial thought was, "every rider must have woken up that morning thinking, 'hmmm, I actually have shot at this this year.'" We often hear about doping with the mainstream sports, and brush it aside with a scoff. Those multi-million dollar athletes caught cheating... and no one blinks twice. I tend to be of the mindset that cycling is one of those sports that is pure. Training hard, refined talent and pure athleticism. I hope those athletes are being wrongly accussed and it will come out that they are talented athletes who work hard for their accomplishments.

Now, to my own training. Ran 10 miles yesterday and it was okay. My last three miles were a bit painful, but I still came in with a pace of under 10:00. I started with a stabbing pain on my right, which I woke up with. Towards the middle of the run, I started getting that prickling feelin in the center. It then progressed to a stabbing pain on my left, which stayed with me the rest of the day. Throughout the run, I kept reminding myself that it is still early in my training and I have time to continue getting stronger and continue lowering my time. Not sure if I was trying to remind myself, or convince myself.

I took a quick shower when I got home and decided to take my nap out by the pool. A friend came over to join me and later we had a great dinner at The Melting Pot. I LOVE fondue and this was really good. A little expensive - it cost more than what I spend in a week on groceries - but really good. We were thinking about a night out, but were really tired. We ended up going to see A Devil Wears Prada (LOVED THE CLOTHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) and a quick beer at BW3. We felt a little lame heading to the movies in jeans and t-shirts, while a bunch of barely 21-year-olds wearing little to no clothing lined up at a dance club. :)

I love cars!

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


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

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

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

Goodbye Space Cowboy

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

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

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

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

I looked like a hooker

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

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

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

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

Whirlwind of a day

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

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

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

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

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

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

Two workouts today!

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

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

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

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

That was one powerful room

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

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

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

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

Two blah runs

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

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

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

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

Rain, rain, go away...

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

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

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

It's Official!

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

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

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

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

Why am I doing this?

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

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

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

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

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

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

I am cranky!

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

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

Drinking on company time

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

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

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

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

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

NYC...

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

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

Jack the Cat Chases Black Bear Up Tree

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

Running with a slight injury

The weekend was great, but went by too quickly!

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

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

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

Lots on my mind

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

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

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

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

Is it Friday yet?

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

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

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

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

I am grumpy

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

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

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

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

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

On the outside, looking in

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

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

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

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

Ten not-so-easy-miles

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

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

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

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

First golf lesson - and I don't totally suck

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

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

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

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

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

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

So tired!

After hitting snooze a few times and going back and forth, I finally dragged my butt out of bed this morning to go running. Ughh. I am so not a morning person, let alone a morning runner. Ricky told me to start out with an easy 20 minutes. So, I ran 2 miles this morning. Most of the time I was wondering if it was worth getting up early to only run 2 miles. But, I figured he knew what he was talking about and I should listen.

I was SO freaking tired today. Some people like to work out in the morning because it starts their day off and gives them the energy for the day. I am clearly not one of those people.

After a work happy hour (our North American president was in town) I headed home for my run. I did about 6 1/2 miles (I tried to explore new areas, but Novi is full of suddenly ending sidewalks.) about 10:00 pace. It was warm and humid, but still a good run.

So, I'm watching the Piston's (I have faith!) and then need to head to bed so I can drag my butt out of bed again tomorrow morning. I am so looking forward to it - I hear positive thinking helps.

My new trainer

Today I worked out with my new trainer for the first time. (Long story short, Bally's corporate office told my trainer he can't train anymore because he's the manager of the club. Boo.) Ricky is a former pro soccer player and university track coach. He's from the Caribbean and freaking hilarious.

Our session was a lot of talking so he could get a sense of my background, my goals, etc. He also watched me run so he could see what he had to work with and also see where I needed to improve. The session wasn't physically hard, but it was a good workout and I think I'm going to enjoy working out with him.

1/2 mile warm up outside

3x - Leg press (135 lbs, 125 lbs, 115 lbs)
3x - Sat on the wall with one leg up
3x - Glutes

3x - Lateral arm raises (machine)
3x - Seated rows
3x - Lat pull downs

2x - Dips
2x - Wall push ups (one leg up)

Sprinting outside
Cool down

He wants me to start doing 2-a-days, two to three times a week. Uggh, I am so not a morning exerciser. Hopefully once I get used to it, it'll be easier. Thankfully I'm not downtown anymore otherwise there is no way I could do it unless I was running at 4am. So, we'll see how tomorrow morning goes.

Weekend running

This weekend was hot. Heat and running together isn't ideal, but I had some pretty good workouts. This summer I'm going to be getting up at the butt-crack of dawn to avoid the heat and humidity.

Friday - Rest day. It's always been a rest day for me, but since I've been training with Joe on Saturday's, I've been getting in a few miles. We didn't meet this weekend, so I took advantage of it.

Saturday - Broke in a new pair of shoes with a fast four miles. Forgot my watch, again, so not sure of the pace. When I got to the gates of my community, I realized I forgot my gate card and my cell phone. So, I parked at the spa next door and ran home to get my card. Guess I needed some more distance for the day.

Sunday - Went 10 miles (10:00 pace) at the metro park. I intended to go earlier, but didn't want to get out of bed. It was already warm (70*) at 8 am, but the sun was behind the clouds for a majority of it so it was completely unbearable. My (cute, little) iPod was in disk mode and I couldn't get it out, so I had to run without music. (No comments on me not being tech-savvy) Blech! While my body is getting stronger, I'm still mentally weak. My mind kept wanting to think about things, but I didn't want to. I'm sure the longer I keep pushing it down, the longer and harder it's going to be to recover. But, I'm just not ready yet. When I first started there was a group of beautiful, tall, toned, fast-looking people. They were in front of me and I lost sight of them after awhile. However, when I finished they were just finishing up themselves and stretching. Ha, that made me smile.

Monday - Cross-training. Some arm work (bi's, tri's) and 45 minute on the bike - intervals. I tell ya, the bike always kicks my butt. However, if it helps tone my butt I'll do it.

Rosie the Riveter

Happy Memorial Day!

My dad took my grandma (a WWII vet) to our hometown parade this afternoon. He drove his 1930 Model A and my grandma, with her hat on, waved to the crowd. I'm sure they were freaking hot, but she gets a kick out of it so I guess it's worth it. She worked as a riveter and loves to tell stories of her days in the army.

Actually, many of her stories involve her and her girlfriends going to the clubs dancing and meeting service men... She was quite the party girl. All four of her older brothers were in service and, being the only girl in the family, she decided she would too. I would absolutely love to have the family flag with five stars that once hung in my great-grandparent's window, but one of my cousins is a museum/history guy so I think he has it. My one uncle was on the beaches of Normandy, shortly following D-day. He was in Patton's army and has a much harder time telling his war stories without getting teary eyed. I'll never understand what he saw or what it must have been like having your friend die in your arms.

My grandfather was also on the beaches of Normandy, in the tanks that follow the troops. I don't know a lot about his war stories. They didn't date until they were both home, so most of the stories I've heard were after the war. My grandma only says that he was, "so handsome in his uniform." Gotta hand it to her, she called it about men in uniform. :)

I've been tagged

While I'm waiting for my (cute, little) iPod to charge so I can go cross-train, I thought I'd respond to perilousknits tag.

Directions: Once you've been tagged, you have to write a blog with 6 facts about yourself. In the end you need to choose 6 people to be tagged and list their names. No tag backs.

1. I've donated my hair to Locks of Love twice. The first time I donated 12 inches, the second time 14 inches. The second time, the girl weighed it and my chunk of hair weighed 3 pounds! That's a lot of weight on your head! (They need donations of at least 10 inches.) I wanted to continue to grow my hair out and cut it, grow it out, cut it, but I fell in love with my short hair. I'd like to do it at least one more time... we'll see.

2. I am obsessed with Ben & Jerry's. I have a receipe book, a book about their social conscious business, two ice cream scoops, ice cream bowls and a stuffed cow. People gave these to me as gifts. I know random useless facts and I sent my resume in just so I could get a rejection letter on their letterhead. If you work there, you get 3 free pints of ice cream everyday... and a gym membership. I'd weigh 3oo pounds, but I sure would be happy!

3. I'm a car girl. I love my Explorer SportTrac (yes, I know it's an SUV) and my 1967 Mercury Cougar (MotorTrend Car of the Year). My dad, a total gear head, taught me how to change a tire, change my oil and change my brake pads. It's a good thing I have some knowledge because it's sure helped me in career - I've only worked on one account that wasn't automotive related. (And, it's helped break the ice when the men aren't sure they want a "girl" on the team.)

4. I was adopted when I was 5 months old. My brother, also adopted, and I are not blood related although we both came from South Korea. My college graduation present was going to be a family trip to Korea so we could see the country, but since 9/11 happened that year my mom wasn't too excited about traveling overseas. Hopefully one day I'll make it over.

5. I am afraid of, in order: heights, chickens, geese, all other types of birds, goats and polka dots. Please don't ask.

6. I have to take a shower before I go to bed - I can't go to bed dirty. People think it's weird that I have to take one at 3am after a night at the bar, but that's especially when I have to take one. You're all gross and smelly from the smoke, drinks spilled on you, sweaty from dancing... ugghhh.

Tag: I don't think 6 people read my blog. If you do, you're it.

Getting stronger

Today's workout kicked my butt - it was a really good workout! The other trainers around were all showing/explaining what each exercise I was doing to their clients. I felt a little silly at first, but then I thought, "hey, they all want to look like me." :)

3 sets:
Squats (16)
Step ups with 15 lbs. in each hand (20)

3 sets:
Leg extenstions (16)
?

Cardio on the bike - about 7 minutes with various resistence
Arms with the medicine ball and bicep curls with 10 lbs. in each hand

3 sets:
Stairs (5, 3, 2)
Mountain climbers on the bosu (30 seconds)
High knees on the bosu (30 seconds)

3 sets:
Hamstring curls - (16,14, 12)
Leg presses (1oo lbs - 16x, 120 lbs - 14x, 134 lbs - 12)

Stairs (2)

3 sets:
Inclined chest presses (14)
Plyometric push ups - no knees (10)
Diamond push ups - no knees (10)

3 sets:
Seated rows (14)
? (14)

Cardio:
1 lap - 30 seconds
Row machine - 60 seconds
3 laps - 90 seconds
Row machine - 60 seconds
1 lap each - high knees, butt kicks
1 lap - 45 seconds

I got there about 15 minutes early (which never happens) thinking that if I got there early, I would get out earlier and wouldn't miss as much of the Piston's game. While we were waiting for the stretching table Joe and I started talking about the series and all of a sudden he goes, "That's why you got here early tonight." He knows me too well.

We're playing well tonight and with great energy! Go Pistons!

Today I learned about blogging...

This afternoon I went to a professional luncheon to "network." (Really, I just wanted a free lunch. However, the food sucked and I had to go to my back up lunch when I got back to the office which I wisely packed just in case.) Anyway, the topic was on blogging and how blogs can positively affect communications. Ed Garsten, who is a former journalist, was the speaker and talked about running DCX's blog. It is only geared only towards journalists, which is a different approach from GM's FastLane blog, which I am more familiar with. Most of the info wasn't new to me, but it was interesting nonetheless.

It was so hard going back to the office after being outside in the gorgerous sunny weather! Tonight I had a hair appointment, which ran late, so I had to go to the gym tonight to workout. I ran four miles (9:00 pace), worked abs and lots of push ups. I've had this little stich under my ribs on the right side for nearly two weeks now. It bothered me while running tonight and stretching it doesn't seem to work. No idea what it is, but it's not going away. I am trying to not let it freak me out!

A beautiful day for a run!

Today is a beautiful spring day - warm and sunny. I love days like this! And, tonight was just a great night to go for a run. I was downtown at the RenCen for some marathon GM meetings (GM is notorious for meeting for hours) but I still made it home relatively early. I went for six mile run at a pretty good pace. I forgot my watch, but I pushed the pace. My legs were ready to get stretched out after yesterday's workout. And can I say, I love listening to Kid Rock (on my cute, little iPod) while running. If you know me, you probably wouldn't picture me as a Kid Rock fan. It's great running music!

So, after a one day break my boys are starting the Eastern Conference Finals tonight. Miami has had quite a break and you can tell their legs are fresh. Don't worry - I have faith in the Piston's!

danger and trouble

hahahahahahaha - mouse and I have created a blog to let the world in on all of the random happenings that occur when the two of us are together. Since we've known each other since grade school, if we go home we often bump into people that know both of us. The conversation generally goes something like this:

"How is everything? What are you doing now?"

"Oh, I'm great. I live in Novi. With (insert the other's name here)."

Insert look of simultaneous amusement and horror

"We have lots of fun."

"I bet you do..."

*********

Workout with Joe today was good. We started with legs:

3 sets:
Leg presses (16)
Walking lunghes with the bar (?lbs.)

Leg extentions (16)
Lunges - back foot on the bosu (20) 1x
Lunges - front foot on the bosu (20) 1x
Lunges - each foot on a bosu (20) 1x

Hamstring curls (16)
Squats - each foot on a bosu while extending a 5 lbs. medicine ball (20)

15 minutes on the bike with a series of arm exercises (15 lbs. medicine ball extensions, bicep curls w/ 5 lbs. weights, etc.) Ranged in degrees of resistence. Kicked my butt!

3 sets:
High knees on the trampoline (90 second)
Stairs (3)
Wow! This was really hard going from one surface to the next. My legs felt like dead weight!

3 sets:
Chest press (16)
Push ups - no knees (10)
High knees (60 seconds)

3 sets:
Shoulders (12)
Jumping jacks (60 seconds)

3 sets:
Pull ups (12)
Dips (12)

1 set:
Biceps w/ the bar (?lbs.)
- 10 half way up
- 10 half way down
- 10 full bicep curls

Good workout and the cardio in the middle of the workout really kicked my butt. That's the second session we've done this and it's totally blown me out. Hey, whatever it takes. Right? I need to just keep telling myself that. It is always worth it.

Witness This!

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

Game 7: Pistons 79 Cleveland 61

A night in the "D"

It was a beautiful day to run today. Unfortunately, my run didn't match the weather. Hmmm... wonder if it had anything to do with a late night of drinking... Went out to a local metro park and did eight miles - had to go out and back due to the said construction on the path. My splits were not consistent at all. My legs felt very heavy and, for some weird reason my butt hurt. Not sure why since I haven't lifted legs in the past few days.

Mile 1 - 9:25
Mile 2 - 9:44
Mile 3 - 10:04
Mile 4 - 9:49
Mile 5 - 9:50
Mile 6/7 - 20:03
Mile 8 - 9:53

Since I did out and backs, I had to go down the hills that I usually run up. Wow, hadn't run down hills in a LONG time. Ugg... I still don't feel like a "real" runner again yet.

Oh, and apparently there was a sighting of a girl running in a pink, leopard print skirt in the metro park where I was running. I didn't see the sight myself, but apparently it caused quite a stir among the other runners. You know, guys running off the path, women stopping in their tracks because they realized they would never be able to pull of that outfit. There are only 200 of these skirts out there, so getting a glimpse of this is something only a few can say they've seen.

Last night I went to the Tiger's game with some college friends. Prior to the game, my college roommate and I hit the Detroit Beer Co. - one of my favorite's. We've decided that if we lived closer to each other (she lives on the other side of the state) it would be trouble. :) Not a huge baseball fan myself, we went down to one of the bars in the park to watch the last quarter of the Piston's game. WHOOOO HOOOO! It was so funny because every TV with the Piston's game on had a huge crowd huddled around. One cute old woman was there and goes, "How many years have I had season tickets? The Tiger's are finally good and I'm watching TV!" It was VERY stressful, but much more exciting than the baseball game. Unfortunately, the Tiger's ended their record-setting winning streak but the Piston's pulled off the victory... barely. Afterward, we enjoyed the post-game fireworks and then went to Chelios Chili. It really is fun hanging out in downtown! Later my old roommate and I attempted to change and go out in Novi. It was around 12:30 am but we were SO tired. Yeah. We didn't make it. All in all, it was a great night.

Dear Chompers:

Dear Chompers,

Exactly one year ago today you were born/died. Here's how I learned that you existed:

I was up early because I had an early flight to NYC for a business trip. At first I was fine, but then about 15 minutes later I was curled up on my bathroom floor with the absolute worst pain I had ever experienced in my life. I tried to continue getting ready, but it wasn't happening. Not knowing what else to do, I called my parents (they get up early anyway). They thought it might be my appedix and told me to go to the ER. A little while later they called back to see if I had gone. I hadn't because I was still on the floor, trying to figure out where exactly it hurt. I knew the doctors would ask and I figured I should have an answer for them. Finally, I went into my roommates room and said, "where's your appendix?" She jumped out of bed and ran around to throw some clothes on. I laid on the floor and called my co-worker to tell her I was, "going to the ER, I didn't know what was wrong, don't worry and I'll try to catch another flight out."

So here it is like 5 am and NO ONE is in the ER (which is thankfully right across the road from my apartment!) I still had to wait and was curled up in the fetal position on the waiting room chairs. It took forever to register and the lady kept asking me the same question over and over. I remember telling my roommate that at that moment I never wishe so badly that I just had a chip in my arm that she could scan and get everything. After a short evaluation, I finally got called back to be seen by the doctor on call.

I was miserable and they kept asking me if I could be pregnant.
"No"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"We really need to know..."
"NO!"

They did an exam and it was not fun. Again, they started with the pregnancy questions. Ah no, but I'm guessing you don't think it's my appendix otherwise I could have DIED by now!

The timeline gets a little fuzzy, but I remember being taken to X-Ray and I could barely stand up for the tech to get it. My great roommate stayed in the waiting room and when my mom got there they both came back. A new doctor's shift had started so a man came into the room and told me that there was a mass in abdomen. Hmm... didn't really comprehend what he was saying. He said it wasn't cancerous (hmmm... hadn't thought about that until you just said it) but that they needed to do some more tests. Okay. I also remember that I was actually thinking I was going to catch a flight to New York yet.

I had to drink several cups of neon yellow liquid before they could do a god-awful test. It was not pleasant to say the least. When the results came back they found I had three large cysts on my ovaries. And that they needed to be taken out. Now, in my mind I'm thinking, "Hmmm... GM shut down is in July. Maybe I'll have surgery then."

The doctor said, "They can get you in at 3pm." Okay, so you mean I need to do this now. I was hoping it would just go away on its own. I didn't comprehend what was going on, what he wanted to do, or the magnitude of the surgery they were proposing. I could see his mouth moving and hear that sound was coming out, but could not understand what he was saying. It was a very bizarre moment.

By this time I wasn't in horrible pain anymore, but my stomach was terribly swollen. I looked very pregnant. Weird! I was perfectly fine the day before. I went to the main hospital in Southfield and they took me to my room before the OR. By this time I was laughing and joking around with my parents and roommate. My hospital roommate thought we were nuts! Here I was about to have major surgery and we're making jokes.

Before the surgery, I met with several residents and my surgeon. They showed me my x-rays and whoa! It looked like I had a set of dentures in my stomach! I had dermoid cysts, which are cysts that have hair, teeth, bones and fatty deposits inside. Since the teeth so clearly stood out, I affectionately named you Chompers.

They took me down to surgery around 9pm. I specifically remember telling the doctors to go ahead and give me a tummy tuck while they were in there. They must have forgotten.

They told me after I was prepped they would let my family/friends in to see me. Yeah, they forgot that too.

I had been to the Dominican Republic the month before so I had a nice tan line for them, which they used as the line to cut on. Really guys. Just a little bit lower would have been appreciated. I'm hoping to wear my bathing suit this year.

I remember waking up in my hospital room and not being able to open my eyes. They asked if I wanted to get into my bed by myself or if I was too tired. "Too tired," I mumbled. I did rember asking if the surgeon was able to save my ovaries (something they weren't sure of until they got inside.) Whoever answered said that was a question for the doctor. I was positive that meant, "no."

Thankfully it didn't and they were able to save everything. Chompers, you were the size of a softball and the other two were the size of baseballs. Not sure how you all fit in there, but you did. I asked them to take a picture of you, but they didn't do that either. Although you were probably the grossest thing ever to look at, I really wanted to see you!

I was in the hospital for four days and three nights, which I remember very little of. Loved that morphine pump. Getting in and out of bed was so tiring. You would think it wouldn't be that difficult to get out of bed and sit in the chair next to you. It was so hard. Walking was so painful and I couldn't do it for awhile without assistance.

After going home, it's still really fuzzy. Must have been those great pink pills they gave me. While I was on medical leave my family and friends were so good to me. The apartment was filled with cards, flowers and gifts. My roommate was seriously the best roommate ever - she set up my room for me before I got there, helped with my laundry, she even shaved my legs for me.

So, that's how the story started. Anyway, it's been quite a sucky year and, unfortunately, it's not over yet.

"10,000 Days"

Oh yeah, this headline caught my eye yesterday in the Detroit Free Press and it made me laugh.

"Tool gives Detroit fans a raucous show; Metal band storms a sold-out Fox"

Tool (STEPHEN McGEE/Detroit Free Press)

I bet crazytoolboy was there! What a jerk...

I *heart* abs

This morning my physical therapist and I called it quits. She doesn't know what's wrong and I'm not getting any better. She said that the door is always open and believes my doctor will send me back to her. Right. You haven't done much in the last few months, but I'll keep coming anyway.

Sucked ass today during my workout with Joe. Well, cardio sucked and, with a strange twist, my upper body workout wasn't that bad. Yea! I am getting stronger. The best part of the workout (I'm so embarassed to say this. I'm such a girl!) was when one of the trainers, who is doing a competition this weekend, came by while I was on the bike (and lifting weights at the same time... uggh) to talk to Joe. (Let's pretend he came over to see me instead though. After all, I am SO cute!) He lifted his shirt to show his abs and Joe goes, "Hey, do you think he's ready for his competition?" Okay, first of all I am a total abs girl. Second of all, this guys were freaking incredible!!! I think I was able to get out a "mmmhmmm" without drooling. I did manage to concentrate on not dropping the weights.

I LOVE a guy with great abs!!!

Better

Today was a better day. That's not saying a lot about yesterday being that today started off with getting some tests done. Ultrasounds don't hurt, but it's not really comfortable either.

First, I had to drink a few gallons (okay 40 oz.) of water an hour before my test. They are pretty good about getting you in on time. Probably because they know if they don't, your bladder will explode all over the place. So, here you are feeling like your bladder is going to EXPLODE and they press down on it. One of the best feelings in the entire world is finally peeing after having to hold it for an extended amount of time. Then, they did the other test. You don't want to know the details of this one.

My training session got pushed back until tomorrow and I was totally not prepared to figure out a workout. I really need to pick a pre-training training plan. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea to do six quarter mile repeats (8:00 pace) with a 9:00 pace quarter in between. "Cooled" down with an easy mile. Followed by abs and push ups on the bosu. Shortly afterwards, this was all negated by doing a late night run to the grocery store with mouse to get pita chips (we needed a transport for all of the hummus in the fridge) and ice cream.

It really is like a slumber party every night here. It's so funny because there are only two of us and our apartment isn't super small but we often seem to be in the same room. For example, we're sitting in my room, working on our own stuff, listening to "the soundtrack of our life." We are going to look back on our years living together and laugh hysterically!

"Looks like somebody has a case of the Mondays"

Today was not the best day ever. No one thing made it especially bad, but all in all, it was just one of those shitty Mondays.

Last night I didn't sleep well, so getting up was difficult. I got out of bed late and since I haven't done laundry in a long time I didn't have much to choose from. The pants that were clean don't fit well and I didn't have many tops to match those particular pants. Ended up finding a skirt that looked okay but because of my wardrobe problem, I left a little behind schedule. Traffic sucked. The detour to avoid the construction that was causing the sucky traffic sucked. I had to call PT to cancel because I was already late, no where near Royal Oak and the session is only an hour. Traffic continued to suck. Had a mini-nervous breakdown in the office parking lot. Left my umbrella in the office on Friday and it was pouring out.

Went to the gym after work (really, really not wanting to but knew I should) and did an hour on the eliptical. Oh yeah, and I forgot to pack my hair clips, my watch, a towel, my waterbottle and my (cute, little) iPod. I'm lucky I remembered to put my shoes in my bag.

Got home and found my roommate also had a shitty day. While watching (an incredibly annoying and stupid) Grey's Anatomy we comiserated by drinking wine. And the Piston's lost another game to Cleveland.

So, I probably should have just gone right back to bed this morning. I mean, when you start quoting Office Space you know the day is a goner. But... tomorrow's another day.

Oh no! I'm the freak of the office!

Well, you can only hide it for so long. Today, two people from our New York office came in for a visit. They wanted to get a better feel for the Detroit office, who we are and what we do. So, during lunch we went around and explained our past accounts, current accounts and any personal hobbies/interests. (They are in charge of our corporate PR, so they were looking for unique story angles.) Everyone is pretty straightforward with their answers. Then it's my turn. Keep in mind, I prefer for everyone to think of me as the quiet, completely innocent girl who is always 100% professional. A few people know a weird random fact or two about me, but I've always kept it so one person doesn't know a too many of the weird things I do. Yeah. So that changed today.

So, I was going through what I was doing and my accounts have a much broader range than everyone else. I went from emissions standards to cowboys. Everyone was laughing about it but I didn't really find this funny. Story of my life though. Whenever I try to be funny, no one laughs. But people laugh when I'm not trying to be funny. Hmmmm...

Anyway, I was telling them about my personal interests. I'm a car girl and own a classic car. Everyone in the room did the head nod like, "Hmm, cool." Then I said I run marathons. Everyone in the room again did the head nod like, "Wow, that's really cool." We went off on a tangent for a bit about the races I've done and if I needed to do a quick flash of my passport while crossing into Canada during the Detroit Marathon. I was pretty much done. No harm done thus far.

Then someone mentioned that I love Ben & Jerry's. I couldn't help it, I got way excited! I told them I was slightly obsessed with B&J and could tell you anything about the company. Everyone in the room laughed and thought, "that's funny but she's kinda weird." Of course, they asked for an example. I told them that back in the day, and supposedly it still goes on, that the candy in the ice cream is not broken by a machine. Instead, they go up a foot ladder and drop the box of candy to the ground where it then breaks into different sized pieces. Everyone in the room looked at me like I was crazy obsessed.

Then someone said that I was also the useless knowledge queen. Everyone looked at me, wondering what was going to come out of my mouth. I gave them two: 1) If you are ever being attacked by a shark, try to flip it over onto its back. Shark's pass out when they are on their back. 2) Zebras stripes are not symetrical from one side to the other. It is this way so when a lion is chasing them (yes, I did the chasing movement with my arms - I was totally into it...) it gets confused as to which direction the zebras are actually going. One of the NY girls (who didn't dress nearly as stylishly as I expected) asked what types of books/magazines I read to gain all of my useless knowledge. I sheepishly said, "Well... I was on medical leave for a couple of months and there isn't much on TV. Oh, and I was pretty heavily medicated" The room exploded in laughter. They wrote down, "Has a drug problem." One of the guys commented on how random my interests are and that I must be the most interesting person in the office. My comment: "Yeah, I'm the freak of the office." It just kinda popped out. I think they all are a little closer to seeing the true me. (And I didn't even mention my guilty pleasure of the TV show 'Miami Ink" of that I don't speak Asian.)

Anyway, onto my workout. Since I have to go to a stupid wedding shower on Saturday (I'm convinced that having to go to showers is the worst thing about being a woman), I had to reschedule my training session for tonight. It was a really good workout.

We focused on arms, and did so many things I can't really recall the exact workout. We did all machines, lots of push ups on the bosu and running stairs with a 20 lbs. medicine ball. At the end we did some speed work on the track. He said I'm definitely getting stronger. I prefer to think of it as I'm getting ripped.

Well, my work load nearly doubled this week at work and I've got stuff to do yet tonight. Uggh, I just remembered I have to pack too. I HATE PACKING!!!! Unfortunately, there's no one around to help me procrastinate.

Today's Randon Tidbits

A few little tidbits from the day:

* While I appreciate a woman wanting long, nicely manicured fingernails, it is not always appropriate for certain professions. Say, physical therapy. Thank you for cutting them before today's session.

* To the (very white) man behind me in line. Just because you lived near Chinatown in New York, that does not make you half-Asian. Seriously. Where do these people come from!?!

* A note to new professionals: We all pay our dues.

* Nothing says comradery like ordering take-out with your co-workers because everyone is working late. (See, some PR professionals do work past 5 pm)

* I don't necessarily believe in ghosts, but I don't not believe in them. Admittedly, I was totally freaked out walking back into a dark office to retrieve a forgotten item after hearing tales of our office ghost.

* Today I learned the origin of "boy short" underwear. While working out at the clubhouse, there was a guy wearing a tight t-shirt, EXTREMELY SHORT AND TIGHT shorts (seriously, they really did look like my boy short underwear! I saw enough from the back, that I can only imagine what it looked like from the front!), and a backwards trucker-style hat. Oh, and he was doing leg extensions while wearing flip flops. He was also watching American Idol, or some show similar to it. It was quite a sight.

* Four miles (10:30 pace) goes by pretty quickly while watching basketball. Miami blew out the Nets tonight. Their 20 point win put the Round at 1-1.

Just some random observations and thoughts for the day...

A New Day

Awhile back Andrea suggested I try those heatwraps during the day and see if those relieve any pain. After yesterday's session, I thought I would give it a whirl. I tried a ThermaCare Heatwrap today and, to my amazement, they really do stay warm for 8 hours. Throughout the pad there are these little discs which are the heat source. It was weird because I really didn't notice the heat, but I checked to see if it was working a few times and it was still warm. The small one fit comfortably under my clothes and it's thin enough that no one could tell it was there. I'm not sure how much it helped, but I think I'll continue trying it for a few days and see how it goes. (Scale 1-10: 7-8)

Tonight's session with Joe was okay. We're going to work on me not feeling so intimidated in the weight room. It's not that I was the only female in the room or that I can't lift that much, but I just don't know how to use most of the equipment. Tonight's workout:

3 sets:
Squats with the bar - started with 25 lbs. weights on each side and then upped it to 35 lbs. (16, 12) I was suppose to do 3 sets, but only managed two. It wasn't the weight that was the problem, it was my form and getting comfortable with the move. I kept feeling like I was going to fall backwards. Joe was right behind me and kept assuring me I wouldn't, but all I could picture was me slowing falling backwards and landing on my back with my feet in the air. Like the little kid that has too much weight in his bookbag. Yea, that's what I was picturing. We really need to work on this.
Lunges - 25 lbs. weights in each hand (10 and 10 mini pumps)
Toe taps on the bosu - 60 seconds

3 sets:
Half squat machine (16, 12, 10)
Hop ups on the step (20)
Toe taps on the bosu - 60 seconds

3 sets:
Hamstring curls (16, 12, 10)
Lunges on the bosu - each foot on a different bosu (20 each leg) - When I had to switch legs I had to jump, switch legs mid-air, land on the bosu and hold my balance. This really wasn't easy. Apparently this old guy was watching me because when I was done he walked by and told Joe what a great job I did. As he was walking away, he turned to me, smiled a toothy grin and gave me a thumbs up. Nice. Now, where are those hot guys again...?
Toe taps on the bosu - 60 seconds

2 sets:
Pull-ups (20)
Dips (20)
Toe taps on the bosu/Mountain climbers on the bosu - 60 seconds

1 set:
Stairs (5)
Abs in the chair thing (12, 10, 8)

Not too exciting of a workout, but a good one nonetheless. I'm going to be ripped any day now! :)

Oh, and the Piston's won tonight! It was a close game, but none of our shots were falling. Seriously. Rip didn't score a field goal until the 4th quarter. But, we're 2-0 as we head to Cleveland.

Run the other way...

... if your physical therapist says, "we're gonna try something new today" and it has to do with electric stimulus "driving the medication into your body." As a PT, she can't perscribe medication or use it for anything, with the exception of this one torture device. It was one of the worst sub-one minutes ever experienced, and I have a long list of not so pleasant tests being done to me. This was a cross between something trying to burn through my abdomen and something trying to bite its way through my abdomen. (Pleasant visual, huh?) Really, if you ever are in this situation, I repeat - run the other way.

No actual running tonight. I got in about two minutes on the elipitical until I stopped due to pain. I think my therapist is trying to disable me. So, I went home and decided to drink instead. This is the first time I flat out opened a beer because my fucking abdomen hurt so much. There I said it and I don't care.

Hmmm....

In reponse to mplsuj:

1. I choose to think of my profession as "friend of the media." Besides, we all know that there really wouldn't be any news if it weren't for me! :)

A few weeks ago I met my friend J's new girlfriend, who is in journalism. She was going on and on about how easy of a job PR is and that it must be soooooo nice that we get into the office at 9 am, take an hour lunch, and leave at 5 pm while those poor journalists are crunching away at their computers around the clock. This was the first time I met the girl. THIS IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO WIN OVER YOUR BOYFRIEND'S FRIENDS.

However, being the savvy professional that I am, I smiled sweetly at her and responded with, "Journalists and PR professionals always think the other has it better. But, we really do need each other to do our jobs well." She didn't shut up. Meanwhile, an ex was sitting nearby and was laughing at my "typical PR answer" and commented that, "I was really good at my job." Note to everyone that thinks PR is a way to "spin" news so much that it distorts the truth: THIS IS NOT TRUE! Yes, I want my clients to get positive news coverage. However, my job is very strategic and, contrary to popular belief, not everyone can do it. Okay... I admit I get a bit annoyed when people who don't really understand my job pretend to.

2. Yeah, it gets a big confusing when I want to reference my roommate. Since I'm stealing all of her online friends, I can't refer to her as "theroommate" because then they would all think I'm talking about myself in the third person. Which, is just weird. Calling her mouse is strange because I never call her that. Hmmm... what about SSDP? No, I think her dad my flip out. Besides, I don't want everyone thinking I'm the boy. Guess I'll need to think of something.

Three minutes...

... yep, three mintues was the grand total of rest time during my workout session today. After a brief warm up we started with legs.

3 sets:
Leg extensions (20)
Squats on the bosu (20)
Toe taps on the bosu (60 seconds)

3 sets:
Hamstring curls (20)
Lunges with 24 lbs. dumbbells in each hand (20 each leg)
Side to side on the bosu (60 seconds)

2 sets:
Leg presses (20)

Then we went into the weight room to do arms which totally intimidated me. Joe kinda laughed at me but then realized I was completely serious. He's pretty patient and does a good job of showing me proper form and explaining what muscles that particular exercise will target. I felt much better. Weight rooms are very intimidating when you don't know how to (properly) use the equipment!

3 sets:
Bench press - 50 lbs. (20) -- I felt kinda silly since the bar itself is 45 lbs., but hey, I was doing it!
Dips (20)

3 sets:
Bicep curls - machine (20)
Tricep kickbacks - machine (20)
Bicep curls - 8 lbs. free weighs (20)

Then we went upstairs on the track to do some cardio. It was pretty tough for the end of the workout...

2 sets:
2 laps - 30 seconds/lap
High knees
Butt kicks
2 laps - 30 seconds/lap

2 sets:
Row machine - 2 minutes
2 laps - 40 seconds/lap

Last lap - all out sprint. I came in just under 30 seconds. It was a pretty tough workout, but a good one.

So, for those of you that read mouse's blog. No, I did not go out. I chose not to go out because I knew I needed to be fully rested for my workout. It would've been much more fun to go out with the supposed "hot" doctors than go to bed early, but I'm spending money on a personal trainer so I better make good use of it. Look at me, I'm so mature and responsible! :) But, don't worry. I did celebrate Cinco de Mayo with a few Corona's after work!

No, I didn't get to meet Tony Snow...

Several months ago I signed up for the sessions I wanted to attend for a state conference in my profession. I immediately signed up for today's lunch session because a) free lunch - what' s not to like about that and b) Tony Snow was set to be the keynote speaker. Ironically, the session was titled something to the affect of, "Why the media and the President can't get along."

The morning it was announced he had accepted the job to be President Bush's new press secretary, two thoughts ran through my head. The first really excited me. Maybe I would have the opportunity to hear the press secretary speak (yep, it's confirmed. I am a big nerd.) The second, and more realistic, thought was that they weren't going to be able to book anyone good on such short notice. I was pleasantly surprised that they were able to get MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell.

She is very well spoken and has a very impressive resume - she's travelled to every continent except for Antartica with either Clinton, Bush or Rummy. She gave some good insight into the life of the Washington D.C. Press Corp, the upcoming elections (2006 and 2008) and how important they are and what possible changes could result from it, and her thoughts on how key Washington communicators impact politics (Bush/Kerry campaign, Senator Clinton's run for re-election and possible run for President, Bush's approval rating and the overall approval rating of the Republican party). All in all, it was a very fascinating session!

Now for my running... Yesterday I went on a trail run with mouse and I really enjoyed it. While I almost biffed a few times, I'm happy to report I didn't end up eating dirt. The trails had lots of bikers, but it wasn't too bad (except for the man on the cell phone). I did find out why people run with cameras though. We were tromping down a path when we saw a bike standing unattended. Then a man came through the brush, and he didn't really fit the typical "cyclist" image, with a 40 oz can of Bud Light in hand. Classic.

Today I was still hurting from yesterday's PT session. I didn't sleep well last night either because the pain kept waking me up. (Scale 1-10: 7 sharp pains on the left and on my left leg. Anyway, I did a slow 4 miles with my (cute, little) iPod. Noticed my abs were a little sore - must be because they were working overtime so I didn't fall on my face out on the trails. I can't say the run itself was super enjoyable, but the warm and sunny weather was nice!

And, of course the Piston's. We kicked ass yesterday and ended the Buck's season. We'll possibly know tomorrow who will be the next round - Cleveland or Washington. After much emailing back and forth (I simply cannot allow my self to start IMing), mouse and I decided to forgo the opportunity to get tickets for Round 2, Game 1. We both thought we'd rather get tickets for Game 4 or 5 (if necessary) or miss Round 2 completely and spend a little more for Round 3 or THE FINALS!!!!! All together, "Deeeetroooit Baaaasketbaaaaal!"

"A lot of cardio"

Today's session was a really good workout. So good, the other trainers were making fun of me for my sweaty shirt. Seriously, I could literally wring it out when we were done.

Started with a warm up on the track. He told me we were going to do, "a lot of cardio." He wasn't kidding!

We did about 2 miles doing a series of things. We did three sets of the following (and each lap below was followed by a timed sprint):

- walking lunges with a 10 lbs. medicine ball
- squats on the wall with the stability ball
- high knees
- butt kicks
- skipping

After that, we went downstairs and did three sets (one right into the other)
- pull ups (12, 10, 8)
- dips (12, 10, 8)
- push ups (12, 10, 8)
- 60 seconds toe taps on the bosu (basically high knees)

Right into three sets of:
- ab work on the bosu with a 5 lbs. medicine ball (20 side-to-side)
- leg lift on the chair (12, 10, 8)
- 60 seconds high knees on the trampoline
- 60 seconds toe taps on the bosu

It was a really good workout. And, I met a trainer that was a former running coach at U of M. When I first signed up with Joe and I told him I was a runner, he told me he would have this trainer sit in on a few sessions with us to help me get back into it. He seemed like a great guy and hopefully he'll be able to give me some good advice.

It's so odd. My workouts have been getting better, but my physical therapy has been getting worse. My pain level has really risen and in new areas. (Scale 1-10: ranged from 6-8, shooting pain on both sides, pain down my left leg) but I seem to be okay while working out. Today, I was having his AWFUL shooting pain down my leg. It did trigger a memory though. Shortly after my surgery, I had the same shooting pain down my leg. I remember being terrified it was a blood clot or something (I don't know if you can actually feel blood clots, but this is what I was afraid of). I don't think I ever remembered to tell my doctor about it at the time. Weird how it came back to me today...

You learn something new everyday

Today's PT session was interesting. Found yet another thing wrong... Anyway, sometimes she uses interferential therapy (electric stimulus) in case it is nerve damage. In the past, she's basically divided my abdomen into four quadrants and put the four sticky tabs on accordingly. Since the damage is more extensive than originally realized, today she put two tabs near the incision and two tabs... on my ass. After she put one on each cheek, I kinda laughed and asked why she was putting them there. Aparently, there is a major nerve that begins near your butt and, if this is the root of the problem, she wants to see how the nerve reacts to the stimulus. Yep, so today I had electric shocks going through my ass. No one can say I didn't do everything possible to get better! :)

The rest of the day was painful (Scale 1-10: 6 constant pain, 7 stabbing pains on both sides) so my workout tonight was pretty light. I did 45 minutes on the elipitical, lots of push ups on the bosu and some ab work with the stability ball.

Watching Game 4 and the Piston's aren't playing very well. After Saturday's embarassing loss (not because we lost, but because of how much we lost by) I was certain we were going to easily take this one. Gotta love the Playoffs.