Self-Tagged

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

13 miler tomorrow -- can't wait!

Holy Hills!

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

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

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

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

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

Training: Week 4 in progress

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hot and Humid Runs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Week 3 -- The Turning Point

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

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

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

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

Mental Health Check

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

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

Dinners, Drama and Drag Queens

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy Friday

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

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

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

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

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

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

Happy (Belated) Memorial Day!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Diva Darling -- Great Girl's Night Out!

What a great girl's night out last night!

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

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

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

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

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

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

No turning back...

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

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

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

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

Not bad. :)

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

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

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

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

The color purple

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Official marathon training started today.

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

Mark Sept. 20 on your Calendar!

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

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

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

A Little Adventure Called Life

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

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

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

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

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

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

The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak

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

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

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

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

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

Running through the fog

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

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

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

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

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

Emotional Rollercoaster

That about sums up last week.

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

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

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

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

Two Funerals and ...

WARNING: This post is a downer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fury Little Friend: Strikes Again

Damn raccoon.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Furry Little Friend

Crazy stuff always randomly happens to me.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Insurance lady: (dead silence)

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

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

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

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

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

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