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Tuesday, October 31, 2006

Tuesday's Run with Scooter

Scooter's thoughts while on the run this morning:
"I love running, running is fun, I love running. Oh! A stick! I will carry the stick, carry the stick, I love my stick. Do I have to poop? I don't know, I kinda do, but I don't want to stop, wait, I do have to poop. First, I need to sniff every blade of grass and ensure that where I poop is the Perfect spot. Hmmm...maybe I don't need to poop. Squirrel! Run, run, run. I love running. Wait. I definitely have to poop. Grunt. Oh! Another stick! I love sticks! I wonder if Mom will allow me to bring it inside?"

Jess's thoughts while on the run this morning:
"Jesus, Scooter you're gonna yank my arm off. Yes, that's a very nice stick, I'm glad you like it but running with it is gonna be hard. Yeah, that's what I thought -- abandonment of the stick. Geez, if you're gonna poop, just poop! Let's not waste our time sniffing around for so long, any spot will do! Ah Christ, a squirrel, here goes my arm again. Okay, finally, a poop -- it's about time. Yes, that's fine, another stick. Yes, I don't care if you bring it inside. I know it'll be a mess to clean up later, but better to chew on a stick than my furniture. Good lord, running with this dog is a chore."

Monday, October 30, 2006

Fall: Back

With the time change, by the time I got home at 6 pm, it was dark. It kinda sucks this time of year because with Daylight Savings, the days feel shorter and darker (but I know it's not as severe here in FL as it is for those in the northern states). So, when I got home, I quickly changed into my running clothes and hit the pavement. Logged four miles today and they felt really good. It felt like it was late when I got home, but it was only supper time. Now I feel like I should be in bed, but it's only 8! I'm all thrown off.

Sunday, October 29, 2006

Halloween '06

So, our party was a success! And I think the pictures tell the best story, so I'll let them do most of the work here.

We have here to the left my husband dressed as Nacho Libre -- he worked very hard to make every bit of this costume (he even made his own boots and sewed the tasles onto his cape!). Scooter is posing with him and being a good little sidekick.

Below, are a cowgirl (that's right, Meg, I posted a pic with you while you're eating -- nothing is sacred on this blog), a naughty policewoman (we saw her abuse her power with the baton she wielded), and a bar wench.


My costume ended up being a last minute affair. Originally I was going to be an evil fairy, but I waited too long to buy some key elements, and was shorted that costume, so after rumaging through Target's five costumes they had remaining, I came up with a 1920's flapper. Unfortunately, the costume was missing some accesories, but that's what you get for $10. Thankfully, I already owned a pair of red heels (the reds don't toally match, but whatever).

You'll note that our condo is still under renovations, thus the cement floor and white walls, and as much as it sucks living in an unfinished residence, it's the perfect place for a party; we don't have to worry if someone spills and the white walls actually made for a good backdrop for many pictures.

Below, is the coup d'etat. My husband, once again as Nacho Libre, and Ryan as the wrestler Ric Flair. Now, Ryan's costume was the spectacle of the party: He had entry music and everything. His costume, like my husband's, is also all homemade, which is really impressive if you could've seen the detailing on the belt and the shoes. He was so dedicated to his character that he even shaved his chest, back and, yes, armpits! His character made us laugh all night. And I have some pics without the robe that I will hold onto until a time when I may need bribe material.


Thankfully, I feel fine today and was even up at 7:15 (with the time change) and I cleaned up the house and threw away all the trash (about three cases worth of beer cans, some of which had been artfully placed in my drier). I am so much better off this Sunday than I was last Sunday. Now, can I say the same for others? Nacho is still sleeping, and I bet Ric Flair is feeling under the weather, and something tells me that a certain cowgirl may not be feeling so hot either.

It was a good time, a very good time.

Saturday, October 28, 2006

Disappointed

Intended length of run: 12-13 miles

Actual distance this morning: 6 miles.

I could blame the rain, the wind, the fact that the fuel belt annoyed the crap out of me, or the fact that I was tired this morning, but really, my head, my heart, my body just weren't into it this morning.

What a crappy run.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Fuelin' Up

I got my fuel belt today. Tomorrow is the week's long run: We'll see how that belt works out. I also got a new sports bra, new shorts, and another pair of socks! The running store was a success!

In other news, my halloween party is tomorrow and my costume is MIA. I spotted what I wanted in a store about a month ago and should've just bought it then because time seems to just vanish from underneath me, and here I am tonight wandering through the mall and there's nothing. I might have to resort to a halloween get-up of yore.

We'll see. It will have to be a surprise I guess.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Notes

  • I had TOO much coffee today and now I have the poops. My bum burns.
  • The weather continues to be lovely here and last night I had a glorious 6 mile run in the early evening. But I did have to flip a guy, who tried to run me down in an intersection, the bird.
  • Yesterday, I received race info from Disney! It was very exciting! I was like a thirteen year old boy with a copy of Hustler in my hands. I have the form that I have to turn in at the expo to get my bib number (am a little frightened I will somehow lose it), and I got a glossy little magazine full of key info for the race and the race weekend. I poured over everything and was thrilled to trace the course map -- it's gonna be awesome: I get to run through the Magic Kingdom, the Animal Park, Epcot and lots of FL swampland. Next week, I believe I will book our hotel -- am considering staying at one of the Disney resort hotels; they are more expensive, but it's all part of the experience (plus, they offer free shuttles to everything and that might be useful).
  • I am getting excited for my Halloween party on Saturday (haven't yet finished putting my costume together, but I think it will turn out well -- my husband is going to be Nacho Libre, and with his permission I will post his photo here, I'll have to ask for that permission once he's had some beers, and you will die of laughter; it's a great costume), but because it's on Saturday night, I'm planning my long run for Saturday morning so I can avoid the sort of problem I ran into last weekend.
  • That's my news for now -- short and to the point.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Hump Day

Oh coffee, how do I love thee? I love thee to the depth, breath, height my adrenline can reach!

Seriously, if it weren't for coffee, I'd still be in bed today. Hump day does not feel so humperific so far.

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Brrrrr...

This morning it was chilly outside. When I got up with Scooter at 6:30, it felt like winter! In reality, it was like 50 degrees, but considering that it was 90 yesterday, the temp drop felt extreme. After Scooter went about his affairs, we ran back inside and snuggled in the warm covers for another hour, and then got up.

I took Scooter with me for my morning run and he made it the entire three miles! (It actually felt cold on my ears as we ran!) He was gung-ho in the first mile, dragged through the second, and then got a renewed burst of energy in the third (once he knows we've made the final turn for home, he is always excited). The little fella was tired though when we got home, and for moment I thought he might "pull a Jess" and barf (he had that look about him), but he didn't. Instead, he crashed out on the bed and that's where I left him.

Last night I ran 3 miles as well (sans dog), so my good runner status is rising. I just have to keep the momentum going.

Monday, October 23, 2006

Post-Hangover

So yesterday was painful.

I ended up sleeping almost the entire day, and did not technically get out of bed until about 4 pm. At that time, I got up and managed to make some use of the day by cleaning the house, doing the laundry and helping with dinner, but by 7, I was exhausted again and was back in bed. (I do recall at the gathering that I boasted I had not been sick from drinking since my bachelorette party -- a year ago -- so the lesson? Never make a declaration like that while guzzling down two bottles of red wine.)

The most disappointing thing about yesterday's illness was that I missed my run; I was so dehydrated and sick that I didn't feel up to any kind of physical exertion. So last week tops the training so far for bad runner status, and that means that this week I have to get my shit together and stick to this week's schedule.

On a side note, I am struggling through a PowerBar that is absolutely disgusting. I keep trying to nibble at it, but I think I'm going to pitch it -- yuck!

Sunday, October 22, 2006

Too Much Wine

Ugghhh...

It's 1:48 in the afternoon and I don't yet feel normal. Drinking is bad kids, m'kay?

Saturday, October 21, 2006

New Camera!

Today I got a new digital camera (I had previously reported that the old one was dying a slow death -- you'll recall that I requested money from the lot of you, but I'm sorry to report that not a single one of you pitched in; I suppose I can forgive), and it's friggin' sweet! It's a Sony Cybershot with 7.2 megapixels and that means I can snap pictures of Scooter with even greater clarity!
Well, it's for other purposes as well, but I do like to take pictures of my dog (such as the one to the left).

So, now when my husband tags along with me to races, he can capture awesome action shots of me and he can rest assured that the camera will actually A.) turn on, and B.) take a quality picture. I was disappointed to discover that digital cameras aren't yet putting out a product that improves the way you look, but I guess that's what Photoshop is for.

Stay glued to your seats -- totally tubular pics will be streaming your way over the next few days! I'll try to get some quality ones tonight at my friend's "wine and cheese" party. (Is it a wise idea to consume mass quantities of Shiraz and Gouda the day before a long run? No. Does it promise to be both a fabulous time and an excellent picture taking opportunity? Yes!)

P.S. Good luck to the RBFers running in Chicago tomorrow! I'll be thinking of you!

Friday, October 20, 2006

End of the Week

Tonight, I went for a run with the Scoots. He's building his endurance and can go further and further each time; although, when we're done, he's pretty pooped (kinda the point -- a tired dog is a well-behaved dog). Currently, he is crashed on the bed.

Tomorrow I am going to try and make up that missed run from earlier this week -- six miles, and then I have the daunting number 12 on Sunday. Two things I need to do before that big run:
  1. Map out a route. Planning these long runs gets trickier each time. I feel like I'm running the entire length of South Florida sometimes. In fact, 12 miles might be the distance from my house to work...hmmm...that might make it interesting; of course, once I got there, I'd have to arrange for the hubby to pick me up and he might not be up for that (he's very busy at work these days).
  2. Get a fuel belt. I know, I know, I am WAY late getting one of these, but I actually saw some for the first time when I was at that 15K last weekend, and I can see how slim they are and it looks like it wouldn't be that much more to carry. Plus, I have a $10 coupon for the running store -- awesome!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006

Wednesday

I did not get up this morning to run. I thought I might be better motivated to get up early since my husband had to get up early and go into a work early, but even though I got up with him and walked Scooter, I came back inside and went back to bed (and had a strange dream about making cupcakes, which was made even stranger by the fact that a fellow instructor really had made cupcakes and brought them in to share -- spooky).

So, I was able to be a good runner for about a week and a half; that's all I am really capable of. I'm sure that I'll make up the run scheduled for today -- even when I don't get it done first thing in the monring, I find a way to fit it in later in the day or in the week. Still, being "good" and staying on track, and especially getting a run in before work, makes me feel so virtuous. I should know by now that neither my body nor my mind are saintly.

Anyhoo, I consider it a feat to have gotten out of bed at all today (so very sleepy), so I'm not beating myself up about it too much.

Monday, October 16, 2006

Smartie Overload

As I was laying in bed enjoying a classic re-run of "Friends" (the one where Joey and Chandler have "free porn!"), I asked my husband to fetch me a Smarties from the cauldron of candy. One. I asked for one. (I'm trying to be good.) What does he bring back? Five. (Perhaps, he didn't appreciate the "fetch" comment.)

Now, I know that this was a moment meant to test my will power: The challenge? To only eat one when I had five sitting on my lap. Now, here are the Smartie stats: per roll (15 tablets), there are 25 calories, not terrible, but each roll contains *gasp* 6 grams of sugar. So, five rolls meant 125 calories (not real worrisome) and 35 grams of sugar -- that's a lot for such small packages.

So, I considered this...for about 30 seconds. Then I ate all five of them, and you know what? They were delicious. I love Smarties, and have since I was a kid (and once vowed to eat them until I puked -- I never puked, I just got too full to consume anymore), and I won't apologize. But I don't believe those trick-or-treaters will get their grubby little hands on any of MY Smarties! Not at this rate.

A Case of the Mondays

I could've slept all day today, and I went to bed at 9:30 last night! Can someone else please drive to work today and teach my classes for me? I'll stay at home and take advantage of my "rest" day, ahhhh.

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Sunday's 15K

My morning began at 4 am when the alarm went off, and my first reaction? "I don't want to go!" But go, I did. I got up, ate my cereal, had a cup of coffee, and was out the door by 4:45. The run had a 6 am start time -- because some people were running the 30K, it was planned, I assume, that those runners would need the extra time in the dark, cool morning air.

Despite having to get up so early, I too was appreciative of the early start. It was cool and breezy, and I was able to finish the majority of the run before the sun had risen, and that made the run far more pleasant.

So, we ran along A1A ("beachfront avenue!") in the pre-dawn hours, each of us wearing a glowing braclet (mine really bugged me -- it kept bouncing up and down my arm, but I did want passing motorists to spot me and not plow me down, so I grudgingly wore it, but once the sun was up, I chucked it into the grass). A1A runs alongside the coast, but for the most part, our view of the ocean was blocked by beachfront hotels; however, further north on the run, the hotels stopped and it was a perfect view of the Atlantic. So around mile 6, I got to see the sun rise over the ocean, and that made my morning.

The last two miles were hard on me -- the last few of a long run always feel like the longest to me -- and while I wasn't wearing a watch, those two miles were the slowest, I'm sure. In the end, I finished in 103 minutes (which means I averaged 11 minute miles), which is pretty slow, but I wasn't trying to be speedy, I just wanted to finish. After I finished, I grabbed a water and a snack and sat on a bench overlooking the ocean: It was a gorgeous morning.

And the best news to report: no puking -- in fact, I didn't even feel naseous. I came home, showered, took a two hour nap, and just had a big lunch. I would like to spend the rest of the day doing nothing, but, alas, there are papers to grade and laundry to do.

Thursday, October 12, 2006

The Thursday Report

Last night, I kept up my "good runner" status by running my prescripted 5 miles (and actually went closer to 5.5), and this morning I continued with the good behavior by running before work. I was also a very good "dog mom" and took Scooter with me.

He was a bundle of energy this morning, and greeted me in bed with a squeeky toy, so after I dressed in my running clothes, I leashed him up and we were outta there. Once again, the beginning of the run with him was a bit chaotic -- he was jumping and twirling and getting caught in his leash (at one point in wrapped around his stomach and up over his head) -- but after the first quarter mile, he settled down and trotted along at a normal pace.

He was able to go a little further than he was the last time, so we ran a total of about 2.25 miles and then walked the last stretch to complete 3 miles. Twice we had to sprint: once because he spotted a squirrel and once because there was someone on a golf cart to chase, and once he jumped about two feet in the air when he bounced onto a stick that surprised him (he's a little neurotic). Overall, it was a fun run once again: maybe we'll go again tomorrow morning. I have either cross training or a short run on the schedule, so perhaps he would enjoy another morning run.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Cooler Temps

In the last few days, the weather has cooled off considerably, and when I went for my run this morning, I didn't get started until 8, and it was still gloriously cool outside (previously, the reason why I had to get up at 6 was not because of work, but because if I waited until the sun had arisen, it would be 90 degrees outside). With temps in the 70s this morning and an overcast sky, the run was pleasant.

And I heard on the radio on my way into school this morning that tonight, we're supposed to have lows in the 60s, which is extremely lovely weather. We may get to turn off the air conditioner!

Monday, October 09, 2006

Monday Stats

Percentage of effort toward being a good runner this week: 100% (granted, it's a rest day, but so far I am being good at resting).

Number of mini-candy bars consumed so far: 0 (that's right, I'm holding strong).

Hours left in the day: 13 (that's a lot of time in which I could be munchin' on candy).

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Sunday Seven

I was finally a good little runner today: I just got back from my week's long run, 7 miles. It was a little tough, especially the last mile, but that's what I get for taking three days off this week. The good news is that I feel fine and I don't see a forecast of barf, so that's encouraging.

This coming week I resolve to be a more disciplined runner and stick to my training schedule. I'm trying to be good.

Saturday, October 07, 2006

Bad Runner

A running blog can begin to feel a bit like going to confession: You are forced to give honest reports about your running, and this is probably why most of have a running blog -- in order to keep ourselves in line. Of course, when we fall out of line, it can be hard to fess up.

So here it is: This week, I have been a bad runner. I did not run on Thursday or Friday and I have six miles to make up because of that. Tomorrow is my long run, and I won't skip that, but I'm trying to decide whether or not I should make up my miles today -- all of them, some of them -- or none of them. I know that in the course of training, I will miss some runs and will not follow my schedule exactly, but I feel as though I should get the miles in; however, is it a good idea to do that the day before a long run?

I have the course of the day to consider. Meanwhile, I'm facing a literal cauldren of Halloween candy (we estimate it takes about 10 lbs of candy to fill it and at the rate I'm working on it, I'm not sure if any will be left for the kids at Halloween). But I was good this morning: cereal instead of Snickers for breakfast.

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Nutshell

The highlights and low-lights (in bullet form):
  • Bought a new bed last night: It rocks. It's a sleigh bed, so I guess technically, it "slays"! Ha! It will be delivered on Saturday, which means I have to clean under the old bed -- am a little frightened of what lurks under there.
  • Ran last night after season premiere of "Lost" -- both the run and the show were awesome; it was another late run though and I am a little leary of running through the night with who knows what slouching in the shadows -- the fear keeps me fast.
  • It was eleven before I got showered and bedded after the run last night, so do you think I felt like getting up at 6? Heck no! I need 9 hours of sleep people! So, yeah, I'm facing another night run tonight.
  • The instructor that I have been filling in for (who fell off a treadmill and broke her ankle) will not be completely healed and able to return to teaching for at least two more weeks -- maybe three -- so that means I will continue with her classes. It's only the thought that I am raking in extra cash that keeps me sane; otherwise, the added work is pushing me toward the cliffs of insanity.
  • Last note: I think the invention of mini-candy bars is the single greatest scientific accomplishment of all time: They taste delicious and because they are so small, they have no calories, so I can have as many as I want (tell me otherwise -- I dare you).

Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Dog Run

Last night when I got home from class, I still wanted to fit my run in, so as I laced up my shoes and Scooter was bounding around my feet, I asked my husband: "Should I take Scooter with me?" Scooter hasn't been on a run in months when I tried it once before without much success, but I decided to give it another go, so I put him on his leash and we were out the door.
He was so excited at first that he ran in circles and ran into the back of my legs twice, nearly knocking me over. But after the first two blocks, he settled into a comfortable trot. Scooter is not conditioned to run long distances -- he can go for short bursts at the dog park, but otherwise, he doesn't do a lot of running -- so after 1 mile, he was looking pooped. I turned around and headed back to the house, and once he knew we were going home, he kicked it into high gear.

We sprinted almost the whole second mile (had to stop for him to poop -- I can sympathsize, running can inspire the bowels -- and once a leaf blew across our path and scared the bejesus out of him, and twice he came to a dead stop to sniff something and I had to hurdle over him); it was the fastest two miles I've done in a long time and probably some of the funnest two miles I've run in awhile.

Watching Scooter run is so funny because he has a look of pure joy on his face when he's running. It made me feel refreshed about running, and I felt the same sort of joy as we jogged back to the house. Sure, I went a mile shorter than I orginally wanted to fit in, but it was fun going with my Scoot-Scoots; maybe we'll go again together soon.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

A Tuesday That Feels Like Monday

Turns out the pukiness continued into the afternoon of my day off yesterday, so perhaps I wasn't ill Sunday night from running, maybe I had a virus. I spent most of the afternoon yesterday laying in bed watching Bravo's "100 Funniest Movies" countdown (to spoil it for you, they named "Animal House" the funniest movie), and if you're wondering how long a program like that runs, I can tell you that it was four hours long.

Needless to say, I did not get nearly the things done that I wanted to, but at least it was a planned day off of running and class, so I don't feel too guilty -- yet, it sucks to waste a day off with being sick. Today I feel fine -- so far -- and it's back to the grindstone. I am literally neck-deep in papers to grade, and while I usually pride myself in returning things to students in a timely manner, this week is going to have to be an exception; there's just no way I can finish the work I have before me in the time they expect it to be finished (sometimes I have to remind them that they got two weeks to write one paper, I should get a little leeway in reading 25 of them; that usually squelches the voices of dissent).

Anyway, I have a planned 3 miler for later this evening (I was just kidding myself thinking I'd get up early this morning to get it done: I may never turn into a morning person). The good news is that it has cooled off a little here and I've felt the humidity drop some, so the run tonight should be pleasant.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Shalom!

Yeah, I did not feel well after my run last night. I puked just the one time, but I was naseous and worn out for the remainder of the evening. I ended up going to bed early.

Thankfully, I feel fine this morning, and the bonus is that I got to sleep in today and I have the day off (it's Yom Kippur, so classes are closed today for "Fall Holiday"). Of course, I need to spend most of the day catching up on some papers, but it's nice to do it at home. I might go get my hair trimmed later -- it's starting to look mullet-esque now that the layers are growing out: I think I need a cut to even out the length. We'll see if I feel like it later on.

No run today, but I might do some yoga. I don't feel sore, but it would be a good day to focus on stretching.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Sunday Long Run

The good news: Made not only my 10 miles, but actually managed to complete 10.5.

The bad news: Came home, took a shower, and barfed. I think the piece of pizza this afternoon was a mistake -- too much fat and grease. Still, it had several hours to digest before I left. This puking thing is problematic.

Silly stomach.