Running Report

Well, it seems that many of you are already hippies, or "near-hippies" anyway. Hey, that's cool, you're still my homies, and you've actually made me feel like eating organic is not as impractical as I felt like it would seem. But I do have to admit that giving up meat is probably not going to happen any time soon for me (although, I can mention that in college I didn't eat meat for a year -- but my bloodthirst eventually led me back to my carnivore ways), even though I have too read many disturbing things about ranching and slaughterhouses. As long as I can separate cows from the corned beef that ends up gracing the deliciousness of a rueben, then I'm able to keep on eating the meatiness.

But aside from food matters -- organic or otherwise -- last night I fit in my first real run in a week: 3 miles. It went just dandy, and despite the fact that I'm still kinda stuffed up from the weekend's illness, I felt like I conquered that 3 mile loop in lickety-split fashion (perhaps I should start bringing along the Garmin again to get some times for you peeps); plus, the exercise broke up some of the congestion (hocked a lugey -- spelling? -- in the shower afterward; yup, I'm a lady) and it felt like it cleared me up some.

My walking partner cancelled on me for this evening, so perhaps, I should do another run tonight, and then I wouldn't have to go tomorrow morning...hmmm, we'll see how distracting TV becomes.

Pet Food Uckiness Continued

For those who've already read the post below and who have already started asking questions about pet food, check out this article. There are many other articles and web pages (as well as books, etc) on the subject of pet food and its lack of regulation. If you're concerned about the practices of such pet food companies, I suggest you switch brands -- but this requires some investigation of its own, so be prepared to think and read labels.

Which, as I mention below, leads me to urge us (myself included) to apply the same kind of logic to our own diets.

Dog Food Leads Me to Puzzle over Human Food

Last week, a news article about dog food contents brought some disturbing things to light for my husband and I. Some consumers are suing dog food companies (basically all of them) for falsely marketing the products they sell (this comes on the heels of the well-publicized food-poisoning of many pets due to contaminated products); now, I'm not foolish enough to believe that dog food truly contains what it has long advertised -- like "real chunks of steak" or the like -- however, I was disturbed to find that dog food may contain many of the following: ground beaks, feathers, and bones, euthanized animals (like from shelters), and animals that have been deemed unfit for consumption (like diseased animals).

Ick. I don't want Scooter to be eating fellow dog! Over the weekend, my husband and I dug deeper and found the practices of almost all major dog food brands (including "premium" brands like what we feed Scooter -- Science Diet) fill their food with questionable "animal by-products" and unneccesary filler (like corn meal -- something that is a common allergen for dogs and is almost completely indigestible). So, after some careful consideration, we decided to switch Scooter's food, but it got both my husband and I to thinking...

...about our own food.

At one point, over the weekend, we found ourselves sorting through web page documents on dog food and we were deep in discussion about Scooter's nutrition when it seemed to dawn on us both at the same time: We were spending more time, thought and energy on thinking about our dog's food than either of us ever had thinking about our own food. Granted, our food probably does not contain euthanized dogs, but we certainly eat our share of processed, hormone-injected, artificially-flavored foods.

I'm not saying that we suddenly turned into Birkenstock-shod granola-eating hippies, but we suddenly found ourselves wandering through the aisles at Whole Foods marveling at how good the apples looked. For my husband, price is always a central concern (he has long nagged me about the cost of buying organic eggs -- but ever since I saw a chicken fly off a chicken-truck on the highway, I have been very chicken-sympathetic, and I like to think that the eggs I eat came from a chicken who got to run around in a yard), but as we discussed it, paying a higher price for higher quality food will probably save us money in the long run (maybe it's an intangible price, but you get what I'm sayin'). We haven't completely re-shaped our grocery shopping, or our eating, but it was a step towards re-thinking what we eat and where it comes from.

I don't know if I'm capable of giving up my yellow dye #5 found in my precious cake mixes, and I doubt I will say goodbye to Diet Pepsi and the lovely phosphoric acid it contains, but I certainly could ingest a few more apples that haven't been soaked in pesticide. Who knows? Maybe I could go "hippie" after all.

Monday Night Return

By yesterday evening, I was feeling much improved, and aside from some congestion, I felt ready to get out of the house. So I decided to go for a short run.

It sucked.

I got 1 mile and at that point two things happened: 1. I realized my energy level had not fully recharged and that running had probably not been the best idea, and 2. My mp3 pooped itself. Well, actually, it seems to be malfunctioning when it gets to certain songs on the playlist. The simple fix would be to remove those songs, but I'm still pissed -- this mp3 player has given me nothing but trouble and I'm sick of spending too many afternoons on hold with tech support.

Anyway, at mile 1, I turned around and walked home, sans tunes. I'm feeling good again today, but tonight is a walking night. Tomorrow, hopefully, I'll be feeling good and ready for a full run.

Debating

On whether or not I should go to the doctor.

It's such a tough call. On the one hand, this could just be a simple cold and I would feel like an idiot going to the doctor for that (especially since it's Memorial Day today so nothing is open and that means my only choice is the emergency room).

On the other hand, this is the 4th time I've been sick like this in 6 months, and the cough (which is wet and mucus-y) and the headache around my eyes seem to suggest that I might have a sinus infection. And my thought is that if I don't see a doctor, this cycle will just repeat itself again in a few months.

What to do? What to do?

*Afternoon Update: I am feeling much better now than I was first thing this morning, so I have decided to NOT go visit the doctor, and if this recurs in another month or two, I guess I'll just kick myself.*

Progression of a Cold, Jess-Style:

Day One: Irritated throat. It feels dry like I just need to drink lots of liquids to make it feel normal. Refuse to believe it's actually a cold coming on.

Day Two: Full blown sore throat and stuffy head, maybe the beginning of a wracking cough. Now believe that it is a cold, but that it's probably just a "minor bug" that will be gone by tomorrow.

Day Three: Throat feels less sore, but the wracking cough is in full swing. It sounds like part of a lung might come up. Fever develops. Achy all over. Boogery nose -- for example, I might bend over and a string of snot may just slide out my nose. The symptoms seem to peak in severity at this point, and I usually have one of those fevery nights of sleep, where I wake up sometime in the middle of the night all sweaty.

Day Four: Fever has broken. Head still all stuffed up. Boogery-ness persists. Cough sometimes lingers for a full week, but the worst is over.*

I'm currently in Day Four, peeps, and last night the fever + watching "Pan's Labrinyth" (which is really excellent, BTW) = some really f*d up dreams.

*Edit: Scratch that "worst is over" statement. I feel terrible today. So much so that I've opted to stay home from a friend's bbq/poool party -- when I stay home from a social event, you know that means I'm ill.

How to Not Treat a Cold:

Do Not assume that because cold beer feels good on a sore throat that it will make the sickness all better. Instead, all those cold beers add "headache" to the list of aches that accompany a virus.

I've Got a Little Throat Thing

I don't feel so good today, homies.

Yesterday, my throat felt scratchy in the morning and as the day progressed turned into soreness. I drank about four cups of hot tea, which felt good on the throat, but by the time I went to bed, I was starting to feel icky all over.

Then I woke up at 5:15 this morning to let Scooter out and I definitely felt "the ick," so I took two Tylenol Cold pills, and I think they are the devil: sure, I'm cleared up but I feel like my head is full of cotton balls. I'm not running a fever and I'm not seriously boogery, so hopefully this is a minor, 24 hour bug that will blow over shortly, but for the day I think I might just chill out and read.

I've got to rest up for happy hour this evening.

Once Again

Again, last night I did not feel like running.

Again, my husband guilted me into going.

Again, I felt good afterward.

Again, I ran 3 miles without pain.

Hotel: Check. Flight: Check.

Okay, I guess I'm ready for Chicago! (Except for that whole "training" part.) Today I spent forever trying to find a hotel, and again, thanks for all the helpful suggestions, but it came down to the matter of just trying to find something. Everything in Chicago is either A.) Booked, or B.) $400 a night. So it didn't matter if I was trying to find something in Lincoln Park or on Michigan Ave, the results were the same, so I ended up finding something out by O'Hare -- the Marriott. Yup. Pretty special. (But the road it's on, is my last name -- I took that as a sign.)

But hey, for $150 a night this seems like a steal right now. Plus, being close to the airport will be convienent (the hotel has a shuttle) and it's very close to a train stop (looks like I can get on at the Cumberland station on the Blue Line and go straight downtown -- as someone mentioned, looks like that would be about a 45 minute ride), which as you guys suggested, is probably my best bet downtown on marathon morning anyway.

If anyone else out in Blogland is running Chicago and hasn't booked anything yet, do it now! Everything is filling up.

Which then brings me to airline tickets. On Monday, I checked fares and found some very reasonable flights, so I went back to those flights today, and for the price I wanted I had to act fast -- there were only a few seats left. I quickly booked those and now we're all ready: hotel is reserved, flights are booked, I am registered for the marathon (did that back in April -- also in the nick of time), and I guess all I need to do now is some running!

By the by, my husband and I are staying from Thursday, Oct 4 through Monday, Oct 8, so we will be part of the after-marathon celebrations on Sunday night! I'm looking forward to meeting so many of you RBFers; it's gonna be awesome!

Tired

Last night, I had the WORST night of sleep. I tossed and turned, and I felt like I woke up every twenty to thirty minutes. I had sporatic, restless sleep and today feel pretty much out of it.

Why?

Well, I blame my husband. It was he who suggested we try switching sides in bed "just for fun." Now, why would I want to do that? I have him strategically positioned so that if monsters come in the bedroom, they'll eat him first; plus, I like to be closest to the fan (can't sleep without a fan).

At 6 am when I got back into bed after taking Scooter out (who wouldn't trade his spot in the bed for anything), I told my hubby to "move over," and I got my last hour of sleep (the best of the night) on the appropriate side of the bed. The forecast is in favor of a nap this afternoon, and I can inform you that I will NOT be switching sides again tonight "just for fun."

A Sucky, Slow 3 Miles

Thanks for some hotel advice and suggestions; I guess I'll need to just look carefully at a few and make an educated guess. My husband and I are also planning to be there for a few days in order to make it more vacation-like, so we also want something that's close to the fun stuff. My goal is to book something by the end of the week. On the plus side, airline tickets are pretty cheap, so I'll probably book those soon as well.

And on to running news: Last night I did NOT want to run. I whined to my husband when he got home from work that I was tired and didn't feel like going and that maybe I would just skip it. Even though he's not a runner, he always has the right piece of advice (and he's rather stern with me about keeping to my schedule). He said, "You know if you don't run you'll feel guilty, so you'd better just go run and get it done with and then you'll feel good that you did it."

He was right.

I did 3 miles, again pain free (soon this may not even be a comment I have to make!), and when I got done I felt good that I had done it. But lord, did it suck. It felt like it took forever and my energy was sooooo low. But that's how it is sometimes; some days I just have to trudge through it and get it done with.

Suggestions Welcome

Okay, so I have delayed in booking a hotel for our stay in Chicago over the marathon weekend and now I'm feeling a bit frightened b/c many of the hotels listed on Chicago's home page for the marathon are sold out for that weekend.

Now, I know I'll find something, but I must find it quickly (like today or tomorrow). Any suggestions from those of you who live in Chicago, travel there frequently, or know the city? Preferrably, I'd like something relatively close to the start, but I'm beginning to believe that might be pie-in-the-sky.

Anyhoo, anything in the central, downtown area (sorry, I'm not familiar with Chicago at all). I just don't want to be a $50 cab ride away from the start.

Saturday Evening

Rounded out my running week this evening by going for 4 miles. This brings the week's total to lucky number 13.

Makin' progress, my friends, I'm makin' progress.

Friday Night Fairy Tales

Last night, it was cloudy and rainy (translation = cooler), so I went for a run in the early part of the evening: another 3 miler that went excellent. And while it wasn't as hot out there as it could've been, it was still humid, so I was sweatin' like the devil in hell (most of the time, when I get home from a run, I have to peel my clothes off and it looks like I stepped into the shower with them -- I'm such a sweat monkey!), but it felt good, and I was again pleased with the run.

After my run, my husband and I made dinner, and decided that we just had to see "Shrek the Third." Now, in general we have a policy about NOT seeing movies on either Friday or Saturday nights, especially when the said movie has just been released (we have had some terrible theater-going experiences with the audience, i.e. teenagers, annoying the hell out of us, so we almost never attend a movie on those nights when the theater will be full); however, we both wanted to see the flick and we just wanted to go to a movie. We called some friends who came and met us at the theater, but the first 2 showing times we wanted were sold out. Which actually worked out fine: we went to a later show and popped in to a bar for a couple of drinks.

So, the movie was hil-ar-i-ous! I loved it. I think I loved it better than the first two, but my husband said he still thought the first one was the best, but he agreed that this was very funny (maybe it was the two beers beforehand, I don't know, but I found myself giggling and laughing through the whole damn thing!). Thankfully, while the theater was crowded (so, so many children -- although, for a 9 o'clock movie, shouldn't most of these 3-year-olds be in bed? I'm not a parent so I don't know, but it seems like getting home near 11 is too late for a young kid), once the movie began, they were marvelously quiet.

I really enjoyed the evening: good run, nice dinner, a few drinks, a great movie, ahhhh -- it was a fun time.

Weighed Down

When I was training for Disney, I was able to shed a few extra pounds and maintain that weight really well. But since Disney, with my knee, my running has been inconsistent (and then I took all of April off) and I've noticed as of late that those few pounds have crept back onto my frame. All of my clothes still fit, but I can tell that a few pairs of pants are just a bit tight. I hopped on the scale this morning and confirmed that I've gained 4 pounds.

Now, don't mock me. For me, on my frame, 4 pounds can mean a lot (and this was first thing in the morning, by mid-afternoon, I will certainly weigh about one pound more). Remember, I'm only 3 apples high, so every extra pound really seems emphasized on my size. Plus, I can feel the extra weight when running and that's what bothers me.

So, over the next few weeks, I've determined that I need to shed those pounds before my "official" Chicago training commences (did you see I actually added it to my sidebar under "upcoming races"? I finally feel like I might be able to run it). This does not mean I want to diet (ick, hate that word), but I do know that I need to reduce some of my portions and try snacking on things a little healthier for me (like an apple instead of cupcakes, which brings me to a scientific innovation that's just waiting to happen: cupcake flavored apples!). Anyway, I'm always so full of resolve in the morning, but come evening, I'm like: "Screw it, bring on the cupcakes!" Cross your fingers that my resolve holds.

T.G.I.T.

Thank God It's Thursday:

My husband returns home today -- yay!

That means? Tomorrow, he can take Scooter out at 5:30 am.

Clarification and 3 Miler

Regarding the sidebar and my archives, I guess I should've been more specific: I am on new Blogger (have been for about a year), and do understand that I can update the template in order to change any aspect of the blog's appearance. I guess I was looking for something more simplistic. Like an "easy" button? Suppose that is not an option.

Anyhoo, I had another good 3 miler this evening. Knee felt good, weather was nice, tunes were rockin. I did eat too much for dinner, so my stomach wasn't real pleased with the running. But what can I do? Eat less? Bah.

Tech Question

Is anyone tech savvy enough to instruct me on how I can save my archives in my sidebar by year instead of month? Blogger doesn't offer it as an option and all those months over there are kinda piling up and taking up room.

Push it Real Good

My run last night was great! I was feeling good, so at 2 miles, I decided to push things a little and see what 3 miles felt like. And guess what? No knee pain whatsoever! I can't express how elated I was when I finished. I felt like my old running self again -- it was awesome!

My secret? Lots of foam rollering beforehand to get the IT band loose. Also, I have been super-duper good about stretching and icing after.

Boh-ring

Saturday, I rounded out my running week with another short run, bringing my weekly total to a grand 8 miles. A little discouraging considering that six months ago 8 miles would've been just one weekly run, but I have to take what I can get and be happy that I was consistent last week, which is not something I can say about my running every week.

Yesterday was a day of running rest, and I went to lunch and a movie with friends and crashed early last night (to the sweet, sweet sounds of a thunder storm -- finally).

Today, I have been busy. I had class this morning, and I have been spending the afternoon cleaning, and I got to cross off two tasks from my list of projects while my husband is gone (clean ceiling fans -- very dusty -- and bleach tile in guest bath -- still feeling a bit light-headed from that one). Now, I need to read some papers and finish laundry. I plan another run for this evening, and it should be nice weather. We got more rain today and it's overcast, so it might be a bit cooler this evening, which would be lovely.

Saturday Morning Report

Scooter has been feeling a little icky the past day or so. He had his rabies/distemper vaccine updated on Thursday, and side effects of the shot include lethargy and mild ickiness (yes, that's a techincal term). Yesterday, he spent the entire day sleeping -- he only stirred when he heard me opening the refrigerator (a sign that he doesn't feel too bad).

Today, he continues to remain sleepy, but he might also be sad because my husband left this morning (I had to get up at the ungodly hour of 4 am to drive him to the airport) for a trip to MN. He's visiting family and will be back on Thursday, so until then it's just me and Scooter, chillin' like villains.

In other news, you might glance at this pic to the left and assume that, despite the presence of palm trees, this is a pic of the English Moors, but you'd be wrong. That's the golf course behind my house, and this is the strange smog that has been lingering for days now -- forecasters say it should clear by Monday, but still, it's eery.

By the by, note the water level in the canal -- see where the water is? Now, see where the bank of grass begins? That's where the water should be. Man, we need more than fog, we need serious rain -- the kind that's a slow drizzle for days so that it soaks in.

Lastly for you, my running news: went for a very nice, music-laden run last night and had no knee pain whatsoever! Wa-hoo! Still, I'm cautious, so I plan on keeping my run today short, but the improvement is so encouraging; plus, I can't tell you how awesome it is to run with my tunes again!

R-O-C-K

Total time spent on the phone with technical support with either Rhapsody or Sandisk (my mp3 manufacturer): 2 hours, 20 minutes.

Number of calls: 5.

Number of emails that sent me unhelpful links: 3.

Number of tech support people I spoke to: 7.

Number of people truly able to help me: 1 (who used lingo such as "like," "totally," and "dude" a little too frequently for my taste).

Number of people I cursed at: 1 (I may have uttered the words "motherfucking mp3 player" and "I want to throw this fucking thing in the garbage.")

Finally, finally, the "like-this-and-like-that" guy was able to help me. I had to totally wipe the mp3 clean, change some settings, re-configure something, promise him my first-born child, and then re-download my songs. But it worked! My god it worked! Now, I can actually use this mp3 player -- the one my husband bought me for Chirstmas. Christmas, people! I can't begin to detail the frustration I've expereinced with it, but now it works and my run tonight is gonna friggin' rock!

Reading Machine

Even though I do teach summer courses (they started on Wednesday), summer is generally a more relaxed time of year for me and I have a lighter schedule. So, I get to do more of my favorite things: read and run (the second one can only be done either early in the morning or late in the evening though -- summer gets HOT here -- and that leaves a lot of daylight for reading). For the past week, I have been diving back into reading like Paris Hilton into a martini -- I've been thirsty for it.

Currently, I am LOVING "The Other Boleyn Girl"! I'm only about halfway through, but it's so good I just want to lay in bed and read all day (hey, I don't have class today, so I just might do that!). Normally, I'm not a huge fan of historical fiction, but this is fantastic -- go out and read it.

Also, I just finished Jen Lancaster's new book "Bright Lights, Big Ass" (you can find Jen's books and blog here) and I laughed myself into spasms. Seriously? Some of her stuff is so funny, that my husband asked to hear some of what was so funny. Especially for those of you living in Chicago, you'll want to read this book (she lives there and some of her antics detail stories about living in the city).

I do plan to run this evening -- if I can part with my book for that length of time!

Still Smoky

It's supposed to remain smoking like this through the weekend: fires continue to blaze in much of Florida and into Georgia, and with Tropical Storm Andrea off the coast, I guess the hazy air will be slow dissipating.

There are health warnings, but it's mostly for children and the elderly -- it's just like any other smog alert, but Floridians generally don't have any experience with smog because the air is pretty clear here, so most people are out and about as usual. I still ran my 2 miles last night and it went well. No knee pain, still some tightening, but for the most part, it felt good and I continually feel encouraged by the progress.

Smoke Screen

Wildfires in Central Florida and Southern Georgia have made the air here in South Florida hazy and smoky, so much so that for part of the morning some roadways were closed and officials issued mornings about breathing in the smoggy air.

This picture, from the newspaper, shows the haze for morning commuters. So, even though the air is cooler today than it has been in days, running in it is hazardous (although, really? 2 miles of breathing it shouldn't hurt me any -- I'm tough).

We need rain, folks. We need it bad, so do your rain dances for us, and offer whatever sacrifices you feel are necessary; we need some moisture!

Not my Run Day

It truly is cooler today, too bad it's not a run day. I plan on doing abs, arms, stretch, and then going for my ritual walk this evening with my walking partner. Cross your fingers that the cool spell remains until tomorrow, so I can run in comfortable weather.

On a totally different note, now that I've been without a gym for 2 months, I'm starting to miss it: Am I crazy? I'm considering re-signing up. But probably at a different gym. Or, am I? I can't decide.

Running on the Surface of the Sun

Because it is a little cooler today and there's a slight breeze, I figured I could run at 5 pm this evening instead of waiting until 7:30 or 8 when the sun goes down.

That was an asshat idea.

The breeze I'd felt earlier wasn't blowin' on me while I ran, and the clouds parted and a single ray of sunlight beat down upon me the entire way. Granted, I only ran 2 miles, but I was sweatin' like a whore in church, and by the end of those 2 miles, I was cursing myself for my stupidity.

About once each summer I say to myself: "Self, it doesn't feel that hot out here, maybe I'll go run now." Then I have an experience like the one this evening, and I remember that experience until the next summer. Sometimes stupidity is just as cyclical as the seasons.

Pretty Toes and a Hot Dog

I went and got that pedicure yesterday, aren't my toes pretty? (How do you like that flip-flop tan line?)

I also did some more laying out by the pool yesterday (the past few days have been soooo relaxing!), but only for a little bit because it was too hot! Lately, the humidity has drastically increased (yet, it's incredibly dry here -- we're on water restrictions; what a paradox) and the temps during the day are ridiculous.

I took Scooter for a walk in the early afternoon and when we returned home, he plopped down on the cement floor to cool off. Poor thing; it's hot for humans, but can you imagine wearing a fur coat out there? A pup needs his A/C!
Since it's hot out there, I obviously can't run during the daylight hours (and we already know I didn't get up early to run this morning), so I'm planning another evening run tonight. I'll still keep it short. You can't imagine how much of a doofus I feel like when I read everyone else's blogs and you guys are reporting "I ran an easy 10 miles this morning" while I'm struggling through a measely 2.

But, I'm not going to be bothered by that. Patience. I must be patient.

Baby Steps

Yesterday rocked. I ended up chillin' by the pool (but only for a bit because I got too hot out there) and I finished my book (luh-ved it!), so I didn't get the pedi -- maybe for today. It was a very relaxing day yesterday and I topped it off by going for an evening run.

I kept it short again -- 2 miles -- and it went really well. I went out with a completely different attitude last night. You see, usually, I start thinking and worrying about my knee before the run even begins ("omigod, omigod, what if my knee hurts? does that mean I should extend my rest period? should I go back to the orthopedist? omigod!" yeah, that's a disturbing window into my thoughts), but last night as I set out, this is what I thought instead: "Yeah, it might hurt. Accept it. If it hurts really bad, you might have to walk for a bit. So be it."

Seriously, I think my change of thoughts made the difference (mind over matter, grasshopper). Instead of fighting the idea of my knee hurting, I just accepted the fact that it might hurt, and if so, I would accept that too. I can't just like the parts of my body that work nicely for me; I have to like the parts that are also troublesome and, sometimes, painful. I know, it's very yoga of me (that "Eat, Pray, Love" really influenced my thinking!), but I swear I won't start talking about auras anytime soon. When I used to practice yoga regularly, I had a teacher who always said: "Remember, you're not in competiton with anyone, not even yourself."

I've tried to keep that in mind in all aspects of my life, but lately I have been especially conscious of it in regards to running. So again, there was some knee tightening in the second mile, but nothing that caused me pain or discomfort, and I finished the short run feeling good. I know that my runs over the next few weeks will need to remain short -- progress will be slow, and I'll need to be patient -- plus, I know I'll need to continue stretching, icing, and foam rollering, but yesterday's run felt like I turned a corner, and that was encouraging.

Day Off

I finished the semester yesterday: read the last pile of papers I had and submitted my grades. Ah, what a relief to be done. Granted, my summer courses begin on Wednesday (May 9), so I don't get much of a break, but I am taking today and the weekend off of school work -- feels sooooo good.

So, because I had decided to take a break today, I figured I'd go and catch up on some beauty treatments; first up: eyebrow wax. Now, I know many women who can competently pluck their own eyebrows and they look great -- but I am not one of them. First of all, when I pluck, I have a sneezing fit, my eyes water, and I'm a mess. Plus, I'm not great about that whole "even" business and so I come out of the bathroom looking cock-eyed. I'd rather go in, have those hairs ripped out in one swoop rather than plucked out one at a time, and leave the "even" business to a professional. So, I've been going to this girl for 3 years -- ever since I moved to FL (and I just happened upon her by chance -- what a miracle), but she recently decided to up and move to Orlando (bitch). Crap, so I decided to return to the same salon and test out the new person they hired.

I guess she did an oh-kay job. I feel like she left them thick in some spots and kinda thin in others, so when I got home, I took it upon myself and my rarely-used pair of tweezers to fix it, and I think I did an okay (notice the difference in spelling -- that indicates the level of "okayedness") job, but this means that I'm not totally satisfied with my current eyebrows, AND now I must search for a new eyebrow-wax-girl which kinda sucks. That, or I could go with bushy-brows. Not really an option.

Next up on my list today: a pedicure. Maybe. Part of me really wants that pedicure (especially since my friends got me a gift certificate for my b-day, and what do I love more than a pedicure? a free pedicure!), and my feet are totally gross looking right now, but part of me also doesn't want to leave the house again today. So I'm torn between sitting at home (and perhaps by the pool) and finishing my book (I love it: "Eat, Pray, Love" by Elizabeth Gilbert -- I highly recommend it), or going to get a pedicure?

Hmmm, rough life, huh?

Lagging Behind Already

Yeah, I never made that evening run last night -- big surprise there, right?

We didn't get home from happy hour until almost 8 and I still had a stack of papers to finish reading, so I read those (and finished them) until "Lost" came on at 10.

One thing I certainly have struggled with is time management. I need to make room for running, yet am often busy with work, home, friends, and, well, other stuff. Certainly it could be argued that "other stuff" could take a back seat, but I need my time each day to read, watch tv or a movie, or play on the Internet -- I need that brain time off (skipping out on friend time is just not an option for me -- I like my social hours). I know that trying to juggle all these things is not unique to me, and I just have to figure out a comfortable way to make running a priority.

Last fall when I was training for Disney, I really feel like I short-changed my marathon training (the result? this ITBS), and I had resolved not to do that the second time around, yet I'm three days back into a running schedule and what do I do? Skip running in order to enjoy mixed drinks and sushi (which was pretty damn delicious and fun, BTW).

Balance Ball

Yesterday, I inflated the balance ball my husband got me for my b-day, popped in the accompanying DVD, and set to work on abs with it. Phew, it was tough. And combined with the ab workout I did the day before, I woke up this morning with sore stomach muscles.

I sneezed in the car on the way to class this morning, and I about cried, so I think I will take the day off of abs today.

In other news, as I ease my way back into a running schedule I find myself meeting up with my arch enemy: the morning run.

I don't why I keep trying to make myself a morning runner because I just really hate mornings, and the last thing I want to do first thing is strap on my shoes and head out for a run at 6 am. It's just not me.

I had grand ideas last night as I laid out my running shorts, shoes, socks, bra, but come 6 am, I just went back to sleep. This sucks because I'm supposed to go out this evening for sushi and drinks -- will I have the willpower to run after that? We'll see.

May Day

Last night was my first run in a month. Went 2 miles. Nice and easy -- didn't bring an MP3 or Garmin. Some tightening and discomfort in IT band in 2nd mile. I'm going to continue stretches and other preventative measures, but I'm also gonna keep running.

May's goal: rebuild base in order to prepare for "official" marathon training the first week in June.