Considering...

...a race tomorrow morning.

I haven't run a race since March, and it's kind of a vast wasteland for races here in FL in the summer (too hot -- most races are held between Nov and Feb when temps are optimal and even then, start times are early: Disney, for example, started at 6 am), so I've been scanning local race calendars, but many of the 5k's are races I've done before and am not overly eager to repeat (two of them I probably will just b/c it's good racing practice and it's always kinda fun to see if you can beat your own course time). The 5k I'm considering for tomorrow is not one I've done before, so that might be interesting, and a race may be just the thing I need to light a fire under my lagging attitude.

Of course, starting the 5k at 7 am means that the race will be warm, to say the least, but I think I can deal with it for 3.1 miles. I doubt it will be a PR event, but it could be a fun 4th event for the early morning.

What do you think, should I get up early on my holiday and run a 5k?

Rain Soaked

About an hour before my 3 miler this evening, the sky darkened and thunder clouds loomed overhead. I figured that was good: The rain would cool the day off and be over by the time I set out on my run. Wrong.

It was sprinkling when I set out and I thought: "Hey, I'm tough -- it's 3 miles; I'll run through it." At first it just drizzled on me, but it quickly upgraded itself and it started to pour. Then, I thought: "Okay, this is gonna suck" but I kept through it. Then, the wind kicked up and the rain started pelting me with sideways pellets and it began to pour even harder. I hadn't even gotten to the .5 mile point and I was completely drenched (shoes sloshing, shorts clinging, sports bra a soggy mess) and I could barely see, the rain was falling so hard.

"I'm not running in this kind of fuckery," I thought then, and I turned around.

So, my planned 3 miles? Yeah, turned into 1 mile.

For now, I'm glad I came in -- it's still a torrential downpour and the lightning and thunder are crashing around the house (better wrap this up before the power blinks). Damn you summer rain; we need the moisture, but you make running hard!

Monday, Monday

We were busy all day yesterday with home projects and cleaning, so by the time we finished up in the early evening, both my husband and I were ready to sit back and relax. We made ourselves some dinner and then settled in for some "Freaks and Geeks" (one of the best cancelled shows ever).

So, no running for me yesterday -- I needed the day of rest.

Last night, we also made a trip to the bookstore to pick up some new reads. I'd finished reading Cormac McCarthy's "The Road" last week, and was very much impressed with it, and had kinda started reading Stephen King's "Dreamcatcher" but I could tell 60 pages in, that I wasn't in to it. I like Stephen King and do think that he gets brushed over by critics and academics all too often; however, I don't think all of his work is noteworthy. Sometimes, his novels lack depth, characters are flat, and the plot is tired, and even though I just started it, I could tell that this novel was not something I wanted to spend another 700 pages on. So, I pulled my bookmark (kinda like pulling up anchor) and got me two new books: "A Dog Year" by Jon Katz and "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hoisenni (I'm positive I didn't spell that right, but I don't have the book with me, and am too lazy to look up the author's name; in fact, I might have gotten the title wrong as well). Started the first one last night and am loving it -- I always like good dog tales (pun intended).

Tonight I have 3 miles scheduled. Stomach is feeling a little queezy this morning and I don't know why. I had yogurt with raspberries for breakfast -- bad berries?

The Land of the Free

The 4th of July celebration (a few days early) by the numbers:
30 people

2 kids

4 dogs

9 lbs of fried fish

$1000 worth of fireworks

144 beers

And a partridge in a pear tree.

It was awesome: there was a fried food extravaganza: cheese curds, fry bread, onion rings and fried fish. We drank quite a few beers (I don't know about the rest of you, but I lost count when I'd had 5 beers before dinner), and then lit off a small city's worth of fireworks -- ohhhh, ahhhh.

I don't know if it was the early run from yesterday, all the food, or the beer, but by the end of the night I couldn't keep my eyes open, and when we got home, I crashed. This morning, I slept late and felt like I could've slept all day (my exhaustion is documented by the oh-so-flattering-pic my husband captured of Scooter and I this morning; apparently, we were so beat that we slept the same way as well).

Scooter's still crashed out: it's tiring for a little dog to play all day and then freak out over fireworks all night.

Today, we plan on cleaning up the house (tile installation was completed yesterday but we need to do some clean-up) and my husband is finishing up a few projects in the kitchen, then he'll need assistance putting the appliances back in there. I will take some pics and show them off later -- it turned out really well, and now we're one step closer to having our house finished. Yippie!

I will kiss the finished flooring when we're done with this project: this house has been in the process of remodeling for 2 years. 2 years! I'm ready to be done with it, so we can actually live in the whole place.

AM Run

Got up at 4:30 this morning and was out the door for my long run before 5. Ran my scheduled 11 (ugh -- went alright, I don't feel great about it, but what counts is that it went, right?) and was home by 7 am. I was totally sleepy by the time I finished, so I showered and got back into bed for another 2 hours of sweet, sweet rest (and the tile guy arrived, which interrupted my sleep -- otherwise, I may have kept on sleeping!).

One thing I've been thinking about this week is how I scheduled my training. I decided to work beyond the novice program I used for Disney and am currently using Higdon's Novice 2 program (with some of my own modifications), and I am definitely pushing myself a little harder than I did for Disney. Which is kinda what I wanted to do, but now I'm wondering if I'm capable of pushing it. Especially with the long runs. If I were doing the novice program, I wouldn't be doing the 11 for another 2 weeks, and that seems more appropriate for my level of running.

Today, I'm not going to dwell on it, but I will contemplate changing some aspects of my schedule tomorrow -- maybe try to tailor it again so it fits me a little better. Also, I need to get in touch with a running group and see if I can get in on some group runs. Doing these long runs by myself is brutal (mentally).

Clouds of Bugs

The tile got mostly installed today and it's looking really wonderful; plus, the installer left a little path through the hallway so we can access the bedroom and bathroom and he'll finish that area tomorrow when he returns to do the grout.

Since I had access to my own shower, I went this afternoon and got my short run out of the way. It was pretty miserable: hot, humid, and VERY buggy. When I returned, I was covered in a blanket of those little black gnats. Ick. But, at least I got the run done and was able to shower at home.

If all goes well, the tile should be finished by tomorrow afternoon, which will be awesome.

Funday Friday

Alrighty, sorry about that little tirade over bowling last night. There's nothing I really want to elaborate on -- let's just say that it's been an up and down week emotionally and I took something that someone said and kinda blew it out of proportion in my mind and let it upset me more than I should have. Combine that with some beer, a crappy game, and yeah, at the end of the night, I found myself sitting outside the bowling alley crying. And that's probably what upset me the most; I cry maybe a few times a year and always over the stupid stuff. My friend Lou died in April and I couldn't shed a tear. But someone says something stupid at bowling, and I'm a waterworks. (This happens, of course, b/c I hold back when I shouldn't and I allow months' worth of stuff to bottle up -- then something insignificant happens and I'm like Nigagra Falls. It frustrates me.)

Anyway, after a solid night's sleep, I feel just fine. Last night I just needed to do a little cursing.

Today, however, is not going to be an exciting day -- my job is to sit around and wait for the tile people to arrive (they were supposed to start yesterday but that didn't happen), and once they do arrive, I have to sit around while they do their job (at least I have the new RW to read!). Hopefully, I get a short run in this evening, but I'm not sure how that will work since the tile will block our access to the bedroom and bathrooms and we can't walk on it until tomorrow. So, running produces the problem of needing a shower afterward, and I don't think my husband wants to spend the night on the air mattress next to stinky-mcgee. I guess I'll have to see how the tile progress actually goes before committing to any running plans.

Ear Muffs Needed

Two words for bowling: IT SUCKED.

Yeah, capital letters. No wait: IT FUCKING SUCKED!!

2 exclamation points.

My game sucked, the night sucked, I hate the world, etc.

Usually bowling is the highlight of my week, but for this week, it was the motherfuckin' crap cherry on top of my cocksuckin' craptastic week. Fuck bowling.

Hydration

You guys are right, I probably should be bringing water along for anything more than 4 miles now that it is so hot out. Normally, I don't bring fluids for anything that short (partially b/c I hate, hate, hate carrying fluids, would never drop off, and thus I usually buy stuff at gas stations -- yes, I despise the fuel belt as well), but I was thinking last night in those last two miles that I should've drank some water or a replacement at mile 4 -- I felt it then.

Today is my marathon of classes (need some gels or replacement drinks for that as well!) and then tonight we have bowling: yay! Thank god it's Thursday and I have tomorrow off b/c this week has me feeling wiped out.

Oh, as a side note, when you guys track your weekly mileage, do you count a week as Sunday-Sunday? Monday through Sunday?

Wednesday, What Day?

I did my scheduled 6 miles this evening, and when I set out at sunset, the temps were blessedly cooler and there was a light breeze, but the heat and humidity were still over-powering. And I don't know if it was the heat, or if I was dehydrated, or if I am deficient in iron or something, but I struggled with fatigue through my final mile. I really had to fight the urge to slow down and walk -- I ran the entire distance, but I think that last mile was pretty slow.

When I got home, I was parched and immediately gulped down a bottle of water and I'm currently most of the way through a second. I am usually a very good water drinker, but perhaps I need to be conscious of consuming another 8-16 oz daily since the heat is definitely affecting my runs.

Anyway, glad to get the 6 done. Now I have to help my husband move our appliances out of the kitchen (we're having tile installed tomorrow) and then I'm gonna chill out and watch "Top Chef."

Flirtin' With Fast

Last night after dinner I did not want to run, but I figured that since it was not a scheduled run day that even if I got some running in that it would be a bonus. So I decided I would do just a short, quick 2 miles. I grabbed the Garmin, left the mp3 and set out to see what a "quick" 2 miles felt like.

It felt good:

Mile 1: 10:03
Mile 2: 9:32
Total Time: 19:35

Now, I know I can be faster than that, and have been faster than that, but getting out there and getting through those 2 miles in under 20 minutes reminded me of what I am capable of, and I needed to be reminded of that -- especially this week.

Tonight, I have 6 miles on the schedule, and that 2 miler last night helped restore some of my running confidence that was lost earlier this week, so I can now look forward to those 6, instead of dread them.

What to-do Tuesday

The second summer term began yesterday, so now I am teaching 3 classes instead of two, and I can tell already that Tuesdays and Thursday are gonna be rough: the 3 classes are back-to-back. That means 6 hours of straight-up class, yo.

I have ten minutes between classes, but after factoring in students staying to speak with me (and most likely telling me that although they signed up for a 6 week course, they're leaving next week for a week in the Bahamas --- umm, "no" I tell them), I have barely enough time to pee. Thus, I had nothing to eat between 7 am and 3 pm. Not good. I need my food. Maybe I can get some of those yogurt smoothie drinks to consume during class -- that might be smart.

Anyway, the day is pretty full and kind of exhausting, so I'm glad that the term is short.

Soooo, Tuesdays are usually my day to walk, but my walking partner is in Chicago enjoying the windy city for work (so, I don't know how much enjoyment she's getting out of the trip -- hopefully some). I could: A.) Walk by myself, B.) Make my husband walk with me, or C.) Go for a run. I'm thinking of C, but we'll "see." (Ha! Do you care for my wittiness there?) If I do run, I'll have to wait until later b/c right now it's the same temp outside as it is on the surface of the sun, but that's fine. Right now, I feel like laying around for a bit anyway. I need to de-school myself for awhile.

Back to Back Crap

Last night I set out for my 9 miler and the good news was that the temps had cooled, but the bad news was that a storm was blowing in. Here in FL, summer also means "rainy season" aka "hurricane season" and storms can brew up very quickly and you haven't seen rain until you've seen tropical rain; however, I wasn't gonna back down from the long run. In the first mile, it drizzled on me, which was fine -- I don't melt -- but then the lightening and thunder started.

Florida is the lightening capitol of the US -- more people get struck by lightening here than in any other state, so there's either lots of electric activity or a lot of people cursing God; I don't know which.

Anyway, at mile 2, I see it -- the wall of rain -- and it's coming for me. Also at mile 2, a blade of lightening serrated the sky right above my head and the thunder that followed was loud enough to make my heart jump into my throat. I turned around right there. Running through rain is one thing, but running in lightening is just idiotic. So I headed home. I got soaked in the torrential rain and I was nervous the whole way home that I would get struck by a bolt of lightening (I occassionally curse God, so I figure one of these days, I have it coming).

I got home after 4 miles, drenched, a little nervous, and disappointed that I had achieved so little. Thus, I resolved that this morning I would exonerate myself by rising early and getting my 3 miler in before work. Well, I did get up, did get out running, but my 3 miles sucked. I even walked for a quarter mile. Seriously, I felt kinda like crying because the two runs had gone so badly. The past few days my energy has been so low, I've been tired, kinda cranky, and mentally mucky, and usually running helps with those kinds of funks, but between the past two runs, running has only contributed to the "mean reds."

I know, I know, "tomorrow's another day" and all that crap. I know I'll lift myself up out of the poopiness and sometime later this week or next I'll have a great run that puts me back on top of the world, but right now I'm disappointed and frustrated and filled with self-doubt. Damn you running! You break my heart sometimes!

Why I Should do Morning Runs

It's not just about the temperature difference in the morning; it's about getting the run done so that the rest of the day is free, and especially on the weekend, I never know what plans might pop up that will take away from my running time.

So, yesterday, as you know I did not do my long run in the morning, and I kinda thought I might do it last night. But when friends asked if we wanted to do a game night and order pizza, I didn't have to think twice: friends, pizza, beer, games? Or running? Yeah, the former won out.

And of course, I did not get up early this morning, so that means I've procrastinated enough this weekend that my long run has to be done on Sunday night. Good lord, next weekend I have to get my act together b/c Saturday night is our 4th party (a few days early b/c we all have to work on the 5th -- damn the 4th for falling in the middle of the week!). So, I think I'll spend the day today relaxing and waiting for the cruel sun to set -- then I have 9 miles to log.

The Morning Run Didn't Happen: Act Surprised

Yeah, I didn't get up early this morning. My alarm went off, and I shut it off so fast you'd think it was on fire. Then, I rolled over and went back to sleep. My husband tried to do his part to motivate me, he said: "I know you don't want to hear this, but if you go for your run now, you'll be happy you did it."

Sweet, isn't he?

I didn't even give him a response. I hate it when he tries to motivate me; it makes me want to choke him.

So that means I'll probably do it tonight, or tomorrow night. I don't know if I'll ever grow up and become a morning runner.

For now, I've been sitting here craving pancakes, so I'm thinking of running to the store and picking up some milk and making some pancakes. They sound delicious, don't they? Mmmmm, cakey-cakes.

Friday's 3

The only way to describe my 3 miles this evening is with one word: HOT.

At 7:30, the sun was setting and a breeze was stirring the palms, but the temp was still hovering close to 90 and I don't know what the humidity was. I could feel my face burning from the exertion and I was thankful that the schedule only had me down for 3 -- I don't know if I could've survived much more in the heat.

I have, have, have to try and get up early for tomorrow's 9er; otherwise, I fear that I may burst into flames.

Uff-Da

You know that feeling when you wake up after drinking, and it's not the "ugh" feeling in your stomach or in your head? It's the odd sensation that you were a *tad* obnoxious the night before. No? Is it just me?

So, um, yes, I had me some drinks at bowling, and yes, ahem, I got a little intoxicated. When I'm drunk several things happen: I get loud and foul-mouthed and I tend to talk a lot. Thus, this lingering feeling this morning that I was a handful last night.

Doesn't help that I also did a little drunk blogging as well -- I should know by now that I can't type when drunk and I shouldn't be allowed near a computer. Thankfully, my husband told me to get off the computer and go to bed, b/c otherwise? I probably would have gotten much further with the blogging and/or email.


But, it was a fun night. My team got our shirts in, so now we match and look smashing together (we included that baby bottle in the pic just for you readers). The only downside? My shirt is a touch big, and they are all made of polyester, which is not so breathable, so we all got a little sweaty in them. But, that's the price you sacrifice for the team, I guess.

And, at the end of the night, my husband bought me a delicious corn dog -- seriously, at the time, it tasted like a little slice of heaven (that was battered, deep-fried and stuck on a stick). I had my beer, my corn dog, my homies, and bowling. What more does a girl need?

(Well, this morning I needed a lot of water and some aspirin, but that's totally different.)

2nd Blogoversary

"Happy Birthday to my blog!" If blogs ate cake, I would make it a yellow cake with chocolate frosting, but alas, my blog has no teeth.

But, yes, today marks the 2nd anniversary of my blog! Here's the original post that began this crazy chronicle of my running "habit." So far, the task I set myself with 2 years ago has been pretty successful. I've completed one marathon, have run many 5Ks, and am training for mary #2. I've lost some weight, gained some back, but have pretty much maintained; plus, I've learned a lot and have certainly shared a lot and met a lot of wonderful bloggers.

Thanks to the long time readers! I've seen many blogs come and go over this time, but I appreciate everyone who has been reading faithfully for a long time now -- makes me feel special! *Sniff*

But enough of the sentimental crap.

Tonight is bowling, and I plan to rock that alley! Wish me luck!

Fiver

Not the rabbit, my run. (I will give a special shout-out to the first blogger to get what I'm referring to there.)

So, at dinner this evening, we invited some friends to join us in order to make them decide which tile we should install in our kitchen and entryway -- they gave us their opinion, we fed them pizza. But after dinner, when we were talking, my friend Ryan (who shall not be hyperlinked b/c his blog is top secret) said it would drive him crazy to run without a watch or Garmin, and it made me reflect on a few of my fellow RBFer's comments; thus, I decided to dust off the Garmin and take it along on my after-dinner 5 miler.

Here are the stats:

Mile 1: 10:19
Mile 2: 10:15
Mile 3: 10:56
Mile 4: 11:20
Mile 5: 10:47

Total Time: 53:57
Avg Pace: 10:46

Now, these numbers are handy to have, and they seem right even though passing under some trees made the Garmin wink out for a bit; however, when I run with the Garmin, I'm suddenly thinking about nothing but the numbers. See, usually my mind wanders on runs and then, suddenly, I'm done! But with a time keeping device, I'm constantly glancing at it, assessing it, worrying over it, and inadvertantly, my run seems to go slower.

Plus, it feels bulky on my wrist (and I hate the feeling of something rubbing my wrist bone -- the reason why I never, ever wear a watch).

Anyway, I like to take the Garmin out for a spin every once in awhile, but overall, I like to keep the numbers somewhat mysterious.

Also, Ryan, "karma" bitch-slapped me for making fun of your calorie counting by making dinner feel like a brick in my stomach through the first half of my run. I guess someone should be doing a little calorie counting of her own. It's just so much more fun to ridicule.

Reflections of the Grammar Gestapo

I did, eventually, work my way through that stack of papers. And I don't want to sound as if I neglect my grading because students' work is poor or boring, it's just that after you read 25 papers, they all start to sound eerily similiar, and while there are definitely those who excel at the work, most are average writers who make the same average mistakes over and over. It's hard, therefore, to remain fresh with each paper.

But I finished those, and have another stack to work on today, and I get a final stack today which I'll need to read by tomorrow afternoon before submitting grades -- with all that reading (not the fun kind), I'll be happy to sneak out this evening for my 5 miler.

As per some comments yesterday on how I must have brain bleeding reading your blogs and comments -- I can assure you, it's not true. Certainly, my inner grammar Nazi does provoke me sometimes to wince at grammatical errors, but my mother always told me it was impolite to correct others' grammar, so I usually refrain. Besides, I certainly make errors as well! In fact, sometimes my typing (especially for commentary on posts) looks as though it's been done by a drunken monkey!

Plus, many of you are WAY faster and WAY stronger runners than I: If I criticize, I don't think I could outrun you, and I don't want to get beat up.

Procrastinating

Because I don't want to read papers.

And I am eyeball deep in papers.

I have to finish this stack today because I want to return them to students tomorrow -- it's their last day of the term (summer session is broken into two, short, six-week terms -- my next term begins on Monday), but I'm just not feeling very motivated.

Thus, why I watched some of VH1's "Rock Honors" (Heart gave a good performance), why I played with Scooter for 20 minutes (he needs his exercise, right?), and why I'm currently blogging. If I just gave the work a focused, concentrated effort, I could be done before 5 pm, but I know me. I know I'll sit down, read 3 or 4 papers and then find an excuse to get myself something to drink or find a snack, or I'll turn on the TV -- for a quick break -- or I'll take Scooter for a short walk -- again, a "quick" break, and it will take me all afternoon and evening.

I know I'll get it done. I'm just not in a hurry to do it.

Hmmm....maybe I should take a quick trip to the store and get me one of those Starbucks Iced Coffees...

No.

I should read 3 or 4 papers first.

Rainy 3

It rained on me yesterday for my 3 miler, and I got my shiny new shoes all dirty.

But at least the rain kept me cool.

New Shoes!

Because I have munchkin feet that barely register in the adult shoe sizes (I wear a size 5), finding any kind of shoe is a difficult and often frustrating task. Same holds true with running shoes. However, after I started frequenting a running store, I settled into the right shoe for me: the Brooks Adreneline, which is always conveniently in stock (I actually wear a 5.5 for a running shoe -- you know, to give the toesies some room).

As great as it is to have a reliable shoe, as you can see from the line-up above, it can get rather boring wearing the same shoe month after month, mile after mile. So, when I walked into the store today I asked if I could try on some different shoes. The sales girl told me no.

Well, she didn't say "no" exactly, but she said that once you find a shoe that works and your gait hasn't changed, etc, that it's best to stay with the same brand and model. Fine, I thought, I'll get the same ol' shoe, but when I opened up the box, I got a terrific surprise: the shoe was the same, but the look turned out to be different!

I was thrilled that the colors were changed and the design style was slightly altered! It was enough for me to feel as though I was getting a different shoe even though I was getting the same one. Wa. Hoo. And I used a gift certificate I got for my b-day (back in April), so I also felt as though I got an incredible bargain as well! (See how easily I am tricked?)

Now, I know I don't need 3 pairs of old running shoes cluttering up my closet, so I should find a place to donate at least two pairs (I always like to keep one old pair as a "back up" -- I don't know why). But it's kinda hard letting go of old running shoes -- they have a history -- but along with some other, older street shoes, it's time for them to find a new home. "Move over old shoes! Time to make room for the new ones!"

Sunday's 8

Despite the fact that the afternoon and evening rain helped drop temps into the high 70s, it's still almost 90% humidity out there which made my evening 8 miler a little sweaty (to say the least).

I haven't run 8 miles since, probably, January? Maybe in February. Anyway, it's been awhile, and I could feel it. Not in the first 4 miles, and not even up through mile 5, but at mile 6, I was starting to feel tired, and at mile 7, I felt pretty much done. My foot was starting to ache and my right arm had rubbed against my sports bra (didn't remember the Body Glide there) and that was smarting as well. So I stopped at a red light that blocked my crossing and stretched a bit (for as much as I bitch about having to stop at lights, sometimes they can be a blessing). That seemed to be what I needed, and when the light turned green in my favor I resumed running and made my way through the last mile.

I didn't bring a watch or my Garmin (I'm not much for running with time gadgets), but according to the kitchen clock, it took me about 90 minutes, which seems right. My foot is still achy, but I stretched and iced and the hubby has promised a foot rub, so all of that should help.

But, I'm off to sip the rest of my Gatorade and enjoy some crappy Sunday night TV! Good night.

Brain Ache

I have a wicked bitch of a headache this morning. No, not because of drinking (although I did enjoy a few beers last night, but it wasn't enough to warrant a headache). The headache is actually a holdover from yesterday. I hate it when a headache lasts this long and I especially hate waking up with one (my husband was probably smacking me in the head last night while I slept; that, or the dog was bouncing up and down on my skull -- that's what it feels like anyway).

Hope it's not a brain tumor...

...anyhoo, I am saving my long run for this evening b/c unlike the rest of you dedicated individuals who are able to rise early and get your run or bike or swim in, I find any hour before 8 am to be evil, so I slept in. That means the 8 miler will have to wait until about 7:30 pm. Not necessarily the most desirable time of day, but that's how I roll.

And, Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! Including both of mine (sorry, I did not buy any gifts! I'm so disorganized and the day snuck up on me!)!

No Need for the Permanent Membership

Last night I ran 3 miles and the foot felt fine. So I was thinking today I would run another short run, probably 3 miles again, and then tomorrow do my week's long run: 8 miles. I had been aiming to do my long run today, but then several things impeded me. For one, I felt that one day of running was not enough to ease me back and go straight for the long run (granted, I did a lot of elliptical cross training this week, but it's not the same as running). But for another, I just didn't want to get up early this morning.

So, I'll just flip-flop the weekened training distances and then Monday I should be in good shape to resume my normal training schedule (if the foot is still feeling fine after the long run).

This is why I should NOT re-join a gym: I had a trial membership for 7 days, and how many of those days did I use it? 3. 3 days. There is good stuff at the gym, but I think my issue is just getting there. It's only 2 miles away, but for some reason, getting in the car and going there seems like so much more effort that lacing up my running shoes and heading out the door.

Day after Bowling

Despite the 4 leaf clover necklace and the beer, I did not perform well during last night's league games; I think my highest game was 110 -- but my memory is a little fuzzy, so it could have been a little better or a little worse. Maybe I shouldn't have bought those shots, hmmm...

Here's my team! The Pinderellas. From left to right: Meg, Amy, Shannon, and Me

Here I am crying into my beer; some friends gave me a diaper -- maybe for in my car. Meg is trying to either get a sip of my beer or sneak into the pic: I'm not entirely sure.

This was a little at-home warm-up: my pre-game, if you will. So, at the end of the night, my husband and I both found ourselves knuckle-deep in Nacho Supremes -- we were able to avoid the temptation last week, but not this week. Oh well, clearly this week has demonstrated how fallibly human I am, so I'm not gonna beat myself up over consuming some fast food.

Today, I was a little tired for my morning workshop, but I survived. Afterward, I met the hubby for lunch, and now I am definitely feeling the afternoon sleepies. I think I might take a nap and then go to the gym, or if the rain lets up, maybe I can run outside.

And the Prize Goes to...

...Kirsten D! For discovering this.

My only regret is that I am not the inventor of "Poop Off"; surely, that could've been a major claim-to-fame. I suppose, for now, my job is simply "Poop On": Let someone else think of how to clean up the mess!

And yeah, this whole incident makes me think of the "Seinfeld" episode where Jerry gives his car away b/c of the stink. You'll also remember how hard it was for Elaine to get the stink out of her hair -- thankfully my smell has not permeated such depths.

Soooo...no smooth way to transition away from this topic...but, in non-poop related news, I did not work out today. No, the mud-butt did not hold me back, and the foot is totally feeling normal again, but I just am not feeling like exerting myself beyond what it takes to type this post. Besides, "The Empire Strikes Back" was on HBO this afternoon, and after that I just had to watch "Dreamgirls" which arrived for me via Netflix yesterday. Thus, I decided to put on a kettle of tea, and park myself in front of the TV and I enjoyed both movies: "Empire" is a classic, and I just can't get enough of it, no matter how many times I've seen it (my personal opinion: it's the best of the "Star Wars" trilogy), and "Dreamgirls" was fantastic (that Jennifer Hudson was impressive).

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to finish up the laundry, get dinner started, and prepare for a killer night of bowling. I'm going to wear my 4 leaf clover necklace, so maybe the bowling gods will smile down on me this evening and bless me with an awesome match. Also, they have beer at the bowling alley, and tonight, I'm drinking up: It's not every week you crap yourself and then share the story with the world wide web.

Deep Thoughts

Well, I'm glad my poo-plosion could be of so much entertainment for you all: feel free to laugh at my expense -- that's why I share!

But what I find particularly interesting is how many of you seem to be able to relate: either you have pooed yourself or you know someone else who has -- clearly this is something of an epidemic. But it does make me feel better; I'm not alone on this embarassing matter, and some of your stories made ME laugh out loud.

Good lord, poo is funny.

Soooo....my car stinks today: had to drive to work sitting on a towel (for good measure) and with the windows rolled down. I am a little scared of what kind of science experiment will grow in there over the course of what will surely be a very hot, humid day.

Perhaps it's finally time to buy a new car.

Dinner Date Turned Disaster

*Warning: The following story is graphic. No, not violent, nor does it describe any strange sexual act, but it IS gross. I warn you, dear readers, that I share the following with some hesitance. Scratch that. With a great deal of hesitance. However, it's just too funny to keep between my husband and myself. Tonight, my friends, my worst fear was realized: The following is a true account, an all too real account.*

My husband and I decided to go out to dinner this evening, and we had a very nice meal. It was lovely conversation, good food, blah, blah, blah. The meal is not the story. After we paid, I could feel the rumbly in my tumbly that signals poo is on the way. Now, I should have just used the restroom at the restaurant, but you know that in a story like this "should have" is useless.

In the car, the poo quickly became a much more dire situation than I at first anticipated, and part way home, I had to tell my husband to "shush!" because I had to focus on not crapping my pants. Readers, it very quickly became a painful situation and I was sitting there in traffic, sweating with the effort to hold it in, near tears because I had to go so bad and we were stuck at a red light, and my husband is repeating: "It's okay, you can make it. We're two blocks from home. You can make it."

"Shut up! Shut up!" I yelled, "I'm not going to make it! I can't hold it! I'm gonna die..." was my response (clearly, you want me in an emergency situation).

And then it happened. I crapped my pants.

I literally could not hold it anymore and the light seemed like it would never turn green, and then...yeah, I pooped myself.

"Oh my God!" my husband yelled, "It stinks so bad!"

He rolled down the window, tears from laughing streaming his own cheeks, while I sat there in my own shit. And it was messy. Very messy. And I have to say, it was one of the worst feelings in my life because it wasn't just a little squirt of poo, it was a load in my pants and I was sitting in it.

Finally, the light turned green (and God had had his laugh for the day), and we raced home, quickly parked and I hauled ass into the bathroom where I showered so thoroughly I took off a layer of skin.

Thankfully, I made my husband promise (before we got out of the car) that he still loved me and wouldn't leave me over such a debacle (he also promised he wouldn't tell anyone, but I think he said that because he knew I'd be telling everyone myself...it's a disease, I have no shame), so that's good -- I knew those vows weren't for nothing. Otherwise, I have to admit that this is THE single most emabarassing thing to happen to me (and I got de-pantsed in front of the entire 6th grade!), yet I have to also admit that on a certain level, I'm relieved. My worst fear has finally been realized (and thank god it didn't happen on the way to school -- I would've had to call in sick and rush home), and it's kind of a relief for it to have just happened.

Now, on the other hand, I know my friends and husband will never let this die (I'm sure I will hear endlessly of this tomorrow at bowling, but that's the price I pay for my own forthcoming of the story), and my car will probably never smell the same (something tells me that might affect the trade-in value), and those pants are done for. Ugh.

Worst. Incident. Ever.

No Hoo-ah! for Hump Day

My energy is kinda low today. I was friggin' sleepy when my alarm went off this morning, and after lunch, I felt pooped, so I took a little nappy-nap. It. Was. Awesome. Slept for 2 full hours (I don't mess around with naps -- none of this "twenty minutes" crap for me; if I'm napping, I'm gonna be out for awhile, drooling away). Afterward, I certainly felt better rested, but still felt a bit out of it.

Still, I went to the gym and decided to plug away at the elliptical (BTW, on my way over to the machines, I was assailed by the salesman from Sunday; I assured him I was enjoying my temporary membership and that I was seriously considering the regular membership -- that was a lie), but my mojo wasn't what it was on Monday, as is evidenced by the numbers:

45 minutes
3.78 miles
425 calories burned

I thought about following that up with some time on the bike or the rower machine, but just didn't feel like it, so I headed home. The excellent aspect about today is that the foot is feeling rather fabulous -- totally normal. So a big part of me is eager to get it back out there on a run tomorrow. But then another part of me is warning that I should be cautious and restrained and hold off for another few days. What do you guys think? Run tomorrow? Or no?

MFin' Blogger!

Okay, sometimes, I fuckin' hate Blogger. I just wrote a beautiful post that would have enlightened all of your lives, but it wouldn't publish. Or rather, it said it published, it appeared on my "post" list, yet it was invisible on my blog.

I had to delete it. And I'm sorry, I don't want to re-write it. Perhaps later today I'll have something more significant to share; until then, I'm sorry for the void this very blah post will leave in your existence.

New and Improved Vitamins

On Sunday morning, I swallowed my final multi-vitamin and I was ready to search for something more digestible. What I found is glorious.

For those long time readers of my blog, you'll recall the numerous complaints I've lodged against the vitamin industry for manufacturing large, hard-to-swallow, disgusting vitamins; I have been making the demand for years that vitamins be reduced in size and coated in something tasty. Someone was listening.

The good people at Viactiv now have multi-vitamins that are flavor-coated, and they come in two tastes: vanilla and berry. I picked up the berry and I had my first one yesterday -- I can report to you, dear readers, that it goes down smooth, has a pleasant taste, and is indeed smaller than the previous vitamin (yet has all the same contents). Granted, it's more expensive (flavor-coating doesn't come without its cost), but for me, it's a worthwhile expenditure.

Yeah, I still have to choke down that horse-sized fish oil (omega 3) pill, but perhaps with another few years' griping, I will prevail on that front as well.

Elliptical Monday

The foot is again feeling better today, which leads me to think that perhaps I just strained or pulled something; at least, I hope it's as simple as that. I have been continuing with ice, IBs, and cross training.

Today, I went to the gym and remembered my mp3 for the elliptical. Much better. It was nice too to be able to work out in the afternoon (my most convenient time of day); it's too hot out there now to be able to walk, much less run.

Elliptical stats for the day:
60 minutes
5.7 miles
670 calories burned

After the workout, I headed across the street to Borders and picked up two new books, so now I think I will relax and read. Ahhh...

Cross Training Creativity

So, the foot feels better today than it did on either Friday or Saturday, but it still ached a bit, and I figured it might be pushing things to run on it. Yet -- I didn't want another day of rest. And, as you'll recall, I gave up my gym membership about 3 months ago. So, what to do?

7 day trial membership, my friends.

I went online and got a pass for 24 Hour Fitness (ironically, not open 24 hours everyday) and went in to the closest location (about 2 miles away). After filling out some informational forms and sitting down with an unfriendly salesman in his cramped office, I had a 7 day (free!) pass in hand, and I headed upstairs to their machines.

I did 35 minutes, which was just a little more than 3 miles, on the elliptical and then 15 minutes (also 3 miles) on a stationary bike. After that, I was too bored to stay any longer. There were no magazines and the overhead music was not great and the TVs were not broadcasting anything of interest. The foot felt a little tired, but not hurting afterward, and I'm currently icing it (Scooter keeps licking the ice). I figure I'll spend the 7 days cross training and resting the foot from the impact of running; if it still hurts after 7 days, I'll see the doctor, but if it feels better, I will resume running.

So, tomorrow I plan on returning to the gym, but I will need to remember my mp3 player and some magazines. I can't stare at the wall again for an hour.

6 Weird Things

Okey-dokey, I got tagged by Neese to post a list of 6 weird things about myself, so here they are:

1. When I add things up in my head, I think of everything in terms of 12. Example: If I were to add 7 + 8, this would be my thought process: I would take 8 + 7 (which is made up of 3 +4), add 4 + 8 because that equals 12, and then add the extra 3 that make up 7, and voila! 15 is the answer. Needless to say, adding takes a long time for me.

2. I only drink soda if it comes out of a can or soda fountain. I never drink soda if it comes out of a plastic bottle. However, I drink water out of a plastic bottle, almost exclusively.

3. I do not like foods that end in the word "loaf" ex: meatloaf, turkeyloaf, etc. Ech. Makes me want to hurl.

4. Nearly everyday on my way to school, I almost poop myself. Or, I fear that I may poop myself. There's something in the timing of getting up, getting ready, having my coffee, having my breakfast, and driving for 30 minutes that gets the system moving, and I inevitably think that I may end up crapping my pants. Thus, to prevent the possibility of such an incident, I have carefully chosen 3 spots along my route to school that are "possible poop posts": a Starbucks, a Chevron station, and a Publix (grocery store). These three bathrooms are up to my standards and are acceptable to poop in. I have had to make emergency stops in all 3.

5. I don't wear underwear. Or, at least, hardly ever. (Thus, making the thought of pooping myself even more terrifying.) I prefer the freedom that going "commando" offers me. The circumstances when I do wear underwear: when I'm wearing shorts, when I'm wearing skirts/dresses, or when I'm going shopping and know I'll be trying on clothes.

6. When sleeping in any bed, I always choose the side farthest from the door because I am scared that monsters will come and eat me. Therefore, my husband is always positioned as "monster bait."

Are those sufficiently weird? Now, for tagging others. Hmmm, who should be my victims? Miss Petite America, Brunette Chicago Gal, Krista, Kristen D, Runner26, and Tough Cookie: Have fun with it!

Poopy Foot

So, on Thursday afternoon I was walking Scooter when my ankle/top of my foot started to ache. It was kind of a weird, shooting pain and I was completely baffled by it -- I was walking the dog (which mostly entails standing around while he sniffs and rolls in things) for God's sake. So, I ignored it at bowling (and self-medicated with beer).

But it was really hurting yesterday. It doesn't hurt when I'm not on it, but when I walk, it's a sharp, shooting pain across the top of my foot, and this morning it was still paining me. What could it be?

I looked up some injury info online and in some running books and it could be several things: including a stress fracture. There's no swelling, no tenderness when touched, and as I mentioned, no pain when I'm not on it. If I have another injury that demands I sit out from running again, I'm going to throw up.

I didn't run my 6 miles this morning (too sleepy), and I took some ibuprofren and am planning on icing it. Perhaps I should not run at all today and see if the extra day of rest improves it. What do you guys think?

Beer, I mean "Bowling," Report

Here I am, bowling. Don't I have good form?

So, despite my expressed desire to "not drink too much," I consumed many glasses of beer (this is why pitchers of beer are so dangerous -- your glass just keeps getting magically refilled and there's no way to truly keep track of how many you've had), yet this was the key element of my game because my best game was my 3rd one (score: 139, not real great, but great for last night -- I had a dismal performance).

Overall, bowling was loads of fun and it was great to be back in league and see some leaguers that we hadn't seen in a whole year, as well as enjoy good times with the friends we see frequently (our circle of friends makes up a fourth of the league teams -- we are a presence). At the end of the night, my husband and I restrained ourselves from stopping by the Taco Bell drive-thru (there's something about the combination of bowling and beer that works up a terrible hunger for a chalupa); instead, we found ourselves at home scarfing down leftover paella. That's got to be a little better for us.

Anyhoo, this evening I have a party to go to where I really do need to take it easy on the drinks because tomorrow I have a six miler. But for today? Nothing but rest, homies, nothing but rest.

The Impossible (or, maybe just Improbable)

First of all, it did rain all afternoon yesterday and while it still remained humid, temps cooled off some and I was able to fit my 5 miles in before dinner. The rain continued through last night and is forecast for today as well, but this morning when I went -- gasp! -- running, it was just humid, no rain.

Yes, that's right. I did the impossible: I got up early and ran. I set the alarm for 6 am and was up and out the door by 6:10. I ran 3 miles and was home by 6:40. Showered, ready and out the door by 7 am (I am fast at getting ready, but I don't look real pretty). I told myself that if I got up early and did the run, I would reward myself with Starbucks on the way to work, so I stopped at 'Bucks and got me a grande nonfat latte and a croisant --- mmmm, delicious. I haven't had Starbucks in awhile, like maybe 5 weeks, so it was a good treat (still enjoying the coffee).

Tonight, we start our summer bowling league! Wa. Hoo. I love league. So, cross your fingers that I bowl like a superstar and that I don't drink too much. Even though tomorrow is a rest day, I would like to NOT feel like poo.

Summer Runnin'

Should be good and hot this evening for my scheduled 5 miles. This morning at 7 am it was 80 degrees with 80% humidity. There's a good chance it will rain throughout the day today, and I pray it does, otherwise? Running tonight will be HOT.

All By Myself

I did run my scheduled 3 miles last night -- it was hot as hell (at 7:30 pm, it was still nearly 90 degrees out there) and the bugs were nasty (damn little black things always want to fly into my eyes and nose), but I finished it.

I'm using Hal Higdon's Novice 2 program as my basis, but I tailored it to fit my schedule a little better. Essentially, I am running 4 days a week (a fifth day can be added or it can be a cross trianing day -- I suppose it will depend each week on how I feel) with 3 shorter runs during the week that build over the weeks (the peak distance in the middle of the week is 8 miles) and 1 long run on the weekend that peaks at 20 miles.

So, my next step is trying to find a running group. When I trained for Disney, I trained alone, and that made those long runs tough. Actually, I like to run by myself, but anything more than 12 miles is a bit tough when you're all alone -- thus, I shorted myself on many of my scheduled long runs in the course of training for Mickey's Marathon. I don't want to repeat that mistake.

Yet, I'm not totally excited to find a running group; in fact, the thought of joining a bunch of runners on a Saturday morning fills me with dread. Partially it's because meeting new people is always a little nerve-wracking, but mostly it's because other runners kinda freak me out (with the exception of all of you, of course). Will I look "runner" enough to them? Will I run "runner" enough for them? Will they judge me? And more importantly: how annoyed with them will I be? Will they be all peppy at that hour on a Saturday morning? Will people try to make conversation with me?

The situation kinda reminds me of college: Even though I was an English major, I hated hanging out with other English majors (such nerds :)) and it wasn't until graduate school that I started liking the company of (some) fellow English geeks. Same situation: Even though I'm a runner, being around other runners kinda makes me feel like tearing my hair out. Is it too clear a reflection of my own personality? I'm not sure, but I do know that I need to get over it. I don't know if I can do another 18 or 20 miles alone.

Alarms are Evil

Last night I planned to get up early this morning and get my first run of the "official" Chicago training underway. I set out my running clothes, set the alarm, and went to bed full of good intentions.

Yeah. I didn't go.

5:50 am is just too early for me. And the bed is always just right at that hour: So that means I have to save the run for this evening. If I'm going to stick to my new running schedule, there are some days when I won't be afforded the opportunity to do the run in the evening; it will have to get done first thing, so I will have to re-shape my morning attitude. Ugh.

No Kayaking

Instead of kayaking and getting to see some sea cows yesterday, we ended up going to see "Knocked Up" -- which was sooooo funny (but, I have to warn: it deserves its "R" rating; it's very raunchy) -- and then drank beer the rest of the day and night. That was fun. But we didn't need to drive 300 miles to do either of those things. Damn that Tropical Storm Barry!

Oh well. No kayaking. No manatees.

But we're home now, where it's 90 degrees, and clear -- hmmm, would be a perfect day to kayak here.

Anyway, I might run later tonight if I feel up to it. Don't hold your breath. Tomorrow begins the "official" Chicago training, so then I'll have to get my ass in gear, but that means that maybe today can be reserved as a last "slack off."

No Need for Sunscreen

Well, we're in the Tampa area, but guess where Tropical Storm Barry is heading through?

That's right. Motherfuckin' Tampa.

It's raining and blowin' here, so kayaking has been cancelled. Poop. It might clear up tomorrow and we might be able to go then, but we'll see. On the agenda for today? Maybe a movie.

Checkin' Out for the Weekend

Last night I was lazy, so I didn't run. But this morning, I did get out there for 3 miles, so I felt good about that (it's cloudy and cool today too so I didn't even have to get up early -- woo-hoo).

But, I have lots to do today. We're leaving this afternoon to the Tampa area with some friends for the weekend. Tomorrow we're going kayaking! Cross your fingers that we see some manatees! Have a good weekend everyone and I'll be back on Sunday!

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.