Boring

Sorry for the hiatus! No running for me for the past 2 days. The in-laws are in town, so if I'm not at work or school, I've been visiting with them. Today, I do have plans to head to the park after work...yes, even with the 93 degree "feels like" temp. (It's really 86, but with the humidity it feels a heck of a lot warmer!) I'm not looking forward to being out in that heat, so I think it's going to be another one of those "get'er done" runs. I really wish I would have brought my swimming gear to do some laps instead. That would feel much better in this heat!

Hot & Steamy

Ah, June in Houston...gotta love it. What other choice is there other than moving somewhere else? I headed to Memorial Park after work for a quick loop before going to school to meet my Econ group to work on our project.

I started at the Tennis Center and made my way toward Beck's. Before I even made it to the 1/2 mile marker, the rain began. The wind was blowing the rain right into my face and I had to stop and walk a couple of times to make sure I wasn't going to lose a contact! The showers stopped as quickly as they started (about a 1/2 mile later), which left the air feeling sticky and soupy. I didn't being my watch, so I have no idea of my time...pretty slow I imagine. It felt great running in the rain, but afterwards, the hot, steamy conditions made me want to slow down. Still not so much motivation going on. I've been stressed out by pretty much every segment of my life lately - school, work, family - there just doesn't seem to be enough time for everything. I know that running helps me keep my sanity, but having the motivation to fit it in has been a challenge lately.

I made my way to the showers and realized that I had forgotten my brush, my shower gel and makeup! Oh the horror! I had to just make do with what I had and get to school...I think that I managed not to scare anyone with no make-up. :-) The good news is that when I made it home, the kiddo was still awake. (The in-laws are in town, so her schedule is out of whack.) We got to read a couple of books before she went to bed...that always makes life a little better.

Running Stats
Conditions - 87 & HUMID
Distance - 2.93
Run time - ???
Pace - ???

Motivation

Or lack of.

None.

Nada.

Zip.

This seems to be an ongoing theme for me these days. I ran a not so great loop on Friday after work and managed to get in 15 minutes of swimming lessons before Mother Nature once again interrupted the afternoon with thunder, lightening and heavy rain.

Sunday, it took every ounce of effort I had to get myself out of bed and to the park. Once I was there, I hem and hawed getting my ipod Shuffle just right and stretching. Finally, I got going. The 1st loop didn't feel too bad. Even better, the weather was fantastic. 73 degrees! Woohoo. So there was some hellish humidity, but it still felt great. I took a quick potty and gatorade break before starting the 2nd loop and once again hem and hawed before getting going. I almost didn't start the 2nd loop at all. Even after I got going, I toyed with the idea of stopping, going back to my car and heading home. Yes, I'll admit it, I walked a lot between mile 4 & 5. But, I made it around. Mission accomplished.

It was just one of those days where I wanted to get the run in just because I needed to...not because I wanted to. Let's be honest. This was a half-assed effort and the times show it. I need to get my mojo back!

Running Stats
Conditions - 73, humid
Distance - 5.89
Total run time - 1:05:34
Pace - 11:07

Splits
Mile 1 - 11:12 (still adjusting the ipod)
Mile 2 - 10:43
.9 - 9:34
Mile 4 - 10:41
Mile 5 - 11:40 (lots of walking)
.9 - 9:46

Reunited.

This morning I was reunited with an old friend...my car! Affectionately known by the younger, childless members of my MBA cohort as "the Mommy mobile". It's all fixed with no evidence that it had ever been smashed up. As the kiddo says, "Mommy's car went BOOM!" (yes, she says that part really loud and claps her hands together for emphasis)...you can't even tell. The kiddo has been telling anyone who will listen about the BOOM and "Mommy's new car" (meaning the rental). I've tried to explain that the rental was "Mommy's borrowed car" and that I would eventually get the old car back, but I'm wondering what her reaction will be when she finally sees that we do have the old car back. Will she be disappointed? We'll see. One thing I know is that she will be happily reunited with a couple of small toys that the repair guy found under the seats! (Well that and about 500 cheerios and goldfish!)

No workouts yesterday. I skipped swim class to work on my Econ project before our group meeting. This afternoon, it's back to the park for a loop and a swim...that is, if mother nature continues to cooperate. I've got my fingers crossed!

School tomorrow and then on Sunday, after the playgroups and family time, I'm going to dinner and a concert with a group of girlfriends. Cyndi Lauper, Erasure and Debbie Harry (ya know, from Blondie?)....that should be interesting! If you don't know who those people are, then obviously you are much younger than me! :-)

ETA: I just found out that Rosie O'Donnell is going to be the "special guest" at the concert tomorrow. Ugh!

HOT, HOT, HOT

Today's heat was an azz kicker and it sure kicked mine. I headed straight to the park after work for a loop. For the 1st 1/4 mile, I was in the shade and thought to myself, "oh, this isn't all that bad." Mother nature must have been smirking, clasping her hands and saying, "I'll get you my pretty" (in her best Wicked Witch from The Wizard of OZ voice). Why do I think that? Because when I rounded the corner, I was in direct sunshine and it was freaking HOT! By the end of the 1st mile, I was sweaty. By the end of the 2nd mile, I was cursing to myself and telling myself that this was NOT fun. For the next .9, I walked more than I'd like to admit. I finally made it back to my starting point and could not wait to hop into the pool. Ahhh yes, putting on a swimsuit while all sticky and sweaty is fun! (note the sarcasm)

The swimming is going a little better. I definitely feel more confident in the water. Now, if I could just remember to do all the things I'm supposed to do. All at the same time. :-) By the way, thanks for the tips and words of encouragement! They are much appreciated! Next week, I'm going to be travelling for work, so no swim class. I'm planning to head to the pool at least once a week for some "laps" for the rest of the summer. Depending on how the rest of the summer semester goes, I may try to sign up for the last session of swim classes at the end of the summer. With two big group presentations due on the last day of class, I'm not sure if that's going to happen. By the way, I've been getting the most awful charlie horses in my feet and calves when I swim...what's up with that?

Running Stats
Conditions - 93 (had to be 100 with heat index!)
Total run time - 32:05
Total distance - 2.9 miles
Pace - 11:04 (I don't know how with all that walking!)

K-C-I-R-B

Yesterday, I did a backwards brick workout. (Get it? kcirb? haha!) Rather than staying late at work, I headed straight over to the park for a loop before swim class. Remember how I mentioned that I was not sore yesterday? Ummm, I spoke too soon. By lunchtime, I was beginning to feel the stiffness in my quads, glutes and obliques...all the places that I had hoped to work out the previous day! By the afternoon, I had decided that any running was going to be in the very easy category to let the legs recover a bit.

I didn't quite make it the entire way around the loop. About a mile into the run, I ran into Pam who was going in the opposite direction. We chatted with another Houston Fitter for a few minutes and then I decided to run with Pam. By the time we made it back to where I started, I realized it was getting pretty close to the start of my swim class (too much chatting I guess!). So, I ran a little farther before turning around and heading to the pool.

Finally, we had no weather issues for the swim class! The instructor is getting much better about working with two different levels of swimmers too. He gave us semi-swimmers a quick lesson on something, then left us to practice while he worked with the non-swimmers on something else. I think I've figured out my problems with swimming - 1) I do not blow air out of my nose as I swim, so I end up inhaling water through my nose instead and 2) when I turn my head to take a breath, I actually just lift it straight up which totally screws up my "rhythm". I did manage to make it from one end of the pool to the other several times without taking in too much water....but, oh my god, I was so out of breath! I know it has a lot to do with my horrible form and inability to breathe correctly. But, on the other hand I did feel like I actually worked out and that felt great! I didn't want to get out of the pool, but I had to hurry and head home in time for the hubby to get to work. One day, with lots of practice, I am hoping that swimming starts to feel natural to me. Right now, I just feel like a total spaz!


Running Stats
Conditions - 93 (HOT!)
Total run time - 26:50
Total distance - 2.43 miles
Pace - 11:02 (easy does it)

To swim or not to swim?

This afternoon, I'll have another attempt at the swim class. Will Mother Nature cooperate? I certainly hope so! After last week's interesting weather, I was beginning to wonder if maybe I wasn't meant to learn to swim. Maybe trying a tri one day, wasn't meant to be. Maybe I'm reading too much into this - let's-have- crazy-bad-weather-every-afternoon-now-that-you're-supposed-to-be-taking-swim-classes - stuff. :-)

I'm hoping to leave work on-time, so I can get in a loop around the park first. However, things at work have been interesting, so I'm not sure that leaving right on time will be in the cards today. I'm crossing my fingers!

Last night I did the ultimate workout...the Si6, 58 minute, "Burn it Up" workout. I love it, because I truly "feel the burn" when I do this one. It's kind of a Buns of Steel meets Tae Bo with lunges, squats and floorwork and some uppercuts, punches and kicks mixed in. I rarely do this workout on a consistent basis, because it is almost a full hour. Sometimes, it just seems impossible to commit to a full hour to work out. I was hoping to be nice and sore this morning, but I wasn't. Anyone else love being sore after a good workout? Or, I am I just weird? Wait, don't answer that!

Have a great day!

Grow up!

I find it sad when grown women behave like high school girls! In my line of work, I see this more often than I'd like to admit.

Cliques, being bad sports, stirring the pot, gossip...sad!

Women today have enough to worry about without having to worry about each other. Since women make up at least half of the population, we ought to put a stop to this stupidity right now by making the commitment to respect each other at all times. After all, if our gender can't do that, how can we expect the rest of the world to respect us?

Please grow up, get over it and move on!

(okay, rant over! Sorry!)

Quickie Run

Conditions: 5 am, treadmill
Total run time: 21:17
Total distance: 2 miles
Pace: 10:38

Now, I'm sitting at the kitchen table, working on a case study, blogging and listening to the news. Sounds like they're showing the space station and the astronauts are waking up to Nicole C. Mullen's Redeemer. An oldie, but goodie and a great song to wake up to! Have a great day!

Happy Father's Day!

I found this on MSN.com..I can never get enough of Team Hoyt!

What My Father Means To Me
An emotional tribute to an incredible and inspirational Dad, from his equally incredible and inspirational son.

By Richard Hoyt Jr., Men's Health

My name is Richard E. Hoyt Jr., and I have cerebral palsy. I cannot speak or walk. To write this story, I'm using a computer with special software. When I move my head slightly, the cursor moves across an alphabet. When it gets to the letter I want, I press a switch at the side of my head.

I am half of Team Hoyt. We are a father-and-son team, and we compete in marathons and triathlons around the world. Our goal is to educate people about how the disabled can lead normal lives. We started racing in 1979. My high school was having a road race to raise money for a lacrosse player who was paralyzed in an accident. I wanted to show this athlete that life can go on, so I asked my dad if he would push me. My wheelchair was not built for racing, but Dad managed to push me the entire 5 miles. We came in next to last, but in the photos of us crossing the finish line, I was smiling from ear to ear!

When we got home, I used my computer to tell Dad, "When I'm running, I feel like my disability disappears!" So we joined a running club, had a special running chair built, and entered our first official race. Many of the athletes didn't want us to participate, but the executive director of the event gave us permission. Soon we were running three races a weekend, and we even did our first double event a 3-mile run and a half-mile swim.

Dad held me by the back of the neck and did the sidestroke for the entire swim. We wanted to run in the Boston Marathon, but we were not allowed to enter because we had not done a qualifying run. So in late 1980, we competed in the Marine Corps Marathon, in Washington, D.C., finishing in 2 hours, 45 minutes. That qualified us for Boston!

A few years later, after a road race in Falmouth, Massachusetts, a man came up to my dad and said, "You are quite an athlete. You should consider a triathlon." Dad said, "Sure, as long as I can do it with Rick." The man just walked away. The next year, the same man said the same thing. Again, Dad said he'd do it, but only with me. This time the man said, "Okay, let's figure out what special equipment you'll need."

So on Father's Day in 1985, we competed in our first triathlon. It included a 10-mile run, during which Dad pushed me; a 1-mile swim, during which Dad pulled me in a life raft with a rope tied around his chest; and a 50-mile bike ride, during which he towed me in a cart behind him. We finished next to last, but we both loved it. Soon after, we did our first Ironman Triathlon. We've now competed in more than 950 races, including 25 Boston Marathons and six Ironmans. During every event, I feel like my disability has disappeared.

People often ask me, "What would you do if you were not disabled?" When I was first asked, I said I'd probably play baseball or hockey. But when I thought about it some more, I realized that I'd tell my father to sit down in my wheelchair so I could push him. If it weren't for him, I'd probably be living in a home for people with disabilities. He is not just my arms and legs. He's my inspiration, the person who allows me to live my life to the fullest and inspire others to do the same.

Happy Father's Day, Dad. And thank you.

(To learn more about Team Hoyt, visit their web site.)

Break Over

It was time for the break from running to end, a week was long enough. So, I woke up at 5:30 for a treadmill run. The kiddo and I were taking the hubby to an early breakfast for Father's Day, so there wasn't time to get to the park and back for a run. I hate the treadmill, so I decided to pick out a movie to watch while running. The tv above my treadmill has an old VCR attached, and the only old VHS I could find without digging through boxes was West Side Story...so, West Side Story it was.

I ran 5 miles in 55:51 and then cooled down with a walk until I reached the one hour mark. Not exactly a LONG run, but it was a start. I may have been indoors, but I was sweating like a pig. It felt good to be runnig again! And, after two Father's Day celebrations - breakfast with the hubby and dinner with my Dad - burning the extra calories couldn't hurt.

Happy Father's Day to all those Dads out there!

Break

No wonder I've been so stressed all week...I haven't run since last Sunday! And, because the weather hasn't cooperated with the swim classes, I have only had one decent workout in the pool. Oh, and even though the weather was gorgeous when I arrived at the pool on Friday, the lightening from the earlier storms knocked out the power to the pool's pump. I've decided that next week, rather than working late and then heading to swim class, I'm going to leave on time, run a loop and then head to swim class.

I haven't decided what to do about my LR tomorrow. The goal was 8-miles, but the hubby has to go in to work tomorrow afternoon (yes, on Father's Day!), he mentioned something about getting up early to go to breakfast.

I think taking a little hiatus from running was probably a good thing. One, it might help all those little aches and pains go away and two, part of me was getting bored (it was definitely showing in my attitude towards running for the past couple of weeks).

As for school, things look a little more calm this week. After meeting with my Econ group, it seems that I am behind the learning curve in the subjects of finance and econ. One member of my group is a whiz at both and studies both sujects for "fun". Another member is a close second to the first in knowledge of both, and a third member is pretty close behind him. Then there are the three women in the group...one just took the econ and finance pre-reqs last summer, so she still remembers a lot. Me and the other woman...well, let's just say we have a lot to learn in order to catch up. I'll be damned if I'm going to be the weakest link in the group! On the way home from school, I stopped at the bookstore and picked up some books I thought might help me....



No, I am NOT kidding!

Swimming 1, Mother Nature 2

Gotta love this time of year! It could be gorgeous all day long and then, right in time for rush hour - BOOM! Thunder, lightening, dark clouds... That's pretty much what has happened every day this week. Once again, the change in weather occured right about the time my swim class was set to begin. Bummer! I made a mental note to bring both my swim and running gear from now on. Not that it would have made a bit of difference yesterday. There was thunder and lightening...and this runnergirl does not mess with lightening!

I decided to wait around at the pool for a bit to see if the nasty weather would blow through. I'm glad I did! I ran into Coach Gaye, Coach Fred, Alisa and Bob of Houston Fit. They too were waiting to see what the weather was going to do. Unfortunately, it only got worse and I decided to head home. Little did I know, I was going to have to drive through a monsoon on the way home! Seriously, the freeway looked like a lake in some areas with water rising all the way up into to the far left lane. And, the wind was crazy...I saw sheets of rain flying sideways! Naturally, when I finally arrived at my exit, it looked like it had hardly rained at all. Apparently the storms had not made it to my house yet. Because of this, I'm pretty sure the hubby thought my recount of the story driving home was all exaggeration.

Today, I brought both running and swim gear with me. Hopefully, I'll be able to do one or the other. I don't feel like I've had a real workout all week!

By the way, the summer school crap is getting really old. It has pretty much taken every spare minute I have to finish all of this week's assignments. Only 7 more weeks left, only 7 more weeks left...I'm just going to keep reminding myself of this.

Summer of Swim

Yesterday was swim class #2. I was relieved to find that there were a few other girls like me - not afraid of water and can "sort of swim". So, while we were waiting around for class to begin, we attempted to swim a little. One girl is actually a pretty good swimmer, but can't tread water. Since I can tread water, we swapped pointers that we thought would help each other. Nothing against the our teacher (a different person than yesterday), but I think I learned more from the other girl than from the teacher. The teacher had to spend a lot of time teaching folks how to float and do the "superman", so he had his hands full. :-) I am happy that there was no thunder today and we actually had time to get in some swimming...I was worried that I was going to be wasting time floating and would have no workout at all over the two weeks of lessons. After all, spending the small amount of time I have to workout at my swim lesson means that I won't have as much time for running.

After I showered and headed off to school, I recognized a few strider folks taking off for their run. I have to admit, I was a bit envious. Friday I'm hoping to get in a short run after the swim lesson...that would be my very first "brick" workout!

Tonight, I am planning to head home after the swim class and hang out with the hubby and kiddo. I still have homework to do, but I figured I could squeeze it in after the kiddo is in bed. The hubby is actually working days this week, which has helped! It's been a crazy week of multiple school assignments, so it's allowing me to go to the library in the evenings. Of course, I would much rather use that time to hang out with him after the kiddo is in bed. Doing homework is not as fun!

Cassie, I'm taking the swim lessons at the pool at Memorial Park. It's $25 for 8 classes, which I thought was a pretty good bargain. I don't know if I will really learn proper form and technique though...that may requires some one on one time with an instructor. I need all the help I can get!

A different kind of workout

I finally did something I have wanted to do for years - I signed up for swim lessons! I know how to swim, sort of. Okay, maybe I should rephrase that. I can get from one end of the pool to the other, but what I do to get there may not be what anyone would actually call swimming. ;-)

The 1st group class was yesterday and I met several really, really nice folks (mostly women). And many of them, like me, need to be taught proper form, breathing, etc. However, I would venture to guess that about 75% of the class consisted of folks who are either afraid of the water or who are not afraid, but don't even know how to float. And to think that I was afraid of being the worst swimmer in the class! I guess it never occurred to me that there would be folks who didn't like the water. As luck would have it, within 5 minutes of getting in the pool, there was a rumble of thunder and we all had to exit the pool. Class was cancelled. Bummer! I'm hoping today will be better. I was really looking forward to getting in at least a little bit of a workout.

Next, I dried off and headed to school to meet about our Econ group project. I definitely have the Mommy guilt this week. I haven’t seen the kiddo awake for more than 10 minutes since Sunday! And tonight, it's more of the same..work, swim lesson, school, home. But, I am hoping to finish my take home exam, "reaction paper" and case study tonight, so that I can spend tomorrow and Friday evenings hanging out with the family and get a run in. (and maybe I can sleep past 4:30..at least until we get our next Econ assignment on Sat.)

I've always been one who loves to stay busy, but this is a bit much! :-)

Yikes...

Sorry for the lack of posting! The weekend was a whirlwind of activity!

I did get in a run on Wednesday...a very lazy 3 miles.

Thursday and Friday were consumed with homework. Saturday was school all day and swimsuit shopping (that could be the subject of an entirely different post!). Sunday, I managed to get in a 6-miler at the park. Next was playgroup, then off to the library while the kiddo hung out with the grandparents. Then I picked her up and we headed to Chuck E. Cheese for a birthday party for one of the kiddo's school friends. Yes, even at age 2, she as a social calendar. This coming weekend, there are two parties on the agenda! I think we'll be doing good to make it to one of those.

By the way, I did squeeze in an hour to say goodbye to my favorite tv family and watch the Sopranos series finale.



Did anyone else think their cable went out at the end? I was pretty disappointed in the ending at first, but now I am just happy that my favorite folks didn't get whacked and that life goes on as normal...well, as normal as possible for the head mobster of NJ. :-)

Work is certainly getting busier. I think my grace period as "the new girl" is over! Don't get me wrong, I am really enjoying it. The job is much more interesting than my previous job, but also much, much more challenging.

Add my school schedule to that and I am a bit stressed. Economics is kicking my butt! I thought Accounting and Statistics were tough, but Econ seems like a whole new language. All the damn curves on the graphs..supply, demand, indifference, income effect, shifting, movement along the line, elasticity, consumer behavior, ugh! It makes my head spin. I was at the library late last night trying to figure it all out. Oh, and we are doing some work on our house. Nothing big, just a couple of new windows, some new kitchen counter tops and bathroom tile. Just enough to make our house look like a mini war zone for awhile! I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I am a neat freak. It's probably a good thing I'm spending so much time at school, because spending too much time in a dirty, dusty house would drive me insane. ;-)

I may be MIA for days at a time for the next 10 weeks. But rest assured, I am going to be running. Maybe not as many miles as I would like, but I will be there. It's going to be a very long summer!

Bored?

Need something to do this weekend?

Here are a couple of ideas:




Have you seen THE MET yet? (Or, have you seen the bumper stickers that say that?) See the Houston Metropolitan Dance Company perform at Miller Outdoor Theatre tonight, June 8, 2007 at 8 pm. Admission is free..I promise, fighting the mosquitos will be worth it!




Join the Greater Houston Preservation Alliance for their Main Street/Market Square Twilight Walking Tour - 6 p.m., Sunday, June 10, 2007. Tour meets at Market Square Park, Travis at Congress.


And, coming soon......


See the Newsboys at Lakewood Church on Sunday, June 17th at 7:00 pm. Admission is free. (If you know where the Summit/Compaq Center used to be, then you know where to go!)

Race Pics!

Ahhhh, race pics! No better way to capture yourself in action...you know, pulling your shorts out of your butt, grimacing in agony or just simply looking like a goober. Here are some that I forgot to post...

One from way back at the Easter Bun Run 5K in April is here.

Astros Race for the Pennant 5K

There's some of me and the kiddo here.

A good one of the four of us (kiddo, nephews and me) here.

And more of the kiddo here. (a little cutie if I do say so myself!)

I am happy to say that I did not wake up with any strange aches and pains this morning! I always hear that the day after an accident is much worse than the day of, so I'm hoping that I'm in the clear. I did skip the run yesterday and opted for a warm bath and glass of wine instead. And, thanks to everyone for the kind words and well wishes. Cassie, you're absolutely right - it is just a car! Everyone involved is fine and that's the most important thing!

Today after work, I took the kiddo to the playground. Instead of trying to squeeze in a short run beforehand and only giving the kiddo 20-30 minutes to play, I decided to just let the kiddo play, play, play. I wore my running clothes, just in case..and the kiddo even seemed confused that I didn't get out the jog stroller at first. Of course, as soon as she spotted the playground equipment, she forgot all about running! She had a blast and I had fun just watching her go and occasionally playing chase and sliding with her.

Tomorrow, I'll get in a run after work and will be back on schedule. Now, I better hit the books...there's a Wall Street Journal article with my name on it.

Perspective

I let out huge sigh this morning when the pantyhose I wanted to wear to work had a huge hole in the leg. (Yes, some of us still wear hose from time to time).

"Awww Man!", I said.

"What's wrong?", asked the kiddo.

I just smiled and told her it was no biggie, Mommy had better find something else to wear. I'd hate to let her think something so minor was something to get dramatic about. In the grand scheme of things, this sort of thing is no biggie. However, when you're having one of those mornings, it seems huge. I was about to be reminded where the hole in the hosiery fit into the grand scheme of things.

I left the house using the same route I use every morning.

Right turn off my street.

Left turn onto big street.

BAM!

I got t-boned. It was my fault. There was a Metro bus sitting at the bus stop. I thought I had taken a good look beyond it, before I made my turn....apparently not. I was lucky that neither of us were injured. Our vehicles weren't so lucky. Mine is in the shop as I type this and a shiny rental car is in my driveway. I'm not so sure about the other guy. Even though I was at fault, he was the one getting tickets - no license, no insurance, who knows what else. He was even borrowing the car from a friend, so I am sure he's in hot water with that person. I feel really bad about the whole thing. Of course, my insurance is going to LOVE me. Big time. But, I have to admit...it kinda puts things into perspective.

I'm feeling a bit sore, so no running for me today. Maybe tomorrow will be better.

The park, school, movies, running and whackings

The weekend just flew by again! Friday, the hubby met me at the park with the kiddo. I ran a couple of miles before they arrived, then met them at the playground. The kiddo loves being outside, which made it difficult for us to convince her to leave when it's finally time to go.

Saturday was my 1st day of classes. Ethics was first and while it will not be a cake walk, it doesn't seem too frightening. We have a case study due each week, a mid-term and a big final group presentation. Economics, on the other hand, seems pretty scary. There are 3 tests, a reaction paper each week, 2 group projects, discussion questions, etc. etc. etc. Looks like I will beat the Houston summer heat by spending lots of time in the library. Joy.

Saturday night the hubby and I actually had a date night. It's been a few months, so we were long overdue. We had dinner and then headed to the movies to see Spiderman 3. I LOVED it! The movie had everything I liked about the series...the action and special effects. Plus, there's a bit of love story. The hubby thought it was "okay" and told me that it wasn't what he expected. When I asked him why, he just said, "I just thought it would be like the other two." I asked him to elaborate and he mumbled something about the mushy love story. Boys. On the way to pick up the kiddo, we had a lengthy discussion about what happens next in the comic books. Seriously, I thought he was going to run out to the storage shed and start digging out his old comic book collection to find Spiderman #300 (where Spidey gets the black suit). Boys. Did I already say that?

This morning, I headed to the park for a couple of loops. It was humid as heck! Not much to report, except that the foot didn't hurt at all until I made it back home. Oh, and that blister is back. Strange. I really didn't feel like running. In fact, I've felt like that for the past week or so. I'm hoping that running with a group again after the summer semester will help. I just have to make it to mid-August...that seems really far away. After playgroup and grocery store, I managed to read a chapter of Ethics and then took the kiddo to the neighborhood pool. I wanted to squeeze in another chapter after the went to bed, but I had a shift in priorities - The Sopranos. Yep, only 2 episodes and then no more...and tonight it seems they were making up for the lack of whackings in the last season. Woohooo! ;-)

So, looks like a late night with the books.

I'm in...

Rather than procrastinating (like I usually do), I decided to just do it - I registered for the Aramco 1/2 Marathon in January!



For a split second, my cursor lingered over the Houston Marathon registration button. I love the idea of training for and running the full, but I don't like the idea of trying to balance that training with family, work and school. Without school thrown into the mix, it's a no brainer - marathon, marathon, marathon. But the memories are still vivid of training for Chicago last fall and trying to squeeze in the 15, 18, 21 milers with all that homework, papers, group projects and library time. Not fun! So, I'm sticking to the promise I made to myself last October - no more full marathons until after grad school. But, I will be living vicariously through all my fellow bloggers and look forward to reading all about your marathon training!

I didn't get a workout in yesterday afternoon. After happy hour, I felt quite lethargic....drinking wine does that to me. We had a great time at The Corkscrew. I highly recommend the place! They have a great selection of wines and great customer service. They also have free wine tastings on Thursday from 5:30 - 7:30. My favorite last night was the Adami Prosecco.



It's a fresh, fruity sparkling wine that is perfect for summer. Yummy! Of course, I'm no wine expert. In fact, before last night, I had never even heard of prosecco. I ended up buying a bottle, which I'm sure I could have bought at Spec's much less dinero.

Today, I'm meeting the hubby and kiddo at the park after work. I'm not sure how the foot will hold up, so I'll just take it nice and slow. Tomorrow I start school again. I'm bummed to be missing the Heights 5K and the Houston Striders Picnic, so everyone have some fun for me!!!