Brick...sort of

Going to bed at after 1 am on Saturday after a long day at school, then waking up around 5:30 am to work-out just doesn't work for me. I’ll tell you more about why later...

I made it to the park by 6am for my run. I don't know why, but I decided to cut back this week and only do 5 strong miles. That's exactly what I did. It was hot, it was humid, it was summer in Houston. I'm not sure of each split, but my average pace was 11:08 min/mile. I started out a little too fast and ended up taking it slow toward the end. I think in the beginning, I was just excited about getting the run done and getting on to my 1st bike ride. I did see the speed-demon Jake (he and his crew passed me up!) and new friend, Alfonso, out there on the trail! Overall, I give the run 2 thumbs up. It was fun, even though it was short.

Next, I changed into my spiffy new bike shorts and took my sweaty, red-faced self to a nearby trail. This would be my 1st official bike ride since the summer of '96! I have to admit that the hardcore bikers at Memorial Park intimidate me, so for my 1st ride, I wanted to go somewhere where there wouldn't be quite as much biking traffic. I also wanted to be where I wouldn't have to ride on the street with any cars. I knew I wasn't quite ready for that yet. :-)

I set off for my ride. I was limited to about 40 minutes, because I had to hurry and get home to take the kiddo to her swim lesson. So, I did about 21 minutes out and the same back. Actually, I made it back to my car in more like 20 minutes, so I kept riding a little longer. I don’t have a cyclometer, so I don’t know for sure if my mileage is correct…I think I rode a tad bit over 8 miles. Not very far, but enough to realize that I do, in fact, remember how to ride a bike and that I think I am going to like it! Wooohoo! One thing I noticed is that the heat doesn't seem to affect me on the bike like it does when I run. When I run, I get really overheated, my face gets all red and I feel like I can't go any farther. With the bike, while I was sweating, the heat didn't seem as oppressive. I may have felt differently if I had had gone for a longer ride, though.

Anyway, I pretty much took it easy just so I could get the feel of the bike and learn the trail. Of course, I am sure I looked like a runner trying to bike. :-) There was one area where the cement trail was roped off and I had to go around. Apparently, I picked the wettest side of the path…when I rode through the grass and around the barrier, I made a big splash and got mud all over my legs and even on my shirt. You know what? It was fun! I’m beginning to think I should stick to the mountain bike and do some trails. I dunno, maybe I should take it one step at a time. ;-)

Later that night, after the swim lesson and after spending 5 hours at the library, I put the kiddo to bed. At one point, she asked me to sing a song to her. I don't remember what I was singing, but one minute I am singing and the next the kiddo is asking, "Mommy, why did you stop singing?" Um, yeah, I had fallen asleep mid-song! Sad. Just sad, I tell you! Needless to say, I did not work on anymore homework that night. Once the kiddo finally drifted off to sleep, I headed to bed too. It was 9:15 pm. Sad!

A True Texas Legend

I felt a little silly posting this at first. It's funny how you can never meet someone in person (although I have seen him in restaurants several times), yet they become a part of your life in a small way.

That was Marvin Zindler.

A lot of new Houstonians see him for the 1st time - those white hairpieces, the obvious cosmetic surgery, interesting suits and blue-tinted sunglasses - and wonder what he's doing on TV.

Marvin joined KTRK when I was only a year old, so for me, Marvin was just a normal part of every day life. I can remember being a kid (not much older than my own kiddo) and running into the living room just so I could join in when Marvin gave his signature signoff, "MAR-VIN ZIND-LER, EYE-WIT-NESS NEWS!". And of course, there's also the Friday sign-off of "good golf, good tennis or whatever makes you happy!" To top it off, he could twirl the baton and play the flute like nobody's business.

As I grew older, I realized that Marvin was not just about the "Rat and Roach Report", "Blue Ribbon Awards" and "SLIME in the ice machine!"; he was working to help change people's lives for the better. He was the type of person that, after awhile, you take for granted and think just might live forever. Unfortunately, that's not the case...Marvin was a mere mortal. However, he left behind a huge legacy. Just think - without him, we would not have "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"! Yep, Dom Delouise's character was based on Marvin Zindler!

It's hard to believe that we won't be seeing Marvin nightly anymore.

Godspeed to a true Texas legend.

School Daze

This summer has been a complete blur.

I can't believe it...both of my professors decided to not have a real final. In Ethics, we just have to do our final group presentation and turn in our papers...yipeeeee!

However, the work I have to finish for Econ between now and August 12th is more than enough to make up for that. We have a major presentation next Saturday, plus a case analysis based on that presentation which is also supposed to summarize everything we've learned this semester. That should be enough, but nope...we also have 2 essays to answer - one macro & one micro - that will be posted for us by Tuesday. Plus, our 15 page take home "test" from last week. Oh joy! Luckily, my take home test is over 1/2 done.

I am getting in a run and hopefully a ride on my borrowed bike tomorrow. Because after that, I think I might be way to busy to even think about running/riding. Sigh.

But, then I have 2 GLORIOUS WEEKS OFF instead of only one! Wooohooo!!!!!!

By the way, I went to Bike Barn today to pick up helmets for me and the kiddo. OMG, now I see why Lisa had trouble picking out a bike! I looked at various models and have definintely caught the bug. I tried not to look too much, because I promised the hubby that I would be true to our budget and wait until we get our bonuses at work....in November. It seems like an eternity away, but I know it will be here before I know it. One thing I realized is that I have a ton to learn about bikes! Aluminum, carbon fiber, components...don't even get me started on all the gears! I have to admit, it's all a bit intimidating.

Misc

There was no running last night. I was very responsible last night at the meeting. I had one glass of wine, followed by lots of water. And, I had one small slice of pizza, instead of 3 larger ones (which I really wanted)! Weight Watchers has been going well for me these days, so I wasn't going to completely blow it. I was all ready to run, but when I pulled into my driveway, I had company. Not just the in-laws. but the hubby's aunt and uncle too. Bummer. And to top it off, my boyfriend wasn't on tv last night, so I don't even have the DVR-ed show to look forward to this weekend. I did manage to finish my two case studies, so that's something.

I'll give running another try this afternoon (weather permitting).

In the meantime, just a few running items I've been meaning to mention here. It seems I keep getting sidetracked by other, more pressing items (like this).

• Cassie bought up the topic of accelerade in her blog. Here's my .02....I tried the blue, pre-mixed version that you can find with all the other sports drinks at your local Krogers. The 1st time I tasted it, it just tasted too strong to me. But, as I was running, it didn't seem too bad. (Could be due to the fact that it was hot and anything would have tasted good.) However, I did notice a couple of things. First, it left a weird residue on my teeth. Second, it got really foamy (almost like beer). What I didn't know is that Accelerade also comes in a powdered form. I may either try this and add more water, or just water down the pre-mixed stuff. Or, I may just stick to my lemonade-flavored Gatorade. One thing worth noting is that, per the website, Accelerade is "the first and only protein-enhanced sports drink containing carbohydrate and protein in a patented 4:1 ratio."

• I've resorted to wearing only my running skirts on my long runs these days. I love the gym girl skirt from Skirt Sports! It has nice compression shorts underneath, so I don't have to worry about my shorts riding up. Trust me, I don't want to waste any energy constantly tugging at my shorts...I need all my energy for the run!



• Finally, I am in dire need of a new fuel belt! Mine is really old and looking pretty sad the days. I love it, because it has a real buckle instead of velco like the newer ones. And it has more pockets for stashing stuff like gu, salted pumpkin seeds and a cell phone (yes, I carry one if I am doing a long run alone!). So, I've been looking around and have decided on this one. Now, if I can just get my butt into the store to get it!
  
• This one looks interesting though....

So, that's it for now. Hopefully, next time I post, I will have lots running and maybe even some biking to talk about.

Have a great weekend!

Jello

Is it possible for your muscles to just turn to jiggly jello after not running for 2 days? With the in-laws in town, I didn't get to run last night or this morning. Now I just feel all yucky (for lack of a better word). Of course, that could partially be due to the fact that I tried on bike shorts yesterday during my lunch break. My God, those things are not flattering for us, um, curvier-on-the-lower-half women. It was as much fun as trying on the speedo swimsuits a couple of months ago! I assure you, my torso does not resemble the one below. LOL!





I'm not sure how tonight will go. I have a meeting tonight for a work-related organization I'm in, so we'll see! I guess it depends on whether or not I partake in the frosty adult beverages at the meeting. ;-) I'll try to use a little self control.


Have a great Thursday!

Ugly 8

The hubby and I stayed up too late watching movies last night, which resulted in me pushing the snooze button a few times this morning. ;-) I made it to the park a bit after 6:30 am and for the first time in months, I could not get a parking spot in the tennis center lot. There were large groups of people in the warm-up area....yep, marathon training in full swing!

Before I started my run, I had a chance to talk to another Sunday morning "regular", Alfonso. He does 3 laps every Sunday and started running after his doctor suggested it because of health issues. That man can haul some butt...of course, compared to me, most people look like they're hauling butt. Thanks to tri-bunny for the route recommendation....I ended up running down Memorial to Post Oak past the stables. Then, since I wanted to try to get in 8 miles, I decided to run down Woodway for a few miles before heading back to the park. It was a great change of scenery, although next time I will just keep running down Memorial. I saw a few other runners, but mostly a lot of folks on bikes.

The temp was 81 when I left the house and it was pretty humid. I just felt slow today. I had a hard time breathing from the get-go and my fuel belt felt like it weighed 100 lbs. I walked way more than I should have, but I finished dammit! Eight very long, very ugly miles.

I can't wait until the summer semester is over when I can at least get in an occasional group run with the peeps! I am hoping that it will help keep me motivated and honest on these long runs. As I was taking an extended walk break today, I thought about the group runs...I would have NEVER taken an extra walk break with the group. Ugh, I need to get motivated again! It's sad that I need a group for that. Whew, only a little less than 3 weeks 'till summer school is over!

I do feel like I got in a 2nd work out today at the kiddo's swim lesson. The damn teacher kept making us go around the pool in circles with our kiddos to the tune of Pop Goes the Weasel or Ring Around the Rosy. That followed by afternoon playground time and I am pooped!

Running Stats
Conditions - low 80s & humid
Distance - 8 miles
Total run time - 1:34
Pace - 11:51 (UGLY!)

Yum-my!

In honor of today being Friday, I thought I would post some eye candy:

Ahhh, David Beckham. Yum-my! It's too bad Victoria Beckham: Coming to America didn't feature more footage of him. Sigh. This pic is pretty tame for him. Hey, I am trying to keep the blog as PG-13 as I can! Of course, I did look at the other pics too. ;-) (Like this one...and this one. And, holy crap, this one!)

I have to admit, I am pretty clueless when it comes to tv these days. I make a point to watch no more than 1 or 2 shows at a time, if that. Right now I'm watching So You Think You Can Dance and Big Love. I knew the Beckhams were coming to the US, but jeeze, I had know idea there was going to be a reality show to televise the ordeal! So, I had to clean house and run on the treadmill last night. The kiddo is asleep, so I turn on the tv to have a little background noise and there it was.

First thought - WTF?????


Second thought - Why in the hell does anyone care enough to actually watch the Beckhams move here????


Then, it happened. I was sucked in. You know what they say about train wrecks, right? You don't want to look at it. Then you do. Next thing you know, you can't pull your eyes away from the wreckage. This was EXACTLY like that! The silliness of it, the accent, the crazy-ass clothes...I couldn't help but watch. I am the gullible goofball that the tv networks try to capture. I fell right into their trap.


I know what you are thinking.


You're shaking your head. tsk, tsk.


Don't worry. I don't understand it either.


At least it made cleaning the house and my 30 minutes on the treadmill a little more bearable. That, my friends, is always a good thing.


Running Stats
Conditions - treadmill
Run time - 30 minutes
Distance - 2.78 miles
Pace - 10:50-ish

Challenging Run

Not challenging as in, "Wow, that was a great workout!" Challenging as in the kiddo is having some sleep issues and trying to run last night was a challenge.

I think we're getting a little taste of the "terrible twos", because for the past week or so the kiddo has been very defiant about going to bed. Just the mention of bedtime and we have Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. One minute she's a cute little girl coloring at her Dora the Explorer table, the next, she's a heap on the floor, crying, flailing legs and arms, and saying "I don't want-a to!". We’ve tried various methods to make this a little easier, but still have some issues. I won’t go into all the details, but last night was more of the same, “I don’t want-a to!” thing. Every time I thought she was finally asleep, I would hop on the treadmill. Only to hear crying and “Mommy, mommy!” on the monitor. But, I managed to get in 10-minutes here, 4-minutes there, etc. All-in-all, I managed to get in a total of 30 minutes.

I’m just happy to have made it this far into the twos with only a tiny bit of the infamous “terrible twos” behavior. Thank God it's nothing a glass of Pino Grigio can't make all better. :-) This morning, everything was fine. She woke up as I was getting out of the shower and asked me, “Why you have silly hair today mommy?” Awww, so sweet.

Running Stats
Conditions – treadmill, stop-go-stop
Run time - 30 minutes total
Distance – 2.78 miles
Pace – 10:47

I'm a loser baby.....

Yeah, that song was going through my head this morning. I was supposed to get up and run for 30 minutes before the hubby made it home from work this morning. Instead, I slept in.

I had to be at work this morning at 6:30 am. Getting up early enough to get in my run just seemed a bit insane to me. Especially since I didn't get home last night from school and picking up the kiddo until after 10pm. And, the kiddo really thought we were going to watch Dumbo when we finally made it home. Um, No!

Three more weeks of classes...I have to keep telling myself that!

Anyway, I'll probably regret skipping the run later and end up guilting myself into a few miles tonight.

All this guilt from not working out reminds me of a quote from an article I read Vanity Fair while getting my hair cut. In fact, the same thing was stated in a comment here not too long ago. It said something about how you never feel guilty after a workout, only after you skip one. That's so true. The same holds true after eating a healthy meal...no guilt there either. It's only when you eat a big, greasy burger that you feel the pangs of guilt. Something I need to remember!

Short Post

Okay, so having a chocolate addiction isn't so bad. Neither is having a Starbucks addiction. However, pairing up either with a snooze button addiction and you have a problem. If I can't run for the amount of time I need to, how on earth and I supposed the burn the calories from that tall, non-fat, no-whip mocha??? Anyone? Luckily, I have cut down to only one a week. And, I no longer get the "low-fat" pastries. I wish I could say the same for the chocolate. :-) Hey, a girls gotta have at least one vice...right?

I managed to get in a very easy 25 minutes on the dreadmill. Not so bad, but considering I was going to do 40, not so good either. So, 25 minutes running, followed by 25 minutes of Economics homework, followed by 45 minutes of getting ready for work, followed by 10 minutes of Higglytown Heroes with the kiddo. Today's hero? A Receptionist! Hmmm....

(picture borrowed from disney UK website)

Running Stats
Conditions - treadmill
Total run time - 25 minutes (no intervals)
Total distance - 2.2 miles
Pace - 11:20 (nice & easy)

Weekend Re-cap

I had a great time doing dinner and a movie Friday night. Of course, dinner included margarita's! We went to see Knocked Up, which was a little slow in parts, but overall freakin' hilarious. If you don't have kids, you may not want them after seeing the delivery room scene!

Saturday, I had school all day. Blah! The good news - only 4 more weeks! The bad news - I have 4 case studies, 1 reaction paper and 2 group presentations/papers due between now and then. That's pretty much all for the day besides a trip to the grocery store and the hubby's fishing tournament (his team had fun and one of the members won 2nd place red...or was it trout?).

Today I made it to the park for my LR. No more hemming and hawing...I just woke up, got dressed and headed out. I made it there by 6:15. Let me tell you, you can really tell marathon training has begun, because the park was full of activity. Sunday mornings are usually pretty quiet, but this is the 2nd week in a row with more cars and people than usual.

I decided to do an out and back route since I have been really bad about wanting to go home when I make it around the loop and see my car. I think heading out and back is the solution, since I have to run back to my car to go home. :-) I did a variation of the Rose Garden run for a total of 7 miles. Overall, it went well. The stretch from the park to Shepherd on Memorial was the usual nightmarish, never-ending trek. But, after I made it to Shepherd, it seemed like I was at the Rose Garden in no time! Then heading back, the Memorial trek seemed to go really fast. Before I knew it, I was back at Crestwood and entering the park again! I'll admit that I did walk much more than I should have at the very end. I just kind of pooped out. But, overall it felt great!

I have no idea of my splits, because I didn't have the trusty Garmin. Based on where I *think* the miles are, I was going a tiny bit faster than an 11-minute pace. Not great, but considering the lovely humidity, not too bad either. Plus, I was running with my fuel belt for the 1st time in, well, forever! It took some getting used to at first! That reminds me - when I was heading back to the park, I kept noticing cars driving by from the direction of the park with big raindrops on them. Somehow, I managed to miss all the rain! I made up for it on the way home though...I got caught in a monsoon!

Later, (after the rain) the hubby and I took the kiddo to her swim lesson. Afterwards, we had some lunch and headed to the Children's Museum. We ended the day by riding our bikes in the driveway, playing hopscotch and blowing bubbles. Fun, fun! By the way, I was relieved to know that I can still ride a bike!

More on the dreadmill

I managed to get in my 3rd morning run this week. Again, I pushed the snooze button a bit too much, but I did get in 30 minutes. Since I'm not getting in much weekly mileage, I thought I should at least get in some good running in that little bit of time. So, I did 5/1 intervals with the 5 minute runs at a 10-minute pace....for me, on a treadmill, that's really good. It's a good thing that I'm doing this early morning running, because I've either worked late or had school meetings every night this week. And networking...Oh. My. God. I have been to 4 different networking meetings this week! As someone who is naturally introverted, I think I've had all the networking I can take.

More news...I am going to pick up the bike today! Woohoo!

In addition to picking up the bike, I am having dinner and seeing a movie with some girlfriends. It seems like it's been forever since my last girls night! Actually, the last one was the concert a couple of weeks ago. But, this one seems like ages ago!

The hubby is off to a kayak fishing tournament today and tomorrow. Send him some "catch some humongous fish" vibes if you don't mind. I have school tomorrow, but intend to get in a nice long-run on Sunday morning. I haven't decided the route or how far just yet.

Have a great weekend!

Got plans for tonight?

If not, why not check out Emory Quinn at Blanco's tonight???

There's happy hour from 2-7 pm!!!

Let there be bikes!

Hooray! I have a bike!

Sort of.

My good friend Marlina is letting me borrow her bike to start training for the Tour de Pink! Actually, she has two - a road bike and a mountain bike. They're both in storage and the one that's easier to get to is her mountain bike. So, I'll get my riding legs back with that one until she can get to the road bike. She rarely uses them, plus she is preggo right now and has no desire to use either of them at the moment. Woohooo! Marlina is the nut who got me started training for marathons...it's all her fault! :-)

There's a group of folks at work who have formed a team for the Tour de Pink and are about to begin training. I'll guess I'll see how I like riding. I am trying to decide which distance to ride - there's the option of 12, 23, 47, 63, 80 & 100 miles. I'm not going to go crazy and sign up for 100 miles...I don't have that much time to train between now and then (then being September 9th). Plus, it's been, well...it's been a long time (like a decade) since I've been on a bike. Originally, I was being quite optimistic and cocky thinking I could go for the 63 or 80 mile ride. My friend thought I was nuts! So, I'm thinking that 47 miles might be easy enough to train for, but still a challenge for someone like me. Any opinions are appreciated.

Anywho, I am excited! I need get the bike checked out, since it's been awhile since she's been on it. I also need a helmet and bike-friendly clothing. Any opinions here are appreciated as well. I am a complete and total novice when it comes to this type of riding. The last time I rode a bike, it was around College Station (WHOOP!), to and from school and leisurely rides around the campus and surrounding country roads. I wore no helmet and was biking in shorts and A&M t-shirts. Like I said, I'm a novice!!!

I am looking forward to the cross-training and brick workouts!

Okay, starting today I am going to try a new font. Whatcha think of this one?

Quick Update

Well, our DSL is not working at home and my laptop is fried, so I can only blog from work before my day gets started. Not much to report. I have a major addiction to my snooze button that needs to be stopped. Is there a Snoozers Anonymous? :-)

I slept in yesterday, which only allowed for a 20 minute treadmill run. I was planning to do 30 minutes. This morning, I only ended up running 30 minutes, rather than 40. Tomorrow morning I vow to not push the snooze button at all!

I've decided to try to get in as many morning runs as possible. It's least disruptive to everyone in the house. I was doing this for awhile last year, but then got lazy. I love it because it allows me to still spend more time with the hubby and kiddo and no one's schedule has to be rearranged to provide childcare. Well, except on the long-run days. Plus, it would just be plain crazy to attempt runs at the park right after work in the 100+ heat. So, as much as I hate the treadmill, it's what I need to do.

Just an update on the laptop...I haven't tried to turn it on yet. Everywhere I looked on the web, people advised waiting 48 hours so everything can dry out. I'll try to turn it on tonight. Keep your finger's crossed!

That's it for now. Have a great day!

Hmmm, for some reason, I can't title my post. Weird. That's okay, because I have no idea what I would title it. How about...

No motivation.

Headache from Hell.

I'm sick of school.

I am soooo screwed.

Any of the above titles would work just fine today.

The alarm clock was set for 5 am, but I didn't roll out of bed until 6 am. I made it to the park for my 7 miler by 6:30 am, stretched and got going. Naturally, it was humid as heck, but the temp was a nice, low 76 so it wasn't too bad. I made it around the loop, but not at record-breaking speeds:

Mile 1 - 11:04
Mile 2 - 10:56
Mile 3 - 10:38

Then, I decided I was going home. Seriously. I was done. I didn't even reason with myself like I normally do. I just untied my shoe so I could get my key, and hopped in my car to head home. Then, I decided that I was being silly. I needed to get in at least a few more miles. I thought about how I didn't get to run last Sunday because of the rain. Next, I thought about how badly I had eaten the previous day while at the beach. Grrrrr. I exited the freeway and headed to a different running path figuring that a change in scenery might do me some good. Sure enough. I promised myself that I would run for 35 more minutes, just to be sure I'd at least gotten in another 3 miles. (I forgot to charge my Garmin last night.) So yeah, it wasn't a great run and it wasn't 7 miles, but it was a run. I seriously need to re-evaluate what I am doing. I need to buy a bike, start a dance class or join a gym. Running isn't as fun to me as it used to be, so I think I need to vary my routine and not just run. The problem? Fitting it into my schedule! Squeezing it in between work, school, the kiddo and the hubby's work schedule is hard. I'm really going to have to think about that. Oh and I am sick of school and I did have the headache from hell. :-)

Now, onto the next topic...I am so screwed! I spilled a 1/4 glass of diet cherry limeade on my book bag, which was holding my laptop at the time. The laptop does not work at all! I am letting it dry out and hoping for the best. If anyone has experience in this area, please let me know. Luckily, I saved all my files on a zip drive, otherwise I would have been in even more of a panic. The only big problem right this minute is that I only have MS Office on the laptop, not on our desktop. I have to do some correlations and regression analysis in Excel for class on Saturday. Worst case scenario - I stay at work late to do it. Doh!

On a happier note, I had a great 3-miler on Friday. After the monsoon-type rains stopped and it was safe to drive, I headed from work to the park. The park was so desolate, it was almost creepy! I was worried about how the quad would feel, but it felt great and I felt like I could run another loop if I had time to. :-)

Saturday, the little family headed to the beach where we had loads of fun with our friends. The kiddo loved the water and didn't want to get out. Yep, she's just like her parents! Today, we skipped playgroup to try the "mommy & me" swim classes at the Y. We both had a great time. Seeing all those folks swimming laps made me really want to get back into the pool! Finally, we headed over to check out David Adickes' Beatles statues. They are awesome! If you get a chance, head over and check them out! There are also busts of all the presidents there.

Here are some pics from the weekend...

My beach baby...


Hanging out with Daddy..I know you're lovin' that booty, ummm I mean booties (on his feet) :-)


The Beatles! Check out me and the kiddo, the statues are huge! I can almost hear "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds"


John...


Some of the Presidents...I read that these will be placed somewhere along 288 in Pearland.

Ho hum

Well, work has been busy! I managed to survive my first trips to our Dallas and Austin offices this week, so now I can get back to my regular schedule again. Still no running, although I may try to get in a lap around the park and some swimming after work...weather permitting.

I've been resting the quad since Monday, so that I could hopefully make the houston fit 10-miler tomorrow. It turns out that we're going to the beach bright and early in the morning instead. Hey, I only get one weekend off from school all summer...I better take advantage of it and get in some family time. Looks like it'll be another Sunday solo run. Not as fun, but I'm not sure the quad could take 10 miles anyway.

Gee, not much to say today. I have tons of work to catch up on now that I am back in the office. Sorry for the boring post!

Have a great weekend!

Holiday!

I sit here typing with the dog cowered beneath my feet. He hates thunder, but he hates fireworks even more! :-)

As some of you know, my quad has been bothering me for about a week. Well, I was kind of at a loss for how to workout without aggravating it. Last night, I finally decided to do just the arm and stomach sections of the Si6 workout. Not as good as getting in a run, but definitely a good workout! I paid extra attention to my form and made sure I gave it my all. It worked, because when I woke up this morning, my arms and abs felt nice and sore.

Today, I slept in till 7:47! Awesome! Because of the quad issues, the 4th of July 5K was out of the question for the 4th year in a row.

2004 - I was 5 months preggo...not happening!
2005 - Went out of town
2006 - Shin splints from hell...no running, doctor's orders
2007 - Quad issues

The good news...I remember running this race in 2003. My time was 35:04. Seeing as how I ran my last 2 5Ks in 30:15 and 29:57, it's great to know that I have gotten faster. Great indeed.

The kiddo and I went to my parent's neighborhood, where the kiddo rode her bike in the subdivision parade. She did a great job of pedaling the entire route, although I ended up pushing her a lot of the way just to make sure we kept up with everyone. I think I worked some back muscles I didn't know I had from being hunched over for almost a mile! :-) And to top it off, it started raining about the same time the parade started. We had lunch with my Mom and headed home where we hung out until the hubby woke up. Next, we headed to the park and ended the day with dinner at Beck's. Now, the kiddo is asleep and I'm about to begin my homework while watching the festivities downtown on TV. Not the most exciting way to spend the 4th, but in my opinion it's been a near perfect day! Hope everyone else had a great 4th too! Oh, and check this out...what a difference a year makes...and no, I am not talking about the neighbor's dead grass. Check out the kiddo! :-)




Oh and just a side note...on Monday, I decided to re-commit to eating better (for the 134th time). I am quite proud of myself, because even when traveling to Austin for work yesterday and with the holiday today, I have done remarkably well! We went to 2 different restaurants today where I could have been really, really bad. Instead, I made smart, healthy choices. Considering last year I made cupcakes and pretty much ate half of them myself, I am pretty damn pleased!

Happy Independence Day!

Ouch

Just a quick update, because I have to get ready for work! I ran 2-miles on the dreadmill last night. The quad didn't hurt much while running, but afterwards it was really sore and is sore again this morning. I think I am going to take Jamoosh's advice and rest for the remainder of the week so I can run with Houston Fit on Saturday....it's our only weekend this summer when we have no classes, so I better take advantage!

Wet

This rain is getting old! I'm sure the poor folks in north Texas are ready for it to stop too. Yesterday, I woke up earlier than usual in an effort to beat the heat. Gotta love it when it's 80 degrees at 5:30 am! Of course, it's only July, so this is not the worst of the summer heat. Fortunately, the humidity didn't feel quite as stifling as it usually does. The plan was to do 7 miles...that's a mile longer than I've been running in the past few weeks.

As I left my subdivision, I noticed the big white fluffy clouds and pieces of blue sky. As I got closer to the park, I started noticing the menacing black clouds that were coming from the south. Hmmmm, it didn't look good, but at least there was no lightening in sight.

I parked and began to stretch. I felt a couple of raindrops, but no big deal. I started running and the heavens opened and dumped copious amounts of rain! I kept going, but soon my contacts were shifting from the water and I couldn't see a thing. As much as I hate wearing hats and visors with my short hair, it would have been a great time to have either. I didn't even make it past the tennis courts when I decided to run back to my car and wait to see if the rain would let up. It didn't. In the short time I was in the rain, I was soaked. Naturally, it would be the one time I didn't have a towel. :-) Don't get me wrong, I love running in the rain during the summer. It feels great and gives a little break from the heat. But, when it's pouring and the wind is making the rain go sideways...well, that's no fun at all.

I waited for a little while. As I waited, I saw one person get out of their car and start running. I saw a couple of men grab baseball caps from their car and continue running. But mostly I saw people running to their cars and jumping in, or people pulling up to park and just sit there. I waited for 10 minutes, but there were no signs that it was going to let up. Finally, I went home. The kiddo was already awake, so I could only get in a measly 30 minutes on the treadmill before she wanted me play.

Honestly, that was okay with me. I've been having all kinds of issues lately - the pain in the lower back is still there, shin splints on my right leg and now my right quad is giving me issues. It started hurting during my run on Tuesday. Then, it bothered me again during my 3-miler at the park on Friday. Yesterday, during my short treadmill run, I felt it again. I have no idea what I could have done to hurt it...all I know is that I woke up this morning and my neck hurts! I really don't like feeling like I am falling apart! Jeeze, a girl turns 35 and this is what happens? ;-)

So the rest of the day was pretty much centered around the kiddo. We went to playgroup and the grocery store (she enjoys it more than I do). Later, the hubby and I took her to see Surfs Up, which was really cute but not enough singing and dancing to keep the kiddo entertained. She kept wanting to go to the bathroom, mainly because it gave her an opportunity to run around a little. Speaking of the bathroom, for all the mommies and daddies out there....we are finally potty trained!!!!! Woohooo! Well, except for overnight and the occasional accident (which are becoming few and far between). I know, anyone without kiddos is probably rolling their eyes right now wondering why they should care. LOL! Trust me, this is a big deal considering a couple of weeks ago we were afraid we would be sending her to Kindergarten in diapers in a few years.

Have a great Monday!