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!

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!!!

Party On Dude!

Have I mentioned that I work for a great company? Not only do they know how to work hard, they know how to play hard too. Last night, we had an outdoor event scheduled to begin at 5:30. Yep, that's right...it was right in the middle of that wonderful downpour, complete with thunder and an exciting lightening show. Not to worry, the storm was gone by 6:30. Thank goodness, because with the rain we couldn't have the carnival type of deliciously sinful, fried foods and the band couldn't play. For the 1st time probably a decade, I actually had a funnel cake! Well, okay, I had about 1/8 of a funnel cake...that was about all I could handle of that fried, sugary sweetness. And the band? They were great...they play a lot in Austin and College Station, and they'll be here in Houston at Blanco's in June! Check them out here.

I really didn't think I would get in a run last night. But, after having a 'rita and that funnel cake, I needed to run! And, it's not like I had to study. After the kiddo was in bed, I put on my running shoes and limped to the treadmill. Apparently that speedwork on the incline the day before was not a good idea. Thanks to my bum left foot, I had been limping around almost all day. What on earth was I thinking? I had been limping around all day and I wanted to go for a run? I opted for the 45 minute Si6 workout instead. At least lunges and squats are controlled and don't require the hard impact with the ground. Fortunately, my new medical insurance kicks in tomorrow. Looks like I'll be making a doctor's appointment!

This morning, I only had time for the 20 minute Si6 workout. Hardly seems worth it, but I figure it's better than nothing. Tonight is the happy hour with my classmates. I'm hoping to have time for another workout after that...I've really been wanting to try the Si6 abs workout!

My freedom from classrooms and textbooks is coming to an end. Sigh. I was really enjoying it, but I am ready to tackle this semester and get it done. The best part? After this semester, I will be halfway through the program. Then maybe I'll stop questioning my sanity about going back to school. Then again, maybe not.

Just another day...

The weatherman predicted a HUGE chance of rain yesterday, but by 5pm it looked like it wasn't happening. I decided to head home in a hurry, pick up the kiddo and head to the park for a loop and some playground time. The hubby wanted to go to the gym and with the rest of the week being crazy, it looked like yesterday was the last chance to do this before school starts on Saturday.

Much to my surprise, the kiddo was asleep when I arrived home! It was her 1st day of summer break from school, so it was her 1st day staying with my parents. Apparently, they made the day way too exciting for her and she didn't want to nap. While I was sad that we couldn't get in a day at the park, it gave me some time to get some laundry done, get lunches ready for the next day, finish my Si6 workout and hop on the treadmill. I decided to step it up a notch and do some speedwork with a slight incline. I even took the inlcine up one more notch after a 10 minute warm-up. Naturally, after about 25 minutes of running, she woke up. So that was the end of my workout. By 9:30, she was back in bed. I took advantage of the free time to finish watching a movie I started yesterday - Notes on a Scandal. Pretty good movie, it's very intense with terrific performances from Dame Judi Dench and Cate Blanchett...two of my favorite actresses.

Today, my workday started at 6:45 and won't end until almost 8 pm, so I think it's safe to say that I will not be working out. I will get up super early on Thursday for a workout, since I highly doubt I will want to work out after the afternoon happy hour! See, if I type it here now, I've gotta do it! ;-)

Have a great day!

Happy Memorial Day!

Many thanks to all those who have served our country, especially those who have made the ultimate sacrifice.

The heat is on

Damn. Summer is here. The good news - it's been a cool May for Houston. The bad news - it's only going to get warmer. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate the heat? ;-)

This morning, I met up with the peeps for the 1st time in what feels like forever! Pam, Kay, Courtney, Amy and I managed to get in 7 miles, but not without noticing how much warmer it felt than yesterday morning. It was 78 degrees and humid, but the sun was out in full force. No clouds today. I forgot how much a little heat could slow me down. The last time Kay and I ran together back in March, we were running between 6 & 8 miles at about a 10:30/10:45 pace doing 5/1s. Today, we ended up doing our 7-miler at an 11:41 pace. Ugh, when summer really hits, I imagine my pace will be in the 12-minute range. I hate the heat. Did I say that already?

Afterwards, I ran into a Houston Fit bud, Vicky. Vicky and I trained for NYC together back in 2003 and we still keep in touch. She's running San Diego next week, so best of luck to her! When she gets back in town, we're going to meet so she can share some of her Garmin knowledge with me.

Next, I headed home and took the kiddo to playgroup. Afterwards, she actually told me she was ready to go home. This was a sure sign that she was ready for a nap. Woohoo! For the second day in a row, this runnergirl took a nap! I honestly can't remember the last time I did that. Talk about awesome. This afternoon we grilled burgers for the sister-in-law and nephews and just hung out. Tomorrow, we're heading to the beach! Ahhh, I love 3 day weekends!

Update:

Chip time - 29:57!

So that means I missed the PR by 7 seconds. :-)

2007 Astros Race for the Pennant

At first I wasn't sure how the day would turn out. We got home late last night from the graduation party and I was dumb enough to drink 2 margarita's! (By the way, anything after 10 pm is late for us.) Because we got in late, I had one very grumpy kiddo this morning. So grumpy that I debated about whether or not I should bring her. Luckily, once she woke up a little, she was ready to go. And, I had the nagging foot pain issue, so I wasn't sure how that was going to affect my running. I didn't have many expectations for today, I really just wanted to maintain a 10 minute pace.

The weather was awesome compared to last year! Very humid, but only 74 degrees and little breezy. Very nice for May in Houston! Before the race, we ran into Junction Jack and the kiddo wasn't sure what to think about him. At first, she wanted me to pick her up, but eventually she shook his hand and gave him a high five. We found my sister-in-law and nephews, then Rebecca. So many familiar faces...on the way to the bathrooms, I ran into June and Margo. On the way back from the bathrooms, I ran into a guy I went to high school with...small world! This was his 1st ever 5k, so congrats to him! While waiting to start, I ran into fellow blogger Brenda.

We sang the Anthem and were off. My nephew had spotted a couple of guys from his school, so that was his incentive to take off. I started a little fast,as usual...I checked the Garmin at the 1/2 mile marker and it said 8:56! I knew that was really fast for me, so I slowed it down. When we ran by the stadium again, I saw the kiddo with my sister-in-law. I ran over to give her (the kiddo, not the sister-in-law) a quick kiss. Somehow, I was still going too fast. At mile 1, I skipped the water station and checked the Garmin again - 9:13. By then, I was feeling the foot, but it wasn't too bad.

At mile 2, I thought I hit the lap button again, but apparently missed it. This time, I did stop for water and I did something I swore I wouldn't do ever again during a 5k...I walked! I walked up part of the "hill", drank my water and started running again. I made it to the turnaround and a short while later, I pooped out in almost the exact same spot as last year (somewhere after crossing Dowling). And, I did it again...I walked. It wasn't more than about 30 seconds, but still. I may have walked longer, but a woman was running past and said "C'mon girl, we're almost there". That was all I needed. I started running again and we chatted for a minute about running. She was just getting started with running and asked me if I had run a marathon. Then, we talked for a second or two about getting into a training program. Before I knew it, we were at mile 3 - the 2nd & 3rd miles timed at 18:51. Only one more turn before heading into the stadium to the finish.

30:00

on.the.dot.

Grrr...part of me is proud that I beat my Easter Bun Run time by 15 seconds(which was in near perfect 50 degree conditions with no hills and I beat last year's time in the same race by more than 3 minutes. This is my best 5k time in 5 friggin' years. BUT, part of me is kicking myself for those damn walk breaks. I missed a PR by 10 seconds! Had I dug a bit deeper and not been a pansy, I could have PRed!

Oh well, shoulda coulda woulda...can't change the past. All I can do is remember this at the next 5k and do better. Overall, I am happy that my times are improving, despite my inconsistent training during the school semester...bottom line - I ran better than expected and I had a great time!

The best part of the morning came next! No, I'm not talking about the post-race party, although that was awesome as usual. I'm talking about the kids K! My younger nephew and the kiddo were psyched about running it. We grabbed some grub and headed over to the start. The kiddo was dancing around to the music and having a good time. We ran into Coach Jon and his daughter and hung out with the other kids. However, as more and more kids got there, I think the kiddo got a bit overwhelmed because she wanted me to hold her. The race started and she ran a little while, then just stopped and started crying. Poor thing! She wanted me to carry her, so I did and assured her that everything was A-okay. After awhile she wanted to run again. We pretty much did the run awhile, carry me awhile thing the entire way. Whew, 1K felt more like another 5k with me carrying her part of way! By the end she was doing great! She was so excited to run across the finish line and get her medal! And, she didn't hesitate at all this time when Junction Jack gave her a high five. :-)

If it's not one thing...

it's another!

So tell me, is it normal to always have some kind of running-related pain? I feel like if my back isn't aching, my shins are. And when my shins finally feel better, my foot hurts.

A prime example - I've noticed for a long time (a few months) that my shins are ALWAYS sore. Always. They may not hurt during a run, but I'll get home and the kiddo will bump them and OUCH! Then, I'll touch them and realize that they're both really tender. What's up with that?

I know God gave us legs for some reason, but maybe mine weren't made for running. I'm trying to remember by dance and gymnastics days..I know I would be sore the day after a good workout. I remember barely being able to lift my arms after a hard day of uneven bars or walking funny after a long day of practicing tour jetes. But, I don't remember if there was always some nagging little ache or pain. (Of course then, I was much, much younger!)

So, tell me...is this normal? If it is, great! I'll know that I'm not a weirdo and that it just comes with the territory. I'll just be sure to keep a supply of ice packs in my freezer. If it's not, maybe I should consider a different form of exercise.

Junk Miles

Okay, I'll admit, I don't really know what the term "junk miles" means. But, the term came to mind during my run yesterday.

All day I was so excited - the hubby and the kiddo were going to meet me at the park after work so we could run a loop together and then take the kiddo to the playground! I know it's kinda silly to get excited about that, but the last time we tried a family run at the park was LAST Memorial Day! It's rare that I actually convince the hubby to get out there with me. Most of the time, one of our schedules doesn't allow it. And this time, it was HIS idea!

About 30 minutes before I was scheduled to leave work, the hubby called. Apparently, the kiddo got about 10 mosquito bites on the playground at school this afternoon! Mosquitos love her...it sucks! Her bites swell up and she's just miserable with itching. So, the hubby thought it would be a bad idea for her to be out among them again. I don't know why, but I felt my energy just go out of me after that. I'm usually the type to just go with the flow, so I don't know what happened. I think it was because I was so excited about our family run all day...after the plans changed, I just wasn't feeling like a run.

I went anyway. I'm sure my pace was much, much slower than Monday. (I forgot my Garmin.) And, it was hot! To top it off, my left foot was killing me! The area at the base of my toes (where they connect to my foot) hurt like heck. I've been feeling this pain for awhile now, but it usually only hurts when I walk. Yesterday I noticed it hurt when I was running too. Today, it was the same thing - it hurt to run and it hurt to walk. Grrrr... Speaking of walking, I stopped at two of the water fountains and walked for a minute after each one. Then, I grabbed some gatorade at the Luke's tent and walked some more. I finally decided to stop being a wuss and just get the run over with. I tried rationalizing with myself

this sucks, it hurts to walk and to run...I'm just going to walk

hmmm...plus, it's easier to shift my weight just right when I'm walking so I don't feel it as much

Well, if I run, I'll finish my loop faster and then I won't have to worry about pain

...so I ran the rest of the way and called it a day. I call it my junk miles, because there wasn't a ton of effort given. I was running for the sake of running. Well, that and for the sake of burning some calories. :-) I don't know what to do about the foot. I'll probably do Si6 tomorrow and Friday in order to give it a rest. I'm still running the 5K on Saturday though. Luckily for me, my new medical insurance kicks in next week...I may need to see a doctor. Ugh!

Oh and by the way, last night's LOST finale was AWESOME! Now I remember why I love the show. Dang it and the next season doesn't start until February. If it's anything like the 2nd 1/2 of this season, it will be worth the wait!

Get Fit Houston!!!

It's Get Moving Houston's "Challenge Day 2007".

So, if you do at least 15 minutes of exercise today, you're supposed to let the City of Houston know either via e-mail at challengeday2007@cityofhouston.net or by calling 713-437-6500. You have until tomorrow, Thursday 5/24 to submit your report.

It's all a part of Mayor White's initiave to get Houston healthy. Let's say Buh-Bye to the "Fattest City" title once and for all!

33:37

That's last year's time in the Astro's Race for the Pennant 5K. I am pretty sure, heat and all, I can beat that with no problem. My goal is to maintain a 10 minute pace. Why not try to beat the Easter Bun Run time of 30:15, you ask??? Here are a few reasons:

1) It's going to be 20-30 degrees warmer
2) The course has more turns...the Easter Bun Run was strictly out and back
3) There are actually couple of "hills" if I remember correctly...the Easter Bun Run was flat, flat, flat
3) I don't feel I got in true quality runs over the last few weeks of school (In other words, I had a shift in priorities and was a slacker in the running dept)
4) I've gotten in 2 weeks of "mock" speedwork on the dreadmill...not enough to make a vast improvement

Excuses, excuses...yada, yada. The goal is to have an awesome time. My nephew, Stephen is also running the 5K and is probably going to kick my arse! He runs cross country at his high school and doesn't understand why anyone would need to stop and get water during a 3 mile run. My younger nephew, Anthony, is going to run the kids 1k with the kiddo. All in all, this is going to be a fun event!

As for my fitness this week...I am still thoroughly enjoying week #2 of my freedom from school. This is pretty much how I feel right now:



Yesterday I did 45 minutes of Si6 in the morning and a loop around the park after work. I managed to make it around in 28:57, which is 9:59 pace with 2 quickie walk breaks. For me, that's pretty good...on the same date last year, my loop was 30:30.

Today, was a quickie 2-miler at the park with the kiddo in the new stroller. Did I mention that I LOVE the new stroller??? I do. It was a short run, mainly because I wanted to make sure the kiddo had plenty of time to play at the playground. Not that any amount of time would be enough for her when it comes to the playground. I think I'm going to try to fit in playground time every week when school is not too crazy. The kiddo loves running around outdoors! And, she goes to sleep much faster too. ;-)

I almost forgot...

Congrats to the Texas A&M Women's track team for their 1st ever Big 12 Outdoor Track & Field Championship!!! WHOOP!

Funk Is My Attitude

Wow, what an awesome weekend. With the hubby away at a fishing tournament, the kiddo and I had a girl's weekend.

Friday was a crazy day at work, but I did manage to squeeze in a few minutes to go on-line and buy 3 tickets to see The Wiggles!



The show isn't until August, so I haven't told the kiddo yet. She's going to be so excited! On Friday night, the Kiddo and I went out for pizza with the grandparents.

On Saturday, the kiddo decided to wake-up at 6am. I wish I already had the new jog stroller, because what else is there to do at 6am than go for a run? Well that, and watch the Wiggles. Around 9 am, the kiddo and I picked up my Mom and we headed to the Woodlands Mall...the kiddo was getting her 1st "real" haircut. Until now, I have been trimming her hair...and not doing a very good job. It was time for to let a pro do it. We went to a place designed specifically for kids and she loved it! They even braided the sides and tied the braids together with a bow. Afterwards, she told anyone who listened, "I got a haircut!" and pranced around the mall. Then, we all went to lunch at Rockfish (my late Mother's Day treat from my Mom).

Next on the agenda - Luke's Locker. After much research, I decided to break down and buy the Caddy of jogging strollers...a BOB Revolution!



I am horrible about making what I consider a fairly large purchase. I go back and forth about how I don't need to spend so much. In this case, I finally justified it and just bought it. I had read nothing but good things about this stroller. I just didn't want to end up with another P.O.S.-stroller-from-hell! Anyway, I decided on this one, because you can make the front wheel swivel or fixed which means you can use it for running or at the mall. And, you can get an infant carrier adapter, which will come in handy if/when we decide to have kiddo #2....of course, that may mean we would eventually be in the market for a double stroller instead. Oh well, we'll worry about that if/when the time comes.

Last on the agenda was a haircut for me. I love getting my hair cut! Something about it just makes me feel great...even though I just got the same cut, only a little shorter. :-) On the way back to pick up the kiddo, I threw on the sunglasses and cranked up the old school Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Hey you mister interview
I dont have to answer you
This is what I grew into
Dont judge me and my soul stew
Cause funk is my attitude
Funk is my attitude

Once she was in the car, it was back to the VeggieTales version of "The Wheels on the Bus". Finally, we headed home where the kiddo and I made popcorn and watched Dora's Pirate Adventure for the 587th time. After she went to bed, I watched two chick flicks that I knew the hubby would not want to watch - Little Children (great story & acting, but a bit disturbing in parts) and Because I Said So (okay, but Diane Keaton got on my nerves with her crazy outfits and goofy humor).

I thought about the day and how much I was enjoying my hiatus from school. I realized that if I had not been in school, then I would probably take a day like Saturday for granted. But, after having weekend after weekend consumed with school stuff, I really appreciated every second of the day and being able to do stuff I wanted to do rather than what I had to do. Life is good!

How Texas Are You?

You Are 80% Texas

Well, knock me down and steal muh teeth! You're pretty darn Texan.

How Texas Are You?

You would think that as a native Texan, I would be closer to 100%...but, I'm not into pick-up trucks and cowboy boots, well they're not my thing either.

ETA: I don't know what happened to the link...click HERE to take the quiz.

Freedom - part II

Well, the hubby decided to leave early this morning for the fishing trip rather than last night. So, he picked up the kiddo and I went to the GSA happy hour. I'm glad I did! I met quite a few students who are not in our Saturday cohort and a couple of my future professors. The free drinks and food were also a plus. Good thing I got in a workout this morning...after a couple of 'ritas, I did not feel like running!


I arrived home in time to tuck the kiddo in. Then, the hubby and I watched Alpha Dog. Well, I watched, he fell asleep. Usually it's me doing the sleeping. The movie was good, but very disturbing. But hey, JT was had a major role and he was actually good. Of course, it helps to have some eye candy in any movie. ;-)

Desperate

Anyone know a good commercial construction Superintendent or Project Manager?

Preferably with 10-15 years of experience. And, they must have ground up experience, as well as commercial and medical interior build-out experience.

Finding someone who meets these requirements is hard, so I am willing to try anything....even posting this here. If you or someone you know might be interested, PLEASE let me know!

Freedom

I am certainly enjoying my freedom from school! No studying, no homework, no meeting to discuss group projects! I love it!

Yesterday, I had to be at work super early for a meeting, so no morning workout. After work, I hung out with the kiddo and hubby. Dinner, some hide and seek and reading. I did get in a good 30 minutes on the treadmill after the kiddo was in bed. I set the incline to 1.0 to have a little resistance. And yes, I did watch LOST.

This morning, I woke up early for 45 minutes of Si6. I did squats, lunges, crunches and arms with the evil one. I forgot how much the floor work hurt! The glutes will be hurting tomorrow! I am debating about tonight - end of semester happy hour with the Graduate Student Association or a brisk walk around my parent's neighborhood with Mom and the kiddo....decisions, decisions. As much as I want to go straight to my parent's house after work, I really enjoying getting involved at school. The GSA is a great way to network, so I'm trying to take advantage of it.

The hubby is going to a fishing tournament this weekend - so Mom has the kiddo after school today and tomorrow. I'm actually looking forward to a girls weekend! I was planning to run with some Houston Fit buds on Saturday morning, but with the hubby gone that's not happening. So instead, I figure I could take the kiddo for a loop in the stroller and then hit the playground again. We have to take advantage of this awesome weather! Then, when the kiddo is asleep, I am watching chick flicks. :-) In fact, I've already watched The Queen (loved it!) and Catch and Release (cute, but that's about it).

Ah yes, freedom from school is nice. Life is good!

Return of the Evil Woman and the stroller from hell

Remember this evil person, um, I mean this lady? Well, she's back. I haven't seen her in over a month due to the school schedule. While I've managed to get in some running, the Si6 sessions have been on the back burner. Why? Because the running is so much harder to get back once you've slacked off too long. I may not be training for anything at the moment, but I do want to keep the endurance up. Plus, running burns WAY more calories than Si6 in a shorter amount of time. For example, I can run for 40 minutes and earn 4 WW points. But, for 40 minutes of Si6, I only earn 2 points. More points = more food. It's a no brainer when I'm short on time, but since I have my freedom back for two weeks, I want to add the Si6 back to my workout routine. Oh and yes, my glutes and hammies are making sure I know they've been neglected..they are so sore today!

Of course, priority #1 during my 2-week break is getting in lots of family time! Since I ran Monday morning, I had plenty of time to color, read books, and actually eat dinner with the kiddo and hubby that evening. Then, I woke up early Tuesday to workout do Si6 with the evil one. Since the hubby had to get to work earlier than normal, I decided to take the kiddo to the park after work for some exercise and playtime at the playground. It's funny, I made it home from work, changed clothes, loaded the kiddo and jog stroller in the car and made it to the park by 6:05 pm. Amazing! It used to take me almost that long just to go directly from my old job in BFE to the park.

Since the kiddo's bedtime is normally 8 pm, I decided that there was no time for an entire loop. I wanted some exercise, but I also wanted to give the kiddo plenty of time to play. Plus, I was using the p.o.s. jog-stroller-from-hell, so I knew I wouldn't be setting any speed records. So, I jog/walked (mostly walked) a mile out and back from where I parked. I did run into Roberta almost as soon as I arrived. On the way back, I saw speed demons Steve and Jake...luckily it was at a time when I was actually jogging. I wouldn't want to run into someone I know while slacking off. :-) After my walk with the kiddo, we headed over to the playground. The kiddo had a blast! And, she made some new friends. I have a feeling we'll be going back again soon.

A school update - I made an A in Quantitative Methods (a/k/a Stat)!!! Yay me! I made a B on the final which I am not happy about, but I only needed a 78 to keep an A, so I'll keep it.

Sleepy

With the lack of a LR yesterday, I planned to wake up at 5 am this morning for a hour-long run. However, after my parents left last night, it took forever to get the kiddo to sleep - she was wired! Afterwards, the hubby and I decided that we couldn't wait until today to watch The Sopranos, so we stayed up until almost midnight watching the DVRed episode. So, I woke up around 5:40 instead and settled for a 30-minute run.

Maybe it was all the food I consumed yesterday (breakfast at Cracker Barrel, a 1/2 slice of pizza at SuperTarget, tuna steak, wine and cheese cake for dinner and all the snacking in between)...but, I could not seem to get moving at all. The first mile was sluggish at best. The second mile was a bit faster, but I still couldn't seem to get my body going faster than an 11-minute pace for the remainder of the run. To top it off, I had aches and pains all over the place - the lower back issue has returned, a shin splint on the left leg and a right calf cramp. And, I still felt tired. Maybe I should have gotten more sleep. It made me want to hop off the treadmill and go back to bed.

Instead, I finished my run and headed to work...I did stop for Starbucks on the way. Desperate times call for desperate measures. I made it a double.

Running Stats
Conditions - treadmill
Total run time - 30 minutes
Distance - 2.55
Pace - 11:45

Wooohoooo!

School is officially over for 2 weeks!

I wish I could say I kicked ass on my Stat final, but that was not the case. My day started with a Marketing presentation. It went well...really well! There's no doubt that I have an A in that class. I went into my Stat final with a 95 average, but I have no idea whether I will end up keeping that A in the end. When I say that final was as confusing as hell, I am not exaggerating. Before the test started, the prof told us that we had 3 hours to complete it and that 4 pm would be "Miller time". I thought that was odd, because the mid-term took me less than 2 hours to complete. For the mid-term, over 1/2 the class finished within 2 hours.

For the final, it was differen. All but 2 people were there after 2 hours. More than 1/2 the class was there after 3 hours. Every time I looked up from my test, I caught the gaze of another classmate who had the "what the hell is this?" look on their face. I'm sure that look was on my face as well. The 1st 2 questions (worth 20 & 15 points) were doozies...the remainder of the test was a piece of cake. I think I finally began to grasp the concept on problem #2 when the prof told us that we needed to wrap it up. After we all groaned and expressed our dismay, the prof said, "How about I buy everyone a drink?" You know a test is bad when your prof offers consolation with alcohol!

I along with a handful of other students took him up on his offer and met up for a margarita afterwards. It was a fun time. The prof is actually pretty cool and I had a chance to talk to some of the classmates that I really didn't know very well. Afterwards, I found out that the hubby and kiddo were out shopping, so I met another group of classmates for a pint at the Ginger Man. I haven't been there in years, so that was fun. I arrived home about the same time as the hubby and kiddo. I was out by 9:30, which I'm sure that had nothing to do with the alcohol combined with weeks of sleep deprivation. ;-)

I was planning to get up early for a couple of loops at the park. At the last minute, I turned off my alarm clock. Hell, school is over and it's Mother's Day...why not sleep in just this once? So I did. Sort of. I woke up around 6:15, but just laid in bed until the kiddo woke up around 6:50...not as late as I wanted to sleep, but later than normal for me. The hubby & kiddo took me to breakfast, then we headed to Central Market for tuna steaks to grill for my parents later and then we looked at some houses in a neighborhood we're interested in. The kiddo napped for almost 3 hours after we finally made it home...normally, I would jump at the chance to nap (but I usually have to study). For some reason, I was wide awake. So, I watched some TV instead...it was nice. Usually, I only get to watch TV when I run. It felt weird to lay on the couch and watch TV doing nothing else. I'm sure I'll be bored with that before my 2 week break is over...good thing - next semester I'm taking Economics. I doubt there will be time for lounging in front of the TV then!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

Wow!

Today is my blogiversary!

It's hard to believe that it's been an entire year since I started this blog.

More on this later...right now I better get to work. I'm leaving early today to study for finals.

ETA: I celebrated by running a 4-miler at the park after spending a few hours in the library. It felt GREAT - heat, humidity and all!

4 Days

I can't wait....4 days until the semester is over! Maybe then I can sleep in until, say, 5 am? This getting up at ungodly hours to do homework and read is getting old. Actually, it got old back in March. :-)

Well, the trial run yesterday didn't happen. I started thinking about the week's schedule. Monday - went to work early (in order to leave early on Friday to study) and got home after 8 pm because I went to the library. I didn't get to see the kiddo awake at all. Wednesday - I have to be at work early for a meeting and then my group is meeting at the library to put the finishing touches on our project. Thursday - I have to work until 7pm, then drive across town to pick up the kiddo at the my parent's house because it's the hubby's hapkido night. Friday - I'm leaving work early for last minute cramming and will mostly likely be at the library until I have to rush home so the hubby can get to work. Saturday - school all day and then the hubby and I are going to dinner with my class cohort. Ah yes, the mommy guilt is plentiful this week. Now, if the in-laws call and announce that they're coming in town this weekend for Mother's Day, I will have a meltdown. That would mean I had to squeeze in cleaning the house...that my friends, would throw me over the edge! ;-)

What am I getting at? Well, yesterday was the only opportunity to hang out with the kiddo for more than a few minutes until Sunday. So after work, I headed straight home. But, I figured we could take a walk...the kiddo loves to be outside and I would be getting in a little exercise too.

We got out the p.i.t.a. jog-stroller and headed to the little park by the house. This time, I took the Garmin just so I could know all the distances. Obviously, I wasn't going for speed here. The 1st mile was spent doing some speedy walking with the kiddo in the stroller. Then, the kiddo grew bored and wanted to get out and run. So, she actually ran and galloped for the next 1/2 mile! I was pretty impressed that she never got tired and tried to go as fast as her little sandals would take her. She would look back and laugh and tell me to run. For the next 1/2 mile, we took frequent breaks to stop and pick flowers, look at a butterfly, picking up rocks, etc. Then, she would count, "1, 2, 3, go!" or sometimes "1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, go!" We had a blast!

So, no real workout, but definitely lots of fun! The hip felt pretty good too! Only a little ache toward the end.

Trial Run

I'm taking the hip out for a trial run today. Hopefully, it'll cooperate.

I didn't plan to run today, because the hubby was supposed to have an early training session. But, that got cancelled and I just happen to have my running clothes with me. Too bad he has to leave for work by 7...it would have been nice to go to the Strider meeting too!

Steamy Sunday

Well, I typed out a long post yesterday and Blogger ate it! So, here it is again...

Saturday night, the kiddo and I made it back home from the nephew's birthday party around 10:30 pm. Must have been some sugary birthday cake, because the kiddo was wide awake. By the time I read a story and got her to sleep, there were only a few minutes left in the Rockets game. The hubby took a separate car, so he could stay and watch the Mayweather/De La Hoya fight, which was probably a good thing..he hates it when I was yell at the tv during Rockets games. :-) By they way, we went with an American Express gift card for the nephew. Thanks for the suggestions!

Sunday, I woke up later than planned. I arrived at the park around 6:40 am, stretched and began a loop. From the very beginning, my right hip flexor felt funny. I tried to stretch it, but it still felt off. At first, I wasn't sure if I wanted to go out of the park or just do loops. My goal was 10 miles...my 1st double digit run since the Seabrook Lucky Trail 1/2 in March. The humidity hit me like a ton of bricks and suddenly having a sip of the cold Gatorade in my car between loops sounded like a good idea. Decision made. I was doing loops.

I finished the 1st loop in 31:40 doing 5/1 intervals. At this point, I was just adjusting to the heat and humidity. Gotta love the 77 degree/80% humidity at 6:30 am! After my 1st loop, I ran into Coach Jon from Houston Fit and his two adorable daughters. They were setting up a lemonade stand near the Tennis Center. I had completely forgotten that it was Lemonade Day! Lemonade Day is sponsored by Prepared4Life and is designed to teach kids how to start, own and operate their own lemonade businesses. And, I would say that the girls were doing a great job! They had a prime location and offered the option of lemonade, Gatorade and water...smart thinking! By the time I finished my last loop, they had several customers.

My 2nd loop felt better, but I finished it in 32:33. Probably because I ran into Rebecca and stopped to chat without stopping my watch. She competed in the Dragon Boat races the day before, which sounded like a lot of fun! By this time, the hip flexor was really starting to make itself known. During the 3rd loop, I really began to feel the hip flexor! It hurt! By the time I made it 1/2 way around the pain had intensified. I took a couple of extra walk breaks only to realize that the walking hurt just as much, if not more than running. My final lap was slow due to the walking and aching hip - 33:20. I was going to squeeze in the extra milaege at the end to make 10 miles, but the hip changed those planned. I had a couple of glasses of lemonade and headed home.

As the day went on, the hip got worse and worse. At playgroup, it wasn't too bad, but by the time I made it to the library that afternoon it was hard to walk up and down stairs. By the time we made it to Pappasito's for dinner with my parents, I was limping. (Nothing a Margarita couldn't help!) By Sopranos time, it was even worse. I'm not sure if it has anything to do with the lower back pain I've been having...that's due to my hips being out of alignment. Obviously, this is something I should have taken care of back when I had my previous insurance. My new coverage doesn't begin until June 1, and the deductible is a killer! But, the pain went away for awhile, so I put it off. The hip still hurt this morning, so I have a feeling I may not be running for a day or two at least. Actually, it works out - now, I don't have a distraction from studying for the next couple of days.

Frustration

*&%^$#@+? *^%&

Friggin' Rockets!

Little bit of running

Zimm's. I like it! I headed there after work for an hour of fun and frivolity with my "working mom's" group. It was a nice little escape from the day. - I've been wanting to attend one of these events for awhile now but it always seems like I have school stuff to do. Afterwards, I headed home to spend some time with the kiddo before bedtime. Once she was asleep, I hopped on the treadmill for some mock speedwork.

I took Barbara's advice and based it on time, rather than distance. I did a 1 mile warm up, followed by 1 min fast/2 min recovery x8 with a 1.0 incline and a cool down. My only complaint is the amount of time it takes for the belt to speed up & slow down. Other than that, it wasn't horrible. I was sweating profusely and breathing hard, but that was to be expected.

Thanks!

Just wanted to send out a quick thanks to all the comments regarding treadmill training! I will be on the treadmill more than I'd like in the coming months, so I appreciate the advice.

Now, let me make sure I am perfectly clear...I do realize that the treadmill is not the most effective way to train. Trust me, I don't have any aspirations of winning any races by training on it. Believe it or not, I don't really care much about winning races at all. Nor will I ever. This may come as a HUGE shock to some, but I don't even have aspirations of running the race of all races - BOSTON. (GASP!)

For me, running began as a way to keep fit and maybe lose a little weight. I like the challenge of doing something I never thought I was capable of doing. At first, finishing a 5K without falling over from exhaustion was the goal. Then a 10K, then a 1/2 marathon and finally a marathon. If you would have asked me 10 years ago if I would consider running 26.2 miles, I would have laughed and said "HELL NO!" and then proceed to ask why anyone in their right mind would EVER run 26.2 miles.

Do I want to get faster? Of course!
Do I want to push myself to do better? Yep!
Do I want to see what I am truly capable of? You bet!
Do I want to run a sub-5 marathon? You better believe it!
Do I want to PR in all distances and then try to top that? Hell Yeah!

That being said, I also have to explain that running is NOT the top priority in my life at this point in time. In fact, it probably never will be.

Spending quality time with my adorable daughter and hubby is. Work is next in line (hey, you gotta pay all those race entry fees)! Work is followed closely by school. Trust me, grad school is too damn expensive to not give 110%!

If I have the opportunity to run outdoors after work, but have to sacrifice seeing the kiddo while she's still awake or not get my homework done...I more than likely will not run. However, if having the best of all worlds means that I have to get up at the butt-crack of dawn (or stay up a little later) to get on the dreadmill while the kiddo is asleep or not run at all, then so be it - I'll run on the friggin' treadmill. The other option would be to run outdoors at those hours...that is not an option since the hubby is at work during those times and you can't exactly leave a two-year old at home alone.

So there you have it. I hate running on the treadmill. However, it sometimes is that or not run at all. If I actually get to watch the news, ER or LOST in the process, well that gives me a little more enticement. When the craziness I call grad school is over, running will move up a notch on the priority ladder. Of course by then, we will probably have dance lessons or soccer practice to go to...hell, I may be stuck on the treadmill longer than I think. If that makes me less of a runner, then oh well. I'll get over it. Just look for me in the back of the pack.

Busy, busy

Darn Rockets! I wanted to see if I could get tix for Saturday's game, but the in laws are coming in town for our nephew's 16th birthday. This also means that I had to spend last night cleaning the house. Nothing like an evening scouring, sweeping, mopping, dusting and scrubbing. :-) I didn't really get started until the kiddo was in bed and called it quits around 10:30 pm. It did give me a good excuse to 1) have a glass (or three) of wine and 2) watch bits and pieces of the Rockets and ER while I worked. (I DVRed Grey's Anatomy...yes, we FINALLY have DVR!)

Ugh - no running, no homework. Guess I have my work cut out for me tonight!

Oh, and the nephew doesn't know what he wants for his birthday! (Well, other than a car and his driver's license.) I'm thinking money would be the ideal option, but if anyone else has a good idea, please let me know!!!

GO ROCKETS!

I may hate football and only like baseball when I'm actually at a game, but I love me some basketball and the Rockets are my boys!!! So, GO ROCKETS!!!!!

10 Days & Counting

Hooray! Only 10 more days of the spring semester. Then, I have a glorious 2-week break before beginning the summer semester. The next 10 days will be crazy, but at least there's a light at the end of the statistics and marketing tunnel. :-)

Last night, I went to the campus right after work to meet with my marketing group. I made it home just in time to tuck the kiddo into bed. Next, after making lunches and getting stuff ready for the next day, I hopped on the treadmill for a quickie run. Again, it's my excuse to watch a little bit of LOST. (I LOVE that show and the show has been really good over the past couple of episodes!!!) It was a short run, but better than nothing. I think that has once again become my motto...well, at least for the next 10 days!

Running Stats
Conditions - treadmill
Distance - 2.0 miles
Pace - 10:45
Total run time - 21:30

BTW, my shoes felt good, but my left shin is still bothering me. Oh, and thank you to everyone for their treadmill speedwork advice! I am going to give it a try on Friday!

Dumb Q

Can you do speedwork on the treadmill?

I've been pondering that question for awhile now.

I've heard one coach say no to this question. I've done my own form of speedwork on the treadmill from time to time, but wasn't sure if that was "real" speedwork.

It seems that as it gets warmer outside and my school schedule gets even more crazy (I have Econ AND Finance this summer!), I will not have the time to get in a lot of outdoor runs.

Can someone school me on this please? I dread running indoors on the treadmill, but I want to make the most of it.

Quickie

Monday - no run

Today - 1 loop, 29:30, 10:10 pace

Tomorrow - group project, possibly a treadmill run

Sorry so brief...lots of stat homework to do!