Friday, December 31, 2010

2010 Racing Synopsis

Mile 11
January 17, 2010
Chevron Houston Marathon
3rd time running (first was in 2007 and was my first marathon ever)
8 min distance PR (over NYC in 2008)
43 min course PR
4:48 chip time
You know what happened (and if you dont you can go back and read)...sucks too, but it was what it was on that day...Cant complain about a PR, especially 8 minutes but it was supposed to be sub 4:30...and I was trained...

10K: 1:04
13.1: 2:17
Finishing!
30K: 3:19

Hometown marathon; definitely will run again; just not in 2011 since I dropped to the half (if you read regularly you know why)







 January 30, 2010
Texas Med Center 5K
4th year running
No distance PR
No course PR
28:43 (2009 Texas Med Center 5K was 28:31)
Not surprising since it had only been 12 days since the marathon.  I took a total of 2 days off after the marathon...This coupled with the extreme cold on this day (wind chill of 27), and the head wind...not a good combination to equal a good race...but I do this race every year...they did change the course and while has always been a bit long, this year it was spot on 3.1 miles.  What???  Amazing.

Didnt like the new course this year due to construction but it was actually accurate on distance as opposed to the old course, which ALWAYS seemed to be long, so I dont think it was 'just me'.  Doubtful to do this one in 2011, as with the Houston Marathon being late in January next time, doing the Texas Med Center 5K might be outtie for me...Not a huge fan of it to be honest anyway.   Doubtful I ever do it again.  Not a fan.

Around mile 2ish
March 14, 2010
Inaugural Dallas RnR Half Marathon
Distance PR
Course PR
2:11:10
10:01 Avg pace for 13.18
Me and Crystal
Didnt have a signal first mile of course, so a 9:53 avg pace for 12.18 according to Garmina.  Hilly course through 8; no hill in first mile, but a nice decline right off the bat.  Hills started in mile 2, with the worst being in mile 6 and mile 8.  Leveled out flat for rest of distance.  Great course to me!  Great weather this time around, although a bit windy but manageable.   Looked to be an excellent post race, but I was too busy finding and visiting with friends!  Only drawback to this race was that it was point to point, and the Finish was 4 miles away from the Start, and regardless of that, you still had to walk 2 miles to get to the DART, which included an uphill.  Not cool.  :o)   Learned my lesson about the DART by doing Dallas White Rock.

Me and Melissa after finishing!
Would definitely do this race again!!!  But not in 2011 as its the same weekend as Angies Crazy Half Marathon here just outside of town and going to stay close to home.  Always wanted to do this one, it was just always later in the Spring, and was generally hot weather...maybe with it being in March it wont be so bad.  :o)







 March 27, 2010 - Law Week 8K
Course/Distance PR by 7+ min (2007: 56:XX 2008: 53:06)
Garmin showed 5.08 miles; just about 1/10th over; prob due to some extra steps to try and stay on tangent

Garmin/Chip time: 45:58

9:02 avg pace (per Garmin)

Was soooo tired all week from Mom having a stroke on Monday and me not getting a lot of sleep the whole week and honestly recovering from Dallas and from the week following (high mileage accidentially due to losing car key!  Remember that?)

Humidity returned, it is late March after all.  Had trouble in mile 4 due to finishing both sides of AP and the 'hills', but managed to pull out a 8:33 5th mile, and closed out the .08 in 8:32 pace.  Really didnt expect to do this well, but very happy with the outcome!

I do like this race, while I hate the course.  Will do again definitely in 2011.

April 10, 2010

Bellaire Trolley 5K
Course/Distance PR    1:30/2:00
Garmin showed 3.10 miles; 2nd time this year the distance showed perfect.  Someone told me as I was getting faster and becoming a better 'racer' I am starting in the right spots and looking ahead for openings as opposed to just dodging around...I am able to find a better 'line' they said...thats a compliment right?Garmin/Chip time: 27:04/27:11
8:44 avg pace (per Garmin)
Top 10 of AG!!!  85th overall!!!
We were supposed to have perfect weather.  We did not.  It was humid and warm.  Splits were 8:29/8:45/8:55; closing out the .1 at 8:30 pace.
While I am happy about an official 5K PR and a big one at that, it should have been bigger (thats what she said!)...All previous races and speed work pointed to at least a 26:30...twas not to be...This was the last 'short' race of the Spring season...at least as of the actual inclusion of this on my 2010 overall race commentary.

Love this race.  Loooooooooove this course.  Definitely doing next year.

October 10, 2010
Bank of America Chicago Marathon
No distance PR, but a course PR  :O)...not that I am going to do this race again.  You can read about Chicago vs NYC here, but it has nothing to do with it being a Fall marathon persey but because I am just not going to train in the Texas summers ever again FOR a Fall marathon.  Nope.

The weather sucked...You can read the bullet points of the marathon experience here...and some pictures can be found here...









October 24, 2010
Koala/Lukes Locker Half Marathon (Relay; Leg 1)
Course/Distance PR  (new course/new distance)  Gotta love those!  Garmin read just about .01 longer than what 1/2 of a 1/2 would be, coming in at exactly 6.7 miles for my leg
Weather:  Brutal.  mid 70's at the start at 7am with over 90% humidity.  Thank God I was only doing the relay being only off of Chicago exactly 2 weeks to the day.
Average Pace: 10:12

Splits:  9:03, 9:37, 10:06, 10:16, 10:56, 10:53, last .7 10:23pace

Race report along with all the drama of this one can be found here:  http://bostondreampie.blogspot.com/2010/10/koalalukes-locker-half-marathonrelay.html

The new course for relayer's is awesome.  Start, Switch runners and Finish all in one place.  Years past it was a bear to have the 2nd leg have to go out over a mile and then of course the 1st leg having to come in over a mile after they were done.  Only bad thing is that  the relay (1st leg) you get sucker punched with the AP hills one right after another.  At least the 2nd leg and the runners doing the entire 1/2 course have a bit of a reprieve in between :O)  We came out 25th out of 50 in our division, thanks to my partner who took up the slack and ran her part in just under an hour...now if only I could have held up my end of the bargain... :o/

 Look forward to running the full course next year, weather permitting.  Definitely will remain a race I decide the week of due to the on again off again temps we get here in October...








One of my fav finishing pics ever!
December 5, 2010
Dallas White Rock Half Marathon
Course PR - never did this one, so its automatic :)

Distance PR (2:06:58) - I dont generally do a lot of half's but obviously thats going to be changing in 2011...anyway, in March I pr'd in Dallas at the RnR Half Marathon with a 2:11:10, previous PR was 2:24ish.  So twice this year I pr'd at the half distance with almost 18 mins overall for 2010.  Awesome.

Conditions were cold as hell!  And windy, but the wind didnt seem to be a factor on the run itself.  Was just awful waiting for the Start.  I vaguely remember a point, which was minimal, where I hit a bit of a headwind.  It was full sun though and just freaking perfect.

This race is awesome.  There was a couple of miles that followed the RnR route, but it started in Fair Park and ended at Fair Park, so for the first few miles there were no hills at all.  Then there were some rolly ones and then a long slow incline at around mile 8 and then it was done.  There were a couple of fast downhills where you didnt even have to go up to reap the benefits!  Loved that.  From mile 8.5 or so it was flat, fast and a net downhill.  Loved.  I hope they keep this course, but even if they dont (and I doubt they change it) I will DEFINITELY be signing up for this one again in June (registration opens June 1).

Splits can be found here
Pictures can be found here.
Full race experience overview can be found here, here and here.

Now on to 2011!  USAFit Half Marathon in 2 weeks, Aramco Houston Half Marathon at the end of January and then Angie's Crazy Half Marathon at the end of March.  I am planning on running the popular Bayou City Classic 10K mid-March as well.

Kenyan Way - *Long* Run

So once again, due to holidays, our normal Saturday run was moved up a day.  Only thing was unlike Christmas Eve, I actually have to work today.  Booooo!!!  Oh well, not a lot going on, most people took the day off, so I just told my boss that I was going to be running (no pun intended) late this morning.

65deg/97% humidity makes for a very sweaty run!  But again, the hot yoga is paying off big dividends when having to run in less than ideal conditions.

I got to base at around 5:15am and immediately went up to boss man to ask if he thought it would be ok to set out on my own on the route, alone.  This weeks route had a couple of iffy miles in them where not only was it going to be very dark, but a not so good of area where a single runner girl should be alone.  He said absolutely not and so we hatched out a plan and off I went.  Once I did start on the route, there were a couple of girls about my pace as well, and I was just following along behind them, and then sure enough, I saw them stop on the little bridge that went over the bayou and just before you go under a freeway.  I had seen a car coming, pull under the overpass, stop and turn their headlights off.  This is an area where there is some construction going on and I am not quite sure how this person even got his car down there (there isnt a road, only a bike path.  The 3 of us stood there for a minute or so thinking that the fast(est) group of runners would be coming soon, but nothing.  The 3 of us took off together but the problem was that I was going to be turning back soon and would have to go back under there by myself. 

Once I got to my turnaround point I walked a bit, trying to give some time to the other runners to be coming in my direction, and sure enough just as I got to the underpass part, a few runners (not from our group) were there at the same time, so I felt much better.  The car was still there, dark, and I couldnt even really see anyone in there.  Spooky.  I ran a bit faster from there to the water stop where by then all the runners were coming and I was no longer alone.  Going the opposite way, but at least not by myself.

I got my 9 miles in, finishing off on the cloverleaf.  Not sure of my pace as Garmina is at home, and I never really even looked at the watch the whole time, as I just was wanting to get the shorter mileage (cut back week) in, be done, get home and be to work no later than necessary; and for whatever reason I wasn't concerned with pace today.  Wasn't until I got home that I realized I hadn't even eaten the Gu I had stuck in my pocket :O).  I think my mind was elsewhere this morning (like running in the darkest dark and being a bit spooked the whole time more or less), and since I had had 1 PopTart before heading out the door, I guess I was sufficiently fueled enough :O).

Now I can just get through the short day at work and I get to run with Melissa tomorrow!  I hope I can keep up.  She's speedy!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

Bring On 2011 !!! And 2010 Reflections

Well all over blog land (I am finally getting caught up on them from my blog-reading hiatus over the holiday) it would seem that there is one common thread:  Goals/Resolutions for 2011.

First and foremost, I don't do resolutions.  I have always felt (for the most part) that I do alright and really there isn't anything more or less or abstain from in any given coming year.  At least not for the past 5 years anyway.  Now that does not mean I don't always have goals and dreams for the new year as it creeps up on us each end of December. 

So I figured well, I would contribute a post to these same sorts of things, but for the first time in a few years, my goals and dreams are a bit different that I remember in the past.

If there is one thing that is certain to me about what 2010 did for me personally is that I know without a doubt that I am pretty much a changed woman.  Not physically but emotionally, mentally and spiritually (maybe a little bit physically especially on the inside thanks to a change in WOE)  I think for the most part I am finally the woman I was always meant to be.  How do I top that for 2011?  I mean really?  :O)

I feel well-rounded and balanced (except for that right side thing  :O) )...and I want to continue that into 2011.  I want to continue to incorporate new ideas and experiences into my lifestyle.  For so long I seemed to place my level of happiness on the moods and life of (an)other(s) and I also found, looking back that so much of my life these past few years revolved solely on running and how well that was going.  2010 brought about some new experiences that were unexpected (as were some friendships) ... and which led to some insight into that there is more to life than just running and PR'ing. 

2010 has even, most recently, brought about a change in me that I hope continues into 2011, and that is that I am ... gasp! ... finally accepting my body for what it is and that God gave it to me.  I poisoned it for so long, with drugs, alcohol and nicotine, not to mention the mental imbalance/low self esteem from so many years of this, that or the other, that I find it interesting that only recently have I come to love my body just the way it is.  Yeah, its ok if I gain a lb or so, and yes, I would still love to lose too, but its not something (at least right now) that I seem to consistently focused on for whatever reason.  Maybe its the yoga.  I don't know, but when you are surrounded by mirrors and in a room almost naked with bodies of both genders, and of different body types, weights etc., you tend to realize that we are all pretty darn special and that honestly stacked against the majority, you look pretty darn awesome Junie B  :O).  And that living in the body we have is a gift from God.  One learns to become in touch with your body as you put it through the poses and most times you are touching yourself in some way and your focus is always, always on yourself and no one else in the room.  One becomes very in touch, both physically and mentally, with themselves.   So I figure it goes without saying, that I hope that 2011 is the same in this respect.

I think to say I want to do this more/that more is part of the problem as to why so many people fail at keeping a resolution or in reaching a goal.

As a society, I think the majority of people are so over-extended already that saying I want to do more of this or that, is just setting someone up to fail.  Unless you are willing to do something else .. less.  An example would be for me to say: I want to read more.  However to do this and still maintain some sense of non-crazy, I would follow that up with:  Say yes less often for things I dont really ever want to do, but can't seem to say no. 

I think that a lot of people do so many things that they don't even really want to do, that that is just a breeding ground for frustration, and sometimes anger and spite.  I think life is about give and take...and as previously posted; about balance.  Plus if to read more means that I worry about when/if I read that day or even that week, then its not worth it.  So yeah, I would like to read more, and I intend to but if life doesnt allow for it at any particular time, then thats ok.

I want to find new passions in 2011, whereever they may be hiding, or whatever they might be, but just like in 2010 I want to grow.  On the inside, not the outside :O)

I hope to continue to support and love those that mean the most to me in whatever trials, tribulations, dreams or goals that they may have, because at the end of the day, also in 2010 I wittled down my friends to true friends and am much happier spending my time with those that truly 'get' me and don't judge me.  I found forgiveness in my heart when I needed to for them as much as it was for me.  I found the love from some that truly brought me to tears at times. 

I hope to continue to fuel my mind, my body and my spirit with running, and with Bikram and with the Good Book.  Right now there isn't much focus running this many races or that many races or PR'ing...I don't know why, there just isn't.  Of course I would love all that to happen, but if it doesn't I am ok with that.  See what I mean?  Who am I?  Of course I am still going to 'train' for my now goal of my first sub 2 hour half marathon, but I don't really care when that happens :O)

Right now I just continue to wait until its finally close enough on the calendar to be able to book my flight and hotel to NYC at the end of November.  If you haven't read it already, I plan to mark off something off my bucket list this year by going to NYC the week after Thanksgiving to see the Christmas tree lighting in Rockefeller Center.

The other thing that I am really looking forward to is finding a new (bigger) place to live that I can afford!  The main criteria is that the kitchen is bigger than the cubby hole I have now and a bigger bathroom.  I could find this easy enough if I was willing to live 'outside' the loop here, but I really like the area, so finding something that fits those 2 criteria might be hard on my housing budget.  I might consider something just barely outside the loop; just depends on what I find once I start seriously looking in February.  Prior to that the push towards minimalism shall continue; what this means is that I continue to go through the clothes (which is really all that is left)...I'm getting really close to being done though!

All I can really say is that if I can make it through 2011 with even just a smidge of the overall contentness that I feel now then it will be just as much of a success as 2010.  I know there will be heartaches of my own, that much is pretty much a given with Mom situation and all, but overall I can only pray that God gives me only what I can handle and nothing more :O)

Happy New Year!
Here is to wishing each and every one of you a Happy and Prosperous New Year!!!!

Now what about you?  Was 2010 a success?  A failure?  A mixed bag?  And are you looking forward to a new year? Why?

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Rainy Day Wednesday

Here in SE Texas we are in a drought, but today the skies opened up and boy howdy! we have been getting pouring down rain, thunder and lightning all day long!  We definitely need it.  Because I stalk watch the weather every morning, I knew that there was only a slight possibility that it would be over with by the time I got off work, so I packed up my gym bag to take to work with me just in case.  Glad I did!  It got worse closer and closer to quitting time so I hit the gym for my run today.

Nothing special; just a 6 mile progressive run.  I tried to pay special attention to my feet placement making sure that I am not over or under-pronating (in case that has something to do with the new hip issue).  I don't know if was the treadmill itself or my attentiveness to my stride, but my hip hurt much less than it has been after running.  I also paid more attention to my stride in general, being careful to run 'evenly'. 

Whatever the case, I felt good at the end. 

I've Always Known I Was a Little 'Off'

For about the past month or so I have been having, what started out as, intermittent pain in my right hip.  And by right hip I mean what feels like the actual hip bone, that part that sticks out there just to the side of the tummy.  It would hurt mostly after a run, or just random for no reason, but lately its pretty much every day.  Especially when I walk.  I don't seem to notice it much when I am actually running, only after.  Today I am in a bit of significant amount of pain to be honest, but hoping by this afternoons run, it will be minimal.

Yesterday at yoga, it was giving me some issues, and I noticed that I was having some issues when doing any balancing poses where my right leg was my 'foundation' leg.   I was having a hard time first of all, balancing, and when I did balance, I was wobbly and would fall out of pose fairly easily.

After class, the instructor Juan, came up to first apologize for 'distracting' me a time or two (he likes to walk around and touch/adjust peeps, which I hate and he did that to me a couple of times and I broke concentration).  Anyway, since I had his attention I thought I would mention the hip pain.  We chatted for a bit and he had me follow him into one of the massage therapy rooms where they have what is called a 'balance scale'.  I tried to find a picture of these, but its basically 2 scales, one with each imprint of a left and right foot and then the numbers are on either side instead of like a traditional bathroom scale.

He had me position one foot on each, hands by my side and to look forward.  I heard him say 'no way' as he looked at the numbers.  He had me get off and back on again, and apparently the same numbers registered.  One side was higher than the other by about 20 lbs.  He said that generally speaking most people will be about 3-5 lbs off from one side to the other, but mine was significant enough that he was in a bit of shock.  For perception purposes, he then got on it so I could compare his left side to the right.  Sure enough just about a 4 lb difference. 

My left side is obviously much stronger than my right, and he thinks that this might be due to overcompensation on my part due to the disk issue which is on my left side, and the fact that my hip issue now is on the right also indicates that I am doing something when running to make this more of an issue now.  Either way I need to strengthen my right side something fierce.

So how do I fix it? I asked.  Well he wants me to do some form of yoga every day.  Even if just for a couple of minutes, specifically balancing poses on the right side only, to help strengthen that side a bit more.  He also wants me to try and hold the right side poses a bit longer when in practice at class.

I find this all a bit interesting to say the least.  Balance overall is so important to everyday activities, one just doesn't realize.  Since starting hot yoga I know that I am much better with balance and flexability and am thankful for that, but I can also see why maintaining these seemingly unnecessary body functions would be detrimental to a better quality of life as one ages, and how it would assist in preventing injuries to athletes no matter what their age.

Just like in life, balance is everything.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Product Review - ToeSox

As anyone who does hot yoga/Bikram, one would know that the one thing that is constant is the sweat.  I have been doing hot yoga for a couple of months now, and I have the same problems every single practice and that is that I find some poses difficult due to the amount of sweat that is pouring down my legs (and feet).  It also presents an issue with being able to keep your feet in certain spots when not positioned on the towel or the mat and even then it can be slippery.  For example when doing tree pose (I cannot position my feet in my upper thigh area without slipping or in the crease of my hip without more of the same) or standing bow (when I have to reach back behind me, grab my foot from the INSIDE and raise it to standing bow without my hands slipping and sliding trying to grip correctly therefore making it harder to concentrate on the pose).  These are just a couple of examples.  I had heard about socks that some yogi's use with the little 'pebbles' on the bottoms which help prevent slipping (and there are also towels made my YogiToes that are similar to prevent towel slippage).

So I put the above exact same socks on my amazon.com wish list and I did indeed get them for Christmas.  I was excited to try them out so on Sunday I donned them for practice and OH.  EM.  GEE.  Be still my little pitter patting beating heart!  These socks made all the difference in the world!  When I positioned my feet for any of the opening poses, standing and balance poses which make up basically the first 50 min of the 90 minutes, my feet stayed firmly planted and when I went into standing bow etc., my hand(s) were able to grip just fine and I could pose without having to wobble and put any concentration in the actual holding of my ankle(s).

These socks are also made of wicking material so at the end when I went into the floor series my socks were not the least bit soaking wet!  Win #2!

I wore them again today for my afternoon practice and honestly I wish I had had these all along!  (I also ran this morning so it was a 2 workout day!)

Because I love these things so much, I went online to amazon.com and ordered another pair (black)!!! 

If you have trouble like I did, give these socks a try!  I am certain they will make your practice so much more enjoyable!

Monday, December 27, 2010

At The Movies With JunieB

I took the opportunity this holiday break (I am still off work until Wednesday) to see a few movies that I desperately wanted to see, so I thought I would share my thoughts on those for any avid movie go'ers out there.

Yesterday was True Grit.  I had a free pass so I used that which is always good to see a movie for free!
  • As a fan of the original John Wayne version and a huge fan of westerns in general, AND a huge Coen Brothers fan I had high expectations for this film.  I would need to see the original again (its been a long time) to figure out what was changed, but the plot was the same:  a young girl hires a drunken US Marshall to go out, find the bad guy to avenge her fathers murder.  While the movie was undeniably good, I was left a bit disappointed.  Its still a very good movie, but not one I would see again, even for free :(.  To see it free once was enough for me.  It did get very good at the end, and there were some tears.  I thought Jeff Bridges did an excellent job of playing Rooster Cogburn, and Matt Damon was good as well as the Texas Ranger, but again...I give it 3 out of 5 stars.
Today I had made plans to meet up with one of my dearest friends for a movie double header.  Since we live quite a bit apart from each other, we decided to meet in the middle at an AMC movie theatre.  Now it just so happens that a few months back I found an AMC gift card on the ground.  I picked it up, called the number on the back and sure enough there was $10.50 on it!!!  So basically I got another movie free today as well!  I picked True Grit for yesterday since we opted for Black Swan and The Fighter.  We looked at the times and it worked in our favor with those two.  First up was Black Swan.
  • This movie was OFF. THE. CHAIN.  I knew a bit about it, not much, but I was not prepared for the intellect that is needed to see and understand this film.  I think if you are OCD or have any level of addiction (personality or background) you will get it...others maybe not so much without a lot of thought.  Natalie and Mila were unbelievable as the 2 main characters, and the lady (whose name escapes me) who played the mother was also so convincing as the crazed overbearing mother channeling her lost dreams through her daughter kind of character.  There were so many WTF moments in this movie ... along with just pure open mouth cause you cant believe whats happening before your eyes...seriously this movie was amazing!!!  I would definitely say that one should not go see it with anyone you might find yourself uncomfortable with in what I can only say were very, very convincing sex scenes.  Do not go with your mother, your dad or your kids.  I was glad that they didnt focus so much on her obsession to be 'perfect' as it pertains to abusing her body with obvious signs of an eating disorder.  There were a few times you saw that, but it was never after she ate (which you never really saw her do anyway).  I also did not realize that Wynona Ryder was in this movie, although her part was only small, she did well with the 'you're too old now' 'washed up' prima ballerina part very well.  I would DEFINITELY go see this again, would buy it on DVD, the whole nine yards.  I give this movie 1000 stars out of 5.  :)
The second movie we picked was The Fighter.
  • Now I am a huge fan of Mark Wahlburg, but knowing I was going to see him half naked for almost 2 hours was not my initial draw to this movie, although it didnt hurt.  :)  I was intrigued by the (true) story behind this film, and I had seen interviews with Walhburg on his vision for it, being very personal to his own life; plus I just like true story kind of movies, and I like movies that involve sports.  I was also intrigued by the story of his older brother, once the 'pride of Lowell' who fell to addictions as well in the form of a crack pipe, and how he overcame them when you think all is lost.  This movie was done so 'real' its not even funny.  Where they found the actresses (who play the 6 sisters), not to mention the mother is beyond me.  The clothes for that time period were spot on and Amy Adams was unbelievable in it.  It was funny as hell in a weird sort of way mostly because this family was so damn dysfunctional and 'real' that the dialogue was just funny.  When there is clapping by the audience either during or at the end of a movie, you know it was a) good and that b) it resonated with them in some way.  Its hard at times in the movie not to just want to knock the hell out of Christian Bale (who played Dicky, the older crackhead brother), but given that I have done some of the same things he did while under the 'spell', I couldnt get mad, I could only say 'yep.' 'yep.'  'been there, done that.'  Definitely a must see in my opinion.  I give it 4.5 out of 5 stars.   I dont know why I took off a point to be honest...maybe because I dont know that everyone would love it, like in the Secretariat kind of everyone would love it movie (which everyone should see Secretariat!!!)...yeah, I will stick with 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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Short COLD run this morning (5 miles)!  Temps were again below freezing, but a much better run today than yesterday as I ran in my new Triax kicks which of course are what I am use to and everything just seemed to click today.  Was going to do hot yoga this evening, but getting back into town and rushing to the studio just wasnt in the cards.  Tomorrow is a run/hot yoga day though fo sho!

And how cool that I won a blog giveaway!  I never ever win anything!  25 Gu gels over at SkinnyRunner who is one of my blog addictions, and honestly the only one I read over the weekends and holidays...the others I just never have time to see!  She even has a Favorites link on my phone... Anyway I won and so happy!  I am down to my last couple of gels and I havent bought any for whatever reason...and honestly had forgotten I entered!  So Merry (late) Christmas to me!  Thanks SR!

Sunday, December 26, 2010

What I've been up to...as far as Getting my Groove on over the Holiday

Wednesday:  tempo run; 6 miles at 8:45 pace.  First time I have EVER run outside with music sans when I first started running way back in 2005 when I would run for 1 song, walk for 1 song... LOL .. true story.

Thursday:  Scheduled Rest day since long run moved up to Friday.

Friday:  12 miles.  50deg at start, some wind.  Forgot the Garmin!  But I know I was moving along at a good clip; felt awesome the whole way.  Pushed it the last two miles thanks to the girl that was ahead of me.  Goal was to pass her and pass her I did in a big way...I think I pissed her off :)  Since the route included 2 miles both ways through Memorial Park, and I hate running on that surface I opted to run the roads around instead.  Easy to do today since there was no traffic whatsoever around the loop.

Saturday:  No run.   Merry Christmas!!!

Sunday:  4 mile run;  30 deg with a feels like of 26?!?!?  At least the hurricane like force winds from yesterday are gone today!  Bundled up with some Nike capris, a Nike long sleeve, earband and gloves today!  brrrrr...and my new kicks!  Got 2 pair, a pair of my long time BFF Nike Triax and a pair of the new Asics...ran in the new Asics.  A review on them later; along with lots of pictures from the holidays! 

Followed the run up with 90 min of hot yoga!  I got in on a great special the other day:  $100 for 30 days on unlimited classes (they also have Pilates, PiYo and some other regular yoga type classes).  Normally the unlimited 30 day pass is $150, so I jumped at the offer that they ran for 1 day only for Facebook friends.  Now I just have to go enough each week to get my moneys worth!  Which if I go 3 times a week I will get that and more!  Felt grrreat getting my stretch on, sweating out some toxins and just overall getting some more calorie burn today!

Christmas Loot

New Asics!  I don't run in Asics but I posted a picture of these on my FB a couple of weeks back and my sister got them for me.  Ran in them this morning; they are a stability shoe like the Triax but the profile on them is lower; ran ok in them, but felt way different.  Jury still out; I dont think I would run longer distances in these.

Nike Triax Structure (time to retire the Chicago Triax's!)

Kindle!!! 

2 pairs of yoga pants, and my 2011 Runners World Calendar (LOVE!  cant live without my running calendar!)

DVD's (both Ironman movies), YogiToes (non slip footies for slippery sweaty yoga), Visa and Old Navy gift cards

LuluLemon Yoga Bag!!!  LOVE! LOVE! LOVE!  Will double as an awesome carry on for trips too!

Thursday, December 23, 2010

May All Your Christmas' Be Briiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight....

See you all later...time to spend time with those that mean the most to you and that you mean the most to...
Stay classy and Merrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry Christmas!!!
Last Saturdays outfit for 46deg run..I added gloves for the first 2 miles...but should have kept them on AND should have donned an earband as well...the winds were brutal once we got to downtown.  Brooks top and Lululemon Speed shorts.  Obviously this was taken before I learned how to use the self timer again on my camera.



I used a pink Sweaty Band and then put the silver sparkly one on top of that one...Must have sparkles!

Sock Monkey for Momma!!!  I love sock monkeys!! Notice the Women In Waders 2011 calendar in the basket next to him...thats for my nephew...  :o)  I am sure his wife will love me for that!  :)

My answer to no wrapping this year...I made gift baskets instead.  Lots of little trinkets and gift cards are stuck in those as well...I did have to wrap a couple of gifts since they wouldn't fit in the baskets...

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Bikram Yoga - Hot Yoga in a 105 degree room



Today I am obviously not doing too much in the way of actual work...I found this video of a news story that was done in Chicago on Bikram (hot) yoga.  I think it represents what one can expect if you go to a class.
Where I go we dont have wood floors though.  Berber carpet...I would think a wood floor would be dumb but thats just me.  Another reason I like going to a 4:30 class rather than 6:15 class is because its less crowded (as the one here appears to be).

I'm a Pepper, He's a Pepper...

OMG I totally did a happy dance in Walgreens today when I saw these!!!  I can NEVER find LipSmackers let alone Dr. Pepper flavor!!!  I don't even really like Dr. Pepper, was always a Coke girl...but oh how I looooooooooooove me some Dr. Pepper LipSmacker!  Now if only they still made them in those big fat tubes like they did when I was teenager!!!!  And at $1.99 I bought 2 for myself and then a couple to throw in for the girls Christmas baskets!

Have you found something recently that is old but new again???  Or something that reminds you of your childhood/teenage years?

Monday, December 20, 2010

"...I'm a woman of very few words, but lots of action..." Mae West

Ah...but I woke up with my voice back today!  Not 100% but much better than the last 2 days!!!

I woke up with the alarm, said 'hello' out loud to myself to see if I was indeed able to speak, but still thought I had better not run this morning before work.

I packed my gym bag before leaving the house...with clothes to run at the gym, and do some weights, and then some clothes to change into for a 6:15pm class of hot yoga!  I don't really like the 6:15 classes because with it being 90 min and the drive home, it means I don't get home until after 8pm; and yes I am complaining even though the 'drive' I speak of is about 4 miles.  Me no likey getting home late like that. 

But since I have been on top of my game, there is very little to do in the way of chores, nor is it a date night, so its not like I don't have the time to spare this evening...

45 min run on the treadmill
30 min of weights/cardio bursts

90 min hot yoga (was a rough one; she had the humidity up higher than usual, so I couldn't stop the sweat with my hand towel fast enough from running into every orifice of my body ;)  AND I went through 2 full bottles of water...I never do that!  I know I didnt drink enough water today, and with the running and the weights, I probably was a bit dehydrated to begin with.

Whew wee!  I am calling it a night!

******************************************************

Melissa asked:  Will I be doing the new Woodlands race in March 2012? 
  • I am sure that I will be in some capacity (full or half, I dont know yet).  I heard that registration opens up January 31, 2011 (day after Houston Marathon), but I suspect that the Woodlands race won't see many sign ups until people find out if they made it into Houston 2012 to be honest.  I said that I wasnt going to train for another marathon until I could get under 2 hours at the 13.1 and I am sticking to that.  Since the Woodlands will also have a half marathon, I am pretty certain I'll be signing up for that no ifs, ands or buts about it.  March can be tricky for a full marathon if one doesn't like to do marathons in warmer weather.  You just never know what you are going to get even though one would think that early March would be a safe bet for cool weather...

And one last thing:  Do you like pictures on here, no, or you could care less?  I just recently figured out the self timer on my little camera, but I am not going to keep doing photos if no one really cares?  I don't want to come across as some idiot who likes to take photos of herself for no reason!  I just like photos on all the other blogs I read; makes it more interesting and I feel connected on a different level.  Plus its just fun to look at pictures!

Thoughts?  Yay or nay?  I am up over 300 reads a day on here, so surely SOMEONE has an opinion :)

And The Award Goes To....

I cannot wait for Awards season...especially the Oscars...
Anyway, today I see that I have been given the Stylish Blogger Award by my dear running friend Melissa over at Melissa Dishes...I cannot wait to get to run with her on New Years Day when she's here!  We are still going to run aren't we?!?!?!??!  :O)  Thank you Melissa for the award!!!


*To accept this award, there are 4 rules:*
1. Thank the person who gave you the award.
2. Share seven things about yourself
3. Pass the award on to bloggers you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic.
4. Contact the bloggers you picked and let them know about the award.
 
Seven things about myself huh???  Gosh...Some of you may already know some or all of these, but I have a lot of new readers so I might be repeating some things I have listed before..
  1. I lived in Las Vegas for 7 years, and no I was not a showgirl or a black jack dealer, nor did I live in a hotel
  2. I have only been running for 5 years; I hated running, thought it was the dumbest thing ever and was the 'gym rat'...some still think so much cardio is a waste of time and that weights ARE where its at, but I like my time divided recently:  running, hot yoga and some strength training.  But to run marathons, you kinda got run a lot :O) and I love marathoning...
  3. I have always 'been' an extrovert, but that was completely superficial and what some could call 'staged'.  I am actually extremely shy and quite the introvert.  I should have been an actress.
  4. I regret never enlisting in the Army.  Recently I investigated enlisting (swear) but I am over the age to enlist.  I always wanted to be a soldier just like my daddy.
  5. I totally want to be a contestant on Survivor, or the Amazing Race.
  6. I ran away when I was 16 years old for an entire Summer.  After being gone 1 week, I called my sister, told her where I was (they had an APB out on my car saying it was stolen), and I didnt come back home until it was time to start my senior year. 
  7. What else do you want to know?  Shoot me a question in the comments!  :O)
Bloggers I have recently discovered and think are fantastic and think deserve a Stylish Award?
  1. Charlotte - She makes me feel like I'm ok...still with issues...but ok just the same
  2. Bobbi McCormick - I just love her blog, no particular reason
  3. SkinnyRunner - Celeb stalking, cupcakes, seemingly ;o) has the perfect husband and shes a marathon maniac AND she's fast?  Yeah she rocks.
  4. Healthy Tipping Point - Operation Beautiful!  Need I say more!  Love the concept and the blog is just awesome!
You know there are SOOOOOOOOOOO many blogs that I read, and they all give me something to think about, to try, to dream about...etc...so the 4 above are just a sampling, along with my sidebar list...so to every woman out there trying to make it through each day without losing your mind, but also finding the time to put YOU on your list, you all get Stylish Awards!!!

Reverb10 - December 18, 19 and 20

Try.
What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn't go for it?

Nothing here.  I generally do what I want when I want.  I can't think of anything that I wanted to try and didn't...the only thing I can think of for 2011 is training, going for, and succeeding in a sub 2 hour half marathon.

Healing.
What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011?

I healed myself in 2010 through faith, prayer and the strength and grace of God..it was healing leftover from 2009, but it got done.  And by that statement, it should be clear that it was not 'sudden'.  Definitely drip by drip...All I wish for 2011 is that I won't need any healing but something tells me that isn't going to be the case.  I foresee some grief-stricken times ahead in the new year. 

Beyond avoidance.
What should you have done this year but didn't because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?)

Can't think of anything...


What about you?  Do you have any regrets of things you didn't get around to in 2010 for whatever reason?  Is there something in 2011 you want to 'go for'?  Comment if you wish, but at the very least give it some thought...I am finding even when I don't write about some of these questions at all, or not in great length, its given me a lot to think about...which is always a good thing...

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Saturday Run Did Me In...

I should never have run on Saturday.  I felt better, but running in the cold and wind was no good..all I can say is thank goodness Blogger isnt voice, because I have no voice.  It went bye bye late yesterday afternoon.

The temperature read about 45deg yesterday morning, which normally isnt a big deal...only it got a bit colder as it neared sunrise...and it didnt feel at all windy at base but by the time I made my way into downtown I was freezing, and hating that I had taken my gloves off at the first water stop and thrown them into the back of E's truck..and because I didnt even think about wearing my earband, my ears and hands were frozen...I got more than just a little bit frustrated and knew by then that all the breathing in of the cold air was not going to be good.

The run itself, which was mainly pavement, but ended with some hills and softer terrain around the bayou, was ok.  Route was 12.5 miles and I didnt do any of the cloverleaf afterwards because I was just done.  I went at it nice and easy, maintaining an average of 10:20, but had a couple of sub 10's in there in the middle just for the heck of it.

After I was off to take care of Mom for the day/night so my sister could get some stuff done, and by 5pm I had lost my voice.  I had taken my Vicks Vapo and a packet of Theraflu with me, and by 9pm I was down for the count.  I had hoped it all would make me be able to talk this morning but nope...I am still voiceless unless whispering counts.  I dont feel bad, just sound it.

I worked all of 2 hours before they told me to just come home.  I was pretty much useless not being able to talk, and for whatever reason...the store was not busy.  Not like it should be the weekend before Christmas.  I am sure it will be crazy this coming week, but ahhhhh I wont know because I am, of course, part time there, and I have my regular job where I dont have to deal with shoppers!!!  The one good thing is that my running shoes are marked down though as the newer ones are to be in soon, so I put back a pair at $59, knowing full well by next weekend they'll be down to $49...normally $99...

So now its time for TheraFlu and a mid-afternoon nap!  I hope that by tomorrow I can at least speak above a whisper!

********************************************

And in other news, I knew this couldn't be far from coming... a new marathon for our fair city in March 2012!!!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Reverb10 - December 17

Lesson learned.

What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward?

Some of these questions are starting to get really personal with me (and I guess thats the point)...but some are to the extent that while I have answers, I don't feel comfortable putting them out there for people to read. 

Trust me I learned a lesson ... a big one ... as far as going forward with it... so far so good...but its a work in progress...

Here is a question for you:  Do you think blogs sometimes go too far and get too personal?  Do you read any and think "wow.  they have a lot of balls to put that out there for anyone and everyone to read."  But its like a train wreck no?  You just can't stop going back again and again to read their drama.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Ho! Ho! Ho! Fun Times with BCRR and the Annual Christmas Lights Run!

5 fun miles through River Oaks with BCRR for the 2010 Christmas Lights Run!  


My Christmas prezzie from Eddie!  A sparkly red sequined Santa hat to run in!!!

More photo's to come...I took a ton of pictures; just need to go through them all before uploading!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Sicky Poo

Last night after yoga, I fell asleep on the couch around 8:30 and woke up around 10:30.  I couldnt figure out if what I had been feeling was all TOM or if it was something else at work too.  I had been having headaches since Dallas and crud every morning in the nostrils.  So before going to bed I slathered on the Vicks vaporub (sexy!) and took a shot of Nyquil.

This morning I woke up with aches and pains and a sore throat that made me sound like a 80year old boozer who smokes 3 packs of cigarettes a day.  Or more like what I suspect Lindsay Lohan sounds like after a hard night of partying.

I went ahead in to work because I have a lot of high profile stuff going on right now, and worked up until around 11:30.  Asked to leave, went to Walgreens and stocked up on more Nyquil, more Vicks and Theraflu (my drug of choice but I was out and my drug dealer wont deliver to a sick house :))  I drank some hot Theraflu, crawled into bed and slept till close to 4.  Ate a bowl of Frosted Flakes (because being sick makes you feel like a 5 year old), went back to bed and slept till 7.

I'm watching Survivor (because they look worse than I do) but the difference is no one is going to give me a million dollars for looking this bad.. :)

Am going to make myself stay up for a couple of hours before hitting the sauce again and sleep through the night and hopefully wake up with no sore throat and the aches and pains gone...I really want to run the Christmas Lights Run tomorrow night so I hope I feel mo betta quick!!!

Reverb10 - December 15

5 minutes.

Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010.

  • the time I had to spend with my mom before she was unable to actually interact on a personal level
Everything else quite honestly, is forgettable. 

Not that I havent had a great year, its actually been one of the best percentage wise than..oh lets say the few years leading up to it, but given the question, yeah, there is just that one thing out of the whole year that I wouldn't want to be forgotten.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

This morning I had a hard time getting out of bed when the alarm went off at 5.  Its always hard to get up to run when you just ran 12 hours earlier.  The thing about Tuesdays and Thursdays right now are those are the 2 days I am consistently doing hot yoga...and I don't always make it up on those mornings to run...and I dont want to miss my yoga to run after work...and honestly to run before yoga is do-able (done it once; after a half marathon relay but it was about 4 hours later, not immediately after.  And I dont particularly like going to the 6:15 class because then I dont get home until after 8pm)...So my only time to run is before work. 
I have to be better at getting up and getting 3-4 miles in before work on yoga days...so that was my motivation this morning...just get.  out.  the.  door.


This is what I equate to the pain I had in my lower abdomen this morning...
And this morning I almost bagged it.  I am a bit more 'tired' this week (TOM)...and I was having excruciating cramps this morning (sorry boys); and it hurt with every step I took out on that pavement.   I even had to walk a time or two because it was hurting something awful and I just felt like I had no energy whatsoever.  I packed it in just past 2 miles.  Thankfully where I live I am able to deduct or add on mileage with little to no thought whatsoever.

The 'win' today comes from just managing to get out the door, short mileage or no.  I am hoping that hot yoga tonight will make me feel like new again!

Reverb10 - December 14

Appreciate.

What's the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it?

Me.  That is it.  Just little o' me.

I have been through a lot in my lifetime, I really have.  Some of it is public, but a whole heck of a lot of it, and probably the single most thing that has shaped all those troubled years still stays buried inside of me.  I suspect it always will.  That's not to say that I have had any rougher of a time than anyone else (but its all relative); and honestly a lot of it I put myself through, over and over again.  Just always searching, trying to fill holes, trying to squash memories...It took a few incidents back in 2004 for me to finally, once and for all, begin to change the rest of my life.

I don't believe that I am quite finished with me just yet...but I am so close.

My expression of gratitude is simple.  Not only do I acknowledge 'me' but I take care of 'me'..specifically by giving my body (and mind) what it needs to be as healthy as possible, as in the way of what goes into it on a daily basis, but more importantly what I don't put into it.  Sure I slip up a time or two, but I am no drill sargent, but one thing I still think does irrepairable damage is excess.  Excessive alcohol and excessive food (in its processed forms).

As someone who once did that (and more, much much more), I have personally seen the changes both internally and externally as to what a healthier lifestyle can do for a person. 

I 'work' my body and my mind through exercise, learning new things, and being curious.

I am not being holier than thou or knocking on whoever out there chooses to do what they do (or not do)...but I also generally will excuse myself from situations that are uncomfortable to my way of thinking.

And I leave this post with one a quote that I think is fitting:

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food, for love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Monday, December 13, 2010

I'm a Little Bit Off...

...as in on Sunday.  :O)  I was off on Sunday. 

Twas not supposed to be, but after a very, very long day on Saturday which included a long run with hills, and over 6 hours on my feet at the Locker and then to a birthday party with a friend of mine, I was up almost 24 hours.  So when Sunday rolled around I didn't feel 'good'. 

Therefore I called in to the Locker because there was no way I could work.  And of course that meant there was no way I could run.  oh sure I could have, but instead I chose to do what (the majority) of Sunday is for and that is for rest. 

I still got a lot accomplished, most importantly going through the 5 feet high pile of presents that I kept just stashing and stacking over each other behind the couch and along side of it too!  I needed to get this done because I am doing baskets and I needed to get everything in its place to see where I might need to fill in some 'holes'.  Thankfully there is really only 1 hole that needs filling and thats for my nephew.  Easy enough to deal with.  Gift card from Academy and probably one from Whataburger.  He'll be a happy man.  He gets so much crap from my sister anyway, it wont even matter.

I also managed to feel better enough to get a little dance party going on in my living room, kinda sorta like Cameron or Kate in The Holiday...I had been messing around with my iTunes and decided to just kinda crank it up and began dancing around the living room.  I have to tell you, while I am certain I may have looked like a crazy person, I thoroughly wore myself out even more but couldn't help laughing. 

Sometimes you have to do just like what is suggested:  Dance like no one is watching...

I didn't run, I didn't do yoga, I just danced.  It was fantastic.

And then this morning....well this morning I decided I liked my flannel sheets more than I liked my running shoes.  Plus it was 33deg outside and I just didn't want to go out there :O)

So I saved my run until the afternoon where I was going to run on the treadmill but it is so nice out with temps at mid-50's and sunshine, it would be just plain ass stupid to stay indoors!  I decided to do a new route I had put together last week which is a 4 mile route (loop) then I before hitting the casa I turned again to make the route right about 5 miles. I loved the new route!  I went down some areas I never even drive through and it gave me new areas to look for a new place to live!  I will just have to do my homework after the first of the year to get some idea of the $$ associated with them.. There are sooooooooooo many places for lease!!

Now home enjoying a big bowl of yummy 15 bean soup that I started in the crock pot before I left for work this morning...man how I love my crock pot!  I only use it pretty much in the Fall/Winter but its a life saver and keeps me on point with my eating!

Reverb10 - December 13

Action.

When it comes to aspirations, its not about ideas. It's about making ideas happen. What's your next step?

See my post from December 11th. 

I can't call minimalism and a simplistic approach to life as my idea, as its something I found through other avenues/people, so they get the credit for the idea but yeah, its up to me to make it happen.

Which 2011 will just be more steps (actions) in that direction.

My continuing mantra for 2011:  Less is more.

Reverb10 - December 12

Body integration.

This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn't mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

This happens quite often for me honestly.  Being a athlete...and yes I finally accept the term as a description of who I am, its quite easy to have lots of cohesive moments where you lose yourself.  This happens to me quite often in running since I tend to be a lone runner, even when with a group such as Kenyan Way.  I use to be more of a social runner on Saturdays, and still am but its rare anymore.  I have my moments though  :O)

Now with the addition of hot yoga this definitely happens to me during that.  I always thought running was something that could only provide me with the mind and body connection, but that all went out the window the 2nd time I ever did hot yoga. 

If for one minute you think hot yoga is easy, and associate it with what some people generalize about yoga, you're wrong.  Without your mind there is no way in hell that you are going to be do a pose once, let alone twice in 110deg heat and hold it for the amount of time required.  Some?  yes.  Most?  no.  The balance and strength it takes to do it properly is incredibly mind numbing.  You HAVE to make the connection or spending the time and money is pointless. 

Every time I step into that room, I come out of there a different person.  Its very emotional, at least to me, and has become increasingly so. 

I know this is going to sound incredibly stupid and cliche but hot yoga has made me a better person.  It might not be evident to a lot of people, but those are the people that arent looking at me closely enough or who dont really care to.  And by the word looking, I mean really looking and that includes past the outward appearance.

Reverb10 - December 11

11 Things.

What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011?
How will you go about eliminating them?
How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

11 things?  OK, I will give this one a shot...
  1. Debt
    1. I have been striving for this for some time.  I am making headway which is always good.  I don't use credit cards anymore; I only really have one that I use for emergencies and/or sometimes when I travel, but I am still always sure to be able to pay off what I spend in no more than 2 payments.  There is a bit of a balance on there right now which means I wont be using it again until that is paid off.  So paying off more on what I do owe on others is just another goal to get towards in 2011 without adding on any more.  Plus my car will be paid off in a few months which will help tremendously.
  2. Drama
    1. Again, something I worked on this year; and if you read my post from Friday this kind of all ties in together.  If someone starts creating drama in my life, I retreat a little to my comfortable 'you are a nice acquaintance' mode or I eliminate altogether.  This trend will continue.
  3. Stuff
    1. Another ongoing project.  I was just having this conversation with someone yesterday about excess.  I did a lot in 2010 but still have a bit of ways to go.  I am striving for minimalism and simplistic.  So adding any new 'stuff' is just not on my radar.  I will replace what needs replacing, but spending money on 'things', in my opinion, when I dont need it is not the person I want to be.  I dont have anything to prove to anyone with the amount of different outfits I own.  Not that everyone does that, but some do or at least feel that way.  One of the first projects of 2011 is to yet again go through the clothes.  The first category will be jeans.  If I had to guess right now...I probably still have about 15 pairs of jeans, and thats after getting rid of quite a few in 2010.  My goal is to figure out which 5 pairs of jeans I cannot live without.  I wish I could say I could get it down to 3, but its baby steps people, baby steps.
  4. Pressure
    1. See 1 and 3.  Eliminating debt and stuff is one sure-fire way to relieve some pressure.  Plus I feel a lot of pressure in the family arena, especially right now with Mom and all, but thats temporary.  I want to continue to live my life the way I see fit and not by what it going on around me.  Learning the word 'no' and 'because I just don't want to' has been empowering to say the least.
And honestly, I can't think of anything else I would like to rid myself of in 2011; something might come to mind but who knows.  I wish I could say I would like to eliminate television and the internet, but eliminating those completely is just not doable.  At least not for me.  :O)  ... However I do hope to lessen the time spent with such time sucking leeches that they are!

The only thing I hope to add in 2011 is a doggie!!  Or at the very least a new kitty.  Its been 2 years since I lost my Harley (cat) after 17 years together...I am finally ready for a new pet and honestly I would have had one by now, but where I live they don't allow pets...so since my lease is up in April and my car will be paid off in April, so I will be looking for a new place to live.  The process of finding my new home will start in February, if not in January.  I am hoping to be able to find a townhome, duplex or condo. 

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Kenyan Way - "Long" Run

6 days off DWR and I wasn't sure how my legs were going to feel going the distance this morning.

Because of the route (geared more towards the full marathoners this morning), I had to figure out how to do my miles.  10 miles per the email were to take the loop around Rice and back but I knew I didn't want to run on that surface for a full 3 miles so I followed everyone else until my Garmin hit 5 miles and turned back.  I sure felt like I was running way faster than what the Garmin ended up showing me, but I guess my legs were a bit more dead than I thought they would be.

The 10 miles came in at 10:28 pace and I still managed a negative split.  Once I got to base, I got some water and ran over to the cloverleaf for hills.  One trip up and down all 4 'leaves" is 1 mile so I ran 2 miles of hills.  I sure could tell I havent done any hill work for monnnnths!  I thought my heart was going to beat out of my chest.  I then got the bright idea that I was going to stop at the base of one of them and instead of running up the other side, I was going to tackle this one huge steep one up to the bridge.  I made it about 1/2 way up and thought I was going to topple over and tumble right back down it.  Too steep!  And it was slippery from all the dew and I also think it might have rained a little overnight.  I turned my Garmin off for the 2 miles of hills because I just wanted to run them, reap the benefits and not worry/know about the time it was taking me.  I am pretty darn sure my legs are going to be reminding me tomorrow of those damn things!

The weather was waaaaaaay more humid than I thought it was going to be, and a bit warm in the 60's ... so I definitely felt the increase in temps overall today as well.

My plan going forward for the next couple of months is to include 2 miles of hills at the end of each run on Saturday.  The first 6 miles of Houston have several 'hills' in it and I don't want to go into it not having done any prep work whatsoever.

Now off to work at the Locker! 

Reverb10 - December 10

Wisdom.

What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

Before we get to that, I don't think I have blogged any workouts since Tuesday!
  • Tuesday - 4 mile run (am)  hot yoga (pm)
  • Wednesday - 4 mile tempo run (was supposed to do an easy run coming off of the half marathon of 5-6 miles or so, but with time constraints from one job to the other that day/night I had to do what I think is a good alternative to just doing reduced mileage.  And that is to turn your run into a speed workout of sorts.  I have to really be creative with a route that wont slow me down so I run a lot through the neighborhoods to bypass traffic and/or stop signs/red lights.  I am pretty sure people that see me running think I must be lost or something!!!)
  • Thursday - no run (am); just too tired as after running I worked my PT 2nd job and didnt get home till around 9:30pm.  I was just beat.   Hot yoga though in the (pm)!!!!!!!! 
  • Friday - I am taking today off; running 12 miles in the morning; a 10 mile flat route and then 2 miles of hills on the cloverleaf!!!
I have definitely taken it easy this week, but I figure coming off the race on Sunday, I deserved it!

OK, where were we?  Oh yeah:

Wisdom.

What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

The wisest huh?  Well the wisest might not have made me the most popular person, but then again we aren't in high school anymore are we?  Yet somehow...at times it certainly seemed like it.

The wisest decision I made this year (and honestly I made a few if I am being completely honest) was to stop trying to be something/someone I wasn't and basically living a lie as to who my true self was/is.

I was doing things I didn't even really want to do at times. 
I was going places I didn't even want to go to
I was buying things I thought I had to buy because it made me like everyone else and that was 'normal'.
I was being nice and being 'friends' with people I couldn't stand.
I was squashing a lot of feelings, keeping them to myself instead of being honest on the outside.

Basically I became true to myself.

Before my father died, I got a simple silver band (ring) from him with the inscription that said: To Thine Own Self Be True.

For 15 years (he died in October 1995) while I honestly tried more often than not to live this mantra, I failed at it too because sometimes, if you follow your own path and dance to the beat of your own drum, sometimes you find yourself a little bit alone, and I needed something or others to make me get through whatever crisis was going on in my head at the time. 

This is where that whole post about 'beautifully different' came into play as well.  I think some folks might find me a bit off (different) because of my choices in life, past and present I guess.  Its just that they don't understand that before 2010 I pretty much lived to please others or to run away with whatever I could find/use to forget all the demons that haunt(ed) me.

So choosing to be me and to throw what is popular or hip with this person, this group or whatever, really narrowed my pool of (truuuuuuuuuue) friends down to a minimum.  Yes, I still am acquaintances with a loooooooooot of people; still probably considered a social butterfly; and I know I am still very well liked; but just not 'included' anymore because I was picky about what invitations I accepted and from whom...its not like I just lost all my friends, but I don't share a whole lot with many anymore, and I don't hang out with a lot anymore...because well, we just aren't the same.  I could say more, but I'm not. 

Let's just say that with some things (and people), less is definitely more.

All I can say to 'how has it all played out' is that its played out very well...yeah it has taken some getting use to I admit.  I finally feel like myself and am completely at peace with my decision to just be.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Making the Grade - Dallas/White Rock Marathon and Half Marathon - Part Three

The Finish

Somehow I missed all the paparazzi along the 13.1 course, but at least I managed a finish line photo!  As always click for better viewing...I am kinda diggin' this photo!  And in case you can't tell my Sweaty Band TOTALLY matches my outfit..red, black and white...
 Now onto the final segment of grading the overall Dallas/White Rock race experience...
Well I guess the best part of any race is that there is a Finish!
There have been a few marathon finishes that leave some things left to be desired (both NYC and Chicago)...but just like Houston, the Dallas/White Rock marathon/half marathon is perfect.
Immediately after finishing I might have walked 50 yards or so before entering into a nice, big and warm indoor after race party! 
You were handed your heat shield within seconds of finishing, checked on your condition if you looked questionable and then moved along.  Immediately upon entering the hall, you were given your medal, something to drink and there were your signs to get your Finisher shirt...you walked up, got your size and moved along.  Plenty of volunteers were handing them out so there were no lines.

Since I finished at a pretty popular finishing time, there were a lot of people but still no issues. 
You were given a plastic bag to load up with goodies (which I took full advantage of)..everything from HoneyMilk, MoJo bars, yogurts, Quaker Chewy granola bars, etc.  There were also bagels, bananas and oranges.  There was also soft drinks and beer.
The gear check was at the other end, and this was where I was a bit skeptical...as when you check your bag all you do is throw it in the back of this truck.  Thats it.  I was like 'oh boy'...

However these people were on the ball and there were tables all lined up with ranges of numbers where they had sorted all the bags!  Amazing!  And if you brought your own and didnt use the one given, there were tables for that (they discourage using your own but obviously people did it)
The guy let me go in and find my own bag and within minutes I was done and updating my status on Facebook as soon as I could get my phone from inside the bag :O)

 Race Finish = A+

The Dallas White Rock Marathon/Half Marathon was a top notch experience all the way around.  I will definitely be doing this race again next year.  Marathon or Half Marathon?  Guess we'll have to wait and see.... :O)

Registration for 2011 opens up June 1, 2011

The End...Now onto January races!!!