today is our one year "engagement anniversary". you better believe i make josh celebrate all these important holidays. we also celebrate my half birthday, 'cause i'm 5.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
checking in
this week i'm stuck with intermittent internet service that is almost as fast as dial-up. if only i could actually blame the random disconnections on someone picking up the telephone :)
last week i got in decent mileage although none of it felt good. i'm not sure what it is with these legs of mine. i'm hoping and aiming to continue upward with the mileage and actually get some 'training' going for fall races (to be determined). of course how many times have i said that...
week in review (6/21 - 6/27)
total miles: 34.25
time spent running: ~ 5 hrs 18 mins
avg hr: unknown. didn't feel like wearing the strap.
avg run pace: 9:16/mile
off days: 2
since i'm not sure when i'll get internet connection again, i'm going to do a slightly early checkup on my 2010 goals.
running/fitness
non-running goals
last week i got in decent mileage although none of it felt good. i'm not sure what it is with these legs of mine. i'm hoping and aiming to continue upward with the mileage and actually get some 'training' going for fall races (to be determined). of course how many times have i said that...
week in review (6/21 - 6/27)
total miles: 34.25
time spent running: ~ 5 hrs 18 mins
avg hr: unknown. didn't feel like wearing the strap.
avg run pace: 9:16/mile
off days: 2
since i'm not sure when i'll get internet connection again, i'm going to do a slightly early checkup on my 2010 goals.
running/fitness
- run 3 marathons - 2 down, 1 to go. i think i can make this happen.
- pr in at least 3 distances again - 1 so far, by default (10-miler). with my lead legs lately, this will take some work.
- do 5,000 abs and 120 minutes of planks - as of 6/28, 5700 and 90! so i'm resetting this goal at 12,000 and 150. apparently setting a numeric, specific goal has helped some.
- lose 10-15 pounds - currently failing this one majorly. having a specific goal here is not working :)
- beat my '09 miles (2025.10) - umm... it's going to be a jam-packed second-half as i'm not even halfway there.
non-running goals
- get some stamps in my passport - this will happen very soon :)
- figure out how to plan my wedding and be a good maid-of-honor for my best friend's wedding - well i think i was a great moh if i do say so myself, but i have been slack on my own wedding planning.
- pay off a solid chunk of the mortgage - i've paid off 10.52% (to be precise) of my remaining principal. i know my progress will be slower in the second half of the year, but i've known that and it's ok. my goal was not to pay it off, i don't plan on living there forever.
- continue to spend quality time with friends/family - been doing this, and it's easier now that i'm not driving every other weekend, but still could improve of course.
- renovate the master bathroom - still need to find a contractor dude to do the work. (haven't exactly looked yet though)
Friday, June 25, 2010
i choose...
marcia of running off at the mouth!
email me your mailing address marcia and i'll pass it along to the american cancer society folks so that *they* get your package to you in a timely fashion. (we all know how well the post office and i get along)
thanks to everyone who entered and shared their personal health-endeavors. turns out i don't have to blame a crappy moh speech on you guys since no one really offered to write it for me :) (sorry chris, your 'joke' wasn't happening!) haha.
here's a tally of what you guys admitted to working on/need to work on:
- soda/diet soda - 6
- fruit/veggies - 4
- sunscreen - 6
- drinking water - 2
- giving in to dessert - 3
- eating healthy/portion control - 8
- stretching - 1
hmm running. still (sorta) chugging along. took a good chunk of days off as mentioned around the wedding and am realizing i need to ramp it up soon for a little 50k in november! yep, after my double-marathons (and some advice from johnny) i took the plunge and signed up for an ultra :)
anyway i'm just plodding along for now. most days running still feels awkward and i'm slow. i've been wondering lately if i need to seriously revamp my diet (ie: not just cut out/cut back on m&m's). i've been having a bit of troublesome health issues for awhile (other than the vertigo) that my doctors haven't been able to help with (i've been trying their suggestions and prescriptions for over two years now), and figure a cleaner diet sure couldn't hurt. i'm just so bad at enforcing healthy eating habits lately.
then i conveniently read about my hawaii friends cutting back on gluten and noticing a change in how they feel/perform athletically, so i'm more-seriously considering a clean sweep of the diet. we'll see... i mean, i have to eat up the rest of my delicious cookies first anyway right?
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
my best friend's wedding
busy weekend. no running (and no guilt over it). lots of fun times. too much champagne. married off my best friend (and didn't have to give a moh speech after all).
Thursday, June 17, 2010
choose you
ok so, like three weeks ago (when i lived in a different state!) i said i had a giveaway coming soon. well i did, i just wasn't very organized. my bad. let's just get on with this already, shall we?
about a month ago i was contacted by a representative of the american cancer society to help spread the word about their new "choose you" campaign. i received a fun package in the mail from them full of goodies and have an extra prize pack to giveaway!
"choose you" is a new nationwide movement by the american cancer society to help encourage women to put their own health first in the fight against cancer. as a woman myself, i know i sometimes get caught up in ensuring others' needs are met - whether at work, at home, or with friends, and i'm not even a mother with kids to look after! (thank goodness, as they'd probably be eating a diet of m&m's...)
the "choose you" campaign asks women to pledge to reach an individual health-related goal from one of five categories: eat right, get active, get health screenings, protect your skin and/or quit smoking. as the avid runners/workout addicts we are, we probably have 2 of those 5 down already (being active, not smoking). most of you probably have your eating in check, but we all know that i could use quite a bit of improvement. i'm sure most of us could improve our sunscreen use, except jill because she bathes in it. :)
giveaway details: the winner will receive one "get healthy" gift bag of goodies (including a stainless steel water bottle, t-shirt that's totally work appropriate in my book, neutrogena sunscreen, gift card to walgreens and more)
to enter: share what healthy habit you want/need to kickstart right now and what thing(s) are holding you back from declaring victory (and get on it already!). you could also share what motivates to you to stay on top of your personal health maintenance or how you make time to make your health a priority.
for a bonus entry: give me something funny to say in my maid of honor speech this weekend!! (pllllease!) :o)
to my canadian and overseas friends - sorry but this giveaway is restricted to us residents only. i hope you will still take a minute to comment though!
this prize pack will be mailed out in a timely manner because i will not be the one mailing it (it will come directly from the acs)! you can rest assured future winner.
disclaimer: all the information about "choose you" was provided to me by the american cancer society, but my opinion on the program is solely my own. the acs also provided the gift packages for myself and my giveaway winner.
about a month ago i was contacted by a representative of the american cancer society to help spread the word about their new "choose you" campaign. i received a fun package in the mail from them full of goodies and have an extra prize pack to giveaway!
"choose you" is a new nationwide movement by the american cancer society to help encourage women to put their own health first in the fight against cancer. as a woman myself, i know i sometimes get caught up in ensuring others' needs are met - whether at work, at home, or with friends, and i'm not even a mother with kids to look after! (thank goodness, as they'd probably be eating a diet of m&m's...)
the "choose you" campaign asks women to pledge to reach an individual health-related goal from one of five categories: eat right, get active, get health screenings, protect your skin and/or quit smoking. as the avid runners/workout addicts we are, we probably have 2 of those 5 down already (being active, not smoking). most of you probably have your eating in check, but we all know that i could use quite a bit of improvement. i'm sure most of us could improve our sunscreen use, except jill because she bathes in it. :)
giveaway details: the winner will receive one "get healthy" gift bag of goodies (including a stainless steel water bottle, t-shirt that's totally work appropriate in my book, neutrogena sunscreen, gift card to walgreens and more)
to enter: share what healthy habit you want/need to kickstart right now and what thing(s) are holding you back from declaring victory (and get on it already!). you could also share what motivates to you to stay on top of your personal health maintenance or how you make time to make your health a priority.
for a bonus entry: give me something funny to say in my maid of honor speech this weekend!! (pllllease!) :o)
to my canadian and overseas friends - sorry but this giveaway is restricted to us residents only. i hope you will still take a minute to comment though!
this prize pack will be mailed out in a timely manner because i will not be the one mailing it (it will come directly from the acs)! you can rest assured future winner.
disclaimer: all the information about "choose you" was provided to me by the american cancer society, but my opinion on the program is solely my own. the acs also provided the gift packages for myself and my giveaway winner.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
what not to wear
now that i'm back in the "real" world where you have to dress normally, some days i humor myself with seeing how slack i can be in the clothing department. other days i just get frustrated at having to "dress up" and desperately try to pick out something that looks decent/appropriate.
why i should be featured on "what not to wear":
exhibit a: pants too big? no problem, just roll them down like high school cheerleaders and their soffee shorts. (pardon my disheveled shirt - i don't wear it like this out in public)
exhibit b: either some shirts shrank or my boobs grew. put on a sports bra (yippi) and a wife beater to keep these buttons from popping off. (see above for classy wife beater)
exhibit c: just plain feeling lazy? wear a 'dressy' solid color tee from the gap. i wear a fleece year-round in the air conditioning anyway so it's not like people know i'm just wearing a t-shirt.
exhibit d: the cute heels i have in my shoe room*. cute, yes. comfortable, heck no. 99.9% of the time i wear my classy boat shoes. so dressy, so feminine. (buddy practicing yoga in the background, and yes i own more than four pairs of shoes. those black ankle boots? never worn them.)
*living alone = shoes get their own room and running clothes get their own room. not sure where the kids would live if i were to have any. backyard?
exhibit e: dress socks = christmas socks. year-round. i'd be more than happy to wear other-holiday socks, but they seem to be discriminated against in stores.
ahh well, technically i'm abiding by all the office dress code rules so i'm not too motivated most mornings. i'm not sure if i could change my lazy ways even if stacy and clinton showed up at my door anyway. :)
why i should be featured on "what not to wear":
exhibit b: either some shirts shrank or my boobs grew. put on a sports bra (yippi) and a wife beater to keep these buttons from popping off. (see above for classy wife beater)
exhibit c: just plain feeling lazy? wear a 'dressy' solid color tee from the gap. i wear a fleece year-round in the air conditioning anyway so it's not like people know i'm just wearing a t-shirt.
exhibit d: the cute heels i have in my shoe room*. cute, yes. comfortable, heck no. 99.9% of the time i wear my classy boat shoes. so dressy, so feminine. (buddy practicing yoga in the background, and yes i own more than four pairs of shoes. those black ankle boots? never worn them.)
*living alone = shoes get their own room and running clothes get their own room. not sure where the kids would live if i were to have any. backyard?
exhibit e: dress socks = christmas socks. year-round. i'd be more than happy to wear other-holiday socks, but they seem to be discriminated against in stores.
ahh well, technically i'm abiding by all the office dress code rules so i'm not too motivated most mornings. i'm not sure if i could change my lazy ways even if stacy and clinton showed up at my door anyway. :)
Monday, June 14, 2010
my other crack cocaine
three things got me through hot weekend runs:
a few weeks ago my friends at gu/outside pr sent me the gu performance sampler pack. getting gu in the mail is like christmas - i am almost as cracked-out on gu chomps as i am on m&m's. so maybe sometimes i eat chomps as a snack instead of pre-/mid-run fuel... is that such a bad thing? oh and mint chocolate - how did i ever go so long without you! so glad you are now available all year long. if only you came in roctane form... i'd run 4:30-miles :)
purchase your own a sampler pack of gu:
GU Performance Energy Sample Pack
anyway. after melting on a 7+ miler saturday, i mixed up a bottle of blueberry pomegranate brew (2x the sodium - i figured i'd need it) before my "long" run sunday. it was hot and humid, and i wanted to ensure i didn't quit early so i played a few mind games with myself. i planned out 2 loops through the neighborhoods that would enable me to stop back by the house in between for a gu and some cold brew. my bottle of brew went into the fridge and i stepped out into the sticky, gross air. i would have carried it with me, but lately it makes me cranky and more likely to quit. the promise of cold brew and any flavor gu lured me through each mile, and i successfully survived (much) longer than last week.
so far i haven't met a gu flavor i haven't liked, but i also haven't tried them all yet. most recently i befriended tri-berry and orange burst, and thought they'd make excellent gu-popsicles. of course this would just make more gu products i eat as regular food instead of running food...
saturday (6/12) noon run: 7.3 miles, 1:08:14 (avg pace 9:21), 85* (65% humidity)
(i highly recommend not running at noon. no shade, no sprinklers. i took a page from frayed laces and stopped at the clubhouse for some ice to dump down my bra. my boobs have finally proven some value as an ice holder.)
sunday (6/13) am run: 9.3 miles, 1:28:34 (avg pace 9:31), 84* (88% humidity)
i must admit i did walk a little - it was just brutal. but, i guess the running was at a decent pace 'cause my overall pace didn't tank as much as i thought it would.
- convincing myself that if i suffered for just a few more runs, i'd be used to it and it won't feel so deathly.
- running through every single sprinkler encountered.
- ice cold gu brew and all the gu flavors a runner could want.
purchase your own a sampler pack of gu:
GU Performance Energy Sample Pack
anyway. after melting on a 7+ miler saturday, i mixed up a bottle of blueberry pomegranate brew (2x the sodium - i figured i'd need it) before my "long" run sunday. it was hot and humid, and i wanted to ensure i didn't quit early so i played a few mind games with myself. i planned out 2 loops through the neighborhoods that would enable me to stop back by the house in between for a gu and some cold brew. my bottle of brew went into the fridge and i stepped out into the sticky, gross air. i would have carried it with me, but lately it makes me cranky and more likely to quit. the promise of cold brew and any flavor gu lured me through each mile, and i successfully survived (much) longer than last week.
so far i haven't met a gu flavor i haven't liked, but i also haven't tried them all yet. most recently i befriended tri-berry and orange burst, and thought they'd make excellent gu-popsicles. of course this would just make more gu products i eat as regular food instead of running food...
saturday (6/12) noon run: 7.3 miles, 1:08:14 (avg pace 9:21), 85* (65% humidity)
(i highly recommend not running at noon. no shade, no sprinklers. i took a page from frayed laces and stopped at the clubhouse for some ice to dump down my bra. my boobs have finally proven some value as an ice holder.)
sunday (6/13) am run: 9.3 miles, 1:28:34 (avg pace 9:31), 84* (88% humidity)
i must admit i did walk a little - it was just brutal. but, i guess the running was at a decent pace 'cause my overall pace didn't tank as much as i thought it would.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
finally
a decent run! i really don't know what's going on, but i am glad i had a good run at last. i've been feeling very pokey lately, and my pace has definitely shown it. thankfully monday evening i went out for a run in 84 degrees and surprisingly, it was a pleasant little run. either all the slogginess is starting to pay off, or all the m&m's i ate monday afternoon were magical. of course i'm leaning towards "needing" m&m's personally...
monday (6/7) pm run: 6.5 miles, 56:57 (avg pace 8:46), 84*
compared to....
sunday (6/6) am run: 4.75 miles, 45:18 (avg pace 9:32), 77*
what is up, self?
week in review (5/24 - 5/30)
total miles: 41.75 *finally crested the elusive 40-mile week
time spent running: ~ 6 hrs 10 mins
avg hr: 163.50
avg run pace: 8:51/mile
off days: 1
week in review (5/31 - 6/6)
total miles: 37.00
time spent running: ~5 hrs 44 mins
avg hr: 165.33
avg run pace: 9:17
off days: 1
well when i look at it this way, it doesn't seem like i'm slowing down totally - just some days. maybe i can blame it on the heat/humidity a little afterall.
monday (6/7) pm run: 6.5 miles, 56:57 (avg pace 8:46), 84*
compared to....
sunday (6/6) am run: 4.75 miles, 45:18 (avg pace 9:32), 77*
what is up, self?
week in review (5/24 - 5/30)
total miles: 41.75 *finally crested the elusive 40-mile week
time spent running: ~ 6 hrs 10 mins
avg hr: 163.50
avg run pace: 8:51/mile
off days: 1
week in review (5/31 - 6/6)
total miles: 37.00
time spent running: ~5 hrs 44 mins
avg hr: 165.33
avg run pace: 9:17
off days: 1
well when i look at it this way, it doesn't seem like i'm slowing down totally - just some days. maybe i can blame it on the heat/humidity a little afterall.
Monday, June 7, 2010
lucky number seven
the weekend
very exciting - full of painting (a lot of which should have been done 4 years ago when i bought the house. i would start painting a room and then get tired and quit.... so yeah, still not done). getting closer though!
very exciting - full of painting (a lot of which should have been done 4 years ago when i bought the house. i would start painting a room and then get tired and quit.... so yeah, still not done). getting closer though!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
something extra
running has felt weird ever since recovering from vertigo back in march. i used to cruise through easy and long runs at an 8:30-9:00/mile pace. lately it seems i'm slowing down, as i've seen a few too many 9:20-9:30 splits and my avg heartrate is higher than the norm too. i've been sleeping 8-9 hours a night now that i'm back in sc and my body/legs feel even more tired than usual. i know it's possible that i need to readjust to a less intense schedule and the extra rest (averaged 5-6 hrs sleep in ky).
it's getting warmer of course, which takes some getting used to, and i was spoiled by pretty flat terrain in kentucky so i have some rolling hills to get used to again. a little disheartening to think i once powered up these hills at a 7:30-7:45/mile pace, and now am a solid 2-minutes slower with death chasing me down. :)
i'm a little frustrated by it all - no one wants to feel "off" for weeks on end, but i know things will eventually "click" again.
happy national running day!
wednesday 6/2 am run: 8.4 miles, 1:18:00 (9:17 avg pace)
avg/max hr (169/186), 76* (85% humidity)
it's getting warmer of course, which takes some getting used to, and i was spoiled by pretty flat terrain in kentucky so i have some rolling hills to get used to again. a little disheartening to think i once powered up these hills at a 7:30-7:45/mile pace, and now am a solid 2-minutes slower with death chasing me down. :)
left - sc; right - ky
not the worst hills ever but still, gonna have to readjust!
i'm a little frustrated by it all - no one wants to feel "off" for weeks on end, but i know things will eventually "click" again.
it takes something extra to be a runner. to willingly subjugate ones self to daily punishment for seemingly no reward. that honest defiance of today's "i want my results now" mentality is what sets us apart.
there is no magic pill.
as runners, we know we won't be better tomorrow from what we do today (in fact, tomorrow, we'll probably be worse than we are today). tomorrow is not the goal. the goal is weeks from now, months from now, years from now. the acceptance of deferred gratification is what sets us apart and makes us unique. (the fact that the overwhelming majority of us do it without ever being paid a penny just makes us weird)
[quote from ultra brad]
happy national running day!
wednesday 6/2 am run: 8.4 miles, 1:18:00 (9:17 avg pace)
avg/max hr (169/186), 76* (85% humidity)
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
goin' to carolina
hello south carolina! it's nice to be home. it's especially nice to be home for more than 1.5 days!
the end of kentucky...
friday morning i got up for one last super early morning run. i haven't had the nausea/vertigo in awhile so i've eased back into morning runs over the past couple of weeks. i definitely prefer them over evening runs because i'm lazy after work and it's getting hot out there. i got in my second quality workout of the week with a short threshold run. my goal pace is currently 7:17-7:25, but i knew i probably wouldn't hit it. i need a few tries to get used to the effort level for threshold pace.
friday was my last day of work out on the jobsite/in kentucky and what do you know, it rains. they called for a "rain out" at noon! i ended up hanging around a little longer visiting with some work buddies one last time. technically since we work in an "office" (trailer) we're not really rained out but it's a holiday weekend (and the boss is out of town) so everyone peaced out early. i went home to stare at all the stuff i needed to pack and later went out for dinner with my apartment neighbor at eddie montgomery's. i wish we had hung out more often - turns out she is filipino too! she was relocated here from los angeles - slight culture difference.
saturday i got up for one last long run on the bluegrass pike. i could've left town friday but i hadn't had a chance to run on the pike in awhile and i wanted one last run. it's a great road for running - scenic, no traffic and you can easily get in up to 18 miles if you want. i went 12 miles, and definitely felt a little emotional as i crossed the bridge over the railroad tracks back into town for the last time. after the run i loaded up the car and met up with some co-workers for lunch before pulling out of town. for the first time in a long time i didn't get moody on the drive home. i am sure this is because i knew i would not be having to make the drive anymore :) i met up with krystyn at a starbucks in knoxville for a quick visit while i was passing through town.
settling in back home...
sunday i started trying to clean and organize the house. what a nightmare. living without a lot of stuff for the past year made me realize how much i can (and should) get rid of. some of my tasty finds were a half-eaten can of chocolate icing and a mostly-full bag of starbucks coffee. i'm still mourning those losses. i also found a bag of 2-year old m&m's that i ate anyway. since i had been diligent logging miles all week, i didn't feel guilty taking the day off from working out. i should've done yoga or something, but oh well. my parents came over with some welcome-home banana pudding, my favorite.
monday was not a very exciting memorial day. i got up early to run and it was thunder storming, back to bed for me. it was still t-storming later in the morning, but i did finally get out for a short run around 2-ish. hot, muggy and humid. yum. happy belated memorial day america!
may 2010
total mileage: 143.55
time spent running: 20:16:04
days off: 7 (hopefully i'll quit slacking now that i'm not traveling as much)
abs/yoga: 12 ab workouts/4 yoga sessions
avg resting hr: 60
avg max hr: 180.16
avg temp: 69.52* (don't let that fool you, it was ~65* with 95% humidity)
pushups: 951
hmm no more kentucky... what will i talk about now??
the end of kentucky...
friday morning i got up for one last super early morning run. i haven't had the nausea/vertigo in awhile so i've eased back into morning runs over the past couple of weeks. i definitely prefer them over evening runs because i'm lazy after work and it's getting hot out there. i got in my second quality workout of the week with a short threshold run. my goal pace is currently 7:17-7:25, but i knew i probably wouldn't hit it. i need a few tries to get used to the effort level for threshold pace.
friday was my last day of work out on the jobsite/in kentucky and what do you know, it rains. they called for a "rain out" at noon! i ended up hanging around a little longer visiting with some work buddies one last time. technically since we work in an "office" (trailer) we're not really rained out but it's a holiday weekend (and the boss is out of town) so everyone peaced out early. i went home to stare at all the stuff i needed to pack and later went out for dinner with my apartment neighbor at eddie montgomery's. i wish we had hung out more often - turns out she is filipino too! she was relocated here from los angeles - slight culture difference.
saturday i got up for one last long run on the bluegrass pike. i could've left town friday but i hadn't had a chance to run on the pike in awhile and i wanted one last run. it's a great road for running - scenic, no traffic and you can easily get in up to 18 miles if you want. i went 12 miles, and definitely felt a little emotional as i crossed the bridge over the railroad tracks back into town for the last time. after the run i loaded up the car and met up with some co-workers for lunch before pulling out of town. for the first time in a long time i didn't get moody on the drive home. i am sure this is because i knew i would not be having to make the drive anymore :) i met up with krystyn at a starbucks in knoxville for a quick visit while i was passing through town.
settling in back home...
sunday i started trying to clean and organize the house. what a nightmare. living without a lot of stuff for the past year made me realize how much i can (and should) get rid of. some of my tasty finds were a half-eaten can of chocolate icing and a mostly-full bag of starbucks coffee. i'm still mourning those losses. i also found a bag of 2-year old m&m's that i ate anyway. since i had been diligent logging miles all week, i didn't feel guilty taking the day off from working out. i should've done yoga or something, but oh well. my parents came over with some welcome-home banana pudding, my favorite.
monday was not a very exciting memorial day. i got up early to run and it was thunder storming, back to bed for me. it was still t-storming later in the morning, but i did finally get out for a short run around 2-ish. hot, muggy and humid. yum. happy belated memorial day america!
may 2010
total mileage: 143.55
time spent running: 20:16:04
days off: 7 (hopefully i'll quit slacking now that i'm not traveling as much)
abs/yoga: 12 ab workouts/4 yoga sessions
avg resting hr: 60
avg max hr: 180.16
avg temp: 69.52* (don't let that fool you, it was ~65* with 95% humidity)
pushups: 951
hmm no more kentucky... what will i talk about now??
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