Normal (Week 5)

Tuesday - 7+ on the treadmill. A little rough, but not too terrible. Video trifecta (arms, core, legs).
Wednesday - Munchkin mile with A at Lake Arbor. Have no clue on distance (at least a mile) or overall pace.

Thursday - Video trifecta (arms, core, legs) and 2 miles on the treadmill. I had planned on knocking out an hour, but this felt insanely hard, so I cut it very short.
Friday - NOTHING NOTHING NOTHING.
Saturday - I had planned on a run after finding out Bear Chase was going to be postponed... but then I didn't feel like it. Instead, L and the kids and I stood in line for ONE HOUR at the new Dunkin' Donuts!! Sadly, I was very disappointed with both the donuts AND the coffee. We did some shopping, and I managed to score two pairs of new shoes for A for a total of $19.97 plus tax. FOR BOTH PAIRS. Not EACH, BOTH. What.

Sunday - Bear Chase 50K
Monday - Nothing. I had planned on a run but then had some personal stuff come up and stayed at home instead.

Loss - 0.4 pounds

• My appetite is definitely back with a vengeance!! Combination of leveling out intake and running all the miles?
• Indulgences this week - Smashburger, pizza, yogurtland, DONUTS, and of course... BEER!
• Work is going ok. It has been really busy and they FINALLY hired someone to "temp" for the paralegal that had the baby. Hopefully she can stay on after she tells them she isn't coming back from maternity leave...
• Friday was the COLDEST DAY EVER. I am really REALLY not looking forward to winter coming. THIS Friday, our forecasted high is 43 degrees. WHAT. That is nuts. 
• Related: Apparently, I need new tires. OF COURSE I DO. Didn't you know I'm made out of money???
• L's ex boyfriend saw J at the gym recently. I was informed that he has "put on some weight." I don't know if that makes me happy or not... 

Online Dating Updates

• I had been down to one guy. Still the same one that asked to friend me on Facebook. I realized after chatting with him more that I had no idea what he did for a living. TURNS OUT, NOTHING. Yeah. Dude has been out of work since JUNE. I go back and look at his profile, and sure enough, he has listed that he is working and making $50,000+ a year. LIAR LIAR. We are no longer chatting. And this is a reminder that I should unfriend him...
• Awkwardly, someone else sent me a message through match asking if we had met up at Meet Up a few months ago. He didn't look familiar... I didn't respond.
• I was going to just give up completely, but then Friday night I was bored and lonely and going through profiles and found one with a good looking guy who sounded promising. We have been texting since Friday, he seems smart and funny, and we are tentatively making plans for bowling or something this week.
• If THAT ^ doesn't work out, I quit this online stuff.

Normal (Week 2)

Tuesday - Last day in California. Womp. We didn't do much except get MORE donuts and then Chili's for lunch. Our flight was mid afternoon, so we pretty much had to head to the airport right after lunch. Flight was uneventful. However, get to Denver and the lot tech at the parking lot I always use neglected to write down my car's location... THANKFULLY, one of the other people on the bus was parked in my same row or we could have been driving around all day. Beautiful sunset on the drive home.

Wednesday - 8.17 miles on the treadmill at a sub 10:30 pace!! WHAT!!!! I'm so happy I picked up the Tokyo Pop shirt at the INKnBURN warehouse sale. I just love it so much, it is so "me." Also did the arms, core and butt/thigh videos. Especially after taking a week off from doing these, they were The Hardest. I am so weak!!

Thursday - Munchkin mile with A at Lake Arbor. I was too weak to bother with anything else. The heat is so draining!

Friday - NOTHING. NOTHING. NOTHING.

Saturday - 22 miles of The Hottest Hot ever. I had been registered for a local half marathon, but since I have done the event before, I chose to skip the race and run with Runners Edge and Hope instead - to get in more mileage. The group run started at 6:30, but with highs forecasted to be in the mid 90's, we opted to "moonlight" and start at 5:30 instead. The first 1.5 hours were great, and *almost* chilly. But then the sun came out and we roasted. We ran a nice section along the Louisville Trail and the turnaround was on Marshall Mesa - exposed and HOT. The last aid station ran out of water, and the second half was MISERABLE trying not to die. But, got it done! Later that day A and I met up with my friend from work and her son and sat at a park while the kids played FOR HOURS.

Sunday - American Heroes Run half marathon in the morning. Then A had a birthday party at the local amusement park. We went right after lunch, getting there about 2. We didn't leave until almost 7. She had a blast. The night was spent doing laundry and picking up EVERYTHING off the floors as we were having our carpets cleaned for the first time since we have been in our house (4.5 years). After all THAT, I did the three videos - arms, core and butt/thighs. DEAD.

Monday - Three or so weeks ago, the passenger window in my Mini decided it no longer wants to stay shut all the way. As soon as it hits the top, it drops back down. If I manually tick it up, I can get it to stop CLOSE to the top. I had this SAME issue last March. Long story short, I get to the dealer and they claim they have NO record of me ever having this issue before and they want to charge me $125 just to look at it and I SNAPPED. Finally a manager came over and said that I'm "barely" out of warranty and they will take care of it for me. I did get a loaner car - THE GIANTEST VEHICLE EVER, the Mini Countryman. HUGE. (FYI, as soon as I got home I found my service records and in fact, DID find the paperwork for the window issue). Did NO exercise again.

Gain - 2.6 pounds

• So... I skipped my weigh in last week since it was the day that we got back from #eatallthethings in California. I'm up 2.6 pounds in the last two weeks, even though I have run a jillion miles. So, apparently, I need to remember that I simply cannot eat everything. So disappointing.
• Beer was a bit higher intake the last few weeks after sort of leveling out, so guess I will have to watch that a bit too.
• After a lot of internal debate, I shelled out the money and joined match.com. I have not had a ton of creepers contact me, but I've had a lot of responses. There are a few guys that I even gave my number to that I have been texting with. One in particular is going to be my first "meet up." We were supposed to have lunch Monday, but rescheduled for today, so hopefully it is good!
• Work has been INSANE. In addition to being busier than usual, I am still not caught up from the days I took off from Disney. Time has been going by fast, which helps.
• I have one half marathon (a night race!) scheduled for Saturday, and then the next race is the Bear Chase 50K! I am really excited to be running with Hope for her very first ultra! (I hope she does not hate it, since I am the one that encouraged her to run it!). I love the event and have run the 50 mile (in 2011) and the 50K (in 2012). I am sure I will be back next year too.
• And... I think I am ready to attempt a 100 miler again. I have been in touch with the race director for the 100K I am registered for and think that I will be upgrading to the 100 mile. L and Hope have both offered to pace me, as well as another friend. It is  a local race, and I feel I'm as trained as I will ever be.

Tidbit Tuesday

1. More Munchkin Miles! Today's run marks the first time she has kept a sub 13 pace!!

2. A signs up for her THIRD (but first official TIMED) 5K!

Look for super awesome matchy matchy outfits for the race, happening THIS SUNDAY!!

3. Holy crap next weekend I am going to be running a 50 MILE RACE... And... I am thinking of doing a giveaway... stay tuned while I sort things out.

4. Did I mention I'm doing SoCal Ragnar next April? We are in need of team names! We will have two teams, one will be the 6 ultra runners (not me!) and then another group of 12. Thanks for the invite to the team, by the way, I've always wanted one of those ginormous medals! So... SUGGESTIONS PLEASE!!! Also, themes??

5. Outside of running... I am working on my first exam... Terrifying... But, I still am maintaining an A average (I know, I know, only 4 weeks in). Still enjoying myself!!

Fast and the Fabulous!

Munchkin Mile with A. Originally I was wearing the pink dot skirt, but A says "Mom, I know you have this same skirt, you should change." Yes, ma'am.

Her fastest loop EVER! 14:30, and with how long we run, her average pace was 13:05. Rock star!! Her sprint at the end? Super impressive... right around 7:30 pace for the last 20 seconds or so.

I followed this run up with my RLRF long run:

MP, WK3, KR3

Goal - 13 miles @ MP (10:42)

Actual - 13.16 miles @ 10:33

Total - 13.16 in 2:19:00

TEN Things Thursday

1. I'm a Maniac!! #4202

2. Awesome race pictures from last weekend (and orange IS the skirt I've raced in the most):

3. Another Munchkin Mile (much hotter today and more walk breaks):

4. Another trip to the water park, but probably the last time of the season:

5. A trip to the park:

6. Gymnastics class:

7. Interview outfit! (Although apparently hiding the tat is mandatory so I'll be wearing a cardigan over it):

8. Interview is tomorrow morning. I'm taking it as a good sign that this is an IN PERSON interview. Most companies now do those annoying phone interviews that I completely SUCK at.

9. Awesome race shirt Thursday. This is from the Bolder Boulder 10K, 2009:

I swear my front kick is more awesome when I'm not "re-enacting"

10. Don't forget to check my link in the top left hand corner of my blog for Razzy Roo. Enjoy either 10% off an entire order using the promo code listed, OR, use code GLITTER40, for a FREE glitter band when you spend $40. Have I mentioned how much I love Razzy Roo?? Be sure to check out all the new socks she has listed!!

Summer Is Almost Over

Yesterday A was bored out of her mind. Nothing seemed to entertain her. So I planned a SUPER full day.

First on the list? Going running.

Lake Arbor

It was pretty hot by the time we got to the lake. 77 degrees. Luckily, we had a breeze. It helped IMMENSELY. A didn't need the rest breaks like before. She did awesome:

We ran the loop about a minute faster than last week. She is gonna rock the 5k at Disney in a few weeks!

Next up? Quick trip to Starbucks and then on to the water park! We have season passes so it's a great thing to do that doesn't cost us anything.

Waiting in line... they were PACKED

I figured we had a few hours there before the afternoon storms were going to start and A had a blast!

We ended up not leaving until 1:30, and I was STARVING, so we headed home and had lunch. Then, off to get A a haircut:

All of the above took most of the day. I spent the remainder of the afternoon vacuuming, cleaning the carpets, and making dinner.

Then it was off to the gym. L has a new "thing" to entertain us at the gym. Every time we have a class, we are going to wear a shirt we have gotten at a race. In chronological order. So today? The shirt from my first 10K - the Bolder Boulder, Memorial Day 2008. I can't remember if I'm rockin' a side kick or a roundhouse:

I am STILL super sore. Why??

As an aside... Check on my link top left hand corner of my blog for Razzy Roo. Enjoy either 10% off an entire order using the promo code listed, OR, use code GLITTER40, for a FREE glitter band when you spend $40. Have I mentioned how much I love Razzy Roo??

Happy Tuesday!

Munchkin Mile - Exhausted.

A wanted to go running this morning. I was psyched when we got outside and it didn't seem nearly as hot. A finally realized that her skirt had pockets and begged me to let her hold my car keys in her pocket (and if I needed her to carry anything else, she DOES have another pocket you know). It's important to stretch before you run:

After about a minute she complained that her skirt was falling down because of the weight of the keys... haha. Quick stop and then we are off. Even though it wasn't as hot as our last run, A seemed exhausted. She really struggled with this run and needed more frequent walk breaks.

Tomorrow? Super duper long run.

Munchkin Mile - Too Hot To Handle...

A just got back yesterday, and of course one of the first things she wanted to do was... run! We headed out early for two reasons. One was because we wanted to get to the water park by the time it opened at 10:00 and two because the forecast was for HOT temperatures.

We headed out early (well, sorta early, 8:00), and it was already HOT. Well, 75 degrees, which feels hot to me. A hasn't run in a few months, and I figured she needed to get at least a few runs in since we are running the 5k at Disneyland in few weeks. She struggled a bit, but as I said, it was hot and I don't blame her. Even I felt tired. Pictures from our morning:

Three Things Thursday

1. Munchkin Mile!

It snowed last weekend, and it has been SUPER cold ever since, so there has been very little thawing. This morning A really wanted to run, and it was a BALMY 35 degrees out. Her new Sauconys might be the reason she wanted to run!

We had to take it super slow since most of the path was covered in ice, but we saw a fox (no picture, wasn't running with my phone). Silly guy ran across the lake!

2. TREADMILLS!! I can't decide if A having her own is cool or incredibly disturbing. Either way, she loves hers.

Photography by a 5 year old

3. This weekend I'm headed to Bermuda to take part in the Bermuda Triangle Challenge!

Yep, that's three races! First day is a mile race. I've never raced shorter than a 5K and I'm absolutely NOT a sprinter, so if I can do even close to 8:30 I'll be ok. Second day is 10K. My goal is to CRUSH my previous 10K PR of 1:01:47 (ideally I'd like to do under 57 minutes). Third day is a half marathon and according to T @ Racing With Babes, the course is pretty hilly, so my goal is sub 2:08. The coolest part about the challenge (other than being in Bermuda) is the bling! One medal for each race, plus a fourth for doing all three!

Three Things Thursday

Man. I've been STRUGGLING with running this week. I'm not *exactly* having pain in my foot, but I am noticing that it's a bit swollen, so I've been icing it a bit. Which leads me to...

1. Wednesday's run was even worse than Mondays... Now that I'm back to using a shuffle that I can clip on my shirt, I can wear my other running skirts that don't have pockets:

The program? Not even that hard. Until the very end...

But man. It's been extra hot in the gym lately. Unsure if that's the temperature it always is (I don't think so) or the bajillions of "new" people that are there. Almost all the treadmills were full, which is actually pretty rare for a Wednesday night. Although by the time I was done, 2/3 of them were clear. I only did an hour long hill program. Couldn't even muster the energy to run the extra 10-15 minutes at no incline that I usually do at the end. Blah!!!

2. First Munchkin Mile of the year!!

A had actually wanted to go out yesterday, but she got a cramp less than a minute out, so since we were right by the house, we just turned around.

She decided that we should run our Lake Arbor loop, and she was soooo excited to run that she tried to wake me up at 6:45!! (Normally we are up an hour later than that for school, maybe 45 minutes earlier than that if we are going to run in the neighborhood).

She started out too fast...

And struggled most of the run. It was REALLY cold and windy, and running by the lake makes it even colder. She had to walk more often than she ever has on our other runs, and this was one of the first times she told me "I can't!" But... of course she did (slower than any other time), but at least she got out there, got it done. And I absolutely LOVE that she told me at the end "maybe we should run again tomorrow, Mom." This kid... :D

Of course the highlight of the run at the lake? The nearby Starbucks where I treat her to a hot chocolate:

3. I haven't raced in three weeks. And this weekend I have not only my first race of the year, but my first TWO races of the year. A double header in the only 2 states I haven't been to!

On Saturday we will run the Mississippi Blues half marathon in Jackson:

And then on Sunday we will run the First Light half marathon in Mobile: