PCFtR, Day 4: While the mom's away, the cats will play

Hi!

This is what the cats have been up to without me. :)

Just got back from a just-over-4-mile run. (Click the link to see my route in Gmap Pedometer.)

It was an awesome run. The whole way out is uphill, so it's always more challenging, but the way back is downhill, so I can just let it fly. The neighbor dog, Toby (left) runs with me all the way.

The rest of my workout was:

3x15 crunches

3x15 4-way crunch w oblique twist

3x10 pushups

3x10 lunges (each leg)

3x15 plie squats

I love my parents and all, but they drive me nuts some times. Also, I miss this
<-----

And, I'm not gonna lie. I miss BBE. (I've decided he's no longer New Guy. He's been around long enough I'll just start referring to him as Best Boyfriend Ever. He's the one that took the uber-cute pics of the cats having a good time!)

We're going into town today, so that should cure some of my cabin fever.

PCFR, Day 3 - Shitty Run

Here's an elevation graph of yesterday's run.








Today's run was just . . . shitty. Here, in no particular order, are the reasons it pissed me off:

1. It rained on me halfway through. Being that I was wearing a Moving Comfort bra and a silky-smooth Dri-Fit tee, I was a poster child for nipple-itis. It rained yesterday, but the tee I wore wasn't so smooth.
2. Because of the rain, I only made it about 2.5 miles (see graph)
3. I walked a LOT of it.
4. I was sore from yesterday's strength workout. Yesterday's strength workout was wuss-tacular.
5. My legs felt like lead. Once I did get them to cooperate . . .
6. My lungs and heart were not working with me. My heart rate wouldn't settle and my breathing was off.
7. My breakfast was a little too heavy.

Just for comparison, to the right is a graph of the usual elevation on a 3.8-mile run at home.

More later.

PCFR, Day 2: You Can Give Up Any Time You Like

I have not been very happy with the scale lately.

This is funny - comically funny and oddly funny - because so many other things in my life have finally, and completely, righted themselves.

But first . . . today.

This morning I was on a run at Mom's. I got rained on in a white shirt. Now, you know I love to run up here. For some reason, the challenge of running at three times my usual elevation, combined with the freedom in my schedule to run whenever I want, make it so much easier and more fun. I do wish I could bring my bike, but that's a tale for another day. Anyway, I have only been running and spinning sporadically the past few weeks, so the idea of tackling a nearly-4-mile run full of hill repeats was . . . a little brave.

So why not start throwing my strength routine back together, too?
Hmmm? Why not? I have to go back to it some time.

The scale and I are currently at odds, as I mentioned. So are my clothing and I - I'm wearing what I call my "in-between size," which is

just shy of my "fat size." My skinny clothes feel like they're chewing on me so I try to avoid them. And my training? Yeah, let's just call that what it is - non-existent.

But mom and dad walk every day, almost 3 miles, so I'm moving - whether I liked it or not. And, one of the last things I told my mom before I left to come up here was, "I don't care what excuses you hear from me, you'd better make me get off my ass and run in the mornings." (Why can't I be this dedicated and determined when I'm at home - where I have access to weights, lower elevation, etc.? Probably because my schedule is packed with other things that will never fill it here - school, work, friends, best boyfriend ever(more on that later) - but still . . . .)

This morning, I beat everyone out of bed, and (despite no weight equipment) tackled 3 sets of squats, 3 sets of lunges (each leg), 3 sets of regular crunches, 3 sets of crunches with oblique crunches, and 3 sets of girl's pushups (le sigh . . .used to get in at least a full set of men's.) Then we headed out between rain drops to run. I forgot my heart rate monitor,

so I was gauging my progress completely by feel. I had to stop and walk some of the hills, because I could tell my heart rate was skyrocketing, but other than that? I felt really good.

As I was running down the street, kind of hurting, trying to decide if I felt like a walk break, I had this conversation with myself that went something like, "Do you want to walk?" "Don't stop." "Well, you can give up any time you like. No one's going to know or care but you."

That's the whole truth - right there. That sums up everything about the last 6 months of my life. Yes, I've wanted to give up. And I've come really close. But who would know or care - except me? People have even told me after everything you've been through, I would have given up. Or I just don't see how you do it. I couldn't do everything you do. Since things were once so rough, I now take pride in the little things I used to take for granted, like doing my budget on time, cleaning my house inside out, and not letting my mailbox get too full. But I didn't give up, and it really hit me today while I was running: I have nothing to complain about.

Of course I do have things that still aren't going as I'd like, but NOW - NOW those things are in my control. Instead of being frustrated because I was battling my own self-discipline and forgetfulness PLUS illness and Tony's drama, now I'm really only battling the occasional illness and a little bit of my own lack of get-up-and-go.

I can so totally handle that.

And now I'm back to class and trying to plan a training schedule after a week of not feeling great and spending almost 7 days in a row at the NG's house. More on thoughts about the training, the school and NG. For now, know that training is slow, school is intimidating (PhD program information overwhelming much?) and NG has finally stepped up to the plate . . . in ways no one has imagined. (I didn't refer to him as best boyfriend ever for nothing.)

I'll be here 5 more nights and 4.5 more days. I have plenty of time to fill you in.

Postcards from the Road, Day 1&2

The date is Saturday, May 23, 2009.

I'm feelin' the itch.

It's time for another getaway.

Although I'd really like to go somewhere luxurious and/or tropical, my wallet disagrees with me. I mean, I haven't even figured out if I can afford to do any races until my Half Iron in November (more on that later.) So I managed to track down disgustingly cheap tickets to Mom and Dad's for 6 or 7 days, so now that work is slowing down a bit, I took the chance.

I spent all day Friday cleaning the house and running errands. One of those errands, as you can see from the bag that Girlie decided to hide herself in, was to get hair product at Ulta. Another involved the bridesmaid dress for my Soul Sister (Heather)'s wedding. (See previous posts re: Year of the HAM.)

Problem was, I got out into the rainy day, already bogged down with errands and housecleaning (I haven't been home in 6 or 7 days to clean; and besides, who wants to come home to a dirty house?) So I wasn't too happy when I got to the bridal shop to find out they didn't have my size anywhere in my city.

Where they did have it, however, was in Chattanooga, TN. Which just happens to be where I'm flying to see Mom and Dad the very next morning.

So, I packed my bags, ate the biggest breakfast sandwich known to man (how was I supposed to know they meant "loaf of bread" when they asked me what bread I wanted?) and landed in Chattanooga a few hours later.

Sweet home Alabama. Where the skies are not so blue . . .