Weekend Round Up + Random Tidbits

Exercise has been blah again. It has gotten increasingly difficult and I have been walking increasingly slow.

Monday: 0
Tuesday: 1
Wednesday: 1
Thursday: 0 - Woke up late. Baby's daddy called for vehicle rescue. His truck's battery died on him. So I had to go get them. We ended up having breakfast together, so that was nice.
Friday: 1
Saturday: 0 - I cleaned the house and sorted Baby C's clothes and got them laundered. So while I didn't walk, I didn't exactly just sit on my booty and eat bons bons all day.
Sunday: Walking around the grocery store. I actually drove to the grocery to walk. It is cool. There are things to see and distract me. I get grocery shopping in.  I actually had to stop and sit down halfway through the shopping. My legs were getting tired and my back was hurting. So I actually found a bench in the middle of the refrigerator/cheese section and sat down for a good 5 minutes to catch my breath, rest my feet and back.

Now the fun stuff!

I am totally digging my new Under Armor flip flops! We are talking about some serious thick, fluffy memory foam. Feels like I am walking on clouds..... Love!!!

I have been working on writing Thank You cards. I have never used the phone book so much before in my life, looking up address. :) I love it. Can't help but feeling incredibly appreciative and blessed for all the love showered upon us.  

Yesterday, I finally broke down and got rid of the badly chipped fingernail polish on my toes. Then, I had to contort my body almost Cirque du Soleil-style to paint those toe nails.

 

I also did the same color on my fingernails. Basically, it is 2 coats of a nude-ish base and a coat of a sparkly pinkish polish. It is light enough that when chipped, it isn't quite as visible. 
(I don't like pedicure/manicure at shops. I don't like people touching my feet or hands, or back. Which is why I am not crazy about massages either.)

Sunday has been wonderful. It has been gloomy and we have had some rain. Perfect day for something hot and soupy. So I made some chicken and dumplin'.

 Rolling out the dumplin' into thin strips using a sweet ol' lady's recipe.
This is so comforting, so hearty. 

Lastly, here's another belly pic. 

It is a little blurry. Sorry.
But look at THAT chunk-a-ginormous belly!

I am at the tail end of 32 weeks (+4 weeks since I am measuring REALLY BIG).

Baby C was active last night and this morning.
His daddy had his arms around me while sleeping and we were all awoken by Baby C's kicking.

It was neat. Baby's Daddy was smiling when he felt him moved repeatedly. 

I think I'll have a better week this coming week.
I will work on that. 

Question for you:
How was your week? Bought anything cool? Have another product that you absolutely love? 

Five Points, Five Miles On Friday

Happy Friday people!
What's up on my mind this Friday morning?
Not much! Haha.

1. Ran 5 miles at 0.5% incline this morning after coffee. WOW! I love it! It is awesome to get a run out of the way before life takes over my body!   Look at me all perky and gross!


2. Second cup of coffee right now in one of my 2 favorite mugs. It's not Christmas but oh well, I like snow flake and it is red.

3. Watched Elvis and Annabelle. Kinda morbid to be playing a movie about death and a love story between a come-back-from-death beauty queen and an embalmer.

4. I am sitting here watching Paddy Wag all curled up on a rug and asleep. I love my puppy so very much! And I am so glad to have her in my life.

5. It is going to be a wonderful Friday! I hope you will have a good one too!

See y'all later!

It's Beginning To Look .... (photos intensive)

 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas.

My 9-foot Christmas tree is still in the box somewhere with decorations and ornaments stashed away in a box somewhere. I needed something Christmas for the house.
But, I don't want to spend a lot of money and I don't want to have a bunch stuff to put away (since I am still trying to put things away from our move).

So I bought these $1 stockings and personalized it.
Gonna add buttons and what-nots to prettify it.

 But right now, it is hanging on the mantle.
I'll add the finishing touches over the days.

 I love poinsettas. The red is so festive.
I really wanted a white one since the house has so much wood paneling
and maybe the white would brighten the place up a little.
But Wal-Mart only have reds.

Since I don't want to have to mess with nine feet worth of tree, ornaments and ribbons, I bought this little real plant at Wal-Mart.

Add some cheap glass ornaments and red bows and this is it!
Our 2011 Christmas tree.

I figured I can remove the bows and ornaments and leave the plant on the coffee table after Christmas
is over. And if it dies under my watch, I can simply toss it into the woods.

It's beginning to look like I am going to have an operational study.

I have been doing some painting in the study.
The wall is still in its original pink.

I wanted to paint it white (some kind of white - marshmallow white, linen white, crisp white ... you get it),
but since I am on a budget, I am leaving the wall pink (gasp!!!)

I opted to paint the shelves/bookcases the previous resident left behind.

Here, there are three colors.
The pink wall (far right. I am leaving the room pink.)
A dark grey
(The middle strip of color. It is the original color of the inside of the bookcase - which I am painting over.)
A lighter grey - the color I painted (on the far left. My boyfriend said it looks like over-riped exposed avocado).

I am not very adventurous when it comes to colors.
If there is one color I have to paint my world in, it will be WHITE.

The inside is done. The outside trims of the bookcase was some kind of creamy color. But it was in a pretty bad shape. So I painted it white. Semi-gloss white.

First coat is looking good.

It's beginning to look like I am not going to be running today or tomorrow. 

I am going to go pick up my treadmill tomorrow!!!!

So we'll probably spend the day getting it set up. 

 I was going to set up a "workout area" in the formal living room but since the previous residents still has majority of their stuff all consolidated in the formal living room and another room and porch .....

the treadmill is going into the guest bed room, which also is kinda like my sewing room.

It's a process.

(and yes, I am aware I have funky living situation. But oh well, I gotto be thankful for a roof over my head).

It's also beginning to look like I am addicted to these little cups of deliciousness.

Love fruit cocktail.
Love Jell-O.
Love convenience of two wonders in one cup!

So, what's going on in your world. What's it looking like these days?
Tell Me!!!

Monday Random Musings

1. Mondays after a long weekend / holiday seemed more dreadful doesn't it?  I usually don't have Monday Blues but today, oh boy, someone better drag me out of bed.
   
2. Thanksgiving came and went. I had a good time visiting with family and not eating much. Guess what? Instead of gaining a pound or two over Thanksgiving, I weighed myself this morning and saw I was down 2 lbs. Must be the braces at work. The combination of food getting stuck among those wire and the inability to do an effective rotary chew made eating not fun at all. I am sick and tired of eating potatoes. I want meat. I want some steak.  I want to chew down on a thick juicy hamburger. I want to eat grapes.
   
3. I went for an easy 3 mile run on the treadmill today. I was conscious of coughing, especially since there were two older folks walking on the treadmill next to me. But it was good to get the legs moving. It took me a while (45 minutes) to finish the 3 miles. But I actually enjoyed this mindless run. I just watched the news on the TV and kept running, sometimes stopping to cough.
   
4. This week, I want to get in at least 3 runs and at least 1 weight training.
   
5. My boyfriend is into wine making now. I can't wait to taste the first batch! 

Black Friday Randoms

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thankgiving. The brain isn't working much today. So, here are some randoms.

1. My Thanksgiving started on Wednesday lunch at my boyfriend's office. I always cook a Thanksgiving meal and we ordered fried chicken to share the beginning of a long holiday food frenzy season. I started cooking on Tuesday.   Here are some of what I made.  Not mentioned: green bean casserole, creamed potatoes and gravy and cornbread dressing.

Sausage rice and mushroom casserole.
It will be sprinkled with lots of shredded cheese.

Pumpkin spiced cake - just before it goes into the oven.
It will be topped with cream cheese frosting when it is cooled.

 And rolls. Hot rolls with butter.

2. I am feeling better with the cough. I still get into coughing fits, but it is manageable. I ran 3 miles on the treadmill and did another 3 miles on the bike machine. Still feeling blah about the whole running outside, so I am sticking with the treadmill for me.
Running + mindless TV's shopping segment = winning combination for me today.

3. I have had braces for the fifth day now. It takes me 45 minutes for my nightly dental cleaning routine (not counting what I do during the day). The same 45 minutes it will take me to run 4 miles. 

4. With the braces, my food choices were limited to mashed potatoes and dressing and some mashed up sweet potatoes. Funny how despite the limited choices, I am still able to fill my belly up with too much food on Thanksgiving Day. And funny how even though I ate too much yesterday, I am still hungry today.

5. Did anyone go Black Friday Shopping? I am too timid for this kind of hoopla. I think I will wait for Cyber Monday.

Share with me. Did you go Turkey Trotting? Did you go Black Friday Shopping? Any Cyber Monday deals you are going to get? Did you run today? What are you doing with your leftovers?

Random Thoughts and Wish List Ideas

My Thanksgiving break started today after work. I do have some work-related stuff to take care of, but at least, I will be working in the comfort of my home.

Tomorrow is Saturday and I plan on running a long run tomorrow. I want to do a long, not fast run. Maybe a 10K? I will be doing it on the treadmill at the Y. Boring I know.

I don't know what's with me recently about running outside. The weather has turned cool and I love the temperature. But I am not exactly excited about running outside. I think it has to do with the move. Previously, I can run down the end of my street and back and that will be over 5K. And when I crossed the highway and went to the school and back, it will be a good 5 miles. The route is straight and safe. Now, I kinda have to go through some funky parts of town and go through a lot of turns and it just isn't as nice or safe. And there are some unknown looking dogs that I am scared of. Argh!

I used to love running with a running buddy. But I think I have lost some confidence in my running ability. I hate to have my running friend drive 20 miles to where I am and run a mere 4 or 5 miles with me. I also don't want someone physically there to push me or hold me accountable. Yeah. I don't want to be accountable. I'm a lazy runner. Oh no!

I can run up and down the highway. But I hate running alone like that - I don't feel safe. I would love to bring Paddy but she is kinda paranoid about speeding vehicles. What's the deal with "I don't feel safe" ?? But I should trust  my gut feeling right? If I don't feel safe, it probably isn't totally 100% safe. 

I bought some mis-tinted paint from Wal-Mart today for $5. I am going to FINALLY paint some shelves and am crossing my fingers so tightly and hoping that it will be an okay color.

On the eating front, I am doing well. I have been watching myself and avoid putting junk in myself. Breakfast was oatmeal and hot tea with milk. Lunch was turkey breast on wheat bread with a slice of harvarti cheese, lettuce and pickles. Tonight, I am going to make myself a brothy chicken soup with some egg noodles. My stomach hasn't been feeling gunked up like it was when I wrote that post about me being dirty.  So this is good!  :)

Lastly, I want to gripe about gift. I don't expect a gift for my birthday or Christmas or anniversary or anything. And I don't mean to be ungrateful. But people knows I am into running and cooking. Why can't they just give me a pair of running socks, or GU, or a Spibelt or a medal hanger or some safety lights. I would much rather people save the money or spend it on themselves instead of splurging on $100 perfumes or some fancy technology stuff that I have to read the manual and set up. Socks are easy. You rip the packaging and wear it. :)

Question of the Day: What's on your Santa wish list?

Crafty + Random Thoughts

I have been searching for a 10K to do before the end of 2011. I didn't really want to travel more than 2 hours. And there's nothing around in Southeast Arkansas. So, I guess I will have to look for some virtual races. Let me know if you spot one around. Or else, I may have to craft my own 10K virtual race.

*

I spent the weekend not running.

But I did running-related stuff.
I did some crafting and made this.

 Yeap. A medal hanger.

*

I kinda like this time-change thing. But it gets dark way too early now.

*

Since I dont have a race until March, I am working on not carb-loading everyday.

So. Not. Easy.
I. Love. Carbs.

*
I have another hacking cough again. I can't even breathe without coughing.
Which, this, has made running very difficult.

*
Again. There aren't any good pictures of me in that stash of official race photos.
I always looked like I smelled a skunk or dead body.
And looked like I have a camel-toe.
Really.
Maybe I have to run in tunic tops from now onward.



Ronda Rae-inspired!

Random stuff, people.

Inspired by Ronda Rae, I ran a 4:1 interval kinda run today on the treadmill.
Thirty minutes of 4 minutes hard running and 1 minute of walking allowed me to cover 2.87 miles.
I'm happy, especially since I have had quite some blah blah blah runs lately.

Inspired by Ronda Rae again, I took a picture of my toe (she took a pic of her finger).

My boyfriend and I picked pecans this weekend and I stumbled upon a mound of fire ants. My toes are the slim-mest part of my body but now, it is poofy and chunky.

Hate it when the ants sting between the toes because I felt every single rub when I was running earlier. It was a great distraction. But still, I am ready for them to go away.





Tomorrow marks 2 weeks of not chewing gum. I am so not keeping count. Am I?

I got called a "punk" (amongst other ugly names) by a preschooler after this said child threw blocks and swept paper off the desk and I had to ask him to sit in his "calm down" chair.

Random Thoughts on the Treadmill.

Since Paddy Wag is supposed to take it easy for the next week or so, I went to the Y this evening to get my run in.  The motivation was kinda on-and-off for me today. So, when it went off, I got changed, and when I felt it come back on, I got Paddy into my vehicle, dropped her off with my boyfriend, and went to the Y for a run. Yes!

I guess, mentally, I have sort of settled for 30 minutes or 3 miles.  When the 30 minutes was up, I felt that I can do the remaining and round the mileage off to 3 miles. I did speed intervals and, I must say, when I was supposed to go fast, I went fast. (And when I was supposed to go slow, I did took it slow too)

So, 3 miles in 32 or 33 minutes. Not shabby. But nothing impressive.
It's another 3 miles logged. :)

Random Thoughts:
1. Having a dog is almost like having a child. And I would have never thought I would become a dog-mommy.
a) Your car gets dirty shuttling your child/dog around.
b) You gotto clean up poop.
c) You gotto make sure they take their medicines.
d) Children/Dogs have morning emergencies and get sick and need to go see the doc/vet.
e) Children/dogs can be spoilt.
f) I don't want my puppy to grow up. :(

Do you have anything to add to this list?
Do share.

Three more weeks to my half marathon!!!

Random Monday Thoughts

I still needed some getting used to to get up early in the morning. It will require discipline on my part to retire early for bed every night. As tempted as I was to remain in bed until it was absolutely time for me to get up and get ready for work, I got up anyway. I did not want that lingering guilt over my head the entire day.

The Y's thermostat was set at 70 degrees ( a good 1 degree higher than last week).  I was drenched in my perspiration. At about 15 minutes into the run, I had to stop and adjust the volume of the TV, pressed the wrong button and erased my data on the treadmill.  I think I ran 1.5 miles, but to be conservative, I would say 1.2 mile or so. Anyway, I did a 5K in 36 minutes. It's ok. I wasn't running for time or anything. I just zoned out and listened to my brain talked.

Random Thoughts?

1. I consider Ruston, LA home. The house we have there is HOME. It is where the heart is. Even though the house is empty now, it is still HOME. It feels like HOME. It might be empty. But there's still a warm fuzzy feeling whenever I am there. 
2. I cannot wait for 30 degree temperature. I cannot wait to run outside.
3. I wonder what my new kids will think of me?
4. I need to go to bed early tonight. 
5. I really love being caught up on laundry. In fact, I'll do another load tonight! 
6. I am addicted to Pinterest. 
7. I like Facebook because I get to connect with friends and family.  The tricky thing is when family of family wants to be friends with you or co-workers whom you aren't too close to want to be friends with you and you really don't want to be friends with them online.  I don't want to worry about what I post (even though all I post about is my dog, my running, and my food). 

So what's one random thought of yours today?

Training Starts Now!

New week.
New goals.

New TRAINING SEASON!!!  (Love training for something. I hate running around aimlessly.)

Today marks the start of a new training season.
The next half marathon is on Oct 29th. (More about this specific race in later posts).
Christine helped me find a half marathon training program on Saturday evening.  I settled on Galloway's. Basically, I will do two 30-minute runs on the weekdays and a long run on the weekends.  For the 30 minute runs, I am doing some modifications. I am going to run with a purpose - fartleks, hills, tempo... you know... all that good stuff. Today, I ran 30 minutes, 2.85 miles, average 10:30/mile, at 1% incline.


Sleep has been really funky!
I am totally functioning on a not-school-night sleeping hour. That translates to sleep all day and stay up all night.  Which also means that my running, despite being the first thing I do in the morning, is actually the last thing I do before I go to bed (at 7 a.m.)
Told you it was funky!

Here are a few random thoughts and things that happened today.

I am one who needs to be in control. Running gives me absolute control of myself (compared to my life, where my decisions pretty much revolve around someone, something etc.) 

Corinthians 13:1 to 13:13.   I'm not a Christian, but this is so true. And I will learn to love with respect, with kindness. There are many good morals that anyone can learn and will likely benefit from. 

Starting today, for a week, I will be without any soda. No Diet Cherry Limeades, no Coke Zero, no Diet Coke. Just water and unsweetened iced tea and milk and juice.  So far, this day is good.

I got this wonderful gift from a friend from graduate school in the mail today. She is the nicest, kindest, most sincere Christian I have ever met.  I can talk to her about god without her telling me that her god is the best, is the real deal. We can have open discussions about things like that. Her actions speak of a true Christian. Anyway, she sent this book to me because we had a conversation about Christ, and since I was a journalist before I was a speech-language pathologist

And that sums up today.  Tomorrow, I am going to strength-train/cross-train. I cannot wait to run again on Thursday!

And if you are hesitating about doing a half marathon, or 10K, or the whole entire freaking marathon, sign up! Live this remaining summer, fall and winter with a goal, with something to look forward too.

When I run, the stress in my body melts away.

Random Thoughts on the Treadmill

I am enjoying this as I typed this. 

 A delicious medley of blackberries, strawberries, grapes and Greek yogurt. 

I headed to the Y at about 8:25 p.m. this evening.
I brought earphones this time around but, lo and behold, they were too short! After finishing the first mile, I went to a cooler room. 
Anyway, here are my random thoughts during this run:

1. Tomorrow is the last day of contract for this school year. I have turned in many things, but the loose ends are often the more difficult things to do.
   
   
2. I'm so hooked on Grey's Anatomy.
   I'm not exactly a "late bloomer."  My boyfriend and I chose to do without cable/satellite since 2008, mainly because (a) there are lots of junk shows, (b) save some money, (c) too busy working. So I usually catch up on shows via Netflix and DVDs.  Now, I am so hooked on Grey's Anatomy. I started watching Season 1 on Monday. And now, I am on Season 2, episode 5. :)
   
   
3. I'm still stressed over going home. I need to get all my documentation and paperwork ready before I go. Honestly, I feel like I have to take my entire filing cabinet with me to Singapore, so I can produce any kind of documentation the embassy wants when I go in.  Argh. This is why I dread going home. I'm being honest and want to do the right thing and follow the law, and ended up subjecting myself to scrutiny and red tapes. 
   
   
4. I'm really liking this Nike Pacer tank top thing. It's not tight until I feel like I am bounded like a sausage. It is also very light. It dries very quickly! The best part, I got it for like $4 last Christmas!
   
   
5. I didn't go to bed until 4:45 a.m. this morning.  Slept for about 2.5 hours.... I should be feeling exhausted. But this run, it is making me feel exhilarated. 

Random Thoughts on the Treadmill

Ran 5K in 36:00 min (11:27min/mile) on the treadmill at the Y.
Walked first 2 minutes.
Walked 2 minutes when I hit 2-mile and 2.5-mile mark. 
Sprinted a little too hard toward the end. 
Watched Project Runway.
Right knee felt just a little funny. But not bad. Gonna ice and baby it until my next run. 

Random thoughts went a-running.

1. I gotto do 3 miles today! 
2. Why do I dread doing 3 miles but look forward to 10 miles? 
3. I like Heidi Klum's make-up. She has make-up but it isn't all "colorifique."
4. Spring time makes me wanna eat some Vietnamese spring rolls.  I think I'll make a bunch of Vietnamese spring rolls today.  I'm glad Keith loves foods like that.
5. If only I can make him eat tofu.  Maybe he'll eat ma po tofu? (tofu cooked with ground meat and lots of Sichuan spices and peppers)
6. I got a birthday party to attend to today.  A 2-year-old birthday party!   WOo Hooo! Let's party it up! 
7. Gonna pencil Jillian in soon! 
8. The most important thought... I have found that it is easier for me to get my runs in in the morning before work and life.  I didn't have to tend to anyone. I just get up and go and get it done. In the afternoons, I have to work around work, cooking, tidying the house, playing with the dogs and Facebook.  So, for this coming week, I will try to resume my morning runs.  It's going to be so hard waking up and not hitting the snooze button.  But I can do that for 2 days a week right? (I only run 3 days/week). 

I am still just a little giddy from the excitement that I finished 5K in one run! 
Yeah! Baby!!!

Random thoughts while not running

1. I will run tomorrow.
2. My knee has been cranky.
3. These past 3 weeks have been frustrating.
4. NEVER do TOO MUCH, TOO SOON!
5. For my upcoming half marathon, I am going to do a run/walk thing to kinda help offset the knee.
6. For tomorrow's run, I am going to practice the run/walk thing. Hopefully, I can do a 5K without my knee acting up. Y'all cross your fingers for me.
7. Spring Break Day #1, I went to check on our house's progress and met up with a friend for some Louisiana delight.
   
   
   
   These little suckers are quite tasty!
   I love crawfish.
   
   

Spring Break Day #2, I played in the kitchen.

I worked on my horseradish potato salad experiment.

Just in case you didn't know what broccoli and baby carrots looked like. 

Key lime pie.

I squeeze a 1-lb bag of key limes for this pie.

Not pictured: Oven-roasted chicken. :)

So, yeah. This is what I do when I am not running. :)

I better be running, right?

Will check back tomorrow. Wish me luck!



Random Thoughts on my Come-Back Run

Hey People! I'm back!!!

I haven't blogged because I haven't ran.  Quite frankly, I was tired of ranting about the weight gain and reporting on the lack of progress of my bronchitis. 

Until today ... I ran!

My first run in March. 
My first run after a 2-week break due to cold and bronchitis a.k.a. "THE BIG NASTY!"

It was liberating!
It was quite fantastic!

I went running with Buttercup and Paddy Wag and we did 3.33 miles.  Paddy Wag did well on the leash.  Buttercup was all right, except for the chasing after vehicles part.  Geez!

Random Thoughts:

1. March is almost gone and I only ran 3 miles.
2. Baah!!!! 
3. Never take HEALTH for granted. Never. Don't think about it! 
4. Never take RUNNING for granted either.  Uh... uh.. uh... shake that thought out of your head! 
5. Paddy Wag needs to learn to slow down. Chill girl. Momma's running. Momma's not slacking off. Momma's just old and plain slow.  We'll get there.  
6. No barking busybody dogs today! SCORE!!! 
7. Forget 2 miles. I can do 3 miles.  We can do 3 miles. We are the fabulous 3-mile trio! 
8. Three is my LUCKY number. 
9. I need to get a harness for Paddy.  
10. Yikes Paddy and Buttercup. Get away from sniffing that road-kill deer spot!  
11. Maybe this run will tire Paddy out. 
12. This run will tire me out and help me sleep so well tonight. 
13. I smell like a dog.  That's what you get for holding someone's else's puppy for so long.  
14. What should I eat for supper? 
15. Oatmeal with some raisins and cranberries. And a Honeycrisp apple.
16. So I watched what I eat last week.  I was good. And I ended up gaining 3 lbs. SERIOUSLY?????
17. I channeled my inner-Jared today at lunch at Subway.  I even got the baked chips.
18. I let Paddy loose after 3 miles and she went prancing and stomping around in huge puddles of water.  Love it!  Buttercup poked her nose at random spots in the ground.  Dogs... they remind me of taking the time to smell the roses and enjoy the ride.  

What's one random thought of yours today while exercising?  
 

Friday Fillers - ABCs and update

I'm still fighting a losing battle with this cold thing I have. I feel more tired than ever. My belly feels empty and weird.  Food tastes tasteless so I am after BIG flavor foods like lime sorbet and curries! And when I get to eating, I feel yucky and can barely eat.  I finally gave in to resting today.  I guess it's pretty bad when all I can think of today at work was how miserable I am and how much I wanted to be home, wear my granny panties and pjs and sleep.  The kiddos I worked with today were good, easy, funny kids and I can't even fully commit to laughing with and at them.  Anyway,  after work, I slept. I let the chores slide and left the dogs alone and slept.  It was good. 

With this junk I have, I just am not in the mood for a lot of things, even running. Gasp! So sorry that there hasn't been a running post.  Hopefully I can kick this cold soon. So, I decided to do the ABCs post that has been floating around.  I enjoyed reading your ABCs, and if you haven't done it yet, do it, so I can read it in bed. 

A:  Age -- 31
B:  Bed Size  -- Queen.
C:  Chore Your Hate -- Cleaning the toilet bowl.
D:  Dogs -- Buttercup (a mix) and Paddy Wag (a lab and German wirehaired pointer mix)
E:  Essential Start Your Day Item -- Contact lenses.
F:  Favorite Color -- black and white and grey
G:  Gold or Silver -- Silver
H:  Height -- 5' 4'
I:  Instruments You Play -- none
J:  Job Title -- Speech-Language Pathologist
K:  Kids -- None.
L:  Live -- SE Arkansas
M:  Mother's Name -- maah-meeeeeeee
N:  Nicknames -- Babe, Chrissy, Chichi
O:  Overnight Hospital Stays -- 0
P:  Pet Peeve -- purposefully misspelling words "kool/cool," "dun/don't"
Q:  Quote from a Movie --  "Frankly my dear, I don't give a damn."
R:  Right or Left-Handed -- Right and left
S:  Siblings -- 1 younger brother
T:  Time You Wake Up -- Tuesday/Thursday - 4:47 a.m. or some weird number, Sundays - 5:27 a.m. M/W/F- 6:18 or something like that and Saturday - whenever I wake up
U:  Underwear -- yes.
V:  Vegetable You Dislike -- Raw celery and raw carrots and raw broccoli. Love them cooked.
W:  What Makes You Late --  Internet and forgetting where I left my keys/phone.
X:   X-rays You've Had Done -- Dental x-ray and chest x-ray
Y:  Yummy Food You Make -- Let's just say I can cook pretty well. :)
Z:  Zoo Animal Favorite -- Hippos - they are dirty, they are fat, they don't have lots of pretty colors. But they are still kinda cool.

Taking Random Thoughts Running.

Ran outside, 11 miles in 2 hours 10 minutes.  Last long run for half marathon training #2. 

Pre-run snack - PBJ sandwich. 

Let me tell you, it helps to fuel up just a tad before a long run. I definitely felt a whole lot better running today first 6 miles than the past few weeks.  Now, tell me why haven't I been doing that religiously for all my long runs? 

Running Partner.

A good running partner helps keeping you accountable. They run the distance with you and make sure you don't just call it a day when you are so close to home and still have 3 miles left. 

Online Running Partners/Friends/Bloggers

They are watching you! Ha! They know when you usually post so you better run your long run and post and blog about it.  It's like I know Anne Marie writes goals on Sundays, so, if she doesn't write her weekly goals on Sundays, I would be nervous! 

Did I ever mention that I have a running twin?
She found me / or I found her? I don't know how we found each other.  So, at first, she said she might be my running twin. And I thought, "Ok, Cool! Someone wants to be my twin and we kinda like the same thing/run the same pace."  How flattering!  Then, we found out we have the same birthday, just a different year.  Then we also found out stuff like we both like the same Cyndi Lauper's song. 
Now, Running Twin, what's your second favorite Cyndi Lauper's song?  Mine's "Who Let In the Rain?"  Check out her blog. I think she has a slight obsession with Disney and Vegas and also kinda addicted to entering half-marathon races!

If there is sports bra, what about sports panties? 

There are sports bra with support, sports bra with vents, sports bras with pockets. But what about sports panties? Is there such things?

Coughing takes up A LOT of energy.
Today's run was interspersed with lots of coughing bouts.  Not funny. My belly was literally aching after all that coughing.  So, I tried to contain my cough.  It was a juggling act trying to contain my coughs, run, breath in and out.  

I love my Garmin.
My boyfriend has given me some really nice thoughtful gifts over the years but the Garmin 305 he got me for my 29th birthday was really the bestest gift!  

I love my boyfriend.
Good thing we don't fight with each other and trying to poke each other eye out. Life's too short to spend with the ones you love, so, why live in misery and be miserable and spiteful to the ones you love.  

Pancakes! 
Guess where I went after my long run today and what I ate?  McDonald's pancakes!!! And I have the picture to prove it! Just so you know,  for 3 pancakes, I didn't even use up an entire thing of margarine and didn't use but only 1/3 of the syrup.  I really just like pancakes and don't care for butter/syrup. 
Usually, I dip my fork into the syrup and then poke my pancake and eat it. I just need a hint of sweetness.

 
      
Jan 2010 vs Jan 2011
According to Daily Mile, I ran 14 miles in January 2010.  So far, in January 2011, I have logged 67 miles.  The goal is to run 1000 miles this year. And the goal is to run more per month than last year too. :) 

Now these are my random thoughts for today.  Now share yours.   
How's your long run? 
What are your thoughts on sports panties? 
Share one relationship tip.   
How do you like your pancakes? 

Tell me anything! :)

Solo 6-miler + Random Thoughts

Hey people, I got out for a run today!
I skipped my morning run because I was feeling goofy from self-medicating last night. Cold medication makes me goofy. It's like my body is here but I have no control over it.
Then I got home from work, and I can't resist lacing up those running shoes and going for an easy run.
Ran outside for 6 miles for 1 hr 08 minutes.
And I think I left my lungs at around Mile 1 and Mile 5.

Random thoughts, anyone?

1. My Paddy Wag has grown.  
2. Sang: "Knick Knack Paddy Whack, give a dog a bone, this old man came rollin' home. ..." 
3. I used to be so scared of dogs. I believe it was my first trip to my boyfriend's dad's house and when I arrived, there were some 5 or 6 dogs just barking and running around. I was scared. I wanted my boyfriend to lift me up and carry me into the house. I told him I can't do it. I told him he is mean for wanting me walk past those dogs. He claims that I said I hate him. But I don't remember that part. Now, we just laugh at my irrational fears. 
4. I need to get better at spitting. 
5. A run is actually pretty good upper respiratory therapy. It loosens up all the congestion.
6. Maybe I should just do 3 miles and be done with it.
7. Spring is going to be here. While I enjoy a pretty spring day, I kinda like my cold morning runs. 
8. RnR New Orleans - I'm really running for fun.  I want to be faster, but I am scared to come up with a time goal because I don't want to get disappointed.
9. I haven't done my fartleks like I am supposed to. :( 
10. I haven't been doing yoga like I am supposed to. :( 
11. If I get trapped overnight at an airport, I would hate to not have a change of clean panties. 
12. The sky is pretty - the sun's setting and the sky has a wash of pink and lavender. 
13. Sing: "I see your true colors shining through. I see your true colors, that's why I love you. So don't be afraid, to let me show your true colors, you're beautiful like a rainbow." 
    So, that rounds up today's run. I felt pretty good. And I really enjoyed this solo run. It was my pace, my random thoughts, my random bursts of bad singing, and I get to change directions at any point in time. And when I was quiet, I was quiet and just enjoyed the silence, without feeling the need to spit something out of my mouth.

Dirty. Need detox.

It was 17 degrees F this morning. The running partners decided not to brave the cold and canceled today's outdoor run. However, Ms. M said she would be at the Y in the morning.  So, I woke up at 5 a.m. and drove to the Y with the grandest intentions of running some 4 or even 5 miles.

The usual room that I usually do my runs in has no free treadmills.  I like that room because I don't have to wear those pesky earphones. The TV is just there, sound and all. So I went to the other room. Three TVs, but they are silent, unless you plug in your earphones to the machines.  That means I ran watching a mute morning show. 

Random Thoughts:

1. Brrr. It's cold.
2. Ms. M isn't here. Is she at home in her warm bed? Smart lady!
3. That makes me the dumb idiot.
4. Just 0.25 mile? Oh gosh. This is gonna be loooooooooooooong.
5. What in the world are they talking about on TV? Should have brought my earphones.
6. How did I run 7 or 8 miles on this treadmill during summer time?
7. I'm weak. Mentally weak.  OJ and peanut butter sandwich sound good!
8. Why is it sometimes easier to run 8 or 9 miles and so hard to run short runs like this?
9. Let me finish 2. Just 2.

See?
Lots of negative thoughts. Lots of self-doubts. This is not good. No wonder they say running is a mental sport. 

I don't know if it's the negative thoughts of the self-doubts,  or the fact that I only ran 2 miles this morning and ate a filet fish sandwich for supper that makes me feel dirty. But I feel dirty.

I need a good run to detox.
You know what I mean?

Tuesday Run and Random Thoughts

Pre-Run:  Alarm clock woke me up at 5:08 a.m. Yes, I set my alarm clock in a weird way. I took a step outside to get a feel of the temperature. It is crazy that the inside of the house is cooler than the outside of the house.  Time to drag the Nike tempo shorts and tank top out of the "hot running gear" section.  I didn't have time to make a PBJ sandwich, so I grabbed one of those Snickers marathon bar (I only ate half of it).

Run: It was about 67 degrees F when we started running. It was just Mr. R and me. My right knee has been hurting since Monday morning. The ankles felt stiff. Not exactly the ankles, but the muscles right above the ankles and not the calves. We did a small 1-mile loop and a 5K route and it was 3.97 miles. Finished it in 43:27 minutes. Not too bad since there were some inclines involved. There's one gradual incline that spans about a couple of blocks. I probably should count the number of houses are on that incline to divert my attention next time.  After that, we got slapped again by a brief, slightly steeper incline. But then again, my steep isn't like your Colorado steep. You'd probably think I am such a wimp!

Random Thoughts:

1. When two people are running, you really have to start talking. It is easier when there were 3 of us because Mr. R and Ms. M would usually do the talking.  I'm more reserved and quiet. I was brought up that way. My mom and dad taught us not to talk when other people are talking. My brother and I were perfectly well-behaved kids when we were little - that's before we hit puberty.
2. News, current affairs, controversies are good conversation topics. Well, don't discuss Roe v. Wade or Creationism vs. Evolution. I'm talking about pat downs/security scans at the airports, Happy Holidays vs. Merry Christmas, and where the heck is my 30+ degrees F Thanksgiving weather.
3. Michael Jackson's Billie Jean kept playing in my head this morning.  It sounds like he is hiccuping as he was singing the song, doesn't it?
4. Need to ice those ankles and knee. 
5. I chopped 6 cups of celery last night and 2 cups of onions. Gonna chop more onions and bell peppers and start cooking.
6. Twelve weeks to RnR Mardi Gras New Orleans! :) Talk about commitment. 
7. I'll run 900 km today. That's over 560 miles. I'll have 100 km left for the year.
8. Yes. I am excited about that! I'm looking forward to hit 1000 km. :) 
9. Not gonna walk. Not gonna walk. Not gonna walk.
10. I guess, if I blurt out my random thoughts, I would have quite a lot to talk about, don't you think?

Now, tell me at least one random thought you had today while you were running or working out. You gotto have one! Share!