Cardio Cowgirl

Virtual Turkey Trot

2011-11-23T08:40:00.001-06:00

Virtual Turkey Trot

Print your race bib and get ready to run!

Rock and Roll, San Antonio

2011-11-13T05:16:00.001-06:00

Well, this is it. The day I have been training for. I am so thankful to have made it through without injury, in one piece, still married, and all three kids survived my training. I am blessed to be able to run this with my sister.

I can't wait to finish this experience today and be able to say...I have run a marathon.

Stress

2011-11-10T06:43:00.000-06:00

It wouldn't be like me if I didn't try to make this the most stressful weekend ever. I am going to San Antonio to run my first marathon ever. I have tried this race before but didn't make it through the training last time. I have made it this time. It will be great but I don't want to get nervous by talking about it too much this morning.

The other stress is where I need the focus this morning. I made an offer on a house. Yes, me, by myself. See we own a home in another town and we haven't been living in it for 5 years. We have renters and I am thankful for that but it's not the same as getting to live in your own home that you are paying for anyway. I know, I am rambling. So that loan is in my husband's name. This new home loan will be in my name. Yikes. I hope they accept. I hope this is God's plan and I am doing my best to let it be his plan for us and not mine or ours. I am so stressed about having this trip fall right in the middle of it. I know the trip will be expensive. I know the new house will be expensive. But I think I need them both. I think maybe, just maybe, I deserve them both. But I don't want to be greedy so I go back to praying about it and leaving what I can up to God. I hope that I will be able to see the path he has set before me and I hope I will be strong enough to walk it.

Just had to get these thoughts down before driving to San Antonio with them racing through my mind. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we deal with the stress of the marathon this weekend and the stress of the many, many other changes in our lives right now.

My Race in Pictures

2011-10-25T19:00:00.000-05:00

24thehardway-6 Hour Race in Pictures

Staging my bag at the campsite.

Last minute thoughts and motivation before heading to the start.

Campsite with nice signs that Kallie had made. We had a great spot for our awning.

What have I gotten myself into? About to start the race.

Darn mosquitoes. They were the size of a small dog.

This is my favorite picture but I wish my tongue wasn't sticking out.

First time I was able to think about having food. Even though it looks like I might not keep it down in this picture! Peanut butter sandwich and chips from the aid station. Oh, and see my blanket in the background that they had hung up to motivate me.

Trying to sit up straight for the picture but as you can see above, she already had the ugly shot.

Running strong now.

Looking much better now after a pep talk from "Arthur Itis". He was doing a 27 hour race.

Staking my flag.

Congrats from Ultra Runner Woman.

Mom and Shirley's sophisticated tally system

My race

2011-10-25T18:44:00.001-05:00

Finally have some time to sit down and finish up my race report. I was wanting to wait until I had some pictures to add and the time to comment on them.

The timing of the race was harder for me then I thought. I hadn't really gotten the breakfast I wanted but had instead had a kolache and a do-nut. Yes, that made my stomach upset before I even started. It wasn't my usually stomach issues but just an unsettled feeling in my stomach. I think I battled this feeling for 3 hours. My mom and aunt went to the start with me to get some pictures. Then they settled in at camp. My aunt said she probably wasn't as sore as she thought she would be mainly because she had to hop up every time I came around the loop. Sometimes they would be sitting at camp when they saw me and other times they would walk towards me on the loop. They were always ready with something I had told them I might need or want. Because of the stomach issues, I couldn't really get my food intake going as soon as I wanted. Just felt nauseous. It's fun to look at the splits and try to remember if I stopped at the tent and what I had. They had water, diet coke, candy, ginger, pretzels, and powerade for me.

I told them I wanted to be seeing them every 12 minutes or less. When I came around the first time closer to 9, they were really worried. What I hadn't told them was that I was going to run my first lap and then start my run/walk laps. I had about 5-6 good miles even with the stomach bothering me. Then I ran into some mental issues around mile 15. Nothing hurt and I wasn't having any trouble running. I was just having some mental/emotional issue. Who knows why or what it was about? I cried a little and then got up and got going again. They told me another girl I had been running near was also crying at that point so maybe it wasn't as unusual as it felt.

It was a different kind of race then I have ever done. People weren't racing each other, they were racing themselves. It was a hard thing but everyone was in it together. Except for a few serious record breakers, everyone else was run/walking. So chances are when you walked you came up on someone else or someone caught up to you. It was fun hearing their stories and their goals. Since it was a mile loop, you meet up several times and were able to check in with each other's progress and pain. My goal was 20 miles so once I got my 20 miles, I stopped at the tent to put on dry socks and change shoes. I lost 6 minutes on that lap! I walked the last 1 1/2 hours just to see how far I could get. I really think this helped prevent soreness because I really just wanted to sit down in the tent and never move again.

As the race crew monitored your progress they handed you a flag when you came through the tent on what they thought would be your last lap. I was able to make it all the way around and through the tent again with my flag. I crossed the timing mat at 5:58 and then walked what I guess to be about 1/4 of a mile more. At 6 hours, a shotgun went off in the air and we staked our flags at our stopping point so we could get credit for partial laps in the event of a tie. I ended up 5th because another girl also got 24 miles but crossed the mat at 5:56. Looking at our splits today, I was way ahead of her the entire race but she ran her last mile and passed me at some point on the last lap. Maybe I shouldn't have changed shoes!

Right as the race finished the rain clouds opened up and we had to quickly pack up the tent and get everything to the car before the storm got worse.

It was a great race. I really had a good time and am thankful to have had the support I did for my "20" mile training run.

I was going to do my pictures on here but I think I will do a second post with pictures.

Race report

2011-10-23T01:16:00.001-05:00

First let me say that I hope this is like childbirth, while painful at the time you later forget that and are willing to do it again. The race lived up to its name, 24thehardway. As I type my blog sitting in an epson bath there are still runners on the course with 8 hours to go. Now that's crazy. There were lots of people trying to set records over the course of the weekend. One guy was running with a 40 lb packback, one lady was setting the masters record, another made up his own race, 27 hours, and still more. There were handicap, seeing eye dogs, and crazies.

We got to town Friday night and picked up our packets. Others had already set up their awnings so we found a great campsite and set our camp up also. Shirley started at 7:30 so we wanted to be able to focus on her race and not worry about setting up in the morning. After dinner we headed to bed early.

Saturday was a cold start so we bundled up and headed to the course. We had signs, glitter, and glow sticks. We hung our flashlights around the awning and got Shirley started. The one mile loop was wonderful because we were right on the course and saw nearly everything. As you ran across the timing mats your name flashed across the screen with lap splits, count, and times. Shirley finished with 4 laps. We left long enough to grab breakfast and let her shower. I changed clothes and we headed back for my 12:00 start.

My race report will have to be another post because the water had gotten cold in this tub and it's 1:15 am. Breakfast with my great aunt Sunday before heading home. Stay tuned.

Pictures: heading to OKC, campsite, and lap 1 for Shirley.

Pre race

2011-10-21T08:02:00.001-05:00

At the chiropractor for my last treatment before 24thehardway. Packed and ready to load the car when the rest of the group gets here. I thought I was finished packing last night but had forgotten my sports bra and a few other things so I repacked this morning. The original outfits were skirts from running funky but those didn't work out so I have had some anxiety about making sure I have everything now. Weather is calling for 30% chance of rain and cooler temps.

I can't wait.

Several things

2011-10-17T22:21:00.001-05:00

First I am so glad I have the Alter G to run on for several reasons. One of the reasons is that I wouldn't have been able to run today because of this dust storm.

I have my tshirt ready to go for 24thehardway. I talked my game plan over with my chiropractor today. Mainly to remind myself that this was just a race to help my long run of 20 miles seem like fun. I only want to get 20 miles (and not be last). Our race skirts didn't work out so our clothing game plan changed. I also made my son a tshirt since he will be crewing for me during the race.

And the last thing about today is that it was my oldest son's 16th bday. Even though he is growing up he wanted the same thing he would have wanted when he was younger, just a little more expensive now-a new baseball bat.

Thankful today for many things. Feeling very blessed tonight.

Alter G

2011-10-10T18:23:00.001-05:00

I had my first experience with my new love, the Alter G treadmill. I was really contemplating not going because I was full of self doubt. I didn't think my cardio was strong enough to run 15 minutes straight. I was worried because I didn't think I could fit in the medium shorts. I could go on and on. Anyway, I went. I loved it. I ran at 60% of my body weight. I ran 2.5 miles in 15 minutes. I still need to get used to the placement of everything on the machine but it will be a great tool. Really wonderful for speedwork when your body doesn't think you legs can run that fast anymore.

Now if I can just figure out how to afford it this month.

After treatment...a blanket of ice. These things are great. I found them at wally world and you can cut them into whatever size you need. I hold them in place with plastic packing wrap.

Day after

2011-10-10T16:00:00.001-05:00

The best thing about the day after a long run is getting to go to the chiro for an adjustment. And it's a day off! Now for a little tens and ice.

Against orders

2011-10-09T21:16:00.001-05:00

I did my best to stay on the park trail and I made it for 10 miles but then I ran out of daylight. I came home and changed out of my trail shoes and headed back out. I tried to avoid hills but it was just too boring. I got 14 in and ran out of brain power.
I came back to the house and asked for some help to finish the last 4. My DH hopped on his bike and off we went. I had plans to doing the boring half mile loop 8 times but really just wanted to quit. No reason really just wanted to quit. So instead of the half mile loop I just headed away from the house. It meant a few more hills and that may have been my downfall. I made it out one mile and turned around and made it back in another mile. I still wanted to turn towards the house but knew I would be disappointed. We turned away from the house to get another mile but that's all I had in me. Knee started really bothering me. I made it to the house with 17 miles registered.

So analysis: knees sore and being iced, back sore and has heating pad, bottom of feet strangely sore and that's all.

No school tomorrow so I will be able to make it to chiropractor and I should have time to actually follow his advice and run on the alter G.

Found a great clearance sale at a local sporting good store and my DH bought me some adidas marathon shorts. Love them and they have a cute little running icon on them.

Tired

2011-10-09T08:43:00.001-05:00

I am so tired. I took a nap yesterday and was still tired. I slept 9 hours last night and feel exhausted this morning. Still have 18 miles to run before the weekend is over. These long runs sure do take up a lot of time. Plus I have to run in the daylight so I can go on the park trail for a smoother surface but not kill myself because the city decided to grate(?) the path.

I was going to start at 5 this morning knowing it would be defiant to run in the street until the sun came up. However, when that alarm went off at 4:30, my brain and my body didn't want any part of it. Not sure how I am going to get myself united to finish this marathon training. Any ideas?

On another note we did get rain. My son's XC meet was a muddy mess. He improved his time from last week but is still afraid of success this season. He isn't running anything like he did over the summer racing season. Not sure what's up. By the way look at the shorts he likes to run in. Not quite what an elite runner would want but perfect for 7th graders!

Knee

2011-10-06T09:11:00.002-05:00

I have been having some pain in my knee probably since the July 4 race. It hasn't been the same type of pain as my ACL or meniscus. It wasn't muscle soreness. It didn't really bother me while I was running but really bothered me after, really. I have iced, tensed, heated, taped, and braced. I was resigned to the fact that it was probably a stress fracture. I was waiting until our new insurance kicked in so I could go to the dr to get it checked out. Finally, yesterday I was able to get in to the chiro, (x-rays are cheaper here and he is pro-active). After a look at the x-rays, we(he) ruled out a stress fracture. There is some more wear and tear since the last knee surgery and it is clear the meniscus is completely gone now. My tibia was out of alignment and was rubbing on another bone or my knee cap. He said it was almost like a dislocation of the bone which could usually only occur with trauma. Is it possible that this has been out of place for 3 years? I have had pain in that thigh and calf every since my surgery. He wanted me to tens my calf and thigh because there was a lot of buildup of "knots" because of the tension on the muscles due to the misplacement of the tibia. He suggested no outside running but instead to try his Alter G machine. With a few "treatments" and a few weeks of alter g running, I should be good to go. His hours aren't that convenient for me since my daughter is going to school with me now. I think I will be able to get in for treatment 3 days a week and alter g running 2 x.

What that means is that I probably won't stop running outside. I just can't lose the cardio. This injury won't cause anything severe if I don't stop running, the pain will just continue. With treatment and a few adjustments to running, I hope to alleviate some of the pain. Just after one day of treatment, ice and new placement of the Tens unit, I am already much better. 18 miles this weekend will be the true test.

Race skirt

2011-10-04T18:14:00.001-05:00

I forgot to mention that I got my race skirt in. I had to wash it first because it had a terrible smell to it. Still can smell it after so may have to wash it again. I love the colors. It is made by Running Funky. We went with the super hero print for the skort and the lightning print for the compression shorts. I had a blue shirt that matched it but it was sleeveless. I found another one today at Target. I really want some knee highs to wear but haven't found any close and don't want to pay more for shipping then I am paying for the socks. I still have a little while to work out the sock issue. I didn't think I would like running in knee highs but I really do. I will try to get a picture of the skirt. Aside from the smell, my only other complaint is the fullness of the skirt. It is really a fuller cut then I am used to. Glad I got the medium(uh hum)!

Las Vegas Half

2011-10-04T18:13:00.000-05:00

After much debate about the expense, the time, the nerves, I finally booked my room in Vegas. Looks like I will drive out with the help of a few willing souls and then drive home the day after the race. Because of my DH's job change I had to wait to purchase anything else for the trip until we got our finances back in shape. Flights and hotel skyrocketed so the trip was looking like it wasn't going to happen. I kept trying to figure out ways to make it work and looking at every bargain website there was. Because I was going by myself (DH can't go now because of new job), I didn't want to stay very far away from the race sight. That meant a higher priced hotel. I felt confident about being in Vegas by myself because the last time we were there was for a youth football tournament and my oldest son and I were by ourselves most of the time. Since the plane tickets were out, I didn't want to drive by myself. Luckily my mom and my aunt said they would go with me. My uncle will go if he can. So now we have a road trip planned. As soon as I get the confirmation email from the hotel, we will officially have a room. Race has already been paid for.

So now the key is to survive the San Antonio Rock 'n' Roll marathon and make it to the Vegas Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 3 weeks later. I am so excited and so thankful to have family that will drop everything in their life to let me live mine. 18 days until 24thehardway, 40 days until San Antonio Marathon, my first, and 61 days until Vegas Half. Pretty intense end of year, but I am really excited.

Oh, on the weight front, I am stuck at 88 pounds lost since October 8, 2010. I wanted to be at -100 by Oct 8, 2011 but don't think I will lose 12 pounds in 4 days. Maybe I can make it to 90. I am definitely tired of dieting and my running is suffering because of the lack of calories. I will be adding more food to my diet after October 16. Just wanted to try to make my goal. Time to run so I better hit the road.

Another skirt

2011-10-02T22:08:00.000-05:00

Tried my new running skirt tonight. Creases were much better. I loved the daisy print but I am thankful to the people at Skirt Sports for the replacement skirt which is a great purple print. I emailed begging my case for a replacement, return, or other helpful information regarding the crease. They were kind enough to mail me a new skirt and a shipping label to return the other skirt. The only thing I can tell that might have caused a problem was a small catch in the seam. What great customer service!

Long run this weekend was 12. I got 10. I got sick to my stomach. Not really, "I need a bathroom now" sick but just upset stomach sick. Definitely didn't fuel myself properly over the weekend. I do great with my fruits and veggies during the week but the weekend is another story. Plus we were at the boys stock show this weekend so way too much soda and not enough water. Also, very little sleep. Overall, the run was good. Legs felt fine. Lungs were good. Nose ran a lot. Weather was nice. It got too dark on me to stay on the trail so I had to finish on the road.

20 days until OKC 6 hour race.

Amazing

2011-09-28T13:39:00.001-05:00

I emailed Skirt Sports to see if there was anything I could do about the seam in the skirt and they are sending me a replacement. Go customer service. Thanks to Mia Somers and Skirt Sports I can continue my love affair with running skirts.

Trying

2011-09-27T19:38:00.001-05:00

Tonight's run was about trying new things. I tried some new socks and my new running skirt. My DH is busy with the "kids' project" so I had Kallie. She had a friend over so treadmill it is(was).

I was concerned about the socks because they were thicker than I usually wear. But...I...loved...them! Probably a little warm for anything in the summer but they felt good. I liked the extra cushion.

The skirt is a different story. I loved the look and the fit. The compression shorts fit great and stayed in place. The bad thing and nearly unbearable was the seam in the crotch. OMG. May try to wash it again and use fabric softner. Otherwise it will be for looks only.

Other then that everything else was great. Lungs, legs, and mind all worked together to get me through. I am really liking this running business.

Monday Night

2011-09-26T21:39:00.001-05:00

This morning I got up to run, got on the scale, and went back to bed. 1 1/2 hours later the scale was friendlier but the morning was gone so the run got pushed to tonight. It was just 4 miles but I was nervous about my legs since I had my long run yesterday and no rest day between. Thighs were a little sore starting out but otherwise felt fine. I ran 3.5 and then met up with my daughter. She was wearing boots. We walked the last .5 together. It's amazing that a run of this length is nothing to me. It felt good to be able to do it without any problems. Running is feeling good. I almost enjoyed even the first mile.

No pictures from tonight's run because the phone service has been spotty today so I didn't even carry my phone. Instead I will give you a picture of my ghetto marathon shirt that I had made at the fair.

You can be jealous. The back has my name on it.

From one long run to the next

2011-09-25T08:17:00.001-05:00

Last week after my run I thought I was extremely sore. I ached all night. Even the sheets hurt me. When I was still achy and feling bad the next day, I decided I must have gotten a flu bug or something. Chest hurt, feverish, achy, etc. I took the week off from running and spent a lot of time walking.

So yesterday was really the first run since the long run on Sunday. I ran 4 miles back and forth across the golf course during the boys and girls XC meet. I was proud about that in and of itself because I could do it and I wasn't winded.

Today was 16. I started at 5:00 this morning and at 52 degrees. Long sleeve shirt and tights, reflection gear! I had one bathroom break and carried my hand held water bottle. I had one pkg of shot blocks. I stayed with my 3/1 intervals the whole way and never needed an extra walking break. It was a good running day.

Longest run ever. Never made it this far during the last marathon training. It ended with a stress fracture. Things are looking good. Time to fully dedicate myself and finish this.

Me and my gang

2011-09-19T14:03:00.004-05:00

Cross Country Meet

Sept 2011

Sept 2011, The Girls

Sept 2011, The Kids

Sept 2011, The Men

Sept 2011

Didn't know i had it so good

2011-09-18T20:50:00.001-05:00

I was kind of complaining to my DH about not having anywhere exciting to run. This weekend I had 15 miles on schedule. Due to a CC meet, nap, and wedding, I didn't get it done yesterday. On the way home from church DH and I were trying to think of somewhere to run. I didn't want to run around the school (my .5 route) 30 times and I didn't want to run the park (2 mile route) over and over.

I hadn't been to our ranch in a long time so I thought I would run the park and then out to the ranch. It took me 3 miles to get out there. I was cresting the first hill when I saw this:

22 mule deer. They saw me about the same time. By the time I got my camera out of the camelbak, they had started to move away.

They stayed close and split into two herds. One set crossed the road in front of me.

When I turned the corner I was watching the other group and didn't notice the buck standing right beside me on the other side of the road. He took off pretty fast but I got one shot of him. The camera wouldn't zoom in before he ran off though.

So I didn't know I had it so good. How many people can say they saw a herd of 22 deer and 1 buck on their 15 mile run.

I ran the ranch a few times and headed back towards town at 11 miles. I called for a ride at 13 cause it was too dark. I was going to finish when I got home but I was too stiff when I got out of the car. Called it quits at 13. Every long run from here on out will be my longest training run ever.

No stomach issues today as far as the bathroom but had some trouble with an acidic feeling from not enough calories. It's all a work in progress.

I don't think the pictures will post in the blog in order but I hope you can get the idea.

Cool weather

2011-09-15T21:32:00.001-05:00

Cooler temperatures moved in with some moisture. This morning I didn't get up to run my 4 miles because it was lightning. Then it got really cold and while I was sitting outside at my son's football game, I got really stiff. Thank goodness Jo challenged me to walking 12000 steps a day so I did get in my MED. I will not get in my run. Tomorrow is a rest day so I will push today's run to tomorrow. I have my warm clothes ready and am actually looking forward to a cool run. I know my lungs will burn. I know my eyes will water. I know my nose will drip. But I also know that I am alive, I am healthier, I am lighter, and oh, I will be older.

The good, the bad, and what could have been ugly

2011-09-13T06:10:00.001-05:00

The good news is my run this morning felt. Great. Nothing hurt, nothing wanted to quit, and I kept my head up. I am hoping that will help with strange soreness I am having in my back after running. Also it's so much easier to breath when you are looking up. Of course, I scanned the ground. Running alone in the morning, I can't pull a "mary ann" and fall. No one would find me until the kids started coming to school and they might think I was just another animal on the playground to climb on. (And M.A., I only said that because I know you are stalking this blog right now)

The bad news is that somewhere on a run I lost my butt. This morning I put on one of my favorite running skirts and I couldn't keep the panties in place. I haven't been drying my running clothes so I know it wasn't the dryer's fault. I couldn't hardly believe it and once even stopped to make sure I hadn't put the dumb thing on backwards. Nope, it was right. Just lost my butt. Oh well, that's one thing I have lost that I won't be looking for. I think I still have plenty and may just have to go down a size in running skirts from this company.

The ugly...well, what could have been. Can you imagine if I had fallen and my underwear weren't in place?

At least I made you laugh, maybe? Have a good day. Glad to have my mileage for the day out of the way. Board meeting tonight but I may try to pull a double run day if I don't get home too late.

It's time

2011-09-12T06:35:00.001-05:00

It's time to bring the focus back to me. I have allowed the stress of the past few weeks tough decisions to overshadow my goals. Any decisions we make as a family should contribute to my goals not take away from them. I did that to myself. I stopped making myself important.

Here's what I am going to do to get back on track: give up soda (again), run in the mornings, actually drink water, and lose this last 20 pounds. I started this morning with a 4 mile run and half mile walk with the dogs. I will not stop for my 44 oz this morning and I will not go to the soda vending machine. These may seem like little things but these are addictions. I need to become addicted to running again. I need to become addicted to myself! I need to withdraw from my other addictions.

I have done it before and I can do it again.

Change

2011-09-11T16:53:00.002-05:00

Tomorrow my DH starts a new job. Friday my DD started a new school. Sometime in the near future the boys will change schools and we will move. My job will not change. Change is good but the unknown is scary for everyone. We hope we have made a decision that will be positive for our family and for each other. We are trying to give our kids a good life, a happy life. We moved here because we thought it would be a better place for our kids to go to school. It was the wrong decision for our oldest son and it has been a miserable time off and on for him over the last 4.5 years. It was a great decision for our middle son. He got lucky. It was a bad decision for my husband. He loves what he does for a living but wasn't happy where he was doing that work. Things were good for a while but due to some unknown reasons, things changed. For me, the last move was a move of indifference for me. I left my nice house and friends. I left my running buddies and my students. But I have made new friends. I advanced in my career. We had access to a stronger church. My daughter doesn't remember where we lived before now. To her, this is the home she knows. She doesn't know we are moving yet. She just thinks she changed schools to be closer to me.

Because we still own a house in the last town we left, we have not been able to buy a house in the town we live in. We are basically paying a huge mortgage on a house someone else gets to live in. We have lived in the house I grew up in. Luckily for us, my mom moved about the time we did so the house was available. It has served us well in the past but it is closing in on me now. I need my own house. This move will force that change.

I am trying not to eat through this stress but I haven't been exercising through it either. I have been withdrawn. I have been sleeping alot. I spend most of the time in my room, in bed. I know it isn't healthy but it's the only way I know how to cope without the food.

Tomorrow is the next step in the process. I hope my husband is happy with his change. I hope we can all be happy again because of it. I hope that we have done something good for our family. Please pray that this will be a positive change that will benefit each and every one of us as well as the new people we will have the opportunity to bring into our lives.

By the way, I am still looking for a running partner. It is getting harder to train for this marathon. The miles are lonely.

Same song, second verse

2011-09-08T13:46:00.001-05:00

Here is my Aunt Shirley's version of the race report. What a great time we had! Can't wait for 24 the Hard Way.

http://slowlybutshirleyigo.blogspot.com/2011/09/turtle-race.html

Turtle in Pictures

2011-09-06T21:57:00.003-05:00

Before the race

After the race with my trophy

Coming up the hill at sunrise

The beginning at dark:thirty!

Turtle Half Marathon

2011-09-05T19:24:00.001-05:00

A half marathon for $20 can't be beat. It was very small, my cousin told be the smallest marathon in the U.S. This year there were about 50 preregistered for the half and 50 for the full. My aunt was doing the 5k. Since it started at 5:30 and was 2 hours away we went up the night before. Even though there wasn't a prerace pickup Sunday, the RD met us and gave us our numbers and shirts. We drove the course twice. Once with the race map and then once with directions from the RD. We decided on a spot my aunt could park so I could trade out my water. After we thought we had the course figured out, we headed to the hotel and to eat.

This morning we woke up to cool temps but thankfully no wind. We headed out in the dark to start the race. I had planned on running 4/1 but my garmin didn't cooperate. I started getting worried because it hadn't beeped but couldn't see well enough in the dark to know what was going on. I decided to run as far as a I could and then when I had to walk I would try to fix the garmin. I made it 2 miles which happened to be a major turn on to the highway. With my headlamp and a smooth surface I finally felt comfortable enough to fiddle with the watch. I got it going a little after 2 miles which meant it was pretty much good for nothing but intervals and mental math.

I was having serious stomach issues and so was another guy near me. He had gone into the bushes several times and got to the port-a-pot before me. I ran on cause they told us there would be another one at 6 miles. When I met up with my aunt at 5 miles, I grabbed some kleenex, traded waters, and trudged on. I was constantly looking for somewhere suitable for a bathroom. At the 6.5 turnaround, I asked what happened to the 6 mile port-a-pot. It was moved to mile 3. Ugh. I made it back to about 7 miles and used a tree I had seen earlier. It was far enough down the ditch and weedy enough to be out of the way. I prayed for 3 things: no rattlesnakes, no dogs, and the ability to squat. After I squatted, I added the ability to stand up to the prayer. I felt much better after that.

The course was pretty much a solo event. There was one manned water station at the turn around. Every 2 miles there was a case of water with an ice bag on top. The sloshing of my water was annoying to me so I ended up dumping my water and bending over for water once. I had some self doubt at mile 10 and really tried to play the poor little ole me card but there was no one to listen and no one who cared so I had no choice but to keep going. After mile 11, I felt okay again and picked my head up to start watching for the 5kers. I meet up with them at mile 12.5 or so. My aunt and I passed each other with a quick word and I headed to the finish. I got a great turtle for finishing. I bettered my last half by 18 minutes. I ended up 7th in my age group. Officially results will be mailed.

My aunt bettered her time by 3 minutes. Each race is not chip timed. It took me about 3 minutes to cross the start and it took her at least 5. We waited for door prizes but didn't win. Then we headed to the breakfast buffet.

We had a great time with lots of laughing. I am pretty sore but I think the 2 hour drive has a lot to do with that. I told my aunt racing was like childbirth and we would soon forget the bad parts of tyis run and be ready to race again. My pictures include a view from the side of the road which is how it looked from miles 2 to 10, a view back in to town from the 6.55 turnaround, the ugliest race shirt ever, and my turtle.

Insanity

2011-09-03T12:02:00.001-05:00

Repeating the same but expecting different results.

I slept in with the promise of cooler temps on the horizon. I wanted to get 3-4 miles in today since my long run will be the half on Monday. DD was up so here is the insanity part.

"DD, would you like to go run with me?"
"Can I take my bike?"
"No, it's called running for a reason."
"Can we run to McDs?"

Hmmm, I can go the long way around the park and get two miles in before we get there and then get 1-2 miles in depending on how we go home.

"Sure, we can go to McDs but promise you won't whine, cry,or complain."
"Of course, I promise."

Dumb, dumb, dumb. First thing she says, "Mom, we are going the wrong way. McDs is the other direction." And it didn't get better from there.

We have some mountain lions running around town. So far 8 have been spotted. We see a huge cat running towards us and we both freak out. Then we smell a skunk but never saw it. Then DD starts with the crying and whining saying I can just leave her there to die and be eaten by the mountain lions. Please, she could walk faster then I can run.

I try to distract her with questions, math problems, animals, etc. Finally she starts examining the pockets of my handheld water pack. When she comes across a small deal of body glide, she is suddenly chaffed and has to stop to apply some. Finally after 1.5 miles she realizes I am not quitting and she won't get food if she doesn't come along. She makes a comeback at McD until she realizes we have to run home.

Both of us got what we wanted though. I got my run in extra points for dealing with DD. She got breakfast. Neither of us got eaten by the mountain lions.

I also got to wear my other Run Pretty Far shirt. It is great. Here are some pictures of today's events.

Treadmill is my friend

2011-08-29T21:47:00.003-05:00

The treadmill is my friend. The treadmill is my friend. Okay, whatever! Even though my house is 100 degrees, it just seemed cooler then outside. And all the boys were taking care of the stock show animals so I was stuck at the house with DD. She was so tired and after the last running fiasco, we were not going to attempt it again so soon. I got her in the shower and jumped on the treadmill. My poor treadmill has been neglected this summer and it didn't have it's usual glow. What? The pretty display lights had gone out. I only had the ugly gray background to look at with the daunting black numbers. I thought to myself I could watch a movie while I ran only to find out my speakers on the treamill had also gone out. Luckily the Pandora on my phone plays loud enough to be heard over the treadmill, the two fans, and the dogs barking outside.

The pizza I wrote about earlier was not settling well in my stomach. That's what I get for eating too much. The dough of the pizza was really weighing me down. I got my 3 miles in. My knee was a little stiff in the beginning but the cushion of the treadmill and newer shoes helped a little with that.

Enough jibberish...on a personal note, we are going through some changes at our house. Nothing bad, all positive but any change is hard. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers as we make decisions for our family and our future.

Cold

2011-08-29T20:02:00.001-05:00

I have been using my TENS machine on my knee after Saturday's long run. I have also been icing. The chiro said to do both. Well, dumb me forgets that the feeling is warped with both TENS and ice. So I didn't feel the ice "burn" until too late. And the other bad thing is that my favorite ice bag got a hole in it.

I haven't run yet tonight. I really wanted pizza and there was a buffet tonight so we all went. I ate more then my stomach is used to having so I am not feeling so good. That and the fact that it is still 95 at 8:00. I may still try to get it in but it will be close to the house for sure.

Ice "burn"

Early morning

2011-08-27T11:21:00.001-05:00

Great day for a long run. Got up early. Got it done. 12 miles, finished. Took an ice bath, ate a good breakfast, and spending the rest of the day with family.

Busy start

2011-08-26T19:03:00.001-05:00

This has been a busy start to the school year. My new job duties require more of my energy and time so I have been coming home exhausted. I don't want to get up in the mornings and want to go to bed as soon as possible in the evenings. So I am behind a run this week and I cut one run short or I am behind a longer run and ran too much on a short one. Either way, I should be 12 miles into the week and I am at 8.

I went out today at 6:00 and it was 98 degrees. I ran on the black ground up ash track so no telling how hot that was. I was dragging. Not anything on my body so much, just mentally tired. The heat got to me at the end and I had to walk more then I should have.

Still working on the dieting and running. I know I need more food but am really scared of it.

I got my new shirts from Run Pretty Far, (need to add the link). I had a yellow running skirt from Jo that went perfect with my Sound of Music tee.

Climb every mountain...
Sorry they are sideways but that's appropriate since I have spent most of the week trying to lay down.

Where I am

2011-08-20T06:31:00.001-05:00

I have been up for an hour trying to make a decision. My good knee is really bothering me. For those of you that don't know, I had ACL surgery a few years ago and then meniscus surgery a few months later. A bone chip or some hardened ligament fragments had floated into my thigh muscle and had to be removed also. It took me a long time to recover. I did the therapy but then one the physical therapy was over I stopped. I have a tens machine I was supposed to use to help with the rehabilitation but that got old also. Long story...both my knees would be in better shape if I worked a little more on my quads and hams. Since I have lost some weight, they are doing much better. So this round of training I am trying to protect my knees. In the past I haven't made it this far without some ITBand issues also. I am doing good in that area so far. This past week my good knee has been hurting. I have a extremely sore spot under my knee on the inside of my leg. I ran on it anyway. It hurts to walk, it hurts to touch. I iced yesterday. I have iced after each run.

Today was a scheduled 7. Jo and I talked about it and had decided to go back to 10. Neither one of us had gotten that distance in yet for various reasons. I got up this morning at 5. I got dressed to run. I got out my newer shoes thinking that might help. I started the coffee. I started the laundry. But an hour later and I still haven't gone out. I am worried about the pain. Of course I don't want to be hurting and I don't want to be hurt, yes those are two different things. I don't want my training to be ruined. I want to make it to the starting line without an injury. I also know I have to get the miles in to make it to the finish line without an injury.

My b-i-l has accused us of overtraining. Not today, Bry. Today I am trying to be smart. Even though I am up at the crack of dawn, even though I am dressed to run, and even though I will have a big zero on my training schedule for the day I will put off today's run. Maybe I will do it tonight or maybe tomorrow. Maybe I won't get it in at all. Either way, today's run is not the most important thing. Today is not the goal. There is no finish line on this journey to health.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

A lot of rain and a little humidity

2011-08-18T22:07:00.001-05:00

I could breath tonight. I ran through puddles. I kicked mud up on my legs. My oldest had a scrimmage tonight and it sprinkled off and on for about an hour. Just enough to get the umbrella out and then it would stop long enough to put the umbrella up. Up and down for an hour. As soon as it was over we went under the bleachers to gather everyone up to go eat and it started pouring. Soon the bleachers and the field cleared. I would guess we were in a heavy downpour and rain delay for over 30 minutes. We finally braved the wind and left before the next game ever started. Crazy!

I had a good clean day of eating. Resisted danishes, chocolate, brownies, banana bread, sopas, and everything else. Took my salad for lunch and my fruit for snack. It was a very stressful day at work due to some training/technology issues all over the school district. I literally did not sit down for longer then 5 minutes until 2:00.

I wanted to run but my legs said no. I wanted to run but no one was home to watch the youngest. I wanted to run but I thought about eating. I put on my workout clothes. I laced up my shoes. I called DH and asked him to come home so I could run. I needed 5 but was aiming for at least 3. I know if I can get 2 then I feel fine after that. I ran away from the house figuring the further I could get the further to get back. I didn't take my phone so no chance to call for a ride. I got my 5 in just barely. But I got it in. It was a good pace. And thanks to the rain and the humidity it was an easy 5. I wanted to run so I did. Did you?

Miles are not always the same distance

2011-08-15T22:44:00.001-05:00

Technically they are but tonight the distance and time seemed to pass quickly even though I walked my 3 miles. My legs are beat. First day back to school with teachers and I bet I walked a marathon today trying to appease everyone. We do breakfast and lunch everyday this week for the teachers. Its nice but it takes a lot of work to pull it all off. Today we also had a guest speaker. I am thankful to all the help we had today but I am not sure I delegated enough.

I wore my small dress and got lots of compliments. Tomorrow will be a district wide meeting so that will be another long day. Shouldn't be as much walking for me but it will be hectic until 1:00.

Tonight DD and I walked the dogs. We went a mile before the puppy was tired and DD was bored. I took them home and headed out to do my 3. For no particular reason I decided to walk it. I may count it or a may trade Wednesday's rest day and make it up. I have 5 on schedule tomorrow. If I sleep better then I have been I am going to go back to mornings. Seeing as how it is almost 11:00, it probably won't happen tomorrow.

I haven't mentioned weight in a while. I was able to remain pretty steady over the summer months. I am down from May but not really where I thought I would be. Don't get me wrong I am where I deserve to be. There is no finish line in this race though. So I must keep moving forward on this journey of health.

Recovery or Long Run

2011-08-14T22:16:00.001-05:00

After yesterday's race I had to decide how to get my scheduled long run in. I contemplated running the 5 mile course twice but that was before the race. I thought about switching this weekend's 10 with next weekend's 7.

I thought about skipping the entire thing. I am so glad I didn't. For whatever reason, things are stressful around the house right now. Lots of things going on. So I decided some running would be good stress relief. I told myself I would get at least 3 and go from there.

I got 2.5 and had to take a pit stop. I also grabbed some money and traded ipods. I had wanted to stay on the park trail for a little less stress on my legs but decided to detour by the store for a little caffeine. Then back to the park to finish. I got 5 in before it got dark. Again I hadn't wanted to run much on the roads so I stopped at 5.

It really was the best feeling run I have had. I hated to stop. I am proud to be in the shape I am in. I don't want to lose this feeling again. I am doing everything I can to keep it. Tonight's routine includes ice as always.

Hot Dam 2011

2011-08-13T15:16:00.001-05:00

Great training run/race today. I did the 5 mile run, TJ did the 2 mile, and my aunt and uncle also did the 2 mile. Over 300 entrants, 100 more than last year. The good news, we all placed. The timing system was a mess. The printer wouldn't work. The director got confused in the middle of announcing the results but after a little bit of help supposedly they got it all straightened out. Medals were traded and everyone in our group ended up with one. TJ won first in his age group and may have broken the course record. I ended up 3rd in the Athenas even though I only saw one ahead of me. Aunt and Uncle finished 2nd in their groups.

We didn't end up with shirts but with entry being only 10 and 5 I can live with that. Aunt won a door prize. After pictures we rushed home for a football scrimmage. And now on to my favorite part of the day, ice packs, movies, and maybe a nap!

New running skirt

2011-08-11T21:06:00.001-05:00

I got this treat for myself while I was in San Antonio at a real running store. We don't have such a thing around here. This skirt is great. It is a Lululemon running skirt. It has cute pleats in the back, a zippered back pocket, and two front little pockets. The compression shorts are great. They have a special elastic with little grippers that held the shorts in place.

I wasn't sure about what shirt to wear with the skirt. I bought a grey tank from academy to go with it but it was really really the wrong color. For those of you that know me, you should know I am a freak about colors matching. Anyway, I went with purple cause my sister had sent me a new purple headband so why not?

We had a pretty good rain shower this afternoon which helped cool things off considerably. It was in the 70s when I ran. The run felt great. I was going to do no less then 3 and felt like doing more when the bathroom woes hit me. I saw one of the neighbor girls about 1/2 mile from the house and told her I might need to borrow her bike to get home. I made it though, without the bike.

My DH is out working due to the storms and a lightning fire, my DD is at a slumber party and the two DSs are playing with friends. Beau is finally big enough to go out in the back yard with the big dog so I am enjoying the front porch alone. Wish I had some coffee.

Two bird

2011-08-11T20:53:00.001-05:00

It's a great run when it accomplishes more than one thing.

Borrowing from JoJo...the end of my run looked something like this.

Tricked by technology

2011-08-08T20:57:00.001-05:00

Although it wasn't dead, it did not have enough juice to go for a run. Based on the last few runs I can get nearly a half mile in every 5 minutes. Since my garmin was brain dead and my phone was also, I opted for that run just for the sake of running. Well, sort of. I set my watch for 5/1 intervals and pushed during the runs so I felt like I getting .5 everytime. I ran the first 1.5 on a route I sort of knew was that far based on a run DD and I did. I also knew my son was there and I needed a ride to a bathroom quick. So quick I was about to opt for the ditch until I saw a trucker trying to get parked for the night.

After DS took me to the grocery to use the restroom(I just had him drop me off), I headed back along the same path towards home. Just for good measure I added a 1/2 mile I knew to be accurate. All in all I ran for 35 minutes. Probably not quite 3 but maybe it was close.

Garmin

2011-08-08T19:52:00.002-05:00

My Garmin died today. My husband said it wouldn't come on for him this morning and now it is laying lifeless beside my computer. It won't come on, it won't charge, nothing.

What? I just heard a beep from it. Yes, you can do it. It is back on. Who knows what is going on? I have been sitting here talking to it. Coaxing it to please work. I have looked at the website for support. Searched my running material for a receipt. As I was beginning this blog, I thought I will try to get it to charge one more time. And before I could finish the blog it was back on. Good thing I have already changed to my running clothes. I better sign off and head out before it dies again.

Maybe one day I will try running for the sake of running but for now I am a data gathering running fool.

See ya!

Not smart

2011-08-06T17:57:00.001-05:00

It is not the smartest thing to start a 9 mile run at 3:30. It was 85, overcast, and stormy looking. I had the youngest with me so she loaded up the basket on her bike and we headed out. My DH was working at the ag barn so I had planned to run until daughter was worn down and then drop her off with him. We made it 1.5 miles before she was ready to go to her dad. However, after changing routes to get there she decided to stay with me.

To get 9 miles in while in town you can either see lots of the same or lots of the town. We opted for town. I tried to find sidewalk for her, middle ground for me. We avoided as many hills as possible and had to avoid two dogs. DD made it 6 miles. After about 5, she walked her bike during my walking break. I got her settled at the house to wait on her brother. I went out to finish the last 3.

I don't know if it was the break when I went in the house. Or if it was because the last loops passed by the house. Or if it was the fact that the temp went up 13 degrees from when I started. Whatever it was, I had nothing left in the legs after 7.

I called for my oldest to bring home some ice and I laid on the drive-way to wait. I know 7 is not 9 but I will take it.

Long run Saturday

2011-08-05T21:48:00.001-05:00

9 miles tomorrow morning. Football scrimmage, new heifers in the barn, school clothes and school supply shopping also tomorrow. Yikes, alarm is set for early thirty. My legs are still sore from the stair workout in the hotel. I am so glad to be back home and getting back to my diet and workout routine.

I will have more time to update my blog tomorrow. I need to go back and edit the posts with my trip pictures. But for now, I am headed to bed so I can get up early.

Plus I have to work off the vacation meals like this one.

Believe it or not

2011-08-02T22:34:00.001-05:00

This is what I avoided

This is what it was

2011-08-02T22:32:00.003-05:00

This is what it could have been

2011-08-02T22:32:00.001-05:00

Training and travel don't always mix

2011-08-01T22:37:00.001-05:00

There is always lots of walking in San Antonio. But there is always lots of eating also. Due to my stomach issues of the past few days, I was behind on my long run still today. I was nervous about running in the city by myself. I completely decided against it when my phone was dead. Instead I headed to the fitness center. I was not looking forward to 7 miles on the treadmill but I was willing to do it. Wrong, treadmill was broken. I got on the ellipitical and was about ten minutes into my workout, trying to figure out how to convert the mileage into running when the hotel came to close up the fitness center. What? It was only 9:00. I headed back to my floor and looked for the stairs. They weren't in a stairwell like most hotels but out in the lobby or foyer of each floor. Not doing that either. I went up and down 5 flights once. So I finally came back to my room and started running in place. I did that for 35 minutes. I started having pains in different places so I decided that was enough. So instead of 7 miles I did 10 minutes on ellipitical, 5 flights of stairs up and down, and 35 minutes jogging in place. How many miles is that?

Going to try outside tomorrow before my workshop. Maybe.

Not today

2011-07-31T10:43:00.001-05:00

Long night of stomach problems so I didn't get up to run my long run. We packed up camp this morning so I will have to run tonight at home.

Great weekend. Lots of good workouts. Lots of swimming, floating, and tanning. Headed to town for a good meal, a little shopping, and then headed home.

Last day of vacation

2011-07-28T23:41:00.001-05:00

Tomorrow is my last day of vacation. As soon as we could we left town today to head back to the lake. We got the same campsite we had last weekend. It will be crowded later in the weekend due to a fishing derby but tonight it is fairly empty.

The kids helped set up the tents and unload the bikes. Then they put on their swimsuits, grabbed the rafts, and headed to the water. My puppy had his first swim. He was more interested in the new smells along the edge of the water. Tomorrow we will go to a sandy beach and see if he likes that better.

I had almost decided to put my run off but my middle son came out of his tent ready to go. We were going for 3. I felt pretty good at the turn around point so we kept going around the lake instead. That meant a few more hills but I was really feeling good. The hills eventually trashed my quads but we made it back to the campsite. It was 3.5 and it felt great. Again, its amazing what carbs will do for a run. Think I have a plan for that though. We will see in the next few weeks.

It was dark when we ran so no picture tonight but we are staying all weekend so I bet I get some before we leave.

Saved by a text picture

2011-07-26T22:12:00.001-05:00

Jo sent me a text picture of her saggy sweaty shorts after her workout. She reminded me that we had 4 on schedule today. I still have dual schedules going on my calendar so I was thinking 3. I have to get that old schedule cleared out.

My daughter went with me for awhile. After two miles, I texted Jo that I had to relieve myself twice. Once in the bathroom and once of Kallie. I went back for the last two by myself. It was a nice run. It's amazing how carbs will help a run. Gotta get this all figured out. Still need to/want to lose some more weight but feel like I will need some carbs to get through the marathon training.

My middle son broke his toe a few weeks ago and re-injured it last night. He struggled a little bit with it on his run last night. We decided to take the morning off today and give him a few more hours of rest. He ran sprints tonight with a little pain. His running partner quit on him after winning her age group last weekend. Not sure why but glad he is sticking with it.

It was hot so tonight's picture is me begging for water.

Mini vacation/early anniversary

2011-07-24T23:39:00.001-05:00

My DH and I both had the day off tomorrow so we got the brilliant idea to come to the lake to get some training in. I called my mom to see if she would keep the younger two and we called the neighbor to keep the oldest. He is also his boss so that way he wouldn't miss work. We went to church this morning, ate lunch with the family, and then headed home to pack up.

We were having our road bikes serviced so we loaded the mountain bikes. We grabbed running gear and swimsuits. We stopped at the grocery for some more fruit and cash. We got to the lake later then we wanted but it was okay because most everyone is leaving out on Sunday. We drove around scouting out places we liked. Distance to bathrooms/showers and distance from parties were the priorities. After deciding on a spot we quickly set up the tent, unloaded the bikes and changed clothes. DH went on his bike to go swim. I had to get my long run in. I ran around the lake and back to camp ground. By then it was getting dark so I grabbed my headlamp and finished up. DH caught up to me and rode his bike along for the last 3 miles.

We forgot the lighter to start the stove for dinner but decided we could both just eat some fruit and crackers. We rode our bikes to the showers, cleaned up and settled back down at camp.

I made a make shift ice bag for my knees. I refilled my water and sat back to blog. It is fairly quiet tonight. Crickets in the background, the occasional dog barking, and some rock music in the distance. Perfect ending to a perfect day.

Nourish 5k

2011-07-23T18:38:00.001-05:00

Great day of family. Son finished 2nd in his age group, 12 years old, age group 15 and under. Neighbor girl finished 1st, same age, same group. Daughter finished 9th in the same age group, 7 years old. She liked the before and the after but thank goodness my husband went with her because she didn't like the middle!

Race started later then it should have and it was already warm. A strange wind blew in our faces no matter the direction we turned. The course was fairly flat, only one chance for water, easy turns, and only one bad section of road. Only three age groups which I thought was weird, 15 and under, 6 to 55, and over 55. First time race directors and organizers.

We went to IHOP after and had a good time laughing about the race. Or neighbor girl's family had gone to watch her run her first race so they went with us. I changed into my compression socks in the bathroom and got some strange looks but who cares?

My aunt from Slowlybutshirleyigo came to take pictures so hopefully she got some good ones. I took some with my phone but they were so blurry.

I got a nap. I am icing and have the stem machine on now. Great day today. Proud of everyone.

Me and my daughter

All the runners except my husband, don't know where he was.

Age group 15 and under male/female 2nd and 1st

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Pre race

2011-07-23T06:23:00.001-05:00

Most of the time I have certain things I like to do before a race just like everyone else. I like to get up before everyone else in the house to have some quiet time to take care of myself before everyone else needs me. I like to get the coffee going. I take a cup with me to take an epsom bath. I start with cold water and then go as hot as possible. I like to wash my hair and go with a wet pony tail. I have pandora playing a mix of my favorites that aren't on my ipod or sony earphones. By then my DH is usually awake so we can have chat over coffee, this morning was about TDF.

I lay out several clothing options the night before so deciding is always part of the morning routine. Then its time to get the kids up and get them going. Hopefully we all have time to sit outside for a little bit with another cup of coffee. This morning we will include the dog.

Hopefully a bathroom break will occur before time to get in the car and can be part of the at home routine and not a find a gas station NOW routine.

It's my daughter's first race and the neighbor girl that I have been training will run her first race today also. My DH is running with my daughter and my son is running with the neighbor. I am going alone. It's a flat, ugly course so the mind will need some discipline to stay attentive.

Music and Garmin are charged as part of the pre-race. Extra ipods were charging all over the house. Watches are set with intervals and paces.

Ugh, just remembered I didn't put my son's clothes in the dryer. The race begins early!

100%

2011-07-22T10:34:00.001-05:00

Feeling 100% better this morning. Using a vacation day, slept in, and then ran. Didn't like the scale much this morning but I know about that and am constantly working on it. Dealing with hormones has added to that woe but we won't get in to that here.

My daughter rode her bike with me for the first 1.5 miles. I made the mistake of running by the house for water and she saw her escape route! It was already fairly warm when we ran and I am dealing with cotton mouth from the medicine so the water was necessary. Plus 1.5 is probably good enough for her. I had some company on my run and I had some peace.

Last night a neighbor didn't stop their dog from chasing us. This morning I had the same trouble. The dog running and snarling, barking and lunging at me meanwhile the owner screaming his name, saying he won't bite, he won't bite. I had run to the end of the block where i had seen some construction workers. I grabbed the bed of their truck ready to jump in when the dog finally turned around and went home.

So here is my question for the day...if the owner is screaming at the dog but not moving towards the dog or not trying to get the dog back in the yard, other then screaming, can I spray the dog with my HALT spray?

5k tomorrow within 20 miles. Can't pass that up!

Beau or Bo (?) my running partner in training is at my feet. He can't run with me yet but he loves to like the salty sweat off my legs when I get back! No one in my family would let me name him "Pre"!

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On the road again

2011-07-21T22:49:00.001-05:00

We are back on the road again. It has been a long week of recovery from this sickness. I haven't felt up to my running workouts so I have stuck with the bike. Tonight I had to force myself back out there. I was worried that I couldn't do it anymore. I know, it's all in my head but that's how I felt after a week of this crud. I finally felt clear headed today, my joints didn't hurt, and the headache was finally gone. I was going to go running this evening but I sat down to watch a little bit of the TDF and the next thing I knew it was 2 hours later and I had been sleeping again. I guess my body is still try to recover.

So finally I made it out a little before 10. We have a 5k this weekend and my daughter is entered. This will be her first 5k. She wanted to run with me tonight to decide if she was going to run with me or walk with my sister. She wanted to take a water bottle so I gave her one of my new handhelds. She was complaining about her side hurting at 1 mile and asked if I could hold the bottle while she tied her shoe. She had already finished the whole bottle of water. No wonder her side was hurting. Don't know what she will do on Saturday but at this point, her main concern is whether or not she should wear a headband or a visor. She thinks she will probably go with the sparkly headband.

She is a woot. She wanted to take two pictures for tonight's blog. One with a smile with teeth showing like me and one without. She choose the one on top because her teeth just looked ridiculous. I told her I was just glad to be on the road again and didn't care how we looked!

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Surviving

2011-07-18T21:47:00.001-05:00

I think I may survive. I left work early again due to signs of an impending migraine. Drove home with the blurred vision and auras but made it before the pain hit. Haven't had one of those since we lived in North Texas and my someone would have to drive me to dr for shots. Wasn't sure what I was going to do today since I don't have a dr here for migraine and the hospital is ill equipped. Just came home and went to bed praying for the best. When the sound of the air conditioner bothers you, its usually a bad sign.

But 2 hours later my husband woke me up to check on me and the pain was better. The dizziness lingered but the blurred vision and auras were gone. Thank goodness. Really feel blessed when I can avoid the full blown pain of a migraine. Wondering if this cold/flu and headache are food related allergies, ear infections, or sinus. Either way, I am on an antibiotic and on the road to living.

As promised I did not run so that puts me another long run behind in training. I will see if I can shuffle my days around and get it in but am really thinking the rest was needed and will probably win out. Since I didn't run today either that puts me behind two runs in the last three days for a total of 9 miles. I did ride my bike with the kids this morning when they did their two miles (Sunshine and the neighbor girls are getting ready for cross country).

I even felt good enough tonight to tackle some laundry and straighten my daughter's room. We have too much junk. I also gave my husband's dog a bath. That's pretty easy because she loves water so you just have to spray her with soap and turn on the water hose or sprinkler. After a few minutes rinse her off and brush her out. She isn't liking the new puppy much but is tolerating him more everyday.

I am exhausted now so will be heading back to my bed. As I read back through this, it is a ramble of sorts but maybe you will forgive the fever talking!

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Still sick

2011-07-17T21:13:00.001-05:00

I am still sick. We went to the water park yesterday. I slept in the chairs. Today I slept until noon then took a four hour nap. I know my body needs the rest. I don't know what else to do. I am taking medicine. I am sleeping. I am drinking my liquids. Tomorrow I will start my antibiotics. I will not run until my fever has broken and my head is not pounding. I promise.

Until then my daughter has taken over the puppy. My husband is cooking diner. The boys are doing laundry. Hopefully we will all survive my being sick!

Set back

2011-07-16T06:54:00.001-05:00

I am sick today. Knew yesterday that I was getting something because I was freezing all day. Came home from work early and took a nap. Just felt achy, cold, then feverish. Couldn't sleep last night but knew I had 6 miles on the schedule. I was going to loop back around after 4 and pick up Sunshine but he hadn't sleep good last night either. He had no desire to get out of bed. Baby girl had wanted to go last night but she wasn't getting out of bed either.

After blowing my nose 5000 times I decided I better hold off on my 6 until tomorrow. We are supposed to go to the water park today. Don't know how that will all work out. I took some medicine so hopefully it will dry me out.

So instead of running I have been on the porch, drinking coffee with my running buddy in training. This was also my reward for my weight loss.

Hot Mama

2011-07-14T18:53:00.001-05:00

Come on now, not that kind of hot. This kind of hot...

It was hot today. Not the 100s we had at the first of the month but 25 degrees warmer then the run yesterday. I took my fuel belt hand held water bottle and it wasn't enough. Just on three miles I got really hot and thirsty. I was on the roads the whole time so that makes it a little worse. Not feeling as good as yesterday but got the miles in.

I had two dog problems today. One dog was just on a long chain in his front yard. Of course I couldn't tell that when he was lunging at me and barking. The 2nd was a little bitty dog which in my experience are often worse. He caused me to take a little detour through the softball field. I am sure it would all be comical to watch on you tube.

Two other things I thought about on my run. One, would it be wrong for me to take apricots from a tree that is so full it's branches are weighed down? Meanwhile, apricots are rotting in the street underneath it. Second thing: if you are watering your yard with a water hose, would it be okay for me to ask you to fill up my water bottle? (what if the hose is just laying in the yard running with no one around?) You should be proud that I didn't do either but if I did...

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2011-07-13T18:49:00.001-05:00

Hello from marathon training headquarters. Every run so far begins and ends in my front yard. Today's background is noticeable different due to the rain clouds. A terrible storm was showing on the horizon so I had to hustle to get this workout in. My digital calendar showed 3 miles but my training poster showed 4. Actually none of that is true because that was all from yesterday. Today actually showed Rest. But due to a super long board meeting last night, I wasn't able to run yesterday's distance. So anyway, I went with 4 plus 4 hill repeats.

Like always, I was hating the first mile. My phone gps wasn't agreeing with what I knew to be a measured course. That was frustrating. But I stuck with the measured distance. I made 3.5 then did my hill repeats and then headed home. I was able to snap a quick photo and then sit on the front porch to type this.

Wednesday nights don't usually include time for a run but "Sunshine" was sick so we stayed home from church.

I will include another view of the sky just because we are in such terrible drought conditions that rain on the horizon is a wonderful sight.

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Day 1-skirt

2011-07-11T18:54:00.001-05:00

Day 1 of marathon training

2011-07-11T16:30:00.001-05:00

Today was day one of marathon training. I also happened to have the day off. I love sleep, love it. But I didn't want to sleep too late and miss the coolness of the morning, cool meaning under 90 degrees. I found this great running skirt at a sidewalk sale on Saturday and couldn't wait to try it out. I was going to stay on the park trail today so I threw on my running shoes, grabbed one of my handheld water bottles and took off. I know the course well so I ran with out my watch or garmin, also no music. It was windy but not too bad. I ran 1/2 mile then walked while counting to 60, then another half mile. I did an out and back course. Had a little bathroom issue the last 1/2 mile but made it back to the house without incident.

Overall, the run was okay. I had a lot of processed carbs in my system from a weekend of free eating. I have to say, carbs really make me feel bad. My joints ache from them, my stomach hates them, etc... I have to find someway to remember this before I eat them. Knee still a little tender. Hope I can make 18 weeks this time.
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Smoke on the Water Group

2011-07-07T15:09:00.001-05:00

Race updates #2

2011-07-07T14:14:00.004-05:00

We also ran a 5K on Monday called Smoke on the Water. Most everyone was boycotting fireworks this year because of our drought but we managed to talk over 15 of our group into doing this 5K on July 4th. My youngest sister and her office staff were running or walking so the family joined up to go also. It didn't start as early as the Alien so it got a little hot. It was not without drama either. My two sons decided to run with me and my daughter was going to take pictures. We got there plenty early to get our packets, meet up with my aunt who was going to watch K, and check out the course. Things didn't work that way though. Train forgot his shoes so we scrambled around to find a replacement. Sunshine got sick so we had to rush him to a bathroom, only one port a pot at the start. I had a little bit of trouble with my knee so I had decided to wear my knee brace. About one mile in, my calf really started cramping from the brace. Luckily, I saw my brother in law who was driving to watch my sister, so I started to take my brace off to throw to the side. After all those kinks got worked out, the race was on.

This area doesn't put on many (i.e. any) races so I was nervous. Things of concern: 10 blocks of old brick roads, two main intersections that were not patrolled, one water station that was too far from the course with just one man handling it, one port a pot, a narrow sidewalk, and only 100 race shirts. Things that were great: 20 miles from my house, all of my family that was there, flat course, and my mom served French toast after!

Sunshine won his age group, 12 and under. My neice won her age group, 12 and under. My cousin got 2nd in his. I placed in the top 10 in my age group and so did Train. My aunt was there to get great pictures of us all!

Race updates

2011-07-07T14:07:00.003-05:00

The Alien Chase 10K was great. It started early so we beat the heat for the most part. It was the 2nd biggest race this club has ever put on so some things could have been tweaked but I thought it was great. Most of the course was in the shade and the course was fairly level. We ran through an empty drainage ditch so getting in and out of it was the only up/down hill. Some people who had done the race before knew it would echo and started yelling when we went under the roads so that was neat also. JoJo paced me insanely for the first mile but once I slowed down to my pace I did fine. I battled back and forth with one lady until I left her behind. My DH was waiting to help me through the last 1/2 mile so that was nice. My oldest son and my niece had gone to take pictures and support us so that was great. My aunt and uncle ran their first 5K and did well also. We ended up winning two door prizes and had a great breakfast after. It's so nice just being able to do a race all together.

Smoke on the Water 5K

2011-07-04T06:56:00.003-05:00

This morning we are heading out for a 5K. Not expecting much because my knee is really sore from the 10K on Saturday. Probably shouldn't be running today but we will see how it goes. I pulled out my Don Joy that I am supposed to be running in anyway and slapped it on. Only problem is my leg has shrunk with my weight loss. You are supposed to be able to wear them still if you have a 10 pound gain or a 10 pound loss, not sure my weight loss falls into that category. But I also don't have an extra $500 to get another one remade.

Anyway, back to the race. My sister, Banana, called me last week and asked if I wanted to do this race. All the people at her office were doing the walk and thought I might like to join up. They were sending in their registration that day and would take mine also. What, a race only 20 miles away, yes, of course I am in! Sign me up! Then word spread through the family and 10 more signed up then 20. Late nights through the weekend have caused some to pull out as did other family emergencies. Who knows who will show up this morning but I know my kids and I are going.

My oldest has a fast goal in mind. My middle child won't commit to his goal. My youngest is convinced she could win the race but we have talked her into pictures on the sidelines because there isn't anyone to run with her. Some cousins are walking, some are run/walking, and some are running. No one is racing, at least not admittedly. A little friendly competition never hurts much.

After the race all the family, I haven't heard the count for this year's reunion but I would guess at least 40 of them, will head back to my aunt's to have my mom's french toast. There is a great debate over cinnamon and sugar or syrup. We think one slice is anywhere from 300-700 calories so at least some of us will have a jump start on the calorie burn by having 3 miles under our belts this morning!

Have a great 4th. God bless America.

10k

2011-07-02T05:44:00.001-05:00

Today is my first 10k. I have run on some marathon relays where my leg equaled that of a 10k but I have never raced this distance. I am only slightly nervous mainly because of the unknown. The course is unfamiliar. The town is unfamiliar. The racing distance is unfamiliar.

My sister and I were going to run it together. Just something we decided to throw into a family reunion weekend. It's an hour and a half away so not really close but the best we could do. My aunt and uncle joined up with us and we recruited my husband for a little driver/race support. I will be my aunt's first race ever. She is doing the 5k. My oldest son and niece also joined in the road trip.

4:00 came awfully early this morning. I managed to stay in bed for a while but no sleep would come. Now I have my first cup of coffee nearly finished and my blog nearly written.

It's been 80 pounds since I last "raced" at this distance. I can't wait to celebrate both "victories". I got my reward yesterday. It wasn't what I had planned. I swapped my 80 pound and my 100 pound rewards on the reward list. I will let you know what it is in a day or two.

Alien Chase 10K, here we come.

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Night times

2011-06-28T22:30:00.002-05:00

Today I had a workshop which meant I could squeeze an extra 30 minutes of sleep in this morning. Which also meant no morning run. Oh well, the baseball games tonight were early and the temperature was going to stay under 100 so I knew I could squeeze the run in. Since my daughter and I had spent two nights staying up watching Charlie's Angels reruns, I was tired.

After the game I knew if I sat down I wouldn't get up to run so got my running clothes on, put up a little laundry, got the kids settled, and headed out. It was a nice 82 degrees with no wind to speak of. Thank goodness because we have had fires all last night and today so I was afraid the smoke would be bad. Headed out on an easy 3/1 pace. Avoided hills the first mile and settled in for a nice little 3. I also wanted to try out a patriotic shirt I was thinking of wearing for Saturday's 10K. Under Armour that I really like but worried the symbol will be hot and the shirt will be short. It was okay.

I had been freezing my water bottle which would typically melt early but not tonight. I had this huge chunk of noisy ice to carry for 3 miles. I looked at every sprinkler I passed thinking I could get some more water to melt it but they were all fine sprays and would have soaked my handheld carrier. Oh well, at least the birds, skunks, dogs, and possums could hear me coming! Ka dunk, ka dunk, ka dunk!

All in all, the weather was great. The lungs felt great. Legs were okay. Clothes great. Blister fine. So I went ka dunk, ka dunk, ka dunk all the way home.

I love running again.

2011-06-25T10:00:00.003-05:00

This weekend is a baseball weekend which means my DH has spent a lot of time at the fields because we are hosting the tournament. This morning instead of a long run with me he had to go work on some lights. Since the field is right by the country club I thought I could sneak my long run in on the course before the golfers got out.

Yesterday in a state of stupidness, I ran at noon. It was barely under 100 with no breeze. To continue with the stupid theme, I decided to change my run/walk pattern. I held on for two miles. I was delirious the 3rd mile. I made it back to the house somehow, angry with myself, with my running, and with my stupidity.

Today it was 75 when I started and 84 when I finished. I could run under the shade of the trees at times. I had a bathroom. I had a place to refill my water. I went back to an easy 3/1 pattern. I loved running. Everything was good with the only exception being a blister from yesterday's heat that I forgot to bandage today. It's a bloody mess but I'll take it.

I love running, at least for today. And since I am taking it one day at a time, I'll take that too.

Blog worthy

2011-06-24T13:36:00.003-05:00

I hate birds of all kinds, ducks, birds, peacocks, etc. I am scared of them. My kids think it is so funny to go to the zoo to watch me run from the stupid birds. Ducks chase me if we go to the pond. You get the picture. There is no love in this relationship, simply hate. Last night my middle son played a baseball game and the field was next to the zoo. All night we could hear the birds calling to each other or secretly plotting how they were going to escape to come get me. My son kept saying they were calling my name. My sister kept telling me one was behind me. See how they taunt me about it.

Anyway, today on my run, I heard a bird, probably a hawk, calling out. I didn't think much of it except that it sounded like it was saying my name. I even turned around to see if someone was calling me. I didn't see it or anything else so I kept going. As soon as I turned around to start running again, the bird swooped down and tried to rip some hair right out of my head. Of course I screamed and then very stupidly reached down to pick up some black ash from the trail, HOT! I threw it at the bird, screamed a little to get the fear out of my system and the burning sensation out of my hand. I took off my sun glasses to look at the damage. Of course the hair on the top of my head was poofed out of my pony tail from where the bird tried to snatch it. As painful as it was, I am thankful it didn't go to the bathroom on me. Wish I would have had my phone to take a picture.

Stupid birds. See why I hate you.

I have been missed

2011-06-22T09:46:00.001-05:00

Just checking in. I was told I had been missed today so thought I better check in. Got a new toy, I mean tool at work so thought I would test it out.

Haven't blogged lately because of lots of negative feelings and didn't want them to come out on the blog. Surprise, I can keep my mouth shut sometimes.

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Can a wasted day be salvaged?

2011-06-09T11:12:00.001-05:00

A lot of my job involves attending training. In the past few years I have been to over 400 hours of training. The last year and a half, not much of the training has been new. Lots of repeated ideas, lots of the same material, same videos, same books, etc.

This week I had one day of great new training. It got me excited about the season of summer training. Today is the opposite. It is dull. It is boring. It is a waste of my time. I hate having my time wasted.

So the question is can a wasted day be salvaged. I can sit through 39 more power point slides. I can get a good lunch. I can enjoy the time with the teachers that are sitting through the training with me. Or I could leave the training. Will it get better after lunch? Should I be forced to sit through this? I have tons of work I could be doing at the office. I have tons of work I am taking with me next week on my trip. So there are multiple reasons I am angry about having my time wasted.

What happens in other professions? What do you do if your time is being wasted?

5k

2011-06-05T10:22:00.001-05:00

Two 5Ks within 6 days of each other is unheard of around these parts! But it with one in Houston and one back home, or at least in driving distance, I managed to get them done. I also improved my time by over 2 minutes.

Sunshine placed 5th in is age group. DH placed 6th and I placed 12th. In both of their races 30 seconds separated the first 5 places. DH said he wished it was like a tri where ages were written on runners calves so he would know who was worth passing. Jo told me to tell him everyone is worth passing!

After the early race, I got to take a long long nap. Then Baby girl had a softball game. Then Train had to get some driving hours in so we headed out for supper and a little shopping.

Great weekend so far.

Opportunity

2011-06-04T07:15:00.001-05:00

Racing two weekends in a row is not always smart but when a race pops up close to where we live, we have to take advantage of it. Close still means an hour away so we were up early this morning. "Sunshine", DH, and myself were the only ones running. "Train" was going to watch the youngest and was just going to come with us in case there were any cute girls to look at. However, when I went in his room at 5:00, his teenage mind had sleep on it not girls.

I was hoping this would be a family thing like it used to be. I mean we get up early and stay up late for the kids stuff all the time. I am a little hurt that the other two kids didn't want to come. But oh well.

Sunshine will try to run with DH and then can drop back with me if he needs to. We did an easy 2 last night and he was fine. Race is close to a golf course so should have nice rolling hills! Not looking for anything but a place to run this morning.

Summer

2011-06-03T18:36:00.001-05:00

I really should have been born rich. I love having some time off to spend with my kids at the pool. Thankfully the pool was open late today and two of the kids were able to go with me. The water was still very cold this early in the summer but the kids didn't mind. Thankfully they are old enough to keep each other or themselves entertained. I tanned and slept. Then I had a conversation with an adult outside of my work relationships. Truly a great afternoon.

Debating about a 5k tomorrow. Everyone wants to run but the youngest isn't quite ready for a real 3 miles. That means someone has to sit out of the race to stay with her. Lots of hills and she weighs too much to even think about the jogging stroller. So we will see how it plays out in the morning.

Storms came in last night and my middle son, "Sunshine" wanted to run with me in the rain. That's all well and good but it was raining sideways and the lightning was terrible. He opted for p90x and I waited 30 minutes. I got two miles in the rain but the lightning came back and was too close for comfort for anymore distance.

Thankful for the rain, the time with my family, and the ability to exercise. Enjoy the weekend!

Rain

2011-05-31T23:15:00.001-05:00

Lots of thunder and lightening with a chance of rain. I think it hasn't rained since October. We made it through the entire baseball game tonight counting the seconds between lightening and thunder. We kept our eye to the sky and the lightening radar. A few sprinkles came and the kids in the bleachers jumped down to try and catch them on their tongues. The whole scene reminded me of something my grandad would say. He always thought it was funny to say something about there being kids that had never seen rain since the day they were born. I always thought it was funny because taken literally it would mean it had rained every day a kid was born so that would be lots of rain. However, like tonight's storm, he meant it was so long since it had rained there are probably kids who have never seen rain.

My husband just got called out because lightening hit a power line. Hopefully we will actually see some moisture out of this and not just trouble. Either way, I pray everyone is safe and sound tonight in this weather.

Interview

2011-05-31T18:54:00.002-05:00

Got my call back for the 2nd round of interviews. Was going to have to juggle the times with some work commitments but thought I could make it work until the lady told me it was an all day interview. What? Yep, from 9 to 5 unless I could make it for breakfast and then they could start at 7:30. What in the world kind of interview is this? And for less then a teacher makes and for more hours? Are they serious? Well, I was supposed to get some more information about the interview over the weekend. Never heard anything. I was going to call and cancel the interview but hadn't gotten around to it. Today I got a call that some kind of unforeseen circumstances were causing them to cancel the interviews. Okay, no other explanation but that. They will get back to me. Weird, but okay. At least I wasn't the one backing out, not yet anyway.

Race for the pennant

2011-05-30T16:49:00.001-05:00

I have been running 5Ks and half marathons for about 10 years, a lot the first few years, fewer in the last few years. I don't think I have run a 5K in about 6 years. Most of the time I had to run in men's shorts because the women's cut was too small. Most of the time I ran in men's shirts for the same reason. Occasionally I would find something in the women's section that I could cram into. I never got to pick because I always had to buy what was available in my size. 10 years ago I got to pick out cute clothes to run in. Today I got to pick out something to run in. I got to choose. I didn't have to buy the only thing that was available. I got to shop around. I got to decide.

I am not expecting great things at the race today but great things are happening because of the effort I have put into life. I get to run today because I am making my body important again. I am not expecting great things today I am expecting them from now on.

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Posted By Blogger to My Diet Buddies at 5/30/2011 03:56:00 AM

Too old

2011-05-23T22:57:00.001-05:00

I am too old and too tired to be running at 11:00 at night. Hope I can get out of bed tomorrow. 4:30 am is much better and much cooler temp. But it is done. The run is recorded.

Job interview

2011-05-23T16:57:00.001-05:00

I had a job interview today. It was a great feeling knowing I have a job and am not needing a job. It was also great knowing I was worthy of an interview. Now it's just a matter of wait and see.

Dress

2011-05-22T08:53:00.001-05:00

My dress is a size 6. I know all sizes are different. But I never remember wearing a size 6. My grandma made most of my dresses. Even my prom dresses were hand me downs or used dresses that she would remake into something wonderful.

I do have a pair of pants from my bfl days that are a size 8. Wonder where those are? I know I saved them.

Anyway, it really isn't about a size. And it really isn't about a weight anymore. It's about my feelings-mental, physical, and emotional. I am not where I want to be with any of those but I am still working, making progress. That's the focus now-progress not perfection.

Perfect

2011-05-20T05:52:00.001-05:00

Perfect morning
Perfect weather
Perfect 3
Perfect feelings
Perfect legs
Perfect lungs

Another 3 down with no walking breaks. Runs this week have been limited because I have been so tired. However, this morning when my alarm was going off and my body or maybe my mind was saying how tired I was, I just decided to get up and run. The extra sleep I have be taking in the mornings instead of the run, opting for an evening run instead, have not been helping with my tiredness. So let's go back to exercising and see if that doesn't give me the energy I need. I can go back to getting in bed as soon as possible at night and it will all work out.

Yesterday I went back to adding some carbs into the diet in a test mode. Probably not a good idea for the first carb to be pie crust, not the filling, just the crust. My son wanted to eat out after his game and there was a self serv cobbler bar with a fresh cobbler. Perfect chance for the crust lover in me to get a piece of the top crust. It was good. Not grandma/mom cobbler good but pretty good after such a long hiatus. I stayed within my range this morning and that's what its all about right now. I had wanted to be down 80 at this point but 79 is pretty darn close. I will work on letting my body adjust to this new set point and start plugging away at the next 20 in June.

Hope you have perfect weather for a perfect run to start your day (notice I didn't say perfect day, too much pressure).

Still chasing

2011-05-19T11:19:00.002-05:00

Still chasing that elusive pound to get me to 80. A little indiscretion with my son's bday cake caused me to go up. I got back down to where I was and have been treading the rest of the week. I know I will get there eventually. I am also beginning to come to gripes with my weight at this stage and how I look. I am having to take a step back and appreciate the work I have done. I will keep at it. I will get that 80.

Random

2011-05-10T05:55:00.002-05:00

1 pound away from 80 pounds lost. I am feeling much better after last week. I know it's only Tuesday but let's all try to be optimistic.

Some good things are going on. 1. My husband bought me a dress for Mother's Day. I picked the size and I thought I would have to take it back to exchange it because it would be too small. Wrong! I needed a smaller size. I needed a, wait for it...wait for it...I am so sure I am going to tell you my size. Okay, you twisted my arm. I needed a 10. Now before you "say" anything let's remember that I started this journey in a 22 or 2X. Moving on. 2. I ran my entire run this morning without stopping. Not one single time. Not even tricking myself to say I needed to blow my nose or I needed to tie my shoe. I RAN THE ENTIRE 3 MILES. I think that's really great considering I only really got one good run in last week due to my stay in the local resort, other's call a hospital. 3. My son is doing okay after his fight. Some of the kids are still being jerks and the other boy's girlfriends' mom was "mad dogging" him last night at a school event but other then that he is pretty good. His eye is still really black and blue. His ear is much better and the cuts are healing up pretty good. 4. Texas qualified for some additional stimulus money for education so the budget at work is looking better. Board meeting tonight that should determine my future with the district. I am hoping for a raise but may have to settle for shortened contract. 5. Got some new running clothes for Mother's Day also. Had to go down a size in them also. Actually made myself try them on before leaving the store. Really excited about that. I have mentioned before about having to buy men's running clothes. The fit was okay and didn't bother me but there were never any colors or cuteness to them. Now I am just glad to at least be able to buy in color!

Some other things I would like to happen: 1. My spare house really needs to sell. Finances are tight but I am just tired of being cramped both literally and physically in a house that doesn't fit us. 2. Work needs to settle down. I am still really having lots of stress from work. I know I need to figure out how to deal with the stress because I can't change the stresses. 3. I have to convince my DH to get the AC going at the house. We don't have central AC so each room gets a window unit. They have to be put in soon or sleeping is about to become unbearable.

So a few minor things going on and a few major things but much less stressful then last week. Crazy time of the year as school winds down. Just have to make sure I keep up with the pace.

Nothing but

2011-05-07T06:41:00.001-05:00

Well I did a little something Monday and then drug myself thru a mile on the treadmill Tuesday, an easy mile on Wednesday, rode my bike with my daughter on Thursday, and walked yesterday. So it made perfect sense, NOT, for me to jump up this morning and put in my long run of 5 miles. It was ugly. It was slow. I went to 2/1 intervals. I burned 800 calories according to all my monitors. I think that's more then I have eaten all week!

Of course I am being over dramatic about it but it probably wasn't the smartest thing I have done. However, I have comfort in the fact that it wasn't the dumbest either!

Update on "Rocky": he made it thru the day at school with minor teasing which he expected. He says he didn't have anymore trouble with one of the boys but the other one still wants to fight. I told him the police would become involved if this continued. He says he is fine. He is worried about it and dissappointed in himself but he still says he had to protect himself. His face will heal. I just hope he finds out who his real friends are when this is all said and done. I hope he isn't dissappointed by that discovery.

My weekend is free now that my run is done so I am taking him to see his girlfriend(long distance relationship) and then going to spend some girl time with my daughter for mother's day. Enjoy your weekend.

Tears

2011-05-05T22:49:00.001-05:00

A mother should never have to do certain things. Tonight I had to clean my son's face after another boy beat him. I am sure the other boy's mother had to do the same.

I got a call from my husband telling me that our oldest had been in a fight in self defense. He told me he had a busted lip and a black eye. And that we needed to talk before deciding what to do about it. Apparently some boys had been mouthing off to my son and words quickly became action. I guess they fought until they got it out of their system and then got up and shook hands. I don't understand it.
I have worried all night about what would happen. Some boys videoed the fight on their phones so I worried that it would make its way to the internet. Should I go talk to the other boy's parents? Should I go to the police? Should we punish our son?

I was angry at the choices he made but he asked me, "Didn't I want him to defend himself?" He asked me if I just wanted him to stand there and get beaten. He asked me if I knew it would be worse if he hadn't fought back?

So I cleaned his face. I put ointment on his cuts. I looked at the knots and the bruises. I gave him ice. I cried. And I did nothing.

Surviving

2011-05-03T18:22:00.002-05:00

My days are confused but I think I can get this straight. Yesterday morning I woke up feeling sick, thinking it was from some smart balance mayo that had gone bad and the chili I added to my hot dog. I was thinking the diet was punishing me for stepping outside of the boundaries! Ha! So I got up to see what I could take and what part of my workout I could get done. I found some pepto and got on the treadmill. There was no way 2.5 miles was going to take place. I got my MED in and then went and crawled back in bed. Remember I run at 4:30 so this hadn't interrupted much of my morning yet. I woke DH up to tell him he was on his own getting the kids ready for school. I had a noon meeting and thought I might make it to work by then. At 8:15, I got a call from the school saying my daughter was sick so I got up and got dressed. DH came home to help with her. At 2:30, we got a call that our son was sick. Turns our both the kids were fine. May have had a slight touch of the same bug but didn't hit them as hard. Both were never sick again after getting home. As a matter of fact, my son played his baseball game last night. Just glad they didn't get as sick from it. Hard to have sick kids when mom is so sick.

Today's lunch at the hospital wasn't much better then breakfast. For those of you that don't know, I am not a food mixer. I want most things separate. I can handle certain things mixed like enchiladas, or lasagna but for the most part I want it separate. So anyway, the nurse comes in and says if I can keep my lunch down they will let me go home. Guess what it was, turkey pot pie. Now this gags me under normal circumstances but with a weak stomach, please. Luckily my DH likes, maybe even loves, this type of food. So he ate it for me. How do they expect you to keep something down that looks like what you have been throwing up for the last day?

Another nurse came in and saw how close my iv bag was to being finished so she slowed it down so they wouldn't start another one. Finally, the main nurse came in and said if I could tolerate my headache at home, they would let me go. They gave me one more dose of the stomach medicine, took my iv out, and sent me home.

I was dumb enough to get on the scale when I got home and that iv cost me 5 pounds. Nothing to eat for two days and I gain 5 pounds. Ugh.

I had a window of strength this evening and everyone that might stop me was out of the house so I got on the treadmill and walked my mile. It was slow. It took me forever but wouldn't you have rather me streaked tonight on my treadmill then this morning in my hospital gown?

Breakfast

2011-05-03T09:55:00.001-05:00

Seriously, my breakfast was a popsicle, a cup of jello, coffee with real sugar, and some kind of broth. At the time it was repulsive so I went to sleep. Now it is gone and I would love to have it back.

All bets are off

2011-05-03T03:58:00.002-05:00

Today's weigh in should have been a great one. Not because of precise calorie counting or a last chance biggest loser type workout but because I had been throwing up the last 24 hours. I had become so weak and was throwing up so often I spent most of yesterday on the bathroom floor trying to save my strength for the next round. I missed my son's ballgame.

Finally I decided I was close enough to death to at least go to the er. I had been through all the phenagren I had and was getting no relief. Once my husband got home, I thought I wasn't too bad and might wait it out but when he had to lift me out of the bathtub he told me we were going regardless of how "good" I said I was feeling.

The er staff ran some tests and stabbed around trying to find a vein to start an iv. After an hour of trying to sleep on the exam table, they admitted me. Seems my white blood cell count is alarmingly high. DH got me settled and went home to stay with the kids just in case any of them started getting the stuff. A nurse was supposed to be in around 12:30 to talk to me about the course of treatment and what they thought was wrong. I haven't seen that nurse yet. Sure the CNA has been in to check my vitals every hour and someone came when I called to tell them my iv bag was empty.

I am on my third bag of iv fluid and this is why I say the weigh in will be bogus. The hospital band that was loose 3 hours ago is digging into my arm. Ha,ha the nurse said.

Well I am an above the arm sleeper. I never dreamed they would keep me over night and my iv is in my hand that I like to but above my head and under my pillow. Sleep is not coming. Also, there are strange noises that keep waking me up. Unfamiliar sounds that startle me awake. I have nearly jumped out of bed twice from them.

Not sure how my weight/diet and my running will suffer as a result of this "stomach bug". I really hope no one else in my family gets it. I hope one night of iv fluids is all I need from the hospital. I hope you and your family have managed to avoid this illness. Being sick to your stomach is the pits but as my Grandma would always say, "Could be worse". Oh I forgot to mention the nurse or whatever she was couldn't read the scale so she announced my weight outloud to everyone in hearing range as 10 pounds heavier then what it was. I knew I was sick then cause I didn't even have the energy to punch her.

5 miles

2011-04-30T06:05:00.001-05:00

I think I found my way this morning along my 5 mile run. It felt good. My body did well. My legs carried me all the way. My heart and mind spoke to me. I am figuring it out. The one thing I do know both literally and figuratively, it's a long road alone. So thanks for being along for the journey.

Lost but not the kind i want

2011-04-29T06:15:00.001-05:00

I have lost my way. I am still running and I am still working on my plan but I have lost the desire. I have lost the motivation. I can barely remember the reason I started.

There comes a point in your weight loss journey where the place you are at becomes good enough. The stuggle becomes harder then the battle. I am at this point.

So many people have started to notice my weight loss and in turn noticed me. I don't feel comfortable with that. They start to say things mostly out of jealousy but its a real drag to hear their garbage. I know I shouldn't allow their feelings to project but I can't help myself sometimes.

Here is the real problem. I am at my lowest weight yet still feel like a failure at it. I bought some new pants last night going from a size 22 to 12, not happy about that. Lost 13 pounds in the last 6 weeks, not enough. Lost 8 inches in the last month, nope not happy about that either. See the problem. These should all be very good things but they aren't enough. And here is the reason(s), I still hate my job or really some of the people there, I am still paying a mortgage on a house that I don't live in, I am still wishing my childhood was different, and it just goes on and on. I know my sister would tell me stop whining and start living and that's what I have been trying to do since October. I just don't think I am doing it right.

I am still walking on the path but I just don't know where the path is going.

Weekend

2011-04-24T22:20:00.001-05:00

Wow, the weekend went by fast even with the extra day off. Friday we had baseball games and a family meal out. Saturday a round of golf and a cookout for my daughter's birthday. Today we had church, family lunch, and egg hunt.

I got a run in on Friday and today. Didn't get the 5 in that was on the schedule but I will pick that up tomorrow. running is going great. Aches and pains are minor as long as I avoid carbs. If I have many carbs I really feel inflammation in my joints. I am seeing a chiropractor 3 times a week to help with some non running related shoulder, neck, jaw issues.

Food/diet from now on will be called WOE(way of eating). We used this term with the crackin diet but I like it because I don't want to feel so limited by the term diet and the restriction it implies. I still have 20 pounds to lose but my mileage is calling for a different WOE so I will be making some adjustments over the next few weeks.

I was proud of the size of my dress today and think it could have been a size smaller. My DH looked nice in his new shirt also. Hope the pictures turn out. The kids of course always look great.

Hate to think about going back to work tomorrow but I am thankful to have a job. The economic crisis is really hurting education and I am glad we haven't seen drastic cuts in our district yet. Big testing week for Texas students so that means stressful days for teachers and kids. Lots of reasons to pray this week.

And somehow in all this I need to find my motivation again, my drive, my desire to be as healthy as possible. I need to find a way to prevent stumbling blocks from becoming mountains. The body is coming along and I just need to let the mind catch up.

Beautiful

2011-04-19T08:20:00.002-05:00

This morning was a beautiful morning. The air was warm, the breeze was gentle, and the town was quiet. I didn't want to run. I got up, did my 1/2 mile warm up and came back to the house to see if DH was up and ready to go. He wasn't and I considered getting back in bed. I also considered the treadmill. But it was so nice outside, I didn't want to waste the opportunity to be in a calming atmosphere. It was perfect for shorts and a sweatshirt. I did get a little warm at the end but forced sweating is good for a non-sweater. I went without a phone, garmin, music, or watch. I went on a measured route so I wouldn't have to think about the time or the distance but could just think about the movement of the run. I paid attention to my breathing and my legs, to my back and my neck, to the tightness in my shoulder, and to the way I was holding my hands. I could hear my body because everything else was quiet.

Sometimes in the quiet of a run, you begin to hear things that you wouldn't have otherwise. I heard a hymn being sung. At first I thought maybe I was singing it or maybe it was being sung in my head but it was a real song. I glanced up in time to see the bicycle lady from a few days ago. She hadn't seen me so she was happily singing out loud. When she saw me, she stopped singing and I felt bad that I had interrupted her quiet morning. We both went on our way without speaking but in that non-existent conversation we spoke of the joy we both felt about being outside on a beautiful "quiet" morning. I was glad I ran this morning. I was proud that I hadn't gone back to bed. I am joyful that I was able to hear the silence of the day. I hope that peace stays with me and I hope you can find something beautiful about the day also.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder

2011-04-16T09:05:00.002-05:00

Yes, I have been absent for a few days. No big surprise to most of you but I had to take a mental break. Lots of stuff going on at work, home, church, and life. The good news is that I didn't eat my way(weigh) through it. I cried a little, I talked alot, and I took a day off to spend with my husband. I have gotten all my runs in and have lost and gained the same pound all week. That pretty much sums up the week. It's over with so let's move on. Two of my kids went with my mom and step dad for the weekend to go to the lake and go camping. They love the lake and jump at the chance to go camping. I think they have fished, ridden bikes, hiked, and played cards. Sounds like they are having a great time. The oldest got left because of baseball. Today we are trying to let him have a little fun also so after his baseball game we are going to meet his girlfriend and they are going to a cook out. We got a hotel room for the evening since she lives an hour away. It will be a nice little get away for us all. Church tomorrow with friends and the girlfriend and then a nice lunch before heading home. This morning I talked my DH into going on my long run with me. We are on the same running schedule but rarely get to go together. We had 2.5 to get in last night so we tried running together. He usually runs solid while I am still doing 3/1 but he agreed to do the 3/1 with me. We stayed together for a little while but I am too slow for him so he went off during the 3 and walked back to me during the 1. It worked okay. This morning we had 4 miles to get in so I decided I could do 4/1 and if he would do 3/1 I might be able to stay closer to him and he wouldn't have to walk back. Not sure that it worked any better but I was always able to catch back up to him and then we would start again. He added some obstacles into the last mile so I actually finished ahead of him. It was nice to have someone with me even if we weren't side by side. Lots more traffic this morning and the police even spotlighted us. Maybe DH shouldn't run in all black with a black hoodie! I was in shorts even though it was only 39 degrees. We finished a little before 6:00 so I actually got to go back to bed for an hour while DH did his P90X. Now we are getting ready for baseball. Since the other two kids are gone we won't have to try to squeeze in two basketball games also. It's shaping up to to be a great day and hopefully a great weekend. Hopefully it will go far in making me forget about the stressful week. After all, it's over and life goes on.

Chilly

2011-04-12T05:57:00.001-05:00

Wow, it was a little cooler then I expected this morning. Strange how 42 can feel so different at times. Probably could have toughed it out but after half mile I came back and got on the treadmill. I figured it was just as easy to do that if not easier then trying to find some tights in the dark so my DH didn't wake up. See I can be thoughtful and nice. Glad I got that out of the way before work. JK, well kind of.

Aside from the chilly air, my legs weren't in the run either. Tired, heavy, and knees were too loose. Still need to build some more quad muscles and although I hate to admit it, I need more carbs. 6.5 months of near zero carbs has left me pretty well depleted. Problem is I have 6.5 months left of fat to get rid of. My diet is still serving me well for weight loss but it won't serve me much longer for running and definitely not for training. We'll see.

Glad to have my run in for this morning. 3 miles further done the road then I was when I got up this morning. And day 102 on MED 2011 is complete.

Numbers

2011-04-09T06:49:00.002-05:00

Lots of numbers in my life right now so let's review: 4:15-get up and run to tanning place 4:30-be in tanning bed 4:50-back on the road running 4-number of miles for the day 3:1-run/walk ratio for the day 9:00 basketball 12:00 Baseball 2:30 Baseball 7:00 Basketball 18-miles to basketball game 75-miles from basketball to baseball 15-oldest son who wants to go on a date tonight 17-age of girl he wants to date 2-number of heartattacks I have had thinking about my freshman dating a junior $350,000-amount of money my school stands to lose in federal/state budget crisis 12-Number of pounds I need to lose to reach acceptable goal(not ultimate) 30-Number of times I have tried to get registered for San Antonio RNR marathon only to have website freeze 3-number of emails I have sent them about this 4-number of times I have tried to wake everyone up this morning to get going 6-number of times my husband's alarm has gone off while I have been sitting at the computer 2-number of dogs that barked at me and scared the living day lights out of me on my run this morning 0-number of cars I saw on the road this morning 2-bunnies 1-cat 1-sonic bag that I thought was a cat that was waiting to attack me, I whistled at it, clapped at it and almost turned around when it didn't move when finally my eyes adjusted enough to see what it was 184 miles I drove yesterday to watch trackmeet prelims, to meet family, back to trackmeet for finals, and then back home Lots of numbers and lots of things going on. Better get to the number 2-2nd cup of coffee to keep me going at the pace above since those are just the numbers for about 24 hours of my life! Enjoy your Saturday! Don't forget to drink your water.

3 pounds

2011-04-09T06:42:00.002-05:00

Maybe if I would have been concerned about 3 pounds here and there I wouldn't have gotten to the point where I needed to lose 70 pounds. Now a days(diet mode) I get on the scale 2-3 times a day. Other times (non-diet) I never even look at the scale. It gets dusty. Neither way seems very healthy but if I had taken note of when I was up a pound or two and done something about it right then, I would have to go to the extremes that I have been going to now. One time my mom and I were talking about a really small lady who was on a diet. I said that I couldn't believe anyone that tiny would be going on and on about a diet in front of people who were much larger then she was. My mom said she thought no matter what size you were and that lady was a 0, if your clothes got tight, you should do something about it right then. And that something is not buying the bigger size. For that lady a 0 was probably a healthy weight because of her height, for me a 0 might be anorexic. But either way, if we pay attention to the weight on the scale, whether it's 3 pounds or 70 pounds we are all doing something good for our bodies. Some of us just take longer to wake up and get busy!

70

2011-04-07T09:09:00.002-05:00

70 pounds gone. Reward tomorrow. I want this weight loss to be permanent so I have been rewarding myself with permanent things also. I am still processing the 70 pounds gone. I am still outside of the wall that I need to break through but today I can see the cracks I have made in the wall. It is crumbling ounce by ounce.

Thanks for being there when I was hungry, emotional, cranky, happy, desperate, lost, running, walking, crying, singing, and shouting. Thanks for being there when I needed you. I could have done it without your support but it sure has been helpful to have along the way.