easter weekend

friday: so i'm on my way to dinner, in the middle of rush hour traffic when all of a sudden cop cars rush in on all sides. i see big K9s jump out of the truck and i heard "put your hands up!" guns are drawn and i swear to bob they are pointed at me. my hands jump off the steering wheel . and i shit my pants. they are nearing MY car. all i could think was "holy shit, i'm gonna die on good friday!"

then i notice the coppers going for the car in front of me. and the car behind me. how in the HELL did i get stuck in the middle?! i still can't breath a sigh of relief because i have no idea what the HELL they are after there hoodlums for. i slink down as much as possible and pray for my life. i'm serious. all i could think of was, "why was i so rude to my parents before i left home? now i'm gonna die and the last thing i said to my mother was " you ate all the food?!"

so the cops do their thing, and slowly get all the perps out of the cars and into custody. i can see everyone else in their cars whipping out their cameras. i guess i was the only one worried about a shoot out.

thankfully, saturday and sunday were much more calm and filled with my favorite things: family and food!
that's some serious food right there. i haven't had ceviche or oysters in probably a year! and ditto for flan. oh sweet, sweet flan.

i managed to get to the gym on saturday night, after my first gluttonous feast. i was burping up lechon the entire time. i managed a 2mile treadmill run in 21:12. for me, peeps, that's fast! the half mile breakdowns:

5:30, 5:25, 5:17, 4:59! WOOT!

and even though my stomach was feeling bloaty, i headed to the pool for the same 900m workout i did on monday.

granted those two workouts combined weren't enough to burn off half the calories i consumed just LOOKING at all the food i ate this weekend, but i'd like to think it makes me less of a glutton!

ah, spring!

yesterday, i felt like a pile o' poo. i barely had the energy after work to pour myself a bowl of cereal for dinner. but today? whoa baby. i had energy to spare! i have no idea where it came from, but i was happy for the change in mood.

so while the endorphins where high, i laced up some old trail shoes and headed for the hills. we've got plenty 'round here. and even though some places were pretty steep both up and down, my hour long hike/walk was the perfect low key workout to welcome spring!

i made it back to civilization before the sun finally set and capped off my evening with a frosty cold beer and some blackened red snapper. not bad for a thursday. not bad at all.

powered by burritos

at 12:30, i ate a burrito.

i thought, 6 hours is enough time to process a burrito, right?

just barely. i popped 2 tums before i left the house and i think that's the only thing that saved me.

later, after i got home, showered and had a glass of milk, i finally burped it up. ick.

somehow though i managed 2 miles in 21.53. or i should say, my running partner and i. we both agreed that running without each other pretty much sucks. not that we were particularly chatty today. we must have uttered like 20 words during the run. during the warmup and cooldown, though, she was able to ask me about doing a logo for her husband who's looking to start his own clothing line.

and surprise, axel f is a great running song.

more love/hate

i got my hair cut after work and the first thing my stylist said when i sat in the chair was, "your hair is dry" EGAD! WHAT!? no one has ever said that about my hair! my hair is hardy and healthy! stupid, stupid pool! stupid, stupid, chlorine! first my skin, now my hair. ugh.

so she conditioned, deep conditioned, nipped off the ends, and applied a miracle product which made my hair softer than it's ever been! i was a walking pantene commercial.

until i pulled on my swim cap and dove into the pool. my hair was perfect for all of 20 minutes.

but a girl's gotta do, what a girl's gotta do. and i had 900m of swimming to do. here's how it went down:

warmup:
1 x 25, 1 x 50, 1 x 75
main set:
3 x 25: fingertip drill
3 x 25: lead left
3 x 25: lead right
3 x 25: freestyle kick
3 x 25: pull
3 x 25: butterfly kick
easy swim:
3 x 50
cool down:
2 x 50, 1 x 50

i didn't have my watch so i couldn't time it, but it felt easy. i had plenty of gas by the end of the workout. woot!

swimming after work is so relaxing and refreshing. BUT. there are some weird characters at the pool. i've mentioned some before. but tonight, there were 2 lovebirds splashing in the deep end of one of the lanes. dude had on so much cologne i could smell it over the chlorine. i was just praying that there was no way i would get any stds by sharing the same pool water. ick.

so let's get that image out of our heads with a pic of the monchichi from this weekend:

yes, his shirt says, "ladies man". on saturday, we went for a walk, had lunch, spent the afternoon at chuck e. cheese, then napped for like, forever! on sunday, i took him to his first movie. and he LOVED it. at least the popcorn part. we went shopping and walked away with a little duckie that danced the chicken dance. then we went to the park before yet another long nap.

this weekend was the best birth control ever. i love the kid more than anything, but man, i could barely keep up!

p.s. my mom's watching the bachelor, which i NEVER watch bc i think it's just so embarrassing, but one of the girls, i went to high school with!!! she's the bush aide. seriously, is that the first thing you want to tell someone? to impress them? she's exactly as i remembered her from high school. except that she didn't try to sing to him. she was ALWAYS singing in h.s. i just googled her and it turned out she's been in d.c. and studied for the bar while on the show. craziness. who knew d.c. law firms were keen on their associates appearing on reality shows. oh and she's a marathoner.

catching up

losing an hour has totally screwed with my body clock. normally, i wake up around 530 every morning. this week i've been getting up closer to 730! that's 2 hours behind, yo! while i enjoy it being light out after work, it sucks that i have to sacrifice daylight in the morning. i'm hoping my body finds equilibrium over the weekend. though it's doubtful. i'm babysitting the monchichi til sunday, while my brother and sis in law enjoy her birthday weekend in reno. at least the little kid and i have the same bedtime!

my swim lesson on wednesday was ho-hum. it hasn't turned into a class yet, though that's what they're aiming for. judy decided to torture me with lots of kicking drills. everything from my hips down was burning by the end of the lesson. she kept saying, it's good for you. bah!

this morning, the group ran 2.25 miles. it's still taking me at least 15 minutes to not hate running, but i'm not feeling as stiff as i was before. it's amazing how for 25 minutes i'm cursing the fact that i'm running, but the second i'm done it's like "oh my god! that was so awesome! i feel so refreshed! i could do that all day!" HA! and i still think it's magic that the group makes me run faster. it's definitely an effort. but hopefully one that will pay off in the end.

arms and legs

my delinquent ass got to the track to join the group today. and boy am i glad i did! not only did they miss me (yeah!), but they made me run faster than i normally do. how do they do that?! we ran 1.75 miles in 18:56 which is a shade faster than 11 minute miles. and here i've been barely slogging along at 12+ minute miles by myself. go team!

i carried my runner's high to the pool where i swam for 55 minutes. at the end of one lap, as i caught my breath a dude approached me and said, "you've been swimming forever!" oh dude, you just made my day. i'm digging my stroke lately. it feels natural and fluid and my laps are getting easier and easier. i wish there was a fool proof way to count my laps. my watch manual says it's only water resistant if you press the buttons out of the water, so i really would have to stop at every lap or 2 to press the lap button. plus honestly, i am so into swimming i don't even remember to count. i've seen a little clicker that you wear on your finger to count laps. how do you keep track of laps?

my lessons on wednesday are turning into a group class. and i'm cool with that. hopefully there are people better than me. i find it makes me swim better. it makes me want to do better. we shall see tomorrow. if i can even move my arms tomorrow...

weekend recap: my head is back in the game

this weekend was a clusterfuck of the mind. for most of saturday, i stewed. that evening, i met up with my littlest brother and cousin for second saturday in midtown sacramento when all the galleries open up to the public for free. while i wasn't necessarily inspired by the work (it was sacramento, after all), i did enjoy the fresh air and the company. we then had some "bomb-ass" thai food, as my brother would say. it's the best thai i've had since moving back to california. plus i always love eating with the littlest bro. since he's a chef, we get to talk all geeky foodie like, talking about texture, aroma, spices, cooking science, presentation, freshness, etc. he appreciates food in all the ways i do! my middle brother? he is so picky i sometimes dread eating with him.

so i spent the night in sac and got to wake up and play with the nephew. we played and played and played until about noon when i had to go. i shopped for a good number of hours, picking up some new bras (which are FANTASTIC! the t-back is so comfortable and the girls have never been so happy!), some things for my friend's new baby, and some new shoes. when i got home, i took the 'rents to see the bank job. it was decent enough. jason statham is worth paying full movie price to see on the big screen. and i love british accents. it wasn't as fun as i thought i was going to be. in fact, it turned much more serious in the end.

i haven't yet seen the other boleyn girl. i figured my dad wouldn't care for it, which is why i chose the bank job instead. and i won't get to see it this weekend since i'm babysitting. but i'm sure in due time i'll get to see my dear, sweet bana on the big screen. and i'll do my best to block out the other two. bleh.

anyway, we got home from the movie, and i think i let myself be tortured for an hour over the $80,000 question of grad school. essentially, i'm limited to 2 schools in the s.f. area; i do not want to move again to go to school, just to move back. both schools are private, hence the steep cost. funding is limited to loans because there just really aren't any fellowships or grants for graphic design. so then my mind spiraled to me never being able to buy a house because of my huge student loan debt, me working 5 jobs just to live, me being a crazy, unhappy, overweight spinster living with my parents until the day i die......my mind does that. takes one worry then extrapolates it to the nth degree until i am literally petrified.

it also works when i'm excited too though. once i was done thinking that, i thought
of all the great people i'd meet, the great work i'd get to put in my portfolio, the research i'd get to do, the dream job that could be mine, the satisfaction in using my talents for something useful and inspiring. then i felt better.

so somewhere between those two scenarios will lie what actually happens. i figure i'll take it a month at a time. get my apps and portfolios done and get accepted. then worry about money. a lot of opportunities could come my way in the next 2-3 years that could improve my situation, and i'm banking on things getting better. grad school will really only make me a better designer.

so i'm done blathering on about that, for now. tonight, i swim. and i have a feeling it will feel oh, so good.

my mind is elsewhere

thursday, i managed a 2.5 mile run in the am. but that's all. after work, i skeedaddled to s.f. for a "thing" and by the time i got home i was ravenous and tired. so the next morning, i chose sleep over working out. friday was the most stressful day at work in my 3 months there and all i could do to cope was think of beer. all pretty lame excuses but whatever.

running and swimming have taken a far back seat to things lately. all i can think about is grad school. how i'm going to pay for it. how i'm gonna even manage school and work. getting excited about it, then getting worried again. i think i need to just shut the fuck up, do the applications and the questions will answer themselves. but i can't help but feel the need to plan and strategize the coming months over and over again in my head until it makes sense.

many people say they work things out in their heads while they run. many say exercise helps them cope. lately, it's become just one more chore that doesn't get done because i'm focused and fretting over something else.

but i did manage to finish up the march design of my masthead.

two-fer

my sorry ass hasn't worked out in a week. i even missed our group run last night to take care of a family situation. boooo! but i made up for it by running and swimming today.

am run: i find that it takes me a long while to get warmed up. and after awhile, even though i'm good and warm, the outer calf pain starts. i was able to keep that pain at bay during marathon training because i was going to yoga once a week, if not twice. in fact, i should get the yoga mat out now and do some warrior poses during idol.

though i did find that when i ran faster, the outer calf pain decreased. or maybe i was more concerned about my hard breathing. whatever it is, i know i just need to be patient and i'll get back in the groove. despite my pathetic distance, by the end i thought, "damn! morning runs are better than crack!" although we all know, i know nothing about crack.

pm swim class: i told judy about my rash and she said i wasn't the first person to mention that to her! she said even she gets little red bumps. so she's investigating.

getting back in the pool felt good. i've been away for 2 weeks, afraid of worsening my skin condition and/or contaminating the pool with whatever i had. luckily, i still had my mojo. today we refined my stroke even more, focusing on slicing my hand into the water by rotating my arm so that my thumb enters the water first. at the end of my lesson after swimming more laps, i practiced flip turns. these things are getting so easy!

i'd like to get another two-fer in again tomorrow. i've got some catching up to do!

lists: what's up and 7 random things

it's been awhile since my last post (and my last workout). here's what's been up.

1. my body has become allergic to life. my regular seasonal allergies are kicking my ass and it appears my skin has also decided to mutiny. the day after my last swim class (two wednesdays ago), my skin has been itching like mad. at first i didn't notice the random nagging itches in random places. until i realized that i had about scratched myself raw and produced a million little bumps all over. ick. i haven't used any new detergent, soaps, lotions, or potions. nor have i eaten anything different. i'm assuming it's a combination of icky pool skank and extreme dry skin. the itchiness lingers today but to a lesser degree. i've upped moisturization efforts just short of slathering on olive oil and mayonnaise and wrapping myself up in a cocoon every night. if anyone has any recommendations, i'd greatly appreciate it.
2. i was an expo bandit this weekend. the napa valley marathon was this weekend and even though i wasn't running it, i checked out the expo in search of great deals on running gear. i didn't find any good deals but i did get to hear the keynote address given by joan benoit-samuelson, 1984 olympic marathon champion. (tangent: in my head i kept referring to her as jon benet ramsey). she was funny, candid, and honest. she talked about her marathon strategies (she doesn't look at the course beforehand or keep track of every mile marker), her crosstraining (lots of nordic skiing and gardening), what it was like to pace lance armstrong in the ny marathon (she said she felt like his sherpa because he demanded a gel at every mile marker), and the importance of running your own race, both in running and life.
   
   getting a glimpse into the elite athlete's life is always inspring. you sometimes forget that the elite have the same ups and downs, the same vulnerability to injury, the same crappy weather conditions to run in, thinking that somehow because they have god given talent that running is easier, effortless for them. but it's not. hearing joan benoit-samuelson speak reminded me of my favorite scenes of the spirit of the marathon was when she was in her kitchen, cooking and drinking wine.
   
   i also ran into dean karnazes! i had NO idea he was going to be there otherwise i would have gotten there much earlier and brought my book for him to sign. when i saw him, his people were ushering him away from the groupies, as he was already late for his next engagement. he was very kind and stopped to take photos before jetting off. honestly, if i did have time to talk to him i don't even know what i'd say. "uh hi, i read your book. i think you're kind of crazy, actually." also, dude is TINY. which is guess is obvious since he's a runner. though he does have a lot of muscle. he looks likes he's negative percent body fat. but all i could think was, dude i could totally sit on him and crush him.
3. while in napa, i also hit up a local brewery. leave it to me to go to the land of grapes to sample the hops instead. while seated at the bar, a real live bonafide cowboy took the seat next to me. white stetson, tight wranglers, pearl snaps, and all. how does that not feel like a costume? anyway, cowboy asked for a budweiser, totally oblivious to the fact that he stepped foot in a microbrewery. instead he got their pale ale with a lime. i hope it wasn't to wussy for him. i had a pint of their amber, porter, and stout with the best fish and chips i've ever had.
   
4. i've been engrossed in researching mfa programs. it's become very clear that in order to bring my career to the next level, i need an mfa. plus it also gives me the option to teach, which is something i would like to do, either in conjunction with a commercial career or something later in life. i'm looking to stay in california and in the san francisco area ideally. i'm also looking to go full time and really hope it won't take me 4 years. i'm also looking for a sugar daddy to fund this endeavor. i'm kidding, but not entirely.
5. i've been spending lots of quality time with the nephew. he always makes me happy. and it's impossible to feel the need for a bf when the monchichi is so good at needing my love and attention.

that's about it folks. also, sometime last week, my favorite squirrel tagged me. she turned a post about sweet sweet eric bana into homework. so in no particular order, 7 random things about me:

1. i am obsessed with notebooks. in my purse i carry my planner/checkbook, my diary, a notebook for notes (directions, notes from voicemails, etc), and a small notebook of affirmations. cheesy, i know. but that book works. i have a drawer of empty notebooks of all sizes and types just waiting to be filled. sometimes i buy them and sometimes i get them free from paper shows and paper promotions. but i can never pass up a good little notebook. my fave so far: the moleskine.
2. i make the best fried rice on the planet. thanks to one very special ingredient: spam. spam fried rice, with soy sauce, eggs, and green onions is my favorite carboloading meal.
   
3. i've never experimented with drugs. not even pot. and it wasn't like it was never offered. i just never had any interest. i didn't drink until i was 21 either. i was one of those "i'm high on life" perky teenagers. i'm neither proud nor ashamed of my drug-free status. and it had nothing to do with the D.A.R.E. program. does that even still exist
4. my favorite present to give is board games. cheesy i know. but every couple i've given the deluxe scrabble game to (you know with the board on the turntable) tells me they use it all the time! plus, it's a present i can use too!
5. i bite my fingernails. it's a gross disgusting habit, but i can't stop.
   
6. i think oprah is annoying. do i even need to elaborate? if i had to choose a media mogul to spend the day with, it would totally be martha stewart. i mean she's done prison time!
   
7. i have a birthmark on my right arm. my parents tell me that my dad had the same mark in the same spot on his arm and that when i was born, his disappeared. and i believed them! it's a cute story anyway.

i'm supposed to tag 7 other people, but consider yourself tagged if you're reading this and so inclined to follow along!

smooooooth

he should really consult with me before doing anything like this. even for a role.

whatever. i wouldn't kick him out of bed for this.

the cake diet

last week, i made a red velvet layer cake. yum! it was sweet torture trying to finish the damn thing (i had cake at every meal!) but finally, by saturday we did. on sunday, i went to my brother's house and he had an orange zest layer cake! it was 10 times better than my red velvet cake and unlike anything i'm sure my parents have ever tried. so i brought some home for them...and we're STILL trying to finish up the leftovers. it's great...but oh so bad. i do not recommend the cake diet.

on the running front, we did 1.5 miles today. i'm not noticing any soreness afterwards or anything, but i am finding the sides of my calves to be really tight when running. it looks like i'm gonna have to dust off my yoga mat and get to doing some warrior poses. where is my yoga mat? i abandoned it sometime last summer...

p.s. how in the world do people fit in every aspect of working out? stretching, cardio, and strength training? i seriously find it hard enough to get in all my swimming and running workouts, much less adding more time for yoga AND strength training?

running with a 10 year old

my partner was attending to mom duties this morning so i thought i'd be bringing in the rear by myself today. not so. as the slowest runner i got the "stuck with" coach's son. he can't run the entire distance but he doesn't want to get bumped back into the run/walk group away from his dad. so when it became apparent that if i were to run my pace the kid would be left alone, i decided to stick with the kid.

to keep him motivated, we played the age old game of running from landmark to landmark with shortish breaks in between. i should have told him we were running a fartlek. i bet he would have gotten a kick out of that. for me, talking to a kid is much easier than talking to an adult. i found out he's 10, plays baseball and his favorite team is the red sox. he just started playing the clarinet and would rather have fridays off for 3 day weekends because he has band on monday. i was half tempted to ask about his dad but honestly, i'm not that interested.

so the kid and i finished up our mile and a half and joined the rest of the group to stretch. his dad thanked me profusely, but i was happy to help. besides i got another mile and half in myself afterward. and i have to say, my workout with the kid was much more enjoyable than my solo run.

talking to myself

am i the only one who needs to give themselves a pep talk in the morning?

even though i woke up ahead of my alarm, i didn't want to get up. i contemplated sleeping in. spending every last second i could in bed, but i wasn't sleepy. what would be the point in that?

but i knew that if i didn't get up with enough time to psych myself out for a positive day, i would be in a grump all day. and why waste a friday in a grumpy mood?

but still, it shouldn't require this much effort to get out of bed and be a productive member of society. please tell me i'm not the only one...

casual or tux?

i choose both. my pretend celebrity boyfriend is so hot. can we clone him? can i please shut up about him already?

no running or swimming today. i opted for martinis instead.

substitute teacher

judy was m.i.a. tonight so i had a sub. i can't for the life of me remember her name. something really happy though, like hope or something like that. anyway, judy left notes saying i needed help with my breathing. i told her i also had hip sinking issues. so straight away, she sent me across the pool. and when i reached the other side she said she didn't see anything wrong! wtf? back and forth i went and she only had positive remarks!

until i showed her my breast stroke. my pull was good, my kick was good. the timing of the two, not so good. apparently, the way i was doing it was very counterproductive. so we spent the bulk of my lesson retraining my brain and body to sync my stroke for optimum glide.

and get this dudes, i did my first flip turn! wahoo! i actually did a couple! and i didn't slam my feet on the wall. i haven't yet integrated it into my laps yet, but i still can't believe my feet made contact with the wall. pushing off is so much fun!

my sub also planted many many seeds in joining her and some of the other swimmers in doing some triathlons. they've got plans for the ice breaker in april and one in september. the baby tri looks doable: 400 yard swim, 6.5 mi bike, 2 mi run. BUT the bike course is windy and hilly. eeek! anyway, whether i join them in the race(s) or not, i'm hoping to get in some open water swims with them. or at the very least some swimming in the outdoor lap pool that is not heated. eeek!

she also planted seeds about joining masters swimming. this sub, i tell you, she's on crack. i'm honestly just getting used to working out 6 days a week. but honestly, i foresee some great, huge fitness strides this year. turning 30 is seriously gonna kick some serious ass!

night. rain. run.

running at night in the rain is freaking awesome!

granted we were only out for a mile, but it was a pretty exhilerating mile. at the end i didn't want to stop, but i also didn't want to seem like a showoff. i figure i can get my "real" miles in on thursday during my solo workout, and i'll try to squeeze in a few before my saturday group workout.

so far, the group thing is going well. i'm running faster than i would by myself, which probably has to do with the fact that i'm only running a mile for now. but i'll take it. and talking while running isn't as bad as i thought. especially when you only have to talk for a mile! the woman who is my pace is the newbiest of newbies but she seems very determined and even laughs when i'm trying to be funny. good enough for me.

i barely recognized gucci since she was decked out in a normal hoodie and hat. though i sadly admit, she finished before me. booooooo!

as for the coach with no wedding band, he's not the one with the annoying voice. and while he has no wedding band and is in fact pretty cute, i found out tonight he has a son. hmmmm...

oh and the headlamp? made me feel hardcore.



ps neither running coach nor phelps twin look as good as eric. *swoon*

no holiday for me

one word for today's swim workout: eh.

i was tired going into my workout and felt tired throughout. i almost feel like i'm a worse swimmer now. thinking way too much about my hips which do nothing but sink. but i know i'm not really worse, i just feel that way because i keep concentrating on the one thing that still really sucks about my form. any tips on keeping my hips up where they need to be?

now that i can swim more than one length of the pool without dying, i've been doing some research on beginning swim workouts to help build endurance. i read somewhere that i should take my time on swimming 500m and use that time to measure my progress. i cut that distance to 200m.
100: 2.43
100: 2.54
T: 5:37

i also worked on somersaults today and i totally rocked them! i even tried getting closer and closer to the wall of the pool. my big fear is flipping over and slamming my feet and ankles on the lip of the pool. OW! and i still don't know how i'm not gonna get dizzy from flipping each time i reach the end of the pool.

tomorrow night is our second group run. it's supposed to rain. we have to bring flashlights or headlamps. what in the world is gucci hat gonna do? i've got an hour and a half between the end of work and the start of our workout. if i go home in between i totally see myself napping right through the workout. the other option is to get dressed at the gym and get in a good lifting session.

ugh.

natalie and scarlett who?

the other boleyn girl is coming out soon and the media is in a frenzy interviewing and snapping shots of the two main actresses. but you all know why i've been dying for this movie to finally come out:



can we all just breathe a collective sigh? *swoon*

saturday

i woke up at around 630 with lots of time to kill before my group run. i did some laundry, ate breakfast, surfed the net...by the time i was out the door for my run i was already feeling tired!

i don't really feel like going into all my first impressions and observations. but i will say this:

1. the head coach's voice is really annoying.
2. i am probably the 3rd youngest person there.
3. my running coach did not have a wedding band on.
4. i was the second to last runner to finish our mile and i was pushing it even though they told us not to. i came in around 10 minutes.
5. the one who finished last was wearing a gucci hat. and makeup.

when we finished we stretched, i picked up my shirt and drove to the lagoon to fit in another 2 miles. 2 very uninspired miles, but done nonetheless.

i showered, changed, ran some errands, and am now back in the bed for a post lunch nap. i think my workout from friday wiped me out. my hamstrings are sore.

happy saturday y'all.

p.s. i ended up staying in last night with a movie: notes on a scandal. holy crap! that's some intense effed up shite right there!

FRIDAY NIGHT!

at 5 pm, it was 58 degrees and sunny. i knew i had at least an hour left of daylight and i wasn't going to waste any more time in my car than i had to. i drove to the gym, changed, and headed outside for an easy 2 miler. but despite nature handing me the most perfect running weather, i hadn't planned the most perfect running route. i ran along busy streets, with heavy traffic, past numerous smelly gas stations, and several fast food restaurants. blech. but whatev. i got my some much needed vitamin k and logged 2 miles.

then i headed inside to the pool for some laps. i warmed up with 50m of freestyle kick, then 50m breaststroke kick. then i did 100m pulling, 100m breastroke, 100m freestyle. then repeated that set and cooled down the same way i warmed up. then i practiced my somersaults. they're definitely getting better, but i could only do about 5 before starting to get dizzy.

so that's it folks! the weekend has officially started...and i'm off to the movies!

FRIDAY!

I'm finding it very hard to concentrate at work today!

pain in the neck

is it possible to get whip lash in your sleep?

or maybe it's meningitis.

whatever it is, dudes it hurts! my neck is so stiff and so freaking sore, it hurts when i'm not even moving. i was roused from deep sleep at around 4am that's how bad it hurt.

the odd thing is that this neck pain is more frequent than ever. something i've picked up in my late, late 20s. stress? bad posture?

or maybe my brain is just getting heavier and denser and my poor little neck just can't support it. or maybe i'm just getting old.

hump day

no inspiration for a title today dudes.

went to the "informational" meeting on the training group and signed up. of the 75 people, 80% are run/walkers. the upside is that i'll get more one on one attention from the one coach dedicated to the runners. the downside is that the training schedule is like ridiculously easy (so i say now) they have threatened tuesday speed workouts, so i might change my mind once those start. once i get back into the swing of things, i might just start tacking on some miles on the saturday "long run" workouts to get me ready for the 10k in april. and once i'm done with the group, i'll be back up in mileage to run with the normal free running groups that also meet on saturdays, until i have to buck up for CIM training! but for now, our first group workout is saturday where we have to walk a mile (snooooze). tomorrow i'm going to try to run two.

went to my swim lesson tonight. last week i missed it because i went home in between work and class and totally fell asleep. HA! luckily they didn't make me pay for that lesson. we did a lot of pulling today to get me to keep my damned hips up. my stroke is kicking ass and my kick is great when i'm kicking with the board. but putting the two together and down go my hips. we also spent some time treading water which got my arms very sore...though that's a good thing. getting an upper body workout without having to lift a weight is ideal.

ok peeps, sorry for the boring post. the good news is that spring is in the air...at least here!

12 weeks to a 5k?

my local running store runs a variety of training groups. i missed the sign up for the half marathon, and the marathon group doesn't start up til june. what they're running now is a "no boundaries" 5k group. i'm thinking of joining for a couple reasons:

1. i am coming off an injury, one that will reoccur if i overuse too quickly.
2. i would like to meet new peeps.
3. i would like to run outside and really only feel safe doing it with other people while it's dark.
   
4. i'm hoping a group would keep me motivated and consistent with training.

but...the program is 12 weeks! 12 weeks to train for a 5k? they say it's not just for wanna-be runners, but also for people easing back into running or anyone looking to better their time. but 12 weeks seems like a long time. i had originally planned on taking 8 weeks to train for a 10k.

even so, i think i may check out the informational meeting tomorrow. saturday's the first workout but once we pay and we get the training schedule there are no refunds. even if the training may seem slow, training with the group seems to have more benefits than training alone does right now. and perhaps i can supplement the workouts by adding time in before or after the workouts.

we'll see...i don't even know if the group thing will suit my personality.

p.s. i finally broke it off with MH tonight. it's been weighing on me for quite some time and every time i would try to do it, i just couldn't. i'll spare you the details. it wasn't terribly messy, part of me thinks he saw it coming, but he made it very clear there is no room for friendship.

it's not that i'm heartbroken. maybe a little sad. but honestly, more relieved. it really was the right thing to do for a lot of reasons. though, this may be the first time i'm a little sad on valentine's day.

i love running, again!

and swimming...

but first, the running. 5k today in perfect conditions. 45 and sunny. a leetle windy but nothing too bad, once you got moving. my goal: to finish. my hope: that i could still run the entire distance.

and i did! as i got ready this morning, the process of getting dressed, lathering on the bodyglide, and lacing up the shoes, i felt like it all started coming back to me. that routine which i had abandoned for a quarter of the year still felt familiar.

taking my first steps and breath of the brisk morning air, i knew i was home again. it felt so good, almost like i'd never been away. i found a rhythm early, albeit a slow one, and i honestly felt like my whole body was singing.

not to say it was effortless. it was uncomfortable at times, but the idea of finishing without stopping kept me going. passing people kept me going. so i kept going, right on down to the finish line! time: 37:34 my watch is being dumb right now, but i ran each mile in a little over 12 minutes, with my last mile being the fastest.

definitely not a noteworthy time, but a fun, fun run nonetheless.

now onto my swimming. in one lane there was a dude, a serious swimmer doing serious laps. not once during the entire time that i was there did i see him stop. he was joined by his bionic twin and they caused many a wave in the pool. i shared a lane with a serious chick. at first she made me nervous, but i decided to take advantage of the opportunity and observe her. without being obvious of course because that would be creepy. somehow swimming next to her pushed me to do better. i thought, let's see if i can go across and back without stopping. even if i have to stop in the middle on the way back. and wouldn't you know i made it all the way both ways! HUGE breakthrough! i did a couple more laps like that with rests in between the 50 m. i was like floored. and totally stoaked.

then at some point i thought, hmmm maybe i can do 3 times across? well my friends, 3 turned into 6! SIX! wtf!? the cool thing is i didn't feel out of breath or totally crazed like i do sometimes when i can complete only 1. maybe i had "endurance" on the brain and that sustained me and calmed me the entire distance.

i left the pool feeling like a mother effing rockstar.

i also practiced flip turns and was finally able to do a decent somersault. but no flip turn. i hate feeling dizzy though and i don't know how i'm not gonna get seasick once i start to get some real laps in.

so that's the end of my athletic adventures! it's a great way to start my weekend. let's just hope i don't twist my ankle again tonight while i'm shakin' my thang on the dance floor. i want to keep this momentum going!

sleep through the static

everything you loved about jack johnson PLUS some electric guitar.

i'm swooning. and going running!

my potty humor

so you know how work email accounts usually go first initial last name@whatever.com? like jdoe@whatever.com.

today, i received an email from a Catherine Litsinger....

no joke. and not spam.

seriously, made coming into work today totally worth it.

running redemption and amendment to my 2008 goals

while my swimming has picked up, my running has been non-existent. for roughly 3 months. it's been part burn-out, part injury, part wintertime blahs. after letting a whole month of the new year tick by without so much as a trot around the block, i'm making february the month i fall in love with running again.

saturday, i'm running a 5k. the same one i ran last year to kick off my running season. i certainly won't PR, like i did last year. i may even have a personal worst. even so, i'm going to do my damnedest to run every inch of the race, even if i resort to the kind of shuffling you see bleary eyed marathoners do in the 24th mile. i really do expect to do horribly. but that's ok. i'm hoping the black and white numbers of my crappy time and the burning in my lungs will light a fire under my ass.

the real race i'm training for is on april 5. it's a 10k through the carneros vineyard. the $30 registration fee includes a tshirt (duh), pancake breakfast, commemorative wine glass, wine tasting, and a raffle ticket for more schwag from the winery. pretty sweet, huh?

i've got to get in good shape by then because the second half of the year is when i have my big races planned. in may, i'm planning to run bay to breakers. i have planted a seed in several of my cousins' minds about running/doing it together. let's hope they come through.

the summer brings several options. in june, i had originally planned to run a 10k through a different winery, whose amenities include a big barbecue party, but i might swap that out for the napa-sonoma half marathon in july. and i would start marathon training the week after that. i'm planning to do my training with a group this time.

i have 3 opportunities to do the aquathlon, as it is held once in june, july, and august. i'm guessing that i won't be ready until august, if i'm ready at all. open water swimming ain't no joke and if i'm not ready to swim 1.5k without the safety of a pool, i'll find a different swimming challenge. and then there's the matter of wetsuit vs no wetsuit. blech. i'm not trying to be a quitter here, just realistic.

i'm aiming for a december marathon. CIM is the front runner, but las vegas is a close second. i also considered seattle, which is the end of november.

everyone and their mother

it was a dark and story saturday night. i thought for sure that the pool would be nice and empty. and it was....to begin with. i got there and there was only one chick in the pool and someone's uncle jeb in the spa. seriously, dude had curly mullet, handlebar mustache, and a gold chain on his hairy chest. blech.

i warmed up a few laps and then the crowds came. like out of nowhere. through every door possible. phelps twin and his tubby sidekick, another dude that look like he belonged to them and what looked like his little sister. luckily they stayed away from my lane but they were making tons of waves. i felt like i was in the ocean or something. as i ended my 5th or 7th lap, a dude asked to share my lane. then his wife came along and we had three in one lane!

it didn't start off a good workout, as i felt really slow and tired, and the hoardes of people were a bit of a distraction. but after awhile, by concentrating on tuning them out, i think i was able to concentrate more on swimming too. i barely used the board because it was hurting my shoulders. i concentrated mainly on getting consecutive laps in and pulling when i got tired. i also found i can take 6 strokes between breaths. when i'm not tired that is. towards the end, i got back down to 4. but i felt much improved and faster when i could breath in 6.

i have no idea how many laps i did total or how long i worked out since i left my watch at home. so i used the good ol' exertion test and quit when i was spent. by then the pool was empty. i meant to practice flip turns but only remembered when i was in the shower. DOH!

wtf!?

so i'm doing some online research on "aquathlon" and this is what i come up with!!! underwater wrestling!!!! aqua=water and athlon=wrestling?!? the video and pictures are seriously effed up.

WTF?!

is this training for if you meet a shark in open water? or if you want to take down opponents in your next triathlon?

there's even a section on underwater combat involving a knife, where they train you to punch, choke or tear off the equipment of your opponent. wtf?!

and there's aqua gymnastics:










what a bunch of crazies!

water for elephants

go. run. to the bookstore and get this book. i finished it in one sitting. that's how good it is.

and while you're at it, pick up a copy of once on dvd. i watched it this weekend and could not stop listening to the soundtrack.

i know you're thinking, but you listen to britney spears, how on earth do you know anything about movies or books? just trust me , please.

anyway, moving on, no workout today. my limbs are sore from 3 days of swimming. i had a headache all day and was utterly exhausted. my nighttime swim workouts have my body all out of whack. i'm normally a morning person, but pm workouts leave me so wired i can't fall asleep by my normal bedtime. so then i don't wake at my normal time. this morning i woke up with just 15 minutes to get ready for work. luckily, i'm a low maintenence kind of girl.

but the thing is, i so very much enjoy swimming after work. it's relaxing, even though the workouts are challenging. the water just feels refreshing. and you don't get all hot and sweaty like you do with anything else. i'm gonna try swimming right after work, hoping the pool isn't too crowded, and hoping that bumping up the workout a few hours gets me asleep at a decent hour.

though it probably means no future run-ins with the phelps twin.

oh and p.s. i'm starting a new training program in feb. a running one, at that.

the spins

dudes! i totally have the spins and i didn't even drink. well doesn't that suck?

here's what happened. i was all ready to rock judy's socks off tonight. show her what the little fishy i've become. and sure enough she was impressed. i was all gold stars and pats on the back. which made her think it was time for her to show me how to flip turn.

fuck. flip turn?

as she demonstrated she kept saying, "it's like doing a somersault, like when you were a kid". "it's like jumping on a trampoline and flipping over". well la di, judy. my mom didn't let me do those dangerous things when i was a kid. she must have tried 5 or 6 different ways to show me how to do it and i just couldn't get it. we spent about half the lesson doing this and all i got was a massive headache. i felt so seasick i thought i might hurl in the pool.

instead, i busted out 8 laps doing the catch up drill she showed me tonight. but 8 was enough. i had to get on dry land, curl in the fetal position and pray that the earth would stop spinning. well not the earth, but you know...

until now, swimming was going swimmingly! this flip turn thing just might be the death of me.

p.s. phelps twin was totally hot. the real phelps is kind of a butterface in my opinion. but my phelps, top notch. i'm not usually one for tattoos but he had a nice one along the right side of his stomach. i guess he's not planning on losing any tautness in that section of his body :)

mermen and cholos

i did 40 laps in 47 minutes...which makes me wonder, did i miscount today or yesterday?

there's no way it took me 8 more minutes to do the same number of laps.

but then again, today i did a lot without the buoy or board. i'd alternate freestyle and breaststroke, and when i felt up to it did back to back freestyle. i threw in some pulling laps to help catch my breath. and a few butterfly laps to work the abs. i ended with the underwater exercises. i swear i have absolutely no lung capacity.

one thing that helped, and this is going to sound totally silly and ludicrous, but for some reason it helped if i hummed underwater while i blew air from my nose. kind of like doing a yoga "oooooohhhhmmm". it sounds totally stupid i know, but i don't know it made me feel less like i was drowning and more like i was swimming...like a dolphin maybe? who the hell knows.

i did become self conscious of this though when michael phelps' twin brother got in the lane next to me. he WAS a dolphin like those dudes in madonna's cherish video. remember them? but i was less self conscious around him than when the pool/spa/sauna/steam room area was filled with the latino mafia. at one point during my time in the pool, there were at least half a dozen dudes just chillin' in their wife beaters. some were actually in the spa or sauna, but a good number of them were just sittin' around. a few of them stood with their arms crossed. they didn't appear to be checking out the ladies, since there were none, except for me and a few elderly ladies. but they didn't look like they were gonna cause trouble either. again, who the hell knows.

39 in 39

that's 39 laps in roughly 39 minutes. i'm not breaking any records, but i am getting better. i'm doing more actual swimming than i am just kicking or just pulling. i feel so much more smooth in the water since i've employed the breathe less technique. and i'm not so out of breath by the end of the lap. and honestly, i could have gone longer than 39 minutes today. but there was a dude waiting for a lane and i had been there the longest so i felt compelled to give the guy some room.

i'm hoping to get to the pool twice tomorrow. but considering i keep sleeping through my alarm lately, i won't count my chickens...

one, two, three

i got a lot of random stuff today:

1. my swim lesson today totally rocked. the 30 minutes flew by. and the good news is judy said i was doing much better than last week. woot! we used the board less and introduced the pull buoy. two words: holy crap. but i loved it so much i ran out and bought my very own to use tomorrow. we also did more breaststroke laps since my kick is much improved. no more moving sideways! since this week's lesson was very arms intensive, i really hope i can move my arms tomorrow.

ooh ooh, and she also introduced me to underwater oxygen deprivation. doesn't that just sound like a recipe for death? she had me do 2 exercises. first she had me swim underwater for as long as i could. i got about halfway. then she showed me what we'll be working towards: a length and a half! judy is crazy. then she had me do a few laps taking as few breaths as possible, aiming for only 4. in my head i thought i would for sure drown. but to my surprise, i did it. and i felt like i got across faster and with more grace and ease than normal. she says by coming up for air less my stroke is interrupted less, so i'm much more fluid. judy is smart.

we also talked more about my goals. i told her about the duathlon i had in mind and she thought it would also be a good idea to do a shorter swim only race. again, judy is crazy. public displays of me in my bathing suit doesn't really traumatize me. unless you put me with real lean, mean swimming machines!

2. the icky, bruised half of my big toenail came off last night! i was examining it last night , running my finger along the ridge between the bruise and the new healthy nail and pop! one side just lifted. then i started pulling across...then it got to the nonbruised part and i just had to pull the whole damned thing off. and it was infinitely cooler than when the other toenail fell off. it looks so narsty! i hope the half that's left grows in nicely and not all ingrown. and you folks are lucky my camera is at MH's. though i'm seeing him tomorrow night, so there just might be some loverly pics manana.

3. speaking of manana and MH, tomorrow he and i are watching the sprirt of the marathon movie. it's not his first choice for entertainment, but he made me suffer through cloverfield. and there's no way i can ever get those 75 minutes of my life back. so he gets to watch me totally geek out over a marathon documentary.

22 laps

but only 4 of them without the aid of some sort of device, ie board or fins. my kicks were definitely much better today. but when having to stroke and kick at the same time, it pretty much turned to flailing.

i'm gonna try again tonight...

the crap end of single life

this is totally not running or fitness related. if that's ok with you, read on. if not, i've logged a swim and a spin workout...both sucked, but both got done ;) and now for the angst...

every year for the past 4 years my college friends and i have planned a girls' beach weekend. last year i made the trek 3k across the country to meet up with them. this year, we decided to do gbw in vegas! to celebrate us turning 30. and to include a friend from college who moved there when she decided to graduate a year early.

we've been emailing back and forth to pick a mutually convenient weekend, focusing on sometime in the fall over a federal holiday. then we get the email from cj:

"I am definitely coming out to Vegas this year. The questions are when and with whom? For me it will be whenever I can get a flight deal, so I need to start looking into flight info. The husband really wants to come to Vegas. He has never been, would like to see Las Vegas friend in her element and go with her to the Star Trek experience thing.

If we make it a family trip, I could still hang out with the girls. It just might be a girls day or night or something.

I am sorry to be so up in the air about things, but I figure I will start looking at flights and when I see one I want to book I will figure the rest out."

so much for girls' weekend. so much for caring about seeing your friends. sheesh. it went from OUR vacation to HER vacation without anyone's say. and if i want to see her and las vegas friend, i better hope her plans are convenient for me too. at which point, if they are, i only get half a day to see them...

i get that people's priorities change. i get that when people get married and have babies they're more family minded than adult-person minded. i get that budgets get tight and time is tight. but she's not the only one with time and financial limitations just because she is the working mom. i nixed a trip to disneyland with the brothers and nephew because i wanted to make this trip out to vegas to see my friends.

i've said it before and i'll say it again. being single doesn't suck because you're don't have a man. it sucks because your friends ditch the singletons. it's no fun having all this free time and extra cash with no one to play with. it is harder to find a 30 something single woman to have as a friend than it is to find a 30 something man to date. not to say 30 something moms or 30 something marrieds or 30 somethings with significant others don't make good friends. but every single chick needs a crew of single chicks. it's like law or something.

or maybe i just need the attitude of george clooney and others destined for lifelong singlehood. i guess to truly embrace the single attitude, i need to embrace being truly alone, without even the crew of girls.

and ps, me saying i'm single doesn't mean MH and i are off. MH and i just aren't serious...at least i'm not, even though he's slinging the L word around like it's the word "the". but that's another post entirely...

2008 monthly challenges

i got off to a slow start this year, but i think i've finally come around. in large part to my swimming lessons starting. it was a ruuuuude awakening to realize just how much i'd let myself go in the last 3 months! the good news is i'm used to rebuilding my fitness base. i'm just not so good at maintaining it. but i'm hoping that getting good at and enjoying 3 disciplines, instead of relying solely on my running, that i'll hone myself into a lean, mean athletic machine...and stay there!

so, in that vein, i've concocted a rough schedule of monthly challenges. i need some suggestions for april. and if you're wondering why i don't just do a triathlon already, it's because i don't have a bike, can't afford one this year, and am not entirely certain i even really enjoy biking in the outdoors. (it's the fear of falling and scraping up all my skin that freaks me out)

i have a half marathon scheduled for october and a marathon tentatively scheduled for december. i don't want to get too excited about putting tons of miles on my feet. but i'm hopeful. and positive. and i'm hoping all my cross-training will pay off in the running and healing department. so without further ado...



jan: complete an ironman in one month: Swim 2.4 miles, Bike 112 miles, Run 26.2 miles

feb 9: run between the cities 5k

mar: complete a sprint triathlon in gym: swim 0.5 mi, bike 12.4 mi, run 3.12 mi

apr: ??? SUGGESTIONS ANYONE ???

may 18: bay to breakers 12k

june 1: hit the road jack 10k
june 8: tbf aquathon

july: complete a sprint triathlon in gym
july 26: start marathon training (fingers crossed)

aug 2: tbf aquathon
aug 12: turn 30!

sept: complete a sprint distance triathlon in gym

oct 25: napa country classic half marathon

nov: complete a sprint distance triathlon in gym

dec 7: california international marathon OR complete an olympic distance triathlon in gym: swim .93 mi, bike 24.8 mi, run 6.2 mi

i don't want to alarm anyone

but i actually went to spin class this morning.

that's two days in a row of not just sitting on my ass.

FINALLY.

burning sensation

you know how a really hard speed workout can leave you gasping for breath? and your lungs and legs just burn? that's what swimming is like for me. only my arms and my abs burn too. i was beyond wiped after my lesson today. and i was ravenous. the kind of hungry that only happens after swimming. what's up with that?

i didn't keep track of my laps on my watch, but i did in my head, i think:

2 x freestyle kick with the board warmup
4 or 6 x (i can't remember) butterfly kick with the board (my favorite!)
2 x breaststroke kick with the board (my nemesis) i swear at some point i was moving sideways not forward)
4 or 6 x freestyle
2 x freestyle kick with board cooldown

so on the low end, i swam a mere 350 meters! with breaks! that's less than a quarter of the distance i need to swim for my aquathon! and i'm supposed to run a 10k after too?!

19 weeks better be enough time to train for something like this...

fight or flight

we all know that person who says to us, "i don't run unless i'm being chased."

well last night, i was chased. and last night, i ran.

even with a gimpy foot. and probably faster than i ever have. though it wasn't very far.

i was upstairs working on a project, with food network turned down low when i heard this god awful sound coming from outside. long, weird bellows of different lengths. like some tortured animal howling and groaning. or maybe a crazy person picking a fight. or maybe wind rushing through a weird pipe. at night all sounds conjure up the worst nightmares. so i hollered for my mommy and we peeked outside.

first we surveyed from the second story. too dark to see anything, so we crept downstairs to the large, glass sliding door. we tapped on the windows, hoping to scare whatever it was away. we flipped on the outdoor light. then flipped it off. then flipped it on.

and BAM!

two huge white dogs charged out of the gazebo in the backyard straight for the door. i bolted away from the door like lightening straight into the next room, nearly knocking my mom over.

2 dogs i said. TWO!

then they started barking. loudly. we backed away from the windows and waited. until we couldn't see them anymore.

they were definitely not our dogs and i'm very disturbed as to how they got into our fenced yard. i couldn't tell if they had tags. and i wasn't going outside to check. maybe animal lovers or those more familiar with dogs would, but i ain't going out in the dark to face 2 large unknown creatures. in my mind they were two wild rabid mongrels searching for sweet juicy asian flesh to devour.

but at least they're gone now. and at least i know i still have the runner's instinct. even if it does mean i'm a scardy cat.

a lotta rice today

so, um , yeah. about last night.

me. vodka. dance floor. twisted ankle.

no bueno.

luckily the place we were had nice plush couches so i could relax and ice immediately. and luckily, MH is a sweet, sweet boy who dragged his cousin out of bed to drive him to san francisco, so he could drive me and my car the 45 miles back home.

i've been relegated to the couch, my foot propped atop a pile of pillows, alternating between icing and wrapping. the swelling has subsided considerably. it's almost a miracle.

but it looks like this week is NOT going to be the week i get back into the swing of things. i can't even friggin' drive. looks like i'll just have to be waited on all week...

new growth

my toe nail finally fell off. i actually felt it fall off. the nerd i am thought it was super cool. luckily i had my socks on and i could save the toenail. just like i saved all my baby teeth when they fell out. hmmm, i wonder where they're stashed...

2008: the year i go bi

so what's a runner to do when she starts the new year with an injury? crosstrain! on land and by water, i shall prevail!

the only local duathlon i was able to find was the tbr series in granite bay. it's the same race held on june 7, july 12, and august 2. a 1.5 km swim followed by a 10km run. on paper it looks easy, but i can't swim more than 1 lap and that's what, only 100 m? i've got to multiply that by 15 and then i have to run 6.2 miles? ha! ha! ha!

the first race is 6 months away, which gives me plenty of time. i'm hoping that my foot will be in good shape by then, especially considering i took most of november and all of december off. if not, i'll just tear my hair out and cry in a hole. but here's to hoping that because i'm not 30 yet, i'll heal up nice and fast ;)

my other "sporty" resolution for the year is to spin at least twice a week. it would kick ass if the spin bikes at our gym calculated mileage, but they don't. so i can only measure the frequency of my visits. the 6am class on tuesday and thursday work very well with my schedule. and there's an 8am class on saturday. so really, i have no excuses.

i wish i could schedule in at least a half marathon this year, but i don't want to be dumb. getting my foot back in proper running form is my first priority.

so that's it folks. pretty simple. 2008 is the year i go bi!

525,600 minutes: how do you measure a year?

how can you measure whether the past year was a success or failure? and what's really more important, quantifying or qualifying? let's start by checking to see how i did on my resolutions:

1. run my first marathon! done and done!

2. run at least 2 half marathons. nope and nope! santa cruz was a no go for a variety of reasons and i never signed up for a second one.

3. run at least 3 days a week, every week. hahahahahahaha. um, no. this didn't happen either.

other non-running related goals. this year, i also want to:

1. learn to sew. nope.

2. pay off one of my credit cards. yup! and i paid off my car!

3. find steady employment, whether it be with my old company i'm freelancing for now or a new job here. technically yes.

4. live up to (or down to, i guess) the weight documented on my driver's license. not even for one minute was i the weight on my driver's license.

so out of 7 resolutions, i made good on only 3. less than half! does this make me a slacker? nah. am i too lenient on myself? nah. because i like taking the qualitative approach to measuring.

running that marathon makes up for missing those other two resolutions. i mean sweet jesus, i ran my first marathon! who cares that i didn't run all my training mileage? who cares that i didn't have any half marathons to practice? essentially, i ran my two half marathons during my one marathon! ;)

as for my non-running goals, i didn't learn to sew, but i did learn to cook better. if there were a sewing network on tv, i'd be all good with the sewing. and as for my weight and my current weightloss challenge, my feeling is this, if i really really really cared about being smaller, i would have manned up and lost the weight. as it was, i think i had other priorities. or maybe ive gotten complacent. either way, i'm not bummed that i'm not a size 4. i think this year, i'll just resolve to being smaller than i am right at this very second. or maybe not even make a resolution about my weight, which will be a first since, i don't know, 7th grade?

what else can i say about 2007?

if you've been reading my blog, you know 2007 was a big transition year for me. i came into it really trying not to pressure myself or expect too much. i was reeling from a horrible breakup from someone i wanted to spend the rest of my life with and was ridiculously emotional and unsure of how i would really handle the change. throughout the year, i had doubts about whether my move was smart. not so much the move itself, but the timing. but ultimately i knew i made the right decision. i came home to be closer to my family. and everyone knows, that you just don't know how much time you'll get with your loved ones. my little nephew knows my name, runs to me when i come to visit, cries when i leave, and is seriously, the coolest and smartest toddler around. i'm very happy i'm not just the crazy aunt he sees at holidays, but one that is around to influence his life on a regular basis.

i'm happy to be home, amongst my brothers and cousins, who to my surprise are totally grown and capable adult human beings! they aren't babies anymore! and as adults, they're pretty fun to be hang out with. i'm happy i'm home to be with them, to get to know their significant others, and watch them add to our family!

and then there are my parents. everyone said i'd go totally freakin' insane living with them again. there were bets placed on how soon i'd move out. and to my surprise, i've actually liked living at home again. i think we missed each other that much. i'm glad i'm home with my mom at night during the week, while my dad is at work. i'm glad i'm home to take them out to places they've never been, trying things they've never tried. i'm glad i'm here to drive them around to run their errands. i'm glad i'm here to just keep an eye on them. they're still relatively healthy and active, and i know that if i wasn't here they'd be ok. but they are getting older, and i'm happy to be here to help them when they need it. i know i can't live at home for forever, but this year hasn't been so bad, really. dare i say, my senior citizen parents are the best roommates i've ever had.

i've kept in touch with everyone back east that i wanted to. and it seems that in the year i've been gone, i haven't really missed much. that will change once my best friend has her baby in march, though. i will miss that. and i'll miss her shower. but i think i've gotten to a place where i think i'm ok with that. the hardest thing about my 20s was watching my friends couple off, get married, move out to the 'burbs, and now start to have kids. i was still "stuck" at the trying to couple off phase. it sucked so bad not having my girlfriends around to do the things we used to do. and it sucked trying to find new ones. i think i'm now at the point where i, a singleton, can co-exist in a world with couples and parents, and not have it feel so strange. and i've had a whole decade of learning to rely on myself.

the job-front has proved interesting. it's probably the area i put the least amount of effort in. many times during this year i was depressed about it and many times i felt guilty for not really wanting to do more. but i think i now have a better idea of what i want in my career and where to find those opportunities.

transition is always a weird place to be. throughout the year i always felt like i was missing something or someone. it felt like i had no home and it felt like all i had was the past. but now, after a year, i feel like i have my bearings and i can begin a future.

so here's to 2008! here's to turning 30!

the ghoul pool

my new office? they're a little wacky. here's an example:

every year, they do a ghoul pool. right before the beginning of a new year, participants make up a list of 25 celebrities they think are likely to kick the can in the coming year. if someone on your list bites it, you get points. points are calculated by subtracting that celebrity's age from 100. the person who gets the most points at the end of the year wins $25 from each participant.

it's not a wish list, they keep saying. a little morbid, yet interesting, no?

i checked out the lists from last year. someone actually had anna nicole on their list. i didn't really think she was likely to pass. and a couple had bill walsh on their lists too. he's been off my radar since he stopped coaching the niners. i was also sad to see michael j. fox on everyone's list.

anyway, because i'm a follower, i've joined in. but i'm sorely behind on my celebrity news in regards to chronic illnesses etc. who should be on my list of 25 celebrities???

happy boxing day!

as much as i was ready for the holidays to be over, i'm still surprised at how fast it all went! i couldn't wait to see how my nephew would react to the gifts i got him 1. a tricked out tricycle that plays music, has a horn, blinkers that really light up, and 2. a thomas the train pop up tent! the thing is 5 feet tall! and i bought him a huge pack of 150 balls to fill it with! i don't know who had more fun, me and my brothers or the monchichi. luckily, the tent was also a cozy place to take a nap. as for the tricycle, his legs are just a smidge too short to reach the pedals (short legs run in the family), but i'm sure he'll be cruising along in no time!

and what did MH get me? a few "trinkets" from this fine sf institution and a trinket from the jewelry store. looks like i've been good.

the rest of my loot included cash, gift cards, and cashmere, so i'm pretty set!

in the days winding down to the end of the year, i'm getting myself organized. i reorgazined my closet: took an inventory of all the clothes i own, got rid of a large bag of stuff, and stowed the out of season stuff away neatly. i got rid of some furniture that wasn't at all useful and am now in the process of reorganizing my office. i have buttloads of papers to file, artwork to hang, and photos to organize. then i need to settle in and take stock of the past year and figure out what i want to make of the coming year. 2008 marks the big 3-0 for me, kids. the big 3-0.

what could it be?

yesterday, MH spent the day getting my christmas present. i am DYING to know what it is. he said he couldn't get it around here and had to make a special trip to sf to get it. and when i called him during the day he didn't want to answer because he didn't want me to hear what was going on in the background. and he says it's 4 things.

now supposing that all wasn't a ruse for him to get out with the boys to a strip club or anything (which would be totally gross because it would have been in the middle of the day, and no one wants to see the strippers who work the day shift), what in hades could he have gotten me?

and i'm over the cloud that plagued me last week. just in time for christmas! i can't wait for everyone to open what i got for them! i know christmas isn't just about the presents, but i see my extended family ALL the TIME. but it's not everyday i break the bank buying them stuff...oooooooh, i can't wait!

merry christmas, happy new year, and bah humbug!

so boys and girls, the holidays have finally got to me. my moodiness is at its peak ; i go from having tons of energy to none at all, from feeling super to feeling like crap. it's a combination of a lot of things really, and when i get this way i usually just try to stop fighting and just let the time pass.

my swim lesson was cancelled tonight, and my instructor will be on hiatus until jan 9. not that it matters, i haven't been in the pool since my lesson last week. don't ask me how long it's been since i've run. that just makes me want to cry. it sucks so much i don't even want to read about how great everyone else's workouts are going. i know, i'm a selfish bitch like that.

so i'm absolving myself of the guilt of things i haven't done and things i know i won't get around to doing before the year is done. it's all i can do to keep my sanity. don't tell me to get my fix of endorphins. i'm opting to hibernate instead.

so....in case i don't get back on here anytime soon, merry christmas and happy new year, my dear blogger buddies. i'll be back, don't worry. but in the meantime, run happy and be healthy!

christmas meme

1. Wrapping paper or gift bag? wrapping paper! i've designed my own paper the last 6 years.

2. Real tree or artificial? artificial. we've always had an artificial tree. if i had my way, i'd decorate it once, and store it already decorated so i don't have to do it every year.

3. When do you put up your tree? it's still not up.

4. When do you take down your tree? can u tell i hate decorating the tree?

5. Do you like eggnog? never had it. looks nartsy.

6. Favorite gift received as a child? cabbage patch kid

7. Do you have a nativity scene? yes

8. Hardest person to buy for? my dad

9. Easiest person to buy for? my nephew

10. Worst Christmas gift you've ever received? i can't really think of one, actually. i guess that's a good sign i've been a good girl! :)

11. Mail or email Christmas cards? neither. i don't do christmas cards. my goal is to not stress myself out and if don't get to them, then i don't. and i never do!

12. Favorite Christmas movie? home alone!!!

13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? the week after thanksgiving

14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? nope. that's tacky!

15. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas? can i answer everything? my family does a huge potluck and everyone makes their signature dishes so EVERYTHING is good.

16. White or colored lights? always white.

17. Favorite Christmas song? traditional: oh holy night contemporary: all i want for christmas is you

18. Traveling for Christmas or stay home? now that i'm home, stay at home!!! travelling this time of year is hell!

19. Can you name all of Santa's reindeers? dasher and dancer and prancer and vixen. comet and cupid and donner and blitzen and rudolph!

20. Angel or Star on top of tree? angel

22. Most annoying thing about this time of year? other people's tacky xmas decorations: like when their lights aren't in sync. or don't match. or when people put like 20 inflatable decorations on their lawn. also, tacky christmas sweaters, jewelry, socks, and other accessories. blech.

23. What I love most about Christmas? childlike hope and wonderment. it's like we're all kids again and can dump our cynicism and just be happy about making other people happy.

so....consider yourselves tagged and hop to it!

diving in

the last place i took swimming lessons was at the Y in bethesda. and anyone who has been to a YMCA knows what it’s like. people everywhere! kids. seniors. families. babies. it can be pretty chaotic. but my membership was cheap, the pools were open yearround, and it was 5 minutes from my house.

my swimming experience tonight was worlds different.

my lesson was held in the outdoor pool that was enclosed by a huge tent-like dome. the only light came from inside the pool and because the pool was heated to 90 degrees, the dome became a huge steam room. it reminded me of the movie cocoon. but without the old people.

just me and my instructor, judy. my own private instructor and what felt like my own private pool. all for the low, low price of $30 a lesson. sweet!

i explained that i had 2 main goals: 1.improve my swimming skills so i can get a decent crosstraining workout. 2.develop swimming endurance to complete an aquathon/triathlon.

then she had me show her my butterfly, breaststroke, and freestyle. turns out i’m not as bad as i thought. and i felt better about my swimming once i was in the water doing it, rather than stressing about it. but obviously, i have a lot to work on. and a lot of upper body strength to build. moving water wround sure takes muscle! and don’t be surprised if my stomach is totally flat by valentines day. i could totally feel it in my abs by the end of my half hour lesson.

i left my lesson feeling totally renewed, refreshed, and rejevenated. i still miss running, but this is a fine replacement.

HWC week 7: at least someone's following the rules

last week: 155
this week: 156

thanksgiving #2 finally caught up with me.

MH on the other hand has lost 5 pounds since last week. isn't it typical? a guy gives up soda for a week and boom! half a size smaller. i do have to give him credit though. for a guy who knows very little about nutrition, he's been very good at following the rules i set for him.

me on the other hand? i'm more of a "do as i say, not as i do" kind of teacher...

there is hope, though. swimming lessons start tomorrow!

i'd rather...

be here


or here

thursday night

the japanese sure make a good beer. it's been ages since i've had sushi. and even longer since i've had a taste of the kirin ichiban. i just love saying the name over and over. ichiban! ichiban! ichiban!

this week has been a total wash in terms of workouts. instead of getting up early to go to the gym, i've been getting up early to work on freelance projects. then spending the day at my new job. after work, i've been shopping, doing baby shower invitations, and an assortment of other errands.

tonight should be pretty low key, so let's hope the forecasted rain doesn't prevent me from getting my arse to the gym.

das boot

it came. i tried. it works! no heel pain in the morning, just like it promised. now, i'm not reinjuring myself everyday! and surprisingly, it was comfortable. my foot didn't sweat. i could move around freely in bed, while my foot stayed in the flexed position. so far, i give it 5 stars. and thanks to ebay, i got it for half off retail price.

i can't wait for my yogatoes to come in!

HWC week 6: thanksgiving miracle

last week: 156
this week: 155

it's got to be a thanksgiving miracle, because after the way i ate this weekend, there's NO way i should have dropped a pound. maybe it's from getting my hair cut?

it's the hormones talking...

i was never an athlete, so the idea of an "off-season" is new to me. the closest thing i had to an off-season was summer vacation, and being the nerd that i was/am, i usually spent that time working, volunteering, taking classes, and/or doing summer reading.

my self-diagnosed PF has forced me into an off-season, but all i can think about is what marathon i want to run next year. i'm just not motivated without a race. i'm an achievement-whore. i need something to hold me accountable. i need structure. running just for the heck of it doesn't work for me. so "exercising" aka crosstraining for the heck of it doesn't really work for me either. i need something by which to measure my progress. i need a formal event where i can pat myself on the back and say "good job you did this, here's your medal and free food". so going to the gym to ellipticize or kickbox doesn't hold the same urgency for me. yeah i signed up for the weightloss challenge, but even so, working out to lose weight isn't enough of a reason for me to work out. (this might be my hormones talking)

and since i don't know when my foot will be feeling better, i have no idea when i can start running again. it's gotten me pretty bummed. if i can't train for a race, i have absolutely no motivation to get my arse to do anything!

so then i got to thinking, how about a triathlon? then i started freaking out about the cost and work involved with a bike. then i started freaking out about the fact that i can't swim more than a lap without my lungs catching fire. then a million other thoughts raced in my head: what if i do want to go back to school? what if i do find another job? what if about a million other things...

i do want to do a triathlon, eventually. now is not the year.

BUT.

i did consider, seriously, a duathlon. a swim, run race! and there are three that exist next summer in the sacramento area, in june, july, and august. i am hoping that things aren't so bad with my foot that i won't be able to handle a 10k. i'm more worried about a 1.5k swim in open water.

BUT.

that will hopefully be remedied by swimming lessons. i've been playing phone tag with a couple people and hopefully i can connect with a real live honest person this week and start soon. don't get me wrong, you can throw me in water and i know enough to not drown. but to swim 1.5k?! ha! i'm hoping that my lessons will keep me motivated, and that increasing my distance and improving my technique in swimming will feed my desire for achievement long enough to heal my stupid foot.

so that's the long explanation of the plan, folks. and i've ordered some fun toys to help with speedy foot recovery. this and this. i know, you're jealous. but i'm sure i can talk MH into giving me a foot massage tomorrow night. he's good for that.

thanksgiving, again

i'm at my brother's house with the rest of my immediate family, celebrating thanksgiving, again. my sis-in-law was away last week for a family emergency, so we're celebrating it again, now that she's back and her mother is doing much better.

last week, i was "good" on thanksgiving. this week will be a totally different story. my brother is cooking. my brother, the chef. 'nuff said, eh? so i figure, i may as well go whole hog! where's the beer?

then it's back in the saddle again on sunday.

i'm thankful for multiple thanksgivings........