taking the edge off

dudes! i have so much to do. and no desire to do any of it. but i want to be all clean and organized before i start my new job on monday morning. but i'm feeling cranky and lethargic. and i'm craving carbs DESPERATELY! i'm scared to give in because carbs only beget more carbs, but the gremlin inside needs to be fed. what will do the least amount of damage?

• caramel apple martinis?
• fudgy brownies?
• a heaping plate of pad thai?

i should just make myself a hot cut of tea, but how much do you wanna bet i end up drunk with doughnut crumbs on my shirt before the day's end??

better than the rockettes!

starring...MH, my mom, the monchichi, and ME!

thanks to chicagogal for the link. hil-ar-ious!

HWC: week 5

magically, i weighed in at 156 today. after a week of chips, beer, and no exercise followed by a week of watching what i eat (i had no pie whatsoever people. NO PIE! ON THANKSGIVING! isn't that illegal?) and no exercise, i'm up 1 pound from 2 weeks ago, but down 2 pounds overall...sounds good to me.

i'm off to a bad start on the exercise front, but tomorrow morning, i'm meeting my new trainer. MH. we made a deal, i help him with grocery shopping and his diet, and i give him permission to torture me at the gym twice a week. i get to nag, he gets to watch me sweat. fair deal.

and something that motivated me today: i was talking with a guest who just came in from a run. he's getting his ass back into shape for his annual physical for the air force. when he told me he was trying to lose weight i said, "but losing weight during the holidays is the hardest!" and he said, "but if you can do it now, you can do it any time." pretty smart. if you can lose weight during the holidays, when overindulgence is at its peak during the year, you're basically the badass of weight losers. and i always want to be the badass of something!

plus we'll all have a head start on all those people trying to fit into bikinis come june. shit by february, our valentines will be very happy we turned down all those desserts.

the design elves were here

thanks for all the positive comments about the design of my blog! since some of you asked about redesigning yours, i thought i'd offer some tips, if you're interested.

most of you know i'm a designer. but i'm a print designer, so i don't know any css or html or any of that other fancy-schmancy webcrap. that's why i use blogger. they've made it relatively easy to create a custom look on here, even within the confines of default templates, even without knowing what you're doing!

my template
my blog uses the rounders template. i chose this because it allows me to choose separate background colors for the header, sidebar, and main area. this gives you huge flexibility and control. you can go neutral, or bold, or coordinate with the holidays. you can show allegiance to your favorite sports team. or be inspired by the colors of your garden or what's hot in fashion. either way, you can customize it to your needs and update it as often as you want. right now, my sidebar and main area are both the same color, making it look like one big section.

my masthead
under TEMPLATE, go to PAGE ELEMENTS, and click on edit in the header area. you have 2 options: insert an image behind your blog title and description or replace the title and description entirely.

let's talk about the first option. instead of just a plain background color, you can insert an image. the default size for the header of this template is 720 x 156 pixels. so horizontal would be good. and keep in mind that your title will go over it. maybe go for a fun overall pattern or a photo with a lot of "white space" where the title will go. again, this function is as easy as clicking a button and uploading a picture, thereby making it easy to change, whenever you want.

my image replaces the title, giving me more control over the typography. i design all my mastheads in photoshop CS3. i am certain there are other programs out there that most non-designers use, but i don't really know of any. but i'm sure you all do. again, the size of the image needs to fit the default header size: 720 x 156.

getting fancy
i've recently figured out how to make my blog wider! i always thought the main area was too narrow, both proportionally and absolutely, so i did a search in HELP and came to this site which gave me step-by-step instructions. the HELP function in blogger really lives up to its name.

i've also found the HTML cheatsheet on webmonkey.com to be helpful.

also, if you like what you see on someone's blog, you can check out their code to see how they did it! in firefox, under VIEW, go to SOURCE CODE.

if you're worried that messing around with your template will screw things up, make a copy of your virgin template before you go messing around, just so you have it as a backup.

but not too fancy
and if you'll allow me a brief amount of time on my design soapbox. don't go too overboard! just because you can choose 10 different fonts to use throughout your blog, doesn't mean you should. my eyes will bleed and i will never read your blog again. and please remember the importance of hierarchy. if everything is important, nothing is important. don't make everything bold! and italic! and large! and bright! and blinky! and zoomy! pick 1 or 2 things to focus on, and let the rest support and compliment those important things.

but most importantly
have fun! as you can see, there's really not a lot to my custom-looking blog. just an image and a flexible template. so have at it! i can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

mastering tables

check out the new tables in my sidebar! i've broken down my holiday weightloss challenge. and when viewed in this format, it looks like a piece o' cake, no?

and you'll notice that my workouts this week do not contain any running. that is because i am taking a 3 week break. the fourth week, i'll try again, just to get my legs used to running again for my 5K on the 23rd. i'll show up because i paid for it, but how things actually go that day remains to be seen.

as for my foot issues, i thank everyone for their advice. you've solidified everything i've read on the subject. i never had any foot issues until i started running. during half marathon training, it was my peroneous longus thingamajig. i got custom orthotics for both my running shoes and everyday shoes. i trained for my second half in those orthotics and they worked fine. i never got to race, but i never had the issues i did training the first time around.

then i started waiting tables. i used the everyday orthotics in my work shoes but still ended up with achy, sore feet. and during marathon training, i started noticing pain in my heels, mainly my right foot. towards the end of training, i thought for sure i wouldn't make it because of my feet, but whatever, you know i ran the mofo anyway.

i'm beginning to think the problem was maybe the orthotic in just my right shoe. so i bought a pair of those really expensive, ugly dansko clogs that chefs and nurses wear.

most. freaking. comfortable. pair. of. shoes. ever!

and i don't have to wear an orthotic. even after a whole day on my feet, they aren't sore or achy. the only thing i feel now is the persistent nagging right heel pain. i'm thinking maybe the running orthotic is ok because i only started having problems when using the normal orthotic (and adding mileage and waiting tables). i'm hoping that swapping out the clogs for the normal orthotic, not waiting tables, and treating my feet and calves with TLC will do the trick.

and then you never have to hear about my foot issues ever again.

out of shape

dude! my quads are sore! from a 5k! when i fall off the wagon, i fall hard.

i tried running today after work...no go. my legs were way too tight and i was getting weird pains in my left foot. kind of like the weird pins and needles feeling when they go numb, only they were never numb. it's hard for me to believe it could be due to my magic shoes, especially since my feet were fine during the race. i'm blaming it on being my feet all day. even though i got new shoes for work a couple weeks ago. really expensive ones. endorsed by the podiatry society of america! my feet are just seriously effed up.

though i do have a sneaking suspicion that i have pf, which i totally ignored during marathon training because i am dumb and didn't want anything to stop me. we'll see how my feet fare once i'm not waitressing anymore...and my new health insurance kicks in. but let's pray that my self diagnosis is totally wrong. and that it isn't anything worse.

my first turkey trot

on a day i was supposed to be full of warm fuzzies, i was instead full of frustration. i left in plenty of time to get to the race but because of my stupidity, i read highway 50 as highway 5 on the directions and i ended up totally turned around. i got to csus campus just in time to wait in a huge line of cars. not wanting to wait and desperately needing to pee, i made an illegal turn to park semi-illegally. i figured it's a holiday, they're lax on parking enforcement right?

i had no idea where on campus this shindig was supposed to start but i figured that hoardes of people couldn't be wrong. so i followed the crowds, very dismayed that all i saw were families and strollers. 20,000 people were expected to show up and they gave strict directions to those who wanted to be timed to get there on time to line up in front of the mobs of walkers.

so i start on my own trot, just to get to the start line. i swear to bob this thing started on the other side of campus. i made quick use of the potties and tried to weave my way through the sea of walkers. the race had already started. how long ago i'm not sure because stupid me forgot my watch.

i'm weaving my way in and out, trying my best not to be an asshole. i mean it was my own fault for being late, but i was still aggravated. little kids everywhere. strollers everywhere. walkers lined up 3 or 4 or 10 abreast. seriously, why in the world do walkers do that?!

about this time i press play on the ipod i borrowed from my brother, because stupid me forgot my own. first song? everybody was kung fu fighting... i thought, oh this should be interesting...

so i'm zipping along. it's more of an urban fartlek exercise than a race. i'm weaving in and out, dodging little ankle biters, hopping up onto the sidewalk, side stepping tree roots, bounding over potholes. i'm running, i'm walking, i'm jumping. i'm honestly surprised i didn't either elbow an old lady in the ribs or sprain my ankle.

once the 10kers split off, i had a little more room to zoom and i got into a pretty even pace. it felt good. i was finally running again. in the crisp fall air. i felt all badass in my special gloves, special hat, and brand new kicks. being one of very few runners in a sea of walkers makes me feel very cocky.

the rest of the race was pretty uneventful. nothing special to note, except for this: women of sacramento, i beseech you, invest in running skirts. seriously. they hide ALL sins. and i should know, i am the biggest sinner of them all. but at least i cover that shit up!

anyway, back to the new shoes, i got fitted yesterday by the most luscious tall drink of chocolate milk ever. perhaps that's how i walked out of the store with a pair of shoes $30 more expensive than my last pair and a pair of socks i didn't really need! after going from a pair of motion control, to super motion control, to stability shoes, i've been outfitted in a pair of neutral shoes by new balance. they said my orthotics are taking care of all my pronation issues and when compared to the new version of my old model, the new balances felt much more comfortable and roomy in the toe box area, a place where my old shoes felt too snug at times. salesman failed to mention they were $120. but whatever, they are magical shoes, i'm sure of it.

so back to the race, i finish and see the clock: 47:09. i estimated that i was about 10 minutes late and i was close. i was actually 10:50 late. so my real time is 36:18. an average pace of 11:43. the bad news: while i didn't feel spent, it was an effort. the good news: i really do feel invigorated in my running again. a month from now, we'll see where i stand!

full of thanks

a bunch of randomness:

• moment of truth monday? ha! i haven't seen a scale since last week. MH has been moving and i am his #1 helper elf. that has GOT to count for some crosstraining. if it also didn't include potato chips and fortys of beer.

• i'm running a turkey trot tomorrow. i'm not nervous or scared or anything like that. i wish i was. where, oh where, has my competitive spirit gone? the good news is if i "run" it in like 40 minutes, i'll certainly beat my time come december!

• 2 canned goods at my local fleet feet equals $10 off a purchase of $75 or more. i need new kicks anyway! i also need new running clothes because i'm getting too big to fit into bored of mine. christmas will be coming early for me.

• for the first time in a decade, i get to spend thanksgiving with my family!! this is a big deal and i'm very happy and very thankful for this. it's been a year since i've moved and it's been an emotional year for sure. many times i thought i had made the wrong decision. but this year has also been filled with so many blessings: the lil monchichi, being back with my brothers and cousins, talking to my mom everyday, a new job, a new boy who thinks i'm pretty swell. i am thankful indeed.

good luck to everyone running tomorrow. happy and safe travels to those making the trek to see loved ones. and eat your hearts out people.

growing up too fast

can i please stop time and keep him this age forever? and then bottle him up and carry him around everywhere i go?



we also took some photos in photobooth, but i think the weirdo images were creeping him out.



my brother and i were having fun with it though.

holiday 5ks

so you know what i'm sick of more than running? NOT RUNNING! it's nearly a month since the marathon and i think i'm ready to get back on the wagon. and now with a normal work schedule i can actually sign up for races on the weekends!

so in the great running tradition, i'm all registered for a turkey trot in sacramento on thanksgiving. i'm not expecting any running miracles, except to finish and have a grand ol' time. but i'm looking for this race to give me the boost i need to get back into running regularly.

because in exactly one month and one day after that, i am running the christmas classic 5k in san francisco. my goal will be to demolish my turkey trot time, if not pull in a sub-30 min 5k.

after months of marathon madness, 5k training seems like a slice of heaven. sure i might want to totally vomit my guts out from trying to run consistent 10 minute miles, but at least the torture only lasts 30 minutes!

the wait is over

the good news you've been waiting for? i've accepted a full-time design position.

don't get too excited. it's not my dream job, but it's not waiting tables. i don't have to work weekends (unless i want to wait tables for fun, which i am known to do) and i have a normal person's work schedule! i still plan on doing freelance on the side and will continue to look for my ideal design job.

but i've got other ideas as well. i'm seriously contemplating going back to school so that i can teach. i've always wanted to do it, and i've always been told i'd make a good teacher but i will say the thought of it kind of terrifies me. i was always an eager student. what would i do with students who don't want to learn as eagerly as i do?

i've been out of school for 7 years now and the idea of going back scares me too. plus i have no teaching experience, other than the summers i worked with my mom in her classroom, back when i was in high school! so in the next couple of weeks, i have a lot of research to do.

so for all you teachers out there (and i know there a good number of you) what's it really like? what's involved in getting certified? i've also seen certification/MA programs...how do i know what program is right for me? how will i even know if i'm cut out for teaching???

making a good first impression

yesterday, MH and i got to his mom's house only to find out that everyone was still at work. so we let ourselves in and made ourselves at home. we took advantage of this quiet time to relax and watch tv upstairs before the onslaught on family members. as things go, one thing led to another and...ahem...anyway, you get the idea. somehow the time got away from us and either the tv was on too loud or we just weren't paying attention because we didn't hear anyone approaching the door.

in the longest second ever known to man, i heard the door click, saw two sets of eyes make eye contact with mine as i scrambled to grab a blanket, we all shrieked and mumbled, "sorry! sorry!". the door slammed and i buried my face in the blanket absolutely mortified. MORTIFIED! the funny thing was, was that i couldn't stop laughing. it was so funny yet so excruciatingly mortifiying all at the same time. MH wasn't sure whether i was laughing or crying but i assured him that i was only laughing. quietly dying inside, but still laughing. when i could finally breathe i seethed: why didn't you LOCK the door?! i thought i did, he said.

so yeah, that's how i met MH's grandma.

i contemplated sneaking out from the second story window and never seeing anyone in his family ever again, but knew that was pretty impractical. so we laughed some more, regained composure and joined the rest of the family downstairs. they were either more traumatized than i was or had a good sense of humor about it because they didn't make me feel uncomfortable. actually, his family made me feel very welcome that night and i was pleased to be a part of his family's mini-reunion.

so now the worst is over, concerning meeting his family. his dad and brother live in mexico, so unless MH and i get really serious, i won't have to bound that hurdle. but if i can win over his grandma, his mom, and his sister, i think we'll be ok.

Another Monday

weight last week: 159
weight this week: 155

it's good to not be hopped up on hormones.

don't know what else to say. my brain has been severely impaired lately, and i wonder why i still blog.

oh, i'm meeting MH's grandma tomorrow night who is in town for the month from mexico. i feel like i should be reading my diccionario. or at least watching dora the explorer or plazo sesamo or something. MH assures me my spanish is good enough to get by and make a good impression but we shall see. maybe if i keep my mouth stuffed with tamales all night i won't have to talk.

more about me, the crabby patty

so i'm home from work, feeling terribly crabby for no real tangible reason since i'm not at work anymore. but i'm feeling so crabby i'm liable to ditch kbox tonight and head for the movies and drown my crabbiness in a tub o' popcorn. the angel on one shoulder says, oh just go you'll feel so good, then you can go to the movies. then the devil on my other shoulder says, shut it, you want popcorn and butter and don't forget the chocolate covered gummi bears. i might just tire myself out with the internal conflict and opt to fall asleep instead...

for now, i'll engage in 311's game of tag. she wants me to list 5 random facts about me then tag 5 people at the end:

1.

You Are An ENFJ

The Giver You strive to maintain harmony in relationships, and usually succeed. Articulate and enthusiastic, you are good at making personal connections. Sometimes you idealize relationships too much - and end up being let down. You find the most energy and comfort in social situations ... where you shine. In love, you are very protective and supporting. However, you do need to "feel special" - and it's quite easy for you to get jealous. At work, you are a natural leader. You can help people discover their greatest potential. You would make a good writer, human resources director, or psychologist. How you see yourself: Trusting, idealistic, and expressive When other people don't get you, they see you as: Bossy, inappropriate, and loud

What's Your Personality Type?

2. i am fascinated by left handedness. i have always wanted to be left handed. and i notice right away when someone is lefthanded.

3. i have never dated anyone of my own race. the reason i don't date asian guys is that i feel like we're all related somehow. they all remind me too much of a brother, a cousin, an uncle, etc. in fact, the majority of guys i've dated were not from the u.s., yet i've never been out of the country.

4. speaking of race, the question i get asked most often is, "where are you from?" or "what nationality are you?" if i had a dollar for everytime i was asked that, i'd be a very rich woman. when i lived on the east coast, i figured it was because there isn't a huge filipino population out there and people would just be confused because i didn't look quite asian or quite latina. but even in the year that i've been back west, i get that question at least 3 times a week. does this happen to anyone else?!?

5. the only A i didn't really earn in school was 8th grade algebra. i raised my B to an A using the extra credit points of a boy in my class who had a crush on me. he was a a freakin' genius who skipped a grade, already had a very solid A in the class, with tons of extra credit to spare. too bad his extra credit couldn't help me 4 years later in calculus. i got my first ever B second semester of my senior year. luckily, i never wanted to be a physicist or anything.

there you go...i tag anyone who cares to play!

back to back spin and MH's mom

last night: 1.5 mile run and spin class with asian betty. same instructor as kbox. while i loved her monday night, during spin, i wanted to rip off her pigtails. her thing was to slowly build our speed all while adding resistance, then slow us down quickly to nothing, then start that climb again. over and over. i swear there was a point where we were up in a climb and my legs just refused to move. i pushed and pushed and nothing.

this morning: spin with elvis. he had a variety of things going on, but i don't remember much because i was distracted by just how much my glutes BURNED! oh that and listening to him try to rap was hilarious.

today: MH and i are visiting his sister who is finally out of the hospital with her newborn baby boy! this also means we're having lunch with his mom and aunt. let's hope i'm just as charming in my remedial spanish as i am in english. and i don't think "donde esta la cerveza?" will win me any points today...

20 pounds ago

when i started this blog, i was very close to my goal weight, and that was just a little over a year ago. trying to reverse that 20 pound gain in 3 short months is definitely doable, if you figure that a 2-lb/wk loss is still considered healthy. but i gotta say the idea of losing these 20 pounds feels harder than running 26.2 miles!

but i've done it before, and i'll do it again. and i have to keep reminding myself that it is possible. i mean this was me just last summer (2006) weighing in at roughly 138. and to think back then, i wanted to lose 10 more! right now, if you told me that's the smallest i'd ever get, i'd take it and never ever complain!

so i think i need to printout 20 copies of this, make magnets and stickers and buttons, and stick 'em everywhere to motivate myself. sure, i never looked like jessica biel, but i'll take this version of me anyday!

the 120 pound high-school version of me would have BALKED at weighing that much. but my high-school self never ran a farking marathon! ah, how age changes your perspective.

oh and regarding "the news"...we still have to wait...

tuesday is my friday

as the day progressed, so did my soreness. yeah to using new muscles! especially the butt ones. and it wasn't the omg i can't even move kind of soreness, but the i did exactly enough to fatigue my muscles in the most perfect way kind. i figured it better to not totally push it with a workout today. i hate being so sore i'm cranky and whiny all day. besides today is my friday.

i might have good news tomorrow morning. we'll have to see how things go.

moment of truth monday

weight on 11/1: 158
current weight: 159

yeah, leave it up to me to GAIN a pound. but i expected it - it's that time of month. i'm surprised the gain was only 1!

as far as diet, keeping to my rule has been relatively easy. there is constant temptation at work and home, but i'm proud to say i've been bacon-free for a week! i haven't touched any desserty type foods except for 2 chocolate covered strawberries today. hey! they're good for you, right? :) saturday, i tried to be good at hooters, but that just didn't work. and i regretted it almost instantly. i felt so icky and bloated and sick afterward. maybe that's just the lesson i needed to learn.

my parents also came home with some lovely pastries and breads from the filipino bakery. damn them! the good thing is that they also picked up some persimmons and pomegrenates from the store too!

tonight, i went to kickboxing. i was pleased to see that the instructor wasn't one of those bouncy, fluffy aerobicise types. she was the normal, no frills, get to business type. my favorite type. the new girl at work came with me and she was impressed that i kept up so well. little did she know i kickboxed for years before i found running. and i'm pretty intense about it. i felt very much at home and thrilled to be punching and kicking imaginary ass!

and damn, you know those plyometric jumps and squats and lunges?! we did those too. and all i thought was, this better make me a faster runner!

a petite hiatus

so, i haven't really wanted to admit this because i was afraid of what it might mean, but i'm thinking it might be a good thing.

i'm kinda sick of running. eek! there i said it.

for whatever reason, it's just not doing it for me. i dread it. absolutely dread it. i don't want to do long runs because they're too long. i don't even want to do the short ones because i think, why get all dressed and sweaty for only 2 or 3 miles? i hate reading how everyone and their mother just LOOOOVES running and how that's exactly what they want to do when they're stressed or tired or cranky. i want to do the exact opposite. i'd rather sleep or eat or drink or ANYTHING but run. i'm looking at my calendar with my faux training scheduling thinking, god, i don't want to run any of those!

and then i just feel guilty. for missing my workouts. for being a lazy runner.

i've thought about why i started running in the first place. what motivated me in the past. and i've come up with this. it was thrilling to do everything for the first time. my first 5k, then 10k, then half marathon. then holy shit, marathon! i've run a handful of other races, PRing each time. so now i'm like ok, now what?

i think it's time for a break. eek! i can't believe i said that. but it's true. at this point i don't feel very fit, even after running a god danged marathon. i think my brain and my body need a diversion. kickboxing sounds good, doesn't it? spinning too, eh? and if i really feel like it, and if i'm already dressed for the gym, maybe i'll pound out a 5k every now and then. but for now until the first of the year, i'm giving myself permission to not run if i don't want to.

whew! i feel better already. i still have a score to settle with santa cruz, so i'm sure once january comes along, i'll be back in the game training for another half marathon.

oh and the holiday weightloss challenge, is still on. i'm just gonna have to lose the pounds another way.

the value of an hour

i woke up today at 4:30. bleary-eyed, i reached for my watch. then i went looking for some shorts and a bra. i was down to my last pair of each. trying to find socks was the trickier part. clean ones anyway. i contemplated for a good 5 minutes whether it was ok to wear cotton socks just this one time, when i realized i had no idea where my vaseline was. then i tripped over about 5 pairs of shoes and about a dozen empty water bottles. then it kind of dawned on me, that my hour in the morning would be better used tidying up the heaps and heaps of crap that had been slowly eating up my room.

now, laundry is separated, clothes are hung, shoes put away, mail is sorted, trash has been trashed, and i can actually see the floor.

tonight after work we're going to sac to celebrate my brother's birthday. at hooters. if there was any day i should have gone to the gym, it was today. luckily we get an extra hour tomorrow. 'cause i'll need that extra hour to burn off some unwanted but tasty calories.