the upside and downside

the upside: i have three interviews in the next two days. one is more of an informational one, but could possibly lead to freelance work.

the downside: i have to go to renaissance faire. in costume. wearing a corset. and i'm not allowed to make fun of anyone (at least out loud), especially my boyfriend. at least there will be beer. oh, there will be beer. *sigh* the things i do for love.

i've had a post rolling around in my head for some time now. the topic could be quite juicy if i decide to share. i worry about posting it only because of my current state of mind and wonder whether i will regret it later, should someone find it. that, my friends, is why it's best to keep your blog from people you know.

in any case, i've got a full 4 days ahead of me. hope your weekend is full of happy training!

back in the day

this is sg when he was a senior in high school. and obviously, this is me. we would have made a totally hot couple, even then! except i got way better grades than he did and would have thought he was a slacker. and he might have thought i was too snobby and perky for my own good. so it's probably for the best we met when we did :)

i realize my blog has turned into a shrine to my current relationship. it's kind of embarrassing. i promise there will be real news soon.

actually, wait. i do have news. i've been scouring my address book and my facebook for help in the job search and so far have been having a little luck. no real hard leads yet, but it feels good to have so many other people watchin' my back. so, i say to you my beloved bloggers, if you have any contacts (or know of anyone who would) in the san francisco bay area in the field of marketing / communications / advertising / graphic design / production, please let me know.

the next phase

i canceled my gym membership.

in and of itself, not a big deal. but this one small action reveals a lot about the state of my life and where it's headed. it's no secret that training for "the next big race" has taken a back seat to other things lately. and i've finally accepted that. not that my endurance running days are over. just on hiatus.

training has become a lesser priority over :

1. making more money/finding a new job
   
2. getting into grad school
3. spending time with the family and the beau

and i'd still like to be able to eat and sleep and not be stressed out about everything.

in the meantime, while i look for a better paying job, i've cut expenses. and the gym membership was the first to go. it was hard. it was painful. i've been a member of some sort of gym for at least a decade. it's always so hard to quit because of how much it costs to join. and i tell myself i'll use it more. and i get scared that if i quit i'll just turn into a fat, lazy loser. when really, i have lots of resources at home to do exactly what i would do at the gym (besides swim).

again, in and of itself, quitting the gym is not a big deal. except that it's part of a larger "jenn gets financially responsible" plan...

the night before i quit the gym, i cut up my credit cards. in front of sg.

as sg and i got closer and talked more and more about marriage i was afraid that my past love affair with plastic would send him running. this is a man who has no debt. not even student loan debt. he paid for his past 2 vehicles in cash.

let's just say i'm glad he fell in love with me before knowing my deep, dark, debt secret. and the fact that it hasn't sent him running is even more proof to me that he is the one.

i spent my 20s having fun. living in the moment. wanting to experience everything i possibly could. i worked hard, don't get me wrong, because i've dug myself out of this hole before. but i always managed to find my way back, no matter how much money i was making, because something always came up that i didn't want to miss.

from what he tells me, sg has always been prudent. saving for what he really wanted. saving for that rainy day. saving up for the things he wanted to do when he met the woman of his dreams. he delayed his instant gratification for the future he wanted to build with his wife and his family. even though he didn't know who she was or when or whether it would happen.

the more we talked about building our life together, the more i realized that my past was holding us both back. and that i could no longer be so reckless. that the spoiled brat i had become would need to grow into a responsible brat.

and so it's begun. the next phase.

*************************************
if you're wondering about our future plans, nothing is set in store. he'd like to get married sooner rather than later, like before 2010, but considering all my money will be going into paying off my past, it makes saving for a wedding doubly difficult. that and the fact that i don't want my parents to have to pay a cent. they've done enough for me. i think his desires will be tempered by reality, but i can't say i'm a little disapointed if we would have to wait. though 2010 is a nice round number.

we've looked at rings. and before you get all up in arms, we were out shopping for other stuff, we walked by a jewelry store, it was his idea. he claims to know nothing about diamonds/rings, plus he wanted to know what i liked. and let me preface this by saying, i'm not a jewelry kind of girl. i have some special peices from my mom and my grandma, but from the most part, i wear only earrings and an ironman watch on a daily basis and consider costume jewelry more fun and dramatic (and less scary to lose) than real jewelry. but i still shouldn't have been surprised by the beauty and brilliance of a 2 karat princess cut solitaire on my finger. 1 karat would have been more than plenty, but looked so puny after the 2 karat. but not even my formerly spoiled brat self would expect an engagement ring that costs as much as a car.

we've discussed what we've envisioned as the perfect wedding. there are a number of options. eloping is still on the table, but not 100% ideal. we love our families too much to exclude them, but the sheer number of people and the east coast/west coast debate make running away to a tropical island all the more romantic. but i'm sure we'll come up with a happy compromise.

we've narrowed down the number of kids we'd like. no debate there. let's just hope our bodies are still up for when the time comes.

the biggest point of contention is where we'll settle down. california was never sg's intended home. and i moved back home to start planting roots. his family is in alabama, a place neither of us want to live. the jury's still out...

and that's about it. i know you all think we're crazy. we've only been dating for 2 months and 10 days. i know nothing is a guarantee. but sg is a perfect fit.

i need a set of big girl pants...

so much time lapses between my posts that i think why do i even bother? do people even really care any more? then i remember i started blogging for myself. so that answers that question. it frustrates me though, that there is so much going on in my life that training has taken a back seat. i gave myself the excuse of adopting a type b approach to training this summer. and while it's helped keep me "balanced" to enjoy things other than my running, i feel like part of my life is severely lacking because i'm not running as much as i'd like. not even so much that i'm not running as much as i think i should or need. but i WANT to be running more. what craziness!

my upcoming half marathon in october has started to weigh on me. will i be ready? at the beginning of the summer i would have said, yes, i will be ready. now? it's pretty dicey. could i get through it, yes. could i walk the majority of it? yes. but i don't want to. i want to run it. i want to run it better than i've run any other half marathon.

so what's my problem?

i never understood how much of a time commitment and mental commitment training was. because i had all the free time in the world as a single nine to fiver. added onto the fact that i lived on my own. now? i've still got a nine to five, but i have many more family responsibilities, don't have a whole home to myself, and maintain a relationship with a boyfriend who lives an hour away. and soon? i'm gonna have to worry about gmats and grad school apps. AND. i really need to start looking for another job.

where the HELL am i going to find time to train?

in the grand scheme of things, everything else comes first. but how do i reconcile my strong desire to train and race and the finite number of hours in a day? the finite amount of energy i can put into the various pieces of my life?

i know i'm not alone in this. hell, there are executive mothers who train for 2 marathons and ironmans at a time with twin infants at home. everyone has a lot on their plate. why can't i seem to juggle everything too?

i kind of wish i hadn't signed up for this half marathon. i think the reason it weighs heavily on my mind is that if i'm gonna do it, i want to do it well. and it irks me that there just doesn't seem like there's enough time. it irks me that i'm unwilling? unable? to step things up and just bite the bullet and stop whining and just get off my ass and train like a good girl.

grrrrr....

but at the same time, i just can't abandon everything else and eat, sleep, and breathe training. i HAVE to get a new job. i HAVE to take the gmats. i HAVE to apply to business school. i WANT to be there for my family. i WANT to be there for my boyfriend. i WANT to catch up with friends.

the theme of my past posts all definitely point to me not having enough time for myself. downtime, not worrying about anything. doing exactly what i want, when i want, how i want, for whatever reason i want. even as i write this i get this icky knot in my stomach. i just want to run away.

i know that soon enough, things will shake down. and i'll get a handle on things. and what falls to the wayside, falls to the wayside. it'll all be good. but for now, i'm angsty :)

in other news, sg and i are headed to vegas tomorrow to meet up with my college friends. you know, for the the girls' trip that turned into the couple's trip. i have loads more to say about that but i've already blogged your ear (eyes?) off. i also have a race report from last friday to write. wherein i took my nephew to his first race! :)

but that will all have to wait. everyone's on vacavy anyway. be safe kids and have fun!

i need to lay off the carbs

because they're messing with my mood.

besides i'll be in vegas in 4 days. carb bloat won't fit into my halter dresses.

*sigh*

i think my mood lately pretty much confirms that i need a vacation. a proper vacation, not just fun, action packed three day weekends. in fact, i think it's the combination of my work weeks AND weekends that have been making my life too hectic. that and the end of summer marking serious get down to business with business school time.

so while i don't have any vacation time coming soon, the first two weekends in september are open and i plan to keep it that way. no bf, no family, no friends. just me. and whatever the hell i want to do. which may just very well be nothing.

well, eating. i WILL be eating!

on turning 30

unrelated to the main part of this post, i am in a crappy mood. had a great yoga session, where i confirmed that i am way too tight, followed by a crappy run cut short. i feel like i need a vacation and my mom is working my last nerve. but instead of dwelling on the crap, i'm posting something i wrote (and kept in drafts) earlier in the week about the fabulousness that has been turning 30.

in my rare downtime, i've been catching up on my blog reading and came across this post at she just walks around with it. as you all know, i've been very contemplative about turning 30 and have been talking about it since i turned 29. i've been eager to just get over my 20s already and move on to the next phase of my life. not to say my 20s weren't totally kick ass. because they were. despite all the turmoil that i (and most people do in their 20s) went through, i wouldn't trade it in for anything. i lament that it has probably taken me longer to grow up than most people, but i guess that's just the price you pay for being a kid at heart. and i'd rather be a kid than an adult any day :)

i had some ideas planned for the big 3-0 post. you know, lists of stuff i want to see, accomplish etc. for now, i've settled on this:

10 things about my past:

1. i always loved school. so much so that i chose to go to summer school. i very much enjoyed being "one of the smart kids".
   
2. i was a little shy as a kid. but puberty helped. boobs are useful in gaining friends, i guess.
3. going to college out of state was one of the best decisions i ever made.
4. returning home was also one of the best decisions i ever made.
5. i have been in love 3 times.
6. i spent way too much money.
7. i was way type-a.
8. i've always been grateful for my creative abilities.
9. i spent a lot of time trying to be "perfect".
10. i was kind of a snob.

10 things about my present:

1. i am the happiest i've ever been.
2. i'm a runner. and very much enjoy that i am active and fit, especially after a very non-athletic childhood.
3. i wish i kept up with my piano lessons though.
4. i am praying to the gods for a great gmat score and acceptance into b-school.
5. i find i'm happier being "balanced" over being "perfect"
6. i eat way too much.
7. i have found the love of my life.
8. i have embraced being dubbed "cute" and hope it means i'll always look young for my age.
9. i appreciate my loved ones much, much more. and hopefully do a good job in showing it.
10. i am starting to be deafened by the sound of my biological clock. for awhile i thought i didn't have one.

10 things about my future:

1. i will get an mba.
2. i will run more marathons.
   
3. i will marry sg.
4. i will have our babies. and they will be damned cute. and smart. (and they will be runners)
   
5. i will travel to greece, latin america, australia, italy, spain, and most of the 50 states. and anywhere sg wants to go. i will follow him to the ends of the earth, if need be.
   
6. i will be a working mom and teach my daughters to be strong and independent.
7. i will learn to: sew, surf, letterpress, screenprint, and take better pictures.
   
8. i also want to take up: gardening, light carpentry, and triathloning. i'd also like to brush up on my spanish and use it more often.
   
9. i want to do more: dancing, cooking, swimming, yoga, crafting.
10. i will always laugh more than i will cry.
    

how did that happen?

a month ago, i ran my fastest 6 miler ever in 1:17. i weighed in at 165 after losing 6 pounds in 18 days. tonight i ran a 7 miler in 1:33:39. and was shocked to see the scale read 163.5.

huh?

i'm not getting faster, which is no surprise since i am running at most twice a week. but how the hell did i manage to lose weight this month? have you SEEN what i've been doing the last month? what i've EATEN this month? it's a shock to me that i was able to run 7 miles at all!

i guess there really is something to this whole cross training thing. because even though i've skipped too many runs, i've replaced them with hikes and long walks. and i have managed to get in at least one medium to long run every week. but still. by no means does it feel like i'm training, yet i somehow manage to eke by AND lose weight?

this type b approach really works, man.

a blog is a lot of work

i have become one of those women who is too busy for a lot of things now that she has a boyfriend. grrr. in all honesty though, class was taking up a fair bit of time. and now that it's finally not my birthday (i've been celebrating since the 1st) things should HOPEFULLY get getting back to normal. but i know it really won't til after our trip to vegas on labor day.

i got a short run in on friday before the boy came down for the weekend. i managed to get in some other active time playing with the nephew, beating sg in a major way in mini golf, hiking, sweating to dance dance revolution, breaking in the new wii fit, and kayaking. not a total loss for the weekend. i wanted to get a long run in after the boy left tonight, but i have eaten my weight in carbs and my body is busy digesting. and evacuating. not a good time to run.

i started a post about my birthday celebrations, but in all honesty, i'm tuckered out for a full recap. check out my flickr page for photos and i'll give you the short recap now:

sg planned a weekend of surprises for me the first weekend of august where we went to the monterey bay aquarium, which i haven't been to in years! he arranged for us to take a boat around the bay. i don't know if it was the wine or the actual waves that made him sick, but the poor thing was heaving his lunch over the side of the boat. i did get video of a baby dolphin that was swimming along side the boat for a good portion of the trip. that night we got back to his apartment, and as a pizza baked in the oven we looked up at the stars out of his window and found the big dipper. and as we traced the spoon, a shooting star darted across the sky! a total "this only happens in the movies" kind of moment. but that's been my life since meeting him.

on sunday, he arranged dinner at the melting pot, where there were roses waiting for me at our private booth in the section of the restaurant called "lover's lane". and he even arranged for us to get our picture taken. seriously, if someone were telling me this story, this is the part i would fake barf, but really, it was all very sweet.

on monday, he managed to get club level tickets to the giants game, so i feigned ill and spent the day as a local.

the next weekend, i had a camping trip planned with the whole fam down in santa cruz. all 30 of us, and poor patrick. even my 92 year old grandma and newborn nephew camped! he was a hit with the fam, with the exception of my grizzly overprotective mama bear, who doesn't want to admit that she likes him. we ate 'round the clock, taught the kids how to swim, hula hooped, rode bikes, tie dyed tshirts, rode a mechanical bull, played ping pong, made smores. it was all good family outdoor fun.

on my actual birthday, i drove me and my parents up to sacramento to have dinner with my brothers, sil, and monchichi. nothing too crazy, though the girls at hooters had me stand on a chair and do a funky chicken like dance while they sang. yes, we went to hooters for my birthday. try the fried pickles next time you go.

next weekend, the monchichi and i are running the race for the arts 10k in sacramento. we're also celebrating my baby brother's 25th. i'm taking him to the infineon raceway for his birthday.

so you can see, it's been a busy busy summer. one i wouldn't trade for the world. but i promise i'll be back to my regular bloggy (and running) self soon. the san jose half won't run itself!

this is what 30 looks like

happy. healthy. confident. loved.

go shorty! it's your birthday!

and this is my future.


and as it is my birthday, i thought it would be fitting to post my 6 word memoir:

big laughs. big heart. big appetite.

more thoughts on hitting the big 3-0 later...as well as updates on the very busy past 2 weeks!

slow

i'm finally home. in my own bed. whew. work today wasn't too bad. mainly because i know it's even extra shorter because i have friday off too!

i did get in a nice long run on monday while the boy worked. i set out from his apartment atop russian hill, made my way down to ghiradelli square ran through the marina and made it all the way to chrissy field and along baker beach before i had to stop and pee. i wished i had more time to do to the golden gate, but my parking spot expired in 2 hours and i needed to hightail it back home.

it took me a little under 45 minutes for this portion, but i gave myself more time on the return trip because it was going to be uphill. and i mean UPhill. hyde street between beach and lombard are killer. KILLER! i tried to run every other block. and the tourists were amazed. honestly, i was amazed. one day i will conquer these hills without my hamstrings begging for mercy. i've seen people do it. and i will one day be one of those people.

i ended up getting lost, as i usually do. and ended up circling round and round until i asked a meter maid for directions. i made it back to my car in just a little over 2 hours. and even though i have run only 1 other time last week, this run felt easy, breezy, and FANTASTIC. and even though my ipod crapped out 30 minutes into my run, the weather and sights were so gorgeous i felt like i could have run forever. it gives me hope that a half marathon really is doable again.

i have also named this post slow because flickr is taking forever to upload my photos from this weekend. i don't blame it though. at last count, after deleting the duds and doing some quick photoshopping, it's uploading 305 photos. whew!

so i'll wait til i have the proper visual aids to do the show and tell of this weekend. trust me, it's worth it. right now, i need to massage the heck outta my legs. and oh yeah, a stats test to study for... grrrr....

time flies

has it really been a week since i last posted? have i really been that busy. the answer is yes! fu*k yes.

this is the last week of class, and i'm poised to get an a. i found out that i only need a 65 on the last test to keep my a! WOOT! my friend kb was visiting on friday, and we had a full day hiking at muir woods, picnicing at stinson beach, and cooling off in the ocean. from there we met up with sg, 3 of my cousins and my aunt for a ridiculously fantastic steak dinner at harris' in nob hill.

from there, we made our way to asiasf only to be pulled over by a cop for supposedly making a right hand turn from the wrong lane. BOO! totally not the case, but sg got hit with a $400 ticket. for something totally ridiculously lame. needless to say, that was a huge buzzkill and we all went home right after.

the rest of the weekend has been spent with my sg, learning of my birthday surprise and continuing to be the happiest, luckiest girl on earth. in fact, the fun hasn't yet stopped. the boy got bad@ss tickets to the giant's game through work and we're capping off our 4 day weekend at the ballpark. so i called out today and am planning my day in the city while he is at work.

so updates of our weekend will most likely follow on tuesday or wednesday once i finally upload the 1000 pictures i've taken in the last 4 days. i do plan on running today, finally. i'm so glad class will be over this week and i can REALLY start training...and looking for a job in san francisco.......

hope you all had a tenth of the weekend i've had!

15 things about this weekend

surf's up!

it's busy-busy around here. so busy i will stop using complete sentences and post in bullets. this weekend i:

1. learned the monchichi knows the words to katy perry's song, "i kissed a girl". how hilarious is that?!
   
   
2. feasted on an assortment of grilled meats, courtesy of my brother the chef: rib eye, 2 kinds of pork chops, quartered chicken, leg of lamb. animals are tasty.
   
   
3. also dined on authentic southern fried chicken. (without sg)
   
   
4. bought a huge flat of strawberries and bricks of 2 kinds of chocolate: old dutch and french vanilla dark.
   
   
5. cringed when the monchichi sadly called out for me as i left to meet sg and his friends.
   
   
6. made friends with a new toddler.
   
   
7. drank beer and got beat by a calculus teacher at ping pong. i guess being asian doesn't automatically make you good at ping pong.
   
   
8. got up the next morning and ran for 45 minutes AND did my pushups.
   
   
9. and felt like a total show off.
   
   
10. met some cool new people.
    
    
11. participated in major pda in front of sg's friends.
    
    
12. ate 2 kinds of cake.
    
    
13. introduced sg to my brother, sil, cousin, mom, and dad.
    
    
14. survived the whole ordeal.
    
    
15. was pleasantly surprised at how it all went, actually.

as for my parents' reactions to sg, my mom says she hopes he can "tame" me, whatever the hell that means. last time i checked i wasn't a shrew.

this week holds tons more activity. i have a friend in from out of town and sg has planned an early birthday extravaganza weekend! and it's a SURPRISE! wheeeeeeeeee!

until then, i've got laundry, homework, and running to do. lots of running!

one day i will stop posting pictures of the two of us. today is not that day.

------------
in running news, i got an easy 2 miler in, followed by some lower body in the weight room.

weighing the options

things keeping me from running:

1. facebook
2. daydreaming (of the boy)
3. facebook
4. facebook

reasons i need to run

1. i ate two doughnuts last night with the excuse that i was going to run today.
2. i want to run a strong half mary, not just survive it.
3. i'd like to lose another 6 pounds before my vegas trip on labor day.

that's it...i'm logging off and running....peace out!

******UPDATE******
6 mile lr on the books. totally smooth sailing. so smooth i wasn't paying attention to mile markers and hit my split button too late on every mile. (14:18, 12:38, 13:06, 12:19, 14:55) i had tocut the 6 miler down to 5 after developing a hip twinge at 4.5 miles. i've felt this twinge before when training for santa cruz. and i was NOT going to push it. i walked the last half mile and stretched like a mo fo. tomorrow i had planned to get in an easy 5 miles, but i think i'll be in the pool, pulling for my life, and getting some yoga done tonight!

let's hope the monchichi doesn't have any strenuous exercise on the books, though!

some spontaneity

kids, i skipped school today. and i skipped my speed workout. i was missing the boy way too much and friday seemed too far off. confident that the 102 on my last test solidified my A in stats, i didn't feel too guilty as i breezed past the college on the way to the bay.

i was greeted with hugs. and kisses. and he smelled so good. it was exactly what i missed. exactly what i needed.

we headed to dinner at memphis minnie's to get our fill of what he considers the most authentic southern barbecue in the city. and while the sweet tea left much to be desired, the ribs were spot on.

from there we drove to the beach, not missing robin william's huge mansion overlooking china beach. we climbed up some rocks to find a little spot to watch the sun set. and then when the sun touched down on the horizon, we spotted a large school of dolphins splashing and swimming in the water. we soaked in the fresh air, watched the waves crash, and collected rocks in the sand to commemorate our third date.

i don't know what i ever did to get this lucky. but i honestly have been thanking my lucky stars every day. i never knew it could be this good. i never know i could be this happy.

too much fun for one

busy busy weekend here, kids. so busy i totally overslept this morning. but never fear, a post-work nap led to a great evening workout: easy 2 miler, some time in the weight room working on lower body, and day one of week one in the push ups challenge. my second initial test yielded 13 pushups, so averaged my first test of 10 with 13 and settled on the middle level. if i was hardcore i'd really push myself, but this is the summer of type b, remember? so my pushup sets went 7, 7, 5, 4, 7 for a total of 30! i was taking less than the 60 second break in between. but i'm sure as time progresses i'll need em!

as for the weekend, i spent the saturday afternoon with the fam in bodega bay. it was a great day for the beach. overcast, but warm and breezy. perfect for playing in the sand, getting dirty, and eating bbq! i am overjoyed that my nephew loves the beach. i was afraid he might be like his dad and be grossed out by sand and sea water. but nope, we chased waves, buried each other in sand, and raced up and down the beach chasing birds. i'll spare you the pictures of my brothers totally smoking me in a sprint down the beach. at least i've got them in the endurance department.

we're going to bodega bay!

ooh! the water is cold!

lots of pretty dogs to pet!

boys can hula hoop too!

carting the monchichi on my back counts as cross-training, right?

what scheme is he plotting next? (i need to photoshop that grill out of the picture if i'm ever going to get it printed)

organic brick oven french bread! and homemade scones! biscotti! sticky buns!

cute lily pond in occidental, ca

ack! BIRDS!

that night, i drove up to sf to have dinner with sg. and help him with grocery shopping. lucky for him i like that kind of stuff. plus, what better way to get to know someone than to see firsthand their food habits? it is very apparent that i will be in charge of nutrition in the relationship. but he seems very amenable to it. sg rewarded my help with his errands by taking me on a walk up to a park that overlooked the bay, spanning from bridge to bridge. we sat, drank our beer, talked, cuddled while the fog rolled in. san francisco couldn't be a more perfect place to fall in love.

the next morning, we went to aids walk sf. he was volunteering with ws. so i smiled and made polite talk with the coworkers and while he schmoozed i took off with my camera to take in the sights:

i was so tempted to steal these dogs! first order of business after getting my own place is getting a boston terrier!

children's playground, golden gate park

some of them told me it can take up to 3 hours for them to get all dolled up!

www.fatchancebellydance.com

sg at the grill. thankfully, god did not ignore my prayer about wanting my boy to have a great ass. ws puts out a phenomenal spread for its team of walkers. i had my fill of grilled portabellas, asparagus, and salmon.

the real san francisco treat

are you sick of us yet? i'm not.

after our philanthropic efforts we trekked home and napped before dinner. we rode the cable car downtown, sipped on soup, and waited with the masses to watch batman. but the wait was totally worth it!

then sadly, i had to make the trek home and another pefect weekend came to an end. next weeked should be interesting though. i'm meeting some of his friends. and he's meeting the 'rents!

summertime lsd

first long run of training and i made a dumb rookie mistake. i let my enthusiasm get the better of me. check out my splits: 12:21, 11:31, 12:41, 13:16, 14:30, 12:37 for a total time of 1:17 for a 6 miler. i tried to recapture my "speed" from thursday and got my ass handed to me instead. but it's all good, i finished. though i do attribute my slowness to not enough hydration, woman issues, and possibly not enough food yesterday. i didn't remember i was running my lsd today until dinner. and i ate light pretty all day.

which explains my new weight: 165! so that means i'm down 6 pounds in 18 days. not bad. not bad.

i was also rewarded at the end of my run when i looked up at the tv and saw the new kids' video playing! did i tell you i'm seeing them in concert in october! WOOT! my love for jordan knight still lives! here's a clip of their video. i'm off to bodega bay with the fam bam and i'm bringing my hula hoop!

it just keeps getting better

55:33.

that's how fast i ran my 5-miler this morning.

*blink* *blink*

you read that right. 55:33. um hello, that's like my fastest time EVER for a 5 miler. and i wasn't even trying. and i'm only in the zygote stage of training. holy shite.

the schedule called for a tempo run, but since i'm still in a run/walk phase, i stuck with intervals. i started off at a walk: 10:30 pace, then after awhile increased the walk to a 12:00 trot, then after awhile increased the running pace to 10:00, then finally took out the slow trot altogether and ran the last mile at a 10:00 pace, kicking it up to 7.2 mph to finish. WHEW!

it was altogether exhilirating. and empowering. getting this 5 miler under my belt, with energy to spare gives me hope that a half mary pr is in my future. it's also a lesson that pizza, rice, and goobers in moderate amounts makes me a faster runner.

i have also tinkered around the 100 pushups challenge site. i haven't read it in depth so i haven't yet officially started. i tried it out today and did 10. i probably had 2 more in me, but was afraid i'd smash my face into the floor if i tried. i think i'll try a solid attempt tonight or tomorrow.

party on, kids!

life. is. good.

first things first. i'm registered and paid to run the rock n roll half marathon in san jose october 5. WOOT! i am beyond excited. and beyond happy to be running again. i was worried that the runner in me had died over the last 6 months, but no. she was just carboloading...

i have a race in mind for me and the monchichi next month. it's the same race i broke my 5k pr. i'm not deluded enough to think i can get another pr at this race, but it will please me to no end to see my little nephew run across the finish line and receive his first medal. the little guy can run like a champ and it is my goal to train him to be my running partner.

today i did another run/walk, this time at a 1:2 interval, with my running pace increased to a 10:30 pace. felt very good. i got in 2.25 miles and called it a day. i have to start eating more carbs. i've cut way, way back, trying not to eat anything but fruits, veggies, beer, and the occasional chocolate treat, but it looks like i can start adding cereal back into my morning regimen. i did have a chocolate soy milk afterwards though. yum.

now onto the news you've all been waiting for. check out the cuteness that is me and sg:
seriously, don't you just want to eat us up with a spoon?!

i drove up saturday after spending the morning with the nephew and the first thing i got when i got out of my car was a kiss and a hug. the weak knees started then. he showed me his ridiculously immaculate apartment. i met his roommate who stashes scientology propaganda in the bathroom, then we headed out into the sunshine. from his apartment in russian hill, we trekked to coit tower then made our way to north beach for lunch al fresco. from there we made it to the wharf to take a boat 'round the bay, then walked along the marina where he showed me his office (williams sonoma headquarters). we walked up to pier 39 to have dinner before taking another long walk home.

i spent the night at my grandma's house and the next morning dished the dirt to my aunt and cousin. i met him in the morning for breakfast where we planned a day of shopping. we trekked to union square and he took me through the williams sonoma flagship store. it was absolutely adorable watching him geek out about housewares. and he got to watch me geek out about the entire third floor filled with beautiful gourmet goodies! we went to niketown, tried on jeans at old navy, attempted to get into the apple store, but decided to go eat instead. we walked to the ferry building for a late lunch and shared burgers and garlic fries. by then we were about beat but still had to walk back to the car in union square. we got home, napped, then he made me dinner before sending me on my way back home.

doesn't that all just sound like a dream? we held hands the entire time and walked around with giddy grins the entire time. we talked and talked and talked and laughed and laughed like we were the only 2 people on earth. we couldn't stop remarking at just how similar we were, stopping every so often to exclaim "ME TOO!" when one of us would bring up some random topic. there were moments during this weekend we just looked at each other and said, "where the hell have you been the last 30 years?!"

both of us revealed that we had been praying to find someone like each other. and i dare say sg is more than i ever could have hoped for. he is more than what i was too scared to hope for because i never thought it would be possible. and after the shock had worn off that this was indeed real, together we offered up a prayer of thanksgiving to the GOD we knew had orchestrated this from the beginning.

i know that this all sounds so sudden, so crazy, so far fetched. i KNOW! i could barely believe it myself in the beginning. but i think i knew from the first phone conversation with him that he was different. that i was in the for ride of my life with him.

this is it kids. he is it. life. is. good.

on strike

blogger is not letting me post pictures. and until it will let me post the cuteness that is me and sg, you'll have to wait on deets of our weekend.

and i'm telling you, it was fa-bu-lous.