Rock Star Workouts!

Internet was down so I wrote this outside of Blogger with hopes to post Tuesday.  Monday was a good day as far as fitness goes.  First, it was crazy warm (mid-60’s for high) and relatively sunny (clouds came in later in the afternoon).  It was, however, fairly windy (20-30 mph).  But as I am a fair-weather biker, I decided I couldn’t let today go by without kicking some butt on the bike.  And I was feeling strong (mentally and physically).

Headed out about 1:00 and hadn’t really decided exactly which route I would take, but figured I’d go to my “usual” area and add loops if I was feeling it.  I went out to the interchange in what felt like record time even though I was being blown around a little on the bike.  Struggled a little getting up and over, but the relief of going back down eased that pain.  So I decided to turn right on Algoa and head towards Taos.  I used to turn around at the first driveway.  Later I went another couple of driveways up this rural road.  And once, late last fall, I went to the top of the first big hill.  But today I though, “Why not go a little further?” which led to “Wonder if I can make it to the highway intersection?”  The good news is that once you get up the big hill, there were just some little rollers and a lot of riding on the ridge (which with the wind wasn’t all that fun, but not particularly hard pedaling).  Before long, I was at the Hwy 50 interchange – wahoo!!

Turned around to go back and had one short nasty hill and some more of the rollers followed by a long downhill that was SWEET!  But so what, it has only been an hour and I was feeling good and the sun had been out and it was so pretty out today.  So threw in a loop around Scholastic and back on up the Wavco hill, in and out Wakoda Woods and on home.  All in 1:20:11.  Except when I got back home there was no internet connection for me to Map My Ride!  Grrr.  But it turns out that it was 14.02 miles. 

But it was so nice that when the kids got home, they had conspired to go for a ride with the neighbor kids that we share rides with.  So Tania (the mom) and I took five kids (KG, 2 x 2^nd, 5^th and 6^th) on a short ride into both Wakoda Woods Subdivisions and back to our house.  The older boys took off to play Airsoft or something and my daughter and I rode with the other family to their house and then back to ours.  So this added 2.3 miles.

I took my daughter out to dinner at Fazolis because she had some coupon for a free kids meal there that she got at school.  She was disappointed in their spaghetti (no surprise to me – should have told her to get the pizza), but liked the chicken broccoli penne I got (which I later gagged seeing the calorie load – oops).  We ran a couple other short errands and came home in time for….Stacy to come over!

Stacy came over and we did a bunch of Just Dance 2 songs (mostly fast ones and one “cool down” song that we hadn’t done before that was hilarious).  Then we did AbRipperX (ouch).  All in all, it was a little over an hour of working out.  Needed it after that heavy dinner. 

Was disappointed to find out that the internet was still not up as I want to share my successful day.  This morning I volunteered with Susan in our kids’ classroom for Teacher Appreciation Day.  We woke up to temps already in the 50's!  So I dressed for a run and texted Susan to bring her workout clothes.  After we were done supervising the 2nd graders for an hour, we met up at the Katy Trail North Jeff City trailhead.  We decided to go east this time with the idea we'd turn around in about a half hour.  We went to the 141 mile marker which turned out to be 4.4 miles round trip from the TH.  Yay!  It wasn't crazy fast as there was plenty of walking/chatting, but we tried to jog a fair bit too.

Got a little work done for my surveyor friend in Columbia this afternoon.  Tomorrow is housework day and I have some more projects to knock out for a couple of clients.  Can't believe it is the last day of January already (especially hard to imagine with the warm weather).

Freeze Your Thorns Off 5K Race Report



Thorny cactus or penis with stubble?



I found Adam's blog "The Boring Runner" fairly quickly when I first started my journey into blog land last summer.  And for anyone not familiar, you need to know that he is anything BUT boring.  And his love of running is borderline crazy.  So he decided to host another year of "Freeze Your Thorns Off" - a real and virtual race. 

He's even promised some prizes.  While I am never crazy enough to think I can really win a prize for being fast (that is more Adam's expertise), I have come to love virtual races and the way they scoot me out the door on days I'd rather sit in the recliner and read a book (which I also managed to squeeze in).

So I managed to find 45 minutes (I told you I'm no speed demon) to go out and knock this thing out.  It wasn't all that freezing even though we got a slight dusting of snow last night.  Truthfully, it was 40° and sunny - but there was some wind that kind of sucked.  Funny how you don't feel that helping you on the way out nearly as much as you feel it working against you on the way back.  My daughter was happily playing with a friend and my husband and son had just returned from a morning of hauling wood for a friend and other errands.  He agreed to stand watch over the kids so I could git'r done!

I tried to run longer stretches and walk shorter ones, but the last few days have found me feeling super sore even though there have been NO workouts.  I felt beat up by the foam roller, the massage therapist who worked some wicked deep moves on my back and hips and thoroughly defeated after going to the pool last night only to find it closed for makeup swim lessons.  I was so hoping to loosen up with that swim.  Never mind the super disappointed 7 year old in my backseat.

I made it to the turn around in about 20 minutes, but it took all I had to get back in another 25 (in order to keep my word at only being gone 45 minutes).  The big ass hill on the way back was certainly a factor - as was the wind and me just getting more tired.  But as my house came into view, I could see I was just barely going to do this thing in 45 minutes so I tried to pick up the pace in the final stretch. 

Once I got home, my husband took off again for errands he didn't want to drag a kid along for.  I got my daughter to take this picture of me with my "race bib".  I like that Adam made us all number 1.  Maybe someone will mix up my pace/completion time with some of the speedier participants.  Check out that blue sky!  We don't usually get so many of these in the winter months (same with 40° days).  We've been very blessed this winter!  Of course, you can also see the wind in my hair.

FYTO 5K (3.34 mi in 45:30)

What about races is so motivating?  Just knowing that you don't want to be left out?  I'm not sure.  Do you like racing?  Have you done any virtual races?  Not nearly as fun as a real race or doing it with someone else, but I just couldn't get up the nerve to do the early morning group run with the JCRRC.  I'm still embarrassed by my crazy slow pace.  Maybe another day.

More Randomness...

Since I'm not afraid to share with others, I wasn't upset in the least about being tagged multiple times (sometimes formally and sometimes less so) for the 11 randoms.  Heck, I had to edit my last post down to only have 11 things.  No worries.  I'll answer all of their questions.

From Kovas:

He didn't include his own questions for others so I'll comment on his randomness:

1. I have no idea what an anagram of my name is.  I'll have to think on that.  I have all the major letters folks select on wheel of fortune so I should be able to make something good.

2. Kovas has been to the lower 48 states.  I would love to travel more.  I've been to MO, KS, AR, TX, AZ, MI, WI, NY, ME, NH (airport), UT, CO, NE, IA, IL, TN, KY, NV and Washington DC.  Lots more to go to!

3. My dad was very educated and going to college was never a question in my mind.  He told me until the day he died that I should go to law school too.  Since dealing with his probate, I am starting to wish I had.

4. I work for myself, but some days consider looking for a job.  There is one open right now that I'm half afraid to apply for because it would be hard to turn down.  But I've put so much work into starting my business I'm torn.

5. I used to file my taxes quickly, but starting my own business means I now have to have a CPA do it 5x/year and I'm not in a hurry to write a big check this year.

6. I work with a surveyor who wears "Jesus" sandals year round.  I think it is hilarious.  I would live in jeans and tennis shoes year round if I didn't have to look "professional".

7. I'm the baby of my family, but I find that I tend to have a "first born" personality. 

8. I was never in a band, but I did do a high school music contest in a quartet.

9. I hate moving and plan to never do it again if I can avoid it.  Just sell it all and move me into a nursing home.

10. I've never bodysurfed (nor on a board).

11. I was at a bar in KC one time when my friend ran over to me and said "Hey, that's Ronnie Dunn on the dance floor!"  Sure enough, Brooks and Dunn were just out at a bar hanging out before they played the MO State Fair one year.  Ronnie Dunn is TALL!  I ended up chatting with the bus driver who promised me free tix.  But I had a "family dinner" for my birthday and my dad yelled at me for trying to cancel so I sent my friends to the concert instead.  Never did see B&D in concert.  GRRR!

1. you have the skills to go pro in any sport (except running/triathlons). what sport would you choose? Tennis

2. what is your favorite vegetable? This squash medley that they serve at Jazz

3. they're making a movie about your life. what actor/actress would play you? Jeanine Garafolo (sp?)

4. last book you read? 50/50  by Dean Karnazes

5. last text message you sent? "I'll check into that" (after friend told me we could now sign up for 2nd grade spring volleyball)

6. what is your favorite meal/recipe to cook? Spaghetti

7. do you prefer dusting or vacuuming? (and when are you coming to do my house?) Vacuuming. What's dusting? (Same answer as Kovas)

8. if you could go on vacation to anywhere in the us or canada, where would you go? Hawaii

9. what something you love about where you live? Friends (and family) for neighbors.  We know everyone on our street and they are like family (plus my husband's sister is a neighbor too).

10. something you don't love about where you live? McCarty Street under reconstruction (though sometimes the same answer as 9)

11. what do you do when you have trouble falling asleep? Read.  Sometimes move to the couch.

XLMIC's questions:

1. What is your 'comfort food'? Peanut butter on toast - it was one of the few protein sources I could choke down during both pregnancies.
2. Do you exercise better when you are angry or happy? Guilty is the emotion usually.
3. Have you ever done anything to the point of puking? What?  I only drank to puking once.  I have eaten to puking a few times (not intentionally - just ate too much and couldn't keep it down).
4. Any embarrassing nicknames in your past? Spill it.  While I was in Jr. High/early HS, my dad called me "Snake hips".
5. Guilty movie pleasure?  Most romantic comedies - the more predictable the better. 
6. Do you like or dislike these tagging memes? Like (duh)
7. Why do you run? (might seem like a stupid question, but I'm curious) - to try to get better at it  
8. Would you rather be rich or famous? rich
9. If you could go anywhere tomorrow without any worries (everything would be taken care of perfectly for the duration) where would you go,  - Barcelona, Spain
10. with whom and  - By myself (though have a friend there)
11. for how long? - Week to ten days

Molly's Questions:

1. what is the one song you never tire of?  Happy Birthday to me!
2. what scares you? Failure
3. what's on your bucket list?  Mostly travel related - lots of places I've never been
4. salty or sweet? After a workout - salty, any other time usually sweet
5. what would you do with an unexpected day off?  Sleep, read, watch movie, get in a workout, read more blogs
6. boxers or briefs?  Boxer briefs (on my husband), briefs for me
7. what would you have for your last meal?  Grilled pork chop, loaded baked potato, Madison's combo salad (local joint), NE clam chowder, garlic cheddar biscuits and Olive Garden bread sticks (see a carb theme here?)
8. what is your favorite body part? my wrists; when I was younger it was my legs
9. what do you like best about your job? Flexibility
10. Giants or Patriots? Who cares.
11. what is your goal for 2012? Finish an Oly.

Keith's Questions

1. What moment of your life, if captured on video, would go viral? Driving through the McDonalds drive through at 4 AM while in labor
2. What do you most want to shout out at people? "LOSE (one "O") is not the same as LOOSE (two "O"s)!!"
3. How old were you when you lost your virginity? Too young with boyfriend who was older
4. Related to #3, did you respect yourself the morning after? Yes for the most part (not so much whe I looked back on it later in my life)
5. What is your comfort food? I said Peanut Butter above, but anything in the general pasta category often wins too.
6. If you couldn't live in your current country, where would you live? (Assume they would let you in.) - Probably Canada, but I really like living here for the most part.
7. What book do you most want to see made into a movie, and who plays the lead roles? Alternatively, what book should never be made into  movie?  Just about any non-fiction book about a triathlete (played by themselves).
8. What movie should never, ever be remade? Yes, I know it's too late for the Italian Job. - Most of the movies from the 80's.
9. Is there anything conceivably better than hot, willing, twin red-heads, with whipped cream and chocolate? Almost everything.
10. What is one thing that "they say" is bad for you, that you will not give up? French fries.
11. Would/do you clean your house before the cleaning services comes over? WHY? I don't currently use a service, but we had one for a short while when my son was an infant.  I picked up before she came because I wanted the surfaces underneath my clutter cleaned.

Kate's Questions: 
1. Did you have a favorite teacher in school?  Who and why? Mrs. Trabue (3rd homeroom and English, 5th and 6th English) - She was one of the few that really challenged me.  I loved her creative writing assignments and how she commented in our journals about what we wrote.  I also really loved Mrs. Ford (5th homeroom and science plus did the gifted program my 6th grade year) - that was until she called me my sister's name several years later when she ran into me (said sis only had her for science one year).  But I won a reading challenge in 5th grade (took a rocket ship around the moon - one space for each book) and she let me pick my prize - an OP (Ocean Pacific) T shirt I wanted so badly (and kept for YEARS - I may still have it in a box).  All the "cool" kids had one and I didn't and I was so proud of it.2. Suggest a great new blog for me to read.  Seems like you follow most of the ones I do.  Steve in a Speedo or the Boring Runner?  Not sure if you read them, but I think they are both hysterical.3. What's a favorite race memory? Finishing my first tri.
4. What kind of car do you drive? 2002 Silver Impala5. What do you imagine doing when you retire? I don't know that I'll ever completely retire, but probably do some traveling.6. Tell me a happy memory of yours.  Rocking my babies to sleep on my chest after feeding them when they were really small infants - the way they curled their legs up into a ball on my chest and just "fit" perfectly.7. What's something that has surprised you about yourself?  That I haven't given up on this fitness thing even though I seem to be sore ALL of the time.8. Do you have brothers or sisters?  If so, are you close to them?  Sister, generally yes though our relationship has ebb'd and flowed.  Very close as children, less so while I was in HS and college, moreso after she moved away (weird), then less so again as we had busy lives and now a bit closer with us both having children.9. Patrick assures me he'd come rescue me if I ever again got lost in the woods. Can I count on him?  Probably, but I live closer so call me first.10. What's something you like to make for dinner?  Anything pretty easy that I have the stuff handy in the pantry, fridge or freezer to assemble.11.  What's a good piece of advice you've received.  My sis-in-law told me when I had my kids "Do what works for you and your kids - we are all different."  Pretty generic, but it really is true. 
OK, you should know enough about me now.  I'll stop.  :)

Foam Roller - Friend or Foe?

Well, I finally broke down and purchased my very own foam roller.  I had decided this would be the week when I saw them on sale in the Target ad.  Still $17 for a glorfied piece of foam, but better than $25 (though I may wish I had splurged on the longer one).  It came with a little 15 min DVD with a few exercises demonstrated by a Gumby-like Indian yogi-looking guy.  I also proceeded to check out a few other exercises on Youtube and try some out that were supposed to "cure shin splints in 1-2 days". 

But here is the thing...OUCH!  First, I had no idea how tight I was in so many places.  I thought it was just a few spots on my legs, but turns out I need to be stretched on a machine like one of those medieval racks.  I watched some TV and rolled and rolled.  I had tears come to my eyes more than once and had to lay off.  Then I'd hit it again.  Will I be glad that I did this?  Or will I suffer more? 

So tell me - is your foam roller a friend or foe?  Either way, which moves do you the most good? 

Slightly less sucky run

Susan bailed on me today and my motivation slipped more than a little.  I did manage to get a little work stuff done today plus some laundry and ran the dishwasher.  So I decided since it was in the 30's and pretty sunny (with minimal wind) to literally "run" my errand to the bank - yep, you got it - another Walmart 5K.  I felt pretty good going out - like I ran a little more than I walked.  I was kind of a sweaty mess once I got to the bank.  I drank a full cup from their Culligan cooler and made my deposit.  Then I turned around and sucked some wind going home.  I tried to push it a little, but that darned shin pain was still there (though not as crippling as the other day).  But my knees and butt hurt a little too.  Ugh.

I failed to get an accurate time on the run to figure out my pace.  I started the watch when I left, but failed to pause it when I went inside Walmart, then realized that and paused it for part of my transaction time, but then forgot to start it again at the door and finally started it again after I had ran a couple of minutes.  The time said 34 minutes, but I haven't run that fast yet so it was probably more like 38-40. 

And a side note, I used this little drawstring bag/backpack that I've used to run errands on my bike before.  It does NOT work well when running.  It kept slipping down to my elbows.  Very annoying!  I will have to go back to a fanny pack when I need to carry small stuff on the run.  All I had was my deposit, phone, ID, credit card and grocery list.  I had thought about picking up the handful of things I needed at the store there at Walmart, but after being annoyed the whole way there, I couldn't imagine having a can of corn, sour cream and a couple of other things making it worse.  So off to the store I go tonight.

Bah Humbug Workout

I know you say "Bah Humbug!!" when you don't like Christmas.  Does it go for workouts too?  Stacy came over and we did some arms, shoulders and back work with good ole' Tony Horton.  Though it is a bit of a fail because I really don't own heavy enough weights to push it nor a chin up bar nor the bands I can hook on the door to simulate owning these things.  But I still felt it and will still be sore at least in my biceps tomorrow (since I can already feel soreness there).

I wanted to sweat.  I should have just said so.  But I was in a mood and didn't communicate effectively my need to work out some "issues" tonight.  So then I was just annoyed to be doing an hour of freakin' arm work.  Oh well - I've sent a message to Susan to see if she is up for a run tomorrow.  If not, I'll go anyway.  I need to shake this crappy mood.  Probably nothing that another four or five days and a box of Tampax won't cure, but I'd like to at least be less pissed off at the world.

11 + 11 Random Things

I'm an oversharer so I wasn't worried when Christi, the Pedestrian Runner, tagged me for the random posts that are going around. Glad these things get folks like Christi who haven't been posting much to get busy and write something for us procrastinators to read.  Here is what we have to do.

1. Post these rules
2. You must post 11 random things about yourself
3. Answer the questions set for you in their post
4. Create 11 new questions for the people you tag to answer
5. Go to their blog and tell them you’ve tagged them
6. No stuff in the tagging section about you are tagged if you are reading this. You legitimately have to tag 11 people!

11 Random Things About Me:


1.  I mostly listen to country music in my car.  But I have a wide taste in music - and it gets even more eclectic when I am looking for something with a fast enough beat to work out to (which country music often does not).  I like country music because I like simple melodies and lyrics I can sing along to.  But to work out, club music like "Party Rock Anthem" or "Dynamite" can be fun.  I also am ashamed to admit I like a lot of the Nick and Disney music stars - Victoria Justice had a few songs recently added to my run playlist.

2.  I love to cook, but I hate to meal plan.  I wish a little fairy would just tell me what to make every day and ensure I had all the ingredients at home (and thawed).  However, my favorite meal is typically any hot food I didn't have to cook.  You are likely to find me rubbing my stomach in discomfort from being full if mashed potatoes are included, tortilla chips and cheesey dip was on the table, or pizza was involved.  And others have pointed out that my "go to" is often a burger.

3. The other day when I was grocery shopping, I bought 14 loaves of bread because they were on sale for 50 cents each.  My deep freeze is stocked and I can make sandwiches for my whole family for 2-3 months!  However, my husband's favorite saying when I tell him I got a great deal on something is "You aren't saving money if you are spending it."

4. I don't particularly like sports of any kind.  At best, I only watch the occassional Cardinals baseball game and the Super Bowl.  Though I did watch a fair bit of Kona streaming live this year though couldn't find it on the TV when the special was on in December.  I think this must make me the worst MU Tiger alum because I don't tailgate or pay to watch any of their games.  I have actually been in Faurot Field more times to see my high school team play (state championships were played there in the early 90s) than to see the Tigers.  Both times I saw the Tigers on the field, I got in free (first night game and first game with the new press boxes which my brother-in-law wired and the contractors got free tix).

5. I'm an engineer and becoming one is probably one of the things I am most proud of.  I had folks tell me that they didn't think girls should be engineers.  I had times I told myself I wasn't sure I could do it.  But I love what I do and passing the P.E. exam was one of my proudest achievements (though I am a stress eater and gained 20 lbs in the two months I studied non-stop for it). 

6. I was born in Kansas - so maybe that is why I am a bad Tiger fan.

7. Unlike most people I read about, the open water swim was not the most scary part of my first triathlon.  I hadn't before that day ever ridden 16 miles on a bike.  I cried a little in the last mile of the bike leg.

8. I have not traveled extensively, but would like to.  It would definitely be how I'd spend some serious lottery winnings (if I ever played and if I ever won).  Top ten destinations right off the bat:  Spain, Germany, Australia, Hawaii, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Niagra Falls, Southern California, Orlando, and Austin.  Some because I think everyone should see certain places at least once and some because I have friends near there plus I think they would be cool places to visit.

9. I liked school as a kid and wish my son did too.  I had some great teachers and some less than great teachers, but my dad always taught me that you get out of an education what you put into it.  And that most kids can get a decent education anywhere they are if they choose to.  That said, my kids go to parochial schools because it is important to my husband.  I suffered some humbling moments in college.  It was the first time I wasn't one of the brightest people in the classroom - and often I wasn't even in the top half (which can be depressing in a lecture hall with a few hundred kids).  By the time I was out of college, I decided that "B" or "C" was acceptable enough for a person with multiple jobs trying to get through school without debt.

10. I get a hair cut about every 6-8 weeks.  Every other time that I go in, I also get a color because otherwise I would have a grey "skunk" streak.  My hair is colored close to my natural color to cover up the fact that I have one small patch of grey.  I hate that my sister who is 4 years older still isn't graying.

11. I was 22 (plus a day) when I got married.  At the time I didn't think that was young, but now I look at kids in their early 20's and think I was probably wrong.  I picked a good guy so it all worked out in the end.  I think we were really wise to wait several years before having children though.

**BONUS** I actually had started a random post because I felt left out, but Christi tagged me so I could use up some of my random thoughts. She is so sweet!

Now here are my questions for those that I tag:
1. Which actor played James Bond the best?  Sean Connery with Pierce Brosnan a close 2nd.

2. Are you a cat person or a dog person?  Dog

3. What is your favorite race to date? Jingle Bell Run (because it didn't feel hard with friends)

4. Do you prefer beer or wine? Wine (don't drink beer at all, only sweet wine and would pick margaritas over both by far)

5. What is the first race that you ever completed? I think I did a St. Pat's 5K in the late 90's in Columbia, MO

6. Do you have a coach to help you with your training? No

7. If you could compete in any long distance triathlon and race fees were not a factor would you choose IM or Rev 3 races?  Tough call - there is a part of me that feels like I'd do an IM but I am impressed with the way Rev3 runs their business so I'm probably solidly on the fence.

8. How many blogging friends have you met in person? 0, but intend to change that this year.  However, I have a group of moms that I've been friends with online since we were all pregnant with our first children (all due May 2001) and I have met several of them in person.

9. Who is going to win the Superbowl, New England Patriots or New York Giants? Who cares.  I'm just looking forward to the time with friends and snacks and snacks that are friends.

10. If you could meet one person alive or dead, who would it be?  Chrissie Wellington.  She appears super down to earth and sweet.  Wouldn't that be cool!?

11. And finally the big question, do you prefer Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars

Now here are my questions for those that I tag:
1. What is your favorite vegetable to eat?
2. What made you sign up for your first triathlon?
3. Do you spend more time on Twitter, Facebook, or Blogs?
4. If you could go for a run with anyone, who would it be?
5. What is at the top of your wish list right now that is under $100?
6. What is at the top of your wish list right now that is over $1000?
7. Where will your next vacation actually be?
8. Where would you like your next vacation to be?
9. What is the one characteristic or piece of knowledge that you hope to pass on to your kids (existing or planned children)?
10. What is your favorite candy bar?
11. What motivational saying do you have on your Road ID (or similar product) or what will it say when you get one?

I seriously would love to see posts from any of my followers or any of the blogs I follow on this.  I tried to sort through and figure out who hadn't been tagged yet, but it was crazy hard so I'm throwing it down to whoever feels compelled.  I know this is cheating, but I hate making folks feel obligated if they aren't crazy oversharers like me. 

P.S.  I have no idea why I can't get the above text to not be bold.  LOL

Crappy...wind, run, mood, etc.

I'm not in a good place right now.  I was totally bummed that the forecast that said clouds in the morning, sun in the afternoon and upper 50's failed to mention that the sun would only peek through for a few minutes (which I apparently slept through), 52° would be the high and there would be 20+ mph winds to make this NOT a bike day.  Then, I just was feeling very BLAH all day.  My daughter wasn't keen on me leaving her home with her brother, but I caught a break when my mother-in-law came over for a little bit this afternoon and I could get out of the house.  I had taken a short nap after head bobbing through a chapter of a book.  But I headed out just after 4:00 into a super cloudy afternoon that felt much colder than my home thermometer indicated.

I decided to do the route that I usually do if I want to be sure to get in at least 5K.  But by the turn around point I had something happen that I hadn't really had for a while....SHIN PAIN!  Like really crappy pain.  I was just thinking the other day how happy I was not to have this so much anymore.  But it was freakin awful!  I walked a lot more of the way home than I did the way there.  And of course, then I was fighting hips and hamstrings and knees as I'm sure I had nothing that looked like "form" after the shin pain kicked my butt.

It took me 50 minutes to do 3.5 miles.  I had new music that I downloaded yesterday so I didn't have to listen to the same old stuff.  Last night I was actually....gasp!....looking forward to going.  But it was a suckfest.  Running into the wind for about a third of it didn't help.  Having raging PMS probably didn't help either.  So instead of coming home on a "runner's high" - I want to shower and crawl into bed.  Blech!  I'll try to find a sunnier self tomorrow.

Dance, Many Thanks and Random Pics

So last night, we snuggled in for a family movie.  I had taken my shower and was in comfy clothes (read: no bra) and just finishing "Mr. Poppers Penguins" when Stacy called.  What the heck - a late workout - sure!  She just wanted to dance and I was game for that even after my earlier 5 miles and still being insanely sore from the pole class.  Maybe it would help loosen everything up (kind of).  So she came over and we did several songs on "Just Dance" and then chatted with my husband until way too late.  Yikes!  I don't go to bed late very often. 

So this morning, though I woke up and could have joined the group run that I had found on Facebook (Jeff City Road Runners Jog and Java), I was too pooped to face the temps in the teens.  Plus I thought I might be pushing time to get my girl to piano lessons.  So I blew it off.  Cosmic forces are at work to make sure I go next week - the piano teacher asked to push the lesson back an hour.  The forecast is for mid-20's of a low next Sat.  There is a certain virtual race I'm doing on Saturday that would be more fun with others along for the ride.  Do you think the man upstairs is trying to tell me something?

Anyway, after I posted yesterday I got an AWESOME package in the mail.  It was a lovely thank you note and my "prizes" for doing XLMIC's Jingle Bell Hell!  YAY!!  I know it is cheesey when everyone is a winner, but when you are as slow as me or can't do the longer miles like some of you rock stars, it feels pretty awesome to win something.  Check out my loot!!  I got a super soft "turtle fur" ear band, peppermint stick Gu and Vanilla Hammer Gel (I've never tried any kind of sports gel so this will be a new adventure).  But seriously, the note was what really made my day.  Marj is just such an awesome lady!  THANKS!!!

Jingle Bell Hell Virtual Race Loot

This all brought to mind the fact that I never posted a picture of my Secret Santa gift from Christmas.  So A BIG THANKS to my new friend Pam at Knickers In A Twist!  Here is a pic of me on Christmas morning after present opening, before I did my hair, but after being dressed for church:

Inperspire Towel that says "Sweat is Sexy!"

And while I am adding Christmas shots with my hair looking just lovely, I thought I'd add the one of me with my stocking stuffers.  Man, it is good to be Santa!

Kisses, Body Glide, hot pink Yankz and lights (front/rear) for my bike!

And for some additional photo randomness, check out two of the items I recently realized I now fit back into.  It is amazing the things that you miss when you get too fat for them.  It's been a couple of years.  Check out this shot of my new skinny......
FINGERS!  I stopped wearing my wedding ring and mothers ring (and another anniversary band that is on my right hand) because I had trouble getting them on and, even moreso, off at the end of a day.  I had my wedding set cut off when I was pregnant with my son and the fluid retention made it impossible to remove.  I had it repaired and mildly upsized about a year after he was born when I realized I was was unlikely to be any smaller than I was then.  But when my weight crept up, I took it off fearing having to pay for the cut/repair again.  But the other day I put all my rings on and they are....get this...LOOSE!  I'm still not really in the habit of wearing them everyday again.  But I'm trying to get there.

My daughter has a friend over today and my son is engrossed in his video games.  I'm buried in this:



Yeah, there is one load in the washer, one in the dryer
and two waiting to move along in the process!

Hoping after said friend goes home to at least get out for a quick walk.  Plans are pretty fast and loose for this weekend so we'll see what other fitness adventures I can get myself into.  Next weekend is the Freeze Your Thorns Off virtual race with "The Boring Runner" so I'm looking forward to that.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Cold Run, Hot Lunch

The other day a friend asked me how I liked being my own boss.  I've been at this self-employment thing for almost 16 months and my answer to her was lukewarm at best.  Some days I really love the flexibility to spend more time with my kids, volunteer in their classes, work on projects that I'm excited about, take better care of myself, etc.  The rest of the days I worry about my slow fourth quarter, my even slower start to this new year, paying taxes FIVE times a year, paying for my own professional and general liability insurance, worry about how to market my business, worrying about how I will get new clients to hire me, how I will get old clients to pay me, etc. 

But today was a good day to be self-employed.  Susan was off work and was game for a run.  I woke up even more sore than I had been yesterday from the pole class (craziness!).  I swear there isn't a muscle that doesn't ache - abs, legs, arms, even my fingers!  So I told her I didn't know how well this was going to go as I was going to call it "active recovery".  Not to mention that the 40° forecast never came to fruition and it was freakin' 20° with no sun and a light wind.  We agreed to play it by ear.  We warmed up by jogging up the greenway trail fairly quickly because shortly in she really needed to use a restroom and the McDonalds up the way was the closest one that was open (others along the greenway are closed for the season).  So I stretched while she did her business and then we jogged up to a little past Stadium (adding a little Fartlek speed burst just before the turn around).  Then we jogged/walked back (into the wind so I think our speed dropped).  The cold wasn't too awful - most of me was pretty warm.  Five miles - CHECK!

Got back and drank a bunch of water - anyone else get crazy thirsty on runs in cold weather?  Then we decided to hit Panera for some soup for lunch.  Yay for broccoli cheddar (yes, not as light as garden vegetable, but half the calories of the New England Clam Chowder I was going to get).  I also had a half sandwich (yay for ham and cheddar).  We chatted throughout the walk/jog/run and lunch.  Really made the time go by fast and on the way out, I was thinking to myself how I just wouldn't get these opportunities if I still worked full time out of town. 

I hit the grocery store quickly and then came home and got a call on the way home that my son was just dropped off at home (sick) by my neighbor who had happened to be at school volunteering while they were trying to get ahold of me.  I was almost home when she called.  He has an upset stomach - doesn't seem otherwise too bad.  Not sure what is up with that.  Hopefully he'll shake it off by Monday.  We have no major plans for the weekend so he should be able to lay low.  Then I had to make a call to a client and I just realized I haven't gotten all the groceries out of the car.  Better do that before I have to go pick up my daughter and my neighbor's sons from school at 3.  Have a great weekend everyone!

Climbing those....poles???

Yes, usually my workouts have more to do with my powering up the hills on my bike or to get through a hill on a run.  Sometimes the hills I climb are mental.  Lately, the weather has driven Stacy and I indoors doing more P90X stuff in hopes that more strength and cardio fitness will translate back to the run and bike.  But last night, Stacy had invited me to do a fitness class unlike one that I had ever done before.  And I am more sore than I could have imagined (though Stacy had told me she was usually very sore so I knew it was coming).  Yep, it was a pole fitness class.  And can I just say, that "Climbing those poles..." was just as hard (if not harder) than climbing hills on foot or bike!


I developed a whole new respect for strippers!

 Stacy has been taking this class at "Work It Girl Fitness" for a little over a month.  First off, she is way fitter than me and crazy strong.  But she enjoyed the challenging workout and when the owner offered to let her bring a friend for a free class to try it out, she said I was probably her only friend who would even try it.  Does that mean she thinks I'm up for crazy adventures?  Guess so! 


Stacy working an insane "inversion" move

The class was pretty informal.  I guess a lot of the time it is only Stacy and one to three other girls.  But last night it was a full house with all but Stacy and one other girl never having done it before.  So the teacher took us through some warmups and stretches.  Then she showed us a variety of "spins".  Then we tried some "climbing" that I had a heckuva time getting the hang of and was very frustrated.  I tried it with bare feet and "boots" (think big hooker boots that apparently are for "traction").  I don't know if I was doing it wrong or just lack the upper body strength, but I found the spins way more achievable.  Going to try to load a video from my phone, but I couldn't play it on my laptop because I didn't have the right program.  It played on my desktop with "Quicktime".

Before we even left, I was feeling pretty beat up and sore.  I had seen Stacy with bruises from the pole before.  I don't think I am too black and blue (a little afraid to look), but a very large portion of my muscles were screaming when I got home so it was ibuprofen before bed. 

My husband had been at a Knights of Columbus meeting so my mother-in-law had stayed with the kids.  He gave Stacy a hard time saying that he got up in front of all the guys at the meeting to explain that Eric (Stacy's husband) wasn't there so that their wives could attend a pole dancing class!  LOL  He's ornery like that!  Of course he didn't say that (in front of the priests no less), but he said he thought it would have been funny. 

Quick Dance Workout

The weather gods are on crack in Missouri (and much of the country it seems).  Today's high was 30-something.  Brrr...But I didn't get out much.  I worked at home so except for running the kids to school and walking to the curb for the mail and newspaper, I was relatively snug at home.  Tonight was another Brownie night.  One hour of time blocked out for me if I am not in charge (which I am not again until April - wahoo!).  So I went to Stacy's and Just Dance'd for 50 min or so.  Not as tough as CardioX, but still got a little sweaty.  We hadn't done that in a while and it was easy enough to squeeze in to the time allotted.  Also, tomorrow she invited me to join her for a new fitness class that I hear will be TOUGH.  You'll have to come back tomorrow night to see what kind of cruelty she is subjecting me to. 

Also, I forgot to post my MMNW for the record.  The bad part of it being done right after I wake up is that I am not entirely sure what it said now that I try to recall it.  It was 174 something.  I think 174.6 or 174.8 so around a lb down from last week.  I'll take it.  I saw some lower numbers midweek last week, but after a weekend, that isn't so bad.  Slowly chipping away at this body that took years to get this way.  I try to be patient, but some of you know that is a tough chore.  Fitness doesn't come as fast as fatness!

Great weather for SBR+A!!

Today was a crazy weather day.  Can someone check their calendar?  It was in the upper 60's this afternoon.  Tonight, at around 9:00, it was still 61°!  It is freakin' January!!  Last year at this time, we were missing school for like 20" of snow!!  But I didn't take as full advantage of it as I could.  I'm slightly kicking myself here.  But I was on childcare duty most of the day so cut myself a little slack for that.

Slept in a smidge and then toodled around the house in my bathrobe a good part of the morning.  My daughter bugged me incessantly about when we were going to the Y.  I finally kicked her outside for a little while just to stop her pestering voice.  We ate lunch and then headed over to the pool about 1:30.  They were having swim lessons, 2 lap lanes (full of old people sharing and doing frog kicks everywhere) and crowded rec swim.  So I decided to hang with the kids for a while.  I guess we swam all around the deep end (where due to no life jackets being allowed made it less crowded) for about an hour.  I tried to do some half laps with the kids, but we also did handstands and somersaults and other total sillyness.  My son slipped off to do some damage to the bathroom (sorry to whoever cleans that toilet) and my daughter and I swam until I nearly went to knock on the door to the men's locker room to see if he was ok.  He decided not to get back in and this was about the time they were finishing lessons and adding another lap lane.  I slipped on over and snagged that lane and knocked out some yardage.  I knew the kids would be anxious to leave soon, but I was determined to get 500-700 yards done.  I was pretty worn out from playing/swimming with them so I cut it relatively short on the drills and such.

Got home and just couldn't get over the weather.  Convinced the kids we needed to go on a bike ride.  The only way to get them to go was to promise ice cream in the middle (about 0.65 mile each way to the local joint).  So it was probably all for naught, but I did at least get ON my bike today.  We stopped off to play with some neighbors' kids on the way back.  I should have left them there (she probably wouldn't have minded) and gone for a few more miles.  But I stayed and chatted instead.  Then home to figure out dinner.

Stacy came over later and we went for a short run (2.66 miles).  She ran to my house (1.9 mi) and was still going to run home (another 1.9 mi) if the rain held off so we cut our usual loop up to Tania's house off.  I was hurting anyway.  Something in my left glute was screaming nearly the whole time.  She is good at gently pushing me, but I was glad to be done.  Except as we walked up my driveway, she says "Oh yeah, I brought the AbRipperX DVD so we could get that done too."  Sure, what the hell!  So we knocked out a solid core workout (even though I "take a break if I need to" sometimes).  I try to do at least half of the exercise reps.  Ouch!

So today was a solid SBR day even if I didn't get really long workouts in.  Unfortunately winter returns tomorrow with cold rain forecast (high in the low 30's).  I sent Susan a note to let me know if she wants to meet at the Y for an indoor workout since she is off work.  I need to get some work done though too.  Better get to bed.  The boy has early morning safety patrol so we have to get out the door on time!

Back in the saddle again...

My daughter got invited to her friend's last night for a sleepover and the boys were headed to the farm to hunt rabbits so I snuck in a quick trip to the Y this morning after breakfast.  I had just enough time to do 10 miles on the stationary bike and about 2/3 of a mile on the indoor track.  I got home just in time for my daughter to be dropped off!

Then, as the sun warmed the afternoon into the mid-40's, Stacy called and suggested a bike ride since she was lucking out with one of her kids going to a friend's house.  She showed up about 2:00.  We had to take my daughter with us who was a bit whiney between staying up a little bit late and the stiff wind we were fighting.  But we got our 5 mile loop to the National Guard and back finished.  I'm really liking my new bike tights even if the pad isn't perfectly shaped.  I only wore a heavy sweatshirt and a t-shirt on top and was a smidge cold since we had to go on the slow side.  I look forward to dragging Stacy along on some longer training rides this spring.

Had a big salad for dinner after snacking on some pretzels and animal crackers this afternoon.  Lunch was leftover chicken fajita fixings (without the tortilla).  Breakfast was a couple of biscuits - one with a little bit of homemade fresh sausage gravy (fresh as in it was a pig less than 2 weeks ago) and one with a little honey.

Kids don't have school tomorrow so I'll have to try to keep them out of my hair while I get a little work done.  But I am also hoping to take them to the pool for a while since I didn't get a pool workout in this weekend.  How are you going to spend your MLK Day?

Busy day, quick workout

I felt like I was running all day, but it wasn't the kind that I could count as a workout.  So when Stacy called, I said I'd meet her after I got the family fed.  We did P90X CardioX which is one of the shorter workouts.  She wanted to do AbRipperX too, but I was still sore from all the core work last night and just not into it.  Not a lot on tap for our weekend and the cold weather is supposed to abate some so hopefully I'll get in some more workouts.  I'm beat and ready to shower and hit the hay.  First piano lesson for my girl at 8:30 AM.  Hope she likes it!

Not feeling it...

Woke up to the radio saying the kids didn't have school - even though it was like 1/2" of snow (though some ice under it because it was freakin FIFTY degrees yesterday and in the TEENS this morning).  I rolled over and went back to sleep for about a half hour.  Finally rolled out of bed when my mother-in-law called and I conned her into staying with my kids for the day. 

Tonight, Stacy and Alyssa wanted to come at 8:15 to do P90X Core Synergistics.  I am pretty much over my soreness from my run on Tue (took Wed as a rest day), but I can say my heart really wasn't in it.  I've done more work this week than I have in ages.  That is a good thing on the whole, but I think I'm just more mentally wiped than I have been lazing on my butt reading blogs.  But suck it up, buttercup!  Time to get a small sweat on.  I liked the full body moves, but I have some wrist issues and did not enjoy the push up/plank type moves.  Had a hard time finding a "modification".  But I stuck it out and did what I could.  It wasn't my best showing, but better than no workout. 

Another full day of stuff to get done tomorrow.  Weather is supposed to improve over the weekend.  Glad as I didn't like this taste of winter.  If you are stuck at home due to weather, check out my book reviews from yesterday to find some new books to cuddle up with.  I just heard Chrissie Wellington is coming out with a book.  I totally want to read it!

Book Reviews - Warning, It's Long!

As I mentioned a few posts ago, I've kind of fallen in love with reading non-fiction books related to running, triathlon, sports and inspirational people.  I read a lot as a kid - loving spending summers in the cool a/c at my local library listening to records of stories and music and burying my nose in whatever the latest Boxcar Children, Ramona, or Nancy Drew book that I had gotten ahold of.  But as I advanced in school, I spent more time on books I didn't enjoy and less time on books I did until at one point in my early adult life, I barely read at all - nothing except a few magazines here and there. 

As my children grew, I started missing the relaxation I got from it (especially right before bed).  Now that we were past the EXHAUSTING infant/toddler years, I could find my way back to reading for pleasure.  It started simply enough: a friend told me that she really enjoyed "Marley and Me" (long before it was a movie and really before I'd even heard anything much about it).  I borrowed it from the library and read it straight through in a matter of a few nights (before bed remember) - staying up late one night to finish it.  Oh yes, this is what reading for fun was like!  I remember!  I re-read a few old favorites from the bookshelf.  I bought a couple here and there. 

But I still was busy raising kids and working full time and just with LIFE.  But then, in the fall of 2010 my life changed. I wasn't working 40 hours a week anymore.  And then I started being interested in triathlon and running.   I bought the following two books to start figuring out this crazy sport (my own money at my local Barnes and Noble):

The 12-Week Triathlete - Tom Holland:  Loved the pictures in this one.  Solid practical advice.  Training plans broken down by the race distances.  Pushes strength training more than other books I've read and has the best descriptions on exactly WHAT to do along those lines.  Writing style a little dry.

Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week - Eric Harr:  Not impressed with lack of pictures, but much easier read.  Funny story on how Eric got into the sport that made me feel like it wasn't insane for my fat, couch potato butt to try to complete a sprint tri.  Lots of practical advice.  Training plans listed based on fitness level - loved that the Level I plan was called "Just a Slice Above a Couch Potato".  This is the plan that I (mostly) followed to get through my first event - note I didn't say how fast, just to the finish line.  Not for the experienced person trying to knock out a crazy fast race, but great for a newbie.  Have re-read parts of this book.

Later this summer, I picked up the following books at the library:

I Beat the Odds - Michael Oher:  Inspirational biography that was an interesting and quick read.  It clarified a lot of the "creative freedom" taken with his story in the movie "The Blind Side".  It was a book that made you think about the fact that no matter your circumstances, the will to succeed and putting in the work to get there can change everything.  While the movie makes it seem like his story was a series of "lucky breaks", the book clearly indicates it was a very deliberate path he was on and when faced with obstacles, he just looked for ways around them.

Slow, Fat Triathlete - Jayne Williams: This book was mildly humorous, but I think I would have enjoyed it a lot more and maybe even been a bit more inspired had I read it in April - before knowing much about triathlons.  It was kind of a day late and dollar short.  Excellent for a heavier set newbie (especially a woman), but I found it just ok for someone with any experience.  And I've since been less than impressed with Ms. Williams' blog.  I think she is a little too comfortable being slow and fat.  I love that she encourages people in the book to be active in their current body, but I think she misses the mark with not pushing for improvement to that body. 

The Everything Running Book - Art Liberman:  To be honest, I tried to get into this book and found it insanely dry.  It is kind of along the lines of the "____ for Dummies" books, but I just couldn't get interested in it.  I never finished it even after renewing it and giving some effort to trying to wade through it.

Then Kovas did a review on another book that sounded interesting.  So I picked up "Run Like a Girl" and "Born to Run" (mostly because I felt left out of the party when people kept referring to it).  Both at my local library:

Run Like a Girl - Mina Samuels:  I wholeheartedly agreed with Kovas that this is a book parents of girls should read.  It really has nothing to do with teaching you how to "run like a girl".  Instead it is a study in the value of sports in building self-esteem in women (young to old).  How feeling strong and powerful can be awesome salve to the self-depricating thoughts and self-destructive behaviors that us women can find ourselves trapped in.  I felt like some of the points were belabored a bit much (the book could have been about 2/3 the length and said about the same thing).  I found it hard to wade through some of the middle of the book.  But I was fired up about raising my girl to be strong and confident. 

Born to Run - Christopher McDougall:  This was a great story.  I enjoyed the character development and the adventurous nature of it.  I got mildly tired of listening to how evil the shoe companies are and how barefoot running is the end-all, be-all.  But this was a good read.  I have yet to go out in my bare feet, but you never know what I might try.  At least now I know what the heck everyone is talking about.

Somewhere along the way, I picked up these two as the pickings got slim at the local library:

Triathlon 101 - John Mora: Kind of skimmed this one.  Nothing really sticks out in my mind about it.  Had a lot of the same basic stuff I had already read in other places.  Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for it.

A Race Like No Other - Liz Robbins:  I really enjoyed this book.  It made you feel like you could really see the various sites along the NYC Marathon route.  It touched on the quirky characters that have been spectating and cheering the runners for years.  It described the terrain.  It highlighted stories from the 2007 race (some of the pros and some inspirational folks who ran following bouts with addiction and cancer).  I liked some of the character development surrounding these stories and how it was interspersed with the course description.  

My problem was now that I had just about exhausted the running/triathlon books at my local library.  Hmm...I go to Columbia often enough - how about their library?  Turns out, they have a HUGE collection of books I was interested in reading.  Can I get a card?  Web site said no, but turns out my library has an agreement with them so I could!  Yay!  First round:

Run Like a Mother - Shea/McDowell:  This book would have been better if I was fighting to run as a mother of small children.  It seemed more geared to that stage of motherhood.  Not that there weren't still interesting stories and hints to all mothers, but I found several points where I was just past that as my kids are nearly 8 and 11.  I liked the little side notes that were basically like reading comments to a blog except that the placement of these little grey boxes could be kind of interrupting to the flow of the book.  Oh, and I liked the nod to the 0.2 (there are 26.2 chapters in the book and a little blurb 0.2 at the end of each chapter) - the blurbs were quick to read and generally interesting.

Trizophrenia - Jef Mallet:  Somebody seriously has to do a footnote intervention with this guy.  Sometimes half the page would be footnotes.  And if the little grey boxes in the previous book were disruptive to flow, the footnotes were 10x worse.  The drawings were cute.  The writing left a lot to be desired.  Some entertaining stories, but not enough for the amount of footnotes I had to wade through.  Best section was the end.  There were several pages that were a great guide to spectating.  Great hints at how to do it right.  Thought about copying for my husband though he did the best he could given not ever having done it before last summer.

Iron Heart - Brian Boyle:  Incredibly inspirational.  Read it in a day.  All told as a first person account by Brian as he wakes up from 2 month coma and tries to figure out what has happened, comes to figure out they aren't sure if he is ever going to talk, walk, or really do ANYTHING ever again and how trapped he feels in this broken body (slammed in a T-bone car accident sending his heart - that the nurses described as tough as iron from being a competitive swimmer and discus thrower - across his chest).  You read of his first words, first food/drink, first steps - of how he FOUGHT his way back to life.  And then, just 2 years after his accident and with just weeks of training, finishing his first half-ironman and going on a media slot to Kona and finishing in a beyond respectable time.  Just awesome!

My Life on the Run - Bart Yasso: This book was divided into two parts.  About the first 70% of the book is a very entertaining account of Bart Yasso's life.  The adventures he's been on (usually that someone else signed him up for and he just had the good spirit to go along with it).  It was very humbly written and he just seemed like a super decent guy.  The last part of the book was his thoughts on training and racing and had a lot of training plans.  I kind of skimmed over this, but will keep it in mind if I ever really get to doing much running.  It wasn't so much "text to read", but reference material from a guy who's spent a lot of time running.  Read the "Life" part in a day.  Hard to put down.

Second round from Daniel Boone Regional Library:

Unthinkable: Maybe I just like biographies of really inspirational people.  This is the story of Scott Rigsby, the first double amputee to cross the Kona finishline.  Another young man, struck down in his youth by someone else's poor driving.  Truthfully, it is kind of hard to read about how "not together" his life was for a long time.  And it is definitely a story about a man finding God in his darkest hour and embracing his faith to set an unthinkable goal and go after it.  If you aren't interesting in someone's Christian testimony, this isn't a book for you because this is the common thread to a good part of the book.  But if you think that God has a purpose on earth for all of us and sometimes we are just too blind to it for our own good, this is an amazing story.  I also was totally psyched when he talked about his good friend Carole Sharpless!!  I totally follow her blog!!  That was crazy to read about how she helped and inspired him.  Read most of this in a day too.  Have like 10 pages left.

Waiting in the wings is Dean Karnazes' 50/50 and another accident victim turned crazy athlete story called "Running on Faith".  Stay tuned.  Sorry I saved them up for so long and made this crazy long.

Oops - Long Run!

OK, so it was supposed to be "warmer" today.  And Susan doesn't work on Tuesdays so she was game for a jog/walk/run (whatever you want to call what I do).  So we agreed to meet to run the MO River bridge ($6M pedestrian attachment) and some in downtown.  When I called to tell her I was running a few min late b/c a client meeting lasted a little long, she suggested we do the Katy Trail instead (a neat Rails to Trails area that crosses Missouri).  I said, fine and met her there just before 10 AM. 

Except it was still in the freakin' 20's!  Brrr!  When I went home to change after my meeting, I added several clothing items to what I had planned to wear: tights, track pants, running socks, heavy wool socks my husband wears to work, running shirt, sweatshirt, fleece pullover, stocking hat, and gloves.  Yep - you guessed it - way too many clothes.  Oh well, she said we were going to run up to the river overlook which was 2.5 mi out and 2.5 mi back.  Even if I got hot, it wasn't going to be THAT long (we ended stashing some outerwear by a bridge).

Except apparently I need to be in charge of mapping.  We kept going and it seemed like it was taking a long time and my legs started to hurt some and I'm like, "Hmm...I don't think she got this distance quite right.  But let's see what is up around that next bend."  We chatted and alternated some walking and running so it wasn't too awful, but by the time we could see the overlook, I was sure we'd gone WAY longer than 2.5 miles.  But there really isn't anything to do about it on an out-and-back.  You gotta go back.  And the Katy Trail isn't really accommodating to having someone come pick you up if you screw up the distance.  So we just ran what we could and I made us walk a lot.  My hip flexors were screaming before we were even half-way back.  The parking lot finally came into sight much to my relief. 

But as we approached, I noticed a sign that said the Lewis and Clark marker (yeah - the one at that overlook!) was 4.2 miles from the parking lot.  Easy peasy on my BIKE!  OMG!!  We just did 8.4 miles!!!  I've never even WALKED more than 7!!  And man was I thirsty.  Oh yeah - did I mention that we didn't bring any water with us?!  That cool, dry winter air was doing me in.  Thankfully, I brought water in my car.  I finished almost an entire water bottle while we stretched everything out.  Oh Lord, I was hurting.  But I made it.  Guess all is ok in the end.

She mentioned she'd like to do more "long runs" and shoot for a half marathon in the fall (RnR St. Louis I think).  And she asked if I wanted to come along.  At the end of that 8.4 miles was NOT the time to ask me.  I had a hard time imagining going for another 5!  But who knows.  It's amazing what we can put our bodies through when we are ignorant.

Which reminds me - this video was posted by one of the CMC guys this week and I think it sums up the feeling of doing things we didn't realize we could.  This isn't "new" so maybe I'm just late to the game.  But I do think sometimes we have to work to not quit before we even start.

Now Stacy wants to work out tonight.  I'm not sure I have that in me.  I told her to wait and see how I felt.  Kind of leaning towards "no".

Another late workout

Stacy and I seem to have the best luck squeezing stuff in when we work out as the kids are going to bed.  But 8:30-8:45 is kind of a late start!  Leaves me not quite ready for bed when we are done so I've been staying up too late and then kind of dragging when making lunches in the morning.  Oh well.  Gotta do what you gotta do to get it in.  She came over and we tried another P90X workout - legs and back.  Except we don't have a pullup bar so we tried just do some dumbell work when they were doing pullups.  I'm not sure I'd have a chance in hell of lifting my ass up anyway.  Still a long way to go on my upper body strength.  But the legs were a killer.  Sweated a little more tonight so that was good too. 

Got several comments today about the use of P90X videos.  Need to be honest here - we are hardly turning my flab into a "beach body".  But I did want to incorporate some strength work into my "off season" and Stacy was keen on using them so we're trying them out.  We aren't following the program to a "T" by any stretch of the imagination.  Just trying to mix things up with the videos.  I do think strength work is good for you.  I like the cardio moves that make you sweat too.  Oh, and sometimes I do like Tony says and I take a little break and jump back in.  But I also know that I need to still make sure to get in SBR.  I'm not sure how my training with/without Stacy will change when I start following a training plan.  Right now, I'm just glad to be getting SOMETHING done.  I think in a few weeks, I might try to switch up a few days a week to make sure I'm working towards the early April duathlon.  Oh, need to remember to sign up for that - hope I'm not too late.

Nothing sounded good for breakfast.  I had a granola bar and a banana with a little PB.  I had started to work through lunch, but then found I was starving and caved to my fast food craving (ugh!).  Wasn't too hungry at dinner so I just had a little of the pork tenderloin my husband made and some carrots. 

Busy week with work stuff.  Spent part of the day in Columbia helping my surveyor friend on a project and working on some stuff of my own.  Hit the library on my lunch break to return four books and pick up 3 more.  Hit the grocery store tonight and topped of my needs for making lunches.  Better get to bed so I'll be up to that task in the morning.

Last Night + MMNW

Stacy came over and we decided to mix it up and do some strength work.  Turns out P90X's shoulders/biceps/triceps is a whopping 60 min workout that, along with AbRipperX's 16 min kick in the gut, has left my entire upper body sore.  I know it is good to work in strength stuff, but it didn't feel quite as good on the whole as getting our sweat on.  I also didn't really have heavy enough weights (though given the soreness maybe that is a good thing).  Supposed to warm up later so hoping to get in a late afternoon bike ride.  Really need to get moving on my work day. 

MMNW = 175.6 (up 0.4 from last week - grr).

Waste of a Nice Day, but Read/Swam

It was darned near 60° on a day it shouldn't have hit 30°.  It was pretty windy, but I could have stood it for a run or even a bike.  But I got engrossed in a book and finished it just as the kids were coming home from school (yes, not a lot of work done today either).  Husband was off beginning the butchering process (we spend most of a Friday and Saturday one weekend every January butchering hogs with the neighbors and a couple of friends).  The kids hung out (sometimes inside and sometimes out) and I puttered around.  Really no reason that I didn't get outside for the last bit of that sunshine.  Just didn't.

Then we went to the grocery store so I could get everything for the green and fruit salads I am supposed to bring tomorrow for the lunch to feed the butchering crew.  We also grabbed a couple meals at the deli and shared them with the kids.  Came home and put everything away and grabbed our suits to head to the Y for a quick swim.  I got in about 40-45 min of laps while the kids played with their dad and each other.  My husband was pretty tired and got out and sat and watched the kids for a while.  It was nice having him there so I could just focus on my workout. 

Food today wasn't too inspired.  Had the rest of the FF beans for another lunch burrito.  Breakfast was a handful of animal crackers (not iced).  I wasn't really feeling like "food", but wanted a little snack midmorning.  I also had a Cutie orange.  Dinner was half of a takeout container of fried rice and sesame chicken and two crab rangoon. 

Will have to do a whole post on all the books I've read in the last several months.  Some have been mentioned, but I haven't really reviewed them much.  Most would be of interest to the crowd that frequents here.  For a preview, here is the list as I can recall it:

• My Life on the Run - Bart Yasso (today's addiction)
• Trizophrenia - Jef Mallet
• A Race Like No Other - Liz Robbins (about NYC Marathon)
• Run Like a Girl - Mina Samuels (picked after reading Kovas's review)
• Run Like a Mother - Shea/McDowell
• Slow, Fat Triathlete - Jayne Williams
• Iron Heart - Brian Boyle (another read in less than a day)
• Born to Run - Christopher McDougall
• The Everything Running Book - Art Liberman (in all honesty - I never finished this one)
• The 12-Week Triathlete - Tom Holland (I purchased this last spring)
• Triathlon Training in Four Hours a Week - Eric Harr (also purchased last spring)

I think that is all of them.  I've read a lot more books in the last year than I have probably since college!  And maybe since before then as engineering students don't have to read a lot - LOL.  I'm enjoying becoming a student of the sport.  I'll try to do a brief review of the pros/cons of each of these books.  Some of them I felt like I was the last blogger on the planet to read, but some you may have missed so I hope you find my review interesting (totally unbiased and unpaid - all were gotten from the library except the last two which came from Barnes and Noble on my own dime).  I need to go back to the library and see which others on my Bookworm list I can find.  I'm out of books since I had expected Yasso's book to last more than a day.

Wed = Fail, Thur = Bike!

So yesterday was a pretty decent weather day.  Got up into the mid-40's in the afternoon and I was sure I would kick my butt out the door for a run.  But then I didn't.  Stacy didn't want to go and then I thought about going to the Y and then I thought, "No, I'll just go for a run" and next thing I knew, we were tucking kids into bed and going to bed early.  I guess that is ok as rest is important, but what a fail in the exercise department.  Food wasn't much better - granola breakfast, hot dog and half hamburger for lunch, smoked pork and hamburger for dinner.  I did have a bunch of carrots for a snack in there too though. 

Weather was even more gorgeous today.  More sun and mid-50's temps!  So I dawdled through my morning and finally kicked myself out the door at 1 PM (the beauty of being self-employed).  Spent the next 1 hr 20 min on my bike.  Road out to the interchange, added some hill by ABP, back to Shamrock and round Scholastic, back to the interchange, back to ABP hill and then up Wavco hill and home for 13.4 miles.  Was sure it was further.  The hills were hurting.  But I did notice that I can do things I couldn't even back in June/July.  I can now ride standing to climb a hill (I could have geared down, but I wanted to try it).  I recover from the exertion of the hill faster too.  So even though my average speed leaves something to be desired, I'm pretty happy with my 2nd ride of the new year. 

Breakfast was homemade bread and peanut butter.  Lunch was fat free refried beans made into a burrito with salsa and a little sour cream and cheese.  Dinner is still up in the air though likely cleaning out the last of the leftover pork and hamburgers. 

Brownies = Workout!

No, I didn't consume Brownies and thus have to work out.  I took my daughter to Brownies and it bought me just under an hour to get in a workout.  Thankfully, Stacy lives about 1.5 miles from church and had CardioX cued up on the DVD player waiting for my arrival.  We had enough time to sweat with Tony and get me back out the door with time to spare (which was good as my gas tank was EMPTY and there is a gas station between her house and church).  So it wasn't a crazy long workout - no time for abs - but it was a workout nonetheless.

Spent most of the morning working on my tax stuff.  Got that sent to the CPA.  Had granola for breakfast, tomato soup and some chips for lunch, hamburger (beef/venison) for dinner with some carrots.  One scoop of Edy's low fat ice cream when everyone (sis and her family and my kids) had some after the workout/meeting return.  Not a great food day, but not awful. 

MMNW + Just Dancing

Just a quick note.  My MMNW was 175.0!  This means that I managed to lose about 6 lbs between Thanksgiving and New Years!  That has to be some kind of record for me.

My sis that lives in WI came for a belated holiday with her family arriving around bedtime last night.  This morning, my husband treated everyone to pancakes.  Later, we were showing her our Just Dance 2 game (they just got a Wii for Christmas) and we all danced and danced.  I didn't have on my watch, but we got a little sweat going.  Probably 45 min or so.  Lunch was kind of snacking around and some leftover pork.  While I did munch a few chips, I mostly ate carrots/hummus and a few slices of the meat. 

We opened some gifts after my nephew's nap.  My sis got me an awesome picture frame with a pic of each of us on our bike leg at the Pewaukee tri (me, son, daughter).  She also bought the pic that I love of my daughter running and framed it for her. 

Dinner was out at our local Mexican joint and I, yet again, am regretting the one margarita, tons of chips, tostada, taco and enchilada I ate.  Ugh!  My gut hurts!  I'm sure tomorrow morning won't be as kind on the scale.  Hope I can sleep with this gut ache!  Kids go back to school so had better get my back end to bed so I can get up and make lunches.

New Year's 5K+!

Well, the sun stuck around as did the wind - unfortunately, the super warm temps did not.  The wind was fast and cold today, but I bugged my friend Susan into joining me for a run (forgot my camera so I didn't get a shot of her with the race bib).  We met on the greenway trail here in town and walked/jogged from Dunklin to Stadium and back.  Map My Ride says that it is 4.2 miles round trip!  Yay! 

The time went super fast as we chatted about crazy family stuff and being parents of 2nd graders, etc.  I forgot to look at my watch when we left and got back so I can only take a guess, but it took about an hour - from about 2:30 to a little after 3:30.  The wind was in our face a lot of the time and not fun to run against.  I'm sure I would have turned around sooner had she not been with me, but it was a great time!  I definitely need to make her a regular exercise partner. 

I came home and grabbed the race bib for Kylie's New Year's 5K and had my daughter snap a quick pic.  Because my daughter is a lot shorter than me, you don't get my most flattering angle (um, hello double chin):

But there you go.  We stayed up way TWO late (as in went to bed while in the latter part of the 2:00 hour) and slept in a little.  Then laid around while doing a ton of laundry (which is still being finished).  Then I ate some granola and went for this great run.  Came home to dinner of smoked pork.  Yum! 

Happy New Year everyone!