Wow... Crazy girl today!

  So after spending most of my afternoon in a chair, watching my favorite cover band (Jetset Kings - if you are in the OK, check them out!) I felt I really needed some exercise.
  Seriously, thank God for my pedometer from work!  It keeps me in check.  I had walked less than two miles and it was almost 6pm when I realized that! So not good.
  So, I got dressed and drove out to Riverside.  Ran a full mile, stopped to stretch, walked .25miles, ran .25, walked a little more, ran another .5miles, walked a little more, ran another .5 and then walked the last mile back.  Got in just over 2 miles on my run and walked a little under 2 miles.  All in under 50 minutes.  Not too bad.  I finished just as my last song stopped so I knew the time when I was done.  I kept a slow run the whole time and it really helped - especially since it was 88 degrees when I was running.  But I did it, and that was the best part.  I wanted to give up after a mile but I kept going.
  Of course now I'm battling a headache so I'm going to try to go to bed earlier than usual in hopes that it will go away while I sleep.  I know it's from dehydration.  I never manage to drink enough on the weekends and it didn't help I was sitting under the sun for 3 hours straight.  Oh well.
  What exciting things did you readers do for Memorial Day?  What was your best part?
  The best part of Memorial Day Weekend for me was this morning - waking up to a text from a close friend who was letting us know he was safely back from fighting abroad in the Army.  He's been gone about 2 years so that made my day. :)
  Enjoy the last few hours of your extended weekend!!

You know it's been a while since your last post when...

  it takes you a few moments to remember the link to post at!
  Wow, sorry for the delay in posting!  Been a long, relaxing and beer-filled weekend.  And boy did I need it! :)
  So to update on the little I've done when it comes to working out this weekend...
  I went out Thursday night and stayed out for a good while. Had a blast - met 2 real cougars (now I know I really am just a Puma! ha ha) and got home around 2am.  Got about 3 hours of sleep and woke up for my 6.30am class.  Met up with my student who started the class, introduced her to the instructor and we did her first lesson.
  She usually runs about 1.5miles on the treadmill so we did a 5-4-3-2-1 lap set and ended up with doing exactly 2 miles.  She did an amazing job and made it the whole time without dying!  Although she was covered in sweat. :)  I was so proud of her.  I'm going to encourage her to run a 5k with me in August if she's up to it.
  It was also a great class for me.  We ran at her speed which was about a 10.30 mile and I barely broke a sweat.  That's a far cry from where I used to be - heaving and barely making it past a mile.  Made me realize just how far I've come.
  Since tomorrow is Memorial Day I'm setting my alarm for 7am and making myself get up to run.  I haven't run in 2 days because 1) I haven't gotten home before 2am yet this weekend and 2) it's so freaking hot, even at night so I don't want to make myself even more hot.  I'm hoping that by going in the am I'll be able to get a good run in before the heat gets really bad.  I'm debating around campus or driving out to the river.
  Then, I'm going to see my new favorite local band for the 2nd time this weekend!  They are an amazing cover band and are so fun!  If you are in the area, you should look up the Jetset Kings!  Great group of guys! :)
  So that's the plan.  Tuesday will probably be back in the gym doing weights and the rest of the week includes 2 6.30am workouts and a noon workout on Thursday so I can catch up on my running.  Still haven't decided if I'm doing the 5k on Sat night... will have to look at my finances and see if I can afford to do 2 races this month or not.  We'll see. :)

What a week...

  I went for a run on Monday and got 2.5miles in.
  I did 10 laps followed by 4-3-2-2.  I ended up walking a little more than I ideally wanted.  I need to work on cutting down my walking.  But I was happy that my 2.5miles, with a few laps of walking was about 27 minutes.
  What I wasn't happy about was the pain I was in the next day.  My inner knees were killing me all day on Tuesday and up to Wed. afternoon.
  I ran 2.25miles Wed morning for class and was very proud of myself.  I did 10 laps, walked a lap and then ran a straight mile (8 laps).  I almost puked during the last 2 laps but I made it!
I walked an additional 2 miles last night by the river which was nice.  The hard part was the actual walking. I wore regular shorts so I would not be tempted to run.  Who knew that once you get used to running in a certain area you can't imagine not running there every time you go!  But I managed to only walk against my wishes. :)
  I am not running this afternoon as originally planned as I have a staff appreciation lunch.  I am planning to get up for 6.30am class tomorrow.  I promised a student who enrolled in the class that I'd be there and it will help me stay on track and get my miles in first thing in the morning.  I love starting my day off with a run - always makes me feel better.
  Do you prefer working out in the morning, afternoon or evening?

Exhausted!

  So that whole fallin asleep early thing did NOT happen last night.  I actually did not end up falling asleep/passing out until after 2am.  It was bad.
  But alas, I still made it up and to work on time so it wasn't a horrible night.  And I was good all day until about an hour ago... but 9pm is just too early for bed... even for me.  So, I'm forcing myself to stay up a little bit in hopes I'll sleep through the entire night. We'll see if this works! ha ha
  So today's goal with running was, happily I might add, met and exceeded.  I wanted to do 2 miles and I ended up doing 2.5 miles.  Granted, I did not think I was going to make that.  I had 2 laps to go and my right calf was starting to tighten up so I walked a full lap and then ran my last 2 at a higher speed.  I'm definitely getting to that point where I hate to only make my goal - I have to exceed it.
  And surprisingly with all the walking I did in between my 1 mile and my 4-3-2-2 laps I still managed to keep pretty close to my running time.  I was about a minute a lap and finished 19 laps in 27 minutes (that includes the walking I did to stretch my tight calves).  Had I done the last 6 laps to make it a 5k I probably would have been about 3 minutes over my usual race time.  Not too shabby.
  Today's run was kinda hard - I've realized I run so much better in the morning.  It makes me sad though because I love running at night - it clears my head and makes me feel so much better.  But, we'll see how things progress.  The race I want to add onto my schedule is another night race (even though I swore I'd never do another one!) just to see if I can keep close to my time.
  I am slowly building my running days up as well.  I'm up to about 5 times a week.  I don't think I'll ever be able to add Tuesdays in because I run Monday evenings and Wednesday mornings and I've already learned my lesson of trying to run too many miles in a 12 hour time period.  Not good at all!
  So, for now, I'm doing Monday evening, Wednesday 6.30am, Thursday noon, Friday 6.30am and at least once on the weekend.  Not too bad.  So far I'm averaging between 9-11miles a week.  It's kinda fun keeping track of my miles - makes me feel so much more accomplished and also holds me accountable, which is always a good thing!
  So anyway, I guess I should attempt to go to bed now.  Need some sleep badly!
  Have a wonderful day! :)

Sex and the City... and a Run

  Once again, I learned a lesson about my running this weekend.  I had planned to go for a morning run on Sat. but instead I slept... and slept and slept. I guess I was more exhausted than I originally thought.  I believe I napped more than half of the day today.  It's kinda sad but honestly felt good.
  Around 2pm I decided to get off my ass and go for a run.  Prior to that I'd gone back to my apt to take a shower... but it was super cold so I ended up cuddling on my couch and falling asleep. :(
  I figured there was a nice enough breeze so it would combat the 90 degree weather.  Wrong.  The breeze helped to keep me cool but the sun killed me.  I got dehydrated really fast and ended up running a little over 1 mile before dying.  I walked a little over a mile as well so in the end I did just over 2 miles in 30 minutes.
  I am going to try again tomorrow but probably at the gym instead.  Tomorrow's goal is to get at least 2 miles in so I'll have around 10 miles by the end of the week.  When I got back to the car I stretched and then downed 30 oz of water before I even left the parking lot.
  Today I also took a rest.  I figure I deserved it.  I spent a while cleaning the bathroom to break up the naps and episodes of Sex and the City.  I am not one of those people who can just relax and even though I haven't walked more than 2 miles today, I have kinda enjoyed it.  My only fear is that when it comes to bed... I will be so relaxed that I won't be able to sleep.  Which is almost every Sunday night.
  What types of things help you fall asleep?  I've tried tea and it doesn't work for me but I am open to almost any other suggestion!  Give me your best advice, please!

Keep running, running, keep running, running

  So I have to admit today just keeps getting better and better and no, that's not sarcasm!
  I slept the best that I have in a long time last night.  Didn't wake up until 5 minutes to 6am.  Laid there for a second convincing myself that I should skip the morning run and make it up this afternoon.  Even got as far as re-setting my alarm for 8am.  But after laying in bed for 5 more minutes I had to pee and that's what led to me getting up, getting dressed and going to the track.
  I was so proud of myself - continuing to set and beat new goals. :)  I did 10 laps straight (1 mile = 8 laps).  Then I did a 4-3-2-1 set.  So, in total I did around 2.5 miles.  Outside of class and races, that's the best I've done by myself.  I think I've finally gotten past that wall of wanting to give up when I get tired.  My goal is to get up to at least 12 laps before my next race (June 12th) before having to slow down.
  After my run I stretched and went back to my nice air-conditioned apt and took a shower and a wonderful 30 minute nap on the couch.  Best nap ever - woke up even more refreshed. :)
  Had my last lunch with my friend Gennie.  Gave her a final hug and tried not to cry.  Then walked to the gym to re-register for my summer membership.  While I was there I heard Mary, one of my running classmates so I popped into her office to say "hi".  She congratulated me on my awesome time on my last race and said our instructor has been praising me for it.  That made me feel good - I am good because of his classes and the support of my classmate.
  She also highly encouraged me to attend the Thursday noon runs so I think I may just do that.  I'll skip lunch with the staff and have some run time to myself and then snack at my desk those days. :)  And I told her I'd be at the Friday morning classes to help out.  It's going to be fun to watch the progression of the students.  Mary said they already have 3 signed up for the class and I have 2 students I spoke to who expressed interest.  I'm pretty excited and they have heard/seen how much it's helped me with my running. :)
  So if you couldn't tell from all the smiley faces, it's been a great day!  Debating about going for a walk tonight along the river - either that or running at the river tomorrow morning and hitting the gym later in the day.  We'll see.
  Hope everyone is enjoying their day as much as I am!

I will miss my friend.

  So the plan right now (literally) is to get up at 6am to go for a morning run.  My instructor starts his Friday classes tomorrow and I'd like to be there to help out and also see who joins.
  However we'll see when 6am hits.  The good news is they fixed the air in my apt. so it's nice and chilly now (not 80 degrees with no air circulation).  Bad news - I spent from 5pm to 7pm helping my friend pack her U-Haul.  I've moved so many times in my life I have it down to an art at this point.  I don't think - I just do it.
  However as I was packing it wasn't sinking in that she's moving - she's leaving and going back to Texas.  Yes, I'll see her in a month (hopefully) if/when she comes back for a co-workers bday party but she's leaving.
  After we packed we got together and watched the season finale of Grey's.  Having that last minute bonding and talking and relaxing really made me sad.  And then when I left her hall and saw the lonely U-Haul sitting in the parking lot - it totally took me back to my move here.  Leaving at 6am (like she will on Sat. morning) with my roommates U-Haul in our drive for her own move to MD and driving to the next phase of my life.
  If it weren't for this friend, I would not have had as easy an adjustment here.  She took me under her wing and really made me want to be here.  She literally at times, dragged me out of my apartment and made me be social when I first arrived and hasn't given up on me since.  I know this move is a good thing for her - she's been here for 5 years and needs to move on to a new position, but I'm going to miss her terribly.
  So this entry is for you Gennie -  good bye and good luck.

Classes are back in session!

  This morning was great.  The night - wasn't.  My air quit at some point this week and I didn't notice... until last night.  I am pretty sure I woke up every hour to 2 hours which didn't allow me the best nights sleep before my first class back.  But, I made it up and to class.
  Since we had 2 weeks off (one week for me really since I ran 2 weeks ago) we didn't really have a set schedule for class.  I ran a full mile, walked a lap and then ran another full mile.  Then I finished by walking 4 laps before stretching.  It felt really good to be back on my schedule.
  I think the hardest thing is going to be getting used to Friday morning classes.  But, I'm up for the challenge.  There's also a Thursday class at noon for all abilities.  Not sure if I'm going to do that one yet - the thought of sweating over lunch isn't that appealing.  But then again... it's not like I have a ton of meetings to worry about during the week right now.
  I was sad to see that I had gained 1lb from not working out last week but I know that now that I'm back on track that's not a problem anymore. :)  It feels so good to be running on a regular schedule again. :)
  I also finally decided on my next 2 5k's!  I always feel better when I finally decide on them - gives me a goal to look forward to. :)
  The first will be on June 12th (because it has the chip again so I'll know my real time) and as an early birthday present for myself I'm going to do one on July 3rd.  My hope is that by my birthday I'll either lose another 30 seconds OR be able to run almost the entire thing with less than 2 walks.
  Jeff (my classmate) has also set the goal for us that we're going to do a 10k in October. I'll be honest - I'm super nervous about that but he assured me that by that time we'll be good to go.
  I also enjoyed yet another ham/cheese/apple sandwich. I'm kinda obsessed now... I went out and bought some more apples last night and now I have to get more ham. ha ha ha.  When I find something I like I kinda get obsessed. :)
  Anyway, going to go to bed soon - hopefully now that the Tornado warning is over I'll get a good night's sleep.
 

Great run and a great day!

  Today was all around a great day.  The weather finally cleared up so it was a nice, sunny 70 degree day with a slight wind.  The gym opened again and I am no longer on duty!!  What could be better?
  Since the gym re-opened I was able to run the track this afternoon (after work).  I set my total goal at 2 miles and accomplished it. I was a little over my usual running pace (by 3 minutes) but I'm totally ok with that.  I wanted to ease back into running.
  I ran a full mile and then did 3 laps followed by 5 laps.  Then I ran into a student and we walked/talked for an additional 4 laps so all in all my total workout was 2.5miles.  I also showed him (very quickly) some exercises with weights.  I think Tuesdays and Thursdays are going to be my weight training days for sure.  And then probably some on the weekends.
  I looked over the class schedule.  Pretty excited - I'm going to do the Wed and Fri 6.30am classes.  They start this week so that's even more exciting!!  I'm actually looking forward to getting up twice a week at 6.30am.  I always feel so much better on Wednesdays after running that early in the morning before work.  It's the perfect start to my day and now to have the chance to do it twice a week - who could ask for more??
  We also reset the Fit Campus totals today.  I got in over 7miles alone today.  That's awesome and it leading me off to a great start.  I set my goal pretty low - level 3 (I think around 650,000 steps in 10 weeks) but I am really hoping for level 5 (800,000 steps).  We'll see how it goes.
  I also have to thank Caitlin for my dinner inspiration tonight.  She brought back the best recipe when she was at Disney World this spring... ham, cheese and granny smith apple sandwiches!
  Yes, when I first heard her speak of them I was slightly repulsed as well.  However until you experience one... you haven't lived. I made mine slightly different tonight.  I used a Nature's Own Sami (circular sandwich bread), Land O Lakes Cheddar cheese, mustard, 3 slices of ham and a thinly sliced granny smith apple.  I put 6 slices of the apple on my sandwich (under the cheese) and ate the rest with my sandwich.  I believe Caitlin heated ours on the stove - I ate mine cold tonight and it was so wonderful!  I think I may have another one for dinner tomorrow I loved it that much!
  I bought a few apples so I placed them in a glass bowl and put them on my kitchen table - made my kitchen look more homey. :)
  Hopefully the weather keeps up being nice (although I heard we're getting the storms currently in Texas...) but either way the gym is now open so I have no excuse not to work out!
  Thank goodness for a great week!

Stupid Weather...

  So as I've put on facebook a few times this week - our weather has been horrid.  We had 2 tornados (within 10min of my apt) and constant rain so I was very happy that it was sunny yesterday for a few hours.  Joey and I took full advantage of that fact and hit the river for a quick run.
  Joey has set a goal of running a 5k with me at some point this year so she wanted to see what her time was currently.  We ran a slow mile and she clocked herself at 9.52.  This is much better than our first mile which I believe took close to 12 minutes (she was super sick and had allergies that day).
  She was a runner in high school so I know that once we start her training she's going to be kicking my butt in gear in no time so I'm very much looking forward to the challenge. :)
  But all the same, I was very proud of her.  We ran about 1.5miles and walked about a mile - we had an emergency so we had to cut our run a little shorter than anticipated but all was well in the end.
  I have to call a local running store this week to inquire about their free running classes.  She said she'd go if it was free so hopefully it's not too late to join.  I'm also excited because our gym opens again on Monday so I can run the track!!  And sign up for running classes this semester!! Woo hoo!!  Now that I am under 31 minutes on my last race I have to set a new goal so I want to keep working on my fartleks to gain more speed and work on my jogging so I don't lose as much time when I need to slow down and catch my breath. :)
  Looking forward to an amazing summer filled with many, many miles of running.

My time - best yet!!

  I literally just checked my time for my race and I am so proud to say I've cut just about another minute off my total! 
  My timed score was 30:26.  That is my best time ever! 
  I pushed myself to my limit with that race and it's so wonderful to see it really paid off.  I could not be more pleased with myself and how far I've come. 
  Quick stats - out of 2,073 runners I was the 1,092 to cross the line.  I was 84th of 187 in my division and the 392th out of 1,091 females running to cross the line!  I am so proud (sorry, I can't say that enough!).

Full Moon 5k

This weekend has been one of the longest and most fun-filled I've had since I moved here.
We finally were able to close my building as of today. My staff has been working extremely hard to get all the residents safely moved out and either home or into other halls. Their hard work and dedication made the paperwork I have to do so much smoother and I owe them so much for that!
My senior RA graduated yesterday. As part of her graduation, Caitlin wanted everyone to eat together at Full Moon Cafe. I was super excited when we arrived because I realized it was the cafe that was sponsoring the race I was running that night!
Food was pretty good - I got a burger for protein before my race. :)
I realized very quickly that night races are hard for me. I worked most of the day - working on closing or graduation stuff so I seriously thought about skipping the race (ok... not seriously - but I did for a second). I took a quick nap and then felt a little better. As soon as I got into my running outfit I felt much more psyched and ready for the race.
Joey agreed to go with me to the race as I wasn't sure if my instructor or classmates would be there (if they were, I never found them). Upon arriving I learned that there were over 2,000 runners which is a pretty big race and a very intense experience as I was soon to learn.
I got in line around 7.45pm and then the gun went off. Within the first few minutes a rude older man pushed me out of his way. I had a feeling this was going to be the start of one of my hardest races. I was very thankful that it was on the parkway - an area I am very used to running already.
They said the race was a good "flat, first time" race - not so true. It had 2 small hills which would not be great for a first run but whatever... I still made it. :)
I was super proud of myself for this race - I ran the first part to the corner non-stop. Then I only took 4 20 second walking breaks - jogged slow for a short song and the rest was running. I was thrown off slightly - I have my song list timed so I know that if I get more than half way through Survivor by Destiny's Child that I am not going to make time and it felt like all of a sudden I was at my end song. I punched it really hard and made it across the line around my usual 31 minute time. I'm waiting for the website to upload all the times so I can post my official timed run score.
Here's a quick photo of me after the race.
Afterwards to celebrate, we went out. :) Saw an amazing band - Jet Set Kings and enjoyed dancing and drinking some good beer all night.

Now off to dinner with our brother hall and then probably going to see Iron Man 2. Exciting!!

Closing, Running and Everything else

  So we are closing my building this weekend.  My staff have been doing a wonderful job this week getting everyone out without any major issues and have been running around like crazy.  Makes me honestly miss being an RA and having those relationships with the students - now my relationships with them are different, which is good and sad at the same time.
  But anyway, because of move-outs I've also been running around like crazy trying to make sure all petty cash is done and all forms are filled out as they are required.  Funny how the "important" things change the higher your position. :)
  I have been able to get some good runs in this week to prepare for my 5k.  I did another 2 miles last night.  I started the running journal this week and it's kinda cool to see how many miles I do in a week.  Once I finish my race, I'll have just over 9 miles (close to 9.5).  Pretty exciting to see in writing.
  But it's still a far cry from the 3 miles 6 times a week I used to do in North Carolina so I'm working on getting back up to that.  One of my many running goals this summer.
  I am also hoping to find some new running trails.  I love the river path but not so much on windy days - hurts my contacts too much and campus is ok but gets boring after a while.  I am going to see if my instructor will show me some new areas to run this summer during class.
  I have also decided to sign up for the beginner class as well just to get that extra running time in as well as be there to take over on days he needs off (because I'm nice like that).
  Next week is going to be hard - I won't have class because the gym will be closed for interim so I'm going to try to make myself get up still and just run campus instead.  That will prove to be interesting but I have learned a 2 mile trail so we'll see if I can do it.  I'm now up to running a full mile (or just over) without having to stop or slow jog.  That's a huge improvement in just the past 2 weeks or so.
  It's all about the little steps. :)
  And last night I was super excited - my wound finally scabbed over.  Then, my dumb butt walked into our office in the dark and scraped my knee against a box.  Yep - ripped it right off and sent me on the floor in screaming pain and blood.  Thankfully some of my wonderful staff were there to save me (ha ha) and brought a medical kit so I could clean myself up.  But it still hurts like crazy and I feel like I'm back to square one with walking (it hurts when my leg is bent).  Just as long as it heals slightly by my race tomorrow night... then I'll be fine.

Estim8 Run

  So this morning I could barely get out of bed.  I didn't fall asleep until well after midnight even though I was exhausted and had to throw water on my face 3 times in order to wake up even a little.  Walked (or trudged) across campus to the gym and walked in with 1 minute to spare before class.  Went upstairs to where we normally meet and waited... and waited... and waited.
  No one showed up!  Not even my instructor.  But this is where I realize I've become a stronger runner.  The old me would have said "forget this!" and walked back home and went straight to bed.
  Instead, I reminded myself that I run every class without my ipod so it's just another class minus my classmates.  I set my goal (we do that every class) and got to running.
  And I'm proud to say that I made my goal and then some.  I set myself up with a 4-3-2-1 lap and then did another 4-3-2-1 lap.  I went slower than usual because I need to improve my jog so when I run races I don't stop when I get tired - I jog it out.  It ended up being just over 2 miles which I am very happy with.  I only took at most a 10sec break in between each set of laps and walked 4 laps total (2 before running, 2 to cool down).
  And the best part - my total time was only 5 min more than what I usually run! I was super excited about that!  I feel like I'm coming so far with my running from where I was just a few short months ago.  And I'm looking forward to continuing this summer with my running class on campus and possibly one off-campus so I can meet new people.
  The other main reason I pushed myself today is my race this weekend. I want to get myself to at least run 2 miles before I need to jog or walk for a few moments.  It's gonna be fun to see how my times change as the summer progresses.
  Also, when I read the route for the run I was very excited to learn it's going to be partly along the river, which is where I already run, so I (hopefully) will have a slight advantage since I'm used to the terrain there.  We'll see!

Riverside Run

  So I know that for many of my friends back on the east coast, the weather was less than pleasant today.  However here, it was a beautiful and sunny 84 degree day.  So Joey and I decided to go for a run after work.
  I was super excited because I wanted to get in at least 4 miles this week total before class on Wed. and with my 2 mile run the other day, I was ready to go again.
  Joey was awesome today - she ran with  me but at the same time allowed me to run on when her allergies caught up with her so I didn't feel as though I had to stop.  We walked .5miles, ran a mile, walked .5, ran a mile (and then some) and then we were both exhausted (and my knees were hurting and my butt was still killing me from Zumba) so we walked all 3 miles back to the car.  But I made really good time today and I even practiced my jogging - something I struggle with.
  I am super excited for my race on Sat!  I can't wait.  I have class on Wed morning (bright and early!) and then I'm hoping to get a short run in Thurs evening (if possible) and then I'll be ready for race day. :)  That will be #3 and then I just need to get 2 more in to accomplish my goal of 5 this summer.  Yay!  Joey said depending on how much I push her she may even do a race with me this summer.  I know she'll have no problem getting back to running - she used to run in high school so it's just a matter of building back up to where she was.
  I am burned and sore.  My poor muscles - I didn't stretch after as much as I should have an I am certainly paying for it tonight - lesson learned!!  I was hungry and just wanted to jump in the car after we returned figuring my walk was enough.  Nope, it wasn't.  Oh well.
  I just hope I am not horribly sunburned tomorrow - I forgot to put on sun screen and I was running in a tank top.  But at least the knee is feeling better and not restricting me as much anymore!
  Ok... off to sleep!  Night everyone!

Final Zumba Class...

  Sadly, today was my final Zumba class for at least the next 3 months. :(  But I can't complain too much - our instructor was wonderful and she added 2 extra weeks for us (we should have ended 2 or 3 weeks ago) due to Spring Break and a weekend she had to be away.
  And even more exciting news - she's once again going to offer 2 sets of classes in the fall so I'll be able to go again (prob Mon/Wed).  She's also going to try to talk them into allowing her to do "Flirty Girl Fitness" classes.  I am super excited about that as I've been wanting to buy the dvd's but they are really expensive and I don't tend to exercise by myself with dvd's/wii/whatever very well.  I'd rather take a class or go with a friend because then I have someone holding me accountable.
  I had planned to get a run in today but I slept in a little bit because the night before I actually went out!  I haven't been out in a long time and it was nice to just go and relax so it was a good weekend overall. :)  Hope everyone else did as well.  Definitely running by the river if the weather is nice tomorrow.

2 Miles Baby!

  Not to brag... well, maybe a little. :)
  As I've said before, I suck when it comes to running alone.  I tend to give up easily and take too many breaks.
  Today I woke up and was really looking forward to running down by our local river to get my exercise on.  However, as soon as I stepped outside the door, it began to rain.  I hate running in the rain in OK because it is also very windy at this time of year and my lungs aren't used to running in the wind any more (I've got to train them again sadly!).  So instead I went back to the scene of my accident on Wed... the track.
  I walked into the gym and there were maybe 6 people working out.  It was kinda sad but good for me as I hate running the track when there are other people on it.  I start to compare myself to them - speed wise, running style, etc.
  Thankfully it was just me. I did my warm-up, stretched and then decided to do a 5-4-3-2-1 set.  As I passed lap 5 I realized I wasn't ready to stop for another set so I kept going and ended up running a straight mile.  Then I walked for 10 seconds and did another 1/2 mile.  Then I finished with 2 sets of 2 laps.
  I was so proud of myself - I know I can run a full mile as I've done it before but to run 1 1/2 miles with barely a stop felt so good.  And of course allows me to set a new goal - a straight 1 1/2 mile and a straight 2 mile.  It also made me super excited for next weekends race! :D
  I still need to find out from Chris as to when he is arriving and I have to register for the race myself this weekend.  But running didn't bother my knee wound nearly as much as walking does so that also made me very happy to find out.
  Go me!  Now I'm going to drink some G2 and relax, read and do some laundry before a busy evening.

Injury part 2

  So my "injury" was a little worse than I originally thought.  It's been hurting non-stop since it happened, but since I've given up all self-medications (advil, tylenol, etc) I've just been sucking it up.  The pain is worst when I stop walking and start again - but I think it's mostly from the wound trying to scab over.
  It's also bigger than that photo leads one to believe but I went out tonight and bought some neosporin and large band aids which I hope will help more than the little ones I've been using.
  I'm also hoping to get to the river early in the AM to get a run in before the anticipated rain tomorrow.  If not, I guess I'll just do some laps in the gym (back to the scene of my fall).  Either way I need to get back on my feet and keep going. :)
  Excited about my new books.  I bought a few of the Skinny Bitch books (the mom one and the journal) as well as In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto.  I'm excited to read them all and maybe learn something new.
  I watched "Couples Retreat" last night and I found it really hard to look at the "main family" in the story and feel strongly that I don't want my life to end up like that - eating crappy food and having the kids on sugar rushes 24/7.  I want my kids to be as healthy as possible (I don't intend to restrict them from sweets totally but will not allow sweets on a daily basis) and keep them away from the tv as much as possible.  I get so sad when I see children get "lost" in their tv and not going outside to play or enjoy themselves and get exercise.
  Oh well.  Sorry for the late night thoughts... I should get to sleep - it's almost 2am now!  So much for planning on getting up at 9am!