Watch Out!!

Going on day number 4 of no running.

I am feeling anxious.

I am feeling irritated.

I am having no patience.

I need to run ASAP.

I am going to try 3 easy miles tomorrow morning.

Wish the people around me today good luck :)

How Potty Training Broke My Back

Phene started daycare a month or so ago. And it has turned out to be really good for her and she loves it! She is also learning to use the bathroom, also known as potty training.

Now in theory this is a GREAT thing! But...potty training is just that....training!

She still has accidents, though not many. But what I am finding the most difficult is now she wants to use the bathroom when we are out places. She has her pull ups on, so if she has an accident she can "go" in her diaper, but if we are at Walmart and she says she has to go potty....well I can't say no...kind of ruins the "training".

I myself HATE using public bathrooms. I barely touch anything and I rarely sit on the seat. So, here I am bringing Phene in to the restroom helping her not touch anything, which is hard!

So, here begins my story....

I had big plans Friday night. I was going to meet Sean with the kids in Georgetown for the tree lighting ceremony. I had this brilliant idea that we would get some pizza and go to the park and eat picnic style and then head over to meet Sean. It was all going so well until Phene had to go potty.

The bathroom at the park is small, and a little stinky, and on this particular afternoon not so clean. So, I had to really hold her kind of over the potty (I wiped it down really good with 2 baby wipes, but it was DIRTY!) So, I am holding her and she twists around and I am in that cramped bathroom trying to hold her up and WHAM! My back....I literally fell to the floor, and she fell on the seat! Damn it!

About once a year my back goes "out". I get sciatic pain so bad that I can barely walk. About a week ago I was having some knee pain, and I told myself at least I wasn't having back pain. This is a lesson on watching what you say, and even what you think! My back was kind of acting weird through the week and I was trying to stretch a little more and ran a little slower....but that weird twist I did in the bathroom got me.

I went home and went to bed early. And Saturday I tried to take it easy. It's feeling better each day but it still hurts and I am not running which SUCKS! I know I need to give it some rest and maybe do some yoga tonight or tomorrow. I will try for an easy run on Wednesday.

This is such horrible timing as I have a 1/2 marathon on December 11th....let's just hope these days I am taking off and some stretching and easy running will help this go away faster. It's definitely not as bad as when it happened last year and I could barely walk for a week, so I am thankful for that.

Any way, thanks for reading my long story. I feel sad today and REALLY want to run :(

My goal for 2011

At the beginning of this year my goal was to run 500 miles...
Well I am at 828.
So I am thinking I should now try to get in 1000.
Which means....
(Because you see I have already calculated, recalculated, calculated this whole thing like 20 times. And with my poor math...well I need a calculator)

There are 38 days left in this year...about 5 more weeks

And I need to run 172 more miles.

So, let's says I get 15 more miles in this week...so there will be 843 miles left

I will need to be getting in about 31.4 miles a week.

I think I can do this! It's always hard with the holidays, because there are days that come up that are hard to run on. BUT, I will just need to be extremely diligent and get them in.

I will be so happy to have 1000 miles under my belt in 2011! And for next year maybe I should go for 2000?????



Means if I was doing this

Secret Santa Blogger style

This seemed interesting to me and I am going to give it a try this year.

We never do anything like this at work, and sometimes I wish we did!

At my old job we did this and I always got something kind of interesting.

Have any of you done this and got something kind of cool or useful?

2nd Annual Holiday Blogger Gift Exchange

Hope you all have a good weekend!

Date Night

This weekend my husband and I are going on a date night. We are going to see a movie...

And have dinner...

This is a totally new concept to me, and one I have wanted to try for awhile.

Here in Austin they have a infamous chain of theatres called Alamo Drafthouse. Where you can watch a movie, eat, drink beer, all from your movie seat.  Sounds fun right?  They don't have anything like this that I know of in California. 

Well Flix Brewhouse is the same concept, just closer to our house, and perhaps not as trendy cool and perhaps not as crowded as the Alamo Drafthouse.  (Because we are in our mid thirties you know, not as cool and trendy as we used to be)

This will be our first date night in about 6 months. 

With kids and work we just don't get much time to get out alone.  PLUS, we don't really have family around here...well not many family members that can babysit.

Should be a busy weekend!

Here is my plan.....

Saturday morning 20 mile run with my Run Tex group

nap (I am old, you remember right?  I mean my bedtime is usually around 830p, so I need a nap if I am going to make it through a movie!)

And movie/date night on Saturday

And probably just fun stuff like cleaning house on Sunday

But yes you did read that correctly....I have a plan for 20 miles on Saturday.  Should be fun!

(Well, maybe not fun, but should be interesting and I always try to think about how great I will feel afterwards...and how I can eat anything I want for the rest of the day :)  )

 

Quickie Bullet Post

• Ran 16 miles with the Run Tex group this last Saturday. Kept a pretty good pace of 8:30-8:45 mile pace. It helped to have James & Sarah there pushing me and keeping me going! Especially at the end as we were running against the wind! I had an odd crampy feeling in my calf that started at mile 6. Stayed with me the whole run, but didn't get worse thankfully.


• Tried out a new pumpkin muffin recipe...it turned out so so. I was really looking for something like the pumpkin bread at Starbucks...this was similar but not as sweet. I am not the best baker! (Or cook for that matter)


• I am going back and forth with myself about running a marathon in the spring. I really want to, but I guess I am a little scared...scared of the commitment....There are some weeks where fitting in 3 days during the week to run is a struggle. So, I worry about the time commitment. And I feel like I need to add in some cross training but how will I find time for that? I think I just need to pick a marathon...sign up...and that will be that. No more going back and forth. Sarah, from my run group, suggested that a few of us should pick one race and train together. Would probably be good to have some people to be held accountable to.


• Is it really almost Thanksgiving? This year has gone by SO fast!

That's about all I have.

Congratulations to my friend Erin over here....she place 6th in the San Antonio Rock and Roll Marathon!!!! She is SO fast! (And she is running the JFK 50 miler this coming up weekend!) Wish her luck if you have a second!

Running with My Eyes Closed

I am going to preface this by saying I think I am the most unphotogenic person EVER!  I hate pictures of myself and avoid them at all costs.

Finally the Run for the Water 10 Mile Race pictures were posted.  Actually there is one that I think is not half bad....I will share that one first

Nothing like running with your eyes closed

I look scared

You can see Sean with Phene on his shoulders far left

Sean and Phene at finish

I never really see pictures of myself racing that I would go out and buy.

The first picture is not bad...but would I buy it?

My Weekly Conundrum

Runners World

Daily Mile

One of Those Days!

*First off I wish it was Friday...This is a long week!!

*I read this post this morning and it's pretty funny...thought I would share. This guy's blog is pretty good...he doesn't post much, but when he does they are good for a laugh! (Who's not calculating what we eat, how far we need to run, calories, etc??!! Especially with the holidays coming up!)

*Speaking of the holidays and calories...I have been CRAVING pumpkin muffins...Sounds so good right now!

*Sometimes I like to look at my stats on blogger...who is reading my blog? How many people visit my blog? etc....

So what I am getting from this is that my most interesting post of all time is just a picture...not all the other crap I actually spent time writing...just a picture of a scorpion...
Humphhh!
Scorpions are definitely popular in my household, guess they are popular everywhere.
(Also, thanks Krystal, seems your blog sends me what little traffic I have!  I am not being sarcastic, glad I have some viewership!)

*Terra Nova jumped the shark last night

*I am considering refinancing my house.  What a f%% mess...I am clueless.  Points, refinancing fees, WTF!?  My brain is just not wrapping around it today.  And it needs to soon.  Looks like that's what I will be doing after kids go to bed...fun fun....

You think I would be a in a good mood because I ran today...I am not..just one of those days!!!

I Want...I Need..ok I Just Want (Part 2)

Since winter is finally here.  (Well at least once or twice a week I am running in the cold now.  Please pardon that it was 70 degrees with 80% humidity this morning...it's still offically kind of sort of winter)  I need some winter running gear.  I just got my new Road Runner Sports catalog and saw some pretty nice stuff!
First I saw this Nike thermal jacket....

Love it!  (Not necessarily in this color, as I am more of a black running attire girl) It has that little extra almost turtleneck...and it has the holes in the sleeves so you can kind of tuck your hands in and keep them from being exposed.  Moisture wicking, etc...  It's about $70 though :(

BUT look what I found Here at Old Navy

Very similar PLUS it has a hood....and the best thing it's on sale for $27.50! (Same little holes in sleeves, same turtleneck thing going on)

At Road Runner I also saw this thermal Nike headband for $17

I really love wearing a headband like this during winter.  It keeps my ears warm. (I did not find this cheaper at Old Navy :( unfortunately)

One thing I wish I would of had last year was a neck gaiter.  I tried using a thin scarf a couple of times and it had no moisture wicking properties at all and just turned in to a wet mess. 

I saw this one at REI

I was reading reviews and it seems these "turtle fur" gaiters have great moisture wicking and are pretty comfortable.
Now these aren't running related but I really want a paire of UGG Slippers.  Don't they look comfy!?

I also really want another pair of these

I love Big Star jeans!  They are low rise and just really fit my body right!

Ok now back to running.....
I really want to buy another pair of these shoes.....

I can't say enough good things about these shoes.  I have been running in them for the last 6 months and I love them!

So besides this villa in the Greek Isles....where I can spend countless hours in peace, reading books, swimming, eating meals from my personal chef, leaving my kids with a nanny so I can enjoy a nice run......

I think that about rounds out my want list this week......

Florence Friendship Day 5K Race...and a new PR!

My goal this race was to beat my last 5K time of 21:51.  I knew it would be a small race and I was pretty sure I would be 1st female as there were about 25 runners that showed up.  I ended up with a time of 20:54 which is about a minute less than my last 5K.  4th place overall.

Splits:7:15/6:59/6:32

Guess I started out a little slow.  I think I psych myself up too much overthinking everything.  I just didn't want to burn out right at the beginning.

It was pretty cold too....when I left the house it was 40...have to start getting used to that cold air in my lungs again!

Here are some pictures of the race....see I told you it was small!

Thanks to my husband Sean for the pics and for coming out to support me.

Oh Wonderful, Versatile Me.....

I have been tagged by this lady over here. Who is actually one of my favorite bloggers I follow. If you haven't taken a look at her blog or you aren't following, you probably should be. She's smart, she runs, she bikes, and she has a lot of interesting things to say.

So the "rules" of this tag are that I need to share 7 random things about myself and then tag 15 other bloggers to participate....hmmm...do I know 15 other bloggers? Regardless here are 7 things that make me versatile...or perhaps you did not know about me....

(It's Friday here at work, and I have nothing better to do :))
#1
I have horses....well ponies to be exact. YES ponies..welsh ponies. (When I moved here to TX and first met my husband he thought I was just some hoity-toity California girl who cutely called her horses ponies...that was until he actually saw them.)

When I lived in California I showed my ponies on the welsh pony show circuit. One weekend a month my mother and I would load up our trailer and head to a show. We would do halter classes, which are judged on the pony's confirmation. And we would do hunter and under saddle classes as well. I almost exclusively rode English. Though once in awhile on a trail ride I would ride in a western saddle.

Since moving to TX I have not showed and I barely ride. I had 5 ponies total, but I am now down to the 2 brown one's you see in the pic above. They are pretty much hay burners at the moment. But I love them and plan on having them be our kid's ponies in the coming years. I do miss showing and riding with my mother though. She instilled a love of horses in me at a very young age and I will always be thankful.

#2
I love thrifting, craigslist, and ebay! Not only do I buy and resell stuff on craigslist. But this is also where I get most of my kid's toys, clothes, and shoes. I love getting a deal and finding cool things. I am by no means a junk collector though.

#3
I just started running races. Last fall was my first 5K and since I have been hooked! I have run on and off since high school but it was always for the pure enjoyment of running. No, I wasn't in track in high school or anything like that. I have always just LOVED running. And now I am loving to race and make goals for myself!

Here I am at my first 5K. It was a small race in my small town and I actually won it :) Now you may say there wasn't much competition....and you are right there weren't tons of runners. BUT, there was a girl at this race who gave me a run for my money and really pushed me so it wasn't an easy race.

#4
I work for a golf company, and I don't play golf. Nor do I want to. But I know a lot about golf club specifications if you have ever have any questions. (I have HORRIBLE eye-ball-hand coordination!!)

#5
I spent 6 years living on the north shore of Kauai when I was growing up. Wainiha valley is the place I called home. No kidding this is what my view was every day. Kauai is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

#6
I went to Catholic school until 5th grade.

#7
I own a Great Dane named Sookie...and a Chihuahua named Frankie

That's about it....anything random or versatile you want to share with me about yourself??

I am a Crappy Parent too!

Love, love, love this site:

http://crappypictures.typepad.com/crappy-pictures/

I don't laugh out loud often, but there were a few on here that really got me.

The Halloween one is great!

A Bone to Pick

I am not really in a rantin' and ravin' mood today...I am more just in a mildly annoyed mood.

• We have this guy in our office who chews/eats ice for 9 hours straight. The sound of people crunching ice is one of my pet peeves. I can't stand it! It makes me cringe. So I have a heater that acts like a white noise machine under my desk. I have it on all day so I can't hear this ice chewer....but why? Why chew ice all day long? I always pray the ice machine breaks down or his teeth fall out....but that hasn't happened yet. Damn it! :(



• I'm tired. Getting up early every day wears on me at times. I get up at about 5-5:15 so I can get a run in before work. It's never easy getting up and getting going. And I guess it's not like I sleep in any way. Even on weekends I am up around 6a...but I am tired. I would like one day...one day where I can lay around on a beach all day...no cell phone...no kids...maybe just a good book...OH and a long nap...I can dream right?



• 
  
  I have 5K this weekend in the town where I live. This was the first race I had EVER run and of course since I live in the smallest town ever, I won. I feel like I have to run it this year again, if only because it's about a mile from my house. So, yesterday I was thinking about my goals for this race....so I went here to see how fast I ran my last 5K. Geez...as you can see below I ran the last one pretty damn fast....Can I beat that time this year? I had to double take on this...really? 7 minute miles...Holy moses...Now I really have something to live up to this weekend...I will just go out and do my best, but I know my inner competitor is going to try and run faster...damn it!

• I just finished the book "The Help". More than a few people told me that this book was SO good. And the movie was really good too. So, I thought I would give it a try. It was one of the most anti-climatic books I have read in a long time. Good characters...and a good story.....but the end ruined it for me. Nothing happened. This great story unfolds and you get interested and then BOOM! Nothing. Oh, well, at least I can say I read it. And yes I will probably see the movie when it comes out on DVD.

• And last but not least this is something that annoys me all the time!

Runner's World:



Daily Mile:

Ok so I track my runs in two places....Runner's World which I have been using for about 2 years, until I heard about Daily Mile.  I don't want to stop using Runner's World because it has a lot of runs from the past...my total mileage ever, etc...But I like Daily Mile because it's kind of interesting reading about other people's training.  ANY WHOO.....Runner's World weeks start on Sunday....Daily Mile on Monday.  So according to Daily Mile I have run 10 miles this week, and 27 miles last week.  According to Runner's World I ran 16 miles last week, and 21 miles this week.  This ANNOYS me!  So my goal every week is between 25-30 miles.  So according to Runner's World I slacked last week....and according to Daily Mile I am slacking this week.  WTF!? I wish I could just add all my old miles in to Daily Mile. But that would take forever.

That's about all I have for today.  What is annoying you today?  Do you have someone in your office who does something you just can't stand?

Race Recap & Weekend in Pictures

Saturday morning we went out to Sweetberry Farm in Marble Falls with my friend Krystal and her daughter Kaylie. The weather was perfect and we had a great time!

Sunday was my 10 mile race. My husband didn't get too many pictures because he had the two kids with him. I am hoping the race photographer got a few...but we all know how race pictures turn out!

Here I am running in....black shirt and shorts kind of in middle...

The kids participated in the kids k after which was fun...and some of the booths were handing out candy. This was the first kids k for both of them.

Cow Parade is in town and I wanted to get at least one picture with a cow....but as you can see more of a family pic than a cow pic.

Proud kids with their first race tee shirts!

As I told you in my last post this was a GREAT race for me! I don't know if it was just a good day, perhaps I fueled just right, drank just the right amount of water, or perhaps the french fries I ate the night before :)...but I felt strong and I finished with a great time! With negative splits the last 5 miles....I couldn't complain!

(Oh and a note on fueling....I had a Shot Block before the race....and at mile 7. I also ate 2 sweedish fish in between. It worked perfectly!)

Here are some of my observations from the race....

• I should have started more towards the front of the starting line. And listen up people!!! If you are going to power walk the race....get in the back of the line! I swear I passed like 5 power walkers.....ANNOYING!




• Not everyone should wear Lululemon. Lululemon has some cute clothes...some cute shorts...and some VERY short shorts that some people should not try to squeeze into. Sorry if this offends anyone, but I don't want to see butt cheek in front of me. AND I am not really understanding the Lululemon guy. I swear there was this guy I was running with for awhile that was dressed from head to toe in Lululemon. Even down to his socks. Its better than the no shirt thing...but it was a little overkill. (And yes I am a people watcher in races and in life. Keeps me occupied and distracted while running)




• I like passing people, though I feel kind of bad doing it to some people. I was running with this lady for awhile and she was going strong. We came to the first real steep hill and she dropped off....I wanted to yell behind me "YOU CAN DO IT! DON'T GIVE UP!!" but you know...I was passing her and it was one less person in my way so I didn't say anything :) (JUST KIDDING....I did feel guilty)




• And last but not least....I love racing...I love running....at least I do when I have a great day like this!

And a shout out to my dear friend Wilma (pictured far right). She ran the LA Rock n Roll on Sunday! Woo Hoo! Great job Wilma!