Running Hates Me.

I have not been running. Like at all in probably 5-6 weeks? I don’t even remember the last run I went on but it was not a memorable one or one that caused me injury or anything like that. And at the moment, I have absolutely zero interest to run (and therefore blog about running). But…

I still have this nagging feeling that I really want to run another marathon…someday. Heck, I’d even be happy with a good training cycle leading into a half marathon. But I think my body might hate running. Or at least the distances I ran training for my marathon(s) last year. Or maybe the fact that I am an idiot and ran three marathons in a year when I was not really trained well for any of them? Your guess is as good as mine…

I run for DQ Blizzards.

But I do know I swore after Disney that I would NEVER run a marathon again. Ever. And here I am just five-ish months later already craving another one. It probably does not help I am coming up on the one year anniversary of when I was supposed to run my first marathon. All I know for sure is running must be an addiction. Or something.

Never. Running. Again.

I guess time will only tell if I ever run a marathon again. Or a mile for that matter. But one thing has not changed, my brain still thinks I am a runner!

Anyone else ever been in a months long running funk that just won’t go away?! 

Molasses.

I don’t know if it was just me but this week went super slow. Heck, this whole month has gone really slow… snow, cold, snow, cold, repeat.

Especially topical since my work is on weight watchers right now… If I had a $ for every time someone complained about what they “can’t eat”…

Anyways, here’s a random post to get me through to the WEEKEND!

1) I have done yoga twice this week. That’s right, TWICE! Sister started teaching somewhere new and brought me along to try it out. I’d like to say I’m re-addicted but all I can think about are my aching hamstrings and aching triceps. Yikes!

2) I have my February craft project on the horizon this weekend. I’m being a total tree-hugger/pinterest-reader and making reusable paper towels We shall see how this goes, I have not used a sewing machine in about 3 years so it could get interesting and I may do lots of yelling/cursing at said sewing machine.

Don’t they look so cute?

3) Tickets go on sale tomorrow for Boys II Men, 98 degrees and NKOTB. I really want to go to this concert but I don’t know if I am a fan enough to put up with it. Maybe the tickets will sell out super quickly and I won’t have a chance, or be $1,000.

How can you NOT want to see them in concert?

4) Winter Storm “Q” kind of messed up my run this morning. Not amused. Not amused.

5) I finally think I got my sister addicted to weight lifting! I’ve been trying for years and finally Body Pump was enough to get her hooked We both really, really like the at home workout DVD set. Best use of a gift card so far! I actually look forward to doing these DVDs which is a nice change of pace for workouts!

6) I used to love Downton Abbey so, so much. (*cryptic language ahead to avoid spoiling anything) But after this “season” my fondness is quickly running out. How many more people have to leave the show before it’s just over? It’s been a little too dramatic these past few episode… I’m just glad I read the spoilers online beforehand so I wasn’t surprised by any of it. Still so pissed over it though!

 

7) I am looking forward to an incredibly lazy weekend this weekend. I can’t wait!

Anything big on your agenda for the weekend?

The Groundhog is Messing with Me.

So… Groundhog’s Day was about 3 weeks ago. And we were promised Spring was right around the corner. Promised I tell you. And yet, he is not delivering. Sure, we get a tease here and there *coughMondaycough but then it’s back to Winter bitch slapping us in the face *coughTuesdaycough.

I’m so looking forward to Spring for these reason:

1) Time saving! I will be able to shave 20 minutes off my “time prep for a run – actually running”. No hat/gloves/coat/snowshoes/earmuffs to search for. No 15 layers of clothes to wiggle into.

So many layers…

2) Suntan lines! I can’t wait for that first spring run when I come back and can still see my tank top tan line. Those are the best!

Running in shorts sounds so foreign right now.

3) Daylight. I am starting to see little tiny peaks of sun in the mornings but I can’t wait for full blown sunshine to run in in the morning! Can’t wait!

4) My bike. I still have a love/hate relationship with The Bicycle but I really want to take it out on a ride… which I hear is hard to do if the trail is covered in snow. Bets are on if I can still ride it…

Still so shiny and new.

5) Racing again! It hasn’t been that long since my last race but I don’t feel like I’ve actually race, raced a race in a while (say that 3x fast). I have a few 5ks-10ks to look forward to this Spring and I can’t wait! I love finish lines

What are you most looking forward to about Spring?

Friday.

Another Friday, another chance to blog about nothing. Well, not really nothing but nothing super important…

1) I got a very exciting shipment in the mail yesterday!  Some new workout DVDS.  I really do have an obsession with workout DVDS… I managed to use very little of my own money to buy this because I had some gift cards saved up from various sources so I am not counting that as a “something that I bought” per my 2013 goals.

I am very exited to try out this program because for the longest time, I really did like the Body Pump classes at the gym but then the gym started getting too busy and it was annoying. By working out at home, I can no longer use that excuse

2) Speaking of my 2013 goals and the “no buying things” one, I had to revise that one slightly because I was way too vague with that. How do I go about not buying things when I still kind of need to live and that means thing inevitably need to be purchased. Does that mean I can still run races? or no? Can I buy new shoes if my old ones get worn out? or no? So I actually took the time to set up a budget at mint.com. I feel like I made that resolution because my money spending gets out of control and I go all or nothing. So I am hoping this budget idea will help me find the happy medium. I’m still not going to make any large purchases but I can still make smaller purchases provided they fit in my budget or I can save up the budget for a larger purchase down the road. We shall see how this goes now that it’s actually follow-able. (apparently this goals thing is too complicated for me to figure out or something).

My motto

3) I ran a whopping 64 miles this week (and no, not 64, 4, not 6). If it wouldn’t have snowed all the week long, I might have gotten in another few but I’m shooting for a very slow return to mileage (despite my want to sign up for all the races right now) so I guess that fits the bill. (I was smart and allotted myself some racing money in my budget – hehe).

4) I’m really enjoying this slow down goal for this week… I’m realizing how many things I normally do at once and it’s kind of eye opening. I don’t think I am capable of just eating without watching TV or looking at a computer though. It’s really boring and awkward sometimes…so again with the compromises of the goals after 2 days. I’m such a superstar.

If that’s not the face of a superstar, I don’t know what is!

5) I had to get a stupid biometric screening done for work on Tuesday to show me how unhealthy I am. Had to as in it would have cost me $40/month if I would have “declined” to have said testing done. I am happy to report I showed them and had a good cholesterol reading off the chart and a bad cholesterol reading too small to measure. Way to be my “wake up call” to my unhealthy lifestyle. Fail. I really wish I had to work to bring the good cholesterol down so I had an excuse to eat some french fries. That would be a challenge I would gladly accept!

My ideal meal. All food groups covered on one delicious plate.

6) Speaking of food, I am so over it this week. Everything I planned for meals turned into an epic disaster. Sweet potatoes were rotten, regular potatoes were green so I freaked out they were toxic and threw those away, grain salad I made tasted disgusting and I realized I hate quinoa plus I was out of ingredient to make bread and didn’t have any other back ups so it was kind of an interesting and unappetizing week for food. I have since re-read through some Rachel Ray cookbooks to find some new inspiration…

7) I hate snow. I had a vague memory yesterday of being younger and freaking out when the temp would rise over 32 in the winter and melt all the snow. Now, I would be just fine never seeing it again this winter.

Putting this in my front yard.

“This blog post = not amused.”

That’s more than enough for now. What’s on your plate this weekend? (Literally and figuratively)

Slowing Down.

I need to slow down.

Not really with blogging, not so much with running either. Just in general. I had a realization over the weekend that the only times I feel relaxed and stomach-ache free are 1) when I am babysitting, 2) when I am on vacation and 3) when I am drinking (preferably 2+3 but never 1+3) The common motivating factor? Mono-tasking.

A drink in my hand…

When I am babysitting, I am focused on the kids, nothing else. When I am on vacation, I don’t have a to-do list in my brain a mile long. When I have had a drink, I stop caring about said to-do list. So I think I need to amend by February goal list and add:

6) Do one thing at a time, and slowly.

I’m a horrendous multi-tasker at work, at home, even when working out. I always HAVE to be thinking of “what next?” “Once I finish this, then what?” And so on and so forth. Wouldn’t it be much less stressful if I just focused on the now of what I am doing instead of the later and what I need to be doing eventually?

When I am running, I should just focus on how I feel at that moment, not dwell on the 20+, 40+, 60+ minutes I have left of my run.

This is how I run

When I am doing something at home, I should just focus on that task instead of getting worked up about everything I am not doing and still should do at some point.

It seems easy. I’m gonna guess it is much harder than it sounds. (side note: just checked my phone instead of just finishing this paragraph, see? hard.) But I want to get better. I want to stress less. I want to enjoy more.

This next week I am going to challenge myself to run slower, drive slower, eat slower, work slower (and on ONE THING) and worry about my to-do list less. Because really, what’s my hurry?

What is your go-to method for reducing stress? Or do you not ever feel stress? (jealous)

One last January Friday.

I’m not at all sad that January is almost over.  And I am even gladder I missed 25% of it  However, Wisconsin has not been kind to me this past week with it’s lovely weather.  I always say I am moving somewhere warmer and then… do nothing about it.  One of these years!

Some random tidbits from my last week back in the Midwest:

1) I hate wearing a coat in the car.  Like hate, hate.  So I never wear one in to work since I park in a parking garage (one perk of my job!). This week I broke down and wore a puffy vest for 2 day  I’m pretty sure everyone that works in this office has asked me at one point or another “where’s your coat?” I really just want to say, “Does it matter?”  #busybodies

2) I finally decided to join our local Co-Op, Outpost!  I’ve been hmmm and hawwwing for 2+ years about joining and never took the time to do it.  And then I find out they are building a new store that might actually be closer to me!  Score!  Sister and I are hoping to shop a little smarter this year for groceries so I think joining a co-op will help lead us in the right direction

3) I love, love, love, the TV show, Nashville.  Any other fans out there? It started out a little slow and confusing (I thought all the lead men looked the same?!) but now I totally look forward to it every week! (Just realized Rayna’s manager and Juliette’s manager are different people last night.  Apparently I have a broken facial recognition system in my brain or something…)

4) Since I have not been running this week, I’ve been revisiting my Insanity DVDs!  Totally forgot how hard those whoop my butt!  Sweaty mess by the end and just a little sore

5) I tackled my January craft/organizational project on Tuesday night!  One hour, bam and done!  My closet was a disaster and now it’s not!

6) I found out I have three days LESS vacation this year than last year.  WTF?  Why give me more hours and then take them away.  Rude.

7) This lady is a crazy awesome runner.  She did an indoor half marathon on Saturday followed by an indoor full marathon on Sunday and had a better time than my recent marathon!  Impressive!!  (I thought only Disney had the Goofy Challenge set up this way but I guess up in little ole Wisconsin we have the same thing! Take that, Disney World )

8) My other blogger bud, Allison, is officially training for her first marathon!  I’m excited to watch her train for the same race I trained for last year. (But never actually finished…)  You are welcome for taking the sucky year in 2012 thereby assuring this year will be fantastic!  (It’s gotta be, right?)

9) I miss these.

Vegan + gf deliciousness.

10) And this place:

But mainly the cookie sandwich… I think I need to see how much money I have left on an itunes card to get the app for that!

11) 54 days until Spring!!!!!!!

This sunrise this week was pretty though…

Anything fun going on this weekend?

Last Friday.

Can you believe it’s the last Friday in 2012?  Wow.

1) Two weeks from today, I will be headed to DISNEYWORLD!?!?!?!?!

soon, very soon.

2) Oh yeah, and I actually have to run kind of far when I am there.  Somehow I always forget about that piece of information.

3) I’ve been sick all week and it’s now settled in my lungs so I am pretty sure I’ll be missing out on a last long run before 2012 is over…

4) *Knock on wood (pun!), the tree in my back yard might come down before the end of the year which would raise my goal score from 6/22 to 7/22!  Whoop!!

Won’t miss this eye sore.

5) I always get insomnia when I am sick.  Definitely not what I need when I am trying to heal and get better.  I think I have been up later this whole week than I would ever stay up when I am healthy…

6) I almost feel like it’s vacation this because there is NO TRAFFIC driving in and out of Milwaukee this week.  I look forward to it every year

7) 2013 in T-3-4 wake ups! (technically if you stay up til midnight there is not really a wake up, right?)

Have a great weekend!

 

Can it get worse?

I normally LOVE December, all the Christmas lights, cookies, festivities, etc.  But this month is off to a rotten start.  Why so many weird things happened this week, I know not but I am hoping it’s maybe just clearing it out of it’s system before the New Year!

1) My water heater gave out Wednesday morning.  Luckily I heard it and could turn it off before I had 40ish gallons of water all over my basement.

2) You cannot run your dishwasher or shower when your water heater is out.  Good to know, good to know.  Also, the wash machine does not work either…

3) I’m still not sure what to do about the shotuation.  Return them?  Try to break them in again with bandaids? Go get fitted again?  I hate shopping, hence why I order stuff online but when it’s not consistent… arg!

4) I got matched to be a Big Sister on Wednesday as well (a good thing for the week!).  I’m really excited to meet my Little Brother next week!  I think it’s kind of funny I am matched with a Little Brother though – I guess they knew I already have a little sister so they wanted to broaden my horizons ;)  I’m really looking forward to taking him to sports game, the zoo, the park, sledding, etc., etc.!  All the fun kid stuff I miss doing from when I babysat more

5) I’m planning an 8ish mile run this weekend.  Hopefully it does not snow the whole run but I’ll make it work somehow.  At least 8 miles is doable (although not ideal) on the treadmill!

6) I am totally addicted to making Christmas cookies.  Every year I tell myself I don’t need all that sugar in the house and then as soon as it’s December, I just want all the cookies!  Sister and I baked and frosted our first batch of cut outs this year!  And surprisingly, there are still some left!  That’s saying something  We used this recipe but subbed gluten free bisquick and they turned out better than normal cookies do!  Maybe I’ve just forgotten what “normal” tastes like but these are fantastic!

7) I was “planning” to take December 21st off from work until I realized that might quite possibly (or not) be the last day of the world – now I am most certainly taking that day off of work!  There is no way I am intentionally working when the world might end ;) I can’t imagine a worse scenario than being bombed by fire balls from space with all my nearest and dearest co-workers near by…   Ha!

8) I’m going to make an effort to get my scrapbooks caught up this weekend.  I’m sure it’s wishful thinking but I really want them done by the end of the year!  I’m sure some people would call that a stupid goal but for whatever reason, I feel much better when I know my memories are safe – probably because I know how unsafe they are just sitting in my memory…

9)  I feel like I should give myself a “racing budget” for 2013.  But then I start thinking about how much I would have to allow myself and the number starts to be scary.  Maybe it’s better not to calculate that sort of thing… I soon need to decide Cellcom, or no?, Summerfest, or no?  Erg.

10) 6 miles on the treadmill this morning felt like 600 miles…

11) Old guys on treadmills next to you feel the need to chat with you while you are trying to run and the women in the locker room are really gossip-y… probably more reasons I am not the biggest gym workerouter.

I think that’s enough for this week… anything good happen to you this week?  Please show me there is SOME good left in this world

11 for fun.

Sometime in the past year, 10, 11, 12 mile runs have become no big deal.  That makes me both sad and happy at the same time.  Sad because I know next year that distance will probably go back to feeling like death even when my brain is like NBD and happy because, well, at least for now those distances aren’t so terrible awful

I felt pretty good on my run this morning, keeping a 10ish minute mile pace the whole way through.  And for whatever reason, finished the last mile in 9:00?  WTF is with that?  I went back to taking Gus ever 45 minutes or so and walking every mile for a minute and that really does help so much!  I decided to pick the hilly version of a long run course this time and will likely regret that later this afternoon when I am trying to shop!  The weather today was also so warm!  Like 45+ when I left!  I can’t recall the last December run I’ve done in a tank top and was over dressed like that!  I’m pretty sure the weather was colder for Lakefront!  (How was it only 2 months ago that I ran a marathon?  Sometimes I feel like time is going fast and then sometimes things feel ages ago that are really not long ago at all!)

I just spent the last 20 minutes looking for the only pair of jeans I own that are not awfully tight on my thighs.  #runnerproblems And will likely go from fine to dying of starvation this afternoon when I am as far away from food as humanly possible… sometimes I really wonder what I like about running

Favorite running quote I think

Hope everyone is having a good Saturday!  Happy December!

Good Bye, November.

My favorite month of the whole entire year.  Over, just like that.  Last year I blamed Hawaii on taking my favorite month from me but I’m not sure who’s to blame this year.  I love everything about November (except for any premature snow) and it’s always hard for me to face the impending doom of winter driving in a commute that involves driving into Milwaukee traffic.  But since I still have one last day, that happens to be a Friday, I will try to embrace it with a random Friday post!

1) Decaf Lattes from Starbucks have too much caffeine for me.  WTF.  I am all hyped up all afternoon after I get one.  I love lattes and I can’t stand the idea of never being able to enjoy one again

2) I forgot to mention in my Marathon Monday post that Sister and I went to see the new Twilight Movie and it was AWESOME!  Kristin Stewart even had one scene were I believed she was an actress with emotions!  It was quite shocking really!  Now this series is added to the Harry Potter Vault of re-watching/re-reading when I am feeling nostalgic.  I will always remember I read the very first chapter of the very first Harry Potter book the night I brought my puppy home!

3) It’s felt really weird having my Christmas tree up for almost a week already when it’s just now turning into December… I love the lights on the tree though and always miss them when I take them down in January

4) Someone got new jammies for Christmas.  And so did I!  (Thanks sisser!)

5) I’m braving the shopping world tomorrow to try to get my Christmas shopping done.  If I don’t find it tomorrow, I’ll order it online.

6) I was browsing Etsy yesterday and kept thinking of my blogging friend, Allison and her love of owls!  They are everywhere on the site and actually kind of cute ones!  (Coming from the girl who has been terrified of owls since I was 5 years old and my grandma had a mirror/picture of an owl that terrified me!)  If you are looking for a good random Christmas gift idea, check etsy!  So much cute stuff!  And it gave me really cute ideas for the kids I babysit!

7) I’m going to tackle an 11 mile run tomorrow.  I don’t know if I am looking forward to that or scared of that.

8) I received a $50,000 check in the mail yesterday, at work.  Unfortunately it was inadvertently addressed to me.  Darn it.

9) I finally have a new driver’s license where I don’t look like a 14 year old!  I almost got stuck with a picture where I had my eyes shut and my tongue out but “because I asked” they took another picture.  Seriously.

10) I am completely obsessed with Downton Abbey!  I tried to watch the first episode a year or so ago when I hurt by back and thought I hated it.  I started re-watching it over Thanksgiving and now can’t get enough!  New episodes start Jan 6!!  (Although I already read spoilers, oops!)

10) I think that’s all I have this week.  It was a rather boring but fast one so I’m not going to complain about that!  Happy Friday