Weekend download & Race report

What a weekend...

Thursday night, David and Grace decorated the Christmas Tree, and I did some gift wrapping, which I secretly enjoy doing. I probably wrapped 15 gifts. Here's a couple of snapshots...





Friday - Run 1.8
(6 mile run cont.)
I did 4.2 at lunch Friday and then finished off the 6 mile run Friday evening with a final 1.8 miles. It was around 6:30 and dark. Digits are 10:08, and 9:32 with a overall pace of 9:52 pace.

This weekend has been non-stop with very little time at home. Enough, to go to sleep. Friday night, after my run - we went to eat and tried to find me some running tights that aren't $80-$100. I have 3 pair, and it's just not enough. I don't do laundry that often. I plan on going to Target and get some more knickers. I really like them, as 2 of my pairs are those.

I had drill weekend and both days after it was over, headed over to our friends, Chris and Jennifer's gorgeous new home to help them unload/unpack. So, neither one of us spent hardly any time at home. It was a busy, tiring weekend and to top it all off, I started feeling like crap Thursday afternoon and it has escalated into full-blown congestion, ear hurts and the back of my head (same side with hurting ear), as of yesterday. So, I do not feel like being at work today, but I have a lot that needs to be done. This is my last week at work this year. Next week is a class, and the week after is vacation/Christmas, and I have house projects to do. Here's a picture of Grace, Tyler and Jacob playing. Ty and Jacob are our friend's boys.


Sunday - Run 8 miles (pace ??)
Despite feeling like poo - I did complete my 8 on the 8th (well, 9th). I headed out the door of the reserve center around 8:45. It was gorgeous outside, so much so - I wore a short sleeve shirt. This was a horrible run for me. I ran around Donaldson Center and the hills killed me. There are several long and/or big hills. I was so winded. For a while, I ran that loop (7.2 around) often, but haven't since around August, so my legs just weren't used to the hills. It showed. However, I can't give you guys my pace. I stepped out the door, turned on Garmin, and he said "0 hours left". What???? I charged it last night (all night). So, I suppose I didn't click that power cord into Mr. Garmin too well. I do know for a fact that I did run 8 miles, because the loop is 7.2 and I added .8 on (and drove to verify it afterwards). If I had to guess, I would say I was out there about 1:30ish, give or take a minute or 2. It was a BAD run.

I haven't been online much at all lately and will catch up today! Need to get some work done. Hope you all had a great weekend, and a great Virtual race! Can't wait to read those reports! Thanks to Nancy for putting this together!!!

Girlfriends

Tuesday night at our Church Group meeting at our friends house, we had a question where we went around the room to tell what area of life we need to focus more on. This question came up a few weeks ago as well, and then, my answer was different. The areas were: Personal, Relationships, Spiritual, Career, Physical, and Financial. Honestly, for the most of us, it was hard to narrow it down to just 1 primary focus. Really, every area needs work in my life. The last time we talked about this, I chose Physical because I really want to loose some weight, and loosing weight will make me feel better about myself - then affects my relationship with my husband, - my attitude, - my confidence, etc. Now, I still feel this way. However, I changed my thought process. I don't come on here and talk about God and my spiritual journey that much, but I have one and it needs some work. So, I chose Spiritual. In the other areas, I need to put some effort in as well and I will.

My friend (who reads my blog every now and then) chose Relationships and when she talked about it, I could feel some of the same things that she was. She said that right now, she has a lot of good girlfriends, and to maintain those relationships, she needs to invest in them. It hit hard for me too because I've had some terrific friends that I don't continue to invest in, even if it's a quick email saying Hi!, etc. So, I'm going to try harder in this area too. So, while talking of girlfriends, here are my girlfriends from Church at a Birthday Dinner Celebration for Lenna. I hope they don't mind me posting a picture of them. :-0



We're not smoking. We're at The Melting Pot having fondue. My friend's Mother joined us too. What a great time we all had! Good group of ladies.

Yesterday, I went to the pool and had an uneventful swim. It went well for me. A continuous (what I call right now - endurance) swim of 30 minutes was the goal.

Swim - 1150 yds - 30:36

Today is supposed to be a run, but I will probably have to move it to tomorrow because my brother and I will be going across town to the Mortuary to see my family.

I learned yesterday that my plate here at work is full. I think I knew it, but I started to get flustered when someone would say "Oh, I need you do this too" and wrote it all down on my white board and then it hit me - I have 13 different projects (small or large) that I am working on. Ouch... and we're supposed to be slowing down for the holiday season. So, in honor of "The Office" day (known to others as Thursday) - here is a picture of my humble abode 8-10 hrs a day. It's usually more of a disaster than it is here. I cleaned a little last week. Hard to tell?

Heads or tails?

That was the question when David and I were deciding on whether to do the 5K or not. Setting was the enclosed porch at our friend's house, with 2 other couples, a bucket of ice with beers, snacks, chicken, green beans, rice, rolls, etc, etc. Our friend, Tommy, got a nickel (no quarter to find), and Dee called "heads - go, tails - stay". It was flipped 3 times, and tails WON! We totally blew off the race.

Now, give us some crap for it!!!

Really, we had cookout plans at our friends house at 6:30, 4 couples total. We had our stuff ready, running gear on, had already picked up our race packets at 5:00 from the hotel, bagel and bananas to take to the cookout (for our pre-race snack). Not long after being in the comfortable home and back porch, we started feeling the desire to stay and hang out, instead of splitting after shortly arriving.

We wasted 20 bucks on a race we never did, however, the time we had was far better! Sure, I really think I could've PR'ed the race, in fact that was my plan. The last 5K I did was in January, and if I may say so, I have come a LONG way since then. Even with the challenging hills, I would have done WELL, as I practiced running that hill several times. I was determined. Goal was 26:00 flat. So, I plan on doing the course exactly like they did it soon, and time it. But, still NO REGRETS. Now, we just need to return our chips to the race peeps...

The guys played Bocce for quite sometime. They were like little children out there, having a great time!

We left their house late, returned home and unfortunately I had homework for my class. As tired as I was, I finished it and turned in, falling asleep with SNL on.

Today after Church, I went to get munchkin' and took her to the My Little Pony Show. She loved it, and out of all the gifts at the counter to choose from, she chose a pink pony soccer ball. We really think she's going to be an athlete. Yesterday at the birthday party, she was throwing the football. Anyhoo.. here's some pics of Grace at the Pony show.

Getting ready for the show.


In awe...


A little sleepy....


Playing with a co-worker's daughter...




Have a wonderful evening all!

Lunchtime workout...

Sunday wasn't quiet the PT washout I thought it was going to be, as I did some core work at 9:30PM. See, I'm not motivated at all to run on a Saturday or Sunday evening. I had all intentions of running Sunday before Church, but woke up with the alarm and heard rain drops dropping on our window seal. Nah, it's raining, I said, even though I didn't look outside to see how MUCH it was raining. I actually like to run in the rain, but for a short distance, not 8-8.5 miles I had planning on doing. So, I hung it up and didn't do it... AT ALL all day. After Church, we ate, and headed home, let our food settle and toss the coin of which one of us was going running first. David won.

Grace was napping and I started doing our wine inventory. We got a new rack in last week that adds to the modular racks we already have, and now we need another one as we filled it up. We need to put it all in a database, so we know what we got and when it needs to be drunk. So, I'm actually pretty excited and got 1 of our racks inventoried. David thinks I'm a nerd... but we've needed to do this for a while, as we have some that have reached their age limit (some are 10 yrs old already) and unfortunately - need to be drunk. :-)

After Grace woke up from la-la land, her and I went to visit her Great-Grandma, and some of my family for a short visit. We returned and both David and I were starving... so, David mentioned Pizza. I declined as I'm convinced if I continue to eat healthy, I'll be 2 more lbs down on weigh-in day, Wed. So, we had salad - and we've sort of mastered the "big" salad at home - and they turn out delicious. I topped it off with a Honey Brown, and we were off to wash David's car. It NEEDED it soooo bad.

No, those are NOT my abs - But I WILL have them one day - soon. So, guilt sunk in and when we returned - I just couldn't not do anything exercise-wise today. So, I do core work (30min) once a week, and decided that since it was so late, I could get it completed for the week. Even though my 2 ft munchkin was trying to sit on my tummy while I was doing crunches... not fun.

Core - 30 min
2x15 Reverse crunches (lower abs)
2x50 Flutter kicks (lower abs)
2x15 side leg raises, each side (obliques)
2x15 side crunches, each side (obliques)
2x15 crunches knees bent (upper abs)
2x15 toe touches (upper abs)
2x15 crossovers (combo)
2x15 bicycles (combo)
2x15 crunches on ball
2x15 twisting crunches on ball
2x15 crunches, feet on ball, toe reaches

Lunch today
Bike 7.17 mi / 30:00

Treadmill Run 1.00 mi / 8:23


Nice easy workout today. I wore the wrong running shoes and my left shin is cursing me right now. But, nothing biofreeze and a bag of ice (tonight) can't cure. I am not worried about pace (yet) on the bike, and I'm still inside riding for now. I will be getting outside soon. I did wear my tri shorts so I can feel how it was to run in them. Not bad at all. They're very comfortable. I finished my workout with some stretches and 150 crunches.

So, as far as the tri goes - I'm officially signed up with the Triathlon clinic at the YMCA, which guarantees me a spot for the Greenville Triathlon 8/19. They actually sign us up during the clinic. My clinic starts 7/12, I think.

My friend, Robin, did her first Ultra Marathon yesterday - which = a total of 36+ miles, and not JUST 36 miles. It was in the pouring rain, through rivers (knee high), heat, trails, no bathrooms, etc. It was a tough run, but she completed it! Good Job on that Robin! Determination should have your name written next to it. You overcame sooo much and still came out on top. I don't know hardly anyone that would have kept going at all. You're a true inspiration to the sport!