Can you shake it??

I have been such a busy bee lately! I'm behind on all things in the blogosphere. Reading, updating, commenting, I'm behind on it all. Rather than bore you with how busy work's been and personal life blah, blah, blah I'll go with what's been going on this weekend.

I had a couple of breakthroughs! I went for my *boring* walk again Friday night. I've been trying to jazz it up some. Since I'm walking on these country roads my only real landmarks are telephone poles. (ok, my ironman triathalon watch with interval timers needs a new battery so it's the telephone poles for now) I walk at a pretty normal pace from one to the other then speed it up to the next one. Well, Friday night I put in a quick little jog interval to test out ol' janky. I felt GREAT! It was only a few short runs but my body really needed it. If I can put some of those in everytime I'll feel a lot better about getting out there. It sucks when you really don't look forward to a workout.

Speaking of looking forward to a work out... My 2nd breakthrough is I went to a Zumba class on Saturday morning! A girl at work went last week and talked me into trying it out. Holy Crap it was fun! I'm not usually the aerobics kinda gal but this really didn't feel like aerobics. It realy felt like a latin/hip hop/ "sure to give me a body like Beyonce" kind of dance class. (I have to use Beyonce purely based on butt size, hers and mine) Great music, the instructor wasn't yelling out all kinds of moves you just felt the beat and followed along. Many, MANY moons ago I was in a lot of dance classes and was even on the dance team in high school, so I know that dancer is in there somewhere. I felt her coming out baby! Of course it helps when I was in a place where I couldn't see myself in the mirror. 'Cause if you can't see yourself looking like an idiot surely you DON'T look like an idiot right? We had a shimmy contest and I won! HollA! Nobody can shake it, shake, shake, shake it like me! Ha! An hour went by pretty quick and my bandana sweat band was working some serious overtime. I can't wait to go back!

That's all for now, off to catch up on bloggy blogs! Later taters!

Weekly Weigh In

Well, not much to brag about today. I had a 0LB weight change. I didn’t gain so I guess that’s good. I wasn’t perfect and know what I want to work on for the week ahead.

Like just about anyone else starting a new journey I was all in that first week, I logged everything, weighed and measured everything I put in my mouth. The 2nd week I guess I got cocky. Thinking, “that was pretty easy, I got this”.. guess not. Even on the Biggest Loser week 2 is hard for some people. Oh well, I’ll dust myself off and get back on the proverbial horse.

One thing I can pat myself on the back about is going home everyday for lunch and not grabbing take out. It’s saving money and calories. I’m pretty proud of that.

Here’s what I’m going to work on this week. My monthly goals are kinda out of whack so I’m going to make a weekly goal that I can hopefully hit. Scratch that, I WILL hit. I’m going to walk 3x this week and get my 100 pushups exercises in. I’m also going to log everything, apparently those Weight Watchers people are on to something. I can do that right?

I feel like this snail stuck in some tall grass today...






Happy Hump Day Ya’ll!!!!

What else can go wrong???

How-Dee everyone! It’s Tuesday. Unfortunately I don’t have a whole lot to report. Eating’s ok, working out isn’t but tomorrow’s another day. I do have a story about Friday.


Friday was one of those evenings where everything Kb and I had planned went wrong. We went to the store and bought shrimp and veggies to put on the grill for a nice, healthy, relaxing evening. He was planning on going riding with friends on Saturday so after the store we stopped by his parents shop to pick up his motorcycle. This is also the place where we stayed in the trailer for a few weeks. I’m not sure what propelled me to go inside the trailer while he got his bike going but I did, to the pleasant surprise of no electricity. So the little bit of stuff I had in the fridge was ruined. I had left butter, mayo and some other condiments since we’d be taking it to the deer lease soon. All of that was trash. I threw everything out and we headed home. Kb HAD to get his bike all shined up so after helping me unload groceries he started working on it and getting the grill ready for our healthy dinner. This is where things really starting going downhill… Any water hose he used sprayed water everywhere at the connection... while drying off the bike his battery started sizzling... I was trying to do some cleaning in the kitchen when I noticed the new hot water heater for the kitchen wasn’t coming on... When he went to check on the pit the electrical starter was on fire so he jerked out the gas tank and ran inside to get anything he could fill up with water saying, “the grill’s on fire!!”.... I had a wild hair and decided to make brownies. (I guess I thought with everything going on brownies make everything better, right?) It took me over an hour because my oven turned off in the middle of it....

By this time it’s almost 10 and we decided to have leftover pizza and beer on the couch and put the shrimp and veggies up for another day. Kb asked “What else can go wrong tonight?” to which I said.. “Don’t even ask that..”

One Tequila, Two Tequila....

Happy Friday! Here we are on the verge of another weekend. I can’t believe this week flew by like it did. I have to admit I wasn’t able to do a lot of the working out I wanted to this week but I’m not going to get myself down about it. Weather and life got in the way. This weekend should be nice so I’ll hopefully catch up. Good news though, I guess my knee has built some strength back up and isn’t as sore and it has been after my walks so I must be doing something right.


On the eating front I’ve been doing ok. I’ve been staying in my allotted points with a couple of splurges here and there. Speaking of splurge… I went to a tequila tasting class last night. Ay-ay-ay!!!, yep on a Thursday! We have this great new liquor store in town that’s doing classes every other week or so and a friend of mine and I signed up. So far we’ve done a wine tasting and now a tequila tasting. It was very educational. Now, I L.O.V.E. my margaritas but the calories in them are crazy. I had a few tequila shots in my day but never tried different ones back to back. Of course these weren’t “shots” but sips so you can learn the difference between the types of tequila and find what you like, much like a wine tasting if you’ve ever been to one. We had 7 total tequilas from Jose Cuervo and Don Julio. Here’s what I learned…actually what the tasting confirmed. I don’t like anything from Jose Cuervo. I kinda already knew that but I learned that it’s made form an area in Mexico where there are volcanoes and different minerals in the soil. I guess I don't like those minerals then huh? Who knew right? I also found out I have expensive taste. The bottle of Don Julio 1942 costs over $100 and smells like vanilla. Sooo good. More in my price range, I liked Don Julio Reposado the best. After the tasting, Kb and my friend’s husband had a healthy dinner of baked Salmon Croquettes, corn and super sweet and juicy watermelon. So all that makes the tequila balance out right?

Have a good weekend peeps! I’ll catch ya on the flipside!!

We’re going to need a bigger boat…

Ok, Tropical Storm Hermine.. that’s enough. We’ve had a record rainfall of almost 4 inches yesterday. ~yikes~ and it’s still coming down. Who knew the Money Pit came with a lake view??

Anywhoo…All this rain is really putting a damper on my walking. Oh well, I’m still watching my portions and logging everything and feeling pretty good. I wish ol Janky felt good enough for me to pop in a workout dvd but I just don’t trust it yet. I can still get in my pushups workout and pilates but I’m just not really getting my heartrate up too much. So for now I’ll just stay on plan as best I can. Speaking of plan… I weighed in this morning and was down 3.5 LBs! **Yeah!** I was afraid I did some serious damage this weekend. I like what Weight Watchers Preaches, Anything in MODERATION.

And here’s my LB ticker. I’m going to change it up each week depending on what I’m feeling. Right now, I’m feeling like this frog with all this messy weather.

1st Weekend on Plan and it was a LONG One

Well, I didn’t exactly plan out D-day right. I just had to start my journey right before a 3 day weekend. Weekends are so tough. We aren’t as structured during the weekends as I am at work. We sleep late, eat late or sometimes not at all and DRINK. O how I love my beer. And wine. And… well any other cocktail. During the week I’m pretty good at just saying “no” except for the occasional glass or red wine at night. The weekends are a whole other story. How can you play dominos and not drink a few beers? What do you drink with turkey bacon wrapped dove on the grill?? Beer of course! What? Are you going to have water? Not this gal. Other than a few drinks I really tried to watch my portions, and make better decisions, which I think is the best I can do on the weekends. We made breakfast burritos at home instead of going to our favorite Hole-in-the –Wall Mexican restaurant. Mmmm El Taquito, how I love your ~HOT~ salsa, that I have to shovel in my mouth for fear that if I stop my lips will burn off, but your lard laden refried beans do not love my waistline. I’m pretty sure that was a good idea and kept the cals and fat down. So being back at work is like a little safety net for me. I can log, and snack my good snacks and know when my next meal will come and be able to plan accordingly.


The weekend wasn’t a total loss, I was able to go on a couple of walks and get some pilates in before starting my 100 pushups program. It was raining this morning or I would have gone walking and got that workout in. Hey, only when I’m in serious training mode do I do ANYTHING in the rain. So I’ll it tonight, big deal, as long as it happens right?

My first weigh in is tomorrow morning. Wish me luck! Happy Tuesday, People!

Snack Attack

One of the hurdles I'm trying to overcome is eating when I'm not hungry. Why do I do this? Just yesterday I wanted something to eat. Anything, not even a craving, I just wanted to eat. I asked myself if I was hungry and decided I wasn't so I did the BL trick and popped some gum.

For all of the past 2 days I've been really good at journaling everything. I've been journaling temptations, and my work arounds. I've been planning out my meals and snacks. I've decided to give myself 2 snack times; 10:30 in the morning and 4:00 in the afternoon. I can only snack during those times and only if I'm hungry. Anything earlier or later is too close to a meal. At 10:30 I'll have a 100cal popcorn bag since that's when my salt craving hits and I can eat the whole bag since it's only 100 calories. At 4:00 I pack a green apple or some yogurt. We never eat before 7 at our house so this keeps me from raiding the fridge when I get home from work. At my snack times I ask myself if I'm hungry or eating just to eat. If I'm eating just to eat I'll save my snack for another day. Hey.. It's working so far.

D-day Recap

Don’t you hate it when you have a great plan and someone throws their 1year old yapping Maltese puppy into the mix? That’s what happened on Tuesday. We puppy sat Kb’s mom’s dog while they went out of town for a funeral. That dog was up most of the night and so were we. That led to the start of D-day as not so much “shock & awe” but more like a fizzed out roman candle. With the dog keeping us up and Kb going dove hunting at 5, I didn’t get much sleep so needless to say I didn’t get up and walk. I chose to do the peeps at work a favor and try to get a few more minutes of beauty rest. I knew Kb would be hunting after work too so I thought I’d just get my walk in that afternoon.

Tuesday I planned out my meals for the next day and that really helped. I find that if I plan what I’m going to eat I end up being completely satisfied since it was something I was looking forward to. I don’t know how that works but whatever. I stayed on plan all day and wasn’t really hungry. I knew what I was getting and when and it all went really well.

I also weighed in and measured yesterday morning. ~yikes~ I haven’t had a scale all summer and let’s just say I was shocked! It kinda brought me down a bit. Here’s a few of the thoughts that went through my head “how the hell did I let this happen” (even though I KNOW it didn’t happen over night and know good and well how I let it happen)“That’s the biggest number I’ve ever seen staring back at me”(Hopefully I won’t see it again) “I want a cookie for breakfast”. Realizing I didn’t have any cookies in the house to have for breakfast, I snapped out of it and thought “Remember how excited you are to start this journey?, Remember the time and research you’ve put into this?, Remember how miserable you feel?” and I snapped out of it. I stayed on track the rest of the day, I went for my walk when I got off work and I’m ready to do it all over again today. I mean, this is a life change and I'm ready to take it on. I got myself into this mess and I can get myself out of it.


It’s almost Friday people, we can do this.

Is your mind right?

It's here! D-Day is tommorow! I'm calling it D-day becuase it is my full on assault on my current habits and lifestyle. I'm going to eat less, eat better and move more! I'm really glad I took the past 10 days or so to get my mind right and didn't just have a couple of bad meals and said "that's it. MONDAY I'm starting over!" How many Mondays have we had? I feel focused! I have a plan and all the tools to make it work. I mean earlier this year I ran a freakin 1/2 marathon! I know I can be dedicated.

I've been loading up and researching all things Weight Watchers and reading up on my South Beach Diet. Neither one should really be called a "diet" both are about making the right choices. WW allows you to be more lenient and gives you the occasional splurge. The science behind South Beach makes sense and lets you make choices that keep you full longer and make your body work. A mix of the 2 should lead to a good healthy life.

I've been thinking about my workout plan and listening to my body. I really think I need to get more confidence in janky 'ol ankle before I start jumping around with Jillian. I'm go to keep it low impact this first 6 weeks and walk 20 minutes every morning before work and do pilates Tuesday and Thursday. Since I know I like to push myself I going to add in 100 pushups training program. It's a training program that gets you to 100 pushups in 6 weeks. Right now it sounds crazy but I need that structure. I liked my marathon training programs when they gave me an exact workout to get me to an exact goal. Gotta find what works for you right?? Wish me luck!

I'll be weighing in tomorrow and taking measurement and even a picture to log where I was when I started this crazy mess.

Preseason Update

Preseason is going pretty well so far. I’ve got out my measuring devices and am actually trying to figure out my portions by using measuring cups and the scale. I'm working on getting my eye used to seeing the portions I’m supposed to have. Does it take a little more time? Sure, but it’s not going to kill me. This weekend I researched some menu ideas for me to have during the week and started a good grocery list that can hopefully be the staples I keep around.


Last week I made dinner for me and Kb. I made baked chicken parmesan with whole wheat angel hair pasta. YUM-O and he loved it. I made enough to have leftovers for lunches during the week and even made him a chicken parmesan sandwich (on wheat bread) on Sunday. Look at us go!

I also had a little moment I’m pretty proud of… Fridays around here are pretty rough. The company gets breakfast for all of us. I’m talking, doughnuts, kolache’s, breakfast burritos, sausage biscuits from Micky D’s, anything and everything BAD. I woke up Friday wanting something sweet and I knew if I didn’t do something about it I’d eat a doughnut for sure, then be mad at myself because doughnuts really don’t fill you up, they just make you happy. So, my usual go to sweet breakfast at home is a fold over PB&J on wheat. (And by PB I mean the creamy kind, I don’t like rogue nuts in my food. You can ruin a good brownie for me by putting nuts in it) We didn’t have the PB I like and didn’t have any J. (Everything’s still at the trailer) So I had to compromise… I sucked it up and got out Kb’s crunchy peanut butter and made one of my mom’s creations when I was a kid: PB&S. Yep Peanut Butter and Syrup all mixed together in a gooey paste and spread it on a piece of whole wheat bread. It doesn’t take a whole lot of syrup but it’s soo good and it curbed my sweet craving, the protein in the peanut butter kept me full and most of all, I avoided having a doughnut. Ha! How’s that for a work around?!

Preseason...

I’ve decided to treat the next few days leading up to D-day like preseason football. (Especially since D-day is September 1st and the last preseason game is on September 2nd.. see where I’m going with this… huh…. Get it..) Anywhooo, it’s not real interesting but you find out where you stand before the season starts and are able to make a game plan with what you’ve got. I’m using this week as a preseason game to see where I am, figure out where my pitfalls are and a way to combat them. Here’s a few of things I’ve noticed…

1st & 10) Starting off with probably my worst vice.. I’m a salt-a-holic. I LOVE salt. I put it on everything before I even taste it. I have salt cravings in the morning around 10. I usually head down to the vending machine and find whatever salty goodness they may have in there. Usually it’s Cheezits or peanut butter sandwich crackers. Ohh the salt in the peanut butter crackers. If they had gum that tasted like salt that could help me kick this habit I’d probably try it… and like it.

2nd & 8) Tackling this one may help me get a little closer to the goal since I can control what I have around me and it’s probably the easiest workaround if I really put my mind to it: Sweets. & I’m not talking chocolate and sodas I mean full on sugar. Cakes, cookies, candy you name it I’ll crave it at least once a day. I give in to that fickle mistress too, I can’t pass up a brownie or a cupcake with icing, and ice cream, forget it, if it’s there I’ll eat it. This past week I even stopped to buy a bag of sour Skittles! Like, I wanted those damn Skittles and walked around Wal-mart until I found them not thinking “oh, it’s just a craving and you don’t need them anyway” I never do that, that’s how I’m know I’m outta control!

3rd &15) Uh oh, here’s a setback and one of my bigger pitfalls: Portion Control “Mama didn’t tell ‘em like she told me.. Girl you need portion control! Aahhhhhh Portion Control” *See all this sugar is getting to me and I’m channeling the little purple man.* I have no portion perception. If I like it I eat it, and lots of it. An open bag of chips/box of crackers/sleeve of cookies is an empty bag of chips/box of crackers/sleeve of cookies. It’s not like I eat everything in a sitting, only a fatty would do that, nooo way I’ll spread it all out in a day or maybe 2 and wonder where it went. Like that makes it any better…

4th and Goal) I know this one will rush me down the field but I don’t eat near enough fresh vegetables. I like them and think this should be something easy to add back in and help me stay on track. I know they’re low in points so you can eat as much as you want and the fiber should help you stay fuller longer. Here’s where the excuses come in…”but fresh vegetables go bad if you can’t cook them in time”, “they can be expensive if they’re not in season”, “they take longer to cook than other preservative laden canned vegetables”, “it’s so much easier to just pick up some mashed potatoes or fried okra from our local chicken place.”

Great, now I know what I need to work on before the season starts. Much like the Cowboys.. I know what my cravings are and need to plan ahead for better choices throughout the day. I need to pack healthier alternatives so when any of my pitfalls are sitting out waiting to be shared by everyone in the office I can have something else. If it's a sweet I'll have a sweet alternative, if it's salty I need to have portioned out what I can have so I won't feel deprived. I know there has to be a workaround for just about any kind of craving, I just have to figure out what works for me. Happy Hump Day People! Oh and if you can't tell...



I CAN”T WAIT FOR FOOTBALL!!

Path to Self Destruction

For the past couple of months, I’ve been on a path to self destruction. The past couple of weeks that path has taken a hard left turn and headed straight down hill. As I’ve said before, I’m not a good dieter if I’m not working out. The Janky ol Ankle has kept me from working out and I’ve been blaming my lack of working out as to why I’ve been eating so horribly. Eating horribly = LBs gained. I didn’t know snowballs could stand this heat but I’m rolling up a pretty big one as I go round and round with excuses. I mean, isn’t that how everyone ends up gaining weight? Excuses, excuses… I’m to the point now where I have no regard as to what I’m putting in my mouth. It’s almost like if I keep eating I’ll eventually be at my heaviest and I’ll have no where to go but down once I start Weight Watchers right? I mean my 1st week’s loss is likely to be 20lbs by simply eating right a doing a few workouts huh? Umm right, I didn’t get this way overnight, I’m not going to be back to a comfortable size overnight either. I keep telling myself “Self, just wait until you have your kitchen back, then you can cook good for you foods, it’s not your fault you have to get fast food for almost every meal” “Self, if you eat leftovers, there’s like half the calories in it than when you got it from that restaurant since you paid for those up front” “Self, you better enjoy that chicken fried steak and peach cobbler cuz once d-day gets here and you can start working out again all this mess will be ovah!” I’m sick of excuses, I’m sick of eating out, I’m sick of feeling bloated and gross, I’m sick of putting on clothes that are too tight and hoping that a button flies off to give me some relief!



The ortho doc officially released me, we have a fridge and all my cooking supplies moved in, so now there are no more excuses. D-day is upon us my friends. My goal this week is to go to the grocery store and stock that fridge and cull out all the bad stuff in there and get started anew. I’m working on a post that logs where I am now and where I’m headed, and goals I’d like to meet along the way. I’m really thinking it through this time and feel good about getting a game plan together.



Happy Monday All!

What to do..

I’m working on a plan of action for my new journey. I’ve decided to call September 1st D-Day. We should have all the moving done except for a few boxes but for the most part actually LIVING in the house. I can start grocery shopping again and filling the house with good for me foods. I’m going to try to surround myself with only good snacks and things in the house that make my choices pretty easy.

I’ve also decided I’m going to start Weight Watchers. I’ve tried it in the past, albeit half heartedly, but this time I’m going in head on. I’ve read so many success stories and know people who have done great, it just has to work. The little bit of time I’ve used it, I believe if you follow it, it helps you make the right choices. Obviously you can eat more of what’s good for you so you really have to strategize on your daily intake. I can track online and on my phone so I like that.

I understand the science of weight loss, burning more calories than you take in = weight loss. I also understand how I work. I won’t diet or watch what I’m eating if I don’t workout. That may not be the healthiest stand to take but it’s my stand just the same. Hence, the situation I’m in right now. So, eating plan – check, workout plan – well, this is where it gets tricky… I have to admit I’m a little scared of the ankle. While I like miles of jogging outside that’s probably not the smartest for me just yet. I need to start small and work my way back up. I’m going with Jillian’s 30-day Shred, with a little modification. I like it because it’s only 20 minutes or so, probably the right amount of time for me to get started. My goal is all 5 workday mornings to get up and get my Shred on. I’ll start with Level 1 for week 1 and level 2 for week 2-3 and level 3 for week 4-5. After 5 weeks I’ll need to switch to something else. Anything I do outside of that will be bonus. I may try walks after work, or hitting the elliptical or bike. Either way, I just need to get my body moving. I’m going to try to use this as my daily diary to look back on and see my progress, and to log the good days and bad.

Hello Strangers!

I’m baaaaccckkk! Yes, I know I’ve been gone a while but I’ve had this thing called life get in the way. Here’s a quick update

•  I’m tying the knot! We’ve even set a date! April 16, 2011. ~ My simple country wedding sure takes a lot of planning.
•  I sold my house in da Hood!! ~ I put it up for sale on a Thursday and got an offer the next Friday. I didn’t even have to put the hard sell on them by telling them the 2nd Tejano Band in Waco practices right across the street every Sunday!
•  Kb and I bought a house! I closed on the house in da Hood on a Tuesday and we closed on the house in the country the next day
•  We’ve been remodeling the house in the country! We busted up and replaced tile in the game room and kitchen, stripped all 3 layers of wall paper off the walls in the whole house, painted the entire interior, ripped off wainscoting to find mold behind it, replaced the moldy sheet rock, rewired the electricity and bought all new fixtures. ~ that too takes a lot of time and effort. While all the remodeling was going on Kb and I lived in a 31-foot travel trailer for about 6 weeks. Nothing keeps the love alive like a 31 foot trailer with a slide out.

Before all the remodeling took place I had a set back in my new found running hobby. I sprained my ankle during a floating trip to the Guadeloupe River at the beginning of June. I mean, it was bad. It still is. I went from crutches to a walking boot/cast and am now in a sport type ankle brace and going through physical therapy. The therapist said absolutely no running until I’m 8 weeks out of the boot. *YIKES!* That puts me sometime around October, but as wonky as it is I don’t see that happening too soon.

 

Between the injury, living in the trailer and between houses, I haven’t been able to work out and Kb and I have to eat what we can when we can which has resulted in A LOT of eating out, which has resulted in A LOT of lbs gained. Not good for someone trying to look good in a wedding dress in a few months. I’ve had a few unflattering photos taken recently that have highlighted the position I’m in. I’ve seen those creases from when the fat rolls over for too long, soft arms and shoulders that used to be more firm and even the wiggly flying squirrel arms. Umm.. not pretty and not how I want my wedding photos to turn out.

   

So I’ve decided with the new house comes a newly improved me. I go back to the Physical Therapist and Ortho Dr this week and I’m hoping to get the all clear from both to start getting back to a workout program. I’ve tried to take a few 30 minute walks but the wonky ankle puts my knee all out of sorts and I have to take off a day or 2 to get back to right.

  

I’m working on my strategy to get fit, eat right, and look smoking h-o-t in my wedding dress. Stay Tuned!

 

Gym Rats

The past couple of weeks I've been to the going to the gym to really focus on some strength training & cross training on the elliptical and bike. I've been to the gym and all different times of the day, depending on my schedule. Mostly it's been in the morning, but I have had some evening and even middle of the day workouts. At these workouts, I've been taking notes of all the different gym rats that frequent my gym and thought I'd a little bit of an open letter to the ones that stand out. Here goes....

Hey skinny guy lifting about 20 pounds more than you should - There's no need for that painful grunting that early in the morning.

Dude that smells like you just walked out of the bar and came straight to the gym - maybe if you lay off the smokes, you'd have a better result with your workout.

Musleman in the shorty shorts - At least I hope you had shorts on under that t shirt. It was hard to tell.

Guy stretching in the shorty shorts - that's enough stretching for today, thanks

Hey Lady all beefed up looking like a roided up man - shades at 6:15am in the gym? really? is that necessary?

Dudes on roids - work out your bird legs for a change. You're starting to look a little freaky

Attention ALL you SKINNY LITTLE SLUTS that roam the gym floor never breaking a sweat, in your matchy matchy outfit and your perfect braid with your lip gloss on - go home! or work a street somewhere else. You're taking up some of my much needed air

ANYONE on a CELL PHONE - Are you really getting that good of a workout yapping away on the phone while your're walking 2.3 miles an hour on the treadmill.

Trainers - yeah I know who you are. Stop looking at yourself in the mirror while you're trying to train some poor fatty

Guess that'll do for now. I'm sure you know some of these people at your gym.

Redneck Recap

Kb and I went to the deer lease this weekend to do some work around the ranch and maybe trying to get a  turkey hunt in at some point. Fancy Chancey went too as guard dog. Don't even THINK about touching my Miller Lite!!

Work happened, turkey hunting did not. In fact, we went fishing at one of the tanks with no intention of hunting, no gun, no camo, no decoys and what did we hear?? The gobble, gobble, gobble of a big 'ol Tom. Actually the only gun we had was Kb's pistol so over the tank dam in his shorts and crocs he went in search of the turkey. No luck, but that's how it goes. We did, however, have better luck at fishing...

And Redneck Safari did not disappoint. There were so many of us out there that we had to split up into 2 trucks while cruising the pastures, looking for varmints, drinking beer and checking traps. (LIVE raccoon and Hog traps so we can let them go somewhere else, away from the expensive protein we feed the deer to make then bigger, better, stronger. Get off my ass PETA people) I was in what was pretty much the shell of what used to be a Jeep Cherokee. At least it had doors and heat. My other option was an old GMC Jimmy that looks just like this...

Except the cover isn't on the back and in it's place was a lawn chair and an office chair. That made for an interesting ride through the cold, dark, wilderness. Glad I was watching it from the luxury of the aforementioned Jeep.

Sunday we sent the kids out with the guys while the moms and I hid easter eggs. Leave it to no-kid Jenn to drop an easter egg onto an ant pile. Luckily I saw it before the kiddos did and got all the ants off of it, before they ate too much chocolate.

I've been so busy lately, I really hope to get caught up on my blogs soon. Fingers Crossed!

Fabulous Vacay in Costa Rica!!!

Costa Rica was AWESOME!! We were staying at a friend's house so we weren't in any of the tourist part of Costa Rica we were with the Ticas. The Locals. Settle in folks, it's a long one. Here's the recap...

Tuesday - we flew in from Houston Tuesday night. It was dark so we didn't get to see much on the drive to Chat's house.

Wednesday - St Patty's Day!! We got up and dressed and Chat took us around a few of the towns. We grabbed a beer and burger at Marlin Bill's (yes, burger) it was awesome! Cruised around and checked out the beaches. I was waiting for the perfect moment to bust out all my St Patrick's Day gear so this was a nice way to spend the time. Korey told me he wanted to check out the sunset on our first night in Costa Rica so we borrowed Chat's car and went to a bar in "Downtown" Garza. Chat lives with the locals so "downtown" is dirt roads with chickens, kids, dogs, horses and cows roaming the streets. The bar was on the beach so we stopped in. I was still taking everything in and up snapping pictures of boats, the surf, the sand, the sunset. When Kb finally told me to "just sit down a minute" we talked about how beautiful and wonderful our first day in Costa Rica was and he said it was "almost perfect, except there's just one more thing... Will you marry me?" O geez, then came the water works, I cried, he cried, I didn't even say anything at first except.. "you're shaking!!!" he said "umm yeah!! well???" That's when I realized I hadn't said anything so of course I said YES!! After that we went back and had our St Patty's Day Party at Chat's

Thursday and Friday we hung out on a couple of different beaches and drove around. We saw the howler monkeys. Those suckers are loud!! If you didn't see how small they were you'd think you were in the middle of Gorillas in the Mist. SCARY. I guess I was just glad they didn't start throwing poop or anything.

Saturday it was Go-TIME!! We went fishing!! I've been deep sea fishing a couple of times but never caught anything big. I was hoping for a yellow fin tuna. MMMmmm good eats. Instead I caught this...

Yep! A Big ASS Sail Fish!! It was AWESOME!! They jump and fight trying to get the hook out. They're beautiful! In the water they're silvery blue. Alas, this is a catch and release fish so after the picture, back in the ocean he went. Thanks for a good fight buddy!

Sunday was a day of reflection and relaxing by the pool before we headed home on Monday. Kb and I really hadn't been able to talk to anyone but our parents after the Kb popped the question. (well, we were able to talk to Crack, he has some international set up so he can call Chat whenever he wants. So he knew, and I'm sure he told people, who told people and so on) We just really enjoyed each other with no distractions and knew that was coming to a close. Once we got back, everyone would want to see us and hear about the trip and how everything went down. When we got to the Liberia Airport Kb said "Oh yeah, there's just one more thing. We're going back first class. I can't fly my new fiance back in coach" Ha! Kb, you and that "one more thing" I SWEAR!!

Costa Rica was a fabulous trip, everything worked out perfectly, Chat was an awesome host, I left with a boyfriend and came back with a fiance, I couldn't ask for anything more.

Does this shirt make my butt look fast??

I know, I know it's a long time coming. With trying to catch up since I've been back from vacation and Mom and Mom in Law trying to get me to settle on a place and find a date for my upcoming wedding I've barely had time to think much less blog. But all that's behind me and I'm back on track.

On to the RACE!!

Kb and I stayed with Chuck and his wife the night before the race. I took it pretty easy and went to be early. Of course time was changing that night so it wasn't as early as it would have been. After setting 3 alarms to insure at least 1 of them would go off right I was asleep. Let me tell you 5:45 aka 4:45 came pretty early. Kb got up with me and after making a PB&J we were off. We were to go to Fair Park to catch a shuttle downtown. The last shuttle was supposed to leave at 7. At 6:15 this is what we saw:

There were just as many cars behind us. At pretty close to 7 we were throught the gates of Fair Park and I bolted out of the truck and left Kb to park and find me later. At the start line, there were a ton of people. All shapes, sizes, ages and levels of athleticism. I felt like I fit right in at my corral. The gun went off at 8 but I didn't cross the start line until about 8:45. Kb was there the whole way and snapped a pic of me taking off. (of course he also took a picture of the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders but I'll leave that out)

                

That's me in the purple wearing a shirt that says on the front and on the butt "Does this shirt make my butt look fast?" I started to cry a little bit. I couldn't believe I was actually doing it. After all the sweat, tears, and injuries here I was, at the beginning of the finishing of a huge goal I made for myself all by myself. I was a little overwhemed. In the words of my boss, I told myself to "SUCK IT UP and JUST DO IT"

The 1st 5k I felt great! (I know I was worried about my "running makes me poop" issue but no worries, I took care of that before the gun went off *yeah*) Mile 6-7 were getting pretty tough. It was through a really nice, (aka Expensive) pretty neighborhood that was wound around, and was hilly at the end. I was getting hot and tired and was in serious need of some water. About the time I was ready to head off to a 7-11 I saw Kb. Like a proud papa he was at the beginning of the spectator section snapping away cheering me on. I feel bad but I think the only thing I said was "there better be some eff-in water up here close or YOU'RE going on the 7-11" he assured me there was so I was so after a Gu and slamming some H20 I was off again.

The bands were cool and I have to give it to them to come out so early and play for us.It really broke up everything. I knew according to the elevation chart if I could make it to 8 miles it was all downhill, literally. Mile 8 to 11 was pretty much a blur. Mile 11-12 was REEEAAAALLLLYYY  LLOOOOOONNNGGGG. 11 miles was as long as I had run before. I was HOT, Sore, Tired and grouchy by this point. Since Kb didn't get a great reception the 1st time I saw him, I was determined to be running, and really looking like I'm enjoying myself. So once I got in the finish corral that wound us around to the finish line I decided to run the whole thing. All 1.1 miles after 12 without stopping. I saw him at the end by the finish line cheering me on. Telling me "Go Baby Go!" I did. I finished what I started and felt great! Even though I shed a few tears, and was completely exhausted. I finished in around 3 hours which was my goal for this one. I'm so proud of myself. I'm proud of Kb too, he was by me the entire time and I couldn't do it without him.

What a Week!!!

I don't have much time right now but I promise to elaborate later. I just got back from a fabulous vacay in Costa Rica with Kb. It was beautiful but I was completely out of touch with the world. No cell phones, no internet, no email, no blogs, NOTHING! and I have to say it was pretty nice. I promise to recap the race in Dallas I ran the Sunday before we left BUT I have something more important to share!! On St Patrick's Day, at sunset, on the beach in Costa Rica Kb Proposed and I accepted so I'm soon to be Jb, Mrs Kb Ha! we're so excited. I'll have a vacation recap and race recap this week. I have TONS of pictures from everything and can't wait to post them! Stay Tuned!!

** This was right after everything went down and the view of the sunset. Excuse the riding around all day with the windows down hair, lack of make-up and self picture. I promise I have more to come.**

Happy Freakin Friday!!

It's Friday!! Yippee!! This is one of the best Friday's eva! The Friday before my 1st 1/2 Marathon AND before my week long va-cay in Costa Rica!! I would be pretty worthless at work but luckily we have quite a bit going on that's keeping me focused.

This morning it was pretty chilly here but has warmed up fast. Beautiful blue skies are making this Friday just a little more awesome.

Ok, so I did my dress rehearsal with all my gear on. It went pretty well. I bought a new belt/pocket thing I can carry around my phone or camera in and it stayed in place so I'm happy. Shoes are still treating me right. I'm still debating on how I should layer. I know it will be cold at first but will warm up. I'm thinking about just wearing something I can shuck off when I start to get too warm. I also had my last acupuncture treatment before the race yesterday afternoon. Shins are still feeling good I just need to them hold out for a few more miles then I'll let them rest. Ya hear that janky old Shin Splints? I said I PROMISE to REST if you'll carry me to the end.

Drinking lots of water and trying to get enough rest this week should get me ready. Planning on going to bed super early on Saturday night and hoping to get some good sleep.

As far as Costa Rica goes.. well I can't get past Sunday so no, I'm not packed or ready. I do know where my passport is but that's about it. We don't leave until Tuesday but I took off Monday to do all the things for the trip that I haven't done so far. Wish me luck!! Next time you hear from me I'll be a full blown 1/2 Marathoner!... or 1/2 Marathon Finisher!...or 13.1 Mile Runner in an organized Race! Aw Hell, whatever you call it I'll be a goal achiever for sure. LATER TATERS!!!

The Final Countdown...

It's HERE!! I can't believe it! My race is on Sunday. I got my final Rock n Roll Newsletter email giving me the last of everything I need to know. I'll be running by myself and I'm so nervous. Here's the random thoughts going through my head....

1. They say to get there early to avoid lines, how early is early??
2. How many alarms will I have to set to make sure I get the time change right and get up on time?
3. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE TIME CHANGE!! (For once I wish I lived in Arizona)
4. When is the last time I can get out of my corral and go pee ( as I mentioned earlier... when I get nervous I have to pee)
5. Why don't they show the porta potties on the race map. They show where all the bands are, medical stations and water. What about porta potties??
6. Should I pop an Immodium before I go?? Running makes me poop. Especially 1st thing in the morning.
7. Coffee, tea, water, Accelerade?
8. Check the weather, check the weather, check the weather
9. What distance runs should I do this week? Should I run a dress rehearsal and get all my gear on?
10. What should I eat the night before? The morning of? What if I'm too nervous to eat?

I really don't know what I'm stressing about. My only goal is to finish. I said I wanted to run one of these before my next birthday and here it is. I'm not competing against anyone but myself. I have to just let my body win the arguement my mind starts when it's telling me to quit. I know I can do it.

Kb has been my biggest fan and I know he'll be waiting for me at the finish. He's met me after some long training runs and gave me that little extra push I need to finish knowing he's there supporting me. He always has a smile waiting for me and telling me how proud he is of me. Kb, that means more to me than you'll ever know.

After all, no matter what happens I just need to remember I'll be recovering on the beaches of Costa Rica. That's my finish line.

Tales from Kinko's

If you feel the need to people watch, and you're out running around, hit up your local Kinko's. You will not be disappointed. I've made a couple of outings to Kinko's in the past few days. I don't have to go often since I can print just about anything I need at work. O but the last 2 days have been enough for to last me for a while my friends. Here's a few examples of those that haunt my local Kinko's in the 254...

• The dude that helped me with my printing job has longer fingernails than I do. I mean I don't know if he was gay (not that there's anything wrong with that.. Hellooooo Seinfeld) or a drug addict but come on man, give 'em a file at least!
• Some chick was in there with her house shoes on. Not ones that could be confused with real outdoor shoes. Unless of course, shoes with cartoon heads coming out on top of your foot is going to become a trend.
• 2 kids were in there working on their "Album Art" 1 had on a toboggan (Dude, it's like almost 70 degrees here) with his hair all mushed down and coming out of it and the other had on a hippy headband on and I'm pretty sure he hadn't washed his hair in weeks. STANK!
• Another dude's iris's were so big you couldn't see the color! I don't know if he came from an eye dr appoiment, had just finished slamming a Mountain Dew, huffed some paint or picked up a package from George Jung but GEEZ he looked jicked OUT!

All that was observed during the day. The WORK day. It makes me wonder what little gems might be there waiting for me when the sun goes down...

Good News about my Blister and Post Race Recovery Plans

I know, you can't wait to hear about my blister.... After getting yet another blister after a simple 35 minute run I decided I can't take it anymore. My race is in a week and 1/2 and there's no way I can make it through those miles. I called RunTex and they told me I needed to bring my shoes in and get fitted for new ones!! Yippee! I told them I was trying to suck it up and tried new socks, some blister pads and even Body Glide (which worked but I'm pretty sure would wear off after 10 miles or so and I am not stuffing Body Glide in my bra) in hopes that whatever was rubbing the arch of my foot would wear down. They said it was the shoe and I probably wouldn't be able to wear it down on my own so, Kb and I are making a road trip to Georgetown for some new kicks!!

I know I said my race is in a week a half, more importantly in 2 weeks I'll be recovering in Sunny COSTA RICA!!! AY-AY-AY!! Yep, Dallas Rock n Roll race on Sunday and we're heading to Houston to fly out to  Costa Rica on Tuesday!! Wednesday I'll have my toes in the sand in Playa Garza! I can't wait! I love the beach. A friend of ours moved there a few years ago and has a charter fishing company http://www.rdcharters.com/ so we're staying with him and he's taking us out to catch the big one.

I can't believe the race is so close. I'm starting to get nervous. (When I get nervous I have to pee. NOT GOOD!!) I'll post about all my pre-race thoughts and jitters next week. Happy Humpday!

So I'm not exactly "graceful"

My race is in 2 freakin weeks!! I can't believe it! I only have 1 Sunday then Wham-O! Here it is. YIKES!! So far shin splints are feeling pretty good. I have an acupuncture treatment scheduled this week and will schedule 1 for next week as well. I'm not sure if it was the rest, the new shoes or the acupuncture treatments that have helped the most but I'm sticking with the plan that has helped so far. I signed friends and fam up for runner tracking. I just wanted to sign up Kb but it was none or 5. Oh well, I'm sure they're just as excited as I am for the race. HA!

Ok, so I missed out on the last 1/2 marathon with my shin splints. They hit me like 4-5 weeks before the race and were killer. What happened this week?? I step off the porch and twist my ankle. Now, this happens all the time. Sometimes it has lasting effects, sometimes not so much.  I have weak ankles anyway but this particular ankle was severely sprained and my tibia was fractured a couple of years ago in a fall leaving George's Bar. (No, it wasn't the beers I had consumed it was the slope in which the step stones were laid out... ok, and the 3 inch heels.... ok, and the beers) So I'm not exactly what you would call "graceful". Anyway, it has been jacked up ever since. (It happens to be the same leg that I got my shin splints in. Don't know if 1 has anything to do with the other or not)

So back to Friday, I stepped off the porch and twisted my ankle. It kinda hurt but it always does then goes away. Back to work I go, no biggie. Went to the gym for some work on the dreadmill and to keep it interesting I did some intervals with sprints. Umm Yep, that's right, Miss Smarty Pants over here didn't lay off the ankle that day and paid for it the rest of the weekend. When I got up Saturday and Sunday it was super sore. It was so pretty outside Kb and I went to the Golf Course to spend the day. (I kicked his A$$!! I was sinking putts like nobody's bid-ness Holla!!) I could feel my ankle swelling around my little socks. **Not good**

The ankle is a little less sore today so I'm headed to the gym to hop on the bike. Gotta keep that cardio going!

Miss Fancy Chancey

This weekend Kb and I attempted to fish. With no luck. Guess that's why they call it fishing, huh? We decided to take my Sheltie, Miss Fancy Chancey along. Fancy Chance is just as her name describes. I'm not even sure she thinks she's a dog. She is the clumsiest dog I have ever seen. She can't stand up in the car or she'll crash into the floorboard if I barely tap the breaks. When she jumps off the couch or bed she more often than not, faceplants. Then limps around and barks for a bit like it's my fault or something. This happens almost every time. She's a bit over dramatic.

So at the deer lease we loaded our fishing gear up along with Fancy Chance. She didn't seem impressed with all the hard, dead grass she had to walk in. She followed us around even when we went back and forth to the truck to switch out fishing lures. She doesn't exactly get "exercise" so she was pretty worn out and hating life I think. Most dogs are pretty sure footed. My lab RemiDog can traverse any kind of terrain I put him in. Fancy Chance?? Not so much. You'd think she was climbing down a steep rock face to get to the water for a sip then God forbid if she might fall in. Maybe that's why I didn't catch anything. I was too busy laughing at her trying to be a "real" dog.

Lastly I'll leave you with this...

Most people have a Father/Son or Father/Daughter picture like this that I think is really sweet. Since Miss Fancy Chance and RemiDog are our only "kids" this will have to do for now.

I run like a Smurf

My run through downtown Goldthwaite proved to be very interesting. It's a town of about 2000 people and 20,000 goats I think. Here's what I learned on my run...

• Goldthwaite Eagles were 1-A State Champs this year and are proud of it.
• People there LOVE their yard art. (I thought 1 place I passed was an actual shop selling that crap but it just turned out it was a yard overserved with yard art)
• I never want to run by a meat processing plant again. That is not a whiff you want to repeat.
• In 7 blocks there's every possible church denomination and 1 non-denominational funeral home. (No, not 7 square blocks just 7 blocks)
• They have a thing for yellow cars (I passed a yellow hummer, a yellow jeep and some other yellow car)

Overall it was a really good run. I had 8 on the schedule and pushed it to 9. I learned I'm really slow the 1st few miles but after that I kick it into another gear and finish with a better pace. And that blister that showed up on the arch of my foot after 6.5 miles? I lubed up that sucker with Body Glide. I read a tip from Morgan at Caution: Redhead Running about that and it worked like a CHAMP! No pain whatsoever!

I caught a glimpse of myself running in the mirrored window of Mills County Bank. I thought for sure I ran like a gazelle despite my 5'1" frame. Instead I came to the realization that I run more like a Smurf. Short, squatty with my butt sticking out. Oh well, at least I'm out there!! Right?!?

The Redneck Safari did not disappoint. During our nightly round 1 guy got in a hog trap to try to fix it, you'd think we were under attack from raccoons, we came upon 1 jackrabbit and a very confused doe. I think she was sleeping and woke up to a big white pickup truck and 3 dudes including 1 in a hog trap. She must have thought she was in a bad dream. Needless to say there were no Boone's Farm or Animals killed that night.

Yurbud giveaway!!

Shut up and Run is giving away some SA-WEET Yurtopia Yurbud Earbuds. I NEED THEM!! I sweat like a maniac when I run and if my stinky old iPod Earbuds fall out when I'm running or working out it's OVER. They never stay back in! UGH!

Shut up and Run is TOO FUNNY! and cracks me up on the daily. She makes it hard to look like I'm working. Nothing in the engineering biz is as funny as her crap stories. And yes, by "crap" I mean poop.

Redneck Safari

Hello friends! It's FRIDAY!! Kb & I are headed to the deer lease this weekend to do some work since it's off season. During the off season, a lot of work gets done clearing trees, moving feeders or stands, building fences, etc so it will be a workout. Of course there'll be a lot of 12oz curls going on too. Then at night we head out for the Redneck Safari.

I coined the term "Redneck Safari" this past year. We used to have a Texas Safari here where you rode around in your own car kind of through a zoo and fed the animals. Our last trip consisted of me trying to feed an ostrich some dog food pellets and it tried to take my hand off. ( ok, maybe he didn't want to take my hand off but at 6yrs old I guess you're a bit dramatic, we never went back)

Yes, friends that's Boone's Farm. Oh and in the back what looks like Jack Daniel's... Nope it's a Jack Daniel's knock off Ezra Brooks. And Roscoe... Yep he was killed at our deer lease and hangs in the tree as our official mascot the whole time we're there. (Actually he was killed during my 1st hunt. I had killed a doe and he was headed for it. Sorry Roscoe, but you weren't getting my 1st doe) The Redneck Safari consists of driving around the pasture, drinking Boone's, varmint hunting. Hogs, foxes, rabbits, raccoons, coyotes and whatever other night creatures hanging around. Sounds like fun, huh?

On a running note, this week I wasn't feeling too great but I don't have time to take off since my race is 4 weeks away. YIKES! So since it was such a beautiful day I sucked it up and got out there. I'm glad I did, it made me feel a lot better. 8 miles on tap this weekend. During my last training 8 miles was my favorite so I'm actually looking forward to it. Should be in the 60s here so it will be perfect! Wish me luck!

A visit from Granny??

Why do some people pop into your head every once in a while? People that have been gone for years but were a huge part of your life? I've been thinking about my Granny lately. My Great-Grandmother to be exact. She was a really neat lady and taught me so many things. I recently made a blanket for a friends daughter. It was made out of crochet granny squares. Guess who I learned that from? I guess working on that made me feel closer to her. She was born in 1909 and would have been 101 this year on January 21st, a day after Kb's birthday. I was the first Great-Grandchild so I was spoiled rotten. When I was younger, I would stay over there all the time. Granny's was the first place I had homemade biscuits. She'd make sun tea and we'd sit outside in her back yard on her swing and she'd tell me all the changes she's seen in the world. I loved being around her. She came to my Baylor Graduation. She was so proud and I was proud to have her there.

She was very witty and conservative and wasn't afraid to tell you how she felt. She was very strict about the fashion rules between Labor Day and Easter. Mom (who is an in-law to Granny) says one day before Easter mom was wearing cream colored pants and my Granny said "Debbie, those pants aren't white are they?" Ha! Indeed, no white pants, shoes or purses after Labor Day and before Easter. Black Patent shoes are only for winter too. While this has all been thrown out I still abide by Granny's rules.

Even last night, Kb and I were leaving the Baylor Game (Who kicked that TTU Boo-Tay) on the trolley. (The trolley takes you back and forth from the Ferrell Center to the Parking Garage) Kb gave up his seat to a little, white haired old lady. (Granny had the prettiest white hair that was always curled.) She sat next to me and beamed about how nice it is to still have gentlemen in the world. She said she had been married to one for 63 years. I told her that was my boyfriend  that had offered her the seat and she said "Well, maybe he's a keeper...maybe" She just had this sparkle in her eye  and wit that really touched me. Just like Granny. 

I don't know if she's trying to get me a message or just letting me know she's there. All I know is, the times we had together are times I will cherish throughout my life. I'm so glad she's popped back in, I've missed her so much.

While I know she couldn't be here forever, I know I'll see her again.

Why I hate the Dreadmill...

Still cold here in the Heart of Texas so at 6 this morning I was at the gym... for a run on the dreadmill. I'd much rather be outside but with all my respiratory problems that I just can't kick, this cold weather just makes me more sick. Yuck!


Here's my morning routine.. Alarm goes off for about mmm 20-30 minutes before I finally drag my lazy bones out of bed. Kb and both dogs are still sound asleep. After manuvering in the dark to get dressed and find all my gear I'm out the door. Then back in because I forgot water. Out I go, then back in because I forgot my towel or something else. I'm really not a "morning person" I'm much more alert after 10am. In the car ride to the Gym I flip it over to Backspin on XM. If a little old school rap doesn't wake you up I don't know what will. Snoop, Easy E and Too Short... Backspin plays them all. Into the gym with all the other half awake people. I love these people. You can tell they just rolled out of bed, swished a little mouthwash around, threw some clothes on and are getting that workout in. These are the hardcore peeps. The ones getting the workout in because they need it. Not prancing around in their sports bras with their hair perfectly pulled into whatever cutsey poney tail or braid. They also aren't the roided out dudes grunting and throwing weights around. That's for the afternoon show. Nope, these are fatties like me that need to get that workout in or you can forget it because life just gets in the way.


Ok, I get on the dreadmill and off I go. No wait, I'm not going anywhere. I'm just running in place. One of the reasons why I hate the dreadill. I also don't have my speed figured out on that stupid thing. I feel like I run faster on the pavement because I'm not afraid of stepping off the belt or getting thrown back against the wall if I run off. I really just call it cheating since you aren't really propelling yourself forward but instead just catching the belt. I don't get the same sense of accomplishment as when I'm out there pounding the pavement and doing all that damage to my joints. So today I just went for time. About 40 minutes. Not really sure of the distance since I had to pause it to use the facilities. And by "use the facilities" I mean poop. That happens to me EVERY.TIME.I.RUN!! I read somewhere that runner's trots were "temporary" and that "your body was just getting used to the extra stress of the exercise". Nope, not me. Especially in the morning, it's like that extra jostling just shakes everything down there and it HAS TO GET OUT! The good thing about being on the dreadmill is that there's always a bathroom close by. (Well, lookie there, I found something I like about the dreadmill)

Valentine's Weekend Recap including a Surprise that Backfired

Happy President's Day everyone. And to those of us who have to work like me and President's day is just another Monday. Happy Monday. So... Valentine's day.. Kb and I decided we weren't going to do much for V-Day since we're planning  a vacay next month. Kb never listens and wound up making me a BEAUTIFUL flower arrangement with a couple of balloons. I was super surprised when I got home on Friday. I wasn't expecting anything but on Friday? That really caught me off guard. Saturday he came home with chocolate covered strawberries and some wine and truffles. My man knows what his lady likes! Wine & Chocolate! YUM-O!

On to Gruene... Saturday Papi came by and picked up Kb & I on the bus (the American Dream) and we headed south. 1st stop was Gruene hall to get tickets for the concert that night. Which we didn't end up with since it was a cover charge at the door. Well, that sucks. We spent most of the rest of the day shopping and trying to avoid Tk and Judyjudyjudy(Jjj). They had wanted us to come to the concert with them but since we were trying to save $$ we told them we just couldn't afford 2 nights in a hotel and all that jazz.. enter Papi and the American Dream and that made for a cheap trip since we can sleep in the 'Dream in the parking lot. We decided not to tell Tk & Jjj and just surprise them at the concert. Well, that backfired on us a little bit. When we got back to Gruene Hall to pay our way in, there was a HUGE line since they weren't letting anyone in until 8. An hour or more later and we were in. No sign of Tk & Jjj. We asked them if they were at the concert and they said "No, it's sold out" Well, it wasn't sold out and in fact after everyone got in after the initial rush, there was no problem getting in. So we decided to let them know we were there and it was all clear for them to come on. Well, the didn't believe that we were there?!?! We called, sent pictures and texts and still... they didn't believe us. Even the next day they didn't believe we were there. I think we finally convinced them we were there. Jjj asked us to get her a shirt and koozie.They can't deny us with that evidence..  Tk said, why didn't you tell us earlier. Umm.. HELLO?!?!? It was a surprise!! That would ruin it! They missed one HELL of a concert. Stoney put on a SHOW! We took our time coming back and stopped to shop and eat a V-day lunch at Papadeaux in Austin. No running for me this weekend. I am officially a slacker! I got up and did the 30-day shred this am and plan on running tonight or in the morning.

Happy Valentine's Day Sweetheart!!

Yes, this is a sappy Valentine Post to my Honey, you've been warned..

20 Things I love about you and us...

1 - I love your laugh. I can hear it in a crowded room over everyone's conversation.

2 - I love how you've turned me into a really and for true huntin, fishin, outdoor lovin girl. I know how much those activities mean to you and want you to know how much it means to me that you want to share them with me. (I'm still not camping unless we're in a travel trailer)

 3 - I love that our plans on vacation are "to have no plans".

4 - I love to tell everyone that you're the one who taught me how to cook. You also gave me confidence in my abilities. (And the knowledge that if it's too bad, pizza's only a phone call away. Not that we've had to call...yet)

5 - I love when you kiss my head.

6 - I love that no matter where you are you call and tell me good night.

7 - I love all my new favorite things you've introduced me to like Motorcycle riding, The Stockyards,  having my first real deer lease, Bandera

8 - I love that San Antonio is "our place"

9 - I love how you love to sing...anytime...anywhere... for anyone that will listen. (Except 1st thing in the morning. I'll never understand how you're so chipper)

10 - I love how we can be so silly together and laugh about stupid things.

11 - I love the pride I see in your face when you do something special for me. 

12 - I love our snuggle time. 

13 - I love how you take your socks off by wiping your feet on the floor. 

14 - I love how you make me feel safe and protected. (Especially now that you've bought me a couple of guns) 

15 - I love how you believe in me and are my biggest supporter. 

16 - I love that you're the first one I think about when I see something silly and HAVE to call and share it with you. (twenty twos!!) 

17 - I love how you would do anything for me. (Except maybe watch a scary movie) 

18 - I love to hear you interact with other people. You're always so respectful and see the light side of things. 

19 - I love that we consider and consult each other about everything.

20 - I love that you call me "Baby".

You truly are my best friend and I can't image my life without you. You mean the world to me. I Love You Sweetheart. 

A little bitching before Valentine's Day

Ok, seriously.. enough with this nasty weather. I don't even have any cute snow day pictures to share. It's just COLD, RAINY, WET & NASTY. No, not cute at all. How do people live like this?? I mean, give me 100+ degrees anyday but this overcast, no sun shining, wet weather can really bring a person down. The sun seems like it goes up late and comes down early. You have to pile on a ton of clothes, most of which can't be too cute since you're trying to stay as warm as possible. I mean, how sexy can a sweater be?? Ohh, or a turtleneck?? Yeah BABY!!

Next week it's supposed to be somewhat pretty and at least in the 50s. See, it just doesn't stay cold enough here to even try to get used to it. And with my self-imposed outdoor running cutoff of 40*, I've had to do some of my runs on the dreadmill. My race is only 5 weeks away so I need to do it to it!! Oh, yeah, my running buddy may have bailed on me so I'll have to navigate my 1st 1/2 marathon by myself.

Ok, enough bitching. It's Valentine's Weekend!! Kb & I are of course spending it together. We may be going to Gruene Hall to hear Stoney LaRue. Ahhh, Cold beer and Live Texas Music, 2 of my favorite things. Sometime this weekend Charlene and I have an easy 4 mile run. We may be doing that when I get back from our concert on Sunday. Good times Indeed!! Love is in the air!

My New Kicks

For Christmas my sweetie wanted to by me some new running shoes. The ones I had before were my first "real" pair of running sneaks. We aren't exactly Mayberry here but we don't have a whole lot a specialty shops so my first pair were bought at the mall. Ugh! I think the girl did the best she could. But after catching the running bug and reading all the blogs (see when I get into something I geek out and try to learn all I can) I realize I probably didn't get the best pair. I ended up with some Asics Kayanos. Fast forward through training for my 1st failed 1/2 marathon and shin splints and I decided to start over and get to a shop with some peeps who really know what they're talking about. Enter RunTex...


RunTex is a great running specialty shop in the Austin area. I went to the one in Georgetown. I heard so much about this place from friends and reading online I couldn't wait to check it out. When I got there they had me take off my shoes, do some flexibiliyt exercies with my toes and then run around so they could watch my pronation. Yeah, barefoot. It was pretty cool! I told them about the shin splints and that my outer 2 toes on each foot go numb after long runs. Wait... I never talked about that?? I knew it wasn't normal but since it went away I didn't worry about it. N-E Whoooo They said that my shoes were probably too small and suggested a 1/2 to 1 size bigger than what I had. They brought out 3-4 pairs for me to try and I decided on a pair of Brooks Defyance. They are so light and confortable, I was super stoked!!

Fast forward again to last weekend's 6.5 mile run. This was a first for me. I got a blister. And no not in a normal place like your heel or toes. It's on the arch of my foot!! Geez! I mean, what the hell am I supposed to do about that?? This morning I tried a 2nd Skin blister pad but it just inched it's way off my foot and attempted to jump out of my sock. So much for that idea.

Other than the blister, these shoes have been great. No pain in my shins, and no numb toes! Yippee!!

Superbowl Monday and other Ramblings

Happy Monday after Superbowl. Why can't the Superbowl start at noon or something, or on Saturday?? Kb and I helped host a Superbowl Party and after all the drunks left and cleanup was over we didn't get home until midnight. Happy Monday indeed.


I didn't win ANY of the Superbowl square pots I was on. So to the winners... You're welcome. We did put together a couple of shotgun pots at the party and I won 1 of those. So it wasn't all bad. I also won our nfl.com Fantasy Football Playoff Challenge. Yippee!! After winning the College Bowl pot this year I bet these guys won't let me play with them anymore. booohoooo


Backing up a bit... Saturday night we went to TK and Judyjudyjudy's house to start getting ready for the Superbowl Party. And by "getting ready" I mean, grilling steaks, drinking lots of wine and playing Super Mario Kart and Cabela's Big Game Hunter on the Wii until 1am. I can't drive that stupid Mario Kart stone sober much less after wine. Glad there weren't any young kids there to show us up.

On to something not Sports, Superbowl or running related but clearly newsworthy...A new analysis shows that beer is good for Bone Health?!?! According to an article on msnbc.com beer is full of dietary silicon, a key ingredient for good bone health. This breaking news story along with a headline I saw last year about "bigger thighs may equal better health" make me think I'm living life right!!

O Miller Lite, who knew your sweet, golden nectar wasn't just good, but good for me?? See you at beer-thirty!!

Saturday Run w/ a new Running Buddy

Well, I did it. I went back to tha riva and faced my 6.5 miler that almost killed me last time. It wasn't too bad. It was probably 50* colder than the last time and wasn't unbearable. My shin splints didn't bother me at all (Thank you acupuncture treatments!!) and I didn't even need to step into the water/spray park and scare any of the kiddos or their parents.

Ok so, remember my goal post a while back when I said I wanted to pick a charity to volunteer with?? Well, today was my first step. Throughout my life 1 thing has been a constant. Pets. Dogs to be specific. We've always had a dog or dogs. I can't imagine my life without them. We've either adopted them or they've adopted us. So, I've decided to help other dogs adopt a forever family and work with Fuzzy Friends Rescue. A friend of mine works there. They have a program where people can come in and take the dogs for a walk to get them some exercise so I asked her about a running buddy. She said it sounded like a great idea. So Saturday I met Charlene....

She's a mutt and they don't know how old she is but she's super sweet!! It was tough getting to know each other at first but she's been leash trained and did pretty well considering the circumstances. She was thrown into a new place with a new leader but she did great!! We saw kids riding bikes, guys playing disc golf, squirrels, some people fishing and kiddos feeding ducks. She was focused and stayed with me the whole way. When I took her back, everyone at FFR was so grateful and let me know how much that means to them and the dogs. They're excited to put this on her profile so maybe she can be somebody's forever running buddy. Until then, she can be mine. Sleep well tonight Charlene, I'll see you next week.

6.5 Mile Redemption

Ok, here's the thing. I have 6.5 miles scheduled to run tomorrow. When I think back to the last time I ran 6.5 miles it almost killed me. Mind you after that, 8, 9.5 and even 11 miles came and went fine. But those 6.5 miles were brutal.

At the time that was the longest distance I had ever even attempted to run. It was hot and I didn't exactly have my training down to know what to do when I'm running for an hour or more. Where I run, "down by the river", there's a small water park by a playground that the kiddos can go cool off in the summer. Or Where I can scare parents w/ their kids by walking into the water park fully clothed panting like a maniac, face flushed from the heat, sun, dehydration, or all of the above. Yep, I stripped off my fannypack and ipod, dove in and cooled my sweaty @ss off. I feel a little more prepared now, but still. I have to admit I'm nervous.

Nervous but determined. I'm going back to that 6.5 mile run. I'm going to run the same route as last time and show that 6.5 miler who's boss!!