Another day, another dollar

Oh, wait, no. Another day, another day my place of work robs me of a dollar. That's right. Robs me.

I've been traveling short distances weekly for work. I was told to keep track, and that I would be reimbursed. My supervisor and her manager both told me to turn it in after about 6 months when I had built up sufficient mileage to make the check larger than 10ish dollars.

I go to turn it in only to be told that they will only take 3 months worth! Did I know this? No. Did my supervisor? No. Did her manager? No. So is this my fault? Hells NO!! But will they still not reimburse me for those contentious 3 months? Yes. Yes. Today I have been robbed of $20. By my work.


Seriously.

One Hour Runner Day 1

So... I've felt a little bit without direction since I finished C25K. I kept running and ran my first 5K, but the old creeping desire to stay in bed was becoming stronger and stronger, so I felt like I needed a new program. I decided on One Hour Runner to continue to build my strength and endurance running. It is also convenient to my schedule because it is still only 3 days per week, and the first day is always only a 30 minute run, so I can do that one every Wednesday and not have to get up any earlier than I have been (4:45) to still make it to work on time.

Today was my first day. It really wasn't any different, though, than the last week of C25K, and the next 3 weeks will be more of the same, but I can see the need to let the strength in my legs catch up to my cardiovascular endurance.

My quads, btw, are still ticked off about the hills at the Astros Race for the Pennant. *sigh*

Anyways, 2.8 miles in 30 minutes at 10:71 min/mi. Ran the last bit quite a bit faster, though. Nothing like a t minus 5 minutes ago warning from my stomach to make me haul ass home.

Thinking about signing up for the Dad's Day 5K on June 16th to see if I can do better on a flatter course. And 'cause my 'rents will be in town and maybe they'd enjoy walking it and taking the free family picture offered!

Red Hair Long, Red Hair Short

I have red hair. It has always *always* been long. Sometimes really long.

So long that to this day I have a habit of pulling my hair over my shoulder before I sit down to go to the bathroom.

When I turned 20 my college suitemates and I had this big party. My hair hadn't been cut in something like 2 years. Afterwards I saw the pictures. My hair was down to my hips. It looked positively ratty. I immediately walked into my most adventurous suitemate's room and asked her to cut it off up to my bra line.


Now, having her cut it instead of a professional may not have been the smartest move, but it sure did look better!

Finally, when I was 23 years old, I got my first professional haircut. And I will never go back to the way it was before. *Never* I'm still guilty of not getting it cut often enough. I hate paying $30 for a haircut. But I love how I feel afterwards. Love it. My still long hair feels light and airy and bouncy.

And my headaches usually go away, at least for a while.

And the length of my hair has slowly been creeping up ever since. It is still long, don't get me wrong. But below the shoulders above the bra line long. Not below the waist long.

Now I haven't cut my hair since October. I meant to go in March, but got sidetracked. Then in April I thought I'd just put it off til the wedding in July. I want to do my own up-do for the wedding, and having the layers more grown out will make it much easier. The problem? My head has been killing me lately! I can't guarantee that it is the hair. It could be the hormone change. It could be some sort of whack sinus infection. But I really think it is the hair.

I think I'm going to try to put up with it until after the wedding. I have been thinking about donating a bil ol' chunk to Locks of Love. The thing is that every time someone comments on how long my hair is getting, I've been mentioning that after the wedding I'm thinking about doing this. I'm guessing that to cut off 10-12 inches would put the hair just around the base of my neck. Then of course I'd get it styled. I dream about the freedom of shorter hair simultanously with fearing the loss of something I consider an identifying factor of me. It doesn't help that every person I've mentioned this kooky plan to has been like, "Noooo!! Don't cut your hair!! It is so beautiful long!"

It may be beautiful, but I'm getting sick of it. Isn't 25 years enough?

Astros Race for the Pennant 5K Race Report

Slept badly last night. Kept worrying about the race. Silly, I know. My first race in 4 years - I should just be focused on finishing and running the entire way, but my competitive nature kept me planning for... well, planning to go it hard.

Going in my goals were, in order of descending possibility:
1. To finish without walking a single step.
2. To finish in 35 or less without walking.
3. To finish in 32 or less without walking.
4. To go sub-30 without walking.

I feel like I could have broken 32 minutes if I had gone out harder. And I could have gone out harder. That is my regret.

It was the mental game that kept me from going out harder. Running an unfamilar route kept me guessing as to how far I had gone and when I should pick up the pace. Next time I run, I should do it by time. 10 minutes easy, 10 minutes harder, and 10 minutes really hard. This time the first mile was the easiest (unusual for me) and then the hills started.

The course runs through downtown for the first mile. Flat and pleasant. I had forgotten this part of the course from the last time I ran it in 2003. Then you run back by Minute Maid Park, down a long hill and back up it, then turn around down it and back up it again. This is from about 1.5 to 2.5. Then you are flat until a steep down to the finish line.

Comments:
My only real negative comment has to do with the finish line. They say it is on the field, but it is actually on the ramp leading down to the field. So spectators can't see you finish, and you can't see the finish line until you are on top of this. *That* is mentally difficult. Right when I should have been kicking it I was on an insane downgrade and wondering why they had the clock set up before I got to the field. Nice.
Well, I take it back. The other negative is that they say you get free Astros tickets with race entry, and you do, but they are week day tickets and they only give you 6 week day games to choose from. I love the Astros, but I can't go to a game if I've got work the next day. So no free tickets for me.

For next year (because you know I'll be back):
Go out a little harder on mile 1, because it is the easiest (read: flatest) mile. Not too hard, but harder than I would for a flat race.
Don't drink the water. I felt queasy after I took a few sips. Would have been better to just wait.
Go hard the last mile. Even if you can't see the finish. You know you can go hard for 10 minutes without dying. Just do it.
Stick with the plan.

33.16 @ 10.44/mile. Still a personal best. And one I think I can beat soon.

First Wedding Gift

The other day I got this cryptic e-mail from this man at work. "Come see me, I have something to show you." So today I go by his office and he got me this giant map of BBNP, where I'm getting married. And he suggested I bring Sharpies for everyone who is coming to sign it.

How cool is that??

Trash Talk

I hate trash. Hate. It.

I am totally OCD about it.

If I am holding a perfectly clean unfolded sheet of paper it is just a sheet of paper. If that same piece of paper is thrown into the trash then it is trash. It doesn't matter if the paper didn't touch any other trash or if the trash has been taken out and the trash bag is totally clean. It is trash. I won't touch it. I'll go pay for a new piece of paper first.

I don't even like to touch trash cans. You know, because the trash is touching them. It doesn't matter that the trash is on the inside and I'm touching the outside. I'm totally disgusted by it.

If I have to touch a trash can, or worse, trash, I can feel the lingering touch of the trash on my hand until I wash it. Until I wash it, everything else I touch has become contaminated and must also be washed. Seriously. I wouldn't make this shit up.

I say all of this in preface so that you can understand just how much *I hate it* that my neighbor, who we will call BM (ironically also the initials of my poo), puts his garbage on my lawn for the trashmen to take twice a week. Why does the man think this is ok? *I have *no* idea*. None.

I've thought of saying things along the lines of, "BM, would you mind putting your trash on the other side of your driveway in the future. On our lawn it prevents the sprinkler system from working properly." Or, "BM, I'm just going to move your trash over on to your lawn so Preston can mow ours." But Preston has forbidden it.

However, I *cannot* abide by this man's trash on my lawn. Cannot. Stand. It.

I cannot stand it to the extent that I have resorted to moving his trash over on to his lawn. *Before my run*. That's right. I ran 2.1 miles this morning thinking about BM's trash can's lingering touch/contamination on my hand.

Dos Astros Games and Scales

This weekend I had the *pleasure* of going to 2 Astros vs. Rangers games. Love the Astros. Love the Rangers. Love the Rangers, but am feeling a little disconnect. I hardly ever get to see them play down here (damn blackouts), and even though I keep up with them by reading their website, I seem to be in the process of a full conversion from torn between the two to not-so-torn and falling on the side of the Astros. I still love the Rangers. But it seems that lately I love the Astros more. There. I said it. But Astros v. Rangers are my favorite games of the season because I get to see them both! But couldn't the Astros have bothered to win just *one* of the games I went to? Or both? But at least one?? As opposed to none. *sigh*

So.... last week I was all ready to make an announcement: that I had officially met my wedding goal weight (135). I felt ready to do that because I had hit 134.6 for 3 days running. Usually 3 days at a weight means I weigh that (with ups and downs, of course, but basically I weight that). Did I weigh that?? Hells no. No I didn't. Not even close!! Apparently I really *was* sick the past two weeks. I am now back up to the weight I was at 2 weeks ago exactly: 137.8. Sucky. Not sucky in the grand "I've lost 13 pounds this year and am managing to keep it off" scheme of things, but definitely sucky in the "I thought I had lost 16 pounds this year but was just sick" scheme of things. So I've got another 6 weeks to lose 2.8 pounds. Totally do-able. Just sucks to lose your confidence (which seems to happen with frightening regularity with me).

In good news, I just found out I'm getting to go to a class for work. What that means is that instead of working 10 hours, I get paid for 10 and only work 7. Instead of reporting to work at 6:45, I show up at 8:30. Instead of trying for 2 miles in the morning, I'm going for 3 plus maybe a little bike tacked onto the end. Suh-weeeet!!!

Two Runs in Two Days

Mi madre just left. We've been doing wedding stuff since Thursday noon. The good thing is that now I feel like I've got a much better handle on things.

She's also pretty good for exercise motivation. On Friday morning I said I was going to run 3 miles, and she asked if there was somewhere she could walk. So she walked to the park with me as my warmup and then met me back there when I was done. It was kind of nice. Then this morning she asked me if I wanted to go again. I've never run two days in a row before, so I told her yes, but for a shorter time. I was hoping for a two mile run, but that right front hip stiffness/pain (IT band???) thingy was really acting up, so I settled at one and went to intersect her route for the walk home.

Still, two runs in two days!!

Lack of Confidence?

This morning I did run my 2 miles. I did NOT want to. Not even one little bit. I fell asleep last night really wanting to. Maybe even wanting to stretch it to 3 miles. But this morning I wanted to dive back into bed and stay there. Bleck.

But I did run my 2 miles. They went alright. Started a little icky. Picked up a little. After about 10 minutes I briefly felt like maybe I could go for 3 miles, but quickly changed my mind back to 2 miles. Afterward I felt like I really could have gone another mile. But then I would have been crunched for time, so all is well.

Tired today. Would like to easy bike tonight, but will skip it if necessary...

What I don't understand is that 2 miles is really no big deal now, but I still feel so uncertain about 3 miles. It is just weird. Maybe it is because 3 miles is the farthest I've gone? Maybe it is the distance? Maybe I am just screwed up in my head? 3 miles just seems so far, such a struggle, even though I've done it 4 or 5 times now and I know I can do it. It is like every time I start to run 3 miles, I'm not sure if I can. Like maybe I lost the ability between last time and this time. What is up with that?

I'm Back!

I'm back. I'm back at work. I did Tae Bo this morning. Still feeling a little sickly, but ignoring it and back, baby.

All this ickiness will necessitate a re-scheduling. I think the plan (ever-morphable) is this:
5/16: Run 2 mi. morning, bike 30 min. evening
5/17: Tae Bo
5/18: Run 3 mi., bike 30-60 min.
5/19: Yoga or off
5/20: Run 3 mi.
5/21: Tae Bo
5/22: Run 2-3 mi.
5/23: Tae Bo morning, bike 30 min. evening
5/24: Run 2-3 mi.
5/25: Yoga.
5/26: Astros Race for the Pennant 5K!

This will accomplish a re-build post-ickiness and keep me in the semi-easy category of workouts until my first 5K post-college, yay! But I think the continuing running at close to race distance plus the continued cardio at close to race time will be enough for me to definitely finish and hopefully finish strong. Then I'll pick another target.

Recovery Week Gone Sick

Skipped Saturday workout as "Rest Day". Usually like to do Yoga on Saturday, but don't stress if I miss it. But then Sunday I woke up with a head-splitting headache that just wouldn't quit. Didn't go to work today, nor have I exercised. Starting to get jumpy about losing fitness. Weight is dropping. Paranoia makes me think I am losing my muscles.

Got my wedding dress fitted on Sunday. Sweat streaming down the backs of my legs. Sweating like exercising. Crazy. Is this how it will be wedding day??

Graduation Day

Well, I had hoped I'd feel more awesome about my run on my C25K Graduation Day. But I still graduated!!

5 minute walk, 30 minute run for *exactly 3 miles* according to gmaps, 5 minute cooldown, and that was it. Still feeling really tired in general, almost sick, and my muscles just feeling like I've kicked their butts five ways from Tuesday when really I've been "resting" all week, but I ran through it. The upper 70's actually felt relatively cool outside and I told myself I was running just to get through it. Wouldn't you know that when I'm not trying to run for distance/speed I manage to have a 10 minute mile! Legs felt tired throughout, and really dead on the second half. I am a little concerned because I feel tight in my right front hip area, but I just popped my hip, so I'm now thinking that maybe that was all that was (my hips come out of socket but I can pop them back in with some interesting poses -- been this way as long as I can remember, and doesn't really hurt, just feels tight and uncomfortable when they are out).

Yesterday was yoga only and not very interesting. Tomorrow I want to do yoga only again, and begin One Hour Runner (here at the bottom: http://www.coolrunning.com/major/97/training/swit0214.htm) on Sunday. Next week I'm hoping to feel less tired and pick up my times in earnest again.

On Various Things

On Yesterday:

Yesterday on the way home from work, "Preston... I may have scratched the Menace a little today." "How?" "Well, I may have grazed a stop sign a little." "You *hit* a stop sign?? How???" "No... I didn't hit it. I just brushed up against it a little." And that described the whole damn day.

On the Run this Morning:

I get out the door and hit play on the ipod. Wrong song??? Forward. No. Backward. No. Where the hell is my podcast?? I'm going to be late!! I can't run without the podcast!! Maybe I should just go back to sleep. Oh! The P.O.S. is on shuffle! Find a song I know where it is and find the podcast. 3 minutes late starting. Ugh. Don't want to run. Ok. Just finish a mile and you can be through. Through with a mile. Just one more loop. This one is smaller. You'll make 20 minutes if you run it. Then you've put in your quota for the day. Fine. Finish loop 2 and head home. But only need 5 more minutes for 30 minutes total (counting the 5 min walk warm-up). Why is Preston's car still in the driveway?? He's going to be late? Go in house. Ok. He had lost his cell but now he's found it and is leaving. I guess I could go back out for those 5 minutes. I'll try running 2 sets of .1 mile for speed with a .1 mile recovery walk. Ran them in 52 sec. and 48 sec. Walk home and done. No C25K Graduation for me today, but I ran. Will graduate Friday if I'm not full-blown sick by then. My body still just feels totally exhausted.

On the Commute this Morning:

Umm. Where are my keys? Oh shit, Preston took them last night. I bet they are with him. Yay!! I'll have to call in sick. Call Preston 1st. Where are the keys? "Oh, they must be in my shorts. In the big room. I took them off in a fit of hot last night." Ugh. Back to work. WTF?? This little P.O.S. turquoise Prism just cut me off bad!! Asshole. As long as he keeps up with the guy in front of him I won't have to kill him though. Hey, wait a sec! He isn't keeping up with the F150 in front of him!! He's going only 70 in the fast lane. Asshole!! Passed him at the first opportunity. Blew by him going 85. Asshole. Ah, damn, we've gotten to the morning ritual slowdown. You know, the part where it slows doen inexplicibly but the 2nd to left lane keeps going faster for longer? Hey!! That little fucker just blew by me!! Well, I'm just going to ride up on Mr. F150's ass so that he can't cut me off again when his lane slows down. Riding ass, riding ass. Heh. His lane is slowing down. Neener, not enough room to cut me off... Hey!!! Little fucker actually cut me off. Laying on horn. Flashing brights. Seriously pissed. See opportunity to pass him. Get over. Speed up. *He follows me.* Ok, slow down to piss him off. Get back behind Mr. F150. Take that, asshole.

Seriously.

Blecky

Last night I skipped my "scheduled" bike in favor of vegetating. I had a killer headache. Seriously. Killer.

Then this morning I dragged myself through Tae Bo, though I feel I only managed to kick my own ass, not any one else's.

Pretty sure I'm not making up the bike this week. Pretty sure I won't yoga tonight. I hope I feel run-worthy tomorrow morning, but no guarantees. None. And tomorrow is supposed to be my C25K Graduation Day. But if it must be Friday, so be it, because I don't have time to be sick right now. No. Time.

Rocketman

Well, I just have to comment. Have to.

I loved Roger Clemens. Loved him. Thought it was incredibly cool that someone from Texas accomplished everything that he has accomplished. And that was before he even came to Houston. Then I loved him even more. Loved him for him being a true Texan, loyal to Texas, demonstrated by his desire to bring a championship to Texas. Sweet. I loved watching him play for the Astros. And I truely believed that he would retire, but if he didn't, I was sure he'd come back to the Astros this year. I really did. Up until last night when the Astros announcers told me what he did at Yankee stadium. Even then I believed in Rocket. Even then I believed that somehow ESPN had gotten it wrong. But no.

I grew up as a Texas Rangers fan. In the era of Nolan Ryan. Pudge Rodriguez. Kenny Roger's perfect game. Juan Gonzalez and Rafael Palmeiro. Some of those names may be tarnished now, but it is Nolan's greatness that I want to discuss. Nolan Ryan, the Texas boy who stayed in Texas even when Houston didn't want him any more. Who picked a home-state team and played out his career there. Loyality. That's what it is.

What pisses me off about Rocket is all of the wishy-washy mind games. If you didn't want to be in H-town, don't come out of retirement. If you were ready to leave H-town, just leave. Just be upfront and honest about it, that's all I ask as a fan. A la Craig Biggio, not a la Carlos Beltran or any of Boras's other clients. *sigh*

It has been a great pleasure watching the Rocket these years. One I'm honored to have had. Just as it was a great pleasure and honor to grow up watching Nolan Ryan. But Roger Clemens will be forever tainted in my mind with this bullshit he threw at the fans in the end. No full-page ads in the newspaper for us, thanking us for loving him. No. Just an underhanded announcement and silence.

Good riddance, Clemens.

And so it begins...

again. Like every Monday.

This morning Tae Bo Amped Jump Start. I think I like this amped series. The bar really makes me feel it in my shoulders and upper body more. I'm still having some problems doing the moves as fast as necessary, but that will come, I've learned from Tae Bo in the past.

Still trying to figure out how to get my perfect 6-7 hour week this week. And next week. Before a joyful recovery week where I really want to target 4 hours only. (Yeah, last post I thought it was next week, but I was wrong.)

Been having a weight-loss stall lately. Hit the 136's 2 weeks ago, then drifted into the 137's last week. Going to hit it hard this week with a 1200-1500 calorie target to re-jump start things. I've been being lax with the counting since my birthday was coming. But no more!!

Big Week and Brick

This morning I did a bike run brick. I realized yesterday that if I added 15 minutes of biking and a yoga today that I'd hit 9 full hours of exercise for the week. So I biked for 15 and then immediately went on a run this morning. And get this: I saw a tri-bike this morning on my run. Yay! There are real athletes in this neighborhood. Sweet. The run was still a bit of a struggle, but better than Friday. I did better with my route too, so I'll feel more confident about Weds morning.

I'm exhausted. I exercised for 2 hours and 20 minutes yesterday. Tae Bo, Bike, and Yoga. So another hour and 20 today. I wasn't wanting to do a recovery week for one more week, but I'm not sure how hard I can push it next week. Maybe aim at 7 hours? Then recover the following week as a "taper" for the 5K. Even though I know you don't really have to taper for 5Ks, but if a recovery week happens to coincide, what am I to say?

What's wrong with this picture?

Saturday. Alone.

Cinco de Mayo? Alone.

It's my birthday today. Alone.

This blows.

Slog.Fest.

Seriously.

I was thinking maybe I'd get up when Preston left this morning to do Tae Bo, then go back to sleep, then run, then go to the store. Ummm... yeah right. I stayed in bed and didn't get up til 9. Then I go to get ready to run and realize that last night I didn't change the podcast for C25K Week 9. So I go upstairs thinking it'll be quick. Oh no, something is wrong with the week 9 podcast, so I jack around for like 30 minutes re-downloading it and getting it on the ipod. Finally I head out at about 5 to 10. This only really sucks because the earlier I get to the grocery store the more likely I am to find some discounted meat still available. And Preston can really pack away the meat. Anyways, I think that is the only thing that sucks til I walk outside. HUMID. Really freaking humid. Incredibly humid. Soaking wet before sweating humid. Humid.

I don't know if it was the humidity or what, but today I wasn't really feeling it. I felt so totally slow! I felt like my form was crappy. I felt like walking for almost the entire second half. It was just mentally really tough today. But I slogged through just feeling ugh the whole time. Then when I was almost done I realized with the addition of the last 3 minutes my route was going to run a little short. I could just run up and down my street a few times, but I knew that if I went anywhere near my house that I would just quit, so I actually started a 4th loop and then just turned around when it was time to walk a cooldown. Imagine my shock when I got home and measure on gmaps pedometer that I had actually run 3 miles!! That's 10 minute miles, baby!! That's about 1 minute per mile faster than I've been running lately. While I was feeling so crappy... totally weird, but I'll take it.

Now I'm thinking nap.

Tired

I'm feeling just totally wiped. I was tired yesterday. Now again today. This normally only happens when I'm not getting enough sleep or when I'm getting sick. I'm getting sufficient sleep, and I don't think I'm getting sick... is it me going off the pill? I read that I'm supposed to get my libido back, but not that I'd be too tired to enjoy it.

Despite being so tired, I rode for an hour last night. It was my first venture into level 6, and let me tell you, level 6 owns me. At least for now. And probably for another month or so. But I'm working on it. This morning I did Tae Bo. My quads are totally dead from the run/bike yesterday, but I pushed through. Thinking of skipping Yoga tonight, we'll see. Thinking of re-ordering tomorrow's workouts into Tae Bo around 5am, then sleep a little, then groceries, then Starbucks, then around noon-2ish run. But that is only if I can drag myself out of bed at 5 when Preston gets up. If I feel like this tomorrow, it won't happen.

That's all I've got.

Cat Hurl and Nightmares

Funny Cat Story:
This morning I hear Sugar jump down from the bed and begin hauking (surely not hawking? - anyways, see Shrek 2 for an example of this cat sound) something up. On Preston's pile of clothes. At least someone else in the house is trying to teach him to use a laundry basket. But I digress. On Preston's shorts, to be precise. Callimachus immediately goes over to investigate. He has been known to "clean" up other cats' transgressions by eating them, and who am I to stop him? So I was happy to see him wander over. But then he uses his paw and rearranges the shorts to COVER the hurl. You know, like it was cat poop instead of yummy warm edible cat hurl. I think maybe he's made a mistake, so I go over and uncover the hurl and point it out to him so he can eat it (I am seriously a HORRIBLE PERSON). And he covers it *again*. Even Cal has standards, who knew? Apparently Sugar's hurl is poop while Grimmy's hurl is the nectar of the gods.

Oh yes, and just for more giggles I had my first wedding nightmare last night (we're just about 2 months out now). I dreamt that we were there at BBNP but for some reason we got married 2 days early. It was totally the ceremony I dreamed of. Just the two of us. But then our families started showing up for the wedding and I was running around trying to figure out if I could get married again so they could see it. And I kept pulling the petals off roses and putting them in a bowl. Weird.

Anyways, ran this morning, my last 28 minute run. Friday starts the 30 minuters. I'll hold at 30 minutes for 4 weeks, ending C25K and beginning One Hour Runner. Thinking about adding some speedwork once a week as part of that. Very tired today.

Blog Block

I actually don't feel like I have much to say... something new.

I'm trying to get Preston on the diet bandwagon. Not a big diet, since he works a very physical job. Maybe just enough to drop a few pounds and hold. He's always said that he'd like to get below 200 (he's 6'3" and about 210), but he never does anything about it! Then he bitches when the number on the scale goes up. Let me tell you, from the number of Little Debbie products I've been having to buy of late, it is no wonder. Before Little Debbie he was actually slowly losing weight. *sigh* I'll still be jealous of all the food he gets to eat!

My birthday is coming up this weekend. That's what I want. Food. Lots of it. At restaurants.

Then after that we're talking about doing a month of eating-out deprivation. Both for our wallets and our waistlines. But mostly for our wallets. In a perfect world we wouldn't be spending about $50/week on non-grocery food. Eating out once a week should be enough. We'll see how it goes. We've talked about this several times and never followed through... so this could be a bunch of smoke.

Anyways, Tae Bo Amped Jump Start this morning. Man, that Amp bar thingy really makes a difference in my arms/shoulders. Hopefully will start seeing some results from that soon.

Amber out.