Wednesday is the big day

The day I start my new job as a medical technician, that is!

I go in tomorrow to fill out a few employee papers and watch a new employee video. Then my first official shift starts at 6 a.m. Wednesday. I don't know how I will sleep the night before! Probably not very well, but that's OK. I just can't wait to get started!

I did a two-mile walk tonight, as it was FAR too hot and steamy here today. We don't usually have much humidity here, but when we do it's disgusting. The walk was good and I worked up a nice sweat.

OK, more later. Night!

Another reason to blog less

So after about three weeks of seriously looking, I landed my first job in the healthcare field today! I applied for a caregiver position at a local assisted living facility, but was offered the position of medical technician. It's a step above caregiver, and pays more, too! They will train me for the job, which is a huge plus. I go in tomorrow for my drug test/physical/fingerprinting. I am beyond excited, but a little nervous too. It's been five years since I've had a full-time job. But the change will be great, and give me a ton of experience before I get into the RN program here.

So if I'm more absent than normal (how that is possible I have no clue), well, you will know why. ;-)

I dunno....

...if I feel like I want to keep blogging.

*sigh*

I have been running again since late July, but the motivation to write about it just isn't there. I have a million other things on my plate that seem to take up my time.

Perhaps the desire to blog will return? I really don't know.

Guess I just don't know what to do.

Winds of change

Oh, how things have changed since the last time I blogged!!

A little catch-up:

*The kids and I finally moved from Fortuna to our new digs in Cottonwood. We moved in the weekend of June 13, so needless to say the time before and after that was complete madness. Packing up crap, moving crap, unloading crap, offing unwanted crap for free using Craigslist, etc. Our old house is undergoing an interior paint job and will have new carpeting installed before going back on the market shortly (was listed, but we decided to make the fixes it needed and will relist).

*I met my older half-sister for the first time. Ever. She wrote Dad (we share the same father) a letter a few weeks ago, sparking a chain of events that included their first meeting in 37 years (she's 39 now). I got to meet her and her family little more than a week ago, and had a great time! We are all planning to hike Lassen Peak in August. I have a pic of the three of us. I will share it soon.

*Kara completed her first session of swim lessons. Let me tell you, this girl is a fish! She loves the water and has NO FEAR!! She does not get that trait from me, as I am all about the fear, especially in water. But she is doing awesome, and started session two today. She's gonna be in the Olympics someday, I swear. Meanwhile, Matty and I started a Mommy and Me swim class today. OMG, he is sooooo not like Kara! Poor child cried and screamed the whole time. We did manage to talk him into blowing bubbles in the water (while sobbing with snot pouring down his face), but he was just not feeling it. My immediate goal with him is to get him to RELAX in the water a bit and not do the "I'm-gonna-drown-Mom-with-my-death-grip-around-her-neck-because-I-am-positive-she's-trying-to-kill-me-in-a-3-foot-deep-pool" thing.

*As for me, I haven't done any running since May. I have good intentions, but we've been spending so much time at the pool (and it has been HOT, except for today, which feels cold because it's in the mid-80s). I have been using the elliptical, but I know soon I will be seeking out a good run. And the neighborhood we live in is GREAT for running. It's a gated community with lots of flat roads, although there are no sidewalks. Soon, I promise!! Maybe I should find a race to start training for, but honestly, I just want my other house to sell first. Then I can stop stressing over that and move on to other things!

My monthly post

Ha ha.

So I have been averaging one post a month for two months now. Stellar.

And it appears I have missed out on one buddy shutting down her blog (total suckage, Marcy!), and a couple others (Lisa and Erin) have made theirs available only to those who have permission to read them. (Can I pretty please be among the chosen ones??)

I am thinking at this point, the only person who might still check in on me here is my dad. Sorry, Dad.

I've just been too busy and stressed to blog, much less exercise. We're moving on Saturday, and I've had to get things ready here. Tim is already working in Redding (has been since May 18), and I've been finishing my CNA class (done tomorrow -- YAY!!) and being a single mom on the weekdays. So very tiring. And it won't get better until we're totally moved and the house is sold. Let's hope that happens quickly.

Anyway, the plan is to get back to working out as soon as I can, although I am not sure when that will be. So for anyone who is sticking with me, stick around a bit longer. I will return eventually. I promise!!! :-)

The 15-minute run

I went running today for the first time in almost a month. I have been maega-stressed lately, and when I get really stressed (and down) I tend to not want to run. I know, those are the times I should get out and run off some steam, but that's not what happens.

I used the elliptical first for my workout, thinking I could just call it a day if I lost my motivation when I was done. But I still felt like running afterward, so I set out to run for 15 minutes. I figured it was enough time to get some benefit, but not so long that I would feel crappy because of the lack of training. When it was done, I was thrilled to have gone out. And 15 minutes is a really short amount of time!

Oh, and we are officially moving back to Redding. The last couple months have been beyond strange, what with the scandal at the creamery and the layoff situation. Tim really worked hard and landed a job in Redding. He starts later this month. The kids and I will stay here for a while because I still have CNA school to complete. But after that, we'll join him in Redding. And we have to sell our house. That's the main thing standing in our way right now. But we're excited to go back to Redding, and the kids and I are looking forward to hot summer weather! We'll be going to the pool a lot this summer!

Today's stats:
Elliptical:
Time: 30 minutes

Run:
Time: 15 minutes
Distance: 1.27 miles

Taking some time off

Obviously.

LOL.

I decided a couple weeks ago to take the rest of the month of April off from running to let my injured knee heal. It feels quite a bit better now, although I don't know how it will be when I start running again. I have been using the elliptical, but I've been so busy with the CNA class and my nutrition class that I have only been able to work out three days a week. My nutrition class is almost over, so that will take away some of the pressure. I have decided to resume running in May.

This means, of course, that the Avenue of the Giants race is not on my schedule this year. It is this next weekend. I am OK with that, since Tim is still looking for a new job. I have been pretty mentally preoccupied with that, so missing a big race like this isn't going to kill me.

Okie dokie, see you guys again soon!

Think I needed that

I just took a short run after dropping the truck off for an oil change. It was glorious. The weather is just perfect today and it felt good to be out again.

We are dealing pretty well with all the chaos going on. Tim has sent out some resumes and has a phone interview set up for next week. Seems every day we're getting new leads on different jobs in his field. So that's totally great. I've finally gotten to the point where I can talk about what's happening without breaking down in tears. Yay for that! Hopefully something really good will come up soon!

We both agree the silver lining is we know exactly where we stand now. When everything started breaking down at the creamery in late February, we didn't know what it meant for the employees. It felt like we were in limbo for weeks. It still sucks that this is happening, but at least we can move forward now, unlike so many of the other employees there who still don't know for sure if they'll have a job or not when it's all said and done.

Oh, and we do have something fun to look forward to. Tim's sister and her husband are coming to visit next week! We haven't seen them in a while, and this will be their last visit home before moving to New Zealand next month. How cool is that? I hope we're able to visit them in NZ eventually. Heck, if Tim lands a job better than the one he has now, maybe we can eventually afford to! ;-)

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 2.55 miles

Yesterday's stats:
Elliptical:
Time: 30 minutes

last Tuesday's stats:
Run:
Distance: 2 miles

Like being kicked in the crotch

That's how I am feeling right now.

No, I didn't actually get assaulted in the private area.

Rather, we got a figurative jolt in the nuts via the layoff notice Tim received yesterday.

Come June 1, Tim will no longer have a job at the creamery.

After almost five years of loyal service, this is how it ends.

I have no job. We have bills. And kids who have needs.

I am scared. And worried. And getting angry at the asshat who got the creamery into the current mess it's in. Really angry. Like I want to kick them in the crotch with steel-toed boots.

At least Tim wasn't the only one who got a pink slip yesterday. But that doesn't ease the sting or the realness of what's happening.

But now we have work to do. Tim's already looking for a new job he can jump into when his current job ends. There are so few jobs in this area to begin with, so his job search is in other cities in Northern California. We might have to move again. It will be a pain, but I will gladly move wherever he can find a job.

I hope he's able to land something before Kara starts kindergarten in August, especially if it means moving out of the area. I don't want to pull her from school after she's started, if we can help it.

Meanwhile, I will continue the CNA program I started on Monday and look for a job of my own.

Oh, and if we have to file for unemployment, I will have to get a job to make ends meet. Unemployment will provide less than half the amount of money Tim was making at his job. It would barely cover our mortgage. But it would be better than nothing.

So the future is unclear. I don't know how much I'll be blogging in the immediate future. It seems less important than life right now.

OK finally a (short) race report and TONS of pics!

Sorry it took me so long to get back here to post about the HM. I am still in the process of taking an online nutrition class, and we had part of a project due today, so that took up a lot of my spare time. But I got it done and can now get back to blogging. Heck, I've only managed a pair of elliptical workouts during the past 10 days now and absolutely no running, although I hope to fix that this weekend. *sigh*

Anyway, the Shamrock'n Half Marathon in Sacramento, CA was totally freakin' awesome! Of course, I had to take the obligatory shot of my running duds the night before. The lovely new pink tech shirt had to be covered the entire race by an old long-sleeved tech shirt, because it was just too chilly to not have real sleeves! The orange thing on my bib (notice my name? I was TOTALLY geeking out over that!) is the disposable timing chip, which I have yet to dispose of and probably won't, LOL:




My dad drove me to Raley Field, home of the Rivercats baseball team (not sure what they are -- AAA, AA? Who knows?). The sign was all lit up at 7 a.m.:



I had never been to Raley Field before. The inside was bigger than I imagined (this was before the masses arrived):



Before long, the stadium was filled up with runners, walkers and their supporters. I was glad my dad stayed with me because I seriously hate being a lone wolf at these things. :-(

Anyway, the start was divided into three waves. The fastest runners took off at 8 a.m., followed by those who expected to run at a 9- to 11-minute/mile pace. The last group was made up of the slow people (those who predicted they'd be slower than 11 minutes per mile -- totally me, but whatever). I didn't really understand that, because they gave you 3 1/2 hours from the start of the final wave before they started reopening roads and whatnot. So basically the fasties (my new term for fast runners) got an extra 20 minutes to finish that the slower runners could have used, but I digress.

Here are the fasties taking off at 8 a.m.:



The rest of us waited in our corrals until it was time to approach the starting line. Finally, before 8:20, we were herded down to where the magic was to begin:



After a few minutes of nervous fidgeting, the countdown started and we were off!! Of course, in a race this big, being "off" means you're just walking at the beginning. My dad took this pic of me, being silly:



Soon enough I was running and enjoying the scenery. Some of the landmarks included:

The historic Tower Bridge, which we ran over twice (yes, I ran the race with my camera in my pocket, and sometimes in my hand):





The state capitol:



Old Town Sacramento:



The Sacramento River:



So I was feeling really freakin' awesome until mile 8. That's when the lack of training started kicking in. This is me at mile 7, right before the fire in my shoes began:



So yeah, around mile 8 was when I noticed my feet, especially my right foot, felt like there was a damn flame under them. And the flame got more and more intense the longer I ran. It was pretty stinkin' awful. I now know that I really need to stick to my long runs on the weekends while training for a HM. It's not that I didn't want to, but I had been battling illnesses and injury and the long runs just weren't happening. So my feet paid a price during the HM.

But I trudged on, basically running from fuel station to fuel station near the end. Eventually, an awesome thing happened: I could see the finish line, located on Raley Field, which was totally cool:



Here's the pic my dad took as I crossed the finish line. See the big screen in the outfield? They showed everyone who finished on it! And they called out every finisher's name on the PA! Good times!



And check out this totally rockin' medal that I got. It's definitely the best one I own (and it's really heavy)!



So that's about it. :-)

I think I've talked my dad into running this one with me next year. It has a HM relay, where the distance is split into two halves and one person runs each half. I think that would be fun, don't you?

OMG, I really suck

So my sister-in-law reminded me that I haven't yet posted a HM race report or pics, and now it's been a week since the race. Unfortunately, I can't do it at this very second, but I will *try* to do it tonight. I have a bunch of other stuff to do first (homework for my nutrition class, freakin' taxes, housework, etc.) and the blog is kinda the last priority.

Stay tuned......

Second HM in the books!

Thanks everyone for the good luck vibes!! I finished the Shamrock'n Half Marathon in Sacramento this morning, and I set a new PR!! That was despite not having the best luck with training and not having "true" long runs on the weekends. My legs are feeling it now, but that's OK. The medal I got rocks! :-)

I am ready to lie down and take a nap, but I will leave you with the official stats. Pics and a report will come soon!

Shamrock'n Half Marathon official stats:

Time: 2:39:27 (old PR was 2:45:24 set last May)
Overall finish: 2968 out of 3603
Division finish: 304 out of 380

So here I am....

...at 4:30 a.m., too nervous and excited to sleep. I have to leave at 5:30 to get to the half marathon course by 6:30. The organizers said to be there extra early because of the heavy traffic (which caused hundreds of runners to miss the start of the race last year).

I've actually been awake since 3:30 a.m. My sinuses were getting stuffy and then my nose started running. Hate when that happens. So I took a shower, took a pic of my running gear and will be having breakfast soon. My dad will be taking me to the race, and will be sticking around to watch me take off and finish.

I don't really know what else to say right now. I'll likely be functioning on adrenaline for a while. I'm sure I'll probably crash hard when I get home. I think today will be a nap day! :-)

I'll post a race report and pics later. Bye, all!

....and this is why we can't have "nice" things

Because whatever things we do have, it seems there is always a "little person" who comes along and breaks it.

Today was no different. The kids and I were outside. They were playing; I was mowing the lawn. Kara had put some rocks on the grass a long time ago, so I asked her to pick them up and place them in the nearby flower bed so I could mow that area. I turned my back, and heard a crash. Turned back around, and Kara has her hands in her mouth (her signal for "I've done something really bad"). I look at the house, and there's now a softball-size hole in her bedroom window. So instead of listening to me and gently placing the rock in the flower bed, she chucked the rock at the house and broke her own window. Pure genius.

The only saving grace is that the rock only broke the outside plate of glass. We now know our old windows are, indeed, double-paned.

*sigh*

Anyway, we're leaving for Auburn tomorrow. Race is on Sunday!!! Can't wait!! I'm taking my camera along on the run. Should be fun! :-)

Forgot to mention I did run on Wednesday. Just a short track run. Better than nothing!

Wednesday's stats:
Run:
Distance: 2 miles

One week away!

One week left until the Shamrock'n Half Marathon!!! I am getting excited now, despite the issues with my knee. I didn't run at all this week to let it rest. I did go to the track and bust out a quick two-miler today, which felt good. I should probably run on the track a lot more than I do, as the surface is much kinder to my joints. Kara went with me and had a blast running, too. She managed about 3/4 of a mile, which is pretty darn good for a five-year-old! We played on the swings afterward. :-)

So I've resigned to the idea that this HM will be of a just for fun event rather than an event to PR in. The course is supposedly flat and fast, but I think if I PR it will be a freakin' miracle. But I'm OK with that. It should be tons of fun!! There are bands planned to play at every mile (kinda like a Rock 'n Roll HM) and the field is full (4,000 people have registered). Every finisher gets these awesome shamrock-shaped medals. It will be very cool. I'm actually considering leaving Garmin at home for this one, but we'll see how it goes. I will definitely be taking my camera so I can snap some shots as I make my way down the course.

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: two miles
Time: 20:56
Pace: 10:28 minute/mile

I think the marathon will have to wait

I am bummed about this, but I don't think I will be physically able to do a full marathon this spring. My IT band issues are not being resolved as quickly as I hoped, and this has put a major damper on the HM training. I am still doing the HM in less than two weeks, but I have put my hopes for a PR on the backburner because I am so scared my knee won't let me run the way I want to. My goal now is to just finish.

Plus, things are stressful right now with life in general. The future of Tim's company is a little uncertain due to some things that have happened, so my heart's not really into training right now. I've been looking for a job, just in case. Funny how when things are going well, they seem to go really well. And when they go bad, well, they just blow up in your face and go to hell.

Thursday's stats:
Run:
Distance: three miles

Sunday's stats:
Run:
Distance: four miles (was supposed to be nine -- ny knee wouldn't take it)

I didn't die

That stomach flu didn't kill me. Yay.

I am still in the blogging funk and don't really come to my blog that much anymore. Some strange crap has been going down in real life and I have been feeling pretty depressed the past couple days. I hope the dark cloud over me lifts soon. We had Chinese food tonight, and that did help a little. :-)

I did a nice workout on the Wii Fit afterward to burn off the calories I consumed.

Sunday's stats:
Run:
Distance: seven miles

Tonight's stats:
Wii Fit: 32 minutes

OMG....stomach flu.....*puke*

Holy cow, I am so sick right now. Matty has been dealing with the stomach flu (and Kara did earlier, too) and it appears that I have it now. I've been throwing up since about 10 p.m. (it's 1 a.m. now) and am having issues on the other end, too. I am so tired and want to go to sleep, but I am afraid my need to run to the bathroom will get in the way. I want my mommy! :-(

That being said, tomorrow's run is in SERIOUS jeopardy.

500th post!

Funny, this is my 500th post and I really don't have anything I want to gab about. Sad, no? I am having some pain in my left knee area, which is really bothering me. It kinda radiates from the knee down the back of my calf. So now I'm all paranoid about what's causing it.

I have also been sick, so I didn't run for a week. I did run yesterday, but it was three shades of awful. Probably the least fun five miles I've ever logged. I hope to do a short run tomorrow. And I hope my leg will start feeling better!

Yesterday's stats:
Run:
Distance: 5 (horrible) miles

Who knew...

...that playing boxing for an hour on the Wii would make one so damn sore? I did that on Friday night, and could barely move my arms the entire weekend. It's so fun though, so it was worth it!

Despite the achy arms, I managed a long run this weekend. It was a run in the rain, which is always fun. I came home cold and wet, but glad I went out. It would have been so easy just so stay at home and lounge under a blanket. But I am getting so close to my HM that I don't have time to sit and lounge when I should be out running.

Thursday's stats:
Elliptical:
Time: 40 minutes

Friday's stats:
Wii boxing (a real workout!!!)
Time: 1 hour

Sunday's stats:
Run:
Distance: 6.25 miles
Time: 1:11:24

Fake $1 bill

What kind of loser prints and then distributes fake $1 bills?

I don't know, but said loser and I indirectly crossed paths and I unknowingly ended up with a counterfeit bill in my possession.

Since I am a lazy butt, I will copy and paste what I wrote on Facebook about it:

"Well, a couple weeks ago I took the kids to get ice cream at Rite Aid. Kara had a $5 bill and she wanted to pay, so I let her. They gave her back a $1 and some coin change. She had me put the change in my wallet and didn't ask about it again.

Fast forward to Sunday: I went to WinCo and still had the change in my wallet. I needed to use it to buy something. I handed the bill to the cashier and he looked at it for what seemed like forever. Then he said he thought it looked like a fake and he wouldn't take it. I have never seen a fake before, so how was I supposed to know? Anyway, he made feel like an ASS. I took the bill in question to my bank today, and sure enough they identified it as a fake. I asked what recourse I had, and they told me to take it back to where I got it and see if they would give me a real bill. I did, and thankfully they did. I know it's only a dollar, but the principle of it all really bugs me. I just hope Rite Aid takes that damn bill out of circulation now."

So there you go. My first experience with fake funds. Thank goodness it was only a $1 and not a $20 or something. Then I would have been out for blood.

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 44:16
Pace: 11:04 minute/mile

Need to get the blogging bug back

I am just not into blogging right now. I don't know why, but I feel like it's a chore to do it at this point. I've had blogging funks like this before, and it shall pass. But until then I'll probably be scarce around here.

Oh, but rest assured I have still been running!

Thursday's stats:
Elliptical:
Time: 30 minutes

Sunday's stats:
Run:
Distance: 5 miles

Today's stats:
stretch and strengthen
2 sets x 10 reps or overhead curl, squats, crunches, bicep curl, tricep curl, seated row and pull-up

Kara got a new bed!

Well, not a new mattress, but a new daybed frame!! I found it on Craigslist the other day and picked it up last night. Took me a while to get it together today, but I did and it's really cute!

Here are a couple pics of her in the new daybed (she just had to jump right in):





Today is supposed to be a run day, but I think I'll do it tomorrow instead. I'm just not feeling motivated to run for some reason. Probably because I'm too tired from fighting with that daybed! I will shoot for an ellipitical workout instead.

Bits and pieces

My dad has noticed I haven't been blogging much lately. I haven't really felt like it. Thanks, Facebook! That's where I've been spending a big chunk of my online time. But here are a few bits and pieces of what's been going on:

1) I turned in my nursing school application yesterday. Now I have to wait until at least March to find out if I get in this fall or if I have to wait until falll of 2010. I seriously hope I don't have to wait.

2) I still haven't signed up for the marathon yet, but I will. I have until Feb. 28 to sign up for the current price, so expect an update on that within the month.

3) I have been running still, despite not feeling the greatest lately. I have been trying everything to stay well, including using a sinus irrigation treatment that my friend Kristen turned me on to. I can breathe better and I've only used it a couple times.

4) My online nutrition class has been going well. It is super strange not going to an actual classroom, though. I miss my face-time with other adults.

5) We've borrowed a Wii from Tim's co-worker. Damn, that thing is another great time-waster. It's so much freakin' fun, though. Even Kara loves to bowl on it. She's really good, too!

That's about it for now. I will leave off with my stats for the past week or so.

Thursday's stats:
Elliptical:
Time: 20 minutes

Sunday's stats:
Run:
Distance: 5 miles

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 3.5 miles

Marathon

Geez, that's a scary word.

Why am I so intimidated by it? Maybe because I know it's 26.2 miles. That's a lot.

But here I am, contemplating whether I want to try my first marathon in May.

OMG. What am I thinking?

Maybe it's because I'm starting to feel good about running again. I've had a pretty good month so far and have been sticking to my HM training plan.

Maybe it's because I want a (HUGE) challenge.

Maybe I am nuts.

But whatever. I am mulling over throwing my hat in the ring for the marathon at the Avenue of the Giants. If I chicken out, I still have the HM. I would hope if I decide to go for it (and train for it) that I won't chicken out!!

So for those of you who have run a full marathon before, how hard of a choice was it to commit to it? Was it worth it? Would you do it again? I guess I just need some advice from people who have been there, done that.

Yesterday's stats:
Elliptical:
Time: 30 minutes

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 3.75 miles

Kara lost her second tooth today

Imagine that! On the eve of her fifth birthday.

The tooth fairy is going to be busy with this child.

I took a pic, but I'm too lazy (and tired) to load it tonight.

I will update my stats, however. The HM training is going really well!!

Tuesday's stats:
Run:
Distance: 3 miles

Thursday's stats:
Elliptical:
Time: 30 minutes

Friday's stats:
Run:
Distance: 3 miles

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 4.25 miles

The great time waster, part 2

So I have recently become addicted to Facebook. I have reconnected with a lot of former co-workers and classmates on that site. Talk about a time waster! But it's so freakin' addictive that I can't help myself. So if anyone still reads this blog (and is not already my friend on there), give me a holler so I can add you. :-)

Tomorrow is an early-morning run, so I'd better get to bed eventually.

Today's stats:
Stretch and strengthen
10 reps x 2 sets of: overhead curls, squats, abs, bicep curl, tricep curl, rows and pull-ups

The great time waster

Thanks to Marcy for passing along this awesome time-wasting Web site (yes, I am aware she posted it a couple months ago now, but I am slowly trying to catch up on my blog reading).

Just thought I'd share the results.

Me (on my way to a KISS concert, no doubt):




Tim:



Kara:




Matty:



My dad (John; circa 1960s, apparently):



My mom (Linda):



And my sister (Valerie, which looks a lot like Tim when he has facial hair):



Looks like a few of us went over to Thailand for gender reassignment. Because, as you can see, this is a totally accurate representation of the human race, in general. ;-)

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 44:33
Pace: 11:08 minute/mile

Yeah, I really am slower in the dark

Today was another pre-dawn run. This time, the dark was accompanied by rain. Fun, fun.

I definitely run slower in the dark. I am pretty sure it's because I am afraid of tripping and falling. So I am extra cautious in the dark. That's OK. At least I am out there getting my workout done.

Today called for three miles. That is what I did. Came home soaked with rain and sweat. Guess that's the sign of a good run. :-)

Tomorrow's a rest day, according to the program. I think I will take advantage of that!

Yesterday's stats:
Elliptical:
Time: 30 minutes

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 3 miles

Up before the roosters

I woke up at 6 a.m. today to get ready for my run. First let me say that 6 is really, really early for me. Apparently it's too early for the sun, as well. I ate breakfast, got dressed and sat around for 40 minutes, hoping the sun would start to rise. Nope.

So I grabbed a flashlight and headed out into the dark, misty air. I am not a fan of darkness (at least being out in it by myself), so I guess I was being brave. After about 1/2 mile I started feeling OK about being out so early. Just then I encountered another runner going the opposite direction. He was the only person out that time of the morning, but it was nice to know I wasn't alone.

It wasn't until the last 3/4 mile that I heard a rooster crow in a backyard of a home in the subdivision I was running in. It was now dawn and I was able to turn my flashlight off, but all I could think was how annoying it would be to live next to that guy with the crowing rooster.

The run itself was a bit slower than Saturday's, but that was mainly because it was so dark even with a flashlight and I didn't want to trip. The HM training program called for three miles today, but I ran 3.25 miles because I was too far from home at the end of three (I had to get back here quickly to get Kara up for school so Tim could take her).

I am planning to do my weekday runs early in the morning so I can have the rest of my day free. The nice thing is it's only 8:20 now and I am totally done working out for the day! And I feel *awake* for once!

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: 3.25
Time: 36:10
Pace: 11:10 minute/mile

First "official" day of HM training!

Today kicked off the "official" start of my HM training. I am following the Hal Higdon novice HM training schedule, which I (loosely) followed before I ran my first HM last May. I like it because it's simple.

Today called for stretch and strengthening. So I stretched and used my Total Bodyworks strength training machine (for the first time in about 11 months, LOL). It was a nice, low-key workout. Tomorrow morning calls for a three-mile run. I am hoping I can get up really early and get it done before Tim goes to work and Kara goes to school. I really need to start doing my workouts in the morning, because waiting the whole day to do it is a drag. I have to train myself to be a "morning person" (or just fake like I am). My HM starts at 8 a.m., and I will have to get up really early just to get there. Better start preparing my body now!

Today's stats:
Stretching before and after workout
Strength (10 reps, 2 sets): overhead pull, squats, abs, bicep curl, tricep curl, seated row

HM training has started!

Today was a perfect day for a run. Partly sunny yet crisp, with the temperature in the mid-40s and only a slight breeze.

I bundled up and headed out, planning to run about 2.5 miles (my "official" day of the HM training program is Monday, but I figured I'd use the weekend to get a head-start). I ended up going three miles instead. I had some new tunes on my iPod which, when coupled with the weather, made for a wonderful time. It felt so good to get back out there and have a good run. I am still woefully slow again, but I am not worried about that, as I will get faster again. I am just glad to be back at it.

Oh, and I think I want to switch things up this year, race-wise. I have become accustomed to doing several small races, both in distance and participant numbers (I did eight of them last year). This year, I want to do a few big races and maybe one or two small ones. I think that will keep me from getting bored.

So, if I have my way, I will be doing three HMs this year: the Shamrock'n HM in Sacramento (March), the Avenue of the Giants in Weott (May) and the San Jose Rock 'n' Roll HM (October). The last one is kind of a dream right now, but I hope I can make it a reality if my schedule allows me to. If I can't swing that one, I will probably do the Humboldt Redwoods HM in October.

Today's stats:
Run:
Distance: three miles
Time: 32:35
Pace: 10:52 minute/mile

Now they can drive themselves to kindergarten

Just sharing a couple pics of the kids' new rides, courtesy of Santa. Yeah, the big guy pulled through this year, despite the crummy economy. The pics were taken today, as we had a brief break in the rain.

Tomorrow will (hopefully!) be the start of HM training. See ya'll then! :-)