This is insane!

We have had over a week of close to 80 and 80+ degree temps and it's only the middle of March! I was out shopping at Kohl's the other night and it was a balmy 75 degrees at 9pm. Let me just say that I am absolutely loving it. Seriously I've never seen a warm streak last this long this early in the year. It feels like summer.

I thought we were lucky when it was pushing 70 for a few days. Now I am totally spoiled. I know the bottom will drop out soon. It's suppose to drop back down to the 60's then 50's by the end of next week. I can't complain (but I know I will) LOL.

I had been running every single day since last Friday because it's been so frickin beautiful outside and I've been telling myself that as soon as the weather got warmer I was going to be running my ass off (literally). But I had to finally take 1 day off on Thursday because my body was exhausted.

But not today. It's sunny right now and around 60 degrees with a forecast of 80. I will be outside every day for as long as this lasts! I just can't believe some people are taking this gift for granted. I just want to scream!! Everyone around here knows that this is a rarity. We're experiencing Arizona weather. Take THAT Arizona :)

It's March!

We are entering the 3rd month of the year already. Really? Seriously where does the time go. It has been the warmest winter I ever remember but I am still looking forward to spring. My fear is Mother Nature getting revenge and we have a cool/cold spring and summer. But I can't worry about things I can't control.

I've really slacked off on running the last few months. I probably only run once or twice a week. I've been doing interval training to try and change things up when I run on the treadmill. But the lack of running has definitely added some LB's in noticeable places. My so called fat pants have become the only pants that fit right now (comfortably) and to add insult to injury, I popped the inside button off of both of them! That's not good.

I have been doing more p90x which has been good. I am seriously lacking in the muscle department and seeing the fat swinging from where my biceps should be is a little unsettling. I keep telling myself that once it gets warmer I will be back out there running every day. As long as my knees hold up. I keep joking that I won't be able to walk when I'm 60 but it very well may happen.

I signed up for a dirty girl mud run in June. It's a 5k with an obstacle course. I've never done one of these only because I'm not sure if I have the stamina to do obstacles, especially with my knees. It's not timed and only women can participate so if anything it will be for fun. There's about 15 girls on our team so it will be interesting.

My first half marathon of the year is in June so hopefully I will be ready for it. I haven't done more than 5 miles since last fall so getting back up to 13 is going to be a challenge. I've done 5 races so far so I know I can do it again. It at least gives me a goal.

There are light snow flurries coming down right now and it's about 20 degrees. There was a day last week where it was 60 degrees but 30 mph gusty winds. It's so easy to be lazy during this time of year. I could so cuddle up in bed and read my kindle.

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The other day I was walking the dogs and saw tulips sprouting in our neighbors yard! And somebody told me that the robins have come back and they wouldn't migrate back to the north unless warmer weather is coming soon. Who can you trust if you can't trust nature!

Running outside...during winter

Never say never. Really it's true. I was a firm believer that I would never run outside if it's under 60 degrees until the winter of 2011-2012 came along. I ran outside around Christmas a few times, I ran outside last Saturday, last Tuesday and now today. Don't get me wrong, I've only been out because it's been above 40 on those days. I still stand by my edict that I will never run outside when it's below freezing.

This has been the best winter that I can remember. We've barely gotten any snow (I think it was only 1.8 inches through Jan 10th). Then last Thursday we finally got hit with about 4-5 inches. Nothing out of the ordinary but I would have been more than happy to never see the white stuff at all this winter. Today was around 43 degrees with a south wind which wasn't unbearable. I do not have the proper gear to really be running in the winter so I took it easy in areas where snow still covered the sidewalks. Even though it's well above freezing I didn't want to risk slipping and breaking an ankle.

Forecast calls for more snow tomorrow so I totally enjoyed every minute of being out there today. There's nothing like running outside. I'm really hating the treadmill now. I cannot run non stop on a treadmill for 5 miles. It's almost like torture. I end up stopping at least 4 or 5 times out of boredom. BUT I will continue to use it because I've discovered that I gained 10 lbs since this summer.

I noticed it gradually creeping up when I'd weigh myself. I'd say I'm up a few lbs because it's the TOM, or I haven't gone to the bathroom in a while or the scale is wrong. I eventually stopped kidding myself. I haven't been running nearly as much as I did during the summer and naturally I haven't cut back on my eating.

So my goal (not resolution because I don't do resolutions) is to lose 20 lbs this year, preferably before summer. I need to lose the 10 I regained plus another 10 that I've been wanting to lose for over a year. I dread having to watch what I eat and obsess over calorie counting but that's what I have to do.

I was proud of myself last week. I had a bowl of soup and an ounce of sunchips for lunch and a chicken breast and brown rice for dinner. I did that for 3 days straight and felt really good. Then Friday came and I pigged out on pizza. I'm not calling it a failure, I am just going to pick up where I left off starting tomorrow :)

I also need to start doing more weight training during these winter months. I dread the soreness but I know that in the end I need to do it. I hope the rest of the winter is as mild as it has been. I still look so very forward to spring!

So far, so good

I have to admit, this fall has actually been like fall weather should be. I've come to really dread running on the treadmill so whereas I use to think 50 degrees was too cold to run, now I'm bundling up and running outside just to avoid the treadmill.

One good thing I did find out though was that ever since I got a new modem, the signal doesn't go out when I'm on the treadmill. I am happy about that since I have like a 100 shows on my dvr that I can't seem to get to. I did start watching Mad Men. I bought the 1st season when I thought I still had modem issues and turns out to be a pretty good show. Its been out for a while now so I guess I'm late to the party.

I've been feeling out of sorts lately. I've struggled to get motivated to run and because I know I haven't been running as much, I'm stressing about how much I've been eating. I feel like I need a break from the workouts but can't bring myself to cut back on the eating. Not that I eat nonstop, it's just that I like not having to really watch what I eat when I'm working out all the time. I told my coworker that I think I'm just gonna sit on my ass this winter and get fat. She's like no you won't, you've worked way to hard to get where you are. I know she's right. It would just be nice to kick back, relax and not gain a pound over the next 5 months. Oh well, one can wish.

It's suppose to be about 60 degrees today but super windy...of course. We can't get a warm day around here without 30 mph south winds to accompany it. I'm hoping to get some energy today and enjoy the weather. It's not all that sunny but hey, I guess you can't have everything!

I'm trying to keep a positive attitude about the upcoming months. It will give me time to get back into doing p90x and working on weight training. I desperately need it. The arm flab is not appealing, neither is the belly fat. Even though I run a lot, I can't seem to get rid of some problem areas. Good thing I am fully clothed 99% of the day - lol.

Well off to church. I am always thankful to have my health and to be alive!

Indy Half Marathon Oct 15, 2011

I wasn't sure if I was ready for this half. I've only been running about 5 miles a day since my last half in August so training wise I wasn't really ready. Although this was my 3rd half for the year, it's still 13.1 miles which is nothing to scoff at.

So my plan was if the weather was forecasted to be raining and cold then I wouldn't bother driving down there and spending money on the hotel room. But the weather forecast said it was going to be mostly sunny, high 66 and "breezy". Well I guess the term "breezy" is a matter of interpretation. It was downright WINDY with gusts up to 30 miles per hour. I've said it before, wind is my enemy. Not only because you have to work that much harder to run through it but with my contacts, any little debris nearly paralyzes me and that's not a good combination when trying to run.

Friday I drove down there and it was mostly sunny and windy. I was hoping that the wind would die down to 10 - 20 mph by Saturday. I got down there around 2:30 their time and checked into my hotel. No problems. I then ran over to the packet pickup to get it out of the way. I thought I remembered where this place was but they didn't have it set up the same way. I could have sworn last year there were signs everywhere and people guiding you into the parking lot. Not this time. The way I came in last year is now a one way out and there was a farmers market at the entrance so it was hard to tell if you went in the same way. I managed to figure it out. They also changed where you get your packets but no biggie.

I then went to Olive Garden to eat. At this point all I had "eaten" that day was my protein shake at 8 that morning. Needless to say now that it was 3:30, I was beyond hungry. So I had my salad, 3 breadsticks and an entire serving of stuffed rigatoni with grilled chicken in alfredo sauce. It was AWESOME. Hopefully the waiter didn't think I was a pig. Eh who cares if he did. That's the beauty with age, you start not to care what others think and do whatever the hell you want to :)

Stuffed to the gills, I went back to my hotel and did nothing but watch tv and rest. I managed to get about 7 hrs of sleep which was good. I'm always anxious to make sure I get there early enough to get a good parking spot and avoid the crowds. I left at around 6:10am and got to the parking lot at 6:20 and got a primo parking spot. Then I just read my kindle for about an hour. It was cold out. The temp in my car said 47 and the wind was blustery but the skies were clear. My teeth were chattering it was so cold but I knew once I started running things would warm up. It's just hard getting into the mood when you're freezing.

I'm always amazed at the variety of people who do these races. It ranges from young (13) to old (60's), from overweight to stick thin. I love the diversity. It's very inspiring. And there are people bundled up with gloves and headgear to those just wearing tank tops and short shorts.

As usual there is a long line to the bathrooms right before the race. I figured I had 30 mins to kill so I waited in line. Once in the portapotty I blew my nose because the cold air was making it run. To my dismay I saw that I now had a bloody nose! I was close to panic mode because I never anticipated a bloody nose. So I'm standing in the portapotty taking valuable time from others who are waiting trying to get my nose to stop bleeding. It wasn't a gusher but enough to get the toilet paper dark red.

So I grabbed a bunch of toilet paper and stuffed it in my nose as I walked to my starting corral. I tilted my head back trying not to draw attention to myself and managed to get it to stop. My biggest fear was it starting to gush as I was running. I am not one to draw attention especially when it comes to something like this. I prayed to God that it would just dry up and by the grace of God it did! I would check it now and again and there would be light red but nothing major. One positive outcome from that debacle was it distracted me from thinking about the race for the first few miles.

I felt great up to around mile 7. At that point, I started walking because my legs were pretty sore. I knew it would happen considering I hadn't done more than 6 miles in the last few months. I pushed through to 8 mile and then really started walking more between mile 9 and mile 11. Between mile 10 and 11 there are these steep inclines which at that point there was no way I was able to run up them. It hurt my knees to walk up them and I was walking slow. I knew from the start that I wasn't going to beat my usual 2:30 time but I was okay with that. I just wanted to finish. I walked and jogged through to the finish and according to my Garmin, I made 2:34! I'll have to check the official time but I was surprised I did that well. I know the first few miles I was doing around 11:15 min pace which is pretty good. Maybe that made up for all the walking later on. Still it was a gorgeous course. This remains one of my favorite races. It was again very well organized and had great volunteers cheering people on. It would have been perfect if the wind was less but overall, the weather was picture perfect. It has been two years in a row that there was nothing but blue skies and bright sunshine for this race.

After I got my medal, I ate two bananas and and apple and two bottles of water. I got back to the hotel and showered and tried to lay down for a while before heading back home. It's only about 2 hours away but doing these races wipes me out. I usually feel sick and it's probably because I haven't eaten much and ran 13 miles! I got home and unpacked and slept for about 3 hours. I felt much better but very sore.

Not sure if I'll do this race next year only because I've already signed up for two. One in June and one in September. I'm getting a little burned out on the miles. Running 6-7 miles is a perfect distance for me. After running 5 half marathons, I still contend that I will never run a full marathon. I have no desire to run that far or that long. I admire all those who do!

What a gorgeous week!

Ever since last Sunday, we have had a full week of nothing but blue skies and abundant sunshine with temps in the high 70's to mid 80's. Now this is the kind of Fall weather that I can get use to. I feel like we're living in Arizona. In fact I think it was Thursday where it was warmer here than in Phoenix! Love it!

I have my last half marathon in Indy next weekend and honestly, I'm not sure if I'm ready. I haven't ran more than 6 miles since my last half in August. Now I'm debating if I want to go. Because I was an idiot and waited way to long to book a room, I have to pay over $150 for a room for one night plus gas to get down there. So my strategy is that if the forecast calls for crappy weather (i.e. rain, temps in the 50's, or windy conditions) then I'm not gonna go. Today is the Chicago Marathon and it's in the mid 50's, sunny, no wind with temps expected near 80. If only that would carry over to next Saturday. Yes it's a bit warm but not at the start of the race. Last year it was close to 70 degrees and nothing but sun. I know, I'm a spoiled brat. Not a die hard runner like most people. Oh well, we'll leave it to Mother Nature.

The trees are starting to change colors and it is soooooo beautiful. I really do love Fall and Spring for all the color. There are these bright gold trees in my neighborhood that I just want to pluck out and plant in front of my house. I love the brilliant gold, red and orange colors. We planned on taking a drive with the dogs through Michigan or Wisconsin this weekend to take advantage of the changing foliage but naturally it didn't happen yesterday. It's still a little too warm for my Simba so he can't walk for very long. We might just drive to one of the local forest preserves. I just know by the time we get around to doing this all the leaves will have fallen but that is par for the course.

Brett throws this out last night "we should get married tomorrow so we can get great pics with the fall colors. It's the time of year I'd want to do it anyway". I wasn't shocked by the comment. We've been talking more about it lately. Our dogs are like our kids since we don't have any and we love them to pieces. With that, I'd want them to be a part of our wedding. My thinking is they could be the ring bearers. I would think it would be so cute to get them a little tux (not a real one, but one that's like a coat). I want them to be a part of our wedding pictures. With Simba's age, that means a decision has to be made soon. I don't like to think about that but it's reality.

I'm struggling with other things when it comes to getting remarried. First is my religion. Now I'm obviously not a devout Catholic, I don't follow everything to the letter of church law but I do go to church every Sunday. One of the rules is that if you are divorced, you can receive communion but if you are remarried you cannot unless your previous marriage was annulled. I don't think this is stated in the Bible anywhere. Maybe it is (obviously I haven't read enough of the Bible to confirm). Guess I could google it. Anyway, I wanted to get married in the Catholic Church. Brett is not Catholic. I still can be married in a Catholic church but there would be no communion service because Brett isn't Catholic. The whole point of a Catholic service is communion. That is the focus of the service so it wouldn't feel right not to have that as part of my ceremony. So I'm struggling with those issues. Not sure how the Catholic Church would feel about dogs walking down the aisle either LOL.

We also joked about getting married on a beach somewhere. While I would really like to do that, I feel like that's more of a civil ceremony, not a religious one. And again, we wouldn't be able to have the dogs involved.

I also have other issues to work out. I am skittish about getting married again. There's a lot that goes into a marriage. A lot of compromise and acceptance. I've been pretty selfish the last 7 years when it comes to doing things my way and on my terms. I need to have a good heart to heart with myself and really make sure that I'm ready for it. I know after 8 years you'd think what's the big deal, we're pretty much a married couple. But there's a big difference when it's legal. Then again, if I love him then what's the problem? I do love him but I admit that I have put up this barrier ever since my divorce. I am so adamant that I don't find myself in the situation I was in before that I haven't let my guard down. Now I don't know how to let my guard down. Maybe I need a therapist LOL!

Lots to think about. That's what the winter is for. I'll be trapped inside with nothing else to do but think this through. For now it's still sunny and warm out so I will enjoy these days while they are here!

Ahhh Fall is here

Well according to the calender it is official and according to the weather, it is official. Fall has arrived and it's actually been pretty nice, cool, but nice.

I have to say that the cooler temps does make it much easier to run. I've concluded that these are my elements for an awesome run:
1) Getting a good nights sleep - I got about 8 1/2 hours of uninterrupted sleep so check!
2) Getting enough nutrition - I have to drink a protein shake before I run. It doesn't leave me feeling too full but provides enough sustenance to keep me going so check!
3) Wearing warm undergarments - Spent the $40 for an under armour long sleeve shirt and it is so worth the money. It's like a second skin and definitely keeps me warm so check!
4) Gotta have tunes - I almost never run without my ipod. I know it can be dangerous but it seriously helps me not focus on how hard I'm running (not that I run fast). I love listening to old school house music so check!
5) Running on relatively flat surfaces - my knees are pretty wrecked so I pretty much cannot do inclines. Luckily my neighborhood is all flat so check!
6) The weather has to be mid to upper 50's to mid 60's, mostly overcast skies, and little to no wind. Wind is my nemesis, really it is. I do not like running if the wind is more than 10 miles per hour. 5 miles or less is just perfect. This I cannot control but when it does happen, I am eager to get outside.

Today all these factors aligned perfectly and I had a great run. I think I did a little more than 5 miles and I felt great! Now if we could keep this weather for the next 6 months I'd be more than happy! But I know it won't but for now I will enjoy it while I can. I do love the changing color of the trees. Fall is probably one of my favorite times of year if it wouldn't get so cold so fast. Feels like we get one month of fall (september) and then all hell breaks loose and we're into 30 degree weather. Crossing my fingers that this year is an exception!