Shallow, random…whatever.

• I think watching The Biggest Loser should be mandatory for all households. Great Show. Informative. Motivating. Educational. Fun.
• I would never want to be President. No matter what political party is in office, people are so incredibly negative about what you do or fail to do. It’s unbelievable, really.
• I am pretty pumped up for next week when LOST is back on the air. Bummed though that it is final season
• Going to see LEGION this week. Not usually my cup of tea, but hey, KATE WALSH, is in it so I will go and check it out. Actually, previews have interested me…
• Very happy to say I personally contributed to Apple’s latest blow-out quarter with the purchase of my iMAC. Freaking love it. Go APPLE
• I wish I could spend a solid weekend learning about nutrition and exercise. A weekend away somewhere like a workshop where I could just focus on nutrition.
• February is maybe my least favorite month of the year. Why? Football is over and baseball hasn’t begun yet.
• I continue to try to motivate people at work to exercise. Hope I can get some folks to sign up to run a 5k this spring. That would be awesome!
• One of my male co-workers wanted to give me a hug yesterday. We hugged. It was really sweet. I was leaving for day and he just asked, “can i hug you”. I feel a sister/brotherly kinship with him, perhaps. I love hugs. Good ones, not half-ass lame hugs.
• I love chips

Jan 24: 7.2 miles, outside, total rain

Jan 23: 6.2 miles, outside

Jan 21: 3 miles, treadmill, fast

Jan 19: 3.4 miles, treadmill, fast

Keep it real. Train Hard. Train Smart. Keep pushin’

recap

You have to wonder at times what you’re doing out there. Over the years, I’ve given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.

-Pre

Temperatures warmed up a bit this week. Thankfully. Ran 2 days during week. Tuesday was a fast 3 on treadmill and Thursday was 4.2 outside. Saturday, got outside in the rain. Not heavy, but constant for all 7 miles. It was 45 degrees, but honestly, that run didn’t feel a whole lot different than the previous weeks’ 6 miler in 17 degrees. I chose a hilly route for the 7.

Saturday night i was out with some friends. Had a blast….though the late night and drinks had me sleep in on Sunday. Whew! Fun, laughter and even some Galaga and Pinball!! Thank god i only do those nights once in a blue moon…

Could’ve run outside on Sunday…it was actually still rainy, but I decided not too. I didn’t end up running until about 5pm and elected for the treadmill. Did a good 5. I don’t always mention it, but I have been getting in 2-3 sessions of strength training per week. Feel pretty great about this…might be the strongest I have ever been. It can only help me…especially if i ever decide to take up swimming.

I love to share music , so here are some of the songs i’ve been listening to a lot lately while running:

He’s a Pirate – Hans Zimmer

Training Montage – from Rocky

Baby, I’m a Star – Prince

Ten Seconds Before Sunrise – Tiesto

Close to You – Tiesto

I Wasn’t Kidding – Angie Stone

The Black Pearl – Scotty

Sinnerman – Felix da Housecat & Nina Simone

What’s on your playlist these days?

Massage tomorrow. Can’t wait.

Train Hard. Train Smart.

running on veggies

Sitting here on Sunday morning, drinking some Peets out of the only coffee mug I have ever gotten for running a race; the Woodminster X-Country Race in Oakland Hills back in 2002. Whew! That was a tough 9 mile trail race…but fun! And hell, I got a mug out of it soI am happy! Race organizers ought to think more about other things besides tee shirts, although if i had a mug for every race i’ve done, i would be in a world of hurt for cabinet space!

I did sign up for my first race of 2010. I will be running the Birmingham Half-Marathon on February 14th. Me and my love, together again. Coudn’t be happier.

Since the beginning of the year, I have been having a veggie eating experience. I could say I’m a vegetarian, but i’m not. I’m simply just going without meat for a while. The decision to do so is mostly rooted in the fact that I just don’t eat enough vegetables on a consistent basis and I feel my body really needs them. Morally, ethically, whatever…i’m cool with eating meat, but I feel that unless I go strictly veggie, for at least a while, until I get in some sort of groove, I would falter in providing myself with important nutrients etc…

It’s been interesting thus far. I few things i have noticed; it’s cheaper and i am preparing food and eating at home. If you know me, you know that I usually eat out a lot….at least 5 times a week. Obviously, that gets pricey, especially if you add in an occasional cocktail! I am enjoying my new place much more than my previous home, so it’s been a pleasure to prepare meals. My new place is much more cozy and feels more like a home….which probably aides my wanting to stay in more. One of the things I have noticed to the “downside” is that i might not be taking in enough calories. Hasn’t been too much of an issue yet, but as the training ramps up, it will if i don’t adjust. I can’t eat a veggie quesadilla one night and expect to run a good 10 miles the following morning. Won’t work.

I’ve eaten mostly veggie tacos, quesadillas. I even put KALE into the quesadilla. When was the last time I had KALE??? Last night, I made asparagus soup and pesto pasta. Pretty good.

As opposed to the stints of “no-sugar” or “no-alcohol” that I do from time to time, I don’t necessarily feel healthier with all veggies, i just feel like I am getting more of what I need. I don’t feel a huge difference yet, but I trust what’s happening “behind the scenes” in my body. When I go without sugar and alcohol, I feel the difference and i feel cleaner, healthier. It will be interesting to see if I notice anything differently as time goes on.

Been alternating the runs lately with treadmill & outside. Been brutally cold here in Atlanta. The weekend runs were the toughest, but I have to say, it feels refreshing to be outside….and then my cheeks, lips, and nose go numb…ah….hopefully next weekend it will be a tad warmer.

I hope your year has started off well and you are getting ready to kick some ass in all you do!

Here’s some of my latest runs.

Jan 1 4 miles – outside

Jan 2 4.75 miles – outside – 30 degrees

Jan 3 6 miles – treadmill – easy

Jan 6 3.5 miles – treadmill – fast

Jan 7 4.5 miles – treadmill – w/ intermittent incline

Jan 9 4.1 miles – outside 25 degrees

Jan 10 6 miles – outside 17 degrees

laying her to rest, finally

Way back in September 2000, my grandma died. I flew back to the Bay Area to be with my sister and help with everything. It was such a weird feeling to endure this with my sister…us having suffered so much loss already, but we were too young during those times to really remember. Well, there we were, all grown up, and needing to take care of grandma. In some ways, I felt like we were catapulted back to early years….but then we couldn’t be…there was no time. Decisions had to be made and even though some of grandma’s relatives were alive, no one stepped up to help. When you are 25 and 30 years old, you don’t expect to have to do all that shit by yourself; the mortuary, the church stuff, the burial, etc….it’s a lot to to deal with when you are shocked, saddened, angry, etc…at the loss that has taken place. But, again…you don’t have time for that. Gotta get stuff done. So, we did.

At that time in my life, I had no money. So, grandma’s mortuary bill went on a credit card. Not cheap. She wanted to be buried and since she had bought a double plot when mom died, whoever died next in our immediate family would be the one to fill that spot. slot. I thought all that was paid for….but when we went to the cemetery, somehow, there was a small balance to pay. Well, about $1500. Swipe the credit card. So, I guess all in all, it ended up costing me about $5000. My sister couldn’t help pay for any of it and I didn’t want her to. I don’t know why, but i was truly shocked when NONE of grandma’s relatives offered to help in any way. Not only did they not offer, none of them never even inquired as to how things were being paid for or who was paying. (I’m glad they are not in my life…glad I won’t die on their watch..)

Anyway…so, when we were at the Cemetery and finalizing all of the logistics, it occurred to me that we would have to pay more money to get grandma’s name and date of birth/date of death on the headstone. At the time, I figured we could pass on that and get it done later. Maybe someone else could pay or I would just pay for it later. Well, 9 years later, I finally got it done. On 12/30/09, I called the monument company across the street from Cemetery and got it all taken care of…cost was $325. I honestly don’t know why I have waited so long. I’ve had the money to pay…maybe it hasn’t always been at the forefront of my mind since I am 3000 miles away…but, It has bothered me. I have felt extremely guilty leaving grandma there, nameless. She was kinda like “tomb of the unknown soldier”. Well, no more. Her beautiful name will now be there right underneath her daughter. I wonder how it’s going for them down there..up there…being so close together again…wonder if they are laughing, fighting…

Well, all I know is that I am so relieved to have this done. On my next trip to the Bay Area, i sure as hell will make a visit to the cemetery and sit for awhile.

I hope grams forgives me. And I hope she is resting, peacefully.