Running Redemption

Since I didn't feel very successful post race yesterday, I committed to running 5 miles this morning. This served two purposes - one was to regroup mentally since I felt a bit beat down not having performed my best the day before - two was to prepare for my first 10K which is in 13 days.

Ironically, I forgot to bring my gum. My gum is one of my very few staples. I know chewing it helps to regulate my breathing, but I've also come to realize that it has led me to falsely believe I am hydrated when I am clearly not. I have actually been running my 5 mile Saturdays sans water until I have completed the run. Apparently this is bad. Today, I put a bottle of water on a park bench near the first mile marker and every time I passed it, I drank from it. It still was probably not quite the right amount of water necessary for the amount of water my body loses (I'm a sweater like no other), but it's progress.

I listened to my hip doctor and I ran two laps around the park in one direction, then switched directions for the last two to have a more even run on my body.

I reverted back to my 3 min run / 1 min walk method and put my body back in its comfort zone which is where I shall keep it for a while.

I was able to get into "the zone" courtesy of my iPod.

Now, thanks to a fantasmic deep tissue massage I got today via Sarah, an ice pack I have on my hip, and an epsom salt bath that will come later tonight, I will be ready for an awesome workout week which will all help lead me to Saturday's run. I'm hoping to add another 1.27 miles!!!

Cheers to a happy week, y'all!!! =)

Kim versus the 5K: Rodeo Run

I walk away slightly disappointed with my performance on this race. I did not beat my previous time, though it can be argued that I also gave up on even trying to do so. What happened? Hmmm...where to begin???

I looked up the weather the night before and all indications were that it was going to be 48ish during the race. This is pretty cold, though not the coldest I've run in, so I decided to modify my outfit slightly. Last race I wore a long sleeved running shirt, a sweatshirt hoodie, gloves, and my running pants. This time I decided to wear a short sleeved running shirt, a light weight running jacket, and my running pants. I pinned my bib on the outside of my jacket, so I was therefore committed to wearing it. Despite that, I found myself ridiculously overheated shortly after mile one and I had no choice but to take it off (or die) and tie it around my waist for the remainder of the race - which meant no bib showing. Lesson learned - it is better to be underdressed in running than overdressed.

I was running with my "fanny pack". I ran the last race with one as well, but it only had an extra stick of gum, my car key, chapstick, and of course a bottle of water. This time, I added a camera, some Kleenex, and my cell phone. This added significant weight. To make matters worse, I started off running with the bottle and pouch in the small of my back and the water bottle fell off near the beginning of the race, which sorta broke my concentration. I was able to get it back, thankfully. Lesson learned - less is best. Find a way to lighten the load. I may also need to find a better "fanny pack" - one that has a secured bottle.

I decided to skip the iPod this time. All races strongly discourage the runners from having their own tunes - they consider it to be a safety hazard. Whatever. Regardless, I always run with music...it helps me get into a zone. I decided to be experimental and to try to take in the sights and the sounds. Bad idea for the girl with A.D.D. I found myself easily distracted and I never quite got my momentum maintained. Lesson learned - go with what you know and don't experiment on the races.

Since my last race (February 27th's Rocket's Run), I had incorporated a methodology to my madness - my 3 min run / 1 min walk routine. I was able to do 5 miles. Last week, I upped the ante with doing 4 min running / 1 min walking. This was when I was only able to do 4 miles. I decided to do the 4/1 for today's race in lieu of doing what was my body's true comfort zone, the 3/1. I don't think that helped me any. Lesson learned - don't push your body to do what it is not ready to do and you won't be disappointed with the results.

I think that I would have performed better had my body been a bit more limber, as well. I did not exercise this week at all since I'm nursing tendonitis in my right hip (orthopaedic doctor diagnosed and being medically treated with Voltaren) and I was trying to give it as much of a rest as possible.

Okay, so I'm not a girl who believes in regrets because I feel strongly you should learn the lesson and move on. I've listed my lessons learned up above and I will be applying them to all future runs. I'm also a big believer in finding the positive somewhere, someway. There are a few from this race. I ran a 12 minute first mile!
This is a best for me!!! I was able to experience this race with some of my favorite people - Meliska & Greggy-D (who were awesome enough to keep me company to and from the race) and Rodney & Lauren Giles (who were awesome enough to keep me company after the race PLUS Lauren kept me company during the second half of the race).

I've got 2 weeks before the HEB Bayou City 10K and I just know it's gonna be a great experience!

Are you ready for something different?

I've been growing out my hair for 3 years. At first I was doing it for Cathy's (older sister) wedding - so that my hair could have hope of looking half way decent. Then...on the horizon...a year and a half later there was Eddie's (brother) wedding, so I decided to continue Operation: Grow d' locks. Then...11 months later there was Linda's (younger sister) wedding, so why mess with the plan?!

Sure, I remembered the days of going to my long term stylist, Leena, and telling her to do "whatever" as I used to back in the day. I loved giving her free reign to do whatever suited her fancy. I mean she has been cutting my hair for over 12 years, so I totally trust her. BUT alas...something happened in the past 3 years...I became attached to the idea of becoming a Rapunzel (in my own right) and almost fearful of cutting my hair other than the required trim for maintenance purposes. It was almost like I was letting the length of my hair define me.

Saturday was different. On the way to Leena's salon, I made the decision to hand over the chi of creative license, once again. As I sat in the chair and she asked me if I was ready for something different (as she always does), I found myself tearing up as I told her yes. I actually got emotional at the thought of cutting my hair, y'all. I am so NOT that girl, so what gives?!

Well...I've marinated on it and then disected it and I figured out that it wasn't really the actual IDEA of getting more than a trim, but rather more what it represented...yet another step in the transformation. At this point, I've dropped almost 80 lbs, I've pushed myself to physical limits I never thought myself capable of with the whole running thing, and I'm fitting into a clothing size I haven't fit into since I was 14 or 15. The idea of a flattering haircut that would properly frame a face which is finally showing signs of having a bone structure...well, I suppose it's acceptable to make a girl a little emotional.

I kinda still want to cry, but only because I know I will NEVER be able to replicate the style Leena did on Saturday. Sometimes I wish I could bring her home with me and make her do my hair every morning.

Here are some pics!

A couple of weeks before my haircut:

After the haircut:

Go, Kim. Go!

Since I'm quite the unconventional girl, I am not using any structured or guided training program for my running (oh and cuz I'm stubborn). This means I'm relatively clueless when it comes to the whole building distance vs. building endurance vs. building speed issues that I'm facing in my journey towards MY MARATHON TRAINING. Did you catch that last bit? I've changed it from half marathon training to full marathon training. I feel I have the drive, the strength, and the heart to do the full, so I'm going to go for it (in January 2011). In the meanwhile, I have the Rodeo Run 5K on tap for Feb. 27th, the Bayou City Classic 10K on tap for March 13th, and then supposedly Tomball is going to have a 5K/10K race on April 10th that I would like to do. After that, I'm probably going to be raceless until the Houston Half Marathon on Oct. 24th.

So, back to the building distance vs. endurance vs. speed issue I'm facing...I spoke to Meliska and Greggy-D about it the other night and they both agreed that since I'm already doing 5 miles and I have time on my side, it would be best to work on building endurance for the time being. This meant experimenting with changing my 3 minute run / 1 minute walk routine to a 4 minute run / 1 minute walk routine during my Saturday run. I did really well for the first 2 1/2 miles. The next 1 1/2 miles, I noticed a slow fade. By the time I finished the 4th mile, I was toast...worse than that, burnt toast. I really didn't feel like I had much left to give. I walked most of the remaining mile, leaving myself quite disappointed. I know I'm probably not being very fair to myself, it was my first time with that timing structure and I also did not properly hydrate myself, having not carried any water with me and not having stopped to get a drink either.

The good news is that I made it 4 miles and that Saturday's race is 3.1, so I can utilize this time structure for the race. I'm really excited about this because when I did the Rocket's Run on January 31st, my first 5K EVER, I didn't have any kind of structure to my run, so now that I have experience and structure, setting a PR should be a natural progression!

Back in the Saddle Again

Lately I've had that urge to throw myself back out "there" again. Where is "there"? Well...it is that scary "place" (note the quotes exist because it isn't an actual physical location, but rather a mental state) where you throw yourself out into the dating market. Yes, I've been on eHarmony for months upon months upon months, BUT it's mostly fodder for my jokes. I don't see any real action on there - I never initiate contact with anyone and when anyone initiates contact with me, well let's just say the match gets closed out sooner rather than later.

A few years ago during the off again phase of my on again / off again romance with an unacceptable suitor, I joined an organization called Eight Friends Out. It's a dining club for singles in various age groups. First and foremost, it gives you an opportunity to meet and mingle with single adults and secondly, it give you an opportunity to dine in some nice restaurants around Houston. When I had joined this group previously, it would be fair to acknowledge that I was not in the right frame of mind to fully appreciate the experience and/or to reap the benefits. I decided I have come leaps and bounds since then and today I took the first step and re-joined. My only concern was that the menus for the dinners are pre-selected and I am on an obvious diet plan. Before signing up, I asked if I would be allowed to make modifications to the meals and I was told "of course!" This was so wonderful to hear and so I paid the dues and signed up for my first dinner which is on Thursday, 2/24. I'm turbo excited!

Bad Kim

Bad Kim, Bad Kim, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they're comin' for you?

Lately, I feel like the cops are out to get me. Don't dismiss me as paranoid just yet...

A few weeks ago, I was driving home from an appointment on the other side of town. Now I will say that I have developed a "bad" habit of how I hold the steering wheel. I always have my left elbow propped up on the door with my left hand firmly holding onto the steering wheel somewhere around a 9 o'clock. This is the hand that guides the wheel. My right hand...well...it's either up at my ear if I'm chatting on my cell (haven't quite made the transition to hands free as Texas hasn't made that a law yet) or I have my right elbow resting on the steering wheel with my right hand tapping on my chin as if I were deep in thought. Unconventional? Definitely. Unsafe? I should say not! I always have control over my vehicle! I'm a very safe driver. In fact, I get everyone everywhere safely - that has been my motto since I was in college! Okay, okay...but I digress...anyway...so I'm driving home from this appointment and a cop car pulls up along side me on the passenger side of my car. He flashes his lights only I'm certain he is flashing his lights at someone else because...uh...I'm following all traffic laws, so I ignore him. A few seconds go by and I see his lights flash again. This time, I decide to pay attention, so I turn to him and he VERY angrily shouts at me (through our respective windows) "PUT YOUR HAND DOWN!" I, in shock, look at him with what I'm sure was my best Aggie blank expression and so he repeated in an even meaner (and more aggressive) shout, "PUT YOUR HAND DOWN NOW!" I removed the hand that was resting on my chin and put it to my side to appease Officer Krupke. Um...I remember it being recommended to have your hands at 10 and 2 on the wheel during driver's ed, but I don't recall it being a requirement...a law, if you will? I mean let's face it...I could have had one hand down at say...6 o'clock and he wouldn't even have seen it. Sheesh.

Flash forward to two weeks later, I was on my way home from The Woodlands after watching LoSt one evening. I saw this cop car in front of me, but it really didn't phase me because once again...I was following all traffic laws. As I entered into my subdivision (the back way), he pulled over to the side of the road to then follow me. Okay, so this was weird...like he was trying to get me, but no worries cuz I was so not gonna let him. I came to a stop sign and I did this complete exaggerated, waiting for two grandmas and two chickens to cross the road kinda stop. As soon as I pulled past the stop sign...low and behold, there are those infamous flashing lights. You've got to be kidding me! He gets out of his cruiser and walks over to my door asking for my drivers license and insurance. As I started reaching for my purse, I asked if if there was a problem. He asked me if I was aware that my passenger tail light was out. Well no, I actually was not. I mean honestly...how would I know that unless a cop was stalking me? I handed him my license, he asked me if I had any warrants. I laughed and said no. He asked when was the last time I was pulled over. I legitimately forgot about the warning I got in December '08 when the sheriff took pity on my sick soul and let me get away with both speeding and an expired inspection and told this dude it was in May of '99 in College Station for speeding. He laughed, handed me back my license (never actually made me get out my insurance card), and told me to have my husband fix the tail light in the morning. So observant was he that he could tell from being in front of me that I needed a tail light and yet he didn't notice I didn't have a ring on my ring finger. Whatever, dude.

All of this has made me turbo jumpy around white cruisers, to say the least. On my way to work on Friday morning, I saw this police car in front of me and for no reason at all it turned into a motel parking lot. I was sure he was doing a u-turn and then was coming back to get me, so I quickly dodged down a side street. On my way back from lunch that same day, I was waiting for a car to pass so that I could turn into the parking lot at work when all of the sudden a squad car came speeding down the street with the sirens wailing. I just wanted to cry "UNCLE!" Now mind you, I have nothing to hide...but it's one of those things where I just end up looking guilty for SOMETHING because they are driving me cRaZy. Maybe that's all part of their plan...

Bad Kim, Bad Kim, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they're comin' for you?

My Nemesises

I have a holiday nemesis and its name is Valentine's Day. Cards, candy, and flowers have been strategically placed in every store I frequent for weeks now. Almost all TV shows and commercials have had some kind of stupid cupid theme, as well. Let's not forget to mention how every Facebook game I play (Cafe World, Mafia Wars, and Sorority Life) all have their own special lovey dovey crap that makes me want to gag, too. There is no escape from my enemy and I can almost hear its evil laugh at my failed attempts to do so.

I know what you are thinking...if I had a gentleman caller, then V-day and I could embrace one another and frolic and play the Eskimo way. Not so much. Well maybe.

I have a celebrity nemesis and its name is David Hasselhoff. So what if the powers that be decided to humor him with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame? Pictures of him like this with puppies make me want to gouge my eyes out. I don't care that he was once cool back in the days of Knight Rider. Too much has happened (think drunken burger eating) since then to turn his reputation around.

I know what you are thinking...wouldn't it be funny if David Hasselhoff was my gentleman caller? NO, IT WOULD NOT BE FUNNY, YOU SICKOS! ugh...

Vacation Kharma

I had a vacation buddy for several years. I think I took her for granted and now she is gone (married). My vacation buddy and I had several adventures. We went on a tour of Spain and a tour of Italy. We went twice to Mexico - once to Cancun and once to Playa del Carmen. We went to Chicago, we went to Charleston...*sigh*...I miss my vacation buddy.

Ever since our last jaunt to Mexico, I've been wanting to go back. We stayed at the Riu Palace Riviera Maya and had a wonderful time! It was a beautiful resort.

The next year, I did my research and found another resort I wanted to vacation at the next time I went to Playa del Carmen. It's called Valentin Imperial Maya. All I needed was a new travel buddy to make it happen.

Flash forward to Amy. Do y'all know how I met her? It's kinda funny. I posted a Craig's List ad looking for a workout buddy in July '08. I didn't get a single response for the longest time until one day, over a week after I posted it, Amy answered the ad. The first time we were actually supposed to meet at the gym, she stood me up. If memory serves me correctly, I got there and just headed to the elliptical and started working out expecting her to show up at any moment. She apparently got there and sat in her car waiting for me, only I was already inside. I think she tried texting me, but I didn't bring my phone in with me, so I didn't get it until after I finished my workout, long after Amy gave up and went home. Throughout the months, we did workout some, but we became much more famous for our Tuesday night get-togethers. Amy would come over to watch The Biggest Loser and I would make us some kind of healthy meal. She moved to the other side of town several months ago, so we haven't been able to do our Tuesdays due to horrid, wretched Houston traffic, but we still do meet up for meals at least twice a month!

Amy and I have been talking about doing the whole all inclusive thing down in Mexico for many many months. She loved the resort I picked out and we decided to do a 5 day / 4 night stay. We just had to pick out the dates - a bit tricky of a task considering I have to work around my dad's schedule since we can't really be gone at the same time. I finally got clearance from him for some specific dates and so Amy had to go to her boss to get the okay and then we were set.

Two weeks ago this was all going down...until out of the blue I got an email from Amy's boss asking me to call her cell phone and that it was very important and that I needed to keep it a secret. This made me very nervous and very uncomfortable. I knew that they had done some lay-offs recently at Amy's work, so I irrationally feared that they were not done and her boss was going to tell me not to book the trip because Amy shouldn't be spending the money because she was being lopped off next. Um...yeah...I have a crazy imagination sometimes. It turns out that Amy was to be named the Admin of the Year for her company! This would be impressive under any circumstances for anyone to receive such honors, but it's especially impressive considering Amy has only been working at her company for one year! Turns out the award recipient gets an all expense paid trip for two to the Iberostar Paraiso del Mar all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen for 3 nights! What are the chances?! Her boss told me Amy would not be receiving the award for almost 2 weeks and that she figured Amy would probably not want to go to Playa del Carmen twice in the same year, so she asked if I could hold off booking our trip until after Amy won the award. Well of course! =)

So, here we are two weeks later and Amy has accepted her award and has informed me she is taking me as her vacation buddy (I was hoping, but I didn't want to assume)! We have decided to add an extra day, so our only expense will be the extra day.

It looks like my Valentin Imperial Maya will be shelved for another year or two, but that's okay because vacation planning is ONLY one of my favorite things to do!

**Update: The extra day is costing us a grand total of $191.50 per person AND a shuttle to and fro the airport is included, so we have decided we owe ourselves a pampering at the spa while we are there! My Amy is awesome! =)

5 Mile Morning

This week I upped my morning exercise routine. I was doing 30 minutes 3-4 days per week on the elliptical with a 5 minute cool-down. Most of those days, I did programs - either the weight loss, interval, or glutes. It dawned on me that since I was refusing to move over to the treadmill, that I would be better suited to to a more flat workout on the elliptical than one of the programs that have me doing crazy elevations. Truth be told, the higher up the elliptical goes, the easier it is to do (at least for me anyway).

I focused this week on doing 40 minutes on the elliptical with a 5 minute cool-down, running it on the "choose your own adventure program". This mean I put it at an elevation of 6 which was relatively flat. I then started off doing an 8 resistance for 3 sections of time (each section is 2 minutes and 40 seconds), then I moved to 9 for 3 sections of time, then to 10, then back to 9, then to 8.

I found myself running out of steam about midway through. It wasn't that I was incapable of the workout and it wasn't that I didn't finish it, but I think it had a lot to do with the fact that I wasn't eating before my workouts and I was burning somewhere between 680 and 700 calories per workout.

In November, my doctor put me on a thyroid medication. This was after my thryoid had been monitored for 6 months to see if it would self-correct, but alas...it did not. The medication must be taken in the morning and it must be taken 30 minutes before you eat any food. This sucks considering I was already getting up at 4:45am to go do my morning workouts. Obviously, I knew something had to give, so I experimented. On Thursday night, I went to bed at 9:15pm (like I was a 12 year old). I set my alarm for 4:15am, got up and took my pill. I got ready for the gym, played my Facebook games until 4:45am, and then I ate some breakfast and headed to the gym. I felt infinitely better and had a great workout!

This leads me today! Before this morning's run, my longest run (non-stop) was last weekend's 5K which was 3.1 miles. I decided to go to Meyer Park and do my run on their trail which is 1.27 miles. My plan was to do 3 laps. I woke up naturally (nice to have some sleep for once), made myself a bowl of oatmeal (from the cannister, not from a packet and substituting one shot glass worth of water for a shot glass full of Torani Sugar Free Brown Sugar and Cinnamon Syrup). I had hoped to do a 3 minute run / 1 minute walk program - the first time I was going to attempt to incorporate structure to my run.

The first mile is always the hardest for me. This time was no different - only the first mile lasted 1.27 miles - the length of the trail. I guess it is just hard for me to get in the zone, not to mention I had difficulty figuring out where to catch the trail since there were other trails thrown in the mix. After a couple of wrong turns, I figured it out. The second time I did the trail, I incorporated the 3/1 program and it worked out beautifully and I felt great. It was time for the 3rd lap. Once I was about half way through, it dawned on me that I still had more to give! I honestly felt I could do another 1.27 miles, so I continued on to do a 4th time around the trail. I completed 5.08 miles in 1 hour and 20 minutes. I don't think that was too bad considering it's the furthest I've ever gone (by almost 2 miles) and that I had implemented a strategy (the 3/1) into the mix and that it took me two or three wrong turns to get the trail down right during the first time around.

Looks like I don't have to be so fearful of that 10K coming up on March 13th! I'm only 1.12 miles away from that puppy! On a side note...I'm really glad I'm getting a massage tomorrow. =)

Happy Birthday, Penelope!!!

Today is Penelope's 9th birthday! Since this is my first year of blogging, it is time for me to share my Penelope story - all the things you MUST know about my one true love.

When I was in college, I often spoke of how I was going to get a boy beagle someday and that I would name him Skippy. Why a beagle? Well, while I was growing up, my family only had one pet and that was a beagle named Rufus. I suppose since he was my only first-hand experience to draw from, it seemed only natural to choose the same breed.

Flash forward to the beginning of 2001. I started getting the puppy itch something fierce. I had been living in my house for 6 months, so I felt I could offer up all the necessities - a backyard and a stable, loving home. I planned a trip to Ireland in March of '01 and it only made sense to wait until my return to pursue my puppy hunting.

On March 21st, while at work (shhhh...don't tell the powers that be), I did an on-line search and found a breeder up in the boonies of The Woodlands that had 3 out of a litter of 4 beagles available. There were 2 girls and only 1 boy left. Decision made...I would get my boy and name him Skippy...or would I?! All the sudden I started second guessing my decision...I mean there really wasn't a choice since there was only one male. What if I didn't like the boy? I understand that common sense would say to go home empty handed and find another breeder, but it is entirely impossible to go puppy hunting and not buy a puppy - I'm 100% convinced of this! So, I put my mom on notice that there was a slight possibility that I may get a girl and that she better start coming up with some girl names. She was so on it! She came up with a whole bunch, but there was something about Penelope (which she chose because Beagles are English dogs) that I just adored. By the way, I think it appropriate to mention that I am a huge advocate of naming dogs people names that you would NEVER name a person because it's funny. Oh and if you are reading my blog and your name is Penelope, I am very sorry for offending you. =/

Okay, so after work that evening, I traipsed up to The Woodlands with my mom and my friend, Laura. It turned out that we were in Podunkville. The breeders had the male separated from the females in his own little cage. My mom thought he looked lethargic and that I should take a look at the girls. The girls were in some kind of a large dog house and they were sitting in the doorway staring at me. I said, "come over here" in my sweetest voice and Penelope trotted over to me right away. I knew she was the one! Everyone told me to take a look at the mom and dad before I made my decision to purchase a pup, so I asked to see the mom. She looked nice and so I asked her name. In his best Texas accent, Bubba said, "Itsy." Oh...what a lovely name, I thought. BUT...I was only kidding, of course. Next I asked to see the father. Ol' Bubba took me to another fenced in area and showed me a much shorter-than-mom beagle. Of course, I asked what his name was and it shouldn't have surprised me to hear it was "Pretty Boy." Well then...it's a wonder Penelope didn't cry one iota when we scampered away from there - I saved her from being called Itsy Jr. or Pretty Girl. Phew!

A couple of weeks in our getting to know each other phase, I quickly discovered that lethargic might not have been so bad. Penelope was a handful - sure she was uber cute and super playful, but she could also be a little beast. She was on her own time schedule...she was incredibly stubborn (it's a breed thing) and WAY too smart for her own good. I had decided that piggies were her theme toys. She had piggy everything. One day she was up on the sofa with me, but she was being a little brat, so I put her on the floor. She wasn't big enough to jump on the couch all by herself, so it wasn't an issue. I told her to go get her piggy which was in my bedroom. She ran into the bedroom, got her piggy, brought it to my feet, then used the piggy as a "footstool" to jump from the ground onto the couch. Yep...that's when I knew I was in trouble!

When I hosted dinner parties or other such festivities, Penelope would try to drink my friends' alcoholic beverages. While going on walks, Penelope would try to pick up cigarette butts. Sometimes Penelope would refuse to eat her meals, no matter what I tried - adding gravy to her food, for example. My friends and I would often joke that she had a supermodel mentality.

Penelope and I have been through a lot in the almost 9 years we've been together. She's been my sounding board when I've been annoyed with the world. She's been a "shoulder to cry on" when I've been at my lowest of lows. She's danced with me when I've been a happy little lark. She even accepted a new addition to our family when almost 2 years ago I brought a hood rat (Delilah) into our home. Throughout all of this, she has been a little trooper!

Our biggest obstacles began this past May when she went from having shoulder aches and pains (which were misdiagnosed as arthritis initially by my FORMER vet but were later correctly identified as tendonitis by my CURRENT vet) to discovering in September that she had glaucoma in her left eye. It was so very fast acting and apparently the pain was excrutiating to her...so bad, in fact, that the animal eye care specialists told me it's like your worst migraine headache magnified 10x with zero reprieve. She went from retaining a little bit of eyesight in that eye to none in just a week. It was heartbreaking to me especially since there was nothing that could be done to save the eye. I was left with two options - one was to remove the eye all together and they would just sew the eye shut (a pirate, if you will) and the other was to remove the internal components of the eye, replacing them with a prosthesis, leaving the eye ball for cosmetic purposes (even though it was non-functional). I chose option #2 since I thought it best that Penelope look as normal as possible (my family now calls her Zombie Eye (nice). Then there was a horrible battle about getting eye drops in her, as she is on lifetime eye drops in her right eye to try to prevent or at least slow down glaucoma from ruining that eye, as well.

By some miracle, Penelope now rolls over onto her side and lets me put the eye drops in her twice a day (I'm sure the treats she gets as a reward for doing so help). She is happier and healthier than she has been in a very long time. She plays hard, keeping up with a much younger Delilah. Some nights she even comes to curl up in my lap while I'm playing games on my laptop. She's also a little snuggle bunny when we go to bed. As you may have read, I've recently taken up running. I was sure Delilah would be my running mate, but nope...turns out it's Penelope. She's always ready to "go dog, go" with her giant ears (my favorite part) flapping behind her. She has more energy now than ever! I love my Penelope Luanne! Here are some pictures throughout the years - note that she loves wearing costumes and gets annoyed with me when I try to take them off of her! Enjoy!

75 lbs down!

Today marks the 30 week point of my journey towards healthier living - mind, body, and spirit! I stepped on the scale this morning, as is my Monday morning routine, and discovered I am officially down 75 lbs from what I weighed when I began this journey on July 6th of last year. I am over the halfway hump and by year's end I will achieve my goal weight.

On a side note...there isn't a muscle in my body that doesn't hurt today that is located above my knees and below my shoulders from yesterday's 5K (and I even took an epsom salt bath). Needless to say, I took a break from working out this morning.