I couldn't wait to get home last night...to make Tomato Pie...again.
No, I'm not a gluttonous monster. Well...maybe I am, but THIS particular situation deems the title unnecessary.
You see, I received my daily recipes from Allrecipes.com the other day and what to my wandering eyes should appear, but a recipe for Tomato Pie. I wondered what in the world it is, so then I clicked on the happy link and found out. It's made of all things wonderful - tomatoes, green onion, fresh basil, bacon, and cheese. Truth be told, I wasn't too keen on the bacon part, but brother-in-law Jay told me I had to follow the recipe (I have a problem following directions, you see), so I did with the slight modification of using lean turkey bacon instead of the real deal.
I heated a pot of water to help strip my tomatoes of their skin. I preheated the oven for my pie crust. I got my skillet all hot and bothered ready for the bacon...and then I placed 6 strips of bacon in said skillet because I don't like to fry up too much at a time. I went out to my car to get something I forgot and when I returned, I found my once-upon-a-time sweet Delilah guiltily licking her chops over a tasty meal of 3/4 of a pound of RAW turkey bacon. That can't be good. I was soooo mad as my Tomato Pie would now be slightly naked with only 1/2 of the bacon I intended for it to have. =/ Needless to say, Delilah went outside until the storm came to get us.
don't trust this innocent face
I then proceeded to chop up my basil and slice my green onions. The crust went into the oven for a few minutes to avoid sogginess as I crumbled my bacon.
I then began to layer sliced tomatoes, basil, green onion, bacon, seasonings (garlic powder, crushed red pepper, and oregano). I did a second layer and then a third. Next, I topped my pie with a mixture of 1.5 cups of 2% shredded cheese mixed with 3 TBSP of light mayo.
In the oven it went - loosely covered with tin foil - for 45 minutes. After 45, I took off the tin foil for another 15. I ain't gonna lie, my house smelled heavenly.
I took my masterpiece out of the oven and pushed it far back on my island to cool. Now, I had no intentions of eating it for dinner that night. It was meant for dinner for the next several nights.
A little while later, I went to the bathroom just to come out and discover Delilah (remember her?) had tipped the pie off the counter and it was now laying face down on my kitchen floor. I could have killed her. BUT, I didn't. Instead...she was banished outside and my Tomato Pie went in the trash. sigh.
I do not give up easily, however. The next day I went back to the grocery store and bought more turkey bacon, cheese, and basil to do it all over again. Oye.
It was worth making twice...it's that good.
Recipe:
4 large tomatoes - peeled and sliced
1 pie crust
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
3 green onions sliced thinly
12 strips of cooked bacon - crumbled
3 TBSP light mayo
1/5 cups of 2% shredded cheddar
Directions:
Preheat over to 375 degrees. Boil a pot of water. Fry bacon. Chop basil. Slice onion. Put two tomatoes at a time in the boiling water. Stick pie crust in oven for a few minutes and then remove. Let tomatoes sit for a minute or two in the water, then carefully remove them and put them under cold water to remove the skin. Repeat for next two tomatoes. Slice tomatoes. Layer tomatoes, green onion, basil, bacon, and seasonings. Top with cheese/mayo mixture. Loosely cover pie with tin foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for another 15. Let sit for 5 minutes or so before slicing pie.
If you make 6 servings out of your pie, it's around 313 calories per slice.
***Note: next time I make it, I would probably choose to chop the tomato***
Lesson learned: NEVER ever trust Delilah around food
I started off my weekend the right way. I met up with my friend Amy for dinner at Alicia's Mexican Grille. Do you know how I met Amy? I always say she is the only good thing that ever came to me from Craig's List. I did the dating thing for a while (no, that isn't how I met her) via Craig's List and although I met a couple of nice guys, I didn't meet the right guy. I also met some weirdos, wife cheaters, etc. I have since vowed to not go that route again, by the way. Anyway, I posted a CL ad about 3 years ago seeking out a gym buddy and Amy was the only one to answer the ad. We became fast friends...eventually foregoing the gym for dinner/tv nights at my house once a week. Amy moved to the other side of town a while back, so our dinners have become less frequent, BUT the good news is that she is moving closer to me (ironically in the same apartment complex I lived in before buying my house) come mid-August, so that makes me happy!
After our delicious fajita dinners, we decided to go to the bar Amy works at once or twice a week for a drink. I saw this sign in the bathroom and it made me laugh:
I went home relatively early because I had to work for a couple of hours on Saturday. Boo!
On Saturday, after work, I decided to hit up Target and Walmart to look at their recumbent bikes. A wise woman I know encouraged me to purchase either an elliptical or a bike to ride while I'm doing my zoning out (reading, watching tv/movies, etc) thing after work. This way I'm at least getting some kind of movement in and I can do so in the comfort of my own home. Target, it turns out, only sells recumbent bikes on-line. Walmart, on the other hand, didn't let me down. I found the one I wanted (having done a bit of research on-line) and discovered that I could buy it $15 cheaper on Amazon.com, so I instantly ordered it. Yay for the Amazon.com application on my phone! It will be here on Tuesday - can't wait! =)
I then went home and showered in preparation for my family lunch - this time at ol' faithful BJ's Brewhouse. I ate the jumbalaya - delish (but my mouth was on fire - haha)!
After lunch, I went home and took a much needed nap. I was exhausted for the week's work stress. After a 2+ hour nap, I went to my parent's house for a puppy-welcoming party! Older sister Cathy and brother-in-law Jay brought home their cutie patootie little puppies. They are Shih-Poos (formerly called Shitzapoos) - a Shihtzu/Poodle mixed breed - named Willie and Waylon. We had the best time watching the puppies play with their new toys and with Oliver!
On Sunday, I went out to do 6 sweaty miles. I walked them and met my goal pace which was to keep it under 16 min/miles. I am capable of better...or I will be once I get back into my routine and get into better shape. Just hoping that 3 weeks is long enough to get me where I want to be! Lesson here - procrastination does NOT pay off when it comes to race training!
I chilled at the house for a few hours and then I went out to my Meliska's house to hang out with Meliska and Liam! We had a blast! I can't get enough of Liam's smiles and laughs!!!
Last night I decided to make the infamous overnight oats (Fit Chick Britt is always posting about them, afterall). I Googled how to do it (cuz I was too lazy to search through Britt's posts, although I should have) and then I got down to business. The tip I read was to do 1 part oats to two parts liquid. I had a peanut butter jar with a little bit of peanut butter remnants hanging out. I added 1/2 cup of oats, 1 cup skim milk, cinnamon, a Splenda packet, and half a banana (sliced). I then shook it all up and put it in the fridge.
I couldn't wait to try it this morning (after stirring it up, of course), BUT then...when I did...I was kinda disappointed. My oats were runny. I'm a fan of thick oats. My usual routine is to mix 1/2 cup of oats, 1 cup of water, 1 TBSP Splenda Brown Sugar Blend, and cinnamon and then cook in the microwave for 2 minutes. It's heaven in my mouth. These overnight oats have potential, but I think I have to work on the right mix and measurement of ingredients. Good thing I've been stocking up my "empty" jars of peanut butter!
So, all in all a nice relaxing weekend...just what I needed to get me through another hell week at work!
I've mentioned my profession before - I manage a moving company. Guess what happens in the summer? We get busy...like ridiculously busy...like hold on to your hats, party people, cuz it's about to get cRaZy up in here busy.
I like it.
I thrive off of it.
Everybody has those few things in this world they are good at...their talents, if you will. I'm good at my job. I'm even better at it under pressure.
If I have too much time to do something...it doesn't get done until the last minute. I'm a procrastinator, but not because I'm lazy. Nope. It's much deeper than that. It's because my creative and productive juices flow freely when there are no other options.
I like it when my day flies by and I have that sense of accomplishment knowing I made a difference.
Here's the thing. I can get pretty intense. I can let the stresses get to me, the anxiety overwhelm me. I can take my frustrations out on others and vent until people are tired of listening to my whining/complaints.
I don't want to be like that this summer. I want to be calm and rational. I don't want to sweat the small stuff. I want to have a clear head to solve problems more...altruistically. I realize that people vibe off of me. If I demonstrate patience and peacefulness, others will follow suit.
My parents left town on Wednesday and jokingly told me to stare at a picture of their dog to find my Zen-state. No, I don't think Oliver truly gave me this inspiration. I think the very idea of it just made me laugh. My Zen-state is coming from within...perhaps it's maturity...perhaps it's wisdom...perhaps it's me realizing that my work is exhausting enough without adding all the unnecessary emotions.
I stayed at work super late last night finishing up some work. While doing so, I was inspired to fill up my dry erase board with some encouragement/words of wisdom, etc for my employees to see this morning when they arrived at work.
I asked a question.
At the end of the day, can you say you have tried your best?
I answered it.
Yes - Congratulations...this is what it is all about! Keep up the great work!!! =)
No - What improvements can you make tomorrow to turn this around? What lessons did you learn?
This doesn't have to be applied to my employees. This can be applied to me...to you...to us all. Isn't the name of the game just to try our best? Sometimes we have an off day. It happens. We must pick up the pieces, learn the lesson, and move on. Other days we have experienced accomplishment, bliss, freedom, happiness, etc... Isn't the feeling of elation we get from those good days enough to make us work harder to recover from the bad?
I should hope so. I know so.
After a whole week of practicing "responding" versus "reacting" to all the curve balls thrown my way, I can say that I am pleased with my efforts. I feel empowered to take on the rest of the summer with the exact same zeal.
Hopefully Zen-Kim can remain for the entirety of the summer, just taking it all in stride.
Some of you may or may not know that I'm back on the market. No, no...I can't be bought. Well...wait a minute...if the price is right, maybe I can be. I kid, I kid....
I'm single...again. It's okay, though. Have you ever seen the movie Some Kind of Wonderful? Growing up, my family was big into movies. We still are, actually...but life seems to get in the way. My dad liked to get messages out of movies and then use them to teach us about life, if that makes any sense. So the message he wanted us to walk away with from Some Kind of Wonderful is that it is better to be alone for the right reasons than with someone for the wrong reasons.
My parents raised all 4 of their children to be independent. As I wrote in my Day 18: What I believe post, I believe it is important for everyone to know they are capable of being self-supporting. I know that I am capable of taking care of myself. I have proven this over the course of the past 12 years. In other words, I never have to fear getting involved with someone just because I know they can take care of me. On the flip side of that, however, I can see how my independence could perhaps hinder me in a relationship, as well.
It is true that I want to be a wife to a wonderful man and a mother to beautiful children, but above that, I NEED to be happily married so that a strong foundation is built for those children. In order to be happily married, I feel two people must be on the same page on many different subjects. That isn't to say that there won't be some compromising or conceding, but for the most part, the basic fundamentals need to be similar...the couple needs to be compatible.
Though the guy I was dating was very nice, polite, and we did have fun together, I had some concerns. There is really no reason to go into specifics. The thing was, I couldn't be sure if the concerns were as a result of issues from my past haunting me or perhaps I was being too particular/picky or maybe I was just plain too used to being "all by myself" in the famous words of Celine Dion.
Now let me insert a purposeful sidetrack here...
Many many moons ago, I got called for my very first jury duty. I thought it was really cool, but the timing was bad because of work. I posponed it to the very last day it could be postponed. It seemed like a smart decision at the time. Low and behold, work decided they needed to send me out to another office to train someone. I was to fly out the day after my jury duty. This ultimately meant I could not get picked. I have always taken issue with people who made up ridiculous lies to get out of jury duty. I could never and would never claim a prejudice, for example, for such a thing. I prayed for a legitimate reason to become apparent to me...and it did. The case was criminal in nature and ultimately the defendent was allegedly busted with recreational cocaine. We, as jurors, IF we found him guilty would have to be able to consider the full scope of punishment for this crime. The full scope of punishment was 2 to 99 years in prison. Well for crying out loud, I could not send a man to jail for up to 99 years with my tax paying dollars because he chose to throw his life away on recreational drugs. BAM - that's an answered prayer in my book.
Now back to our regularly scheduled program...
I prayed that if this fellow was not the right guy for me, that all doubts would be cast out of my head. In other words, please dear Lord, make it obvious to this Aggie!
Without going into unnecessary details, let me just say that once again my prayers were answered. Suddenly (on Monday evening), everything was crystal clear for me. This man was not to be my future husband or the father of my future children. Fundamentally on things that really matter...things that you just have to be on the same page about...we are just too different. It doesn't make him a bad guy. He's just not the right guy for me. I'm not looking for Mr. Right Now. I'm seeking out my Mr. Forever. This meant that I needed to have an uncomfortable conversation.
I did. *sigh* Last night. *sigh*
So...I'm back on the market just "wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and prayin'" that eventually the right guy will come along so I can have my very own happily ever after...
I totally had a bad attitude about this race. It's not like me to have a bad attitude about a race. It started out with the fact that I have been sick for nearly 3 weeks and unable to run do to a bronchial cough and major congestion. Then my bad attitude grew wings and took off from there. I found out there were only 375 registrants. Pretty sure this is the smallest race I've "run" yet - and it was a half marathon! BUT then I found out it was capped at that amount and that there was a waiting list...that made me feel a little bit better. I have to admit I thought it was awfully cute that there was an Expo. I mean my two Rock 'n' Roll half marys had Expos, but The Houston Half (that hurt me) didn't have one and the RunGirl 13.1 I was signed up for but couldn't run (because of the pelvic stress fracture) didn't have one.
I'm a bad blogger. I totally forgot to take a picture of the Expo. =( I was uber impressed. There were a few local businesses pushing their products - kettle corn, I believe, and a massage place, amongst others. The thing that turned my frown upside down was the packet pick-up. In my head, I had decided this was a rinky-dink race that wasn't even going to have a tech t-shirt. I knew they had gender specific shirts (which I appreciated), but I was wrong...it's the best tech shirt I've received yet! Normally a packet pick-up comes in a paper envelope or a plastic bag. This one came in a purple reuseable bag - something you could use for grocery shopping should a girl choose to go green. There were all kinds of awesome swag goodies inside. Check it out! Yep, a reflector for night running, a water bottle with the race logo, sports beans, 2 Gu packs, and a Chomps pack. Best swag bag to date! So...total shift in attitude.
Race morning I made arrangements to meet up with my race buddy Melissa in the parking lot of the high school located across the street from The Bridgeland Community. Once there, I completed gearing up (accidentally leaving my visor behind - MISTAKE #1) and we trekked over to the porta-potties. It took us about 30 minutes or so to get through the line and then we stretched and grabbed a place at the start. This was where I found Bobbi Jo! Remember her? We did the Rock 'n' Roll Chicago half together last year - my very first half!
Now I decided I was walking this whole race - something I've never done before - because I had not run in 3 weeks, I was still a bit congested, and I have another half marathon in 8 days. I had a goal in mind of 15 minute miles, but secretly, I knew I could maintain a faster pace - at least for half the race. Since I wasn't running, there would be no sloshing around of my system which meant I should be able to make it without a bathroom break AND I did just that. I knew without a bathroom break I might just have a chance of PRing the race (sad, but true story since I'm THAT slow of a runner -ha!).
I started off incredibly strong.
Mile 1- 14:33
There was a water/Gatorade station around 1.5 miles. I bypassed it. MISTAKE #2.
Mile 2- 14:28
There was a water/Gatorade station just past mile 3. I grabbed one DIXIE cup (yes, that small) filled with the most watered down Gatorade you could ever imagine. MISTAKE #3.
Mile 3- 14:29
Mile 4- 14:22
Just past mile 5 there was another water/Gatorade station. The Gatorade wasn't quite as watered down, I grabbed two Dixie cups. At the start of Mile 4, I could tell I was developing a blister on the upper edge of my right heel. Courtesy of wearing brand new socks, perhaps? MISTAKE #4
By now the wind had picked up, but it was a weird wind. Sometimes it was hitting us dead on. Other times it was coming at us from the side. Since there were so few people in this race, most were runners. I was with a group of about 8-10 walkers. There were 5-6 behind me. As the mileage grew, so did the gaps. Eventually I was alone.
Mile 5- 14:43
Around 5.5 miles or so, I passed Melissa and then Bobbi Jo as they had done the turn around and were headed back in the opposite direction. It made me feel good that I wasn't TOO far behind them considering I was walking. I couldn't wait to get to the turn around - this was an out and back course as described in the information packet. I figured with having the drink station at Mile 5 and the advertised drink stations every 1.5 miles, that the turn-around would surely have another drink station. I WAS WRONG.
Mile 6- 15:04
Wind was still very much an issue. It was HOT outside. This course offered no shade at all and remember I left my visor in the car. I could have cried when around 6.65 miles or whatever when we did the turn around and there was no drink station. This meant I would have to wait until I go back to the one that was at Mile 5 - which would now be Mile 8 to have another drink. I was dying.
Mile 7- 14:54
As soon as I saw the water station ahead, I got my Larabar out of my Spibelt and started eating it. Now, I had made the executive decision to bring a Larabar instead of my usual Clif's Shot Bloks because my Larabar had 200 more grams of potassium in it and I was trying to avoid Charlie Horses - MISTAKE #5. The only flavor I had was Chocolate Brownie. I was overheated and despite the fact I was chewing gum, my mouth was dry. Trying to eat the Larabar was like trying to eat dirt or mud - it was disgusting and so hard to digest. When I hit the drink station, I discovered they were out of Gatorade. They handed me two Dixie cups of water. I took them, gulped them down, then went behind them to the table and just started slamming Dixie cups like I had been in the desert for years without water. I had to have taken another 6 to 8 of them.
Mile 8- 15:44
I was trying my best to ignore the blister. My mouth still felt so dry. I knew I just had to make it another 1.5 miles until the next drink station. My pace was slowing. I kept trying to will myself to go faster.
Mile 9- 16:43
I was getting hit pretty hard by the wind. It was a weird feeling. On one hand, it felt really good, but on the other, it was getting harder and harder to walk through it. I started feeling dizzy. I got to the drink station and they still had lots of VERY watered down Gatorade left, but they actually had some bigger cups. Some kids handed me two Dixie cups. I slammed them. A woman handed me a larger cup. I slammed it. They could tell I was dehydrated. Another woman filled up two more of the larger cups for me "for the road". I slammed them both and kept going. So many times I just wanted to pull over and just stand there, but I told myself to just keep going.
Mile 10- 18:06
I started feeling that all too familiar twinge in my left calf. I didn't understand it. I ate two small bananas with breakfast. I had a banana every morning all week long. I hydrated all week and even had 32 oz of water in the morning before the race. I swapped out my usual plain oatmeal from the cannister that I make every morning for the pre-packaged crap (as recommended by some peeps on the internet because of the sodium content). I tried to ignore it and kept going. I felt so alone. At this point I knew there were still 4 people behind me, but they were so far behind me that I couldn't see them anymore. The two that had passed me were so far ahead of me that I couldn't see them anymore. There were hardly any cops out at all - just a bunch of cones where we were supposed to make our turns (or so I thought).
I just kept telling myself I had to make it to 11.5 miles or so for the next drink station and then I would be okay. My Garmin was showing 11 miles, but I never did see the mile marker. I was confused. I know I was walking a lot with my head down because of the sun, so maybe I missed it? I just kept walking, but so slowly now.
Mile 11- 18:58
At some point, I crossed paths with another girl. She was one of the people who had been behind me. Yes, you read that correctly...we CROSSED paths. She asked me which way to go. I was confused. We were passing each other. Up ahead I saw a yellow-shirt wearing volunteer on a bike. I called out to her and asked where we should be going and she pointed to the right up ahead - not the direction I was heading. I then asked her where I was supposed to be coming from and she pointed in the direction the other girl came from. OH NO! I had somehow gotten lost. I trudged back up the road and turned right and saw a mile marker in the distance. Imagine what it did to my head and heart when it read - Mile 11.
Mile 12- 21:41
My Garmin was reading 12 miles. I had somehow managed to walk an extra mile! At this point, I had gone 2 1/2 miles without a drink and the drink station was another 1/2 mile up the road. My calves started seizing up. First the left. I would stretch it and try to walk again. Then the right. I would stretch it and try to walk again. They asked me if I wanted a ride. I said no. I had to finish. For the next half mile, I pulled over several times to stretch my tortured calves. They must have radioed ahead to the drink station because as I approached it, one of the volunteers met me and asked me if I was okay. She said she was a nurse and heard I was having trouble. I explained that I got lost, it had been 3 miles since my last drink, and that my calves were in bad shape. She hurried me over to the drink station and they put wet towels on my neck and started giving me cup after cup of ice cold water (they had also run out of Gatorade). They asked me if I wanted a ride. I told them that I needed to at least complete 13.1 according to my Garmin. I said I would accept a ride after that. The nurse, her name was Anita, said she would follow along in her car and I should just come to her when I had hit my 13.1. My calves didn't seize up on my anymore once I had that water in me. They were still so sore, but at least not seizing. I finished up the 0.6 miles remaining and then let Anita take me to the finish line. Once there, I briefly explained what happened to the race director and asked her if I could cross the finish line. She said, "well you sure did do your half marathon, now didn't you!" I said, "yes, ma'am"! and then she crossed it with me and a little boy handed me the medal.
Mile 13- 23:52
Mile 0.1- 19:09
They explained to me they still had water left, but that they were out of cups. I was desperate for more water. A man had an empty water bottle. I didn't care that it had his germs. I filled it, slammed it, refilled it, and slammed it again. Then I felt like I wanted to throw up. I then hobbled to my car - pretty far away - and had to wait for my calves to stop screaming before I could drive home.
When I switched out my running shoes for my flip flops, this was the loveliness that awaited me:
I've never had a blister like this in my entire life. The only other time I formed a blister while running was during my first 10K - HEB's Bayou City Classic - last year - when I didn't know about moisture wicking socks and just wore regular cotton socks.
So, yeah...this was a PW - personal worst. I stopped my Garmin at 13.1 and my time was 3:39:27. Whatever the official time is will be worse than that given the time it took to drive around avoiding the closures and my time explaining to the race director, etc.
Lessons learned:
#1 - remember the visor
#2 - get drinks from all drink stations
#3 - get the appropriate # of drinks based on the size offered
#4 - don't wear new socks
#5 - don't switch out products that have been tried and true
#6 - start carrying some type of Electrolyte drink on me
#7 - pick up the pieces / suck it up - many more races to come
Finishing Song: Gnarles Barkley's Crazy
I think I've also determined that my issues with my Charlie horses come from dehydration after all. I hydrate plenty the week before the race. I just dehydrate during. I usually don't drink the electrolyte drink offered during a race as I try not to drink my calories. I made the exception during this race since I didn't have anyone passing me off drinks and I was trying to avoid Charlie horses. Unfortunately, skipping the first drink station, the fact they didn't have a water station where they should have (at the turn around), and my getting lost amounted to three 3-milers without drinks, all leading to my demise. During the Houston Half (that hurt me), I didn't experience Charlie horses at all. I took water at all the drink stations and my siblings met me at various spots along the course with G2. It was a hot/humid day that day, as well.
One of these days, I'm gonna get this whole fueling/hydration thing right. One of these days...
Day 10 - Discuss your fist love and your first kiss
As I mentioned in my 30 Interesting Facts post (Day 06), I was 22 when I had my first kiss. That was a bit late in life, eh? Having been a late-lifer in that area, I wish I could say there was some great romantical story to go along with that kiss, but...eh...not so much. I met JonathAn...or was it JonathOn (roommate and friend Laura questioned him at the time and I honestly don't recall his answer) on a Friday night maybe sometime in March of my senior year. He was the 24 year old older brother of one of our neighbors visiting for the weekend. Laura's boyfriend at the time lived in Houston and arrived pretty late to come up and visit for the weekend. I had hostessed a dinner party earlier in the evening, serving lasagna, but I didn't use enough sauce. I made some extra for the side, but sadly the extra sauce was depleted by the time Brian arrived. I did what I always have done - played defense so that I wouldn't be offended. This means I went ahead and apologized while serving Brian for the dry lasagna. Once he was done eating it, he thanked me and said, "you were right." I said, "huh?" He answered, "it was a bit dry." JERK. That was unnecessary and it hurt my feelings. I went outside to pout and there entered Jonathan. He asked for a piece of the infamous lasagna and told me it was perfect. The next night I may or may not have consumed WAY too much alcohol when a group of us went out to a nearby bar. No worries, Brian was our designated driver. After we left the bar, we went to Walmart to get ice cream. I brought Jonathan some ice cream (apparently I liked to feed him) and one thing lead to another and I totally made out with him. First kiss.
and that had to hold me over until my second kiss which wasn't until 7 years later with the guy who became my first love....
Did you read my Religion post (Day 04)? If so, I mentioned this bad news bear.
Basically, I was a 29 year old girl who had the experience of a 16 year old girl (or younger). By that time, I was desperate to fall in love and I was quick to do so without regard for my own well-being. Warning signs were ignored not because I didn't see them or because I was ignorant or even because I didn't know better, but rather because I excused them away and somehow made them okay. I needed the things he did or said to be okay because I needed him. or...at least I thought I did. So many times I told myself to walk away (I should have run), but I couldn't. He was my drug. I was on a daily emotional roller coaster with him - anxiety and depression flooding my very being. I craved the sweet side of him and whenever I caught a glimpse of that guy, it held me over through the mean and ugly side of him (which definitely occurred more often). He was a Dr. Jeckyl / Mr. Hyde and as our relationship progressed, so did his mood swings.
I kept a journal of sorts while dating him. I finally deleted the journal last week (see here). This was 3+ years after the relationship ended one of the worst ways a relationship can possibly end. I liked to torture myself periodically by reading the entries of this journal and seeing how pathetic I was for nearly 2 years of my life. I decided to forgive myself last week and move on. I cannot change the past, but I can learn from it. It was an abusive relationship that forced me to learn an emotionally expensive lesson. First love.
This is my first repeat race EVER and it will be only one of two repeat races that I have scheduled for the year (though, of course, I reserve the right to add to that list as the year progresses).
I had two goals for The Bayou City Classic.
1) PR (last year's time was 1:26:38)
2) Run the entire distance, walking only through the water stations
I did have one friend to run this race with me - Melissa - who, consequently, ran this race with me last year, as well. I love knowing at least one other person running a race. It doesn't matter to me how much faster they are - it's just nice knowing someone else is experiencing the same conditions and that there is a natural built-in support, you know?!
I wish I could say I prepped all week long for this race like a true champion, but sadly...I'd be lying. My diet plan was practically non-existent. I have a bit of insight into my psyche as to why that occurred, though, and I'm working on it so that I can get back on the right track and stay there. My running plan didn't happen. A little birdie barely managed to convince me to hit some minor mileage on Thursday night, but other than that I hadn't done anything since last Saturday's 9-miler. My hydration plan was lacking. I finally got the water thing down on Friday, but that's not saying much when I had caused such a deficit in my system. =/
Enough about my downfalls...onto the recap:
Saturday morning, Melissa and I agreed to meet at my work so we could drive together to the race. We got there VERY early so that we wouldn't have to deal with road closures and all that jazz. It was quite windy, though not really cold. We met up with a couple of her friends and started the race just after 8. My legs felt kind of heavy right from the start. I had some defeatist thoughts come through my head. I fought them. For the first mile, we navigated down town and then we hit Memorial Parkway. I really don't know how they get away with calling the course "flat and fast" because Memorial Parkway is anything but flat. I had forgotten this from last year. =/ I thought about walking up the hills, but then I reminded myself that wasn't what I had set out to do (see goal #2), so I just pumped my arms and carried onward.
There were water stations set-up every 1.5 miles. Initially I had considered skipping the first and third, but since the sun was beating down on us pretty brutally and I could feel the salt caked on my face, I knew I needed to hydrate, so I did walk through all of the water stations. I was happy when I finished drinking my water just past mile 3 and I heard Melissa and her friend shout my name from across the median as they were approaching mile 4 on the opposite side of Memorial Parkway.
I started getting a bit discouraged as I hit the 5th mile marker and realized I was going to be cutting it SUPER close to last year's time. I knew there was one last big hill to conquer and I thought about giving up and just walking the rest of the race - see...total defeatist. I didn't register for this race to give-up on it, though. I pumped my arms hard up that hill. I rounded the corner and saw the 6th mile marker. I looked at my watch and knew I had to high-tail it to have a hope of PRing. I sprinted my heart out. It worked.
I look like a VERY serious runner here.
Official Time: 1:25:50 (48 seconds faster than last year)
Finishing Song: Dead and Gone - TI featuring Justin Timberlake
Melissa and her buddies were there to cheer me on as I crossed the finish line - awesome! I then consumed massive amounts of water and we got our finisher's t-shirts. Then came the swag. Wowsers - check out the loot I got!
Yeah, buddy - I got 3 packs of Shot Bloks, a 5-hour Energy, and many Clif's bars. Sweet!
All in all, a good race, a positive experience, and I was quite proud to say I accomplished both of my goals - a PR and I ran the whole thing, only walking through the water stations.
Lessons learned: eat right, stick to running/training schedule, and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate as my actions for the week will affect my performance!
Saturday's schedule showed a 3 mile run. Saturday's 3 miler didn't happen. =/ Where to start?
I have been bad about getting proper sleep. I averaged 6 hours per night all week long. BAD KIM! I went to bed around midnight on Friday night. I had the crock pot working away and I'm pretty sure it woke my dogs up around 3am because they insisted on waking me up to "explore" where the scent was coming from. I couldn't go back to sleep until 4:30. =/ I didn't set an alarm. I didn't wake up again until 9:45. I am currently taking a couple of medications that require me to wait 30 minutes in between taking and then another 30 minutes before eating. I took the first medication. I waited until 10:15 and I took the next one. My plan was to eat something at 10:45, but then I figured since my thighs were still so very pathetically sore from Thursday's 2-miler, that perhaps I should soak them in an Epsom salt-bath for a little bit (uh...maybe I should have done that the night before). Next thing I know, it's 11:15. OH CRAP! Family lunch is at 12:30. I'm a super slow turtle runner - especially since I have extra calcification on my pelvis slowing me down, so I need to book it - STAT! I never had breakfast.
I leave the house. I had already stretched, so that was good. I did not remember my gum, so that was bad. I know many of you think I'm a silly girl for insisting that my gum "keeps me hydrated" and helps "regulate my breathing", BUT I really stand by those statements. One of my meds leaves me quite thirsty, so while 3 miles should not require a drink - especially in these weather conditions - I was dying for one after the first half mile. I was breathing like I was dying, too, for that matter. I finally got it somewhat under control for my second mile, but I was so concerned about time and my thighs really were sore, so I decided coming from the bench with only one other 2-miler under my belt, 2 miles was going to have to do.
I was able to plug my Garmin in and compare Thursday's 2 mile stats to Saturday's. I took 37 seconds off my average pace. That's pretty impressive! It could have been that I felt more confident, that it was morning versus evening (after work), but still... The disconcerting thing was my heart rate. I forgot to lap out Thursday's run, but I know that my average heart rate for the entire run was 156 bpm. I did remember to lap out my Saturday run. My average heart rate for the first mile was a 197 bpm while my average heart rate for the second mile was a 157 bpm. This made my average a 177 bpm for the run. The even scarier number was the max heart rate for the first mile - 244! Yikes! My max on Thursday was a 177. What happened yesterday?! Was this all because of the gum?! Lesson learned - never ever leave home without it! Rest assured, I will be keeping an eye on this, however, as I know that 244 is not a good number.
In the end, I'm okay with only doing 2. I don't want to push myself. I don't want to re-injure myself. I want to be able to have a successful journey this year! I would rather have a good 2 miler, than a crappy 3 if that makes sense.
Since I got my doctor's full release, I am now ready to move onto that other part of THE PLAN regarding picking out at least one 24-Hour Fitness class to attend per week. I've picked out this week's class. I'm a bit nervous about it, but I told myself that if I hate it, I don't have to go back to this one. It's Tuesday @ 6pm and it's called the 24S.E.T. Here's the description from their website: This cardio/strength combination class alternates strength exercises to sculpt every major muscle group with easy to follow step moves. Hmmm...easy to follow? We'll see about that! I was never very good at Simon Says or Follow the Leader!
The week's exercise plan:
Sunday - rest
Monday - 2 mile run
Tuesday - 24S.E.T
Wednesday - 2 mile run
Thursday - kettle bell workout (DVD)
Friday - cross-trainer elliptical (with arms) for 45 minutes
Saturday - 3 mile run
There you have it - one 24-hour class, two cross-training arm work-outs, 3 runs - perfect! We'll check back in Saturday or Sunday to see how I did! =)
I've decided to follow in the footsteps of my friends and fellow bloggers, Lauren and That Pink Girl and take a look at my year in races.
2010 marked my adventures in running. Adventures...they were. I ran four 5Ks, one 10K, and two half marathons. I suffered through two injuries in the process - hip tendonitis for 4 months and then most recently my pelvic stress fracture. I also started the tradition of blogging about my finishing song with each and every race!
Let's take a look, shall we?
On January 31st, I ran my very first 5K, The Rocket's Run (cuz Meliskamade encouraged me). This was an amazing experience! I remember starting off the race (in the ridiculous cold, by the way) wondering what I had gotten myself into. How was I going to run 3.1 miles??? I never saw the 2nd mile marker, so I was sure I was off track and I wanted to stop and cry a few times, but I didn't. I kept on trucking a long. As I entered into the Toyota Center for the last tenth of a mile, the cheer teams were lined up and I got all teary eyed with my accomplishment. I knew then that I had come a long way. I knew then that I was truly on the right path. My heart was filled with such pride. I ran across the Rocket's court - past the finish line and looked up into the stands for my friends, Meliska and Lauren. I love this picture because I look dead. ha! I had a goal of 48 minutes (cuz I'm a special kind of turtle) and surprised myself by finishing in 44:15. I then understood the term "runner's high". Consequently, I think the hip tendonitis started with this race as a result of not knowing to alternate sides of the street to even out the wear and tear of the unevenness of the pavement on my body. Ahhh...the things you learn AFTER you need the information! Finishing Song: Single Ladies (Beyonce)
On February 27th, I ran my 2nd 5K, The Rodeo Run. This was NOT my favorite run. I learned some important lessons with this race, however. I learned it is best to not overdress for a race (I overheated). I learned I need my music to run (left mine at home). I learned not to start off too fast (ran my first mile in 12 minutes and I'm so not a 12 minute mile girl). This race was not time chipped for the 5Kers - which, by the way, is lame, so I don't have an official time. I do know that it was definitely higher than my Rocket's Run time. I did enjoy racing with my friends Meliska (turned out to be her last race because she was preggers with Liam), Greggy-D, Lauren, Rodney, and Meliska's parents! Finishing Song: none =(
On March 13th, I ran my first 10K, Bayou City Classic. I loved this race. I did this one with my younger sister, Linda, and our friend Melissa (not the preggers one). Lauren and her sister also ran it, but I never did see them. =( It was very nicely organized race and perfect running weather. I remained strong and steady during this race despite the tendonitis giving me a lot of trouble on the second leg of this race - I was proud of my 1:26:38 finish. Here's a picture of Linda and I sporting our t-shirts later that day. Finishing Song: Pocketful of Sunshine (Natasha Bedingfield)
On April 10th, I ran the Tomball Bunny Run with Lauren and Rodney. They had run this race the year before and loved it. I have to admit it was so nice to participate in a local race for a change! This was not time chipped, BUT I had received my Garmin for my birthday, so this was the first race I was able to run wearing it. I also successfully incorporated 4/1s to my race (versus the 3/1s I had done previously) which lead me to a PR of 39:40. What made this especially exciting was that I had set a goal to beat 40 minutes and I accomplished that goal with sheer determination and hard work! I like my look in this picture - it's totally all retro 70s with my sweatband and 'fro! Finishing Song: I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor)
I then took a race hiatus for a few months while I trained for my first half marathon - the Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half which was on August 1st. My friend Bobbi Jo came to Chicago and ran this race with me. We stayed downtown with my grandmother the night before the race. My two double cousins, Danielle and Nicole joined us, as did cousin Courtney from New Albany, Ohio. My aunt, Danielle, Nicole, and Courtney were an awesome support crew chasing us around the race with drinks! I did pretty well the first half of the race with my 4/1s, but then the charlie horses attacked me and I speed walked the second half of the race. I ended up being a bit disappointed with my 3:24:39 finish since I knew I was capable of better. My body and pride were sore, but I picked up the pieces and returned to Houston to begin marathon training with my running group. Finishing Song: Low (Flo Rida)
On September 11th, I ran the Bearkat Bash. This was a great race of irony for me as I hated running the mile in high school - it was a source of embarrassment, frustration, and stress for me so many years ago and here I was willing to pay money to run 3 times that ON PURPOSE. My how times had changed! The thing was that my running group was scheduled to run 7 miles that day, so my coach had wanted us to run before the race, so I ran 3 miles - some at the park and then I ran to the race with just enough time to rush to the bathroom and then start the race. I must have been slightly dehydrated because after the second mile, I had some issues with charlie horses AGAIN and this caused me to have to walk most of the 3rd mile. This sucked because I had run the first 5 miles of my day. My time was terrible at 47:40. I felt horrible. I would have rather run this 5K and then run another 3 or 4 miles afterwards to save face on my time than have performed how I did. On the positive side, though, Lauren and her sister, Sarah, participated in this race, as well, so it was nice to familiar friendly faces when I was feeling LOW. Finishing Song: Mr. A-Z (Jason Mraz)
On October 24th, I ran the Houston Half with my friend Melissa (it was her first half marathon) This race was a bit daunting for me as it had a 3 hour time limit and I knew I would be pushing it. My goal was to run the entire distance outright (as I had long ago dropped my run/walk method) and just walk through the water stations and/or when my siblings passed me off G2. Around mile 3, I started hurting. I thought it was my hamstring. Somewhere between mile 3 and mile 4, I saw my siblings and their spouses - they were awesome, by the way - and they passed me off a drink and I told them the "hills" (meaning entrance ramps) were killing me. I proceeded to run the race, but something was wrong. There was one turn-around in the race, but before I could get there, the police forced a whole bunch of us to turn early. I was EXTREMELY UPSET. At that point, I was 3 minutes behind where I needed to be to finish in the 3 hour time limit. I felt they had taken my half marathon from me. I almost gave up. I almost quit the race. It took everything in me to continue - and I do mean everything because I was tired and I was hurt and I was defeated, BUT I kept on. My finish time doesn't really matter here because it's not legitimate. I didn't actually complete this half marathon if we are being technical. Finishing Song: Low (Flo Rida). Does anyone else think it's weird that both of my half marathons had the same finishing song? I just now realized this!!!
I was supposed to do the RunGirl 13.1 on December 12th. Remember how I previously discussed being hurt? Turns out I somehow got a stress fracture in my pelvis during that half marathon. I had to drop out of the RunGirl (BUT I really look forward to doing this race next year with my Meliska as it is an all girl half marathon). I also had to defer my Houston Marathon 2011 registration to the Houston Marathon 2012.
It is very difficult not to feel like a failure looking back at the last few months of my running. I know that isn't fair. In some ways, writing this post made me kind of relive it all. In other ways, it makes me want to come back with a vengeance! 2011 is going to be my year! I'm going to run smarter and stronger! I am already registered for 2 races with another 3 planned. I honestly think cross-training is going to be the key to keeping me injury free. I think proper hydration is going to keep those charlie horses at bay. I think that for a first year runner with no previous running experience at all - well...I guess I didn't do half bad.
What you probably don't know is that this wasn't my first speed dating rodeo. Oh no! The first time was called pre-dating and I did it while doing the whole ever-so-healthy on again / off again thing with my ex-boyfriend. No worries....it was during the off again phase. A friend participated in the event with me. When we were done, we met up with my off again boyfriend and some of his friends and then hung out for the rest of the night (and then he became my on again boyfriend once again). See...healthy!
Since I had done the whole deed before, I did have somewhat of an expectation in my mind - not for actual results, but for the set-up, I suppose. That was my first mistake.
My second mistake was to wear heels. This kinda coincides with the first mistake which you will learn more about in just a second.
My third mistake was believing what I hear and not questioning specifics.
I'm sure there are more, but for purposes of maintaining my self-esteem, we will cut it at 3. =/
Okay, so here goes...
The speed dating was offered by Eight Friends Out. Their normal concept is to put 8 people at a table together for dinner - 4 guys and 4 girls. Before dessert is served, they switch out the guys from another table so that you get to meet even more people. Normally, the dinners are broken into age groups of 30s/40s and 50s+. Obviously I attend the 30s/40s events and I'm always so disappointed when it turns out I'm on the younger end of things. The last dinner I attended, in fact, I ended up sitting next to a *gentleman* in his upper 40s (nice...NOT) and he made some stupid comment about not being interested in younger women because he found them to be boring...they lacked the capability to have stimulating conversation, etc. WHAT?! I mean first of all, it's just a terribly rude comment to say considering it's quite obvious you are sitting next to a younger woman. Secondly, to make such a blanket statement is so ignorant, it's obnoxious! Finally, I'm bored listening to you talk, so SHUT-UP (thank you). So, yeah...needless to say, I took a hiatus from attending events until last night.
Last night called out to me because it was an event for 20s/30s and not a dinner. I didn't really have any high hopes for it. I figured if anything else, it should be entertaining. I really can't even say that much. I arrived about 15 minutes late, purposely, and all dolled up. I looked good, if I do say so myself! The event was held at Arcodoro's, a restaurant I had eaten at once before with a friend. I got my name tag and was told by the organizer that the drinks were on special for us for $4. Nice! I went to the restroom to make sure I didn't have raccoon eyes from my dramatic smokey eye effect, and then went to the bar to order my vanilla vodka and soda. It was more like soda with a splash of vanilla vodka, but hey...$4, so whatever. I started a tab. While waiting for my drink, the organizer informed me to line-up once I was done. WHAT?! Line-up? We doin' a little line dancin'? Um...okay. So I looked behind me and sure enough...the girls were lined up on one side and the dudes were lined up in front of them - all were standing. Hmmm...the first time I did speed dating, the girls were spaced out sitting around various nooks and crannies of the rented out bar the event was located in and the dudes made the rounds. It was...kinda comfortable. This was like a group of team players lined up to do the hand slap and say "good game!" Let's give a shout-out to wearing heels while sporting a pelvic stress fracture, shall we? Had I known I was going to be standing in them for an hour+ (and given additional information for the evening), perhaps I should have just gone with my flip-flops or rocket dogs???
There was a table full of name tags for people who signed up, but didn't show up. To think our little area could have been more crowded. yay. So, there were 5 more girls than guys. Two of the girls stood all unapproachable off to the side awaiting their turn to "date" while the other two girls and I dated each other until it was our turn. Eventually, I just dated one of them until I was left dating myself. That was an awkward 6 or 8 minutes. I decided to make nice with myself and buy me a refill. Ah...another soda with a splash of vanilla vodka. Oh look...it's now my turn to date. There were 8 guys in total. They were all perfectly friendly and polite. Some were easier to talk to than others, none worth mentioning specifically. While dating my 4th dude, they decided to bring out the appetizers. It's really cool talking to someone for a precious 6 or 8 minutes while stuffing cold-that-is-supposed-to-be-hot food in your mouth. Yeah, it was like that. After dating my last next-ex, I returned to the bar for my 3rd and final soda with a splash of vanilla vodka. The organizer called out to me and asked me how I felt it went. I told her it wasn't what I expected, that I had done it once before and it had been better organized, BUT that it was nice to see younger people finally (yep...always trying to see the silver lining). She bounced some ideas off of me for future events to get more of a turn-out. I then sauntered on over to a group of girls. We chatted for a bit and then they invited me to join them at Taco Milagro for some late night dinner. First, I had to go close out my bar tab. Imagine my shock when my bill was $24.75. I inquired about the $4 drink special and was informed that was only for four specific drinks. Oh, nice to know. Perhaps if you are going to charge $8.25 for a drink, it ought to be vanilla vodka with a splash of soda. Just sayin'. I then went to the organizer and asked her about it. Yep..oops...she meant to tell me it was for four specific drinks. lovely. =/
I met the 3 girls at Taco Milagro and enjoyed some food, iced tea, and music. I wish I could say I enjoyed the company, but well...one of them was friendly...another one okay, and the 3rd was anti-social. Ah well...
So there you have it. I dated 2 girls, myself, and 8 dudes last night all while paying a hefty price for spunky club soda and further agitating my pelvis (as in I'm a new kind of crippled now) - all in the name of trying to find my heart's companion. Never a dull moment in this 30-something year old's life...
I'm finally sitting down to catch up on some of my DVR. Practically every day this week my father has asked me if I've watched the Thanksgiving episode of Parenthood. I told him I'm never going to watch it if he keeps asking me. Yes, I'm a terrible brat. I'm also a liar because I totally watched it tonight. It was, of course, good. I love that show. I love the family dynamics - in a way, it reminds me of my family - a loud, chaotic family that has its issues, but clearly loves each other.
The other day I was having a conversation with younger sister Linda about my struggle regarding my injury and this upcoming RunGirl 13.1. I registered for this race to have yet another opportunity to prove something to myself. In the end, I will fall short. I always do. Even if my doctor allows me to power walk it, I won't be completing it in the fashion I would have liked to, you see. I won't truly have the glory I so long for. Truth be told, even in the Aramco Half I am now going to be participating in on January 30th (in lieu of the Chevron full marathon), I still won't have the glory I long for as I'm not doing the race I planned on doing and I'm not even going to be able to do this race as well as I want given that it is now 7 weeks out and I have not run in 5 weeks. I'm my own worst enemy, I know. I'm seemingly never happy with me. Someday, I will start being my own best friend. It's just not today, but alas...in typical me fashion, I digress. My point is that I'm bound and determined to complete this sucker even knowing I will be doing so with disappointment. First of all, I signed up for it. Second of all, I paid money for it. Thirdly, I want that really cute medal.
Linda did encourage me to watch The Biggest Loser: Where are They Now episode that aired Thanksgiving week. She said there was a former contestant named Holly who was disappointed with the outcome of a race and said something that reminded her of my struggles as of late, particularly my last half marathon. I watched the episode tonight and cried along with Holly. I knew her pain, her heartbreak. I then went back and watched her again and typed up what she shared.
"You can get through anything.
You're gonna fall down.
Things are not gonna go perfect.
You're gonna have a bad day.
You're gonna have a bad race.
All this bad stuff can happen,
but it's like...it's what you do with that
that determines how you live your life"
You know what I realized? I have fallen down a lot this year. You know what else I realized? I conquered a lot, too. You won't fall down, if you don't get up/out and try, BUT you can't ever succeed if you don't try either. Maybe it really is about the journey...the experiences and not necessarily the end result. It's kind of something to think about.
I did not have a very good weekend. It makes me sad to think about it because usually I wish the week away to get to my beloved weekend. Honestly, Monday couldn't have come fast enough. How sad is that?!
It all started Friday night...er...Saturday morning. AND that makes me mad because I had a really nice Friday evening with my parents. They were in between out of town trips and my mom had invited me over for dinner. I dined with them on grilled steak, brussel sprouts (don't judge me), and a baked sweet potato, and then we watched tv together. Granted, they were catching up on shows that I had already seen, but it was nice mommy, daddy, Kimby time, so I loved it. I finally went home and caught up on Mafia Wars and Sorority Life for a bit and then went to bed way too late - around 11:30. This meant 6 hours of sleep before my scheduled 7 miler with my running group the next day. I don't really want to get into too many details, but let's just say there was an hour of unpleasantries from 1:30am to 2:30am dealing with unexpected and unwelcomed text messages from someone in my past and then follow-up repetitive doorbell rings (5 to be exact) which meant dogs barking and chaos before that someone finally bought a clue and left me alone. I'm thinking alcohol was involved. Regardless, I was upset, angry, tired, rattled, annoyed and this meant it took me a while to go back to sleep. Needless to say, my 5:30am alarm went off way too soon.
My 7 miler turned out to be 7.5 miles and I kinda cheated at that. I took one little short-cut otherwise it would have been about 8.25 miles. I never claimed to be an over-achiever and since the schedule said 7, by golly...they were lucky to get 7.5 out of me. This time we left the park and so this time I got a little lost. I had to ask a park employee on a golf cart to help me. =/ I'll know for next time. It was challenging because it was quite humid out and when the sun came out, it came out with a vengeance and I forgot my visor. The good news is that this little cool front that came through is supposed to last through this coming weekend, so my 9 miler coming up should be under better conditions. After my run, I went home to shower and get ready for lunch. I waited a bit and text my sister where we were going and she text me back that they weren't going. Well they were the only ones in town, so it hurt my feelings. I text her back with "ok" and a minute later she called me and apologized and said she felt bad, but that they could eat with me if we went somewhere a little later and if they ate something light cuz they had plans later that afternoon. I told her I had already eaten. She said, "in the last minute?" I said yes. I was clearly pouting (and lying). She apologized again and I accepted her apology and so we had family lunch after all at ol' faithful BJs. I then set out on some of my errands. There was the library, then there was birthday present shopping for several birthdays - Lauren's, Cathy's, and my dad's. I didn't finish buying all the presents. I went back to my house to get my dogs and bring them to my parent's house and I threw something in the dryer really quickly (you know, to iron it) and accidentally broke it...the dryer. How? Well, about 8 years ago or so, the knob broke off that you turn to start the dryer. No worries, I just use a plyers to turn on the dryer. Well after years of doing this, I snapped off the little thing I was using the plyers on. Now, it appears, I have no means of turning my dryer on and off. Can you hot wire a dryer? =/ So, I gathered my belongings and my pups and headed to the parentals' house. I got the dogs all settled and then went to get a pedi. Afterwards, I went back to the house to get ready for Lauren's bday party. When I headed out to leave, I noticed a river of transmission fluid beneath my car. That can't be good. =/ I ended up taking my mom's car to the party.
I had lots of fun at Lauren's. I got to finally see my Meliska - it has been ages! I got to finally see Lauren - it has been since the Bearkat Bash. I got to meet some friends of Lauren's - all super nice. I hope they weren't uber annoyed with all of our running speak! I left there and went home after 11pm. I was exhausted.
On Sunday, I was kinda lazy most of the day. I just had a nail appointment at 1pm, so I did that. Then I went grocery shopping cuz I planned a killer menu for the week. I brought all the groceries to my parent's house. I stuffed everything into their fridge and then watched Lifetime movies for the rest of the night.
This morning when I woke up, I noticed the fridge was open. Everything inside was warm. My fresh mozarella cheese I had just bought, my other shredded cheese, my shrimp, my turkey lunch meat, my ham, my yogurt, my eggs, all of my parent's stuff - RUINED! I told my dad I was replacing everything when he called me this morning. He told me not to, but I am...well most things, at any rate.
I had to come home and wait for the tow truck to get here, so while waiting I cleaned out the refrigerator and made a list of what I need to buy. Speaking of the tow truck. I called the repair place at 8am. They told me they would have a tow truck dude call me to schedule a time with me for the pick-up of my car. Sure enough, 5 minutes later I got a call from the tow truck dude. We decided on 9:30am. I got to the house around 9:15am and started cleaning out the fridge. At 10:20am, I made a phone call to discover that the tow truck dude had a blow out and will be here in another 30 minutes. Nice communication. I don't mind him being late...I mind him being 1.5 hours late without letting me know. RUDE! We are already off to a great start.
At least it's a pretty day. Too bad I don't have any lunch or dinner cuz my menu is ruined since I don't have any groceries. I don't have to come home during my lunch break and deal with these mongrels, though, since they are getting their attention now. Guess who is grocery shopping during lunch?! Yep...me! Oye...
Lessons learned: if the knob breaks off your dryer, replace the knob & don't force things into a refrigerator and hope the door stays shut
How was your weekend? Hopefully less eventful.
***Update: Turns out it wasn't transmission fluid, it was coolant or something that is orange. Transmission fluid is pink. I guess now I'm color blind. Whatevs. So, with the tow (he was 2 hours late, by the way) and the fix, it's a $350 problem solved kinda deal versus the $1000 to $3000 nightmare I was fearing.
****More Update: I replaced a good portion of my parent's portion of the groceries for $60. Forget about my groceries...we'll save that for another day.
I can prove it since I can already feel that you doubt my sincerity.
The hill stole my car clicker. How's that for being hellish? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Are you thinking I have a habit of losing my keys since it's happened once before? Well first of all, that was when the key fell off the key ring and I couldn't start my car - I could get in it. This time I purposely locked my key in my car and I took the clicker with me and put it in my trusty Nike shoe pocket that turned out to be not so trusty. Well, to be fair to Nike...the hellish hill stole the clicker, so Nike never really stood a chance.
I had my second marathon training session at the crack of dawn on Saturday morning. Once again, I knew it wasn't going to be pretty when I only had a little over 4 hours of sleep AND I woke up feeling gunky courtesy of allergy issues AND the humidity was thick in the air. We were scheduled for 4 miles and it wasn't going to be a simple 4 miles as in run the course at the park...instead it was all kinds of cRaZy which meant I was sure I was going to get lost. Thankfully, the peeps in my group are quite considerate despite the runners being significantly faster than me and they made sure I knew where I was going. We basically ended up in a church parking lot and there is a hill there and we had to run up and down the hill 5 times. I don't do hills - like EVER - and when I do, they make me grumpy. I did them and then I was grumpy. Upon completion of THE HILL work, the half marathoners went back the way they came while the marathoners had to then run around the parking lot and then go back the way we came. Once we finished the rest of our route, we had to do one timed mile. I didn't have as quick of a timed mile as last week, but I didn't expect to considering I was having some breathing issues (courtesy of the allergies and the humidity).
Once I returned to our table to get my drink, I went to go get my clicker out of my shoe pocket because I had to get a check out of my car to pay the Bearkat Bash ladies for the 5K we will be doing on September 11th. Come sign up with me!!! Anyway, imagine my horror to discover the clicker wasn't there! I panicked and freaked out, but one of the ladies that was at the picnic table said she thought one of our coaches had found one and shouted out his name as he was walking over to the bleachers where the rest of our group was. He shouted back that it was over by the cooler on the table and voila - there it was! I have never been so glad to see my little clicker, y'all.
I knew it was the hill - I knew it stole my clicker! I got confirmation later, but I just want it known that I knew.
Then I walked over to the rest of the group that was having a lecture on "body in motion" by one of our coaches, my mentor. It was there that I found out one of the girls, Rachel, had actually found my clicker. She's awesome! It was on the hill. See, I did know. Imagine if I had to go back and retrace my steps?! She also gave me a book recommendation called The Glass Castle. It's a memoir. I ordered it on Amazon.com, but haven't read it yet since I'm currently reading The Other Bolyn Girl and Marathoning for Mortals.
Lesson Learned: Secure my clicker via a more reliable means - I'm thinking zippered pocket or my SPIbelt.
Have you ever lost your key or clicker during a run? Are you reading a good book?
