8 Miles...eh...that was Nothin'

So, I was trying to decide what my theme song should be for this run - either Eminem's Lose Yourself (from the 8 Mile Soundtrack) or Celine Dion's All By Myself. The former is an obvious choice...today was my 8 miler and I just so happen to have the song on my iPod shuffle (though it never did actually shuffle itself into my ear drums to further motivate my movement). The latter may not seem such an obvious choice until you find out that my running buddy, sometimes referred to as younger sister, Linda, abandoned me. I thought the image of my running at the park with mascara smeared down my cheeks from the tears would be a little too much for the other runners, the walkers, the soccer players, and the dogs to bear, so I opted for my theme song to be Lose Yourself (hence the pic).

After an obnoxiously interrupted night's sleep with 2 naughty naughty dogs (do you think The Nanny does dog duty?), I woke up an hour and a half later than initially scheduled to venture out into the unknown...otherwise referred to as 8-mile land...all by myself.

A few things I tried to implement differently. First and foremost, because I religiously read That Pink Girl's blog and want to be just like her (but not in a crazy stalker kind of way) I decided to go against my diet (sorta) by using a supplement during my run. I was dragging during last week's run towards that latter part and thought that for the 8 miler it might be time to supplement for performance sake. That Pink Girl uses Cliff's Shot Bloks, so I decided to give them a whirl (in orange). I'm not gonna lie...it was a bit difficult because I was purposely putting "manufactured" carbs and sugar in my system, BUT I knew I would be burning a lot of calories (1215, to be exact) and getting a great workout and that it was truly providing my body with the fuel it needed to carry onward. So I'm guessing you are wondering if I noticed a difference??? Well...actually, I did...at least I think I did unless it was mental and with me you never know! haha! This 8 didn't seem as hard as last week's 7, that is for real! The other thing I did differently was I made sure I actually properly hydrated myself during my run. Linda kinda yells at me because I'm bad about this. I have a tendency, as I believe I've mentioned before, to fake hydration by chewing gum. Last week there were "angels" at the park handing out ice cold bottles of water to the runners. I had only brought one 32 oz. bottle of Powerade Zero out there with me, so their gift felt as though it was sent down from above. I decided I needed to be more responsible - especially in this increasing heat and humidity, so I refrigerated my Powerade Zero (in grape cuz that's the best) and then I froze two bottles of water to keep them cool. I have a cooler, but I'm afraid to take it out to the park with me....I don't trust park people enough yet. So far they haven't let me down with the whole drink thing, but a cooler might be pushing it.

Even though I have my trusty sidekick Garmin with me, I still wanted to plan out my strategy for the run so as to get to 8 miles without having a whole lot of trail left to finish. I figured it meant 3 long laps and 2 short ones and I thought it best to do them in that order. After each lap, I swung past my picnic table for hydration.

Overall, I'm pleased with my performance today. I will spend 2 more weeks on 8 miles before moving up to 9, so that gives me some more time to get more comfortable with the distance and to improve my time.

After a much needed shower, I dressed and met the fam for our famous Saturday Family Lunch (at Willie's Ice House this week) and then convinced the girl who made me a latch-key runner this morning to accompany me to my parent's pool (since I had convinced our mother to heat it despite the less than favorable forecast). We relaxed mostly in the spa (ahhhh...those jets upon my knots felt horrific and marvelous at the same time, if you can imagine that) and then I braved the less warm, but still decently heated pool floating in my lounger.

So here is what I learned...I'm a runner and I CAN do this! Whenever I have my doubts, I will remember where I started and look at how far I've come....there is the proof in the pudding!

The very last line of Lose Yourself is as follows: "You can do anything you set your mind to, man." Wise words, my friends...wise words indeed.

Knot Stopping!

We know I have poor form when I drive (refer to Bad Kim to read more on that). I also have poor form when I run, too, for that matter. I'm so afraid of tripping (over my own feet, no less) that I find myself staring at the ground in lieu of looking straight ahead. It's lame really because if I were to just change my gaze, I would be able to see the ground and avoid forming some of the knots in my upper back. They are painful to the touch, y'all. It's that bad. I do treat myself quite well with my monthly membership to Massage Envy. Sometimes I even allow myself to get two massages a month, but let's face it...I need to find a way to hold myself over in between massages.

I decided on Monday to be a grown up and go to Academy to get a foam roller. I had a very specific one in mind since my Runner's World magazine showed images of how to properly use one to roll out all the trouble spots and my friend Greggy-D has demonstrated some techniques, as well. They let me down. All they had was a teeny tiny 18" red one with minimal density. This was not going to cut it and probably would have only lasted a month or two on these doozies. I then thought to go to Target because I know they have a decent Yoga section, so I thought perhaps they would want me to have peace of mind, body, and spirit by getting these darn knots removed from my body. NO SUCH LUCK...can you believe they had the same exact pansy one Academy had? Ugh!

So, I then went to trusty ol' Amazon.com. I get free 2-day shipping, but man I really hate to buy a foam roller without seeing it and holding it. How do I know what density I'm getting? I opted instead to get a Triggerpoint Massage Baller. I've thought about getting one before, but failed to do so. Perhaps my back is suffering as a result...I'm just sayin'. I got this puppy (observe image on your right) today. I knew that I could use it against a wall. I had joked to my brother-in-law, Jay, who also happens to work with me, that as soon as it arrived I was going to lock myself in the office and roll around on the floor with it. I added that I would try to not moan too load as I attacked my knots with an enthusiastic vengeance. The truth of the matter was that I just had my fingers and toes crossed that it would work. I was a bit dismayed that it was only the size of a baseball, but it did pack a powerful punch when pressed between my knot infested body and the wall.

It's kinda funny how on one hand I feel years younger taking 90+ lbs off my frame, but on the other hand, this running thing causes some aches and pains along the way. I know I'm in the best shape I've ever been in my life with daily progression to boot. I owe that to running, too. Yesterday was the first mid-week run I've done. I opted to do it AFTER work. It was sooo hard and I only ended up doing 2.6 miles. Isn't it bizarre how 2.6 miles on a hump day after work seemed almost as challenging as 7 miles on a Sunday morning? Sometimes I question me being able to do this half marathon...like am I really cut out for this? Then I remember what so many of my friends have been telling me...about how it's just as much a mental game as it is a physical game. I can do this! I will do this! 8 mile achievement this weekend will be mine!!!!

Kim versus the 5K: Bunny Run

My friend Lauren told me about this race a long time ago and together we stalked The City of Tomball's website awaiting them to post the race info. This race, last year, was Lauren's first race and she raced it with her husband, Rodney. They had fond memories and couldn't wait to do it again.

Do you know that I have raced all my races this year with Lauren? I will surely miss her when I do the Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half on 8/1! I think she will miss me in two weeks when she runs her Nashville Rock 'n' Roll Half. I'm so proud of her though...I am nowhere near ready to do a half yet, so mad props to Lauren and Rodney!!!

Okay, I set off to do this race with one very specific goal in mind. Of course everyone always wants a PR whenever they run a race...that's a given. I wanted to get that PR, but to do so with a time under 40 minutes. Now as you may recall, I clocked a 44:15 at the Rocket's Run on January 31st. We don't talk about the Rodeo Run on February 27th because I sucked and didn't have an official time anyway (but...yes it was worse than the Rocket's Run time). The first half of the H.E.B. Bayou City Classic (March 13th) which would be a 5K since the whole race was a 10K, I clocked a 41:33. I know you don't want me to hold you in suspense, but patience, my little grasshoppers, is a virtue.

Let's talk about the race. The Bunny Run was a small town race in every way you can imagine, but it had a charm that was...cute. The mayor gave all of us runners a little greeting. There were some local vendors out there providing free products/services. Apparently some port-a-potties were ordered, but didn't show up (ooops). There were even some moonwalks for the kiddies. As promised, the course was flat (yay) which I am a huge fan of, by the way! There were 3 water stations in total - two along the course stationed at Mile 1 and Mile 2 and then the third one was once you crossed the finish line. There was a dude holding a cooler filled with water bottles. The local policemen they had along the course were friendly and gave "thumb-ups" or shouted encouragement. All in all, it was a fun experience and I would happily partake in next year's Bunny Run!

Let's talk about my performance. Courtesy of my Garmin Forerunner (yay), I had all kinds of info available to me as I ran. I had my pace at any given moment, I had the time, I had the distance, and I had my average pace (just to name a few of the fields I was working with). I, once again ran using my 4/1 intervals - 4 minutes of running followed by 1 minute of walking and repeat. I'm still struggling with the whole negative split thing, but hey...I'm a continual work in progress.

So now for the answer to the question you have all been PATIENTLY waiting for......did she do it? YES I DID! I clocked 39:40!!! This was a 12:35 average pace. The improvement makes me emotional because it is so much more than the physical achievement...it's an accumulation of how far I've come in mind, body, and spirit in the past 9 months.

Oh...and I almost forgot. My finishing song (and this, my friends, is priceless) was Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive".

Next stop: The Chicago Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon on 8/1 (eeeek)!

Happy Trails!!!

Lauren and I before the race.

Lauren, Rodney, and I.

Me before the sweat all Nike'd up.

Victorious!!!

If I were a...

I "borrowed" this idea from Fat Bridesmaid who "borrowed" it from someone she knows. I've added a couple of my own for good measure.

If I were a month, I'd be...December.

If I were a day, I'd be...Sunday.

If I were a time of day, I'd be...9:00 p.m.

If I were a font, I'd be...wingdings.

If I were a sea animal, I'd be a...penguin (does that count?)

If I were a direction, I'd be...north.

If I were a piece of furniture, I'd be a...chaise lounge.

If I were a drink, I'd be a...mango margarita.

If I were a gemstone, I'd be...tanzanite.

If I were a tree, I'd be a...magnolia tree.

If I were a tool, I'd be a...Garmin Forerunner 305.

If I were a flower, I'd be a...hibiscus.

If I were an element of weather, I'd be...lightening.

If I were a musical instrument, I'd be a...banjo.

If I were a color, I'd be...sage.

If I were an emotion, I'd be...hope.

If I were a fruit, I'd be a...blueberry.

If I were an element, I'd be...Calcium.

If I were a car, I'd be a...Smart Car.

If I were a food, I'd be a...pizza.

If I were a movie, I'd be...a dramedy.

If I were a place, I'd be an...all inclusive resort.

If I were a material, I'd be...dri-fit.

If I were a taste, I'd be...sweet.

If I were a scent, I'd be...vanilla amber.

If I were a room in a house, I'd be a...bedroom.

If I were a dessert, I'd be a...chocolate souffle.

If I were a body part, I'd be...lips.

If I were a song, I'd be sung by...Adele.

If I were a bird, I'd be a...flamingo.

If I were a gift, I'd be...wrapped in pretty paper.

If I were a city, I'd be...Paris.

If I were a door, I'd be...open.

If I were a pair of shoes, I'd be...flip flops.

If I were a season, I'd be...autumn.

If I were art, I'd be a...scenic painting.

What would you be?

Training

I've decided to train with a running group for the Chevron Houston FULL Marathon. I feel it is a very smart decision considering several different factors. Let's take a look at them, shall we???

1 - The heat and humidity are going to be huge hurdles to leap this summer. I already caught a glimpse of what is to come this past weekend and...well...it wasn't pretty. I sweat more than I ever had before and I didn't even make it my full 7, though that wasn't because of the heat or humidity (it was due to a nagging knee issue). I can only imagine what a few more months down the line will offer. I can only start soooo early by myself and not compromise my safety. A running group gives me power in numbers with a designated early start time. It's also accountability when sometimes dedication, determination, and discipline aren't enough!

2 - Though I love running in Meyer Park because is is beautiful and relatively peaceful, the course is already starting to get monotonous. A running group means pre-determined new running courses each week. Ones that I do not need to plan and ones where water will be provided for me.

3 - I am a novice in this sport. I feel I can handle the half marathon distance training by myself, but the full marathon's time limit is a bit daunting and with proper training and guidance, I feel I can conquer it.

4 - What a great way to meet new people who are involved in the same activity!!!

5 - It's only $120 and conveniently located at the YMCA near my house through a well known company called USA Fit. It's starts on July 17th and there are different levels depending on one's skill level. Oh and this is nationwide and they do half marathon training, too.

Penelope

I noticed on Wednesday or Thursday that Penelope's "good eye", her right eye, was red around the edges. This concerned me because that was how the rapid decline of her left eye began in early September of last year. The red wasn't quite as ferocious, so I was praying it was allergies.

On Easter Sunday, I returned to my house after celebrating at my parent's home and Penelope's eye just didn't look right. I called my mom and started crying. She offered for me to bring over my babies and come spend the night, but I declined. We agreed I should call Eye Care for Animals in the morning to make an appointment.

On Monday morning, I thought Penelope had lost her eyesight all together. I went to give her a treat and she appeared to sniff it out instead of seeing it to take it from my hand. All I could think about was how I was going to end up with a blind dog on my hands and whether or not that was fair to Penelope. I cried all morning long, not knowing what I was supposed to do. Is it selfish to put her through another surgery and let her live a sightless life so that I don't lose my one true love? She is only 9. If you recall, I just posted a birthday blog for her back on February 5th. She is so full of energy and spunk. Just on Thursday, we went for a family dog walk and Penelope did this full charge ahead run because she was ready to Go, Dog Go! It would be one thing if she was sickly, but this is not the case.

Throughout the day on Monday, everytime I thought about making a decision regarding Penelope's life, I just broke down and cried. My mom works at a women's abuse crisis center on Mondays. She was telling one of her co-workers about Penelope and her co-worker, Bertha, told my mom to have me call her and she would reassure me that Penelope could live a fulfilled life being blind. Later that afternoon, I called Bertha and she told me about her 14 year old dog who went blind and lived to be 17 running up and down stairs. This gave me hope!

Penelope's appointment was for 3:30pm. By the time we got there, the pressure had dropped significantly in her eye to normal range again. Dr. Millichamp said he could see evidence of lost vision and deterioration of the eye since our last visit...in other words...the glaucoma we were hoping to hold off as long as possible is beginning to rear its ugly head and it is just a matter of time before it attacks. I am left with two options. I can have the doctor perform a laser surgical procedure which is exorbitantly expensive in the hopes of maintaining her vision. Though it is a relatively common procedure in humans, it has only been performed on pets for the past 2 or 3 years. This means there is really not a proper case study on it. Post surgery, she would most likely still be on lifetime meds. Option #2 is to keep her on meds trying to maintain the vision as long as possible and to keep the pressure low as long as possible - in other words, we are treating the symptoms more aggressively than we were before when we were only treating the pressure issue. Once the meds no longer work and the glaucoma takes over leaving her completely blind and, unfortunately, in pain, we will have to do the same surgery that was done to her left eye. Though this procedure is not cheap by any stretch of the imagination, it is still $1600 less expensive than Option #1. Post surgery, she would be on antibiotic meds just until the eye heals and then she would be off of meds entirely.

While Dr. Millichamp took Penelope to the back to run his tests, I was leafing through a book that was in the examination room. It was about learning to live with your blind dog and it gave me some awesome suggestions like putting bells on the collar of other pets in your home to help your blind dog identify the location of the other pet(s). Different kinds of bells or different quantities of bells would mean distinguishing sounds to help your pet differentiate the different beasts roaming around. When we all gather at my parent's house, there are as many as 6 dogs, so I thought I could assign specific bell arrangements to specific dogs while we are all together to help my little love muffin adjust when the time comes.

So, for now Penelope is on one oral medication and three different eye drops ultimately waiting for the inevitable. It appears her eyesight is the worst in the mornings, but thankfully she doesn't seem to be in pain right now other than irritation when I put in the eye drops.

This is all just so very emotional for me. I love this little girl as if she were my child...let's face it...for the past 9 years, she has been my cuddly little kiddo.

So, I ask that you please pray that the disease holds off as long as possible, that Penelope's pain is minimal, and that we all adapt to what the future holds gracefully.

***UPDATE***

It's now Wednesday, 4/7, and Penelope is completely blind. I think what gets me the most is how rapidly it happened. She is very gingerly walking around the house with her nose to the ground. I'm, of course, acting like an over-protective mama. It's funny how things you never thought about all of the sudden become a concern. For example...the bed. Penelope sleeps with me. I never worried about her falling off the bed until last night. I know we will just have to go through an adjustment period while she feels, smells, and hears her way through the rest of her years here on this Earth, but it's just weird. I'm going to buy jingle bells today to help Penelli identify Delilah before Delilah has a chance to trample over her. I suppose it wouldn't hurt for me to make a jingle bell bracelet for myself, either. We can handle this, I know we can. At least for now, she is not in pain. Oh...and getting the eye drops in her this morning was a breeze because she literally didn't see them coming. There...that's the glass-half-full spin you've all been waiting for.

Easter Weekend

It has been a fun-filled week of family and I have loved it! My parents flew my brother and sister-in-law in from Washington D.C. to spend Easter with us (and with my sister-in-law's family). Though I talk to Eddie practically every day regarding work, family gossip, and other shenanigans, we had not seen him since Thanksgiving.

Eddie and April are pretty independent when they get to Houston. This translates to April usually goes off to hang out with her mom and sisters and Eddie hangs out with us. There are, of course, times when Eddie joins them and other times when April joins us. Then there is Easter Sunday when we all joined together!

On Tuesday night, my mom cooked dinner for just herself, my dad, brother, and I. It was so fun and reminiscent of old times - minus the bickering and the chaos since our two sisters weren't there. Not to say that they were the ones to cause the problems...haha!

On Wednesday night, same scenario only older sister Cathy, and her husband Jay joined the mix.

On Thursday night, same scenario only Cathy and Jay were replaced with younger sister Linda and her husband Craig.

Apparently, I was a meal moocher taking full advantage of my mother's cooking all 3 nights!

On Friday night, April and her youngest sister CeeCee were throwing a baby shower for middle sister, Carol Ann. My mom, two sisters, and I were attending, so once again my mother made dinner for everyone and it was kind of a grab some and eat it when you arrived kinda deal. It appears I was a meal moocher then, too. haha!

On Saturday, my family usually has family lunch, but my parents offered up to us to forgo family lunch in lieu of seeing an afternoon movie and going out to dinner. We went to see Hot Tub Time Machine. I had zero expectation because I hadn't even seen a preview. It was decent and I laughed a few times. After the movie, we went to a local mom and pop placed called Clementine's. Both Cathy & Jay and Linda & Craig had their rehearsal dinners there. Sadly, it appears the place has gone completely downhill in the past year. None of our food was seasoned. After dinner, we stopped at Brewster's Ice Cream for a couple of ice cream pies (I, of course, did not partake) and then went back to my parent's house and just hung out. It was so fun. I am so blessed to have such a close family and that my siblings married such great spouses and that we all love hanging out together.

Easter Sunday, we all (sans Cathy & Jay who flew out to Vegas for some vacation time) gathered at my parent's house for some great grub (courtesy of my mama)!

I love spending time with my family - especially because it is so rare that we are all together. Next stop for such an event will be Labor Day weekend when we all gather together in Chicago in celebration of my grandmother's 80th birthday!