SNOW DAY!

Lambeau was not happy with the walking conditions. The amount of snow is taller than him.
I was very happy with the gym session. I brought my Nook along (EEK) and, well, we've begun a love affair. The time passed by so quickly while reading on the treadmill; way better than music.

Finally NYC teachers didn't have to trudge through the snow to teach 1/3 of the students that attend our schools! My plans? Oh, I thought you'd never ask...

1. Pancakes and eggs for breakfast

2. Gym

3. Macaroni and cheese for lunch...mmmm...

4. Catching up on Beverly Hills Housewives on DVR

5. More reading in my beautiful wonderful my husband is the best Nook

6. Cleaning...or a nap.

7. A nap...or cleaning.

8. Making a yummy dinner for my had-to-trudge-to-work husband.

9. Maybe a movie???

Grand plans. Just grand. Glad the run happened. It's set my day up for success!

Blog Shout Outs...

I want to give two blog shout outs to some fabulous people.

1. CONGRATS TO MELISSA ON THE BIRTH OF BABY COLTON! He is the cutest little guy, check his picture out! Melissa and her hb have had all of NYC on pins and needles waiting for this young man to join us! After many talks, trips to stores, errands, and belly rubs, he's finally here. Way to go, can't wait to meet him!!!

2. Our AMAZING photog Jennifer Kathryn posted some of our Central park Pictures. She did an incredible job, we're hoping to blow them up onto canvases....and perhaps snag them as Christmas card photos for next year....shoot...we may have leaked the big reveal 11 months early! Haha! Thanks again Jenn; what a great gift to have to forever remember our time in NYC!

What a weekend....

With TIRED LEGS! This is from the Jets game back in October. We won then. We will win now. Muahhhh.

This week was TIRING. Not only did we come off of a day off, I had Friday Clubs (Extra 2 hours at school teaching Yoga) AND Saturday school (3 hours of teaching). TI-RED. Tired Kristin, tired legs.

My long run got bumped because I was feeling a little sore. I split the elliptical and the treadmill and cut my miles just a bit. Upon reflection, I did a 7 mile run on a Sunday then an 8 mile run the following Saturday, tough schedule to keep up with all the Packers partying and hosting duties ;-) Wouldn't trade it for the world!!!

Week in Review:

Sunday: No running. Recovering from the previous night's festivities (Packers vs. Falcons)

Monday: No running. TONS of walking around Manhattan.

Tuesday: 3.1 miles (hills)

Wednesday: 3 miles (Tempo run)

Thursday: 4.3 miles (Easy COLD outdoor run)

Friday: Nunca. Pooped. Dentist appointment after a long day.

Saturday: 3 miles (Tempo)

Sunday: 4 miles elliptical, 2 miles treadmill

Monday: 3 miles

January Total: 53.3 miles!!!

*I've technically met my January goal...a week early...*

Now here's a question: I don't count my elliptical as running. Should I? Hmmm....

WE ARE THE CHAMPIONS MY FRIENDS....

Run fast for your mother / run fast for your father

Woodson, Starks, Jackson, MATTHEWS, Rodgers, Double D's, Jennings, and Tramon, you better run fast this weekend! This is from our original Packers get together; this weekend was slightly more insane, late on Saturday night, and it got us closer to the SUPER BOWL! As always, dogs were "jersey'd up" and ready for viewing.

SO, I got really tired this week. My dad came in on Monday to visit and we walked all over the place, so I didn't work out. Got back into the game on Tuesday with hills which added to the exhaustion from a busy weekend. Wednesday I woke up EARLY (5:30am) and did some p90x arms to cross train, and it felt great. However, when I got home, a series of events was trying to convince me not to work out....

- I got home at 5:30 vs. my regular 5/5:15.

- Too late/dark to run outside

- Couldn't find socks

- Found socks but not favorite socks

- Found earphones for the ipod that worked

- Realized ipod was on RED battery level. Aka solowitwilldienow

- Got to the gym. Sohoticouldbeinasaunainstead

I wanted to go home.

- Waited 8 minutes for a gym (while certain individuals walked at a 2.5 pace without an incline. Walk. Out. Side. For. Goodness. SAKE!)

I wanted to go home.

- Got on the treadmill.

Things that went right since I fought the urge to just go home...

- Decided on a tempo run to make this workout end quickly.

- Ipod played some hot jams by Black Eyed Peas, Fall Out Boy, Drake, and Florence and the Machines (Alphabetical order of course)

- Ipod survived the entire workout

- I survived the entire workout

Lesson of the day: Some sort of work out is better than no work out.

Song of the day: Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machines

Irrational thoughts that motivate...

So. WE WON! GO PACKERS! We had an epic party, lots of puppies....pictures to follow.

I thought I would post about my RANDOM thought patterns as I run, and how I convince myself to keep going. Above is Astoria Park, where I've been taking my long runs because it had hills and flats. And gets decently plowed after our bouts with snow.

Thoughts on a long run...

Mile 1:

• Darn crosswalk, turn to a walk signal! I need to get a good first mile in.
• I feel like mile 1 should be beeping its triumphant entry to me...
• Oh good. Drink water

Mile 2:

• Gosh this is a long second mile.
• I want to go fast.
• Why does my watch say 10 minute miles?!
• Oh good. Drink water.

Mile 3:

• Ok, I've been doing 3 miles run and so far I feel like I've run 5. 5 more to go. Ugh.
• Oh good. Drink water.

Mile 4:

• Half way there!
• Two more loops!
• Oh good. Drink water.

Mile 5:

• Ok just a 3 mile run left. I can do this. It's normal. I do this every day.
• This is so easy. 3 miles.
• Oh good. Drink water.

Mile 6:

• Final loop.
• Time to head home!
• Oh good. Drink water.

Mile 7:

• Why is my watch telling me I'm 1/4 mile away? I thought I measured it out right. I'm over a half mile from my house....
• Maybe I'll walk to recover.
• Maybe I'll run the extra distance.
• Maybe I'll walk to recover.
• Oh good. MILE 8! Drink the rest of the water.

Then I walk home thinking how, every single time I run in the park, I always end up at the right mileage far away from my house, even though I know the park is 1.2 miles from my house...

As you can tell, I'm constantly convincing myself that it's "Not that bad" and comforting myself by comparing and dividing my long run distances into my weekly run distances. Ha.

It works.

Feeling so fly like a cheesehead

If you want a laugh, watch this youtube packers video!!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3pFD-xdPRE

This will be short yet sweet; we have company coming for the big game in just a few minutes! Completed my long run today...YAHOO! 8 miles in 34 degree weather, it's like my optimal running climate I'll tell ya. However, I forgot to put chapstick on before I left, and I couldn't stop obsessing over it the whole time.

Week in Review:

Monday: 3.1 miles outside (recovery)

Tuesday: 3.1 miles tempo at the gym

Wednesday: Exhausted, dentist appointment, no running :-(

Thursday: Went to see Lombardi on Broadway, no running :-(

Friday: 3 miles intervals at the gym

Saturday: 8 miles outside (long run)

January Total: 34.1 miles!!!

You've got to play to win the game...

This, my friends, is a packer puppy fist fight! Benji and Lambeau invented a game where Benji leans over the back of the couch and Lambeau jumps up to throw jabs. So cute.

I MET MY GOAL!!! As of today, 26.9 miles in two weeks!!! And I have a long run scheduled for tomorrow for an undisclosed length. It feels good to be back in the saddle and consistent despite...

- going back to work after a break

- work crisis

- snow day that we didn't get, which lead to a super long/boring day at school

- a Broadway show

- taking a 2+ hour test today

- cleaning a very messy home

- subbing for after school and working Saturday Academy

I've had a busy couple of weeks!

But tomorrow is a big day. Huge. Wow.

PACKERS PLAYOFF GAME!!! I definitely have to burn some calories before this football party. On the menu:

- horseradish and cheddar spread with crackers

- jalapeño and cheddar spread with crackers

- mini chicken tacos

- fresh salsa con tortilla chips

- stromboli

- buffalo wings

- sugar cookies with football decor

....yea I like to go all out for football!

Cheers to a long week, this long weekend, to long runs and long touchdown passes!!!

Playoffs? Play...play playoffs?! PLAYOFFS!

My house has been taken over by the PACKERS! The second picture is only half of it ;-) That's my Christmas photo card display...uhhh, taken over by Packers banners! Thanks husband...

The first picture is the worst picture of me...but the pups look so cute! That's Lambeau's cousin Benji. He's the cutest old man morkie you'll ever meet!!!

Despite the stress and chaos of last week, I feel like it went well. I'm really loving the feeling of eating normally, not crazy Christmas food every five minutes!!! I've kept all my "New Years Goals" so far, starting to think of February goals already...

Also, Jeri told me about the runnersworld log to track your running...L-O-V-E it! Week in review:

Sunday: 3.1 miles

Monday: 3.1 miles (intervals)

Tuesday: 1 mile on the arc (20 minutes)

Wednesday: 2 miles of hills

Thursday: Rest/stress

Friday: Rest/getting over stress

Saturday: 3.6 elliptical and 1 hour of zumba

Sunday: 7.1 miles (!)

Monday: 3.1 miles

January total: 20.8 miles

Also, NYC needs a snow day. God, do your thing. I'll be such a good blogger/blog stalker if it happens!

Lesson Learned

First of all, the bruise on my leg is so disgusting from getting smacked by the arc, I may post a picture of it. Blech.

On to more pressing matters...

"Confessions of a Reforming Procrastinator"

I'm a procrastinator to the core about important things. Minor things, easy pacheesy. Majors overwhelm me. When I found out a couple of weeks ago that I needed to take care of some paper work to get my teaching certifications in order, I began working on it, but didn't ask for help. I finally thought I had things squared away. Then, suddenly found out yesterday that my paperwork expired a long time ago.

Say WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!

Major mess up. Here's what it came down to:

A. I should have been informed about this a long time ago.

B. I should have informed MYSELF about such matters. I should have been more on top of my responsibilities to get certified.

Thankfully everything worked out...not before tears, tears, sobbing, whelp, tears and more tears. Picked myself up by my bootstraps, got help, got questions answered, got everything done online, and prayed. LOTS of prayers.

Today at 10am I got the news that everything was going through and I am no longer in danger of losing my certification.

What scared me most is that it is truly my fault that this happened. I am to blame. I almost put a MAJOR roadblock in my career that I have worked VERY hard to be in. I'm so thankful for the people I work with who helped me and want what's best for me. I'm thankful for my husband who brought home wine and a chick flick because he knew I had the worst. day. ever. I'm thankful for my mom who listened to lots of the tears and sobs. I'm truly blessed and thankful this all worked out.

Moral of this confession: Do not put things off until the last second. ever. again.

Dear New Years Revolutionaries,

I love that you're changing your ways. LOVE. IT. However, what I don't love, is the crowded gym. REALLY. CROWDED.

After I waited 10 minutes for a treadmill or elliptical, I went with my 3rd choice: arc.

After I got in my quick cardio workout (don't want to hog machines, after all), I got off.

BANG.

Whelp.

Tear.

Smacked in the shin by the arc step.

Large egg.

Will bruise.

Big day tomorrow.

So, New Years Revolutionaries, I ask you this: will you continue this commitment through February? Will I have to be injured by third choice machines forever?!

Sincerely,

Icing and Sore

Goals for 2011

Look at the puppy! Look at how confident and poisted he is!!! What a lovely doggy! Our wedding photographer Jenn Gaudreau, now based in Chicago, had an engagement shoot cancellation, so she offered to shoot some "family pictures" in Central Park. This is just one of tons, but it's BEAUTIFUL. Lambeau looks READY TO GO! Haha he was such a good puppy.

I should be more like Lambeau. Ready for anything. Up in an instant. Playful. Fun. Ha.

I need to set some goals. On our 1:40 minute ride to CT for the annual New Years Day brunch with my family at 7am, Brian fell asleep so I had lot of time to think. Here were some thoughts:

- I'm entered in the Lottery for the ING NYC Marathon. Chances of getting in are, oh, 1 in 4 chances of getting in. But I've been praying...

- My other choice is to run for charity. I've determined if I don't get into the lottery, I will run for charity. My two options are World Vision, benefitting children in Africa, or Team for Kids, which raises money for inner city kids health and fitness programs.

- I have my 26th mile songs picked out.

- No matter what happens, I'm signing up and training for it. It will happen. I have a feeling marathons won't be in my future when we decide to start having children in a couple of years, and I also want to be in really good shape for that endeavor.

- I'm so glad my friend Sara joined my gym. She is getting me there. It means so much to me to have her there.

All this to say: This is the year of the marathon. 2011. My year. My goal. My determination.

That is my 2011 goal. As a teacher, we have to make monthly goals for our kids. I think I like that idea better than a year long goal (Marathon is the biggest fish of them all!).

January Goals:

1. Running two marathons total (averaging 13.1 miles per week. Easily accomplished, but as can be assumed by my MIA status in December, a lot of cookie baking happened and not a lot of running! I have to ease in and kick but one steap at a time!)

2. Logging my workouts and calories burned.

3. Logging food eaten and calories.

4. Adding speedwork.

5. Go to the gym while I'm watching Biggest Loser.

Ok there's 5 for January. I don't think they're too daunting; I think they're just right. The Biggest Loser thing is something I've always wanted to do. Either I will be at the gym or working out in my living room, weather depending, mood depending, etc.

What you missed in December:

2 Year Anniversary = an amazing Tiffany's heart necklace from my amazing husband!

Christmas in Rochester = got a Nook! Lots of time spent with Brian's family and in pajamas!

Snow Storm in NYC = came back to a war zone, snow piled up everywhere unplowed and cars STUCK!

NYE = spent with our friends Nick and Rebecca at their 42nd St. apartment. we walked by Times Square and said "Have fun!" to all the crazies.

January 1: 2.5 mile run up some serious hills.

January total: 2.5 miles