Snow day!

Yes, it's true, NYC public schools had a SNOW DAY! We found out the day before at about 11am. AMAZING feelings of joy! Work Tuesday became so much more doable, and a day off was an answer to LOTS of prayers. I made sure to make the day count.

In good faith, after a WONDERFUL pedicure with my friends Alyssa and Carly, I went to the gym to work out. It. Was. Closed. Really?! REALLY. In a neighborhood where a large majority WALK everywhere?! I had such good intentions. Instead, I was cold and annoyed with the lack of snow removal on the sidewalks. Instead, we cleaned up, dishes and living room, and watched Couples Retreat. Funny. Clever. We're going to the Bahamas, it felt appropriate.

I ran today because my yoga club was cancelled due to next week being vacation (EEK!). I did 6 miles. 3 miles outside, but it was getting dark, so I had to head into the gym to the treadmill. Read some good people magazine. Carney Wilson: GET A GRIP. Poor lady, but come on! Which leads to a question. Even though I don't think I have that many readers...

What do you do for running in the winter? How cold is too cold to run?

I've been doing it to about 30 degrees, but the snow has created a lot of water, which will freeze once the sun goes down. Long runs especially. I'm just treadmill/gym add I think. Oh well.

And I got shoes. New Shoes. Pictures to follow.

Super nothing

Ok. I'm SO over this cold. Today is the day training begins again. HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I SAID THIS?! Ugh. I finally took the advice of many people and just RELAXED this week, and finally, FINALLY, my cold didn't turn into some sort of bronchial/sinus infection. Thank. God. I popped 2,000 mg of vitamin c everyday, which also helped. And then there's my sister Jennifer, who is plugging away at her training program. My blessing and my curse is that I know I can run a lot without prepping. I'm good at that. But that's always in the back of my mind tempting me not to train as hard. I'm going to have to start punishing myself. First punishment: No tv until I work out. There it is. It's out there. I must honor it. Brian will help me. UGH.

Today I'm going to attempt a long run of 6-7 miles, depending on the weather, how I feel, etc. Also, the place we're staying at in the Bahamas has a running trail and fitness center, so I'm stoked about that. We're staying one day at the Atlantis for the first night, and then Breezes for the rest of the week. AH we can't wait!

Can I just say God is good? I was working at the restaurant yesterday, and it wasn't that busy, and this table gave me a $4 tip on a $95 check, and another $3 on a $40 check. UGH. 20% is standard, in case anyone was wondering (Therefore $18-$19 would've been fine. $10 would have been fine. ANYTHING over $4 would have been fine! Haha) but I made the decision to trust God, despite the restaurant being really slow and the tips being REALLY bad. Well, I ended up being really busy, and made REALLY great money because of some really generous people. I also had the highest sales out of anyone in the restaurant. That's pretty great, because this has happened two weeks in a row now. January is the WORST time for restaurant workers, so Brian and I have really been praying for favor. He has had significant favor and blessing with his shifts, as I have with my one shift a week. And the Bahamas is coming. Sigh. Thanks God, this really sets our minds at ease during what is supposed to be the slowest time of the year for restaurant work.

I had to teach HIV/AIDS health lessons at school this week. I didn't like it. I think 4th and 5th grade could hear it, but k-2 should NOT have to hear the words "HIV" etc. They don't understand the stigma and the social-cultural aspect of talking about it, and how people usually get it. We just say, in the lower grades, that HIV can only be passed blood to blood, so if you share a drink with someone you can't get it etc. However, I told some 3rd graders I had a cold, so one of them asked me "Do you have HIV?" I mean, come on. Do they REALLY need to know all about this? I don't think so. It's my job, and contractually I had to do it, but I really think that using the actual words for the younger kids is STUPID. I don't agree with it, and I was very uncomfortable talking about it. But apparently, all NY State has to do these set of lessons in an effort to prevent HIV misinformation. Next thing you know I'll be handing out condoms to 4th graders. Sigh.

Happy Superbowl Sunday!

New Year Goals...

So I decided I'm going to check in on my 2010 Goals every month to see how I'm doing. How's THAT for accountability?!

1. Back to wedding weight: According to Wii fit, 4lbs away. UGH. Always the hardest to lose.

2. Running AT LEAST 3x's a week: I did it 3 out of 4 weeks. That's DECENT for getting back into training!

3. Working out on a college night - NO college nights yet...this week will be the first :-(

4. Run 3 half marathons: I signed up for one half marathon, and I'm signing up for another one AND buying new running shoes tonight! YIPPEE!

5. Still no word on the marathon.

6. Have fun - I had some friends visit which was VERY fun, but I need to work on this. My fun has been limited due to Brian being sick and now I'm sick. UGH. Bahamas. It's better in the Bahamas

7. Save money. Not too shabby. Haven't eaten out all that much or made frivolous purchases.

Bahamas in two weeks.

Yes it's true. I'm SO not ready for bathing suit weather! UGHHHHH. Wii fit informed me that my weight is only 3lbs more than my goal weight....but I know that weight has NO muscle! Running has been such a struggle, but I'm sticking with it. I haven't gone over 4.5 miles yet. SHAME. I'm aiming for 5-6 miles tomorrow. I've been doing some outside/night runs which have been different but fun, but now that it's 15 degrees and feels like 4 degrees, that has ended for the time being! I feel like my puppy dog in the picture above...staring outside without the energy to keep going...

I'm struggling with energy. It's the winter blues I guess. I really want to run, but the energy to get going at 5pm just isn't there after working all day. My sister is signing up for the half marathon with me though. This has been a motivator... but she's just better than me! She's a stay at home mom (CRAZY BUSY) but gets to go to the gym once a day. I on the other hand, can barely manage it. She's a machine, she even won her indoor triathalon! GO JEN GO JEN GO JEN! Oh yes, and did I mention she's a thirty something mother of THREE children under 7? Yea. I'm ashamed. But I do have two jobs; at least that's what I keep telling myself ;-)

Any tips for energy???

And now I've got that tickle in my throat, runny nose and I'm all light headed. Why me? WHY ME?! At least it's before the Bahamas....

Oh, it's on

My brother Jaime likes to say that whenever something dramatic happens. I find it funny.

ANYWAY. Sunday I did a 4.5 mile run outside to punish myself in the cold. I would've gone to the gym, but I had too much backed up housework (Not an excuse....laundry is STILL so backed up...Brian had the flu and was bed ridden for a full week, therefore my laundry person and extra help person was MIA! I missed his help - he's the bestest).

Took the day off yesterday - my lovely friend Alyssa is moving SIX BLOCKS FROM ME! We went apartment hunting and she got a GREAT space - and then Lambeau's puppy training school (He graduates next week!)

Today I went to the gym and did 3 miles in 27+ minutes....I think it was 27:34 or something. That's pretty darn good for me, TRUST ME. Gym was WAY crowded so I did abs at home. All in all a productive week so far.

Off to watch Biggest Loser cheering for my friend Drea on the black team!!!

I'm taking the big step

Alright here I am. I've been absent. You all probably assume why. I haven't been running. I'm a running loser. I think I was burnt out. I think I was too busy and overhwelmed. I know I love my husband and my puppy more than running. However, I need to be healthy. So, we start afresh. I hate New Years Resolutions, they're so trivial and easy to break. However, on our 1 year anniversary (In which we went to a Green Bay Packers game at Pittsburgh...which we lost in the last 4 seconds...) I was 5-6lbs heavier than a year before. No. me. gusta. Also in the motivation category: we leave for a week long vacation in the Bahamas February 15. Yea. Bikini in the dead of winter. No. me. gusta.

So, the buck stops here my friend. No more Christmas cookies, no more edy's apple pie ice cream. No more gingerbread lattes. Self, we are getting down and dirty. Lambeau Loo can be by himself for longer now, and Brian has informed me that if I don't go to the gym within the next 3 days he's cancelling my membership - not in a malicious way, in a "We're not paying for what you're not using way." I get it. So, duh duh duh dunnnnn: Here are my goals for 2010.

1. Back to wedding weight - which I maintained for 9+ months with limited effort. (This is the weight I maintained....my real wedding weight was WAY lower due to my stress level SOMEHOW causing me to shed pounds in massive doses the last two weeks.)

2. Running at least 3 times a week. Training will require more, but I am sticking to this as a mini goal for in between races when I get lazy.

3. Working out on college night. I usually use my college class as an excuse not to hit up the gym; my ONLY and LAST CLASS OF GRAD SCHOOL this semester only goes till 7:20, and I can therefore still go to the gym just fine. (My past classes got out much later, and my sleep is vital on these days!)

4. Run 3 half marathons. Thus far I have several in mind. I'm interested in the new NYC Half Marathon, 13.1 New York, More Women's Half Marathon, and the Hartford Half Marathon. Only thing is, NYC has a lot of them all at once. So from the first three, I would be aiming for 3 half marathons within about a month. Hmmmm. Could be done; don't know if Brian will let me! ;-) (I'm more fragile to him than to myself!)

5. Ok. I have an an with an ING person who can get me into the NYC Marathon. Dream. Come. True. I'm still not sure if I'm marathon material. So this is more of a hope, rather than a goal. IF I can successfully train and do a 20 mile run, then I may allow myself into a marathon...again pending Brian being on board. (He's seen my struggle and strain in half marathon training and wants me to be healthy rather than hurt myself in FULL marathon training. He's right about this; I need to be serious about training instead of training just for fun!)

6. HAVE FUN. This past year was definitely fun, but that pesky thing I refer to as grad work as really bogged me down. LAME. I want to enjoy my time in NYC, really take advantage of all the fantastic things we can do here!

7. Save money. By far the HARDEST thing to do here! But we're doing it. We will buy a house someday, and we want to be prepared.

THERE! Goals for the year. It's out there. I must go running. I'm going to get out my winterized running pants, my running gloves, a sweatshirt....where is that pesky ear warmer I got for my birthday!? (It has a ponytail hole! YIPPEE!)

I'll let you know how it goes.

Getting back in the game...

My puppy love is getting so big! I can't feel his ribs anymore, and then suddenly one morning I realized, he feels HEAVIER! Aw my baby is growing up. Shoot. I'm officially one of those lunatic people who talks to her dog like a baby.

Ok, confession time. I ran last Sunday with Laurie , and it was great. Felt good, 3 miles, decent speed, I was back. Monday came and I had tons of work to do. Tuesday was parent teacher conference so I was at school pretty much from 7:30am-7:30pm. Wednesday I spent the whole day writing a paper I thought was due that night, but was, in fact, due THIS upcoming Wednesday night. I went to the gym after class because I spent all day writing said (10page) paper, and only got 2 miles in the treadmill before I had to call it quits. TOO HOT in the gym! Made me nauseous. Blech. Thursday NO running, work then class till 9:10. Friday was yoga club, which for me isn't a work out because half the time I walk around check kids (Yoga club will be explained below). Saturday I waited tables, which is a huge workout, but not the kind I needed or wanted. And today, well, I was focused on home things; making a casserole, cleaning the kitchen, did a little Christmas shopping while watching Green Bay kick COWBOYS BUTTS!, and now it's my bedtime. Sigh. So confession: MY goal last week was 18 miles. I did 5. FAILURE. This week I have a new plan:

15 miles. PLUS, I am not allowed to get a gingerbread latte if I don't run in the morning. I'm starting smaller and working my way up.

This means getting up at 5am to go to the gym. EW. It grosses me out. I only get a 'special' starbucks drinks when I have to go to school at night, because I change trains in Times Square, where there is a starbucks RIGHT outside the subway station...convenient...tempting...I fall for the 200 calorie grande skim no whip gingerbread latte every time. So, new resolve: No "healthy-ish" gingerbread lattes for me if I do not exercise in the morning. I am determined. I am purposeful. I am SO not looking forward to this...but maybe I am in a sick sort of way.

Product review: Trader Joe's Gingerbread Coffee = AMAZING. Seriously. This stuff is goooooood. This is why I don't get a gingerbread latte everyday, because this is a superb substitute without the milk, fat, sugar etc, and it needs to be in your pantry NOW! I heard the winter blend from Trader Joe's is also exceptional, so I will get it and product review it asap.

Please kick me in the butt...I'm so used to not working out that I'm in a rut...and I have a 4.78mile turkey day race next week with Brian! Eek! My tall guy is going to show me up big time!