ok... so apparently you aren't supposed to hydrate with Absolut...

We all know that while I'm fairly decent with knowledge about exercise,  my knowledge about nutrition generally is not so great.  Remember ... I'm the chick who tried to classify pringles as a vegetable and screwdrivers as a fruit.  That being said,  I do know what works for me ie protein, carbs etc.  And,  I'm EXCELLENT at drinking 120 ounces of water a day.  I have to flavor it with Crystal Light, but at least I'm drinking it.  I have a negative history with water,  so it's definitely something I have to work at.  Due to all kinds of UTI's when I was very very young (I know ... TMI) I associate all that water with being sick and in pain... but I do know that hydration is a necessary evil.  If I don't drink enough during the day,  I usually have a headache.  Interesting.. 

All kinds of stuff out there about how much you should drink. For me,  120 ounces is good.  For some,  that might be too much or not enough.  

Here's a good 'water calculator' to get a good guess at where you should be:

http://nutrition.about.com/library/blwatercalculator.htm

and check this out... 

Why You Need to Drink Water  

Your body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Your body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all your organs. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs.

Good stuff to know ... 

Water

Some people find it easier to drink if it's room room temperature or slightly warm. In traditional Chinese medicine, drinking excessive amounts of cold water could worsen digestive problems. If you drink tap water, you may want to purchase a home water filter. Squeeze lemon, lime or orange wedges into water for flavor.  

Herbal Teas   - Caffeine-free herbal teas are other good options. Peppermint, chamomile and caraway teas in particular are thought to improve digestion and reduce bloating.

Vegetable Juice

Vegetable juice is a great way to boost your antioxidant intake. Avoid canned juices and vegetable cocktails that contain salt. Celery, wheatgrass, cucumber, fennel, parsley and other non-starchy vegetables are excellent choices. If you enjoy the taste of vegetable juice, you may wish to purchase your own juicer.

Drinking Water Briefly Increases Metabolism

Drinking 500 mL of water (a half-liter or about a pint) increased the study participants' metabolism briefly - for about a half hour. In that time they burned an extra 25 calories. That's about a quarter of a piece of sliced bread, or 5 M&Ms. The researchers theorized that most of the effect comes from warming the water in the stomach. In the male participants the calories came mostly from stored fat, in the women it came from stored carbohydrates. The paper was published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, December, 2003. It was conducted by researchers in Berlin.

Grati-tuesday

Yep...it's that day... Tuesday... grati-tuesday... time to count our blessings and pat ourselves on the back for a week well done... ready ?

Today,  I'm grateful for:

• crystal light raspberry green tea...yep, it's processed and will probably be proven to kill lab rats in a year,  but it keeps me drinking my 120 oz a water a day
  
• sunshine to walk the dog instead of rain
  
• a vegas trip with Rob and to see Mitch
  
• baja bobs margarita mix- sugar free !  http://www.bajabob.com/
• 3 miles in 30 minutes on the treadmill,  even though I didn't want to do it
  
• adidas sport bras...not because I actually NEED it,  but because they fit good :) 
  
• that I'm healthier now than the picture below (mexico 2003) .... more on that for another post !
  
• taking the stairs instead of the elevator
  
• Sport Creme - ow ow ow ow
  
• 3 more days of non-drinking
• 11 days to Mazatlan
• my job 

be grateful ! xoxoxoxxo

Don't think... just GO

Hi - my name is Jodie ...and I'm an excuse maker.  HA !  Aren't we all ?  I can come up with ANYTHING... but I found this today... and I'm gonna start living by it :)  

From the trainers at Gold's Gym...

Don't think about it. Just go. The first step in a good workout is mental preparation. "Don't stop and ask yourself if you want to go to the gym," says Belisa Vranich, Psy.D., a Gold's Gym sports psychology expert. "It's a nonissue, not up for discussion." Even if you spend just 30 minutes at the gym, it's better than not going at all. "The point is to not stop your routine," Vranich adds. "It's better to have a mediocre day and keep the momentum going."

GO GO GO GO GO GO GO ...

Can't make it to the gym ???   Walk around the parking lot,  walk to the grocery store,  take the stairs not the elevator... you know what to do !

New playlist... discuss....

In no particular order....

Bleed It Out Linkin Park

Crazy Bitch Buckcherry

Famous In a Small Town Miranda Lambert

Headstrong Trapt

Hot N Cold Katy Perry

I'm shipping Up To Boston Dropkick Murphys

It's the Only One You've Got 3 Doors Down

Just Fine Mary J Blige

Memory SugarCult

Never Wanted Nothing More Kenny Chesney

Now That You've Got It Gwen Stefani

Rock DJ Robbie Williams

Same Ol Situation Motley Crue

Train 3 Doors Down

Vertigo U2

Waking Up In Vegas Katy Perry

When I Grow Up PCD

World Hold On Bob Sinclair

4 Minutes Madonna

Keeps Getting Better Christina Aguilara

Human The Killers

whew.....

I'm just sayin'

Vegas weather:

Fri Oct 31 85°/59°

Sat Nov 01 85°/59°

Sun Nov 02 80°/57°

Mon Nov 03 79°/57°

Sunday ...

Another completely unscheduled day.. love love love that !

Friday - went to the recruit graduation, and really, all that does is make me feel old. But so good to see the chicas that I miss spending time with. I got caught up on wedding plans and am soooo excited for the two girls to be married next year. Wahoo ! Let the 2009 wedding season begin!. I also managed well thru the buffet line... until ... drum roll... CARROT CAKE ! No really... how can you say no to that. So I had a piece. I did go do cardio for 40 minutes when I got home from work, so that should negate the carrot cake...

Saturday.. nuthin, zip zero, nuthin... whew. I did hit the eliptical for a 45 minutes to burn off some calories and Rob made a decent semi-low cal dinner. So I'm good :)

Sunday ... headed North to do some lunges, smith rack, hammy's and a little (20 min) of minimal cardio. Wahoo! Forgot my heart rate monitor though.. .hate that !

I ran to REI and picked up some NUUN electrolyte drink, and I'm excited to try that. But the most exciting thing of all ???? Are you ready ??? That's right MARGARITA WITH SALT CLIF SHOT BLOK !!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's my new fav !! Love love love love love it ! Rob.. yeah... not so much. He said it tasted like sweat with a hint of lime HA! Not to me... I loved it. The Margarita one actually has a decent amount of sodium and potassium which helps with leg cramps, and on anything more than 9 miles, I tend to cramp a little. I also wanted to try the cola flavor and it was decent too. The cola has 50mg of caffeine in it which would work as a good pick up mid-race. I love Sport Beans but want something a little more substantial and I think these will do it. I'm not a GU or HammerGel fan, so the bloks should be good. Check out the flavors at http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_shot_bloks/1260

Hope everybody had a productive weekend and is ready to take on the new week ! And thanks to my Sunday gym partner in crime... you make the work-outs fun !

xoxoxox

Dude.... HA ! (what we've been chatting about)

It's all about the compression... these are totally geeky, but.. rumor has it, they might help a little with the shin splint issue.. a little... hhmm.... spendy, but def something to look into..
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/10/22/fashion/1023-PHYSICAL_index.html

to make up for yummy carrot cake last night....

K... I don't like crunches. Usually they end up hurting my lower back because I'm a goober and arch too much.. nothing like NOT having good form to ruin a decent exercise ! So, I do these... reverse crunches. You can put your hands down by your hips like in the picture, or above your head. You can also, for more resistance, hold a medicine ball between your feet, or even a stability ball up under you knees. But... these... don't hurt my lower back when I do them. Please note, I do realize that after having a child and gaining um yeah 60 pounds (roughly... ) that my abs will never be rock solid, I just have too much extra skin hanging around... but, keeping your abs strong (even though not 6-pack-ish) help everything else, your back, your posture... everything :) So, I keep doing them !

REVERSE CRUNCH

Target Muscles: rectus abdominisSynergist Muscles: obliques, iliopsoas, sartorius
Set Up: Lie supine on the floor with your legs extended in the air directly above your hips and your hands under your hips.
Action: Initiate the movement from your lower abs and curl your hips up off the floor and slightly towards your head. Hold at the top of the movement for a second and reverse the motion slowly to the starting position and repeat.
Do three sets of 15 reps.

run, dinner, websites...

Decided I'd better do something today physical-wise since I'll be heading out to Union Square Grill for dinner tonight (yum!)... and I know it's way nice out, but I wasn't up for an outside run (odd huh) so the treadmill in the ol' condo gym will have to do. I did 4 1/2 miles in a whopping 44 minutes (i know i know... i'm soooooo speedy !), burned 480 calories... but that darn heart rate is a killer.... avg = 160 max = 176. I guess I should be glad I kept it under 185 ! HA ! Love love love my Polar Heart Rate monitor. More on that for another blog...

I was doing my usual internet searching stuff and came across this chick gear. Not that I need another uni-boob, sorry, I mean sports bra, but this is a snazzy idea. http://www.gracies-gear.com/ The pocket is in the front. Which for me, not a big deal. For those more endowed than I, maybe not so great. But I hate having sport beans in that back pocket in my shorts or running pants. This is kinda snazzy. And I love love love the black and pink one ! and um, since I know you're wondering, nope... those are not my abs in the picture... just a disclosure there for ya !

The same company also works with EmWomen.com which is a kinda cool site.. but check out their walking / running programs at http://www.emwomen.com/fitness.aspx easy... snazzy.. and totally do-able !

And last, as I sit here contemplating what kind of dessert to have this evening, I'm a huge fan of these little vita-tops. They are like the top of the muffins... they are only 100 calories and they are YUMMY. Deep chocolate and a Fudgy Peanut Butter.. I throw them in the freezer and take one to work with me for breakfast. YUM! Right now - well, until tomorrow, they have a 10 discount... just enter EPH102408 when you check out. http://store.vitalicious.com/promo.html?utm_source=EM102308

Off to shower and go have DINNER !!!!!!!

xoxoxox

Time flies

Tomorrow, October 23rd, is our anniversary. I suck at figuring out the years part... we were married in 1993... so this I guess is the close of 15 years and the start of 16 years. Amazing. I know yesterday was 'grati-tuesday'... but I'm gonna do my gratitude for tomorrow... there's a million things ... but here are some highlights:

Things I'm grateful to Rob for... (translated = why I love the guy !!)

• Listening to me – well, he says he’s listening…
• Sticking by my side when I was a whopping 174 pounds (yes I typed that right)
• Not completely laughing in my face (you know… AT me) when I say I wanna do some athletic venture (like a half marathon or summitting Rainer)
• Taking sunny vacations when he knows he’s going to burn in 3.2 seconds
• Not complaining about my freezing hands and feet
• Being a dad to a boy… no, I mean R E A L L Y a DAD… amazing
• Teaching me how to keep book for softball
• Understanding my sushi has to be ‘tempura’.. yes, it’s still sushi…
• His family… seriously, love them… all of them… fire dept, fishers... all of 'em
• Running over 9 miles of a half marathon that he wasn't even IN to make sure I was OK
• Pasta
• Splitting Peppermint Patties with me
• Sticking around for all these years
  

new mac new mac new mac

Did everyone remember to do Grati-tuesday yesterday ?? I did :) and I celebrated with black bean hummus at Del Rey .. wahoo !
Rob surprised me with a new Mac desktop last night :) Soooo cool ! More later ! - Happy Wednesday !

I'm not a stalker.. really.. not...

So someday maybe I'll get to be a personal trainer... and not because it's a new career, but because every time I'm in the gym (no matter what gym) someone inevitably asks me what I'm doing and how to do it... I figure if I'm gonna explain it, I better be able to back it up instead of 'oh are you a trainer?' and my response be 'no, but I stayed at Holiday Inn Express'... anyway... there's a few trainers that I really like their style, and Jillian Michaels is one of them. She's hardcore, no excuses, no whining and just get the freakin' workout done already. That's my kinda chick.
There's a chick who started doing a weight loss blog for Glamour magazine named Margarita Bertsos, and how can you NOT love a chick named Margarita ? Margarita got to interview Jillian... and had some good questions for her, and I loved Jillians answers... here's my fav two :

Margarita asked Jillian if running really is the best form of cardio for weight loss. "Absolutely," she said. "There are lots of great ways to get your heart rate up, but if you want to see the pounds melt off, running is the fastest way. But I get that not everyone is built for it--knee problems, tight IT bands, heel spurs; I get it." Whatever you do, she said, "Don't forget the weights! The more muscle you build, the faster your metabolism will run."
Love that !
Second:
Jillian said: Forget willpower - "Losing weight is not about willpower—it's about moments of bravado, like the moment when you ask your waiter to take the bread away from the table right away."
Good point... however, my 'moments of bravado' seem to crumble when there's Cheetos / vodka involved !
You can check out Margarita's blogs here http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/shape-up/?mbid=yshine_su
Off to Del Rey !!
Hey - I was already at the gym !
xoxoxo

The Vegas

Things to do in Vegas in Oct:
1) verify Mitch is alive
2) find a Mario place to eat
3) see Elton John
4) go to THE gym (just because I like to say THE gym at THE Hotel ... ergo, THE vegas)
5) go to 32degrees below
6) get a new UNLV sweatshirt, B-Ball is coming up you know... gotta support
7) order a red bull vodka vodka HA !
8) go to Pink Taco for lunch / happy hour

list o' things to do

Things to do in Mazatlan:
1) papagayos
2) eat papas fritas
3) go to Las Moras
4) go to Panchos
5) coco loco at Playa Bruha
6) watch the cliff divers
7) naked foam
8) wait for the green flash
9) Queso Ruffles
10) hike the lighthouse
11) go to mercado
12) shrimp salad
13) happy hour
14) lola y pedro
15) go for a jog and pretend I'm in the Mazatlan marathon
16) buy tequila
whew.... it's gonna be a tiring week.... I hope I'm not too worn out by the end...
xoxoxo

619 - yes... SIX HUNDRED AND NINETEEN

Got up and headed to the gym today, not a major workout, but legs and a couple o' ab moves and it's better than sitting around... which is all I've been doing since then :)
I found this today and it sounds Y U M M Y ! I'll be making this tonight to take to work and heat up in the morning.
Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal
1 cup water
½ cup canned pumpkin
½ cup old fashioned oatmeal
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie seasoning
2 tbsp Stevia

In a small pot bring water to boil
Stir in pumpkin and remove from heat; turn heat to low
Stir in oats and put pot back on burner gradually increasing heat to medium low – reduce heat if it begins to bubble or splatter
Cook for 7 minutes until oats are cooked and fluffy
Stir in cinnamon, pumpkin pie seasoning and Stevia
110 calories 23g carbs 6g fiber 4g protein

Here's an interesting little point to ponder this season: we eat an extra 619 (yes.. I typed that right) calories PER DAY between Thanksgiving and January 1. That tidbit o' research came from Texas A & M. Can you believe that number ??? 619 !!! sheesh.... that's an insanely large number. That's my breakfast and my lunch combined. Ouch. But, with knowing that number, at least that makes me think a little before just going on auto-pilot to munch during gatherings.

I hope everyone had a super weekend and is ready for the week. Remember, plan plan plan. Plan your meals so you're not running to a burger joint, plan your days to hit the gym or go for a walk.. if you plan it then it's easier to stick to it !
xoxoxox

Great Tip o' the Day

I love love love this tip... 1) i get up too freakin' early in the morning to worry about stuff other than shower and get out the door 2) my condo isn't big enough to be rumbling around in the morning when Rob is home... i always lay my clothes out the night before so I'm not rummaging thru my closet at 3:45am, so it makes sense to get stuff ready for breakfast /snack / lunch the night before as well !
xoxoxox

Be Prepared
Fighting bad habits is all about knowing yourself. Will a late start in the morning mean you won't take the time to fix a healthy snack? Prepare yourself for this by cutting up some veggies the night before — while you're on the phone, watching TV, or waiting for something to come out of the oven. If you don't think you have time to peel an orange, take a minute to slice it in quarters and bring it with you that way. If you're going to be tempted to buy a soda, keep a water bottle handy and sip frequently so you don't get too thirsty. The key to a healthy lifestyle is simply this: Think ahead!

Saturday - Good morning sunshine !

Got up and headed the Sculpture Park / Myrtle Edwards for a run. I like running there .. 1) it's got some hills. 2) it's only a 2.5 mile roundtrip (3.2 from my condo total) 3) there's security guards around and 4) there's usually other runners and cyclists out so you don't wanna walk and look goofy ! What a great day too... sunny.. but cold. Love the Under Armour Cold Gear.

I like the run home best though... first, I always run up the hill out of the park. Then... I always run up each block (major hills !) from crosswalk to crosswalk ! Thank GOD for red lights ! HA !

Today was easy... 44 minutes, 425 calories, max heart rate of 183 (ouch) average heart rate of 162. I wish I could get that down... hhmmm... toe is good (no railroad tye stabbing thru the bottom) but back is not so great. Advil to the rescue !

Anyway... off to get ready for pasta dinner (yum!) and to figure out the 3 ab moves for tomorrow morning.... it's a Sunday at the Philips gym ... yea for Smith racks !

xoxoxxo

Happy Saturday !

Tell me....

OK... lets talk play lists... I'm stuck... really... I have my favs and I need to update. Your thoughts ? discuss.... ha !
Just Fine - Mary J Blige
World Hold On - Bob Sinclari
Teenagers - My Chemical Romance
Vertigo - U2
When I Grow Up - PCD
Dig In - Lenny Kravitz
Train - 3 Doors Down
Same ol' Situation - Motely Crue
Let Me Be Myself - 3 Doors Down

I have some Used / Disturbed / more Motley and some fun Poison songs too....
But what do you have that's your fav ?
xoxoxxo

A what workout ??

Question o' the day for me was 'what's a brick workout?'. If I'm gonna do this triathlon thing, I gotta know the jargon right ?? In my gym world, a brick workout means you have a killer leg workout and then immediately go do cardio at a good pace....and when you're done, you're legs feel like bricks ! HA! In my ongoing triathlon research, everyone talks about 'brick workouts'... I asked my experienced tri chick at work, told her what I thought it was and I got a "LMAO" response... hhhmmm... She did explain what they were, but she agreed that my explanation was pretty darn good too !

Here's what I found... and this makes sense and is definitely something workable. Even workable for now in the gym here, on a stationary bike then to the treadmill. It's a start people.. it's a start !!!

A brick workout is a workout frequently done by duathletes and triathletes that involves biking and running consecutively. The workout is helpful to train the body to change from bike to run, as well as to cut time off the transition changing from bike to run.

Bricks are a very important part of triathlon (and duathlon) training and they are sometimes overlooked. Bricks refer to training on two disciplines during the same workout, one after the other with minimal or no interruption in between, just as you would do in a race (I am sure you knew this). Usually when people talk about bricks they refer to a bike/run workout.

More important are bike/run bricks, mainly because the transition between bike and run is the toughest of the two during a triathlon. Most people's recount of their brick workouts consist of a medium/long bike ride followed by a medium run. My recommendations are a sequence of short/medium rides alternated with a series of short run.

Here are a couple of bike/run examples:
Sprint triathlon workout: (5-6 miles bike + 1mile run) - repeat three or four times.
Olympic triathlon workout: (7-8 miles bike + 1.5-2 mile run) - repeat three or four times.

By doing a series of short repeats you also switch sport (and therefore muscles used) several times in the same workout. You are practically teaching your legs and body to switch as fast as possible and as efficiently as possible between two very different kinds of effort. A series of short repeats is more efficient than doing the two sports one after the other, especially when you are short on time.

If you have never done a brick before, you should get used to them before attempting the kind of workouts described above. Start with a 1 mile run or run/walk after every bike ride. You can start by walking briskly when you get off the bike and them move to a jog or run within ¼ to ½ mile. You can also attempt your first brick by biking in the morning and then running in the afternoon or after a 1 to 2 hour break.

Brick workouts help shorten the time our legs take to start feeling more normal thus allowing us to run better and faster. It is not uncommon to experience cramps when starting to run after biking, especially if you are not used to it. As usual, listen to your body and slow down if you feel a cramp coming. A carbo gel and water will also help if you are experiencing cramps due to the decrease in muscle fuel.

(found at beginnertriathlete.com)

Happy B-Day Chief !

See you in December :) xoxox

hhmm... interesting..

Today... I have a lightbulb above my head (kinda like a cartoon thingy).

Today, I have figured out that my chatting, non-stop, about diet, food, calories, abs, legs workouts blah blah blah is tiresome for most people.

Today, I have figured out that I shouldn't obsess about these things outloud, in my head to myself is A-OK, but outloud, I need to keep my mouth zipped.

Example, as my boss walked in the other day, with a giant cup of coffee, I exclaimed, loudly, "OMG do you know how much caffeine is in a 16oz cup of regular coffee? 300mg! That's insane!!", and thank god she's worked with me long enough to not take offense to this, but then ... i got to thinking, for some people, that would have been down-right rude.

And it's funny, I don't say or think these things to be judgemental or negative in any way ever (remember, I'm the chick who tried to make cheez-its count as a dairy product and malibu rum as a fruit so I literally have no room to talk). Most of the time I say these things randomly because I just read it online, or I have it stuck in my head from an article in a magazine. Just blurt it out... hmmm...

And, I'll admit, the calorie counting OCD behaviour can come across as just freakin' irritating.

So... starting today... yep... today... the OCD behaviour will stay quietly within my own head, between my own two ears... and in this silly blog... so you can READ it at your leisure, not listen to me babble ! HA !

ssshhhhh.... i'm counting in my head ...

oh and ONE more thing... correction !

thanks alot WA and CC = Wyder's Pear Cider = 12oz 193 calories
HOLD THE PRESSES !!!!!! Correction ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY CALORIES !
woot woot !!!!!
Off to the treadmill.....
xoxox

Monday Monday Monday

Here are the random ponderings thru my day... it's amazing the things that I think about throughout the day while working. And yep... I even get work done at the same time ! Nothing like multi-tasking !

I need a pair of weighlifting gloves - I know that's a completely dorky thing and I'll look like some 80's freak with them on, but the grips on some of the free weights are killin' me ! however, gloves are U G L Y ... so... I finally found some at http://www.lucy.com/ . They aren't half bad and they are on their way to me now :)

On that same topic, I need a new neck roll thingy for the Smith rack. The one I'm currently using is the gym's (ew) and has no padding left - therefore, my lower neck and shoulders are not happy. Gonna work on that...

My theory on my Half Marathon for December... while my cardio is certainly not where it should be, I think I might, maybe, hopefully, can do a little better than last year. That'd be nice... so that's my goal. Beat last year's time... and not get cranky with The Blue Man group at mile freakin' TWO ! They thought they were cute... I didn't...

On that train of thought... for those of you already going to Vegas (woot woot we rock !) or those that are on the fence... this... will set your mind at ease that we are doing a fun thing. No really... That's right ladies... it's a Saturday night Pasta Feed and Elvis Karaoke Night at Mandalay Bay for all us 'athletes' (and I use that term loosely!) check it out at
http://www.active.com/event_detail.cfm?event_id=1637185 I think I like JJ's idea better ... eating at the buffet... but I'm just sayin' you can eat and sing with the Elvi...

Did you know K-Swiss has new running shoes out ? They are getting great reviews, look good, and I might have to find a place to try a pair on. www. kswiss.comA guy that competed in the Ironman Kona on Saturday competed last year but was stung by a man-o-war during the swim and had to be taken to the hospital. He was back this year to finish the race. Reason # 562 why my first triathlon will be in a man made lake.

I found good news when you're fast-fooding it... some places will have nutrition info posted ! love that .. I usually have to search or ask for it... http://www.yum.com/news/pressreleases/100108.asp

Check out http://www.mapmyrun.com/ it'll give you a route, or you can make one up and it will let you know the distance. Snazzy.. and cheaper than a Garmin :)

And it appears that a North Chick Jingle Bell Run might be in order.. JC.. there's one in Anchorage but you have a MARATHON in VEGAS the next day ! But... here's the link to the Bellingham one... and ladies... remember, it's a 'walk' too.(there's a 4 mile run and a 2 mile walk) .. so it'd be a good way to start your Saturday with some girlfriends (excellent networking opportunities JG) I'm just sayin'...

I'll be sending out an Evite later, based on the Evite responses might start a 'team' and also will be arranging car pools or something. It'll be fun !

http://bellinghamjbr.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=286410

(pictures are for rob ha !)

xoxoxox

Ah... the first entry...

It's official, I started a blog... this way, I figure you all can read my musings at your leisure instead of my annoying emails :) And I'll add my usual cool things I find as well as my not-so-cool things that I do... such as grating my thumb instead of the Parmesan last night. See ??? It's all about the sharing !

Yesterday, I went for a 3 mile run down to the water and home. I would like to request new lungs please. I have a feeling I won't be getting a PR in Vegas this year. No worries... it's all about the fun :)

I also spent most of the day with ironmanlive feed on my computer. Absolutely amazing. There were certain parts of the run where the temperature was at 108 degrees. And these athletes just kept plugging along. Incredible. And the highlight of the day, for me, was when the female #1 overall, Chrissie Wellington, ran across the finish line... and then... went back and did the John Blais "Blazeman" roll over the finish line ! I was laughing ! so cool for her to do that :)

This morning was a leg workout with a good partner who kept me chatting while she was on the treadmill. I love having the work gym all to ourselves ! ohhh the things we can chat about !

Speaking of that... you know that I love to do the stairclimb in March right ? Well this year, 2008, it fell on the same day as much more exciting day, CC's b-day. So instead of the stairclimb I did the St. Paddy's Day Dash and then went to McCoy's for bloody marys (c'mon... it's a recovery drink for god's sake.. it's vegetables !) And while I was bummed that I didn't get to do the stairclimb, I FOUND ANOTHER ONE HERE IN SEATTLE ! Wahooo ! http://stairclimb.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=285455 It's the 20th Annual Cystic Fibrosis StairClimb at the WaMu Tower on Thursday December 4th. I know... I know... a Thursday weird huh. But I might do this ! We leave the next day for Vegas for the Half Marathon, but heck.. it might be a good training run ! HA !

And for my up-north, no, JC, that's doesn't mean NORTH like you.. just North of Seattle, did you know there's a Jingle Bell run / walk in Bellingham ??? That could be FUN ! Dec 13th. http://bellinghamjbr.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=286410 And yes... it's a walk too... so you non-runners (like me !) can get out and have a snazzy morning walk to start your day. I seriously think we should gather a group of NORTH girls and put bells on and walk / jog / wog/ run away ... and then go have drinks of course !

On that final note... see... my craziness has started...
Welcome to the blog... welcome to the insanity that is me....