Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Day 1 training in the bag

Well, you have to start somewhere.  Having the 1st day in your training plan in the past is a start.  I also started the one hundred pushups challenge AND, well, let's just say, I'm sore this morning.  Go ahead, laugh again, it's ok.  I figure, if you can't laugh at yourself, what's the point?

So, here goes on my challenge...wish me luck...or join me - I would LOVE some company in this!!!

Friday, November 26, 2010

one hundred pushups

If you're still reading after that title...that's what I did this morning before work. 


And once you contain yourself from the laughter and peeing your pants, I'll admit that's not even close to true... :-)

I did 8.  That's right, 8.  Don't laugh.  I am starting a new challenge that is designed to work up to one hundred over the course of 6 weeks (we'll see!!).  I chose to try full-on regular pushups and the initial test of how many you can accomplish consecutively along with your age determines the training plan (I'm sure I'm in the slowski, "you can only do WHAT?" category...).

But here goes nothing.

I'm starting Monday (along with the start of my half marathon training!!) so I'll let you know if I'm on track after week 1!  

Thursday, November 25, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!!

I enjoyed such a great day with my family (despite the rainy drive both ways!!!).  I had my trusty traveling companion:



And the boys survived on their own home alone...


I am so thankful for all of the wonderful gifts in my life, especially my family and friends.  I hope everyone enjoyed a safe and happy Thanksgiving!!!

And good luck to any of those shoppers braving the crowds tomorrow...I will not be among you!!

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Giving

Giving is a big part of all of us, but we tend to think about it more during the holidays, especially during the week of Thanksgiving.  I'd like to suggest a giving option that you may not have considered.  Life.  In the form of blood.  I know there are reasons some people can't give - medications, travel destinations, etc.  But those of you that can, please take the time to consider it.  I try to get in every 8 weeks (it usually ends up being more like 10-12).  You don't get paid, it takes an hour of your time, you get a needle stuck in your arm...I'm just telling it like it is.  Picture the face of the child whose mom you just saved, or the dad whose little boy needs it.  Can you imagine needing blood to survive?  Or a family member needing blood?  Wouldn't you feel differently about the gift if you were on the other end of it?  Wouldn't you well up with appreciation for those who took the time to give of themselves?

I choose the Red Cross.  But there are other organizations that do it too.  Take the time to look into it and consider giving what no money ever could.



Monday, November 22, 2010

Packed Weekend!!

What a Weekend...But a Ton of Fun too!!!

Friday night we went to "some thing for their kid's school"...is what I was told.  Details don't always come across very well with Bill :-)  Turns out is was a fundraising dinner and auction for the Adam's County Children's Advocacy Center.   It was such an inspiring evening! 

Thankfully, I know how much he doesn't pay attention to the details, so I thought enough to ask what to wear.  He called and found out that it was formal (wouldn't we have looked cute showing up in jeans (me) and shorts (him)!!)

It was held at the Wyndham in Gettysburg .


And it was beautiful.  They really did such a great job with the whole event.  Friends of ours are on the Board and one is actually the Head of the Special Events Committee.  So, we sat at the front table, had a great view, great dinner (wonderful vegetarian choices!) and were honored to be involved in such a worthy cause. 

Of course I was nervous about trying to look nice and he found himself waiting for me...


Oh well, he's probably used to it by now!!

Saturday morning I headed out to a business meeting in Grantville.  What a great day that was too!  Our trainer was very down to earth and based a lot of his day on integrity.  I value this in any business and strive to put it first in mine as well. 

And Sunday,  Church, Skins (yay!!) and Whole Foods (I LOVE this place, but the week of Thanksgiving...MAD HOUSE!!!)

And last, but far from least, I registered for the Half marathon in May!  Thanks to everyone for your support and encouragement.  I'm starting my training today, so stay tuned!!

Have a great week!

Friday, November 19, 2010

Where I've been...

I know I have been MIA for a few days.  This should explain it:


My DIY icepack comes in handy for migraine relief too!!!  Not sure what the dealio is this week, but I've been really run down and this headache has been taking over!  I think I am moving on.  I feel pretty good this morning, so I hope it's the start of feeling great again.  It didn't help that I was up ALL night Wednesday night with Levi and VERY SERIOUS GI issues!!!  ALL NIGHT. 

Here's to a good Friday and feeling good again.

And by the way, thanks for all the emails on the half marathon pursuit.  I think it's in my future!!

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

I Need Your Advice!!!

Ok, so I heard this would happen...once you recover from a race, you get the urge to sign up for a bigger goal.  I had planned on 4-6 different 5K races in 2011, but I'm thinking maybe a Half Marathon??  Maybe I'm crazy...that's why I need your advice.  There is a 10 week training plan and since May 7, 2011 (The Frederick Half Marathon) is over 26 weeks away, it's certainly attainable. 

Let me know what you think!!!

Monday, November 15, 2010

The BEST shirt EVER!!

I am not a fan of the cold.  AT ALL.  But there is help for me!!!!  I wore this 'Stay Warm' Base layer shirt by Nike and I didn't want to take it off...I wish it was my skin!  I can't remember ever not being cold when I'm out in the cold, I am just miserable and no fun at all to be around.  This shirt has changed everything!!  I'm not saying I will be singing the same tune when it is -5, but for a person that really dislikes the 30s, this is a saving layer!  I HIGHLY recommend it.  Under Armor makes a version of the same thing, but I decided on Nike because of the thumb holes.  Same price, same look, same overall effect, but when you have loooong arms and a looong torso, you really appreciate when things fit!!

 Sometimes you really have to love technology!!

Sunday, November 14, 2010

What a Great Day!

The race is complete.  It was a blast.  I shaved 5 minutes off my treadmill 5K (finished in 33:23 even though I wasn't worried about time....still had to know!) and I am so sad the season is over!!!  But, that's how I know I love it, I am looking forward to starting again in the Spring (of course, there is a party or two to attend first!!).

A shot of the coaches and some of the girls (a bit of confusion about an after race meet up place...)


The atmosphere was so much fun!  There was music, so much joy and laughter, people all along the route cheering and encouraging us.  The girls had such a good time (and so did the coaches...we are girls too, right??).

Here is a shot of the finish line and the crowds:


After a 30 minute backup in the parking garage...Bill whisked me off for some Chipotle and the most perfect leg massage, then a nap on the couch in front of some football to rest....it was a really great day!!

Now, what will I sign myself up for next???

Ready or Not...

With everything set from the night before, I showered, stretched, ate breakfast (2 pieces of whole grain toast and a banana!) and I'm heading out!!


Wish me luck!!!

Friday, November 12, 2010

My new niece!

I was able to get to PA yesterday to meet my new niece!


Isn't she precious???  She has the tiniest nose and ears and toes!!!  This is #4 for those guys, so surely ONE of them will take care of me when I'm old... :-)

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Mock 5K...Check!

Well, we did it.  Not just a 5K, 3.8 miles to be exact.  We ran in a neighborhood in Poolesville (one with a slowly inclining LOOOOONG hill....4 laps....4 hills!!!)  It was really fun though - we had water and Gatorade stops along the route and people standing out in their driveways cheering.  I wasn't completely thrilled with my time when I first got back, thinking it was 3.1 miles (even taking into consideration the frantic dog escape and chase, chat with a mother runner about the change in step aerobics and convincing four 6th grade boys that in order to get the Gatorade they would have to run with us...that made them reconsider!!!).  I did it in 43:46.


Once I realized it was 3.8 miles, I grew more accepting of my time.

The girls did great.  There were some serious complainers, but they stuck it out, dug deep and got it done.  I was so proud of them, and I could tell they were proud of themselves too.

I got home and iced the ankles right away, had a delicious dinner and feel really great today.

So Sunday is it - and the girls are ready (hopefully me too!).  Since we can't really set a time goal, I will be thrilled to just get all of us there, running and finishing!!!

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Story Of My Life

It has taken me an extra day to get back into the groove...but the weekend Women's retreat was great!!  It's funny how some things seem as if they were just written for you specifically.  I think all 140 of us felt the same way.


The theme was 'The Story Of My Life' and who your life is being written by.  We used the concept of scrapbooks and put together the different parts, those that we show off to others, but more specifically, we addressed those parts of our story that we don't typically put on display.

I am very happy I went.  Given some of the stories that were being shared, including a woman who found the courage to admit, in front of all of us, that she has been struggling with a severe eating disorder for 20 years, I thought this was appropriate for the ladies' room.


Our hearts all went out to her and I have to say that I'm quite certain we used ALL of the tissues available in all of Leesburg, VA!!!

The location of the retreat - that is a different story!  The area was BEAUTIFUL but the building was the most bizarre place I think I've ever been.  You would think if you are on the 4th floor, you're on the 4th floor, right?...oh, how very naive of me!!  The directions from the man checking us in were, "go through the doors on the left, follow the path to the other building, go around the back of the building, walk up 2 flights of steps and enter the building on the 2nd floor, take the elevator to the 4th floor, get off and follow Virginia all the way to Delaware, then get back in an elevator and take it up to the 4th floor (wait, aren't we there???), get off and go to West Virginia, then take the stairs to the 3rd floor where you will find another elevator.  Go out the back side of the elevator when you get to the 4th floor (again, what?), then wander around aimlessly (ok, I added that word, but he should have said it!) until you find a sign pointing to your room, which is (yep, no typo here), on the 5th floor (wait, am I not on the 4th floor?).  Once I found my room, got over the fact that it was smaller than my closet and smelled like a manhole, I had to find my way back out to the dining hall...that's how the whole weekend went.  I certainly got my walking in!!

In a nutshell, an adventure.

Of course, while I was there in my military-issued bed, this was where Emma was...




Something is very NOT RIGHT about this situation!!!

Now, if I could only get used to it being so dark!!!!!

Friday, November 5, 2010

Postponed!!!

Ok, maybe it's wrong, but I was sooo excited to find out the Mock 5K was postponed until Tuesday.  I did go prepared with rain gear, tights, gloves, the whole deal.  But I did not shed a tear when we discovered that over half of the girls were not prepared to be outside in the cold rain.  Tuesday is supposed to be 60 and sunny, so we'll see....

Instead, we did some activities in the gym and it was actually a nice change of pace.  Our big dilemma - what to wear (visors, headbands, color our hair....) to "uniform" us as a group.  There will be thousands of people in the same t-shirts, so we are looking for something fun.  Last year they spray painted their hair...but it poured...apparently it was a NIGHTMARE of running orange dye over everything!!  If you have any ideas, let me know.  We will decide by Tuesday!

I am off to Virginia tonight for a Women's retreat and I am REALLY looking forward to it.  I hope everyone has a fantastic Friday!!!

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Mock 5K scheduled for 3:15

I would ask you to wish me luck, but I think I need more than that!!

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

The Melting Pot

If anyone has a chance to stop in and have dinner at The Melting Pot, I highly recommend it.  I've heard people talk about it for 15 years and FINALLY made it there.  Bill and I went out last night to celebrate his birthday.  Neither of us are really into making a big deal out of our birthdays, but we do both enjoy a nice dinner to celebrate!!!  We've been talking about dinner for a week or two but didn't decide on the location until the last minute - what a great decision.   It's not the kind of place you swing into for a quick dinner, but for a special occasion, it was a really great experience.

It's Fondue...how could that NOT be fun!!

Starts with a steamer pot...


Add a great waitress to help explain everything since we were both newbies...


Then the appetizer...we chose the spinach and artichoke version.  We had Granny Smith apples (I know, that sounds weird, but VERY good!), bread, tortilla chips and veggies for dipping.


The salads were great too.  Then the entree... we chose a combo to share that included filet, chicken, lobster and shrimp.  I ate the fish options, he ate the meat options.  It was really good!



But the best, of course, was dessert.  We chose dark chocolate with Bailey's.


And for dipping, lots of goodies!


We were definitely full, but had a really great time!

And no, I'm not drugged, this happens to be the best of several pictures we took (you wouldn't want to see the others... scary!!)

So, if you ever get the opportunity, I highly recommend checking it out.  I have a Fondue set that Mom bought me a LONG time ago and now I feel inspired to break it out!!!

Monday, November 1, 2010

Happy Halloween!

I am as close to a Halloween grinch as you can get.  I think costumes are fun and I like the "idea" of trick-or-treating for kids, but I haven't been much into handing out candy - ESPECIALLY in a neighborhood where thousands of kids were projected to come through. 

But on a positive, in the spirit note, I did go to a Halloween party Saturday in Baltimore and had a blast!  It was at a place called Little Havanas.  Bill and I danced for HOURS - we were both sweaty (enough that someone asked me what happened to my hair....).  normally he is involved in the production of the party to some degree (usually to a very large degree!) and this time we could just enjoy it.  The costumes were VERY entertaining.  We ended up going in formal attire, not sure what we would say we were, but shortly after we arrived we were told we made a great Mr. and Mrs. Smith - so we went with that!  I'm sorry to say that we have no pictures to share.  There are a few in circulation, I'm told, so if I get my hands on one, I'll share.

The marine corps marathon was yesterday in DC (one day I'll be there!!) and there were a lot of people dressed up for that.  I'm not sure where the energy comes from to run 26.2 miles, but to wear a costume too???


And then the guys that carry flags - they keep them with them the entire time!!!


I think I'll hang this by my treadmill for the next time I think I should give up early!!!

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Halloween!!!