Back to work.

After a weekend of loads of fun and not much sleep and not working out all last week because of parent teacher conferences, it's time to get back to work. I haven't been feeling so well since last Thursday and for the last couple days I've eaten hardly anything because food makes me want to hurl, but I decided to go running tonight anyway. I tried week 9 day 2 and it wasn't too bad. I had to take a few breaks during the uphill parts but I got through most of the running alright and didn't have the stiff calf issue I had been having. I'm able to avoid cramps a bit better now that I'm breathing better. I do now have a shoulder stiffness/pain which is weird, but it isn't too bad.

So I guess I only have one more day of Couch to 5K? How crazy is that? It looks like I now need to get a good pedometer so I can focus on miles. I'd also like to work up to 40 minutes of running time because I'm sure I'm not actually running 5k yet.

In other news, I had a great time this weekend hanging out with Jeff, Kyle, and Neil as well as the wonderful guys from the band Rome. It was great having a house full of nice, interesting people. I felt like a complete and utter moron, however, after talking to people like Jerome who speak and read in several languages and the best I can do is read stupid vampire books in one dumb language. I decided to step up the reading a bit and today I bought 2666 by Roberto Bolano, which I've been considering reading for months. The last time I read a book over 800 pages it was Harry Potter so I'm a bit concerned, but I'm going to give it a shot. We shall see how it goes.

Here's a few pictures from the weekend:

Kyle saving the day! The concert was less than organized so Jesse ended up running all over to get the necessary equipment and Kyle set up audio stuff. He's also a great person to stay up late with watching horrible movies and eating popcorn.

I couldn't exactly help with the whole "saving the day" thing... so I sold t-shirts. :)

Jerome a few minutes before going on stage:

Jerome, Jesse, and Jeff near Wax Trax downtown:

Nikos and Jeff at Rocky Mountain National Park
The Rome guys leaving to go back to Luxembourg:

28 Minutes

Those Couch To 5K folks are really stinking smart. I don't know how they figured out the genius of having you do the same workout 3 times, but it's brilliant. The first two times, I can't quite do it and need a couple short breaks to stretch or catch my breath, then I can keep going. It's just out of my reach. The third time I can do it. Every week I've thought "I'm going to need to repeat this week for sure"... and then the last day I do it, and I'm ready to move on to the next week. I am now moving on to Week 9... the last week. The 30-minute run. I am only 2 minutes away from accomplishing the run that seemed so impossible on week one. Unfreakingbelievable.

In a way, it's harder than I thought it would be. I imagined that the first few times, 90 seconds would be super hard. Then that would be easy and 3 minutes would be super hard, etc. That isn't quite how it has been for me. 90 seconds is still hard, 3 minutes is still hard, every minute is hard. The first 5-10 minutes are really bad, and the uphill parts are really bad. The downhill parts are less bad. When I'm done though, I feel successful, healthy, and fantastic. It's worth it to feel like that.

Tomorrow I'm going to Colorado Springs for the second attempt of my dad's surgery. Yes it's scary and I honestly don't know how it's going to turn out. It would be a lie to say I'm sure he's going to be ok. I'm not sure what to think, but it does remind me that I'm doing the right thing for my heart with my running, workouts with the "penguins", and this blog. My dad has heart disease despite the fact that he has always had low cholesterol, low blood pressure, and has always been very healthy. The last thing I need to be doing is making my chances for getting heart disease even worse by being out of shape and overweight.

Fall Decor

I decided to decorate a little for fall today. Here's what I have so far...

The containers are filled with pinecones, black candles, and some little craft (fake) pumpkins.

I love our table runner but I had to take it out because it was sooo summery and really clashed with the autumn stuff. I'll get a more neutral one sometime soon as well as a tablecloth for the kitchen table.

Saturday Updates

Workout/Shopping Update

This morning, I woke up and it definitely felt like fall. In fact, I ended up not being able to run tonight because of the rain.... so instead I decided to get some new workout pants in honor of the cooler weather.

If you need workout clothes, I highly recommend Lulu! I tried a few different workout pants before lulu. The Target stuff sucked (seams started unraveling, fabric didn't wick moisture well, comfort and fit was fine for hanging out but not for working out, especially after a few washings). Then I tried some pants from Lucy. They were good at first, but I'm glad they were on clearance because they didn't end up being too much better than Target pants. Finally I decided to listen to the many recommendations for Lulu.

This summer I got some lulu cropped pants and they are wonderful!! The fit is great, they're super cute, but most importantly they are perfect for both running and crossfit. The luon fabric is wonderful! It wicks moisture, holds its shape, and holds up perfectly after multiple washings. I've worn them 5-6 days a week for almost 4 months and they still seem brand spanking new (and hopefully will for a long time). I needed some long pants now that the weather is cooling off, so today I got these. I LOVE them! They aren't cheap, but honestly I think they're worth it. They were too long but fortunately they hem them for free.

I also couldn't resist this jacket in grey, which I think will be perfect for fall and winter runs. It has a hood that ties so it stays in place to keep your head and ears warm and it's long to keep the bum warm, but is lightweight and easily ties around your waist if you get hot.

Running isn't necessarily an expensive sport, but I think it's absolutely necessary to get great shoes and a great sports bra, and not a bad idea to splurge on pants too if you can. Lululemon is not cheap, but I think the quality is worth it. However, I'm still cheaping out on tops. We'll see how long that lasts. :)

Reading Updates

I finished my 32nd book of the year, Wings, by Aprilynne Pike. This book was really stupid. I give it 1/2 a star, maybe, if I'm being nice. I don't recommend it at all. It's about this girl who moves and meets this guy, who is kind of like a Mike Newton. Then she meets a fairy guy who is totally an Edward wannabe. He tells her she's a plant. And a fairy. ??? Apparently, fairies are evolved plants. The "wings" aren't even wings, they're petals, so I really don't understand why the title isn't "Petals". Dumb.

Now I'm reading The Secret Hour (Midnighters series, book 1) by Scott Westerfeld and it's much better. I'm enjoying it so far and look forward to finishing it soon. I also plan on reading the other 2 in the series, though not so much that I have to run out and buy them - I'll wait for them on PBS or check the library. I've read several Scott Westerfeld books, such as the Uglies series and Peeps, and have liked them as well. I'd rate them all below The Hunger Games but definitely above, say, Wings.

I Wanna Be A Loser

I want to be one of the biggest losers! The show starts next week and I plan on watching every episode to help motivate me. I feel like I'm getting the exercise thing under control. I ran Monday, did crossfit Tuesday, ran Wednesday, and did crossfit Thursday. My next run is either tonight or tomorrow night. I'm getting stronger all the time.

But I still need to LOSE. I'm so awful with food! I've had so much Starbucks over the past couple weeks I should buy stock in the company. I don't go there every day, but I went twice last week, once over the weekend, once this week, and then today a parent brought me a nonfat hazelnut latte. I'm also having issues with cooking since Jesse is working out of town for several weeks. I'll do well for a while then I fall off the wagon again. When the fridge was stocked with canteloup, peaches, and vegetables, I snacked on fruit and veggies and cooked. When the fridge is stocked with nothing but a million condiments, I eat out. Clearly I need to take a trip to the grocery store this weekend.

I think where I'm at now is...
Stage 1: Exercise. Check!
Stage 2: Eat right. FAIL.

It looks like it's time to tackle stage 2.

The Legs Are Working!

Ahhh.... it feels SO good to have my legs back and working again! I was still a little sore Monday but at least I could walk, so I decided to attempt week 7 day 3: 25 minute run. I couldn't run the whole time but ran about 20 minutes. I'm sure it was so hard because I hadn't run since Wednesday. 5 days is just way too long for me to go between runs, and in the past when I've gone that long it's been awful. I literally could not run any of those days though because I was soooo crazy sore. I almost fell several times just walking because one of my legs would give out. Crazy!

The husband thinks I shouldn't push it so hard to the point where I can't walk for over 3 days... and while it does seem crazy to be THAT sore, in theory I have to disagree with him. I think I need to push it. I can handle it and it's certainly making my body stronger. It feels great to increase my strength and stamina but I still have sooooo far to go that I think I really need to "push it" and work as hard as I can.

So tomorrow I'll be running for 28 minutes and will really try my hardest to run the entire time, in my neighborhood, hills and all. Thursday I'll do crossfit. Friday I'll run. It's good for me. :)

Reading Goal

I set a reading goal of 50 books this year. I'm only on book 31 so I'm not sure I'm going to make it or not, but I'd like to post some mini reviews on here.



Possibly my favorite book this year has been The Hunger Games. I knew absolutely nothing about this book, other than the fact that a lot of people were talking about it. Once I got the book, I couldn't put it down and finished in a day. It takes place sometime in the future, in a place that I believe used to be the United States but is now called Panem. Panem is made up of the rich capitol, which is surrounded by 12 districts. The districts do all of the work to provide goods for the people of the capitol. The story starts in district 12, where they mine coal. The people of all the districts are kept in poverty, and it isn't uncommon to see people starving to death in the streets. The capitol has ways other than starving the people of the districts of reminding them of their position of servitude to the capitol, which is where the Hunger Games come in. Until the very last page I had no idea what was going to happen, which made it very exciting, but in a heart wrenching way. I'll admit I shed many tears.

The sequel, which came out this past Tuesday, is called Catching Fire. Catching Fire starts a bit slower (that's not a complaint - I still loved every second of it!). Then there's a twist that I absolutely never saw coming. I fell in love with every character even more in the sequel, and my heart was aching for them throughout the book. There's a lot of action, but there are also some very tender moments, some big questions about the capitol and humanity as a whole, and even some humor. After finishing on Wednesday morning, I found myself thinking (obsessing) about what the characters are doing "now", and I couldn't stop thinking about it so I decided I may as well re-read it. I know it's beyond dorky to worry so much about characters, but what can I say, I get really, really into books. I still think about Jane and Bingley, Elizabeth and Darcy, Harry and Ginny, etc.


READ THESE BOOKS!!! They're amazing!

I can't walk. (Party Party, Table for 1)

Wow, now I remember just how hard crossfit is! Our workout was Thursday and now it's Saturday and I am still in agony (pain is too weak a word for how I feel today). Obviously I forgot to bring the sportlegs supplements with me. My legs and butt are killing me. Stairs are impossible and going to the bathroom? TORTURE! I was hoping I'd be able to go run tonight but it might have to wait until tomorrow since I can still hardly walk. UHhhhhhhhh.

Workout Update

I've been a crossfit loser for the last couple weeks. Ugh, today is going to SUCK. I'm probably going to die. Fortunately I have been keeping up on running a bit better. I've been so busy I don't even remember when I have been running, but according to my 5k app, I did week 7 day 1 on Saturday and week 7 day 2 on Tuesday. Yesterday I sat on my butt, snuggled with my dog, and watched tv all evening (So You Think You Can Dance best-of show and Glee). Just keepin' it real. :)

Saturday was bad bad bad. I kept stopping and it sucked. My calves were killing me and got so stiff I could hardly run. I was thinking about it and realized that my calves have been sore for 7 weeks. I decided to take Erin's advice and get some Sportlegs supplements from Performance Bike. I took them an hour before my run on Tuesday and it definitely helped. I did have to stop once for a few seconds to stretch my calves out, but they were much better than other days and afterward was WAAAAY better! They're pricey at $26 a bottle, but I think it's worth it.


Another change I made this week was I started running in my neighborhood rather than the park. The advantage is that it's right outside my door. The park is only a couple minutes drive away but still it's nicer to just walk out the door. I hadn't attempted any runs in my hood because it's more hilly than the park, but it ended up being a good workout! The uphill parts really made me sweat and the downhill parts were a nice rest. It made the solid 25-minute run seem more like intervals, which I love. I seem to do a better job working out when it feels like working, break, work, break rather than work work work work work.

I'm back on track for crossfit today and running tomorrow. I'm not sure I'm going to be able to survive the crossfit but I'll try.