Run YARN Run

Lately I've been smacked with a cross between writer's block and writer's ih (aka when nothing you write looks good enough to post), being worn out and a general funk that needs to be shaken off. PLUS the formatting issues I have been having have really been annoying. "Have" through "annoying" should each be on their own line. If they are not, you understand. Ditto if one paragraph is all that results in this post. If so I am leaving it to prove to others I am not going crazy. All that aside, I know I just need to get out and burn off the extra whatever. We took the dogs out for a nice walk one evening and ended it w a bit of a run with them. Molly loved it. Then we get cold and rain and haven't been out since. I know others run in the rain/cold but fighting yet another headcold/allergy annoyance makes me not want to go out in it more than I need to right now. My MiL texted me this morning about doing a 5 k run/walk with her. WOOHOO! Even bigger WOOHOO is that she offered to pay my registration. I have not been able to afford any races recently as well as that feeling that right now spending $35-$50 to run with a group of people is not too responsible when there are bills and whatnot. SOOOOOO we are participating (not yet sure if it will be a walk or a run or a combo) in Running for Hope in June! It is benefiting Advocate Hope Children's Hospital and the nearby Ronald McDonald House. This will actually be the second time I'm running to raise money for the Ronald McDonald House. Last fall's 5k benefited them as well. I am thinking about setting up a fundraising page once I read up more about it. I don't want to get locked into a specific amount and then get stuck if it is not raised. HOWEVER if it is a self set goal it'd be done so at something low like $50 so that it can be beaten like crazy! Ok, question for you all: Have you set up a fundraising page before? If so, what were your experiences with it? Are pages like this esp if blogged/tweeted too pushy?

Throwing my weight around

I decided to stop procrastinating and take out the kettlebell this week. I picked up the set/kit/box o' super heavy a ways back but for some reason was hesitant to try it. I am thinking it was a mix of sick/feeling better/semi sick/repeat plus over thinking the effort it would take to start. Silly, I know but overall not feeling well was the major reason. While I am not feeling 100%, a little extra activity will always make me sleep a bit better. I expected the DVD in the box to be a workout dvd but it ended up being a 10 minute demo. Routine fail! Clearly it was showing the proper way to hold and the specific moves but I found myself thinking that they should have at least had it as a 10 min routine - ie both sides not just one. I did learn the basics which is good but I do foresee myself looking for a full out routine based DVD eventually. I ended up doing a mix of

• marching warmup aka watch the cats freak out


• short set of squats - or at least what I was calling that since I don't know technical jargon w the 5 lb kettlebell


• short period of fast hooping


• back to the kettle bell w more squat-ish stuff - that is my technical term for now


• another period of hooping but mid tempo


• short set of curls w kettlebell


• another period of slow hooping


• slow march to mid temp walk cool down w stretching

Overall it was less than a half hour. I was worried I'd be sore but so far so good. I think it was because while I did do something I kept it simple, a small amount of time and did not overdo it. Plus I am now walking a total of approximately 13 miles a week. Walking a mile now feels like barely anything to me now which is a great feeling. I know this will eventually help when I am able to run another 5k. Right now finances is making me wait but I know there will be one that is a mix of good registration cost, great charity, and overall fun.

No duh so-duh

Give me a can of Coke - plain fully leaded stuff, not the diet/zero/free stuff - and I am a happy girl. Put several fridge packs in the house for the holidays and then let there be leftovers and I'm over carbonated and sugared. EEK! While I am not giving up soda all together, it is smarter not to have a default grab in the fridge be a soda. It was a bit too much and I could start to feel the blah that I get as a result.

I think drinking less soda will help my running once the weather remembers that I live in the Midwest and not the tundra. While tundra may not be the best word to use, it works well when your eye lashes are frosty. (There was also a poor girl on the bus recently who had raccoon eyes from her mascara dripping in the cold.) Hubs and I are planning to run a few official races, budget allowing, as well as just run more on our own. (I really like the "we" part of this since I know it will help us motivate each other. While I do have friends who run, having the person bugging you to go or if you went as you had planned living in the same house as you makes it more of a kick in the pants.) I need to research IF less sugar/caffeine actually will help but for now why not.

FIVE!

It is five days until I turn 30. Like I have mentioned before, I am not freaking out. No whatever life crisis. I am working on a 30 before 40 list.

Here is what I have for now:

1. Run a 10 k.
2. Travel to both coasts.
3. Be a mom.
4. Learn to sew.
5. Have a garden that I dream of and keep it looking great


It is just a start and I know there will be more.

Do you have a # before # list? If so what are FIVE things that are part of it?

RunnnnnbrrrRUN?

Hubs and I have been discussing running more since Christmas. With the uber present of the Garmin, which needs to be named eventually since I name my electronics, it makes sense that we are focusing on fitness even more so this year. Yesterday he let me know about a radio program discussing winter running. I caught part of it and am planning to listen to the podcast version of it in the near future.

Then he surprised me with discussing running next month. Next month is February. Febrrrrrrarary! While I will have more time in the evening since the home bound transit method is changing, I don't know if running in the cold at night will be detrimental to my excitement about running. The plan, if it sticks, is to stay small and around 20 mins or so. I get cold pretty quickly especially my feet and my shoes are pretty well vented. It is the question of is is worth wearing an old pair of shoes or will that ruin my running/step later?

On a better note though, with all the discussion of negative influence caused by a spouse in various media outlets here and there, I'm happy that we are being a positive influence on each other in terms of health. When I started paying more attention to the sodium levels in boxed food, he did too. He was the one who noticed I was downing a full bottle of Coke in a day and a half Now with Eat in Month in progress, we are working together so that if one of us falls a bit behind, the other is right there playing catch up.

Speaking of Eat in Month, dinner was chicken fajitas and tamales. Lunch was leftover veggies & BBQ chicken with a roll from dinner last night. Snack was blueberry pie yogurt. Breakfast was toast with almond butter.

2011 resolutions

I am hit or miss with New Years resolutions. I can honestly say that I forgot most of the ones I set up for this current year. In a way they were engulfed by the goal to be healthier, happier, and more active in the sense of trying new things rather than actually moving around.

This year having them set in print, or pixels rather, I have a way to look back at them for reference.

• Try a new recipe at least twice a month. It can be a version of something that I have made before but that exact recipe must be a new one.
  
  


• Yoga/stretch daily. I am usually quite good with this but making a conscious effort to totally relax even for 20 minutes is a smart idea.
  
  


• Catch up with friends on a more frequent basis. I have friends from school (grade school through college) that I talk to via email every few months. I may not talk to them on a regular basis but it is always nice to see how they are doing.
  
  


• Sleep and don't skimp on it when times get busy. The one more hour of whatever always catches up on me when I don't stick to a semi regular sleep pattern. This year I have gotten better. Next year I want this to continue improving.
  
  


• Find a running routine and stick to it as best as possible. I am not saying a specific since I don't know how spring will be right now. Having even a small goal to say run 5 miles every week and a half is a good start. Later I may laugh at that and run 5 miles minimum a week.
  
  


• Don't forget the little stuff for myself. I too often forget the little things like painting my fingernails something other than clear polish. (Toes are usually a color even during winter since I hate unpolished toenails.) I have bottle and bottles and I deserve little things to make me smile even on the days I feel like a frump for whatever silly reason.

Run remix

Since the uber (yes I just said uber) surprise this Christmas, I have been kicking my playlist building in high gear. I have two text files of songs that catch my attention on Pandora. I haven't figured out exactly how many but there are a lot. It is pretty eclectic too. Safe to say I am going to make category versions since they are all over the place.

Here are a few copy/pasted for reference purposes.

running down a dream - tom petty
paper planes - m.i.a.
wave of mutitlation - the pixies
girls just want to have fun - miley cyrus
party in the usa - miley cyrus
gold guns girls - metric
sexy bitch - david guetta
shove it - santigold
one hot coma - paris, texas
I can dream about you - dan hartman
i want to know what love is - foreigner
while you see a chance - steve winwood
something about you - level 42
cry me a river - michael buble
mary janes last dance - tom petty & the heartbreakers
strawberry swing - coldplay
More than a feeling - Boston
Satisfaction - Rolling Stones
I want it all - Queen
Sweet Child of Mine - G & R
strangelove - depeche mode
voices carry - til tuesday
Once in a lifetime - talking heads
Walk through the world - mark cohn
drive - the cars
against all odds - phil collins


When I have the all set and labeled with silly names I will post them periodically. I say silly names because I can't just call something "car mix 1" or "running mix 4". They end up "Breck trip ride roadmix" or "neon laces in my running shoes."

This is all coming from the gal who named her ipod after the cat in Hocus Pocus. Sadly I may need to get a new one since the old thing won't hold a charge the normal amount of time. It is from '04 though so I think it had a good run.

Do you have a crazy mix that you run to/workout to or is it more of one style?

That Christmas Eve when they all ganged up on me

I mean it in a good way of course.

First present was from my BiL:



Woohoo! No longer will I need to run with the bottle + carbinger + keyring + cellphone combo. (Yes, it is as awkward as it sounds.)


Then my in-laws gave me this:



SWEET! New reading material + tips/tricks/whatnot.


But there was more to the book than just the book. It was what was IN the book too:



EEEP! EEEK! WHEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!

My MiL wasn't sure the best options/sizes/whatnot and so, after talking to Hubs, decided this was the best way. Plus, a lunch out w my MiL is always fun especially since we get along extremely well.

I was super happy especially since this was something that took thought. Easy presents are fun too but taking a bit more time to make it a themed idea I love even more.

After all my inlaws left (including aunts, cousins, second cousins incl the 3 month old little girl who stole everyone's attention for a good part of the night), Hubs brought in my gift which my MiL was keeping safe.

I unwrapped the box and shrieked.



Hubs had heard me talk about them before. When the Amazon sale was tweeted about a ways back (wanna say Emily @ The Daily Garnish started it but not sure - she replied to one I sent her) I was bopping about the house talking about what a great deal was going on.

Safe to say, that is when the plan started. It was a good plan.

A very good plan.

Hubs did well though - NHL11 for Xbox360, a wool sweater, & Death Troopers (Star Wars + zombies book.) Plus multiuser setting for the 305 means he can use it too. My inlaws loved their presents. My family loved their presents and we got some great stuff from them too.

Overall though it is not the stuff you get but the time you get to spend with family. Both going well is just an extra bonus.

Now you must excuse me, my mom's homemade kolaczkys are calling me from the pantry.

Hey runner, you're a STAR!

The video from The Hot Chocolate 5k/15k is up today. Of course being part of the 5k meant I was excited to see it.

After seeing this however, I started squeaking.



I'm in the pink hat. Stina is in the gray jacket/black headband next to me. Sarah is with us there too. (She is blog-less.)


You can see the few seconds of us go "WOOHOO": we appear about 56 seconds in.



BEP's I Got A Feeling was actually playing as we crossed the starting line so having it be there at the part when we appear makes the song even cooler now. True, I liked it before. (The CD is sitting if five feet from me right now.) Now it means even more.