Double digits in the hiz-ouse!

I'm hella tired so this will be quick. I ran 10 miles on the treadmill last night...finishing up around 10 pm. I walked a bit, which I didn't anticipate doing, but I'm ok with it. My mom always calls on Sunday nights and I didn't want to miss her so I walked while we talked. I felt like I was going to ralph for a majority of the run, so I'm really surprised I mustered the will to finish. There were so many times I wanted to quit but all I kept thinking was how badly I needed to do this long run. I finally realized that I could spend all day coming up with excuses (and many times I have) but while I'm doing that I could be much more productive and just get the damn run over with. I downed some strawberry-banana Power Ade gel around the 6.5 mile mark and felt really good for about a mile and a half but then slowed down again. I was surprised at how "easy" the concept of going 10 miles was once I was over the 5 or 6 mile mark. I thought to myself, "Well you've done 8 miles before and that wasn't too bad. Surely you can do 21 more minutes or approximately 6 or 7 songs worth of running". And I did. Sure, my head was tingling (not sure what that was about) and my upper back was a bit stiff (anyone else have this problem? I think I might run like the Hunchback of Notre Dame or something), but dammit I did the 10 and am quite pleased. The worst part was showering later and feeling like I had a hundred tiny paper cuts on my legs - chafe much?!

Work is going really well. Everyone is super nice and I feel as if I've been there a lot longer than 3 days. It's very comfortable.
We've got company at the house right now so I've been unable to catch up on my blog reading b/c as soon as I get home from work (it's so nice to be able to say that again - finally) we're either preparing dinner or going out or running errands. I hope everyone's kicking ass with their running. I appreciate the support from you ladies about my last post. I think I'm going to print out the Hidgon schedule and enter my info into the Runner's World Smart Coach and see what kind of workout it generates for me. I really need to buckle down. Dur. I feel like I've been saying that for months. Anyway, g'night for now.

Working Girl

No more mornings sleeping in
No more daytime LMN*.

No more couch potato days
Spent lazily in my p-j's.

My green pleather sofa I will miss
But it's time for a goodbye kiss.

I'm once again a working girl,
Thank you Jesus, I desperately need the dollar bills.

:)

*Lifetime Movie Network

Unfortunately, I have no running achievements to mention but can proudly say that I (finally) start work tomorrow - at a physical therapy office! It only took 3 months after we moved up here but I finally found a friggin job. Yay! I'm excited (and a bit nervous) to get back to work, meet people, and get into a schedule of some sort. I found the job on craigslist - which was surprising b/c until now I'd thought almost everything listed on there was a scam or b.s. of some kind - and interviewed for it about a week and a half ago. I was told during the interview that they were going to do a "round 2" for whoever they wanted to interview again. It would be an informal interview to meet the other therapists and see how well the personalities meshed. I was extremely nervous as I was driving to the interview and almost wanted to turn around and go back home. My stomach was killing me, my heart was racing and I felt all gaggy. I arrived early and was pleasantly surprised by how beautiful the office was. It's a tastefully decorated, open area on the 9th floor of a huge building downtown Nashville. There are gigantic floor to ceiling windows that overlook rolling hills and downtown. When I met the interviewer I felt as if we clicked almost immediately. She completely put me at ease. There were several times during the interview that we'd deviate from the question she'd asked and start talking about anything from jewelry to "reality" tv. I felt so comfortable, in fact, that after she described her role in the office that I told her she was "kind of like the Michael Scott of the office". She didn't get the reference right away and I thought "Oh shit, maybe I should have reconsidered this". Then I asked, "Do you watch The Office?" and she said "Yes, I love that show". Looking back on it I'm lucky she didn't misconstrue my comment and think I was calling her a complete moron. Oy. After the interview as I drove home I was smiling the entire way. I felt SO good about the interview. I tried my best not to get my hopes up too high; Dave found himself in a similar situation back in Feb when he interviewed for a job and I would have bet $100 that he absolutely had the job...and then he didn't get it. So while I was excited about the experience, that situation was in the back of my mind the entire time warning me not to call off my job hunt just yet.

A few days later, I think it was last Tuesday, she called to see if I was still interested in the job. I said "absolutely" and she said "Although I planned on doing a second round of interviews, I had such a good feeling after your interview that I'd like to offer you the job". I was stoked! Not only did I want the job hella bad but was extremely flattered that I'd made such a good impression that she decided to ditch the second round of interviews. Score! It was funny b/c I told her how I left there and was in such a good mood b/c I got such a great vibe from her and the office and how excited I was about the job and she said "Me too! I was in such a good mood after you left and thought what a great way that was to end the week". Good stuff. The only drawback it that it's a bit of a hike: probably between 45 minutes and an hour each way. But I'm fine with it b/c I got a great feeling from the people and office when I was there and physical therapy is something that has always interested me. In fact, when I began taking college classes, I was actually taking prerequisites for P.T. Unfortunately, I was told by several people that the "supply had met the demand" and there wasn't that much of a need for P.T.'s. These comments, along with the fact that P.T. had recently become a Master's Program were enough to dissuade me from pursuing it. Of course now I wish I'd been forward thinking enough to realize that the pendulum has to swing the other way as Baby Boomers age, etc. Oh well. I'm hoping that my proximity to the field and other therapists will help me decide whether it's still something I'm interested in pursuing.

I had no long run last week. Boo! It's incredible how my weeks of running can be as different as night and day from one to the next. Two weeks ago I was absolutely pumped and was very focused on running and moving my ass in general. Last week I was more concerned with sitting on my ass than moving it. I couldn't seem to muster much excitement or motivation to move. I think I ran 7 miles the entire week. This week isn't shaping up to be much more promising. I've done 5 miles so far and contemplated doing 9 or 10 today but there is another part of me that is more concerned with fully enjoying my last day of freedom by watching t.v., reading, organizing the house, and cleaning (in preparation for company this weekend). I did do yoga, so at least that's something. I know I really should just do the friggin long run b/c there probably won't be much time over the weekend. God I wish I had a trainer or running buddy to keep me in line. Grr.

In other news I was on mypyramid.gov last week b/c for the life of me I could not think of all the food groups - which I feel like a moron for admitting but oh well. I noticed a link on the page for "MyPyramid Menu Planner" and thought that sounded interesting so I clicked on it. The page requires you to enter your height, weight, age, gender, and level of physical activity. With a bit of trepidation I entered the information. I know I'm bigger than I should be for my height but was unprepared to be taken to a warning screen that advised the following:

"The weight you entered is above the healthy range for your height. This may increase your risk for health problems. Some people who are overweight should consider weight loss. For more information about health risks and whether you should try to lose weight click here, or talk with your health care provider."

Ouch. I then had the option to view menu plans for my current weight or "to move toward a healthier weight". I guiltily chose the latter. I guess it's better to "keep it real" but it still stung a bit.

I guess that's it for now. I hope I have exciting running news to post in the next few days. If anyone in the Nashville/Murfreesboro area happens to read this and wants a running partner, please leave me a comment. I need you!!

The elusive eight

Ta daaaa! I finally set a new distance PR last week. On Thursday I did an 8 miler on the treadmill. Woo hoo. It's about damn time! I have to say I can't believe how great I felt for the majority of it. Of course, I had to stop a few times to reset the treadmill; I knew it would shut down after 30 minutes so I had to beat it to the punch. My initial plan was to do 2.5 miles, 2.5 miles, then 3 miles. The plan was briefly thwarted when someone asked me to buzz them into the computer room. I got off the treadmill, forgetting to look at how far I'd gone. When I got back, naturally, all of the info had been erased and the counters were all at zero. Blast! I knew I'd been on for just over 11 minutes so it was safe to assume I'd gone at least a mile. So I went for 2.75 mi, then another 2.75, then 1.5. Around the 6 mile mark, I was mentally fawning all over myself, congratulating my mind and body on so flawlessly executing the (almost) 8 miles. I was imagining blogging about it and writing, "I could've easily gone 10 miles! It was SO EASY." No sooner was I through with that that everything felt like it came to a screeching halt. The last mile and a half felt like it would never ever ever ever end. I kept looking down at the display thinking, "No way. I must've gone more than .03 mi. It feels like ages since I last checked!" I kept trying to focus on my songs to make the time go by. "Ok, 2 more songs and I should be done." Finally the end came. It took me 1 hr 24 minutes. I felt really good when it was over. I was proud and excited and a bit exhausted. I was very happy that I'd managed to ignore the immense urge to skip the run and put it off for another day. I always have those thoughts. The ones where you think about running and then immediately try to dream up excuses as to why you cannot run, why you have to put it off for another time: "I have to load the dishwasher." "I feel like I'm going to throw up." "I have to finish my sudoku puzzle and then make my bed." etc etc. It all worked out, I'm happy to say. The weird thing is that my legs didn't seem to be sore until 2 days after the run. My body appears to have a delayed reaction to these long runs. My hips were a bit sore on Friday but my legs didn't hurt until Saturday and Sunday. Anyone else have this problem?

Let me back up a minute. I planned on running with the local running club last Tuesday night. I noticed on the website that they met in the parking lot at a particular Kroger location at 6. As six o'clock drew closer I felt surges of nervous excitement. I was looking forward to meeting fellow runners and maybe making some new friends. I suited up and drove to the Kroger, arriving about 15 minutes early. I sat for awhile, talking on the phone and looking around. I figured it would be easy to find a group of people dressed in running shorts and t-shirts. WRONG! I drove around the perimeter at least 3 times and never found them. How difficult should it be to find a group of runners in a parking lot?! The moral of the story is to get more information when attempting something like this. I should've called to get specifics and make sure the run wasn't cancelled or anything. So I will probably get some details and give it another try tomorrow. I got home and did 2 gut-wrenching miles on the treadmill. The oven roasted chicken sub and grape Fanta did not agree with my choice of post dinner activity. Ugh.

On Saturday Dave and I decided to do some exploring. We went to the Radnor Lake Natural Area, just south of Nashville. It was absolutely stunning! We hiked for about an hour and a half and had so much fun. There is a paved trail that winds along the lake, and then to the right of the trail were hills with more primitive unpaved trails that ranged in difficulty. We were plugging along on one of the hilly trails when all of a sudden Dave (who was about 5 ft behind me) said in a very stern voice, "Jen. STOP. TURN AROUND VERY SLOWLY AND WALK BACK TO ME." I stopped and followed his instructions, freaked out that there was a bear in the trees up ahead or a huge spider web I was about to walk through or God knows what else. When I reached him I managed to choke out, "What? What is it?" "It's a deer" he says. "A DEER? Are you friggin kidding me?! I thought it was something that was going to ferociously attack me! Not a damn deer!" He tried to explain that he'd seen videos of "deer gone wild" on tv where people are attacked by deer. I figure the people must've done something to provoke them b/c although I'm no deer expert, I find it hard to imagine a deer charging at someone for no reason. I turned back around and saw a momma deer laying in the tall grass to the right of the trail. Not exactly life-threatening at first glance. It's crazy b/c I would've walked right by it! I had to laugh though after I calmed down and thought about how funny it was that Dave was trying to protect me from a lazy deer lounging in the grass. He wanted to turn around but I wanted to keep going. "Pleeeease Dave. Pleeease. I'm sure she won't attack. Let's just keep going." He acquiesced and as we continued our hike we ended up seeing 25 more deer. That was not a typo. Twenty-five more deer! How crazy is that? Including 2 fawn. It was incredible. Those deer were not scared of us. They were just doing their own thing. At times we were 10 feet from them. It was very cool! I can't wait to go there and hike again. I can only imagine how beautiful it will be in the fall.

It was a really good weekend. For this week, I'm trying to decide whether to do 9 mile or skip ahead to 10 for my long run. I guess I'll just play it by ear.

Botched long run attempt/yoga fun/yay for sub 10 min miles

Last Wednesday I was determined to FINALLY get a long run in. I headed to the Greenway with what seemed like an excessive arsenal of "must haves" for my run: ipod, chewable Rolaids, gum, chapstick, sport beans, water and keys. Since I only had 1 small pocket, I was forced to carry my water and keys. I fit my sport beans in a tiny pocket on the inner lining of my shorts. I applied the chap stick, chewed the gum and popped the Rolaid as a preemptive strike against my nasty foe, Mr Acid Reflux, who enjoys visiting during runs. For some reason I had it in my head that the trail was 7 miles with an additional mile trail that connects to it. I was planning on doing the 7, then running 1/2 the other mile, turning around, running back and voila! I'd be done with the 8 miles and have a new distance PR under my belt. The first half went relatively quickly and I was suspicious when I looked down and noticed that I'd gone what I thought was 3.5 miles in just over 20 minutes. Although I knew there was no way in hell I'd managed to shave a few minutes per mile off my pace, I forged on, secretly hoping my watch was broken because I'd much rather buy another watch than realize I'd gone significantly less than the intended 8 miles. I'd stopped at the half to go to the bathroom and study the map, and then a few other times (VERY short stops, in my defense) to 1. readjust headphones that were falling out of my ears 2. rest for a minute or two and 3. eat my beans. I felt like I had to choke them down and they didn't seem to give me a boost like I'd imagined. :( I was concerned when I reached the starting point and noticed that instead of indicating 3.5 miles, the marker noted 2.75! What the &%$#?! I thought, "I swear it HAS to have been farther than that!" On the way out, the trail ended at 4.5 miles. So how the hell am I only at 2.75 right now?! The other "mile" of the trail lacked markers and I felt like I was about to puke so I turned around after a few minutes and came back. I ended up walking for a bit and considered the fact that I always look at people who run during the noon - 2pm hours and wonder why the hell they are running during the hottest part of the day. I don't know whether to respect them or put them in a straitjacket. Just kidding, of course I respect them...even if I do think it's a bit crazy to run in such heat. Except here I was, at 1:30 in the afternoon, attempting my longest run to date. Oy! When I finished I was happy to be done but exhausted and very thirsty. My water was out and unfortunately, the water coming out of the nearby water fountain was HOT. I spat out the mouthful I'd slurped and got in my car. I didn't even have the energy to stretch. Bad girl, I know. I really thought I did somewhere between 7 and 8 miles (despite the screwy mile markers), but my time was only 1 hour 9 minutes. In my gut I knew that there was no way I'd gone 7-8 miles. The timing was too far off. A few days later I went back to the trail and noticed that what I thought was 3.5 miles was only 3, and that more than likely I only did about 6.5 miles. Boo! I was pretty pissed and considered vowing to never run that p.o.s. trail ever again. I need to figure out where the other "mile" starts and stops so that I can accurately run the 8 miles IF I choose to do so on that trail. It's either that or try to do the 8 on the treadmill, which I'm not psyched about.

Friday I did a lousy 2 miles in 19:24 and felt my shins starting to hurt, so I figured I'd stop and give it a rest. I have been all about the Namaste Yoga programs that come on Fit TV. I have my dvr set to record all of them and I am enjoying varying the workouts. I have not been able to memorize the actual names of the poses so for this story I will simply describe what I was doing. It's funny the way timing works. I was just starting to feel like my flexibility was genuinely improving and was mentally patting myself on the back when I got a reality check. I'd been in a kneeling pose, with my butt on my calves with hands clasped behind my body. Then I was supposed to lean forward slowly and gently touch my forehead to the floor. When I was about half way down, I lost control and rocked forward, with my entire face plummeting into the carpet. Talk about a nosedive. I had to laugh because I must've looked like a prize idiot. Thank God I was in the privacy of my living room! I look foward to the day when I have the yogic mastery not to grind my face into the carpet. I hope that day comes soon. I'll keep you posted.

In other news, I did 4 miles today in 38:47, which pleased me. I'm happy to still be on track with the sub-10 min miles. Surprisingly, that pace now feels good and comfortable - at least on the treadmill - I'm still worried about pacing myself on asphalt. I'm thinking about going to a group run tomorrow night that is typically "somewhere between 3 and 7 miles". I'm very nervous but figure I HAVE to take a shot. I don't know how else to meet runners up here and have realized that I'm not sure how much farther I can go on my own with this training. I enjoy my solitude but I think I could/would/will benefit tremendously from having at least a partner to run with. Wish me luck!

Built-in timer: friend or foe?

So we’re all moved into our new place and last week I decided to give the “gym” at the complex a try since my treadmill is still at Kim and Jeff’s. I felt a bit self conscious b/c 1. I hate gyms and 2. there are two sizable windows that look out on the lobby/office. Fortunately there wasn’t much traffic through the area and I was the only one in the gym so all was well. I hopped on the treadmill and started a warm up walk. It was was sooo smooth. Like walking on friggin buttah. Being on mine feels like walking/running on rocks in comparison. After a few minutes I started my run. My legs felt great and I was thrilled the entire time I was running. I just watched the giant plasma tv mounted on the wall and mentally patted myself on the back for going to the gym when it was the last thing I wanted to do. I was also thinking about how great it was going to be to get rid of my treadmill b/c these are so awesome that there is absolutely no reason for me to keep mine. I was planning out the design of the office/guest room/workout room sans workout gear and I was super psyched about it…until 30 minutes went by and the damn machine STOPPED! I suppose I should have realized something was up when all of a sudden the display started flashing and beeping. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled. I had an idea how far I’d gone so I knew how much I had left to do for the 3 miles but all I could think was “You’ve GOT to be kidding me.” Although the timing mechanism infuriated me, I’ve come to realize that it can be a powerful incentive: run your ass off so that you can do 3 miles before it stops. I believe I have that damn timer to thank for my new 3 mile PR from last Friday: 28:42. Woo hoo! I couldn’t believe how great I felt. Of course, part of me felt like I’d just gotten the crap kicked out of me; but knowing I’d run sub 10 minute miles (at least for the two, I think the first mile was at 10:10 or so) absolutely made my day!! So at least for now, my negative feelings for the timer have subsided. I’m happy to report that since the day I got cut off (last Wed), I’ve been running consistent sub-30 minute 3 milers. For the past two weeks I have run 3 x week, 3 miles each time, so I guess that is decent. And I did 3 today in 29:51 followed by a “Yoga for Distance Runners” program…

However, the bad news is that I have not done a long run in over a month. I hate this and feel like such a butthead b/c I know how important the long run is. Because it seems to be too difficult for me to do it on weekends, I’m thinking of switching it to Wednesdays…at least until my schedule changes, aka when I get a job and have to actually do shit during the day other than clean, read, watch tv (I’m obsessed with our Direct TV and DVR!!), and eat/cook. I think this might be a good solution to my problem. It makes more sense for me to do the long run during the week, when I’m on my own, as opposed to during weekends when I'm enjoying what little time I have to spend with Dave. I really was planning on doing it yesterday, up until 9pm…however the two Blue Moons I had during dinner convinced me otherwise. Oh, and I saw Dark Knight yesterday and it was badass! Loved it, loved it, loved it. Batman rocks!


That's it for now. I hope everyone is doing well! :)

I <3 Bryson City, NC

As I mentioned in my previous post, we went to Bryson City, NC over the weekend for a family reunion. It. Was. Gorgeous. That is an understatement. I absolutely fell in love with it. We arrived at the Nantahala Village around 1 am on Friday. I stayed up and had a glass of wine and talked to my dad for about 45 minutes and then crashed on an airbed in the common area of the cabin. When I picked my head up the next morning the first thing I saw was sliding glass doors that led to a patio that contained a small hot tub and rocking chairs and beyond that I saw bright green trees and mountains. That's a good way to start the day. We did some reunion activities that day and just hung around. The next day my dad woke me up to tell me that a bunch of the family was going for a run and that if I was a serious runner I'd get up out of bed and run with them. As much as I was enjoying my beauty sleep, I was looking forward to running in new territory, so I got up and got dressed. It was raining so we waited a bit for it to slow down. About 20 minutes later we headed out despite a steady drizzle. I wasn't the youngest but was by far the most fledgling runner in the group. Fortunately, I managed to hang with the rest of them at a comfortable pace. The first part of the run was down a HUGE hill and it took extreme concentration and coordination on my part not to lose my balance and go tumbling down the hill like a runaway tumbleweed. The road snaked through the cabins and trees, down to the horse stables, complete with fresh piles of manure dotting the way. After a few more minutes the cabins disappeared, the road got a bit rougher and the only thing to see were huge, gorgeous green trees. The soft cool rain and unusual scenery were welcome changes and served as distractions that allowed me to feel nothing but awe and happiness. I'm not sure whether it was the rain, the company, the scenery, or likely a combination of all three but it was the best run I've had in a very long time. We ran for about 40 minutes, taking a few walking breaks after particularly hilly portions of the trail or when we were figuring out where to go. I was completely whooped toward the end but had no shin pain whatsoever. After the run we went back to the cabin and some of the family was going for a walk so I grabbed a quick drink and headed out with them. The run had been so energizing! After that it was time to grab some food and head out for whitewater rafting.

The rafts held 6 people plus the guide and our raft consisted of me, Dave, my dad, his wife Michelle, and my sister and brother in law. The Nantahala is a class 2-3 river, which translated to a very calm ride with about 3 small rapids at various parts. The frigid 45 degree water served as an unnecessary wake up call and since I was at the helm with my sister, I got more than my fair share of it. The combination of the cold water and warmer weather created an eerie but beautiful blanket of mist on the river. I'd never seen anything like it. I expected to do a lot more paddling during our trip but since it was so calm, Isaac, our guide did the majority of the work. Isaac is a musician and is a guide part time and his wife is a massage therapist, yoga instructor and trail guide. When he said that I thought, "No fair, I wanna do that!!" Nevermind the fact that I have absolutely no training or qualifications for any one of those but I can't think of anything that sounds more fun than living in such a beautiful place and doing those jobs. (sigh) Oh well. Maybe one day.

We got back to The Boro around 11am on Sunday and immediately took naps. We'd stayed up late the night before, talking to my aunt and uncle about the marathon. They are both experienced marathoners and were doing a fantastic job of reassuring me that I will be fine and will absolutely finish the marathon and that the most important thing is to just have fun. Everything they said was just what I needed to hear as I've been second-guessing this challenge for a few weeks now.

Between naps and laundry and watching baseball, I skipped my long run on Sunday. Monday I got on the elliptical for 30 minutes and followed it up with 30 minutes of yoga and some hand weights. Tuesday was a lazy day and I was in a shit mood so I didn't do anything. Yesterday I did 3.1 in just under 32 minutes. Then I walked with Kim and some of her coworkers. We did 4 miles on the trail. Oddly enough, while I felt great after running, the walking did something to upset my hips and make them sore. Today has not been successful. I ran a mile on the tread and felt like I needed to stretch my legs so I stopped to stretch. My shins hurt a bit so I thought maybe I could do some yoga and then try to run the remaining 2 miles. As I was doing the 2nd friggin warm up pose I felt a weird pain in my wrist and had to stop. I'm making dinner for Kim and Jeff and am hoping that I have the energy and discipline to run later tonight. I feel like such a failure for only doing a friggin mile. Oy!

Tomorrow the plan is to run early and then, joy of all joys, start the moving process. Yay! We move into our own apt tomorrow. I am super psyched about it. I can't wait to have a pool again - although it will be odd only being able to use it for a couple more months. Living in FL my whole life meant being able to use the pool almost year round. I guess I was spoiled. I hope the move goes well. Tomorrow Jeff is going to help me and then Saturday Dave and I have a Uhaul rented but no helpers b/c everyone has to work. Whatever we don't get done Saturday will be done Sunday when we have back-up. I hope it doesn't take too long to get everything unpacked. At least I have plenty of time to dedicate to the process. :)

I better start dinner - chicken and dumplings. Mmmmmmmm. Except I feel like a jackass b/c Kim doesn't like dumplings. They're friggin biscuits swimming in chicken broth! What's not to like?! I guess I should have done more research prior to planning/shopping for this meal. I'm hoping she at least likes the chocolate trifle for dessert. Brownies and pudding and cool whip, oh my!

Playing tag and catch up

I'm really slacking on this blogging thing. Last week I ran 4 times, which is good...but skipped my long run, which sucks. I think I only did about 10 miles for all of last week. Blech. This Tuesday I did 3 miles outside sans ipod. Despite getting new headphones I'm still experiencing issues with the buds coming out of my ears. I think my ears are oddly shaped or something. The run went pretty well. My only complaint is that I'm having difficulty driving out the incessant "All I want to do right now is stop and walk" inner voice. It's as if my mind is incapable of forming any other thought. Maybe it has something to do with being able to hear my labored breathing...I ran past a sweet old man twice and the second time he made some friendly (I think) remark and since the only thing I could have heard over my breathing might have been 10 raging fire truck sirens, all I could do was flash my sweetest grin and keep on running. My shins slightly bothered me but could have been worse. Apart from that, since I ran earlier in the day than usual, I felt like I had sooo much energy the rest of the day. It was pretty fantastic. Of course I thought, "And why is it that I don't do this EVERY day?!" Now if I could just bottle that up and release it every time I wanted to ditch a run, I'd be golden. A few hours later I attempted a yoga routine I dvr'd on fit tv (my new favorite channel) but only lasted 15 minutes or so. I had to stop when they started doing handstands. Yeah, maybe one day but certainly not anytime soon will I be able to contort and lift and support my body the way those girls were doing it. God bless them.

Yesterday I did another 3 miles and incorporated some pickups. I ran a mile to warm up (10:25) and then did 5 two minute pickups (8:34 pace) with a 1 minute recovery (I slowed way down for these - 12:00) then ran the remaining .50 mile to complete the 3 in just under 30 minutes. I was really struggling during the last mile or so of the workout...AGAIN because all I could think about was how badly I wanted to stop. Anyone know of any at-home lobotomy kits I can pick up?! Jesus Christmas it's ridiculous.

Today I did 30 minutes on the elliptical and a 30 minute yoga routine. I felt really good after the yoga. The woman that narrates the workouts (Namaste Yoga) has such a soothing voice. I really like it. I netflix'd Rodney Yee's Power Yoga workout. I'm eager to give it a try next week.

I was double teamed or perhaps more appropriately tag teamed by Julie and Chris to share 6 random facts about myself.
Here goes:
1. I've been skydiving and can't wait to go again.
2. Ive never broken a bone.
3. I love peanut butter and jelly on toast with bacon. It's one of the most scrumpulescent snacks ever. Don't knock it till you try it.
4. I've recently started watching Days of Our Lives.
5. I want to live in a big city where I can walk everywhere and not have to rely on a car.
6. I received my one and only referral on the bus while I was in kindergarten, yes kindergarten, for "flipping the bird". I didn't even know what that meant. My friend had showed me how to do it and I turned to her and said "Brittany, is this how you do it?". The bird flew too high and I got busted.

here are the rules:

* link to the person who tagged you.
* post the rules on your blog.
* write six random things about yourself.
* tag six people at the end of your post.
* let each person know they've been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog
* let the tagger know when your entry is up.

I'm tagging Tammie , Aron, Carmen, Adrianne. The other people I was going to tag have already been tagged. I look forward to reading the random facts. :) I hope everyone has a safe and happy July 4th! We're going to NC for a family reunion. I'm looking forward to taking in some new sights while running in a different territory.