Date Update

Date #2 with the CPA went very well. Good sushi, good conversation, good time. Date #3 with the CPA will be next Wednesday. Good night.

Back to work…if I must

It was a good, long weekend! I cleaned house a bit yesterday, got caught up on most of my laundry, took a good nap, and goofed around on the web. I wanted just one more day…but then after that I would want another ‘just one more day’…

My date from Friday night called last night. YAY! We’re going out again tonight. YAY! So soon you say? Yes, well the rest of our weekly schedule dicates that unless we want to wait a whole week before going out again, we go out tonight. How exciting. He was super nice, and made me laugh a lot. Total gentleman. We’ll see how it goes tonight!

I also continued with my marathon training this morning. My alarm started going off at 4 AM. YES! You read right folks. During the week I get to wake up even earlier! I pushed the snooze button once, then dragged my butt out of bed at around 4:20, got dressed, gathered up my stuff and my kids (poor things) and drove off to the track to meet the running group. My kids were so tired, but I gave them the ‘This is important to mommy speech’ and they were so excellent and just slept in the car while I ran for an hour. I rewarded them with McDonalds for breakfast. And, we talked about them training for a 5K run too. Get them involved and it will be easier, right? I got in 5 miles in 59:32. It was an ‘easy’ run, so that’s why my pace was slower. But, I felt really good the whole time! NIKE WOMEN’S HERE I COME!

Quit that barking!

Last night my two lovely, crazy, muddy dogs were outside just barking up a storm at around 3:30 in the morning. For them to wake me up means 1) they’re barking very loud, and 2) they’ve been barking for quite awhile. They just don’t bark like that for no reason, so I wondered what could be driving them so batty. Hoping it wasn’t some crazy nut trying to break into my yard, I walked to the back door and peered out into the dark. I could see them both standing on either side of some poor little animal. At first I thought it was a bunny. No, no big floppy ears. Then, when my dogs realized that I was at the door, they came running over, giving the animal the opportunity to look over. It was a ‘possum! So, I opened the door and brought Wrigley & Tori in and gave the poor thing a chance to escape.

I thought I had seen a ‘possum one night while I was driving in the neighborhood, and now I know for sure that I did. I’m always amazed at the amount of wildlife one can find in a urban/suburban setting. Our local greenbelt provides some excellent habitat for wild things. There are rabbits I know, and I’ve seen an owl once. I’ve heard of coyotes venturing into the city, but heck, we’re encroaching on their home range with our urban sprawl, so who can blame them. Anyone else have any cool wildlife around their ‘hood?

Marathon Class: Day 1

Despite setting both of my alarms, this morning I opened my eyes, stared at the clock and read 5:59 AM. OMG! I was supposed to be at the Run On! store in 1 minute. Crap crap crappity crap. So, I jumped out of bed, threw on my running clothes, grabbed my coffee (fortunately I had set the timer on the coffee pot the night before), a breakfast bar and headed out the door. I managed to drive up into the parking lot at 6:20, just in time to see the class jogging towards the track at SMU. Not good. I ran inside and inquired about the marathon class. Yep, that was the group I had seen running off. I could complete the registration info later, just go on and catch up.

So, I ran over to SMU, and by some miracle, ended up right at the track just as they were about to start the time trial. The time trial would give the coaches our 5K pace and this would enable them to place us in pace groups. I was having a feeling I wasn’t going to have a great run (yeah, I know, not good to start off with negative thinking), but my quads were sore from my ride the day before, I had woke up late, didn’t eat like I should have, and I was feeling guilty for being late! But, I lined up nevertheless, and ran as best as I could.

I started off too quickly. After 2 laps of the track, I was on a 10:00 mile pace. Waaaay to fast for “Slow Poke Lass”! I finished the first mile on that pace, then I slowed it down a bit. They had said that we should be only able to respond to a question with Yes/No, but not a complete sentence. Well, I don’t think I could have said Yes/No. I dropped back, and was lapped by some crazy fast runners. But, I ran my own pace, pushed myself at the end, and finished in 33:06. A new PR for me. 20 seconds off my previous PR a couple of weeks ago. I was shooting for something under 33, so I got real close. Next time.

Then, we ran (when can I stop running!) back to the store and I completed my signup, paid, and listened to the coaching team talk about the remainder of training to come. This is going to be so much fun, and a real challenge. I am so looking forward to it.

After the speech, I followed my friend Judy to her house, where we picked up her kids, went to another track, and ran another 3.2 miles. Her kids are training for a 10K race next month. Then, we went and ate breakfast. A well-earned omelette if I do say so myself. Tomatos, avocados and cheese. YUM.

Then, I went to my friend Melissa’s house for a pool party. Depite the overcast sky, and the brief sprinkle of showers, I had a nice, relaxing and enjoyable afternoon.

Tomorrow is a day off before I start up on the marathon training. Perfect time to clean house and do laundry. Glamorous I know, but hey, somebody’s got to do it.

Hope your weekend has been fantastic so far. Enjoy your day off tomorrow!

Saturday Training & Urban Adventure

Today, I got up at 5 am, met my friend Judy at 6 am. She’s training for a 50-mile ultra trail run in Wyoming in a couple of weeks. She usually trains with her husband, but he was out of town this weekend. So, while Judy ran and I biked (mountain bike) as her support, carrying her extra fluids and snacks. We started at the Galatyn Park/75 DART Station to the UTD trail, over to the Prestonwood Trail, over to the White Rock Creek Trail, to White Rock Lake, through Lakewood to M-Streets, then to the Katy Trail. Then, we went all the way down the Katy Trail past the American Airlines Center, and ended down in the West End. 27.77 miles total in 5 hours! Holy guacamole! You know you have a sickness when a training run is longer than a full marathon! I’m only working my way up to the full marathon right now. We’ll see if I get infected with the ‘running sickness’ any more after that.

We then stopped and ate lunch at Fridays. It had started raining by this point (we actually got very lucky and stayed dry all the way downtown. So, I pulled my bike into Fridays and parked it in the bar. I’m guessing we were pretty stinky, which is why the hostesses asked us if we wanted to sit in the bar next to my muddy mountain bike, and away from all their nice, normal, good-smelling customers. So, we ate, re-hydrated and checked in with Judy’s husband who was running from the airport in Charlotte, NC to the Lowe’s Speedway out there.

We finished up lunch, and it was still raining, although not quite as hard. We bought our rail passes and waited for the next northbound DART train to arrive. I managed to get myself and my bike on the train to go back to the Galatyn Park station. The slow rocking of the train almost put me to sleep, and definitely made me yawn a few times. We finally got to our stop and I was ready to get back in my car and get home! Except me and my bike didn’t make it out of the train before it started moving again. We didn’t realized until too late that we had to push the button to open the doors and only Judy managed to get off before the doors closed again! YIKES! Wait! My car is back there! Fortunately I had just given Judy her car key out of my pack, so she was able to get in her car and wait for me. She offered to come get me, but I didn’t want to leave my bike unattended, and definitely didn’t want to put a greasy, muddy bike in her brand new beautiful Saab.

So, I got off at the next station and tried to figure out how to get back to where I was parked. The George Bush Tollway was right in front of me, and short of riding back on the freeway service road in the rain, I didn’t have much choice of where to go. Judy said get back to Renner Road. So, I rode my bike up the service road a bit, and turned onto Plano Road, which then intersected with Renner. Fortunately there was not much traffic, so I felt relatively at ease, even riding in the driving rain.

I turned into an office park and tried to pick up the UTD Trail from there. Except it was fenced off where I tried to get on. Between the office park and the trail was a 5 foot black iron fence. There was no way around that was easy to see, but I did not want to ride back up a very busy 75 and go up the service road. So, I devised a plan. I threw (well, gently lifted and placed) my bike over the fence, and then started to climb over myself. Then, I noticed the other side of the trail wasn’t fenced. There was a bridge over a creek just 25 yards down, so I rand down and ignoring the numerous creep-crawlies, I slid down under the bridge and bumping my pack against the bottom of the bridge a few times, managed to make it out without touching anything that moved. Successfully to the other side, I ran back to my bike. I had no clue which way to go, but I headed off in what seemed like the right direction. Just on the other side of the bridge I quickly realized, nope, not the right way and turned around. I biked down to a split in the path and again gambled, this time correctly, on the path to take. Then, I saw signs for Galatyn and followed them. Until I got to the sign that pointed both ways. I turned left, even though I had a strong urge to turn right. Either way I would get there! I’m pretty sure I picked the long way around, but still managed to find my way back to the office park and to my friend who was nervously waiting for me. She accused me of just wanting to get in a ‘real ride’ for a few minutes. I did indeed get my heart rate up there for a minute!

Whew! I guess I call that a “Mini-Urban Adventure”. It turned out it probably would have been a couple of minutes faster for me to wait for the next train headed back south, but it would not nearly have been as fun, and I wouldn’t have as good a story to tell to you all! And this I do in the name of training!

Up at 5 am again tomorrow to run a 3-mile time trial to be placed in a running group for my marathon class. Certainly won’t be as eventful, but I hope I have a good time. I’m fairly certain I’ll be in the slowest group, but I don’t think I want to be THE slowest.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

Most of you will have a three (or four!) day weekend this weekend. Hopefully you have something fun and relaxing planned. If not, find something! It’s time to be with friends and family and cook-out and drink beer (if you’re of age).

Tonight I’m going to a baseball game. Sure to be fun. It’s the minor league team that’s here locally. The park is small and intimate, so you get right into the game. Tomorrow I’m riding with my friend who has to run 5 hours. Yeah, she’s even crazier than I am! She’s training for a 50-mile trail run in two weeks. Amazing…my hero!

Sunday I’ll go to a pool party. Well, pending the off and on rain that’s forecast all weekend. The only thing the rain will interrupt though is actual swimming. The eating and beer drinking will not be affected.

And, if the rain holds off, I’ll head up to Bar H for a little camping on Sunday night and some mountain bike riding.

Monday will be a rest day. At this point. Unless my plans change and something else fun comes along.

Have a fun and relaxing weekend everyone! Wear your seat belts (car) or personal flotation devices (boaters), elect a designated driver, and be safe!

So this is what it’s like to be relaxed…

I don’t remember when or why it happened. I don’t think I was always this way. But, at some point in time I turned into a giant stress-ball. The littlest thing could set me off in tears or anger and would ruin my entire day. How did I get to that point? D always thought of me as a control-freak, and I guess I would stress out over things that I couldn’t control. I think part of that tendency was out of a desire for order in my life that wasn’t there, and the other part was out of necessity, because D was so out of control for the longest time.

But now, like I said last week, I’m smiling. Even though I can’t control certain things about this situation I’m in, I can control how I react to it and how I proceed with my life. I’m more relaxed. I’m enjoying myself. I’m able to think about what I want to do and not worry if someone else is going to approve. I don’t need anyone else’s approval!

Even though I’m angry, I am able to look at where I am now and wonder if it’s not for the best. For both of us. I was absolutely denying myself the care and attention I deserve, and at some level I knew it. But was I too afraid to take the step that he did? I don’t like the way he did it for sure, but maybe, after it’s all said and done, I owe him a genuine ‘thank-you’.

Hill Repeats

I have discovered what sucks more than sprints. That would be hill repeats! Basically, sprinting uphill. My friend/coach/torturer Judy talked me into running them with her this morning. Well, we ran the 1 mile warm-up together, but she’s power-woman up the hills and thus left me behind in her dust. So, .2 miles up the hill, then .2 miles down the hill. 4 minutes total x 6 times. Then another 1 mile to cool down. Did I mention that I had to get up at 5 AM to do this? What doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger, right? The good thing is I can see my legs shaping up quite nicely (well, in my humble opinion). Now if my butt would cooperate…

I’m surprised I’m not more evil…

And I’m sure those of you who know me are shocked as well. I really must work on my evilness.

Get Your Ass over the Pass

My next big crazy adventure is the Wild West Relay in Colorado in August. Last night we had a team meeting and met the other runners. Everyone is really excited to run. My friend Judy and her husband Keith are coordinating this whole thing and doing a damn fine job. We picked our running legs too, and I’m runner number 12! This means I get to run at night and I get to cross the finish line! YAY! How exciting! It also means that I am the slowest runner and this is the easiest leg. Judy actually said ‘If you want a harder leg, we can work it out.” Uhhhhh….no. I’m perfectly happy to let all the other crazy runners fight over the hard legs.