A night of speed.

Monday nights have become my "treadmill at work" nights, and for the second week in a row, i forgot my ipod.  I have problems.  The worst part is that its just a treadmill in the basement.  There is no TV, there are no other people to spy on.  Just me, watching my leg jowels jiggle in the mirror.  As a means to get through the run without going bananas, i invented a game that is about as close to speed training as i will ever get.  Basically, every two minutes i switch the speed to anywhere between 6.0 and 8.0  (and it has to be an even number, because i have OCD.  Running at a 6.5?  It will never happen.

The real speed training, however, came later that night.  Matt has been a total space case lately.  I was in the kitchen cooking up some brussels sprouts (green thing for the day!) and apparently Matt left waffles in the living room.  alone.  With a cup of Franks red hot buffalo sauce he had been using to dip fries in.  I hear a crash, followed by some whimpers, and i SPRINTED to the living room with a Usain Bolt like speed.  Turns out waffles was curious about the hot sauce, and rather than use caution and lick the edge, she had plunked her ENTIRE FACE into the dish, obviously snorted some up her nose in the process, and then freaked out realizing how hot it was.  She also knocked the dish on the floor, spilling hot sauce everwhere, and then was in a frenzy running along the living room wall, smearing her face along it trying to get the hot sauce off.  So, my evening was spent coaxing the dog to drink milk to help the burning taste go away, cleaning her face and paws, the floor, and the WALLS.  It looks like a buffalo sauce murder scene.....


In other news, fleet feet sent me an email apologizing that my face was so ugly it would have broken the camera, and offered me half price registration for their ladies half marathon in june.  It read something like "your face is broken, and so is your checking account.  we pity you."


Speaking of half marathons, i might not run the Chi-Town half on April first because it interferes with an important training run.  I am looking at other races around that time, and there is ZIP to be had.  Any one know of any early spring half marathons?  I am looking at the Springfield half, because it is cheap, and their medal is shaped like a penny.  I love Lincoln.

I like it.

Thankskilling

This sunday was our first annual Thankskilling day.  The intent was to have it around thanksgiving, but obviously, i am a horrible planner.  The whole point was to make a thanksgiving dinner and watch the movie "thankskilling"

 In case you were wondering, it is in fact the worst movie i have ever seen.  It's about a psychotic turkey that kills people every thanksgiving.  I think.  I'm not totally sure what its about, actually.  Basically its a turkey that kills people and a lot of cheeky over the top one-liners ("you've been stuffed!")  


We also had a chili cook-off!  I was able to test out my brand new crock-pot!

I think i am in love with this thing. It is going to make my life so much easier!  Now i can come home to a pre-made dinner, and if i run at night, Matt doesn't have to sit around crank and hungry, waiting for me.  Does anyone have any great crock-pot recipes??


I made a veggie chili for Sunday, but just made up the recipe


1 can chili beans, medium
1 can black beans
1 cup hominy
1 cup corn
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 cup spicy V8
1/2 cup cilantro
1 cup TVP crumbles
1 onion
1 tsp olive oil
Chili powder and cumin to taste


I also made a honey jalepeno cornbread with whipped honey butter.  I basically took the standard easy cornbread recipe and added 1 diced jalepeno, and a tablespoon of honey.  DELISH!


I am a terrible cook, in that i snack the whole time i am cooking.  By the time the meal is done, i am full from all the tasting and "quality-checks"  Luckily i was able to set the crock pot at noon, and then go to the gym for a boring hour of cross training, do the laundry and dishes, and play with waffles all afternoon.  This crock pot makes me feel like a super woman!!  There are two "convenience" items in the kitchen i can't live without - my rice cooker, and my immersion blender.  I use them all the time.  I think the crock pot is joining the trifecta of kitchen excellence!


What kitchen tool can't you live without??

In and around my face.

This morning was my long run with the CARA group.  I had the option of running 9 miles, or 13 miles.  I probably should have run the 13, but i compromised and ran 11.  Life is all about compromise.


I was pretty tired and a little under the weather, mostly because the pup kept me up the entire night, (and many nights preceding), and i have been coming down with a cold.  Nothing major, just a lot of congestion and some coughing. 


I was really concerned about the ice situation...we had this lame freezing snow/drizzle thing going on friday night that left everything coated in ice.  On the plus side?  I didn't fall on my run.  On the down side?  I have fallen three times since today, once just walking to my car after the run.  I am as graceful as a bull in a china shop.  Luckily, the path was coated in an inch of ice...probably because of the f^3 half marathon being run today (which car twin Keren rocked the FACE off, btw!)  All that salt kept the ice at bay, but it also created huge lakes along the path, one of which i stepped in, creating an unpleasant wet sock scenario.  It also trashed my shoes

The ones on the left are the new shoes!  Damn you salt!

It was only moderately cold, but the wind was a BITCH.  it was a weird kind of wind, where no matter which way you ran, it was still up in your face.  I wore a scarf, but i just can't have something over my mouth when i run, it makes me crazy.  The scarf was covered in my nasty snottiness (i am a sexy runner, i tell ya)  which then froze all along the fringe and proceeded to whip me in the face the entire run.


This was all i could think of:

(i'm not gonna lie, it's on my ipod, and i listen to it whenever i am on the dreadmill.  My dark secret is out.)


Other than that, my run was very peaceful and uneventful...almost zenlike!  god i love running slow.  Maggie over at Mag Mile Runner gave me these questions to answer, as a means to entertain (or horrify) all of you.




My 11 Questions: 

1. Why do you run?  I'm not really sure why i run, because i am pretty sure i complain about it daily on this blog....a big part of it is just proving that i can run.  I went to grad school just because one person said i would never go.  I sang michael jackson at karaoke just because someone said i would never do it.  I'm just a brat, really.
2. What other athletic things do you enjoy?   I like yoga, but i have only done that since i started running.  I was in a roller derby for a while, but its been ages since i strapped on my skates!
3. Where did you grow up? Loves Park (its part of Rockford, IL "rock vegas")  Its generally referred to as Loves Park-ensaw because of its white trashiness
4. Why do you currently live where you do? Most of my close friends live in the general Logan Square area.  It also has reasonable rent and ample parking.
5. Where is your favorite place in the world? Apalachicola, FL.  Matt and i went there last year, and had the greatest time eating oysters, chasing hermit crabs, and laying on the beach
6. Do you know how to do something that not everyone can do? win at scrabble
7. What foods do you hate? Cauliflower!  and meat.
8. What kind of car do you drive, and why did you buy it? I drive a nissan versa, and i love it.  Its small and easy to park, but still roomy.  And it's blue...it was love at first sight.
9. Have you ever quit anything? Why? I have quit lots of things, but only when they are healthy to me, physically or mentally
10. What was your major? If you could go back in time, would you pick something else? (If you didn't go to college, what would you major in if you did?) I majored (and then mastered) in Industrial Design.  Its a good career and all, but if i could go back, i might do something slightly different.
11. Where did you go to college? Why? (And if you didn't go, why? I went to University of Illinois at Chicago for undergrad, because it was still relatively close to home because my dad was sick, and i was legally in charge of medical decisions.  I went to grad school at Purdue university because they paid me.  

Wow, i am super boring.  I apologize if you are still reading.  I will try and think up some new questions and pay it forward!

Courtesy of runners world...

There are not alot of things that make me laugh until i cry, but this is one of them....Thank you runners world, thank you.

SH!T RUNNERS SAY.

I love you, Gu Brew...

Because today is a rest day, and i have been up since 5:30 anyway, I thought i would talk about hydration, because it is something i totally fail at, over and over again.  I'm not sure if some people are more prone to dehydration, but if that is possible, i am one of those people.  I first realized that i was failing at hydration when i got sick at the lakefront last summer.  I felt that i was drinking a perfectly fine amount.  It was very warm and sunny, but not heat advisory warm.  To this day i blame Matt, because i had intended to be running by 7, and because of him i didn't start until 9, so it was  hotter than anticipated.  By the time i got home, i weighed myself, and i had lost 4.5 lbs on the run.  All of which was water.  which i desperately needed to live.  That means my hydration needs were miscalculated by about 70 oz.  My math really sucks.


Here are a few symptoms i have experienced as i start to get dehydrated:


1.  What little running form i have completely deteriorates.  It's really hard to tell when you're weaving, but by the time you are weaving enough that you become aware of it, you're about to go down.  If you are having trouble keeping a consistent stride, you could be dehydrated.  (there could also be a rock in your shoe, but drinking some more water is still not a bad idea.)


2.  Your mouth feels sticky, like when you wake up.  When you are dehydrated, your mouth can feel dry and parched, but it can also feel sticky, like your saliva has become very thick.  If you try to spit, it will end up all over your face and that is not cool.  drink some water.


3.  First you sweat, which is gross, but all that sweat is cooling you off.  If you stop sweating, thats when you should be concerned.  I find that i get a nice think layer of salt all over my face and arms.  God i am sexy.  

your face should NOT look like this.

4.  The swish.  When you are dehydrated, your electrolytes become imbalanced.  You can keep drinking water, but your body stops processing it.  That results in a horrible sloshing feeling while you're running.


5.  The best indicator for me is if i finish a long run, and go home and immediately fall asleep.  Its normal to be tired, especially if it is a new distance for you, but if you are unable to even feed yourself and shower, you are probably dehydrated.


That said, the best way to stay hydrated on a run is to either carry water with you, or make frequent stops.  (I carry a water bottle on runs longer than 10 miles, or if its really hot, or i know there is no water anywhere.  I like to take frequent little sips as i'm running, rather than stop for larger amounts.) Another thing i found is the Gu Brew!  Its basically a flavored electrolyte tab.  There are a lot of different companies making similar products, but the gu brew is my favorite.  They don't sponsor me, this is just my tastebuds talking.  I am sure they all work effectively, but i really like the flavor of the gu brew.  Its like gatorade, only lighter, and a little fizzy.  It's my new favorite post run drink!  I have yet to take it out with me on the run, seeing as how i have been doing low mileage all month, and it's so cold i  haven't been sweating much, but i am kind of excited for a rematch with summer distance running!  IT'S ON!




When it comes to hydration, only you know what you need, just make sure you always have access to what you need.  Or at the very least, if you collapse, don't let it affect your time....

Do YOU have any great ways to beat dehydration?  Have you even been affected by it on a run??

genius.

Every time i go near the laptop, waffles decides to jump on the keyboard to say hello.

yesterday she opened 10,000 pictures in iphoto, and today she googled the word sandwich.  I am dead serious-my dog just somehow googled the word sandwich.  obviously, she is a GENIUS!  My only real theory is that matt had copied the word sandwich, and maybe she accidentally typed the short cut for paste.  It seems suspicious though, maybe she just really wanted a sandwich, and figured out a way to communicate.  My eye is on you, genius dog.....


In running news, i had a dark cloud hanging over me at work because i new i missed yesterdays run, and my mileage was low, so then i just obsess and stew over how i am gonna make it up.  Then my computer acted up for like 3 hours today.  Then i got an emergency call from Matt who had managed to lock himself out of the apartment with the dog, forcing me to drive the 25 miles home and then back to work.  I  also had leftover pizza for lunch....i just can't help it, it's sooooo good the next day.  


I have had major stomach issues with pizza and running in the past, so i was expecting an extra lame run tonight, and i felt heartburn-y on the drive to meet up with the CARA group.  I still didn't know exactly where to find them, as you will remember i totally failed two weeks ago, and just went home.  The lady at CARA had given me a group leaders number in case i was lost again.  (which by the way, i was.)  It turns out i was in the right place all along, just NO ONE SHOWS UP IN WINTER.  Come on people.  I showed up despite being directionally challenged and a giant whiner.  Any way, the one guy and his friend go every week, but are the only ones that have been showing up so far.  They were super nice about it, and asked what my pace was.  I said that a 9:30 was probably the fastest i could comfortably go, and they said the normally run 7:30's.  WHA???  Thats like my worst nightmare is being so slow i have to be left behind.  


We waited about 10 minutes to see if any slow people would show up, but they didn't.  I did however see a giant 30 lb raccoon, and honestly, that was the highlight of my day.  30 lb raccoon.

bam.

Anyways, these two speedy guys were nice enough to run 9:30 miles with me for 5 miles.  Thats like walking for them.  And i secretly felt terrible because even that was a little difficult for me to keep up with for the first couple miles (wind in your face makes it so much harder!)  They were even nice enough to say that they might run slower miles every wednesday, and that it felt great, and that in turn made me felt great.  And to be honest, i have been maxing out at 9:40's lately, and the fact that they cared more about being nice and friendly runners than being fast just gave me a huge boost.  


Thats why running is so awesome, because the runners are awesome.  I will probably always be slow, but i really hope that some day i can pay it forward, and help some one complete a run by slowing down to their speed and encouraging them.


I feel awesome tonight.

double down

Don't worry, this post isn't about the sandwich.  In fact, just looking at the picture is making me kind of nauseous.


When i say double down, it means i missed my run yesterday.  I was trying to make it to the fleet feet chicks night, but somebody got in an accident on the Kennedy, and there was no way i would make it there in time sans teleportation.  I really, really wished there was a running group that ran at 7.  The traffic was so bad that i tried to take city streets the whole way just to avoid the highway parking lot.  I was doing pretty good until i got lost.  Have you ever gotten lost in the city you live in?  I do it on a weekly basis.  I ended up on Lincoln, driving through some neighborhood with a lot of signs in Korean.  How do i do these things?? I also saw a man dressed up as the statue of liberty dancing with a light up banjo.  I thought i was having major hallucinations, until i realized this is some kind of promotional thing that liberty taxes does to attract customers.  Damn, i thought i had stumbled onto some kind of candy corn hallucinogenic....

At least mine had a multi-colored light up banjo, which was a nice touch...

For some reason, my longer than normal trek home left me so hungry, i was ready to start hunting feral cats.  I. was. RAVENOUS.  The hunger just hit me like a punch in the face.  I cook dinner most nights, but i walked in the door, threw my credit card at Matt and asked him to please make dinner appear within 30 minutes.  Yeah, i really did that.  poor guy.... He got pizza, which isn't exactly an express train to health city, but he did order a veggie pizza with whole wheat crust. After that we had friends over to play with Waffles and watch the state of the union.  (we party hard.)


So obviously my run just DID NOT HAPPEN.  and i am feeling guilty.  Like, real guilty.  I am totally sucking at running since the puppy came.  Now i need to either double up on mileage tomorrow (hence the double down) or run on friday instead, thereby losing my rest day.  I have read that there are some marathon training programs where you run longer distances on fewer days.  Sometimes i wonder if this would be better for my complete and utter lack of time.  


I am only in week three of my training program and feel tired, hungry, and overwhelmed.  I have my fingers crossed for a second wind/fresh perspective to kick in any day now.  Or a 30 hour day.  It would solve all my problems.  That, or the 20 hour-work week.  

Good Morning!

Waffles - blogging and snacking.  Like mother, like child.

I don't know how, but in the span of seconds last night, waffles managed to start rolling around on my computer, and open every single photo in i photo.  All 10,000 of them.  I had to shut the whole thing down because they just kept popping up like a machine gun.  Thanks Waffles.  


Because i have been waking up well before dawn to take care of the little rascal, i've been frusterated i can't use this time to run, unless there is some kind of puppy sling that would allow me to strap waffles to my back.  Or a special puppy jogging stroller.....wait, i googled it, of course they exist:

Good to know....

Anyways, i've been thinking.  On one of my long runs, someone made a crack when i said this would be my first marathon.  They said "you chose a spring marathon for your first?!?!?!?"  It was obviously a crack on the less than stellar weekend weather we have been having, but it made me think, OF COURSE i chose a spring marathon for my first.  I have every intention of running the Chicago marathon this fall, but it will be so much harder to train for.  The heat....The humidity, the jam-packed lakefront, swarms of mosquitos, endless barbeques and cookouts tempting me away from training.  Did i mention the heat?  Because its a biggie.  I have major issues when it gets about 80 degrees.  Sure winter is cold and wet and icy, and i will most likely fall...often...but at least there is fluffy snow to help break those falls.  Plus there are less people on the lake front, and almost no bikers.  

I hate being cold more than most, but in my opinion, the benefits outweigh the discomfort.  It nice that we get the full effect of all seasons here in the midwest, and can choose to train through winter or summer, unlike those poor, poor people in southern california who only get beautiful weather year round.

Training for a spring marathon:

PROS

more space on the bike path

people think you are a badass

very little risk of heat stroke

apparently you run at a lower heartrate?  someone told me that...

CONS

It's always dark.

It's always cold.

a lot of the time you have to run slower because of snow and ice

chances of falling are greatly increased.

Bathrooms and water fountains are shut off for winter

Training for a fall marathon:

PROS:

Never alone on any running path

Sun comes up at like 5am and doesn't set until 9

Much easier to find someone to run with you

Significantly less laundry

CONS:

It gets really hot and humid

Heat exhaustion risk/running at 5am to avoid heat

You will sweat all the time on everything

Paths are overcrowded at peak times

Risk of being mowed down by someone on a bike increases.

What are your thoughts?  Which marathon (or half marathon, or 10k, or 5k) would YOU rather train for?  Have i missed and obvious pros and cons??

motivation

I am almost more excited now for Running Worlds motivational mondays than i am for bagel day.
Todays poster:

And my response:

Weekend recap

I am not very coherent right now because of extreme sleep deprivation, so here is a mish-mash of crap.


1.  Waffles is keeping me up at night.  Matt and i have been sleeping in two hour shifts basically and that is not enough sleep for me.  I have lost my keys 5 times, and forgot my login code to get into work today. That kinda tired.


2.  I am really sore and couldn't figure out why, until i realized that i probably carried Waffles outside to go potty about 25 times this weekend (down three flights of stairs)  Cross training?


3.  I finally went to a hot yoga class after quitting my last studio due to over crowding.  Kim the runner nurse kept talking about hot yoga and it was making me super jealous.  I went to Tula Yoga in Logan square, and i really liked it.  You can all go, but if gets too crowded, i will kill you.

4.  The hot yoga made my knee feel significantly better.  This just confirms that i am totally incompetent when it comes to post run stretching, and am damaging myself.

Oh, is this not stretching?  My bad...

5.  We had book club last night, and the book was "to kill a mockingbird"  My main problem with the book is that it inspired people to name their kids Scout, Jem, and Atticus, which is totally unacceptable.

Hey Jem, Hey Scout, Hey Atticus....Let's get some PBR's and listen to independant label music.

6.  Heidi Klum and Seal splitting?  NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!  Work it out kids!!

7.  Kristin Cavallari and Jay Cutler having a baby?? NOOOOO!!!!

How many bear's football seasons can you ruin you tramp????

8.  I was so tired this morning at the gym that my key thing to my gym lock flew off my hand and onto someone else's machine without me noticing....for like 2.5 miles.  Granted my wrist key chain is actually just a broken hair tie, so i have been flirting with disaster for months, but seriously, how embarrassing, i am totally the black sheep at the gym.

9.  I need strength training motivation.  Real bad.  I just have no desire to lift anything.  Unless it's a beer.  And i am lifting it to my mouth.

A day of Waffles.

So here's what I did today!

I woke up this morning somewhat dreading my long run.  There wasn't a blizzards worth of snow, but if the roads were as bad as they were, i was slightly concerned about the path...when you consider my exceptional ability to fall over on a daily basis, i am sure you can understand.  Getting my car out of it's spot was a nightmare in itself.  I hate HATE HATE scraping ice from my car.  The sound, the cold, my lame spaghetti arms doing a piss poor job of removing anything....the whole thing blows.  When i got their, the groups were a little sparse, but a fair amount of people still showed up.  Once we got going, the path was actually a little crowded for how narrow it was because of all the snow.  Parts of it were actually clear (which is amazing, considering my street still isn't plowed...)  the amount of crazy people out there running always amazes me.


After our 8 miles, i was in a huge rush to get out of there to grab Matt and get the puppy.  The only problem was, My car was stuck!  Like, real stuck....why did i think the versa was a good choice for the midwest winters?? It took me forever to dig out my tires and rock back and forth enough to make a path to escape.


Matt was rarin' to go as soon as i got home, so i changed and we hit the road for Michigan.  The weather in Chicago still sucked, but was beautiful on the Michigan side.  The ride home with waffles, and the first night with her were terrible (in the expected way)  And Matt and i are exhausted....(him more than me, that trooper slept by her crate last night!  But here's what you really came for...Pictures of waffles!!  (I apologize in advance because there will be a terrifying amount of pictures in the coming days, and these pictures are pretty bad, because i suck at photography as you probably already guessed!

Brrrrr!

I ran my 8 miles, and you will hear about it in a bit, when i get back from driving to michigan to PICK UP MY PUPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

survival skills.

I had a whole other post i started writing at work, but now that is for another day my friends...


Today's traffic was the worst i have EVER seen it in my two years as a commuter.  

That right there is the travel time from my work to my apartment (roughly...i don't go all the way to the circle).  For those of you who are math challenged, that is 4 hours and 4 minutes.  To go less than 20 miles.  


I am lucky enough that my job is pretty relaxed, and i don't currently really have a supervisor, so when the weather gets bad, i get going.  We had a big meeting at 11, otherwise i would have worked from home today.  (but the meeting went well, so it was worth my troubles i hope)  I ended up hitting the road at about 1pm, armed with that protein bar and some cupids corn:

Cupid corn is basically just valentines day themed candy corn.  I have a problem, and i acknowledge that.  I am really glad i left early, because the roads were already a mess, and what should have been a 30 minute drive was 2 hours and 15 minutes....

The problem seems to be that because of the cold, none of the salt they put down was melting the snow, so it just piled up on the highways.  There was probably about an inch and a half of snow just sitting on the highway, and when you drive a little Nissan Versa, it's basically like off-roading.  Lucking, we were only going about 5 mph most of the way, so even if i would have hit something, i don't think people would even notice.  The travel times got infinitely worse, and are now sitting at about 4+ hours.  Basically, i should have invested in a husky dog team.

Oh man, look at that cute ginger dog in the front!

I am a little concerned about tomorrow's run.  Mostly for safety reasons.  I am not exactly the most sure-footed person to begin with....in fact, i face planted at the gym today on the treadmill.  Ok, it wasn't a full on face plant, but i did tumble off.  I meant to increase the speed a notch and somehow my sweaty hand hit the emergency stop button....Who the hell puts that button so close to the increase speed button anyway?? I seriously hate the gym.

dang i'm awesome....

I am also a little concerned about how slow the group has to go because of the weather...we were running slow last weened, because of THAT snow, and now tomorrow will most likely be a slower than planned run as well with all this fresh snow on the path (covering all that beautiful ice...)  Are all these slow long runs going to make me slower?  What if i never get any faster because of all of this damn snow??  I WANNA GO FAST!

real fast.

If you're going out tonight, be safe kiddos, it's a real doozy outside!!
I recommend that you just stay in tonight, have a cocktail, and enjoy this video of people who are much more coordinated on treadmills than i am.

Post delay

I'm here, i just have a huge meeting today, so i can't get my shit together long enough to write a blog post until afterwards.  I am also busy staring at this.

Auditory sigh.

It's ok though, because i brought a protein bar to work.  I know how to handle disasters.

Why isn't angry an option on daily mile?

i am warning you right  now, if you are unamused by me bitching, click the "x" in the corner.


I am in an EPIC mood right now.  Tonight was supposed to be my midweek run with CARA.  Did i go?  NO.  Did i want to go?  YES.  I hate that my job is completely random and unpredictable, and making any kind of weekday plans is a joke.  A JOKE.  Oh you're training for a marathon?  That's funny, becase we need you to work until 7 because this random project is way more important.  Some of it is probably my poor time management, but seriously, i just want to be able to make it somewhere b 6:30.  That would change my life....


So, i present you with "Reasons i hate Wednesday"


1.  Any semblance of a schedule has been destroyed.  I love being an independent woman with a great job, but i really hate the impact it has on my quality of life.  It kills me when i read the blogs of women who don't have to work 50 hours a week, and have nothing but free time to run and be crazy fast.  NO WONDER I AM SO SLOW!


2.  Because i worked until 7, and by that time the CARA group was already done, i had to run on the treadmill at work.  That sucks extra hard today, because i wasn't planning on it, therefore i had no headband, no shorts, and NO IPOD!

Wednesday blows.

3.  Because it was so late, not only was i tired and hungry, but i had to run in silence why the russian cleaning lady vacuumed around my treadmill.  She was either encouraging me or making fun of me - i don't know, my russian is pretty shoddy...


4.  This run was an angry one!  Sometimes my job makes me crazy!  and there is nothing like stewing in your own sweat and silence because you are sans headphones and wearing thermal pants in a climate controlled room.


5.  On my "marathon training schedule, i was supposed to run "4 miles @ marathon pace"  Did i run at my desired marathon pace?  No.  If i can't run 4 miles at 9 minutes, how will i ever run 26???

So unhappy despite sparkling clean floors.

6.  It is freezing cold outside, and therefore my knee looks like a grapefruit.  STOP HURTING.


7.  Friday night is supposed to be an amazing combo of freezing rain followed by snow.  This ensures that my commute will be a three hour nightmare, and that my long run saturday morning will be as dangerous as it is cold.  I know it's winter, but why can't it snow/freezing rain during times that are more convenient to MY running schedule???


8.  And finally, because i am in full blown rant mode, How is it front page news that Paula Deen has diabetes???  Have you ever seen her show?  OF COURSE she had diabetes!!  Throw some butter at it Paula....throw some butter at it....***

Southern cooking for the win.

***(I fully understand how horrible a disease diabetes it, i just deal with illness via inappropriate jokes, it's my thing, please don't take offense)




If you are still reading this, i have NO idea why, but thank you.  I just needed to vent because i am pissed off that i missed my group run that i was looking forward too, and that i am still much slower than i am used to being.  It's making me cranky and unbearable.  I promise to wake up on the right side of the bed tomorrow.