Weekly Recap

You would think I'd need a busier/more exciting life to warrant a weekly recap. However, since life in the Coastal Bend is less than interesting, this week warrants one. As, I think it might be the best week since we've been here.

Monday started out just fine, as Mondays go. I went to Bible Study. Worked. Ok, so boring as usual.

Tuesday, I came home to the Coastie cooking a mean meal after my 3 mile treadmill run. He poured some wine, and then announced during his "toast" that he made the list for Lieutenant. I almost choked on wine...but what a way to go! However, this doesn't really happen until May. They apparently put a list out that tells everyone who is going to make it. As we were sitting down to eat, we checked the message on the answering machine. I have become immune to the annoyance that is the red flashing light on the machine, but the Coastie can't ignore it. I wish he had. My neighbor died Monday night. Yuck. We went to show support and the whole neighborhood was there. That means wine. Once we left, the rest of the neighborhood stood outside drinking wine. The Coastie included. He had 1 (maybe 2) too many. Fun times.

Wednesday, I actually don't remember Wednesday. I ran...I know that. 3 miles. Treadmill. I also think there was wine again.

Thursday...no running. Yay! I went to the viewing of my neighbor. And at the risk of sounding morbid, he looked like he was sleeping. SO good. After that, the Coastie and I went to our neighbors house for wine. Wow, we're drunks. The Coastie once again had 1 too many. Wow, have the roles reversed or what.

Friday, we had Happy Hour at our house. MORE WINE! LOTS MORE! Man, those people can drink us under the table. I refrained from too much, as I had my first long run...that I was going to attempt outside. The Coastie yet again had 1 too many. Fun times.

Saturday...HOLY CRAP! I had a 7-miler planned, for outside. Without being sure I could do it, I headed out with my i-pod, handheld H2O device, and my Garmin (I need to name it). The first 3 miles were amazing...the weather was cool, not really sweating, no difficulty breathing...nice. The next 2 were still nice. I ran through some mansions (well, outside, through the neighborhood that had mansions) and was thinking how nice it would be to run there again. Mile 5...HOT! Is it me, or did it seriously just warm up about 10 degrees? This is also the time that I conveniently lost the sidewalk & shoulder of the street. Note to self: to avoid running on the grass, check your loop before you run it. That was a not-so-fun mile. Mile 6: yay, sidewalk! Mile 6.75: Am I done yet? Mile 7: STOP. Mile 7.25: OMG, did I just do that. Me, jumping up and down, arms flailing wildly, pumping the air. I'm sure some poor soul in a car was about to call the people with the straight jackets on me.

So, that was my week. I ran more than I have ever run. I ran further than I have ever run. I proved to myself I could do it. I'm actually looking forward to next weekend's 8-miler.

Shoes make all the difference!

People say that accessories make the outfit. However, I disagree. Shoes make the outfit!



I am coming out of the closet. I am a shoe whore. It's no wonder that the Coastie and I have a deal that for every new pair of shoe I buy, I have to get rid of 2. He's trying to dwindle down the number of pairs that I have. I think he may resent the fact that my shoes tend to breed like rabbits and are rapidly taking over his side of the closet. My thought is that it serves him right for taking 50% of the closet for himself. I mean, really...do you have that many clothes? Unfortunately, he does. I think he's secretly a clothes whore, but that's my opinion. Who cares if 1/2 his clothes are government issue & navy blue. Should have thought of that before you signed your life away!



I am currently sitting at my desk with my newest pair of shoes. Shiny black flats. I bought them for comfort (joke's on me) and for the pants that I own that are a tad short. (I have come to realize that I am not considered petite when it comes to pants....5'3" and I'm too tall for them). I had to put band-aids on to get them to stop hurting this morning, but nothing was going to stop me from wearing them.



But, shoes have the ability to make you feel beautiful, flirty, fun....invincible. For example, my leopard print stilettos. I wear those, and I feel edgy. I feel trendy. No one is going to make me feel bad about myself when I have those suckers on!



However, I had a realization yesterday at the gym about how great a pair of shoes can make you feel. I was in the locker room changing...guys, get your mind out of the gutter, women's locker rooms are not that great...and I started to lace up my running shoes for my easy 3-miler (it was going to rain, hence the treadmill) and I looked down and realized I was in love....with my running shoes.



My Brooks Defyances are a beautiful shade of blue. The color reminds me of the clearest blue sky you could imagine on a slightly cool spring day. Continuing to lace them up, I realized that these shoes are my favorite. I use them solely for treadmills right now, as I have their predecessors as my outdoor shoes. These shoes are the ones that make me feel invincible. I'm not a fast runner, nor a long distance runner (yet), but with these shoes on, I feel that doesn't matter...I'm a runner. These shoes can take me beyond what I thought my limits were. They take me past the pain, past the tiredness, and to a place of euphoria....a place where I feel like I could run forever. These babies are truly amazing

Shoes....make all the difference!

I am losing my mind!

I noticed on Tuesday that some post-its were missing from my desk. Now, normally post-its are not that important. However, these were given to me as a gift for graduating from nursing school and have been pretty-ing up my desk at home for the past few years. I have had no use for them since graduating. What does a nurse need with pink and purple heart shaped post-its. Now, of course, I do use them being that I am at a desk all day. And post-its come in handy!

But, they are missing in action. Someone stole them (or I lost them, whichever). I want them back. No one has returned them as of yet, despite my mass e-mail to my entire department pleading and offering a reward to get them back.

Well, yesterday I lost my cell phone too. Yikes! I need my cell phone. So, I assume since that's two ridiculously important (yes, post-its constitute ridiculously important) things lost in two days, it's probably me. I am losing my mind! I hate it when that happens. And, this is a secret, so shhhhh, it happens a lot.

I have been managing to keep to my running schedule pretty closely. Due to the Coastie being gone this week, I had to skip spinning because puppy is running my life right now. Poor thing with the tiny bladder and no control of it. Please tell me as dogs get older, if they are well trained, they no longer run your life. Because that would be fabulous.

I ran 3 miles yesterday on the treadmill...piece of crap, I mean, it was fun. Today was supposed to be another 3, but my legs were still sore from yesterday (left knee pain continues). Hopefully, I will get it in later today. Crazy running mom gets in today and my even crazier neighbors are picking her up from the airport. She'll be drinking wine before my meeting at work is over (the reason I'm not picking her up).

So, my running continues...and hopefully I will survive the race on Saturday. It is going to be HOT and HUMID. Yes, it deserves capital letters because it's that bad here right now. Why did I want to move to Texas again? Oh yeah, I like heat...supposedly. But, I didn't run before I moved here. I liked it much more when I was inside and inactive.

So, happy almost a holiday weekend to everyone! Be safe. Don't blow your hands off with fireworks. And stay cool!

Ouch, my knees.

Yesterday was rough. I did not want to wake up to go to the gym to run (since at 4 am, it's still to freaking hot). So, I told myself I would go after work. And, I did. Had to leave early from work to do it...too bad, right?! Nah, that was the nice part.



The bad part...1 mile in, my left knee started hurting...again. It did this the other day when I was running on the treadmill, but the nurse in me said to ignore it. (Because the nurse in me hates doctors...so she must ignore all minor, and sometimes major, issues). However, by the time I was done (3.75 miles later) I could hardly walk off the treadmill once I stopped it. Normal aches, right? Maybe...we shall see.



The run was boring enough, since I was at the gym, on a treadmill, staring at the gym sign on the other side of the wall to keep focus on something other than my hurting knee. I was able to complete my desired mileage without having too much trouble breathing. Thanks to my previous lightbulb moment. However, the burning leg sensation was somewhat new. It was pretty much constant the entire time. And, I have a feeling had I not been on a treadmill, that I would have stopped running.

After my run, I took a "runner's shower"...or just changed, whichever way you put it, and headed over to my friend's house for Mac's first play date with a dog about 10 times her size. Picture my small terrier mix running around with an Italian Mastiff. Kind of funny actually. Poor thing almost got stepped on numerous times. However, after the initial insecurity, she came around and started playing like she knew the dog forever. So cute.

However, back to work.