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So, I realize I have been neglectful about posting lately. I must apologize. There's no real excuse, just nothing major happening on the home front lately. I've been running, Miner goes out with me most times. It's finally starting to warm up and the Bumble Bee has been out 3 times already this year.
I did have a very fun long weekend and vacation this weekend though. The only bad thing is my throat and sinuses are messed up enough that I lost my voice on Sunday afternoon. I am going to do my best to not talk at work tomorrow, though it was difficult not to this afternoon at the Training Center.
My vacation was to South Carolina. I ran the Cooper River Bridge Run with my friends Jada, Tim and a group of their friends from Texas and the Carolinas. Here's all of us on the beach Sunday morning. Left to right is: Julia, Toby, Jes, me, Jada, Tim, Sara and Walt.
It's a 10K and you go over this big pretty suspension bridge. The run ends up in downtown Charleston. We stayed out on Folly Beach which was great. They all headed home on Sunday afternoon and I stuck around two more nights. I didn't do a whole lot...I wandered around the beach and went and saw this huge tree.
I got up very early this morning to fly home. I got to pick Miner up all clean from his bath at the kennel. Since Easter is coming up, he got this little bandanna. This is only the second time he's ever had a bath there that they put a bandanna on him. I am thinking it may also be the only other time where I have picked him up right after his bath and not the following day.
Today's high was in the upper 30's. I ran 3 miles in just under 45 minutes. Outdoors. Yay, me!
I've been busy with school, running and school. Plus I am volunteering for the Go Red for Women Luncheon in The Quad Cities, so that takes some time, too.
I did make it to Houston last weekend and managed to not take a single picture. I'll have to wait for Erin to post the ones she took.
I did, however, get myself a spiffy new t-shirt from my godmother, Linda. She's in a band called the Mydolls and they are working on setting up a Girls Rock Camp in Houston. This is one of the shirts they are selling to promote/raise money for it.
I've been spending time lately thinking about why I can't just do what I did in 2002-2003 when I lost almost all my college weight (yes, I realize I had been out of school for 2 + years). This weekend, I had an "ah-ha" moment. I can't just do what I did then because I am not the same person I was then. For one, I was 26. I didn't know shit when I was 26. Sure, I thought I did, but really I didn't (yes, I realize I will say the same thing about myself at 32 some six years from now).
So, I have to find what will work for me now. And unfortunately, as much fun as it is, I am beginning to think it won't involve Jazzercise. When I was 26, I didn't have a house or a dog to take care of. The dog needs exercise. He really is exercise on a leash. So, we're going to run/walk. I am trying to think of a place I'd like to go visit. A place I'd like to go visit that has a marathon. And train to run a half marathon. And my reward is getting to go to wherever it is that I want to run that half marathon...and having a vacation attached to it.
I know that typically, I am all talk. But I think I mean it this time. I can do that for myself. And a bad ass vacation is a good motivator. And doing both will be doing something for myself.
Yeah, so we're starting on that. Miner is along for the ride.
Miner and I walked about 1 mile this afternoon. Can still do it in under 20 minutes, but my knee and ankle are telling me I need to do this more often.
Came back and drank a bunch of water and ate a nectarine cut up with some blueberries. Feeling pretty good about myself.
...that ended up being OK. I was tired, cranky and just feeling sorry for myself. Feeling a little lonely lately and really not doing well with the whole calm-assertive thing with the dog. I am more worry-nervous. So we practiced today. We just walked a mile before dinner and me going to class. That was nice. I just practiced breathing and tried to be zen about it. And I have been working on practicing commands with Miner...even if I don't need him to sit, I make him sit. So, whenever there was a house with nice flower beds, I made him sit, and I just kind of studdied what they had in the flower bed and how it was edged and all. It was actually relaxing.
I am very much in a knowing what I need to do to feel better but not getting off my ass and doing it sort of period right now. Eh.
Class was good. We talked about our StrengthsFinder results. I'll post more about that some other time.
Google maps measurement tool confirms that Miner and I ran 2/3 of our 1.5 mile loop today. That's the most yet. Tomorrow, I'm planning to do the same, but add a 2nd lap of walking at the end.
I love, love, LOVE when there is a Jazzercise routine with punching and I actually have a person's face to visualize. :) Let me be clear, the number of times I have hit a person and intended to inflict pain is like...twice...maybe. I think I attempted to slap one of the Brazell sisters at the bus stop in middle school, but didn't connect. And I don't really count any time I hit Erin or Brian because I think that evened out eventually (right e? right b?) Maybe that one time I threw a plastic cup at Erin and cut her cheek below her eye...but I digress.
Anyway, I have been getting way to emotionally involved in this project at work. By emotionally involved, I mean angry that I have provided answers to a group of people over the course of the last 8 months. The answer has not changed, they just don't like it. They continue to challenge it. I continue to provide evidence that supports what I am telling them. They still don't like it. They are in denial. It doesn't make their numbers in this project they are proposing look very good, so they are trying to get a different answer. So, they are planning to travel for a week on the west coast, visiting our dealers...who are more than likely going to give them the same answer I did. At least, I am pretty darn confident that our dealers will give them the same answers...otherwise I never would have given them that answer in the first place. So, when they get back and get the same answer I gave them, I can sit there smugly thinking, "See, I know what the fuck I am talking about!" while just saying, "that's good to have confirmation from more than one source that this is the strategy we need to follow."
I did get a little snippy on a conference call this afternoon. My boss said afterward, "Amy, try not to get so emotionally involved. You can hear it in your tone of voice. But, don't back down. You are right, and you need to continue to challenge them on this issue." I am thinking Jazzercise punching is going to be a darn good release for me today.
Between challenging the jerks at work and challenging my muscles with exercise, I kept telling myself all day, "Cha...cha...cha...challenge yourself!" Poussons & Johnsons know what I'm talking about. ;)
When I moved to Davenport at the beginning of 2002, I saw it as an opportunity to start new (good) habits. I lost 50 lbs. in 2002. And another 25 in 2003. Then I got married and gained 40 of it back. On a 5-ft. 1-in. frame that's pretty bad.
So, I am looking at the divorce as a good opportunity to re-invent myself. Figure out who this Amy is. Yesterday began my mission to get my ass back in shape. Back then, I was going to Jazzercise 3-4 times a week and in the summers playing volleyball once a week. At least one of those Jazzercise classes was a strength training class. My usual Jazzercise place doesn't do those anymore. Luckily, a woman in my office teaches the strength training class in my building at lunch time two days a week. Started that yesterday (triceps are killing me). The rest of the plan is to go to regular Jazzercise class at my usual place 2 times a week as well. Then, walk/run with Miner on the other days - walk on my "rest" days and run on the others. I am cool with running on the same days that I do strength training. The idea being that 5 or 6 days a week I need to do something vigorous and 1 or 2 days of taking it easy. Plus, Miner always does better when he's had a walk.
Yeah, that's the plan. I know I will have gotten some where when I fit in these pants and that blue North Face top fits that loose again.
That photo is from the Badlands in SD...taken the day before I got married. I was probably in the best shape of my life at that point. Even better than when I played softball in high school (because back then I was smoking and not eating breakfast and having a Dr. Pepper and Snickers bar for lunch - it's a wonder I didn't faint more often than I did).
Miner has lost 7 lbs since the beginning of December. The vet tech says he looks great. He's currently weighing in at just under 72 lbs. The vet tech left a note for the vet to see if I need to up his food a little. We were in for his heartworm test. For as anxious as he was, his blood pressure was really low and it took 2 tries to get blood drawn. But he's a champ and got a E-Z-Cheese covered dog biscuit as a treat after. Spoiled.
I went to jazzercise yesterday and we did our usual run/walk around the hospital around noon today. All in all, it's been a great day not going into the office.
The first walk back from the kennel is always a mess. They don't make him heel on his walks out there. Plus, I am trying to keep from getting any more sick than I already am. AND a crazy dog came along and I haven't walked Miner in a week and a half and so I am out of practice with remaining calm. So, Miner got a little crazy, too. AND it was cold...so our walk was only a 1/2 mile.
But, I did begin my treadmill experiment with him. I know I can't get him on the treadmill with a leash if he hasn't had a little bit of a walk first. So I tried after our short walk. He did really well. Not for a real long time, but at least 5 minutes. This was accompanied by a lot of praise and treats afterwards. He'll do just about anything if he knows treats are coming afterwards.
I had my annual physical today. All things are OK. As we were going through my cholesterol nmbers she said, "Have you bumped up your exercise? Because your HDL is up." Looks like walking and running with the dog is paying off. :) Jazzercise tonight was so much fun. Britney Spears "Womanizer" AND Justin Timberlake, too!
...You have to say that in a Forest Gump voice. "Miner...we were running."
Last night I went to Chad's. Shawna, Chad and I watched TV on the internet on the wall (he's got a projector for a TV). We watched the Private Practice/Grey's Anatomy cross-over thing. Stupid TV.
My mission(s) for today:
figure out what cable is necessary to use my TV as a monitor
go to the library
clear off my dining room table
clean up my office
print the legal description of my house off for the lawyer
find a hotel for mom, dad and me in St. Paul
buy an antennae so I can hear the radio on my stereo again
Miner and I ran this morning. We actually ran about 1/2 of the loop around the hospital. I've decided that if I just exercise for the fact that it makes me feel better mentally, that I can stick with it. Health and weight-loss will be a beneficial side effect.
Walked the loop today, only ran 1/4 of it. Miner was happy. Went shopping for things to hang on the walls, found a couple for the dining room. Now just sitting in the living room with Miner, watching "Mean Girls" and the snow and trying to figure out what I want to do the rest of the day. Today is a day where I am really not happy about getting a divorce. :(
This time last year, I was talking smack about attending 100 Jazzercise classes in 2008. Maybe I'll get there this year. 1 down, 99 to go.
Miner and I did our lap around the hospital this morning. Just under a mile and a half and ran half of it. I'm thinking we'll double the distance pretty soon here. I am so ready for the days to get longer.
I haven't done any running since before Thanksgiving. Mostly because I was sick the week before, and then because I was working on having a good pitty party for myself. Anyway, it is relatively sunny and there's no wind this morning so I bundled up (current temp is 7-degrees) and took the dog for a walk. There's a hospital about a 1/4 mile from my house, and the loop around it is just under a mile. (I learned this using the distance tool on google maps...thanks google, you rock!) So, this morning, we walked 1.4 miles.
Anyhow, the nice thing about this walk is that the sidewalks around the hosptial are wide and clear of snow and ice. Also, the walk along the west and south sides of the hospital are nice and quiet. Even the walk along the east and north sides are OK, they are just along more busy streets. Plus, there's only two houses that we pass that have dogs, so it's not streesful for me as far as Miner goes. And one of the dogs we pass is a super calm young golden retriever, so that helps build my confidence with making Miner do what I want. Plus, he's just a happier dog when he gets walks regularly. My friend Diane called him "exercise on a leash," which is a good way to think about it. It makes him and me feel a lot better.
Miner had his yearly check-up today. Plus he got the kennel cough nasal spray and his DHPP shot. He was very timid with the vet, but she won him over with a little doggie treat that she coated in ez-cheese. Miner is a bit of a wimp sometimes, so I have been working on building his confidence. Walks and runs are helping, so we went for a walk after we got home from the vet.
After our walk, Miner hung out in the front yard while I put up Christmas lights on my little Christmas Tree shaped bushes by the front door. I'm posting a photo so Owen can see that Auntie Amy has CHRISTMAS LIGHTS!!!!
I finished my final in 2 hours (we had 2.5). Not too bad, I was well prepard and my notes from class were well organized (it was open book). So, to celebrate that and the fact that I didn't die on my first quality run day...I am having a small bowl of slow churned peppermint ice cream with a little hershey's special dark syrup on top. Happy Happy...I'm going to top it all off with the 2nd disc from Pride and Prejudice (A&E version...mmm, Colin Firth) and then go to bed. (I know, it's 9 but I am all hopped up on diet coke).
I'm feeling quite proud of myself. I've been making sure I'm doing something exercise wise every day for the past week. Makes me feel good.
