Half Marathon Update: Week 9

Three weeks left to the big half marathon that I have looked forward to, sweated buckets of sweat, dreaded many runs...and here I am...ALMOST THERE!!!  It's so hard to believe!

This weekend I was supposed to run a 10K, but it snowed a little too much & the race was cancelled!  So, I ran a 10K with a friend on Sunday afternoon!  Halfway through my run, my phone got too cold and shut down...it turned off and I couldn't get it to turn back on...womp womp...I was so irritated without music, but I made it!!  6.2 miles...the whole way!

When my music turned off, my mind started going!  I didn't realize all the stuff that I think about when I am running because I am usually listening to music, so it drowns out my thoughts...once that music was gone I really paid attention to what I was thinking about...and my mind was everywhere!!

I thought about:
*my nephew that is coming into this world in a few short weeks...I wondered what he was going to look like, what is name was going to be, how he would fit into our family...then I freaked out and thought I better get his baby blanket finished because he could be here any moment.
*what I was going to wear to my friend's 30th birthday party in KC after I run my half marathon...would I wear my blue skinny jeans, with my sheer white top and tan heels...my new chevron dress that I really want to wear to my new nephew's baptism and I can't wear it that close together, what about those green skinny jeans and a tan top...hmm what other dresses do I have...oh yeah there's that one that didn't fit and now does, but I need lilac heels...maybe I want to wear that one for Easter...shit, I need to get some new clothes!
*I wonder how my jiggly-ness has changed since I first started running...I wish the sun was out so that I can see my shadow and judge for myself...oh it's probably good the sun it's out...what I don't see the better!
*I wonder what Hudson & Nicholas are doing (my other nephews)....I can't forget to skype with my sister tonight so that I can see them (yup, I forgot).
*The KU game has started, I wonder how they are doing...will they win this one!  If they are in the national championship I will be at home on my vacation with mom and dad...I wonder what we will do...will we sit at home and eat mom's famous appetizers?  I can't wait to listen to mom yell at the TV (she could seriously be the best college basketball coach!)
*God, how much longer do I have??  I am so over this run... (look at my garmin watch), oh, I only have 1.5 miles left...I can't quit now!  I'm almost there!  Ok, speed it up a bit, you will get done sooner if you run faster.  Look at that old man running...if he can do it then there is no reason I should be thinking about stopping before I'm finished...damn, there a lot of runners out today even though it's freakin' cold...OMG, I'm hot... I put on too many clothes...

See, my mind races...it was amazing to me how much it did race when my music was off...I was all over the place!!!

Week 8....
Monday: Strength & Stretching....I just did 30 min. of Jillian today!
Tuesday: 4.5 miles
Wednesday: 3 miles
Thursday: 4.5 miles...I took 2 rests days before my 10K so I didn't run today
Friday: REST!!!
Saturday...this day was supposed to be my 10K, since it was cancelled I did 50 minutes on the ellitpical while watching Colorado St. get stomped by Louisville
Sunday: I ran a 10K with my friend Rosa!

6.2 miles....D-O-N-E

It was a chilly 27 degrees, but felt like 22 degrees!! 

The snowy trail!  I got a few pics in before my phone shut off from the cold!

This guy was fishing....

Week 9....D-O-N-E!!!!

Snowy Birthday!

Many would say that when it snows almost an foot, or at least a foot you should stay in and snuggle on the couch, with a fire, watch movies (or March Maddness), and drink wine....but when you live in Colorado, you do anything but the above!!!
I spent Friday night watching basketball and making cake pops for the lovely Sabra's birthday!!  I went through so many emotions making those damn things...and was so glad when they were done!!

Cake-pops....COMPLETE!!!

Friday night it started to snow and I had a 10K the next morning...when I went to bed I was actually looking forward to running in the snow, but at 6:45 Saturday morning...it was cancelled...womp womp!  So, I headed out in the snow to buy those colored skinny jeans I have been dreaming about!!  I scored two pairs for 8 dolla make ya holla!!!  Red, Green, and Royal blue!!! I was so happy!!
Then came the text..."Are we still on for dinner tonight?"..from the birthday girl Sabra....ummm OF COURSE WE ARE!!!  I actually was going to wear heels, but it had just stopped snowing about 2 hours before I left for the night and the snow was not plowed...AT ALL!!!  (I chose ankle boots instead)

We meet at Sabra's and did our usual drink a bottle of wine before doing anything!  We had some of the best laughs of the night when Rosa discovered photo booth on Sabra's computer!!!  I don't think I have laughed to hard in a long time!!  We went from looking like chipmunks, to block heads, to asian...it was freakin' hilarious...well that bottle of wine helped make it even more funny!

Then, we headed out for sushi!!!  We love finding and trying new sushi places...and this place was sooooo good!!!  We ordered enough sushi to feed a football team...and ate every.last.piece!!!!

We headed out to a speak easy called Green Russell...under ground over priced drinks...and there you have it, the definition of a speak easy!!!  The waiter was a bit of a snot, and I about had a few words with him, but Rosa came to my rescue and calmed me down!!!  :)  She's good at that!!  I do have to say that the drinks were fabulous and the massive ice balls were even better!!! We had a competition to see who could get one in their mouth...and of course...I WON!!!  HAHA!!!

The girls!!!

The group of nurses knowing how to celebrate a birthday!!!

The yummy goodness!!

The Birthday Girl and I!!!

Eric's drink wasn't as good as it sounded! 

Half Marathon Update: Week 8

This week was one that I wasn't sure that I would be able to complete.  I had that taunting 8 mile run that stared at me all week from the fridge.  I was nervous....

Week 8:
Monday: Strength & Stretching
Tuesday: 4.5 miles
Wednesday: 3 miles
Thursday: 4.5 miles...I didn't run because I broke my phone to the point that it wouldn't work and I needed to get it fixed.  However, I got there and they didn't have a front glass for a white 4S iphone...and well that ruined my day!!!
Friday: Rest....I got on my bike for the first time this season...and I sure missed it!  My friend and I rode 20 miles down to a different place and got my phone fixed!
Saturday:  50 minutes of cross training...I love that elliptical!!!
Sunday:  The BIG 8 miles...
       Location: A friend of mine and I went to Berkley park...we thought it was longer around the lake then it was, but it was only a mile...so it was kind of boring!  She headed off into the neighborhood some of the time, but I stayed in the park!
       Weather:  It was nice, but windy so it was a little chilly!  I debated whether to wear a fleece while       running and decided not to, at times I regretted it, other times I was glad that I didn't have it on
        How I felt:  During the whole run, I felt good!  At the end my calves started to cramp and I was sore when I was done.  I used a sustain drink during the run and it didn't taste the best, but I think that it helped me as I ran! Overall, it was good run! After the run, I went home and spent 1 1/2 hours in the bathtub...I needed the soak for my muscles!  It was fabulous!!!

Berkley Park!

Pounding out those 8 miles!

5 miles +

3 miles = 8 MILES!!!

I got a new running toy!  I bought a garmin watch...and I love it!!!  I haven't quite figured out how to get the information to download on to garminconnect yet, but I will get it figured out soon!

My nice bath...oh it was so great when I got to soak!!!

Week 8...D-O-N-E

I can't believe I only have 4 more weeks until the big half marathon!!!

25 days until ROCK THE PARKWAY!!!

Half Marathon Update: Week 7

I can't believe that I have completely crossed off week 7 on my training schedule!  The closer it gets to April 13th the faster it goes!!!  Today was my long run...7 miles...I'm not going to lie, I was nervous, like really nervous! Before I started the training program I was running right around 6 miles, and then to go to 7 miles, I was a little worried!

Week 7:
Monday: Strength & Stretching: I got back to good ole Jillian...I've missed her!
Tuesday: 4.5 miles...I had to really bargin with myself to get this run in!  But, I did it!
Wednesday:  3 miles...I didn't do this run.  I had just gotten off a 4 day stretch of 12 hour night shifts and I was just not into!  I was exhausted
Thursday: 4 miles
Friday: REST...rest I did...I had Lasik eye surgery and slept most of the day!
Saturday: 50 minutes of cross training....I spent 50 minutes on the ellipitical watching the K-State basketball game
Sunday: 7 miles

Now, I know some of you are asking if I should have been exercising/running right after my eye surgery and the answer is NO...  The post-op tech at the eye surgery center told me no jogging for a week, but little did she know that she had two things against her...
1. I'm a nurse (the worst patients)
2. I'm training for a half marathon (when you are training for a half marathon, there is no way I was going to take a week off from running...NO WAY IN HELL WAS THAT HAPPENING!

Mom,
If you are reading this, I know you were there and heard my post-op instructions, but did you really think that I wasn't going to continue my training?  I was talking about the 7 miles I had to run today on the way to the surgery center! I'll be waiting for my scolding phone call!  Love you!

One of my friends that eats pretty natural bought my this pre-workout energizer drink...and well it was ok!  The taste was a little different, the color was well, nasty, but I know that it helped me with the 7 miles that I pounded out today!

This the drink that I drank before my run.  It is natural plant based, so it has all sorts of roots and leaves in it...this flavor is lemon-lime and not my favorite but it was ok.  I'll drink it again!

Yes, yes, it looks disgusting!  But, it didn't taste as bad as it looks!  Mix one scoop with a cup of water...and ta-da...you have energy, endurance, and mental focus!!!

A few pictures along the trail that I run on!  It is pretty with all the snow!

Pounding out those miles!

During my run I popped a few of these bad boys!  I ate 2 beans at 30 minutes and 2 more at 60 minutes....not sure if they helped, but it was nice to have a little flavor!

FIVE +

TWO= 7 MILES!!!!

Week 7: D-O-N-E

When I got home I found this little beauty sunbathing!!!  She loves laying in the sun!

I found this today...INNER STRENGTH

0757

As I typed this, I have already been to my first post-op eye appointment, drove in a blizzard, grocery shopped, made coffee, and watched an episode of The Biggest Loser all without glasses or contacts!  I can't tell you how amazed I am!

My story with glasses started when I was in the 2nd grade.  I had headaches all the time and would constantly leave my classroom and go to my mom's to get tylenol.  I had super long and thick hair that my mom thought might just be too heavy and the cause of my headaches...so there I was sitting in the chair of the lady that still cuts my mom's hair...and I walked out of there looking like a boy, yup I got a bowl cut...at the time I was ok with it, I was only 7!  But she kept cutting my hair like that and eventually I hated it, I looked like a boy.  The only good thing was that a friend of mine had a haircut just like me, so we looked alike!  However, 2 weeks after this dramatic haircut, my teacher informed my mom that I couldn't see the chalk board...so I found myself in the optometrists chair and ordering glasses.  It was amazing what I could see after I got them!

Trees actually had leaves...
People's faces actually had definition...
Teacher's were actually writing something on the chalkboard...
TV images actually wore necklaces, glasses, and facial expressions....

Being 7, I didn't realize that these things were important to see, I just thought it was how everyone saw the world!  Little did I know that life behind a pair of glasses was AMAZING!!!  But, I was allergic to those darn glasses and my mom had to paint the frames with clear finger nail polish because they would make my cheeks raw and eventually scab them!  {I was so glamorous in my childhood: boy-like haircut, massive glasses, scabs on my cheeks, and a gap between my two front teeth!}  I wish I had a picture, but I will leave you with that image...NOTHING glamorous!

In the 7th grade, my mom let me get contacts because I was starting to play sports...and life was so much better with contacts, until that one girl stuck her finger in my eye while playing basketball in P.E and I am pretty sure that my eye was bleeding!  Back to the glasses I went, but my mom hadn't bought my current prescription in my glasses because I always wore my contacts...so, I was back to square one and I couldn't see a damn thing....for a whole week while my eye healed!

I wore contacts and glasses all through high school, college, and the start of my profession career, until yesterday!  I had Lasik eye surgery and it is amazing!  I was a little nervous and had some anxiety when they put a ton of pressure on my eye and I lost my vision for a split second.  The scrub tech kept saying it's normal to not be able to see anything right now, but on the inside I was freaking out!  That 10 minutes to give my valium time to work WAS NOT ENOUGH TIME!!!  The whole procedure took about 30 minutes for both eyes together.  I walked into the office at 0705 and I was in my mom's care at 0810!  I walked out of the surgical room and the post-op tech asked me to look at the clock and tell her what time it was, even though it was blurry I was able to read it and I will never forget that time...

0757

I could read a freaking clock without squinting, glasses, or contacts!

I just got back from my first post-op appointment and I am seeing 20/25.  I have quite a bit of swelling in my eyes especially the right eye...when the swelling goes down I should be seeing 20/20 without halos! {The halos are normal due to the swelling and the amount of correction that I needed} I am so amazed with this procedure and even though I am 24 hours post-op, but would do it again if it meant that I could see without using glasses or contacts!

Right now I am sitting on the couch and watching it snow, and I can see EVERY. INDIVDUAL. SNOW. FLAKE!!!!

I have to tape these beauties to my face at night for the next week so that I don't rub my eyes in my sleep!!!  I am telling you that I will I scare any one away that tries to break into my apartment!!!

I am my mother after all....

As I woke up this morning the first thing on my mind was that mile long to-do list I have sitting on my kitchen counter....which task was I going to accomplish first?  Well, here I am on my blog, drinking coffee, and watching American Idol...none of which are on my mile long list...
My day can't start without my morning coffee...who's can?

Nothing better than a Keurig!!  I love it!

I'm sitting here thinking about that list that is torturing me on the counter and the person that crossed my mind was...my mother!  She was always making lists of things to do when I was a kid...and in fact they were never for me to do unless she had teacher work days and my sister's and I were home...we would wake up to that dreadful list and it needed to be done by the time she got home for lunch. Two items that was always on the list were...

1. Empty the dishwasher
2. Take out the trash

It's a no wonder that I absolutely hate doing these tasks in my adulthood...and for some reason MY list always consisted of these two chores...my sisters skidded by...

I make it sound like my life was horrible but at the age of 10 when you have to empty the damn dishwasher and take out freaking trash your life is well...miserable!!!

Bottom line is...my mom must've been doing something to teach us how to get through life...make lists for everything...
1. Things to-do
2. Things to pack when going on a trip
3. Grocery lists
4. Menu lists
Yup, that's pretty pathetic, but as they always say...you will be just like your mother one day...

I AM MY MOTHER AFTER ALL!!!!  

Yesterday, I checked my mail for the first time is about oh, a week {if not longer} and I had some good things in there!!  I love snail mail when it comes in the form of a pretty card, a thinking about you card, money...but the best of all is when a picture of my nephews arrive...

Isn't this adorable...I love the picture of my nephew in the corner that is due to arrive in the next month!!  I can't wait until my family grows by one more!  My baby sister is going to be a mommy...oh dear, the tears might start flowing!

I mentioned in a pervious post that I was taking my Mia to the vet for a growth on her tongue...we went yesterday and the vet was super nice!  The growth is some kind of wart that should go away in 10-12 weeks...but she told me that Mia was overweight...  I think my mouth hit the floor!!!  She topped the scale at 4.66 lbs...now she has gained a little weight, but seriously...she's healthy and happy!  I was told that she needs to lose 0.5 lbs....by decreasing her treats...well Mia lives for those treats, so I am not sure that is going to happen!!! Maybe decrease the people food...she lives for that too....

I am having Lasik eye surgery in the morning and I have never been so excited!!!  I can't wait to be without glasses/contacts...I have worn these damn things since I was in the 2nd grade!!!  I also, can't wait to spend the weekend with my momma!!!!  Schedule any kind of surgery and it's a good excuse to get your momma to visit!!!  Can't wait!!! :)  

Now, on to that to-do list so that my mom isn't disgusted when she walked into my apt. {She's a clean freak and has her own cleaning lady!}

HAPPY THURSDAY!!!

Dogs are Babies Too Link-Up

I am linking up with Laura, Kate, and Kara for a great link-up for doggie mom's!!!  I love this idea of a link-up because I love my little 4-legged princess!  She is my little dolly, and the reason I love going home every morning from working a night shift!  Her unconditional love is one reason to spoil her because even if she doesn't like what I buy her she loves me anyway and doesn't tell me about the awful gift or treat I bought her!

This is Miss Mia...this picture was taken only days after I got her...she was the runt of her 3 puppy litter and weighed in at 1.1 pound in this picture!  She was spoiled from the beginning!  Yes, I tried to make her sleep in the kennel at night, but it didn't last long.  I couldn't let my little girl sleep all by herself trying to keep that little body warm...so I caved!

Mia was exploring our new couch just after we moved to Denver.  She has her own bed on the couch, but she prefers her momma's super soft zebra stripped blanket!

Mia looks awfully cute in bows, but hates them with a passion!  She has it down to about 30 seconds before she has ripped the bow out of her hair and carried it to the bedroom to hide it!

Mia looks forward to going to bed!  She loves being on the bed.  I work night shift so sometimes I feel guilt that she goes to my neighbors house and sleeps with her all night and then sleeps with me all day, but Mia doesn't complain!  If I do one thing out of her schedule in the morning, she will go sit by the bed until I come into to help her on it.

Yes, Mia gets people food!  She could win the award for the #1 doggie begger in the world!!  She also could win the award for the longest tongue in the world!  That thing will get you when you least expect it!

Mia loves her Papa!!!

Mia has quite the wardrobe, but she hates it!  I am sad that she doesn't like sweaters, bows, or playing dress-up!  She will try to rub the sweater off by constantly rubbing against the wall or couch!  She got this sweater from Santa...and even if she doesn't like it her momma loves it!

Mia is always the last person out of bed...well of course she is!  It is just her and I and she is deathly afraid to jump from the bed to the floor, so I have to put her down every morning!  Although she is a huge fan of staying snuggled up on the warm heated mattress pad while I get ready!

Yes, Mia is the most spoiled little animal on the face of the earth!  But, look at her, how could you not spoil her rotten?  She is going to the vet this week to get her tongue checked out...she has a growth that is rapidly growing on it...pray for her!  She is deathly afraid of the vet!  I love my little girl and our little lilfe that we have!  She makes me smile! :)

Half Marathon Update: Week 6

I can't believe that I am half way done with my half marathon training!!  When I started I never thought April 13th would be here...and here it is right around the corner and I couldn't be more excited!!!  I am really starting to love running and the way it makes me feel!

When I am stressed...I RUN.
When I am happy...I RUN.
When I am tired...I RUN.
When I feel fat...I RUN.
When I am sore...I RUN.
When I am full of anxiety...I RUN. {which is more often than I ever thought...I need a diagnoses....haha!!}

I run when I am feeling all sorts of emotions and after pounding the pavement {even if it is just for 2 miles} I finish feeling amazing!  There is just something about it that clears my mind, body, and soul!

Week 6:
Monday: Strength & Stretching...however, I ran my 6 miles from last week due to being out of town for the the weekend and missing my long run on Sunday.
Tuesday: 4 miles
Wednesday: 2 miles...I decided to do 30 minutes on the ellipitcal...my training program says to do 2 miles or cross training....since I did 6 miles on Monday, I just wasn't feeling the whole running thing
Thursday: 4 miles...I laid in bed and talked myself out of this run several times, but when I looked at the weather there was no way I was going to miss out on the good weather, so I pounded the miles out
Friday: REST...I ran a ton of errands and had an eye appt...
Saturday:  This weekend I was supposed to run in a 5K...and well it slipped my mind and I didn't sign up for on, so I hit the gym and did the elliptical for 40 minutes.
Sunday:  I ran 4 miles...I was just going to do the 5K that I was supposed to run this weekend, and when I was setting my RunKeeper, I fought with myself about doing 3.5 miles or 4...and I did FOUR!!!!

Sunday was 65 degrees when I was running my 4 miles...Colorado weather is the definition of bipolar!

Yes, Yes...I ran in my glasses...and yes it sucked...but it's my life this week as I get ready for Lasik eye surgery on Friday!

Week 6...D-O-N-E

HALFWAY DONE!!!  

39 DAYS until ROCK THE PARKWAY!!!