Catching Up

Man, this past week was a doozy! Work is picking up quite a bit, and my brain is finally succumbing to the madness. Not exactly the best time to scale back on caffeine, but I'm trying pathetically hard to nix the diet sodas. Something about water being better for the body ...

I did manage to squeeze in a couple of decent workouts, though. I did pilates Monday and Wednesday -- a rude awakening first thing in the morning, as it felt like stretching a cold rubber band. But I love pilates because I can begin to feel the toning effects immediately, at least in the flab ... er, I mean ab ... area.

I ran a mile on Tuesday -- I swear the humidity took it's toll a minute into it. But my legs held up well, and I was glad to get that feeling back of wanting to go further. Besides, it just felt good to sweat a little.

We also had our first softball game Friday night. Now that was a good workout! J and I had played catch just about every night the last two weeks, so I felt fairly comfortable tucked in right field. I managed to get on base every time I batted ... despite hitting myself in the head with the bat the first go-round. Yeah, I know, how is that even possible? Not sure, but it got a good chuckle from the crowd, and solidified my point that our team name should have been "Benchwarmers". But, we ended up kicking tail, winning 12-6 despite being a player short.

And let me tell you, I was more sore yesterday than I was after my half marathon. Guess it was all the sprinting -- my legs are still shot. Which is why I think I need a little help in the toning and strength department. I picked up a copy of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred today at the bookstore -- has anyone tried it? I'm a little skeptical and a little nervous about it ... that lady scares me.

But, maybe it'll be just the boost I need. That, catch, and more running should have me in pretty decent shape here shortly. And, it should be a little more entertaining than the ol' workbench that's collecting dust upstairs.

Tax-free at Run On

Hey Texas runners! If you're heading out to take advantage of tax-free weekend and want new running gear, check out the deals at places like Run On. Their discounts include:

• Buy one pair of shoes, get 15% off all additional pairs (discount applied to highest priced shoe).
• Buy $50 worth of apparel, get 15% off all additional apparel.

Not to mention no tax on all items under $100, including shoes, socks, caps and apparel. Not too shabby!

*And thanks, Dano, for suggesting to add Sister Hazel (playing now) to my iPod. I forgot how much I enjoy them! :)

Attn Creative Junkies

Hey all! Just a note to let you know my crafty blog *bella creative* is up and running ... for anyone who's interested :).

Back to running posts this weekend (and new tunes) -- until then, I'm catching up on reading your wonderful blogs as I'm sooo behind. But I suppose that's not unusual for me.

It's Hump Day, then bump day, then FRIDAY!*

*I know, that makes no sense. But I like it, so I'm leaving it ...

Monday Monday Monday

I am super ancy today -- maybe because it's Monday, maybe because I drank too much sugar-infused lemonade at lunch. Regardless, I have a mountain of work to do and an anthill of motivation to accomplish it. Perhaps I'll save it all for after dinner ...

I'm liking the idea of completing the Nike Woman's Marathon with Team In Training, so I think I'll try to make it my goal for either 2010 or 2011. I'll figure it all out as we get closer! Until then, I'm slowly getting back into the running deal and hopefully will get myself signed up for a 5k or two this fall.

J and I are playing in a co-ed softball league starting next Friday, and just practicing for that has been quite the workout! Especially since I've never played a day in my life up until a few weeks ago. You'd think I'd learn to catch the ball after getting hit in just about every place imaginable while playing catch with J. Guess it's a learned skill ... but the games should be fun.

In other ventures, I'm starting a new blog (bella creative) to tap into my creative side ... or at least something to keep me busy while J's working in the garage. So if you're into the whole crafty-handmade-some people call it art-stuff, then you'll have to check it out. I'll let you know once it's up and running!

Here I Go Again

I didn't exactly leap out of bed when the alarm went off this morning. By the time I did get up, the sun was beaming through the windows and my stomach was growling for some breakfast. After downing a granola bar, checking e-mail and working on a few slides for my presentation at work, it was already 10:30. No excuses, I told myself.

I changed into running clothes and dug through the sock drawer in vain trying to find two that matched. No excuses. Wearing one pink sock and one blue sock, I rummaged around looking for my watch. I couldn't leave without my watch. I had only 30 minutes to spare in my hectic schedule. No excuses.

I gave up and strapped on my iPod. Only it was dead. How can I run without my tunes? I ran up the stairs and tried to find my old one, only it was dead too. Seriously, no music? No excuses.

With no music, no watch and mismatched socks, I finally headed out the door. It was super hot already, but it felt good to feel the sweat beading up on my skin. And to feel my legs fall back into an old habit. I put in just over a mile ... slow, but still a mile. With no excuses.

*Thanks to Running Around Acres for suggesting the awesome Whitesnake song playing now -- will be adding it to my iPod tonight!

Wanted: New Running Playlist

I'm chewing on your wonderful race suggestions and will figure it out eventually. As many of you have said, I just need to get back out there. So out there I will go. My goal next week is to put in a short run Monday, Wednesday and Friday -- I'm thinking a mile or so. Baby steps, people!

So over the weekend, I need to wash my running clothes, dust off the sneaks and update my iPod running playlist. I desperately need some new tunes to help spice things up -- and I'd like your help building my playlist!

What do you listen to when running? What tunes pump you up? What song will be the key to all of my running successes ... er, or at least get me out of bed in the morning? :)

So ... What's Next?

You guys hit the nail on the head with the question, "What's next?" I've been trying to figure that out, but to no avail. Maybe that's why I was a little sluggish in posting my race report, because I didn't know where to go or what to do after.

And, five months later, I'm still not sure. But I definitely know I want to do another race. Many of you have hinted at another 1/2 or *gulp* a full. That would be cool. Or maybe another event with TNT -- Mohan suggested the Nike Women's, which does truly intrigue me. Maybe in 2010 ...

But what to do in the meantime? I suppose the first step would be lacing up my sneaks again. I think I've run twice since Big D. Horrid, I know! I had every intention of taking a short break to let the ankle heal completely. And well ... a short break turned into a bad habit. Oops.

So, I'm going to work on getting back into the habit this week. But, as for a new goal / adventure, what do you guys think? Any race suggestions or cool goals that I can work towards (like 50/50, but without the 50 ... haha)??

FINALLY, a Post-Race Report

Heeelllllooooooo! I know, I know -- where the hell have I been, right?

It's been nearly five months since I finished the Big D 1/2 Marathon with TNT ... wonder if any of you guys have stuck around? Truly did not mean to leave you hanging -- in my defense, I left for Puerto Rico the week after, have had several computer issues ... and am just downright lazy sometimes.

So, since this is a little anti-climatic as many of you have already blogged about the Big D race, I'll just share a few things. Like the fact that is was sooooo freakin' cold and windy that morning! Definitely made the days of training in frigid winds worth it. Just glad I was wearing pants and not shorts ...

J won the award for Best Supporting Husband, riding around on his mountain bike snapping photos, dodging swift winds and sketchy neighborhoods as best he could ...

I love this starting photo, reminds me of "Where's Waldo?" ...

I was bound and determined to run all 13.1 miles without stopping ... and by God I did it, with even a smile to boot ...

Remember when I was trying to set a realistic finishing time? I thought it would be around 2:55:00. And many of you said I could do better ... and I did. I finished in 2:43:41. Still plenty of room for improvement, but I was so super proud of it. You can also see our TNT group photo on the Big D Race Results page ... pretty cool!

I carried all of my donors with me during the race ... well, their names at least. Thanks to you guys, I raised over $1,800 for Team In Training to help find a cure for Leukemia!

All-in-all, it was such a wonderful experience. I encourage everyone to train for a race with TNT at least once, whether you've run a hundred marathons or you're a couch potato just getting started. It'll definitely change your life -- as well as those around you!