Snuggies & Four-Legged Friends

Well, I'm curled up with my warm Snuggie watching The Biggest Loser finale.  I'm rooting for Amanda to win the title and Abby to win the at-home prize.  Guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens ...


In light of the finale, I dusted off my Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred video over the weekend.  While it's only 20 minutes, my arms are still sore.  And, because it's short, there's no excuses why I can't fit it into my schedule.


I also re-discovered the Fit TV channel last night -- a plethora of exercise shows to keep my workouts interesting and anything but boring, especially on these rainy winter days.  I even attempted Shimmy last night, based off belly dancing.  Yeah, so my hips don't exactly move like Shakira, but it was a great ab workout without feeling like one.


I'm guessing after this finale I'll have to trade in my Snuggie for my sweats and attempt a quick workout before bed.  If this rain will ever stop, I'm thinking of turning my husky into my new running buddy.  She's been about as lazy as I have over the past few months, and I know it'll be good for the both of us.  


But I am a little nervous -- should I use a collar or harness?  Does she need a warm up?  I'm pretty sure she's in better shape than I am, but still want to start her right.  Any other tips to running with dogs??

Tuesday Catch Up

Okay, I guess I really lost track of time over the last week! Things at work are picking up and, after spending all day working on the computer, I've been keeping the laptop closed at night. I'm sure many of you can relate!

The weather at our TEAM run last Saturday started out really crummy. It was cold, rainy and windy when I awoke at 5:30. But, by the time I arrived at our practice and we got started with announcements, the rain stopped and the wind calmed down. Sidestepping the rain puddles in the dark was the only challenge, and a fun one at that. I think I had more water in my shoes than the lakes around here. But once dawn broke, the weather turned beautiful.

We're tapering at the moment, so I only had six miles to hammer out. I thought it might be a struggle -- especially since my iPod wasn't charged -- but it felt soo good. It was the longest I've run since my 14 miler over a month ago. I just took it nice and slow, and didn't have to stop once to walk. I never felt any pain in my ankle during -- just a little stiffness after -- and it seems my lungs are finally catching up. Coach was truly happy to see me back out there -- I just wish I hadn't missed as much as I did. I found part of me wishing I could still do the full ... maybe next time ...

A good portion of my TEAM left Friday for the Rome Marathon -- I haven't heard how everyone did, but I'm sure they all rocked the house! I couldn't imagine a cooler race than that. But I'm sure Big D will hold it's share of thrills ... or at least I'll be able to read the street signs ...

Anyhoo, I've been thinking a lot lately about my goal finishing time. And I'm not really sure where to start in predicting it. It took me over 3:20:00 to do my 14 miles, but I stopped and hobbled quite a bit. It took me 1:21:00 to complete my sixer, which is probably a pace I can keep up for awhile. I definitely want to finish in under 3 hours. So maybe 2:55:00 for the half? Seems kind of slow on paper, but is probably realistic.

Speaking of times and half marathons, I must say I was pretty darn impressed with The Biggest Loser contestants doing half marathons last week. I couldn't believe some of the finishing times!! Not to take away from anyone's amazing accomplishment, but I think the inside track runners had a slight advantage over those running outside in the elements and non-flat terrain. But still, kudos to them all. Tara's 2:24:00 finish will surely beat mine!

Tomorrow I get to finalize all of my paperwork / donations and pick up my race-day jersey ... exciting!!