Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Race for the Cure: I run because i can




I'm running to support the West Virginia Affiiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure because I want to make a difference in the fight against breast cancer. If you feel so inclined, please visit my page below to make a donation. Thanks so much!


Monday, April 25, 2011

Monday Monday

I hate starting my week on bad terms. Sets a bad precedent for the rest of the week. I'm going to list all the bad things that happened today and then banish them from my thoughts to make the rest of the week spectacular.

1. I overslept this morning. Or more accurately, i hit the snooze button one too many times, which put me way behind in getting ready for work. Which meant I didn't have time to pack a lunch, pack walking clothes for a lunchtime walk, or find my water bottle.

2. Running late getting out the door = running late getting to the office. (Positive point - I wasn't actually late!!)

3. No packed lunch meant I had to go out and get something. Which means fast food. Tastes good. But not what my body needed to fuel me through my run today.

4. No change of clothes meant i could out and walk in the lovely sunshiny day. Of course, since I had no food, I didn't have time anyway.

5. No water bottle meant I didn't drink enough or the right stuff. Again, not what my body needed to fuel me through my run.

6. Hot, muggy weather + bad food + not enough water = sick, tired, blah run. So much for 6 miles; I got in 2.3 and decided I'd make up the rest tomorrow.

Because tomorrow, I will
1. Get up on time
2. Not run late getting to work
3. Pack a healthy lunch
4. Remember my workout clothes, so I can enjoy a lunch time walk and some time out of the office in the fresh air.
5. Remember my water bottle so I can adequately hydrate
6. Run later and not let negative thoughts (or anything else) slow me down!

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

It's not officially "Play Outside Season" until...

Melissa has at least one big bruise on the back of her leg:




Usually I get them from the pedals of my mountain bike while walking the bike down the steeper trails (I'm a bit of a chicken).


This one, however, was caused by the edge of the van door as it blew shut in the wind at Kanawha State Forest after our trail run the other day.


So, the pic is proof - It's officially "Play outside season" - so



GO OUT AND PLAY!!!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Friday, April 15, 2011

It's my birthday!

I turn 36 today. I don't feel 36 (not that I really know what 36 is supposed to feel like...) Anyway... in honor of #36, here are 36 things that I love and am thankful to have had in my life...

  1. I'm alive! (statistics show that the people with the most birthdays live the longest, so yay! I've reached another one!)

  2. I'm healthy!

  3. I can do things I never thought I could (or would) - like run, run, run.

  4. Marc - my totally awesome husband. He'll be embarassed that I mentioned him, but he's my love and my life. I love him more and more everyday. (sorry so mushy babe, but it's true)

  5. Bree - my shadow, my companion, my pet, my furchild. She brings me so much joy.

  6. My Gramma (Dad's mom). I feel so blessed to have her in my life for as long as I have. Love her bunches

  7. My Grampa (Dad's dad)- Grampa died at the end of January. He was a quiet man of few words. But his quiet strength shaped me in many ways

  8. Buppy (Mom's dad) - He died in May 2004. My partner in crime, one of my heroes.

  9. Mama (Mom's mom) - Another angel waiting for me in heaven.

  10. My Daddy - my hero. Another quiet, strong man

  11. My Mom - so many things to say and not enough words to say them.

  12. My brother - Big brothers - what can you say - he's my best friend; the person I can count on to drive me totally crazy and be there for me in a second if I need him. My antagonizer and my champion.

  13. My family - So many not specifically mentioned. All are important and loved and have influenced me in so many ways. They say you can't choose your family, but I'm pretty sure that if I had a choice, I'd have chosen all of you.

  14. My "Girls" - Becca, Jen, Keira, Shannon. College buddies turned lifelong friends. The kind of friendship we have is a gift from God, and I'm so blessed to have these 4 wonderful women in my life

  15. My education - taken me in some interesting directions and to work in many places where I never imagined I would be.

  16. My job - fun, interesting, fulfilling. (and it pays the bills too!)

  17. My work family - Make the days interesting and fun, and sometimes challenging.

  18. My church - although it has kind of dropped the ball lately (which could be partly my fault), my church and church family played a huge part in making me who I am

  19. Music - I played both the piano & violin as a child. Had music loving parents who played a wide variety of music (classical, 60's folk, etc) to their captive audience children while traveling in the car. Which gave me a wide music education and a deep appreciation for the different kinds of music out there. I may like some styles more than others, but I can appreciate the talent and genius behind it all.

  20. Books - oh my the books. Don't know what I would do without them. Reading is like breathing for me. I have to do it. I'm like Burgess Meredith in the Twilight Zone episode. Gotta have my books. (knock on wood that I don't break my glasses....)

  21. Writing - I don't do it often, and with this blog I'm trying to do it more, but sometimes the best way to sort through my feelings is to write. Doesn't matter what, it's the act of getting the words onto paper (or the screen). Someday, I will write a novel. Maybe

  22. Shoes - So much more than just foot protection. I love shoes. So many shoes, so few feet. Sad I can only wear 2 at a time...

  23. Crayons - Good ol' fashioned Crayola crayons. A world of opportunity and creativy in one small box.

  24. Oreos - Nothing can make a bad day better than box of Oreos.

  25. Scissors - Got stress? Grab some paper and some scissors and start cutting. The simple act of destruction is very helpful to vent some frustration.

  26. Sunshine - warm, bright, cheerful, lovely

  27. Rain - refreshing, cool, cleansing

  28. Mud - yep, I like mud and dirt (in it's place). A muddy, dirty child (adult, dog, whatever) is probably a happy child (adult, dog, whatever). Playing in mud is just fun.

  29. Snow - cold, quiet, pristine, renewing. (Disclaimer - snow is awesome in December, January, & February. Any other time it's just annoying)

  30. The internet - an amazing source for information (good & bad) and for connecting in small ways with total strangers

  31. Grape Koolaid - It's just good. An indulgence for my inner child.

  32. Old cemeteries - I can wander for hours through old cemeteries. History fascinates me and while walking amongst the headstones of those who lived a hundred years ago, I can't help but imagine. Imagine how they lived; imagine how they died.

  33. Clowns - Some people hate clowns or are terrified of them. To me, they are the epitome of joy and childhood. The embodiment of fun. When I was about 3 we went to the circus and one of the clowns came up to us and sat on my mom's lap. An amazing, happy, hilarious moment that has stuck with me forever.

  34. Snoopy - the lovable beagle. Snoopy rules.

  35. My baby blanket - 36 years old now and just as treasured now as it was when I was an infant. It's been everywhere with me and everything to me. A blanket to keep me warm; Security when I was scared; a comfort in times of chaos.

  36. My Teddy Bear - Like my "banky", Teddy is still treasured. A trusted friend and confidant.

Friday, April 1, 2011

The best laid schemes…

The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,

Gang aft agley,

An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,

For promis'd joy!


 

    - "To A Mouse", Robert Burns


 

I had plans for this week.  Not big ones.  Just a couple of things that I wanted to have accomplished. Well, the universe decided it wanted to teach me a lesson about making plans. It wanted to teach me that sometimes it likes to laugh at plans.

Plan #1 – I wanted to have my first week of running/walking 25+ total miles in 2011.

You'd think that since it was the last week of March that the weather would cooperate with that goal. Ummm, no, not so much. It's been cold, rainy, and snowy, and basically downright miserable. I can handle weather like we've had this week in winter, but not when it's supposed to be spring. So my 25+ mile week is going to end up a 13 mile week.

Plan #2 – I wanted/needed to get the state inspection and the tires rotated on my car.

When my office is literally right next door to a Tire Center that does inspections, you'd think I could get this accomplished easily. Various little nitpicky things kept me from taking it in Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. I planned to drop it off Thursday morning. Turns out some family issues made it a bad day to be without a car, so I couldn't do it Thursday. Tried to get it done twice today (Friday) but neither place could do it. (The first place could do the tire rotation that I requested, but not the inspection. Seriously? You're gonna have the wheels off anyway - You can't inspect it while it's up on the rack?? ) (the second place at least had a legitimate excuse)

Add to that a bunch of little annoying things that haven't turned out quite right, and it's been one of those weeks. So for the next few days I'm shaking off the plans, and taking the weekend as it comes.

Call me a glutton for punishment, but next week starts a new plan. Another shot at getting the car inspected and another weekly mileage goal. Maybe the universe will shoot me down again and maybe not. We'll all just have to wait and see.