And on the 5th Day....

She Rests.

[insert happy dance HERE]

Today is a full-fledged, no-workout day! (Hear me breathing a sigh of relief?)

I’m not attempting the streaking philosophy of some others ~ I have simply been trying to keep exercise as part of my weekly schedule ~ shooting for a target of 5 days a week.

So far, so good. (yeah, it’s only been one week, but you gotta start somewhere!!)

I considered making yesterday a rest day, because by last night my body felt absolutely tortured after Wednesday night’s workout!! Lisa and I chatted in the morning about how relatively good we felt after Body Attack ~ only some moderate soreness for both of us ~ but as the day progressed, I could feel my body just losing it. Everything became so incredibly sore ~ mostly my mid-section (translated: flabby stomach) and shoulders.

So last night, I considered yoga for the first time. I have a Pilates / Yoga set of DVD’s that has been camping out, unopened, in my upstairs entertainment center. I did bust it open, but there’s a part of me that still believes that if I am going to spend 30 or 60 minutes exercising, I want to be burning some calories! I know…I KNOW how good yoga is for you, and all the benefts…blah, blah…..but go easy on me – I opted for something with a little more kick ;)

So I knocked out the 30 minutes of Basic Tae-Bo again, taking it a bit easy as to not injure my already-sore muscles. I worked up a sweat, felt good about myself, and called it a day. Thus ended my consecutive 4 days…..YAY ME!!! :)

So today I am resting (translate: watching movies tonight with the kids instead of squeezing in a workout or run), and have plans tomorrow for a medium run – hopefully 5 miles, if I don’t die from the heat.

And in my current obsessive state, I actually sat down last night and planned out a workout schedule for next week ~ incorporating some runs with some more awesome classes at the gym. I think I am sick. Someone please send help ;)

And now just a reminder ~ if you are reading this and want to join the obsessive workout-and-weight-loss-bandwagon ~ head over to Viv’s….home of the INDEPENDENCE WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE!! We have racked up some great sponsors for prizes – including BROOKS RUNNING and RUNJUNK.COM ~ who are being so incredibly generous!!! Check out the details on Viv’s blog!! GO!!! GO.NOW!!!!

And finally ~ a shout out to all the peeps who are racing this weekend ~ and especially Taryn, Eric and Chad…. some of my AZ peeps who are heading to San Diego to Rock And Roll…..go Team Arizona!!! ROCK that race!!!

And to the best DAM runners I know ~ Nancy and Amy ~ who are running the Dam to Dam 20K this weekend in Iowa…..I soooooo wish I could have made it out there to run with you gals this weekend…..but it is on my plate for next year!!! I love a DAM good run!! You will be so DAM GREAT!! ;)


Happy Friday everyone!


Weekly Workout Summary

Monday ~ Run – 4.5 miles
Tuesday ~ Tae-Bo – Basic workout – 30 minutes
Wednesday ~ Body Attack – 60 minutes
Thursday ~ Tae-Bo - Basic workout - 30 minutes
Friday ~ REST (aaaahhhhhh)
Saturday~ (PLAN) Run - 5 miles
Sunday~ (PLAN) Run - short and/or Tae-Bo Basic Workout

Last night I was ATTACKED!

You know those things that we all commit to, in the constant pursuit of health and fitness, that seem like a good idea at the time ~ then when you actually get right down to it, you start wondering what drugs you were on when you committed to do such a thing?


That is what my body was screaming about last night after the first 30 minutes of BODY ATTACK ~ a class at the gym which Lisa and I threw ourselves in to…..maybe not fully realizing the serious workout we were about to get!!!

HOLY.WORKOUT.BATMAN!!!! This was some serious stuff. 60 minutes of blood, sweat and tears. Okay ~ so maybe not any blood. Somewhere after the first half of the class, I think my brain just shut down and my body just took over – trying at all costs to keep moving. It was truly the most intense workout I have ever done. Here’s the outline of a *typical class* I get exhausted again just reading about it!!!

Yet funny enough, after leaving the gym last night looking like a drowned rat, and feeling like I had been hit by a truck (multiple times) ~ I absolutely cannot wait to go back and do it again!!!!!!

Could this seriously be 3 workouts already this week? Better watch out ~ something strange could be brewing ;)

But wait!!!!

How could I forget the funniest part of last night’s workout?? While the rest of our class mates waited patiently for the workout studio to open ~ obviously resting up for what was to come ~ not me and my workout buddy! Oh no ~ we were on the treadmill for a warm up walk! (Can you guess whose idea that was???) So we walked and chatted ~ at a good pace ~ until it was almost time for class.

You can imagine the panic for Lisa when the class started going in, and her treadmill read only .75 miles. GASP! In an effort to satisfy her inability to have mileage in un-round numbers, she cranked up the treadmill and ran like a mad dog so she could hit the 1 mile mark. By this time, our class had already gone in. I had already gotten off my treadmill, and was putzing around, trying not to laugh as Lisa pushed for the necessary even-milege. It didn’t work though ~ I laughed :P

Between breaths, with the treadmill cranked as fast as she could stand it, my running-OCD friend asks: “You’re gonna write about this, aren’t you?”

Me: “oh, yeahhhhh.”

There has to be a treatment program for this, right??? :)


Weekly Workout Summary

Monday ~ Run – 4.5 miles
Tuesday ~ Tae-Bo – Basic workout – 30 minutes
Wednesday ~ Body Attack – 60 minutes
Thursday ~
Friday ~
Saturday~
Sunday~

Just a warning ~ I have absolutely nothing coherent to say today, so this post seriously falls under the topic of *miscellaneous ramblings.*

First, and maybe you all should sit down for this one ~ I have actually worked out for 2 DAYS.IN.A.ROW!!!! Smelling salts, anyone? Shocking, I know.

My legs (quads) were pretty sore after Saturday’s race (yes, at my current fitness level even a 5k at a PR-pace can make me sore for days…) so I rested on Sunday…….and had just a little lingering soreness on Monday. So I opted to take a little dose of the “hair of the dog” so to speak, and headed out Monday morning and knocked out 4.5 miles. The first 2 miles sucked (as usual) and the last 2.5 were fantastic. Solid running ~ felt strong ~ trucked along in the 11 minute range. Done ~ a run for the books.

Last night, I finally dusted off the Tae-Bo DVD that had been sitting, along with my workout clothes on the cedar chest, desperately waiting for me every morning last week to pop it in the player and actually make good use of it. I did the 30 minute *Basic Workout* and it felt sooooo dang good. Back in the day ~ when I was in better shape ~ I used to do the Advanced Workout, and sometimes the Billy’s Boot Camp videos ~ which were awesome. I’m sure that right know I would die in any attempt to use those workouts, so I’m going to pace myself and work my way back up.

Diversity in my workouts ~ it’s the plan for this summer. Running is great, but it’s not getting me to my weight goal. Running and Tae-Bo ~ yeahhhhh. I’m hoping that’s the ticket.

And speaking of weight loss……YOU NEED TO GO OVER HERE!!! Viv has taken the bull by the horns and actually has acted upon the weight loss challenge idea that I tossed out a few weeks back (and embarrassingly, never followed up on). So GO!!!! GO.NOW!!! If you need to lose some weight this summer ~ come hang with us. We’re really cool and I’m sure Viv is going to be the best WL Challenge Director EVER!!! (I am just the poor, underpaid and over worked trusty assistant ;P)

And finally ~ the last of the miscellaneous ramblings has to do with running visors. Specifically my newest Headsweats visors (purchased in order to allow my favorite visor to be tossed in the washing machine before it actually grows legs and walks itself there out of sheer necessity) ~ which have been brutally taken over by my youngest son.

He is in love with these visors, and has laid claim to them as his own. So what is a mom to do? It cracks me up that they even FIT him!! I think I am going to propose a new slogan for Headsweats ~ something like “also great for preschoolers with overly large heads.” ;)

Happy Running!!!

ARR Summer Series #1 ~ Race Report

I didn't head out this morning with too many high hopes ~ after all, I haven't exactly been the model running student as of late ~ but the prospect of great weather and great company were the two things that made me get out of bed this morning for the first race of the Arizona Roadracers Summer 5K Series.

I got up ~ ate ~ drank coffee ~ s t r e t c h e d like crazy ~ picked up Lisa at 6:30 (notably the first time ever I've actually picked her up for a race when it was light outside) ~ headed out to Papago Park, just in time to meet up with Eileen in the parking lot. Plenty more fun awaited when we met up with Eric and Chad ....and before we knew it, we were all off and running.

Mile 1 ~ 11:15
This was a nice, strong mile for me. I was surprised as all heck at how good I felt after not having stepped foot in my running shoes for over a week. I ran with Eileen, and we kept a great pace. No walking here ;)

Mile 2 ~ 11:36
Even with a quick walk break at the mile 1 mark, Mile 2 pulled down a great pace for me. We ran continuously ~ even hung with Chad and Eric for some and exchanged some running banter. Somewhere around the mile 2 mark, I was wearing down. The fatigue was definitely setting in and I was starting to drag. I bid farewell to Eileen, Eric and Chad and took myself a walk break.

Mile 3 ~ 11:56
Even with a lot of walk breaks, I proud of this pace. Anything sub-12 is nothing short of a major miracle for me. I ran a good pace, and walked when I needed ~ or wanted ~ to. Today was about the sheer enjoyment of running.

The final .1 mile was serious olympic running, my friends ~ 8:59 pace. Okay, so it was a tenth of a mile ~ but you just gotta love it!

Who knew when I got up this morning that this crazy little run would end up being a PR for me? I sure didn't. Now granted, I have a lot of wiggle room in my 5K stats ~ my best time ever was 38 minutes and some change ~ and that was a year and a half ago. I'll say it again ~ I'm really not a fan of the 5k distance.

But today may have swayed me a bit ~ deep down inside I feel this little challenge tugging at me to really work at this distance. I loooooooooove a sub-12 race ~ at ANY distance ~ and today was no different!!

So meet your newest (Arizona) PR setters for the day:

You know it's a great day when all your running buddies set a new PR! Congrats Lisa and Eileen on a FANTABULOUS race!!!

Summer 5K Series - Race #1: 35:29
Average Pace: 11:31

Medical Mumbo Jumbo

Over the past few weeks I’ve gotten a few emails with good wishes following my little surgery a while back ~ and some of my friends in Blogland have inquired about what I had done. I guess when one mentions a *girlie procedure* that it sparks a bit of interest!

Well, I’m not shy ~ and I’m also a believer that information is beneficial for the greater good, so I thought I would share a bit. In addition, I don’t have anything running-related to blog about (apparently one has to actually RUN in order to blog about it), so what the heck…

MEN: You might want to stop reading here and flip back over to ESPN.com

WOMEN: Carry on....


No, I didn’t have a boob job. Anyone that has met me in person can attest that a procedure like that is not something I have a need for. Just trust me on this one.

No, I didn’t have my tubes tied. The way I figure, if I had two major surgeries to have my two kids, the least my dear Hubs could do was have one minor surgery to ensure we don’t have any more kids. Enough said?

What I did have ~ after much contemplation and research ~ was an Endometrial Ablation procedure. Translated into normal person terms: I had the inside of my uterus destroyed so I wouldn’t spend a miserable week of every month resembling a scene from a bad slasher-film. Get me? (you can google all the technical terms if you’re interested)

Yeah, I thought all you women would get it.

When you find yourself planning your life, and vacations, and races – of all things! – around that time of the month, something just isn’t right. As I’ve gotten….ahem….older…..it seemed that my dear Aunt Flo was just taking advantage of me.

So after months of consideration, I had a ThermaChoice Ablation done on the 29th of April. It was a less-than-30-minute procedure, done in a surgical center, under full anesthesia (my doc’s preference, and mine too) that has a 40% of chance of ridding me of Aunt Flo all together…..and a 60% chance of just making her a much nicer, normal relative.

The jury is still out on the effectiveness of my particular procedure ~ doc says it can take up to 6 months to determine the final success. But in the mean time, my body is basically struggling to heal a lovely, internal, third-degree burn. Makes it sound pretty, huh?

Which leads me to my frustration and lack of running lately. I’ve been getting really irritated with myself for being so out of sync lately ~ until someone I know (that also had an ablation procedure done a few years back) gently reminded me that my body is still VERY much in recovery mode. Just because I can’t see it….or feel it (thank goodness)….my body has a severe internal burn that it is trying to mend. And I guess I’ve come to realize that I’ve been expecting too much of myself too soon. It’s only been 3 weeks since my surgery, and I’m irritated that I don’t have enough energy to run or workout like I think I should be.

Well, after yesterday I have stopped being mad at myself. It is now time for me to be realistic about all the chaos I have put my body through in the past few weeks, and be patient with the ol’ body while it recovers and catches up with my brain. No more mental beatings ~ I just need to do what my body tells me to do.

So there. Isn’t that more information than you really needed?

But seriously ~ there are more women out there than you realize that suffer from the same, vindictive Aunt Flo that I did. Many might be considering such a procedure, and desperately searching (like I was) for anyone that might have an experience to share. So I throw it out there in hopes that if someone needs my insight – they know where to come ask for it. I stumbled upon several blogs during my search, and actually emailed a couple of the authors to inquire. First-hand experience is a very valuable thing.

So watch out ladies – you just might be insanely jealous of me in a few months when I tell you that I have rid myself of pesky, monthly-visiting relatives FOR GOOD! Until then, just smack me when I whine about my running and tell me to get over myself. I’m doing exactly what I should be doing.

Happy Running!

Good Body Image Day

Ever had one?

You know those days, when somehow by a stroke of cosmic luck, everything just seems to fall in place? Your clothes fit right, you have a good hair day, and everything just seems to click and you feel comfortable in your own skin?

I don’t have them very often (actually can't remember the last one), but I’m having one today ~ and it really just does wonders for my motivation! I find that I eat better, feel better and am just more motivated to exercise ~ all in the hopes that it keeps me feeling this good.

In my constant battle with the scale ~ and the mirror ~ and my clothes….a day like today is noteworthy. So I mention it only in the hopes that it helps someone else take notice in their own life and helps them realize a Good Body Image Day of their own!

And making my day even better, I got this little gem in the mail ~


The postman must be wondering who POKEY is ~ so I guess I’ll have to educate him. He needs to understand that POKEY is just like the IRS ~ all you gotta do is slap it on an envelope, with a city and zip code, and it gets there. No address. No problem. I am very well connected. Really. I. AM.


Thanks Nancy ~ for the great gift!! I tell you ~ finishing a race DAL really has its perks!

Wishing you all a Good Body Image Day!

Weekend Ramblings

You know you're true friend when you agree to play airport shuttle service at 4:15am on a Saturday morning.

Either that, or you're just a runner that loves early Saturday morning runs, and figure you'd be up early anyway! ;)

Not sure exactly which one I am ~ hopefully a combination of both ~ so I drug myself out of bed at 4:15 to take my friend K (and her family) to the airport in the wee morning hours. I donned my running clothes, visor, and a pair of flip flops. With coffee in hand, my super shuttle did it's morning duty.

After getting home at 5:30am, I tossed on my shoes, stretched out my extremely tight muscles.....and was out the door just before 6am. The plan was 2 or 3 miles ~ whichever distance showed the least probability of killing me.

The first mile out was rough. Mentally, I was disappointed......seems like each time I take a step forward in my running, I end up taking 2 steps back. Some days I feel like I've spent the past 2 years spinning my wheels, and not really getting anywhere. The first mile of this run felt much more like the Pokey of 2 years ago.....not the Pokey that just less than 2 months ago, rocked the first 10 miles of the Valley of the Sun HM with Lisa (the fact that I crashed after those 10 miles really isn't the point, in case you wondered! :P)

I stopped for a brief moment after the first mile to stretch. Everything was so tight. I checked Garmie: 13:02. BLECH.

I decided to take a 3 mile route and see what happened. I figured that walking wouldn't be the worst alternative.

Somewhere in the middle of mile 2, I started to feel good. I was running continously ~ no walking ~ and was somewhere in my comfort pace. When I gave a glance to Garmie again, I was incredibly surprised. My *comfort pace* had turned to 11:15.

Well, friends ~ there is no better motivation for me than seeing a great number on good ol' Mr. Garmin. My fastest mile ever run was 11:15 ~ and some of you may recall that it was in a hail storm, in the freezing cold!!! (I really had just wanted to get home!)

So somehow yesterday ~ after all the beating my body has taken over the past 3 weeks ~ I somehow found some mental toughness to keep me moving. I ended up pushing for a 5K distance, and in the end, my arch-rival Garmie had nothing but nice things to say to me:

Mile 1: 13:02
Mile 2: 11:41
Mile 3: 11:38
.1 mile: 0:59 (9:55 pace - that's a sprint for me, in case you wondered!)

I am all for negativity ~ as long as it manifests itself in SPLITS!!!! ;)

Most of you already know my disdain for the 5K distance ~ and the fact that I've only run 2 of them in the past couple years ~ so the fact that this is my fastest 5K probably won't surprise many of you. Crazy, isn't it? Not bad for my surgery-recovering-snot-blowing-stuffy-headed-hacking-up-a-lung-haven't-been-running-worth-a-crap-body, huh???

Running is the eternal surprise ~ you never know what awaits you when you hit the pavement.

NOW....... if only the rest of my weekend had gone as well, I would continue to be thrilled! As I type this, I sit here waiting for my hubby to return from golf so that I can go the urgent care center by our house. Oh no...it's nothing super urgent.....just a nasty case of PINK EYE that graced me with it's presence upon my waking this morning :X Apparently, all the lovely snot I have in my nose has backed up into my eyeballs ~ lovely visual, eh?? So I am in serious need of some eyedrops...and don't want to wait until tomorrow when I wait up looking like the Monster of the Deep. *SIGH* I really hope my body gives me a break. I'm tired of being sick. Ahhhh, yes ~ I'm a mess.

So for now, I will sit here with my drippy eyeballs, relish in my great run from yesterday, and wait anxiously for all the race reports from all the great peeps that are racing this weekend!