One ticket to the circus, please

The 3 Ring Circus, of course.

Isn’t that the best kind ~ where you can watch 3 different events running simultaneously before your very eyes???


Welcome to my life………..


Ring Number 1 ~ WORK

Ever since returning from San Diego at the end of June, work has just been a whirlwind. It was audit after audit after audit ~ all routine of course, since Pokey runs a tight ship ~ but ridiculously time-consuming nonetheless. For a gal who typically prefers more of a life balance between work and home, the last couple months have been totally draining. I feel like I am behind in BOTH places….which usually isn’t a good thing.

I am starting to surface again, slowly but surely.


Ring Number 2 ~ FAMILY

Let the chaos of school begin!!!! Then throw in some football and we put on quite a good show!!!

Yes, school started for my oldest (6th grade) on July 28, and for my youngest (Pre-K) on August 15th. Each an every day is just a new adventure in what I call the “morning circus” where we all try to find some miraculous way to make it out of the house on time.

Football practice for my older son happens every night during the month of August – read it: EVERY night! I won’t go in to the long list of things that this affects in my family life ~ everything from homework, to dinner, to laundry ~ so let’s just call it CHAOS and be done.

We are only a few days away now from a return to somewhat normalcy when practice changes over to 2X per week. Totally do-able in my book and I’m looking forward to a little sanity.


Ring Number 3 ~ HEALTH

As if watching the activities in the first two rings of the Pokey Circus aren’t enough to hurt your eyes, Mr. Pokey decided to land himself in the hospital earlier this month with a case of pancreatitis!!! While trying to juggle Rings 1 and 2, for a full week I also had to manage hospital visits, doctor consults and two boys who were wigging out about their dad being in the hospital. This was nearly a nervous breakdown kind-of week.

The good news is that hubby is fine; bad news is that they have no idea what caused the flare up. He doesn’t fit any of the criteria for folks that usually get pancreatitis, so everyone is stumped. Me? Well I just have my fingers and toes crossed that it never happens again.


I appreciate all the emails I’ve gotten - both the supportive ones and the “get your ass back here” ones. Truly, blogging buddies are the best.

I’ve been doing my best to keep a decent workout schedule, which I have been successful at for the most part. Not a lot of running going on ~ usually just a 4-5 miler on the weekend - but I’ve gotten some trips to the gym under my belt and am still feeling pretty good.

The scale is still holding at the same level, which is both good and bad. At least the chaos of the past couple months hasn’t added 10 pounds of insult to the rest of my life’s injury!!!

I am excited to get myself back on track here over the next couple weeks, as fall running season will officially start for me! I am hoping and praying for some cooler temps to help me out!!!

Hope everyone is having some happy running, cycling, swimming or whatever floats your boat! Bear with me while I get myself reacquainted ;)

Quickie

I'm heading out again today ~ this time to North Carolina for business and a few days of exercise rest. Not sure how I am going to do it....I've been completely compulsive about my exercise lately ~ which I guess is not really a bad thing.


I actually had to restrain myself from going to the gym twice yesterday, just because I could have if I had wanted to. Crazy, huh? But I resisted, and went back again this morning at 5:15 am for Body Combat class ;)


I'd love to say that my compulsion applies to my running also, but no such luck.


I did get a good run in on Saturday at the ARR Summer Series Race #4 ~ a hot, humid and sweaty 5K with Eileen and Lisa.


I've had better runs, I've had worse.....so I have no complaints. This was a training run for Eileen, so I told her to set the pace and I would just go along for the ride. The heat was brutal, but we knocked down the 3.1 and called it a day. Personally, I think runners should get at least a minute per mile credit for running in such conditions....


Here's our sweaty ~ but always smiling ~ gang after the race:




Congrats to Lisa who set a new PR on Saturday, and continues to amaze and inspire me!! No idea how she did it in the heat ~ some of us were struggling just to move ~ but she ROCKS! Awesome job lady :)

I am just happy to have broken through the scale threshhold that has been holding me hostage lately ~ I finally busted 157 pounds!!! I had been stuck there for sooooo long (like almost a month!!!) so it was very encouraging to see the scale move again. Less than seven more pounds to my first goal.....a new pair of jeans that I have been wanting ;)

The goal for this week is to eat smart while traveling. No easy feat, but I am going to do it. There's nothing that says that pushups and ab curls can't be done in a hotel room too!! ;)

Tricks of the running gods

I truly am starting to believe that there are Supreme Running Beings out there in the universe that get an immense out of pleasure it messing with me on a regular basis.

It’s like every time I go out to run, one of the running gods (not sure exactly how many there might be) is rolling a dice, flipping a coin, or playing Rock/Paper/Scissors to predetermine the outcome before I even get started.

My runs in CA during the month of June were FANTASTIC ~ my best ever.

The couple shortish runs I’ve had since I’ve gotten back were MISERABLE ~ some of the worst.

As I was plodding along last Saturday morning, swearing at the running gods for the torture, I remembered something I had said long ago: as runners, we are never defined by a single run. In other words, a good run does not a good runner make; nor a bad run does not a bad runner make. Pretty deep, huh????

It is hard not to let a series of crappy running define me, but I’m not. I’ll just say that my running has sucked lately and leave it at that.

I did manage to make some friends on my run last weekend. I even brought them home with me. I decided to name them GNAT.


No, those are not moles or freckles ~ this is what happens when it’s monsoon season in good old Arizona and the humidity shoots up beyond anything that we are reasonably accustomed to. I had to block from my mind how many of these little critters I actually consumed or inhaled during this run ~ I chalk it up to helping me meet my protein target for the day.

When I got home, I was sooooo HOT, sweaty and gnat-covered that I decided to jump in the pool ~ running clothes and all. It felt great ~ and for a fleeting moment I was almost a wannabe triathlete. Until I remembered that the swim should always come first ;)


I’ve been holding steady with my workouts at the gym ~ trying for both a Body Pump and Body Attack class at least once a week. I’ve been good with my eating habits ~ even throughout a ton of traveling ~ but the scale still isn’t cooperating the way I wish that it would. But I feel good, and my clothes feel good….so I remain patient. I’m not patient by nature so I sure it wont last much longer.


This Saturday is the 4th AZ Road Racers Summer 5K. I’ll be attempting to run with Eileen, but am not holding too high of expectations for myself. I figure just getting up, getting out and moving for 3 miles is worth something ~ so I’m doing it. I have no expectation of running with Speedy Gonzales this weekend, although she is being kind enough to pick me up at 5:30 am, which is, of course, her most favorite time of day ;)

In other news, I’d like to announce the formal, official debut of team FOUR SCORE & SEVEN BLISTERS AGO, which will be competing in the American Odyssey Relay Run Adventure in April 2009. Our fun-loving, wacky team is made up of 12 runners; 10 of which are from various parts of the U.S. and 2 from Canada!!!

Somehow this team of 12 is going to spend 36 hours together in van, run 200 miles of roads rich in American history from Gettysburg, PA to Washington, DC, have an AMAZING time doing it. Fellow bloggers Jeff, Rob, Katie, Nat, Cheryl, Ken and Micheline are part of my wonderful team, plus a few other non-bloggers (yet great runners!) who have yet to really determine how crazy the rest of us really are!

I am both excited and a bit freaked out about this new undertaking ~ I’m sure it will be an amazing event. I’m sure I will ramble PLENTY about my team and this relay over the next 9 months.

And last, but certainly not least ~ I am finally publicly able to wish a big CONGRATS to my dear friend Micheline who is expecting her second little munchkin!!! The offspring, affectionately named “Frogger” will be arriving in Reno in late January of next year…..and its mother will still be up and ready to go for the AOR relay in April!!! She is a real trooper, my running hero, and my great friend. So throw some CONGRATS her way ~ as well as a bit of good luck too……she’s gonna need it if she has another boy!! Just ask me….I know!!! ;)


Happy Running!

I'm.So.HOT!!!!!

Truly. Why do I live here? I should have just stayed in San Diego.

Yes, I'm back ~ or almost back, in bloggity terms. I just wanted to get down a quick post, so none of you think I died or gave up running. Thanks for all the stalking-emails....makes me feel the love ;)

Here's the down-low on me ~

Travel.

Work.

Travel.

Work.

Travel some more (all for pleasure of course).

Get buried by work.

Travel a wee bit more.

Eat right.

Exercise.

Run a little (a scorching hot 3 miles at 6am is all I've been able to knock out lately)

Work.

Try to unbury self and retain sanity.


So that's where I am right now. I am going to be out of commission for some more time ~ gotta get caught up at work just in time to travel again the week of the 21st (this time not for pleasure).

Be back soon :)

This is also NOT a post about running splits

Seriously.



It's really not.



Trust me. It's just a picture. California-greetings from the whole fam damily!!!!!

We'll be heading home from San Diego for good this Monday, and I'll have plenty of substantial topics to post about then ~ including a race report for the crappiest of crappy 5K that I ran in Del Mar last weekend, and managed to get myself a PW (that would be Personal Worst) ~ and of course plenty of babble regarding nutrition and weight loss. Everything you've come to know and love from me. There will be plenty to go around ;)

I have a ton of blog catch-up to do, but for now I just hope that everyone is doing well!

I headed back home for a few days this week to get some things done at the office (after all, someone in my family actually has to work while others just play at the beach for an entire month....), and my plane hadn't been on the ground for 30 seconds before two startling things happened:

First, the stark realization hit that it was 104 degrees at 8:30 at night. BLECH. I nearly hid on the plane so I could take the turn around flight back to San Diego. But no such luck.

Second, a text message appeared on my phone. It read: "You get one week until training starts."

Dumfounded, I responsed: "Whaaaaat???? Who is this????" (always best to play dumb)

The reply: "Yo training momma."

SIGH. I bet it will be a real stretch for you all to figure out who THAT came from ;)

Happy Running!

This is NOT a post about running splits

I repeat: this is NOT a post about running splits.

If this had been an actual post about running splits, the blog author would have been in complete violation of the Splitless Summer Edict, and therefore may be subjected to serious harassment.

This is only a TEST. Rumor has it that a Pokey Runner, who shall remain unnamed, as been running like blazes in Southern California for the past week. Garmin reports indicate a 10:48 minute mile, which has previously been unheard of, un-thought of, and UNimaginable up until this point. This mile was second in a 3ish mile run, subsequent to an 11:22 split, and then followed by a big freaking hill that just warranted walking. Rumors are circulating that the Pokey Runner was disgustingly sweaty (compliments of SoCal humidity), yet ecstatic after this major running miracle.

Again, this is only a TEST of the Split Posting System. Had this been an actual post about running splits, it would have been followed by either a lot of whining and moaning, OR in this case, a lot of hooting and hollering.

You can now return to your regularly scheduled Blog Programming.



(wooooooooo hooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!)

Blogity Rambles

Let me just start by saying that I am so glad it is Friday ~ and that by tomorrow at almost this time, I will be out of the 105 degree temps and back in the cool paradise known as San Diego. Ahhhhh…..I can smell the ocean now. I will be on blog-hiatus for a while as a result ~ other than staying caught up with work issues (sad, I know…it’s supposed to be a vacation), I am also going to be vacationing from the computer somewhat.

This morning it finally clicked in my brain as to what an amazing couple weeks it has been for me in the weight loss and fitness arena. I’ve been a little disappointed at my lack of scale-cooperation on the weight loss front, but that all changed this morning with a simple, daily occurrence.

I got dressed.

Not just in any clothes ~ not comfy weekend shorts and a t-shirt. Not even nice business-casual work clothes that I wear to my office. This morning I put on the most evil, unforgiving piece of clothing ever ~ second only to a swimsuit.

I put on a pair of JEANS.

Even worse ~ newly washed jeans ~ the worst piece of clothing imaginable for anyone who battles the scale on a regular basis. I was seriously disheartened when I picked up my favorite pair of jeans off the cedar chest in my room, only to find that I had washed them last weekend, and their stretchy, somewhat comfortable feel had been replaced with a stiffer, more unforgiving appearance. DRATS!

But resigned to my fate on casual Friday, I donned the jeans. With only one leg in place in the newly washed pants, the shock set in. They felt LOOSE. I put the other leg in, and it confirmed the same phenomenon. When it actually came time to button those bad boys, I thought I had made a mistake. Yes ~ I actually took them off to check the tag to confirm that yes, they were in fact the one pair of jeans I wear on a regular basis (because they were the least evil of all the denim in my closet) ~ and not a pair of my *fat* jeans that might have snuck out of the closet.

Yes, these were my old faithfuls ~ the same, yet entirely different. I will say without a moment of hesitation that all my disappointment over the scale disappeared this morning, all from one pair of jeans. Something in my body is changing ~ shrinking, toning…whatever…..but something REALLY good is happening here. I don’t care what the scale says if I can put on a pair of jeans ~ or any clothing for that matter ~ and look and feel as good as I do today.

All of us who are trying to lose weight always claim that we don’t really care about the scale, only what we look like and how our clothes fit. Yet, I don’t believe that we really, truly buy into that philosophy until it actually happens for us.

Something good is a-happening around here though. I couldn’t have asked for a better end to my week :)

I am sooooo going to miss my gym classes while I am gone for the next while, but I’ll keep up the cardio work with regular running. It will just have to do.

I have also added a new friend to my diet ~ the protein shake. And did you actually know that there is a Starbucks High Protein Frappucino??

Yes, it’s true! I had one this morning. Mocha Frappucino with 32 grams of protein in one serving!!! Who knew? It is the best thing ever for this morning-coffee-addict-turned-protein freak.

Want to know where you can get one? Right HERE ~

(sorry about the lousy picture)

Where there’s a will, there’s a way. I have outsmarted the protein gods and created my own lovely concoction ~ still complete with skim milk, coffee, and protein all in one neat little bundle. Can you say YUMMMM?

Thanks for all the recommendations on protein powders ~ I settled on the one you see pictured, highly recommended by Eileen , as a result of sheer convenience ;)

I am currently plotting on what else can be mixed with protein powder….and am leaning toward the Starbucks Iced Coffee Lite in a the can….which is also made with skim milk. That will be next week’s experiment……

Until later gators….