Trying to be a regular blogger

Ok, so I haven't been a very consistent blogger lately...so, here is a feeble attempt.

The truth is, I'm not sure I'm such a great role model for my daughter. You see, I may be 33 years old, but I sometimes feel like a 14 year old adolescent male on many levels. Prove it, you ask? Well, last night, I spent 1 1/2 hours watching MTV getting caught up on "Real World" episodes and then chose to watch the premiere episode of "Road Rules" instead of watching the news. I also cursed when I realized that I had missed the latest episode of "The Hills". And if you're not 14 right now, you probably have no clue what the heck I'm talking about!

More proof? I laugh at stupid jokes and could probably make fart jokes that would make any other teen seem tame. Did you know that I spent 4 summers working as a backpacking guide, taking out 13-17 year old males on the trail? Yeah. I don't know why either. But, those were some of the best summers of my life.

If you can't beat 'em....join 'em! One of my favorite things to do was to make the kids trail pudding on the first night on the trail. To make it, you get your chocolate pudding mix (there are kinds made for the trail where you use water instead of milk) and you stick it in a large Ziploc bag. Mix with water...make it niiiiiice and thick. Then cut off a corner of the bag and "Squirt" it into each kid's bowl. And then giggle insanely as you watch their reaction to this thick brown substance being squirted in their bowl.

And if you're not 14 years old and reading this, you probably still have no clue why this is so hilarious. See? I told you! I am sooo not a good role model.

All this to tell you that last night, I took Natalie to the store to go order her birthday cake (a Nemo one, for her 3rd birthday next week) and as I carried her across the parking lot, she tooted. I looked at her and said, "What happened?" She proceeded to practically yell (just as we were reaching the store entrance of course), "My BUTT squeaked! Squeak! Squeak!"

The appropriate thing would've been to explain to Natalie that we use nice language (i.e not "but" but rather the much more tame "bottom") and we also say, "Excuse me" when butt, er, bottom squeaking occurs. No. My reaction was to clap my hand over my mouth and start laughing so hard that tears came out. I'm going to pay for this later, I'm sure.

Thank you all for your well wishes on my dreaded injuries. I still have some tenderness. However, I also am constantly pushing on the tender spots to see if they are still tender. That probably doesn't really help the recovery process now, does it?

I am one who does not go to the doctor unless I'm dying. And seeing as I'm not dying yet, I haven't gone. I'm not scared of the doctor. Just stupid and stubborn. I'm giving it a few more days...heading out for a run this weekend regardless (just a short one, I promise) and re-assessing. And if it doesn't seem better, than perhaps I'll make good use of that health insurance that I pay for each month and actually use it. But, I can't promise anything. I'm pretty adolescent in that way.

I'm in the eating phase of recovery

I'm coming to terms with reality. By stuffing my face with giant cookies.

My shins are not better. They don't hurt when I walk or anything but when I press down, I feel a subtle pain. The pain is lower, more towards my ankle, than when I've had shin splints in the past.

I'm getting ready to email the race organizer for my 7.5 mile trail run scheduled next weekend to cancel. Only 225 runners were allowed and it sold out so I feel like I should give my spot to someone who is healthy. It just isn't in my best interest to run on a trail for 7.5 miles, even if I do feel better soon. I need to start all over and actually build a better base. Duh.

What a stupid, stupid thing I've done to my body.

Now, let's hurry up and get better and move on so that I can (properly) train for Portland.

And eat a few more chocolate chunk cookies while I wait.

Cry Like a Baby

Why is it that I can watch a preview clip of tonight's Grey's Anatomy without any sound at all (no speakers on my work computer) and it is clearly a funny clip and I start to tear up like a baby? That show makes me an emotional wreck!

Speaking of wrecks, my body is a wreck. I think I might be injured but I'm in denial and not ready to admit it yet. My hubby may be right--I was probably really stupid for running that half marathon a few weeks ago without proper training. Actually, I felt good afterwards. And during mostly. Tired? Yes. Leg cramping from the cold after? Yes. But otherwise? I was surprised at how quickly I bounced back and how the race, overall, had seemingly little effect on me.

But I may have been wrong. I went for a social run last Friday night (think The Amazing Race, only with runners on a university campus and the prize is beer, not money. My team came in 2nd place!) and afterwards, my ankles and shins told me, under no uncertain terms, that they were NOT HAPPY. Shin splints? Maybe? I get those...the cause is doing too much too soon. I've definitely done that. So....rest, right? By Monday I was feeling better.

Except I ran on Tuesday night and it hurt while I ran and after. Shin splints, for me, usually go away during a run and only flare up after. And? The part that I don't want to admit? Is that my shins are still a little tender. And all my Dr. Googling is pointing towards stress fractures rather than shin splints.

But, I'm in denial. If I were to admit that I might actually have gone and wrecked my body, I would cry. I'm not ready to go there yet. I'm taking ibuprofen and I'm taking one week off from running and I'll re-evaluate next week. I'm scared because if it is stress fractures, I'll have to take more time off. Much more time off. And I just don't want to think about that yet.

I know I'm being a whiny baby. I know who have been through injury and come back on the other side victorious. I know this isn't the end of my running career. But, running is something I've become dependent upon. No other form of exercise has been so important to me. And so, I'm looking at my gym's classes, making plans for the just in case. But. I hope. For the best.

Fleeting

We got nearly an inch of snow here but just as soon as it was here, it started melting. I'm a little sad that Natalie won't get to see the desert as a winter wonderland when she wakes up tomorrow...the stillness of the icy snow is so beautiful and peaceful and fleeting.

Now Can I Complain?

I'm sure all who have read my blog lately have laughed at my kvetching about the cold and thought, "What a wuss!"

So...Natalie and I went out shopping to buy celebratory underwear (for her. for being potty-trained and accident free the past 3 days. we got curious george in case you're wondering.) and when we left the store, there were big fat snowflakes mixed in with the rain. By the time we got to our next destination (the grocery store--aren't we living the exciting life?), the snow had overtaken the rain. Everyone in the stores was buzzing over the snow, snow, snow. It even made me feel a little giddy-kid-like inside. And I'm not one who loves the snow so much.

I've lived here for almost five years and this is the first snow I've seen down here in the lowlands. Snow=cold, right? So, I'm really not exaggerating when I say I'M COLD!

In other news, I think I've finally found my running mojo again. It has been missing since about, oh say, November 11th and I keep thinking I've found it again, like when I ran a PR run in early December. But, it quickly leaves me and I've been searching high and low for it. I want it back. I want to want to run again and not running sinks me into a deep, deep depression-hole and I want out of the hole. Get.Me.Out.Of.This.Hole. It sucks. Something finally switched inside of me and perhaps it is just a new determination but I want to run again. I want to work on my goals and start training for my sub 2:15 half in March.

Of course, now that I think I have my mojo back, it is too dang cold and wet to go out there! Hubby is out of town for the week so all runs will have to be done with Natalie. The weather forecast calls for more COLD so we may be stuck at home all week.

Even though I live in Arizona where we get lots of blue skies days in winter, I look forward to spring just as much as everyone else around the country. It'll be here before we know it, right?

Going to Eat These Words

I'm shivering cold here in Arizona. We've had some cold weather (what is even technically called freezing!) and I've about had it. This cold crap is for the birds! Say, some nice penguins...I'm ready for spring. Maybe even summer.

Herein lies the issue: I run at night. Don't try to convince me to run in the morning. It won't happen. I often must take my darling toddler along for the ride. On nights like tonight, when the wind is of the Arctic variety, I can't take her. She won't wear a blanket, she won't keep gloves on and...she never complains. I learned my lesson the hard way when we braved the cold for 4 miles only to get back to the car where she finally admitted, "Mommy. My hands are cold." And they were beet red, those tiny little fingers.

Talk about mommy guilt.

So, reluctantly, I bailed out of a run tonight, one that I was actually looking forward to because although I can suck it up, it isn't fair to expect my little gal to be dragged along for the ride. :-(

I'll take 93 degrees over 33 anyday. You can quote me on that one.

I Thought This Race was in Arizona?!

Hooray for me. I haven't failed at my New Year's Resolution of running a race a month. One down, eleven to go!!!

I had my doubts. I really did. I registered to run the PF Chang's Rock n Roll Arizona Half Marathon (what a mouthful!) but my training has been non-existent. I have been in a running slump since my marathon in November. I had one little brief high moment when I ran in the Tucson Marathon Relay back in December and then promptly returned to slothdom and a life of leisure and very little exertion.

Seriously. I think I've run a total of about 6-7 times in the last month. With my longest run being 4.5. Um yeah. Let's go run a half marathon. Whooppee!!!!

Anyway, I had a friend with me (who has also been on slacker mode) so we just decided to enjoy the day. We ran our typical intervals of 4 minutes running, 1 minute walking. I knew I'd be able to finish...I just didn't know if it would be a good run or a bad run.

We have had unseasonably COLD weather here in Arizona. I never expected to be able to wear pants and a long sleeve shirt and STILL be cold but I was. It was 28 at the start and 40 at the finish. While some of my friends will laugh at my woosiness, please just play along this time. For when you live in Arizona, 50 is cold and 28 is like living in the Arctic!

The race started 30 minutes late and then it took us 20 minutes to cross the start line. So, 50 minutes of standing around in the cold, allowing our muscles to tighten and get colder and colder. Nice.

Once we started though, the race was uneventful for the most part. We just ran slow and steady. They were serving Accelerade (fruit punch) and running through the aid stations was an olfactory experience. There was so much fruit punch all over the ground you could smell it. It was kinda gross at the end. One aid station has high-schoolers who totally did not read the Accelerade directions and it was like swallowing cough syrup. Gag.

The bands were fun. The course was crowded and there was a lot of dodging and you had to pay attention. My partner needed a port-a-potty and we ran from mile 2-nearly 7 in search of one. Finally, at 6.8 there was a small bank of FOUR port-a-potties for 14,000 half marathoners. Not sure who thought that was going to work out just swell but it was a five minute wait and then we were back on our way.

I felt good all the way until just past mile 10 and then I was tiiiii-rreed! I didn't have any aches or pains but was slowing down and just slogging along. I guess that should be expected with my, uh, lack of training, eh?

Crossed the finish line mob at 2:29:15 which is, officially a PR for me. Wahoo! (I haven't run a half since 2004, which I finished in 2:52, although I've improved as a runner significantly in the last 2 years.)

My legs immediately cramped up (I don't run well in cold weather--I wasn't this sore after the Richmond Marathon) and it took nearly 30 minutes to get out of the race chute and find my family. We then had to walk nearly a mile to the car (actually a good thing since it helped me walk off my pain).

I thought this was a fun race but I much prefer smaller races. There were just too many people and I hate crowds. My family didn't get to see me finish and I hated having to dodge people traffic all along the course. I can't say I won't do this again (hey, the medal is really nice!) but I'll stick to smaller races when I can.

All in all, a great race and now it is time to get my butt in gear and start actually training. I have my eye on a sub 2:15 time for the Arizona Distance Classic in March...

Javamom, This One is for You

YUM.

Trying to Have the Cow

Ok, so what is that phrase...why buy the milk when you can have the cow for free?

To be honest, I never really liked Typepad all that well except I paid for a whole year of service in advance so I felt stuck with it. I got the bare bones basic version and it was fine and dandy but, really...I think Typepad works best for those who get the upgraded version and actually have, like, an actual readership and ads and such. And who know how to even create nifty headers instead of using a bland template. So, in other words, not me.

I'm actually not as computer savvy as I might seem to those who know me. I fake it pretty well. But when it comes right down to it, I tend to be in the dark ages about lots of things.

Take, for example, Food Network. WHY DIDNT ANYONE TELL ME HOW COOL THAT CHANNEL IS? I just discovered it over the holidays and now it is always on at Casa de Run Momma.

But, I digress...

I meant to say that I have an ancient computer, I just finally got DSL a year ago and I have no idea how to write html or create a great-looking website.

Plain and simple, the reason I'm switching to Blogger is that my subscription to Typepad runs out in a few months and I don't want to pay to blog anymore. My postings ebb and flow as of late and I find myself at a loss for words often these days. I'd like to keep blogging. I enjoy it when I let it just happen and don't force myself to try to come up with witty titles and topics.

I guess I think my humor and writing works best when not forced. Paying for a blog=feeling forced to write.

Of course, having a free blog does come at a price...Blogger was down for me alllll the live long day long today and I couldn't log in at all.

But I guess that's okay because it forced me away from my computer long enough to sneak in a quick 3 mile run. Priorities...

Is This Thing On?

Thunk, thunk, thunk...is this thing on? Testing, testing? Oh, um, hello.

So, to re-cap, my New Year's Resolutions can be summed up very simply. Run more. Run better. Run bad-ass.

In between all that running, I'll be posting on here periodically to share my latest blackened toe-nail story, how Immodium saved me from much embarassment and how cool running skirts really are.

Thanks for joining me on this journey and hope you'll come back often to cheer me on.