JPL

Yesterday, I was supposed to cross-train in the pool. But my friend Jen was going to get cheeseburgers and that just sounded like more fun. At the moment of decision, a mysterious force pulled me down the subways stairs with her, toward french fries and away from my swim suit. In my training diary, where I usually record my workouts or the really good reasons I didn't do them (dental implants, scheduled off day) I realized I had to be honest and wrote "JPL" or JUST PLAIN LAZY!!

Forced off day, and a new appreciation of applesauce

I had my teeth implant surgery yesterday and am told that I absolutely CANNOT run, or do anything else to raise my heartrate, for at least 48 hours. Boooo! Not really supposed to eat anything hot or crunchy either, so I got some applesauce. It's not as good as Mom's, but yum!

I did run on Saturday - around the bridal path in Central Park with Jen. It was FINALLY 70 and sunny and wow is that good for running motivation. Later that day, in celebration of the weather, we had mexican (and margaritas, do I need to say that?) outside. So on Sunday, when I got up for my 4 mile race in the park, I felt like death. At the starting line, during my first few jogging steps, it felt like the cushy fluid inside my skull had been drained out and my brain was just bouncing around in the bone. OW! I willed my way through it and finished in 35:24, an average 8:51 pace!! Moral of the story: drink margaritas, go fast.

chickens and eggs, oh my!

So I have been super busy with cleaning up the yard for the big day and planting flowers galore! The most recent project that consumed my time was the fence around the chicken coop and the stone pathway out front of the door to the chicken coop. The stone pathway involved some serious cross training....lifting rocks that weigh more than Jordan and I combined, as well as lugging 25-50 lb rocks up the hill from the woods!!!! I am super glad we are done and it looks awesome! I don't have a picture yet of the pathway but expect one soon! For now here is the chicken coop and fence! Very excting. Otherwise nothing has stopped me from running!!! And soon I will have new running shoes too! YAY!

The Hills are Alive.

...with the sound of my joints cracking like Reverend Mother's. This is my walk home. I refer to it in my marathon schedule as "weight training." I mean, I have to lug my whole body up these monsters everyday. If that ain't weight training sistas, I don't know what is.

Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head.

Like the wise B.J. Thomas says, "I'm never gonna stop the rain by complaining," so might as well run in it! There are a few days of rain in the forecast and I've decided I must solider through it. Kristin says she enjoys running in the rain, a sentiment that I will probably end up sharing if said rain doesn't destroy my iPod. In other news, this picture reminded me of Easter colors and I just got super re-excited to dye eggs on Friday! 

It's the perfect weather for...

ARM WARMERS!! I know that I was the only lucky one to receive a snazzy pair of black lululemon arm warmers with reflective bird design (on the right warmer only!) from a certain James at Christmas but you guys must be jealous! I finally had the opportunity to wear them on my run last night, with leggings and a sleeveless run top, and let me tell you - those things are MONEY! They fit so well, and are actually really warm and the right-arm design is funky cool, and they look hot! I hate to post without a pic, but I can't find one to them justice and I couldn't take a pic of myself wearing them (watching me try to hold the camera and somehow get my hand farther from my arm would've been funny). I plan to wear them to my race on Sunday and I'll make sure I get a proper photo then. If you see these at a lulu near you, you must get a pair!

thunder thighs=riding up shorts

So I found it hilarious when I logged on to blog and read Katy's, for many reasons. First off it was about 50 degrees here today, for the first time since Winter started, and well that means shorts. Which for most of Vermont, they were thrilled! But for me, well I wasn't, I enjoy running when its cooler, and I enjoy wearing pants while running, because that means no riding up of shorts and rubbing on my thunder thighs! I have yet after how many years of playing soccer and running to find a pair of shorts that does not ride up while I run. IT DRIVES ME CRAZY! My whole run today I pondered the very thought....will I ever find a pair of shorts that don't ride up? Does this happen to everyone? Am I the only one that has this problem?

Sure Body Glide fixes 1/2 of this problem, chaffing, but what kind of shorts do I need to buy to solve the other 1/2, riding up? About 1/2 way thru my run after pondering this for 2.5 miles I thought to myself how uncomfortable it was to run in shorts and how I wished I had winter back, and that way I wouldn't have the problem and I wouldn't be able to see my huge thunder thighs. I've never liked my thighs. Actually I hate them, they are ugly and big, and shorts just remind me of this. So, the rest of the 2.5 miles back to the house I ran my butt off, hoping that my thunder thighs would just decrease with every mile.

Got home and determined to blog.....I started looking up pictures that would perfectly describe how I felt....shorts riding up while running, uncomfortable running thighs, etc...you name it I looked it up. I couldn't find one picture that looked how I felt and the one thing in common in all of these searches was one picture. It goes back to Karley's blog, Nike's Ad about Thunder Thighs.



And well that ad just reminded me of why I run, and why I put up with the shorts riding up my thighs......

P.S. But I'm still open to any suggestions of shorts to buy!

tight pants = MORE RUNNING

Today, for some reason, my black cords are peculiarly tight and uncomfortable. I have had a terrible urge to take them off all day. (I don't tolerate uncomfortable very well.) Since they are not new and have never been in the dryer, I can only presume that I am larger than usual. :( I will store all the hours of this extremely awful feeling and use it as fuel for my run tonight!! MUST. RUN. MORE.

Please, Louise.

I passed this lady yesterday. Hell yes. I really owe my tremendous progress to Kenny Loggins and his musical genius.