Don't Read This Post...Really, I Have Nothing To Say

Don't say I didn't warn you.

This post is going to be filled with boring ramblings about what I did, or didn't do over the last week.

I'm writing this soley for my own benefit of feeling accomplished for updating my blog.

Really, I have nothing interesting to say.

On that note, if you ignored my warnings and are still reading, here is what I did this week:

• Monday - Monday is my day off. It was a long time ago. All I really remember doing is going grocery shopping. Oh yeah. I also went for a kick-ass bike ride/run on the St. Mark's Trail. I did a 10mile bike, and a 2 mile run back to back. It took me 1hr and 8 minutes. The bike ride was 48 minutes, and the run was 20. Averaging a 10min mile running AFTER a long-ass bike ride is pretty good if you ask me. No. I have not yet signed up for the triathlon in September. Don't ask me what I'm waiting for because I'm really still in denial. Don't worrry. I'll get over it and eventually sign up.
• Tuesday - Tuesday was also a long time ago. I honestly can say, I don't remember doing much of anything other than editing churches in Nassau County (don't ask). Though, I did behave and go to the gym after work. I lifted upper body, and am still store in my chest & back to this day.
• Wednesday - Wednesday. Hump Day. Yes, I'm somewhat immature enough that the phrase "hump day" still makes me giggle. It was my first day in two and a half weeks where I didn't have a meeting scheduled. You'd think I'd be excited. On the contrary, it made for a very boring and unproductive day. I also bet you're expecting me to talk about my workout. Well, sorry to let you down, but I blew the gym/pool off on hump-day!
• Thursday - Here is where things get interesting. This is what I remember. Leadership meeting at work = fun. Girlfriend announcing her dissertation was accepted and will officially be a "Doctor" = extra fun. Going to chili's to celebrate said dissertation acceptance = super extra fun. Waking up at 3am to a husband who got sick off of Chili's = super extra NOT fun.
• Friday - TGIF Y'all! (BTW - I am anal with the spelling of y'all. Most people think I spell it wrong. I'll go into this some other time). Started the day off with a 3 hour meeting - yes, started. That means 8am - 11am. Especially not 3 cabernets deep. Had a pretty mild day until about 2pm. 2-4pm ended up turning my brain to mush and giving me a headache. However, boss's retirement party was at 5:30. The potential for red wine is what kept me going. And delicious tasting food. So, I had said red wine and said delicious tasting food. Came home, talked to BFF for about 2 hours. Phone died (her father in law called) - ended conversation. Now, I'm sitting, with my glass of cabernet, a PS3 widow, contemplating playing Sims 3 and enjoying some psuedo alone time.
• Saturday - Going to convince hubs to ride/run the St. Mark's Trail with me. Monday, there were some sketchy people. Now, don't get me wrong, I could probably easily kick their asses, but some things are just easier (and safer) with a boy present. :)
• Sunday - Church (hopefully) then I have a phone date with an old BFF from Colorado. We're going to discuss work related matters - which, I unfortunetly won't get paid for. But hey, that will make me a better person, right?

So, if you're bored, and or offended that I'm not as interseting as you had hoped. All I have to say is:

I told you so.

FYI: For those who actually read and keep up with my blog (which are few and far between) - my current goal has been going *mostly* well. I've only missed 3 days out of the last 10. That's 70% for you math folks. I know I need to start over, in which case, yesterday would have been day 1. Its going to be a long (but rewarding) process.

Halfway to 2010

Since I did a 1st quarter review of my "Resolutions", I thought I might as well do a 2nd quarter review as well. Helps keep me accountable (or at least that's what I tell myself).

Here it goes:

1. Finish my Master's - Graduated May 2, 2009.
2. Improve my 5K time and finish under 30 minutes (and then some) - My current PR is 28:35. You can verify here.
3. Travel outside of the US - I made it to New Orleans and to Orlando. Do these count?
4. Get back to my "Pre-Florida" weight - Still staying stagnat - I should change this goal, because, why the number on the scale is above where I used to be, the number on the tag in my jeans has decreased. Therefore, I consider my progress thus far successful.
5. Prove to the world that 30 is the new 20 - I'm trying to remember what the heck I was even doing at 20. I'm going to guess gallavanting around Ellis Hall chasing boys. All I know, is that, I am definitely smarter than I was at 20, and, I make more money too. I also think I'm in better shape despite the fact I was swimming 20hrs a week back then.
6. Become more well-read - In the last week I finished 2 novels. On The Road by Jack Kerouac (which, I loated every second of), and Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (which, I obviously loved because I finished it in a weekend). A few girlfriends and I have decided to start a book club. We're open to recommendations for our first book.
7. Spend more time in my music - I can honestly say I've only opened my violin case once, maybe twice since the last update. Also, I'm not sure I've sat down at my keyboard in weeks either. Not doing so hot anymore.
8. Get ahead in my career - I am in an interesting situation here. I've had an epiphany about my current position since March. All I can say, is that I'm having more positive experiences lately. I'm going to guess that there is some divine reason for this, and therefore am going to go with the flow for now.
9. Participate in a triathlon - I'm being a wuss on this one. I can't seem to consciously commit to this. I want to do it, I really do. September 12 is still on my calendar. And, I've been training (kinda). But, I haven't actually signed up to compete. I think part of it is because I know I'll be flying solo. All the past races I've completed I've done with a buddy. I'm slightly nervous to do one alone. Steve will come watch and support me no doubt, but, I like knowing someone actually in the race. But, really. I need to sign up. That will be my goal for July.

Starting Anew

Training for: Freedom Springs Triathlon

Cardio: 0 (yesterday I burned 762 calories during the race)
Weights: 0
(it's Sunday, and I just finished a race. I'm resting)

Food: Breakfast - Cheese Toast (370)
Lunch - TGI Friday's (too many I'm sure)
Dinner - I have no idea

Self Confidence: 8-9

So. I did it. I ran a 10K. Me...someone who used to always get out of running during cross-training for swimming. Someone who, just a few years ago could barely run for 10 minutes without stopping. And, I did it in under an hour. I finished with a time of 59:23. Don't believe me? See for yourself. I was bib number 418.

I passed the halfway point at 29:14. This is a personal best for a 5K time as well. I can officially cross off one of my goals for the new year.

I didn't get a chance to make my ideal playlist, which would include Beethoven's 9th 2nd movement as my last song so I could be extra pumped while crossing the finish line. That would have been so cool. Instead I was too lazy to time all this stuff out so I put my Aphrodite album on repeat for the whole hour, which seemed to do the trick. And, actually, it never had to repeat. I crossed before it finished.

Maybe one day I'll be as fast as my friend Katie. She finished in 47:47, and the last 5K she did was under 24 minutes. Really though, who am I kidding. I'll never be that fast. But you know what? I can take her in the water any day.

So the 10K is over, and is classified as a success. Time to move forward into the wonderful world of triathlon training. Which, I have no idea how to do. I can swim. I can bike. I just proved I can run. Now, can I do all three?

I found a recommended training plan/schedule. And, its pretty intense. I'll attempt to follow it. We'll see how it goes. I'm still waiting for the friggin pool at Myer's Park to open. They are now claiming April as the open date. We'll see. If I want to follow this 12 week schedule, then my start date would be on Easter.

In the mean time, I'm going to back off for a little while - in some sense anyway. I will still aim to hit the gym 5 days a week, but, I don't plan to run quite as much. My knees and hip need time to recover, so I'll be mixing up the cardio a little. Probably start biking to work again 2-3 times a week. Maybe do some mountain biking through Tom Brown as well.

Also going to mix up my weight lifting routine. I'm going to entertain myself with some circuit training. Specifically, one I found at bodybuilding.com. Oddly enough, its a pretty intesnse circuit - so, while I'll be backing off on cardio, I'll make up for that by doing circuits. Its a workout that some guy wrote for Jessica Simpson - hypothetically. Kind of funny, but, I actually liked what he had to say and am interested in trying it out.

Actually, I bet this workout will kick my butt, and, I bet after a day or two I quit following it. I have a hard time following things like these.....but, hopefully I can do it for ONE week? So, that is my goal this week. Follow this dude's faux celebrity workout. I'll let you know how it goes.

Focus *and* Try!

Ok - I've decided that my blog needs a focus, and, I've decided that my focus is going to be my training efforts. I could use the term "weight loss" but such a negative connotation comes to mind when I think of the word 'diet.' Not to mention, I am technically, in training. I will attempt to follow the same format on a mostly daily basis. This includes listing what I am currently training for, what my workouts have consisted of, and what I have eaten for that day. Also note, there will be a "self-confident" meter - this will rate my perception of myself for that day. It will range from 1 to 10, with a 1 being on the verge of me wishing to fall off the face of the Earth, and 10 being I couldn't be any happier to be myself and the rest of the world loves me too! I'm hoping this new format will not only keep me accountable, but maybe inspire others as well.

So, sit back, relax, and enjoy my new blog:


Training For: Springtime Tallahassee 5K

Cardio: 1.5 miles running, 5 miles biking
Weights: Shoulders - Overhead Press, Upright Row
Biceps - 7-up curls, Preacher Curls
Triceps - Triceps Extension, Triceps Press
Calories burned*: 350

Food: Breakfast - FiberOne Yogurt (80)
Lunch - Panera Bread Caesar Salad w/ whole grain baguette (650)
Dinner - Beef Stroganoff w/ whole wheat noodles (400)
Total Food: 1130

Self Confidence: 7

So, I had a good morning today. I finished my lab assignment, got bored in class, left class, picked up lunch (see, I hadn't been grocery shopping this week yet, which is usually a Sunday chore) went back to work. I ate my lunch, and started cleaning up my work computer. I'm getting a new "box" this week. I've had the same computer since I've started at my current job, and, in all honesty I'm pretty happy with it. But, me being somewhat of a computer nerd due to my background in CIS is never going to turn down the opportunity to get the next bigger and better thing. While doing so, I came across some "must keep" mp3s that were hanging out in the My Music folder - this is a big no-no! So, being the smart gal I felt myself to be, whipped out my flash drive......oh....wait....where is my flash drive?? I had it in class...I disconnected it and put it in my bag.....or, so I remember.....but now its gone. Never found it.

At least I remembered my sports bra today.

Today was my first day at the gym this week (because yesterday I forgot to pack a sports bra!). I was only semi-motivated to go. Mainly because, I had to go grocery shopping. And, I hate grocery shopping on weekdays. It cuts into my "me" time, which, is a rare commodity (ah, just wait till I have kids! That my friends is another post all in itself). Usually, my schedule is:

work: 7-4:30
gym: 4:30-5:30
me time: 5:30 - 8ish (sometimes 7:30)
dinner w/Steve: 8-8:30
8:30-10: Miscellaneous time with Steve

Anyway, lately Steve's been so busy at work, he hasn't had time to hit the gym on a regular basis, so, my schedule looks more like:

work: 7-4:30
gym: 4:30-5:30
me time: 5:30 - 6:30
dinner w/Steve: 6:30-7
7-10: Miscellaneous time with Steve

Now, don't get me wrong, I love my husband and I love doing things with him, but, I really really enjoy my 2 hour of 'me time' everyday. It has been cut to an hour, sometimes 30 minutes. I use this time to unwind, prep dinner, maybe blast my ipod and pretend I'm good at singing, practicing my violin/piano. But, today, grocery shopping cut into my 'me time.'

Anyway, I keep forgetting I'm trying to focus on my training efforts. The gym was good. I'd like to have gotten a little more cardio in, but, seeing as how I had to grocery shop, spending more time at the gym was not an option. My knees felt so-so today. Some of you may know, I've struggled with sports & crappy joints pretty much since my shoulder popped during swim practice in 8th grade. My mom calls them "lax" joints - in layman's terms - I have more 'space' around my joints than I should, therefore, they move around when they shouldn't, making them sore, painful, and quite annoying! I've been diagnosed with supraspinatus tendinitis, patellae tendinitis, chronic rhomboid strain (due to my supraspinatus tendinitis), and most recently, chondromalacia. If you don't know what those are, google them. Basically, the competition gods are against me. Which, if you know me for any period of time you will soon learn I am highly competitive and I HATE losing. And, I especially hate to lose because of some stupid reason like "I can't train because my knee hurts" Ugh, that is the worst. Now, I am not so stubborn that I won't follow doctor's orders, but, I am stubborn enough to where once I start feeling good, you better believe I'm back in the game. I'm sure when I'm 40 and have the knees of a 75yr old I'll regret it, but, I won't regret competing in my first triathlon at 30 years old, that's for sure!