Hello all from Seattle! I have had a great trip thus far - things have been going smoothly and I have had happy colleagues with the new booth at the trade show so I am a happy camper.
As for working out I am soooooo proud of myself. Thus far I am 3 for 3 days for working out following my training program. Tuesday and Wednesday I got on the treadmill here at the hotel and did my 3 miles. In fact on Tuesday all the treadmills were full so I started on the elliptical for 1/2 mile and then switched over. Definitely proud that I didn't let not having a treadmill right away bother me.
Then this morning I had a great run outside! Yes outside in Seattle but it wasn't that bad. I was talking to a guy I know that plans the whole trade show and he told me there is this great path by the water that is flat, paved and well lit. He offered to meet me at my hotel at 6:15am and we could run together. PERFECT and yes I actually woke up early can you believe it? We walked down and ended up running 3.5 miles and it was nice too. The hardest part was walking back up the hills to my hotel. Wow straight up! haha
This weekend is 4 miles which will be my longest run in quite some time but I am ready, even if it will be on a treadmill - did I mention I HATE treadmills?! Oh well I am still getting it done. :)
Enjoy you day!!
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Happy Turkey Day!
Good Morning! It's Thanksgiving Eve and I am excited. It will be a bit different for me this year since I am spending it with John's family - however it's just his dad, sister and 1 brother. He won't be there as he has to work on Friday; the markets are open. His mom also won't be there since she is in Wisconsin with her 94 year old dad who isn't doing to great. (thoughts and prayers please!) I've never spent Thanksgiving with someone else before. I've been to families' houses but my family was there too. Granted they are family to me too now but it will definitely be a tad bit different. I'm looking forward to it.
Tomorrow morning at 7am I am running a 6K. It was suppose to be me, John's dad and brother doing the 6K and John's mom ans sister doing the 1/2 marathon. Well it looks like it might just be me doing the 6K by myself. However a good friend of mine whose family lives here in Jacksonville is coming home for the holiday and running it so maybe I'll meet up with her. :) I am looking forward to a race. I have another one on December 16th where I am going to a personal best and to go under 29 minutes to make the next bracket up on the qualifying heats at the Gate River Run in March. I already have the last heat, but I think it would be cool to move up. My sister has the heat above the one I'm going for where you have to be under 27 minutes. I don't think that's possible for me, but at the same time I never shut a door on goals. :)
After the run I'm headed over to a bar in Neptune Beach called Pete's Bar (it's been open since 1933 and the 1st bar in Duval county to receive a liquor license after Prohibition) . I don't normally go there because it's one of those places you can smoke and you walk out smelling like an ash tray. However on Thanksgiving they have a permit to close the street by them and bring the party outside. It's just a huge "block party" and I figure why not go enjoy something that is tradition in the area and something people fly into town for!
For now though just a few more hours at work and then it's turkey time! Also I won't be back to my cube for 2.5 weeks! Gone for 2 weeks with work but hopefully it won't be too bad. Here's to hoping.
Enjoy your Turkey Day Everyone!
Tomorrow morning at 7am I am running a 6K. It was suppose to be me, John's dad and brother doing the 6K and John's mom ans sister doing the 1/2 marathon. Well it looks like it might just be me doing the 6K by myself. However a good friend of mine whose family lives here in Jacksonville is coming home for the holiday and running it so maybe I'll meet up with her. :) I am looking forward to a race. I have another one on December 16th where I am going to a personal best and to go under 29 minutes to make the next bracket up on the qualifying heats at the Gate River Run in March. I already have the last heat, but I think it would be cool to move up. My sister has the heat above the one I'm going for where you have to be under 27 minutes. I don't think that's possible for me, but at the same time I never shut a door on goals. :)
After the run I'm headed over to a bar in Neptune Beach called Pete's Bar (it's been open since 1933 and the 1st bar in Duval county to receive a liquor license after Prohibition) . I don't normally go there because it's one of those places you can smoke and you walk out smelling like an ash tray. However on Thanksgiving they have a permit to close the street by them and bring the party outside. It's just a huge "block party" and I figure why not go enjoy something that is tradition in the area and something people fly into town for!
For now though just a few more hours at work and then it's turkey time! Also I won't be back to my cube for 2.5 weeks! Gone for 2 weeks with work but hopefully it won't be too bad. Here's to hoping.
Enjoy your Turkey Day Everyone!
Monday, November 19, 2012
"Scary" Time of the Year
Okay whose nervous about the holidays?! Always a "scary" time of the year for those watching the number on the scale. This year it's going to be a rough one with travel:
11/22 --> Thanksgiving
11/25 - 12/8 --> Traveling for work (that's 13 days of eating out, 13 days of eating foods that I can't get back home - Seattle and New Orleans)
12/24 --> Nochebuena (Spanish celebrate Christmas Eve with a big celebration and yummy, oh so yummy foods!)
12/25 --> Christmas
My saving grace I think is going to be my 1/2 Marathon training. It starts Nov 26 (well really 11/27 as Mondays are rest days). I've been getting ready for it too so that is helping as well. I'm even running at 6K on Thanksgiving Day to help "allow me to eat lots of yummy food!". lol!
I've had a few friends that think I am crazy for doing this while planning a wedding but to be honest this is what I need to keep me focused and working out. Without something like this I would be struggling even more than I am right now. I did however run a 3.3 miler yesterday and it felt great. YAY! :)
Well here's to a short week and it going well!
BTW - Over the next 3 weeks (this week included) my posts will be random with the Holiday and being out of town for work. I will do my best to post a frequently as I can. Also for the last week of the month I'll be in Seattle so I will be way behind time wise so the time they will be posted will be off a bit. Bare with me and I will do my best to keep everyone in the loop! :)
11/22 --> Thanksgiving
11/25 - 12/8 --> Traveling for work (that's 13 days of eating out, 13 days of eating foods that I can't get back home - Seattle and New Orleans)
12/24 --> Nochebuena (Spanish celebrate Christmas Eve with a big celebration and yummy, oh so yummy foods!)
12/25 --> Christmas
My saving grace I think is going to be my 1/2 Marathon training. It starts Nov 26 (well really 11/27 as Mondays are rest days). I've been getting ready for it too so that is helping as well. I'm even running at 6K on Thanksgiving Day to help "allow me to eat lots of yummy food!". lol!
I've had a few friends that think I am crazy for doing this while planning a wedding but to be honest this is what I need to keep me focused and working out. Without something like this I would be struggling even more than I am right now. I did however run a 3.3 miler yesterday and it felt great. YAY! :)
Well here's to a short week and it going well!
BTW - Over the next 3 weeks (this week included) my posts will be random with the Holiday and being out of town for work. I will do my best to post a frequently as I can. Also for the last week of the month I'll be in Seattle so I will be way behind time wise so the time they will be posted will be off a bit. Bare with me and I will do my best to keep everyone in the loop! :)
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
Getting back up there
Today's my Monday since I was on vacation yesterday. I have LOTS to do today and this week is going to be CRAZY but I am determined to get my running in. Today I am going to go at 11 instead of 11:30/12 because on my way home yesterday a little rock came up from a truck in front of me and put a little star crack in my window shield and someone is coming between 12-5 to fix it. I am sure it will be closer to 5 but still you know how it goes. If I'm not available they will come then.
Thursday hopefully I will get to run with my sister and then this weekend I've got 3.25 miles to go! I'm slowly getting back up there.
This weekend I ran my 2.75 miles Saturday morning. Holy elevation - talk about making a big difference. Also the little hills, definitely huffin and puffin but I got through it without stopping - well once but that was because my show lace came untied.
Well here's to a good week! Hope yours is too :)
Thursday hopefully I will get to run with my sister and then this weekend I've got 3.25 miles to go! I'm slowly getting back up there.
This weekend I ran my 2.75 miles Saturday morning. Holy elevation - talk about making a big difference. Also the little hills, definitely huffin and puffin but I got through it without stopping - well once but that was because my show lace came untied.
Well here's to a good week! Hope yours is too :)
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Discovered Something Again
One more day and I get to see my fiance! I hate that I don't get to see him every day, but hopefully that will change soon in our future. We have just over 5 months till our wedding and I pray that before that happens we are living together! It's funny how the week that I get to see him always feels like it goes by so slow. I wish it was the other way around.
I have a few friends that don't live with their spouse or boyfriend too and what I have discovered is 2 things:
1.) Each couple that works loves each other with no limits and no boundaries. They trust each other to the fullest and can't image their lives without the other person so they make it work regardless!
2.) They keep busy and cling onto small joys in their lives, enjoying those moments and using those moments to take their mind off that they miss their love deeply.
The 1st one is my and my fiance completely. I mean you don't ask someone to marry you when you are living in 2 different cities if you don't love them and know that it's going to work. lol
The 2nd one, well I am trying to make that running again. The beginning of this year when I was training for my 15K, running was doing that for me. It was an escape, a way to forget that I lived apart from my love and just enjoy myself. It was something I was finding joy in and a new challenge that I had embraced and looked forward to.
I realized that yesterday again on my run. I finished and was very happy and for a few minutes all I could think about was my run; how good it felt, how happy I was that my legs were coming back quickly, how I could challenge myself again. I had a smile on my face all day because of it.
I remembered what it was like to soak in the pleasure from an accomplishment, from the joy of something in my life certainly that I had complete control over. This is what I have decided to focus on with my running. Not that it will help me accomplish - Operation Sexy & Healthy Bride, because ultimately it will. But focus on the joy, on the moments when I am running and the wind is blowing through my hair, the sun is shine down on me and I am just free running.
A change in attitude might just do the trick, it might just get me excited about running again and not have to be faking it anymore!
I have a few friends that don't live with their spouse or boyfriend too and what I have discovered is 2 things:
1.) Each couple that works loves each other with no limits and no boundaries. They trust each other to the fullest and can't image their lives without the other person so they make it work regardless!
2.) They keep busy and cling onto small joys in their lives, enjoying those moments and using those moments to take their mind off that they miss their love deeply.
The 1st one is my and my fiance completely. I mean you don't ask someone to marry you when you are living in 2 different cities if you don't love them and know that it's going to work. lol
I realized that yesterday again on my run. I finished and was very happy and for a few minutes all I could think about was my run; how good it felt, how happy I was that my legs were coming back quickly, how I could challenge myself again. I had a smile on my face all day because of it.
I remembered what it was like to soak in the pleasure from an accomplishment, from the joy of something in my life certainly that I had complete control over. This is what I have decided to focus on with my running. Not that it will help me accomplish - Operation Sexy & Healthy Bride, because ultimately it will. But focus on the joy, on the moments when I am running and the wind is blowing through my hair, the sun is shine down on me and I am just free running.
A change in attitude might just do the trick, it might just get me excited about running again and not have to be faking it anymore!
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Run Meghan Run
I was excited about running this morning when I got to work but as the morning went on it became a bit lack luster. By 11:30 when I typically go I was elbow deep in trying to get something done for a colleague and then another one asked me to show her something right after. By noon my stomach was growling at me and all I wanted to do was feed it. Finally at 12:25 I was done and it took everything I had to go run, I was so hungry and just wanted to eat. I popped 2 Bloks (if you've never tried these, it's basically a chewy, gummy GU) to put some fast energy into my system since I was hungry and probably in need of some fuel to run.
I headed out and didn't have the greatest of attitudes I will admit. I wanted to eat! lol! The fat girl was yelling at me but I let the skinny girl win and ran instead. YAY me! :) I started running and it felt okay, nothing that great. The 1st mile I was 10:09, that's right on what I have been running so okay bad attitude and all and I'm still doing well. That's when the competitor in me kicked in. Normally I fall to around 10:30-40 for the 2nd mile so I had a thought, I wonder if I can do a 10:20 or faster for the 2nd mile? So I let that thought take over my mind and the negative thoughts went away. I felt myself run taller, run more with my legs and not full body and brought my hips into it more. I hit the 2nd mile and I was 10:09 again!!! I couldn't believe it. That was the fastest 2 miles since I started back; in fact that was what I was running when I was in shape - 9:30-10:15 minute miles in training.
I then thought to myself, what can I do for the last 1/2 mile? I started smiling and threw it back 1 more gear and finished the 2.5 miles I needed to run strong. When my Nike+ hit 2.5 miles I had done that last 1/2 mile in 4:48! That's 9:36 pace, WHOOP!
I really couldn't believe how fast I am getting my legs back. It was definitely rocky and hurt getting back into it but at the 4th week back and doing this well I am looking forward more and more to what I can do training for this 1/2 marathon. It's not that fast yet but it's feeling good which is what I am liking.
By the way I signed up for 2 races this year already: a 6K (3.72823 miles) on Thanksgiving with my fiance's family and a 5K (3.12 miles) on December 16th. Then in 2013 I have the 1/2 Marathon on February 17th that I am already signed up for and I still need to register for the 15K on March 9th; the same one I did last year for the 1st time. I think I'll probably do 1 more before my wedding too, just to keep me running and in shape for the big day! :)
Caught Up
Anyway, I have been quiet not because things slipped or have been bad but because things have been crazy, busy and just down right scary.
Sunday late after noon Wrigley my Golden Retriever decided to get into some Ant Killer. The part that scared me was that I didn't really realize it until my sister and I came home from a 2.5 mile run around 5:30 and noticed his entire side of his head, neck and chest were soaked. He had laid in a puddle of drool and soaked himself. We called the poison control and found out that Ant Killer (that active ingredient is Deltamethrin) is considered a low-toxin, which means it won't kill you or do any damage but it will make you very sick and it just has to pass through your body. There isn't an antidote so basically your body just has to process it and get rid it unfortunately and they say to keep hydrated to speed up the process. They will pump your stomach if you ingest too much so it is less for your body to process but that's about it. So poison control told me to give him a bath to make sure there wasn't any additional residue on his fur so he wouldn't accidentally lick it and start the process over and to call the ER vet. So I did both and the ER vet said the same thing and told me I had to keep him hydrated or to bring him in in the morning for an IV bag. He told me a turkey baster would work well - lol. We nursed poor Wrigley back to health, I stayed home from work and worked from home on Monday and I am happy to report he is back to his goofy, fun loving self again!
Monday I worked from home but was very busy with work and taking care of Wrigley that I didn't have time for a blog. Yesterday I was out in the warehouse packing all day for a trade show and was only at my computer for about 20 minutes in the morning checking my emails. Like I said busy as heck!
I have been pretty good with food lately. Making good choices and eating healthy. Okay my sister made homemade fudge and brought me a bit on Sunday and it was gone last night but come on, homemade fudge!!! lol! I've been making this awesome salad for dinner lately that I have been enjoying and grilling a lot which typically means I am eating healthy. I have been running even though I have "skipped" the day I am suppose to. On Saturday I was suppose to run 2.5 but I was having a lazy day and didn't but I did it on Sunday. Then yesterday I was suppose to run 2.5 again, but being on my feet all day and I was dead tired (not sleeping Sunday night was catching up to me) I decided to skip running yesterday and run at lunch today instead. Hey I am still saying on track and getting it in so I can't complain too much. I do though need to get back to doing my exercises again. I haven't been to good about it in the last week and a half.
Well now you are all caught up and today I am determined to make a good day! Smiles on and actually looking forward to my run! :)
Friday, November 2, 2012
BTHO the Gators!
It's officially November and the holidays have begun! Halloween went really well - only 6 mini flavored tootsie rolls - GO ME! Wrigley and I enjoyed sitting outside by the fire a lot! We might have to sit in our backyard more because that was relaxing!
Yesterday I got my 1st Black Friday email! Can you believe it. Thanksgiving was 3 weeks away from yesterday and Black Friday is 3 weeks from today! Hard to believe. That's 1 of 2 days a year I throw the diet to the window completely and just eat all the yummy foods. I can't wait. It also means that I start 1/2 marathon training the week after Thanksgiving. Here goes nothing.
As for right now I have been pretty good. Tuesday I didn't run because it was really cold and windy still and I had to crave pumpkins. So Wednesday I ran at lunch. I almost didn't because we had a lot to do but when everyone else went to lunch I decided you know what I am too, but running. I ended up running 2.5 miles when I was only suppose to run 2. Yay me! It felt really good too. Then yesterday I was suppose to run 2 miles but after Wednesday I upped all my runs a bit since I'm feeling good and it just prepares me more for 1/2 marathon training. Anyway, so yesterday I took my car to the Honda dealership so they could read the SRS light that came on on Wednesday. I am headed to Gainesville today to watch my Aggies BTHO some Gators so I wanted to make sure it wasn't something like the airbag. He said it would take about 4 minutes so I asked him if I could leave my bad under his desk so I could go for a run. I went into the bathroom and changed and off I went for my 2 miles. I got back and he said he had told everyone my story because he had never seen anyone do that, be that productive while waiting for their car. Yay me again! I turned out my front mounting bracket and a valve gasket had broken so I had to get those replaced and had to wait a bit longer but that was okay, I got my run in!
Today will be nuts - work till 12, run to the Vet on Southside (where I use to live and in the wrong direction from where I live now) to get Wrigley's meds that I was suppose to get last night but the car took longer than expected, and then to the other side of the beach to pick up my contacts, back home to drop everything off, hopefully shove something down my throat and then go pick up my fiance's little sister who is going with me to Gainesville all by 1:30-1:45. WHEW! It's all to cheer my Aggies on! Gig 'Em Ags!!!
Have a great weekend everyone!
***BTW the spell check came on for Gainesville and one of the options was Knoxville (I kid you not)! LOVE IT! Go Vols!
Yesterday I got my 1st Black Friday email! Can you believe it. Thanksgiving was 3 weeks away from yesterday and Black Friday is 3 weeks from today! Hard to believe. That's 1 of 2 days a year I throw the diet to the window completely and just eat all the yummy foods. I can't wait. It also means that I start 1/2 marathon training the week after Thanksgiving. Here goes nothing.
As for right now I have been pretty good. Tuesday I didn't run because it was really cold and windy still and I had to crave pumpkins. So Wednesday I ran at lunch. I almost didn't because we had a lot to do but when everyone else went to lunch I decided you know what I am too, but running. I ended up running 2.5 miles when I was only suppose to run 2. Yay me! It felt really good too. Then yesterday I was suppose to run 2 miles but after Wednesday I upped all my runs a bit since I'm feeling good and it just prepares me more for 1/2 marathon training. Anyway, so yesterday I took my car to the Honda dealership so they could read the SRS light that came on on Wednesday. I am headed to Gainesville today to watch my Aggies BTHO some Gators so I wanted to make sure it wasn't something like the airbag. He said it would take about 4 minutes so I asked him if I could leave my bad under his desk so I could go for a run. I went into the bathroom and changed and off I went for my 2 miles. I got back and he said he had told everyone my story because he had never seen anyone do that, be that productive while waiting for their car. Yay me again! I turned out my front mounting bracket and a valve gasket had broken so I had to get those replaced and had to wait a bit longer but that was okay, I got my run in!
Have a great weekend everyone!
***BTW the spell check came on for Gainesville and one of the options was Knoxville (I kid you not)! LOVE IT! Go Vols!
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