I am my mother's child

It's August.

It's 100 degrees out.

What am I doing to pass the day o' data entry away?

Listening to Christmas music.

True story.

"It's the most wonderful time of the year"

Next thing you know I'll be shopping for gifts and wrapping presents.

In September.

Clearly, the apple does not fall far.

My mother's exact words after a shopping trip mid July "Just act surprised".

Now, where's my hot chocolate?!

The day has come

I must confess something.

Something I never thought would happen.

And I've been debating on if I should tell or not.



But, I'm all about sharing and what not, so, I'll tell you.







Ready?

Are you sure?







I've become a flats person!

(I know, I can't believe I just typed that either!)
(looks longingly at her pretty pink heels in the sidebar)


Need proof?

I currently own these

And these

Oh, and you've seen these before (and I have them in black too)

(and yes, 98% of my shoes are from Target--I spend a lot of time walking outside for work and go through shoes like tic tacs, thus, I go for cheap when it comes to most of my office shoes)

So yes, I'm now a flats wearin' fool. Which is tragic, because I'm barely 5'. Awesome.

But with a bum leg and icky feet, prancing around in my favorite heels just wasn't cutting it.

I have worn heels exactly 0 times in the last week. It's a strange little world remembering how short I really am.

But, I think it's helping my leg (um, either that or the awesome insoles I started using last week--judge away--they are sooo flippin' comfy).

So, until further notice, I'll be a lot shorter.

And probably a bit sadder (because my heaven's if a great heel doesn't make me just giddy).

Now, go put on your favorite heels and live it up for me. Deal?

Musings & Monday

1. And as previously guessed, I am sunburned. And mind you, the world's splotchiest sunburn. Mainly my shoulders (and nose?)--which means wearing a bra is super comfy.
2. I slacked off and didn't get in a run on Saturday morning pre boating activity. I had every intention, but, when that alarm went off at 5:00AM, I just wasn't feelin' like pounding out the miles in the dark. So, I slept in. You know, until 6:15.
3. And then I broke the shower faucet (of course I did), which led to a mass exodus of the hubs and I trying to shower in the "mini" shower of the guest bathroom. Luckily, I am mini and had no problems. Checking on the husband 20 minutes was rather hilarious. Our bathroom floor was soaking wet.
4. After a long day on the water I decided cooking was a no go and we had a lovely veggie pizza. Y'all, can I tell you how long it's been since I've had pizza? Months. Months I tell you! And it was sooo good. And you know what, a little Chuy's and pizza never hurt anyone--my weight is still what is was last week. Mind you, higher than I'd like, but, a girl's gotta start somewhere!
5. Is it weird that I dreamt about running (don't answer that)? Because I did.
6. And, just to prove that dreams come true, I pounded out 6.5 miles this AM. On the treadmill. I hate that damn thing, but, figure I better make friends with it while I'm trying to take care of my bum leg--hilly neighborhood runs aren't really the best for injuries....
7. Got majorly sick on Saturday night. Lovely. To the point where the husband was thisclose to taking me to the hospital. Feel fine today. What the crap?!
8. This also means that I got 3.5 hours of sleep that night and spent yesterday constantly falling asleep. In between baking blueberry muffins. And chili and cheese corn muffins.
9. I like muffins. It's like a sickness.
10. I did not get to hit up Anthropologie over the weekend. Too tired to shop! (what?!). Plans to rectify that tomorrow evening.
11. It's still early, and I'm ravenously hungry. This does not bode well for my plans of healthy eating today. Considering my 11AM snack is getting smaller by the second. Yikes.

Happy Monday y'all!
XOXO,
SP

"Boating activity be damned!"

I may or may not have shouted--yelped(?) that this morning in a fit of exhaustion, frustration, stress and tummy woes...

I should explain that as part of our responsibilities, the husband and I tagging along with some other brave souls to take a group of teenagers to the lake this weekend.

This is all well in good in that I need a tan (Hi, I'm Casper).

Problem is, I may have jumped off a cliff before then.

Why must it rain and pour all at once? Can't is just sprinkle? Am I asking too much here?

Exhausted. (understatement)

But, I am planning a full on raid of Anthro post-lake activity if I am a) not a lobster (remember, I'm Casper) b) dead c) too tired to move (this is a possibility).

A girl has to release her stress somehow right?

And with me, it's all about "pick your poison"--chocolate and weight gain, or spend $$ and then debate cutting up the Visa.

Note: the cutting up the Visa part has never actually happened.... Maybe it should?

And yes, I realize that I have no disposal income this month. I'm aware. I'll go without food. I don't care. We can live off canned beans, cereal and ice cream, right?

In my next life

I want to come back as a model for Anthropologie. Or a person who gets free/discounted clothes and goods from them.

Becase clearly, I need this shirt.

As in, I seriously might die if I don't get it.

(and normally, I would make a deal with the husband that if I successfully complete my two upcoming half marathons that I get to buy it, but, at this point, just running successfully is glory enough....And he thinks I shouldn't be running anyway, so this type of bribery really won't work. Especailly since I think my SIL is moving in with us soon, which means more people to feed on my sad little paycheck)

Anyone have $100 they want to donate to the SP needs cute clothes charity drive?

Musings & Monday

1. Alert the presses: I ran on Saturday. How far did you run, miss SP? Oh, I ran 14 miles. 14 glorious, glorious miles. (and it would have been 14.5 but the damn sky just opened up a torrential downpour when I hit 14--not lying, and I had to book it to my car lest I end up looking like a drown rat.)
2. We ran through neighborhoods. And didn't follow the map correctly (I was not leading the map reading, fyi). Which meant: lots 'o hills. And at some point, I ended up being the pace leader--fyi, I suck at that. So, it ended up being 4 of us at the front, which was awesome.
3. Found another chick who has an "early marathon" and we headed out after the group run to get in more miles together. I'm so happy to have found her because there's no way I can get to the meeting place at 5 AM to get in extra miles before meeting at 6. Trust this.
4. (Um, last weekend I got to the meeting site at 5:20 to get in extra miles before the meet up, which is what everyone recommends, so you can "finish as a group". Ha. Let me tell you, older neighborhoods with very few street lights and sketchy sidewalks = SP tripping, and full on ninja rolling into someones front lawn. Not that this happened or anything. Nor do I have the scraped wrist to prove it.)
5. I hurt like all get out today. You've got to be kidding me.
6. Sports injury therapist today at 5:30!! Fingers, toes, arms, etc crossed that this helps because I've got 6 miles on the agenda tomorrow.
7. Have I mentioned that I hate mailing lists? Because I do. (yes, it's that time of year. Again)
8. Mailing lists cause me to blow off lunches with my fabulous intern. For the second week in a row. I'm a fabulous boss, clearly.
9. My boss got a new puppy. They want to name her Rio. I want to bring her home with me. Clearly, this is a problem.
10. We cannot have any more pets, lest we become crazy pet people. And we're pretty damn close already.
11. My husband is riding his bike 60 miles today. Because he's crazy and racing 100 miles in like 3 weeks. This is not normal. Normal people do not do this.
12. Of course, one could also argue that normal people do not yearn to run 14 miles in one day. Or get convinced to sign up for an all night trail run (next year kids, I've got 11 months to drop out of that one--thank God!), or to run the Cowtown marathon one month before the Catalina marathon. So, "normal" is kind of skewed.
13. I really want to go shopping. Like, I "need" new clothes. And by "need", I mean, Anthro has their fall clothing and clearly, I want everything there.
14. Oh, and I "need" to find an outfit for my Miami/Cuban themed birthday party that is still months away. And yes, I'm planning it now. Sue me.
15. Please remind me that I have no disposable income this month. Please, remind me of that. Because I seem to forget.
16. Oh, and please cross your fingers and toes that this sports injury person is the miracle I'm hoping for--because y'all, I'm getting downright bitchy (and fat. Which just adds to the bitchiness. It's a cycle). (while we're asking for favors, fingers crossed that my husband finds a job--because his housewife skills have seriously gone downhill lately--I think the novelty has worn off).

Alright y'all. I'm off to work on mailing lists so that I can keep bringing home the low fat turkey bacon....

Ugh. Monday.

Cheer Me Up, Pup

(workout yesterday: ran 2.75 miles plus arm and ab work. Was going to run after work to get in more miles, but, figured best not to push myself and them be all gimpy for Saturday's looooong run. Will try to get out 30 minutes on the bike after work--goal for tomorrow? Run strong!)

Since I have been resigned to Couch Potato and not Crazy Runner the last few weeks, and have managed to gain back every single pound that took me 6 months to lose (seriously, what the crap?!), I've been a little down. OK, a lot down. Is it normal that I'm majorly depressed about my lack of miles this week? Because I really am. Depressed. (I do however have an appointment on Monday to see a sports injury therapist--recomended by my former triathlon coach, so, I'm praying that by Monday night, I'll be 100% better. Yes, I expect instant miracles.)

But, even in my state and whining and complaining, there's a little gem at my house to make it all better (and slowly healing the hole in my heart for my Hanna Banana).

Ella Mae.

The most spaztastic, insane, hilarious beagle ever.

Her newest obsession? Tennis balls. They've managed to lose 2 and there is a 3rd, but, I keep it hidden since the whole point of the tennis balls was to roll out my calves. She saw it sticking out of my purse yesterday, and I swear, her eyes tripled in size.

"Ohhh, me see bright yellow fuzz. Ohhhh, me see tennis ball. Ohhh, me climb on coffee table when Mom not looking and steal tennis ball.... Wait for it.... Ah! Victory.... Crap. I'z caught."

(yes, found the beagle on the coffee table, with her little head in my purse)

I ask you, how can you not laugh at this?
(I should mention that it would be much better if the photo wasn't so grainy--she's actually bearing her sad little beagle teeth! But, it's hard to capture a picture of a very spazzy rolly polly beagle.)

"If I hide, you can't put me in my crate, or lock me in the office with brother."


"Crap. How'd ya find me? That's OK, joke on you sister--me and brother--we're ordering pizza! Dat's what you get for locking us in room with phone."
(yes, last week we came home and found the phone upstairs. The hubs is sure they were trying to order pizza. Even better? She now brings us the phone--just to, you know, encourage us.)

Pretty in Pink

(workout: tried to run--made it .3 miles. Lovely. 60 minutes of power yoga instead. Bleh)

Let's hope my new shoes can kick this non running habit I've developed.

I loves them. They have gel cushioning--which is awesome for SP's hip--but has yet to make a difference in her calf.

But, they're cute. And pink. And currently, my biggest fear is ruining them at my trail run next month.

FYI, it's in exactly 1 month. From today. August 29th.

Eeek.

ETA: Ran 5.1 miles at lunch!! Yippee! The first 2 were painful and hard, but, afterwards--no pain!! Maybe I should have just powered through from the start? (yeah, let's pretend that's not true, k?)

It's the little things

(Workout: unable to run. Ran great 10 miles with group on Saturday, am like a lame duck today. In serious pain. Resorted to biking at the gym. 11 miles in 47 minutes--very sweaty--no complaints. Plus abs and arms. I just want to run!!! No idea what's going on. Ice bath on Saturday, stretched like a mad woman--took two rest days (!) and still in pain. Grrr)

Y'all know I love chocolate.

What y'all don't know, is that I was in my early 20s before I actually liked chocolate (which means I have 20 some odd years of chocolate loving to catch up on--I think I've accomplished that). My sis, Lara, is a fellow chocoholic, and after our fabulously emotional summer o' changes in '04, my addiction has been solidfied.

My two biggest weaknesses (and the two strangest, in my opinion): chocolate crossiants (drool) and Hostess cupcakes (I know, hi, I'm 5). Mind you, I haven't had either in ages (thanks to WW and all, which we aren't currently talking about because I'm still a chub).

However, a few weeks ago, while strolling the aisles of my local non-Whole Foods grocery store, I started craving my favorite childhood treat like nobody's business. FYI, I could kill like 2 packs of those damn cupcakes in a sitting. No joke. With a Diet Coke (I see the irony, don't worry) that's pretty much my idea of heaven.

So, we do not buy them. I do not buy them. Ever.

Until a few weeks ago. The day before I had a 15k race. After all, what's a finishing a race if you can't have some yummy goodness?

Solution? Hostess 100 Calorie Pack. Not kidding--they really do exist. 100 calories for three little cakes. (please don't remind me of how unhealthy these are--sometimes, I just don't care)

Verdict? Pretty damn tasty for 100 calories. (I worry that these could be a constant staple in my house--yikes)

And I only had one lil pack. Seriously.

Post race breakfast of champions.

The pitty party continues

Last night, I had to stash my PB in the freezer, and chuck any chocolate that remained in mi casa.

After all, misery loves company.

And what better company could I keep than chocolate and peanut butter, I ask?

Not running today. Didn't run yesterday. Don't know what to do.

I am supposed to run with my group tomorrow, and all I want is to run strong and get in my miles. I loooove long runs.

I'm starting to panic. I have 2 half marathons in less than 4 weeks. WTF.

Please feel free to bring me chocolate and or peanut butter. I'm not burning calories, I might as well pack the lbs back on.

Boo on me.

(I promise to stop complaining soon--I see a Target trip in my future--that makes it all better)

ETA: Despite the whole not running thing, I am rocking my fave color combo of pink and turquoise, and am feeling rather snappy today. It's a wonder what eating a ton of salads and hiding the PB will do for your waistline :)

Feelin' hot, hot, hot

Or not. Bleh. I'm bleh. I'm all sorts of bitter right now because I physically can't run. It's disgusting. (and welcome to my pitty party--take a seat! Enjoy!)

I pounded out 9 fabulous miles yesterday AM (yay me!) and stretched, yoga-ed and stretched some more. I took my Ibuprofen, I rubbed the hell out of my legs with BenGay and BadgerBalm. I took some time to chill with the foam roller (aka death). To no avail.

I jumped out of bed this AM and stretched some more, got dressed and headed out the door. Only to make it .55 miles when the tears started welling. I physically could not run. My calves were so tight it hurt to walk (still does). And I limped home, and got back in bed. WTF.

I'm hoping that I can fit in a run at lunch, or after work. This has put me in a fabbbbulous mood for the day. I know I need to take care of me, but, running is me time. Bleh.

So, on that note, let's reminisce about the good ol' days (er, last Saturday) when I could run.

The Too Hot to Handle 15k!

Woo whoo! The too hot aspect was notsomuch--thank goodness--it was fabulous running weather--80s!

Let me just explain a lil somethin'. Race started at 7:30. Literally thousands of people. No freaking parking=stressed out me=literally got to the start with minutes left. Yikes.

See? Me with my fake aka crooked smile because I'm panicked!

And this is after 15k of painful running (not that bad, but, my IT band was acting up)

Me and my biggest fan! (who gets up at 5AM to get me to the race)

One of my running buddies was jogging the loop and I ran past him during the race--we waved and he ended up staying, hanging out with the hubs and waiting for me to finish (he took the picture).

The race was great--aside from some pain, it was a really good run. I won't tell y'all my time because it's sad, but, I was happy because I ran strong, only walked through the 10k water station and ran hard to the finish--even though I was in pain.

And it was a really big race, which overwhelms me, so, I was just glad to be there and enjoy the day.

I have two half marathons coming up next month and I'm a little worried about my ITband/ calf muscle issues, but, am looking forward to new race distances. I think what really helps me is knowing that I've run these distances before--it's empowering.

Next up? The Hottest Half! (clearly, I have a thing for 'hot' races)

Why watching le Tour de France is bad for my checking account

Just bought my husband a ridiculously expensive bike. Because he's decided to ride a century race. That has a trail run component.

Great.

Now we are one of those couples. You know, those outdoorsy couples who like do stuff together.

Since when are Princesses outdoorsy? (y'all should have seen me in the bike shop--wildly hilarious)

Let's hope the bike is an actual investment and the novelty doesn't wear off after the race.

He's out riding right now.

Like a damn little kid on Christmas morning.

Currently, I'm trying not to eat myself out of house and home--after all, I did finish a 15k race today. Let's not talk about all the food I've managed to plow through today. Why am I always so damn hungry after a silly little race? Hmmm...

Happy weekend y'all!

PS. I should note that my darling husband is a cyclist--this is not some on the whim thing, we have been discussing it for a long time, but, the Princess usually puts the kibosh on these things. Until today. Just so we're clear.