Running with Strangers..

Growing up i’m sure your parents always told you not to talk to strangers, well at least mine did. So when does that warning cease to be so important? Well yesterday I disobeyed my parents…shhh don’t tell ;)

Here let me explain..

You see, Saturdays as I knew them have drastically changed. They used to be days of relaxation and laziness but now my life revolves around running and therefore Saturday’s = long run days (and I wouldn’t want it any other way)! In my last post I mentioned having a scare this week with my potassium levels and getting in enough food. Since I was still a little nervous for the long run b/c I didn’t want to push myself too hard before I was ready. I decided before I headed out that I was only going to do 10 or 12 miles (instead of the 16 I originally wanted to tackle). As i hit the pavement I was feeling pretty good and actually excited for the miles that lie ahead. On an side note, while i am training out here in Cali I have been running by myself (on a very safe bike path) and so although I try and distract myself I usually end up focusing on how much i have left (and gasp i run without an IPod)!

Anyways, I was doing pretty good as I approached the 5 mile decision point, I could either turn around here and do 10 or continue another mile and make it 12. I was tired but still keeping about a 7:50 min average pace so I decided to keep going. I hit the 6 mile turn around point and started to feel the fatigue setting in. It wasn’t too bad but the thought of the 6 miles left felt rather daunting. I ran another mile and then I caught up with this guy  that was running about the same pace as me and we kept passing each other..you know the awkward time where neither of you is going to fast enough to really get away? So there I was freaking out inside because this was just so awkward and as hard as i tried I couldn’t seem to make myself go fast enough to leave this predicament.

That’s when i broke the cardinal rule that we learned as kids and started talking to this stranger :0

It fist started out as the typical “How far are you going?” “Are you training for anything or just running?” type of questions. By then I think we both just decided to run together. As we ran and chatted I kept thinking that I must being going really slow to be able to talk and not feel really tired..i would even get a little upset thinking that this guy was going to ruin my average..but then i would look at the best invention in the world (My Garmin forerunner 205) and see that i was still keeping about a 7:55- 8:10 min average pace. What the heck! how can this be?? But i really don’t feel like it is as hard as it normally is and i am doing better than i usually do at this point?! 

That’s when I was reminded of the amazing benefits of running with others. Man i am really boring all by myself i need to join a running group or something! When you are running with another person it causes you not to focus on running per se, and really find your rhythm. Oh and it made it go by so much faster!! As i approached the end of the 12 miles I was anxious to see what my time and average pace were…ready…I finished in 1:36 (1 hour and 36 minutes) and my average pace was a 8:02 min mile. yay!! and i felt really good afterwards (a lot better than i normally do after a long run)! Oh and don’t worry I didn’t push myself too hard (mom really i didn’t)!

People on the Bakersfield bike path beware..i might be striking up random conversations with you just for my running sanity!

Well that was pretty much the highlight of my weekend, oh and going shopping with one of my all time favorite best friends! Yes, there was defiantly wallet damage done and retailers cheering. I do feel a little guilty but all of Old Navy was 30% off (don’t worry I didn’t buy the whole store) and when you find the perfect pair of GAP jeans you just can’t pass them up! Oh well, if i have to eat more at least i can look cute doing it!

How was your weekend?

Please excuse me while I pass out..

Okay so i didn’t fully pass out but i did leave a family stranded at the register, mid-order, so i could spare them the sight of me on the floor which I was certain would have happened if I didn’t sit down and let my world stop spinning! Yeah a little embarrassing. Oh and it of course was at the perfect timing where there was only me and the sandwich maker in the front which caused me to say “Hey would you watch the register real quick i think i am going to faint” as I ran to the back and sat down in the nearest chair. Luckily my shift was almost over (15 minutes left) and I was able to drink some water and leave before anything else happened!

Why did I almost faint you ask? Well that is a very good question to which I am not quite sure but have my speculations…

1. I hadn’t gotten a lot of water since I had been standing at the register for most of my shift and might have been dehydrated before I even started work.

2. I have had problems with my potassium levels in the past and I think that was the main culprit. You see as I have mentioned earlier, I am training for two 1/2 marathons and a full marathon and with that the training plan that i am on has me running 38-50 miles a week which involves a lot of sweating (even for people like me who hardly sweat) and can throw your electrolytes off balance. I have also had a hard time getting enough calories in for all that I am expending during the week and I think my body had just had enough!

But I have to say it really scared me. My folks are in Hawaii right now and when my potassium levels had dropped really low before I had to go to the emergency room and have an IV to get them back on track and I really didn’t want a repeat! Fortunately, I was able to go home and eat potassium rich food and drink lots of water and PowerAde and now am feeling a lot better :)

This incident has made me stop and think though (along with the loving lectures of my family which I scared to death) that I either need to really increase my caloric intake to meet my running or I need to cut back running! Now I love running and am obsessed with it but I also love my clothes and don’t want to have to get new ones if I gain weight. Big dilemma…

However, I think i am really starting to see that my health is the most important thing and so, with a nervous spirit, I am choosing to eat more and listen to my body as I continue my training plan. By the way, this goes against everything that I have forced myself to believe and act on for the last 7 years (the eating more) so wish me luck!! Oh and thanks for listening to me unload :)

Have a great day!

Tea anyone…….??

As I had mentioned in my previous post, while being in the lovely land of Bako I am working part time. It is one of those always faithful jobs, you know the ones where you started in high school/college and every time you move back home you are able to pick up a few shifts here and there?! Yup that kind. I starting working at this place in 1999 (yeah crazy 10 years ago) and have worked there on and off for many years. I am working at a local sandwich shop (Sequoia Sandwich for all you locals) 2-3 days a week. It has been really good to get some extra $$ and give me something productive to do during my stay.

The nice part was that although it has been about 4 years since i have worked there, not a lot changes and well it was pretty easy to catch up and get back into the Sequoia routine. And I have a really amazing boss who has always be so gracious to let me come back and work when I want. It actually worked out really well because a girl was going on maternity leave so I am filling in for her while she is gone. So it’s all great right?

Well let me just say i don’t remember it being such hard work! Seriously folks, i mean my cheeks started cramping up from saying the same thing over and over with a smile ("Hi, what can i get for you...we have chicken noodle and broccoli cheese, is this for hear or to go?, etc.!") The first two days i was in “training” and just getting caught up on all that has changed and refreshed on everything else. It really hasn’t been that bad, kind of fun actually. However, when you start something new there tends to be some mistakes made…but you learn from them right?! Well I decided that if I was going to learn from my mistakes I might as well make them entertaining for every one else :)

For instance, always check that the spout is closed before you brew the tea or else two big bins of nice brown tea will soon be taking up residence all over the floor and mat. Also, when cleaning the cart don’t bend down in front of the swinging door where no one can see you or else they might just slam open the door, hitting you right in the head and sending you flying back across the floor, and finally…make sure you only sit by people with lids on their drinks during break or else you might end up with water spilled all down your pants right before you open!

Yay for being back to work! Who knows maybe i will have more entertaining stories to pass on from the never dull moments at the sandwich shop :)

I’m alive and writing from the other side of the Country :)

Ok y’all I am backkkk and I have missed each and every one of you crazy bloggers! I actually wonder if anyone is reading this little blog anymore since I think I just won the award for least dedicated blogger for the end of 2009! So first to my fellow readers/bloggers, you loyal ones that still check my blog and see the same post over and over again, all you who have nudged me back into this world that i love but so easily leave…I am offering a Humongous thank you and i vow right here and now that I am back in the blogosphere in full force and I will try my hardest not to let this happen again.

Now moving on :) Oh but I am also so excited to read what has been going on with everyone else as well. When i said i had been absent from this world I really meant it, I have not even looked at my blog for about a month and a half (gasp)…I know, I know and I am truly ashamed!

So without further ado..here is a little recap of all that has been going on and why I have been so absent..

I know that I had mentioned before that in Mid-November we got word that the Hubbs was being deployed in mid-December. This of course happened during the crucial part of our first cycle in our fertility treatments (I will expand on that more later) and since we never do anything normal we decided that in an effort to save some big bucks we were going to move out of our house and into storage and I was moving to Bako CA to stay with my parents while the Hubbs was gone. Oh and if you have a hard time doing math like me, we had about a month to get all this done and all our affairs in order before he left!

Some how we managed to get everything done and the Hubbs left a few weeks before Christmas (boo)! My wonderful Daddy flew out to the East Coast and together (with the Charles in tow) we drove cross country to bako in three very very long days!! I don’t know if you have ever driven for that long in a car with a yellow lab that has gas…not the most enjoyable! But everyone was a champ and we made it to Cali safe and sound!

The holidays flew by and I had such a wonderful time with friends and family although i missed the Hubbs so so much.

I knew that in order to keep my sanity and help the time go by fast I had to have things to work towards and look forward to. Which leads me into my newest (well not actually new but newly mega obsessed) past time…RUNNING :) Right before the Hubbs left he had gotten me a book about running for Women and boy did that feed the small obsession I had before. Since being out in bako I have decided to run in two different 1/2 marathons and the Hubbs and i are training for the San Francisco Marathon in July! It has been really good to have to the time to really get into the training (although i now revolve the rest of my life around my running) so don’t be surprised if I have several posts dedicated to this new obsession..like today I was totally excited to run 14 miles which is the farthest that I have ever ran before!

Oh and I also are so stoked (yes my cali language is coming back full force) that my good friend and someone I adore is going to be running with me in the Paso Robles 1/2 marathon in March! I am so proud of her and so excited to run alongside her!

I have also been working while i am out here (more stories from that later too) so I am really keeping busy.

The Charles is loving the warm weather and huge backyard that my parents have so graciously allowed him to take over (really folks…their woodpile is now his toy box as my mom says)! Believe me there will be plenty of stories to come on the new adventures/trouble of the Charles :)

I can’t wait to get fully into the swing of things and I will do my best to be a better blogger and keep everyone updated/entertained my the wako dog and my crazy life! Oh and for those of you wondering about the fertility stuff…unfortunately we did not get pregnant the first cycle and then since the Hubbs is gone (and he is a crucial part of the process) we are putting everything on hold until he gets back. I am not going to lie, I was very disappointed at first, but we had prayed a lot about it and I know that it will happen in God’s timing. We had actually had a false positive for about a day and that helped me see how much i want the Hubbs to be here for the whole process!

Thanks again everyone for not shunning me after my horrible bloggy behavior :)

Silence is not always golden..

It seems that every night, whether we walk him or not, the Charles goes into a whiney mode and literally whines for like forever unless we get up and play with him! So annoying when you are trying to watch tv and just chill.

Last night we let him outside and then neither of us wanted to get up to let him in (usually he jumps on the door till we let him back in).

This is what happens when you ignore him long enough that he becomes silent..

But who can stay mad at a cute dog like this..

he’s saying he’s sorry!! The hubs was a champ though and took out the vacuum and get this turned it on and vacuumed up the mud the Charles tracked in! And yes, that did cause the Charles to go a little nuts :)

Oh and here for your viewing pleasure is the Charles watching a commercial with another dog in it…

Have a great day! Hopefully it works (the video)!

Charles and the Vacuum :0

So I couldn’t go too long without giving you another funny story via the Charles! Usually when I vacuum the house I leave the Charles inside and he run around like a mad dog. I used to lock him outside but he tends to act out if he thinks he is missing all the fun (ie the vacuum) and would dig holes and then track in dirt on my freshly vacuumed carpet…kind of defeats the purpose! So I decided that I would rather just vacuum around him and have fun cracking up as my lunatic dog goes crazy!

Also, I am not the best at getting all the vacuuming done at one time and so I will vacuum the downstairs and then leave it out for the upstairs. I quickly learned that this might not be the best idea because Charlie has to stake his dog/man claim and starts barking and growling at it. It totally freaked me out the first couple times because he doesn’t bark that often and when he does I am totally caught off guard (and usually spill whatever I am holding at the time)!

The hubs came back from our recent cali vacation about a week before I did and when I got back he was like “it was fun, I chased the Charles around with the vacuum”! My first thought was “how sweet, you vacuumed!” why do I even try to fool myself! Not so! you see the hubs literally took out the vacuum and basically chased the Charles all around the house without the vacuum even being on or plugged in! It is hysterical to watch. Charlie has some great height on him and can totally clear the the couch (both from the front and back)! How could I be upset about that…I couldn’t stop laughing!

I love my crazy men! Have a great day :) Oh and I will try to get a video of it before we move so I can hopefully post it and you can all see what i’m talking about!

A pain in my buttocks..

So now that my little fertility secret is out there I can share with you some of the unpleasenties that come along! First I have to say that I DO NOT do good with needles, seriously, I am a self proclaimed fainter and proud of it. So when the nurses first explained that not only would I have to have numerous shots, I would have to give them to myself, I was totally freaked out and ready to run!

I had to go to the dr’s office to be shown how to shoot myself up and then I was left to fend for myself..ayaya! The first night was totally the hardest as I sat on the edge of the couch for like 10 minutes with the needle in one hand and pinching my skin in another trying to get up enough guts to just go for it! Once the first shot was over I was like “oh that wasn’t so bad” and fortunately it just got easier each time (which is good since I was given like 5 million chances to practice)! I have also been getting my blood taken like every other day and the hubs is making fun on me saying i look like a junkie :)

The only thing slightly less freaky than personally inserting the needle into myself is the Hubs having to give me a shot! Yeah he wasn’t too thrilled about it either. You see there is one shot that has to go into the muscle of the buttocks (which I can’t reach) so the Hubs gets the fun job! And he did amazing! It defiantly was a little more uncomfortable than the other shots but not bad…till the next day!

Oh my word, who knew you use your Butt muscles so much! Yeah, yesterday I could barley walk. I didn’t even think about the fact that since it was going into the muscle it might be sore after, and what better place to be sore than on your butt that is involved in basically everything that you do! Oh and did I mention that it must have affected my sense of judgment because I proceeded to run 4 miles with the Hubs later and that about did me in! Luckily, I am starting to feel better today but I just feel like my body is so out of whack!

For all of you who have had to go through this or are still in the process I give you major props and prayers. It is not an easy thing, but not matter what it is worth it because even if we never get a baby out of this, it is bringing the Hubs and I more closer together and I know God will use it for His glory!

Oh and I promise next post will be less whiney! Have a great night :)