Embarrassing moment

Tonight I ran 8 miles! Wooooooo!  I thought I was going to die by the time I got back to the start, but that's not really the point now is it?  I'm not truly sure how I am going to make that last mile on Sunday though.  Seriously.  It was getting extremely tough by the 8th mile.  My legs didn't seem to want to work anymore and I could tell I was slowing down.  The good news is that we did it in 1:20.  So even if I want to give up on Sunday, by the 9th mile, I have at least 25 more minutes for the final mile.  It's nice to have that extra bit of time I suppose.  We also ran part of the route the 15K takes, so that was helpful.  The 60 degree weather helped a lot too.  Unfortunately, by Sunday, it's supposed to be back down to 30s again.
Since my knee has seriously been hurting, I decided to try a new combo.  I've used a brace, which didn't seem to do anything.  The same goes for wrapping.  So I upped the ante and I decided to take some aleve, which helped quell the residual pain.  I also gave in and tried Kinesio tape.  Supposedly this tape is created to stretch skin and help blood flow, lessening the pain.  There's a very specific way to use it and I tried to follow the video, but I'm not 100% sure I put it on in the exact right spot.  Since it was the first time, I can't decide yet whether it helped.  My knee didn't feel as bad tonight, but it could've been because of the weather, the aleve, or the tape.  I really may never know.
But the title of this post is embarrassing moment and so here it comes.  I was using my zip-ups and went with both earphones today.  (There were 5 of us running, so I felt that it was safer to have both in, since others did not.)  About 3 miles in, my arm caught the zip and ripped the earphones out of my ears.  I looked down and noticed that one of my earpieces was missing the rubber piece that goes on the outside. Figuring I had lost it, and being very disappointed about, since they are brand new, I stuck the other earphone in my right ear and went on running.  When we got to the 7.5 mile mark, I switched ears.  That's when I started noticing that something felt a little bit funny.  It seemed like there was something inside my ear, but I just couldn't figure out what.  Until I stuck my finger in and clear my ear and realized that it was the rubber piece from my headphone!  Turns out, when I pulled the earphones out, the rubber piece must've gotten stuck in my ear.  Not noticing it, I shoved the other earpiece in on top of it, therefore shoving that rubber piece deep into my ear canal.  Long story short, at the end of our run, I had to have Rebz's mom, who, luckily, is a nurse, use some tweezers to pull the rubber piece out.  The bright side is that I didn't lose the rubber piece like I originally thought.  The bad news is, now I'm wondering if my left ear has been hurting for the past few weeks because I did the same thing with a different pair of headphones.  If that truly is the case, clearly I am an idiot and should no longer be trusted to use earphones.  (I'm pretty sure that's not the case with my left ear.  I noticed immediately that my right ear hurt and I could tell there was something off about my hearing.)  I'll let you know if there really is another rubber earpiece lodged in my ear though.
Unfortunately, my phone was dying tonight and I had to make a choice between music and mapping a route, so of course, I picked music.  I have no pictures from Charity Miles to show you.  Lucky for you, I DO have a picture of the earpiece stuck in my ear.  It's pretty up close and personal, but, it's also a picture of an ear, so really, I can't believe you're expecting to much.  Here it is.

I know it just looks like an ear, but that black spot is not the ear canal, it's actually the black rubber earpiece.  Wicked embarrassing.....

Training day

There is one week left until the 15K.  That's 7 days to be able to run 9 miles in under 1:45, according to the site.  As you saw, last week, I was able to do 6 in 1:01.  Today I decided to try a new route.  Instead of driving to the woods or the lake, and then running the 6 miles, I ran from my house to the woods and back.  According to Google Maps, the distance from my house to the entrance of the woods is only 1.5 miles, so it was easily doable.  That's 3 miles right there, just to go to the entrance and back home after all.  Of course I wanted to try and get at least 6 miles in, so my plan was simple.  Run through to Stone Tower, then loop back around and go back home.  Unfortunately, Stone Tower is on the top of a giant hill.  No joke.  If you happen to run Lynn woods and go through the Pennybrook Road entrance, down Jackson Path, towards Dungeon rock, you will encounter a series of hills.  Pretty much as soon as you enter, going down Jackson Path towards Dungeon Rock, you come upon some man-made wooden trail stairs.  (I don't really have a better way to describe them.)  These stairs are like mini jumps, they're just wide enough apart that you have to step in between to run up them, or jump.  Luckily, they head right back down on the other side.  However, after crossing through Jackson path you can either go straight and head up another set of man-made stairs to Dungeon rock, or loop around by Breeds Pond and come up behind the rock.
 I chose the loop because I wanted to add more miles to my run, but there's really no good choice here.  If you go straight, you run up the giant stairs and it sucks.  If you loop around, you run up a giant hill that never seems to end, and it sucks.  It's a Sophie's Choice here, except there's far less on the line.  Either way, you're running uphill though.  After that uphill, you can go straight across and down around Walden Pond (not the Emerson one) or go to the right and head up to Stone Tower.  The Walden Pond road will eventually take you to Stone Tower, should you choose to go that way, but it's almost like running a roller coaster track of up and downs. At least the road to the right just goes flat and then pretty much straight uphill until you reach Stone Tower.  The nice part is that you know when the big hill is coming because you can see the tower seconds before you actually hit the hill.  Not only is this hill steep, but it's covered in loose rocks and gravel, so take caution if you're running up it.
Once I got to Stone Tower, I went against every ounce of good sense I had and decided to stop for a minute to snap a picture.  It's a really nice view if you're not opposed to climbing a few stairs.  And let's face it, if you've just run up here, you can handle a few stairs.  The view is not as awesome as the one you get if you run up to Steel Tower, but I've only been able to find that one once, and it was by mistake, so I didn't want to go looking for it today.  Maybe someday I'll find my way back there and show you the view. Until then, google it.   I wore my zip-ups for the run today and they were everything I hoped for.  Having the second, loose, earphone zipped up with the one in my ear, I was able to keep the cable from bouncing all over the place and I didn't have to worry about that second earphone.  When I stopped for the picture, I put both earphones in, just for good measure.  I think I scared a guy and his dog who happened to walk by while I was up there, and were resting on the ledge when I came down.  Pretty sure he didn't realize there was anyone else around. I got a chuckle out of that.  Here's the view from Stone Tower.  Check out the zip-ups too.  Then go buy a pair.  If you look real close, you can see Boston in the background.  That's what all those buildings are too the left, behind the scraggly looking no-leaved tree.

Once I got through with my photo sesh,  I turned and went back down the giant hill.  I'll say this, it was definitely a more enjoyable run on the way down.  There was a slight uphill, but almost everything else was downhill.  I think I made up a lot of time there.  When I got to the tower, I was clocked at 2.5 miles in 30 minutes.  By the end of the run, I was at 5.5 miles in 1 hour.  So, maybe I didn't make up so much time after all.....Actually though, once I left the tower, the entire route was basically downhill.  I didn't think too much of it as I was running up, but I definitely noticed it on the way back down.  Noticing the downhill run back makes me more likely to run that path again, though I'm not sure it will become a routine for me.  Those rocky hills and stairs in the woods are really a lot of effort.  

Even after all of this though, I'm not sure I am ready for a 15K.  The 5.5 miles seemed a lot longer than the 6 miles I ran last week, and it was a lot of effort to force myself to even go the long way home.  (Full disclosure, this may have had something to do with the donut I ate earlier today; I can't be sure.)  Though I do believe that part of it was because I was running alone. Everything seems to take longer when you're alone.  Maybe with other runners around me, it won't seem so long.  Of course, if I'm dead last, it may still be that bad.  I just keep telling myself to remember that back when I started, I didn't think I could ever make anything more than 3 miles, and now here I am at 6, so 9 maybe isn't too far out of the realm of possibility.  Now I'm stuck though.  Should I try to get to 7 or 8 by mid-week or stay at 6 and hope for the best next Sunday?  I'm sure there's no good answer here, but I think I might try for 7.5 on Wednesday.  We'll see. As a parting note, here's a Charity Miles/Google Earth shot of my run from today.  Enjoy.

Mail Call

Today I checked the mail when I got home and didn't see any in the box so I figured the mailman had not come yet.  I went out and about on a run, taking my normal streets, where I usually see the mailman, but not today.  Turns out, he left the mail on the porch instead of in the box.  Why am I rambling on about mail you ask?  Well, if I had the foresight to check the porch BEFORE my run, I would've been able to go for a run with these!

They finally came! Almost exactly a month after the order was placed, but not a terrible wait.  It was about what I was expecting, considering it was international. So, I haven't been able to use these yet but I was just so excited that they finally arrived that I had to share.  Here's hoping they work out for me!

6 Miles Accomplished

I said I was going to get out there and do 6 miles and I did.  Originally I planned to do it yesterday.  Unfortunately when I got home from work I lacked total motivation to do anything except lay around and watch Downton Abbey and enter test scores.  I made a lot of graphs, if that counts for anything!  I didn't lay around exactly either, I mean, I walked the dogs, but I just was not feeling a run.  Plus, it was cold yesterday, low 30s, so I decided that it was too cold to go for a 6 mile run.  So I saved it for today.  Good thing I did because the weather today was definitely a better choice than yesterday.  Don't believe me? See for yourself...

No, you're not reading that wrong.  It says 9 degrees.  To be fair, that was about an hour after the actual run, but trust me when I say the temperature didn't change that drastically in that hour.  Maybe it was 10 degrees, perhaps even 11 if we're getting really crazy, but definitely not ideal running weather.  The moral here is to never put off until tomorrow what you can do today, because otherwise you end up freezing and wishing you had gone in the 20 degree weather, instead of single digit weather.  Seriously, for a brief moment at the beginning I was sure my right foot had frostbite and I was going to lose my toes.  Good thing my shoes kicked in and kept them toasty warm for the rest of the run.  But for real, this was a terrible idea.  If you ever get the urge to go for a run in single digit weather, here's a tip; don't.

That being said, I wasn't a total fool.  I bundled up warm and went with a buddy.  We figured if one of us froze, the other could call for help.  The run actually wasn't so bad once we got warmed up and moving.  What really helped was remembering the article about how to breathe while running in cold climates.  The article says to breathe in through your nose and out through the mouth in very cold temperatures.  Apparently, if you breathe in through the nose, the air warms up going into your lungs and helps to avoid the asthma like symptoms you would otherwise feel.  It definitely worked and it really helped on the surprise hills that we came upon.  Secretly, I'm glad there were hills, because I know the 15K is partly uphill and I hate going in to hills after running on flat ground for so long.  It really throws off the timing.  Even though it was cold and dark, this run definitely didn't feel like it took 6 miles.  I felt like the time flew by.  Usually when we run the Wakefield Lake, when I get about half way around, I start to feel like I've been running forever, when, in reality, it's only been about 15 minutes.  So it was nice to have a change of pace and not be tired of the route.  What I really enjoyed was that I didn't know where I was, in relation to the distance back to the parking lot, most of the time. Because of this, I was able to focus on the run and not think about being so close to the parking lot and just wanting it to be over.
     My goal for running 6 miles was to find out if I was actually ready for a 15K.  See the previous freak-out for a full synopsis of that event.  I fully believe that if I can run a 10K, I can run a 15K no problem. without being too far off pace.  For a 5K, my pace is about a 10 minute mile so I would have to get this 15K done in 90 minutes in order to keep that pace.  After today, I think that it might be doable.  If not a 90 minute time, then at least a 95/100 minute time.  It shouldn't take me much longer than that, unless these are some monster hills.  Which, you never know, there could be.  Tonight though, we finished the run in 1:01.  That means that even if I start to die in the 6th mile, I can drag the last 3 out for 45 minutes instead of 30.  I'd really like to get it done in 90 minutes, but I am not going to kill myself getting there.  I can be fine with 1:45 instead of 1:30.
     Here's my reasoning.  I started REALLY running when we all decided to sign up for the Jingle Bell Run.  That was in October I believe.  At the beginning, most of us could barely run 1 mile, let alone 3.  It took us about an hour to run the whole 3 miles.  By the time December arrived, I could run 3 miles in 30 minutes.  Even though I could do that, I thought there was no way I could run more than that.  Then I ran 4 miles, and then 5.  Since October, I've gone from barely running, to being able to run at least 6 miles in just over an hour.  That in itself is a huge accomplishment, so it shouldn't really matter if I can't run 9 in 90 minutes.  If I keep telling myself this, I might actually start to believe it too, and convince myself that really, it's not the time that matters, it's how far I've come.
     To wrap it up, the Charity Miles app has come back to life for me and started working properly again.  I was picking my favorite charities and just running for those ones, but I've decided from now on to just start at the beginning and work my way through the list.  That way everyone gets a fair share.  Tonight, for example, Every Mother Counts got my miles.    I hope they enjoy them.  Side note: I've been wearing my Marchand jersey for the Bruins games.  I didn't wear it for the first time tonight and they lost for the first time tonight.  Coincidence? I think not. But, back to my post. My one problem now is my knee.  It's been killing me lately.  I don't think it's the shoes because I've switched shoes and broken in others, but the problem persists.  I tried a brace and wrapping it, neither seemed to do anything. Sometimes I take Aleve, but generally, the pain is always there after I start running.  Short of seeing a doctor, does anyone know what to do about this or how to solve the problem?  Oh, and is it a good idea to use Tiger Balm BEFORE the pain starts, or is that really for after the pain only?  If you have any answers for me, please, share them.  Alright, on that note, here's a screenshot of the route tonight, courtesy of Google Earth.  Also, a special thanks to Katie for sticking it out with me.  I don't think I could've made it the whole route alone tonight.  ROCKSTARS!!

Upping the ante

6 Miles...doing it as soon as this "storm" works its way across us.  Hopefully tomorrow.  I'm pumped to try and see how fast I can do it. Also nervous that I will not make it and die halfway through.   Here's my reasoning.  I just looked at the Stew Chase website and saw a note on the bottom that stated they expect the last runners through the finish line at approximately 11:45.  That's only 1:45 after the start of the race.  So I need to be able to run at least 6 miles in 1 hour, maybe 1:10 in order to be able to run the last 3 in a normal amount of time.  If I make it to 1:10, that gives me exactly 35 minutes to run the last 3 miles.  Here's hoping that works.  To say I'm a little nervous right now would be an understatement.  In fact, at the moment, I am regretting the decision to ever sign up for a 15K with only 2 weeks left to get in the extra mileage. In the words of Dierks Bentley, what was I thinking????
Oh, and btw, the Patriots lost last night....Sad day in New England today.



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Playoffs Round Two!

Last Sunday the Pats played the Texans and, of course, won.  Was there ever any doubt really?  So this weekend, in fact, today, we are playing the Ravens. I expect to win again, but you never know.  A small part of me hopes that we don't because the growing trend with the Patriots seems to be, win all the games up to the Superbowl, and then lose the big one.  Twice in recent years they went to the Superbowl and lost to the Giants, so if they end up there again, they really need to break that streak.  Seriously, who else goes 18-0 and THEN loses? But, it's more than I could ever do, so I suppose I can't be to hard in my criticisms. The Bruins also had their home opener last night, so it's been a nice sports weekend all around.
This morning, as it is Sunday, I went for my regular 8:30 a.m. group run in Wakefield.  We have been slowly increasing the mileage each week, so today we did 5 miles. The time wasn't too bad either, just under 60 minutes.  I always feel like I'm running wicked slow, but then I check the time at the end, and it's pretty much on point with every other time I've run.  I don't know what it is about the lake that makes it feel so slow.   There is also a lot of wind today, which doesn't help.  The weather itself if fairly nice, mid-40s and sunny, but the wind is so fierce that it makes it much colder than it really is.  I do enjoy the lack of snow, but I also hate that it seems like it's not January.  When there's snow on the ground and it's 20 degrees, you know that it's the middle of winter and that Spring is coming.  When the weather pretends it's already Spring, it throws everything off.  I want to see baseball games and go out in short-sleeves, but then I remember that it's only January and there's still two months until baseball even starts again!
But anyways, back to the running.  A few posts ago I mentioned the Great Stew Chase,  the 15K in Lynn.  Some of us had discussed signing up and when we were going to do it.  We had settled on waiting until the day off and seeing what the weather was before committing to anything, because really, who wants to run in the snow?  However, it seems that one person forgot about this and ended up registering the other day. Then I felt bad so I registered for it too. I didn't want to leave one person alone to run the whole race. Even though she's much faster than I am and will probably end up far ahead of me anyways.  So, that's it.  I am officially registered for a 15K.  That's 4 miles more than I've run so far.  And probably at least 3 more than I'll be able to get in before the race.  Because the race is in 2 weeks.  Actually, it's on Superbowl Sunday. Which brings us back to the beginning of the post, which is, the Patriots better make it to the Superbowl.  If they can make it that far in their season, I can make it through a 15K.  Plus, after 6 miles, what's an extra 3 really?  I'm sure it will all be fine.  I'll let you know if it actually is though.

Tired Thursday

This week has been the longest week of my life.  I've been doing the ACCESS test all week and it is seriously hindering my ability to get motivated about anything else.  I cannot wait for this test to be over although soon after the MCAS are popping up, so there's not much of a break between all this standardized testing.  I feel worse for the students who are taking the test because it's a lot of listening and writing, all while trying to comprehend a language that may be fairly new to him/her.  Needless to say, this is the first time I've ever wished I had the flu, just so I could avoid giving the test for one day.
Earlier this week I was full of motivation for running.  We did the 4 miles on Sunday and then on Monday and Tuesday I went for shorter, 2 mile runs.  I purposely went two days in row because I had a professional development class on Wednesday and I knew I wouldn't have much time or energy left to run after that.  Plus it snowed out Tuesday night, making the sidewalks and streets a miserable mess on Wednesday.  On top of that, on Monday it was so nice out that I couldn't just stay inside and sit around.  It was almost 60 degrees, in the middle of January.  For those of you who know nothing about New England weather or just don't believe the anecdotes, it's a mess.  Just look at the beginning of this week.  Monday, 60 degrees.  Tuesday, snow storm that turned to ice that turned to rain through Wednesday.  The weather may be a hassle but I like it better than living in the same season year round.  I think I might get incredibly bored with 70 degree weather every day.  Also, my Charity Miles stopped working again and I think that might be it for me and that app.  I love the idea, but I'm not going to continue using an app that doesn't work for me. I'll just stick to MapMyRun for logging miles from now on.  Sorry Charity Miles, maybe when you get your act together, I'll visit you again.
I thought about running again today but I really was just too tired.  I know that's not a very good excuse but considering that I've technically met my weekly goal of running 3x a week, I don't feel TOO bad about it.
Since this weekend is MLK Jr. weekend, I will attempt to get a run in on Friday, Sunday, and Monday.
Finally, I'm still waiting for JOPWorld to process my order.  It seems to be taking them FOR-EV-ER. (Sandlot!!!)  I know I'm being impatient and a little bit whiney right now, so I apologize. I seriously need a nap.  That would do wonders for me right now, so I think I'll go do that.

Sunday Funday

We're in playoff time now, so that means there's a lot of time spent at home, on the couch, watching the greater teams weed out the lesser teams.  Hopefully the 4:30 game today weeds out the Texans and we can carry on with Baltimore next weekend.   Since there are so many games this weekend, we've done a lot of couch sitting. Luckily the games are in the afternoon/at night, so I haven't been totally lazy.
Yesterday we spent a good portion of the day in Providence.  Ryan got his hair cut at the Gallery Salon, courtesy of Sara Marsh.  If you live in RI and you need a haircut, check her out.  After the cut we went to the farmers market in Pawtucket and got delicious street food. Namely, meat pockets.  I'm not sure what they're actually called, but the name we gave them is pretty self-explanatory.  It's a pastry filled with meat.  Think pasties if you've ever been to England, except that they only contain meat, no extra vegetables or potatoes.  So, all the delicious, none of the health.  Perfect street food!  We also got a giant Whoopie Pie from some dude in a booth who was selling chowder. Personally I wasn't a fan of the Whoopie Pie.  The filling tasted too much like cream cheese and I would prefer it to be a bit sweeter.  Once we left the farmers market we went to the dog park.  There isn't really a dog park so much as a bit of woods that a lot of dogs run around in.  I say it's not a dog park because it's not fenced in and is right next to the street.  I would be concerned taking my dog there considering we almost got run over crossing the street as someone came flying up in their little Prius.  Rude!  It was a nice little loop but it was horribly muddy and wet.  I, for one, was not a happy camper at the end because my socks and feet were soaked.  I was wearing my Climacools, which are not ideal for walking in mud or slush, and had I known that was a part of the outing, I definitely would have worn better footwear.  What can you do though?
When we got home from Providence we still had to walk Nala, so we headed back out to the marsh nearby.  This time I wore the appropriate shoe, so that walk was fine.  I think it was about 2.6 miles total and the weather was nice so that always helps.  This morning, I went for a run with a small group.  We went a  bit further than last Sunday and made it 4.2 miles.  Hopefully next week we'll make it 5, and the week after 6.  I still haven't signed up for the Great Stew Chase, mainly because the site isn't working.  I also want to get a jump on finding out how to train for a marathon, so I can be prepared for Disney next year.  It is still my plan to run that next January. I don't have much else to say about my running, it's basically been going the same except that the weather has been warmer, so it's been nice to be outside. I know that won't last so I'm enjoying it while I can.
The Google Music app is still giving me some trouble, but I did a force stop the other day and I'm hoping maybe that kicked it into gear.  I figure at the very least, it's easier to force stop the app when it stops working than it is to uninstall/install every 2 days.  Below is a picture of the problem I've been having with my Google Music. I'm adding it in case you're having the same problems. If so, I recommend a force stop, probably completely against anything Google would say.

This is what my home screen looks like when my phone is locked and Google music isn't working anymore.  Note that it shows that a song is playing, but it is actually not.  *Disregard H.M. please

When I go into Google music however, this is what I see.  This is the song that SHOULD be playing, but is not.  In fact, the app is not doing anything. Notice how it also shows that this song is playing.  In reality, no songs are playing, making my day just a little bit sadder. 

I'm still waiting on my zip-ups from JOPWorld and I'm getting a bit antsy now.  I know it's an international order and there have been a lot of holidays, but every time I log in and check the order it still says processing.  My card has been charged so I hope the processing just means that they're waiting on a new order to come in.
And now for something completely different....I found some spare time the other night to do something by myself and decided to paint a new picture.  The last time I painted was when we went to the Urban Art Bar and I really wanted to try the techniques I learned there.  I enjoy painting and drawing, but I've never taken an art class, so I basically just wing it and hope for the best. Usually I paint scenery but I wanted to try something new this time.  Previously I had seen a Chinese Proverb about a red thread and I really loved it.  So for my new painting, I decided to use that as the basis for the picture.  I'm fairly happy with the final outcome. Here it is, touched up a bit for brightness, because it was dark in the house and the flash kept leaving a bright spot in the middle of the picture.

Keep in mind that I am, in no way, a professional painter and I definitely can't paint words in a straight line.  Apparently it's harder than it seems!

Better day and a lunch bag

When I clicked that little pencil icon I had a lot to say, but it seems to have all left my mind at the moment.  First off, I got over my worst day ever, luckily.  I even found a dollar on the ground today when I was walking Stella.  SCORE! So last night for dinner, since I was having the worst day ever, I decided to go whole hog and just eat at Five Guys.  I regret nothing! It was all delicious and worth every ounce of fat.
Today at work we began our ELL testing. I won't bore you with the immense amount of detail that this test contains (Also, I'm sworn to secrecy by the DESE and LPS.)  In a nutshell, it was a long day, but luckily, the Kindergarten-ers I tested felt like they were playing a game.  Like I said, I can't tell you much about it, but there is a story and some cards involved, so I suppose it can be fun for a 5 year old.  By the 4th time around, I was awfully sick of the story though.  And tomorrow, I get to do it all over again. WOO!
After work I hit up the grocery store and got more kiwi.  I love kiwi.  They were supposed to be 2/$1.00 but they actually rang up at 4/$1.00!  I was pumped.  I should've bought more, but I guess six is enough for the week.  Going for a run today was not something I was interested in.  Testing takes a lot out of you (seriously) and I was awfully tired.  Plus, my big toe hurts. I know that's weird but I don't know why it hurts.  It started last night and this morning it was throbbing.  I keep telling Ryan I have turf toe and he keeps telling me I'm being ridiculous, so there you are.  Since I had to walk the dogs anyways though, I took Nala first and we went for a short 1.6 mile run.  Then I came home and traded, and Stella and I walked the same route, another 1.6 miles.  I am pretty irritated at my Charity Miles app because it's not recording the mileage, just the time.  The first time I thought it was a fluke, but it seems to be an actual problem now.  Even though I didn't do a lot of running today, at least I did some.  Later, I went to see the new baby in the family.  She's about 2 weeks old and definitely the cutest newborn I've seen.
On a totally unrelated topic, but sort of in line with the kiwi, let's discuss lunch for a moment.  Generally I try to bring my lunch to work instead of ordering out because I just don't like to spend money.  Lunch has usually been sandwiches, left-overs, or frozen meals.  It was rare that I brought any side snacks, like yogurt or fruit.  Last year I did if we went to BJs and bought the prepacked fruit cups, but if not, I didn't bother.  Over winter break though, when I was shopping for a new running shirt at Marshalls, I found a lunchbox that I just loved.  I had a Built NY lunchbox but it was dirty and fairly small.  Marshalls actually had a whole display from Fit and Fresh.  They are all really cute bags, but I chose the one from the link, because it was the biggest. There are a ton of different styles and prints though, so you can definitely find something for you. A bonus? My bag came with a plastic container set that fits together and holds an ice pack.  Here's a picture of what I'm talking about.  This container set totally made the whole bag awesome.  Ever since I got this, I've been taking fruit with me, as well as my meal for lunch.  My favorite part is not that it all fits together in the large container, but that it has measurements on the side. Now I know how much I'm eating.  Not that I care that much, but it's a nice feature.  I highly recommend this lunch bag, and if you can get it from Marshalls, it's only $16.99.  That's a good deal, considering I've seen the bags other places, without the containers, and the bag is 11 or 12 dollars.  If you're in the market get this lunch box.    While you're at it, I also recommend the organizing utility tote from Thirty-One, if you're looking for a new bag.  But that's a different story for a different time.  It's late. I'm going to bed.

Changing it up

I had a miserable day so I'm switching topics for a moment.  It started this morning when I woke up and didn't want to get out of bed.  The bed was so warm and cozy and I should've just stayed there.  But, I didn't.  I got up like a normal adult and went about my morning routine.  Everything was going great until it was time to leave and I couldn't find my car keys.  I knew they were somewhere in the house but for the life of me I couldn't find them.  I even called Ry and he didn't know where they were.  Searching ended up making me late for work, just by a few minutes, but still.  Then, when I got to work, I happened to check my bank account on my phone and noticed that I was overdrawn by 130 dollars.  WTF.  I looked yesterday and I knew I had enough money to cover my gas bill, with some left over.  So I checked the transactions and  I noticed that my student loan payment for the month had come out.  Here's the thing with that.  My student loans are basically ruining my financial life, but I'm handling them, because I have no choice.  The payments were fairly low until my income went up.  Apparently there's tons of crazy rules about how many years you can spread your payments out, and for ridiculous reasons, (none of my loans separately are not worth 30,000, even though altogether, they're worth 40,000... ridiculous) I can't spread my payment out past 10 years.  Well, last month there was some confusion with my loan payment, so I paid this months last month.  Technically the next payment isn't due to February.  HOWEVER, Salliemae, being the fantastic loan management company they are, decided to take my money for the month anyways.  THANKS GUYS! What it comes down to is that they took out the loan money even though it wasn't due.  As you can imagine, that didn't help my day.  I called and asked them to cancel the payment, and of course, they wouldn't.  A direct quote was, "you can call your bank and put a stop payment on it, but they'll charge you for it."  Because I really want to spend more money right now....really????  After that debacle, I accidentally spilled someone's milk in the fridge when I knocked it over with my lunch bag.  (Who leaves an open carton of milk in the fridge right by the edge???) Then at lunch I went to buy a water from the vending machine and OF COURSE, the water was sold out.  I was just going to get a diet coke instead, but wouldn't you know it, the machine totally stopped working.  Finally, I had a meeting after work so I couldn't even go home and hide in bed like I wanted to.  So, even though it's totally not healthy and against my working out plan, I'm eating crap tonight.  And I don't care! Mostly it's the money issue, but as you can see, I'm not in the best of moods and had to rant it out.

Decisions, decisions

Today the weather tried to be tricky and pretend it wasn't the beginning of January.  Apparently the rest of the week is supposed to follow suit, being up in the high 40s/low 50s.  When the weather is this nice in January you just can't pass up running outside.  Of course, I can't pass it up ever, since I don't belong to a gym or own a treadmill, but for the sake of this post, let's pretend that's not true. It was definitely a tough decision trying to decide between the woods and the beach.  They both have their high and low points.  The woods are close so there's no traffic getting there, usually you don't see to many other people so you can run in peace, and generally it's pretty quiet there.  BUT, there are a lot of hills, people tend to have their dogs off leash, and the terrain can be rough with the snow melting.  On the other hand, the beach is fairly flat, a gorgeous view, and there's enough people around to feel safe.  BUT, there's usually a ton of traffic getting there, it can get boring running back down the same road you just ran up, and there are a lot of other people around so you can get self-conscious easily.  What it boils down to really though is the woods are a loop with hills and the beach is straight and flat.
It was a difficult decision mostly though because I can't take the dogs to either of those places and be able to focus on the run.  That means I have to go out and walk the dogs first, and then get psyched for the run.  After walking it comes down to how far I want to drive and if I want to run up hills or not.  Today I wasn't feeling it, so I ended up going with the beach. Most definitely the best choice, I think.  As I mentioned before, I use the Charity Miles app to keep track of my time/mileage, as well as help out different charities.  Unfortunately today, the app recorded my time, but for reasons unknown to me, did not record the mileage so it wouldn't send the info through! Basically, even though I ran 3.4 miles for Stand Up to Cancer, the charity doesn't get the money because the app. malfunctioned.  I was a little disappointed when I got back to my car and found that out.  On the plus side, my music was working the entire time, so I didn't have to listen to my own horrid breathing patterns halfway through the run.  Breathing is really something I need to work on, I've been trying, but it's pretty hard! Anyways, I have a ton of 1st/2nd grade math tests to score, so that's  all from me.

Epiphany

Today I had one.  As I was running the 3 miles around the lake I was thinking about how slow I felt like we  were going. Clearly I can run 3 miles in 30 minutes and it's well referenced that I do not enjoy it much.  Today I finally realized why.  Generally when I run, I am trying to outrun myself or the others around me. I don't do it on purpose, I guess it's just ingrained in me from high school track.  The whole point was to win, even though we rarely did.  I guess it just finally hit me today that the point of running, at least now, is not to win, but to go further.  I'm not in a race, I'm not out to prove anything and really, the time isn't as big of a deal as the distance is. (Within reason of course, I'm not going to run 3 miles in an hour, that's crazy.)  But I do want to extend my distance.  So today, even though we were going slower, I felt better, to the point where I was actually enjoying my run.  We did about 3.5 miles, which is not the most I've ever run, but today it was somehow, easier.  I didn't feel like I was struggling to catch my breath and I was actually enjoying myself.  In fact, if we had decided to keep going, I know I could've gone at least another mile or two.  This is big, because usually by the end of the 3 miles I feel like there's no way I could make it another step, let alone another mile.
Due to this epiphany, I am revamping my workout goals.  Which were probably not very clear in the first place but here it goes.  When I run, I am no longer running to beat my time, I am running to extend my mileage.  This means that I will slow down, I will run further, and I will enjoy the scenery as I go.  Sadly, the worst part of my run today was that my music app isn't working to the best of it's abilities, and died in the middle of the run.  In my opinion, there are very few things that are worse than running without music to guide you. I don't mind the rain or the cold, but I absolutely hate being able to hear my own breathing.  With music going, you can drown out the noises you make, but when it's quiet, I find that I end up focusing on the sound of my feet hitting the ground or the loudness of my breathing.  I think I got that problem all straightened out, so hopefully for the next run and those thereafter my music will be in working order.  Here's hoping.

Update: The Great Stew Chase

I try to never post more than once a day, let alone in the span of a few hours, but this warrants an update so that I might actually do it. My friends and I have been running 5Ks as you may know, and I would like to get through one a month.  That way I can keep up on my working out and not slow down on my running speed.  The problem with this is that it can be hard to find an affordable 5K especially in less than a month. However, for the month of February, someone has found a race right here in the city.  The only problem is that it's not a 5K, or a 10K.  It's a 15K.  That's 9 miles. In the freezing cold.  And I've looked at the race map and there are definitely hills. Three months ago I would've said forget it, no way am I running that, and not looked back.  Tonight though, I am saying the opposite.  I am going to run it, or run/walk it, and I am going to make it through the 9 miles. Starting tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. I will be extending my 3 mile run to a 4/5 mile run and a 2/1 mile walk.  This pattern will continue with increases in mileage once a week up until the week of the race.  Of course I will continue my shorter runs during the week but at least one run a  week will be getting longer.  So I guess I'll see you at the finish line.

Full disclosure

I hate working out.  Seriously.  It burns, it hurts, it makes me miserable.  Just thinking about getting up and having to go for a run makes me anxious.  Yet I still put on my workout clothes and I still take that first step, and then the second, and I keep going until I'm back at my car.  The best I can figure is that I hate working out less than I hate eating healthy. At least if I workout I don't feel bad about making cupcakes and homemade pizza for dinner. (That happened.)  Now, I didn't actually workout yesterday per se.  For reasons unknown to me, but probably because I stayed up til 11:30 the night before, I was wicked tired yesterday.  All I wanted to do when I left work was go home and take a nap.  Unfortunately for me, that's never an option.  When I get home I always have to walk the dogs first, so I know there's at least an extra hour that I have to cover before I do my thing. So, I walked the dogs and then at home, went over to good old Pinterest.  There I found a recipe for low-fat Funfetti cupcakes that I immediately decided I wanted to try.  Basically, instead of making the recipe off the box you take the dry mix and pour it in a bowl with 12 fl. oz of 0 calorie Sprite, mix, and voila, cupcake batter.  Since I didn't have Sprite I substituted my Clear Splash Blackberry/Raspberry flavored sparkling tonic water.  Overall the results were the same.  The cupcakes are fairly good but the bottoms taste a bit odd.  Not sure why exactly, but definitely a faster/better option for making cupcakes in the future.  I was also a little bit concerned about the taste after the tonic water so I added a little bit of non-fat powdered vanilla pudding to the mix.  Honestly, you can't tell the difference in the taste and if you didn't know it, you'd think they were made straight from the box recipe.
Well after making the cupcakes and knowing that I was making pizza for dinner, I felt sort of bad.  Sure, my lunch was a PB&J and some fruit, but still, overall, it was not going to be a healthy meal day.  I knew I had to do some sort of workout, but I was just not feeling anything too extreme.  I didn't even want to do my Just Dance.  I was seriously tired and feeling lazy, what can I say.  Luckily, then I found this. The at home couch workout.  Apparently created by someone from/on the Biggest Loser, this is a 24 minute workout that you can do using your couch as a tool.  The good part? It was fast/easy. The bad part?  A lot of the workouts require a resistance band which I, unfortunately, do not hold in my possession. I had to improvise a lot of the workouts, but in the end, I thought, better this than nothing. It may not seem like much of a workout but I can tell you that I definitely felt it this morning, especially in my arms.  If you're ever feeling super lazy, like me, I suggest trying this out.  It's fast and will make you feel a bit better about skipping a day at the gym etc.
We won't talk about the fact that today I've done little to no workouts and have eaten like a pig.  I'll burn it off tomorrow at the 8:30 am run.  I might even consider doing a second loop and making it a 10K.  We'll see.

Loaded grillers

I'm currently watching T.V. and I just saw a commercial for Taco Bell's loaded grillers.  Generally I don't like Taco Bell and I rarely go there, but those look delicious.  I would definitely eat 5 or 6 of them without regret.  and be ashamed of it later.  But they do look good, which is not something I thought I would ever say about Taco Bell.  I'm sure the urge will pass, but in the meantime, I'd probably eat one or two if someone were to bring them here.
This morning when I got up I had no plans to run today. I know that's not the right mindset at all.  Usually people wake up and say they're going to get a ton of stuff done, and then turn around and do not do it.  My mind apparently works the opposite way though.  As I said, I had no plans to run, mainly because I got into my car and this happened.
Yes, you are reading that right.  It was almost 7:30 am and it was 8 degrees. Let me be clear, that's Farenheit, not Celsius.  When I saw that I said to myself, no way are you going running today, you can go home and play Just Dance instead. In fact, all throughout the day I had no intentions of doing any hardcore working out.  It's not exactly that I'm lazy during the day, but I do a lot of traveling.  I don't have a set classroom so I spend a lot of time walking up and down stairs to pick up my groups of students.  That in itself is quite a workout.  Usually by the time I make it to the 3rd floor my lungs are burning.  (You try carrying your entire days lessons and work around with you and see how you feel!)  Moving right along here, when I left school this afternoon it had warmed up significantly to a balmy 25 degrees.  I still had no intentions to run, but I changed into my workout clothes to walk the dogs.  Then a strange thing happened. After I walked good old Nala, I went to take Stella out. Suddenly though, I was driving to the beach ready for a run. What??????????  I had zero plans all day to run and now here I was going towards the ocean and pumped for running.  WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO ME????? Of course the beach was cold, but we made our trek down to Nahant and back, in just under 30 minutes. I'm going to pretend that I didn't eat cookies and drink chocolate milk when I got home.  Now I'm sitting here watching How I Met your Mother and listening to Neil Patrick Harris sing Dirty Deeds. Which is making me wish I had that song on my running list.  As well as some Motley Crue.  I need to get a serious reality check here. Those would be terrible running songs.

1st run

Happy New Year!
If you're making a resolution, good luck with that.  Personally, I skip the New Years resolutions.  Oddly enough, I tend to give something up for Lent and follow that 40 day rule.  I find it easier than making a resolution because I tell myself, it's only 40 days.  Usually by the time the 40 days are up, I find I no longer want what I gave up anyways, so I don't go back to it.  I'm not really highly religious, so I don't know why I follow the Lent rule, but it works for me which is really all that matters.
To start this year off right, a couple of friends and I signed up for a 5K/10K.  I commend them for getting up after a long night of celebrating and coming out to run.  It was a really nice day out, but awfully cold.  I think the temperature was somewhere around 32 - 35 (Farenheit of course.)  Thankfully the course was almost entirely flat.  The streets could've been set up a bit better as there were cars coming towards us and at one point, we were running on a major 2 lane highway, which was open for normal driving.  The race itself was set up nicely.  We started and ended at the Lowell Elks Club, they had timing mats that told you the results immediately after, and there was food and drink.  All in all, a nice run, better than some of the big name runs I've been too.
My goal when I got there this morning was to beat my time from the Jingle Bell Run that I did back in December.  That was also a 5k but there were a lot more hills. That being said, my time from the Jingle Bell Run was  31:09 at a 10 min pace. My time from today was 30:54 at a 9.5 min pace.  So I did beat my last time, but not by a lot.  I was hoping to come in around 29 or 28.  I probably could have gone a little bit faster than I did, but there's always next time. I think I"m going to start adding a mile onto my training runs and work my way up to a 10K.  Maybe by the last race of the series, in June, I'll be able to do one.  And now, as always, some pictures.

Before the race.  Two of these lovely ladies ran the 10K. Way to go girls!  The rest of us just stuck to the 5K.

Sadly, we didn't get a group shot for the after.  The medals were wine stoppers!