Is this realistic?

[dizzyr]

BTW, Avengers is my birthday week, too! I will be there with the full family and a complement of west coast friends. It's too bad that you had so many financial issues this year, it seems like they always cluster like that. Hopefully you've moved on for a while.

Oh yeah I remember your birthday was right before mine last year - is it the 11th? I know it's right around there if not. Mine is the 18th. My husband is the 16th and my oldest daughters is the 22nd - busy week! I was just reading someone's Dopey trip report and it sounded like so much fun. Maybe I should be thinking of a race trip as a solo trip instead of trying to make it work with the family. I'm not sure I'd go alone until we've been to WDW one more time, we all feel like there is still so much we need to do that we didn't have time for on the last trip. Once we go back one more time though I would have no problem doing a solo trip or even better a trip with a girlfriend. Of course if I'm even going to consider that I better get off my butt and actually run on the ground lol

 

[Waiting2goback]

Bikram yoga is "hot yoga", right? I sweat like crazy in regular temps I can't imagine what hot yoga is like.

I would love to find a well paying government job that I could have weekends off and stuff. Worked today. No gym, I am resting my legs. I am off to look for jobs.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Oh yeah I remember your birthday was right before mine last year - is it the 11th? I know it's right around there if not. Mine is the 18th. My husband is the 16th and my oldest daughters is the 22nd - busy week! I was just reading someone's Dopey trip report and it sounded like so much fun. Maybe I should be thinking of a race trip as a solo trip instead of trying to make it work with the family. I'm not sure I'd go alone until we've been to WDW one more time, we all feel like there is still so much we need to do that we didn't have time for on the last trip. Once we go back one more time though I would have no problem doing a solo trip or even better a trip with a girlfriend. Of course if I'm even going to consider that I better get off my butt and actually run on the ground lol

Maybe your family wouldn't mind you doing a solo trip for a race if that was going to help you get, and stay motivated. Maybe you should ask them and see what they say. I know having to be ready for the ToT is what got me through last year when I was not so motivated. Just a thought.

 

[~~Darci~~]

Hi everyone!

Dizzyr~great job with the river run and great bonding time with your daughter! I know you were hoping to do the Disney race but have you thought of looking for a race at home to do?

Waiting~I would be upset about the commission too. ANY job with a bad boss sucks. Good job getting the 3 mile run in even though you weren't feeling it. IMHO those are the times it counts the most!!

Chicomaca~you have a lot of races! They sound like a lot of fun though. How's the shoulder coming along?

Staycool~yoga is tough but give it another shot it sounds like you were stressed before you started!

I went for a bike ride today with my son. We went about 4 miles but I was having issues shifting. The bad news is my gears are a little out of whack, my gears seemed to slip and I was caught between gears, AND my shifting isn't that great (as in the when and why) Why do we need 21 gears anyway? The good news is my sofa seat is very comfortable!

I think I thought I was going to get on the bike and it was going to be really easy.

 

[Chiomaca]

I think the key to motivation sometimes is "fake it until you make it". Sometimes you have to just force yourself to workout and it will get you back in the mood. Giving into the old habits will only make it harder the longer you do it.

Yes, I have to do that to kick start myself every time I fall off track. It's also one reason I sign up for so many races - I always have to be getting ready for something.

My oldest daughter and I went to the pool last night while my youngest was supposed to have guitar lessons (turns out it was cancelled!) and we ran in the river for 30 minutes straight with only two walking breaks - she's a way better running partner than my cousin and friend! Hopefully I can convince her to come more often

Built-in workout partner! That's awesome.

Well with a family of 4, there isn't much left over. There has been a couple things that we didn't like, but I'm happy. It is progress.

My problem is less leftovers and more that my food gets delivered on a specific schedule that doesn't necessarily work with my own schedule. The way ours works is that they offer meals M-Th, you order the meals you want and they prepare and deliver that day. The way it's worked out, the meals I want have been on days that I'm out late and don't feel like cooking, and vice versa. So, I order the meals I want and cook them when I can.

I went to the gym tonight after work. I wasn't feeling it but I most likely won't get to run all weekend so I forced myself to go. I was so sore and tight from the 3 days of running this week. It didn't loosen up as time went on. Then I had a heart palpitation on the treadmill and got really dizzy. I called it quits at 3 miles. I figured it was better than if I went home after work.

That's it for me today. Just a little grumpy from a bad day at work. I didn't get paid a few hundred dollars from my January commissions and I found out today I probably won't get them even though I sold the phones. It is still not clear why. I am learning that my manager isn't the greatest. He won't do any of the research to find out why I lost the money so I am left to do it all myself and still being pretty new I have no idea what to do. He doesn't seem to care.

You've had a couple of dizzy spells in the last few months when you run - have you talked to a doc about that? But I think that going straight to the gym after work is a good idea for you, that way you don't have to deal with your wife leaving before you get a chance to head out.

Sorry about your supervisor. That's pretty crummy.

Oh yeah I remember your birthday was right before mine last year - is it the 11th? I know it's right around there if not. Mine is the 18th. My husband is the 16th and my oldest daughters is the 22nd - busy week! I was just reading someone's Dopey trip report and it sounded like so much fun. Maybe I should be thinking of a race trip as a solo trip instead of trying to make it work with the family. I'm not sure I'd go alone until we've been to WDW one more time, we all feel like there is still so much we need to do that we didn't have time for on the last trip. Once we go back one more time though I would have no problem doing a solo trip or even better a trip with a girlfriend. Of course if I'm even going to consider that I better get off my butt and actually run on the ground lol

I do a lot of my race trips solo, and the ones that aren't solo are with other runners. I'm lucky that I have family and friends that run, but I did the WDW weekend on my own and it takes a lot of pressure off - no need to feel like you aren't paying enough attention to people or feeling like you have to be in the parks when you'd rather be napping. Maybe you could take the one daughter who has been running with you in the river? That might be a nice incentive/girls weekend. But really, if you keep running consistently in the river, running on the ground is going to feel easy. Keep increasing your time and intervals in the water and then go run a 5k and see the difference!

I went for a bike ride today with my son. We went about 4 miles but I was having issues shifting. The bad news is my gears are a little out of whack, my gears seemed to slip and I was caught between gears, AND my shifting isn't that great (as in the when and why) Why do we need 21 gears anyway? The good news is my sofa seat is very comfortable!

Did you get a tune-up after you bought the bike? Glad you guys got out and rode...and that the seat is comfy. I need to learn when and where to shift better as well.

 

[Chiomaca]

I didn't go out on Saturday to spectate or run - the weather was pretty crummy all day. I did my volunteer gig with the dogs and basically hung out at home and did a decent clean/laundry day. Today I ran with the friend who is also doing the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in April. It was a lot slower than I would run on my own, but I pushed/pulled her all the way through 8 miles, which was the designated distance for both Shamrock Half taper and Cherry Blossom build, so it was good. Still chilly at 8am, I'd like it to start hitting the high 50s in the morning when I run so I can go with short sleeves.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Waiting~I would be upset about the commission too. ANY job with a bad boss sucks. Good job getting the 3 mile run in even though you weren't feeling it. IMHO those are the times it counts the most!!

I went for a bike ride today with my son. We went about 4 miles but I was having issues shifting. The bad news is my gears are a little out of whack, my gears seemed to slip and I was caught between gears, AND my shifting isn't that great (as in the when and why) Why do we need 21 gears anyway? The good news is my sofa seat is very comfortable!

I think I thought I was going to get on the bike and it was going to be really easy.

I have had a couple days off and things are less sore. Back to running tomorrow after work. Hopefully all will go well. I need to start kicking things up a notch soon. These 3-4 mile runs are boring me.

I agree with Chiomaca about getting the bike tuned up. Sounds silly because it is a bike but a bike shop can make sure shifting is all happening smoothly. I think they are like $35 for a tune up for something reasonable like that.

While biking is enjoyable, it is NOT easy. Its a great workout.

Yes, I have to do that to kick start myself every time I fall off track. It's also one reason I sign up for so many races - I always have to be getting ready for something.

You've had a couple of dizzy spells in the last few months when you run - have you talked to a doc about that? But I think that going straight to the gym after work is a good idea for you, that way you don't have to deal with your wife leaving before you get a chance to head out.

I do a lot of my race trips solo, and the ones that aren't solo are with other runners. I'm lucky that I have family and friends that run, but I did the WDW weekend on my own and it takes a lot of pressure off - no need to feel like you aren't paying enough attention to people or feeling like you have to be in the parks when you'd rather be napping. Maybe you could take the one daughter who has been running with you in the river? That might be a nice incentive/girls weekend. But really, if you keep running consistently in the river, running on the ground is going to feel easy. Keep increasing your time and intervals in the water and then go run a 5k and see the difference!

Yeah, I find if I take more than 2 days off in a row it is hard getting back to it. I have been so tired lately and after work I have been looking for, and applying to, jobs so I haven't been looking at races yet. But, I plan to sign up soon so I have something to shoot for and keep me going all year just like Chiomaca!

BTW, solo trips are so awesome. It can be intimidating doing a race that size by yourself but I did it and made it through. I can't wait to do more.

I didn't go out on Saturday to spectate or run - the weather was pretty crummy all day. I did my volunteer gig with the dogs and basically hung out at home and did a decent clean/laundry day. Today I ran with the friend who is also doing the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in April. It was a lot slower than I would run on my own, but I pushed/pulled her all the way through 8 miles, which was the designated distance for both Shamrock Half taper and Cherry Blossom build, so it was good. Still chilly at 8am, I'd like it to start hitting the high 50s in the morning when I run so I can go with short sleeves.

Sometimes those days are great because you get a lot done and a lot off your plate so you don't have to think about it during the week.

I'd be happy with the 50's consistently as well. I just can't wait until I can run outside all the time. I'm getting sick of the gym.

 

[Chiomaca]

Yeah, I find if I take more than 2 days off in a row it is hard getting back to it. I have been so tired lately and after work I have been looking for, and applying to, jobs so I haven't been looking at races yet. But, I plan to sign up soon so I have something to shoot for and keep me going all year just like Chiomaca!

BTW, solo trips are so awesome. It can be intimidating doing a race that size by yourself but I did it and made it through. I can't wait to do more.

Hope the job search is going okay. I'm sure it's incredibly frustrating. Sending good vibes your way.

I much prefer running on my own during races. I'll chat with people here and there on the course, but I'm much more interested in focusing on myself and my pace during a race than I am during training runs, so I don't really even notice how big the race is once I get running.

Sometimes those days are great because you get a lot done and a lot off your plate so you don't have to think about it during the week.

I'd be happy with the 50's consistently as well. I just can't wait until I can run outside all the time. I'm getting sick of the gym.

I do need a few more of those days. I'm actually taking Monday off after the half because I need the time to get myself back together after a weekend away.

The chiropractor did a great job on me last night, so now I'm trying to decide if I run twice this week or just once before the race. I'm leaning towards once, tomorrow, but might need to get out on Friday, too.

 

[StayCool]

Bikram yoga is "hot yoga", right? I sweat like crazy in regular temps I can't imagine what hot yoga is like.

I would love to find a well paying government job that I could have weekends off and stuff. Worked today. No gym, I am resting my legs. I am off to look for jobs.

Good luck on the job search! I was pouring sweat during yoga too and was surprised because I didn't feel like I was working that hard.

I went for a bike ride today with my son. We went about 4 miles but I was having issues shifting. The bad news is my gears are a little out of whack, my gears seemed to slip and I was caught between gears, AND my shifting isn't that great (as in the when and why) Why do we need 21 gears anyway? The good news is my sofa seat is very comfortable!

I think I thought I was going to get on the bike and it was going to be really easy.

I don't think I have ever tried to shift on a bike. lol I had a hard enough time learning how to drive a standard vehicle.

I didn't go out on Saturday to spectate or run - the weather was pretty crummy all day. I did my volunteer gig with the dogs and basically hung out at home and did a decent clean/laundry day. Today I ran with the friend who is also doing the Cherry Blossom 10 miler in April. It was a lot slower than I would run on my own, but I pushed/pulled her all the way through 8 miles, which was the designated distance for both Shamrock Half taper and Cherry Blossom build, so it was good. Still chilly at 8am, I'd like it to start hitting the high 50s in the morning when I run so I can go with short sleeves.

I start to open windows in my house when it gets to the 50's... Gotta air out everything.

The chiropractor did a great job on me last night, so now I'm trying to decide if I run twice this week or just once before the race. I'm leaning towards once, tomorrow, but might need to get out on Friday, too.

Glad you are feeling better and good luck on your race!!!


As for me, I'm just hanging out. I can't go to any classes Wednesday because my daughter has a chorus concert. Maybe I will try to get it in this weekend. Weighed in today and was down 0.2 lbs.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Hope the job search is going okay. I'm sure it's incredibly frustrating. Sending good vibes your way.

Good luck on the job search! I was pouring sweat during yoga too and was surprised because I didn't feel like I was working that hard.

I am getting a lot of action on resumes sent out this time around, which is great. So far none of them are worth setting up an in-person interview but I will just keep plugging away. Something will come along. I'd rather take the long, slow approach until I find something than be forced to make a bad decision and take something quick when I am so frustrated where I am at.

I actually emailed my district manager again yesterday. It has been 2 1/2 weeks since I found out I was shorted on my check. My manager doesn't seem to care. I have him plenty of time and my DM told me to email him with any problems when we had our lunch. (I can't remember if I even told you guys I had lunch with him last month). So, I emailed him. I had today off so I don't know what he said in his response, assuming he did yet. I also asked him if I can change stores as my manager doesn't seem interested in advancing his employees and I can't afford to waste time. Usually you have to wait a year before you can move. We'll see what he says.

I went to the gym last night. I did a fast run, as opposed to the slow runs I have been doing with the 80/20 rule. It felt good to run hard. I was drenched when I was done. Other good news was, I was able to run 6:40 pace for 2 minutes at a time. Of course I need to do that for 3 hours and last night I could only do it for 30 minutes. But, I have time to build the endurance. I did the faster pace because I know it is harder on the street even before factoring in hills, weather, etc...

StayCool, great job on the Yoga. Thanks for the well wishes on the job search.

Chiomaca, I'm sure I'll be on here again before the weekend but just in case, I hope you have a great race this weekend. Thanks for the well wishes on the job search to you as well.

And, did any of you see how fast Wine and Dine sold out? My co-workers signed up today so one of them was updating me. The other is on a cruise so his mother signed him up. But, when I checked at 4:00 it was already sold out so it was less than 4 hours to sell out. Crazy!!!

 

[Waiting2goback]

Not much to report today. Worked and went to the gym. 3.5 miles. Everything hurt but I stuck it out and forced out the 3.5 miles. Other than that, hope everyone had a great day.

 

[~~Darci~~]

Waiting~You and I had almost the same exact day! Going back tonight for weights. Lately I've been having to force myself to go because I don't want to! But, I'm doing it anyway.

Signed up for Lozilu so now I'm committed to something!

 

[Waiting2goback]

Waiting~You and I had almost the same exact day! Going back tonight for weights. Lately I've been having to force myself to go because I don't want to! But, I'm doing it anyway.

Signed up for Lozilu so now I'm committed to something!

It's great that you keep pushing yourself to go because eventually it will change and you will WANT to go. I may be hurting and stuff lately but I am back to loving it. It was that day I ran outside, it reminded me how much I love it. It's a matter of a couple weeks before I will be outside all the time.

I had today off. I had a phone interview that turned out to be a waste of time. But, I went to the gym and did 4.4 miles. I should have rested my legs but I didn't want to. I will take tomorrow off.

Hope everyone has a good night.

 

[dizzyr]

Well today is the last day of spring break and it's back to my regular routine on Monday. I did make it to the pool four times so I'm happy about that. I did a VERY rough measurement of how big the river is and it's about 44 meters (48 yards for the funny calculation you guys do! ) so I would need to do about 113 to be 5km. The most I've done so far is 30 so I have a bit of a ways to go! I almost didn't want to do the calculation because I was afraid it wouldn't be as much as it felt like and I was right! At least I have something to aim for lol.

Part of me is looking forward to going back to my regular schedule but I have to admit I love working these hours (6:30-2:30). I'm in before most of the staff and can get a lot done in a much shorter time frame and then I still have part of the afternoon and all of the evening ahead of me. I might see if I can make it work for the summer months.

 

[Waiting2goback]

Well today is the last day of spring break and it's back to my regular routine on Monday. I did make it to the pool four times so I'm happy about that. I did a VERY rough measurement of how big the river is and it's about 44 meters (48 yards for the funny calculation you guys do! ) so I would need to do about 113 to be 5km. The most I've done so far is 30 so I have a bit of a ways to go! I almost didn't want to do the calculation because I was afraid it wouldn't be as much as it felt like and I was right! At least I have something to aim for lol.

Part of me is looking forward to going back to my regular schedule but I have to admit I love working these hours (6:30-2:30). I'm in before most of the staff and can get a lot done in a much shorter time frame and then I still have part of the afternoon and all of the evening ahead of me. I might see if I can make it work for the summer months.

Great job making it to the pool 4 times. What did you use to measure the river? You could use an app, like RunKeeper and measure it that way. I find it to be pretty accurate. I would love those hours too. I used to love getting out of work when there are still several hours of day left.

I struggled with taking yesterday off from running but I did it. Couldn't go today either because of work but I will be up in the morning and there when it opens at 7am. Other than that I have some job interviews lines up for next week. Just phone interviews so far but its better than what I was getting before.

Oh, and I lost the 3 lbs I gained over the winter already. If it keeps up then the money spent on the nutritionist will be well worth it.

That's it for me. Hope everyone is doing well.

 

[StayCool]

Signed up for Lozilu so now I'm committed to something!

Yay for having something to work toward.

Part of me is looking forward to going back to my regular schedule but I have to admit I love working these hours (6:30-2:30). I'm in before most of the staff and can get a lot done in a much shorter time frame and then I still have part of the afternoon and all of the evening ahead of me. I might see if I can make it work for the summer months.

That would be a really awesome schedule. Especially in the summer.

Oh, and I lost the 3 lbs I gained over the winter already. If it keeps up then the money spent on the nutritionist will be well worth it.

And the weight loss begins. You've got this. We all believe in you.

 

[StayCool]

Well today is Day 1 of the 21 day fix. Hubby is already complaining because he has to think through everything. I pretty much told him to suck it up buttercup. He is the reason we are doing it. I printed out the checklist sheets today to make it as easy as possible. We weighed ourselves this morning (I'm down 1.4 lb since last Tuesday - yay!) and will be doing measurements later today. I think the hardest part for me will be the 30 minutes of exercise each day. I would rather do an hour 2-3 times per week. But we will see.

My kids were talking today about how they both want to do cross country. I found that interesting because neither of them particularly like to run. If they do cross country they will be required to run a certain number of miles over the summer. They are asking to do 5ks with me again, so I will see what I can fit in. I don't know anything about cross country, not even how long their courses are.

Hope everyone is doing well!

 

[Chiomaca]

I am getting a lot of action on resumes sent out this time around, which is great. So far none of them are worth setting up an in-person interview but I will just keep plugging away. Something will come along. I'd rather take the long, slow approach until I find something than be forced to make a bad decision and take something quick when I am so frustrated where I am at.

I actually emailed my district manager again yesterday. It has been 2 1/2 weeks since I found out I was shorted on my check. My manager doesn't seem to care. I have him plenty of time and my DM told me to email him with any problems when we had our lunch. (I can't remember if I even told you guys I had lunch with him last month). So, I emailed him. I had today off so I don't know what he said in his response, assuming he did yet. I also asked him if I can change stores as my manager doesn't seem interested in advancing his employees and I can't afford to waste time. Usually you have to wait a year before you can move. We'll see what he says.

I am so impressed and proud that you are working so hard to look after yourself when it comes to that lost money. Did you hear back from your manager? Sorry that most of the phone interviews haven't been worthwhile - what has been the issue?

And, did any of you see how fast Wine and Dine sold out? My co-workers signed up today so one of them was updating me. The other is on a cruise so his mother signed him up. But, when I checked at 4:00 it was already sold out so it was less than 4 hours to sell out. Crazy!!!

Yup. IT sold out in 49 minutes! So quickly that I e-mailed all of my family about the Avengers race and told them to contact the travel agents and get on their list right now so that they don't have to be poised at the computer and hope that the stars align. Last year I signed myself up and the two nephews, while mom and my friend T signed themselves out. This year my brother, his wife, and the boys want to run the 5k, so I'm letting them fend for themselves.

Signed up for Lozilu so now I'm committed to something!

Excellent! You are going to have a blast!

I did make it to the pool four times so I'm happy about that. I did a VERY rough measurement of how big the river is and it's about 44 meters (48 yards for the funny calculation you guys do! ) so I would need to do about 113 to be 5km. The most I've done so far is 30 so I have a bit of a ways to go! I almost didn't want to do the calculation because I was afraid it wouldn't be as much as it felt like and I was right! At least I have something to aim for lol.

Part of me is looking forward to going back to my regular schedule but I have to admit I love working these hours (6:30-2:30). I'm in before most of the staff and can get a lot done in a much shorter time frame and then I still have part of the afternoon and all of the evening ahead of me. I might see if I can make it work for the summer months.

You may not have the distance, but you have a lot more resistance. Keep running in the lazy river and you'll feel great running on land. You should keep that as part of your workout regularly, just to help amp up the intensity. I'd also say to go for time instead of distance - what's the longest you've gone without stopping?

Oh, and I lost the 3 lbs I gained over the winter already. If it keeps up then the money spent on the nutritionist will be well worth it.

Nice!!!!

Well today is Day 1 of the 21 day fix. Hubby is already complaining because he has to think through everything. I pretty much told him to suck it up buttercup. He is the reason we are doing it. I printed out the checklist sheets today to make it as easy as possible. We weighed ourselves this morning (I'm down 1.4 lb since last Tuesday - yay!) and will be doing measurements later today. I think the hardest part for me will be the 30 minutes of exercise each day. I would rather do an hour 2-3 times per week. But we will see.

My kids were talking today about how they both want to do cross country. I found that interesting because neither of them particularly like to run. If they do cross country they will be required to run a certain number of miles over the summer. They are asking to do 5ks with me again, so I will see what I can fit in. I don't know anything about cross country, not even how long their courses are.

Yeah, for some of us, planning ahead stinks. Hopefully he'll stick with it. And congrats on the weight loss, too.

High school cross country is usually 5k, junior high/middle school students it's right around 2 miles. So running 5ks with you would be great for everyone. And hey, a WDW 5k is way cheaper than a longer race...maybe a family incentive to get their miles in!

The Shamrock Half this weekend was good, and as a weekend, it was great. This was a group celebration of the end of chemo for my friend T, who I ran Avengers with mid-chemo. It ended up with four of us (T, her brother, our friend D, and me) running the half, and her husband running the full. We have friends down there, and T's brother and sister-in-law, and their two boys came down, and T's brother's new GF came up from North Carolina. About two weeks ago, T's brother (who refers to me as "Big Sis") got in touch with me for some mentoring, then asked if we should run the race in team shirts...so after some intense internet searching, we ended up with a simple white shirt with a big teal (ovarian cancer) ribbon and "Team T" on the front. We bought enough for all the runners, the spectators, and two of our friends who couldn't be there. It was pretty cool to hear people cheering for "Team T" and three of the four of us ran the entire race together from start to finish. D has damaged lungs and can't run outside if it's below 40 degrees, so her training has been limited - she finished about half an hour after us. The good news is that we beat our November time by 25 minutes (well off each of our best half times, but three months post-chemo we'll take it) and D finished under three hours, when she was expecting to run around 3:15 to 3:30 (also well off her best half, but...winter).

The only bad part was the stop-and-go traffic for the last 60 miles of the drive back to DC...turned a four hour drive into a five hour drive. Still worth the pain!

 

[Waiting2goback]

Well today is Day 1 of the 21 day fix. Hubby is already complaining because he has to think through everything. I pretty much told him to suck it up buttercup. He is the reason we are doing it. I printed out the checklist sheets today to make it as easy as possible. We weighed ourselves this morning (I'm down 1.4 lb since last Tuesday - yay!) and will be doing measurements later today. I think the hardest part for me will be the 30 minutes of exercise each day. I would rather do an hour 2-3 times per week. But we will see.

My kids were talking today about how they both want to do cross country. I found that interesting because neither of them particularly like to run. If they do cross country they will be required to run a certain number of miles over the summer. They are asking to do 5ks with me again, so I will see what I can fit in. I don't know anything about cross country, not even how long their courses are.

Hope everyone is doing well!

I was at the gym this morning, which didn't go well, and one of the TV's had an infomercial for the 21 day fix. So, I began to wonder when you were starting. Was planning to ask you tonight. You beat me to it.

I hope you can BOTH stick to it for the 21 days. I think the reason they do 21 days is because it takes that long to change a habit. Hopefully you can change your habits.

That's awesome your kids are considering cross country. That is because of you!!!! You started all this!!!! Hoooray for you! Keep us posted on the results please.

I am so impressed and proud that you are working so hard to look after yourself when it comes to that lost money. Did you hear back from your manager? Sorry that most of the phone interviews haven't been worthwhile - what has been the issue?

Yup. IT sold out in 49 minutes! So quickly that I e-mailed all of my family about the Avengers race and told them to contact the travel agents and get on their list right now so that they don't have to be poised at the computer and hope that the stars align. Last year I signed myself up and the two nephews, while mom and my friend T signed themselves out. This year my brother, his wife, and the boys want to run the 5k, so I'm letting them fend for themselves.

The Shamrock Half this weekend was good, and as a weekend, it was great. This was a group celebration of the end of chemo for my friend T, who I ran Avengers with mid-chemo. It ended up with four of us (T, her brother, our friend D, and me) running the half, and her husband running the full. We have friends down there, and T's brother and sister-in-law, and their two boys came down, and T's brother's new GF came up from North Carolina. About two weeks ago, T's brother (who refers to me as "Big Sis") got in touch with me for some mentoring, then asked if we should run the race in team shirts...so after some intense internet searching, we ended up with a simple white shirt with a big teal (ovarian cancer) ribbon and "Team T" on the front. We bought enough for all the runners, the spectators, and two of our friends who couldn't be there. It was pretty cool to hear people cheering for "Team T" and three of the four of us ran the entire race together from start to finish. D has damaged lungs and can't run outside if it's below 40 degrees, so her training has been limited - she finished about half an hour after us. The good news is that we beat our November time by 25 minutes (well off each of our best half times, but three months post-chemo we'll take it) and D finished under three hours, when she was expecting to run around 3:15 to 3:30 (also well off her best half, but...winter).

The only bad part was the stop-and-go traffic for the last 60 miles of the drive back to DC...turned a four hour drive into a five hour drive. Still worth the pain!

No, I still have no answer about my money. I am getting quite annoyed. Even my district manager, who I thought would care, has not responded. So, the job search continues. I have another phone interview in the morning. The others just didn't pay enough. But, at this point I may need to take less than I want to start on the ground floor of a new field and possibly start a new career.

I know Wine and Dine is one of the more popular races but 49 minutes is insane. It makes signing up for the races even more stressful than all the training to get ready for the race. But, I don't have to worry about it for a while anyway, especially if I take a job for less money.

Glad you had a good race and congrats to your friend for her first race post chemo. That's awesome. Must be fun to have a group to run with and support each other. As for the traffic, it is small price to pay for the feeling of crossing another finish line, in my opinion.


I made it to the gym. As I mentioned, it didn't go well. My ankles and feet were killing me and wouldn't loosen up. I did 25:00 on the treadmill and then switched machines. I keep seeing the stair climber type machine so I thought I'd give it a try. It was OK. Works the muscles differently, which is good. Total I did about 45:00. Went out shopping with the family and I made it to Dick's Sporting Goods to look around. I tried on new sneakers. They were pricey but it felt like my feet were on clouds. I may have to buy them. I will just look for a good deal. I bought some running socks and some compression sleeves to sleep in that will hopefully help me feet/ankles. I'm skeptical but its worth a shot. I was so excited to be looking for goodies today. I have a lot more to shop for but it was a good start.

Back to the gym tomorrow night. Hope everyone has a good day.

 

[~~Darci~~]

Hi everyone!

Dizzyr~you have my interest peaked and since tomorrow is a cardio day I am going to run the river!! That's great that your daughter was able to run with you, bonding and excersise!

Chicom