Season 2 - Highway to Hell Marathon Training

I knew this day was coming when we signed up all last year's marathon expo for this year's Rock and Roll Marathon - full marathon training. Which is two weeks before the wedding.

Can't be all that bad, right? I continued running over the winter, but I wouldn't say I'm now an athlete. I completed the timed run for this year's group and ended up in the Red group (just barely) by averaging 2 miles with a 10:42 pace. So...I'm stretching myself. I'm prepared to be the last of the Red Group/first of the Orange Group (greater than 11:00). Yeah...I'm dreaming big here. The upside is that I've stuck to torturing myself at least twice a week so increasing my training isn't so bad. Or pain free. Urg.

Motivation drives me forward and I'm having a tough time gathering it. One of my running partners may need to take the season slow thanks to a chronic issue. The other is training for the half with a different pace group and is not likely to meet me at 5:45 regularly to get a run in before work. Major is held hostage by the sheets every morning and is also significantly faster than me. I may have a Monday partner, but that leaves me two solo runs. There's more accountability when others are around, and I feel like I can challenge myself more when in a group. (Read: I'm less likely to run a two-mile out and back rather than a four-mile)

What I've learned my first full year of running is:
- there's always an excuse not to run. My ass, however, feeds off excuses and will grow.
- that burning knee pain should not be ignored. Apply ice and take glucosamine.
- I'm proud of my accomplishments.
- lined shorts may sound weird, but they really are awesome.
- having little boobs comes in handy - no boob/running pain!
- fries are treats. Treats should be enjoyed now and then.
- a one-story house is in our future - after a long run, i'm not coming back down from showering.

I'm sure there's more. Until then:

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." John (the Penguin) Bingham .

Vote at Communitiestakeroot.com

Find San Antonio's Food Bank on the list tab and vote daily to help win an orchard!

Help a community win a fresh fruit orchard. Here's how

=================================================== This message was sent by manda2k@yahoo.com via http://addthis.com. Please note that AddThis does not verify email addresses.

Names, Planes, and Automobiles.

So... in purchasing our tickets to Italy, I had a minor brain melt - what name would I be using after the wedding. Not sure how this simple step careened into a roller-coaster of stress for about half an hour but I wouldn't be true to myself if I didn't find a molehill to make a mountain out of. Sheesh.

In talking with Major about it, he assured me that he wouldn't be hurt if I didn't change my name. Of course, I had to ask him five different ways. The only question that came up was what name would any children have. His.  The more I think about it, the more I understand this: I am an only child. Yes, there are a good amount of people with my last name, most of which I'm not related to. It's been my name for almost 34 years and to me, changing a name is too much like changing identities. I know my Mom is going to make a face when I tell her, but that's just the way it's going to be. Here's hoping for smooth sailing all the way around.

After all of that, we did book our flight to Italy for our honeymoon/roz & raf's wedding/trip to visit Boyd. Now, how to cram Italy into 11 days.

As for automobiles, I jumped on my service soapbox upon receiving a 'service satisfaction survey' from VW after taking the car in for a free tire. I thought I had save my well-thought out email response, but it looks like that didn't' happen.  In summary, I stated that service has been in decline for a while and my biggest complaint was that service delays weren't being addressed. (Why is my car in the shop for 10 hrs when all I needed was an oil change? Do you or don't you have my tire and why is it taking so long to find out when I called ahead?)

Check out the subject line...


Subject: poor survice at A VW

Ms. R,
 I am sorry we miserably failed to provide you top quality service on you most recent visit. Your input is very valuable for A### VW to make necessary corrections to future serve customers. I think your assessment of your visit is one of the most accurate customer perception dialogs I have read. It most definitely boils down to poor communications between our advisors and you, our valued customer.
 I want you to know that is our goal to provide a "quality service, at a reasonable price" to all customers. I know we failed in this particular case and we are always looking for areas to improve. We have improved in overall customer service over the past few years but still need refinements.
 I most of all want to thank you for your business and loyalty to the brand and hope all your next visits to our dealer will exceed your expectations.
 I would like you to contact O for any future service needs. O has consistently been recognized as one of the top advisors in the U.S. and he has played a very important role in keeping  Volkswagen as one of the rated Customer Satisfaction Dealers in the Southern Region. His direct phone line is ####. I also would encourage want you to feel comfortable in calling me direct with any potential future issues.
 
Thank you for sharing your true thoughts and perception.

I love my car. Sadly, there isn't anywhere else for dealer service that's any better.  Now that I've had my say, we can resume your daily interwebs surfing. Thank you, come again.

Morning so far...and more

Got in a good 40-minutes at the gym: half running, half weights. That's two days in a row this week with an estimated 39 points I should earn for my March Madness team by the end of the day. Five of us have signed up for a workout challenge at work for the next month. D has been down and out for the past few days, so we're going to have to hustle to make it up. Ahhh... but the payoff is weight loss and a lower BMI. WOOT!

Got to my desk this morning, Little Bird bought herself and myself a Jamba smoothie. Yum! Which I then dribbled on my blouse. Doh! Fortunately, Nic next to me had her trusty Tide pen. It may be a great day after all. Too bad I forgot my lunch at home. Do'h.

Quiz tonight, Quiz Thursday with a trainee in tow. Tired as I'll be this month, the income will help pay for next month's baking/etc class and my CIA class in May. MmmMmmm.

E-pics came in the mail from JSperos yesterday. Will upload to shutterfly this week and order the Save the Date Postcards. And my cute shoes for the wedding came in last night, too!

Still to do this month, gather addresses. Take art to tattoo guy. Get my bake on at least twice.

Experimented with a recipe from work's health site: Low-fat Lentil Meatballs. Not too bad. I'll have to experiment with the seasonings to get it to my liking. And I think I'd like to try this with lamb and feta. Drool.

Traditional meatballs can be awfully high in fat. By choosing a lean meat to start, extending it with lentils and then baking (not frying) the meatballs, you will cut the fat by 50 percent if not more.

Takes Over 60 minutes
Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 cup (240 ml) low-sodium chicken broth or water 1/3 cup (2 oz/60 g) green, brown or red lentils 12 oz (360 g) lean ground beef, pork or turkey 1 medium onion, minced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten 2 tablespoons ketchup 1 tablespoon dried Italian seasoning herbs pinch crushed fennel seed (optional) 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 cup (1 1/2 oz/50 g) fresh breadcrumbs, preferably whole-wheat 3 1/2 cups (28 oz/840 g) favorite spaghetti sauce 1 pound (500 g) spaghetti, preferably multi-grain 2-3 tablespoons thinly sliced fresh basil leaves or chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup (1 oz/30 g) freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese

PREPARATION

1.	In a small saucepan, bring broth or water to a boil. Add lentils and bring back to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside for 20 minutes.
2.	Preheat the oven to 375°F (185°C). Line a baking sheet with sides with aluminum foil and set a wire rack on top.
3.	In a large mixing bowl, combine meat, onion, garlic, egg whites, ketchup, Italian herbs, crushed fennel seed (if using), salt and pepper. Drain any liquid from the lentils and add them to the meat mixture. Mix well with a wooden spoon. Add breadcrumbs and mix gently just to blend. Form the mixture into 24 meatballs, each one about 1 inch (2.5 cm) in diameter. Set on the wire rack and bake for 20 minutes.
4.	In a deep, heavy skillet or Dutch oven, heat spaghetti sauce. Add the baked meatballs and simmer for 20 minutes. Stir in fresh basil or parsley.
5.	Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti until al dente, about 8 minutes. Drain and place in a large shallow serving dish. Top with the meatballs and sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and serve.

Source: Healthy Living Kitchens

Thoughts.

Sticking to working out has been a challenge. I can't get up at five to run. I need to get up at five to run. I have to start going to sleep by ten. Who's alseep by ten? I need to lose five pounds. Just five. That's two BMI points for me. Two.

*sigh*

Another challenge: Parenting. It's tough, I get it. Parenting a step-child has it's separate challenges (thanks to my step-mother who's always loved me as her own). Autism/aspergers boy-child. Who sees me as the Mean Rule Maker. I'm thirty-three and I still want to be care free. Makes it tough to set an example to someone who reads you literally. Jokes need to be explained, "why" can't be answered with "because," disruptions to order are devastating. He is a great kid that knows so much about our solar system - Jupiter is 2.5 times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined; the distance between Neptune and the Sun is 4.55 billion km. Patience, young grasshopper.

How is it the end of February? Nine months to W Day. Wow.

Back on the Saddle Week 1, Day 2

This is the third year where I've committed to being more healthy and fit.

The first year, I was well into a routine at the gym and changing my eating
habits. No more ice cream three nights a week, no more weekly happy our
beer and carb party, no more cheese and cracker dinners. This helped me
shed ten pounds.

Last year, I finally had better income (making it easier to eat more than
cheese and crackers) and decided to take up running in lieu of going to the
gym. I successfully trained for and completed a half-marathon, along with
other benchmark goals. No weight-loss, but better toning of leg muscles.

It's now 2010. This year brings a cruise and wedding. And maybe a full
marathon with some smaller races in-between (!!!!). Can I at least lose 5
pounds? 10? Some fat please? This is where it's really going to hurt... I
love food. I love starches, and carbs, and sugar, and butter, and lard.
Combined, separated, in that order or not, fried, but still in moderation.
I appreciate veggies in all forms. The balance will be in feeding myself,
the Major and the Boy. The picky-eating, hate new things Boy.

*sigh*
01.12.10
2mi/24 min
131 lbs.

Happy New Year

So far, a new baby has been added (Congrats, Jason & Claudia), another engagement (Ryan & Barb), and a new decade has occurred. Ahead, more wedding planning, house fixin' and traveling.

Not too many holiday pics this year. Too sick to party it up. That, and everyone is so busy... maybe in the next few weeks...

Good times...