Oh blogger, I have missed you!!

Wow, it has been so long since I have posted. I have had the worst time making the move across the metroplex. It is a good move, I am glad I am here, but oh my goodness. The weather, the work, the weather....uggg. I love the cold weather though. Work is good. Work keeps me so busy I lose track of time. I have been chaotically (is that even a word?) working out. I now teach a cycling class on Mondays and a core class on Wednesdays. I don't teach anything else. I couldn't. I don't have time. Hotty hubby hates the commute. It is hard. He doesn't complain, but he came home and then went on a 15 mile bike ride last night. We still have boxes everywhere. It is quite stressful, having stuff everywhere. Nikko and I have been running. We ran Sunday (only about 2.5miles), and last night (somewhere between 3 and 4 miles). We are getting spoiled that the trails are so close. I love it. I miss all of my clients and running friends!! Perhaps we can all meet up and run at the Oak Grove park?? Is Massoman and his BW in London??

Blog on friends!!

A case of the Mondays, but wait...

It feels like Monday. Is it Tuesday or did I somehow skip forward to Thursday? Who knows!! With the commute, everything that needs to be done at work, volleyball, running, packing, oh and sleeping I have run myself crazy already. It is very possible, I know I don't have much going on so there shouldn't be any reason to be wiped out. Ha!! Work is non stop. It is a challenge, perhaps one that I took a little too lightly. I am overcoming it all, but it is just so much. I almost had to fire one person, hire one person, and interview another. This is way more action than I anticipated during my first week. Whoa....sigh. And we can't move into our new apartment until Thursday instead of Wednesday. Oh well. I ran on Monday on the trails and boy did it feel great. I ran about 3.5miles. It was so great. No traffic, no one nearly hitting me with their car, no running before the sun came up...it was nice. I had to go running. My brain was mush, I had to go so that I could get focused for the rest of the afternoon. Hum, I guess I am one of those people that just has to take a break and get away. I have got to go, I need to pack some more.

Blog on friends!!

What a whirlwind kind of day!!

Today was my first day "on the job". Ha. It was good. The commute was tough, but not too bad!! It took me longer to get home than to work. That was opposite of what I expected. I was met with smiling faces and a lot of support. I have a really cool office too. I overlook the pool and fitness center. Nice. I have a lot of work to do, but I know with some time, I will get it all done. The day went by so fast, I don't even really remember everything. That's pretty normal right?? I can tell you all one thing, looking at the pool inspires me to get my workouts in!! I am riding in the morning with my friend PM, probably 21 miles or so. I am looking forward to it. After that I have a huge day of volleyball. Every team plays tomorrow and it is only a one day tournament so I would like to see everyone play. Whew. That is a lot. I must rest up for now!!
Blog on friends!!

It's official!!

I am now employed by the Benbrook Community Center/YMCA. I am now the Health and Wellness Director. It sounds official too. Ha!! How ironic is it that I competed in the Benbrook Women's Tri just before being laid off and now here I am, one of the Directors. I am met with mixed emotion though. I really wanted to move away from Texas and the blazing heat, but to no avail. I am excited about living in my favorite spot in the metroplex. It sort of feels like I am moving home, only it is not home. Strange. I have taken a couple of days off and just done nothing...well, I have packed, packed, and packed. Geez, I have a lot of crap!! I have taken some time to read, reflect and oh yeah, packed. Nikko is confused, but she will figure it out. She will be so happy on the trails. Hotty hubby and I have rolled over 100 miles since Saturday. On New Year's Day we and another one of my friends rode in a 28 miler out in Blue Ridge. A tiny town north of here with a few other people. I surprised myself at one point riding 16.5mph into the wind with a group. We all finished and celebrated by having some black eyed peas and cornbread. Yummy!! I intend on writing more regularly now, since I won't be 15 minutes away from my dearest friends. I miss you all already!! I haven't even moved yet. That is a story for next week!!

Blog on friends!!

OOOOOOH my gosh my legs hurt, but man that was a good race!!

We, RunnerSusan, Massoman, and a few other RBF'ers met this morning to run the White Rock Marathon. RunnerSusan, Massoman, and I ran the half. All three of us had a great race. The weather was perfect and I PR'ed. I finished in 2:41. That is 11 minutes faster than the last time I ran a half. Here is my progress report:
2004--"The Half":
2:54 (13:21 pace)
2005 "The Half":
2:52 (13:09 pace)
2006 "White Rock Half":
2:41 (12:15 pace)

That is fantastic!! Way to go RunnerSusan who finished in 2:24 and Massoman who finished in 2:04!!! You guys rock!!

How can I be so stressed with cute faces always smiling at me like this??

Aren't they so cute???

Things are looking better!!

Okay so the job stuff is still hard to deal with, hence me running a half marathon without fully training for it. I was so tired yesterday after driving back from Austin that I forgot to get my t shirt when I registered. Arrrggghhh. Now I think I might have time tonight after I work at a little part time job until 5, I will rush downtown and pick my t shirt. Bleh. So here is where we are with the job stuff. FW rejected me. That was okay, I was not sure I wanted that one. Hoboken wants me so bad they have waited almost a week for a response. I think I might want that one, but I am not sold. Austin wants me, doesn't want to pay, or allow me to have any sort of creativity with my job. Also, I would not be allowed to coach to make up for the pay cut. I don't want that one. I will turn them down tomorrow. South Carolina, I want. I don't know if they want me. I really want that one!!! That one makes my heart skip a beat. I love what I have learned so far. Today, a different FW called. They want me. I will go meet their staff next week sometime after South Carolina. Everything hinges on what happens in South Carolina. So we have 3 choices: Hoboken, NJ; South Carolina (if they offer), and Benbrook, TX. Financially I must take one. I cannot hold out for much longer. If South Carolina offers, I will take it no doubt. Should they not, I will likely have to take Benbrook for practicality reasons. It is cheaper to live here, would not be that hard to move there, would not have to fly back and forth to see my husband on the weekends and he would not have to leave his job for the moment. Oh yeah, it is a nicer facility and well supported by the community. The pay will be close to the same, with FW coming out on top likely by a couple grand a year (when you consider cost of living). Hummmm, but then I will be stuck here, in the heat which is what I have been trying to get out of for the last 4 years!! What to do???????
Blog on friends!!

How about this for a change of scenery??

Okay this was supposed to be at the bottom, but you get the idea right?? Hotty hubby with a bald head....yummy!! Heehee!! This is Washington Street. The Y is just few blocks down from where I took this pic.

This is where the dog park is. Can you imagine this skyline?? We don't get this kind of thing in the Big D. BTW, I am convinced that the Big D is a mini me of the Big Apple. There were odd coincindences that made us feel like we were really in Dallas. Strange!!

This pic was taken from the Hudson River on the Jersey side. We were still in Hoboken. We went back later that night to look at the lights. Just so you know, the skyline goes way beyond the parameters of my camara. I just love this pic because of the trees. In fact these might have been the only few we ever saw while there. Hummm.

Running with Nikko is so much fun!!

She, next to my human partners, is the best pacer and motivator. If we are not running fast enough I get pulled along until we are moving at a speed that is good for her. On our last few runs, she has gotten tired and slowed down enough to nudge my hand. I think she is secretly looking for treats. Silly girl, I haven't carried treats on a walk or a run in quite some time. Wouldn't it be nice if the world revolved around you all of the time. She might actually think differently, she stays in a crate when we are not home. So far we are up to 5 miles at one time. She loves it. Every morning she watches me go for the door and makes sure I am not going to grab her leash. I get the cutest head tilt and ear perk. It is so hard to resist sometimes. I don't think the Y would appreciate me bringing her with me on the days I don't get to run. Nikko has been the top of disscussion today. I thought I had decided not to move to Hoboken, New Jersey. The Y there has a whole other idea. I told them that I was not sure if we could find a place for her there. He did not realize that I had an 80lb dog. That brings even more difficulty in finding somewhere to live there. Among other things about the job, that is one of the reasons we thought we had decided against moving there.

While we were in NYC we had a blast. I think hotty hubby and I walked for 10 or more miles. We saw so much stuff!! We had a blast!! I will post some beautiful pics!!

Blog on friends!! I miss you all!!

A soggy head

Okay, I now feel like I am underwater. My ears are so full of fluid. I am going to have to go to the Doc because, I think I might also be running a low grade fever. Yuck!! This is not good. I have 3 maybe 4 interviews in the next 48 hours and I am starting to feel crummy!! Not good I say. I did not run this morning. Runnersusan started it, she called first. I called second and Massoman told me that his BW was third. All three of us wanted to sleep in. It seemed that he was the only one who wanted to run. How is it that I can go to sleep with such great expectations, but a mere 7 hours later I am singing another tune. I walk around the rest of the day grumpy because I did not get a workout in. Arg!! This cycle is getting frustrating!! I have to go. I have a few workouts to get done before the night is over and my head is floating around!!

Blog on friends!!

Mad Dash

I ran in the 3rd annual Dorothy's Dash metric half this morning. I have decided that I really don't like to "race". I would rather just train and never race. I think maybe I have performance anxiety or something. Or.....it could be that 8 miles is the longest distance I have tried to run since like May or June. Hummmm....I wonder what made this run so hard??? I finished in a slow 1:38:16. At least that is what the official clock said. I think my G mini said something closer to 1:36:something. I don't remember. It said I ran 11:36's for 8.3 miles. Hummm. I was hoping for 10minute miles. I started off with the first 3 miles at that pace, then it just fell off. That particular part of the run is/was more hilly than what I was used to. My MP3 player also died before the 2 mile mark, so I was left to my own mental demise. Around mile 4 I had to pee, but there was no potties up until that point, so I had to slow down or run is soggy shoes for the last half. I also got very hot. I overdressed a touch. I wore capri tights, a long sleeve running shirt and a hat with gloves. (a baseball cap). When I finished I had taken my gloves off, rolled my tights up and took my shirt off. I was warm!! Yuck!! Well I suppose this run was a great warm up for the Turkey Trot (8 mile) on Thursday. At least now I know that I can complete this distance.

Also, I have fluid in my left ear. It is kind of like I have been swimming, only I haven't. I can hear it when I walk, talk, and swallow. It stinks!! I had Massoman's BW work on my sinuses yesterday, I wonder if that has anything to do with it???

Blog on friends!!

Job stuff is a bit overwhelming.

Okay, I have been so busy over the last 24hours!! I panicked because I did not hear anything on Tuesday or Wednesday. Thursday and today on the other hand...my phone has been ringing off the hook!! Next week will be nuts!! I am going to have 3 interviews and possibly a 4th. They range from Fort Worth to Chattanooga, to Sheridan (Wyoming), to Greenwood (South Carolina). What do I do if FW offers on Tuesday and the rest of these are all round 1 interviews?? FW, I don't really want...but I don't want to let it slip by out of fear that I won't get something else. What do I do?? How long can I table an offer?? Do I tell them I am interviewing elsewhere?? Argggg, I don't know what to do!!! Some help would be fantastic!!

Blog on friends!!

A super fast run and a super sore back part 2!!

I got up this morning with hope that my back would feel better. It does, but it doesn't. I know that makes no sense at all, but it is true. I can breathe and it doesn't hurt, but I still cannot look down at my feet or twist with out it hurting. I have put more heat on it and I am still resting a bit. I ran with Massoman and Runnersusan this morning, again with the hopes it would loosen up. Runnersusan and I went 3 miles and felt like it was awful. It was hard and we both at one point wanted to stop and walk. Out of fear that walking would hurt my back even more, I resisted and so did she. Lucky for the both of us because we finished in 28:27!! Wow!! No wonder it was hard, we were flying!! We saw a shooting star. It was totally cool. I am so happy that it is cold here and I am running the way I think I should be running. It is an awesome feeling.

Blog on Friends!!

A super fast run and a super sore back.

This morning despite my middle back shouting at me, I ran with runnersusan and donkey. I was hoping that the running would loosen it up. It hasn't in fact, it might be a bit worse. I have rested all day, taken Advil and drank tons of water and electrolyte mix. I am well hydrated. It is totally muscular, but it hurts!! I can't twist, bend, bring my chin to my chest or breathe deeply without it hurting. Yuck!! This has happened before and I don't remember if there was one thing in particular that fixed it. Hummm. More rest.
Oh, oh, oh our run was super awesome!!! We ran 3 miles in 29:23 and we walked a short bit due to the misbehavior of runnersusan's ipod, it would not stay on her arm. We were shocked because along with the ipod, donkey was quite a pill for runnersusan. It was great!! We need more runs like that!!!!

On the job front. No one has called back for a second interview, but it is only 1:00pm on Monday. It may be a few more days. Also, a Y in Austin called and wants to chat and set up an interview. That's exciting. It still gets very hot there. Hummm. My quest for colder weather is diminishing I am afraid. I will keep you all posted!!

Blog on friends!!!

Sleeping in is great!!

I chose this morning to sleep in instead of running with runner susan. I called her to make sure they were going to run, but when I did not hear back I took it as a sign that I was intended to sleep in. I will run today, just a bit later. Hummm. Only 3 kids showed up last night for tryouts for 16's. That's my age group. I was a bit relieved. I have to get through one maybe 2 more tryouts. I still may have a team, but it is not looking like it. I am glad because if we end up moving I don't want to have to leave a team. That would be so hard. I have an assistant just in case I do have to but I don't even want to do that. Yikes!! I have got to go to Petsmart. We are out of Chow for the Nikster. She's hungry and I must go. I will blog later.

Blog on friends!!

Ahhh, I am so tired!!

What is up with me?? I am so tired. I was tired all day yesterday and today I am wearing out quick. It is only 4:30 and I am ready to go to sleep!! What?? I have been busy though. This morning I met my cycling buddy and we rode our usual route plus 2 miles. We didn't talk much, but that was okay. I had time to just be. I reflected and thought about things hotty hubby and I need to start doing to prepare for a move. I still don't know where we will go, but we know we are moving. I also reflected on the amazing times I have had with my running, tri, and cycling buddies. Some have been good and some have been really bad. I am embarrassed to say I have not always been a good friend, but I have tried. Sometimes my maturity gets the best of me. What do you expect from a 20 almost 30 something??? We all have our times. I want to remember everything. On Friday I was at a Thanksgiving Feast at the Y for the AOA's and I just watched and thought to myself...I am really going to leave these people. I will miss some of the seniors but I am ready to go. Thank you everyone for all you have to for me!! You have changed my life. Thank you!!

Blog on friends!!

One sad yellow lab

Poor Nikko got left at home this morning. Hee. I had to go right to the Y and workout with a client this morning so she had to stay home. She gave me the saddest face as I walked out the door. RunnerSusan and I did have a stellar run though. We did 3 miles in 30:11. Yipeee!! We later did some lower body weights. I am going to be sore tomorrow but oh well. I had fun in the process. I think I might do some cross training in between clients. I don't know. I have one more tryout until Saturday night. Yay. Ha. I am excited.....um....really I am.

Blog on friends!!

I think it was rumor!!

No rain. Ha!! We must have been kidding ourselves. We live in Texas. It doesn't rain in Texas. Ha! Well yesterday was great!! It was good and cold. We rode 32 miles and took it easy. I saw some of my Iron girl friends from over the summer. They were trying to talk me into training for the Galveston 70.3. Hahahahaha!!! The funniest part, I am actually considering it, if we are still here. Hotty Hubby may join me in that training. I am totally fired up about that. He just needs to learn to swim better. Anyway, the 32 was great and just the right distance. I had to rush back and go to work at a craft store for 5 hours. It is pretty neat. They pay me to make scrapbooking stuff. How wonderful. This morning I was supposed to me the Trot group but they keep standing me up. This is particularly frustrating because I would have done the half with runner susan and massoman if I knew they weren't going to be there. It ended up being okay because I met massoman's BW and we ran 4.5 without taking a walking step. It was so good. I felt so good that I went home and grabbed Nikko and we went another 2.5. In all I ran 8 miles this morning. Yay!! I haven't felt this good in so long!! Fabulous!! I have to get to the grocery store and then tryouts round 2!!
Blog on friends!!

A good start.

I am off to a good start this weekend. What does that mean?? I don't have much to do. I would love to run in the Half this weekend, but I am scheduled to lead a Turkey trot group on a short run. This will be the first time in 4 years that I have not run it. Sad. Tomorrow I am going with hotty hubby and another one of our friends are going to the other side of Dallas for a rally. There has been much debate on which distance we should participate in. We were thinking 58miles, but then it might rain and neither one of my cohorts is into cold wet cycling. Yuck!! I tend to agree. Hmmm. So now we are thinking the 32miler. I will fill you all in later!! Happy Friday!
Blog on friends!!

I got 2 interviews!! Oh yeah!! Oh yeah!!

I have two interviews!! I am so fired up!! I was starting to think maybe I was not really qualified for the jobs I was sending resumes to. The first phone call was last night. The location is in Ft. Worth. The good news is that of all the places I'd want to be in the metroplex, Ft. Worth is it. The bad news...it still gets over 100 degrees during the summer in FW. The second is in New Jersey. I have never been there, but it sounds cool. (Actually probably cold.) Hotty hubby is not really responding,except sending me maps of where these places actually are. Hahaha! I don't know what that means.
On to my workouts.
This morning runnersusan and I with pooches in tow ran 3 miles. We were both very tired and walked a bit. It was a gorgeous morning. It was a brisk 38 degrees. Nice. It took us somewhere around 35 minutes. After that we lifted about 30 minutes. I will be sore from the weights.
I must go!! Blog on friends!