mood swing molly

yesterday, this was me:


yes, it's a sad cat hehe. but today, this is me:


happy cat! things are looking up.

1) the pool has re-opened! i used it last night and while it was too busy for my liking, it felt great to get a workout in. i think i will go back tonight.

2) 1.5 more work days until my vacation! i'm going to the dominican republic ... le sigh.

3) i think i was holding in some anticipatory anxiety about an appointment i had last night. the things women do for beauty! when i got home i felt a wave of relaxation and release!

4) on monday lunch i met my mom at costco because i wanted more intuition razors for my trip (the speedy kind with the shave gel on the razor ... love it). i also bought the biggest containers of blueberries and strawberries i have ever seen and now i am forced to eat blueberries and raspberries for every meal and snack. i wish i were joking! no i don't - they are so delicious. and i feel rich! it's like having a wad of cash but i have a giant container filled up with blueberries! i'm rich!

5) right now i am picking up $100 in US bills at the bank. i had to pre-order them yesterday. good thing i'm thinking ahead.

6) how many spray containers do you think i'll need on my seven day vacation. keep in mind a) i'm sharing with my bf and b) i'm ghostly pale. so far i have 4 - do you think i should bring more?

that's all for now,
happcat.

exercise woes

last thursday night i went swimming. it was late for me - i went around 9:30 pm. the first thing i noticed when i got into the pool was how cloudy it was. i couldn't even see a foot in front of me. gross. but i was already in and wet with my rubber cap on so i decided to stick it out. my swim was pretty good ... except ... when i was almost done the security guard came and told me i couldn't be there. what in the world? he then immediately took it back and said i could be there. what was he talking about? well, he explained later than he thought i was underage because i looked like a little girl in the monitor. i don't know if i should be flattered or weirded out. a little girl? true - i do use a baby blue kickboard with a grimacing shark on it ... but what the hell would a child be doing pumping out laps at 10PM on a thursday night? riddle me that!?

the next time i tried to swim was on saturday morning. i was going to run but wasn't feeling too hot AND it was raining. i went down to the pool area, got changed, wet my hair, put on my rubber cap but when i went to open the final door to the pool, it was locked. what in the world? i went in my bathing attire to the front desk to inquire and they said something was wrong with the pool and that's why it was closed. couldn't they have posted a sign or something?

anyway. i ended up running 2.5 miles to my boyfriend's apartment later that day. i made him carry all my stuff on the transit LOL but i was really itching for activity.

last night i went for a run but it was terrible. it was 5 miles but i started to experience some serious bum pain (sciatic nerve) about 1/2 way through. i kept going because i still was halfway from home and by mile 3.5 i was wincing, had to stop and stretch, walk for a long period and was in serious pain. when i arrived home i stretched a lot and took a hot bath but i was still hobbling around and in serious pain. obviously i am really upset about this. i haven't been pushing it too much, i haven't been running on consecutive days so what gives? why does my bum hate me? WHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYY?

so the pool is closed and i can't run.

the good news is that i'm leaving on friday for vacation. can anyone recommend some exercises that don't involve running and swimming (that's what i do) or anything else that would aggravate my bum pain? ones that make my stomach look flat and toned are key ;)

shoot

two words for you today:



if you guessed BUM PAIN you would be correct. i had a little yesterday as well, so obviously it was my tuesday night incline treadmill walk that did this to me. maybe my problem is not so much running, but walking fast on an incline. i probably won't be running tonight. it's raining anyway ... maybe i'll try the treadmill and see how i feel but i am definitely not going to push it. i'll do nothing if i have to! hear that? NOTHING!

i really never imagined the day when i'd be pissed about not being able to fit in my workout. ha! i have to put my health before my training though.

i really can't push it because there is NO WAY i'm going to be a gimping gus on vacation like i was last year at this exact time in california. no way hose!

this week the plan

i know it's "humpday" but here is my weekly plan.

according to my marathon training schedule (say shed yule) i should be doing this:

monday: run 40 minutes
tuesday: cross train 40 minutes
wednesday: rest
thursday: run 40 minutes
friday: cross train 40 minutes
saturday: 3-mile run
sunday: rest

since i never listen to what i'm supposed to do (rebellious by nature?) here is my plan:

monday: 5-mile run (about 50 or so minutes), sit-ups and stretches
tuesday: 35-minute swim, 1-hour treadmill walk, sit-ups and stretches
wednesday: 35-minute swim
thursday: 5-mile run, sit-ups and stretches
friday: rest
saturday: 5- or 6-mile run, sit-ups and stretches.

yesterday i swam before work and then did the incline treadmill walk after work. i had nothing else to do! (other than cleaning, etc.) also, i need friday to be a rest day because i am going to see my fav band: depeche mode! woooooooooooopeeeeeeeeee! should be a gay ol' time as the flintstone's theme song used to say. did anyone else watch that everyday at lunch? i always did!

this morning for breakfast i made SPINACH OATS.

do not be alarmed by the following pictures:



i pushed the bloobs over in the second pic so you can truly appreciate the green. here are the ingredients:

1 cup spinach water (made by blending 1/2 cup water, 1/2 cup skim milk and 3 cups of baby spinach)
1/3 cup oats
1/4 cup all bran original
1 T flaxseed
1/2 cup blueberries
1 small container fat free vanilla yogurt
1/2 t vanilla
1 T chopped walnuts
dash cinnamon
small spoonful of natural pb

it's not pretty because it's in my to-go office plastic ware, but it works. it tasted a little weird but i think my walnuts have gone bad or something. i don't even really like walnuts that much. i got them for a baking project and really should throw them down the chute. i am also having a spinach salad for lunch today. it's not easy being green!

WOW

i need a vacation to recover from my vacation. this morning at work i had to buy coffee from the coffee truck. i needed it real bad. there is this truck that drives up to my building several times a day and sells goodies ... don't ask me why!

anyhoo, the weekend away was pretty good. i was a bit crabby on the drive up because my mouth hurt and it was traffic city. the two hour drive took 3 and a half hours! we even drove through this crazy rainstorm ... i thought the sky was falling. we got there eventually and everything was dandy. what fun! i had a great time - although i had way too many bud light limes and wine and other drinks as well.

on saturday i roped another guy there to go for a run with me and so i strapped on the garmin and we went 2.5 miles one way and 2.5 miles back. on the first half we saw a baby fox. it was so cute. we also saw a dead squirrel on the road but it wasn't squished. it looked as if it wandered into the middle of the road and just decided it had enough of life. on the way back it was actually squished but i didn't look. gross. :(

at night it was freezing. here i am wearing long pants, boots, a long-shirt, two zip up hoodies, a leather coat and a hat. yes, chilly willy nilly.


on sunday my bf and i played some "catch" with this velco game i bought at walmart. it's fun - like catch for dummies. you just have to put your catching hand in the general vicinity of the ball and it's easy.



if you can't see the ball (it's above my head and orange) i have no chance of catching it haha.

monday = back on track. i ate way too many things this weekend. hamburgers, cheese wieners, potato chips, sugary coolers, BEER. we did pack carrots and hummus, and whole wheat buns. oh yeah, we packed these delicious looking angus burgers but our cooler was on the patio and raccoons came and opened it in the night and ate them all ... just the burgers! those sneaky buggers. luckily (luckily...) there was lots of food.

what was i saying? oh right, monday = back on track. i just went for a 5-mile run and it was pretty good. i hate running on mondays but it's nice to be active. i've started to start each day with 500 ml of water (even before coffee or tea) and i'm really liking the way it feels. for breakfast i ate 1/3 cup oatmeal with 1/4 cup all bran, blueberries and some vanilla yogurt.

lunch was a spinach salad with a chopped vine tomato, 1/2 chopped red pepper, some sliced white mushrooms, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup black beans, and two leftover slices of deli chicken with low fat balsamic dressing.

for a snack i had a multigrain vitatop and some unsalted roasted soybeans. they sell them at the walmart supercentre and they are SO CHEAP and so good for you. they are only made with soybeans and canola oil. 1/2 cup has 120 calories, 10g fibre and 22g protein.

for dinner i had a green smoothie made with frozen banana, tons of spinach, a few blueberries, a scoop of chocolate protein, 1/2 cup milk and 1/2 cup water. alright i'm sick of blabbing and i need a shower big time!

what a life

well, it's friday morning and i have the day off from work (yay!). that's the good news. the bad news is that i went to the dentist this morning and CRIED. dammit! what a baby! i had a chipped tooth and the chip (that they fixed last time) fell out so they had to replace it. anyhoo, they froze half my mouth and then went to town, and then i could feel the drill on my tooth nerve (!!!) and so i jumped back (well, my head moved) and water from the spray hose went everywhere, and little tears started dripping down my face, and they had to use MORE freezing and now half my face is a frozen blob. the good news is that it's over.

i am at my bf's apartment. he lives in my old neighbourhood and really close to my dentist. he is still sleeping because he is a teacher and that's what they do in the summatime! we are leaving today to go to a friend's cottage all weekend - yeeha! these cottage parties are out of control - like a house party from american teen movies. right on a nice lake too and not crazy far away (less than two hours).

i have been eating well and exercising all week. i completed my weekly plan except i took a rest day on wednesday. i cleaned my apartment all night and did all my laundry. yesterday i ran/walked four miles on the treadmill in my gym. i just wasn't feeling the outside. it was tough but i made it through. i am finally back in my maintenance weight zone too. now, the hard part, to keep it that way for two weeks until we leave for paradise. can i do it? during the week - of course, but weekends are my downfall. and cottage weekends? i've already got cans of bud light lime waiting for me in my car hehe. i have tried it before and it's sooooooo good and refreshing! my LCBO was sold out of bottles so i had to purchase cans, which i have never tried but what the hey - it's like beer pop.

i am bringing my running gear to the cottage. my half-marathon training plan says i have to run five miles on saturday. i will have to bring my garmin (love it) to keep track of my distance. hopefully the satellites will co-operate! that's all for now - have a lovely weekend!

signed,
crybaby

a letter to my shoes

dear mizuno wave inspire 4's,

you were good to me. we ran a lot of miles together. and you waited for me and put up with my long walks while i had bum pain.


but i'm afraid you are old news. i'll still hold on to you, in case i have to run in the mud or something (sorry, but it's true), but i've found someone new ... a very very pretty someone.


mizuno wave inspire 4's ... meet mizuno wave inspire 5.



love,




ps. this means i'm throwing out my backup mizuno wave inspire 3'a.
pps. i got a great deal at the running warehouse, even though they came from the states and i had to pay shipping AND duty - they were still significantly cheaper than the canadian running room store price.