My Wahoo's Salad - ordered properly

Mmmm...it was yummy. In case you forgot Wednesday's tragic error.

Total dork moment...

I thought I was looking so cute at lunch today...until I looked down (and I don't even mean the way it appears that I have 'cankles' in this shot.)



Yes, they are made out of different materials, too, and have different sole thickness. Damn, I should have noticed before I left the house.

Check out my new ride!

I present to you the Nike Air Zoom Hayward+ 3.



Oooh Aaaah! We went to RunTex Riverside Friday night because we knew Coach Mac would be working, and because both Chad and I needed a new pair of shoes. Chad's latest pair of Brooks aren't working out for him, so he went to try on the Mizuno Inspire. He is used to running in Mizuno Alchemys, but they changed the model too much on the last design update, and they aren't working for him as well as they used to.

I am a loyal Mizuno runner. I love Mizuno Wave Riders, and have been wearing every single update since the Wave Rider 4s. Sometimes I wear the Wave Precisions when I want a faster shoe, and I have been known to alternate my Riders with Precisions, Elixirs, and one time an Alchemy. Friday evening I was looking for a new pair of Riders, Elixirs, or Precisions. No such luck. They were out of my size 10.5 in all 3 shoes...bummer. I know some people complain that RunTex never has their size, but I have only run into that problem once before.

Oh well...I asked Mac if he could bring me some comparable shoes in other brands, and Mac was happy to oblige. I first tried a pair of Adidas that were really cool looking and felt very fast and comfortable. I could see why Mac chose them for me. He gave me a pair of Adidas Supernovas, but they didn't feel right with all of the padding pushing into my foot. Then he brought out the Nikes.

He started me with Zoom Haywards, and I have to admit I really wasn't too sure about them. They are obviously 'retro' styled, and I wondered if they were going to be just some fashion sneaker that girls buy because they are 'cute'. They looked really great, but how did they feel? I was trying to be really critical of them because they looked like they weren't 'real running shoes' to me. Well, they fit like magic slippers. They are totally lightweight, very low profile, and offer the flexibility in the sole like I enjoy from the Mizuno Precisions.

I also tried the Nike Pegasus, and re-tried the pair of fast Adidas shoes that I was almost sold on. There was no question that the Haywards felt the best of all. So...here are some more shots of my sweet new ride. I will wear these on Tuesdays and Thursdays to quality workouts, not on my long runs.

These are styled after Steve Prefontaine's actual drawing and has a note in the tongue of the shoe with the drawing and his autograph. I love how the back and the top of the tongue say 'Pre' on them!

As Mike requested...a shot of the note on the underside of the tongue. I hope you didn't think the note was from Steve himself :).

Here's Miko checking the new shoe out. My current Mizuno Wave Rider is there for comparison.


Just in case you are wondering (and I know you really care)...I have a naturally neutral foot with rather high arches. I also have very flexible feet and tend to have natural pronation when I run. Stability shoes provide way too much structure for me, though I will alternate my regular neutral shoes with a stability shoe if my IT band starts to aggravate.

Blood Draw #1

Well, I got to have my blood drawn today. (oh boy) This is the extension of my doctor appointment week last week. The doctor and I suspect there may be something off in my hormones, so I had the first part of a complete set of tests done today...all of the thyroid/adrenal/lady hormones. There were seven different panels and specific hormones circled on my sheet, and there is no way that I could remember all of them. I suspect a thyroid problem, based on family history, but we'll have to wait and see.

I get to go again in about 7-10 days, depending on my body. Some of the lady hormones have to be checked on specific days of the month. It is actually very interesting to explore the balance of hormones that are supposed to be high or low in your body at different times.

The lady at Clinical Pathology Labs was really good at finding my vein. I am usually very apprehensive about having blood taken, but she was very reassuring and nice to me. I always have to prepare the phlebotomist and have her tell me before she sticks me. I like to breathe out as the needle goes in. A few years ago, a phlebotomist told me to do a deep exhale as the needle went in, and it greatly reduced the pain of the stick. I was sold, and have done it that way ever since.

Anyhow, the best part of getting blood drawn is getting to have lunch with my darling husband.

Dinner Dog House

Yup, it's a dog house. Chad spent some time in it last night for what had to be the biggest lapse in judgement he has made since I have known him.

I asked him to pick up dinner last night while I was out running. He balked over the phone about how he didn't know what I wanted or how to order for me. He has given this excuse a couple of times regarding my food over the last month or so. I reminded him it could be very easy...order me a salad, but with no cheese or anything 'bad' like croutons or tortilla strips. I used those words almost exactly.

So, I get in from my run to find that Chad is minutes away from the house with dinner. I had a sneaking suspicion that he had gone to Wahoo's, one of our regular places, for our to-go meal. I was right! I was excited that I would get to have their salad...it has crispy lettuce, a fresh salsa, grilled vegetables, and a spoonful of yummy guacamole.

To my horror, Chad comes in and confesses that my salad might not be exactly how I wanted it. He said that he forgot to tell them 'no cheese'. Oh no! Really? I prepared myself for what I might see when I opened up the container. Yup, there was cheese. I prepared to try to pick the cheese off, trying to be the grateful, flexible wife who appreciates the effort it took to pick up dinner. It took about 5 seconds to realize that they put the shredded cheese underneath all of the grilled vegetables so that it was all completely melted and leaking out cheese juice and oil all over the salad greens.

In the past, I might have ignored it and just eaten it up. However, after 6 months of being a fairly strict vegan, the sight of oily cheese juice all over my salad completely turned my stomach and I could only stare at it in disbelief. How could he forget?

Now, now...I know your thinking, 'That's not really a big deal, Sadie', and you're right. In the grand scheme of things it isn't. However, there were a couple of issues that put him in the dog house, and after pointing these out to Chad, I think he understood why I was upset...

• At Wahoo's, we both have 'special orders'. Neither of us gets our items directly from the menu. I was disappointed that he did not recall my special order, even though it is the only thing I have ordered there in the past 6 months.
• We eat at Wahoo's at least once a week, usually twice. Chad has heard me order this salad probably 30 or 40 times.
• I had just told him when we were on the phone to leave off the cheese and tortilla strips. Seriously, after the 30 or 40 times he has heard me order this, hearing the order again an hour before on the phone should have helped. He could have even written it down.
• Even if he temporarily forgot, Chad doesn't like cheese either. I thought for sure this would be the one ingredient that he would remember to exclude. I couldn't figure out how he would leave on an ingredient that he is so picky about on his own.
• He knows his wife is vegan. He could have remembered that and thought to ask about any dairy products. He has heard me do this over and over every time we go to a restaurant.
• Also, how could he remember enough of the special order to exclude the tortilla strips, but forget the cheese?

I was obviously very upset about this last night. My stomach was turned. I had to prep and cook pan-grilled veggies for myself while he ate his specially ordered fish bowl dish, and I couldn't eat the veggies when they were done. I had a hard time reasoning through all of the issues that caused him to forget.

Eventually, I got over it and felt like he understood how upsetting it was to me that he got the order wrong. I even asked him if he got it wrong on purpose so that he wouldn't have to pick up dinner ever again. (I knew he hadn't done it on purpose, but I know some men try to get out of doing stuff on purpose by getting it wrong.) I needed some time to get over the thoughts that my husband still does not understand the main point of the way I eat, even though I have been special ordering since we met.

Again, I know cheese on a salad is not a big deal, especially for you guys who do not follow strict diets. I'm just saying that excluding cheese is not a new thing between the two of us and it was the one ingredient that I really wouldn't eat on the salad.

Everything was resolved in my mind until we were lying in the bed. I asked Chad,

'At what point in the drive home did you realize that you had gotten the order wrong?'

I assumed he thought of it on his way home after smelling the cheese in the truck. Nope...Chad knew while he was standing there in the restaurant that he had made the mistake. He knew there was cheese on my salad and didn't think to have them make another one. He thought I would pick the cheese off. Really.

Wrong...Chad now knows that if there is cheese on my salad, I do not want to pick it off. I would rather him order me a fresh salad without cheese juice all over it. I would rather pay for another one than have the experience of going hungry at dinner time. I can't believe he knowingly gave me the salad with the cheese instead of taking the extra few minutes to order me the right one. People who don't eat cheese (vegan or not vegan) don't like to have cheese juice leftover and dripping on the rest of their food...a cheese-phobic person such as Chad should know that :).

Chad knows I intended to blog about this, and I hope that it came across like I intended. I love him, regardless of how hungry I was in the middle of the night :).

Cat Torture - Owner Torture

Imagine working at home in a nice peaceful office with your three lazy cats sleeping by your side all day.

Now image trying to get work done while a few feet away from your window, an entire group of baby birds practices their new flying skills. Here's a shot of the birds...Can you picture the excitement of the cats?

In total, there were probably 20-30 birds all over that tree. The birds were preoccupied with their flight techniques that they did not notice our three 'predator' cats stalking them through the window. Guess the birds didn't care. I also like how the main adult bird in the middle chirps loudly throughout the whole process.

This went on for about an hour this morning. Now the cats are exhausted and napping in the window.

Kitty Birthdays - Beans Hits Double Digits!

We don't really know the exact birthdays of our kitties, but we do know that both Beans and Felicia were born at the end of May. So, it has been declared that today is Beans and Felicia's birthday! Also, so Miko doesn't feel left out, it can be her birthday, too! Felicia turns 9 today, and we think Miko is between 4 and 6.

I never thought Beans would make it to 10. He was hit by a car when he was a young cat, and has had various ailments ever since. He has been on three different prescription diets and is an all around grumpy bastard. He will, however, come cuddle with you while you watch TV and will wake you up in the morning to get some breakfast.

Happy 10th Birthday Beans! You are one tough kitty!

Indiana Jones!

Hooray for the four day weekend. Chad and I are kicking off the weekend by going to the Alamo Drafthouse to see the new Indiana Jones movie. We do plan to get there early, and yes, we already have our tickets.

Chinese Zodiac - Snake

In my profile, you can see that I was born in the year of the snake. I went to read up on this Chinese Zodiac Page about what it means to be a snake, and this is what I found...

The Year Of The Snake 1917, 1929, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001
People born in the Year of the Snake are deep. They say little and possess great wisdom. They never have to worry about money; they are financially fortunate. Snake people are often quite vain, selfish, and a bit stingy. Yet they have tremendous sympathy for others and try to help those less fortunate. Snake people tend to overdo, since they have doubts about other people's judgment and prefer to rely on themselves. They are determined in whatever they do and hate to fail. Although calm on the surface, they are intense and passionate. Snake people are usually good-looking and sometimes have marital problems because they are fickle. They are most compatible with the Ox and Rooster.

Hmm...I don't like the marital problems, but it is interesting to note that Chad is an Ox.


The Year of the Ox 1913, 1925, 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997
People born in the Year of the Ox are patient, speak little, and inspire confidence in others. They tend, however, to be eccentric, and bigoted, and they anger easily. They have fierce tempers and although they speak little, when they do they are quite eloquent. Ox people are mentally and physically alert. Generally easy-going, they can be remarkably stubborn, and they hate to fail or be opposed. They are most compatible with Snake, Rooster, and Rat people.

I would never call Chad eccentric or bigoted, and he certainly doesn't anger easily or have a fierce temper. The part about speaking little might be pretty close :).

I am also a Scorpio, which I took it upon myself to read up on here. Yep, that's about right. I also found it interesting that Scorpios and Cancers are highly compatible. (Chad's sign is Cancer.)

Hey baby, what's your sign?

Okay, here's a peek...

Before - May 11





After - May 21

New Haircuts

Why is it that it takes a few days to get used to a new haircut? I got my hair chopped off yesterday, and I feel so much better. Christy, my stylist, did an awesome job. She put a lot of effort into the styling of the layers and I could tell that the techniques she was using were going to help my hair fall into place without a lot of work on my end every day.

However, it is very hard to get used to the way I look in the mirror. Styling my hair is also proving to be difficult to get used to. I need to figure out my own techniques for getting it to look the way I want. It looks very nice if I do nothing to it, but I like to put my own stamp on it, too.

Anyhow, no pictures for you today...I'm not ready to show the hair online until I get used to it looking cute.

Dermatologist - Check!

If you have ever been to the dermatologist for a mole check, then you know what I went through yesterday. Basically, you get to strip down to your underclothes and the doctor inspects every inch of your skin from fishing through your hair to look at your scalp down to between your toes. Every single mole gets inspected and anything that looks suspicious you get asked about.

I have a couple of moles that look weird, but have looked that way for years without any change. These were fine, but the doctor reminded me to keep a watch on them to notice any changes if they occur. As expected, I had one mole on my side, about 10 inches below my left armpit that looked suspicious, so they had to take it off for a biopsy. It is really no big deal to get them shaved off.

Why is it that the numbing shot hurts? I guess it's better to endure a prick and the sting of lidocaine rather than feel the razor blade slice through your skin. In all, I had a small patch of skin missing under a band-aid when I left. No stitches. The missing piece of skin is about the size of my pointer finger fingernail.

Of course, later in the evening after I had gotten all sweaty on my run, the band-aid from the doctor had to be removed and the area cleaned. Chad was such a sweetie to let me be a baby about it, because it honestly felt like the adhesive from the band-aid had been applied directly to the shaved area. It felt like I was peeling off my skin as I removed the sweaty band-aid.



Yes, this is a picture of a Tigger band-aid. We are both pack-rats and I could not bear to get rid of a package of Disney band-aids that we received in a 3M race packet. As an adult, you don't really want to wear Tigger on your hand or leg or any other exposed area, so I have plenty of cartoon character bandages that I just could not put in the trash. However, since my wound is on my side, underneath my clothing, I got to take advantage of my free bandages and wear the cartoon character proudly. Waste not, folks.

Some other dermatology related items that I got to discuss:
acne issues - I have all kinds of crazy acne on my face. I have tried many prescriptions in the last year and found that Metrogel works well for my skin type. However, the gel formulation does not work well with my make-up. I was able to get a new prescription for the same active ingredient, but as Metrolotion. I tried it last night for the first time, and it felt really good on my skin.

sunscreen - obviously we should be wearing sunscreen all the time, especially if we are running in the sun. The problem I have been having is that I sweat so badly that the sunscreen completely burns my eyes. I thought I had found the best sunscreen for running (Skinceuticals Sport 45 - waterproof and unscented), but I still found that it stings my eyes in the heat of the summer. Also, despite the fact that it is a very nice formulation, after an hour or so, my skin looks and feels oily (not what I want under make-up)

I was introduced to Elta sunblock yesterday, which goes on very dry and oil-free. It has an spf of 45 also, but I don't think it is as waterproof as the Skinceuticals. Tonight will be the first night I try it in a full sweat, so we'll see how it goes. I see that they also have a sport sunblock that is very waterproof, so if the current tube I have is unsuccessful with my sweat, then I may give it a try.

age spots - My face knows that I'm 30. It is like I turned 30 and all of my brown sun spots decided to show themselves at once. Seriously, I have lots of dark spots all over my face. I was a swimmer and a sun girl as a child, and even though I wore sunscreen, there were many occasions where I burned. My skin type is also very prone to getting this kind of discoloration. Rather than talking about getting a peel or laser treatment (which would be kind of excessive at my age), we discussed a cream called Lustra that I am going to try. It has hydroquinone in it at 4%, which is double the concentration of over-the-counter formulations.

Also, the nurse assistant that went over my prescriptions said that Lustra was wonderful stuff and that she uses it morning and night and doesn't need an extra moisturizer. Of course her skin was beautiful and completely porcelain, but that was probably mostly due to genetics and a use of 50 sunscreen every day. She probably hasn't heard of this thing called the sun.

Anyhow, I am ready to battle most of the skin issues that a woman my age battles. I don't mind aging gracefully, but if there are products that can make looking in the mirror a little easier and they don't involve a scalpel or my skin falling off at once, I'm willing to try.

The time has come...

...to retire this pair of running socks. I bought these socks two years ago and they have served me well. It is quite possible that this is the pair of socks that I qualified for and ran Boston in, which means they hold my fastest two marathon times. They are a fast pair of socks.

Imagine my surprise when I pulled off my shoes after a leisurely 7 miles yesterday evening to find my big toes sticking out. I didn't alter anything about my feet in this shot to take the picture, either.

Thanks, Asics, for making a great pair of socks. These will now go to sock heaven.

Have a good weekend!

This weekend has started beautifully! This morning I got up and went down to the trail early to run 3 miles before meeting Melissa for our 7 mile run. My calf muscles were still a little tight from the week's workouts, so I was glad to be able to plod away for a few miles by myself before Melissa and I ran together. As we were getting started, we ran into fellow blogger Erin, who I had not met before. Erin was nice enough to introduce herself...nice to meet you, too! It is funny how we read blogs of people we don't really know, but feel like we know a bit of their personality by following their daily stories.

The run was quite pleasant. Both Melissa and I were running at a comfortable pace enough to chat and not breathe too hard. We were definitely sweaty by the end, but the weather was just beautiful!

I hustled home to shower and was able to buy tickets to see Kathy Griffin at the Long Center in July. The tickets went on sale this morning at 10:00am. I am usually not the kind of girl to wait at the computer for tickets to see a concert or a comedian, so I had a good laugh at myself as I tried to click fast to get seats that are decent. People either really like or really hate Kathy Griffin, and Chad definitely does not care for her. No matter, I will be going no matter what. She is funny to me...I love how she laughs at herself most of all.

So, the weekend is shaping out to be pretty darn successful! Tomorrow I plan to run 5 miles (completing a full 39 miles this week) and will reward myself with a couple of new running clothes pieces. Mom and I are going shopping at Bettysport for her to spend her Mother's Day gift certificate. No, she is not spending it on me...we're just going to share the shopping experience.

One of my quirks

This post is for my friend Diana. She has witnessed me doing this many many times, and I think she may do this, too, with her Cuties.

I have a little quirkiness when it comes to peeling an orange. I absolutely get a thrill out of removing the white pithy part from the middle of an orange. Sometimes I really love tangerines, mandarines, or other little citrus fruits that have loose peels because I can remove the whole peel in one piece, including the very center. Ideally, it should all come out in one solid piece. I don't know why I get so excited, but I think it is such a beautiful, satisfying thing.

The orange that I peeled today had a really tough peel, so I didn't get the pleasure of pulling out the center attached to the rind. Also, it broke in half, so I am showing you the two separate pieces. However, this was my first orange this season to get a good thick center pith. Very fun!

I know...I'm a little weird for being so quirky about orange pith.

Appointments Galore

Do you have a time of year where you have a ton of appointments to go to? I feel like my body must be in its lowest form right now, as I have four different personal appointments to attend to next week.

Appointment #1 - Monday - Dermatologist - I get my skin checked annually for irregular moles and spots. This year I know I have one spot on my shoulder that I will have removed because it is growing and I don't like the way it feels under my skin. It is probably nothing because it feels like a scar and does not look like a mole. I also get to talk about any other skin issues I have been having. I really don't like going to the dermatologist for the mole check, because there have been years where I have to have a few things taken off. I don't want any surprises here.

Appointment #2 - Tuesday - Haircut - Desperately needing one right now. My hair is damaged and way too long. I can't wait to have cleaner ends. No worries, though...I will not be chopping all of my hair off, even though I want to.

Appointment #3 - Wednesday - Dentist - Regular cleaning and exam. I have not been so good about flossing lately, so I will probably get scolded a little. Oh well. I love getting nice clean teeth. I also have about 3 or 4 Whitestrips left from my last box, so I will probably finish them off. I don't really whiten my teeth, just touch ups after cleanings if I feel like I have had a lot of coffee/tea/red wine lately...I have this box from last year where I used about 5 or 6 treatments worth, then quit. I used 3 or 4 more strips before the wedding, and now I have a few left over.

Appointment #4 - Thursday - Gynecologist - oh yay. I am actually seeing my real doctor this time instead of the nurse practitioner. (No, Chad and I are not trying to have kids already, nor do I think I could be pregnant.) I get to chat with the doctor about lady issues, so I guess I am looking forward to a productive appointment.

All I can say is that by next Friday, I will need some serious attention to how beautiful and radiant I look. I will have clean teeth, a fresh haircut, and a body that is well cared for. Maybe I should schedule a manicure for Friday to finish out the week right.

I am thankful that none of these appointments is to the chiropractor, physical therapist, regular doctor, or for one of my family members.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day was quite nice. Of course, the weather was perfect here in Austin, so no matter what we decided to do, it would be good. Chad and I took my mom to brunch at South Congress Cafe. Since they don't take reservations, we strolled up and down Congress looking at the shops that were open. Brunch was delicious, as always, and I think my mom liked it. Here we are back at the house...this picture is one of the best we've ever taken.

During the middle of the day, Chad and I were tired, so we layed around watching golf. My kitty-children must have known it was mother's day because they piled on the recliner with me and cuddled. Beans usually doesn't cuddle for more than 15-20 minutes at a time, but on Sunday he managed to get so comfortable that he fell asleep on my lap for almost an hour. He probably spent an hour and a half total time on my lap and it was wonderful.

Later in the evening, Chad and I took his mom, Karen, to The Clay Pit. Indian food was Chad's idea, and it was definitely well received by all of us. Dinner was delicious and we had a fun time. We took a few pictures there, too, but they are on his mom's camera.

It was a great day!

So Proud

My friend, Justyne Biddle, teaches science at a middle school in Leander ISD. Justyne and I used to teach together at Hudson Bend, and she is also a runner and triathlete. One of her students this year is a young boy with autism who has learned how to communicate through a letter board. Coming from a 1st grade level a year ago, the young man recently placed 4th in the State Science Fair in the 7th grade Chemistry division. The story is here (get past the 15 sec commercial, and then the story is great!)

Obviously, I am proud of the young man, Mike, who is overcoming his disability.

I am also very proud of my friend Justyne. She is an inspiring teacher, pushing all of her students to do well. I had the privilege of judging some of the local science fair at her school, and admire the efforts that she and the other teachers demonstrated to help their students do well. Justyne is a rare spirit and her students and school are so lucky to have her.

Personal Coach

I know that I made the right decision to train with Mac. Here's proof...

Mac ran all of my repeats with me tonight at workout. Every single one of them.

After warming up, we were to run 6 x 200 uphill at 5k pace, jogging back 200 easy each time, then water break and repeat the entire thing again. When we started, Mac ran out with the fast guys and stopped at the top of the hill to call out everyone's time as they reached the cone marking the end of the 200. I was last (like always), but I hit the time that I was supposed to. Mac jogged easy down the hill with me and I thought that would be it. I was wrong.

Mac ran with me about 2 paces ahead and called out my time on every hill. All twelve times up. I was secretly hoping that he would pick someone else so that I wouldn't have so much pressure to hit my times. I wasn't feeling so hot tonight, but the pressure of having your coach running and timing you is pretty hard to compete with. I had to make my split or Mac would feel like encouraging me to go faster. I did not want him to see me break down.

So, I got way more personal attention than I ever expected. He has never run with me that much before. It was kind of nice (and tough).

Friday Recovery - Mental preparation

Today on the schedule is a recovery day. I like to prepare myself mentally for my long runs on Saturday by reviewing my progress for the week and to boost myself with motivational thoughts. Today I will share...

I have had a great last 7 days.

• I had the nerve to enter a race that I was not prepared for. On Saturday I managed to get up frightfully early to go register for the TX Round Up 10k. I didn't bandit, like many people I know choose to do on a 'workout run'. Actually, I even did a 4 mile warm-up to get my miles in. A 4 mile warmup is something I typically hate to do before I line up for a race.
• Sunday, I overcame the urge to forego the run due to bad weather. Even though we ran later, I still ran through the mud and overcame the obstacle of taking the day off.
• Monday, I did not have the mental strength to do my scheduled run. At the time, I felt guilty for not doing it. In hindsight, it doesn't matter that I completed the run or not. I acknowledged my mental weakness, and will strive to do better next week.
• Tuesday, I attended my first group workout with Mac. I am officially slow and out of shape, and it was slightly humiliating to run 10 pounds heavy in the heat and come in dead last every time. It's going to change, though, so I will be strong and endure the personal humiliation. I have been last in Mac's group before, and it only made me tougher on race day.
• Wednesday, I regained my running spirit by passing folks on the trail. I also did 7 miles instead of the 5 that was prescribed because of my leftover guilt from Monday.
• Thursday, I suffered through one of my least favorite workouts - on the grass at the Zilker soccer fields. I was still last in the group, but I managed to do the workout properly and maintain the proper paces. Running on the grass is very difficult for me, so I am very proud that I worked it out.

Now today I find a fun quote that makes me laugh. Considering my experience on the trail on Wednesday, I find it very appropriate.

"It's rude to count people as you pass them. Out loud." -Adidas ad

Tomorrow I will run 11 miles, with some of it being speed work. I can do it, even though my legs are a little shocked that I keep making them run fast. Three days of an actual Mac workout is kind of harsh for my slow, flabby pair of thighs. There's only one way to run faster, and that is to run faster.

My Sponsors - I wish!

If you could be sponsored like professional athletes are, who's brand would you want to wear?

Here are some of mine : (Note in some cases, I don't currently use the brand, but I would love to.)

Shoes/Clothes - this is a tough one...Nike. I would hate to not be able to wear my Mizuno shoes, but the Nike active wear is just so much better.
Sports Drink/Food - Clif products (including Luna products) I love that their products are all natural.
Sports watch/GPS - Garmin
Auto - Toyota (hybrid, anyone?)
Misc - Camelbak
Electronics - Apple (I wish I could break away from my PC world!)
Hotel - Marriott

(For Tara) 'Please blog something.'

I don't know what to say today...everyone feel free to leave a comment and suggest a topic.

Topic 1 - Living with a Man - beyond man-laundry

• Sports Illustrated arrives in the mailbox every Thursday.
• I never expected to be able to sleep through Chad getting ready in the morning. Somehow, I've been able to get used to it :) Why would I need to get up at 5:45, when I can sleep until 7:00?
• We stay up past my pre-wedding bedtime...maybe that's why I need to sleep 'til 7:00
• It's really nice to have a husband that will load and unload the dishwasher. I hate that job.
• I have always considered it a man-job to take out the trash. Chad does that now. Yay!
• More often now, I turn on the TV and ESPN comes on because it was the last channel watched. That really didn't happen much pre-husband.
• Yeah, that's about it...

Topic 2 - my life as a runner

• I sweat more than most people. I also get redder in the face than most people.
• I also chafe more than most people...between the legs (even with biker shorts), on the waistband of my shorts, on the bottom band of my sports bra, on the top (scoop neck) part of my sports bra, between my butt cheeks (yes, sometimes it happens), under the armpits (rubs up against the seam of my shirt), sometimes even around the pouch of my running tights (an oval shape at my lower back)
• I may not be able to beat someone at a 5k or 10k, but I probably will be able to outlast them in the marathon.
• My marathon pace is very close to my 5k and 10k pace.
• I have run up to 70 miles in a week (ave 10 per day), and 234 miles in a month (ave 7.5 per day)
• I could count all of my running shirts, shorts, socks, shoes, etc, but it would take me a while. I can almost guarantee that I have more than you, mostly because I don't get rid of much. Recently I got rid of 7 pairs of shorts that I never wear, and had to throw away 4-5 pairs of socks because of the holes in them.
• My favorite training shoe is the Mizuno Wave Rider. I have a neutral foot with high arches.
• My official running injuries have been - IT band (had to take 2-3 weeks easy in Aug 2005), IT band again, but on the other side (I took almost a month off in Nov 2005), Inflamed right hip/nerve pain (Jan 2006), Inflamed tendons/ligaments in pelvis (took 10 weeks off in Fall 2007)

More topics anyone?

Flucie goes to work

Felicia found a new resting spot during the day. Basically, I have to close the door to the bedroom (separating her from her favorite spot, the bed) to get her to come into the office during the day. However, when I do, she likes to jump up on my desk and sit right there. I felt bad for her that she was sitting on the hard desk all day while my other two munchkins lounge on a padded bench, so I put down a towel for her to rest on.

She likes to watch me type.

I'm back...competitive LBLT running

I used to be the kind of runner on the trail that would try to pass people and not get passed. I would create races in my head between myself and the person in front of me that I had to beat. I would try to size someone up based on their stride and pace, and try to race them to the end of the trail. It was always fun passing dudes or other girls my age, who obviously had no idea that they were part of my competition. Sometimes passing someone would spark them to run a little faster. I loved hearing the person's footstrike speed up and feel their presence just behind me, stride by stride as we would 'race' down the trail.

That drive for competition was lost for some time last year. Over the past few months, I would shrink back and allow everyone to pass me and never felt strong enough to call out the competitive girl in the back in my mind. I saw myself as out of shape, injured, or whatever word provided the excuse to coast during a run. My running was pretty pathetic, actually. Why in the hell was I even out there if I was worried about pushing myself too hard or if 4 miles was too much? Recovering from injury is important, but when I began to hold myself back simply because I was a little out of breath, I became the casual, half-fit 'jogger' that I didn't want to be.

I am a runner, not some lazy loafer that shys away from a challenge. I am not afraid of being sore, of feeling weak, of being last. In my gut, I like to prove to myself that I can do whatever I want to do.

So, I'm back. I ran my scheduled 'easy run' that Mac prescribed yesterday. However, on the trail, I started noticing my 'competition' again. I saw those folks that needed chasing down and I caught them. I kept a steady rhythm and let my heart rate get comfortable in a new faster pace. No worries, I still consider what I did an 'easy run'. I certainly am not going to disregard the coach's instructions. I simply found the fast runner in myself again.

Now if I can just get my speed to match my attitude...