New furniture!!!

Lauren and I adventured around Mesquite for about 4 hours on Saturday and ended up buying a new coffee table, end table, entertainment console, and a hutch from Rooms to Go. We also ended up buying a chaise lounge from The Room Store (coming this weekend) and another end table from Pier One (not pictured). Crazy thing is... we don't have to make a single payment toward most of it until July 2010.

Now we've got to fill up that empty wall above the TV with a bigger wall mounted TV ;)

Great minds think alike?

David and I both had the same idea for our two year "cotton"
anniversary.

Two years of marriage...And he knows me well!

Gerber daisies were delivered my office this morning, my
favorites!!! :-) How sweet is that?

These were the flowers we had in our wedding, too. My husband is the
best.

Hair cut

I liked this hair cut so much, I'm actually keeping up with it. Got
it cut again today, then got my nails done with Anjali and Ashley.

Halloween!!!

David and I went to our friend J-Rod's house for a fantastic Halloween party! Although I was sick almost all week before, I started feeling better Friday evening and was able to go to the party and have a great time.

David and I went as the Doctor and a sexy nurse:



I was really pleasantly surprised at all the time and effort people put into their costumes! Some of them were really impressive, particularly our friend Erik and his wife Anita, who went as the Joker and Poison Ivy:






We also had a super tall guy, Mario, the Wicked Witch of the East complete with house on top of her, Frye, Sarah Palin and John McCain, a cowboy and and Indian, a mad scientist, and lots of other costumes I either don't have time to name or just didn't get.

More photos are on Flickr, but friends and family access only. Let me know if you need help viewing them!

6 random things

I was asked by Amanda to write six random things, like her post on the subject. Actually, she called for a list from Lauren + David. So, here is our list, as the collective consciousness that married couples seem to become:

1. I discovered recently that not only do David and I talk to each other in our sleep (something that wakes me up from time to time), but David also solves problems in his sleep. I woke up Saturday night to David's mumbling, something that happens on occasion (I once heard him exclaim that the answer was 54...to what, who knows). I was trying to make out the words when he suddenly sat part of the way up and leaned over across me, tapping his fingers on my stomach like it was a keyboard. Then he reached under the blanket and was moving his hand back and forth, which I assume was the mouse. It was all the self control I could muster not to giggle. After just a few moments of this, he decided to lie back down and roll over.
2. We both love horror movies, even the cheesy ones that are more laughable than frightening. Much of the training we do can be justified as preparing for survival in a zombie apocalypse...which I swear is just a coincidence.
3. We could probably eat different kinds of pasta every night for dinner and be perfectly content.
4. Part of the thrill of all the crazy things we do (run marathons, climb mountains, skydive, etc) is having the vast majority of people think we're crazy for doing it. The other part of the thrill is the accomplishment when we succeed. (We each thank the other often for being equally as crazy.)
   
5. Unlike some couples (it would seem), we actually do prefer to hang out with each other, and haven't yet found the need for time away - we mostly just do it because we know our lives should be well-rounded, and because we have other people we love and want to spend time with. I know it's mushy, but it's true.
6. We've decided that Denver is probably our favorite place in the country, but we're not sure if we'll ever live there, since being closer to family is much higher on our list of priorities.
   

There ya go... Now back to work.

Reimer's Ranch climbing

We went camping and climbing outside Austin today. We spent the day
climbing at Reimer's Ranch with Steve, his two friends Cameron and Emily, and Shaheena and Francisco. David and I each led our first climb on a route called "Roly Poly Coco Kitty" on Dead Cats wall, a 5.7. The entire route was bolted, making it a little easier than the route Eli was leading us on in Estes Park, but it was a great first route.

The rest of the trip was nice, very easygoing, with a great group of people. They're also terrific climbers, so it was nice to watch their techniques - including Steve's crazy lead up a ridiculous climb to set a top rope, and joking about Emily's "sea lion technique" on that same route. We came back from climbing tired and sore and took a dip in the lake to wash off before settling down to bratwurst for dinner.

The pups had an absolute BLAST! They love camping. They were nervous when we were actually climbing and they were tied up, though. They kept whining, which usually isn't something they do for very long, but I think they were just worried about us. They had a long, fun day and even let us sleep in until 7:30!

Halloween costume: complete

One great thing about having the...ummm ... more "alternative
shopping" mall so close to work: easy access to cheap "stripper"
shoes. Hehehe. These beauties officially complete my Halloween costume.

What will I be? It's a secret.

Boo!

It's Halloween at Gap Broadcasting!

What should we be for Halloween?

A giant fluffy bee?

Our run in the morning... wish us luck!

A new week, a new perspective

Well, after the past week's craziness (my new job, David's family visiting, David's birthday, the birthday barbeque, etc) we need to get back on course for our training and weight loss goals. So, starting tomorrow, it's back on track: keeping the WW Points down and tracking them in our spreadsheets, sticking to the FIRST program's marathon training schedule, as well as getting enough nutrition and enough rest to really bounce back from the slump we've been in. I'd say that although we've been getting in our long weekly runs most weeks, we haven't been fully committed to eating and exercising on plan in over a month. So, tomorrow, we're starting back full force.

Also, this week marks the second week of the new job, which is when all the real work is going to start rolling (or deluging) in. So I'm expecting to need a proper schedule to keep me focused and motivated as things start to build up.

If you were wondering, our barbeque for David's birthday went well. It was "Talk like a Pirate Day" themed, with eye patches and paper hats and a stuffed parrot for David to wear that our friend Nick brought. Lots of meat of all kinds and plenty of other food to go around, including my attempt at cake balls which everyone thought was quite yummy. All in all, another great get-together. And, my Tigers won over those other wannabe Tigers, so all is right in the world.

17 Miles... Or Not

The schedule today actually called for 20 miles, but last weekend also
called for 17 miles, but our little Denver trip forced us to miss that
scheduled run. With that in mind we were to run 17 today and 20 next
week.

At least we're both in agreement this time... We're tired. Lauren
started her new job this week and my family has been in town, throwing
our schedule so completely off. So we're taking the morning off to
sleep in an we'll pick up the pieces of our running schedule Monday.

Long bike ride tomorrow?

Super fancy new desk

Complete with yellow chairs!

Happy birthday, David!

David's mom and two of his brothers, Matt and Jon, came to visit to
escape the hurricane damage of Houston and to celebrate David's 25th
birthday. We had hibachi and sushi at Edohana. Of course, David had
to get the odd obligatory witch-like hat, offbeat drumming Happy
Birthday song, and yummy lump of fried ice cream.

A step up

Our IT director, Joe, got my new laptop and dual monitors set up
yesterday on my card table. The electrician is installing another
outlet today, and my furniture should be here tomorrow or Thursday.
Things are starting to shape up already. :-)

New job, new digs

This is currently my desk at GAP Broadcasting for my first day. Yeah,
there behind the boxes. They picked out some furniture today, and my
laptop and dual monitors should be in today. Yay! I'm about to go
start digging around in the sites....and finish up the paperwork for HR.

Saying goodbye

We drove back over to Lumpy Ridge to take some photos. The peak in the
middle of this pic is the Batman, with the point in front being the
part we climbed.
Now off to the airport!

Downtown Estes Park

As much of a tourist town as Estes Park seems to be, we did find the
back half of downtown and it really is quite picturesque. Now to buy
some Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory chocolate. Yum!

At Bob & Tony's Pizza

Giant pizza!

We earned it.

Back on the ground

We made it!

The view from the top. This was the hardest climb we've ever done.
Lots of cracks and pull-ups and difficult footwork. If that is a
5.6-5.7, I think I'll be there for a while.

First pitch

This is our first pitch. Up high! Almost to the top.

Getting ready for the big one

Taking a little break while Eli sets the top rope for our next climb.

Climbing Location

We're climbing "Batman & Robin"

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=40.405312,+-105.530527

Sent from my iPhone

First climbs

Finished two small routes now. This is David tying in to do the
second route. The rock here is different, granite, so we're getting
used to it.

Getting ready

Our guide Eli setting our top rope.

Just reached the peak

We'll be climbing a place called "the batman" which is a few hundred
feet up from here.

Lumpy Ridge

Getting ready to go climb. We are so pumped.

Italian dinner

At the Dunraven downtown. I was craving some good pasta and we
happened to spot this little place. If the smell is any indication,
this should be pretty tasty. David moved when I took the pic but I
told him I was posting it anyway.

Our cabin

Very cute. Full kitchen, fireplace, living room and king bed. Robes
too. :-) There's also a hot tub nearby that we plan on taking
advantage of later. Right now we're about to go back into town to get
some groceries and take some photos.

Arrival

Our first glimpse of Estes Park

Rainbow

A beautiful rainbow we spotted on the way to Estes Park just past
Boulder.

Driving through the mountains

We are taking the recommended back way to Estes Park from Evergreen,
through the mountains. Beautiful.

Elk sighting!

Right inside Mark and Sherry's fence. Crazy Colorado... They weren't
afraid of us at all.

Food and family

Two of the best burgers in the country at the Country Road Cafe, owned
by David's Uncle Mark and Aunt Sherry.

The Denver Adventure Begins

Lauren and I are currently cruising down the moving sidewalk at DEN after getting off of our 8:30 flight from DFW. We actually checked a bag for once, so we're off to baggage claim. Hope our bag made it. I wonder what the TSA agent when he scanned the harnesses and carabiners in the purple backpack Lauren is dragging.

Leaving for the last time

Last day at TDMN. It's a happy-sad, bittersweet ending.

A great start

I kind of started my new job this week by attending the annual
conference for GAP Broadcasting's southwestern stations. It was held
at Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine. So far, so good. Everyone seems
really nice and down-to-earth. And, the work doesn't sound like
anything I can't do...at least, not yet.
The photo is of our "guest speaker" this morning, Kidd Kraddick,
although you can't really tell who it is in the photo. Vic really
wanted to get a photo of me with Kidd, but he had to leave quickly.
Since the president of the company is good friends with him, though,
the opportunity may come around again.

Defeated by that North Texas sun...

Our run today did not go quite as planned you could say. It started
out great: running down 549 in a crisp 70 degrees with a nice breeze
and plenty of water and tunes.

Things were still going well around mile 10, then the water started
getting low as the sun got higher and brighter and hotter. We stopped
at Cane Middle School, refilled and caught a bit of shade for several
minutes.

Back on our way I started to feel cramps building up in my calf
muscles. "Uh-oh," I started to think, "that's what happened last
time." 2 miles later I couldn't run any more and even walking hurt. I
tried cooling down and working through it, but to no avail.

I can't say it was my proudest moment, but I got Lauren to run the
rest of the way home to get the car. Ick.

Oh well. Big improvement over last time. We're skipping next week's
run to hang out in Denver and I'm looking forward to that.

Sent from my iPhone

RCP Critic's choice

This is me, dressed up all fancy for the Rockwall Community Playhouse
Critic's Choice banquet at the Hilton Bella Harbor. We had fun seeing
all my Grease castmates, but Grease only won two awards, for People's
Choice best actor (Drew as Danny) and our vocal coach won an award.
Singing in the Rain cleaned up! Just means I have to do another show.
Definitely doing Kiss Me Kate. Mrs Ragsdale is Asst Director for The
Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe and was telling David how he'd make
a great Mr Tumnus...hehehe. I'll at least get him up there working on
the set or something this year.

Blast from the past

One of my best friends from college and former roommates, Renee, came
to visit randomly this weekend. She just wrapped up PT school and
hasn't started the job she took in Brookhaven, Miss. yet, so she
decided to come visit us in Dallas. It had been over a year since we
had seen each other and over two years since we got to really talk.
It was great. There is really something to be said for having good
friends like that, with a history. So many things about who you are
and where you came from are just understood, even after years apart.
I was surprised to find that the comfortable, easy friendship was
still there after so much time had passed.

She got to spend time with some other Dallas area friends, too, and
met my new circle of friends here, who were so welcoming and friendly,
it reminded me why I love them so much.

Sad cube

It's hard to believe that after next week, my cube at TDMN will no
longer be where I spend my days. I've actually already packed up a
lot of the stuff that was hanging on the walls. I'm a little sad, but
I'm ready for a new start.

Ready to run

Bring it on, 7 mile tempo run. This is my game face.  No silly cold, or "girl problems" or the fajitas I had for lunch will hinder me.  Raaa!

Sent from my iPhone

Wherever you go, there you are...

I am at
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=33.072220,+-96.072113

Sent as an experiment from my iPhone.

This is where I work!

How d'ya like the new look?

Yep, that's our pups in the header, Sadie in front and Jammy in the back with the ball, and David's legs running the Big D Texas Marathon. Yay Photoshop filters!

Key Run #1: Speedy speedy speedwork

Time: 7:45-8:45 PM
Weather: 96°, Sunny/Clear (but near dusk), 6 mph wind, 37% humidity
Course: Cain Middle School track
Workout: Warm-up, 3X1K with 400 meter RI, Cool-down
Total Workout Time: 52:00

Although it may not have actually been cooler for this run, it certainly felt cooler. The 1K speed work was much easier than the last two for a few reasons:

1. The sun was not beating down on our faces, since it was on it's way down.
2. The 1K pace was already slower than the 800s, and we had given ourselves a few extra seconds when we reworked our time goals.
3. Our legs had fully recovered from the beating we gave them last week.

I felt really good during this workout. Hopefully this is a sign that the speed workouts will get more manageable. Also, David tried out a new strategy: wearing a bandana headband full of ice. Seemed to work well, too.

Key Run 3 - 8 Miles

Ack. For the first time since the latter parts of the last marathon training, I didn't make it. We decided that 8 miles would be a great distance to start visiting White Rock, and we got out there around 7:00, 30 minutes after I had planned on us arriving. We were to walk out about half a mile, and walk the last half of the ~9 mile course. Didn't happen that way.

My legs still hurt from Thursday's workout when we started, but all was going well until mile 4. Sometime during that mile, my quads started to hurt. By the start of mile 5, I could feel them fire every time I stepped back with that particular leg. Ack again.

I'll update with times later on. For now, it's Batman time.

Cross Train - Wall Ball

We bought a 12# medicine ball after seeing this workout come up, and today's WOD involved some equipment we don't have, so we got to experience the wall ball. A couple of notes... don't hit your face with a 12# ball, and 100 walking lunges still hurts.

For time:
50 Wall Ball
50 Steps Walking Lunge
50 Sit-ups
500 meter row
50 Sit-ups
50 Steps Walking Lunge
50 Wall Ball

David: 16:19
Lauren: 17:50

Key Run #2: Tempo Run

Time: 7:15-8:00 PM
Weather: 90°, Sunny, 1 mph wind, 63% humidity
Course: 4 mile out-and-back through adjoining neighborhood, past the pool and up the giant hill.
Workout: 1 easy, 2 @ PMP, 1 easy

Not a good run for me. I was fine when we set out at our easy pace, but about a mile in when we picked up the pace, my right shoulder began to have sharp pains right beneath the blade. By the time we finished the second mile, it hurt so badly that it hurt all the way through my chest and I had to stop. After a stop, I was able to make it over a mile before it became so painful again that I had to take another walk break. We finished our easy mile, but I was wiped out.

I attribute the shoulder pain to the dips we did yesterday for Crossfit WOD. I think I was just so sore that it really started to hurt when my lungs and chest were forced to expand during the faster pace. Plus, I had a tense day at work, and was having trouble relaxing my shoulders. I'm hoping that the farther we get in our training the easier it will get to push ourselves all week long. I just look forward to that rest day on Friday...

Key Run #1: Kick butt speed work

Time: 7:15 - 8:00 PM
Weather: 90°, Sunny, little wind, 55% humidity
Course: Rubberized track, Cain Middle School
Workout: 4X800 with 2 minute recovery intervals; warm-up with slow run and strides
Goal Pace: 7:12/mile

This run was the closest I have ever come to passing out during a workout. The warm-ups were great; this was the first time to try doing strides before a workout (walking, then speeding up to race pace, then ending with knee-highs and butt-kicks) and I felt so much looser afterward. The 800's were a different story. The first two weren't that bad, although I did feel as though my lungs were about to collapse. It was the third one that got me, and I felt very dizzy and nauseated, so we decided that 3 was enough for today. After all, this is the second workout listed when we start the actual FIRST program in a few weeks, so I'm pretty impressed with how we're doing. I feel much stronger having pushed myself that hard. It's good to know that I can run that fast for a half mile if I put my mind to it.

Key Run 3 - 7 Miles

So this morning's run was probably the hardest run, mentally, of all of the runs I've made, even including the marathon. It must have been a combination of the strength workouts, the humidity, the direct sunlight, and the thai food we had last night, but we made it.

For the first time we're adhering to a strict water stop schedule, and I really think that's going to help pick up our speed. For now, we're going to run some errands and go see Hellboy 2 at 11:00. After that, it's cleaning the house until rock climbing in Frisco at 6:30.


Time: 7:00-8:05 AM
Course: Road & Gravel, SH 549
Weather: 78°, full sun w/ 2mph wind
Totals: 7 miles @ 9:22 average pace - Goal: 9:23 (PMP+30s)

Mile 1 @ 9:39 - Goal: 9:33
Miles 2-3 @ 9:09 - Goal: 9:03
Water Stop for 0:30
Miles 4-5 @ 9:19 - Goal: 9:13
Water Stop for 0:30
Miles 6-7 @ 9:12 - Goal: 9:13

Cross Train 2

Crossfit Rockwall workout of the day:

For time:
500 meter row*
25 Knees to elbows
25 Power snatch, 75 lbs
25 Knees to elbows
25 Power snatch, 75 lbs
500 meter row*

*No rower? Sub 400 meter runs.

Time: 7:30-8:00 PM

Weather: 90°, sunny, 5 mph wind

Of course, since we didn't own a rowing macine or a bar, and since we're not yet quite that hardcore, we modified the workout just a bit. We substituted with dumbbell snatches and a 400m run, and some lighter weights.

David: 15:53 w/ 20lb snatches
Lauren: 17:31 w/ 10lb snatches and waist high knees to elbows

After such a hard week, my legs felt like jell-o and my lungs felt like they were about to collapse. But that means it's working, right? ;-)

Key Run 2 - Lactic Threshold Training

So last night the Run Less, Run Faster book came in, so we were able to read into the FIRST program a bit more. It's just the book we've been looking for I think. Scientific method, physiology, psychology, and a solid plan. We're basing this whole shebang on a 5k time of 24:00.

Time: 7:45-8:15 PM
Course: Rubberized Track, Cain Middle School
Weather: 92°, cloudy w/ 2mph wind
Totals: 3 miles @ 8:49 average pace

Mile 1 Easy @ 9:09 - Goal: 9:23
Mile 2 ST @ 8:03 - Goal: 8:00
Mile 3 Easy @ 9:13 - Goal: 9:35

I can see why things were a little tougher than I expected. We've got to slow down on our easy miles.

Cross Train 1

http://www.crossfitrockwall.com

Today we attempted the Crossfit WOD, but because I don't think either of us is ready for it, we did a half Angie.

50 Pull-ups
50 Push-ups
50 Sit-ups
50 Squats

Times (Lauren/David)
Pull-ups: 6:50/6:45
Push-ups: 2:56/2:59
Sit-ups: 2:03/2:06
Squats: 2:10/2:01
Total: 14:00/13:50

We've got a ways to go ;-)

Key Run 1 - First Speed Workout

Tonight was our first speed workout on the FIRST training program, only modified, since we won't actually start the program until 16 weeks before the marathon. 3 x 400 at the track, with a 10 minute warm-up and 10 minute cool down, for a total of around 30 minutes. We maintained an 8:15 for each of the 400 meters, so I was pretty satisfied. We have a lot to do to speed up before the race, but luckily we still have 23 weeks to get ready.

Time: 7:30-8:00 PM
Course: Rubberized Track, Cain Middle School
Weather: 89°, mostly sunny w/ no wind
Totals: 3 miles @ 10:00 average pace

10 Min Warmpup @ 10:00
400 1: 2:06 @ 8:22
400 2: 2:04 @ 8:14
400 3: 2:04 @ 8:14
10 Min Cooldown @ 10:00

We kept speeding up near the end, so although we were both tired from running the day before (and I had a headache), I think that's a good sign that we'll be able to really pick it up next week for our speed work.

6 Miles at Buffalo Creek

Lauren and I were joined by Richard Coulombe for our run today. I got it in our heads that Lauren would be ready to start training at an 8:30/mi as I really think I could do it after maintaining at least 80% of my current endurance level since the marathon.

We started at around 7:30 at Cain Middle School with our route taking us through Buffalo Creek. 3 miles out and back with stops every 2 miles wasthe plan. I think a combination of one last day filled with a moderate amount of junk and the heat/humidity did us in. I'm looking forward to the end of summer. Final breakdown below.

Time: 7:30-8:30 AM
Course: Concrete on rolling hills, Bufallo Creek
Weather: 78°, full sun w/ 8mph wind
Totals: 6 miles @ 9:13 Average Pace

Mile 1: 8:20 @ 8:21
Mile 2: 16:50 @ 8:30
Mile 3: 25:44 @ 8:54
Mile 4: 35:51 @ 10:07
Mile 5: 45:19 @ 9:28
Mile 6: 55:25 @ 10:06

White Rock! Yeah!

I have successfully convinced David to run the White Rock Marathon with me this year. That's right, the whole one. And I managed to convince him within months of running his first 26.2, a feat I wasn't sure I was capable of. But I would really like to run another 26.2, this time with my husband, and I really need the motivation to get back to running long distances after my surgery. So, here we go!

Hopefully, we'll have a whole slew of people participating. David has sent out an invite...let's see what gluttons for punishment sign up. Yay!

Latest and greatest from Grease

Per David's request, we're "switching gears" on this blog, so to speak. Rather than this just being a blog about running and/or other fitness activities we participate in, we're going to use this as a family blog. Since we do a lot of running/biking/rock climbing/etc, there will still be a lot of that, just with other stuff in between.

To kick us off, this post is about Grease. I'm in it. At the Rockwall Community Playhouse. If you haven't heard, I'm playing Patty Simcox, the preppy, pretty, goody-goody, snobby cheerleader who has eyes for Danny. A very fun role, too. Patty may be a supporting character, but she's a little more "over the top" than some of the others, so she's been very fun to play. The cast is FANTASTIC, with ages ranging from 14 to...mid 30's? I'm amazed by their talent, too. It has been an absolute pleasure to work on the show, and when I say work, I mean WORK. It is so worth it, though!

For a sneak peek, here are some photos David took at rehearsal: http://www.flickr.com/photos/allisonkrewe/sets/72157604787596721/

We've had our share of ups and downs, with plenty of drama and angst sprinkled in, but I am positive that by opening night our crowd will be getting a great show.

Day 1... of the rest of my life.

I figured it was time to post again after finishing the marathon. Everything is back up to snuff and if anything I'm faster an ever. I ran a half on Saturday at a faster pace than my fastest race-half (~9:26 pace on this run), and I did it alone. I've never really enjoyed the act of running until now, but damn if I'm not a convert. I feel like the balls when I'm in the latter half of a long run. Booyah world. But, I also feel like I'm not all that I can be. So, a set of goals if you will...

• Goal weight: 175lb - currently at 191lb (9lb heavier than a year ago)
  
• Goal BF %: 12% measured through the feet - currently at ~16.5% (10lb of fat loss)
• Goal Mileage: 20 miles/week - currently at 16 miles/week (25% increase)
  
• Goal 5k: 22 minutes flat at 7:05 pace- current best 25:54 (15% decrease)
  
• Goal Half: 100 minutes flat at 7:38 pace - current best 127 minutes (21% decrease)

This is my starting point. I'll try to update twice a week to see where I manage to get.

Marathoner... made.

WE MADE IT!

Ashley and I finished the 2008 Big D Texas Marathon at 4:52. Not the fastest time in the world, but seeing as we both battled weeks lost due to foot injury, I have to say that we rocked! The run went really well... no upset stomachs, no trips, and no permanent pains or injuries. I don't think we could have asked for more.

Oh, and that wall I hear talk about? It's there... right around 18 miles. First the thoughts of not being able to finish sneak in, then that little pain in your knee starts to worry you. It goes on and on until suddenly you're around mile 21 and you realize you've got less than a mid-week run to go... and that's all it takes.

Round two? Bring it on.

The joy of a straightened knee

I began physical therapy today for my knee and am proud to say that after just one day, I can almost completely straighten and bend! This is a major improvement from Sunday, when my limping caused a pain in my calf so excruciating that I spent most of the day on the couch. The therapist is a jovial, heavier-set Italian guy from New York, and he seems like he'll be fun to work with. He even has a "therapy" dog, Roxy, a sweet golden who hangs out with patients. After 15 minutes on the bike and another 30 minutes of weight-bearing exercises to work my knee, therapist Roger stretched out my knee. The knee stretching consisted of pushing done on my knee when straightened and bending my knee as far as it would go. This was by far the most painful thing I did all morning, but I have to admit, I felt so much better leaving there than I did when I walked in.

Roger also gave me the go-ahead to start dancing this week. He's convinced I'll be fine in no time at all. This, of course, makes me feel ECSTATIC.

I only wish I could join David and Ashley for 26.2 this weekend. Yep, it's THIS WEEKEND. You two had better get to carb loading!

One day at a time

I went to the doc today and he took a look at my knee. He said things were looking good, and that I can start doing the stationary bike, pool running, and the elliptical, but to start slow. I won't be able to bike outside for at least another two weeks, and probably three weeks before I run, but hey, it's a start. I start physical therapy on Tuesday morning, which I'm excited about, since it means I'll be up and moving again. I still can't quite fully straighten or bend my knee, but I think it's just because of the swelling. I'm trying to remain optimistic; luckily, I have a husband who always is and keeps me on track. I'm worried a bit about starting dance rehearsals for Grease next week, but I don't start until Wednesday, a full two weeks after surgery, and I only have a couple of rehearsals learning songs before our first dance through, which will be three weeks after surgery. We'll see how I feel after the weekend, but if my progress continues at the same speed, I should be able to at least walk into my first blocking rehearsal on Monday limp-free. Cross your fingers.

Recovery

The surgery went...okay. As well as surgery can go, I suppose. Once I managed to stop throwing up everything, it wasn't so bad. I haven't had much pain in my knee, and I've had plenty of meds to alleviate any pain that creeps up. I was on crutches for Wednesday and Thursday and part of the day on Friday. Now I've progressed to a faster hobble, but it still takes me a lot longer to get places. It hasn't even been a week yet, but I just can't help but be impatient and anxious to get moving again. I need to be at least walking without a limp within the week! I can bend my knee over 90 degrees now, and I'm very close to straightening it. I got on the stationary bike last night on the lowest setting and slowly pedaled to get the joint moving, which really helped. I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.

Going under the knife in 21 hours

At 10:00 a.m. tomorrow morning, I will be going into surgery for the first time in my life. So, it can be understood that I am getting a little nervous. My husband is very reassuring, though, which takes away a lot of the fears I have running through my brain.

My knee is pretty sore today, probably because I was climbing all over our rock wall in the garage last night. Hey, can you blame me? It'll be at least a couple of weeks before I'm able to do it again, and I hate to try it out.

In other news, David and Ashley successfully completed their 20 mile run. Only a few weeks left until the marathon. Hopefully I'll be able to run at least one more run with them before the big day, when I'll be biking back and forth between spectating spots. But hey, I'll be happy as long as I'm in dancing shape within two weeks.

Wish me luck for tomorrow, a speedy recovery following surgery and an easy return to running.

The "S" word

That's right: Surgery.

I met with the orthopedic surgeon yesterday afternoon. He poked and prodded and bent and twisted my knee. Then, he viewed the MRI. He said that my physical exam does NOT match up with my MRI. I'm feeling very little pain, except when I'm running. According to the MRI, I should hardly be able to walk, much less do squats, but I can do both pain-free. The MRI shows a nice, bright white line right through the medial meniscus of my left knee. The options Dr. Hazel gave me: surgery or surgery. So, I picked surgery, the sooner the better. And soon it is! I will be having the first surgery of my life on Wednesday of next week. As you can see in the diagram on the right, he will be removing the bucket.

I'm a little nervous about it, but not much. He will be removing the damaged part of the meniscus instead of repairing it, which means the recovery time will be relatively short. I should be on crutches for two days, then hopefully biking in 1-2 weeks and running in 4-6 weeks. I'm hoping that I am a quick healer, because dance rehearsals for Grease begin exactly two weeks after my surgery. The marathon is of course out of the question, but hopefully I'll be in good enough shape to travel to different check points along the route so I can hold signs and scream my lungs out for David and Ashley.

My poor meniscus...

According to the MRI and my doc, I have a torn meniscus in my left knee. Torn meniscus=no marathon for me. I meet with an orthopedic surgeon some time next week to discuss what I should do to get running again. He's an LSU med grad with sports medicine experience, and the office he's in comes highly recommended by one of David's coworkers, so I'm sure he'll do a great job. Until then, Dr. Rodriguez told me not to run or do any weight-bearing exercises, which means it had better warm up soon so I can get in that pool. Is bouldering considered weight-bearing? Hmmm... He also prescribed me a brace, which I think is actually hurting my knee more than it is helping, so I'm not sure how much I'll actually wear it. I will if the doc next week tells me to, because I want to get out of this dark, run-less time as soon as possible. I just hope I don't have to opt for surgery--and if I do, that I can put it off and still successfully do lots of things other than run.

On a lighter note, I did have a pretty good bike ride yesterday. And David and Ashley seem to be progressing reasonably well toward their marathon goal, so I will be there on the sidelines, cheering them across the finish line.

Out for the count

I tried running on my knee again Sunday while Ashley and David were out for their 12-miler, just to make sure it was still hurt.

Yep, it's still hurt.

I made it a mile before I had any real pain. I took a short walk at the mile, then tried to pick it back up again. I only managed to make it the quarter mile back to my house, where I limped woefully to the back yard to do some other exercises that are not such a "pain-in-the-knee." Sit-ups? No problem. Push-ups? Bring 'em on. Burpees, jump ropes, pull-ups (or attempts at pull-ups?) Not even a twinge of pain. Yet the second I begin a running stride, I begin to feel my knee tighten. Of all the injuries I could get, it just had to be one that is only affected by the form of exercise I enjoy most.

So, it seems as though I will most likely be sitting this one out and cheering on David and Ashley from the sidelines. That is, assuming the two of them overcome their personal injuries.

Of course, something miraculous could happen at the doctor's office tomorrow when he reads my MRI. Then I can run the 20 this weekend and be set for 26.2 come April 6.

Cross your fingers, say a prayer, do some voo-doo. Mama needs a new knee.

All by myyyseeeelf...

That's what I was on Sunday's run...all by myself. David and Ashley were both out of commission with injured feet, so I went out to White Rock Lake to get in at least a few of the scheduled 19 miles.

Of course, since I'm one who never likes to be left out, I found myself in Dr. Rodriguez's office this afternoon with a running injury of my own.

Here's how it went down. Friday afternoon I went out for a typical run. I tried to slow myself down just a bit, but ended up averaging my 5 miles in an 8:40 minute mile, even though it was a relatively easy run. I felt great afterward. I walked into my house, started talking to David, when it hit me: ouch. My knee hurts. The pain persisted through the evening, but wasn't that bad the next day during our Crossfit workout. I assumed that when I woke up on Sunday with relatively no pain, I'd be fine to at least do the 9 mile loop around White Rock, then maybe even pick up an extra 4 on the Trail. But around 2 miles, my knee started to hurt. Around 4, it really started to hurt. By 5 my kneecap felt as though it were about to split in two. But, being already halfway around the lake, I had to finish the 9...which means today my knee has been on fire all day. I have a wicked limp worthy of a war veteran. So, I scheduled an appointment with the doc.

Although I figured it was a typical case of runner's knee, Dr. Rodriguez was either very unfamiliar with runner's knee, or it's something else. He poked and prodded and twisted my knee and eventually ordered an x-ray. The x-ray showed something strange around the place where my tibia meets my patella, so now he's ordered an MRI. He says it may just be some inflammation, but he wants to get it checked out. I'm hoping maybe it's nothing serious at all and it will just go away on its own in a week. If anything, this denial will get me through a week without one of my favorite things in the world: running. I'll try not to drown my feelings in chocolate. Either way, my knee needs to be at least functional by next weekend. I need it to successfully carry me through skydiving and a dance audition for Grease.

A little anxiety

We have 19 miles scheduled for this weekend. So far, the weather looks lovely: high of 68, nice and sunny. Unfortunately, though, David may not be joining us for the run. Although his foot isn't necessarily injured, it is going to take him getting used to a new supportive insole before he can start running again. That means he may be out for this weekend. I plan on calling Ashley this afternoon and seeing if she's still in, because if her foot injury is still giving her too much trouble, she may be needing a weekend off, too. If so, though, I still want to go...which means I may be trying to trek 19 miles on my own. That doesn't sound like much fun. Guys, anything I can do to coax your feet into recovery faster? Foot massage? Chocolate? You know chocolate can fix just about anything but a weight problem.

So, wish us luck for this weekend. As for weekday runs, as much as I do miss having David along, I have enjoyed getting in a little more weekly mileage at a faster pace. Although when David came with me last week, he sure did push me for our 4 mile run. It was a nice change of pace (no pun intended) to have him pushing our speed.

18, and aches

Today was our 18 mile run at White Rock Lake. We all started out in good spirits; the weather forecast was somewhat pleasant, with temperatures in the 50's, a not-so-horrible wind factor and sunny skies. And it started out that way--but that's not what we ended up getting.

We decided that since the lake is roughly 9 miles around, we would simply run it twice. I'm sure that would have been a great idea any other day...but by the time we were on our second time around, we were all starting to suffer a bit. The temperature had dropped, and we were sure that with the wind chill, it was much less than in the 50's. The sun had gone behind the clouds about 4 miles in and never come out. David and I weren't wearing nearly enough clothing. Then there was the wind, around 15 to 20 mph--and it sure did feel as though it picked up some speed coming off the lake. Combine the gross weather with the achy joints it induces, and you have a nice little pity-party. Luckily, we're all pretty upbeat people, even when we're grumpy, so the run went okay, and we all finished. David did end up walking mile 18, though, due to a bad cramp in the bottom of his foot that worries me. Hopefully if he rests it up this week, it will be okay for next week's 19 mile run. Ashley said that her foot was really hurting her after today's run as well. I seem to be the only one with no serious injury yet (knock on wood), just the usual randomly achy joints, blisters, and tight muscles.

But despite the difficult run, we all agree that finishing it makes us feel stronger. And, of course, there's always the food reward: David and I indulged in a couple of large sandwiches with French bread, ham and turkey, provolone and cheddar cheeses, avocado, pickles, tomatoes, etc. I have also eaten a couple of servings of Valentine's Day candy and watched a chick flick, so my evening has been very nice. Now if my knees would just cooperate when I walk across the room...

My new hero: Paula Radcliffe

Sure, from reading the stacks of Runner's World that are accumulating in my closet, I knew who Paula Radcliffe was. I could have told you that she was the women's marathon world record holder (2:15:25 in the London Marathon, if you were wondering.) I could have told you that I estimate her body fat percentage to be .1%, and that even if I stopped eating completely, I would never look like her. I could have told you that she's British and blonde. But, that's about it. I have a newfound respect for her after reading an article in this month's issue of Runner's World that chronicles not only her racing victories (and embarrassing moments), but focuses on her training through her recent pregnancy. Here's a NY Times article on the subject. Basically, the woman is incredible: running through most of her pregnancy, and returning to training only 12 days after giving birth to Isla. It really helps to reassure me about having a baby of my own one of these days. David and I have set our sights on a year or two from now, but it's hard not to have the discussion here and there when my boss and one of our close friends are both giving birth this spring. I am so worried that after all the work I have put into my body and all the training I have done, I will just lose that during pregnancy, being forced to sit around and have nothing to do but eat during that third trimester. At least now I know that I can run for at least 4 or 5 months of the pregnancy, then I'm sure there are plenty of exercise options for the last few months. I'm not worried about getting back to where I was after pregnancy; I plan on getting one of those running strollers as soon as the baby is ready to come with me. It's just a matter of how far I'll have to go based on how much damage I did with extra pregnancy pounds.

Back to Radcliffe: another reason to love her is the story behind her London win, and her impromptu side-of-the-road pitstop. She was having bad stomach cramps that were slowing her down, so she stopped for about 10 seconds on the side of the road to relieve herself and kept going to win. She was 5 minutes ahead of the second place finisher! Seriously, how hardcore is she?

A marathon in Marathon

So yesterday, I was doing some poking around online (i.e., "procrastinating") when I somehow, from one link to another, came across the Athens Marathon. (I'm sure the links that got me there had something to do with my recent hero-worship of Paula Radcliffe, who holds the women's course record, but that's another post for another day.)

A little history: the Athens Marathon is based on the legendary course that Athenian messenger Phidippides ran to alert Athens of the victory in Marathon during the first battle for democracy in 490 BC. The term "marathon" is applied to the 26.2 race based on this legend.

Well, it turns out that there is a whole tour package, including accommodations, ground transportation, marathon entry fee and processing, race number distribution, most of the food, parties, a bunch of excursions/tours, plus running clinics with Runner's World's Jeff Galloway. All in all, it sounds like a very stress-free experience. The only problem is the price is pretty steep. So...it will be a few years before we can even consider it.

But here's the exceptional part. The race week falls around our wedding anniversary: November 11. We're looking at maybe making this our celebration for 5 years of marriage on 11/11/11, running the Athens Marathon and spending the rest of the week enjoying beautiful Greece. How awesome would that be?

It's tough to look that far in the future, but hey, if we're going to be able to afford it, we need to start saving now!

Only eleven!

That's right, we dropped down in mileage for this week, so we had the joy of flippantly informing our coworkers when they asked about this weekend's run that it was "only eleven miles." It's amazing how your perspective changes when you're training for a marathon instead of a half. I never thought I would hear David say "only" when referring to eleven miles, but when you compare it to the 17 miles last weekend or the 18 we have to look forward to this weekend, it seems like next to nothing. We spent a whole hour less pounding the pavement around White Rock Lake. Not that we were entirely ready to be finished after two hours; I'm not sure what my training buddies thought, but considering that it was the most beautiful day we've seen since Fall, I was almost hoping for a longer run. Next weekend should be nice, though; sunny and in the 50s. We're planning on celebrating our mileage with a nice picnic by the lake. That is, assuming we don't feel as though we're about to die by the time we finish.

Musings and worries

I absolutely love the new Nano. Nice large screen display, the little cover I got makes it easy to grip, it totes around 90% of my music, and the sound quality is even better. Plus, it's pink. Just makes it that much more lovable.

I ran 4.25 miles last night with it, and it went really well. David's foot started to hurt him, so he had to head back after 3/4 of a mile. I hope it's nothing serious; I've discouraged him from even using the "I" word for it, so for now, it's just a "twinge" or a "tiny pain." It only becomes an "I" word when it requires a doctor's visit, and I hope it doesn't come to that. The marathon is steadily approaching, so any little ache or pain that persists makes me nervous.

The great thing about running alone at night with my iPod is that, although I sufficiently freak myself out by listening to "Living Dead Girl" and running in the part of the neighborhood with fewer street lights, I run about 2 minutes/mile faster than I would with David, allowing me to get in some speed work. I've run alone twice in the past two weeks, and I had forgotten what my legs can do. It's empowering.

17 miles, feelin good

Our 17 miler was yesterday, and it was great!  Weather was fairly sunny, between 55-65 degrees, and just breezy enough to keep the air moving.  We ran all the way up White Rock Creek Trail to its end in North Dallas (7.5 miles), picked up an extra half mile running around the nature trail up there, then ran back and finished up at the lake.  Our time was much faster than last time, averaging just over 10 minutes per mile.  Our spirits were higher, too.  Once you get over this hump in training, I really think things get much easier, both physically and mentally.

We came home as quickly as we could and showered and dressed before we had to be at Cafe Istanbul for dinner for Sara's birthday.  Talk about amazing food!  It's a Turkish restaurant, so we got an appetizer with hummus, feta cheese, dolma (stuffed grape leaves), and babaganush (eggplant puree), and of course tons of pita bread.  My entree was delicious, and beautifully presented: it's called doner durum, and it's lamb and beef wrapped kind of like sushi in a thin pastry, with tomato sauce and yogurt, with a side of cracked wheat pilaf.  All the food was so good, and really perfect for a post-run meal.  We finished off the night with the Cold Stone I'd been craving for a month: dark chocolate with gummi bears and cookie dough.  Yummm.  It will be a while before I'll have that again!  I really think limiting my sugar made me feel so much better, so I'm going to continue to limit my sugar during the week and have one treat on the weekend.  It's better for my training, I think, and the hiatus served its purpose: I'm not addicted the way I used to be.  Sure, I still want it, but not nearly as much.

Today, I feel great.  I woke up with very little soreness.  We went and got massages, and now I feel even better.  I can tell already, it's going to be a great week.

Goodbye, old friend...

Well, it seems as though my relationship with my first gen black iPod Nano has finally come to an end. My husband suggested several days ago that I spend some of my bonus money (which I got today's pay check) on a new Nano. I said, no, that would be silly, I'll just use my old one until she finally passes on to the wild blue yonder before I bring in a younger, cuter model. I owe it to her. I remember the day I got her...

I ordered my first Nano during the training for my first marathon, the Nike Women's Marathon, with Team in Training. Before that, I was using a Sony portable no-skip sports CD player; a big, bulky thing, but it carried me through many a short run, blaring my Silvertide, Jet, or The Killers CD as I made my way around the LSU lakes. But, like a best friend in elementary school, I began to outgrow my CD player. Even my short runs were becoming so long that I had to listen to the CD more than once. So, I got my Nano. I managed to convince my mom that it was a great idea to go ahead and let me order it and have them pay for it as a birthday present, even though I ordered it in October and my birthday is in December. I remember my mom saying that she thought it sounded like "a spoiled brat" present. This is, of course, when MP3 players were still a relatively unknown technology to my family, and the thought of being able to carry around your entire music collection just seemed excessive to my mom.


But I convinced her to let me order it, and we spent many a long run together. We trained for that marathon, three half marathons, a 5K, and began training for another marathon before she finally began to fade. The Nike+iPod David gave me a year ago for my birthday made her the perfect running companion on both solo and group runs. Then, recently, she's been acting strangely, and her screen has a shade of burnt orange creeping in on the right side. And last night...every time a song finished, 10 seconds into the next song the Nano would completely restart, little gray apple screen and everything. This makes a 40 minute run
pretty frustrating, escpecially in the freezing cold when I'm wearing gloves, and it's difficult to use the little buttons.


So, I say goodbye to my old friend today, and hello to a new one I plan to purchase this afternoon: the new, flashy pink version of the iPod Nano. I can already tell we're going to be great friends, too.

Morning Thoughts

As I sit here waiting for the cars to defrost from the overnight freeze, I really can't wait to finish the rock wall. I'm probably within a couple of hours of finishing all of the framing, but finding the time to spend out there in the cold between training runs is a bit difficult. Oh, for the warmth of Spring!

I've found the greatest running invention ever. Ashley claims I need one on our long runs. Little does she know I'm only running faster than her so I can get it over with. Long runs aren't easy.
Nike Parachute

Yesterday we had the first of our annual chili cookoffs at work. I decided to make this wonderful vegetarian sweet potato and peanut chili from our favorite new cook book, 'The New American Plate'. Suffice it to say... I bought my way into last place. Charlie Brown Chili lived up to its name.

Brrr...

I will be so happy when it actually warms up! Despite predictions of relative warmth, last night's 4 mile run was surprisingly chilly. The cold weather was only exacerbated of course by the winds, which were gusting 50+ mph at some points during the day.

Needless to say, I'm ready for spring...now.

The good news is, the forecast for this weekend keeps getting warmer. It looks like our 17 mile run at White Rock should take place in near-ideal conditions: low to mid 60's, partly cloudy, next to no chance of rain, and only a slight wind. Bring it on!

15 miles, and 10 weeks to go

Our 15 mile run was yesterday, and I think it went really well. We chugged along at a slower than usual pace, but we finished, and it was a really enjoyable run. A lot of conversation, cool but not cold weather, and beautiful scenery like sail boats and birds made the run go by pretty quickly. I know my teammates are hurting some today, but I am really not. My legs feel great, much better than even after last week's 10. I think the lack of hills helped a lot. Those hills on the 13 mile route killed me.

The course for 15 miles was around White Rock Lake, with the addition of 5 or so extra miles of White Rock Creek Trail. This was our first time on the trail, and it was nice for a change. We plan on running the 7.5 miles up and back for 15 of next week's run, then running the other two miles at the lake.

We also have plans for a massage the day after this weekend's run. I think we're all long overdue.

This weekend also ends my chocolate hiatus, so you know where I'll be after Saturday's long run: Cold Stone. Oh yeah.

Spirit of the Marathon

David, Ashley and I went to the Cinemark at the Harbor in Rockwall to see this documentary about marathons and the people who run them called Spirit of the Marathon. It was only playing on this one date nationwide, but I'm sure they'll eventually do another movie showing and/or a DVD release. If you've ever run a marathon, are interested in running one, or are curious as to why your crazy friends do it, it's a great film. They profiled a wide cross-section of runners, from the first-time marathon to the 12-minute pace veteran to the Kenyan to the elite woman. They really captured the beauty of the marathon and the amazing rush that pushes people to finish them.

You know you're not hardcore, unless you live hardcore...

...and in the attempt to show how hardcore we are, David is organizing a group sky diving trip to a place in Caddo Mills, TX. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared. It's one of those things that you put on your bucket list, right next to running a marathon and learning to play the piano, but you don't actually intend to do it...at least not as soon as next month. But, I guess if all the other kids are jumping out of airplanes...

Sugar sugar

If anyone is at all interested in my struggle with all things sugary sweet, check out the post I made on my other blog: "Ode to Chocolate (and all things sweet)," a combination reassuring/complaining post about my junk food hiatus.

Almost 4 miles... and we thought Sunday was cold.

I'm pretty sure it must have been warmer than 30 degrees during our 10 miles run. Either that, or I was numbed completely. We did a quick mid-week run tonight before Lauren headed out for Lady's Night and I was colder than I have ever been running. Decked out in a beanie, running pants, a spandex top, a windproof coat, and gloves, I wish I had at least another layer.

We got home and the outdoor thermometer read 31 degrees. It's cold.

10 miles, 30ish degrees

Today we dropped back down to 10 miles to give ourselves a little break.  When we woke up this morning, it was below 30 degrees...not exactly encouraging.  Ashley had plans for the afternoon, though, so we had to get moving at 10:00.  Although it was still just above freezing when we left the house, it was still a really great run.  We ran from our house to Ashley's apartment and back, which David had mapped as being exactly 5 miles each way.  I warmed up pretty quickly, and David warmed up so much he was stripping off layers.  Even with a walk every 2.5 miles, we managed to keep the average around 10 minutes per mile, which is good for a long run, since we typically try to take it easy.

The funny thing about running around Rockwall rather than around White Rock Lake is the looks you get from people in passing cars.  White Rock Lake is a gathering place for people who are just as crazy as you.  In Rockwall, every other car's passengers are staring at us as if we were marching down the street in pink bunny suits.  

The run went well, although I could tell Ashley was pretty tired.  She had gone out to Crossfit in the freezing cold on Saturday morning when we skipped out.

This afternoon, we made this awesome recipe from the cookbook Ashley gave us for Christmas, The New American Plate.  It's full of great recipes that are equally healthy.  We made sweet potato chili with peanuts, and served it over brown rice.  It was delicious, and tasted especially good in the cold weather.  It makes 10 servings, so it's a good thing it was tasty, since we have a few servings in the fridge and some in the freezer left over.  

Following our run, both of us have been pretty lethargic.  Or maybe just lazy.  All I know is that my butt has spent an awful lot of time on the couch tonight.  Good thing I burned over 1,000 calories today.

Wow, that's cold

So, we're officially just a bit wimpy...when we woke up this morning and saw that the temperature was 28 with a wind chill of 20, we decided that it might not be in our best interest to go out to the Shores park for Crossfit.  I know, we're sissies, but hey, I am still coughing up some junk, so I need to take care of myself.  We're about to head into the garage to do a make-up workout session instead, so hopefully we'll get a similar experience.  I want to try an article I found in Runner's World for our ab workout, called "Elite Abs."  It's the core workout for Team Running USA, and if you saw the guy's abs on the cover, you would be tempted to try it too.  We need to start focusing more on our core.  David and I both have complained in the past of low back aches and pains during our long runs, and a strong core is supposed to keep that from happening, among other things.  

And now, to do as many of our workouts in the living room as we can before venturing out into the freezing garage...

Log

This is for us, not really for anyone else, but we need to keep track of how much we're running!

Saturday, 01/12/08: Crossfit. Two teams, each with a deck of cards. Twice through the deck. Every suit stands for a different workout: sprints, double-under jump ropes, pull-ups, mountain climbers. Each Ace is 10 burpees for the whole team. Our team won!

Sunday, 01/13/08: 13 miles, slow. This was Lauren's first run since getting the flu. Ran through Rockwall near Ashley's apartment. A lot of hills, but overall a good run. Ashley and David has some soreness in their feet, and Lauren had extreme soreness everywhere.

Monday, 01/14/08: Rest.

Tuesday, 01/15/08: Rest.

Wednesday, 01/16/08: 3.8 mile run around Lofland Farms and neighboring neighborhoods, with the dogs. Pull-ups, push-ups, single jump ropes and sit-ups in 4 stations, each lasting 4 minutes with a 1 minute break in between each. Do as many as possible.

First annual Allison family Christmas Eve Run

David and I started a family tradition with our first annual Christmas Eve run. Because of our marathon training schedule, we had a 6 mile run, which is a pretty good length for offsetting all our "Eve" celebration calories. We were able to eat my family's traditional steak teriyaki, shrimp fried rice, chocolate delight and fruit cake cookies relatively guilt-free.

The run was good, with a slight chill in the air but not too cold, pretty typical of a Mobile, AL Christmas. The Santa hats were a nice touch, and had the added effect of keeping our heads nice and warm.

It went so well, we're thinking of instituting a New Year's Day run, complete with "Happy New Year" hats.

We made it...again!

David, Ashley and I, Team Intrepid Ambuscade, crossed the finish line of the Dallas White Rock Half Marathon yesterday in a respectable 2:06:55, shaving just over 3 minutes off the time David and I ran in the Big D Texas Half Marathon in April. So what if the Kenyans finished an hour before us. We were still in the top 50% (at least), which is good enough for me.

Next challenge: Big D Texas Marathon, David and Ashley's first 26.2, April 6, 2008.

Training will taper off for the next two weeks for Christmas and recovery, then shoot right back up to 10 miles the week after Christmas.

I am so excited!

L-3 Corporate Challenge 5K

Nice and sweaty after a fairly fast 5K. Go team!

Love Lost: Fried Food

David and I agree: Fried foods just don't have the appeal they once did.

After our 8 mile run with Ashley at White Rock Lake Sunday morning, we spent the afternoon at the State Fair of Texas, the Fried Food Capital of the World. Since I update their Web site year-round, I get free parking and admission to the Fair. We thought that sampling the fried goodies at the Fair would be a fun outing after a nice, long run.

Okay, so it was fun. But the fried foods were just disappointing. Everything seemed so...bland. The corny dogs. The fried cookie dough. I enjoyed the fried guacamole (although my stomach didn't), but no more than I enjoy a good bowl of veggie stirfry and steamed rice. I decided that rather than a fried snickers, I would be happier with a melted snickers and a spoon.

I think maybe all the running and biking and climbing and swimming and rollerblading and weight lifting and other activities we do, plus the healthy diet we follow, has made us not like the foods of the deep-fried variety quite as much as we once did...

I still haven't lost my love for pizza and chocolate ice cream, though, so don't you worry.

New schedule, plus food incentives

We have a slightly different schedule now for training. We're doing the Austin Oyster Urban Adventure Race, which is October 28. We had to switch to the White Rock Half Marathon December 9, which means training will be ramped up pretty quickly following Austin. The marathon goal is still the same: Big D Texas Marathon, April 6, 2008.

So far, the Adventure training with teammate Ashley has been going well. We have a name, for one. Intrepid Ambuscade. Meaning: "fearless or bold ambush." I figure that should strike fear in the hearts of our competitors (and maybe give us a head start?)

Running has been great; the miles haven't gotten too hard yet. Ashley joined us for a lovely 7 miles at White Rock Lake on Sunday. We felt good, despite our biking adventure the day before...

We bought vintage racing bikes from this retired guy who rebuilds them. The bikes are awsesome. The just-under-20-miles, 2 hour bike ride over the rolling hills in Rockwall/Fate was a little much for a starting point, though. Especially when my front tire started to go flat. However, it was still a kick-butt ride, and we burned a ton of calories, which we promptly replenished with On the Border. We expected to be sore the next day, but the run was really unaffected. I guess it's true that they really do use different muscle groups.

Speaking of being sore, we went rollerblading in our future new neighborhood last night (that's right, we close on our house November 9!) All was going well until I hit something in the road on the way back to the car that sent me flying. Good thing I invested in the wrist guards. It's too bad I wasn't wearing my bike shorts for the extra butt padding...I'm sure feeling it today.

In other news, we've decided to choose food incentives for long run days. This weekend: The State Fair of Texas.