Tick . . .Tick . . .Tick

It's 11:30 p.m. on Thursday night. Waiting for Chicago Marathon registration to open up at midnight.

This wasn't always the plan, I'm not that insane, but as the hours were getting later and I still wasn't in bed, I thought why not? Of course, when the alarm goes off at 5:20 a.m. tomorrow I will be thinking WTF instead of why not.

Not Super Tuesday, But We Still Need Your Vote

Our future running partner needs a name. My husband provides the background on our name dilemma in his blog and instead of just letting me get my way he's decided to open up the vote to the masses.

Payton (as in the great Walter Payton) or Kramer?

If we end up naming him Payton I think we should get him a Bears jersey for dogs and take him with us to the Walter Payton 16,726 Yard Run in September.

Running in California

No, not me, at least not yet. Although I think it would be cool to run the San Francisco Half Marathon some day.

Congrats go to my dear friend Suzanne who just signed up for her first organized race, the Bay to Breakers 12k in May. Suzanne is an athlete, no question (Not a couch potato declaring to run a marathon in the same year like me) so I'm sure she'll do great.

I wonder if I can work out a business trip to California the same time of the race . . .

Yikes!

Mike just called me on the way home from one of our local running stores to tell me how much he spent. Egads! Well, no one ever said running was a cheap hobby.

Much-needed warm running clothes so I'm sure we'll consider it money well spent come Saturday in the Lake Geneva cold.

Future Running Partner

Our future running partner has arrived! Six days old in this photo, we bring one (just one!) home in March. Never could be a replacement for our sweet golden Cosmo (We lost him in September due to a spinal canal tumor) but we are excited. Kids don't know yet, so can't wait to surprise them!

Important Dates

Important dates coming up . . .

Chicago Marathon 2008 registration opens up on Friday.
(Jeanine, Kim, Keith, Lauren, Jon H. - - that means you!)

Lake Geneva 5k takes place on Saturday.

Mike and I did not run well over the weekend. Both of us struggled. Could be because of our diet; Chili's before I ran (I tried to order something semi-healthy; don't get me started on how they messed up the order) and Chinese food before Mike ran.

It's nice out with warmer temperatures today in Chicagoland but I'm not going to be able to run outside. Will have a bunch of treadmill runs before the 5k on Saturday. Not thrilled about it, but whatchagonnado?

Just hoping to avoid unbearably cold weather on Saturday. The 20's on Thursday and Friday are scaring me.

Lots to do this week and still stay on track with training for Saturday. I may have to increase my intake of Red Bull.

Celebrity Marathoners

Pre Katie Holmes at the New York Marathon, here's Cool Running's list of celebrity marathoners.

Also recently read that Jason Bateman (I miss Arrested Development!) is training for a marathon while the writer's strike is going on . . .he's quoted to say "I'm going to kick Katie's ass!"

To Run or Not to Run

That is the question.

PRO: I should run. The Lake Geneva 5k is just over a week away.

CON: I'm tired.

PRO: I'll feel better after I run.

CON: Ice cream, a blanket and the TV remote sound really good right now.

PRO: The treadmill runners in the Lifetime Fitness window were taunting me with guilt on the way home from work tonight.

CON: I'm really tired.

PRO: I ate a brownie even though I swore I was not going to. I need to run it off.

CON: I need to get to work early tomorrow. I should just go to bed early. By the time I get the kids to bed and other stuff done it will be 10 p.m. I shouldn't run at 10 p.m.

PRO: Ok, it was two brownies.

CON: Damn, I can't think of another con!

PRO: I just got new shoes that need to be broken in.

CON: Still can't think of one!

PRO: New songs on the iPod will help alleviate some treadmill boredom.

PRO: My sister-in-law will read this and comment that I need to be running.

Gotta run.

Added Motivation

New shoes, yay!

Saucony Hurricane X

Running Again

Ok, it's only two miles, but have you noticed my mile tally? I'm running again! Hardest thing is to get back into it after being lazy. Actually felt pretty good too. I'm running again!

Aiming to get another 2- 3 on Sunday, and another 2- 3 on Monday.

Just got off the treadmill so I smell now too . . .gotta take a shower. Then a glass of wine and Psych on tivo. :)

Ok, Now I'm REALLY Running Tonight

The cover of this week's Us Weekly (Say what you want, but I don't do drugs, I don't smoke, I don't drink a lot, so let me have this guilty pleasure) features annoying Trista from the Bachelor and "How I Got My Body Back" shedding 30 pounds in 5 months after baby. I've been trying to shed some baby weight too. That "baby" turns 6 tomorrow.

Yes, I need to run. And yes, she's still annoying even if I wasn't jealous that she lost the baby weight.

Back to cleaning the house.

I know, I know

I really have not been good about running lately. Actually, that's not accurate. My running life has been non-existent. I need to change that. I could list a litany of excuses, I mean reasons, why I haven't been able to fit running in, but I won't. The important thing is that I'm getting back into it this weekend.

Right after I finish cleaning the house because the cleaning lady comes tomorrow morning.

Running: On Today's To Do List

Today . . .

After I wait for Mike to get home from getting the space heaters since our furnace died last night. . .

After I go to the office to finish my performance review self-evaluation that's due on Monday . . .

After I take Andrew to get materials to make his paper plate Snowman for school (Be Creative! the school instructions read) . . .

After I buy stuff for 18 kindergarten Star Wars ("I want really cool ones, Mom") goodie bags for Andrew's birthday party at school . . .

After Mike and I try to make a dent in the numerous laundry piles throughout our house . . .

After I locate one adult white sock (read: clean with no holes) and one colored child sock for Andrew's other school project (should be easy, we're always finding sock singles) . . .

After I fill out Andrew's hot lunch order for school . . .

After Mike and I thoroughly examine Andrew's "Friday Folder" to see what else our kindergartner has due next week . . .

After I order the cake for Andrew's birthday party . . .

After I call Aunt Peggy in Iowa with the belated thank you for our Christmas gifts . . .

After I pack up Aunt Mary Lou's Christmas gift for shipment to California with a note apologizing that it's so late . . .

After we give the kids baths and put them to bed . . .

After I try to figure out what on earth am I going to wear to work tomorrow . . .

. . .then I will run!

Oh @%&^

I just realized that even though I am a recent entrant to the world of blogging, I have 14 posts.

I also realized that this is a blog about running, and I have a measly, pathetic 4 miles posted under my Miles Tally. Ugh.

We're going to take a temporary break from posting, dear readers, until I get my ass either out the door or on the treadmill again.

Four miles, deplorable.

We'll be back after these messages.

Tallies and Countdowns

Day 2 of me bringing Lean Cuisine for lunch - - and actually eating it instead of letting it grow an ice sheath in the office fridge

Day 2 of me not blowing $ on lunch out

Day 1.5 of me not visiting my office neighbor, the vending machine. (Can't count two days yet, the afternoon is young.)

24 days until the Chicago Marathon sign up

25 days until the Lake Geneva 5k (crap!)

82 days until the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle

278 days until the Chicago Marathon

Day One

Day One of my plan to bring lunch to work more often. So far, so good. Haven't found an excuse to buy lunch out yet (which I do often) and have been eating food brought from home. Also haven't visited the vending machine yet, which is right next door to my office. Terrible location for frequent temptation. Also started keeping a food log to curb mindless eating and help get in shape for running. Like I said, so far so good on Day One. Will be hard to keep up all week but I'm trying! Hoping I don't raid the pantry in sheer hunger when I get home.

The Relay

Just ran 2 miles outside and it was tough. Took me about 6 minutes in again before I felt like I wasn't going to die. Not bad for first time outside since Thanksgiving, though. At least I made it out there. Now I just have to keep up my running schedule for the week.

It's warm outside, so once Mike got home from work we did the "HurryupgooutsideandrunwhileIwatchthekidsandI'llgosoonasyougetback
sowecanbothrunoutsidebeforeit'sdarkout" relay.

Addicted Again

I wish I was posting to announce that I was once again addicted to running, but I'm still working on that. Instead, I must admit that I am once again addicted to Red Bull. There was a time when I would idiotically and proudly boast to my work colleagues that I drank 5 - 6 cans a day. When I started getting the shakes and dizzy vision I conducted research and found that the sale of Red Bull is banned in some countries - - banned! - - in Denmark, Norway, France, Uruguay and Iceland. I decided that heart failure due to overconsumption of Red Bull would be a sucky way to die, so after two miserable, bitchy weeks of going cold turkey I was forever cured of my Red Bull addiction!

Or so I thought.

I'm not sure what started me on Red Bull again, but I have noticed the cart inexplicably heading toward the Red Bull section during my daily trip to Target. I'm up to daily doses again, but in my defense, limiting myself to one or two cans (tops!) a day.

I need to see what impact, if any, this has on my running. Will it pep me up right before I head out? Of course, I need to get on a regular running schedule again in order to conduct my experiment.

Sigh.

AH HA!

Found it! Ok, so maybe I didn't do a good job of searching in my work tote first time around. I also found a pair of earrings I had been looking for :) Now all is well in my running world. I'll stop whining now.

Missing: Nike + iPod Thingy

Still haven't located the Nike + iPod thingy (I think the proper term is actually "wireless receiver") and I need to run tonight. Between Mike's iPod dying and my iPod thingy missing, what is Apple trying to tell us?

It's not in my purse, it's not in my work tote, it's not on my dresser, it's not on the treadmill, it's not on the kitchen counter, it's not on the laundry room counter . . .it's not still connected to my iPod. I even looked in the carry on luggage I took to NJ in November (when I thought I was going to get up early before the work meeting to run, yeah right) and in my five-year-old's school backpack (yes, it's possible).

So this just leads me to the conclusion that I need to stop at Dick's or Nike soon and pick up a new one. If I'm going to run outside on Sunday (that is the plan) then I really, really need it. If you detect whining, well, that's because I am.

Getting Back into the Game . . .Slowly

Started off 2008 with a 2 mile run on the treadmill. The first 5 - 6 minutes were not fun! Could be that I'm a bit under the weather today too, but more likely because I haven't run in over a month.

Preparing for the treadmill run was not exactly smooth. I noticed with despair that my running clothes did not fit quite as well as they did a couple of months back. Definitely packed on a few holiday pounds. Then, I could not find my little Nike + connector thingy for the iPod. Damn! I really need to get organized.

Searched high and low and still haven't come up with it. I'm really hooked on the Nike + for running, so need to find it or get another one before I start running outside again.

Mike and I signed up for the Chicago Shamrock Shuffle. Thankfully, my parents agreed to walk the 5k portion and take care of the kids. Shuffle web site says goodie bag includes long sleeve tech shirt; pretty impressive!