Unskinny Bop

Aside from having to re-learn a computer program that's still in DOS (really) and office flow, work is going well.  The first day I worked with the doctor  he commented, "The last time you worked here was when Seinfeld episodes weren't reruns!"  He also made a comment about my hair, that it's no longer curly.  12 years ago (just about) everyone had big hair.  I had long, super curly, big hair that became frizzy when I even thought about humidity.

Hubs and I,  1990-something...

 Holy Hair, Batman!  I'm also about 30 pounds heavier in this picture and rockin' the mom jeans.

It's not the best picture,  but you get the idea.  I had TONS of really big hair. Now I wear my hair somewhat straight with the help of technologically better styling products and a really great flat iron.*

The running continues. I've made an effort to show up at the Tuesday night track club workouts where we're doing 800 meter intervals, which is a two lap run around the track, then a recovery jog/walk. Lather, rinse, repeat. Last week was 800 x 6. This week I think it was 800 X 7. I lost count.  We always end the workout with some sort of abdominal exercises.  Good times.  I'm still putting in my Saturday long runs with the track club, and a shorter run in my 'hood just because it contains hill. I will be needing to keep hills in the equation since my next three half marathons are loaded with hills.

I was fortunate enough to be a part of the Runner's World wear test program again. I thought I had missed out this time due to scheduling conflicts. Luckily, for me, there were a few pairs of shoes left and coach Paul brought the extra shoes to a Saturday run. I just had to be extra EARLY. It was early.  I got up around 4:30 AM just so I could make it to the park at 5:45 AM. I scored a pair of Karhu's Flow Fulcrum Ride. I tried to look up my particular model on Karhu's website, but the shoes are scheduled to come out this summer. I must have an unintentional bright pink vibe about me, or something. My last pair of test shoes had screaming pink soles. These Karhu's scream PINK. Hubs calls them my "Rainbow Brite shoes." My first impression of these shoes was "Ow, my eyes!"

Once I got over the color, I began to pay attention how I felt while running. They're not as cushy as what I'm used to, and these are somewhat similar to a racing flat, but not quite as minimal. There's still a fair amount of cushion in the heel, decent arch support, and a little forefoot cushion, but (again) not as much cushion as what I'm used to. These shoes are perfect for track workouts. I might give them a road test and see how they do on the streets in my 'hood, perhaps an easy 3 mile jaunt. I don't think they'll get me through a 10 miler on asphalt, though. They fit smaller than the size indicates.  I took an entire size up from my regular shoe size so that they would fit properly.

Between getting our taxes done, starting a new job, the Easter holiday, the bathroom in rip-out/remodel mode, and real life, my house is beginning to take on the vibe of one of those houses you see on the show "Hoarders."  O.K, maybe not THAT bad, but I don't recognize my house right now. I need to spend a week reorganizing and cleaning without stopping.  I know what I NEED to do, but I just haven't done it.  I had to do this blog post first.  Priorities.

The last time I ran in the Nike Women's Half Marathon was 2007.  I've been trying to get back in every year since then.  I would always get the rejection e-mail or no e-mail at all and I'd have to search the site to see that I was actually rejected.

FINALLY

 Even though it says "marathon," I'm signed up for the half.  :)

I GOT IN! 

In addition, AKA Alice and the Heffers got in, too!  This time it's a girls trip! 

It looks like hills will continue to be on the training agenda...  There will be hills and plenty of sunscreen because it will be a summer training season.

Yay.

Song from Monday, April 18, 2011:
Rolling in the Deep - Adele

PEACE

*Thank goodness for advances in hair care!  Walking around with a head that looks like a Brill-o pad gets old.

Hair

A little while ago I had blogged about my son cutting his hair. I finally have pictures to post!

My son's hair was at least 4 four inches longer than in this picture, much curlier, and was long enought to donate to Locks of Love. I wanted to get a more accurate before picture but he cut his hair before I had the chance.

This is the after...

It's good to see him again!

Yesterday's Song:
Right Place, Wrong Time - Dr. John - Barbie2be

Peace

Sweet Child O' Mine

My son had been sporting rather long hair for a while. I'd say his hair *style* made him resemble Slash.

This past week he had his hair cut into a pompador style. It was such a shock to see him with short hair again. Sure, I was a little shocked, but in a good way. I can see his face again. Who ever styled his hair did a fantastic job. Now his hair looks more like Ricky Ricardo (Desi Arnaz).


By the way, his hair was long enough to make a donation to Locks of Love. I knew he was planning to cut his hair, and I wanted to take before and after pictures, but he's fast. I might be able to get a picture in passing, if I'm lucky.

I'm thinking he cut his hair because he's looking to get a job. Someone else suggested that there might be a girl involved... Hmmmmm...

Yesterday's song:

Rat In My Kitchen - UB40 - Barbie2be

Peace

Little Cream Soda

No workout or run today.

I didn't go into the office today but I had plenty of errands to do, plus getting my hair done/cut. Food has been really clean today. Yesterday I had a diet soda, so that's a quarter in my cup. I didn't even drink the whole thing, perhaps a third of it, but the fact that I even had it (without thinking about it) is enough to pay up. (FYI: Part of the PDB Challenge this month was to pay a quarter for eating/drinking something off plan, and paying a penny for thinking about going off plan but not eating/drinking the off plan food. I put soda, both regular and diet, in my banned foods list.)

In the same strip mall as my hair person, is an indy running shoe store. I needed another pair of socks. The guy there got into telling me all of these cool running routes he and his running buddies have found in some of the newer developments in town. Some of the trails are made of the same stuff they now use for tracks, which makes for a better ride. The area is about a 25 minute drive south for me. I might have to check that out. He also told me not to put my running socks in the dryer because that particular pair of running socks are made with wicking material. They will last longer if they air dry. I didn't know that. Now I need to figure out where to hang my socks...

Yesterday's Song:
Slow, Fast, Wait & See - Loquat - Barbie2be



Peace

I Never Thought I'd See The Day

I found this meme over at Simply Pink, Life and Times of Notsoccer Mom, and Barbie2be. I hadn't seen this one before, and thought I'd give it a go...

5 things that I never pictured being in my future when I was 25:

1) Completing a marathon. I didn't even picture a marathon until I decided to run in one, and that was 5 years ago when I made the decision. I'm preparing to run in my 4th right now.

2) The Lasik procedure. I've talked about having Lasik before, but when you're 20/800 (that's about a -8.00 correction, plus astigmatism) you can't see worth beans. I had the procedure done about 9 years ago. Now I need readers because of the over 40 thing that happens, but they're not even being close to as bad as my former coke bottle glasses. The little readers are cute and the lenses are very thin.

3) Straight hair. Like Simply Pink, being able to straighten my hair without a huge chemical ordeal and giant plastic rollers is something I've never thought I'd see. My hair is very curly, but due to technology with the evolution of the flat irons and great styling products, I can have sleek hair in less than 20 minutes, and it stays that way for a long time, not just a couple of hours, or if humidity is a factor. What non-curly hair people don't realize is that curly hair can be coarse at times, especially when frizz happens. Oh, I did embrace my curly hair during the 80's and early 90's, when my friends were paying big bucks for curly perms.

4) GPS. You punch in the address and it tells you how to get there and tells you if you've missed a turn. How cool is that? I track my runs with GPS (Bones in Motion)-- how fast I've run, how far I've gone, elevation, weather, calories burned, etc. Even cooler.

5) Blogging. I've journaled since I was about 15, the old fashioned way with pen and paper. Through the internet and blogging I've met many wonderful people who I wouldn't have met otherwise! My writing isn't eloquent, and there's plenty of grammatical errors and typos that would irritate the heck out of some, but I'm not writing a book or a college essay on the pros and cons of wearing uniforms. (Yes, I had to write a paper about the pros and cons of wearing uniforms.)


Yesterday's song:
Run, Run, Run - The Supremes

Peace