Taking the plunge

I registered for the downtown Turkey Trot, in hopes that I wouldn't have to run half of it straight into 15mph north winds! So, it's a done deal. $30 I won't be getting back.

I need to find something to keep my ears warm. Guess I'll have to swing by Academy tonight or tomorrow and see what's available.

Today is Bedlam Day at work, so the kids and teachers will be facing off in their crimson and orange. The prom committee is putting it on to raise money for prom, and the sponsor is originally from Maine (hasn't been here even a year yet!) and she called it "maroon" in an email and was quickly corrected. Pretty funny stuff.

Otherwise, I am so happy that it's Thanksgiving break. Yeah, my journalism class is way behind and isn't going to get a unit on newspaper design. Yeah, my band could be farther along on their holiday music. And yeah, I should be further along in my C25K training. But, all of that goes away when I think about the possibility of just lounging with H, watching movies and putting up holiday decorations after turkey day. I'm no good at lounging by myself; last night I got so bored while he was out I resorted to South Park reruns and going to bed at 9pm. I'm lame.

C25K Week 5, Day 1

Well, that went better than expected! I'm both nervous and excited for the Turkey Trot on Thursday. I just now found the stuff for the one in OKC, so I'm having a hard time deciding if I should do the one in downtown OKC or the one in Edmond. Both are fairly flat, but one runs more north and I know it's going to be cold! I'm just not sure what to do, but I have to make a decision soon! I keep thinking, I can do this, I can do this. And then I think, what the eff is wrong with me? I just started! But I felt like I could run longer this morning than I had to. The 5 minute intervals don't seem that long anymore.

This morning was kind of spooky. The wind was blowing hard and there were low clouds zooming across the sky over the full moon. The wind kept rustling things, making me think there was something around me and the moon made everything all glowy. I didn't like it at all!

I don't really have much else to put in here today. Keep an eye out for my "31 for 31" post as I am working on 31 goals. I could certainly use some ideas!

As the year comes to a close...

I believe I will change this to my 2011 Accountability Blog. I plan to create 31 goals for myself for the year; some small, some big; to help me continue in my progress in being a better person, runner, and teacher. I will gladly take suggestions from my readers for these goals, or for ways to improve this blog, as well.

Last night, H and I were talking about this running program, and an old friend of ours who has been doing it with great success. They were quite obese and have lost quite a bit of weight in the short time they've been running (I believe they started losing weight first, though; regardless, they look great!) and how the scale almost never moves for me. The entire last month has been the same 2 pounds lost, gained, and lost again. I know why it is--diet. But I enjoy food and try to keep it reasonable. I don't usually eat huge portions of food. I try to limit desserts to a few times a week. But, I love food and I don't always love salad! Despite not having lost any weight, H has noticed differences in my body, specifically leg strength and other things during "sexy time," as he put it. I guess I hold differently. I've lost belly fat; I can see that on the tape measure, and that's my biggest goal: lose the belly fat. It's unhealthy, it's why my clothes don't fit, it's why people ask if I'm pregnant (which hasn't happened in a very long time).

He also said my face is way different, and I agree. I was looking back and some old pictures recently and noticed that. I'm happy with that.

Anyway, this post isn't really for anything. I did my W4D3 run yesterday and felt pretty good. I'm still waffling on the Turkey Trot, but I have until Tuesday to decide. I might as well just do it and push myself and get the shirt!

Oh, and I am loving the freeing feeling of having no more credit debt on my major card. My grocery card is up next!

Been feeling run down

So, you haven't heard from me. I took the last couple of days off to just rest in the evenings. It's been really nice to do that. I just couldn't shake a low-grade headache and fatigue. Wednesday I was fighting just to keep my eyes open on the drive home at 3:15, which is scary. I occasionally will push myself too far and end up really sick. I've learned the warning signs, like the headache, so I can avoid full-on illness.

I still, however, need to learn to say no or to not go crazy with obligations.

So, I haven't run since Tuesday but I think I'll be getting out there this evening. I am going to pay off my big credit card today and feel much better about my financial situation. I'm going to wear all purple and be a "Nerd" (several teachers and I are the candy Nerds) for Nerd Day at school. (I figured I already am a nerd and unless I just carried my flute around all day no one would know I was dressed up). And dang if these purple fleece pants aren't incredibly comfortable. I think I'll be lounging in them quite a bit.

For now, I need to work on my graduate project journal that I haven't updated since before our concert last week and get ready for the day. This has been a long week with all of the out of uniform days for spirit week. I love spirit week, but it's really dragged on this week, especially with block schedule. We'll all survive, though.

C25K W4D2

So, I was right. It was my foot strike. I worked hard yesterday morning to keep my feet hitting the ground the way said to in the videos, and I had nearly nonexistant leg pain. Most of what I experienced was just muscle fatigue, like I had done too many calf raises. It was an entirely different feeling and in a different place on my leg. I think I found my stride :) An online person suggested some calf compression sleeves, so I'm going to check those out sometime to see if they work.

In other news, we had another basketball game yesterday, along with our first (and only, really) pep assembly. It's becoming exhausting to take photos, keep up with over 40 band kids, and take video. My yearbook and web design kids need to step it up. I think I got some decent video last night. Don't know about photo yet. Most of my band kids did a good job. The crowd actually responded to them at the assembly which helps. But, I'm happy to put it behind us for a little while and focus on holiday tunes. We have just one more honor band audition on Saturday and we're done with that.

I'm just so tired right now, though. I'm so ready for next week's break; I need it. While I find myself unable to really relax when I have free time (I feel like I should be doing something), I crave it. I'm so tired I don't even really want to eat; I'm forcing a banana and some OJ right now and I'm not digging it. I didn't even want to open the fridge to scoop out some leftovers into a container for lunch. This is not how I normally am. Obviously. I love to eat and even that's getting beaten out of me.

I don't know how long I'll stay at this school. This is my 6th year there, amazingly. I can't believe it's been that long. I've always said I'll stay at a school as long as they need me. I would have stayed a few years at my first job, even though it was crappy, because they needed me. I don't know how long my school now will need me. I'm always doing new stuff and while that's great, the new stuff is starting to take everything over and I don't have the time or energy for my old stuff, like band. I don't know how to make administration see this.

I do have some good news. I'm about to get a very large sum of money so I can pay off my credit cards and be DONE. All I'll have to do is pay tuition but since I'm not taking anything in the spring, I'm going to wait until after Christmas so I can feel free to shop (within reason) for holiday gifts. My graduate adviser thought I was supposed to graduate in December, and had emailed about comprehensive tests. When I said I was just over halfway and had another year, he said, "Well, I guess it just seems like you've been underfoot for so long." Um, okay. Yeah, I'm doing the THREE summer program you designed. It's been two. Deal with my existence, jerk.

Okay, I have to drag my exhausted ass to work now. Holiday tunes and promotional video making ahead.

C25K W4D1 Repeat

Well, I got out there this morning and tried again. My legs were still so very tired. I still feel like my lungs could go for a lot longer, and my heart (though it's kind of scary how fast my heart rate is. It's still in a healthy range, I just don't normally feel it get that high!). It's just my damned legs. So, I'm going to try an experiment.

1. I am going to do everything in my power to hydrate myself at every turn. Even though we have no working fountains on my floor and the fridge water dispenser is a pain in my ass. Even though it'll make me have to constantly pee.

2. I'm going to eat a banana before I go out running in the mornings. Potassium is great for muscle cramps.

3. I am going to keep focusing on my foot strike. Today I could barely feel or hear my feet hitting the ground. I want to keep that up. I'm reading conflicting information on how the foot should hit the ground. Some say between heel and midfoot, some say more on the ball. I find if I try to run more toward the ball of my foot, I kind of "shuffle" along. I'm going to talk to the cross country coach at school and see what they say. Or maybe even a cross country kid!

4. If I don't see improvement, or rather, feel improvement, from the above, then I'm going to take the birthday money my mom gave me and go to a running store and have them analyze my gait. It's a last, and possibly expensive resort, and I kind of wanted that money for "fun," you know?

I really think it's the foot strike coupled with hydration. We'll see, though. I'm always open to suggestions!

Oh, and about the run--it wasn't the best, and about the last 20 seconds of each long run I checked the time (both at 22 seconds left ha, so weird) because it seemed like an eternity. My legs got tired before I even started to jog, really. A friend suggested I get more strength training in, and since I haven't been doing that much lately, I tend to agree with her. Something else to work on, I suppose.

I'm seeing a difference in my face in pictures. God, my face was fat there for awhile. It looks like the weight I've lost since February seems to have all come from my face!

The craziest, most exhausing week of my life

There is a reason you haven't heard from me. After honor band auditions on Monday night (home and dinner at 10:30), a basketball game Tuesday night (home at 9:30), a concert Thursday night (home at 9) I was WIPED. My body just refused to do anything but shut down. I gave the C25K a rest this week because of all the pain I felt Monday morning. I'm hoping that after the rest things will be better. I might see if I can convince H to work on that muscle for me instead of spending $50 at the massage therapist.

The band was well-received at both the basketball game and the concert, especially the jazz band. My principal asked if they could perform at halftime at a basketball game =D I told her sure, if we could find long enough extension cords! I'll probably look through some music today and see if I can find anything they can easily work up for next semester's games. There's just no time between now and our next concert. The concert overall was a huge success. My band parents provided so much food and they decorated the tables and made everything so lovely. Unfortunately, no orchestra or choir parents provided anything, and that burns both myself AND my band parents. They provide so much for the program (dinners for basketball games, dinner/movie night was ALL band parents even though orchestra "helped") and they are starting to notice the one-sided nature of this game. I know what I need to say to fix this problem, but I can't say it in a nice enough way. I'm too close to the situation.

I'm going to try and get out there today and run. It's supposed to be sunny and 54 and I'm adoring that. I might get some yardwork in, too. Tonight I have a girl's night at a local restaurant that I LOVE. I was invited to a girl's night! H said he was "proud" or something like that. I think he's happy to see me have good friends.

So, that's the update. I slept like 9 hours and we're getting our microwave installed today, so I have to go clean the messy kitchen so that can happen. Yay! 90 second bags of Uncle Ben's brown rice!