The Skinny on Me

It’s 7:30. It’s normally the time that I would either be getting to the train station for my 7:40 metra or gathering my stuff to head the car for work. Instead, I’m going for a 5+ mile run before work.

Thank you NATO Summit for allowing me the simple pleasures of working from home and time for a MORNING run

Oh happy day indeed. 

• SW: 176
• LWIW: 165.6
• CW: 167.6
• Difference: +2
• Total: -8.4

Operation VEGAS

In two weeks, I’ll be in Tucson to spend some quality time with my grandmother (who’s been in and out of the hospital). In two and a half weeks, I’ll be in Vegas. Originally, the plan was was simply have a layover in Tucson, but the opportunity presented itself, so now I’ll be spending a few days at home before the crazy shenanigans ensue. 

This means that, I have 2 weeks to get my ass in gear with Operation VEGAS. 

What is Operation VEGAS, you ask? Well…

• Run 4x a week 
• No snacking on work snacks
• No (repeat, NO) bagel Thursday
• Agua, lots of ague

Yesterday (Day 1 of Operation VEGAS) I knocked out 5 miles after work. Today, I’m hoping for 3-4. Plus, I’m bringing my running gear to work to hopefully squeeze in some walking time with a coworker over lunch (we’ve been trying for the last week and have yet to actually head outside). 

Today’s Food:

Breakfast — 230 cal

• 1 Jimmy Dean Turkey Sausage Patty (60 cal)
• Cinnamon & Spice Instant Oatmeal (170 cal)

Snack — 140 cal

• Open Nature Blueberry Greek Yogurt (140 cal)

Lunch — 377 cal

• Chicken and White Bean Stuffed Peppers (2 halves, 342 cal)
• Baby carrots, 10 (35 cal)

Snack — 135 cal

• String cheese, light (60 cal)
• Celery + PB (75 cal)

Dinner — 343 cal

• Turkey and Black Bean Enchiladas (343 cal — with ground beef not turkey) 
• Red wine

Total: 1225 cal

Now … to figure out when to squeeze time in for my run. My number one pet peeve is running after eating. Maybe I’ll have my roomie take over in the kitchen, while the enchiladas are in the oven (30 min), while I go for a quick 3-miler. 

Another day, another blog. Two for two, now isn’t that something to be proud of? 

Today, during my team meeting, we talked about the new intern we are adding to the mix. He, apparently, is quite adept at social media. Which is great, except that’s what I want to do. 

I’m a bit bummed out about this. I’ve mentioned my interest in it before, and I always jump at the chance to recommend things. I feel like I keep trying, only to show little for it. Looking back, though, i’m not sure I’ve ever even asked. 

Monday, I’m changing that. I’m going to walk up to my boss and tell her I’d like to help out with more social media projects. 

Here’s what I think I’ll say:

J, I want to talk to you about expanding my responsibilities. I realize we’re getting an intern with social media experience, but I also have a background in SM and would really like to help out [the social media girl], even if it’s just for a client or two. 

Is that aggressive enough? Maybe I should say:

J, screw the intern and [the social media girl]. I’m taking over social media, biotch. 

JK. 

In others news (though sticking to today’s theme), I’m planning on showing my fat ass (said completely out of love…) who’s boss yet again today. Half-Marathon training Week 1, Day 5, all 3 miles of it, is happening. (Yes, I skipped ahead a couple days). 

My plan:

Yesterday’s running pattern of 5/3/8/3 worked pretty well. Though my pace wasn’t stellar, I was also pretty much cramp/shin splints free. So I’ll give it a go again. I don’t want to push myself too hard before tomorrow’s big run (5-6  miles!). 

** I do realize that just a few posts ago, I was griping about my job. To be clear, it has it’s ups and downs. Mostly, the pay and benefits suck. Oh, and the commute. But after switching to taking the train, it’s become a lot better. I still have my moments where I question what on Earth I’m doing. And I still have my moments where I all I want to do is head the opposite direction, but I genuinely like the people I work with. I feel like that’s rare. And I really, really, really want to start doing more social media work. 

*** Yes, I pre-wrote this post, and yes, I DID go for that run! 

Truth: I started my “big-girl” job a mere three months ago. 

Truth: I already feel suffocated. 

Truth: I want to travel the world. I want to be free. 

Maybe I’ve been going about this all wrong. Maybe I’ve been glued to the rational that A + B = C, A being graduate from college, B being get a job and C being the true life experience. The end all be all. 

Well, let me tell you something: It sucks. Every day is routine, every day I feel stuck. 

Maybe I don’t run to loose weight, maybe I run to feel free. 

Obviously, I need to to do something about this. The question is, how?

It’s been a wee little while since my last WIW. I’m going to start getting on track again, and I’m going to make this work. It’s the beginning of April; I’m just shy of two months until my Memorial Day weekend getaway to Vegas. I will be in the 150s by then, mark my words. 

SW: 176 
LWIW: 166 (Feb. 21)
CW: 166.9
Difference: +0.9 lbs.
Total WL: -9.1 lbs.

This weekend, I’ve registered to run the Bunny Rock 5k. Though I haven’t been running consistently since mid-January, I’m excited to get into it again. I might (keyword: might) even go ahead and pre-register for the half-marathon in June/July, just to get myself motivated.

The trouble is money. I may say I want to run it, but when it comes down to those gosh darn registration fees, my motivation goes out the window. I should start a run fund. Or maybe, when I move, the money I save on taxi cab fare (to but mostly from bars) can be put into the piggy bank reserved for running. 

Just a thought. 

What do you do to save up for race registration fees?

A few posts ago, I talked about starting another blog chronicling my efforts at my very own happiness project. Though I haven’t started the blog yet, I have begun a few of the steps. First, I’m reading The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, but y’all should already know that (assuming you read my first post). Secondly, I started writing morning pages (per the recommendation of Julia Cameron in The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity) 

Now you might be thinking, how did we go from “I’m afraid” to this happiness project mumbo jumbo to “higher creativity”? Well, I’m trying whatever I think might help, and if unblocking my creativity helps, that’s fantastic (it’s been way too long since I let my creativity go buck wild). The point is, I’m trying it. If you don’t try it, you’ll never know. 

Typically, you are supposed to write your morning pages (three of them) in the morning (go figure). This morning, I did just that. But then, after leaving the house for an informational interview, I realized that the sidewalks were too slippery for my run today and that they will most likely be the same, or worse, tomorrow. Problem? Yes. 

After much consideration, I decided my safest bet was to simply use a free 7-day trial at a gym down my street. This was perfectly all right until suddenly it wasn’t. I don’t know what changed, but something most definitely did. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel like running, I still do want to go for a run. It was more that I was well… afraid.

When I got home, I wrote a fourth morning afternoon page:

For some reason or another, I’m afraid to go walk my half-marathon-in-training ass to the gym (a mere two blocks away). I’m afraid they’ll judge me for being overweight. I’m afraid they’ll judge me for only needing to run 3 miles today. I’m afraid they’ll judge me for not knowing any strength-building exercises. I’m afraid they judge me after only running for about 35 minutes. I’m afraid.

I managed to somewhat talk myself out of it’s funk, and by the end of the page I was saying this:

…I’m still afraid, which is proof that I need to go. I need to go because exercise helps improve your mood. I need to go because losing weight helps improve your mood. I need to go because I’m the insecure one who judges people to make myself feel better. I need to go because I will be running that half marathon on April 1st. 

I will do it. Just do it. 

So now, I’m sitting in my kitchen dressed and ready to go, and I will be going. I just wanted to write this post first. As I said above, I’m still afraid they’ll judge. But my reasons for going are greater than any judgmental thoughts they might have (but even if they do, I’ll never know them). 

TTYL — after I kick ass at my three mile time! 

I guess I forgot to tell you. On Monday, I officially started training for my half! 

As of today (luckily a rest day), I’ve already run 8 miles this week! Wootsy. Tomorrow, I start back up again with a 4 mile, which wouldn’t be so bad except the temperature is expected to drop about 30 degrees. Not so bueno. 

I can will do it! I will succeed! 

Yesterday, during my 5-mile run (longest run ever), I was shocked at a) how exhausted I was around the 3 mile mark, but how excited/energized I was around 4.5 miles. I ended up running 5.25 miles in 1:02:37. My goal was to get as close to an hour as possible, assuming my five-mile time would take me more than one hour. INSTEAD, my 5 mile mark hit at 59:45. Pretty damn close to, but STILL FREAKING LESS THAN ONE HOUR! 

Go me! 

Turns out, I have no self control when it comes to delicious cupcakes within my grasp. Yeah, that second half lasted about an hour before it too was gobbled up. Needless to say, I was less than thrilled with my decision to be tempted into getting one in the first place. 

To make up for my bad doing, I pushed my self to do a timed mile in under ten. Guess what?! I did it! I ran my mile in 9:42! How AWESOME SAUCE is that?!