I'll take Unfair things and things you learn when leaving the gym for $100 Alex

So I think it should be illegal for a Dunkin Donuts to operate in the parking lot of the gym.  I parked my car and the smell of freshly made donuts comes bouncing over to me...the smell is so nice..but I resist and enter the gym.  Then on the way out that damn donut smell is still hanging around. 

I figure that you learn something new everyday.  Here is my gem today.  I overhead a group of young guys talking as I was leaving the gym.

"Dude you know how a dude looks like a baller but totally is not one.  And then the dudes that don't look anything like a baller come walking over and wow they are major ballers"  The other guys all agreed that this was so the way of the world.  Who would have thunk it??

Hope everyone has a happy Tuesday.  Tomorrow is my Friday :)  After work I am loading Riley in the car and heading to PA.  Oh please do not snow while I am home and please please please do not snow when I am driving to or from PA.

Thanksgiving with friends

So the turkey was a success! The stuffing was just like mom's and the bird was very juicy. So juicy and tender that when I untied the drumsticks the entire bone slid out clean from the bird. Very yummy! And nobody was feeling ill at the end of the night that I know of...

Trying to get the stuffing out of the bird.  Yes Kristen is using a grilling fork to hold the bird.

Yummo!

Paul and I taking a picture with  my tree

Left overs anyone?

Oh no!  The turkey is making us feel sick..or tired not sure...

So my first turkey was a success!  Not as hard as I thought, although I did make a few calls to mom to make sure that I wasn't messing it up.  I didn't make anyone sign a waiver (I didn't have time to write them up).  So off to bed and then tomorrow morning is breakfast courtesy of the third grade.  Gosh I hope I don't gain 10 pounds this week!

Yurbuds and Turkey

So I won some yurbuds in October from Bobbie's blog 2010 Journey in Running.  I chose the pink ones for breast cancer.

I haven't tried them out yet because my earbuds have been working fine.  Well the time has come my earbuds have been crapping out on me so tonight was the perfect night to try out the yurbuds.  I was a little sceptical about the yurbuds.  My ears are incredibly small and regular earbuds always hurt and end up falling out of my ears.  So I grab the yurbuds as I headed out the door for the gym.  Well I worked out for an hour and they stayed in my ears the entire time.  I didn't have to keep pushing them in my ears to insure that they don't fall out of my ears.  I could almost forget that they were even in my ears.  So I guess I am now a yurbud convert.

After the gym I called my mom for a last minute walk through on the turkey for tomorrow's friend Thanksgiving dinner.  Hopefully everything works out and I don't poison my friends.  It could be a very lonely day at work on Monday if everyone ends up with food poisoning (why in my mind everyone else but me ends up with food poison is beyond me but they get it and I don't) and has to go to the hospital.  I am sure that won't happen but I will make everyone sign medical waivers before eating the turkey and stuffing lol.  

Why oh Why do I not want to workout?

So I went and ran some at the track. Did some "speed" work.  Which if someone were to actually see my speed work they would laugh but it is speed to me. :) 

I am still having problems finding my workout groove.  It has never been as hard as it has been this fall.  I have not figured out when a good time to go to the gym for me is.  Normally it is around 7pm but this year it just isn't happening.  I hate going to the gym after work because it is always pack and can take up to 20 mins to find a parking spot.  So what is a girl to do?  Yeah sit on the couch and eat the leftover Halloween candy sounds good to me ;)

The running club has been saving me, forcing me to run on Tuesdays.  And I have been getting in a run or two on top of that.  I think what I am going to do is try taking my clothes to work and running around the 'hood after school.  That way I don't lose the workout mood after a 30 plus minute drive home.  So hoping that it will workout for me.  I think I might convince some friends to run around school with me too.  Kristen is also having the same problem fitting in working out since the 1/2 marathon.  So maybe we can guilt each other into at least running or walking together a few times after school. 

On a different note...I can't wait for Turkey Day!  It is my favorite holiday!  I love that there is really no big expectations but to eat until you fall asleep and visit with friends and family.  No stress with gifts or trudging out to stores and getting knocked down by some old lady who is trying to get to some random bargain.  Sunday I am hosting a friend Thanksgiving and making my first turkey.  So it will either go really well or a pizza will be ordered. 

I am taking off work on Wednesday since there are no library classes and I will be heading up to PA to mom's house on Tuesday night after work.  Riley will get to play with mom's new little bundle of fur Charlie.


What a cute little guy! He is the friendliest dog out there too.



Wildlife refuge hike

Instead of running I went with Becky hiking through the Occoquan Wildlife Refuge.  The website said we could see raptors at this time of year.  Not sure about the raptors, but we did see ducks and snails. :)  It was a beautiful day for a hike.  In all we probably walked 3 or 4 miles.  We ended the day with a yummy pulled pork sandwich from a roadside barbecue guy.  I have wanted to try his barbecue for years.  I can't believe it took me so long to discover the goodness of his pulled pork sammies..yummm.

Here is a heron (at least that is what we think it is).

Becky examining snails.

Happy Veteran's Day!

I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy Veteran's Day.  Thank you to all the families that have served (past and present). 

Since I didn't have work today I decided to skip Thanksgiving and head straight for Christmas...that's right I put up the decorations!  Now before you think I am nuts let me explain why I like to decorate on Veteran's Day.  First it is a day off so I can spend it cleaning and decorating.  I also really love all the holiday lights and decorations.  Now if I waited until December to decorate, sometimes that  just doesn't happen.  Everyone knows how busy it is during December.  So sometimes I just don't have the time to put up everything in December.  That combined with I go back to PA for Christmas and come back for New Years, I feel like putting up all the decorations for 2 weeks would not be worth it.  So I like to decorate on Veteran's Day so I have a few weeks to enjoy the lights. 

Running in the dark

I went to the running club again this Tuesday.  We changed happy hour venues and it might take a little while to get used to..very swanky.  Which I feel kinda bad that people are eating and in walks a bunch of smelly sweaty runners. 

This week it was very dark at 6:30 when the run started and lucky for me, my running buddy Megan brought her headlamp.  Also lucky that she purchased a headlamp to be one of the Chilean miners for Halloween :)  So after the run I now am going to have to breakdown and buy a lamp...or get taken in the middle of the run by a tall handsome stranger and nobody will no about it b/c it is so dark...wait that doesn't sound too bad.  Ok with my luck it would be some really ugly crazy guy so I guess I need to buy a headlamp this weekend.  Anyone own one that they love??

I also can not stop thinking about that Nike warm running half zip...ugh...Well I am off to game night since we don't have work tomorrow.  I am making some hot pizza dip and hope it turns out because I have never made it or tasted it.  What better people to try something new on than your friends right? 

Who says running is cheap?

So I read somewhere that running is a cheap sport.  All you need is a pair of shoes and off you go.  I guess that is true but you also need a good pair of shoes that are made for you and how you run (not so cheap).  Yeah I am sure that a pair of 20 dollar Walmart shoes will do for a short run every once in awhile, but more than that and you are probably going to have to shell out some extra money for a podiatrists appointment too.  Then there is the special clothing that wicks the moisture away.  I went to Dicks Sporting goods looking for some winter running shirts and fell in love with a Nike shirt for 70 dollars.  I mean it is a nice shirt and comfy and the girls don't stick out but I can't justify 70 dollars for a running shirt in the winter.  It is a nice shirt but I just can't do that.  Then don't forget to look for the socks that don't contain 75% cotton because we don't want blisters while we run.  And then if you want to run in the dark you may want to go out and buy a headlamp and some reflective gear.  Then there is always the race fees too. 

I guess running starts out not costing too much but then as you start to buy all the extras that make running that much nicer..it adds up.  So does anyone want to donate to the Nike $70 shirt fund??? 

Happy World Run Day

Happy World Run Day...and in honor of the day I am heading to the gym and jumping on the treadmill..

Hope everyone gets out there and enjoys  a run today.

Boys and Girls Club Turkey Trot recap

Well I feel like I haven't blogged in awhile..so here goes. :) 

Kristen, Megan and I signed up for a Turkey Trot this morning.  Well actually Megan signed up and Kristen and I did late registration (no t-shirts for us..).  It was a very cold cold Saturday morning.  I was debating on what to wear and decided it could be the temps for running tights..then added a long sleeved t-shirt and a light fleece hoodie. 

Kristen was driving and of course I looked up the directions (super easy..take a left and then a right...not far from the main road we were going to be driving on).  Yeah  so I guess it wasn't take a left and then right but a right and then a right..took us a bit to get to there because I messed the directions up.  Oops..Megan was trying to direct us over the phone but she didn't really know exactly where we were either.  What a way to start off the morning. lol  So finally 15 mins. later we make it to the Boys and Girls Club to a rather small crowd.  Guess this is not going to be a huge running group. That really works well for me, I love the smaller local runs (and the race benefits the Boys and Girls Club of Manassas so I was happy to donate)

Late registration stand here please...

Well we take off at 8am and the first thing you notice is you have to go up a hill..great I hate hills.  Turns out that wasn't the only hill on the course...I hate hills!  I had to make sure I kept someone in my eyesight so I would know where to run.  This was a small race and it was marked with signs on a post and every once in awhile you would see a volunteer or a sheriff's car (2 sheriff's car to be precise).  I was pretty happy with my pace.  My lungs were killing me b/c I have been sick all week and the cold air was not feeling the greatest, but I didn't think I was going to dye so I figured I must be doing pretty good.  the last mile was through the woods (ok a park but I like to call it the woods) and the last hill before the finish was more like a straight up mountain!  Have I said I hate hills??  I hate hills! 

I crossed right behind Megan (who passed me in the woods) at just under 35 mins.  Not too bad considering it was cold and a hilly course.  Kristen finished ahead of us at 30 mins.  (Imagine what a good time she would have had if it was flat). 

We went to the awards ceremony and found out Kristen won in her age group!  (ok she was the only one in her age group but she still won!)

A good day for a run!