Summer colds suck

Sad to think in a few more weeks my summer is over and back to work I go. I know I'm pretty lucky to have the time off. I do realize that some people actually work during the summer (how do they do that?). It doesn't make it easier to head back to work. So for now I will not think about that. 

I am officially done teaching summer school. I had some really nice kids so it wasn't hard to head to work. To celebrate the start of my summer I got a lovely head cold. It sucks to have a cold, but to get a cold in the summer really sucks. So for most of the weekend I felt like crap and didn't move much. I did head out to a painting class with some work friends on Saturday night. 

We were given the instructions on how to recreate starry nights but in dc. 

The barn like building should be a museum and not a place to store your horse while you tour the mall. It was a fun night but I was ready to head home and sleep. (Sure sign of not feeling wll). 

Then on Sunday I was hoping to get a long run in. I couldn't breathe and had no energy so I quickly knew it just wasn't going to happen. I had a few days of doing a lot if nothing. I caught up on some reading and shows on tv. Not a fun start to my summer.

Tuesday morning I woke up and headed out for a run.  It was a beautiful morning high 60's and no humidity. You couldn't ask for a better running day. I headed over to the library to park my car. I scouted out a new running route the day before. It is always exciting to run in a new area.  I headed out to see how many miles I could get in. I heard that running loosens up a head cold but didn't know if I believed it. Well turns out it might have helped a bit. Rather than being stuffed up I had the opposite problem during my run. I was able to knock out five miles. Not whatI was shooting for but I'll take it. 

I discovered the library has a veggie garden. Who knew?!  

Afterwards I stopped to get a dunkin donut to celebrate my five miles. 

Chocolate cream filled. My favorite!  

I still have three more miles to run at run club tonight. Bring it on. 

She's back!!!

Well I looked at my running calendar and it is starting to look much better than  June.  I am running more.  I still need to work on my long runs, but I will take that I am running more.  This weekend I have 11 miles planned.  Let's hope that it is not too painful.

I did not run a long run this past weekend because my friend Becky was visiting from Colombia!!  I went to pick her up after summer school on Thursday and I have been running (figuratively, not literally) all weekend.  Thursday we had a run club get together.  We all met at Guapos for dinner and then headed over to listen to the 19th Street Band.  Great night! 

Then after school on Friday Dena wanted me and Becky to check out a localish winery.  So we went there and I hung out for a bit and then left Becky with Dena as I had to go back home to meet my old college roomie and her family.  They were stopping over for the night on their way to the beach on Saturday morning.  I miss seeing Mary!  We end up seeing each other every year or so. 

Saturday we headed to another winery to hang out with some people that we worked with.  It was a beautiful day to just hang out outside enjoying some wine.  Becky thought we would only be there for a short time,but I knew that once she got to chatting with people she hasn't seen in a year, we would probably stay for most of the afternoon. 

Sunday was a very laid back day.  Some tv watching and then we went to meet a former student of Becky's and her mom.  We had lunch and then some ice cream.  It was fun catching up with them.  I then dropped Becky off at her former teammate's house for dinner.  I then went to  have some dinner with our friends Brandon and Jen while waiting for Becky to join us after her dinner with Christine.  At this point in the weekend I was so stuffed from eating crap that I didn't really eat much on Sunday and ended up taking half of my lunch and dinner home.  Could it be that I was actually craving a salad and fruit??  I know my diet is not perfect but I don't think I have had as much fast food as I ate from Thursday to Sunday.

Monday it was time to say goodbye to Becky.  It was great seeing her.

Fitbit and slurpies oh my!

Late last year I bought a fitbit.  I really love my fitbit!  It has helped me add steps to my day.  My dog loves it because he gets more walks.  I'm friends with people I know and some I don't know.  I am secretly a bit competitive with some of my fitbit friends.  I am friends with a parent from school.  We will often leap frog each other.  There are days that I purposefully look to see how many steps she has and if I can beat her.  She doesn't know that I have this little competition with her. :)  There were days that our numbers were close and Riley got an extra walk out of the deal just so I could get more steps in for the day.

Last week I became friends with Zack and Becca.  They are my friends from high school and are engaged. Zack is a bit sarcastic, a bit competitive and likes to make fun of his friends.  Well if you do not have a fitbit you may not know that there is a place where you can send a cheer, taunt the person or send them a message.

Who would send a taunt?  Really why is that there?

Well last week I found out who would send a taunt and his name is Zack.  Now I will say that I'm not sure how Zack is getting in his steps, but he is averaging 22,000 per day.  I have asked him if he is training for something?  No.  He claims he is just walking.  I think that sounds suspicious to me.  I haven't been able to catch him yet.  I'm building up my steps so it could happen.   Becca averages 16,000 steps.  I was told I could not taunt him since his fiance is also beating me.  So I have been out to beat Becca's step and send Zack taunts.  I am pretty sure Becca knows what I am doing. :)   Poor Becca I think she has been forced to go hiking for most weekends so both her and Zack can have lots of steps. :)  I did send him a nice message about his feet are tired and he should spend the afternoon napping.  He sent back a message about he enjoys sleep walking.  Ugh...  So because of some fun taunts I have now upped my walking game.  I also keep it on when I run, but it is my walking that really has increased.  I have even started taking Riley on a walk and then after a mile I drop him off at home and continue on with my walking.

In other news Friday was free food day.  If you dressed up as a cow you could get free chick fila, Krispy Kreme donuts were buy a dozen and the second dozen was 77 cents (bet there were lots of offices that had some donuts on Friday) and it was 7/11 so free slurpie day at 7-eleven!!

I did not take advantage of the Chick fila since I just had lunch there the day before.  But I did take advantage of free slurpie day!  I stopped and got one after summer school.  Traffic was bad and I was passing a 7-Eleven.  Well I am was just sitting there so might as well stop and get a slurpie...a blue slurpie my favorite kind!

I finished that up sitting in traffic and decided that I would stop at the 7-eleven near my house for my second free slurpie of the day.  So 40 minutes later I had my second free slurpie.  I had strawberry Fanta.  Not bad, but not my favorite.  I would have gotten blue raspberry but they did not have it at my 7-eleven.  All in all a great7/11.

Did you get any free food on Friday?

What is your favorite Slurpie flavor?

Running around

Well I know this will come as a shock but I've been running...some. It hasn't been long distances but it is a start. Last week I went to run club and it was rough. The heat about killed me. I then knew that I needed to get back into running.  So I went out and ran the neighborhood the next three days. I quickly realized that it is too hot to run after 9 am and I will be working on getting up earlier to get my runs in.

At run club Brad  was talking about a live band karaoke on Thursdays. Since I have no work some of us decided why not head over on Thursday. And the band had a gong when someone was really bad. And really I feel like that is the best karaoke, bad singing. And add a live band and a gong and it sounded fun to me.

Lots of fun with running friends. Turned out they never used the gong while we were there. Boo!  The people were very good singers, which meant I did not sing. I'm sure I would have gotten the gong for sure. 

Friday I ended up running a few miles and not going to kettlebell class. Ryan, our instructor totally called me out on canceling too. I promised to show up on Monday. Sometimes you just need someone to remind you to get moving. 

Monday I went back to kettlebell class after a few weeks off. I did lots of squats and lifting heavy things over my head. Today my legs and abs hurt. I guess I shouldn't take a few weeks off again. 

Tuesday I headed to a very hot run club. The sweat was crazy!

I'm going to try and run this evening..but between the heat and my legs it may turn into a Thursday run followed by nighttime kettlebell. 

So looks like I'm back into running!