7 Year Itch

I really don't have a 7 year itch, but I do have an itch. And that is all I'm going to say about it, other than when the Dr. told me what it was I said "I wish you told me I had poison ivy" (which is what I went in thinking I had).

So I went running on Monday. I did 2.5 miles in 30 minutes. For those of you keeping track at home that is only a 12 minute mile. I might as well be walking. My running and working out has been on quite a slide since spring break. Part of that is my schedule to the end of school. There is a lot of lab work to be done this month for some guys in my department, so the time I would spend in the gym gets put in their lab instead. It's OK as long as I don't make it a habit. Today I thought I would be working in the lab all day, I was told I would be working in the lab all day - but now it seems that I'm not needed today - so I just got a three hour hole of time. Guess what, no workout clothes. I mean, why would I? I was going to be in the lab all day. Oh well, it will give me some time to read a book I have been putting off for my thesis. This weekend I have to go on a field trip - Friday through Saturday. It should be fun, but that puts a lot of work on me when I get back, and I have found that I don't do work well right now. Maybe it is the spring weather, maybe it is all the lab time, maybe it is the itching, but it just isn't going very fast.

In other news, I finished the rough draft of my extension paper on green roofs. A lot of work ahead on that, I'm sure, but it felt good to get that first part out of my computer and onto another persons computer for awhile.

Balance

I follow a blog on Runners World called Marathon Virgin. He wrot a funny article with workout a couple of weeks ago:
Hanging in the Balance Marathon Virgin

I planned on working out today, but then I found out I will probably have to work all day tomorrow and so all the homework I was going to finish up needed to be finished tonight! So I didn't go to the gym. Low and behold, I finished up the bulk of it by 8:15, and the part I still need to finish usually only takes me about an hour (just jinxed myself I think). So anyway, I remembered this workout I printed off a few weeks ago and wanted to try. I'm glad I tried it in the comfort of my own home. I think I would have been embarrassed to do these things in public, especially as bad as I am at some of these exercises. The surfing pop-ups didn't pop, and the Burpees didn't burp. I probably looked like an old woman trying to do these exercises, but I did them twice each. I will work up to the 3 times each in time, but man do I need to be a better burper and popper before I do that.

Back At It

Well, after over a week off my running was sub par to say the least. I did not get a chance to run on Thursday before break like I had hoped, and I didn't get ANY running in over break. Mostly I sat around and napped. The napping part was fun.

Run Time: 22:59
Run Distance: 2 miles
Feeling: like I wasn't going to even make 2 miles. I had to slow the machine down a couple of times to rest, it was a weak showing for sure
Soundtrack: Home Improvement the snake episode. An early episode about a snake getting into the house and the exterminator can't find it and assumes it went back outside. The exterminator was Stephen Root! I couldn't believe it!

New Jersey Flooding

Long story short of spring break - went to New Jersey, 20 minutes after we got there we were told to evacuate. Well, 26 hours in a car only to be told to evacuate isn't really going to happen. So we just watched the water level. This is as high as it got and it went down over our stay. Probably more about the trip later.

Run Time

Run distance: 3.66 miles
Run time: 40 min
I tried to read, but the words on my magazine were too small to follow while running. So I just used it to cover up the screen so I didn't obsess about time and distance. Note to self: larger print.

Running again on Thrusday before my trip to New Jersey. Hopefully I can get some kind of activity in while I am away, it will be a long road back to running if I take a week off.

Yet another reason to like the guy

I'm not on Twitter, but I do follow a couple of people there. One of them being Jim Gaffigan (http://twitter.com/JimGaffigan). I follow him mostly for his one liners and any updates on tour information. Anyway this was his twitter entry for today.

On Tuesday 9th March 2010, @JimGaffigan said:

This is the day I was given the most important gift of all, Jeannie. Calling Jeannie my wife feels a little like referring to Shakespeare as some English guy. She is the true unsung hero of my success, personally and professionally. Forget that “Woman behind the man” crap. Jeannie and I are one in everything. Jeannie is not just my writing partner, acting coach and spiritual leader. She is not just the smartest sexiest woman I’ve encountered. She is my best friend who I happen to crave with every ounce of my existence. She is there to pick me up when I am down and forgive me when even I was disgusted by my own selfishness and narcissism. I wonder at her beauty and caretaking I witness in our eldest daughter. In her passion and charm bursting out of our son. I get lost in her cuteness and sweetness beaming from our nine-month-old. I even received a glimpse to last a lifetime of Jeannie’s elegance in our baby Maria Lourdes we lost shortly after her birth. Forget that “Luckiest man on earth” crap. That guy obviously never met Jeannie. Happy Jeannie Day!

Row Row Row Your Boat

Rowing again today - 20 minutes. I'm not sure if I like it or not. I kind of miss running. I look longingly over at the people on the treadmills wishing I could go nowhere on my feet instead of on my butt. I think that the treadmill people don't like me looking longingly at the treadmills because they think I am looking longingly at them and that I am creepy. Well I am creepy, but I'm not looking at you. Leg weights and abs again today. Followed by a salad with goat cheese.

Reading Rainbow

Well, I read baseball news.

I figured the key to running without thinking about time, or how tired I am, or the distance. READING! I forgot my iPod today (it is in my coat pocket and it is too warm for a coat today), so I stationed myself in front of the ESPN TV because it has closed captioning. Today was all about baseball. No word on the Cardinals or the Indians, but I think that might have been in the next half hour I was lifting weights.

I did not run yesterday for a number of reasons - most importantly the way my schedule lined itself out yesterday did not give me the time in between obligations. So I put it off to today, the day I opted to take off in my schedule. That's OK, I think it actually made for a better run today.

Run Distance: 3 miles
Run Time: 32:45
Other Activity: Arm weights (least favorite)
Feeling: I don't remember
Soundtrack: The gym

I think I'm going to start bringing some reading for my runs. A way to keep up on my reading for class and a way to pass the time.

Water, Water, Everywhere . . .

but not a single drop to drink.

Switched up the ol' gym routine today. Switch up 1: I showed up today, not usually a Monday work outer. Switch up 2: I used the row machine - Oh, the humanity! Switch up 3: I did weights for my legs and then did some ab work.

Now? Well now I am enjoying a delightful salad I made with lettuce, spinach, walnuts, craisins, and feta. How is it that I HATE anything cranberry except craisins? I use to be able to buy a salad like this at Trader Joes. I was lamenting about that yesterday before I went to the store that I wished I could buy that salad. Then it dawned on me I could get the ingredients and make my own. The trick was remembering what was in it.

Tomorrow . . . RUNNING!