Vacation

If I'm not around much next week, it's because I'm too busy enjoying this:

Waterlogged

I don't know what it is about rain, but it makes running so much better. It gets rid of the palpable humidity in the air, it cools off the pavement, but most importantly I breathe easier and run faster. There's just something I love about being outdoors getting poured on when everyone in their right mind is snuggled up in the comfort of their own homes. It makes me feel like a true runner. Man I wish it would rain every time I went running!

I didn't eat much today. With nothing for breakfast, a light salad for lunch, I was about ready to pass out when I got home today. Sometimes I'm not too smart. I prepared a ham, egg and cheese English muffin and it gave me enough energy for the run. I really need to buckle down and figure out an eating regimen. I can't fake it for much longer.

1. Get Me Off - Basement Jaxx
2. Sweet Jacqueline - Eurythmics vs. Faithless This is such a cool mash-up. I was running up a bridge during this song and found that it kept me at a good steady pace. It's definitely a good uphill song.
3. Hot n Cold Pussycat Dolls - Basement Jaxx vs. Pussycat Dolls
4. Love It When You Call - The Feeling
5. Satisfaction - Benny Benassi and the Biz
6. Miscommunication - Timbaland
7. *&%$$^* (I'm a little embarrassed to share this title, so I'm keeping it to myself) - M83 vs Aphex Twin vs Khia Although the title of the song as well as many of the lyrics make me cringe, it has a great beat for running. I have to keep it.
8. Lithium - The Polyphonic Spree It was really fun to run in the rain to this song

Wordless Wednesday er Thursday

run recap 6-27

Oh my crap. I'm never running again...DC weather is not condusive to training. I went right after work, a few hours after a crazy rainstorm and it was almost as if I was running in a steam room. I googled the weather after my run and it was 91 degrees with humidity at 50%. It's times like these I wish I had rock hard abs because it's just way too hot to be wearing a shirt out there. Don't worry all you locals who sometimes pass me on the road, I'll keep my shirt on!

I passed a guy on a bike who stuck his tounge out as he rode by. He either (1) can't bike up hills without his tongue wagging, (2) was trying to make me feel jealous that he'd get to his destination faster than I would, or (3) was acknowledging the fact that we were both positively insane for working out in that weather. I'll take door number 3, Bob.

I don't know if you've been paying attention to the sidebar, but yesterday I passed the 100 mile mark. Kind of crazy, just like me!


1. Requiem for Usher - Clint Mansell vs Usher
2. At the End of the Day - Amon Tobin
3. Smile - Lily Allen
4. Best Years of our Lives - Baha Men
5. Lithium - The Polyphonic Spree
6. Castles in the Sky - Ian Van Dahl
7. It's Gotta Be You - Backstreet Boys
8. Throw It On Me - Timbaland feat. The Hives
9. The World I Know - Collective Soul Good walking song
10. Naxalite - Asian Dub Foundation This is definitely a "power" song for me
11. One and Only - Timbaland feat. Fall Out Boy
12. I Choose Noise - Hybrid

3 mile run 6-26

Whoa man, talk about a horrible workout. I have plans tonight so I either had to wake up early or go during lunch. I am kicking myself for not going when I woke up an hour before my alarm went off this morning, because the weather was horrendous. It was 87 degrees with a heat index that pushed it up to 92 degrees and humidity at 65%, it was absolutely ridiculous for me to be out in that weather. It was so bad that I gave up running outside and finished out my workout on the treadmill. I weighed myself before and after and found that I sweated out a pound and a half of water in just over a half hour. That just seems so crazy to me. So yeah, never again will I do an afternoon run in this crazy climate.

Today's soundtrack:
1. Welcome to the Black Parade - My Chemical Romance
2. E-Pro - Beck I was a little unsure of this one when I put it on my ipod, but I think I like it for running.
3. Girlfriend (Japanese Version) - Avril Lavigne I love this one. It really motivates me to pick up the pace.
4. Locked Up - Akon Don't think this one is going to be on my playlist for much longer
5. Kill Yourself - Timbaland Good ole Timbaland gave me some good advice...it was so bad out there and I was on a hill at this point, and he told me not to kill myself...so I decided to walk. Thanks Timbaland!!
6. Choke - Hybrid How appropriate, I was choking on the humid air for this run!
7. Sugar, We're Goin Down - Fall Out Boy They're my new favorite band, their songs are great to run to.
8. Just Can't Get Club Action - Yo Majesty vs. Depeche Mode (with a little Enya thrown in for good measure) This was a lot of fun, it's a keeper

SPT - Hello

quick and easy this week!!spt posts have been pretty light these past few weeks. summer schedules are so much more hectic, aren't they? whatever happened those "lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer?" i've got the crazy ones covered!! i sure could use some of the lazy, hazy ones...so this week, no challenge, no props, no tours of your hometown. just you!! can't wait to see you!

Well, here I am. :)

Denial...not to be confused with the Nile

I knew when my sister and her family moved out here last June that it was only temporary and that they'd be moving back to Utah in a year. I held onto the small hope that they would get here, realize all of the great friends they left behind the last time they moved away from DC and would want to stay. However, as I sit in their empty living room it's a little hard to deny the fact that they're actually leaving. I am going to miss having them here.

run recap 6-23

I don't have a soundtrack to post today because my friend Abbie joined me on my run. I invited her along assuming she'd say no, because let's be honest, running sucks, and running 5 miles when you don't have to?! I'd say no. But guess what, she didn't. In fact, she was eager to join me, and she even wants to come again. It was nice to have someone to chat with...even though I was averaging one word to every three pants. I was surprised at how fast the time went!

Note to self, a salad and half a carton of Ben & Jerry's S'mores ice cream is not a smart pre-long run meal.

Unpaid endorsements

I've discovered a few great products lately and thought I'd pass them along...

I dropped my tube of toothpaste in the toilet this morning (don't worry, after I fished it out of the, luckily fresh, bowl, I threw it away) so I had to go buy a replacement. I don't know about you, but I haven't found one particular brand/flavor that I absolutely love, so I find the toothpast aisle quite daunting. There are so many flavors and everything does something different that it's hard for me to decide which one to try. Well I remember seeing a commercial for Crest's new nature's expressions, so I thought I'd check 'em out. I bought the pure peppermint fresh flavor and oh...my...gosh it is so delightful. My mouth is dancing right now. I think I've found a winner, let's just hope I can keep it out of the toilet!

I was reading a blog entry by one of my favorite bloggers, Rachel, where she talks about the coolest toaster ever. It not only toasts your bread, but it cooks eggs too!! You may already know this, but I am completely incompetent in the kitchen, so it was imperative that I immediately run out and purchase one for myself. Seriously, this thing is the greatest invention in the world. It has changed my life, well at least my eating habits. I have cooked more eggs in this past week then I have in my entire life, and that my friends is no exaggeration. It is so easy to use, you put some water in the bottom, crack an egg into the little teeny pan, set some meat in the steaming tray if you so desire, throw your bread of toast in the toaster, push the button and voila! In less than 5 minutes, you have a delicious breakfast, or lunch in my case. Thank you Rachel, for the great recommendation!

Lastly, Ben & Jerry's S'mores icecream. It is heaven in a cup. Chocolate ice cream, chocolate chunks, graham crackers, and my favorite...toasted marshmallow. It's not just your ordinary marchmallow...it's toasted...seriously, it's yellow, which doesn't look very appetizing, but take my word for it, it's incredible. When I'm not eating it, I'm dreaming about it. Go out and buy a pint (or two) now!! Find out which stores around you stock it here.

SYTYCD Jessi - Pasha

It wouldn't be Thursday without my favorite dances from SYTYCD. I'm having a hard time finding a video of just the dance, so you'll have to fast forward to get to the dancing.

Sabra and Dominic

I'm having such a tough time finding good videos. Like all of the other ones, unless you want to hear a two or three minute recap you'll have to fast foward to get to the dancing.

SYTYCD

Fast forward to get to the greatness.

SYTYCD - Lacey and Kameron

you'll have to fastforward a bit to get to the dancing.

run recap 6-21

I really really pushed myself today. I started out strong with a 10:21 pace, which I maintained for a good mile and a half (half of my 3 mile workout) took a short walking break and finished out the run at 11:28, giving me an average pace of 10:54 which is nothing short of amazing for me. Now, I'll admit, I was pretty out of breath for most of the run, but I did it!! I may have mentioned it before, but I have set a goal for myself through Nike+ to complete 5 runs with an average pace of 11:29 or less in 30 days. With 12 days left I've completed 4. I'm confident that I can meet my goal.

Speaking of Nike+, my challenge with my co-worker Jake ended two days ago and I smoked him, running 64.79 miles to his 25.87. He had a bunch of work trips and vacations in that month so I think it was a little unfair, so we're going to do it again, but I'm now 20 iTunes dollars richer. Woohoo!!

Today's playlist

1. Locked Up - Akon
2. Where Are You Going - Dave Matthews Band I think this one is a little to mellow for my runs, but will be great as a cool down
3. Dance 4 Life - Tiesto feat. Maxi Jazz
4. At the End of the Day - Amon Tobin eh...so so
5. Sorry (Live) - Madonna
6. Vindicated - Dashboard Confessional I was a little unsure about this one, that is until the lead singer belts out in his angry voice. I like angry voices when I'm running. It really matches my mood.
7. Extraordinary Way (Antillas Mix) - Conjure One

So pathetic!!

My friend Kristi just taught a class about Discovering DC and included a list, which I don't believe is comprehensive, of the things she and her family have done since moving to DC last June. I've copied it here, and I'm going to highlight the things that I've seen.

tour of the White House (call your congressman 6 weeks in advance to get tickets)
Mt. Vernon 18th Century Craft Fair (this is in mid September)
National Christmas Tree lighting Ceremony (camped out for Tickets)
Baltimore Aquarium
Cherry Blossom Festival (March 29 - April 13, 2008)
Arlington National Cemetery
Old Town Alexandria
Antietam
Harper's Ferry
Roosevelt Island
Fords Theatre (closed until Nov. 2008) seeing A Christmas Carol is a must see in December (this one is a partial, I've been to Ford's Theatre, but haven't seen A Christmas Carol)
Glen Echo Park
Great Falls MD Does the Virginia side count?!
Annapolis
Bowling in China Town
Union Station
The Awakening
National Cathedral (go to the top and get great photos)
Embassy Row
FDR Memorial (don't go here without reading the history of this memorial, it is AMAZING!)
General Mead Memorial
First Infantry Division Memorial (this is in front of the White house, the big red 1)
Navy Memorial (the charging of the fountains is in the Spring, it is the only time the water is stopped and they bring in water from all 7 seas)
top of the Washington Monument (get tickets online in advance only $1.50 charge)
World War II Memorial
Lincoln Memorial
Korean Memorial
Vietnam War Memorial on Memorial Day
Textile Museum
African American Civil War Museum
National Museum of Health & Medicine (on Walter Reed Campus, see Dan Sickles leg)
National Zoo
National Portrait Museum (this book is a must read before you go)
Museum of the American Indian (eat here!!)
National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden
Renwick Art Gallery (one of my favorites)
National Archives
Woodrow Wilson House
American History Museum (will reopen Summer 2008, many items are at Air and Space)
Air & Space on the National Mall (the McDonald's there has cool Air & Space happy meal toys)
Air & Space , Udvar-Hazy Center by Dulles airport (Sat before Halloween they have a great scare in the Air event)
Bureau of Engraving and Printing ( ticket information here. )
The beach at Ocean City
Assaeague State Park and saw wild horses running along the beach
Library of Congress National Book festival (Sept. 29, 2007) a must!
renaissance Festival (would not do again)
Whites Ferry
Historic Leesburg
Gettysburg
Lucketts
Easter Egg Roll at the White House (tickets are very hard to get for this!) Kristi, can I borrow one of your girls next year?! ;)
National Art Museum
Smithsonian Castle information center (a great place to start, even though this is one of the last things we have done) you can send mail here that get's hand cancelled with a smithsonian stamp
Spy Museum
Smithsonian Carousel (every kid needs to rid it once)

Ok, pretty sad that there is still lots of the city I haven't seen, and I've been here 5 years! Plenty of time that this shouldn't be the case! I really need to remedy this. Any locals up for some siteseeing?!

run recap 6-20

I remembered the Bodyglide today, making for a much less miserable run. It also helped that the humidity was at 32% as opposed to the 70-ish% I endured yesterday. I really think my lungs still believe they're living in the very dry climate of Utah because I find that it is more difficult to breathe on the really humid days. This kind of makes me think that the altitude difference for the race won't affect me so much. At least that's what I'm hoping!!

I tried out the fuel belt today. It actually wasn't too bad. The bottles are pretty small and they don't bounce around at all. The little holders are a little involved, so it would be a little difficult to grab a drink while running, but I can't drink and run at the same time so it doesn't bother me. I was also surprised that the belt stayed low on my hips instead of creeping up to my waist. I give it a thumbs up!

Today's playlist:
1. Don't Drop It - G. Love
2. Kiss The Sky - Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra not sure about this one
3. In the Dark - Maxi Jazz & Christian Burns Love it just as much as I did yesterday
4. TwilightBack - Justin Timberlake vs. 2 Unlimited This is Sexyback mixed with what I know as the Mortal Kombat theme song. Who wouldn't get revved up by the theme song to a video game where the winner pulls the spine out of his/her opponent?! Ok, I might be alone on this one, but it works for me!
5. B.O.B. - OutKast
6. Scream - Timbaland feat. Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger Quite fitting as this song came on as I was climbing my first big hill. I definitely felt like screaming at this point.
7. Float On - Modest Mouse
8. I Choose Noise - Hybrid Like the beat but it may be too long.
9. No Ordinary Morning - Chicane
10. I Still Remember - Bloc Party
11. Come and Get Me - Timbaland feat. Tony Yayo & 50 Cent
12. Laid - James Very fun
13. Get Over It - OK Go

Run recap 6-19

Today's 3 mile run was the suckiest of all sucky runs. I forgot to check the weather right after my run, but considering at 11:00 pm it is 78 degrees but feels like 84 and humidity at 78%, you can imagine how miserable it was at 6:00 pm when I ran. On top of that, I ran around my sister's house and the route I took had lots and lots of big hills. They were mucho hard, and at one point I was walking faster than I was running up the hills. I guess it didn't help that my inner thighs were quite literally stuck to one another, thereby decreasing my range of motion. I need to stop forgetting my Bodyglide!

Here's the playlist for today:

1. Girlfriend (Japanese Version) - Avril Lavigne This song, with it's Japanese chorus, cracks me up, it's a keeper!!
2. Marrakech - ATB
3. In the Dark - Maxi Jazz & Christian Burns This is a song I just purchased the other day, so it's the first time I've run to it. I love it. It's got a great beat.
4. Thank U - Alanis Morissette I was a little unsure of this song at the beginning, but as the song picks up, it's a goodie, especially for the beginning of a run when I'm feeling good about running.
5. xr 2 - MIA Weird song, not sure I'm loving it, although it sets a good pace.
6. Processed Funk - Kasabian vs. Daft Punk One of my favorites. Love love love it for running.
7. Holiday - Green Day Has a good beat, but at this point in my run I was just pissed. I was attempting a huge hill and not being so successful, so it now has a slight bad connotation. We'll see if we can't fix that.
8. When You Were a Starlight - The Killers vs. Muse another of my absolute favorites.
9. There is No Mathematics to Love or Loss - Anberlin Second workout in a row with this song in the playlist, and about the same place in my run. Weird.

Oh, and if you're wondering why I put comments after some of the songs, it's because I want to remember how well the songs work for running and how they make me feel. I'll be making a special playlist for the race, and I want to make sure that the songs on D-Day are the ones that work best for me.

SPT - through the eyes of love

now, go ahead and hand your camera to the person on your left. no-one there? okay, how about this: hand your camera to your little, your husband, your aunt, your best friend. have them snap your photo. ask them to share with you one thing they love about you in the picture. make sure you share their comments when you post your spt.next step: take a good long look at your new photo. think about the response you got from the photographer. did they love your eyes? did they love your goofy expression? did they love your red shirt?do you see the same things? do you love the same things they love? had you forgotten that you love your smile? or your freckles?

I enlisted the help of my 7 year old nieces and nephew for this challenge. Their mom is a photographer so they love taking pictures. I let them have total artistic control over their photo shoots; they could have me stand anywhere, do anything, and they could take as many pictures as they wanted. I was photographed in various locations such as under the trampoline, on my car, and in the middle of the blackberry bushes. After the photo shoot we looked through the images together, but they got to pick which one they liked best. This is what they chose, as well as what they liked most about the picture:

Matthew likes this picture because I'm pretty.

Claire says "I like this picture because it's of my favorite aunt, but also I like her smile."

Katie likes my smile, the background and my positioning in this picture.

I knew that by having 1st graders help me with this challenge that I wouldn't get any thought provoking responses but I'll tell you what, I learned something from them and their simple answers. You see, these pictures were definitely not the best ones they took, as I definitely would not have chosen a picture that enhanced my double chin. I'd be lying if I said I didn't try to influence their decision and encourage them to choose a picture that showed me in a better light. What this exercize showed me was that these little cuties think I'm beautiful, despite the double chin etc, they love me for who I am, not what I look like. All too often I look at myself and see the the bad things, like the 3 huge sores on my chin from the zits I couldn't leave alone, my double chin, my yellow teeth, a misplaced hair. I realize now that other people don't look at me and analyze all of my faults, they see a girl with a big smile. I need to start seeing myself that way as well.

You can see the rest of the photos here.

run update 6/16

Chloe asked how my run went today and I decided to post about it instead of responding in the comments. The short answer is it was good, although my knees would beg to differ considering the fact that as I'm typing this I have frozen rice and beans icing them.

After swearing up and down that I would wake up EARLY for my long runs, I found myself getting out of bed at 9:00 am. That wasn't what I had in mind for EARLY, but oh well. It's too bad I didn't get up earlier because the parking lot at Roosevelt Island was absolutely packed when I got there. There were swarms and swarms of people hanging out in the parking lot (it was the meeting point for the team in training folks) and it didn't look like there were any parking spots left. I got lucky though and pulled in right as someone was leaving. Yet another reason to wake up early...plenty of parking spots to be had at 6:00. I started out for the trail and realized I had forgotten to put on chapstick and to pop in some gum and actually walked back to my car to get some. Those are non-negotiables for me, I have to have them. The run was pretty great. There were tons of people out, more than I think I've ever seen out at one time, so there were plenty of people to pass me on the trail. I decided to try a new route and ran across the 14th St. Bridge to do a little running in DC. I didn't realize how wide the Potomac River was until it took what felt like forever to cross it. When I got into DC I had to make a decision, go right to run by the Jefferson and FDR memorials or go left to run by the Awakening statue. I decided on the latter, only because I love it so much and it might be moving sometime soon. What I didn't realize is that it sits at the very end of a REALLY, REALLY long park. So long that I eventually gave up and turned around without even getting to see it. Next time I'm turning right! As I mentioned before, I often get passed by other runners because I'm slow. Well, while I was running in East Potomac Park I found myself gaining on an older woman. It took me a while to close the gap, but I can't tell you how excited I was to pass her...that is until she stopped for a walking break when I was about 20 feet away. I was so tempted to encourage her to keep going, only because I wanted to see what it would feel like to be the passer and not the passee. Oh well, maybe another time I'll get lucky.

The park police had set up an informational booth on the trail to educate people about trail safety and they had one of those speed limit detectors set up. I was amazed to see bikers fly by at 20 miles an hour. I don't know, that just seems so fast! I, of course was jogging too slow for it to even detect any motion.

All in all it was a good run. It's getting hot enough that I definitely need to be setting my alarm to make sure I am out early enough to beat a little of the heat, and I will need to start wearing my water belt to keep myself hydrated. I'm not too excited to have 6 little water bottles strapped to my waist, we'll see how it goes.

Today's soundtrack

For my 7 mile run today, I listened to:

1. UR - DJ Tiesto & Aqualung
2. I Wanna Have Your Babies - Natasha Bedingfield This song makes me smile every time I hear it and any song that makes me smile while doing such a strenuous activity such as running is a keeper.
3. Give It to Me - Timbaland feat Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado
4. Can I Kick It Like That - Pharrell vs. A Tribe Called Quest
5. Alberto Balsalm - Aphex Twin A tad on the slow side, this may not be on my playlist for much longer.
6. One and Only - Timbaland feat Fall Out Boy
7. Break My Fall - Tiesto feat BT
8. I Want It That Way - Backstreet Boys
9. Song 2 - Blur
10. Beer - Reel Big Fish Quite appropriate, at this point in my run I would have rather been enjoying a cold beverage than running!!
11. Viva! (Orion Mix) - Bond This came right at the halfway point, perfect timing!
12. Konichiwa Bitches - Robyn
13. TwilightBack - Justin Timberlake vs. 2 Unlimited
14. Flash Runner - Vangelis vs Grandmaster Flash I couldn't help but lip sync along with this one..."Don't push me cuz I'm close to the edge, I'm trying not to lose my head"
15. Feel it - DJ Rap This has a great beat, I felt myself picking up my pace to match the song.
16. Virtual Insanity - Jamiroquoi
17. Kiss the Sky - Shawn Lee's Ping Pong Orchestra
18. SexyBack - Justin Timberlake & Timbaland
19. Cish Cash - Basement Jaxx feat. Siouxsie Sioux
20. There is No Mathematics to Love or Loss - Anberlin

soundtrack for today

I thought it might be fun to post the songs I run to, mostly because I think it will be cool to be able to look back and see what got me through these crazy runs and to see the lists get progressively longer as my training goes on.

1. Movin' Out - Billy Joel
2. Starlight - Muse
3. Allegretto - Bond
4. Angelicus (Andy Moor Full Length Mix) - Delerium
5. Get Me Off - Basement Jaxx
6. Life Begin Again - Afro Celt Sound System
7. Big Love Adagio - Bond
8. Take a Bow - Muse

Awesome

This is what you're missing out on if you're not watching SYTYCD. I love this stuff!!

Chills...

running tidbits

This greeted me when I logged on to Nike+ today:


If you can't read the fine print it says: "55 miles down, You're closing in on 100. The real prize comes in 45 miles more, but we wanted to give a nod to your fine miles thus far. Keep on running." Awesome, I'll take the encouragement wherever I can get it! I wonder what the "prize" at 100 miles is?! I guess I'll have to keep running to find out.

I felt like a hardcore runner today. I ran up and down crazy hills, ran 1.5 miles past my designated distance with an average pace of 11:28 (pretty fast for me) all in the pouring rain. It felt great!

I think it's funny that when wet, my hair forms itself into little spikes on my forehead.

Coolest dream ever

Last night I dreamt that a bunch of teenagers were having a dance off (you know, like in You Got Served) in the street by my house. First of all, how do our brains come up with these things and secondly, I wish I could dance like that!!

This kid

This is my nephew Jake, and he is the cuddliest kid ever. It never fails, if I'm lying on the couch or the love sac, within minutes Jakie will come for a snuggle. I can't leave his house without getting a hug from him and whenever asked for a kiss, he will oblige. The other day I was on the love sac and he laid next to me and started showering me with kisses, it was so sweet. That is until I realized he was no longer kissing my cheek but blowing through his nose in an effort to blow snot on my face. Lucky for me he is not a good snot producer and I emerged from the attack unscathed. Boys will be boys I guess. While I think I can live without being a human kleenex, I'm going to miss those cuddles and kisses.

SPT - As American as Apple Pie

this week's challenge is to look around your home and help us showcase the history and folklore of America! dust off your americana relics! let no wagon wheel go unturned! let no bobble head doll go un-noticed! think you don't have any americana in your home? according to wikipedia: Americana refers to artifacts of the culture of the United States, the history and folklore resultant from its westward expansion. Examples of this culture include baseball, apple pie, Superman, the Diner, barbed wire, wagon trains, and NASCAR; jazz, the music of Stephen Foster, George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue, the music of Aaron Copland (notably his Fanfare for the Common Man), and rockabilly; and American art, such as that of Frederic Remington, Grant Wood, and Norman Rockwell, all based on American folk art.

As I pointed out last week, I don't really have a home I call my own, and all of my belongings are stuffed in a 10x13 room. I read the first few sentences of this weeks challenge and was drawing a blank. I definitely don't have any americana hanging around my world. That is until I read the Wikepedia definition Lelly was so kind to include and I realized that indeed I do have something that I can show off this week. If you have read through my archives, you may have read about this, as I have mentioned it a few times, although it isn't something that I typically flaunt. What is my "secret?"



Yes, that's right, I'm a NASCAR fan, and Kasey Kahne is my driver. While I don't have his number (or face for that matter) tattooed across my back, I do have my share of Kasey Kahne gear; a matchbox car with his number (9) emblazened across the front, a Kasey Kahne pez dispenser given to me by a former coworker and the piece de resistance...my official Kasey Kahne jacket given to me by my former boss, all displayed in the following picture.

Oh, but it doesn't end there...here's the Dale Earnhart Jr. lunchbox my nieces and nephews gave me for my birthday last year:

And I'll admit, I'm a sucker for Kasey Kahne's darling face...

I know, it's pathetic, I bought a marinade because of a NASCAR driver. I'm just as bad as a little kid who has to have that particular sugar cereal just because their favorite superhero is on the front. But hey, I really needed a marinade and while I might have purchased it because of him, it turned out to be a REALLY good marinade.

You should buy it...it's delicious on salmon.

So there you have it, a NASCAR tour through chez Anne. Hope you had a good time!!

workaholics

At 6:00 pm today I realized that I had forgotten to reserve my boss an office while he will be in New York Monday and Tuesday. While this can easily be done, I have to be logged onto our intranet, which I can only access at work, so I hopped in my car to go take care of it. Considering it was 6:00 pm on a Sunday evening, you could imagine my surprise to see not one, but three of my co-workers. Apparently they had been in the office all weekend working on a report that is due on Monday. I know that they are making the big bucks, but I don't envy them. While the job that I perform isn't hard to do, nor is it prestigious, I am glad that I can leave the office on a Friday after putting in my 40 hours (rarely do I have to work more than that) and enjoy my work-free weekend.

*insert lawyer joke here*

I haven't talked about my training this week have I? Running was alternately good and bad this week. The first two runs went well, I was able to complete each three mile run without taking any walking breaks, it was awesome. Thursday didn't go so well. The first 10 minutes or so were fine, but then I started having difficulty breathing. I find that I sometimes have a hard time getting a sufficient inhale and have to forcefully take a breath which causes me to cough. Anyway, it got too difficult to keep running so I walked a good portion of my run. I kind of feel like my breathing is worse when it's more humid outside, but that might just be a coincidence.

According to my training schedule, I was to complete a 6 mile run on Saturday and it just so happened that there was a 10K being held in Georgetown that day. Perfect!! So I registered for the American Heart Association's Lawyer's Have Heart 10K *insert lawyer joke here* and ran in honor of my heartless brother Andrew and brother in law Matt. :) The race was great! We basically ran my old commute when I worked in Georgetown, along Canal Road which is lined in trees which provided much needed shade as it was already pretty toasty by 8:00 am, and also drips of water from the rainstorm the night before. Running in the heat is miserable! The combination of warm muscles and the hot sun beating down on them is not pleasant. I'm definitely going to have to start waking up at 5:00 for my long runs. Yuck!

I did pretty well in the race. I only stopped three times to walk through the water stations and to try to work out a side stitch (which I just ended up running through). The result was a chip time of 70 minutes which gave me an 11:16 minute mile average, not too bad. I walked away from the race with a good time, a medal and a rash on my thighs (I need to remember to use my anti-blister and chafing stick!!!).

I've decided to enter races whenever it fits into my training schedule. It's great practice, it's a lot of fun and they come with free tee-shirts! In fact, there's a twilight run in Ashburn next Saturday that sounds fun. It's only 4 miles (I'm supposed to run 6) but I think I might do it. Any locals want to join me??

In other training news, I've set a goal for myself through my nike chip to complete 5 runs with a 11:30 minute mile average in the next 30 days. I have completed one, here's hoping I can keep it up.

I can't take all of this rejection!!

Every two months or so, we have a blood drive at work. For the longest time I was to scared to donate. Not because I don't like needles, but because I was afraid I had some crazy disease that had been undetected by my doctors for many many years. Yeah, i realize I have unrealistic fears. My friend Pete doesn't call me "Crazy" for nothing. Anyways, last fall my co-worker and I decided that we'd buck up and do it. So we did, and I caught the bug and instantly decided to become a regular. I gave blood twice, and my blood vessels and heart are a well oiled machine. The last time the American Red Cross came, I had recently recovered from bronchitis and had a lingering cold. Unfortunately, that disqualified me from donating. I was totally bummed, because I really wanted to save three lives that day AND at the time I was not eating sugar and desperately needed an excuse to eat some cookies. Because I knew I would likely be healthy the next time the ARC rolled into the office, I got over it.

So several weeks ago, we get the email requesting sign-ups for the latest blood drive. I immediately schedule my appointment and put it on my calendar. I'd be lying if I said I hadn't been looking forward to this day for weeks. This morning I was a little concerned because I had taken an antihistamine last night to get rid of my allergies, but my worries were soothed upon reading on the website that allergies and their accompanying medications are not enough to disqualify someone from donating, that is unless they have a sore throat, which I did not. So I have a nice big breakfast and confidently stride into the room for my appointment. All is well, until the nurse pricks my finger to test my bloods iron counts. She drops the sample in the little solution and I watch as it hovers near the center of the tube instead of immediately sinking to the bottom (which is the desired result). The nurse informs me that this doesn't necessarily mean that I can't donate, but that they will have to take another blood sample and put it in the centerfuge (or whatever that thing is) to determine my hematocrit levels (38 being the lowest acceptable number for donation). At this point I'm not concerned because this happened the last time I gave blood and I was fine. Unfortunately, this time I wasn't so lucky. I failed the test! I don't fail tests...ever! Even when I don't study. I got through college passing tests I didn't study for. I'm a good test taker, but unfortunately my blood didn't get the memo. I was a solid 3 percentage points too low. The nurse tried to soften the blow by offering me cookies and a t-shirt, but I wasn't buying it. I was totally and utterly rejected by the American Red Cross.

This isn't the end of my blood donating career. I will be back! I'm eating spinach and fish for every meal from now until the next time they come back. I'll show them! I will NOT be rejected again!!!!

I've been tagged!!

My roommate and I once: drove to Indianapolis in near blizzard conditions in the middle of the night. What got us through? The Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the SLC Olympic theme (Citius!!!Altius!!!Fortius!!!) and Mariah Carey. Of course we were singing along to both, quite beautifully I might add.

Never in my life have I: I don't know why, but I'm drawing a total blank!

High school was: great. I had friends to hang out with every day and we always had plans on the weekend. It's too much work now. I may be the only person excited for my 10 year reunion this year.

When I'm nervous: my heart beats super fast and I have to pee a lot. (TMI, sorry!!)

My hair: is brown but I wish it was red and it's now SUPER short.

When I was 5: I went to Challenger preschool where my teachers were Miss Connie and Miss Karen.

When I turn my head left: I see an electric 3-hole punch and pictures of my cutest nieces and nephews. Man they're cute!

I should be: laying by a pool somewhere. Oh wait, that's where I WANT to be. I should be working on a meeting agenda.

By this time next year: I have no clue what I'll be doing. My life is a mystery. Maybe I'll be training for another marathon but probably not.

My favorite aunt is: I don't have a favorite. All of my aunts are equally fabulous!

I have a hard time understanding: some of the things people do...like children not in car seats/seat belts. *ditto Chloe*

You know I like you if: Man I don't know! I'm horrible at all of that crap. That's probably why I'm still single, I'm completely hopeless!!

My ideal breakfast is: A yummy breakfast burrito with lots of guacamole and sour cream, and fresh melons and strawberries.

If you visit my home town: you will fall in love with mountains and if you're not use to dry conditions you might get a nosebleed or two.

If you spend the night at my house: Which house, the one I live in now or the one I grew up in? If you spend the night at my current house you'll sleep on my comfy lovesac and be fighting with 4 other girls for the use of the bathroom. In the one I grew up in you'll be sleeping in the guest bedroom/office that offers little privacy thanks to the door with no handle. The door got locked somehow and my dad had to hammer the handle and the surrounding wood off to get inside, leaving a gaping hole. It has yet to be replaced.

My favorite blonde is: (are) Claire, Matthew, Jake and Thomas

My favorite brunette is: (are) Katie, Abby and Will

The animal I would like to see flying besides birds: Elephants. How crazy would it be to look up and see a big-A elephant in the sky?

I shouldn't have been: so impatient...with everything. *ditto again Chloe*

Last night I: Got my hair cut, ran my fastest mile, got honked at twice by teenage boys, and hung out with my parents and sister

A better name for me would be: It's hard to imagine me as anything but Anne or Annie

I've been told I look like: a man (well kind of, I was called "sir" once the last time I had this short cut. We'll see if that happens this time!!) but really, my siblings

If I could have any car, it would be: an Acura TSX

Wordless Wednesday

I've had it

I'm about to go all Britney Spears up in this joint (that's me trying to pretend I can talk like I'm cool...and 14). No, I'm not checking myself into rehab, but I am thisclose to shaving my head. My hair is driving me absolutely bonkers and I want it GONE! I promise I won't shave my head, but you'll have to check back later this evening or tomorrow to see exactly how much I take off. It may not be pretty...but at least I'll be happy!

SPT - the colors of my world

blurry self portrait taken at the portrait gallery

we all have a favorite color. maybe it's that certain periwinkle blue, a bold chartreuse, a butter yellow. perhaps you go ga-ga for cotton candy pink, yet cringe when that color goes slightly more pepto bismol... "so, hey, "what's your favorite color?"

Looking through my world, I don't really see any overwhelming representation of any particular color. It is very possible that if I had my own space/home instead of shoving everything I know into my bedroom I might see a recurring theme, but that's not my reality right now. My one contribution to the community space in my house is this piece of artwork:

I made it when I first moved out to DC out of paint chips and it reflects my love for the fall. I have visions of two weddings (although if I ever DO get married, I would really love to elope), one with fall colors of rusty orange, brown, plum and gold tones and another with bright green and bright and pale pink tones (depending on the season of course).

When it comes to my personal style though, I do see a lot of brown. Chocolate brown to be precise. At least 5 out of the 7 days of the week I have some item of brown on me, whether it be shoes, pants, shirts or jewelry. You really can't go wrong, almost every color goes with brown. Some of my favorite compliments? Mint green, pale blue, bright pink, turquoise and yellow.

cars/flowers/color

-The street I live on is a thru street from one main road to another and people CRUISE down it. It kind of brings back memories of my childhood when my grumpy neighbor Walt (who was really quite nice, he gave me a box of those ice cream sundae's on a stick each year for my birthday) would sit on his porch and yell "Slow Down" to the cars barrelling down the street. I often fight the urge to channel him and his crotchety ways when outside my house.

There are often cars parked on both sides of the street, making what's left of the road just wide enough to accommodate one car, and many games of Chicken are played. My house has a driveway wide and deep enough to hold 4 cars, which is great, but that means one person is stuck parking on the street. It hasn't happened to me yet, but I live in fear that someone is going to clip the side of my car and take my sideview mirror with them, which happened to a former roommate on more than one occasion. I have another fear, and that is that someone will steal my car. Well last night that was my nightmare. It was a horrible dream. I reported my car stolen, the police found it, but then took it away again. It was a mess, I hope I never have to deal with that in real life. I mean there was that time my dad's truck was stolen, but we got it back a day or so later (with no damage done to the starter because they had the key) and the perpetrator even left us a little present, a ziploc baggie full of pot. How generous!! But even though it was all a dream, the first thing I did upon getting out of bed was check the driveway to make sure it was still there. It was, thank heavens!

-One of the women I work with always has a fresh bouquet of flowers sitting on her desk. I love walking by because it always smells so lovely. Yesterday I walked by her desk and smelled the most lovely rich flower scent with just a hint of clove. It turned out to be a gardenia, which I think is one of the most gorgeous flowers ever, and one that has a special meaning to me. Gardenia's were my grandma's favorite flower and my grandpa gave her a gardenia corsage every year on their anniversary. So whenever I see or smell one, I am reminded of my beautiful grandma. I got to work this morning and saw this on my desk:

My coworker apparently has gardenia bush (or whatever they grow on) and was generous enough to give me one. It made my day!!

-I'm struggling with the SPT challenge for this week, which asks about our favorite color. I'm hoping to do it this evening after work, so stay tuned.

I Am The Cure

I love free stuff, and the Race for the Cure had lots of free stuff. I got drinks, special pink packaged sunchips, a hat, a few pins and this very cute keychain. This keychain is not only cute, with it's metallic pink circles, but it's also an educational tool. Since I've been sharing this information with every woman I've been in contact with since the race, I thought I'd share here as well.

These circles represent average lump sizes found as follows:

-The smallest circle (slightly larger than a pencil eraser) represents the average size lump detected by yearly mammograms when past films can be compared.

-The next size represents the average size lump detected on a first mammogram.

-The next one represents the average size lump found by women doing regular breast self-exams.

-The largest circle (which is the size of a half dollar coin) represents the average size lump found by accident.

The difference between the biggest and the smallest is quite alarming so please, be proactive about your breast health. As they say, early detection is the best protection.

Click here for more information.

I am POOPED!

Today was a good day. A exhausting day, but a good one. It started bright and early for the Susan G. Komen National Race for the Cure, where I ran as part of a team comprised of my coworkers. We were given t-shirts to wear for the run and I was given a men's XL. That thing was HUGE! I ended up tying it at either side with ponytail holders and rolling the sleeves. After meeting with my team for a quick pep talk (apparently our team raised around 12,000 dollars for breast cancer research which was awesome!) it was off to the starting line. I was amazed at the sheer number of people that participated in this race, especially considering it was a fundraiser. Then again, considering the cause, I shouldn't be surprised. On the backs of many runners were pink signs honoring women in their lives who have fought breast cancer. Oh, there were so many signs, some had more than one. Equally, if not more inspiring were the breast cancer survivors running the race wearing special pink shirts and bibs. I fought off tears the entire race.

They had these plexiglass partitions where you could write the names of the women you were running for.

The starting line

The actual running of the race was crazy! As I mentioned before, there were TONS of people. I felt like I was playing a lifesized game of Frogger (remember that?!) dodging in and out of packs of people. It was insanity. There were several groups of drummers playing their awesome music along the route, even a steel drum band, which was MY favorite. Although the official race was a 5K, there were so many people that we had to actually stop running a good 200 meters or so before the finish line. It was a good experience, I'm glad I did it.

Simply gorgeous

After the race I hurried home, got ready and headed off to Bluemont, VA for some strawberry picking with Tara, Lara and Nick (the mini-golf crew). HOLY CRAP it was hot! We were all dripping, it was pretty miserable, but we had a good time. Lara decided that since she lost at mini-golf she was going to be the winner today. She kept picking good strawberries and announcing to the group "I win!!!" She definitely picked more than the rest of us so I think she deserves that title. Have you ever been strawberry picking? It was so fun, although crouching down after running in the morning was a little rough.

This orchard/farm was awesome. In addition to strawberries, they harvest plums, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and more. I'm pretty sure we'll be back. Also, although I could never live there, the country is absolutely gorgeous, especially with the green hills framing the farm. I am really excited to eat my handpicked strawberries.

Tara and I showing off our spoils

Me with my cow

Thanks to the heat I have had all of the energy sucked out of me and I've spent the remainder of the day laying in bed with the fan blowing. Heaven!

Ooh, I found the absolute best lip treat ever. CO Bigelow has a new limited edition lipgloss set including lime, orange and grapefruit mentha lip balm. I haven't tried the lime or orange ones, but the grapefruit is divine! Unfortuntely you can't purchase them separately (great marketing!!) but they're totally worth it. You should buy them, and if you find you don't like the grapefruit flavor, I'd be more than happy to take it off your hands!! :)

Detail of the US map

Look...there I am...in the artwork!! Fun huh?!

Delusional

What the hell was I thinking when told my brother that signing up for the marathon was a good idea? Oh, that's right, I wasn't thinking. Despite the fact that when I'm not running I desperately want to be, when I actually do run, I HATE it. It's complete torture. I can't run, I'm not a runner, running KILLS me. I'm lucky if i can run .8 miles before I have to stop and catch my breath or work out the crazy cramps in my side or in my stomach. On yesterdays 3 mile run I walked about half. It's pretty pathetic. I've decided that I don't know how to breathe, but I don't know how to fix it. Really, after running consistently for almost 6 months I would think that I would be able to run for 10 minutes without being completely and utterly out of breath. Aaargh, the frustration!!

Really the only thing that is keeping me running is you, dear reader. I have received so many kind words, so much support from all of you that I can't imagine letting you all down, because honestly, I could care less if I let myself down (horrible I know). Really, if I hadn't let you all be a part of my journey I would have stayed in bed today instead of putting on my running clothes to go for a run in the 85 degree heat. As it is, I cheated and ran 2 miles instead of 3.

I just had to put it all out there but know this, I won't give up, but I want to, I REALLY want to.