Three Things Thursday

1. What are you doing February 11, 2012? Registration is only $40 for the half, but I think it goes up tomorrow....

Link HERE

2. I'm meeting the very pregnant Snork at the gym tonight for some treadmill time. I'm scheduled for 5 miles SPEED WORK. Anyone done speedwork on the treadmill?? How does that go for you?

3. Check out my sidebar for a couple of fun virtual races coming up! I'm a sucker for these things :D

Wordless Wednesday

We got a bike this weekend....

I think Target was trying to tell me something...

Awesome? Or Awful? Overwhelming response on Facebook was Awful.

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there"

Zoe @ Run, Zoe, Run is hosting a Road ID giveaway, which was the final push over the fence that I needed to get off my lazy bum and get me a Road ID. Finally, right?

But dude. All the choices! And the customizing! So many options!

I'm digging the pink neoprene ankle ID... mainly because it's neoprene. I don't know how I'd feel about the Wrist ID Elite or the Wrist ID Sport.. the material seems chafe-inducing. I'm sure I'm being paranoid, since I seem to be the last runner in the universe without one, but.

Then all the lines you can add stuff on! I did a quick google search of "Running quotes", hence the Pre reference in the title... seems fitting, since that's my train of thought for the first half mile of every single run.

And the colors... pink?? That's my general go-to running gear color. But the purple is RAD...

So I want to hear all about your Road ID's. Which ones have you tried, which do you love, what's on yours?!

Spill it!

We have a winner!

We have a winner for the GU and Road ID....

Congrats, Michelle @ RunningwithAttitude! Email me at hmgiraffy at gmail dot com with your address, and I'll get your goodies sent out!

Manic Monday

1. Plan for last week: Went fine, except I skipped yoga and inserted instead an effton of foam rolling.

2. Plan for this week:

Monday - Suck Less Program

Tuesday - 5 miles easy

Wednesday - Suck Less Program, Yoga (see how I keep putting it there, like it could happen?)

Thursday - 5 miles, hills or temp. Tough saying.

Friday - Suck Less Program Saturday - 8.5 with PCRF

Suck less at hydrating - 64oz a day.

3. Saturday was an ugly day in the Giraffy household. We got report cards Friday, and they were less than stellar. Not awful, but certainly not what 1 & 2 are capable of, or what I expect from them. TV, video games, and computer times were cut waaaaaaaaay back.

That led to some unrest throughout the day.

Then we went to Target, and things started to unravel. And resulted in 1 & 2 screaming at each other in the kitchen because they both think the other is awful and annoying the worst sister E V A H. Drama queens.

4. I had some conversation Friday with someone that cemented one of the reasons I live here and how much better my life has been since coming here.

5. I finally caught up on Community last night. WHY is Joel McHale making his hair look dumb?

6. We might have done this for dinner yesterday....

7. After spending hours stalking random blogs of people in Kings Canyon and Yosemite and Sequoia, I've decided I want to hike the John Muir Trail. I'm betting it's not going to happen this year.

8. After much deliberation, during which I pouted and melted down about wanting to spend spring break somewhere in mountains, with giant trees, on the water, I had a really tough time balancing that with the billions of dollars it would take to fill up my mini van and trek up to what I deemed "Pretty Enough" (read, 5 hours away). So, I think we're going to San Diego, and hitting the zoo, if Gab's doctor approves.

Not quite the same.

Cupcake Marathon - The Recap

So, I signed up for this - how do you NOT sign up for a Cupcake Marathon!? Hello?! - and almost immediately had The Ankle issue. And I was a little concerned about hitting the 26.2 miles, since I... wasn't running. But I did it, over a series of 6 runs. Yep. You read that. Six runs, to put in 26 miles.

Day 1 - 3/17/11, 1.7 miles, 20 minutes I bought new shoes with custom orthotics, that I was breaking in. My instructions were to run 20 minutes 1 day, then 40, then 60. So, I did. And man, it SUCKED a lot. It was my first time running in 10 days, but it was like I had never run a step before in my life. The entire last .2 was spent asking who DOES this, WHY you would do this, and HOW did I just run 13 miles?! Awful.

Day 2 - 3/19/11, 3.25 miles, 40 minutes Equally sucktastic, but for a new reason. There's this trail, by my house, that I've always gone right on. Today, we felt like trying left to see where it leads. Well. Where it leads, is under a tunnel, up a couple hills, and to across the street. 10 minutes of jogging hills, and we ended up 1 block away from where we started. I was pissed. We took off in the other direction and ran the regular trail for my 40 minutes. It made for an ugly map...

Day 3 - 3/20/11, 5.25 miles, 60 minutes

Treadmill run, nothing exciting to report, other than it was easy peasy, and I felt fine the whole time.

Day 4 - 3/22/11, 3 miles, 35 minutes I ran the route from the Suck It Up, Buttercup 5K back in January... It *felt* really tough (in a good way!), but... I don't know that it actually was. My splits...

Day 5 - 3/24/11, 4 miles random hill program, 47 minutes First time doing a hill program! I don't have any hills that I can run at night, so I hit up the treadmill at my complex, and burned through 4 miles topping at 5 incline. It was... kind of fun. I did breeze through it, so I probably could have picked up the pace, but.. I didn't want to push my luck.

Day 6 - 3/26/11, 1 mi time trial (9:23), followed by 8 miles, 1:40 I've been meaning to do another "Magic Mile" to see where my training times should fall. I'm not sure why I thought this was a good plan at noon on a Saturday following a donut and giant coffee at 8am and nothing since, and with no warm up. It was - shockingly - awful.

After grabbing my handheld (TWSS) and some GU, I headed out to finish. I found another entrance to the trail we tried last weekend, and decided to try it. Almost immediately, I was starving, tired, my legs were lead, and I wanted to puke. I probably should have eaten something, before heading out, but. I didn't. And I walked almost the enirety of miles 1 and 2. It wasn't pretty.

Just before mile 2, I ran (haha) past the hospital where I brought Gabby on New Years Day. That kid is like my personal motivating kick in the ass. I started running, and kept running until the end of the 8 miles. And it was beautiful from there home. Total, 26.31 miles, 5:10:23 Thanks, Silly Girl Running and Cook Train Eat Race for organizing!

Photo Friday

I am such a sucker for a theme-a-day blog.

Last night, I ran, and it was hard, and I did a hill program, and it was magical. That's all I'm going to say until I recap the Cupcake Marathon (that I broke into a zillion teeny runs).

AFTER my magical run, I made pizza for dinner. Because all good moms make their kids dinner at 8:30pm, right? Right?!

One of the side effects of Gabby's chemo is that she might not want to eat. So to combat that, I'm into making her food look funner than it might actually be. And so was born, the Mickey Mouse Pizza.

It kind of worked. She ate some of it.

Sadly, the sky did not really listen to me yesterday when I asked the rain to go away, because I started my drive in this...

But, halfway to my office, it was this, with a rainbow even...

By the time I got to my office? Sunny and beautiful.

Cute, So Cal. Verrrry tricky.

This weekend, I think I'm skipping the group run (again?!) for PCRF to do some garage saling or something. The H was pretty stoked about it, so I suppose I'll go along. (Just kidding, I love garage sales).

I'm also heavily into spring break trip consideration... I would like to bring #1 back to Catalina, but dude. It's a zillion dollars for the ferry (Or, $70 per adult, $50 for kids), and the hotels are unreasonably priced. And non-hotwire-able. Then I considered Sequoia National Park, 'cause it's National Park Fee-Free week that week, but I started reading all these stories about snow and road closures and needing chains, and escorts. That looks shady. So, I'm at a loss. Any ideas?!


And, hey, it's the last day for my GU and Road ID Giveaway! Click HERE to enter!

Three Things Thursday

1. Consider this a public service announcement: Don't try the Suck Less Program after you've gotten doped up on cold meds. It's tough.

2. Rain, rain go away. Please.

3. This Run Disney announcement being dragged out and cryptic clues? Annoying. Bleh.

(Did you notice, I'm cranky and in a general funk? Stupid colds.)

My GU Giveaway ends tomorrow night! Enter HERE.

Wordless Wednesday, What's Working Wednesday...

Take your pick, either works!

For the first time in 2 years.....

PS. I need a mani, stat. If anyone would like to donate one, please let me know. Thanks.



PPS. Don't forget to enter the Road ID/GU giveaway! HERE

I'm bored.

First, you have until Friday to enter my GU and Road ID giveaway - see here! We are OVER $1800 in donations for Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation.. THANK YOU!

2. I took an unplanned rest day yesterday to do some shopping and dinner with Snork last night. Despite the rest day, I still woke up today feeling like I'm getting #1's funk. Bleh.

3. I've concluded that I'm a wuss. Everyone who ran the LA Marathon said it was the best experience, despite the rain and wind and cold and hypothermia.

4. I'm freaking out a little bit (just a little) about emergency preparedness. I live in earthquake country, and realized last week that... I'm not prepared. And I started thinking, with VERY LARGE PLANS - as in, thinking about stockpiling 3 years of supplies for when I have to shelter in place. In my apartment. In Irvine. Then I realized that probably wasn't the best idea, and adjusted that to HIDING a cache of supplies somewhere within walking distance. THEN, I realized, I live in Orange County, which is not exactly rural countryside. Where would I hide stuff? I finally settled for a couple gallons of water under my sink (done) and a storage box of non-perishables (still to do).

5. I went (maybe) a little overboard with the disaster planning, and (might have) registered for some CRAZY survivalist websites. I should not do these things, they feed the paranoid crazy person in me.

6. I've become addicted to Groupon. I don't really buy things (I did buy 3 for 1 RedBox rentals, and a $30 massage, but so far that's it), but I can't stop looking. My morning routine is something like, check texts, check FB, check Twitter, check Groupon, brush my hair. But today, $10 for unlimited rides at Santa Monica Pier?! Hello!! But then I realize I don't even *like* the rides at Santa Monica Pier (there may have been a meltdown on the ferris wheel, and not by my kids).

7. I totally buy those Groupon's through SwagBucks. Which I stalk and collect like mad, and have never redeemed. Seriously, I use their tool bar to search Google, to go to google and search for things. But I collect 75-ish points a day by doing that. Points that, again, I don't even use. Madness.

8. The H has succumbed to the pressure and wants to register for a half. We're eyeing the Long Beach Half in October... His goal? 1:55. Punk.

9. Holy crap, William Shatner is EIGHTY?!

Finally....

10. Run Disney has a big, super secret announcement to make, and I'm waiting (im)patiently!!! HURRY UP!

“I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination.”

Last week, the plan got tweaked a little. Mainly because I hate the elliptical and have totally zero motivation to touch it. So, instead, I tried an easy 1.75 miles on Thursday, and it was fine! Then 3.25 on Saturday, and also fine!!! And, then, 5.25 on Sunday, and MAGIC!! I'm doing a lot of stretching, and icing, and foam rolling, but so far, so good. The Ankle gets a little fiesty occassionally, but nothing over a 4/10, and nothing I can't run through. Awesome. Plus, the hiking was cancelled because of ridiculous weather this weekend. Hello, SoCal, it's SPRING. Keep up.

Speaking of, seriously, did you SEE that mess that was the LA Marathon?! Holy crow. The folks that ran that, and the spectators and volunteers that participated... wow. Impressive. I nearly didn't run Sunday because I'd have to jog over to the gym in the rain/wind. I can't even imagine running in that for 26.2 miles.

Which got me thinking...

What DO you do if you've paid a small fortune in registration (LA was $145) and the weather is ridiculous? It's no secret that I'm a giant wuss about the weather. I don't like it too hot, too sunny, too windy, too wet, too cloudy, too cold...

Anyway.

The Suck Less Program seems to be working! When I took the initial test HERE, I was at 17 crunches, 3 push ups, 27 squats.
Yesterday, after week 2, I was at 27 crunches, 10 Push ups, 70 squats (!!!).

Plan for this week:
Monday - Suck Less Program
Tuesday - 5 mile easy run
Wednesday - Yoga, Suck Less Program
Thursday - 4 mile tempo run (yikes!)
Friday - Suck Less Program
Saturday - 8 mile easy run

And Saturday will mark the completion of my first marathon - of the Cupcake variety.

Photo Friday

Have you noticed yet that I'm a blog-idea-stealer? It's kind of true.

I've been meaning to blog about weight. And weight loss. And diets, and that Racing Weight book. But I haven't.

I've also been meaning to post about how running has changed my body. But I haven't.

The Studly Runner Marcia posted about Racing Weight today, and Becka posted about P90X making her even more awesome (who knew it was even possible...), so I'm killing two birds with one stone and taking my inspiration from them. Well, three birds - Foto Friday. (that hurt to type).

I picked up Racing Weight at Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago, and used the equation to determine my "ideal" racing weight.

According to that book, I should weigh just about what my 12 year old weighs.

I'd like to lose maybe 25 lbs. That would put me about in the middle of the "healthy" range for my height. The suggested weight was 18 lbs LESS.

Madness.

I'm not a 12 year old girl. I'm a 32 yr old mom to three kids. I have hips. I have a bum. I have boobs. I don't know that I've EVER weighed what my 12 year old weighs, except maybe... when I was 12. Of course, by the time I was her age, I was a C cup already, and she's... not. Lucky.

I just don't think that weight is reasonable, FOR ME.

I eat well, mostly. More importantly, I don't go crazy with guilt when I don't eat the most healthy option. I eat in moderation. I am educated about my food choices. I am always more concerned with making the BEST, more healthy decision, over the choice that will fit in a "diet".

My metabolism is wonky, because it takes seriously like an act of Congress for me to lose weight. I've been tracking my calories (and carbs, fats, proteins, etc., via SparkPeople) for a few weeks. I've not had one day where I ate over 1850 cals in a day. My average caloric intake is around 1620 daily. According to Spark People, my BMR is 1900.

Over that same time frame (16 days), I've burned 2894 calories. That averages to 180 calories/day. If you follow the general rule that you have to burn 3500 cals to lose a single pound, I should have lost about 2 pounds in the last 16 days.

I've lost 0. Well, half of one. So 0.5 lbs down.

And that's kind of okay, because, frankly, I'm just not as concerned about being a specific weight, as I am knowing that what I'm putting in is good for me. That's the mentality I want my kids to have, as well.

And it works FOR ME.

But what's MORE important than that for me, is this...

(I swear I'm not sucking in)

These used to be skin tight on me. It wasn't the best look.

I did drop about 10 lbs between October and February, when I first started running, and then in the hospital. But since then, it's kind of plateued.

I don't run, or eat (mostly) good for me for the weight. I do it because it feels good, and I want to be healthy. Cancers and heart disease and high blood pressure and diabetes all run in my family. I want to do what I can to mitigate that. And if it means that right now I'm eating grapefruit because (1) it was a quarter, and (2) it is better for me than the Godiva chocolate covered strawberries that I *really* want, well. That's a small price to pay, isn't it?

Anyway. I guess my only point, really, is that being HEALTHY, IMO, is more important than a number on the scale. Obviously the number can indicate some risks - too high or too low - but it's the be all, end all of you, nor is it the determining factor to your fitness. The H is in great shape, and kicks my butt in most things of a physical nature, but I can take him down on any leg strength test you could name. I mean, I still can't do a "real" push up, but those squats, they're my bish.

/soapbox.

I ran last night, 20 minutes, per the suggestion of the salesperson who walked away with some nice commission after I bought new shoes and orthotics... and The Ankle cooperated!! Thanks, Ankle! First 1.75 miles of the Cupcake Marathon down!

Happy Friday! Don't forget to enter my GU and RoadID Giveaway! HERE

Three Things Thursday!

1. Poor, poor #1. That kid has been looking forward to this trip for a year, ever since she heard about the 6th graders last year going. She got in Monday at lunch time, and had a couple hours until bed to enjoy Catalina, then woke up Tuesday and wrote me this letter:

(If you can't read it, it says, "Dear Gonzalez Family: I feel sick, and I mean VERY sick. We just got here yesterday. Today we are going snorkeling. I am not having very much fun, and I feel gross. Sincerely, Lora G.")

Is it wrong to laugh at that, just a little?

Anyway, Catalina was beautiful, for the 15 minutes I was off the ferry.

But then she arrived at the docks, and promptly...

Official diagnosis: The Flu. :(

2. How much did her (basically) 8 hour field trip cost us? $500 for the trip. $100 in misc equipment we had to supply her with. $10 gas to get to the harbor. $5.50 in tolls. $100 in ferry fare for me to retrieve her. Most expensive field trip ever.

3. I hear other bloggers are confessing things. I have one too. I'm running tonight. Shhh. It's a secret.


Have a great Thursday!! Don't forget to enter my GU Giveaway! HERE

Le Sigh

Our daily update email from #1's teacher last night contained this nugget...

We've had only one student not feeling well, and we've contacted her parents; otherwise, all other students are happy and healthy. No news is good news!

Yep. That'd be #1.

How do you retrieve a sick kid from an island field trip?

Well, you buy a ferry ticket ($90), spend an hour on the ocean, and retrieve her (+$45 for her return ticket), spending another hour on the ocean.

So that's what I'll be doing today. Taking a boat ride to Catalina to retrieve a kid who (possibly) has the flu. Then boat riding it back.

Happy Wednesday?

PS: Don't forget to enter my GU Giveaway! HERE

Pediatric Cancer Research Foundation, and a giveaway!

(Wanna get straight to the giveaway? Scroll down!)

It's been awhile since I've updated, but... so far, Something sure the hell ain't right has raised $1700+ for PCRF.

UN. BELIEVE. ABLE.

The VIP team that I'm training with has raised over $23,000 for pediatric cancer research.

That's SO EXCITING. Since being founded in 1982, PCRF has raised over $22 million to fund research to stop pediatric cancers.

If you're one of my new followers, THIS is Gabby's story, and why I'm fundraising for PCRF.

Where is Gabby's story now?

We're lucky. She's on her third round of chemo now, and it's by far the easiest that we've experienced yet. She has 1 intrathecal treatment (a lumbar puncture with chemo delivered directly into her spinal fluid), and 5 IV treatments. That means there will only be 11 visits to the infusion center in the 57 days of this cycle. THAT is exciting.

I've been warned that the next cycle is pretty rough. But, I'm pushing that out of mind for now. We're enjoying having this kid back... She's got her smile back. She's full of energy and fun. She's been participating in the Suck Less Program with me, yoga included....

And she stole my lime green reflective headband from TMB... Yeah. She's a little crazy.

Her prognosis is good, but it's a long way from being over. The two years left of chemo is standard. It won't magically be less. I downplay a lot of things, because... I'd probably lose my mind if I didn't.

********

Who's ready for a giveaway?!

I've got a half marathon to run in 6 weeks, and my go-to nutrition (that sounds so fancy!) is GU. It's the first new thing I tried when I started adding mileage to my runs, and I loved it immediately. I used to be a Shot Blok loyalist for long hikes, but I took them once on a run and had to walk out constant nausea... no such problems with GU!

Outside PR was awesome enough to donate a sampler box of GU products -
Yum-tastic.

There's also a voucher for a Road ID included! If I were a better blogger, I'd have a picture for that as well. But, alas...

Here's how to enter... 4 choices!

1. *Mandatory* Be a follower, and comment to let me know! (1 entry)

2. Make a donation to PCRF, HERE. Any amount - $1, $5, whatever. Every dollar you donate goes to end pediatric cancers. Tax deductable, too. Comment to let me know! (1 entry)

3. Are you a tweeter?! Tweet the word: "#cancersucks! I just entered @hmgiraffy @GUEnergyLabs #giveaway! http://bit.ly/g5abZ7" Leave a comment to let me know! (1 entry)

4. Share via facebook, your blog, whatever. Leave a comment to let me know! (1 entry)

*************

Rules:

All comments must be recieved by midnight, PST, on Friday, Mar. 25th. Winner will be announced by Monday the 28th, or over the weekend if I'm feeling fiesty.

PLEASE leave one comment for each entry. I know it's a PITA, but I've made it easy and don't have any security words or anything to hold you up. Plus, I'd really hate to miss any entries that were lumped into one comment. It's for your own benefit, I promise.

Disclaimer, I get absolutely NOTHING out of the donations, all donations are made through PCRF's fundraising portal. I've earned enough in donations to cover my registration to the half marathon, but every bit of it goes directly to them.

That's it!

Good luck, ya'll. Donate, donate, donate!!

I swear, it's like this happens once a week....

Plan for this week:
Monday: Suck Less Program
Tuesday: Ellipti-madness - 45 minutes
Wednesday: Yoga, Suck Less Program
Thursday: Ellipti-madness - 45 minutes
Friday: Suck Less Program
Saturday: Ginormously long hike, like, 8 jillion miles. Or, maybe 10. Hopefully.
Sunday: Rest

What's missing from my half-marathon running plan?

Oh, that's right. Running.

The Ankle is still being a punk. I didn't run last week *unless you count the .25 glorious miles on the running store treadmill while I tested some new shoes*. It's still being crafty, and randomly sends shooting pain into my foot while I'm walking innocently through Disneyland. That's not cute, Ankle.

After doing some intense Google-Fu, I've pretty much narrowed down The Ankle situation as Peroneal Tendonitis. And looks like rest and an ankle strengthening program is the way to go.

Curse you, Ankle!

So, I'm icing. And stretching. And not running. I'll rest it again this week. And see what happens.

Last week, I hit all of my plan - Suck Less Program, 3x's; ellipticalled in place of running, 2x's; and I counted 3 hours of Disneyland Friday, 5 hours walking around Dana Point Saturday, and 5 hours at Disneyland Sunday as my Saturday elliptical.

Anyway. Saturday night, I walked out of a running store having spent more on a single pair of shoes (+ orthotics) there than I ever have, in my entire life, INCLUDING my penchant for Coach and Michael Kors. Madness.

Bye, bye Brooks....
But boy, are they pretty... and PINK!

And, someday, maybe I'll even run again and use them.

**********

Is it normal to be jealous of your 12 year old?

Yesterday, #1 ran her first 3 mile "training" run with The H. 3 miles, 28 minutes.

It's like she's a natural. I was a little jealous.

Then, this morning, I packed up #1... and dropped her and her friend off in Dana Point, to take a boat here.... to spend a week. On an island.

Yep. I'm jealous.

Photo Friday?

Okay, first, I typed that as "Foto Friday" like other bloggers do, but I just can't. Sorry.

Since I skipped my run yesterday due to The Ankle, I ellipticalled instead. And it sucks, every time. It's. so. boring.

But I threw in... whatever this is. Hills? Resistence? I don't even know, besides it sucking.

Don't worry. I did more than just two miles. I kept going. And going.

Blah.

Anyway, that's all I've got today. I'm feeling pretty disgruntled with The Ankle situation. Oh! But, I do have a "Date" with The H today, which should be fun. We're going somewhere I've been dying to go, and it's a surprise for him. (Honestly, I totally picked the place because, well, I planned the date, and it's all about me. I hope he has fun, and I like his company, but he's kind of just along for the ride).

Three Things Thursday

1. I've gotten a couple opinions about The Ankle - some say tendonitis. But one, a podiatrist friend of a friend, said... I don't even want to say it out loud so I'll type it teeny... microfracture.

So, I'm icing. And stretching. And resting. I'll probably ellipti my way through 45 minutes tonight instead of run 4 miles. Blah.

2. I need a massage. My back is jacked.up.

3. I need to work on my resume.

Suck less, Thursday.

Can I brag a little, about my kid?

Remember how I posted about #1 placing in the kids 1 mile race a few weeks ago?

I pulled her results...


7:28 mile... and that from the kid that didn't even try.

So today, I did this....


She was pretty psyched, and asked to run "alone", without pacers (ie, me or her dad). She's "ready to train" :D.

Madness.

ABC's of Me, and other random bullets, brought to you by Blogger's Block

1. We had an appointment Tuesday morning to get Gabby's roadmap for this cycle... It lasts 57 days this time (weird!). She goes for IV chemo every 10 days starting today, and ending on day 41 (so total of 5 times), and has one lumbar on day 31. Then she's off from day 41 to 57!! No meds at home except the bactrim she gets Saturday and Sunday (a "yummy" grape one she likes).
Love.It. :D

2. I went out last night for a 4 miler. The first half mile was fabulous. Around .54mi in, I had a STABBING pain in my ankle, here:

That's the outside of my right ankle, BTW.

Like, stopped me dead in my tracks pain. I tried stretching a bit, but really... how do you stretch out an ankle? Not sure, so I stretched what I could. Jogged another .1 mi, and the pain came back. So I walked it in. Grrr. WHAT. IS. THAT?!?!

I finished out my cardio on the elliptical, which didn't hurt but was H O T. I pretty much dislike sweating, but...

3. ABC's of me...
(A) Age: 32
(B) Bed Size: Queen
(C) Chore You Hate: All? Does that count?
(D) Dogs?: I love dogs. I love big dogs. Specifically, I love Boxers. But no dogs while we're in an apartment.
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: Brush teeth. Get dressed. Change my mind, and get dressed again. Repeat a few times. Makeup. Kiss a billion people goodbye. Bolt and get coffee.
(F) Favorite Color: Orange. Or Purple.
(G) Gold or Silver? Silver or White gold.
(H) Height: 5'2"
(I) Instruments You Play: Ha.
(J) Job Title: Customer Service Manager (how did that even happen!?)
(K) Kids: 3 girls, ages 12, 9, and 4
(L) Live: Irvine, CA. Consistently ranked among the safest big cities in the US. Coincidentally, also the most cookie-cutter, sterile place I've ever lived.
(M) Mom's Name: Mary
(N) Nicknames: Giraffy. No, really.
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? c-sections for all 3 kidlets
(P) Pet Peeve: People who are late. People who make plans and flake. Dumb.
(Q) Quote from a Movie: All of Office Space; "I'm not even supposed to be here today!"; almost anything from Firefly and Serenity...
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right
(S) Siblings: 3 - 2 younger sisters and a younger brother.
(T) Time You Wake Up? as late as I can possibly get away with.
(U) Underwear: usually? Is this a trick question? I skip while running, but definite DO for anything else.
(V) Vegetable You Dislike: Artichokes freak me out. They're FURRY!!!
(W) What Makes You Run Late: I dislike being late, so the only things that MIGHT make me late are extreme kid issues getting out (highly unlikely), or ridiculous traffic that is at an unpredicatble time (more likely).
(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: kneck, once, in high school after a car accident
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: A lot. Not to brag, but... I'm kind of a good cook. And baker. And I like to do it.
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Giraffe, bears, and seals.

Monday... why why why are you here already?

So, I'm a copy-cat and am totally lifting (Just) Trying is for Little Girls weekly recap and preview.

Last week, I took as mostly a recovery week from the Princess Half (have I mentioned that yet, how I ran my first half marathon? Did you miss my recap?). I ran a torturous 2 miles on Thursday, and a slooooow 4.25 on Saturday with PCRF. I also took the initial tests for 200 sit ups, 100 pushups, and 200 squats.

I know I have zero core or upper body strength, so it didn't surprise me at how craptastic those numbers were (17 and 3, respectively)... and 27 squats. Yikes. The 6 week program is 3 days a week, with specific reps each day. I'll call this my "Suck Less Program". Oh, plus a minute of plank. I hate plank. Worst.corework.ever.

Sunday, I traded in my Brooks for my Salomon trail runners... which, funny enough, I've never run in. But, we did an easy 5 miles at Caspers Wilderness Park. It was a beautiful day to hit some trails... I always forget how much I like this park, but... Man, I really do. Plus, I was super excited to find that the inclines that totally beat me up a year ago when I was here last, did not even wind me at all!! Yay, cardiovascular fitness!

Guh.

I think this is a lie. I've never seen lions here....

Um...

For this week, I'm back to my regular schedule for the PCRF Cinco De Mayo half in May...
Monday: Suck Less Program
Tuesday: 4 mile tempo run (um...)
Wednesday: Yoga, Suck Less Program
Thursday: 3 mile run
Friday: Suck Less Program
Satuday: PCRF group run, 7 miles easy
Sunday: Rest

I've been eyeballing some trail runs, as well... Just some short ones!

What's on tap for you guys this week?

Happiness is....

So last weekend while I was hanging out with The Mouse and running my first half marathon (did I mention that yet?), the fam was having a great weekend back in Cali.

In early February, we were contacted by the Beckstrand Cancer Foundation and asked to be the "Family of Honor" at a local 5K event. The event was being held the same weekend as the Princess Half. Immediately, my first thought was that I had to stay home for this. How do I miss that?

Obviously, we decided I should go to Florida. I had already paid for everything, it was all non-refundable, and The H gave me his blessing.

But they had a great time at the event, despite the crappy, rainy, cold weather.
Gab threw her fake side-eye around at Eva LaRue..

And #1 placed in her first race! 2nd overall on the kids' mile.


She said she could have taken first, but she felt bad 'cause the girl in front of her didn't know where she was going. Heh.

On Sunday, we were invited to an event hosted by Kristie's Foundation at a local petting zoo.


#2... She looks pleasant and happy. Don't blink, you might miss it.


Baby and The H. Apparently they're campaigning for a rodent like this one. No thanks.


I heard The H was melting down a little bit about the goats touching him. Hee!

and, ps. Check.out.those.shoes on #2. Freak. Can you see them? Here's a closeup...

When I got home, I had this waiting for me... Tulips are totally my favorite :D

Then I removed this from my fridge...


...and added this!


And spent some quality time doing this with Gabby.