The Shoes Matter

I love my new Nike plus shoes... and they talk to me while I'm running. So fun!!! My feet are feeling so much better, my knees don't ache. Yay!!! I ran 5.6 today! Wish me luck as I run 10 miles on my own this weekend... J'aime and I won't be able to meet up.

I'm Better

Friends & Family ~
Please don't worry when I vent on my blog. I'm not in despair, just having a bad run day. I need to journal out all of my feelings and then I feel better. Thanks for the encouragement Megan. And J'aime, thanks for the awesome "101 Kicks in the Butt" article. I am so blessed to have such a great support system. All I need to do now is stop whining. :)

It's almost here!!! I can't believe it.

Oh!!! My Nike Plus shoes came in the mail today. I'm gonna use them tonight for my 5 mile. So exciting.

Why Am I Running?

That was a huge question for me tonight as I ran my 5 at the gym. What the heck? Why am I doing this? What benefit am I gaining from killing myself over this? I'm not losing any weight... at all. I'm not doing it to maintain cute feet --- they are so ugly right now with blisters and callouses. I'm not addicted to running yet. I thought that was supposed to happen. I'm not doing this because it's my favorite thing to do --- in fact, I have so many other things that are taking a back seat to this. Running's not very fun --- it's hard and monotonous.

Why am I doing this? Just to do it I guess.

I'm having one of those nights.

Can I Brag A Bit?

Change of plans. After all of that planning and mapping, I ended up running my 9 at the gym. Yes I am insane. It's been stormy and dark up here and I've been cautious about running alone outside. So I just went for it.

It took me about an hour and 42 minutes. Not great. But at least I did it! I got through the entire show of Dateline (my friend was supposed to be on it because he's a missionary in Cambodia dealing with the child sex trading there), and also a documentary on prison inmates. Lots of positive TV to keep my mind off of my weak knees and tightening calves. lol

Phew! So glad that's over. So proud I did it. And on my own. Now I hope I can sleep since I'm buzzing from all of that hard work.

My Big Run For Tomorrow... Wish Me Luck!

Dread

J'aime's out of town so it's just me this weekend for my long run - 9 miles. Ugh. So not looking forward to doing this alone. I need J'aime to coach and encourage me! jk Don't I sound so weak and co-dependent? :) lol

Speaking of J'aime... I keep forgetting to post this. Meet J'aime Rosales & her husband Tim.


This is a picture of them when we went out to the Melting Pot for New Year's Eve. So fun and yum. I've been friends with them for about 2 years, since they joined our youth ministry as adult volunteers. A couple of cool things about J'aime...

1. The way she spells her name (actually is french for "I love" and if I could pronounce it right without feeling like a dork, like "jem", I'd call her that instead).
2. She's a wine connoisseur - I love going on trips to Napa with her and Tim. They're educating me about being more refined. jk
3. She has a HUGE black cat named Bubba - he's like twice the size of Spike.
4. She works at the State Capitol for Assemblyman Tran.
5. She's originally from San Diego and moved up here to NorCal the same year I did (2003).
6. She loves high heels and purses.
7. She has younger twin brothers like me.

I Love Women's Health Mag

This is by far my favorite mag. I can't wait for it to come in the mail each month. Thanks to my mother-in-law and my brother, I'll be getting it for the next 2 years (Christmas presents).

I wanna share with you some cool stats from my recent issue... It'll change your life! :)

Got A Minute?

On your Way Home From Work - Stop by the Florist

The benefit: Less grouchiness the next morning.

New research from Harvard University shows that even people who say they're not "morning people" report feeling happier and more energetic after looking at flowers first thing in the AM.

When you First Get To Work - Check Out a Funny Website

The benefit: Fewer colds.

Instead of starting your day with office email, try a gutbuster from a site like Will Ferrell and Co.'s funnyordie.com. Research suggests that a moment of mirth increases the body's secretion of immune-boosting growth hormones and endorphins.

When You're Making Burritos For Dinner - Swap in a blue tortilla for a white one

The benefit: Fewer late-night hunger pangs.

Scientists in Mexico recently found that blue tortillas contain 20 percent more hunger-satisfying protein and 16 percent less blood-sugar-spiking starch than white ones.