Running V. Me

I've written about this before but I still am super perplexed.

Via We Heart It

Some back story on my relationship with running is this: Exercise and I are ultimate foes. When I was in 8th grade I managed to sneak my way out of PE forever thanks to a doctors note and "messed up cartilage in my knees". I hated doing any kind of activity. However, the only time in my youth spent doing anything to be considered "athletic" was back in the 6th grade! I was well on my way to becoming a jock. I played basketball, volleyball, was on pep squad and was looking into trying out for track! Thats where it all ended.

Via We Heart It

I was a smoker for a lot of years. Almost 3 years ago I got really fed up with having crappy lungs, smelling gross and started to loath the all around act of smoking. So, cold turkey, I gave it up. In previous efforts to kick that habit my main deterrent was the weight gain. In an effort to not let that happen I ran. I remember sort of feeling like a baby bird. Everything was super awkward and scary. I even was chased down by vicious chiwawas! Thinking back on the early days I really enjoyed running. I even ran in Portland on a visit once. It was my first run on an incline! Was. Not. Ready. Someone even purposely tried to hit me with their car (motorists hate runners and bicyclists)!

excuses to not run vary:
- I'm too tired
- Its too hot/cold
- I'll do it tomorrow
- I have shin splints (which was super common when I first started running)
- I hate running
- Its too dark (that happened a lot when we "fell back" for fall)
- I have allergies

Oh the excuses! When I shoot one of these at my friend Jimmy (who has completed 2 marathons and runs 6+ miles a week) he usually tells me to "quit my bitching" and tells me some horrifying story of him puking and continuing running (it may sound mean but it actually motivates me a lot!). Or the time he had pneumonia and he ran anyway coughing junk up from his lungs the entire way (he is going to be one crotchety old man!). I have my first 5k coming up in April and I haven't ran even a mile in 2 almost 3 weeks. I am kinda nervous I wont find the motivation to do it. I am terrified I will wimp out. Let people and myself down. I'm scared I wont be able to run. Before I found out I had pneumonia I had a feeling there was something up with my lungs. I figured it was allergies or something. All of a sudden I was almost totally out of breath from walking up my stairs (even Shane said something then). Half a mile into a run I would be coughing so bad I almost threw up (TMI, whatevs) and would run/walk back home. I felt totally defeated. I am so scared my lungs are going to fail me again. Not to mention my uber supportive family who cares about me (wink) says to me when I mention trying to run " Don't push yourself". I don't know what to do.

Via We Heart It

Once I got past the initial hurdles of smoking; I started to look at my running and gym time differently. I liked to feel strong! Lets just face it, moving your body (in some way) makes you feel good! Chemically it gets those endorphins going which leads to yummy happy dopamine! We all love that. Right now from not running my knees and my hips are killing me! I crack almost every time I move. I feel lazy and gross and WEAK! As a result my self esteem has completely dropped and everyone around me is probably feeling the side effects of that.

Today I am going to do some yoga with Avalon. I am really excited (to hang out with Avalon)! I feel that yoga is a really great slow and steady start to get back to my more regimented tougher work out schedule.

Friday Favorites

Its back. I really like doing these Friday Favorite features (wow, say that 10 times fast). Here are a few of these weeks favorites:

Red Velvet Cake by Ben and Jerry's. OOOOH man. Shane took a picture of this while he was out at the store and DIDN'T BRING IT HOME! The next day he did (after I pouted forever!). This ice cream even has a cream cheese swirl!! If you or someone you know sees this ice cream have them pick it up. Delicious!!

Ginger Elizabeth hot chocolate. Gawd I feel like a fat kid right now all food. While at my lady date with Amineh I had some hot chocolate featuring chocolate from this local Sacramento growing chocolate empire. I am so happy they finally extended their hours!!

Fox 40 news sent by a viewer

Rain. I think most Sacramentens hate the rain at this point. It has rained for days upon days with only a day or two break. I love it! Its so exciting. Are the levees going to break?! Do I get to swim to work tomorrow?! I even just emailed my mom some info on where to pick up sandbags just incase. She lives is an area of Sacramento that should never have been built on, its all flood zone. Stupid builders. I love the sound of rain and the smell. Only just today Amineh was making me jealous staying home, watching Buffy and in my head I imagined her sipping hot chocolate. YUM! I am looking forward to non stop rain all the way through to Monday!

Day 2

+ Had a really lovely time chatting and sipping delicious hot chocolate with Amineh. We even made plans to have some crafting time! I haven't crafted with a buddy in such a long time!!

+ Does playing with kids count as exercise? Tomorrow Shane and I are going to run at the middle school track.

+ Ate tasty turkey meatloaf left overs for dinner! Yum!

+ Made the first steps in the effort for me time. I picked up what I need to do my nails from my apartment. Tomorrow I plan on painting them!

+ I have a great post on my love/hate relationship with running in the works!

I work fast

So day one I:
 +Scheduled some girly coffee time with Amineh for TOMORROW! I am so excited

 +Cooked my low cal turkey meatloaf

+ And lastly, went on a walk with Shane. I hope to work on that one a little more. We walked about a half a mile and I was a little out of breath.

Oh! and hey, I guess this is me writing more!!

Just a quick note on progress.

A New Week a New Start!

Yup! Two posts in one day! Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet is so inspiring! All this week she plans on doing little things here and there to improve her life. This week I am going to jump on board and do the same. Here is what I'd like to start:


Nutrition: I have been having a hard time staying on top of what I eat lately (especially being sick still). This week since I have access to a nice big kitchen I am going to attempt to cook healthier low cal meals.


Exercise: Walking and jogging. Shane lives in an area with quite large inclines so I don't think running would work just yet. Since my lungs are still recovering from the pneumonia I want to take it easy. And in down time, sit ups and ballet. Summer really is on its way as Danielle says...


Relationships: Spend more time checking in. My two best girlfriends Christina and Amineh are great gals! I feel like I don't check in with them enough since we are all so busy. I plan on texting more, chatting more and hopefully stealin some girly coffee time.


Creativity: Write more. I love writing and now that my energy is coming back I'd like to spend more time just writing.

Me-time: I have really slacked on this area since being sick. I haven't done my nails in forever or the little beauty things that made me feel better about me! I plan on doing all those things this week. Maybe even picking up a Lush bath bomb!

Back in the Swing of things

I have had a hard time getting back into my regular blogging game. I'm still fighting off this pneumonia for the past 2 weeks or so. I've never been so knocked down from being sick in my life. Yesterday was my last day for my second round of antibiotics. Sometime this week I go in to get my blood drawn again (uhh yuck!). Doc wants to make sure my WBC count (white blood cell) and all that goes back to normal. My goodness, I hope I never get that one again. I urge whoever reads this to take care they don't either.

This week I am staying in Folsom with Shane. We like to test out living together from time to time. Not to mention, who doesn't like spending a little extended time with their sig. others?! I feel pretty spoiled being up here; queen size bed, in house washer and dryers, super huge kitchen. I plan on cooking up a lot this week. Hopefully this week I will start blogging a bit more.

As mentioned before here is some footage I took from Shane's last show. I added a bonus from Avalon's 18th birthday. I love the contrast of a show and guitar hero!

Painting

I have been sitting on these paint colors for what seems like a month. I can't bring myself to do the deed and just paint the dang walls. Maybe because its a rental (which we are allowed to paint). I am in a home slump.

Here is just one of the color scheme I am leaning toward. Christina did this awesome thing on the computer to help with my rut. I sent her pictures of my place and she used awesome photoshop skills to doctor it all up (and ding me on some bad habits)!

I am hoping I can get a handle on making a home out of rented house. What do any of you do to make a rental feel more like a home?

30 Pictures. Part I

Danielle over at Sometimes Sweet blog started this trend. I thought I would jump on board. You may have noticed my list in incomplete. Mainly I am having a hard time finding applicable pictures. Here is part one.


01 / someone you spend a lot of time with: 

02 / a picture of you: (sassin Shane)

03 / a random picture of you and your sig. other:

04 / a picture of something that makes you happy: (Dad's place in Oregon)

05 / an old picture of you:

06 / a picture of your sibling:

07 / a picture you never posted on your blog before: (Dad's plane)

08 / a picture of a person you miss: (my Dad. Notice a trend?)

09 / a picture of people who know you now and then:  (my friend Melissa(er) in the stripes.)

10 / a picture of your favorite place: (Dad's place again)

11 / a person you can tell everything to:

12 / a picture of your everyday life: (not me obviously. Its ABA tutoring for autistic children)

13 / a picture from a place you love:

14 / a picture that reminds you of great times:

15 / a class photo: 

16 / a picture from the best day of your life:

17 / a picture that always makes you laugh:

18 / a picture of your spare time:

19 / a photo from a great night:

20 / a picture of the people who are closest to you: (plus my mom and Shane)

Technical Difficulties

For the past (almost) four days I have been fighting off a pretty nasty bout of pneumonia (Which is also one of the most ridiculous things to spell).  Temps of 102, luke warm baths, the worst body aches I have ever had! Shane rescued me and has been letting me recoup at his house. He brought me Vicks, tissues, and tea to name a few. Finally started to feel semi normal only today! I feel a little overwhelmed with what needs to be done around the house. A little nervous about going to work despite still sounding terrible! I had like 843 blog posts lined up which should be on there way out this week.

Hope all your weekends were better than mine!

Obsessed

Over :Tulle bought years ago at a boutique
Under: H&M for something like 12 bucks.

I love mixing patterns! I can't get enough. I play with patterns so often that even Shane said the other day "I notice you like to break up a solid with a print. I like that." I love that he notices my silly girl crap.

How about you guys? Do you mix patterns often?