7 Days and Counting - Saturday, December 31st

Happy New Years Eve!!!

Today I went for my final long run with Al near his place in Lorton. His area has a lot of trails and sidewalks, so it was a great place to go running. Unfortunately, we started off on an uphill path and when I say uphill I mean uphill. I was running straight up for the first half mile. Then we turned the corner and I thought things would flatten out, but that was only the case for a few yards. For the first 40 minutes it seemed like everything was uphill. I was so exhausted. Al was in great form and I was trying to keep up with him. Then finally, I got to the point where I realized that I was trying to keep up with him! I was running faster then I normally would and I wasn't pacing myself. Once I got back into my own rhythm the run became more doable. We ran from his place to Ox Rd which is about 4 miles and came back. I felt really strong on the way back, no aches or pains. We covered a total of about 8-9 miles. I didn' have the speed and distance thingy, so I didn't get the exact mileage. I know it wasn't a half marathon, but my endurance tells me that I'm ready. I just need to remember to start slow and stick with my intervals. Lately I've been training without intervals to build up endurance, but I think I'll do better in the race if I return to intervals which will hopefully guarantee me crossing the finish line.

For New Years Eve I baked my Award winning rum cake while I sat on the couch eating candy and drinking soda. After all, this was my last chance to enjoy my 2 biggest vices before 2006. Al came over and we went to a party that his friends were throwing. I had a nice time. I played a card game called Frog Juice and watched Al win at a game called Settlement. His friends are real gamers and most of the games they owned I never even heard of. My favorite was Killer Bunnies. I didn't play it but the name definitely raises ones curiosity.

- See You Next Year

8 Days and Counting - Friday, December 30th

No workout today. I went to work early and left early to get my hair fixed. Sa did a great job. She did my hair the way I wanted it. It's still kind of short, but I can deal with that. It's like me. Al thought it was cute. I was afraid that I looked like angry, politically feminist, black chick. Hopefully this means no more wigzilla. We'll see what happens at work on Tuesday.

There were always 2 things about me that I said if I could change I would and that was my weight and my hair. January 2005 I had a wake up call and made the commitment to finally lose weight and stick with it. In 2006 the focus is still on weight loss. I'm down to 161lbs. That's 45lbs less than what I weighed at this time last year. But I still need to lose 20-25 more pounds so that BMI chart will stop referring to me as overweight. However this year I'm also focusing on restoring health and fullness back to my hair. I've been hiding my real hair for years because it was so hard to manage, but I ended up making things worse. So, this year I want to get my hair back in shape as well.

- Ta Ta for Now

9 Days and Counting - Thursday, December 29th

We're into single digit days!! I didn't workout this evening, because I was suppose to go to the hairdresser and get my hair fixed. But she called and canceled earlier today. My previous statement about hairdressers in the black hair care industry still stands. I tried to reschedule with her, but she was becoming so difficult to deal with that I decided to cut her loose and I contacted my old hairdresser from a few months back. Her name is Sa. Luckily she was still doing hair from her home and I made an appointment for Friday. Wish me Luck.

- Goodnight and Good Luck

10 Days and Counting - Wednesday, December 28th

I went back to the gym and did 1 hour on the treadmill and strength training. I wasn't too pleased with that, but it was still a much needed workout. I went home after my workout to untwist my hair because I have an appointment to get it fixed tomorrow.

- Y'all come back now ya hear

11 Days and Counting - Tuesday, December 27th

I went to the gym this evening and tried to run, but I wasn't feeling it. So, I did more strength training than running. Nothing else to report for today.

- Until Next Time...

12 Days and Counting – Monday, December 26th

After a weekend of being cooped up, I finally got out and went running. It was cloudier than I expected, but it wasn't too cold. I went to Clarendon to start my run. Unfortunately my gym was closed, but I went running anyway. It wasn't the greatest run because I kept stopping. I spent the first mile trying to get the speed and distance thingy that Al bought me to work. Eventually I gave up and took it off. Then once I got to Iwo Jima I really needed to pee, so I stopped to use the Port-a-Potty. Ewwww. But then I felt now I'm on my way, but stopped again to chat with some tourists near Arlington Cemetery who wanted to know about running trails in the area. After chatting with them for a while. I finally crossed over the GW Parkway and felt now I'm on my way again. I ran along the waterfront towards the Key Bridge. Somewhere along the wooden path right before Roosevelt Island, I'm running along listening to my iPod when all of sudden my clumsy ass trips over one of the wooden planks and landed face down on the ground. Thank God for the Nike gloves that Tricia gave me for Christmas (even though they're too small) or else my hands would have been severely bruised as they slide across the damp wood trying to stop my fall. Both my knees hit the ground and I thought thank God for the multiple layers I was wearing or else I would have seriously scraped my knees. All along I'm thinking "Dammit, I'm injured." But I didn't want to lie on the ground too long because more than my hands and my knees, I think my ego was bruised as well. So, before I had time to process my injuries. I popped up and kept running. Surprisingly I wasn't really that hurt. I finished my run by crossing the Key Bridge into Georgetown where I took a break to stretch then doubled back across the bridge to Rosslyn to finish my run with the uphill climb back to Clarendon. Despite my fall and all the stopping, I had a pretty good run. I covered 7 miles and still felt strong.

- See you later Alligator

13 Days and Counting - Sunday, December 25th

Merry Christmas!!

No workout. Even if it wasn't pouring rain all day, I think it would have been kind of un-holiday-like to be out running alone on Christmas Day. Even though we celebrated our Christmas on Christmas Eve, I stayed indoors with my mom the entire day watching TV, going through my mail, reading newspapers and magazines, playing Mah Jong and eating. I was really bored.

Today I started working on my New Year's Resolutions. Here's what I have so far.
• Return to Weight Watchers and lose 20 – 25 more pounds
• Complete a marathon
• Take swimming lessons (now that I don't have extensions I can finally wear a swim cap)
• Give up sodas and candy (except on Valentine's Day)
• Keep track of my finances
• Obtain at least one computer certification
• Finish Strayer CIS Diploma Program

These are definite. I'll add some more as I think of them. That's it for now. I hope everyone had a Happy Holiday.

- Feliz Navidad

14 Days and Counting - Saturday, December 24th

Merry Christmas Eve!!

I spent Christmas Eve at my mom's. My brother, sister-in-law and nephews came over for brunch. My plan was this… Since it was going to be in the low 50s today, I would do the brunch thing with the family, clean up and go running. I even brought my running gear and printed out a 10.8 mile route through downtown Washington that would bring me past the National Christmas Tree. But like the saying goes - life is what happens when you're busy making plans. My mom, the Earl of Earliness, woke me up at 7am to help in the kitchen. I really didn't mind except my brother and family weren't planning on showing up until 10am and 3 hour prep was overkill. She realized this when we were standing in he kitchen looking a table full of food that could be prepared within 30 minutes of their arrival. At 20 minutes to 10:00 they called to say they were leaving. I guestimated that they wouldn't get to my mom's until 10:45. When they came, we ate, we exchanged gifts and they left. I had a nice time. My youngest nephew was very restless. I could see the exhaustion on my brother and sister-in-law's face. Either way they stayed longer then I had planned. By the time we were done cleaning up it was 2:30. Even if I got dressed that very minute and drove downtown, I'd be lucky to start my run by 3:30. I planned on running the entire 10.8 mile route which would take me at least 2 hours and I wouldn't get back to my mom’s until 6pm at the earliest. At which point I needed to take a shower and rest before getting ready for Christmas Eve mass. Considering I was already tired because I woke up early and I didn't sleep too well the night before because I have a cold, then I had to help get brunch ready, spend time with my energetic nephews and clean up afterwards, there was no way I'd come close to having any kind of decent run today. Plus my mom wanted to drop off presents for some her friends before Christmas Eve mass. So, my plans to go running got scrapped. Instead I ate like a pig for the rest of the day and took a nap. I know I'm not an emotional eater. When I'm upset I prefer shopping, exercising or just going to sleep. Food is the last thing on my mind. But when I'm bored I eat like a pig. This is why I'm never home and I don't keep food in my house, but my mom's house after Christmas brunch is a totally different story. Let's hope the scale is forgiving.

- Au Revoir

15 Days and Counting - Friday, December 23rd

It's Friday before the 3 day Christmas weekend. No workout. No work either. Things were really quiet today. I got in touch with the owner of the salon that screwed up my hair in the first place. They were willing to fix my hair, but because of the holidays they weren't able to do it until next Thursday. I made the appointment, but I'm still going to keep looking.

- Adios Amigos

16 Days and Counting - Thursday, December 22nd

I finally had a chance to workout at the gym. I had a very good run considering how my week has been. I really needed it. The only thing was my dual layer socks kept bunching up inside my shoe. I had to stop twice to fix it. I need to get new ones because the elastic on the pair I have is done.

- Gosh, look at the time

17 Days and Counting - Wednesday, December 21st

Spoke with a girl at work who raved about her hairdresser. So, I called them and they said they were able to fix my hair. Good news: They were open until 9pm. Bad news: They were in Woodbridge. Woodbridge, VA is only 30 miles from where I work, but in rush hour traffic it might as well be in Richmond, VA because that's how long it took to get out there. Once I got there I wanted to cry again, because they told me my hair was too thin and too short for them to fix it. But they did say my wig fit me very well. Anyway, I figured out that this place was in the business of braiding with extensions. The thought of braiding my hair without extensions was foreign to them. Plus the girl that was suppose to do my hair was not even half way done with her current client, so even if they could do something they weren't able to do it today. So, Kudos to me for not screaming or crying after I spent almost 2 hours in traffic trying to get to this place then getting all my hopes up only to hear that they can't fix my hair and even if they could I'd have to come back tomorrow because they were behind with their clients. I think I've matured in this area. Instead of crying or throwing a fit, I made an appointment for 8am tomorrow morning knowing that I wasn't going to show up. If I could I would have made it for 7am and promised her a big tip if she's there on time.

After that I went to Roxane's house. She said my hair wasn't done right either and gave me the name of someone she knows that can braid my hair. After leaving Roxane's around 10pm, the stress of not getting my hair fixed wore off and I realized that I haven't eaten anything in the last 8 hours and I was starving. I went to the only place that was open at that hour - McDonald's. At this point I didn't care anymore. I ordered off the dollar menu and went home to watch the season finally of Nip/Tuck. Nip/Tuck is not a feel good show, but watching that last episode made me realize that I could have a lot more problems than just a crappy hair do.

- Until we meet again

18 Days and Counting - Tuesday, December 20th

I spent yesterday calling hairdressers that could possibly fix my hair. I found one that was willing to meet me in the morning before work. I was doubtful that she'd show, because hair dressers, especially those in the black hair care industry, have no concept of other people's time. But I went anyway and wouldn't you know it, she didn't show up. I only waited 30 minutes then left.

I attended yoga this evening with Al, but our instructor was sick and we had a really, really light (and short) workout. If she wasn't a friend of Al's, I would have lobbied against paying full price for that class.

- Gotta Run

19 Days and Counting - Monday, December 19th

No workout. I've been putting off a lot of holiday stuff. So I spent the evening after work running errands, buying gifts and managing some overdue finances.

- So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Good Bye

20 Days and Counting - Sunday, December 18th

I went running today around my neighborhood. I had to de-stress from yesterday's hair nightmare. I actually had a very good run but I was pretty slow and I lost some stamina on the hills. I wish the Disney Half didn't have a time limit. I don't doubt that I'll finish, but due to my lack of consistent training, I'm afraid I may not finish in time. Let's hope that doesn't happen.

Mental Note: No more winter races

I bought a wig today. It's pretty cute. I refuse to let anyone see my hair (not even Al) until I'm comfortable with it. Even then I don't think I'll go au natural at work until it grows in a little. I just want to avoid all the "What happened to you, Darth Vader" looks. I have to search for someone that can fix my hair and soon.

Al came over and we exchanged gifts. I got him a book on running a marathon, an alarm clock and I made him a T-Shirt, which I designed on the computer and printed out on transfer paper that irons onto the shirt. Grand total… I may have spent $45. Then this guy goes off and buys me a state of the art Heart Rate Monitor with Speed and Distance Tracker. This is a way cool Christmas gift. I can't wait to use it, but I know it was way more than the $45 I spent on the stuff I got him. Yes, it's the thought that counts, but I wasn't expecting him to spend so much on me. I know I said it before, but I'll say it again. He's so sweet. He didn't even question me when I told him why I didn't want him to see my hair. He's a great guy. I'm not worthy.

- See Ya

21 Days and Counting - Saturday, December 17th

No workout. I went Christmas shopping with my mom in the morning then went to the hairdresser in the evening. Unfortunately my hair didn't turn out the way I wanted it to. I was prepared for the worst and needless to say I wasn't prepared enough. I really hated what they did to my hair. I wanted to cry, but I was in disbelief. They were a very encouraging bunch, but they don't have to walk in public with my hair. I really hate my hair. I look like Zippy the Pinhead. I reminisce back to the scene in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back when Darth Vader removes his helmet for the first time and you can only see the back of his head, but it's deformed and grotesque with patches of hair sticking out making you wonder what happen to him. Well that's what my hair looks like. My hair would scare small children. But I'm NOT, NOT, NOT going back to extensions until my hair gets back to a healthier state. So, on the bright side I still have hair and this is like the beginning of my journey to healthier, extension free hair. Unpaved is the path to freedom.

- See you later alligator

22 Days and Counting - Friday, December 16th

No workout. It was a very uneventful day. I went to my mom's in the evening to remove my extensions. I have a hair appointment tomorrow. I want to do something with my hair that doesn't require extensions. After years and years of adding and removing extensions, I've had enough. My hair has become so thin and weak that I figured a few weeks without extensions will help bring back some of the healthiness and fullness that's deteriorated over the years. We'll see.

- Later Dudes

23 Days and Counting - Thursday, December 15th

I was finally able to workout this evening at the gym. I had a pretty good workout, but it was my standard routine. I ran then I did my strength training exercises then I stretched. At any other time this year, I would have been very pleased with my workout this evening. But because the big race is less than 23 days away, I was not happy. I don't have the capacity to push myself when I'm running indoors. Because I've been forced to train indoors so often lately I've come to realized that running on a treadmill, in general, is boring and tedious. Running on a treadmill for more than an hour is absolute torture! Even with my iPod, I can't stand it! I use to love winter, but I'm starting to hate this weather. It's really impacting my training. I need to be outside, running through the urban jungle with the wind in my hair and the world at my feet. But this evening the wind would have been replaced with freezing rain and the urban jungle was more like the frozen tundra and the only thing at my feet would have been frost bite.

Mental note: No more winter races.

I was totally prepared to get into the habit of waking up early and going running in the cold, pre-dawn hours before work. This is something I never though I would do, but I decided that this was the best time for me to train. I was ready for the harsh elements, but I wasn't ready for the fact that winter came early this year. In this area, December is usually cold, but fairly dry. Unfortunately this year, we've had snow, sleet or rain every week since Thanksgiving. I was OK running on the sidewalk or the street in the dark when they were dry, but many of the sidewalks are still iced over from the first storm and the streets refreeze overnight and I'm afraid I'll slip and fall. I'm really clumsy. How do people who live in snowy places like Denver and Chicago train outdoors in the winter? Inquiring minds want to know.

The race is less than 22 days away and I'm starting to freak out. It's like I don't care about Christmas or New Years. My friends who know me will be lucky if I remember to wish them a Merry Christmas. All I can think about is this stupid race and how badly I'm going to suck. FYI: I've started eating candy again. I quit for a while, but I find I need the sugar fix now a days. I'm looking at a box of Dots now. Two weeks ago it was a bag of Spice Drops. I think I polished off a bag of red and green Christmas bells last week. Thank God I hate Chocolate or the bowl of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups and Peppermint Patties from the book club would be gone by now.

I'll get back into Weight Watchers in January. I haven't gained any weight, but I haven't lost any either. My eating habits have gone south. It's really sad. I'm planning on giving up soda and candy for New Years again. And I'm talking all soda, including diet sodas. Diet Lime Coke and Hot Tamales does not a good dinner make.

Oh, and if you're wonder how registering for Winter classes is going, that's a whole 'nother story.

Later

24 Days and Counting - Wednesday, December 14th

I had a rough day today. I overslept this morning. I woke up at 7 and my class starts at 8. Eeek!!! Today I ate nothing but junk and leftovers from last night's book club. I struggled to stay awake in class. I'm breaking out. I feel fat and I'm moody. Twice I bit the inside of my cheek and it huuuuurrrrrrrrttttt. I think I drew blood. I ended up not running this evening. It was too cold to run out side – below freezing all day. So, I tried to run at the gym, but I was tired, annoyed and unmotivated. I forgot to put socks in my gym bag and I developed a small cramp after 5 minutes of running probably because I barely warmed up or stretched. I could have run through it, but I didn't feel like it. I tend to let the smallest excuses convince me to take a break. Not a good attitude less than 24 days before the race. I ended up leaving the gym during the height of rush hour. It took me 1 hour and 20 minutes to get home, even though I was at a gym that was 25 minutes from my house. I came home and managed to get some work done on Al's Christmas gift. Then I went to bed.

I can't wait until the race is over, so I can stop thinking about it. It's the first thing on my mind when I wake up. I think about it all day. And it's the last thing on my mind when I goto bed at night. I have this imaginary gremlin on my back all the time that keeps telling me that I need to train. I need to train harder. The race is 24 days away. You're eating too much junk. You haven't run more than a 10K in over a month. You're going to fail. It's driving me crazy

Gotta Run

25 Days and Counting - Tuesday, December 13th

No workout tonight. I hosted book club at my place. Almost all the members came. We barely talked about the book, Shopgirl by Steve Martin. FYI: Book Club is code for getting together to socialize. But I don't mind, I needed the distraction. Anyway, I came home early to start preparing goodies for the evening and I ended up sampling everything that I served, which included a few deserts. Ugh!!! Not a good activity to be indulging in with less than 25 days before the race.

Keep Hope Alive

26 Days and Counting – Monday, December 12th

I managed to recover from yesterday's race without any problems. My poor Sweetie complained of being a very stiff yesterday. It reminded me of my first few runs with DC Fit when recovery lasted 2-3 days. But once my muscles got use to the weekly torture, recovery time was a few hours or less. So, I went running this evening. I did my regular tempo run on the treadmill at the gym. I'm currently at 5.5 miles/hour. I was in great form. No pain. No huffing or puffing. I only walked for 8 minutes during this time and finished with 5.4 miles in 65 minutes. Afterwards, I did the strength training exercises that my Physical Therapist recommended and they have really helped improve my form and stability when running.

I came home and registered for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler, which is held on April 2, 2006. The event coordinators warned that spaces will fill up quickly. I think it's a scam to get us to register early.

Anyway, tomorrow I'm hosting book club, so I won't be working out. I still need to squeeze in a long run sometime before January 7th, but time is running out. Wish me luck.

Later Alligator

27 Days and Counting – Sunday, December 11th

I got up at 5 am to get dressed for the “Jingle All the Way 10K”. The race gets it's name because it is a seasonal themed race and they give you these jingle bells to wear on your shoes while you're running. As a result, I woke up my mom while I was jingling around the house before dawn. She also noticed my red and white Santa hat that I got at the dollar store to wear for the race. I got one for Al too, but he already had a red hat. I picked him up at the Metro and we made it to the race in time to line up at the starting line. We may have got there 4 minutes before the starting gun. According to the race report, it was 28 degrees and the starting line. I was cold, but I wore my Under Armor so I was able to bare it. Once we started running I barely noticed the temperature.

I ran pretty well. I ditched my intervals to see how long and how far I could run without stopping. I think I made it about 2.5 miles before I stopped to take a short walk, a quick drink and wipe my runny nose. Then I ran probably ran another 1.5 miles to the water station before I took another walk. It's hard to drink and run at the same time. Then I took a really short walk after mile 5 before I ran to the finish line. Overall, it was my best 10K time. I finished in 71:41. That's an 11 minute 32 second mile. Al finished in 73:03, just a minute and 22 seconds behind me. If he had more time to warm up and stretch I would have definitely been chasing him.

After the race we hung around to enjoy some post race refreshments. Then we toured some of the monuments in the area. During this time I slowly went into hypothermic distress. I could not warm up. I think it was because of the cool yet dry sweat, my poor post race recovery blood circulation and the fact I didn't have a coat, that made it impossible for me to warm up. I was almost shivering by the time we got back to my car. I drove immediately to a Starbucks. After a tall Toffee Nut latte, I started to feel normal again.

Nothing else to report for Day 27.

Until Tomorrow

28 Days and Counting – Saturday, December 10th

I spent the day at my mom's house hanging up the Christmas lights and putting up the tree. I slipped on the ice for the second time this week. This time I pulled my shoulder. Good thing I don't use that muscle for running. Mom and I did a little shopping during the day. We came back finished decorating and I went to bed early. Big race tomorrow. Got to get up early.

Sleep Tight. Don't let the bed bugs bite.

29 Days and Counting – Friday, December 9th

It snowed last night. We got 8 inches. No biggie, but everything was closed or opening late. Since it was Friday, a lot of people took the day off. I, however, went to work and didn't go running. I cancelled my hair appointment for Saturday. And I snuck out of work during lunch to register for the "Jingle All the Way 10K" this Sunday. This was a race that I wasn't planning on running, but Al wanted someone to run with and I couldn't turn him down. He's always been there to support me at all me my races so, I wanted to be there to support him. Other than that, it was a very uneventful day.

Adios Amigos

30 Days and Counting - Thursday, December 8th

I didn't run today. I wasn't really planning on it. All day long something was bothering me, but I didn't know what it was. I think I had a case of the winter blahs. But either way, last night Al convinced me to run with him in the Jingle All the Way 10K this Sunday. He's always been there to support me in all my races. So, I figured why not support him. Since I'll be at my mom's this weekend to help with decorating and hopefully get my hair done, I had to negotiate skipping church again to go running with Al. I invested in Under Armor so I won't freeze while I'm running. Plus I look pretty athletic in it. I use to tell Joyce and Anna that looking like a runner is pretty close to actually being a runner. If you live in a cold climate and don't have Under Armor I suggest you get some. It's a little pricey but definitely worth it when it comes to keeping warm. I got my first issue of Runner's World today. I finally broke down and ordered a 1 year subscription. We're supposed to get 6" - 10" of snow tonight, so I'm pretty sure I'm not going running in the morning. I hate being a slacker, but avoiding injury is my #1 priority in these final days.

- Until Next Time, Gotta Run

31 Days and Counting - Wednesday, December 7th

I’m starting the count down to the big day. I’m starting to feel all sorts of ups and downs. I’m really excited about going. This will be my first Half Marathon and my first of hopefully many races for 2006. I’m excited because it’s in Disney World, my favorite place on earth. My hope is that I’ll be so distracted by the sights and sounds that it won’t even fell like I’m running. I’m excited because I finally made my reservations and I’ll be staying at an on-site property which makes getting to the starting line a lot easier. I’m excited because Al was sweet enough to join me. I originally wanted to bring an entourage, but my coordination skills are greatly lacking in this area. So it’ll just be me and my sweetie. I’m excited for other reasons. I don’t remember them right now, but at the same time I’m worried. What would life be without worrying? I’m worried that I haven’t trained enough during these cold snowy days. I’m worried that my knee will start bothering me during the last 5 or so miles of the race. I’m worried that I won’t cross the finish line in time. I’m worried that my hair is thinning, because I worry too much.


Since I’ve recovered from my IT Band problems, my running has improved greatly. But it’s getting harder and harder to run outside. It’s below freezing in the mornings and there are parts of the sidewalks that melt during the day and freeze over night. So, I do most on my running indoors on a treadmill, but only for an hour. So I had the afternoon off today and decide to go running in Arlington. I started at Clarendon, ran down through Rosslyn to the Iwo Jima memorial. I made two laps around the memorial then back to Rosslyn. From Rosslyn it’s an uphill climb back to Clarendon. I ran past Clarendon to the park and back to Clarendon. Now it sounds like a long run, but when I mapped it out I only ran 4.8 miles. I’m upset about the distance, but I’m very proud of the run. The hills from Rosslyn to Clarendon are very steep, but I managed to run them with moderate effort and recover quickly. Plus I ran without intervals and didn’t experience any foot or knee pain. I also had my iPod with me and had a good time. I only hope I run this well at Disney.

- Ta Ta for Now