With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams...

Plyometrics.  I was sweating like crazy.  Now I'm just exhausted.

I just saw that it's going to be in the 90's on Saturday.  I am not excited about that kind of heat!  66^o was hot enough this morning.

I did my glamour muscle workout (back & biceps), ab ripper, and then went for a quick run.  My watch shut off 6 times in the first .9 miles, so I  don't have perfect results, but I did manage to get an average 9:08 pace for the 2.1 miles it did record.  I'm really sick of this garmin, but all of the reviews on other garmins sound like they're trash too.  All gps watches seem to be built with some huge flaw.

p90x yoga.  Last week when I was doing the crane, I actually had achieved balance and was doing it when the cat came and head-butted me causing me to tip and fall over.  Today when I was trying to do it, I saw that cat out of the corner of my eye, and he was just watching me...I knew he was just waiting.  So he messed with my chi and I wasn't able to get the crane today.  Stupid cat.

after work I felt icky, but had physical therapy so I went and worked out there too.  I got home and was exhaused.  Ate a can of soup and went to bed.

Legs & back, and ab ripper x.  Worried about over-doing it and being sore for Saturday, I  just did 10 of each set on the pull up bar.  

Getting excited for the race tomorrow.

This was advertised as a 9-12 mile run with obstacles that were designed by and tough as special forces selection activities.  It was not either one of those things, but it was lots of fun.  I also don't know how long it really took us, but the blog required me to put a time in the slot, so you get 3.

We arrived 90 minutes before our wave time and went to get our bibs, free bbq wrist band and free beer wrist band.  We got our t-shirts too, but they only had large and xl.  It burns me when I sign up for a certain size when I register and pay for a race and they don't have that size at the pick up site.

I chose to wear my $4 jeggins under my shorts to protect my knees from crawling scratches.  I'd seen video of low crawling under barbed wire and wanted to be prepared for it. 

Here's a pix  before the race:

It was getting hot outside, and after we saw the first wave leave at 9:00, we decided to join the 9:30 wave and get a 30 min head start on the heat for our wave. 

Our team consisted of 4 people:  Mr, MR, my neighbor, and Adams.  Neighbor's hubby was there too, and he ended up running some of it with us, and taking photos the rest of the time.  Here's the crew:

We visited the giant blow up dragon with 2 slides before the run.  It was soooo much fun.  You get to climb up the dragon's back side and slide down it's throat & out of it's mouth, then try the second slide that runs backward & right along the first side.  It was a definite high-light of the morning!

After magic dragon time, we went to the starting line and we were off.  The first obstacle was a cargo net up and down.  There was a back up at the net and a little bit of a wait to get up.  One girl was almost to the top and just stopped dead in her tracks... maybe a fear of heights?  We had to go around her.  Then there was lots of running on hills.  It was at an atv park and we were running on all the little jumps that would be super fun with a dirt bike, but were tough to run.  I was surprised that the course was very, very sandy.  Like super dry, fine, beach sand.  It was tough to run in.  We had tires to jump through, and a big bunch of dirt mounds to go up & down on.  At least 20 feet up & down, and super soft sandy soil.  It was fun.  There was a pile of round hay-bales stacked up like a q-bert game.  The last one coming down the back side was not nice.  I landed on it with both feet together at the same time, but someone had left a hole inside of it, and my right foot twisted & went into the hole.  Some ugly pirate language flew out of my mouth, and I wondered if "game over" was blinking over my head. 

I walked for a while and then was able to run again, so we kept going.  I found as long as I kept running, it was okay, but if I slowed down to walk or stopped, it hurt.  That was one thing that kept me going.  We went over trucks and cars, through a mud pit, through a pit of ice water (felt great on my ankle), through a huge mud pit where neighbor's shoe almost got sucked into the mud and left her shoe-less, over another huge hill, through the woods, and then we stopped at a huge pool of mud that was at the bottom of a 6 foot drop.  We had to jump off the ledge and into the mud pool.  Adams went first and when he jumped in, his head went under the water level.  MR did a cannon-ball in (of course), and when I jumped in, my feet barely hit the bottom, and I was all the way under muddy water.  It was nasty.  Fun, and nice to get cooled off, but nasty!!

Then we headed off for a long run through grasses, rocks, and moon-dusty trails.  This is where neighbor's hubby started running with us in his jorts.  I was glad he was with us when we got to mile 4 and had to push a full sized sedan through a field, around a cone, and back to the start.  He pushed with the rest of us!

We headed through to another obstacle where we had to run while carrying logs.  We got to pick our own log.  I went with a medium sized log.  I saw the tiny one there and thought about Tony & said, "bring it!"  Down another dusty, sandy path, around & through more woods, and then we got to swim across a little bit of water.  It was amazingly wonderful to cool off in the water.  Then we had to take wrist sling shots and each hit 2 out of the 4 paint balls onto the targets across the field.  I had one of the paint balls burst in my hand.. crap.  But our team managed, and we went on to more mud pits, barbed wire (with a mud pit under it, so no jeggins needed), hills, fields, more mud.  At one point I fell in the mud pit and started laughing so hard I couldn't get up.  Team mates had to come drag me out of the mud.  The great part of the mud was it worked as a great sun-screen.  And later a nice exfoliant!

There was a huge dried up mud pit.. wondered where all the water had gone.  It was supposed to be the 300 yard mud pit, but instead it was a dried up 300 yard pit.  We got to do a tire flip across a field.  Half the team flipped it down, the other half flipped it back.  Then there was a short loop we had to run with a sand back thrown over our back.  It felt super heavy to me, but MR says it's only 25 pounds.  Whatever...I think it was 48 pounds.  This was where the army kids kicked my butt.  They're used to running with extra weight on their backs, and I am NOT.  I nearly got run over by neighbor & her hubby.  Tony let me down on this one :-)

We had passed mile 6 about 15 minutes earlier, and we were looking for where to keep running, because we could see the finish line.  It was supposed to be 9-12 miles so we knew there was still more ahead for us, but after asking the others who were at the showers we were next to, and after consulting the map, we realized we were at the end.  There was only one more obstacle left...the burning hay bales, and then we were done.  We couldn't figure out what had happened.   Evidently the course wasn't what they'd said it would be.  We weren't the only ones disappointed by the short-changed distance. 

The hay bales were burning on the sides of the trail.  They made a lot of smoke, but I wasn't sure what their purpose was.  At the Warrior Dash last year, we at least got to jump over the burning stuff.  It was good to be finished, but I was a little let down that it wasn't as rigorous as it has been advertised as. 

We were certainly dirty hogs at the end.  Here's some "after" photos:

We showered off and got the free beverage offered to the "mature" runners.  I'm not mature enough for those beverages and had to have a cup of water they'd poured out because gatorade was $3 a bottle. :-(

The web site promoted that each runner would get a bbq pulled pork sandwich, a beverage, a free hug from a "hog girl."  I chose to not get a beverage, I was relieved to not get a hug, but I was seriously let down when my pulled pork "bbq" turned into a choice of a hamburger or 2 hot dogs and a bag of chips.  This is the south, and you do not dangle bbq in people's face and not deliver bbq.  Some things are not negotiable.   

The employees were all yankees from up north, as was evident by their New York/Jersey accents and their blatent lack  of respect for BBQ.  If I knew who was responsible for the choice of food, I would have had someone walking the plank.

That being said, I had a lot of fun.  I would prefer doing this to running on the road any day.  My neighbor feels differently.  We'll just have to agree to disagree.  I am looking forward to our Warrior Dash coming up later this month.  I've done it before, and even though it's only 3 miles, the obstacles are super tough and really are more of a tough course than this one.  I started p90x as a way to prepare for this race.  I thought it was going to challenge me in ways I wasn't ready for.  I see now that I didn't need to do the p90x, but I don't regret doing it.  I've got 3 more weeks left to finish the program, and I'm going to see it through.

However, I didn't do kenpo today because my ankle is sore.  I'll try it tomorrow.  If not, one day off won't be the end of the world. 

Cankle

Cankle still holding on... I was able to do the full p90x chest & back video without any problems.  Ab ripper was fine too.

After work, physical therapy.  No problems doing any of the exercises.  The PTherapist said give the ankle a couple more days.  I can do that.

Cankles just won't go away!!  I didn't think plyo was a good option.  I almost did the cardio, but I just didn't want to mess up my ankle recovery, so I did an hour on the elliptical. I feel like I'm a failure without doing my p90x.  Maybe I'll do the core synergestics tonight.

Got fiesty at work being frustrated with a little "helper" who took my keys home, so when I got home I had to punch it out with my p90x kenpo.  It was good since I didn't do it on Saturday maybe I can catch up.

Cankles are still a little puffy, but feeling good.  Funny strange bruise on the inside bottom of my foot above the heel.  Doesn't hurt at all, so why not just keep going?

I did the cardio x to try out my ankle, and it was pretty good so I'm feeling positive about running tomorrow.  Followed up with the shoulders & arms and then ab ripper X.

Now I'm caught up on my p90x videos from missing Saturday and Tuesday.  Feeling pretty good, and excited to run.  After not running since Saturday, I'm getting a bit cranky.  My office name today is "Mrs. Prissy Pot."

I finally got some miles in!!  First I did 70 minutes of the yoga video, and when it was time for the stretches, I went out for my run.  I'd considered doing 6, but thought 4 would be better to not over do it on my ankle.  And I realized if I did 4, I might have time for a quick nap.  So 4 it is!

My watch was KO'd, which was nice to not worry about time & pace.  The moon was extra lovely, the dipper ready to scoop me up.  Birds were already chirping in the dark of 5 am.   They kept me company and sang to me along the way.  I felt a little like Uncle Remus!

I came home, did 20 minutes on the elliptical to finish up an hour of run/elliptical time, and then finished up the last 23 minutes of the yoga video with the stretching.  A quick shower and I had time for an 11 minute nap.  Just right :-)

It was so super duper extra wonderful to run again.  I feel like I can do anything now.  I left Prissy Pot at home, and it's just the QP today.  And today is a very special day- it's chili dog & snowcone day.

I'm a little like Stanley on "The Office" when it comes to chili dog & snowcone day... I feel like Stanley on pretzel day.  I even dressed up nice today just in anticipation of the special day.  The principal arranges for a local restaurant to bring their roach coach out the school and they serve us hot dogs, chili, cole-slaw (for the hot dog since this is the south), onion, relish & all the fixins.  They also have a shaved ice machine and make us delicious snow cones.  My favorite- pina colada (gotta bring my own Captain).

So hooray for chili dog & snowcone day!!

p90x legs & back, and ab ripper x

quads are a little sore..wonder if it's from the run yesterday?  strange.

Adventure run with Wyatt & MR.  I haven't run with Wyatt in so long, and we had a lot to talk about.  It was so nice to be out with her again. 

The end of the week of eating junk and cake and nothing much good for me.  I had zero energy on this run.  At mile 1.8 I was light headed and ready to quit.  I pushed myself to finish 2, and then made the rest of the crew walk with me until I got my act together again.  It took .5 mile before I was ready to run again.  I'm sure glad we didn't stop and turn around to go home because the adventures were just around the corner.

First we saw this little guy.  He looks like he's ready to clench his jaws into something...

We had just passed this fella when we ran across the path of Kujo & Diablo.

There were lounging in the yard and when we ran by (across the street on the opposite side of the road), Kujo ran out in full attack mode at MR.  Using my "deer in the headlight" skills, I stood there and yelled "DOG!"   MR was able to fend off the dog, Wyatt was screaming at the dog owners (who were no where to be seen), and I just stood there....

Finally I realized I had my pepper spray and started back toward MR and the dogs.  I got some in Kujo's direction and she backed off for a while.  Wyatt got on the phone and called animal control and got to leave a message on their answering machine.  Twice.  She called 911, and they told her their officers do not deal with animals.  A neighbor 2 doors down came out of her trailer and asked if we were calling about the dogs.  Evidently the night before they'd come up to her car when she'd pulled in her driveway and wouldn't let her out of her car (with a baby in the car too).  The sheriff's office told her they didn't come out for animals and she could just "do what she needed to" to get in her house.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?  

2 pit bulls running loose and attacking people, and the law enforcement will do nothing, and animal control isn't open on Saturday or Sunday.  Something is wrong with this picture.  So here's a picture... It's not a great one, because I wasn't getting close enough for a glamour shot, but here they are: (their house is the one you can see on the right).

Those owners need to be slapped. 

Later I went to prom.  It was marvelous.  I got to work at the check-in desk and see all the beautiful girls in their dresses and the boys in their tuxes.  I didn't dance, because I realized I didn't know how to dance like kids do these days.  Their dance is more what I'd call buffing the wood.  I did get to embarrass my little buccaneer at the end of the night, and that is always a pleasure. 

What an adventure.

Happy Mother's Day!

I slept in till noon.  Acutally I was woken up at 9 am for a wonderful breakfast that MR made me, and I enjoyed every morsel of it, then I just laid down and went back to sleep till noon.  It was lovely.  I felt a little guilty because I didn't do my kenpo yesterday, and I wasn't going to get it done this morning either.  But I didn't get to bed till 2 am, so I just let myself sleep.

After church, my sweet buccaneer surprised me with home make chocolate covered strawberries!  YUM!!  Maybe kenpo will have to wait another day or two :-)

I slept so much yesterday and last night that I was suprised I didn't wake up before my alarm clock went off.  I guess I was really tired.

I did Kenpo (left over from Saturday when I didn't make time to do it), then chest, shoulders & triceps.  That was a tough workout for me today.  Too many push-ups.  Then I finished up with the ab ripper x.  I'm so happy I only have 2 more ab ripper videos to do before I finish the program.  Only 2 more to go!!!

I'll do physical therapy tonight, which always makes me sweaty and tired.  That should be good enough for one day.

plyo x.   

Headaches are getting old.

Glamor muscles with Tony.  Last week before the recovery phase.  Getting close to the end!

Ab ripper and 30 minutes on elliptical.

yoga, yoga belly 7 times.  Don't do ab exercises every day, you don't work other muscles every day, and you shouldn't work abs every day.  Shut up Tony.

PT in the afternoon.  They've decided they've done all they can do, and now it's up to me to have the self discipline to do their 45 minutes of exercises every day to continue to improve & strengthen while I wait for piriformis to heal.  I just don't see myself being that disciplined.

Pirate's Birthday Today

Legs & Back & Ab Ripper X.  This is the last ab ripper in the program.  I tried to work extra hard for Tony on this one :-)

Someone asked me today how it was coming with the program, and I said "only one week left to finish!"  She asked me if I was really going to just stop doing it when the 90 days was up.  No doubt in my mind.  Yes... I am going to quit Tony like bad habit. 

Cupcakes, Cake, home made ice cream.  I did manage to squeeze in a pb&j sandwich and some snap peas too.  Carb loading for the big run tomorrow.  Gonna be GGGRRREEEAAATT!

They say a picture is worth a thousand words.  So here's a few thousand words...

The day of the big race... just before show time:

And of course after....

By the way, a wet wedding dress is very heavy.  Just in case you were wondering.  I really have no idea what our actual time was.  MR ran behind me and carried the train as we jumped over the fire.  A lady approached us later & showed us a great photo she'd taken of it.  She took down our email address & said she would send it to us.  I'm hoping we get it because it was great.   The mud was tough.  It was too shallow to drag myself through, so I ended up doing the "superman" (Thank you Tony) and MR just shoved me along the entire mud pit.  I just laid there and laughed.

Then, right before the finish line, he picked me up and carried me across the finish line.  I know I was heavy in that dress.  Some guys from behind us were there trying to help.  It was great.  We had so much fun taking photos for people.  The whole time we were there, people would approach & ask us to get our photo, or take a photo with us.  It was really neat. 

There was a costume contest, and depending on who you ask, we took first or second place.  The other first place winners were 2 guys dressed like mario & luigi and one guy dressed up like the peach princess.  On the stage, the 2 men poured a beer over the princess' chest & face while she undressed herself and rubbed "her" chest.  So there was a lot of cheering for that, and I wasn't going to compete with that.  After the contest, people came up & said "you were robbed!" and then offered us their timing chips with the free beer coupon on it.  MR had lots of free beer, so he's pretty sure that he's the real winner.  I just got to smile & model for the camera all day, so I'm feeling pretty special too.  Best part was, there wasn't any cheese involved :-)

My "bubbles" girls from work came & ran the race too.  They both ran with their husbands, and we all had a really good time.  But the best part of the day was the kiss...

This wedding party beat the pants off our first one almost 20 years ago.  Not sure how we'll top it in another 20 years, but we've got some time to come up with something really good.

Last week of p90x!  Yoga in the morning.

Core Synergestics

Lowering the flags on the pirate ship to half mast this week.

packed, worked, flew to zion.  No time for Tony today.

Got to do 2 workouts today.  Kenpo and stretch video.  My heart wasn't in either of them, but I was glad when they were done.

Glad RAD had the videos, but even happier when she took me to the cookie shop.  The only thing that is better than finishing 2 videos and having a cookie is getting to visit Smooth!

Smooth is by far one of the most amazing, inspirational ladies I know.  I am so glad I got to visit with her.  I'll be looking forward to running with her in July. I just hope I can keep up with her!

I tried to run.  My lungs felt like they were on fire, and I was so grateful for the stop lights that made me have to wait & get a little break every mile.

Went to RAD's house for another session of core synergestics.  It was fun playing superman banana with Fartlek!

Most amazing run with RAD.  Urban Trail Loop is amazing, and I have fallen in love with it.  So much to see, such a beautiful run.  I did my best to make sure that RAD didn't run too fast, so she could have a proper recover run :-)

I wish we could run it every morning.

Then, best news ever- p90x yoga day 89!!  Tomorrow is a rest day, so I am done!

Free at last, free at last, good-bye Tony; I'm free at last!!

I think I burned as many calories laughing during dinner and bowling as I did running.  RAD is always good for a fun time!

RAD and Kelli are amazing runners.  Kelli is the queen of the hills- I can't believe she runs that corridor on a regular basis.  I can't believe RAD ran it after a 20 mile bike ride.

I tried running it and it was a beast!  The mountain view corridor will always haunt me as the hills that kicked my rear.   The only reason I had any will at all to continue running was that the view was amazing and spectacular, and the company was too good!

Thank you both for a wonderful Memorial Day run.  It was like playing with the big kids & I appreciate you letting me tag along.

After getting drug up the hills of despair yesterday by the sister who shall remain nameless, I knew my knees, hip, ankle, and leg muscles all needed a day off of running to recover.  

I  went for a spin on the recumbent bike.  I went for an hour and managed 16 miles.  A couple of good hill sections to make me glad when they were over.

Then a walk through the cemetery to visit a wonderful man who had bigger fish to catch in heaven.  I'll miss you Don.