Wanted to Clarify

First, I would like to clarify something to my family who apparently had a good laugh at my expense recently. As my blog followers know (which also tells me they don't read my blog), I've just finishing week two of my half-marathon training which entails of running on my parents treadmill and swimming a couple mornings a week. Twice, as I've fallen behind I've gone swimming and then finished up on at my parents after. My house is located about 50 yards from my parents and I swim in at the high school pool. As I drive home from swimming my parents home comes first so I stop, run and continue to my home. Apparently its very funny to certain family members who are unaware of the swimming aspect of my morning and are under the assumption that I drive my car 50 yds to go running. Really? You really think I would do that? Really?
Second, I recently saw the movie "Leap Year". I want to warn all of you that Amy Adams ruined this movie for me and I'm not sure I can ever watch another movie with her in it. So, you were warned. I also saw "Valentine's Day" and "Sherlock Holmes". I highly recommend both and want to say "Sherlock Holmes" was one of the better movies I've seen in a long long time. Oh, and if you haven't seen "Blind Side" yet, you are missing out on a wonderful movie!

The Shower Shindig

My bathroom. My lovely, baby, pink tiled bathroom that was once adorned with white and hot pink floral demask, rosey-pink carpet, and a pink-seated toilet. I quickly painted the wallpapered portion a nice steal gray, the carpet was torn out and replaced with grey stone-like-looking lamenant, and a new white toilet was put into place, all in an attempt to de-feminize and update. The bathtub only unit was converted into a shower for convienence and after nearly 10 months of use not one tile fell in my not-for-shower-use tiled shower (plastic tiles for those curious)...and one day for no particular reason my shoulder hit the wall and a cascade of tiles were on the shower floor, and the next day and the next. An extra shower curtain was placed to protect the exposed wall in anticipation for a new begining!

My dad spent an evening popping out the tiles that were still able to hold on and as he left to go grab a pencil asked if I would pull out the soap dish that was expected to easily pop out...
Which resulted in this hole! Apparently I need to learn to restrain my hulk-like strength. We got a good laugh out of it.
And the hole (which was once an outer wall of the house before an addition), was re-sheetrocked.
And a shiney new white shower surround with ample shelf space was glued gingerly into place.
And the final product is my new shower which I adore. I was armed with calking from my dad and instructed on drying time and technique and proudly caulked with ease and smoothness.
As for the rest of the pink tiles...well, they continue to surround the rest of my bathroom and await for another day and a creative cost-efficient technique to cover what will lie beneath...
(huge thank-you to my dad for accomplishing all of this in a matter of a couple days!)

Week 2

The scent of change is in the air. The snow is melting, the birds are chirping, the thermometer has been flirting with above freezing temps for several days, Olive is allowed free reign of the house when I leave (other than all the rooms I close the doors of) and my skin is carrying with it the essence of chlorinated water and its drying effects. Though swimming is a wonderful non-jarring, cardio activity the pool water is sucked into your skin, dries it out to an itchy, uncomfortable state and leaves your skin thirsting for hydration! Don't even get me started on what it does to your hair!


These two products have become my new favorite things. Hydrating Tea Tree Mint Conditioner (apparently its "organic"...the one drawback) and Neutrogena Moisture Wrap. I like to drench my hair in conditioner before I get in the pool and this stuff had a decent price and effect so I can use it generously. My skin feels so soft and both have a pleasant fresh scent (perhaps I can get an endorsement) ;)

And what about these veggies? A representation of my new healthy eating habits? One would hope, but no. They're my favorite way to ice my knees after a run or my shoulder after a swim. I'm a huge fan of the way frozen peas wrap themselves around you like a cold hug. So how am I doing with my schedule and keeping up with it? (I force myself to answer this to all of you as my motivators) I am on track...today! Luckily there is some flexibility to my schedule and the idea is that it all get done during the week. Two times, thus far I've not gotten my run in for the day and its had to be done the same day as a swim. I do allow this in the mental "rules" I've created, however two runs may not be done in one day or two swims, that would be silly. And the song that's playing...you're not crazy, it doesn't have anything to do with this post, its just a new favorite of mine.

Hurts So Good?

29. I'm 29 now and I feel it. I'm stiff and sore all over. If I were just running it would be mostly in my legs but, dear blog readers, I am not just running, I am swimming as well. This morning as I swam my first 25 yds I believed myself to be feeling loose and strong and I pushed it...1050 yds of pushing it, 42 laps for this not-in-shape girl. So now I sit and watch the worlds most accomplished athletes race for the gold and wonder which shoulder, arm, leg, or back I should ice next.

Week 1

Well, it hasn't been quite two months since my last blog update. Apparently its a blog eat blog world out there and I'm not cut out for it. So, in an attempt to try to make this more interesting and interactive I've decided to ask the two of my readers for their support. I've decided (gulp) to begin training for a half-marathon. Why not a full marathon, you ask? Who am I kidding, none of you asked that because you're smart people and we all know why. I'm in day 3 of week 1 of a 25 week training program. As I write this the theme song from "Chariots of Fire" rings in my ears and I imagine myself running smoothly and effortlessly on the beach. In reality, until the snow melts, I will be on the less than state-of-the-art treadmill in the basement of my parents home (watching reruns of "LOST") combined with early (early!) mornings at the high school pool to give myself some cross training as recommended by the "experts"(some guy who has a website and a training guide for a half marathon). So, as day 3 workout is complete my lungs are feeling the effects of breathing deeper (a little sore and coughing frequently as they clean themselves out), sore and stiff legs, and a little stiff in the back and shoulders. So, here we go! Tell me I can do it! Tell me I can't stop!