After the Pause

As you can see, I recently took a nice long hiatus from blogging. What have I been up to, you ask? Actually, quite a lot. Here's a quick visual summary to catch you up:

I ran the Marine Corps Marathon - my 7th and The Hubs' 1st!

We celebrated our first wedding anniversary. Old cake! Yum!

We met Tom Selleck at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund Gala.
What a fox! (And a nice guy)

We got all shnazzed up for the Marine Corps Birthday Ball

I graduated with my Master's degree in Library & Information Science!

We spent Christmas in California,
(image from viwephotos.info/)

And found out that we'll be living apart for another year :(
(image from www.futurity.org)

I've been trying to stop the house from crumbling around me.
(Just kidding...kind of...)

Of course I've been hanging out with the pups!

And having snuggy snugs with Ziggy.

I'm still cooking a lot...

And finding things to organize...

And I'm keeping busy with work!
 Here I am at a recent Cocky's Reading Express event. So fun!

So there you have it. My recent life in a few snapshots. Looking forward to filling you in on the details now that life is settling back down again.

Cheers,

Sarah

Whatever Gets Me Through The Day

I read an article in Shape magazine a while ago, talking about how different people motivate themselves to push through hard workouts by using different tactics. Some meditate, some try to distract themselves, and others respond better to Zena Warrior Princess-esque battle cries.

As I've begun training for my next marathon (and particularly now that I am not yet back in shape and even my short runs are a struggle) I've been thinking about all the little mental games I play with myself just to make it through my workouts. I have quite a few up my sweat-wicking Under Armor sleeve, so I thought I'd share them with all the other reluctant runners out there, as well as anyone else who often finds themselves in...unpleasant situations.

First there is mentally declaring war on whatever poor soul happens to be using a machine nearby. I believe this is pretty common, but I am the champ! It doesn't matter if it's the peppy sorority girl on the elliptical, the 500-pound guy walking two miles an hour, the track-star-looking guy with legs longer than my whole body, or a sweet little old lady. It. Is. On. And I will not stop my machine before they do. This usually gets me past the first 20-30 minutes, since that's about when most normal people stop and move on to greener pastures. Oh, but not me.

Once I've exhausted my supply of unsuspecting opponents, but it's still early enough in my run that I have a little pep in my step, that's when I start performing "Shoop" by Salt-N-Pepa. Not outwardly of course; my legs are a little busy. But in my head, I am starring as both Salt AND Pepa in a kick ass music video a la the Fly Girls from In Living Color. Added bonus: I will be prepared with an awesome routine if The Hubs ever gets me drunk enough to do karaoke.

When I'm dripping sweat and my energy starts to drain, I imagine Jillian Michaels screaming in my face. KEEP GOING! KEEP GOING! DON'T YOU DARE SLOW DOWN! I DON'T CARE IF YOU VOMIT ALL OVER YOURSELF, YOU WILL FINISH THIS WORKOUT! RAWWRRRR!!!

Well, Jillian is a very busy gal. She can't stick around all day. So when I'm out from under her watchful eyes, I start bargaining with myself. I'll make deals like, "I'm going to slow down for two minutes, and then bump it back up again." Or, "I am not going to look at the treadmill screen again until I count to 100." Or, "I am going to keep this incline until that guy outside walks to his car, gets in it, and drives away." You get the idea.

But when my body really starts to panic, and I start questioning whether I can make it even a tenth of a mile further let alone three miles, this is the mantra I always come back to: "Of course I can." It's this simple little reality check that snaps me out of questioning myself and looking for excuses to give up. And it works, because it's true. Because I've done it before, and I'll do it again. Because my mind can show my body who's boss. Because whether I finish by sprinting, walking, or dragging myself by my fingernails, I will finish. Of course I can.

Here I am with my pops after the Marine Corps Marathon.
I'm currently training for this same race--only this time The Hubs is doing it too!

Time To Get Some Shape-Ups...

...is what a snotty undergrad said to me yesterday as I walked past her and her boyfriend on campus. I was turning in a final paper and returning some library books before hitting the gym, so I was wearing my workout clothes. As I passed them I smiled and nodded hello, as I do to everyone. Instead of smiling back, she looked right at me and made a snide comment. Apparently, she was unimpressed with how my legs looked in my running shorts.

Her comment was particularly timely since this weekend I saw myself in a bathing suit for the first time in a very long time, and thus I am keenly aware of my lack of muscle tone. But even though I know that I'm a bit jiggly these days, give me a break! I was headed to the gym! All I can say is that being hateful will hold her back a lot more than it will effect me. I can trim down and buff up with some simple exercise, but overcoming a bad personality is a lot more difficult. I am seriously mourning the decline of manners and civility in our society.

But, despite her rudeness, I really am curious about those toning sneakers and wouldn't mind wearing them around campus since I usually end up walking a lot. I like some of the styles that look more like regular sneakers rather than the Shape-Ups. Has anyone tried the New Balance or Reebok versions?

And speaking of bathing suits, The Hubs and I finally booked our honeymoon! This summer we are headed to the French side of St. Martin for a glorious week of sun and relaxation. The kicker? We're staying at a very nice, very nude beach. A "clothing optional paradise!" ha ha. I seriously doubt that I will be flashing the full monty, but perhaps I'll go topless. It would be so European of me :)  Although, exposing my tender bits that have never seen the light of day might be a bit painful. I'll have to take SPF 100,000,000 and wear it like body paint.

Have you ever been to a nude beach before? If so, did you "participate"??

Following Directions

Well, I did it. Yesterday, I actually cooked dinner from a recipe, although I did add a little somethin'-somethin' extra to make it my own (and to make it a "real dinner" by The Hubs' standards). I try to eat healthy but haven't been doing very well lately, so for my foray into recipedom I went for a vegetarian cookbook. I chose a Greek bean one-pot dish which was very delish on its own, but for some people it doesn't count as a real meal unless it includes meat, so I threw some fish in the pot during the last 15 minutes.

I'll have to follow directions more often, because The Hubs polished off the other three portions and that's a good review if ever I've had one. Although, if the goal is for us to eat healthily, I'm not sure encouraging him to eat triple portions is the way to go.

On another high note, I found a great way to re-use all the name tag stickers we have in our junk drawer for some reason:

This never would have happened if I was still 10 years old.

I injured myself. Like, really injured myself. Playing kickball. And it's not like I did it during an epic showdown of stealing home and sliding into the catcher. It was the first play of the game. I was in right field. When the player "at bat" kicked the ball, I started to run forward to cover the throw to first base. And on my very first step, it felt like both quads had been ripped off the bone. When I was a kid, I did not have to slowly warm up and stretch for an hour before engaging in any physical activity. I just went out and started playing. When did my muscles begin to petrify, making my legs into useless, inflexible stumps?

As I've gotten older, I've noticed that there are a lot of walls I'm hitting. One day, all of a sudden, I woke up and my face was too busted looking to go out of the house without makeup. One day, out of blue, I went from being able to pull productive all-nighters to becoming completely incompetent after 11 o'clock. And now this!

If I was still ten years old, I would be fluid and carefree. I would be able to roll out of bed, climb on my bike, ride down a hill, smash into a tree, get right back up and do it again. I would not have bags under my eyes, or need to medicate and pack myself in ice after a simple game of kickball.

But I also would not have boobs, or be able to drink alcohol. So I've got that going for me.

Cheers,
Sarah

My Boney Butt, And Other Things

March is my roll-over Loose Ends Month since--as is typical of my behavior and the primary reason I needed a Loose Ends Month in the first place--I procrastinated until the end of last month to start conquering all of my tasks. But, I'm still on a roll and have been quite productive lately. There are a few things I still haven't addressed (our taxes being the most pressing) but this month I have: gotten my hair cut, made doctor appointments, took the safety warning stickers off the bathroom cabinet, finished my DIY project, cleaned out the sun room, threw out some leftovers that had been lurking in the back of the refrigerator for months, rearranged and cleaned up the guest room, mowed the lawn, and got my bike tuned up (one of my Groupons!). And that is where my boney butt comes in.

It's been about two years since I last rode my bike, and the day I picked it up from Cycle Center was a lovely, sunny 75 degrees so I couldn't wait to take it out for a spin. I only rode for a few miles, but oh man! My butt bones are still sore almost a week later. Granted, I'm not in "bicycling condition," but can one's tush ever really become conditioned to balancing on that little wedge? I mean you don't get, like, calluses down there, do you? Please oh please say no.

(not my photo)

With campus so close to our house, and the weather so nice this time of year, I'd like to start riding more often. But since I have no rear padding of my own, I will probably have to invest in a gelly seat cushion, or a pair of those ridiculous puffy bottom pants. Or both. This flat-bottomed girl needs so much extra padding that the "junk in my trunk" may start to resemble an episode of Hoarders.

Bottom line (get it...bottom line) I can't go through the rest of the summer with sore pudendal nerves. But I'm not quite ready to sacrifice the amount of dignity necessary to actually put on a pair of these pants. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Happy riding,

Sarah

Mommy's Little (okay, big) Fluffernutter

Snuggle time!

According to our veterinarian, my sweet Ollie boy needs to shed about ten pounds. I guess it's time to get off the couch and get moving! I took him for a nice long walk the other day, in order to jumpstart his new healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, he had a limp for the next two days.

He's just not the youngest pup in the pound anymore :(

What we need is a little low-impact strength training. Downward dog, anyone?

What The Movie 'Outbreak' Has To Do With My Marriage

Evolutionary-wise, and on a purely chemical level, people have always sought out mates with very different immune systems than their own. The perceived benefit is that their offspring will take the good stuff from each parents' immune system, giving them wider coverage against the gamut of diseases, thus making them healthier and more likely to survive and continue reproducing. If that is the case, I've won the genetic jackpot. The Hubs could swim through a lake of parasite-contaminated water, get bit by a rabid raccoon, and then spend a fortnight sleeping outside in the cold, totally unprotected from the elements. And he wouldn't even sneeze. Me, however, he has affectionately dubbed his "little ebola monkey," because if there is a crazy sickness to be caught, I will surely catch it.

I try to live as healthfully as possible. I take my vitamins, I watch what I eat, I exercise (though not as much as I should). And I'm not allergic to any foods or medicines. I just seem to be allergic to everything in the natural environment: dust, dirt, pollen, pet hair, grass, the sun...yes, even the sun. I now get a bumpy itchy rash when I'm in the sun too long. As a result, I develop frequent sinus infections along with whatever cold or flu happens to be going around.

Having three pets--along with all the dust, dirt, pollen, and hair they come with--is not particularly helpful for my immune system. Our air filter probably clogged with gunk the first day we installed it. Keeping the house clean is a constant battle. And when school and work and life in general gets too busy, it becomes harder and harder to keep ahead of the dust and dirt.

And that's when our house starts attacking me.

And that's when my allergies go haywire and I get sick.

And that's when The Hubs stays home and spends 5 hours vacuuming and mopping and scrubbing and dusting and tidying to get the house as clean as possible so I can breathe a little easier. He even makes me dinner, and then tea, and then turns on the heated blanket so I can snuggle up and go to bed early.

I didn't just win the genetic jackpot with that one--I won every jackpot there is.

Operation Oatmeal

I usually think of myself as a healthy person. I'm not overweight, I've run six marathons, I love all vegetables, and I've even cut out dairy (for the most part) in order to clear up my skin. BTW, it totally worked. But the fact is, I've really slacked since my last marathon, which was about a month before our wedding. First there was all the last-minute planning for our big day, then there was relaxing after the wedding while finishing up a semester of grad school, then traveling to visit family and be lazy during winter break. Now a new semester has started up and when I look back at my recent meals, there has been way too much pizza and Chinese food, and not enough veggies, lean proteins, and whole grains. Plus I've got jiggle arms and get winded from walking across campus. And, with all that cheesy pizza, my skin is starting to break out again too.

The Hubs proposed to me while I was buying running shoes!

I am not a New Years resolution-er.  But it is time to get back on the fitness wagon. Not only will I feel stronger, more flexible, and sexier in my bikini when we eventually get around to going on our honeymoon, but I've also been meaning to start preparing for that next big step in our married life. The Hubs and I are not having kids any time soon; we'll be waiting at least a year for that. But all the research that I've done (Yes, research. I'm a librarian, remember? I can't help it.) says that one should start preparing themselves for a healthy pregnancy long before actually TTC. Being fit helps all the way through pregnancy, when it comes to labor and delivery, and bouncing back to your pre-baby weight. And from what I've read, a woman can continue her normal workout routine--within reason--while pregnant, but only if she's already been doing it for a while. You can't just say "crap, I better start lifting weights now" when that little pee stick says preggers. Oh yeah, you're also supposed to floss--which let's face it I don't usually do every single day. It's something about tooth plaque related to heart artery plaque. But I've got three days in a row of flossing too woohoo! Come on, every small achievement matters.

So, I'm going back to eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast instead of bagels, pack healthy lunches to bring to work with me, and try to plan for nutritious balanced meals to make during the week rather than what we've been doing lately: suddenly realizing that it's 9:30 and we haven't eaten dinner yet, so we order takeout. I'm not going to be perfect every day, and I'm not even going to try to be. But I'll feel better making some changes.

It's also time to start running again. My next big race will be the Marine Corps Marathon, which is in October. If I can start training this early, I just might get a PR :) I wonder if I can add a running log widget to this thing...

Cheers,
Sarah