TGIF

After a couple of days off, I went running last night with Pam. Everything felt good, not perfect, but good-- no major tightness or pains from the old-as-dirt shoes :) I will be going out and getting new shoes though on Sunday or Monday so I'll be all set for Monday's run with Pam!

Tonight I'm having dinner with Claudia at a yummy Vietnamese place in Walnut Creek. Her hubby is going to see a band tonight so it is the perfect night for a roomie date! Tomorrow AM I'm skipping our Mentor Led Run so I can drive to my parent's in Yuba City. Since my mom was out of town last weekend, we decided I'd go home this weekend instead to help my dad celebrate his birthday :) It should be a nice relaxing weekend!

Fundraising update: In addition to all the wonderful donations I've received through my fundraising site, I've also received some donations in the mail! A HUGE thanks to Bob and Jeanne McClard, Fred and Pat Okimoto, Anthea Lim and my cousin Rich Ross!!! THANK YOU!!

Time for new shoes

My running shoes are old... really old. Since I left my NY Marathon shoes in NY, and the previous season's pair in Hawaii after trecking around in the mud with them, I've been running in shoes that I last wore a few seasons ago :( Whoops. I've been too lazy to go get new ones, and since the older ones didn't seem to be giving me any problems, I kept putting it off. But the time has come... I need to get a new pair of running shoes.

Monday night I went out and ran with Pam. As soon as we started out I could tell that my shoes were pretty much shot. The bottoms of my feet hurt and my slower leg muscles were really tight. We pulled over to stretch and I could feel how tight everything was but oh well, the run must go on :D We spent the first part of the run chatting as usual and then it got quiet. I realized that I was breathing harder than usual-- too hard to easily talk-- and my first thought was that I must REALLY be out of shape :D But then I looked down at my watch and saw that we were running much faster than normal. That explains it! I said something to Pam and she had noticed it too. I think we were going at least a half a minute, and up to a minute, faster per mile! Despite running harder, I still hadn't loosened up by the end of the run... it's definately time to toss the old shoes!

Last night I took the night off and didn't go to the Buddy Run. I ended up staying late at work and then had a project I wanted to work on at home that ended up taking up most of my evening! Plus, I don't want to run too much on these shoes... I'll run in them tomorrow with Pam and then get some new ones before I run again on Monday! Bye bye old dirty shoes!

Yarn Galore

This last weekend was all about the yarn :) Saturday after hanging out but not running at our Coached Run in San Leandro (which went very well and was rain free!!!), Jeanette, her sister Bennie and niece Amy and I drove down to the Santa Clara Convention Center for Stitches West, a yarn lover's paradise! And oh boy was there a lot of yarn there... and everything else yarn related. All the standards were there... cotton yarn, yummy soft alpaca, wool from all over, silk yarn, sock yarn, lace weight yarn, undied yarn, not-yet-spun yarn to be and on and on. And on. And then of course there were some things I've never seen... Yak yarn, Buffalo yarn (surprisingly soft AND expensive), pet hair yarn (GROSSS, but yes, soft) and many many knitted items that should never be worn in public.

After over 4 hours of browsing (and a little buying) we were pooped. Jeanette and I had been up since before 6:00 for the run, and then we all spent the entire afternoon walking around a large cement floored building. We could tell it was time to leave when we got more and more giggly, and yarn decisions took much longer than necessary... our blood sugar was running low! We hit the Macaroni Grill on the way back home for a much needed refueling-- it was so nice to just sit for awhile!

Sunday I couldn't wait to bust out one of my new projects (I was a good girl and just bought supplies for three new projects) but as I am in the middle of two current projects, I decided to work on one of those. For the rest of the day I was plopped on the couch watching all the Oscar hoopla and working on the bag that I'm going to be felting. It's a nice project to work on when you just want something mindless!

Before I go I have to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dad!!! I LOVE YOU!!

Big Storm

There is a big storm brewing here in the Bay Area and I'm not looking forward to it :( I'm especially not looking forward to standing out in the rain and wind all morning tomorrow during the team's Coached Run. I guess the worse thing would be actually running in it, which I've decided not to do-- I want to go down to Stitches West (a convention for us knitting geeks) afterwards in Santa Clara and didn't want to backtrack to Walnut Creek to get ready before heading down there!

Last night I met up with Pam for a run. Before I started running with Pam and Amy during the week, they met up twice a week very regularly. Since I joined them (and then Amy got injured) Pam and I have only managed to meet up once a week at most. Either she had something going on, or I did, and we never could make it on both a Monday and Thursday. I am very proud of us that this week we actually did it!

For some reason I'm really sore this week and I was half (okay, more than half, maybe 90%) hoping that the torrential rains would start yesterday and we'd be forced to cancel. The weather didn't cooperate with my wishes and the rain held out until right after we finished... of course. Even though I was really sore, it actually felt good to go out there a run to loosen those muscles up. By the time we finished our run, I didn't feel as sore and was glad that we had been able to run. Those good feeling didn't last long... I think I'm even sorer today :( So, another plus to not running tomorrow is that I'll give my sore muscles another day to recover!

Singing Running in the Rain

Last night I felt like a kid... running in the rain, jumping over puddles. Well one difference... when I was a kid I AIMED for the puddles instead of avoided them :D It had started to drizzle on my way to Oakland for the Buddy Run and I was hoping that the weather wouldn't get any worse. No such luck :( As soon as we started warming up and stretching, the rain began to fall in full force. We decided that since the weather was so icky, we'd all just do a quick 15 minutes out and 15 back. Other than getting soaked, it really wasn't too bad since my jacket kept me warm. Oh, and I can't forget all the puddles on the dirt part of the path. Once Belinda and I turned around we decided to run up on the sidewalk so we could avoid the worst of the puddles... I could just envision one of us trying to jump over a puddle, landing on a rock, twisting our ankle and falling into the lake... YUCK!

The only thing worse than running in the rain was driving home in it afterwards-- I was soaking wet and cold, and everyone was driving so slow. Grrr!

THANK YOU to former teamates Bryan and Jen Saulsbury for their recent contribution!!! When are we going to see you two back on the team, huh?!!

Productive Weekend

I heart three day weekends... especially when it's so nice and sunny out :D This weekend was a very productive and yet very relaxing one. Saturday I met up with the team for a Mentor Led Run at Pt. Isabel. We had a suprisingly big crowd for a holiday weekend-- it was nice to see that so many people had showed up for our first non-coached run! The mileage was 2-5 miles and I ended up going about 4.5 miles. Even though it was cool out and we were running by the water, I was getting hot out there in the sun and pulled over about 2.25 miles out to take off my long sleeve shirt. All the speedy people were still in front of me and since I didn't want to be the last one in, I decided to just turn around then and head on back. :D I got a chance to meet some more of the participants, and ran with a few of them on the way back which made the return trip go by much faster!

After I got back from the run I did a little cleaning, took a shower and then headed out to Target to do a little shopping. I guess everyone had the same idea because it was PACKED in there! I spent the rest of the day lazing around the house, reading outside on our very warm balcony (warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt!).

Sunday I finished up my taxes, paid bills, did laundry... all that not-so-fun but necessary stuff. I also started a new knitting project... I wanted something that I didn't really have to think about so I'm knitting a bag that I'll felt when it's done. I don't really have to follow any pattern... just knit, knit, knit until it's done :D

Monday I picked up Lindsay and we went for a walk around the Lafayette Reservoir. It was family central over there... I have never seen so many strollers in one place... well, other than at the fountain at Broadway Plaza! After our roughly 2.5 mile walk, we rewarded ourselves with lunch at Chow. It was just warm enough to sit outside by the heat lamps so we could people watch. I had the yummiest Prawn Louie salad with grilled prawns, tomatoes, avocado and egg and also the yummiest Crab Cake :D The rest of the day I spent reading on the balcony again and just lounging around (oh my life is so hard :D).

At 6:30 I met up with Pam for our Monday night run. We did the short route and kept the pace easy. Despite the 2+ mile walk earlier, I felt really good. Today is another story... My legs are not happy with me after their dual workout yesterday!

A BIG shoutout to my latest fundraising contributers... David Johnson (my landlord) and Kathy and Rick Webster (Kathy was a fellow participant during my very first TNT season so long ago :D) THANK YOU!!!!

Hugs and Kisses

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Buddy Run

Last night I went out and met up with Sarah and Belinda's group for their Buddy Run at Lake Merritt. Sarah wasn't there since her dad was getting out of the hospital and she wanted to spend some time with her family. We're all keeping her dad, who is her personal honoree, in our thoughts and prayers! :(

Belinda and I led (or rather followed since they were all a little faster than we were) the 5 participants around the lake. The two girls I ran with last week weren't there so I ended up running part of the way with Belinda who, although still sick, it still a little faster than I am. :( I didn't want to slow her down too much, or fall behind, so I pushed myself to keep up with what she called a "comfortable" pace. Not so comfortable for me!

Last week we ran out and back, but when the time came to turn around last night we were about halfway around the lake and decided to just keep going. We finished 3.22 miles around the lake in about 36 minutes. Those girls kicked my butt and I was pooped! I felt like I got a good workout in though so I was happy!

A big THANK YOU (and hugs and kisses) goes out to my parents... they just sent me a donation and pushed me MUCH closer to my goal! I love you this ∞ much!

I'm not done fundraising yet though so if you'd like to donate, just click on the "Make a difference... donate now" link to on the left!

Running and Fundraising...

Last night I went running with Pam (Amy... we MISSED you!!) I felt a little sluggish but I think we were running at a good pace. Not as fast as when I was training for NY mind you, but a pretty good pace for me being out of shape. :( Once we were done running though I didn't feel that great... I actually felt a little naseous. I don't know what that was about but I went home, showered, got into bed to read and felt better after awhile.

Speaking of running, Saturday I went out and ran with the team. We had a "Coached Run" which was more of a track workout. We just did 6-8 laps around the track (I did 8) because afterwards we had Marathon University which is where we listen to a few people talking about proper shoes, nutrition, hydration, stretching and injury prevention. I've heard a lot of this information before during past clinics and Marathon U's but I always manage to learn something new. Too bad it was FREEZING in the auditorium where we were sitting... the sun outside was so nice but we were stuck inside until noon. :( It's all great information for the new participants to learn though!

Lap number ??... Am I done YET?

Tonight I'm off to the Buddy Run in Oakland. I'm still tired from this weekend and just want to go home and take a nap... but once the run is over I'm sure I'll be glad I did it :(

THANK YOU to my latest donator... Ann Glynn-- TNT alum, former (and sometimes current) co-worker and occasional bad influence!! :D

Car trouble

Who knew that car batteries needed water? Not me... at least until last night! Yesterday started out pretty good... I got to sleep in and spent a little time out reading on the balcony enjoying the beautiful warm sun. Around 1:30 I headed over to Claudia's for one of our Sunday Stitch N' Bitches. I brought some wine, Claudia made some super yummy quesadillas and Amy, Cindy, Anita, Claudia and I got a little knitting, and a lot of bitching, done :D It was a productive day and we had a ton of fun, like was always do! I also got to spend lots of cuddle time with the doggies :D

At around 7:30 we're all ready to go and I head out to my car, put the key in the engine, turn it.... and nothing :( I walked back to Claudia and Rocky's and Rocky drove his car over to try and jump my car. Didn't work :( Either we didn't do it right, his car didn't have enough juice to get mine going, or something more was wrong with my car than just a dead battery. :( Back to the apartment to call AAA to see if they would have better luck. About 30 minutes later (they were quick :D) the guy was there... he takes a look at my battery and informs me that there is no water in it. Huh? I need to put water in my battery? He said he could fill it up and jump the battery, but he thought the battery was pretty much dead, and it might quit on me while I was driving home. NOT GOOD! Good thing is that AAA does have a battery delivery service where they'll come replace your battery... bad thing is that it was too late to have it done that night and I'd have to call in the morning.

Claudia and Rocky generously put me up for the night (THANK YOU for taking care of me!!!). After a trip to the store to get contact solution and a toothbrush (I had a feeling of deja vu... wasn't I doing the same exact thing last weekend in Sonoma?!) we watched a little bit of the Grammy's and then went to bed. This morning I was up at 6:00am and back on the phone with AAA scheduling a time for someone to come replace my battery. They didn't end up getting there until about 9:00 but the battery extraction and replacement went quickly :D And good thing is that I just needed another new battery... nothing else was wrong with the car. I drove home, took a quick shower, and finally made it into work just a few hours late. ... not a good way to start the week :(

I hate dead batteries. I love AAA. I LOVE my friends :D

A little sore

I can tell how out of shape I am right now because after two very short runs, I'm feeling a little bit sore. Nothing too bad... but those muscles I haven't used since November are reminding me that they are still there!

Last night I met up with Pam in Danville for our run. The weather was perfect... just cold enough for a comfortable run, but not too cold :) We did the shorter route which is a tad over 3 miles (3.2 to be exact). Our pace was very relaxed and we chatted the whole time -- it felt good to be out there!

On a side note... I blogged a few months ago about a missing man in New York-- my former coworker/friend's sister's boyfriend's best friend Tony Devine... follow that?? I just got an update that they believe they have found his body. It seems at this point that no foul play was involved which is good... they found him in the river which means that his death might possibly have been due to a drunk tumble into the river. :( I know how important it is to have some kind of closure in this kind of situation, but it also dashes any hope his family and friends might have had that he could still be alive. How sad for them all :(

First run of February

How sad am I... despite all my good intentions, I've only run twice so far this year :( Well, that will all soon be changing! I didn't run with the team on Saturday so I was excited about joining one of the Buddy Runs on Tuesday night for a run! I decided to meet up with the Lake Merritt group so I headed out there around 5:15 so I'd have plenty of time to get there by 6:00. Traffic wasn't too bad, until I merged on to 580 for the last mile or so, so I made it there with a few minutes to spare.

There were about 8 of us there running, and two mentors who weren't feeling well and stayed at the start to cheer us on. I stuck with the back of the pack people and I think we ended up doing a little over 2 miles in about 30 minutes. I didn't push myself as much as I wanted to but it was more important to stick together with a group. I have never run out at Lake Merritt in the evenings and it was actually pretty nice... it's well lit thanks to all the lights strung around the lake, and there were quite a few people out there walking and running along with us.

Tonight I'm off to run with Pam (sans Amy who is still injured :-( )... she's hopefully all recovered from the Kaiser Half Marathon on Sunday so we should be able to get in a good run. And who knows... this time if she asks me to do the longer route, I may just say yes! Time to get back into the swing of things!

Wine, football and food...

That was pretty much my entire weekend!! It was one busy weekend, but also a lot of fun! Friday night was the only time that I was home all weekend so I spent it relaxing and doing a little laundry.

Saturday morning I was up early for our first coached run of the season at Alameda Ferry. We had a pretty good turnout, especially considering that it was FREEZING out there along the water! I almost wish that I had run... at least that way I would have warmed up a little! At least the rain held out for us... it didn't start sprinkling until the very end of the run, and even then it was a very light sprinkle. At 10:00 the run was over and everything was packed back in the car so Jeanette and I headed up to Claudia's. The reason I didn't run was because Jeanette, Claudia and I were heading out to Sonoma for a day of wine tasting and I didn't want to take the extra time to shower before we left. Claudia cooked us a yummy breakfast, we got ready and headed out the door!

It was COLD out there... but I did get to wear the new hat I knitted :D

And that's right when the rain started up :( What I thought was going to be just showers on Saturday turned into a day of torrential rain and wind :( We still had a lot of fun wine tasting though-- well, how can you NOT have fun wine tasting! Despite the icky weather, there were still quite a few poeple at the various wineries. We hit Cline (so Claudia could pick up her wine), Gloria Ferrer for some yummy champagne and snack, Sebastiani, Ravenswood, and then the Mayo Tasting Room on the Sonoma Square. Followed by all that wine was our usual dinner at Mary's Pizza Shack! The weather was still really bad so Claudia and I decided to just stay up there for the night. Jeanette needed to head home so after dropping her at her car, Claudia and I picked up some emergency overnight supplies, and holed up in a hotel-- we had a glass of wine, snacked on some M&M's, watched the Eukanuba Dog Show on tv and conked out!

The next morning we woke up and it was super sunny (of course). Yea the sun was out!! But why couldn't it have been that nice the day before?! The sunny weather didn't last too long... the rain started up again on our drive home. We got back to Oakland, where I picked up my car and rushed home to shower and bake some cookies. Then it was back to Oakland so I could go with Claudia and Rocky and the doggies to Rocky's parents house for Super Bowl! An international food buffet was awaiting us there... and we got to watch the game on their new, super nice, super big screen tv! I spent the game eating, knitting and trying not to fall asleep. The end of the game was really exciting though and I'm glad the Giants ended up winning! I'm not a big football fan and didn't really care either way but it's more fun to root for the underdog!

By the time I got home (with a bag of leftovers, of course :D) I had time to watch Eli Stone, which I Tivo'd on Thursday night (pretty good show) before heading off to bed to pass out. All the exhaustion was worth it... the weekend was really fun!

Before I sign off... a quick SHOUT OUT to my latest donator Ms. Linsday Gage, who donated $37 to the cause in honor of Brenda, who would be 37 years old right now! THANK YOU!!!

Also, CONGRATULATIONS to everyone who ran the Kaiser Half Marathon on Sunday in the freezing rain and wind in San Francisco!! You all kicked some serious butt!

Shout Outs

THANK YOU to all of you wonderful people who donated to my fundraising already:

Amy G.
Claudia R.
Karen B.
Monica and Kieren H.
Phil L.
Trish D.

Thanks to you I've already raised $225!!

You guys ROCK!!!