Wille - Get USED TO THIS COLOR!!!

MUHAHAHAHAHA..... The game is fast approaching.... You had better find your happy place before the Gators have a nice little Sooner Schooner snack. Yumm!!! :)

We had a good Christmas overall. Jeff and I were both sick Christmas day. Not, can't get out of bed sick, but run-down, bad sinus headache, congestion, mild fever sick. We didn't even open presents until that afternoon after we'd slept in. But, the good thing about us being sick is that we didn't have to make the 8 hour trek to his parent's house. (YIPPEE!!!!). Now we still have to go at the end of January for a couple of days (Boo...) but at least it won't be during the holiday madness.

I've got to get a couple of decent long runs in before the Mardi Gras half. I've actually been doing really well with the running. I've been running 4 miles every other day and then walking the dogs for about 3 miles too. I just can't do every day right now because my knee is screaming at me with the weather and cold fronts. So, I just have to adjust my schedule. But, cool news is I haven't had a run pace over 9:46 yet! Pretty sweet! I just need to log a couple of long runs to be prepared for Mardi Gras. I'm not going to try and PR this race or anything...just have fun with it. Jeff has been making noises about possibly run/walking it with me too.

This year I just want to keep working to get faster and faster. Hopefully by this time next year I'll be down to 9:00s! Oh, and I have several friends who are talking about running the Chicago full this year. Hmmmm....do I want another punishing? :)

Now everyone go have a crazy (but safe) New Year's Eve and I'll see you guys next year!

Today I LOVE: the thought of Willie in Orange and Blue.

Laugh out loud!

I was perusing through the runner's world website this weekend and came upon this discussion. What's your most embarrassing moment while running?

http://thepackrules.runnersworld.com/2008/12/how-do-you-deal.html

I was busting out laughing my rear off at some of the people's postings. OMG - just hilarious. Knock on wood, I really haven't had to deal with toenail issues, bowel issues or see-through shorts issues. My running career (thus far) has been fairly embarrass free. Other than the occasional stumble on the treadmill I was hard pressed to think of something. Inhaling (literally) the peanuts and M&Ms during the marathon came to mind. I started chocking and coughing up a lung until I managed to dislodge the peanut from my throat. Spilling more water on myself than drinking at the water stations...but I think a lot of us newbies do that. Trailing toilet paper on my shoe out of a porta potty.... But nothing compared to what some of these people posted.

So, if anyone wants to share a good embarrassing moment, I could use a laugh today.

Got a nice, slow 8 mile run in this weekend. It felt good to stretch my legs out and get a decent long run in again. Luckily I was able to do it before the temperatures fell to freezing. Luckily this is Louisiana and we'll be back in the 60's by tomorrow.

Today I LOVE: that Christmas is only three days away!!!!

For my friend Willie!

Our Christmas Card this year...

Nice start

3.5 miles - 9:21 pace
2.5 miles walking dogs - 15:12 pace (heee...)

I had been putting off going for a run for several reasons. 1.) I've been lazy. 2.) I was afraid to face how much progress I had lost from my race recovery and laziness. 3.) I've been lazy. My husband has gotten back into working out hard which has motivated me (partly due to competitiveness..."he can't out workout me!!!")to get off my rapidly spreading rear and start running again.

I went out yesterday full of apprehension. I just knew I'd be disappointed in myself not being able to run as fast and as far as before the race. And I only had myself to blame for that. I took too long off. I resigned myself to start by walking the dogs to get both them and me some exercise. "Let's see how that feels and then I'll decide to run or not." Partly in my defense, my knee has really been bothering me with these cold fronts moving in and I wanted to rest my hamstring pull from before the race to try and let it heal completely.

I took the dogs out for some much needed exercise and it felt great. We trucked through 2.5 miles and that just got my blood pumping. I decided to go out for a run. I just started at what felt like a comfortable pace. I looked down at Minnie after a few minutes and saw that a "comfortable pace" was 8:50! WHAT??!?!! Around 2 to 2.5 miles I started tiring and slowed down to 9:30 to finish out the run. I finished out the 3.5 miles and IT FELT GREAT. Ahhhhh...there was that runner's high that I missed. There was that sense of accomplishment. That feeling of bliss.

I was afraid I would wake up this morning sore from the run. Nope. Not a bit. So, I didn't lose as much as I had thought! Yipee! So, I'm now back, Baby! I'm back.

Now time to gear up for the Mardi Gras race!

Today I LOVE: lacing up my running shoes.

It's Snowing, It's Snowing!!! In NEW ORLEANS!!

SNOW!!! In New Orleans!! And not just a little snow...we're talking huge flurries and several inches!!

Here are a few pictures on downtown New Orleans and the house.






The dogs weren't too sure about that white stuff for a while. Then they started to get frisky in the cold and frolicked in the snow. I couldn't get them out of it then!!!





Today I LOVE: Playing in the snow!!!!!

Tis the season to be CRAZY busy!

Ok - I thought things were supposed to slow down during the Christmas holidays. Nope - they're just as bad. PLUS now we have all these holiday parties to attend. Ack! Between work, Christmas present buying, party going and decorating, I've barely had time (or rather MADE time) to get a decent run in. I've only made it to the gym a couple of times. I have got to reprioritize my life. Excerise should be near the top of the list, not "if I feel like it" or "if I have time". I have the time. I just don't make the time. I promise, I promise...I will do better. Ok, here goes....

{right hand over heart, left hand raised in the air}

I...Jennifer...do solemnly swear to not be such a sloth. I swear to run, the whole run. I swear to not justify my way out of exercising because Gray's Anatomy is on and Meredith is supposed to talk to McDreamy and Christina is supposed to get with GI Joe doc and I can't believe that Little Gray and McSteamy are sleeping together and.... I swear to relay the truth, the whole ugly truth to you guys on this blog.

So help me God.

I've got to get back in gear if I'm going to run the Mardi Gras half and meet Willie there!! YEEEAAAAAAHHH!!!! Too cool that I'm going to meet another running buddy here at the race.

We have a cold front moving in. They're predicting possible SNOW near my house. SNOW...in southern Louisiana. That's just craziness! But, my knee predicted this front WAY before the weather man did. Ha. It's all achey and cranky today. So, I've got the support band on and I'm trying to numb the pain with ibuprofen. Sweet, sweet, advil....

Ok - back to the grind.

Today I LOVE: How Katie always has to "help" me while I'm doing laundry. And by "help" I mean laying on the clothes, trying to bite my hand while I fold shirts and socks and sniffing every piece of laundry. ;)

MUST...FIGHT..

I'm on travel tonight. At an Embassy Suites. Must go work out. Must not go down to Manager's Reception and partake in free quesadillas, free chips and salsa, free beer, free wine, free martinis, free cookies....MUST. NOT. DO. IT. Wouldn't be prudent.

I get to go home tomorrow. Just a quick trip. Thank goodness.

Time to get back on that horse...

ALLRIGHT...enough of this laying around "recovering from a marathon" (I think I've used that excuse to death) and "recovering from being sick" (Again - a frequent excuse). I have RE-joined the gym. Ha. That makes me laugh because I'm reminded of that Friends episode where Ross and Chandler want to "quit the gym". If you know what I'm talking about it makes you giggle.

Our membership had run-out and we were just going to let it lapse because we weren't using it much. Jeff gets to work out at work in their nice, big gym. And, with me training for the race, I didn't make much time to do anything else besides run. I got a call from one of the gym people wanting to know if we wanted to re-new. I (like Ross) went in FIRM saying "no" (I WANNA QUIT THE GYM!!!). We didn't get our money's worth last year. But, they made me an offer I couldn't refuse. I got two years for the price of one, plus 10% off since I paid in full! So, it essentially boils down to about $24 a month. That's for both of us AND it's a 24 hour gym! Not too shabby.

Now that I'm not really training for anything (just maintaining at the moment - oh wait. Crap - Mardi Gras Half is coming up...) I need to get my butt, abs, thighs, biceps, triceps, lats, calves, etc. to the gym and start cross training and building some muscle.

So, enough laying around, excuse riddled. Must. Use. Gym.

I did run a nice 6 on Saturday. It's the longest I've run since the race and it felt GREAT!

Today I LOVE: The PINK lotion line at Bath & Body Works. YUMMMM!!!