The smell of fresh cut Ass

Nope that's not a typo. Dear lord summer has arrived. Happy Memorial Day everyone its sticky. All that bitching about rain and chilly on your facebook statuses has paid off, its unbearable out there,I hope you are happy!
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I worked late last night feel asleep around 1am. Knowing full well it would be this disgusting out early I tossed my butt out of bed at 0600. Did my routine: drink a glass of cold coffee from yesterday, take my allergy meds, eat half a peanut butter naner sandwich, go potty, dress myself, grease the feet, apply the gear, trip on my back steps and almost fall and swear at nothing....push start on Garmin. Running in my hood today with the humidity level being "thick" I was suprized how much my sense of smell is elevated. I could smell different flowers/weeds from a distance, usually I have so much snot I smell nothing. I got all the way the first mile and up the second hill before I started to smell myself. It was a combination of honey suckle flowers and spoiled something...at this point I wasn't sure it was me. I think to myself  "probably roadkill" and keep going. My water-aide went fast today, I was thirsty, I had to put in some walk breaks. Good news no inhaler, no pain.You can imagine my frustration when I peeked at my Garmin. I might as well shut it off. I didn't shut if off but I wanted to pitch it into the ditch or toss it at the highway see if I could hit anything. I tick by 3 and 4 miles and I am offending myself during my walk breaks. It's me definitely, not roadkill. I had that spinach and artichoke hummus again and AND black bean salsa- very vinegary and garlic-y, mix that with my regular rotten aroma on the hottest humidest day so far and there you have it, I was making myself want to puke. I ran past a lawn guy doing early grass cutting and he wrecked into a bush as I went by I think my scent knocked him out briefly.
After returning to Bastard Hill (coined by yours truly) and running up it (yeah me!)I was happy to be on the down hill home. I was successful again to arrive before anybody was up. I guess my smell wafted in to the kids and woke them up I have been home for 2 hours now and I still haven't had my fresh coffee.

Stuck in my head:
Weezer, Surf Wax America

eh

Yesterday I took the kids to that walking track to actually walk with the jogger. I am aware I probably hurt myself this last time hunching over running while pushing this monstrosity, so for cross training I decided a walk would be nice. Part of the track was blocked off because GOD zapped some trees. I included a picture of one of the trees. Right around the first, "can I get down now", it started to rain so we turned around and headed home, I then got on the bike in the basement while the kids watched the wotwots (awfully annoying) and I finished my workout. Then my oldest told me to get a bath because I smelled bad.
Today with forecast going to be 90 I got up at 5:30am and hit the road. I always enjoy running but today I felt just a little off. It's sticky out and I took my Asics one hander bottle. I like it cause I can put my inhaler in the pocket and I don't do an hour without a sip.After my first sip I didn't close it all the way I guess, by the time I realized I had shook out half of it at the next sip. I think I blessed about a whole mile of highway with my water-aid(Gatorade/water mix) like a priest with holy water. I ran for an hour, came home happy. All showered up as I do my computer stuff, which means sync my Garmin, post workout on dailymile/facebook, and drink my coffee my little one came out of no-where and hit me over the back with a curtain rod. (I know where he got it too, because he bulldozed my bedroom curtains yesterday, that didn't make me any less surprised).  Sometimes it all just clicks, some times it doesn't but I am still happy to be a runner. I am also posting a pic of me blogging this morning my hubby thinks you need to see how I roll. Standing in my kitchen with my kids hanging on me. Its usually why my grammar is sometimes not so good, I DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME! :) Note: junk on counter, pile of crap on floor, hermit crab cage, wiener dog and no make up in hubbs tshirt- totally honest blogging!

Cindy Lauper, Shine

Sucking up sun and inspiration

Now that we have a baby pool in the drive way and a yard full of plastic toys,  you can guess my little monsters no long want to stay inside. I am cool with that but its boring just getting eaten alive by bugs, so I like to read in between 'don't do that's'. I have been thumbing through Run Like a Mother, and Marathoning for Mortals again. Both books have inspired the crap out of me and made me feel confident in my goal. Run like a Mother totally gets my station in life and why us girls run. Marathoning for Mortals is showing me how to get there, I follow their schedule. Also M.F.M. the chapter on the finish line makes me cry and gives me chills. I was at the mall last night alone, a rare occurence/treat. I found a book by Grete Waitz, Run Your First Marathon, and bought it. What the heck, I could use some more inspiration, its almost June. The days are ticking away the race will be on my doorstep soon, don't tell but I am getting the Jitters.
So In this book so far I have read the forward and the first chapter, duh I had no idea this woman was a running legend. That's me Johnny come lately to sports, she's WON the NYC marathon 9 times and she's a medalist and world champion, she pretty much pisses excellence.  But I love her tone, she says that a couple extra pounds is okay if you are healthy, anybody can do it if they do the work. She also says that she questions arrogance all the time-love it! You'd think she would be all arrogant herself and elitist, nope not at all she's a really cool person so far. I am hooked. "If you aren't nervous, it's time to hang up your shoes". -Grete
I will be reading her as I sitting with my fly swatter getting splashed by the baby pool, working on my farmer tan. I have the tank sleeve, the short sleeve, the Garmin, the mp3 player and the Zensah sleeve and the short and the Capri line all at varying tan lines. Lets not forget wedding band, flip-flop, sock/shoe lines too. HA I look like a flabby zebra!
Today I need to crank out an hour of cross training somewhere. Maybe a bike, a walk or, big loser video. Tomorrow will be 90 so I go at dawn.

She's a Genius, JET (fist-pump for Grete)

Barium Stained

I know you clicked on this because you were hoping this was about poop. Its not sorry, I promise more piggish antics soon. This morning I had to take the little one to Children's hospital for a barium swallow. He's been puking for years since we are working him up for everything right now it seems the obvious choice. I can tell you this girl usually full of sass and attitude cried the whole way home. After holding down my baby when he was so scared for his own good that's all I could do was cry and drive as far as possible away! *sigh* *deep breath* I have no results yet, just my spazzzing to keep me busy. We got home to our house and I have white all over my neck and arms and shirt from my little one. Mom is there watching the oldest and tells me to just go run. I had and hour, and the little one his excited to see her, I GO. But I don't wash of the fleck of barium on my arm, I love my kid and I took him with me today in my mind.  I run for me a lot but I also run for them, and my hubby and my parents and my brother, and my friends....it's who ever I love. We are all running together- "team FINK".
On the schedule I had planned 5 getting back into my climbing groove. I did 6 laps. At the track where I go most of the time it's supposed to be a mile lap, but today garmin said it was 5.85. It was humid, and sticky I only had an hour so I didn't go on although me and my barium stained arms could have did a little 26.2 and still come home thinking there was more to be run.
Adding to my not funny attitude today yesterday right after I posted the blog about the basement, I found a frickin flood! My washer broke and leaked into my finished basement. OMG really!? So big bucks and a whammy. (whisper swear- damn ittttttt.) Dealing with the contractors and trying to save my antique table not on fitness schedule. So my cross training was a 3 lap "race" around my aunts house with my oldest and my cousins daughter "sleeping beauty of Ohio", kids are so hysterical. Then when I got everyone tucked in washed and happy it was 10pm. So I did 17 minutes of on demand yoga in my room while I waited my turn for the shower. I do have to say it was enough to relax me for bed and make my left ass cheek a little sore.
In all of this, I am so glad the people closest to me haven't killed me. I thank god for every thing in my life even when it's not perfect, because it can always be worse. I still consider myself a lucky bastard.

Diamond Eyes, Shinedown

being flexible

So i thought I would attach a picture to give you a taste of what cross-training looks like now that I am keeping my sons out of the gym daycare(trying to avoid sickness until health probs subside). This pic is from friday.  I gave up leaving all equipment in storage room and just dragged out my bike, the mill is still in the corner by the water heater and unfinished drywall. After I rode that thing for an hour, it still says zero because its broke, at least resistance works. The room is a disaster by then, because doing anything but cleaning brings on a toy tornado. I loose brain cells that people without small kids still have trying to keep up. After I do 40 or 50 or 60 minutes on the bike, of which I am not sure because I had to do a couple stair sprints to handle a poopy situation, I laid on the floor to do some crunches. Then I get licked in the face by 2 portly wiener dogs that some times eat their own poop until I am done. I have one adjustable 5-30 free weight and resistance band for my arms which I did some exercises but I think it didn't really do much. Not much of a stress reliever, but I wedge it in when I can. I might do a big looser video today but i am going to need a toy zamboni I am sure, wish me luck!

Miles favorite: Bouncing Back, Mystikal

Bloated hill reps

I have to say that I worked 3-11 last night. Probably in bed by midnight with 2 interuptions, one from each kid alarm goes off at 5am. I intended to run, and today I didn't hit snooze I sprang out of bed. I have been loving my runs right now because my mental stress only shuts up when I do that.
I ran in my neighborhood, major major major hills and uneven pavement, so naturally my shins were a little bothersome. They got iced and I got my sleeves on today. On my travels today I saw a doe, a female dear, ray a drop of golden son, dead a flat flat bird, fa a long long way to runnnnn. Oh boy what just happned? Uh yeah the dear almost made me soil myself in the beginning of the run, on the way back I almost soiled myself but there was not a dear in my path.
I guess I should back that one up, last night at work I was offered pizza at a little birthday party. I declined with the "no thank's i'm in training" answer, kinda like saying 'no thanks i'm special', but then after they left the pizza at the nurses station  with a chocolate cake left over too... um well. I did spend the better part of the night telling my work friends about my 2 year old's aliments. Saying 2 year old and biopsy in the same breath makes me vomit in my mouth a little. So comforting food got into my mouth. By the time I left I had a 'food baby'- distended belly full of poop. I planned my run because I had a meltdown during some downtime alone on my break and felt a panic coming, so it was go or loose clumps or hair today. I did, eh, 'flush' my toilet before my run, but sometimes when you stress eat you could eh, 'flush' all day. So out this morning to pay the piper for my sins, and also relieve my jitters I went with the ambition to punish those damn hills. And I did, I did great right past that port-a-potty at mile 2. Then going back down the long hill I started to feel a little uncomfortable, mind you I had 2 very steap peakers to do after that. Needless to say I have spanked myself for falling off the wagon and spazzing. I am back on track. I think I would like to loose a few pounds before the derby so I can say I lost at least 5 since that day. Right now its even stevens. 

Since I am being gross, I totally forgot on Saturday after the race I looked down and saw my finger was bloody. I showed Autumn and said omg I cut myself. She looked and asked me how I did it, I told her I never felt it. Later I looked at my top, bloody stain, ohhhhhhh. Bloody snot rockets, and dried blood on my finger! HAHAH delicious :). She was still with me when I discovered this out loud. She didn't run away but I am sure she wanted to!

Song: AC DC, TNT

Race report

Well, nope we didn't PR today. But we did pretty good for post injured status. 2nd from my best time. 32:44 not too shabby! Autumn dusted me, as promised, and Amanda S. from dailymile also beat me but I stayed on her heels by 30 seconds.(nice shoes chicky) Leanne, who is now known as shorty from now on, didn't beat me but she came close :) next month sweetie....seriously hats off to trying that's what its all about.  I do have to say I kept up with 2 dudes the whole way :). Dudes are usually faster than chicks for the record. And my inhaler bounced out of my bra at the start and on the 1 mile lap I was able to find the stomped pieces and use it. Yep that's how I roll.
I hope that I showed shorty and anyone else toe-ing the line that it takes balls to do that, lining up with people who are probably going to kick your ass but you do it anyways because its fun.  I am usually in the back of the pack, getting passed by little kids and people much older, but I like it back there. Could you imagine the trash talk if I was a front of the packer/gazelle/ skinnywinner? (lol)
The plan, is to do Darlington Derby next. I have no strategy. I will be by my lonesome, as Autumn will be at DASH without me, I shall miss her, I don't understand why she doesn't want my tutu to borrow. Maybe I should wear it. Eh I might distract people with my awesomeness.

One Republic, Good Life

I got the feeling

I am getting pretty excited about the 5k tomorrow. I am ready to unleash a couple of weeks worth of frustration. The legs want to go, the head wants to go, and the lungs well they will be forced to go. Getting all ready. Racing tomorrow will be Autumn, The Kenyan (probably going to dust me), and Leanne, The Rookie(yeah a new runner!), and another girl named Amanda I met on dailymile. I am excited to socialize and see how everybody does.
I am never warmed up enough until the end of a 5k so I think a new strat will be to do at least a mile warm up, even 2 wouldn't wear me out and would probably help my lungs to cooperate. Results will be blogged before work tomorrow.

Game on ladies.
This is War, The Sick Puppies

GOD told me to head home

So I had a pretty stressful morning. Hauling the little sicky to another appointment with another specialist, always puts me in knots. More tests, more maybes, more spazzing. By the time my mom met up with me so I could run I could hardly talk to her. I just told her, I have to go run and she totally gets it at this point.
My body is feeling okay, mind needed exhausted. I made it 3.5 feeling really good and thinking about going 5 although I had only scheduled 3. Then a huge lightning bolt and thunder crack and I shut flux off(garmin) because I didn't want to hold a lightning rod until i got another .5 to my van. I did four but I took the hint from god and headed home. "woman get thy ass to thy van before I zap thy ass"--God.
Side note, at miles 2. First time I ever threw up a little and kept going, like I said the mind needed a run. 

Somebody to Love, Queen

puddle of manda

My Dad Showed up to  my son's birthday with a present for me. The inscription on the bottom: "I'm with you every step of the way". Just even typing it makes me choked up, I put it where I will see it every day and it will be safe from children terror. It really means a lot.

She's BAaaack

We got back from vacation yesterday at 4am. We had a great time. Needless to say I behaved and did not run the 10k. I felt completely fine but I rested. That was tough for me. Being at the board walk on the beach everytime I looked out the window of the room or looked up at the beach someone was running. Not me :(. But I was a good girl and managed to not bitch about it pretty much at all until we got to Richmond where the race was to take place. Even hubby said he was impressed about how much I didn't whine about needing to run. We enjoyed each other, and were blissfully tired. Traveling with 2 small children is challenging. attached is a pic from vacation, I wanted to scream but I thought it might eat me.

Side note. My little one will have a cat scan june 2. And tentative surgery on the 6th. Please pray for our family. Needless to say warrior dash is out. I am not going out of town in the middle of all that. I will be wanting to be hovering over my child. I am thinking of doing the Darlington Derby again, its the same day. Might as well, see how far I've come. So right now, that's the plan. Doc may do surgery sooner than that once he gets Ct scan done, so its all up in the air. Definately no gym dacare until this is all sorted out. Cross training will have to get creative until this over wierd times, or basement fun if it's not possible to get a sitter.

So This morning after getting a full night's sleep with no 2 year old punching and kicking me all night I got up at 5:30 to test out the legs. Went to the track where its flat and crossed myself. Good news that spot didn't hurt. I felt a little pulling in my calfs in both legs but no pain! WOOOHOOO. I did't push it though, only did 3. The rest of my body was confused but happy. I had a hard time with my posture. I need to straighten up and do some ab work. I will only do another 3 on my long day, 4 max. Then saturday I have a 5k. I will not be trying to PR. Just keeping leggies happy this summer.

Happy to be back!
Song: Fantastic Voyage, Coolio

8 more days..

Yep I am still resting. I am counting it down. I am in a funk. No dealing with life's little irritations right now, so its all getting me down. We are getting ready for vacation we leave monday night and I work the weekend, and we have mother's day, and the specialist at 7:45 am after I work 3-11 the day before, all before we go. I am keeping busy but I feel sllllllooooooowwwwww.
Its funny the NSAID that lady gave me is non narcotic but I couldn't handle it at all. I slept like a brick that night. I didn't even move until a heard my kid a 4:30(still sick). All day yesterday I was hung over. I couldn't pick up the pile of myself and force it to do anything. I really only take allergy meds, and drink coffee. All that other stuff I must be a "lightweight". It says on the label may cause drowsiness, but it doesn't say 24 hours of it. dang. I needed the rest I am feeling better. I have my spring headache, that will last a few weeks. Happens in western PA to about 80% i believe.
Needless to say I don't want to talk about running, I don't want to shop for running, its like playing catch with a chocolate bar when you are starving. Well, I still ended up at Lloyd's, I was in the neighborhood, I had a reason to go, and he was having a sale. Duh- I'll be there. He asked me "How are you feeling", not 'how's it going?' or 'how are you?' or 'how you doing?'. Weird. Maybe, or okay probably looked hung over, and I didn't comb my hair just twisted up in a mess knot/bird's nest wearing nasty sweats I had on in the yard with the kids. Usually if I am not in a great mood I still answer "good, how are you?" and I didn't. I said "well, I've been better, I'm injured" I go on and explain my very minor end of the world boo-boo and a funny thing happened. He said "Yeah I'm injured too, I fell at a race last week. I can't run right now either. " That really really REALLY made me feel better. I guess we all get hurt as runners and nurse our wounds, some worse than others, some no big deal, but we all have to rest, take a break and recoup. Maybe I'm not so weak after all. He even told me he doesn't want to rest either.

CAKE, Going the Distance.

PDE (public display of emotion)

I did nothing from sunday until this evening running and exercise wise trying to heal my pissed of legs. I had to go for a walk today. I have been cooped up too long and my legs were feeling great just as long as I had shoes on. What the hell? A little walk in the sunshine right, wrong, you know that walk turned into a run. I couldn't help myself. I started off thinking yep there's that pain again, if it eases up by the next block keep going. Truth is I discussed stopping with myself for about 2 miles. Dumbass is only my middle name..... Any way. I get back, limping stretch and hop in the icebath. Get out shower and have a total meltdown to Ryan, I sob, " I need an x-ray, my right hurts more than the left and there's a bruise. I bet it is fractured". Then I call my mom because we are still trying to get ready for vacation hubs is fixing our van, I sob to her, " are you busy? can you come over?" She agrees asks me what hurts I  sob " Don't tell anybody anything, I want no body to know anything."  At this point I am not sounding or feeling rational at all.  Truth is I was really not that encouraged because shin splints are supposed to hurt on both legs, mine hurts super bad on one side, and little on the other, this has been gnawing at my happy thoughts all week like a parasite. I have been dealing in my head with the possibility of break, I finally had enough and I was ready for the one-two punch I was about to receive from the docs. 
I decide going to an urgent care was a good idea, because i have 1 more buisness day before vacation and I can't get an x-ray the traditional way without a sitter and like 3 more days really. The people there were really nice. Took my x-ray and looked it over, as I wait I am sitting in the exam room praying to god for help. Please let it be okay. I don't want this to be over. Maybe I can still run if its broke. I have plenty of time. The physicians assistant came in and informed me the preliminary read is negative. All healthy tissue, no arthritis looks good, just feels bad. I start to bawl. She actually thought I was dissapointed because there was nothing for her to fix, I inform her through my read faced tear and snot parade that its just the opposite. I am thrilled. Thank you Jesus. I mean for real, I know he reads this blog, Thanks dude. I got a stronger nsaid I have already popped one as I type its kicking in, and another forced 10days off(no dicking around with a "walk" this time). That means no 10k on vacation. I am not that sad really. I did want to run the boardwalk at the  beach but I will trade that for staying power this summer when I need it. I am just going to enjoy my family and keep up my happy thoughts. I won't be around next week at all, I will be relaxing with my 3 boys.

Each Tear, Mary J Blige (featuring Jay Sean)
 Mary J. Blige : Now Playing : Each Tear

encouraged and going crazy

my legs are feeling pretty normal again. I however did not run today and am not going to, trying to get the maximum benefit out of my difficult investment of rest. Translation: now that it feels better I don't want to kuk it up again because I HATE REST DAYS.I cannot say I haven't trotted across my kitchen just to gauge how I'm feeling though.... :)
I bought compression leg sleeves I ended up going with a neon pink. Figured why not look like a dork to my fullest potential all the time? Well I get them paid for then get an email they don't make my size in that color. Well they sure as hell took my money. Now cough up some damn neon pink leg sleeves. Well I ended up with black ones because in some stores you are only allowed to be cool if you are skinny. My legs are oddly shaped, 16 inches from ankle to knee and 18 inches around the calf. Yeah I got guns. I don't like sticking out but if I have to wear this awful school girlish looking things i want to stand out. You know if you have to be a sorethumb you might as well be the worst! I will not be repeating a purchase from that company I will find my crazy colors. I will only use the black ones for training and injury prevention for now.  I didn't demand my money back because they happen to be like the #1 sleeve and I need them for training or I just might have. I did, however include a nasty gram: you should really get some patterns and more colors for larger people. "clydesdale' runners are taking over, and usually like crazy color. I didn't get any extra response out of that note.

Today I don't have any extra kick ass, both of my boys have double ear infections now. I am getting my ass kicked on all fronts. Had this been a different day, Corey the person filling my order would have had his ass handed to him. But I still have to hydrate my youngins, keep happy and afebrile, and start packing for the fabulous Fink-cation.


Break Stuff, Limp Bizkit

This is harder than I thought

I am being a responsible runner by nursing my boo boos before they get too bad, the hard part is not running on the pained legs, its sitting still. Everyone who has talked to me since saturday has asked me "what's wrong?" I am trying to be cool about the rest but I guess its sticking out like a sore thumb because I worry is coming out my ears and smacking me in my facial expressions. Its true this is a bummer. Everyday I have gotten up since my legs started to bother me I have felt better a little bit. I could probably run tomorrow and smack out the 10 I have on my schedule but I am not going to. God that was hard to type that last sentence. I am resting! Resting! RESTING. I want to go and I feel like I am being stupid missing my fun long day because of something that will probably still bother me for the rest of the summer, but I am not. The marathon is still in my sights and this is a racing strategy.
Having said all this I went to the grocery store today and bought enough raw veggies to choke a donkey. I am a stress eater and I am not going to let this change my wieght. AW HELL NO. So I will eat carrots and broccolli when I get nervous. I wanted ice cream. And why does the musack at the grocery store have to be so sad. I will admit I cried a tear to "Changes" by D. Bowie, there is no escaping the tears when you have to rest for something that may or may not be serious.
I have also consulted my facebook running forum and the internet about all this. The hints I am using were to get compression leg sleeves. They will be ordered, I found braces for shins at the drugs store that are adustable, I am wearing them now at all time except to sleep and ice they feel great. Never mind that I look like robo-cop this all about the legs. I have been icing 2 times a day even now that they don't hurt any more. A lot of people said to run just run slow. I am going to wait at least one more run out. If I do anything it will be a walk in my running shoes that are the most stable. Probably not doing that though, posting this so if someone sees me with my gear on honks at me and tells me to get my ass home.  I just miss it.
Coming home with my wet groceries and smashed loaf of bread from the store, I have to remind myself today its not that bad, I am not lazy, and I am not crazy!


Ben Folds, The Best Imitation of myself

A bit tweaked

So I was fortunate enough to get sometime to travel to Kenya this weekend to run with one of its residents.(not really just a nearby town to see Autumn) We went running at her local high school. She saw me at the beginning and the end, I ran to my truck for water and inhaler she never noticed.She ran 5 never took a drink then took to the bleacher steps waiting for me to whip my booty around the track until i was done. I love our turtle rabbit friendship :). I ran 4.86 drank all 500cc of my water and puffed my inhaler once but in like 51 minutes that's pretty fast for turtle speed.

After last monday's episode of shin splints and wednesday's redemption I figured there was nothing to worry about. It was my first time running on a track too. Well my legs are still bothering me. Thinking back to my set of shin splints last year, I think they hurt for awhile after I got new shoes. Just going to have to deal, I have rested since then, I don't think I will run today. I feel a ton better not really sore at all but I think at this time better to be conservative because next month mileage increases, and I have 2 races coming in the next 2 weeks a 10k and a 5k and our family vacation to the beach. Not to be outshadowed warrior dash and caties race are next month.  I hate talking about injury because I don't want to seem weak. I am trying to be intellegent when I just want to be tough. Schedule for training until vacation and during will be lax. Run like if I feel it, rest if not and no guilt. This is the vacation before the next wave of challenge we increase past 12 next month. I remain positive. Rest up baby legs work starts soon....

Bruno Mars, The Lazy Song

Been pimpin'

It finally came! I got my new BADASS MOTHER RUNNER shirt its from Run Like a Mother the book. I would never take it off but I am aware of my odor issue after a run. LOVE it. Notice baby potty in background and dirty dishes, life with toddlers amen.

Boys in the Hood, Dynamite Hack :) cause I'm pimpin'