Runnin Duff

The Amazing Circle of Life...

2011-05-03T21:17:00.002-04:00

Well it sure is funny how life works eh? Last post I talked about the tragic death of my cousin Ryan in Texas. Now I will be sharing the happiness of hearing the heartbeat of my Christmas surprise!!! I ran my 5k April 16th and promptly vomited all over the place. My time wasn't epic by any means (27:45)..but I *might* have peed my pants a little and definitely vomited at the end. The next day I peed on a stick...and voila! Pregnant! After that 5k i felt terrible all day...stomach cramping...nausea..everything. When I got the affirmation that I was knocked up..I decided to ditch my 10 mile and half marathon race. After some research..I just realized that mentally I'm too competetive to "run slow"...and I just don't think my body can really handle it. Ive been having trouble eating food and taking in proper hydration for plain daily life..let alone longer races. PLus I had only been running 7-8 miles consistently..and 13 miles was a large jump. So instead I've been trying to run 3-4 miles here and there when I feel up to it. When I was pregnant with Carson I just really tried to stay active..even if it meant power walking. Sooooo....an exciting hault to my plans. I will definitely resume racing after the baby is born. I couldn't be more thrilled/blessed/excited!!

Whats new

2011-04-06T10:28:00.002-04:00

So....I've recovered from the princess mess. Ive taken off the tiara...stepped down from the podium and moved on with life. Who would ever think a princess could move on?

I am booked solid for racing...April 16th I'm doing a 5k. April 22nd I'm doing the Cleveland 10 miler and May 7th I'm going to Indianapolis to do the Indy Mini (Half Marathon). Hows that for a recovery? I'm pretty excited about it all...and have been doing pretty well with training.

Last week I spend most of the week in Texas attending my cousins funeral. He passed away very tragically 2 Sundays ago....at the age of 25. I quickly packed a bag and caught a flight to Houston so I could be there for the rest of my family. It was a really tough week, but after we got through the funeral I turned to my best defense in tough situations....running. The temperatures were perfect in the morning...and the park (Memorial Park) was amazing!! Everyday I contemplated moving there (although i probably said "i hate texas" 600 times during the trip). Have any of you ever ran at Memorial Park in Houston? The trails are sand...which was pure bliss to my joints. In every direction I looked..I could spot about 35 runners. It was full of hustle bustle and wellness. Saturday I tackled 7 miles with my aunt and uncle (the ones who lost their son)....and it was the perfect thing to do with them...and probably my favorite part of the whole trip.

Heres a picture of the trails

So anyway....thats what I've been up to. My little guy turned one March 19th. Hes into everything!! I can't wait to take him out in the Bob as soon as the weather breaks.

The sequel

2011-03-01T21:46:00.002-05:00

Well...I'm sure everyone was wondering "Did she get up and run 13.1?" The answer is no...I didnt. BUT!!! Some of my running buddies planned my own special "princess run" in our home town. I was excited I would actually get to wear my tutu after all!! A lot of hard work went into making it and I decided that I need to have a girl someday because i can make a mean tutu!! So I pried my sorry butt off the couch and got my game face on....and tutu of course!

So I showed up to the "race" and sure enough everyone dressed up!!

How fun!! They even made me a castle trophy and a princess wand. So off we went down the biggest road in our town.....little tutu bouncing butts down the main drag! We got some honks...lots of smiles...and then quite a few people who acted like we didnt exist?!? How could you not acknowledge a bunch of bouncing tutu butts?

I felt great the whole run and was running way out in front of everyone. I kept stopping to let them catch up so I could join the conversation and after all......I was the reason they were running down lake road in a tutu...I should at least participate WITH them. I had no doubts that I coulda rocked the half marathon in Orlando..and probably in cleveland for that matter. But I decided to finish with everyone else because we needed to do this...

Celebratory drink!! yes please!! In the public library parking lot none the less. Now who could ignore a bunch of girls in tutus drinking alcohol in the library parking lot??

It was super fun and we decided to make it an annual event..(someone said monthly..but i think thats too often). I learned a lot....and support of great friends really does take the sting away from a big boo boo. I had outpouring love from friends on facebook, home, and obviously my fellow princesses. Sometimes these things happen for a reason...just to show you how many people truly do care!

Defeated.....in every way

2011-02-26T07:05:00.002-05:00

I wish I could put up cute pictures of me in my running gear/tutu. I wish I could show off my new tiara princess medal that I've wanted for years......I wish I could say I never had a DNF. Unfortunately......I cant. The training was done.Vacation time locked down. Babysitter booked. Hotel paid for. A race to be ran.........

But as I sit here in freezing Cleveland, Ohio, I'm sad to report that I never made it to Florida. Someone....somewhere did NOT want me to run this race. Yesterday my Mom picked me up for the airport at 5:50am in a total white out blizzard. I get there and find out that my flight has been cancelled (shocking!). They rebook me for a flight later that afternoon. I return home for a few hours and take a quick nap while the baby is down. My phone rings.... flight has been canceled and they have scheduled me something for Saturday afternoon. I look outside at the blistery weather and think "theres no way I'm staying in this hell hole until tomorrow!". I call Delta and demand that they find a different flight to help me escape this mess. Success!!! A 5:00pm flight that re-directs through NYC and lands in Orlando at 11pm. ANYTHING to get me out of here. I show up to the airport around 3:30 and am waiting in line to check in. After 40 minutes of waiting.....I realize that flight has been canceled as well. Exhausted....I walk over to the ticket agents and they start typing a hundred miles an hour.

"Sorry...the soonest we can get you to Orlando is Sunday"

Well that simply wont work..the race is Sunday morning at 5:45 am!

"Can you drive to Detroit?"

OMG...if Cleveland wasn't bad enough....

After lots of back and forth and checking this and that....a spot opened up for a Saturday morning flight!!! SUCCESS!!! She plugged me in real quick (meanwhile they were telling the guy next to me he would have to fly stand by for that same flight). She printed my boarding passes...said I was already checked in..and just to arrive an hour early because all I had to do was go through security and walk to my gate. Easy enough right?

3:40 am my alarm clock goes off. I thrust myself out of bed and get ready. I hop into the car and off I go. I arrive at the airport with plenty of time and decided not to check any of my bags. I used bags that could smoosh into the cabin storage and figured it would be cheaper and easier just to carry my gear with me. I get to the security check point to find that there is only 1 agent.....ONE!...and the line is wrapped all the way around and up the stairs. After 25 minutes of waiting..I start getting nervous. I look down and see that I have a first class ticket and I can bypass most of the line!!! SUCCESS!!! I get through security and they tell me my flight is gate D. Without checking twice I start heading that way (knowing D is about 3 buildings away and the furthest gate and I only have about 15 minutes now). I start sprinting as fast as I can with both bags.....Gate D to the right....Gate D to the left.....Gate D up these escalators...Gate D down these escalators...Gate D to this way...etc. I'm running as fast I can with both bags bouncing up and down on my back. I get over to Gate D and its like a deserted island. Not a soul to be found. WTF?????

I turn around and start sprinting back when I hear "Last call for flight 2069 to Atlanta...paging Christine Moore...last call" I quickly find a worker and ask where the Delta gate is and he says oh...its gate A! At this point I am sprinting as fast as I possibly can and keep repeating in my head "you trained for this...you got this!" However the only thing that was coming out of my mouth was "f$ck you! f$ck you!" You should have seen people dodging to get out of my way. I'm pretty sure I just took the terrorist alert from orange to red. I could already feel lactic acid building up in my legs as I pushed them faster and faster and faster. I get to gate A and all I see is American Airlines planes. I finally find a screen and look up my flight.....its at gate B. I look down at my watch....it left 10 minutes ago. I'm standing at concourse A with sweat pouring out of me. My shirt is soaked, my jacket is soaked, and now I can feel the tears coming on as well. My legs are shaking..my heart is pounding..and I'm pretty sure my cardiac enzymes were elevated and may have suffered a slight heart attack. I knew at this point I was done...I was not meant to run this race.

I sit down to gather myself and take a couple deep breaths. (Figured my ischemic heart needed a little oxygen before anymore activity). I walked over to the ticketing agent and they confirmed that every flight is booked solid..theres no way I can get to Florida until Sunday unless I start driving now. I'm standing there wondering if I really have the strength to walk back into my house and put away all the summer clothes I had packed.

So now....I plan to go buy a blow up palm tree and sit it here next to my recliner. I'm going to lay here all day with my sunglasses on and the fire going....and instruct the babysitter to pretend like I'm not here. I might even go tanning........

and just maybe...I'll set my alarm for 4:00am tomorrow and get up and run 13.1 miles in 23 degrees!!

not likely!

Invites

2011-02-04T20:56:00.004-05:00

Heres a quick sample of what we did for Carson's invites...I blanked out our address because we dont appreciate un-announced internet visitors :)
He really went to town! I'm a little scared for his love of cake at 10.5 months old. Not a good thing!!

I have a long run tomorrow...did a little 2.5 miler today. Its been super cold/icy/windy/slushy/miserable here lately. I'm sure you've all heard (wah..wah...wah...). Its scary to think I started this blog in Georgia and somehow ended up in the depths of freezing hell (Ohio). But I guess I try to make the best of it...ive contemplated painting a beach mural in front of my treadmill in the basement! haha. Happy Friday ya'll!

Frosting covered...

2011-01-30T20:18:00.002-05:00

This was an absolute AWFUL week...followed by a very busy weekend. Everything about this week was terrible including my 7:30 c-section in which the patient could feel the entire surgery..EEEK! The spinal went in well..but the patient had a previous spine fracture so the medicine didn't spread as expected. THey tested the spinal and she was numb..but when they got elbow deep in guts & baby...she could feel everything! We ended up having to give her a lot of drugs to get her through the surgery (one which produces hallucinations)...so the rest of the c-section was followed by me answering the same questions over and over and over and over and over again.
Patient: "Where is Rick?"
Me: He went to tell your family about the news of the baby
Patient: "Where is Rick?"

You get the point. I think we discussed 7 times that the baby weighed 7 lbs 2 oz..which everytime she said "NO WAY!! That is what I guessed!" I thought it would be rude to quit answering her questions...so i just went along with that fun game. This example sums up how the entire week went...and then this weekend was jam packed full of :
bowling/play group/massage/bridesmaid dress shopping/ dinner w friends at our house/ church/ running/ family pictures/ church community group/ laundry/ bills etc

The highlight......definitely taking "smash cake" pictures of Carson for his first birthday invites. I will post pictures as soon as I have them. That kid was fisting his cake in his mouth faster than we could take pictures. I had to keep telling the photographer " I swear we don't feed him cake at home" because he knew exactly what to do with it. And even as we were trying to clean him up..he was picking up crumbs on the floor and shoveling it into his mouth!! Adorable!

Oh wait...you said this is a running blog? I did do 5 miles outside today..and it was awful :) nuff said :)

Fun Weekend and a Ten Miler

2011-01-24T21:08:00.004-05:00

We had a blast with our visitors this weekend!! We played Euchre Friday night (Boys vs. Girls...Girls kicked butt!!!). Saturday Morgan and I knocked out our 10 miler. It was -4 degrees so we decided to take matters inside and we did half on the track and the other half on the treadmill. It was terrible...no one should ever have to run 10 miles indoors....EVER! But we got through it and I've been super sore ever since. Towards the end I was really pushing the pace to get done since I was miserable. Saturday evening, Morgan and I went and bought supplies to make tutu's for our disney princess race! I don't want to spoil the fun..but I'm sure we will take lots of pictures during the spectacular event :) Here are some fun fotos we took this weekend...

You can pick your nose...you can pick your friends...but you can't pick your friends nose!!

Travis's cousin home on leave teaching little Carson how to play guitar

Priceless!

Today I did a 3 mile recovery run..and it was glorious! Happy Monday ya'll!

Visitors...

2011-01-20T11:51:00.002-05:00

Whenever I think of the word visitors...for some reason I think it has a negative connotation with it. Do you feel that way?? Anyway I'm excited because we have people coming into town tomorrow. My friend Morgan is coming because she is running the Disney Princess Half Marathon with me in February and we decided to get together and tackle the 10 miler together (since neither of us have a really good running group to do long runs with). We also plan to make some cutesy tu-tu's for our race :)

My hubbys cousin Nathan is also coming to town (he's in the navy stationed in Norfolk..I've never met him). So it should be a fun weekend with lots of running, eating, and hopefully some good fellowship. It's fun having visitors now that I have my own house...with lots of bathrooms!!! haha

Hope everyone has a great weekend and send warm wishes my way (hoping to do my 10 miler in double digit degrees!)

Hi Again!

2011-01-18T19:47:00.003-05:00

Hi to anyone who decides to stop by! I haven't posted since May...after I got frustrated. But I am back! Its a new year...new goals etc. Let me break it down....

1) I'm training for the Disney Princess half marathon in February. Training is going well and it will be my first race since 2009.

2) I hope to blog at least once a week. I think I used to get frustrated trying to come up with something to say everyday. Once a week is definitely do-able

3) I'd like to make another one of these this year....
So those are my little goals of 2011!! Maybe I should catch everyone up on what I've been up to during my hiatus!

Well obviously raising my little cutie...Carson. He's not so little anymore! He's crawling alllllllllll over the house now..pulling himself up on furniture...and making lots of monster noises (I didnt teach him that). He's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I've enjoyed every minute of being a Mommy!!

I bought a BOB running stroller during the summer and I LOVE IT! One problem...I live in Ohio. It was fantastic until the temperatures hit single digis and there was no way I would drag the little guy out in that weather without risking child services showing up at my door. I finally broke down and got myself a treadmill....I got the Sole F-80 and its been wonderful! I can run downstairs with the baby monitor while Carson is sawing logs upstairs and I find it's much easier to sneak runs in without sacrificing time with my son. I was having a really hard time using my gym membership because I felt like it took too much time away from Carson and kept him in daycare longer.

I'm still enjoying the new house. We are quickly filling up the rooms. It's everything I've ever dreamed of!!

And I picked up a new photography hobby...so you will see lots of fun photos being posted (like the one above). I missed you guys!!! Feels great to be back! Leave a message and let me know what ya'll have been up to!

Hacked....

2010-05-30T10:24:00.001-04:00

My blog has been hacked....and its completely taken over my blogging mojo...i just dont even know what to do....suggestions?

Three is key....

2010-05-03T17:25:00.001-04:00

So for some reason I feel that 3 miles is what you need to be able to run without stopping to have a running base. Running base....not something you do in baseball..but rather a tolerance to pounding pavement and being able to increase mileage. I'm just not there yet. Only being able to run once or twice a week...I'm still at about 1.5-2 miles without stopping. But once you get to 3....you can run 5...and so on. I want to be able to run 3 miles by June 1st. That is my goal :)

In other news...my Mom got her hip replaced yesterday. She's doing really well...they had her up and walking last night. But since my Dad is gone...it will be along road to recovery and she lives alone. I think they are only going to keep her at the hospital 4 days...and then shes on her own. Of course with us to help....but its still going to be rough for her. Keep us in your thoughts.

1.5 more weeks of maternity leave! I love my little bug..but I'm excited to start working again :)

Major Turbo Kick in the butt!

2010-04-27T21:02:00.002-04:00

So my hubby had the day off today ;) :) :) and gave me $50 and said to go shopping...and to the gym. MUSIC TO MY EAYERS!!! Shopping....Gym....No Baby? Carazy! So off I went...of course the $50 only went so far and then I had to start pulling out money of my own. I accidentally showed up for my gym class an hour early..which meant an extra hour of shopping (my gym is conveniently located in a mall...). After I got a workout carrying all my shopping bags...I headed to the gym for a turbo kick class. Right before I got married I would do turbo kick almost everyday. It got me in crazy good shape..and I would supplement with running a few miles a few times a week. I got pretty good at it...and wow...today I realized how out of shape you get after poppin out a kiddo. My abs are nowhere where they used to be....(i mean they are still located in the middle of my body sillies!!...but they are weakkkkkkk) I was covered in sweat...I felt tight everywhere..and it was just glorious. Makes me realize that running isn't quite the full body workout that we think it is. I was able to get back to running pretty easily without crazy amounts of soreness. Yes I was breathing hard...and felt like the biggest loser contestant...but I was able to get up and move the next day. My friends.....moving tomorrow might be a bit of an issue. Either way I'm pumped and want to find a way to get to turbo twice a week. See ya later extra lbs......

Thank you :)

2010-04-26T14:07:00.003-04:00

A MAJOR thanks to everyone that left encouraging comments on my last post. ESP thanks to the moms who re-assured me that it takes a little while to get back down to pre-preg weight. i was just un-realistic and expecting it to all just come off right away. I'm only 5 weeks out right now...so I guess I just have to be patient. *sigh*

I had a great weekend filled with lots of shopping, some charity work, family time....but really no time for myself to go workout. I did walk 2.5 miles to my brothers house one day...and the charity work was very active...but that was about it. Tomorrow my husband has off..so I'm hoping to go to the gym and do turbo-kick with my sister in law. The problem is that my husband gets home from work between 6:45-7. By the time he showers (he works out at lunch)..changes...and gets downstairs for dinner its usually 7:15. By the time dinner is done...kitchen is cleaned up etc its usually around 8 and bedtime routines are starting for the baby. Obviously breastfeeding makes anything difficult since you are tied down every two hours. It's pretty near impossible for me to get to the gym/run during the week. I am able to walk during the week with the stroller...but I can't run with a stroller until little man is at least 6 months. Any suggestions? I guess I could do some home workout dvds...just sounds mundane though. As soon as I go back to work and we have child care it will be easier because I can just drop by the gym before I go get the little guy at day care. But for now...maternity leave makes things difficult. Who woulda thought?

CALLING ALL MOMS--
Do you get anxiety just thinking about traveling with your little ones?? Dirty gas stations...nowhere to breastfeed...McD's without a playground???

Check out www.byebyewithbaby.com !! My friend started this website with intentions of making traveling a breeze....even with little offspring tagging along. There is even an iphone app in the works!

I'll leave you with this bit of cuteness...brought to you by "the little man"

Biggest Loser...

2010-04-21T07:55:00.003-04:00

Well I went for a run/walk yesterday. I had made the goal of not walking at all....but I don't think I'm quite ready for that yet (I had a pretty traumatic delivery..wont go into details). As I began shuffling my feet, one in front of the other, I felt soooo heavy. I know I'm carrying around a few extra lbs..(ok more than a few)....but really??? All I could think about was the Biggest Loser contestants. You see them the first time they try and get on a treadmill and you can almost feel their pain. You can hear how hard they are breathing...and it's not because they are running a sub 8 minute mile....no way jose....even just walking they are breathing hard. You can see the look of anguish on their face as they put one foot in front of the other...you can almost feel how heavy they are just watching them. That's exactly how I felt yesterday.....I felt like I wasn't moving very fast...but at the same time...I was zonked! I pictured myself wearing a bright pink Biggest Loser t-shirt and could even hear someone in the distance telling me to pick up the pace....

I sure hope I feel different in a few weeks. I understand it took 9.5 months to get my body this way...so it's going to take a bit of time to get it back. Right now I weigh 148 lbs....I hope to be 140 by the time I go to work May 17th! Time to stop whining and make it happen...1..2...3.. go!

BOB Revolution

2010-04-19T12:10:00.003-04:00

So I've been contemplating jumping the gun and buying a nice jogging stroller....(maybe I should spring for some adult depends first...see post below on post-partum pants peeing). Its one of those things that I think if you are going to jog with your baby....its better to not skimp on the stroller you get. I feel like you are more likely to give up running...if you have rickety stroller that makes an already challenging task harder. So after reading some reviews...Ive come to the virtual conclusion that the BOB is the way to go!

The revolution that is!! any thoughts? experiences? opinions? HELP!! :)

I'm back.....plus one...

2010-04-18T19:08:00.003-04:00

I apologize to everyone for falling off the face of the earth. Honestly....as you could probably gauge..my life began to spiral faster than even runninduff could keep up with. I am used to maintaining 3 major life events at once....but even this was just too much to handle. For those of you who need a little re-cap......I moved from Savannah, GA back to Cleveland, Ohio last spring. My husband, puppy & I moved back in with "the Mom" for a while until I finished grad school. I continued moving back and forth from Georgia & Ohio to finish up my school rotations while studying for my national board exam. I cram cram cram....take the exam...and go out partying. See below..

The little bit of relaxation (aka bud light)....and some sexy time to follow...and sure enough...I was knocked up! Of course I didn't figure this out for a while because I was one of those lucky girls that was tagged "un-preg-able" by the doctors...boy did I show them!! September comes and I finally graduate!!! YIPPPEEEE!! We took an awesome trip to Alaska....and began looking for houses. In October I began my career as a real grownup. What a crazy ride!! All of a sudden I was responsible for peoples lives all by myself...no one could have prepared me for how stressful yet rewarding it would be to start life doing anesthesia on my own. In November we found the perfect house...see the previous post. IN LOVE!!!!!!!!!! And this is where the blog fell by the wayside! Trying to manage being pregnant, my new career, buying/moving into a house, preparing a nursery......was more than I bargained for....and the blog died.

It also didn't help that as these events went down....my weight was going up. See below..

It was getting harder to maintain running and the other things that I used to blog about. I felt embarrassed...I didn't have much to talk about besides all the distractions pulling me away from running & staying active. After all...this blog was not titled "duffs crazy life"....I didn't think you all cared to hear the agonizing details of our house buying process...or what it was like to navigate through my first code (patient who crashed and needed advanced life support). Oh....so then there was the MAIN event! The birth!! haha....

I'd love to introduce to you my newest little fan....Carson Jay..

I LOVE HIM!! Don't you?? He was born March 19, 2010 (obviously..haha) at 5:18 pm. He weighed 7 lbs and 13 oz (who knew I could fit that much human in me?) and he was 21 inches long! So far he is an absolute doll...and we are in love. So here I am....4 weeks out....not budging on buying new clothes in a new size.....yet the old clothes aren't budging to fit over my hips!!! I decided to go for a "run" and see what happens......well without getting too graphic...I peed myself!!! You have got to be frickin kidding me! The joys of being a mother.....so here I am. I'm back!! I sincerely apologize for falling off the face of the earth...as many of you left nice comments wondering how I was. I'm alive...and well. The house is great....the baby is great...and Mom...is peeing herself! GREAT! (insert sarcasm). I'm totally ready to start getting back in shape and I can't wait to run another race! Missed you guys!! xoxo!

Home sweet home......we bought a houseeeeeee!!!

2009-11-08T08:14:00.004-05:00

Ok....after lots of talk of home-buying we finally jumped the gun. We've been looking for houses (with no money haha) since July and have had interests in quite a few. Throughout this process I've realized how picky/snooty/particular I am about home buying, especially for someone who was making zilch for income. On my list of must-haves were
1) 3 car garage: we want 3-4 kids someday and that means lots of bikes, basketballs, etc! We also already have 2 cars and hubby is about to get a company car. A 3-car garage is a must!
2) 3 full bathrooms: see #1 about the kids...and if we have all girls....yes...3 full bathrooms is a must
3) Large master: see #1 about the kids...and you'll see why I need somewhere to retreat later on to "get away" (its also conveniently on the second floor in case I decide I need to jump out a window or something)
4) Close to Mom: Again...see #1 about how many kids I want and you too would want to be as close to help as possible

So that doesn't seem so bad right? Welllllll.....after making that list and going to look at some houses....the list got more specific
1) 3 full bathrooms that must all be on the second floor (unless there is a first floor master). I don't see a point in having a full bathroom on the main floor if there aren't any bedrooms there. Who wants to shower and then run up a bunch of stairs in a towel to get to their room?

2) I decided that I want the option of having a pool someday. I grew up a swimmer and lifeguard and the water is a part of me. Also..its a great entertaining option for 4 kids. This makes homebuying difficult because there are neighborhoods with community pools that won't let you put your own in. Also you must have a yard big enough to accomodate a pool.

3) I really want a morning room for our kitchen table. Again...4 kids someday = LARGE kitchen table to fit everyone. Many houses just come with a small dinette area to put a round table.

4) I'd love to have separate walk-in closets in the master as well as separate sinks and vanities. I'm sick of sharing with the hubby....hahahaha

5) all of a sudden 3 miles seemed way too far from my Mom...I can't send the kids to Grandmas to walk 3 miles when I'm ready to pull all my hair out...

So as you see...this became quite a process. But in the end we found our dreaaaaaaam house and we couldn't be more happy!!
4 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms (3 full, 2 half)....morning room for our kitchen table, 3 car garage, large backyard with some trees too and a patio! bonus....finished basement....HUGEEEEEE master bedroom with sitting room and 2 walk in closets, 2 vanities/sinks....and are you ready??? 0.8 miles door to door from my Moms house!! Could it get any better than that??

So here she is......(I'm going to take some better pictures next weekend)...

We close December 30th...we have no furniture...haha. There are 10 rooms to fill + a basement. Eeeeeeeeeeek! All we have is a king sized bed, a freezer, and some baby furniture. Not good...not good at all....haha

Little Monster

2009-10-27T17:09:00.002-04:00

Heres a little peak at the monster that is growing inside of me
Belly & legs
Skeletor!

Its a cute lil thing huh? Long legs...for sure! We still didn't find out what were having....yay! I'm glad we were strong!! Also I started work Monday....Monday was pretty rough. I actually had to stay an hour late on my first day. Today definitely made up for it...I got done an hour early :) And things went a lot smoother. Its going to be such a crazy transition...not to mention while I'm 5 months pregger and trying to buy a house. AHHHHHHHHH! Why do I do this to myself?

Still been managing to stay very active. Hubby and I walk 1.5 miles together everynight and then I walk an additional 2-3. Baby has been kicking me like crazy. Its such a weird feeling...and the worste is when he/she uses my bladder as a punching bag.

So thats the update :)

18 weeks preggers

2009-10-18T20:57:00.002-04:00

Heres a pic of me at 18 weeks!!! wahooooo! Almost half way done :) Kid...if youre listening...feel free to come out a few days early!

Went for quite a few 3-4 mile walks this week. Tried to get to prenatal yoga...however punched in the wrong address and got there late. I'm going to re-attempt tomorrow evening. I HAVE TO START WORK IN A WEEEEEEEEK! Lordy lordy...that means no more lounging around...no more chatting with friends all day....no more nothin. Full days of working on my feet, knocking patients out, waking them up, sticking needles in peoples spines, eeeeeek! Can I please have another week off? Just ONE more weeek? I swear God, I'll be ready after that. I don't want to be a big girl (looks down....points to the baby)...yeah I know..too bad!

I refinished a dresser that was used by my hubbys Grandmother when she was younger. His Mom then used it...then hubby...and now baby. We painted it white and it looks gorgeous. We ordered some starfish knobs to go along with our beach theme! I'll def have to post some pictures when its all said and done.

Still working on buying a house...one of these days...just look for a big post saying...NO LONGER HOMELESS! It's bound to happen in the next few months.

I'll post some pics of the kid after the ultrasound....don't forget that were not finding out the gender. So that will stay a surprise until the end....(kid refer to the top about coming early).

Hope life is well with everyone else :)

Hibernation

2009-10-14T11:41:00.003-04:00

It's not quite winter yet, but somehow I've been hibernating...or hidernating (hiding)..whatever you want to refer to it as. We had an amazing trip to Alaska...check out the pictures here
http://alaskancruisemoore.shutterfly.com
We saw Lions, Tigers, and Bears OH MY! Wait....Whales, Eagles, and Bears was more like it. We also saw harbor seals, sea lions, sea otters etc. We went salmon fishing and had 27 lbs of salmon shipped back to Ohio! It was just an awesome trip but you really have to see the pictures to get an idea of how great it was. So stop reading this boring thing and go check them out!!!

After we got back from the trip it took a few days to get used to being on Eastern time again. I wanted to write a blog summing up the trip and all that good stuff, but there was some depression looming over me. Everytime I would sit down to write, all I could think about was the fact that in a few days, it would be a year since I saw my Dad last. So then I decided I really needed to write something about that and just how fast a year goes by. And how crazy it was to hear the horrible news...and how hard it was to go back to the unstable life I was living moving around the country as an anesthesia student away from all my family and friends. All the ups and downs I had the entire year...but nothing could bring me to actually sit down and write about it. I wrote the blog post in my head night after night after night...laying there sleepless. Yet somehow I couldn't make my fingers type it.

So I waited until all that passed...then I went on a trip to North Carolina for my cousins wedding. And now I'm back...bumming around...waiting until October 26th to come so I can start my career and get on with my life. But truly....bumming around has been great! I've gotten massages, hair cuts, spent time working on my charities, spent time with my little puppy, taken a lot of long walks, gone to the gym, talked to friends....I really don't ever want to go back to work. CAN I PLEASSSSSSSSE BE A STAY AT HOME MOM??????? PLEAAASEEEE??

Oh yeah...the Mom thing....that's going well too. I've gained 3 lbs so far (as of last week) and I'm quickly approaching 18 weeks. I get my ultrasound next week (hiding my eyes so I don't accidentally see a hot dog or hamburger if you know what I mean)...and the baby is doing just great. I would post belly pics....if I had a belly at all. People make fun of me since I'm not showing at all...even the massage therapist said to just go ahead and get a regular massage laying on my back/belly instead of the prenatal one on your side. I can tell though....that little belly is just waiting to start popping any day now.

Workouts: ahhhhh yes....the main reason I started this blog. Workouts have consisted of 2-5 mile walks. Usually I end up squeezing in 4 times a week....sometimes more. Sometimes I lift a little...sometimes I dont. I would love to start jogging again....maybe I'll start some walk/jogging. Jog a few minutes....walk a few minutes.

So thats the update on me...I'm done hiding.. :)

Just Peachy....

2009-09-13T09:04:00.002-04:00

Starting tomorrow I will have a peach in my belly. Weird to think that I'm growing a little peach in there...but exciting at the same time. We got to hear the heartbeat on friday.... 164!! Some say that means it will be a girl....most say its a wives tail. My Mom just keeps referring to the baby as Kinsley as shes almost certain it will be a girl (then she admits shes almost dead wrong every time she guesses). I will laugh so hard if the doctor pulls out a Carson. She has already bought Cleveland Indians cheerleading outfits..haha.

Other exciting news....I GRADUATED!!!!

Even more exciting news... I PASSED MY BOARD EXAM!!!!

The best news ever.....we leave for Alaska on Thursdsay!!!!

The life saver....I have 5 weeks off!!!

Life is good...I feel so blessed. We think we have found "the house" different from the other one I showed on here. I'll wait until its for sure ours before I post anything....but its perfect. Life is really flying at lightning speed now but everything is so darn exciting I can't contain myself.

Oh running? hmm...haven't done a whole lot of that. Shoooot! Maybe I'll go now..haha

The Angry Buck...

2009-09-07T17:59:00.003-04:00

And I'm not talking about the ohio state buckeyes almost getting beat by Navy. Thats a different angry buck...

So I decided to go for a little trail run the other day after re-discovering some nice trails by my house. I get about 400 yards into the woods and I see a large buck about 4 feet away from my trail. I have never been nervous around deer in my life as I see about 5 a day in my back yard, but I have heard that they will attack if they feel threatened...especially during this season. They never bother me except I have never really been running this close to them. And something about the horns....the girl deer don't really freak me out. But I could just imagine those big horns being jabbed into the little peanut in my stomach. Apparently mother instinct is already kickin in.....

So I make it past the huge buck and look back and hes still making eye contact with me. I look directly to my left and theres ANOTHER buck. This guy only had one little nub horn though...so I thought...eh...that can't do TOOO much damage. But then I looked down and he had his leg up like he was ready to stomp his hoof. I thought " this must be a warning that he's about to attack". So I got big horny buck (that sounds bad) behind me...and little nubby buck in front of me ready to stomp me. I could feel my heart rate pick up a bit as I wasnt sure which way to turn and my tree climbing skills haven't been put to the test in a while. I kept waiting for little nubs to put his hoof down so I could pass....but he wouldn't. Finally I see him take a few steps akwardly and I look down....little nubs is a little nub in more than one way. THe deer has 3 LEGS!!!!!!! THe leg I thought he was holding up to stomp me...was really only a half of a leg. He slowly gimped away and I kept running. Then I get home to find out I just spotted the famous "3 legged deer". Apparently hes been in the newspaper before.

Boy did I feel stupid for being so freaked out by a 3 legged nubby dear. It was a good little run anyway....

Hope ya'll had a great Labor Day Weekend! Only 2 more days of clinical everrrrrrrrrrr!! Yeeehaw!!

They never tell you this...

2009-08-30T09:02:00.005-04:00

No one really ever explained before I got pregnant that I would have....
-back pain
-weird sexual dreams
-heartburn
-migraines
-dizziness
- worry endlessly
- the urge to urinate every half hour
- dry mouth so bad it feels like you smoked a pound of pot
- that nine months of being pregnant feels like 9 years.....and the weeks creeeeeeeeep

Nooooooo....they never tell you that stuff. Because if they did...you would NEVER get pregnant! Who wishes that upon anyone..let alone themselves?? They tell you alll about how wonderful it is...and without going into detail but how "everything" is worth it in the end. The only thing they really complain about is labor. SO you think....ehhh...anyone can deal with one day of horrible pain. But you never really think it's going to be 9 months of hell........because everyone forgets to mention that part.

Haha...done complaining. Just kinda funny though. I think I'm allergic to babies in my belly because I pretty much get all the symptoms except for leg cramps and peeing my pants (not yet anyway).

This week was better...I'm getting my energy back. I have one week left of the first trimester. Monday I went for a 2.5 mile walk, Tuesday I went to the gym and jogged 2 miles, Wednesday I went for a 45 minute bike ride and a 20 minute walk. Saturday I jogged 2 miles at the gym.

Friday night we went to the high school football game and sat in the pouring rain. Yes I love football that much! My family has had season tickets since I was a baby and its something my Dad and I really enjoyed doing together. It was weird to go there for the first time without him....but we still had fun! Im glad my hubby was a good sport and wanted to go sit inthe rain with me. I could watch football everyday of the week. Also the Browns won AGAIN!!! Crazy!! I know its only pre-season..but they were still exciting to watch. We went to a fun family reunion last night....it's weird being the only one not drinking. Well me and my sister in law...we are preggers together. It seems like at all parties we kinda gravitate towards each other. Except shes in her second trimester...so eating is fun...and I'm still in the ...."can't even look at food" trimester. Ughhh!!
Heres a few lil snapshots..Me, my sister in law, and my brother
The main reason for the party was to give this velvet elvis picture to my uncle. It was my Dad's (no worries....we kept it in the basement)....and it was a big joke in our house. When my Dad passed away my uncle said he wanted it. So we threw a big party...and hung it in his house (which is immaculate....perfectly designed down to every detail, picture,mirror, etc) and he walked past it about 10 times without noticing. Finally we were going to have all the guys take a picture inside so we told them to line up on that wall and he FINALLY noticed it. It was pretty funny!

pick up the pace Duff!

2009-08-22T09:26:00.002-04:00

Ok so I'm starting week 10 of being preggers....and I'm startin to feel a little better. WAHOOOOOOOO! Still haven't really started working out much....but I think today is the day. I've been doing pre-natal yoga and walking a few miles a few times a week. A far cry from my usual work out schedule, but I've also been trying to listen to my body...and almost everyday my body says TAKE A NAP! hehe

Today will be pre-natal yoga again..then later we are going to the pre-season Browns game!!!!! I'm super excited even though they are terrrrrrrrrible! Should be fun though, and hubby is lucky that he has a DD for the next 7 months!!!

Also my best friend is stoppin by with her new baby Madeline...I swear everyone is poppin babies these days. I had a dream last night that we're having a girl. What do you think? Boy or Girl??

2 weeks and 3 days left of clinical forrevvverrrrrr! You have no clue how exciting this is to me. I've been getting treated horrible everyday this month...HORRIBLE...I didn't even get a lunch yesterday and I'm pregnant! I almost passed out! While my preceptor sat in the hallway and was just talking to other people as I did his job all day. 2 weeks and 3 days....I can do it!

Feelin Icky...

2009-08-14T21:17:00.002-04:00

Well I can honestly say that I've never felt so crappy for an entire week in my life. My workouts sum up to a 30 minute bike ride with my mom ONE day. Thats it! Ive been so exhausted/sick/weird feeling all week that I literally collapse into bed when I get home. No joke...I hit the sack at 5 pm today and just woke up now for a short intermission.

On the flip side..got to see another sneak preview of the babes yesterday. Hubby got to come to...and it was his first "girl doctor" appointment. He did great though and really enjoyed it. The doc made him stand in the corner of the room so he was watching the ultrasound...not the giant penis-look-a-like ultrasound probe. Baby is doing great and I'll be 9 weeks on Monday. Official due date: March 22nd. I'm sooo excited! I even picked out the bedding....

Its nice and modern and gender neutral. I love the fun colors. Now I just need a house...........ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!! I went and looked at one the other day and my mom said its "the one". I'll give you a little sneak preview of that too!! But we can't buy until February ish....great timing with a junior on the way in march...NOT!

Luckily for us its a "short sale" which means looonnnnnnnnggggg sale. Makes sense right? Not really. But for us its a great thing since we need a few months of me working (shucks...who said I want to work) before we can have a down payment. Supposedly a few peopel put in offers but it takes the banke like 3 months to decide if they accept the offer or not and people can't wait that long and give up. Luckily for us....we have infinite time...since were living with Momm-O! (thanks mom!!)..sooooo maybe its perfect?!? we'll see!

Keepin it real...with the wild banchee

2009-08-09T17:02:00.004-04:00

So things have been steadily moving along here in pregger duffer land. This week I got my a$$ kicked by my trainer (who is doing great things like helping me build up my back for when I have a hefty front load)....and I also did some yoga, some running, some biking, and walking. All in all...I aim to do at least 30 minutes a day. I've been dealing with some intense nausea and sleepiness.

I have another ultrasound this Thursday to check on the peanut. We are NOT finding out what we are having...so ya'll will be in for the long haul and a big surprise at the end. However we DID decide on names...

Carson for a boy
Kinsley for a girl

I'm excited...I really love these names and have for a long time. I had to coax the hubby a little bit (ok..so I had to put Carson with his Dads middle name..but hey..whatever it takes). Also my sister-in-law is preggers with a boy and they are naming him after my Dad. SUPER exciting!! Dad Jr will be born in January...and RunninDuff Jr will be born in March.

Other news...I never really talked about...but my Mom has cancer. I sorta avoided making it public on my blog, but this all happened when I drew that picture of rollercoasters...as far as ups and downs in my life. The rollercoaster ended up pretty good because I got my first choice job offer...but that was followed by the biggest downhill ever that flipped my stomach literally when I found out about my mom. She will be starting radiation in a week or so...and after that..she should be good to go. But then of course...the rollercoaster goes up hill again when I found out I was preggers. Welcome to my life...its a rollercoaster called "The wild banchee". Anyone wanna ride?

Current Craving....

2009-08-01T12:26:00.002-04:00

English Muffins and Chocolate Milk!! Helllloooooooo fructose corn syrup :)

On the other hand...caffeine is about out for good now. A few little drips here and there. I promise I will never start drinking Diet Coke again. Promise Promise Promise...PROMISE! Its just too hard of an addiction to beat.

Little peanut is doing fine so far! I got to see a little heart beat the other day..and will be going back to see the doc in another 2 weeks to get a final due date. EEEK! Keeping my fingers crossed that everything is still going really well!

Also were kinda starting to decide on names......I know its early...but I'm one of those people that has been thinking about baby names since I was in my moms womb. Like I said..I know its early...but I think were going with Kinsley & Carson for now. Obviously that could change.

Had a nice workout yesterday...did 20 mins on the elliptical, ran 20 mins, and lifted a bit. I was thinking about maybe building up mileage and doing a half marathon in october? Maybe walking a lot of it..but just something fun to accomplish while I'm preggers. What do you think?

The follow-up: Hubbys Reaction

2009-07-30T16:44:00.002-04:00

So I take the test....Preggers x 3! Believe me..I probably would have finished off the box of 5 if I could..but my Mom hid them from me. Meanwhile hubby is in New York visiting his brother (pitcher for minor leagues). Eventhough I was so excited that I wanted to run a marathon (no not really..)...I knew I had to wait until he got home. So the long wait began....and the wheels began turning.....

I laid awake all night on Sunday dreaming up baby names. I mean ALL night. I think the only way I got to work on Monday was on pure adrenaline...(esp since this lil peanut took away all my coffee). I decided to go over to old navy and get 2 little outfits one that said "I'm handsome like Daddy" and one that said "I love my Mommy & Daddy!" and figured I would put them in a bag with the test that said P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T! (or all 3 for that matter)

Hubby comes home frm the trip and I immediately ask "wheres my t shirt?" Of course he was a little offended that those were the first words out of my mouth...(he'll get over it). So he gave me my new brooklyn cyclones shirt and then I told him I got him a shirt too.

I hand over the old navy bag and he pulls out the first outfit. He has a strange look on his face and then says "so are we stocking up or something?"....pulls out the second outfit and looks at me like "wheres my shirt?"....pulls out the pregnancy test and says "Is this one of those tests girls take to see if they are pregnant"

At this point the lightbulb goes off........."WAIT!! IS this YOUR pregnancy test?" And he immediately turns bright red....and I had tears dripping down my face. I wrote him a nice little card about how its still early and just realize if you decide to tel people...that something bad could still happen (As I manage to share the news with the whole world!).

So Life being pregnant....
TIRED!! VERY TIRED!!!
I think about baby names 75% of the day
Stomach hurts...a lot...
Booobs.....they should be free pregnancy tests....who needs pregnancy tests when you wake up one day and feel like your boobs got in a fight with each other?
Also I never feel alone. Its the weirdest thing...but I got in the car this morning and starting jamming to a song and I looked down and thought "Baby..you like this song too?" Whenever I get really really excited I think...uh oh...Baby is probably getting excited too. It sorta feels like you have a little shadow with you at all times. A shadow that will eventually make your own shadow double in size...ughhh....yipppeeee...bring it on!

I'm PREGNANT!!

2009-07-29T14:52:00.002-04:00

oK... since I'm terrible at keeping secrets!! Heres the news.......baby jumping bean in the belly...due to come out March 22nd. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! I know I mentioned that I wanted to start trying to have a family soon...however as I was typing that I had no clue that I was already preggers. Crazy...heres the story..

To not completely gross out the guys..I'll say this....the normal thing that girls do once a month...I haven't really done in about 2 years. Ok..maybe 5 times in 2 years...but I know one thing...SOMETHIN aint right!! My doctor ran a bunch of tests and prescribed me fertility drugs for whenver I wanted to start trying. My Mom took 5 long years to get so lucky with me (when I say lucky....I mean SUPER lucky...:) So I really thought that hubby and I were going to have some "fun" trying for a while (sorry Mom). I mean really...who's not up for that challenge?

So I take my board exam (See below)..partied my brains off (see below)...and apparently made a baby right after. I honestly don't know how it happened (Ok...wait..I know how it happened..I don't need the birds and bees talk)..but I really didn't think I could get prego for a WHILE...at least until I began taking fertility drugs and made myself more regular. This is truly a miracle!!!

So all of a sudden my girl parts starting hurting real bad (no not my yahoo....the twins upstairs). Every time I rolled over in bed I would wake up in pain. I went for a nice hard run..and thought my ta-ta's were going to fall off. I also seemed sorta sleepy....but I had just started taking some new medication and thought it could all be side effects. I don't know what...but something posessed me on Sunday to take a pregnancy test. I really did not think I was pregnant at all..but just wanted to entertain myself on a Sunday afternoon (Oh come on people...don't act like you don't ever get bored on Sundays and take pregnancy tests to add some adventure to your life). So I'm on the phone with my friend..and look down and these words stared me in the face
P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T....what?????? theres no way...theres no stinkin way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So of course there were some profanities........and shock...then I chugged a glass of water and peed again...
P-R-E-G-N-A-N-T! HOLY COW!!
So there it is! Today I went to the doctor and saw the little peanut through ultrasound...even got a glimpse at a heart beat. Peanut is 6 weeks along..and I'm due around March 22!! CRAZY right??? I hope it all works out..however I know its SUPER early. Keep me in your prayers...and hold on to your seats for this new adventure..(like I needed anymore adventure in my life..)

Meet Yogi Duff

2009-07-22T17:28:00.002-04:00

The things you do when you dont want to run....
1) skip dinner....skipping dinner = not running....calories in - calories out...if you do the math..a lot of times skipping dinner is the same as not running
2) Trying yoga! Huh? Runnin Duff does not do yoga....we all know I can barely touch my toes and that is why I failed to win the presidential fitness award in elementary school..
3) Lots of power walking...I almost even talked myself into "walking" a half marathon...wtf am I thinking?
4) Bike rides to go scope out the housing market...hey...multi-tasking at its greatest

So I think its about time I sign up for a half marathon this fall and strap my running shoes back on. One more week on the road....and then it's go time. For now..you can find me on my hotel floor doing downward dog! :)

Walking through life

2009-07-18T11:11:00.002-04:00

Literally..haha. Somehow my cravings for pounding pavement and stinging sweat dripping eyes has seized for the time being. It's been replaced by nice walks with the dogs, nieces & nephews, and walking to get errands done. I went for a nice 4 miler last weekend (run that is)...and my pace was as slow as a turtle and I felt completely out of shape...becuase I am. Right now I'm working an hour and a half away...working 13 hour days...and its just not really feasible to be the runner I used to be. But for now...I'm enjoying this new identity. Its relaxing....and will help me make babies (whoops...did i say that? shhhh)...I only have about 7 weeks left of clinical..and next month I'll only be about 40 minutes from home which makes working out much easier. I can see the light shining...I am ready to close this chapter of my life and move on to the next....houses & starting a family...(oh yeah...and my career..you can see where my priorities are). I know I have gone through these cycles before of not running...and then getting addicted to it...then slowing down..etc. So I'm sure you are used to it by now. If I've learned one thing in the last few years is that you have to roll with the punches and listen to your body. A hobby is not a hobby if you are no longer enjoying it...however staying active is always a necessity. It may change forms at different times...but its not something that can be ignored.

Still alive...focus on the prize

2009-07-01T19:02:00.003-04:00

Hey friends! Yes I'm still alive...and no I didn't kill myself over the death of Michael Jackson. My rollercoaster got a little crazier after I made that last post....(personal stuff)...and then I made the long trip back to Ohio from Atlanta. I had a nice week off (not really)...to prepare myself for the board exam. Whos frickin idea was that??? Who the hell wants a vacation to study? I'd rather just bust my balls whenever I can and enjoy a week of freedom.

The board exam was un-eventful. It was 3.5 hours of my life that I rather forget...oh but wait....I pretty much did. Because then this happened...

Oooopsies! A bunch of friends joined me for a few celebration drinks......and then this happened...
We won a lobster!!!! Think vending machine with claw that usually wins (if youre lucky) a nice pink stuffed rabbit....but a LOBSTER!

LIKE THAT!!!
So we named him Lewie......short for Louis.....and had some fun.

Yes I'm smoking the lobster claw......
Then a few more drinks..

and bedtime!!! What a way to erase 3.5 hours out of your life.....
So here I am.....got a job....took the board.....only have 2 more months of clinicals!! What is a girl to do??? Well don't be fooled....clinicals are kicking my arse this month. The hospital is an hour and a half from home...so some days I've been driving there (have to be there at 6:30..do the math on what time I set the alarm for)...and other days I get a hotel. I can't wait to be done!!!

Sunday night I noticed I could no longer chew on my left side. I thought maybe all the pop I had been drinking to get me through boards gave me some cavities. I was almost positive I needed a root canal......so today I went to the dentist. Turns out I have TMJ (tempomandibular joint pain) from all the stress I've been under. Apparently I go to bed and clench my jaw to the point it's sprained now..and they put me on a soft foods diet! (pshhh....does that mean cookies?!? ) You think this is funny right? Turns out....its more common than you think...esp since the recession has gotten all these loonies stressed about their house, job, 401k, bonneville sittin on 24 in rims...etc My dentist had an article about how the dentists have seen an alarming increase in patients with TMJ in the last year from all this bulllllllllsheeeeeeeeet we've had to put up with. Final conclusion: Stress is real biatchessssss!

Rollercoaster

2009-06-06T09:30:00.004-04:00

Wow..this week has been the biggest emotional rollercoaster I have ever felt. Seriously. So I decided to draw a little picture to depict it all for you...CLICK ON THE PIC TO MAKE IT BIGGER

Basically after getting the offer I got on Friday...I knew I didn't want it. So I put out an S-O-S call to the places I really wanted to work....SW & SJ....giving them a deadline of next Monday. SW was my first choice...but I hadn't heard a peep from them since the interview. I had sent them references and thank you notes and stuff and didn't hear a word. So I sorta expected to not hear from them....SJ was my first choice all along (until I got hood on it and started interviewing everywhere)....and they knew that. However...they told me in February they would call me during March to offer me a job...and it never happened. Its now June...and they kept stringing me along. I get the offer from SW...and I couldn't have been happier. I ended up making a verbal commitment right then and there (shoulda waited...silly duff...). I'm hoping to not hear from SJ until Monday so I can just sorta say they didn't meet the deadline and I had to decide. But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO they want RunninDuff bad! I just felt so bad because I didn't want them to think I was being insincere all the times I said I was interested. In the end I got 3 offers...got offers from my top 2 choices...and I couldn't be more thrilled. I earlier had a hard decision of ranking them based on options

Option A: work more (lots of nights on call)....make more $$$...and 8 wks vacation
Option B: work less (no call..done by 3:30 everyday)...make less $$$...and 6 weeks vacation

I ended up chosing option B for quality of life. In my field...being gauranteed to leave by 3:30 is priceless. I feel chosing family/friends/working out over $$$ is something I'll never regret. I know whats important to me....and thats what I invested my decision in. Also I don't start till November 2nd (I graduate Sept 13) so that really gives me a lot of time to get myself together before starting my career. I'll probably never have another chance to have a break like this in my life...without being preggers etc. I've done so much in my short little life so far and have never taken a break. The boards are June 27....then its cruise to the finish.....the only thing missing out of this ordeal was my Dad. Nothing like landing an amazing job and being able to call your Dad (Dads little girl)...and talk numbers. He helped me decide where to go to grad school when I couldn't decide and I know he woulda been a big help in deciding this. I'm confident that I chose what he would have wanted me to choose. I just wish he was here to experience it all with me and be happy I moved home...

I hope this rollercoaster comes to a complete stop soon...I'm ready for an easy life

p.s. didn't get into the NYC lottery....was thinking of maybe doing Vegas marathon? Or maybe re-visiting Disney. But I think its always good to do new ones...any thoughts?

real quick

2009-06-04T19:45:00.002-04:00

OK..only got a few minutes. I'm staying at the Hood Roof Inn Deluxe..and their internet went down so they sent me next door at the Hood Roof Inn...

baby names for the day..
Holden
Reagan
Charles

One was 2 lbs...one had club foot..and the other had an afro.

Got the job.....and another job....and had to go through the stress of telling the one no...after i kept expressing how much I wanted to work there. I still have to reject one more place...and I feel fortunate to be in this position...yet devastated when I have to tell these places no.

Tomorrow ill be back at Hood Roof Inn Deluxe and I can go into more details..but right now the manager at the downgraded Hood Roof Inn is giving me the evil eye..and he looks like he could be a terrorist.

TTYL!

Continuing

2009-06-03T14:54:00.002-04:00

It seems as if you guys are lovin the baby names I'm seeing...so heres the list for today...

Carson (my favorite name..however is becoming WAYYYY too popular)
Sydney
Arabella (and they couldnt think of a middle name..so I said to name her after me...Arabella Christine...sounds good right?)

So far so good..but boy do women freak out when people stick needs in their back. We tell them to stick their back out like a mad cat....but then they get all mad and start squirming around and crying. I'm thinking 2 minutes of having a needle in the back can't be half as bad as hours of labor and squeezing a watermelon out your yahoo! But what am I to know?! And all the pregger women seem SHOCKED that I haven't had a baby yet. Not because I look old..but I think they figure if we are sticking needles in their pregnant heiny..that it was a prerequisite to have one done ourselves. And they also don't realize that while they are freaking out and carrying on...it definitely doesn't make me want to get preggers anytime soon.

Ran 2 days in a row...only 2-3 miles...I was getting a little melted and figured I'd head back to my Hood Room Inn before I ended up melted on the sidewalk. Tryin to figure out the rest of my race schedule after this board exam...find out about NYC marathon on Thursday !!!! whooo hooo!!! Also supposed to find out about a job I really really really want today...(didnt get any sleep last night thinking about it).

Randy Random

2009-06-02T16:37:00.004-04:00

Delivered 3 babes today....a Crawford, a London, and a John that they plan to call Jack. Why not just name him Jack? ....crazy people...

For those of you runners out there (aka everyone that reads my blog)tomorrow is national running day So Im sure many of you are wondering what exactly this entails? Well for DD and I....it meant this...

Dear (Insert Boss's name here)

As I'm sure you're already aware, tomorrow is National Running Day.

http://www.runningday.org/pdf/National%20Running%20Day%20press%20release_final.pdf (press release)

http://www.runningday.org/index.asp (website)

I was just wondering if the runners of (insert company name here) are being patronized with a free day off? It seems as if I run for 4-5 hours on a Saturday for training, that maybe I should be granted 8 hrs to run for National Running Day. Please let me know your thoughts.....

Sincerely,
(insert your name here...or your least favorite co-worker who would never be seen running unless a vegetable were chasing him)

Feel free to use this template to try and get a free day off. If your boss doesn't seem amused...NO FEAR!!! Just wait till September when National "Run AT work Day" comes around. At least it involves the word "work"...you may have a better shot with that one.

Also we are now open to suggestions for the "theme of 2010". So far the only suggestion has been "The rest is still unwritten..." coming from the lyrics of this song...
Unwritten by Natasha Beddingfield (aka theme from "the hills")
I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

To me that seems like a perfect theme for 2010 in which we will be leaving our theme of "being hood" behind. I know..everyone is just as sad as we are to see it end....but i think 2010 will be about going above and beyond hood. Things that we can't even imagine right now while were still running the ghetto. If you have any other suggestions for what the theme of 2010 shall be...leave it in the comments section....but I see it being a year of opening doors...trying new things...living the rest of our lives...leaving the hood ...getting clean.... :)

Hotlanta

2009-06-01T14:45:00.002-04:00

So this weekend I concluded my two month tour of Cleveland with a nice job offer. I promptly packed up and headed south to Cincinnati to visit one of my bffs (Dani). We had a great time sipping wine on her bf's rooftop deck and enjoyed delicious sandwiches brought by Mama Jill. I had to get new stents placed in my heart after suffering a broken heart due to the cavs big loss..booo hooo. I then made my way down to HOTlanta where the temps were in the triple digies....eeeeek! No worries...my hotel is not ghetto this time. I will be spending a month here familiarizing myself with why I don't want to have kids (AKA OB rotation delivering 60 babiez a day).

Still trying to decide what job I want....the saga/stress continues. I've gone into what I call "de-conditioning"...(aka getting out of shape) while studying for my boards. Only one month left of this hell...thank the lord. I do plan to start running again while in Atlanta. You may find me melted on the pavement...I wouldn't be surprised.

2 year anniversary

2009-05-25T09:29:00.002-04:00

I can't believe its been 2 years since I got married!!! (The actual day is the 27th..but we celebrate it Memorial weekend..since it fell on the 27th the year we got married). I'm sure some of you remember this disaster from last years anniversary. No worries..I didn't try to re-create our cake again. This time we went out to dinner at this fabulous restaurant called Pier W. Its literally hanging off a cliff over Lake Erie with beautiful views of Cleveland and excellent food to accompany it.

Food was phenom! Hubby had filet and alaskan king crab legs..it was to die for. A lot of their fish from Alaska was caught the day before. Usually it takes about a week for the fish to get from Alaska to the diners mouth. Luckily our chef had a connection :) Here are some pictures of us before we left...

So I guess as the tradition was started last year...I'll follow up this year with what we've accomplished during our second year of marriage

1)Finished up first year of graduate school
2)Sold the mustang convertible and bought an Acura (since I decided to move back up north...convertibles dont go in snow)
3)Took a trip to Denver, Colorado and ran the skirt chaser rac3
4)Started my first grad school rotation outside of Savannah
5)Lost my Dad..picked myself back up..and continued moving around the country every month by myself to do clinicals
6)Moved all our belongings from Savannah to Ohio
7)Hubby transferred to Ohio with his job...yay!
8)Ran the disney marathon
9)Ran a bunch of races in Georgia...got 2nd place in my age group for one of them :)
10)Hopefully in a week I'll be able to tell you that I got a job..haha
11)Spent more time away from each other than we did together..... :(

The second year of marriage has definitely been crazy...but then again so was the first...haha. I'm hoping the third one is much more calm with some rewards for all the hard work we've been doing.

Heres a few wedding photos :

read this

2009-05-19T14:58:00.003-04:00

Read this post from Ericas blog. It's amazing...

Its all the words in my head that I can't get out on paper without sounding like a weirdo. When engineers try to get "deep" it can produce some pretty scary things..so I leave it to other people. All of this is so true..and I often find myself stuck in these ruts. Ever since losing my Dad..I've been much better about having the right focus in life. Its so easy to sit and tell you to enjoy life, enjoy people not things..focus on others and you will find that you have much more than when you focus on yourself..etc. ..etc...etc... I can say it over and over again..but until you go through something life changing...you don't get it. Even I dont get it...or sometimes I forget. Its so sad that it takes losing something to cherish the rest of whats left...but God works in mysterious ways. Take some time to have a little purpose in your life.....

I took care of a guy yesterday who lost his 36 yr old wife to a garage fire in January. He has 3 small children...and his wife was the good smaritan of the town. She actually died while trying to start up her snow plow to plow all the neighbors driveways that morning. They had 3 young kids..and I'm sitting there telling this guy the ins & outs of anesthesia..and he starts telling me about his wife. I completely understand this because I found myself telling all sorts of strangers about my Dad...for some reason some people it helps them to talk about it...and others would rather not. I felt so helpless...that all I could do was put a little "cocktail" in this guys IV to make him forget his pain for a few hours. I was lucky I could even do that...

...I wish there was more I could do.....but putting someone out of their misery for a few hours and taking away fear and pain is a great thing.....I have a good job

You can take the runner out of running...

2009-05-18T15:33:00.004-04:00

But you can't take the running out of the runner! Wow..are you confused? so am I! Anyway..last week I didn't make it out to run for 4 straight days. By the 5th day I realized that I needed to get out and run or I was going to kill myself. I had gone on a few 2+ mile walks...but ughhh..not the same as pounding pavement. Luckily I recognized how big of an issue it was before committing myself to a mental institute. Even though my runs right now are just enjoyable little 3 milers...it keeps me sane. I crave it.. I need it...I can't function without it. I need the sunshine, the breeze, the smell of fresh cut grass...the feeling of hitting the pavement...heavy breathing...sweat dripping...etc. It is who I am..and I cannot be without it..for more than 3 days.

These next 6 weeks are going to fly by...then God will kindly hand me my life back. MY life....of course it will be a completely different life than the one I used to have...but as long as its completely different than the one I have now..I'll be happy. I'm so focused on this board exam and figuring out where I want to work that I can't imagine what it will be like to be a real person again. Ive been in college 7 years now...S E V E N. I hope I don't have the same reaction to "not being a student anymore" as I did to "not being able to run."

How Bout Them Apples

2009-05-10T13:12:00.002-04:00

So Friday we did "trampoline night"..a.s I had mentioned previously. This weeks episode included different dance moves on the trampoline including the lawn mower, walk like an egyptian, the funky chicken dance, electric slide, and macarena! I know...you are so sorry you missed it! hahaha

Saturday I got a call from the hubby saying he was at my Dads favorite bar (Stop 45). A few hours went by...and Mom and I decided to go "bust him" like we used to do to my Dad. So we walked to the bar (1.5 miles)with the puppy and busted him with his friends. While we were there, it seemed like fun watching the Cavs game, so we decided to walk back home and change clothes. Only to walk back to the bar again....you get the drift. Once we got to the bar we had a few drinks followed by an Irish car bomb. I saw some people I knew from high school (I live in a small town..all the bars are like a high school reunion on weekends)...and proceeded to get pretty smashed. We decided it would be best to walk home....and sober up haha. We told funny stories about my Dad the whole way home..shed a few tears...drank many glasses of water..and headed to bed. It was best for everyone that we make it to bed by midnight with some hydration on board. I just think its funny that we walked to and from the bar TWICE. The neighbors were looking at us strange since we had completely changed outfits...

Hoping to make it out for a nice little run today. Sadly my mileage is like 3 miles a few times a week. But I'm just glad to get out there and breathe some fresh air. I should start a countdown for Boards to be over....or will that make it seem to creep by?

Golfers are lucky

2009-05-06T17:46:00.002-04:00

I'm sure youre thinking "yeah...golfers are lucky...they swing the shit out of a stick and then get carted around beautiful country clubs to go find the ball". Rough life right? Well the golfers at this hotel are ESPECIALLY lucky! I seem to keep forgetting that this hotel is at a country club. More importantly...I keep forgetting that eventhough I am taking an elevator to my room...its really eye level with the golf course. So everyday when I come blasting through the door and can't wait to change into comfy clothes (bc scrubs are soooo uncomfortable..!?) I rip down my pants and look up to see a golf cart flying by...or some old man tryin to put the ball. EEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!! Thank god most old man golfers have cataracts or I'd be in biiiiiiiiiig trouble mister!

Its all about picking yourself up

2009-05-04T14:46:00.004-04:00

I had a nice little weekend that included a LOT of studyin! I was anxiously ~~dreading~~ awaiting my new rotation that starts today. This new rotation is about an hour commute as I had mentioned before....and the first day at a new hospital always sucks ass! Well last night I ended up having nightmares alllllllllll night about when my Dad passed away. It was a pretty traumatic event in my life..but I have NEVER had nightmares like this before. I obviously don't want to go into detail...but there was one good point to it. In this re-hash of the tragedy...I actually got to say goodbye. I hugged my Dad over and over again and told him what a good Dad he was and how much I love dhim...something that I never got to do the first time. I'm not sure what you believe..but some people feel that when their loved ones come to them in dreams..that it's really their spirit. If thats the case...I actually woke up feeling like I got to say goodbye....yet that good feeling was definitely washed out by all the other horrible images/feelings from the dream.

So I pulled my butt outta bed at 4:30...got ready..and got in the car. I cried the whole way to the hospital...and literally all the fear I had in me whenit all first happened...came right back. It was almost like re-living the whole thing again. I was afraid to reach down and pick up my cell phone...for fear that someone was going to grab my arm from under the bed (no jokes...this is how i was the first time around..i thought there were boogie men in every corner). I was afraid to open the door and let the cat in..for fear that someone was going to run in the house and kill me. All these feelings that I was so happy to get rid of during the healing process, came right back since I basically relived the whole event the night before.

I luckily got to the hospital 35 minutes early and drove straight to the drug store. I bought all new make-up and sat in the car for 20 minutes wiping the black streaks off my face and reapplying eye shadow, foundation etc. It never makes a good impression when you walk into a hospital (and potential job opportunity) and looked like you just got hit by a mascara truck. I blew my nose..probably would have put cucumbers on my eyes if I had a tiny bit more time...and pulled myself together to walk into the new hospital. I busted my ass all day taking care of patients, learning the new routines, figuring out where they keep the supplies, and keeping my head up. I skipped breaks...didn't get to eat lunch...and just kept plugging along with a big ole fake smile on my face.

WHen I finally got to leave and get in my car for the journey home..I realized how strong I am. I thought about the endless times I've had to scrape myself off the pavement and put on a smiling face for these stupid clinicals. To stand there at the hospital in the midst of strangers that haven't a clue about what I'm going through. Each time I think of how many people would have quit...would have just turned the car around this morning and said "fuck it"...and I felt proud to be who I am.

It's so easy to criticize yourself...oh I need to lose 10 lbs...eww..I have a zit...I'm not good enough..etc. etc. etc. But when the world chews you up and spits you out...and stomps on your face...do you get up with a smiling face and say "Good morning JOhn...I'm Christine from anesthesia..I'll be taking care of you today!"....I know I do....and I do it with my makeup still perfectly applied :)

Cardiovascular Physiology & Anesthesia here I come

2009-05-02T09:03:00.002-04:00

Ewww..I'm going to try to get through all my cardio stuff this weekend as far as board studying goes. I also hope to run and lift both today and tomorrow. Starting Monday I am at a new hospital that is about 45 mins- 1hr away (ughh). HOWEVER...I pricelined a hotel for $50 for two of the nights to cut down on commute time and increase studying productivity. I was pleasantly surprised that the quail hollow resort accepted my bid! What a treat for $50 a night!!! Now I'm kinda excited and might do that for all 4 weeks I'm there.

Also lately we have been enjoying walking to my brothers house (he lives on a golf course about 2 miles away) on Friday nights. I think we might make this a new family tradition..but we walk over there...wait for it to get dark...we all wear those glowing neon bracelets and necklaces and jump on the trampoline with the kids. Of course there is alcohol involved as well for the adults. Then after everyone is all tuckered out...we order pizza and my hubby & brother jam out on the guitar. I feel like traditions are what keeps a family together sometimes. ANd what a FUN summer tradition? Friday night Pizza & Trampoline fun! Unfortunately last nights weather spoiled it for us..and my hubby is out of town.

Also.....keep my buddies running the Flying Pig Marathon in mind this weekend! Danielle is going for a BQ time! Leave her some encouraging comments...shes going to rock it out!

Scrap that.....

2009-04-27T20:10:00.000-04:00

Just went for a 6.5 mile run by the lake....beautimous...

so little time

2009-04-27T18:35:00.002-04:00

I haven't had much time lately to update...whoopsies! But life has been busy with baby shower planning ( & executing)...studying...scheduling (my schedule for next month changed about 7 times in one week..final verdict..I'll be in Cleveland next month)...job searching...etc.

Notice you didnt see running in there? I have only been running 3 days a week to do al the other extra curricular activities that have taken over. It happens to all of us...we get obsessed...then life gets in the way. No worries..when June 26th comes around I'm about to punch the daylights out of "life" and bring back running...bringin sexy back! But in the interim..I'll continue updating just so you know I'm alive :)

FRIES DAY...FOTOS

2009-04-17T20:31:00.005-04:00

Finally..Friday at last! This week was filled with open heart surgeries, lots of studying, not as much working out, and not enough sleep. Heres how I capped off the week...

Ran 1.5 miles to my high school...ran laps around the track with running up and down the bleachers 8 times in between the laps...then ran 1.5 miles home. The weather was absolutely glorious and the run was great. Then afterwards...I took Bentley to do this!
How refreshing! This week will be filled with studying, running, lifting, slides. I swear my life is like doing repeat runs..or living re-run television shows. No worries though..as soon as June rolls around I will be exciting again :)

In other news..I got floor seats to take my 12 yr old niece to go see Taylor Swift for her Birthday. I know I know..I'm the best aunt eva...!! :)

Change of gears

2009-04-13T17:17:00.002-04:00

My life has quickly changed from running mode to school mode. Our board exam crept up on me like a little quiet mouse and will be taking over my life for the next couple months. Running will be ramped down to a few 3-4 milers a week to keep a base. Maybe a longer run on the weekends 5-10 miles. I'm continuing to lift..however I might try to go to higher reps and less weights. My arms are the size of texas and are starting to scare me.

I also got some bloodwork done and found out I have over-active thyroid?!?! WHAT??? This thing I was always jealous of other people having...I suddenly have and don't want it! Anyone else looking for an overactive thyroid? I have one...free to a good home...must pick up. (No worries..I got the anesthesia part..you just need a knife).
Make it go away...I don't want to get it zapped with radiation. Maybe thats the reason my neck grew an inch? Maybe I'm growing a HUGE goiter...ahhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Happy Birthday TO meeeee

2009-04-09T19:53:00.002-04:00

So today I turned 25. YIKES! I'm a quarter of a century old..I'm halfway to 50..I'm now officially part of the "mid twenties" club..and officially get a car insurance discount. (However that doesn't mean that I drive any safer..so look out). I had a great birthday..the weather was beautiful, I got out of work way early, had dinner with my Mom and Hubby, went for a two mile walk in the beautiful sunshine with my pup..it was just perfect. The only thing missing was my Dad :( I had the cutest voicemail from him last year saying "I wanted to sing you a little Birthday song..if you want to hear that song..give me a call back!". Somehow after he passed away I managed to delete that message..I have NOOOOOOO clue how because I had been saving it for dear life. However I still have a random message from him telling me that Hubby's car is blocking his in the driveway...haha.

So there ya have it..I'm now an Old runninduff! Older & Wiser :) Lookin forward to the weekend..been gettin my butt kicked at the hospital all week. Daylight savings is crampin my style because I can't go to bed at 7:30 anymore..its still light out :( haha

My first DNS...and a fat neck..

2009-04-06T16:24:00.004-04:00

Well I woke up Saturday to 35 degrees and 40 mph winds. Despite that..I still got up early and got myself ready for the race. I completely under dressed...just wearing some puma pants and tech shirt and sweatshirt. When I got to the race everyone was dressed like eskimos with hats, mittens, scarves, ...basically all I could see was their eyes. Ok but first...I drive out to the race. Its 35 minutes away and I gave myself an extra 15 minutes to get there. This was a very small race held at the local Metroparks...and when I pulled up to the location there was no parking to be found ANYWHERE! I ended up driving about 2 miles away to find the closest (Safest) parking place and then sprinting the 2 miles to the starting area.

Upon arriving to the race area, I see many runners with numbers similar to mine. PHEW! I made it! I'm standing there alone and freezing (this is the norm since I always run all my races by myself....running buddies? anyone?? ) and the race director says "The 5-k is starting in 10 minutes!!" So I look sorta confused but then look at everyones numbers standing around me and they are exactly the same. You know when you are by people with the same numbers that you can safely assume you are running the same race. WRONG! Turns out the half marathon had already started. BUMMER! So I start heading back to my car all bummed out at my first "DNS" "Did not start"...and I get halfway to my car and realize I should have ran the 5-k. I quickly turn back to see if I could make it to the start...and realize that had already started as well. In the end I got a COLD 4 mile run to and from my car and an hour and 15 min drive out of the deal...oh wait..and a crappy sweatshirt I'll use to ditch at my next race. SWEEEEET!

So to make a long story short...no I didnt run the half marathon. Yes I did try...very hard. It wasn't meant to be :(

Well after coming back to my beloved gym in Ohio...they decided to recheck all my measurements. A quick little background if you havent been following...I got suckered into getting a personal trainer at my gym in January. It is then that I decided to start lifting weights (and quickly got obsessed).
Since January 19
My body fat went from 20.5 to 18.4!! SWEEEEEEET
But my neck grew an inch????? Thats a lot!
Biceps grew .25"
Calfs got smaller?!?...I swear those suckers only keep growing..esp with running and NOW lifting with legs...but apparently they are shrinking?
Everything else was pretty much the same
WEird though..maybe my head got bigger and my neck had to grow to support it?
Next thing you know I'll start gettin these....

EEK! I sure hope not! But I plan to take a nice buff picture sometimes soon to scare off any potential blog stalkers. :)

One last thing..I'm sure you all remember this disaster when I tried to bake a cake for my anniversary!? Well I'm happy to report the situation is getting better...check it out

Should I stay or should I go...

2009-04-03T15:58:00.002-04:00

Theres a lil half marathon thing-a-ma-bobber in town tomorrow. I paid for it..got the shirt...all that jazz. However..the weather is not cooperating here in the hood aka Cleveland. I became a spoiled brat when running in the South and decided to not do races that have bad weather. Thats no fun right? I know..I know. Either way I'm treating it like a fun training run since I havent been running long distances lately. The longest run I've done is 6 miles...and I've been focusing more on speed. I thought for $25 it would be fun to get out there and run a half mary with friends and just up my mileage and go nice and easy. Sooooooooo the question....should I stay or should I go??

Straight up gangsta!

2009-04-03T10:49:00.002-04:00

Ok..this post may make you laugh...may make you cry....may even make you pee your pants....worse case scenario...it may make you bust out your old crack pipe and dust'er off for a lil smokey smokey.

Danielle and I (also known as hot pants) have often had themes for our years. The first 8 years we were friends...we used the theme "Sexy Twins". See below.

Then...that got old. We grew up...we finally actually knew what "Sexy" was...we were sick and tired of trying to please others and declared 2008 the year with the theme "ALL ABOUT ME!!!!!!" All year long we decided to not give an eff...do what we want...say what we want...buy whatever we wanted...if you dont like us...then go away! See below.

Here we are seen with shopping bags galore...in which we together bought 7 pairs of shoes that weekend as well as some designer jeans and whatever the hell else we felt like. ALL ABOUT ME 2008!! ALL ABOUT MEEEEEE!

Well...lets get one thing straight...this theme failed MISERABLY! Maybe it was Gods way of punishing us for being selfish, but not gonna lie, 2008 was the worst year ever for BOTH of us. Bad relationships...Bad moves...Big losses...Stressed..Broke...Unfulfilled...Unhappy...ain't nothin good about 2008. OK fine..some good things came out of it too...like running my first marathon, half marathon, 5k, 10k, getting an awesome tri bike, starting a blog, meeting some new friends and surviving. I'll repeat...*surviving*. Between the two of us we moved 7 times and lived in the following: Chicago, Sarasota, Cincinnati, Savannah, Atlanta, Cleveland & Gainesville. Then 2009 came along...what next? I mean we did th sexy twin thing...did the "all about me" theme...what could we possibly do to change things up and ensure an awesome 2009?

I know were a little late on our theme...not exactly. We've been doing it all along..just never went public with it. But now its time to keep it real!.....so here it is gang.

2009 is HOODRATS FOR LYFFEE! GANGSTA!!!
You got it...down right ghetto hood rats with gangsta names and all. See below.

Here we are seen as "Double Deezy & Chizzle Nizzle"...please refer to us as this for the rest of 09.

Why hood you ask? Well...we work on a hood point system. When we do something "hooood"...we get hood points. Obviously there are different amounts of points depending on how hood it is. Lets say for instance...I drive by a car that is purple on 25 inch rims..I take a pic of it..send it to Double Deezy..and she writes back saying "HOOOD!" 2 points! Where else can you get points for doing things like skipping out of work, ditching your running group, sagging your scrubs in the OR, and drinking too much? Really its a great system that rewards you for things you might otherwise be embarassed about.

So I know everyone has a lil hoodrat in them. What have you done that's hood? Check here to find out your gangsta name and leave it in the comments section (FYI..Deezy's name is really Cow-Tippin Monkey Hunta..shhhhh)

Pretty funny...we try to outdo each other all the time. We even hope to run a race together with our gangsta names..and maybe even take some shot bloks!! SOOOO HOOOOOD! Basically when life gets us down..we get hood on it. We get our gangsta lean on and keep going....during races, jobs, training, dating, marriage, etc. Basically hoodrats make it through the toughest of situations. They may not always make it look pretty...but they forge ahead and when all else fails..they get downright dirrrrty! So really...being hood is a great way to live...unless you end up with a cap in yo ..nevermind.

Disclaimer: This is not an attempt to make fun of anyone. Its a joke on ourselves. The truth is..we are not hood at ALL! I had to photoshop out the backgrounds of our pics since it included things such as wine racks, candles etc. We are probably the least hood people on the planet of the earth... Either way...we be keepin it real...in 2009

Coming Clean

2009-04-01T08:43:00.002-04:00

OK! I'm finally facing my own worst enemy......myself! I decided to CUT THE CRAP and start eating CLEAN! I used to be soooooo good about it and maintained a 25 lbs weight loss for 5 years flawlessly. Then a bunch of stress, unfortunate life events, therapy through exercise has turned me into a food monster..

So I decided enough is enough! The more I worked out...the hungrier I became (wow! really?..)..and I was overeating for the amount I was burning. Running and lifting has boosted my metabolism sooo much that it just makes me ravishing all the time. Not necessary a bad thing...but the bad part was the food choices I was making. Processed, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, frozen, microwavable, carbs, carbs, carbs, coookies in the lunch room etc. DONE-ZO! NO MORE! Luckily I have discovered some awesome food bloogs in the process which have given me some amazing ideas of how to incorporate veggies. Yes I'm like a child..you have to essentially "sneak" them into food.

So here is what a NEW typical day of food has been looking like
-Oatmeal & Coffee (surprise surprise) (1/2 c oats, 1 scoop protein, 2 Tbsp PB powder, Dash of granola on top)
-Tomato Basil wrap with egg whites, spinach, 1 Tbsp hummous, cheedar cheese
-Basil Pesto Tilapia, Baked sweet potato, Piece of sprouted rye toast

The conclusion? Its amazing....when I eat clean..I stay more satisfied! DUHHHH! I know all this stuff about food but I just choose to ignore it to let myself grab ~~twelve~~ one more cookie! But I'm back on the wagon..If I want to get better at racing I need to fuel my body with the proper nutrients. Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels..thats my story and I'm stickin to it. No more dirty..clean eating for me. (No that doesn't mean I can only eat cookies that haven't fallen on the floor)

Other news...with my recent coffee obsession I decdied to get one of these for my B day
When I decided to start liking coffee..I also declared that I was a coffee snob. I could not deal with filters, grinding, etc. I immediately turned into a starbucks girl that had to have fresh brewed coffee at an instant with no mess. This little Keurig guy was the PERF solution. Instant cup of coffee in 30 secs...any flavor I want..any time..and I can even grind coffee and put it in there if I don't want to use a K-Cup. (Ok..like I would really do that..after all this is why I got it in the first place). Even my mother who was all "Anti"..became suddenly obsessed when she realized how late for work she was and she could get an awesome cup of coffee in the blink of an eye. LOVE IT! Costco has a great deal on them...check it out!

And other sad news...I didn't win the san fran womens marathon lottery :( :( BOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO! I didn't win the lottery that makes you pay if you win! Maybe NYC will turn in my favor? Or maybe I'm meant to tackle a 70.3? my fate is in the hands of the new yorkers....SCARY! haha

Smell the roses?

2009-03-30T10:23:00.003-04:00

It's spring break but there are no roses! However...my allergies are still insane! I thought it would be better in the O-H-I-O..boy was I wrong.

So I'm sure you're all DYING to know what I'm doing for spring break right? Too bad I spent 10 hours driving in the WRONG direction this weekend (from South TO North). But I was so excited to see my family and puppy that I couldn't wait to get out of Georgia. I have a little list of things I'd like to accomplish this week..so I'll put it on my blog and that way I am kept accountable

- Finish inputting my case logs for school (this will take forever)
- Get my chapter summaries done for next month
- Create my next senior seminar presentation
- Job interview on Tuesday...
- Program spare key on new car
- Get new license with new last name with new age (scary!! I'm turning 25 very soon!)
- Finish switching all my other stuff over to my new name
- Celebrate hubby's b day
- Possibly run a half marathon (weather depending)
- Workout everyday
- Take puppy to the Dog Park (hopefully when its not SUPER muddy..bc then I'll have to add Puppy Bath to this list)
- Visit my Dad...we have some long overdue chats..and I missed him on St Pattys Day..never too late to celebrate :) Maybe I'll drink a green beer with him at the cemetery..haha..how funny would that be?
- Enjoy some relaxation, sleeping in, & middle of the day chats with hot pants

So there ya have it! A week goes by quick..hopefully I can accomplish all of this haha I better get started now!

p.s. add this...mail in my evals from last month

You know you are a runner when...dot dot dot...

2009-03-27T18:06:00.002-04:00

The plumber comes to fix your toilet...and says
"Have you been running lately?"

I give him a weird expression and say... "My toilet's running!??"

He then looks around and says "No..YOU!..."

Of course there are scattered race numbers, "City Sports" bags, running shoes, age group medals (60 & over..yes!!)...scattered all over my room...so I quickly respond "Yea..I do a little running here and there"

EEEK!! What do you have in your room that labels you "runner"? I even have a box of safety pins...Aleve...water bottles...protein bars, drinks, etc.

Anyway...I'M DONE WITH PEDIATRICS!!! WAHOOOOOOOOOO! Did NOT enjoy this rotation AT ALL! I dunno what it was...but I didn't like it. The kids were cute though...not cute enough to make me ever want to work at a Childrens Hospital. Tonight I'm going to go workout..finish packing up my stuff..then Homeward bound.

And one other big thing!! ITS SPRING BREAK!! I get a week off...be jealous :)

The little oat girl...

2009-03-25T17:23:00.002-04:00

So this girl did some strange things while in Atlanta. When I come home...my family is going to think someone kidnapped me and brainwashed me. While living in this lovely city for a month...I indulged in 2 things that I completely despised my entire life!
1) Oatmeal
2) Coffee

How weird is that? And its not like I just tried it once or twice and decided it wasnt soooo bad. I freakin ate/drank it every single day! How does that happen? You go from ~~HATING~~ despising something...to feeling like you absolutely positively cannot go a day without it.In fact....I finished an entire can of oats while I was here..and broke my rule of "No More Grocery Trips Before I Move" because I was in a panicked state that I couldn't have oatmeal. This is freakin nuts! Has this ever happened to you? I mean I know they say "its an acquired taste" but seriously?

Also the allergies have been absolutely insane here! I can't breathe, my throat is raw..i wake up everytime I have to swallow..my head is pounding. For proof that I'm not just being a whiner...this is what was next to my car this afternoon...

POLLEN ATTACK!!....so because I've been feeling so miserable..I took monday and tuesday off running and today I only did 2.5 miles. Tomorrow I plan to do 5 miles no matter what..and make myself suck it up even if I'm not feeling well. OVER IT!

Only 4 more days....

2009-03-23T17:29:00.002-04:00

So as most of you know..I haven't seen my hubby or puppy since February. I have been living a solitary life in a hotel in a city in which I don't know anyone..working at a hospital in which I don't know anyone...and running races secretly as a 60 yr old...again...where I know not a soul. Why does it turn out that when I have 4 more days here...I find out I knew someone here...who was also running DIFFERENT races...by herself? WHY? Why do things work like that? A girl from college happens to be in Atlanta doing her pharmacy rotations here this month..and just so happens to have run a different 5k last weekend. Neither of us knew we were here..until of course...the month was about over. Ughh! Also I just NOW found where the good running trails are...just NOW found where a track to do sprint workouts is....and can finally get to the hospital and gym without my Garmin. Of course...now its time to go. I guess its good I'm coming back here in May & June because I now know how to rock out the ATL!

Also..I'm trying to finish out my last 4 days on whatever groceries I have left. Things are about to get verrrrrrrry interesting in this little hotel of mine. Things I have left to work with
- celery (eek..its a little old..)
- cheese
- few Tbsp of peanut butter (yes I went through a whole small jar in one month)
- Strawberry preserves
- Cinnamon/Raisin mini bagels
- Egg & Cheese lean pockets
- Oats
- Milk
So today I tried PB & J Oatmeal! I'm sure many of you eat this all the time..but being a newcomer of oatmeal (hated it for 23 years)..it was new to me! Also for breakfast I had PB & J on a cinnamon raisin mini bagel! Life will come to a hault when I finish up those last few Tbsp of PB..I will then be eating celery and cheese on a mini bagel! EEEEK! (this may be a good diet trick....)

One other thing...I mentioned earlier that I threw my name in the hat for some lotteries (San fran 1/2 marathon, NYC full marathon). Well...depending on the results of these lotteries..will decide my fate this fall. I was tossing around the ideas of those two races as well as a possible half ironman in November (Beach 2 Battleship). I think my plan is to see if I get into any of these events...and if not...the 1/2 Iron is ON! So...I'll know very soon about the san fran...won't know until May about NYC..but either way I couldn't jump FULL force into Iron training until after I take the board exam (June 28th). So all of this timing works out! Also my plan with tri training is a little different and was wondering if I could get some opinions. I was going to swim 2500 m once a week (I grew up a swimmer...swimming comes easy to me..however I have a shoulder with 6 screws in it..and so if I swim too much..I'll be hosed..) And then I was planning to do one long bike a week..and one brick a week. So essentially I would be swimming once, biking twice, and running 4 times. I feel like this is probably the only way the training would work for me....but will this work for the race? Any suggestions welcomed...all you hard core triathloners!

You have GOT to read this...

2009-03-21T11:39:00.002-04:00

So...if I told you I was 60 would you believe me??? Keep that question in mind....

The Operation Homefront 5K run for the troops....Race Report...Extravaganza..Disaster..Triumph...Victory....Defeat...

Those are the words that describe todays race..sounds interesting right? Keep reading!

I woke up multiple times in the middle of the night wanting to forfeit the race..I was exhausted...sore from all the weeks workouts...sleep just sounded sooo much better!

Despite all odds...I pulled my butt out of bed (with a little help from the bursting bladder)...and figured if I was up to go to the bathroom...I might as well be up to run a 5k! Easy enough right?

Driving there made me realize right away a sub 25 would not happen. My car was complaining to me about the hills...so I knew my lungs wouldn't be happy either. In the end...as long as I could get a new PR I would be happy.

We walked up a hill to start the race and then took off. You would think that walking UP a hill would mean a fast start going downhill!?! Wishful thinking right? Somehow we started climbing right off the bat. I did my best to power up the hills and let my self recover a little bit once I got up them as to not completely whack out my heart rate. This one girl with a goarmy.com shirt passed me and I decided to just draft off her the whole race...then with about .5 mile left I passed her up on a hill. With about .25 left this girl passed me and looked like she was going strong..and I thought "Awwwww helllll no you dont! You will NOT pass me in the last .25 mile!"...and I just took off like a bat out of hell and sprinted past her and kept sprinting till the end. My splits were as follows :
8:31
8:33
8:45
Finishing time was 26:31 for a pace of 8:32 which is good for a PR by 36 seconds (which is GREAT considering that PR was set on a flat course) I decided to stick around for the awards since I didn't see too many girls ahead of me..I thought there was a chance I might win something.

I could hear all the chatter on how tough the course was...and talk about the hills..and traffic (they warned us multiple times about the traffic and risk of dying on the course...sweeeeeeet! The race was to benefit wounded soldiers..however I felt like they were trying to recruit wounded runners). We then planted a tree in honor of all the wounded soldiers and dumped coffee, water, gatorade, baby formula on it. I wouldnt be surprised if the tree is dead tomorrow.

So we get to the womens age group of 20-29 and they call the third place girl with a time of 28:30...Inside I get all excited thinking "YES!! I got 2nd in my age group!" 2nd place girl with a time of "25:40"....wait..what? Did they just skip me? Wait..what age group are we in again? HOLD UP PEOPLE!! WHAT JUST HAPPENED HERE?

So I start talking to myself..Do I say something? Do I walk up and make a scene? Do I care? What do I do??? Then I started thinking...this isn't fair. I'm not fast enough to EVER win an award..and I have a blog..where I could post the picture of me and my award...ahhhhhhh...so I decided to step up and say something. The guy acted like it was a BIG deal that they messed up..and I kept trying to explain it's not that big of a deal..and I quietly disappeared back into the crowd. I figured once they finished announcing the women that he would announce the mistake or something..nope nothing...finishes the guy awards...even finishes the DOG AWARDS!!!..and no mention of runninduff :(

So then I was annoyed..this guy KNEW he messed up...tried to cover it up and let it slip through the cracks..(funniest part..his company was called "Exact Timing"...riiiiggghhhttt)..so I decided to say something. He was able to scrounge up a 3rd place age group medal for the 60 & Over! AWESOME!!!!! (being super sarcastic here). Never announced it to anyone.....and I had to ask to get my picture taken with my 60 & OVER medal! ANYONE could get 3rd place in the 60 and OVER group! Ughh..so frustrating. So by the end I felt extremely stupid...for making a big deal out of a stupid 5k...but at the same time I felt sooo slighted. I know if he would have admitted the mistake to everyone I probably would have walked away and never thought anything of it. It was the fact that I never got ANY recognition for poppin lungs out there on those hills....

Ok....and secretly the worst part. The girl who walked away with MY medal was the girl that I decided to beat this time because she wore tights with stirrups on them and running shorts over them. The whole combo was making her out to be some super duper professional runner..and I just KNEW I had to beat her. The best part...I never even saw her as I finished 2 minutes ahead of her...but wait...who has the medal? She does! I think that made it worse....

So...here it is...in all its glory!! My 60 & Over award....

Am I sad I didnt break 25 minutes? Yes..however this was NOT the course to do it on. The 20-29 GUYS division first place winner ran 25:56 only 30 seconds faster than me. Does it make me want to run a sub 25 on a flat course even more? Yes!...I can't wait to get back to O-Hi-O and do it! I need to check this goal off the list. Did the world stop since I didn't conquer my goal? I don't know...my clock is still ticking...so I guess not haha.

I will post the final stats when the race results are up.....although I'm sure they will be all screwed up and say I ran a 3 hr 5k..so much for "exact timing"...they didnt even use chips...what a joke!

Foto Friday

2009-03-20T17:30:00.005-04:00

Heres a lil pic from the last race I did! I thoroughly enjoyed myself despite the rainy weather. I am crossing my fingers to run a sub 25 tomorrow....can I do it? Will the world end if I don't?? Stay tuned to find out........hahaha

Also..I have had interest in the protein bar wrapper, a taker for the 2 pink highlighters, and a question on the quench gum. Anyone want the half used deodrant or anesthesia book? Come on people!!! These are GOOD Giveaways! Especially for all you runner anesthesia students out there ;)

Another week down...one week left until I get to move back to Ohio and see my family again! I havent seen the hubby since the end of February...same with the puppy :(

Since I titled this "Foto Friday" I will leave you with some fun and silly pics of me through the years...

Its almost friiiiiday!

2009-03-19T19:41:00.002-04:00

SO lately it seems that everyone has been giving away stuff on their blogs...like really cool stuff I would love to have *hint hint*...So I was thinking about what I could give away..and started looking around my hotel room: Here is what I came up with...let me know if anyone is interested...

1) 2 pink highlighters
2) An anesthesia book
3)2 pieces of quench gum (no worries..it hasn't been chewed yet)
4) Half stick of deodrant (unfortunately this HAS been used)
5) A protein bar wrapper

Now if you are interested...just let me know...I'd be glad to send one of the items to any ~~victim~~ winner of choice haha

But seriously..how do you people get all this cool stuff to give away? I am majorly missing out..or not cool enough to have a popular blog with sponsors...any advice is appreciated!!

Today I ran a 5k on the treadmill in 24:30 which is a record for me...buttttttt its on the treadmill. We all know on Saturday morning I will get slowed down by the "heels" of Georgia. Sooo...because I'm absolutely positively terrified of failure and putting myself out there...I'm going to do just that. I want to run a sub 25 on Saturday. EEEEEEK! I'm going to do it! Eeeek....I'm scared...what if I cant do it? It absolutely killed me to run the 24:30 on the flat treadmill...I was dying. What if I cant do it?? See this is what happens..I get all scared I might fail and wimp out. Breathe...1..2...3...deep breaths...I can do it...Danielle said I can...Holly said I can do anything...I can do it!! right??

Today I had an evil 17 y.o patient say "If you stick me one more time I'm going to F#C#K%N@ kill you!" Who says that to a surgeon and anesthesiologist that are about to render them unconscious and put a scalpel to their skin? Who does this kid think she is? It seriously disturbed me...so we told her to not talk nasty/quit the death threats and she said "i'm not a nice person..I never have been." What possibly could have hardened this child sooo much by the age of 17? It just really boggled my mind...

Little Updater...glaciers here we come!

2009-03-17T21:41:00.006-04:00

Today was no fun..I'll just leave it at that! haha

But after work I kicked my assssss at the gym. I seriously put a whoopin on myself... Ran 5 miles in 41:30 (yay! new record for me) 8:18 pace then did chest, back and core. My trainer walked by and caught me staring off into space and was pleased with how soaked my shirt was! haha Then I joked that I ran into the bathroom real quick when I saw him earlier and doused myself with water to make it look like I was working hard. Either way.....verdict is...hes going to kick my ass tomorrow :) Saweet :)

Also I think I might do a 5k this weekend...I'm seriously addicted friends. I dunno what it is..but I just want to race race race!!!!! Its fun exploring Atlanta that way and meeting new people in this BIG city. However I don't know which one I want to do. There is a womens one where they give you a flower at the end for $27, or one to support the troops where they take your picture at the end for $20....or one for a scholarship for someone girl that died for $25...any thoughts? haha I was thinking the support the troops one...you get a shirt too.

One other cool thing...Hubby and I booked a cruise to Alaska for when I'm done with school. Exciting right? I have always wanted to go to Seattle and the cruise leaves from there and then "cruises"on up to Alaska. I can't waiiiiiiiiit to see humpback whales and bears oh my! But more importantly..I can't waiiiiit to be done with school! haha.

Like I said...little updater....still thriving off the endorphins from this weekend...ahhhh...so much better than drugs I tell ya :) (not as good as ice cream though)

p.s. check out Sarah's sweet food blog if you want a chance at winning Jillians Shred DVD! Plus get awesome ideas on great snacks :)

Also check out Run TO the Finish 's blog for a giveaway on youbars. These things look AWESOME!! YOu get to create your own workout bar..or shake! SWEET

10K PR!!! PR!!! PR!!! YAY!!!

2009-03-15T10:39:00.008-04:00

Up until today....the 10k was my absolute LEAST favorite race. The first one I ran,the Critz Preservation 10k,was god awful. I started out too fast...dressed too warm...ended up walking...got beat by my arch rival..it was BAD! It left this NASTY aftertaste in my mouth of 10k's. I knew I wanted to do it again..and dispell all negativity of this distance in my head...but the time never came...until TODAY!

The story?....Woke up...POURING RAIN! 40 degrees and absolutely pouring (funny how the last st. pattys race I did started out this way as well). I got dressed, went and got my free breakfast, and off I went. It was fun watching the 5k guys finish and I sorta got those chills that races give you sometimes. You know..the ones where you are all excited...yet nervous..yet happy...and you just feel soooo good about being a runner. As I was lost in the moment...I see "her". Who is "her"?? The one that I decided I MUST beat! Why you might ask? Because her pants didn't fit right. Yes I said it. They weren't capris...they weren't pants...you know the ones that hit right at your ankle!? Its like WTF were you thinking when you bought those? sorta like these..but they were running pants (and not tights...tights would be fine)

So anyway...it wasnt just the pants....she also had this snotty look on her face like she was super cocky. There was something about "her" that I just couldnt stand and decided I MUST beat her (having no idea what kind of pace she ran...coulda ran 6 min miles for all I knew).

The race starts and we immediately start doing the hill thing. Ughhh....one reason I couldn't live in ATL...just toooooo many hills. Once the congestion settles out...I look up the hill and I see "her". Wow I think to myself....we seem to be on similar paces. This race was a double loop 10k meaning you ran the course twice. I felt mentally this could be challenging as I would want to stop at the 5k mark (this never happened)..and surprisingly..I liked it! After running the first loop I sorta knew were the hills were and when I was 'home free' to really pick it up. I think I might keep this in mind for future races...double loops can actually help you since you know the course. ANyway...back to the race.

The first 3 miles went by pretty good...the hills slowed me down a lot...but then I would pick it back up as soon as I felt my breathing was back under control. Every once in a while I would look up and see "her" up there in her little flood pants and pink hat. She was a good 500 feet in front of me the whole time. I noticed I would gain on her on the hills...but then that little brat would pick up speed on the downhills and still be way out in front. This made me even more mad..because I knew that I was beating her on the hills.

As we made our second loop around I started to try and pick it up a bit. I kept thinking of Beth and the one race where she kept repeating "Turn..O..Ver....Turn..O...Ver.." I started doing it too..and it helped keep my feet goin. I kept looking down and I could tell my pace was getting faster...at one point the Garmy said 8:48..which made me SUPER happy and I realized I was running a negative split. Also I had downloaded a bunch of music for the race and never got to it. Made me realize how short a 10k is..haha.

So were onto the final stretch..I keep trying to pick up the pace but I CANNOT gain any speed on this "her". HOW ANNOYING! My lungs are startin to burn a little and I see a little water stop. I decided to stop and walk 2 steps to actually swallow the water so I wouldn't choke and get out of breath. It definitely cost me though because "her" gained ground on me...SHIT! I started to feel a little hopeless...I didn't think I could do it. Then all my mind kept saying is "My Dad would be SOOO proud if I could "chick" this girl..." Luckily they set it up so the finish is a downhill....as I'm running down the hill there is 'her', this other kinda chubby girl in pink I had been battling with..then me. I kept thinking "i'm going to finish one person behind "her"..this sucksss!!!" All of a sudden I took off like a bat out of hell..blew by "chubby pink"...blew by "her"...and crossed the finish line with the BIGGEST smile EVER!

My time was 55:14 which is an 8:55 pace. But that is MORE than 3 min PR!!!!!!! HALLELUJAH!
I got 10/35 for my age group
215/577 overall

mile 1: 8:59
mile 2: 8:53
mile 3: 8:36
mile 4: 8:53
mile 5: 9:01
mile 6: 8:07
not sure on the last .2

I like 10ks :) :) :)....all rumors are dismissed. I also seem to do well in St. Pattys Races that are raining...I'll keep this in mind. I feel great...for getting such a big PR...running hard...and getting a chance to "chick" someone. Also I talked to "her" after the race and said she was an awesome pacer..she turned out to be really nice and not snotty at all...go figure.

Me before the race doing my "Lets get ready to rumble!"...and showing proof that I have indeed been flexing a lot in the mirror....haha

Live in a hotel..you will too...

Weird things you do while living in a hotel

2009-03-14T13:55:00.003-04:00

Living in a hotel can be interesting....i almost think they should do experiments with people and watch how they act while living in a hotel...the results would be surprising

I normally am not one of those people that likes to be naked. I will often be caught in bed with socks on...even a columbia jacket (thanks a lot hubby for keeping our bedroom 60 degrees in the WINTER!). However...since I've been living in the hotel...I find myself hanging around naked quite often. (Thank god I'm not disclosing the location of my hotel)....and it's kinda fun. I can put self tanner on..and not worry about getting it on clothes or getting streak lines. I have never been real great about drying myself off with a towel after showers...so why not just walk around naked for ~~half the day~~ an hour and dry off?? Seems logical to me...

Also I paid to get my laundry done at a dry cleaners and refused to go to a laundry mat. My laundry is still sitting in the bag I picked it up in...and have been living out of it ever since. I have no plans to put it away...it might go back to Ohio in that same bag..still folded..

I run the dishwasher EVERYDAY...haha. They gave me like 3 bowls, 3 plates, 2 forks etc. So I just bought my own dish detergent and run the dishwasher everyday and am too lazy to physically hand wash the dishes.

Eventhough I have plenty of breakfast food..I walk over to the reception place and eat the free hotel breakfast on the weekends... (even had oatmeal today without chocolate in it...are you proud?)

I walk in and drop my keys, wallet, cell phone in the middle of the floor and just leave it there and continue to step over it...just because I can...and no one can see me or judge me or tell me to pick it up.

In addition to the naked part..you can check out your newly acquired muscles in the mirror a lot..without anyone catching you checking yourself out. I find myself flexing int he mirror all the time

You can cry as loud as you want...and no one will hear you....except maybe the person you share a wall with...and then you just say "Man did you see that movie that was on last night about the girl whose husband died? she was crying sooo loud"

Of course the puffy eyes might give it away..haha..and then they will totally think you are a whacko!

Have you ever lived in a hotel? What weird behaviors did you exhibit? haha

Thursday Thirteen

2009-03-12T17:10:00.002-04:00

I had no clue what to title this post...so I decided to come up with 13 things to tell you..since thirteen starts with a "T" and so does "Thursday" ...(and 3 seemed too little..and 30 t00 much.you get the point)

1) I actually had a good day today...these little pediatric monsters aren't sooooo bad afterall.. (more or less the people I'm working with aren't sooo bad...the kids were always cute)

2) The new "shady" trainer actually turned out to be awesome and totally kicked my butt! He was actually a lot better than my trainer in Cleveland (shhh..don't tell Craig). When I got there he had all the equipment we needed pulled out already so we didn't waste time looking for stuff..he had everything written down..he knew how to push me. At the end..he made me run stairs for 5 minutes and he did them with me! ALso...he asked me to help teach one of his bootcamp classes and said he would pay me......saweeeeeet!

3) I signed up for the Hermes 10 miler race in Cleveland after a blogging friend recommended it (its in april!) I think I'm going to bail on the ING half marathon at the end of this month because 1)I've already ran it (the full) 2) its $75 and 3) no one will do it with me...and 4) it has heeeeeeeeels..and put me out of commission for 2 months last year

4) I started liking oatmeal....well sort of. I end up adding banana, peanut butter, and chocolate chips...so is that still oatmeal? But it fills me up a lot (which seems impossible these days)

5) I am now obsessed with Vita Tops..check em out

6) I registered for two lotteries this week (NO I will not be winning any money...actually if i win... I have to PAY money!!!! WTF?) But seriously...I registered for the NYC marathon lottery and the san fran nike womens half marathon......keepin my fingers crossed on both of them

7) The stove at my GHETTTTTO hotel doesnt work..its either on high or off...which means everything gets burnt. As its turned out though...burnt chicken tastes pretty good...I actually think "burnt" is a flavor...there should be a spice called "burnt". I would use it..haha

8)Today someone farted in the operating room and I about peed my pants laughing. Sounds mature right? Well you know how when you AREN'T supposed to laugh...its almost impossible not to? Well I was literally doing everything in my power to not laugh...and in the end just made a big farty fool of myself. Later on I discussed the incident w/ my preceptor and I almost had to get a THIRD pair of underwear from laughing so hard again. He was like "man..he should have known that you have to do a test dose first to find out if its going to make noise...THEN you go for it!" OMG..too funny...yes I'm five years old and I like disney princesses

9) I have to take a board exam in June..and I really should be writing down 13 things about anesthesia right now but umm..I guess I'll do 14 on Friday...procrastinate one more day.

10) Ever since I wrote the "Negative Nancy" Post I have felt amazing. As soon as I hit the "save" button...I felt like a million pounds were lifted off my chest. Not to mention the amazing response from blogosphere! You all made me feel 120398148 times better and I have been feeling great ever since. Amazing what having a blog can do for you......so thanks to everyone for the support

11) I now have an insane list of races I want to run in my lifetime ----> haha..thanks for that too!

12) Its almost St. Pattys Day....I'm super Irish (Thanks Dad!)

13) Isn't 13 supposed to be unlucky? Maybe if I want to win these lotteries I shouldn't be focusing on the number 13....

13.5) to avoid stopping at 13... I added a .5 for you all....which is.....I'm HALF DONE WITH THIS GHETTO PLACE! hOLLa sista soldiers!

Help a sista out!

2009-03-10T17:09:00.001-04:00

Besides for the newly created blog...I also added a list to the right -----> with the future races I want to do (in my lifetime). I would love everyones input of their FAVORITE race they have ever done....and I will be adding a bunch to that list! THANKKKKKKKKKKS in advance!! XOXO!

NERD

2009-03-09T21:22:00.004-04:00

I spent the entire night designing a new background for my blog *as I push up my glasses onto my nose and reach for a tissue in my pocket protector*. I literally placed every pearl where it is...the ribbon..the chandelier...etc. I'm such an idiot...but enjoy! The other one that I found wasn't quite as sophisticated and I couldn't settle on something I didn't make myself to display as my blog. I know...stupid. Dear blogger.com can I please have back 3 hours of my night? You can add it on to Friday night if you wish....Sincerely, Runnin Duff

Imma survivor!!!!

2009-03-06T18:28:00.002-05:00

PHEW! Made it through week one of H-E double hockey sticks! I SUCK AT PEDIATRICS!!! Let me just say this LOUD and CLEAR! IF YOU HAVE CHILDREN THAT NEED SURGERY...KEEP THEM AWAY FROM RUNNINDUFF! haha..I'm just playin. Honestly though..this has been one of the most challenging weeks of my lifeeeeee! I thought I was getting pretty smooth and putting adults to sleep and waking them up...and then my first day of pediatrics I had to take everything I knew ...toss it out the window...and start from scratch.

Now we call "Stretchers" either a) princess carriages or b) choo choo rides. EKG pads are now "stickers". Pretty much anything you see in the operating room on television now either has the word "princess" in front of it..or "space ship"

Johnny ..its ok...this is just a space ship mask!!
Isabelle...dont cry...this is a princess IV!

No joke folks! I also wipe snotty noses...take blows to the face while trying to do a mask induction..and NO! I DONT CHANGE DIAPERS! Thanks for asking though :)

On the running front..I went for an amazing (insert mileage) run today. I forgot Garmy so I'm not sure how far I went..but I ran 50 minutes outside and then went inside to my ghetto fabulous gym and did another 1.5 miles on a 8:20 pace. Pretty sweet right? Well..if you want to think of me as this fit healthy girl...stop reading now. If you want to know the real me.....I followed up this fabulous run with a trip to "Fat girl heaven!". I found this awesome place called "sweet tomatoes salad bar buffet". Sounds innocent right? Well they should have named it "Some salad, mostly pizza and pasta, and lots of cookies & ice cream buffet!" Because that's what it was....oh and a diet coke of course! So it was fun stuffing my face by myself (loser) at this awesome food amusement park and was probably the highlight of my weekend. Awesome right?

Also I signed up for a 10k next weekend ! I'm pretty excited as its st. pattys day themed with green techincal tees. The only thing that's got me worried is the "heeeeeeeels". We know hotlanta...and she has some "heeeeeeels!"....should be fun though! Happy Fryday!

Monday randomness

2009-03-02T17:37:00.004-05:00

Live from HOTLANTAAAAAAAAA!!! HOLLA!!!! Ok...I can officially act ghetto because I will be residing in the most ghetto hotel EVAAAA for the next month. Yes I shower in flip flops...I also turn the lights out and light a candle int he shower so 1) I can't see the grime and 2) it feels more like a day spa vs. my grimy hotel shower and 3) covers up the nasty smell of this stanky place. Ok...everyone let out a big BOO HOOO sob for me...I know...I feel sorry for myself way too often. Oh wait...before I quit complaining...my new gym sucks too. Well I can't say sucks...to most people it would probably be an awesome gym..but I'm totally spoiled with my gym (urbanactive) and this does NOT compare. Not to mention...its all shady...the guy gave me a "deal" and took cash and wrote me a 30 day guest pass..in which I know he just pocketed the money and wrote down that I won a free months pass. SLIMMMMMM SHADYYYYy...minus the slim.

Oh...and my new trainer for the month...also shady...and wants me to pay him under the table eventhough he works for the gym. I just dont have good vibes about this place at allllllll.....

Despite all that...I'm surviving. Today was my first day at the pediatrics hospital working with the little monsters...however I found most of them to be quite cute..esp Trey the downs syndrome kid that liked to show me his muscles and say "Rarrrrrr!"

I broke my previous 5k record on the treadmill with a time of.....................drumroll......26:30...does that count as a PR if its not an official race and its on a treadmill? prob not! haha

The stationary race didn't happen because I wasn't able to get to cincinnati until Saturday. Howevcer, on Saturday I got to see my awesome cousins (Hi Holly!), friend Lizzy and her bf BK!, and hotpants Danielle! (Hi ST!) Thats a lot huh? Then drove down to Atlanta on Sunday in which they were experiencing a BLIZZARd! wHAT????? Blizzard in hotlanta? It was the funniest sight EVA! People were walking around with umbrellas and it was SNOWING! Seriously people...

Anyway...Monday down...that means the week is half over....

Thoughts...

2009-02-25T12:56:00.002-05:00

So lately it seems that running on the treadmill is easier than running outside..>GASP! For one...its usually unreasonably cold outside. My second reason is...now I'm living back home where I grew up (small town). I suddenly realize that going on a 6 mile run means running a loop around the ENTIRE city. The city that when I was younger...seemed like a pretty big place. The city that sometimes my parents complained about driving me to the other side to go to a friends house. So as you can imagine...mentally gearing up for a run around the entire city multiple times a week is pretty taxing on the mind. However....jumping on the treadmill for 40-50 minutes doesn't seem bad at all. Not to mention...the treadmill keeps me on pace..and keeps me getting faster. I find myself running slower paces lately outside. Sooooooooooo......unless I have people to run with....for now....treadmill it is for me. I tend to go in cycles of loving outside..then loving the treadmill..then loving the track...etc. Right now its a treadmill cycle and I'm goin with it!

Stay tuned for the HotPants Stationary Race...."Where you don't have to go anywhere...to get somewhere" haha....Treadmillin it 13.1 baby!

Completely out of my gord....

2009-02-22T09:11:00.004-05:00

Seriously folks! I ...RunninDuff....got up at 6 am today....to go outside in SIXTEEN DEGREES....to run 6.5 miles!!!!!!!! Check my temperature...while it may not be feverish YET (still thawing out)...I gaurantee something is not right in my head...haha. Either way...it was a blast!! and I think I've met some new running buddies..that could be permanent buddies. Whenever I got to this hospital they kept telling me about one of the lady surgeons that runs marathons..and kept saying "you two need to run together" blah blah blah. Well finally she cornered me int he locker room and gave me her e-mail and invited me to go. I sorta ignored the invite for a week...and then finally sent the e mail. I was a little nervous about it because 1) she has a 6 pack... 2) said the words "dont worry...were not fast...we run like 4 hr marathons (last time I checked...4 hour marathons were FAST)...3) I had no clue what to wear in 16 degrees since I've been a wimp all winter and ran indoors. But despite all the adversity...I decided to throw myself to the wolves and test my limits.

Oh one other adverse factor...it rained all day the day before so it was SUPER icy! I totally thought that might be a way to get out of it....but apparently these new running buddies are hard core! And the last thing I need at this point is a broken arm....not so good for job interviews. So off I went...completely overdressed (does this sound familiar)...and we had a blast!! It was absolutely freezing...we did about 6.5 miles...talked..laughed...and kept trucking along. Everytime we would get closer to their house...the lady surgeon kept saying..lets just go to the gas station and back..lets go here and back...kept lengthening the run since she feels guilty about a dinner party she is having tonight and how much she is going to eat. This doesn't work good for me...I'm a very out and back runner. I like to know where my end point is at all times and just keep working towards it. Changing the end point on me was a major mental battle..(3x!)...which I think was good. It helped me keep going when I thought I was done.

So yeah..I'm a complete nut job! Love it though! Next on the running front is that new love affair I've been having with the dreadmill. I dunno what it is..but I've just been really pushing my limits with that guy. The other day I did a 5 mile run in 42:30 which ends up being an 8:30 pace exactly. Last time I checked...that was pretty fast for me! Two days before that I did 4.5 miles in 38:30 so its definitely not a fluke...but the results of some hard work and pushing on my part. The worst part is...I no longer fit in my pants!! Ive been lifting a lot and doing plyometrics as well as these powerful faster runs...and my legs are getting bigger!! What a complete disaster!!!! Someone please help..I'm glad I'm getting faster but I do NOT want big legs...whatsoever. And its not an eating thing either..my diets been good and my abs are getting RIPPED! So frustrating..

Hot Pants Twins are back at it!!!

2009-02-19T18:56:00.003-05:00

So...there is this crazy girl that I've been friends with a long time....and lets just say that one time we put on hot pink pants and decided to run a marathon together. Theres a refresher..not like you could really forget that image anyway. Anyway....we came up with a GR8 (hoodpoints..using 8 in the middle of a word..sorry inside joke) idea to run a half marathon on the treadmill next weekend. Ya see....I will be in Cincinnati and we wanted to go running anyway. Little miss speedy hot pants runs faster than me...so running on the treadmill might be a great option for us....and why not be official and run an official race. Of course one could argue that a 5k distance is an official race....but as Laura says...Go Big Or Go Home! I have a lot of people to catch up with that weekend in Cinci and since I am a slow ass runner and don't want to be on the treadmill half the day...a half marathon is a perfect distance for the hottie pants to run. We fully plan on bringing a large cooler of gatorade to create our own "Aid station"..and maybe even hanging signs on our treadmill to keep us motivated. We might even make some shirts with race numbers......and if anyone at the gym is lucky that weekend.....we might just even bust out the hot pants! Most people hate the dreadmill....as do I...(but not lately...we've been secretly in love)....so what would be more hardcore than running a race one? Besides...many northerners that train for early marathons do more than this on the treadmill anyway. Soooo whaddya think? I would like suggestions for the name of this "race"......entertain me please... haha

Things that make you go "hmmm..."

2009-02-14T17:06:00.004-05:00

So the other night I was on the phone with my cousin Holly....HI HOLLY!! (She reads my blog..) and we were kinda discussing my recent Negative Nancy post. Holly..being the total sweetheart she is...was encouraging and complimenting me on the things I've accomplished. Then she said it....."Chrissy..you can put anything you put your mind to. NO Doubt..if you say you are going to do something...I never question that you will do it" At that point..the wheels started turning and I almost had a side conversation with Holly in my own head.

Me: Holly..really? My Mom always said I could do anything I put my mind to
Holly in my head: Yeah no doubt you can do ANYTHING
Me: Really?? ANYTHING??

And then it started...it had me intrigued. I always knew I could do anything I put my mind to..but I think I sort of forgot. But lately at the gym I've been throwing up some weight that I never thought I could lift just to see if I can...and amazingly...I can! When I used to lift before I was stuck on numbers for instance on leg extension I always use 50 lbs...leg press 100 etc. I might try to increase the amount of reps...but never the weights...because it freaked me out. But now...I started at 100 with leg press...4 weeks ago...this week I threw up 160. Each time I do a weight workout I just stick the peg in some number that I never imagined I could lift...and each time I surprise myself as I do 1..2..3...4...5...6...7...8..9..10..11...12..reps! Its a great thing...and its starting to show...I got myself some little popeye guns!

Anyway...I was sorta thinking...after reading Laura's post and tossing around ideas in my head. Maybe I could do a half ironman this summer!!! Maybe? Nooooooooo.......not maybe.....I CAN!...Holly said so! I believe her...she doesn't lie. Then I was furiously looking up some tri blogs of first timer half ironmans etc. and found a post from a guy who did one and altered his training a bit. See..we all know I have a crappy crappy left shoulder. It is what it is.....I do my best to rehab it....but there are still days where I swear its trying to detach from my body. I had sorta resorted to the fact that I wouldn't be able to accomplish one of my lifelong goals of becoming an Ironman...until now! This guy had a great philosophy...the swim is a very short portion of the half ironman (only 30-40 mins) and therefore isnt worth spending a ridiculous amount of time training for (if you are a decent swimmer). Obviously if you have never swam before competetively or taken a fair amount of swim lessons..you might want to invest some more time developing your gills. But for this girl....who was born half fish....minus a left fin....I think I can skimp a little on the pool workouts. Last year when I started training for triathlons I was trying to swim 2-3 times a week. This guy said all you need to do is swim once a week the full distance you plan to do for the half Ironman (about 2200 yards) and that's all you need. I feel especially with the rehab I've done on my left fin.....my body could handle one 40 minute swim a week. VOILA!

Next point...the bike. The bike is really where you spend the majority of time in a half ironman and we all know this is my weakest subject. He says spend the most time doing BRICK (bike + run) workouts since they are fundamental. You need to see how long it takes you to get your legs back for the run.

One major problem would be the fact that I'm still moving around quite a bit...which makes training difficult....and the biggest of them all....BOARD EXAMS IN JUNE!!! EEEK! But lets remember...I trained for a marathon during the busiest and hardest quarter of school last year. And ALSO...Holly said I could do anything....anything...I put my mind to.

Soooooo....I have been thinking about this...even half picked out a race I want to do. Although I'd really like to do one with someone (ahem Laura). I want to do one that is "drivable" since its super expensive to have your bike shipped places...so this is what I was thinking..The Patriot Half Ironman in Williamsburg Virginia. Heres a little blurb about it :

After a 1.2 mile swim in the James River athletes will race through 56 miles of woods, farmlands, and lakes on mostly flat terrain and good pavement. Once you have laced up your running shoes youll be treated to a flat and fast 13.1 mile run along the James River.
This is September 12, 2008

Two key words in that blurb.....flat...and fast. Just what a tri newbie needs!!!

And there was one other one I was looking at in November..the Beach2Battleship half in Wilmington, NC. This would give me more time to train and they are having competitions at all the aid stations to see who can have the best one. Any thoughts or input on any of this would be much appreciated....also anyone want to join me??

*disclaimer...this is still all just a thought..nothing set in stone

Breakthroughs...

2009-02-11T19:04:00.002-05:00

Not even sure if thats how you spell "breakthrough"..I think it is..but it just looks weird to me. Does that ever happen to you? Or you say a word too much..that it doesnt even sound like a word anymore?

ANYWAY...

a HUGE HUGE HUGE THank you to all my blog readers. Your posts were amazing!!! After I hit publish post last night I already felt better. Just getting that all off my chest made me feel soooooo good. Then today..I woke up and when I got in my car that song was on thats like "If you are going through hell..keep on going....you might get out before the devil even knows youre there"..and I thought how perfect! haha

Then I got all your messages...and it made me realize a lot!! A LOT!..Its great to have internet buddies that care about you..you guys are amazing. I also realized that it's quite OK to be sad once in a while. I think I get caught up in trying to be this perfect and strong person in every way. Its OK to wake up somedays in a grumpy mood...or to have a day where you eat too many cookies..or skip a workout...or play hooky from work when you arent sick. It's OK to not have every thread together every second of the day. We are ALL humans...and as much as we strive for perfection...perfection is ugly. Its the flaws that make us beautiful...and desirable..and who we are. I'll never forget this....one day we were doing anesthesia and everything was going well. I look over at one of the monitors and suggest maybe we do something else to make the vitals better...my preceptor then said " Do you know who "Good's" enemy is?" And of course I look at him with that dumb blank stare thinking its some trick anesthesia question. And then he quickly says "Better". If something is good...don't mess with it. Things don't need to be the "best". People don't need to be perfect. I need to quit being so hard on myself when I stumble a little bit. Its perfectly OK.....

So I had a decent day at work....then went to the doctors (long story..)....then went to the gym. I ran a very fast 4 miler...felt amazing!! Then I talked to my husband for a while. He was leaning over my shoulder yesterday when I wrote that blog...and I think he was concerned about me being sad (rightfully so...props to the hubby! haha). We talked...and I told him that we need to talk about things more often. He said he tries not to bring things up (like about my Dad) to avoid bringing me down. I explained to him that I'm a "talker" (obviously)..and that I need to talk about the things that bother me.

All in all...i feel a million times better. And I know its just one day....but its one good day. And maybe tomorrow will be another....and then another.........

Hi I'm RunninDuff....I think we've met before...

Negative Nancy

2009-02-10T18:58:00.002-05:00

Ok....brace yourself. This is going to be a bit of rambling...I have tried so hard to stay positive about everything. I always hated depressing people. But in the end...I have decided that this is my blog..and it helps me get things off my chest.

Things I have been thinking about......

I dont know why...but I'm not happy. Not at all. Everyday I wake up in the morning and get ready to go to the hospital. ALl day at the hospital I have to *act* like I REALLY REALLY care about anesthesia.....act like I REALLY REALLY want to stay late (for free of course)....and have a preceptor breathing down my neck all day barking orders at me. After each order ...I have to act SUPER nice (because I want to get a job at this hospital)...and quite frankly...being fake..and nice...is exhausting! Extremely!!!

Usually by the time I walk out...all I want to do is 1) work out 2) cry 3) go to sleep 4) be short with my family & husband. Believe me..I'm not a fun person to live with right now. I know this is probably depression....I think I have come to those terms. I hate it...I wish so much I could be the happy person I used to be...but I also don't want to take any drugs for it. I have tried to self medicate with working out and just plain ignoring all these feelings...but I'm starting to lose my mind.

I don't know what I could be unhappy about. When I sit and think about my life...it has everything and WAY WAY more than I ever dreamed of. I have an engineering degree and finishing my graduate degree in anesthesia. I have an amazing husband that would do anything for me...not to mention has a successful career, is tall dark and handsome, and has an amazing body :) I have a family that loves me and supports me in everything I do. I have turned into this total fitness freak and have run 2 marathons and 2 half marathons with plans to do a lot more....and now have a personal trainer. I weigh less than I did in high school. I have job offers...plural..that start with 8 weeks vacation...amazing benefits...etc. I have a really nice car..nice clothes...a new blackberry...things..things...materialistic things....all of it...I have it. The only thing I don't have is a house and children..but its all in the plans.

When I look at my life..and my dreams as a child...I have surpassed all of them. I'm not trying to brag here..I'm not. .....I'm an extremely fortunate person who takes things for granted way too often. At the same token...I've worked my ass off to get where I'm at. I know my time on earth is a blink of an eye....and none of this matters. Its about people...relationships...memories....living...breathing...etc. Invest your time in those things that matter.....not "things"...that simply exist. I know this....I'm honestly even considering taking a part time job right off the bat just to make myself focus on living life and having fun vs. "things".

Right now it's not so much that I'm sad or depressed..its just that I don't care...about anything. Which I guess maybe means depression. But its this feeling like if the world stopped now..I wouldn't care. I didnt care that I lost my phone the other week..or that I backed into my Moms car and dented up my new car. I don't care to go out with my friends...or travel..or do the things that I used to love doing. I have forced myself to go out to dinner a few times..or engage in some activities to just try and pretend everything is normal..hoping that maybe..just maybe..it would all turn back to normal if i kept pretending. But it hasnt..........at all.........

Everyday I'm at the gym I picture my Dad...in my head...and literally feel like I got kicked in the stomach. My nose starts stinging..and my eyes start tearing as if I was just sucker punched. Then I usually start repeating in my head "what the hell? ...what the hell?". No joke...and then if I keep thinking about it..or a sad song is on...a tear or two might fall down my face. I have never been a depressed person in my life. I think I'm just overwhelmed...burned out...grieving....and basically in survival mode. My Mom says I have crammed sooooo much into 24 years...and never given myself a break. It sorta makes sense.....but was it all worth it? ? ? Is all that work...really worth it if you aren't happy? .....if you....never take another breath? would I look back and think..wow...glad I worked so hard? maybe....maybe not. For now I just want to run away...run away from what all that hard work has granted me....just walk out the door and start running..and running....and maybe losing it all...would make me finally be happy with what I have? Is it worth the risk? Maybe....maybe not. I wish I could just bonk myself over the head with a happy wand.....unfortunately...it doesn't exist. So I guess for now...I'll keep on pretending.....living each second in survival mode...hoping that someday soon I wake up and feel like RunninDuff again.

Running outside in February

2009-02-08T09:54:00.003-05:00

I'm about to head out for an 8 miler.....when I say OUT...i mean OUTSIDE!! How amazing is that? Running outside in February in O-H-I-OOOOOOOO! There was definitely 4 feet of snow out my front door T-3 days ago...so much that it was over my Dogs head. But today my friends...I will be treking out on wet grounds to run outside. This is a very good thing since there are some races coming up I'd like to participate in..and running on the treadmill doesnt quite get you ready like running the great mother Earth does. Hope it goes well...I had to dig out my Garmin..haha

p.s. I think I found my first triathlon ...sprint tri this summer. I hope all goes well now that I've been a real good girl with rehabbing my shoulder :)

Runnin Duff....

2009-02-06T19:40:00.001-05:00

Has the flu!!!!!!! sad...sad...sad...

Then it has puppies......(you know the first part)

2009-02-04T17:51:00.003-05:00

My last week.....

1) Hubby messes up his ankle playing basketball-----> RunninDuff slams her hand in the OR doors
2) RunninDuff loses her phone outside in the snow and it gets frozen and run over ---> Hubby drops his phone in a cup of water
3) RunninDuff backs into her moms car...----> Hubby if you follow suit I will freakin kill you! hahaha

So as the saying goes...Lifes a Bitch...then it has puppies...and apparently before you know it...the puppies are having puppies...when will it end?

But ah HA! all you optimists out there are probably thinking "be grateful!" right? Well FINE! I'll try.....ankles, hands, cars, phones = all fixable or replace-able. Friends, family, memories = the little things in life. The Big Picture = Don't Sweat the small stuff. (Sorry this is all in equations..apparently stress brings out the engineer in me)

I have a nice family...good friends...a promising career ahead that actually has job offers during this crappy economy...two legs that allow me to run 4 miles in 34:30 (yes! I'm getting faster!)...a few non-injured fingers so I can still blog...a smashed up car that takes me from A to B...and a partridge in a pear tree. This is one happy camper...........praying to the Dog gods to stop the dang puppy mill thats going on over here. :) SMILE!!!!! ITS HUMP DAY!

At least running marathons doesn't do this...

2009-02-01T09:30:00.005-05:00

or this...

But does this...
And this..haha...poor hubby! Maybe he will take up running marathons from now on...and for all those people who say running marathons kills your joints...SUCK IT! :)

Things I've learned about having a trainer...

2009-01-31T09:05:00.003-05:00

1) Never forget that extra swipe of deodrant right before the workout...it gets pretty ugly

2) When they say "Be Tough!" that means you cannot quit... somehow you will find the strength to do a few more

3) Never make plans for the next day that involve any kind of lifting or physical activity...even if that means putting your hair in a pony tail

4) Trainers can push you WAYYYYYYY harder than you would ever push yourself. I can't tell you how many times I thought I was done..couldn't do another rep...and he would say "OK five more good ones!". Some how I found a way each time to do 5 more...but never would have done them by myself

5) Take your wedding rings OFF...no not because hes a cute trainer and you are trying to pick him up...but because lifting heavy weight makes the skin rip off your hands when you have rings on

6) Might be best to wear pants...you are often doing things with your legs straight up in the air and they are standing above you. I luckily had the running shorts on with the built in underwear so he didn't get any free shows...but I'm sure I was exposing all the cellulite on my thighs to everyone at the gym haha

7) Beware when they say something like "Oh I just learned this new cool core move..." Things that the trainer just "learned" are often pretty difficult

8) I have probably never been in this good of shape....

9) Being healthy is worth every penny you have

10) Looking good is worth every penny even you don't have :)

Truckin along

2009-01-28T16:37:00.002-05:00

Things are still going very well. Today I banged out a 4 mile run in 37 mins which included the warm up and walking for a minute or so. So that is a pretty smokin pace for this girl. Then I proceeded to do my leg workout. Everything goes well until I get to the Lunge/Scissor jump superset. I literally have to talk myself out of quitting everytime. I have tried doing it at the beginning..tried saving it for the end...almost skimped out on one of the sets of scissor jumps today..tried talking myself into only doing 2 sets instead of 3. So far..I've made it through each and every one. However in EVERY other exercise I've done I've been able to increase weight or reps. With these..I simply make it through. Usually my heart rate is sky high..I get kinda dizzy. No pain no gain right?

I mysteriously gained back one of the pounds I lost....but I've also been pushing it REALLY hard in the gym this week with lifting. I think it might be muscle water retention...I'm going to carefully evaluate my diet though just in case. Yesterday during my upper body workout I could barely open the door to the aerobics room because my arms were shaking so bad from the work out. I had to use my body to wedge in there and my hip to bump open the door. I'm sure it was a pretty funny sight. I can't wait for 4 weeks to fly by and see what weight I am and what my body fat has done. I've been workin harddddd! Also it seems that my footy isn't swelling up as much anymore. I think the interval cardio workouts have helped my speed a bit.

Wow this was a boring post...my bad..haha

Do You Ever....?

2009-01-27T21:36:00.002-05:00

Do you ever eat a big meal...a meal that you know you probably should have left the last few bites on the plate...but for some reason you aren't full? You have that guilty feeling like I just ate 3 cheeseburgers and fries..there is NO way I should be hungry right now feeling. Then all of a sudden..it happens...you burp....and think...well now I'm DEFINITELY not full!!!! Thats the worst feeling ever. Because before the burp..you weren't quite full...but not quite hungry either. After the burp you are definitely hungry with the new room...and my first conclusion is always to chug some diet pop to fill that space back up! haha

Sorry...very random. Just wonder if that ever happens to anyone else. Weight lifting and running is going well. I'm thinking of doing a half marathon April 4th in Indiana. Also contemplating a little vacay to Vegas....

So Far...So Good

2009-01-24T08:34:00.002-05:00

Trainers work...I love it! So far I've lost 4 lbs...feel great...look great. Its alllllllllllll good! For me, I've always been able to motivate myself to run. Mainly just getting the miles in...occasionally trying to speed things up. But Mr. Trainer says I have to do intervals...and all that good stuff. Things I know I should have been doing..but just never did. Now that I'm held accountable...its in full swing. Not only am I getting stronger, my runs are getting faster, my body is responding because its not the same steady-state runs I do all the time. I also realized that before..my runs were very comfortable for me. I was never pushing the pace like I should have...but thats all changing...NOW!

Weight training for me was always sporadic. Do this 4 times..try that 5 times..never knew how much or what I did the time before. This structured workout is really helping me to make sure I'm achieving my goals of getting stronger. I write everything down..have a plan..and tackle it! So far so good....stay tuned :)

p.s. theres talk of another half marathon April 4th...IU (indiana university).. exxxxxxxciting!

Sucker!!!!

2009-01-15T21:34:00.002-05:00

So I'm almost back to normal...key word..almost. The arch of my right foot is still swollen and bothersome. OK working on my feet 12 hours a day doesn't help either...but hopefully I should be good to go by this weekend. I can now happily run up and down the stairs without looking like a donkey trying to run hurdles and poop at the same time. Its pretty magnificent..............however.....I got suckered. The day after the marathon I decided to be ambitious and go up to the gym and do some bike and elliptical to work out some of the soreness from the *ahem* untrained marathon. I was watching all the personal trainers sit on their asses..and figured it wouldn't hurt to ask them some advice on my current situation. Judging by the limp I had going on..and the fact that I'm definitely not "gangsta" despite what some of you may think, it was pretty obvious that I was in some pain and in need of some help.

The guys were somewhat friendly...but I could tell they were elluding to the fact that maybe I hadn't prepared well enough for the marathon...who?????? me??????? who are they kidding? haha. One thing lead to the next..and I had an appointment to just "go over things". It got cancelled once due to open heart surgery I was in the middle of..but somehow the guy suckered me into picking out another day to come. Well unfortunately that day was today..and maybe I felt weak or something..or since I was still a little sore and off balance..I felt really stupid and in need of help. Each move he would have me do I felt like a 500 lbs whale trying to balance on a popsicle stick.I kept tumbling over...he tried to be nice and mention the words "shifting", "unstable". Now seriously folks...I was a little sore and stiff and probably could have done these moves better under different circumstances..but I honestly felt like an obese cow rolling around huffing and puffing. So there I am...signing my name next to a 12 month contract. I'll let ya all know how it goes....but once again...I'm a sucker :)

the real deal

2009-01-12T18:00:00.002-05:00

Let me start by saying...nothing about this race was "ideal". I guess I'm just not the "ideal" kind of marathoner we all hoped for (including myself). I woke up Friday at 4:45 am SHARP and quickly got ready for the hospital. Got halfway there and noticed my car felt unusually unstable. WTF is going on? this car is brand new...new tires...besides for the 10 inches of snow..there was def a problem. I take my hands off the steering wheel and almost go off the road. You've got to be kidding me right? Get out...flat tire! That's how it all started....

Go to the OR..do some surgeries..leave early to go let the dog out and catch my flight. I hadn't really packed yet (oh ya know..minor detail)..so I still had to do that as well. I was in a huge rush..walked out the door and forgot my camera and ipod. Let me repeat...FORGOT MY IPOD! Yes forgetting camera was sucky...esp since I was in Disney...even more especially because my friend I was staying with forgot hers too. But lets get serious...running a marathon untrained without an ipod? FORGET IT!

Flight was uneventful..thank god. Went and picked up race numbers..tried to scheme how we were going to sneak into the half marathon..have an amazing sushi dinner..and lights out. 3:45 am alarm goes off..there is no way we're getting out of bed. NO WAY! Shut it off..roll over...and not another word was said

Wake up at 9:00 and decide that a GOOD idea would be to do the park hopper deal at Disney and hop around all 4 parks ALL day. At this point...were thinking we might try to do the full on Sunday. Lets think...walking around amusement parks all day...in the sun (no sunscreen by the way)...probably not the BEST way to spend the day before a UNTRAINED marathon.

So to the next point..our training. What training? Did you say a train was coming? Yeah..about that. If you call an 8 mile run in November training..then put a check next to the box. Because that is all we did in preparation of this event. I know its stupid...but no one ever said being adventurous was always the smartest thing. So here is another thing that made conditions NOT ideal...AT ALL.

Fuel...ya know...the stuff that keeps you repeating right foot, left foot. Didn't bring any of it..no GU, no shot bloks..no nothing. We ended up buying some cookies to eat for breakfast...but thats all the fuel we had.

Fanny pack....nope didnt have that either. My friend ended up letting me borrow an extra IPOD that she had...so I ended up carrying my phone in one hand...Itouch (pretty large) in the other hand the whole race. DEFINITELY not ideal...esp for my shoulders.

Clothing...I had awesome running shorts with the built in underwear and all that good jazz. Did I wear them? Nope..opted for the capri wind pants because I thought the start of the race might be cold. HELLOOOO Runninduff...FLORIDA!? Did you even check the weather to see race day forecast? Nope.. haha I also wore my LONG SLEEVED marathon shirt as well...which ended up being tied around my waist the whole time and causing more sweating..more fluid loss..and more heat around the mid section. AWESOME

Oh yeah..and did we learn a lesson by not having sunscreen on the day at Disney parks? Nope..forgot it for the marathon too...as well as my sunglasses. As you see... I failed on all aspects of executing this marathon.....but despite all odds....

The race started with fireworks. It was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! Super fun...lots of atmosphere. I esp loved running past the epcot ball at the beginning, running through the castle, running through Epcot country at the end..and most of all...FINISHING! I hit the wall at mile 20..wait what? no one ever hits the wall at mile 20!! (jk obviously). Had to walk a little bit..then realized it hurt less to keep running. I finished in 5:01 which was good for a PR...but fell short of breaking 5 hours :( boooo! But for not training..and all the other circumstances...I was happy.

Now my body on the other hand...NOTTTTTTTTTT happy. My legs have never hurt so bad in my life...its insane! I can't walk, squat, kneel, stretch, bend over or anything that resembles any of those actions. I believe this is wehre the "I told ya so.." of not training for an event comes in. In other news...all our friends finished that were running...and Danielle (hot pants) rocked it out with a 3:57 KILLING her previous time of 5:19! Insane right? So that was it! Great times.. I'll probably stick to half marathons for a while...but surprisingly i Felt pretty good the whole race and am starting to get that bug ALREADY of..."man..i want to do another one" haha. INSANE!

Ran the full

2009-01-12T07:06:00.001-05:00

Got a PR...details to come

Change of plans

2009-01-08T20:27:00.002-05:00

Last minute decision...were going to attempt to run the half as bandits! Lots of reasons..don't have time to explain, but I'll be cheer on the marathoners!! See ya at the kingdom!

Second Resolution

2009-01-06T16:54:00.002-05:00

OK...so the second resolution is running related. (which I guess is a good thing since this is a running blog!!)Resolution: Run every other day (at least 2 miles..but usually shoot for 3 or more). I mean this is something I usually do anyway..but I want it in writing. The thing is...I think I used to run everyday...but ever since I started running every OTHER day, I have gotten faster, stronger, less bored etc. So for me..this is the wayyyy to go. The other days I usually do the elliptical or something else cardio-ish. Another thing is that I'm not going to plan on running any marathons this year (besides Disney on Sunday which I didn't train for). I just realized at this point in my life that it's not feasible to put that amount of time into running all the time..and half marathons much more suit my lifestyle. SO half marathons it is. Also...I can't wait to meet some cycling buddies in Cleveland to get on my bike and start getting experience with that as well.

So here ya have it...resolution #2!

First Resolution

2009-01-03T22:19:00.002-05:00

So my first resolution...HYDRATION!!!!

Sounds easy right? Tip...Sip...and Swallow right? How hard can it really be to drink the clear stuff? Answer.....EXTREMELY! In my field we are not allowed to consume liquids for more than one reason. Obviously we aren't aloud to bring drinks into to the OR (although I have seen people bring coffee in..tisk tisk)..and secondly..we can't get up and go to the bathroom. This makes it very challenging to stay hydrated and I often notice my pee is NEON green. BAD BAD BAD!! So my goal is to carry a water bottle with me everywhere I go besides in the OR and completely load up as soon as my foot crosses the red sterile line. I'm also hoping to cut back on cola products (I drink diet..but its probably even worse than regular with the chemicals it has).

SO heres my resolution...at least 3 bottles of water a day (doesnt sound like much does it?..that shows you how bad I've been). Does beer count? I think not! I definitely fulfilled the 3 bottle rule with beer today...but shucky darns..it doesn't count.

P.S. funny side note...I forced hubby to go workout after we got trashed at this beer brewing place..he ended up throwing up for 1/3 of our workout in the bathroom. too funny...that shows how hard core we are :)

Welcoming 2009 with open arms..haha

2009-01-01T16:57:00.002-05:00

2009...thank god you got here!! I couldn't wait ONE more second (since they already made me wait an extra second...)! The evening was very nice and laid back. We went to a friends party and hung out...celebrated 2009 with a nice kiss...and returned home to rescue my puppy (left him at home with my Mom and the grandkids). New years day has been nothing but laziness...took the puppy to the dog park..and decided to pretty much take a day off. I had worked out pretty hard the last 6 days in a row with yesterday being no exception. Today is all about relaxin!

Another big deal about a new year means one more year my husband and I have been together. We started dating on New Years Eve 2004/2005 which means we have officially been in love for 4 years!! Pretty good eh?

I'm sure everyone has some pretty big aspirations for 2009..as do I..but I don't want to spoil my blog by listing them all. It will be more exciting if I just talk about them as I accomplish them. Also...if I miss one or two..no one will know...hahaha.

I hope everyone had a great new years eve..lets have a great 2009...and maybe I can talk the world into skipping 2010 since even years seem to suck for me.

Can 2009 get here any sooner???

2008-12-28T10:57:00.002-05:00

I think we'd all agree that 2008 has been a little rough for many reasons. Some high notes of 2008 for me were
- running my first half marathon
- running my first marathon
- getting a tri bike and starting my adventures in cycling
- a lil trip to Denver with the hubby
- finishing the first part of school and starting the next chapter
- exploring my life in fine detail and trying to make things more meaningful

The low points...are in the past...haha

So I am very eager for 2009 to get here and see what it brings. I have always said odd years are the best for me...its something my best friend and I discuss regularly. This year has been no exception. I can't wait for 2009 and turning 25 (hey..lower car insurance for one thing). I graduate in 2009, I start my career, maybe buy a house? maybe have a baby? (oh wait..that would require husband living in the same state..haha) who knows! But I'm pumped and running full steam ahead (no pun intended..I haven't done much running lately).

So cheers...to 2009..and moving forward :)

We now continue our regularly scheduled program..

2008-12-26T18:38:00.002-05:00

Sorry for the pause in broadcasting. Sometimes life gets crazy enough that you just have to take a step back from everything you are doing..and trim the fat...temporarily. For me..trimming the fat was not blogging amongst some other things. No worries.. I still read your blogs. But I honestly couldn't come up with anything decent to say for my own. It would have gone like this..

Its snowing..I'm depressed..I haven't really trained for my marathon thats coming up..good bye!

See...aren't you glad I spared you that?

Rotations are going well. My life is somewhat back to normal since losing my Dad. Its kinda weird..but at first I couldn't picture life without him..and now it's almost hard to picture what it was like when he was here. There is a countdown until I graduate in August...but wanna know a secret?? shhhhhhh...don't tell ANYONE....but I'm already looking for doctorate programs!! EEEEEEEK! I know...I know...but I'm just starting to look...innocent looking I promise!

Also I joined an awesome gym called Urban Active. (www.urbanactive.com) I'm pretty obsessed with it and it's gotten me some greatttttt workouts... unfortunately though I haven't ran more than 6 miles in a LONG time. I may be ditching that full marathon in January after all...but we thought maybe we could run the half as bandits??? what do you think??

Missed you all :)

Vacation

2008-12-10T17:02:00.000-05:00

Sorry..taking a much needed vacation from blogging and many other extra curricular activies.

Me vs. Nature

2008-11-10T20:07:00.004-05:00

There is something so simple about lacing up a pair of running shoes and being out the door. A way to get away from the buzz of daily life, ringing cell phones, piles of unread mail, and the glare of violence from the tv. No $$ needed...its something that us Americans can share with the world. People of all countries, all ages, all races, all sexes can enjoy something so simple as putting one foot in front of the other, time and time again. Then there is the comraderie between runners. We don't even have to share the same language...all it takes is a simple head nod which says enough. A nod that silently acknowledges the simple gift of being one vs. nature.

Lately my world has been crazy, God has forced me to look at my life in ways I never have. Suddenly things that were of major importance have faded away. Money no longer has the same meaning, working your life away to make social gains are no longer tempting, and nothing is more precious than spending time with family. The weather, my car, the couch I sit on...no longer have significance in my life. I have realized more now than ever....that "you just never know..." I want to leave this world with a solid sense of what it is...I want to experience it for everything it has to offer. I want to become one with nature...or at least battle it....me vs. nature. There is one way to thoroughly get a grip on something so complex...and that is to conquer it. I want to live everyday like it was my last...or at least die trying. I have learned one big thing....that in the end...its all the little things. A hug from a friend. Your Dog's wagging tail. Laughing with family. Watching the sunrise. A pair of running shoes.

Summarize

2008-11-05T18:22:00.002-05:00

Ok...to sum up the last week. I finished up my time at the hospital in Cincinnati. That night we had trick or treat at my cousins house. I soon learned how to be "cool" on Halloween. For the last ohhh...say 5 years....Halloween has been all about wearing a slutty costume and seeing who can do the most "jager bombs." Now that kids are in the distant future, I figured what better time to start figuring out this whole "Halloween w/ kids thing." So we dressed up lil cousin as a Lion...took a few beers and a bunch of candy...and set up "shop" in the driveway. Next thing you know...everyone is doing jell-o shots at the neighbors house. A half hour later...lil Lion and Dad come back with a mini beer (for Dad..not the Lion). So here is where I realized...that the "cool" peepz give out booze to the adults and candy to the kids. I'm totally stealing that idea and hoping it spreads like wild fire. The only problem is that when Trick or Treat is over....the adults pass out..and the kids are on a sugar buzz. I'll have to find a way to work in some benadryl in the mix of all the consumed candy.

Saturday morning I got up and played co-ed flag football. Later on my Mommy came into town with my Aunt and we celebrated my Mom's 55th birthday (sorry Mom) by making a gourmet dinner and a homemade cake. Sunday morning I was sad to leave Cinci and my fun roomies (cousins) but had to start my georgia adventure early.

So far it has completely sucked being back in Georgia. Its been great to have my husband, puppy, and house........but the rotation has been horrible. This city is notoriously known for treating you like shit in the hospital and this rotation has been no exception. I wish there was a switch I could turn in my head to make me back to "normal" (my version of normal anyway..haha)...but it just doesn't exist. People at the hospital asked if maybe I went back to work too soon (i think they were concerned i might kill someone....jk) Basically...all I can do is show up and do my best everyday. I know that its not the best I have...but its the best I can do considering the circumstances. Taking more time off won't help...it will just allow me to get more rusty. Eventually the kinks will work itself out. It definitely is NOT helping that I have to move every month and start over. At this point...a little consistency and stability is what I'm craving.

In running news...I went and got fitted for some new running shoes. I loved my Brooks...but this time I got some Adidas.....weird...I never run in Adidas...but I'm willing to try it. I had a nice 5 mile run today... I gotta go for 8-10 this weekend. The training has begun my friends...and it feels wonderful. I also booked my flight and hotel for the Disney marathon. I want to make a shirt that says "In Memory * Disney 4 Dad" to wear...anyone have suggestions of where to do this?

Planning

2008-10-26T09:25:00.003-04:00

So after that little post of foolishness...that very night I didn't set my alarm clock correctly. Of course you do one of those "Omg..theres no way I should still be sleeping!". I look at the clock..its 7:15.....I had "set" my alarm for 5:15. So I somehow managed to think on my feet realizing I better let my cousins know I was still there so they didn't back out and hit my car. (My cousins so graciously took me in instead of staying in the ghetto hotel). I crept upstairs and listened.....nothing. I figured I would wait there for a minute to see if anyone was up yet. All of a sudden I hear "Theres someone downstairs.....GET HIM!!!....I'll get the phone to call 911!!" OH Shit...I think to myself...I'm about to get beat up with a baseball bat. I quickly yelled out that it was me...and then of course a few minutes later the tears started. I just felt like I couldn't do anything right. I had to send a text later apologizing for all the commotion I caused..haha. Other than that...I don't think I did many more stupid things. I'm sure I did...but I probably didn't even realize it.

So now I think its time to finally set up a plan for the marathon. Although I'm not sure if I'll be able to pull it off....I know theres no way in hell it will happen if I don't get a plan of action. So as soon as I hit "Publish Post", I will figure out what plan I'm going to "use". Basically all I can do is give it my best.....and not be too hard on myself. I think after Disney..I will probably stick to half marathons for a while. My life is just a little too insane and irregular to keep up with marathon training. Other news.........I get to move back to Georgia to be with my husband in a week!!! HOLY COW!! I miss my puppy too! And you know what that means.....gorgeous weather to run in! I can't wait for familiarity.....and a big cozy warm cuddling buddy:)

Silly me

2008-10-21T15:54:00.003-04:00

The last post started with "Things I've Done This Week..."....This one will begin with

Stupid things I've done this week...and it's only Tuesday

1) It carries over from last week. They give us free lunch tickets...and last week I left them in my scrub pocket when I put my scrubs in the dirty laundry at the hospital. WHOOOPS! So Monday I politely ask the secretary for more lunch tickets and explain what happened. Apparently I looked really scared and timid because the lady felt compelled to do an impression of me and told me not to be so scared next time. So I was bound and determined not to lose these free lunch food stamps and put them in a "safe" spot...aka...the purse. Today while I was getting ready for work I look at my purse and think "Nope...don't need you today!". I swear I'm not meant to have free lunches at this hospital

2) Today I lost the lock for my locker....no clue where it is...

3)Besides losing the lock...I never officially locked it because I didn't trust myself on being able to a) memorize the code and b) not lose the paper with the code on it. SO I just kept it unlocked and on my locker for decoration...until it mysteriously disappeared. I'm too embarassed to tell the secretary lady that one.

4) Didn't fill the anesthesia machine with anesthetic gases (don't worry folks..my patient didn't wake up...we caught it just in time before it ran out)

5)I knew I couldnt trust myself to fill it up and change the CO2 absorbers between cases so I wrote all over the CO2 absorber in a sharpie to remind myself'

6) Forgot to pack underwear and socks...had to go to Walgreens and looked real stupid buying 4 packs of underwear. Oh and don't worry because I forgot to take socks home with me last weekend...so I bought 2 packs while I was home...but left them there on accident..so just had to buy 2 more packs.

7)My preceptor asked me to get a fluid warmer because it got contaminated...which obviously meant the tubing. But I of course mis understood her and went and brought back a new 20 lbs fluid warmer (spilled water all over my pants)...instead of getting a new set of tubing and being done with it.

Do you clearly see why I feel I should be pleading insanity and unfit to deliver anesthesia here? I think I need to talk to a doctor and get an insanity excuse to take a few more days off. haha. I know they always say in times like this you feel "normal"..but you definitely arent. I told my Mom we should write down all the stupid things we do this week...so we can laugh at the end of the week. I guess I'll keep my list on the blog so ya'll can have some laughs too.

Running front- Had an amazing 4 mile run in the hills yesterday. Felt unstoppable. Part of my inspiration to run hard was to completely tire myself out. I got about an hour of sleep the night before..so I figured the harder I ran and the more tired I was...the better I would sleep. It most definitely worked!! Its much better than taking Advil PM and being exhausted the next day (oh gosh..could you imagine how big my stupidity list would get if I kept taking those dudes?)

Hop everywun haz a GRATE weak.

Recap

2008-10-19T08:41:00.002-04:00

Things Ive done this week:
-Donated flowers to a nursing home
-Cleaned out the garage for my Mom
-Had an Ambien sleepover (My mom, SIL, and I all took Ambien and had a few drinks and had a sleepover party...haha...oh and we gave my little niece a benadryl so she could join in on the fun and silliness)
-Ran a few times,took Mom on a 6 mile walk
- Cooked a lot

But unfortunately it's Sunday again...which means I have to head back to C'nati. Any thought of going back to that place makes me want to puke in my mouth. I only have to do 10 more days at the hospital...so I know I can get through it. Also I have quite a few plans this week like staying with my cousins for a night or two (vs. sketchy hotel room by myself), going to my friends kickboxing class (my instructor from undergrad that goes to Cinci for grad school), and celebrating a best friends b day. Friday I get to come back home again and see "The Mom" and do some fun stuff with her.

Next month I'll be back in Savannah, GA where the life is good and the livins easy. Actually I heard the rotation is pretty bad...but I know one thing....the livin will be easy. I'll be back in my own house, with my own bed, and my own husband, and my own Doggie, with people I know. It can't get much better than that! In a time like this...one seeks comfort, familiarity, support from loved ones. There was nothing harder than losing someone unexpectedly and driving yourself back to a world of isolation and unfamiliarity (esp when you are a student and they are judging every move you make). I had never set foot into that hospital until the Monday after my Dad's funeral. I had no clue who anyone was..or where anything was..yet I was responsible for taking care of these patients and putting them to sleep. All I could think is "OMG...my Dad died!" Also...my Mom actually has to come to Savannah in November for business...funny how that worked out. She already had plans to come for Thanksgiving as well....and then we are MOVINGGG!!!!

Right after Thanksgiving we are moving all our belongings back up to Ohio into my PARENTS (I can't just say Mom yet...I refuse) house. We are going to live there for a while and then eventually move in next door when the renters move out in May. (My parents own the house next door...funny how that works out). From then on...Cleveland will be our "home base", but I'll still have another rotation in Savannah in Feb (I'll live w friends), Atlanta in March, and possibly Texas later on too! Meanwhile I will try to get this blog back to more of a running/working out focus and get my head on to do some training for the marathon. I however can't promise that there won't be some spillage from my crazy life......

Moving on...

2008-10-15T09:59:00.002-04:00

But NEVER forgetting. I made it through the week. Everynight people would come over my house and we would all have a drink or two and tell funny stories about my Dad. It was very therapeutic.

The wake was all day Thursday..it was a very long and exhausting day. I was shocked at the amount of people and the amount of support we had. It made me realize that whenever I felt stupid for going to peoples funerals that I barely knew...when you are on the other side...its very comforting to have them all there.

Friday was the funeral. The mass was absolutely beautiful...I stood up and did a reading. A lot of people wondered how I could have the strength to do something like that, but I had done it before at my Grandpa's so I knew I could get through it. At the very end...the bagpiper (the one that played in my wedding) played Amazing Grace....which opened up the flood gates for everyone in the church (including myself...I was sort of cursing myself for a minute for having him play...but it was absolutely beautiful). HE also played at the cemetery.

Then.........the fun began!! Yes you read right.....fun!! We had an ENORMOUS partayyyy at the homested. My Mom had spend $1k on alcohol and food. The party started at 1pm and ended at 1am! We had a band...friends...family...neighbors...its exactly what my Dad wanted (and often talked about....unfortunately he never talked about whether he wanted to be cremated or buried). People were doing shots that had never drank in their life..just in honor of my Dad. Also everyone had his Hawaiin shirts on..too funny. Heres some pictures from the party....

Here you can see some of the Hawiian shirts people were wearing

Ive been doing a lot of walking since that is something my Mom and I can do together. But it has been like 3-5 mile walks. I will probably go for a run today. I'm taking it one day at a time. I would love to say that I'm going to be ready to run a marathon in January for the Disney...but I'm going to take it day by day. In the end...I may be walking the marathon...which is FINE with me. Running takes so much mental strength which is an area of weakness for me right now.

Some other craziness that happened this weekend. My Dad used to love when Toledo would beat big teams in college football. (I went to Toledo...and he would always be the first to call me when we beat a ranked team). This weekend Toledo beat Michigan AT Michigan. It gets better though. My Dad LOVED the Cleveland Browns (As do I). A lot of people who did a toast to him...talked about One DAY...Possibly SOMEDAY...if the Browns ever go to the Super Bowl...they will be sad my Dad missed it. Well the Browns are not going to the superbowl... but on Monday they beat the Super Bowl Champs (Giants) by a large margin during Monday night football. All I could think about was "This ones for Dad!" It was so exciting.

Daddys Little Girl....Always Loved....Never Forgotten....I miss you Daddy!

AHHHHHHHH!

2008-10-08T21:29:00.002-04:00

Ok! I'm sure some of you wonder if my life could get any crazier...it has. My Mom and Aunt came down to visit me this past weekend in Cincinnati..(my home for October). We had a wonderful weekend with the fam...and then my life stopped. Literally...

I got a phone call from my Mom Sunday night saying that my Dad had passed away. When she got home she found him at the bottom of the basement stairs.

As you can see...I'm pretty speechless. Life has just pretty much stopped...my Dad was my world. He was the one that told me how proud of me he was everyday.

So anyway...keep us in your thoughts and prayers. I did however go for a run today to just burn off some steam. Pretty sure it was the fastest run in a while.

ahhhhhhhh sorry

2008-09-29T21:09:00.002-04:00

My life is insane. Moving every four weeks to start a new job is nuts. Everytime I go to look for anything.....I pull open every drawer...and of course its in the last drawer I haven't opened yet. UGHH...

Heres some saweet pics of the "heeeeels" i've been running in Georgia.

Since I've been here in the "ville"...Gainesville...that is...I've participated in a penis prosthesis! How neat right? It works kinda like the old reebok shoes that you pump up....

Lastly...on a more sober note...one of my high school friends has gained his angel wings fighting in Iraq. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers.

As you can see theres been a lot going on in my life...and I'm mentally exhausted. I'm leaving my husband and home behind or the next 5 weeks..moving to OHio next week to start over again...losing a good friend. I hope to have more..and better posts to come.