Being Lazy

I thought that because I had nothing to post about my running life (because it is nonexistent right now), I would post some pictures. I found my grandfather's old camera, loaded it with black and white film, and rode down to New Orleans to take some shots of the French Quarter. I love New Orleans on an early Saturday or Sunday morning after all the late night revelers have gone home...there is something so unique and mysterious about that city. I wish I had more time to spend down in New Orleans, but sadly I always find excuses not to go. Ah well, who knows I may end up teaching Angelina Jolie's son, Maddox, down there one day...LOL!

I saw some runners while I was in the French Quarter (was that you Ashley?), and I wanted to take some shots of them, but I figured they would think I was crazy so I saved my film for inanimate objects. And of course I had to take some photos of my pup, Roux Baby. She's very photogenic!

First Day of Student Teaching!

And it was awesome! I'm student teaching at a great middle school, under a great supervising teacher! I'm so excited; I can't wait until I really get into teaching.

Put in a cold three miles after work this evening. It was tough because I was exhausted from being on my feet all day and going through all the emotions due to first day jitters. It's amazing how fast you fatigue when you're nervous and tense.

My three miles though they were cold (by my standards--40 degrees) were actually pretty easy. It was also a great way to release some of the tension I had been carrying around with me since 5:00 this morning. I decided to run outside tonight because I knew finding a parking spot at the Rec Center would be nearly impossible and I didn't want to have to go around that track 24 times...BORING! Even though I was running at night, I felt pretty safe. There were plenty of cars on the road so I knew noone would mess with me. Plus I looked pretty menacing in my multitude of layers and knit cap--I'm sure I looked more like a man than a woman. All in all I'm glad I didn't shirk today's run; I definitely felt better and was proud of myself after.

Here are my stats:
Distance:3.15 miles
Time: 30:01
Pace: 9:31 min/mi
Calories:328
Tunes:
Insect Skin-Bush
How's It Gonna Be-Third Eye Blind
Blister in the Sun-Violent Femmes
Right Through You-Alanis Morissette
Lips Like Morphine-Kill Hannah
Stars and Boulevards-Augustana
16 Horses-Soul Coughing
Flower Man-Tonic

First Day of School Run

Today we started back to school, and I had to sit in on an all day long seminar that made me want to scratch my eyes out for fun :( Tomorrow will be my first day in the public schools, so I am really excited and nervous about tomorrow.

I woke up this morning with intentions to run, but when I noticed that it was almost freezing outside, I decided to do an ab workout inside. I got some abdominal stregthening moves from my Runner's World, but they were not as intense as they should have been.

I did my run this afternoon after work--I had to start over on my 10K plan since I took a break. So I did a 2 mile warm up run and 4 1:00 alternate intervals. After the intervals I did a short cool down run. My lungs were killing me afterwards, and my big toe on my right foot was doing this tingling thing whenever I would toe off. I don't why my big toe is acting up, but hopefully it will be better tomorrow.

Here are my stats for this afternoon:
Miles: 3.03
Time: 31:28
Pace: 10:23 min/mi
Calories: 315
Tunes:
God of Wine-Third Eye Blind
One-Filter
If You Talk Too Much-People in Planes
I Will Follow You Into the Dark-Death Cab for Cutie
Piece of My Heart-Janis Joplin
Highway to the Danger Zone-Kenny Loggins
London-Third Eye Blind
Lips Like Morphine-Kill Hannah

10K Training-Day Three and Day Four

Let me just say for the record that I had every intention on running the suggested three miles on the schedule!! But my friend called me Tuesday night and said, "Hey want to come see S. and P. play a gig at Mellow Mushroom?" Of course my first response was "Nah, I have to get up early tomorrow morning" (see I was trying to be good). Then I started thinking...ok I only have a short time to live my life while I'm young, and pretty soon I'll be working a real job and I won't have time to go out on weeknights anymore. So I called my friend back and said count me in.

I went out, had a great time drinking and listening to live music, and got home around2:30 a.m. I swear I still thought I would get up at 5:30 and try to run (must have had a little too much to drink). Of course I didn't get up early...I barely got up in time to get ready for work! But throughout the day I kept telling myself I would run after work, but then I remembered I had to meet one of my classmates to study for a test I am taking this Saturday. So in short, I did not run at all on Wednesday, and to top it off, I did not run this morning either. I was just so groggy when I got up so I went back to sleep for an hour. But all is not lost--I took some great pictures at Mellow Mushroom...here are a couple...

My friend built a beer bucket castle....ooohhhh!!

10K Training - Day Two

It's actually day one of real training (day one on the schedule was a rest day). I first ran a 2 mile warm up around the track and then did a 4x 1:00 interval run. I did one more mile to cool down and then packed my stuff and went home. I had to deviate from the schedule a tad--I was supposed to do 2 miles to cool down--because I had to give myself enough time to get ready for work. It takes me about 30 minutes to get ready for work (this is extremely fast in woman time)...I have mastered the art of quick showering, dressing, and putting on makeup. YES! Here are my stats for this morning's run:

Distance: 3.81
Time: 38:29
Pace: 10:05 min/mi
Calories: 397
Tunes: Feel Fine-Augustana
One More Murder - Better than Ezra
Every Me and Every You-Placebo
Can't Fight This Feeling-REO Speedwagon
But Anyway-Blues Traveler
Don't You Forget About Me-Billy Idol
Boston-Augustana

Student Teaching Update: For any of you who didn't know, I am about to go into my last semester at LSU, and I will be student teaching starting next Wednesday. Today I got a call from my University Supervisor, and she told me what school I would be at, which grade I would be teaching, and what teacher I would be working with. I am teaching a 6th grade Language Arts class, and even though I wasn't expecting to teach students at a such a young age, I am really excited about starting. I love working with kids...trying to keep up with them and listening to all their drama makes my job so fun :) I can't wait...wish me luck!

New Training Schedule

I have decided to sign up and do the Mardi Gras Mambo 10K in February. I wanted to post a link to their site but appears that Blogger has other plans (I've tried it like ten times and it always screws it up). Because I have never run more than 5 miles at one time, I decided to try out a new training plan for a 10K. You can find it at runnersworld.com if you want to check it out. The workouts are definitely more intense than what I am used to and it will take a lot of effort and initiative on my part to stick with it but I have high hopes!

Today is a rest day for my training and I was going to go swimming this morning but I woke up feeling extremely groggy--damn late night television! I'll try to go this afternoon or tonight but because the indoor pool closes at 6:00, I might have to pull a joggerblogger and swim in the outdoor pool in 40 degree weather...brrr :/

I recently read a tip on the Runners World website that said if you lace your shoes backwards then it will alleviate pain on the top of the foot. I have had some pain on the top of my foot that feels like it is bruised but I never thought it had anything to do with the pressure from the laces. Has anyone ever had this pain before and do the backwards laces really work?

Early bird gets the worm

Or a couple of sore legs!

I woke up this morning at 5:00 am to get my run on. This morning was unusual because I normally wake up only enough to walk over and turn off my alarm clock, but this morning I turned off my alarm clock, got dressed, and headed to the Rec Center.

I decided to change up my run, and instead of just running 3 or 4 miles, I ran 2 miles and then 8 sets of a 200 meter tempo run. My legs are yelling at me right now :( I think they are in shock because I normally try not to run too hard...because I am lazy and I don't like to make myself tired hehe! Anyway here are my stats (keep in mind the second set consisted of a lot of walking...my new Nike+ thingy doesn't do lap times or at least I don't think it does...I shall investigate):

2 MILE RUN:
Distance: 2 miles (obviously)
Time: 19:42
Pace: 9:47 min/mile
Calories: 209

TEMPO RUN:
Distance: 1.44 miles
Time: 15:19
Pace: 10:35
Calories: 150
Tunes: 12 Monkeys-Saul Williams
God of Wine-Third Eye Blind
Til I Hear It from You-Gin Blossoms
Mary Jane-Alanis Morissette
Narcolepsy-Third Eye Blind
Move Over-Janis Joplin
Carolina Blues-Blues Traveler
16 Horses-Soul Coughing
Allison Road-Gin Blossoms















These aren't the greastest pictures (I must really learn how to take a decent photo) but this is where I run when it's either: a.) raining outside and I don't feel like running on a treadmill b.) it's dark outside and I value my life more than my running health or c.) I feel ambitious and decide to do a run which involves laps or a specific distance

First run post break

Because it is raining cats and dogs and whatever animal there is to rain, I had to complete my run treadmill style...ick! I used to run on the treadmill all the time when I first started running, but then I discovered the joy of running outside on the streets. Now the treadmill is a foreboding monotonous machine that I try to stay clear of.

Tonight was my first run since my long hiatus, and I had a feeling it wasn't going to be as bad as I made myself think. I tend to feel really strong on runs after a long break (plus I think my swimming is helping me raise my heart rate reserve...i think that is what it is called?) Anyway I can run longer and harder without getting winded as fast.

When I first got on the monotonous monster, I realized that my iPod battery was about to die...NOOOOO! I knew that I would never be able to run very long on that thing without some tunes. So I told myself that I would run until my battery gave out (thinking it would be only a mile or so...yet another excuse to be lazy), and wouldn't you know the damn thing lasted for three miles! LOL That's not a very far run, but considering that I thought I was going to get away with a mile and a half, I ran more than I thought I would :D So here are my stats for tonight's run:

Distance: 3.14 miles (and the iPod was still holding on)

Time: 29:13

Pace: 9:16 min/mile

Calories: 327

Tunes: Mouth-Bush

One More Murder-Better than Ezra

Flower Man-Tonic

A Tendency to Start Fires-Bush

If You Talk too Much-People in Planes

This is where I ran tonight--the rec room in my apartment complex...I don't use it as often as I should, but then again half the stuff you see is "out of order"

New Shoes

I've been meaning to post a picture of my new running shoes but I never had a digital camera until now (thanks Santa!). These are the new high tech Nike+ running shoes that I am loving right now...enjoy!
Yeah it's not the greatest shoe picture in the world considering that I have them on my feet, but I never claimed to be a shoe poser :) I think you'll be able to get an idea of what they look like though!

It's Good to be Back!

After a short break from running, blogging, and responsible life in general, I am back! I had extremely high hopes of jumping straight back into running, but yesterday was so busy. Let me give you the run down of my first day back...
1. Wake up at zero five hundred to go to the Rec Center to swim some laps.
2. Swim for about 4o minutes (trying out my new swim cap and gym bag I got for Christmas)
3. Go to work from 8:00 to 3:30 (I even brought clothes, shoes, iPod, etc. to work so I wouldn't have any excuses for going home and being lazy)
4. Received a phone call from a friend and talked for about 2 hours
5. Received a phone call from my parents informing me of the LSU football party they were having and was asked to attend
6. Had a long and heated debate with myself about either going or staying home and running *note* this conversation with myself was held out loud...I wonder what my neighbors think?
7. Finally decided to go to the party
8. Got stuck in Baton Rouge traffic on the interstate...cursed at every car that was in front of me and made myself hoarse
9. Arrived at my parents' friends' home 30 minutes late and starving
10. Ate about 10.67 tons worth of food and 4 diet cokes
11. Watched the football game and felt grossly fat
12. Arrived back at my apartment around 12 and had midnight munchies...ate even more food!
13. Went to bed feeling like a beached whale

So to sum up...the only exercise I did was swim some measly laps and I ate way too much! Hopefully this afternoon will be different...I am turning my phone off because it appears that it was the cause of my downfall! Damn you cingular!