Rouge Runner

Another short one

2007-10-11T07:36:00.000-04:00

Jogged about a mile this morning. I woke up a little later this morning than yesterday morning but it was still dark outside. The air is starting to get cooler which means winter is on its way! Boo! I hate running in the cold...even though Louisiana doesn't really have COLD weather. Well, off to work!

I'm Back

2007-10-10T08:02:00.000-04:00

It is 7:00 in the a.m. and I can't explain all the interesting details, but I am back! YAY! I ran about a mile this morning and Monday I ran/walked about 2 miles. My legs are a little sore, but it is a good and comforting feeling.

It feels good to be back into it! I missed running!

Two More

2007-05-14T11:15:00.000-04:00

I didn't take a day off yesterday, I just didn't have internet to create a post for my run--ah the difficulties of rural life!

Yesterday, I ran with Roux about 1.5 miles. I know that's pitiful, but it was Mother's Day, and I had a lot to eat, and it was Sunday and it's always hard to run on the weekend....sooooo I'm just happy that I got out of the house. I met a nice old man on my way home who lives in the neighborhood I was running through. He has a poodle named Satchmo Armstrong, and I stopped to talk to them for while. I don't particularly like small dogs, but it's funny how these small dogs will run after my Roux (who is on the heavy side at the moment but we are working on that) like they are the same size if not bigger than her. Luckily Roux played it cool and didn't take much interested in Mr. Armstrong.

This morning I ran 3 miles with Roux through town. I felt pretty good although I did stop and walk a ways because I thought Roux looked a little pooped. Of course as soon as we got home she went straight for the pond and just sat there cooling off. Oh did I mention how warm it has gotten...yeah it's hot and humid, but i know it will only get worse as the summer progresses. We don't have spring here in Louisiana just a mild winter and then...bam...it's hot as hell! I wish I could just jump in the pond; what a nice end to a run that would be!

Back in BR

2007-05-12T10:07:00.000-04:00

Woke up fairly early this morning--6:20--and decided to watch some television before I headed out for my run. Usually this is an excuse to skip my run, but after the show ended, I jumped up, put on some jogging gear, and headed out.

I jogged down Nicholson Drive which is a high traffic area during the week, but this being Saturday there weren't as many cars out hence I was not breathing in massive amounts of noxious fumes. I did however come across some lovely ladies who had community service duty and were picking up the trash on the side of the road. I saw them in the distance, and the whole time I was approaching them, I tried to think what I should do when I crossed by them. Of course I thought about just ignoring them, but that seemed rude--because if I had done something to break the law and thus had to do trash cleanup, I wouldn't want some snooty college coed turning her nose up at me. So then I thought I should smile and wave, but then I thought that could be misinterpreted as "haha you have to clean road scum while I am out exercising my body on this glorious day." So by this time I was very close to passing them; I decided to look away, but then I just had to smile and wave...it's in my nature. All the ladies just kind of squinted at me and said something I didn't understand. Oh well...at least I didn't stop and take a picture of them to show to all my blogging friends :) I really did want to!

So after my encounter with the trash trolls I ended up jogging/walking about three miles...pretty lame I know, but I am getting stronger and soon I will be doing 26 miles LOL! No I don't know if I could do that but here is for wishful thinking! Cheers!

A Run With Roux

2007-05-11T09:46:00.000-04:00

Now that I am out of school and I have nothing important to do (besides find a job), I went to my parents' house. Yesterday I didn't get to run because I was recovering from end-of-school festivities and I wanted to spend some quality time with my folks. But today I woke up at 6:00 put on some dirty, sweaty running clothes and took roux, the dog, for a jog around the big city of Amite.

Now keep in mind that I have never tried to run with Roux before so I wasn't completely sure how she was going to do running on the leash. Except for the occasional "hold up mom I have to pee" stops, she was great. I could tell that she wanted to run faster, so I sprinted the last 800 meters of my run. After we got back to the house, she took a dip in the pond (I envied her at that point being that it is so freaking hot down here).

I forgot to bring my Nike+ receiver so I don't know how long or how far I went, but I think it was somewhere around 2.5 miles in about 30 minutes. I can feel the subtle change in my body as it is getting used to my running again. Pretty soon I'll be entering some 5K races.

Hot and Steamy

2007-05-09T08:08:00.000-04:00

Went for an early run this morning (6:20 a.m.), but it feels late considering that I've been getting up at 4:45 every morning to teach. Ahhh feels nice to sleep in! I did a slow 2.11 miles in the hot and humid Louisiana morning air, but thankfully the air quality was back done to "moderately safe"...I'm still kind of waiting until my body--legs especially--get back into shape before I start doing anything challenging or rigorous. Plus I know I'll get turned off to running if I start torturing myself and trying to make myself run harder. I want to get back to where running is fun and then I'll start pushing myself.

I have a long seminar today at the university then I'll do all the paperwork so I can finally be done with this student teaching mess. I miss my students so much, and I have been going over their notes...I don't think there was one kid that I did not like--even the ones that misbehaved had great personalities, and they genuinely wanted to do well. I hope the classes that I teach in the future can be as good as the ones I've taught this semester.

Last Day of Student Teaching

2007-05-08T23:46:00.000-04:00

Yes! Today was the last day I had to be at school, and my kids all wrote little notes for me as a kind of going away present. I was so happy, and I had a great time reading what the kids had to say (for example: "I love the way you always dress nice") LOL I love it! I will miss those little boogers.

What better way to kind of wrap up things than to go for a short run after school....well, first I went to get drinks with some of the other student teachers but I did go after the drinks settle in my tummy. I did a 2 mile loop that I ran at a very slow pace, but finished nonetheless. I think now that student teaching is finished I can get back into my running groove.

I have one more day tommorrow at the university, but after that I am a free girl that will be stressing out about where I will work this summer. If you have any suggestions, please let me know!

Slowly

2007-05-06T21:35:00.000-04:00

I am coming back slowly. I ran this morning slowly and my knee still gave my problems. I guesss it is not ready to get back into the swing of things. As you may have guessed, I have gained weight during my hiatus, and I am on a mission to lose it. However, I am a sucker for sugary and fruity candy...damn you Willy Wonka and you darn chocolate factory!

So I did about 3 miles jogging and walking in the hot and humid outdoors. The road I was jogging on is flanked by a golf course so I started counting the stray golf balls as I was running. It seemed to help pass the arduous time I was having. I also thought about my life as it stands right now--stuck between going to London to teach for a while or staying in Louisiana and building up my retirement. I know, I know I am young I shouldn't being thinking about my retirement so early but I can't help it. Plus, if I go to London I have to wait at least six months to get my passport and visa together. It would be scary not having a "real" job for six months, but I am young so it's ok not having a "real" job, right? So you see I had plenty to think about...plus I was also trying to decide what I should buy the teacher I have been working under these past few months. Ah! Such is life.

On a brighter, less stressful note, I bought a Smashing Pumpkins CD that I have wanted since around 1995--Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Such a wonderful compilation of great music! I am trying to put it on my iPod, but seeing that I bought a new laptop I am having a hard time trying to sync my iPod with my new computer. I love running to angry music, and some of the SP's songs are perfect for my running/listening pleasure.

Slow and Steady

2007-04-23T16:41:00.000-04:00

Well, I went for a short run after a LOOOOONG break this morning.................it was hell! I did one mile at ten minutes/mile; I wanted to make sure I took my time so I wouldn't burn myself out on my first day back. Too bad I was still huffing and puffing afterwards. Even though I felt worn out after ONLY running a mile, I did four alternating laps of sprinting and walking just to get my heart rate up. I am commited to keeping this up....I just spent too much time being lazy!

Student teaching is going great, and it's even better that it's almost over. I just can't wait to graduate! I did some interviews with schools from around Southern Louisiana, but I'm still unsure if I want to stay here. I just got an email from a recruiter in London, and it would be my dream to teach in London. Just don't know what the schools are like and if I can survive being that far away from my home.

Party Girl

2007-03-23T10:50:00.000-04:00

I had a blast last night. My parents' anniversary was yesterday, so we had a party at the house with crawfish and beer. Unfortunately I drank too much beer and didn't eat enough crawfish. Needless to say I didn't get to run at all yesterday, and I am in recovery mode today.

I hope I'll feel better by this afternoon or tonight.

Right now I am in class at LSU (not student teaching) suffering from drowsiness and a headache. We have a guest speaker who is probably psychologically insane, and he is droning on about some poet who is as crazy as he is. I am ready to go home!

After school special

2007-03-21T17:35:00.000-04:00

Went for a quick run after school today...hopefully this will be the start of a routine, but one never knows. I had to change clothes in a crappy bathroom that had water--I hope it was water--all over the floor. I felt awkward walking out of the building in shorts and a tshirt with some of my students standing around outside. I am usually in dress clothes so I felt almost naked. I ran a loop around my school twice which ended up being about 2.7 miles in about 27 minutes...so that would mean I was running a 1o min/mile pace. I can't believe that my pace has slowed down so much. When I was running, I felt like I was running my normal pace, but I guess I wasn't.

I am going to try to do speed work after school as well. There is a football field nearby, so I will try to use that to train.

I am having some problems with my ipod. I got a new laptop computer and I tried to transfer all my music on to the new computer, but for some reason it won't work, and all my extra stuff got erased from my ipod. If anyone knows how to make the ipod work on a new computer PLEASE let me know because I'm killing myself trying to figure it out. Thanks!

no run today

2007-03-20T20:47:00.000-04:00

had a special visitor this afternoon and we ate lots of junk food!!! i'll try harder tomorrow and try not to run into anyone

thanks David for the welcome back! sure makes running easier when you have someone backing you up! you're a great bunch!

I'm Back!

2007-03-19T18:47:00.000-04:00

At least I hope so!

On the running front: After making up excuse after excuse for not running, I finally decided to just do it. I wanted to run this morning, but of course that means I would have had to get up at four, and I just couldn't do it. So after school I threw on my gear and went out for a looooonnngggg three miler.

On the teaching front: My kids are still wonderful and amaze me everyday. I have been teaching my classes poetry, so it is amazing to see what cool poems and thoughts my sixth graders have. Also, I love working with these inner city kids! They all have stories and they all have such great personalities. The schools are taking the state exams this week, so I am going to be separated from my students all week....BORING!

I know I usually post my stats here, but my ipod is not working properly. Anyway, I ran about three miles in about 40 minutes--slower than normal...but Lance Armstrong told me I set a new PR for the mile...I think he was smoking crack...or taking too many steroids

Mardi Gras Marathon 5K

2007-02-25T21:33:00.000-05:00

I know it has been a while--two weeks I think--but i'm still trying to get in the groove of teaching. Every morning I wake up with every intention of running in the afternoon, but between being exhausted and having random meetings, I just can't find the time. What a lame excuse!!

However, I did get my tired, lazy butt up this morning to run the Mardi Gras Marathon 5K in New Orleans (Thanks David for the suggestion!). Last night I wasn't sure if I was going to run it even though I paid the registration fee because there was supposed to be some bad weather headed this way. Fortunately, the Baton Rouge and New Orleans area didn't get hit too bad...well from what I could see.

So here is the breakdown of my first running/race day in two weeks:
Woke up at 5:00 am took my meds and vitamins (I'm trying Centrum Endurance for the first time). Left Baton Rouge around 5:15 and arrived in NOLA around 6:40. Parked in the Superdome parking garage--thank god for free parking--picked up my bib, chip, and tshirt and finally sat down on a curb and watched the marathoners and halfers take off. Took a short nap on same curb then took my spot amongst the small mass of 5Kers. I started the race at a slow and steady pace then decided that I would bust a gut for this race. Got about a little more than half way done and thought I was almost at the end so silly me took off sprinting only to find out I had about another 1.4 miles to run. When I finished I had that post run nausea you get when you try to run really fast when you haven't run in two weeks :-/ Managed to keep last night's dinner in its proper place while I returned my chip and sulked over my 30:00 finish time--man I thought I was flying...I demand a recount! Finally, I jumped in my car and was home around 9:30 with a cool race medal to show off to my friends...YAY!

Distance: 3.1 miles/5K
Time: 30:24
Pace: ???? freaking ipod didn't even save my info!
Calories: probably not enough
Tunes: Some Regina Spektor and a little bit of great 80's as always :)

Best Loop in Baton Rouge

2007-02-11T13:51:00.000-05:00

The loop around the LSU lakes is probably the most scenic loop in Baton Rouge...that I know of at least. It was beautiful this morning and there were quite a few walkers/runners out. I brought my camera along to capture the scenery, but my pictures never seem to come out as good as they are in real life.

I wish I had more zoom on my camera--this picture would have been really neat if I had one of those mega cameras with 200x zoom. For all of you who are wondering what in the world those tiny specks of black are...they are birds on a log...wait isn't that some type of culinary dish?

And this is the Baton Rouge Beach...LOL! Yeah, for the longest time I always thought the BR Beach was some huge beach area near the river, but here it is. It is mostly used as a dumping ground for used condom wrappers, needles, cigarette butts, and other miscellaneous trash. Note the construction in the background...since Katrina Baton Rouge has had a major real estate boom...great for Baton Rouge, not so great for me--rent increases :(
And this folks is a pelican...our state bird. As you can guess, the LSU Lakes are filled with a variety of species of bird. Again, this would have been a much better picture if I had more zoom, but I can't fret over the small stuff...ehh.

There are more pictures from my run today, but posting pictures is tedious (this is an excuse of a LAZY person). If you want to check them out go to my Flickr account.

I did a slow 5.5 miles and made frequent stops to take some pics so this run was extremely easy. However, my legs are a little sore, and my knees felt a little stiff after the run. I guess my legs are in shock from not running all week. There was an article in Runner's World this month that discusses the complexity of the knee and how much stress runner's can put on their knees. Well, I don't put as much stress on them as some, but I'm always weary of minor knee pain. I would hate to have a knee injury and then have to do swimming or bicycling or some other cross training sport that is not as wonderful as running...blah!

Distance: 5.73 miles

Time: 1:03

Pace: 10:58 min/mi

Calories: 597

Tunes:

Reason is Treason-Kasabian

Hurts so Good-John Cougar Mellencamp

Mercedes Benz-Janis Joplin

Move Over-Janis Joplin

Piece of My Heart-Janis Joplin

Down on Me-Janis Joplin

Trouble in Mind-Janis Joplin

Centerfold-J. Geils Band

The Power of Love-Huey Lewis and the Newsboys

Samson-Regina Spektor

Fidelity-Regina Spektor

Weekend Warrior

2007-02-10T17:31:00.000-05:00

The warrior part may not be accurate, but it appears that the weekends are the only days when I have time or even feel like running these days. I did a slow loop around the lake and somewhat in College Town. It was chilly (around the low forties) and windy, but that didn't stop me. Well, I did walk for a while, but only to enjoy the scenery--it was a perfectly sunny winter day in Louisiana.

Student teaching is going great so far. I had a tough week last week, and I came home exhausted every afternoon--Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday night I went to bed around 8:00 (sad, I know). I love all my classes, and I am looking forward to Monday when my students present their powerpoints they have been working on. Oprah was right, when given an opportunity, kids will never disappoint you. Most people might not have very high expectations for my students who mostly come from low income, single parent families. But so far they have proven that they have so much more potential than I originally thought. Oh enough of my cheesy teacher talk...here are my stats for today (sorry no pictures):

Distance: 5.31 miles
Time: 59:37
Pace: 11:13 min/mi
Calories: 553
Tunes:
Good for You-Third Eye Blind
I Need a Hero-Bonnie Tyler
We Built this City on Rock and Roll-Jefferson Starship
Me and Bobby McGee-Janis Joplin
Jumper-Third Eye Blind
All I Really Want-Alanis Morissette
Wasteland-Augustana
Call Me the Breeze-Lynard Skynard
Molly's Chambers-Kings of Leon
Welcome to Chicago-Kill Hannah
Highway to the Danger Zone-Kenny Loggins

5K Update

2007-02-05T17:24:00.000-05:00

Just got the official results in....*cue drumroll*

I placed 35th out of 119 or so.

But don't get too excited because I was also informed that the course was actually 3/8 of a mile short. I knew something didn't feel right about that race. I was very shocked to say the least when I finished right at 30:00 when I even stopped to take pictures. Oh well, I'm still going to act like a did a terrific job...I need all the motivation I can get!

LRCE Big Apple 5K

2007-02-03T17:02:00.000-05:00

It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was ridiculously cold this morning when I got out...the water for my windshield wipers froze up so I had to wait for the fog to clear from my windshield before I could even leave. I hate when it is cold because I never know what to wear...I know I have to wear a sweater before I run because it is cold, but I know I'll warm up during the run, but then there is that few minutes before the run and during the first few minutes when I'm dying because I'm freezing if I don't have a sweater, but I know that I can't stand to have to take off a sweater mid-run and carry it the rest of the way...so you can see the delimma. I just wish it would be either really cold or hot that way I would just know what to wear.

So now that I'm past the whole clothing issue, I guess I'll move on to the race. It was your typical 5K fundraiser with the mix group of people--the serious runners who wear shorts and a t-shirt and never do the group warm up thing, and the fun runners who sometimes wear jeans or five layers of clothing and always get into the group warm up thing (these are the people who hurt themselves before the race even starts by jumping around like a lunatic to "Sweet Home Alabama"). Me, I am the in between runner. I never do the group warm up thing because I can never take it seriously and....well I'm just not to the point where I can consider myself one of those serious runner types.

I started off at a great pace, probably around 9:30. But that soon turned into 10:00 as I was approaching the half way point. I stopped a few times to take pictures of the sights along the way (see below), and I came in right at 30:00. I could have finished in under 30 minutes, but I stopped right before the finish line to take a picture of the finish line. I wasn't too worried about the time seeing that it was my first time running in almost a month. I knew I wasn't going to achieve a PR. All in all I had a great time. I love running races. For some reason, and this may sound crazy, but I would have no problem being consistent if all my runs were races. I just like the atmosphere and the people. I hope I'm not the only one out there who feels this way...that would be lonely. And right now I'm already lonely...I don't need more lonliness in my life. LOL

Distance: 3.1 miles
Time: 30:06
Pace: 10:47 min/mi
Calories: 306
Tunes:
Wasteland-Augustana
All I Really Want-Alanis Morissette
Jumper-Third Eye Blind
Me and Bobby Magee-Janis Joplin
We Built This City on Rock and Roll-Jefferson Starship
I Need a Hero-Bonnie Tyler
Good For You-Third Eye Blind

People waiting for the race to begin at the starting line--I was freezing behind the camera

This picture was taken a little after the halfway point turn around.

The state capitol building...taken mid-race

The finish line...see I documented my "time"--I could have made it ;)

First run of February

2007-02-03T07:42:00.000-05:00

And it's going to be a 5k race :)

I haven't run in what seems like a month, but this morning I am signed up to do a 5K race, and seeing that I already payed for it, I couldn't skip out.

So hopefully this will jumpstart my running; I have high hopes!

It is almost seven o'clock in the morning, and I have my new tights and my new nike bra (haven't worn either one of them since I got them two months ago). I think I've figured out what I will do now...because school starts at the ungodly hour of 6:50, I will change into my running clothes right after school and run around the football field or the block around the school. However, there are a few catches--every other Monday I have a meeting right after school and every Friday I have to go back to LSU for classes. Hmmmm...well I'll see how it goes and run as much as I can.

Wish me luck! I'm going to bring my camera today, so I'll have some pictures to post of the race. I hope I don't die within the first mile...I would prefer to die at least around the two mile mark.

Being Lazy

2007-01-23T19:12:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-01-17T20:50:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-16T20:38:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-11T11:22:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-09T22:01:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-08T09:25:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-05T23:38:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-04T20:13:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-04T20:03:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-01-04T14:15:00.000-05:00

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!

Christmas down...bring on the New Year!

2006-12-26T12:51:00.000-05:00

Christmas was good to me this year. I didn't eat as much as I usually do, and I was able to get out and do some running/walking. I had a lot of fun with my family and friends--there were a couple of nights when I probably drank more than I should have. We played some board games and had a great time (thanks to my partner R. for helping me kick some ass at Taboo and letting me drink her tequila!)

I've found some more songs to download:
-Tool's "The Pot" is a great angry song to run to
-Counting Crow's "Mr. Jones" is an oldy but goody
-Alanis Morissette's "Right Through You"

I am headed back to the small town to hang out with the family some more. I'll let you know if I get any more runs in. I did one short run on Christmas day...it was a 1.7 mile run but somehow it got deleted off my iPod so I don't have the stats for that. That was just a fun run :)

3 o'clock run

2006-12-23T17:34:00.000-05:00

Aha! I was able to get my lazy butt up and out the door around 3 o'clock for an afternoon jog around the small town of Amite. I love being able to just run wherever I please...when I am in Baton Rouge, I really don't have that freedom, but here in Amite I can go everywhere!

I spent most of my day reading and wrapping Christmas gifts--I am a horrible wrapper and as my dad would say jokingly, I have trouble with the rhymes *cue fake laugh* Finally I decided that I had been in the house too long and needed to get moving so I did.

I started out at the end of my driveway after a short talk with the neighbors then headed off not really knowing which route I would take or where I would end up. I kept an eye/ear on the distance while I was running and when I got around 2 miles I started heading back to the house. I ended up running a totalk of 3.5 miles which I am very pleased with considering it is the holidays for me. This is much better than what I normally would do during a holiday break! Here are my stats:

Distance: 3.49 miles
Time: 31.54 minutes
Pace: 9:06 min/mile
Calories: 363

Short Break

2006-12-23T10:09:00.000-05:00

After taking a two day hiatus, I started back slowly...17:00 min/mile pace slow. I am spending the holidays with my folks (which usually means I don't get much running in) but this morning I got up around 7 to take a walk with my mom and the dog. Well the dog really took me for a walk...

It is finally getting chilly down here which is nice after the heat wave we had for a week. I am glad it will be cold for Christmas--hopefully we will be able to light a fire. This morning it was in the 50s which is perfect for being outside! The three of us went for a walk around the nearby neighborhood abd trying to keep the dog in line when she spoted fellow dogs proved to be more of a workout than I thought it would be.

So now I am being lazy hoping that later this afternoon I will have enough initiative to get out for a real run while the weather is satisfactory.

Happy holidays!

Rainy Day Wednesday

2006-12-20T20:15:00.000-05:00

When I got off of work today it was pouring down raining. Luckily I had a waterproof windbreaker in my car to wear on my run. I was actually supposed to go swimming this morning before work, but my alarm clock was set for the wrong time so I got up too late. Well, I still got to get wet! The windbreaker was for my iPod because I'm not sure how resistant it is to water and I really didn't want to find out. Has anyone run in the rain with an iPod? I don't have a protective case for it yet--I am hoping Santa will get me one ;)

I never realized how heavy my shoes would be when they are wet. It felt like I had weights around my ankles...but I pulled through and ran all 5.7 miles :-) I was a little worried though because I didn't know what would happen if the chip in my shoe got wet but nothing happend so I guess it is at least moisture resistance which is a plus!

Distance: 5.77 miles
Time: 54:46
Pace: 9:29 min/mile
Calories: 600
Wieght of my wet shoes: 342.6 pounds

I got my paper back...

2006-12-19T18:37:00.000-05:00

And I got a B+ :D

I am really happy about this because I swear I thought it was one of the most horrible things that has come from my typing fingers! It was a paper about Oscar Wilde and I refused to write on his homosexuality which was hard because that seems to be what everyone else is writing about so it was hard to find sources to back up my argument! But oh well...I am definitely happy with my B+!!!

Santa snackers...yum!

2006-12-19T18:22:00.000-05:00

I wanted to get up early this morning to go running, but I was having this really neat dream about making a good grade on the paper I just wrote, so I decided that I must stay in bed to see what happens. Plus we had Santa Snackers Lunch today at work and I wanted to be sure I had plenty of time to get ready and not look too gross!

I went to the rec center when I got off work to use the track to calibrate my new Nike+ thingy. I usually despise running around a track (especially this one because it's only 200 meters around) because I have such a hard time keeping count of the laps that I complete--so if I want to run 3 miles I have to run....hmmm let's see there are 8 laps to a mile times 3 that equals 24 laps!!!! I can't count that high while I am running; I have too much other stuff on my mind. I try to break it down to sets of eight but I just get confused :(

Anyway, I did a half mile to calibrate the new toy and then did 2 more miles. Here are my stats...

Distance: 2.02 miles
Time: 17:28
Pace: 8:38 min/mi
Calories: 210
Times I got confused about which lap I was on: zero--because the damn thing talks to me and tells me how far I've gone and how much I have left to do :D

I can also track my progress and set goals for myself on the Nike website. I have officially set a goal for myself:
---80 miles in the next 3 weeks
hmmm??? I think I can do more than that but because it is my first goal, I will start small. Also I don't like goals too much...it means I have to make a commitment and I don't particularly like commitments.

One more week :D

2006-12-18T21:29:00.000-05:00

That means I have one more week to finish up my Christmas shopping which is unsettling because I don't think the crowds are going to thin out...oh well.

I went for an early morning swim for about an hour--I wanted to go running but my stomach was not being nice so I thought swimming would be better. But tomorrow morning I am definitely hitting the pavement or treadmill depending upon sunrise...no running in the dark for me thank you!

I've been downloading some new songs for my iPod. I wanted some songs that would be really good to run with...slow songs just don't cut it. I've already downloaded some Kasabian songs (really love these guys!) and Kill Hannah's "Lips Like Morphine" I am currently looking for some more running songs...if you have any suggestions please let me know!!

This is a picture from the morning on the 5 mile race...it was foggy and somewhat chilly at 6:30 in the morning. The race went around this lake and one more to the left. I had more pictures but they came out really dark...too bad :(

Bad day for a run!

2006-12-17T13:23:00.000-05:00

All you people out there who go running after a night of partying are crazy!! Last night I went to a Christmas party at a friend's house, drank lots of Natty Light, and got home sometime around 2 or 3 in the morning. Because I just got my new toy, I was determined to wake up early and go running to try it out. Well, it was humanly impossible for me to get out of bed any earlier than 9:00 and couldn't even get myself out the door until 10:30.

The whole run sucked ass! My calves were sore from yesterday race, my stomach was cramping up (i guess because I was so dehydrated from the beer), my nose was running all over my face...I'm sure I was not the most attractive person running this morning! However, I was determined to complete my run no matter what (I only felt this way because I was so eager to log some miles on my new nike+ thingy). I had to take a short walking break in the middle because I could have sworn I felt a shin splint coming on...I am a baby I know! I was walking so slow two really old people passed me up so I decided to pick up my pace and just do an easy jog. Well of course my easy jog was probably about the same pace as the afore mentioned old ones and I was still suffering! Nonetheless this is what my iPod told me at the end of my run (and it literally told me through my headphones...neat!)

Distance: 5.99 (i mean really?)
Time: 54:55 (i don't think the distance is accurate)
Pace: 9:09 min/mi
Calories: 624 (how many beers is that? Not enough)

I don't think this information is right...I walked (slowly) for a good 5 minutes. There is no way I could have run 6 miles in that time. I think I have to calibrate it to make it more accurate. We'll see!

Race Day!!

2006-12-16T21:21:00.000-05:00

I ran my 5 mile race today, and I couldn't be more pleased with my time--somewhere around 45 mins. This may be slow to some of you guys, but for me it's great (considering a usually run a 10 min mile on a good day). Yay!

When I first got there (6:45 am), I was so nervous because all the other runners looked like "serious" runners. They were all wearing official running gear and doing special warm up drills. I just stood there and watched in my not-so-fancy shorts and t-shirt. I usually don't stretch until after a run, but this morning I felt out of the loop so I did some generic non-effective stretches.

The race was both a 5 mile and a 10 mile race and the organization putting it on was offering a big 1st place reward for both races--I didn't care about the money, I just wanted to finish the darn thing in what I think is a decent time (which I did...yay again!).

During the run I was getting excited because I was passing all these people who I thought looked like pretty speedy runners. But then I got worried because I thought I wasn't pacing myself...so you can imagine the thoughts and emotions I was experiencing! During the last mile and a half I started having sharp pains in my chest when I was inhaling, but I was determined to not slow down or stop. I am not sure what this was...anyone ever experience this sensation? Anyway I ran through it and made a strong finish :D! I have some pictures but I am waiting for them to be emailed to me...as soon as I get them I will post the pictures and my official time!

After the race I bought new running shoes--along with the Nike+ Sports Kit. It's a chip that goes in my shoe and it transfers data wirelessly to my iPod. Anyone ever use this or having any comments? I am pretty excited about being able to track my running progress!

another break day?

2006-12-15T17:40:00.000-05:00

yeah yeah i know i am a lazy bastard, but my dad took me to lunch right before i went running...so of course i decided that today i would rest some more :D However, all was not lost because I took my dog for a brisk walk on the trail that I mentioned earlier. The photos below are from my walk today. Roux and I had great fun...although I had to keep her on a leash most of the way because there is a highway near the trail.

The beginning of the trail

A little further in...

The first pond on the right

One of two sandbars

Path into the trees

The hill going down to the river

Roux playing in the river

I found this when I got back to the trail head...whoops!

Yesterday...break day

2006-12-15T09:31:00.000-05:00

Well really I didn't need a break I just had company over when I got off work, so I didn't have time to run. I was really bummed out afterwards and thought about running in the dark, but I decided that it would be safer to just stay in. I figured that I would put in extra miles today.

So today I am going to my parents' house to drop off some Christmas gifts. I will do my run over there. I like running over there much more than here in Baton Rouge because it's a small town and there isn't as much traffic. Plus there is this really cool trail that leads to the river that I like to run on. However, i don't know if I'll get to run on it because we've had some rain, and the trail gets really muddy and nasty after a rain. I'll have to find a camera to take with me so I can take a few photo to show you guys what it is like.

Also the weather has been pretty nice down here. The high has been in the 70s all week--which is another reason why I was bummed yesterday afternoon. Next week it is supposed to get dog cold...I hate running in the cold :(

Quick dip in the pool

2006-12-13T08:23:00.000-05:00

Went for a 45 minute swim this a.m. I just started swimming on a regular basis recently and I can feel myself getting stronger in the water. I think swimming is a great way to let my running muscles rest while I still work the rest of my body...and it gets my heart rate up!

After my swim I sat in the sauna for about 5 minutes to dry off. I was thinking how great it would be if Louisiana was the type of place that had hot and dry summers instead of hot and humid. Oh well I guess I'll have to move after i graduate...any suggestions?

I'm really looking forward to my five mile race saturday! I just hope it's not going to be one of those bad runs where the first mile feels like five. Oh well wish me luck :D!!!

Beatin' the sun

2006-12-12T20:00:00.000-05:00

I got kind of a late start this evening. Got off of work and went straight to the lakes, but got caught on the phone. Note to self: Don't pick up phone before run!
Another note to self: Don't forget your watch...idiot!

I was a little sketched out towards the end of the run. I don't mind running at night (in fact I love it when I am back home) but running in a city notorious for serial killers and the D.C. sniper...ummm yeah I think you get the point. Nevertheless, it made me pick up my pace quite a bit.

I wanted to run around both lakes but cut it short because of the no light issue. Right around the middle I started having stomach cramps...to get rid of them I tightened my stomach muscles and leaned onto that side (I read in a magazine that this is supposed to help)...they went away so I guess it worked. I probably looked bonkers doing it though.

Stats:
Miles: 4.o miles
Time: 37 minutes
Avg. Pace: 9:25/mile
Music: Bush
Third Eye Blind
Janis Joplin
Thoughts: Why the hell are all these street lamps off?
Serial Killers: 0...whew! :D

Sean Payton is my hero!

2006-12-11T08:12:00.000-05:00

I went for a quick 30 minute swim this morning. Wanted to chill out (or should I say bake) in the sauna but it was O of O. My calves are really sore, but I don't mind. I like the soreness; it lets me know that my muscles are getting stronger. I don't think I will run this afternoon because I want to give my calves plenty of time to heal. I am running in the Goldenfliers 5 miler this Saturday so I definitely want to be recovered for that run--it will be my first run over 5K.

Oh yeah I am totally pumped from the Saints' win last night! Even if they lose in the first round of the playoffs, I will still be extremely proud of them! I can't believe they have come so far with such a young team.

GEAUX SAINTS!

I'm done with my paper...YAY :D

2006-12-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

Ok so I kind of felt like this before I started my paper (which feels like a year ago), but I definitely did not use a paper writing service...haha! Now I can go on my date...any takers?!

Go Saints!!!!

2006-12-10T20:24:00.000-05:00

Got home sort of late so no swimming for me! However, I had a great time with the folks. We went Christmas shopping, saw a movie (Deja Vu-it's good I recommend it), and had dinner at a road house :D Poppy and Opie are the two best things in my life...I LOVE THOSE TWO!

Going to watch the Saints now and pray they don't embarrass themselves...aaahhh we'll see.

What season is it?

2006-12-10T13:05:00.000-05:00

Went for a quick 2 miler today. It was hot as heck outside and it is almost mid-December. Well, I guess that is what you get for living in Louisiana. The Rents are coming over this afternoon, so I decided to do a quick run instead of the swim I had planned for today. I love my parents to death, and it always makes me happy when they visit :D

I think I may still try to swim this evening--that is if I have time to. The Rec Center is only open for a little while so I have to find time to squeeze my swim in.

Stats:
Miles: 2
Time: 17:51
Avg Time: 8:8 min/mi
Songs: You Oughta Know-Alanis Morissette
Bush
I Can't Fight This Feeling - The Eagles
Thoughts: What my name would be if I could change it; Dream about old school friend making me miss my flight to D.C.

Midnight cuteness

2006-12-10T00:16:00.000-05:00

Came across this little dude while avoiding my paper...I miss my puppy Roux!!!

The sweet smell of fumes

2006-12-09T12:06:00.000-05:00

Got kind of a late start this morning, but I got out nonetheless. I ran to the levee and back which is probably not the best run in the red stick. I sucked truck fumes and mcdonald's grease the whole way there and back...hmmm :/

It was a little nippy when I first got started but half way to my destination my arms started sweating underneath my yellow sweater. I didn't feel like dealing with the hassel of stripping down so I just left it on and suffered.

So I ran for about 42 minutes which roughly equals 4.0-4.5 miles (yeah I am a slow runner) but I ran a nice easy pace so I really enjoyed it. My calves are a little sore from yesterday, but I'll probably recover soon. I may do some Xtraining tomorrow to help with that.

Anywho, I am off to work on my paper (hopefully I can get it done tonight). If anyone has any suggestion as to how to keep my dang nose from running all over the place please let me know! :D

2006-12-08T19:47:00.001-05:00

Some random picture that I drew today at work...i hate that class. I guess this is my payback. Oh well!

Last Day of Class

2006-12-08T17:40:00.000-05:00

So today was the official last day of class--although I really only had one class to go to. I took my performance final today in jogging. We ran a timed mile...and I beat my original time by almost a minute! :D But I am sad because there will be no more jogging class (miss my mallory and anna) and I will actually have to take the initiative to run on my own :(

Well, hopefully I won't be too lazy over my break--right now I am going to take a short running break (at least until finals are done) hehe.

See ya around the lakes guys!

Take my hand...I am Beowoulf

2006-12-07T09:50:00.000-05:00

This semester is slowly coming to an end, and I have a policy that I never do anything during finals week unless it is school related (this would mean that I don't run). However, since I am taking a jogging class I will be able to do some running.

My performance final is tomorrow, and basically all I have to do is run a timed mile. Now I hate running for time--I am more of an endurance runner--but sometimes you have to do what you don't like. I have to run the mile faster than what I ran it at the beginning of the semester (8:33). I know, I know this is slow geez get off my back, but again I'm not one for the clock.

So yesterday I took the written part of the final (can we say easy cheesy lemon squeezy?). It was about different types of running injuries and the food pyramid. Well, I've never really had any running related injury--except for that runner's knee thing I had a while back--and I usually try not to eat anything at all if possible so I had to do some studying. But luckily the test was a breeze!

Well fellow runners wish me luck on my timed mile!!!

And thus the cold came...

2006-12-05T13:32:00.000-05:00

Woke up this morning and thought I would freeze my bajookas off! Even though my apartment is about the size of a large closet, it doesn't seem able to stay very warm. Louisiana is notorious for sporadic and indeterminable weather patterns, but today doesn't feel like a deep south kind of day...brrrr!
I had high hopes for my jogging today, but this cold weather makes me want to sleep and eat. I was going to try to run after work (I even put warm jogging clothes in my car and every thing) but of course I forgot to throw in a sweater so it looks like no running for me today...unless I go back to my apartment, get a sweater and then fight traffic on campus. NOPE! Well, maybe I'll have a burning desire to run when I get home--haha!