In Texas in the summer, it usually seems like they ask people several times to use programmable thermostats to avoid running the AC at peak demand times in the afternoon to cool an empty house.
Wouldn't it help more if the pitch was to get all offices and businesses to raise their temperatures by a couple degrees?
It is insane that it's so warm out (68 right now according to my phone), and I am shivering and freezing while wearing a heavy long sleeve top and sitting in my office.
I found out that our office location is likely changing sometime later this year (woo-hoo, my commute will drop from 5 miles to about 4!) but somehow I don't think we'll get individual thermostats for our offices, though that would be on my wish list. I guess if I had to prioritize though, I'd still vote for a locker room/shower facility -- that is a bikeable or runnable commute.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Monday, March 5, 2012
FMM: Workout Playlist
Monday morning. Going to be traveling for work some this week. Time for Friend Making Monday.
If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: http://www.alltheweigh.com/ so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!
FMM: What’s On Your Workout Playlist?
This isn't a great question for me since I work out with music less than once a month I'd say. My usual workouts are bootcamp (no music, I'm listening to instructions), and running (no music, I'm talking with friends), and lately walking (again, no music, I'm not alone). And even when I run solo, I'm a safety girl, so no music (I wrote about a runner here on the trail right by my house who was listening to music and hit and killed on a path closed to vehicular traffic by a person on a bicycle).
So bottom line is, I have a list, but it's old and very rarely used. I probably made it about 4 or 5 years ago. But once in a while, if I'm stuck on a treadmill, I'll bust it out. Don't judge. A few of them are the right number of beats per minute for my cadence, so maybe I can use that as an excuse?
Yeah! by Usher
Wannabe by Spice Girls
Without Me by Eminem
Step by Step by New Kids
Sing for the Moment by Eminem
Run It! by Chris Brown
Rock Superstar by Cypress Hill
Ride Wit Me by Nelly
Say My Name by Destiny's Child
The Real Slim Shady by Eminem (I swear, I have no idea why there are 3 by him so far)
Ready to Run by Dixie Chicks
One Million Miles by The Flood (no way anyone knows this group)
OPP by Naughty by Nature
No Scrubs by TLC
Luv Me, Luv Me by Shaggy
The Long Run by The Eagles
La Gasolina by Daddy Yankee (great for running!)
It's Goonna Be Me by N'Sync
It Wasn't Me by Shaggy
If You're Gone by Matchbox 20
I do! by Toya
I Try by Macy Gray
Hit Em Up Style by Blu Cantrell
Here Comes the Hotstepper by Imi Kamoze
Hangin' Tough by New Kids
Gin & Juice by Snoop
Get in My Car by 50 Cent
Fantastic Voyage by Coolio
Everybody (Backstreet's Back) by Backstreet Boys
Drop It Like It's Hot by Snoop
Don't Cha by Pussycat Dolls
Disco Inferno by 50 Cent
Cleanin' Out My Closet by Eminem
Candy Shop by 50 Cent
California Love by 2Pac
Bye Bye Bye by N'Sync
Butterfly by Crazy Town
Build You Up by 50 Cent
Any Way You Want It by Journey
Angel by Shaggy
Always on Time by Ja Rule
Well, that's amusing. Apparently Eminem and 50 Cent are the most frequently appearing artists in the mix, neither of whom I listen to with any regularity. Oh well, it is what it is. I'm not a super-musical person.
I used to have an awesome marathon mix (started with Sunrise by Norah Jones), but the list I happened to pull up for this exercise was just called Running, so there you have it.
Now it’s your turn to share your list. Don’t forget to go back to alltheweigh.com to link up in the comments! Happy Monday!
If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section at: http://www.alltheweigh.com/ so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!
FMM: What’s On Your Workout Playlist?
This isn't a great question for me since I work out with music less than once a month I'd say. My usual workouts are bootcamp (no music, I'm listening to instructions), and running (no music, I'm talking with friends), and lately walking (again, no music, I'm not alone). And even when I run solo, I'm a safety girl, so no music (I wrote about a runner here on the trail right by my house who was listening to music and hit and killed on a path closed to vehicular traffic by a person on a bicycle).
So bottom line is, I have a list, but it's old and very rarely used. I probably made it about 4 or 5 years ago. But once in a while, if I'm stuck on a treadmill, I'll bust it out. Don't judge. A few of them are the right number of beats per minute for my cadence, so maybe I can use that as an excuse?
Yeah! by Usher
Wannabe by Spice Girls
Without Me by Eminem
Step by Step by New Kids
Sing for the Moment by Eminem
Run It! by Chris Brown
Rock Superstar by Cypress Hill
Ride Wit Me by Nelly
Say My Name by Destiny's Child
The Real Slim Shady by Eminem (I swear, I have no idea why there are 3 by him so far)
Ready to Run by Dixie Chicks
One Million Miles by The Flood (no way anyone knows this group)
OPP by Naughty by Nature
No Scrubs by TLC
Luv Me, Luv Me by Shaggy
The Long Run by The Eagles
La Gasolina by Daddy Yankee (great for running!)
It's Goonna Be Me by N'Sync
It Wasn't Me by Shaggy
If You're Gone by Matchbox 20
I do! by Toya
I Try by Macy Gray
Hit Em Up Style by Blu Cantrell
Here Comes the Hotstepper by Imi Kamoze
Hangin' Tough by New Kids
Gin & Juice by Snoop
Get in My Car by 50 Cent
Fantastic Voyage by Coolio
Everybody (Backstreet's Back) by Backstreet Boys
Drop It Like It's Hot by Snoop
Don't Cha by Pussycat Dolls
Disco Inferno by 50 Cent
Cleanin' Out My Closet by Eminem
Candy Shop by 50 Cent
California Love by 2Pac
Bye Bye Bye by N'Sync
Butterfly by Crazy Town
Build You Up by 50 Cent
Any Way You Want It by Journey
Angel by Shaggy
Always on Time by Ja Rule
Well, that's amusing. Apparently Eminem and 50 Cent are the most frequently appearing artists in the mix, neither of whom I listen to with any regularity. Oh well, it is what it is. I'm not a super-musical person.
I used to have an awesome marathon mix (started with Sunrise by Norah Jones), but the list I happened to pull up for this exercise was just called Running, so there you have it.
Now it’s your turn to share your list. Don’t forget to go back to alltheweigh.com to link up in the comments! Happy Monday!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
27 miles of training
So yesterday I finished my very last long training walk. I did 27 slow miles with friends. My goal was just to be on my feet for 9 hours (though it ended up being longer than that because I was hurting and took lots of breaks). I had decided long ago that my training for this marathon, since I needed to prepare for 8-9 hours on my feet, would be accomplished by walking, rather than running. Running for 8-9 hours would mean a crazy number of miles.
I was a little worried the day was going to be a wreck when my very first friend wasn't at our designated meet point on time. I texted her a couple times and was trying to figure out what to do when she called to say she'd completely forgotten and was so sorry. So I decided I'd drive to the start point and start solo.
At 6 a.m.
In the dark.
I called hubby to let him know this was the new plan and he wanted me to wait until it was light out or I had company, but since I already was going to be walking until 3:00, and I was awake and at the lake, I didn't want to.
So I started off solo and in less than 3 minutes had another text from that same friend saying she could pull on clothes real quick and be there to meet me in about 10 minutes. I told her that would be awesome if she didn't mind. So I kept walking and within 15 minutes of my start, I was walking with a friend.
And then the trend continued. I counted each "shift" as lasting one hour. I planned some friends would do singles and some would do doubles. Some people had joined me for a shift on one of my other training walks, some came out to keep me company for the first time. One friend had 6 miles of running on her schedule that day, so she ran 3 on her own, then met me to walk a double, and was planning to run the remaining 3 to her car after she passed me off to another friend, but she said that walking with friends was so much more fun than running alone, so she ended up walking a triple shift -- 9 miles and an entire loop around the lake.
One of the suprises of the day was that I walked with the wife of one of my best running friends for the first time. It was the first time we'd had a lengthy conversation alone. Before we'd always been in a crowd, and almost always with her husband, so I didn't feel like I knew her very well. But when she heard I was walking, and she extracted a promise from me that there really wouldn't be any running, she said she'd join me.
The funny thing was, talking to her, I could see why I like running with her husband so much. He's an awesome, sweet and fun guy. And talking to her, I can see that they're a great match -- she was so interesting and friendly and we really had a great conversation. The three miles we walked together were over before either of us realized it. Another high point of our talk was that I realized she is really excited about a possible trip to Germany next year. I'd asked him a few months ago if he'd want to run Berlin in 2013 when I do (not run together since he's a lot faster than I am, but run the same race the same day). He'd said he'd check with his wife and think about it. She told me that she's been researching the race and sending him all kinds of info to convince him he should do it. That would be a lot of fun.
But by the time I got to about mile 23, I was starting to really struggle. My shoulders were hurting from the pack, and I was having tons of pre-blister foot pain. I actually stopped at mile 25 because of some really sharp pain in my right foot (the one I'd attempted to protect with moleskin). I stopped and took off my shoe and sock and it was clear a blister had formed and popped. Ugh. But when I started walking again, it was actually a bit less painful. And while I'm still hurting a bit today, I don't think it's even close to as sore as I was last time.
So now I'm officially tapering. I'm going to try to do a bit more time with the pack, but no more long walks. I will try to do one more long run with the vest next weekend, and that will be it.
Anyway, I decided to celebrate yesterday's feat with the most unhealthy meal ever. There is this restaurant here, Snuffer's, that is famous for their cheese fries. I eat there now maybe once every 2-3 years. But that was my planned reward for finishing my final training walk. I went and ate more than half a large order of cheese fries. I was a bit disappointed I couldn't finish, but I think it's safe to say I replenished the 2700 calories I burned on my walk!
Haha, thank goodness this isn't someplace I eat often! Neither my stomach nor my waist could handle it...
A few photos from the day (and note, in the pic of the cheese fries, that is the closest hubby's hand ever got to that plate -- he didn't eat a single one. I don't understand how they're not appealing to him...) (and the dark photo is a very distant view of downtown Dallas from my starting point):
I was a little worried the day was going to be a wreck when my very first friend wasn't at our designated meet point on time. I texted her a couple times and was trying to figure out what to do when she called to say she'd completely forgotten and was so sorry. So I decided I'd drive to the start point and start solo.
At 6 a.m.
In the dark.
I called hubby to let him know this was the new plan and he wanted me to wait until it was light out or I had company, but since I already was going to be walking until 3:00, and I was awake and at the lake, I didn't want to.
So I started off solo and in less than 3 minutes had another text from that same friend saying she could pull on clothes real quick and be there to meet me in about 10 minutes. I told her that would be awesome if she didn't mind. So I kept walking and within 15 minutes of my start, I was walking with a friend.
And then the trend continued. I counted each "shift" as lasting one hour. I planned some friends would do singles and some would do doubles. Some people had joined me for a shift on one of my other training walks, some came out to keep me company for the first time. One friend had 6 miles of running on her schedule that day, so she ran 3 on her own, then met me to walk a double, and was planning to run the remaining 3 to her car after she passed me off to another friend, but she said that walking with friends was so much more fun than running alone, so she ended up walking a triple shift -- 9 miles and an entire loop around the lake.
One of the suprises of the day was that I walked with the wife of one of my best running friends for the first time. It was the first time we'd had a lengthy conversation alone. Before we'd always been in a crowd, and almost always with her husband, so I didn't feel like I knew her very well. But when she heard I was walking, and she extracted a promise from me that there really wouldn't be any running, she said she'd join me.
The funny thing was, talking to her, I could see why I like running with her husband so much. He's an awesome, sweet and fun guy. And talking to her, I can see that they're a great match -- she was so interesting and friendly and we really had a great conversation. The three miles we walked together were over before either of us realized it. Another high point of our talk was that I realized she is really excited about a possible trip to Germany next year. I'd asked him a few months ago if he'd want to run Berlin in 2013 when I do (not run together since he's a lot faster than I am, but run the same race the same day). He'd said he'd check with his wife and think about it. She told me that she's been researching the race and sending him all kinds of info to convince him he should do it. That would be a lot of fun.
But by the time I got to about mile 23, I was starting to really struggle. My shoulders were hurting from the pack, and I was having tons of pre-blister foot pain. I actually stopped at mile 25 because of some really sharp pain in my right foot (the one I'd attempted to protect with moleskin). I stopped and took off my shoe and sock and it was clear a blister had formed and popped. Ugh. But when I started walking again, it was actually a bit less painful. And while I'm still hurting a bit today, I don't think it's even close to as sore as I was last time.
So now I'm officially tapering. I'm going to try to do a bit more time with the pack, but no more long walks. I will try to do one more long run with the vest next weekend, and that will be it.
Anyway, I decided to celebrate yesterday's feat with the most unhealthy meal ever. There is this restaurant here, Snuffer's, that is famous for their cheese fries. I eat there now maybe once every 2-3 years. But that was my planned reward for finishing my final training walk. I went and ate more than half a large order of cheese fries. I was a bit disappointed I couldn't finish, but I think it's safe to say I replenished the 2700 calories I burned on my walk!
Haha, thank goodness this isn't someplace I eat often! Neither my stomach nor my waist could handle it...
A few photos from the day (and note, in the pic of the cheese fries, that is the closest hubby's hand ever got to that plate -- he didn't eat a single one. I don't understand how they're not appealing to him...) (and the dark photo is a very distant view of downtown Dallas from my starting point):
Thursday, March 1, 2012
New Kicks
This feels like it has been a long week for me. I love my job, but this week it has felt like I have been slammed, going non-stop, from the second I sit down at my desk, until pretty much hours after I intended to get up and go home.
I think it hasn't really been that bad, but it's felt tough because I've felt under the weather. I got what my husband had but either I got on antibiotics early enough or for some other reason it didn't hit me as hard as it hit him. I've felt kind of bad, but okay to work through it. Just so tired from being up much of the night with coughing and congestion. Anyway, that undoubtedly made the week at work seem longer and more difficult than it really was.
Plus sick hubby at home half made me want to be there with him, especially when it was official that I was getting the same bug (before then, I pretty much wanted to be as far away as possible in hopes of not catching it).
But it's finally Friday. I've been able to work out as usual this week, despite the cold/virus thing.
And to get me to speed through boot camp today, new kicks!
Kind of crazy for me. I have worn the exact same shoe for many years now. When I started running, I was heavier than I am now and I think that caused my feet to pronate more. So I'd been fitted at a running store for shoes, and they put me in a stability shoe. But within a few years, running (plus boot camp and actually becoming more of a healthy vegetarian instead of someone who ate chips for dinner because they were vegetarian technically) helped me lose some weight or inches, and my running form apparently changed to. So I gave up my stability Saucony shoe and moved to Brooks Glycerin.
I once tried something new from my Brooks Glycerin. I thought I was ready for a change, and I got fitted for a pair of Nikes. I wore them once and ended up with a blister almost the size of the palm of my hand on the bottom of one of my feet after my first run in the Nikes. Thankfully our running store lets you return shoes that you tried wearing but didn't work out for you! And then I was back into the Brooks.
But today I'm integrating my brand new Adidas Supernova Glides. Sweet!
Here's hoping for no blisters but a bit of variety -- I don't see moving from Brooks permanently at any point in the future, this will just be a new pair to put in the mix.
I think it hasn't really been that bad, but it's felt tough because I've felt under the weather. I got what my husband had but either I got on antibiotics early enough or for some other reason it didn't hit me as hard as it hit him. I've felt kind of bad, but okay to work through it. Just so tired from being up much of the night with coughing and congestion. Anyway, that undoubtedly made the week at work seem longer and more difficult than it really was.
Plus sick hubby at home half made me want to be there with him, especially when it was official that I was getting the same bug (before then, I pretty much wanted to be as far away as possible in hopes of not catching it).
But it's finally Friday. I've been able to work out as usual this week, despite the cold/virus thing.
And to get me to speed through boot camp today, new kicks!
Kind of crazy for me. I have worn the exact same shoe for many years now. When I started running, I was heavier than I am now and I think that caused my feet to pronate more. So I'd been fitted at a running store for shoes, and they put me in a stability shoe. But within a few years, running (plus boot camp and actually becoming more of a healthy vegetarian instead of someone who ate chips for dinner because they were vegetarian technically) helped me lose some weight or inches, and my running form apparently changed to. So I gave up my stability Saucony shoe and moved to Brooks Glycerin.
I once tried something new from my Brooks Glycerin. I thought I was ready for a change, and I got fitted for a pair of Nikes. I wore them once and ended up with a blister almost the size of the palm of my hand on the bottom of one of my feet after my first run in the Nikes. Thankfully our running store lets you return shoes that you tried wearing but didn't work out for you! And then I was back into the Brooks.
But today I'm integrating my brand new Adidas Supernova Glides. Sweet!
Here's hoping for no blisters but a bit of variety -- I don't see moving from Brooks permanently at any point in the future, this will just be a new pair to put in the mix.
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