first, take the stress of major job and household fluctuations. add to that some fantastic, wicked fast mood swings. fold in the desperate needs to exercise and get out of the house. bake in the hot sun for over an hour, and you get a brain that gets so wrapped up in its own little calculations and problem-solving scenarios that it forgets that taking that one road takes you for an extra 2+ miles. oops.
honestly though, since i've been more thoughtful about how i train, my runs have improved quite a lot. i am very deliberate about my pace and heart rate. i still refuse to buy one of the polar monitors, but i do know what my specific target heart rates are, and i'm doing a pretty good job of staying in the appropriate range. it's amazing what a little capitulation to a little common sense can do for your health. hehehe.
so, happily, i did the charles-northern-roland loop, with some side streets thrown in. took it easy and was out there fore ~75 min. so, that was awesome. we'll see if i join up with the pacemakers on saturday for the dru hill run..... don't know if i want to tackle those hills yet. i haven't gotten my crazy cap on just yet. :)
i feel pretty good, considering.
6.15.2006
Custom Fitness Concepts
Hi, everyone. I just thought that I'd let you know that I am now a trainer with Custom Fitness Concepts, and the company is working to expand in the Baltimore metro. We offer outdoor conditioning, small group fitness, and personal training, among other things, and we partner with several health professionals to round out our well-being programs. Most importantly, we come to the customer, instead of the customer having to travel to us.
For further information, please refer to our website (see the link above) or call 877-598-0530.
I'd love to help you meet your fitness goals!
For further information, please refer to our website (see the link above) or call 877-598-0530.
I'd love to help you meet your fitness goals!
oh. my. lord.
some mgt. company is trying just a little too hard to rent their apt. units:
"Washer & Dryer in Every Home...Swimming Pool & Sunning Area...Located In Prestigious Catonsville..."
"Washer & Dryer in Every Home...Swimming Pool & Sunning Area...Located In Prestigious Catonsville..."
6.12.2006
running over a new leaf
so this past weekend, i got trained. to be a trainer. more on that later. but back to running. with everything i learned this weekend, i've been thinking a lot about my runs and workouts. i've decided to modify my methods because i need to address some medical issues, and i haven't been seeing the appearance and performance results that i've wanted to.
as far as the medical issues go, i've had some flare-ups with bipolar disorder, and it's affected my training. as in i didn't train. what usually happens is that i have a TERRIBLE day and then i crawl under the covers. OR, if i try to run, i get overly worked up and either go too fast or just quit. so. remedy: start out with the idea of only going 10 minutes and go slowly. by and large, by the time i've reached the 10 minute, i've relaxed and keep going.
for appearance and performance results, i had to make a major mental shift. i've never really paid attention to target heart rates and fat burning vs. cardio zones; i should have, especially with the way my breathing has been lately. fat burning zones help people lose more weight because, since you're running slower to stay within a specific range, you can run longer than you can in the cardio and anaerobic zones. this, in turn, helps build my endurance for the races i've planned this summer.
so all in all, i did ~50 minutes, with a stop at rite aid toward the end to pick up my Rx. i went up the trail and down roland, and i tried to keep my HR in the fat burning zone. i felt pretty good afterward, and hopefully i'll keep this habit up.
excellent.n
as far as the medical issues go, i've had some flare-ups with bipolar disorder, and it's affected my training. as in i didn't train. what usually happens is that i have a TERRIBLE day and then i crawl under the covers. OR, if i try to run, i get overly worked up and either go too fast or just quit. so. remedy: start out with the idea of only going 10 minutes and go slowly. by and large, by the time i've reached the 10 minute, i've relaxed and keep going.
for appearance and performance results, i had to make a major mental shift. i've never really paid attention to target heart rates and fat burning vs. cardio zones; i should have, especially with the way my breathing has been lately. fat burning zones help people lose more weight because, since you're running slower to stay within a specific range, you can run longer than you can in the cardio and anaerobic zones. this, in turn, helps build my endurance for the races i've planned this summer.
so all in all, i did ~50 minutes, with a stop at rite aid toward the end to pick up my Rx. i went up the trail and down roland, and i tried to keep my HR in the fat burning zone. i felt pretty good afterward, and hopefully i'll keep this habit up.
excellent.n
6.06.2006
i stood barefoot in the middle of a city stream. ewwww. but it felt great. my shins are in revolt, and the rush of cold water felt a-ma-zing. anybody who has suffered the splint of shins can literally feel my pain at the description. anyway, it felt really good, and i think i did well by trying to stay off concrete and asphalt as much as possible. of course, that mostly means that i'm running the same trail through the park All The Time, but i haven't tired of the lush canopy and green air. i don't know how else to describe it... i cut my teeth running trails up in PA, so this little path is a great respite.
anyway, i did ~4 miles today, making sure to take it easy and not manage to hurt myself. i really should be keeping better track of my runs. saturday, i ran about five (doing about half on the trail again), and that hurt because when i wandered back up to roland, the grade was steeper than i was ready for. ouch. sunday, i knew that i needed to mix it up, so i did a brief warm-up on the trail (~1.5 miles) and then did 6 hills on a branch of the trail. that felt really good, again with a very controlled but concentrated pace. afterward, i sat on a rock in the middle of the stream, and then i ran home. all in all, i must have done ~2.5 miles. awesome. tomorrow, i plan on 4 miles (2 loops) at umbc. thursday is the great run with kim, and then friday will be either 2.5 or 5 miles at centennial park. depends on how many loops i want to do.
and i'm still uncertain about the philly marathon. i have all of my other races selected, and i just can't decide if i want to add the marathon. i don't know...
anyway, i did ~4 miles today, making sure to take it easy and not manage to hurt myself. i really should be keeping better track of my runs. saturday, i ran about five (doing about half on the trail again), and that hurt because when i wandered back up to roland, the grade was steeper than i was ready for. ouch. sunday, i knew that i needed to mix it up, so i did a brief warm-up on the trail (~1.5 miles) and then did 6 hills on a branch of the trail. that felt really good, again with a very controlled but concentrated pace. afterward, i sat on a rock in the middle of the stream, and then i ran home. all in all, i must have done ~2.5 miles. awesome. tomorrow, i plan on 4 miles (2 loops) at umbc. thursday is the great run with kim, and then friday will be either 2.5 or 5 miles at centennial park. depends on how many loops i want to do.
and i'm still uncertain about the philly marathon. i have all of my other races selected, and i just can't decide if i want to add the marathon. i don't know...
6.03.2006
calling, opportunity & resources
my sister-in-law has this uncanny ability to give eerily insightful advice when i am in most need...
for the past month or so, i'd been debating as to whether or not i should pack up and leave baltimore, mostly due to job frustrations (no potential employers care if you're an expert on Beowulf...). it was tough because there were dis/advantages to staying and leaving, so i called maria to talk to her about it. her advice, as given to her by a close friend: you know it's time to move when God provides the calling, the opportunity and the resources. that was a few weeks ago. and there was nothing.
one day, on the way home from my temp job, i was saying to myself, well, i'm just going to give up on this one job possibility around DC because the guy just doesn't seem interested in hiring. that night, i got an email from him, saying that he really wants to meet me. that has since evolved into me attending employee training next weekend and being contracted for at least some part time work, at something i really want to do.
so, that's great. but what about a place? yesterday, i was talking to a coworker about my situation, and he said that he & his fiancee need somebody to sublet their place so they don't have to buy out their lease. i'm not necessarily going to take it, but it's amazing that a place just popped up so suddenly.
this job? running coach & personal trainer, something that i know i'd be very good at and love thoroughly. this apartment? closer to DC, chris and some friends. and the timing? unbelievable.
this isn't all to say that this process has been easy. far from it. but i think it might be time to pack my bags and head south...
for the past month or so, i'd been debating as to whether or not i should pack up and leave baltimore, mostly due to job frustrations (no potential employers care if you're an expert on Beowulf...). it was tough because there were dis/advantages to staying and leaving, so i called maria to talk to her about it. her advice, as given to her by a close friend: you know it's time to move when God provides the calling, the opportunity and the resources. that was a few weeks ago. and there was nothing.
one day, on the way home from my temp job, i was saying to myself, well, i'm just going to give up on this one job possibility around DC because the guy just doesn't seem interested in hiring. that night, i got an email from him, saying that he really wants to meet me. that has since evolved into me attending employee training next weekend and being contracted for at least some part time work, at something i really want to do.
so, that's great. but what about a place? yesterday, i was talking to a coworker about my situation, and he said that he & his fiancee need somebody to sublet their place so they don't have to buy out their lease. i'm not necessarily going to take it, but it's amazing that a place just popped up so suddenly.
this job? running coach & personal trainer, something that i know i'd be very good at and love thoroughly. this apartment? closer to DC, chris and some friends. and the timing? unbelievable.
this isn't all to say that this process has been easy. far from it. but i think it might be time to pack my bags and head south...
5.29.2006
X-poll
for those who've seen X3--
thumbs up? thumbs down? ambivalent flat hand? comments on the handling of the phoenix character? (apparently that's something that graphic novel enthusiasts are debating to some great degree...)
fyi- i love her hair. somebody get mine to turn all fiery red like that. would i be able to pull off that color? that would be excellent.
thumbs up? thumbs down? ambivalent flat hand? comments on the handling of the phoenix character? (apparently that's something that graphic novel enthusiasts are debating to some great degree...)
fyi- i love her hair. somebody get mine to turn all fiery red like that. would i be able to pull off that color? that would be excellent.
beautiful weekend
short version: weekend in PA with chris at the rents' house, visiting said rents and a google of relatives and neighbors. VA 5K did not go well (damn the fact that we actually need our lungs...) but the fun run made up for it with Toby's PR of 8:57. rock on! sadness because the rents' pool looked about as welcome as the swamp thing's abode (thanks to the pool dudes dragging their feet to come fix the pump...), so no awesome swimming. in my cute little two piece. damn. watched X3, was neither vomitously repulsed or terrifically impressed--just enjoyed it as pulp entertainment.
returned to MD and watched seasons 1 & 2 of X-Men cartoon on my laptop. chris & i considered phoenix & wolverine for halloween 2006, except that i'd rather not ******** (not giving away the movie's ending! haHA!). next idea is gambit and rogue, from the cartoon. cartoon rogue, fyi, is far better than anna paquin's silly attempt. anyway, it's an idea. went to bed very late, slept in very late, and essentially laid around until 5 or so when chris and i went to the gym. pumped iron, then ate the most fattening sub i could get at quiznos. awesome. so all is well, and i enjoyed the decidedly warmer weather, despite the lack of swim.
now back to my cube at work. *sigh*
returned to MD and watched seasons 1 & 2 of X-Men cartoon on my laptop. chris & i considered phoenix & wolverine for halloween 2006, except that i'd rather not ******** (not giving away the movie's ending! haHA!). next idea is gambit and rogue, from the cartoon. cartoon rogue, fyi, is far better than anna paquin's silly attempt. anyway, it's an idea. went to bed very late, slept in very late, and essentially laid around until 5 or so when chris and i went to the gym. pumped iron, then ate the most fattening sub i could get at quiznos. awesome. so all is well, and i enjoyed the decidedly warmer weather, despite the lack of swim.
now back to my cube at work. *sigh*
5.23.2006
runs and rebukes
so sunday was face-plant city, and yesterday was easy day with the tobster. today was all about solitude, and i did an easy 5 miler, my regular out & back on roland, easily my favorite route in the city. was out for all of ~47 min in very comfortable spring weather, and the time to myself was exactly what my body needed.
and then my spirit gets a strong talking to. i have not been honest and genuine with some people, and relationships have noticeably suffered, although we're all too nice to complain to each other. we don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. but, in the attempt to avoid any bloodshed, we get caught up in merely pretending with niceties. thanks to the counsel of a very astute phd student, i've realized what i need to do.
i need to pull my head out of my butt and have a true relationship. do we consider the other person's needs? do we consider other P.O.V.s? do we ask what we could do for them? do we treat them as well when we're not pleased as we do when we are?
so, if you're the person who knows that this is about you, i promise that i'm going to work harder. you, i AND our friendship deserve the best.
and then my spirit gets a strong talking to. i have not been honest and genuine with some people, and relationships have noticeably suffered, although we're all too nice to complain to each other. we don't want to hurt anybody's feelings. but, in the attempt to avoid any bloodshed, we get caught up in merely pretending with niceties. thanks to the counsel of a very astute phd student, i've realized what i need to do.
i need to pull my head out of my butt and have a true relationship. do we consider the other person's needs? do we consider other P.O.V.s? do we ask what we could do for them? do we treat them as well when we're not pleased as we do when we are?
so, if you're the person who knows that this is about you, i promise that i'm going to work harder. you, i AND our friendship deserve the best.
5.22.2006
riddle me this
so, how exactly does God work? i think He has a sense of humor when opening our eyes to Him, you know? since april, i've been doing the drudgery that is job searching, and this whole time, i'm thinking, "WHERE THE HECK AM I SUPPOSED TO BE, GOD?? HMMMM???
and God must have a direct line to my mom, who always says that things happen when we least expect them. just this morning i was giving up on the job opportunity with the fitness company, and i randomly (yeah, not so random, probably) get an email from the president inviting me to the employee training sessions. !!!!!!!!!!!!! seriously?!
so here comes the hard part.
how do i handle the logistics? i have to get some information from tom, like how many classes/sessions i'd be leading (relating to paycheck), where he most needs me to work, etc. then, based on that, i have to figure out--how do i leave the job i'm at? do i leave before the training, giving them the time to fill my position but leaving me bereft of $$$ for a little? do i wait until afterward and wrap things up quickly, thereby kind of giving them the shaft but still earning myself a little bit of dough before i go?
and do i move? that's based on where and how often tom needs me to teach. i was talking to meawad (a favorite person!!!), and he said that i should think about what i would regret the most--staying in baltimore or uprooting and heading to DC. i'm already feeling that baltimore is getting stale...
but i think the best direction i've ever gotten comes from my sister-in-law maria, who in turn got it from a former pastor of hers:
--you know it's time to move when God provides a calling, an opportunity, and the resources.
i see something exciting unfolding here...
and God must have a direct line to my mom, who always says that things happen when we least expect them. just this morning i was giving up on the job opportunity with the fitness company, and i randomly (yeah, not so random, probably) get an email from the president inviting me to the employee training sessions. !!!!!!!!!!!!! seriously?!
so here comes the hard part.
how do i handle the logistics? i have to get some information from tom, like how many classes/sessions i'd be leading (relating to paycheck), where he most needs me to work, etc. then, based on that, i have to figure out--how do i leave the job i'm at? do i leave before the training, giving them the time to fill my position but leaving me bereft of $$$ for a little? do i wait until afterward and wrap things up quickly, thereby kind of giving them the shaft but still earning myself a little bit of dough before i go?
and do i move? that's based on where and how often tom needs me to teach. i was talking to meawad (a favorite person!!!), and he said that i should think about what i would regret the most--staying in baltimore or uprooting and heading to DC. i'm already feeling that baltimore is getting stale...
but i think the best direction i've ever gotten comes from my sister-in-law maria, who in turn got it from a former pastor of hers:
--you know it's time to move when God provides a calling, an opportunity, and the resources.
i see something exciting unfolding here...
5.20.2006
5.18.2006
2:1
yay, i have new running buddies. excellent! i'll be meeting kim & the other fleet feet runners on thursdays at 6:30. it's so relaxing to do Galloway method. while that won't be my primary mode, it's really nice to shake things out a bit and just enjoy the company. this has also kicked me into my training phase too--i have my shoes (YAY!) and have some good races on the calendar, and hopefully my work schedule will iron out too. i hope...
my room is a disaster. clothes, however clean they may be, are in piles on my floor. oh well.
i am so hyper. and, considering some of my behavior today, probably a little manic. i hate that. i can't relax and focus. i won't be able to sleep either. dammit.
my room is a disaster. clothes, however clean they may be, are in piles on my floor. oh well.
i am so hyper. and, considering some of my behavior today, probably a little manic. i hate that. i can't relax and focus. i won't be able to sleep either. dammit.
5.15.2006
CLARA'S ON THE RUNWAY!!!!
or crawl-way, as the case may be.
i just checked out mia's blog a second ago and read that bebe clara was requested to pose for a line of baptism fashion. clara is the littlest baby of the two and appears in the slideshow above "retailers only."
*awwwwww*
:)
i just checked out mia's blog a second ago and read that bebe clara was requested to pose for a line of baptism fashion. clara is the littlest baby of the two and appears in the slideshow above "retailers only."
*awwwwww*
:)
have you ever met a dancing nancy?
neither have i.
i'm feeling rather beat up lately. nothing is horribly wrong; life is just happening, that's all, and i think we're all allowed to feel shitty every now and then.
what puts a smile on my face is my spreading popularity in MATH4202. more specifically, my popularity as an accomplice in the harrassment of chris on his turf (his very office!) is simply blooming! exponentially! excellent.
but seriously. chris really does make me smile. and hey--a party for him--> he's finished his master's thesis and will be getting his degree shortly!!!! after this, no more TA-ing. he's a research assistant who'll begin working on his dissertation. which means i'll see him for two hours on a bi-monthly basis. just kidding. but sort of not. but sort of.
anyway, amidst all of the hard work he's doing, he's just been ____ (adj.) and has ____ (past tense verb) my ____ (noun) so ____ (superlative), and that just makes me ____ (adj.).
*mad libs can be a very bad thing.*
i'm feeling rather beat up lately. nothing is horribly wrong; life is just happening, that's all, and i think we're all allowed to feel shitty every now and then.
what puts a smile on my face is my spreading popularity in MATH4202. more specifically, my popularity as an accomplice in the harrassment of chris on his turf (his very office!) is simply blooming! exponentially! excellent.
but seriously. chris really does make me smile. and hey--a party for him--> he's finished his master's thesis and will be getting his degree shortly!!!! after this, no more TA-ing. he's a research assistant who'll begin working on his dissertation. which means i'll see him for two hours on a bi-monthly basis. just kidding. but sort of not. but sort of.
anyway, amidst all of the hard work he's doing, he's just been ____ (adj.) and has ____ (past tense verb) my ____ (noun) so ____ (superlative), and that just makes me ____ (adj.).
*mad libs can be a very bad thing.*
5.10.2006
new pix! new pix! new pix!
i'm so generous for availing these pix of my lovely niece and nephews. you're welcome.
:)
goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!!!
geoff & nici storm the castle gates...
via a cargo net...
at the kiddie museum...
baby girl clara has a bit of a fever, but that doesn't stop her from being absolutely adorable.
:)
nici and manny are born engineers.
squirting ketchup is a very serious affair.
much more poignant than rodin's thinker...
such is my family.
excellent.
:)
goooooooooooooooooooooooooooooal!!!
geoff & nici storm the castle gates...
via a cargo net...
at the kiddie museum...
baby girl clara has a bit of a fever, but that doesn't stop her from being absolutely adorable.
:)
nici and manny are born engineers.
squirting ketchup is a very serious affair.
much more poignant than rodin's thinker...
such is my family.
excellent.
5.03.2006
back on my feet and off my back
numerous things to report:
first, vanishing scent ben gay is beautiful. though still sore, i'm up like an elevator and all about doing my thing.
second, the ambush was a riotous success. and i say riotous because MATH4202 will have spent all day harrassing chris, saying "chris & jojo, sittin in a tree..." and everyone will be crying with laughter. i'm not kidding. anyway, the cookies were loved by all, and chris loved the fresh asparagus. also, i am apparently well-loved by chris's fellow nerds; i am grateful that the numerically inclined will so generously allow a woman of letters into their fold. i get to be a nerd too! YAY! so, to all you haters named steve handy, HA-HA! you owe me a movie of my choosing. and shoot me if i choose rob roy....
third, i have a new job today. once again, it's a temp position, but at this point, work is work (e.g., a paycheck is a paycheck). i'm starting out as a computer person for Classic Photography in ellicott city, and i spent all day itemizating, touching up and saving kids' team pictures. so, not bad, right? BUT OH-HO! one of the co-owners asked me if i want to go on some shoots and learn how to do it all so that i can do it on my own at some point. ARE YOU KIDDING?! i have missed photography ever since i changed majors at umbc. that was foolish of me. i had far too little patience for the science, and i got angry at those who tried to foist their artistic sensibilities on me. and i let that stop me. but now, i have a chance to start again! and you know the funny thing? my sophomore year, i was setting goals for my future... and i still loved photography, and i was discovering my passion for literature... and i remember very distinctly writing down that i would one day do photography AND have a PhD in English...
oh, and i'll be working the world cheerleading championships this weekend. i hope they have the girls from Turin. then it'll be a *real* competition!
first, vanishing scent ben gay is beautiful. though still sore, i'm up like an elevator and all about doing my thing.
second, the ambush was a riotous success. and i say riotous because MATH4202 will have spent all day harrassing chris, saying "chris & jojo, sittin in a tree..." and everyone will be crying with laughter. i'm not kidding. anyway, the cookies were loved by all, and chris loved the fresh asparagus. also, i am apparently well-loved by chris's fellow nerds; i am grateful that the numerically inclined will so generously allow a woman of letters into their fold. i get to be a nerd too! YAY! so, to all you haters named steve handy, HA-HA! you owe me a movie of my choosing. and shoot me if i choose rob roy....
third, i have a new job today. once again, it's a temp position, but at this point, work is work (e.g., a paycheck is a paycheck). i'm starting out as a computer person for Classic Photography in ellicott city, and i spent all day itemizating, touching up and saving kids' team pictures. so, not bad, right? BUT OH-HO! one of the co-owners asked me if i want to go on some shoots and learn how to do it all so that i can do it on my own at some point. ARE YOU KIDDING?! i have missed photography ever since i changed majors at umbc. that was foolish of me. i had far too little patience for the science, and i got angry at those who tried to foist their artistic sensibilities on me. and i let that stop me. but now, i have a chance to start again! and you know the funny thing? my sophomore year, i was setting goals for my future... and i still loved photography, and i was discovering my passion for literature... and i remember very distinctly writing down that i would one day do photography AND have a PhD in English...
oh, and i'll be working the world cheerleading championships this weekend. i hope they have the girls from Turin. then it'll be a *real* competition!
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