Push up-date

Like I promised, I started the hundredpushup challenge this past Monday. My test put me able to start at week 3, and I should have been in the last column, with the hardest workout. knowing myself as i do, i started in the second column, with the middle of the road workout.
it goes like this: there are 5 sets. 60 second rest between sets. set 1)12, 2)17, 3)13, 4)13, 5) max (at least 17). well, i did just find up to the last set, and my max was 16. i was a shakin and a quakin, trying to push the bedroom floor into the basement. but only got 16. and a shady 16 at that. prolly best to say 15.
at any rate, i missed yesterday because i was...ummm...not paying attention. then i intended to do them this morning, but i was...ummmm....forgetful. and cuddling with B on the couch, using him as a pillow (very giggly, bumpy, wiggly pillow!) before I left for work.
so mebbe tonight.

ran 4 miles on the dreadmill last night while Z was at practice. i hate that thing.

Of Biggest Loser and Chocolate Mousse

We had a small amount of heavy cream left over from the Bread Pudding we made last week, and i hated to throw it away. so, hmm, what can i make with it...? I KNOW! chocolate mousse!! why the heck not?? wellll, the 'why not' turned out to be that we didn't have ENOUGH cream. called for 2 cups, only had hafl a cup. so let me quarter it! nah, T says, just go get more cream.
so i did.
and it worked out just fine. made enough for a serving of 8, but looks to me more like a serving of 2. recipie called for espresso, but i just used some strong coffee from my bodum ("it's just a widdle guy!"). also needed..umm..what's that orange liquer? yea, anyway, don't have it, so i used Kahlua.
melt melt melt, whip whip whip, fold fold fold, mix mix mix, place in fridge.
oh, that last sentence took about an hour. while we watched NBC's "the biggest loser". nom, nom, nom. seems odd to be making that kinda rich, dense, yummy food while watching those folks struggle. but hey! that's all good.
got up to run this morning, but then remembered that I didn't get the milk last night, and needed to get it this morning. so run has been postponed to take place while Z is at practice. I am going to try to use the gym at the middle school, but if that doesn't pan out, i will go to the VA. i am fortunate to have it to use!
tossing around goals and race choices for next summer....must try to remember not to dream TOO BIG. (have we met?)

the good thing about me sinking like a rock when i try to swim is that i don't see any triathlons in my future. good to know my limitations! (which is counter to one of my favourite quotations, "find your limits and exceed them.")
alright. back to work!

New Challenge

As if i don't have enough going on.....
A few months ago I came across this site www.hundredpushups.com . i printed out their little charts, and kept it as a book mark, thinking that i would see it often enough to get motivated to actually DO it.
but i haven't. i HAVE moved the sheet from one book to another. searching back into my anatomy and physiology files i can say that my triceps were at least minimally invovled in moving the sheet, but did not produce the burn that i would have hoped. on to the next idea.
a few weeks ago i started following a blog over at trithedream.com. the author actually joined the challenge, and has been posting his workouts. accountability. hmmm. that's what this site is supposed to be all about. so, here i go, with renewed enthusiasm...

i am joining the challenge tonight. printing out the stuff that i need today, reading it later, then starting tonight. should be a fun ride. i just hope that i can brush my teeth and wash my hair. i am already having flashbacks.....

"More PT, Drill Seargent! More PT! We like it, we love it! Make it HURT Drill Seargent, make it HURT"

i need help.

Duty Called

at 350 AM. We were all sleeping comfortably when I heard the phone ring. My first thoughts were that there is NO WAY that we both could have over slept by 2 hours. It was the VA. Listened to the message from the warm, soft comfort of our bed.
"Gary wanted me to call you to see if you could come in early. We have 7 patients. Ok, well, call us please."
ugh.
so i waited. i figured i would wait 5 minutes and then call. 2 minutes into that 'grace period', my cell phone rang. right above my head. so i answered....
"Hi, Gene, it's Albie. I really hate it when Gary does this to me, but can you please come in at 5 am instead of 730? we have a full house, and it is getting crazy."
"sure, no worries. i'll be there by 445," came my reply.
and so it went.
i worked too much yesterday. from 445-1600, then from 1630-2330. grand total of 19.5 hours. then got up this morning at 615 and worked from 730-1600.
yep. i need sleep. which collides with "i need to run". so maybe saturday or sunday i will go for a nice, LSD run. then Monday pick the MWF/TuTh cycle back up again.
c-ya!

eerily safe

try this experiment. place your hands against your face as if you were holding binoculars, but actually have your hands touch your face. now connect your thumbs under your nose. this should also look like you are pressing up against a store window to see the goodies inside.
now run.
for fun, try going up stairs, and then down stairs. oh. one more thing. do it at dusk or twilight.
that's almost what it was like running/hiking up Mt. Cardigan this morning. i left the house around 420, and in just under an hour was headed up the trail. made it to the top before the sun rose, but the sky had clouded in while i was headed up. I only managed one decent photo, and it has one of the tower's guy wires smack in the middle of it.

From dad's races

right before i got back to the parking area, i heard a loud "*snort*" coming from the trail ahead of me. my immediate thought was "DEER!", so i stoppd running and stood next to a tree. a short way down the trail i could see a woman headed up who had just finished blowing her nose. whew! at least no run in with wildlife!! i also noticed that she was wearing some sort of music player, and probably couldn't hear me stomping down the narrow trail. so i stepped aside to let her pass.
right as she got to me, she finally looked up. her eyes got huge and she shrieked. i tried not to laugh, and only said, "good morning!" before continuing down the trail.
got to the car, got changed sent a text that i had made it back, and then headed home.
success.
so the title? well, that's how i felt, in my head, as i was running through the darkness with only my headlamp to shine the way. eerily safe. thank you for indulging me.
Thanks again, Tracey, for letting me do this. I know that my 'account' is running low...

2 of Two

i signed up for the giveaway contests. nothing more to post here.

move along now.....

part one of two

this is the part (1) where i talk about the two dreadmill runs this week (can you HEAR the crickets??? chirrp, chirrp, chirrp.....)
this past weekend T and i were talking about my current failure to be running with some consistency, and SHE came up with a plan for me to run MWF one week and then TTH the next.
sounds good to me, so this is my first MWF week. I ran 2.something miles on the dreadmill both days so far. not an easy start to the day, but i gotta do what i gotta do, so off i went. just too darned dark at night, so the morning thing is the best way to go. only a few more weeks until it starts to get lighter earlier. so?
so, then, perhaps, i will run outside. i will try not to use the sub-zero temps as an excuse. ha.
so if i get up a bit earlier those days, then come in and run on the dreadmill for say about 45 minutes, i can get in some good miles during the week, and if time allows, perhaps i can run outside in the woods every so often.
so only 4.something miles this week so far, but MAYBE i will run on the AT in W.Hartford (headed SOUTH this time) on Friday, if the weather is good, and IF i can get my other chores done.
ok. stay tuned for part two of two, in which i attempt to win a give away over at www.trithedream.com