Get into the groove

This may be a random post…bear with me please.

My body woke up at 6:15 this morning. After about a crazy week of 3 days of little to no sleep, I appear to be catching up. I was out the door by 6:30 for my run. And when I started running, I felt great! My previously lead-filled legs felt light and strong. I kept a strong 10:30 pace for much of the run, until the humidity got the best of me.

Running at 6:30am during August is way different than running at 6:30am in June or July. The sun is just barely coming up and the streetlights are still on. I like to run with sunglasses, so that was a little weird until the sun made its way over the horizon. This whole days getting shorter thing kinda sucks.

If you would have asked me before this summer or my half marathon in May, I would have told you that I preferred running on the treadmill than running outside. I had my reasons: it was right there at home, I just had to go down to my basement and go. It made me keep going, so I wasn’t tempted to walk, I didn’t have to deal with the weather…the treadmill kept my pace so I got stronger and faster. And when I ran outside, my pace was all over the place and I couldn’t pace myself.

However, after a summer where I only ran on the treadmill maybe 3 times, I am not sure how I will ever be able to get back on the treadmill again. I love going outside, and seeing the scenery change, pounding the pavement, feeling the breeze in my hair, etc. But I’m in Nebraska, and winters are rough, and I’m not that tough. Oh well, I will just enjoy whatever time I have left outside!

Anywho, have a great day friends!

“Last Friday Night…”

So I told you the other day that The Man from Brazil said he wanted to see me again, said he would call me Thursday and wanted to see me on Friday. I thought to myself, “this whole thing really is what it is.” He’s leaving for Brazil on Sunday and would be thousands of miles away for at least a few months so whatever time I could spend with him would be fine. And I wouldn’t obsess and worry about it because really, the whole thing is just a fun fling.

Well, he didn’t call on Thursday and he never called or came out on Friday. My friends who introduced me to him tried to get in touch with him too, and he didn’t answer. My feeling is that it is what it is. Its his loss.

We went out to a Dancing with the local stars show that 3 of my co-workers from the TV station were in. It was fun. Then we went out downtown to celebrate one of my co-workers who is leaving for Little Rock Arkansas. His name is Darby, if you are in Little Rock, watch his weather forecasts! He is great!

I wore this fabulous little white dress. I was worried it was too short, but it was fine. I also wore gold sparkly high heels. I was stared by hot guys all night! There was this guy at one bar who was so hot and he just kept staring at me! I kept smiling at him, and looking at him because I could feel him staring at me. It was unnerving. However, he never came over to me, and I didn’t talk to him, but sometimes its enough to know they think you’re hot!

Then, as we were leaving and walking to the car, this guy stopped me outside a bar. The exchange went like this:

Random Hottie: “Excuse me.”

Me: “Yes?”

Random Hottie: Looks me up and down, real slow! And then says, “You are so sexy.”

Me: “Thank you!”

He puts his arm around me and pulls me to his side and says, “Where are you going?”

ME: “I have to go home.”

Him: “No, you need to stay here with me. Seriously, you are hot.”

Me: “Thank you, but I really have to go.”

Him: “You really are sexy. My God! I wish you’d stay with me.”

Me: “I can’t, but thank you.”

What a good night for me! Sorry Man from Brazil, but you snooze, you lose! There are plenty of men around here!!!

Have a great day friends! I’m pretty sure I will! 😉

Darby and I after his Dancing with the Stars dance! Watch for him in Little Rock!

Did I mention….

…That I have a date tonight?

With a man from Brazil…who I met on Halloween last year.

We could never get our schedules to mesh before he went back to Brazil after studying for a year in Nebraska.

Well, he’s back for a week for a visit, and he called me up and he’s taking me to dinner! A fancy steak dinner! Yum!

I’m a little excited! 🙂

Details tomorrow!

Vacation Recap

My vacation was pretty uneventful…until the end. But let’s not start there, let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

When I got to the campground Friday night, I decided I wanted to go for a run. I hadn’t run since Wednesday, and just felt the need to stretch my legs and enjoy the weather. I laced up my shoes and set off, no water belt, just me, my garmin and my ipod.

I seriously had the most amazing run of my life. I’m not kidding. We are talking legs/heart/breathing all working in sync. I was flying. I looked down at my watch and found I was running a 9:30 pace. This is huge for me! I ran my half marathon at a 12:20ish pace back in May. I have been working to get down to about a 10:30-11 minute pace during my regular morning runs. But that day was awesome! I felt so good. You know that feeling when you are running and your feet and legs feel like they are disconnected from your body? That is how I felt. I was looking around at the campground and didn’t even feel like I was running. I ended up with 1.35 miles at a 9:57 pace. It was fantastic!

The rest of the week passed without a lot of drama…I only got to swim in the lake 3 days, because fall came to Nebraska early! It was cool, which made it perfect for my early morning runs. I ran about 16 miles last week. They were good miles too!

We also took an afternoon to go to a movie. I highly recommend Crazy Stupid Love. It was great!

Sunday morning when I woke up our camper was freezing!! The A/C had stuck on all night, and it was 58 degrees IN the camper. I didn’t want to get out of bed, but I decided it would be warmer to get up and run! So off I went.

All of my runs on vacation were great! I had such a great time, just relaxing and enjoying being with my family. I gained 2 lbs, but they’re almost gone!

Anywho, have a great day friends!

“Back to life, back to reality…”

…And I’m back! After a week of radio silence, aka-Vacation! I’m back. My vacation was pretty great, a full recap post on that is to come! Nothing too exciting, but it was really nice just to get the heck out of dodge and enjoy spending time with my family for a week!

I gained 2 pounds on this trip…I know I should be grateful, especially since I could have gained a lot more, but I ran most every day of vacation, so I am sure that helped.

Today I went back to work. Not really feelin’ it, you know? But here we are!

Anywho, have a great day friends!

Vacation!!!

I’m heading out of town for a week…spending my days in the lake, lounging around outside reading books, and going for nice long-unrestricted-by-time-runs. Bliss!

I need a chance to disconnect from work and the stress that goes along with it.

Happy Friday Friends!

It’s Africa Hot outside…And I’m not Kenyan.

When I got off work last night t 10:30 it was 90 degrees with a heat index of 103 degrees. I kid you not! Today, when I went running around 8am it was already 80 degrees outside, but the humidity wasn’t as bad, so I set out on my run.

It took all I had inside of me to do it, but I pounded out 5 miles on the pavement. I’m not too please with the pace time, because I had to walk so much due to the heat and sun, my pace went from 9:30 minute miles to an overall ending pace of 11:58 per mile. Grrr. Oh well. I’m just working on getting faster and stronger, right?

And there is just something about running outside in the summer. Maybe its that I know that the cold weather and snow will come eventually and I will be stuck inside on the treadmill wishing for the warmth of the summer sun on my face, and a cool breeze blowing through my hair. So, even though I struggle during the heat and humidity, I’m going to enjoy it and savor every moment!

I’m about to hit the pool for a little R&R before I have to get ready for the day.

Have a good one friends!

Monday, Monday

I’m working the evening shift a few days this week, so my run didn’t have to be at the crack of dawn this morning.

It should have been.

I went out around 8am, planning on 5 miles and only made it 2. I’m pretty sure that I sweated enough to make up the difference.

It was already 80 degrees at 8am! The sun and humidity nearly did me in. I normally don’t mind when I’m not in the shade, but today I thought I was going to pass out.

My time went from a 9:45 pace to a 11:54 pace because I had to walk so much.

On the plus side, I didn’t pass out and I made it home!

I am going to get in the pool here in a bit. Even 9:30am is a little too early for me to get in the pool! 🙂

I leave on vacation on Friday at 5:30pm! I’m getting away for an entire week, plus the weekends! I am super excited! I’m going camping with my family, but my parents have a super huge 5th wheel camper with 2 Air conditioners and a fridge and fire place inside the camper! I even get my own queen size bed!

Anywho, have a great day friends!

Everybody complains about the weather but nobody does anything about it.

Mark Twain

You know what? It’s hot out. But it’s summertime, it’s July and I’m in Nebraska. And winter sucks. So I’m going to stop complaining about the weather and enjoy it. Because summer will end, time marches on, leaves change colors, days will get shorter and I will long for the warmth of the hot summer sun on my face.

So I’m embracing the heat and all it has to offer…hot sunny days, warm summer nights, afternoons spent in the pool, sticky sweet summery drinks. Sundresses, flowers, a warm, gentle breeze, the smell of sunscreen and freshly cut grass.

Happy Summer friends!

Enjoying a gorgeous afternoon at the lake. Some crazy thunderstorms last night left us with blue skies, sun, puffy summer clouds and 80 degree temps! Best of all? Low (for nebraska!) Humidity! Ahhh! Perfection! And I did a run last nite, and am planning to get another in tonight! Perfect Saturday! Have a good one!