Today has been a pretty good day.

This morning, one of our interns asked me if my hair was naturally curly. I told her nope, the curling iron makes it this way. She said she loved my hair and thought it was naturally curly and pretty. Made my day! Occasionally, I do make an effort!

I did some video coding work for my former college Professor-turned-friend a few months ago. Its for a thesis project she’s working on about bias in the media. I worked 5 total hours on the project and got paid $55! Whoo-hoo!

This afternoon, my friend Rob helped me move a couch I bought off of a Facebook home goods sale group. Its a gorgeous red micro-suede and it cost me a whopping $80! It’s going in our basement, but is currently sitting in the garage until we can take the door off and get it down there. I think I’m going to call the couch “Big Red”.

I went for a 2 mile quick little run when I got home from work. It was hot. The wind was warm, and its going to be even hotter tomorrow: 94 degrees! So of course I then had Froyo for dinner. I win. 🙂

Have a wonderful night friends!

Tuesday Thoughts

I paid for my groceries and items at Target today IN CASH!
In fact, I paid for Target in exact change AND the rug I thought was $14 on sale was only $6! High Fives all around for Melissa today!
I got a pre-race sports massage over my lunch hour. My hamstrings and IT bands feel “great” but my back is a mess of tension. Story of my life lady.
I discovered during my run this morning that if I actually pump my arms instead of just letting them swing there I can 1. go MUCH faster. 2. engage my core. and 3. feel POWERFUL. Why haven’t I been doing this all along? I’m an idiot, apparently.
I am still up 5 pounds (or a few more, thanks lady stuff!) and I HATE it. I feel uncomfortable in my own skin and it sucks. I feel heavy and I feel unattractive and it feels like there is NOTHING I can do about it. The weight is stubbornly not budging. I am terrified of running the Half on Friday because I don’t want to gain another 5 pounds. It’s stressing me out.
My mom and her hospital dietitian both think I don’t eat enough calories. I would estimate (as I currently am not tracking calories) that I eat around 1500 to 1800 calories a day. The high number is maybe pushing it. It maybe less. According to the formula and my activity level, she says I should eat 2400 calories on a running day and 1900 on a maintaining day as I burn about 1500 calories a day just existing. I don’t know. It’s hard for me to believe it. I don’t know that I can eat that much without feeling ill. But they think that my body isn’t sure if I will get the calories so it holds onto water and that’s why I’m up those pounds. Science, man.
I just want to feel comfortable and not fat again. (don’t get me wrong, I know I’m not fat, but I feel desperately uncomfortable. It’s a terrible way to live.)

If you read all of this, High Fives for you!

Have a good night friends!

Saturday morning happy place.

5 miles in warm and slightly humid temperatures. I forget how hot the sun is, even at 10am! It was a good run. Peaceful, until a dog scared me when it started barking at me from the backseat of the car it was driving by in! My heart started racing!

My sheets are in the laundry, I’m about to find some breakfast and make some banana bread and energy bars. A trip tho my favorite froyo place is also on tap before I head to Corky tonight.

Busy day, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Enjoy your Saturday friends!

It’s a little humid in Nebraska today.

3.5 miles this morning. Average pace of 11:24.

I usually don’t like race t-shirts. Especially grey ones. There are many reasons, the first being that t-shirt manufacturers don’t seem to believe that you can be small on top and tall. So when I get my small or medium women’s size tech shirt it is usually too short in length. It fits just fine everywhere else, it just makes me feel like my stomach is going to show.

But this one from the Manitoba Half Marathon a couple weeks ago is great. It’s long enough and it actually fits! However, it is grey. And grey shows how much I sweat. And I sweat a lot. Especially when the humidity is high at 6:30 in the morning!

I did not want to get up and run this morning. But, as always, I am glad I did. It’s a great way to wake up and get the blood pumping!

Have a great Thursday friends!

Monday Musings

I got up and ran 5 miles before work this morning. I did not let myself walk from 2 on. It is amazing how invincible you feel when you do that! Walking is always part of my runs. Running almost all of it felt good.
For whatever reason, whenever I run Half Marathons, I gain 5 pounds. Happened again with Manitoba. I hate vacation weight gain too. Grrr. Water weight is stupid.
I really hope I don’t gain another 5 pounds next week during the Brownville Half! Gah! That would not be cool.
I got a call from a Headhunter last week. He wants me to move to Oklahoma City and be the Executive Producer for for the Morning show for a TV station there. He promised it would double my salary. Gives a girl something to think about.
I just saw a Back To School commercial. Are you even serious right now? It’s JUNE! Summer JUST started! Give me a break.

Have a great week friends!

This day is dragging. DRAGGING I tell you!

All day I’ve had this song in my head. I am so ready for some R & R (and another Half Marathon!) in Canada with Brooke! I’ve checked into my flight. My bags are packed, and ready to go. It’s time to get off the grid for a few days. I’m ready to go.

In other news:

The irony is not lost on me that today marks a little over 6 weeks since the Lincoln Half Marathon. As of today I am FINALLY down the 5 pounds I gained that day. Cute body, real cute. Sigh.
I had to pack a jacket for this trip! What is happening? It’s June! I’m so confused. I asked Brooke if it was going to be warm. She asked me to define warm. I said 80’s, she laughed and said 70’s was warm, 80’s was hot!
I am a horrible over-packer. I think I need to re-evaluate tonight and see what I can live without because my carry-on is heavy and I don’t want to have to check it.
I went on a lovely 6 mile bike ride through some of the trails near my house last night. I also live by this neighborhood called “Piedmont”–literal translation: foothills. It was hilly and I was feeling it! But it has beautiful homes and lovely manicured lawns and I wanted to ride through that slice of the American Dream. No complaints here.

Have a great Thursday friends!

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Before and after.
7 sweaty miles before church and work at Corky this afternoon.
Then, look! I CAN clean up alright! Success!
This will be my last “long” run for the Manitoba half next Sunday. Life has gotten in the way and that’s ok. I’ll be fine. It may not be a PR, but I’ll live.

I Got those shorts when I went shopping on memorial day. I think they’re adorable.

Anywho, happy Sunday friends!

That spot I’m pointing to is the only dry spot on my shirt today. This was a humid and strange run this morning.

I woke up at 5:10am and could not go back to sleep. I laid there until 5:40ish and then decided to start the day. As a result I was out the door by 6:10 for my run. Normally I’m on my way by 6:45.
So I decided to run 5 miles before work this morning! Hooray!
All the sweat ensued.
But it was a gorgeous morning. And I’m working at Corky tonight so I already consider today a success!
My right lymph node is sore/swollen. My nurse mother thinks that I’m either getting sick or fighting an infection. Ain’t nobody got time for that! Sleep and Vitamin C are my friends. I have a Vacation and Half Marathon next weekend! Get with the program body!
I get to sleep in tomorrow. I’m stupid happy about that.
My bestie’s birthday is Sunday. We are celebrating tomorrow. I still don’t know what to get her. Crap. 11th hour present time. I hate that! Any good ideas?

Happy Friday!!

Happy National Running Day friends!

I got out there for some miles this morning! All the sweat ensued. It was not pretty, but such a perfect way to start my day.

The second picture is not me trying to be dramatic, but to show you my new hair do! When I get it colored my hair lady usually does 1 allover color. This time, she told me she had been thinking and how did I feel about ombre?

I said I did not feel good about it. We discussed it, and this was the end result: painted in caramel highlights that start several inches down my head so that regrowth isn’t weird. Sorta ombre, sorta not.

I dig it. It looks red in the sun. But it’s not too obvious, which I also love.

In other news:

A girl I used to babysit when she was 2-years-old turned 21 yesterday. Ooof. That one hurt.
Did I tell you I ended things with New Guy (who, consequently was 26-years-old! Sorry I’m not sorry?! :)) the other day. It was just not working. I was not feeling it. So I very nicely ended things in a text. He was cool about it. Whew! Glad that one is over!
For the first time since January I’m not dating anyone. I kind of like it. I need some Melissa time this summer.
I get to see Brooke next week!! Oh yeah, and run another Half Marathon too! (My first International One!)

Happy Hump Day friends!!

Scenes from my morning:

Crap, it’s humid today. 70 degrees at 6am. I was soaked in sweat from head to toe, dripping with it even. So gross. But all of it earned. That felt good. The cumulative exhaustion of running and (biking!) every single day since Sunday (go me!!) made for fatigued legs this morning. 3.1 miles in about 35 minutes. It’s all good. It makes for 23ish miles for the week. I’m pleased.

Those roses are in my front yard. So pretty! I think that’s a baby praying mantis on the 2nd one. I dig it.

I’m in a pretty good mood. It’s Friday, it’s a beautiful day, and I’ve got endorphins going in me! I read somewhere that you need 30 minutes of sunlight a day to help boost your mood. My morning runs in the summers do exactly that. Happiness is found in my running shoes.

Have a great day and weekend friends!