Sunday, January 26, 2014

Week 4

Saturday, Sunday, and Monday I didn't make it to the gym. I had planned on going Monday, but that injury during the volleyball game kept me crippled up. I finally managed to get out of my apartment and picked up an ankle brace. My ankle almost instantly felt better once I had some stabilization!

Tuesday, I managed to get up and get moving. I made it to the gym... I realized that 4 AM still sucks. I had my dad's car, "the grey berry", as mine started messing up last Friday. Not to mention, his doesn't have automatic start, which means that 4 degrees felt REALLY cold when including wind chill!

Today's been a downer kind of day. Just feeling sad, tired, overwhelmed, and underwhelmed. This time of year is tough to begin with, but this mess with my car and then some of the songs that have been on the radio today have really gotten to me.



Wednesday: I lucked out, no meeting this morning. But I was up too late last night, so I slept in a little bit today. Didn't make it to the gym. Still driving dad's car. I don't know how he drives that thing in the winter, it's awful! I feel like I'm in an over sized roller skate on ice!

Thursday: we didn't have a meeting again this morning, so I did manage to make it to the gym. I have discovered that you can learn a lot about people when you're at the gym. For example, I happened to over hear one time a woman talking about how she set up her best friend and her boyfriend at the time to hook up and cheat on her so that she had a "reason" to break up with her boyfriend. What?! Who does that? Although, she did forgive her best friend, so it's all good.

The things you learn...

Saturday, January 18, 2014

Week 3

So I'm looking at how this is going to work out now that I'm in the full swing of work and school. Instead of attempting to do this daily, or keeping track of it daily, it will probably be best as a weekly update. This way, I'm not falling behind, and I'm still keeping myself on track with workouts and blogs.

This past week, I made my workout on Monday & Tuesday. Nothing too special to report with that. Wednesdays and Thursdays are going to be my rest days, as I have meetings at 7 a.m. and it's too much rushing around trying to get work outs in and be at work on time for the meetings. I tried that last week, and wound up running in the door at work at about 6:29. I hate that.

Yesterday I hit my workout again. In the afternoon we had a staff vs. student volleyball game. I played, and had a great time. Unfortunately we lost to the kids two games to one. There were a couple of staff members who were playing with the kids and helping them out, because they were just standing there and watching the ball go by them! (Clearly, we need to teach our kids how to play volleyball....)

I wound up injuring myself during the first game. I dove for the ball (stupidly, I might add, as I didn't have knee pads - mistake #1), and wound up twisting my ankle pretty badly in the process. Instead of taking myself out of the game and propping it up for a little bit, I played through the pain (stupidly, again - mistake #2). I'm not even sure how I twisted my ankle, but I am still limping around!

Didn't make it to the gym this morning. Between being up late working on homework for school and my ankle, there was no way I was going to be there at 4. I thought maybe when I woke up a bit later that I could today, but my ankle is still pretty sore, so I'm going to rest and let it heal up before I get really going on it again.

Nothing like getting injured this early in training for the 5k. But I guess maybe I would rather get injured earlier as opposed to closer to the run, where I have less time to recuperate and get back on track.

Yesterday while driving home from work my traction control light came on along with a message telling me that it needed to be serviced. I called the garage that I normally take my car to, they told me that it probably wouldn't be a big deal and how to fix it. That was great, because they could have charged me an arm, leg, and my future first born, but they didn't.

Well, it looks like I'll be parting with one arm, leg, and my future first born after all. The light kicked on again today as I was driving to a birthday party, and a third time as I was driving home.

Money is overrated anyway...

Sunday, January 12, 2014

Week 2, Days 2, 3, & 4

So as I get into the work and school mode, I unfortunately won't be able to post daily like I did last week. I love it, but I take so much work home that has to be done. Combine that with homework almost daily for grad school and I don't get much time to myself to do what I want!

Take for example my guitar. I've had it for years, and I just don't get to practice it like I wish I could. I would love to really be able to practice it and get good at playing it, but I usually don't have an hour a day minimum just to sit down and practice.

Maybe I should start getting up at 3 AM so I can practice my guitar for an hour every day... HA.

I didn't make it to my workout on Friday, I woke up at 4 with a major headache. So I decided to forgo the workout to take care of my headache before it got any worse. We had professional development, so I was able to go in a bit later. It was nice getting to sleep in a bit longer than I normally do!

Saturday I did make it to my workout. I got 40 minutes in on the treadmill, running 6. Did get some weights in as well. Nothing too eventful there, it felt so warm compared to the frigid temps we had last week, I was tempted to wear shorts!

Today I made my workout again. Time on the treadmill, skipped the weights today. I wound up going out this afternoon to attempt to bust up some of the ice around my car in the parking lot. It is so horrendously thick, I couldn't get much up. I did manage to chip at the top of it, and that gave me a little bit of a grip, so hopefully I don't wind up falling on it tomorrow.

All I have to say is if I fall again, I'm going to be ticked. I wound up falling on the ice outside my apartment the Friday before Christmas and it messed up my wrist. This past week I felt like I was finally able to take off the wrist brace that I wore for about 2 weeks!

Thursday, January 9, 2014

Week 2, Day 1

Today was the first day since I've started this that I've actually had to go to work after my workout in the morning.

Last night I slept in my work out clothes. I would have gotten out of here a bit faster if I hadn't gone back to sleep for a few minutes after my alarms went off.

It was a dangerous game I was playing this morning.

Because we had a staff meeting today, I wound up only being able to get in 30 minutes on the treadmill instead of my usual 40. But, I did run 6 minutes and minutes 3-4 were at a higher speed.

Now, onto something that's been on my mind today...

Hashtag workouts.

You know what I'm talking about. If you have a twitter account, or instagram, or facebook, or any other number of social media accounts you know what the hashtag is.


If you work out and you have some sort of social media account, you my friend, are probably guilty of participating in a hashtag workout.

I too am guilty of this ever popular crime. I've shared a couple of hashtag workouts via my instagram account. But my hashtag workouts have been fairly toned down compared to some that I tend to see. One that seems to be gaining popularity is the #Beastmode workout.

WHAT??!!

I'm not sure in what universe a #beastmode workout is a good thing. If you are in "beastmode" I don't think that I want to be working out any where near you. It sounds slightly terrifying. I mean, if you're in "beastmode" are you going to try and rip my face off? The last thing I need is to be working out near someone on bath salts who feels like beastmode contains an acceptable level of adrenaline and endorphins.

I push myself in my workouts, but for me my hashtag workouts are more like, #TryingNotToKeelOverAndDie or #IThinkImStartingToSeeTheLight. Perhaps even #MyLegsFeelLikeJello #IDontKnowIfBillCosbyMeantThatInTheJelloCommercials #ImPrettySureIHaveLostMyDamnMind.

Hashtag.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

Week 1, Day 7

I survived!

My first week down, many more to go. :)

My alarm went off at 4 and I jumped out of bed. After three days of not getting out to Snap because of the weather, I COULD NOT get myself moving quickly! Part of that was because I discovered the last time that I went out there that working out on an empty stomach was an almost sure way to lead to passing out. I didn't actually pass out, but it was closer than I was comfortable with!

So I popped a Special K breakfast sandwich in the microwave, and sat and ate that for a few minutes. The sausage, egg, & cheese is crazy good. Although, I take the cheese off, because it's cheddar, but other than that, it actually tastes better than those greasy, calorie-laden sandwiches that you get from a drive-thru. Plus, doing it this way, it prevents me from getting a large pop, which is my go-to drink in the mornings when I stop to get breakfast.

If I learned nothing else today, it's that I need to sleep in my clothes for the gym so that I can get out of here more quickly. I do NOT move fast in the morning, I have a proven history on that one!

Today I finally took my Christmas tree down. I took the ornaments off the other day (with the exception of the one I accidentally found while taking my lights off last night!). I loaded up the tree and storage tote of lights and ornaments to put into my storage unit. Got to the unit, and my lock is frozen. Solid.

I'm not happy about this.

So I went back to my apartment, grabbed my lock de-icer that I have never actually used until this point, and headed back to my storage unit. Clearly, my lock de-icer is only meant for car locks, as it did NOTHING for my padlock on my storage unit. It wouldn't even fit into the lock. So that was a wasted trip. Since I finally got my tree and decorations down and out of my apartment, I was NOT hauling them back up the stairs to my apartment to try later. So currently my car has room for exactly one person, because I have a Christmas tree in the back and a box full of decorations riding shotgun.

Tomorrow's a new day, hopefully there's not a Grinch around tonight or tomorrow who feels the need to steal all of my Christmas items!

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

Week 1, Day 6

Today was ridiculous.

I went up to the corner again, I had a couple of bills to pay and I was out of stamps. Yes, I am one of those people who still pays bills via check! I do most online, but some I still pay the old fashioned way.

I had to dig my car out - again. Not because of the wind, but because the plow buried half of my car yesterday when he was cleaning the apartment lot. So I dug my car out... for the fourth time in three days (or was it the fifth? I've done it so many times, I don't even remember any more!), and I helped dig a neighbor out as well. Ran my errands and drove to the other end of town, mostly to see how the main road was in case I have to go to work tomorrow.

It was not exactly fun. Besides my tires spinning every time a red light turned green as I tried to get through the intersections, I wound up literally inches from getting into an accident.

I turned into walmart's parking lot right next to their gas station and as I was pulling in, a guy that had Jesus looking hair/beard was pulling out of the first drive of the gas station, looking completely in the other direction as he pulled out. Right in front of me. I laid on the horn, hit the brakes and proceeded to slide (because even though the drive had been plowed, it was covered with snow) right towards the front end of Jesus-look-alike's car. He slammed on his brakes and I was able to slide just past the front end of his car by cranking the wheel with one hand while still laying on the horn with my other hand. The whole time I could tell that he was yelling at me as I managed to get past him with probably no more than a couple of inches between our cars. I should also note that I was also yelling at him through the whole thing! I felt kind of wrong yelling obscenities and rude names at Jesus-look-alike, but not too wrong since I know that he was yelling at me.

I popped into the store (where I did purchase a 22 oz. soup mug that is PERFECT for hot chocolate!) and wound up making my way back to my apartment, without any more interesting events occurring.

I swear, I just need to stay inside. There are too many stupid people in this world!!

Planning on getting back to Snap tomorrow, I don't foresee having to shovel any more snow! I never thought I'd say this, but I am looking forward to it!


You can't really tell, but my face was red after being out in the sun/wind/cold this afternoon!!

Monday, January 6, 2014

Week 1, Day 5

I am done with my good deeds for the day.

I don't know how people in states that get dumped on every winter for a good part of the winter do it! I wound up digging out and clearing off my car again last night after I posted. I did help one of my neighbors clean off his car, as I was finishing up and getting ready to head back into the warmth last night, I saw that he was trying to clean off his car and he didn't have a hat or gloves on. I couldn't go in without helping him get in from the cold as quickly as possible, so I helped him out.

This morning I decided to walk up to my corner grocery store, as at least one person had gotten stuck trying to get out of the apartment parking lot.

BAD IDEA

I wore my glasses, and couldn't see a THING. Not to mention that when I started up there I was trying not to walk in the road. Wading through knee-deep snow with snow boots and jeans is not a great idea. I had leggings on to provide some extra warmth to my legs, but I knew that it wouldn't be long until both my jeans and leggings would be soaked through. Once I waded my way to the next driveway, I stumbled my way to the road and sludged through the car tracks to get to VG's.

Coming back I could only look down at the ground at my feet in an effort to block the wind as much as possible. I felt like I was walking through a snow storm. It was so windy, and there was so much snow flying around, that it took all my effort to continue walking into the wind. It felt like my face was being exfoliated by the snow!

Then I had to dig my car out for a third time. I had my car running for a bit in an effort to keep it running as the temp drops, and I realized that I needed gas. So up to the corner I went again, this time in my car. I had to stop for the light, and once it turned green, I was sure that I wasn't going to make it around the corner to get to the gas station. Somehow I managed it, and I was able to get back, although I didn't have to stop at all on my return trip which was definitely a good thing!

Started clearing snow from around my car again, and I wound up having to help a couple of neighbors push their cars out as they were trying to get out and got stuck.

The grand total of time I was outside in the snow for today is about 2 1/2 hours.

I am so exhausted, I had to have done at least three days worth of workouts in the past 24 hours, right?

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Week 1, Day 4

Yesterday I felt like everyone was being ridiculous by bombarding the stores to stock up on their groceries because of the oncoming storm.

I may have been wrong, this snow is crazy! I went out to clean the snow around and off from my car. I measured the snow on the hood of my car, and we're currently at about 6.5" and it's still coming down!

Last night, I couldn't sleep AGAIN. Throughout all of break, I've been on a fairly decent sleep schedule. Going to bed at a pretty good time and not sleeping in too late. Then the past few days, I've been unable to get to sleep, and then I'm up insanely late and sleeping in in the mornings.

So at 2 AM I finally went to bed. I was going to go earlier, but I was in the last 30 minutes of "Jarhead" and I wanted to see how it ended.

Two hours later, I was up again with my alarms. I don't know if it was the prospect of getting to go back to sleep, or the fact that I only slept 2 hours, but I was awake and ready to go!

Jumped out of bed, checked outside and decided that I wasn't going to risk it. There was plenty of snow that had come down during the night, and I figured the roads were going to be a hot mess. Not that I was worried about running into traffic on my trip to Snap, since I take all back roads and there's nobody around anyways at that time of day, but I didn't want my car to get stuck either.

So back to bed I went. Not that I was entirely disappointed in that option...

Once the plow trucks were done in our parking lot today, I went down to dig my car out. I figure this will make up for my lack of traveling to the gym this morning.

A before picture of my car... it's on the right.

After... I cleaned it, I swear!

The "official" measurement of snow. About 6.5 inches on my car.

Saturday, January 4, 2014

Week 1, Day 3

Today the 4 am wake up hit.

Holy. Crap.

I am not ready to go back to work next week! I was sorely tempted to hit the snooze button on both of my alarms when they started going off this morning, but I just had to sit there and stare at them for a minute, reminding myself that I would accomplish nothing if I hit the snooze.

So I hauled myself out of bed, got dressed, and headed out. I didn't make it to Snap until almost 4:30. I'm going to have to work on that if I'm going to be doing 40 minutes on the treadmill every day before getting ready for work!

Compared to yesterday's sub-zero temperatures, it was downright warm this morning going out to my car. It was so nice! (Mind you, it was 15* F.)

I need to start taking my iPod when I work out, yesterday the music playing was pretty good. But it wasn't anything decent to workout to today. And naturally, the tv by me wouldn't work, so I was stuck watching a replay of the Orange Bowl across the room, or the weather channel on a tv farther down the row of treadmills. Naturally, I couldn't really hear either one.

When 4 AM rolls around, I need whatever I can get to keep me awake. Yellow headband and neon pink shoes! Note: I'm still pretty excited about this!

Friday, January 3, 2014

Week 1, Day 2

This morning marks my first 5k training workout. I went to bed at a decent time last night, I even had my workout clothes on, so all I had to do was roll out of bed and go.

And. I. Couldn't. Sleep.

After tossing and turning for about an hour without even dozing, I got up and watched some tv until I felt tired. Which was right around 3 A.M. Considering the fact that I was getting up at 4, it felt pretty pointless to go to bed at that point. Anybody who knows me knows that I am NOT a morning person.  So to go to bed for an hour would defeat the purpose of working out, because I wouldn't get up and go.

So at 3 AM I hauled my warm, happy self out to the frigid, hell frozen over, arctic air. Although, I guess I shouldn't really refer to it as "arctic" air, as it was a balmy 3* Fahrenheit.

My thought process went like this:
Well, I can't sleep. Starting to get tired. Won't wake up in an hour. Might as well go.
Start the car, THANK YOU MOM AND DAD for the remote starter you gave me for Christmas!
Grab my shoes, don't forget the water.
Oh, Dear God it is cold out!
I really should scrape the windows, but I only have to drive about 2 blocks.
Hmm... I really should have scraped the windows...
Well, 3 am workouts equals excellent parking!
2 blocks away means that it's still insanely cold!
First time I've ever been here and nobody is here, I could get used to this! Any other time I've been here, it's been too busy for my liking!
How the hell do I set up one of these automatic treadmills?
*Starts pushing buttons*
I guess that works.
Dang, this thing is slow!
*Pushes a few more buttons*
Too fast! Too fast!!
*manages to find a happy medium*

Got 40 minutes in on the treadmill. I had a total of 5 minutes running, and I wasn't breaking any land speed records, but I managed to accomplish the hardest part of my workout: getting to the gym!

Hopefully tonight I make it to bed at a decent time, otherwise, tomorrow's post is going to be pretty much the same!!

This is probably due to lack of sleep. At this point, it was about 4:30 AM and I still hadn't slept!

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Week 1, Day 1

So today I signed up for my first ever 5k run.

Holy crap.

But I have plenty of time to train (it's not until July 12). I could have signed up to run in the Kzoo race in April, but, I don't know what my schedule for school looks like yet and that gets to be a busy time for work. And traveling for that would take an entire weekend that I just don't think that I have. Doing the race in July allows me to get things done for school ahead of time, and I won't be working during that time. Plus, it's closer, so it won't take up an entire weekend.

I've paid for registration, so I'm doing this - no matter what! At this point, I'm excited. We'll see how long that feeling remains once I start training for this sucker. I plan on beginning tomorrow morning unless I count my walking over to the office to pay my rent in this snow storm as my initial training...