Don't Phone This In

A couple of weeks ago while I was shopping (more like wandering) at Target, I happened to end up in the fitness section. While browsing through the DVD's, I saw one that I had read about in a couple of magazines (Shape, maybe?)- Jillian Michael' 30-Day Shred. I've never followed the show "The Biggest Loser," but I have managed to catch a couple of episodes over the years. If you're not familiar with the program, Jillian Michaels is one of the trainers that whips people into shape. She can be pretty tough on her "students," but she definitely helps get results. I am so glad that I bought the DVD- definitely worth the $9 investment. The workouts are 20 minutes long and divided into three parts- strength, cardio, and abs. Unlike most other exercise videos, she has you complete short segments of each throughout the program. The workout repeats a pattern of 3 minutes of strength, 2 minutes of cardio, and 1 minute of abs three times (preceded by a 2 minute warm-up and followed by a 2 minute cool down). I did the video five times last week (she says you're supposed to do it every day, but my body cannot take an hour of zumba and her video). There's also a diet you're supposed to follow online. I haven't even really looked at it, but it can't hurt that I gave up candy for Lent. (Addendum: I just watched a YouTube video online of Jillian talking about eating, and now I think I should follow some kind of plan!)

NEWSFLASH: I have also stopped drinking Diet Coke (for the most part anyways). I maybe have one or two a week-- can you believe that?!?! I kept having these terrible stomach aches and gave up all different types of foods periodically in an attempt to identify the culprit. As you may have guessed, Diet Coke was the last thing I tried, and as fate would have it, it helped. I didn't have too many withdrawal headaches, and I have started drinking a lot more water.

I think what I like best about Jillian (I know, I'm talking like we hang out three times a week) is that she doesn't take any crap. For example, when you are doing jumping jacks she says, "Don't tell me you can't do these. I've got 400-pound people that can do jumping jacks. If they can do them, then you can, too." A couple of her other favorite phrases that I like are "Don't phone it in!" and "You don't get abs like this for free!"

Hopefully I'm on my way to being, as Jillian says, "shredded."

Running in the Rain

I woke up at approximately 5:00 am this morning to get ready to leave for my mini marathon in Newport. I had heard the weather wasn't supposed to be great this weekend, but I was crossing my fingers that it would hold out until tomorrow. Wrong. The weather in Newport: 40 degrees, "gusting winds" (I am not making that up), and rain. I don't know about you, but somehow driving over two hours (both ways) to run 13 miles in cold, rainy, and windy weather just doesn't make sense. Instead, I had a bowl of cereal and started catching up on some projects for work.

I am a little disappointed that didn't go today but not heartbroken about it. (I hope not everyone thinks I am lame for not going...) I think I am most proud of the fact that I kept up with my training for over 2 1/2 months. I've definitely learned a lesson in planning, though. Next time I'll sign up for a mini marathon that's in late spring/early summer.

Until then, I think I need a new gym routine. I don't want to get bored doing the same thing all the time. (Come to think of it, I never really loved running.) I've saved a bunch of workouts from magazines over the years, so I'm going to look through those and see what might work for me. As for today, I think I'll run at least a few miles on the treadmill in honor of the mini. And yes, it is still raining...

Happy Trails?

It's hard to believe that my mini marathon is in less than 2 weeks. The training has gone fairly smoothly-- I only had to take one week off (I was coming down with a cold). I have been following Hal Higdon's training regimen, and I was due for my 8 mile run on Sunday. The weather hasn't been the greatest on the weekends (cold and rainy!), so I was running on the treadmill. (Prior to Lisa and Nick visiting, I was running on the roads around my apartment complex, but they were both very adament about me finding another place to run because of safety concerns.) I remembered hearing about a bike trail in the area and managed to find it online.

For anyone familiar with Indianpolis, the Blackstone Valley Bikeway is similar to the Monon Trail. When it is complete, it will extend 48 miles from Providence, RI to Worcester, MA. Currently, there are several of patches of completed trail in Rhode Island. So, map in tow, I attempted to find one of the entry points. However, the directions on the site were less than ideal, and with my natural sense of direction (I have none.... no really, none. I once got lost in the woods on a retreat in high school and they had to call the police to find me... oops.), I was lost for about 20 minutes. I parked illegally (no spots were left) and was all fired up for my big run. I had a Camelbak (small backpack that also carries water- I highly recommend you invest in one if you do any decent amount of hiking or biking) so that I wouldn't have to stop for water, and I was wearing a Nike headband/sweatband to keep the sweat out of my eyes (granted, this is not the most fasionable look, but I feel so much more intense when I put it on- ha!).

I always walk for at least 5-10 minutes before I stretch and start my run. When I begun on the trail, I discovered that my headphones only worked in one ear. Alright, that's not the end of the world. Then I came to an outlook point and began streching, during which I got at least two bug bites (I HATE BUGS). After the bugs, I went to turn on my Nike Plus running system, which I use to calculate distance and keep track of my speed. (Another good investment if you like to run and are into numbers. You put a chip in your shoe and a chip onto your iPod, and they are connected wirelessly. It can tell you how far you've gone, how fast you're going, calories burned, etc. This data can then be downloaded onto Nike's running site when you sync your iPod on your computer.) When the chip on my iPod was trying to locate the signal from my shoes, I realized that I had forgotten to put the chip into my new pair of running shoes. Great. Now I can't really calculate how far I will be running. No big deal, I thought. I was going to do this run no matter what.

Turning on my favorite playlist ("Take Me Away"), I began to run. I kid you not- within the first thirty seconds I must have eaten five bugs. (Remember, I HATE BUGS.) I immediately proceeded to turn around, run back to my car, and leave the park. I'm sure the people there thought I was a nut job because I had so much gear on but ran less than 0.1 miles. Instead of running when I got home, I took a three-hour nap. I think running on Sunday just wasn't in the cards this week.

I did run my long run yesterday, and it was a little short of 8 (5 miles)- I was still proud of myself, though. I ran another 4 miles today, and then my next run on Thursday will be 5 miles long. I've got one more long run next Sunday that I'm doing with Nick (he could run the mini tomorrow if he wanted to, what a stud), which will be good practice for me. I enjoy running by myself, but there have definitely been some days when I could have used a training partner for additional motivation.

Since I started training, I've run over 100 miles! Even though I am enjoying this challenge, I am looking forward to tackling a new type of exercise this winter. Any suggestions?

Run Up the Sail, Run Down the Shore

I started thinking about different exercise programs I could do a couple of weeks ago when mini marathons came to mind. I had initially planned on running the Indy Mini in May of 2008 but that plan was foiled. Just a month before the race I was playing in an intramural soccer game (I heart Rx United!), I collided with a vet student and hurt my knee. I'm not exactly sure what happened when he ran into me (I mean, of course it was all his fault!), but I do remember hobbling around campus on crutches. I was only on them for less than a week, but it was not fun... up and down stairs, in and out of the shower, in the dining hall. It was a miracle I didn't drop anything or hurt the other leg. (Sorry about that- I got de-railed for a moment.)

Rx United: Back-to-Back, Open Co-Ed League, Outdoor Intramural Soccer Champions!

Completing a mini marathon has been on my list of things to do for several years. It's not just about attaining and keeping physical fitness. For me it's more about mental strength. Once you get past 1.5 miles (well, it's that far for me anyways), the rest is all in your head. I am currently on week 3 of Hal Higden's training schedule, although I will have to shorten it a little bit. (Funny story- I was waiting to write about it until I was sure I could make it! Wouldn't want to count my chickens before they hatch.) I'm going to be running in the Newport Mini Marathon on October 18. The weather should be brisk but not cold, and the scenery will be beautiful. My only problem is that the website says you're not allowed to use iPod's, and right now I depend on it to keep me going sometimes (especially since I am not training with anyone else). So, I am either going to have to find a way to 1) hide the iPod or 2) learn to run without music. I also need to look into a local park... I have much run around Slatersville so much that people are starting to look at me funny, as if I were lost. I'll keep you updated as I progress through my training.



Tomorrow I have CPR training in the morning (it's required to give immunizations by my company... good idea if you ask me), and then I am taking the Indiana MPJE in the evening. Hopefully it will be my last pharmacy test for some time.



Other side notes: My favorite pair of black flip-flops broke tonight! I was going to get some gas (because, let's face it, there is no such thing as "running early" in my book) for the trip to Stoughton, MA tomorrow when I almost fell down in the hallway after the strap broke loose. I went back inside to get my other black flip-flops only to discover that I am missing the leftie! (Which stinks, because I can't even find them right now online- will try again later.) I've been told bad things happen in three's, so I'll cross my fingers that nothing happens to my shoes tomorrow. I may wear my least favorite pair just in case. (FYI- the first pair of flip flops links to J.Crew, who has some absolutely *gorgeous* shoes this fall. Unfortunately, I will only be looking this year. Click here if you want to have style envy.)

Ditch the Workout... Join the Party!

Today I was sitting at my desk, minding my own business, when it hit me- I never showed you pictures of my cubicle! Okay, so it's nothing really to write home about, but it's my first cubicle ever. I have a great location, too- the bathroom and water fountains around just around the corner. I also sit where a lot of people come in and out of the department, which I think is more condusive to visitors (although I'm still testing that theory out). There are students both behind and to the right of me, but my favorite person, Alma, sits to my right. We can't actually see each other, but I feel like we know a lot about each other! On a good day, she'll sing in Spanish- she has a lovely voice.

This is where the magic (aka Drug Information/Clinical Services support) happens...

Things that make me happy

Things that make me happy (part II)

Tonight was my glorious return to ZUMBA. I first started the class last summer when I moved home to start my rotations. My mom was taking a Zumba class at the Westfield Washington Parks office with some co-workers and encouraged me to go, too. I ended up loving it! There's nothing better than getting/staying in shape and shaking your hips at the same time! I don't know how I got roped into this, but last fall I danced in the Carmel Art Festival on a day they were celebrating different cultures. Yes, me... the fairest in all of the land, on stage, dancing to Latin music. Not by myself, of course. My teacher in Westfield/Carmel, Ingrid, had a group of us perform a routine. Later that fall, I went with Tammy to a Zumba conference on the west side of Indy. Beto, the creator of Zumba himself, was there! The room that we danced in was packed- I know they sold over 250 tickets for sure. It was so energizing to be in a room with that many people all doing the same thing (hard to describe!). Ingrid was always trying something new- one class we had was with black lights, a strobe, and glowing bracelets. No joke.

So, needless to say, I was glad to start Zumba-ing again. The greatest part is that it's at work!! I don't even have to leave the office- so convenient. Next week I am starting a Pilates class (also at the office) with a few of my co-workers. I'm looking forward to bonding with them outside of a normal work environment, but I think I had better practice before Monday rolls around.

P.s. Don't worry, I've got a Zumba cd if you're interested, courtesy of Ingrid.

Hello, Sunshine!

Hello everyone! I'm sorry it's been a couple of days since my last post- time has been flying by! I have so many wonderful things to share with you! Today was either the first or second day without rain since I moved to Rhode Island two weeks ago! I was absolutely delighted that the sunshine lasted long enough for me to take a run outside when I got home from work. I took some pictures of Slatersville (a small part of North Smithfield, where I live) while I was out.

What a beautiful, classic Colonial home. It reminds me of the days growing up when I'd watch This Old House with my Dad on Saturdays. That, and Frugal Gourmet... This was before I even knew what frugal meant.

This picture is of an old 'meeting house' that looks like it might be used for a town hall or church now.

This one is definitely my favorite... it's an old school. You can't tell too much from the picture, but it is not in use anymore and has become rundown. Some of the windows on the side are broken, and weeds are growing in the parking lot. There's a sign in the side yard that states there is going to be some restoration done, so I hope they follow through.

Today I had the opportunity to participate in a meeting with a group of pharmacist that work in a department that oversees quality and patient safety. We went to downtown Providence to meet with a law firm our company works with for a variety of things. I didn't speak at the presentation (about 30-35 people), but I did get to take a small group (about 10 people) on a tour. When someone asked how long it was going to be, I wanted so badly to say, "A three-hour tour!" I wish I could tell you more, but l have to leave it at that... (sigh). After our meeting, I went for an early dinner with Deb and Troy at The Capitol Grille. We talked about residencies, networking, and went over some of the things that I need to do while I'm here for the year. Making a list of things to do/places to go while I'm here is still on my to-do list...

Also, I'm having some trouble with electronics! I tried to put in an exercise DVD last night (love Kathy Smith! Of all the videos I've done, she is the most realistic and motivating instructor. However, I do love my Paula Abdula dance video, too. Tough call.), but I couldn't even make the input button work! Boo! Hopefully I will figure that out tonight, along with fixing my Bose soundock and Sweetheart alarm clock, both of which I miss terribly! Deb said that maybe it was something to do with my electric, so I'm going to try to give National Grid a call tomorrow.

The Sweetheart alarm clock, you ask? This was a very special present from my dad for graduation. As many of you already know, I am an extremely deep sleeper. I've slept through an earthquake, 3/4 of a final (Spanish I), a car ride to Florida (14 out of 16 hours!), and a fire alarm (turns out it wasn't a drill, and I was in charge of the building... thank goodness it was only a flood and not a fire). I usually wake up when I know it's critical that I'm not late, but, as you see, not all of the time (e.g. the Spanish final). The Sonic Boom Sweetheart Alarm Clock not only has a volume level of 113 decibels, but it comes with a 12V vibrator that shakes the bed. The instructions tell you to put in under your matress, but I've been putting it next to my pillow. There is no sleeping when that beast is going off, let me tell you!

Here is the mission statement of Silent Cell Communications, the company that sells the alarm clock:'

"At Silent Cell Communications our mission is to provide the utmost in reliability and usability available in personal communications and life-enhancing systems for the deaf, the hard of hearing, and those who are out of hearing range."

Thank goodness there are companies that manufacture products for people like me! :)

Stay tuned for more this weekend... coupons, woman vs. IKEA furniture, exploring RI, and more! Cheers!