5 Random Things – Braindead Edition

Since I haven’t been pulled in one way or another with a post to write today, I think I’m going to pull out a 5 random things day and hope y’all will forgive me.

1.  I rocked the sprints Monday.  I actually ran them at 1:57 per 400m because that’s the closest I could do via the treadmill.  7.7.  Is it odd that my EASIST days are my sprints?  Today, I’m going to tackle a 6 mile tempo and feeling really nervous even though I rocked the 5 miler.  Can I add a mile and still maintain my pace?  We shall see.

2.  It seems that the closer to Christmas you get, the more CRAP FOOD is around.  And by crap I mean so-yummy-but-bad-for-you.  So far, some gourmet popcorn, a few rum balls, and a small tin of homemade Christmas cookies have made it into the fortress of casa de Quix and Zliten.   I’ve decided it’s not the end of the world.  Yesterday I had a cookie and a rum ball while the rest of my food was totally rockin’ (protien bar, homemade chili, the rest of the bag of carrots, super veggie homemade chicken noodle soup, blackberries, and a laughing cow, melba toast, and turkey summer sausage).

Today, I had half a tiny piece of cake for desert with lunch, and I will probably allow one tiny cookie after a healthy dinner.  I think the key is not to try to stoically deny myself, but definitely limit myself.  I think denying myself now will backfire once next month hits and the mileage goes up.  THAT is when I will need the most resolve, when I actually feel the hunger and my body crying out to feed it sugar.   But who knows, maybe training this way will cut out the desire to stand in front of the freezer and shovel in chocolate chips and make me crave more sane things like whole cows and 1 lb bags of veggies.

3.  I’m trying to look forward to Holiday break, but today I’m in limbo because I don’t know what day it starts.  I was originally going to be off starting Friday (minus Christmas Eve – they are not giving it to us off, but typically send us home at lunch…I live 5 minutes away from work so I’ll come in for 3 hours and save the time off for a full day, thank you very much).  However, I have a deliverable that MIGHT be due 12/22 or it might be delayed until next year.  If it’s not delayed, I’ll work 12/21 and 12/22 at least half days.

Hopefully I’ll know within the next day or 2 so I can really and truly look forward to a certain date!  One of the things I love about vacation is the anticipation counting down the days before and the “last day of school” feeling when you walk out of the building on the last day (I’ve been known to do that toe-tap jiggy thing before on my way out).  I’m really looking forward to some quality time off without traveling or obligations – just FUN TIMES.  Well, we might do a night stay somewhere, but nothing crazy.

4.  I’ve been doing a lot of navel gazing lately so I’m going to spare you a 2009 wrap up (this week at least), but I have started to think about what’s next.  The half marathon and marathon for sure.  Finishing what I started during NaNo and getting myself on a consistent schedule with my fiction/memoir/whatever writing.  Then there are the unknowns… should I give myself a year off really pushing weight loss and maintain and work on my running and my head?  I think it’s about time to start figuring out what’s next career-wise.  Do I want to stay here and gun for a promotion?  Do I want to stick my toes in somewhere else?  Back to school?  I do know it’s time to at least coast towards a path.  I’m 30 – no longer a spring chicken.  I have lingered in lower-middle management long enough.

And what do I want to do with this blog?  I love my lovely gaggle of wonderful people that comment here, but I feel like I’m doing something wrong because sometimes I feel like the dorky kid with the glasses and the braces that gets picked last for teams.  I’d love to have a bit larger exposure on the interwebs simply because I am a closet fame whore, but I just haven’t figured that one out yet.  And I’m not sure the level of effort I am willing to put forth to make it happen.  And I’m not sure even WHY I want this, as this place just started as a soapbox for me to shout on.  Maybe it’s that I feel like it’s not worth as much not shouting AT anyone.

Yeah, ok, expect a 2009 wrap up and 2010 resolution post coming up.  There is obviously more for me to say here.  We’ll just call this Navel Gazing December.

5.  I hope to wrap up all that navel gazing soon, and will be taking things a little lighter during the next 2 weeks.  What that means is I have a bunch of recipe posts I’ve been meaning to do.  I’ve even got a fashion-y one planned.  I think I’m going to try and join in MizFit’s virtual talent show.  So what am I saying?  Expect some fluff starting next week through the end of the year, and if you get super awesome well-thought-out posts, be happy!  Because this one is so well thought out and intelligible.  MMmmmhmmm.

I guess that about wraps up my world.  Off to finish out the day, knock out my tempo (cross your fingers I don’t die at that pace), clean more of my messy house (love when my parents want to drop by randomly on a Friday), make some dinner, pack my lunch for tomorrow, and fall down tired and zonk out!  At least tomorrow = happy fun white elephant party and Friday should be pretty mellow.

How is your week going?  Got any ideas for posts for me so it’s not all recipes all the time?  Crazy questions or stories I should tell?  Wanna tell me how to become one of the popular kids?