How do I make my repayments Payday loans Can I repay the loan early

  • What I Did On My Winter Vacation – Part 1

    3 Comments
    January 5, 2010 /  Uncategorized

    Ah, it feels like forever ago I left work and did a happy dance as I left the building for 2 weeks of bliss and awesomeness.  If you’ve been around for a little while, you know about the magic hat.  And if you don’t, you might click over there to see.  If you are truly lazy (it’s ok, I understand), we put some things we wanted to do in a hat and planned to pick one out every day.  Here is a quick play by play before it all fades into a distant memory.

    Friday – Not a hat pick – came home and slept because of too much fun the night before.   Seriously, sometimes I wonder what goes through my head staying up until almost 5am drinking heavily.  This is later than I stayed up ALL VACATION.  By far.  On a schoolnight.  Seriously woman… anyway.  We vegged on the couch and I believe we barely made it to 10pm.  It was a perfectly nice way to start break.

    Saturday – Not a hat pick – white elephant party #3.  I think there were errands, some gaming, I got an AWESOME 8 mile run in, and some relaxing before we headed out.  Details here.

    Here is me laughing at Zliten’s present:

    Sunday – Not a hat pick – video games all day.  We decided to start the hat picks the next day and play the hell out of Crystal Defenders and start Brutal Legend.  It was a sacrifice to be so lazy, but I made do.

    Monday – Hat pick – clean out the pantry.  Our first pick was so super exciting!  But, it was needed and it was REALLY, REALLY nice to be able to find things, our pantry is very shallow and very big so it’s hard to lose stuff, but things were beginning to fall behind the doors and get stuck on the sides.  We almost painted it but decided against it.  Then, we hit the gym for a super awesome run and otherwise vegged on the couch again.

    Tuesday – Hat pick – mini golf.  After a workout and some lunch, we headed out to an outdoor mini-golf course called peter pan.  It’s not changed since the 70′s and has all sorts of classic obstacles including a 15 foot tall peter pan, and a whale that you shoot your ball into and it comes out the butt.  Written on the butt?  San Diego.  Tee hee.  The place is actually BYOB friendly but being 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon, we refrained.

    The coolest thing?  A film crew came into shoot a movie.  They had everything – two big boom mics, cameras, a director, and two dudes dressed up in full golf attire with clubs and bags.  They were shooting on the white rabbit hole.  I wish I knew what it was all about.

    The second coolest thing?  We tied on both 18 whole courses!

    Wednesday – Hat pick -bbq adventure in Lockheart.  I’m very happy this one came up.  I got my run on early, and we left shortly after noon.  We drove the hour or so out of town and decided to hit up 3 places for lunch.  We brought a cooler to bring back leftovers and only ordered a little bit at each place.  Vegetarians, you might want to skip this part.

    Black’s – it was our favorite.  Everything was great, and they had the best selection of side dishes.  This is not my plate of food but very similar.

    Smitty’s – was the most expensive, and while the meat was good, the place reeked of bbq smoke so much it was distracting.  Also, the sides were crappy.  There wasn’t much of a selection, they were tiny, and they tasted like they came from the store.

    Kreuz – the meat was a little tough, but the sausage was amazing and so were the ribs.  We didn’t bother with sides because they didn’t look good here either.

    Verdict – Blacks was the best, but we still like Mann’s best which is within walking distance from our house.  So there.

    Thursday – Not a hat pick – X-mas Eve present opening adventure.  I got up early, got in a workout, and then headed to work for a few hours. Pics somewhat unrelated, I just picked out some of my faves from the day.

    There was a lot under the tree so we opened a present every 30 minutes.

    It was great fun!  I got such awesomeness as a leopard print snuggie, a runner ID tag for my shoes, a poopin’ polar bear, and the last present of the night – a garmin forunner.

    Even though it was WAY over what we decided to spend on each other (ahem!), Zliten decided that was what he wanted to get for me so he did.

    He got the 205 but decided he wanted to get me a 305 so we took it back and it’s on back order.  Soon, I will play with it!

    Zliten baked us computer bread.

    And since I am a less awesome present giver, here are some of his favorites, the hot sauces…

    …and the Rush Limbaugh book.  Comedy gold he has said so far.

    And then, we passed out just after midnight very sleepy-tired.

    Friday – Not a hat pick – X-mas fun with the parents.  After a workout in the morning, we headed up north for lasagna, garlic bread, salad, and copious amounts of sweets (candied popcorn, almond roca, fruitcake, pecan pie).  We played games all day – hand and foot (card game), dominos, golf (card game).  We got (beside money) a set of mugs for each card suit and embroidered aprons with our names on them for each of us.  Rock!  My dad ended up winning all games but the last one – I upset the game.  All in all, it was a great day.

    Saturday – Hat Pick – Go see a mooovie.  And well, we had wanted to check out Avatar in 3D for a while so it was a good excuse.  Great movie, even though we had to sit in the front row.  I highly recommend seeing this one in the theater, it was good fun.  It was a full day – we started with some pho, then shoppings, then the movie, and then hit the gym for a run.  I’ve never been so late on a weekend day, so I got there about 50 minutes before closing, so I had to modify – I did a quick warmup, 5 miles, and a very quick cooldown.  Then, we watched some really horrible movies (Troll 1 and Troll 2) and played a drinking game to go along with it.  Good fun!

    Part 2, tomorrow!

    Tags: , , ,

  • Random Recipes and Hurty Butt

    3 Comments
    December 30, 2009 /  Food

    I’m gonna make this pretty short as today’s adventures include cleaning, re-organizing the DVDs, cleaning out the closet, and thrift shopping/donating.  So far, the week has been a little *meh* – I had great sprints on Monday, and then we went shopping all day to spend some Christmas moolah – but Tuesday morning… sigh.  I woke up and sat down on the couch (yes, really), and my back flipped out and I’ve been in some considerable butt pain.  Yes, my LEFT BUTT MUSCLE is pulled again.  How on earth do you look someone in the eye and complain about your butt hurting?  Seriously?

    I had to skip my workout yesterday and today isn’t looking good either.  I’m probably not going to be able to make up both my runs at least at the pace they’re supposed to be at – but we’ll see.  I’m not quite as worried about the missed workouts as why this has happened TWICE in the training so far.  This time, I can definitely say that I think it was me being lazy about stretching/yoga, so that’s my smack on the wrist not to do that again.  Hopefully it’s better in the next day or 2 or I’ll go nuts!

    Anyway, enough complaining, and onto the food!

    Super Awesome Chili:

    Note, this is not a vegetarian recipe and probably a little high in sodium for some of you, but it’s also a super quick, easy, and delicious meal that makes amazing leftovers.  And if you’re craving something hearty and warm, this is your meal.

    You will need:

    -1 lb ground beef.  I use 96/4, I suggest the leanest stuff you have available, it’s plenty flavorful with everything else in there.

    -2 small jalepenos (or less if you fear the spicy)

    -about half a large onion

    -a few cloves of garlic to taste.

    -chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and cayenne pepper to taste

    Saute the onions, garlic, and jalapenos in a pan (I usually just use a little spray butter).  When it smells divine, throw in the beef and brown it.  Near the end, throw in your spices to taste.  You can also add them later, so err on the side of caution here.

    Then, in a big pot, add:

    -a 6oz can of tomato sauce

    -3 cans of beans.  I chose ranch style black beans, ranch style jalapeno pinto beans, and southwest style kidney beans.  Note: this is the part that’s a bit high sodium.  You could use beans without sauce but you might need to add another can of tomato sauce and tinker with it.  I leave that to you!

    -a can of corn.  Frozen works too.

    -a square and a half of chocolate.  We have this fancy schmancy jalapeno chocolate we got years ago, but no need – I would say about 2 hershey kisses or a handful of chocolate chips would work just fine.

    Put these together, bring to a slow bubbly boil, and then simmer until it comes together.  Honestly, it can’t really go too long but I’d suggest at least 20 mins.

    Top with cilantro, green onions, and you can also add other yummies like some ranch, shredded cheese, or sour cream.

    Cornbread:

    Zliten used to tell me that chili and cornbread was yummy together, and I didn’t believe him.  Then, I tried it and crazy enough, it was good!  Again, going with the super easy theme, we snagged a package of Marie Calendar’s Low Fat Southwestern Cornbread from Big Lots.   It’s a little spicy, and it’s not quite as sweet as the normal cornbread, which I like, but most importantly, all you have to do is add water and mix and cook.

    The first time we made it in loaf form, as you can see above, but let me suggest mini-muffins – they’re the perfect size for a bowl.

    The pictures are from a few weeks ago, but we just remade it this afternoon for lunch.  I’m about to dive into a bowl of it!  Yum!

    Deep thoughts return tomorrow…

    Tags: ,

  • 5 Random Things – Braindead Edition

    3 Comments
    December 16, 2009 /  Uncategorized

    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?

    Tags: , , , , ,

  • Second Half Marathon Training: Week 4

    4 Comments
    December 14, 2009 /  Half Marathon Training

    I want to bottle this feeling I had about this week’s runs.  Just the sense of pride I have right now.  Week 1 of training was a little mixed up because of the Turkey Trot.  Week 2 was screwed up because of illness.  Having the first two weeks not go as planned did not do well for my confidence.  The training plan I picked makes each and every run TOUGH.  In these 12 weeks, there are no happy fun lazy runs around the neighborhood.  The SLOWEST goal pace is 9:40, and that’s on my long runs (which are 8-12 miles here on out).  My tempo runs, which are up to 8 miles, are at 8:55.  The sprints are even faster and get longer and longer.

    This week I finally got the chance to do a normal week of training.  Monday, it was sprints. which is honestly the thing I am MOST confident with keeping the required pace.  This week, it was mile sprints.  I have to say, I LOVED this workout.  It was difficult but the rest intervals made it tolerable.  The first mile was felt great.  The second and third was TOUGH by the end but not falling-of-the-treadmill hard.  It’s going to be brutal to tack one and then two more mile sprints at the end of this, but I look forward to the challenge.

    Wednesday was COLD as HELL (ok, I don’t want to hear from you people with windchills below 0, it’s cold for me) and was in the low 30s in the morning.  I was planning to get up and run.  I even got dressed in my running gear, poked my head outside, and went right back in.  I left my running gear on, put a sweater over it, packed my bag, and headed to work.  I would conquer the cold at lunch.  I ended up out in about 40 degree weather.  At first it was a little chilly, but it was a huge breakthrough – it wasn’t that bad at all!  Also, I had planned to do my 5 mile tempo but ended up actually going 7 (my route went NOTHING as planned because of construction and I ended up on the other side of our office area at 5 miles so I just kept going).  I really enjoyed knocking my long run out in the middle of the week!  The mileage was estimated – I spent a lot of time running circles around parking lots – but I was bookin it and ran for 70 minutes.  I definitely don’t PREFER running in the cold (give me a 70 degree morning ANY DAY) but I felt awesome that I conquered my hesitation to run in winter temps.

    By Friday, I was SO dreading this run.  Five miles.  Under 9 minute pace.  I didn’t even get that on race day.  It was Friday night, I was a little bummed that we were missing a fun-sounding holiday party, but I just kept telling myself that I had 5 miles between me and my weekend.  And if I made my pace, I would celebrate somehow.  I did a 5 minute warmup, reset the treadmill, and started again at 6.0.  I decided that I was gonna attempt a true tempo, so after the first .75 of a mile of ramping up, I hit 6.7 and just WENT.  I felt strong, I felt confident, and most importantly, I felt like I could hold the pace even if it was tough.  So I did it.  For 3.5 miles.  Then, at 4.25 miles I knew I had some time to make up, so I started ramping it up again, and by the end I was going 8.0.  My final pace? 8:57 miles.  Under 9.  I beat my race time 2 weeks ago by 1:05.

    Then, we made amazingly delicious homemade pizza for dinner/breakfast the next day, which was much better than any crazy holiday party.  Or at least that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

    The DDR circuits were in there too (Tuesday and Thursday) and I yoga’d Monday.  I meant to do another yoga session but got busy with holiday stuff.  Oops.  MUST YOGA TWICE THIS WEEK SOMEHOW.  I stretched well after each run but I can still feel tension.  MUST YOGA.

    I went into this week scared.  I am coming out of this week feeling like a badass.  I am ready to conquer these next 9 weeks because I have it in me.  Sub 2 hour half, here I come!

    Training for week 4:

    Monday – 6×400 sprints @ 1:58 pace (with one mile warmup and one mile cooldown and 400 rest in between) = 5 miles

    Tuesday – DDR circuits

    Wednesday – 6 mile tempo run @ 8:55 pace

    Thursday – off (holiday party)

    Friday – 30 day shred (need something effective and quick as I have dinner plans)

    Saturday – 8 mile nice outside long run @ 9:40 pace

    Sunday – rest

    Next week in theory should start my holiday break and I should be back to 2 weeks of training on whatever schedule I want, but since I have a shippable at work I’m in charge of that has to be done by the end of the year, I might have to work some half days that week.  But we shall see.

    This is the week where the appetite starts to kick in too.  I can already feel it.  At least this time, I’m craving boatloads of protien, more dairy, and veggies instead of all carbs all the time.  I’m sure that will come later, or perhaps training this way is changing the way I crave.  It could make sense.  Each workout is brutal, so protein/dairy helps build my body back up stronger, but I have enough rest time that I don’t need to be pumping constant FUEL ME NOW energy into my body.

    The problem is I’m sitting here at my desk, having eaten a 20g protien bar this morning, a huge buffalo chicken lunch meat sammich for lunch, and I’m currently destroying a full 1 lb bag of baby carrots.  It is not long for this world, folks.  And I’m pretty sure before the workout, I’ll be digging into the pistachios and the blackberries too.  I mean – it’s all ridici-healthy and all (minus the nummy onion bun instead of the normal horkin’ fiber bread), so I can’t be too upset.

    The plan is to really watch it this month.  Eat super healthy on most days so I can just kinda let myself graze until I feel fueled without being restrictive.  On days I have holiday plan-type-things, make sure I watch my portions and fill up on all the healthy stuff I can.  Or moderate.  Like last night’s party where there were 4 appetizers and 3 desserts and NOTHING was healthy and the meatballs actually ended up being the best option.  Or Saturday night when bacon fudge made an appearance.  It was AMAZING.  I broke my no sweets/drinking in the same day rule twice this weekend, but it was totally worth it.

    So I’ve got my playlists set, my gymbag with me, and I’m ready to rock some sprints tonight.  Hopefully I can stop shoveling carrots into my mouth by that time.

    Tags: , , , , ,

  • Will Vienna Wait For Me?

    Comments Off
    December 11, 2009 /  Uncategorized

    Just wanted to first give huge thanks for the comments and advice on Wednesday’s post.  I appreciate the advice.  It kinda hit me this morning when I weighed myself and the scale fluctuated each time I got on it (like, some weights made me go woohoo and then some made me go aaaaack, that much).  Does it REALLY matter what I weigh?  If my running keeps progressing nicely?  If all my clothes either continue to fit or get too big on me?  Maybe it ISN’T denial to not weigh myself often.

    Same with the eating.  I was reading over my posts over the last few months and the biggest theme is “I’m eating in a way which would rationally and numerically make me lose weight, and I’m not *grrrrr*”.  Counting calories worked for me for so long and then it just DIDN’T.  I think I eeked out the last 15 lbs while skating the thin line between extreme diet mode and starvation mode, and it’s not a comfortable place to be.  I’m tired of it.  Thinking about it sends me into a temper tantrum.

    So my inclination is to say fuck it.  No, my inclination is to scream FUCK IT from the highest mountain top I can find.  If the scale isn’t going to provide me with any useful feedback (apparently I weigh something between 153.0 and 159.0 this morning, heh), then fuck it.  It’s not worth my time.  If calorie counting isn’t providing me with any useful feedback, fuck it.  Apparently I maintain no matter whether I eat an average of 1400 and burn 3k calories per week or eat an average of 1900 and burn less.  Maddening.

    I stopped calorie counting a few weeks ago, and I went back to it last week for a few days.  It just got under my skin.  Usually it’s no biggie, but it just pissed me off for some reason.  So I stopped again.  Right now, I’m just trying to trust my body to nourish itself properly.  And oddly enough, it’s working.  My size 6 super low rise jeans still fit.  I am enough of a big girl to go into the kitchen, serve myself healthy food I made, and stop when I’m full.  After 3 years, my eat watch is pretty much fixed.  It doesn’t take math to make me stop eating anymore, as long as I really pay attention.  Am I eating out of boredom?  Am I eating because I’m grumpy?  Am I eating because it’s there and I want to finish it?  If the answer is no and I’m hungry and I really truly want it, then it’s a valid reason.

    Same with workouts.  It used to be fear motivating me, that I was going to get fat again if I didn’t work out.  Now… well, I guess it’s fear too but a different, better fear.  I am afraid of losing fitness progress.  I’m afraid of not being prepared for my next race.  I’m terrified of going back to being a wuss.  I am horrified at the idea of a 5k ever being a big deal.  I knew very early on that I’d have to move away from workouts simply for weight loss or I wouldn’t stick with it.  I am everlastingly thankful for running and races in that vein.  I can’t see a time when I won’t be actively pursuing getting harder, better, faster, stronger.

    The problem is – that same thinking food-wise goes down a scary path that’s dangerous to follow.  I don’t want to go there.  So I need to come up with a good way to motivate myself.  This is where I need the most help.  I need to sit down and come up with goals that don’t go against my core values of how this healthy journey should be.  I refuse to avoid food groups.  I am a runner, I need my carbs.  Even some simple carbs.  My body has ALWAYS run on a carby tank.  I shut down creatively and functionally when I restrict them (even after months).  I refuse to have to avoid eating at parties and restaurants.  Zliten and I cook lunches and dinners together, so there is only so far I can take meals.  However, I’ve definitely made strides on what I eat outside mealtimes and will continue.  Next step is convincing myself fruit is a viable desert instead of chocolate.  Did it last night!

    Even with all this strong talk, I’m terrified.  Giving up caring about the scale means I run the risk of gaining.  Giving up calorie counting means I run the risk of gaining.  Trusting myself after 3 years of triple checks and balances put in place to keep me safe in my little padded weight loss room?  Scary.  My track record is not very good – this is the longest I’ve ever kept weight off and I’m half convinced it’s only because I’m trying to lose.  If history repeats itself, I’ll be 300 lbs by next year.  I mean, my head is completely different and I’ve gone through so much mental shit and dealt with a lot of things over the last 3 years, but with the training wheels coming off and trusting myself to balance on my own?  Still frightened.

    And then, there is that horrible fear that this is the best I’ll ever be.  That I’m not good enough right now, and this is the closest I’ll ever get.  Stupid brain!  I am a damn fine looking woman.  At my current weight.  I might not have that long lean look I covet, I might own some clothes that aren’t terribly flattering or from age 14 that don’t fit or whatever.  And maybe the solution instead of longing to be thin enough that everything looks good on me is to give away anything in my closet that doesn’t make me feel fabulous.

    Maybe the lesson that I’ve been fighting here is not how to power past a plateau, but to learn how to accept myself here.  To come to terms that I don’t have to be perfect to be done.  That maybe it’s time to wrap up this year of beating my head against the proverbial weight loss wall and have a kinder, gentler 2010.  Where 153-155 is good enough.  Where all that matters is I have enough fuel in my tank to push through my long (and increasingly longer) runs.  Where I continue to work on eliminating the fat and building more muscle for the sake of sport.

    It’s like planning a project here at work.  No matter what, things change, dates change, hell, sometimes the whole thing changes.  Three years ago, I just wanted to not be so fat.  Two years ago, I wanted to get down to my college weight of 170.  A year ago, I picked 135 as it seemed like a good idea.  Never in a million years did I have any idea that I’d be training for my second half marathon and have my sights on a full one.  Never did I think that I’d be rocking size 6s and smalls.

    Maybe it’s not giving up to be the weight I am now.    I mean, it’s kinda nice to not have to buy a new wardrobe each season because nothing fits.  It would be nice to feel as if I’m there.  I know it’s just a head shift.  But it’s frightening to allow myself to feel good, to feel accomplished, to feel done.  Because that stupid voice in the back of my head keeps telling me that’s quitter talk.

    I have some more thinking to do.  Perhaps I even have some experimenting to do.  But something just keeps telling me there is a lesson here that I’m not letting through.  Maybe I just need to realize that Vienna waits for me, and I just need to make the decision to go there.  I don’t want to look back on this time of my life as the period where I was amazing, but I didn’t give myself credit for it.  If I’m so damn smart, why am I so afraid?  I can’t be everything I want to be before my time (thought I want to so very badly).  I’ve got my passion and pride (in spades) – and my crazy side is saying only fools are satisfied.

    Oh, Billy Joel.  Are you telling me that I can take my phone off the hook for 2010 and disappear from my crazy for a while?  It’s alright?  I can afford to lose a year or two to the pursuit of something besides a perfect figure?  Will Vienna still wait for me?

    Less navel gazing next week.   Have a lovely weekend!

    Tags: , , , , ,

  • What I’m Thankful For – Pt 2

    1 Comment
    November 25, 2009 /  Uncategorized

    So a few glasses of wine and some writing did the trick.  Also – crab salad sandwiches.  Seriously, this is my new find.  One whole can of lump white crab is only 60 calories (and is a buck twenty five at big lots).  I mixed it up with some light mayo, celery, and onions, and ate one melt (with light cheese and some pickles with the mixture) on an arnold’s sandwich thin and then put the rest of the mixture on another half of a thin.  All being told, probably about 300 calories and it was like a feast, especially mowing down a half a bag of snow peas and some hummus too.  I got some good quality writing done, and I went to bed happy.

    I woke up today and had a wonderful morning yoga, and braced myself for the crazy.  So far, no crazy.  My butt has escaped the teeth marks that I expected it to have this morning.  It may only be a deference until Monday, but after 4 days off, I’ll be ready to deal with it.  I’m going to put my head down, enjoy the quiet, and get the last thing on my to do list done before I slide off into long weekend mode.

    But not without a show of gratitude.  This year, I am thankful for (in no particular order or importance):

    -Being able to continue to pay mortgage and live comfortably with minor modifications even through a one income + one unemployment check period.

    -That my Zliten got a job, back in the industry, making enough that we can start pumping up that savings account again.

    -For a full time job in a stable company that is seeing success even through this crappy economy.  It may not be the favoritest job I’ve ever had, but it sure beats the hell out of just about any alternative right now.

    -That I’m leaving another year fitter and healthier than I went into it.

    -For things that happen just at the right time to keep me sane/engaged/awake/hungry for more.

    -For amazing technology that is part of my life.  My phone can internet.  For 15 bucks per month, I can listen to just about any song I ever want.  With the push of a few buttons, my car can tell me turn by turn how to get home from ANYWHERE.  A web page that I can put my turn by turn run and how much time it took, and it will tell me my distance and pace.  I’m not talking astrophysics here, just those little conveniences that make life a little more…ahhh.

    -Luxuries like pest control service and the alarm company.  These were things that we considered giving up during the lean times, but then relented when 1) we had a mouse in the house, and instead of dealing with it ourselves, we just called the dudes and within a day, the mouse was gone and the entry point was patched up and 2) we had a break in where the dude opened the door, the alarm went off, and he didn’t even take anything.  Even the easy pickins.

    -The fact that my parents now live a short drive away, and we can see them more often.  And in not-week-long doses that drive us both a little batty.

    -My wonderful friends.  Another fun year of outings, parties, potlucks, fun, and games. ;)

    -Maintaining a healthy weight.  It may not be my ideal or my happy weight, but I can’t look in the mirror and hate myself.  Besides those nagging little imperfections, I don’t mind my nekkid.

    -My headspace shift in the last year from exercising and eating for weight loss to eating to fuel my exercise, and exercising for accomplishment and sport.  It may make losing harder, but it feels like a more sustainable and healthy place to be.

    -I am finally at a place in my life, where I can decide what I want to do, set some concrete goals and put a plan in place, and more often than not get there, and if not the moon that I’m shooting for, I usually end up among the stars (to paraphrase that quote badly).  I wanted to lose weight, and while I’m not at my final goal, I’m beyond my wildest expectations back then.  I wanted to run a half marathon in 2 hours – I ran it 16 mins slower – but seriously, who cares?  I went through a 3 month training program where the only person I was truly accountable to was myself, and finished.  Now with NaNoWriMo – I might not finish in a month but I’ve got a solid plan to keep at it and the realization that I CAN DO IT.

    -To be married to the most wonderful Zliten in the world, and that we had an awesomely fun friend and family filled destination wedding that was totally worth all the stress.

    -The awesome fit/health/food blogging community who stop by here to read my rambles.  Seriously, you deserve a freaking medal sometimes.  You all understand what I go through like no one else does sometimes.

    -Amazing advances in media.  Instead of having to cope with just what’s on TV when it’s on and synchronizing our watches (remember having to be home at 8 for your favorite show every week and watching all the commercials? ha!), we can be amused anywhere, any time, by anyone with the internet.
    Case in point:

    I’m sure there’s much more I’m forgetting, but I’ll wrap this up for now. Happy Thanksgiving out there, bloggie folks. Hope you have a wonderful weekend, and remember – if you gobble gobble, you should also waddle waddle! ::grin::

    Tags: , , , , ,

  • Without Really Noticing…

    2 Comments
    November 20, 2009 /  Uncategorized

    I’ll go into it more Monday, but this week sorta fell apart on me.  However, it’s Friday, I’m feeling good, I’m totally psyched to hit the gym for a super killer treadmill workout tonight, and most importantly, I’m feeling totally uninjured, rested, and healthy.

    It just hit me yesterday thinking about how I’ve changed over this whole getting healthy thing in general by reflecting on the week.   Even in the last year.  When I get frustrated that I haven’t lost much weight, I have to remember that I been maintaining a huge loss.  I have a completely different headspace than I used to.  Here are things I did without really noticing…

    Some examples:

    Peanut Butter Pie in the breakroom yesterday.

    4 years ago: “Pie, fuck yeah!  Can I have 2?”  Then later, scolding myself for being so weak.

    2 years ago: “No thanks.”  Then being freaking obsessed over peanut butter pie for the next week.

    this week: “Oh yum!”  Taking a slice, eating about half, and throwing the rest of it away because it was just too much for me.

    Mindlessly pigging out on what’s in the house because my tummy is ravenous.

    4 years ago: frozen pizza, chips and dip, cookies, ice cream (yes, all in ONE night).  Feel depressed and crappy physically and mentally after the sugar and fat buzz wears off.

    2 years ago: 100 calorie packs, sugar free pudding, low fat cheese and reduced fat crackers (though certainly not all at once!).  Feel still slightly unsatisfied, but mentally I convince myself I have had enough and need to stop to stay in my calorie range.

    this week: raw veggies, turkey pepperoni, jerky, veggie pasta salad, fruit, pistachios, small amounts of full fat cheese (over the course of a few days).  Feel satiated, feel a little guilty, then think about what I actually ate, and laugh.

    Not working out for a week due to injury/exhaustion/other crap:

    4 years ago: “Duh, I don’t have time with work.”

    2 years ago: “OMG OMG I’m going to get fat again this is horrible my life is ruined.”

    this week: “Eh, that’s the way it goes.  So looking forward to hitting the ‘mill tonight now that I feel good!”

    Seeing a ridiculously unflattering picture of myself:

    4 years ago: “Damnit, why am I so fat…”  No way is anyone seeing this.

    2 years ago: “Ugh, and THIS is why I am so not done losing weight.”  No way is anyone seeing this.

    This week: *laughter* “Man, this is SO not going up as my facebook profile pic.”  Eh, why not, you can laugh with me.  Still not going up on facebook though.  Seriously, who squished my face like that and how am I not falling over from my massive chest?

    I am certainly not perfect and I still have my freakout moments and make stupid decisions, but I am taking today to appreciate the strides I have made.  It may take me 50 bazillion more years to take off this last 20 lbs, but at least it’s not gaining.  I may not be completely vain-happy here, but I am certainly happy with my health and what my body can do, and how I feel more like I’m running on energizer batteries instead of just the crappy generic store brand that’s half dead.

    Now, the ultimate question: since I’ve missed an entire week of running, I have my pick of workouts.  Long and slow, tempo run, or sprints?  The treadmill is my oyster!  What awesome have you done this week without really paying attention?  Happy weekend all!

    Tags: , , ,

  • A Polynesian-ish Feast

    1 Comment
    November 18, 2009 /  Uncategorized

    Last saturday found us hosting a Polynesian feast at the casa to celebrate our wedding with the peoples in Austin that couldn’t make it to Vegas (and the ones that did, too – hey, I love excuses to throw shindigs).  Here is the spread.

    Warning #1: If you’re hungry, you should probably come back.

    Warning #2: I am decidedly NOT a food blogger.  My pictures suck.  Most things I actually used recipes for and modified very little (which is SO UNLIKE me), so I’ll give credit where I can.

    So, here we go…

    Appetizers:

    Veggies and homemade onion dip: self explanatory

    Homemade Lumpia: So not pretty, but so yummy.  These were gone every time a batch came out.  Recipe here.  We made some with pork, and some veggie for our veggie friends (and they were delicious both ways).  We tried to fry them, but since we suck at wrapping them baking them was better (and healthier too so yay!).  We served two dips with these, a homemade sweet and sour sauce and a spicy sesame soy and garlic reduction .  I wish I could credit the sweet and sour sauce, but I have NO IDEA where it came from.

    • 1 small can pineapple juice (or juice from a 15-1/4 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained)
    • 1/4 cup ketchup
    • 1/4 cup brown sugar
    • 1/4 cup vinegar
    • 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
    • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
    • 1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (or less)
    • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

    Preparation:

    Mix all together and cook over medium heat until thickened.

    The Spicy Sauce was simply made by sauteing the garlic with a little sesame oil, and then adding a bunch of less sodium soy sauce and chili sauce until it was a little less watery.

    Main Course:

    Pork Ribs.  Oh these were tasty.  They were teriyaki-ish in flavor, but since Zliten did them, I’m not exactly sure what goes in them.  They were gone about 10 minutes after I sliced them up.

    Chicken Katsu – so bad for you but so awesome.  I did these with the panko crumbs I won from Mara’s Blog!  Recipe here.  Normally I probably would have baked these for just me, but DAMN the panko was awesome fried.  These went with katsu sauce (again, this must have come from somewhere but I don’t know where… however, I think this is pretty standard as it tasted EXACTLY like I remembered):

    1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
    1/4 cup ketchup
    2 tablespoons soy sauce
    pepper to taste

    Vegetarian Ramen, recipe here.  This was devoured pretty quick by meaties and veggies alike.

    Spicy Pina Colada Vegetarian Curry, from my brain.  We served this with jasmine rice (not pictured). I put this together REALLY quick so I don’t have specific portions.  Just make taste the sauce and make sure it’s ok.  It’s probably ok.   I spiced this up with a BUNCH of rooster sauce, but a lot of people liked it mild.  Not my favorite, and we had the most leftovers of this as anything, but I kept getting compliments.

    5 carrots
    1 head cauliflower
    1 can chick peas
    1 large green pepper
    1 bag of frozen peas
    1 can of pineapple
    1/2 can of lite coconut milk
    2/3 jar of korma sauce
    Cilantro to taste

    Throw giant bag and marinate for a few hours.  Then, toss in a wok or a big pan and cook on low for about 30 mins (or until the veggies are the right consistency).

    Sesame Ginger Salad – this one was more asain but OH WELL.

    Ass ton of mixed greens
    Small can of water chestnuts
    cilantro to taste
    Onions to taste

    Toss with pepper to taste, sesame ginger dressing (I use fat free newman’s own), and chow mein noodles.

    My awesome pasta salad, which did not go with the theme but I care not.  I wanted pasta salad, but couldn’t bring myself to make a mayo-y hawaiian type macaroni salad.  No one complained.  Mara – the extra utensils came in handy.  I used EVERYTHING you sent except the chicken broth (and that doesn’t last too long around the Casa De Jank).

    Desert:

    I knew everyone would be so full by then, so I didn’t put much effort into it.  I made some key lime bars (from a box), and set out a fruit tray.  The bars went quickly, but I’m enjoying the fruit leftovers this week as snackies.

    I’m sad I didn’t get drinky pictures, but we served Mai Tais and Pina Coladas.  These recipes were for the whole picture (not each, heh):

    Mai tai
    2 shots light rum
    2 shots dark rum
    1/2 shot lime juice
    1 shot orange crack
    1 shot orgeat syrup
    fill blender with ice
    Cherry juice and cherry for garnish

    Pina colada
    4 shots light rum
    1/2 cup coconut milk
    1 cup pineapple

    It was a blast!  I remember why I only do those parties so often now, it’s a lot of prep and work, but it was so worth it.  I have a feeling the next one won’t be until around birthday time, so I’ll have to think of a good theme… until then, your favorite crazy wahine signing off!

    Tags: , ,

  • Sorry, Monday, I’m Just Not That Into You…

    1 Comment
    November 16, 2009 /  Uncategorized

    Attitude is everything.  I’ve taken some really rough days and put a positive spin on them and come out alright.  I’ve gotten through some tough times in my life just with optimistic thinking.  So why, when everything is going great, and I feeling so…bleh?

    I’m thankful for having a job at a stable company that has a successful product where I’m making a living wage at a title that is not beneath me.  However, I’ve been at that title for 4 years now and it’s time to move up (I’ve never gone so long without a promotion).  Plus, I miss the creativity I used to have earlier this year.  That one post I made a few months ago all excited about job stuff?  That’s on hold and I’m onto something else not quite as exciting.

    I’m thankful for have been able to able to lose 110 lbs, and go from someone who grumbled about having to park 100 feet away from her apartment to a half marathon runner.  However, it’s been the greater part of a year since I really took off any more weight.  Why the hell can’t I get it together and finish this up?  Also, a trend I’m not liking is I feel like I’m becoming less enthusiastic about my workouts.

    I’m just feeling all around burnt out lately.  This year has been crazy (crazy cool, but still crazy) – it started in March with the birthdays and then April with half training, and then in July, it was wedding, wedding, wedding until October.  I figured things would calm down but now it’s been taking care of all the stuff I’ve put off since the wedding.  Plus I decided to take on NaNoWriMo.  And next week begins half marathon training.

    I feel like the guy in Office Space who just wants to do nothing.  The silly thing is, I know it’s crazy because I go NUTS doing nothing.  I think the combination of stressing over my sticky scale numbers, having a period of work where I’m just not quite as into what I’m doing as I could be, not having had a good, lengthy, and relaxing vacation in a while, and feeling obligated to do something at every moment of the day this month is just about making me crack.

    But don’t cry for me. Seriously.  I saw you taking that tissue out and just go ahead and put it back.

    The Write Stuff:

    Even though I’m stressing about it, NaNoWriMo has been a great experience that I will be immensely proud of, even if I don’t get to 50k words (but I’m not giving up!!).  Just sitting down to write a story and getting through it has been huge for me.  Though it’s been hell some days to find time to write, and yesterday I just couldn’t get inspired, I’m pleased with my consistency of being able to sit down and flow.  While this week was too crazy to write most days (hence, why I got so behind), I pulled over 7000 words out this weekend.

    Words needed to be on track: 25000

    Words written: 20500

    Words per day needed this week to catch up: 2400

    One thing I’m also realizing – it doesn’t need to be THE BOOK for me to start writing it.  You know, the masterpiece.  The one that’s going to somehow become a best seller and I’ll be able to retire and go move to Vermont like all writers do or whatever.  If I can speedwrite a short book in one month, I can chip away at a novel a year.  Slow, sure.  But it’s better than not writing and complaining about it.  I think it is going to be a goal from now on to write at least one novel per year.

    Food, Glorious Food:

    I’d say I lost it here this week, but honestly, I don’t know for sure.  I stopped tracking mid-week and just couldn’t bring myself to start it up again.  The key days were Wednesday, Friday, and the weekend.

    Wednesday – work event, which I sailed through.  I ordered a DELICIOUS asian chicken salad and only used half the dressing.  Then later, for dinner, I ate a bunch of fried appetizers after some drinking.  This is sort of a wash.  Sure, I ate crap.  But at least I had the sense to split the crap with other people and then realize I was done eating for the night even though it was an appetizer.

    Friday, I had a buffalo burger, wheat bun, no butter and split some fries for lunch.  I was hoping to love it since it’s a fairly healthy option for Fuddruckers, but I just didn’t.  The meat tasted weird.  We had grilled chicken, tiny baked potatoes, and my famous veggie pasta salad for dinner.  However, there were two margaritas on a beautiful patio and some drinks later, so again, kind of a wash.

    Saturday, I knew I needed major fortification, so I had a footlong subway turkey with no cheese and lots of veggies and an apple.  That got me through the day until the party, where I cooked a feast (more on the tomorrow) and pushed tropical drinks on my guests!  There was some healthy (veggie tray, veggie curry, etc), and some not so healthy (fried lumpia, fried chicken katsu, etc), and I ate some of both.  Come on, a good cook ALWAYS tastes the creations.

    Sunday, minus the pizza that found it’s way into the house during lunch time (Zliten’s fault!  He didn’t even give me the chance to veto, he just left and came back with it), I noshed on the leftover veggies, salad, soup, fruit, and for dinner we made tiny filets.

    All in all, I think what happened is I slipped back into “balanced lifestyle” mode instead of “weight loss” mode.  I didn’t go off the deep end.  I balanced out the alcohol and junk with a lot of fruits and veggies.  And this was even left to my own devices.  I’d venture that I averaged maybe 1700 calories per day this week total, which is not what I’m aiming for, but not up to my maintenance calories either.  I’d call it a victory, but I haven’t had the courage to step on a scale yet.  Tomorrow morning, I’ll let you know. :)   Last week, I bounced between 154.2 and 155.4.  Disheartening as I was hoping to continue the downward trend, but encouraging as I was not up and down like normal.  I’ll take what I can get.

    This week, my goal is to stay under 1500 calories per day (closer to 1300 if I can), minus a planned event Wednesday which I’ll allow up to 2000.

    Body Movin’:

    I talked about this a lot this week with my abrupt end to shredding, unplanned day off minus some yoga Wednesday, and my subsequent discovery of DDR circuits that I refined on Friday, so I’ll spare you any more details.  I took the entire weekend off to give myself a rest and am back at it this week.  This is essentially my week 0 for half training, and I’m getting myself prepared to run more by bumping it up to 3 days this week.  I am a week and a half from my 5 mile race, and I just haven’t trained much for it specifically, so I’m just hoping for the best.  Here is the plan:

    Monday: 10 mins warmup, 6×400 sprints, 10 minute cooldown

    Tuesday: 5 mile run at attempted race pace (45 minutes)

    Wednesday: off

    Thursday:DDR circuit

    Friday: 3.1 mile tempo run (yeah, I’m going to chase my sub 25 5k ONE LAST TIME before half training starts and I need to be a reasonable human and stop running so fast and work on running far)

    Weekend: DDR circuit and a bike adventure

    Wednesday is off because I have to be into work early anyway to go to said event at 5:30, and I don’t do early early morning workouts so I’ll adjust the rest of my week accordingly.  I may reconsider and do a regular strength session tonight at the gym after my sprints instead of so much on the weekend, but we will see.  Without schedule conflicts, I would have run M/W/F (sprints/tempo/long) and did DDR circuits Tu/Th.

    I still owe before and after shred pictures.  I’ll get on that.

    So bloggy people, how was your weekend?  Anything supah cool?  Anyone else kinda feeling the blahs and just CANNOT WAIT for some damn time off over the holidays?   Wanna tell me what an arsehole I am for feeling whiny?  Your opportunity awaits…

    And yes, it was another Natalie Dee day.  It just felt right.

    Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

  • Bursting On The Scene

    3 Comments
    November 9, 2009 /  Uncategorized

    I am sort of a schism of emotions today.  Mostly good ones but I digress.  Let’s get on with it:

    Movin’ on down:

    This morning I started the week at 154.8.  This is a huge victory.  I haven’t started the week below 155 since – well, I can’t remember.  Since I have been paying attention to Monday weights.  My low weight last week was 152.8, which is also something I haven’t seen in a while.  How did I accomplish this?

    Cakehole Shoving:

    I actually did a damn good job of this for the entire week – for the most part.  I was below 1400 Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.  I was around 1500 Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.  I went a little nutzo on Sunday, but it couldn’t have been above 2000.   I did learn some good lessons and reinforce some good behaviors (or at least “lesser evil” behaviors).

    Friday, I enjoyed a very healthy and low cal dinner and some drinks, but I found the good stopping point where I was enjoying myself but wasn’t wasted.  I wish to remember that point as sometimes on a weekend, I’ll just run up to that cliff and jump right on over.  Fun, yes, but then I pay for it the next day.   Saturday I was pretty responsible as well, we stayed in, ate leftovers, and cleaned like mad people.  The majority of the house is now sparkling clean – or at least for us normally opposite-of-neat-freak peoples.

    Sunday, we had planned a little controlled splurge – ordering a medium supreme pizza and that along with salad and veggies being our meal for the day.  We put the pizza order in (and my Zliten, who was in need of meat, made us order the large chicken wings and fries) and then as soon as I hung up we got an invite to celebrate a friend’s birthday at the Alamo Drafthouse.  Fun yes – but my day was not working out as planned at all.  This day could have potentially been my ruination.

    The pizza was delicious.  Just what I was craving.  We each had 2 slices and put the rest away (and now have a delicious lunch for today).  I had 3 chicken wings, and we split the order of fries.  The nice thing about the place is they have no frier.  Yeah, I know – the wings and fries are SO ungreasy because they’re baked.  It’s awesome.  A hefty meal perhaps, but my dinner later was a greek salad with italian.  Eaten right before we went to the alamo.  Hello, strategy.

    The problem was, we got there and they were picking up the tab so they said to order whatever we wanted.  To clarify for any non-Austinites, the Alamo Drafthouse is really the only reasonable place to see a movie.  The ticket prices are cheaper, and they serve food (like real food – you can get pita chips, veggies, and hummus there, or a burger, or pizza if you would like) and beer and wine.  They also do really cool events like 80s sing alongs, screenings of old classics, and sometimes feasts themed to the movie.

    I got a glass of wine and then somehow convinced myself it was a good idea to also order a guiness milkshake.  I shared it around with everyone and then drank about half.  While it may have been a not-so-good idea to order it I conquered two things.  First – milkshakes have held this magical power over me.  I have had a craving for one for over two years.  This one was delicious, but honestly, I would have rather had a nice three bite home baked cookie, or a sliver of decadent chocolate cake.  I will no longer be obsessed with them as they are firmly in the category now of “eh, totally not worth the calories”.  Second – I was able to drink half of it, put it down on the table, and leave it alone.  I have a big thing about finishing (which is why I only cook what I’m going to eat or make sure it is tucked away before I can go for it again), so it was nice to not suck the whole thing down.

    All in all, a great week.  This week becomes a bit more challenging.  Friday, I have the day off and a friend and I are going to hit happy hour.  The plan is to get a good lunch in me and only allow myself healthy food if I’m going to drink.  Then, Saturday is our Austinite wedding reception.  We had a lot of friends that couldn’t go to Vegas, so we decided to host a reception here.  The win – we’re doing all the cooking.  However, I’m not going to subject my guests to stuff that doesn’t taste good so I have some ’sperimenting to do.  I am excited for a Polynesian feast!

    I have been totally lazy about tracking calories over the weekend.  I’d chastise myself for it, but it actually seems to be working.  I know if I fall face down in the bag of chips or if I eat mindfully – and as long as I stick with the latter, I do ok.  If the downward trend comes to a screeching halt… then I’m back on it like bees on honey.  For now, I’ll see if I can get by as it’s something I’d like to move away from eventually.

    My Ass, and Moving It:

    During the week, I am a workout saint.  Shredded without complaint Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  I did my DDR, my yoga, and my running.  I think I might have even beat a record running but sadly I wasn’t really timing.  The watch is coming with on tomorrow’s run though fo sho.  If there is any chance I ran a sub 25 minute 5k I want proof!  My 5 mile time is improving as well.  I’m under 50, now I want to work towards under 45.  I know I can do it!

    The weekdays jam packed are killing me by the weekend.  I am so over it and sore and tired (thx u Jillian), I don’t want to do a fucking thing.  On Saturday, I woke up feeling like my pec was slightly pulled.  I had planned on shredding that morning and decided against it.  It takes me a full weekend before my feet and legs feel good again.  Level 3 is brutal.  Doing 5 days of intense strength back to back is brutal.

    So this week I’m changing it up.  Just a little.  I said I was going to shred for 4 weeks.  I’m not going to wuss out this last week, but I am going to alternate levels.  M, W, F – Level 3.  Tu/Th – Level 1 or 2.  Going forward, I’m going to try to keep it on the schedule 2-3 times per week until half training gets too intense.  I don’t want to knock it too much.  I am seeing results.  I wore jeans yesterday that I haven’t even had the guts to put on in months.  It is working.  However, I just can’t risk rolling into training time injured and tired, and I think that alternating the days will work my muscles differently enough that it will be good for me and I won’t feel on the brink of injury.

    NaNoWriMo:

    The story is developing nicely.  Writing about characters inspired by and very similar to us ten years ago (extended and stereotyped and much more extreme) has made it easier to keep going – I just have to dig in my “memories” section of the brain for the next plot twist.  Perhaps the next one will be a story created solely by my warped little mind, but this is something safe for the first and very time-crunched attempt and I’m appreciating it.

    I have no idea if it will be interesting.  If it was a screenplay, it would be one of those Napolean Dynamite type movies – slow paced, with some humor, but you almost feel like you are laughing at the poor sobs because their situation is so ridiculous, not because it’s terribly funny.  Nothing terribly extraordinary happens to them – they don’t get sucked into a black hole and end up in Bizarro World and become royalty – they just live their lives.  The end is anticlimactic.  But it’s kind of what I’m going for.

    I’m also a little behind.  I should be at about 12500 words as of yesterday, and I’m only at about 11000.  It doesn’t sound like that much, but tonight I’m aiming to do about 3k words to get caught up, which is about 2 hours of full concentration, and I am usually at about 50% with the TV on and my Zliten home.  Hopefully I can have some kick ass sessions this week and get back ahead as this weekend isn’t looking promising for writing time.  For those of you who haven’t checked out NaNoWriMo, the goal is 50k words by Nov 30th.

    Initial prediction – I’m going to finish the story.  I’m up in the air whether I can continue to dedicate the hours each day to finish up the words in the time allotted (though being super competitive me, I bet I’ll do it), but I’m going to do it even if it’s not by the end of the month.   However, I’m also now seeing a novel as a manageable and possible thing to do.  If I did it right and came up with a story outline, laid out the chapters in an outline, and then went to town, I think I could have something polished in perhaps 6 months time.   I’m not going to get books published by wishing for it.  It something I can EASILY do while just relaxing at home on the couch with the lappy.  This is a HUGE revelation for me!

    It’s the same thing as a marathon.  It looks like a huge, unwieldy task.  Highly intimidating.  There is no better way to get there than picking a deadline and putting together a plan to get there.  Looking forward to cracking both of those nuts in the next year.

    Back to my Monday.  What mountains are you going to climb this week?  Inspiration wanted. :)

    Tags: , , , , , , ,

Previous Page