It's Resolution Time!

I have lots to share today! That, and the fact that I have to work until like midnight tonight will result in a nice long post. I work at a casino so obviously NYE is one of our biggest nights of the year. I figure if you have to work on New Year's Eve, you might as well work at a party hot spot, right? It could be worse....
So anyway, I wanted to share some pictures I took about a week ago on a solo 6 mile run. This was the shortly after Bex ran the Half Marathon, so I decided to run alone one morning at around 6:30am. A while back I had posted that all you City Mice should be jealous of the running scenery I get to look at on every single run! So I finally took some pictures and wanted to share with you our sleepy little Delta town that I am quickly falling in love with:

This is the intersection of River Road and School Street...the two main drags! Can you see the lit Christmas stars on the telephone poles?

This is the Court House on School Street....again, decorated for Christmas

Here we are coming down the road where the private school, Tunica Academy is located. It was foggy this morning, but aren't the colors in the sky great?

Uh-oh, speed limit is only 20 miles per hour! I better slow down! :)

The sun rising over the trees at TA...see that white streak in the sky? As I took this picture I wondered where that plane was going, and who was on it.

This is one of my favorites...that big orange ball coming up over Tunica County! Rise and Shine!

This is our downtown park. Isn't it cute? The Main Street Society does a great job of decorating for the holidays, don't they? I love this park because there is a track around it. Four times around is a mile.

And one of the most lovely things in downtown Tunica...our Veteran's Memorial Park.So there you have it! I feel blessed to have this to wake up to every day. It was cool watching the farms be harvested this fall. To go from green and lush and full of buds down to just pure dirt again. All from one morning to the next. This spring we will get to see them grow again, maybe I'll post more pictures then. If you would love to see more pictures of Tunica and the surrounding Delta towns, this is a great website.

Weight Watchers Update: We weighed in yesterday and I lost 1.5 pounds! So I'm down to 170. I was pleased considering I actually lost weight over the Christmas holiday. I am eager to see what I can do when I really get to it this week! No excuses now!

Okay, so down to our 2010 resolutions. I have a few I'll share, but there is one last big one that I'm waiting to share with you. I'll explain why later. When my dad makes his resolutions he does something kind of cool...he calls it The Five F's. The Five F's are Fitness, Finance, Family, Faith, and Fun. He makes at least one resolution for each of the Five F's. So I thought I'd give it a shot:

Fitness 2010

1. Run two Half-Marathons. One in January (only 10 days away!), and one in December
2. Committ to Weight Watchers for *a minimum* of 10 weeks
3. Lose 20 pounds as a result of #1 and #2

Finance 2010

1. Get our finances to a place where we will feel comfortable starting a family (don't get excited...the Tom Withers family probably will not increase until some time in 2011). This means paying off our credit card AND accumulating enough savings equal to 12 months worth of fixed expenses.

Family 2010

1. Since ours is a happy family of two, I'm not sure what to resolve to do for the 'Family' category. I guess just to grow each day as a couple, and as a team.
2. I often find myself laying down to go to bed at night and thinking, 'I did not even kiss my husband today.' Life can just get in the way, you know? So I always shake Tom and say, 'Oh! I forgot to kiss you today!' He always snickers at this, but I know he secretly loves it. So I think I'll resolve to kiss my husband every day in 2010 no matter how mad he might make me. :)
3. Send birthday cards to my extended family.
4. Spend more time babysitting my precious neice, Lilly!

Faith 2010

1. Tom and I have stuggled with finding a home church in Tunica where we feel comfortable and welcomed. This is probably my most important resolution...for us to find a home church nearby and attend regularly.
2. I will resolve to grow closer to God and become a vehicle for Him and His Word.
3. I will become more patient with my everyday life and not focus on the negative.

Fun 2010

1. Take at least one vacation with Tom...somewhere we have never been together. We went to San Francisco and Napa on our honeymoon and had the. best. time. Every day we did something tourist-y and fun. I would love to take another awesome trip like that with him. I am thinking skiing in Telluride, snorkling in Mexico, somewhere wonderful where we can have a fun experience together.
2. Go kayaking. I don't care where or when but at some point I want to do it. Tom and I have talked many times about it, but have done nothing about it! 2010 is the year!
3. Go camping with friends.

That's all for now I guess. Do you think 14 resolutions is enough?! :) What are your resolutions for this year? Do you tend to keep your resolutions or do they wind up becoming empty promises? I find that if I set small-short-term goals to my resolutions they are more likely to actually be KEPT!

How are all of you going to spend the first day of 2010? I am going to kick off the New Year by running 12 miles in the morning. So while all of you are warm and hungover in your sweet little beds, think of me sweatin' it out for a long two hours and twenty-something minutes!

The Final Countdown

I hope everyone had a great holiday! I have not blogged in some time (I know yall have been waiting with bated breath) because of all the holiday craziness. Over my mini-break for Christmas I did absolutly NO running but was able to get back at it yesterday with Bex by my side. We did a quick 5-miler. Although I thoroughly enjoyed being holed up with my mom and aunt watching movies and drinking wine all weekend, it was nice to get back in the groove. I loved returning to the cold bright outdoors of the Delta! And of course it didn't hurt that I was able to try out many of my Christmas gifts! I looked like an Under Armour ad, and I think the clothes made me run faster and farther (thanks Mom!). We had a great run considering how long of a break we'd taken. We ran an 11 minute mile the whole way which is right on track. So here is our plan for the week. This week will be our last long run before the Big Day! Only 11 days left!

• Sunday: 5 miles - check!
• Tuesday: 8 miles - yikes!
• Wednesday: 10 miles - ouch!
• Friday: 12 miles - YOWZA!
• Saturday/Sunday: Rest

So that is the plan for now. I will feel very comfortable if I can run a 12 miler a week before Race Day. Race Week we will just do two quick but short runs probably on Tuesday and Thursday, then rest until Saturday. Wish me luck! This is the final countdown!!

In addition to NOT running all week, I also did NOT abide to all rules de la Weight Watchers. I mean, what do they expect, getting us started the week of Christmas? Whatev. I don't feel bad about it. I had a great time eating and drinking and eating and eating and eating with my family all week. But now it is down to business I suppose. So on Saturday (12/26) I began recording my points simply to see where I fall in regards to What I'm Eating vs. What I SHOULD Be Eating. And let me tell you it was not good. According to the Weight Watchers gods, I am supposed to eat 23 points per day (if you are unfamiliar with how the Weight Watchers points systems works, click HERE).

They calculate this number by age, weight, height, how you spend most of your day, your yearly income, popularity, credit score, political views, etc. Anyway, per my calculations on Saturday and Sunday I was doubling this number. As in, I was eating like 40-50 points per day, when I'm supposed to be eating 23. Hello, HEFFER! So clearly to begin leading a healthier lifestyle I do need to *bring it on down now.* So today I am consciencely counting and recording my points. So far I have eaten 13 points after having breakfast and lunch. So I am allowed 10 more points for a snack and dinner. We'll see how that goes. I gotta tell you, I'm pretty hungry. I am fighting with that hairy shapeless orange Hunger Monster you see on all the WW commercials. Yes, he is real. The Hunger Monster Lives.Each week we will weigh in. My starting weight was 171.5. I will try to update yall each Wednesday after the weigh-in so I will be held accountable for my progress!

Healthy Holidays

So the whole purpose of this blog is to track my progress during my half-marathon training. But with training for any sport comes nutrition as well. What we put into our bodies is just as important as the activities we engage in to stay healthy. Although I have posted a few figure-friendly recipes over the last few weeks (one more in this post), I need yall to understand that I am a very bad (and I mean like VERY BAD) eater. Okay, and drinker. I love my wine, what can I say? Also, it doesn't help that I am happily married to a wonderful man who loves my cooking, and loves to eat. One of our favorite things to to together is cook and eat. And eat some more. So I suffer from the age-old problem of "I-just-got-married-and-now-I-can-stop-looking-for-Mr.-Right-and-let-myself-go-because-he-loves-me-and-always-will." It's a problem I'm CERTAIN other newlyweds have as well.

I heard a saying once...."Nothing tastes as good as thin feels." A likely story. Are you trying to tell me that there is something better than the taste of freshly delivered pizza? Or those Ched-R Peppers and Route 44 Cherry Limeade from Sonic when you are way hungover? Or those two (or three, or four, or if you're me, five sometimes) glasses of chardonnay at a girl's night? Gimme a break. Nothing can be better. Well, I am beginning to think something can be better than the above mentioned delicacies. That something being a size 8. Or even a size 6. Or no matter your dress size, simply looking good NAKED. Am I right, ladies? I think I am.

So that being said, I have decided to embark on an additional challenge. I am joining Weight Watchers at my place of employment. Where I work, we have a WW Club, and this is how it works:

You simply sign up for a five-week session and write a check for $55. The club meets every Wednesday. At the meetings, they supply you with all things Weight Watchers. Point values, recipes, exercises, ideas for healthy living, etc. Also at each meeting, you weigh in. It's a great support system, and a great motivation...getting up on that scale each week in front of everyone! And here's the best part: If you lose a measly 2.5 pounds in 5 weeks, the company pays for it. Hence, they just rip up that $55 check and you get your health & new svelt figure for FREE! Does your company do anything like this? It is a win/win for everyone because healthy employees=less sick leave and better insurance discounts! If your place of employment does not already have something like this set in place, why not talk to your boss and suggest somthing? Just a thought. So anywa.....the only downside to our Weight Watchers Club is that the first meeting is next Wednesday, December 23. Who's crazy idea was THAT? Asking us to start WW two days before Christmas (a.k.a. one of the Best Eating Days of the Year). O-well, it is what it is.

So I will keep you posted on any progress. During this training process, I have noticed a difference in my body. I don't know if I've lost actual pounds (haven't been weighing myself, just tracking my progress by distance), but I can tell my body is stronger and leaner. I have gained a significant amount of muscle mostly in my core and lower body, and my clothes are slightly looser. It's like everything has just shifted and tightened. Which is a good thing. I can only imagine what a knock-out I'll be once I bring the good eating into the equation! Jessica Alba, eat your heart out.

Here is another easy healthy weeknight vegetable recipe. I tried it out last night on Tom and his dad and they loved it!

Ingredients:

8 large carrots, washed and peeled (use approx. 2 carrots per person)

2 yellow squash (or 1 squash per person)

1 bundle of asperagus

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 cloves minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Chop vegetables into bite-size peices. Disgard the very ends of the asperagus...they can be tough and wood-y to eat. Toss vegetables in olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet (might want to line your cookie sheet with wax paper just for easy clean-up). Roast for 15-20 minutes. Voila! So easy, yes? Get creative with your veggies and try others.

Git it Gurl

So after my little pity-party-boo-hoo post last week I am feeling much better this week. Reba has not run with me since then, but I'll explain why in another post because I'm waiting on some pictures (the suspense is killing you, I know).

On Monday Bex and I did 5 miles. Had to walk like almost a mile in the middle. Just wasn't feelin' it. But this morning it was like 28 degrees and we busted out 7 miles like it was nothin'. So awesome. For some reason we were just feeling so much better and so ready to run. I am learning that when there are hurdles and you feel like you just can't do anymore, if you push through that wall you can do anything! So we were really happy with ourselves, and ready to do a long run of 9 or 10 miles on Friday. I'm happy to say (for lack of a better term) I've gotten my groove back!

So the countdown as begun...only 22 days until The Big Day. Three of those days being Christmas, New Years Eve, and New Years day when, let's face it, the idea of distance running will probably not be on my priority list. But I can do it! I'm ready!

ps....thanks Erri and Allison for your encouragment! Y'all are sweet....

"Hmph." post continued....

...after I wrote that last post I Googled "Dog Leash For Runners" and this is what turned up. What do you think? Think Reba could handle it? Or do you think trying this gadget would result in Laura being pulled, face down, arms out, leggs flailing behind her all the way down School Street? Hmmmm....

Hmph.

(notice I no longer have to put "Tunica:" in front of each post title since I am the only city involved now.) So this week is the first week after Bex Half Marathon, and she has understandably decided to take a break from all things fitness. I think she has made a couple trips to the gym, but other than that there hasn't been much happening on the running front. I knew she was going to take a week off, so I had planned to run with an interum partner until her return. That interum partner being my oh-so-entergetic and beautiful daughter, Reba the Retriever. I mean, look at her. What's not to love, right? Right.

Let me be clear that Reba is a dog of many talents (these talents include but are not limited to: sitting, speaking, laying down, dancing, getting on the couch...seriously, if you say "Reba get on the couch!" she'll do it.....chasing tennis balls/squirrels/chew toys/ham bones/chunks of concrete or hard dirt, 'giving love'....giving love=jumping on you and trying to bite your hand off....etc.). One of these talents is not walking on the leash. Like all curious one-year-old-70-pound dogs, she is a CrazyTrain on the leash. Lurching then jerking, then running calmly beside you for about 2.5 seconds until taking off like a bolt of lighting in persuit of what she thinks might be a tennis ball/squirrel/chew toy/ham bone/chunk of concrete or hard dirt. Needless to say she is not easy to run with for an extended distance. However, after a few times around the block with the world's second greatest invention the Choke Collar (first greatest invention being the Sports Bra), she was an old pro! Now please don't leave me some angry comment about how Choke Collars are inhumane or something. They aren't. They are necessary. And trust me, they don't hurt her physically, just hurt her feelings basically. So nothing you can say will tear me away from my Choke Collar.

Anyhow, after a little training I decided she was ready to go for a run with me on Monday afternoon. We struggled a little starting out (lurching, jerking, etc.). But in Reba's defense, the stretch of road that we started out on was lined with fenced-in Chiuauas and Labs barking violently at the sight/smell of another dog nearby. Also, it was about 2:30 in the afternoon so it was like Noisy Public School Bus Central on our route. Clearly it took a little getting used to, but about 7 minutes into our run she was trotting along beside me with the control of a Seeing Eye Dog and determination that would be Westminster-worthy. Such a proud puppy she was! And let me tell you she made it all four miles with ease and grace. And as we turned the corner onto our street, with our house in sight, she picked up the pace as if she knew we were on the home stretch, grinning from ear to ear (don't Goldens always look like they're smiling?). So sweet. I will have to take her with me again soon.

Although I am oh-so-pleased with Reba's running performance, I am sad to say I've been feeling a little defeated and deflated this week. I have not run since Monday because...um...it's been so cold? Oh, who am I kidding. I just haven't felt like it, OKAY?! But I'm stressed by my lack of running because my Half-Marathon is right around the corner. I think I am just feeling a little burnt-out and over it to be honest. We all have our moments, and I guess this week has just been one long 'moment' for me. What with the holidays, the lack of my partner Bex, my house is disarray and under construction....I mean, even the finale of the Biggest Loser didn't get me up and at 'em this week. Pitiful. So I need your encouragment/prayers/positive thoughts/advice/ideas/help/compliments (heavy on the compliments, please) even more this week! Any and all advice (and compliments) are welcome and helpful, please and thank you.

Tunica: Sad News

Well, you may have noticed that there has been a slight change to the blog. That is because I have some slightly sad news to share. My great friend and partner-in-blogging, Caitlin, has decided to blog no more. Therefore, I am goin' out on my own, people! This blog is mine all mine now. As many of you know, Caitlin is in grad school, working part-time, and has a really cute boyfriend, all of which are very time-consuming. A busy girl such as herself simply does not have enough hours in the day to devote to this little 'ole blog. So with that being said, I have changed the name of the blog and URL (I say 'I changed,' I had to get Caitlin's said cute boyfriend to help me do it) to runninginthedelta.blogspot.com. I figure this is more appropriate since Nashville is no longer part of the equation. I am sad that she will post-no-more because her posts were always witty, funny, and informative, as well as full of funny web photos. So Caitin, know that you and your writing skills will be missed.

Don't fret...she wont be gone completely...I will update you periodically on how Caitlin and Ben are progressing on their runs, as I hope parting from the blog will not effect their running schedule. Caitlin and I have been friends since we were like, four years old and during the past 20+ years we have participated in many sports together. Those sports included but were not limited to slow-pitch softball (go Diamonds!), fast-pitch softball (go Rebs....we may have had a losing record but we were by far the prettiest team in Knox County...and Blount County for that matter), basketball, volleyball (come on now, who can forget the Webb Middle School Spartans). She has always been ever so slightly more athletically-advanced than myself, so I know if I can do it, SHE CAN DO IT! So get to runnin' girl. Just think, 'If Laura can do it, I can do it.' And you'll feel motivated.

So long...farewell...auf wiedersehen...good-bye...

Tunica: I'm baaaa-aaaack!

Whooooooaaaa....long time no post! I mean, my email box and my voicemail have been FLOODED with loads of adoring readers who have missed my blogging terribly. Kidding, of course. But I think Tom did say the other day, 'Hey, you haven't updated your blog in a while.' So here I am. Updating. And with quite a few updates to share....

First of all, as you noticed Bex and I ran our longest run ever of 12 miles. We were so proud of ourselves by the end of it we couldn't even speak! Or maybe it was the gasping for breath and limping into the driveway that kept us from talking. In all seriousness, we had a great 12-mile run and felt petty decent when it was over. We ran 6, took a water break. Ran another 6. By the 11th mile I was thinking, "I am OVER this run. Ready to be done now, please and thank you." So I was able to pick up the pace a bit. That, combined with the Black Eyed Peas blasting on my iPod is what got me through that last mile and a half. After our run, I had to go to work all day and let me tell you I did not feel 100% normal until late Wendesday night. Now I understand why most races are scheduled on Saturday mornings...you have two full days to recouperate and get back to normal!

Speaking of last Wednesday night....after work Tom and I hit the road to the lovely city of Knoxville, home town to the famous Laura Estelle Frazier Withers. Thursday morning my dad and I decided to run the Thanksgiving Day Hot-to-Trot 5K put on by the nice folks at Fleet Feet of Knoxville. It was such a GORGEOUS Thanksgiving morning, so I dragged Winston out of bed as the sun was coming up and coerced him to the start line. This was the first year for this race, so they expected about 150-200 people. They wound up with over 1000 runners that morning! A huge success for this race, so I'm sure they will do it over and over for years to come. Something about Thanksgiving morning makes you want to run....I think it has something to do with knowing you're going to be a worthless football-watching-couch-holding-down-turkey-eating-and-wine-drinking-grommet for the next three days. Why not start the holiday season out by burning off a couple hundred calories to off set the thousands you're going to consume in the coming weeks? So anyway, I finished the 5K (3.1miles) in 29:59. Under a 10 minute mile, thankyouverymuch. So I was happy with that. AND I got to spend some good QT with my good 'ole Daddy-o so all in all it was a very successful morning.

After the race we went home and I got to cookin'! I made two pumpkin pies, an Rendezvous plate, a spinach dip, and homemade pita chips to take to Louise's house for the big meal. I wanted to share my pita chip recipe because (unlike everthing else on my T-day menu) they are very figure-friendly, and a great alternative to store-bought chips.

Ingredients:

1 pack whole wheat pitas

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

seasonings of your choice....I used garlic salt and fresh cracked pepper. I have also made them with rosemary and thyme. Just use whatever you have on had, or whatever is your favorite.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Cut pitas into triangles. See how the pitas are pockets? Separate those two layers so you have a flat, crispy chip. Each of the two layers should give you 6 triangles for a total of 12 triangels per pita. Spread pita triangles on cookie sheet. Brush with olive oil. Sprinkle seasonings liberally all over. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

Easy and impressive. People are always impressed and think you slaved all day when you tell them 'these chips are homemade.' Ha ha, joke's on them cause it's soooooo easy. I hope all of you and your families had a great Thanksgiving holiday with lots to be grateful for!

Now I have to give another shout out to my sweet friend Bex whom I am so very thankful for this year! If it weren't for her I never would have started running again thus never blogging about it. And what a tragedy that would have been, yes? I feel lucky to have a friend who will get up before the sun does, drive 15 mintues to my house, and run with me. I enjoy her company because we go at the same pace, talking and laughing the entire way! I hope we will be able to run together for many years to come. Tomorrow is her first Half-Marathon, and I am so proud of the progress she's made and the dedication she has shown. Yall, this time last year she was only walking on a tredmill, and was probably thirty pounds heavier with baby weight. Now a skinny-minny size 4, she will cross that finish line tomorrow with a smile on her face! Way to go Bex, I am thankful for you and even more proud of you! Love ya!

Nashville: Solo and 5K

We have been slow to post this week but we did make a nice run on Sunday morning and made it or 2.2 miles. Remember we are going from couch potato to half marathon in the matter of a few months so even these small distances help. Had to make solo runs on Tuesday morning, Caitlin keeps getting sick but I never seem too. We shall be running the Habitrot tomorrow morning before stuffing our faces with Thanksgiving goodness. This would be Caitlin's idea to make a run in the am before thanksgiving where flurries are predicted. My typical Thanksgiving consist of sleeping in until about 10 am, waking up to the smell of turkey or pie or stuffing. Getting some football info from ESPN and watching a game. That has now been destroyed by Caitlin on this fine Thanksgiving but I still love you anyway baby. Hope all have a wonderful Turkey Day.

Tunica: Five Words

12 miles this morning. Tired.

Tunica: BOR-ing.....

I am very boring today. Do you ever have those days? Days where you feel like you don't really contribute anything to the world? Well, that's me today. Except for I'm having a pretty good hair day. That's something.

Bex and I went to Batesville over the weekend to run with our friend Lauren. The plan was to do 8 miles, but I was out of my comfort zone and had new shoes so I only made it about 4 miles. Lame, I know. I have figured out it is never a great idea to run super-far in brand new shoes. I love my shoes, but needed to ease them into my ruthless training routine. Here are my lovely shoes I found for $15 off at Amazon.com:Then today our plan was to do 10 but I only did 8. What is up with me?! Guess I might be getting a tiny bit burned out. But no worries. I am not worried about getting to 13.1 miles by my half marathon on Janurary 9th.

Oooo-ooooo....one more thing I just thought of that I can contribute to the world today. A super-easy and super-healthy recipe for your Thanksgiving table. One pot, four ingredients, 20 mintues and voila! Very impressive Mashed Sweet Potatoes. I call this Weeknight Easy, Thanksgiving Potential. Tom says that sounds like a good name for a cook book! Maybe I'll make my cookbook my next project after this blog becomes wildly famous and popular.

Below is the recipe. Disclaimer: as far as I know, I totally made this up. If some of you sweet potato lovers out there recognize it as your own, I'm sorry, but I really did make this up in my own little kitchen with Tom's help.

Ingredients:

3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup 2% milk

4 T. butter

4 T. brown sugar

Instructions: In a large pot, cook sweet potatoes and milk, covered, for about 15 minutes on medium to medium-high heat. Add butter and stir or mash with a potato masher. Cover and cook 5 more minutes. Add brown sugar and mash 'em up to desired consistancy. DONE!

Clearly the sweet potato is one of the best veggies out there nutritionally, and I like this recipe because it does not denote the nutrients with TONS of sugar and butter, but just enough to make it yummy and Thanksgiving-ish. If you wanted to go a little less-figure-friendly and take this to a dinner party or Thanksgiving at the in-laws, you could mash the potatoes ahead of time and refrigerate in a casserole dish. The day of, top with a few marshmellows, melted butter, and more brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, whatever. Bake at 350 for like 30 or 40 mintues to warm it through and toast the marshmellows. Easy, yummy, and impressive.

Tunica: Another 10 Miler

Well, I'm happy to report another successful 10-mile run update. Bex and I hit the road early Saturday morning for our weekly long run. It was another beautiful morning in the Delta and we set out to do six miles first before stopping for water. We finished the first six miles at a little over an hour (lovely 11.5-12 minute mile pace) and got water at my house. Then set out to do the remaining four. We finished the entire run in 1 hour 59 minutes and 10 seconds. I had hoped to finish in under 2 hours and there you go....I met my goal by 50 whole seconds. Love it.

I felt great when we finished....a little creeky in the knees but other than that I feel good. While doing those last four miles I started thinking about the half marathon. I did my first half in Nashville and it took me 2 hours and 37 minutes. That's about a 12 minute mile pace. My goal for running the half in January is to do it in 2 and a half hours. Making it a 11.5 minute mile pace. I hope I can do it, I really do. Wish I had some advice on increasing speed for long distance runs. Any avid veteran runners out there care to contribute some wisdom on running faster for longer? Any help or advice is welcome.

On a funny note....
I was at the Kroger on Sunday afternoon. I love a Sunday afternoon grocery store trip. I really have to plan my grocery shopping because the closest legitimate grocery store is about 30 minutes away from where we live. I love getting my recipes together and forming a long wonderful list of ingredients to buy. It's like my Sunday afternoon therapy. I relish in combing through the apple bins to find the perfect fruit, I love to compare prices & ingredients of all different salad dressings, I enjoy chatting with the butcher about the best cut of steak or pork for a new recipe I'm trying. Grocery Store Sunday is like my 'me' time. I love it. I take my time. I leave in a good mood.
So this past Sunday I rolled out of bed, threw on jeans and a T-shirt and made the trek to the Hernando Kroger with 1,589-item list in hand. Let me be clear that I was sans-makeup, sans-shower, and couldn't have cared less about what I looked like.
While in the dairy section perusing the newest Limited Edition Holiday Flavor CoffeeMate Creamers, I was approached by an unusual-looking man with wild red hair wearing a suit and tie situation that could or could not have been purchased at Big Don's Costume Shop. He looked harmless enough as he smiled at me and said,

"I would be unjust if I didn't tell you that you look really good."
Insert gooby pervy smile here.
He continued by saying,
"You look like you don't have a lot of fat on your body."
Okay, that's enough, Weird-O. Move on.

I politely said thank you and continued on my merry way down the Diet Coke aisle. After I finished being thoroughly creeped out by Wild Red Hair Man, I realized that although it was a weird compliment, I'd take it. I guess the 10-milers are paying off since strangers are telling me I 'look like I don't have a lot of fat on my body.' Niice.

Nashville: Enough of the Injuries!

Has this happened to anyone? You feel like you are so young but at the same time so old? I turned 27 back in September and I swear my body has fallen to pieces in the mean-time-the-in-between-time. This. Is. Whack.

For some reason unbeknownst to me, I woke up last weekend with an extreme pain in my lower back. When I stood up I felt a sharp jolt run down my right hind cheek, through my hamstring all the way to the arch of my foot. I winced in pain as my toes began to cramp and curl up. This continued to happen throughout the day and the entire week. It was hard for me to get in and out of the car, sit in my chair at class – even when I was lying down; I had to position myself just right so that I could fall asleep. It was all so painful that I didn’t run or workout. I did attempt some Yoga by one of my favorite Yogis Rodney Yee. But alas Rodney would be disappointed. The magical, mystical powers of my $8.99 Yoga DVD from Target, was no match for my body’s decision to fall apart.

To complement the right side of my body going to the can, two of my left toes decided to go numb and the bottom of my foot thought it was the perfect time to swell. I had to ice it just to relieve some of the pressure. What happened to me? Did I sleep walk into a jujitsu class? Did a merry band of magical muscle hurting elves come visit me during my hours of slumber? I can’t think of a single that happened in the waking days where I could gather such injuries. The other aspect that makes me feel like I am on a steady course straight to the nursing home is the fact that it took me all week to recover. Back in the diz-zay this #1) never would have happened and #2) wouldn’t have taken me an entire week of rest to make me feel better. And you know what else folks??? I’ve had enough. Enough I say!

I’m done with the foot injury, lower back pain, neck/shoulder injury and H1N1 (see blog entry 9/11). I have had enough and I am proclaiming to everyone out there. No more injuries for this girl! My plan is to continue to rest this weekend and workout with Erica on Monday morning then start running with Benjamin Jeffrey on Tuesday. Come hell or high water I am getting back in the routine! Ben and I have also decided to take Laura’s advice and sign up for a 5k. We are running in the Habitrot on Thanksgiving morning benefitting Habitat for Humanity. We hope to see you there!

Tunica: Sunshiney Day

Well, what a good blogger I am....posting two days in a row! I was just feeling thankful for this day and had some blog-worthy things to say so I decided to post again. That, combined with the fact that I am procrastinating getting back to work.

Bex and I had a great run this morning. We did 8 miles and the sun was high in the sky when we started at ten after six! I'm telling you this was one gorgeous morning. GAW-GOSS. Gotta love that. Having the sun in the sky certainly helps when that alarm goes off at 5:50am. It was a beautiful morning and this run just made me so thankful to live where I live. I need to post some pictures of our running route scenery. All you City Mice will be green with envy when you see what we Country Mice get to see as we go on our runs through the cotton and rice fields. Vast blue skies, miles of farm land, and plenty of fresh air.

I wanted to follow up to my blog post from yesterday. Caitlin, this one's for you. Now that you are up to about 2 or 2.5 miles, you need to sign up for a 5K. I bet Kathleen would do it with you. A 5K is 3.1 miles. Slow and steady finishes the race so just sign up, take your time, and run the whole way without stopping. It will be great for you to get some exposure to the race atmosphere because obviously it is very different than running on Tuesday morning with Ben and Sadie. Once you have done a 5K, find a 10K to sign up for. Meeting these short-term goals will make it easier for ya when you do the half-marathon. Think about it.

Tom and I were able to move back into our house last night PRAISE THE LORD. I do not do well when all of my personal belongings are in upheaval and disarray. Tom speant like 6 hours yesterday vacuuming the 1/2 inch of dust that covered every single surface of our house. Ridiculous. But well worth it...beautiful new floors, and it was so nice to sleep in my own bed and shower in my own shower! We got the master bedroom and bathroom done. Now just have to move the couch back into the TV room and a serious cleaning of the kitchen and we should be back in business on Kenny Hill Drive.

So I am pumped for another 10 miler for me this weekend! Wish me luck!

oh dang it I almost forgot!.....To send a shout-out to my sister Myra (okay she is my sister-in-law but I like to call my sis-in-laws 'Sister' because I don't have any real sisters). She is such a good blog follower, and such a good sister that she sent me an awesome birthday package! Guess what was in it.....that's right.....EMERGEN-C! Gotta love a loyal fan. Even if she is family. You can learn more about Sister by visiting her uber-witty (and uber-new) blog! She is fun and funny. You will love her.
While I'm on the subject of sister blogs, you can visit my OTHER sister's blog HERE (again, she is a sister-in-law but humor me here). Sara Whit's blog is about her unnaturally-cute-smart-and-talented daughter, Lilly. Granted Lilly is 9 months old but we are certain she is smarter and more talented than you average run-of-the-mill baby. You will love her, too.

Tunica: Race for the Cure

Well, we have had a crazy and pretty counter-productive week in Tunica since the famous 10-miler back on the 23rd. Tom and I were kicked out of our house (no we did not get evicted) to have our....wait for it.....hard wood floors RE-DONE! As lovely as it sounds, and I know as lovely as it will look, it has been a giant pain in the hiney to move out of the house for a week to have these floors re-done. That being said, I did not plan well and did not pack enough running clothes (God knows where all my sports bras are right now...probably in the freezer or something) and we have been moving from a friend's house here to a family member's house there in order to not wear out our welcome in anyone's home. But finally after 5 long nights away from home we are moving back in today. Well, Tom is moving everything back in today. I am at work. Blogging. So hopefully this coming week will be better and full of lovely long runs.

Sidebar: Has anyone noticed how much easier it is to run in the mornings these days since the time has changed? I hate having to run in the dark, wee small hours of the morning. Now I don't have to!

One productive thing I did this weekend was run in the Susan G. Koman Memphis Race for the Cure. It. Was. Awesome. Everyone was waiting with baited breath until Race Day (Saturday) because up until that point we had been having Biblical Rain in Memphis and the Mid-South area. You read that right. BIBLICAL RAIN people. Biblical rain as in, build yourself an ark, bring 'em in, two by two. Forty days and Forty nights. Okay maybe not that drastic but the news did call it Biblical rain. Well, God must have been smiling down on all those cancer survivors and racers for the cure, because it was a beautiful morning on Saturday with not a cloud in the sky! Over 16,000 people turned out for a record-setting race attendance. I ran in celebration of my mama who is a five-year survivor of breast cancer! Yaaaaaay for the surviving ta-tas! :) The race was an easy, breezy, 5K (about 3.1 miles) through some pretty Germantown neighborhoods. It was a great morning and an even greater cause. I hope everyone out there who is beginning a running routine will get on the 'net and find a good fund-raising race near them.

Here is Helen Frazier...isn't she lovely?

Speaking of 5K's...if any of your blog followers are super-motivated and inspired by reading tmobnashville and want to start running on your own, there is a great 5K training program. I know many girls who have used this program to train for a 5K, and to loose baby weight. Check it out and get started TODAY not tomorrow or Monday! The name says it all....Couch to 5K....how card can it be?

Nashville: Great Week!

I’m glad my Tunica partner in crime did not post a long, witty blog entry because I’m with her on lacking the creative juices this week. Sorry to disappoint – but it just ain’t there folks. However, I do want to give props to the cheesy motivational poster in the Banana Republic break room because it is still helping me get out on the road! (See blog entry from 10/21)

This past Saturday I actually ran by myself….are you reading this trusty sidekick who was catching some Zzz’s while I was running up a sweat??? I hope you are and I hope you are ready for our 3-miler tomorrow, no snooze button action on All Hallows Eve morn! Back to the story. So I got up that Saturday instead of sleeping the extra hour before work (can I get two-snaps in a Z formation for that one?) and made a loop around my neighborhood. Team TMOB fans, I’m gonna go ahead and let you know it was one of my best runs! Even though there were hills and the occasional car I had to make sure I didn’t run into – two items I do not have to worry about while running at Bicentennial Park – I really enjoyed it! I sort of just made up my route as I went and ended up running about 2.2 miles, then walking about .5 mile back home. It was one of those runs where you feel like a million bucks afterward. I ran longer than I intended to and the walk back took up more time than I would have liked, but I was happy to get out there and do it on my own!

My only regret is that I did not get up earlier so that I had enough time to make it to Noshville for their French Toast before I had to go to work. Trust me folks, once you have a bite of this Kosher eggy-bread with sugar and syrup you will be under its spell! (Okay, maybe eggy bread isn’t the best way to describe it, but as I did mention, it’s Kosher – it answers to a higher power, so you know its gotsta be good!) Hmmmm.....even though I'm Methodist, I wonder if I'm looked down upon when I order because I of course have to order a side of bacon with it. Yum! Yum!

Ben, Sadie and I did get up early on Tuesday morning and we had another great run! Probably our best time and I did not have to stop once (another round of applause please and thank you). I would like to share that through the course of this training I have learned that I should not try to keep up our pace dog and Benjamin Jeffrey. As I have stated before, four legs make you faster than two and Ben “high-school football drills” Lambert is obviously in better shape. So I turn on my iTunes, get a comfortable pace and rock it out in my tortoise pace. Now for everyone’s attention, let me just point out what a sweet boyfriend Ben is: we are at the park before the sun comes up, so even though Ben runs ahead of me, he stops and waits for me in the parts that aren’t well lit since you never know what could happen…sigh…what a doll – his momma raised him right, I tell ya! I also have Sadie who doubles as a pace leader and watchdog. She constantly looks back to make sure I am still tagging along and if she gets too far ahead, she’ll turn around and start running towards me. All in all folks, I definitely feel safe during the wee hours of the day at the park. We’ll just have to wait and see how successful our 3-mile run is tomorrow morning. Wish us luck!

Tunica: 10 Miler Update

Well, as planned Bex and I did our 10 mile on Friday morning last week. I was so glad we decided to do it on Friday because I had a wonderful night on the town for my birthday Saturday night! I would not have been able to do so if I had to prepare for a long run the next morning. Bex was right, no need to miss out on 27th Birthday Celebration for a silly little 10-mile run.

So anyway, we started bright and early on Friday. Did 6 miles, took a break. Did the remaining 4. I wish I had more exciting news to report but that's pretty much it. We have decided to do another long run of 10 miles this week as well. We are in the home stretch before Bex' half marathon on December 5th. Unfortunatly I will not be able to run with her for this race but I am confident she'll be fine.

We have planned for our longest run before her race to be somewhere between 11 and 12 miles. I'm sorry I dont have a more interesting post to share, just not feeling my usual geniously funny creative juices today.
More later!

Great Read

I found a great article that would be a good read for all looking at running a marathon or training for one like us.

Built for Distance

Nashville: New Shoes, New Training Schedule and a New Attitude!

I will admit it. I lost focus on running there for a bit and honed in on midterms and slingin’ Banana Republic credit cards all over the greater Nashville area. My horse blinders worked like a charm though because I have A’s in all my classes and was just promoted at work….but hearing about my studies and part-time job at the Green Hills Mall is not why you are tuning in to this on-the-edge-of-your-seat-excitement blog. So here we are: after a two week hiatus from running, Team TMOB hit the park this week rarin’ to go!

Tuesday proved to be one of the best runs Ben, Sadie (our pack leader) and I have had in a long time! I credit this successful dash to giving my body plenty o' time to rest and also the brand spankin' new kicks I’m rockin’ while jogging up a storm! Ben was sweet enough to get me a gift card for my birthday to http://www.athleteshouse.com/ here in Nashville. Sidenote - If you haven’t been and are interested in getting some running shoes go see Eric and he will hook a sista up! In order to determine the right shoe for me he took an imprint of my foot to see the level of my arch and where I put my weight on my feet – and…sigh…being perfect as I am – Eric was impressed by my elegantly high arch and graceful way of evenly dispersing pressure throughout my foot. No Dr. Scholls needed here!

I had my heart set on a red pair of running shoes because as I told Eric, “they look fast!” However the running gods had something different in mind, the Athlete’s House was out of size eights. I did find a great pair of NFL Titan colored blue Saucony shoes which is a big step for me. I’ve been a nike kinda girl all my life. (As I type this I am wearing a Nike shirt that I just ran in) but honey, these shoes are treatin’ me right I tell ya!

To go along with the new zapatilla de tenis (that’s tennis shoes in Spanish for the layman) we also have a new training schedule courtesy of Mrs. Laura Withers herself! Here it goes: Monday means cross train, Tuesday equals run, Wednesday is another word for run, Thursday is my day of reckoning with Jillian Michaels, TGIF because Friday we relax, Saturday is actually pronounced “long-run-day” and Sunday is a day of rest the lord hath made. For those of you wondering where this routine came from, it was what Laura used when training for her 1st half marathon with the Nashville Y….so in other words, it’s legit people.

Another compliment to the new shoes and new training schedule is a new attitude which emerged from a most peculiar source – the break room my work. Yes, when you open the magical “Employees Only” door you will uncover a whole new world full of back stock fine cardigans, business casual attire and the occasional men’s chino….. BUT you will also discover the origin of my inspiration: The Cheesy Motivational Poster. However this motivational poster is so fitting and the quote rings oh so true! I won’t keep you in suspense any longer. Read it. Live it. Love it.

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle – when the sun comes up, YOU'D BETTER BE RUNNING.”

Tunica: EMERGEN-C! URGENT!

Again, sorry to have been MIA for a week or so. After Bex weekend camping trip she came back sick as a dog so we took last week off with the exception of a couple low-key gym workouts. So this week we are back in the action. As some of you may know our original plan was to run in this 10-miler on Sunday, October 25th (the BEST day of the year....my BERFDAY!). It is with the Memphis Runner's Club and takes place at Shelby Forest on Sunday morning. However, every single person we have told of this goal has mentioned to us that:

"Shelby Forest is really hilly."
"Shelby Forest is nice. It's hilly."
"Oh, that'll be fun. I've been to Shelby Forest and it is sooooo hilly."

Thanks people. Seriously.

So with it being my berfday weekend and all, Bex pointed out that it really is a buzzkill to have this 10-miler looming over my weekend-o-fun. We made an executive decision to still meet our goal by running our 10-miler on Friday morning instead of Sunday. And in the lovely flatlands of Tunica County to boot. In preparation we ran 5 on Monday, and 8 this morning. The 8-miler this morning was really great, and C.O.L.D. It was like 40 degrees when we started, which in the grand scheme of the Winter is not all that cold. But it sure felt chilly at 6 this morning! We persevered through the elements, though, and beat our previous 8-mile time by 5 minutes. So good news there.

Our 10-mile plan is to run our 6-mile loop, stop at my house for water, and run our 4-mile loop, for a total fo 10. long. miles. So wish us luck because it won't be easy! But there's only one way to find out, yes?

In the past when we've done these long runs I always wind up with a headache half-way through my day, taking an Ibuprofin, only for said headache to turn into a migrain. No fun. Especially when one spends their day surrounded by blinking lights, loud oldies music, and a constant 'bling-bling-ba-blingity-bliiiiiiiiing' noises. And I'm talkin' all the livelong day. Lovely.
So everytime I had to come to work after a long run I would drink TONS of water in hopes that this would help my headache which I assumed was brought on by dehydration alone. Nothing has seemed to work until one weekend my mom was in town and mentioned, "Maybe you need more than water. Maybe you need some Gatorade or something to restore all those nutrients." Genius. Genius woman, I tell ya. So the Gatorade worked for the 6 or 7 milers but any more distance than that and I was still hurting late in the afternoon. So long story longer, I think I have finally found a cure for my dehydration/vitamin deficiency after these long runs. Emergen-C. Yes, you read that right. Anyone out there ever tried it? Emergen-C is a small packet of powdered goodness that you add to a few ounces of water just like you would those little Crystal Light packets. Only Emergen-C has like one bazillion million vitamins in it to give you an instant boost of energy and make you feel great! They come in all different flavors....we like Orange at our house....and it only takes 1 packet per 4 ouces of water. So I usually dump 2 packets in a glass after my long run and I'm good to go for the day! Combined with a banana for potassium and voila! You can get them at your local drug store....they come in packs of 30 for like $18. But I found this website where you can get them half-off. Hey....what a timely post this is....my birthday coming up, I'm telling you where to buy Emergen-C...coincidence? I think not.
An added amenity of the Emergen-C is that it is great for hangovers. At least that's what I heard. I don't know from personal experience or anything.

Tunica: Awesome Ultimate Athletes

I just wanted to post today to say that Bex and I ran 9 miles this morning. That's right, people, NINE MILES. It felt great! Wednesday we did 6 miles - no stopping - then planned our long run for today since Bex is going camping with Baby Bex and Mr. Bex this weekend. So we got an early start at 5:45 to do 9 long miles! We did a 5 mile loop, stopped for water, and then did 4 miles. And it felt great, we were really proud of ourselves. However, I am about to fall asleep at my desk I am so tired after doing so much so early. At least I will be able to sleep late as can be tomorrow moring...that is a great feeling. 3 o'clock on Friday, ran this morning, the weekend has begun as far as I'm concerned!

Happy Friday everyone!

Tunica: Sprinting or DYING?!?!?!

I feel like I have been MIA for a while. Maybe I have a case of the Caitlins. Hm.

So after the week of Bex Best, I had to take a short haitus. I woke up one morning with a really sore throat and was immediatly convinced I had strep throat. Turned out to just be bad allergies but I took a few days off anyway. So over the weekend I did not do a long run....took the week off. Bex, on the other hand, is a badass and of course did 8 miles by her lonesome on Friday. Good for Bex, Bad for Laura. I really don't feel that guilty for taking off because if you think you're sick, you might be sick. No sense in encouraging the sickness by killing yourself on your runs. If you don't feel good, take a day or two. You'll get back in the groove eventually.

So yesterday I was back in the action. Did the usual Monday 4 miler. Piece a cake. Then I met Bex at the gym this morning. I had agreed to try this Sprint Interval Run she had made up. Pause for dramatic effect. Yes, you heard me. Sprinting. Now as you know I am a self-proclaimed 13 Minute Mile Girl. Not Sprinter Girl. But I have heard from numerous people that this is the best way to really drop some weight. Work in some intense sprint intervals during your weekly workouts. So here's what we did:

Walk: 5 minutes at 3mph
Jog: 2 minutes at 6mph
Walk: 2 minutes at 3mph
Jog: 2 minutes at 6.5 mph
Walk: 2 minutes at 3 mph
Sprint: 2 minutes at 7 mph

And so on and so forth. We did these intervals, increasing our sprint speed by .5 mph with each interval until we reached our fastest speed of 8.5 miles per hour. At this point I was wishing I had given Tom and Reba extra hugs before I left that morning because I was pretty sure I was going to die on that tredmill. But good news....I have lived to tell the story! So anyway, once we reach the 8.5 sprint interval, you decrease your speed at the same rate as before (.5 mph) in each interval. The whole thing should take a total of about 50 minutes, and your distance will be around 4.5 miles. Bex likes to just go ahead and run at a comfortable pace for a few minutes at the end to complete a whole 5 miles. But I couldn't finish it. I got a crazy cramp around interval number...oh, I dunno ONE MILLION and had to bow out gracefully. But I tell you what I was sweat. ing. when I quit. It is intense and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to quickly burn some calories and increase endurance.

In closing I want to give a shout out to my dear friend and former roomie, Kathleen who is a dedicated reader of this blog. She also let me know that she is up to running four miles these days! This makes me so happy because when we were living together she could run....oh, about 1/2 mile? Maybe? I don't know what lit a fire under her butt, but I am so proud of her that she has increased her fitness level in the recent months. Not that she needed to, she is a beautiful size zero but still....it's the principal. And how much do you love this picture of her and Flipper. Love. It.

Hey maybe you and Caitlin could run together sometime? That would be nice. And then you could force her to post to the blog.

Tunica: Bex Best

This weekend was a great one, only to end with even GREATER weather! How 'bout this little cold spert we're having, huh? It is so great, and so wonderful to run in. This is the type of weather that will get you out of bed in the morning! This morning Bex and I ran our usual early-week 4-miler and when we started at 6am it was only 49 DEGREES. 49. Seriously. So aweome...49 degrees in Mississippi in September! Woot! It was an easy run this morning, and we barely broke a sweat. So anyway the weekend was awesome for a variety of reasons. The A#1 reason being that my mommy was in town! I loved having Helen Frazier here to rest and relax for a great three-day weekend. Secondly, she bought me a new pink running outfit for my birthday (not until October 25th, but I won't see her between now and then!). It is too cute....pink Nike shirt with pink & black matching shorts. Since we see SO MANY PEOPLE on our runs in Tunica and on the farm, it is a necessity that I look good, you know. I love these Nike running shorts...they are so comfortable and cute, too! I have gotten a few pairs of knock-offs at Target but the real thing is worth a few extra dollars. I swear you can tell a difference.

(my shorts are just like this only black not white....black clothes good. white clothes bad.)And now for the most exciting part of the weekend.....

So Bex and I had planned for an 8-mile run on Saturday morning. We decided to do our regular 4-mile loop, break for water, and then do the loop again. Quite a feat, but we were up for the challenge. So for the first half we didnt wear our iPods, just talked the whole time to pass the time. After a short water break at my house, we picked up our iPods for the second half. Then we did the route in reverse, just to mix it up a bit. It was surprisingly easy for both of us, AND....get this....the 8 mile distance is Bex' personal BEST! 8 miles is the farthest she's ever run and I got to be right beside her for it! Not surprisingly, she did GREAT and is the Ultimate Athlete Road Warrior. We finished the 8 miles in one hour and 44 minutes. This is about a 13 minute mile which is exactly what I ran the 1/2 marathon in two years ago. I am very happy with this time because it keeps my heart rate up, I burn a ton of calories, and I don't tire out too early.

Congrats, Bex, get ready for a hefty 9 miles next week!

Tunica: Running Tours

Well, well, well, can I just say....I am so excited to see Nashville back in action! What a lovely little sob story about Jillian and her hard-core workout. I have done Jillian's 30-Day Shred all the way up to level three, and I'm with Caitlin. Jillian is not playin' games. Not only does Jillian tourture you with three circuits of strength, cardio, and abs, but she is full of encouraging quotes such as, "You don't get abs like these for free, people." and "Don't strain the neck. The neck is not invited to this party." Love. Her. Speaking of Jillian....did anyone watch the awesome season premier of Biggest Loser? Jillian is more aggressive than ever with a 478-pound woman named Shea. I swear, if she yelled "GET ON THE F*&%ING LADDER, SHEA!!" one more time, I was going to cry for this poor girl. Sweet Shea lost 17 pounds in the first week alone so all the yelling and ladder-climbing paid off.

Sooooooooo...what's been going on in Tunica? Hm....let's see.....nothing too new and exciting. I am extremely sore after my workout yesterday which is a good sign I think! And of course I'm still in love with my gym as you all know. I will probably try for a long run of 7 miles again tomorrow. I have hit somewhat of a plateau with my distance, so will need to hit the pavement with my can-do attitude tomorrow. Wish me luck.

Since I have no fun news to share I wanted to share a cool thing I heard about on the Today Show a couple weeks ago. In various cities across the U.S., avid runners have found a way to showcase their city, make some extra dough, and stay in shape. They are called City Running Tours. Has anyone ever heard of this? I thought it sounded like such a cool idea. If you are ever visiting New York, D.C., Chicago, Charleston, or Austin (there may be more cities but these were the five showcased on the Today Show), you can join a running tour of the city, led by a tour guide who runs as well. The Chicago tours I found are anywhere from 4-8 miles, and cost about $60 per person. What a fun way to see the city, yes? And I assume a neat way to meet other tourists as well.

Caitlin, if you are short on cash and inspiration at any point maybe you, Ben, and Sadie could start your own Running Tour of Nashville! What a great idea.... :)

Nashville: Let Me Just Sum Things Up in Two Words: Injuries and Illnesses

I’m baaaaaaaaaaacccckkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry to disappoint all of our faithful followers – and by faithful followers I mean all four of you: mom, Erica, Ben and Ben’s brother, Josh. It has been nearly a month to the day that I have posted team TMOB’s latest running accomplishments. I wholeheartedly apologize for the delay and for keeping you in such suspense!!! However, this training has been plagued with injuries and illnesses.

It all started while doing a workout called the 30 Day Shred by the world’s most hardcore trainer, Jillian Michaels. (Please see Exibit A: Her famous quote on the black t-shirt and evidence of Jillian's hardcore ways) Every morning at 7:15 I go to Erica’s and workout in her living room….but this morning in particular was almost a Half-Marathon-Career-Ender! While shreddin’ that ass, we had to do an exercise called “Walk-Out Push-Ups.” During this maneuver, the victims….I mean, Erica and I, have to reach down, touch our toes, walk out on our hands into a plank position, do a push-up back into plank, then walk back on our hands touch our toes , then stand up again – sheesh! I broke out in a sweat just typing out the steps! Anywho, Walk-Out Push-Ups here I come! I touch my toes, walk out on my hands, hold the plank, do a push-up and as I start to move backwards all of the sudden the most deafening snap, crackle and pop happens from the base of my head down my spine to the middle of my back. I am literally lying face-down on Erica’s floor and can’t move. All this is happening unbeknownst to Erica as she is so diligently workin’ that upper body. I proceed to tell Erica, I’ve fallen and I can’t get up! She helps me sit up and then every neck and shoulder muscle proceeds to cramp up and I can’t turn my head to save my life. It hurts to even hold my head up so I lie back on the floor, admiring the paint job on Erica’s ceiling.

I want you all to know that this is not the first time this has happened to me. This is a result of an old tubing injury two 4th of July’s ago when I was thrown off during a “circle of death” move where I barrel rolled across the lake while losing my bottoms and top – quite a feat considering I had a life jacket that should’ve held the girls in! So on this fateful morning, I had no other choice but to call my sweet dad and hero who quickly phones in a prescription for muscle relaxers and hydrocodone. Some of you might think this is a bit drastic but I promise it was a life saver! The only thing is that I had a job interview that afternoon while I was hopped up on pain killers and muscle relaxers – but that’s another story for another blog. I was out of commission for a full week while resting my neck and shoulder.

After taking a week off I am chomping at the bit to hit the park and run again. Ben, Sadie and I take off and run about 2.5 miles consistently at a good pace for another week. Very exciting and nothing to be concerned about there – except this brings us to the beginning of school for all elementary students in the greater Nashville area and that also means germs, sickness and several reported cases of the swine flu. Ben proceeds to get sick. His sweet little sister, Stephanie, who specifies that she is seven-and-a-half and not just a seven-year-old, gets sick. Ben’s stepmother also gets sick. And what do I do you might ask? I spend the entire Labor Day weekend with all three of them. A pure sign of intelligence right there. So as I am typing this I have my visine, nasal spray, box of Kleenex and Sudafed all within an arm’s reach. Needless to say, this training is struggling to get off the ground but mark my words folks: We. Shall. Overcome!

Tunica:

Okay so good news...the toe seems to be back to 100% and working very well! So not to worry, the running continues.

Bex and I did our country run on Thursday morning. We did about 5.3 miles but just couldn't man up to the challenge of doing 6. I had overdone it at a girls' night on Wednesday night (code for 'I drank too much wine'), and just wasn't feelin' it. BUT I was proud of myself for at least doing around 5 miles. 5 miles is better than no miles, right?! Right.

As I mentioned in my last post, I've decided to add a morning gym workout to my training routine and this morning was my first morning to do so. I know what you're thinking, there's a gym in Tunica but no Walgreens?!?! No we don't have a Walgreens in Tunica (sigh) but YES we do have an AWESOME gym that the county built. Yall I'm serious, you would love this gym so much. It is great. It has everything you could ever want including cardio machines, classrooms complete with jump ropes and step-ups for aerobic classes. They have all your weight machines and....wait for it....a ridiculous aquatic center. Although I have not actually swam in the pool, I have seen it and it looks great. Maybe once this Half Marathon is over, I'll try for a Triathlon and see how the swimming goes. A girl can dream, can't she?
So anyway, if you're ever in Tunica you've gotta check it out....Tunica County Health and Wellness Center is where it's at! And let me tell you the best thing about this gym: Some of you that live in Nashville might work out at the Green Hills YMCA. This was my gym when I was living in Nashville. I didn't love going to this gym because a) it might as well be a night club there are so many meatheads with hair gel and too-tight T-shirts, and b) all their classes are like, ahundredandfiftymillion people big so there's no room to actually work out. These are not problems you'll run into at the TCHWC...no meatheads, just lovely senior citizens walking the little track, and I don't think they even sell hair gel in Tunica. And the classes they do have usually have a total of 3 attendees so it's like having a personal trainer! Lovely. Ooo-Ooo and one more thing. Guess how much I pay to go to the gym. $20. PER YEAR. Yes, that's right. Casino employees get a gym membership for $20 a freakin' year. Fitness for free people. Fitness. For. Free. So anyway... I loved my workout this morning. I did the Arc Trainer for 20 minutes (great for the boo-tay), and did weights for like 45 minutes. Another perk of the TCHWC is that they have these little charts you can track your workouts on....like, what machine you used, the amount of weights you lifted, to number of reps you did. And at the end of your work out you just leave it there in their handy-dandy filing system, where it will wait for you until you return. How nice. So I started my little chart and loved my workout and my awesome gym! Maybe I will increase my gym workouts to two days a week since I love it so much. Or maybe not. We'll see.

Tomorrow is the dreaded 7-miler. Pray for me. The last time I ran 7 miles we all know what happened...my toe was injured. Injured Bad.

Tunica: I Think I'm Alone Now

Well, I have come to the conclusion that my good friend in Nashville has given up training for the marathon. She talked a mean game at first, but alas, like many, she has fallen short of her goal and quit running. I am making this assumption due to the fact that she has not posted to this blog since August 13th. That's right, people. Three and a half weeks ago was her last post which leads me to believe that was the last time she ran. This is the only logical conclusion I can reach since the whole POINT of this blog (originated by her boyfriend, I might add) was to ENCOURAGE each other and hold one another ACCOUNTABLE. Clearly she does not the feel the need for encouragment and accountability since she has bailed on her long term goal of running the Music City Half Marathon, thus abandoning our shared blog. Boyfriend Ben tried to tell me like a week ago that they were still running, but if that is the case WHY wouldn't she want to brag about it to everyone in cyberworld? Hm? I'm not buyin' it.

Seriously, Caitlin, I hope you note my sarcasm in this post because I'm sure you're still running but I MISS YOU on the blog! I know you're busy with work and school, but gimme five minutes a week to post. FIVE MINUTES IS ALL I ASK! And if you don't start posting I'm gonna be forced to change the url because it does not make sense for a lone girl in Tunica to have a blog with 'TMOBNashville' as the url. :)

Okay so I know all three of our readers are waiting with baited breath to hear about this toe issue I've stuggled with since last week's 7-miler. I have self-diagnosed this injury to have been a Severe Sprain, as I could move it but it just hurt really bad. I figure if it had been broken I wouldn't have been able to move it at all. My medical remedy for this injury included ice packs, flip-flops, and chardonnay to ease the pain. So after a week of sans-running, I got back in the game this morning with the usually Monday Morning Four-Mile Jaunt. It was good. I was tired. Toe is fine. Sore, but fine (remember I am an Ultimate Athlete, so minor injuries such as these must be taken with stride). Tom suggested I 'cut it off' if it continues to bother me. Thanks honey, I'm glad to hear you're so concerned.

Our plan for this week includes runs at 4 miles (check), 6 miles (in the country again...get excited), and hopefully 7 or 8 miles. We are also going to work in a trip to the gym to really turn the training up a notch. Need to get those calves, quads, gluts, hammies, and CORE ready for some serious distance! Stay tuned....

Tunica: Country Girls = Ultimate Athletes

First of all I'd love to point out that my blogging partner in Nashville has fallen awfully behind on her blog postings. Is this because she has quit running? Is this because she started grad school today? Is this because she doesn't love me anymore? All of these questions remain unanswered until she gets her purdy butt back online to blog for us. I know all her adoring fans out there miss her very much. :(

Okay so back to business. Last week was a very successful running week for The Bex and I, especially after coming back from vacation, and Bex had the stomach bug. So we waited until Tuesday to start our week-o-running and were very proud of ourselves. We did the standard 4-miler on Tuesday in Tunica. Then she invited me to come to her neck of the woods to run. Bex, Mr. Bex, and Baby Bex live in a beautiful farmhouse in Sara, Mississippi which is only about 15 minutes from Tunica. They live on the farm so we decided to mix things up a bit and RUN on the farm! It was great. Such a beautiful morning, watching the sun come up over the rice fields, jogging on uneven terrain made us feel like such the Ultimate Athletes. And we finished 6 miles lickity-split! While on this run I felt lucky to live in this part of the country where so many of our domestic resourses are grown, harvested, and sold. It is a beautiful place, come visit us anytime...Bex and I will put to you work! The only down side to running on the farm is that my beautiful orange and white Sauconys - laces and all - got extremely dirty. BUT the way I look at it, it is just one more sign that I am an Ultimate Athlete. Also, my lover-of-all-things-gadgets-husband has a nifty little contraption that is oh-so-helpful to dirty country running shoes. The Peet Boot and Wader Dryer from Cabela's is the ticket! You can hose your shoes off, inside and out, then stick 'em on the dryer and by the time you get home from work they will be dry and clean as can be! So great. I would encourage all Country Running Girls to purchase one.

So after a great country run, we decided to do our long run in the 'city' (and I use the term 'city' loosely, as the Town of Tunica is one square mile with a downtown consisting of a post office, drug store, bank, and a courthouse clock that has never worked). So on Saturday morning bright and early we ran our longest distance yet....7 miles! We were very proud of ourselves but our feet were KILLING US by the time it was all said and done. I kept telling Bex that it felt like one of my toenails had fallen of my left foot was killing me so bad! So when I got home and took off my shoes and socks sure enough my second toe on my left foot was black and blue all over (with toe nail still in tact...for how long, I'm not sure. It doesn't look like it'll last much longer). Gross, right? That particular toe has continued to get increasingly worse since Saturday, and is now swollen to the size of my thumb with an icepack on it under my desk as I type. While minor toe injuries are common in distance runners, they are a PAIN PAIN PAIN to deal with, I tell ya! Does anyone out there in blogworld have any helpful hints to dealing with and preventing a sprained toe? Help and guidance, please.

Tunica: Siiigggggghhhhhh....back from Vacay.

And I'm back! Whilst on vacation I was computerless and missed all of my adoring blog fans out there...so sorry to keep you waiting, Mom and Erica.

Well, the ole vacation wasn't exactly as productive as I'd hoped. I know in my previous post I had high hopes for completing at least three runs during the week, but no such luck. I was able to complete one sad, sorry, little 2-miler and that was all she wrote. For starters, I had a very hard time getting motivated in the mornings due the fact I had no one to run with (Bex could not accompany me vacay...she is little but she wouldn't fit in my suitcase), and each night was full of a ton-o-food-and-wine. What's a girl to do...I was on vacation okay?!?! And I suppose it didn't help that the said 2-miler took place at like 4:00 in the afternoon, post-sunburn, and was up hill both ways. So there you have it...like I say...some days you're just the fat white girl.

On a better note, I decided to finally post pics of our PINT5K we did a couple weeks ago. AND on and even BETTER note, I was extrememly thrilled to come home to a clean, empty, and most importantly deflated above ground pool on our patio (thank you Neighbor Family). It will go into storage until next year, or might possibly mysteriously disappear between now and then.

Lauren and me

The Famous Bex and me

Tunica: Another Redeeming Run!

So yall might remember that this morning was the dreaded weekly 6-miler that comes each Friday. I use the term 'each' loosly since we have not run a 6-miler in quite some time, but it always our intention to do our long runs on Friday. This morning we decided to hit the road at 5:45am because I had to be at work early this morning. First of all the weather could not have been better. It was like 65 degrees and breezy. Such a nice break from the 75-80 degrees of pure fat humitiy we've been dealing with lately. So we polished off our 6-miler this morning with ease, again averaging a 12-minute mile (and again without walking or breaks! We did decide, though, that once we get to 7 miles we will need to set up some sort of wather station along our route). Speaking of 12-minute-miles...this provides the perfect segway to talk about Nashville's post yesterday. I'd like to add my thoughts:

• First I want to point out that I'm very proud of Caitlin for not only attempting to go through a training program for half marathon, but for also blogging about it on the internet for all the world wide web to see! (okay, maybe our parents are the only ones who read it, but still...)
• Second Caitlin, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOUR 1.3 miles in 15 minutes! At least you are doing it, and remember that as time goes by your speed and endurance will increase. Make a goal for 2 miles....regardless of time...next week.
• My third point is it might be a lovely idea to find a running buddy who runs with you and not in front of you. Maybe you have not done so already because you enjoy watching your current running buddy from behind. :)
• Lastly I want to say again that running slowly is the only way to begin when training for such a long distance run. Just get over it. And I say that with love.

So next week I have quite the challenge. I am going on vacay with the hubs and the dog to a super-fancy place called My Dad's Lake House in Lenior City. Jelous? You should be. Here is how our schedule will go: Sunday: lay on the dock and do nothing, throw tennis ball for Reba. Monday: lay on the dock and do nothing, throw frisbee for Reba. Tuesday-Saturday: Repeat. While there will be lots-o-relaxing, I do plan to run at least three out of the 7 days we are there, just like any other week, simply to maintain my progress. But considering the fact that a.) it is super-hilly around the lake house and I used to the flat lands of the Delta and b.) clearly I am in uber-luxury mode this being my yearly vacation and all, I am thinking I'll shoot for two runs of 2 miles each, and one run of 3 miles. If I'm feeling super-frisky I might go for a long run of 4 but we'll see. So with that being said this is so long for now...more posting to come next week when we are back in the land of the living on the 24th.

Nashville: 1.3 miles in 15:13 - Yowza!

Although I did not have the "good fortune" to come home to an above ground pool like my dear friend Laura, I did manage to puncture a hole in my two-year-old tennis shoes that squeak as I run. I have yet to purchase a new pair, so I'm lookin' a hot mess with my toe sticking out and sounding like a chew toy with every step I take.

Saturday: Since running on Friday most definitely never happened for the trio in Nashville. Caitlin decided to make up for it by taking Sadie for a jaunt at the training grounds bright and early Saturday morning. Inquiring minds want to know – where was her trustworthy running buddy and boyfriend – in his bed, zonked out asleep. And folks, this not a man you try to wake up if you want to live to tell about it. So Sadie and I took off with my itunes a jammin and we had a great run!

Monday: Ever so tech savvy Ben downloaded an application to his phone called CardioTracker which can tell by GPS how fast you are going, your route, average speed, etc. We decide to test it out this morning and find that I am in fact one of the slowest humans on planet earth – I believe me and a sloth are in a Mexican standoff to see who can take the title, “Slow Poke of the Century.” 1.3 miles in 15:13….sigh…. Not to mention, once again, Ben “high school football drills” Lambert decides he’s going to drop and give me twenty while I try to gain some ground. Nice gesture, but I need to pick up the pace!

Tuesday: Ben and Sadie take to the streets sans Caitlin who is now on an every-other-morning-routine. Ben of course takes his trusty G1 phone with CardioTracker and all…..and wouldn’t you know folks, he ran 1.6 miles in EXACTLY 15:13. He also informed me that he did have to walk a couple of times, but still. I mean come on!?!?!?! The EXACT same time even with walks and still ran further! All I have to say is he was haulin’ it! Good for him!

Wednesday: I ran at a different park this morning with one of my best friends Erica. Gotta mix it up a bit – variety is the spice of life they say! But, let me just tell you I thought I got away from the hills of East TN, but noooooo. Edwin Warner Park might as well be called Mt. Edwin Warner where you need a walking stick, mountain goat and Buddhist monk to help you navigate up the incline. So basically…we walked. But we ran on the flat parts!!!! All in all it actually was a good jog with good weather and a great friend!

Note: I would to acknowledge that not only do I attempt to run early in the mornings I also do a really hardcore workout afterward….yeah, that’s it…really tough workouts! So I don’t want to seem like a total wuss! It’s just the whole “getting started” part of this running that ain’t too purty for this girl! But I’m glad you are tuning into this fun little blog and I'm glad I wasn't the one to come home to an above ground pool! Bahahahah!

Tunica: I Am Awesome

Okay, so it's not just me that's awesome. It's me and the BEX that are the two awesomest girls in Tunica County this week (quite a feat considering there are a total of about 841 women living in the booming metropolis of Tunica, MS). After I was all down and out on myself about the Worst 5 Mile Run In History, and then shortly thereafter a poor showing at the PINT 5K last Friday, I do believe I have redeemed myself, folks! Bex and I went out for our usual Wednesday morning 5 miler yesterday. I was scared considering that we had taken Monday off (due to Bex having an inner-thigh injury...still not too sure what that is all about..., and me being too lazy to run by myself), which means we had not run one single step since Friday. That would be a 4-day break which is about 3 days too long. So anyway, we hit our usual 5-mile route on Wednesday morning and totally kicked it's butt! Somehow we managed to not walk or break at all, making this my personal best as far as distance goes. Good news, right?! Also, we finished in a decent time...it took us about an hour, which is a 12 minute mile, which I am 100% fine with. I am a Running To Finish Girl, not Running To Beat Everyone Else Girl. Obviously.

I wanted to mention something in this post about breathing techniques while running. I have read that most people recommend you inhale one breath per every 4 paces while running, and exhale one breath every three paces. This is what they call a 4:3 breathing pace. Are you with me, do you know what I'm talking about? Have a pace to your breathing keeps your running speed more consistent, thus making your runs slightly easier in my opinion. I have found that I can do a 4:4 pace for 0-2 miles, a 4:3 pace 2-4 miles, a 3:2 pace for another mile or so. At the very end of the run I try to finish strong therefore doing a 2:2 pace. What do you do? How do you breathe when you run? Comments...Thoughts....Concerns?

So we are doing a 6-miler tomorrow morning at 5:45am. While you are sleeping sweetly under the covers, dream fast and sweaty dreams for us...wait that sounded gross...instead, dream fast and athletic dreams for us! Still a little gross, but you get what I mean. Stay tuned to see how the 6-miler goes tomorrow.