I said that I was starting a 10K running program and that I’d start doing a weekly update, I bet since you haven’t seen an update you think I quietly skipped out (again), right?  Wrong!  So far so good, no skipped or moved runs at all.

I decided it would not be a cop out to add a cushion week in before starting the actual plan since it had been a while since I ran and I didn’t want to give myself an excuse to quit the first week!

I’m running Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays.  I may switch that to a Saturday here and there since a weekend run is a weekend run, but no other editing.  My add on week was a 2 mile, 1.5 mile, then 2.5 mile run.  This week I did a 2.5 Tuesday and 2 miles tonight.  So far they’ve all been barefoot and on the treadmill.  Sunday I’m meeting a running group (never did that before) and will do a 3 mile trail run.  That’ll be fun!  My oldest son is going with me so I know I’ll finish, I don’t run with anyone else often so when I do I don’t even notice the miles because it’s something different.  I’ll wear my minimalist shoes for that and maybe for all of my ‘long’ runs because the 10K I think I’ll be signing up for is a midnight run and I was told the turnaround part is really dark.  I like barefoot but not in pitch black conditions!

I’ve been doing yoga after every run and though I can’t say it’s been easy for me to finish all the runs I can say I haven’t been sore anywhere or had any real issues finishing.  I just have a horrible habit of looking at the mileage every 2 seconds which make my runs seem to take FOREVER.  I’ve been listening to Zombies, Run!, Rock My Run, and podcasts and it makes a big difference.  Especially if I hit on a really funny podcast.

My one fail has been cross training.  I haven’t been.  It’s part of the plan and I need to get started on it. I wish my Radio Flyer looking bike wasn’t messed up, that would make cross training fun.  I did go kayaking last Thursday, that counted as cross training for certain, even if it was a run day!

Lots of other great non-running things have been happening too. I’ll have to give an update soon on the garden, the chicks, our newest farm-y addition and some other things like a giveaway to the Margarita Festival coming up in Tampa!

Are you training for or starting anything new?  How’s it going so far?  I love the first few weeks of pretty much anything, it’s always so much fun to start something new!

I have a couple of confessions to make.

1. I haven’t run, done yoga, or much of anything else for about 3 months
2. I also haven’t written much because I operate on a switch, my motivation is ON or it’s OFF across the board
3. I have a serious commitment issue – I’ve been running off and on for years now but I’ve never got much over a 5K an I’ve never once committed to a running plan.
4. I am one of the most excellent people you will meet at making excuses about why I don’t want to get on and stick with a plan, and also I’m most excellent at making excuses.  Even about things I want to do, and then I convince myself (pretty easily) that my excuses are actually truths.

So, ya.  That about sums it up.  I’ve decided not to do that anymore. Again. Sound familiar? But this time I’m going to try a couple of things I’ve not tried before. Because you know, that thing where if you keep doing the same thing over and expect different results…  I’m about 2 more times from being committed.

I chose a plan to get to a 10K and I’m committing to actually doing it.  I usually have preconceived reasons of why I might skip a night or why I might not finish it.  Yes, really.  This time I wrote it all on my calendar and I’m not making any schedule changes or skipping any nights.  If my run doesn’t happen until midnight or if I have to get up at 5am to get it in, so be it.  I looked at a bunch of plans and decided to go with Hal Higdon’s novice 10K plan.  A lot of people swear by him and the plan includes cross training and such so there you go.

My usual method is to tell no one when I start something like this because that way when I quit before I finish no one will ask me about it. This time I even told my sisters, so there is some built in shaming if  so much as skip a night.

Also, I’m going to do a weekly check in here to keep track of my progress.  Probably boring for anyone else to read but this blog actually started as a running journal way back when, so it works for me.

Finally, it’s about time for a new mantra.  I’ve read this one on the internet a bunch of times and it seems to about sum things up for me at the moment.

So here I go, off to find out what happens if I actually start something fully committed to doing it by the book. Wish me luck, and feel free to be part of my shaming team if I come anywhere NEAR to making excuses.  Which I won’t.  🙂

Do you ever have an issue with following through on commitments you try to make to yourself?  Do you have any suggestions on how to break through the limitations a person puts on themselves?

I haven’t been running at all lately, but tonight I did a nice slow barefoot mile on the treadmill and then did some yoga and I am feeling amazing.  Someday maybe I’ll be one of those brilliant people who wake up in the morning to run and then feels great all day but not quite yet.

Here’s the yoga I did tonight, very easy and perfect for right before bed, especially if you work at a computer all day like me.

So why am I running on the treadmill inside when it’s absolutely beautiful outside?  Partly because I’ve fallen so out of the running habit it just seems easier to do if I stay inside.  But also partly because we have a wild hog with lots of little baby hogs in our neighborhood at the moment.  These things stand as tall as my shoulders and of all the animals I’ve run across since moving to Florida these are the scariest (on land anyways) just because of their huge size.  They tend to be seen a bit after it gets dark, just about when I like to go running.  So, no running outside for me this week.  The HOA hired a trapper to come and get them and hopefully bring them safely somewhere else.

OH and I’ve also seen a FEW alligators in the last week not to mention a few people have told me they’ve been seeing a bunch of snakes lately.

And people think a few rattlers, scorpions and killer bee swarms in Arizona are bad. I don’t know about anyone else but I am not feeling at the top of the food chain at the moment, and I don’t think being vegetarian has anything to do with it.

Have you ever run into wild animals while running or just out and about in your neighborhood?

A little while back I mentioned how I had read about a great defense against slugs. What I read is that chickens are great for eating bugs, they can get an out of control yard (mines not.  Mostly.) in control in no time.  Cool!  But, you know, who would go buy chickens when they live in a neighborhood with a crazy strict HOA?

So I kept reading and asked my dad to find out about the HOA since he used to be on the board or something.  I read that chicken poop is great for gardens, and chickens in general are great for composting.  Not the birds themselves (gross) the fact that they scratch around all day pooping nitrogen and eating things like weeds and bugs.  The scratching and eating part helps break down everything into a nice compost.

Also, I read they don’t really take all that much time.  Once they’re big enough to move outside into a coop anyways.

Also, my dad found out for me that I can have a limited number of hens, just no roosters.

And so I went and got 4 little tiny baby chicks. Look how these 2 have grown in less than 3 weeks!   Nugget (my daughter named her(?)) already has a comb on her head!  I’m afraid that may mean she’s a he.

The didn’t even have feathers when we got them, just fuzz and now they are in an awkward in between stage.  Still cute though!

This weekend I build the coop, I’m pretty excited about it since I’ve never made anything like that before.  Another adventure!

So far the chicks have been fun and my kids are already thinking a little more about where their food is coming from, without any prodding from me at all.  Have you ever had chickens or other outside birds?  Would you?

Everyone has a greatest fear.  That one thing that you hate more than anything else, way out of proportion to what it is.  Mine? Roaches.  I hate them like nothing else on this planet.  I once couldn’t sleep for like three days because I saw one in the house but couldn’t get it quick enough.  No way was I sleeping when that damn thing was probably just waiting for me to fall asleep so it could crawl in my bed.  Ew, I feel a little sick just typing that.  Um, seriously.

Just to be clear, I stayed in Arizona for 2 years after my entire family (grandparents, uncles, parents, sisters…) moved to Florida because Florida = palmetto bugs.  (roaches, people!)  I have an old fashion Italian family where we get together for pasta on the weekends and we could easily take over entire neighborhoods but I ate pasta sauce out of a jar, family-less, to avoid this.

Happily, it’s not near as bad as my preconceptions.  I think I’ve had one roach in my house since I’ve lived here and I kind of got over it.  At least they don’t have sewer roaches like AZ.

THEN I saw one in my car a couple weeks ago.  It was huge but dead.  I drove home with my foot that I didn’t need for driving up on the seat with me and left it in the car when I got home.  The next morning I psyched myself up to remove it, but it was GONE.  Gone. It had been for sure dead, but I drove with my foot up on the seat for the next week (just in case) and wondered where the hell it went.  My car hadn’t been dirty before, but it became the cleanest car on the block.  Not that I go around looking in other people’s cars, but I’d bet.

I saw another one a week later, killed it. From far away, with spray.  Ya, I’m brave like that. Then Sunday night my son saw one in the car so I sprayed like crazy and we walked where we were going.

Then comes Monday morning.  There were 3 dead roaches, each easily bigger than 3 inches long.  Needless to say I called in sick to work and fumigated my car.  Twice, for a total of 3 bombs.  Yes, that is poisonous smoke you see through my car windows. The light is on in there, you just can’t see it through the lovely smoke.

Needless to say I haven’t seen another one live since.  Needless to say I still drive with my foot up looking around the car like I’m jonesing.  And, needless to say I will be bombing the car again this weekend.  Just in case.

Of course I Googled this nightmare and you know the one state that’s known for this sort of thing? Florida.  You are welcome for not throwing in a few select curse words.

Oh, and just for good measure.  On the way back from my lovely new place to walk on my lunch breaks I had to walk (way) around this.  Because he (?) had zero fear of me and had no intention of moving out of my way.

I love Florida, I love Florida, I love Florida. Right?

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Everyone around me seems to be very excited that fall is here. I understand why.  The leaves turn color, the air picks up a bit of a chill, running seems easier, and the holidays are on their way. The family is talking about wearing sweaters, baking bread and cookies and the like.

Oh, wait.  I’m in Florida.  Fall doesn’t really apply. Not yet anyway.

I sat outside having a cup of coffee with my dad and other neighbors on the first official day of fall. The air was thick and heavy with humidity, one of those morning when you can almost feel a literal weight on your shoulders.  I decided that if we have time zones then we should get to have season zones too.  It’s only fair, don’t you think?

I have to admit, I am looking forward to the weather cooling down, making soups and bread for dinner and feeling a crispness in the air.  As a runner I also look forward to how much easier it will feel the first few times I run outside in the cold.

Plus, Halloween is on it’s way and it’s always been my favorite holiday of the year.

But probably the best thing of all is that once it gets cold I won’t have to mow every single weekend.  Come on, you know that’s your favorite part of the season too!

I looked through all of my old pictures and this crooked picture of a bridge (which gives me a bad case of vertigo) is the only one I could find that looked a bit like fall. It seems that Florida is really green all year round.  Which is great until you are looking for a picture that reminds you of fall…

Are you excited that the seasons are changing?  Are you looking forward to the holidays this year?

Am I the only one who doesn’t seem to be able to keep up with doing all of the things that I know I need to do, even when I’m only trying to do the things I like?

I love doing yoga, it somehow leaves you feeling relaxed and invigorated at the same time.  I don’t even know how that’s possible, but it is. I used to do yoga pretty much every day, sometimes as much as an hour but most days about 20 minutes.  In my humble opinion it cures pretty much everything.  Your back hurts? You’re over stressed? Aching shoulders from working on the computer all day? Yoga can help that! In my case it’s usually my hips that are sore, and pigeon pose and others like it are a god-send.

For probably the last 6 months I’ve only done yoga after a run, and even that has been getting rare.  But I found a pretty neat challenge that has me back in the right direction.  Even if I am a little late to the party (as usual).

DoYouYoga has all of the videos uploaded on YouTube for a 30-Day Yoga Challenge. I’ve only done the first 2 days, but I’m already hooked on yoga all over again.  I even got up only 10 minutes after my alarm went off to do Day 2 today.  If you knew me at all you’d know that is a major big deal.  I hate getting up on work days.  Funny enough I’m fine getting up early on weekends though. Go figure.

So far, after a big 6%(?) into it I recommend you try their challenge! It’s a lot of fun, though I forgot what a challenge Warrior One could be.

Here’s hoping that by the end of the 30 days it’s easy again!

I’ve decided its past time that I start preparing for the zombie apocalypse.  I’ve always been big on horror movies and especially love the monster movies, who doesn’t?  But some things have come to light lately that make me realize it’s about time to take this stuff seriously.   For instance, have you noticed the huge uptick in zombie movies? I used to be the only one, now everyone is talking about them. I figure it’s the government’s way of preparing us. Also, bath salts? Enough said.

What finally pushed me to get prepared was the little spider ants in my coffee pot.

Really, they were gross.  They moved right in to the actual coffee machine and then after a while they layed eggs or something and twice when I poured water into the top of the coffee maker spider ants came running out by the millions.  I didn’t count them, but it looked like millions. I didn’t get a picture of this unbelievable occurrence because I was much too busy waving my hands and jumping around like a two year old.

Obviously, I threw out 2 coffee pots.  I decided not to waste my money buying a new one because it seems Florida is just too weird to allow me to own one.  So now I blow 2 bucks picking up coffee on the way to work everyday and on weekends I go down to my dads’ and drink coffee with him and his friend.  His very-into-preparing-for-a-disaster friend.  Maybe you know someone like him. He’s the one who talks about how guns will be outlawed within the week (so you better go buy some), social unrest is causing a civil war next month (better buy lots), and a nuclear bomb may or may not be coming at us right now (not gonna help a bit).  But it’s all good, because unlike ME, he’s prepared. When I shamefully admitted that I run at night by myself without a gun he looked at me like I said I ran with nothing on but maybe a glow light strapped to my wrist. Where exactly am I supposed to carry a gun when I’m running?  I don’t even bring a key.

Well I HATE when someone one ups me (not really, but in this case) so I proudly announced how I’ll be just fine; I’ve been reading zombie preparedness sites. Another one of those looks.  And then he announced that when I have nothing and come knocking on his door I won’t be allowed in because I won’t have anything good to bring to the party. Well, that wasn’t the exact wording but there was mention of food.

FINE.  I will just have to prepare for my own party.  But since preparing for civil wars, social unrest and hurricanes is boring I’m preparing for the zombie apocalypse instead.  Some people better be stocking up on rum and coke if they plan on knocking on MY door!

As displayed by the fact that I’m still back down to running a mile after my last illness I like to take little steps in all things.  So my first step is to find a place to hoard water, canned goods, and other stuff to be determined.  I have a walk in closet that I haven’t cleaned since I bought the house 7 years ago and I’m working on getting it cleaned out to use a portion for storage.  It’s a bit more paranoid than my usual self but the idea of storing food and water in the sweltering garage sounds like food poisoning to me, so the closet will do.

I managed to get it almost half way cleaned out.  The goal is to finish clearing it out by next weekend and then start stocking it with very necessary stuff. Since preparing for the zombie apocalypse is almost as important as running I’ve decided to post updates about how the preparedness is coming. Sorry in advance.