A Hail of a Prom Date Night

I smooshed my whole weekend into this blog post title…well sort of. Friday night was date night. Time for my second date with…hmmm what should I call him? How about The Gentleman? I think I like that. He has been quite the gentleman. It is hard to find a decent guy that knows how to treat a lady. Our date was scheduled for 7 o’clock, and that was the perfect excuse to skip (postpone) my run. Then he text me and said he’d be at the gym and wanted to reschedule for 7:30. My run is less than 30 minutes, so I no longer had an excuse not to go to the gym. I took it as a sign that I should go to the gym too.

I went up to the indoor track at the gym and finished my last day of Week 1 of the couch to 5K. It felt good to accomplish that. It felt even better to run past the skinny girl on the track. I don’t know why, even if it was just for 60 seconds, I feel great when I run past a skinny person. When it got hard, I just reminded myself that I walked 13 miles in the scorching heat, so certainly I can run 8 little intervals. It was a tough run, I’ll probably need to throw in an extra day before moving on to week 2.  After the gym, I showered and got dressed for my date at the Emperors Palace Upscale Asian Buffet. The food was good, but I got my braces tightened the day before so eating was quite difficult. During dinner, I learned more about his family and asked crazy questions like “what would do if your girlfriend smacked you for forgetting her birthday?” He passed my test by saying he wouldn’t forget her birthday, and that he would rather talk it out than get physical. I also told him he didn’t ever have to worry about me slapping him, it was just a hypothetical question to see how he handles difficult situations….  I also found out that he is a runner. How cool is that?! At the end of the night he gave me a sweet kiss on the forehead and we planned date number three! Yay! He always lets me plan, and I like it! I’m a planning freak, and he’s easy going, so it works. Although, he has vetoed some of my suggestions, which makes him nice enough to let me choose, but he’s not too wimpy to say no. We have a good balance.
Saturday was my little sister’s Senior Prom night. Can you believe she is a Senior? She’ll be graduating in a few weeks and leaving for college in August. What am I gonna do when she’s gone??? *sigh* We were a little nervous because a tornado and hail storm was coming through town as she got dressed.  Unfortunately Big Little sister’s brand new car got plummeted with golfball and softball sized hail. 
My Mama made my sister’s dress, and she was gorgeous. I did her make-up. Her date was her was great guy that she’s been friends with for years. My WHOLE family was there, including grandparents, aunts and uncles; my family is so over the top.  They had a blast and she had a fun night with memories that will last a lifetime.

I’m a Warrior Machinist

So, what the heck is a Warrior Machinist? I have no idea, it’s something silly that I made up to sound cool and interesting. LOL. You all know I have been slacking in the fitness department; a walk at lunch here, a dance party on my Xbox Kinectthere.  My family really started to get on my case. My parents are uber concerned about my health, and my little sister started going to the gym without me. I told her that the next time she went, I was determined to go with her. I tried to be as prepared as possible. I had my hair tie, my iPod, Nike+ , my Yurbuds, my Waist Trimmer Belt and my sports bra. She picked me up when she got off her after school job and we went to the gym. I started on the elliptical machine. We pedaled for 30 minutes while watching The Big Bang Theory on TV. It’s my best friend’s favorite show. I always thought it was too weird to have a show about socially awkward nerds, but that show was hilarious. I laughed out loud several times and didn’t care who heard me. After the elliptical I moved on to the treadmill. I searched for my name under Artist on my iPod and played Week 1 of the Couch to 5K. I’ve heard it so many times that I said every word right along with my recorded voice. For that first 60 second interval run, I really pushed it at a level 5. Then my chest hurt, my head hurt, my back hurt. I decided to take it down a notch especially since I had just finished 30 minutes the elliptical. You have to push yourself, but you also have to listen to your body. In hindsight, I should have run first. But, I still completed each interval with a wog (walking and jogging) instead of a run. Then I heard BBD’s Poison and I knew I was almost at the end of the training session.  Finally, I completed the last interval “run” of Week 1. I was ready to go home, but my sister had this crazy 900 calories burn goal. So, she moved on to the step machine. I just watched her for a few minutes, I was exhausted. Then I felt silly just watching, so eventually, I got on the new Recumbent Bike. The seat was super soft and comfortable. I pedaled with my arms and legs for 19 more minutes. I forgot to turn on my Nike+ to track my distance on the treadmill, I was upset because I wanted to show you guys a pretty picture with my charted distance. But, instead you get a sweaty exhausted no makeup pic of me on the bike. I hobbled out to the car, in my tank top soaked with sweat feeling like a Warrior Machinist for conquering 3  different machines at the gym. I reminded myself that I often regret not working out, but I’ve never ever regretted a workout once I was finished.

She Works Hard for the Money

Hey everybody!  I’ve been working…hard.  We have HUGE trial coming up next month, and it’s grind time.  We’re preparing thousands of exhibits and filing endless motions.  I worked several 12 hour days back to back.  I can hardly tell what day of the week it is.  But don’t feel too sorry for me, I get time and half, and that’s a nice treat right before Christmas.  Hence my blog post title reference to the Donna Summer’s hit song from the 80s.  I’m working hard for the money.  But, needless to say, working until midnight doesn’t leave a lot of time for working out, and the gym is usually closed by the time I get home.  When I asked my Lawyer Lady on Friday how late I would need to work on Saturday, she only half jokingly responded, “bring a sleeping bag.”  Saturday morning before heading in to the law office, I was tired, but recruited my mom to go to the gym with me.  No iPod needed, because we just talked the whole time.  We talked ourselves though 2 full miles (with an incline) on neighboring treadmills.  We had a good time discussing Oprah’s favorite things in the O magazine I brought along. 

Since, it will probably be busy like this for the next month or so, I just purchased 2 Leslie Sansone Walk at Home DVD’s.  I call her Chatty Cathy, because she talks so much that you forget that you walked 3 miles in front of the TV.  One DVD even has a power walk  for 5 miles.  That way, regardless of how late I get home, I shouldn’t really have an excuse to get off my half marathon training schedule.  Well…my house looks like it threw up on itself and my eyes are tired.  I just wanted to let you know I was alive and well.  And for those who want to know..I’m still chatting it up every day with my special friend, we’re texting now…

Butts N Guts

I am proud to say that since my half marathon training started on Friday, I have not missed a single day of training.  On Friday, I went to the gym and did a quick, but hilly mile on the treadmill and showered before heading to church to see my little sister praise dance in honor of the church’s 53rd anniversary.  Saturday morning I went to my first group training session in Forest Park.  Because the group is much smaller than last year, there was only one other walker.  Last year there were at least 15 of us walkers.  Even though my ultimate goal is to do a light jog during the race, I’m not quite ready to run with the “real” runners.

The new training schedule distances vary according to your current level of ability.  I’m between a level I and the level II.  Level I required one mile and level II required two miles.  Me and the other walker completed a brisk 1.87 miles together.  It was fun to train with the team again and have the support of the staff and the coaches.  My Big little sister invited me to attend a boot camp-like class called Butts n Guts also on Saturday morning.  After group training, I cleaned out my car to keep myself busy before class, because I knew if I went home I would get back in bed.  I met my sister at the community center and we had our first Butts N Guts class with the ex-military man named Omega.  He worked us out!  I was especially tired since I had already walked nearly 2 miles before 8AM.  The class was an interesting interval mixed workout.  We did the stair step, jumping jacks, leg lifts, bicycles, and even ran a couple laps around the gym.  My sister and my niece and I went to Soulard Market after class to get some fresh veggies and new spices.  I was exhausted and slept well when I got home.

Monday was a beautiful day, 70 degrees in November.  Unfortunately though, we had 25 pleadings to be filed in court that day, so there was hardly time to breathe.  I wanted to walk outside so badly, that I walked a couple quick loops (about one mile) around Kiener Plaza downtown.   Only a few of the occupy protestors were still there since the police put them out. By the time I got back to my desk my attorneys were hunting me down.  It was risky for me to leave, but in hindsight I’m glad that I did since I stayed at work until 9:30 PM and would not have had time to go to the gym.

Today however, felt more like November typically feels, a cool 50 degrees.  It was dark and cold by the time I got off work, and I just wanted to go home.  I couldn’t find my Walk at Home DVD, so I turned on my new show “Ringer” with Sarah Michelle Gellar, and walked circles around the living room.  I fast forwarded through the commercials, but walked the entire time.  I guess I walked about 45 minutes.  I certainly wasn’t sweating, because you can only build up so much momentum and speed while avoiding the glass coffee table and fighting the dog that thinks it’s all a game.  But, I still felt good about being active.  I felt dizzy, but good.  Maybe I should invest in a treadmill? Duh! …Anyway, I’m so happy to have fitness as a priority again.

Getting A Head Start

My first group training session with TNT for the Half Marathon is Saturday Nov. 12.  I decided to get a head start, so that I can keep up.  I want to do a light jog during the race, even though I’ll probably still train with the walkers team.  I saw the runners last year, I can’t keep up with them.  Maybe one day I will be able to keep up, but today ain’t that day! LOL. 

I dragged myself to the gym, since the temperature has dropped, and daylight savings time has reared it’s ugly head.  It’s totally dark outside by the time I leave work.  Anyway, since I’m not really accustomed to running or jogging anymore, I went back to basics.  I started with Week 1 of the Couch to 5K.  I haven’t heard that podcast in a while, and it was kind of exciting not to know which song was next.  For the first few runs, I thought, oh this is easy; I could’ve skipped a few training weeks.  But, for the last two interval runs, my body started fighting me.  Everything hurt, my knees, my ankles, my calves.  I can fairly easily walk a couple miles and hardly break a sweat.  But, I quickly remembered that running is nothing like walking.  In the end I finished all of the 60 second run intervals, no cheating.  Week 1,  Day 1, 1.67 Miles, done….For those of you who follow my blog regularly, you know that I was dating a guy I called my “Special Friend.”  Because of hurt from the past, I was scared to open up.  I faced my fears, and allowed myself to enjoy the experience, since he truly is a good man.  Soon after, he told me he felt that I was “too emotionally involved, too soon.”  And, I got hit with “we should be friends.”  But, here’s the weird part.  We still talk on the phone every day and text like actual “friends.”  I even inspired him to do a half marathon and he wants to train with me. Do I regret facing my relationship fears and opening myself up? Nope, not at all.  I think I would feel bad, if I never gave us a fair shot.  Do you think it’s possible to remain “just friends” with someone that you dated for a month? What are your thoughts?