Friday, August 26, 2011

Mahna Mahna!!

Alright - fine.  I'll remind you!!

I was browsing iTunes, just to make sure I didn't miss anything super fantastic, when I came across a cover of The Fray singing "Mahna Mahna."  Needless to say, the song has been stuck in my head ever since - and I had to look up the original on youtube.

A.  Enjoy.
B.  Pretty sure the creators of the muppet show enjoyed illegal substances.  Just sayin'.


May your day be filled with many "doo, doo, doo, doo's."

Andrea

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Story of "Why Andrea's Not Allowed to Play Scrabble at Night."

Some of you know this story.  I figured it was high time I let the rest of you in on the secret.

I will take you back to a time this winter when I was heavily involved with "Words With Friends."  I would even go so far, as to say, I was *addicted*.  I would always have several games going at once, and my phone never left my side.  So, when I awoke at 2:30 am to use the bathroom - it was completely normal for me to think, "hmmm, I wonder if it is my turn to make a move on WWF."

The following detail of events will first be told from my perspective:

I wear earplugs to bed.  Shiloh snores.  I'm a light sleeper.  Earplugs it is.  I awoke at 2:30 am to use the bathroom, and decided I should check my phone.  This much we've determined.  Much to my delight, someone had played, and it was, in fact, my turn.  Also, because it was 2:30 am, and I was a little tired, I decided that I should perhaps have a seat on the kitchen floor.  So, there I sat cross legged, hunched over my phone, back to the entrance of the kitchen, deep deep deep in thought.

The next thing I know I hear LOUD stomping behind me, almost as if an animal is charging me, and something (clearly not an animal) touches my shoulder.  I, of course what else would I even think of doing, scream at the top of my lungs, complete a very fancy spin move, and ninja kick the space that I believe the strange creature to be occupying. 

Imagine my surprise when I see Shiloh, sprawled out on the kitchen floor, with a look that can only be described as sheer terror, on his face.

... and now my friends, the scene as it played out from Shiloh's perspective:

Shiloh noticed that I got out of bed at 2:30 am.  After I failed to return in "a reasonable amount of time" he went looking for me.  As he rounded the corner into the kitchen, he noticed me sitting on the floor.  He was a little concern that I was A. sitting on the kitchen floor, and B. hunched over.  Because he was worried, he called out to me "Andrea" not once, not twice, but three different times.   Because I was wearing earplugs, and deep in concentration mode, I never heard him.

Shiloh grew increasingly concerned, and feared for my safety.  He believed that I had gone "all Blair Witch, or something."  *whatever that means*  So, now - he was a little scared.  I mean, after all, why else would I be sitting on the kitchen floor, hunched over, non-responsive if not for a good old fashioned demon possession.  (obviously he never saw that I was holding a phone - just that I had a glow emitting from my being).

So, what does any rational human who, now believes his wife is possessed, do???  That's right, get down on all fours and approach them.  *carefully*  Imagine his surprise when, at the very moment he touches my shoulder, I erupt with a blood curdling scream that would make Jason, himself, nervous.

Now, 100% sure of my possession and in an attempt to save himself, he dove across the kitchen floor.  I mean really, who knows what Andrea possessed is capable of.  (I am sorry I am giggling as I write this... it was so damn funny).

As I spin around, attempting to thwart the obviously threat to my life - our eyes meet.  In an instant, we realize what has happened...

Shiloh:  WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!!!!
Andrea:  PLAYING MY GAME, DO YOU WANT TO DIE!!!
Shiloh:  Sooooooo, you're not possessed???

I start laughing so hard I can barely talk, which then sends Shiloh into fits of giggles.  We agree that I will not play on my phone in the middle of the night, anymore. 

I, of course, can't stop laughing for the next hour. 

May your day be filled with humor at its finest.

Andrea

Monday, August 22, 2011

The Secret of the Socks.

So, y'all know that I am prone to blisters.  I have even gone so far as to dub myself Little Ms. Tenderfoot.

However, thanks to a suggestion by the brilliant Julie Farmer, tender feet may be a thing of my past.

Don't laugh:

These are my new running socks.  Don't mind the dirt on my right foot - I just got back from a 2 hour run.  No judging.

They are "Injinji" socks, and I will be purchasing more of them.  Fact.

I must admit, they felt really really strange walking around the house, but after I threw on my running shoes, and headed out the door - I really couldn't tell the difference.  The difference showed up at the end of the run, however.  I had zero blisters!!  None on my big toe, none between my toes, none on the pads of my feet. 

I will be buying another pair. You can bet the farm on that one.

May your day be filled with fruitful advice.

Andrea

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Training Schedule - Inquiring Minds...

Some of my friends wanted me to post my training schedule.  So - here you have it.  I think I was told that I am on a 10 day rotating schedule, but it could be 21 days (either way) here it is:

It should be noted that this is the training schedule for my marathon scheduled 12/05

08/01: 20-30 Easy
08/02: 50 mins 15X100
08/03: 20-30 Easy
08/04: 60 mins
08/05: OFF
08/06: 20 mins, 15X100, 6 X 9:00 mile w/ 400 jog, 10X100
08/07: 20-30 Easy
08/08: 30 Easy
08/09: 2 Hours
08/10: 20-30 Easy
08/11: 20-30 Easy
08/12: OFF
08/13: 20 mins, 15X100, 9/10:00 min in/out miles for 6 miles, 10X100
08/14: 20 mins
08/15: 20 mins
08/16: 20 mins, 15X100, 4X 2:00 uphill, jog down, 8X100, 4X 2:00 uphill jog down, 15 mins
08/17: 20-30 easy
08/18: 50 mins, 15X100
08/19: 20-30 easy
08/20: OFF
08/21: 2 hours
08/22: 20-30 easy
08/23: 1 hour
08/24: 20-30 easy
08/25: 31/29 Tempo Run
08/26: OFF

Notes:

What is a 100??  A standard track (where 4 laps = 1 mile) is broken up into four hundreds.  I start on one end of the straight away, at the numbers, run to the other dash mark (at the other end of the straight - before the first corner) walk 7 slow paces, turn, walk 7 slow paces and run again.  Each straight is one - one hundred.

What is a 400???   One lap on a standard track

What is a tempo run??  Run out at one speed, come back faster.  So a 31/29 tempo run would mean I would run out 31 mins, and need to make it back to the start in 29 mins.

May your day be filled with grand plans.

Andrea

Saturday, August 20, 2011

Heeeere Kitty, Kitty, Kitty...

I can't help it.  Cat videos are hysterical.  They usually leave me in tears (from laughing of course).

This one, is one of my favorites.  I can only imagine what is *really* being said.  Enjoy on this beautiful Saturday:



May your day be conflict free!

Andrea

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Well, that hurt my elbow. Also, my pride.

It happened on the treadmill.  It ALWAYS happens on the treadmill.

I was trotting along - (5.7 - easy. as. pie) - supposed to be a wonderful 2.5 mile run.  Nothing exciting.  Zero. 

And then, it happened.  "It" came on.  Oh, how I have forgotten how much I love this song.  It started out innocent enough.  A few jazz hands moves here and there.  Then, I couldn't help myself - the music took over.  You should have seen my dance moves.  I had practiced these moves in my living room as a child - the gloriousness of them all came back to me - I was sweating pure joy.

SO - imagine my surprise, when, after just one faulty step (it is amazingly hard to keep said dance moves on the tiny, moving, landing strip) I was shot off the back of the treadmill.  Luckily, my trained jazz hands grabbed the emergency cord - and it stopped fairly quickly.  I am also fairly lucky that all that got injured, was my elbow.  Nothing was broken, bleeding, oozing, or throbbing.  I escaped relatively unscathed.  My pride, however, not so much.

What was this tune that clutched me so tightly in its grasp??  Ladies and Gents, may I present to you:


May your day be filled with the beauty of a better way of life..... sing it!!

Andrea

Saturday, August 13, 2011

That was HARD!!!

'Cause sometimes you feel tired, feel weak, and when you feel weak, you feel like you wanna just give up.
But you gotta search within you, you gotta find that inner strength and just pull that shit out of you and get that motivation to not give up and not be a quitter, no matter how bad you wanna just fall flat on your face and collapse."

Yup, I just quoted Eminem.  He may be on to something.

Today was tough.  I waited too long to run - I dilly dallied.  I'm not gonna lie.  By the time I got out the door it was 8:30 already pushin' 70 degrees.  When I finished 82 - ugh.  I am overheated.  I even had to take my tank top off (mortified).  If you know me, you know I might as well have been running naked.  I really appreciate good coverage.

Also, because I got my hair dyed yesterday and I sweat like a man (thanks Nikki for letting me steal your expression) - my sweat from my head was pink.  Pink streams of sweat pouring down my face.  This little incident scares the little old ladies.  They tend to worry about you when your sweat is pink.  "No, no, really it's not blood - it's hair dye.  I'm okay, no, really!!"

But, I never gave up.  Never quit.  Never walked away.  It would have been really easy to do.  I had to keep thinking "Bernard wouldn't quit.  Meb wouldn't want to skip a workout."  Yes, I do realize that they are WAAAAAAYYY out of my league. But, hey, whatever works.

I had a new workout today.  20 mins 15X100 (typical warm up) then 6 miles of in and outs.  A fancy term for a 9 minute mile, followed by a 10 minute mile - until you hit 6 miles.  I wanted to quit after the warm up.  But I didn't.  I wanted to quit after the first nine minute mile.  But I didn't.  I wanted to quit after mile 5 - but I keep pushing.

I finished, and most importantly I hit all my time goals.  Hardest.  Workout.  Ever. 

I think I will die now.

May your day be filled with early starts and successful finishes,

Andrea

PS:  Don't you want to follow my blog?  That way I know you are reading - and I keep bloggin'.  See how that works.  Okay, enough self promotion.

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Is it me??

...Or is it a full moon, OR - are the people in Colfax especially bat-shit crazy today??

Today was my short, slow, run - short. slow. You with me??  We are talking 2.1 miles at 10:45 miles.  Slow.  Short.

On my way down the hill (barely running at this point - warming up really) I was greeted by a man, slightly resembling Santa Clause.  Well, huge beer belly and shaggy white beard, wearing jean shorts and a muscle shirt that even Santa may be too embarrassed to be seen in; he was resting against his bike.  As I jaunt by, he utters: "bet you can't do that up hill."  You're right old man, I could do it faster up hill - cause I'm not even trying right now!!!  I choose to ignore this one.  Whatever.

At about a mile into the run, a van pulls over and screeches to a halt in front of me.  Two teenage girls jump out and begin to run towards me.  This is where Shiloh is SO right, if I would have had pepper spray I would have used it.  I don't care what kind of happiness you are bringing into the world - don't stop a moving vehicle and run toward a lone female that you do not know.  You have been warned.  Anyhow, the blonder of the two gals runs up to me.  I turn off my iPod and grunt "you better keep up."  (again wasn't going all that fast)  She tries to issue me a popsicle, "compliments of the Church of Nazarene."  Really? You saw someone on a run, and thought "wow they look hot, bet they would like a popsicle."  I informed her that I appreciated the gesture, but it is hard to literally eat and run and it probably wouldn't make it home.  I get she was being nice... I get it.

... and just when I thought it couldn't get any weirder.  Ms. 80 year old, forgot to put in my partial, missing a couple 6 teeth, smoking what smells like an unfiltered cigarette, hollers at me.  I didn't hear what she said the first time, so again, off with the pod - "what?"  She says, "you really need to take your water with you!!!"  Scolding me, really?  ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!  Is she really expecting me to take her seriously??  Maybe I am the crazy one, but I don't really feel it's appropriate for this lady (who A. is smoking and B. has obviously not taken the best care of herself) to offer up health advise.  So, I holler back "I'm not even going 5K lady - I am fine!!"  I could have added a number of extra "helpful tips" about how not polluting my oxygen would, in fact, be even MORE helpful - but I was almost done. 

I have never been so happy to see my front door.  You can bet I am not going anywhere else tonite.  Crazy weirdos.

May your evening be weirdo free.

Andrea

Friday, August 5, 2011

My National Holiday Week.

This could get offensive.  Really, I am not all that sorry for it.

I was running today, and noticed a sign that said "National Breastfeeding Week".  Um, really?  We need a "national" week for that?  REALLY??  Is the week sponsored by Hooters?  Do we buy cards for people?  I really don't get it.

So, then it got me thinking (of course it did).  I have come up with my own National Holiday Week(s).  National "It's OK to be in your 30s and not want kids" week, or maybe National "We may not discuss the contents of my womb" week, or maybe national "yes, I am childless and no, there is nothing wrong with me" week.

Now, I am not saying that there isn't a small chance (somewhere in the future) that I may have children.  But it isn't happening tomorrow.  And, really - you don't need to give me a guilt trip about my mom not have grandchildren, and how awful that must be for her.  You know - if her life is so awful without children, she isn't too old to adopt.

Also, Christmas cards are also not the place to ask about my decision to not have kids. 

Let's be clear I am not some horrible child-hating person either.  I like other people's kids.  We get along.  They think I am heaps of fun.  I just really like being footloose and fancy free, and you know what - that is my choice to make.  So there!!

May your day be filled with personal celebrations,

Andrea