Humidity ain't my friend.

Smoke on the water....
Fire in the sky.

Or at least fire at my core.

Coming from a rainy climate and dropping into a bit of a vacation in New Orleans left me unprepared for the humidity.  Thus as I went for a run along the riverfront and through the French Quarter, dressed in pants, a running jersey, and a light jacket (pockets needed for caring my room key, phone and ID) I was totally over dressed.

The dash of warm weather, left me dreaming of the rain on my face back home.  But it also triggered for me to buy a part of running shorts.
Summer is a comin'.

Really Bad Eggs

When for a run this morning with a friend.  He pushed in back from 9 to 10, so I figured I had plenty of time for a nice breakfast. So two poached eggs and a cup of coffee or two, or three.  10 came around and he showed, we stretched and then headed for the park.  A bit of rain and wind was not going to dissuade us.  1 mile there, and then around the park for 2 and 3.  It was on the third when my stomach dropped.

Note to self: Do NOT eat eggs before a run.

Next my eyes started float.

Note to self: Do NOT drink Three cups of coffee before headed out for a run.

Luckily the library in the park did have a restroom.  So I must say miles four and five, and number six were much better.  Plus it was mostly walking, since sometimes running with a friend involves much more talking than running.  But it was a nice morning.

And we did cover six miles.

I'm taking that as a win.

Brick

Sunday I did my first Brick in preparation for my Triathlon dash on April 17th.  A brick is a work out where you do all or at least a combo of the triathlon events. My workout was a 1 mile run warm up (at an 11 minute pace) on a treadmill, then I biked 6 miles (in just over 25 minutes), then swam a fast 200 yard free style, followed by an additional 400+ yards to get my body better adapted to the water.
I learned a few things:
1) I will be able to finish this Triathlon even though the swim is open water, the bike is 0.5 miles longer than what I did (with some hills) and the run is 1 mile more.
2) My arms are ubber wimpy
3) I have got to find a better swimsuit.  Something with support!

It was a good workout and actually invigorating.  Hopefully it was just the first Brick in a stack that will build me into a brick house.

Musical Inspiration:

"She's a brick----house

Mighty mighty, just lettin' it all hang out

She's a brick----house

The lady's stacked and that's a fact, 

ain't holding nothing back. 

She's a brick----house

She's the one, the only one, 

who's built like a amazon 

We're together everybody knows, 

and here's how the story goes. 

1. She knows she got everything

a woman needs to get a man, yeah. 

How can she use, the things she use

36-24-36, what a winning hand! 

2. The clothes she wears, the sexy ways, 

make an old man wish for younger days

She knows she's built and knows how to please

Sure enough to knock a man to his knees"

Fads

I never meant this blog to be about fads, but I think I may be just getting on a long run of fads.  I just finished an organic cleanse.  I didn't do the master cleanse where someone tries to live on water, lemon juice and red pepper for over a week.  What I did do was go to my local market and get a three phase, 2-week plan.  And I do have to say it was amazing how much waste my body flushed out.  But as far as how I feel?  Not much different.  I didn't loose any weight, in fact I have even gained some of the inches back after the South Beach.  So neither South Beach nor the cleanse resulted in sustainable results.
As it is lent and many believe that if you give up something you enjoy or are overly involved with, I have decided to give up the scale and the measuring tape.  This may seem like nothing of a sacrifice, but it is something I know I am spending way too much thought on, and that's just not healthy.  And this whole experience is about being healthy all the way through.  So bye, bye scale, hello mile 4.

A sickness

Yesterday,
on a Saturday,
in the middle of an afternoon,
where I didn't have anything I had to do or truly needed to do,
where I could just spend the day relaxing,
I went for a 4 mile run/walk.

I remember people saying that you can get addicted to running, but I never thought I could happen to me.  It's a sickness.  One, where my body desires to be sweaty and in pain.
But the run, despite the sickness that caused me to go for a run, was very nice.

I ran a mile to the park and then two laps around the park and back home.  While running around the park I passed other runners (going in the opposite direction of course).  But the problem with all the runners was that none of them were smiling.  On a Saturday, when the smell of spring blossoms and rain are in the air, it is a day to be smiling.  So, I for one was smiling.

And as the sprinkling of rain started,
as I ran/walked home,
I keep smiling,
even though no one was passing me to see it.

Portland Ho!

Be prepared to be SHEL Shocked!  Because on the 9th day of the 10th month of the 11th year of this century, my three sisters and myself will run and complete the Portland Marathon.
Embrace the Crazy!