In other news....

I went to visit a shared commercial kitchen space today...

What's my motivation?

Oh man, 1 month and 16 days. I've been struggling lately, and my quote over there on the right (with the heading "The Truth") is suddenly ringing true. Due to the wedding festivities over the weekend (and my cookies I did for them) I did not get a single run in. I'm home for the next two weeks with the girls before school starts. Next up? Long run tomorrow. 16 miles. Just gotta get it done!


This is the cookie, although the finished product was just a teeny bit different:

quietly. freaking. out.

Just got an inquiry about 2000 cookies. Want them TWO DAYS after the half marathon. (and two days before I leave for a brief NYC vacation.)

YIKES. what to do, what to do?

This blog sucks....and other less obvious things going on...

Hola! I'm still here, barely doing anything other than stuffing my face. But today marked something just short of miraculous. I actually ran TWO DAYS IN A ROW. And today I threw caution to the wind and ran 4 miles even though I probably wasn't quite ready for that. Whatever, I have a half marathon to run in like 6 or 7 weeks, SHEESH! Gotta ramp it up. I've shitted around long enough.

I'm feeling good, watching my intake and actually eating a good amount of protein, which i've never done much of, so hooray for me. ANd in all my cookie backing today (8 dozen to be exact), I managed to eat only 2.

I will try to write more and attempt to be more entertaining, but I make no promises.

Goals this week:
1. Run 3 to 4 times, including a 6 mile long run on the weekend.
2. Get gym membership activated to begin my cross-training two days per week.
3. Continue watching balance between carbs and protein. Protein is my friend! (and milk ain't half bad with a little protein powder in what would otherwise be a dreadful, milkbreathish experience.)

toodles, friends.

Run #85: 15 days and 885 cookies later

Date: September 29 at 5:40am
Place: treadmill
Mileage: 2 miles, plus 1/4 mile warmup and 1/4 mile cooldown
Time It Took: 23:49 for the run part; 4:18-warmup 4:06-cooldown (and yes, I'm counting the mileage towards my goal which I probably won't reach anyway.)
Pace: 11:54
Miles this week: 2/running and .5/walking
Miles this month: 24.1 + .5 = 24.6
2008 Goal: 488.97

Thoughts/Comments: Are you crazy? 2 weeks and no running? I mean, ok, I'm not running the marathon, but I AM supposed to be there to support Lou and will be running the last 8 or 10 miles with her...but I can't be all weak and unready while she needs me to be strong, right?

So the louder my legs protested and the louder my inner self ridiculed me, the louder I turned up my iPod. Didn't stop once. And just like that? Back on track. I felt pretty good.

As for the post title, yes, I had cookie orders totalling 885 cookies, which is why I've been ghost on this blog and not running at all. It has literally taken up all of my free time and included to all nighters IN A ROW to get them done. From the baking to decorating to labeling individual bags...I've seen enough cookies to last me a lifetime. Also, I've got my website up and running and almost ready to take orders ONLINE....so exciting. I will pass on the link very soon.

To those sweethearts who will still have me, and have commented on my blog with nothing in response, THANK YOU and I will be visiting your blogs TODAY.

Run #83 GASP, two midweek runs?

Date: September 11 at 5:30am
Place: home on the treadmill (why is that room so HUMID?! UGH!)
Mileage: 3
Time It Took: 35:38
Pace: 11:52....I'll take it
Mileage this week: 6
Miles this month: 9
2008 Goal: 473.27/1000

Thoughts/Comments: What's worse than running on a treadmill in a humid room at 5:30 in the morning? Running on a treadmill in a humid room at 5:30 in the morning WITH NO IPOD! (needed charging.) And what's worse than THAT???

(If you're easily grossed out, stop reading...)

Ok, so I set my clothes out the night before, where are those pants? Dangit. Dare I go back up the creeky stairs and more than likely wake up the world's lightest sleeper known as Zoe. Out of the corner of my eye I spied the laundry basket.,.with MONDAY'S running clothes in it. And in my mind it was my surest option of getting in that much needed run. So I put on my stinky running shorts. Still, some 3 days later, WET. Eeeeeeew, nasty. Disgusting. But Zoe didn't wake up and dangit, I met my goal of keeping my legs moving before my date with the unknown....the Chicago Half Marathon. It's not unknown in not ever having done the race--or the distance...it's an unknown with the extreme lack of training and poor preparation.

I've found in running you sometimes do crazy things that you wouldn't normally do...drink from a water fountain on the lakefront path b/c it's hot as hades, you're out of water and who cares if that dog just left from getting his water-lapping on (Yes, I've done this). Now I will add "wearing 3-day old nasty stinky running clothes" to the crazy things I wouldn't normally do. Please be assured that I would never, EVER do this while running outside or with people...offensive odors before you've broken a sweat, (clothes, morning breath, et al) are absolutely unnacceptable. I mean, runners, am I right or am I right? Help me out here!

Anyway, carry on friends! I've got a busy weekend and upcoming week. I'm baking/decorating 500 cookies (yes, you read that right) for an event next week. from now through the end of the month, I will have baked and decorated 870 cookies in cookie orders. YIKES x 3.

If you're looking for inspiration, don't stop here

This quote keeps playing over in my mind, as swiped from RBR's blog:

"...In the end, people either have excuses or experiences; reasons or results; buts or brilliance. They either have what they wanted or they have a detailed list of all the rational reasons why not."~ Anonymous (taken from Matt Erbele's, It Takes Time to Get Good)

So right now, some 900 or so people are running the Half Madness half marathon in Batavia, IL in the far west suburbs of Chicago. I am not one of them. Why? Here's my "detailed list of all the raional reasons why not", a list that grew in my head throughout the day:

1. I'm not ready. I have hardly run this week and my longest run of 10 miles was 2 weeks ago.

2. Knee still not 100%. It's wayyyyy better, but not 100%.

3. Worried about pace. This is a small race and small races tend to attract faster runners wth very few "penguins". Course closes in 3 hours. (My pace is 2:37-ish, but that's assuming no walking breaks...and i have NOT been hitting that pace with my longer runs.

4. Unfamiliar course, and running "alone".

5. Ugh. Have to pack up my clothes, the girls clothes and drive 50 miles to stay overnight at my parents.

6. Running a much more comfortable race, one I've run, starting line 2 miles from home, running buddy Lou is running with me, running buddy Meg cheering us on and meeting us for breakfast afterwards, running with some 15,000 other people, no worries of the course shutting down before I finish.

So these are how the thoughts added up in my head yesterday in the late afternoon as I sat at yet another baby shower unscrambling baby words and chatting with good friends from my college years.

Instead I came home and obsessed about Hurricane Gustav, "Decision 2008" (switching between MSNBC, the Weather Channel and CNN, all of which were covering both.) And then I made some cookies to attempt some new designs. And no, I didn't eat any.

So anyway, if you're looking here for inspiration, don't stop here.

Run #78 Remember?

Date/Time: August 24 at about 8:30am
Place: Treadmill in my ultra-stuffy exercise room
Mileage: 2 miles
Time it took: 23:49
Pace: 11:54
MIles this week: 6.01
Miles this month: 32.01
2008 Goal: 455.10/1000

Thoughts/Comments: Hey you! Remember you're still trying to complete this training for the marathon again, right? What a week! After my Tuesday run, work was busy with a trip to South Bend, finishing up a proposal for a big project that if we land it, it'll be awesome, preparing for another RFP interview that's taking place this week, etc... Then along with my mother/sister-in-law, I was getting everything ready for my younger sister-in-law's baby shower. I did all the games, ordered/picked up the cake, and did 40 cookie favors, in the shape of onesies. (Tried to post a picture but to no avail.) On top of that, Friday was the girls last day at their daycare that they've been at for two years, so I made a dozen cookies for each of their classroom teachers (total of 4).

This upcoming week is going to be just as crazy, including the RFP interview, a work trip to Dubuque, and staying at home with the cherubs for 3 days (Mon, Thur, Fri), getting them ready for the new school year and their new school/daycare. Sooooo...since Saturday morning I was busy finishing up for the baby shower, and I knew I'd be too tired to run Sunday, I opted to do my long run for Monday morning. The girls and I didn't even get home last night til almost 11pm. This morning I slept in til after 8am...UNHEARD OF! Then I decided to run at least 2 miles on the treadmill so that my legs don't die of shock tomorrow morning. Tomorrow morning I will run my 12 miles. For the remainder of my week, I will do the following: Thursday 3 miles; Friday 3 miles; Sunday my half marathon.

This evening I ran out to go pick something up at Walgreen's. As I exited the store, I had this strange feeling, I was all like "what is THAT? A CHILL?" BRING ON FALL, I SAY!!!!!!! Tomorrow morning it's supposed to be like in the upper 50's or low 60's. SWEET. Joey put the girls in bed tonight, and I think he must have fallen asleep up there. Ah, peace and quiet! A few minutes ago, I had to turn off the ceiling fan. Nice! And now, it's just me, my laptop, and the Lifetime Movie Network. Ah, the simple pleasures.

p.s. As i sit and type, I"m icing my knee. This morning I figured why bother, it was JUST a 2 mile run...and then my knee was kinda sore all day.