I'm still not consistent about posting, but I'm getting better about running. Go me!

I managed to leave my iPod at home tonight so I couldn't officially track my 2 mile run through Nike+. I did add it to the BTT tracker, but it won't count in my challenges. That's a shame. Every slow mile that I slug through should count, I think.

My laptop battery is almost drained. It's late, and I'm tired. There's not much to say except that I'm still enjoying running. Yoga took a backseat this week to work, which is crazy. I did manage to get in some cross-training on the elliptical trainer. I think I'm almost ready to try spinning again or possibly, just maybe, swimming.

Then again, maybe I'll just stick to running and whatever you call what I do on the elliptical machine. Swimming seems like too much mental effort, or I could just be a wuss.

Yoga rocks.

Went to a fantastic 60 minute class mid-day. I was a bit sore from this week's running and in need of relaxation and stretching, and the class did not disappoint. Lots of static positions, a whole bunch of stretching, and even some visualization thrown in there for good measure. I so enjoy it when the instructor doesn't just approach yoga as an athletic endeavor, but one for the mind, body, and soul.

So what do I do when I feel all rejuvenated and inspired? I rush home after work, feed the kiddos a quick dinner, pile them into the car, and go to Bally's where I proceeded to spend 20 minutes on the StairMaster (not the stepper but the actual stair-climbing torture device) and then 40 minutes on the elliptical machine. It just feels so good to be active again. I know I still have a long way to go, but this is so much better than the whole couch-potato image I was sporting.

yuck. That visual was just icky, wasn't it?

The weight loss effort is going well. I'm down about 15lbs. R E A L L Y S L O W P R O G R E SS but I am happy that the scale is moving in the right direction. It could be a lot worse if I wasn't losing, or gaining. I think it's helpful that I'm attempting to make better choices about food. Instead of just starving myself and then binging on crap, I'm probably half starving myself and then eating healthy foods. It's a start, right?

Occasionally I feel a panic attack coming on when I think about 26.2 miles. At this point, 5 miles seems like a killer. 10 is a "holy shit, how will I do that?!" moment. 26.2????

I am SO going to do this. Not only am I determined, but I'm also excited. I really can't wait! The weight loss will be a perk, not to mention that it will make it easier to finish the run, but beyond that, just running this marathon will be such an accomplishment.

Sometimes I wonder how a few select people make it through the day without just keeling over from the sheer magnitude of the combination of ignorance and ego. And then I come home and run and feel a bit better. Thank goodness I have Friday off.

The more I run, the more I realize that running is beginning to provide me with the sense of calm I've needed for a while. I still have a long way to go towards finding peace, seeking joy, and all that kum-bah-yah crap, but I'm enjoying the journey.

Tonight's run felt good; I felt stronger than I have in ages. The reasoning behind it is a mystery to me, but I'm appreciative nonetheless. I'm looking forward to Saturday's run with Tina and the other KatyFit'ers.

Tomorrow I'll try to make it to a mid-day yoga class, but the work may get out of control. I think I should rename "yoga" to "physical therapy". It is, after all, the prescribed route for physio-ing my shoulder injury so it's not entirely untrue. Besides, they have the BEST yummy salads I can bring back for lunch.

The kids had so much fun at Bally's the other night that I'll try and make time to get up there after work with them. I hope to get in some cardio that evening, even if it's just elliptical training or the stair machine. It wouldn't kill me to do some resistance training, but I'm still hesitant about my shoulder. Think I'll stick with yoga for a bit until I know my arm isn't going to go all painful on me again.

I suppose that's it for now. It's time to see if I can convince Nicholas to get back in bed. The kid just doesn't require any sleep. I don't know how he does it!

Toodles!

I still love running.

It's still kicking my tail. Tonight was surprisingly easy given that I spent last week in Chicago doing nothing but working, eating & having my limit of 1-2 glasses of red wine per evening. I'm lucky I didn't gain 10 lbs.

Saturday's run is schedule to begin earlier to accommodate the heat and increasingly longer distances. Fortunately, I'm still not going that long. I'll get there, but not quite yet.

I'm sort of excited about going this week because it looks like Joel might go with me. He put forth a half-hearted effort once before when I tried to get him involved in what I enjoyed, but that's all become clear in the past few months as to why he never really gave it a shot. Now that we're moving beyond those problems, I hope he can find enjoyment in the things I like, as I'm trying to do the same for him.

We'll see. I am looking forward to seeing how this all turns out.