Three Things Thursday

I’m looking forward to getting back to regular double digit long runs. Last weekend I ran 10 miles. I use the term “ran” loosely. It was a slow slog after about 6 miles but I made it. During the course of my 2+ hours on the roads I experienced HAIL (which hurts when it’s slamming you in the face), drizzle, a couple of downpours and a couple of breaks in the clouds where the glorious, glorious sun warmed my face. Afterwards, once the feelings of being slow and out of shape went away, I felt fantastic. There really isn’t anything like a long run (bike or swim) to put one in a good mood. I’m still struggling to find my weekly groove but I’m working on it. Last week I hit 18 miles for the week and this week I’m aiming for 20+--I’d really like to get myself up to comfortably running around 30 miles per week---I think that’s my happy zone. I feel challenged but also have time for other activities. However, sometime in 2011 I would like to have a new weekly mileage PR (currently it’s 37, unless you count Goofy which was 39.3—yes, the week of Goofy I only ran that weekend).

I’m sitting on a ball chair at work. I’ve always struggled fitting in core exercises and I know my core could the work. I did some research and borrowed a co-workers chair and ended up with this one (link). I’ll admit it looks a little silly but I definitely think it is working. On day 1 I lasted until 2:00pm and then reverted back to my old chair because my abs and low back were burning. Baby steps.

I am OVER the clouds and lack of sun. The incessant gray has really got me in a funk. I’ve been taking Vitamin D now for over 60 days and I don’t think its helping. I NEED to see the sun for days on end and have it beat down on my face warming me inside and out. I have come a long way on my thoughts about Oregon but the weather is NOT and never will be one of the things I like. I wish I could spend June – September here in the NW with nights that stay light past 9:00pm and pretty fall colors…then, October –May I’ll go live in SoCal or Hawaii or somewhere nicer than here.

WINNERS of the SONY Walkman Giveaway

First the…Winners of the SONY Walkman giveaway.



Elisabeth from Running at the Speed of Me
True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 9 Powered by RANDOM.ORG
(I couldn't figure out how to copy  over the box, like it shows on their website)



Fancy Nancy from Living the Dream
True Random Number Generator Min: Max: Result: 1 Powered by RANDOM.ORG
(Again, couldn't figure out how to copy over the box, like it shows on their website)



Winners please email me at ambitiousalisa(at)gmail(dot)com.




This week has been going relatively well though, I am STILL battling this cough/cold!  I swear I've had this for a month!!!!!!!!!!  Despite still being sniffly in the mornings and cough-y in the evenings, I managed to run on Tuesday and Wednesday, I went climbing for the first time with Jen and Zach and I got in a solid hour on the trainer last night while watching GLEE season 2. (Yes, I’m behind on all my TV, we don’t have cable or a DVR and I can’t stand commercials so I’m all about Netflix, even if it means I’m always a season or two behind.)

I’ve got a few more workouts of the schedule for the weekend---hooray! I really feel like I’m on my way to smashing March Goals! I’m already thinking about what I want April goals to look like, hehe. Happy Friday everyone---let’s all think warm, sunny, happy thoughts for those of us who haven’t seen the sun in awhile.

What are YOU doing this weekend??

Signs of SPRING!

Despite the weather forecast for Portland showing lots of RAIN this time of year there are signs of spring. On all the days I can, meaning those that aren’t full of afternoon meetings, I use my lunch break to go for a walk. My work is in an area I don’t know very well but am getting to know. About three-ish blocks from my work I’m in a neighborhood. A quiet, well kept neighborhood. I walk through the quiet streets dreaming about all the fun things I want to do in my yard and admire some of the expensive homes I’ll never be able to afford. All around, I keep my eyes open for signs of spring. They do exist!

There are bushes blooming (Amy—goddess of all things gardening and domestic, what are these lovely blooming bushes?):

And trees budding and blooming (I think these are some type of cherry tree, maybe?? Amy—help?):

Flowers sprouting (daffodils, crocuses and tulip sprouts):

I’ve found these lunchtime walks are a great mood boost and recharge me for an afternoon of office life. I’ve used my lunch break to go running as well but find sometimes it’s too stressful to try to get into the locker room, change, run, shower (I know this is optional for some lunchtime runners) and get back to my desk within an hour (or roughly an hour). Walking only requires me to change my shoes (grab the umbrella) and head out the door.

Last weekend while my Dad was in town we went out the wineries and were treated with partly sunny skies!  It was a great day of wine tasting and chatting.

Winery dog!  Every winery we went to had a furry friendly greeter.

New trees planted and a bird house.

A couple of the wineries were selling fresh chicken eggs and some were raising chicks.

This morning I came into to find an extra special treat…a view of the surrounding mountains…Mt St Helens to the northeast and Mt Hood to the East. I’m an ocean gal but sometimes the mountains are breathtaking.

Mt Hood

Mt St. Helens

What are the signs of spring in your neck of the woods? Are you still buried in old man winter or are there signs of relief? I know some people prefer the winter but I’m a summer, sunshine girl---I’d do perfectly fine with 75-95 degree sunny days all year round.


Still time to enter my Sony Walkman Giveaway!

SONY Walkman MP3 Player Review and GIVEAWAY

First, how awesome is it that the term “walkman” is making a comeback?  Member those bulky tape players we all used to have?  Then, came the CD players that would skip on the treadmill?  Well, those are a thing of the past, the walkman, has a new look!

 I was sent a Sony Walkman MP3 player for review a couple weeks back. I’ll be honest; I let it sit in the package for awhile because I was nervous about trying a new technology. I am NOT technically savvy—if something goes wrong on my computer/phone/printer/etc my first instinct is to turn it off and turn it back on---if that doesn’t solve the problem, I’m at a loss. Also, I’m pretty loyal to my iPod shuffle or my iPhone for music—I haven’t used any other device in years. Finally, I opened the package and got started reading the instructions for set up.

The Set Up:


To my delight, the set up was a breeze! I plugged it into my computer via USB cable and voila it popped up on my screen. I had to do a couple of installations/set up things—exactly of what, I’m not sure (member, not technically savvy). After that finished a small screen popped up that said something like “add songs.” I found my music folders (which honestly took more time than the entire walkman setup) and started dragging and dropping songs into the pop up screen. It was SUPER easy.


Comfort:


I have a hard time keeping ear buds in my ears for some reason my ears like to reject them. I changed out the medium size bud for the small and they fit nicely. I was worried about whether this device would be bouncy but it wasn’t at all, I barely noticed it. Everything stayed secure and fit nicely under my pony tail. Another nice thing was the lack of cords hanging all over the place. I always struggle with where to stuff cords.


Sound:


I have pretty cheap headphones for my iPod/iPhone. In fact, I think I bought them from a rite aid once on my way to a long run after realizing I forgot mine at home. That’s an element of the Sony I really liked, not having to worry about headphones! The sound was really clear and did a good job of blocking out the background noise. One element I did not like was the fact that I can’t take out an ear bud. Often times, especially running on the streets, I’ll only wear one ear bud. With the Sony, you need to have both ear buds in your ears to keep the Walkman in place.


Storing:


To turn the Sony off you simply connect the two ear parts together. This isn’t a big issue but I usually put my iPod in my gym bag or purse. With this device I was worried that every time I put it in my purse the ears would come disconnected and I would be out of battery when I actually wanted to use the device. I’m sure I could work out a system where this wouldn’t be an issue but I did find it mildly irritating.


Overall Impressions:


I liked the Sony Walkman MP3. The sound was good, there weren’t any cords hanging about, it’s water resistant which is a MUST for anyone living in the PacNW, it stayed in place and was easy to control. Its pluses certainly outweighed the few negatives. Do I think I’ll replace my iPod shuffle, probably not, especially when I want the option of only listening to one ear bud BUT this is going to be great for the gym---especially lifting weights since I won’t have to worry about getting the headphone cords tangled. The price is comparable to the iPod shuffle coming in at $60 retail. Overall, I will definitely be using the Sony Walkman and will love the lack of cords while I’m using it!

Giveaway!

For you lucky readers, I’m giving away TWO Sony Walkman’s. Here’s what you have to do to enter. Leave ONE comment that answers the following questions (1 entry per question answered):


1. What’s your current favorite running song?


2. What music device do you currently use?


3. All time favorite movie song? (For those of you that have been readers of this blog for awhile you know I love to throw in movie questions related to my giveaways.)


Contest will end at midnight (pacific time) on March 24th, winners announced March 25th.


For those of you that don’t win the giveaway, have no fear, there is swag for everyone. Here is a link good for the SONY Walkman at $48.99 (instead of the retail price of $60.00) !


**Disclaimer: I was sent this product free of charge for my review.**

Spendin' G's

I did it, I registered for some races.



Avenue of the Vines Half Marathon (in CA) May 15th (This one even surprised me! I was already going to be in Sac for the weekend so I checked the local race calendar and saw that this race was going on that weekend and I couldn’t resist. This was my FIRST half marathon (also, Mr, Pi’s and Kristen’s—we did this race together back in 2007). This was my PW for a long time until Goofy happened. At the very least I know I’ll be getting a course PR.)


Blue Lake Sprint Tri June 11th


Foot Traffic Flat Half Marathon July 4th


MidSummer Olympic Triathlon July 31st


I am really excited to have stuff on my race calendar again, it’s been so long.  I also think having some goal races will help me suck it up and train through the gray dreary days that often are spring here in the NW. I've even got my eye on a couple other events but decided not to register quite yet--when I do I'll surely make an announcement!


As I mentioned before I’m on a new plan which I just modified to be less ambitious since I wasn’t hitting all the prescribed workouts and I don’t need to be on a full tri plan yet. Instead, I’ve modified it to accommodate the newly added half marathon in May. I’m also trying to get my new co-worker, who just did her first 5k, to sign up for another one that I’d run with her. I love helping people get new PR’s—since most of my runner friends are faster than me, it is rare that I can help someone else achieve their goal.


I’ve encountered some hiccups, mainly in the form of a nagging cough/cold that has left me TWICE couch ridden on a Saturday with a fever and the whole nine yards of feeling icky. I’m (hopefully) rallying this week trying to get lots of sleep, drink lots of fluids and generally take care of myself. With the wonder of modern technology, I have self diagnosed myself on WebMD with a myriad of conditions ranging from the common cold to a rare lung diseases involving a nagging cough. I’m hopeful that the cough will be completely gone by this weekend but we shall see.


I’m slowly adding tabs to the blog (see above) and will eventually do a blog re-design with new fun pictures, etc. All in good time.


I mentioned in my last post a GIVEAWAY. Look for the announcement tomorrow. Let’s just say, if you didn’t win from Aron or Steve, you have another shot!

Three Things Thursday

I hardly ever do Three Things Thursday posts but I thought it was fitting for this week:



1. I’m back on a plan and am loving it. I think the plan is a bit ambitious but honestly, I don’t think I know how to create plans that aren’t ambitious. I might scale back some of the workouts in the next few weeks to have a slower build up. I’ve been battling a nagging cough/cold this week but am still managing to get in most of my workouts (even a couple in the morning!).   I've also been using thedailyplate again---its been helping me make smarter choices and helping me to eat enough but not too much.  I think I'm on my way to kicking March goals in the ass.


2. I feel like I’m finally settling into my new job and schedule. I was able to modify my hours slightly to accommodate my morning-ness which is great. I’m feeling more confident at work and have received some compliments in the past couple of weeks which has been a HUGE boost.


3. Mr. Pi and I started some seeds for our summer garden---tomatoes, broccoli and beets. We also bought strawberries and have planted them in hanging baskets that we’ll be hanging along our awesome porch. Planning out our garden and buying hanging baskets for our porch makes me long for summer. Longer, sunnier days are right around the corner right?! I have a list of all the fun outdoor projects I can’t wait to do. We have hop plants to plant. I want to plant lilies (b/c I love them). There is weeding to do and planter boxes to buy and fill with the other yummy berry goodness. Please, please, please be sunny this weekend so I can spend time in my yard. (That’s not too much to ask, is it?)



Look for a fun giveaway coming up next week!

Bandwagon

(A) Age: 28



(B) Bed Size: KING, love me some space.


(C) Chore You Really Dislike: Taking out the trash or picking my clothes up off the floor--it's a tie.


(D) Dogs: A super cute Beagle named ZOEY—those of you that have been reading have seen lots of pictures of her.


(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: Grande Pikes from the ‘buck


(F) Favorite Color: Depends, but I suppose blue


(G) Gold or Silver? White gold


(H) Height: 5'11’’


(I) Instruments You Play: I’m musically challenged, sorry mom! (she’s a retired music teacher and a very talented musician)


(J) Job Title: Government Affairs Representative


(K) Kids: No thanks.


(L) Live: Portland, OR land of the perpetual gray skies and drizzle (please let there be some sunshine this weekend)


(M) Mom's Name: Margy


(N) Nicknames: My dad calls me “little one” which is funny b/c I have about 2 inches and 20 lbs on him


(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? Nope.


(P) Pet Peeve: There are far too many but one that has recently been bothersome is having to be in elevators with people that smoke or people that wear too much fragrance (both the smoke and the fragrance STINK)


(Q) Quote from a Movie: "nobody puts baby in the corner” or, just for Mr. Pi “I want my two dollars.”


(R) Right or Left Handed? Right


(S) Siblings: Nope, I’m an only!


(T) Time You Wake Up? IF I can get my ass up for a morning workout 5:00 (anyone want to start an early morning texting routine? I find that if I have to respond to someone, I get up b/c I don’t want to let them down), if not, 6:24 (yes the alarm is set for 6:24)


(U) Underwear: Victoria secret all the way


(V) Vegetable You Dislike: olives (except for the occasional kalamata)


(W) What Makes You Run Late: Other people---I really HATE being late, it makes me very anxious.


(X) X-Rays: hand/wrist, foot, hip, teeth---I think that’s it.


(Y) Yummy Food You Make: recently I’ve been loving tofu stir fry and I made a kickass healthy Mexican casserole on Sunday---mmmmmmm


(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Giraffes!

Running Through Winter + March Goals

Apparently a winter storm makes me run MORE. Yes, last week Portland had its one and only dusting of snow for 2010 (see A tale of Portland Winter). I ran more miles last week than I have since the Goofy Challenge. This is actually quite funny to me…mostly because I’m a tank top and shorts type of runner. I despise running with lots of layers and I don’t really like to breathe in the cold air. Nevertheless, I was out there running 4 times for a total of…drum roll…18 miles. Yes, that’s the farthest I’ve gone in a week since Goofy. I even did a trail run! Yup, trail run in the snow with Mr. Pi. It was actually quite fantastic, I even managed to a keep a decent trail pace for most of the run. The only not fun part was when I dropped my car key in the snow and didn’t realize I’d dropped it til about a mile later and I had to run back and HOPE to find the key in the forest. I don’t know how but I found it!

Starting at Saltman Road off Skyline Blvd

 Saltzman Road

 Wildwood!

Snowy forest where I found my car key!

Also, since it’s the start of a new month and since I’ve been goal-less since Goofy I decided it’s high time for me to set some goals. Here we go with March Goals:

1. Register for some races (yup, it is on! I have a list and I’m going to start plunking down some moo-lah)

2. Create a schedule (see #1—if I’m going to be out there racing, I’m going to need a training schedule)

3. Read 2 books this month (I’ll find out the next book club choice next week so whatever that book is + one other)

4. Have an awesome weekend with my Dad when he comes to visit (I have to put something on this list that I know will be a smashing success!)

5. Start using dailyplate again (yup, this is a “lose weight” in disguise goal—though, it’s not about losing weight necessarily but about feeling healthier and less squishy. My post-Goofy, sloth-ness needs to be curbed.)