oh holy..
45.83 miles
3:07:14 hours
14.7 avg. speed (sad.)
kansas is not flat.
i think i need a wheelchair.
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September 30, 2006
September 26, 2006
conversation with the newbie..
"uhhh.. AJ. you could probably take the reflectors off your bike now, you've uh.. had it for a while"
"i... the, um. huh?"
"reflectors."
"i have reflectors on my bike?!!!!" (why i was excited about this... i don't know.. because i'm 12?!)
he's standing next to my bike, points at the reflectors
"oh cool!"
"uhh.. yeah no. you don't have to keep those. you can take'em off."
"huh.
well, but i mean.... they came with the bike!! so..."
he glances at my fellow bikers. my fellow have-been-biking-for-years-bikers. they chuckle.
"yeah. you don't need reflectors."
another friend chimes in, quietly laughing...
"or lights, or training wheels.."
"a kick stand..."
i glare, giving him my best mm, yes. you're a riot look.
"okay.. well.... how do i get them off??"
he looks at me. shakes his head..
"whaaaat?!?!!! i don't know... i probably don't have that tool yet??!"
*pause*
"screwdriver AJ... use a screwdriver."
and once again... they laugh.
awesome.
*sigh*
something tells me i've got a lot of learning to do!!!
September 24, 2006
is that a... muscle?!?!
above photo.. lisa, me and ani at our college friend's (my fifth year roommate's) wedding.
and i kinda think.. that little divot in my arm?? that goes down, and then up again...
i kinda think...
well i'm not really sure, but... i kinda think i might be growing a muscle?!?!?!!!!
*woot*
oh... and ani says hi!!
September 19, 2006
buh-errrrr
alright i have to make this quick, because i'm in the middle of cleaning for my friend ani (whom some of you met in san diego) who's coming into town tomorrow for our friend's wedding..
and my place is a wreck, but...
real quick...
18.something miles... 15.8 avg pace... 5 loops around the downtown airport!
hollah. it was a rockin good time, and, as always, a learning experience...
today's lesson?!
the helmet does nothing for keeping your head warm in chilly weather. i feel as though someone should have mentioned this to me, because i.... SERIOUSLY, was cold.
resulting in a lot of sneezing and sniffling this evening so i'm not thrilled about that but.. my hammys are feeling the ride, and i call that a success.
but i'm for reals gunna have to figure out that whole biking in the cold situation, it weren't purty.
but with that, i'm outta here. as mentioned above, i've got ani (Cali Girl) into town tomorrow, dinner with the bride, hallmark girl and her tomorrow evening.. group viewing of Greys Anatomy thursday (priorities people. priorities) and wedding FRIDAY!
(yes. friday.
i know, i know... but yes. it just is.)
so, i bid you all a fabulous week and.. i'll be back this weekend to report on any and all revelry that is had between now and then! m'kay? m'kay!
goooooOOOO WEDDING SEASON!
*grin and bear it. grin and bear it. drink much wine. grin and bear it*
high fives, people. high fives!
but just to be clear...
i might not be teary-eyed, woeful or jealous. spiteful of his holy matrimony or longing for those old days of love...
bet lets get one thing straight....
THAT DON'T MEAN I AIN'T GONNA LOOK GOOD!!!
Charlotte Lace Dress, White House Black Market : $148
4" Dressy Ankle Strap with Almond Toe, Nine West : $74
some yet to be determined up-do/Mac Cosmetics genius: $50
the look on his (and lets face it..her) face when they see me for
the first time in over a year..... : priceless
oh yeah. now that will be fun!
September 15, 2006
there goes the groom
and so it arrived today.
the envelope.
the big white envelope, with the st. louis return address.
his return address... written in her handwriting.
i knew it was coming. i talked to him not a week ago about it, and i knew. he designed it himself.. as i knew he would, and asked me what i thought.
on the computer.. it was fine. good.
black and white.. clean.
san-serif and square in a very Architecty kind of way.
justified type, spaced perfectly.. no widows or rivers. perfect typeface, great use of small and uppercase lettering...
it was good. well designed. simple..
nice.
and so i of course knew it was coming.
but in the week that's gone by.. i forgot. i got back to my life, my routine, my story, and i forgot all about his...
until today.
just this evening.
"carolyn and ted K. request the honor of your presence at the marriage of her daughter jennifer lynae w. to.....
kevin michael g."
*my kevin michael g.*
and then i remembered.
its funny how something so light can feel so heavy. how seeing a thing is real, but holding it... touching it...
makes it true.
kevin and i.. Architecture Guy and i.. we were high school sweethearts. we dated for years, five years and we had a great love. a first love.
he was and is one of the most wonderful, caring, thoughtful guys i've ever known, and we remain friends, even after so much time has passed..
so the thing is...
i'm not sad.
i'm not upset, i'm not teary-eyed..
i.. don't know what i am.
i'm paused.
because this was supposed to be me.
this could have been me. years ago, we came so close. and i don't regret it, and i'm sure he doesn't regret it, and i don't wish for it now, i don't long for it, but...
i'm effected by it. now, sitting here, opening the envelope, pulling out the invitation...
i'm effected.
and i can't describe it really, but i feel like i'm... paused. i have no other word for it.
reflective maybe?! i'm not sure...
but i can't stop looking at it.
looking at it is like looking at every decision i've made in the past five years since i've been with him. each decision that's brought me to where i am now.. who i am now. and how far, how very very far i am from what i thought i wanted so many years ago.
holding onto that envelope is like holding onto a life i almost had.
and that, i would think, would make anyone pause for a moment... just to think. just to wonder...
what could have been.
what almost was..
but when i look at it, i don't cry. i don't mourn for a life almost lived... i look at it and smile. genuinely happy for *my* kevin michael g...
i smile. i mark the box to let him know i'll be attending.. alone.. and i smile.
sure, that life might have been great.. but ya know, the thing of it is?
the life i have now?!?
its even better.
and i wouldn't have it any other way.
September 14, 2006
im pooping jet fuel!
3.5 miles/36:47/avg. pace = 10:30.571
no way!??
way!
for real?
yup.
shut up!!
i know!
*sigh*
if only everyday were so ferociously fantastic!
September 09, 2006
step one: the bar
i = the greatest jumper in za verrrrld!!!!
friday, at crossfit, after 4 rounds of :: 20 squat-to-pullups and 400m rowing i....
reached the pullup bar for the first time EVAH!
typically, because of my not very tall stature, i have to use the kiddy pull-up bar.
well. for that reason, and... cuz i can't actually DO a pull-up. but. thats beside the point.
mostly its because i can't REACH the pull-up bar.
but friday, after many failed attempts, i used a bit of trickery (in the form of weighted straight arm raises and weighted squats, fooling my body into thinking i needed more oomph than normal) and, after shuffling my feet, staring down my opponent (the bar) and clearing my throat a few times
(for affect. at this point, i totally had an audience. my "short"comings are quite amusing to the crossfit clan)
i squatted down, swung my arms for momentum, jumped and..
screamed like a little girl, cuz actually grabbing onto the bar and hanging there scared the bejesus out of me, i wasn't expecting it.
but.
tah-dahhhh!!
it was utterly joy-gasmic, and i felt it warranted sharing.
step one accomplished. now all i gott do is figure out the pulling-up part of the pull-up, and i'll be money!!
September 07, 2006
giving it some thought..
so, i've been giving it some thought, and..
i think i'm ready to start training again.
training, as in running training, again, for... a race.
nothing serious, nothing out of control, maybe something like a half-ironman or so?!
WHUU! half-ironman. uhhh. no. that'd be a misprint on my end. lets try..
half m-a-r-a-t-h-o-n...! yeah. that has a better ring to it!
pffft.
half ironman.. BAH! where'd that come from?! must be something in the water...
ok, moving on.
as i take back control of my obviously crack-induced delusional fingers, what i was trying to say is..
i think i'm ready to start running again.
its september, and the leaves are just thisclose to starting to turn.. the weather's getting cooler, the air has that fall's here, even if you can't see it yet smell to it..
and.. its begging me to run.
i've been fighting the itch for a while now. i've had a few good runs.. with today's being no different. nothing long, nothing even almost remotely resembling long.. today was a timed mile and an easy jog back (mile 1 at 10:15 and mile 2 at 11:30/40-something.. thats it! and i make no apologies for the length. that was enough for me today! hell i thought i might throw up at my turn-around point.
as you all know 10:15 on a false flat ain't easy for this chick right here!)
but.. it just feels right to be out in the cool fresh air.. and now that i know what its like to run at this time of year, and that i enjoy it.. i want to get back out there, lace up, and see what i've got in me.
so.. like i said. i'm thinking i'm ready to start training again.
but...
i'm not jumping back into it all full-fledged marathon training style.
i wanna do it right this time.
so.
i need some advice.
one.. is there a half-marathon in december-ish that anyone's doing? cuz if i could get excited about a race, i could nail down this training situation..
and two.. how do i do this again?! i've completely forgot.
or maybe i never really knew.
because.. here's the thing.
i'm not the same runner i was a year ago. or even six months ago.
my body, thanks to crossfit and my new approach to nutrition (i'm in the zone, as my coach keeps telling me. and seeing results at a super-human speed... this guy knows his sh*t!).. my body is in the middle.. beginning-ish middle, mind you, of.. change. i think its getting more used to this new lifestyle, its stopped fighting me on everything and.. its goin' with it.
i think its ready to, slowly, work with me to get me where i think i'm capable of being... running wise.
but i don't want to foul it up. and i don't want to get too ambitious and burn myself out like last time. i just want a nice slow progression from omg, she calls that running? i walk faster than her! to.. omg, she calls that running?! i could probably walk faster than her!!
see the subtle difference?!
so.. i'm coming to the pros. which in my case would be... you.
y'all know my running history. you know my tendency to burn out with speed-training. my love for hill torture. my i think i can i think i can.. NO I CANT.. yes i can.. this sucks, i love it i think i can i think i can... mentality, so..
what do you suggest?!
i'm not 100% on the half.
i could settle with just getting into a schedule that has me running a few times a week and take my spinning class this summer, and continue to work on strength, and then really start training in the spring...
(although running without a reason to run would be a new thing for me! wonder how that works...)
but its up for debate.
and because there aint nah-body in my "real" life that would even pretend to enjoy discussing the matter.. i come to my Running Blog Family for help.
gimme your thoughts, if you have any, and maybe with your help i can sort out a plan!!
September 06, 2006
the trip... bo(u)lder style.
ok seriously, i can't say this enough.. i had SO. MUCH. FUN!
however. the trip itself did not start off on the greatest of foots. feet. on the right foot. (?! i speak good english!!!...)
my flight was scheduled to leave KC at 7:00pm.... unfortunately Zeus, the testy SOB god of weather that he is, soooo had other plans.
after a few frazzled calls to Bold.. J.Lee... my mom... texting pretty much everyone i know... attempting to make eyes at a cute boy a few seats away and leaving/entering/leaving/entering the security area for refreshments/magazines/a reason to stretch my legs (those familiar with KCI know what i mean)... my flight finally departed.
at 10:35pm.
not. pleased.
but alas, i did arrive in denver... eventually.. bright eyed and bushy tailed.
after a somewhat rather confusing state of hmm. so he said he'd be in front of the fountain... white shirt, green square.. white shirt, green.... is that? ... no way. is... is that him?!?!.. i found bold, we did the lets hug and pretend its not weird that we just met in real life but i'm totally staying with you at your house please don't turn out to be a crazy person with fangs and a tail, m'kay?!?! thing, grabbed luggage and were on our way!
the trip from the denver airport to boulder flew by as Bold and i chatted away and before i knew it, we had arrived at the infamous HABC.
and people?! he ain't kidding... this place is NICE! nice and supremely in need of some ART ON THE WALLS!!! (hee hee. hi Bold!) but a totally fun cross between a loft and a townhome. i = lurv.
at this point though it was fast approaching 1am and so.. we were to bed.
the following morning, after some miscommunication about what time either of us would be up and at'em, cuz we rock like that, it was time for... FOOD!
i was starvin marvin. after a small salad to serve as dinner (my bad), a delayed flight and long trip from KC to Denver, i was... we were, deep in the throws of FAMINE. and so we gorged ourselves on food.
in what would quickly become a theme of the trip... feast or famine. nothing in moderation.
after some digestion and a quick change of clothes, we set off for our Celebrity Hike.
now, most of you have probably read a bit about our CH over in bold's neck of the woods. HOWEVER!!!! what he DIDNT tell you was...
yes. okay. i am a hiking stud. i rule the land of everything hiking ever. anywhere.
this comes as no shock.
*wink*
HOWEVER.
people... our hike up mt. Sanitas wasn't just a hike. it was an ass whooping of grand proportion. and no, no. i don't mean the can of said ass i handed boulder. i mean by the scarily leathered, ridiculously in shape elderly population of the area.
i was almost frightened. besides the more than likely hungover college students, the dogs, the pregnant women.. all of whom appeared and disappeared, leaving us in their dust... there was a 90 year old great-grandma type, in a sundress and bonnet that came from behind, passed and proceeded onward so fast we barely knew what hit us.
it was outta control. and a little embarrassing.
(we've already made plans to PR that sh*t next time though. no worries!)
by the time we came round the other side of the loop, took a few look at me! i'm hiding behind a rock in the middle of a field type photos, it was, once again, past time for lunch.
after heading back to the HABC, quick showers, and more of -- omg if i don't eat soon i think i'll gnaw my arm off --
we headed down to Boulder's Pearl Street to play the what do you want to eat?! ...oh i dunno. what are you in the mood for?!... gosh, i don't really have a preference.... OMG ITS FREEZING OUTSIDE LETS PICK AND JUST GET ON WITH IT MAN! game. naturally.
it was good times.
lunch was delicious and for the second time i trumped Bold in the art of ordering delicious food (bold suffers from food envy. the cat's outta the bag).. and gorged myself, once again, on a highly caloric, supremely yummy meal.
go me. go food. go Bold for his "hey, lets try this great Tapas place" suggestion. go yummy restaurants!
afterwards the weather took a bit of a freezing cold-going to rain-turn so we hobnobbed around town, bought me my very first, very official, very triathlon-tastic Bento Box (although not that brand. as Bold metrosexually pointed out, this other one has a cooler logo!!) and headed back to the house for some quality- relax in front of the huge tv on the comfy leather sofa watch a movie and laugh so loud you startle Bold - time.
right on.
as the evening quickly approached, the rain continued to pour and our stomachs began their song and dance routine of feed me you *#$&%! -- it was decision time. whats for dinner?!
how about we order in!?!
great idea right?!
except... bold's never DONE THAT!!!!! because.. i don't know why.
i'm blaming it on his canadianism.
so we did the next best thing... Take 'n Bake!!!
some take n bake pizza, wine and bold's first tatse of ben and jerrys later.. (seriously, this dude's gotta get out more!!).. and we found ourselves out on the porch, watching it rain, and chatting about life, triathlon, and all the fun ways we could conspire to rule the world.
it was a very productive meal!
soon there after it was time for g'nights to be followed with a morning full of packing, raceAthlete website tinkering (check out our sponsors, by the way. i know y'all've all heard about team.raceAthlete by now... we've allowed for easy access to all of the amazing companies helping kick this thing off on the site) and a quick drive into boulder for brunch with J.Lee.
all in all, my time with the boldmeister himself couldn't have been better.
Boulder is an amazing town, and with my new-found real live person friend Bold, i plan on returning first chance i get!
i'm thinking... ski season.
who's with me?!
September 05, 2006
pics up!
*yawn*
i'm a tired girl.
however, as promised, pics are up.
i sort of might have gone over-board with the "hey i'm drunk lets take another picture" type photos, but.. i had such a good time.
so above is me and J.Lee... um. not sober. and then me and Bold... after having stuffed our faces yet again at breakfast with J.Lee and her son.
click here for more photos.. to include
me touching rocks.
me kissing girls.
bold making pizza.
j.lee scoring a plateful of free fries from the dude at the next table.
me hiding in a field behind a rock (???!?!??!?!?!?!??! why? i dunno. because i'm me.)
and...
bold doing dishes.
go on.
click it
you know you want to!
mini-vacay recap to follow in the next day(s).. i'm exhausted. and i've got about 347,984,182 calories to burn off. vacation does nothing for the diet!!
i'm back!!
and at work.
how much does that suck?! my flight got in at 10:20... an hour later i'm eating at my desk, avoiding work and checking blogs...
*ahhhh* its good to be back! ;)
anyway, i just wanted to give a quick shout out to Bold, J. Lee and Rover for the fantastic, highly entertaining and really REALLY expensive (omg SNIAGRAB was pretty much the end of my bank account this month. yowch.) weekend. y'all were too much fun.
pictures and a weekend re-cap to come shortly!! (as in once i get home...so my boss doesn't start throwing things at me in an attempt to inspire work production... )
i hope you all had a great labor day weekend... i know i did!!!