Little Miss Runner Pants

well folks, this is it.

i for REAL have to move tonight. my lease is up as of midnight today and against all odds, i've found a place to live!

a house maybe? a new abode to rent?!

HECK NO!! i live in limbo.. why would i search for an actual place of residence when instead i can store my life in a box and chill out at a friends?!

its brilliant... I KNOW!!

so.. until i figure out what sort of internet situation Hallmark Girl's got goin' on at her place.. i'm out for the next few days. so with that..

i leave you with this.... (basically.. an update i wrote to a friend who after hearing it insisted i should share with ze verld. she made a good point that.. maybe i'm not the only one out there that felt/feels what i did, and.. its time to share!

it's not entertaining though, so read on if you dare.)

here's what's up.

about a month+ ago i started getting really depressed. i was lethargic all the time, i was in a bad mood, i was tired, and was making NO headway fitness-wise. (i.e. my weight-loss didn't just plateau, i started gaining again. and all those pull-ups and push-ups i used to be able to do?

not anymore. i wasn't just frustrated..i was having trouble with finding energy to care.)

at about this time a doctor at my crossfit gym offered to have me come in so she could do a full body scan. basically tell me whats up with my hydration, body fat, metabolism... the works.

basically she found
1.) she thinks i'm over-trained (or more likely under-recovered)
2.) my body is stressed, and has been for such a long time, that my hormones are effed and are no longer breaking down fat cells. hence working out all the time, eating right, but getting no where
3.) i don't get enough fat in my diet, or protein, and because i eat so much fruit.. i get too many carbs.

and wtf..i eat too much fruit!?! i didn't even know you could do that.

4.) she thinks i'm hypoglycemic, which.. okay. and..
5.) my basal metabolic rate is somewhere around 1300 calories... so on days i'm working out really hard (at the time... almost everyday).. i wasn't eating enough.

unfortunately we didn't really talk about how to FIX it, outside of a diet change, so i walked away pretty much hearing THIS:

"all the work you've been doing for the last 6 months has, in essence, set you back 6 months. you've pushed yourself too hard, and now your body is giving you the big middle finger and you're screwed.

oh, and that diet that you've been trying to stick to? its totally wrong for you"

i was crushed. i felt so defeated. like.. wow. okay. all that work for nothing??? REALLY!??!?!

good @%$#-ing times.

after some-what pulling myself together i talked to some friends and we decided i need some time off. what it boiled down to was...

two weeks -- recover.
eat more fat, more protein.. basically eat MORE.
start training in a cyclical manner so my body's constantly being challenged in NEW ways.

not just MORE of the old ways.

so... two weeks ended yesterday. and after the inital omg i feel like a cow i can't believe i haven't worked out in 2, 3, 9+ days....

i feel great. AND.. i now know to listen to my body.
now if i can just stop trying to keep up with all these athletes that have been active for years..

i might have just learned a thing or two!

Posted by a.maria at 01:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)

m'kay y'all.. looks like we have an actual meet-up planned.

*shocking*.. i know!

here're the goods:

who:
everyone thats anyone. so that means YOU

when:
friday 11am
friday 4pm
saturday 11am

where:
(see below)
the corner of Wilson St. and MLK Blvd.

the list for IM participants/spectators is HUGE, so i know you don't want to miss this! for those of you wanting to contribute in a blogging/videoing/photographing capacity, word on the street is 21c mom will be coordinating efforts for all involved.

as far as i know she's arriving on scene saturday AM so you might want to drop her a line for more info.

for the rest of you.. this. will. be. epic.... and i can't wait!

that being said, here are my plans.. cuz i'm sure you're dying to know.

FRIDAY
0'dark :30 drive KC to MADISON with Babysitter Girl
4:00pm or 16:00, for those keeping track at home: blogger meet-up
6:00pm: find food
10:00pm: find delicious beverages and pour them in my mouth
1:00am: drunk dial best friend jill and enthrall her with tails of omg seriously. there are so many hot guys here. i'm in eye candy heaven. and then promptly crash for the night

SATURDAY
no later than 8:00am: wake up and drink copius amounts of water while popping the requisite pills to kill the hangover, shower, become alive again
very soon after 8:00am: find food
11:00am: blogger meet-up
12:30pm: find food (i see a recurring theme here)
1:00 - ??: no idea. but there will be another scouting of food, a coordination of race day plans and early to bed, because sunday's gunna be a looong day.

and i'm not even racing!!

SUNDAY
5:00am: head over to watch the day begin
7:00am: take copius amounts of photos and cheer for m'boys BOLD and TRIGREY, my chica WIL, the many raceAthletes, KCM'ers and.. all you other racers out there!!
11 hours later: head to the finish to see you racers in!
12:00am: i'll be in the stands at midnight as well!!!

MONDAY
??:??: head out!

whew.. its gunna be a crazy four days.

for those of you that are wondering who will be in attendance, this is the list i have. things may have changed since the list was made, i'm SURE there are more to add to the list, but..

i'm sharing what i know. so here goes:

SUPPORT:
Iron Pol
Wendy
Wrenching Winz
Trimama
Curly Su
Bob
Trisaratops
Iron Mark
Porscha
Laurie
Siren
Wylee

RACING:
Wil
Trigrey
Texafornia
BOLD
Everyman
Stu
Sweet
Running2Far
Iron Dave
Gavnunns
Micampers
Roland
Jetpack
Rural Gril
Taconite Boy
Jay
Walchka
Terence

... now you know what i know folks. so get ready, and i'll see you soon!

(oh and.. side note:.. i sort of have a 10ish mile run planned this weekend too. i'm not entirely sure when i'll be getting that in, but... ya know.)

*ahem*

Posted by a.maria at 04:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

2.8611 miles
31:40 minutes
11:04 pace

i know, right?

w-o-w.

*ahem*

aaaand, thats all i got.

Posted by a.maria at 07:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

thats right boys and girls.

SOMEECARDS.com

you're gunna love me for it.

i sweah'

Posted by a.maria at 07:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

so i'm driving on post today, heading to the gym when...

all of a sudden, from behind a giant bush on the side of the road, two soldiers JUMP out onto the street, and start running towards my car.

WHOAAAA. whoa. WHOA. what in the HELL is going on?

i turn down Timberlake, roll down the windows and..

"... um....HI??"

"hello ma'am. we're going to need to do a full search of your vehicle."

...."HAAA.ha. um.. ".. i just looked at him. like.. your'e kidding? right?!... ".. are..are you serious?"...

oh shit. did i run a stop sign or something? shit!

"yes ma'am. we've had a convict escape from the DB (disciplinary barracks), so we're doing a full search"

:: blank stare::

ummmmmm.. did he just say?? .. did he just say there's a murderer on the loose?

can't be good.
aaand, i guess that explains all the armed men at the front gate, too. huh.

"um, right.. so, okay.... do i. um?? ... do you want me to get out, or??" all of a sudden i get really nervous, my body starts emanating heat, and i start to sweat.

OMG this is highly unusual and why am i so nervous?

YOU DON'T ASSOCIATE WITH CONVICTS!!

"yes ma'am. exit the vehicle"

oh god oh god oh god oh god....

i walk around my car, opening all the doors.. they peek inside and.. almost to my surprise, there's no convict hidden behind seats.

oh wow thank god..

they declare me good to go, let me back in my car, and send me on my way.

as i drove off i saw them get back behind the bush and hunker down for the next car to roll by.

holy shit. that was like straight out of a movie!

after the gym i booked to back to the office, anxious to spread the news. in the middle of regaling the room full of retired army-types with my tale of ESCAPED CONVICT!!! MEN WITH GUNS!!! and SEARCHED CARS!!! i notice they all seem to sort of be... laughing at me.

i stop with my tale, look around the room and innocently just sort of ask..

"well. what?! it was INTENSE!!!

the room burst out into laughter, the whole thing was a joke, they run DB drills all the time and the search was a fake.

"WHAT!!!? nooo!! it was totally real!!"

as my co-workers were getting in a good laugh i realized well... huh. i guess those soliders DIDNT really seem all that concerned.

certainly FELT real.....

i sat back down at my desk, hung my head, and shut my mouth.

i am never living this down.
not ever.

but i SWEAR it seemed real!!

sheesh.

Posted by a.maria at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBacks (0)

why. didn't someone tell me. buying a house. was such a pain in the ass.

*sigh*

i'm losing my mind here folks. i'm LOSING my MIND.

last night, trying to decide what to eat, i went into a panic attack deciding between pork and beef. we're talking a simple meal here folks...

and it had me FLOORED!!!

committment-phobia, paired with being-poor-phobia, coupled with being-single-phobia (which yes. i do see the irony there.. committment-phobia. being-single-phobia. that paradox is not lost on me)

sort of made for a bad night.

why am i even doing this? since when do i buy a house? hell, man.. i don't even have a MATE.
and that's like one of the things that you need!!!

a mate. and some money. and a good marathon time....S-H-I-T!!!

yeah.
i have no neurosis.

REALLY!

anyway that being said... my shit's a little crazy right now. i've gotta be outta my apartment by aug. 31st.. i need to find a place to stay by sept. 1st, and i just changed counties..

oh yeah thats right COUNTIES, for my house-hunt.

i'm. a mess.

so if i've been giving bad blog.. (which i have) or if i give bad blog in the future (which i will).. i apologize in advance.

feel free to step away from my site, and move along in a different direction.

and don't worry about me, folks.

i'm just quietly losing my mind.

everything's fine.

Posted by a.maria at 02:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (15) | TrackBacks (0)

chiga chiga yeaaaaaaaaah!!

McLOVIN is the MAN!!!!

this movie is absolutely friggin hysterical. i would sit here and quote the entire thing to you but.. it wont be funny. at least not until you see it yourself.

so.. please do yourself a favor and see this movie. STAT!

..."he's a freak........he's the fastest kid alive...... THE FASTEST KID ALIVE!!"..

*sigh*

damn i wanna see it again.

so okay but to be real...

it raunchy. and completely inappropriate. and is most definitely the kind of movie i dont think my mom would enjoy.. but it is exactly the kind of film you would enjoy, if, say...

you thought The 40 Year Old Virgin and/or Knocked Up was good times.

i myself found both of those movies, especially the latter, to be pee your pants funny.

i mean honestly it doesn't get much better than Knocked Up.

but Superbad comes close.

Posted by a.maria at 08:12 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

soccer boy + superbad + dinner

HA!

tonight's gunna be good!

HAPPY FRIDAY ALL!

Posted by a.maria at 11:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

" HI. Mr. Goodcents Subs and Pastas, how can i help you?!"

"um. HI! yeah, okay.. i'd like to place an order to pick up!?"

"please hold."

... holding... holding... .... holding...

"arlight so.. can i get a name for this order?!"

"oh sure.. AJ."

"i'm sorry what was that?"

"um.. AJ"

"and... could you spell that for me please?!"

i.... what? SPELL???

"uhh.. A..... J... " ... wtf?!

"oh. right. ok then, and.. the order"

"ok.. i'd like a large salad. with tuna.. no olives, tomato, onion and banana peppers please"

.... silence as he's, i'm guessing.. writing all this down....

"uhhh, right. tuna. now did you want a half or a whole?!"

"no i..."..(... OMG! ..). ".. that was a salad. actually? so... i want the WHOLE thing? a large?!"

"ok right and.. what'd you want on it?!"

AHHHH!!!
"tomato. onion. banana peppers!!!?! please!!!?"

"right. got it. thanks."

"great so what.. ---"

... and then he hung up. no "and your total is".. or.. "this will be ready in".. just,

gone.

*sigh*

thats right folks. only the best work in the mighty town of leavenworth Kansas.

and i just loathe adore them all!

Posted by a.maria at 11:38 AM | Permalink | Comments (7) | TrackBacks (0)

what's with all the batman references?!

.... i don't actually know.

ANYWAY!

at work right now, we're between contracts. and while sitting around with absolutely nothing to do *sounds* sort of like a job come true..

its really not. it makes the days drag by. and out of boredom i just keep eating, and really?! its not working out all that well for me.

SO!! on a whim, and because i visited raceAthlete.com and they had an advert-banner at the bottom that my curiosity got a whiff of..

um. i sort of just posted my profile on fitnesssingles.com

(AND IF YOU TRY AND LOOK ME UP I WILL BEAT YOU. its bad enough im blogging about it!)

*ahem*

anyway.
so but yeah. i did.
i did it.
i enrolled in a "dating service".. but its for free and for fun and so it TOTALLY doesn't even count.

(not that there's at all anything wrong with online dating services. i just.. never though i'd ever be one to partake.
BUT!!! desperate times call for desperate measures.

as do omg why do i even have to BE here, if i'm just sitting around watching movies all day, bored at work times.

so.. whatayagonnado?!)

anyway, as with everything related to online relations, the first thing i was asked to do was!!?!

WRITE A PROFILE!!!

(actually thats not true. the *first* thing was answer questions about my height, weight, hair color and body type. god that was depressing. yuck.

good thing i know how to LIE!!!

tall blonde and beautiful. that describes me... right?!)

so but a profile. i loathe writing profiles. i mean what is it you're supposed to say?!

"why hello there, hopefully young attractive male species perusing my profile. how DO you DO!!?! my name is [fill in with some ridiculous 10 letter quip] and i am one HOT MAMA."

i mean please!!!

regardless, though.. what's done is done.

and although i'm sort of a little mortified, i'm also actually kind of intrigued. so stay tuned my good folks.. and wish me luck!

cuz i'm on a dry spell lately. and that's just no fun!

Posted by a.maria at 12:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (14) | TrackBacks (0)

so something i've noticed lately?!

yeahhhh.. um. running faster?! *kinda* makes you go further.

and while thats all good and fine when talking in race terms.. when running for time?! ugh.

it just tires me out.

cuz see the thing is... running for distance, that's just how far you run. no matter how fast you go, if you take a break to walk, if you're mister speedy... it doesn't matter. because in the end, you've run XX far... and you're done.

running for time though... jeez.

it just keeps going.. and going.. and going.

several points on my run tonight.. which i hadn't exactly mapped out beforehand, but i roughly knew how long i *thought* it should take me...

i figured.. ok. i have to have been running for half an hour by now. i HAVE to. i'm way too far into this run to not at least be around 30 minutes...

i'd look down and SON OF A B*TCH. not even close!! 22 minutes.. thats like barely half way!

using google's pedometer to map out my runs.. after the fact, makes running for time sort of an interesting game of ok if i go down that street, it'll take me to that intersection, which i think will take me 8 minutes to get to... so thats half an hour... and then 10 more minutes till i'm on my street... and i'm DONE!

SWEET!

except i'm never right. so "that" intersection quickly becomes "that" parking lot... which becomes "that" side street, "that" corner... and OMG I CAN'T BELIEVE MY FORTY MINUTES AREN'T UP YET. wtf??!

*sigh*

tonight though.. i felt like i was haulting ass.

and while i didn't want to fool myself into thinking a :40 minute run would actually = a 4 mile run.. i sort of maybe secretly was hoping it would.

what i found out though.. after running. and running.

and checking my watch.. and running. and checking and running AND THEN RUNNING SOME MORE

(yes. i realize 40 minutes of running is not that far. but as i said... hauling. ass. this is not an easy thing for me to do. and when "to the next tree" doesn't quite cut it, and every 2 mintues you look down only to see that you have 2 more minutes to go...

FOR THE LOVE OF GAWD you just want to be done already!!)

is that tonight i ran 39:46.

and if you do the math.. at 3.7249 miles, thats a 10:40 pace.

so while its not quite 4 miles... it's almost.

and while a 10:40 pace isn't quite 10 and a half... it's close.

and if running down one more street.. one more corner.. one more intersection, parking lot, stop light, sign or crack in the road is what it's going to take to knock this training stuff out, then..

that's what i'll do.

(and if i'm not careful... i might even have fun doing it!

but shhh. i never said that.)

Posted by a.maria at 07:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (11) | TrackBacks (0)

i just picked up my 3 printed off calendar pages with my running schedule on them.

i just picked up my 3 printed off calendar pages----- with JULY sitting on top.

i just picked up my 3 printed off pages and realized JULY has been sitting on top... for a while now!

and.... because i never really know what day it is, where i am, or what i'm supposed to be doing..

i'm only just now realizing that...

ITS.
NOT.
J-U-L-Y-!

omg. omgomg.

:: long exhale. composure. ::

i. have been running. the last week of july.....

for three. WEEKS.

this is like some really horrible case of deja vu or.. or.. GROUNDhogs day... or SOMEthing, where i just keep repeating the same week of runs..

over and over and over again.

(and did i even notice?! NO! why would i? i just blindly go through life like a bobble head, doing whatever it is my plan tells me to, putting no thought into it what-so-ever... never even turning the page of my calendar. OH MY GAWD!)

so now three weeks later, i should be up to a 10 mile run, and??!!!!

i haven't been out there for more than a total of :70 minutes...

SINCE THE SUMMER OF '06.

i am so screwed. i am totally and utterly screwed. i cannot believe this. i don't even comprehend myself sometimes.

this cannot be happening.

*sigh*

yeah, so turns out... i've been running consistently for over a month, and yet still?
i'm three weeks behind.

of course this would happen to me.

*double sigh*

i don't know whether to cry or to laugh.

i mean..

COME ON!!!!!

besides having to now get motivated to go out and do a run i was technically supposed to have done two weeks ago... now i have to go find another plan, catch up with where i'm now supposed to be, and try and get back onto my originalplan.

i am such an idiot.....

this is just plain DUMB!

Posted by a.maria at 06:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (5) | TrackBacks (0)

i'm not sure exactly who or what it is that took over my body at about 1:20 this afternoon.. but in a move quite unlike myself...

i picked up the phone... dialed a number and...

called a boy.

and i don't ever call a boy.

i'm pretty sure all of you can remember why.

*sigh*

yeah. um. i don't exactly have the best track record with phones.

........ or messages.

......................or boys.

this time though?! --- no different.

in a sad and really sort of pathetic attempt to play it cool, while leaving a message for Soccer Boy on his cell, i went into a horrifying story about how i'd left my phone at home.

"... anyway. so.. yeah. that's why you don't recognize the number. in case you're um......

... um ---- !!?!?!"

:: really ackwardly long silence ::

:: wild maniacal outburst of laughter ::

suddenly, in a classic AJ move, my mind went completely blank. i knew, i knew there was a word. i knew deep down in my soul, and i even knew it started with an S.. but in that really all important moment of finishing my sentence...

i went blank.

".. that um... that thing where you look at numbers!!?! you know what i??..."

INCASE YOU WERE SCANNING YOUR PHONE!!!!"

omg why am i yelling?! what am i DOING --- thats not even the right word!!!!

.... and just like that, my "play it cool"-ness went right out the window.

scanning numbers? --- not so much what i meant to say.

yell like a mental patient playing jeopardy into the phone?! --- not so much what i was going for.

but.. again.

phones, messages and me?!

don't so much mix.

quickly there after i obviously ended the message and slumped down in my chair completely defeated.

shockingly soccer boy called back, and the first word out of his mouth?

"screening"

"i.. um. what?"

"i think you meant screening. not scanning."

shiiiiiiiiiiiiiit.
"uhh. oh, right!

:: nervous laughter :: please god think it was funny...

"yeah. screening. that's what i meant!"

as soon as i started laughing about it though.. so did he. somehow he found the whole thing to be riotous and while he admitted..

"i thought you were kidding at first. but then there was such a long pause, i started to wonder if you'd forgotten that you were on the phone, and i realized it wasn't a joke.

you really were confused."

(ha. um... *ahem*... yeah.)

i did my best to play it off, and somehow managed to continue the rest of the conversation in that of a fully functioning member-of-society kind of way.

phew!!

now though, of course, comes the hard part...

we're having drinks tonight, and... i don't know what to wear.

thankfully though, i have several hours to contemplate this not-all-that-important-but-DAMN-am-i-going-to-obsess-over-it decision.

and hopefully with that kind of time, i'll leave the house fully clothed.

because at this point, right now?

thats almost all i can hope for!

Posted by a.maria at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (18) | TrackBacks (0)

okay so...

is it cheating, if... say...

on your schedule you have a :60 minute run to do.

and... because you were partaking in some jolly good times with a friend that may or may not have included a drink or possibly two of alcohol... you slept in a little late.

and... because it's august and lets pretend you live in a city like.. oh i dunno.... kansas city... it's already hot.

at 8 am.

so... while preparing for yourself a water bottle with delicious gatorade type fluids inside of it you come up with a fantastic plan.

and... that plan involves stashing your water bottle behind a bush, and performing two 15 minute out and backs, so that you're taking in delicious gatorade type fluids every half hour.

but... while running, you decide to alter the plan, and run out for 20 instead. because you're awesome and think that the heat's not even bothering you yet, so.. why turn around?

which... sort of causes you to go into a downward spiral somewhere around 30 minutes because at this point your hot and need delicious gatorade type fluids but your still 10 minutes out.

so that by the time you do find your drink, your inner left arm is chaffing on your skin, you're trying not to let it touch so are running with what looks like a broken chicken wing, your 2 minute lets just go faster. we'll get there quicker, i swear its a good idea moment of mental poopery has made your shins hurt and you notice, after taking a swig of what now you're sure is the sweet nectar of the gods, you're swaying to and fro in some sort of wow. its really hot out here realization and you decide to...

call it quits.

lets say all this happens.

and.. lets say... after arriving back at your air conditioned place of dwelling, the fact that you ran :40 of :60 minutes hits you, and you start to feel guilty.

so... later in the day, you decide to make up for it and go for a :30 run, hoping that it sort of counts as a total of a :60 minute run, because... well because thats what you were supposed to do.

um...

is that?... um..

is that cheating? that scenario there?

i mean... i didn't do it. i would never.. i mean. it wasn't me.

but.. just. out of curiosity. ya know... would it be cheating? if that were what i did?

i just wanna know.

Posted by a.maria at 09:24 AM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

i am currently on the brink of donning my running outfit for the second time today, to travel around town for approximately one-half hour in an 11-11:30 minute/mile jogging type fashion.

i just thought you all should know.

ta-ta!

******* (after-run edit)

scratch that. make it 10:41 minute/mile pace.

grand master champion of all things running?!

ooooh yeah.

i'm back!

Posted by a.maria at 06:17 PM | Permalink | Comments (4) | TrackBacks (0)

for those of you out there at all familiar with the design world, or have any knowledge what-so-ever about design history, design programs... shortcut keys....

YOU. WILL. LOVE. THIS.

i know that doesn't include most of you, but for those of you that it does...

well. enjoy!

ORIGINAL DESIGN GANGSTA...

.... white spaaaaaace!!

HOLLAH!!!

Posted by a.maria at 07:05 AM | Permalink | Comments (10) | TrackBacks (0)

my blender and i weren't getting along this morning. we were having a bit of a dispute.. i wanted my protein shake less chunky, he didn't really seem to care.

i tried talking sense to him.. even tried man-handling him a bit and shaking him around... but when i stuck that spoon in his top, man did he get pissed.

an argument ensued and...

well.

he won.

he won... all over my kitchen. the floor. the ceiling.

and... in some sort of power trip - i will not be stirred with a spoon - final last blow, he puked all over my pants.

however i didn't actually notice the pant puking until after i was in my car.. well on my way to work.

so.. it sort of looks like i've been intimate with the pepto bottle.

its good times over here.

happy tuesday folks. and don't do what i did... because blenders?

DONT. LIKE. SPOONS.

..... who knew?!

Posted by a.maria at 07:34 AM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

ok for those of you that might want to meet up with a fellow blogger in the near future.. might i suggest something to you?

learn... to run... FASTER!!!

ok first of all.. phoenix is the shit.

she is seriously a cool lady.

and while mostly i had a really great time meeting up with her, exploring new trails, and then hanging out at starbucks afterwards to exchange funny stories...

i'm pretty sure i basically experienced what i can only assume was mild cardiac arrest.

...... i wanted to die.

phoenix may talk a slow game. she may want to be like one of the cool kids in the club and run in the back.. like me.

but for her.. it ain't happenin. cuz that chick can move.

and not only can she move.. but she can talk while doing it.

two years in, and i'm still unable to converse while getting my run on.
i'm pretty sure its genetic.

i blame my mom.

the entire mexican side, really. tan man can't run!

but i digress.

the meet-up was fun times. pre-run, we posed for our required "no pics = didn't happen" photo-op, where i quickly realized..

phoenix is tall!

either that or i'm short.. but either way. i look twelve. its not my best look.

about 10 mintues into the run, as i was coping with the complete shut down of my right lung, i mimed to phoenix to go ahead with the run... and i'd meet her back at the car.

little does she know, that while she was off doing that

i was back at my car, doing this

i'm a sneaky little bastard... i KNOW!!

afterwards though.. it was high time for some shade. we made our way over to starbucks, exchanged various tales of conquering the world, and just like that... our time was up.

she had a husband to get home to, and i had a shower calling my name.

the rest of my weekend was perfectly laid back. i spent some quality time with the folks, attended church like the good girl that i am, and afterwards even talked my mom into making pancakes before i took off for the day.

i looked something like this afterwards....

my mom's cooking does it to me. those pancakes are just too good!

with that though.. my weekend was done. i packed it back up in my car, bid my parents farewell, and headed back in the afternoon.

all in all, a great weekend. i got to meet yet another awesome blogger, spent time with the 'rents and.. i over-indulged on some homemade food.

for me these days?! doesn't get much better than that!

Posted by a.maria at 07:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (6) | TrackBacks (0)

i know, i know..

where's my Celebrity Something?!

well folks..i'm at work. actually working today.. although not on actual work.. yes. thats your tax dollars hard at work. but until i get back home to my camera, my pictures = it happened proof, and etch out a moment to write about this weekend's trip, i thought i'd post a lil sumthin'sumthin..

while seeking inspiration online i came across this little gem from Esquire Magazine...

10 Things You Don't Know About Women.

the above link is written by Tea Leoni, but from what i can tell they have various celebrity women write a little 10 things list and.. wha-la. instant time-killer.

for you today, i've browsed the various lists, selected the most true (to me), and posted them for your reading enlightenment. enjoy!!

1. It's always, always better to go commando than to show up in tighty-whiteys.
2. When you're talking dirty to us, call us a whore and not a prostitute.
3. We only tell you the things we want you to know about us, and you can bet dollars to doughnuts there are more than ten of them.
4. Admitting that you're into us becomes infinitely less endearing when you follow it with the phrase, "Which is weird, because you're not really my type."
5. When a hot woman walks by and we ask if she's your type, refrain from saying things like "Nah, I like a woman with a little meat on her bones" as you give us a squeeze.
6. The smell of sweat is sexy within reason. Nuzzling your neck when you come home from the gym: sexy. Getting trapped in your armpit after you've played eighteen holes in 90-degree heat: not sexy.
7. You can never give us too many sincere compliments. To be honest, you can never give too many exaggerated ones, either.
8. It isn't our period that's making us moody; it's you.
9. Supersecret: Unless we're blind or have no night-light in the bathroom, the whole toilet-seat thing is exaggerated and meant to control you.
10. We like being wrestled.

and okay this one rings true too...

11.We loosened the jar first.

WHAT!!?! it does!!!

Posted by a.maria at 11:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (9) | TrackBacks (0)

thats right folks, this weekend is a CELEBRITY MEET-UP with none other than phoenix over at Trial by Fire.. one of my daily reads!

i've been wanting to arrange a meet up with this chick for a while, and now that i'm heading to the lou for my mom's birthday... arrangements HAVE. BEEN. MADE.

she gets to train in st. louis, race in st. louis... live in st. louis... and seeing as how i went to high school in st. louis.... reading her adventures sort of makes me miss it.

(don't get too excited there mom. i only sort of miss it. i'm not moving back!)

tomorrow morning though, that all changes!!! we're meeting at 7am for an hour+ run through the park. er.. a park.

but due to stalkers and crazy people.. i will not be disclosing what park.

damn stalkers.

anyway... i'm a leeetle bit nervous, as she is, *ahem*... speedy and i am um...

*ahem*

not.

however she's got this crazy Masters Swim she attends at like... 0:dark-thirty (which she naively invited me too. MASTERES SWIM!!?!?! i. think. not. ) so i'm hoping that exhausts her to the point of 11 minute miles!

i'm a true friend. i know.

in other news.. and speaking of swimming... after kim's mention of a new swimsuit...

i have officially made my first online swimsuit purchase.

i'm not thrilled. i sort of got into the oooh, SHOPPING!! mode, hit purchase, and then realized...

i just bought a swimsuit... ON. LINE. wtf is wrong with me? its impossible to find one that doesn't make me look like a beached whale in the store... really? what are the odds of this going well for me?

well i'll tell ya... NOT. GOOD.

i should know the outcome here in about 4-9 days though. i'm sure a full report will be written.

probably right after i light the new suits on fire because... WHO BUYS A SWIMSUIT ONLINE!?!??!

i am not a smart woman.
however this isn't exactly news to anyone here, now is it?!

oy.

anyway... that's all i got. like i said i'll be in the lou for the weekend, so have fun without me, and i'll catch 'ya on the flipside.

happy training!

Posted by a.maria at 09:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)

one of the first rides i ever went on was mid-september last year... i was sort of late to the tri-party, what can i say... and 0% was kind enough to ride with me.

in our little group, whenever someone new wants to test out their feelings on "the bike" we head down to the downtown airport. it's this maybe 4 mile loop that's completely away from traffic and stoplights.. its almost like its own little island.

so, there i was. it was a tuesday night and i was on, like i said, maybe my 2nd or 3rd week of "serious riding".

(serious riding to be translated into... i got on my bike about once a week for more than 2 weeks in a row. it was a big deal back then.

*ahem*

still is.)

i was nervous about riding with people and for the most part sort of liked to go at it on my own. but 0%'s a chatty chick, so i thought sweet. she'll talk. i'll ride. it'll be good, i can just concentrate on keeping up!

as we started the ride i mentioned being a little hesitant to ride with her, and she said something along the lines of "don't worry. i'm not interested in going hard, i'll just cruise with you"... although i seriously doubt she used those exact words.

anyway... all i remember, is that i was almost dying. here she was, next to me, chit-chatting away, as though hardly working, if at all, and i'm busting ASS to try and keep up. at one point i looked down and we were going...

now brace yourself. because this number will surprise you..

we were going fourteen miles per hour!!!

i remember distinctly saying to myself shit. i hope she just leaves. i can't do this. there is no way i can make it around this loop at this speed. i'm GOING. to DIE.

yeah. 14mph around a 4 mile loop. i = rule!

anyway, i bring this up because last night, after declaring that i was DUNZO!!! with riding 20 minutes into our ride (clearly, i am a force to be reckoned with on the bike. WATCH out!), 0% and i turned around to head home. as we passed one particularly nice section of the ride i pulled up next to her and we talked a bit about.. just whatever.. and i happened to look down at my bike computer, and started to laugh.

our easy ride, no big deal, conversational pace, that i was actually capable of keeping up... was just over 19.

for you long time riders out there.. that ain't nuthin. especially considering that wasn't exactly my AVERAGE for the ride... sure. its not all that much to write home about....

but in that moment last night, as i rode past my old running trails, waved to the constant riders passing by, and enjoyed a short, yet much needed ride, i had a wave of contentment sweep over me. and it was kinda nice.

afterwards i parked my bike in the 0% garage, donned some running shoes, and hit the pavement for this seasons VERY FIRST BRICK! (yeahhhh.. slap me the next time i wonder why my run is so slow in triathlon!)

i was actually expecting a much more horrible experience than i had. 0% had given me a little route to run, i had to go for :40 minutes, and... that was it. i just ran.

(and.... i kinda walked a bit too. not gunna lie.)

when i returned from my run and stopped my watch, i'd made it 37:23 minutes and counted that as DONE.

this morning i mapped out my route on gmap-pedometer and i apparently covered just over 3.5 miles and ran at a 10:40 pace!!

i have no idea how that happened. but i will TAKE IT!

i'm not too sure about this whole running and biking... AND crossfit thing, during the week...

but so far so good. and at least for today.. i'm a happy camper.

Posted by a.maria at 09:47 AM | Permalink | Comments (13) | TrackBacks (0)