So, the kitchen remodel has officially begun. This is our first home and the only thing we've done thus far is the foundation, suffice it to say this is a more interesting improvement, aesthetically speaking. I moved the computer into the living room and the sewing machine is back in the dining room along with most of my kitchen. On Wednesday we go look at counter top surfaces, we're thinking granite and/or corian.
No doubt this isn't very interesting especially w/o pictures (I'm working on that by the way) but as I've found journaling my progress with running and sewing helpful (for motivation and stress relief!) I'm hoping the same will be true for the remodel.
T and I have had HUGE fights over this remodel for months long before anything ever got started. This project has been on and off for over a year and I didn't know until last week that we were actually going through with it. In fact T and the contractor played phone tag all weekend and we only found out lastnight that he would be starting today, so we spent most of the evening clearing out the kitchen. The lines of communication definitely breakdown when we're tired and while my man can juggle many many irons at a time, he often fails to keep me informed and it doesn't sit well as I HATE surprises.
So, I'm a bit of control freak. I like timeliness and lists. I want to know who's coming and who's not coming. I can wing it if I have to and I consider myself a fairly flexible person, but not in the morning before I've had coffee, which is exactly the time T mentioned that he would not be here when the contractor came this morning cuz he had to take his mom to the dentist. (such a good son, i'm a bad wife!) So, I dealt with the contractor, nothing too technical but man I gotta cool out. In retrospect (see why I need write this?) I can see what a turd I was this morning. I'd go for a run if I wasn't so darn tired.
Heavy sigh :(

yuck, I've discovered an even grosser gel.....cola buzz cliff shot...truly the worse. this run is not getting off to a good start. first of all. I got cramps....hhhmph need I say more. Than my flax seed waffles got freezer burn and now this nasty ass gel. I'm taking brandy up to strawberry canyon, hopefully it's not too muddy.

To be continued......

Strawberry canyon with a cherry on top!

The last couple of times up at strawberry I got as far the first short hill just beyond the 3.5 marker ( before the turn around) Today I got to the tip top that stops at the rd.
I think this is Grizzly Peak Rd.
And I got there in 49 minutes, oh yeah!
I really pushed up big Bertha too, it usually takes me 4 minutes to scale her,
today I did it 2 minutes, yeah that's right, you heard me.
The view was incredible, I could see the golden gate bridge so clearly. I couldn't hold back and Brandy and I barreled down to the parking lot, despite some really muddy spots, it was just too much fun. I got to yacking to a woman about the Joaquin Miller trails once I got to the parking lot and forgot to check my total run time, I'm pretty sure I covered 7 plus miles in 80 minutes.
My right knee wasn't complaining actually, more like muttering under it's breath......On a scale of 1 to 10 it was a 2, but something to keep an eye on I suppose.
This was a great run, I'm still buzzed!
And no more cramps!!!

aahhh that's better. Just got back from the gym 20 minute rolling hills stirringly session and than all major muscle grps. that makes 2 lift sessions this wk. i'm branching out w/my repetroir and experimenting more with lower body machines. my lunges are getting lower and easier and best of all no joint pain whatsoever!!!!!!
yesterday's run was nice according to the nifty map maker susie posted i'm running further than i thought....i'm still a bit dubious though and will want triple check before boasting.

My plans for a leisurely lunch time run were slightly thwarted by a mtg. So, in true dedicated
"I'm a real runner now" fashion I went for a shorter run around my facility instead of my usual drive to the nicer canal trail . Let's just say, it was a soso 30 minute run, stinky cars and too noisy.
Until now I haven't mentioned much about my physical appearance on this blog.
I'm 5'3 (barely) and 157 lbs. (there's a 3-4 lb. variance depending on which scale I refer too) People never believe me when I tell them this. I'm pretty solid.
My body is beginning to change.
I don't cringe as much when stand in front of the full length mirror.
And I'm noticing the signs of firmer hamstrings, that nice little cut on the back of the upper thigh.....It's NOT totally defined but I see it there below the surface.
I'm in a weird place with clothing at the moment. I'm in transition, so I've opted for elastic waistbands and wear some form of drawstring pants everyday.
When I went from a size 14 to a 12, I dropped $80 on a luxurious pair of Patagonia pants. They were great for about 3 wks, and then they got too baggy and I've had to pin them along with the rest of my pants. Depending on the brand, I'm somewhere between a 12 and 10.
Suffice it to say clothes shopping sucks!. (which may explain my recent indulgences at the fabric store and Barnes and Noble) I've even contimplate wearing SCRUBS to work until I'm at my ideal weight (whatever that is).
My dtr. Reminded me that our focus should be on what our bodies can do rather than on appearances......So true so true.
But oh how I long for firm thighs and a smaller butt.
I'm not trying to be a waif, hell I'm a 42 year Puerto Rican.....I've got an ass and that's never going to change, but a smaller firmer version of what's back there would fine.

In proportion to my lower half, I'm small up top. It's always been that way, even when I was pregnant. I was getting fitted for a bra not long ago, and was surprised to learn I'm a "barely A!!" I'm in slight denial over this still, though bought 2 barely A's that fit fine. But so does the barely B by Maidenform...So again, depends on the brand.
Besides, I need big boobs like I need a hole in the head. No offense to the busty babes out there. But with all the trouble I have dressing my lower half, I'm glad I don't have to search for proper boob containage.
M is right, focus on what I can do with this body rather than on how it looks, or how to dress it!

Food preferences are beginning to change too, or rather my body is reacting differently to foods that I usually like. We had burritos, not long ago, and the pork filling I love just doesn't sit well anymore. I ate my turkey sandwich at the mtg. While everyone else ate pizza..........But before long I ate a little pizza too....Again it didn't sit well ( I only had a few bites ).
So, I'm seeing this as the beginnings of change in the food dept. My brain needs to catch up with my body. I still want the not so great stuff, but my body isn't excepting it like it did before. This is a good thing, as I respond well to immediate feedback, as oppose to waiting.

And whats up with my heightened sense of smell?
I swear if I didn't know better, I'd think I was pregnant! I've developed an acute sense of smell. Some women at work were frying up Lumpias, the Filipino version of an eggroll. The smell of the oil was noxious. I remember a year ago, there was a very athletic women in our dept., she was super picky about food and smells, I thought she was wack. Now look at me!

Before I ran to eat, now I can honestly say I'm eating to run.

ADDENDUM:
It's 11:15 and I just finished handsewing the binding of baby quilt #1. This is the second quilt I've ever made, the first being a 40x40 wall hanging this is more like 30x40 roman stripes in bright spring colors. I need to figure out how to post pics, i'm more motivated to post pictures of my work, than of myself!
I was too tired to run so I went to the gym this morning. I warmed up for 10 minutes on the stairmaster and did several different leg exercises. I also got a bit arms in during the lunges using 10# dumbells 3x15. My legs are stiff and sore from the workout and from sitting so long finishing the quilt.
I'm up way past my bedtime:(

I couldn't get to the Nimitz trail fast enough this spectacular Sunday morning.
Out the door a little past 8am, stop for coffee and gas (Aaarg!) Up up up Marin Ave (rivals any steep hill in San Fracisco!) to Tilden. Saved a few minutes getting to Inspiration point by cutting over to Grizzly Peak. Finally, after a few minutes warming up, I hit the trail, this time keeping to the single track dirt trail as much as possible, except where it was too soggy after yesterdays downpour.
I don't know but I'm guessing faster times come with familiarity, cuz today I shaved 8 minutes from last weeks time. That's right 8 miles in 1:22:19 oh yeah!!
I'm thinking I might just finish my 10k in an hour! (or better) I'm a little superstitious though and feel a kinda weird putting it out for all to see.
Friday was an easy maybe 3 miles w/and a 30 minute gym workout; emphasis on lowerebody.

On the quilting front, I've cut all my strips for baby quilt #1 and plan to get all 36 Roman stripe blocks finished today. This quilt has to be done by 3/10.

I registered for the Marin Trails 10K @ China Camp. 3/11

Impulsively, I might add.

Having a race on the horizon should help focus my training more.

Stumbling into my first race was both and blessing and a curse.

A blessing because I didn't have time to get freaked out.

A curse due to my lack of racing experience.

The next race was planned, went much better and gave me a taste for it.
(It happened to be a trail race too.)

Running my own race is a definite race goal for 2006. And figuring out how calibrate my damn pedometer!

China Camp is one of those beautiful gems tucked away only an hour or so outside the bayarea. I've never seen it before. Nor had I ever been to the Presidio and I'm a native!
Races in cool relatively close venues work well for the family time too. It's very cool how my running is taking me and my family to beautiful places..........
that we never seem to get our butts to on our own!!!

It's the same reason I became a girlscout leader, to get my kid out in nature. With T's allergys hikes in the redwoods are rare. He really loves nature and it's evident in his paintings, but the poor guy is cursed with freakishly bad pollen allergies.

So now, I need to go to bed. I'm trying to get there by 9:30 - 10:00 everynight.








Running my own race ranks high on this runner's wish list.

Firstly, I gotta come clean, my run on Sunday took more like 90 mins vs 77mins. I started at 8:40 and finished at 10:00 , so 8 miles in 1.5 hrs! I'm not sure how I miscalculated that one, I blame it on the cows! Still I gloat..That's the farthest and the longest I've ever run .
Seems our dry spell has run it's course as we gear up here in the bayarea for more rain. It's my day off today but I gotta hang around home between 1-5 for the Sears repair guy to come fix the fridge......It became "incontinent" over the holiday and there's been a constant stream trickling across the kitchen floor. So, in order to get an early start (6:30am) I gave M. specific instructions to make her bed, eat breakfast and get her backpack together while I headed over to the gym for a treadmill run: 4miles in 38:58. A quick stretch afterwards than home to take M to school. Brandy got a short walk afterwards up in the Berkeley hills, and along the way I found 3 perfectly good ceramic pots...Berkeley is famous for it's free piles.
It's a perfect day for quilting, I need trim and even up all my blocks before assembling the quilt top and maybe go to New Pieces for fabric to add side sashes and the border.