Today, I managed to break my...really long...hiatus from working out. Since I arrived back in Yuma from my 2 week vacation in Ft. Sill, I haven't felt like working out, nor have I really had tons of time to fit it in.
One of my good friends has been asking me for the last 2 weeks to "train him" and I wanted to but, since it's WTI time and I've had some weird form of bronchitis for the last week, I haven't been able to...until today! It felt really good to get back into the gym. My friend and I struck a deal. I'll develop a diet plan and critique his lift form for as long as he manages to drag my really lazy butt to the gym, or whatever venue we're supposed to work out in that day. Hopefully, we'll keep each other on track through WTI.
Oh, I'm also running a half marathon in November. Even though I've run (ok, run/walked) 2 marathons, this is my first half. I have a bad habit of doing absolutely no training and showing up on race day, letting the cards fall as they will. My average marathon time is 5hrs, so I'm setting a goal for the half of sub-2:10. If I feel really squirrely towards the end of WTI, I might shave that down to sub-2hrs. Maybe I'll even train for this one!
24 September 2010
20 September 2010
Sad Redefined
Question: What is the most pathetic thing you've ever seen?
Answer: Two dogs who are barely able to walk...or can't really walk at all.
Story: It's WTI time, which means that normal tasks must be divided between Charlie and I. On Sunday, that meant that he took the dogs for their weekly outing while I went to the grocery store. He decided to go for a hike in the mountains and when he returned 90 minutes later the dogs were blissfully worn out. They both slept on the floor for a looooooong time, actually about until it was time for them to eat. Oden has never, ever missed a meal, nor does he ever fail to come running when the bag of food is opened. Well, on Sunday, neither dog came running. In fact, they attempted to get up, each attempted a step and then promptly laid back down. Upon further inspection, Bailey was sporting front toe pads that were cracked and one was torn. Oden doesn't have any visible pad or foot injuries but he was unable to walk on one front leg and one back leg. Basically, Charlie and I had to carry our poor puppies around all night and then again a couple of times this morning.
Luckily, both dogs seem to be feeling much better this evening. They are both still walking a little painfully but they can move under their own power and don't avoid walking.
The Lesson: Dogs don't wear shoes but they should!
Answer: Two dogs who are barely able to walk...or can't really walk at all.
Story: It's WTI time, which means that normal tasks must be divided between Charlie and I. On Sunday, that meant that he took the dogs for their weekly outing while I went to the grocery store. He decided to go for a hike in the mountains and when he returned 90 minutes later the dogs were blissfully worn out. They both slept on the floor for a looooooong time, actually about until it was time for them to eat. Oden has never, ever missed a meal, nor does he ever fail to come running when the bag of food is opened. Well, on Sunday, neither dog came running. In fact, they attempted to get up, each attempted a step and then promptly laid back down. Upon further inspection, Bailey was sporting front toe pads that were cracked and one was torn. Oden doesn't have any visible pad or foot injuries but he was unable to walk on one front leg and one back leg. Basically, Charlie and I had to carry our poor puppies around all night and then again a couple of times this morning.
Luckily, both dogs seem to be feeling much better this evening. They are both still walking a little painfully but they can move under their own power and don't avoid walking.
The Lesson: Dogs don't wear shoes but they should!
15 September 2010
Those Days
Ever had "those days?" This week, for me, seems to be full of them. I just can't seem to find motivation for anything...work, Crossfit, life...waking up in the morning. I've decided that it's a test of wills between me and the universe. So far, the universe is winning in Crossfit and life - I haven't worked out in about 2 weeks and I don't have a "life" - but, to date, I'm holding my own because I do wake up every morning and I do go to work every day.
We're in Service Charlies at work this week, for those who aren't familiar, it's a very uncomfortable uniform and the female version tends to look like something a flight attendant would wear. The silver lining of being in "Chucks" is that you can go places off base. Normally, we wear cammies to work and you can't be "in public" in cammies. Today, some of my colleagues and I went to lunch at this great hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant (off base). We ordered a TON of food, even taking into consideration that there were 5 of us eating. Anyway, a family paid for our meal. Sometimes I don't like my career choice. Sometimes I don't like the Marine Corps. Sometimes I don't like my job in the Marine Corps. More importantly, sometimes people do things that make me remember that, regardless of my momentary feelings, what we do is important and people do appreciate it.
Thanks to the family who paid for our lunch and fair winds and following seas to your son/grandson who's deploying to Afghanistan tomorrow. I think my streak of "those days" might be over.
We're in Service Charlies at work this week, for those who aren't familiar, it's a very uncomfortable uniform and the female version tends to look like something a flight attendant would wear. The silver lining of being in "Chucks" is that you can go places off base. Normally, we wear cammies to work and you can't be "in public" in cammies. Today, some of my colleagues and I went to lunch at this great hole-in-the-wall Chinese restaurant (off base). We ordered a TON of food, even taking into consideration that there were 5 of us eating. Anyway, a family paid for our meal. Sometimes I don't like my career choice. Sometimes I don't like the Marine Corps. Sometimes I don't like my job in the Marine Corps. More importantly, sometimes people do things that make me remember that, regardless of my momentary feelings, what we do is important and people do appreciate it.
Thanks to the family who paid for our lunch and fair winds and following seas to your son/grandson who's deploying to Afghanistan tomorrow. I think my streak of "those days" might be over.
07 September 2010
Snakes.
It's been 22 years since I've seen a snake "in the wild" and that was totally on purpose. The last time I saw a snake out of cage, I was 5. Little blonde me, with big blue eyes and chubby cheeks, was corraling my 4-H lambs in a pen outside my parents house. As I chased my lambs around the pen, trying to get their halters on them, my mud-booted foot stepped on a black snake. It was one of those garter/gardner...whatever...snakes that eats bugs and stuff and is basically harmless but this little guy shot straight up in the air, I remember it reaching apogee around my head height, and scared the ever living crap out of me! I was so scared that I ran back into the barn, jumped over the fence, ran out of the barn and parked myself on top of a very small tree stump in the side yard. I was standing on one foot, crying my eyes out and I did not move until my mom came and carried me off the stump and into the house. Hello fear forever!
That brings us to today. I don't have to work (I'll make up for that on Sunday, when WTI starts) so I'm spending the day lazing around the house with Oden and Bailey, doing just a little bit of work. I decided to let the dogs out to play catch for a few minutes. My dogs are prey driven so they love fetch...almost as much as they love chasing the little lizards that frequent my back yard. They took off toward the mulch pile where they normally chase lizards and started chasing something. After about 10 seconds, I realized that the lizard was moving much more slowly than it should and was not darting in and out of the cracks in the block wall at the back of my yard. My spidey-sense told me to go check it out and...my dogs...were chasing a baby snake. I have chosen not to learn all the types of snakes that live around here, so I immediately assumed it was a baby rattler and commenced franticly yelling at my dogs to leave it alone. By the time I got to the back of the yard, the little snake was standing up (raised up? hiked up? I don't know), striking at Bailey. My black dogs don't normally listen when they have prey in sight but I guess the pups are smart enough to tell the difference between "frantic yelling" and "regular yelling" because they obeyed and I immediately put everyone in the house. The moral? I hate snakes and I may have to move very soon.
P.S. - Neither of the black dogs were bitten and both appear to be totally confused by the fact that I refuse to let them go outside. Think I can train dogs to use a litter box? Additionally, my heart appears to be functioning normally despite the massive heart attack that I suffered earlier today.
That brings us to today. I don't have to work (I'll make up for that on Sunday, when WTI starts) so I'm spending the day lazing around the house with Oden and Bailey, doing just a little bit of work. I decided to let the dogs out to play catch for a few minutes. My dogs are prey driven so they love fetch...almost as much as they love chasing the little lizards that frequent my back yard. They took off toward the mulch pile where they normally chase lizards and started chasing something. After about 10 seconds, I realized that the lizard was moving much more slowly than it should and was not darting in and out of the cracks in the block wall at the back of my yard. My spidey-sense told me to go check it out and...my dogs...were chasing a baby snake. I have chosen not to learn all the types of snakes that live around here, so I immediately assumed it was a baby rattler and commenced franticly yelling at my dogs to leave it alone. By the time I got to the back of the yard, the little snake was standing up (raised up? hiked up? I don't know), striking at Bailey. My black dogs don't normally listen when they have prey in sight but I guess the pups are smart enough to tell the difference between "frantic yelling" and "regular yelling" because they obeyed and I immediately put everyone in the house. The moral? I hate snakes and I may have to move very soon.
P.S. - Neither of the black dogs were bitten and both appear to be totally confused by the fact that I refuse to let them go outside. Think I can train dogs to use a litter box? Additionally, my heart appears to be functioning normally despite the massive heart attack that I suffered earlier today.
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