Saturday, June 30, 2007

Soundtrack to My Life

I mentioned a few posts back that I was in a "Burn It" group with the theme "Soundtrack to My Life." It seems that all my team members have received their CDs now so I can share the song list with you!

1) You Are My Sunshine - Norman Blake
2) Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cindy Lauper
3) Hangin' Tough - NKOTB
4) Come As You Are - Nirvanna
5) Miss World - Hole
6) Across the Universe - The Beatles
7) The End - The Doors
8) Mood Swing - Luscious Jackson
9) I Can't Be With You - The Cranberries
10) Miss Misery - Elliott Smith
11) Ice Cream - Sarah McLachlan
12) #1 Stunner - Big Tymers
13) Gimme That Nut - Easy E
14) Square Dance - Eminem
15) The Scientist - ColdPlay
16) Into You - Fabolous
17) My Best Friend - Tim McGraw

Friday, June 29, 2007

Lynette Tagged Me!

Choose seven random facts about yourself and post them on your blog. At the end, list seven people you are tagging.

1) I *love* milk. Must be cold and 2% or less fat.
2) I currently only have 6 toenails. The others were post race casualties.
3) I'm going to China in September, woooo-hooo!!
4) I had my thyroid levels tested today.
5) Scrapbooking is quickly gaining on running as my favorite hobby.
6) Genie is my favorite pet (shhhh! don't tell the others!!).
7) It's almost my bed time! I try to always get in bed by 9pm!

I'm tagging Kristin, Tracy, Allie, Louisa, Brigid, Tater, and Sam.

Thursday, June 28, 2007

I Love Chicago!!

Chicago was soooo much fun!! I had a total blast hanging out with Allie, Susan, and Martha - all friends of mine through PugVillage. First off the hotel Allie and I stayed at was awesome! We had our very own fishy roommate and the view was incredible.
























Then that night we met up with Susan and took in a game at Wrigley Field. That place is just a wonderful piece of baseball history. We saw the famous sign, ate yummy hot dogs, and sang during the 7th inning stretch.





































After the game we headed over to Susan's amazing house which is within spitting distance of Wrigley. Once we got there I promptly fell in love with Herbie (the love pug). Isn't he just the cutest darn thing?? Thanks for the pic Allie!

Then on Wednesday (Allie's birthday, YAY!) we met up with Martha and went scrapbook shopping! For the full story and lovely photos of our adventure please visit Mugsyboo. I will however share this pic of the rockin stash I came away with!
Then we taxied over to the Shedd Aquarium before heading to the airport for home.


























And as an extra bonus check out this awesome altered metal mug that Allie gave me!!! I LOVE it!! She also gave me tons of cool scrap stuff and all on HER BIRTHDAY!! Thanks so much Allie, you are so cool!

Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Want Me Wednesday


Fresh back from my trip to Chi-town, I'm delivering your weekly dose of pure pug love that is just waiting to be adopted into a loving forever home. This handsome fellow is Otto. Here is a little bit of information on him from the Kentuckiana Pug Rescue Website:
Otto (#236) is a 13 year old grandpa pug. He came to KPR as his owner was moved to a nursing home and no one in the family could take care of him. Otto's foster family loves him and thinks he's a great dog. Otto is a very distinguished senior boy. Due to his age, he has vision impairment caused by cataracts and has arthritis in both front legs. He also is in bad need of some dental work. Whoever adopts this boy will be very lucky indeed - his foster family has fell in love with this gentle soul. Update 8/2/06 ~ Otto had his dental done this morning. DeLynn said he needed to have a couple of teeth pulled, but made it thru surgery successfully - yea! Otto is ready to go to his forever home!

If you are the family that sweet Otto has been waiting for please fill out an application on him today!!

P.S. I'll update on my trip tomorrow, just too tired tonight!

Monday, June 25, 2007

My Girls!

Ok I never do two posts in one day, but look what came in the mail!!!!


























We had Genie and Dora's portraits done this year at Pugnic by Grannis Photography. Didn't they do a marvelous job?!?!

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Say a Prayer for Jessie's Family

I'm not sure why the story of Jessie has touched me so deep. I'm thinking it may be because so many people that I know are currently pregnant. Whatever it may be, I am so saddened by the news of her body being found. Please say a prayer for her poor family tonight. How tragic to be eagerly awaiting a new life, only to loose 2.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Our Picture Came!!


Our race photo that I ordered finally came in the mail today! Yay!! We both look pretty beat, but I guess that's to be expected after a marathon.

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Want Me Wednesday

I've decided to start featuring a pug in need of a forever home every Wednesday. Today's spotlight is on Riley. I did some transport for Riley about a month ago so I can tell you first hand that he is a very sweet boy. If you are interested in adopting Riley or any of the pugs currently up for adoption through Southeast Pug Rescue please fill out an application today!

Photo care of SEPRA Website.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Reflecting


I'm in a "Burn it" music sharing group with some of my pug village friends and this session's theme is "Soundtrack to Your Life." I won't spoil the fun by posting my playlist just yet, but I have been doing a lot of reflecting on my past. I had a rough start in life. Not as rough as some, but let's just say it hasn't been an easy journey. I listened to my playlist on the way home from work today and as I was flooded with memories of my past I realized that even though many of the songs on the list conjure up sad memories, that as the songs continue they take on a much happier note. I am proud to say that although my childhood and adolescence were not something I would want to relive, things started to look up when I went away to college and have just been getting better ever since. I'm no fool, I know there will be rough times again at some point in my life, but I also know that as a result of my past I am strong and I can make it through.

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Motivation

So now that you've gotten started running, how do you stay motivated?? Once those sore muscles set in it's awfully tempting to roll up into a ball on the couch. Here is a little trick that has really helped me stay on track with my running.

iPod Motivation
-Buy a shuffle, make a running mix, and use it on every run. It is actually really helpful. The only time I run without my shuffle is if I'm really under stress and running to blow off steam. Then I like to "talk myself down" while I'm running.
-ONLY listen to said shuffle/running mix when running.
-Set an achievable exercise goal for the week.
-Once you have met your goal for the week, reward yourself with the purchase of a new iTune for your running mix.
-This reward isn't counterproductive like a food reward and it won't break the bank since iTunes are affordable at 99cents a pop.

Thursday, June 14, 2007

20 Reasons


Here's my latest LO! It's for Allie's Challenge for our Critique group and for Aimee's challenge as well. I was thinking since I posted such a negative post about friends the other day, I should take some time and remember the good things about my best friend! There are 20 good reasons on this LO why we are still good friends after all these years!

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Things everyone should know before begining a running/long distance walking program.....but most don't

My friend Dana is participating in the 3-day walk for breast cancer {{YAY, go Dana!!!}} and we've been going back and forth quite a bit with questions and advice and she really got me thinking when she said, "Someone could make a fortune writing a book called "Starting to Exercise for Dummies...All You Really Need to Know." Well because I like you and I don't want you to have to wait and read a whole book before you start taking care of yourself (because really, do you need another way to put off starting??) I'm going to include the information that I have learned through my 5+ years of distance running.



(1) Buy a good pair of running shoes.



By this I do not mean the most expensive pair of Nikes at footlocker that a pimple faced kid wants to sell you. GO TO A RUNNING STORE TO BE FITTED. I cannot emphasize this enough. You need to have your feet and your running analyzed by someone who has been trained on fitting runners into running shoes. You may also need to buy some insoles to go in said running shoes. They are worth the extra money if you need them. Save yourself the pain and go ahead and buy them.

I am a loyal patron of the Fleet Feet franchise. They have many locations across the US and I have found that they do an excellent job of training their staff and are well worth the trip. I'm also a big fan of their frequent buyer program. I believe it's a $25 gift card for every $25 you spend in store, but this may vary from store to store. There may also be several independent running stores in your area. I encourage you to google running stores in your city and shop around.

Once you've been running for a while and get to know your feet and which shoe you prefer you may choose to start buying your shoes online. My favorite online running store is Road Runner Sports. They have an excellent customer service department and a great selection of the latest shoes on the market.



(2) Buy some good socks.


While this is not nearly as critical as the good shoes, your feet will thank you for investing in some decent socks. My personal favorite are Balegas. They come in a variety of ankle heights and have the most heavenly cushion in the bottom. Yes I know $10 seems like a ridiculous amount of money to pay for a pair of socks, but I *promise* they are worth it. I refuse to run in anything else and John won't wear any others period. They are also sold at Fleet Feet so I generally use my $25 gift certificates from shoe buying to purchase my socks.

And don't bother trying the other socks that "look" like the Balegas. I've tried every kind of sock I've found that looks like a Balega and nothing compares. I might as well have flushed the money I spent on them down the toilet b/c they are not the same and they make me miserable when I run in them.



(3) Buy some running clothes.



You knew this was coming! There's no need to buy the expensive clothes at Fleet Feet or Road Runner, but it is wise to invest in some cotton free, breathable running clothes. My favorite spots for buying these include Ross, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Target, and the Nike Outlet. And if you are a female and have breasts bigger than a B-cup, you are most likely going to have the most success with wearing two bras at once. There are lots of fancy bras out there targeting those of us with larger ta-tas but I've tried lots of them and still find the best solution to be wearing two at once.



(4) Body Glide is your friend.



Yes it seems icky and it doesn't smell very nice but higher miles require body glide to prevent chafing and blisters. I use it every time I plan on going for a run longer than 5 miles. Places you will want to apply it include under the arms (sides), tip of the nose (if cold weather), thighs, behind the knees (especially if you wear a knee brace), and your nipples (men and women, just trust me on this one).



(5) You need to Gu!



Gu, Power Gel, Carb-boom! and the like are sooooo helpful when your miles start getting high. Again I use a general 5 mile or more rule for taking along the Gu. When planning for a 5 miles or more run, I begin my run by Gu-ing ~15 minutes pre-run and then again every 30-45 minutes into the run. Be sure to test the different flavors of Gu during your training so that you will discover which you can tolerate before the race. My personal favorites are Vanilla, Chocolate Outrage, and the apple flavor Carb-boom. Be sure to "chase" your Gu down with a big gulp of water. Oh and the most convenient way I've found for carrying along your Gu if you're not a fan of the fanny pack is to simply safety pin them to the waist of your shorts.



(6) Put down that coffee cup!



When doing any type of long distance training/event hydration is a major concern. Caffeine is dehydrating! Soft drink makers put it in your soda because IT MAKES YOU MORE THIRSTY! Dirty little trick they are pulling isn't it??!!?? Well it's more than a dirty little trick if it derails your training. When you begin an exercise program you should also begin weaning yourself off caffeine. I'm sure we've all experienced the unpleasant effects of caffeine withdrawal and that's the last thing you need to be feeling come race day. In addition to cutting out the caffeine, you also need to make sure that you are taking in adequate amounts of water every day. There is some debate over what is "adequate" but as a general rule I keep a large coffee mug of water at my desk and drink ~ 2 or 3 per day.



(7) Know your water needs during activity.



The basic rule is "Drink to Thirst." It's not wise to drink at every water station along the way during your race due to a potentially lethal condition called hyponatremia. To combat this it is recommended that you follow this hydration table (adapted from the Country Music Marathon Website)

Finish Time Race Pace:Fluid Intake Rate:Fluid Intake Total
< 4 hours:10-12 oz /20 minutes:3.5-4.0 liters
4-5 hours:8 oz /20 minutes:3.0-3.5 liters
> 5 hours:4-6 oz / 20 minutes:2.5- 3.0 liters



(8) Acetaminophen (Tylenol) should be your pain reliever of choice.



NSAIDs such as Advil, Aleve, Motrin, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, ect have shown to be dangerous to your kidneys if taken within 24 hrs of a run. For further information on this you can see the Country Music Marathon website.



That is everything that I can think of for the time being. I will likely come back to this and add more to it in the future and then re-post. I hope that it is helpful to some of you who are planning to take up running! And any runners out there feel free to add tips as comments!

Monday, June 11, 2007

I'm Tired.


The first day back to work is such a bummer. This is the only thing that brightened my day. Yes, Eugenie and Eudora, I see one of these in your future (in harness style of course)! They have so many cool things at the new store in the pugvillage "mall." Go check it out!!


Saturday, June 9, 2007

Cool Stuff Alert!!


Mom and I were bored today so we decided to ride out to "The Factory" - a collection of interesting little shops and antique stores in Franklin. We hadn't ever been before and I'm glad we decided to check it out. If you haven't already you MUST check out Fluff. I am so digging all of their stuff. I bought the cute little coin purse above at a store in The Factory and then when I got home and investigated further I found a sweet pug shirt in their online store that I just had to order.

In the same store where I discovered Fluff, I also found the Puggy Bank below!! How could I resist that little guy?!? I couldn't! Home with me he came!!




And just for fun I'm posting a picture I took of Genie and Dora taking a nap together yesterday. It was rainy and gross and the girls took full advantage of that with an all-day long nap fest. Ahhhh they are girls after my own heart!! I can't wait to scrap this pic!


Thursday, June 7, 2007

Fall Creek Falls

Some things came up and our Florida trip fell through. Yes, I was pretty disappointed, but hey such is life! John and I decided to make the best of it and do some local site-seeing. Fall Creek Falls State Park is a landmark near where John and I live that I had never visited. We took a road trip Tuesday to check it out! The park was just beautiful. So much greenery and wildlife. It totally inspired us to come back home and get to work on our landscaping. That is a huge undertaking and we are still working on it. Ok, John's still working on it, LOL! I'll get some pics up of his handy work when they are all finished.

I have to say that this change of plans has really got me thinking. We all have so much to be thankful for, yet sometimes we let the smallest of things eat away at our joy, robing us of our true blessings. I'm not trying to get all deep on you, but if you would just take a minute right now and count your blessings. Suddenly all your troubles don't seem so bad, do they? :)




Friday, June 1, 2007

What a week!













This has been one heck of a busy week! I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to take care of everything that needed to be done before I leave for vacation tomorrow (yay for vacation!) and working like crazy at work to finish things that needed tending to before I left. The last thing I had time for was a pug rescue, but that's exactly what happened!

The sweet little pair you see pictured ended up needing help getting out of a bad situation and really, who could say no to a face like that?!? I picked them up from the drop-off location last night around 6:30 and they were in such miserable condition that John and I didn't finish until almost midnight. They were filthy, but dirt was the least of their problems. They were covered, and I mean covered in ticks. I know we picked off over 300 ticks between the two of them. The sweet little black on had the most due to an almost in-grown collar. When we removed the collar there was literally a ring of ticks underneath where it had been. I know they must have been just miserable.

Thankfully they are resting comfortably at their foster home tonight. I want to give a big huge thanks to my good friend Marci and Music City Pug Rescue - if you're not familiar with them please check them out and consider making a donation.

I am off for a week of beachy relaxation!! I'll be back Friday!!