I know you've all been wondering about my 100 Push Up Challenge (PUC) progress. Well, wait no more, people. I am still rocking the push ups.
I finished Week 2, Day 3 earlier this week:
Set 1: 12 push ups
Set 2: 13 push ups
Set 3: 10 push ups
Set 4: 10 push ups
Set 5: max (I did 15)
Yes, that's a total of 60 push ups!! I am pretty proud of myself considering I couldn't do 1 push up not too long ago.
After Week 2, you're supposed to do a progress test to see if your baseline has moved up. Well, I had to delay mine because I hurt my arm. Not from doing push ups, no, from carrying around a 32+ pound 3-year old boy.
I picked Keller up from school on Tuesday and we headed to Trader Joe's. He started dozing in the cart. He then started fussing because he couldn't get comfortable and really wanted to sleep. So, I carried him around in one hand and push the cart around and dud my shopping with the other. I had to get food! Don't judge me. He slept for almost an hour like that.
Needless to say, my arm was dead for about 2 days. I couldn't do my progress test. Well, I did it this morning and I surprised myself with my push-up prowess. My initial exhaustion test, done before all the push ups started, was 9. I could do 9 push ups before I pooped out. My exhaustion test this morning was....22 push ups! That's quite some progress, don't you think?
Anyway, it's Halloween and we're looking forward to it. Keller's costume is 100% original since I made it. I will definitely post a picture after all is said and done. He has his parade at school this morning and then trick-or-treating tonight. It should be a fun day.
And I want to say to my dad: Happy Birthday!!! You and mom rock and I hope you have a great day. Talk to you in a little bit. Love you!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
The Winner Takes It All
I have been having a downright shitty week. Nothing happened in particular. I am just contemplating life and things and all that crap, which is always depressing. There's more to it than that, but I won't get into it now.
So, after the whirl wind that is the usual morning routine, I get to work and go about my day. On a small mini-break, I log into my Twitter account for my alter ego, Coach Jenn (check it out here). Anyway, another Twitterer, Blaine also known as Run to Win, has been having this contest all week to give away 5 copies of the new movie that's coming out about Fred Lebow, a crusader in the New York City running community and responsible for bringing to the city one of the most highly regarded and sought after marathons in the world. Anyway, I've entered the contest each day and....I won yesterday. Yahoo!
If you go to Blaine's website and look at the post for the winner of Day 3 of the contest, you'll see a video that has him picking the winner and clicking on my website! It was kind of cool. It's nice to know someone looks at my website every now and then. ;)
I'm very excited about getting my DVD. I've been wanting to see this movie since I first heard about it months ago. I ran NYC last year and while it certainly wasn't my best race (I didn't really train well for it), it was amazing. Growing up in NY, you hear about this race and the magnitude it has. It brings 5 boroughs and countless neighborhoods together for one day. And when you're running, you feel like a rock star. I was wearing my Livestrong gear and people were calling me Lance, cheering me on. It was great. So, I can't wait for my DVD to arrive.
See, I guess the day isn't all bad.
So, after the whirl wind that is the usual morning routine, I get to work and go about my day. On a small mini-break, I log into my Twitter account for my alter ego, Coach Jenn (check it out here). Anyway, another Twitterer, Blaine also known as Run to Win, has been having this contest all week to give away 5 copies of the new movie that's coming out about Fred Lebow, a crusader in the New York City running community and responsible for bringing to the city one of the most highly regarded and sought after marathons in the world. Anyway, I've entered the contest each day and....I won yesterday. Yahoo!
If you go to Blaine's website and look at the post for the winner of Day 3 of the contest, you'll see a video that has him picking the winner and clicking on my website! It was kind of cool. It's nice to know someone looks at my website every now and then. ;)
I'm very excited about getting my DVD. I've been wanting to see this movie since I first heard about it months ago. I ran NYC last year and while it certainly wasn't my best race (I didn't really train well for it), it was amazing. Growing up in NY, you hear about this race and the magnitude it has. It brings 5 boroughs and countless neighborhoods together for one day. And when you're running, you feel like a rock star. I was wearing my Livestrong gear and people were calling me Lance, cheering me on. It was great. So, I can't wait for my DVD to arrive.
See, I guess the day isn't all bad.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Falling Down
Anyone that knows me knows that I am prone to accidents of all kinds, falling off chairs, you name it. This is the main reason why I run because I don't have to touch anything or anyone (though I did kick ass at relays in high school). The last few days have been especially clumsy, in various ways.
On Friday, I nearly had a nervous breakdown. You know that tiny space in between the front seat of a car and the center console (this is ususally found in SUVs)? You know how when you drop things in there, they're usually lost forever? Well, as I get into the car to go home on Friday, I dropped my entire key ring into that tiny space. How did they fit, was my first question. But they did. Every thought is going through my head: how will I get home, how will I pick Keller up, I'm stuck in this garage forever, etc. I was able to get them out, though I had to crawl under the front seat from the back seat. Imagine walking through the parking garage and see some weird lady's legs hanging out of the back seat of a Honda Pilot. That would be me. But, after scraping my arms up and cursing a little, I got my keys out. I didn't cry either!
On Saturday I ruined a perfectly good cup of coffee by accidentally adding orange juice to it. And I already had a cup, so I can't blame it on that. For a split second I thought about just drinking it anyway, but since I'm not that big of an OJ fan to begin with, this wouldn't be a good idea.
Then just this morning I dropped a paper clip down the front of my dress. Now this really wouldn't be a big deal, but I can't find it. I don't really know how I dropped it down there to begin with, but when I did, I felt it slide all the way through. I thought it fell out, but I didn't see it anywhere. So, I went to the restroom to see if I could find it. I looked everwhere, even in my boots and it's gone. So, I retraced my steps to see if it fell out as I was walking to the restroom. No paper clip. It's definitely perplexing.
My most famous idiotic moment has to be when I was in college. I was at the movies with a friend and we were doing that hip check thing where you hit each other with your hip. As I was about to hip check with all the force I could muster, my friend moved away. I had all this momentum built up, so I couldn't stop. Plus it all happened so fast. Well, needless to say, I went flying. And because I had all this momentum, I didn't just fall to the ground. I fell, and rolled. Seriously, I rolled across the floor of the movie theater. I don't remember what other people around me did because I was too busy laughing. I think I laughed for the entire movie. I'm laughing now just thinking about it.
Happy Tuesday, everyone!
On Friday, I nearly had a nervous breakdown. You know that tiny space in between the front seat of a car and the center console (this is ususally found in SUVs)? You know how when you drop things in there, they're usually lost forever? Well, as I get into the car to go home on Friday, I dropped my entire key ring into that tiny space. How did they fit, was my first question. But they did. Every thought is going through my head: how will I get home, how will I pick Keller up, I'm stuck in this garage forever, etc. I was able to get them out, though I had to crawl under the front seat from the back seat. Imagine walking through the parking garage and see some weird lady's legs hanging out of the back seat of a Honda Pilot. That would be me. But, after scraping my arms up and cursing a little, I got my keys out. I didn't cry either!
On Saturday I ruined a perfectly good cup of coffee by accidentally adding orange juice to it. And I already had a cup, so I can't blame it on that. For a split second I thought about just drinking it anyway, but since I'm not that big of an OJ fan to begin with, this wouldn't be a good idea.
Then just this morning I dropped a paper clip down the front of my dress. Now this really wouldn't be a big deal, but I can't find it. I don't really know how I dropped it down there to begin with, but when I did, I felt it slide all the way through. I thought it fell out, but I didn't see it anywhere. So, I went to the restroom to see if I could find it. I looked everwhere, even in my boots and it's gone. So, I retraced my steps to see if it fell out as I was walking to the restroom. No paper clip. It's definitely perplexing.
My most famous idiotic moment has to be when I was in college. I was at the movies with a friend and we were doing that hip check thing where you hit each other with your hip. As I was about to hip check with all the force I could muster, my friend moved away. I had all this momentum built up, so I couldn't stop. Plus it all happened so fast. Well, needless to say, I went flying. And because I had all this momentum, I didn't just fall to the ground. I fell, and rolled. Seriously, I rolled across the floor of the movie theater. I don't remember what other people around me did because I was too busy laughing. I think I laughed for the entire movie. I'm laughing now just thinking about it.
Happy Tuesday, everyone!
Monday, October 27, 2008
Keep on Smiling
This weekend was heavenly. I just didn't want it to end.
We didn't have to travel. We didn't have to train for anything. We had plans with friends and that was it. And that was awesome.
We actually watched a movie Friday night. It was the first time we watched a movie together in literally months. We watched Smart People with Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker. It was good. Interesting with some funny moments.
Saturday morning was nice and lazy. After breakfast John, Keller, Lola the dog, and I went for a walk and took the soccer ball. We kicked the ball around for a while, until Lola got too annoying and wouldn't let anyone play. We then went to the playground until it started to rain. We ran back home, dried off and then had some lunch.
We then all took naps, which was awesome. We then got up and got ready for Noah's birthday party. That was fun and chaotic. It was at My Gym, which is a free-for-all. Keller just goes crazy there, so it was an hour and a half of chasing him around, making sure he didn't fall off some apparatus.
After Keller went to bed, we watch another movie. We watched No Country for Old Men. While I'm usually not one for extremely violent movies, this was pretty good. It had some very interesting dialogue. I liked it.
Sunday morning we went downtown to watch the Marine Corps Marathon. This was my first (and second) marathon, so it's pretty nostalgic for me. It was a gorgeous morning and it was cool watching all the front runners go by. I usually don't get to see them since I'm way behind them. It was awesome.
After the marathon, we met Eric and Isabel for brunch. We hadn't seen them in a while, and Saturday was Eric's birthday, so we needed to get together. We stuffed ourselves and had a great time.
We then went home, had naps, I went for a run, and then we all went over to Mary and Steve's for a great dinner. The usual suspects were there, and it was a great time.
So, this was my idea of a perfect weekend. Friends, food, and fun! Happy Monday!
We didn't have to travel. We didn't have to train for anything. We had plans with friends and that was it. And that was awesome.
We actually watched a movie Friday night. It was the first time we watched a movie together in literally months. We watched Smart People with Dennis Quaid and Sarah Jessica Parker. It was good. Interesting with some funny moments.
Saturday morning was nice and lazy. After breakfast John, Keller, Lola the dog, and I went for a walk and took the soccer ball. We kicked the ball around for a while, until Lola got too annoying and wouldn't let anyone play. We then went to the playground until it started to rain. We ran back home, dried off and then had some lunch.
We then all took naps, which was awesome. We then got up and got ready for Noah's birthday party. That was fun and chaotic. It was at My Gym, which is a free-for-all. Keller just goes crazy there, so it was an hour and a half of chasing him around, making sure he didn't fall off some apparatus.
After Keller went to bed, we watch another movie. We watched No Country for Old Men. While I'm usually not one for extremely violent movies, this was pretty good. It had some very interesting dialogue. I liked it.
Sunday morning we went downtown to watch the Marine Corps Marathon. This was my first (and second) marathon, so it's pretty nostalgic for me. It was a gorgeous morning and it was cool watching all the front runners go by. I usually don't get to see them since I'm way behind them. It was awesome.
After the marathon, we met Eric and Isabel for brunch. We hadn't seen them in a while, and Saturday was Eric's birthday, so we needed to get together. We stuffed ourselves and had a great time.
We then went home, had naps, I went for a run, and then we all went over to Mary and Steve's for a great dinner. The usual suspects were there, and it was a great time.
So, this was my idea of a perfect weekend. Friends, food, and fun! Happy Monday!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
Ray of Light
I knew it would take just a couple of nights of really good sleep to feel better. While I still have a lot going on, at least I feel a little more capable of handling it now.
Before I go any further, I want to share something I'm extremely proud of. I had the great opportunity to chat with a local running celebrity: Michael Wardian. This guys is just a year older than me and he's accomplished so much as a runner. He is great in every race he enters, often winning them. But he's also a dad, a husband, and a successful international ship broker. He is incredibly balanced and has a fantastic outlook on life. Even if you're not a runner, this interview will change the way you look at staying fit. Please take a look!
Speaking with Mike really made me think about how I run, how I put too much pressure on myself causing my races to tank, and how I should just have a good time. The rest should follow.
And I'm definitely making progess with my current challenge: the 100 push up challenge. I finished week 1, and have moved into week 2. Here's what I did yesterday:
Set 1: 9 push ups
Set 2: 11 push ups
Set 3: 8 push ups
Set 4: 8 push ups
Set 5: max (I did 12 push ups)
That's another 48 push ups under my belt!
Anyway, I hope have a great day!
Before I go any further, I want to share something I'm extremely proud of. I had the great opportunity to chat with a local running celebrity: Michael Wardian. This guys is just a year older than me and he's accomplished so much as a runner. He is great in every race he enters, often winning them. But he's also a dad, a husband, and a successful international ship broker. He is incredibly balanced and has a fantastic outlook on life. Even if you're not a runner, this interview will change the way you look at staying fit. Please take a look!
Speaking with Mike really made me think about how I run, how I put too much pressure on myself causing my races to tank, and how I should just have a good time. The rest should follow.
And I'm definitely making progess with my current challenge: the 100 push up challenge. I finished week 1, and have moved into week 2. Here's what I did yesterday:
Set 1: 9 push ups
Set 2: 11 push ups
Set 3: 8 push ups
Set 4: 8 push ups
Set 5: max (I did 12 push ups)
That's another 48 push ups under my belt!
Anyway, I hope have a great day!
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