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Maniacal Monday #17

By DragonLady on June 17, 2013

It’s been a while. I put off writing something I wanted to write about, and now I’ve decided that if I do write about it, it will be all snarky and end up with me being exactly what I want to rail against. So now you get a list post of catch up material. You know, for the 2 or 3 of you who still keep up.

1. Rather than doing a recap (way after the fact), you will get the Reader’s Digest version of the last race. The Wednesday (I think) following the Ninja Challenge, Karyn dropped a link to a race on my Facebook wall for that Saturday. Thinking “It’s only a 5K,” I signed up for it (and the hubby too). Who knew that on May 25 we would wake up to temp in the low/mid-40s(F)?

It was a trail, not real rough, but not real smooth and way more hills than I wanted to do. I struggled. Bad. Then as we were coming in to the finish line, a chick who had walked much of the course (ok, maybe she didn’t, but every time I had seen her prior she was walking) passed us running to the finish. I decided that she was NOT going to beat me, and busted out into a sprint to the finish line. Karyn was shocked to see that kind of speed come out of me though I am sure I wasn’t going near as fast as I felt. LOL

2. The first weekend in June, the hubby went to a small music festival that a friend of his hosts every year. He came back and told me “I brought you something.” I got all excited thinking he got me some of that fantastic homemade wine, but it was a small (roughly half-pint) jar of moonshine. If you like sourmash, it was good. I don’t, but I drank it anyway ’cause that’s how I roll. And not in one day either.

Then 2 or 3 days after the festival I come home, and he opens up the front door, and this ran out:

Yes, he brought home another dog under the reasoning that someone else wanted a dog like that. Her name is Precious, and yes, we still have her.

KitKat is not amused.

3. Tiger and Sushi are doing really well. They got totally eaten up with fleas, and we undertook chemical warfare this weekend to rid them and the dogs of the flea menace. KitKat kept herself well hidden and managed to (so far) escape bath time and/or dusting. She isn’t likely to get a bath because despite her fat, she is quite nimble and not afraid to sink her claws to the bone.

4. Friday night I sent Karyn a text asking her if she was up for 10 miles on the American Tobacco Trail (ATT) in the morning. She said no, but that she needed to. So I asked her if it would help that we only had to run 7. So we go out there, and if she hadn’t been going, I would have gone back to bed. But, it turned out to be a much better run than I was expecting. Just after the 3 mile marker I met Karyn on her way back, and told her I had improved my 3 mile time. I was feeling great and kicking it. And then I hit a stretch of trail that wasn’t shaded and nearly died. And had to run back through that stretch after the turnaround. But I got my third wind around mile 5, and even after sprinting the last tenth of a mile, I felt like I could keep going. However, I was very glad I didn’t have to! Twice during the run I had to stop and rake pea gravel out of my shoes, only the second time when I did the rake, I nearly cried when I realized that was NOT a rock, but was a blister. Evidently I can no longer wear the really short running socks.

5. Father’s Day was rough this year. For me. I might write specifically about why at some point.

6. June 9 I had to take Chad to pick up a game we preordered on his birthday. This year his birthday gift was one that just keeps on taking, and I’ll have some more pain in August or September when the other one comes in that I preordered for him. Anyway, since Starbucks was right there I “needed” to stop. Now Saturday morning when I picked up Karyn, I told her that we would be going to Starbucks after the run. And when I ordered (at the drive through) the dude who took my order was very friendly and Karyn made note of it. So I then told her about the stop with Chad because that dude was just as wacky friendly. Which is fine. It’s entertaining. What wasn’t entertaining on the 9th was when the dude handed me my coffee and hesitated over the handoff as our hands were (awkwardly) touching.

7. Heh

This entry is filed under Exercise, Humor, Life, Maniacal Monday, Photos, Ramble, Running, Video. | 2 Comments

“Run the only race worth running!”

By DragonLady on June 4, 2013

I still have a love/hate relationship with running. It still takes a lot to get out there and do it, and I still usually hate it while I am running. Especially for the first 2 miles. Yet I still sign up for races knowing full well that I run slower than most and so won’t even place, let alone win. But I like the shirts and cups, and love getting finisher’s medals. And I love the feeling of actually finishing.

I’ve run 2 half marathons so far. 13.1 miles is a long way to run when you want to quit before finishing the first mile. I am planning on running a full marathon in October. By planning, I mean I have registered. I want to put a 26.2 sticker on my car along with the 13.1 sticker. And Karyn says I am a machine for being able to finish runs I haven’t properly trained for. That would really be both halfs. I did better training for the first half, but I went straight from not being able to run past 9 miles to the 12 mile run. That was also the half that I asked Karyn for an epidural about a half mile from the finish. The second half I should not have been able to finish due to lack of training. I have also gotten through 2 10Ks by reminding myself of that 13.1 sticker on my car. “You’ve run 13.1 miles; you can run 6.2!”

So, yeah. I’m ready to make the 26.2 leap. Once anyway. It will be different, for sure. I can run 13.1 without having to refuel, but I know I will need to eat something during a full to replenish. I know I will have to be diligent about training. Not just the runs themselves, but running with “supplies” for refueling. With proper training, there is no reason short of injury or illness that I shouldn’t be able to finish – even if I have to walk (or crawl).

Funny thing is, sometimes I think I have been learning more about my walk with Christ from running than I managed to pick up otherwise. I have not fallen during a run (yet), but I know it is a matter of time. I saw a lady go down right in front of me during the last half, and she got right back up and proceeded to pass me again. This would correspond pretty directly to what Paul says about looking forward and forgetting what is behind. I’m going to trip and fall on my face, repeatedly, but that is not where I am to stay.

13 Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:13-14, ESV)

Training for a long run involves a lot of running with gradually adding distance to build up the muscle and endurance. Properly hydrating is also necessary as well as eating foods that provide energy and promote healing. Even with all the training, and even training hills, sometimes you find yourself in a race with a hill from hell. This is a hill that may or may not be steep, but it seems to just go on forever and ever as if you are never going to reach the top. Sometimes trials feel like the never-ending hill, and just wear you down no matter how you try to be diligent in prayer and bible study.

Sometimes, rather than a “traditional trial,” it can be a struggle with overcoming a particular sin that can feel like that never-ending hill. I have found myself here lately. I know much of what is going on is spiritual warfare, but I also know I alone am responsible for my actions and/or inaction. I’ve been tripping and falling repeatedly, but kept getting back up and running. But then I hit the wall. And when I hit the wall, I realized that when I thought I should share what was going on with my close friends that I should have actually done it. But then I still waited before I did it. And it’s still a problem like a never ending hill.

Update: I meant to credit the title before publishing. I “stole” the title from the sermon notes I took during a sermon preached at newhope church. And because I didn’t have the notes in front of me when I finally finished this post (after about 4 weeks), I don’t even remember what sermon series it was (pretty sure it was Joyride) or if it was Pastor Benji or Pastor Chad that preached it.

This entry is filed under Exercise, Faith, Life, Running, Semi-confessional, Training Tuesday, Video. | 2 Comments

The Ninja Challenge

By DragonLady on May 20, 2013

I started saying that minutes after registration which was back in March? Around 3:30am Saturday morning, I decided that I was NOT doing that race. From 2:30 – about 4am, I was awake trying not to puke. I might have made a huge mistake eating as much as I did the night before. But, when I picked up my race packet the night before, they were out of tshirts in my size, so I had to at least show up on site to get my tshirt. And once I was there, I thought, “What the heck. It’s only a 5k.”

Oh, my word. Not only was it an obstacle course, but it was a rough trail. I rolled my ankle shortly after starting, and rolled the other at the end of the next to last obstacle. I have to say, the obstacle course I did in basic training was harder overall, but I was also a very fit 25-year-old in basic.

That smile was all fake. Like I said the trail was rough, but the first 2 or 3 obstacles weren’t really that bad. Then we got to “Iron Mountain.” I heard some saying the 2 big ones were 6 ft and 8 ft. Pretty sure the 6 ft one was 6.5 ft. I didn’t make it, but my 2 attempts did manage to leave me pretty bruised up. I didn’t attempt the taller one, and just went on around.

I’m trying to look all cool saying “Deuces!”

I didn’t make it up this the first time, and have a scraped up left thigh to show for it. On the other side was a dumpster full of what was pretty nasty looking water by the time we (the 5th wave) went through it. You can go to Instagram and see me trying to get out of the dumpster. It was chilly. Also, here is my not-so-graceful landing:

Then James told me “This is the 1 mile mark.” That is when I dropped the f-bomb because I was already done. I didn’t do much running after that choosing to save what little energy I had left to get through the remaining obstacles. Besides, I was soaked from the waist down and running with wet shoes and socks just sucks. I failed at the “monkey bars”, and fell off the balance beams and the wall past it. I had a panic attack at the top of the rope ladder wall when I went over the top. I fell off one of the incline boards too. And then came the pond.

The muddy bank on the other side was when I rolled my other ankle.

There was only one more obstacle after that, and I didn’t even attempt it. But, I saw the guy I chatted with at Iron Mountain who was running solo because the team he was supposed to be running it with didn’t/couldn’t. So I waited on him, and was impressed that he helped the 2 people after him get up that last obstacle, and I finished with him.

I could barely get around yesterday, and I am still pretty stinking sore today. But even though I cried in the shower over the scrapes and chafing, and keep moaning about being sore and bruised up, I am totally doing the Ninja Challenge again next year!

This entry is filed under Exercise, Fail, Photos, Running, Video. | 9 Comments

So…

By DragonLady on May 17, 2013

I’ve been working on a post for like 2 weeks. It’s reached the point of finish or abandon, though probably neither will happen today.

Spot brought 2 kittens home…finally. Next day, Notch got out and killed Spot. The kittens are safe though, so there is that. And after all the talk about how all the “good” cats ran away, and Spot was useless and wouldn’t leave, I cried over her, useless as she was.

Don’t judge the nasty carpet. It’s a closet. Which is why the kittens are in there.

Straight tea tree oil now causes me hives and blisters. Maybe it will still manage to kill the candida.

We are again battling a mouse infestation. Because KitKat is as useless a mouser as Spot was. I found this morning that you CAN catch a mouse with a trap that isn’t baited. One of the kitchen mice ate the bait off the trap night before last without tripping the trap. I didn’t get around to rebaiting last night, but apparently, the mouse tried to walk across it last night, and didn’t quite make it. So far, that has been the high point of my day.

I have an obstacle course race tomorrow. I already have regret.

This entry is filed under Exercise, Funday Friday, Life, Ramble, Running, Sad, Video. | 6 Comments

Hodgepodge of stuffs

By DragonLady on April 30, 2013

1. I ran the 2nd Annual Rabbit Run 5k Saturday the 13th. Just like last year I woke up sick, only last year it was a sinus infection, this year side effects from a diet detox. Unlike last year, I was able to run the entire race (slow as I am), redeeming myself from last year not making it much farther than a mile before I had to walk. Sadly, I only beat my time from last year by about a minute, and definitely did not PR. However, I seemed to have run out whatever I woke up with because I felt pretty good the rest of the day.

2. I ran the Sanford Fitness Fest 10k Sunday finishing 3rd in my age group. Oh, and I finished dead last overall, so clearly there were a total of 3 in my age group. haha! Only 27 ran the 10k, so it wasn’t so bad. In fact, it was like a typical tribe run. I finished, so it was a win. The hubby decided the day before to run with me only he did the 5k since he hasn’t run since last summer. We started together, but there was a point where the 5k & 10k split, so from that point on we were each on our own. I heard he really blew it out from that point to place much higher than when he was running at my pace.

3. I’ve been fighting off a candida overgrowth on my scalp with a candida diet. This is week 4, and I am so done with this diet because my scalp is actually worse than before I started. I knew it would get worse before getting better, and the first week of detox saw the entire left side of my scalp practically explode with hives and blisters. Which is typical for a detox, though the last couple detoxes left me with those rashes on my face. But anyway, I’m going to give it the rest of the week, and if no improvement, I’m just going to get my doc to prescribe me an antifungal shampoo because I cannot buy Nizoral over-the-counter anymore. Petra thinks I am getting glutened. I am starting to lean that direction especially considering the ramen I cleaned out of my utensil drawer on Saturday.

4. Discovered that I would rather “clean up” Microsoft generated html than code it myself.

5. Pretty sure I’m going to attempt a full marathon in October. Pretty sure != registration.

6. Found a Spice Girls song on my iPod. And Ricky Martin. One of those 2 is believable that I put it on there.

This entry is filed under Diet, Exercise, Life, Ramble, Running, Video. | 9 Comments

Maniacal Monday #16

By DragonLady on April 1, 2013

Why does the weekend fly by so fast while the work week drags?

1. The hubby and I went to Good Friday service Friday night. Oh, man. Talk about being undone. Although I have never seen The Passion of the Christ, I have seen enough bits and pieces that I can recognize it at any point, and know that I am about to meltdown.

2. I finally had a DNR – Did Not Race. I not only registered for the 3rd annual Jelly Bean race 10k, (the 2nd annual Jelly Bean race was my first ever 5k), I also bought a finisher’s medal. With 2 weekends to get that run done, I didn’t get that run done. No, I don’t have a good excuse/reason. Actually, I did do some running Saturday morning, but it was to the bathroom. Still paying for that Papa John’s 2 weeks ago… I was, however, highly productive around the house. And at least my first DNR was a free virtual one. Well, except for the finisher’s medal. But I think I will just alter it to say “2nd” and “2012″ and attribute it to last year. And by alter I mean tape paper to make it look obvious. lol

3. I’ve cooked 2 weekends in a row. Enough that I have been hooked up with a week of meals. Which is good since as of today, we are broke until next payday. Fun times.

4. I’m going to do a detox next weekend (I finally took my new juicer out of the box after buying it a month ago), and will be giving up sugar and dairy – specifically cheese. I may expound on the why later in the week.

5. In the midst of my cleaning out of clutter Saturday morning, I happened across my taser. (I wondered where it went.) I wasn’t entirely sure it was still working when it went missing, but I went ahead and plugged it in to charge it. Sunday morning, as I was showering (which is a story in itself that I will spare most of you), I heard the hubby comment on the fact that I was charging my taser, and yes, it was plugged into one of the outlets in the bathroom. The following conversation ensued after discussing how long it had been charging (about 24 hours at that point):

J: “Well, it’s shocking me.”
M: “Did you seriously just tase yourself?!”

Sure enough, when I was done showering and opened the curtain, he was still standing there with taser in one hand and touching the contacts with the other while triggering it. And I’m thinking, “What if it had still worked?”

6. The hubby and I went on an impromptu date Sunday for lunch (because my taser didn’t work – lol). We finally decided on Red Robin because while I was open to Sonic tater tots, that would have been my lunch while he would have eaten a burger I want. So there we are at Red Robin, and our waiter decided he recognized me? From that point on, every staff that came by our table spoke primarily to me. At this point I should point out that when I am out somewhere, I really prefer to blend in to the background and not be noticed. I’ve built up this idea in my mind that I give off a vibe to that effect, but apparently I fail miserably at it. Karyn told me flat out that she has never noticed that from me, and my daughter took it a step farther and told me I shouldn’t look so approachable. Wait. What? Ok fine. I outwardly fail at my inward introversion. Probably the whole forcing myself to make eye contact and smile when I really want to scream and ball up in a corner in the fetal position. I have issues, and this wasn’t the direction I intended to take with the date. haha. Squirrel!

We also stopped by the American Tobacco Trail, and walked out about a half mile and back. It was a miserable walk because I needed to pee a little bit before we walked out, and I needed to go so bad on the walk back that I was afraid to cough or sneeze. And once we go back to the parking area and I headed into the hole-in-the-ground toilet, I couldn’t go. Ugh. I really hate that when I have to pee so bad I can’t. But eventually the dam broke, and then I was like “Am I ever going to stop?” And yes, you needed to know that.

7. I was introduced to “The Game” on Friday, and am not appreciative. Don’t ask. Don’t Google. Chad threatened to disown me over it. lol Same guy also introduced me to this:

Petra refused to watch the whole thing, but you should. Seriously.

This entry is filed under Diet, Exercise, Fail, Family, Life, LinkWhoring, Maniacal Monday, Ramble, Running, Semi-confessional, Video.

O glorious day!

By DragonLady on March 31, 2013

The Jewish leaders called for Jesus to be killed, but did not have the authority to do so themselves under Roman rule.

The method of execution – crucifixion – was a Roman cross.

The Jews called for his death. The Romans provided the means of execution. This makes both Jews and Gentiles responsible.

And yet, Jesus had both the power and authority to stop/prevent his unlawful trial, his torturous beating, and his death. But he endured it all, laying down his life willingly – taking the punishment and suffering the death that I deserve.

The story doesn’t end there, though. He arose on the third day proclaiming victory over death.

Romans 8:31-39
English Standard Version (ESV)

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? 33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

This entry is filed under Faith, Salvation, Video.

Race 3 down

By DragonLady on March 18, 2013

Karyn and I ran the Tobacco Road Half Marathon yesterday. My time was 3:20:53 which was about 22 min slower than the City of Oaks Half Marathon last November. But you know what? I didn’t and don’t even care because there is no way I should have been able to run that half. Yes, walkers passed me. Yes, when Karyn met me at mile 12 to make sure I finished, she walked as I “ran.” But I finished it, and celebrated by glutening myself with 2 slices of Papa John’s pizza. Karyn might have heard moaning that shouldn’t have been heard. lol And this is as much of a race recap as I care to do. Oh, and I am sore as heck today because I did not properly train. Not that I didn’t have a training plan. I just missed a LOT of training runs.

This entry is filed under Confessional, Diet, Exercise, Maniacal Monday, Running, Video.

‘Cause I like to eat

By DragonLady on March 13, 2013

I think I have made 2 contradictory statements about cooking before. 1, that I hate it, and 2, that I kind of like it. They are both correct because while most of the time I hate cooking and will only do it because I want to eat real food and not processed chemical-laden stuff, sometimes the mood hits me, and I actually enjoy the sights and smells of preparing food. And either way, I like to eat.

So after mentioning that I made my own cream of chicken soup to avoid gluten (even though I glutened myself twice that day), MacBros wondered how I did it without flour. And through some Googling, he found a site selling all kinds of gluten free stuff and blogged about it: Gluten Free Noodles? Me, being me, I felt obligated to link whore, and explain how I did this.

First off, I will produce the original recipe for what a friend from way back in the mid-90′s at Tinker referred to as “rice shit.” He loved it, and was going around asking “Who made this rice shit?” I thought it was hilarious, and, yes, that is what I call it. Anyway, I got the recipe from a cousin at one of my wedding showers because the cousin who hosted it thought it would be a great idea to have everyone attending to give me a recipe. My whole extended family likes to eat. Both sides.

First translation, “oleo” = margarine. That is a pet peeve of mine that my parents heard me complain about for years because they would not drop the “oleo” label and call margarine margarine. And having looked it up, perhaps I will stop complaining about that word. After all, I have been known to call margarine “butter” which is most certainly is not. Anyway, I used real butter instead of margarine, and locally produced butter at that.

This is the recipe I used to make cream of chicken because of that pesky gluten intolerance I have: Cream of Chicken Soup Substitute But I used Bob’s Red Mill GF All Purpose Baking Flour as opposed to ordinary bleached wheat flour. Yes, I realize I admitted earlier in the post to having glutened myself otherwise twice that day. And yes, I am paying the price, but thankfully I don’t get migraines with a glutening. And it isn’t so bad as I expected so maybe praying over the communion bread did help. I didn’t pray over the movie theater popcorn that I wouldn’t have eaten had I not been the keeper of the bag due to keeping my children separated in the theater because they fight. But I digress.

Next came the Homemade Cheez Whiz. I didn’t alter that recipe in any way, though I only buy white cheddar because cheddar isn’t naturally orange, and the stuff they use to make it orange bothers me. I know, who knew? I did not, however, use my food processor as it was not clean, and so I used my blender as a food processor. I should have just cleaned the food processor right then and charged on because blending cheese is tricky. But I made it work without injury.

And I used brown rice, but rather than buying fresh broccoli, I followed the recipe and bought it frozen. Stop judging me. lol

This entry is filed under Diet, Life, LinkWhoring, Video, Wholesome Wednesday. | 7 Comments

Maniacal Monday #15

By DragonLady on March 11, 2013

1. I went grocery shopping Friday night. With. A. List. But I had the hubster with me so there were things picked up that were NOT on the list.

2. The hubby has been asking me to make my rice…stuff. It’s official name is broccoli casserole, and it calls for cream of ~~mushroom~~ chicken soup, most of which contains gluten and so I can’t eat it. It also calls for Cheez Whiz which I won’t eat. I substituted real butter for margarine also because I won’t eat margarine if I can at all avoid it. Anyway, so I had to make my own gluten free cream of ~~mushroom~~ chicken soup and my own cheez whiz. Oh, man, cheez whiz is much better with real cheese. Overall, the casserole tasted way better, but without the processed stuff, it needed salt, and even after adding salt, I didn’t get it salty enough. That said, I’m ok with that because I am not supposed to use a lot of salt, but when I think it needs salt, it is probably greatly lacking.

3. Petra and I went out partying Saturday night. By party I mean dinner and a movie because that’s how we roll. Anyway, we saw Oz the Great and Powerful. And Sunday night I saw it again with my kids. My kids did not provide me with quite the entertainment Petra did because they didn’t get my side commentary and quoting from The Wizard of Oz, Galaxy Quest, and The Fellowship of the Ring.

And yes, I loved it and will be getting the DVD. And need to watch The Wizard of Oz again.

I want to see this just on GP.

4. I did something Sunday that felt so rebellious and unbaptist. I took communion at a church where I am not a member (going against my closed communion upbringing), it was regular bread and not unleavened (going against the whole unleavened bread with communion “rule”), and ate the bread knowing full well it was gluteny bread. It has been at least a year since I had bread with gluten, and oh, man. It was soooo good. Just that little bitty bit was enough to reignite the flames of gluten craving. And enough to have me all bloated today.

5. And, since Karyn went to the beach over the weekend with the extended family, I set out to do my 12 mile run alone. And oh, was it ever an epic fail. I made sure to dress appropriately for the warmth and sun, but forgot to take water with me, and started off entirely too fast. I didn’t do a full 4 miles before I got so sick that I not only stopped running, but called the hubby to come and get me. I may or may not have cried. And I may or may not be able to run the half this weekend.

6. Sunday afternoon/evening I told the kids they had 15 minutes before we left for the theater. I then proceeded to eat one more time, and they came up to my office to rush me. Jamie picked up my acoustic and started playing, and she is really doing well with the guitar now. Then she said to me, “Give me a song to play.” So I played this:

She was like “No, that’s too much stuff to do.” I told her it was not, and to give me the guitar where I proceeded to start playing it (with great difficulty because it’s be a WHILE and I couldn’t remember the chords right away. Had it crossed my mind, I would have told her to learn this one: