Ice & Cupcakes

So much for being a better blogger; I managed to skip a whole month, oops!

I have decided that I will not be running the ING Atlanta Half-marathon in March. Unfortunately, unpredictable winter weather and depression don't go well with an outdoor-based training plan. I've had periods of struggling to motivate myself just to get out of bed in the morning, so exercising at all, let alone in freezing, icy conditions just isn't happening.

However, I WILL still be running my first half-marathon this year. I just need to pick a new race and adjust my training schedule accordingly. I suppose I gotta laugh at the idea of a schedule. Even if I do write one down, I won't follow it. I just use it as more of a guideline.

Since it's been ridiculously cold, I've been getting back in touch with my yoga roots and trying out some cardio kickboxing DVDs. What a great combo, eh? And this past Sunday, I ran 12.5 miles! Yes, I finally exceeded my 10-mile record. I think there was about 2 - 2.5 miles of walking in there, but even so, my average pace ended up being 10:22 min/mile. Not too shabby. This was in no way an easy run, either. It started out that way - the sun was shining, the wind was minimal, and it was low 40s. In other words, perfect weather. I only had a bowl of cereal in my system, so I wasn't properly fueled at all. At mile 5, since I was still enjoying the run, I decided that instead of turning back, I'd keep going because I was *pretty* sure I could make a loop. I just didn't realize that loop would end up being 12.5 miles in length. And, for a couple of those miles, I was incredibly unsure if I was heading in the right direction.

So, now that I know that route is possible, I'll fuel up accordingly. I think I'm also going to invest in one of those running belts that hold water bottles and have a pocket for your iPod/snacks. I know in my heart of hearts with consistent training (not just one run every couple of weeks), my vegan diet, and proper fueling pre-run, I can definitely run a 9:00 min/mile half-marathon. Now I just gotta prove myself right!

In other news, my grandma has decided to bestow a rather large sum of money on my brother and I. This really couldn't come at a better time. I can pay off both of my credit cards, get new brakes for my car, and then either put the rest towards my car loan, my emergency savings fund, or both. It feels so good not to be stressing about money. I'm still being really frugal by my standards (I just spent $25 at Goodwill on 4 skirts and 2 dresses!), but it's nice to know I don't have to check my bank balance to see if I can afford to go out to dinner with Saxon.

And speaking of Saxon, I got to meet his mom on Saturday. I don't have a great track record meeting parents, but after the initial shock of my appearance, Saxon's mom was really sweet. We had take-out from our favorite Thai restaurant and watched Angels and Demons with Saxon's mom and our friends Kevin and Lynn. They're such a fun couple to hang out with! I made sure to come prepared for the meeting, so I brought homemade chocolate orange cupcakes decorated with vanilla "buttercream" frosting and orange peel. They were a total hit! Saxon's complaint was that I only brought 6 cupcakes over to his house. When I got home that evening, the other 6 had been devoured by my parents and brother. Success!

I know Valentine's Day is this Sunday, but I don't have any big plans for it. I'll be spending the afternoon at the cat shelter, giving the kitties some extra love, and cooking dinner with Saxon in the evening. We might go and see a burlesque show on Saturday. I'd love to do that! I really wanna take classes too, but I shall wait until those credit cards are paid off. I think it would really help with my body confidence.

Well, that's about it. I'll part on a sweet note - Massive Attack's newest album "Heligoland" is amazing. Check it out!

xxxxx