"Brainy is the new sexy."
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Wow 2 posts in one day? Who am I?

In my new {almost} running shoes I banged out nearly a 6k in under an hour. AND despite not thinking I would have a new PR, I DO! Thanks to my clever oldest niece who had showed me how to take screencaps on my iphone you can see it. Go me!

The sky was very, very blue today. It was such a great day out for a run!

Now, to the actual point of this post. This Christmas isn’t going to be great. In fact, in some ways it’s going to suck, and there isn’t anything I can do about it. I miss my mum, end of. So I decided to try to make myself feel better by coming up with the most crazy Christmas wishlist, a top ten you may say. Please do not think that I actually believe I will get any of these things. Especially #1. I wish!

10. All this retail work has made my nails a mess. I’d love a shellac manicure and a pedicure {I don’t even need toe polish I would just kill for the foot rub!} to start off the New Year right!

9. I could sure use this for my iphone.

8. Since I am being totally frivolous here, I can see myself in Buchanan Square with this bag.

7. While I am waiting for the coffee {see below} I should stretch.

6. I will need plenty of coffee to keep me going, so those Starbucks gift cards are always welcome. :)

5.Since I am going to be working hard on my thesis for my PhD, a new computer would be a huge asset! In my dreams, I know! I can be reasonable, even if it is still a stretch.

4. I guess new super cool running shoes would be great to get as well! The New Balance 993′s would be perfect. Grey/pink is fine. Size 7. :)

3. Now that I am running I really need a Road Id. I’d like the wrist id slim, in black. But I think I need to wait until I move until I get it.

2. While I’d love to have this at my door as well I will probably have to settle for this.

Or this, even.

1. What I would really love most of all would be to open the door on Christmas and have this waiting for me.

Catch up update

December 13th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in fitness | life | running - (0 Comments)

I always start my blog posts when I am running and can think clearly. Then by the time I get home, I’m tired and sweaty and get involved in doing other things. So I am hoping I can remember some of these random things that have been in my head.

Saturday I worked all day. I must have zipped a million North Face jackets. I was thrilled when the day was over b/c my feet were killing.

Sunday I went for a run and read. Not very exciting I know.

Monday I went for a run{ish} and read and then I met up with my former roommate in our old neighborhood for a few hours. She showed me her new place and it is just how I want my new flat to be in Glasgow. Now if only I can turn that in to a reality!

Today I need to go run again and maybe get some laundry done. I work Wed-Saturday. However right now I just want to go back to sleep. I’m hoping to get motivated soon.

TGIF

December 9th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in couch to 5k | exercise | life | running | weigh ins | weight | weight loss | workout - (1 Comments)

TGIF! Not that it really has any relevance to me, as I have to work tomorrow. But I know it does matter and is relevant to most other people I know.

Today was a good day. I managed a great run with a new 3 mile PR of 45:45!

Full workout time:

I was really surprised I did it, as my foot has been hurting. I was glad to get outside even though it was cold, and to wear my new running tights! They were so comfy and amazing. I may have to get another pair!

Anyways, my foot. It’s hurting on the top across right where my toes meet my foot. I have no idea what this is, and I am sure I should see a doctor, but I am giving it another day or so as I will have to go to the ER as there is no way I am spending $25 to go into the city to see my primary only to have her send me off for an xray when I can just do that at the ER. If there was a walk in care clinic around, I would go to that, but unfortunately no.

I also am still not seeing any results on the scale. I am running longer and faster, which is great, but for all this calorie burning I would like to see something change! I know it is a number on the scale and it shouldn’t define me, but it’s really hard not to. I suppose I should do measurements again; I have to find a measuring tape.

I have to work tomorrow, as I said. It is going to be another long day, but then I am off until Wednesday unless they ask me to come in on Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday.

Have a great weekend!

Mid week catch-up

December 9th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in boring cindy is boring | life | running - (2 Comments)

I’ve been meaning to blog every evening and things keep happening where I just don’t get the chance.

Sunday:
I am pretty sure I went for a run. What else I did, I couldn’t tell you.

Monday:
I worked for the first time. I worked in men’s furnishings{not the department I was hired to work in LOL} and amused myself for part of the day by picking out tie and shirt combos for David Tennant. I was told it was supposed to be a slow day. Yeah. Not so much. It was busy. So busy I made my selling goal before lunch. By the end of the day I wanted to cry b/c my feet were killing.

Tuesday:
I am pretty sure Tuesday was the laundromat debacle. The entire thing was a huge fuckup, and let’s just leave it at that. I know I ran today. It was mild. It was humid. It was a good run.

Wednesday: I went into Boston to do the bio metrics for my student visa. It was raining. Ick.

Today: I took my sister to her LASIK surgery. I had a gingerbread latte. It was nice.

Not a very exciting week, I know. Tomorrow I have a run planned. I also want to pick up my check and go to the grocery store and get groceries, as well as lunch for my Saturday work shift.

*Note I realize now that it is Thursday not Wednesday, which would be mid week.*

Sunday catchup

December 4th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in exercise | fitness | Glasgow | goals | health | life | motivation | running | Scotland - (0 Comments)

Thank everyone for all the kind words. I am so excited about going back to Scotland!

Since I last posted I had a work shift at work, which I thought was going to be me actually working. But it was an orientation that ended early. I work for real tomorrow- not in the department I am supposed to be in, but in mens. Nine hours. Should be fun. My feet are already dreading it.

This week I work Monday and Saturday. Wednesday I go to Boston to do biometric data for my visa, and Thursday I have a family obligation. The following week I have more shifts, including 2 days working at the Coach counter!

Today I have been for a run and am going out soon to do some errands. I did 3.1 miles in 47 minutes, which is 3 minutes shaved off my previous PR. I am getting faster! I I wish all this running and activity would show up as a result on the scale or at least in my jeans! Of course it doesn’t help that I dry them in the dryer, or at least that is what I tell myself.

Overall I got an hour in, which I am happy with. I technically didn’t work out yesterday. It was freezing out and by the time I got home from work it was getting dark. I cleaned my room and moved things around instead. I *should* have gotten up early yesterday, but I didn’t sleep well the night before and decided that sleep was more important, since I thought I was actually working yesterday. Whether or not I manage to get up early tomorrow and walk or run is another story b/c I know after nine hours on my feet I will not want to come home at 6:45ish and do anything but crash. {I haven’t worked on my feet like that in years, and teaching certainly doesn’t count since I could sit whenever I felt like it, so yeah I am being a wuss about it LOL.}

December goals

December 1st, 2011 | Posted by cindy in couch to 5k | exercise | fitness | goals | health | life | motivation | running | workout - (8 Comments)

I haven’t really been setting any goals, unless sleeping as much as possible or setting the record for re-watching Mad Dogs counts. No? I didn’t think so.

So my goal for this month {unless I am sick or dying or something} is to work out every day. Even if I am working. Even if I have to get up earlier to run, or come home and do a video. I am proud to say that I achieved this goal today. I even managed a new PR for myself which was 3 miles in 50 minutes. I managed the first 2 in about 30 minutes {today was a C25K day}. I started the HRM a bit early to make sure it was working and left it on as I stretched at the end.

I’m feeling especially good about this because in the past I always shied away from working out outside when it got cooler. It made me wheezy which I didn’t care for. But now that I am an adult and have an inhaler for this, I really have no excuse not to hit the outdoors. It was chilly but not, freezing. I think I was overdressed, but it was hard to tell leaving the house.

I did really feel it in my feet and legs and am SO happy to be getting new trainers tonight!

Other than that, I can say that my super secret secret should be revealed any day now. :) So if you are in the know, shhhhh! And if you aren’t, but have perhaps guessed, all shall be revealed as soon as possible.

{I really need better titles}

Since I last posted I . . . .
*still have received no comments. And whether or not it’s bad manners or tacky to keep whinging on about it, it is my blog and I can say what I want.
*have walked/run 12.5 miles. I know for some of you that’s a day’s total, but it’s better than nothing. {and my dad doesn’t believe me that I did a 5K today.}
*have continued to purse super secret plans.
*obsessed over the fact that one bit of my surgical revision site hasn’t healed well.
*read 2 novels.
*made 2 trips to the grocery store.
*have gone to the library.
*got a part time job for the month of December.

That’s pretty much it in a nutshell. I can tell you I will be working in a major department store in a what I call funky clothes section. I have basic training tomorrow, and department training Saturday. {I’ve worked retail at Christmas so I know what it’s like.} I will be working days so I am hoping I will be able to get home while it is still light out to walk/run.

I’m pretty tired right now; I had a hard time sleeping last night, so I think I am going to catch up on some tv and read.

Insert witty title here

November 25th, 2011 | Posted by cindy in fitness | health | life in general | pain | update | walk - (0 Comments)

I had a blog post all made up in my head as I was on my walk today. Can I remember any of it now? No, of course I can’t.

I have figured out what is causing my hip/back pain. From Dr. Google I have determined that it is most likely Sacroiliac Joint Pain. I need a foam roller and a massage. Donations care willingly accepted. ;)
For the most part I will just have to keep stretching as much as I can and icing it as well. There isn’t much more I can do. Hopefully I will be able to make it bearable so that I am not being lapped by grannies with walkers on the track.

I know if I hit post, I will remember all the other things I was going to say, but it probably wasn’t very important. So here, have a picture I took on my walk yesterday. It would have looked the same as today, but today was 20 degrees warmer and I didn’t need to wear 3 layers of clothes and gloves. :)

Sunday

November 21st, 2011 | Posted by cindy in exercise | fitness | life in general - (0 Comments)

Today, overall was a good day. I went for a walk/run and enjoyed the awesome weather.

I started this post like 3 hours ago and forgot what I was saying. So….

*Number of nightmares: 1
*Number of grocery store trips made: 2
*Number of headaches: continuous
*Number of novels read: 2 {I’ve finished the Lucas Davenport series by John Sandford}
*Number of times I’ve wanted to commit murder: 8764
*Number of walks taken: 1
*Number of caffeinated beverages consumed today: 7

Yesterday I left the house 4 times. Amazing, innit? We took the kids to daycare, went to the post office, I went on a walk, and then a quick trip to Target with my sister later in the day. Wow, I know.

The walk/run C25K was fine.

It was hot. Well compared to Glasgow, 70 F is hot, so…… I hit the track at my local middle school for about an hour. Other than a leg cramp it was ok. My back seems to be feeling better, considering I’ve done nothing for the past 2 weeks. It feels more like it does when I need an adjustment and I am hoping that is all that it is. Once I get health insurance [or a job] I can pursue that line of inquiry.

Eating has been fine calorie wise [as I've lost 10 pounds since being home], but quality not so much. There is a huge lack in fresh fruits and veggies but what can you do with no money? I just have to make sure not to eat large quantities of cereal! Not much I can do about that; I just have to make smart choices in what’s around the house. Breakfast has been cereal and coffee, lunch, either 2 eggs or pasta, and dinner a mix of what’s been made or what I make myself. Last night I was hungry, but not in the mood for chicken so I had a Shakeology shake and cereal. Luckily my sister happened to have an unopened Shakeology package that I can use.

So far nothing on the job front. I’ve been applying for any job I remotely have qualifications for- education, teacher aide, sub, barista, customer service. I haven’t heard anything yet, except the rejection emails from positions already filled. It sucks and it is depressing. I know I am not the only one out there looking but it sucks all the same.

What is even more frustrating is not having a phone. My BFF told me about Safelink, and I just checked my application, and I have been approved and should be receiving a phone soon. This will have to do until I have a job. Horray for one thing going right!

I’m also going to see the Red Sox on Saturday courtesy of a lovely friend. I can’t wait. Fenway Park I missed you so!

Now all I need is a job and things will be smashingly brill!