a much needed day off

Miles today: 5.54

Miles this week: 10.7

Miles in 2010: 157.3

today I had the day off from the store. I worked six days in a row last week and put in almost 50 hours (on top of the fact that I'm running everyday)...so you can imagine I needed a day off besides Sunday.

anyway...I started off the day by waking up early and eating Pillsbury cream cheese cinnmon rolls (get coupons here) that Gregg made. he's the best for making breakfast for me in the morning.

I fell back asleep and woke up an hour later and spent an ungodly amount of time surfing Facebook and my favorite blogs...but that's okay, because it was my day off.

Headed out to yoga at noon and had a super class with Christine. Yoga is very relaxing and invigorating.

I. LOVE. YOGA.

Since it was my day off, I felt like I wanted to do things I never get to do, so I headed to the J. Crew outlet store in Wyndhurst and did a little shopping. They were having a 30% off sale (which ends Saturday, February 13)...where I found a few great deals, including a mint green wool scarf for $11.50. yipee! and a very fabulous necklace (seen below). I don't know when I will wear this, but I'm pretty pumped about my necklace.

After my J. Crew trip, I went to Chick-fil-a for a free chicken sandwich (via coupon) for lunch. I know, you're probably thinking that I don't eat very healthy, but I usually do, and this was just my day off, so it was like a special treat.

I stopped by the mall after lunch and found a cute pair of Nine West flats for $20 from Macy's...for which I had a gift card, so I didn't pay anything at all!

After the trip to the mall, I had to go pick up Gregg at work for our 2nd pre-marital counseling sesh with Anne at Lynchburg College. I can't tell you how much I absolutely love going to see Anne. She's really good for Gregg and I. She has excellent things to say, is a super listener, and gives us both insight into how each other functions as people...it's funny what we learn about each other at our meetings. I love the time we spend there.

Finally, around 6:30, I got my run in. Gregg and I met Jeff at the Starbucks in Boonsboro and did a 5 point something mile loop around the neighborhood behind Old Boonsboro Road and out Peakland and back. It was a solid run...super cold, and mostly icy (i.e. dangerous), but a good run nonetheless.

After the run, Jeff came over and lifted in the basement gym. I had to give Gregg and Jeff a few pointers about their weight lifting...unfortunately, they still have old ways of doing things from the 80s and 90s...so after muscle-girl Heather got through with those two knuckleheads, they had improved on form and technique.

I'm probably going to be sore tomorrow from all this activity...but it's good for me and I'm not pushing too hard, so that's okay.

See you on the run!

sarvangasana

Miles today: 3.0

Miles this week: 5.2

Miles in 2010: 151.7

today was a super busy day and a yucky weather day. I've been trying to run in the morning because it makes my day a lot shorter than when I run at night...

so this morning, I woke up earlier than usual and actually went for a run. a neighborhood close by mine, Boxwood, is a great place for me to run to, and the loop is three miles, so it's a good distance too. The only problem with this run is that it's SUPER hilly and I'm always slow on it...but I suppose that's okay because I don't always have to be fast when I'm just out there getting miles in...right?

anyway, I went to work after my run, had an average day (I did get to help my friend Kelly and see her cute kiddos), and then left work a little early because I had planned on going to yoga at the downtown Y. it started at 6, and i got there just in time...but the weather had kind of started to get bad, so not too many people were in the class...just me and 4 others. That was kind of nice...it was a little more personal. After, I had to hurry out of class to head over to the LRRC monthly meeting at Monte Carlo's.

Yoga is so good for you. As a runner, it's PERFECT for stretching and lengthening the body. It makes me feel so good afterwards and I'm just sorry that I haven't been doing it for awhile. You'll probably read a lot more about yoga in the coming year because it's just so good for me to do it. Above, you see a man doing a pose called sarvangasana or shoulder stand. I love this pose because during it you can do a lot of different things with your legs and it makes you feel kind of super power-ish.

The video below is of Bryan Kest, a famous yoga instructor with a studio in Santa Monica, just going over some pointers for people in his class. I love how he's very hands-on with his students. I bet he'd be amazing to take a class from...maybe someday.

In the meantime, you'll find me at the local YMCA supplementing my running with amazing yoga classes. I'm so thankful for teachers like Christine and Leesa, who really are devoted to the practice.

Namaste. I bow to you.

Lynchburg Mt. Everest

Miles today: 3.3

Miles this week: 27.7

Miles in 2010: 146.5

I know, I know, there is no Mt. Everest in Lynchburg...but after the record snowstorms in the past few weeks, it does kind of look like we have snow mountains when you drive through shopping center parking lots around here.

Gregg and I went to early mass and then stopped by the grocery store so I could get stuff for baked potato soup for the Super Bowl tonight. We had a noon appointment with Captain Snow Crunch for an afternoon run.

We met in the Food Lion parking lot in Boonsboro and did about 3 miles behind the shopping center on Burnt Bridge, Indian Hill, and Mimosa.

If you've never run Burnt Bridge Road, you wouldn't realize how going up and down the hills there is pretty tough. On the way out toward Indian Hill Road, I didn't notice the hill as much, but on the way back, as you pass Peakland Pool, I was determined not to be lazy as I ran up the hill.

I pulled ahead of Gregg and Jeff (not because I'm faster than them, but just because they weren't pushing hard at that point) and pushed out the hill with consistent strides and awesome breathing. It felt so good.

Jeff said that I put my hands on my hips when I got to the top of the hill in a "look at me go" fashion...but what I really was doing was putting my hands on my hips because I was tired from the hill and needed a place to rest them. Haha.

Anyway, when we got back to the Food Lion parking lot, Jeff suggested climbing on the snow mountains, so I got out my camera and clicked a few shots...here are a few:

Jeff and Gregg pondering the sky...

pretending to be tough

I don't know what they were doing...

me and Jeff at the top of the mountain.

after the run, went home to make baked potato soup and then went to yoga at the Jamerson Y...haven't been in a long while, so it was great to get that stretching in, and Christy, the teacher, was excellent. Saw a few fellow runners in class...(hi Lloyd!) and had a great workout.

Got home just in time to pack up the soup and head out to watch the game...can't help but say that I'm proud of the Saints for dominating after the first quarter and I kind of enjoyed seeing Peyton lose. Is that mean? who cares!?

I will also admit (like Patterson) that my favorite commercial during the game was the Google.com ad about falling in love in Paris. so romantic. I think Gregg and Jeff gagged like 100 times during it. Watch it below.

great day, great run, great yoga, great game. :)

Can I look like this? Please?

gotta go to yoga...