I'm baaaaaaack!

Seriously, everyone should just take the whole month of December off. It's so busy! How are we supposed to work AND do holiday stuff?!
Anyway, just because I haven't been writing, doesn't mean I haven't been running! Goodness, I'm impressing myself!
I have officially graduated from running on Orinda Circle to running on Cameron Park Drive! YAY! Orinda is too hilly, and not long enough. Cameron Park Drive is looooooong and straight.
Today was my first official day of tackling the long straight beast. Let me tell you, I'm proud of myself, but I have also never experienced pain like this before!! I made it about 3/4 of a mile. I think I could have gone further, but I've taken a few days off so my calves are kind of tight.
Running on a main street is much more entertaining than a side street. There are the usual honks and whistles, but also barking dogs in cars that fly past you on the road. Then, there are the random items you find on the side of said road.
I found 4 roadkills (said a prayer for each one), a mattress and a couple beer cans. Please note that I live in a pretty nice area of Cameron park. I didn't expect to find a mattress, and was tempted to sit down and take a breather! Just kidding. I don't need to contract any STD's from the side of the road.....
Of the aforementioned roadkill, one happened to be a poor little skunk. While my heart bleeds for these defenseless animals who didn't even have a chance, my nose wasn't so sympathetic. And of course, it was smack dab in the middle of the bike lane, where I was running. I smelled it before I saw it, so I waited for traffic to pass and made a WIDE circle around the poor thing to avoid any possibility of the smell following me home.
You know, humor aside, I really don't understand why there is so much roadkill. I ALWAYS brake for wildlife (and any moving thing for that matter). Are there really people out there who just don't care?? I can understand if it jumps out in front of you, but for those who don't even flinch their foot towards the brake, shame on you.

So I'm realizing I have a little over 3 weeks until the big race, and I'm not as prepared as I thought I would be by now. Darn those holidays!!! I'm hoping to kick it up a notch this month, becuase I really want to be able to at least jog the whole route of the race. I don't care if I place, or if I'm last. I just want to finish!
You know what else I want to be able to do? Meet my fund raising goal!!!! I've come up with a FAB idea, and I hope my fellow PETA Pack Members can do something similar.
I am hosting a Spaghetti Feed on January 17th at 12:00pm. The cost is $10 per person, a reasonable amount I think. There will be red sauce (meatless of course) and white sauce spaghetti, garlic bread and salad! I think it will be an amazing way to raise funds while having fun at the same time! So far I only have 4 confirmed guests, so I'm sending out invitations today. If you live in the Sacramento (or Bay area!) area, please email me if you would like to come!
Enough blabbing, I'm off to eat a post-run smashed white bean and avocado club sandwich! YUM!

And as always, please donate whatever you can using this page:
http://www.active.com/donate/PETAPack/jencar

Thanks guys!!!

Today's Run Playlist:
* Christina Aguilera's Greatest Hits Album "Keeps Gettin' Better"
(pretty much all the songs on the album will pump you up!)

Oh, Dear.

So that run I was telling you about yesterday?
Not so great.
Please remind me to NEVER take a two week break from running ever again!!!!
I pretty much had to start over from scratch. It was awful. My calves had tightened up to their old selves, but they let me think I was doing ok until halfway through when they started screaming again. I managed to finish, but as soon as I came back home I took a hot shower and used my massager shower head on the calves. It helped a lot, actually.
So I have to start all over on the progress meter, but I know I can do this! I just kept thinking about the animals, and it kept me going. =)
On my iPod running mix today:
"Lolli Lolli" - Three Six Mafia
"Paralyzer" - Finger 11
"Tell Me When to Go" - E-40
I approve of all of them for pump-you-up motivation.

So tomorrow I will be resting my rebellious calves and shakin' my booty for cross training day. I usually do this with the curtains wide open, and I often wonder if my neighbors get a kick out of my white girl dance moves. Oh well, it's exercise.

~*~
Does anyone have someone on their Christmas list that is incredibly difficult to buy for? My mother in law is that person for me. I love her to death, but I had no idea what to get her. So now, ladies and gentleman, I will give you a solution (and a shameless advertisement for my friend):
Soy Soother Candles!
My friend Mel runs this website, and her candles are amazing! They come in all sorts of yummy scents that will make your mouth water, and they are under $15. PLUS, a portion of the sales go directly to helping shelter animals in New York. How could you go wrong? Here's the website:
http://www.soysoother.com

Showin' My Calves Who's Boss.

So I just got back from Day 2 of running. Yesterday I was supposed to do cross-training for 30 minutes, but Aunt Flo got the best of me and I succumbed to the beckoning call of my couch. I'm sure I could have done it, but instead I will be giving up my "rest day" on Friday and doing some cross-training!
So i am already improving a little bit! I went around Orinda Circle again, and this time I was able to run about 1/3 of the way! The odd weather has really been helping my cause. Who knows why it's 70 degrees and sunny in November but I like it!
Today's recommended songs for workouts include:
"4 minutes" - Madonna and Justin Timberlake
"Livin' on a Prayer" - Bon Jovi

I don't know what it was, but for some reason pounding the pavement to songs about saving the world and being halfway there are really inspiring! I'm sure the residents on my street have noticed my "inspiration" in that I stop after a burst of running and kind of shake my booty while I stretch it out. Hey, whatever gets you out there right? Right....

Today the calf-burning was 10x as bad as it was the first time I ran. I think my calves are rebelling. We don't NEED no marathon, biotch! We just FINE! However, I beg to differ. I guess appeasing them with ice afterwards will keep me from a major sports injury. It will also give them time to plot against me, unfortunately....

So I have news regarding the donations to PETA. For some reason my registration didn't work, so I have to re-register. I will give you all my fundraiser page info as soon as I get it!

PS: If anyone lives in the Sacramento area and would like to help me out with a car wash at some point let me know!

Day One.....For Real This Time.

Ok, so far this training thing has kind of gotten off on the wrong foot. A number of things have gone wrong in my attempt to start training. I was technically supposed to start training on Saturday, but that didn't happen because I was having my mother-in-law over for dinner and my house needed to be perfect (my standards, not hers). So this morning I woke up completely PUMPED up about beginning training. FINALLY. Until.....

1. I couldn't find my sports bra. I don't know how many of you can relate, but if your breasts are anywhere over a size B, you should really wear a sports bra while exercising. Let's just say mine are....well "just a bit" bigger than that, so me running without a bra would probably warrant a citation or at least a ticket for indecent exposure. Either way, my sports bra could not be found until after about 25 minutes of searching. Of course it was in the dryer, after I washed it in anticipation of training. *sigh* moving on... let's go!

2. Nope, can't go yet. I couldn't find my iPod either. The iPod is probably almost as essential as the sports bra. I can't stand running in silence. Oh, sure the sounds of nature are great, but I need a beat to run to. I decided on my backup iPod, the Shuffle, threw some jamz on it, stuffed it into my constricted cleavage and finally made it out the door.

So today's training was supposed to be 20 minutes of alternating running and walking. I thought it was going to be soooo easy. I bounced my way down the road to "Billy Jean" and focused on pacing myself. Unfortunately it was just my luck that Aunt Flo decided to visit today, but I wasn't about to let her *cramp* my style! (sorry for the horrible pun!) I was able to make it all the way around Orinda Circle (I'm not sure how far that is, but it's not really a huge accomplishment). Of that, I ran about a quarter of the way. Not too shabby, if I say so myself!

However, as I approached our driveway my calves were throbbing and burning so badly I thought they were going to give up! But I did it. I actually ran.....sort of.

So now I am off to attempt a healthy vegan lunch, and possibly ice my calves.
We shall see how I do tomorrow with cross-training!