Everyone's a Winner!

Both volleyball teams I play on won the first round of playoffs on Thursday! Next week will be our last week, I think. GO Bova! GO Leo's!
Winona State is playing right now for the Division II National Championship, and Sibley plays at 8pm tonight in the Class AAAA State Championship. GO Warriors!

I ran 10 miles this morning along Shepard Road. The winds were pretty strong from the southeast, and I'm glad they were at my back the last 1/2 of the run. It took me an hour and 35 minutes. Lots of people were out running this morning - it must have been the thing to do!

I have to go to work now.

I don't need an excuse, 'cause I'm wearing my brand new shoes!

I ran 4 miles this morning in my new kickers. They felt like heaven on my feet! The streets were clean and dry and it was cool, but the sun felt warm. I showered then went to lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings with Donna. We ate some tasty chicken strips and potato circles. I worked from 3-11:30 tonight, and it was a most delightful shift! I feel like I had more to write, but I just can't think of anything!

March Madness

Congratulations to the mens basketball teams of Winona State University and Henry Sibley High School, each winning their respective playoff games yesterday! The Sibley Warriors play in the semifinals at 2:00 today at the Target Center, and the WSU Warriors will play in the Semi-Finals at 7:30 tonight in Springfield, MA. Good luck to both teams!

Because our entire softball team will be going to cheer on their friends, practice will be shortened by about an hour. This is a bit frustrating since they definitely need as much practice as possible at this point. Plus they get out of practice early this Friday because of the Sadie Hawkins dance, and next Friday because of the Father-Daughter dance.

After practice today, I play in a couple of volleyball games down in Apple Valley. No time to run, which is just fine with me. The instep of my left foot is a little sore, so I'll rest it today.

Here Comes the Sun!

Didn't like any of my patients last night. All young, annoying, whiny girls with NOTHING wrong with them. One girl was from Missouri, the "Show Me State". I told her to show me something wrong with her and I would show her the drugs! She didn't think it was too funny.

Worked until midnight, but woke up refreshed around 9am. Ate some Cracklin' Oat Bran and then some Lucky Charms with my extra milk. Drove to Lake Phalen and ran around it twice - total of 6.49 miles with a pace of 9.05 min/mile. Blue and sunny skies, 46 degrees, not too windy- just how I like it! Drove to the Gronau house for lunch: leftover pizza, tuna salad, strawberries. Lucy, Meg and I had our own little version of Star Search in the living room. Lucy was the most original, and I think Meg got some of it on film.

I am now showered, ready to nap in the sun until softball practice at 6pm.

LIVESTRONG

I ran 3 miles today with a 9-minute mile pace. I think I need to be concentrating more on my distances at this point and not on my speed. But it's hard - after my run yesterday, Lance Armstrong came onto my iPod saying, "This is Lance Armstrong. Congratulations on your personal best for the mile!" And I aim to please. I still haven't worn my new shoes yet, but I think maybe tomorrow will be the day.
I work from 3-11pm tonight, so I'm gong to have to tape American Idol. Does anyone know what they'll be singing this week?

Sicko.

I was supposed to to to New York with my mom for the weekend. We had fantastic plans to see Broadway shows, museums, large buildings, famous people, etc. Well, we didn't make it.

It all started Tuesday afternoon when I got a terrible headache. I blamed it on the beer at the Wild game the night before. Wednesday I got the chills at work really bad. I kept checking my temp which kept going up and up. I really wanted to and probably should have taken some Tylenol or Ibuprofen, but I had a bet with this doofus at work that my fever would go above 103 by 3pm, so I held off. (As I type this, I am seeing how ridiculous I sound.) Anyway, by 3 it was 103.6, so I took some drugs and my $20 and went home. I called in sick Thursday and saw my doctor just to make sure I didn’t have anything contagious. (I think flying while contagious is just bad form). I was negative for strep and she didn’t think I presented like the flu. She gave me the ok to fly and we still planned to leave for NY Friday morning, and if I had felt even remotely normal, I would have bucked up and gone, but I felt like I was going to die. Chills, sweats, sore throats, I couldn’t do it.
Instead, my parents drove up from Chicago to nurse me back to health! It was seriously so nice to have them here! Mom made chicken noodle soup and hot tea with lemon and honey, Dad sang/hummed tunes, and I slept for 3 days.
I woke up Easter morning feeling like a new person! We bought last-minute tickets to The Drowsy Chaperone at the Ordway, and ate omelets and fruit and coffee cake for Easter dinner. I am bummed about not going to NY, but as a wise friend of mine said, "New York will probably always be there."

I have officially begun my serious marathon training. Now that I am healthy and the weather is *somewhat* cooperating, I'm all in.

Sunflower seeds strike again!

I've had a few run-ins with patients impacted with sunflower seeds. Without going into too much detail, I have single-handedly been able to resolve their issues. On the news this afternoon, I saw a breaking story about a truck full of sunflower seeds that crashed on I-35W and spewed seeds all over the road. I was fondly reminded of my days on 4400, my former unit at the hospital. I tried to find the story online, so I went to kstp.com and typed in the search area for "sunflower seeds". It must not have made it on-line yet, because guess what headline popped up?
`4400’ Fans Send Network Sunflower Seeds
So weird. I should probably go buy a Powerball ticket today.

I ran this morning with my iPod and my new iPod chip which tells me my distance, time, and pace. Today I ran 12.5-minute miles. Yucko. I've got a long way to go, that's for sure. I haven't work my new shoes yet, either. They're just so clean!

Softball season has started at Henry Sibley HS! Pitchers and catchers reported yesterday, and everyone else will join them tomorrow. It will be a long while before we get outside, though. The fields have at least a foot and a half of snow on them!