What must!

American Idol: Top 4: Rock Week

2009-05-05T21:58:00.002-06:00

Last week Ryan said that this was Rock 'n Roll week, which I thought was going to be more late 1950's artists: Buddy Holly, Elvis, Little Richard, etc. But tonight he called it "Rock Week" which to me is way too broad a category. I think it should be split up in the future, that's all I'm sayin'.
I'm home alone watching AI tonight, after work and softball practice, before volleyball.

Adam: Whole Lotta Love: Led Zeppelin
This was amazing! The end was awesome, the band sounded great, Kara called him a "Rock God" and I completely agree. With this style of music, he doesn't seem too dramatic, unlike last week's performance.

Allison: Cry Baby: Janis Joplin
I like her new hair extensions! I agree with the judges when they say she doesn't sound original. I mean, I think she's trying to sound too much like the original which makes me think of Jenna on 30 Rock who is obsessed with playing Janis Joplin but the studio can't get the rights to use her name, so she goes by Jeana Jimplin instead. I didn't think Allison's voice sounded all that great, either. I think she's in trouble.

Danny & Kris: Renegade: by Styx
What's this? A duet? I really liked the sweet harmonies in the beginning, but it got all weird when it was time for the solo parts of the song. Their voices are quite different sounding, and I bet they had a hard time picking out a song. I also bet they didn't rehearse nearly as much as the did on their individual songs. And it showed.

Kris: Come Together: The Beatles
I remember Carly Smithson singing this last year, and even though Kris changed it up and brought out his guitar skills, I liked her version better. I feel like he was trying really hard to be hard rock, and it's just not for him. His voice sounded forced.

Danny: Dream On: Aerosmith
This was just awful for me all the way through. In the beginning I felt his lower register was really pitchy, and at the end the screaming was just painful. It seemed like he was trying to out sing Adam, which just won't ever happen. Sorry dude.

Adam & Allison: Slow Ride: Foghat
YES!!!! This I loved. What a sweet sing-off! This duet blew away the other one. I guess it's not totally fair, though. Who cares? I was highly entertained. And I don't even like that song! And I was only slightly distracted by Adam's package busting out of his pants.

I get a text message from Cameron: "I hated the duet. Allison, bye-bye."
My picks are, from the top:
ADAM
Kris
Danny
Allison

I changed the order of the last 3 about 5 times before I realized that is just doesn't matter and I want to go to bed.

AI: 4/28/09 Top 5

2009-04-28T21:24:00.003-06:00

So this week we've got standards from the Rat Pack era, mentoring by Jamie Foxx. I will apologize ahead of time for the quick summary, but it's late and I'm tired, and I just wasn't getting into the Idol tonight. I did see a preview for So You Think You Can Dance, which perked me up a bit.

Kris: The Way You Look Tonight
This is a lovely song, and Kris is cute with his shadow mustache. I thought he did a great job, although I wasn't blown away. Maybe it's because he performed first, which I think is always a disadvantage.

Allison: Someone To Watch Over Me
Now, I totally disagreed with the judges on this one. I thought the song was wayyy too slow, and quite predictable in the way she sang it. And I really hate how they cut the song up. It just didn't flow for me, dawg. As the judges were raving about Allison, I was trying to think of a better song choice for her. Maybe Fever? I think she's in trouble.

Cameron comes over and we eat some of his home-made eclairs. Mmmm!!!

Matt: My Funny Valentine
I think Matt is really good tonight, and this style suits him. He reminds me of a combo of Justin Timberlake and Michale Bublé. Cameron is surprised by Simon's positive comments almost as much as by Matt's enormous gums. "Why didn't I notice those gums before?"

Danny: Come Rain Or Come Shine
At first all I can think of is the movie The Other Sister, when a mentally retarded Carla (played by Juliette Lewis) sings this song to her mentally retarded boyfriend Daniel (played by Giovanni Ribisi). But I digress. Danny mentioned something about not changing up the song, but he totally did! I really enjoyed his performance, and I am back on the Danny Goeke train. Cameron finally notices Paula's dress, "Oh, that looks terrible!"

Adam: Feeling Good
Ugh, I really don't like this song, and I kind of didn't really like Adam this week. I thought he was uber-dramatic (even for him) and just a little... much. I don't know. His voice is still amazing. Cameron didn't like his crazy facial expressions or how he worked the microphone.

Top to Bottom (Hold on to your hats!):
Kris
Danny
Matt
Adam
Allison

On a side note, here's wishing my Nana a very happy 93rd birthday today!

American Idol: Top 7. Again.

2009-04-21T19:53:00.002-06:00

It's disco week, and I'm at the Gronau (that's Gronau with an uno) house. Present are: Joel, Lu, Ed, my dad, me. I get a few pre-show comments:

Lu: I like the girl with the red hair.
Ed: The blue hair!!!
Joel: This... is American cheese. Lucy! You didn't say it!

The show starts rather suddenly with...

Lil-- I'm Every Woman-- Chaka Khan
Lil, here's the problem. You are every woman, but you aren't your OWN woman. I feel like you try to sing like whomever sang the original version. Adding a run or two doesn't really change it up enough for me. And when it came to the modulation, you let your back-up singers do it while you waited and then added a "yeahhhhhh." (This is very hard for me to describe. Sorry.) I feel like you need to take control of your songs, not let them control you. And stop talking back to the judges.
Joel: She's a little off. She's just gotta leave.
Ray: This is the best outfit she's worn. Great body shape.
Lucy: I thought she didn't behave for that one. She didn't hit the rock.
Ed: She's beautiful.

Kris-- She Works Hard For The Money-- Donna Summer
I am REALLY starting to like this guy. I'm not sure why it's taken so long for me to warm up to him, but I have. He's just so cute. And he sounds good too!
Ray: I liked it.
Joel: I think that's his style.
Lu: He didn't hit the rock to me. I don't like the boys.
Ed: Do it again, Grandpa! (Ed is swinging on Grandpa Ray's legs.)

Danny-- September-- Earth, Wind and Fire
The first line is "Do you remember the 21st night of September?" to which Joel yells out, "That's my birthday!" He's correct. I really love Danny's voice, but I feel his overall performance is a bit lacking.
Ray: He's alright. He's like a Tony Bennett and he's already said he can't dance.
Lucy: You WILL remember, Jeannie, because you're writing it down! It's not really fine.

Allison-- Hot Stuff-- Donna Summer
Her voice is excellent, but I'm worried she is forgettable tonight. It helps that the only other girl is a disaster.
Joel: She's wearing leather leggings! I thought the arrangement was a little goofy.
Ray: Dumb song. I think she did a great job. I like the outfit.
Lu: I think she is hitting the rock. I love her. I love her hair. I love her voice. I love everything about her.
Ed: (No comment. He is taking pictures with a princess camera.)

Adam-- If I Can't Have You-- Bee Gees
Dude, I totally got chills! Is Paula shaking? This guy is a-maz-ing!!!
Joel: It's his back pocket token.
Ray: He is completely different. His voice is unbelievable!
Lu: (When asked if she liked him:) Yeah. I have to go brush my teeth.
Ed: I don't like 'Merican Idol.
Ryan Secrest: A pool of Abdul!!!

Matt-- Stayin' Alive-- Bee Gees
I feel like he's having more fun tonight, but his vocals weren't great, and it's really not fair for anyone to go after Adam.
Joel: Definitely better than Lil.
Lu: He was a little spicy to me. A little spicy.

Anoop-- Dim All The Lights-- Donna Summer
I think he is super pitchy this week. And I think he knows it.
Joel: Why do they kid themselves? I didn't like it. Boring.
Lu: Is his name really Anoop? I like that.

Top to Bottom:
Adam
Kris
Allison
Danny
Matt
Anoop
Lil

American Idol: Top 7

2009-04-15T08:48:00.003-06:00

I went over to Cameron's place last night to watch a little AI. We went to this Mexican restaurant 2 blocks away for dinner first. We've eaten there before, but the experience was not good this time. The meat was bland, unseasoned. My margarita tasted like water. They forgot to bring out one of my tacos. My beans tasted funny. I just wanted to get out of there! We zoomed back to watch the show, my tummy feeling very icky.
So tonight we've got: Songs for the Silver Screen. Top 7.

Allison: "I don't want to miss a thing"
Well I missed a thing: THIS SONG. Because I was trying to get Jesus to bring me la quenta. I'm guessing she sounded great, looked the same.

Anoop: "Everything I do, I do it for you"
I tried Rhi's suggestion of watching him with my eyes closed. It actually helped! But at some point I peeked and caught a glimpse of his sport coat/jacket/vest. What is that? I think his voice sounded pretty good this week. Cameron: "I was hoping he would sing about his prerogative again."

Adam: "Born to be wild"
Oh man, he is SO GOOD! Those notes! My God! Cameron: "I'm trying to think of what music he would sing on his own?"

Matt: "Tell me have you ever really, really really ever loved a woman? (Is this really really really the title?)
I think he was really pitchy/off key. But I love a guy at a piano. Cameron: Thumbs down, "phtt".

Danny: "Endless love"
No glasses tonight, huh? I don't like how he says "Jour every breath that I take. Jour every step I make." I was bored. Cam: "It was good."

Kris: "Falling Slowly" !!!!!
I gasp in delight when I hear he's going to sing this. But WHY NO GUITAR??? Is he INSANE? Bad choice. And his voice just doesn't have the grit and emotion I want out of it. Cameron is unable to comment here as I gush about the movie ONCE until it's time for...

Lil: "The Rose"
...and my gushing turns into a long groan. Seriously? The Rose? She is way off key, and it stinks. Oh wait, that could be Cam's dog Pepper, who just tooted on me. Everything stinks!! Cameron: "All that's going through my head is Napoleon Dynamite."

Cameron's bottom 2: Matt, Lil

Jean's from top down:
ADAM!!
Anoop
Danny
Allison (I'm guessing here)
Kris
Matt
Lil

Point!

2009-04-07T20:19:00.006-06:00

I drive to the gym this morning and bike 15 miles. The biking has become less painful since I have gotten over my spandex anxiety. (Wearing regular gym/running shorts has been giving me major chafing problems, and even though I HATE wearing spandex in public, it seems to be for the best.) I eat ants-on-a-log for lunch, then as I get ready for work, work calls ME and asks if I want to be on-call. Perfect! So I shift gears and change into my softball coaching costume. Our first game is this afternoon vs Mahtomedi. The Zephers are always a nice team to play, and it's sunny and 50 degrees. We lose 2-3 in 9 innings (we usually only play 7). I'm impressed with our defense, but our girls are slooooowww. Not sure I can fix that in 6 weeks. We'll work on hitting it farther instead.

Since I don't get called in to work, I can actually watch American Idol! So here's my review of Season 8: The Final 8: Songs from the year contestants were born. Immediately I realize we'll be hearing mostly 80's songs. *sigh* But here we go...

Danny - 1980: Stand By Me
I don't like this song, although I think I like this new arrangement more than the original. The judges don't agree with me. Danny sings it well, I'm sure he's safe.

Did anyone else see the promo for the new show Glee? It looks awesome!!!

Kris - 1985: All She Wants To Do Is Dance
This song is retarded. And Kris, if you're going to have a guitar, I want to hear you play it. The band took over. All I want to do is turn off the trumpets.

Lil - 1984: What's Love Got To Do With It?
Paula leads off with "First of all, you look hot." This is never a good sign. Lil, you do not have Tina's legs so please stop trying to walk like her. (Simon mentioned this as well.) I think you were pitchy and boring tonight. And it seems like you get short of breath during your songs. Aren't there exercises you can do to keep this from happening?

Anoop - 1986: True Colors
Your ugly green striped sweater is ugly. I had trouble hearing the words, and don't really understand all the praise from the judges. I wish Megan was back singing this song instead.

Scott - 1985: The Search Is Over
Standing alone on the stage with your guitar made me a little nervous. But you are quite talented, and I thought your voice was better than usual tonight. Sorry the judges ripped you a new one.

Allison - 1992: I Can't Make You Love Me
Finally a song from the 90s! But what are you wearing? Did a buffalo die on your lap? Allison, you have a fantastic voice, but why does America not like you? Please try to stay out of the bottom three so we can get rid of some dead weight.

Matt - 1985: Part Time Lover
This is the Matt that I know and love. Good vocals, good performance.

Adam - 1982: Mad World
Very smart of Fox to have you perform last. You are well worth the wait. This song is super creepy, but you are sooooo good. And it looked like you were sitting on the sun.

In order of importance:
Adam
Allison
Danny
Matt
Kris
Scott
Lil
Anoop

I Been Got!

2009-03-16T20:43:00.002-06:00

Spring is in full swing! Ok, officially not until Friday, but it sure felt like it today. I think it hit 60!

We're into the second week of softball season and, well, it's not looking good. Tryouts (or auditions, as I like to call them) are mercifully coming to a close. Today we took the outfielders outside in the parking lot to work on some pop-ups. It was a disaster! A girl would run in and the ball would fly over her head. The throws were all over the place. We lost a couple of balls in a snow bank, at least 1 went down a drain, and another hit a Student Driver car. Whoops!

Cameron and I have been on complete opposite schedules lately. He having school during the day and then working 3pm-10pm, me working mostly 7am-3pm with softball practice in the evenings. We did get to go out to dinner yesterday- juicy burgers at The 5-8 Club. So good! We saw the space shuttle Discovery launch between bites.
Cam told me not to forget to write that we also spent about 15 minutes picking up the poop in his yard. It was a 2-person job (well, it was a 2-dog job that required a 2-person pick-up). He sliced his tall man finger at work on Friday and needed a few stitches. The bleeding is controlled, but it's still pretty numb. Poor guy.

Work has been pretty hilarious lately. Over the weekend, a chubby 20-something black kid came in to be seen. Let's call him Joshua. I asked my usual, "So, what brings you here?"
Joshua: I been got!
Me: You've been shot?
Joshua: No, I been GOT!
Me: Ummm.. Whaaa???
Joshua: I. Been. Got!!! (pointing at his man-junk)
Me: You have an STD?
Joshua: I think so. My doctor called and told me to come here.
Me, searching through his electronic chart: Oh, you have Chlamydia.
Joshua: That's it! Whazzthat?
Me: It's an STD.
Joshua: You mean I'm burnt?!?
Me: What?
Joshua: I'm burnt! Is that contagious?
Me: Yeeaaahhh.

The conversation goes on, but by this point, I have uncontrollable giggles. He is laughing too. I continue to giggle through the next 3 people I triage, apologizing the entire time.

I have more to write, but I'm tired and want to go to bed. Happy St. Patty's day tomorrow!!!

Dog Days of Winter?

2009-02-21T17:33:00.002-06:00

On the news tonight people were jumping into a lake for a good cause. I don't really understand this.

I am really looking forward to the Oscars tomorrow even though I haven't seen most of the movies.

I have been pain-free with my workouts and that makes me happy.

Cameron got a new job at a restaurant called the Porter House. He's still part-time at Stella's Fish Cafe. Steak and fish are all well and good, but I'm waiting for him to get a job at IHOC (International House of Cereal).

I don't mind a day of snow as long as a sunny day follows it up. As in today.

The high school softball season starts 2 weeks from Monday. I sense my schedule rapidly filling with practices and games...

Playing the piano alone in my empty condo makes me think of my Aunt Jan. I tend to melt into a puddle of tears before too long. Sometimes I think it's good to cry it out.

I forgot garbage day again!!! :(

2009-02-04T17:51:00.003-06:00

I've had a busy last few days... I worked Thursday through Sunday. Thursday night I had some volleyball games. Friday night was the ER holiday party. (See the picture below- I look like a dweeb, but you can see my black hair.) Saturday night was a birthday celebration for my friend Chelsie. Sunday I had a bunch of people over to watch the Superbowl: we ate chili and make-your-own sundaes, with pistachio salad and guacamole and taco dip. Mmm.

Tonight I went to a play at the Guthrie called "A Delicate Balance". I had never been to a play before, and now I know why. No singing, no humor, no tragedy, no dancing, no audience participation. I was bored. I found myself counting the seconds between the loud rumbles in the stomach of the large man sitting next to me.

I've had the Jason Mraz song "I'm Yours" in my head the past few weeks, so much so that I'm trying to learn it on the guitar. It's not going well.

I am looking forward to my weekend off with no plans! Yahoo!

Personal Trainer... or the devil?

2009-01-27T09:31:00.002-06:00

So with a Lifetime membership you get a free assessment with a trainer, so I did this last night after work. And it was awful. My trainer Justin was a kid in his early 20's with large muscles and even bigger attitude. He was quite condescending, and pretty much made me feel awful about myself: I don't eat right and should be taking vitamins ("And, oh! We sell some right here!"), I don't do enough strength training ("You'll lose muscle mass as you head into your 40's."), I need to stretch more, monitor my heart rate ("I recommend this $150 GPS watch."), and my training regimen is lame ("You should get a personal trainer for only $99 a session!")
And then he would ask me questions to see if I was paying attention. I wanted to smack him. Instead, I just smiled and nodded and will go on with my life- sans personal trainer. So there.
Today I swam 20 laps in the pool with frequent breaks. I was told by an unreliable source that 34 laps is a mile, and I'm pretty sure my arms will fall off before I ever get there.
I work 3-11:30pm tonight, and plan to take a nap sometime before that. Or make banana bread. Or both.

Facebook vs Blogger

2009-01-24T16:40:00.006-06:00

As obsessed I've been with Facebook lately, I'm finding that I want to say more that just "Jean is...". So here is a bit of an update on me:

I haven't run in almost 2 months because of the pain I've been having in my right hip/butt. I saw an opthopedic MD, and am now going to physical therapy once a week. PT is very helpful because, in addition to giving me exercises to strengthen my butt, they are helping improve my running form. I joined Lifetime Fitness in December, and it's been the BEST. I've been ellipticalling, rowing, biking, swimming, racquetballing, etc. Part of my therapy is to walk for 4 minutes, run for 1 minute. It's such a tease, but I'll take whatever running I can get at this point. So far, no pain!!

I recently registered to do a mini-triathlon in July. It's in and around Lake Nokomis in Minneapolis. Ellen kind of got me all excited about triathlons, but I'm terribly nervous. The swim is .4 miles, with a 15-mile bike and 3-mile run.

A week after the triathlon, I'm climbing Mt. Whitney in California with a high school friend, Jen Lowney Welter. It was her idea, and she has done all of the leg-work for the trip so far. I'm hoping to be more helpful in the near future. We will camp a couple of days before the hike for acclimatization. We will go with a guide, and it will take us 3 days, 2 nights. Apparently, the route can be done all in 1 day, but we figured since we're going all the way out there, we should take our time! It's located in Sequoia National Park, 14,505 feet above sea level.

The Emergency Room has been a place of much hilarity and learning for me. I'm now getting trained into triage, which is quite terrifying. I've come to learn that many people are mean and self-righteous, and I'm going to have to find a way to deal with them.

I am pretty sick of this cold weather. Right now the wind chill is -11 degrees. Just nasty. One good thing about the cold is that I've been watching a ton of movies. I highly recommend "Run, Fatboy, Run!" and "Burn After Reading". I still want to see "Slumdog Millionaire", "Mama Mia", and a slew of others.

I'm still dating Cameron, a guy I met at the hospital in 2007. We've been going out since June, and so far so good! He's in culinary school and also working at Stella's Fish Cafe a few nights a week. And yes, I'm reaping all the benefits.

I dyed my hair black last week, and it's been hard to get used to. My Facebook "friends" on are insisting on a picture, so I will try to post one when I get a chance.

That's all I have for now. I hope to update this blog with some regularity

Broken Promises

2008-07-03T17:34:00.002-06:00

I ran this morning. I didn't mean to, I didn't plan to, it just happened! I woke up at 6am and the sun was shining. I didn't have to work until 9am, but I couldn't fall back asleep. So I strapped on my running shoes and jogged a quick 3 miles. Let me tell you, after running 26.2, 3 miles was like a walk in the park!
It was a great day at work today. I worked with some awesome people, which makes all the difference. Most of my patients were looney-tooney, but nothing terrible.
Speaking of nothing terrible, I ate sushi or the first time tonight! Honestly, it wasn't bad. I would never intentionally go to a sushi restaurant or order it again, but I didn't vomit, either.
I can hear some fireworks going off now. I hope everyone has a happy 4th of July!

Harriet Truman and her Troubadours

2008-07-01T08:30:00.008-06:00

Meg drove me to the airport early Friday morning and I got the very last seat on American's flight 545 to Chicago. Mom and Dad were waiting for me at the Kiss-N-Fly at the other end. I feel like it had been a long time since I was home. Is it weird that I still call Rolling Meadows home?
Mom made French Toast for lunch, we scored big at a sweet estate sale (Post-its for everyone!!), then I hopped on the Metra to see Ellen and Eric and their new apartment in Wicker Park. It's set up a lot like her old apartment, but there is a fantastic winding staircase in the living room leading up to the upstairs. They already have lots of decorations up and the walls and windows are adorned with stained glass treasures made by Ellen. Anyway, I thought the apartment was adorable, as are E & E.

Saturday morning Mom and I went to the high school and played a little tennis. It was so great to hit the ball around for awhile. I miss doing that!
Mom, Dad and I drove into Chicago for the wedding of my cousin Tom and (his now wife) Julie. The weather was perfect: sunny and mid-70s. The ceremony was lovely (even though the priest was a White Sox fan), and although I am not usually emotional at these kind of events, the a cappella Ave Maria and the bag pipers escorting the couple down the aisle got me a little choked up.
The reception was typical Ryan insanity and lots of fun. Here is a picture with some of my cousins that I had to steal from Bridget's Blog because my camera was collecting dust back in St. Paul.

Sunday morning I tried to visit my Grandma Evans, but she had gone on an excursion to Mundelein with some of the other residents. Ellen came out to the 'burbs and we all played Canasta and ate salmon. I flew back to the cities late Sunday night and got in around 1am.
I went canoeing down the St. Croix on Monday afternoon, went to the Ft. Snelling beach with Meg and the kids Tuesday morning, and didn't have to work until Tuesday afternoon! What a long, lovely weekend! I wish I could have 4-day weekends all the time. They make me so happy!

ps: For those wondering, I have so far been able to keep the promise to my legs: I have not run since the marathon. However, I have a feeling I will be breaking that promise soon. The weather is just too beautiful and the doughnuts are just too tasty.

26.2 - Grandma Style!

2008-06-23T06:27:00.009-06:00

Well, I've done it again. My second marathon has come and gone, and I am left (proverbially) licking my (literal) wounds. And here's how it went down:

Meg, mom and I packed up the car Friday afternoon and drove north to Duluth. We heard that a lane was closed on the interstate entering the city, so we took the Skyline Parkway to avoid some of the congestion. It was a beautiful detour, even with the occasional downpour. I picked up my race packet at the DECC, then we checked into the hotel. (Donna was able to use her connections to get us a room at the Sheraton with a lovely view of Lake Superior!) We walked back to Canal Park, ate a spaghetti dinner, then back to the hotel and waited for Dad, Joel, Lucy and Eddie. The 4 of them spent the night in the UMD dorms (so as not to disturb my pre-marathon slumber).

I was able to get a few decent hours of sleep, but I woke up around 3am wide awake and waiting for my alarms to go off. I think 5 were set this year - just in case! I showered, got dressed, and ate a bowl of cereal. Mom and Meg walked the 2 blocks with me to Fitgers where I hopped on a school bus headed for the start of the marathon in Two Harbors, MN.

The bus ride up there seemed to take FOREVER, and the only thing I could think of was that I had to run all the way back. They dumped us off in a huge area with thousands of port-a-potties and even more runners wandering about. It was as close to feeling like being in a concentration camp as I ever want to be: thousands of skinny people wondering what horrible fate lies ahead. There was a moment of silence for last year's winner, Wesly Ngetich, who was killed while on a peace-keeping mission in Kenya early this year. There was a fly-by by two fighter planes, the National Anthem was sung, and we were off!

I got to the starting line about 7 minutes after the gun (pretty standard). I'm not sure of the starting temperature, but I know I was quite comfortable. The first 3 miles were a breeze. Around mile 4, two runners had moved off to the side up ahead of me. It looked like the guy knelt down to tie his shoe, but then he proposed to the girl he had been running with! It was so adorable, and hundreds of runners passing by (including me) were cheering and clapping for them. At mile 9, Al Franken (Stuart Smalley) was standing on the side and he gave me a high-five. As I ran towards mile 13, I could see large gold pom-pons flying around, and then I saw them! Meg and my mom were cheering and jumping and screaming! I totally needed to see them. It was like a beacon of light! If I had been any less dehydrated, I would have cried. I had been feeling pretty good up to that point, running just under 10-minute miles, and I could tell they were a bit surprised to see me so soon.

I kept on running, drinking at every water station available. In addition to water, they had lemonade-flavored Ultima for us, so I would usually grab a cup of each. Sometimes the volunteers would sneak an ice cube into the cups which was an extra treat! They also had large, wet, cold sponges which I doused myself with mostly in the later miles. Mom and Meg were on bikes, so I would see them periodically throughout the run: always cheering, holding signs, high-kicking. Awesome.

I made it up the dreaded Lemon Drop Hill at mile 22, but that's where the fun stopped. From that point on would be the longest 4.2 miles of my life. Nothing hurt, but I was completely drained. Mom and Meg met up with Dad, Joel, Lu & Ed at mile 24, and I don't really remember seeing them.

With less than 1 mile left to go, I realized that I could potentially beat my time from last fall, so I started bargaining with my legs... "If you can just keep going for, like, 10 more minutes, I won't... run for a month! Or a year! Or ever again!!"

With 1/2 mile to go, a slightly overweight middle-aged lady with cute chin-length brown hair shouted out, "Jean, you can do this!!" (My name was written down my arm.) I think I mumbled, "Ok, fine! Geez!" and I plugged through to the finish line.

And then it was over: 4 hours, 49 minutes, and 26 seconds after the starting gun went off. My chip time (time from actually crossing the starting line to crossing the finish line) was 4:41:57. I was about 6-7 minutes faster than last time!

So that's my story and I'm stickin' to it. Thanks to everyone for the support and good wishes! I'm hoping to post some pictures soon. Here's a preview! :)

Last Run

2008-06-19T09:21:00.002-06:00

I finished my last run before the marathon! I ran two little miles around the streets of West St Paul on this lovely Thursday morning.
I just talked to my parents who are driving up to the cities as we speak. They should be around Madison by now. We plan on leaving for Duluth (along with Meg, Joel, and the kids) sometime tomorrow. I'm hoping for nice weather, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to get it.
I made my "must remember to pack" list this morning, and I think I'm set. I just really want this thing to be over with! AAAUGHH!! I'm terribly nervous.

Bamos the Bear!

2008-06-15T21:00:00.003-06:00

If ever there was a perfect day, this one comes close. Nothing earth-shattering happened, but who needs earth-shattering? I was able to:
1)Make a phone call to my fabulous father to wish him a very happy Father's Day.
2)Go for a lovely 4.5 mile run in the morning.
3)Complete a successful shopping trip for a running tank, socks, and shot blocks.
4)Watch the Twins game on TV (flipping occasionally to see Tiger Woods).
5)Play in two softball games in Hastings.
6)Watch the Tony awards.
7)Do a round of dishes and laundry.
AND, it was sunny, mid-70's, with a gentle breeze. Ridiculous.

It is now under a week until Grandma's Marathon, and I think I have moved on from my "absolutely terrified" phase. I seem to be in some kind of "whatever happens, happens" phase. I've done what I can. I rest Monday, run 3 miles on Tuesday, 4 on Wednesday, 2 on Thursday. I drive to Duluth on Friday and run this bad boy on Saturday.

Rollerbladers and Bikers and Runners... Oh My!!!

2008-06-03T22:05:00.003-06:00

Last Friday was my 20-mile run. Mom and dad drove up the night before to help assist (this is becoming a tradition). Friday morning dad watched the kids while Meg, mom and I headed out. Meg was on rollerblades, mom on my bike, me on my feet. It was cloudy and cool- perfect conditions! Mom and Meg gabbed while I ran 4 miles to the top of Lake Phalen, 12 miles along the Gateway Trail, and another 4 back home. It was a tough run for me only because I was exhausted! It took me almost 20 minutes longer than my 20-miler last fall. I definitely walked more than I wanted to, but I did finish with very little pain, which is nice. Mom and Meg switched wheels around the 16-mile mark, and mom only fell twice on the rollerblades (that I could see). After the second fall I insisted she blade in back of me because she was making me so nervous. Both falls were mostly in the grass, and she rolled very well.

I played in a softball tournament Saturday and Sunday in Shakopee. We played 2 games Sat, 5 games Sun. I pitched all 7 and was only hit once. Unfortunately it was a line drive that hit the inside part of my right foot- the same spot that had been bothering me that last couple of months from running. What are the chances? Initially it was super-painful, but now, 2 days later, there isn't even a bruise. We took second place in the tourney, losing in the championship game. The weather was gorgeous, and I think it's my favorite thing to be playing softball all weekend.

I ran about 4.5 miles Monday, and I felt like I had elephant legs. Today, however, I ran 6.5 miles and felt just great. I can't figure myself out. Also, I am finding multiple blisters on my toes, and I have lost one toenail. Although it's not painful, it's also not aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

I think I have some funny work stories, but I'm tired and want to go to sleep now.

Gotta Love 'Em!

2008-06-03T04:32:00.003-06:00

Ok, let's work backwards here.

Last night: Went to the Twins game with Meg and Deena and Donna. Donna got the tickets from a coworker and not only were they FREE, they were fantastic seats! Row 11 (there were only actually 6 rows in front of us) between home plate and the start of the Twins dugout. SO CLOSE. The Yankees were in town, and I had never seen them play in person.

Yankees: Tight pants, broken bats, bulging muscles and arm veins. Hideki Matsui for SURE not wearing a cup.

Boyfriend-on-boyfriend action: Michael Cuddyer throws out Derek Jeter trying to stretch a single into a double. Next inning, Yankees can't throw out Cuddyer who stretches a single into a double. Derek and Cuddles discuss the 2 plays at second base. *Swoon*

Great finish: Mauer hits a solo home run to tie the game at 5 apiece in the 7th. In the 8th, Little Nicky Punto moves Cuddles to 3rd (following his spectacular double), Delmon Young lines a double to right to score Cuddles, Joe Nathan shuts down the Yankees in the 9th.

I totally have to go to work now, but more on the weekend to follow, including a 20-mile run and a weekend full of softball.

A day without softball is like a day without sunshine.

2008-05-18T20:04:00.002-06:00

But that day was not today. Or yesterday! I coached our B-Squad tournament yesterday in South St. Paul. We lost. It was ugly. We only had 9 girls for the last 2 games because a few of them had to go get their hair done for Prom. Seriously. They are sophomores! Anyway, it is a huge relief to have that season over with.
I then played in my own tournament in Roseville with the O&S girls. I missed the first 3 games on Saturday because of coaching, but I played in the 4th game which we won. This morning we played at 10am and we lost, knocking us out. Bummer! It was a perfect day for playing.
Instead, I ran 18 miles. Meg biked next to me, and it was a very difficult run. The weather was great- 60s (I think?), sunny, not too breezy. I didn't hurt anywhere (except for a little chafing under my left arm- ow!), there weren't too many hills, I was just really tired. I walked a bit, more towards the end. Meg was helpful, telling me I looked good and salty.
I showered this evening and opened up a new shave gel. It's called Alluring Avocado and it felt like I was spreading guacamole into my armpits. Gross.

Happy Belated Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T12:23:00.004-06:00

Every year I have a Survivor practice with the girls. I split them into 2 tribes, give them buffs, and have them complete in a series of challenges. Here are pictures of the 2 teams this year:

The girls were really good sports, and the weather was perfect. We play 3 games this week, another 3 in our tournament on Saturday, then we're done!

Friday night I went to the Twins game with some friends. We were playing the Red Sox, a team I have never seen play live. It was a thrilling game, and the Twins ended up winning, down 5-6 with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th. Mike Lamb hit a single to left that scored 2 runs for the win. And the crowd went wild! Here's us earlier in the game...

Meg rollerbladed the first 45 minutes of my 12-miler this morning. It took me 2 hours and 5 minutes to finish, and I felt just fine the whole way. We went along Shepard/Warner Road and it was a beautiful morning. We probably could have done without the breezes at the end, but it wasn't all that terrible. I've been cheating a bit on my shorter week-day runs because I've been so busy, but I think as long as I still do one long run a week I should be ok. I'll definitely have more time after this week.

At work on Saturday, a guy came in with left ear pain and trouble hearing. I took a look and he had a ton of wax in there. So, I got a syringe and a warm water/hydrogen peroxide mix and I irrigated his ear out. A bunch of nasty wax and what-not came pouring out, and after the third irrigation, he was in no pain and he could hear! I sent him home feeling like a successful ER nurse.
On Sunday an ambulance brought in a guy having an acute MI (heart attack). At the time he arrived, we had no other patients in back, so each nurse took a task (IV starter, drug giver, recorder/charted, protocol enterer, putting the patient into a gown and hooking him up to the monitors, and so forth.) In 16 minutes all the big drugs had been started (Integrelin, Heparin, etc.) and he was on his way up the the Cath Lab. In 52 minutes, the vessel was opened up and he was doing great! Goal time is apparently 30 minutes from door to Cath Lab and 90 minutes from door to completion of catheterization. We were all high-fiving each other afterwards. It was pretty cool.

Conditions are perfect!

2008-05-04T08:45:00.001-06:00

It's Sunday, and my 5 days of not working at the hospital is coming to an end.I actually thought about picking up a shift but my fingers couldn't quite dial the numbers.

My B-Squadders scrimmaged the 9th grade team on Thursday, which was not particularly helpful to my girls. It amazes me how much players change (usually for the better) between 9th and 10th grades, and then also from 10th grade to 11th and 12th. Anyway, I cancelled Friday's practice because it poured all day and the thought of another indoor practice made me a little queasy.

Meg and I ran on Saturday almost 4.5 miles. We had an interesting experience... some guy was running with his teen-aged son, and as we approached them the dad held up his hand (as if to say hello). He raised it a little earlier than to be expected which probably no one would have deemed unusual except for Meg and myself, both thinking that we maybe knew the guy. We didn't. Halfway through our run we turned around to head back to our car. Apparently the guy and his son were doing the same thing at the other end, because we were about to cross paths with them again. As we did, the guy yelled out, "Hey! Are you two twins?" We both laughed out a "No", to which he replied, "Well, it looks like it!" or something like that. I think I yelled a thank you, but then they were gone. So weird. I felt like we were a spectacle! A sight to behold! Like afterwards he was telling his son, "Remember this day as the day you almost saw TWINS!!"

Later that evening I went to see Hill Murray High School's production of Footloose with Meg and Lucy. It was a decent production, and Lucy was just a little antsy throughout. The best part by far was Lu's 20-minute interpretive dance during intermission.

Today I needed to do a long run (more than 10 miles, less than 20). Meg was going to bike with me, but I couldn't figure out how to put air into the tires on my bike. I felt a little ridiculous, but I had 2 pumps and neither were making my tires more inflated. So Meg strapped up the rollerblades (much to her dismay) and we were off. We went up to Phalen and the Gateway, then back to their house. It was a little over 11 miles, but it felt like 20 to me. Ugh!

I really liked this story I read this morning:
http://msn.foxsports.com/olympics/story/8091708?MSNHPHCP>1=39002

Garbage Day!

2008-04-30T10:49:00.002-06:00

We had our first sand volleyball game last night! Our team, Sofa King Lazy, won 2 of 3 games. The cold temps wouldn't have been so bad if we weren't playing in bare feet. My toes may never be the same. We stayed afterwards to chat- mostly about softball, which starts Thursday. Yessss!

I've run a few times since the 10K, and my foot has been pretty good. I can still feel some soreness, but it's definitely not painful. I shortened up my stride quite a bit, which seems to be helping. Unfortunately it's making me really slow! Oh well. I can't have it all, right?

I coach up in Mahtomedi this afternoon, then have to fly down to Burnsville for my own games at 6&7.

No training, kinda injured, it's snowing, let's run a 10K!

2008-04-28T06:58:00.002-06:00

Meg and Donna and I ran the Get-in-Gear 10K in Minneapolis on Saturday morning. We lost Donna before it even started, but Meg and I ran together all 6.2 miles. It was really cold waiting for the start, and the horizontal hail was a little crazy, but once we got going it wasn't too terrible. My foot was sore but not unbearable, and it didn't hurt at work all weekend. My new thinking is that I wasn't running enough and it was starting to atrophy. (Maybe?) Donna finished in 1hr 2minutes and Meg and I finished in 1hr 4minutes, although our chip times were a little better than that.
My favorite part of doing these runs is getting the t-shirt and eating the snacks afterwards. This time we got bananas, yogurt, salted nut rolls, juice, milk, ice cream. Mmm.

Happy birthday to Nana, 92 years young today!

Softball!

2008-04-23T21:09:00.003-06:00

Lots of softball today! Sibley lost to Simley 6-2. It was a pretty lackluster performance by our sophomores. I'm not really sure why- it was 70 degrees, sunny, not too much wind, and they had a TON of licorice before the game. Hmm.

Afterwards I scooted down to Burnsville to play in the season opener for O&S. We lost the first and won the second. I played first base both games which was quite a change for me. At least I'm on the right side of the infield! I think I'll get moved over to second eventually, but I don't care either way. It's just so great being outside playing ball!

The good news is that my foot didn't bother me at all today. I'm icing it now with some old broccoli just to be sure.

I got really nervous today looking at my schedule. EVERYTHING is starting in the next 2 weeks. Volleyball on Tuesdays, women's softball Wednesdays, coed softball Thursdays, plus coaching and working at the hospital. Egad.

I just got a message on my cell from Lucy: "No more rhymes now, I mean it! Anybody want a peanut?" Awesome.

Who got kicked off American Idol tonight? I can't find it online anywhere!

Gimpy

2008-04-23T08:00:00.002-06:00

My right foot has really been bothering me lately. I talked to some docs at work about it, and after convincing me that my foot would need to be amputated and I would be forced to re-register for the marathon in the wheelchair division, they told me to go to Run-n-Fun to see what they could do for me. No one seems to think it's a stress fracture, which would mean 6+ weeks of no running. An x-ray could confirm, but I can't quite get to that point. I bought some insoles that I'll try out (and got 20% off because I'm a coach!), and I've been trying to avoid running for the past week. Lots of RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation). I have my first softball game tonight and a 10K on Saturday, so I'll see how this all goes.

Speaking of icing, I haven't really been able to make ice fast enough so I've been using a lot of old frozen veggies. It's been a good way to clean out my freezer, that's for sure. Right now I've got corn on the foot that probably should have been eaten in 2005.

This run is for the birds!

2008-04-14T13:00:00.003-06:00

I ran 13.5 miles in 2 hours and 15 minutes. Not a cloud in the sky, bright sun, and about 40 degrees with a slight breeze from the southwest. I believe it's supposed to get up to 55 degrees today, but I work at 3 and had to run earlier. I parked at Phalen, ran the Gateway Trail, then back around Phalen. I was really tired around the 8 mile mark, but was able to push through.
I forgot how much I hate to run long runs by myself. I mean, I had my iPod, but I still got bored. Speaking of iPods, I listened to the entire Across the Universe soundtrack as well as all of Lily Allen's Alright, Still album. Good stuff.

So as far as birds go, it started when a huge black crow nearly took my head off right in the first 10 minutes. Then I saw an egret or heron (what's the difference?) and a red cardinal along the Gateway. And then back on Phalen I saw a bunch of ducks playing in the water and a cute little yellow bird with some black marks on it. (Dad, what is that one?) I was super tired when I was that little yellow one which was when I decided that this run was for the birds.

I'm off to work now, which means I miss our girls' second game, vs North St. Paul. We still haven't practiced outside yet, which means it might get ugly.

Peanut....peanut butter! And jelly!

2008-04-13T19:57:00.004-06:00

I ran out of peanut and jelly today. At the same time! That NEVER happens to me! It's like running out of shampoo and conditioner at the same time. It made me very happy.

I went on date #2 with Ian Saturday night. We saw The Alps at the Omnimax Theater in the Science Museum, then went for a drink and apps at a brewery in St Paul afterwards.
Unfortunately later that night I was sick as a dog: nausea, very (I repeat, very) icky tummy, back pain, etc. I tossed and turned for hours, and by 3:45 am I decided that since I wasn't ever going to sleep again, I should call in sick to work, which I did. I must have dozed off at some point because I woke up around noon to the sound of my phone ringing. Meg wanted to run. I was a little groggy and my stomach still wasn't quite right, but I headed over to Gronauland. Meg and I ran Phalen and a *little* more. The breeze was chilly, but it was about mid-40s and sunny, I think.
Anyway, I'm not sure why I got sick last night. It may have been the nachos. Or just really bad cramps. Meg thinks I'm in love, but I really think it was the beer. I think my body was actually rejecting the glass of beer I drank. How am I going to remember to stick to hard liquor?

All the weather at once!

2008-04-10T21:58:00.002-06:00

Rain, snow, hail, clouds, winds, lightning, thunder: all the weather at once. No surprise our game was cancelled today, but we did have a pretty fun practice in the gym. I brought out the "crazy ball" which is a small rubber thing that looks like many bouncy balls melted together. I roll it on the ground and it bounces in random directions and the girls chase after it with screams of delight. It's actually pretty funny to watch, and they run a lot without even knowing it.

I just got back from a delightful first date with Ian, a guy I met on Match.com. (And, Carol Daly, he pronounces it "Eee-an", not "In" or "Eye-an".) We went to dinner at the Liffey in St Paul. He is pretty tall and although he is mostly bald, he did not have a combover (like the last guy). He has chipmunk cheeks and dimples and seems like a genuinely happy person. He does some type of graphic designing and lives in a condo in St Paul. I had the seared walleye (so delicious!) and he had Shepard's pie and a which he finished off so it must have been decent. It was 10:30pm before we knew it (3 hours longer than bad teeth and combover dude) and I hope there will be a second date! (Is that enough specifics for y'all???) :)

Force Out

2008-04-10T10:52:00.004-06:00

My taxes are finally done, thanks to Anna at H&R Block. I seriously HATE getting my taxes done- more than going to the dentist, more than just about anything. I never know what papers to bring, and I never know the answers to their questions. Like, "How much were your car tabs?" or "Did you get a property tax refund last year?" And I don't like seeing how much money I make because it makes my job feel more like a job than just some fun thing I get to go and do almost every day. Anyway, the deed is done and I will be getting a nice fat return.

And I am sick again. This time it's a cold with lots of sneezes and a runny, runny nose. I slept in a vat of Vicks Vaporub last night, and was able to breathe through my nose when I woke up in the morning.

Henry Sibley had their first softball games of the season vs Tartan yesterday. Although all Warrior teams lost, my team (B-Squad/Sophomores) did not take the worst beating! The freshmen got that honor losing 26-1. Varsity lost 17-1, and we lost 6-1. Unfortunately my girls struck out 18 times. Since there are only 21 outs in a softball game, we've got some work to do. We still haven't been able to practice outside yet, and today will be no exception. It's 41 degrees, but with 37 mph wind gusts it feels like 31 degrees. And our fields are still mud.

Did I mention that one of my girls asked me last week what a "force out" was? I mean really. This poor girl is 16 years old. Where are her parents? And I had the most difficult time explaining it. I Wikipedia-ed it to see if I could have made myself any clearer, but this it what it said:

"In baseball, a force is a situation when a baserunner is compelled (or forced) to vacate his time-of-pitch base--and thus try to advance to the next base--because the batter became a runner. A runner at first base is always forced to attempt to advance to second base when the batter becomes a runner. Runners at second or third base are forced only when all bases preceding their time-of-pitch base are occupied by other baserunners and the batter becomes a runner. A forced runner's force base is the next base beyond his time-of-pitch base. Any attempt by fielders to put a forced runner out is called a force play."

See what I mean?

Oh, how we made such sweet sweet sandwiches!

2008-04-07T19:49:00.003-06:00

It was a delightful 3-day weekend for me! Ran about 4 miles Friday morning. Later that night, went to a friend's house for fruity drinks and games (Rock Band and Balderdash). Not quite sure I understand all the hype around Rock Band and Guitar Hero. I mean, I guess it was pretty fun, but I would really rather be doing anything else. Like, why don't these people learn to play real instruments and get together to make real music? Now that would be fun.

Saturday afternoon Meg and I headed over to Minneapolis for one of my long runs. It was supposed to be a 14 miler, but we ended up going just under 16. Meg was on rollerblades, and we weren't sure which direction to run. Went around Calhoun and Harriet and along Minnehaha Parkway, and there are signs for peds and bikers, but not for rollerbladers. Ended up going with the bikers which was a path much less congested and a little wider. It was a beautiful day - almost 60 degrees, I think. The lakes were still frozen over and there was a lovely chilly breeze coming off it. I enjoyed the coolness, but Meg had dead-man hands afterwards (swollen, cold, and clammy). Afterwards we congratulated ourselves with Potbelly sammies and malts.

It rained all day Sunday which was fine by me. Spent most of the day with the Gronaus. Iced my sore right calf while watching the Twins, then ate enchiladas and kept an eye on Lu and Ed while Meg and Joel went to Meg's dance class.

Our softball game was cancelled yesterday- surprise, surprise! What could be worse then almost 5 weeks of indoor practices, I ask you?!? Everyone's getting a little squirrly.

And he shall be Livan, and he shall be a good man!

2008-04-01T04:41:00.003-06:00

And baseball season has begun! Livan Hernandez picked up the Opening Day win for the Twins last night against the Angels. I nearly cried when Cuddyer fielded a grounder and threw it to first behind the runner who took an extra wide turn. Had he actually gotten the runner out, I know tears would have been shed. And crazy Carlos Gomez with his bunt singles and stolen bases and Joe Nathan striking out Torii Hunter - I'm a happy camper.

Our softball season has been postponed. We were supposed to play our first game tomorrow, but the 1/2 dozen foot of snow dumped on us yesterday put a damper on things. And THANK GOODNESS because we still don't have a pitcher or a catcher.

Winona was able to pull off a win on Saturday to become the Division II National Champs, but Sibley lost in the finals and therefore finished 2nd in state. Not too shabby! Thank goodness basketball season is over so we can concentrate on more important things (baseball & softball)!

Everyone's a Winner!

2008-03-29T13:00:00.003-06:00

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!

2008-03-28T22:51:00.003-06:00

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

2008-03-27T04:35:00.002-06:00

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!

2008-03-26T14:18:00.003-06:00

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

2008-03-25T10:29:00.003-06:00

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.

2008-03-24T16:43:00.004-06:00

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!

2008-03-11T09:53:00.001-06:00

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!

Happy Leap Day!

2008-02-29T13:33:00.002-06:00

Congratulations to my friends Rachel and Rhiannon who each gave birth to little girls this month!
Sydney Ann Schepp was born February 13th. She was 8 lbs. 9 oz. and 21 inches long.
Mallory Grace Blawat was born on February 25th. She was 7lbs 3oz and 18 3/4 in long.

I went to the Running Room yesterday and found that I'm an over-pronator. Who knew? I ended up buying a new pair of running shoes. They are Asics - same brand as my previous marathon shoes, but these have more arch support. And they're very pretty.

I'm off to work now. I hope it's a quiet weekend!

I Burnt My Beans!

2008-02-26T18:44:00.002-06:00

The only doctor I've been sleeping with lately is Dr. Beans, my microwaveable bean-filled heat pack. He's been warming up my toes on these chilly nights. Last night, however, I nuked him a bit too long, and I was smelling burnt beans all night. Whoops!
I rented Across the Universe the other night and have had the songs running through my head, CD player, and iPod since. The director describes it as "an original movie musical using the Beatles' songs as its score and inspiration for the story." The arrangements and performances were amazing, and it reminded me of Moulin Rouge!, Forrest Gump, and The Princess Bride all bottled together. So rent it!
I enjoy Mrs. Grass chicken noodle soup. It comes in a little box and is my favorite non-homemade soup. I almost always buy the original flavor, but last time I was shopping they were sold out. I saw there was a Mrs. Grass "extra noodle" box, so I thought I'd give it a try. The box looked identical to the original, with the exception of a big red "40% MORE NOODLES" on it. As I was making it tonight, I noticed that the instructions called for 3 cups of water whereas the original calls for 4 cups. I ended up using 4 cups of water, and it seemed to make the same amount and taste the same. Did Mrs. Grass think I wouldn't notice that? I don't think the price was much different, so what gives?

To shave-a da face!

2008-02-10T17:12:00.000-06:00

Saturday evening I played a couple of softball games in the Metrodome! The coed team I play with over the summer got together along with a few extras thanks to Aaron Briner and his crazy connections. We played 2 full games right on the stinkin' field, sat in the dugouts, stood in the on-deck circle, it was great. Here are a few pictures...

And then earlier this afternoon I drove back into Minneapolis to see Sweeney Todd at the State Theatre. It was a phenomenal production. This tale of the Demon Barber of Fleet Street is set in an insane asylum. There are just 10 performers, none of whom leave the stage. But here's the kicker - they also form the orchestra! The level of talent was so amazing.

I can't believe my weekend is almost over. Why so fast? And why so cold? I think the high for today was -5°. Sounds like it's time for some hot chocolate!

And no, I didn't kill anybody!

2008-02-08T16:30:00.000-06:00

I had my first 2 shifts all on my own in the ER yesterday and today. Yesterday was a controlled busy; today was verging on out of control. We had a couple of intubations, a cardioversion, and an acute MI among the bunch. I had lots of help, though, and when I punched out at the end of the day everyone was still alive. Huzzah!
But now I am completely exhausted. I am really looking forward to my weekend off, even though temperatures are supposed to plummet. I'm getting pretty darn sick of this cold weather, I tell you what.
On a good note, my sinus infection has just about completely cleared. And just in time, too - I ran out of kleenexes this morning!
That's all for now - I can't think anymore today.

I got a FEVER!

2008-02-05T14:39:00.000-06:00

The last couple of weeks I've had a headache, congestion, and a runny nose, all on my right side. Now, I'm not normally one to complain and I have a pretty high pain tolerance. But last night I couldn't take it anymore. I could feel my heart pounding in my forehead, and I did not feel good. So instead of waiting in Urgent Care all day today, one of the lovely Nurse Practitioners I work with diagnosed me with a sinus infection (my first one!) and prescribed me some antibiotics. I filled the prescription at the pharmacy in my hospital, gobbled them up and immediately began to feel better not even 2 hours later. I was able to finish my shift almost pain free! Finally a perk to being an ER nurse!

A Bad Sign?

2008-01-31T16:04:00.000-06:00

So I've been keeping an old wishbone from Thanksgiving dinner on my counter. I actually had it on one of those rotating spoon holders, and forgot it was there. As I was cleaning today, I saw it and thought I should really get rid of that thing. But I didn't want to waste a wish and I would be the one pulling at each end, so how could I lose? I couldn't. So I closed my eyes and wished that I would have a boyfriend soon. Or that I would meet a great guy soon. Or I would talk to a nice single handsome guy soon. Something like that.
And I slowly pulled that old bone apart...
and then the top popped off. The keystone, if you will, literally flew up into the air and I was left holding the two short ends of the bone.
Unbelievable! This was supposed to be a win-win situation! And I didn't. How could this happen?
I think it's a sign.

Where the devil are my slippers?

2008-01-27T20:18:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to my friends Katie and Ross who had a baby boy on Friday! Ari was 9 pounds 2 ounces, and has a full head of dark brown hair. He is the cutest little bundle and makes all kinds of wonderful coos and squeaks.

Drove to IL Friday morning, singing showtunes all the way. Ate dinner at a restaurant in Greektown with my parents, Ellen, Eric, and cousin Mary and her fiancee Francisco. After dinner saw My Fair Lady at the Cadillac Palace. Despite some flubbed lines by Marni Nixon (singing voice of Audrey Hepburn in the film My Fair Lady), some crazy spotlight issues, and a shameful comb over by Henry Higgins, it was a good production and I'm glad I got to see it.

Saturday morning I drove into Wisconsin for a surprise 30th birthday party for my friend Rachel. She was actually surprised! It was great to see all those gals and their hubbies and their children! Rachel and Rhi are both quite pregnant with girls (one for each!) and they look fantastic. So many babies!

I ran around Lake Phalen this afternoon, and I think the temp was 40 degrees. No kidding. It felt wonderful! I used my iPod for the first time on a run, and I think I'm going to like it. I just need to figure out how to get all my "running songs" into one section so I can avoid Billy Joel's "And So It Goes" (not super motivational) and some crazy "What Makes the Monkey Dance?" song.

Just watched Johnny Weir perform in the US Figure Skating Championships held right here in St. Paul. Good God. Lucy even asked "is that a boy or a girl?" His costume was a sight to behold.

I have decided to teach myself to play the guitar. I picked up my dad's old acoustic guitar this weekend and have been trying to learn chords. It's harder than I thought, and my fingers are really sore.

Bad Blogger!

2008-01-22T08:22:00.000-06:00

So I haven't written in over a month. But it's not my fault! I've been busy. Where should I start? Let's see...

Work. The ER has been busy, but fun. I'm still technically in orientation, but most days I work on my own because we've been so short-staffed. I passed my EKG and ACLS classes, meaning I can now take care of any patient, push just about any drug, and run a code. Terrifying, I know. We had a 20-something guy come in with a knife wound in his back, so they put the ER in lockdown mode. I didn't even know that could happen! I also saw a blood alcohol level of 0.46 on New Year's Day. Pretty exciting stuff.

Volleyball. The winter season started up a few weeks ago, and it's nice to be playing again. With the writer's strike still going on, it's nice to have something to do on Thursday evenings.

Health. I'm getting over a nasty cold that's been lingering for a week. It started with a really runny nose and sneezes. Then I got super congested, and although I appreciated having back control of my nasal secretions, I felt like I had a head full of snot. Not good. And then in a Cold-Eeze-induced stupor, I registered for Grandma's Marathon on June 21st.

Friends. A girl I used to work with got married earlier this month, and her reception was at the MN History Center. That is such a cool building! The wedding was lovely, and each table had a cake on it - my kind of centerpiece!
I met St. Colette friends Caryn and Stacey at Caryn's condo in Chicago last weekend. We drank too many piña coladas and somehow I ended up signed up for Match.com. I'm still not really sure how the whole thing works, but I'm trying to figure it out.

Sisters. Meg and Joel and the kids were living with me for 10 days while their kitchen was being remodeled. They are in California now, and they totally needed a vacation from me. My place is not that big and I think they were all getting cabin fever. I enjoyed the company, though! Ellen and her boyfriend are planning on moving in together sometime this spring/summer! So exciting! I think they're going to be looking in the Wicker Park area of Chicago, but don't quote me on that.

I've got to get my day moving now. There are dishes and laundry to be done!

A Pirate? Horror!

2007-12-17T18:29:00.000-06:00

It is the end of a long 4-day weekend for me, starting Friday with my 29th birthday. Went out with some friends that evening. Drank a lot. Got annoyed because some people were all, "I can't mix my liquor," so I was all "I can only mix my liquor." Paid the price to carry out that charade, I tell you what. Daiquiris + Chardonnay + Miller Lite + Sex on the Beach + Rum & Coke= icky tummy the next morning. Met a pilot who I kept insisting was a pirate. He didn't think I was too witty. Perhaps it was the absence of brandy on my list of drinks.

Saturday morning my mom flew in. Dad stayed in IL with a nasty cough and headache. Went to Meg's Christmas show in the evening. It was wild. Meg slipped on her big yellow dress and fell on her bum during one number, then later came out with only one shoe buckled. That one was a high-kick number and we were all in the second row, maybe 20 feet from the loose shoe. Terrifying. Then I looked over and Lucy was drinking. No, slurping out of a flask. What a family!
Overall, the show was fun and it was good to see Meg performing again. She'll be choreographing a production of High School Musical next.

Sunday I drove mom to the airport, cleaned up my house a bit, played some numbers from Hairspray (Meg gave me the sheet music for my birthday), went on a run, changed the sheets on my bed, and watched the finale of Survivor.

Went on another run today, and the weather was finally great! It was almost 30 degrees, sunny, and not windy. I even heard birds chirping. It felt like spring! Unfortunately with the roads so clear, drivers decided to speed it up and I almost got hit twice in the last 1/4 mile. I have never really been in any danger running on the roads, but today shook me up a bit. I think I may stick to running around lakes for awhile. Why, oh why, aren't there any sidewalks?

Christmas Songs

2007-12-10T15:40:00.000-06:00

There are definitely a few Christmas songs that I love to hear as well as some that I absolutely cannot stand. Here are my lists so far. What do you think?

Favorite Christmas Songs
Mariah Carey: "All I Want For Christmas Is You"
The Chipmunks: "Christmas Time Is Here"
Celine Dion: "O Holy Night"
Elvis: "Blue Christmas"
Anything sung by the Carpenters

Worst Christmas Songs
"The Holiday Season" (Happy Holidays - Happy HOLidays - Happy Holidays - Happy HOLidays ...)
Anything sung by Michael Crawford. It's just creepy.
"Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree"
Bing Crosby and David Bowie duet: "The Little Drummer Boy/Peace on Earth"
"Feliz Navidad"
Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmas Time" (simmmm-PLY, HAV-ing, a wonderful Christmas time.)
"The Twelve Days of Christmas" (except the Muppet version)

"As my Great Aunt Gert used to say, 'This smells funny. And I'm not going to eat it.'"

2007-12-08T07:12:00.000-06:00

So here's a first for me: my power went out in the middle of the night and my alarm didn't go off. I took it as a sign and called work to say I wouldn't be in today. Thank goodness I'm still in orientation and my not being there doesn't matter a hill of beans to anybody.

Life in the ER has been pretty interesting. I am slowly understanding how things work down there and what my role is. My brain has been on overdrive lately, though. I find myself asking questions all the time. So much so that I haven't felt comfortable making a decision on my own, even outside the hospital. For instance:

-Should I pay $4 and rent a video at this place, or drive a little farther and pay $1?

-Do I have to eat this yogurt by the 'Use By' date and will I get sick if I eat it 2 weeks later?

-Is it ok to crank my heat up to 68 degrees when I'm not home just so it will be warm when I get home?

All those petty little questions that pop up seem really important until I snap out of it and see how ridiculous I am.

I've been running a bit. Not frequently. It's been a little chilly, but the real problem has been the lack of plowing/shoveling. My streets are still snow-covered 2 days after the last snow, and West St. Paul has a serious lack of sidewalks. This is about the time of year I toss around the idea of joining a gym. But then I come to my senses and remember that I cannot stand driving over to a gym, the fees, the pressure to do more than just run, etc.

Donna and I did do the 5K Reindeer Run around Lake Harriet last weekend. It was snowy and freezing cold, but very fun! (I realize this picture is silly, but I didn't have my camera on the actual run, and when we got back to our cars it was too darn cold and snowy to worry about the background of the picture.)

Just about all of my Christmas shopping is done! Yesterday, the UPS man delivered the last of the stuff I ordered online. What a relief! I'm always worried it won't get here on time.

That's all for now. I'll try to go to work tomorrow!

I Do Not Love My Cub!

2007-11-14T08:00:00.001-06:00

I really didn't need another reason not go to the Cub Foods store located basically in my backyard, what with it's crazy aisle layout and complete disorganization of canned beans, but I read this in the paper today and now I'm sold.

WEST ST. PAUL, Minn.
A Twin Cities bank was held up twice in one day -- by different robbers.
It happened yesterday at a TCF Bank in a Cub Foods in West St. Paul.
The FBI says the first robbery happened around nine in the morning, when a man presented a demand note to a bank teller and implied he had a gun.
The man got an undisclosed amount of cash, then left the grocery store and ran away to a wooded area. Police searched but could not find the suspect.
Just before two in the afternoon, the second robber struck. He showed bank employees a handgun tucked into his waistband, then also ran away into the nearby woods with an undisclosed amount of cash.
He's also at large.

Those "nearby woods"? My backyard.
I almost feel sorry for robber #2. All that robbery preparation only to find that someone beat you to the job a mere 5 hours earlier. Too bad.

Bakin' Chicken Willy

2007-11-12T14:17:00.000-06:00

What a fun, busy weekend!

It all started Friday, my last day of work on 4400. Pretty good day, but hard to leave. Emptied out junk from mailbox and locker and gave lots of hugs.

From work, drove 3 hours to the WI Dells to meet WSU friends Rhi, Rachel and Carolyn. Arrived around 7pm at our hotel, the Copa Cabana, offering two beds, two sinks, and two Asian Beetles. All for a low, low price! R,R & C all live in the Milwaukee area, and it was great to catch up on everything. Went to Houlihan's for dinner. It was delightful once we moved to a table in a less smokey area. Can't really believe smoking is still allowed in restaurants. Had the French Dip on sourdough which, although edible, I would never order again.
The next morning, went shopping at an outlet mall, then ate lunch at the Moose Jaw. Had to move to a different table again, this time so we weren't in the cold entryway. (Seriously, the 4 of us are the most easy-going, non-complaining people you will find. For some reason when we're all together, we make quite the high-maintenance quartet.)
After lunch, Carolyn's car decided to freak out. Lots of clicks and flashing lights, but no starting. Called the AAA people, and Mike's Towing came over and gave us a jump. Thank goodness!

Drove back to the cities, then went to Meg's Old School Slumber Party. Lots of food and chattering, very little slumbering. Drove home the next morning, then got picked up by Meg, Joel and the kids, and headed to Deena & Tim's house in Apple Valley for a Viking/Packer party. More food and chattering, very little Viking scoring. Got home around 4-ish, then crashed.

I almost finished painting my kitchen today. Only one more coat left, then it's done! Found out that I go to computer training tomorrow at Abbott NW, then start in the ED Wed and Thurs evenings. This last-minute scheduling is driving me a little crazy, but I know it will get better.

Happy belated 32nd anniversary of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald! (November 10, 1975.) And thank you, Gordon Lightfoot, for your tribute to the ship, the sea, and the men who lost their lives. Your song has been running through my head all weekend.

Goodbye Wallpaper!

2007-11-06T08:46:00.000-06:00

The wallpaper in my kitchen is gone, gone, gone! I hired 2 guys to do the job, and it was money well spent. They got all that nasty wallpaper off in less than 3 hours! I bought paint and supplies today at Home Depot, spackled and sanded, and I'll try to get the primer on tonight.

I just got a call from the scheduler for the Emergency Dept, and my first day of training is a week from tomorrow. EEEK!!! My last day on 4400 is this Friday. I cannot believe how fast this is all happening.

I walked around the Mall of America this afternoon and bought a ton of scrubs at Ragstock. They were in the Halloween section for 50% off. They are super old but soft, and only $2 (on sale from $4) - unbelievable! That reminds me, I have some laundry to do...

If a good cry is what you need...

2007-11-01T11:16:00.000-06:00

...then you have to check out this Nova documentary on PBS called "Marathon Challenge". It aired on Tuesday, but I taped it and watched it today. Here is the description:

How do you run 26.2 miles if you have trouble making it around the block? With good coaching, discipline, and lots of group support, as NOVA shows when it follows 13 generally sedentary people through a training regimen designed to prepare them for an ultimate test of stamina and endurance. "Marathon Challenge" takes viewers on a unique adventure inside the human body, tracking the physiological changes that exercise can bring about.

Maybe it's because I just went through a similar experience, but I cried through the entire hour of this. I'm not sure if or when it will air again, but I have it on tape if you care to watch it. Or you can probably watch it online at pbs.org. And it's narrated by Liev Schreiber.

Boo!

2007-10-31T12:49:00.000-06:00

Happy Halloween!
I woke up early this morning because 2 guys were coming over to check out my furnace and dryer vent and water heater. It was only mildly embarrassing. I didn't know I was supposed to be washing the filter screens every 2-3 months. I've never done it in the 4 years I've been here. Whoops. Anyway, I have never been more excited to do a load of laundry. It only took one cycle in the dryer, and my clothes were completely dry! It was taking me up to 3 cycles before.
I have more people coming over this afternoon to look at the wallpaper in my kitchen and bedroom to see if they will be able to remove it. I'm not too optimistic about it.
I just got back from a nice run around West St Paul. It's a little breezier than I would have liked, but it's sunny and mid 50's. No rain on Halloween? Astounding!

"Baseball begins in the spring, the season of new life. Football begins in the fall, when everything's dying." -George Carlin

2007-10-30T05:50:00.000-06:00

A taco for you
and a taco for me.
A taco for a stolen base
by Jacoby Ellsbury!

Because there was a stolen base in the World Series (actually there were 3, but it only took 1), all of America gets a free taco from Taco Bell today! I almost forgot to pick mine up, but Meg called me at work to remind me. It was delicious! But now I am sad because baseball season is over. Only 122 days until Spring Training 2008!

I had a fantastic weekend in Chi-town! I drove in with Meg, Joel and the kids Thursday night. Meg and I went for a jog on Friday, and then she and mom and I went shopping. I got some new scrubs and a persimmon. I was able to see my friends Jen and Mark that evening, then Saturday morning I took the train downtown to have breakfast with my friend Caryn in Greektown. After that I made my way back up to Ellen's part of town. She and the Blaze met me on their bikes. We hung out for a bit, then drove to the 'burbs for a sleepover at my parent's house. Fun fun.
Sunday morning we all went over to RMHS for the annual Shannon McNamara run/walk, then Meg, Joel, the kids and I packed up and headed up to Milwaukee. My friend Carolyn's baby was baptized, and we made it in time for the party afterwards. It was great to see everyone up there. So many little people!

Maybe I'm Just Crabby?

2007-10-23T19:05:00.000-06:00

A girl I work with had a baby girl yesterday. Natalie is 9lbs 4oz, and 20in long. Congratulations, Michelle! I went to Target tonight to get her a few gifts, and I bought a large gift bag and tissue paper so the gifts would look pretty. As I was checking out, the lady unfolded the gift bag and started putting everything in the bag. She asked, "Is it ok if I just put all your stuff in here?" I thought about it for like, 2 seconds, but by that time she had already jammed everything in there, including the pack of gum and Q-tips I bought for myself. I know it's totally no big deal, but now the bag is kind of wrinkly, and as I carried it out of Target a huge gust of wind blew and the bag tore a little. (It was really really windy today.)
I guess I should have spoken up, but come on. Really. Just throw it in a plastic Target bag and I'll be on my way. Or maybe I'm just crabby?

Post-Marathon Bliss

2007-10-21T11:12:00.000-06:00

I was on a high the entire week following the marathon. It was so fun talking about my experience! I worked that whole week, and my feet were pretty sore. As of this posting (exactly 2 weeks later), I have lost a total of 3 toenails with one more on it's way out.
I am planning on going on a 3 mile run today. It will be my first run since the 26.2-er, and I'm a little nervous. I'm ready, though. I've been itchin' to get out there again!

Throughout the course of last week, I applied and interviewed for, got offered and have accepted a position in the Emergency Department at my hospital. I have been working on a medicine unit for 6 years, and although I really like what I'm doing now, I just want to see what else is out there. My leader can keep me for up to 3 months, but I could transfer as soon as next month. I just have to wait and see. Either way, I'm really excited to try something different!

Last night, Meg and I saw "Urinetown the Musical" at Bloomington Civic Theatre. It was a good production, and I just love live theater.

That's all I've got for now. I hope everyone is having a nice long, relaxing weekend!

Pictures!

2007-10-08T23:01:00.000-06:00

We took mom and dad to "A Prairie Home Companion" Saturday night for their birthdays. Mom and Meg each wrote a "greeting" to wish me luck on my marathon, and Garrison Keillor read BOTH of them on the air! The first one from my parents was to "Beansie" and referenced their butts hurting after riding next to me on the 21-mile training run. Meg's greeting was "Good luck to Jean Ryan running her first marathon here in the cities tomorrow. She's up there in the second balcony." Garrison added, "She's the lean woman who's eating the spaghetti." It got a smattering of applause and laughter.

Jamie Gronau, Dad, Jean, Meg, & Joel carbo-loading.

Marathon morning

Mile 8.5

Steps away from the finish line!

Chelsie, Dad, Meg, Jean

The original Ryans plus Eric.

I did it!

26.2

2007-10-08T09:30:00.000-06:00

I completed the 2007 Twin Cities Marathon!!! It was the warmest TCM in history, with 74 degrees and 87% humidity at the start rising to 85 degrees and 65% humidity late in the morning. Here's how it went down:

Meg dropped me off at the Metrodome at 7am Sunday morning. We listened to "Defying Gravity" from Wicked on the way. I was wearing all black: shorts, tank, visor. I stretched a bit, went to the bathroom, and walked in and around the dome. It was neat being inside the Metrodome - it was completely empty and the lights were off, but I could see the yard lines on the field and the press boxes, etc. Not sure why, but that kind of thing gives me goose bumps.

At about 7:45am, I moved down towards the start. I was in Wave 2. (Wave 1 consists of those who have completed a sub 3:45 marathon OR sub 1:45 half marathon, OR have a Boston qualifying time within the last two years. Wave 2 is everyone else.)
I felt like a sardine. Meg had written my name down my arm in eye black, and I got pushed into some dude who then had JEAN on his arm, too! (It was backwards, of course, but it made me laugh.) Someone sang the National Anthem, then the wheelchairs were off at 7:50. Wave 1 started at 8am, and Wave 2 about 5 minutes later. I crossed the starting gate at 8:07 on my watch.

I was not a bit nervous - just really excited to run! Running through Minneapolis was fun. At one point I was running up an incline, and there were thousands of heads bobbing in front of me. So cool.

In the first mile I saw Alan Page (former MN Viking, speaker at Meg's college graduation, and the first active NFL player to finish a marathon) playing the tuba. I yelled out his name and he winked at me from behind his huge brass instrument.
I saw my parents at mile 8.5. Mom was trying to take my picture and dad was holding up an "I'm Bloated" sign (inside joke) and a paper-mâché mermaid I made in 3rd(?) grade. Bizarre. I saw Ellen & Eric at mile 11, my friend Donna at mile 12, then my parents again just after that, holding up more signs. Meg and our friend Chelsie rode bikes along the way, and I saw them first around mile 13? Meg had her huge gold pom-pons flailing away. She gave me a shot block and my chapstick then. Good.

I started to hit the wall around miles 16-18. It was very sunny and warm at that point, and I was going a bit uphill. I saw Ellen & Eric again around mile 17, and El said something about how there were going to be people spread out along the rest of the way cheering for me. All I could think of was that if I walked, someone I knew would see me, and I couldn't have that, so I had to keep running.

Miles 20-23 were the worst. It was a pretty steep incline through that area, and I was tired. I didn't walk, though, and at one point I looked up and realized that I was actually the only one running. (Meg can attest to this - she noticed it too!) Thank goodness she and Chelsie were there for most of that part. They were riding on the path next to the street yelling at me to pick up my feet, use my arms, etc. Meg tried to sing, but her voice was so scratchy (she's been sick the last couple days) and not only was it making me laugh, but it sounded painful. I cut her off.

I walked through each water station to make sure the liquids actually made it down. I grabbed one blue Powerade and 2 waters. The second water I always poured over my head. (Except at mile 20 when the guy in front of me dumped his full cup on his head, but it missed and landed on my face. So I drank my second water instead.) I also ran through the sprinklers and hoses people had set up outside their houses. That really helped keep me cool.

At mile 22, I saw a guy who works at my hospital sitting on the curb stretching. He had been ahead of me from the start, and I yelled out "Hey! United Hospital!" (I didn't know his name) "Let's go!" He popped up and ran with me for the next mile. His name was Jason, and I lost him after the water station at mile 23. I was glad, too. I really wanted to finish it off on my own.
Summit Avenue was beautiful, and there were thousands of people on both sides yelling and cheering. Once I got to the top of Summit (mile 25), I knew I had made it. The final 1/2 mile stretch was awesome. I could see the finish line with the Capitol behind it. My family was on the right screaming and clapping and jumping up and down.

I crossed the finish line with an official time of 4 hours: 55 minutes: 12 seconds. My chip time= 4:48:03. My pace= 10:59, just under 11 minute-miles.

I still can't believe I did it. My toes and calves are a little sore, but otherwise I feel great. My family threw me a post-marathon party at Meg & Joel's house. They had chili, pickle wraps, fruit, veggies, a cereal buffet, mimosas, and lots more. Yum.

Thanks to everyone for your support. I totally needed it, and it worked! I love you all!

On that note, this is the end of my Blog. Maybe I'll start another one for my next challenge, once I figure out what that's going to be!

Last Run

2007-10-05T10:45:00.000-06:00

I just got back from my last run before the marathon. Hopefully in exactly 2 days, I will be about halfway through. There were thunderstorms early this morning, so I waited until they subsided to run. It was still raining pretty hard, but it was 68 degrees, so I definitely wasn't cold.

I feel like I have trained in just about all the weather: below freezing temps, 100-degree heat, wind, rain, high humidity, cloudy, sunny, foggy, sticky, and many other weather-related adjectives ending in y. It's a good thing too, because the forecast for Sunday changes almost hourly. The latest seems to be a high of 74 with scattered thunderstorms. No info on how windy it'll be.

I received my first pre-marathon gift from Meg the other night. It's a Marathon Mix CD with over 20 run-related songs on it. It has everything from "Runaround Sue" by Dion and Johnny Preston's "Running Bear" to Bon Jovi's "Runaway" and "The Runaround" by Taylor Hicks. Thanks also to Ellen, Donna, Dad, and anyone else who contributed songs/ideas. I love it!

I plan on going to the St. Paul RiverCentre this afternoon to pick up my race packet and check out the health and fitness expo. I'm thinking the reality of this whole thing will hit me when I actually have my race number in my hand. EEK!

Thanks to everyone who called, texted, wrote or emailed to wish me luck on Sunday. It's great to have so much support. Now all I have to do is run 26.2 miles, then we can party at Meg & Joel's! Let me know if you need directions.

Six Days To Go!

2007-10-01T17:43:00.000-06:00

So the marathon is now less than a week away, and I have been very very nervous. But I had a great 8-mile run today after work, and I'm pretty sure I'm ready for this puppy. The main thing I'm worried about now is the weather. I know it's still a ways away (is that even a real phrase?), but the forecast shows a high of 50 degrees and 40% chance of showers. Cold and wet. I guess it could be worse, right?
Now as I look back on my blog, I see that it was worse - when I did the Reindeer Run in December, it was 10 degrees with 15mph winds. So I definitely can't complain now.
I guess that's it for now. Happy Monday, everyone!

Magic Number = 10

2007-09-27T04:47:00.000-06:00

Meg came along for my 12-miler last night. We left her house just after Joel got home from work and headed to Lake Phalen and the Gateway Trail. We noticed some dark clouds to the west, but Fox 9's Keith Marler said only 30% chance of rain, which meant to me that it probably wouldn't rain. But about 9 miles in, that 30% turned into 100%. And then came some spectacular lightning and thunder. Which, I guess, wouldn't have been terribly frightening, except we were on this path in the middle of the woods with no place to hide. We went another 2 miles (which I'm pretty sure I sprinted), and found shelter under an overpass. We called Joel, who packed up the 2 munchkins in their feety pajamas, and drove over to Lake Phalen to save us. We were both very wet and very cold.
So I never actually made 12 miles, but I didn't get hit by lightning either.
When I got back to my house, I found I had stepped in poop, my bike was broken, and my garage door wouldn't close. *sigh*

Shiver me timbers!

2007-09-20T09:49:00.001-06:00

Yesterday was one of my favorite holidays: International Talk Like a Pirate Day!
My co-workers think I'm insane for even knowing this holiday exists, let alone actually using pirate jargon all day. I say, it's their loss. Savvy?
Today was my first run since the 21-miler Saturday. After that long run, my joints were pretty achy. No new blisters, though, and no additional missing toenails. I went 5 miles this morning. It was cloudy, breezy, and kind of cool. I've been adding some sprints to these shorter runs, which makes me extra tired, but I finish faster!
Meg and I went to the Twins game last night with Chelsie (a girl we play softball with), and some of her friends. The Twins won, which was nice. I think they've lost the last 3 or 4 games I've attended.
I've been in a bit of a funk the last few days. I'm hoping my day off today will help me break out of it. Aaaarrrrgggghhhh!

The Long Run

2007-09-17T04:26:00.000-06:00

Per Hal's Training Module, I was supposed to run 20 miles last Saturday. Meg had a dance audition to be at in the morning, so she wasn't going to be able to go with me. Fortunately, mom and dad drove up from IL to help me out.
The original plan was for the two of them to bike with me the whole way together, but one of the bikes malfunctioned, so plans changed a bit. Mom and I headed out from Meg's house at 9am and went 11 miles. We met dad just over the half-way mark in North St. Paul. He and mom traded places at that point, so mom drove home, and dad biked the rest of the way with me. Meg had given them very specific instructions about when to offer me water, how I needed to be talked or sang (sung?) to, that I can only answer yes/no questions, etc.
The entire run went swimmingly. It was a cool morning, with bright blue skies. Mom told me lots of stories, and dad sang lots of 50's Rock 'n Roll. It was a great mix. And neither one fell of their bikes, thank goodness.
I tried these energy chews along the way. They're called Shot Bloks, and they look and taste a whole lot like fruit snacks. Each block has about the same amount of caffeine as a 20-oz bottle of Coke. I'm not sure what they're actually supposed to do for me, but I definitely didn't fall asleep during the run.
I actually ended up running 21 miles, and I was done in 3 hours and 30 minutes. I was pretty excited to have run that far, but it is really hard to fathom that I have to run 5.2 more miles in less than 3 weeks. Ugh.

Vacation!

2007-09-13T04:31:00.000-06:00

Less than a month until the Big Day, and I go on vacation. That is, if you call playing 8 softball games in 2 days in the sweltering Florida sun a vacation.
My summer softball team flew down to Panama City, FL to play in the North American Championships. We ended up taking second place, losing 5-2 to a Missouri team in the championship game. It was a long, extended weekend that got even longer when our plane broke, and we couldn't get out of FL.
I attempted to run on the beach while I was down there, but the soft sand and high tides made it pretty difficult.
Anyway, I'm back in MN now, enjoying the cool weather and hard pavement.

Cricket Gigolos and their Cruel Despotic Queen

2007-09-04T15:20:00.000-06:00

The road is looonng
With many a winding turn...
She ain't heavy, she's my sister...

Hey there! This is Meg blogging for Jean today. Because Jean ran 18 miles yesterday in 95-degree heat and because she watched my kids for me for 1.5 hours today so I could get some grocery shopping done -- Jean, this blog's for you.

She took off from the start of the Gateway Trail yesterday (just north of downtown St Paul), a little before noon. The weather forecast apparently told her it was only going to be 81 degrees, but I was there, friends, and I assure you it was much closer to the mid-90s, at least by the time we finished. But I am getting ahead of myself.

Jean started solo, because the fam and I were coming back from The Lake and Joel had to take off for his Fantasy Foosball draft by 3:30, so we had limited time to put this 18-mile monster to bed. So I drove up to Hwy 36 and 694, where I parked my car on Hadley, hopped on my (Jean's) bike, and started pedaling toward her (I hoped) at about 1:15. Here is what I packed to make Jean's run less miserable:
3 bottles of water
1 chapstick (cherry)
4 pieces of Trident Original

We met up near downtown North St Paul and I hung a U-ey to continue on with her back to my parking spot. Jean immediately slammed half a bottle of water (she'd already gone about 8 miles) and we continued back up to Hadley before turning back around and doing the second 9 miles. It was really quite lovely in the shade, but the sun was truly brutal. The other detractor from Jean's enjoyment (if you can call it that) of the run were the super-bizarre crickets that flung themselves into her path like hara-kiri-committing goddess-worshippers. These things had giant wings (I insisted they were butterflies, for a while) and they would jump at Jean's shins and then toss themselves about, banging into her from all angles and making an icky buzzing noise.

Anyway, she made it 18 miles!! Isn't that stinkin' amazing. I am so very proud of her dedicating herself to this marathon, even while working full-time, playing in 2 or 3 softball leagues, 2 volleyball leagues, a kickball league, and juggling the attentions of Thursday, her new man-friend. Has she told you about her new man-friend? He's a cuuuuutie...

Anybody who wants to come help me cheer Jean on during the marathon on Sun., Oct 7, we are planning to have a pre-race meeting at my house to plot the course and split up our cheering sections. Following the marathon, there will be a celebratory champagne brunch at my house. You should come!

Garbage Day

2007-08-22T21:17:00.000-06:00

I ran 4 miles today after work and kickball. It took only 35 minutes (8.75 minute miles), and I felt like I was flying the whole way. I really just wanted it to be over and done with.
I have been sweating so much lately, and after I cool down, there are beautiful salt crystals all over me. I wonder if there is a way to salvage and sell them. Since I'm pretty sure I didn't win the 245 million Powerball, I've got to think of other ways to make my million. This could be it!

You run 16 miles, and whaddya get? / A couple sore ankles and a shirt full of sweat.

2007-08-20T21:43:00.000-06:00

Yup, 16 miles. This run was better than the 15-miler for a couple of reasons. First of all, it was only 69 degrees and cloudy. Secondly, Meg biked alongside the whole way, handing me water and chapstick and singing me showtunes.
I was struggling the last 3 miles, so Meg went into her Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat routine. She went from the top all the way through Potiphar (not quite to Act 2), singing all the lyrics (including the harmonies), and doing all the voices.
There were only 2 minor incidents along the way. 1) A dog jumped out of the woods on the Gateway Trail and barked, freaking me out. 2) Meg tried to clap or snap while singing Bye Bye Blackbird, lost control of the bike, and nearly crashed. Disaster was narrowly averted, and we both agreed that just singing would have to be enough.
The whole thing took me 2 hours and 40 minutes, which is right on a 10-minute mile pace. Good enough for me!

New running outfit!

2007-08-17T08:55:00.000-06:00

Ellen sent me a tank top from her work, which I wore on my run today. It's bright yellow, so people can see me, and it's a really soft mesh material. Quite comfortable. Thanks, E$!
I also bought a pair of actual running shorts (on Ellen's recommendation). They have built-in underwear, which made me nervous at first, but they're nice because they don't get all bunchy. There's nothin' worse than bunchy undies.

This morning I drove to downtown St. Paul, parked in a free lot by Hwy 52, and ran south along Shepard Road to 35E and back.
Total mileage = 8 (right on schedule)
Total time = 1hr 15min (good)
Minutes per mile = 9.4 (good)
Temp = 68 degrees (perfect!)
Humidity = 39% (perfect!)
Dew Point = 44 degrees (perfect!)

Quagmires and the Gigity Gigity Goo

2007-08-16T11:06:00.000-06:00

Not only is today the start of my 4-day weekend, but the high temp is only 77 degrees (dew point 50 degrees, humidity 41% - perfect!), so I didn't have to wake up at the crack of dawn to run! I ran over 4.5 miles in about 40 minutes today, so I'm just under 9-minute miles. It seems like on my shorter runs (between 4-7 miles), I can keep up that pace. But anything longer than 7 miles, I drop back into 10-minute miles. My feet were kind of sore after the 15 miler on Monday, but they felt fine today. Good.
Last night were the first games of kickball for me. Yes, you heard me: kickball. (See title of post for team name, but do not ask me to explain.) I'm pretty sure the last time I played was in junior high, if not before. It was bizarre, but fun, and everyone on our team is really nice. There aren't umpires, and there aren't really any rules, either. I'm definitely more comfortable in a structured environment, but I'm adapting.
Tonight is the first night of fall softball - yay!
And now it's time for me to eat some lunch.

Longest. Run. Ever.

2007-08-13T21:36:00.000-06:00

Well, for me, that is!
I drove over to Meg's house this morning. She packed up the kids into her bike stroller thingy, and we headed out, she biking, me running. We left from their house and headed to Lake Phalen. From there, we found the Gateway Trail with moderate difficulty. (I recently heard about this trail, and it's great! The total length is 18.3 miles, and it starts somewhere in St. Paul, and ends just north of Stillwater.) Meg rode the first hour with me, but then the kids started to melt, so they headed back home. I continued on for another 15 minutes or so, then turned around and retraced my steps. I ran just over 15 miles in 2.5 hours. (If you want a cool website, go to www.mapmyrun.com. You can plot running/biking routes, and it calculates mileage, etc.) The last 3 miles were killer! I got really thirsty, and it was getting pretty warm out, too. Nothing hurt, at least!

Ellen ran in the Chicago Distance Classic 1/2 Marathon Saturday morning. She finished in 1 hr 51 minutes (8.5 minute miles) and in her women's division (ages 25-29), she finished 129 out of 1175. She amazes me.
I'll try to add a picture later, but I'm going to post this now before my power goes out. There are some crazy storms tonight!!

What are the chances?

2007-08-11T04:29:00.000-06:00

Today is supposed to be the day for a long run, however I have to push it off until Monday because I work. Instead, I thought I would ride my new bike to work! Last night I got totally set: I made sure I could take the front tire off to lock it up, I made my lunch, I got a pair of scrubs together so I could just walk out the door (a half hour earlier).
Unfortunately (ok, maybe fortunately), my plans were foiled! I woke up this morning to a thunderstorm! I seriously thought it was a dream. Since when does it rain around here? I checked weather.com, and it looks like rain all day.
I'll guess I'll try again tomorrow.

Reunion!

2007-08-08T16:07:00.000-06:00

I went to my 10 year high school reunion last weekend. It was actually pretty fun and not too painful! Everyone seemed to look the same as I remembered, although I do have a really bad memory, so who knows?
I ran 10 miles Saturday morning. Mom rode her bike next to me, which was great and very helpful. She told me stories the whole time, and supplied me with lots of water. Good stuff.
Meg and I went to see the movie Once on Sunday night at the Lagoon in Uptown. It is a wonderful movie/musical even though there's barely a storyline and the main characters are unnamed. Everyone in the theater stayed until the credits were completely over, and no one said a word until we were outside. Bizarre experience.
I ran 4 miles Monday, 3 miles Tuesday, and 7 miles today. So far, so good. I'm supposed to run 15 miles Saturday, but I work 7am-7pm, so I'm not quite sure what I'm going to do about that.
I bought gas for $2.69/gallon today. I'm hoping to bike to work this weekend for the first time. I'm nervous.

Where has all the blogging gone?

2007-07-31T10:56:00.000-06:00

Ok, I know I always say I'm busy, but June and July were just out of control. I was playing volleyball Tuesday nights, softball Wed, Thurs, Fri, working full time at the hospital, and playing in softball tournaments the weekends I wasn't working. On top of all that, I was trying to run everyday and have a social life. Something had to give, and unfortunately it was my marathon training.
However, I am back on track now! I am determined to stick to my training schedule. I ran 3 miles today around my neighborhood. It was hot, but there was a bit of a breeze, which helped.
I am now off to shop for a bike.

Construction!

2007-06-26T14:01:00.001-06:00

Whoever said Minnesota has 2 seasons: winter and construction, sure wasn't kidding. I've been dodging city trucks, trying to avoid the gravel and fresh tar on the roads, and changing my routes because of closed roads. I do feel bad for those construction workers when it's so hot out. It makes me glad I work in an air-conditioned building.
Speaking of the heat, I was at the doctor a few weeks ago, and we were talking about training for the Twin Cities Marathon (she's running it too). She said the only thing she didn't like about it was that you have to train in the summer. I didn't really think it was going to be that big of a deal, but it has turned out to be really hard to run when it's so hot and muggy and humid out. My runs earlier in the week were brutal, and now that the temp has dropped and the dew points have fallen, I've been too busy to run.
On a different note, at work yesterday, a urinal fell on my head, and my patient's leg fell out of the closet and whacked me in the forehead. The urinal was clean, thank goodness, but who puts their leg on the upper shelf of a closet? Don't you think it belongs on the floor - where everyone else's legs are?

Adios, Spring!

2007-06-20T12:53:00.000-06:00

Today was my first run after the half marathon, and it was hot! The temp was only about mid-80's, but the sun was so bright. I probably should have run earlier in the morning, but I slept in a bit and didn't leave until 11:45am. I went for about 40 minutes, and I could feel my heart pounding in my head by the end.
I have the day off work today, so I'm getting laundry done and ripping more wallpaper off my kitchen walls. So fun.
I can't believe summer officially starts tomorrow. I feel like it's been summer for awhile!

New Shoes!

2007-06-19T23:31:00.001-06:00

I bought a new pair of running shoes last week, but I didn't want to try to break them in until after my "mini marathon." I stepped out of my New Balance comfort zone and bought a pair of Asics on the recommendation of the nice Indian man working in the shoe section at Sports Authority. I didn't feel ready to run yet, so I went for an hour walk this afternoon. The shoes feel great, and I think I'll start running again tomorrow.
Along the way, I checked out my secret raspberry bush, which has not yet produced any fruits for me. I'm seeing some buds, though, and I hope it won't be too long now.

Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon

2007-06-17T11:56:00.000-06:00

Rode to Duluth Friday afternoon with Donna (fellow runner), Deena (trainer), and Tim (support). Walked through the crowded convention center to pick up Donna's race packet (mine was mailed to me earlier in the week) and check out the health and fitness expo. Got lots of free samples, including sweat bands, water bottles, turkey in a bag, and energy bars. Saw Dick Beardsley (course record holder of Grandma's Marathon) being interviewed.

Checked into the Sheraton Hotel. (*side note: The day I found out we made in into the 1/2, I looked for hotel rooms, and the entire city was booked. Donna, with her unbelievable connections, was able to get us a room in the newly-opened Sheraton Hotel, located smack in downtown Duluth, thereby saving us from sleeping outside in a tent.

Took a hotel shuttle (driven by the friendly Scott, huge BB King fan) back to the convention center for a spaghetti dinner. Spent a few hours there eating, talking, etc. Met up with Meg and Joel (additional support). Walked along Lake Superior - lovely red sky in the evening.
Back at the hotel, set 8 alarms for the morning, just to be safe. (We each had a cell phone, plus a wake-up call from the front desk and Tim figured out how to set the TV.) Woke up at 4am, after getting a surprisingly decent couple hours of sleep. Showered, ate cereal, walked to Fitgers with Donna to catch the bus at 5am. Rode to the start, a wooded area along Lake Superior. Stretched, dropped off our sweat bags. At 6:30am, someone sang the National Anthem, the Blue Angels did a fly-by, and the run commenced!

We plugged along in the humid morning air, sun at our backs, with a gorgeous view of Lake Superior on our left. Saw Meg at the 8-mile mark (she rode her bike to cheer us on in the middle). It was hard to miss the enormous yellow pom-pons and the high-kicks!

Along the way we heard bagpipes, tubas, an accordion, and a whole lotta cow bell! Hundreds of people clapping and cheering. So cool. As we ran past our hotel, we saw Meg, Joel, Deena, and Tim yelling, holding up signs, etc. I finished with a chip time of 2 hours, 12 minutes, 25 seconds, a pace of 10:24. It felt great. We got medallions and t-shirts. Here are some photos..

Donna & Jean

Joel, Jean, Meg

Deena, Donna, Tim

The Whole Gang!

Overall, it was a fantastic weekend. Thanks to everyone for wishing me luck and giving me "power." I felt every bit of it! Special props to Donna for agreeing to run this thing with me, and to Meg, Joel, Deena, and Tim for their crazy support. You guys are the best!

Duluth or Bust!

2007-06-15T05:33:00.000-06:00

I'm leaving for Duluth this morning, and Grandma's Half Marathon starts in 24 hours. (It's actually called the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon. Whatever.) Yesterday I received so many calls and emails wishing me good luck, making me very, very nervous. I think I'm ready running-wise, but I just don't want to forget anything. Like my shoes.
I better pack now.

Les Miserables

2007-06-10T19:04:00.000-06:00

Translation: My run today was MISERABLE!
It was hot and my legs felt like tree trunks. My main issue was my breathing, though. About 15 minutes into the run, I noticed that I was taking faster breaths then usual. I'm sure it had something to do with the heat/humidity/dew points, but once I noticed it, I couldn't stop thinking about it. I went for 35 minutes, then I was soooo done.
The Tony Awards are on now. There is something so awesome about live theater. I got choked up just watching the excerpts from A Chorus Line and Mary Poppins. I think I'm due to see another show soon. This new musical Spring Awakening is winning a lot of awards, but I don't know...
I assisted with a tap-water enema today at work. The patient was quadriplegic, nearly 300 lbs, and full of stool. Maybe you've heard about my gift for disimpaction. The rumors are true. Before I knew it, there was an explosion, and I was standing in a pool of stool. And the only thing worse than being swept up in a poop tornado is having a bad case of the giggles in a poop tornado. It was quite the interesting way to end a long weekend of work, and it will ensure I do a load of laundry tonight.

TGIF

2007-06-08T08:58:00.000-06:00

I have had a bunch of lovely runs this week!
Wednesday after work I ran with my friend Donna who will be doing the 1/2 marathon with me. We ran along the Mississippi in St. Paul for 5.75 miles. It was the first time we ran together, but we seem to have a similar pace, which is great.
Thursday Meg and I ran around Lake Calhoun before our softball game. It was a little breezy,(even though Meg claims it was the windiest she had ever seen... ever,) but a decent run nonetheless.
This morning I ran 9.5 miles by myself in my neighborhood. The first 3 were the hardest, and I don't really remember the rest. I kind of zone out after awhile. It's possible that this was the best run I've ever had. Temp was perfect, a little breeze, not too many cars in my way, and I didn't hurt at all (thanks to the ibuprofen I took before I left)!
Days left until Grandma's 1/2 marathon = 8.
Time now to get my hair cut and go shopping!

I Can't Sleep

2007-06-04T22:49:00.000-06:00

I hate when I can't sleep. It's so annoying. I turned on the Twins game and they just lost to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 16-3. Even more annoying. I tried to read a little, but it wasn't doing anything for me.

It's such a perfect night for sleeping, too, all breezy and cool and whatnot.

I'm not hungry, I'm not in pain. Wait a minute, maybe I am hungry. I have no-bake cookies in the fridge!

Ok, that didn't do it.

Maybe Conan O'Brien is on.

Saturday Stuff

2007-06-02T09:04:00.000-06:00

I woke up around 7:30 this morning to get in a run before my softball tournament. It was a gorgeous morning: mid-60's, calm, bright blue skies. I think the rest of my neighborhood slept in, because I didn't cross paths with anyone! I ran about 5 miles in about 50 minutes. I wish I could remember that if the temperature is 60 or above, a tank top is required. It's amazing the difference a couple extra inches of fabric makes!
My house key flew out of my sports bra in the beginning of my run today. (I've been storing it there lately instead of tied to my shoe.) I'm glad I heard it clink on the ground, or else I'd be trying to crawl in through my second-story window! I stuck it under my watch for the rest of the run, but I might have to go back to the shoe. I don't know.
I play in a softball tourney today and tomorrow in Eden Prairie. I sure hope the rain holds off!

10 Mile Run? Done. And done.

2007-05-28T19:45:00.000-06:00

Meg, Ellen and I completed the Soldier Field 10-mile run on Saturday! Ellen flew ahead and finished in about 1 hr and 20 minutes, while it took Meg and I about 1 hr 40 min. It felt so good to finish! The weather was perfect, and it was so fun to run through the tunnel onto the field!
I feel like I should be able to run the additional 3 miles for the 1/2 marathon in Duluth, which is only 19 days away.
Click on the link to Meg's blog to see pictures!
Happy Memorial Day!

Nine is a rhyme...

2007-05-18T21:08:00.000-06:00

...and it goes something like this:

I went for a run
with my big sister Meg.
We ran for 9 miles,
despite a cramp in my leg.

The night was just lovely
with a warm gentle breeze,
and we thriced Lake Phalen
with relative ease.

I came home all sweaty,
logged into the 'net,
and registered for the Twin Cities Marathon because I'm insane and I can't believe that running 9 miles all of a sudden makes me think I'm ready to run an actual marathon, even though I do have 4 months to train and it is the purpose of this blog, and plus I had to register now because I didn't want to wait and then not be able to get in, but I'm still freakin' out!!!!

Ok, so nine is maybe more of a run-on sentence than a rhyme, but you get the gist.

I was running...

2007-05-15T11:55:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was very hot and windy. It was 82 degrees when I ran at 9am. I went for an hour and 20 minutes. I cut a few corners in the beginning, and added on a little at the end, so I'm not sure how far I actually went. Meg dropped off her kids when I got back so she could run. The wind was really starting to pick up by that time, and she was blown all around West St. Paul. Poor thing. She was just miserable.
I ran 4 miles today. It was just as windy, but the temp was 58 degrees. I'm baffled at this weather. I can't figure it out.
Only 11 days until the Soldier Field 10-mile, and 32 days until the 1/2 marathon.

Excellian!!

2007-05-04T14:06:00.000-06:00

Excellian is the name of the computer system our hospital is now using. We are finally through using paper and pens. Everything is now electronic, which is fabulous! We've been training for months, and went "live" May 1st. I put in a bunch of extra hours, so I took a few days off from running.
These past couple of weeks have been packed. Typically, I've been working from 7-3:30, driving right to coach a softball game or practice until about 6, then driving to play in my own softball or volleyball games, and getting home sometime after 9pm. I'm not complaining, though. I would much rather be super busy than have nothing to do.
I finally ran on Wednesday, just for a half an hour. Yesterday I ran/walked for an hour and a half. It's pouring rain at the moment, and the JV game I was going to coach has been cancelled. I'm supposed to play in 2 games tonight, and I'm hoping it's too wet to play. I am really looking forward to a weekend off!!

Night Run

2007-04-23T20:46:00.000-06:00

I ran late tonight, after a disappointing loss to Tartan HS. The girls played really well, they just weren't able to make any solid contact with the ball.
It was a lovely evening, and towards the end of my run I stopped to watch a men's fastpitch softball game. My co-coach Jerry Ball was playing against the varsity coach's husband. If you ever want to see competitive fastpitch, watch these guys. They are unbelievable.
Is it really only Monday?

8 Mile

2007-04-18T16:23:00.000-06:00

This is no longer an Eminem movie I never saw. It's now the longest distance I have run at one time! I did the same run as Monday, but I added on an extra 1/2 mile somewhere in the middle. My hips are a little sore this evening (which could possibly be attributed to me sitting at a computer all week), but other than that I feel pretty good.
My B-Squad team plays Mahtomedi today. I dropped off some twizzlers, sunflower seeds, and eye black for them. I'll be able to join them again Friday. It's been nice to have a week off from coaching, but I do miss it.

Stuff

2007-04-16T12:31:00.000-06:00

I ran around Lake Harriet (3 miles) yesterday afternoon, and I have never seen so many people out walking around. I felt like I was in a parade. I think word got out that it was a beautiful day, and that there might not be another one. Ever.
Lake Harriet is in an upscale area of Minneapolis, and I felt a little sloppy in my mesh shorts and t-shirt. No kidding - people were walking in high heels, fancy tank tops, designer sunglasses, and denim mini-skirts.
I tacked on 2 more miles later that evening with Meg in her neighborhood. I was a little worried about her running since she passed out giving blood Saturday and bonked her head on the floor. She did great, though, and it was nice to be outside again.

Today I ran 7.5 miles. I didn't even mean to run that much, but I got into a groove and just kept going. It took 1 hour and 20 minutes, which I think is between 10 and 11-minute miles. This weather is perfect and I hope it stays for a while.

I work 3pm-11pm all this week, which is a bummer because I have to miss 3 softball games. Right now our B-Squad (sophomore) team has a 1 and 1 record.

On a side note, I did a load of laundry with what seemed like an entire box of Kleenex. I have been picking little bits of tissue out of my towels and sheets for the last hour. AARRRGH!

A day so nice I ran it twice!

2007-04-10T09:51:00.000-06:00

Yesterday was about 44 degrees with bright blue skies. Meg and I went to Target in the morning and bought ipods. I got a green Nano, which I'm sure will take me forever figure out. I heard that Grandma's Marathon has banned the use of headphone and music devices to increase runner safety. Clearly this did not stop me from purchasing one.
I ran around Lake Phalen after lunch, then headed off to the high school for our first softball game of the season. As I was driving, however, I got news that games were cancelled because the fields were not in playable condition. So we practiced instead, and it was still sunny out at 6:30, so I ran again.

Today, however, was a different story. It was cloudy and a bit cooler, all in all not bad, but my legs felt really really heavy. I went for 5 miles, but I had to walk twice. AARGH!
At this point, our softball game is still on for today. I will be bringing lots of blankets along to keep warm.

"AND, she's Irish! This is perfect!!"

2007-04-02T19:46:00.000-06:00

I ran 5.5 miles outside today, after work and practice. It was partly cloudy and 52 degrees- perfect running conditions for me. About halfway through, I saw 2 cop cars pull over a minivan right in front of me, which was exciting to watch until it occured to me I could potentially be in danger. I quickened my step and turned a corner, and saw what looked like 2 homeless men standing in a parking lot. One of them looked familiar. At first I thought he was a former landlord of mine, then I thought he was a former patient, but then it hit me. It was Larry with the Limp! I cannot possibly type out the entire Larry with the Limp story (it is much better told in person with many hand gestures and facial expressions), but about 3 years ago I cut and filed his ingrown toenails on the #2 checkout lane at Rainbow Foods. It's also where the phrase "AND, she's Irish! This is perfect!" comes from. Anyway, I giggled myself the rest of the way home.

The Twins just won the 2007 season opener! They beat the Orioles 7-4 in a wonderfully exciting game. I am so glad baseball season is here!

They're always after me lucky charms!

2007-03-29T20:43:00.000-06:00

This really has nothing to do with anything, but here it comes anyway. I love cereal. I eat it a lot because it takes no time to prepare, and I can satisfy my hunger as well as my thirst all at once. Well, today I was running low on options, so I went to the store. Lucky for me, cereal was on sale! If I bought 6 boxes of General Mills cereal, I got $10 off. So I did, and I did. Also, all Roundy's (generic) brand was 50% off. What a deal! And then, because I bought so much cereal, I got a coupon for 2 free gallons of milk. Huzzah! So now I have 28 boxes at home, which I'm pretty sure is a new record for me.

Soldier Field 10 Mile

2007-03-29T09:04:00.000-06:00

The annual 10 Mile Race starts outside of Soldier Field, runs through Chicago's beautiful Southside, then heads north along the lakefront path. Participants run through Soldier Field with a spectacular finish on the field. Friends and family can watch you cross the finish line on the gigantic Jumbotron from inside the stadium.

Ellen talked me into signing up for this race. That girl can be very persuasive! It's going to be the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend. I can't wait! I just hope I can keep up with her. OK, I take that back. I just hope I can finish!
I ran 6 miles on the treadmill yesterday, which took 58 minutes. My feet and ankles were so swollen by the end - I was on my feet for 8 hours at the hospital, followed by 2.5 hours of softball practice.
I don't work at the hospital today, and I am so grateful for the extra hours of sleep! Yessssss.

Suddenly I See!

2007-03-25T09:08:00.000-06:00

It was really foggy this morning when I headed out for my run, but the sun burned it all away, and by the end it was clear and sunny. It's 62 degrees out, and I am having difficulties picking the right running outfit in these warmer temps. When it was below freezing, I just layered as many clothes on as I could. But now, one long sleeved shirt nearly ruined my run. I guess I would rather be a little chilly than too warm. It's just so hard to know!
I have been running between 40 and 60 minutes every day, and it's getting easier. The problem is I've been running out of things to think about. After about 20 minutes, I'm bored. I'm contemplating the purchase of an ipod.
I work 7am-3:30pm all this week, softball practice is 4pm-6pm, and I'll try to run right after practice. It's so nice to be busy again!

A Mighty Wind

2007-03-19T15:45:00.000-06:00

I ran around Lake Phalen twice this afternoon, for a total of 6.25 miles. I felt pretty good the whole time, despite the Taco John's sloshing around in my belly and a mighty westerly wind. The gusts were fierce, causing my eyes to well up with huge tears.
The Channel 5 News van was parked around the lake, so I'm pretty sure I'll be on TV tonight. Look for the girl wiping her nose with her sleeve or hiking up her wind pants - that'll be me.

A couple of runs...

2007-03-14T19:05:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Meg and I ran around Lake Phalen- about 3 miles, I think. We had to leap through some melting snow drifts, but other than that it was pretty uneventful. It's always great running with someone.
Today it was a little cooler out, so after practice I ran on the treadmill at the high school. It was fun to see how far I was actually going, and how fast. I ran for 3 miles, and my pace was just under 13-minute miles. I felt like I was running really fast (faster than I usually do outside). I think I'll try to run on the treadmill once or twice a week just to keep an eye on my speed, miles, etc.
I was awfully tired today. I think I just need to get used to not having my naptime. Or maybe I should start drinking coffee.

Sorry, Grandma!

2007-03-12T18:24:00.000-06:00

So I've been blatently bad-mouthing Grandma's Half Marathon for all her bizarre rules and regulations, and her time requirements, and her busing of those who are unable to maintain the pace to some random parking lot, and her hefty entrance fee, and her 6:30 am start time, and especially her crazy lottery system by which race participants are chosen. But then I found out today that someone else I know (Crystal, a fellow nurse) was also chosen. As it turns out, everyone I know who applied was accepted. So maybe I was a little harsh, Grandma. Sorry about that. But your start time is still crazy early.

SOFTBALL!!!!!!!!!!

2007-03-12T18:00:00.000-06:00

Boy, oh boy! Softball is here and I'm so happy! It's so hard to define/describe the smell of my glove and the feeling of playing catch. It's just awesome. We only have the pitchers and catchers today and tomorrow, but from then on everybody's in.
Because I no longer work nights at the hospital, I am more of a floater coach this season. It looks like I will be mostly helping out the B-Squad (sophomore) team, much to the chagrin of the head B-Squad coach, Jerry Ball, who was my assistant coach last year. He insists I am still the head B-Squad coach, but he is wrong. I'm pretty sure he just doesn't want to deal with the parents.
I have found that the only time I can run is after practice. It's too dark at 5am, but it's still light out at 7pm! I ran around the high school twice. I'm doing about 15-minute miles, but I can only run about 2-3 miles.
My big problem now is.... when do I shower? I want to shower after my run at night because I hate to go to bed dirty. But wet hair at night means a really bad hair day in the morning. Plus, I like to shower in the morning to wake me up before work. So then do I shower twice? Woe is me!

March Madness

2007-03-11T14:30:00.000-06:00

That will describe my life starting tomorrow when softball season kicks off. I will have to plan out when I'm going to find time to run. My only options seem to be before work in the morning, or after practice in the evening. I don't really like the sound of either one.
Today I ran for 35 minutes, and walked for 15. I just wanted to stay outside. I think it may have hit 50 degrees out there! The highlight was seeing a huge hawk. It was sitting on top of an electrical pole, and as I got close, it flew away. The wingspan was enormous! So cool. I love seeing wildlife.
There are still lots of puddles to avoid on my route. On a path behind the high school, there are tons of huge ones. Yesterday I got soaked. But today, I tiptoed my way through with speed and agility, and hardly got wet at all! I felt like Richard Gere in First Night making his way through the gauntlet.

Back in the saddle again!

2007-03-10T17:24:00.000-06:00

I am hereby out of hibernation! It's been so long, and it's good to be back. I've been in a funk for about 2 months, which I blame it on the nasty weather. Today, however, is gorgeous!
I think it got to 48 degrees. Sven Sundgaard (KARE 11 weekend weatherman) just said today it is the warmest day since Dec. 14, 2006 (my birthday).

I applied to run a half marathon in Duluth, MN on June 16th. They have a crazy lottery system, and only take 4500 runners. I never thought I would get accepted, but I found out today that my check was cashed, meaning I am IN!!! A girl I play volleyball with was chosen as well. So now we have to worry about that 14-minute per mile pace. What have we gotten ourselves into?

My run today felt good. Nothing hurt, at least. I'm getting serious about these runs now that I have a goal. Here's proof: today, I wore a watch.