Quiet Please - Scott Douglas

Book Review - From Publishers Weekly

McSweeney's contributor Douglas was a college student who liked books and needed a job, so he became a page in a "run-down" Anaheim public library. He soon discovered the "dark truth about librarians"-that they don't actually read much. Still, lacking better career plans, he accepted a state grant to get a degree in library science. The more he got to know his local branch, the more it felt like "watching a soap"; the staff was "like a family." When he's not repeating petty tales of staff infighting, Douglas focuses on four types of library users: teens, homeless people, crazy people and the elderly. According to him, most of them smell, all but the elderly make too much noise, and they all, in defiance of library rules, try to access pornography on the internet. After retelling a story of someone masturbating at the computer, or of nefarious activities in the public restroom, the author is quick to follow up with proud words about being a non-discriminatory public servant; his pieties wear thin after awhile. Early on, when Douglas realizes he's a librarian because he loves helping people he's quite likeable, but when his stories become prurient, it's a turn-off.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who didn't like this book, I found him to not be very likable, as much as I wanted to like him. I wouldn't have read the whole thing, but I really can not put a book down once I start it. I just can't....

Whistle the Andy Griffith Theme song with me!

So as a consolation for not being able to go to camp we bought fishing gear for my youngest and Jeff took him to the park where I run and they went to the pond and went fishing. That darn theme song got stuck in my head as I watched them walk towards the fish pond. Since I have been more active outside, my guys have also been more active and this is a great activity that they can do together. Last weekend they had fun exploring the park and looking at wildlife (there is a ton out there!) Jeff will be taking him to see Wall-E on Thursday and on Friday we have a fourth of july fun run, that includes a kids 1/2 mile run that Logan will do. He is very excited about it. Mine will be a five mile run which until today I was worried about!!

Sac Fit Sunday!!

So the director emailed late on Saturday night and told us anyone who wanted to come out and run on Sunday was more than welcome to join him - there ended up only being about 12 of us there, but I had the longest and best run so far! We were scheduled to go out 36 minutes and turn around and come back and our coach said we were going to do 3 minutes running and 1 minute walking this week so that is what I did! I made it though all the intervals and I ended up just shy of 5 miles! I'm so proud of myself! There was a celebration on the trail after every three minute interval of running I made it through!!

Sac Fit Saturday Canceled...

I'm bummed - due to poor air quality in our poor burning state we will not be running tomorrow. I actually cried when I read the email - that is how much I look forward to the runs! I am going to try out the treadmill, but I have found out very quickly that I love running outside.

The plus side is that my weight watchers leader that I left will be leaving weight watchers and her last meeting is tomorrow so I will be able to go and thank her for all the support and advice she has given me in the last year.

Oh and another note - my younger son was supposed to go to Cub Scout camp and they have canceled his session of scout camp due to imminent fire danger. He was pretty bummed as well and we have promised him a fun weekend with the parents!

A Wonderful Monday - and Week 49 Weigh in part two!!

So today was a wonderful day! I got up and got Logan to school and then came back home and ran - I made it through the 3 and 1 intervals with no problem and by the time I got back home I thought "It's still early enough I could shower and change and get to weight watchers and at least attend the meeting. So I get ready, grab my stuff and start driving and the country station is talking about the Brad Paisley concert that was Saturday (which I was at and had a BLAST!!) and how one of the DJ's got to go backstage and meet Brad Paisley and he was given a autographed picture to give away on the air today. So all you had to do was call in and identify what the DJ's were wearing on the night of the concert. I called and it rang and rang and rang, then he picked up and I asked if they had a winner yet and he said no! I told them what they were wearing and I won!! I will need to run down to the station sometime this week and get my prize, but I'm so excited!! So I get to weight watchers and I decide I might as well go ahead and weigh in - I had eaten breakfast and drank water since I ran in the morning, but I figured if I can still make it to the meeting then I will be doing this every Monday - well I lost .1! I know it is only .1 - but after the week I had and weighing on a full tummy and lots of water because it was already warm during the run this morning I will take the .1 loss!

Week 49 Weigh In?!?!?

Or lack of weigh in as it may be...

For the first time since I started I won't go to a meeting this week and I will not weigh in this week. I did step on the scale at home and it showed a small gain. (we ate out last night and didn't make point friendly choices, but it was so good!!) We went and saw Brad Paisley last night and got home so late and I was supposed to get up early and go to the Sunday morning meeting because I have to get my Monday run in on Monday mornings now instead of going to weight watchers. Well I did get up for a bit, but felt pretty horrible, so went back to bed. It was a very long week last week. I'm hoping that I will not be derailed this week!

Sac Fit Saturday!!

The word for today is HOT! - I had already told myself I wouldn't push it today since it was so hot already first thing in the morning. I did 1 mile out and 1 mile back - for a total of two miles - we were supposed to do 58 minutes, but I turned back at around the 15 minute mark. There was actually three in our group that came back the same time. I stayed for the talk on stretching which was very interesting and informative and I even got used as an example! Our coach wants us to try and extend our intervals this week to 3 and 1 so I will see how that goes this week. I'm also considering a schedule change again - I will go to the Sunday weight watchers meeting with Cara so then I can get up on Mondays and get my run in - I work late on Mondays so it is hard to get it in unless I do it in the morning. I know everything is trial and error, so we will see how it goes this week!

Week 48 weigh in!

So I go to the meeting knowing that I had a really good week and expecting a loss and I step on the scale and it says I lost 3.9 pounds!! Woo Hoo!!! I guess I finally tweaked things enough that my body has decided that this is working. I have upped the protien that I'm eating and lowered the carbs, made sure I'm getting my water in and on the days I run I make sure to eat some of the points I earned. I'm now down 53.3 pounds!

Running for Mortals - John Bingham and Jenny Hadfield

Product Description (From Amazon.com)

The authors of Marathoning for Mortals now show beginning runners how to fit running into their lifestyle easily. You don’t have to run fast or competitively to reap the rewards that running has to offer. What you do need is the courage to start. That is the "Penguin mantra" that has enabled John Bingham—through his best-selling book No Need for Speed, his popular monthly column for Runner’s World magazine, and his many appearances at major running events throughout the year—to inspire thousands of men and women to take up the sport for fitness and the sheer enjoyment that running brings them.By teaming up with coach Jenny Hadfield, his wife and coauthor on Marathoning for Mortals, Bingham lays out strategies that will help readers to safely and effortlessly integrate runs into their busy schedules. In this book, backed by Runner’s World, the authority of America’s leading running magazine, the authors provide tips for getting started, sticking to a routine, eating for energy, hydration, and training for speed and endurance.

I loved reading about his experiences - his are similar to mine and it was so funny to hear about some of the early races he ran! He is such in inspiration!!

Sac Fit Saturday!!

I had such a great time again today!! I learned I am in the red 15:00 group (which means I'm a beginner runner and I should be running a 15 minute mile) - my coach is Chris and he is really great. We are a small pace group, but that makes it easier I think. We did intervals of 2 minutes running and 1 minute walking. There was me and one other girl (Heather) that was just a little faster than our group - I think we need to be in a 14:30 group but they don't have one yet. I also learned that my Garmin that I bought will help me do my intervals. I know I should have read my book, but I didn't and I will sit down today and read it, because they set up the intervals on it and it would beep every time we were supposed to change! So cool!!! All this time I thought it was cool because I could see how far I ran and how fast my pace time was! I was really tired at the end of the run, but felt great if that makes any sense at all! It also got very warm very fast out there - when we first got there it was cool and then on the way back in I could really feel the sun beating down on me. On the way home I went by REI and bought a water bottle hip pouch thingy. It looks like this, but is black.

I forgot week 47's weigh in!

I just realized I forgot to write about my other weigh in! My week 46 weigh in was on Saturday and I decided I would go back on monday and try out that leader - I was already familiar with her and I spoke with her and she was so nice! I took in the picture of the 5K and she celebrated it with the group. I also went a head and weighed in since it was tecnically a new week, but it has only been two days since I had weighed last and lo and behold I was down 1.2!! So I lost most of the weight that I gained the week before. So I will now be doing either Sunday morning meeting or Monday morning meetings with Cara - she is so great and has such an energy about her! It is infectious!!

Nike Womens Fitness Festival 5K!

I did it!! I finished!! I had two goals this morning - finish - and finish under an hour - I did both!! I almost hit my 45 minute mark that I would have really have like to have done - and actually I'm waiting for the official race times, but I think I came very close to it since it took me a while to get to the actual starting line when they sounded the horn. My family was all there and a good friend from work also came and I was so blessed to have them all there to cheer me on. Afterward we walked to a restaurant to eat lunch and then walked back to our cars (another 1.7 miles round trip!) I actually feel great right now - I'm almost waiting for the adrenaline to wear off and I will crash, but right now I'm loving this feeling!!

Well after a nap - I looked up my official chip time and it is 46:01.8!! I am very happy with my time!!

Sac Fit!!!

I can't say enough about this group! I went today and was so nervous and soon found I had nothing to be nervous about, the people were amazing!! The leader of the group Ken got up and talked about how anyone can be anything they set their mind out to be and when he looks out at the group of people he doesn't see short/tall, fat/thin he sees atheletes. We did pace times to figure out what group I will be placed in next week and I did a mile run/walk and completed it in 13:48. I told a lady that I didn't know where to go and she said - let's hear your story - I told her about the wieght loss and showed her my picture and told her I had been running but wasn't able to sustain a run for long periods of time and she told me she would run with me and do my pace lap with me. Her name is Diane and she is so wonderful - she walked and ran with me, told me I had very good form and that I was actually a quick runner - we would just have to work on the enduarance and that would come with time and practice. I did one minute run, one minute walk and that worked pretty well for me. After the run I met another very nice lady - her Name is Rebecca and she ran in the same group as I did. I'm hoping to get placed in the same group - she said she joined beacuse she wanted to get in better shape and her husband is an athelte. She told me she picked Sacfit because on their website it wasn't all little bitty running people it was a variety of people of various body types all getting together and having a good time improving themselves. That was what I was thinking too...

Here is their website again!

http://www.sacfit.com/

Week 46 Weigh In.

Well this week was not so good - I gained 1.3 pounds - I did nothing wrong this week and just gained - I think I'm still having issues with the food/excercise ratio and not eating enough (isn't it ironic - don't you think??)

I'm still soul searching for a meeting to go to, the meeting I went to today was not for me. On monday I will try out another meeting, I know I like the leader that does that meeting, but it is the mommy and me meeting and I don't feel I need any distractions, but it could be do-able.

Change is not always bad right??

Well I had to make a big decision tonight and I hope I made the right one...

I joined http://www.sacfit.com/ - they are a walking/running training group that I think will be better then me trying to run on my own, they offer so many things including a personlized training schedule and people to help me along the journey I'm currently taking.

The bad part? I have to change weight watchers meetings. I love my leader and the people I have been attending these meetings with and the sacfit program is at the same time as my current meeting. My leader only does Saturday mornings now due to her new job. I will also be changing locations as the current location doesn't have any meetings I can make.

I know deep down this will be very good for me, but I can't help but be sad about not being able to see the rest of the gang I hang out with either.

My Mantra for 5K week!

The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start.

I have to remember this quote - I was hoping to run the whole 5K and knee pain is making it impossible to sustain the running for a long period of time. I will still do the 5K and run as much as I can - but as of now, it will probably be more walking than running.

Actually this should just be my mantra for everything - this is so applicable to so many things in my life.

Sundays at Tiffany's - James Patterson

Book Description - Fraom Amazon.com - As a little girl, Jane has no one. Her mother, the powerful head of a Broadway theater company, has no time for her. She does have one friend-a handsome, comforting, funny man named Michael-but only she can see him. Years later, Jane is in her thirties and just as alone as ever. Then she meets Michael again-as handsome, smart and perfect as she remembers him to be. But not even Michael knows the reason they've really been reunited.SUNDAYS AT TIFFANY'S is a love story with an irresistible twist, a novel about the child inside all of us-and the boundary-crossing power of love.

This was great! I really enjoy everything James Patterson writes and this was no exception - not your typical James Patterson, but in everything he writes there is always a twist you don't always see coming!

Week 45 Weigh In!

I gained .8 this week - We took Memorial day weekend off and I knew I would proably have a gain, so I accept this and move on to a week where I'm back on track and better than ever!!