The End Has Come ...

Today was the last day of school. Sniff sniff. It was kind of bittersweet. Even though it was my first year here, I became quite attached to these students (most of them being fifth graders). These were a great group of kids. Most of them had a good sense of humor. They knew that when we worked hard, we could find time to do some fun stuff in between. They always felt comfortable to ask questions, whether related to school, their social life, or the great big world outside of school. They are growing; academically, socially, emotionally, and physically (some are taller then me... shocking, I know). I am very proud of them. Each of my students have grown and succeed in one way or another.

When going through some of my things, I found notecards that I had students fill out the first week of school as kind of a get to know you project. On the front they had to write their name, family members, favorite hobby, etc. On the back I had them write their own goal that they wanted to accomplish this school year. Here's what a few of them looked like....
I think most of them did pretty well and accomplished their goals.

I too had to fill one out. Modeling, people.... it's a miraculous teaching strategy. Here's what mine looked like.
I think I accomplished mine as well ...

Tomorrow is a teacher work day, lunch in the afternoon, and a going away party in the evening. I plan on kicking some royal butt in Beer Pong, if you have never played you are truly missing out. I will also be consuming a couple "strip-and-go-nakeds".... that's a drink, peeps. The mix is pretty much something like this, 24 beers, 1.75L Vodka, 4 pink lemonade concentrates and the water that the lemonade concentrate calls for. Mmmm. Don't knock it until you try it!

Now ... School is out for summer ... what a better way to celebrate then with my dear friend Alice Cooper?!





Have a great weekend, y'all!

ORN: 3.13 miles, 35:13, 11:15 min/mile
(on treadmill - it was raining)

Peer Pressure

I try my best to fuel my body with good things. I am not perfect. I eat a handful of junk here and there and have a few too many cocktails on an occasion. But I try. And when I try to make good choices, don't try to pressure me into joining you for margaritas and tacos on a wednesday night ... especially when I know I haven't made the best choices this week thus far, and will be enjoying pizza with my team members tomorrow for lunch, treats with the kids on the last day of school, out for lunch with the staff on friday, a going away party friday night with grilled foods, potato chips, and the possibility of endulging in one too many "strip-and-go-nakeds" ...

Some people just don't get it... some people will never get it. No matter what I say or how I try to explain it....

Instead, I will stay home tonight. Unfortunately, the combination of my run yesterday and softball last night have left my quads a bit sore today.... So I am going to take advantage of the evening at home, in front of the tv watching the Celtics. Some may say I am a band-wagon fan ... but I don't care. I heart KG and Pierce...

Running again...

Bringing out the new shiny kicks for their first stroll through the neighborhood ....PLUS....
.... wearing my favorite running shorts, PLUS....
.... 63 degrees, sunny and no wind...
...EQUALS ...
... one warm but happy girl, working on her runner's tan, and back on the wagon... training for the next race!
ORN: 2.11 miles, 25:08, 11:54 min/mile
63 degrees

Memorial Day Weekend

It was nice to get home this weekend and see the fam. My sister and brother-in-law were home Friday and Saturday as well. They had to head to Jamestown for his sister's graduation. Friday and Saturday were very relaxing, with some shopping and a little Indiana Jones thrown in there. I enjoyed the movie and thought it was very believeable. After the movie we went home, had a light dinner, and some ice cream cake from Cold Stone to celebrate Steph's birthday, which is tomorrow! Happy Birthday STEPH!Yesterday morning, my parents, youngest sister and I headed up north to my Dad's hometown for a cousin's graduation. The last time I was up at the farm was over a year ago. Where does the time go? It had rained so much in the past couple days. I could tell I was in farm country as that appeared to be the conversation starter over and over again. The gravel roads were horrible! Congrats Tony ... and your 19 other classmates!

Today we headed back to Bismarck early to get my sister to work on time. Then, I packed up my car and got on the road again ... for another near 3 hour drive.

This week we only have 3 days of school left ... and then a teacher work day. You have no idea how excited I am. This week also marks the begining of my 16 week plan to train for the LifeNet Sprint Triathlon. Bring it!

Here are a few pics from the half marathon. I wasn't too excited, but they weren't horrible.
I hope y'all have a wonderful week!

Dare You to Move

After yesterday's post, I am pumped to get out of this recovery stage and back into training mode. I have fallen off the wagon temporarily, eating too much junk, and drinking too much coffee and soda (yeah, I supposedly gave that crap up in September). I have a possible 10K in less than 3 weeks!

I did joined the cycle group again tonight and here's what it looked like in numbers:

0 - number of water bottles I brought ... dumbass.
1 - number of females ... yours truly
2 - number of sharkies I had ... I love these things.
3 - number of males ... odds are good... right? booyah!
15.1 - number of miles on the bike
15-25 - mph wind gusts from the East
73 - degrees and sunny



It was a glorious ride! I loved it ... and I will be going again next thursday... hopefully we will be going for a longer ride. I will close this post with our newest American Idol ... the lovely DC...




OCN: 15.1 miles, 1:11:38, average 12.6 mph

Shit happens...deal with it ... just don't eat it.

I know that shit happens, but when you are really looking forward to some good races and then find out you probably won't be able to participate in them ... you might say I am getting a bit pissed off. Check this out. Here are races I have been contemplating all winter and whether I put them on my race calendar or not ... boom .... something comes a long and changes that. This is what I mean:

Bismarck Sprint Triathlon, ND (June 8th) - A cousin is having a graduation party the day before ... 7 hours away from the Triathlon...

Lake Kampeska Mini-Triathlon; Watertown, SD (July 12) - I just added this to the list and was super pumped ... but a cousin is having a bachelorette party in the Twin Cities ...

Younglife Olympic Triathlon; Detroit Lakes, MN (August 16) - will be in the cities celebrating Dad's B-day and hitting up a Twins game....

Dick Beardsley Half Marathon; Detroit Lakes, MN (September 7) - I guess this conflicts with the Triathlon I will be doing. NEXT YEAR. I heard the race around the lake is georgous!


But, I guess I can't do them ALL. So, following Lisa's trend, on a positive note ... I will be hopefully participating in the following ... and look forward to it all.

YMCA Chase Race, 10K: (Fargo, June 12) This should be a fun race. It's a thursday evening. I am choosing to do the 10K because I have never done one ... and I think it would be a great way to keep up with my longer runs!

LifeNets Sprint Triathlon: (Mandan, ND; September 7) This will be probably my last (only 2nd) triathlon before 2008 is over. And then it will be back to indoor triathlons and maybe a Danskin in Chicagoland next summer. (Danskin doesn't work with my schedule of teaching summer school this year.)

FM Bridge to Bridge Bash: (Fargo, September 20) I haven't decided if I am going to do the 5 or 10 miler. Maybe I will shoot for the 10 miler. Could be loads of fun. I gotta do this one. It's right here in town.

UND Homecoming 5K/10K: (Grand Forks, October 18) I have done this one the past 2 years, last year breaking my 5K PR. I might just plan to do the 5K unless I get a wild hair up my butt this fall! September/October is the most perfect time of year to race in ND ... along with the months of May/June.

5K Turkey Trot: (Bismarck, November 27) This will be a 5K ... to Shave some of my Stubble... fo sho! This will be the fourth year I have done this race! It keeps growing every year and the cause is wonderful. I am hoping for chips this year. I was contemplating the 10K ... but running that distance in the possibility of cold weather/snow/sleet/rain/etc .. . is not my style. Plus, I got to hurry home and help mom get the turkey dinner on the table for the big fam!

Now that I have it all down .... I am noticing that the remaining 6 months of 2008 are going to be super fun! A few different distances and races I have never done will be awesome! I will just go with this plan and if something else comes a long the way that I can squeeze in ... will do. Otherwise I am going to just focus on getting down a good base and being consistent ... in the pool, on the bike, and hitting the pavement! That and building my tollerance for adult beverages... because according to Jess ... that is what the summer is for!

Anyone know of any good traithlon training schedules? I have a couple I have looked at, but it seems like the distance/duration of all the workouts seem so minimal... less than what I have been doing prior to the half marathon. Any suggestions or ideas would be great. I know some of you make up your own and I would love to hear more about those as well!

Post Half Marathon ramblings...

Saturday night my groin muscles were bothering me a bit and a couple of my half dozen blisters had already popped.

I think I know what may have caused the blisters to begin with .... I was wearing different socks. Different socks from any of my other long runs.

Damn girl... stupid. Live and learn.

Sunday I literally rolled out of bed. Sore from the hips down. Every stinkin' muscle to the touch.

Monday was better.... but still very sore ... and walking very slow.

Tuesday was decent and I was able to participate in Softball ... but that's a whole 'nother story because I stunk the night up good.

Now I am ready to get back into things and wondering ... what the heck and I gonna want to do next? I have a good triathlon I am looking at for September... but what until then?

How FAR did you GO?

Fargo Half Marathon Race Report

Friday I headed over to the Fargodome to pick up my race packet, check out the expo, and take in a bit from the motivational speakers. This was the biggest race I was going to be participating in and I wanted to take it all in. Sarah Reinertsen was one of the motivational speakers and she did an awesome job. A couple things she said that will always stick with me:

1. "A DNF is a whole lot better than a DNS."
   
2. "Two ways to stay motivated:
   
1. Register for the event, and
2. Tell everyone you know about the event you are going to do."

After a good dinner at Olive Garden with a few friends, I headed home to get things ready for the morning. I had the worst migraine and was asleep by 9pm.

Saturday morning I was up early and ready to go. The marathoners and half marathoners were to start at 8am, with the 5kers shortly behind at 8:15. They suggested everyone to be at the Fargodome around 7am as the traffic was going to be horrible. Horrible it was. There were thousands and thousands of people at the dome. I took the time to take it all in ... the people, the atmosphere....

Before long, I was checking my bag and finding my way to the starting line. I found the 5 hour pace group and squeezed myself into the group, towards the back. A guy with an amazing voice sang O Canada and then our National Anthem. The temperature was approximately 50 with a slight breeze. The sun was shining and I couldn't wait to start. The wheelchair racers took off first and shortly after we were moving. The Mayor of Fargo and Senator Kent Conrad were there to wish us luck and send us on our way ... along with the music of U2 blaring ... "A Beautiful Day." A beautiful morning it was.

Mile 1 - 4: I found a great group of ladies to pace myself with. I ran the entire first 4 miles without stopping .. but at a very slow pace. The crowds were amazing. The first 2 miles was through the residential area of North Fargo. So many people, yelling, shouting, encouraging. Even Subway Jared was on the sideline cheering us on! Into mile three we were starting to head into downtown Fargo and ran down Broadway and onto historic 8th Street. There were people playing music in their yards, music from their stereos, music from an old man's keyboard, music from their own band... We passed what I believe to be a retirement home and there were a handful of older people line dancing ... for entertainment.

Mile 5-8: I was still feeling pretty good. I was taking a few more walk breaks than I did in the first 4 miles. The crowds were still impressive. People were cheering, kids were screaming and begging to give high fives! The volunteers were awesome. At about mile six, we were warned that the marathoners were coming through. Cyclists, followed by a couple cop cars were leading the two that were in the lead for the marathon. I am guessing that they were at about the 15 mile marker. Head to head, a white guy and a Kenyan. There were only two Kenyan's participating in this race, and supposedly the other Kenyan was participating in the half marathon and finished in 1:04 something. Amazing. It was so cool to see them pass by! By mile 7 my groin muscles were getting a bit sore and the feeling of blisters on my feet were becoming apparent. At about mile 8 there was a GU station, which was perfect for me because when I checked my bag, I forgot to take out my sports beans. I know they say you should never try something new the day of a race, but I needed it ... and it wasn't bad! We crossed a bridge over into Moorhead and headed back up north, crossing another bridge back into Fargo. The second bridge had a handful of Norwegians dressed in their attire and dancing to their music. There was even an older lady handing out lefse pieces to the racers ... mmm sugar and butter rolled into a tortilla made from potatoes... I wanted one so bad but didn't want to stop.

Miles 9-10: The feet were starting to hurt more. I was afraid the blisters that had formed were getting worse and possibly bleeding. But, I persevered... maybe with more walking, but I kept going.

Miles 11 - 13.1: These two miles took us through north Fargo, once again. I was hurting. I was doing a lot of walking. A lot of walking; more walking then running. If I wouldn't have been dealing with the excruciating pain from the blisters, I probably could have ran more. At this point, the ND wind was starting to pick up. The crowds were still out and cheering and letting everyone know how much they had left. I remember turning that last corner and then heading into the Fargodome parking lot... rounding yet another couple corners and before I knew it, we were heading down into the the dome ... the finish line was inside the dome with thousands and thousands of spectators cheering everyone on ... we were pictured up on all four jumbotrons. Despite the pain in my feet and the soreness in my legs, I kicked it up a couple gears and finished strong.

That, my friends, was my goal.

Post-race: After running across the finish line, I realized I forgot to throw my arms up and smile. I was in such a zone, I couldn't even remember my finish time. A handful of volunteers were handing out water bottles and then the finisher medals. Congrats they all said. I picked up my bag and grabbed a banana. They served bananas, orange slices, nutter butter bars, ice cream sandwiches, etc. It was great. I wanted to stay and cheer on some more racers, but I was afraid that if I sat, I wouldn't be able to get up. I headed home and attempted to take an ice bath, pop a couple ibuprofens and ate a nice lunch before taking a good nap.

I want to give a huge thanks to the race director, all the volunteers, and all the spectators along the race. Without the wonderful work of all these people, the race wouldn't have been the exciting race it was. I also want to thank all of you readers, family, friends, for supporting me through my training ... the ups and downs... positives and negatives ... especially the challenges and frustrations of minor glitches...

Overall Results:
Half Marathon - 2008
May 17th, 2008 - Fargo, ND

Stacy S.

bib number:	8030
age:	27
gender:	F
location:	Fargo, ND
overall place:	3416 out of 3690
division place:	423 out of 449
gender place:	1907 out of 2145
time:	2:59:02
pace:	13:40
gun time :	3:05:10

Once I get the pics via email... I will try to post some ... hoping that they are decent!

If anyone is looking for a great Boston Qualifier race that is mostly flat, good temperatures, and a great atmosphere ... this would be it! This race has been in existance since 2005, increasing in participants from approximately 2,000 then, to 13,000 today. Last year they only had 9,000. I can only imagine what next year will be like.

Heck I might even do it again. I do have a PR to break now, ya know! I can't believe I just admitted that.....

First group ride

Tonight was the night and nothing was going to get in the way of me joining the cycling group for my first real ride ... not even the rain that came down ... twice before 6pm...

Okay. There's nothing more nerve racking then joining 8 other guys for a ride ... who obviously have some experience... and dressed like they were part of Lance Armstrong's peloton. But, before I knew it we were on the road. First mile was just making our way north through Fargo to hit up the old highways. I was a little nervous when we had to clip out to stop at one of the busiest 4 lane roads and then try to cross it without a light. Yikes!

Once out on the open highway, it was beautiful. The sun was starting to drop in the west, the fields were so green. There was a heavy northwest wind the could knock a person off their bike and into the ditch. It was a nice challenge.

A few miles later we turned and headed east, towards NDSU. I was afraid passing the landfill was going to be bad, but it didn't compare to passing whatever the hell that complex was near the U. Smelled like shit. Cow shit. Absolute cow shit.

Shortly there after, we were heading south again, through downtown Fargo and then west again back to where we started. It was beautiful. The weather was beautiful. The ride was wonderful! It was nice to know that the knew girl wasn't holding up the regulars! There were a couple stragglers behind me!

I am looking forward to joining the group again.

Tomorrow is a REST and PREP for the half marathon! Ready or not, here it comes!Finish strong, y'all!

OCN: 15.1 miles, 1:29:08, averaged 10.1 mph (due to all the in-town riding)

Put me in Coach....

As some of you may recall, I joined a co-ed softball team. Last night was our first set of back-to-back games and they didn't start until 9pm. The weather last night was cool, only about 58 degrees and breezy when we started and I was dressed in my winter running pants, tube socks, and long-sleeved shirt under my jersey t-shirt. My jersey number? I didn't get to pick since I joined late ... I had to choose from the extras made ... my number ... 1. Ha!

I played left field the first game and sat out the second. We had more girls than guys, so I opted to sit out and let the girl who showed up late play. I was okay with it ... I didn't want to injure myself prior to the half marathon. I missed a couple pop-flies and really need to work on that... as far as my batting goes.... 1 - got out on first, 1 - single, 1 - RBI, and 1 - Run. Not too shabby.

It was super fun, but by the time 11pm rolled around, I was not only a bit tired but the temp had dropped to 37 degrees and you could see your breath! Better than playing in snow ... fo sho!

We won both games. I think the first was 7-3 and the second was 15-0 in 2 innings. Hopefully I will have pictures next week!

Happy Hump Day, y'all!

Less than 5 days....

My first time participating in a half marathon will be here in less on 5 days. Prior to training for this half marathon, I attempted to train for not just one, but two half marathons and was unsuccessful. The first one I began training for was only shortly after I had started running (in 2006). I hadn't really built a good base, and began building the miles too fast. The half turned into what was supposed to be a 10K through the badlands in Medora, and then turned into a difficult 5K trail run. The second half marathon I began training for was last summer (2007), and came to an ubrupt halt after a nasty 7 miler that left my right knee stiff and in a lot of pain. I was afraid I was never going to be able to run again. I was completely frustrated and thought I would never train for another half. Why would I put myself through that kind of frustration again?

I spent a lot of this fall building a good base in my running, something I have neglected to do in the past. Once I was settled into my new location and the teaching routine, I was able to get back into swimming and spinning; becoming addicted to both. The combination of both were something I was able to use as a form of cross training. This winter I slowly started to build miles and told myself that once I was able to do my 8-miler with no injuries, I was going to sign up for a half marathon. And on that day that I ran my 8-miler, I came home and registered for this race.

That doesn't mean my training has been smooth sailing, but is it for anyone? The past few weeks have been challenging. I could list all the reasons why I think I might not be ready, but it's water under the bridge now.

This half marathon is going to happen, come rain or shine (preferably without the rain or wind) in less than 5 days. Wes asked me to promise him I will take it easy until the half is over. I think I can do that.

It's taper time. I have never trained for a race where I have had to taper.

I think I kind of like it.

The Weekender, Volume 4

Where did the weekend go?

After a restful night on Friday, I got up early for a nice Brick workout. I hit the pool for a very slow swim and then the spin bike. It's a good feeling when you can get in a good brick and not feel completely exhausted afterwards.

From there I spent a good 4 hours at work, doing some much needed paperwork. It was nice and quiet in the school and I got a lot accomplished.

I met a few friends at our usual "apps and taps" location and watched the Twins game. Unfortunately they were not able to pull through Saturday night. From there we ended up checking out a local band at one of the bars and ended up closing shop. Once again, a reminder of how old I am getting!

Sunday morning I woke with a nice hangover. A friend and I took out our new bikes for the first time and just practiced getting our feet in and out of the clipless pedals. After we felt comfortable enough, we took a ride (very slow and long) through the neighborhood. I can't wait to join the cycle group this Thursday and put some speed on that bike. I didn't last Thursday because the weather was too cold and windy.

Last night I chilled and watched the Twins ... spank the Red Sox ... 2 for 3. ha! Game number 4 tonight!

Now it's definitely taper time. The Half Marathon is in less than 5 days!

I hope everyone had a great weekend .... happy Monday!

Saturday BRICK:
OSN: 1600M, 45:00 minutes, 2:45 min/100M (told you it was slow)
OCN: 22.27 miles, 1:02:18, 21.45 mph

Sunday: road bike
OCN: 8.4 miles, no time.

"You're not a LOSER ... you're just RESPONSIBLE!"

I was going to meet some friends for a BBQ this evening. But I chose not to, letting my friend know that I was just going to be a loser tonight. She responded with ... "You're not a LOSER ... you're just RESPONSIBLE"... ahh. Responsible? Is it fun being responsible?

There are numerous factors for me wanting to "lay low" tonight. Such as ...

... Getting in a run. I couldn't stand the thought of 2 days off in a row ...

... Getting up early Saturday morning for a Swim/Bike Brick ...

... Watching the first game of the Twins - Red Sox series ...

... catching up on reading the last 2 months RW magazines ...

... catching up on y'alls blogs ...

... Resting, both mentally and physically ...

I think it will be okay to be a responsible, lazy SOB, tonight. Tomorrow night will probably be different!

I had planned on participating in Nancy's 10K on the 10th. I thought for sure it would be a great distance to do the weekend before my first half. That was before my left knee started acting up. I went to the gym today for a run, telling myself that if there was no soreness what-so-ever after 3 miles, I would try for 6.2. Well, at about 3.5 miles I was starting to feel a little soreness and just didn't want to chance it the week before the big race. I couldn't. Damnit. Next one for sure, Nancy! I will be hear to be everyone's cheerleader!

I am also looking for good tunes to run to for the half. If you could share a song or two of yours that you really like to run to, I would greatly appreciate it!

ORN: 4.04 miles, 47:12 minutes, 11:40 min/mile

HOLLAH!!

First, I want to give a shoutout to our school's PTA. I am sure none of the members read my blog, but I just had to THANK them! They gave all teachers at our school a $75 giftcard to Target in honor of Teacher Appreciate Week! Plus ... tomorrow they are serving us appetizers for lunch! Woot!

-----

I wanted to test my bitchy knee (thanks Marcy) on a short run today. The weather was nice, a little breezy but nice. However, I didn't want to get too far from home and then my knee start to act like a royal ... bitch. ha!

So, I waited a bit and did it on the thrillmill shortly before the pool opened for laps.

SUCCESS! 3 miles and no pain! They were 3 slow miles, but painless .. and that, my friends, is all that matters. Afterwards I hit the pool (after a long time away from it) ... and had a nice strong swim. I took it slow and really focused on my form. I am thinking my form (or lack of) has somewhat bothered my left shoulder and then swinging the bat sunday made it worse. Tonight... no pain....no discomfort.

9 days until half marry and it will be positive thoughts all the way!

ORN: 3 miles, 36:12 minutes, 12:04 min/mile
OSN: 1600M, 44:00 minutes, 2:45 min/100M

Teacher Appreciation Day

I don't write a lot about work and I usually like to keep it that way. But, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity. Either that or I don't have much of anything else to post about. We'll go with the latter.

I know it is only Tuesday, but yesterday was a pretty rough day. It's hard to come back after being gone for two days and feel prepared for the week. I did my best to get all things accomplished prior to being gone... all things I could get done. We had an intense assessment results meeting yesterday afternoon and there is nothing worse than feeling unprepared. I am not one to leave things for the last minute, but when there are multiple people involved, I can't control every one and their "responsibilities" with a task as such. With the feeling of unpreparedness, and a couple other minor glitches, the meeting came and went. And well leave it at that.

On a positive note, it is Teacher Appreciation Week. As I was checking my box this morning I found a few notes from students, expressing their appreciation for me. A couple made me chuckle, as their spelling wasn't too far from awful but their words were very sincere. It really made my morning. Then I had a student that was extremely tired this morning. I had drawn attention to his negative attitude and asked him to change his tone of voice when talking to me, as he was getting quite defensive and rude. He left my room with a bad attitude and when working with him later this morning he was still agitated. This afternoon he came to my room and apologized for the way he spoke to me. I know that this came straight from him and no one told him to do this because I did not bring this situation to anyone's attention.

I know I have said it before, and I am going to say it again. I truly enjoy teaching and it is so much more than a job to me. It's days like yesterday that can be very frustrating and challenging, and then there are days like today, that remind me why I do what I do.

OCN: SPIN - 21.90 miles, 58:12, 22.58mph

Just a Mental Game?!

Yesterday, my short run through the neighborhood left my left knee feeling a little out of whack. Actually, it has kind of felt that way for the past few days. It really bothers me when I go down the stairs. Click. click. ouch. ouch.

On top of that, my left shoulder is a bit sore from softball practice. Yep. You heard it! I guess my swing isn't as strong as I thought!

So, with that ... I was not going to do my scheduled workout today. I don't want to aggrevate either by running and swimming.

WTF? I am an absolute mess! Is this some sort of mental game ... preparing me for the Half Marry in 11 days?

Instead I joined a friend for a nice 4 mile walk in beautiful ND! I have to brag, otherwise I am afraid we will lose it! 65 degrees. NO wind. No clouds. .... heaven!

Finish Strong, y'all!

The Weekender, Volume 3

I spent the last four days in Bismarck due to a workshop/conference that I attended. It was full of fun times, as some of you may have noticed from my last post. A couple late nights with little sleep took a lot out of me!

Unfortunately, the first 3 days of May consisted of no workouts! NONE!

Today I got back t Fargo and participated in our first softball practice. Yep. I joined a co-ed softball team and we start a week from Tuesday! I can't wait! It's been way too many years since I last played and I am very rusty! ha!

Afterwards I had to take advantage of the 71 degree weather! It was perfect. Minus the 35 mph wind gusts. I had to walk a lot more than I wanted ... the wind was horrible and affected my breathing!

18 days left of school ...

'nough said.

ORN: 2.72 miles, 32:12 minutes, 11:50 min/mile

Freakin' Fantabulous!

I am in the Bis for the weekend ... taking in a two-day conference for work.

Last night I got to see a local band perform for a benefit .... a local band that is superb and well known across the state (since my Mom was in college)

.....and it was freakin' fantabulous.

...had 1 too many beers. Maybe 2 too many beers.

Now I will be attending my 2nd day of the two-day conference .... sleep deprived and possibly slight hungover...

Now this is what I call fun!