Today's obsession

Hanky Panky Low Rise Thong. A special thanks to BE for turning me on to these delightful undergarments. BE swears by them, so I was game for checking them out. We were partaking in a little post holiday happy hour in close proximity to Nordstrom’s, so it didn’t take too much convincing. I love Cosabella, but I am always willing to venture into unknown territory. Definitely glad I did!

http://www.hankypanky.com/thongs.php

No rain...well, almost no rain

Is it crazy to run a half marathon at the end of November in Seattle? I guess not, because I was out there running with about fourteen thousand other crazy people.

I have to confess, I was completely stressed out all last week, due to the weather forecast. We had torrential rain on Friday and the forecast was calling for rain Sunday. It rained all night Saturday and early Sunday, but thankfully, the weather cleared out for the marathon...well almost. I thought I was going to make it through the 13.1 miles dry, but at mile 11 it started to rain, only lightly though, so it wasn't too bad. However, I was frozen by the time I crossed the finish line.

Best race moment: Crossing the finish line knowing that I beat my San Fran race time!

Best sign on the race course:
"My Mommy runs for beer" -- Note: this was being held by a child who looked about 4-5 years old!

Favorite race tunes on mini:
"Right Now" -- Van Halen -- this tune came on at mile 12, perfect timing
"P.Y.T" -- Michael Jackson
"Have a nice day" -- Bon Jovi

At last! The John Mayer Trio debut!

November 22nd was a big day! The John Mayer Trio finally released their debut album TRY! I have been waiting for the release since I saw them in concert this past September in Las Vegas. I must say, the album was absolutely worth the wait. If you like blues or bluesy rock, you will enjoy the John Mayer Trio. The group is very reminiscent of Stevie Ray Vaughn with a dash of Jimmy Hendrix. Again, I still wonder, what is John thinking when he makes those faces? I am sure he is thinking only pure and divine thoughts.

XBOX 360 Launch Day

They day we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! Unless you are living under a rock, you know that today (well, last night at midnight) we launched the entertainment product of the decade!

The employees of the Microsoft’s Entertainment and Devices division wait patiently for their "Ship-It" gifts. That's right; we all received our very own premium bundle, along with Project Gotham Racing, Kameo and Perfect Dark Zero.

I can’t tell you how many e-mails and phone calls I have received in the past week. All my friends and family members are looking for the “hook-up”. Sorry, I can’t help.

Toe pinching bandit

The most bizarre thing happened to me this am --treadmill karaoke guy seems to be stalking me. I don't think it's a coincidence that he keeps selecting the treadmill next to me.

So, I was on the treadmill this morning, just finished my 5 mile run and thought I would stretch. I put my leg up on the cross bar, so I could stretch my hamstring. Right as I started my stretch, the singing genius reached over and pinched my toes! I was totally dumbfounded. Shocked to say the least. Now, I know I look hot in the morning; no makeup, ponytail hair, sweaty --totally irresistible! Maybe he wanted to touch my new Mizuno's?

My friend TK has a theory "Maybe he wants to ask you out and is afraid so thought he would lovingly touch you in an inappropriate way". Maybe I should report him?? Definitely a good reason to wear my wedding ring while working out. Any way, bizarre behavior at the proclub. Just ask me about the hair dryer incident.

Does treadmill running build mental toughness?

Let's face it, running like a crazed hamster on a wheel is NOT easy, espeically for me. I swear, I have ADD when I am on the "mill"--I am always looking around, checking the time on my heart rate monitor, glancing at my iPod and critiquing the other gym goers (especially, the singing ones).

I had friend tell me that runners who master the mind numbing boredom of running for an hour, 90 minutes, or even longer on the treadmill, are ready to take on longer races. Well, I spent 93 mins and 32 seconds on the treadmill today. I didn't think is was possible, so I played the visualization trick and made it through the first 60 mins with ease (well, sort of). I thought about all of my favorite running spots; Alki Beach, Lake Wash Blvd and the stretch of road between Wailea and Kiehi.

I wasn't planning on a treadmill run today, JM and I were going to do a 9 mile run outside, but the weather this morning was just hideous; cold, gray and rainy. So, my only option was to run on the treadmill (well, I guess I could have braved the elements, but...not my idea of fun). We are two weeks away from the Seattle Marathon, so there is no time for slacking. We have to do 10 miles outside next weekend, rain or shine....

Sun-day training run

The rain this past week has been hideous. JM and I planned our training run for today and we fully expected it to be miserable, since we've had so much rain...the precip this past week was almost two and half times our normal precip for this time of year. SOGGY in Seattle.

As it turned out, today was unexpectedly beautiful! It was a little chilly at first, but the SUN was out! We started our run in Madison park, so we could head down lake Washington Blvd. As we headed down the hill, I saw the sun glistening on the lake and I felt completely exhilarated! The 8 mile out and back loop is a segment of the Seattle Marathon course, so we were in good company today...tons of people out enjoying the day. What I wouldn't give to be able to bottle the feeling of running outside, it would make the treadmill days so much more enjoyable.

Quote of the day

Despite my thirty years of research into the feminine soul, I have not been able to answer... the great question that has never been answered: what does a woman want?... Sigmund Freud

Harrisdirect Seattle Marathon 2005...hummm

...Ok, so I am finally coming out of the "fog" post San Fran half and thinking to myself, what's next?? Then inspiration hit me...maybe I should do the Seattle Half Thanksgiving weekend. I need a goal...something I can focus on, so another half seems like a good option right now.

My friend JM has done the Seattle Marathon the past two years and she said it has been sunny both times...super cold, but sunny! JM did San Fran and assured me that it will be a cake walk compared to "that craziness" in San Fran. Seattle doesn't have nearly as many hills. Quote from JM "Do it and we WILL get drinks after". Now that is inspiration!!

Running outside the next three weeks is going to be challenging. It has been raining here NON-stop! The good news is there is always the treadmill, boring, but it's better than nothing.