7.2 miles -- DONE!!!

My feet are aching a bit, I have some hot spots, I drenched myself but I did it -- 7.2 miles. This is longest walk I've accomplished so far so I feel damn proud of myself!!!

I had a slower pace & stopped at the halfway point to drop Reese off; she gets so tired & slows me down. Plus at pit stop I get to re-fill my water bottle.

Wahoo!

8 miles??!?!?!

So I'm watching & waiting as we speak to walk my 8 miler today. I basically have to do 4 loops of my normal walking routine but the weather is not looking to cooperate. We have thunderstorms rolling in randomly so I might have to walk my 8 tomorrow & my 6 on Monday but we'll see. I'll update on the situation.

Other news -- Big Daddy & I are actively packing up our apartment & transporting the schtuff to the new house. It's nice to see the apartment getting emptied -- we can't wait to leave this place behind. Goodbye 1 BR, HELLO big fat HOUSE!!!! YAY!!!!

Not feeling up to par today -- a little run down. I walked only 2 miles; I am feeling a little weak & off balance so I didn't want to push myself. Walked at a slower pace than normal too.

Going to walk tomorrow -- the full 5 miles.

Awesome Site!!!!

MapMyRun

I found this site on Healthy Girl's website -- it helps you plot routes for walking & running & measures the distances for you -- AWESOME!!!

All is Well in Lafayette

Having a great trip down to the land of the coon-asses. I love being back in LA.
Monkeys are awesome -- Tom Tom is growing sooo much & eats likes there's no tomorrow & Maddie Cat is unbelievably entertaining to watch!!! I also got to catch up with friends I haven't seen since I left 5 years ago -- things are good!!

Mariposa & I went out today & looked at some wedding dresses -- it was such a cool experience. I can't wait to have us all together trying to find my dress!!!
Yay -- I'm engaged!!!

The Ring

It's Official!!!!

Big Daddy & I are engaged.

It happened around 10:30pm last night. We had spent the day up in NC with the parentals. Had a great day & headed home. Dropped by Big Daddy's parents' house on the way home & visited with Pops Rouse for a bit. Were heading home but we decided to detour & drive around like we do & ended up in downtown Greenville. Reese was with us so we decided to park & walk around the downtown area because it's been re-vamped over the last couple years. So we walked around & ended up at Falls Park & the "new" suspension bridge. We take Reese to Falls Park all the time to go swimming so it was familiar territory.

So we were cruising down the bridge looking at G'ville when I see Big Daddy get on one knee & open a little black box. Must admit it's a bit of a blur because I was so overwhelmed -- he aske me to be his wife & for us to spend our lives together & would I marry him...I started crying of course & "yes yes yes".

YAY!!! I'm engaged -- we get to plan a wedding!!! I'm so unbelievably happy!!
The whole experience was so surreal & I can't really believe that I have this beautiful ring on my finger & I have now have a fiance!!! YAY!!!

Honestly...

...this week has been hard to get motivated to walk - maybe it's the MS or the beginning of summer, I dunno. Nonetheless, I still got off my butt today & walked 5.2 miles. I'm a little off of the training schedule because of my lack of motivation but I'm still walking the amount I'm supposed to, just not on the day I'm supposed to.

My speed increased today though which was cool & the hills are getting easier.

Tomorrow -- 7 miles...argh!!!

3.6 miles

First half done while dry, second half done while being rained on. Completed in 56 minutes -- walking at a pace of 3.86mph...not too bad but nothing like that 5.17mph I was trekking at -- HAHAHAHAHA!!!

Lacey and Kameron - Contemporary

This is my favorite performance from last night's So You Think You Can Dance. This is my summer addiction -- LOVE IT!! This routine gave me chills -- Mia Michaels is amazing!

Happy Jack

Long story short -- I went to the pound, ended up with a dog, Poppy "received" him as an early Father's Day present (I love you DADDY!!!). He's small, cute, & full of personality. So there's another new addition to the Latham Clan...Happy Jack needed a Happy home!!!

A Rainy Start..

So Monday was a rest day -- didn't really rest but I didn't walk. Monday was filled with the Bi-Lo Charity Golf Tournament (Brad & I did Miller support) & rescuing Mr. Happy Jack from the pound & delivering him to his new home at the Latham resort.

Tuesday was a rainy day, so no walking occurred.
Today another sporadic rainy day so no walking -- I've altered the training schedule for this.
Tonight will be a cross-training night (about 45 minutes), tomorrow 3 miles, Friday 5 miles, then onto the 7 & 6 milers this weekend. I'll be worn out but it's alright -- walking is the one thing that I do have scheduled for me to do.

Starting the progress of packing up the apartment -- I want it all packed up except the bare essentials. We have until July 24 at the apartment but we want to clear things out so we can start to clean & repair -- 3 years can mess some stuff up in an apartment!! Plus we have a lot of shit that we've gathered in the last 4 years so it's time to weed out the nonsense.

Will keep you updated on the move!!

8th Grade Science Lesson

Miss Mouse is training for the Atlanta 3-Day. She has a 5 mile training walk. She completes the walk in 58 minutes. Answer the following questions:

REMEMBER:

Show the formula you used

Show your work

Include units

1. What is Miss Mouse's time in hours?
2. How long did it take Miss Mouse to walk 1 mile? (Answer in minutes)
3. What is Miss Mouse's average speed? (Calculate using miles & hours)

Keepin' on Keepin' on

I didn't wake up as early as I wanted to this morning so I knew I was going to have to wait until early evening to walk. So come 5:30ish I began to re-vamp my I-pod, put a water bottle in the fridge to chill & get ready to go walk. Reese has learned when I'm about to walk & follows me around the house the whole time I'm getting dressed; it's cute yet annoying.

I headed out sometime after 6, with my water bottle tucked into my shorts & my I-pod in its handy little armband; no Reese this time, she would pass out by the end of 4 miles nonetheless 6. It was hot but not too bad -- with all the hills I have around me there is a good steady wind during most of my walks.

6 miles accomplished!
No major aches or pains.
Issues with my hands though -- they get really bloated while I'm walking.
Maybe I'm retaining water, I dunno, but they get puffy & a little tingly...any notions???
Plus, I'm gaining weight!! What is this?? I'm walking my ass off & gaining weight -- I know I'm not gaining that much muscle -- I hope this cycle doesn't continue 'cause it's pissing me off!!!!

Next Blog

I've become addicted to the "Next blog" button at the top of the page.

What's amazing to me though -- I've come across 2 blogs that are written by crazy, heavily medicated, paranoid schizophrenic individuals. Let me tell you -- this can be some intriguing shit. I'm so glad I'm not addicted to klonopin & valium & have rages about AA.

http://4thavenueblues.blogspot.com/ -- now sober paranoid schizophrenic from AL

http://expectamiracle-sunamizen.blogspot.com/ -- crazy klonopin-valium woman from VT

Walked 5 miles today with no major issues whatsoever!!!!

Summertime!!

Yesterday was my official first day of summer. I woke up around 10 & waited for my walking clothes to dry, then I headed off & did a 3 mile walk (I didn't get in my walk on Tuesday so I made up for it yesterday). Brad took off yesterday so we got to spend the day together. Laid around, ate Taco Casa for lunch (a great cheap mexican place, better than Taco Bell), then started to get ready for our night.

Brad & I made reservations at a new restaurant in town -- High Cotton -- we've been wanting to go but we always wait a couple months after a new restaurant opens so they can work out all the kinks. Overall, Brad & I were VERY pleased. We ordered a Four Vines Maverick Zinfandel & started the meal off with a cheese plate & the beef carpaccio -- both were amazing. The cheese plate had a brie, a midnight moon, a pecan-crusted chevre, & a hearty blue cheese with candied walnuts, fig jam, & apple to compliment. The carpaccio was delicate with the perfect addition of a horseradish sauce & arugula -- to die for!!

Where the overall meal was lacking the most was actually the entrees -- the flavor profiles didn't go together well. I had a bourbon-glazed pork with fried green tomatoes & jalapeno cheese grits. Brad had the duck with a carrot puree & bundled asparagus. The meals came out over-cooked so we sent them back; we typically aren't the "send-back" people but we had multiple reasons --

1. We were spending good money on the meal, you want it cooked right (especially pork & duck).
2. The primary owner of the restaurant was in from Charleston -- he needed to know how the kitchen was not up to par when it came to meat temps.
3. Brad & I are foodies & deserved it!!!

Ok, so they re-cooked our dinners - still not excellent but the amazing appetizers were counterbalancing the mediocre entrees. So we decided to make it even & go for a dessert. The chef's special was a coconut souffle -- now we all know how complex a souffle is to make so this would be the make or break. OH MY GOD -- it was so the deal maker!!! The souffle was pure egg white based & delicate with a butterscotch sauce -- so good!!!! It just melted in your mouth!!

Overall, we liked the restaurant -- we would definitely find ourselved returning to order a good bottle of wine & enjoy some wonderful apps & dessert; they just need to re-think their main courses.

Ok, so after High Cotton, we headed over the Bi-Lo Center to see Delirium by Cirque du Soleil. This was a live concert performance that incorporated the acrobatics & dance that everyone knows & loves from Cirque. The whole experience was stimulating -- music, dance, acrobats, wire-work, everything. It was so awesome!!!

Overall it was a wonderful evening -- a great start to my summer!!!

Logged in 4 more miles this afternoon -- it was hot, I was sweaty & the hills were rocking me but it's worth it.

Last day of school for me is tomorrow!!!
Now I have to start packing up my apartment!!

Accomplished 4 miles today!!

A Day of Heaviness

The scene here in Greenville is nasty today. I was supposed to do a 4-miler today but the unbelievably high pressure & rainy weather has made my day ridden with a killer headache.
I've decided to supplement my walk with a cross-training session tonight.

Will walk tomorrow -- heading up to Union Mills & Dad has a great 4-mile loop already worked out. Depending on my status at the end of 4 miles, I might extend the walk a little more considering I need to get 6 miles in.

Cross Training

I figured out my cross training -- finally!!

Awhile back, Big Daddy & I bought an X-box "game" called Personal Fitness. It's a personal trainer program that helps you to make goals & achieve them when it comes to fitness & provides unique exercise programs for you to follow. You have the option of what type of work-out you want, for how long, & what equipment to use. Along with that there is a Meditation Garden that provides a 30 minute yoga session. So this is what I'm going to use for my cross-training.

Tonight I did a 30-minute yoga session -- I needed to stretch out my muscles & it felt good!! Yay!!

I've altered the training schedule a little considering I didn't walk yesterday.
Sat -- 4 miles
Sun -- 6 miles
Mon -- 4 miles
I'm going to push myself this week -- I've slacked ass long enough. I've gained weight back & that's unacceptable considering I know I can do this. It's crunch time & there are some long walks in my future!!!

"Avoiding the phrase “I don’t have time...”, will soon help you to realize that you do have the time needed for just about anything you choose to accomplish in life. "