Grad School FINITO! & a Marathon?

WTF do I do with my time now? run? have a life? hang out with friends? Not sure I can handle all this free time. 

Actually, I did officially register for my first full, 26.2 mile marathon; The Austin LIVESTRONG Marathon! My sister is running the half (her first one!!) and I'm doing the full. Should be a fun experience and I have time to focus on training now!

Turning in my final 30-page paper was the highlight of my entire life

I can't even begin to think of how many hours were spent working on this paper. Still don't know what I got on the project but I got a B in Capstone, so that was enough for me!! This is how my desk at work looked during my finals period...

Haha I'm an awesome employee.

I finally have time to organize the house I just moved into!!! Moved in this past Monday & still don't have my Xmas tree or kitchen table set up. But that will have to wait until tomorrow or Sunday because tomorrow morning I FUCKING GRADUATE!!!

Here's to spending more time with my little booger!!

Done With ONE!!

Life's been a little crazy lately. I blame this mainly on my need for a clean house & my roomie's lack of care towards the issue! I feel like all I ever do there is fucking clean. I don't mind cleaning up after myself, but not a guy who claims he's "very clean, no need to worry." You LIE, sir! David's birthday was Monday the 19th; I knew since his cousin & sister were in town that they were gonna party so I stayed at my parents for 3 nights, because ya know, I need my fucking SLEEP. I had told David (& his gf) that I was having my family over for Thanksgiving. After running the Turkey Chase Thanksgiving morning, I headed home to start cooking Red Hots Sweet Potatoes & heat up my Kahlua Pecan Pie (Yes, both of those were amazing). 

The house was DISGUSTING. Cake crumbs & icing covering almost every square inch of the kitchen (& living room), empty paper towel holder, sticky spots all over the floor. I cleaned for an hour and a half before the house was finally presentable. Fast forward to Saturday, David has the Colombians over for "Colombian Thanksgiving." Yeah, I stayed at my parents again. Sunday afternoon I went home & proceeded to rip David a new asshole. All I had done was written a note of what needed to be cleaned/fixed to be fair for what I had done. He tried to say the house was dirty before the party. Well, bull-fucking-shit, I let him have it =) Not proud of myself but that is NOT fair to me & I was not backing down. We're good now, but don't accuse me of shit when I'm on my period & you're a hungover grump; it will not end well for YOU.

Rewind to Thanksgiving; my dad smoked a turkey, mom made green bean casserole & rolls, I made the potatoes & pie, & Rachel showed up (hah). I wasn't kidding about making a Kahlua pecan pie...

It was a good day but also incredibly bittersweet; it marked 3 days since my grandpa passed away. He was one of my heroes & I will always remember his last words to me "Love you, too"

The next day was my final LONG run before my half; this week's "long" is only 5 miles as I begin restin' up. But I think I burned enough cals, yes?

I think so, too, so I had cake batter & cookies 'n cream fro-yo with literally every chocolate candy added on top

No shame; no guilt. Only HAPPINESS.


Had my marketing final on Tuesday!!! Turned in my second case in management which means:

All I have left is my 30-page capstone paper & my MGMT final. I can't believe how fast this semester went by, but trust me, I'm NOT COMPLAINING.

I'm First-Class White Trash

I'm also Forever a Landshark. I went to a neurologist last Thursday to have my arm looked at, since physical therapy did nothing for my scapular winging. They shocked my arm a ton of times to determine if it was one of two nerves/muscles that was being affected. That wasn't the problem so the doctor stuck me with a needle in various nerves and made me move my arm, which would make a loud noise on this machine to prove the muscles were working. Well, when he stuck me in my back it was dead silent. Apparently, two muscles are paralyzed and the surrounding nerves aren't helping them function. Also, there's nothing they can do for it... So here's to a lifetime of wearing strapless dresses and bathing suits with an angel wing on the right! FUCK MY LIFE.

Friday night, I went for my 11-miler. Didn't need to make a pit-stop this time & thank God, because the porta-potty that saved my life last long run was gone this week! I don't think my socks appreciated my run, though...

This past weekend, I had planned on going to Bandera for some honky-tonkin' with my aunt & uncle but they're on a job for the rest of the year. My dad said they were going to our farm to build a big fire... I thought, "Why don't I burn the paperwork that I don't need anymore?" GOOD IDEA, TRICIA! Drink beer & burn shit. My mom & sister decided we should take Diablo for his first farm trip!

Upon arrival, we were greeted by not only my father, but this beautiful spider. I asked my dad, "Dad, what kind of spider is that?" "It's a black-and-white-striped-zebra spider. I don't fuckin' know." K, thanks.

Saturday night, dad built THE FIRE and I got my beer & papers ready, as you can see. FUCK OFF, MARKETING!!

There was a meteor shower going on that night but I was too fucking tired (& probably drunk) to stay up for it & ended up sleeping for 11 hours. I needed that, BAD. Sunday, we went to see the spot where the pipeline runs through our land. They're taking another 25 feet for a temporary easement so we wanted to see if they'd staked it yet.

On the way to the easement, we noticed a cow skull with hide still on it (so fairly fresh). Mom said when they were there 2 weeks ago, they noticed a pregnant cow breathing funny. They figured she was about to give birth, but she didn't make it. We found the baby's bones too, so it didn't make it either =(

This is a piece of cowhide that was about 50 feet away from the bones. Hard as a rock!

Poor lady =(

Mom's jaw

Mom's spine

Baby's spine =(

Couldn't find the baby's skull; figure it was carried off by buzzards or coyotes. Life sucks & then you die...

But the dogs had a good time!

Having as Much Fun as Possible

Life in my "world" is crazy but I always try to make the best of things. This post is just gonna have some pictures that explain my life as of late, and my descriptions are going in order.

Pics 1, 2, & 3. It's amazing how much better dogs can make you feel. Diablo (Big'un) is such a beast but will lay on the tiniest towel just to be in the same room as someone!!

Pic 4. Bahaha apparently, my gauger in New Mexico thinks when I request time off, I'm going to party! That or Gone With the Wind is one of his favorite movies...

Pic 5. I went for my 10-miler on Friday night and it was super windy & tiring. I stopped by my parents after to say hi & my sister had made shredded pork & mashed plantains.. it was awesome!

Pic 6. Saturday night my dad said he was gonna BBQ. Usually it's just chicken and maybe sausage. Well I picked up some armadillo eggs from Moody's (cream cheese & jalapeno wrapped in sausage, shaped like an egg, wrapped in bacon & dusted in Cajun seasoning. Yes, it's real) and a 6-pack of Ziegenbock. When I got there, he had grilled chicken breasts, drumsticks, grass-fed rib-eye steaks, bison burgers, AND the armadillo eggs. I swear I'd died and gone to heaven... After that, my dad stoked the fire in the backyard and we sat around it talking & drinkin' beer. I was so happy; the simplest shit makes me happy.

Pic 7. Like I said, the simplest shit makes me happy. I found this GIANT bar of dark chocolate at Walmart. I give it about a week, tops.

Pic 8. A friend of my dad, a former Marine with a purple heart, had a flag that needed to be burned. So, like white trash, we burned it in a trash can in the backyard. RIP Old Glory!

Pic 9. I spent THREE HOURS on Sunday editing our group paper. 3 out of 5 of the writers are foreign and you can tell by the number of comments on the side how awful their grammar is and why I was so busy.

Pic 10. I was filling up the smaller tumbler at least 8 times a day at work (& peeing 10 times). Thought it was about time to upgrade; Go Islanders!

 

Navy Marathon

It's not official until payday, but I'm running the Navy Marathon. WTF IS WRONG WITH ME.

I'm hesitant because the course map hasn't been uploaded yet. All I know is that it starts at the Lexington and ends at Cole Park and that I'm running it. And I'm insane.

I never thought, as a 292 lb 18-year old girl, that at 24 I'd weigh less than 170 lbs, be training for a full 26.2 mile marathon, have ran a Tough Mudder, a half marathon, countless 5Ks, Warrior Dashes, and have had a tummy tuck. Life has been good to me; I can't believe how blessed I am or express how thankful I am for the friends and family that I have.

I'm a New Woman... Once Again

I'm really bad at remembering what I've blogged about in the past so I'll keep this short: Had a tummy tuck in May but the doctor left some skin/fat on my left hip so I was lumpy. He said to call back in October (to give time for the swelling to completely go down) and he would perform an in-office procedure to remove it. My appt was set for Halloween and I asked my bestie to take me, because I knew she wanted to watch the procedure (BLEGH).

My appt was set for 1:30 and we got there right on time, except the doctor was finishing up surgery elsewhere and we didn't get called from the waiting room until 3! He marked my tummy to know where to cut then I got on the table so he could pump me full of numbing solution. I only saw 2 needles (different needle lengths) on the counter so I figured, "Oh 2 shots, I can do this!" Well, I neglected to notice the BOWL FULL OF SOLUTION next to them that he kept refilling the needles from. I think I got at least 10 injections and each one was more uncomfortable than the last. Not necessarily painful, but he was going pretty deep so I kept twitching. Fucker forgot to tell me that the shit was laced with adrenaline until I was about to pass out on the table. I can't tell you how hard I was shaking and how hard I was squeezing Holly's hand. I was so confused because I wasn't in pain but was about to pass out? Well once he told me that I was able to relax, Holly gave me some water, and they (him & his nurse) left to let it numb.

He took off a HUGE chunk of skin and then proceeded to burn off the fat that remained. He said "I know it seems barbaric (burning it off) but it's cleaner than liposuction and less painful" Whatever you say!!

^ 2 days after the procedure

I think from the time he cut me open to the time I was sewn up and sitting up on the table was 20 minutes. I go back to see him in 2 weeks and I can run again starting Monday!!

Also, MY CAPSTONE PRESENTATION IS OVER!!! I only have one more presentation in my grad school career and I could not be any happier! I have our group 30-page paper, individual 30-page paper, one MKTG paper, one MGMT paper, and 3 finals. SOOOO CLOSE.

I Shine in the Fall

When the "cold" fronts start rollin' in, the humidity drops, and the good hair days begin, THIS IS WHEN I SHINE! There is seriously no happier time of year (in my life, anyway) than now; Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's. I get to wear cute, comfy clothes and like I mentioned, I never have a bad hair day.

Tomorrow is the procedure I have been waiting for for over 3 months; getting the leftover fat taken off of my left hip! The last time I saw my tummy tuck surgeon, he asked if I was happy with the results; I said yes but my left hip is still swollen. He said, no, it's fat that I missed & I'll remove it free of charge but you have to give it a couple months to completely reduce swelling. Happy Halloween to me!

My only concern is that I have a group presentation in class the following night. Hope I'm not on crazy meds! 

The school year is passing by so fast that I can't tell if I'm happy about that or frustrated. I have this presentation & our 30- page paper due on the 15th, an exam on the 15th, 1 more paper in marketing as well as an article presentation and his final, then one more paper and a final in management. Oh yeah, and an individual 30-page paper for Capstone. Goodbye, brain! Thanks for making it this far...

My 2nd Half Marathon

Well yesterday, in a fit of over-excitement, I sent in my check & registration for my 2nd half marathon! It's December 8 here in Corpus, downtown along the bayfront and back. I ran this last year as a relay with my boss, so I know the course. Plus, considering my first half marathon had about a thousand hills and this one is COMPLETELY flat, I should be good =) 

I decided since the last half WAS so full of hills, that my time should be much better this time around. My time in Austin was 2:36:55, with a pace of 11:59 per mile. I'm shooting for 2:30:00 or 11:30 per mile pace. Took a couple of minutes yesterday to put together a tentative training schedule:

Week	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Total Miles Run
10/22	4 miles	CT or Rest	3 miles	CT	8 miles	3 miles	REST	18 miles
10/29	5 miles	3 miles	Tummy Procedure	Recover	Recover	Recover	Recover	7 miles
11/5	4 miles	CT or Rest	3 miles	CT or Rest	10 miles	REST	Color Run 5K	20.1 miles
11/12	5 miles	CT or Rest	3 miles	CT or Rest	11 miles	3 miles	REST	22 miles
11/19	4 miles	CT or Rest	3 miles	CT or Rest	12 miles	3 miles	REST	22 miles
11/26	4 miles	CT or Rest	3 miles	CT or Rest	5 miles	2.5 miles	REST	14.5 miles
12/3	2 miles	20 minutes	REST	20 minutes	REST	RACE DAY! 13.1 miles	2.5 recovery miles	17.5 miles + 20 minutes

I know school will get in the way occasionally and I also can't predict how long it will take me to recover from my tummy procedure, but here's to hoping I can stick to this!

I'm also in the process of telling my friends and family how much their support means to me. Knowing that I'll have people at the half-way point and the end gives me more motivation to keep pushing on when I might otherwise feel like slowing down. 

Lastly, I'm trying to stick to Paleo as best as I can. I'm going to try eating dates instead of gels and try not to eat bread/grains more than once a day. However, if I feel my performance is suffering, I will go back to the gels and increase grain consumption.

Getting Back to the Swing of Things

Even with all the stuff I have going on, I think I've finally got my head back on straight (food-wise). I went off the deep-end and felt like my head was underwater. I hate how I feel in my clothes lately. You can't see the weight gain but man can I feel it. Friday night I met some friends at a bar and then ended up at Denny's being the ultimate fat-ass. That was IT. I decided as soon as my order came out (too ashamed to even admit what I ate) that that was the last straw. I need to fit in this dress that I already bought for graduation!

This morning was the Harbor Half Marathon & Relay. I ran this a couple years ago with a friend but this time I ran with my boss. He took the 1st leg (I ran it last time) and I took 2nd. 1st leg starts in CC and the bridge is one mile in; 2nd leg starts in Portland and the bridge is 4.5 miles in. Worked out pretty well because he liked the 1st leg and I liked the 2nd! Got another bib, hat, & shirt to add to my collection =)

I've eaten well today, not to mention ran 6.5 miles over a causeway and MASSIVE FUCKING BRIDGE so I am treating myself to one small glass of wine. I have been looking for this red moscato forever and I FINALLY FOUND IT!!

SUGAAAAAAAAAAAR!

For the love of GOD I am battling some major sugar demons lately. I have no problem passin on the breakfast tacos when they come around, or when someone busts open a bag of chips... but the donuts?

GIMMEE!!

Tuesday morning I was late getting to work due to physical therapy. It was Bosses Day (apparently) so salesmen were dropping by like crazy. I ran into Pat when I walked in & she said "There's food in the kitchen!" what she MEANT was

• donuts
• kolaches
• ham & cheese puffs
• cookies
• Marie Callendar's Kahlua pie
• Marie Callendar's Coconut Creme pie
• Fruit tray with cream cheese & marshmellow dip

Pat had even brought 3 (yes, 3) boxes of cookies but even she decided to keep them hidden in her office until further notice (aka the next day). Also, Jeremy's wife has started baking & selling gourmet cupcakes to the office. 

I'm surrounded by so much temptation that it's honestly ridiculous. I am fine at home because I have stopped buying ice cream and other sweets (except dark chocolate; you can go fuck yourself if you think I'm giving that up) and I eat almost strictly Paleo when I prepare food for myself. Even when I go to my parents, I have an easier time dealing with the temptations. But this office is a completely different story.

I've put my scale away because I don't even want to THINK about what I weigh right now. I know I'll get back to my gloriously healthy ways once I graduate, but that doesn't make me feel any better about the present. I bought a super cute, clingy blue dress to wear for graduation (GO ISLANDERS!) but at the rate I'm goin, I'm gonna need Spanx and a girdle to fit in it =(

Tough Mudder & Scapular Winging

I can't believe Tough Mudder has come and gone! Lemme start off by saying it is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. My sister & I had talked (debated) about doing one but never had the balls to just fucking SIGN UP. Then, my cousin Sarah in Colorado said she wanted to do it as a challenge to herself to lose her baby weight (she had a baby girl in March) and she wanted some cousins to do it with her. Didn't take much to convince us!

We convinced another cousin, Cristi to sign up and she convinced her friend Sabre as well. Sabre's niece and uncle (?) were on our team but they got caught behind an accident on the way to the race so they didn't start with us. I wish they had been able to because the uncle was wearing a camera for it!!

The race was in Paige, TX so we stayed about 20 minutes away in Bastrop. Friday night, we went to Bastrop State Park to explore. It was beautiful and depressing; all the charred trees were still up but along the water it was lush and gorgeous.

Me & my sexy ladies found a bench by the water & had a photoshoot with mom's iPad =)

Saturday was THE DAY; TOUGH MUDDER DAY! We woke up around 7, ate breakfast, grabbed coffee downstairs, and blared Gangnam Style to pump ourselves up. Met up with Sarah & Sabre and stood (jumped) around all jittery in anticipation. 

 (My cousin Sarah & I before!)

One thing we did (and SHOULDN'T HAVE) was watch finishers run through the electroshock therapy at the finish line. The guy we watched got zapped in the neck and face-planted into the mud. Why the HELL did we watch that before we even BEGAN?

You know it's gonna be a legit race when you have to scale a 10' Berlin wall just to get to the start line. Took like 3 people to get me over haha but the start line was the best part; everyone gets quiet, holds up their right hand, and says the Tough Mudder creed. Basically, you help any person you see along the way if they're struggling and it's NOT a race, but an event meant to test your camaraderie and mental and physical grit.

I couldn't do all of the obstacles because of my scapular winging problem, but I definitely pushed myself. I did amazing on the running part but my ankles are KILLIN' me now because of all the hills. It also took us 4 hours 45 minutes. Talk about physical exhaustion... I cannot wait to see all the pictures that get posted! (Or maybe I can, I dunno)

(Sis & I after, with the headbands we FUCKING EARNED!!!)

The rest of that day and the next, all my sister & I did was GROAN. EVERY movement hurt; our ankles, knees, shins, calves, abs, shoulders, toes, EVERYTHING HURT. Did I mention my cousin kicked me in the face swinging over the Berlin wall? Because she did. Here's my sexy legs the next day; looks worse in person because this doesn't show the bruises as well.

So would I do it again? Yes.


Just gimme about two years, at least. My next goal is to run a whole marathon; go 26.2!

In other random news, I finally got to spend time with my friend Sarah's baby boy, Noah. Her other son, Nick, turned 5 so they had a pirate-themed party for him and I got to stop by. Here I am sporting my awesome hard-earned headband & holding precious Noah-bear!!